smile...

Good morning everyone I hope your all well and had a brilliant weekend...ours was full of moving boxes and sofas and endless beds and bags and on and on and on...it seemed forever but finally our little princess is settled in her beautiful new home...its a gorgeous little terraced three bedroom house with a fabulous new kitchen and she loves it to bits...the icing on the cake its all of 5 mins walk to her job...bad thing is our baby sitting cat duties are over and her gorgeous little ball of fluff has gone to his new home too...I will miss them both so so much...you know when you have had a really bad few months and you breath a sigh of relief because life seems to be finally lifting that bad luck death grip on you and then what happens?...something even worse happens, something life changing...something you hoped never would...I cant really talk about it yet but I would like to ask you all a favour please send us positive thoughts today and for those who believe would you please say a prayer for us...believe me we need it desperately and I really believe in the power of positive thought don't you...right enough bringing you down (sorry for that folks) and onto my card for today...this little cutie pie is of course from Mo's Digital Pencil...look at that adorable little face...shes called Missing Tooth C and I used my usual distress inks to colour her...whatever papers I chose had to bright and pretty didn't they so I chose to use them from this stunning Echo Park - Here & Now 6x6 Paper Pad I love them don't you?...I added a sparkly smile sentiment with stickers on the strip at the bottom but you can barely see it I'm afraid...I finished with some gorgeous wooden buttons from the Prima Buttons - Tea-Thyme pack...the buttons and paper pad are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the fab sketch I used is from Sketch Saturday challenge and I'm also entering it for the Crafty Calender Challenge and the Paper Creator's Crafts challenge....I'm off to lock myself in my craft room until all the positive vibes and prayers from you all reach us...keeping my head well down and concentrating on some colouring very very hard...whatever your up to today I hope its a wonderful one for you and thanks for the vibes

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar
hair - antique linen
cardigan - shabby shutters, spun sugar
top - victorian velvet
skirt - spun sugar
tights - shabby shutters, spun sugar
shoes - tumbled glass
shading - pumice stone

waste not want not...

Good morning everyone how are you all...having a good week I hope...its still such horrible weather here rain, sleet and wind...oh how I would love a couple of weeks in the sun...just lying around in the hot sun and discovering new places...sounds like bliss doesn't it...well a girl can dream cant she lol...I had all intentions of doing loads of stuff yesterday but ended up doing nothing at all except bundle up on the sofa with the kitten as a hot water bottle, then I decided to take some photos of him but hes so dark he came out like a ink blot bless him so I will have to wait for a sunnier day so you can see him lovely blue grey eyes, can you tell I'm in love lol...right no onto my card for today...this beauty is from Sugar Nellie's Leanne Ellis stamps range at Sugar Nellie...shes called In a While and is gorgeous to colour, I used my usual distress inks...and glittered her up with my usual Stickles Glitter Glue - Star Dust...what do you think of the paper?...well this is actually my beautiful birthday card from my Dad, I loved the colours so much I couldn't resist making a card with it...I cut the flowers from the back and raised them up, see throw nothing away you never know when you will use it...I added a lush bow made from Organza Ribbon - Cerise (25mm Wide) from Bunny Zoe's Crafts but I think its out of stock atm...I finished with a birthday button charm from my stash...I made the sketch up as I went along but am entering it for the Glitter N Sparkle Challenge, Crafty Calender Challenge and the Dragonfly Dreams Challenge too...I'm off out today some rain or shine I'm beginning to get a bit stir crazy and feel the need to escape for a while...whatever your up to today I hope it stays dry for you and you manage to get out and have some fun too

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar

hair - pumice stone

collar - pumice stone

dress and cuffs - worn lipstick, victorian velvet, tumbled glass

shading - pumice stone

hair brooch - tumbled glass, worn lipstick

Joy...

Good morning everyone I hope your all well and having fun this weekend...what you up too anything special...we went to see our beautiful Daughters choir she is in this weekend, they were singing carols and Christmas songs and wow I was mighty impressed, they are amazing...she joined a couple of months back and has so enjoyed practice and she looked in her element singing her heart out...it brought back a lot of wonderful memories as she was in choirs all through her school days and I went every Christmas to see them sing...I must admit I shed a few tears too...I know I'm a soppy sod lol...we had to nip to the supermarket yesterday as we ran out of tea bags and omg I think they were giving food away the huge car park was full to the brim and people were loading the hugest trolleys to the brim...we grabbed the tea bags and ran lol...right now onto my card for today which thankfully didn't have any arguments with any liquid lol...this is the stunning Winter Fairy Manty from who else but Mo's Digital Pencil...you just know Mo drew this look at that face and chubby little legs...I coloured him with distress inks and glittered him with Stickles Glitter Glue - Star Dust well there's wings and ice isn't there so who needs more excuse than that to use glitter...the amazingly lush papers are from the My Mind's Eye - All is Bright 6x6 paper pad and the banner I cut from another piece of the pad...I bought this last Christmas from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the papers are so unusual aren't they and I love the way the sentiment is printed on it...I finished with a bow made from Organza Ribbon - White (25mm Wide), a button from my stash, another of my bargain frames and finished with a red rose from the Blossoms - Resin Flower Pansy...I made the sketch up around the paper design but I'm entering this for the 4 Crafty Girls Challenge, Crafty Calender Challenge and the A Creative Romance Challenge too...we are having a wrapping, baking and tv day today, well hopefully anyway that's the plan...whatever your up to today I hope you have some relaxing time in amongst all the mayhem

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar

hair - pumice stone

outfit - tumbled glass, fired earth, peeled paint, shabby shutters

branches - shabby shutters, peeled paint

just a touch of the dreaded red...

Good morning everyone how are you all...I hope your all well and having fun this festive season...well at long long last our trees are up and one is even decorated...the other will be done this morning, I had forgotten that the one in the lounge is 7ft tall (not that we need a 7ft tree but it was too much of a bargain to miss) and we both are struggling to reach the top so the step ladders will have to come out to make sure we can get the star on...when its finished I will take a photo to let you all see...well how much Christmas shopping do you reckon I got yesterday...er...none lol...I made the mistake of popping into the craft shop and got kinda stuck there, there were far too many pretty things...by the time we came out the shopping urge had kinda gone of the boil so we headed home to light the roaring fire and snuggle down...well I did that Phil made some more Dundee cakes, everyone is loving them but its costing a fortune to make them all...I told him next year you will have to charge for ingredients...well all except the ones for my lovely Dad of course, you better get your orders in now girls lol...right now onto my card for today...I'm determined to get past this fear of the dreaded red distress inks so went mad and used loads of it today...this little cutie is another of the Valerie's from Mo's Digital Pencil...shes one of a set of three called Valerie in Winter, they are fantastic to colour and paper piece and such a bargain price for three stamps too...I coloured her with my usual distress inks and teamed her up with one of my favourite paper pads of this season...these are from the Teresa Collins 6x6" Paper Pad - Santa's List...the sentiment strips are cut from the same pad too...I added some buttons and a lush bow made with Gingham Wired Edge Gold Thread Ribbon - Burgundy, this makes fantastic bows being wired they are so easy to plump up even after they have been squashed...the pad and ribbon are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the fab sketch is from the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge and I'm also entering it for the Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge and the Crafty Calender Challenge too...we really do need to start shopping today or nobody will get a gift from us at all...so I'm off to get sorted ready for going out...speak to you all tomorrow and whatever your up to today I hope its a brilliant day for you

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose

outfit - antique linen, fired brick, frayed burlap

shading - pumice stone

the scent of summer...

Good morning everyone...did you all enter for this months Bunny Zoe's Crafts monthly candy yet...if you didnt then its the posts below this one and its a good one too...a chance at a spending spree...the garden seems to be bucking up a bit since we decided drastic action was need and last week I decided I would use my new sacatures to chop away at one or two (or even three lol) plants that looked like they had died and despite Phil mocking me and saying he wanted to dig them up and reuse the pots they have sprouted again would you believe..a bit chuffed and very smug dosent even touch how I felt when I showed him last night lol...I think even my lovely Dad was a little impressed as he was down for his dinner yesterday evening and said he thinks the garden is slowly coming back to life...phew I thought it was knackered to tell you the truth (thats a technical term by the way lol) and Im so releaved that all the work and love we put into those plants and making the decking somewhere lovely to sit hasnt gone to waste, we did have a bit of a giggle though when Phil went behind the swing seat to check on his tomatos and touched the canopy, whatever water was there tipped over him and he turned to me giving me a look because I was watering some plants with the hose pipe and he thought I had squirted him with it, it took ages to convince him it wasnt me, well it was a bit harder with me rolling about laughing at the time lol...right now onto my card for today which is using one of the new Crafters Companion Barkley stamps...this cute one is called The Scent of Summer...like I have said before Im not the best colourer of animals but I enjoyed this one anyway so I hope you think its ok...I used my distress inks for it and teamed it up with some beautiful summery papers from the Carta Bella - Cool Summer 6x6 Paper Pad, the little tag is from the same pad but is stamped with one of the sentiments that came with the stamp...I finished with a huge blue bow and a Prima Flowers Primmers - White Cotton flower topped with a pink button, everything except the bow and button are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I made the sketch up as I went along but am entering this for the Crafty Calender Challenge, Brown Sugar Challenge and the Challenges 4 Everybody challenge too...Im off out with my lovely Dad this afternoon so best get some war paint going later...whatever your up to today watch out for hidden pockets of water
Mina xxx
p.s. sorry the photos are blurred again Im still struggling finding all the programmes for photo editing

distress ink colours used

cat - antique linen, spun sugar

dog - pumice stone, black soot

birds - scattered straw, stormy sky

garden - peeled paint, shabby shutters, victorian velvet, stormy sky, scattered straw

today is your day...

Good morning everyone did you miss me?...bet you didn't even notice I was gone lol...I'm feeling a bit better and although I still have to take it easy I thought I would do a bit of creating but it was so hard sitting in my craft room when it was 24degrees outside and the sun blazing down but I managed not just to make a card but decorate the inside too...will wonders never cease lol...I must admit Im feeling a little bit out of loop after not being about for so long (you would think it was years wouldnt you lol), so whats happening in the world of crafting then?, give me all the gossip, come on you know you want too...I don't have much gossip at all really, I haven't been out hardly at all and when I have I have been so exhausted when I get back I slept for hours...poor Phil must be fed up looking at the top of my head as I fall asleep on the sofa bless him, although he never moans and has taken such good care of me...oh one bit of news I got the results of the scans I have a few weeks back but will tell you about them when I have told you about my card...my card is for our new challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts monthly challenge, this months challenge theme is Wings. I used a fabulous stamp that has both these cuties on it with their tin can phones, the stamp is called C.C. Designs SN Fairwee Josie's and Jilly's Chat and I coloured them with my distress inks and cut them out to use one on the inside

the amazing paper pad I used is called Glitz 6x6" Paper Pack - Colour Me Happy , wow this is one stunner of a pad, I love it and the sentiment on the inside is from the same one...I finished with a thin cut of the gorgeous Section SMASH Tape, a lush bow made from Organza Ribbon - Dusky Pink (25mm Wide), buttons from the Big Red button pack - 25g and Camouflage button pack - 25g and Prima Butterflies - Divine pack...everything I used is from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I made the sketch up as I went along but am entering this for the Crafty Calender Challenge, The Hobby House Challenge and the Stampin' for the Weekend challenge too...right now my test results...picture the scene I finally get to the docs and tell him whats wrong with me and he has diagnosed pneumonia...then he says I thought you might have been in touch before now...why says I...well for the results of your scans...but that was only four days ago the nurse said at least a week for the results...by this time I'm wondering whats going on...well I have news for you he says, you have gallstones and quite a few too, you will need an operation pretty soon...ever wish you had stayed in bed...not only Pneumonia and tablets but now gallstones... now that's what I call greedy lol...oh well things happen don't they and all will be sorted I'm sure...whatever your up to today whatever you do don't make an appointment at the Doctors, you never know what you might come out with lol...have a good one
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose

hair - antique linen on front image

black soot on the inside image

clothes - front - shabby shutters, wild honey

inside - victorian velvet, peeled paint

shading on wings and cans - pumice stone