The Next Level ~ Challenge 5 & Just Magnolia

Ok so i know its late, but what can a girl do? .... I either show it late or dont show it at all! Obviously, i would've like to upload this before now but last week was an action packed with one way or another with our darling Beth ... and Dec! I'll fill you in later on that one.Right, last weeks The Next Level challenge was this gorgeous sketch. I had great fun making this card last night and finishing off the box this morning. The Just Magnolia challenge 12 is So Charming so i shall be entering this card into that challenge too.
This has to be one of my most favourite colour schemes ... besides anything with green in lol!
CS ~ Stash
DP's ~ Raspberry Road Designs
Image ~ Magnolia (Rak from Tab ... mwah's x) coloured with Whisper Strokes and watercolour pencils.
Lace ~ can be purchased from Tabbycrafts
Tools ~ Martha Stewart Flourish Punch from Tabbycrafts, Woodware leaf punch and flower punch, Dovecraft Daisy punch, sewing machine.
Charm ~ Birthday RAK
Wordart ~ Freebies
Flowers, Brads and Gems ~ Stash
Stamps ~ Inkadinkadoo Dot Flourishes

Think i might fill you in on the Beth saga in the next post, cos Fae, Scott & Rylee just turned up.

Our Real Life Tilda

I just wanted to show you all our real life Tilda ... unfortunately for us she has a mouth, unlike the Magnolia Tilda ... thats something we can only dream about lol! I mustn't diss her too much cos she brought us a gorgeous victoria sponge sandwich home with her today from work. She works at Birds ... so you can only imagine how yummy this cake is gonna be!

I managed to take this tonight just before the girls went out to a BBQ and then on to town clubbing and god was it a chore! Tilda (on the left) moaned because Ellie was doing her glamour model posing lol ... and she didn't know how to do it! Ellie (obviously on the right lol) moaned cos Tilda touched her hair and worked one of her extentions loose as well as touching her make-up lol! Tilda then complained cos Ellie was shorter than her but wouldn't allow her to stand on step! Oh to be young again!

Magnolia Summer Kit

Any ideas when we might be getting this little baby? There wont be too much Summer left if it doesn't arrive soon and from the looks of their website they can still be ordered! My Spring kit came in March so it figures that the Summer kit should be here June, but we only have 3 more days left! I've hunted the net and no-one seems to know anything about them .... i'm dying here! Please help lol!!!

Just Magnolia Week 11

This weeks challenge is another fabulous sketch from Bev.

This is the first of my August cards ... i still have one July card left to do which is for my VBF Vicki ... really struggling to make a card for her 40th, so have avoided making it so far, but i can't for much longer!

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ All scraps (I'm now trying to use at least one piece of scrap paper per card)

Image ~ Magnolia, RAK from someone ... Carole i think! Coloured with Whisper Strokes and watercolour pencils.

Stitching ~ Sewing Machine

Lace, Flowers & Pearls ~ Stash

Sentiment ~ made up from Pink Petticoat Tiny Tag and Rubber Romance Friend stamp.

The inside was decorated with what paper was left and a couple of those gorgeous flowers i had from Diane.


And lastly Declan came last night to show us his very first tattoo! Bless him ... i told ya he adored our Rylee!

Beth Update: I kidnapped her Wednesday night and spent 2 hours shouting at her in my car ... things have slightly improved since and we're taking baby steps at the minute. Its just the lies none of us can cope with. Sister's BF don't help either, keeps saying Beth should have a check for Bipolar Disorder ... he seems obsessed with her children having some sort of mental health problem. Told my sis to tell him if he can't be supportive then to keep it shut. Yesterday he'd very nearly convinced my sis that perhaps Beth was Bipolar .... think he watches too much Eastenders personally ... looked the symptoms up online and phoned sis and told her that i suffered with half a dozen of the symptoms so i must be too!!! Yeah, i know i'm mental pmsl!
Looks like he's done the same and interpreted them to suit. When she text and told him she was just a spoilt child his reply was "21st century teenager i wouldn't have got away with it when i was her age" ... perhaps not, but he's making up for it now .... !

A 3 in 1 Challenge Card!

This weeks challenge at Papertake Weekly is Delightful Downloads, so all you have to do is use something on your card that has been downloaded. It could be a paper or an image or both!Colour Create's colours have been chosen this week by Juliet and are Pistachio Green, Aqua and Powder Pink.

And finally Truly Scrumptious challenge is a sketch designed by Sharon.

My card has been made for Ellie and Tilda's friend Claire (yes my daughter actually has a friend called Tilda!). Claire has just got some fab grades in her first Uni year exams (or something like that ... god knows).

CS ~ Left overs

DP's ~ Summer Driggs free download papers (PTW)

Sentiment ~ Pink Petticoat Tiny Tags

Images ~ Magnolia ... RAK from Tab i believe, but can't be 100% sure. Coloured with Whisper Strokes and watercolour pencils. Books ... found via Google.

Flowers and Brads ~ Stash.

The inside has been decorated with left over paper and my gorgeous flowers from Diane.

The Next Level ~ Challenge 3

Ok so lets see if i can actually get this challenge right the first time or if i really am retarded! pmsl! I'm thinking that all its wanting me to do is follow the sketch ... nothing else. I can't possibly get that wrong now can i? .... dont answer that! I can do following a sketch ....

This is the sketch .... and below is my card .... lololol!

I just love this card. Why has this turned out so well when its for someone i dislike so much lol ... sod's law i suppose. Now your wondering if i've completely lost the plot ... making a card for someone you dont like?! Let me explain .... its not for me to send ... its for my parents to send to my eldest sister (i'm the youngest of 3 girls ... god help em lol) I haven't spoken to her in 10 years or so ... and would you believe since not doing so, there have been less arguments and fallings out. I must add that it was her choice. She doesn't speak to the middle sister either (Beth's Mum) and we still dont know why yet lol! Anyway .... waffle ... waffle ... waffle.....

CS ~ Left overs

DP's ~ Left overs ... lol no expense spared!

Stitching ~ Sewing Machine

Image ~ RAK, but dont remember who ... am now wishing that i hadn't used it cos she's bloomin' gorgeous and was the only one of her i had .... doh! She's been coloured with Whisper Strokes and blinged with Glamour Dust.

Sentiment ~ Pink Petticoat Sentiments and Tiny Tags

Raffia and Shells ~ Stash

The inside has been decorated with not a lot lol ... just a High Hopes sandcastle image that again i have no idea where it came from, but i do know its been coloured with my Whisper Strokes!

Beth update ..... we wrongly thought we had a break through with her yesterday ... mainly cos she's ditched the boyfriend and cos she seemed to be a little remorseful for her actions of late!(emphasis on the little). My sister wouldn't allow her out in her car yesterday and kept the padlock on the gates (only one key for them which was on my sisters person at all times), but low and behold Houdini escaped as soon as my sis had gone to her fella's house for tea last night. We still dont know how she managed to remove her car or how she undid the padlock ... (she's not that intelligent ... and heaven forbid she do it herself ... her being a princess like!). She was home when my sis got back just after 10.30pm, but proceeded to abscond again when her back was turned and didn't get in till after 1.30am. Obviously wanting to be quiet and respecting others that were in bed asleep, she decided to have a rather loud mobile phone conversation and just couldn't grasp why my sis was only ever so slightly p***ed off with her! When's it gonna end? I'm thinking Phil Redmond might be interested in basing a soap around their lives lol ... i have however suggested my sister applies for the new series of "The Family" .... god it'd make good viewing i tell ya!

Edited: Been thinking about this card and the more i look at it the more i realise its just to good to give her .... so a decision has been made lol .... she's NOT having it, i'm gonna make her another!

Colour Create Challenge #20

This weeks challenge is ... fruits. Choose ANY THREE of the following colours; Strawberry, Raspberry, Kiwi, Tangerine and Blackberry. Obviously you dont need the exact shades of these colours, so a little bit of artistic licence is just fine.......... we're talking Red, Pink, Green, Orange and Black really!

Another blasted male card! With the added brief of nothing to cutesy cos its for a more mature person shall we say .... personally i'd say it was for an oldie lol .... late 40's pmsl! (me being only 25 ... dream on ...40 is really old :( and i'm feeling it!). Fortunately, he does have a sense of humour ... which helps i suppose when your THAT old!!!

I've used Blackberry, Kiwi and Strawberry with a hint of Tangerine in the paper.

CS ~ Stash

DP ~ Freebie download called Miaaow! Yeah i know its a dog, but the paper has paw prints on and no-one knows! You can't really see them for this photo...

Images ~ Can't remember where these stamps came from or who they are by ... and i'm too lazy to get out of bed and go downstairs and have a look lol ... i shall edit the post when i get up! But they're cute anyway!

Sentiment ~ PC Generated.

Only 2 July cards left to make ....Yayyyyyyyy! And both of them girlie ... what a bonus!

Papertake Weekly Challenge ~ Dawny's Sketch #17

Yayyyy! I've done it! Finally made the last card for the BIL's birthday! So all 4 of em now have been completed and are all tucked up inside an envie ready to send to him the end of July ... who am i kiddin'? ... like we're actually gonna send them lol .... no doubt we'll all be cheapskates and give them to Shauna (waves) when they come to Rylee's birthday party ... well that's my intention anyway! Another fab sketch to follow from Dawny ... i do love these sketches! I've taken advantage of Rylee being totally exhausted and got to work on this card. He fell asleep in my arms before we'd even left nursery ... bless him ... he just knows!
CS ~ Stash
DP's ~ K & Co Tommy's Toys
Stitching ~ Sewing Machine without the cotton in!
Button & Raffia ~ Stash
Image ~ RAK from someone ... lol what am i like? Thanks anyway x! coloured with watercolour pencils
Sentiment ~ Scrapworks Color Rubz RAK from Linda. I've not used these things since i was a kid, 18 months ago lol! ... omg it took me back!


Again the inside has been decorated with left over papers and also with a cute little teddy stamp from Habico ... RAK from Jill and coloured with watercolour pencils. I keep forgetting i have some of these stamps ... its not till i open the drawer and have a good brevit that i find them. I've been trying to use some of my gorgeous stamped images that i've received from you lovely ladies instead of stamping. Its working quite well ... i still have loads though, but i wont be defeated lol! Its also good cos i don't have a lot of stamps really ... well not in comparison to some of you lot anyway pmsl! So, these images are helping with my very strict craft diet, that i seem to have been on forever! I do really appreciate all the images you send me, if it wasn't for all the special envies i receive i'd have had to pack up cardmaking earlier on in the year ... thank you soooo much for helping to feed my addiction, i love you all and you know who you are xxx

Just Magnolia # 10 & Friday Sketchers #57

Well hello there! .... It seems like an absolute age since i last blogged, 5 days to be precise lol! Where is the time going. The week either lasts a fortnight or just 2 days pmsl! The sun is out ... at the minute (put all my washing out and then it rained ... bloody weather) and as i sit here at the dining table and look out it looks gorgeous. Rylee is at nursery till 2.30pm and then hopefully he'll go to sleep for an hour or so.

This weeks Just Magnolia challenge is "Summer" - so any project that is inspired by Summer is what we are looking for and what better inspiration than the weather outside and the forecast of more sun! The sponsor for this week is Jacobi Drachten and they are offering a fabulous prize of a set of Inkadinkado Stamps, a bottle of stamp cleaner and a Scrub-it pad.

Beatrix is the host of this weeks Friday Sketchers and has devised the most fab sketch and their challenge this week is sponsored by "The Angel Company"

Yet again i've managed to create the male version of both challenges .... whats happened to all my women?! I now have only 4 more July cards to make and only 1 more for the person who is getting this and the 2 previous cards.

I did struggle with the whole "Summer" theme. I have very few Edwin's let alone ones that are appropriate for the warmer months .... can't wait till the Summer Stamp Club Collection are released! Probably be too late for me this year though lol!

CS ~ Stash
DP ~ Freebie Download called Spring & Summer
Stitching ~ Sewing Machine
Sentiment ~ PC Generated
Image ~ Magnolia Edwin from the Spring Stamp Club Collection, coloured with Whisper Strokes and Watercolour Pencils
Kite ~ handmade lol!
String ~ Morrisons ... i made a small cut in Edwins hand (ouch!) and threaded the string through the back so that he appears to be holding it.

I decorated the inside with left over paper and made another kite with scrap card, watercolour pencils and string.

My Very First Sandra Dry .....

Did i mention i won last weeks Sketch Saturday lol! Well, i claimed my fab prize this morning and have unzipped my 6 images and have begun to have a little play .... lets just say i'm happy as a pig in muck! I've been drooling over Sandra's images for some time now, but with being on a strict craft diet and saving for my Magnolia Summer Stampclub Collection i've not been able to afford any new craft stuff and have been living off RAK's from my fabulous blog buddies and only buying the essentials.

I used this weeks Ismaki Challenge sketch 08/06 ~ Elisa

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ recycled wrapping paper. This was wrapped around my birthday gift from Linda and me being me, just couldn't throw such beautiful paper away and have used it on 2 other cards too! Also used a couple of Basic Grey Motifica .

Image ~ Sandra Dry Meerkat, coloured with Whisper Strokes, Sakura Glaze and paper pieced.

Buttons and Raffia ~ Stash

Yellow Pearl CS ~ ribbled

Sentiment ~ Making Memories Sticker

The inside i decorated by adding a verse and by cutting some more of the Basic Grey paper.

Sketch Saturday #55

Gosh am i excited ... I've only gone and won last weeks Sketch Saturday and now have the most fantabulous prize of 6 Sandra Dry spectacular digi stamps ... whoop whoop!!!!!!!!

On to this weeks Sketch which is being sponsored by The Cutting Cafe.

I only have more July cards to make after this one! Yayyyy!

CS ~ Stash

DP's ~ Left over Shabby Princess freebies downloads

Image ~ RAK from my gorgeous buddy Tab, (waves) coloured with Whisper Strokes and Sakura Glaze pens

Stitching ~ Sewing Machine

Sentiment ~ PC Generated using Ambrosia Demo font

The inside has again been decorated with more left overs ... i will get em all used! Along with one of the gorgeous die cut flowers that Diane sent me, i just adore these! So, now i have the mammoth chore of making 3 more cards, all different for the same person .... oh joy!

Friday Sketchers #56

I intended to get no end done today, cardwise, but it just hasn't happened that way! Managed to get all the blasted chores done this morning though and have just washed the dinner pots, so sneaked into the dining room whilst no-one is looking so that i could do this post ... and it'd get done a whole lot quicker if i switched my mobby off .... god i'm popular lol! There it goes again ... hang on! ... bl**dy Fae ... why can't she ring me?! Jeanette from Canada is this weeks host for the Friday Sketchers Challenge and bi-jingo (where did that come from) what a fab sketch it is too .... (let me just share this .... Andy has just entered the kitchen singing ... "Mecca, Mecca, Mecca bingo!" random or what ... but has made me titter to myself ... bless him!
I decided to use this sketch to make my last Rylee pants birthday card ... yayyyy!
CS ~ Stash
DP's ~ K&Co Tommy's Toy's
Image ~ Hanglar Stanglar coloured with Whisper Strokes
Stars ~ Panduro stamps blinged with glamour dust and glossy accents
Buttons & Ribbon ~ Stash

Right, so thats me done for the night i think ... am gonna try watching Big Brother ... i'm usually addicted to it, but am finding it hard going this year. I think its cos they no longer have normal people in there, just freaks!

I'll bring more Beth updates tomorrow once the investigative work is complete lol! We're thinking someone tellin' us porkies!

3 in 1 Challenge Card ...

Cor blimey, i've not managed one of these in a while ... a 3 in 1! I've completed Papertake Weekly Challenge which is "Shoe Time" So anything shoe-ey goes ... i.e. a shoe shaped card, an image, a shoe sentiment, anything at all. Colour Create #19 "Blush Pink, Lilac and Mossy Green" and for the extra option ... use die cuts on your card or project (and these can be cut with a machine or precut in a sheet). And lastly Willow Sketchie Challenge 11th June 09 ... this weeks sketchie has been supplied by Zoe.
Absolutely loved this sketch and will be definitely one that i shall use again ... although i say that and most of the time never end up doing so, cos i find yet another sketch that i like and end up making a card with that one instead!

CS ~ Stash
DP's ~ Free download called Daydream

Image ~ Sketching Stamper Digi-stamp, coloured with Whisper Strokes and blinged with glitter within an inch of its life!

Glitter ~ Stash

Gems ~ Anita's from Reams

Sentiment ~ PC Generated

Stitching ~ Sewing Machine

Lacey Stuff ~ RAK from Diane

Decorated the inside with more of the same paper ... only cos this one was originally the piece i'd printed out for the front and then decided i didn't like the wording i'd put along the bottom whilst playing in Paint Shop Pro ... dont think i'm ever gonna get the hang of that program! I used another image that i printed out smaller and coloured in, but this time instead of using the glitter i used my Sakura Stardust Pens. The flower was from a RAK i recieved from the lovely Diane, i dunno what i'm gonna do when they run out!

So, on to the Beth update .... she arrived home last night at dead on curfew time {claps} and toddles of upstairs to my sister to ask her how she had done at WW. This is sooo funny .... she says to my sis "what did you lose at fat club?" ... sis replies "Weight" ... Beth sits down on the bed! Sis says "what you doing" ... Beth says "waiting for you to tell me how you did at fat club!" ROFLMAO!!!! classic! She managed to get up for work and went off in her little car ... no further updates as yet cos she'll only just've finished her second job as a waitress that she does on a Thursday evening after working at nursery and all day on a Sunday. It tops up her pitiful apprenticeship wages of £85 per week! .... to be continued .....

Gift Basket As Promised

I promised to show you the gift basket i was putting together for my sister, just to let her know we're here for her. Its only a small one and has just a few of her favourite things in it, but still keeping her Weight Watchers points in mind.

Firstly i want to show the card i made yesterday again cos I've added some wire antennae to Tilda's head.

This is the basket all wrapped up in cellophane ....

It contains ...

Lavender Bubble Bath (see photo's below for altered glass jar)

Sugar Free Sweets (not only for her WW but she's also diabetic)

4 x one cup drinks sachets, all hot chocolate and all 1 WW point each

2 x Cadbury's Brunch Break Bars, 2.5 WW points each

A packet of Pink and White's

A scented candle and candle holder shaped like a beehive

This is how the jar started out that i filled with the Lavender bubble bath, with the help of Ellie who eats this disgusting stuff out of the jar, i ended up with this ....


After a good wash and titivating with some ribbon and Magnolia stamp, this is what i ended up with.

So the update on Beth is .... she arrived home last night at 7.50pm, came in, went to the bathroom, then made herself some toast, ate it in her bedroom and was asleep by about 8.30pm. She didn't go to work today, which gave my sister chance to have a good chat with her .... which to be honest we dont think has made much if any difference. She even had the cheek to ask her Mum to lend her £20, bearing in mind she only got paid 2 weeks ago this Friday and hasn't even paid all of her board yet ... she just keeps saying "yeah, i'm gonna get it from Tesco Express" or "the cashpoint has run out of money!" ... Obviously, i dont need to tell you ... she was told NO! pmsl! So, as my sister left to go to work at 3pm so did Beth taking her purse with her saying she needed to go and get her tyre sorted .... do you get the impression someones trying to pull a fast one? lol. Currently, i sit awaiting a text message from my sister to let me know when she's home ... its a bit too early at the minute for her to return as curfew time is 10.30pm.

For anyone who stalks me on Facebook ... Ellie was found at her sisters playing with the new kitten! She was convinced she'd text and told me but when she looked at her mobile she actually hadn't sent the message lol! I thought for a minute her and Beth where in competition!

The Next Level ~ Challenge 2

I've definately got the challenge right this week, only cos i've read it about 100 times just to make sure lol! I really must stop having my hair highlighted cos clearly the peroxide is affecting my brain.

Now, this weeks challenge of which i am sure is to make a ribbon border. D'ya know i've just re-read it and it says "You can create a card of any shape or size but your image must be enclosed by the Ribbon Border frame" .... guess what? .......

I'm not taking part in this challenge again .... i just dont get it. I GIVE IN!

Anyway, this card has been made for my sister who is having a little bit of a hard time with her cherubs at the moment. It transpires today that Beth slept in her car last night, refusing to come home. The latest is ... she is home at the minute, has eaten, but still has the cocky i'll do just as i please attitude ... that only we can see is gonna get her into far more trouble. She was also sent home from work today, but chose to spend the time round her boyfriends rather than sorting things out with her Mum. My sister is at the end of her tether and none of us are sure in which direction to point her and what is the best advice for her, let alone what the best course of action is! It's hard trying to remove yourself from the situation to give that all important good and right advice. Especially when all we want to do is wring her bl**dy neck lol!

Whilst at Morrisons today a bought a few of my sis's fav things ... relaxing bubble bath, smelly candle, pink and whites and some one sachet drinks ... when i have a few minutes over the next few day i shall be making a little gift basket for her, keeping her Weight Watchers diet in mind lol! I just want to get a few more things first. But as soon as we're done i'll post a pic.

CS ~ Stash, DP's ~ Pink Petticoat, Sentiment ~ Elegant word art by Bethany (that figures dont it lol ... how ironic is that?), Flowers ~ made by moi, Pearls and ribbon ~ stash, Stitching ~ Sewing Machine, Image ~ Magnolia Spring Collection, coloured with Whisper Strokes, watercolour pencils and blinged with Glamour Dust.