Wee Florist

 I am so late posting my DT card for Totally Papercrafts last week's challenge to use buttons!  My only excuse is that time ran away from me over the holiday weekend and the sun was shining for most of it!  It did poor down on Monday, but as I had to drive to Dunelm Mill in Truro to pick up Mum's soft furnishings, it didn't really matter.  Anyway, here is the card I made - the image is Wee Florist coloured with Copics and she has been sat on my desk for a while waiting to be finished off .. .. ..

And finally here is the card.  The base is a square kraft card with papers by Nitwits edged with Pumice Stone DI.  The diecut swirls and pretty mat circle are by Marianne design and I used the same circle die to add the row of embossed faux stitches to the edge of my image layer.  The buttons and butterflies are Nellies Choice, the stamped text is LOTV and to finish off I've added string and pearls.

As I've not had my pc on for days I've no idea if there's a challenge or two I could link up with - I'll have to browse around a bit.

CCT Tie it Up!

This week on Cute Card Thursday we want you to 'tie it up' and our sponsor for this challenge is the Pretty Little Ribbon Shop.

I had this odd shaped piece of card already in my stash, cut from Sahara Sand card by SU! with one edge shorter than the other.  I had thought about adding a border, but in the end kept it as it was with the ribbon to tie it up!  The patterned papers are by Nitwits and I embossed the edges with faux stitching before inking with Pumice Stone DI.  I had to have a play with my new Marianne dies so have cut the Anja's Vintage frame and Vintage Ornaments (2) as my decoration.  The butterflies and daisy flower are old friends, but Anja's leaves have only just joined my collection.

Here's the inside with a text stamped onto another Marianne die and the Marianne corners creating a holding spot for a gift voucher.

And the list of Marianne dies I used is:
Anja's Vintage frame LR0272
Anja's Vintage ornaments LR0270
Anja's leaves LR0226
daisy flower and fronds LR0106
butterflies LR0158
Inside frame LR0116
corners LR0143
embossed faux stitches created with LR0161

And the back is simply another of Anja's Vintage ornaments used to hold the ribbon in place.  I've inked the embossed areas on the die cuts with the same DI, although I forgot to ink the base layer on the front of the card to make the embossed dots stand out - next time!

As I've used quite a few of my Marianne dies for this creation, I can enter the Marianne's Design Divas challenge yet again .. ..

Baby card

Hello again!   I am still not able to get to my Copics and stamps to play, but I have managed to put together a little baby card with some freebie Nitwit papers that came from a magazine ages ago, and my new Marianne dies - I hope you will like it.  I started with a small C6 cream base card then cut a blue mat for the paper, edging the patterned layers with Sahara Sand Versamagic chalk ink to give a little more definition as well as to hide the white edge.  I used the same ink to highlight the embossed areas on my die cut flowers and leaves, then finished off with little pearls and a double bow blue organza ribbon.

And here's the inside, more of the same stripy paper this time turned horizontal with a polka dot star, more die cut swirls and flowers, and a text stamped onto a scrap of cream card I've edged with embossed faux stitches and the same ink.

The Marianne dies I've used for this card are:
Baby word LR0217
little flowers CR1210
leafy swirl sprays LR0271

I had a quick look down my blog listings for today and saw that the Creative Inspirations girls are playing bingo!  So, I can go with the ribbon, blue and polka dots row at the bottom, or the pearls, flowers and blue line vertically down the middle.

And the Marianne Design Divas challenge to get out your Marianne dies is still running, so I can enter again with them too.

Here at home things have been moving along steadily and Mum is now in her new room.  The furniture arrived this morning so she is busy sorting out what she wants to put where .. .. I still have to take her shopping for lampshades, curtains and a bed throw or duvet set but just at the moment I'm not so good.  I have another blood test this Friday (if they can find a vein that is) and next week I'm seeing a Dermatologist for the weird rash.  It seems that my immune system is in overdrive again and I'm suffering from hay fever, stomach problems (they think I might be gluten and/or diary intolerant if not fully fledged Coelic) and joints that stiffen up by mid afternoon - DH says if I was a horse they would shoot me!  My response was that I would be put out to grass and given a good long holiday somewhere warm and sunny - oh to be a horse!

Felt Owl

Hi there! still no cards to share with you as my stash is still out of bounds.  However, I did manage to retrieve my CB and balance it on a footstool to cut out the pieces of felt for this little owl.  I recently got the Marianne die set, COL1302, and the felt from a stand at the Stamp UK Cornwall show and convinced Jason to rummage in the loft for the bag of wadding .. .. ..

Now I am not the best stitcher in the world!  Many years ago I did quite a bit of embroidery but I seem to have lost the knack, so please don't look too closely.  I made up my little owl and gave it to DH to hang from his rear view mirror .. .. keeping an eye on him perhaps!

The Marianne Design Divas challenge is to use your Marianne dies, and I hope to join in again with a card before the challenge ends.  In addition to the Marianne Collectable Owl die set I've added a little piece of blue lace also by Marianne. Having seen the pretty bird and butterfly die sets I'm going to have to get them too .. .. maybe with practice my stitching will improve!

We are on the final push to get the painting finished in Mum's room so the carpet fitter can do his job on Monday - I have skirtings to undercoat today ready for gloss painting tomorrow .. .. not my favourite job and with the sun shining in Cornwall, I'd much rather be in the garden.

CANDY WINNER and what's up!

Many apologies for not being here to announce the winner of my candy.  There were 19 entries with Mr Linky - but as I've no idea how to get him to pick a winner I've shouted out to Jason to chose a number - and he chose #10 - that's DAISYCHAIN - congratulations! Send me an email (anniejuk@yahoo.com) with your address etc and I'll get the prize posted off to you.

And the reason for my absence - well I've had a little accident.  After a lovely day meeting up with friends in Bodmin at the Art Stamps Cornwall show (ages ago now it seems), and a beautifully sunny BH weekend, I was pottering in the garden on BH Monday and took a tumble.  My new neighbour heard my screams and dialled 999 thinking it was something serious - a lovely paramedic chap turned up and diagnosed two sprained ankles, severe bruising to my left knee which might indicate soft tissue damage .. ..? and lots of other bruises.  The following day I had to visit the Drs surgery for a routine BP check before I could get my repeat HRT prescription and I was worried as it had been high in the past and they said if it hadn't come down then I couldn't continue with my magic pills - well down it certainly has come - too low now so no wonder I've been feeling tired and dizzy a lot of the time!  And as for the rash - it's not what they thought it was, but the doctor has no idea what it is so I am having lots of blood tests and in the mean time have steroid cream .. .. ah well at least everything is free now I've reached the magical age of 60!  As soon as I'm feeling OK again I'll be back with you - I have new dies and stamps I'm longing to play with!