Daring Cardmakers Challenge

The challenge this week over at Daring Cardmakers is to create something white with a hint of pink for christmas... well my medallion stamp sprang to mind as I love using this.

I simply used brush markers to ink the stamp then a koi water brush to pull the colour in on some of the design... 4 little snowdrop stamps in the corners again using the brush markers & some glitter around the edge along with a few pink gems. Voila 1 quick & easy card... apart from the time spent cutting out the layers... 5 in total.

Hope you're all joining in the festive challenges as if I can do it, you can too...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Out & About

So sorry I never managed to get any cards uploaded yesterday, but had a few visitors which put me behind schedule so I actually only managed to get one made along with making a start on a project for next weeks workshop... as well as that hubby had actually stolen the camera for work all day so couldn't get any pics taken anyway.

Today we were out at eleven for my hubby to do a viewing then we went to a nice garden centre for lunch.. Yummyyyy.... then we went to the supermarket, my first time there in a few months. Well I made it to the second last aisle before my old body told me enough was enough so back to the car I went and as soon as we got in the door I changed into my trackie bottoms & lay in bed for a half hour to help settle me a bit... alas I have things to do like update my blog & also get my new Funky Daze onto my computer as I only ordered it yesterday & in true Anice fashion it arrived in the post today... how can all companies not operate as efficiently as Funky Hand???

Sunshine

Well I have awoken to some glorious sunshine this morning and although I'm sure it's very cold outside it is lovely to look out at from the warmth of the house...

I was going to attempt to drive through to Edinburgh today to attend the craft show but the weather here was not great yesterday & although it's lovely at the moment this could quickly change & being as I've only been driving again for a few days, I'm not sure it would be such a good idea for me to take the chance... So what am I going to do instead....

I've still to tackle yesterdays challenge over at Rainbow Lady & then it's on to Tag You're It. After that I'll have to tackle some designs for next weeks workshop... Better not forget to have my nice big full Scottish breakfast for my lunch either as I need the calories to help bump the weight on after my operation... along with the turkish delights, caramels, crisps, hob nobs etc etc etc.

Before my op you could never have said that I had a love of food, I simply ate because I had to in order to survive... now however, well what can I say, the thought of going for more than 2 hours at a time without having some form of calorie intake is a thought too much to bare... after my op I thought that my stomach would become so small that I would temporarily have to buy some size 6 trousers but hell, I currently only have 3 pairs of combats that still fit me (they were too big on me before) as everything else is too small to get the buttons & zips done up... oh I feel a massive spending spree coming on in January to buy myself a new wardrope of size 10 trousers... Yippee !!!!!

Well I'll stop rabbiting now & get on with my work so I can get some pics downloaded later...

Hope you all have a fab day & happy crafting.

Lorraine xxx

2 for the price of 1....

Well for the second time this week I have been very fortunate & managed to cover 2 of this weeks challenges with the 1 card.... what are they you may ask? Well, the first one is over at Papertake Weekly where we had to work to a gorgeous sketch and the second one is Arty Girlz
where the challenge was to design a card using your favourite colours which for me are natural earthy tones....

The design is highlighted using a clear Sakura glaze pen which looks lovely when the light shines upon it...

Everything I've used her all comes from my yummy Anna Griffin kit from QVC...

Well off to see my mother now who has just arrived after being in Benidorm for 5 days so hope she brought me something nice back...

Hope you all have loads of fun crafting today.

Lorraine xxx

Award Time Again

Well what a lovely start to my day placing another fabulous award on my blog, this time received for the gorgeous Sharon who just also happens to be giving away some yummy blog candy just now.... so it's well worth paying her a visit.... hurry though it ends on November 30th...

The sentiment behind this award is truly amazing. This is it:

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger's aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight blogger's who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

What a wonderful sentiment and an elegant award.

Now I have to pass it on to 8 people. So difficult with all the deserving blogs out there. Anyway, this is the 8 I chose:

Gayle, Ann, Cynthia, Dawn, Terrie B, Chris, Ana, Chriss

Phew, I'm glad that is by with as it's so difficult to choose just 8 people.

Well I'm off to get myself on the go for the day & see what challenge I can meet today as I don't have anything done yet. After doing my workshop yesterday then decided I would pop to the supermarket for a few things so had no energy left last night to do anything. Buy hey presto today is another day... and I'll be back before you know it.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

2sketches4you

What a lovely sketch we have this week over at 2sketches4you & being as I am trying to get into normal work mode as much as possible, I simply had to get this one done asap... now with such a fab design it didn't take long at all.

Paper, tag, swirls & sentiment by Creative Imaginations bought as a kit from QVC (? 586 864 ?)

Green felt trim from the Sierra Kit by Anna Griffin bought from QVC (586 932)

Red gems from my stash

Well my fellow crafters, I hope you like this weeks creation & sorry but I must dash now as I've got an hour & a half to get ready for my workshop & currently sitting here with water running off of my hair, no make up etc etc... hell it sure aint no pretty sight !!!

Take care one & all & I look forward to seeing all your creations.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Tag You're It Challenge

Well folks for this challenge I decided to try & kill 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak... I have a card making workshop to do tomorrow for complete beginners so I decided to combine this weeks tag challenge with one of my makes for the workshop, hence it is very simple... as you all know my mojo has been challenged of late so boy was I relieved when the challenge this week on Tag You're It was to work from a sketch. The layout of which I have adjusted to meet my needs...

Green, gold & white card

Papermania poinsetta

Cardology shimmer yarn

Image, snowflakes & sentiment are all black peel offs

Image coloured using Sakura glaze pens

Button from stash

Well I'm off now to push on as running behind with challenges... yesterday I had an attempt at driving my car & today I successfully drove to my local spar on my own & back, made some brunch, done the dishes, tidied the kitchen, swept my wooden floors & used my lovely electric carpet sweeper to do my living room carpet. Mums friend popped in to do my ironing (wonderful angel that she is), I've made up the last of the kits for tomorrows workshop, now blogging & want to get another card done tonight as well as have my bath & wash my hair.. Phew !!!!! Am I mistaken that I am supposed to be recovering from major surgery ???

Happy crafting all...

Lorraine xxx

My Apologies

May I just say sorry for being such a bad girl yesterday & not updating my blog... I know it appeared as though I deserted you all again just as I was getting back into the swing of things but honestly I was not slacking... I was infact preparing kits for a christmas card making workshop that I have on Tuesday... thing being that what would normally take me a few hours to do is currently taking me a full day... I'll be so glad when I'm back to full operating power...

Well I'm going to try & do a bit better today so I've been on a few challenge blogs to see what I have to come up with so now I just have to find some mojo & get creating... hopefully I'll manage to get something uploaded later today.

Better stop the blogging now as I have to shower first before I can even touch the crafty goodies... Yes I know it's lunch time but I had a bit of a long lie this morning as I haven't been sleeping too well this week but only woke 3 times last night & when I was asleep boy I was dead to the world... I am still fragile you know.... any excuse but I can get away with it just now so may as well use it to my advantage...

Happy crafting to you all & will be back soon with yet another creation.

Big hugs to one & all

Lorraine xxxxx

2 In 1 challenge

Firstly I do apologise for the crap picture but never quite managed to hold myself steady enough for a good one so this is the best of the 7 that I did take.... will try to do better tomorrow...

Well this week the challenge this week over at Rainbow Lady was wings and the challenge over at Daring Cardmakers was birds, so I decided to use this card to kill 2 birds with 1 stone (pardon the punn)...

I am very late for both these challenges but better late than never & it clears the way for getting some more done. That is in addition to the prep I am doing for a workhop I have on Tuesday... Oh to have to make so many cards, how do we manage... me thinks because it gives us the excuse we need to sit playing with paper & cards all day long..

Papers & swirls from Creative Imaginations (highlighted with some stickles)
Flower from my stash.

Happy crafting me blogland buddies

Lorraine xxx

Penny Black Challenge

Well here we are again, another day, another card & I'm feeling quite proud of myself this week, considering how few challenges I've managed over the last few months I think I'm doing pretty well.

Today it is time for the Penny Black challenge which this week is a "monochromatic" theme... This actually worked out quite well for me as our friends had a little girl on Saturday whom they have called Poppy... Rather sweet I think... well I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone and use the challenge to create the baby card... May I just say that although this only a 10 minute make it did infact take me about 6 hours to complete as I constantly had people popping in & out... Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. My precious crafting time stollen from beneath my nose... me thinks that I may well have to lock the doors & draw the curtains today so they all think I'm still in bed...

I do apologise for the picture today but my hubby has stolen the camera for work today so I had to take the picture last night using my under unit lights in the kitchen... but for the record everything is different shades of pink.

Papers Pink handmade paper stack from Cardology

Image Penny Black Topsy Turvey (3466F)

Sentiment : American Craft Thickers (coloured with brush markers)

Image stamped using brush markers & blended with Koi water brush

Flowers & Gems from my stash

Hope you're all joining in the fun this week. Happy crafting...

Lorraine xxx

Look what I got...

Now how lucky am I to have received this absolutely gorgeous card in the post full of well wishes from the lovely Ann (Ickle Haggis)

Now the really funny part of it is that yesterday morning when I was trying to do a little blog hopping I popped over to Anns blog, saw this lovely card & left a comment. Low & behold when my postie finally arrived mid afternoon what did he bring for me but this exact card... had a little chuckle to myself. Isn't it just a gorgeous card & the colours are so lovely to look at that they really brighten the day...

Thank you oh so much to Ann for thinking of me & if you've never visited her blog before please pop over now for much more inspiration.

Hope one & all are having a fantastic day, I know I am...

Lorraine xxx

Stamp Something

Two in a row, two in a row, yippee, yippee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow do I feel good about myself today as yes you've guessed it, this is my second challenge in just two days.... believe it or not this is such a simple card yet because of visitors yesterday it actually took me about six hours to complete... I had to keep putting it down then picking it up again... realistically it is a ten minute make... hey who cares I still got the job done & that's what matters at the end of the day...

Oh now the mind boggles over what challenge to do today & in addition to that I also have to make a new baby card for friends who have had a little girl whom they've called Poppy (how sweet is that), they already have a boy (Shea) and a little girl (Georgie). This is a couple who know how to pick unusual but not silly names...

Well can't sit her gibbering all day can I as there is work to be done... but hope you are all joining in the fun this week over at Stamp Something and even if you're not joining in why not pop over for a little inspiration...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Cardstock from my stash

Snowflake images & sentiment from Cardology

Shimmer yarn from Cardology
Christmas brads from Cardology

Sugar Nellie Blog Candy

Oh now who could resist this delicious giveaway of two absolutely adorable rubber stamps from Sugar Nellie....

Maggie is dressed in her gorgeous christmas fairy dress and our little Hamish well it only leaves one question.... is he being a true scots man under that kilt ????

These fabulous stamps are being given away by Gayle who has just taken over the huge job of running the Sugar Nellie blog. In order to stand a chance of winning them all you have to do is leave a message on your own blog telling people about this fab giveaway & also a message on Gayles blog giving a reason why you should be their new mummy....

I'm being nice & spreading the word but hey, back off !!!!!!! I want the stamps............ they're just so adorable I want to cuddle them in my home....

Happy crafting everyone & hope you all join in the fun.

Lorraine xxx

Tag You're It Challenge

Yippee !!!!!!!!!!!!! I've managed to join in a challenge...........

Well we all know what a hard task master big mamma Kath is & this just goes to prove it.... Here I am poor little me trying to recover from my surgery & what does she do ??? Oh yes she has to be the one coming up with this weeks challenge. Now can you imagine the trouble I would get into if, over a full 7 day period I could not come up with a design to show my support for her... Exactly I had no option... Mother hen has decided it's time to give me a kick up the butt & get me on the go again... (we all love her really & this kicking of the bum is one of the many reasons why we do).

To be truthful my tag was actually finished by lunch time on Friday only to discover that my dear beloved husband had taken the camera to work.... what good is that to me ??? Well by the time he arrived home at 7pm it was too late to take a pic... Saturday I was in Musselburgh for a demo day & yesterday was spent in my PJ's recovering from the day before.... Alas today has arrived the start of a new week & with new challenges for me to accomplish... Yippee.....

Happy crafting to you all & I hope to see more & more of you over the next few days...

Lorraine xxxxx

Papers & embellishments by Creative Imaginations (purchased as a kit from QVC) funny thing is they are based in Huntington Beach which is where my hubby comes from... do you think I might be able to visit their factory next time I'm visiting the in-laws???? Oh that would be fab.

Another Award

Even though I've been a bad blogger over the last few months due to my health the amount of support I have received from you all is immense..... and just today I have collected another award from the lovely Gayle who may I say texts me every single day without fail to check on my progress (many a time she slaps my fingers for being bad) she also makes me laugh....

I am supposed to pass this on to 5 other bloggers, but instead of doing that this time I would like instead to nominate all of you who have given me so much support.... you are all such fab people & I just love the simple layout of this award & the lovely bright colours which we all need at this time of year as autumn / winter is very quickly approaching...

This award brightened my day so please accept it from the bottom of my heart with much thanks & take it to your blog today....

Love ya all loads & happy crafting... I'm off now to get on with some more samples... promise I will try & get some pics uploaded asap.

Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura...........................

Well I would love dearly to hear from anyone out there who has never heard of Sakura or never infact used their products....

Yes these are one of the things we hold dear to our hearts... our beloved Sakura pens... where would we be without our glaze, stardust etc....

Well, I hope you are all sitting down now as I have some truly amazing news to share with you all... as at the moment I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new kit.... yes you've guessed it... I am now officially a Sakura demonstrator..... how fab is that....

Yes things will be slow for me at the moment due to my recent surgery but once the new year arrives I am so looking forward to going out demoing on a regular basis & to meeting loads of you... I will put a list of demo dates on my blog so you will know if I am going to be in your area.. that way I can get the opportunity to meet you in person then I'll know who I'm blogging with.

Well now that I've shared my news with you all it's time to get my butt back to work... no rest for the wicked as they say....

Hope you're all having a fabby time out there crafting & I promise to get back to normal as soon as possible...

Big hugs

Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've been bad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So sorry to have been neglecting you all again but it's been with very good reason....

As my recovery is progressing more day by day, I've managed to make it out for lunch at the weekend with my lovely hubby & my mums friend also took me out for a little jaunt in the car...

In addition to that I've been making samples for a demo I have on Saturday at Ashby Designs in Musselburgh then have some workshops after that for 4 weeks so I really do have lots to do & it all takes time as I don't move the quickest at the moment.....

As soon as I get a minute I will get some pics posted but in the meantime I'm going to put up another post with some fab news............. I really am jumping with joy at this one....

Happy crafting
Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxx

Another Award

Well how lucky am I to have been given this award during my recent period of ill health...

It was presented to me by the gorgeous Anne-Marie quite a while back now (September actually) but this is the first I've gotten around to putting it on my blog...

Thank you honey for putting a huge smile on my face during my hour of need. I was supposed to pass it on but I would imagine that everyone has collected theirs by now but if not please feel free to collect from me...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxxx

Idol 2008

Well my gorgeous & very talented step daughter was singing in the Idol 2008 regional final last night at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow & I am proud to announce that she managed to come in as runner-up.... An exceptionally good achievement & it also means that she may still be in with a chance of getting to the Grand Final at the end of this month.... Fingers crossed.....

Well done Brianna......

Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My new house....

Well as you all know I've not exactly been in a mood to craft lately but have definately not been in a physical state either.... Last week I sat for 3 days just cutting out & building up decoupage images. At least it gave me something to get me started...

Alas, I started feeling a little better though it was difficult to get to my craft goodies but isn't it amazing what you can do with a Doodlebug house kit & a K&Co pad... lets not forget the little gems that I finally managed to gain access to...

It's not done to perfection as I can't put anything heavy on my lap so I had to do all the measurements & cutting out on top of a cushion that was there to protect my wound...

All in all I quite happy of the outcome & it sure helped me to get the mojo going again... perhaps if I can drum up a few cards this week all should be close to normal within the next week or two.

I just thought I would share this with you all so you know that I am trying hard to get back in the flow of things & do think of all you gorgeous crafters out there each & every day....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

HOSPITAL NEWS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just a quickie note to let you all know that I received word from the hospital today regarding the pathology report on everything that they stole from my stomach....

1. Right ovary & tube....
2. Sample from left ovary....
3. Very large tumour.....

My poor wee belly is becoming shrinking by the day as the swelling is going down but hey won't be long before I can pile the pounds on (need at least a stone....)

Well the good news is that everything that went to the pathologist was tested and there are absolutely no signs of any malignancy....

YIPPEE ................... the final all clear has been received so no more worrying now....

Love ya all loads
Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More hand made cards.....

Well hello again................

I'm never much good at getting my pictures uploaded in any particular order so I just have to accept however they appear....

Anyway, here are some lovely handmade cards that I have received since going through my surgery. This cutie here showing showers of love coming my way was sent from the lovely Gayle. She has been a god send to me over the last few months & texts me every day to check on my well being ( as well as sending me chocies)...



As for this next little beauty (you may already have guessed who this one is from) yes she does have a very distinctive talent....

Were you right ??? It's from the gorgeous Kath who is yet another very trusty friend who has provided me with an immense amount of support over the last few months.... I'm so honoured as the stitching detail is all done by her own fair hand... Hmmmm wonder if she is expecting a birthday card from me later this week???? I think she deserves it, don't you !!!!!

The next 2 cards are from non-bloggers who attend the same craft group as me. The first here is from a lovely lady called Christine who I have known for many years now & it's lovely to know that she is thinking of me although I haven't seen her for almost 2 months now....

And this final card is from another lady in the group called Helen who first got me to attend the craft group & she has been crafting for over a decade now... Helen is also my buddy who I go to the Create & Craft experience with & I blame most of my expensive purchases on her when Rob starts asking me too many questions. Oh I do have many a sin to pay for.

Well I just thought I would share these with you all as I am so appreciative of all the support & well wishes I have received during my period of ill health.... Hope everyone reading this is all in high spirit & feeling healthy...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxxxxxxxxxxx