? Well I dont quite know how this happened..........

Okay my last post had a lot of hits, and I would like to thank all of you who have been kind enough to leave messages. If you do know any of my family, please dont mention that post will you, as I made the mistake of admitting to FG that I had posted it, and ended up giving her a full explanation, which ended up  with me crying for quite some time, not because she was mean, but she asked questions that I didnt want to particularly look at! Its not something I have explained to family members as I dont feel they need to know, basically. Leave them in peace, without worry. Oh and the lady with 4 EDS children? Well lets put it this way........NOW School is listening!!!
While I was posting, and since, I have again been honoured by some lovely Ladies.  One is by a Lady I respect and admire, who has a cracking sense of humour, and if you have been to Craft shows here in the UK, you probably have seen her.........Well its very hard to miss her really!! She dresses as a Bee!
Deb  of  Debbees Cds, and Debbees Crafting Corner has awarded me the..............

 Which is rather Amazing really!!!

I like Debbees Cds anyway, and was lucky enough to win the Challenge for January, if you fancy a monthly challenge with everything provided for you, then I would suggest popping over Here. I won a CD of my choice which is what I have been Making my Easter cards from recently.
So to the Liebster Blog award has rules..........Easy ones, and nice ones!!
The rules say: "I must pass on the award to five other people, who's blogs have inspired me. 
It also needs to be someone who has less than 200 followers.
Put a comment on their blog, so that they know about it.
Link back to the person who gave me the award and thank them.
Post the award on my blog."

So now came the hard part.......who to pass the award onto? Some people whose blogs I like have tons of followers so that ruled them out. Only half the list to go, so how do you decide? After much umming and Ahing, I have chosen:

Sue at http://applejackcardsbysue.blogspot.com/

Crafty Womble at http://craftywomble.blogspot.com/

Irene at http://mycraftycorner-irene.blogspot.com/

Sam at http://hettiecraftcz.blogspot.com/

and finally but not last, Jo at http://jofirthyoung.blogspot.com/

Each of these ladies is very individual, and as you look through their blogs they have diverse Talents and abilities, truly inspirational, if I ever get round to coming out of my comfort zone! Ladies you do deserve this award, xxx

Another surprise which Gob smacked me was this award.....

Versatile Blogger Award

From the ever wonderful Linda Simpson, a very Talented lady who's work you will have unknowingly seen on Create and Craft, and at the Craft Shows.

This award comes with its own set of rules, and its own page, here are the rules:

"If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

•  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
•  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
•  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
•  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself."

Okay, so this was easier to do, as this award isnt limited  by size. Although looking through the list, I am surprised that I didnt pick some of them for the Liebster award!

So in no particular order, drum roll please......................................

Julia Dunnit: http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
Sue Wilson: http://particraft.blogspot.com/
Patsy: http://patsypat.blogspot.com/
Lady Jasmine: http://ljscrafts.blogspot.com/
Glenda: http://glendabrooks.blogspot.com/
Wendy : http://wickdyscreations.blogspot.com
Wendy: http://wendydychecreations.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth: http://silverscrappers.blogspot.com/
Cindy: http://thecraftyfrugalista.blogspot.com/
Kenzi: http://kraftyhugzz.blogspot.com/
Shendi and Jude: http://ditzy-craftymesschallengeblog.blogspot.com/
Maria: http://inkymits.blogspot.com/
Sue: http://craftinsuzie.blogspot.com/
Kate: http://downrightcrafty.blogspot.com/
Lee: http://craftyloops.blogspot.com/

So big round of applause for all these versatile inspirational crafters please.  Ladies I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your inspiration, and kindness.

Ok I have to go tell these 20 ladies what I have done, oops, but I really look forward to learning 7 things about each of them!!!

Crafty hugs guys, xxx

I have been really busy.........

You know when things just need to be done? So you do them, then your Camera packs up, as the batteries are flat because Middlest has taken the charger to College with him for 2 weeks, gggrrrrrrr! I was not a happy Bunny I can tell you!!
I have done LOADS of cards, but most of it is either for Challenges, or TOP SECRET Squirrel stuff, so cant be shown.....................but the Camera is home now so I have a couple of cards I can show.....

 These are from the Debbees Cd 26 Crosses, and again are Easter Cards. This one is using images and Backing paper from the Crosses 10 folder. I used the sheet of toppers, and backing paper to create a simple Waterfall card. The only Embellishments were some Yellow and Green Glitter on some red DST top and Bottom, and a piece of Yellow Organza ribbon  for the tag.












Another card from the same folder, and papers, but this time decoupaged, from the decoupage sheet.............

 I decided to use an Octagonal Easel shape for this card, and trimmed the papers to fit the top and base. The two papers are slightly different, the same design, but one is Kaleidoscoped, and one isnt. I decoupaged the Cross, from the sheet, and then mounted it onto some yellow base card to match the card Blank I had created. I added some tiny silver peel offs in each corner, in place of brads. I crossed some Yellow organza ribbon in an X shape, and then mounted the topper onto the card.I used a Large white Lily from a collection by The Glitter Girls, a couple of long leaves from some My Craft Studio Paper Flowers, and some Larger Cream Organza Ribbon for a bow, just peeking out under the Flower.

The base I again covered, and then mounted a small Plaque from the  remains of the Waterfall above onto some yellow card, and raised it with some foam tape. I placed some of the tiny peel offs in the corners of the Plaque so it co-ordinates perfectly with the Topper.. The banner across the cross has been glazed with Anita's 3D clear Gloss.

So you can see I havent Given up crafting lol, but I just can post what I have been up to just yet.......xxxx
While I'm on about Debbees Cds why not pop over to her Blog, and download the papers she puts up for every challenge and create a card of your own. The CD I have used for my Easter cards, was my choice of CD's for winning the January Challenge, such a generous lady, Thanks Deb, xxx

Easter Card

Well my camera has given up the ghost and died on me, as eldest son has not bought the charger home for 3 weeks, so now the cards are going to pile up on me again....... Okay Okay, I know I havent blogged for a few days and they were starting to pile up anyway, but I can still blame him cant I?

oooh, look at Blogger being fancy!!
This is from the CD I won from Debbees CDs Blog for my January entry to her competition. Its really easy to enter, as Debbee provides you with all the papers, and you just make a card from it, easy peasy, so pop over and have a go, you never know, you could be lucky and win one of her lovely CD's.
So I took the 26 Crosses CD, which is such a wonderful resource, for all occasions, but particularly those sympathy ones, and found a couple of Easter ones. This one I think is particularly lovely, greens and silvery white. I did one last week in a similar style from one of Debbees CD's and I like the effect it creates, and I have enough left to do a Waterfall card with as well. The backing paper is already Kaleidoscoped for you, you dont have to do anything other than click and print with these, and it was just a case of matting and layering the images onto some white card, which I edged with my new Fresh Meadow Promarker. I coloured some white organza ribbon with the same pen, and then crossed it in the bottom Left corner of the card.
I used the same pen to colour some supersmooth paper, before putting it into my Craft Robo, and cutting the fern leaves from it. I added a touch of Bundled Sage distress ink with a stippling brush for a bit of definition.
I made an Organza rose, Sue Wilson style, from a creamy white stripped satin/organza ribbon, and I like the whole composition.
One for church I think, and its not that far away either, Shrove Tuesday is next week, so only 42 days until the kids across the land are either off their heads on sugar rush, or throwing up from eating too much chocolate, Thank goodness I only have 2 left at home now-a-days!!!
But I think that means that I will have to get a shift on with making some cards for church..............

Til next time,

Oh and dont forget there's a Blog hop over at Addicted to Stamps, with loads of goodies up for grabs, xxx

Lou

More Debbees cards

Okay you may recall, that I won the Blog Challenge for Debbees CD's for January, you can find the latest papers and Challenge Here.
This time I used one of the CD's I already have and created these 2 cards from 2 backing papers, a stacker sheet, an Insert sheet and a topper sheet. They both measure 8x8".

The first one I took a sheet of A3 white card, and cut the backing papers diagonally. then trimmed the 2 shorter sides to 8x8". to create the front base of the 8x8" card. I used 3 strips of ribbon, one runs from corner to corner, and the other 2 cross in the bottom Left hand corner, and tied with a bow. I matted the central images diagonally from Top Left to Bottom right and added a few pearls to the centre of the Flowers. I used some Periwinkle Die Cut flowers from My Craft Studio to the Top right corner, and a touch of Yellow Glitter in the centre of each flower.

This next one I really like.  I used the Scraps from the first Card, some card stock, and a couple of small stackers from the stacker sheet. I also took the Insert sheet for this set, and added a stacker to the page Using MCS and one of the MCS punch effect tools.
I placed the insert in position first, having matted it onto some Navy Blue Pearlescent Card stock. Then scored the sides and folded over. Then I took the remnants from the backing papers, and marked the angles down the front of each side, and trimmed the card. I matted the papers onto some more Pearlescent Navy Blue card, and then mounted the panels onto the fronts of the Card. I still had a couple of bits left over, triangular in shape, so I trimmed and matted those onto the fronts, making sure that I swapped the 2 papers over to create a contrast, leaving the longest line unglued. I then took the 2 smallest stacker images, and cut them out, before mounting onto white and blue card, to create tags, I added contrasting ribbon, to each and inserted the tags into the pockets.

Hope you liked them as well,


xx

Lou