Tuesday Throwdown #211: Sweet Little One

Time for another date with Tuesday Throwdown. Now that the summer frenzy is all but over, we're easing into September with a  gentle theme: "Sweet Little One". Our sponsor, Robyn's Fetish, has given the DT a few cute images to play with. I'm using this adorable image of a little girl holding her baby sister called  "Good Night Princess".

The pattern paper is from Cosmo Cricket "Togetherness" 6x6 pad. I coloured the
image with Graph'It and Promarkers. For embellies: sheer pink ribbon and bling.

Just a simple sentiment from CBS Special Delivery. 

A few challenges for this card:

2 Cute Ink Challenges #144: AG
Artistic Inspiration #107: AG and / or Memories
Craft Dee Bowz September: AG With Handmade Bow
Crafting From The Heart #34: AG
Digi Makeover #156: AG with Digi


Now it's your turn to create a project based on this week's theme: "Sweet Little One". For ideas and inspiration, take a peek at what the rest of the DT members have made. Remember to link up your project at the Tuesday Throwdown Challenge Blog by 3pm PST / 11pm GMT by Monday, September 8th. And the most important requirement: Have Fun!

Thanks for stopping by today and I'll see you tomorrow for a festive post! *wink*

Beijinhos

Eclectic Ellapu September: Hearts

Hello, my friends! Can you believe it's September already?! Where has the month gone, I ask ya! Summer is all but over, school has begun and my fig tree is already shedding it's leaves. Soon we'll be hearing the hoot of Halloween owls and the jingle of the jolly man's bells. Yep, might as well crack open the champers and start the countdown now!

But not before you play along with Eclectic Ellapu. We have 2 new challenges for this month: "Hearts" by the Pinkies and "Lady's Birthday" by the Purplies. You can play either one or both.

Here's my card featuring lots of little hearts. Sorry for the bad picture. I could not get the sun to cooperate with me on this photo shoot!

The top layer is embossed with Crafts-Too Hearts EF and the bottom
half is some scrap paper by Papermania. That cute little owl and sentiment
are from CBS You're A Hoot. The "Birthday" was cut with word die also by CBS.

On the inside I stamped a sentiment from CBS Many Messages.

Challenges for this card:


CAS Colour & Sketch #89: Sketch
Avenue 613 #87: AG + Sights, Sounds or Smell of Autumn
Addicted To Stamps #86: Pastel / Soft Colours
Come And Get It: Things With Wings
Sweet Stampin': Embossing





Now it's your turn to create and link up your labour of love over at the Eclectic Ellapu Challenge Blog. Remember, we have 2 concurrent challenges: "Hearts" for the Pink Team and "Lady's Birtday" for the Purple Team. You can enter both as many times as you wish, but make sure you link up your projects by 11:59pm GMT on September 30th 2014.

That's all from me for now. Thank you so much for dropping in today and have a lovely day, y'all!
Beijinhos!

52 {C}CT August Pick-A-Previous Challenge

Here we are at the last Saturday in August and we have a Pick-A-Previous Challenge. Our talented hostess, Gill Prescott, has decided that we should play with one of our previous sketches.

You can pick any sketch, starting with our very first one back January 2012 and the most one of August 2014. Head on over the Sketches Archive and pick one.

My choice for this week is Sketch #4 of April 2012 and I'm using traditional Christmas colours.

The bg paper is from BoBunny Mistletoe 6x6 pad. I stamped the
greeting from CB Warm Christmas Greetings directly onto the paper
and finished the card with sone gingham ribbon tied in a knot.

The wreath is from CB Hearth and Home. I coloured it with Graph'It markers
and embellished it with Liquid Pearls and bling.

On the inside, I stamped a sentiment from CB's Warm Christmas Greeting. 

Challenges for this card:

Completely Christmas #27: AG Christmas
Word Art Wednesday #147: AG Uplifting
Brown Sugar Challenge #109: AG
Moving Along With The Times: Stitching
Aud Sentiments #114: Any Sentiment Other Than Birthday
Christmas Card Challenges #39: Photo Inspiration / AG Christmas
CHNC August Extra: AG Christmas

Now it's your turn to create a festive card based on this week's Pick-A-Previous: Sketch challenge. In order to be considered for Top Honour and Honourable Mentions, your new card must follow the challenge sketch and you must link it to the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge Blog by 6pm GMT / 1pm EST on Friday, 5th September. And here's the most important rule: Have Fun!

For ideas and inspiration, visit the rest of the 52 {C}CT crew:
Ruth * Jacqueline * Louise * Deborah * Patricia * Danielle * Gill * Fabiola

Rosie's Update:

Since my last update, Rosie has had couple of seriously bad days and then she bounced back. Her fever broke, the antibiotics kicked in and she's stable. She is anaemic and will need a couple of shots to stimulate production of red blood cells. We'll start this treatment on Monday. For now we are thankful for little mercies. She's eating on her own without much persuasion, she's eager to go walkies and has started to play with Richard Parker ... these are reasons enough to celebrate.

I am grateful for your prayers and healing thoughts ... Rosie says thank you too! And thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous weekend, my friends!

Beijinhos!

Christmas Card Club #18: Cardinal or Other Christmas Bird

Here's my third Christmas card in as many days! This time, Miss Mary form our little Christmas Card Club, known for her passion for birdies, would like us to show off A Cardinal (or Other Christmas Bird). Here's my avian offering:

The patterned paper is from MME Snowed In (retired). For cutting and layering I
used Spellbinders Circles and Fleur de Lis Squares dies. 

The image and sentiment is from CB's Christmas Song A5 sheet. I coloured the bird
with Graph'It markers and added blue bling to the hanging ornaments. The snowflakes
in the bg is from the new Snowy Scenes A5 sheet, stamped with VersaMagic Sea Breeze.

The greeting inside is from CB's Warm Christmas Greetings A5 clear stamp set,
with VersaFine Majestic Blue.

This little birdy is off to these challenges:

Completely Christmas #26: AG Christmas

Word Art Wednesday #146: AG Uplifting

CHNC August Extra: AG Christmas

CHNC #191: Merry & Bright

Christmas Card Challenge #39: Photo Inspiration / AG Christmas

Hiding In My Craft Room #162: Any Holiday

Crazy 4 Challenges #250: Animal (except Bunnies and Bears)

Chocolate Coffee Cards #71: Bingo - Blue+Bow+Diecut

Here's a list of the rest of the Christmas Card Club girls. Be amazed by their talent!

Karen P ... Maureen ... Margaret ... Carol ... Lizzie ... Hazel ... Karen B ... Sue P ... Sylvie ...
Sue J ... Zoë ... Christine ... Mary ... Lorraine ... Rita ... Rachel ... Valery ... GranMargaret ... Kate

Rosie's Update:

Another trying couple of days for Rosie. We still can't keep her fever down without medication. By dawn on Saturday she hit an all time high of 41ºC (105.8ºF) and had to be admitted immediately. Despite all the setbacks she's soldiering on, tail wagging, without complaining. We just need to stabilise her temperature and allow the antibiotics to kick in. That seems to be the hardest battle right now. My daily mantra to her is "not today, not without a fight". Truth is, I don't know if I'll ever be ready to face "the day". And so we keep fighting, for as long as she is willing to. 

Thank you so much for all your prayers and well wishes. These little gestures make a world of difference to us. I wish you all a happy and blessed Sunday, friends.

Beijinhos!

Happy Birthday, Nonni!

Hello, friends! Here's my 2nd post for the day. This time I want to show you a card featuring one of Chocolate Baroque's August release stamp: Honeysuckle Butterfly. 

I made this card for Nonni's Birthday Linky Party organised by another sweet stamper and CAS Queen Sandie of London Days. Nonni is a talented crafter and you should take a peek at her blog Korttikarkuri - Runaway Cards... inspiration guaranteed! Her birthday was yesterday.... and well, I'm being fashionably late. Happy Birthday, Nonni! I hope you had a beautiful day yesterday.

************

About this card:

I started by heat embossing the butterfly from the Honeysuckle Butterfly A5 sheet using Stampendous! Detail White EP. Next I inked the background, blending Tim Holtz Distress Inks in three shades of yellow: Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed and Wild Honey. Over the embossed butterflies, I dabbed a little Ripe Persimmon to make them pop. Then I carefully stitched down a layer of vellum. This softens the background and gives it depth too.

For the foreground, I stamped the daisies from the Honeysuckle Butterfly sheet with Memento Tuxedo Black onto a piece of bleed-free 300 gsm white CS. I coloured the flowers with Graph'It markers (Citrine, Lemon, Banana, Mimosa and Blender) and applied Promarkers on the leaves and stalk (Pine, Forrest Green and Leaf Green). Then I fussy cut the image and adhered it over the vellum. The sentiment is from Birthday Words.

I also stamped a couple of butterflies from the same A5 set onto vellum with Brilliance Graphite Black pigment ink and added some blue (Promarkers Royal Blue, Azure and Sky Blue) on the reverse side and fussy cut those too. Applying colour on the reverse softens the look and you don't have to worry about smudging the stamped image.

On the inside I stamped another sentiment from Birthday Words and let lose another butterfly from the Honeysuckle Butterfly sheet.

Here are few challenges for this card:

Red Rubber Inspirationals #134: Just Wing It
Seize The Birthday: AG Birthday
Suzie Bee's Blooming Challenge #43: AG
Word Art Wednesday #146: AG Inspirational
Vandicrafts Artistry #5: Just Ink
Treasured Times #23: AG

Thank you for stopping by today and I'll se you tomorrow! I'm off to have a cupcake ... or two to help Nonni celebrate. (The things we endure in the name of friendship! LOL!) 

Beijinhos!

52 {C}CT August Stash Challenge

It's Saturday and time for another festive challenge. Our lovely hostess Gill Prescott want us to rummage through our crafty stash and create a project featuring "Glitter And Bling".  Oooh! I love a sparkly Christmas.



My project this week showcases A Cottage Christmas set by Waltzingmouse Stamps. It has tons of sparkly fibres, stickles and bling.

The patterned paper is actually a recycled piece of wrapping paper.
Apart form the glitter and bling, the only other extra is a little sheer ribbon. 

Here's a close-up of the cottage. I coloured it with Graph'It markers. 

On the inside, I stamped a sentiment from the A Cottage Christmas.

Challenges for this card:

Completely Christmas #25: AG Christmas

Sister Act #71: AG Card Only
Word Art Wednesday #146: AG Uplifting

CHNC August Extra: AG Christmas

Freshly Brewed Designs #2: Glitter Galore

Christmas Card Challenges #38: Embossing / AG Christmas


Now it's your turn to create a festive card based on this week's Stash challenge. In order to be considered for Top Honour and Honourable Mentions, your new card must follow the challenge sketch and you must link it to the 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown Challenge Blog by 6pm GMT / 1pm EST on Friday, 29th August. And here's the most important rule: Have Fun!

For ideas and inspiration, visit the rest of the 52 {C}CT crew:
Mynnette * Ruth * Jacqueline * Louise * Deborah * Patricia * Danielle * Gill * Fabiola

Rosie's Update:

This hasn't been a good week for Rosie. She's battling a fever which started on Monday. She's been admitted twice and after several tests it looks like tick fever! How on earth is this possible? She's never had any issues with ticks or fleas. All our pets have monthly spot-on treatments. It's mind boggling to me but not completely inconceivable, according to our vet. Following her chemo, Rosie is immunocompromised and all it takes is one pesky bite. Completely harmless for the rest of us but not so for poor Rosie. So now she spends the day at the vet on IV fluids and meds. Her appetite is very bad and has to be fed by hand until she is able to eat on her own again. Now that we've got her on the right antibiotics, fingers crossed she'll start feeling better. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I'm sorry I haven't been visiting and commenting much. It has been a truly hectic week for me and Rosie continues to hog my attention :-)  Have a lovely weekend, friends.

Beijinhos!

Polkadoodles #34: Get Organised For Christmas

Is it Friday already? And soon we'll be asking "Is it Christmas already?!" So let's get ahead of all the festive madness and Get Organised For Christmas - and that, my friends, is the theme for this fortnight's Polkadoodles Challenge.

I made a card using the super lush Work & Play #5 Festive Hollybobs CD. Some of the cute images from this CD are now available in clear polymer stamps. Make sure you check out the Store regularly because Nikky is always adding MORE fun stuff ... and you don't want to miss out.  

Here's my card:

Everything you see on tis card is from the Festive Hollybobs CD ... except the
lace trim, bling and stickles. 

Here's a close up of the image. I've used the digi stamp from the CD, coloured it 
with Graph'It markers,  fussy cut and popped it on foam tape. This image is also
available in clear polymer stamp. It's called Sleigh Time. 

On the inside I added a little tree ... also from the Festive Hollybobs CD.
Didn't I say this CD is fabulous? :)

Now it's over to you, my friends. Create a project based on the theme "Get Organised For Christmas" and link it up over at Polka Doodles Challenge blog by Noon (GMT) September 5th. The winner will receive a copy of the new Work & Play Collection #5 Festive Hollybobs. The identity of the lucky randomly chosen winner will be announced on Friday, September 12th, along with the DT's Top 3 entries. So hurry and get crafting!

Thank you for stopping by today. Have a beautiful day and I'll see you again tomorrow with another festive card .... and an update on Rosie.

Beijinhos!

Tuesday Throwdown #209: Our Furry Little Friends

Well hello, Tuesday! It's time for another play date with the Tuesday Throwdown gang. This week we are being sponsored by Oak Pond Creations. The challenge theme for the week is "Our Furry Little Friends".  I'm using the digi called "Love Pets" - a perfect picture of our family!

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey "Life Of The Party".  I cut and layered the
image using Spellbinder dies and finished the card with some twine.

The three guys are behaving exactly like our furbabes, so I coloured
them accordingly with Graph'It markers.  From let to right we have
Peanut who enjoys showering our baby kitty Richard Parker with slobbery kisses
who makes no secret that he adores the attention, looked on by a horrified
Rosie, appalled by the excessive PDA by today's youth! 

Join me in these friendly challenges?

Tip Top Tuesday: AG

Bunny Zoe Crafts August: Summer Colours

Crafting From The Heart #32: AG

Love To Scrap #36: AG

Simon Says Stamp Monday: AG

Crazy Challenge #178: Cute Little Animals

Going Grey With Scrap: Animal

Now it's your turn to create a project based on this week's theme: "Our Furry Little Friends". For ideas and inspiration, take a peek at what the rest of the DT members have made. Remember to link up your project at the Tuesday Throwdown Challenge Blog by 3pm PST / 11pm GMT by Monday, August 25th. And the most important requirement: Have Fun!

Rosie's Update:

She has completed her last cycle of Doxorubicine and last Saturday we got the results of her mid-cycle blood work. Her whites are very low, which is expected, and she's on antibiotics for 7 days. She'll be going in for a PET scan on Thursday and we'll know more then about the success of the treatments so far ( and the progress of the cancer). Her appetite isn't brilliant but it is improving. More news after Thursday... fingers crossed it all goes well.

Thank you for stopping by today. I haven't been able to do much visiting these past few days. We have family staying over for a few days and ... well, you know how that is! Have a fun day and I'll stop by soon... promise!

Beijinhos!