A few adventures ...

On Sunday evening we took a little drive down to the seaside, we live about 25 minutes drive away from the coast but it's the North Sea and even though it is late June the thermometer on the car said it was only 10 degrees. The sky was grey, it was old and windy but I dared the freezing water to have a little plodge in the sea. Us Geordies up here in the North East of England call it plodging other people might say paddling, but to be honest paddling sounds rather too posh and ladylike :lol:

So that was Sunday. Today it's been lovely and warm and sunny and this time the car said it was 20 degrees, the sunshine disappeared before tea though and it has rained all night!

This morning I managed to snap these pictures of a Red Kite. Red Kite's were reintroduced into the valley further along from where we live a few years ago and are now breeding. I spotted this chap last week but he was really high in the sky, just a dot really. This morning I looked out of the window and saw him soaring around above the house over the road. I grabbed my little point and shoot as it was handy and went out in the back garden in my pyjamas. They aren't the best quality photographs and I did then go back indoors to get my big camera and put the zoom lens on. Even though I stood on the lawn in my pyjamas for another 20 minutes he didn't come back. Hopefully we'll see him again soon.


I wanted to share this hybrid layout that I made for a lovely friend, I was a bit bored of making cards at the weekend so entertained myself doing this.

More challenges...

Two challenges for today, luckily I managed to get outside and take the photographs before it started to rain. Today is the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice and it has rained since this morning and was only 10 degrees. Can you believe that I had to get my winter boots and fleece back out of storage!

The Daring cardmakers dare this week is to make a quick card. I loved these DooleyDoo birdies by Jo Kill and this spotty paper was just perfect to go with them that I found in a drawer already printed out. The darers want to know how long it took to make the card too. My card took less than 15 minutes to make.

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I've also joined in with the CPS sketch challenge and managed to use up another piece of paper that I had printed but not used.

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Pink...

Over at the Caardvarks challenge blog it's all gone pink!! This weeks challenge is to use the colour pink on a card. How difficult is it to use pink huh?

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And somehow it's Friday again ...

I have no idea where this week went to. It was Monday and now all of a sudden it's Friday again, so where did the inbetweens go to? They obviously got swallowed up with the remodelling of our kitchen and a visit to the park - oh and lunch at the Pizza Hut whilst the kitchen was being pulled out :)

I made this oversized tag/wall hanging thing this week for a friend using some lovely digital papers from The Funky Playground and some of the goodies that came from A Million Little Things last week. I love getting parcels of goodies from America, I don't mind that they take a few weeks to get here as I always forget that I've placed an order until the postman knocks on the door and I get a lovely surprise!

Monday...

I have a few cards to share today, the first is for the Daring Cardmakers blog challenge - to use wheels on a card. It's Jack's 5th birthday coming up so this will be trundling his way.

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This second card is for Prima Hybrid, I spent a happy afternoon on Friday drowning in flowers but can't share anything else just yet.

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Yesterday was Fathers Day and the men folk of our family had organised a boys night out so not to be outdone us girlies decided to have a girls night out and went out to our favourite Indian restaurant for a curry feast. It was rather delicious. I was really happy that not only did I manage to sit through the entire meal without hurting too much I drove there and back too. My poorly back is definitley starting to feel a lot better :)

Has summer gone away?

It has been so cold, windy and wet here for the last few days that I think that summer has finished :( It's not been nice at all - perfect weather for staying indoors and making cards then!!

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Challenges

The challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week is to include a quote on a card. Whilst I waiting for my prescription at the chemists yesterday I was checking out the selection of greetings cards they had and I spotted this written on the front of a card. I guess that makes it a quote, right?

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This second card is for the challenge over at Caardvarks, this week they've set the challenge to create a drinks themed card

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Isn't it just so sweet - it's made using an element from my friend Kay's newest digital kit, I used the same kit for this card and added a whole load of glitter to the flower.

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The LilyPad latest collaboration kit is just so summery I can't help but use it again and again!

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A few bits and bobs...

First off - I have a new blinkie over there -----> I was very excited to be invited to create for Shabby Pickle Designs (and even more excited when I discovered who the new designers were) and have spent some time this week playing

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These other cards don't seem to have made an appearance on my blog so in an attempt to get caught up I'm putting them all up today!!

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(Butterfly - Caribbean Sunrise, Kate Hadfield, Flowered paper - Caribbean Sunrise, Rachel Young, Blue paper - Caribbean Sunrise, Gina Miller, Chipboard swirl - Creative Cafe, Alphabet stickers - Making Memories, Glitter, Zig Millenium black pen)

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It's Friday!!

I've had that song from the Little Mermaid stuck in my head all this week, under the sea. I think it's because I've been playing with the new June collaboration stuff from the LilyPad which is all about seaside, summer, beach, sea. The colours are just plain gorgeous.

I made a set of fishie cards with Jacques paper pieces that I am loving at the moment :) and I've got a half finished card using some more of the collaboration stuff sitting here. I would have finished it yesterday but I clicked the wrong thing on my big computer and tried to open 1346 files instead of copy them. The poor thing almost exploded and then refused to print anything else after that so I'll try to get it fixed and my card finished today!

Kate had also got some lovely bright poppy doodles released today so I made a card with those too

Adorable Me ...

No - not me! It's the name of my friend Betty Jo Martin's latest digital kit. She joined up with Misty Cato and together they made the sweetest kit, the colours are just so summery and I love it.

I've made a few cards with it but I want to come back and use it some more when I have more time.

I Have ...

... the nicest, most caring online friends! I love the web based crafting communities that I am involved in and have made some very special friends. I made a little something to send to one of them, can't say who because then they won't get a suprise, but it will be going off in an envelope this week.

Speaking of friends, Jackie at Make The Moment Last invited me to be a guest for her design team last month and these are the cards I made for her. I just loved the fancy pants papers she sent me, so very pretty.