Challenge # 17 A Christmas Cracker

Hi All

I have been having major technical issues on my other blog but have finally launched the new challenge! Our theme over at Christmas Crafting is ‘A Christmas Cracker’ and here is my card this month:

We are sponsored by Di’s Digi Designs and you could win a $10 voucher for their website! Definitely worth a go! Due to the technical issues I have had, this challenge will be on till 12th January 2013!

I have been working on my December Daily so will have to blog about it at some point!! Work is still mad but not too long to go now! Still on Ofsted alert….even going into the last week! Eek! Getting there for Christmas now…hoping to get all finished this weekend. So much to do but I love this time of year, even the cold weather!

Hope you are all well! Will try and blog my December Daily asap but if I don’t get chance, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Christmas Crafting Challenge # 16–Decoupage

Hi All

Another challenge begins over on Christmas Crafting this month and it is:

Decoupage!

Here is my effort! I bought this decoupage kit at a craft show I went to a while ago-it was great to do a bit of crafting I haven’t done for such a long time. Hope you like it…..thinking my sister might like this for Christmas!

The deadline is 30th November to get your entries in so please come and join us.

I was going to have a crafting day today but mojo has gone away again! Hoping it comes back soon…going to persevere later-have made a few cards but just not feeling it today.

Having a work day tomorrow and then hoping to do some shopping with the hubby at the weekend…and relax before returning to work next week-has been a busy half-term…count down for Christmas now! Lol!

Hope you’re all well-will try and get back into the blogging world as soon as I can. I do often visit but don’t always have time to comment.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A few more SMASH pages!

Hi All

As part of my 30 before 30 list, I really want to try and finish my red SMASH book! It is full of bits and bobs as it is my first one so I have made another two random pages over the last few weeks.

My first one to share with you today is another one inspired by Austen. My Mum and I really want to go and visit some more of the film locations of the 1995 P+P and I really want to go and see the various houses she has lived in. Hope you like it-I have popped all of the places on the page and hope to tick them off in the future!

Here are some close ups of each side!

Hope you like it. My second page (so my quota of 2 a month has been completed this month!) is of my little fluffball-Charlie cat! I have recently bought a Fuji Instax camera and have loved having my first play with it, taking pictures of the cat….not sure he appreciated it much! So I just had to SMASH these piccies and he has been on my list to do for a while. I also used a little technique I saw Rosemerry Merry and Dean WIlson (C+C) using this morning which was to make your paper look more like a ripped page out of a notebook-this was to punch the side and then cut a little slit from the edge…looks really effective! Hope you like it, I have kept it quite simple…

And a few close ups…

Love the vintage feel of the piccies! The top one is my fave as he looks like a little kitten but he is 10 years old!!

Hope you like them and if you haven’t discovered SMASHing yet, go on YouTube and check out a wonderful array of videos…you will be hooked as soon as you start!

In other updates on my ‘30 before 30’ list, I have read nearly three books this month from my ‘30 books to read’ list, ready to send out my first RAK this week (said I’d try and do this every month), have de-cluttered one spare room, December Daily is being prepped…and lots of other things in progress! October has been very productive!

Hope you are all ok…will try to get round and see you all, five more days at work then it is half-term…woop! Finally, some free time!

Hugs
Arline

xx

Challenge # 15-Buttons and Twine

Hi All

Hope you are all well. Here is the new challenge over at Christmas Crafting this month. Our theme is

 ‘Buttons and Twine’

and our kind sponsor this month is Bugaboo! You can win 7 of their fabulous digis!! Here is my DT card:

Hope you like it and please come over and join us this month-only three more challenges (including this one) before Christmas! Progress for my ‘30 before 30’ list-I have read my first book ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ by Sophie Kinsella-was brill and am about to send out my first ever RAK! Working through them….slowly!!

Hope you are all well.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Well hello little blog!

Hi All

It has been a while but hopefully I am back in action…well, kind of! I went back to work at the beginning of September and have finally managed to get some time to myself to craft! In my absence I have missed celebrating my blogging birthday and my actual birthday with you…watch this space for some candy on it’s way!

So what have I got for you today? I have got another SMASH page for you…feeling like my MOJO is finally coming back so really enjoyed making this page. It is my ‘30 before 30’ page as I hit the big 30 next year! Will pop my list below for you to have a look at but I hope you like my page.

My 30 before 30 list:

1. Learn how to crochet
2. Learn how to knit a baby cardigan
3. Go abroad again on a plane
4. Craft for at least four hours a week
5. Start to write a book
6. Send an RAK each month
7. Read 30 books
8. Finish red SMASH book
9. Put more pictures up in the house
10. Sort out loft and de-clutter spare rooms
11. Blog once a week at least
12. Take time to relax at a spa (twice throughout the year?)
13. Lose some weight and eat more healthily
14. Get a new job
15. Go on a Jane Austen week tour
16. Drive up to Sunderland on the motorway
17. Save some money
18. Buy a piece of designer clothing/bag/shoes
19. Complete a December Daily in 2012
20. Make bread from scratch
21. Organise doing my Masters
22. Book a spontaneous weekend away on a Thursday and surprise hubby
23. Start a patchwork quilt
24. Have a grown up girly weekend away
25. Donate to three different charities throughout the year
26. Something ‘For My Eyes Only’
27. Another one ‘For My Eyes Only’
28.  
29.  
30.  

I still have three things to add to the list but not sure what they are going to be at the moment! Will let you know how I am getting on…I have already started to learn how to crochet, plan my December Daily, job hunting, blogging and another page done in my red SMASH book!

I also have a new baby girl card to show you that I made. Our friends have just had another beautiful baby girl last night so we are super excited to go and see her! Hoping she will like the card and off to get her some little pressies….time to get broody again!

My birthday was on Wednesday and I has so many lovely gifts-I was well and truly spoilt by everybody! Apart from being at school, I had a nice day but really celebrated yesterday as hubby took me and my friend to Rosemerry Merry’s shop in Ellesmere Port! Was fab and I was extremely naughty buying lots of things I probably didn’t need…oops! Had a lovely time though and we made an unexpected visit to Cheshire Oaks on the way back which was nice. Here is me outside her shop with my goodies!

Hope all my friends in the blogging world are well and I will try to come and visit you during the week and may even try to get back into my challenges.

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Hugs

Arline

xx

Christmas Crafting Challenge # 14 Traditional Christmas

Hi All

Here is my card for our challenge over at Christmas Crafting this month. We have been sponsored by the fabulous

Lili of the Valley

and our challenge is

Traditional Christmas.

Hope you can find the time to join us! If you took part in our blog hop, you will also find the winners announced on this months post!

I have used a fabulous Lili of the Valley stamp and the ticket stamp is a Cuddly Buddly digi.

Thanks for looking

Hugs

Arline

xx

SMASHing time!

Hi All

It has been a while! We got back from Canada on Sunday….strange to think that I was in Michaels craft store this time last week . We had a fabulous time away. We saw so much so it was exhausting, but I now have lots to SMASH about! Scroll down for a few of my fave pics from my hols-I won’t bore you all with the details but some of the highlights were visiting the beautiful Rockies, seeing a bear walking along the road (!), braving the Capillano Suspension Bridge and of course visitng Michaels Craft Shop! Canada is definitely somewhere we will return to, especially as Steven wants to try his hand at climbing a mountain…eek!

However, it is nice to be at home, lazing about, drinking proper tea! Lol! We were also hankering after a roast dinner so looking forward to that at the weekend…yum! Anyway, getting back to SMASHing! I managed to get a bargain green SMASH book from Walmart and I have already started documenting our trip. Below you will find my first page all about the flight and our first day. It was the first time I had ever flown so quite a momentous occasion for me! Hope you like it-I am trying not to worry about the layout of this book, I am truly going to SMASH it all in!

It isn’t very colourful though…mmm…may continue adding to it. Here is my second page so far, a work in progress! Want to print some piccies off for this one I think.

Hope you like them. I love the background papers in the green book, they fit really well with our trip as they contain coastal views, trees and mountains!

Here are a few of my favourite pics from our hols……

The beautiful Lake Louise-the water was just stunning!

Me and hubby at the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff.

Gorgeous stop off on our way to Jasper.

Can you spot the bear?! On the roadside on our way to Jasper.

Lynn and John (my in-laws who took us to Canada) on an actual glacier! Think this is a lovely picture of them both!

A view of Vancouver from one of my favourite places, Granville Island.

The cutest little sea otter in Vancouver aquarium.

One of the grizzly bears on top of Grouse Mountain (They were in an enclosure-not sure I would have liked to have met these two on the side of the road!)

Back to reality now Isn’t too bad, had a lovely Christmas crafting day yesterday with my best friend Becky. Will upload my makes over the weekend…going to do a little more today whilst watching Murder She Wrote! My guilty pleasure

Hope you are all well and thanks for looking. Will try and do some blog hopping over the nest few days and visit you all.

Hugs
Arline
xx

** LINK TO BLOG HOP-CHRISTMAS CRAFTING **

 

Here is the blog hop post you may be looking for . Don’t forget there is also a DT call open until 31st July! Just e-mail christmascrafting@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested. Newer posts will be found below this one.

Arline

xx

Couple of cards and a reminder!

Hi All

Hope you are all well. Finally, the summer has arrived and I am free from school for 6 weeks!! Woop! Might even get time to do a bit of crafting! I am off to Canada on Thursday for 18 days….can’t believe it! Tis also the first time I have flown…eek…hoping that all will be well! I am hoping to do a bit of Smashing whilst away, or at least gather bits and bobs ready to use when I return. Sure I will have lots of piccies to bore you with too!

Before I started packing, my friend Becky came round on Saturday and we had a little play with the new Crafter’s Companion Mulberry Wood CD Rom. First time I had played with it and the images are so cute! My first card I would like to enter in to the Crafters Companion challenge this month which is ‘Ho Ho Ho Christmas’. This is one of the very cute images from the CD of Santa and I have added a little Stickles just to give it a bit of sparkle.

My second card is another of the super cute images from the CD. Love how the image builds up in stages! This was originally in a frame and I cut the four images up to make it fit a square card.

Also need to remind you about the festivities over at Christmas Crafting this month. Due to DT holidays, we have decided to extend the blog hop and challenge until 31st August. Please pop on over and take a look. You can win prizes from Little Claire, Bugaboo, Robyn’s Fetish, Whoopsi Daisy and My Mum’s Craft Shop! The challenge is ‘2 or more folds’ and remember, we are a Christmas challenge blog, so your creations need to be of a Christmas theme. Hope you can join us!

Will blog again when I return and will try and do a bit of blog hopping! Apologies for not coming to see you for a while…promise I will catch up!

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

Challenge # 13–Two or more folds. Birthday celebrations/blog hop/DT call!!

 

Well, lots going on over on our Christmas Crafting blog this month! It has been a whole year since we started our little challenge blog and we are still going To celebrate, we have our new challenge as always, a blog hop and a DT call-details are later on in this post.

The new challenge this month is:

Two or more folds

We want to see your Christmas cards/projects that have two or more folds in them….whether it be an easel card or more adventurous stepping combination! Here is my attempt this month:

I decided to use a decoupage sheet I have had for ages! Raided my box and I think this is a La Pashe design. Really love the traditional images. Hope you like it. It would be lovely to see you join in with us this month, pop on over and get some further inspiration from our design team.

Now onto our blog hop…

This month we are celebrating our first birthday over at Christmas Crafting-where has the time gone! Thanks to all of you who have taken part in the last 12 months and we hope we can count on you for your continued support. As part of our celebrations we have decided to have a blog hop around our very talented Design Team! We have four prizes up for grabs so definitely worth taking part! If you have arrived here from SARA’s blog then you are hopping in the right direction. If not then please return to the Christmas Crafting blog to start again.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes is to visit each blog in order, leaving a comment as you go, and then returning to the Christmas Crafting Challenge blog and leaving a final comment letting us know what you love about Christmas. On 1st August we will randomly draw four comments to win the prizes.

To continue with the hop, you now need to return to the

Christmas Crafting blog

and leave your final comment about Christmas. GOOD LUCK!

DT Call

If that wasn’t enough, we are also putting out a DT call for two more members to join us. All of the details on how to apply are on the Christmas Crafting blog so pop on over if you are interested.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A little bit of Humphrey…

Hi All

Last day of freedom today so I decided to make a couple of cards! I decided to use this little Humphrey stamp today to make a Father’s Day card for my Father-in-Law. Love Humphrey, he is such a cutie! I’d like to enter this into the Sketch Saturday challenge this week, a fab sketch girls, I hope you don’t mind me altering the three items from the bottom to the side! Thanks! I’d also like to enter it into the Crafter’s Companion challenge which is ‘Embellish it’, I cannot let a card be made without embellishing it with some card candi, I’d also like to enter it into the Papertake Challenge which is ‘Anything Goes’ with an optional challenge of ‘Father’s Day’ and finally into the Totally Papercrafts challenge which is ‘Doodle it’. I have doodled around the edge of the image and sentiment, and inside.

I was delighted to be in the top three today at Winter Wonderland. Thanks ladies…made me smile this morning My next card is for the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which is a Photo Inspiration challenge. I always struggle with these ones but I hope that my card fits the bill! I took the colour, blue (although it looks turquoise on the piccie…I assure you it is blue!) and silver, and the baubles (on tree on top of igloo) from the photo…hope that is ok. I have made a mini easel card and have used this really cute LOTV image.

That is it for me today. Back to work tomorrow so who knows when I will be back! Lol! Only a 6 week half-term…just hoping Ofsted don’t decided to come…would like a quiet term…winding down for the summer. Fingers crossed!

Hope you are all well.

Thanks for looking.

Hugs

Arline

xx

A SMASHing good time once again!

Hi All

Well, I managed to do a little work today before getting distracted by my SMASH book…got some lessons planned and reports written so I was a good girl for most of the day!

Here are a few pages I have made over the last couple of days. Please scroll down to see my London and Eurodisney page if interested.

The first page I have for you is one that I have completed today. I decided that the diamond pink page in my SMASH book was calling out for some of my Hen party pics! It was definitely a pink and girly evening so seemed to fit it well!

Apologies for the slightly blurred picture! My next page is one about a trip to Canada that I am going on in July. I have popped some piccies of the things we are hoping to do whilst we are there, hoping I may be able to tick them off when I get back!

On Tuesday we went into Manchester and I visited Paperchase. I bought some lush postcards and one among them was a Paddington Bear one. It got me thinking of the TV shows I used to love as a child and so I really enjoyed making this next page!

Can you recognise any?! My final page to show you is one I have completed in my Wedding SMASH book. We were lucky enough to have our dream venue for our big day and so I had to make sure I dedicated a whole page just to the beauty of the place. It is called The Ashes in Endon, Staffordshire and is just stunning. My photos are in sepia as that is my theme for my book but I still think it looks really pretty

That is all for now. Really enjoying SMASHing at the moment. Seems to have taken over my cardmaking a little! My red book is getting so full now that I may need a SMASH band to keep it all together! I have also been working on my ‘Bucket’ list so watch this space…!!

Thanks for looking.

Arline

xx