An Award !

Thank you Jozza for this fab bling!I nominate (with apologies if you've received it already): As tagged below: She, Maureen, Linda & Debi, plus also Gill, Mucky Pup & Ana.

Here followeth the rules for this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
6. Wear a posh frock if you like, lots of bling and make a speech, but - sorry - no red carpet

Tag !

Fellow Funky Fairy Lou has tagged me and here's the rules: Each player answers the questions and, at the end of the post, then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog and also to then let the person who tagged you know that you've posted your answers.

10 Years Ago:
I had been teaching (geography mostly) for 12 years and was a senior teacher in Wolverhampton, just about to take up being Deputy Head of a secondary school in Gloucester and organising the move. I traveled lots and was always doing something (usually sporty) at weekends. Hadn't even met my husband: Young, free and single in those days!

5 Things On My To Do List:
1: Find the last 'To Do' list - I've buried it under the not done things again!
2: Clean the lounge - DH has removed our old woodburner and there's bits of rust everywhere!
3: Finish outstanding card orders
4: Get more orders!
5: Prepare for my sister's visit next week.

Fav Snacks:
I rarely 'snack' between meals (polishing halo) but love cheese sandwiches, chocolate & homemade broccoli quiche and any cake except Black Forest Gateau (think halo just slipped off).

If I Was A Millionaire:
I'd get the renovations of this house finished and probably buy another with more space and that is more environmentally friendly (we don't even have a washing machine yet but do have solar panels). I'd probably hire a gardener to help with growing the veg and someone to help with the loathed housework too! I'd also try to do some good for others for whom even having our little house and any veg patch is luxury.

Places I Have Lived:
UK: Birmingham, London (Kingston, Wimbledon, Central & Croydon) for 10 years, back to Birmingham, Gloucester, and then moved to France (Brittany) nearly 2 years ago.

Hmm, I now tag some of my lovely SBS sisters to learn more about them and also present them with the above award too: She, Maureen, Linda E & Debi. xxx

Jack's Card for Crafty Monkeys

My son Jack, age 7, has made a card for a kids blog at Crafty Monkeys where the challenge was wild animals. He loves using the Cuttlebug so he immediately went for those animals and other bits and asked for "a tent stamp and the green ink" (I happened to be using Shabby Shutters Distress Ink at the time!). I cut his requested card and paper on the guillotine and he did everything else himself. There is also a new kids challenge blog at Tiny Funky Fairys & Elves so if you have crafty kids it's worth noting!

More candy

As I said a few days ago, I will be offering candy too later this week but, for now, another Karen is offering candy on topping 2000 hits: See Arty Party NI here
expires 7th July

Sunday Stampers - Friendship decoupage & stamp

Just time to sneak in the challenge set on Sunday Stampers last week: 'With a little help from my friends'. The relevance here is more the sentiment than the stamping as that is the only thing I have stamped.

I have made the card for my French tutor as the course finishes tomorrow. The class has had a collection to buy her something nice and I said I would make a card. She has admired the decoupage I have made in lunch breaks and for requests by classmates so I think she'll like this. The friends made on the course, of lots of different nationalities, has been brilliant as we have supported each other in our progress and cheered our successes. Our tutor has met all our differing needs expertly so we really are very grateful to her. I have a long way to go to be bi-lingual but I have made a lot of progress in the last 4 months.

Cartes Maniak 58 & Oh Baby !

This card is a combination of the Cartes Maniak sketch this week and the theme being 'Oh Baby' on TGiF.

Cette carte est une combinaison du sketch du Carte Maniak 58 et le sujet bébé sur le blog TGiF

and another...et encore...

Funky Fairy prize up for grabs !!!

Get on over to the Funky Fairy Inspirations blog and have a look at the challenge there...
This is the first peek of the new stamps coming out:
Isn't she a babe?! I love her! There's going to be a new stamp previewed each week with a random draw to win the stamp: All you have to do is create something on the same theme. And there's an opportunity to join the DT and/or be a designer...See here.

Matching items

Here's a couple of additional things for items blogged previously, and thanks for the comments made on those and others :)
Firstly, a few weeks ago I made a photo album completely from scratch.I have the inner pages on order (the good old fashioned ones with interleaving) but I have now made the box to house it, which I'm relieved to say fits like a glove! It is quite sturdy as it was reinforced and reinforced before being covered in Scivertex.Secondly, I decorated the front of a note book to match the dinosaur card posted a few days ago.
A little thank you present which I think will be useful. I stuck everything down flat this time, which I wouldn't normally do, but I want it to last.I used the Cuttlekids dies with skivertex and paper pieces again and matched the backing and stamping to the card and, before all that, I put a few drops of the diluting spirit on a bit of sponge and used that with a few drops of 'Bottle' green alcohol ink on the cover of the book. Also glossed the printed name with a Sakura glaze pen.

Candy alert !

I shall be offering blog candy myself next week but I'm not telling you why just yet...but please check back!
In the meantime, Jacqueline is offering candy here to celebrate 10000 + hits - Well done Jacqueline !

Hommage to Converse Baseball boots !

I'm flattered to get card requests but seem to end up making some very strange cards! When a friend asked for a 13th birthday card for her daughter and said she was in to 'Converse' it took me back down memory lane remembering I had a similar pair of much-loved baseball boots at that age. So I used a googled image as a basic template and layered up paper and card to create a similar boot. I have embossed the front piece in similar fashion (don't know if that shows in the photo), added the eyelets and ribbon and used white Sakura soufflé for the faux stitching. That seemed to show better than gel pen - I tried both - although it is clear as it goes down. Hope she likes it!