May Day Giveaway!

Here are the goodies I mentioned yesterday.
The Bazzill Templates are "Flourishes" and the pearls are a very pale blue called "Bliss".
Simply leave a comment on here before 12 noon on Monday 3rd May and I will use my random number selector (AKA OH) to choose a winner.

A Free Site, A RAK and Another Challenge.

I've just heard about "The Vintage Moth" a site with free vintage and antique images (some yummy pics). It can be found by following this link:
http://www.percyandbloom.com/

A RAK:

Earlier this week I was lucky  enough to receive a beautiful ATC from Maria - thanks M. it was a lovely surprise!

Another iteam challenge on WeScrap was to use a one word title and include the definition of that word on the LO.
Here's what I came up with.
A picture of my bestest friend Max carefully guarding his football - it's punctured as his favourite trick (or cheating I call it!) is to pick it up in his mouth and run off with it.

Red and green smooth card from stash  along with the ribbon.
Patterned papers and large ball embellie from a kit by Carol Wilson (I've had it for ages).
Other embellies - "Paws and Claws" by Paper Company Studio.
Title - " La Petites" by The Paper Studio.

In the past couple of days I've received my prizes for coming third in the cyber crop and winning the DT contest (non-participant) on WeScrap.
As a result I have doubles of a Bazzill InStitchz template, some Kaiser pearls and some thread.
Tomorrow I shall post a picture and details of a mini draw for the Bank Holiday weekend. Watch this space!

Go Tech!

This the LO I did today for an iteam challenge on WeScrap.

We were challenged to scrap some technology we or s'one in our family uses. I decided to document the numerous musical instruments and gizmos in DS's room.

Afraid I don't know who made the paper etc. as I picked up a ready made kit at A Maze of Memories last week.

The alpha is by Making Memories.

An Unexpected Crop

On Thursday Pat and I decided (at very much the last minute) to go to the regular Thursday evening crop at A Maze of Memories.

This LO uses Bazzill and K&CO "Sea Glass" and "Trails" papers. Flourish stamp by Prima (from QVC)and embellies by Jolees.

The photo is from our Florida trip in 1998.

Going even further back is this LO using a photo from 1973 when I took part in  a County  organised trip to Czechoslovakia.

Two shades of Bazzill and Scraperdashery "The Merchant of Venice" patterned paper. The shiny butterflies are stickers, the small paper butterflies were made using a Martha Stewart double punch and the large one was cut on the Cricut along with the title.

We spent a very pleasant evening scrapping and chatting.

ATC Swap May

Hi, girls!
I know it's a bit early but I also know that some of you are keen to get going with this and I'm hoping to fit in a visit to my Dad soon.
This month's theme has been chosen by Maria - you are to make a MASCULINE ATC.
The list of swap partners for this month is:

SusieJ to Maria
Gina to Donna
Alma to Bev
Carole to Tania
Jenni to Val
Maria to Gill
Donna to Sue-bubbles
Bev to SuzieB
Tania to FionaK
Val to Karen
Gill to Joanne
Sue-bubbles to Jenni
SuzieB to Alma
FionaK to Carole
Karen to Gina
Joanne to SusieJ

Remember you only have to make one ATC but are welcome to make more and send them to others on the list.
Please email me or Gina if you need your partner's address.

Finally, here are the ATCs I made for April - I hope they've all been received!

Blog Candy Alert!

Ally is giving away some stamps as blog candy for April. Do check out her blog - she makes the cutest cards.

This Weekends' LOs.

Have managed two LOs despite my hands (swollen and painful) by taking things slowly.

The first is of my great-niece Katie. The original sketch is by Prima for their April BAP (Build a Page). I have in fact used scraps of prima paper and used edge punches, as suggested  but I replaced the title (should have been bottom left of LO) with some stitching and two heart beads.

The second is for a challenge on WeScrap - to use a larger than normal photo.
The sketch was originally intended for a card but I rotated it 90 degrees. It can be found on Dianne's blog. Thanks Dianne!
Background and patterned paper are by Basic Grey (Optimistic and Ambrosia).
Black card, ribbons,brads and bookplate are from stash. The photo is me circa 1994 - taken at school in High Wycombe - my last teaching post.

Now have a card to make for my great-nephew who will be 5 on 27th - it's quite a week for b'days -Max will be 8 on 24th, DS's friend Robin will be 21 on 25th and my stepMIL has her b'day on 26th -- better get card making!

Excellent weekend for sport! We won, Chelsea lost and Button and Hamilton finished 1st and 2nd in Grand Prix.

Woohoo!!

Great start to the day!
Just found out I won third prize for the crop I took part in at the weekend.
This is the first online crop I've participated in so am "well pleased".

Crop Challenges 4 & 7

For challenge 4 we were given a sketch - I went a bit OTT!

Challenge 7 was a scrap/technique lift. A bit messy (wonky heart and stitching!) but used up lots of scraps and is def. a technique I'd try again.

On The Wings of Spring Crop

Challenges 1, 2 and 3

The Final Casting Call

The fourth and final challenge in the DT Contest.
For this one we had to make a sketch, produce the LO and use a special  technique,then write a tutorial/how to of the technique.
Cardstock - Bazzill and Coredinations.
Paper, brads and alpha - Basic Grey "Euphoria"
Embellishments - handmade metal from coke cans with alcohol inks to decorate.
My technique was the metal embellies.
Journalling on the tag hidden behind the photo.

Hoping to do more LOs today as there is a crop on Wescrap - I'm a bit behind on the challenges and I have a footie match to watch (thought we weren't playing this weekend but we're on TV at lunchtime).
The sun is shining again so I feel happy - if we win I'll be even happier - esp. after the week United have had.

Perfect Pearls

Have just spent a wonderful morning at A Maze of Memories "playing" with perfect pearls. Jan and Diane were also there (16 of us in all) - it was lovely to chat to them.

We stamped, sprayed, embossed, brushed and enamelled to produce tags and a tile. I'm pleased with the results and now feel more confident about using the pearls on my LOs.

This afternoon/evening I plan to take Max for a long walk as it's so sunny and complete the fourth and final challenge for the DT Contest on Wescrap.  We have to produce a sketch, do a LO using the sketch, use a special technique and produce a tutorial about the technique - theme is Guilty Pleasures. I have my photo and cardstock, have chosen my technique.... now to produce the sketch and hope it all comes together!
Will post again tomorrow!

The Prodigal Son Returns and "The Dress"

Well, DS finally arrived home on Friday evening after a somewhat longer journey than normal - the joys of travelling on a bank holiday!
I'm sure he's grown again - he has grown a beard - due to him being "idle" (his words not mine!) and the fact that he's lost the charger for his electric razor. What he didn't bring was washing (yay!) - he'd apparently done this a couple of days before.
Lovely to have him home - although my laptop keeps disappearing.

"The Dress" is the title of this week's challenge for the DT contest on wescrap. We had to take inspiration from 2 dresses out of a choice of 12. I did my LO yesterday afternoon at AMOM - decided against doing the class "Chocolate Heaven" and cropped instead. Sat beside Diane and she offered help in the form of advice and a steady hand for the punching. Thanks Diane!

Bazzill and Coredinations cardstock.
K&CO "Verbena" papers, alpha and embellie.
Martha Stewart "Round the Edge" punches.
Bazzill InStitchz template and thread.
Prima butterfly vine.
The photo is from Sept. last year when I met up with Bev - we got to know each other through the docrafts forum and discovered she lives only 5 miles from my Dad.

More crafting planned today - a secret project - plus my ATC's for April to pop into envelopes.

Here's the gorgeous ATC I received from Karen.

Hope you're all having a peaceful Easter weekend.
Sue xx

p.s. I'm not going to mention the football - except to say "We was robbed".