Chocolate muffin time...

Well it has been one of those dark dismal days ever since I awoke this morning.. as you will know if you read my previous posting... I did think that it would get better as the day went on but instead that was only the start of the crap hitting the fan...

My dear hubby is an Independent Mortgage Advisor and runs his own company... well you don't need to be a member of Mensa to realise that business has definately not been good over the last 6 months. He has been doing his best to make things work but unfortunately the Government is allowing the banks to offer better deals than IFA's can offer so basically there has been no work for several months now... He has been forced to close shops & make redundancies which has been soul destroying as he knew he was putting people out of work at a time when there are very few jobs around... sadly he had no option...

Things today have just gone from bad to worse & now he fears that his business will have to close completely as they have large outlays & no income... so where does that leave us.... dear hubby will have to find something else to do & he has only ever worked in the financial sector since leaving school and I may also have to find some other form of income if there are not enough demo jobs around... we will just have to ride this storm like everyone else in Britain... what a wonderful world we are living in .... NOT......

Here is a little card I made today during my depressive mood....

Tonight I have actually made the real thing in the form of a 5 minute chocolate cake....

Papers are from Basic Grey Sugared collection... the cupcake base is corrugated card with some shimmer yarn wrapped around.. I used some bright pink embossing powder for the sprinkles and a brown button to imitate a cherry on top...

Well sorry to have shared my bad news with you all but thank you for reading... and hopefully I will be in better spirits when I return tomorrow... Until then.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

What a morning

Well my lovely little peeps... what a morning it has been...

Firstly I hardly slept last night... one of those where you do nothing but toss & turn... then when I did awake & looked out of the window, there is a yucky grey sky... so decided to pop on computer & catch up with todays challenges. Whilst doing this I read that poor Angel had her van & tools stolen last night from outside her home... poor lass & her hubby are devastated as this is what provides their income..

Thankfully I then popped over to visit Gayle & she has a lovely summery card on today complete with yellow gingham ribbon that put the first smile of the day on my face... then over to Kath's to see her tag & she has used her Agapanthus stamp which I so adore... now the day is starting to look a little brighter thanks to these two wonderful ladies...

Well better sign off again, do some housework then get some cards made... I'm so behind with challenges this week but I've had so many other things to catch up with & been fighting my headaches... thankfully those seem to have gone away... fingers crossed it remains that way.

Back later with at least 1 new creation.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

2sketches4you

Well there is no surprise this week over at 2sketches4you where we have yet another fabulous sketch from Kazan... I actually can't believe that I never managed to get one done last week so quite happy that I have now tackled this weeks...

I have altered the sketch slightly but really not too much... well I don't think so anyway...

Some basic matting & layering occurred and I used a Fiskars shape template to cut my red card. This was then heat embossed using one of Wendie Rhodes Twirly Doodles Collection.. the sentiment is by WS Designs. Some inked edges, a few gems, wooden flower & big bow all from my stash.

Guess I better start thinking about what to make for tonight's tea! However, that will only take a short while so plenty time left for more crafting later tonight.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Fiskars @ the SECC

Oh my word... I've just realised that it's now only 2 weeks to the SECC... how time goes by...

Well I've just heard that we are all going to be wearing T-shirts for the big event which are being ordered today so can't wait to see what they look like... So much for all the new tops I bought... I'm sure I'll have many more occassions upon which to wear them.

I'm also very excited as my new product samples are almost ready to ship to me in preparation for the show so can't wait to get my hands on them.. not entirely sure what all there is but should know within the next few days... WooHoo.......

Anyway, I'm off back to my crafting as I'm right in the middle of a new card so will get that uploaded within the next hour or so.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Picture Re-take

Good morning my lovely little peeps.... oh what a lovely day it is here... some fluffy clouds in the sky but also some lovely bright blue sky to be seen today... YIPPEE.............. sure hope it stays like that for the rest of the day... I'm just waiting on the first load of washing to end in the hopes that I can actually get it outside to dry today... it would be the first of the year and would be so lovely to have the air blow through it again...

Anyway, the post I made last night showed a very dark card so I have re-taken it this morning... almost 12 hours exactly between pictures and this one definately looks better... although the lavender card is still showing a little bit pink... if I put it in the sun though to take the pic it just looks too sparkly so I'm afraid this is the best I can do picture wise...

What am I up to today.... well now I have decided that as my back has been aching & I've suffered more headaches over the last 2 weeks than I have in 2 years... I'm going to try & have a relatively easy day of it today... Should be at craft group but really just not feeling up to going out today again.

Actually still in my pj's at the moment... so planning to finish my housework (not much left to do), then going for a nice soak in the old bath to try & ease my muscles then I'm onto some card making... I have no plans to leave the house today at all.... well I do have to go into the garden to see my bunnies & hopefully get the washing hung out, but back gardens are allowed...

Hope you've all got a good day ahead too... back soon me hopes...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

The Pink Elephant Challenge

Well once again I have to apologise for not having posted before this very late hour... seems to be my normal this week but I will do my best to change back to my normal posting tomorrow.

I know my picture sucks too but at this time of night, no chance of a good pic & couldn't use my flash as it just reflected against the glitter...

Now the challenge this week over at The Pink Elephant is to the theme of "All that glitters"

Now you will know from my posting the other day that my neighbour had a little baby boy who they have named Jonathan... hopefully he will be coming home tomorrow or Friday... a little jaundice at the moment... poor wee man. So I decided to use the challenge to create their card.

I know it looks like the letters are pink but they are infact lavender & the base card is baby blue.

The letters were made using Wendie Rhodes wacky letter templates with the ribbons, ABC, pin & boy brad all being from my stash... the little boy is also pale blue, not green like he looks here.

If I can remember to take a better picture tomorrow I will do & replace this one as the card is so much nicer than it looks here...

Hopefully back with you all tomorrow morning.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Today's To Do

Another very good morning to all my lovely jubbly blogging buddies out there in blogland...

Hope this morning has found you all safe & well..

Now before I do any crafting today I MUST run some errands... Have to pick up some card stock as my supply is quickly deminishing, have to pay some cheques into the bank, pop to the post office & deliver some stuff..oh let's not forgot the trip to the local supermarket for those bits & bobs...

Then I have to then pay the gas & electricity bill... almost £800............. is it any wonder that older people die from hypothermia year in & year out in this country... how the hell are they supposed to keep warm when this is what it costs... I know they receive an allowance towards covering the cost but still nothing compared to this bill... Because I was recovering from surgery and in the house most of the time over the winter months my heating has been on 24/7, but overnight & during the daytime it has only been high enough to keep the chill from the air... certainly hasn't felt like I've been in Bermuda or anything.... I should have been so lucky.... the only real time it was turned up was between the hours of about 6pm & 11pm. So wish I lived in a lovely old house where I could have a wood burning stove or something.. heating would be much better & cheaper....

Well that's me cleared my chest for the morning so the quicker I leave you all the quicker I can return & get some crafting done then uploaded...

Until later.... love ya all peeps...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

SAKURA DEMO

Just a quickie folks to let you know that my first Sakura demo of the year has been booked... here's to many many more to come.

This one has been booked by Ashby Designs in Musselburgh for Saturday 18th April and I will be demoing instore from 10am - 4pm.

If you live anywhere in the region of Musselburgh it would be great if you popped along to say Hi... this is a super shop where both owners & customers alike are some of the best folks I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.. talk about being made welcome...

So now you know where I'll be on April 18th....

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Daring Cardmakers Challenge

This week over at Daring Cardmakers the challenge is to work to the theme of "Feeling Green" ie lots of green on your card in as many shades as you like.... well this is not an easy one for me as I have a restricted amount of green & have decided I really will have to make an investment to slightly broaden my range....

Here I used a green base card & then added a green spotted vellum wrapper... then some letter tabs which came free in some magazine, goodness only knows when. Green DCWV card around which I wrapped some Dovecraft fibre, then stamped a leaf on some thin white card so that when I water coloured I would slightly warp the card to give the effect of the wind blowing the leaf. The leaf itself was coloured using Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils.

Sorry the picture does not show the true colours but at this time of night it's very hard to get a decent picture...

Hope you are all joining in the fun this week or challenge if you're like me when it comes to green...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Penny Black Baby Update

Good morning everyone....

Well last night I post my Penny Black card just after which I heard that my neighbour was going to be induced... was it fate I wondered.... is it going to be a girl....

Have just received a text from the new Daddy to say that Mum & Baby are doing well..........

Was it Fate: NO.......................................

A new little baby boy was born into the world this morning at 00.53 hours.... weighing in at a whopping.... wait for it.... 6lb 2oz........... quite light really considering he was due on the 9th... no wonder he wanted to stay in Mummys belly an extra few days...

Well I'll need to make another card now.... hmmmm the challenge at Daring Cardmakers is Green..... wonder if I can do a pale green baby card.... not sure I have much in the line of pale green.... will need to have a good old rummage....

Back to you all later.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Penny Black Challenge

Well I was out for lunch & a shopping trip today with my mum so had all the housework & washing to do this morning before I left... went on my outing with mum, then popped in to visit a friend for an hour or so as she's not keeping the best... then had a chat with my neighbour before actually returning home at around 5.45pm today... No sooner was I in the door & my OH text to say he was on his way home so had to organise dinner then... eat that & sort the dishes... then had to squeeze in my card for the Penny Black challenge... before my step daughter & boyfriend arrived at 7.30pm.... Gosh... still with me???

Well I decided upon a baby card for the challenge and here is what I came up with....

Now to make matters strange... during the course of the evening, one of my other neighbours text me to say his partner was in hospital going to be induced... she was due on Feb 9th & they had decided to leave her until this coming Friday before considering inducing her... alas.... baby has decided to play up with mother so they have tonight decided to start the inducing...

Do you think this is fate that today of all days I happened to make a baby girl card !!!!

Well you'll all just have to wait the same as me to find out... I will let you all know though...

Well I'm off to squeeze in some blog hopping before falling into bed in about half an hours time...

See you all tomorrow again...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Two Awards this morning...

What better way to start my Monday morning than by posting my two new awards... I do know that last week I received some more & I am working my way through all your lovely messages trying to find them so please forgive me & bear with me...

This first one "Friends" I received from the lovely Angel who has been amazing me of late with her absolutely fantastic inchies... boy I've never plucked up the courage to try them but this lass does an amazing job with them.

The next award I received was "Nice Matters" from the ever so delightful Fran who does like to try all manner of things crafty... you never know what you may see when you pop over to visit her...

Now I am supposed to pass these on to selected individuals but as it's Monday, the start of a new week and I'm feeling oh so generous today... I've have decided that I would like to present these awards to everyone who visits my blog during the course of today....

Go on my lovelies, if you are ready this today, please feel free to lift your awards & display them on your own blog too.....

Hope you all have a wonderful day with lots of lovely crafting.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

The Sugar Bowl

The new challenge over at The Sugar Bowl is simply called "One... why could that mean you may well ask... well... it means you are only allowed to use 1 type of patterned paper... now this does include double sided which takes a little strain off of us paper lovers...




I thought I would struggle with this one but actually managed not too bad... image is coloured using Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils, some gems added here & there.... flowers & of course pearls.. had to in order to match the pearl necklace & boa...

The paper I used is double sided & is Pink Mini Flowers from The Paper Company.

Well now that hubby is in bed out of my way, I'm off to see if I can get another made before going to bed... back to you all tomorrow again.

Happy crafting
Lorraine xxx

Singing the day away...

Well good morning to you all folks & hope you are all doing fabby dabby doooo on this fine morning....well it's actually not all that fine here... extremely overcast to be truthful but main thing is at the moment there is no rain or snow, so for that I'm grateful...

Do you ever have one of those mornings where you awake to realise that your day cannot be too constructed as there is the possibility that it could all change with a phone call... well today is one of those days for me.

My step daughter is competing in another talent event today, but they are actually holding the finals today also.. I know very unusual but that's the way it goes sometimes.. she has registration for the event at 12 noon and is not sure what time she will be up in front of the judges. Then she has to wait & see if she has got through to the final. If she does then we have to jump in the car & make a mad dash into Glasgow to be there for the final.

Oh boy, guess I better get my skates on then as I have the pet store to pop to for supplies... rather a lot with all my babies... & hubby wants me to take a look at something else??? never to clear about things neither he is... then I have a few challenge cards to make...

Will be back later with some cards & perhaps an update on my step daughter.

In the meantime, happy crafting to you all....

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Tag You're It Challenge

Now the theme this week over at Tag You're It is "Love & Romance" as it's Valentines Day....

Me thinks I've been living with my hubby for too long now as I so do not do romantic very well at all.... I told him to stop wasting his money by buying me huge floral arrangements about 6 years ago as I thought it was a complete waste of money... heck we could both go out for a slap up meal for the amount he spent on flowers.... now we simply wish each other Happy Valentines and either go out somewhere nice for a meal of have a cosy night in with a carry out....

Suits me so much better & I feel I got value for money then. There's no worse feeling than seeing £80 of flowers wither & die a few days after the event... gosh I sound awful don't I... Sorry.

Well now that I've told you what I'm like, you'll understand when I say I don't find these tags & cards the easiest to make as my cards are normally made with my feelings put into them... this tag I had to work hard on, to try & find some romance hidden deep within...

Not quite sure I've managed to accomplish this, but hey it's done now...

If you're a true romantic at heart then this is the perfect challenge for you to join in with this week...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Arty Girlz Challenge

The challenge this week over at Arty Girlz is flowers so I thought that I would use this card which I admit is not one I have recently made... It's actually from around April or May of last year & was one of the samples made for the Sakura/Cardology show on Ideal World and Create & Craft. I do love it though...

The base card is cut from an apeture card and given a burnished look using a silver calligraphy pen... the flowers themselves were all traced from patterns onto vellum & then glitter was added to some & the rest were watercoloured using Sakura Stardust...

This card does hold a place in my heart but I'm not sure if part of that is because it took me hours to make, delicately cutting all those flowers from vellum & ensuring that I didn't tear them.

Well me hopes you like & now I'm off to add another posting...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Night Night

Hi folks, thank you so much for your sympathy earlier today and I've actually slept for most of it and do feel a bit better...

I have managed to make something tonight but have no chance of getting a decent pic at this time so will upload it in the morning...

Right now, I'm off back to bed for a good nights sleep & hopefully I'll be back to normal tomorrow.

Hugs to you all.

Lorraine xxx

What a pain !!!

Well a very good afternoon to you all..... well I hope it's a lot better than mine anyway....

Mid afternoon yesterday I started getting a headache which by teatime last night had turned into a lovely full blown migraine... you know those ones where it's difficult to even keep your eyes open because of the pain...

Well I had a wonderful sleep as I think the pain knocked me out and I slept like a log till my mum called this morning about 10.35am.... gosh talk about having a lie in... well we were supposed to be going out to lunch today but I've had to re-arrange for Monday now... I've had some more pain killers because you guessed it.... the flaming pain is still there...

I think I'm going to jump back into bed for an hour or two and see if I can get rid of it... was trying to think what may have caused it and low & behold the answer I think hit me in the face... remember I was at physio on Monday & she has given me a new sitting position to help realign my pelvis.... well I think this may be the cause.... thus, I will have to tolerate the pain until I correct my posture but it will make a huge difference in the long run...

I will pop back later with a creation or two if I can and in the meantime happy crafting.

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Evening all.... just another brief update for you all on Gayle's sister who was released from hospital today....

It has now emerged that the hospital are unsure if Gayle's sister actually has another condition relating to small blood vessels...

This will take time to find out whether or not they are correct so in the meantime until she sees the next specialist I would ask that you all continue to keep the family in your prayers... they are at present still under some pressure and will be for the next few weeks at least.

Thankfully all the family should manage to get a decent nights sleep now that she is back home with her loved ones...

I will continue to update you all on progress when there is anything to report.

Hugs & blessings to you all

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

WooooooHoooooooooooooooooo Yiiiiipppppppeeeeeee

Gayle's sister has just got her MRI scan results back and fantastic news, all clear....................

Thankfully this means that she can now return home today so I guess she will be frantically packing her bag as we speak seeing as she has been stuck in hospital for 13 days now.....

She still has a way to go before she is fully recovered and will have to take it extremely easy over the coming months but I'm sure that being at home with her loving family will make this journey so much easier for her....

On behalf of Gayle & her family may I thank you all for your prayers & good wishes which have been received over the past few weeks....

Just a little heads up for you too.... Gayle is posting some Blog Candy at the weekend so make sure you pop over & join in....

Off to celebrate now

Lorraine xxx

Papertake Weekly

This week over at Papertake Weekly we have been given a wonderful sketch to work with designed by the fabulous & very talented Dawny P.... well who could even contemplate saying no to this one..... certainly not I, that's for sure......

Oh boy the excitement of it all, having to choose what all to use on my card. Finally I got there and here is the end result....

For the base card I decided upon corrugated card which adds a bit of depth & texture...

Image is Pringle from Sugar Nellie & he was water coloured using Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils

Blue & White papers are by Funky Hand

Brown & Gold paper is from a pack I bought in the local supermarket

Sentiment is from my stash...

Well I'm off now to see if I can make a start on another card... will be later before I finish it though as I've got craft group today & we're having a bring & buy sale so my car is filled to the brim.

In the meantime happy crafting.

Lorraine xxx

Just For Fun

During my tidy session yesterday I just happened upon this beautiful dress which I actually made last year but had never gotten around to putting it on a card.... shame on me but it put a smile on my face yesterday when I discovered it.

It is the most delightful dress and is from Joanna Sheen... stamped with Staz On onto Fantasy Fibre... I have cut the dress out but left the fringe effect at the top of the bodice as I think it has a fluffy feathery effect.... mounted with silicone onto a lovely purple & silver background...

I know it's very plain but I really don't have the heart to detract from the dress by adding any other embellishment...

Just thought I'd share this one with you so hope you like.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Still Here !!!

Well I know it may appear like I have been missing in action since yesterday but infact I have been getting stuck in to tidying my craft room... not completely through choice. My OH wanted me to find a letter which he thought was in here... since I took ill no paperwork had been filed so in order to go through it all I had to rummage everything... I do have to say that I still have one box of stuff to go through & sort but certainly much better than it was before I started...

Now I do have to ask.... do you think I have a bit of an obsession with Sakura & Stickles ???

I have decided that Stardust is my confirmed favourite as in the tub on the left I infact have 80 Stardust pens.... THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE MY DEMO KIT !!! Heaven forbid I run out eh...

I was also amazed to discover that I have collected 45 tubs of Stickles.... Zoom in on the picture & count them if you don't believe me...

Also managed to get a lot of my flowers sorted in my new storage boxes so I'm quite a happy little crafter now...

Even more good news is that it's almost Trade Show time which means the unveiling of lots of new goodies due to hit our stores soon so I'm quite excited to see what all is in store for us over the coming months...

Oh my my my, how is a girl to control herself with so much going on.... hmmmm more crafting I suppose would be the simplest solution...

With that lovely thought I will bid you all a fond farewell till I post again...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxx

Gayle's posted today...

Just a wee quickie to let you know that Gayle has posted today on her blog... a bit of fun but I'm sure she'd love if you popped over & left her a comment....

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Something different

Hi all my lovelies out there in blogland... hope the morning is finding you all safe & well...

Just thought I would start today sharing something other than a card with you for a change...

This is a little quick necklace that I had started before I took ill & it has just been lying to the side waiting to be finished now for months... so last night I decided it was time to complete the project then I can have another piece to add to my collection...

Very basic design which was quick & easy to make and I so love having my unique jewellery to wear when I go places...

Hope you enjoyed my little something different and I will be back later for business as usual...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Another challenge or two....

I've actually been quite enjoying myself over the past few weeks challenging myself to try & make one card by combining 2 challenges... Takes your projects to yet another level....

Well this one here is for the Daring Cardmakers Challenge which is "Oriental Splendor" but you are not allowed to use red or black.... the 2nd is for the Colour Create Challenge which this week is to use the colours Peach & Aqua with the additional option of DIY flowers...

Oh my not off to a very good start as these are not colours I would generally use... wasn't even sure I had much in those colours...

Well low & behold I had Debbi Moore Aqua embossing powder... super... heat embossed this then coloured the flowers peach using Sakura Stardust... Oh the oriental blossom image is by the very talented Barbara Gray at Clarity Stamp.... I then inked the edge of the image with Colorbox peach....

The background is hand stitched paper and fortunately I had some peach paper from way way back from which I cut some flowers and then used the aqua background for the centre of the flowers...

Another 2 challenges complete... woohoo.....

Oh my me wonders what will be next on my agenda.... will have to pop off now & have a nosey...

Back with you all again soon.....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxxx

There's no business like snow business !!!

Boy oh boy did we get the snow again... it looks the exact here today as it did last Monday... only difference today is the kids are off school so they are all out making snowmen, throwing snow balls etc etc... due to these not being my kids I have not taken any pics of them... sorry... they are having a whole load of fun though...

Well I've been to physio this morning which was rather pleasant as the lady I saw is actually a crafter herself... apparently trying to protect my shoulder when it got injured etc has caused my pelvis to alter position which has caused even more problems... now I have had my instructions on how to sit whilst on the computer, eating, watching tv & most of all crafting... her biggest concern is the fact that I demo which means I am hunched so we are going to work on that too... I now have to craft at an angle and whilst sitting I have to keep a pillow on my legs to prevent me from slouching... as well as lumbar support... and have to raise my feet about an inch off the ground... boy do I have my work cut out for me...

As though it wasn't bad enough having to go out in the snow for physio, my hubby left his wallet at home so I then had to go straight past my house again in the opposite direction to give him it...

Thankfully the main roads are clearing a bit now so it wasn't too bad afterall... now I'm back home & happy again in my big fluffy slippers... so off to have some lunch now then see what challenges I will tackle today.

Back soon

Lorraine xxx

The Devil Wears Prada....

Wish to bloody hell I did too...

Sorry folks I had told myself I was going to do some blog hopping tonight, but it has been snowing since around 4pm today, I've been on the phone to my in-laws in California for about 2 hours and then whilst I was still snuggled up on the sofa with my hot chocolate, what comes on but "The Devil Wears Prada"... well it's a super wee light hearted movie with a whole load of true meaning behind it... simply a must watch...

I am most certainly not a materialistic person... but I must admit if I could choose something to have in my closet it would either be a pair of Jimmy Choo's or more probably a little black Chanel number... I'm never without that all important accessory in my closet as you never know when it will come in handy and if in doubt at any time what one should wear... it's always the safest bet...

Well had a quick text from Gayle tonight & her sister is still the same as yesterday which is good as it means she hasn't relapsed & we now hope that her MRI will be carried out tomorrow, so fingers crossed I may have more info then... Gayle was having another early night in bed in the hopes that she can get some more sleep... let's hope so...

Well I'm off to get ready now as I have physio first thing in the morning... that is if I'm not snowed in by then...

See you all tomorrow & in the meantime, happy crafting...

Lorraine xxx

Penny Black & Pink Elephant Challenges

This week over at Penny Black the challenge is to create a card based on "Romance"..... and there is also a new challenge site started today called The Pink Elephant and to kick start them off the challenge is to create a card using the colours Pink, Black & White....

So I decided to go for another 2 in 1 here... wrapped 3 strips of cerise ribbon around some black card stock & stuck to my card, stamped little hedgie onto some white card and coloured using Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils... this was quite fun as the card is not glossy but does have a coating on it so the colour initially puddled before drying... added some dots, then distressed & inked the edges... mounted using silicone. Inked the edges of the card, stamped the word love & added some adhesive stones to finish off...

Well I hope you're all joining in the fun this weekend & now I'm off to get ready to go to the supermarket... yuck my worst hate of the week, but it has to be done.... with any luck I'll get another challenge done later on...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Morning my little sweets....

I know I'm bad as I never posted my daily update last night but there was a very good reason for it... I was partying away all day at a 1st birthday party then when I managed to text Gayle last night there was no response until this morning... YIPPEE.... she was so exhausted when she got back from the hospital that she actually went straight to bed & off to the land of nod... how wonderful is that.... she slept most of the night too so I'm mega happy about that....

Her sister was a lot brighter yesterday so hopefully now that her pain meds have kicked in & she's getting some sleep the body is recovering a bit... no MRI & my strong suspicions are that this will not be done before tomorrow... but hey we can but hope...

As soon as I know more I will let you know...

I'm off to tackle my Penny Black challenge now so will be back later...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Stamp Something

This week over at Stamp Something is to create something for your valentine...

Here I took a pp by K&Co & then stamped & embossed gold hearts onto it, which I then water coloured blue for a slightly more masculine look.... edges were inked with a combo of brown & blue inks... attached PM Nostalglia chipboard letters with silicone and a ribbon bow from my stash to finish...

Quick & simple...

Well I'm off to get ready now for my friends 1 year olds birthday party, so wish me luck...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Good evening again my lovelies...

Just a quick update for you tonight on Gayle's sister's condition.. There is still no real change in her today although she does appear to be a little brighter...

Unfortunately she did not have her MRI carried out today so not sure if this will happen over the weekend or not... will just have to wait & see...

As always I will keep you up to date over the weekend.

Thanking you all once again...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

2 for the price of 1....

Well I'm actually quite happy with this little 2 in 1 tag/card this week & so is my hubby as I actually presented it to him when he came home from work this evening...

This week over at Tag You're It the challenge is to design a tag based on a sketch by my very talented buddy Kath... I know we all love her so much & can anyone really blame us for that... I don't think so....

At the same time the challenge over at the Sugar Sugar this week is to create a tag card... well why not combine both I thought.... that was actually the third challenge then...

So what to do, what Sugar Nellie stamps to use, papers etc...

Well as you can probably tell of late I am loving my Funky Hand papers & after doing previous projects I still have quite a few off cuts left so what better way to use them up than on my tag card...

So yes all papers you see are by Funky Hand...

Now I thought it would be nice to combine these papers with Hamish fixing tractor from Sugar Nellie... He was stamped onto shrink plastic using staz on and water coloured using Sakura Stardust of course...

Now I know it may seem strange but when I'm fit & healthy my hubby & I tend to fix things together as a couple so for the internal section I thought it would be nice to say "You & Me Time"....

All sentiments were from a set I bought from Create & Craft well over a year ago... it was at a snip of a price & just seems to keep going & going... it included something for every occassion and I have went from baby to wedding & sympathy using these embellishments...

Button & rope is from my stash...

If you haven't already joined in the fun at either of these two challenge sites.... why not.... they are both super & come up with such exciting & fun loving challenges...

Well hope you enjoyed looking at my little tag card.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Well good evening folks.....

I know I'm earlier than normal this evening with my daily update on Gayle's sisters condition but that must be a good thing eh....

Yes it is & I got my evening update earlier than normal tonight as Gayle was so happy... there is still a ways to go but so far so good... both the CT & Lumbar Puncture results have came back as clear.... that's a step in the right direction at least... now at some point over the next few days they are going to carry out an MRI scan and not sure how long it will take to obtain these results..

The next good piece of news is that Gayle managed about 4 hours sleep last night which helped a lot & hopefully with this good news today she will get some more rest tonight... her sister is also in a much more comfortable condition now as they have her doped up to the eyeballs on pain meds which is no bad thing after the days of agony she was in... Let's hope both of them get well bitten by the bed bugs tonight...

Well that's today's daily update for you & I am so glad it's more positive than the last few have been... here's hoping that the only way now is up...

Thanking you for your support..

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Penny Black Challenge

Good morning my lovely ones out there in blogland.... well we had more snow yesterday which lay as more of a light dusting & this morning we have a bit of a thaw on the go... patches of normality appearing here & there.... now we just have to wait & see what the rest of the day brings...

Now for this weeks challenge over at Penny Black which is to create a circular card... boy I can't actually remember the last time I made one of these it was so long ago...

Some inking of edges, matting & layering, punching, colouring & voila one finished card...

The edges were punched using a Fiskars circular border punch

Papers are from Funky Hand

Image water coloured using Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils

Ribbon from Cardology

Hope you too are joining in this weeks fun over at Penny Black.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Good evening folks... I know in my earlier post I said I'd be back with my Penny Black creation but it turned out to be one of those visitors days so have only just got my card finished... at this time of night I have no chance of getting a decent pic so I will upload it tomorrow morning...

Anyway there are much more important things in life like health, and after checking in with Gayle this evening at around 9.30... lass is absolutely exhausted & I was glad to hear that she was heading off to bed then so I am hoping that she will get some kind of decent sleep tonight... fingers crossed...

Well her sister finally had her lumbar puncture carried out today (whilst Gayle was there) so at least now that has been done they can administer some pain medication... they still have to wait on the results to come through... how long this will take I do not know as when I heard that Gayle was heading to bed I quickly finished the conversation... I'm sure you will understand that I am very concerned about her health also & I thought it better to have minimal information tonight & let her get a sleep...

We are at least one step further forward & hopefully Gayle & her sister will be in the land of nod as I am typing this...

As usual I will post another update tomorrow night. Both Gayle & myself would like to thank you for all your continued support & I know her sister will be very grateful too...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Dawn of another day

Well good morning my lovely busy possoms... what a beautiful day I have awoken to this morning, frosty to the extent of slight white outside but quite a nice sky & some sun shining through... I even have the odd daffodil trying hard to climb up towards the sky... not long now hopefully before I see their smiling yellow faces..

What's on the agenda today? Well after I make this post I'm off to jump in the shower & I have a meeting to attend at 10.30am, should only take about a half hour which is good, then have to pop to market for some bits & bobs before returning to the daily household chores.. not too bad though as the washing machine & dish washer are bustling away as we speak...

Hopefully by lunch time all duties will be done then I can focus on my crafting.. 1st on the agenda has to be my Penny Black.... can you believe it's Wednesday already & I don't even have my entry in... how bad is that...

Well the quicker I leave you, the sooner I'll be back, so stay happy for the next few hours & as the great Arnold Schwartznegger says "I'll be back".....

Happy crafting
Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Evening everyone, just checking in to give you the latest update on Gayle's sister...

She has had another CT scan carried out today, but apparently they could not get the results as the hospital systems are down.. now they need the results looked at before they can do the lumbar puncture so yet another day has passed and no further forward...

Hopefully the CT results will be looked at tomorrow then the lumbar puncture can finally be carried out... until this is done no pain medication can be given, so the poor lass is still in agony.

Let's all hope & pray that I can provide you with some much better news tomorrow night.

Till tomorrow take care.

Lorraine xxx

Daring Cardmakers Challenge

What a super challenge this week over at Daring Cardmakers.... create a card using 3 different papers & as a little extra... try to use papers from 3 different designers...

Woopee here goes me thinks...

Base layer on the card is from Basic Grey "Sugared"

Central border is from Papermania "Antique Cream"

My third paper is actually my floral sentiment which is from Funky Hand

Image is from Sugar Nellie with a few gems to finish....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

2sketches4you

The lovely Kazan has came up with a wonderful sketch this week over at 2sketches4you....

Well now sometimes a girl just has to use wonderful products when play on this challenge site so out came my trust worthy Anna Griffin Sierra Collection... no probs now.... only added extras were some stickles for a little bit of sparkle, 2 gems on the body of the butterfly & wire for my antenna... some glue & foam pads then Bobs your Uncle.... 1 finished card...

If you've never attempted a sketch from these wonderful ladies you truly have no idea what you are missing out on as they are such a talented pair & Mondays just wouldn't be the same without them...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Arty Girlz Challenge

Well today I have several challenge cards to make but boy I just had to start with this one from Arty Girlz... the minute I saw the challenge "Red & White" I knew exactly what I was going to use...

You really can't get much quicker & simpler than inking the frame edges with red staz on & mounting 3 pre designed frames on to a card using 3D pads then attaching 3 crackle glaze hearts in the centre using silicone. I actually think it's taken me longer to add this post than it did to make the card...

Frames & crackle hearts from Cardology....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Papertake Weekly

Oh I have felt so deprived tonight at the fact I have not made a single thing all day... due to the snow I had no help with housework today & it takes me longer to do it on my own, but you may guess I started a small job & made it into a big one scrubbing this & scrubbing that...

So just couldn't go to bed without having a little play in my craft room so decided to use the time to make something for the challenge over at Papertake Weekly... this week you have to create something incorporating "Hearts & Flowers"....

Out came my trusty Penny Black stamps & this little guy is blowing a heart shaped bubble and I love the sentiment too...

Thankfully a quick & easy make as I'm off to bed now for some well needed sleep.....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Hi folks, my apologies for it being later this evening before I have gotten around to posting this update...

The specialist was in to see Gayle's sister today and unfortunately this did not shine as much light on her condition as we had hoped it would... what infact has happened is that they have instructed another CT scan to be done tomorrow along with a lumbar puncture.... she is not holding up the best at the moment as she is in a great deal of pain & they cannot give her anything to ease it any as the medication could show false readings tomorrow.

Gayle as you can imagine is extremely upset with the whole situation, more so because she is seeing her sister in so much pain & cannot do anything to help her... in addition to this the poor soul is only managing to get about 1 hours sleep at night & still has to make sure her dad is ok & be mum to her 3 year old...

This is so traumatic for them all, but she does appreciate all the well wishes you are sending to her & I myself thank you for taking the time to leave these messages for them... I'm sure that when her sister is home again, she will spend time browsing through all the lovely comments you have left for them.

Good night, god bless & thank you...

Lorraine xxx

P.s. back tomorrow with cards as usual & another update...

Snowy Snowy Day

Well good morning all & I wonder if you awoke to sights like this today... I'm sure a great many of you have....

This was the view from my bedroom window this morning & going by the look of the sky it may well stay like that all day.... it's still snowing at present all be it lightly...

If you are having to travel in weather like this today, please do take extra care....

On a different matter, for all of you out there following the progress of Gayle's sister, well at the moment she is still in a bad way and the specialist is due to visit her today... hopefully after that the family may find out a bit more about what is happening. I will be checking in with Gayle later on again & will post an update on her condition for you tonight.... In the meantime, please keeping saying those prayers for the family as they need all the support they can get just now.

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Colour Create Challenge

Wooohoooo a new challenge site has opened up called Colour Create.... and their very first challenge has been set today & it is to use the colours Pink, Green & Brown with a bonus to add butterflies if possible... just managed with this thanks to my trusty Penny Black stamps...

If you've not already visited this new site then why not pop over now & join in the fun...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Stamp Something

What a fab challenge this week over at Stamp Something... it is Summer In Winter Somethings.

No more perfect a time when we are all sitting amidst the cold, overcast days, some with rain & some with snow, to create a lovely bright summery something to cheer us all up.

This is my little card creation for the challenge... I think it's bright enough to qualify...

If you've not already joined in the fun then why not pop over & add your name or even just have a browse through everyone else's summerty creations...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

BLOG CANDY Nos 3

Okay my dear friends, I think you have waited long enough for Blog Candy Nos 3... not bad considering we're only just starting February...

So many of you last time showed such a passion for Messy Rabbit that you've got another chance to win a different set... this time you have the chance to win a set of "Butterfly", a set of "Butterfly Extra Bits", a pack of 8x8 Kate Knight "Amethyst" papers, a pack of self adhesive satin ribbon (glittered) and a pack of "Retro Floral" brads....

The rules of the game this time around are:

1. Leave a comment on this post...

2. Place a link on your blog to my candy...

3. Keep your fingers crossed that you're the winner...

How long do you have to enter... well I'm being a little wicked on this one as I now have to wait another 28 days till my birthday arrives.... so I've decided that you too will have to wait... sorry but I am naughty at times...

Closing date will be 12 noon (GMT) on Saturday 28th February...

Good luck to you all...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

BLOG CANDY

Good evening everyone out there in blogland....

Just a quick note to let you all know that Blog Candy Nos 3 is very quickly approaching... infact it will indeed be on display as of midnight tonight....

Only another 3 hours to wait and then you can see what's up for grabs this time...

If you're going to be in your bed by that time, that's okay you can always check in another day...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Update on Gayle's sister.....

Good evening everyone.... hope you are all doing well & have had a lovely day ...

I have spoken to Gayle tonight, who may I add is nothing less than exhausted at this moment in time & under strict instructions, is now lying on the sofa in her pj's with a little refreshment to try & help her relax.... poor lass has hardly had a wink of sleep over the last week & had none at all last night...

As of this afternoon her sister's condition has not gotten any better, she is in a very poor state of health... Gayle is actually distraught.... she is being kept in hospital obviously but will not be seen by a specialist before Monday as this is the weekend...

I would ask that you all keep the family in your thoughts over the rest of the weekend... If there is any change tomorrow I will update you again, barring that I will let you know more on Monday once the specialist has spoken to them...

Gayle has asked me to pass on her thanks & gratitude for all the well wishes she has received and they are helping her enormously at this very trying time.

Thank you all...

Lorraine xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge

Here we go with our next challenge over at The Sugar Bowl.... managed by the lovely Gayle & just a quick update on her sister today... she had a very bad night last night with no sleep & was also sick... I am hoping that a lot of this was due to the circumstances overwhelming her and that she will feel better as the day goes on... Poor Gayle has had no sleep either which is understandable... she is visiting her sister in hospital this afternoon & I will check in on her again later & will hopefully be able to give you better news this evening...

The newest challenge at The Sugar Bowl is "Love & Romance"... well this time I decided to veer away from the normal a bit... we need the red & gold which I have incorporated but I decided then to sway a little & go a bit more basic & not so girly... brought in some blue & green...

Final result is a love card, minus the romance but with a bit more funky to it....

Bazzill cardstock

Papers & alphas are from Funky Hand

Coloured using Sakura water colour paints

Brads from my stash....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Say a little prayer please

Hi everyone just a brief message for you all this evening relating to the wonderful Gayle who so very kindly manages The Sugar Bowl as well as her own blog...

You may know that her sister had a stroke last week & was released from hospital... well unfortunately I have just received word from Gayle that her sister has now had a second stroke and is back in hospital.. She had a CT scan carried out about an hour ago so we are all keeping our fingers crossed at the moment...

Obviously Gayle may not be able to post anything for a while depending upon her sister's state of health so I will post regular updates here on her behalf...

Please take just a minute or two out of your day to say a little prayer that her sister recovers fully & quickly...

Thank you all

Lorraine xxx

Tag You're It Challenge

Good morning again folks and boy do I hope the weather is nicer in your part of the country than what it is here, though going by the forecast I'm not entirely convinced that will be the case... At the moment it is still dry although we have had some light rain but boy is that wind blowing cold... sure feels like a Russian wind so pity help us over the weekend... pretty good reason to stay indoors & craft though....

Well the challenge this week over at Tag You're It is to create a tag using the colour Purple... this weeks challenge has also been sponsored by Michele of Purple Onion Designs & she has very kindly donated a prize for this weeks winner....

For this I used some Bazzill cardstock... Paper is from the Kate Knight Aquamarine collection, rub ons are from scrapworks, flowers are cut from a card pack I bought at the SECC last year but have no idea who makes it (sorry) and ribbon, brads & gems from my stash...

Well I'm going to get jazzed up now as I'm off out for lunch with a friend to have a good old catch up... not seen her since August... we have both been recovering from surgery though so we have a good excuse...

Will be back later with more....

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

2nd Blog Candy Winner

Yes the time has finally arrived for the winner of my 2nd blog candy give away to be announced.

Before I go any further though may I take the time to tell you that CANDY NOS 3 will be arriving in the next few days so don't stray too far else you may miss out....

Due to the large amount of entries on the candy comp I have used Random Integer to select the winner which turned out to be:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:215
Timestamp: 2009-01-29 17:27:12 UTC

So the winner is:

ALICE

Congratulations Alice & if you can email me please with your postal details I will get your candy in the post to you asap..

Thank you to all who entered and you never know, next time it could be you...

Happy crafting
Lorraine xxx

2sketches bonus card

The lovely Rae has given us a fantastic bonus sketch this week over at 2sketches4you...

Perfect I thought the minute I saw it, for a R.S.V.P card I had to make for a Silver Wedding...

Quick, sweet & simple... some matting & layering, voila done..... although I couldn't use my flash as it's pearlised card & it's a little dull here today so apologies for the picture..

Rubber stamp flourish is by Wendie Rhodes

Ribbon & gems from stash

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

2sketches4you

This weeks fab sketch over at 2sketches4you is designed by the lovely Laura....

After being tagged the other day it got me looking through all my pics again & I thought that I would use the sketch to make this card for my MIL... Here she stands proud & happy with her two boys... on the left is my OH Rob (eldest) and on her right is Donny (the baby of the family).

This picture was taken in Colorado Springs on Donny's wedding day (April 8th 2006) and I thought that as we are so far apart, my MIL would like this momento of the day... MIL is in Tustin, California and we of course are in the UK... Donny still remains in Colorado Springs where he has lived for many many years now...

Papers are Antique Cream by Papermania

Tags, ribbons & gem are from my stash...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Arty Girlz Challenge

Well a little change for us all this week over at Arty Girlz as the challenge has been set to create and ATC.... now you can add this to a card if you want but still you've got to make one...

So some nice bright papers to get us in a happy mood, cut out some butterflies from another sheet, twirled some wire for antenna & mounted the butterflies for depth... to finish it all off a couple of flower sequins... simple...

If you're like me and don't normally make ATC's why not join in the fun for a little something different...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Papertake Weekly

What a fab sketch we have by Dawny this week over at Papertake Weekly.

I decided to use the sketch for a "Sorry You're Poorly" card I had to make and I'm so happy I did as I think it turned out rather well (just like I hope the recipient will)...

Background is DCWV "Spring" cardstock

Papers & brad are Basic Grey "Sugared" collection

Image is Sugar Nellie "Macbeth"

Flowers from stash & sentiment computer generated

Image coloured using brush markers

Well off now to do some shopping & a little bit of housework then back to the old pump & grind of tidying another bit of my craft room... hope you all have a fab day...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

Check this out

Emma has an idea for a new blog but would like you to read it first and give her your feedback...

Basically she thinks she has come up with a money saving idea for all us crafters out here in blogland..

Please visit & see what you think...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Sweet Music

www.myspace.com/breeopera

My wonderfully talented step daughter Brianna who is currently studying her BMsc at Glasgow University has just downloaded some new music onto her site & would so love if you popped over to have a listen & leave her a comment telling her what you think... does she have what it takes to make it.... would you buy her music.... she would really love to know...

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to listen... she is only 19 and we are so in awe at her voice every time we listen.. she knows the rules... if I shed a tear when I hear her sing she's done well.... how embarassed does she get with me at times... but I do love her dearly and wish her all the very best for her future career.. I've already booked my front seat tickets for her 1st concert...

She actually surprised me last year by recording an all time favourite of mine "Summertime" and she didn't tell me what she was up to... simply let me play & list... That's my Bree for you...

Hugs

Lorraine xxx