My Month in Review....February Photo's

29th February the last day of the month and it only happens every 4 years, I've had a lovely month, there's been good news, I've been spoilt and had some fabulous days out.

First the good news, you remember me telling you about my brother been attacked, we've been told there was enough forensic evidence to go to court and the culprit has been charged with injury with intent, one down from attempted murder, so hopefully he will be punished for what he did to my brother.

I don't know what I've done to deserve it but this month I've received some lovely gifts, the first present was from my daughter, Paige, I'd been looking in the Swarovski shop in Benidorm at a bracelet but didn't end up buying it. When Paige went shopping a couple of weeks ago at our local mall she came back with the bracelet, she is so kind and thoughtful.

Then my lovely friend Kerry came bearing gifts, she saw these gorgeous jars and thought they would look good in my craft room.I've filled the one with my new TH Distress markers,  the glass jar is on my dressing table filled with cotton wool, I love them both.

Then my wonderful husband bought me my new Canon EOS 550D for Valentines Day.

In the half term holiday, Kerry and I went to Worcester, we had a walk around Worcester Cathedral, had lunch at Cafe Rouge then some retail therapy. I bought some gorgeous Rowan Cashsoft 4ply at the bargain price of £2.50 a ball. I've started a striped blanket which I will share with you soon.

On Saturday, I went to Birmingham to celebrate my friend,Michelle's birthday. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining so it was a great day to walk around the city. We caught the train to Snow Hill and walked through the Cathedral grounds, where our first stop was to The Old Joint Stock, a Grade II listed building and used to be an old private bank, but is now a pub and theatre.

After a drink and snack we had a walk through Victoria Square and Brindley Place, as we walked through the Symphony Hall we spotted Lee Mead and Billy Connolly, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera

Our last port of call was Bar Epernay for afternoon tea, I love this bar, with a pianist playing in the background, people talking and laughing, it has such a great vibe. We started off with a champagne cocktail then headed to the table to eat, we finished off with a bottle of champagne. What a perfect Saturday afternoon.

One last thing, since I've had a Kindle, which I love but do miss reading "real" books, I've decided once a month I will read a traditional book, preferably a classic which is another thing I've promised myself I would do this year. This month I read Rebbeca by Daphne Du Maurier, I thoroughly enjoyed it but does anybody know why the author doesn't reveal the first name of the new Mrs de Winter ? 

   I hope you all had a good month too and thanks for letting me share a snippet of my month with you all.

        xxxDebxxxx

Stuck on You....

Hello my friends, I hope you are all enjoying the weekend, today I'm back with a Christmas card for the Jingle Belles challenge, they have teamed up with E.A.D. Designs and are asking us to use stickers or rub-ons. I don't have many stickers so thought I may have had to use rub-ons but when I looked I had got a couple of sheets of Christmas stickers.

I used this week's sketch from Mojo Monday.

I used Websters Papers and distressed the edges with TH Antique Linen Distress Ink, the snowflake sticker is October Afternoon. I stamped the SU sentiment onto a piece of card and snipped the V-shape to make a banner.
When I cleaned my craft room I threw so many scraps of paper away which I'd planned to use on my cards but never did so I have decided to use up the left overs straight away so here is a second card.

Supplies
Papers- Websters Pages
Stickers- October Afternoon Very Merry
Stamp- SU Contempo Christrmas
Other- SU Lace, bling

I bet the girls over at Jingle Belles are shocked that I have not only done two cards but got them in the first week, you never know I might be able to get another card done next week.

Hugs
xxxxDebxxxx

High Tea......at the Shabby Tea Room.

Whoohoo, it's Saturday and I'm off for afternoon tea at the champagne bar which fits in really well with this week's challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room, which is called High Tea, look at this gorgeous photo, I've just started to collect vintage tea cups so this photo really appeals to me and I would love this one in my collection.

The Shabby Girls are asking us to create a project inspired by the colours and to use a doily. Here is my take.

I love these Pink Paislee Petite Pads, I nearly always use a square card so are the perfect size and the pattern is scaled down which is great for cards.

Supplies
Paper- Pink Paislee Sweetness Petite Pad
Stamp- Inspired by Stamping Small Fancy Label 18
Doily Die- Cheery Lyn French Pastry
Other- seam binding, flower.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll be back tomorrow.
xxxxDebxxxx

It's all Natural.....CCCB #97

Hello, everyone, I hope you are all well and ready for the weekend. I've actually got around to sorting my craft room out this week, I haven't wanted to go in there for the past few weeks as it was so messy and I couldn't find what I wanted. I've loved been in there today, I work so much better in a tidy environment, I managed to get 7 cards done.
One of the cards I made is for City Crafter Challenge Blog, this week Linda is the hostess and has asked us to use natural colours and given us this photo as inspiration.

I also used Sketch 153 from Card Patterns.

Here's my card.

I used a variety of patterned papers and punched out 8 scalloped squares, I made the tissue paper flower using the Memory Box Fringe die, this is my favourite die at the moment. It makes great pompom style flowers using felt, fabric and paper.

Supplies
Paper- Crate Paper Brooke Collection, Making Memories Paper Reviene and Vintage Findings.
Printed Tissue Paper- 7Gypsies.
Die- Memory Box.
Other- SU Kraft seam binding, SU scalloped punch, SU Happy Anniversary stamp, lace.

Have a good weekend, everyone. I'm off to Birmingham tomorrow for afternoon tea to celebrate my friend's birthday, I've always wanted to do a proper afternoon tea and really looking forward to it.

Hugs
xxxxDebxxxx

All Buttoned Up...........

They say better late than never, I'm here again, it's the last day of Jingle Belles 'All Buttoned Up' challenge and I've just finished my card. I asked Lisa H to give me a nudge if I started to fall behind and this morning I had a message reminding me it was the last day, thank you Lisa.
As you can probably guess you have to use buttons on your card, even though I've only made my card this morning, I had been thinking about it all week and knew what I was going to do, so here it is.

I decided to make a button wreath, very simple but fun I think, I wouldn't mind a full size one for my front door this Christmas. I just love buttons and have a huge collection, I just can't help buying more if I see them.
I used two different size circle Nestabilities to get make the base, and then started layering the buttons up until I was happy with the look, I added a bow and stamped the sentiment. It's a great way to use some of those buttons up we all tend to hoard.
Thanks for looking and next time I'm going to try my hardest to get it done the first week of the challenge, you never know I may get one done the second week too.
Hugs
xxxxDebxxxx

Busy Doing Nothing.........

Where does the time go ? I can't believe it's been a week since my last post, I just haven't had much time to play in my craft room or go on the P.C to look at all my favourite blogs, I will try and catch up this week.
 I had the most wonderful surprise on Valentine's Day, I've wanted a DSLR for the past year but could never have afforded to buy one for myself, when I got downstairs Valentine morning my husband had left me a card and gift, when I opened the parcel inside was a Canon EOS 550D, to say I was shocked was an understatement, I couldn't believe my eyes. We don't normally buy gifts for Valentine so I hadn't got him anything, how bad did I feel !!!! I did cook him a nice meal on the evening though of, fillet steak with pepper sauce.

I did manage to get one card made this week but first I would like to say a big thank you to the girls over at CR84FN for choosing my altered photo frame as one of their Terrific Top 3 last week, I was thrilled and very honoured. This weeks colour combo is just beautiful and a gorgeous inspiration board too, I always look forward to seeing the new board, the graphics are always so inspiring as are the wonderful, uplifting quotes. Here is the challenge board for the next two weeks over at CR84FN.

Don't these colours look gorgeous together, I love lavender from the colour, to the flower, to the fragrance but for some reason I haven't got a lot of lavender stash, I must find some pretty lavender papers and embellishments.

I've kept this card simple as I wanted to show off this gorgeous grey doily paper from MME Love Me paper range. I stamped the frame with SU Lucky Limeade,then stamped the quote in SU Basic Grey. I love to read inspiring quotes and always write down any I see in my little notebook. I would love to buy a book of quotes, would anybody be able to recommend one for me, please.

Supplies

Stamps- Fancy Label 18, Sweet Valentine's, both Inspired by Stamping

Papers- My Minds Eye Love Me

Pretties- seam binding, roses

Yesterday my friend Kerry and I went to Worcester for the day, our first stop was Bubbly Funk craft shop where I bought a new Sizzix die and embossing folder, we then went to Worcester Catherdral to take some photo's with our new camera's, Kerry had her DSLR for Christmas. We paid £3 for a photo permit and started snapping away, I'm still learning what all the different setting do so my photo's weren't brilliant but practise makes perfect.

We then had lunch at Cafe Rouge, I had Ceasar salad but if you go there you have to have the french fries too, they are delicious !!!!!! After lunch we had a wonder around the city, I popped into House of Fraser to the wool department and found some Rowan wool at a bargain price so had to buy it. I will show you it on another post when I've decided what to do with it. Thanks Kerry for a great day !!!!

Thanks for looking, have a great weekend, everyone.

xxxxDebxxxx

Inspired by Stamping February Release Day.....

Yay, today is the release day for February's Inspired by Stamping, look at these gorgeous flowers you can now buy from the store.

Using the Fancy Labels 18, I have made a box of 5 cards to give as a gift to a non-crafter, it's always good to have birthday cards on stand-by.

I cut four squares using different pattern papers and stitched the squares to the white base card using running and zigzag stitch. I used one of the larger frames and stamped the sentiment from the Big Wishes set. The box is made using a box making board, the front of the box matches the cards, I edged the side of the box in the striped paper and used a scalloped border punch along the bottom edge.

Supplies
Stamps- Fancy Labels 18, Big Wishes, Birthday Wishes
Paper- My Minds Eye
Other- SU seam binding, Prima Alphas, SU scalloped border punch, Spellbinder Label 18 die

This is a really quick and easy card,I had some plain white tags that I bought from a stationary store and they are just the right size for this stamp from the Fancy Tags set, I stamped five to create a border and wrote HAPPY on them using alphabet stickers, I then inked just the Birthday from Big Wishes and punched out using the SU oval punch.

Supplies
Stamps- Fancy Tags , Big Wishes
Paper- SU Everyday Enchantment
Other- Making Memories mini alphas, pearls, Martha Stewart Lacy Scalloped border punch, pearls,plain white tags.

The Big Wishes set are large sentiments so was ideal to use as my title for this LO, my girls are stood next to James Bond's Aston Martin. I stamped th"Wish Big" onto kraft card and diecut out using a fancy Cuttlebug banner. The doily is cut out from a 12x12 sheet of Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden.

Supplies
Stamps- Big Wishes
Papers- Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden, Bo Bunny Gabrielle
Embellishments- Prima birdcage, flowers and Say it in Pearls

Here's what you've all been waiting for, the full reveal of these fabulous stamp sets:



Small Fancy Labels 3

 

Friends

Fancy Labels 3

SmallFancy Labels 18

Cupcake Wishes

Sweet Aviary

Fancy Labels 18




Fancy Tags

 

Big Wishes

Don't forget to check out the other DT's creations and leave a comment on Joanna's blog for the chance of winning a $40 gift certificate to spend in the store.

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Gini Cagle

Irit Shalom

Jennie Garcia

Joanna Munster

Kassi Hulet

Kendra Sand

Kim Score

Susie Moore

I hope you've enjoyed the last three days of  new releases, have a great weekend, everyone.

Happy Crafting

xxxxDebxxxx