Quick and easy, but looks sooo pretty ........

Happy Sunday ........

Welcome to October!

I do love this time of year, when the temperatures are starting to cool a little, and the leaves on the trees are starting to turn.  It's been a lovely day here on the island so, dinner went in the slow cooker this morning, and we spent the afternoon in the sunshine, giving the garden a good old tidy.

I even took the plunge and changed my wardrobe around.  All the pretty, bright coloured, summer dresses have been packed away and it's out with those deep, rich Autumnal shades .... my favourites.  The woollies are out, along with those winter coats, socks and boots! 

I suppose it won't be that long before I can start to think a little more festive and decide where I'm putting the trees this year (sshhhh! ..... I've already been looking at Christmas decorations!).  

Anyway, before the craft room starts to look like Santa's grotto, and everything in there is dusted in glitter (hmmm ........wonder how hubby's going to cope with that now that we're sharing our work space!)  I still have some birthday cards to make. 

This idea came from Pinterest (one of my go to places when I need inspiration!).

I do like a nice embossing folder and the 3D ones from Simon Says Stamp are just gorgeous.  There's so much detail on them, and some even come with matching dies, so you can add more depth and dimension ..... I love them!

This one is called Darcy Bouquet, it's not a new design at SSS but it is the first time that I've used it (like so many things in the craft room!)  It does have matching dies to cut out 3 of the large flowers.  I didn't use it this time but, I will give it a go at some point.

I simply ran the folder through my Big Shot using a piece of coloured cardstock (Stampin Up's Sweet Sorbet)  I did spritz the card lightly with clean water before I ran it through and just look at that detail ...... amazing!

To make the design stand out a little more, I used a sponge to apply some White (Picket Fence) Distress Ink onto the raised design. 

I added a die cut sentiment ..... cut and layered three times and coloured using the matching ink to the cardstock from Stampin Up! again 

I added a few sparkly gemstones just to finish it off.

A really simple design but, it does look soooo pretty!

As it's the first time I've used this Embossing folder I'm going to join in the fun with Darnell's NBUS Challenge #55

(that's if I can remember how to link up ..... it's been a while!)

I do love a good Blog Challenge so, as the diary looks pretty quiet next week I might just find some more to play along with.

Thanks for popping by, have a great week ahead.

Time to see how that dinner is doing ..... it smells delicious!

Cheerio until next time .......

It's a special day today ......

Happy Tuesday ......

Can you believe we're half way through the year already!!
July's not a bad month though.  It's hubby's birthday coming up, our wedding anniversary at the end of the month and ..... we're off on holiday on Friday ....... whoo hoo!!  Lets hope the sun keeps shining.

But, enough about all that ..... today's a special day for a very special lady in Blogland.  The lovely Darnell (djkardkreations.com) is celebrating her birthday ........

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Darnell

Happy Birthday to YOU!!

The ladies over on the CAS Watercolour Challenge are marking the occasion with a special surprise event on the launch of this month's challenge. 

As you can see, the theme is ...... Bouquet of Flowers.  
Now come on ladies ......  we all love to receive a beautiful bouquet on our birthday ..... or any day for that matter!   So ...... I'm joining in the fun and wishing Darnell a very, very Happy Birthday, with a bouquet of pretty pink roses

These have all been stamped and heat embossed in gold, and then watercoloured using my ZIG Markers

I then fussy cut them all, and arranged them on the front of my cardbank.  The leaves have been glued directly onto the card, and the roses attached with foam pads, to add a little dimension.

I added the sentiments across the centre .....

And finished with a few splatters of ink and some dots of glitter glue ...... gotta have some sparkle for a birthday

I hope you have a fabulous day Darnell ........ sending lots of Birthday hugs  xx

Hubby and I thought we would also celebrate Darnell's birthday, so we off out this evening. 
Also the fact that there's nothing in the fridge that I fancy cooking means that we're going Thai tonight ..... yum!
Well, there's no point in me doing a load of shopping is there, we're going away on holiday on Friday morning!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time .......

Products used:
Stamps: Pure Florals - Rose (Uniko stamps); Simple Strips (Taylored Expressions)
Inks: Versamark; Delicata Golden Glitz;
Others: Gold Embossing Powder (WOW!); ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers, Glitter Drops (Nuvo)

A walk on the wild side .......

Happy Tuesday ......

I've got the little man here to keep me company today ...... there's only one more week left of the school holidays.  That six weeks has flown by!!  Luckily he's looking forward to starting junior school.
He's had a great summer break I think ...... he's been here there and everywhere. The beauty of this island is there's always something going on .... somewhere.
He even managed to grab a quick photo with the great John McGuinness, who's back on the island for the MGP/Classic TT.

Dare I say, the weather has improved, and racing has finally got underway.  You can see just how misty its been though, from the photo above.

Alex also had a couple of birthday parties to go to while he's been on holiday, and guess who got the job of making the cards?
Funnily enough I don't do a lot of kids cards so there were none in my stash (note to self ..... add childrens cards to the to do list!)

Here's what we came up with though .......

As one party was up at the Wildlife Park, that was my starting point.
I've had these stamps forever and they'd never been used.  They're old Creative Expressions Designs called Jungle Friends and Monkeying Around ....... I had great fun playing around with these, as you can see ......

Lots of die cut apertures  ........ various stamped and coloured jungle friends

A little extra foliage here and there and a few ink spaltters .....

And more on the insides too .....

I even decorated the envelopes ......

Oh well .... must dash I've got a lot to do.  Hubby is on his way home ....... Whoo Hoo!!
He's left Melbourne a day early.  They managed to get everything done that needed to be done work wise, so he changed his flights home by 24 hours. 
He's currently on a plane to Dubai .... and it's around half past midnight I think, Melbourne time (3.30pm here in the IOM).  Then, it's Dubai to Manchester, leaving Dubai in the early hours,  and finally Manchester to Isle of Man, hopefully arriving on home soil around 3pm tomorrow, assuming there's no delays.  It's a heck of a journey, even in Business Class ..... jet lag is going to be fun!
Looking forward to having him home though.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day.

Cheerio until next time .....

Happy Birthday LIM .......

Happy Thursday,

The clue is in the title as to what I'm posting today ........ yes it's a birthday card and it's for the girls over at Less is More.  This fabulous weekly Blog challenge is 3 years old ...... congratulations ladies and thanks for all your hard work in putting together all the fun challenges each week.

It's a COLOUR challenge this week and it's .....

RAINBOW

There's lots of fab inspiration over on the challenge blog, with some special guest designers too.

Here's what I've come up with ......

I've had this Memory Box die for a while and thought it was about time it came out of the packaging.  The rainbow bit is all the colours behind the cut out circles ....... each one coloured using a Copic Marker ...... really simple

The little sentiment in the centre is a Penny Black rubber stamp ...... so cute!  

A bit of mat and layering and the card is done ...... very clean and simple.  A little different from the first one I made

 

A bit too More is More I think ....... the idea was ok, but once it was finished I couldn't make my mind up about it ...... and when hubby said 'isn't that a bit too much for LIM'  I thought maybe he was right, and made a new one - everyone's a critic eh!!!

The cute little balloons on this one were cut using the Penny Black die - uplifting (51-004), from various scraps of Core'dinantions cardstock (a great way to use up all those little bits of cardstock you just can't throw away)

I added some highlights using a white gel pen and did a spot of doodling on one of the balloons .....

Some natural twine bows finish them off and the sentiment is from the Tim Holtz set - Simple Sayings (CMS155).  Too much?  What do you think?

I'm on Grandma duties this afternoon ...... everyone's out so it's just me and the little guy.  Time to have some fun I think.

Thanks for popping by, enjoy the rest of your Thursday.

Until next time .......

Linda

xx

It's 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! everyone,

Hope you had a good one.  It was just Stephen and I on New Year's Eve, a nice meal, bottle of champagne and a Batman movie. 
We watched Big Ben chime in 2013 on the TV, and saw the fireworks in London which I thought were spectacular by the way.

We've actually been there on New Year's Eve, a few years ago, and the atmosphere is amazing. It's a bit chilly, but well worth it.

My crafting year got off to a good start.  I found out yesterday that I'm amongst the winners again on Tim's 12 Tags - whoo hoo!!  Can't quite believe it, twice in one year. I'm absolutely thrilled.  So, it was time for another little dance around the house. 
The fun starts all over again this month, and I can't wait to get started

I'm slowly getting back into the mood for crafting.  I've made a start on the many cards I need in January - well, I've done one!

It's Lauren's 21st this year - where did that time go!?!!   I thought I'd try and do a 'two for one' here and come up with something for the latest challenge over at Less is More

It's Week 99-100 (a two week challenge), and its a Recipe week.

The girls have chosen .......

DRINKS

.......... very appropriate I thought, with it being the festive season and all that. Although it dosen't just mean alcohol, it can be tea, coffee water etc.

Anyhow, here's mine .....

It's not quite how I intended it to be.  This year is starting how last year finished - nothing going right!

I used the Penny Black stamp ' Bubble of Joy' (2098H).  I love this little guy sitting on the champagne cork.

The image is coloured with Copic pens and the metal cage around the cork, or the egrafe to give it it's proper name, has been highlighted with a Sakura Stardust pen.  The little guy on top has been layered for a bit of dimension and the bubble has had a coating of Glossy Accents and some Diamond Dust on top.

I added a few more bubbles and some tiny gems for a bit of sparkle.

I'd more or less finished the card when out of nowhere, came the dreaded black ink mark, right on the bottom - argggghhhh!!!!  I really didn't want to start it all again so the scalloped borders are a last minute addition (to cover up the splodge!).   Not sure if I'm 100% happy with it, but I'll leave it for now.

Well,  I've made a start on the next chapter of my crafty adventure.  Who knows what 2013 is going to bring.   

I do hope you'll continue with me on the journey, it's so much nicer to share it with friends.

Cheerio for now.  I'll be back tomorrow with a couple more 'drinks' themed cards.

Enjoy your evening.

Linda

 x