Merry Christmas ...... Sketch Saturday Challenge #179

Good morning boys and girls :)  another week's gone by at lightening speed.  A mixture of  ups and downs with Dad.  He alternated good days with bad days.  Happy days with sad days.  Chatty days with very quiet days.  But the best day this week was the one where a lovely memory was made :D :-<

Our challenge is being sponsored this week by ...

The Craft Barn

"We are a UK based business selling a wide range of craft supplies including stamps, dies and embossing folders, punches, an extensive range of items to alter and decorate and much more for your scrapbooking and card making projects. We are committed to providing the best, most up to date craft products at great prices, coupled with first class service.

Some of the leading companies that we stock include Stamping Bella, Ranger, Tim Holtz, Crafty Individuals, Martha Stewart, Katzelkraft stamps, Nestabilities, Craftwork Cards, Copic Pens, House Mouse, Viva Décor, Eco Green crafts and Cosmic Shimmer to name but a few.

We are constantly adding new products to our range of craft supplies so be sure to add us to your browser favourites so you can pop back and see us."

The Craft Barn offer a wide range of goodies for all crafters from all things 'Cuttlebug'to grunge paper, from cottage cutz dies to cosmic shimmers, then there's your essentials like cardstock and papers and adhesives.

Not forgetting their HUGE stock of clear and rubber stamps to tantalise you!

There really is something for everyone :)

For all the latest products that have been added to the site PLEASE CLICK HERE,

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY:
next Saturday, 5th November
The Crafts Barn are hosting another fabulous craft day
CHRISTMAS GIFT MINIFEST
FREE demos all day with
Françoise Read, Andy Skinner,
Michelle Johnson, Chris Dark, Di Oliver,
Neil Walker and Kathy Byrne

Personalised gifts are really appreciated and a cost effective way to show someone you care.
The Craft Barn will show you how to make gifts for men and women that you will be proud of.

And right now you can get a FAB deal on some fantastic products if you take advantage of week 3 of their Countdown to Christmas specials

it's Goody Box week!

These goody boxes are great value with real products that have all been for sale in their shop or on their website.

The RRP of the contents for each box is over £50 but you pay only £15!

Go to the website now, or visit in store to get yours :)
 This weeks challenge..

This weeks lucky winner will receive a pack of 6 Flexmarkers worth over £15!

... this weeks sketch ...

... and this weeks creation ...

I used Teddy Bo_122 for my card ...

To make this card I used ....

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs ~ Giving

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC

Ribbon, Pearls & Jingle Bells ~ Stash

Tools ~ Papermania Adhesive Border, Sakura Glaze & Stardust Pens, Sewing Machine, Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Sansodor, Diamond Stickles

The Lord Will Guide You Always ... Card Pattern #138 & DP2 Challenge #106

I really don't want to jinx things by saying this week ain't been too bad up to now!  :) ... We've had a GP, District Nurse and a St Giles Nurse visit already and its only Wednesday!  We've got a cupboard full of "just in case" drugs awaiting the need for a syringe driver :| ... the good news is ... Dad isn't sick enough to be even considered for one of those yet :D 

I've got a much needed day off today. DS is at the oldies this morning cleaning and DN (niece) is off down there to play dominoes :-B  I've already been to the opticians for a sight test and also took DGN (darling great niece) for her's too.  We also did a spot of retail therapy and managed to bag a right bargain and a whole outfit for her to wear at the grandbabies Christening \:D/ ... which cost under £15 and consisted of a Wallis jumpsuit and all the accessories ... OK so it didn't include shoes and handbag, but it did include ... bracelet, belt, ring and headband thingy ... and i pushed the boat out and treated myself to some knickers from good old Primark! :">

Moving swiftly on to the fab sketch produced by Card Pattern's and sponsored by Catherine Pooler  I made a card for Rylee for his Christening.

The Challenge over at DP2 is ... "Any Holiday or Celebration" 

I used John drawn by the fantastic Mo Manning at Digital Pencil Too

and again on the inside of the card in just it raw form ...

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Shabby Princess ~ Plentiful

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC ~ Christening

Pearls ~ Stash

Tools ~ Sewing Machine, Pencil Crayons, Sansodor, Blending Stumps, Nesties, Cuttlebug

It's Better To Have Burnt And Lost ..... Sketch Saturday Challenge #178 & DP2 Challenge #105

Here we are again another Saturday morning, they come round so fast, even though my weeks feel like a fortnight long :|   I'm having a relaxing morning in bed, soggy branflake's and a nice hot ~o).  

Last week was fun /:) ... not!  Dad had episodes of nausea and :-&, so there was a lot of :-& bowl holding and rubbing of backs ... and that was just for me :D  It seems to have passed now and he does appear to be getting stronger, he's been able to get out of bed himself towards the end of this week, without help :)

We also had trauma with 2 of DH's brother's this week ... brother no.2's 3 week old baby son was rushed to hospital last Sunday and then transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital with breathing difficulties :( ... it transpires that his nostrils weren't big enough and he ended up having his nose drilled :-s ... oh it makes your bum tremble just thinking about it!  We still have a :-ss time ahead of us waiting for a brain scan and scans on other parts of his body until he gets the all clear.  Fingers crossed ..... On the same day as baby's operation, brother no.1 drove into the back of a car that was travelling in front of him and suddenly braked!   #:-s Fortunately, no-one was hurt, only the car's radiator!

On to this weeks fabulous challenge, sponsored by one of my absolute favourite artists ..... the amazing Mo Manning =D>

If you haven't visited Mo's store before... why not? ... You most definitely should, there really is something for everyone, young or old, and there's some that will make you :)) too.  If you haven't visited the store before, you really don't know what you're missing!

For those of you who are familiar with Mo's fabulous images you will know exactly what i'm talking about! ;) .... I'm more than familiar, I sit =P~ over her artwork!

This weeks challenge is special, because we won't be having a challenge winner..... we'll have THREE!! Oh YES! :)

THREE of you will be chosen via Random.org to each receive a $5.00 credit for Mo's store. Thank you so much Mo! xx


Over at Mo's DP2 Challenge blog the challenge is ...
"Favorite Mo image PLUS a sentiment"
So i'm gonna be entering my card into that too!

Here's this weeks sketch...

and my card ....

... as Mo was sponsoring I thought it would be rude not to use one of her fab images ...

... Big Guy Grilling just had to come out and play again ...

To make this card I used :~

CS~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs ~ Father's & Fedora's

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC ~ BBQ

Pearls ~ Stash

Tools ~ Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Sansodor, Sewing Machine, Nesties, Cuttlebug

The Thrill of The Grill .... Sketch Saturday Challenge #177

Ok, so I'm a little late this week with my post and my card ... but I've had the week from hell >:) ... This post is for my eldest sister who rather than ring Mum for information about Dad is choosing to use either Facebook or my blog ... but then she always has been a selfish 

 

Dad had been closely monitored by the GP last week with his chest infection and of course his impending last chemo session ... we were having visits every couple of days from him to check Dad's status.   On Wednesday morning Mum said that Dad felt :-& and was having trouble getting his breath, so i advised she :)] the GP.  He came out and said he was admitting him to hospital based on how he was that day and also his blood results from Tuesday.  He was admitted to hospital with Hypercalcemia (high calcium levels) and Sepsis :-S ... he was given Gelofusine to raise his blood pressure and counteract the shock and then saline and 2 units of blood.  They got him sorted with cocktails of painkillers, anti-biotics and vitamin supplements and allowed him home with a fab care package on Friday evening :D

So, this morning has been a productive one for me ... Sunday lunch is cooking, roast chicken just out of the slow cooker, roasters and stuffing balls in the oven, along with a weetabix cake and a rice pudding (made especially for Dad using full fat milk and glucose).  I have 2 apple and butterscotch cakes cooling on the side \:D/ ... i've been a busy bee but i'm a happy bunny!  I've even managed to finish the card below that's been sat on my table for the past week!

This week we are sponsored by a new (for us) sponsor..."Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More 

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion."

Now is the perfect time to shop in their store, to honour breast cancer awareness month you can get a massive 35% off! :)

Not only do they sell a vast range of digital stamps, but also a large selection of digital papers too.
And if you are looking right now for images for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, then there is bound to be something perfect for you in their 'Holidays' or 'Seasons' sections.

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award the winner a choice of EITHER 5 digital stamps OR 4 digital stamps and 1 paper pack.
What a FABULOUS prize! :)

So to be in with a chance of winning, please make a card using this sketch...

... this is what i did ...

I used my fab new digi stamp "Big Guy Grilling" from Mo's Digital Pencil Too

and on the inside too ....

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs ~ Flip Flopsicle

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC ~ BBQ

Pearls ~ Stash

Tools ~ Sewing Machine, Sansodor, Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Whisper Markers

Must Be Santa ... Sketch Saturday Challenge #176

The past couple of days i've been feeling really rough :( ... We'd been advised to all have flu jabs with Dad having Chemo and us being part of his caring team. Not sure it was such a good idea *-:)  So, Thursday we went en masse to the Drs Surgery (DH, both DD's, Niece and myself ... Mum and Sis had been done earlier in the week with being diabetic) ... by the time I was driving out of the car park my throat felt like it has been stroked with sand paper and my head was pounding @-) then came the arm ... OMG I couldn't even bear to touch it, let alone sleep on that side in bed without wanting to cry!  And to top it all off we had an SOS :)] phone call from Mum at 1:37am on Friday to say Dad had fallen over and was wedged between the wall and the bed!!!  After a nail biting :-SS drive down there, we managed to lift him up and pop him back into bed and check him over for injuries ... none #:-S


Yesterday we had the GP out to visit cos his chest infection had not really improved any and he was still quite :-&.  He has given him a stronger course of anti-biotics and told to stay in bed as much as possible.  We contacted the lovely District Nurses who sorted out some aids and appliances for us for during the night. 


The last Chemo session is due on Thursday 13th but it looks unlikely to be able to go ahead  at the minute  :|


Onto this weeks challenge is sponsored by the fab, Simon Says Stamp!

"With over 100,000 items in stock, Simon is proud to offer the best selection of Rubber Stamps, Scrapbooking, Artist Trading Cards, Altered Art, and Paper Crafting Supplies in the world!"

To see all the latest products instore please click HERE

Their exclusive Simon Says Stamp range are HERE

Not forgetting their HUGE Magnolia range HERE

All things Tim Holtz including newly released products can be found HERE
They have yummy Copics HERE
and right now, SSS have a fab range of autumnal and Halloween themed stash - you'll be spoilt for choice!

Did you know that you can buy e-gift cards too?

any amount from $5.00 - $100.00 is available, ideal to send to a crafty friend if you're unsure of what to buy them eh?

A very generous $25 gift certificate will be awarded to our lucky winner this week to spend on goodies in the SSS store!

Thank you to everyone at SSS xx

Here is this weeks sketch, hope you like it...

... my card ...

... a close up of the image Stargazer by Sara Burrier available HERE

... using again on the inside in B&W ...

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs Winter Gifts

Pearl, Gems & Snowflake ~ Stash

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC

Tools ~ Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Sansodor, Sewing Machine

Cocoa and Snow = Happy Glow ..... DP2 Challenge #102 & Card Patterns Sketch #135

Managed to get the card below made yesterday in between making Sunday lunch, delivering "Meals on Wheels" and another night of favourite TV viewing!  :D

Right now I have a Banana & Toffee Loaf in the oven and another 2 ready to go in =P~ ... The toffee has been stolen from the oldies house this morning ;)  I made it for Dad for Father's Day and he's not really fancied eating it since his diagnosis ... he's not really fancied eating anything to be fair.  So I thought I may as well use it up and throw it in with the manky banana's that are festering away in the fruit bowl :-&!  We've (Mum, Sister, Niece and me) sat till 2:00pm waiting for the GP to come out to see him.  He has a nasty chest infection on his right side :( .... the side that isn't affected by the lung cancer!  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing at the minute :-S  He's really not very well at all, although we did manage to have a giggle when he took his huge anti-biotic pill and I told him "he was a really good boy"   Once again he looks so frail, helpless and tiny lying in bed it breaks your heart =(( to see him like that. 

BTW, the Banana Creme Caramels where a disaster, far too sweet for one and never really set properly for another ...

This weeks DP2 Challenge is "Furry Friends" ... this is my second entry for this weeks challenge.

Card Patterns have a fab sketch below ...

 

and are sponsored by ....

Paper Makeup Stamps is a little company started by professional make-up artist Katie Cotton. An endeavor to bring her love of beauty, paper and card making together resulted in a company that prides itself on offering un-mounted deeply etched red rubber stamps and accessories!

Paper Makeup Stamps offers various styles of stamps from numerous artists to suit your taste. They also offer a wide array of unique quotes and sentiments in various sizes. Not a rubber girl? Almost all of their images can be purchased in digital format. And just like any great beauty bag, Paper Makeup Stamps carries lots of essentials and accessories to simplify and beautify your card-making! So browse around and do a one stop shop!

one lucky random winner this week will receive:

$20 Gift Certificate 

a close up of the image ...

... and again in B&W on the inside ...

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs ~ Winter Wonderland

Image ~ Mo's Digital Pencil ~ Dormouse

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC

Jingle Bells, Pearls, Ribbon & Wire ~ Stash

Tools ~ Sewing Machine, Sizzix Snowflake Border Die, Cuttlebug, Diamond Stickles, Sansodor, Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Glitter Snow

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas ... PTW Sketch & DP2 Challenge #102

:-o I slept until 10:02am yesterday morning!!!!  Not quite sure what or how that happened cos normally i'm an incredibly early riser ... however, I must of needed it and I do feel better for it.

Upon my awake I :)] Mum to see how Dad was feeling.  Apparently, he fell over in the night on the way to the bathroom :( ... he was OK, 8-| just couldn't get up and had managed to wedge himself between the wardrobe and chest of drawers ... not a pretty sight ... he was :)) about it though, so it must be all good!

I did think that I'd be able to do loads of things with not having to visit the oldies but it never works that way does it? :|  I plugged the vacuum in upstairs to make a start on the chores and ... :-< ... it died!  DH did a mad dash down to Argos and purchases a new one ... its one of the cylinder ones ...#:-S ... flippin' heck I knew I was using that ... it nearly sucked the floorboards through the carpet.  The suction was that good I could hardly push it! 

I sort of multi-tasked for the rest of the day, doing a bit of baking and made a card ... I had a go at this new recipe using manky old black banana's ... Banana Creme Caramels ... will show the photos of them tomorrow.  I whipped up a batch of meringues too with the egg whites I had left over :D ... oh happy days!

So onto this weeks PTW challenge and as it is the last challenge of the month (September) there's a sketch …

As always, please feel free to resize, flip and rotate the elements - as long as you can still see the sketch, it’s completely fine.

And as it’s the last challenge of the month, PTW are sponsored by 

Simon Says Stamp

In business since 2002, Simon Says Stamp is striving to offer you the best selection of Rubber Stamps, Altered Art, Scrapbooking, Artist Trading Cards, and Paper Crafting Supplies in the world. We stock over 100,000 items in our warehouses so that we can offer you quick service and one stop shopping at a great price! We are located in Ohio, the heart of it all. Our team works hard to give you a fulfilled shopping experience and is always open to your ideas and suggestions! Happy customers are the heart of our business. We work hard to find and deliver to you the latest in stamping and paper crafting supplies! Attending classes, workshops, and sales meetings around the world, our goal is to keep our product offerings fresh and current. Make us your one stop easy shop - and we'll deliver right to your door!

There is a $20 voucher up for grabs for you to spend in Heidi’s shop – woohoooo :)

Also at this weeks DP2 the challenge has been set by Iulia, and she's chosen  Furry Friends! as the challenge theme...

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ A Freebie from a couple of years back ... no idea of name or designer sorry!

Image ~ Mo Manning ~ 2010 Baby Bella & Bronte

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC

Gems ~ Stash

Tools ~ Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Sansodor, Sewing Machine, Cuttlebug, Nesties, Diamond Stickles

Bringing Joy To Large & Small .... Sketch Saturday Paula's Challenge #175

I shall update you on my week whilst I lie here with my hot ~o) and nice bread cut into doorsteps, toasted and dripping with pretend butter =P~ ... had to make a trip to Tesco last night especially for it!   

In the grand scheme of things we've had a good week :) with Dad.  Tuesday we spent a good hour doing a jigsaw puzzle with him whilst Mum and Carrie (Niece) went grocery shopping.  I did however end up with a headache that afternoon :-< ... too much concentration I think or perhaps it was the bright red steam train that did it!   Wednesday, was more my bag \:D/ ... a morning spent pushing Dad in his wheelchair around all the charity shops in the town centre .... we took Koree (No. 2 Grandbaby) with us cos Fae was having her Ofsted inspection to become a Child-minder ... which she passed =D>  Taking Koree meant Dad had someone on his level to talk to ... in both senses of the words :P.  He ... that would be Dad, although Koree's eyes lit up when he saw all the goodies on show through the window ... suggested we go into Birds and buy cream cakes and cobs/rolls/baps *delete as applicable* ... however he only ate a quarter of his cream bun, but it was better than nothing ... i felt it rude not to help him with it, so i ate some too ... :>  Thursday we sort of had a day off ... well, a day off from the oldies ... who were replaced with Carrie.  She had an important appointment in Derby and needed some moral support ... so DH and I went with her ... and because it went soooo well we decided that a spot of retail therapy was in order on the way home ;)... any excuse ... and to say thank you Carrie arrived Thursday evening with a box of Australian Crunchie she'd made ... it was gorgeous with a steaming hot ~o) but I ate too much and ended up feeling :-&!  Yesterday, again was a day off from the oldies ... Carrie took her turn to babysit Dad whilst Mum went out and we stayed home and melted  in the heat :| I fully intended on doing so much, but it was just too hot to even move very far .... I managed Aldi in the car for eggs so that I could try out a new dessert recipe for Dad ... ok, so perhaps it's for me, but Dad's a pretty good excuse to use to make fattening goodies knowing full well that he probably wont eat it ;;) ... I can't bear to waste food!

Because its the first of the month, this weeks challenge is hosted by our Paula, who has created a fantabulous sketch for us all to play along with and arranged an equally fantabulous  sponsor!!! 

Tickled Pink Stamps is an Australian based online company that stocks a range of popular and well sought after stamps from many companies all over the world and is always so excited to be supplying you with everything cute, quirky and PINK... They now have their very own Lil Lolita and Lil Lads along with the cute Lil Pinkette range.

The Lucky winner of this weeks challenge can choose either ONE Rubber Stamp or TWO Digi stamps from the Tickled Pink store...

here is Paula's Sketch...

... and my card ...

I used a Sarah Burrier image called Noon

 

... and used her again in B&W on the inside ...

To make this card I used:~

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Summer Driggs ~ Old Fashioned Christmas

Sentiment ~ Create with TLC

Snowflake & Gems ~ Stash

Tools ~ Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Crystal Stickles, Sansodor, Pencil Crayons, Blending Stumps, Carla Crafts Corner Punch