Thursday, October 30, 2008

Poor, neglected blog ...

Anyone left visiting this poor, abandoned blog will probably be thinking I have run away to join the circus. We just seem to have been really busy. Not doing a lot, but doing enough for me to just run out of time for blogging. However, a few of my friends have given me a nudge (see, sarcasm does work!!) and I am here again.
It's been half term holidays for us this week and my Mam took the week off too so we've been out and about having a few adventures. On Monday we went down to Middlesbrough, to where I go for a monthly crop for a lovely day doing my friend Gail Milburn's 'glue and stick' class. We had a really lovely day making advent calendars using a baking sheet and magnets. Everyone used the same design and just made them their own with the papers and embellishments. Mam made a snowman themed calendar in pink and blue colours and I made a more traditional red and green coloured one. They are both hybrid calendars, all the papers except one piece of patterned paper were printed from digital kits.








Yesterday we went for a day out to the Yorkshire Dales. We visited Richmond, Leyburn and Hawes and spent a rather scrummy half hour tasting cheese at the Wensleydale cheese factory. Of course we had to bring some home too and it is simply delicious :) The weather was sooooooooooo cold though, at 2.30 in the afternoon it was only 2 degrees!! These photographs don't really show how cold it was - I should have taken a picture of my blue hands and rudolph red nose!!








Tomorrow we are going out again, down the coast for a walk, a bit of a poke around some shops and fish and chips beside the sea - I shall wear my thermals.
I have managed to do some crafting in between these adventures, hopefully I shall manage some more at the weekend - I am feeling very inspired now to do all sorts of Christmas crafts :)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Blowing my own trumpet ...

Because if you can't toot your own horn on your own blog then there is something seriously wrong. I have two tootity toots today. On Saturday I flicked through the new Scrapbook Inspirations magazine whilst I was in The Scrapbook Shop and I have a layout published in there which made me happy.

Today my smile grew even bigger as the postman delivered a package from America with a copy of Papercrafts Magazine Card Creations 6 and I have a card published in there too. It's a fab magazine, I've only flicked through it but if you make cards then you really must by a copy, it seems to be jam packed with great cards, scrummy eye candy :)



Also, I spent a while playingwith paper over the weekend
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Sunday, October 19, 2008

A spot of shopping ...

I have a lovely friend, Joanne, who is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. She's currently sitting in her house packing up an enormous order for me and some other friends from the stampin up catalogue that I ordered. Some stamps, colours and a load of new punches, including the new scallop edge punch.


I've already got the Fiskars threading water scalloped edge punch but I wanted one without the holes too. I can't wait! Also, to go with all my lovely new stampin up stash I went to the crop at The Scrapbook Shop yesterday and bought lots of lovely new May Arts ribbons, Gill makes the nicest ribbon bunches and I just couldn't resist them :)
I've been busy with school stuff and attempting to get my printer fixed and working again, it's very temperamental and seems to choose days when it doesn't want to do any work - usually when I *NEED* to print something out, but I've still managed to make a few cards and crafty things.

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Now I'm off to finish some projects before I go into town for a shopping trip with my Mam, it was payday on Friday so now we're beginning to think of Christmas parcels and gifts :)

Andrea xxx

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Catching Up ...

So, here I am catching up - again!!

I have been poorly with a flu type virus. Oh my goodness, I knew I was poorly when I had no energy for either making cards or online shopping!

These cards are some of what I have been up to during the last few weeks.









I have been tagged by Gloria this week too.
1.) Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2.) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3.) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4.) Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
7 facts about me~
1. I have blue eyes that change to turquoise in the summer sun.
2. I have a degree in art, textiles and technology - ha! electronics and metal work - like I've used these skills in my life :lol:
3. I love to wear stripes
4. I am a hopeless cook - if I have to cook then I make sandwiches :lol:
5. My favourite country to visit is Italy - sun, sea and ermmm..... pizza!!
6. I am incredibly shy
7. It's taken me all week to get this far, my brain is boggled thinking of 6 so number 7 has been abandoned!
I tag:
and anyone else who reads this and wants a challenge :)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

A Little Bit Spooky ...


Kate Hadfield is my hero! Have you seen what she has been busy creating over at the LilyPad?







I also wanted to share my exciting news. My hybrid mini book that I made for Scrapbook Inspirations Magazine has been published this month (which was exciting to start with) but even more exciting - it made the front cover!! It's down there on the left hand side with the photographs of the flowers


Thursday, September 18, 2008

Busy Busy

Life is pretty busy up in my corner of the world, I can't believe how fast September is disappearing and already in the shops in town I am witnessing the arrival of Christmas departments. Yikes!



Anyway I've been busy with work and trying to make time to craft. I did spend Saturday at a crop down in Middlesbrough and would you believe that there is a Cadbury's chocolate factory shop on the way home :) Yum Yum! Next time I'll have to stop at the chocolate shop on the way there!



My lovely friend Kelleigh has opened a digital store selling templates for cards, they are great and I've had some fun this week playing with them.


I also wanted to share this sweet little fire engine card made with some of Jacque Larsen's paper pieces.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

And we're into September ...

This year is just speeding along and it's September already! I'm back at work, really enjoying it, so my crafty time is seriously reduced. I did manage to make a few projects at the weekend although it's taken me a week to get them onto my blog.
Today I have some Kay Miller projects to share.

I used her new Blooming Crazy kit to make this card



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I loved her Doxie Moxie kit and used it to make this card


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Okay, just a quick post today as I need to go and catch up on a whole load of stuff!
Andrea x

Friday, August 29, 2008

The LilyPad Weekend Bonanza and a Giveaway ...

********* My Mam picked 2 winners tonight by the time old method of closing her eyes and scrolling up and down and then stopping!!! She picked debsdesignz and *crystal*, girls hopefully I've contacted you both just now xxx **************
There are some super fantastic things going on over at the LilyPad this weekend, August 29th - September 1st, read on to find out how to win a giftcard for Jacque Larsen's store worth $5 to spend after the sale.


So what is happening then? First off is the back to school, back to scrapping sale with 30% off storewide, you don't want to miss that.



Also, Nancy Comelab is sadly retiring but - check this out!!


Then of course is the collaboration kit that the designers have put together which is free, yes FREE!! with all LilyPad purchases over $15.


And if all of that wasn't enough, as it's the start of another month we have the new September BYOC (build your own collaboration kit).


These are a few of my favourites but there are tons more new kits in store that can be used as stand alone sets or that co-ordinate perfectly together.







I fell in love with Kate Hadfield's Woodland Whimsy doodles, especially the hedgehog. He was just calling out to be made into a shaped card and I made him lovely and spikey by printing several copies and cutting and layering them and curling his spikes so they stuck out slightly



And, and, and we have a new designer debuting too! But you'll have to go visit the store to find out about that one!


So, does anyone want a giftcard for Jacque Larsen at The LilyPad? Worth $5, good after the sale, leave me a comment on this post and I shall draw a winner on Sunday. (I have comment moderation switched on so you won't see your comment straight away but I will check back regularly to publish them xx)


For more chances to win LilyPad goodies check out these girls' blogs: Manda, Mabel, Anso, Heather