Not your usual pair!

Hi everyone and a big welcome to my new follower Lady Anne, thanks for joining me.

Well last week I said that winter was "supposedly" to arrive this week and it did.  We had frosts Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and the temps down to 4 degrees.  Yes I realise this is a summers day in some parts of the world, but here in Auckland its very very cold.  Following the frosts we had spectacular sunny, but still cold days.  So yes I think winter is hear.

You still have a couple of days to join in the challenge at Gerda Steiner Designs subscribe to Gerdas newsletter to receive the monthly freebie image and enter the challenge.  The May image is this delightful pair.  Not your usual couple but realy precious, don't you agree.

I am entering this into Artfull Crafts May challenge Anything Goes and 613 Avenue Create also Anything goes.

Shabby Notes

Hi everyone and welcome to my new follower Munch, thanks for joining me.

Well its a very wet sunday here today.  Rumour has it that winter will hit this week.  Apparently there is a big cold snap due to arrive.  It maybe wet today but it is still quite warm.

Soccer (football) season is back and you will find me on the sidelines of a game Saturday mornings from now through till about September. I think yesterday was game 5.  So far 5 wins although the team are still not playing to their full potential, it always seems to take several games to settle in. Its interesting this season to watch Nick starting to take notice of gaps in the field and suggesting (yelling and pointing) to his team mates to fill them and mark players.

Anyway on to craft, first off there is a new challenge at Southern Girls, get out your rhinestones and pearls and enter the Sparkle and Shine with a bit of bling challenge.

I don't seem to have been in my little area much of late but this is a notebook, probably acttually more of a journal book really as its bigger than what I would think of as a notebook, that I made. I picked it up at a $2 store just because of the pink spotty cover which I decided to keep as art of the design.  I used some srcap paper and quilted the background, I think they are a combination of Kaisercraft Tea time and American Craft,  I then added some distressing and lots of embellishments.  I left the green diecut blank ready for an initial to be added.

This is being entered into the following challenges Totally Gorgeous buttons and/or bows  Sunflowerfield Vintage/shabby/rustic The Shabby Tea Room Flowers and Balloons and 613 Avenue Create Always Anything Goes with additional shapes.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your lovely comments, I always love to read them.
xo

Who Loves watermelon

Yum I know I do....watermelon season is over for us though and we are now enjoing citrus fruit namely mandarins are just starting to pop up in the stores.  Yummy Kerikeri mandarins, absolutely the best.

This is a little card I made using an image from Gerda Steiner Designs .  The image is super cute and I kept it pretty clean and simple, which is alway a challenge for me.  Now make sure you pop over to Gerda's website in the next few days as she is about to load a gorgeous image for you to use for the latest challenge.  If you haven't already sign up for Gerda's Newsletter to get the challenge image for free....well worth it trust me.

Popping this into the challenge at Cute Card Thursday "Here comes Summer"
and  613 Avenue Create always "Anything Goes"

Southern Girls Challenge

Hi and thanks for popping in.  Also welcome to the couple of new followers who have joined me, its an honor to have you with me.  I also really enjoy your comments and appreciate that you take the time to leave me a message.

Well now is the time for my first little project as a DT member of the Southern Girls Challenge Blog. Its challenge number 90 and the theme is "Spots and Dots".  I hope you'll come and join us.

Our lovely sponsors are

and

I used the image Ladybug Garden Delight from Ladybug crafts Ink.  I just love all those little bright ladybugs scampering all through the garden.

Make sure you check out sll the other wonderful DT projects for some great inspiration.  Have fun and I look forward to seeing your fantastic spotty entries.

xo

This little mouse...he likes books

This is a little card I made with an image from Gerda Steiner Design its called Awesome Book Mouse.  He is super cute. Gerda has asked me to do some design work for her which I am pretty thrilled about. Make sure you stop by her store for a look.  Anyway... I printed him twice as I wanted to have the effect of him sitting in a big comfy chair, so once on patterned paper and once on white.  I also wanted him to be a little white mouse so I outlined him in pale grey.  I then pieced the background to look like wallpaper.  In the back you pull the little tab and it is a book mark as an extra little something special.

I am entering this into Sister Act Card Challenge Challenge # 54 Anything Goes

Its raining its pouring!!!

Hi and thanks for popping in.

Yes indeed it has been raining for 5 days straight although today we have seen the sunshine as well. Very good for the farmers and for ducks but not so great for kids and washing.  Not to worry as it is school holidays so time is not quite so precious as usual.

Another bonus of the rain is crafting time.  I came to the conclusion over the last few days that I am better and more comfortable colouring with pencils than markers.  I do still use copics for skin but as for anything else its just disaster after disaster.  I bought a small selection of Kaiser fusion markers when they first came out and can't make them work either.  Promarkers are ok but I only have a small selection of colours so its back to my pencils and I don't think I will spend any more time or money on markers.

Dont forget there is still time to enter the current challenge at Southern Girls "Earn your Stripes".

Heres a little card I made, Tiddly Inks image coloured in pencil. The umbrella is paper pieced from hand.  I was going through my extensive (haha I wish) collection of dies and found this little flourish that has a lovely cameo effect when added to an oval.  I also, joy of joys, found the smallest nestie circle that has been missing for months that I though must have ended up in the rubbish....put back in the oval pack by mistake.

I am entering this in these challenges:

Tiddly Inks Challenge  #131 Celebrate

The Card Concept  #8 Use an Umbrella (Shabby style)

The Shabby Tea Room #215 Pastels,flowers and polka dots

Flutter'n by

Hi and thanks for stopping by.  What a busy couple of weeks its been.  I have had a friend staying from Sunday to Thursday the last two weeks.  I love her to bits but having that extra person in the house and another mouth to feed sure makes an already busy husehold busier.  Soccer season has started so back to Saturday mornings on the sideline cheering on Nicks team.  Then daylight saving finished and the clocks went back an hour.  Takes a bit of getting used to it being dark by 6:30.  I have been looking longingly at my craft space but having to ignore it.  Yesterday when I got home I was determined to produce something,  usually I am not a fast crafter it can take me all day to make a card sometimes, but I made this little shabby number in 30 minutes.  I do believe I over think things.......

Popping this into Challenge #7 Butterflies at The Card Concept