my addiction...

Good morning everyone did you all have a super fantastic weekend?...hands up all those super organises people who have all their shopping done for Christmas?...you can do off some people you know lol...I have just started mine but one ticked off the list is my lovely Dads, I haven't even thought about the decorations yet although they are down from the attic at least bt are just a guilty reminder every time I go into the bedroom...sitting in the corner accusing me of neglecting them lol...I wish my festive spirit would arrive and poor Phil would come home to a wonderfully festive scene straight out of a movie...well we can all live in hope cant we...go one then tell me you have your tree up and make me feel even worse lol...right now onto my card for today...I seem to have become totally addicted to paper piecing atm, I love cutting out and find it one of the most relaxing things ever, I have actually been known to nod off half way through cutting something out I get that relaxed...this amazing little bit of cuteness is of course from Mo's Digital Pencil where else, this sweetie is called Little Elf Ava isn't she a perfect Christmas image?...I coloured her with my usual distress inks and paper pieced her star...the amazing papers are from the Carta Bella So this is Christmas 6x6 paper pad, I'm sorry to say that I bought the last one though..the trees I added as embellishments were cut from the same pad and I finished with a sentiment stamped from the AmyR CC Designs Stamps Christmas Verses II (told you that you would see more of this stamp set lol)...the fab paper pad and stamp set are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...oh btw someone emailed me this weekend asking about paper piecing so if a few more of you have any questions about paper piecing I will do a little post about it...hands up all those who would want one please...anyway back to my card, the fab sketch is from the Creative Inspirations Challenge and I'm also entering it for the Stamping Sensations Challenge and the Cute Card Thursday Challenge too...I'm going to hopefully have an organising day today, make lists to do for Christmas, get organised with my DT work and sort out the decorations...keep your fingers firmly crossed for me that I at least get two out of three done...whatever your up to today I hope your not running around starting things and it a relaxing one for you instead

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

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

hair - frayed burlap

hat - antique linen, peeled paint, shabby shutters

top - pumice stone, antique linen

trousers and hair ties - fired earth, frayed burlap

shoes - antique linen, peeled paint, shabby shutters

shading - pumice stone

a touch of red to ward off the gremlins...

Good morning everyone bbbbbrrrrrr what happened to the weather...its blowing a mini gale here and so much rain that's falling horizontal...autumn has certainly arrived with a vengeance...I woke on Sunday morning to ever rose on my striped rose bush gone...the wind had blown every petal off them, I was gutted...I don't so much mind autumn arriving but please leave my roses alone lol...hows the weather where you are?...did you all have a good weekend, our Sunday lunch was lush but the menu was changed a little as the cream I had bought for the cheesecake has gone off so I changed to a orange kinda thing, a made up one with cream substitute but everyone loved it anyway so it turned out ok...I had one of those days yesterday, you know the sort, everything you touch turns out wrong...our beautiful Daughter is of to Dublin on Wednesday for a business meeting and I booked her the train for her, went to print the receipt and nothing not a thing, my printer wont even switch on...I have changed the fuse but that's about as far my electrical skills go...looks like a new ones needed, I managed to send it to Phil to print at work though, then I went to my craft room and discovered the pile of images I had saved have faded in the light...ok now that's a conspiracy isn't it...a broken printer and no images to colour lol, now my camera is acting up and the photos are turning out rubbish...I'm scared to move today just in case something else breaks or goes wrong...luckily I had this beautiful stamp to use today...its from Bildmalarna and is called JustMe Nr.6...shes a real beauty isnt she...I coloured her with my distress inks as you can see my colouring mojo is still a bit shaky and the colouring isn't the best I have ever done...the lush paper pad I used is the Teresa Collins 6x6" Paper Pad - Stationary Noted and all the sentiments and flowers I cut from the same pad, I love the blue and red colour combo in it dont you, unusual but it works so well...I finished with a scattering of pearls...everything I used except the pearls are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I made the sketch up as I went along but am entering my card for the Ladybug Crafts Challenge, Stamping Sensations Challenge and the Sister Act Card Challenge too...I'm off to put my head under a blanket and wait for the next breakage lol...whatever your up to today have a great one

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

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

hair - antique linen

outfit - faded jeans, fired brick, pumice stone

flowers - shabby shutters, fired brick, pumice stone 

ok own up...

Good morning everyone hows your week going so far?...ok own up who nicked our summer?...one week its wall to wall sunshine, blue skies and the flowers are starting to bloom and this week we need the heating on, now whats that all about...someone stole our summer either that or that was it...imagine one week of summer for the whole year?, although come to think of it sounds about right for Northern Ireland lol...I'm just hoping that the weather improves for our week away, its bad enough we cant get abroad without it tiddling down for the whole week...but then that's one of the things we have no control over I will just have to do some research for indoor things to do just in case wont I...or we could just eat out loads and spend our whole time in restaurants lol...I did nothing at all yesterday, well I do dinner but that's about all really...caught up with some emails if you can count that lol, lets hope today is a bit more constructive...right now onto my card for today and its using another of the new Return to Fairy Glen release from Sugar Nellie...I love these stamps they are so fresh and pretty...which one is your favourite, each time I use one it becomes my fav lol...this is the gorgeous A Little Bit of Gossip coloured with my usual distress inks and teamed up with papers from one of my favourite paper pads atm the Kaisercraft - Remember Me 6.5"x6.5" Paper Pad...the tag is from the same pad too...lush papers aren't they...I finished with a sparkly ribbon bow and a flower from the Prima Flowers Perle Bebe - Song Bird set, the pad and flowers are from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...the fab sketch is from the Sunday Sketch and Stamp challenge and I'm also entering it for the Stamping Sensations Challenge and the Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge too...I'm heading to my craft room today in the hope I can get something made I'm so behind with stuff, wish me luck...whatever your up to today I hope wherever you are its sunny for you

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

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

hair - frayed burlap

cardigan & flowers - victorian velvet, peeled paint

dress & shoes- scattered straw

large flower - peeled paint

ladybug - fired brick

shading - pumice stone

I can sing a rainbow...

Good morning everyone did you have a nice weekend?...we decided yesterday as my lovely Dad was back from his travels and our Daughter is heading off on hers this week we would have a family dinner so as it was spur of the moment we headed for good old M & S...pasta bake, salad and I baked some new potatoes with garlic, shallots and teeny tomatoes, and then onto dessert, well Dad wanted cheesecake but I couldn't find any Amaretto for the base, then we thought pie but then our Daughters other half doesn't like stewed fruit...so we ended coming home at 4pm and I made the fastest Victoria sandwich cake ever to be filled with strawberry's and whipped cream but would it hell cool down...so I opened the back door and then had to rescue my cakes as two pigeons tried to get in to eat it...that's what you get for feeding the birds isn't it lol...very lush it was too, the meal not the pigeons...it was so lovely to catch up with all my Dads gossip and spend some time with our Daughter and yes my stomach is still churning at the thought of her going away for three weeks...you would think she was 8 not 28 wouldn't you lol...do we ever stop worrying like this?, I think its our job to worry about them...well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it lol...right now onto my card for today which is for our new monthly challenge at Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge...this month was our fantastic Karina's choice and she chose to use your favourite colour combo...I really don't have an all time favourite combo but atm I'm loving using green, yellow and blue so decided to use that...when I was going through all the colours in my mind I ended up humming that song I can sing a rainbow (bet your humming it now lol)...I used the gorgeous Stampavie Sarah Kay - Tool Time stamp for my card, wow I love this card it just screams summer holidays doesn't it...the amazing papers are from the  Carta Bella - Cool Summer 6x6 Paper Pad fantastic colours aren't they and perfect for my colour combo too...I used a couple of the 5 x Wrench charm pack , a bow made from Organza Ribbon - Lime (25mm Wide) , a few Prima Flowers Perle Bebe - Sun Kiss (boys cards can have flowers too lol) and  Wooden Ornaments for the Birthday boy sentiment...everything I used is from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I cant for the life of me remember where this sketch is from but it a goody...I am entering it for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge, Stamping Sensations Challenge and the Joanna Sheen Challenge too...I'm off to town with my Dad today I was meant to be getting a haircut but I forgot to book so keep your fingers crossed I will get one last minuet...whatever your up to have a brilliant one and if you have time please pop by the Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenge to see the amazing makes by our team

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

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

hair - antique linen, frayed burlap

dungarees and hat - tumbled glass, stormy sky

t-shirt - scattered straw, antique linen,

tool box & tools - peeled paint, shabby shutters, frayed burlap, pumice stone

shoes - frayed burlap, pumice stone

shading - pumice stone

conspiracy theory...

Good morning everyone are you all having a brilliant week?...I did nothing yesterday and I don't mean a little bit I mean absolutely nothing at all...I did a bit of surfing on Pinterest which is fatal because I ended up with a pen and paper for writing ideas and three hours of looking...little wonder I didnt get around to anything...so it got to about 2pm and I thought right girl get your butt in gear and got all prepared to get started making decorations and doing a bit of crafting then the doorbell...just somebody doing marketing so a quick escape...back upstairs and the door bell rang...down again and this time the electricity guy to read the metre (ooooohhhhh goody an electricity bill before Christmas just what you need lol)...so a bit of nattering to the nice friendly leccy guy and back upstairs to the craft room again...settled down again and the door bell went again...I ambled downstairs muttering something like 'this is a bloody conspiracy' to be faced with another marketing person from the same company as the first....so a few choice words with him including the words 'get your companies act together and your kidding right'...by then the ideas and inclination has gone so I settled for some tv, a cup of Lady Grey and a chocolate biscuit...so that was my day...but at least I got a bit of exercise up and down the stairs lol...but my creative mind is working overtime now so it will get done today...well barring any random door bell ringers anyway lol...right now onto my card for today which is using one of my all time favourite Sugar Nellie releases this is the stunning Rebecca from the Simply Adorables collection...I only printed her head to use and coloured her with distress inks...Im not sure I got her skin tones right though she looks a bit streaky to me...I teamed her up with some more of the super lush Bazzill Basics 6x6" Multipack - Believe pack I bought from Bunny Zoe's Crafts...I finished with a huge organza bow and a sentiment stamped from the Personal Impressions Warm Winter Wishes stamp set from Funky Kits set behind a metal framed from Tim Holtz...the lush sketch is from The Sugar Bowl and I'm entering it for the The Crafty Pad Challenge, Stamping Sensations challenge and the One Stitch At a Time challenge too...right I have my crafting head on now and I'm not answering the door or phone for a while...whatever your up to today I hope its a peaceful one

Mina xxx

distress ink colours used

skin - antique linen, frayed burlap, tattered rose

eyes - tumbled glass

hair - antique linen, frayed burlap

dress and button - pumice stone

coat - barn door