Catching up with Bex's challenges

Well.. here we go... I made it my new years resolution (okay okay it's a bit late, but it's only August!!!!) to start the challenge cards on Bex's forum.. Here we are so far.


August Template 1
and a template for the card makers you know you can do WHAT YOU LIKE!! have fun
And here's what I made: The embossing was done with the cuttlebug folders and I went over the bottom section with ink pads to add a bit of shadow. The ribbon is Papermania


AUGUST CHALLENGE 2 - A FAMILY AFFAIR A nice challenge with no rules except for you need the word 'Family'...any colours, any size, card, layout or whatever you want.......for 1 fab point !!! The background is DCWV embossed cardstock and the flower was folded from coloured papers.

CHALLENGE 3 - WAY TO GO
for this we want you do use somethng that helps you find your way for example maps. signs. compass.....................we are SURE you can think of LOADS more

The background is Papermania papers, and the love bug and car were stamps.

Challenge 4 - Tantalising tangerine!

Now Orange is not a colour I tend to craft with but rename it Tantalising Tangerine and it takes on a whole new personna :wink: Your challenge is to create a card using an Orange colour scheme and 1 point will be awarded for completion of this challenge. Remember new work only please

The papers are Hot off the Press, the flowers and chipboard embellishents are papermania.

Challenge 6 - A little Gem
we would like you to make a CARD or LO with GEMS use as many or as few as you like
The die cuts are Quickcutz, vellum greeting is Papermania, papers are Dovecraft. The gems (on the noses and belts) are Papermania.

Challenge 7 - touchy feely

We want cards and LO's good enough to touch, feel and stroke. It's all about textures for this challenge.

I opted to go for some soft ribbon from papermania, an embossed paper with cuttlebug dies and lovely cute papers from Dovecraft

Challenge 8 - I love my...

For this challenge just simply tell us what you love...cards or LO's please

Ahhh.. well, I just love my new reindeer stamp! Isn't he cute!!!! The shine on the reindeer is the glamour dust reflecting! Everything on it is dovecraft or DCWV

So... that's where I've got to so far.. Hope you like them.. feel free to leave comments.. all feedback is appreciated!

Oh Lord! I'm famous!

Hi everyone.. long time no write but I have had a very busy weekend! My new job has taken me all over this weekend demonstrating! I've been to Manchester on Saturday (good day but had a bad migraine) and on Sunday I was in Bolton, Lancashire! I survived it and had a very nice bank holiday at home with the family.
I am now catching up with all the work I need to do - I have a couple of bits for the mag's, some designing work for a couple of companies - a big pack of which came today with loads of nice stuff in there, only 20 cards to go in two weeks... that's not many is it?? , a laptop to get in order for the digital photo and craft courses I'm tutoring from September, as well as trying to catch up with some challenge cards on Bex's forum.. I'm getting there with those though.. see next post!
The other exciting thing that's happened is I made it onto the front page of the docrafts website on 'a chat with...'.. Our lovely Sian has done a fantastic job - but sorry about the photo folks! here's the link

So that's more or less me up to date for now.. going to put up my challenge cards now, then I can get on with the rest! LOL...

here's Holly at 15 weeks and some cards

As promised, here's a new photo of Holly.. I took it up in the woods today whilst out walking.. The one at the bottom was taken at the beginning of July, a few weeks after we got her. I think she was around 8 weeks old then. .. Hasn't she grown?

This is one of the cards I made for my new design job.. Some more are shown below.. I hope you like them.

A levels, Chit chat, dogs and Daredevil son!

I thougth I'd better update my blog as I haven't been on here for a while! What with work and stuff things just seem to take over..

Anyway, I'm glad to report that our little Holly (mm.. not quite so little now) is doing fantastic! We did originally have a little problem with her wee wee's lol, which cost me an arm and a leg to sort out, but hey.. she's insured now!
She was 6.4kg a couple of weeks ago when she went for her check up at the vet. We are using Vets for Pets - they're brilliant! They have a set fee of £70 I think it is, called the best start in life or something, and it includes paying for all the injections, microchipping, worming and flea treatments, 10% off spaying too, for the first year. Every time she is due a wormer she goes back for a quick medical assessment, weight check, teeth check etc free. Very good and well worth the money!

She has learnt to say please, sit when told, lie down, and when she goes for walkies, she goes off the lead and comes back when shouted! We also found she isn't too struck on water! For a spaniel, that's a bit wierd but she does like a paddle and gets her toes wet.. does that count?? She is very contented and probably a bit spoilt, but hey! She's my babe! photos later when I get them off the camera I promise!

What else has happened? mmmm.. we went to buy a new car a few weeks ago. I still have my Hyundai - christmas prezzie off Paul a few years ago, so wouldn't part with it, and also I love it! We have just got rid of the biggie - we had a Rover 416 Tourer, which was a little too big for us now and had done us well with 150,000 miles at least on the clock! Anyway, we've just bought ourselves a 52 plate Citroen C3. I love it! It is a lovely drive, and I don't object to it like I did with the Rover. That was too low for me, as my Hyundai is quite a tall car. The C3 is silver, and with love from DD has now got lovely pink flowery seat covers and mats! Mmmmm.. nice!!!

Now the daredevil son bit! What a brave boy! He had been accepted onto a course to do parachuting, and he went last weekend. Within two days he'd passed the course and done his solo jump out of the aircraft at 3000ft! He said he found it nerve wracking, but awesome at the same time! So well done Leyton! We're proud of you! That was only a few weeks after recieving his silver flying wings for gliding solo. Then on the Thursday he went to get his A Level Results and he'd passed all of them with flying colours too! Well done to him.. only my daughters to get now for her GCSE's this week, but I'm sure she'll have done brilliant too! Leyton's having a couple of weeks rest from all the exciting stuff now, just going to RAF camp at Beckingham with Air Cadets for a week, back for a short time, then going on a Junior Leader's course we think, and then the big Officer Selection week at Cranwell for the RAF.. (nervous mummy .. aaaarggghh!)

Well, that's all my general chit chat up to date.. Oh, I also want to say a big Congratulations to my friend Katy at Docrafts, and her puppy Martha, for qualifying for Crufts next year! You're both brilliant! And to our lovely Emma, also at Docrafts, who got married the other week - Congratulations Mr and Mrs Collins! I can see another scrap book page or two coming.. lol.

Work work work!!!

Am I on cloud nine or what???

I was quite busy last week trying to finish off some orders and magazine stuff, and then it all went pear shaped!

To start with I had approached a couple of companies a few months ago about design work, and was lucky to be accepted by both! I recieved the first order for some sample cards and made around 10 I think using the stamps Jenni provided... they are fantastic stamps too!!!! The images are just brilliant! I will get some uploaded when I can.. The other stamping company I am waiting to get the kit from but they were very impressed with my cards and said they would 'love me to become part of the team'.. How proud was I? And to say I have only just really starting to love rubber stamping!

Then... I had applied for a job with the local council for community learning, and I got the phone call mid week to say I had got the job.. and another call on Friday to ask me to go in about some courses they had organised for me already!! Phew! Quite buzzing at this., and I still have to wait to see if I have a start date for the one at the local school!

Then .... I had another phone call on Friday evening around 7pm about something else I was planning on doing.. this is a big secret for now. I have a training day on Tuesday, so will see how I go on with that.. So, after a long drive in the car tuesday morning, I hope to have something good to report back with!!!! Fingers crossed everyone!

On top of this I have recieved a few commissions for things for magazines, so at the minute I am dead chuffed with one thing or another! Good things come to those who wait they say, well.. all my good things are coming to me at once! LOL..

I still have my Docrafts work too! Now this I love to bits!!! I have my off days as everyone does when things get a bit too much, but couldn't wish for a better company to work for! Everyone is so lovely, and I have made some fantastic new friends! And it's nearly time for the next Creativity magazine to come out which also means the new demo roll starts, and this next few months I'm travelling country wide! I'm off to Birmingham and Leicester to name a few! Roll on the beginning of September!