Many thanks...

Hi lovelies, no card to share today I just wanted to pop on and let you know where I have been for the past week.

With Charlie's birthday this week it already was a difficult week for me and I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who left me such caring and lovely words. I had a good old cry when I was reading them, you are all so lovely, I feel very lucky to have such wonderful friends.

The man reason I haven't been around and visiting you is because I have been poorly since the early hours of Wednesday morning. I woke up with a sore throat that as the day progressed, it got  so much worse. By 7pm I had to go to the hospital after calling nhs 24. I was seen by a Doctor who diagnosed tonsillitis. She gave me antibiotics and painkillers.

By Thursday morning after a terrible night I awoke to feeling so awful I couldn't get out of bed, I had a fever, vomiting, sore ear, swollen neck due to swollen glands, chills etc.

My hubby came home from work and took me to the doctor again, she was concerned my throat was so swollen I could barely swallow plus she wanted to do checks to make sure it wasn't meningitis. She was worried that the spots on my throat would get worse and that I would need to admitted into hospital. I said i didnt want to go just yet and she gave me 6 (!) different meds to take to fight the infection. 

So I am feeling better gradually day by day but still not quite back to my normal self. Just getting tired very easily.

But I do have some wonderful news to share with you, I got an email on Friday that cheered me up so much I burst into tears! (happy ones lol)

The email was from the lovely Karen at MDUC asking me if I wanted to stay on as a permanent DT member after my 2 months as GDT.

As many of you will know I am a huge fan of their challenges and I tried to enter as often as I could, So my my answer was a resounding YES PLEASE!!!!

So I am happy to announce I am part on the Magnolia Down Under family.

Huge thank yous go to Karen, Kylie and Debbie P, you made my week XXX

Hopefully I will get around to visit you all soon

Happy birthday Charlie

12 years ago at 7-55pm my son Charlie was born. Our entire world was turned upside down when we were told he was seriously ill and he would probably not survive the night. 

We had him in our lives for 9 1/2 years.

I miss him every single day and my heart aches so much. 

This post is scheduled as I know I would be unable to write this tonight. 

I would like to share a few photos of him 

Charlie at 6 weeks

Charlie's 4th birthday

Charlie's 6th birhday

Happy Birthday Charlie buckets,

Love and miss you every day.

Mum 

xxx

hugs and kisses

Hi lovelies, this is just a quick post as I wanted to get this card on tonight as I dont think I will be wanting to do it tomorrow :o(

I noticed last night that there is a GDT call over at Mo's DP2. I am fairly new to Mo's images having bought my first one a couple of months ago, but I have bought quite a few recently and have made several into cards and I absolutely love them. she has a beautiful way of giving the characters personalities that just make you want to colour them. And I find I colour very differently with these images, I go back to my natural instinct of where shadows should be, and they make me want to get my pencil and sketchbook and and draw again. So suffice to say I love love love these images and thought I would enter into the GDT call.

card recipe

image - angel with puppy by Mo Manning

papers - Melissa Frances C'est la Vie

flowers - woc

lace  - ebay

seam binding - woc

corner and charm - stash

tag and envelope - melissa frances

Entering into the following challenges

DP2 - GDT call and 'hugs & kisses 

make it monday - linky party

bunny zoes - swirls and lace

(the swirls are made with perfect pearls)

Summer!

Hi again, back with my dt card for the new challenge over at Dream Valley Challenges. 

And its a nice and simple one this time

SUMMER!!

See told you it was easy! lol

Our sponsor this challenge is Squiggle stamps

I have used a new saturated canary image called Pack light.

I went with a theme of summer holidays.

Animal crackers

Morning lovelies, hope you all had a great saturday and got to see some sunshine. It was gorgeous here yesterday.

Its time for a new challenge over at Joanna Sheen Challenge, and the theme for this one is 

ANIMAL CRACKERS!

 I have used a cutie stamp from the house mouse range, Gruffies - dancing queen. 

The prize as always is a £15 gift certificate to use in Joannas online shop.

I will be back shortly with my dream valley card

fun with doilies!

Evening lovelies, its time for a new challenge over at MDUC. This is my second last project as GDT, (boohoo!!) And this week the challenge is 

FUN WITH DOILIES

So its either use a doily, make a doily or make something creative with a doily, easy huh?

here is my card, 

Card recipe

Images - old swedish chair and

 tilda makes a blueberry blanket

papers - magnolia vintage birds

flowers - woc

lace, rose ribbon, doilies and charmes - all ebay

lock - tim holtz

buttons and corner - all stash

I will be back in the morning with 2 dt cards to share

Something a bit different...

Hi Lovelies, I hope some of you are getting some good weather, it was lovely here yesterday, gorgeous and sunny for a change. Wont last though! lol

I have a card to share with you today which is a bit different for me. Different as in the shape isn't square and less embellies on it, I am not sure if I like it or not?

I love the image, but I am not sure its 'me'. 

I am having a bit of a problem as my mojo has gone on holiday! and nothing seems to be turning out the way I want. I think its probably got a lot to do with the fact it is getting close to Charlie's birthday and I am just not feeling like crafting. I will be doing my usual of releasing some balloons for him to wish him a happy birthday, he would have been 12 on the 24th July. Its an emotional day, but I will be thinking of good memories and having a good look through all the photos I have of him and some video too. 

So if I am not around much in the next week, you will know why.

But anyway, let me show you this card, and give me your honest opinion please!

hmmmm still not sure!

Anything goes at Divas

Me again, twice in 1 morning sorry!! lol

If you are looking for my Paper shelter post scroll down :o)

Ok this time I have my dt card for Divas by Design

And funnily enough its another 

ANYTHING GOES!

Hehehe, twice in one morning! dontcha just love anything goes??

Our sponsor this week is the wonderful Crafts and Me. I bought this stamp from them back at the start of the year , I am blaming Sara for this one!!,(its ok she wont know, she hasnt got internet access at the moment! lol). She introduced me to these stamps by Sara Burrier, and although I bought it ages ago, I had never inked it as I was very anxious about colouring it in, its a bit more detailed and smaller than my normal. But when I saw the theme for this challenge and who the sponsor was then I thought this was the perfect chance to have a go. So here is my card,

card recipe

image - turn to hesed by Sara Burrier

papers - mme

lace, rose ribbon and charm - all ebay

flowers - Woc and creative treasures

butterfly die - tim holtz on the edge

Anything goes at the Paper shelter

Morning lovelies. well this is a bit of a sad post for me as its my last one for The Paper Shelter. I have so much fun on this team, Veronica and Pedro are a delight to work for and are so lovely, also Shirley and Marie, thank you for asking me to join the team. Many many thanks to everyone on the teams, I am going to miss you all.

So anyway lets get onto this weeks challenge, which is the ever so popular 

ANYTHING GOES

Remember we have a dt call on at the moment too, if you click on the dt call badge on my side bar it will take you to all the deets.

I have chosen to use gothic and modern.

I really wanted to give her red hair so that kinda set the theme for my card, its a bit brighter and not my usual colours but I like it.

Scooter Tilda

Hi lovelies, well I have managed to survive the weekend! my Mum had a fabulous time and put us all to shame by lasting well into the night and we all had to head to our beds!! For an 80 year old she can fairly party!!

Here are a couple of pics that Meghan took

Maya and my Mum

My wee Mammy!

 (LOL seriously, she is 5ft and Im 6ft tall, I take my height from my Dad)

the birthday cake, with 80 (!!) flowers

The bouquet I made for her, I am really pleased at  how it came out

I will share some more pictures very soon.

Ok, now I have a card to share using one of my new Tilda's. this is my favourite out of this collection, scooter tilda.

I just love her little vespa scooter, very cute!

entering into the following challenges

just magnolia - bingo ( I have gone with, Blue, flowers and glitter)

simply magnolia - embossing ( the tags are dry embossed with swiss dots)

totally tilda - just tilda plus sentiment

magnolia stamp lovers - tilda only

A special surprise...

Hi lovelies, I am here to share a very special gift with you.

Its time for a new challenge over at MDUC, and we have an inspiration picture for you this week. But it is a very special one, the dt's lovely Louise's baby is due very soon and the dt have been keeping a huge secret from her, and I am so honoured to be allowed to join in with it.

The girls are actually giving her a baby shower!! So all our projects have been designed for her and her new baby girl. I have no idea how they all managed to keep it a secret she is going to be so surprised. What a lovely thing to do!

Here is the inspiration picture, gorgeous isn't it? 

So here is my special gift for her new baby's nursery, I have made a canvas to hang on the wall, and it will be in the post on Monday winging its way to her.

One for the boys (again!! LOL)

Hehehe, was is it with fate sometimes, its like waiting for a bus and two come at once! This is the second time in less than a week I have a boys card to share. As I said last week I am not a fan of making boys cards as I cant go daft with embellishments, but I think I have stumbled on a solution!

 Do a pirate themed card!!

Yeah it works, I can stick on lots of lovely pirate themed goodies, pieces o' silver, pirate flag, pirate map and ships and things. 

So I am actually liking this card that I have made for the new challenge over at Tilda's Town. So as you may have guessed from my blethering, this weeks theme is

CARD FOR MAN OR BOY

(USE EDWIN)

And here is my card

entering into the following challenges

midweek magnolias - lets look at edwin

A tale of two queens!...

Hi Lovelies, I am taking a little break from making flowers for my mums cake and just thought I would pop on to share this card that I made and also some photos Meghan took last week.

As the title says this post is about 2 queens! One being our very own lovely monarch and the other being the equally regal The Queen by Krista Smith!

First of all, last Thursday the Queen, Prince Philip, William and Kate and Princess Anne were all in Edinburgh for a special ceremony and for a parade down the royal mile. This was all part of the Jubilee celebrations. We decided to go through and see the parade and hopefully get a glimpse of the Queen too. I never thought in million years we would get so close. We had a fabulous spot and saw the royals up close as they passed in their cars.

This is looking down the Royal Mile towards the Scottish Parliament. The parade was made up of 400 pipers and drummers and highland dancers.

The Queen and Prince Philip

William and Kate. We never got a good photo of Princess Anne as her car was going quite fast.

And here is the other Queen! 

Ah well back to the grindstone! still got about 30 flowers to make, vanilla cupckakes and peanut butter cupcakes and caramel shortcake, plus I need to finish her present and my card!! I need about 10 pairs of hands to help!!!

I will catch up with you all as soon as I can, I have been neglecting my commenting something awful recently, I am so sorry to all my lovely followers, you all do mean the world to me :o)

xxx