explore tomorrow...

Good morning everyone did you all have a fab weekend?...wow what a change in the weather, it was very chilly last night...in fact so much that the old bed socks reared their ugly head...I thought we had seen the last of those for at least another month lol, oh and an extra blanket went onto the bed too...before long the fire will have to be lit again and the daily choir of cleaning it out will have to be done...I'm sure some people manage to clean out fire grates without getting ash everywhere but it seemed to be a bit above my competency level...we had a nice weekend despite the chilly wet weather and poor Phil having to go into work on both Saturday and Sunday morning and the weekend finished off with a tea party yesterday evening for my beautiful Niece's birthday...she is such a little cutie and did a little girlie squealing dance when she opened her presents...especially for the handbag and make up our stunning Daughter bought her...it was also my Nephews birthday a few weeks ago so we celebrated that too...they are such lovely kids and my Sister should be very proud of them...one thing yesterday did show though was our deck needs cleaned and resurfaced as my poor little Niece slipped and came down with such a crash we thought she had broken her arm...I hate that sick queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when something like that happens don't you, but like the little trooper she is she bounced back and was running around again in a few minuets...it was a good day despite the fall though...right now onto my card for today which is for our new challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts monthly challenge and this month was our fab Silvie's choice and she chose to do a Bingo card for us to follow...I chose Ribbons, flowers and buttons for mine and used this fantastic new stamp from the brand spanking new Magnolia Sea Breeze collection...this is the super cute Handy Tilda coloured with my distress inks and paper pieced with some of the lush Teresa Collins 6x6" Paper Pad - Far & Away, one of the new ones I bought and wow do I love love love this pad you will be seeing a lot more of this one I'm sure...I added some cream satin ribbon from my stash and a bow made from Organza Ribbon - Ivory (25mm Wide) and finished with a few scattered buttons from the Camouflage - 25g and Big Red - 25g button bags and a couple of coffee coloured cabochons from the 15mm Flat Back Rose Cabochons - Mixed Bag...the sentiment tags are from the same paper pad and everything except the satin ribbon is from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the lush sketch is from The Sweet Stop Challenge and I'm also entering this for the Delightful Challenges challenge and the Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia challenge too...I'm having a crafting day today so will be locked in my nice toasty warm craft room...whatever your up to today have a lovely warm one and watch out for slippy decking

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

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

hair - pumice stone

buttons, handle and headband - barn door, pumice stone

shoes and shading - pumice stone

my first try at light ink colouring...

Good morning everyone, thank you all so much for your birthday wishes they meant a lot to me and I enjoyed reading them so much too I will catch up with you all this week to thank you in person...great dinner last night the chicken it was fab but...major cheesecake disaster...the cream cheese I bought was a slimline one and I didn't notice, so with the higher milk instead of fat content meant my cheesecake mix didn't set in time...so a rethink was needed, it tasted great and was like thick whisked cream in texture so I chopped up the lush Oreo base to a thick crumb and served the cream mix with the crumb with grated chocolate and orange on it and wow it was delicious...so dessert disaster averted, isn't it amazing what we can come up with when we have too lol...our beautiful Daughter and her other half bought me a lush snood scarf in blue, its beautiful and jewellery and a pedicure set, Phil bought me two leather and fabric bound books for sketching and writing ideas in, they are so stunning I will take a photo and show you and he bought me new make up brushes (badly needed for a while) see we think men don't listen lol and my lovely Dad gave me cash to buy something I wanted...we had a lovely dinner and loads of giggling and conversations, so my Birthday was brilliant and couldn't have been more perfect...I got an email last week from someone asking about using distress inks to colour a lighter stamped image and if it would work, I hadn't a clue so thought well give a go girl...I stamped this stunningly cheeky little cherub in using the palest ink pad I had which was a Memento London Fog pad, I had to heat set it though as it isn't waterproof unless set and there you go distress inks work with it ok although I had to adjust the amounts I used and its still not perfect but as a first go not too bad...what do you think?...this stamp is from the brand new Magnolia With Love collection and is called Bonny Tilda (and its on sale atm too)...isn't it just so so cute and just a little bit cheeky lol...the paper is from Magnolia too and is the Red Romance 6x6" Paper I finished my card with two Heart Paper Frames (Doilies) - 10cm some Ruffle Rose - Red and Sonia Rose - Ivory flowers, a strip of lace and a ceramic sentiment...everything except the lace and sentiment are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts the fab sketch is from Sketch N Stash challenge and I'm also entering it for the Fairytale Challenge and the Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia challenge too...I'm having a chilling colouring day today I want to try a few more images in the pale ink to see if I can improve my shading with them...whatever your up to today I hope its a great one

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose

hair - antique linen, frayed burlap

shading - pumice stone

who guessed...*updated photos*

Good morning everyone, did you all have a wonderful quiet Sunday?...ok now hands up who guessed I would buy the dress then lol...yep I did well I couldn't resist the colours and the price reduction from £100 to £35...so off we went shopping today (and Dad wanted to come too...big mistake)...I ended up buying these navy shoes and this hat to go with it to, what do you think, I wish I could show you the dress but I will take a photo of it today and show you tomorrow...I feel much happier about my outfit now and don't feel like I have a funeral outfit on which the grey and black one did...my poor Dad was shattered and so tired when we dropped him off home but I did keep telling him to sit down to wait for me or go for coffee but he would suffer on, made me feel so guilty too...mind I wasn't the only one who bought something new we did get Phil a lilac tie to match my outfit lol...right now onto my card for today which is for our new challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenge, this month our challenge is Pink, lace and pearls...I made a bit of a boo boo on my card though, can you spot it?...I used this fantastic Magnolia stamp for my card, she so cute isn't she, shes called Magnolia Turning Leaves - Editor Tilda...I love those cute glasses dont you?...I used these fantastic papers from the Kaisercraft - The Lake House 6.5"x6.5" Paper Pad...I love Kaisercraft pads they have such fantastic textures as well as colours and four sheets of tags, sentiments and paper borders and ribbons too...I finished with some a sprinkling of pearls, a few Blossoms - Resin Flower Bluebell and Marianne D Vintage Lace Pack - White (JU0824) ...well did you notice the boo boo...I meant to paper piece her book and had it all cut out and ready and completely forgot so I will do it later and re photograph (not only mojoless but woolly headed too)...well duh Mina lol...I'm entering this for the Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia blog challenge, Challenges 4 everyone challenge and the Totally Gorjuss challenge too...I'm having my hair cut today and then off to do some girlie bits with our beautiful Daughter...whatever your up today have a brilliant one and if you have time pop on over to Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenge to see what the rest of our amazing team made

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose

hair - pumice stone

glasses and darker pink on shoes - victorian velvet

shirt - pumice stone

trousers and top - spun sugar

hair bands and pink on shoes - spun sugar

sand storm????

Good morning everyone did you all have a wonderful weekend?...I think we have finally recovered from our trip thank goodness, we had a little mooch around Town yesterday and went out for a lush lunch at a great little bistro...yummy food and the most amazing decor as its also a shop what I would call knicky knacky shop, you know one of those places that sells nothing you need but everything you would love to own...gorgeous pictures especially but astronomically expensive...when we came out there was a mini storm going on, the winds were swirling and it just ripped my umbrella out of my hand and when we got back to the car it was covered in a film of sand????...we are about 5 miles from the sea so go figure where that came from, what on earth is next raining frogs???...anyway onto my card for today which is for our new monthly challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenge, this month the theme is a really easy one of Anything Goes, so whatever you would like really...I chose this stunning Tilda from the new Summer Memories collection called Rose Garden Tilda, isn't she stunning, I'm loving these new ones they are a little bit smaller and more delicate feeling than the normal Tilda's and beautiful to colour...I used distress inks for mine and teamed her up with these stunning Magnolia papers called Rose Garden (rose one) and Sage Kitchen Cloth (check one) aren't they beautiful...the stamp and paper is from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I finished with a checked ribbon and one of the roses cut from the paper (I love doing this any excuse to cut things up lol)...the fab sketch is from Creative Inspirations challenge and I'm also entering it into the last ever CES Challenge and the Lovely hAnglar & Sweet Magnolia challenge too...I'm having a crafting day today my scissors are crying out to me to cut more things up, so I'm going to fish out all the lush papers and ribbons I have bought over the last few weeks...btw did you all enter my ribbon candy, they really are fantastic ribbons and there is loads of them...its on the post below...whatever your up to today watch out for the frogs
Mina xxx

distress ink colours used
skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose
hair - frayed burlap
jeans and headband - milled lavender, pumice stone
top - pumice stone, worn lipstick, victorian velvet
leaves - shabby shutters
roses - worn lipstick, victorian velvet
shoes - milled lavender, pumice stone
shading - pumice stone