Havering Reading Group

Have just added a little box at the bottom of my blog to promote our online reading group....well its not really a reading group as such....well not in the traditional way.
Ok, here's how it is - we dont all read one book at a time and have indepth conversations about it - I cant do this as I forget about the book too soon, get to the group and have nothing to say! Its a place where people can post comments about the books they have read recently.
Am now wondering whether a blog might be appropriate, but for now, its just a page on facebook. If you have facebook, please feel free to check it out - we could do with more members!

Rx

Halloween Treat Box

This is my halloween treat box - I found the template on the Martha Stewart website (linked to it from various other blogs, you know how it is!). Was playing around with it and decided to put hairy spiders legs on it (not sure why! LOL). And the image was from Robin's artful Musings Blog - it was a freebie and printed beautifully (thanks!). Decorated it with a couple of webs and the Boo! That was it - took a bit of thinking (think as I do!!) but could prob knock one out in about 20 mins now! Hubby wants to take it to work with him, Josh wants it filled with sweets (and just a swiftly emptied no doubt!) - I might take it to work with me! Actually, it will probably go to school with jelly beans in! The first picture is it creeping across the floor to my mum - she was horrified that I took a pic of her tatty slippers, she has to cut the sides to get her feet in! Have assured her that in the crafting world there is probably much worse than tatty slippers!

Am entering this into Saturdya Spotlight Hidden Potential Challenge - treat container.
Have also rather cheekily entered it into the Furry Friend Challenge on the Allsorts Challenge Blog! Well it is quite friendly and definitely furry!
And Cute Card Thursday Challenge - its for Candy Corns (we dont have them in UK!) but I looked at some of the projects and it looks like its all to do with sweeties! Sorry if I have got it wrong folks!
And finally, Kaboodle Blog's Spooky Challenge!

Rx

Get Sketchy Number 11 and Simon Says Get Well Card

I just love this image from Dustin Pike - used it for Josh's Get Well Card (his foot is much better thanks - final tally was broken big toe, broken middle toe and broken bone in foot - he is now back in school shoes, doing PE etc and will be riding tomorrow!).

This is a 2 challenge card. Simon Says Get Well Soon Challenge and the Get Sketchy follow a sketch Challenge. Found the sketch quite hard to follow (looked so easy LOL). http://getsketchy.blogspot.com/2009/10/gs-11.html - is the link for the sketch....and http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/2009/10/simon-says-get-well-soon.html is the link for the Simon Says Challenge.

The background paper is from Funky Fairy and the little smiley faces were real cheapy foam thingies! Image coloured with Whispers brush pens and Sharpies. Inked the edge of that and the sentiment and chalked them both up. OK all done for the night - Josh has friend over for a sleepover tonight so not expecting much sleep!

Night night (wishful thinking me thinks!)

Rx

Funky Fairy Challenge

Phew - only just in time! The Challenge was to Alter something! This was a twiglet tin that I was already using for pencils...have never altered anything and had to do this in a rush! Thats my excuses over with...oh apart from one more....it was my birthday recently and my son bought me the pom poms so I needed to use them on something!
Papers used were Funky Fairy - grrr - cant remember which set....eclectic lurve or the garden one? And of course the Funky Fairy!

New Job Card

Ok - can you tell I am behind on my cards???? Worked yesterday so just needed to finish a few bits off!

This is for my neighbour who starts her job today! YAY! The image is Dustin Pike - the papers are Funky Fairies (checked paper) and the other papers and ribbon come from my stash

Rx

Birthday Card

Just a quickie card for a friend of mine - had made another one and then couldnt find it! Luckily had this picture coloured on my table! Nicky is a difficult one as she doesnt like all the cutesie stuff - and isnt into flowers and such like! The image is Pollycraft Attitude, and the papers are from Funky Fairy - also the pouch thingy (which I will fill with something in a short while!)...they come from the cupcake range!

Bee Crafty Challenge Bookmark

This is my bookmark for the Bee Crafty Challenge - took it upstairs and it ended up in Josh's book straight away! He has a stash of books under his pillow and needs lots of bookmarks! Hubby has now asked for one - and I am a librarian so I suspect I may be making more of these! I deliberately didnt put a ribbon or tassel on as Josh didnt want one - "it'll look like you made it for a girl!"
Book image - Bee crafty free download - here the book bug is from Dustin Pike and the rest of the bits and bobs have been lurking for ages!

1 Card and 3 challenges!

Oh my gosh! Just finished this card, thinking that I was doing 2 challenges - and there was another blog challenge, opened it, read it - yippee my card fits that one too!

OK - Challenge 1 - Pollycraft - Black and White and one other colour (Red, in case you missed it!!!) http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/

Challenge 2 - is the Sketch and Stash Challenge - followed the sketch (rotated the rectangle) - new item is my Pollycraft Cherry Kisses digi stamp

Challenge 3 - Papertake Weekly - Fake it! I faked the stitching and also the "black lace" and flower at the bottom!

This is what I used - Black and red card from stash; image is Cherry Kisses Attitude (Pollycraft); shiny card from stash; swirly paper from Funky Fairy (free download!)

And Josh says "Thanks for all the kind thoughts - I feel like I am famous in Blogland and I'll do my best not to fall off the horse again!"

Get well card for my Joshua!

This is my get well card for Joshua after his fall off the horse! I actually made it because I wanted to enter Funky Fairy's tag card and also the Rosie-Dees Challenge (2 squares and a rectangle recipe!)....Josh saw me printing out the image (Dustin Pike) and just loved it, so I decided that, since I was looking for something to make for the challenges, that he could have it on a card. Love it when it works out that well!

Ok - background paper Funky Fairy (distressed)
- off cuts come from K&Co
- image - Dustin Pike (has a great deal on at the moment so I suspect we will see lots of his work around!)
- everything else from my stash

Please feel free to add comments

Rx

What a day and some blog candy

Wow - what a day! Did all the usual things this morning (washing, taking child to wing chun, picking up mum etc) then went with Josh (child) to riding. We ride at my friend's yard where I used to keep my horse (she died)....anyway, Josh was looking really good trotting up a hill towards me and a pheasant came out of the bushes and spooked the pony....Josh took a tumble but got his foot stuck in his stirrup - got dragged a little way.... lots of screaming (mostly from me! LOL) - he has got a broken toe and a poss break in his foot! 2.5 hours in casualty - then round to mother-in-law for a late tea. Phew, absolutely exhausted now!

Still came home to find some interesting blog candy - got to http://changeofheart56.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-my-birthday-and-ill-cry-if-i-want.html and check out Christine's birthday!

Rx

Christening Card - Bee Crafty Challenge

The top picture is my Christening card for Rachael Louise who is being Christened on Sunday. It is also my entry to Bee Crafty Challenge! The image is a digistamp from Pollycrafts - Cherry Kisses series. The papers are from Funky Fairy - the sentiments were from computer and the ribbons and stuff were from my stash - think the ribbon was used to tie something up!

The second picture is our dining table when I had finished - the crafting cupboard was even worse! Have to go and tidy up now.

Sketch and Stash Challenge

This is my Sketch and Stash Challenge card - I needed to follow a sketch and then use something new (only read about the new bit after I had made the card!)....my new is the digistamp Cherry Kisses from Pollycraft.
Am quite new to all this so any constructive criticism is gratefully received!

Big thankyou to Joanne!

Joanne has proved to be my angel! There was me, merrily asking people to comment on my cards - and the comment thingy had stopped working! Thank goodness Joanne had my email and let me know! Think it was just a general blogger thing - have now changed the format for comments and it works again fine! thanks Joanne and feel free to try and leave comments - if you cant leave a comment, leave a comment and let me know!!!!

Funky Fairy Challenge

Here is my CASE - copy and share everything.  The challenge was set by Funky Fairy! 

As everyone will recognise, I copied Joanne's card.  It was so great it would have been silly not to! 

I used some little wooden bunnies that someone gave me ages ago.  My new Funky Fairy digistamp (yay!) which I coloured with watercolour pencils.  I had the papers lurking in my stash somewhere.  The card is for my buddy's birthday!  Mustn't tell her about this blog until after the 7th!

The only thing I didnt do was add a ribbon or somesuch - I just didnt have the room!

Ruthiex

Feeling inspired but intimidated

Have been looking at so many blogs over the last few days - Funky Fairys DT, challenge blogs etc etc - now although I feel very inspired I am also feeling really intimidated.  Cant see how I will ever get half as good as all the wonderful crafters out there!

Now to the point of this post - would anyone popping in take a few moments to comment on my cards - BUT I dont want the usual "lovely card, well done" - I would rather have some constructive criticism - like "Why on earth did you think colouring the fairy's wings was a good idea?" or "why not try adding.....".  I know this can be a bit of a tough ask so I promise I wont take anything personally - I also promise not to reply unless a reply is requested (that way I wont be trying to "defend" what I did!) - this way I can genuinely learn from the comments!  I'm a tough cookie so dont worry about upsetting me - if I dont agree with the comment then thats my own look out and what I get for asking for comments!!!

Go on then ---- go for it!!!

Oh and thanks!

Fairy card for little one!

And this is the card for her little girl. 
I used an image from lily of the valley (I think!) - I put gems on her wings, her necklace and her antennae.  The butterflies are little glittery ones.  The white paper is pearlised.  And the little flowers on the corners are kind of jelly raised glossy thingies!  Ooooo and also embossed the wings and skirt with a glittery pink embossing powder (she was originally wearing a lilac dress and had plain wings).  Such a shame I took such a bad photo - it was a lot more glittery in real life!

The leftover paper from FF

I decided to use the leftover paper from FF challenge to make a "Sympathy" card.  This was such a sad situation, the lady who passed has left behind a little girl who will be starting school any day now - she so desperately wanted to see her little one into school.  I have made the card to be very innocuous because of the little one seeing the cards at home.  I then made a special fairy card just for the little one so that she gets some cards too!

Just getting the hang of all this!  The pic below is the wedding card challenge from Funky Fairy!  We needed to do something old (the decoupage that I made ages ago and then found in a box this weekend), something new (FF swirl paper), something borrowed (the stamp - thanks Emma) and something blue (the embossing powder and brad).  Its the first challenge I have ever entered so was dead chuffed to win -ok so it was just a random pick!!!  Thanks so much to FF!

Pop over to FF and check out their blog hop and the latest challenge!

Funky Fairy's Challenge

First Post

Hi there

Am not really expecting anyone to see this but wanted somewhere to post pics of the cards and stuff I have been making!