they dont all bite...

Good morning everyone do you have anything exciting planned for the weekend...my Sister and her family are visiting from Belfast, its the first time she has seen our new house, I wish it was a bit more finished before she saw it but she has imagination and can see what we will do with it, oh and I must make some jelly and fruit this morning for my Niece and Nephew, I always make them some and make the jelly with fruit juice, its better than getting them sweets which my Sister isn't keen on them having and of course they love it too...well hopefully anyway lol...I'm all finished with my cards for posting while we are away...phew that was a mega making session or two so I hope you will all visit to see what I have made...I still haven't started packing or even doing the ironing for packing yet, but Phil says he will do the ironing while I finish my posts, now that's love for you isn't it...right now onto my card for today how gorgeous is this little sweetie from Saturated Canary, shes the one with fangs and is called No Bites...I coloured her with distress inks and used this fantastic shimmering double sided paper from S.E.I., I don't know what its called though but love the colour, I finished with a flower cut from the paper and a fabulous orange bow...the sketch is last weeks from Dutch Dare challenge but luckily my girlie card fits with this weeks challenge from them, I'm also entering it for the Saturated Canary Challenge (touch of blue and bow) and Shelly's images blog challenge...I'm off to Town this morning to buy those last second buys you forget when your off travelling, now you know what I mean don't you, we always have a little list of last minuet buys...please tell me you all have one too and its not just my forgetful head lol...whatever your up to today I hope you have a brilliant day
Mina xxx
p.s. todays the last day for entering my candy and theres a new one tomorrow

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
hair - pumice stone
eyes - tumbled glass
dress - mix of tattered rose & milled lavender
shoes and heart - milled lavender
apron - pumice stone, spiced marmalade, spun sugar
bow - spiced marmalade
puppy - pumice stone, spun sugar

I can almost smell the roses...

Good morning everyone are you doing anything exciting for the weekend?...we had a very very very long day yesterday, we went to Ikea super early and had breakfast there then oh boy did we shop, not only did we get all the new furniture (including some that wasn't on my list) we bought wine glasses, table mats (a bargain 50p each) and loads and loads of stuff we couldn't live without, you know what I mean don't you, the kinda stuff you didn't know you needed until you saw it...then a look around BHS and Next but we didn't buy anything there and then home to a message on the answer phone that we could get a loan of the new house keys if we would like to measure up for curtains etc, so a quick dash around, measuring, deciding where things would go...we finally sat down to eat about 9pm and then bed totally dead on our feet...so all in all a very busy day lol...right now onto my card for today which is using this stunning image from Whimsy Stamps shes called Li'l Montana I coloured her and her little furry friend with distress inks and teamed her up with these stunningly gorgeous rose papers from the Prima 6x6" Paper Pad - Tea-Thyme, cant you almost smell those roses...I didn't add any embellishments at all except for some more of the roses cut from the same papers...any excuse for a bit of cutting out lol...everything I used for my card is from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the sketch I made up as I went along and I'm entering it for the Simon Says Stamp challenge, Crafty Catz Weekly challenge and the Dutch Dare Card Challenge...Phil's working this morning so I'm off to do a little bit of playing in my packed craft room...the boxes wont stop me though I will fight my way through lol...whatever your up to today I hope wherever you are the sun shines on you
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
hair - antique linen
jeans - pumice stone
top - spun sugar, shabby shutters
flower in hair - spun sugar, shabby shutters
basket - frayed burlap
flowers - scattered straw
puppy - antique linen

feeling hot hot hot...

Good morning everyone are you all enjoying the weather or melting yet lol...its really not a good idea going shopping on the hottest day of the year when the stores haven't quite sorted out if they should have heating or air con on yet...we were having a fantastic day wandering round doing the girlie stuff yesterday, loved make up shopping as its great to do that with another woman isn't it but then we went into a dress shop to look at some we had seen in the window and omg it must have 35 degrees in there, it just washed over me like a sickness and I could feel myself going, we had to dash outside as my Daughter said I changed colour and she thought I was going to pass out (I didn't tell her I thought I was going to too lol)...fair enough that they don't have the air con but at least open a door or two...the poor girls that worked there looked terrible in that heat, I really felt for them...we had lunch then sat in our town square for a while nattering...fantastic day, I think the older our Daughter gets the better shopping trips are, long gone are the days of dashing from shop to shop with a stroppy teenager who cant find anything that fits, or doesn't make her look fat (yeah right like a size 10 is fat) or hates something because I picked it...thank goodness they are over too lol...right now onto my card for today, I love this fantastic Bubbles Boy from Mo's Digital Pencil don't you, his little face is so adorable, definitely a Mo's face isnt it, I coloured him with distress inks and used this amazing paper from My Minds eye Lil Robots range, I love this collection it has such lush colours and is brilliant for boys cards of all ages...I finished my card with some ribbons, a double knot, buttons and a couple of cogs cut from the paper...the lush sketch is from Dutch Dare challenge and I'm also entering it for the Chocolate, Coffee & Cards challenge and the Fairytale challenge...I'm not sure what we are up to today as the car is in for a service from early but hopefully will be out by 1pm because I still need to get a couple of things for our Daughters Birthday tomorrow...whatever your up to today have a fantastic one and watch out for the 'hot' shops

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
hair - antique linen
shorts - shabby shutters
t shirt - pumice stone, stormy sky
shoes - shabby shutter, stormy sky
bubbles - tumbled glass

can you have blue tulips?...

Good morning everyone, did you have a fab weekend...ours was definitely not one for planned activities as nothing went to plan but then they usually turn out well dont they...no walk or picnic yesterday as although the sun was out it was freezing in the arctic wind...so reverted to plan B shopping for a new printer, mine is kaput that's a techno tern for knackered...so I stuck with the ink I know and bought another Epson...had lunch then went home for Tv and a bunch of lush grapes...do things like this only happen to me or do you all do daft things like this too...I was chomping away on my grapes and surfing when the grape I had in my hand disappeared, I searched the sofa and myself and guessed it must have fallen back in the box...went on with my surfing then settled down to watch a program, hand on arm and elbow down on the arm of the sofa and squish...uuuurrrrggghhhh icky the grape must have fallen down the arm of my long sleeved t shirt and I rested my elbow on it...so much for chilling I had to get changed and it was icky too, please tell me daft things like that happen to you too so I don't feel so crackers lol...right now onto my card for today which is for our new monthly challenge at The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop challenge...this month is our wonderful Jane's choice and she chose Blooms and butterflies...this TeddyBo image is perfect for that theme dont you think, I coloured him with distress inks and used the stunning colours of the Kaisercraft Blae & Ivy 6.5"x6.5" Paper Pad from Bunny Zoe's Crafts for the colour combo...the amazing ribbon is a Silky Crush 38mm Ribbon - Pewter ribbon, just behind the ribbon which is quite hard to see is some beautiful 15cm wide Aqua Tulle and I finished with a Silver Colour Decorative Butterfly Charm all from the Pretty Little Ribbon Shop the fabulous sketch is from the Fetch a Sketch challenge and Im aslo entering it for the Crafty Catz Weekly challenge and Dutch Dare card challenge...Phil is off work today as its a May Day bank holiday here so I havent a clue what we will be up too...but you never know oh and theres an antique fair on in one of our local hotels so a mooch through that might be nice...have a brilliant day everyone, if you have the time dont forget to pop on over to The Pretty Little Ribbon challenge blog to have a loo at our amazing teams makes and watch out for hiding pieces of fruit
Mina xxx

distress inks colours used
teddybo - antique linen, frayed burlap
hat - peeled paint
flowers - peeled paint, broen china
clothes - stormy skies
boots - frayed burlap
shadows - pumice stone

all together now...aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh...

Good morning everyone I bet you all did it...that's what I did when I saw this little cutie...isn't this dragon just gorgeous, so so cute look at that face...I had my crafting day yesterday and yes I managed to stay awake too although it was hard to stay in as the sun was shining and it looked lovely outside, well I had to as I'm going down to the farmhouse next week to spend some time with Phil as its our anniversary on Wednesday, phew 36 years would you believe, how amazing is that and it has just flown by too...don't know what we will be up to but maybe just enjoy some time together, it wont be romantic though as my Dad is coming with us for a break too...he will enjoy it I think as he grew up as a country boy and even worked on farms when he was younger, I think he needs the break anyway

right now onto my card for today which is for our new challenge at Just Magnolia & hAnglar & sTanglar challenge, this weeks choice is Anne and she chose the theme of More Than One Fold...this fantastic little dragon is of course a Magnolia from their new Prince and Princesses collection the dragon is called Lilyrose the Dragon, I coloured her with distress inks and used some of the same collection papers for her too, this dragon magnolia paper is the Magnolia Magic Dragon 12" x 12" Paper but with the addition of some pink gingham it works brilliantly for this girl dragon card doesn't it...I finished with some 15mm Berisford Small Check Gingham HUNTERS GREEN from The Pretty Little Ribbon shop and some beautiful Prima flowers these are from the Prima Flowers Perie Bebe - Meadowlark pack, the flowers, paper and stamp are all from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I didn't use a sketch this time but I'm entering this for the Cute Card Thursday challenge, Dutch Dare challenge and Paper Crafting Journey challenge...I haven't a clue what I'm up to today but I still have a few things to finish for next weeks posts so might just knuckle down and get them done but you never know the sunshine calling might be too great for me...whatever your up to today have a brilliant sunny one
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
dragon is a blending of - spun sugar, milled lavender, Victorian velvet, tumbled glass, crushed olive
shading - pumice stone

a blue haired christmas...

Good morning everyone, I hope the weather is being kinder to you wherever you are, its shocking here, there's gale force winds, one of my fences is bending in it its so strong, snow, hail, rain and just about everything it can throw at us...my lovely Dad was breathless and shattered by the time he struggled from the car to where we went for lunch yesterday and we both couldn't see a thing as our glasses were soaking, no point in struggling with an umbrella, anyway I didn't want my lovely green polka dot umbrella doing an inside out trick on me lol, we had a good natter and spent the afternoon together, I hope it helped him to cope a little better but must admit I had a few tears yesterday, the worst being on the phone complaining about where my TV was and why it hadn't been delivered, the woman on the other end was so nice and apologetic and I for some inexplicable reason just burst into tears, the poor woman thought she had upset me although I'm sure when the call was finished she probably had a few words to her friends about the middle aged tearful nutter on the phone lol...I want to say a huge massive thank you for all your wonderful kind comments yesterday, they made me feel I wasn't as alone as I felt, I'm always in awe of how kind and thoughtful fellow crafters are...your a lovely lot of people and thank you so much...my card for today is for our new challenge at Crafts and Me challenge, this week is the digi teams turn and our wonderful Mona chose the theme of Christmas, I wanted to use a non Christmas image for mine so I chose the stunning Moon Glow by Hannah Lynn coloured with distress inks, I coloured her hair slightly differently this time with grey and blue inspired by this lush glittered Christmas tree paper by Rayher, stunning isn't it...I used a white satin ribbon and finished with another of the amazing Lee's (craftyloops) amazing flowers, this one is a felt rose and the photos really don't do it justice, stunning...I'm entering this for the Stampin for the Weekend challenge, Dutch Dare Card challenge and Cute Card Thursday challenge too...Im waiting in for deliveries again today although Im secretly glad I dont have to brave the elements and feel the urge to do some colouring in the warm too...whatever your up to today stay safe and warm and have a good one
Mina xxx

anyone want a cookie...

Good morning everyone I hope your all well and happy and if you celebrated Thanksgiving I hope you had a wonderful family time...my Dad has been telling us over the last few months how disappointed he is that you cant buy a really traditional Dundee cake, he thinks the ones you buy in the shops don't taste like the real ones, so when Phil came home yesterday, off he went to the shops, bought all the ingredients and set about making him one, Phil is an excellent cook and he bakes the lushest cakes, so he made it last night and popped it into the oven and we forgot about it and yes you guessed it, it burnt...he was gutted as the inside tastes amazing...so he will have to get more while we are out shopping today and make another...poor lad worked so hard on it too, it even had the almonds on the top all arranged beautifully...oh well if at first and all that...we are off shopping for the day today and I'm so looking forward to it as shopping with Phil is so laid back, we just stroll round get what we need and stop for lunch and afternoon coffee and cake too...the most chilled shopping trips ever, we are then going to the light switching on ceremony in our local town this evening...right now onto my card for today which is using this stunning little sweetie from Whiff of Joy called Christmas Pastries plus two sentiments, isn't she so gorgeous, I coloured her with distress inks and paper pieced her dress and bow with papers from the same pad as the background...they are all from the stunning new Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas 6x6 paper pad, this pad is so gorgeous, the colours are perfect for a fresh modern Christmas feel, but there's also ones (like the song one I used here) that have a real retro old fashioned feel to them too...I wish I had got a brighter picture as the colours are beautiful, the stamp and pad are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts and don't forget they are all 10% off for Nikki's Black Friday special sale...I finished with some fab blue satin ribbon from the Pretty Little Ribbon Shop and a scattering of buttons...the fab sketch is from the Stamp with Fun challenge and I'm also entering it for the Dutch Dare card challenge...I'm off to get ready for our day out now as I cant go without the polyfilla on the face can I lol, whatever your up to today I hope you have a brilliant one
Mina xxx

they have arrived...

Good morning everyone well there's no more waiting the Adorables have arrived at the House of Sugar...I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday planned, let me know what your going to be up to today...why?...because I'm nosy is all lol, we are going Christmas shopping today, well we have to start sometime don't we so wish us luck we will need it Saturday afternoon Christmas shopping...are we mad...my card for today is another of the stunning new Adorables...this is the stunning Rebecca

isn't she just beautiful?...I coloured her with distress inks and use another of my favourite Graphic45 papers for her, this is from the The Magic of Oz collection and is called Yellow Brick Road, I love gingham and the blue is gorgeously faded isn't it...I finished with a gold gingham ribbon from The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop and a stamped sentiment...wait until you see what the rest of the DT have come up with, wow they are stunning

I'm entering this for the Fussy and Fancy Friday challenge, Sweet Stampin Challenge and Dutch Dare Card challenge too...right I'm off to get ready to shop, I love Christmas but hate crowded shops I like to shop midweek when the shops are less busy but because Phil works away we have to do joint shopping when we can, so fingers crossed we make it out unscathed and without suffering any serious damage on other...have a wonderful Saturday everyone and watch out for the elbows and when you have time pop on over to the rest of the Sugar Nellie DT to see more Adorables
Mina xxx

a glittery bike ride...

Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic weekend...I was very naughty and spent loads of money on goodies from the wonderful shopping world of the internet last week and they all arrived late last week so I have had fantastic fun playing with them all weekend so much to use and not enough time...but I have my internet head on this week as I do some serious blog hopping to catch up with all your lush work, I missed my hopping this weekend...we spent yesterday afternoon going around the shops looking at all the glittery gorgeous Christmas decorations and decided we are going to have a new tree and decs to go on it, but we are going to go very traditional and green and red with apples and gingham and oooooohhhhhh so much yumminess, and yes it was Phil's idea and no I didn't have to drag him round in fact he dragged me into a couple of shops to look...can you guess we love Christmas lol...anyway onto my card for today which is using this beautiful little sweetie Whimsy Wee Rose's bike ride, I love this perfect stamp and its such a clear crisp one too, perfect to colour...I used distress inks and glittered all those stunning roses...the paper is another 12x12 paper from the new Magnolia Sweet Christmas collection this one is called Vintage Swirl and it just goes to show they aren't just for Christmas, this is a beautiful soft colour too...Nikki has a 10% of everything special offer on at Bunny Zoe's Crafts until midnight tonight so you could pick them up at a bargain price, I finished with a pale green ribbon and bow and some swirls of pearls with teeny tiny roses on from Prima...the fab sketch is from Inkspirations challenge and I'm entering this for the Dutch Dare challenge and Simon says stamp challenge too...we are off out today as Phil is rarely off work so we want to make the best of it...whatever your up to today have a brilliant one

Mina xxx

colours used

hair - antique linen

skin - antique linen. frayed burlap & tattered rose
bike - pumice stone, crushed olive
flowers - dusty concord
leaves - peeled paint

hop along with the Fairy Glen - Day one...

Good morning everyone and I hope your weather is a little better than ours wherever you are...if your on the Sugar Nellie Fairy Glen blog hop then you should have arrived from the fabulous Elaines blog, and if your not on the hop then why not lol, you have the chance to win some yummy sugary goodies along the way as long as you leave a comment on everyones blog...if you didnt arrived from Elaine's blog then hop on over to the Sugar Nellie blog to join in...I get to show you the stunning Fifi Goes Walkies (I want a Fifi so much she is so sweet) from the beautiful new release Fairy Glen stamps which are on sale this morning at Funky Kits, you will love every single one of these I promise you...they are so cute and pretty

I coloured this little sweetie with distress inks and teamed her up with this lush double sided paper from Basicgrey Curio collection, this one is called Estate...I added a strip of lace across the back of my double folded card and added a couple of pieces behind this beautiful Prima flower, the two small tags are from the reverse of the same paper, I cut them out and stuck them behind the image, I finished with a few punched tiny butterflies...your next stop on our fabulous hop is the wonderful  Erica who Im sure will have something amazing to show you...enjoy the rest of your day everyone and dont forget to leave a comment on everyones blog to be in with a chance of winning some candy and the second half of the hop is tomorrow, so will see you then
Mina xxx
p.s. I have Echo Park candy finishing tonight so why not join in while your here and Im entering this card for the Dutchdare Card challenge and the Fab N Funky challenge

jingle bells & tinkle bells...

Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a brilliant weekend...did you get up to anything exciting, if you did go on tell me all about it and make me jealous...we had a very quiet weekend and just did a little mooching round shops and went out to lunch, my shoulder and neck are still very sore and super stiff so I'm going to take everyone's advice and go to the docs to see what he says, Phil thinks its a trapped nerve from the fall and that we should take out Mina Accident cover lol, I think Im just clumsy and it will take a little while to unstiffen and barring anymore falls I will be champion...well the countdown is going down and theres only 3 days to go for the brand spanking new Sugar Nellie release sneak peek week...oooooohhhhh cant wait
but in the meantime hands up everyone who knew I would have to have another colour of this gorgeous Flora simply adorable digi from Sugar Nellie, I really wasnt happy with how I coloured her the first time and think the softer colour hair works much better with her...what do you think?...I used distress inks to colour her and used a scrap of paper I had from Cosmo Cricket Mitten weather, its a fantastic soft lilac isnt it, I love it when I can use scraps and even more when they are last christmas's papers...I finished with a lush soft satin ribbon and a sentiment...the fab sketch is from the Dutch Dare Card challenge but Im not sure if it counts as I ran out of paper and missed a bit off...Im also entering this for the City Crafter scrap happy challenge and the Ribbon Girl ribbon challenge too...well Im of to the Docs then the supermarket with my lovely Dad today and hopefully painkillers willing I will catch up all your lush blogs tonight...whatever your up to today have a wonderful day
Mina xxx

isnt it amazing what you have as scrap...

Good morning everyone how you all doing...well I hope...what is up with the light lately it is sooooo grey and washed out, wheres all this bright summery light we all clamber for in the winter...look how grey this photo is, doesn't it make you mad when you work hard to make a bright sparkly card and the photo doesn't do it justice, it really doesn't show this lush sparkly paper I found in my scrap box, I will try and take a different one when I get back to show you how beautiful it is...the stamp is from Lili of the valley and is called Baby Christening, I coloured it with distress inks and sparkled her gown and the window up...I finished with some ribbons, a bow, charm and another LOTV stamp from a sentiment set...I'm entering this for the celebrate challenge at Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge and the lush sketch is from Dutch Dare Card challenge so I'm entering that too...have a fab day everyone
Mina xxx