A gem of a challenge card!!!

Hiya Everyone,

Massive apologies for not blogging recently but I have been very busy with a new project that I will be able to share with you soon that is soooo exciting!!! I still have been crafting and am in the middle of some Joanna Sheen and La Pashe samples too but it doesn't leave me a lot of time to write on my own blog, never mind visting any of yours! :(

This card is my GDT card for A gem of a challenge. The theme this month is "cold and frosty" and you can find all the info here. I have used a cute digi of winter Philip which you can find here at Pink Gem Designs. I have coloured him in with my promarkers and added a little glamour dust to the snow. The papers are from the fab Summer Driggs freebie kit "Winter wonderland" which you download for yourself here. Check out all her designs which are equally fab!!!

I have added some silver frosty mirror card which works really well with the theme here although it is quite difficult to photograph. The snowflakes are from an x-cut punch which I'm sure is faulty as it sticks every single time I use it which is dead annoying. The icicle border is a marianne designs one which I think is really fab! The setiment is also from Pink Gem and is from a A7 rubber stamp sheet and is available here.

I will enter this card into the following challenges:-

Christmas inspirations - Die cuts/punches
Lollipop crafts - Embellishment it (use at least 3 embellishments)
Critter challenge - Patterned paper
Make it monday - Always anything goes
OLLCB - Let it snow
Scrap creations - Use digi image and paper
Party time tuesdays - Anything goes
Crafts and me - Winter blues (use blue on your project)
Paper pretties - Embellish it
Paper shelter - Anything goes
Simon says stamp - Anything goes
Art impressions - Card for a young boy
Crafty purple frog - Sparkle
Chrimbo crackers - Anything goes
Digi doodles - Anything goes
Hanna and friends - Glitter
Moving along with the times - No girls allowed
Southern girls - Stripes and polka dots
Crafty ribbons - Bingo (handmade embellishments/ribbon/gems)

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

My ribbon giveaway - Winner!!!

Hiya everyone,

It's been a very mixed week this week. I'm still upset at losing little Dodger but we did everything we could for him and he won't be suffering any more so I am thankful for that. I got out 4 pouches out yesterday and had to put one back which was a little sad! :(

I have had some really good news too but I've got to keep it under my hat at the moment but I sure you will agree that it's VERY exciting!!! (at least you will when you know! Lol)

Anyway, back to matter at hand - the winner drawn by random.org for the lot of xmas ribbon is KBrandy4 AKA Hazel from Hazel's handmade crafts!!!

If you e-mail me hun, I will post them out as soon as I can!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

Halloween sale!!!

Hiya Everyone,

It really has been one of those weeks this week so I'm glad it's the weekend already.

This is just a quick post as I wanted to let you know that with it being just over a week to Halloween, Pink Gem Designs have a fab offer on at the moment with up to 50% OFF HALLOWEEN PRODUCTS. You can click HERE to shop.

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

My poor cat :( - R.I.P. Dodger

Hiya Everyone,

Apologies for not blogging for a few days but I've been dead busy since being back at work.

We had some bad news today as our cat Dodger has been having a re-occuring problem with his bladder so we took him to the vet first thing this morning and they were going to catheterise him (again) to empty his bladder but my hubby got a call about an hour after we dropped him off to say that his bladder had burst while he was under and that it would be best to put him to sleep which they did.

I am so upset. We still have 3 cats but we will always have a Dodger shaped hole in our lives. We named him Dodger as we took him in as a stray as someone knocked on our door a few years ago asking if he was our cat. We took him in as they didn't live in the area and we spent a few weeks trying to find his owners. He wasn't chipped and after notices in the local newspaper didn't work we decided to keep him as he was a little cutie and got along really well with our other 4 cats! He was named Dodger by my hubby as he was a homeless street urchin Lol. Unfortunately, we lost Dylan a while ago in a car accident so 5 became 4 and now 4 become 3.

The piccie above is one we took on my hubbys I-phone when we took him in when we were trying to locate his owners. We had him for about 3 years and he will be sorely missed.

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

Freebie giveaway!!!!!!!!!

Hiya Everyone,

I have been having a bit of a clearout and have found a load of patterned christmas ribbon so I thought I would do a draw for a lucky person. The ribbons are of various short(ish) lengths but there is a lot of it and would be great on cards but probably not much use on anything else.

To be in a chance of winning just make a comment on this post with a link/e-mail address/full name so I have some way of contacting you if you win. You do not have to become a follower unless you want to and you do not even have to have a blog.

I will draw a winner with the help of random.org on sunday evening 23rd October.

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

New sketch for A gem of a challenge!!!

Hiya Everyone,

It's time for a new sketch challenge over at "A gem of a challenge". You can use any colour/theme/image as long as you follow the sketch.

I used the fab new Pink Gem Halloween Phoebe image that you can download here. It is supplied as a coloured or a black line image but I decided to use to use the coloured version as it matches the co-ordinating Pink Gem Halloween papers.

The Martha Stewart cobweb border punch I used here actually broke after I'd used it only a handful of times. I bought it about 6 months ago but only used it for the first time last week. I am getting a replacement but it is going to take 3-4 weeks so I won't get it till after Halloween - totally not impressed but at least I am getting a replacement!

The ticket sentiment was blank but I added "Boo!" to it in word. The flowers are from Wild orchid crafts.

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x

Today's the day!!! Winter SWALK launch!!!

Hiya Everyone,

I have my last Crafters Companion Winter SWALK sample to share with you today. I decided to go with a lovely autumnunal colours on this one and got to colour the hat and scarf in Harry Potter's Gryffindor colours!

Don't forget to tune in at 12 noon on create and craft TV to get your hands on the new Winter SWALK Collection that launches today. You will also be able to see all the samples that the fabulous Crafters Companion DT has been making.

I have coloured my "a hug is a perfect gift" image again with a combination of spectrum noirs and promarkers and the papers are off the fab co-ordinating papercrafting CD rom. I had a comment off a lady asking what "SWALK" is and it stands for "sealed with a loving kiss". I think the range was so called as when you make a handmade item you do so with love!

Thanks for looking!!!

Paula. x