A challenge card

It's not turning out to be a good week for making cards. I'm feeling a lot better and thought that I would make a few cards yesterday. The gods are against me though. My son and DIL have roped me in to help them with a Christmas fayre at a local church on Saturday. The organizers hadn't anyone to make and sell cards. The lady that used to do it has sadly died. They asked my DIL if she knew of anyone and of course said yes...herself, her partner (my son) and me. Well..seeing as I have some cards made from entering the challenges, and having images stamped/coloured/decoupaged/matted and layered etc..... getting them made up into simple cards would have been easy. Emphatically No!!. First, my printer which is quite old now, is on a go slow..I need it to print out some backing papers and the inserts..and Theo. Every time I get out my crafting stuff he starts. He wants to play with everything...glue stick, craft knife, scissors, DST, papers, inks.....you get the picture? Well it meant that yesterday I got the grand total of 3 cards made...and I still have inserts to make as well.

Here is one of them that fits one of the challenges. Rainbow Lady's Challenge #40 which asks for snowmen. Suffice to say that I'm not doing very well at getting any more challenge cards done this week


The image and sentiment is from La Pashe..the backing paper downloaded from Funky Fairy.

My signature seems to be coming and going as well.....definitely got the gremlins in this week.

Blog candy

Click here for some amazing blog candy from Kristine.

I feel....

...like death warmed up. My body feels as if it's been used as a punching bag...my feet and legs are screaming and I can't get any ease either sitting or standing..so I'm doing a bit of both. I did go back to bed this morning with a hot water bottle, but that made me feel worse, so I got up, took some more painkillers and I've made a card. It's for the PWC...Snow!...so I did some snowflakes with my one and only single snowflake that I thought I had lost. Stamped with versamark and embossed with silver sparkle EP The backing is from a free download on the Imag-e-nation forum and I can't remember who posted it. I'm sure someone will know, so if you could let me know I can give the deserved credit where's it's due. The card stock looks black but it is actually dark blue. The sentiment is from Woodware. It's a simple little card but just so pleased with myself that I actually managed to make it!!

Here's another card I made, not for a challenge though. It's for my eldest grand-daughter's birthday. She's not all that girly but I decided to go to town on the bling and a bit pink...and she does love her handbags and shoes.

The backing paper is a free download from making-handmade-cards. The other paper covering the 12 I don't know where it's from. The number template is from Imag-e-nation.

I don't think I'm going to manage any more cards today so that means I will miss out on doing some of the challenges. I'm off to have a cuppa and something to eat so that I can take some more painkillers. Take care out there.

One card...

......3 challenges. Aren't I getting clever! Well not really. Some of the cards I am doing are way off what I normally do, and so are a bit experimental for me.

The 3 challenges.....SCSC Challenge #7 Cute as a button. A Spoonful of Sugar challenge #26 Blooming Marvellous. ABC Challenge..R for Ribbon. Some of you alert challenge takers might notice that the layout of this card is a sketch for Sketch Saturday sketch #25. It follows the sketch but it should have been a Christmas card to be eligible. If I get the time later I might just manage to make one.

The image is from Funky Fairy's....the backing papers are from a 6x6 pad of pearlised papers and I can't remember what make. Flowers and buttons from stash.

Blog candy...

You've just got to check out Debbie's blog...and the candy she is giving away to celebrate 12,000 hits.

Ria from Funky Fairy has some gorgeous candy to celebrate over 17,00 hits.

Don't forget Kadoodle have a new stamp to give away this week

3 cards....

....4 challenges. The first card is for the This Thursday Challenge #21. It threw me a bit with the metallic bit. Anyhow....the card is a dufex decoupage and has silver backing paper.....so I think that it qualifies for metallic. I decided to keep it fairly simple and only add the ribbon as an embellishment to keep the focus on the image. I'm pleased with the way the dufex has turned out. Cutting it out with Theo trying to help nearly ended in disaster. I nearly had an ear less cat!
I'm afraid that he still has to learn that not everything is a toy....and I've discovered Pinflair Gel..a bit pricier but a lot better to work with than silicone.

The next card covers 2 challenges. RainbowLady's Challenge #39...Things with Wings......and Daring Cardmakers..Birds. I got a bit stuck with this....but went for fairly simple and traditional.

Finally....Stamp Something Sketch Something challenge. Ooh look.....I've gone all pink and glittery...well only a bit of glitter.

I'm getting better with the camera....but I must remember to take the photo's during the day when thee is natural light! Not that my living room has a lot of natural light at this time of the year....it is north facing and the coldest room in the house.

A good day..

.....today. I've been quite productive. I've finished all my ATC's for this month and they are ready to be posted tomorrow. I haven't made a full card today.....2 almost done..will finish them tomorrow, hopefully when I get back from the doc's for my blood tests. I have got a card to post here though. It's the one I made for the Imag-e-nation forum challenge set by Val. I didn't win....but my aim at the moment is just to take part. The challenge was to make a card using one of Joanie's sheets. You can see all the other entries on Joanie's blog

I've volunteered to host Decembers ATC swap on the Foggy Friends forum. There are only a few who take part in this swap, and were struggling for someone to host. A lot of the people who take part are very badly affected by M.E. and so sometimes find it a real challenge. It would have been a shame not to have the last swap for 2008 , so that's why I agreed to host. I just hope I don't make a complete pig's ear of it.

The saga...

......of last last Friday's appointment. It wasn't unexpected really. The bone scan results show that my bone density has deteriorated alarmingly since my last one in 2005....and I do have osteoporosis. Apparently I am not getting enough calcium or doing enough weight bearing exercise. She asked me what my diet was like and I said that it thought it quite good really. Yes I do have a sweet tooth and have cut out the sugar in tea...I eat a good range of foods including wholemeal bread and plenty of fruit and veg. I know I could do with losing about half a stone and I am losing it since going swimming. Not good enough for her though...I need to lose some weight (although I am not overweight!) walk a lot more and don't take the bus and taxi's. Taxi's??..I can afford to go everywhere by taxi?? When I said that walking was painful and tiring for me her answer was to give me yet more painkillers..... HELLOOOO!! I HAVE M.E. She then gave me a list of common foods that contain calcium, so I think I've got the calcium thing sorted now. I start to have sugar again...there's 2mg per 100g in that. Cheddar cheese sandwiches made with white bread and butter rather than low fat spread....that's 55mg in a slice of white compared to 13mg in wholemeal.....and fried sausage and chips. There's more in fried sausages than there is in grilled bacon..and the same goes for chips rather than boiled potatoes. With this sort of diet I will increase my amount of calcium very easily.....but I will probably die early due to obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Then she prescribed another lot of medication. This is one tablet to be taken once a week on the same day of the week for the rest of my life. It has to be taken whilst upright with a full glass of water and nothing to eat or drink for 30 minutes afterwards. I started taking it on Saturday and the hardest thing is having to wait half an hour before I can put the kettle on for my morning cuppa. I don't even begin to function until I've had that. You confused yet?...I am!! Oh..and I've got to have more blood tests on Wednesday. My blood tests from the hospital "were a bit fuzzy"....the doctors words....and showed some inflammation which needs investigating. Don't think there's much more they can test me for now. At least now when people ask what's wrong with me, I can say that I have a medical condition which most people are aware of and not get the withering looks of disbelieve.

I won....

...blog candy!!!!! Take a look here to see what I won. Choccies.....mmmmm!


Down to business now. Here is my entry for this week's ABC Challenge....a quick card.

A pyramage mounted on silver mirri card..then on dark blue card stock onto a white card. A bit of Sakura clear glitter...then a silver ribbon. Voila!..all quick and east to cut and mount.

The pyramarge is one of Joanie's, another member of the Imag-e-nation forum (there really are a lot of talented and generous people on there)...card stock and ribbon from stash.

I don't do mornings...

..but here I am early....for me that is...on a Sunday morning. Why am I here at this time? I couldn't sleep so I thought I would get up and try and get some cards made. I have made 4 cards but I can't say that I am happy with all of them. I've got the mojo for creating, but they just don't seem to be turning out how I intended. Well here goes ....3 cards for 3 challenges...but I'll only post for 2 just now.
Papertake Weekly Challenge.....using Dawny's sketch#2. I actually made 2 cards for this because I'm not sure if one, or even both of them actually follows the sketch.

I like this black and white one. The image and backing sheet is by CraftySal, a member of the Imag-e-nation forum. I went over the black parts of the image with an embossing pen then clear embossed it. I added a little Sakura clear sparkle to the poinsettia, holly leaves and the firs. Not your usual colours for Christmas but I think it gives quite a dramatic effect.

Here's the second card.

I'm not really happy with this one. I wanted to use the image but I'm not too sure about the green card. The image and paper is free download by Jak.. go check out her blog, her work is amazing....and the sentiment and swirl stamps are by Paperartsy.

Funky Fairys challenge #41
I really tried with this sketch but just couldn't get it right. Never mind it's another card done..and perhaps I will grow to like it...or someone else might.

Decoupage and spotty paper from Funky Fairys. Snowflake paper from Crafts Beautiful.

I'm off to have my breakfast now, and then I'm going to son and DIL's. The weather looks as though it might be quite good today....we have blue sky and only a little light cloud...so hopefully I won't get wet. I might be back later with the saga of my doctors appointment. Oh... by the way...I found my snowflake stamp, and some other things that I had forgotten about when I was stroking...ahem...sorry....tidying my craft stuff away. It was stuck to a small piece of acetate. Happy now.