"Street Life"

Hi, no gripes or groans this week, I'm far too busy panicking about last minute.com christmas things. Only managed to get the cards in the post on tuesday and even then most people have ended up with a cheap Asda card and not a handmade beauty! So to those of you who got the bog-standard one's I apologise and promise to try harder next year. One of my resolutions is going to be to join a challenge that just does Christmas cards all year through, then at least I should have enough decent ones to go round!

On to this weeks card and it's a Digi/hybrid card. The young lady is a Kenny K character (as I'm sure you all knew just from looking at her!!) called Da Bomb and she is on a Make It Crafty background. I also used a bit of really old Basic Grey paper which I found at the bottom of my off-cuts stash. I finished it off with a Lily Of The Valley sentiment and a little key attached with a little ribbon.

This has been one of my favourite cards of the year, mainly because of the colouring. It took ages to do and that's just the way I love it at the moment. The colouring can really take you out of yourself and for a little while you just forget your worries and concentrate on something really positive and enjoyable.

The I Love ProMarkers challenge this week is Anything Goes and runs for two weeks, so get over there and show me what you can do.

Have an amazing Christmas and New Year, Jo and I send you all our very deepest wishes and hope that 2012 is a great your for one and all!

See you agin soon,

Andy

x

Entered Into: Bearly Mine Challenge #26 - Anything Goes

Everybody-Art Challenge #173 - Anything Goes

Party Time Tuesdays Challenge #47 - Use Ribbon

Try It On Tuesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Robyn's Fetish Challenge #88 - Anything Goes

One Stitch At A Time Challenge #94 - Use A Digi

Sparkles Forum Challenge - Anything BUT a Christmas Card

Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes (must include a sentiment)

Basic Grey Challenges #59 - Anything Goes

"Blue is the Colour..."

So in the fine tradition of using song titles in your blog headers (okay, so it's my tradition, but I like it!), I couldn't think of another one that only used blue in it, so please don't think I am a Chelsea supporter - I may just gag! I'm a Newcastle Utd supporter through and through, but they don't quite fit in with this weeks theme at I Love ProMarkers, which is Blue & White.

For me, the theme screamed 'Christmas'; you can't beat a nice crisp white against a blue background and I am really happy (for a change!) with this weeks finished card. The stamp is another Gorjuss (I bought about five different ones and this is only the second one I've used!!), and for a change I did a bit of paper piecing on the coat, then finished it off with some very tiny buttons. The snow is glitter dust which I just love to bits and the die on the side is a new(ish) die from Paper Box. The Poinsettia and tall leaf are Marianne Designs and the leaves at the bottom of the flower are from Sizzix. All of this is laid over a piece of plain blue card, covered in some printed acetate which I have had in my (12x12) stash forever but had no idea when I was going to use it.

As it is the season for the old Christmas party, I decided to join my fellow work colleagues this week for our annual sojourn. We went to the Ocean chinese restaurant (in Lincoln) and as ever the food was amazing. I did however consolidate a feeling I had long held and that was that I really DO NOT like being around belligerent, drunken women. My ex-wife used to be a bit of a nasty drunk and as I am on long-term pain medication I no longer enjoy the odd tipple when I go out as it just makes me feel ill. Being around drunks isn't usually a problem for me, as Jo and I don't really go anywhere in the evenings these days, we are very much home bodies now but on the odd occassion I do go out, I don't mind being with people who are drinking. Sunday night was totally different though as one of the girls (she shall remain nameless) was drunk when she arrived. All through the evening I seemed to be her target and while I am not one to make a big scene I really didn't appreciate the (sometimes quite hurtful) comments she was throwing about. Rest assured though, when I next see her at work and she isn't sozzled I will definately have something to say!

Anyhoo, on a lighter note, hope you are nearly ready for Christmas. Jo and I are getting there slowly (which is how we do everything these days!!) and I am getting quite excited.

Hope you like the card and I will of course see you agin real soon.

Take care,

Andy

x

Entered into: 4 Crafty Chicks #68 - Christmas

Christmas Card Challenges week #3 - Non-Traditional Colours

Creative Inspirations Paint - The Holidays

Dream Valley Challenges #22 - Christmas

Gingerloft Challenges #30 - Christmas and Winter

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenges #74 - Anything Goes

One Stitch At A Time #93 - Anything Goes

Opus Gluei Challenge #120 - I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

The Squirrel And The Fox Challenge #7 - Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge #51 - Anything Goes For Christmas

Bugaboo Stamp's Catch The Bug Challenge - Baby, It's Cold Outside

Di's Digi Designs Challenge - Show Us Christmas

Marks Finest Papers Challenge #86 - Make A Christmas Card

Card Makin' Mamas Challenge - Christmas Inspiration

Delicious Doodles Challenge #8 - X-travagent Xmas

Glitter Geeks Challenge Week 28 - Anything Goes

Hot Shot Craft Challenge #1 - ProMarkers

"It's A Hard Life"

So this week has been a real challenge for both Jo and I. I have a really bad back problem which has been ongoing for the last 12/13 years now. During all this time Jo has taken really good care of me but now things are beginning to look really bad for us. Jo has recently been diagnosed with severe arthritis and it has flared up like nothing else I have ever seen. She is off work at the moment but I'm beginning to think that Dark Days are coming!

Anyway, onto lighter things. This weeks challenge over at I Love ProMarkers was for a shaped card so I thought it was the perfect time to use my free dies that came with my Grand Caliber (courtesy of Create and Craft, thank you!). Apparently they are exclusive to the deal I got so hopefully you won't see loads of these shaped cards out there.

I used Gorjuss and Lily of the Valley stamps and a Marianne Designs Poinsettia to finish it off. Things have been a bit hectic so it was finished a bit too quickly and the photo isn't very good either but i'm afraid this is as good as it's gonna get this week. Hope you like it and see you again soon,

Andy

x

Entered into: Craft Room Challenge - Make Your Own Flowers

Creative Card Crew - Tis the Season

Papertake weekly challenge - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown #77 - Celebrate The Season

Heartsong Inspirations #27 - Christmas and/or Red, Green and White

Kaboodle Doodles #96 - Colours of Christmas

Make It Monday #66 - Anything Goes

Pollycraft Challenge #120 - Christmas Fun

Truly Madly Crafty Challenges - Christmas images & Colours

Come And Get It - Colour Challenge: Red, Green and your Choice

Dream Valley Challenges #22 - Christmas

Gingerloft Challenge #30 - Christmas and Winter

Let's Ink It Up Challenges - Christmas Projects

Paper Sundaes Challenge #99 - Anything Christmas

The Squirrel and the Fox Challenge #7 - Christmas

2 Sisters Challenge #69 - Christmas

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Cold and Frosty!

CES Challenges #65 - A Traditional Christmas