Shiny new toy

My lovely new I-pod Nano arrived yesterday and I love it.  Yes, it's red!!  I told you I was in a red phase at the moment.  It's only about an inch and a half square, so teeny tiny.



I even had my name put on it.

So with a happy smile on my face, as my necks so much better, I've made a couple of cards from this months Scrap-a-gogo Greetings Kit.

This one was inspired by challenges at:

CPS - sketch #184

The Shabby Tea Room - fresh living

This one was inspired by the challenge at

Waltzing Mouse - sketch #14 - but I was too late to enter it, oh well, I still like the card!

We're off to a wedding tomorrow, so I'll be back on Saturday with some exciting news.

xxx

I love my hairdresser

I've been to the hairdressers tonight, a good job as my fringe was becoming more of a curtain that anything else!  As I got there I realised I was starving as I'd had no lunch!  So Kay's Mum who owns the shop only went and made me crumpets with jam on along with a cup of coffee.  How's that for service.  As always Kay did a great job, a little bit shorter again at the back and made me laugh lots too!  She says she'll talk me into getting it razored yet!!

As for dinner tonight, I've found a new Slimming World recipe this week.  In the meals for a fiver book - thanks JP.  So here is pork and thyme meatballs in a roasted vegetable sauce, served with linguine.  Totally yummy and even better, it's freezable - not that there's any left!

No dessert tonight but a little treat of some card making, only one card but it's ever so cute and inspired by challenges at:

A Spoonful of Sugar - sketch challenge

Cupcake Craft - Lace

Charisma Cardz - Easel Card

My Time to Craft - Farm Fever - my little sheep who lives on a very pink farm!!

Penny Black at Allsorts - Glitter & Glitz - I promise the patterned cardstock is very glittery and all those pearls add a little more glitz.
Creative Card Crew - Cute & girlie

Thanks for popping by, it really does make my day.

xxx

Loving Life

How should  a Saturday morning start - with a bacon buttie and a cup (well a mug - I'm Northern!) of coffee in bed - bliss.  Follow that with a Ginger adventure and the weekend is off to a cracking start.  The adventure today was a walk I've been meaning to to for a while.  So I got Steve to drop me off at Daisy Nook on his way to cricket and I walked from there to Park Bridge (great visitors centre and a very helpful warden)and then back towards Hartshead Pike. 

On the way from Daisy Nook to Park Bridge

Park Bridge

With my steps done it was time to settle down to some crafting.

One of my aims is to enjoy every day and to share that with other people I meet, as you never know what's just around the corner.  This week I heard about a fellow blogger and crafter, Michelle, that's had a terrible accident which has meant she's lost an eye.  Her friends have organised a card drive for and as she loves donkeys, I used this lovely little donkey digi download that was designed just for her to make this card.  I was inspired by the challenges at:

A Spoonful of Sugar - sending donkey smiles

Meljen's Designs - circles galore - with little donkey in a circle and the dotty paper I think that's plenty of circles.

I decided to have a play with another of my Patchwork Polly stamps.  This is the ever so cute Chloe, looking like butter wouldn't melt.  The patchwork squares were made my stamping onto Basic Grey Kioshi patterned paper and then adding further details with my Copic pens and then all softened with some antique linen distress ink blended over the top.

This card was inspired by the challenges at:

My Time to Craft - angelic
Sweet Stampin Challenge - things with wings

So I've had my play day today, which means it's homework day tomorrow!

xxx

Happy Birthday Joanna

OK I know it's a bit early as my sister's birthday isn't until Saturday but seeing as my birthday went on for an extended period I thought we'd start early for hers, especially as I won't see her for her actual birthday.  So to celebrate we went out for an early dinner at La Boheme in Lymm.  We were looking for somewhere nice to eat somewhere about half way between where we both live and found this gem.
It was a great menu and we weren't disappointed, the food was fabulous and the service was professional, friendly and fun.  So for all those foodies here's what I had:

A kir royale to start

The taster plate

For a starter

Gratin De Fruits De Mer Maison

Fresh king scallops, king prawns tails & mussels, bound in a leek & dill mornay, topped with bread-crumbs & oven baked until gratinated

For main

Magret Aux Deux Saveurs

Gressingham duck breast roasted to pink, served on miette potatoes flavoured with Savoy cabbage, oregano, parsley, white onion marmalade & sun-dried tomatoes, dressed with a tangy green peppercorn & orange sauce

For dessert

Strawberry Trio

Strawberry soup. strawberry ice cream in a sweet pastry basket and a mini mille feuille

We were good and shared the pudding!

We went for dinner early which was great as I had some bits I had to do once I got home.  So whilst I had my craft stuff out I made this card for the challenge at:
The Pink Elephant - colour challenge - pink and black
I've left it without  message so that it can be used for any occassion.

  
I hope you've had a lovely evening.
xxx

Just the one

I'm still trying to catch up from having a day off last week and being out for a day.  A three day week sounds like a good idea until you have the work for five days and a bit more to fit into it.

Having a bit of me time still matters though and here a little card I made tonight.  It was inspired by challenges at:

Meljen's Designs - sparkle, glitter and bling.  There's glitter on the patterned paper, the stamped image and even the white flowers, plus there's gems at the bottom

The Pink Elephant - sketch challenge

Peny Black Saturday Challenge - sketch challenge

The Penny Black stamp image has been coloured with Copic Ciao markers.  The paper is DCWV and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I must get an early night, one of these days!

xxx

I'm so lucky

I often feel lucky to have the life I have and today is yet another one of those days.  I've spent the weekend with four fabulous friends and then came home to a totally amazing gift from another very special friend.  Jaffers sent me this tiny little bottle, it's less than and inch and a half tall and inside it she's written the words to "I want to marry a lighthouse keeper" and coiled them up to fit them in.  She's truly amazing, totally talented and has brought the biggest grin to my face.  Love ya xxx

So although I've had a whole weekend to craft I still sat and made a card when I got home.  Well when someone sends you such a beautiful gift you have to make a card to thank them.

This card was inspired by challenges at:

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - include a quote

Card Patterns - sketch 68

I'm never really sure the best way to photograph a gate fold card.  They always seem to look odd.  The stamp is one I've had for a long time and I'm just loving little flowers right now and the majority of these were from Wild Orchid Crafts.

TV Tuesday

I love the TV on a Tuesday.  Holby City followed by a night of CSI, what more could this girl ask for?  Something nice to eat of course.  So what was on the menu tonight?  My favourite go to recipe of the moment, creamy linguine with lemon and olives.  It's a fabulous Slimming World recipe that heats up well the next day too.

So whilst watching TV - a little crafting of course.

This first card was inspired by challenges at:

One Stop Craft Challenges - make your own designer paper

Card Positioning Systems - sketch challenge

Tuesday Taggers - all that blooms

A Spoonful of Sugar - Floral delight

I loved making my own patterned paper for this card with my Papertey Ink stamps.  How cute are those flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts - beware if you go shopping there, you'll be spoilt for choice!

This second card was inspired by challenges at:

The Pink Elephant - recipe challenge - the colour red, scallops and a bow

My Time to Craft - Xtra special - it's going to a friend to let them know how special they are.

I love this little scalloped card.  The stamp and the papers were from a Scrap-a-gogo greetings kit.  They're fabulous little kits that let you try a little bit of all the new papers and bits and pieces.  As it's rained here all day the little umbrolley is just the perfect image!

I hope you're week is going well and that the rain didn't get you too wet today.

xxx