DCM - All Checked Out

This week's challenge was set by Jane as follows:

Well Hello !! Friday has come round again soooo fast ! Its my turn (Jane) to dare this week. Okay -are you ready ? For my dare you can choose any theme for the card BUT it must incorporate 'Checks', whether it be gingham paper or ribbon or squares, any thing really as long as it incorporates some kind of shape with 4 equal sides....... so go on- I dare you to think outside the square/step out of the box ..............easy as, eh ?!!

I wanted to make a bright and sunny card to try and send those awful black rain clouds away that have been around all too much recently. All of the papers were from my bits and bobs box. I cut the flowers with the Sizzix 'Paper Sculpting, Daisy' die. The only other thing I added were 3 buttons, some thread, 3 small Prima flowers, 3 gems and a rubber stamp. Added to this were a little bit of doodling just to finish.

Couple of new bits and pieces

I absolutely ADORE my new Cuttle Bug embossing folders that I bought recently and have worked out that if you use the adaptor on your original Sizzix machine, you don't need to buy the Cuttle Bug, giving you more money to buy lush stash with - YAY!

The topper of wedding bells was given to me by my mum, so I don't know where they came from, sorry! I embossed the lilac paper and the white card with the D'vine Swirls folder. Matted the lilac onto some lovely irridescent card that I've got. The stamps are Rhonna Farrer (another current fave of mine!) The 'Best Wishes' stamp is from Penny Black.



The diary I've altered for a friend of Jacob and Freya's that they met on holiday in July last year and have kept in touch with ever since. Cara will be 13 on 12th August, so this will be winging it's way down to Cornwall for her birthday ready to be used when she goes back to school.

The diary itself came from The Work to which I've added tied ribbons to the spirals, silver ribbon and some felt flowers - simple but effective!

DCM - We've Got Your Number

"We've Got Your Number"
Numbers and Fun? Those two words don't often appear in the same sentence, do they?
Well, we'd like you to have some fun with numbers and put a numeral on your card - it's as easy as that
So a great opportunity to make some kid's birthday cards, but there's also Sweet 16, those milestone Birthdays, Special Anniversaries, even New Home cards personalised with the recipient's new house number on - as long as it's got a number on it, it counts (haha - did you spot the extra-subtle pun there?) There are probably loads of other ways to use numbers on your cards so get inventive and enjoy a bit of creative accountancy for our little bit of midweek fun. Don't forget to leave us a message to tell us where we can see your card.



This is my contribution to the dare. I've stitched the Vellum onto my base card in wavy lines to secure it. I handcut the number 18 out of some white card, embossed it using my new Cuttle Bug Embossing folder and then accented that with purple ink. Doodled a swirl then filled that in with some purple Stickles Glitter Glue. Added some lilac organza ribbon and some blooms finished off with a ribbon tied button!

Couple of other pieces...

These photos of Jacob & Freya were taken on holiday last year. I love these as is show their natural sense of fun, but also of the deep sibling love they have for each other.


This card is for my friend who moves into her own home soon to start her new life as a single mother following her separation. Good luck hun!

DCM - Pockets

Lynne set this week's dare as follows:

It's my turn - (Lynne) - to set the dare this week.
OoooOOoooOOooooOOOoo!!!!!!!!
My first Dare. I’m so nervous, I can’t believe that it’s my turn already.
I’ve gone for something nice and easy - had to break myself in gently.
POCKETS
I’d like to see lots and lots of pockets. Pockets full of posies, Brass in Pocket (love the Pretenders).Pockets on clothes, Pockets from clothes, Library Pocket, Pockets of this and Pockets of that.
Get the idea?
Pockets and Pockets of Pockets.



The backing paper was PaperMania. Pocket cut from DCWV white core card and distressed with a paper scratcher. SEI 'Play Hard' Ribbbon. Happy Birthday embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder.

Old photo, new layout!

Not normally a scrapbooker, but I do like to dabble every now and again, I bought some transparencies a while back and came across them yesterday tea time when tidying up some stash. As soon as I found it I knew exactly the photo that needed to go with it. The photo was taken about 8 years ago (hence why I look much younger then). It's sat in a drawer ever since as I never knew what to do with it... until now.

Apologies for the picture quality - the acetate overlay has produced flare, most obviously on Will's shirt. Will is going to try and photograph it again for me later using a polarising filter. If it works, I'll replace the photo.

Just a little thing to make you laugh - if you like the ribbon slider I used, I'll let you into a little secret - it came from the centre of an old bra of mine! LOL


I also made another LO last night of the kids taken on our holiday last year. This I'll photograph and upload later.

DCM - Vist to the Haberdashery Department

This week's dare came from Gillian in the form of:

"G'day all, Gillian here, and it's my turn to dare you all this week
Your card can be any theme you like, just as long as it's got something you'd find in a Haberdashery Department on it
Alright then, grab that old sewing basket of yours or raid your sewing machine drawer, have a look at what creative bits are hidding away there....maybe it's buttons, a zip, hook & eye's, ribbons, braids, Dressmaking patterns, tape measures,Pins & Needles, lace, safety pins or embroidery thread....
so many wonderful little treasures just waiting to be added to your next card :O)
I'm going to add one more rule....
Yes you may stitch on your card, but that can't be your only haberdashery item...."


My haberdashery finds were some old pyjama bottom trouser fabric from Jacob when I shortened his trousers to shorts, some white twill tape, a D ring, a safety pin and some buttons. To this I added some raffia, a tag, a birthday definition sticker and some domed letter stickers.

DCM - Faking It

So, onto the midweek dare - we had to fake it for this one.

Fee Fi Fo Fum.....
For our Little Extra challenge this week, we'd like you to "Go Faux it" Yes, all we want you to do this week is to use something fake on your cards. For instance you could make fake ribbon, fake brads or fake chipboard - we think you talented folk can come up with lots more "let's pretend" ideas so we can't wait to see your ideas.


My fakes are my 'ribbons' that are woven paper strips, double matted and layered. My 'flower' is triple embossed chipboard and the 'ribbon' is raffia.

I have the banner...

At last! I've got my banner that Will had made for me. Now he's done all the work for me, and it's uploaded, I'm going to get him to change it slightly. Don't like the photo so that can go, and I'll get him to make it slightly larger.

But... apart from that, what do you think of the colours etc? The green on the right of it is actually a close up of an eye, complete with long, sweeping eyelashes!

There's a gap in them there teeth!

Freya lost her other top tooth yesterday (with a bit of help from her tongue and fingers wiggling it like mad!) Just had to share what she now looks like with you as I think it's both cute and awful looking at the same time.

I had a Brainwave! Woo!

No idea where the thought came from, but sitting at work today, I realised that if I can upload photos from my laptop to my Picasa online gallery, surely I can download them back again?

Yep! Just had a go and have downloaded my photos to my laptop. Really felt quite emotional tbh that I managed to get the photos of the kids, family and friends. Someone was smiling on me!

Starting them young...

I made a notebook recently for my friend's daughter's 11th birthday (sorry photos lost due to 'puter probs!). She asked if I could help her make one for her teacher, so she came round this morning and we sat and crafted. (Then after they'd gone, I had to make another one for Freya). I am really pleased with what she did, so am showcasing her work here for you all to see. I think it's buddy marvellous!

So, presenting Jamie-Lee's very first (but not last!) altered notebook.....dah, dah, dahhhhhhhhh.....

Somewhere tidy to keep my discs

I decided I needed somewhere tidy to keep my crafty cd's so, as the boys were watching James Bond 'A View to a Kill' and Freya was reading, I busied myself doing what I love... crafting.

This is now the home to many cd's. May have to make another soon if I get any more...





The CD sleeves I bought in a pack of about 50 from Poundland - bargain or what?

I bought myself a new toy the other day from our company stationers - a Rapesco single hole punch - is this gadget fab or what? Much quicker and easier than the old hole setters (you know the kind) and it goes through chipboard like a hot knife through butter. Best tenner I've spent recently!

I double heat embossed the chipboard letters with red glittery embossing powder then triple clear embossed them to give a lovely, smooth glossy image (and in a moment of stupidness, picked one up while still melted - bloody hell does that sting!)

Notebooks

Freya struck a deal with me the other day - if she made the card for her teacher, could I please make the notebook for her? Yes of course I said! Then Jacob came up with his deal - can I make the notebook AND the card for his teacher?! Boys eh!? LOL

So, here they are...


This was Jacob's card and notebook for Mrs Blundell...




And this was Jean's notebook from Freya

Inspiration to you all....

Over {here} on the Bubbly Funk Inspiration site, it was my turn to load both the A-Z {N} Inspiration and the A-Z of Christmas {N}. I've chosen to show you how to decorate and alter a spiral bound notebook and also how I'm using that notebook to remind myself of things I have to do in order to prepare for Christmas.

You will find so much other information and helpful hints and tips there, so why not pop over and have a peek?

Off blog hopping!

Not had a chance to catch up with you lot recently, so I'm off for a quick jaunt round and to leave some comments!

DCM - Text Messages

Here's my card for the Text Message challenge. I love the Rhonna Farrer swirly stamps that I've just bought and decided to make this card quite bright and funky. The daisy photograph is one that my DH took and has altered the colours in Photoshop.

DCM - Midweek Cartoon Crazy

Sorry for the delay in uploading this one, but due to that ole laptop probs, I've been away from cyberspace for a while, but I'm well and truly back again now!

Time to catch up then.... My cartoon character is the sweetest lil' schnoowwman! I just luvs him!

Sorry folks!

Really sorry I'm not around much at the mo, but due to the big probs I've had with my laptop I'm not using it much as I don't want to load much up and over-write the hidden files on the hard drive until I've managed to clone it to do the file recovery.

I should be back on line properly this weekend so will upload my DCM challenges then.

Til then, be good and catch ya later

xx

I've been married 19 years today!

I cannot believe where the time has gone. We celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary today (23 years together!) That is so scary, especially when I think I was only 16 when we met and Will was 19.

I have the most beautiful bouquet of white lilies and white and cerise flox from Will (as well as some rather lovely Thorntons Eden Choccies - yum!) Bet the flowers last longer than the chocolates haha!

Off our for a romantic dinner for two on Saturday but don't know where yet. We'll have to wait and see.

Just remains to say - luvs ya Will, always have and always will. You are my soulmate, my friend, my confidant and my lover.

Here's to the rest of our life together xxx

What a bummer!

I bought a new laptop in November last year and it included some free 30 day trial software. As it had expired and I didn't want to buy the full versions, I decided to remove it via Add/Remove programs. UNFORTUNATELY when doing so, it corrupt the registry! Diligently, I took back ups of all my document, photographs etc onto DVD.

Re-installed Windows XP, Media Centre and my software - took a while but got there eventually. Luckily for me I took the back ups as all my files had been wiped during the installation.

So on Friday night I tried to upload the files etc from my back up discs, only to find that although the discs LOOK like they've been written to, no files can be detected on either disc by either my laptop or my DH's computer. I've lost the lot - hundreds of precious photographs that can't be replaced (I know, I should have done previous back ups), my business accounts have gone for the last 3 years too - I do have these on paper though.

Lesson for you all out there - BACK UP REGULARLY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FILES ACTUALLY EXIST ON YOUR BACK UP MEDIA BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE TO RECOVER THEM.

If anyone out there knows of how to actually find out whether these discs contain data (the discs LOOK as if they contain data) I would be eternally grateful.