Cooeee I'm back!

Only one more day to enter the blog candy below, and so far I have drawn Dawn from the followers to win the second candy, now I am back I will get that posted off to Dawn.

Holiday was nice, the weather was fab. It was a little ruined at the beginning by my developing a big spot right in the middle of my nose, it was so painful and I felt everyone was staring and I looked like a rhinoceros! I spent days slapping on the spot stuff in an effort to cover it up and maybe get rid, but eventually it sort of subsided, is still there as a big spot but at least the pain has gone and my whole nose was red but is back to normal, sorry if this is too much information.

We got to Torquay after dropping into the Donkey Sanctuary for lunch and to see a few donkeys, and after a rest in the hotel we went to the theatre to see Sylvia, which was really funny and was about an adopted dog causing marital strife in New York but the dog was played by a girl.

Then we went for an Indian meal in Bombay Express which is a beautifully decorated restuarant that does great food.

I got hold of two free cinema tickets to State of Play on Sunday morning in Paignton, and it was a really gripping movie, well anything with Dame Helen Mirran is bound to be good, and she plays a hard newspaper editor in this story of intrique which thrills right the way through.

Then we bought a few things to have a "picnic" in the hotel room. We later ate at a Chinese restaurant in Torquay that was recommended to us by the hotel and which we would probably never have found otherwise though it was in the eating guide booklet.

Yesterday we visited Trago Mills, and I bought "cough" a few little bits though I hadn't thought I wanted anything. I bought two packs of pick and mix card, two packs of Black Magic card (expensive but I figured it was probably cheaper than anywhere else and I have wanted to try it for ages), couple of paint brushes, a wheel of gems, a card of gems, two packs of felt borders, and I bought one of the Daisy and Dandelion sets - Pickles the elephant.

I really wanted some of the others as they were £3.79 a set, but there were none out. I asked the lady who was restocking the shelves, there wasn't much there really, but she had a trolley full of boxes, more in the warehouse and said the pickles stamps were in the first box but she had no idea when she would get to the rest. I hung around and checked back a couple of times but no joy sadly.

I also bought a glass cutting mat, people are raving about these and it was just over £6 so I thought I would try it.

To compensate for not getting the stamp sets I wanted I bought a Papermania one with dotty flowers, I can't remember if I have it already though.

On the way back we were going to pop in the very big Asda in Newton Abbot, but when we found you had to pay to park and £1 for an hour we didn't bother, but went to the big M&S on the way back to Torquay (which is next to the big Sainsburys, what heaven) and as well as our lunch we spent £100 on clothes as I hadn't expected the weather to really be as warm and my jeans and new sweatshirts were a tad warm, and I packed an awful skirt I bought from Sainsburys which seems to have streched rediculously and I think will be going back - I had to hold it up with a belt and with the two badly chosen T shirts I felt I looked like a refugee from the jumble sale - so after spending I felt a lot better in my cotton cargo pants and new tops. The only problem was that I picked up another pair in a different colour and they were too tight! I took them back today and tried on another pair, and two other colours and only the light green fitted.

I also bought a swimming cossie and actually went for a swim in the hotel swimming pool this morning though I nearly didn't as it has been a long time and I was really nervous.

Yesterday evening we visited Brixton and No 15 restaurant, which serves really great fish and steak dishes as well as rack of lamb, and I think vegetarian options. It is very small and therefore worth booking. As you walk up the stairs to the restaurant you pass the kitchen and can see cooking in progress.

I was tempted by the soup of the day but really didn't think I could manage that as well.

We had been planning to stay tonight too, and revisit Trago for a few things, but some things cropped up so we couldn't really stay.

We did visit the donkeys again and had lunch in the restaurant there, they do a great jacket potato with chedder cheese, huge meal each and pot of tea each for £13 total. We cuddled a few more donkeys, but no loose change this time as we delivered it the first time, then back home.

Desert Island 40th (C4 size card)

One of my work colleages was 40, she was going to a tropical island to celebrate with her partner, and leaving her son with her parents.

This is a big card at C4 finished size, the die cut palm tree is Accucut and is a big die, the sign is Sizzix as is the sun, cloud and the 40. I used glitter card for the sand, vellum for the waves, brass charm boats, fish eyelets, and ribbon for the towel, buttons and some Dove Craft flip flops.

Appropriate as we are off to Torquay, will it look like this tomorrow?

Don't forget to enter my blog candy while I am away.

Blog candy winner - followers draw

I printed off the list with photos of all 22 followers at the time of posting about the candy, and I cut them up into strips. They were folded and popped in a handy tub. Did you know you can even find out when a follower joined in this view?

Then I shut my eyes and picked, just peeking so I could take the photo - no other volunteers still up tonight I'm afraid!

and the winner is........dum diddy dum dum dum......

The lovely Dawn!

Which is good because I won candy from Dawn ages ago, so now she gets some back.

Now I have to tell you that I am going away to the seaside Saturday, won't be back until Tuesday or Wednesday evening depending how we get on, so if you enter my other candy draw your comments won't appear until I get back.

Now I just need Dawn to confirm that she would like this candy (see the candy post for what it is - NOT THE BIG SHOT), if not I will draw again. If yes I need your address Dawn, you can post it as a comment and I won't publish it. (I'm sorry I did have it but no idea where).

Eeek, quickie candy alert

Lorraine over at Craft Coo is offering a surprise quickie candy but you have to comment by midnight tonight - it is Easter Monday candy!

2nd little blog candy times two - NOW CLOSED

Now closed, you will not be able to add comments.

Here at last is my second little blog candy. There are two candys on offer, the first is for anyone but you must:

1. be a crafter,

2, post a link on your blog or spread the word on a forum and tell me which forum and your forum name,

3. show me something you have made using something shiny, foil, paper, card, embossing, glitter etc.

Candy 1 for anyone to enter is by Glue Dots and is doublesided sticky motif packs with some foil and flock. I really don't use these and have acquired a lot of them so they need to go to a good home.

Candy 2 is same sort of thing but by LP Creative and is for my existing followers only (to say thank you for following me), no new followers will be included in this draw (though any who join before the next followers only draw would be included in any later follower's draws).

Candy 1 - you have until Wednesday 22nd April to do all of the above to be entered in the draw.

Candy 2 - I will draw this in the next day or two and contact the winner.

Happy Easter

This is the only Easter card I have managed so far, though I have been making fat pages. This one is for the Penny Black challenge, and I hope I am in time. I decided to try excluding part of the image from the Nestability cut, which wasn't totally sucessful when you look really closely - I need to find that blog with all the instructions on!

I coloured the bunny with Marvy brush markers, he is stamped and heat embossed black, and I wanted the bow to stand out.

The DCWV sentiment went perfectly with the DCWV paper, but sadly the card should have been bigger for me to put it on straight across as I would have liked, so I angled it and added a couple of sticker eggs from the same sticker pad.

I hope you all have a happy Easter break.

Magical birthday card

This was the card that I made for my Father's birthday to go with all the Harry Potter books that I gave him.
The stamp is by Stamptivity, the words are by Rubbadubbadoo.

Beautiful 2

I added some gems to this card, I thought it needed a little bling but I couldn't add them before because they weren't in the recipe!

Blog candy winner

Here are the blog candy candidates:

Bev
Flee
Kristina
Wulfwen

Now the draw, drum roll and the judges:

The 4 names are cut and folded and placed in a square on the floor:

And the winner is: BEV who is Loopylou40 on Crafts Beautiful forum.

Sorry, not drawn blog candy

I haven't had time tonight, will try tomorrow peeps and let you know who wins.

PCJ Easter Fat page swap

I can't get on to PCJ it has been down for maintenance for two days, I know that Sadie, Paula and Gaye are in the swap, I have their pages and addresses and mine are ready to go to them. I know Flee is in the swap but I don't have her address, and I can't remember who else. If anyone wants to enlighten me I would be grateful. As I moderate all comments I won't publish any personal info yousend me via comments.

Edited to say I now have CFCs page and address thanks, I think just Flee to go but I could be wrong, Flee - what is your address?

Challenge card for the CB party

I used some papers that Tassy sent me as the background, and some 7 gypsies paper to punch out flowers. Stamped image by Whiff of Joy, two stickers by Crafty club, the word beautiful is on the paper and I sat Melinda on it. I didn't win, but I have a nice card in my stash now.

Me in masquarade mask for Crafts Beautiful online party

You can download the template to make various masks from the Crafts Beautiful download section. Mine is cut from pearlescent lilac card, stamped with Stampendous swirls in Stazon, adorned with gem eyebrows and tears, feathers and tied with sheer ribbon with a bead on each side.

Birthday card 50th and online party

This was the card I wanted the big 50 for. Is it belated if I delivered it on the afternoon of the birthday? Well I didn't know if I would be able to do that, so decided it was belated! She probably thinks I am mad. This is a C4 size card, (A4 finished size, which is a tiny bit bigger than the USA letter size), I have only ever made 3 this size. The back has a die cut boat and waves by Accucut and a Sizzix frame. The front has 50 and letters by Robo, horse head Sizzix (I seem to have lost my new die so couldn't give him hooves and neckerchief), polka dot ribbons, punched edge by Martha Stewart to match ribbon, blooms by Prima, card candy by Craftworks I think, mac, hat umbrella etc were toppers - sorry package has gone, I thought it went with the sailing boat, and the wellies not sure the umbrella really fits in. Finally a ribbon tag by Making Memories.

Little belated birthday stamp, MSE?


There is a great online party going on right now at the Crafts Beautiful forum, fun, games and prizes to celebrate the Lets Make Jewellery new magazine!

Hooray Robo lives!

I realised what the problem was when Pinkpuppy's other half tried to help and asked for a link to the software I was trying to install, when I looked for it I found that below the version I had been told I needed (v4.4) there was a 64bit version, I have a 64bit Vista PC, so I downloaded that and installed it no problem! Robo has just hopefully cut out the 50 I need.

Or maybe not - here we go, it didn't cut the thin red shiny card right through, going to try with double cut or will have to get the digital calliper out to check it and find something else.

Yay that worked, now have my 50. It is a bit ragged but it will do, also I resprayed the carrier sheet which now doesn't want to part with the goods.

Little hugs

When I got my new set of Nesties I just had to make this card, and it was a get well card for a forum buddy over on Papercraft Junkies forum.

Greetings are Hero Arts stamps. I am useless at tying good bows as you can see.

Craft Robo blues - again!

I need my Robo to cut out a big 50, I am no good at cutting by hand, but I have a new PC with Vista and though I downloaded the Vista software with drivers the drivers will not install on my PC.

I have emailed Graphtec who are trying to help, but they seem to think it is down to my inability to point to the drivers, I keep telling them I can't point to what isn't there! They are going to send me the drivers on a disk as they said it might be easier for me to point at them, though they have talked many people through pointing at the drivers in the past - arghhhhh, there are no drivers to point at - how many times!!!!!!

I was expecting problems with installing on Vista and I wasn't wrong, shame as I need it now.

I don't want you to read about this candy

I want it, so don't look on Phoenix Craft blog!

I am giving away blog candy - now closed

This is now closed, will draw a winner tomorrow.

At last here is the first of the promised little blog candies.

I am posting candy in small lots not one big lot, so more people have a chance to win a little something thus spreading the love.

This is a mix of brand new unused ribbons in black and red, which I took out of the bag to photograph and have put them back in and sealed them up again.
The mix is called ladybird and is from Crafty Ribbons. They look better in real life than this photo. Great for Valentine's cards, or sassy cards or just for red or black or red and black cards!

Anyone can enter as long as you are a crafter and can demonstrate that by showing me something you have made using ribbon. This can be any sort of craft project but I would like you to add the link directly to the project in your comment, if you want to know how to do this click on this link to see instuctions on Stamping Mathilda's blog. I have been having problems typing this as blogger thinks I am typing code but if you click on the link it is all explained with pictures.

I would also like you to add a link to my candy in your blog if you have one or tell me which forum you belong to and your forum name if you don't.

You don't have to follow me though you are welcome to do so, but I will be holding a special little draw to say thank you to my followers at some point.

Only one entry per person. If you comment twice it won't be counted, and remember your comment won't appear right away.

Will post Internationally.

You have until Sunday 6th of April to enter, then comments will be closed and I will draw somebody to win the ribbons.

Blog candy poll results and wedding card

The blog candy poll results were 13 votes for seperate candy to allow many people to win a little candy, and 2 votes for one person to win all candy.

So the 13 win, I will begin posting little candies for your delectation begining with ribbons. I thought I had a photo ready but it was out of focus, so I will have to open the unopened pack and photograph it again - I have organised the first pack and I am not unorganising them again!

Here is the wedding card I made recently, and I took the colours from the invite so I hope they liked it.

The card is ivory pearlescent and lilac pearlescent.
I cut the aperture with a Nestabilities scalloped heart die, and the bride and groom dress and suit are also a Spellbinder's die which cuts and embosses. I layered up the suit but I think I should have made the bow tie lilac too.
I backed the aperture with acetate to support the bridal outfits which are hanging from the bow from the same die, and the "hangers" are coloured with a gold Krylon pen to make them look metallic. The fancy corners are a Cuttlebug die, the sentiment is stamped on vellum and there are lilac heart gems.

Inside the card is lined with lilac card that shows through the aperture, there is a matching envelope to hold our wedding gift of money tied with matching ribbon. The sentiment stamped on vellum on the inside left is a Basic Grey set, the sentiment on the right inside is Rubbadubbadoo.
I covered the glue dots with ribbon roses, and there is one on the front too. Finally I added some self patterned ribbon to match which ties at the back. Is that a bit over the top?