Brillante Weblog Award x 2

The lovely TracieJane and Janette have given me this new award - thank you so much. I have met and made so many wonderful friends through blogging that it really is a hard job to choose 7 people to nominate. The following people give me help and inspiration and are always there without fail giving me lovely comments on my creations. Thanks ladies you are all great.
ANN W
CHRISSIE
DENISE
WENDY ANNTAURUS
BERYL
SUE
WENDY PIXIEDAYS
and of course TRACIEJANE and JANETTE

Here are the rules:-

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated

Circles of Friends

A very quick card for My Time to Craft 'Circles' challenges as I am very late this week. This wonderful background from Michele Marsden has a blue holographic square with a mounted heart shaped cut out lady from Crafty Images Emporium. An added Friends completes this quickie.

Summer Respite

Layers of Colour challenge last week was 'Summer Respite' so here is my contribution. The background I created using sprayed Glimmer Mists then overstamped with various Elusive Images and Art Impressions stamps. I added the inked sun and a few birds then added glitter highlights with Sakura pens. All the glitter does not show too well on the scan - sorry. This is also my entry for Wednesday Stamper 'Hello Sunshine' challenge.

SISTERHOOD OF THE BLOGGING STAMPERS

Well, what a nice surprise, I was asked to join the SBS group today and it looks like I am in SBS Group 20. You can read all about me lower down on the page.
I have everyone listed so far on my blog and have checked in with you all. I look forward to meeting with my new Sisters (I am an only one so this is lovely) and getting to know them and share hints, tips and inspiration with them.
Please do stop by anytime and I hope you will all enter my weekly challenges on my challenge blog.

From the Heart

'This Old Heart of Mine' is the song challenge from Sunday Stampers today so here is mine. The backing is that wonderful gauze type material overlayed onto a cream card. The hearts and sentiment are stamped and coloured with alcohol inks and ink pads with a couple of red velvet hearts added.

Butterfly Aperture

Here is my contribution to the 'Butterflies' challenge at Lots To Do Sunday. A simple butterfly aperture on a pink pearlised card with silver mirri card underneath. A couple of added acetate butterflies, stickers and a pink heart with flowers and the message Happy Birthday.

Stampscapes Snowy Rooftops

Here is another Christmas card I made today. Using Art Impressions and Stampscapes stamps over a background created with Cosmic Shimmers, then with some added inks smudged over the top. I think this will be my entry for the Arty Girlz 'Nature' challenge as the trees and mountains are nature to me.

Christmas Collage

DCM asked for a 'Christmas card in June', so here is the one I made for my own Challenge Blog 'Christmas collage' challenge this week, which I can use for DCM too. I made the background paper in Word then printed it onto cream parchment and coloured with chalks. With a couple of backing papers added the main stamped image also coloured with chalks on gold mirri board. I added various stickers and torn messages to complete the collage.

Cottage in the Woods

Two challenges here with 'Houses' for Crazy Amigo and 'Places' for

Mixed Media Monday. Stampscapes stamps Stamped in black Stazon onto card covered with alcohol inks and mounted onto holographic card. Then placed on a blue pearlescent card with a couple of rub on sentiments. This is a place I would like to be.

Flying High

'Astronauts' was the topic at So Salsa this week - not an easy subject I think. However, I found this image in My Craft Studio and printed it out onto some lovely clouds paper and added the words to make my tag.

Diamond Top Dotty Tilda

This is my first diamond top card made for the Tilda and Co Dotty challenge and also for my good friend Margaret in Hospital in Leeds. Mags, a couple of years younger than me, much slimmer and all together fitter, had an aneurysm 2 weeks ago and had to have a brain operation. She will be ok, but it just goes to show it can happen to anyone, young, old, fit, slim or otherwise. One in three persons die from this so she was one of the very lucky ones.

For the backgrounds I used some of my new DCWV adhesive papers and a few peel off corners. I stamped Tilda and coloured her with LYra and chalks adding glaze for her wings. I chalked the message too.

Happy Anniversary

This is another card I made at the Hilton experience last weekend and I have just finished it off for the Lots To Do Challenge topic 'Children'. It was created in Debbie's decoupage workshop using Hummel decoupage. There are about four layers of very, very, tiny children which were die cut already but very difficult to assemble due to being so tiny. They are placed on a flowery background under the clear plastic bubbles with an added sentiment. I think this was the worst workshop for me as everything was so tiny and I much prefer larger decoupage that I can hold and see lol, but it does fit this challenge nicely.

Tagged twice in one day

Well, the lovely Wendy and Chrissie have both tagged me today. I have to answer questions then tag another five people to answer the same questions.
So here goes:-

TEN YEARS AGO
I was living in Bermuda with my lovely husband who was on contract there, spending most of my time Producing and Directing plays and pantos for the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society (I did not work on our second tour there but did on the first six year stay). During this month back then I was attending an American Airlines Academy Sabre course for two weeks in Dallas USA. This is the system used at airports for checking in and booking tickets. Yeah I passed with Distinction.
Living in the heat and humidity after 11 years was getting a bit boring – non stop sun every day is just as bad as non stop rain lol

FIVE THINGS ON TODAY'S TO DO LIST:_
Bring back mine and my neighbour’s trashbins– they are away on Mondays so I always do it for them on trash day.
Get back to my exercise routine on my Total Gym after missing a full week – I have actually just completed this hooray!!
Complete some challenges and try to get up to date with them.
Finish finding a home for all my crafty goodies from the Hilton weekend.
Go to the supermarket for my daily paper and bits of shopping.

SNACKS I ENJOY
Crackerbread with marmalade, well anything with marmalade actually lol
Hard pears
Raw carrots
Midget Gems
Magnum

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE
Firstly give to St John’s Ambulance, Lifeboats and the SPCA.
Set up trust funds for our Grandson and his soon to be brother or sister
Buy Geoff a new Triumph Bonneville one of his passions in life
Go to New Zealand to watch the All Black’s play rugby – never saw them live when we lived there.
Call into Hawaii on the way down there and stay for the longest time possible – I just love it there.

PLACES I HAVE LIVED
Halifax, York, Bermuda, New Zealand, Scotland

Here are the lucky five I have chosen today - sorry ladies.

Jenny
Ann
Denise
Keren
Sue

Deer in the Forest

Here is my entry for Joanna Sheen's 'Fabric' challenge this week. The background is from her new CD layered onto copper card and edged with gold peeloffs on a green base card. The deer is from one of the fabric lengths from Christine (Pinflair) simply covering a piece of card and mounted with foam tape. Lots of these lovely animals around where I live.

Four Masked Ladies

'Purple' was the new challenge from Stamp Addicts blog this week, and is of course my favourite colour of all times. This large Feathered Mask stamp, from JudiKins, is also a firm favourite and features on my Gallery, but look what I found at the Hilton last week - yes - new 4 masks on a cube again from Stamp Addicts. So, I had to play with them and stamped them in purple Stazon then coloured with various Sakura pens and Lyra crayons. The background is made up of torn Cuttlebug embossed papers in different hues and textures, with added ribbon round the edges. I added a few purple and pearl gems and a flower and feather for effect. Oh, I do love purple and actually got married in it many years ago when colours were not the thing to wear lol.

Manly Tag in a Pocket

Another 'Tag in a Pocket' this time for Tag You're it challenge. More lovely papers from Nancy Watt with added gold foiled greeting and some gold elastic ribbon mounted onto a dark brownish red card. Very simply done.

HIdden Message in a Pocket

These tags in a pocket were made from some lovely freebie papers by Nancy Watt simply cut out, mounted on purple card, with added stamped sentiments, eyelets and silver thread. The top second tag is hidden but on the picture below it can be seen, hence the hidden message which reads Hello with Smiles. Scrummy Stash Cafe asked for a 'Hidden Message' for their weekly challenge so this is mine.

The Magic of Music ...

...warms the heart and soothes the soul. I do so agree and hope you do too. This house is for Dans Ma Maison il y a de la musique 'Music' challenge. After cutting out the house I coloured it with Glimmer Mists, Golden Terracotta, then ran it through the Allegro Cuttlebug embossing folder. I stamped the heart and music, from Stamps Happen, onto white card in red Stazon, and coloured direct to paper with an orange ink pad then ran that through the same embossing folder before attaching to the house. I just added a few sparkly sticker notes for embellishment.

Ebony and Ivory

I just love this stamp from who knows where. Stamped and highlighted with Stickles glitter glue, matted onto silver card then onto the black and white swirly paper with added silver peeloffs and yes - a silver tassel. The card opens in the front too. It is my entry for 'Ebony and Ivory' challenge at Sunday Stampers.

Decoupaged Crysanthemum

DCM asked for a 'Quick Card' this week so here is my entry, the main card and image printed out from my new Cupcake Crafting Potpourri cd onto white glossy card. I printed a coordinating insert and some decoupage images, then added three layers to the card. The cutting out took the longest time and the whole card took about 10 minutes. This cd is a great addition to my ever growing collection.

Hot and Spicy

'Hot' was the challenge from Papertake Weekly so here is mine. Lots of different torn papers and textures including gold metal run through the Cuttlebug make up the background for this card. I stamped the red feathers onto the orange card and added red ribbons, buttons and gold peeloffs with a red satin heart.

Little Baby Bird

'Sunshine and Flowers' was the new challenge from Tina at J S forum this week so I think this fits nicely. A lovely yellow lily paper for the backing, a baby bird decoupaged with some rick rack ribbon and some yellow ribbon and a gold corner peel off. Also added a butterfly and a sparkly gemstone and a 'just for you' message. Great new challenge site every Monday.

Pink Rose

Last year Steph did some decorative painting at the Hilton (I was not there) and this year she put them onto an exclusive My Craft Studio disc for this year's class members. This wonderful pink rose was stacked onto a 8 x8 white card which was attached to another white card with pink and white ribbons. The pink edging strips were attached over the leafy background strips, then the whole front covered in acetate which was pushed up to make a kind of bubble. Not too visible on the scan of course but giving a lovely domed effect in real life. This is a great cd to add to my collection. This is also my entry for Arty Girlz 'Pink' challenge, my first challenge card for this week and for Caardvarks 'Pink' challenge too. Ooh La La challenge is 'Ribbons ' so I can use this one for that too.

Flower Soft Bouquet

I have never made a Flowersoft bouquet before so this was something new. The ladies made it very easy and I was pleased with the result. I can enter this for Mixed Media Monday 'New' challenge too.

Purple Lady behind the screen

Quite difficult to get the full effect of the wonderful material type paper covering the topper here on the scan, but in real life it is lovely, white with yellow and white sparkles. The topper with flowersoft round the outside, is mounted inside an oval aperture card and matted onto a cream card edged with gold peeloffs. Beautiful new designs from the Flower Soft team.

Flower soft With Love

The first of three new and exclusive Flower Soft designs still to be released, next week I think. The toppers were mounted onto green dekkle edged card then onto white and the flower soft added in the corners. The sentiment was raised on foam and has more flower soft in the corners. Noreen and Doreen ran this class.

Purple Elephant

Here is one of the cards I made whilst in Amanda's class at the Hilton experience this weekend. The stamp from Stampendous was stamped onto acetate then coloured on the reverse with Sakura Glaze pens and glitter added whilst wet. These glittered parts were then cut out and mounted over another image, stamped and coloured, with Sakura Moonlight pens, which was done on cream card. The cream card was torn and matted onto purple torn card and a couple of gem flowers added for extra sparkle.

Butterflies for Denise

This is a card I made for my lovely forum friend Denise in a card swap themed 'Wings'. The pink pearl card is covered with pink flowered vellum attached with a pink rickrack ribbon. I cut out and mounted the arch and stamped with Tapestry stamps and swirls from Dimension Fourth in various coloured inks. I added some chalks and a few little circular epoxy stickers and the enormous pink butterfly which I found at a local cheapie clothes and accessories shop. I also stamped under the vellum with 'Lots of Hugs' and 'Hello with Smiles' from Hero Arts. I do hope she will like it.

Birds and Swirls and Tilda

'Swirls' for Tilda and Co and 'Birds' for My Time to Craft challenges this week and Make It Mondays 'Flowers' all in one card. I stamped the pink pearl card in purple Stazon with a swirl stamp from Dimension Fourth. I ran the silver card through the Birds and Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder then stamped a Magnolia swirl stamp on the corner piece, again in purple. I stamped and coloured Tilda with flowers in Lyra crayons and Sakura pens and created the background with chalks. The sentiment in silver and purple embellished the card.