Crafty Catz

I had been asked to make a card for a friend, a very spesh friend. When i am asked i always try to find out a little about the person who the card is being made for. Flowers & purples i was told. Going through my stash i found this very beautiful paper from the Basic Grey Sugared range. I love the whimsical look & and resurfacing this paper pad from my stash has made me want to go do loads of creating!!!

Oh by the way, i have just brought these yummy Prima flowers & have been itching to use them for a special card.

The card was also appropriate to fit in with this weeks Crafty Catz challenge #21 which was to make a card with a fancy border & ribbon. The prize for this week is a gift certificate from Wendy at Digital Delights

Hope allof my friends in blogland are keeping well.

Hugs & kisses Clare xxx

Had a Play

Had a little play with my friends Penny Black stamp and my new Promarkers yesterday!!!

Thanks for stopping by, hugs Clare xxx

Hi All!!!

I am back in blogland after a break. I had my treatment last Wednesday which all went ok but felt very blurgh for a few days. It took 7 hours for the infusion which made it a very long day. Luckily i had the IV in my left arm so was able to play with my Promarkers!!! just on the offchance i did lots of stamping the night before & managed to get a few bits done. I have been asked by the hospital staff to take some cards in when i have my next treatment day on 3rd March, so may even be able to make some money whilst sitting on my butt!!!

Well i am a year older since my last post as it was my 37th Birthday yesterday. I was totally spoilt, receiving mainly money but i also got some yummy Bodyshop smellies, a Coldplay CD, pandora charm and i still have pressies on their way from OZ from my lovely sister Helen. I think they will be some yummy crafty stuff!!!

I ordered some lovely crafty bits yesterday online at The Glitterpot so cannot wait to get those. I spent just over £40 of my Birthday money, i just had to because it is free postage over £40, it had to be done!!!

The rest i am saving to go to The Craft Barn in March all being well. They are having a big free demo day at the barn and will be meeting up with two of the great girls from the Card Feast. It is 3 days after my next treatment so fingers crossed i will be well enough!!!

So i will leave you with some odds & sods i have been playing with since my last post

Big hugs, Clare xxx

This was a layout for last weeks Seasoned Scrapper over at LSBS and challenge 3 required a summer LO, or our
idea of summer. I loved it as it made me scrap pictures that are kept in my memory box. It was a happy day, the day before me, mum & dad left Australia to come back to live in England. It was the last pictures taken as a family with my brother Mark who passed away a year later. It also includes Mum and Mark together and i just know they have now been reunited. Our memories are so precious x

Just some cards i have been making. Sorry about the last pic it looks a bit cack-handed!!! anyway back to make more, thanks for looking xxx

No Blogging for a Few Days

May not be on blogland for a few days as off to hospital for the day tomorrow, yuck. Have got to go in for the day and have a drug called Rituximab via IV which takes 6-8 hours. I have also got to have it on 2nd March. It is a drug which is used to treat certain types of cancer & has shown to help the awful side effects of  Rheumatoid Arthritis by blocking the immune system which attacks the joints in RA sufferers. I had 2 lots last year but it did not make any difference but they want to give it a blast again as can be successful on the second round.

I will try anything at the moment as i am in so much pain. I saw my Biologics nurse yesterday and he is loathe at the moment to try me on the newer drugs until i have seen my Rheumatologist in June. I have been coming out with a lot of bruising on my joints which he is concerned about so wants me to see Dr.Sam before anything else. I also want to find out if anything can be done about my elbow as obviously i rely on it so much and is restricting a lot that i can do being my right arm. This upsets me more than any other joint as effects my crafting some days. I cannot even type or write for long without being in agony & having to rest it, what a killer!!!

Anyway will be firing up my MP3 player & stock up on mags for tomorrow as usually have the IV in my right hand so can't do much else. Darn it can't even take my craft stuff up there to while away the hours!!!!

Will be back on blogland soon once i am feeling more human as the drug can make you feel a bit yucky for a few days.

Hugs Clare xxx

Card Feast

Yesterday i went to my very first Card Feast, infact it is the first craft demo/class that i have ever been to. It was held at the local ESK venue & was held by my lovely friend Gaynor and another lady who i can now call a friend, Anne.

It was held from 10.30am till 4pm and i absolutely loved every minute of it. It was also great as i got to see my other mate Jane who joined Gaynor & i at The Brighton craft show.

We had a lovely lunch & dessert which was included & was further plied with biscuits, cakes & drinks.

Gaynor took the morning session & this was what we all created;

Design by Gaynor White

Design by Gaynor White

The afternoon session was taken by Anne and we made another two beautiful cards;

Design by Anne Hide

Design by Anne Hide

Jane & i were incredibly fortunate to be seated next to two very cool ladies (3 including Anne in the morning!) and we were officially named "the rowdy & gobby" end of the table!!! so glad as the two ladies, Brenda & Linda have exchanged numbers with me & Jane & hoping to have a get together real soon.

Hopefully Gaynor & Anne will be having several Card Feasts throughout the year, i will certainly be the first to put my name down!!!

Hugs Clare xxx

Seasoned Scrapper - Summer Week #2

Week #2 was Deanne's challenge & it was certainly one to get your teeth into!!! we were asked to make a concertina card box for this one, with full info & instructions here.

This is what i came up with;

I used white hammer card, Making Memories "Be Inspired" papers, bling & embellies.

Im really happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for popping by!!!

Hugs Clare xxx

Seasoned Scrapper - Summer Week #1

Although i have not had a chance to take part in any other of my weekly challenges i have managed to keep up with the "Seasoned Scrapper" challenges over at LSBS.

So for challenge #1 we were asked by the wonderful Nic to decorate a journal for the Seasonal Scrapper weekly challenges. We are to use the journal to record the weekly challenges & we will be able to use the book for future inspiration. The requirements were to decorate an excercise book, diary etc in colours/wording across the seasons & use tabs to seperate each season.

This is what i came up with;

If you would like to take part in the weekly Seasoned Scrapper challenges just click on this link for all of the info you will need. You can start at any time but to be in with a chance for the weekly prize you must upload your work by 12am the following Sunday (which is about 2pm Sunday afternoon in the UK). Alternatively if you get all challenges in by the end of the month by deadline you will also be in with a chance for the monthly prize.

Thankyou for popping by!!!

Hugs Clare xxx

Slack Blogger!!!

Well here i am after being MIA for a couple of weeks. I have not update since before i went to the Brighton Centre craft show. My excuse? well i have been recovering from that wonderful event, filling out loads of forms & tidying up paperwork which i have been neglecting, and a few crafty bits which i will be updating. I have decided that i will probably do about 3 posts as i will probably get things jumbled up if try to do just the one!!!!

So the craft show!!! wow what a wonderful day that was. I loved every minute of it. I went with my friend Gaynor & we ended up meeting a lovely lady called Jane who was on her lonesome at the show so we invited her to join us for the day. Jane has been to some of Gaynor's classes so she already knew her.

I ended up spending about £150 of Christmas money & card sales money & i enjoyed every moment of this guilt free spending spree!!!

What did i buy??? well had to take a picture to add to my blog to share!!!!!

My new stash included 21 Promarkers (which i am totally in love with!!!), Martha Stewart Lace border punch, Labels one Spellbinders Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Leaf dies, 4 stamps, paper & card packs, 3 12x12 storage boxes, rub-on's, die cut packs, ribbons, 12x12 papers, a new scalple......can't think of anything else!!! other bits of odds & sods.

All in all it was a fantastic day & worth every bit of pain that i have been suffering since. I reckon the show was much better than last year & a load of bargains. I have decided that for next year i am going to save as much as i can as you can get so much more for your money.

By the way Lisa (Sophisticats) so sorry we missed each other honey. Maybe next year we will get to meet up?

Happy Valentines Day to everyone out there.

Hugs Clare xxx

Creative Stitches & Hobbycraft

Hi everyone, just wanted to pop in & let everyone know that im EXCITED!!!! all being well i am going to the Creative Stitches & Hobbycraft Show at the Brighton Centre on Friday. It is running from Friday 5th - Sunday 7th, 9.30am to 5pm (Sat until 5.30pm). I have been waiting all year for this and it has not come soon enough!!!

I went last year on the Saturday but really wanted to go on the Friday this time. I am willing myself to be well enough as i have had a bit of an off two days with my Rheumatoid Arthritis so have been resting up. Last year when i went i spent 3 days in bed afterwards hardly able to walk, it was so worth every pain in my body though!!!!

This is the many pitfalls of the disease as you never know how you are going to feel day to day. One day you can feel reasonably human & later that day or the following day you can feel like you have been run over by a steamroller!!! At the moment my right elbow is in agony (even though i had steroid injection into the joint a couple of weeks ago) and my knees are bad. I have a massive ugly bruise like thingy on my right knee which came up over the weekend. My knee swelled up big time Friday & by Sat i had a fright when i had my bath & saw it!!! i have not banged it nor hurt it but it seems at times when i get a lot of joint swelling i seem to react with terrible bruising.

Anyways enough about my manky joints!!! is there anyone else out there going to the Brighton Centre Show??? or any other shows??? there are heaps out there at the moment across the UK, are there any good one's i OZ at the moment?

My darling husband has taken the day off on Friday to take me. I am meeting up with friends there who are going to be doing demo's etc. When i told Martin that i come back with them his reply was "i am coming back to pick you up!" even though it is about an hours drive, bless him. I think he know the pain that i am going to be in by the end!!! he told me that if i feel crap or unwell i must ring him & he will be back straight away to collect me. He did say about staying & walking around with me, NO WAY!!! you know what men are like even when you take them shopping, nightmare! no this is my little piece of heaven & nobody is going to stop me from getting in there buying up big, not even my Rheumatoid!!!!

I will be back over the weekend to fill you all in & let you know what i have managed to buy & how the day panned out.

I would like to take the time to thank everyone for their very kind & beautiful messages on my blog. I absolutely love getting your messages. I find it so encouraging & it makes my day. I never thought when i started up my blog in November the fun & joy it would bring & how many new friends i have made. It is great when you are feeling a bit low, it definititely lifts you up!!!

Hugs Clare xxx

Sophisticat Challenge

This weeks challenge #20 for Sophisticats theme is LOVE chosen by DT member Jan Jay.  This is my attempt.

I used the Bloom & Grow range by My Minds Eye which is one of my favourites!!! i just love these papers & love getting my little ol' scissors into the nooks & crannies of these designs. I used some of the Kaiser rub-on sentiments which are so beautiful.

Thankyou for taking the time to look.

Hugs Clare xxx

http://sophisticatchallenges.blogspot.com/

Crafty Catz & Penny Black Saturday Challenges

Managed to make my card work for two challenges this week.

Crafty Catz Challenge No #17. Dianne came up with a sketch challenge which can be used anyway as long as you stick to the layout.

 http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/

Penny Black Saturday challenge for week 86 had to be a project for SOMEONE SPECIAL in your life. Can be a card, altered art, a notebook, a bag, but the rule is that you must use atleast one Penny Black stamp, image or sentiment. The prize for this week is a 15% lifetime voucher to use on the Penny Black online store. That certainly would be heaven to me!!!

http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/

Have a great day everyone.

Hugs Clare xxx