IM BACK!!!

So sorry i have not been around this week. It has been very busy in the "Earl" household & have not even had a great deal of time to even create this week.

The only crafty news i have is that i just found out that i won Lisa's fab "Something Old" challenge. This was the card;

And the pic below is all of the yummy craftiness that Lisa put up to win!!! Thankyou so much little Lisa. If you would like to go participate in the challenges over at Scrap Therapy click HERE it is a fantastic scrap & crafty site.

So what i have i been up to? there has been a big, big springclean in the bungalow & loads of gardening. This has been the first gardening of the year now that the sun has decided to make a long awaited appearance. I have been very limited on what i can do obviously but being the stubborn head that i am i do like to contribute. I seriously pay for it but it just makes me feel useful. Martin & Dad get cranky with me but they do realise that i love gardening. Martin has done all of the mowing & loads of weeding so i have done a lot of pruning & i have now been able to arrange the hedgie cabins & clean up & make it all noice for them. I have managed to get hold of the logs, rocks & shrubs which i am gradually adding so i will be posting pics as soon as it is done.

Another reason i have not been around is because my lovely hubby has gone and suprised me with a new laptop!!! he was given a bonus at work after 5 years of being there & being promised for about the last 3 years. It finally happened & he spent it all on me! He got me a yummy pink Dell Inspiron and here it is;

And here is my baby girl showing her approval. So i have been setting it up which has taken forever!!! i am not the most computer minded person i am afraid. 

Martin said that i really needed my own one as he has one which he got last year for his Birthday with the money he was given so i feel kind of guilty as i use it more than him!!! especially now i have joined "blogland". His view was that his bonus was money we never expected to get & it would only be spent on bills if we put it away for a rainy day.

I love him!!!!

More posts to follow.

Lots of love & hugs & i would like to send a special message to Esme to let her know that i am thinking of her & sending lots of love, she will know what this means.

Best wishes Clare xxx

SCRAP THERAPY - SUPRISE CHALLENGE

Scrap Therapy ran a suprise challenge at the weekend hosted by the lovely Lisa, entitled "Something Old". The rules were to find something old in our stash & use it, whether it be paper, embellishments, ribbon still in it's packet.....if it's 12 months old we could use it!!! you could combine it with new stuff, it was optional. It could also be a layout or card. The reward to the winner is some funky Bella Boulevard stash donated by Lisa from her stash, isn't she kind!!!

This is my creation & i think that pretty much everything, apart from the bling, is over 12 months old!!! i started with a plain circular aperture card, some gorgeous K&Co floral pp which i painstakingly cut out all of the flowers, swirls & leafy bits from, im not sure who the background stripey pp is by, the sentiment behind the acetate is by Kaiser and for the finishing touch i added some bling & Glossy Accents. I am really happy with how it turned out.

Even happier, i found out that i won the Scrap Therapy card challenge for last weekend's Cybercrop!!! i nearly fell off the bed when i found out as i have never won a challenge before. It was my first time with Scrap Therapy & i am over the moon!!! These were the cards; 

I won a $15.00 gift voucher which Helen has already spent for me as she went to the Scrap Therapy shop on Saturday in Cairns (i think) for a Scrap Day. She will be sending my  goodies over this week. I LOVE YOU HELEN!!!

Right hoggy lovers, i am going to do a very spesh "Hedgeville Memoirs" post tomorrow so until then i am off to bed. Goodnight everyone!!!!

Love & Hugs Clarey xxx

Pop over to Visit Scrap Thereapy!!!

BLIND SCRAPPING AT SCRAP THERAPY!!!

On Friday i took part in a fab Blind Scrapping challenge over at Scrap Therapy on Friday. The host of the show was none other than my sis Helen!!! I know what you are probably thinking, crafting blindfolded? no!!! earlier in the week Helen put up a thread in the Therapy forum letting all know the materials we require for the challenge ie, card & pp dimensions, bling, flowers, glossy accents etc. Then Friday it all kicked off in OZ at 7.30pm (10.30am in UK) and Helen played the challenge live & gave all of the girls playing along instructions to make a card/layout. It was such fun with plenty of banter & laughs via computer (seemed a bit like MSM). No one had any idea what the outcome of our cards & LO's would be when completed as we were making it blind without seeing any examples. All materials were our choice & we were only given a guide of what was required (we chose what card/pp we used, what colours etc). We were given until Tuesday before we could upload all of our pics of our work so that people who could not play along on the night could make their creations later on. If you fancy a go click here.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are well. Hugs Clare xxx

AT LAST SOME CARDS!!! & A SMALL HEDGIEVILLE UPDATE

 

Finally i have cards that i can post!!! i have been productive on the card front but to some of my blog buds & i want them to receive them before i pop them on my blog.

Well over at Scrap Therapy they have had their April Cybercrop. I only managed to get the card challenge finished after a busy weekend but this was the first time i have played along on this fab forum.

The card challenge was set by Lisa & the challenge was to make a pair of cards that are non themed specific & to use two or more patterned papers on each card. Lisa also wanted us to use something into the mix that we have not used for a while.

The materials i used was Cosmo Cricket pp, Penny Black images, Prima Flowers, Organza Ribbon, Spellbinders Nesties & Shapeabilities, bling & Dimensional Magic.

The thing that i have not used for a while is a non-stamped image. I love my stamps but opted for a Penny Black transfer which i mounted onto acetate & covered with DM for a 3D effect.

Pop over to Scrap Therapy & go check out this great Aussie site which caters for scrappers, cardmakers & altered projects.

HEDGIEVILLE MEMOIRS UPDATE

Well i thought you would like a little update on our little spikey friends. Minni & Ernie are still shacked up together in the origional cabin & seem to be totally inseperable! I have been spying on the little one's every night & i feel so blessed to beable to witness them & they seem so unphased by me being around.

Everynight before i go to bed i collect Bert & Simones leftovers from dinner (cat meat) & go put it out for the fox in his dish. Well minni & Ernie are quite happy to carry on eating while i do this! obviously i am very gentle & quiet but Minni even let me touch her/him on Friday night. They also seem really playfull too. I have witnessed them nudging each other playfully & they follow each other everywhere. I can also tell Minni from Ernie (apart from her/him being a little smaller). Minni has a patch of very light spikes on her back so that is great for me to tell which is which.

They are really enjoying their food & they come everynight like clockwork to eat.

Can you imagine if they are male & female? how wonderful to have some little hoglets in the summertime!!! i know im just a big old romantic!

Will keep you all posted. Thanks for stopping by. Lots of love & hugs Clare xxx 

HEDGEVILLE MEMOIRS UPDATE PICS!!!

Well here they are guys!!!! taken about an hour ago from behind the conservatory door, here are Ernie & Minni!!! please forgive the reflection of the glass from the conservatory door guys but this is one of the only ways to take the pics without scaring them away.

I have also taken a small video from the camera but i am unsure how to add it to the post & am a bit brain dead tonight! if anyone knows drop me a line if not i will investigate after a good sleep.

Yesterday i had to do a rescue job on poor little Ernie as when i went to do my morning check he was laying out side the cabin on top of the straw wide awake. Knowing that this is not a good thing i quickly put my hand inside the box & there curled up inside was Minni. I went & set up the extra cabin putting in lots of straw & old straw from the older cabin (so Ernie would have familiar smells) picked up little Ernie who by then had curled up into a tight ball. I checked him out & he was nice & warm which i had been concerned about as hedgies outside the nest asleep or awake can suffer very quickly from hyperthermia. He looked fine & i put him down at the entrance of the new cabin i had placed right by the other one. All of a sudden Ernie uncurled himself, looked around & trotted into the new home!!! and that was where he stayed until darkness fell.

I put food & water out just incase he decided to fill himself up before night & made sure the new home was secure & sheltered. I did not want either hedgie to get a fright when awake & not know what was going on so left the 2 cabins right opposite each other.

I contacted Monica at the Wildlife Trust locally (she looked after Cederick before he passed last year) & explained everything & she told me that i had done everything correctly & to the book & even asked if she could come live in my garden!!! she did say that although not that common hedgies do occasionally pair up if there is enough room in a cabin and/or if they are around the same location, they kind of tolerate each other. I still think that Ernie has taken Minni under his wing and is looking after her/him as he/she is so tiny.

So this morning whilst doing my checks i laughed my head of when i found Ernie & Minni curled up together in the origional hedgie cabin!!! they obviously do not like being apart. Atleast there is an extra home if they fall out or if we get more visitors into our garden!. I have spotted a beautiful little field mouse running around the lawn the last 2 evenings, so cute!!!

Anyways off to bed. Thankyou so much everyone for taking such an interest in our little spikey friends.

All my love Clare xxxx

TWO CARDS & A HEDGEVILLE MEMOIRS UPDATE!!!

Had a bit of a purple moment (as opposed to a blonde one!). Just a couple of cards to pop into my St.Wilfred's charity box. The other cards i have been making lately are again for friends who read my blog and do not like showing them until they have been received. I really have made more, honest!!!

HEDGEHOG UPDATE!!!

I have some really exciting news to tell. Ernie is still going great guns & happy in Hedgeville Villa's! but he is not the only occupant. The little hedgie that i mentioned that arrived Thursday evening was at the feeding dish side by side with Ernie & seems to be shacked up with big Ernie!!! followed little hedgie with the torch last night & he/she climbed straight into the nesting box followed in hot persuit minutes later by Ernie!!! On Thursday i managed to get this dodgy looking pic by daylight but you can make Ernie out although the pic is very fuzzy. It is very very rare for hedgehogs to pair up as they are really solitude creatures. They basically tolerate each other & even when they mate it is a only a bit of "how's ya Father" and they go their seperate ways & the female rears her hoglets by her own (sounds like some people i know!!!). I reckon Ernie has taken the little hedgehog under his wing maybe?

I have made the pic smaller as it is less fuzzy but in between the straw you can see Ernie's spikes. I am going to try taking some night pics.
So last night before i went to bed i put Bert & Simone's left over cat food out in the fox bowl and Ernie who was eating from his dish didn't even seem bothered by my presence which i was amazed by.
The night before i heard the weirdest noise coming from the garden when i put their food out so with torch in hand & crocs on feet & in PJ's i went out in the dark to investigate. There was Ernie amongst the flower beds (wondering if the noise was a hedgie mating call!!!) looking at me & he even let me stroke him!!! he didn't even curl up in a ball like most do. I seem to have a very tame hedgie!!! maybe he is used to me now?.

More good news is that on Tuesday i brought another hedgie cabin which Dad has adapted so is now ready to be introduced to the garden. I brought a big "Red Robin" plant which is going to be planted in front of the box to make it secluded like the other one. Once they are ready i will take pics of both boxes for you. I am planning to make this corner of the garden all overgrown & secluded and add more plants, some logs & stones to make it nice & wild for our little spikey friends. Can't wait to get started.

Now gotta think of a name for our new little one! was thinking maybe Minni as he/she is so small? any suggestions are welcome.

Back soon with more cards & hedgie updates. Have a great day everyone.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

Scrapville March Challenge & Hedgeville Memoirs Update

Finally i have completed my card for the Scrapville challenge!!! last month i said that i was going to get the card sketch completed in plenty of time so that i could have a go at the layout sketch as they are both so fantastic. Both sketches are designed by my beautiful and uber talented friend Melinda;

This is the layout sketch

This is the card sketch

This is what i came up with. I used some very yummy Doodlebug Tutti Frutti floral paper, Pebbles Inc Nellies Garden Stripe Card, Papermania Elements & some mirri candy.

Pop over to Scrapville as there are still 3 days till the deadline. I will try to get the layout done but if not it will definitely be one i will try in the future.

Thankyou Janet & Melina xxx

                                                    

                                        

                                             Pop over to Scrapville Today!!!

                

              HOGVILLE MEMOIRS

Ok just a quick update on our spikey little friends. The past few nights have seen an additional little hedgie which is a lot smaller than our little lodger who we are naming Ernie. Ernie is still happy in his house in the garden & i am checking daily to make sure he is ok & still in his abode. I have put down plenty of fresh straw which he is adding to the inside. I am not too sure but our smaller visitor could well be staying in there too as notice Ernie has been sleeping during the day towards the entrance of the cabin. I know that hedgies are mainly solitude creatures but as they were eating together from the same dish the other night i guess it is possible for them to sleep in the same cabin?

Next week i am going to go buy another cabin and get Dad to adapt that one too. I would love to get more as the more hedgies nesting in our garden the safer they hopefully will feel so will add more when i can!!!

I was really worried as Martin had to mow the lawn yesterday & was scared it may frighten Ernie off but i think Hedgies go into a really deep sleep state during the day. He wasn't bothered though and is still there this morning!!!

Will update you with more news very soon. Thankyou for popping by.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

A Baby Card & Hedgehog Update!!!

I am now able to show this card that i made for a dear friend who has become a Grandmother for the third time. I had to get the card made before i knew whether bubba was going to be a girl or boy as it had to go to Australia in with a parcel.

I just had a feeling that babe was going to be a girl but thought i should not tempt fate so kept it open for either sex.

I should have used my instinct as 2 days after it was posted baby Evie was born (2 weeks early!). She is beautiful & would like to say congratulations again Margi & family, and of course baby Evie xxx

This was another image sent to me by the lovely Keryn which is by Stampavie called "Garden Bears" i reckon it is sooooo cute.

Hope you are all having a lovely day, it is so beautiful outside today. I am also feeling very happy as one of our little hedgehog visitors has come out of hybernation & survived the winter. We have little hedgie cabins in our back garden & i just love looking after the wildlife (we also feed a fox every night!). The little hedgehog is currently residing in one of the cabins & comes out to feed everynight.

It is now that time of the year for Clare's Hogwatch which i do annually so stay tuned & i will keep you all updated. Here is a couple of pics from last year to keep you all going;

ONE OF OUR NIGHTLY VISITORS. EEWWWW YES THAT IS A SLUG ON THE FEEDING DISH!!!

SIMONE NEXT TO ONE OF OUR HEDGEHOG CABINS READY TO GO INTO THE GARDEN

BABY CEDERICK

THIS WAS BABY CEDERICK WHO I LOOKED AFTER BRIEFLY LAST SUMMER AFTER LOSING HIS MUMMY. HE WAS SO YOUNG TO SURVIVE WITHOUT HER SO WE TOOK HIM INTO A WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTRE FOR PROPER CARE BUT UNFORTUNATLEY HE DIED.

Big Hugs Clare xxx

Thankyou Keryn!!!

One of my beautiful friends Keryn has just passed on this blog award to me!

I understand that the translation means "this blog is charming".  Thankyou so much Keryn for thinking of me & i would also like to say a big thankyou for my gorgeous Easter card & the lovely stamped images you have recently sent. I have made up the card below from one of the Sugar Nellie stamped Gorjuss Girls images you sent.

Sorry the pic is a little wonky. This image is a little (ok a lot!) different to my usual style so i did kind of step out of my comfort zone. I have never really been into little girl/boy stamps, i am usually floral/scenery/animal but i have to say she is kind of a little cutie & i instantly warmed to her, oh ok yes there is a cat in the image too which helped!!! not convinced i have done the stamp justice but this is my first time, please forgive me!!!

I also have a big confession to make, i very nearly drew a mouth on the poor little soul! what's that all about? seriously she is very cute.

Thankyou Keryn you are a lovely friend.

I will be putting up more cards this week as will hopefully have a more productive few days!

Thanks for stopping by. Big hugs Clare xxx

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYONE OF MY FRIENDS, FAMILY, FOLLOWERS & EVERYONE IN BLOGLAND A VERY HAPPY EASTER!!!!

No big plans today, just a relaxing day after yesterday. Will cook a roast for me, Mart & Dad, more chocolate Birthday cake & i dare say some chocolate!!!

I hope that everyone out there no matter what you are doing has a safe & happy holiday weekend.

Big hugs & love & a few piccies of my two little Easter bunnies xxxxxxxxxx

SLEEPY SIMONE

SLEEPY BERT

IN THE BATHROOM WITH A TOY

SIMONE LOVES WALKING ALONG THE EDGE OF THE BATH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IM IN IT!

DREAMY BERT

SIMONE IN THE BATH!!!

MY GORGEOUS BOY

MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

It was Dad's 77th Birthday today so we got the family together & had a little "do" for him. Lots of party food, yummy American cheesecake, big chocolate Birthday cake my 16 year old niece made & some drink. Managed to get some snaps that i thought i would share.

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOY!

A VERY HAPPY DAD WITH NEW FISHING GEAR!

DAD BEING A GOOF BALL & A BIT TOO MUCH WINE!!! OH BTW LOOKS LIKE DAD IS GIVING THE FINGER BUT IT IS JUST HOW THE SUN HAS CAUGHT HIS HAND, HONEST!

HE MANAGED TO BLOW THEM OUT IN ONE GO!

YES THE CAKE WAS GORGEOUS!!!

It has been a lovely day and i reckon everyone had a great time, i know Dad did. I just wanted to make it extra spesh for him as know he is sad with Mum not being here anymore. I KNOW MUM SHARED OUR DAY DAD, SHE ALWAYS WILL, WE MAY NOT SEE HER BUT SHE IS THERE. WE ALL LOVE YOU DAD XXXX

Thanks for letting me share. Big hugs Clare xxx

Sorry i am Making Changes to my Blog Layout!!!!

Please bear with me guys but i am doing maintenance on my bloggy so may look a bit scewiff!!! it will be looking fine in no time!

Big hugs, Clare xxx

Sophisticats Weekly Challenge

This week over at Sophisticats we are on to challenge 28. The theme is "raining cats & dogs" and is running over 2 weeks. The theme is to be interpreted in our own way whether it be to do with rain, cats, dogs however we want to look at it.

I think that you can probably guess the way i was going to interpret it!!!

Have been itching to use this beautiful new cat stamp by Crafty Individuals. As  the challenge is running for two weeks & we can enter up to two pieces of work i may have to try out some more appropriate stamps for the occasion!!!

Thankyou for popping by!

Lots of love & hugs Clare xxx

Go pop over to Sophisticats & check out their challenges!!!

Just a Little Card to Show!!!

Hi everyone, i do hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend wherever you are in the world.

I have managed to have a bit of time today playing with one of my new stamps. It is by Simply Stamps and is actually called Winter Scene but thought i would try to adapt it to a nice summery scene as it has been a bit of a cold one today!!!

 I found some of that lovely ivy in the local craft store last week and have been itching to use that too so thought i would blend it in around the frame. I used my Promarkers for the colouring of the scene. I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Sorry i haven't put many creations up the last couple of weeks but all of the cards i have been working on have gone out to family & friends. I like to show them once they have seen them as they all look at my blog, kind of takes the suprise out of receiving it!!!

Will be back soon with more. Thankyou for stopping by!

Big hugs Clare xxx

Imaginisce March Challenge

Now that i have managed to get hold of some Imaginisce products i can finally play along with their Monthly Sketch Challenges. This month's sketch is by Erin Bassett;

The challenge is to create a card or layout using Imaginisce products and using Erin's sketch as inspiration by 25th March. This is what i came up with using the "Lucy Bird" range.

I you would like to play along to be in with a chance of winning an I-top Tool Package or a $75 prize pack click HERE!!!!

Thankyou for stopping by
Hugs Clare xxx

Yummy Imaginisce!!!

I managed to finally get my hands on some Imaginisce paper's Lucy Bird range. This is one of my favourite brands but boy is it hard to get hold of in the UK. I had a look on the Glitterpot website & nearly fell off the chair when i saw it!!! They literally only supplied the papers there though, no accessories like rub-on's, brads, ribbon, stickers etc so i had to improvise & had loads of cutting out on my hands. I got atleast 3 sheets of each in the range just for this purpose. I had a play last night and made a card, a really quick one & i loved making it.

Now i just need to go out my other Imaginisce Twitterpated range!!!

Thanks for popping by, hugs Clare xxx

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MUM

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Mum. I miss you each and every day but i know that you are still around me and guiding me in my life. I know that you are never far away so i have put some fresh flowers, a hedgehog ornament & a card that is hanging on your tree above your memorial.

Godbless you Mum xxx

LOVE YOU MUM XXX

CLARE, MARTIN, BERT & SIMONE

Sending love to everyone else who has also lost their Mum xxx