Happy Birthday Mummy!

Morning all, well today is my mums birthday.  I should be out the door by now but my big girl feels poorly and decided that she didn't want to go to ballet today, It makes me sad that she doesn't want to go, but on the other side she is quite congested and with how cold it is here, its probably best that she stays in! 

Tonight we have my Mum, Dad and Sister over for dinner (well take away!) as its mums birthday, Some of you may have seen the card I made yesterday for my mum, I was going to do that one from the girls, but Amelia was insistent that she chose her own card for Nanny!  Its a good job I have a stash at the moment, cause time would not be on my side if I needed to make another card! 

I made this one a while back, way before we moved.  This stamp is from a set I purchased from Quixotic Paperie, its the Elizabeth Bell for SCACD its from a set called 'Peekers' and she is called Daydreaming.  I can't give you any ideas as to what colours I used, although I did keep her very simple! I wanted to give this card to Amelia's ballet teacher for her birthday but Im not sure when that is! This was one of the 1st images that I tried to get the colours blended properly when using Copics! 

I think I was most impressed with the shadow! and her skirt!
 I would like to enter her into the following challenges;

Alphabet Challenge Blog - You Choose (Anything Goes)
Card Craft Circle Challenge - Happy Birthday
Winter Wonderland - Birthday Wishes

Well I hope you like her, I can't wait to read what you think!

x

I Do Believe in Fairies...

Evening all, well we have had most of the day with the power on and off, the electrician was in and has done the front bedroom and the hall, we now have fab spotlights in the hall, I have taken some photos but I will share them later! So we now need to fill in the holes and decorate the front room so we can all play musical bedrooms for a while!!!

Well as I had nothing better to do, plus I needed to make my mums Birthday card, I decided to move my table to the window and craft, I had a pretty good day.  

Yesterday I received a little parcel with a lovely lil stamp called Pippi Longsocks and some other lovely stamps too the are all available from Funky Kits.  Now I have seen so many lovely creations with her recently I just couldn't resist.  I did want to play yesterday but time was not on my side.  And so I have made the most of 'natural light' and a view over my garden (with the added extra of the boxes!)...

Ok so not the best view I know,  all the boxes obstruct what will hopefully be a nice view in the summer! but I enjoyed watching the pidgins in my garden with the occasional apperience from a blue tit or two oh and I have one or two ring necked doves!

Anyway back to what I'm here for, when I coloured this image today I didn't know what sentiment I was going to use.  All I did know if that it was going to be my mums birthday card! By chance I saw a set of LOTV sentiments I had 'forgotten' about, on there was the most perfect sentiment for my card! While stamping it, it reminded me of being in the old house before christmas and watching a tinkerbell film with Amelia! 

So from that all I have thought is 'I do believe in fairies, I do, I do!'.  Plus there is a long standing 'joke' between my mum and I about pixies in the tree! So i felt this sentiment just finished it! 

For this card I have tried to follow the sketch over at the Sugar Bowl 

I hope you can see it, Im not feeling sketches too much at the moment!! 

(EDIT 14/1/2012 - I have looked this morning and made a couple of changes to my card, I am changing this photo as it now looks more like the SB sketch! But I haven't redone any of the other photos!)

Isn't she just the cutest?! I love her so much that I have coloured her twice more today, she is so lovely to colour!!! I used some of my new pencils too! Im just starting to 'learn' to mix my pencils with my pens and the results are amazing! I have to admit, I wants sure on the pink and orange to start off with, but I think she is kinda funky! 

As you can see here, I also found some skeleton leaves stashed away, I have always wanted to use them on projects but never known how to stick them.  On here I just used silicone at the bottoms of them so it would not be seen, and mounted Pippi on silicone too! 

Here she is up close, I just love her so much.  She was coloured using Copics and Polychrome Pencils;

Colours;

Wings; Y11, Y00, Y000 and Cadium Yellow (Pencil)

Skin; E02, E00, E000 and R20 on her cheeks

Frog; YG23 and YG09

Hair; E15, E79, E59 and Walnut Brown (Pencil)

Skirt and Top; Y38, Y35, Y15, Deep Scarlet Red (Pencil) and Dark Cadmium Orange (Pencil)

Spots and Shoes; R13, R14 and BV29

The papers were just from my stash and the stickles were Icicle! 

I just LOVE the way her skirt turned out! I was shocked at myself for it, especially as it has been so long since I properly sat and coloured with decent light! You can see I added stickles to her wings, I want to try and get some powders to do the wings with as sometimes stickles is too much.  Im not sure if you can see the small pearl drop I added to the wing too?!  Just added a bit more depth! 

Now here is the sentiment, I felt this just fitted so well!! Due to not having my big shot at the moment I had to cut this out by hand, don't think I did a too bad job!!! I also added some stickles to this to tie it in a bit more! 

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Sugar Bowl - Sketch - Option of Birthday (Its for my mums birthday!)

CRAFT Challenge - Celebrations 

Craft Us Crazy - Anything New (The Stamp is New)

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything goes

Moving Along With The Times - Spots and/or Stripes (Stripy Backing paper)

Flutterby Wednesday - Bright Colours 

Flourishes - Colour Inspiration (Pink and Orange)

My Mums Craft Shop - Here come the Girls

7 Kids College Fund - New (New Stamp and New to colouring With pencils and Pens)

Whimsy Inspires - Happy Birthday (Its for my Mums birthday!)

Stampin for the Weekend - Out With The Old (The sentiment stamp and the leaves are well.... )

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Well I can't wait to read what you think, Im going back to do some more colouring, I still have one card to make before tomorrow and at the moment I could just sleep!!! 

See you Soon 

x

A bit of Inspiration... TTT anything goes wk 2

Afternoon all, I was meant to sit and write this last night, but the pencils got the better of me and I couldn't be bothered to move! At last we appear to have the internet up and running, feels good being online again, I have missed being on here and seeing everyones creations! 

I apologise for my photos, in the new house I am going to be struggling for a while to find suitable places to take my photos, the house needs a 'make over' as well as the light is appalling! We only have wall lights in the lounge and so the light is a bit rubbish!

Anyway I'm here with a little inspiration for you for the challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday, as we are now a bi-weekly challenge blog, were adding an inspiration post for you all to see! This is a card I have made for a very close friend to say Thank you for our christmas presents, once again she has spoilt us all! 

I have used a stamp that I brought last year before we moved, it so happened that the stamp got 'put away' and i had forgotten about it, I purchased her from quixotic paperie a little while ago.  She is from the 'blush society' from The Greeting Farm.  I want to get the other ones, I think they are so cute, and the matching stamps are wonderful! 

I coloured here using copics BV00 and BV02, her skin was using E000, E00, E02 and R20 for her cheeks, OK so that was off the top of my head and I can't remember her hair colour! I used a shaped card blank as I have no idea where the rest of my blanks are! The papers and rhinestones are from my stash, I just felt she needed a bit of bling! The papers were from my stash, I did have a bit of a paper spree as the craft chop behind my new house was closing down and papers had 70% off! and so i had to treat myself to a paper rack too! 

The sentiment is on the stamp, I was thinking about cutting it down so I could place it anywhere but I really like it when I stamp it and it comes out like it does,  I messed up on a few occasions hence the shadow around here, I have to say after three weeks of not colouring, its quite hard to pick up from where you left off! 

This is a tag that I purchased from someone on Facebook, I am useless at making tags and so someone made a few up for me, I am going to try and see if I can get some more made in different colours, it was just by chance that the colours matched so well! 

I would like to enter this into the following challenges;

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Something New (The stamp is new)

House of Gilli - Anything goes

Lexis Creations - Anything Goes

Stamp and Create - Anything Goes

Squigglefly - Thank you 

Truley, Madly, Crafty - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes

Gingerloft - Anything Goes

Sketchy Colours - Colour inspiration 

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Anything Goes Challenge - Anything Goes

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Something New (Stamp is New)

Sparkle Creations - Something New (Stamp Is New)

Well I hope you will join us this week for our 1st bi-weekly challenge at TTT, Good Luck and hope to see you soon! 

x

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes - Week 2!

WOW - we are only half way through this weeks challenge and what an amazing turnout we have had so far!!  I guess you like our

ANYTHING GOES
challenge!

There is still one week to go to enter the challenge, however, we wanted to showcase the creation that half way through who has

CAUGHT OUR EYE!!

The mid-challenge 'Caught Our Eye' winner, who wins a Guest Designer Spot is:

Audhild
with this absolutely AMAZING creation!!

Thats just the front of it, make sure you go and visit her blog to view inside of the box - AMAZING!!

Congratulations!!  Please contact us at toptiptuesday@hotmail.co.uk for the details of the
Guest Designer information and also to get the code for your badge to show on your blog!!


We also have some fabulous 2nd week inspiration


From StampFairy Design Team

Jackie

Dora

How gorgeous are those??!
Remember, there is still a week to go of our ANYHING GOES challenge - please click here
to take you to the current challenge to add your creation, which is open until Monday 16th January.

From the TTT girlies

Top Tip Tuesday #67 - Anything Goes And News!

EDIT - Well we are settling well in the house, net not 100% at the moment so it keeps logging in and out! Will hope to add some pictures soon!! 

 Good Morning!

Well here we are the first challenge of 2012 for Top Tip Tuesday, I have to say I don't know where last year went, its flew by, only feels like yesterday that I wished everyone a happy 2011!.  As I have scheduled this post I can't say what I'm actually doing but probably getting the house ready for the re-wiring that due to start on January 9th! We are between houses as we have access to stay at my MIL's for a few days while our house is turned into dust city! 

OK so onto the challenge! 

This week....

ANYTHING GOES! 

We have some wonderful sponsors this week

Simon Says Stamp 

Stamp Fairy 

Crimson Cloud

Ok so onto some inspiration for you, not that I think you need any as this one is so nice and simple for 2012! 

Oh how I love anything goes... although I do wish I had more 'get up and go' to create something a bit different!!! 

This is the gorgeous Hand Me Downs from Saturated Canary, Im obsessed with these digs, I have a little unit of draws where I keep odds and bits and I have a draw full of coloured digs from SC - and another draw full of ones to colour! I can't get enough of colouring them! 

This is a card I created for any occasion, I have to say I was so happy with the way her dress turned out, it was the 1st attempt and the green and pink matched rather nicely! Im finding now that I'm getting used to colouring with copics and now want to start adding more of the sketch markers to my collection! although I do miss my pro markers! 

Here she is up-close, now as I coloured her a while ago I can't remember what colours I used, I even added pink in her hair - now that was a mad moment!! I was also very happy with the way her hair turned out! - all in all i think this is on of my best colourings to date, and yes I will make my head get big but I'm feeling more positive about my colouring and my style now! Its not always how long something takes to do, but its the end result! 

Im loving these little bows, keep adding them to bits these days, I think its because I can't tie bows, its quite funny I normally wait for my mum to come over so she can tie a bow for me (she is a champion bow tie person in my mind!) - but these are so simple and so effective! 

Well there you have it! I hope you like her, I think she may have to be one of my 'keeps'! Stick her on my craft room wall when I get time! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Cupcake craft Room - Anything Goes

iCopic Challenge - Smooth/Shiny Hair

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

The pink Elephant - Anything Goes

Truly, Madly, Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes

One Stitch at a Time - Use A Digi

Pile It On - Anything Goes

Well I hope I may have inspired you to join us this week, we are after all easing you into the new year the best way possible with 

ANYTHING GOES! 

Welcome to 2012!

Evening all, well I apologise that I haven't managed to post for a while and if this shows I'm pretty lucky! Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy new Year! I can't believe 2012 is here, feels like only yesterday we were welcoming 2011! 

Well we are now moved into the new house and its FAB, Im loving having all this space! this girls are sharing a room at the moment and I think they will continue sharing, we have decided that we would like a computer/craft room and I think I like the idea too, at least I will then be able to lock myself away when I want to, well within reason! We have a lot of work to do before we get to the stage of fully deciding, we are hopeful that the re-wire will start on Friday... we have stripped the front bedroom of the fabulous wood chip paper, oh my will I be gad to see the back of that! I have even had a bit of the chip stuck in my toe and it still hurts now!!! 

Well I hope you are all well, I'm hopeful that the internet will sort its self out soon, had enough of the 'go slow' that it does! 

Im not going to risk trying to add any photos at the moment, don't want the net to crash on me! But as soon as things are sorted I will add some for you all! 

Hope you well, take are and see you soon 

x

Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

Evening all, 

glitter-graphics.com

I'm sat her after a busy day and I have been thinking lots about all that has changed in the last year and what is to come in 2012 for my family and me! I was going to hold off on posting something like this till after christmas but I'm not sure what time I will have, so Im going to (probably) bore you to tears with a bit about me and the last year and what I hope is to come.  Its probably going to sound a bit jumbled.... but thats just the butterfly in me! 

Today we have been at Amelia's nativity, last year she was a snowman at the preschool and she cried all the way through on stage.  This year she has come so far, she has started 'BIG' school and has handled it very well, she is coming on leaps and bounds with letters, numbers, starting to read and her writing is amazing!  

Not only that but she has conquered the fear of the stage.  She has been in an AMAZING dance show 'the time of my life'.  She had all her hair done, costumes and full make-up on.  She was ill throughout the whole weekend (on antibiotics), I never expected her to get on stage when she was well - let alone the lack of sleep she had as well as a sore throat and lack of appetite. The loud music and the bright lights - and she asked when she could do it again!! She dances with the school that my (little) sisters used to dance at, we have been told that she is Kathryn through and through (other than the fact Amelia smiles while dancing - Kathryn always concentrated too much!)

So onto my beautiful little Nancy, well I think the only thing that is shining with her at the moment (other than the bruise from running into the table) is that she has a temper, that she is using more and more to try and get her own way! the problem is we have given in so much to her, so we have to toughen up - on the both of them! 

I think we are hitting the terrible 2's a bit earlier than we should, she is 19 months old now, I don't know where time has gone - this time two years ago we had a 3D scan of her, it just doesn't seem possible that she is growing so fast!  This year she has learned to walk, run, sit, scream and talk, words are coming together more and more every day, counting three and four are her favourite things and ready steady go! She is so AMAZING! 

Well hubby and I, well its felt like a very long year.  Soo many up's and downs with a few 'splits' in the road, but we have once again got through (nearly) another year of being married.  It will be 4 years 28th December that we were married, I don't know where the years have gone, but every moment with him is more and more amazing! We have been planning to move since about this time last year.  We put the house on the market end of June and it has sold - were nearly there with the moving now, not far to go.  I just want to know 'when?' - I like to know where I am and when, I'm not liking the indecision with life at the moment.  

So thats 2011 covered.  Im hopeful that 2012 is going to be 'THE YEAR', we should be in the new house, yes it needs a bit of work but its what we want.  Im hopeful that Amelia and Nancy will continue to bloom and blossom the way they are, they are my little angels and they mean so much to me! I also hope that all of you lovely people that follow me will continue to do so next year, I'm hopeful to 'expand' my creativity in other ways, do different things.  in 2011 I set myself a list of 'hopeful' resolutions that only one or two were fulfilled, next year I'm not putting the pressure on, what will be will be, I will get done what i get done and that is the laid back attitude I hope to keep for 2012. 

Thank you if you have taken the time to sit and read this, if I don't get time to pop back and post again (I have a few posts scheduled for the next few weeks!) before Christmas or the New Year, wishing you and yours the 

'Merriest Christmas you can find and A New Year that you will never forget!'

xxxxxx