Happy Birthday to me!

40 today!! I'm not sure how I feel about that really but I've had a fantastic day nevertheless. I went out with my family for a fabulous lunch and then back to my sisters house where the children ran around and wore themselves out and we relaxed with tea and cake. Tomorrow we're hoping to get to the coast (weather permitting) and then on Monday it's another family lunch out - goodness knows how much weight I will have put on by Tuesday.

I started this card a few days ago and finally finished it yesterday. Kaya with Flowers is available from Pink Gem Designs and was in my May DT package. Isn't she lovely? I used my new DCWV Linen Closet papers and also attached a gorgeous little butterfly which was included in my Papercraft Essential prize box of goodies.


I'd like to enter this card into these challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Wings (on the butterfly!)
Stampavie & More - Happy Birthday for a Girl
Simon Says Stamp - Pink or Blue with Green & Brown
Creative Inspirations - Punches or die cuts
Spoon Full of Sugar - Celebrations

And before I go I'd like to share a picture of my gorgeous little boy with his older cousin, taken while we were out to lunch today. Thomas absolutely adores Edward and they play so nicely together.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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Truly Scrumptious #33

Good morning everyone. It's Truly Scrumptious challenge time and we have a fab sketch designed by Mina.

The optional extra challenge is to include some embossing somewhere on your card. I still don't feel my mojo has full returned but a bit of craft shopping at the weekend helped a bit!

I used one of the adorable Wild Rose Studio stamps 'Toby with Roses' that was in my latest DT package. The papers are from the Wild Rose Studio 'Spring Fling' collection. I love the bright colours in this pack - just perfect for summer cards. The glazed brad in the centre of the larger flower is also WRS and I used one of my new Spellbinder label dies for the sentiment. I did emboss the green card with a Cuttlebug folder but most of it ended up being hidden under the image and flower!

The rest of the DT have created some gorgeous cards and I hope you will be able to join in our challenge this time.

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Missing Mojo & Big Birthday Countdown!

I should have had a card to show you tonight but my mojo is well and truly missing. I coloured a Magnolia image which didn't look right at all and then I couldn't get my papers to 'work' with the layout so I've given up and turned to a large bar of Dairy Milk instead.

It could have something to do with the fact that one week from today I will turn 40! OMG - how did that happen? Turning 30 was absolutely fine, 40 I'm not too happy with. I do have a nice weekend planned though so that is something to look forward to (along with the wrinkles, more grey hairs etc).

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather and maybe I'll be able to make something half decent to show you tomorrow.

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Pink Gem New Release!

Yay, it's Friday and the weekend is nearly here. It's been another busy and tiring week in our house. Thomas has been a bit poorly so we've had a couple of disturbed nights sleep and I'm useless if I don't get at least 8 hours! I do wonder how on earth I managed during those newborn weeks!!

Pink Gem Designs is launching some new stamps today - they should be available from the website this evening. Here is a sneaky peak of one of the images:


How adorable is this little princess? I love the cute expression on her face. I've added some pearls to her crown and some stickles to her dress. The paper is BG and I've used my new MS round-the-page punch and Marianne flourish die.

The rest of the DT also have some sneaky peaks on their blogs so do go and have a look.

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Finally.... a card again!

Life has been so busy recently - some good, some bad. A friend of a friend who I met a few times sadly died last week. She was the same age as me and had a rare form of cancer which she had been fighting for several years. Her story made the national press after her PCT refused to fund the drugs she needed to extend her life, although they quickly reversed their decision once it made the headlines. Unfortunately she took a turn for the worse and passed peacefully last Tuesday. She leaves a husband and twin boys who are only 2. When something like this happens it makes me realise how much I take my own good health for granted and how fragile life can be.

On a positive note I have decided to leave my office job at the end of the year and concentrate on growing my Pilates business. I've booked myself onto a few courses to upgrade my qualifications and I'm spending lots of time learning how to market my classes and get my website working for me profitably! If everything goes well I might even find myself with more crafting time!!

Enough of my chat, here is my first card in just under a week. The lovely Christine kindly allowed me to ink up her new hAnglars before I sent them on to her - thanks so much!! This sweetie is coloured with distress inks. I've used a mixture of K & Co and Papermania papers, along with some gorgeous blooms from Wild Orchid Crafts. All the edges have been distressed and inked and I used a Martha Stewart punch for the bottom panel.

I'd like to enter this card into these challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Sketch, Papertake Weekly - Say it with Flowers, Spoon Full of Sugar - Cute and Girly, Totally Gorjuss - Round and round

Have a great week. I'll be back later in the week to celebrate the new Pink Gem stamps that are coming your way.

PS. Not sure what's happened with the formatting of this post, I can't seem to work out what's going on!

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Truly Scrumptious #32

It's Wednesday which means it's time for another Truly Scrumptious challenge. This week we have a sketch drawn by me;

The optional challenge this week is to omit the square card base and make a round card.


I received a Wild Rose Studio DT package at the weekend so I had to ink up this cutie "Buttercup in Meadow". He is coloured with distress inks and I added some faux stitching around the edge. The gorgeous 'Spring Fling' paper is also by Wild Rose Studio (list of stockists here).

Now I hate my Fiskars circle cutter; it slips when you are cutting with it but it's the only option I've got to cut larger circles and I had to use it for the three larger circles on this card. If anyone can recommend another circle cutting tool then I'd be very grateful!

The lovely Sandra Dry is sponsoring us this week and the winner will get to pick 6 individual digi images as their prize.

I look forward to seeing what you create with my sketch!

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A Gem of A Challenge #4

It's the weekend already! Don't you just love a short 4 day week?!

We have a new challenge for you over a A Gem of a Challenge and this month it was my turn to choose the challenge. I decided on a colour combination of pink, burgandy and green.

Janet sent me one of the new images to use for this card 'Chloe with Cat'. Isn't she adorable? She will be availalable from Pink Gem Designs early next week. I loved colouring her in and she is definitely my new favourite Pink Gem image.


I've used the sketch from this weeks Sketchy Colors challenge. Chloe is coloured with distress inks and I've created a 3D frame around her using nesties. The paper is Basic Grey Eva and the sentiment is Papermania. The lattice panel is cut with my Martha Stewart punch - currently my favourite tool! I hope you will join us this month.

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New baby card

This is a card for a very good friend of mine who is expecting a baby boy any time now. We met through ante natal classes and now a few of us from the same class meet up every Friday morning for coffee, cake and a good natter.


I got the inspiration for this card from Camilla's wonderful blog. It's been a long time since I made a card of this design and I really enjoyed doing something a little bit different. The paper is from Paper Salon and I've inked all the edges with Tumbled Glass distress ink.


All the flowers and the pearl sprays are from Wild Orchid Crafts and have been spritzed with glimmer mist. The insert has been stamped around the edges with Stempelglede stamps and Tumbled Glass ink.









I'm going to enter this into two challenges:

Cute Card Thursday: Boyz to Men (it's for a baby boy so hopefully that counts!)
Stampacular: Card for Mom (this is for a new mum)

I do love receiving all your comments so if you have a minute please let me know what you think.

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Wild Rose Studio DT & a few challenges

Brrrr... where did the mild weather go? I've just taken Benji for his evening walk and it's freezing outside! Our central heating has gone back on, as have the winter jumpers!!

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. We took Thomas to London to the Aquarium on Saturday. He loved the train ride up there and was fascinated by the fish. He even got to touch a starfish. We had lunch and an ice cream and a stroll along the South Bank which is always good fun. Unfortunately the weather for the rest of the weekend was awful so we had some quiet time at home and a trip to the soft play centre.

Onto my card and one of my gorgeous Wild Rose Studio DT stamps. I think this one is my favourite. I've used the latest Sketch & Stash layout and some very colourful Basic Grey Lemonade paper. I've had the flower in my drawer for a few years and was a freebie that came with a magazine.


I'd also like to enter this card for these challenges:

Stamp with Fun: Friend (I think the cat and butterfly look like they're friends!)
Sketch and Stash: Sketch and a neglected flower from my stash
Spoon Full of Sugar: Furry Friends
Truly Gorjuss: In Stitches

I hope to have another card to show you tomorrow.

PS. For all you hAnglar fans, there are some new kits available on ebay!!

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