Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Surprize BONUS Challenge @ The Craft Pad

Evening all friends,

I know today I promised you my tutorial on my handmade flowers but ... 

I have something extra special instead! 
(And I promise next Wednesday you shall see my flowers :)

The Crafty Pad are holding a special  
BONUS challenge this week!

So ... What's the low down?

We want you to step to the tune and ... 
Alter a CD

Here's all the nitty gritty details.
*You are welcome to use any image you like (though we do love seeing those Crafty Pad images)
*You have TWO weeks to have your entries in.
*This challenge will run coinciding with the normal weekly Sunday challenge (this week it is Mother's Day so why not combine the both and enter the two?)
*You are welcome to enter as many times as you like, so long as it matches the theme.
This week I got up to altering my CD into a wall hanging for a very special little girl I know who has just got her own room.

My camera doesn't like glimmer mist and it has been raining since forever here therefore I could not go outside so please excuse my poor photos tonight :(




What's up for grabs???
A Jasmine flowers CD, some images from The Crafty Pad AND yes there is more!
A pack of Promarkers!




I've added a lot of 'bling' to this piece as every girl NEEDS her bling! All the details are pretty obvious so I won't ramble on tonight.  The fairy dust bottle has glitter and some pink flocking. 
And....
The ticket sentiment is a sneaky peaky for you! 
It is part of the fairy set from The Crafty Pad that is going to be released soon! Keep your eyes peeled for it as it is one set that you be add to the 'wish list'.

Monday, March 28, 2011

*NEW* The Crafty Pad Spring Changes!

Evening all blogger friends.

Have I got something to cool for school for you!

We all love a fresh new look, don't we...

Well then, you had better pop on over to not only  



BUT ALSO - yes there is more! 
(this is after all The Crafty Pad and lovely & talented Debbie Moore we are talking about)



What great new features are in store for you now ???

Well INSTANT Downloads for one! 
got to LOVE LOVE LOVE that - no more waiting for emails to be sent.

An easy to navigate menu with loads more specific categories!

Newsletter Subscription so you will never miss out on the latest challenge(s) or latest released images!

With the awesome new look I am staring to get that Spring feeling! 
Spring brings fresh ideas and I heard in the wind there is more surprises to come! 
I am not one to give out secrets but I am sure I heard something SWEET
Guess you will have to follow along with us to find out more *tease* :P

Remember this weeks challenge for 'Mothers Day' started yesterday and you have till 8pm GMT on Saturday to have those entries in! 
Wednesday is looking good for something really too cool for you all as well :P

See you at where???
at The Crafty Pad, where else is there!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

It's Mother Day! @ The Crafty Pad

Yahoo! It's another week gone and time for a new Challenge with .... 

This week the girls have all done an amazing job to inspire you all to play along with us. 

And this week .... we wanna see ...

Mothers Day!
This can be in a gift, card, tag or whatever you can think of that relates to Mothers Day!

Here is my interpretation on this weeks challenge - 

I made an adorable tea light holder box with a tag insert for my mum.





 Today I have also used a digital image from The Crafty Pad  colored with the usual watercolor pencils and it is called Gift For Mum and you can purchase it from HERE.  And again I have been playing with the Basic Grey Papers (So in love with them!) and I really love this ribbon, it is one of my favs!


So ... Wanna know what you could win if you play along with us this week?

3 Digital Images of your choice from Crafty Sentiments!
This site has some stunning images so worth having a peak at!
 Lucky for you the DT can not enter or I would be crafting aplenty this week to be in the draw :P

A quick recap on the rules for you all ... 
You have till Saturday 8pm GMT to get your entries in and you can play along as many times as you like so long as it fits with the challenge theme! 

And don't forget to check back at The Crafty Pad this Wednesday - I heard there is going to be a tutorial on handmade flowers.
(hint hint *just like the ones I use on my cards*)
 
Challenges I am entering with huge thanks to the girls at Feline Playful for making it all so easy!
 A Gem Of A Challenge - #17 Anything but Square
 Allsorts Challenge - #96 For a special lady
Basic Grey - Something Recycled - the tea-light candles are recycled from a glass gift set I received that Miss Chloe broke :(
Craft Your Days Away - #16 For Mum or a special lady
Crafty Emma - CES Challenge - #29 Die Cut Crazy 
Easy Craft Projects - #34 For mum 
Wee Memories - #49 Anything Goes
Card Makin Mamas - #17 Animals
Crafts 4 Eternity - R#12 Add something Hidden to your creation (1 of 3)
Frosted Designs - Reuse or re-purpose things around the house - The tea light candles
Fairy Tale - #11 Pink & Green
Phindy's Place - #49 All about animals
Simply Create - #40 Do it yourself
Art Impressions Stamps - #9 Water coloring (*)
Digi Doodle Shops Best - #52 Ribbon & bows
Dutch Dare - #105 Celebrations & a HOP
Craft and Me - #27 Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed - #4o 2 or more embellishments
Scrapbook Sisters - #28 Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Mothers Day/Girlie
Bearly Mine - #6 Mothers Day (1 of 1)
Karen Doodles - #55 More than 1 fold
Papertake Weekly - It's a mom thing
Tuesday Throwdown - #41 Anything but a card***EDIT*** Made TOP 3!
My Grafico - March Anything goes
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Rewind just 24!

Augh! Ever get those times when you are  having a bad day and just need to vent?
Well welcome to my day!

I am a rather grumpy girl today and it is in no way my fault. 
So lets try and find the lighter side of life with a somewhat funny story to start.
 In August last year, fortunately while hubby was home for once, our house was broken into by two young kids, both in their teens about 15 or 16.  They decided they were going to help themselves to our laptop that was sitting on the breakfast bar, thankfully plugged in around the phone, the pens and all the other junk that seems to amass there and my handbag :(

Before this particular evening I used to sleep like a log, so much so a bomb under my pillow would not wake me.  Hubby was on leave so he was being the night owl he tends to be, laying in bed watching you tube car videos or whatever men do with their iphones, when he heard a noise.  He thought it was Dylan, our Master 5, getting up to go to the toilet but after a few moments when no light came on, he luckily enough got curious and went to see.  Perhaps Dylan had decided to go back to bed (not a good thing if he woke up to go to the toilet).
 
So off down the hallway my dearest hubby went ... Now my darling husband likes to sleep naked and there really is no modesty in this house (I cannot remember the last time I got to pee alone, welcome to motherhood if you’re not already there!) So off hubby went down the hallway with the family jewels out and enjoying a midnight stroll, and when he got to the end and turned on the light Oh WOW ... He was so ever nicely greeted with the view of two young louts standing in the kitchen with my handbag over one of their shoulders and the other with the laptop under his arm.  I do not know what they thought of dearest naked hubby standing in the doorway.

Well hubby has a killer instinct so he naturally took chase yelling and screaming and waking me up with quite a fright.  With all the commotion I did not have a clue what was going on, I just knew someone was in our house and they were not meant to be and it had ticked hubby off and he was screaming about it!  (Surprisingly all three kids slept though it all!)  I naturally grabbed my Mr Wacky Pointy stick (I sleep with this baby tucked into my bed – call it my safety blanket especially when Ben is away – it’s hard enough to hurt, pointy enough to make you wince but not really deadly enough to kill if it was to be snatched from my hands while in use hitting someone if the need should ever arise)  

So off down the hallway Mr Wacky stick and I run, just in time to see my hubby’s cute glow moon white butt go jumping out the window!  Over to the window I run, and there goes his white naked butt again, this time over the side fence!  There is NO way I was going through that window out into the dark so at that point I ran to the front door, flicked on the lights and every other switch I passed along the way, grabbing the phone too.  Laptop was gone so I knew we had just been burgled and my handbag was nowhere in sight so it was not looking good for it either.

I don’t do running (my dear that would be exercise and I get enough of that with 3 kids) so I knew there was no point me following as I was sure whoever hubby was chasing was faster than Miss 2 year old and hence no point, and I still had to check on the kids so I could not go if I wanted to.

After checking on the kids I waited inside the front windows for hubby to return.  About 15 minutes later his naked form walked up the driveway, no laptop, no handbag :(  He went straight to the bedroom threw on a pair of shorts – thankfully he drove the car last and had the keys or they would have been in my bag, and he told me he had to come back and get clothes for if the police or neighbours herd, found or saw him, he would be the one getting arrested running around screaming like an crazy man totally naked in the middle of the night. Oh  SO TRUE!   I can understand how the kids found the momentum to run like the wind as I know if there was a naked man the size of my hubby running after me yelling and screaming I could outrun any man too! 

So he jumped in the car and decided to see if he could find them from where he lost sight of them.  I was left in charge of ringing the police which I did.  I decided I was going to check out exactly how they managed to get in the house and went over to the window.  On the floor in the dining room was the laptop power cord, my dining room table pushed into the wall through all the commotion, walking over to the window I saw the mouse just dangling on the sill and down on the grass was the laptop! Bonus! As back then I did not have an external hard drive and the laptop held every picture of the kids I had ever taken, birth you name it, the lot was on there!

I didn’t touch any of it, I left it all where it was (I watch movies! The police had to fingerprint it!)  I rang hubby at this point and told him the laptop was here but no sign of my handbag.  30 minutes after all the happened the police sniffer dog turned up (really impressed with how fast this guy was at arriving – I should mention as we spoke we was still putting his shoes and socks on, he had been woken because of our call – lol he was happy though he gets TRIPLE TIME pay rate for call outs! So there were no complaints on his end).  He and his mighty big and I will say scary dog took off on a scent. 

In the meantime, two hours after all this! The police finally showed up to take our statements and all that jazz.  They mainly spoke to Ben as he saw the kids and I didn’t, they showed him a set of flip cards with known offenders in the area and he picked out one.  They picked up the laptop and the flyscreen the louts had removed and placed them in the garage for the fingerprint guy who would come in the morning and then they left.  The sniffer dog man came back eventually and with my handbag, including all contents and my wallet, but sadly none of the cash that had been in it prior though.  Still... on the good side at least I did not have to go get a new licence and bank cards and go through all that trouble.  

The next morning the police came, fingerprinted the flyscreen, laptop and the window (oh what a mess to clean off, I still have black dust on my window I cannot get off) and somewhat rudely I think, we have never heard anything back from the police since.  I do know around that time a lot of houses where broken into in our area, but we have not heard a single thing back.  We have no clue if they even ever caught the (excuse my French) scumbags. 

So not long after hubby had to return to work and that meant returning to base and leaving me home alone with 3 kids again.  Until this happened I had never been afraid of the dark or sleeping alone, I was conscious and weary of the dark but not afraid.  I found myself up till the wee wee hours of the morning unable to sleep as I heard every creak, crack and noise my house made.  Each sound I would have to get up and investigate.  This went on for 3 months, until Ben came home for wrap at Christmas and when he was home oh boy did I sleep! It was good!

I think over this time my nerves settled back down as after he left again while I still do not sleep heavy I do now sleep and can easily go to bed just after sun down or with the kids! 

Well ... That was until last night.  I had a crafting night last night, getting together a few last minute things for class and was sitting in front of the telly in the dark hand stitching to the glow when a mighty crack came from outside at the side gate.  My gate is padlocked with a trick, so if you’re not aware of the padlock further down on it you don’t know it’s there.  It sounded like someone had just lifted the clasp and started walking before the gate had actually opened (we all do it and have done it, opened a door but walked to soon) well that really was the sound it made as I heard the bars still vibrate and rattle after the initial bang.  It was not soft enough to be a cat jumping the fence and it sure was not a dog.

So with pussy cat Master Romeo in my arms (hey at worst case I could throw the cat, he has claws and I didn’t have time to run to the bedroom and then to the front of the house, I had to make do with the tools I had at hand lol) we went bounding into the front room, quickly flicked on the light and opened the blinds with a mighty fast swipe.  Well, well.  What should I see but one teenage lout straddling my fence about to jump to the other side and his little mate face to face with me on the other side of the window and then a mighty big yell from him ‘run’. 

I have security lights at the front of the house (actually have them everywhere around the house since the break in 6 months ago) and until last weekend when my mother came over and cleaned my garden, especially the front one in which she took out all my prickly thorny Bogan villa, you could not get through the garden bed.  You had to come up the drive way and that would instantly set the lights off.   These two had managed to firstly get in the yard without setting the driveway lights off, then they must have nearly climbed the side fence to not set off the lights on the front house corner and then they stood safely under the motion sensor as they tried to open and then jump the gate.

Only problem for Mr still sitting on the fence was that his mate’s actions of doing the piss bolt had set the sensor off and it lit him up like a Christmas tree straddling my gate!  He quickly disembarked the way he came and took off like a bullet as well.  I don’t know what was scarier, the fact the I was actually brave enough to just pull back the blinds in one fowl swoop without peaking or these two kids shitting themselves seeing a woman in her sloppiest PJ’s holding a fluffy white fur ball (Oh so scary NOT). 
I of course rang the police but there really was not much they could do.  They actually had not broken in and stolen anything and the only fault they could charge them with, if they ever caught them was trespassing.  And they just reassured me that there have been a lot of reported thefts and sightings in the area of late – well that is just so comforting for me!

So ... Now my uneasiness is back! When I did eventually fall asleep last nigh, it was on the couch.  And then Master Dylan woke me a 3am with a mighty fright lol telling me to GO TO BED! So I think I got all of 4 hours sleep.  The girls were in school today so this morning I got the shopping I needed to get done before heading off to class and then off to pick Master Dylan up from school just in time before the bell rang.  I really did not have a chance to stop and take a breath, relax or a cat nap and by the time I picked up Dylan I was dead tired. 

So to just top my day and make it perfect ... I crashed the car :(
I swear I looked and the pole was not there. Okay it was there, I just thought I had heaps of room and was safe to reverse.  Also, I thought I was clear of the pole to reverse. It could have been worse I admit but still. Just perfect for the day I was having and an expense I really just don’t need.

 This is still a good part of the day ... I had to tell hubby yet.  




 He is hmmmm understatement a car fanatic! Surprisingly he has taken it well. I had to email him pictures of it from every angle possible though! There will be some bodywork to do I think, he is going to assess it when he comes home next, in the meantime I just have to replace the light which I am hopping my dear little brother will offer his hand at for a trade off for some chocolate spiders!

Don’t you hate when you get yourself into a routine and have things going perfectly and then *poof* the world turns itself upside down and you find yourself on your head again.  

 I really wish I could hit the rewind 24 hour button right about now!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The 3 B’s


Butterfly’s , Blooms and a Ballerina

 Today I would like to share with you something very special I made to swap with the darling Ms Ali over at Aqualeiga’s Escape.   If you have not peaked at her blog ... You do not know what you are missing!

I have fallen in love with her Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Card ATC’s that you can have a peak at HERE and her lush butterfly’s you see floating around in many of her gorgeous cards like the one HERE.    

The every so nice Ms Ali and I came to a swap agreement that she would make me some Strawberry Shortcake Recipe ATC’s and send me some of her lush butterfly’s and I in return would make something to surprise her!

Seeing as the swap is for some butterfly’s, Mojo thought we would return the favor.  And with extra secret intelligence that Ms Ali loves lilac and lemon ... Mojo and I crafted this for her...

An altered tin in lilac and lemon ...

On the top there is a lilac dressed Ballerina figure sitting amongst a yellow field of handmade lilac blooms and glittered butterfly’s.

But this is no ordinary tin!
This tin is brimming with butterfly’s & blooms on the inside too!

Inside I have added –
20 x Butterfly borders - punched in assorted colors of purple and yellow
1 x box of butterfly's - from the punch borders
12 x Purple blooms - Spritzed with pearl white mist, but I left the centres blank so Ms Ali could add a pearl if she would like
  4 x Fancy scallops in DP - 2 x large, 1 x med & 1 x Small






 On the underside of the lid I have added the round Daisy Chain of Summer Sentiment – available from The Crafty Pad HERE.  I bling-ed up the flowers with some jewels and again added some purple glittered butterfly’s to continue the theme.

And once Ms Ali has used all the stash inside, it will make a perfect tin to sit on her desk or dresser that she can fill again with other bits and bobs.


 I will add though that I am in a terrible pickle with my Miss Chloe (3) as I am so nasty and cruel a person to even contemplate boxing butterflies!  Ali has however promised me that she will release them once they safely reach her care and Miss Chloe is content with that knowledge at the moment :P

I can see many of these tins being made come Christmas time for gifts for all my crafty friends!

If you would like to see how I made the adorable blooms on the lid of the tin and used inside the tin for stash, stay tuned to this blog for a tutorial that I heard a little bird told me would be posted next Wednesday :P

Happy crafting folks!
 
Challenges Ms Ali's tin is entering: 
Craft Your Passion -#50 Show your apprechation
Creative Craft Friends - #21 Spring  
Die Cut Dream - #85 Mothers Day or Special friend - Special friend for this creation
Happileigh Scrappin' - #15 Spring has sprung
House of Gilli - Pastel colors with bling
Make It Monday - #29 Anything goes 
Ohh La La - #76 Mothers Day or Special friend - Special friend for this creation
The Shabby Tea Room - #54 Bingo  - Punch / Die Cuts, Flowers & Gems
Stamp With Fun - #103 Spring
Stamping Scrapping - Pastel Challenge (1 of 1)
Card Cupids - #17 Spring 
I Did It Creations - Welcome Spring
Stampin' Sisters In Christ - Something hidden from view - The contents of the tin
A Gem Of A Challenge - #17 Anything but square
Craft Your Days Away - #16 For Mum or special lady 
Our Creative Corner - Don't Throw That Away - The tin once had lollies in it
Secret Crafter - #126 Anything but a card
Delicious Doodles - #17 Dimensional project (2 of 3)
Paper Cutz - #83 Your choice
Stampin With The Dragon - Bring on Spring
Wags 'n' Whiskers - #50 Spring
Digi Doodles Shop's Best - #51 Anything goes
Sassy Studio - Make Your Own Embellishments
Some Odd Girl - Think Spring
My Grafic - March Anything goes
DZ Doodles - Photo Inspiration of the yellow and purple tulips - (GD)
Papertake Weekly -  It's a mom thing or just be girly
Tuesday Morning Sketches - #86 KIDS - Keep it delightfully simple with a kids theme 
Tuesday Throwdown - #41 Anything but a card

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A TCP too easy challenge - Use a digi

Woo Hoo ! It's another Sunday gone so that means .... 
... OMG Christmas is another week closer 
(thanks for the reminder lol) 
BUT ALSO A new challenge with The Crafty Pad !


This week we can not make it any easier for you ... 

We want you to 
USE A DIGI - Image or sentiment ! 
Now really ...  there is nothing more simple than this!

What are you in the chance for if you play along ???

 A Joanna Sheen £10.00 gift voucher for her shop and she has some really really NICE stuff! 

So ... Where did my creative juices go this week ??? 

Hmm here is a sneaky peaky :P 

Understatement of the year ... I got hand stitching crazy! 
Surprisingly this was extremely therapeutic to me this week.

My dearest Nana was on my mind and it just keep on floating back to the days she and I used to sit and natter.  She would be hand making my dresses and I would be right beside her sewing a matching dress for my dolly.  Sadly the angels took her to join them in 1989; but it is days like this that she floats into my mind that I still treasure her presence with me. 

As Nana so loved her cuppa tea and her garden; my mind went to crafting a tea satchel card and a paper watering-can with an added good handful of peanut m&m chocolates wrapped in cellophane.









 
There is not much to this card but Nana always said it was about the details. All the DP has a hand sewn border, including the watering-can, I added some lace, the flowers I have made by hand and I added a touch of pearls with the posh pins in the ribbon bow on the front and as flower centers on the flowers.  The image is The Crafty Pad - Girl In Window - that you can purchase from HERE.  On the card front I have edited out the window and paper pierced her and the same on the watering can though I have edited out all bar the flowers from the image.  The ticket is a very beautiful sentiment, also from The Crafty Pad called Laugh With the Sun Ticket and I have carried the hand stitching through on this piece as well.

I really enjoyed making this and I love the finished result (lol can't you tell from all the pics :)  And while I only usually hand-stitch once in a while now days I think Nana would be proud of my effort today, so much so that I am going to give this little beauty to Granny (Nana's daughter) for Mother's Day.
 
Challenges this creation is entering
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge -  #4 Back to nature (2/2)
Craft Ann's Challenge Blog - #36 Sketch and or Spring - I went with spring
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - #74 Mothers Day (1/1)
Delicious Doodles - #17 Dimensional Project 
Mami Doodles - #22 Celebrate Spring
Paper Cutz - #83 Your Choice
Phindy's Place - #47 Hot Stuff / Warm Colors / Sunshine
The Res-Q Challenge - Be like a surgeon - fancy tied ribbon, sewing & stitching
The Stamp Man - #18 Mothers Day / Floral Theme (1/1)
Stamp Something - Something Sweet (1/1)
Stampin' for the Weekend - #6 For Mothers Day (1/1)
Stampin with the Dragon - Bring on Spring
Wags 'n' Whiskers - #50 Spring
C.R.A.F.T.  - #94 Paper piecing
Charisma Carz - Use Die Cuts (2/3)
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - #51 Anything goes
Do You Stack Up - #11 Add a Bow (2/3)
Sassy Studio Designs - #64 Make your own embellishments
Shelly's Images - Show us what you got 
Some Odd Girl -  Think Spring
Crafty Creations -  #110 Mothers Day
Creative Cottage - #35 Spring has sprung
Scrapbook Sisters - #27 Spring flowers
By The Cute & Girly - Springtime
My Grafico - March Anything goes
Sundays With Crissy - #15 Stitching (2/3)
Bearly-Mine - Mothers Day (1/1)
Creative Craft Challenges - Lace (2/3)
Going grey with Scrap-Creations - Anything goes (2/2)
Sweet Stamps - #6 Think Spring (1/1)
Try It On Tuesday - Chocolate therapy - M&Ms as in the cellophane wrap in the watering can
Tuesday Throwdown - #40 Lace
Die Cut Dreams - #85 Mothers Day or Special Friend
Karens Doodles - Spring
Woodware USA Clear Stamps - Spring is coming
Craft Your Days Away - For Mum or a special lady
* Easy Craft Projects - For Mum
Stamping Vacation - Clean and Simple - Flowers
Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything goes (2/2)
I Did It Creations - Spring