My Favourites cards of 2012 & My Not So Favourite Thing!

Hello lovely peeps,

Today I have a few favourite cards of 2012 to share. I've seen people sharing their favourite card of each month or their favourite top 10 cards but didn't think I'd be able to find enough cards that I wanted to share again, but I was wrong and found it harder to pick some favourites than I thought.

First of all I have picked a card using a Belles & Whistles stamp called Little Friend. I had several people email me about this card asking to buy it or would I mind if they copied it which made me take a closer look & decide I do like the way this card turned out lol.

My next card features my new favourite Tilda and for this card I dusted off my paint brushes and coloured her with distress inks and markers for a change.

This card is a bit different for me as I've only ever made 3 or 4 Vintage cards but it's snuck in among my favourites

I've chosen a card using an older Tilda on it as I think we tend to forget about our older stamps when we have new rubber to play with. 

This was a card for Simon Says Stamp & the DT were kindly sent some Gelatos to feature on our cards, after getting my head around my "OMG how am I going to colour with those" panic I really enjoyed using them and I love the softness of the colours on this card.

Another love of mine is Saturated Canary images and I've coloured so many of these cuties which are sat in a wallet awaiting being put on a card, I just love colouring them especially those with "big hair" which is a challenge to get the shading right.

This sweet little Tilda is from Magnolia's Sweet Christmas Dreams collection & I think she's way too pretty to only use at Christmas

Next up is Anastasia from Make It Crafty & is probably the most time consuming image I've ever coloured as it has so many little details to it but I think she turned out pretty, this little card keeps popping up on Pinterest :)

Sweet Tilda in Key Largo I just love her & the banners on this card :)

 This little card using a Mo Manning image & is another that keeps popping up on Pinterest so she's doing the rounds lol.

She's back, yes my favourite Tilda has snuck back in there again :)

Pearls in her Hair from A Day for Daises :)

 I love this image and really enjoyed colouring her practising colouring folds and shading.

I made these cards for the Simon Says Stamps card drive for Maddy & Melanie and went all out pretty and girlie.

It's nice to look back on cards and notice different designs, techniques, stamps or embellies I've not used for ages, maybe I should try this more often when I have brain freeze and can't decide what to do lol.

I am too late joining my lovely teamie Debby for her sharing of favourite Christmas cards but here's my favourite 5 anyway :)

Dancing with stars Tilda

 Magnolia Nativity

Tilda with little Rudolph

All white Tilda's

Sweet Cozy Christmas Bear

I'll tell you what isn't a favourite & it's something I have talked about many times in the 8 months I've had it! The bleddy (Jode's word) PINK THING!!!

Not only has it started crashing on me again & despite all threats I haven't actually physically harmed it no matter how much I want to, the back now won't stay clipped on so when I try and close it this happens -

How lovely to be able to see the inside of your laptop, Curry's & I are seriously going to fall out this time lol.

Don't forget if you would like to enter my surprise followers candy and haven't already it will be ending soon. 

This is my last post for 2012 as I'm planning on hopping around as many of my favourite blogs as possible, pink thing depending!

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my blog, emails, following me & pinning my crafty makes on Pinterest, and also for listening to my rants about that pink thing lol.

Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy & Creative New Year

Happy Silver Wedding Anniversary Mr Stacey & A Vintage Card

Hello peeps,

Thanks so much for all your Anniversary wishes and beautiful cards, we have had a lovely day out today, spent too much money & ate too much food, & I've been thoroughly spoilt with bouquets of flowers and loads of presents, we are both shattered now but it was really lovely :)

I cannot believe we have been married so long, I was only 18 when we got married & some people said I was far too young and it wouldn't last, but it just felt right and thankfully I've never been any good at listening to "well meaning advice" lol. 

Here we are on our Wedding Day looking so young, pre children, grey hairs & wrinkles, or in my case laughter lines lol.

Happy Anniversary Ian you lucky man lol.

We have had a busy few days, we inherited 10 connifer trees when we moved into our house & we had them cut down and removed on Monday, I also had to call out a very nice RAC man as my car became poorly when I was out shopping, it was starting fine but wouldn't let me put it in gear, thankfully it was nothing major just the brake light switch. The very nice RAC man got my car going but the brake lights stayed on constantly & he didn't have the switch my car needed with him so bless his heart he followed me home so I wouldn't get stopped by the police & so I could go home & have a coffee while he went off & bought the switch & came back & fitted it, now that's what I call service :)

Today is new challenge day at 

SIMON SAYS STAMP

this week we have a

PHOTO INSPIRATION 

challenge for you

Unfortunately I have not been able to make a card for this challenge due to my thumb injury but please pop over and see the gorgeous creations my lovely teamies have made.

Instead of a DT card I have a Vintage 80th Birthday card to share which I made a few weeks ago for a customer.

Ingredients -

Image - free from a Vintage site, sorry I can't remember the name

Papers - Maya Designs

Flowers - Kort & Godt, eBay, Wild Orchid & Prima

Lace - The Ribbon Girl

Pin - homemade

Pearls - Melissa Frances

Tools - MS Cherry Blossom PATP, Magnolia Doo Hickey swirl, Cheery Lyn butterfly

I'm entering my card in the following challenges -

Divas By Designs - flowers, Make It Monday - anything goes, Inspire Me Fridays - anything goes

I didn't realise it was so late, no wonder I'm ready to drop lol.

Tomorrow we are having new windows in the porch and a new front door which I am so looking forward to as it just looks wrong to me having new double glazed windows and horrible old fashioned etched leaf patterned glass in the porch, so tomorrow thankfully the leaves will be gone :)

Thanks for stopping by

Vintage For A Lady - Paper Play DT Card

Hello lovely peeps,

Firstly I want to say a massive thank you for all your lovely comments about yesterdays post, I haven't managed to get round & visit you all to thank you but I will do my best to :)

Today is new challenge day at

PAPER PLAY 

& this weeks challenge is

FOR A MOTHER / FEMALE RELATIVE

The card I have to share today I made a few weeks ago as I had a last minute order to make a birthday card for Jodie's friends Nan & I kept it in reserve with this challenge in mind which is a good job I did as this flipping cold is driving me nuts & I'm not achieving much at the moment as for me coughs & sneezes cause repeated shoulder dislocations. So many of you have said you have been suffering with it for weeks now & it's a cross between a cold & the flu so you have my full sympathy. There's always a bright side, sales of Olbas Oil, Kleenex & Lemsip must have soared so we are keeping people in jobs lol.

Ingredients -

Image - free on the Internet (sorry I can't remember which site)

Papers - Pion

Flowers - Kort & Godt, Prima & stash

Pearls - Melissa Frances & stash

Sentiment - Magnolia

Twine - Hemptique

Lace - eBay

 Tools - MS PATP, Magnolia Doo Hickey heart swirls & swirl, Cheery Lynne butterflies, Memory Box rolled flower die, sewing machine

I have stamped a small Magnolia accessory stamp around the paper edges in Vintage Photo distressed ink & distressed all the paper edges in the same ink. The small Cameo is a button that I carefully cut the back off, the pin is homemade & the sparkle is crystal glamour dust & I added a few clear gems here and there for a little bit of bling.

There are loads of embellies on this one, shame I didn't have more time to take some better piccys but it was such a rush I almost didn't get it photographed at all.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges -

Little Darlings - pearls, The Paper Shelter - add a sentiment, Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes, Ruby's Rainbow - Vintage,  Deep Ocean - pink & brown, Digital Tuesday - make it sparkle, Make It Monday - anything goes, Make My Monday- Victorian romance, 2 Sisters - stitching, Allsorts - free & easy February, Crafty Emma's - spots & dots, Totally Gorjuss - lace

Have a good day & thanks for stopping by

June's Christmas Cards For Hjertboden's Juleblogg & Candy Reminder

Good morning peeps,

Thanks for your well wishes about this darn shoulder of mine, I've had a good rest thanks to my knock out pain killers and the pins & needles have at last eased thank goodness.

Today I have my 3 Christmas cards that I try and make each month for the

Hjertboden's Juleblogg

I made a start on these cards at the end of last week but didn't get them finished due to my shoulder so I've just managed to finish them off this morning.

Ingredients -

Image - Prairie Fairy, Medium - distressed inks, Papers - DCWV, Flowers - Prima, Kort & Godt & Wild Orchid, Sentiment - Cats Life Press, Bakers Twine - Crafty Emma's, Sparkle - crystal glamour dust

I'm entering this little card in the following challenges -

Winter Wonderland - pretty in pink, Make It Monday - anything goes, Hanna & Friends - fab sketch, Lollipop - inspired by a song (Tis the season), The Crazy Challenge - beautiful women, Hooked On Crafts - flowers, If The Shoe Fits - roses, Crafty Ann's - Christmas, Crafty Sentiments - monochromatic

Next up is a vintage card, not sure if I like this one very much & I know many of you don't show cards you aren't happy with, but sorry folks from me you get the bad with the good lol.

Image - free download, Papers - Websters Pages, Butterfly - CC Designs die, Ribbon - May Arts, Sparkle - Platinum stickles

The little scrolled up paper thingy I made using the Magnolia Silent Night background stamp and distressing it

I'm entering this card in the following challenges -

Stempeltraume - metal, Craft Your Days Away - vintage, Sweet Sketch Wednesday - fab sketch

Last up is of course a sweet Tilda, I couldn't post three cards & not use her lol. I don't really know why I bought this stamp last year as I couldn't decide if I really liked it or not but I'm pleased I did now as she's grown on me now I've finally got round to inking her up, fingers crossed the Summer stamp club does too!

Ingredients -

Papers - Pion, Image - Magnolia, Medium - distressed inks, Gem swirls - Prima, Sentiment - Cats Life Press, Flowers - Hobbycraft & Kort & Godt, Sparkle - crystal glamour dust.

I've added a half slice of dried orange, a cinnamon stick & gold berries which are all from my stash

I'm entering this little card in the following challenges -

Simply Create - fly with us, Christmas Card Challenges - die cuts, Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas in June, Sunday Sketch & Stamp - fab sketch, Alphabet - H for half dozen (pearls), Creative Belli - beginning with G (gems, glitter)

I have masses of DT comments to catch up on, a DT project to finish, and lots of you to return visits to and answers to questions to give, so hopefully I will get to you all asap.

Before I go whizzing around blogland a quick reminder if you haven't entered my June candy & want to there are still a couple of days left to enter.

Thanks for stopping by

Monochromatic Vintage - Do It With Digis DT

Good morning lovely peeps,

Today is my last day of relative peace as tomorrow hubby starts his holiday from work and is off for 18 days, yes 18! Oh lord that's 18 days of complaining every time I get my hoover out, 18 days of sport on TV, 18 days of extra mess, bless his heart lol. It's a ridiculous amount of days off, 7 is lovely I can do 7, after 10 he's really getting under my feet & on my nerves saying he's bored & that's a word I don't do & have never understood there is always far too much to do to get bored, but 18 days for goodness sake he'll be getting on his own nerves by then lol. Please keep your fingers crossed for lovely weather for me, I mean for him so he can jump on his beloved Harley & go off on his long rides which for some strange reason he loves doing & I can hoover to my hearts content lol.

Today is new challenge day at

DO IT WITH DIGIS

& this fortnight our challenge is one of my favourites it's

MONOCHROMATIC

Our lovely Lynne is sponsoring this challenge with a fabulous prize, shame I can't enter & try & win it lol. As always my teamies have some beautiful creations to inspire you, pop over & take a peek.

Now don't run off when you see the piccy, you are on the right blog lol, I have made a second attempt at vintage as I've made this card for my friend Ali's birthday & she loves vintage

Ingredients -

Image - downloaded from a free vintage image blog (sorry I can't remember which one)

Papers - Melissa Francis & Raspberry Road

Flowers - Prima, Kort & Godt & Wild Orchid

Lace - ebay

Charm - Bunny Zoes

Pin & pearls - stash

Sentiment - Sentiments 4 You

Tools - Woodware mini butterfly punch, Magnolia Doo Hickey butterfly, MS PATP

The picture below I've added especially for our lovely Dawn as she was concerned about my lack of "trademark sparkle" in the DT blog lol. Blogger wouldn't let me back in there to say "click the piccy Dawn" and this one shows the sparkle quite well so Dawn pop your specs on & click the pic lol.

The fancy corner is from ecrafts and I've again covered it with picket fence crackle paint as I don't like the gold one's I bought so they have all been painted to disguise that garish gold colour rather than throw them away

I'm entering my card in the following challenges -

Stampavie & More - butterflies, Hooked On Crafts - anything goes, Simon Says Stamp & Show - metal, Everybody Art - anything goes, Deep Ocean - flowers, Whoopsi Daisy - pile on the flowers, Pile It On - metal, Make It Monday - anything goes, Totally Papercrafts - punches & dies, Sweet Stampin - things with wings, CES - sparkly flowers, Craft Your Days Away - monochrome, Simply Create - wings, Sketch Saturday - fab sketch, Crafts 4 Eternity - embellies beginning with R, Cutie Stampers - flowers

A big thank you to the lovely Jo for letting me know she is having exactly the same blogger problem, it's always good to know you aren't alone as it means it's definitely not my laptop or internet connection, & thanks so much for the suggestions for overcoming it, so far nothing is working but I'll keep trying.

Thanks for stopping by