Another relaxing day crafting!

Hi All

Well, we have had another afternoon crafting today...I will have so many cards to take home with me but it is nice to craft with other people rather than trying to get the hubby to show an interest in my colouring! Hehe! I have made a couple of Christmas cards today (although I can only show one today....I have made another one to launch the new challenge at Christmas Crafting so you will need to wait till Monday for that one! ;-) ) and I have also made a couple of birthday cards...although I haven't put any sentiments on yet...

My first card is for the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which is to include a Fairy/Angel on your Christmas card. I had this really cute image from Lili of the Valley so I coloured her in wintery blue colours and added some stickles to bring out her sparkly wings! One of my sentiments (which are digi stamps from Cuddly Buddly) said 'Sugar Plum' so thought I'd include that as it was a little bit different to what I would normally use as a Christmas sentiment but seemed to fit the theme well!

My next card today is for the Just Magnolia challenge which is 'Buttons, bows and blooms,' and I'd also like to enter this into the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is a fab sketch. I decided to use a big organza bow for one of the elements of the sketch and I have used some gorgeous new papers I bought a few days ago called First Edition Papers 'Desert Blooms'-they are really lush!

My final card for tonight is for the Lili of the Valley challenge which again is another fabulous sketch and for the Allsorts Challenge which is another week of 'Free and Easy'. I have used a gorgeous little rabbit image from LOTV and have used some more of the papers from the pad I mentioned earlier. The colours I have used on this card are very different to what I usually use but I am quite happy with the end result so watch this space!

I was also very naughty earlier....I ordered some of the new Spectrum Noir pens and one new Humphrey stamp and two new SWALK stamps, all from Crafter's Companion,they have some fab offers on at the moment! I convinced myself that I was cheering myself up as I felt a bit fluey this morning....I am really excited about having a play when I return home though!

Well that is it for today. I am hoping to have a play with my Mum's 'AquaMarkers' at some point this week and I really want to make some more Snowman cards so of course I will share with you anything that we do. I also will be launching the new challenge on 'Christmas Crafting' on Monday 1st August so I hope you will come and join in-the current challenge will still be open until the 9th August (due to my lack of organisation at the beginning of the month!) and there is also a DT CALL which will also remain open until 9th August. Please feel free to get in touch if you fancy being part of the team and I will send you the details. Thanks for all of your support and kind words so far.

Happy crafting everyone!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Still no bucket of chips!

Hi All

Yet again, another overcast day on Tuesday so still no bucket of chips! Lol! Instead we enjoyed another afternoon of crafting. My lil sister and I went off to Newcastle yesterday for a shopping day-twas fun but came home to a killer of a headache! Luckily it has disappeared this morning and I'm feeling a lot brighter! Anyway, back to Tuesday and we had a go at another few challenges and I also played with some stamps that I have had for ages but not had a chance to have a proper play with them.

My first card today is for the Papertake Weekly Challenge which is a fabulous sketch. I really enjoyed making this card and really enjoyed using these brightly coloured papers! I have used one of my Humphrey stamps that I have had for a while now...she is sooo cute!

A little bit of a Crafter's Companion theme today...did that without realising it...and whilst we are on the subject, they have a fabulous blog hop going on till Friday...'hop' on over! You can win six new Humphrey stamps and six new SWALK stamps! Anyway, back to my next card, I have finally made a Snowman card! I have used the stamps today as we are out of ink to use the CD Rom and was really impressed with how well they stamped and can feel a huge batch of Snowman cards coming on! I have made this for the Crafter's Companion challenge which is one for the boys so I have made a male themes Christmas card. I have tried to keep it plain and have used masculine colours on the whole. I couldn't resist going a bit overboard with the card candi though and have added a bit of pale blue velvet ribbon. I would also like to enter this into the Deep Ocean challenge and The Crazy Challenge this week which is to use ribbons on your card...two new challenges for me this week!

My final card is another Humphrey card. I absolutely love this image...tis soooo sweet! I would like to enter this into the Cupcake Craft challenge as the theme this week is Shabby Sparkle. I have had a go at distressing the papers I have used and used stickles for some sparkle on the ice cream, glass and tablecloth. Really enjoyed making this card...great theme! Another new challenge for me today!

That's it again for me today. Can I just end by saying thank you to all my new followers and those that have joined in on my new challenge blog, Christmas Crafting. I really appreciate your support and hope that I can get it up and running and that you enjoy joining in!

Thanks for looking!

Hugs

Arline

xx

A new challenge blog...!!

Hi All

Well, I have been meaning to post this for ages now....I have set up my own little challenge blog! Scary times as I have never done anything like this before but thought I'd have a go and hope that all my lovely followers will have a go and join in the fun!

When I started getting back into my crafting again I noticed that there weren't many Christmas crafting challenge blogs, or not that I could find anyway, so I thought I would use my love for Christmas to create one! It is simply called Christmas Crafting and is, at the moment, a monthly challenge (this helps me to ease myself into it!) and is primarily a card making challenge. With working full time as a teacher I sometimes struggle to make my Christmas cards and thought this might help motivate me, and those of you who are the same, to get organised for what I believe is the best holiday of the year!

Presently, the challenge is to create a

Christmas Card including at least one flower.

I will be launching the new challenge on 1st August but the deadline for the current challenge is the 9th August for this month only. I really hope you will join in and have fun taking part. There is a small prize for the winner and I am also asking for people who may be interested in being on my Design Team! Please leave a comment if you are and I will get back to you. I hope to include some Christmas trivia or even some ATC swaps if I can get it all up and running ok so please spread the word!

Thanks so much for all of your support on my personal blog and look forward to seeing you joining in on Christmas Crafting!

Hugs for now

Arline

xx

Afternoon tea anyone?

Hi All

We were hoping to go to the beach today but unfortunately the weather wasn't as promised! It has been quite muggy but overcast all day....I still hope to share with you my bucket of chips though at some point!!

Instead of going to the beach for the day, we decided to have another craft day! I really wanted to play with these new cupcake/afternoon tea stamps that I got free on one of the fab craft magazines....I haven't got a clue which one but it has only just come out so go and get them! They are fab! I had a go at the Sketch Saturday challenge for my first card. I really like the colour combination and thanks for the fab sketch...took me a while to decide what to do! In the end I was pleased with my final card though.

The next three cards are mini cards! They are only 3x3 inches and are just so cute! I thought they would make great little invitations for an afternoon tea party....might have to hold one now just so I can use them! I could combine it with my other hobby at the moment which is baking....hoping to do some baking over the holidays and promise I will share whatever I make! (Only virtually though unfortunately!)

That's it for now. I am really tired today so think I will probably have an early night refreshed for whatever tomorrow may bring! We are hoping to go to York on the train on Thursday so that will be nice...other than that we haven't got any plans!

Hope you are all well and that the kids aren't driving you too mad on the first day of the hols!!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Woohoo...school's out for the summer!

Hi All

Well, I am very fortunate to now have a whole six weeks off! Woohoo! I won't rub it in too much...;-)! I am now in Sunderland, left hubby behind for two whole weeks! My Mum, sister and I have been crafting today...wasn't sure if I'd be blogging whilst I was away but we have taken part in some challenges so I hope you enjoy having a look at what I've created! I must apologise for the photos....messed around with the settings on my camera but they haven't come out very well...apologies! Not sure if it may be the light....or just my bad photography skills!

My first card today is for three challenges, the Lili of the Valley challenge which is 'Fun and Games', the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is a 'For his eyes only' card (I didn't have anything saucy so settles with a card for a man!) and a new challenge that I have been introduced to which is Totally Papercraft where the challenge is 'One for the Boys'. I'm never quite sure of my cards for boys/men but I love this Lili of the Valley image! He looks as if he is going to be covered in mud when he gets home! Lol!

The next card I created was for the Just Magnolia challenge which is 'What's Cooking?', the Papertake Weekly Challenge which is 'Getting Cute' (surely noone can say Tilda is not cute?!) and finally for the Allsorts challenge which was 'Free and easy July'-another new challenge I'm having a go at this week! I made another one of my easel cards....really think I am addicted....wonder if there is a group for that...lol! Also used some of my Mum's new flowers (perks of crafting with others!) and twirled the stems with a poky tool! A very girly card fully of pink and cupcakes...what more can you ask for!

For the Penny Black challenge this week, which is 'Starburst-using stars somewhere on your card', I used this really cute stamp with a hedgehog pulling a little snowman on a sledge...so cute and I love using these kind of colours for Christmas cards. I used star backing paper to meet the challenge and then I finished it off with a bit of stickles to make it extra Christmassy! I would also like to enter this into the I love Promarkers challenge, another new challenge for me, as I have coloured this little image with my beloved Promarkers! Don't know what I would do without them now....what did we used to do before Promarkers!! I have used the colours: Denim blue for the snowman's hat and scarf, Tan and Sandstone for the sleigh and the hedgehogs spiky bits and blush for the hedgehogs belly and face.

Finally, for today anyway-there will be more crafting as we have left the dining room table a mess as we are in crafty progress(!)-I have made this tag for the Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is to create a 'tag'. I would also like to enter it into the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which is ''Holly and Ivy' (I have holly but no ivy....so hope this is ok..) and another new challenge, Lollipop Crafts where the theme is 'Anything Goes!' I love this image of the mouse in the stocking and it was really nice to create something other than a card as I very rarely make anything like this. Of course it had to be finished off with a little bit of stickles!

Phew....that's it for today....hoping that I will post again before the end of the week. It is supposed to be a lovely day tomorrow so we may have a day at the beach! Heard we can buy a bucket of chips from the seafront chippy and then you can use the bucket afterwards! Doesn't take much to impress me but that did! Lol! Will take piccies if we get one!

Must go now....will hopefully come and visit you on your blogs over the next few days.

Bye for now!

Hugs

Arline

xx

A blogging holiday...

Hi All

Well as you know it is almost the school holidays! We have had a mad weekend at a wedding and visiting family and friends but it has been lovely. Unfortunately, this has meant I have neglected my blogging and crafting! I am also off to Sunderland to visit family for two weeks on Saturday (leaving hubby behind :( ) and therefore won't be blogging for a little while. I am hoping to do some crafting with my Mum and sister and will blog if I get chance but may not be around as I have been! I will make sure I will catch up when I return!

Happy holidays!

Arline

xx

A couple more awards!

I was really chuffed to find out that I had been given the awards below by Pendra...a new blogging friend who has a beautiful blog that I love to visit....thank you so much hun, it is really sweet of you!

1. Now the rule for the BFB Award is to pass it along to my readers with a link back to the person who gave it to me. Thanks Pendra!

2. I am passing both of these awards to all of my lovely followers, old and new! Thank you for coming and visiting me...really appreciate each and everyone of your comments!

Hugs

Arline

xx

More Christmas cards!

Hi All

I have made a couple more Christmas cards tonight....not sure if I am happy with them...feeling as though I may have lost my mojo again....hoping it is just because I am tired! My first card is for the Sketch Saturday challenge (I have changed the image shape to a circle so am hoping that is still allowed?!) I have used another Penny Black image and some papers that I found in my stash which were lovely and I have no idea why I haven't used them before!

My second card is for the Just Magnolia challenge which was this fab sketch. I have used this image of Tilda that looks as if she has been up to mischief! Answers on a postcard of what she has got up to! Lol! The papers are some old Papermania Christmas papers and I have finished it off with a few flowers and a bit of lace (my new best friend at the moment!

Hope you enjoyed looking at them. Sorry it is such a short post today but I am shattered! Just watching 'The Apprentice You're Fired' and then am off to bed! Will do some blog hopping tomorrow night!

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A better day today...

Hi All

Well...a better day today at work....couldn't have got much worse to be quite honest! Have had quite a nice day today actually. We have had the Year 6 pupils in as they have been taking part in a couple of taster days. I taught an English lesson and a Citizenship lesson and they were fab! They even thanked me as they went out the room and wanted to come and speak to me when they were on their lunch...so sweet....unfortunately not likely to last when they come up to big school in September! Lol! I have often thought I would love to teach the top end of Primary and have looked around at Middle Schools as I really enjoy teaching this age group...I think the one thing holding me back is my love for teaching Media Studies at GCSE (and hopefully I will teach it to A-Level one day!) Anyway....perhaps my pondering needs to wait until another post!

Back to craft....well I have just made the one card tonight but I really enjoyed making it. I would like to enter this into the Winter Wonderland challenge which is 'Red and Green must not be seen' (title says it all!), the Penny Black Challenge which is 'Christmas in July' and the Cute Card Thursday challenge which is to include some lace on your card. I have used this gorgeous little Penny Black hedgehog...he is so cute and I decided to put him on an angle as if he was jumping through the air catching his snowflakes! I have also used some blue lace that I have recently purchased, a Forever Friends 'Hugs and Kisses' sentiment sticker, Forever Friends Christmas paper from last year as well as some really cute crochet flowers from The Works....they have loads of different colours so definitely worth a look.

That is it for now...I am hoping to make a couple more cards tomorrow and I have just realised that I didn't post my cupcake boxes I made for a friend's ribbon so will make sure I post this over the next couple of days!

Another mad day at work tomorrow so hoping it goes well...fingers crossed! Can't wait till our review is over...Friday please come quickly!

Will try to do some blog hopping over the next few days too....I really do appreciate you visiting me though and promise I will come and visit you...it just may take me a few days!

Hugs
Arline
xx

What a day!

Well, after having a nightmare of a day at work....won't go into details or I may not stop venting(!)....I thought I would try to de-stress with a bit of crafting. I am hoping that I can do a little more during the week and complete in a few more challenges. Tonight I thought I'd make a couple of birthday cards as I have made lots of Christmas cards recently. My first card is for the Papertake Weekly challenge which is 'Anything Goes' and I'd also like to enter it into the A Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is to include some kind of stitching (real or faux!). I have used an adorable die cut image from Lili of the Valley-so cute! I have finished it off with a few flowers, card candi and stickles.

My second and final card for tonight is for the Lili of the Valley challenge this week which is this fab sketch. I used another really cute image from Lili of the Valley and finished it off with a few flowers, buttons and card candi. I have also used a little butterfly that is from Prima which I have been dying to use for ages!

Thanks for looking at my creations. Hope you like them and enjoyed visiting my blog!

Hugs

Arline

xx

An award!

Hi All

Well Yasmin has made my day! She has passed this award onto me and I am really chuffed! Please go and have a look at her blog, it is so inspiring!

I would like to pass this award onto the following people:

Marianne

Ali

Kate

Pinky

Tanja

So many fabulous blogging friends to choose from so please do not be offended if I haven't passed this onto you this time. These are new blogging friends of mine whose blogs are amazing and I am enjoying getting to know them better. Thank you for such fab inspiration everyone!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Blog candy winner!!

Hi All

Well a HUGE thank you first of all for all of my new followers! Thank you for joining in with my blog candy and I hope you will come and visit me again. I am still hopping to all of you....will get there....hopefully today as I am going to do a big blog hop later on! Right...here is the moment you have been waiting for....the winner of my blog candy is....

No. 26 AJECreativity!

Congratulations! I did do this on Random.org but didn't know how to copy it to my blog....kept reformatting?! Well done though hun! If you e-mail me your snail mail address and I will get these to you asap!

Well, I have a mad week this week. I have a review at work of the department I am in charge of....almost like a mini OfSTED! We also have the little Y6 pupils coming up on Monday and Tuesday as well as meetings here there and everywhere this week! Also, my back seems to be playing up-never had any back problems before so am sat with a hot water bottle on my back! Never mind.....don't think I will get any crafting done today but will try to squeeze some in during the week if work eases off a bit!

Thanks again to everyone who joined in!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Blog candy reminder!

Hi All

Don't forget to enter my blog candy by tomorrow 7pm! The link to all of the details is on my sidebar! Thanks to all of those who have entered. I am trying to get round to see you all and thank you personally but it is just taking me a little time! Will get there though and I really appreciate all my new followers!

Thanks for your support and good luck!
Hugs
Arline
xx

Christmas in July...sounds like a well known shopping channel!

Hi All

It is lovely to be back blogging again today. As I have been blogging on a weekly basis, I really missed not posting last weekend! We were at a wedding where hubby was Best Man and so we had a tiring weekend....it was beautiful and bride and groom were very happy! Will post some pictures in the week at some point, as well as some piccies of some cupcakes and cupcake boxes that I made for them as a little treat when they went back to their hotel room!

Before I start explaining my latest craftiness, can I just thank everyone who has taken part in my candy so far! I am amazed by the response and am trying to get round to each and everyone of you, just taking me a little time as there are so many! Thank you for taking part and becoming a follower...and good luck to you all! If you would like to take part then all the details are here.

Ok, to explain my post title I must explain about last night! My very best friend Becky came over and we did a bit of crafting (rather than just gossiping like we normally do!) She wanted to do some Christmas crafting so along with a Christmassy film and music we were away! I have to say she was much more productive than I was as she made six toppers and I made three tiny little cards! I have posted a picture below (please excuse my pictures today....I think the camera was set up wrong so will have a look at it before the next time I blog!) These mini cards are 3x3 inches and are new from Papermania! They are so sweet! However, it took me ages to figure out what I was going to put on them as they were so tiny! I have used some of the new Papermania Christmas range and the new Forever Friends Christmas range...both are lush! Anyway, we crowned our evening Christmas in July....not meaning to sound like a well-known shopping channel! Lol! It was a fab night, full of lots of Christmas cheer! Hehe!

So, on to today. I was much more productive! I think I get too wrapped up in the gossip when we have a crafting night! Here is my first card which is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which is 'Desert Island Stamps'. The challenge is to craft with a Penny Black image that you couldn't do without. I decided on a Christmas one as I couldn't choose...this is an ode to Penny Black Christmas stamps as I definitely could not do without all of them! In the second picture you should just be able to pick out my stickles and adhesive gems...both oldies but goodies! Haven't used adhesive gems for a while so really enjoyed crafting with them again!

My second card is for the Winter Wonderland challenge which is a 'Christmas Buffet'! You have to include three things out of the following list on your card: patterned paper, ribbons, gems, buttons, brads, snowflakes or 1 charm. I chose to use patterned paper, adhesive gems and brads to embellish my very cute little Lili of the Valley image! Really enjoyed using these images and taking part in the challenge once again. It really is helping me to get on top of my Christmas card making! The papers I have used are the new ones from Papermania. I have also popped some stickles onto the image to bring out the snow a little bit...forgot to do this before I took the picture-d'oh!

My next card I found really difficult! It is for the Cute Card Thursday challenge and this week it is 'Technology'. Create a card showing some kind of technology, phones, MP3 Players, cars, computers etc. I found this great image, coloured him in to look like James Bond, and thought I'd couple it with some old car toppers that I had.....hubby assures me this is an Aston Martin, a car that Bond drives?! I have no idea....hanging my head in shame! I decided to keep to the black and silver colours and think this would be perfect for a guy who likes to think he is suave and sophisticated, just like Bond! Lol!

The next card I made was for two challenges, the Just Magnolia challenge which is 'Anything Goes' (optional of shabby chic) and the Sketch Saturday challenge with this fab sketch! I love this little image of Edwin all tangled up in the Christmas lights....I bet we can all look at him and he reminds us of someone when we are putting up the decorations each year! Really like this sketch, it works perfectly for a guys card I think....mmm will be using this again as I always struggle with cards for the boys!

My final card today is probably my favourite out of the bunch! I really enjoyed making it and am really happy with the result. I have made this card for the Papertake Weekly challenge which was this fab sketch, and the Lili of the Valley challenge which is to create a card for a celebration. I have chosen this gorgeous Lili of the Valley image and have made a birthday card. I embellished it with a few flowers and some adhesive gems to give it a bit of sparkle. I will definitely use this sketch again! Hope you like it!

Well that is it from me today! I will try and post some pictures of the wedding and my cupcake boxes during the week....this is a mammoth post as it is! Thank you for looking and please feel free to enter my blog candy if you wish! I will be announcing the winner on Friday 8th July!

Hugs

Arline

xx