Men's cards are a pain!

Don't you just hate doing men's cards?! I have started to run out of ideas for them, they are so much harder than doing cards for us girlie's! It's Adrian's dad's birthday so I had to try to come up with something quick as I have already used all my male images on past cards for him. Debbie from Stampeezee came to the rescue with this stamp library stamp. Which was perfect for Mike as he is a real handy man! I was pushed for time though as work and life have been busy this past week, so here is what I came up with. I used a piece of note paper to make a mock list as Mike is always leaving to do lists everywhere! The image pulls forward to reveal the to do list, which reads 1) put your feet up, 2) open a beer, 3) put on a DVD (Mike's favourite past time is watching films) 4) relax!!

Happy Birthday Mike and thank you for all you do for us!
I also make some yummy lemon cake again as it went down a storm last time and I think it was even better this time!

Hopefully I'll be back with some girlie cards soon, a card just isn't a card without flowers, ribbon, buttons or lace and nice girlie images!

I'll have some blog candy up for grabs and will announce my follower of the month for January so check back soon!

Thanks for looking,

4 in 1!!!

Hope you all had a good weekend and great start to the week! My weekend consisted of having my hair done on Saturday afternoon, a nice meal out with Adrian on the evening, first time in a while so it was a nice treat! Then housework etc on Sunday, don't the weekends just fly by?! Feeling quite tired today and got a busy week ahead, think it's because I'm not sleeping well as my back is playing up at the moment, it seemed to have improved since the accident but now I seem to have taken a few steps back with it, not sure what I've done to it!

Anyway I've had this image coloured in for weeks and finally made her into a card, the challenge over at Whiff of Joy challenge blog is a recipe, you get to choose and I chose 3 DP, 2 bling and 1 flower. I'd also like to enter this at a Spoonful of Sugar as the challenge there is lots of layers and at Simon says stamp the challenge is punch it and I've used a punch on my card and Passion for promarkers is any colours and the theme girls, girls, girls! Wow, don't think I've ever made one card suitable for 4 challenges before! I must be in an efficient mood!

Supplies: image - Whiff of Joy/DP - K & co/Pearls, flowers and tulle from stash/tools - Martha Stewart Valentine lace border punch, distress tool, pen for doodling.

Thanks for stopping by and for any comments you may leave. I love to read them.

Hugs,

In Bloom

It's Adrian's mum's birthday today and as she loves flowers I thought I'd use this Papertrey Ink set I had for Christmas. I love the simplicity of these stamps and can see this set being used alot!

I personally do not like the lettering on this card, I didn't want to put it on staright but this just looks a bit too wonky and messy for my liking, however Adrian would not let me start over as he liked it! Each to there own, lol. Thought I'd share it anyway (I'm a warts and all kinda gal, lol).

Supplies: stamps PTI In Bloom and background basics text style/cardstock and ribbon - SU/Gems from stash/ tools & accents - Fiskars apron lace border punch , sticles, mica flakes, PTI vintage cream ink, SU small square punch and letters stamp set.

I Just want to wish Sue a very Happy Birthday as she is one of the nicest ladies you could ever wish to know, aren't I lucky to have such a great mother-in-law to be!

Recipe challenge!

Debbie, the domestic goddess here in blogland, aka Country Heart and Home is running a year long recipe challenge this year. Which was music to my ears as one of my new year aims was to experiment with cooking and bake more! Each week she will cook up fabulous delights and provide a shopping list and tutorial, to help us less goddess like mortals find some inspiration in the kitchen! There is also a facebook page and a recipe box tutorial! I haven't had chance to join in yet but just had to this week when I saw that the recipe was crunchy topped lemon cake! I LOVE lemon cake! I love baking too but had such a busy time last year that I didn't have chance, so this is the first cake I've baked in my own home, my mixing bowl, scales etc have finally been christened!!! yay!! Hopefully this will be the first of many to come!

Well they look far from perfect (Martha Stewart needn't worry just yet!) but they taste good! I made a basic cake and some cup cakes too.

Huge thanks to Debbie for her hard work in doing this and for giving me the nudge I needed to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Now just need to invest in an electric mixer.........

I feel another spending addiction coming on.....not good, lol!!!

Hugs,

First card of 2010!

At last my first card of 2010! It has been funny start to the year, the weather has been bad and so many bugs going round! Hopefully things are on the up. I may be behind with some of my goals for the new year but I'm ahead on one, I've been doing a lot of sorting and organising, trying to get some order amongst the chaos, lol. I've been having a huge sort of everything, but especially my craft stuff. I have finally gotten around to the mammoth task of organising my stamps, I hang my head in shame at having so many that have never seen ink, I stopped counting when I got past 150!!! (there are many many more too!). So at least I realise I can try to stick to my resolution of spending less, I do not need another stamp for a while, I repeat I do not need another stamp for a while!!! (I'm trying to convince myself, lol).

Anyway here is my card, I have made this for the Simon says stamp challenge, which is shabby chic, my favourite style! As you can see by my bedroom wallpaper in the background! Thought that would be a suitable backdrop for the photo. There is also a design team call over there for those of you that are interested. I'd also like to enter this for the challenge over at Papertake weekly which is pretty pink papertake. As I've gone all out girly and pink, I thought this would count.

Supplies used: Image - Unity stamp co KOTM stamp/DP - Webster's pages/Twill tape - Papertrey ink/ Crochet lace, paper doily and flowers from stash/ Pearls - SU preeties kit/Tools and accents - nesties, distress inks, teabag for staining, distress tool, shimmerz spray and glamour dust.

I'm quite pleased with how this turned out, unusual for me as I'm my own worst critic! I've also been doing a lot of stamping and colouring, so more cards on the way!!!

Thank you for stopping by, hope you are having a good week so far.
Hugs,

No fair, wanna play!!!

I was feeling better the last few days but feel like it has now gone to my chest and have come home from work feeling drained! I just want to play with my new stash, not fair, stamping feet like a two year old, lol!!!!! Hopefully I will have something to share with you soon, as my hands are itching to make something! I can't see us going very far this weekend, other than for food shopping, logs for fire etc, have a quiet weekend recovering in the warm planned, movies, hot chocolate and crafting sound sooooo good! Adrian is still poorly too. I'm sure there are many of you out there feeling grotty in this cold weather, here's hoping you are better soon.

Here is the new stash that I had for Christmas, I must have been a good girl last year as I had lots of other goodies from Santa too, but this little lot is screaming to be used!

I was lucky enough to get some fabby Papertrey Ink stamps etc from Adrian, that my sis kindly got delivered to her hotel whilst in New York and brought home for me! Adrian also got me some cozy UGG cardi boots, these have been great for this cold snap, in fact so has the coat, scarf, slippers and dressing gown! I loved the keepsakes I got as well, always nice to have something to keep. As you can see I was spoiled, I always take a piccie of my birthday and Christmas presents, it reminds me how lucky I am and I don't forget the lovely things my family and friends have bestowed on me. My greatest gift is always spending time with loved ones though and the happy memories that leaves me with, I'm hoping to make a Christmas mini album with last years pictures, that is one of my aims this year to scrapbook more! I also better get cracking with some thank you notes!

All the decorations are packed away now, it was sad taking them down, as I loved having them up especially as it was our first Christmas in our home together and their first outing, I'd been collecting them for years, but then it wouldn't be as exciting if they were up all the time. Can't believe it's been two weeks since Christmas already!!

Keep safe and warm!

Under the weather!

Hi all, I haven't abandoned my New Years goals already of creating and blogging more, I've come down with the dreaded lurgy! Flu like symptoms of fever, sore throat and head, aches and pains. Not good, so just resting! Poor Adrian is ill with bronchitis, which started at the weekend, so I was playing nurse maid to him, now we are both unwell, so we make a right pair! Good job I got the shopping and logs in on Saturday, especially now the weather has got worse.

Be safe if you are out and about in these conditions! Hopefully we will be back fighting fit soon.

Hugs (not that you would want them at the moment!)

Welcome 2010!

We had a lovely evening seeing in the New Year with my parents last night. I hope you had a great time whatever you were doing.

I can't believe it is 2010 already, where has the last decade gone! Well 2009 was a great year and I hope this year is even better for us all. I always start the New Year with setting some goals and aims for the twelve months ahead, not resolutions! Resolutions sound too formal like rules and rules are made to be broken! lol. Therefore I feel more comfortable just thinking about what I would like to achieve this year and go from there. I'm a very goal orientated person and a stickler for lists!

So here are my goals and aims for 2010!

*To get fit, eat healthier, take more exercise, loose a few pounds etc, to find time to pamper every now and again, I've neglected myself and am not feeling great or very confident anymore. So to hopefully feel healthier as a result.

*To make time to relax, kick back with a good book, watch a movie/TV, or to just do nothing, the past year was so busy, I want to start to make time to unwind every now and then, I'm always doing something, I like to be busy but sometimes you need to listen to your body/mind and take time out for a break!

*To create more!!! I want to create more cards, scrapbook those wonderful memories, learn to sew, to just make things!! To not be scared to use those supplies or hold back, to let my creative side loose a bit more! To just have a go, it doesn't always have to be a work of art! I want to post here on my blog as much as I can and share my endeavours with you. Hopefully more often this year than last, I had a huge task of decorating our home this time last year, moving in etc so I'm already at an advantage!

*To experiment more with cooking and to make time to do some baking, I just love creating, and this is another form of that and it's edible, so can't be bad! I don't just want to cook the same meals week in week out, so I want to have a go at being more creative in the kitchen. I used to love baking at home with my mum and sister but haven't due to other things taking preference, time constraints etc but this year will hopefully see some home baked produce, nothing better then the smell of a cake baking in the oven! (I suppose this doesn't really coincide with the eat healthier goal but everything in moderation hey! lol).

*To decorate our kitchen, the only room we didn't do last year, so I'll want to spend time in there to do the above!

*To make our garden more welcoming and pretty. (I would love a veggie patch and chickens but we'll see, maybe that's a tad ambitious, but who knows!).

*To hopefully set a date for our wedding.

*Which brings me to saving more and being more careful with my money! My name is Katrina and I'm a recovering shopaholic and this hobby of ours does not help! lol. These companies know how to make us part with our £££ releasing all these yummy products all the time, I will still indulge but I need to start using and not just hoarding etc! I may sell some cards, take part in a craft fair etc to help fund my hobby. I will be selling off some of my older unwanted craft items too, so if you like a bargain watch this space!

*To be more organised, I generally am but there is aways room for improvement but the busy lives we all lead make it hard, I think being organised and prepared etc helps to free up time for more important things, so the start of the year will see some sorting, organising, streamlining etc! As it's a great feeling being on top of things and you never know what is around the corner!

Of course there are many other things I'd like to achieve etc but that is a summary and starting point, should keep me busy and out of mischief.

My main aim in life is always to try to be a better partner, daughter, sister, friend etc, to always try to be a better person. To always try to be true to yourself and you can't go far wrong!

Thank you for sticking with me through that, it helps to write these things down and feels good to share, as I now feel I need to forge forward with these things, because if I don't I'm not just letting myself down....

So I'll have some projects to share soon, think you may have had enough of me wittering on and sharing pics!

I wish you a successful year with your goals, hopes, aims and aspirations. Shoot for the moon and even if you miss you will be among the stars!

Hugs,