CTS#250

Hi, everyone!!!!!


Remember me?????  If you don't, I'll understand!!!!!  Oh, boy, ...haven't been posting for months!!!!  A lot has happened in my life since April when I posted the last time and I had a complete loss of mojo and have not made any cards since that time!!!!!  An e-mail from a very dear Blogland friend yesterday, inspired me to open my cupboads with all my cardmaking stuff and sit down to make a card for one of my favorite challenges, last night!!!!  (You're such a darling Michele - thanks!!!!)


 The sketch I used is the one up at the CAS(E) this sketch Blog.

...and this is my card:

Used my Kaleidacolor inkpad and water to get the watercoloured effect.
Butterfly stamp from PTI.
The 'happy' die I used, was a gift from a sweet friend!!!!!  (Thanks again, Lindsey!!!) I don't know which company its from.  I cut it from gold mirror card.  The 'Birthday' part of the sentiment was computer generated.


So that will be it, for now!!!!  Thank you so much for the visit!!!!

FMS#284 and CTS#218

Hi everyone!!!!



I've made two cards over the weekend!!!!  The first is for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge and the other one is for CAS(E) this Sketch.  The sketches:

The FMS card:

Leaves stamps from PTI.  Stamped with Facory Green ink from MFT.
Fower stamp from Altenew.
Patterned paper from Echo Park.
Sentiment computer generated.




and the CTS card:

Done some smooshing with MFT inks and some Opalite Reflective ink on Gloss Paper.  The panel has some subtle shine from the Opalite.
Flower stamp from a local craft store, Great Impressions.
The die cut sentiment was a gift from the sweet Joyce from Cards-By-the-Sea!!!!!!   Stapled the sentiment to the card with a piece of torn vellum underneath.
I do like how this card turned out!!!   ...and I enjoyed photographing it!!!!!!

Thank you so much for spending some time with me ...your visits and comments are always appreciated so much!!!!!!

Another CTS#217

Hi, again, for today!!!!!



I played some more with the current sketch over at the CAS(E) this Sketch Blog, this morning, turning it upside down again!!!!  The sketch:

   

and my second take on it:

Played with some watercolours and used the same sentiment on the vellum, as on the other card.

The card base is a darkish grey.

That's my cards for today!!!

Thanks for spending some time with me!!!!!

CTS#217

Hi, everyone!!!!!



When I saw the sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch, last week Thursday, I knew I wanted to turn the sketch upside down, but it was only last night that I had some time to sit down and make a card.  This is the sketch:

 

and my card:

Used a leaf stencil, my friend Hazel sent me for my birthday!!!!  It's from The Crafter's Workshop.

The sentiment stamps are from a stamp set, my friend Lindsey, sent me.  I don't know who it's from.

That it's!!!

 

Not that much time left to link my card!!!!!

Thanks for popping in!!!!

Fusion

Hi, everyone!!!!


I made a card to link at the Fusion Challenge Blog.  This is the sketch and inspiration photo for the current challenge:

 

I was inspired to take out my colouring pencils and made this card:

The flower stamp and the die cut word was gifts from sweet friends!!!! The other stamps I've used are from Altenew.
Added some bling to finish it off!!!!


I've been very busy with crocheting and knitting over the weekend.  I'll share during the week what I've done.  From tomorrow the boys are back at school so things will be back to our normal day to day routine.  I'll be popping in at everyone tomorrow!!!!!


I hope you had a very blessed Easter weekend!!!!


Thanks for spending some time with me!!!!!  Off to knit before it's time to go to bed!!!!!

 

 

FMS#283

Hi, everyone!!!!


So happy to say that my eye is 100% and I'm wearing both contact lenses again!!!!  Thanks for all your get well wishes regarding my eye - I really appreciated that!!!!!


There's a lovely sketch up at the Freshly Made Sketches Blog!!!!  This is what it looks like:

 

I've made this card following the sketch:

The piece of designer paper is from Lady Pattern Paper, a local company.
The leaves die was a gift from a sweet friend!!!
Sentiment stamp from Altenew.



We've got a fire going outside.  Our son went fishing yesterday and he bought some fresh fish home so we're doing that on the fire for supper!!!!!  And I've got some butter, olive oil, sage and citrus peel potatoes (ala Jamie Oliver) in the oven to go with that!!!!!



Thank you so much for visiting!!!!!  Always a pleasure having you here!!!! 

Fusion, Seize the Birthday and Always Fun Challenges #1.

Hi, everyone!!!!!



Have you ever tried making a card wearing only one of your contact lenses, cause the other eye has some infection, or allergic reaction, or whatever?????  That was me last night!!!!!  I've been feeling a scratchiness in my right eye since Saturday and on Sunday my eye was red and more scratchy, but I was still wearing both my lenses.  Yesterday morning it was really bad and I decided not to put my lens in that eye and only wear the left lens!!!!  I went to the chemist to get some eye drops to put in the eye and it's somewhat better this morning, but I'm still not wearing the right eye lens!!!  My eyesight is very bad (-8 in the right eye!!!!) so you can imagine how blurry everything is when I'm not wearing both lenses!!!!!  I have to sit with my nose nearly touching the computer screen to see what I'm typing!!!!!!  LOL!!!!!  That is such a big frustration, but hopefully by tomorrow my eye will be OK again!!!!  I've actually taken out the left lens, as well now and it's much better than wearing only one lens!!!!  

I found it very frustrating to do anything on the computer with only the one lens and I decided that I wanted to rather try making a card, last night!!!!  I've made a card to link at three challenges!!!!  At the Seize the Birthday Blog they have an optional topping of 'Vellum' and I've followed the sketch at the Fusion Card Challenge Blog, to make my card.  And then there is a new challenge, Always Fun Challenges, that started their first challenge yesterday, and it's an 'Anything Goes' challenge.  

 

                                             Challenge #1

                                                     Our theme for the new challenge is

                                                    "Anything Goes"

 

This is my card:

The stamps I've used on this card has a story I want to share with you!!!  I think most of you will know Lindsey Larson from Occasional Crafting.  Well, Lindsey had some stamps and dies that she wasn't using anymore and she was so sweet to send me a LOT of these goodies and you can just imagine how very excited I was to receive Lindsey's parcel in my mailbox!!!!  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw all the stamps and dies Lindsey had sent!!!!!!  So all the stamps I've used on this card was a gift from the very sweet Lindsey!!!!!  Oh, and Lindsey also included some sequins and the ones on this card is a lovely yellowish green and I love it!!!  Thank you so much again, Lindsey - I really appreciate you thinking of me when you wanted to find a new home for your lovely stamps and dies!!!!!!!  There is a little 'thank-you-something' on it's way to you, my friend!!!!!
Butterfly die from PTI.
Vellum cut with Spellbinder's Wonky Rectangle die. 


I hope there aren't any fingerprints or dirty marks on my card I didn't see!!!!  And I had to trust the Auto setting on my camera to hopefully have the photo's in focus!!!!!


One thing regarding the Always Fun Challenges:  I couldn't find anything in the rules regarding combining with other challenges, so I hope it's OK that I have combined with other challenges!!!!!  If it's not allowed the DT can let me know and I will remove my card from the gallery!!!!



Apologies for the long post!!!!


Thank you so much for spending some time with me!!!!! 

 

FMS#282

Hi, everyone!!!!


I haven't been blogging for a while, but I have actually been very busy at the computer over the last month!!!!  Our oldest son is in Matric this year so he will be going to university next year and we are in the process of finding bursaries for him to apply for.  At this stage he has narrowed down his fields of possible study to, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering or studying to become a Chartered Accountant.  I have spent hours and days going through lists and lists of possible bursaries for him and having to do that for three possible fields of study for sure didn't make it easier!!!!  I have to go to each website and see if he qualifies and what is needed to submit an application.  Applications for some of the bursaries have closed at the end of March and we have submitted our applications for those.  From now on, each month some applications have to be in, so we will be busy submitting applications for quite some time still.  We also had to finish his applications for two universities.  He applied for two different universities and will have to decide to which one he will go to in the end, depending on which field of study his final choice will be. Thank goodness at this stage we've got most of it sorted out and have lists of which bursaries he has to apply for, when, so things should be more easy from now on.       

And as many of you have done recently, I have also sorted out and re-organized my craft space!!!!!  I sorted out all my sewing and crafting stuff and have thrown out a lot of very old sewing stuff!!!!  It was a case of wondering if everything would fall on you if you had to open some of the cupboards!!!!!  I have put aside a lot of stuff I want to donate to people who would be able to use it to make some clothes for people in need.  I ended up with lots of extra space in my cupboards and then started sorting out everything and organizing my cupboards in a much better way!!!!  I've also spent a lot of time sorting out my cardmaking stuff and tidying my cupboard and drawers.  How wonderful to open a drawer or cupboard, now and know exactly where everything is!!!!!  Actually, for a few days, I just enjoyed the tidiness and didn't make anything!!!!!

On Saturday morning I attended a lovely tea party of a friend who is retiring from running the local craft store, Great Impressions, and it was so lovely to see some old friends again and meet some lovely crafty ladies!!!!  We had a great time and how could I not be inspired to spend some time in my new organized craft area!!!! 

So yesterday I visited some of my favorite challenge sites and decided I wanted to make a card to link at the Freshly Made Sketches Blog!!!!  This is the sketch:

         

....and my card: 

The patterned paper squares are from Echo Park. 
Flower dies from MFT.
The delicate chevrons were cut with a die my sweet friend Hazel, from My Card Attic, sent me for my birthday!!!!  I don't know which company it's from.  Thanks again, Hazel!!!!
The sentiment stamp is from the local Great Impressions craft shop.



I've got a chicken on the stove and I'll be off to the kitchen, to prepare my Chicken ala King for supper, now!!!!



Thank you so much for the visit!!!!

Addicted to CAS, CFC168 and Happy Little Stampers Watercolour

Hi, everyone!!!!!


When I saw the Doodling challenge at Addicted to CAS I knew I wanted to try my hand at doodling and see if I can create something to link at the challenge!!!!!!  So I had some fun this morning and made a card that I will link at two more challenges, too!!!!  At the CAS-UAL Fridays Challenge Blog you have to make a OL and at Happy Little Stampers I will link at the Watercolour Challenge. 

    
  This is my card:

 

I doodled some daisies and watercoloured it using my watercolour pencils and water.  I've coloured the inside of the frame with a very soft blue, going somewhat over the lines of the frame for a playful feel, but it doesn't really show in the photo, it's too soft.
Tried to do the lettering in a very loose style to go with the style of the daisies.
Afrikaans sentiment saying: 'Congratulations'.
I really enjoyed making this card!!!!




The card below was actually my first try at doodling and the one above my second try, but I'm not linking this one at any challenges.

I'm so happy with my new watercolour pencils!!!!  I've tried my hand at watercolouring with watercolour paints, but I haven't had much success with it so I thought I should give the watercolour pencils a try as I love to colour with pencils!!!!  It's so easy to do the colouring and then add the water for the watercoloured look!!!!!  I'm going to have lots of fun playing with these pencils!!!!!




Thanks for visiting!!!!  Lovely having you here!!!!

Time Out 3rd Birthday

Hi, everyone!!!!



I made a card last night to link at the Time Out Challenge Blog where they have a 3rd birthday party going!!!!   They've got a lot of prizes to give away!!!!!  The theme for the chalenge is:    

Love and/or Friendship with the optional twist of 'spotlight stamping' where you add colour only to one raised area of your image

This is the card I've made:

Had lots of fun with my new colouring pencils!!!!!

Vellum overlays for a softer look.

Stamps from Altenew.

Not sure if this will go through as spotlighting as my coloured panel is not raised and I added some neutral colours to the other flowers, but I did follow the Friendship theme.

 

Congrats on 3 years of Time Out Challenges, ladies!!!!

Thanks for popping in - lovely having you here!!!!!