hi all

I just wanted to update you on my mum. She is currently in hospital. They thought her blood circulation was not good in her leg, after angioplasty. However, intial reports from the scan look good we are waiting for the doctor. Also, as a result of poor circulation she has developed blackness in her big toe, and the finger next to it. The doctor is saying that if in a couple of weeks if it does not dry naturally and start to peel off. They will have to take action.  I have faith and hope that she will make a full recovery without the need of the alternative.

I am praying for a full speedy recovery, her blood circulation is much improved and the blackness on her toes go away naturally without my mum suffering any more pain. I hope you join me.

Sorry

Thank you for all your lovely comments. It just goes to prove that crafty folk are the best folk around. I used to have time to blog, catch up on your blog, post my cards on docrafts, leave comments on their cards there. Exercise, eat well, and make cards. Now I can manage none of them.

Things have not yet much improved, I thought the break would help and it has. My mum is currently in hospital, so sending lots of love hugs and prayers to her. So hopefully soon, things will look up for me.

News...

I have every intention to post, but life as a funny way of getting in the way. My life is really busy at the moment and will continue to be so into the near future. Whilst I try to get myself organised, I will try and continue posting as much as I can and carry on trying to digest lifes obstacles, bad news, I will do my best in between to carry on posting as and when I can.

In the meanwhile, I will not be doing my Me To You Saturdays, Forever Friends Sunday or Penny Black Mondays until I am able to do. I used to be making 12 cards easily in a week. At the moment, I am lucky if I am able to make one.

WOYWW 141

Hi there, it's been a long while since I have participated in WOYWW and I have missed it. I have not just had the time to join in. So I have returned for this week. Not sure, how many weeks I will be doing this, but I will try more often from now to join in. It was sure fun having a noise at other peoples blog.

The first pic is my actual workspace. As you can see i have done some Card Patchwork and zig zag stitching. These I will be using for the weekend for Me To You and Forever Friends Cards. The only thing left to decide is which image I will use out of the many I already own!

As you can see I have a distress ink on my desktop with an applicator. I have since last spoken to you all, fallen in love with these. I have used it to do the sky in the digi image, which is my new love digi images. No stamping, no ink pads, no mess and no storage issues. This one is called Pickalillie, and I got mine from here

The second picture I just wanted to show my collection of Distress Ink Pads, i have more which I can no longer fit on this shelf so I have to think of a new storage solution - any ideas?

Catch up with you soon, I will try to get around to as many blogs as I can. Take Care folks.

Valentines Day Love Bird Auction

To celebrate St Valentines and this day of love, Erica has especially made the cutest sock owl large keyring/bag charm to be auctioned off over the next 24 hours. Made with 100% love, this sock owl has been handmade by Erica Martyn with gorgeous red socks with pink and white hearts. Click here for more information. See the cute picture below.

Penny Black Monday Week 25

Hi guys, welcome to Week 25 of Penny Black Mondays. A quarter of a century, wow. If you are like me and have unused stamps that you wish to use and get your moneys worth. Feel free to join me, and leave me a message. I will link back to your blog.

This weeks card, although looks simple took a lot of effort. Each heart has been 3d with use of Creative Expressions Pearlescent PVA Glue, then 3D Glossy Accents on top to make them pop! I really enjoyed this card, and inspiration came from the Design Team, in particular Jill. I hope she likes this card to.

I have been a really bad blogger, I planned to get to all of your lovely blogs last week, but orders took up my time. After finishing a days work at the office, then doing a days work at home, and then orders I was so tired to make a card for me or blog. But hopefully things are back to normal this week.

I would like to enter this card into:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Love & Kisses
All Sorts Challenge - Free & Easy Challenge
By The Cute and Girly Challenge - Love Is In The Air
Paper Take Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes with the optional extra to add a heart or a love theme
Truly Scrumptious - Love & hearts

Products used:

Penny Black Raindrops and Kisses Stamp

Penny Black All You Need Stamp

Red Cardstock

White Embossing Powder

Perfect Medium Ink Pad

No Forever Friends Sunday or Me To You Saturday This Week

Hi there, this week there will be no Me To You Saturday or Forever Friends Sunday, I have been really busy with Ebay and keeping up with orders, I have not had much time for anything else. When I have been finished with orders, i have no energy for anything else. One morning, I completely forgot to have breakfast and only realised later when I felt so light headed and sick.

There will be a Penny Black Monday tomorrow, stay tuned, and business will be returned to normal next week.

New Year Giveaway

Win yourself a FREE sock creation by Erica Martyn by popping over to her New Year Giveaway on the 'Odds & Soxlets' blog by clicking here

Penny Black Monday Week 24

I had my physiotherapy appointment earlier in the day, and it was sure hard work! Not what I expected. A good looking bloke touching me - that did not happen to me folks. But I wish it had, it may have made the pain worth it!

Anyways, onto todays card which is again from Penny Black Make A Wish Stamp set combined with Basic Grey Kioshi Paper Pad.

Make A Wish... I wish for a good looking bloke to be at my next physiotherapy appointment! woohoo... Can my wish be granted.

Products used:

Penny Black Make A Wish Stamp Set

Basic Grey Kioshi Paper

Personal Impressions - Swirl Stamp Set

X Cut Leaf punch

Brads

Forever Friends Week 45

Hi there, I finished this card much earlier in the day. However, I have been consumed with household chores, and relaxing. I am typing this post whilst watching Dancing On Ice. Not sure who is my favourite at the moment, they so many doing well and improving.

This is week 45, another 7 weeks and I will have been making Forever Friends card for over a year on a Sunday! Wow!

Todays card is Inspired by the lovely Jill, and using Distress Inks and Forever Friend Teddy Bear to make this card. I hope you like.

Products used:

Forever Friends Easter Treats Stamp

Penny Black Letter Background Stamp

Wild Honey Distress Ink

Dusty Concord Distress Ink

Promarkers - Oatmeal, Ginger, Baby Pink, Cool Grey 1

Papermania Capsule Verde Mini Bows

Me To You Saturdays Week 26

Just discovered today that my local craft shop, Kims Craft is closing its branch in Hinckley at the end of May. It came with shock, they are doing well but some dispute with the landlord and the lease. Which is an awful shame, I thoroughly enjoyed demonstrating for the shop.

Welcome to week 26 of my Me To You Saturdays. I hope you enjoy this, it is a very short post and another candle from me. I hope you enjoy. Sorry for the quality of the pic, it was taken in a rush and I no longer have the candle to retake another pic.

Products used:

Me To You Sitting Bear Stamp

Promarkers:

Bear - Cool Grey 2 and Cool Grey 1

Nose - Pastel Blue

Odds & Soxlets

Hi all, there is a new collection over at Odds & Soxlets called Lilliana & Pickalillie. They are so adorable, and I love them. I have created some cards with them. I hope you like them as much as I do. Click here to view the digi stamps in detail. I think they are so innovative and on trend. Whilst you are over there, do go and visit the blog to collect the free dinkie dollie digi.

I downloaded the image, and resized it to fit an A6 Card blank. I coloured the image and then layered the image to white card, then a pastel yellow card. I then put the image panel to one side. 

I put through a piece of cardstock smaller than the size of an A6 card blank through a crafts too embossing folder. I then sanded it to reveal the white core, and used the dust buddy to remove debris from the sanding. I then wrapped some twine around the bottom of the card, created a bow and sticked this bow down with glossy accents. I adhered this panel to the front of an A6 Card blank. I then glued down the image panel to the front of the card.

Products used:

Lilliana the Fairy Digi Stamp

Crafts Too Floral Embossing Folder

Sand It Gadget

Dust Buddy

Creative Expressions Pastel Twine

Bow Maker

Glossy Accents

White Cardstock

Promarkers for the Hair: Henna

Promarkers for the Dress: Baby Pink and Magenta

Promarkers for the Butterfly - Cerise and Henna

Promarkers for the Grass: Apple & Bright Green

Promarkers for the Daisy: Pastel Yellow & Aquarmarker Citrus

Promarkers for the Skin: Blush and Tan

For the Sky - Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass

Glitter

Penny Black Monday Week 23

Hi there, another late post from me. I have felt so sleepy all day even though I have been sleeping well. Recently I have found that if I wake up by myself in the morning, I am wide awake and alert. However, if I am woken by the alarm clock - then I am light headed, and tired all day. So tomorrow I hope that I wake up by myself. Or maybe I should have one early night so that I have one long good night sleep!

Before I show todays card, I am super excited about the new release from Penny Black for London 2012 collection. They have arrived at the glitterpot, I am so tempted and naughty me gave in to temptation.

On to todays card which I would like to show you using Teddy and Company Stamp set.

Products used:

Penny Black Teddy & Company Stamp Set

Basic Grey Kioshi Paper

Forever Friends Week 44

Thank you for still popping by my blog, and again another late night post from me. I won't make any excuses (although spent time this afternoon ebay watching - put few things on for sale so was watching those, then addressing the envelopes).

I am slowly getting into designing my own cards, and I am not sure what I think of the pastel card inspired by Jenny from Stamps, Pencil and Paper. Anyhows, it has made it on to todays card.

After I reach week 52, I think I may retire the Forever Friends Sunday and as I am struggling to find inspiration for these cute cuddly bears and do not think that I do them justice. At the moment, all I want to do is play with my distress inks and Penny Black stamps! So maybe not retire, but may take a break.

Products used:

Forever Friends Special Present Stamp

Papermania Sweet Nothings Paper Pad (Really old paper pad)

Me To You Saturdays Week 25

Did you think I forgot! lol, I had not forgot. It has just been mission impossible to get to my desk today and create this card, ideally I normally create the card in advance.

When I finished my card, I then went to grab my camera out of my handbag to take a picture and grabbed my wallet instead. I ended up laughing to myself. I had to improvise in my background, as I normally clear the desk once a week to take pics of my cards, however this time as I only needed to take a pic of one card I did not want to make that effort! My excuse, i am tired and it is so late.

When I was making this card, I started yawning, not because I was bored, but because I was so tired, and still am, and feeling so sleepy, after a very long day up the M6 and M1, so that reduced any brain power I had on this card. Anyway, enough of my waffling, if anything made sense in that! Here is my card for today.

Products used:

Me To You Stampers Gift Set

Me To You Winter Wonderland Decoupage Kit

Me To You Especially For You Ribbon Bows

Me To You Especially For You Ribbon

Glitter

Promarkers - Cool Grey 1, Cool Grey 2, Turquoise, Baby Pink