At last!!!

Blogging, indeed crafting, has been way down the bottom of the list for the past four weeks since John went into hospital. He is still in Guy's - making a bit of progress - he can now walk with a zimmer and is doing gym work to strengthen his muscles. He's still having dialysis and there doesn't look much hope of his kidneys working again, but we still live in hope.

Thanks for all the good wishes, cards etc that we've received from so many crafting friends. And the other day I received this RAK from a forum friend - some lovely Lush bath stuff:



Yesterday I had a little bit of crafting time in the morning to make my ATCs for the July swap on BF, which asked for two embellishments the same. The background paper is DCWV; the rose circles are PM elements and the silver lettering, swirls etc areAnita's Glitterations - I confess that these are really like peel offs, which I long ago vowed I would never buy again, but somehow I acquired some of these:



And this morning I've managed to do a couple of ATCs for the July swap on CBC - using a stamp. I printed the wording from computer, stamped the Creative Expressions music stamp and the Anita hearts stamp with versamark and heat embossed with silver detail, colouring the hearts with a copic pen. The background paper is PM wedding march:

RAK received this morning

I received this RAK this morning from one of my crafting buddies, with a note to say that we're in her thoughts. We've received cards from lots of forum friends - thank you to everyone - and thank you too for all the comments that have been left wishing John well - much appreciated.

BF Elaine's CJ

As I'm part of a CJ group on BF, I realised that I needed to do my DLO in Elain's 'Perfect Poems' ready to be posted before 14 July. So here I am crafting for the second day in a row - grabbing some time this morning.

You can read the poem I've chosen if you click on the picture for a larger view.

Salt: Prayer

Today's new Salt challenge is 'Prayer', chosen by Mona. You can ready what she has to say here.

With John in hospital and travelling up and down to Guy's every day to see him, I've had very little time for anything other than the essential things of life, so crafting has gone by the wayside.

Until this morning I'd done nothing for today's Salt challenge, but wanted to participate because the subject matter is so relevant in our present situation.

So I got up early this morning and spent time on my LO. It's very simple, but it comes from the thoughts in my heart.

The background paper is Craft Creations Sunset Photo A. (btw the LO isn't crooked like the photo!)



Why not go along and have a look on Salt at the fab crafting of the rest of the team. And perhaps you'd like to make something to contribute this time - please leave us a comment on Salt so that we can visit your blog and see your item.

White space

For the second sympathy card I've used the idea for day 123 on 365, which is: 'Well, we've had a white space challenge before, but this time, I am directing all the decorations to the blacked-out areas in the following image. That means absolutely NOTHING in the white space!!'

The base card is pearlised; the flowers are some Crafty Bitz ones - again, a simple card for a sad occasion:

Lovin' Lavender

With John in hospital I just haven't had the time or inclination to make any cards, but, sadly, needed to make a couple of sympathy cards. So this one fits with the 365 challenge 114 'Lovin' lavendar' - a simple card:

CBC June ATCs received

Postie's just been and I've received two fab ATCs from the June 'men/male' swap on CBC.

The one on the left is from Jane (albajane) and the one on the right is from Andrea.

Lovely surprise

My name was the one randomly picked for the monthly prize for May on 365 cards, as you can see here.

I must admit that with everything that's going on I'd forgotten all about this, so it was a lovely surprise when the postie brought this - 50 sheets of card stock from Sierra Pacific Crafts, card stock alphas from Colorbök, and rhinestones from Kaiser Scrapbook:

BF June ATC swap: square

I have no crafting to show atm. John was in the local hospital all last week and, unfortunately, on the weekend his condition deteriorated and he's now in Guy's receiving treatment and further diagnosis.

I received these ATCs for the June swap on the BF forum:

Commissioned wedding card

A friend commissioned me to make a wedding day card in the same style and colours as the invitation - and, fortunately, I managed to find the same font as well.

As the card features a bride and groom silhouette, I'm linking for 365 cards day 119: 'seeing a silhouette'.

Keep it to yourself: wedding card

'Keep it to yourself: wedding card' was the theme for day 116 on 365 cards: 'The message should be clear without an actual sentiment.'

This is my very simple card for the challenge:

Wheelie good fun

The theme for the ATC swap this month on CBC is 'male'.

I used a PM stamp and K & Co Rough and Tumble paper. Wording was printed and embossed:

I notice that challenge 66 on Cute Card Thursday this week is 'wheely good fun' - snap! (except I've spelled it differently)

Simply stamped

The challenge on 365 cards for day 117 was 'simply stamped' - 'One stamped image and one stamped sentiment - that's it. You can color in the image and use any color of card stock - no patterned paper and no other embellishments!'

Yes, this was a challenge. I decided to make a very simple sympathy card (it's a sad fact of life that I always need to stock up with these because every time I have a Tearfund sale I sell out).

I've used a Magenta stamp on white linen card, with versafine onyx black clear embossed. The colouring is just an ordinary colouring pencil - no copics today.

Artarazzi challenge 28

No actual crafting to show, but just thought I'd play around with the Artarazzi challenge. This is the picture provided:



and here is my take on it, incorporating a picture of a single green bloom that I took a while ago:

Salt: Fruit of the Spirit

It was Melita's turn to choose the topic for today's Salt challenge - you can read what she says here.

I've chosen to focus on 'joy'. You might think it's an odd choice, given the present circumstances - John in hospital following weeks of being poorly and this morning I've had to go to the GP and for xray for suspected new vertebrae fracture - but I feel it is an apt choice, because no matter what the circumstances the Holy Spirit enables us to have a joy that isn't based upon how we feel - and I'm so thankful for that.

My LO is based on Nehemiah 8:10, which ends with 'for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'

The paper is My Mind's Eye Bella Bella Paradise, which needed nothing much added to it (which is just as well because I did this earlier this morning before going to see the doctor) - just the addition of the K & Co letters and a Wizard die cut black butterfly.

If you click on the picture to enlarge you will be able to read what I've written.

Commissioned card and ...

... a bit of an explanation. John is back in hospital, so things are quite topsy turvy here (again!) Because my main laptop died on Friday, I now don't have my list of challenge sites and am out of touch - and atm I wouldn't be able to do much anyway.

I needed to make a commissioned card for a diamond wedding - it's an A4 size so that lots of people can sign it.

The background is a textured pearlised card that I coloured with chalk ink pads because I needed it to match. The coloured diamond paper is K & Co Brenda Walton small wonders (girl) - yes, I know papers from this pad are usually used for baby or 'girlie' cards, but it seemed an appropriate pattern for a diamond wedding card. The sentiment was printed on a matching piece of green paper, which I think is Brenda Pinnick. The swirly hearts were cut on the cricut and the flowers top and bottom were off a strip I bought ages ago at John Lewis - they are embroided on an organza type of material.

This photo doesn't do it justice:



Neither does the scan (the middle part is too raised up so it's causing shadow:

Turquoise and chocolate

This is a very late entry for Rosiedee challenge 39.

The idea is to use turquoise and chocolate (a yummy combo) and I decided to use Kathy's latest sketch 12 'give it a swirl':



I don't feel I've done justice to this challenge - crafting seems to be an effort atm. I can't remember what the background paper is (I'll come back and amend if I remember), but it's one I love. The chipboard hearts and 'friend' are some that I've had for a long time (they came free with a mag) - they were a turquoise and peach colour, so I went over them with chestnut roon chalk ink to make them more chocolatey and I was glad that I had some turquoise wire (surprised that I had) to use for the swirls. The sentiment says: 'The road to the house of a friend is never long' Danish Proverb. Then hugging bears, of course, are Forever Friends (they just seemed appropriate here).

The card looks a bit dull on here, but you get the general idea. As usual, you can get a better view if you click on the picture to enlarge.

Blog candy draw winner

I was going to use random.org for the blog candy draw, but realised that it wouldn't work, because followers were entitled to two entries, so I settled on the old fashioned way of bits of paper folded, given a good stir and shake and then John picked a winner:



By the way, who said that the camera never lies? John looks a picture of health here, although in reality he is far from it - not only is the foot a problem, but anaemia is making him feel very weak.

Anyway, back to the real purpose of this post:



and the winner is vikkithescrapjunkie



Well done, Vikki - please let me have your details so I can get the candy sent to you (I'll leave a comment on your blog with my email addy).

Thank you to all of you who left me comments and have become followers of my blog. Here's to the next 10,000 hits - there'll be a celebration for 50,000 (if I keep blogging that long!)

An award

Thank you so much to Audrey who has given me this award. I've got to know Audrey and many other lovely crafters through 365 cards challenges and I am truly touched and so surprised that Audrey included me to receive this award.

Now for the rules:

1. Add the award to your blog
2. Link to the person from whom you received this award
3. Nominate 7 more blogs
4. Leave a message on their blog letting them know they have received 'One Lovely Blog Award'

This is the hard bit because I visit so many wonderful craft blogs and find it virtually impossible to choose just seven. I'm hoping that eventually others will receive this too, because it is deserved by many, many more of my crafting friends.

However, for the time being, I'm nominating these ladies who all continue to inspire me with their wonderful crafting:

Kathy - such wonderful crafting, especially her 'trade mark' passion for flowers
Gez - such a wide variety of lovely crafting, including her excellent card making
Karen - such talent, beautifully shared
Sheila - I great admire Sheila's crafting - so many wonderful ideas and techniques
Maddy Hill - fantastic creations from such a skilled crafter
Rosie-Dee - I'm cheating a bit here, because this is for Rosie and Deeane, who have a fab little challenge blog that I love - and always admire their contributions to it
Kim - I love seeing Kim's lovely creations and reading her thoughts that she shares with us. Kim is one of the Salt DT that I'm so pleased to be a part of - wish I could include all the other girls

If you've never visited these blogs, I suggest you do so - you'll then see why I am so inspired by them.

Please come back later to see the result of the draw for my blog candy.

Computers!!!

Just a quick post to say that I'll be back later to do the draw for my blog candy.

My main laptop (that I used as a desktop) died on me on Friday evening and so I'm using the little one that I keep for using on my lap in the other room or for taking out (which I never do anyway now).

I notice that some of my recent pictures aren't showing on here - I've still got the original photos still on my camera, so at some point I'll load them on to here - not even sure that I've got the software on here to do so, but will see. It's just a mystery as to how and why they disappeared from here.

Although I had the best of intentions - and an external hard drive to make it possible - I still failed to have everything backed up, but still have a lot of recent photos on camera cards, so all is not lost.

I love computers, except when they go wrong ...

Blog candy celebration

As this post will be on top until 20 June,
please scroll down to see recent crafting.
Thank you.

In the next week or so I will have reached 40,000 hits to my blog since Sitemeter was installed - so, I'm celebrating by giving away some candy. Update: I've now gone past 40,000 hits.

To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave me a comment on this post and also link back to me from your blog - either in a post, or by putting a link in your sidebar.

If you become a follower of my blog, or if you are already a follower, I will put your name in the hat an extra time - so you will have two chances to win.

I am very grateful for everyone who comes and has a look here and I always appreciate your comments.

This is what's on offer:



A set of five Dovecraft Wedding Premium Embossed Cards with envelopes
A set of five Dovecraft Glamour Premium Embossed Cards with envelopes
A set of Assorted Alphabet Bubble Stickers
A sheet of Kelly Panacci epoxy stickers
An Arctic Frog Lilly Pads Flower Show set of 6" x 6" papers
Baby Boy E-Z stick-on 3-D sticker embellishments
A Mr Men embossing board
A packk of Dry Transfer Lettering
A pack of Papermania sparkling trims - 6 x 1m lengths
Queen & Co brads - Textured Trios - Boy

so there's something for every occasion.

The draw is open to anyone and everyone, whether you're a frequent visitor or here for the first time - and I'm willing to post worldwide, so distance is no problem.

I will keep this post on top until midnight Saturday 20 June (GMT + summertime) and will do the draw the next day.

Please scroll down below this post for recent crafting.