Cards for Pep!!!

Hello Everyone

I hope you've had a lovely day today. We've had a lovely family Father's Day today - went shopping to buy some trousers for Andrew to take on his school camping trip in a couple of weeks' time, and also bought Eleri some new crocs. We were also looking for a new bicycle for Andrew, but we haven't decided what to get yet - we know what size to look for though! Then we went for lunch at Pizza Hut - that was lovely. And visited my Mum and Dad on the way home. Also called at Richard's Dad's on the way home, but he wasn't in.

My Dad makes me laugh LOL! I gave him his Father's Day card today. He was opening it whilst I was doing the tea/coffee run, and I heard roars of laughter coming from the other room. Apparently, my Dad had opened his card and thought to himself "Pep, what on earth does that mean - has she given me a pep pill or something?". And then he realised what he'd done and thought it was so funny, and he told everyone 'cos he can't keep something like that to himself! So I just had to show you as well:



He was only holding it upside down ROFL!! My Dad has a wonderful sense of humour and such a wicked laugh! As we were leaving he said to me "Thanks for your card And, it really pepped me up!", and then he had another belly laugh!

This is what the card should have looked like - I actually made the same cards for my Dad and for Richard's Dad - I hope John doesn't think I'm giving him a pep pill! LOL!



I'm entering these cards in the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter - punches and dies
Incy Wincy Designs - Father's Day/Masculine

It's also my Dad's birthday tomorrow, so this is his birthday card:



For the background of the image, I masked the image and then used a HOTP stitches stamp to make a stitched effect background, and just did some random dots around the edge as it looked a bit too plain.

I would like to enter this card in the Little Red Wagon challenge which is for Dad. And I followed the sketch on Inspirational Card Sketches challenge this week.

You would probably like me to stop waffling now. And I need to go to bed anyway - to be honest, I haven't been feeling too well this weekend, have a sore throat, been sneezing, and have a blocked and runny nose (how can they both happen at the same time LOL!? Sorry, that's maybe too much information!). Anyway, I'm normally very lucky and shake colds off very quickly, in fact they don't normally get as far as the sneezing stage etc - so hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow feeling fine!

Hope to see you again soon.

Love, Andrea xx

For My Niece

Hello Everyone - I hope you've had a good weekend! Mine was pretty good - Saturday was our local carnival, and the heavens opened just as the procession was about to start but it did not last too long so we were able to watch it without getting wet. The afternoon brightened up though. Normally, we take a picnic but it just wasn't picnic weather on Saturday so we went for a McDonald's instead - I can't remember that last time I had a McDonald's, probably about 2 years ago because I'm not normally too keen to be honest, but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The children only have them about 3 or 4 times a year, so they enjoyed theirs too. Then we had a little meander around the show, watched the young children dancing, ate ice cream, and Eleri spent some money on a rubbish toy LOL!

Then on Saturday evening I managed to make some jewellery - I made a necklace, earrings and bracelet set for myself, and made a pair of earrings and started a bracelet for a friend for her birthday. I think I need to practice attaching the bolt ring clasps and using the crimp beads as I have something sharp that's scratched the back of my neck a bit - I think it's because I haven't got a proper wire cutters and it's the way I've cut the wire. Think I need to get a file to try to do something about it. I'll try to photograph the set to show you.

Yesterday, there was supposed to be an air show near to us. The Red Arrows were due to fly at about 10.30 in the morning but, when I heard the rain thumping down at about 7.30, I decided to stay in bed and read for a while instead! Apparently, they did do their demonstration though! They flew past my brother's house in formation on their way to the show. My niece was so happy - she thought they were doing a flypast for her, just like the one she saw on TV for the Queen on Saturday (aawww! lol!)

Then last night, Eleri and I put together a mini album of holiday photos for her to take to show at school - we've put them onto luggage labels and fastened them together with some coloured paper thread - very simple but looks quite effective, and it went down well at school today.

Anyway, I need to stop waffling, and get to the real reason for my post. Another niece of mine was 3 last Friday, so I'm showing the card I made for her.



The image is an Elisabeth Bell stamp from Funky Kits - coloured with promarkers. The papers are MME Quite Contrary Summer - this card was much more vibrant IRL - maybe I've got a smudge on my camera lens again LOL! I followed the sketch from last Tuesday Morning Sketches, but darn it our internet connection went down last night so I couldn't post it in time to enter that challenge.

I'm entering it in the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts - Summer - papers were called Summer and I think the image is quite summery
Do You Stack Up - Birthday
Crafty Purple Frog - Favourite Things - I love Elisabeth Bell images, I've used some of my favourite papers (but not many left in the stack now!), and I'm loving the paper thread I've used, and I also love the diamond stickles.

There you go - sorry for going on LOL! Now, I've got to work out what to do for 3 Father's Day cards and my Dad's birthday card - I'm struggling on those!

Love, Andrea xx

Dad's Birthday

Hello Again

Just a quick post to show you the card we gave to my husband's Dad for his birthday.



I won this stamp in a draw a little while ago and this is the first time I've stamped him up - I think it's a High Hopes stamp. He's coloured with promarkers. A very simple card using Kay and Co papers again.

I know that there are a few challenges out there for Fathers Day or cards for Dad at the moment but do you think I can find one this evening? Ne'mind! I'll enter it in the Drunken Stampers challenge which is birthdays.

With Father's Day and my Dad's birthday coming up in the next week or so, I'm going to have some more men's cards to show you soon, but it is my niece's 3rd birthday today so I'll be able to show a girlie card tomorrow.

See you then.

Love, Andrea xx

Skater Boy

Hello Folks

Well - I'm feeling so much better today - I think I've had a smile on my face for some of this morning - that's not been happening much lately! Things have been so stressful at work in the last couple of months - our Chief Officer left last week, and nothing has yet been done about a replacement for him, but we are hoping to have some news by the end of this week. And I managed to get through a public meeting last night - thankfully, I don't have to stand up in front of an audience, but I'm the one who organised it, and it is always a relief when it's over, with nothing major going wrong - just have pages of notes to type up from it! I think it is the stress that has put me off crafting lately - I know it helps some people to get down and crafty - but I find it very difficult to motivate myself to do anything or to focus on things when I'm stressed. Hopefully, I'll be able to get myself moving a bit more now - or maybe that's all just an excuse for pure laziness LOL!

Anyway, I managed to make a card for my son to give to one of his friends yesterday, and I was really pleased with it. Sorry about the photo though - it's not your eyes - I was rushing to take it before Andrew was taking it to his friend, and it looks very blurred!




The digital image is Jenson Skater from Pollycrafts and I've coloured him with promarkers. The papers are all from a huge Kay and Co stack I have. I've used some paper thread, and added a peel off sentiment and a few stars. I cut around the image and used silicone glue to add him on to the card - I was trying to make it look as though he has jumped out of a tunnel - it does look quite effective in real life!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly which is Anything Goes
Digital Tuesday which is In the Garden or Outdoors - I hope skateboarding counts as outdoors!

Oh - do you remember a couple of posts ago I said I had become addicted to the Jewellery Maker tv channel? (Sky 655) - well, I have surcumbed and ordered some jewellery kits - waiting for one to arrive today - and I hope to be able to show you some jewellery I make shortly! I've got a few ideas going around in my head at the moment but I'm not sure if they'll work - we'll see!

Better do some housework now though, so see you soon I hope.

Love, Andrea xx

I'm Back!!

Helloooo Everyone - well, I'm back in blogland!

We've had our holiday - went away on 23rd May and got back last weekend - boy, those few days went so quickly! We went to Porthcawl in South Wales - we had a lovely time, but the weather wasn't brilliant - it was not warm enough for Andrew and Eleri to go in the sea, which they were a bit disappointed with, but we've promised to take them to the beach later in the summer.

And, since we've been home, we've had problems with our computer - the power lead went kaput! New lead arrived yesterday but it was my turn to do cricket teas yesterday - I find that so stressful! Over with for another year though, thank goodness!

Well, we've had two birthdays this week - my brother was 40 on Wednesday, and my father-in-law had his birthday yesterday.

So here's the card I made for my brother - I've used a Whiff of Joy Party Animals stamp, and coloured him with promarkers - I really need to practice colouring with black! I followed last week's Sweet Stop sketch but could not post it in time to enter the challenge. It was a very simple card, because my mojo has been missing for weeks now. The papers are Kay and Co.



I also stamped part of the image on a mat for the inside - I like the way this looks, and I think I'll do this more often.



I'm going to enter this in Lexi's Creations which is Father's Day or a Man's Card.

Well, must go, Richard wants the computer, and he's eating scones with cream and strawberries, and I really want one! Mmmmmmmm! See ya!

Love, Andrea xx

Oh I Wish I Hadn't Done That...

Hello Everyone

I hope you've had a good weekend - mine has been the normal boring kind of a one which involved shopping, washing, ironing, cooking and housework! I did take a break to visit my Mum and Dad for a while though.

I've got around to making another card - this one is for my goddaughter who will be 12 tomorrow - Happy Birthday Cate! But, do you ever do something and then wish you hadn't? I wish I hadn't made such a bright blue and green background for the image - it doesn't really match the backing paper - I wish now I had used pink and orange or something!



I'm not sure, but I think the image is called Upside Down and I think I bought it from Funky Kits a couple of years ago - isn't this a fun image - I wish I could do cartwheels like that. I stamped the image inside too, at a different angle, to make it look like she was moving! The papers are Kay & Co. Not much more to say about it really.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - the sketch I followed. And I was so happy to have been chosen in their top 3 last week - woohoohoo!
Crafts 4 Eternity - recipe - flower, ribbon and bling

I hope you enjoy your week ahead!

We have a few family birthdays over the next few weeks, so I should be popping back a bit more often!

Love, Andrea xx

Helloooooo!!

Hellooooo! I have not made any cards for a month - no reason except pure laziness I think, plus I have become addicted to the TV channel Make Your Own Jewellery! I really want to buy some real gems and make some jewellery, but I can't - we're trying to save money for our holiday - but I have been sooooo tempted on several occasions!

Anyway, it was my Mum's birthday yesterday, and I nearly bought her a card - but then I decided that I really must make an effort to make her a card. Not sure if I like it really! I used an indigo promarker on her tights and headband, but it bled really badly, and it has spoilt the image, but I just could not be bothered to re-print the digi image. That sounds really awful when it was for my Mum - how bad is that? - I am really sorry.



The image is a digi called Sweet Blossom from Wee Stamps at Cuddly Buddly, and the papers are Kay & Co. I had to add the single flower to the side of the image because I'd managed to get a blue inky thumb print on the card - ggrrr!! I'm entering this card in this week's challenge at Sweet Sketch Wednesday .

I took the card over to Mum and Dad's yesterday morning before going to work. Mum was at work and Dad was working in his shed so I went to tell him I'd left Mum's card on the table and he admitted that he'd forgotten to buy her a card, and he was disappointed that the present he'd bought her was the wrong thing. Do you know what he said to me? He said - "Your Mum doesn't like floppy things, she only likes stiff ones!", and then he gave such a belly laugh! I was thinking "Aaaaaggghhh! Dad! You can't say things like that in front of me!!", but I just had to laugh with him. Maybe I should explain what he had bought - My Mum plays bowls and, because she has been ill for a while now, she struggles to bend down to pick up the bowls, so she wanted a bowl picker upper thingy (or whatever they're called). Anyway, the one my Dad bought her cannot be leaned on, it is just for picking up the bowl and it is collapsible to fit in a bowling bag, whereas Mum has seen one that will actually take your weight if you lean on it when bending down (ie a stiff one!). Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have repeated that story but my hubby and my friend from work thought it was very funny! Maybe you needed to be there LOL!

Oh, another funny. Mum and Dad have said I can have an old bicycle of Mum's because Eleri can now ride a bike without stabilisers, and she enjoys cycling now. Anyway, Dad has checked the bike over for me and, last weekend, when I went to see them he suggested that I go to try the bike out down Lower Lane but he and Mum laughed when I said "Oh no Dad, I can't ride downhill, it's just for riding on the flat!" ha, ha, funny when you know we live in Wales!!! But I haven't ridden a bicycle for about 30 years, and I am slightly nervous.

Well, that's enough from me. Maybe I'll see you soon.

Love, Andrea xx