A blog award

I was really pleased to have received this award from Jess over at Floppy Latte Designs - thank you so much Jess!  She has created some lovely images that I have used in my DT cards for OSAAT - I especially love her silhouette hat ladies digis.

The rules of this award are that I have to give 7 random facts about myself and then pass my award onto 7 bloggers that I have recently found.  So, 7 facts, here goes:

1. I have been a non-meat eater for over 30 years but I eat fish so apparently that makes me a "pescatarian".
2. My other half would probably say that I am just a pest!
3. I used to be a ballet dancer and loved my pointe shoes but am devestated that they were thrown out in a clear out!
4. My favourite film is "Billy Elliott"
5. My favourite holiday place is Cyprus.
6. Like many crafters, I have a bit of a pretty paper obsession!
7. I celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary this year - WOW!

Okay, that's seven things you never knew about me, but now do.  And, as for choosing 7 bloggers - I just can't do that; its way too difficult to pick.  I really appreciate all of my followers and try to have a visit to your blogs when I can so I am going to say that any of my much appreciated blogger followers can have this award too.

Got a couple of cards to post on blog - it was too dark to photograph them when I got back from work this evening.  Hope to get the pics done and posted tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by,

Amanda

Forever Friends

A bit of a change here for me today - no pro markers, no glitter and quite plain and simple (for me anyway).  I found out a little Forever Friends booklet of decoupage and pretty papers that I had free with a magazine a few months ago.  Normally I throw these freebies away because the quality is not so good, but these ones are a really great top-quality paper.

So, this was really only a 15 minute card that I've created using the great sketch over at the Forever Friends Challenge blog:

I've used my new MS punch and just added a few Papermania flowers and a bit of bling.  I've used my nesties for the die cuts. 

This card will be useful for one of those birthdays that doesn't really qualify for ribbons, bows, glitter, pearls and bling.  You know the kind - we all do it!  It is for the person who we know who will throw the card in the bin on the day after their birthday and they won't appreciate the love and time that was put into making their special creation - yes, we all have a priority list for who gets what kind of card!  And, if you are the person reading my blog who may receive this card ---- I'm so sorry, I was never talking about YOU!!!

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Forever Friends - Sketch

Do you stack up - Anything goes

Guylous' Inimitability - Anything goes

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything goes

So, it was nice to do a bit of decouage for a quick card, but I'm not giving up my pro markers for anybody!

Thanks for looking,

Amanda

My Blog Candy Winner Announced

Thank you to each and every one of you that took part in my blog candy draw.  I was really amazed by the response - 129 entries, Wow!

Unfortunately there can only be one winner and that is ....one of my newer followers .....(drum roll please!) .....

Number 39

Lynne from Handmade with Love by Lynne

Lynne, please email me with your details and I will get the blog candy to you a.s.a.p.

I've had a little look at Lynne's blog and she has some really lovely cards on there!

Thank you all for taking part and keep watching for the next candy.

Happy Crafting,

Amanda

My Followers' Blog Candy

THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP UNTIL 23RD FEB 2011 - PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS, THANK YOU

I have a little blog candy up for grabs for one of my lovely followers - as a little thank you for visiting my blog and leaving your lovely comments for me.  My candy is a We R Memory Keepers Paper piercing and stitching kit - there's the piercing tool with 3 different patterned heads, the foam mat, needle, assorted threads and instructions.  You roll the piercer over your paper to make the holes that you then use to sew your design!

Okay, so here's the rules:
1) You must be  follower (new or old, I don't mind)
2) Leave your details with Mr Linky below
3) I would appreciate if you could mention my candy on your blog, but this is not a necessity.

My blog candy will close at 9.00pm on Wednesday 23rd February 2011 and I will announce the winner as soon as I can after that.

Good luck everyone!

Amanda

WOYWW #90

It's half term week so I have booked  today off work - no work until next Monday!  The kids are still in bed (lazy things!) so I'm making the most of it watching TV and sewing some teddy bears.  I've just had to have a little break so that I can join in with What's on your Workdesk Wednesday. 

The picture above is of the little ted I finished off last night.  He is sitting by some earrings that I bought 1/2 price in the sale, with the sole intention of breaking them to pieces to use as loads of individual charms.  We crafters have to be inventive!

Mine is not a work desk today, it is the floor (you'll see why at the end)!  I thought I'd let you have a look around my teddy bag... so in my bag of bits you can just about see - pliers, a bradawl and cotter pins (all of which would be more at home in a shed), thread, buttons, stuffing and a tub of BB air rifle steel shots.  Now, I have not taken up shooting - I use the pellets as weights when I am stuffing my teddies tums!

So, I am sitting on the floor, on the rug by the fireplace, with the bits spread around me: 

Here's my little box of tricks: Fiskars scissors (NO ONE can cut paper with them - they are for my fabric only - everyone in the house knows that if you touch Mom's sewing scissors you must run for your life!!!), hemostats (invaluable for life-saving operations and also teddy making!), teasel brush, mini pliers and strong threads.

Here's the ted I finished last night - he's made with some recycled fabric which has a lovely soft pile.  Also, quite different is a mohair head without eyes - I've just stitched this nose this morning.  Can you see the doll needles - they range from 3" to 7" and look quite lethal!

Close up of teddy with his earring charm necklace:

And, if you've managed to get to the end of this long post and are wondering why I am crafting on the floor well, here's the answer.  I need my daylight lamp in the crafty corner of the living room so need to be near a power socket.  I do have a lovely comfy seat behing me but I have a crafty companion with me today.  This is Monty - sitting in MY crafty seat and that look is saying "Don't you dare move me!". 

I know my place .... on the floor!

Thanks for looking and sharing my work space today!

Amanda

Craft Your Days Away #14

We have a lovely new challenge for you over at Craft Your Days Away - for this fortnight we have a fab sketch created by DT member Joanne. 

For this challenge we have Crafty Emma's Store return as our sponsor - she has some wonderful crafty bits in her store. 

I have used a Tilda stamped image that I received as a RAK from MissyB so I'm not sure what the name of it is.  The image has been coloured with pro markers.  I have used papers from the Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose Collection pad which was a free cover gift with the current issue of Quick Cards made Easy.  They are lovely soft pastel, floral papers but you'll have to be quick if you want to get the magazine and free papers - they are only on sale for another 8 or 9 days!  I have used my new Martha Stewart pansy punch around the page paper punches.  The liittle ribbon flowers are my Papermania and I have layered them up with some others from my stash.

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Lollipop Crafts - Use your favourite colouring medium - Pro markers

Whoopsi Daisy - Free and Easy

Digis with Attitude - Cleaning

Charizma Cards - Spring has Sprung (Spring Cleaning!!!)

Don't forget to come and Craft Your Days Away with us!

Amanda

Lil' Bear

If you saw my post on Wednesday you will have seen a little sneak preview of this newest bear I've made.  I wanted to get some better shots taken in the daylight because the colour looked a bit washed-out under my daylight lamp on the other pics.

So this is the little bear that I finished making on Monday - made of mohair.  It is quite different to others that I've made becuase this one looks almost as though it could be an old bear.

I think I may still tweak it a bit here and there, but on the whole, it is finished.

Thanks for looking - back tomorrow with a new Craft Your Days Away challenge!

Amanda

WOYWW 89

It's been a while since I joined in with What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday but I just wanted to share this little creation that I finished at "teddy class" on Monday evening.  So, this is my favourite little corner of the living room where Ruby my little red lappy lives and where I can do a bit of crafting while watching the TV.  The box under Ruby is full of stamped images ready to colour in.  I bought the daylight lamp a few weeks ago and couldn't live without it now! 

My pro markers never seem to be put away for very long and you can just see a little teddy cat that I found in my sewing bag the other day - he's temporarily living in the pro markers box now.  The card is for a friends birthday on Friday.  See my post below this one, the Little Claire image is currently being offered as a freebie to celebrate the launch of their digis.

Here's my new magazine that I bought while I was in Birmingham recently - I always feel a bit of a wierdo when I buy it.  I bet there's not much demand for teddy magazines, still, I've seen wierder magazines in WHSmiths, LOL!!!  I can't buy it from shop near to where I live (people obviously aren't wierd around here ha!) but it is great for inspiration and I do love to find the ones that aren't so great; it makes me feel better!

Here's a closer pic of the little teddy - sitting under the lamp.  It is made of a sparse, short haired mohair and has a belly full of steel shot to make it nice and weighty.

I'll try and get some better pics tomorrow in the daylight and will post them as soon as I can.

Thanks for looking!

Amanda

Little Claire card using a freebie!

It seems like ages since I made a card that wasn't for a DT - well, at last I have made one "just for fun" using this cute image from Little Claire's.  It is made for a friend who will be joining the 4-0 club this week!  I have a few of  Little Claire's unmounted stamps, which are great, but they have now launched some digis and this cutie is currently available as a freebie HERE.  I'm not sure how long it will be a freebie for so don't miss it! 

I've bought loads of craft stuff recently that I haven't seemed to manage to have a play with - must make some time to myself!  We are in the middle of redecorating the downstairs of the house which is taking up so much of my time and I am also making some mini teddy bears which I will post as soon as they are finished.

Here's what I've used:

Image - Lydia goes shopping - by Little Claire Designs, coloured with Pro Markers

Flowers and Ribbon Roses - Papermania and Mulberry

Papers - Dovecraft Back to Basics pad

Marianne and Nestabilities dies

My new Glamour dust glitter - love that sparkle!!!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Little Claire's - Anything goes

Sweet Stop Sketches - I used their sketch

Stamping with the Dragon - Anything goes

I love pro markers - Birthday

Thanks for popping by and paying me a visit!

Amanda

OSAAT #48 Digi fun!

We have a great new challenge for you this week at One Stitch at a Time - we want to see you "DO IT WITH A DIGI".  So, we will be looking for some lovely creations showing us your digi stamps and digi papers.  We have two amazing prizes this week too - The Robin's Nest are offering a $25 gift card for their online store and Creative Craft World are offering a prize of 5 pro markers.

The image I have used is Art Nouveau Vase 2 by Hope Jacare available HERE in the Stitchy Bear shop.  I really like this image as it is not too girly - lots of my cards are very cutesy and girly and I can't always send those to everyone.  This image is great because it can be used for so many occassions.  I have coloured the image with pro markers and added just a touch of glitter.  I've used a Martha Stewart punch for the little border and the papers are by My Mind's Eye.  I've used my Nestabilities Labels 4 and Shapeabilities Fancy Tags. 

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

ABC Challenge - N is for Nestabilities + 1 used their sketch

Anything goes challenge - Butterflies

Flutterby Wednesday - Anything goes

I love pro markers - Anything goes, must use PM's

Little Claire's - Anything goes

Thanks for looking - pop back soon,

Amanda

Craft Your Days Away #13

Wow, what an amazing amount of entries we had for our Love challenge at Craft Your Days Away - you really did us proud!  Have a look over at the challenge blog to see if you are one of the lucky winners.

For the next two weeks we have a photo inspiration challenge for you - I took the white background and red ribbon as my main inspiration to make my card.  We have our regular monthly sponsor, Simon Says Stamp, joining us and they are offering a $10 voucher to one lucky winner.

For my card I have used a digi from the Stamp Fairy which was just perfect for this valentine's card for my OH.  Don't worry - he won't see it, he never looks at my blog.  I wanted to keep it fairly plain and suitable to give to a man.  The background has been embossed with a cuttlebug folder and I've used my new Marianne scallop square die for the black frame.  The image has been coloured with pro markers and I printed the sentiment on my PC.  I found some little heart shaped buttons at Dunelm Mill shop which are just perfect for this time of the year too.  The black polka dot paper was from a Forever Friends Christmas pad.  The organza ribbon was originally white; I coloured it with a Poppy red pro marker - no need to buy lots of different ribbons and you always get a perfect colour match!

I've managed to find loads of challenges to enter this card into:

Lexi's Creations - Valentine
Secret Crafter - Valentine
Cards for Men - Valentine
Crafty Emma's Store - red and romance
Allsorts - It must be love, love, love
I love pro markers - Anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - A bear on a card
Sparkles forum challenge - Valentine
Southern Girls - Dry embossing

Thanks for looking and don't forget to join us at Craft Your Days Away!

Amanda