WOW, WOW, and thrice WOW!!!!

You just have to take a look at this fantastic prize on offer over at Lovin' Ink of which the very talented Michelle is one half.  I love Michelle's blog and have been a follower of hers for quite a while and since the webshop opened I have become a follower there too.  As well as some lovely bits and pieces of rather interesting stash there's also fab inspiration too.

as well as this lovely candy there is also this fabulous prize on offer.

a Brilliant Super Spectacular

Giveaway Prize

2 Free places on the

Lovin' Ink Craft Retreat on the 26th - 28th March 2011

at Bolton Abbey, North Yorks

Hop on over to either Lovin' Ink or Michelle's blog to find out what you have to do to be in with a chance of winning.  I sure have my fingers and toes crossed .............. for myself that is, Lol!

Hugs

Lesley  Xx

Want a little bit of fun? Then PAY IT FORWARD!

WOW! Nothing for nearly a month and then 2 posts in 1 day!  No makes in this one though.  However .............. I've picked up this cute image from my lovely friend and CSQ buddy Judith.  I've signed up for her 'Pay it Forward' so now it's my turn to do just that.


I promise I will send something handmade (no idea what yet but I hope someone will want them, lol) to the first five people to comment on this post.  If you decide to enter you have to 'Pay it Forward' and post this offer of something handmade to the first five people to comment on your own blog post.

The rules are to send something handmade by you to five people before the end of 2011.  That should be enough time even for me, lol, as I don't think I'll have a lot of time until after Jenna's wedding.

Eeek!  I shall feel a right wally if nobody wants my stuff,  Ha! Ha!

Love and Hugs
Lesley  Xx

BACK TO .................................

......................... Christmas!!!!  and the blooming temperature thinks it still is 'cos it's perishing cold, lol.  On my last post (ages ago I know) I mentioned that I was still waiting for one of my buddies to receive the Christmas card I had sent to her and which I had also sent to my 3 lovely CSQ friends.  Well, unfortunately it looks like it has been swallowed by our Royal Mail's big black hole so I'm going to post the picture now albeit really belatedly.  At least Sue will be able to see what she should have received.  You never know it could turn up in years to come as these things have occasionally been known to do, Lol!

All the stamps I used on the above card, except for the greeting, are Elusive Images, some from this year and the snowy cottage scene in the background from a previous year.  The greeting is a Clarity Stamp.

I am sorry I've been awol again but  I have been quite busy on the crafting front just not with things I can show yet.  Some has been DT stuff but a lot has been Wedding things for our daughter, Jenna, which I can't show yet either, mainly because everything is still in bits, lol!

Jenna and Tony have decided on an informal theme for the wedding of an English Summer Garden Party so there are to be no formal flower arrangements on the tables.  Instead we have collected some really pretty jugs, vases and even teapots to hold cottage garden type bunches of flowers.  We've also been collecting different sized jars which I'm going to decorate with ribbons and paper lace borders and these will have tealights in and the place name cards won't be cards at all but I'll show you all the different things nearer the wedding which is towards the end of May.  Coming up with designs that Jenna liked proved to be a bit stressful because she changed her mind a few times (easy to do when it's your Mum you're getting to do the making), lol, but to be fair I also found it a bit difficult to get my head around what she wanted.  Everything she tried to describe sounded such a mish mash to me I thought it was going to look totally unco-ordinated.  The lightbulb lit up when we went to a Vintage Wedding Fayre at a hotel in Harrogate and she started pointing things out to me ..........  then I finally GOT IT!!!!! ..... and I think it's going to look lovely .......... if I can do her ideas justice, ahem!  I'm now knee deep in pretty little rosettes (thank goodness for Mr Holtz and his rosette die) and before too long bunting will be on the agenda too.  We are hiring quite a few metres of bunting but the wedding venue is quite a large room and has a very high ceiling so we are going to supplement the bunting with some of our own.  I'll let you know how I'm getting on with things as I progress but this is a pic of some of the things I'm using.

Finally, for this post, something not so happy.  Immediately after the New Year, my Hubby and I had to attend a funeral so I had to make a sympathy card.  I fell back on my favourite technique of last year which I had used for my quick Christmas cards.  I said it was a useful technique you could use for absolutely any occasion by changing the colours and the stamps used and it is.

The stamp I used is a Lavinia one and the Distress Inks were Milled Lavendar, Dusty Concord and I think Stormy Sky.

Well, that's it for me today.  Hope you like my makes and I'll do my best not to take so long to my next post.
I really appreciate your visits and especially if you have time to leave a comment.  Stay well everyone.

Love and hugs
Lesley  Xx

PS   Don't forget you can click the pictures for a larger image and then you can see the subtle sparkle on the Christmas card.

Now Izzy's THREE!

.............. years old that is!  A few days before Christmas it was our granddaughter Isabella's birthday and it's a measure of how out of sorts I was that I almost forgot to make her birthday card!  I think it was all that blooming snow throughout December that really made me want to hibernate.  Actually, I think my brain did, Lol!

Anyway, I remembered just in time but then couldn't find the Dimension Fourth Alphabet stamps I wanted to use.  I spent a good 2 hours searching through all my loads of stamps at least 6 times with no luck at all and I was so mad at myself because I thought I had lost them.  In the end I had to come up with a different idea and it ended up being well into the early hours of the morning when the card finally got finished.  However, when I went to my daughter's (Isabella's Mummy) with said card and pressie the next day, I mentioned the much searched for stamps and guess what ???????  I loaned them to Jenna several months ago!!!!!   Grrrr, I wasted all that time because I have such a terrible memory.  Still at least I haven't lost my stamps and this was my finished card.

I apologise for the poor photo but it was quite early in the morning and the light was very dreary.  I didn't have time to set up how I normally take my photos either which would have helped.  The papers I used were all from a DCWV stack called The Linen Closet and they are all absolutely gorgeous.  Many of them are highlighted with glitter and have beautiful designs all in this colourway.  As you can see there is only one tiny bit of stamping for the sentiment.  I had just received my brilliant Tim Holtz/Sizzix rosette die so had to put that to good use didn't I. I used a Martha Stuart lacy ribbon punch, a Sizzix leaf flourish and Sizzix 'Hugs' die.  I don't think I got the balance quite right when positioning the rosettes but it was about 2.30 in the morning and I was too tired to see straight I think.  That's my excuse anyway, Lol!

Well, Hubby's back to work tomorrow and I start my normal child minding duties with my other little granddaughter Alexa.  It's her 3rd birthday in March so I'd best not forget that too and leave her card until the last minute.  Rushing takes all the fun out of it.  I hope you've all had a really good New Year weekend and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy and peaceful 2011.  I'd also like to thank you all for your visits and the lovely comments you left me over the past year.  I really do appreciate every last one of them.

Love and Hugs

Lesley  Xx