Deep breath and cross everything

Hello blogworld,

Well here I am - and a decision made.

No builder still and I've no idea when we will see him, hubby is still not inclined to harass him, so we are in limbo land.

Seeing as I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs I've decided to try and pick up the crafting pace.  So I have a card to show!!!

Now a very large reason for this card is because Paula from Pollycraft is back!!  Ooooh I love her digis and she's re-starting her challenge blog and looking for a DT.  Well, in spite of the lack of blogging and absent Mojo I've decided to throw my hat in the ring.

I'm going to do it, even though I've no hope of getting on the team, as I know if I don't I'll be forever kicking myself for not even trying.  I remember a DT call happening just after I started blogging and I didn't apply - well I'm doing it this time!!

So a card - after nothing for so long, it was a bit of long process and not a lot to show for it!  I honestly didn't know what to put where, so I opted for the less is better look!!  It's also, possibly, if SHMbO likes it, going to be for hubby's fathers' day card - so I didn't want it full of flowers and frills.

Here it is:
Front shot:

The Arty Farty:

His Close Up:

I used:

Digi image:

Pollycraft - Maurice: Daddy 'cool'

(sorry it's not in the shop as it's an ages old image - possibly even a freebie?)

coloured with my Promarkers

Sentiment - Fiskars

Dies:

Nestie

Papers:

echo park - Note to self

Anything else?

Bakers twine 

charm

3d gloss

Stickles glitter glue

So I'm crossing fingers, toes and anything hoping that I might get on the DT.  Even if I don't I'm happy that I tried and it might be the kick start to Mr Mojo.

Here's hoping that I see you more regularly!

Sarah

A challenge,  or two, (ages since I did this!):

I love Promarkers: Challenge #168 - Simply does it

Cupcake Craft Challenges: Cupcake 242 - Lots of Layers

My Mum's Craft Shop: Challenge 5 - Spots or Stripes (I hope the spots on his tie is enough to qualify??)

My turn, and I pick....

Good morning blogworld,

Can you believe it's been a week since I posted last - bet you all think I've been up to my eyes in building works?  Well, nope!

Let's get the fun done first and then I'll do the moan!  So this is my post for the new challenge over at MAWTT and it's my turn to pick the theme.  Oooh there were nerves when I wrote the post for the challenge!!

So lets get down to the details - my theme is CaS - Clean and Simple.  There are loads of  options - you can still do cute, characters, colours, or whatever is your bag - it just needs to be simple.  If you're not familiar with the style, pop it into Google and you'll find some lovely examples.

Our sponsor this week, with a fab prize, is:

I actually, after a lot of digging in stamps and thinking, made two cards.  I think the first is my favourite, so that is the one up on the blog - but I've popped both here, any comments or criticism welcome - really!

This is my first one:

I used:

Dies:

Memory Box ( I used the negative space after the die was cut out)

Stamp:

A very, very, old sentiment

Anything else?

HobbyHouse - pearls

And here is the second:

Front shot:

Close up:

I used:

Stamp:

Inkadinkado

Anything else?

Scoring board

HobbyHouse - pearl

And that's it folks!  Hope you like them and please come along and join in with the challenge.  I do hope I get a few entries for my theme!!

So the whinging - well guess who never turned up to start work on the house two weeks ago?  Oh yes, the builder!!  Peter rang him and he said he was snowed under with other work but should have someone out last week - hmmmm, well still no-one last week either!  I'd be happy to ditch him and try somewhere else, but Peter thinks we should give him another chance.  So now we wait to see what happens this week.

The house should be full off brick dust, with the roof off, walls coming down and going up - nope instead it's deathly quiet!!

Add to that my Mojo is still on his jollies and you get one very quiet Sarah.  I even turned to baking last week, you know how you do something else to try and kick start whatever it was that you want to work in the first place?

Ach well, I've been here before and come out the other side.  Maybe once things actually start moving on the building I'll be better - who knows?

Until then, I'll say cheerio folks and see you soon.

Sarah

Anyone feeling punchy?

Goodness me three posts in three days, just a sec' let me check here - is this still my blog?  Hmm, yep there's the waffle - so it's got to be!

Good morning blogworld,

~ Well yes three posts in three days, but only two cards.  Swings and roundabouts, eh, swings and roundabouts.

So this is the more card, less waffle, post.  It's the first of the month and that means a new challenge over at FlatFriends and this time we'd like to see you using, along with your Emma Canning digi, your punches.

Has to be said, since I got the Cuttlebug my poor punches have been pretty much neglected.  So I blew the dust off them and here you go this is my card:

Front Shot:

The Arty Farty:

The Close Up:

As modelled by my glamorous assistant:

I used:

Digi image:

Emma Canning - freebie!

Coloured with my Pro and Flex markers

Fiskars - sentiment

Wot no dies - punches instead!:

Circular punch - to make the scalloped boarder

Flower punches (One is Woodware the other Create & Craft)

Papers:

Cosmo Cricket - Togetherness

Anything else?

Gems from my stuff

Blogworld - you definitely need to go check out the FlatFriends blog, not only is this freebie there you can get lots of other total cuteness too.  Then you could do like me and go dig out your punches to join in.

There are also lots of totally cute inspiration from my teamies as well - so go on, go on, go on, go join in!

Cheerio

Sarah

PS - Please ignore the wonky stitching - I'm still getting to grips with the sewing machine.  Also, now hold onto your hats here, I might even venture into the world of proper sewing - hubby says it wouldn't be toooo difficult to make SHMbO a top or dress.  Hmmmm, I've looked at patterns and I'm not sure!

Homework???

Who needs to do homework after school, when you could be crafting?

I asked her to put on her 'serious' face!

Now then, all together, awwww!!!!  Well I think awww anyway!  But then am I biased?  Just a bit maybe?  Not a lot, not at all - maybe, probably!

See you later,

Sarah

PS - Still no builder, hmmm I wonder if the aliens have got him?

50 merit certificate day!

Hello blogworld

Hopefully, as you read this, me and hubby will be in SHMbO's school assembly watching her receive her 50 merits certificate.  I'm sure those of you with kids will either have them at a school, or been to a school, where they get some sort of reward for working hard, being good, thoughtful, helpful, - etc.

Well at her school they get a merit for that sort of thing.  SHMbO has now got 50 of those merits - at that point home gets a letter asking you to come into Monday morning assembly and watch them get presented with a certificate.  This is where we are right now.

Of course, another reason for posting this is that it's a new challenge over at The Cutie Pies and my last DT card for this fabulous challenge for 6 months.  I'm taking a break while the work is carried out on our house - of course in typical tradesman fashion our builder seems to think that we don't mind if he delays the start of the work slightly, ummm nope!!  So as yet all that's happened is that we are packing up and clearing out the office - no proper demolishing so far!!

Anyway - I digress, my last challenge with The Cuties for around 6 months - as they've very kindly allowed me a break but are taking me back!

This time the theme is 'Lots of Layers', and we have two wonderful sponsors 

they currently have a Spring Spectacular Event with reductions on nearly all products throughout the store including ribbon, twine, charms, pins, rubber stamps, pearls, rhinestones and much more. Pop over and grab a bargain while stocks last! Further reductions available in our sale section too.

and one lucky winner will win

and

Our lovely friends at cedar chest are providing a $10 gift certificate for their online store for one randomly chosen winner.

There is also the chance of a GDT with The Cuties - how fab is that!!

The DT were allowed an image or two to play with and this is my card:

Front shot:

The arty farty:

The close up:

I used:

Digi image:

Cedar Chest Designs - Shy Alice

coloured with a combo of Promarkers and Copics

Dies:

Nesties - oval and scalloped oval

C.C. Designs cutters - Umbrella

Papers:

My Mind's Eye - the sweetest thing

Anything else?

Craftwork cards - sentiment

Dies to Die For - Viva pearl pen

Velvet ribbon - from my stuff

And that's all folks! I'll see you as a Cutie in around six months or so. Ladies - it's been fab, it will be fab again and you're not getting rid of me that easily! I'll be back!!!

Sarah

PS - Thanks to all you wonderful bloggy friends who left the fantastic supportive comments on my whingy, whiny post about having too many cards. I'm soooo glad I'm not the only one - makes me feel heaps better!!

What do you do..

with your cards?

I've seriously made myself fed up this morning and wondering what the point is of this hobby.

I've made cards now for getting on for 10 years, happily playing with stamps and colouring, gorgeous little bits of paper, embellishments (various!), embossing - in fact anything that took my fancy.

Of the cards I've made, some have gone to family, fewer to friends and I've sold a handful (apart from sending some to Abi - and thank you for doing that for me! - to sell for me).

But what have I done with the rest?  Well put them in boxes!!  Over the years I've gone back and looked at my early ones and chucked them (I had a ginormous clear out a year or so ago).  The ones that hubby wouldn't let me chuck are now sat in a bin bag waiting for him to forget about them so I can either bin them or give them to a charity shop.

But what about the rest?  Well I have 3 boxes full of cards - and I just counted them.  What a mistake!

The box of heavily embellished ones are bending and some of the DST is no longer working and the cards are falling apart.  But who wants really thick, expensive to send cards?  There are 35 in there

Box two has flatter ones in - these aren't too bad, most of them I've made in the last year.  There are 31 in there.

Box three  (a box that I'd even forgotten I had) - flatter and flat cards.  116!!!! in there.

What do I do with them?  I want to give them to charity - hubby won't let me.  I tried SHMbO school - they put them in the office at £1 a go!  I'm sorry but I'd rather give them to charity.  They don't do 'craft fairs' neither do I think the Head would let me sell them at their summer fete.  Hubby reckons not enough people go to make it worth it anyway.

I make them for my friends kids / my friends (all 4 of them!) / family / friends of family - only two people have ever asked to buy any from me.  Are my cards that bad?

I don't know many people, and the people I do know don't want to buy.  I'm not the sort to wander into a shop and ask them if they want to try and sell my cards (I'd die of embarrassment!). So I can't see me putting them in a shop.

So tell me what do I do with them?  Apart from just chuck them in the recycling, which is what I feel like doing at the moment.

Anyone want 182 cards of varying quality????

I'm going now before I get even fedder up than I already am.  Maybe I'll stick to baking, at least a cake gets eaten.

Sarah

Breaking news....

there is a card on this blog!!!

Good morning blogworld,

Finally a card - I know, I know, you can't believe it can you!  It is though!

So this the card I made for this week's challenge over at MAWTT - it's my Teamie Marita's turn to pick the challenge and she chose 'Baby'.  So all those new arrival cards, please.

We are sponsored, with a fab prize, by:

The DT were allowed images to use, and this is the card I made with the image I used.

Front shot:

The arty farty:

I used:

Digi stamp:

Stichy Bear - A Mother's Love

coloured with my Pro and Flexmarkers

Dies:

Nesties

Papers:

First Edition - Up,Up and Away (background)

the dots - I've no idea

Anything else?

Buttons and twine

Create and Craft - flourish

I followed this week's sketch at Sketch Saturday with the intention of joining in, but the colouring on this is dreadful - so I've decided not to bother!  The dangers of not colouring (or creating) for ages, you get rusty!!

You should pop over and see the fab creations from my teamies - join in why you are there as well, you won't regret it.

So I'm off for my swim now, and will see y'all soon - I hope anyway.

Cheerio

Sarah