Uplifting Occasion !

Hi,

Well i got a diagnoses on Tuesday and it's so lucky that i decided to go private as the consultant say's that i would have been in horrendous pain, if i had gone down the NHS route and waited another 4 months - I have 'Acute Rheumatoid Arthritis' and to say i'm gutted is an understatement (as i'm only 44), but i now have to turn this around and be positive, so i'm also going to go down the Homeopathy route as well as the medicine route to help me. At the moment i've been given a double dose of steroid injection, which will only last 4-6 weeks, but it will give me some pain relief while they sort out my drugs.

I don't know how i came up with such lush colours for this card, but i think it was something to do with matching the papers with the lace, pearls and flowers that i had !!! The papers are an old pad by Basic Grey 'Euphoria', that i have only used one or twice before, but i love the richness of the purple and i even managed to paper piece the papers onto the bra !!

Today's Card and Challenges :

Wild Orchid  - where Challenge No: 45 is 'Bingo' and i went for : Pearls, Flowers, Ribbon and Lace, but i also did paper piecing

Basic Grey - where Challenge No: 65 is 'Mothers Day / Girlie' - I used 'Euphoria' papers

Sketch And Stash - where they are up to Sketch No: 84 - Angies Sketch - My old stash is the stamp, papers, lace and ribbon

Image - Penny Black - 'Uplifting Occasion !'

Papers - Basic Grey - 'Euphoria'

Sentiment - Papermania - 'CCSR'

Flowers and Pearls - Wild Orchid Crafts

Ribbon and Lace from stash

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

What A Spring !

Hi,

What fabby weather we are having, we had a barbecue on Saturday at a friends, and it was great.  I've finally got the results from my MRI scan, it turns out i have 'inflamation on the lining of my knee', and i'm being referred to a 'Rheumatology' consultant - only problem is, if i went NHS, the wait is another 3/4 months, so i have made the decision to go private, as my fingers and feet are so swollen, and the appointment is tomorrow, will let you know what happens.

I bought this stamp last year from America and it came without a colour front, as it's so old, but i had to have it, as i had seen a few people use it and fell in love with it. I've teamed it up with the fabby 'First Edition - Spring Drop' papers that i spied in The Range the other week, while i was looking for things to decorate H's Easter crown !!, it's also their first outing out for the 'Fleur de lis' Nesties, that i managed to get in a sale.

Todays Card and Challenges :

Sweet Sketch - where they are up to Sketch No: 146 - I'm so pleased that you have relaxed the rules, as i so love your sketches and i have missed being able to use them, as i'm unable to colour digi images in with my Twinkling H20's

Simon Says Stamp - where the Challenge is 'Bingo' - I chose Bottom Line - Charms, Punches / Die Cuts (used both), Ribbon

Papertake Weekly - where the Challenge is 'Eyes Down Looking In' - I chose the top 2 lines :
Gems, Die Cuts, Flowers and Ribbon, Free, Punched Shapes

Penny Black Saturday - where Challenge No: 194 is 'Easter Eggstravaganza'

Papersundaes - where Challenge No: 113 is 'Spring Blossoms'

Penny Black At Allsorts - where March's Challenge is 'Springtime' and this is my 2nd entry

Image - Penny Black - 'What A Spring !'

Papers - First Edition - 'Spring Drop'

Nesties - Fleur de Lis

Punched Flowers - Fiskars

Ribbon, Charm and Gems (in flowers) from stash

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

1st Pick

Hi,

Well Spring looks like it's finally showing it's head, thank goodness.  I'm hoping it say's nice for tomorrow as i will be walking round the senior schools playing field with H for sport relief, the rest of the school will be walking over the downs, but i think they decided they wanted to keep reception all in one place !!!

I would also like to thank the lovely Wendy  for nominating me for a fabby Award, thanks hun.

I forgot when my OH's brother in laws birthday was, and was reminded it's next week, hence the male card today !!!, he's more of a rugby man, but the colours didn't suit the image i had, so went for another sport related theme instead !! The papers are the trusty Doodlebug again, i so love the versatility of the papers, be it male or female.

The Card and Challenges are :

Totally Papercrafts - where Challenge No: 108 is 'Male Card'

Crafty Catz - where Challenge No: 124 is 'Red, White and Blue'

Allsorts - where Challenge No: 146 is 'Three In A Row'

Stamptacular Sunday - where Challenge No: 155 is 'Cute As A Button' - i've used 3 buttons

Craft Your Days Away - where Challenge No: 41 is 'Just For Men / Boys And Buttons'

Crafting When We Can - where Challenge No: 14 is 'One For The Boys'

Penny Black Saturday - where Challenge No: 193 is 'This, That And The Other' - this is my 2nd entry

Image - Penny Black - '1st Pick'

Sentiment - Penny Black - 'Happy Birthday'

Papers - Doodlebug - 'Sew American Stripe'

                            'Stars and Stripe'

Ribbon - Doodlebug - 'Boy O Boy'

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

Jump For Joy

Hi,

Well i hope, all Mums were spoilt rotten on Sunday ?? - my darling 5 year old told me on Saturday that he and and daddy had been to Sainsbury's and bought me some chocolates that started with 'R' (and proceeded to do his phonics impression of the letter R!!), then at 6am on Sunday morning a card, the said chocolates and the Military Wives ( or Miniature Wives or Midwives, as it's been named by 5 year old !!!) were thrown at me, whilst i was still asleep !!!

I noticed there were a few 'Green' and 'Spring' challenges around and to start with i was stumped, till i remembered i had a sample pack of 'First Edition - Hideaway papers' and they suited the challenges perfectly. The image was one i had from a swap, added some yellow brads and punched flowers, as i wanted to match the daisy colours.

The Card and Challenges are :

Sweet Stampin  - where the Challenge is to 'Use Lots Of Green'

Penny Black At Allsorts - where March's Challenge is 'Springtime'

Simon Say's Stamp - where the Challenge is 'A Bit O' Green'

Penny Black Saturday - where Challenge No: 193 is 'This, That And The Other'

Crazy 4 Challenges  - where Challenge 'C4C128' is 'Show Us Some Green Somewhere'

Totally Gorjuss - where Challenge No: 123 is 'Spring'

Image - Penny Black - 'Jump For Joy'

Sentiment - Penny Black - 'Happy Birthday'

Papers - First Edition - 'Hideaway'

Flowers - Fiskars punch

Brads from stash

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

To You

Hi,

Can you believe i'm posting a card at 3pm on a weekday afternoon, instead of running up to the school to pick H up ?, well today is his first day at after school care, so as to give me a rest as my hands and feet are still badly swollen, oh well i'm off the quacks tomorrow to get some wheels in motion, as i'm starting to have a sense of humour about this and it's starting to impact on my cardmaking !!!

Well with today's card i have managed to use up, all of the pink roses i had - i wonder why !!! I've had this stamp for about a year (and never used it), and didn't quite know what to do with it, until i found this fabby sketch, and it's on a 6x6 card too,the papers were free with a magazine, the ribbon is Papermania and must be at least 3 years old !!

Today's Card and Challenges :

One Stop Craft - where Challenge No: 173 is 'Mother's Day With Ribbon'

Allsorts - where Challenge No: 145 is 'Say It With Flowers'

Simon Say's Stamp - where the Challenge is 'Mother's Day / Special Girl'

Stamptacular Sunday - where Challenge No: 154 is a 'Sketch'

Crafty Catz - where Challenge No: 124 is for 'Mother's Day or a Special Lady'

Image - Penny Black - 'To You' 

Sentiment - Lili Of The Valley

Papers - Pink Petticoat - 'Vintage Rose Collection' - free with a magazine

Roses - Wild Orchid Crafts 

Ribbon - Papermania

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

Caroling Trio

Hi,

How's your week going so far ?, ok i hope. The weather seems to have dropped a few degrees from last week, so out came my woolly hat and thermal vest again !! OH surprised me last night and was home by 6.30pm, which was really nice, as  H was able to spend some time with his daddy before he went to sleep.

For today's card i've used a stamp that i bought in the Sir Stampalot sale at Xmas and thought it would be ideal for a green card and it would also suit a 'Sing' challenge, the papers are really old 'Dovecraft - Jolly Happy Christmas' and i've also dusted off a CB folder 'Allegro', then just added pearls and a sentiment to finish it off.

Today's Card and Challenges :

Totally Papercrafts - where the Challenge is 'Song and Dance' - i went for Song, well actually Christmas Carol

Paper Sundaes - where Challenge No: 110 is 'Green Or Good Luck' - i went for Green

Christmas Cards - where Challenge No: 14 is 'Embossing'

Secret Crafter - where Challenge No: 175 is 'Green For Go'

Creative Inspirations - where Challenge No: 153 is a 'Colour Scheme' - Green And White

Image - Penny Black - 'Caroling Trio'

Sentiment - Penny Black - 'Holly - Jolly'

Papers - Dovecraft - 'Jolly Happy Christmas'

Embossing - CB - 'Allegro'

Green Pearls - Wild Orchid Crafts

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

Butterfly Hedgehog

Hi,

Well after a crazy and tiring week, we had a very lazy weekend - thank goodness (well today we did have the ultimate excuse, as it rained all day !!!, so because of this, we took the opportunity to go and buy a new mattress and went for a memory foam / tempur one and i can't wait for it to arrive now, as i'm hoping it will help me get a better nights sleep (as i'm still struggling with my shoulders at night).

I've used a stamp today, that i bought from a friend 2nd hand a couple of years ago and it was just perfect for a circle card - even using my Go Kreate dies, the circle never seems to be that big !!, i've also used the DCWV papers 'Butterflies and Blossoms' and my new MS punch - pop up butterflies, which i think is great and love the effect it gives.

Today's Card and Challenges :

Sweet Stampin - where the Challenge is 'Bugs, Bees and Nature'

My Mum's Craft Shop - where Challenge No: 46 is 'Throw Us Some Shapes'

Allsorts - where Challenge No: 144 is 'Spread Your Wings'

Penny Black Saturday - where Challenge No: 191 is 'CASE IT' - I've gone for the circle card and tried to keep to the layout as much as possible

My Time To Craft - where Challenge No: 174 'Circle Circus'

Image - Penny Black - 'Butterfly Hedgehog'

Papers - DCWV - 'Butterflies and Blossoms'

Punch - MS - 'Pop Up Butterflies'

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x

Sailboat

Hi,

Well this week has been very tiring and trying and we haven't even got to Friday yet - OH started his new job on Monday and got home first day at 7.45pm, it has improved since, he now gets home at 7pm, but leaves at 6.45am, so the alarm clock goes off at 6am, but we are awake before then, in case we oversleep and the trying bit has been H, as he is not used to seeing very little of his Daddy !!

With today's card i've used a stamp, that i don't think i've used before, but yet have had for 15 months, i guess i was never quite sure what to do with it, but i'm loving the simplicity of the Cards For Men sketch and i thought the papers that i've used,  name was apt as it's 'Seabreeze' !! and i've just finished it off with some buttons and twine and a simple sentiment too.

Today's Card and Challenges :

Cards For Men - where Challenge No: 5 is a fabby sketch, that i will definitely use again

Dream Valley - where Challenge No: 26 is 'Just For Men'

Sweet Stampin - where the Challenge is: 'It's A Man Thing'

Cupcake Craft - where Challenge No: 181 is 'Boys And Their Toys'

Creative Craft - where their Challenge is 'Boys Will Be Boys'

Hotshot Crafts  - where Challenge No: 4 is 'One For The Boys'

Image - Lili Of The Valley - 'Sailboat'

Papers - Doodlebug - 'Seabreeze'

Sentiment - Sentiments 4 You

Buttons and Twine from stash

Thanks for looking, Luv Sam x