UK Art Raffle

This the project I made for my entry for Septembers theme of 'Wings' on the UK Art Raffle. I decopatched the frame and then used some glittery butterfly rubons, one of them directly on to acetate, to allow it to stand proud from the frame .... Have you joined yet? It's really lots of fun and each month you have a chance to win loads of fantastic hand crafted items. Just look at everything in the picture that one member won this month. It's completely non obligatory, meaning if you want to skip a month or two or three, no problem, you just don't get entered in for that months raffle! Hope on over to UK ART Raffle to find out more!

Another Homophone ATC

I am loving the consept of Homophones

{words that sound the same, but have different meanings}
I have used Rain, Rein Reign for this ATC

CB & Arty Girlz Challenge #53

The Arty Girlz Challenge this week we were asked to make something in the theme of 'Autumn'My project is an ATC

I have used a mixture of paper leaves, skeleton leaves and fabric leaves, various inks, woollen fibres and accent beads!

I've also used this ATC as my entry for the Numbers challenge over on the

Crafts Beautiful forum

TMTA Challenge

Here is my ATC for this weeks challenge over on TMTA

Where we were asked to create Homophones!!!

Nope, I initially didn't know what it was either?

But, it's when you use a words that sound the same, but have different spellings/ meanings.

Mine combines Sea & See

My pick of the blog candy!

Check out what Beth has on offer, it's lovely stash and ends on 5th of October!!!

and

If you love donkeys, then hop on over to see what Michelle has up for grabs, hers ends on October 8th!!

Happy Birthday Arty Girlz

This is my belated entry for last weeks challenge ~ Birthday ~

All cards made using Septembers ScrapaGoGo kit!

Another of my September DT makes!

I had so much fun making this little bag, I used plain card stock and stamped it all over with a pink ink, so that it just gave a hint of pattern to the design. I then used strips of patterned paper to make some paper beads for the handle. Used a cute brad to imitate the closure and drew faux stitching to finish!
This is definately something that I will make again, they would make excellent gift boxes for jewelry, chocolates etc. for giving token gifts!

This LO is of DS#3 taken a couple months back while I was down in Dorset visiting my parents. In a corner of the car park at Westbay, there are a couple of railway carriages that are now a restaurant. They are sitting on some disused rail track, Steve ever the joker and just back from his honeymoon, decided to lay down on the track saying "Help, I'm a married man"

I guess you had to be there to appreciate the joke, but we did all laugh!
This is my wonderful sister and her family, taken earlier in the year. I have missed watching my nephews growing up, because they live in Geelong, just outside Melbourne Australia. Although she has lived out there for about 10 years, I still miss her very much!

Both of these LO's were created with ScrapaGoGo's September kit, but I haven't been able to reveal them til now

Here is the what I am working on right now!

Here are some peeks of the gorgeous 'Over The Moon' kit, which is ScrapaGoGo's kit for October. It looks good in photos but my word, it's even better in real life and so touchy feely, there are just so many different elements to work with. Soft, plush velvet ribbon, printed acetate overlays, the latest line in Core dination cardstock, crepe paper ribbons, papers and thats not mentioning the buttons, felt flowers, journaling labels and chipboard mini book.

This really is a special kit and the first of many to come straight from CHA!

I've been tagged... I guess there's a first time for everything!

Jennie has tagged me, so now I'm it!!! I've never done this before, but here goes.

Here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Ok so you want to know a little bit about me:


1. I gave birth to twin sons at the tender age of 16yrs old {yes, you did read that right, I am now a proud mum to 4 sons & 5 grandkids}

2. I walk with the use of a stick, due to an arthritic condition of my spine

3. My 1st LO ever published was in a U.S Tattoo magazine {hmmm go figure that one} LOL

4. I am qualified in Swedish massage, but never practiced

5. I love to watch and read all things about forensic science

6. I once listened to Aker Bilke playing 'strangers on the shore' on his clarinet live, while washing dishes outside a catering tent at midnight LOL

7. I haven't smoked a cigarette in more than 10 years....

Now I'm tagging these amazing women:

Ramsey
Leona
Janice
Carolann
Suz

I have been busy working on Octobers ScrapaGoGo DT kit..............So it's gonna be quite a while before I can reveal any of them, in the mean time here are a couple of sneeky peeks of a couple of the Designs I created with the September kit.
I will disclose the them and more projects in a few days time.

Basic Grey Challenge #2 and Pieces of Eight

I made this set of ATCs, I have chosen to call the series "Pieces of Eight" as you can see they are on a treasure map theme and each ATC has the edition of an altered piece of jigsaw puzzle. Each puzzle piece is covered with Basic Grey's Blitzen & Vagabond Collection, then stamped with an oyster shell and cabouchon added. I really do need these Basic Grey challenges to actually get me using my BG paper stash LOL

I am also using these for my entry on TGIF

These are available for swapping and can be found over on my

ATC Swap Lounge

Where Were You When?

Where were you, when the world stopped turning that September day?

Out in the yard with your wife and children

Working on some stage in LA

Did you stand there in shock at the site of

That black smoke rising against that blue sky

Did you shout out in anger

In fear for your neighbour

Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children

Who lost their dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don't know

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride

For the red white and blue

The heroes who died just doing what they do

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political man

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love.

Where were you, when the world stopped turning that September day?

Teaching a class full of innocent children

Driving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone

Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her

Did you dust off that bible at home

Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages

Speak with some stranger on the street

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow

Go out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching

And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger

Stand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is loveI'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political manI watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love

The greatest is love

The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

song and lyrics by Alan Jackson

2 challenges with this card!

Do you love Basic Grey? if the answer is yes, then you must hope over to the

Basic Grey challenge blog.

The first challenge is to use 'Buttons' on your design.

Here is the card I made this afternoon for the challenge. I used the weekly sketch set in the common room blog for SBS#21. I have used Sugar Plum & Pear from the 'Blitzen' collection, along with Corrugated from the 'Vagabond' collection, both collections are Basic Grey! The Pearl in the Oyster stamp is by Inkadinkadoo.......

Think Monday - Think ATC Challenge

Dance to my tune!

I sat and had peaceful afternoon croping images out of magazines today, great fun it was too. Why? because it's a fantastic way to get great pictures for collage work and ATCs. I personally don't buy them, but a neighbour across the way saves hers for me, so I guess you could call it recycling LOL

I created the above ATC for the challenge over on TMTAC where this week the keyword is

DANCE

A few quick cards

I made these cards while at my craft group yesterday, they were quick & easy to make, as well as using up odd scraps too!

Over on Auntys Forum, I have been asked to set the monthly challenge for September, so I have asked the members to make cards using Rings and/or Circles. I have to say though that these are not my own designs, I got them while at the Warrington crop in August!

I did make these cards though LOL

Poor lighting today so please excuse the standard of the photographs!

Plee to turn off word verification

There is an anti word verification campaign on the go at the moment & have to say that I'm right behind it especially as I love to blog hop. Also, as I take part in challenges & love to visit other bloggers that have taken part. Sometimes there will be up to 60 blogs a day, now that is an aweful lot when the word verification slows me down!
Word Verification is such a hindrance, but perhaps some people don't realise it is turned on! This said, it's very simple to turn it off & if your on comment moderation, it's not needed anyways, because you can then pick up possible spammers or robots at source....
Here are some comments backing the campaign:
First of all Julie campaigned in April, this is what she had to say on the subject:
Is this necessary?Why do you enable word verifiction?I can't read these. I can't. Call me challenged, stupid, an ass, whatever you want...but I'll be honest. I can't read them. I'm done straining my eyes.Are you afraid of spam? Spam comments? Help your readers. I'm sure everyone would rather you enable moderated comments before word verification. A little spam never hurt anyone, anyway..you can delete it just as easily as the robot sends it to you.
Chris has been continually campaigning and here is what she has to say:
ARGUMENTS AGAINST WORD VERIFICATION
Everyone will have their own view, but in my case, I regard the removal of word verification as a basic courtesy to my visitors who are kind enough to take the time to leave comments. Being aware of their comments through comment moderation, but not hindering them with word verification is the very least I can do to reciprocate their courtesy to me.The problem with word verification is that it takes too long. The characters are very often hard to decipher, and it’s frustrating when you get them wrong and have to re-enter the little suckers!So this campaign is on behalf of busy bloggers. Please spare a thought for the poor bloggers who work so hard at getting round as many blogs as possible to leave sprinkles of blessing and good vibes wherever they go. The terrible proliferation of this awful plague of word verification is a blight on their efforts to make the Land of Blog a cheerier place.I think most people don't realise that they have word verification on their blogs by default, or how easy it is to switch it off, and perhaps not realising how annoying it is for other bloggers. Either that, or they’re under the misapprehension that they will be bombarded with spam messages. This is not the case. I’ve had mine switched off now for three of the four months that I’ve been blogging, and have had two spam comments. The responses I’ve had from other bloggers to my earlier posts on this topic back this up. (You can see the comments in response to my previous post on this subject, HERE.)For safety’s sake, have comment moderation on for sure, but please consider canceling word verification on your blog. Maybe for a trial period, and see how you get on.Unless there are thousands of comments being left, comment moderation shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the blog owner, and other bloggers will also be more inclined to leave comments if they can see that you don’t use word verification.However, each to their own, and if you disagree with me, that’s cool. It's your blog after all said & done...........but if we don't ask we don't get LOL

OK.. rant over. If you have read all the way to the end, thank you for putting up with it, and ~ obviously ~ do what you wish on your blogs, but I had to say something. I love to get around and leave comments, but word verification spoils the experience.Of course, when I get my new job, all this will be academic to me, as I will then have a life, and I won't have time for much blog-hopping!! Not that blog-hoppers need to get a life.. Errr... think I'll stop digging now, before I get into REAL trouble!! lol ;o)

Very eloquently put Chris....I think you may have got away with it LOL

Not your average ducks!

Gill over on UKS started a swap of a different kind, don't ask me how she came up with this idea, but it certainly was fun to take part in. We were all to get hold of 3 rubber ducks and alter them, give them a name and then send them to her to swap around, so I will get 3 different altered ducks back LOL

So looking at the picture from left to right I have created:

Duckling ~ complete with sequin & bead dummy/soother

Punkie Duck ~ complete with feathers
Daily News Duck

They have all been DecoPatched and all have tiny crystals added too!
This is also my take on this weeks Arty Girlz challenge, where we were asked to alter something. Would you believe that today see's the 50th Challenge this week *phew* how time escapes us when we are deep in crafting time!

Always loved this Photo

I have always loved this photograph of my youngest son, it goes back some years though. He was around 6 or 7yrs old when it was taken & he is going on 26yrs old now.......Just where do those years go?? The photo was taken at the bottom of the garden of our family home where all my sons grew up. I remember the day I took the picture, I remember the sweet, kinda mucky smell of the cows, and hearing them snuffling & munching.
My son loved them, I did too but sadly just a couple of years after this picture was taken the old farmer that owned the land died. His son inherited the land & within another year after that he sold it & the builders moved in. All too soon our idllic view was replaced by a housing estate & instead of looking out over the fields & distant hills, there were houses so close to the bottom of our garden, that we could actually see the pattern on the residents curtains!!

I have used left over scraps of MM's 5th Avenue papers, plus Thickers & the Riff Raff chipboard tree from various past ScrapaGoGo kits!

I was prompted to create this LO today, while chatting online with my good friend Sarah, we were both saying we were finding it hard to create anything just lately, so we set ourselves a challenge. We saw the sketch for this LO on the front page of UKS & promised that we would both do the sketch today. Pop over to Sarah's blog & have a look at her version too!

I am also using this LO as my entry for the Arty Girlz Challenge #49 'Summer'