Congratulations and Happy Birthday Annette!!

My lovely new friend and DT colleague Annette is celebrating her 1st Blogaversary(and her birthday, 21 again but who's counting :D). So she is very generously giving away not one but 3 blog candies!!! All you need to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on her blog and spread the word. I'm just posting 1 pic, but if you hop over to her blog you can see the others. You might like to check out her work while your there it's awesome!!

Love as always Gina x x x

Something glittery this way comes!!

Hi folks, you may have noticed a new badge in my sidebar for Glitterbabes new challenge blog. Well, the fun is due to start this thursday, and I hope you'll all come over for a look see :D. I'm especially thrilled cos Stef aka "Glitterbabe" has asked me to be part of her DT !!! " what ? Little old me? Couldn't possibly, could I...?" OF COURSE I CAN!!!!! WITH BELLS AND GLITTER ON HAHAHA!


Anyhoo, the only rule to the challenges(theme aside) is there has to be glitter n sparkle on your creation(and we don't mean subtle haha!) So sort your sparklies and join us this thursday for our fun new challenges :D


Here's a card I've made with one of Stef's images that my sense of humour couldn't resist. It's for Sentimental Sundays Challenge#9"Support and Encouragement"

The sentiment is my own, but to all of you:D
Love as always Gina x x x
Also entering in Pollycraft Mondays Challenge#50 "Pinkilicious"

Cowgirls Sunday Challenge #5 Inspiartional Photo

Good morning folks, I'd like to start by congratulating you all on your marvellous entries to the last challenge, and blog hop. My fingers are aching form leaving comments, but I really enjoyed visisting all your lovely blogs :D Special squeals of delight to all the winners


Challenge#4 Andrea's Sketch POPPET


Blog Hop Candy KIM E


Wild Orchid Flowers LOVELY LINDA, who has also been invited to join us as a Guest Designer for July


YAAAY!!! LADIES!!!


Now to this week Challenge #5(and the challenges are to be weekly from now on) is an Inspirational Photo: Patchwork Quilt






This photo was given to us by Diane and I loved it, you can use it to get ideas for layout designs, colour combis etc, as long as we can find something in your card that reminds us of an element of this pic, your fine :). And here's what I came up with
I chose to use some of the colours, the circle within the square layout, stylised flower and pieced border. The image I've used is Teacup Fairy04 from CJ at Cowgirl-Up Digital Stampen Ranch
You can really have some fun with this challenge so ENJOY!!
Love as always Gina x x x

Vintage Father Christmas

This card is purely for Bah Humbugs Challenge#24 "Father Christmas". I love this image from Joanna Sheens Victorian Christmas CD. It suprises me still how many people are not aware that the classic red coated Santa was introduced by a popular Cola company as a sales gimmick in the late 1800's. The Background paper is from K&Co's Classic K Bailey collection.

And a quick mention that a new challenge will be starting at Cowgirls Sunday tomorrow :)

Love as always Gina x x x

Playing catch up Again!

2 cards again today!! The 1st is for Sentimental Sundays Challenge#8 "your favourite sentiment". This is a Penny Black stamp I've had for ages called "growing free" and I love it! It says everything I could wish for anyone, anytime :) The background paper is from K&Co's Clasic K Bailey collection.
The 2nd card is for Anything Goes Challenge Blog#4 "Cupcakes". The challenge also asked for bright colours, but I forgot(doh!) so I hope they don't mind. The pink is brighter than it looks, I just stupidly put a piece of green paper behind it to give a clearer outline and its drained the colour a bit. Both the image "Cupcake Tilly" and the sentiment are from Wendy at Digital Doodling, and are freebies!!!

Another quick post

Had to make a quick card with those gorgeous images from Chi Chi Memories! This is for Bee Crafty Downloads#32 "pink and girly", using the sketch from Critters Sketch#19, by Kelly Haberstroh
Love as always Gina x x x

Weddind card for M n L

First a big thank you to Natalie over at Chi Chi Memories, who very kindly emailed me to let me know I'd won a prize on their challenge blog. You Know what it's like, you think you've checked everything haha! These are the gorgeous images I won (and hope to be using soon).

This card is for a relatives wedding, and is made with those lovely decoupage papers I got from Joanna Sheen's sale earlier this year. The images are by Walter Crane(but I think they're discontinued,sorry)
Don't know what this is going to look like on post, just worked out you can move images around so may be alittle distorted :) How rubbish am I hahaha!
Love as always Gina x x x

A Childs Christmas card

Quick post tonight (promise :D). This card is for Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge#24 "Stitched Ribbon/using Toppers. I didn't have any toppers so I had to make some (decoupaged image and sentiment).
The second challenge is Bah Humbug#23 " a childs christmas".
Love as always Gina x x x

Cowgirls Sunday Challenge Blog Hop(starts around 12.30pm GMT)

Howdy Folks! And welcome to Cowgirls Sunday Challenge Blog Hop! you should have arrived here from Claires amazing blog. If not, and you would like to join in, you need to start from "Cowgirls Sunday Stampen Challenge blog"


This hop includes an "Anything Goes" card challenge, and will be running for the whole week, so plenty of time to join in!!


To win the fabulous candy we have, you need to leave a comment on each of the blogs in the hop, but that shouldn't be to difficult cos there are some awsome pieces of work to see!


We are being sponsored this week by "Wild Orchid", who if you don't know, make those fabulous paper flowers we all like to use, and they've given us a huge pile of flowers(pic in side bar) to add to the candy(also in side bar) that CJ has already put together for us! Plus you get your choice of 1 of CJ's marvelous images! Cool! Gosh, I was trying to keep this brief haha! You don't "have" to use 1 of CJ's images, but it would be nice if you could, and there is a 45% off Sale in store til wednesday 23rd of June so it's a great time to buy!
Here is the hop list incase you get lost, and I will check the links daily through the week.
CowGirls Sunday Stampen Challenge
CJ ~ Fabulous Artist and Owner
Queen La Rubba
Andrea
Ang (psychangel)
Beccy (Lil Sis)
Claire
Gina (you are here)
Jovita (Tia Goofy)
Lorraine
Marion
Sarah
Valerie (Vampme3)
CowGirls Sunday Stampen Challenge Spot

For my card I used the fabulously cool "Christy"(only 83p in the sale !!!) who I am entering in this weeks challenges at Anything Goes Blog Challenge#3"Buttons,Bow and Monochrome" and Cute Card Thursdays#117 "Sketch by ClaudiaLooking forward to seeing you lovely creations, Love as always Gina x x x

What I do with Collage Sheets!

As some of you know I have 2 blogs. This one for cards, atc's scrapbooking etc, and another for what my hubby calls "art for arts sake". It is still papercrafting but the pieces I make are a little more sereal. For this challenge we have to produce a piece of art 3"x5" with the theme "blue and White". The background. butterfly and fairy are all cut from Dezinaworld collage sheets (yes I did cut out the fairy with scissors, she measurse 1.5 inches in height!) All the pieces I make are A6 or smaller(down to 1"square, yes cut out images that small!!). I can use these pieces for card toppers or altered art projects, but at the moment i just keep them to look at haha! Collage sheets are a great resource for paper crafting with all sorts of image styles, I just like fairies haha! You can print of a whole sheet to have ready or crop the individual image you want with your graphics programme. You can check out my other blog here if you like , but please be aware some of the pieces have a "heavier" vibe.

Enjoy!

Love as always Gina x x x

I love my Dad!!

CJ at Cowgirl Up Digital Stampen Ranch, produced so many lovely images this month for father's day it's taken me ages to decide which one to use!! I got down to 2 and decided to use both of them, the main image"Dad n Me" and the other"Cowboy" for the insert. I printed the png image over a photo of the lane my Dad always walked us down as kids.

Now my old Dad was a farmboy,coal miner,building worker and factory hand during his working life, but through all these things he is a true "blue jeans" Cowboy! He has a wide collection of Lp's containing artists such as Hank Snow and Earl Scrubbs etc. He is where I get my "union membership" with the sun from (one out all out haha!), if the sun is shinin' so's my Dad:) Apparently, in 1960, he embarrassed the whole family by running along the beach at Blackpool in just his swimming trunks screaming to the sky "Please God, make me black like Joe Louis!!" He spent the rest of his life thus far giving God a hand by liberally basting himself with olive oil anytime the sun so much as peeks from behind a cloud. But what can you do, he still has that mischievous glint in his eyes, and a never ending supply of inappropriate jokes to tell when my Mum isn't listening.

In the words of Mike Harding (folk musician) "It's hard being a Cowboy in Rochdale, the spurs don't fit right on mi clogs! It's hard being a Cowboy in Rochdale... cos people laugh as I ride past, on our Alsation dog!"

Never stopped my Dad tryin' though hahaha!

Love as always Gina x x x

What Happened???

I only lost my tinterweb connection for 24 hours, and when I get back CJ and the rest of the posse have organized an extra challenge for this sunday!! Not only that, CJ is having a 45% off sale from sunday til wednesday in store, AND she and Rachel have put together some awesome blog candy for the event!!!(picture in side bar). Goodness only knows what they'ed get up to if I ever went on holiday? I'd probably get home to find them all in my garden having a bar-b-que hahaha! Anyway, hope you will be able to join us this sunday for an "Anything Goes Challenge and Blog Hop!"

In other news " I won a spot prize!" over at Dezinaworld. I love working with collage, but have never posted anything here I've made, so when I get my prize I'll show you what I make with it.

Love as always Gina x x x

ATC Swappers, Animal Antics

This month at ATC Swappers we have been given the theme "Animal Antics". I resisted using my Beatrix Potter stamps again, and instead chose these little wooden embellishments I bought last month. I printed my atc backers onto card stock, and then stuck them onto the same piece of 6x6 paper. The paper I've used is from Dovecrafts "Wild Blossom" collection by Kate Knight. I decided not to colour the embellies as I thought the natural wood looked very "organic" against the bright floral paper.

Enjoy!

Love as always Gina x x x

You make my heart sing!

This little lady is for 3 challenges today, but was mostly inspired by Pollycraft Mondays Challenge#48 "Let's have a sing song". My fav all time song is "Lovin You" by Minnie Riperton, and I sing it in my heart every time I look at hubby(aaawww! said it for you haha!) The challenge is to make a card representing a song, and I think this image of Aurelia from Pollycraft really is beautiful.

The 2 other challenges I've used are Ooh la la's Challenge#56 "flourishes and pearls", and Fairy Fun Fridays#23 "glitz and glitter". The background paper is from Country Garden cd by Joanna Sheen.

And while I'm being smushy, I'd like to dedicate this card to all my friends in blogland, cos it's true, lovin' you is easy cos your beautiful.......

By the way, to anyone who read my post last week about "little dog", the window cleaner recognised her yesterday, and she is now reunited with a very happy owner(and her companion pooch of many years), so alls well that ends well!

Love as always Gina x x x

Angel Poop and so much more!!!

I was just saying to a friend that I hadn't recieved Nina's Party bag yet, when the postman knocked on the door. OH MY GOODNESS!! I couldn't believe how much stuff Nina had packed into her parcel. I counted more than 60 charms n brads!(lost count going oooh and aahh). Thank you so much Nina it's all gorgeous, especially the card and gift bag.
Much love comong your way, as always Gina x x x
Oh, and I found out today I won another Party Bag from the same event, this time from Coldwaters2! Yahoo! And people don't like Mondays hahaha!

Totally Opposites!

2 toltally different cards today, Christmas and Summertime! Can you guess which is which haha!
My 1st card is for Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge#23, no brads no ribbon and a birdie. I am also entering it in Bah Humbugs Challenge#22, anything goes.
My 2nd card started with Scrappy's Sunday Sketch#26 from Catch the Bug Challenge blog, and I followed the themes from Sentimental Sunday#7, Summertime and Digital Tuesdays#62 colour with chalks. The "english country garden" stamp is from Dovecraft, by designer Kate Knight. The image I used for this card is by Nana Vic, and is a freebie if you sign up at DACC the new digital stampers ning thing(not very good with techno, but I'm trying;) ). Backing papers are by Brenda Pinnock(summertime card) and Anna Griffen(christmas card).
Love as always Gina x x x

Cowgirls Sunday Challenge#4

First I'd like to congratulate the winner of Cowgirls Sunday Challenge#3 Stempeltigger for her wonderful monochrome card, and thank you to every one who took part. All the cards entered in the challenge were amazing!

This weeks Challenge is a sketch from Andrea, and this is what I produced, using Teacup Fairy#03 from CJ's wonderful collection. Talking of which, have you checked out her new Fathers day collection yet? There are images there to suit just about everyones needs. There's a particularly nice one of a dad hugging , and being hugged by his kids called simply "Daddy", so sweet. So why not pop over to the store for a nosey, and then join in this weeks Cowgirls Sunday Challenge#4, Andrea's Sketch, for a chance to win one of CJ's marvellous creations(she's already working on more images!)

Have fun with the sketch, and look forward to seeing your wonderful creations over at the challenge blog.

Love as always Gina x x x

Cowgirl Overkill !

I know I'm going a bit overboard this week with CJ's images, but you gotta go check out the "21" new stamps she released yesterday for fathers day! I actually requested this sort of image (father n son ,rear view walking into sunset)and she drew it superbly, I absolutley love it!! Her images aren't all cowboy stuff, I just choose those images cos my dad is a huge country n western/bluegrass fan. This image is called "Dad n Me", and if your men folk are in the armed forces she's drawn a lovely image called "Coming Home"you've just got to take a look at(brought a tear to my eye).
I am entering this card for Cute Card Thursday's Challenge#116 "anything but a square", and I added the text myself. Got the apple template from Create With TLC while blog hopping so can't remember link sorry.
Enjoy! Love as always Gina x x x

Cowgirl Chessie, pretty in pink.

This little lady is called Chessie, and I thought she was the perfect image to go with Anything Goes Challenge#2 "Lace n Pearls, Pink n Cream". I love this range of big eyed beauties from CJ at Cowgirl-Up Digital Stampen Ranch, and have used her, along with this weeks layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches#49, by Melissa Craig.

You still have a few days to enter the latest challenge from Cowgirls Sunday #3, which is a recipe of 1 image, 2papers, 3 embellishments. So why not pop over and join in for a chance to win your choice of digi stamp by CJ. She is adding images every week, and if you have an idea for am image you can't get anywhere else, leave her a comment and she might be able to oblige!

Love as always Gina x x x

Second post today

Don't like doing more than 1 post a day, but playing catch up this week. Never very happy working with pink, but been using a lot of blue so needed to balance things up.
Had this little freebie from Pollycraft for a while now and thought it would go well with Critter Sketch Challenge#17, "Childs Birthday". I've used last weeks layout from Moving Along With The Times#49, and will be entering it for Pollycraft Mondays Challenge#47 "Ribbon and Bling".
Love as always Gina x x x

Acetate and Tag Card

Bit last minute with this card for Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge#22, Tags/paper weaving/peircing. I chose the Tag aspect of the challenge, and hve combined it with Bah Humbug's Challenge#21, use acetate.

I used one of my fav stamps with stavon to print this image straight onto acetate, then glittered on the back of the image. I attached it to the base card with pinflair glue(like silicone without smell). The base card I made using Adirondak "winter sky" ink pad on glossy cardstock. The background paper is from Brenda Pinnocks Sucerie collection. I wanted to keep it simple to emphasise the image so just added a single large brad.

Hope you like it.

Love as always Gina x x x

Go with the Flow!

First things first, a huge thank you to Nina , guest designer at Sketch Saturdays, who chose me to recieve her Party Bag Candy she made for SS's Birthday Challenge last week. I won Angel Poop!!! Chunky Monkey is so excited hahaha!

I didn't get much crafting time this weekend. Joined Hubby for his team night out, on Saturday, V posh do at a V select golf club(everybody say oooooooow!) Got V sore feet from dancing all night! Wicked!!

Before I went out on Saturday a very exhausted racing pidgeon landed at my gate, so I took it in gave it food and water and it flew away at teatime, job well done I thought. Sunday lunchtime it came back! So I've taken it back in(living in garden shed in dog cage til owner can be contacted). In the meantime (Sunday am) ,during a thunderstorm and downpour, Hubby comes in from street saying can we take in a little dog that a neighbour has found in the street looking for shelter. The poor little thing was afraid of the storm, and had slipped her collar. Once the storm had passed, Hubby and Chunky Monkey took her round the estate to see if she could find her way home, but she showed no interest in anything or anyone, so she is still here! I contacted the authorities but no one has reported here missing yet. So my family is up by 2. Fortunately my collie is very placid and hasn't been too put out by her new companion.

Any hoo, my card! I love this little Teacup Fairy01 from CJ at Cowgirl up Stamps. I was going to make a " you've been a little under the weather" card, but then I found this sentiment at Sentimental Sundays blog and thought it went really well with such a chilled out fairy(and the weather). The papers and butterfly are from the very 1st kit I ever bought from Dawn Bibby and QVC, and fits perfectly Sentimental Sundays Challenge#6 New/neglected stash. I'd forgotten how pretty it was. I am also entering it for Beecrafty Downloads challenge#31 "Bloomin' Marvelous" and Sketch Saturdays challenge#106

Well that should catch up from the weekend hahaha!

Love as always Gina/Pidge and Little Dog x x x

Tearing hair out now!!!

Sorry quick rant, got too hot in garden today, but thought "no worries" can always go in and blog a bit, WRONG!!! Kids on hols taking turns on my puter to play games, even though they each have a puter in their rooms( mines better apparently!). So went out to burn on lounger til they'ed finished game. Came in 1 hour later to find hubby had come home cos it was too hot in office, and was working on my puter instead!!! When I finally got chance to use puter web/net/thingy keeps disconnecting aaaaarrrrggghhhhh!
Better now thank you :D
This is my card for the Chi Chi Memories 1st Blog hop. The sentiment is from Sentimental Sundays "Time sentiments" collection, and the smiley image is a freebie from Chi Chi Memories called "Sweetie". The background papers are from Papercrafts 4 You/collection 3 by Mary Hughes.
Going to quit now while I'm ahead ;)
Love as always Gina x x x

Psychodelic 70's

This card is made combining 4 challenges;

1: Anything Goes Challenge #1 "Wings"+ Blue/Yellow/Brown

2: Digital Tuesday Challenge#61 "Lets get Trendy"( I've chosen 70's retro)

3: Lothian Crafts#3 "Summer is Coming"

4: Sir Stampalot's June Challenge "Punch it out"

The image I have chosen for these challenges is "Teacup Fairy-2" from CJ at Cowgirl Up Digital Stampen Ranch. There are 4 in the series so far, all in differing styles, and I am planning on featuring all of them this month as my DT commitment to Cowgirl Up. This teacup transforming into a fairy(or visa versa) just screamed "psychodelic 70's" to me, and I thought she would go beautifully with the Anything Goes challenge colour combi. again blue/brown and yellow is such a 70's look. The pretty china cup made me think of tea in the garden on a sunny afternoon, so again worked for me with Lothian Crafts theme" summer is coming", and you can't eat outside in summer without insects so I punched some tiny bugs and dragonflys, which meant I could enter it for Sir Stampalot's June challenge to use punches. The papers are from Brenda Pinnocks Sucerie collection, and the scallloped circle and flower layers are cut with my circle frame Nellies dies.

Enjoy! I'm off for a cuppa in the garden now haha! Love as always Gina x x x

Purple posy

Sorry about the picture quality, the background paper has a mottled finish and my scanner seems to have tidied all the white bits together??
The card itself I made combining no less than 5 challenges!!!
I started with Scrappy's Sketch#024, over at Catch the Bug Challenge blog. The colour combi and flower motifs come from Ooh La La Creations Challenge#55 "use their blog colours" , and Critter Sketch#16 "Flowers and Purple". That just leaves Sentimental Sunday challenge#5"Thankful",(it is one of their sentiments I used) and Pollycraft Monday's Challenge#46 "Hidden Message". The image is this weeks freebie at Bugaboo Stamps, and is from a set called "Summertime Peekers".
Grief ! Think I've linked everyone up haha! Now I've just got to remember to post with them all :s
Thanks for dropping by, Love as always Gina x x x