now thats what I call a smile...

Good morning everyone are you having a fab weekend?...we are having a family day today everyone for Sunday lunch and my homemade cheesecake for dessert, Phil's making the lunch though...ooohhhh I love Sunday lunch even more when I don't have to cook it lol...yesterday was a shopping for lunch day then I went for a haircut for going away to save my poor Dad having to look at my busted sofa hair across the breakfast table...how mad am I atm I forgot to post this card I made for Saturday so had to post it today instead...I'm sure my memory is getting worse you know...there must a hole behind my ear where as soon as thoughts go in they dribble out I think...bit messy but a good explanation for losing the plot lol...oooohhhh and you wont believe what we saw for sale in our local garage on our way home yesterday, selection boxes for Christmas...I know shock horror its only August for goodness sake...isn't that ridiculous...right now onto my yesterdays card for today, that will confuse you lol...this stunner is another of the pencil drawing digis from where else but Mo's Digital Pencil...this is the stunning Girly Girl Candy...look at that beaming face and that amazing smile isn't she gorgeous...I chose to colour her fair skinned and used my usual distress inks, Im loving these pencil drawing arent you the soft look of them is fantastic for colouring...the beautiful papers I chose to go with her are from the Prima - Printery 6x6 paper pad I bought ages and ages and ages ago from Bunny Zoe's Crafts and forgot all about, can you tell I found a box with loads of long forgotten pads in it...I added some buttons and a lush cream satin bow and finished with a Prima flower...I  really like the old fashioned faded look of these papers and digi together don't you...the fab sketch is from the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge and I'm also entering it for the Crafty Ribbons Challenge and the Sister Act Card Challenge too...right I'm off to whip up some cream and cream cheese into something hopefully delicious...whatever your up to today I hope you have a wonderful Sunday
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar

hair - antique linen

dress and ribbons - iced sugar, antique linen, pumice stone

shoes - black soot

shading - pumice stone

at long last...

Good morning everyone what you all up too this weekend...anything special?...oh before anything else a huge massive thank you to Allison you are a genius and reminded me it was all about the dpi, so thanks to you my photos are loads better...well I think they are anyway lol...I wish you would leave me a link to your blog Allison so I can thank you properly...I don't think our poor little garden is going to recover you know, I have chopped, watered, fed and gave it as much love as possible but I'm obviously either doing something wrong or I was sitting swinging looking at the poor pots when it hit me, could it be that the deck is in a really sheltered hot spot and the plants are just not right for it...maybe I need to look for something that will flourish in dry heat for the future...what do you think, all you gardeners out there might be able to give me some suggestions for the future...my gorgeous Sister and family are coming to stay at my Dads this weekend as its my beautiful little Nieces birthday...I cant wait to see the kids they seem to change daily when they are growing don't they and I never get to see them enough atm...oh and before I forget I got my MRI scan date, 7th September...so another thing ticked of my list lol...right now onto my card for today...this image made me smile so much when I was using it...now all together now who on earth could have drawn this little sweetie?....er....could it be Mo from Mo's Digital Pencil, now who else could draw this...although this is the male version of the royal babies she drew, The Royal He, I printed the wrong one and decided to use him as a girl anyway, oops lol, oh and btw Mo's Digital Pencil is having a huge 20% off sale atm so pop on by and grab a bargain...I coloured him with distress inks and glittered the fur and added a few pearls to the fab crown...how perfect are these amazing papers?...they are from one of my new pads I bought from Bunny Zoe's Crafts, this one is the Kaisercraft - Bundle of Joy 6.5"x6.5" Paper Pad...isn't it lush...I finished with some fab tartan ribbon I found at the bottom of my ribbon scraps bag, I really must go through that more often you know...the tiny feet I cut from the same pad...the sketch is from Mojo Monday and I'm also entering it for the Crafty Ribbons Challenge and the Brown Sugar Challenge too...poor Phil is going into work for a while this morning but I'm sure we will be heading out when he gets home so I better get the old war paint on...whatever your up to today I hope wherever you are its a bright and sunny one

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar

nappy - pumice stone

cloak and crown - mix of tattered rose & spun sugar, pumice stone

Return to Fairy Glen blog hop...

Good morning everyone are you all enjoying the hop?...aren't the new Return to Fairy Glen Fairies just gorgeous...bet you have a favourite or two or even three...I would hate to have to choose just one of these cuties...if you haven't been on the hop and want to start at the beginning there's a special price for this weekend only and a chance to win prizes too so just pop on over to our fabulous SUGAR NELLIE blog to start at the beginning...you should have arrived here from the super talented
 JUL'S

I got to use the stunning No Shell like Home for my card, I loved colouring this sweetie with my distress inks and kept her really soft and faded looking...the amazing papers, including the flowers and letters are from the Teresa Collins 6x6" Paper Pad - Summer Stories I bought from Bunny Zoe's Crafts last week, I think the colours suit this beauty don't you...all I added to finish was a beautiful silk ribbon bow and some pins...theres a very special price deal just for our launch weekend...all 6 stamps for £28 (individual stamps will be £5.95) but, that's only for launch weekend so don't miss out

and don't forget to leave your comments on everyones blog for a chance to win some goodies...I'm entering this for the In The Pink Challenge, Crafty Ribbons Challenge and the Creative Corner Challenge too...I'm the last stop on the hop, I hope you enjoyed it and had fun along the way... have some more fun shopping at Funky Kits and enjoy the rest of your weekend...oh and by the way just because I'm nosey I would love to know your favourites
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - anrique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose, spun sugar
hair - pumice stone
wings - tattered rose, pumice stone, spun sugar
dress - tattered rose, spun sugar, pumice stone
shoes - spun sugar
flowers - shabby shutters, pumice stone
snails - pumice stone
shading -  pumice stone

ok own up...who broke Mr Blogger...

Good morning everyone I hope your all well and happy and looking forward to a brilliant weekend, ok which one of you was it who broke Mr Blogger yesterday, I couldn't leave any comments, well I tell a lie I did comment on two which took me half an hour so I gave up and just surfed your blogs but didn't comment, will catch up with my commenting tonight though well if blogger is better, oh and my followers vanished last night too...my wonderful Dad comes home today, I was in floods of tears talking to him last night on the phone he was full of joy over how much he can see already and how he feels like a light has been switched on, I had to make a hasty retreat as I knew I was going to bubble like a baby, he would have called me a soppy sod lol...he always had such vivid blue eyes and I found myself wondering if his eye is bright blue again, I'm going daft I'm sure...we (with Phil I mean) had our lunch out yesterday and I made a cheesecake last night, I know who knew I could actually enjoy making desserts and cakes?, me whose idea of cooking is to open a tin of soup normally lol...we didn't get the food processor yet as we saw a couple of good bargains and wanted to do a bit more research on them to see which suits better, I think we should go with a brilliant one that has the same as the others but also has a coffee grinder which he could make fresh pesto in...I love fresh pesto yum yum yum...right enough waffle my card for today is using the most stunning summery image, isn't she amazing, she is from A Day for Daisies and is called Violets In My Hair, I loved colouring this beauty and when I was I found myself humming beach boy tunes lol...I coloured her with distress inks and yes there is a teeny bit of paper piecing again (I couldn't resist), the amazing papers are from one of the newest paper pads I bought from Bunny Zoe's Crafts (don't forget there's a 10% on until Midnight Sunday)...these papers are from the gorgeous Glitz 6x6 paper pack-Vintage Blue that colour combo works so so well doesn't it...I added a ribbon and bow and a few daffodils from my stash...the sketch is from Ribbon Carousel challenge and Im also entering it for the Papertake Weekly challenge and Crafty Ribbons challenge too...I'm having a day at home today, Phil's away marshaling at the motorbike racing and my Dad wont be back until this evening, so a spot of crafting I think and I will move away from the cutting out scissors I promise lol...whatever your up to today have a brilliant one
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
lipstick - victorian velvet
hair - antique linen, scattered straw
flowers in hair - faded jeans

queen of hearts...

Good morning everyone do you all have snow then?, we haven't, well not yet anyway but you know what its like here we can get all the seasons in one day lol...well all the boxes are sorted out and my flowers and sentiments have never been so tidy, I just have the mini mountains of paper to get sorted into the two paper boxes Phil bought me, looking at the piles and then the boxes it ain't gonna work...I think I need a shoehorn lol...I also have a huge pile of cards, at least 400 of them which I haven't a clue what to do with, I offered them to a couple of charity shops here but one said they dont do square cards and the other said if I bagged them and priced them for them they would would consider it, what do they want for nowt lol...I was thinking I may try to sell some on Etsy, even if I just got a couple of £'s each for them just think how much stash I could buy with that money, or more storage might be a better option and use up the stash I have but I would be gutted if none of them sold...I will have some photos for you tomorrow of the tidy craft room and piles still left to do oh and don't forget my birthday candy tomorrow evening, its not massive but its lush, I wouldn't mind winning it lets put it that way...ok now onto my card for today...how amazing is this brand new image from the super talented Gayle at Wonderland stamps, you all know Gayle better from Teddybo

when I saw this beauty I knew exactly how I would colour her and what paper I would use, I used my usual distress inks for her and some of the stunning rose paper to paper piece parts of her amazing dress, I lost the bit for her ruffled neck though but coloured it best I could to match the paper, I think it looks ok do you? I'm sorry I don't know what make this paper is as there's no writing on it but I'm off to my local Crafter's & Co shop today and will ask Sara is she knows so I can tell you all...I finished my card with some black lace, I chopped it up to be raggy but couldn't quite make it too raggy as its so lush, organza ribbon and two charms, I put the heart in the frame as I wanted it to really stand out...I love this stunning image don't you, she reminds me of a book I had with original drawing when I was small, my Sister didn't like it she thought it was creepy but I loved it so much and can still remember the illustrations vividly...I'm entering this for the DYSU challenge, Crafty Ribbons challenge and the fab sketch is from Cards & Things challenge...you will see another couple of Wonderland stamps images from me over the next week, my colouring hand is twitching already lol...whatever your up to today have a fantastic one and stay warm
Mina xxx

colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
lips - barn door
hair and dress shading - pumice stone, grey marvy pen
ruffle collar - barn door, black soot
reds - barn door

a bit of time and some favourites...

Good morning everyone, I hope your all well...well we hit the shops yesterday and I got a huge bargain...an oven mitt lol...it was a bargain but hardly enough to get me excited I'm sorry to say, I looked at loads of sale goodies but found nothing that I really wanted so I will save my gift cards for something I really want instead of just buying something from the sale because its a bargain...my Dad is loads better thank goodness and since he started taking the re hydration solution he even looks lots better, but like most people he doesn't drink enough, I did try to tell him that tea doesn't count lol...do you have anything planned for New Years Eve then, we never do anything, in fact its usually just another night, we will maybe have a glass of wine at midnight, so go on make me jealous with all the lavish lush parties your going too...my card for today is to wish you all a very Happy New Years Eve, this gorgeous little fella is TeddyBo_84 and I coloured him with distress inks, these lush papers are from the Prima Printery 6x6 paper pad, I love this pad, the papers have an aged Victorian feel to them...the large clock is an acetate one from Kaisercraft that I bought at the last Kings Hall craft fair I went too, gorgeous isnt it...I finished with more clocks cut from the same pad and a swirly ribbon...the fab sketch is from the Crafty Ribbons challenge and I'm also entering it for the Cute Card Thursday challenge and The Ribbon Reel challenge...

have you seen the lovely Debby has a five favourite cards challenge at this time of year, she has one for Christmas Eve (which I missed) so I was determined to join in with her New Years Eve one, why don't you hop on over and enter too as you can win some candy for entering...
so here goes with my five favourite cards of 2011...boy did I find it hard, not because there is so many of them my favourites but because I make an awful lot of cards and had to go through them...I hope you like them too, the names above them are their links to the posts

Its all about the eyes

Midwinter

Welcome to the Carnival

Ive been steampunked

The Look of Love

phew that was a long one so thanks for sticking with me...have a fantastic New Years Eve everyone and I wish you and those you love the best for 2012
Mina xxx

for the love of paper...

Good morning everyone I hope your all well and keeping warm, it was a beautiful day yesterday here then the rain started at about 5 and hardly stopped and its not quite chilly...well I'm chilly anyway...I spoke to my gorgeous Phil last night and he is coughing and has a sore chest...oops...I will get the blame wont I...I managed to get a bit of crafting done this morning before I went out with my lovely Dad, who by the way cancelled his appointment and we went for coffee instead and now hes off on his travels to Belfast to stay with one of my Sisters...right now onto my card for today which I promise is my last Christmas card this week...I just cant help it though with so many lush amazing papers about I love making Christmas cards don't you...this pad is so stunning, its one of the new Fancy Pants 6x6 pads from Bunny Zoe's Crafts and its called Saint Nick, I love love love it so much I didn't follow any sketch but let the paper make the layout...the teeny stockings and sentiment are cut from other sheets of the same pad...there should have been two more stocking but I lost them, couldn't find them anywhere then discovered them stuck to the back of my fluffy dressing gown last night lol...the gorgeous little girl is from the new Christmas release Bildmalarna stamps...this sweetie is called Mimosa Christmas Light, I coloured her with distress inks and finished the card off with some gingham ribbon and a bow...I'm entering this for the Crafty Ribbons Anything Goes challenge, Winter Wonderland Girly challenge and the Stamptacular Sunday Just Sayin' challenge too...I'm working on a couple of projects at the min that I have wanted to have a go at...ssssshhhhhh cant tell you yet though so its off to the craft room for me today, whatever your up to have a fantastic day everyone and watch out for sticky things stuck to your bum lol
Mina xxx