My Family & Other Animals

Wednesday 4 April 2012

"You Are My Sunshine..."

So this week has seen Petrol Pump Madness (good name for a band that!!) and me getting to grips with the rather wonderful FlexMarkers.
First things first though and let's address the lunacy that was the 'shortage' at the pumps. Working in a petrol station has given me a rather unique insight into the demented British psyche. The news reports that tanker drivers may go on strike in the near future, the PM telling people it's okay to fill up and that simpering dolt Maude telling people "Panic, Panic, Panic, get it all now, keep it in your garage, whatever, do it now, OMG it's so scary innit". What do we do as a nation - obviously we listen to the stupidest man on earth and whirl into a tailspin and start overwhelming all the garages and waiting in queues for hours on end in the hope of getting at least a teaspoon's worth of fuel! If only we had all listened to the end of that news story before charging out of the house eh!, the bit that said the drivers weren't striking, they were in fact in talks to take a vote as to weather or not to go on strike and if they did they would give us a week's notice first.
I heard tell of a man who queued for an hour and three quarters for £7.20 worth of fuel and was then going to put the car in the garage and not use it again until JUNE!!! and he was one of the reasonable ones. I don't wish to mock the afflicted, but what kind of mentalist fills petrol cans in their kitchen, at teatime, with the cooker on?!?! I have to tell at least three people a shift to stop smoking and nearly every one of them will look at you like you are trampling all over their civil liberties. They take great delight in telling you that diesel will not ignite with a naked flame. "Ah yes", I tell them "that's very true. However, the 150'000 gallons of fuel beneath you in the storage tanks do give of the odd 'flammable' vapour, which is easily ignited and would leave this site a gaping two mile wide crater, so please put the cigarette out as I quite like my life at the moment, even if you do have a death-wish!" Working in the retail industry has really knocked my view of people, I have seen how greedy, rude and downright ignorant they can be.
Thank God the crafting world has restored some of that faith with all the lovely people I meet whenever I go to a craft fair or club, or even on-line now! Thank You Crafters everywhere.
On to FlexMarkers and all I can say about them is WOW!!! They are so good. I have been using ProMarkers forever and when the new pens came out I got a set at a show but never really used them. I thought the pale colours were too pale if that's at all possible, but I recently got a great Multibuy deal on Create and Craft and as the sets came with some of the original colours but with the Flex tip I gave them another go and that's it, I'm hooked. So now I can't wait for the whole range to be replaced with the Flex tip (and neither can my wife Jo, who I have told can have all my pens which are replaced).
This week's card is the first one I have done with just the FlexMarkers and although it's not as good as I would normally expect, it's not far off and I know that with time and practice I'll get there in next to no time at all. The image is one of the new Kraftin' Kimmie sets from designer Cheryl Alger, which I purchased from the very wonderful site Quixotic Paperie. This lovely young lady is called Lulu and comes in a few sets (this particular one is from the 'Lovely Lulu' set), reasonably priced at £15.99. I have used my Magnolia tree die and the flower die is an old one from Marianne Designs. The double ribbon makes the flower look like a daffodil and the bows are the petals. While I would love to take credit for this, it was a 'happy accident', but I do think the final effect is really great.
Hope this week hasn't been too stressful for you and if you have made it down this far, well done, I hope my rambling doesn't put you off and keep you from coming back again!! Hope you like the card and I will see you back here again real soon,
hugs 'n stuff,
Andy
xx
Entered Into: Through The Craft Door Challenge #23 - Spring is in the Air/Must use a Butterfly
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #3 - Spring with Pastel Colours
Tando Creative Challenge - Predominantly Yellow & Green
Sparkles Monthly Challenge #30 - Mother's Day or Spring
Fashionista Challenge #1 - Anything Goes For Girls
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings Challenge #45 - Button and Bows
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop Challenge #9 - To Die For
Oozak Challenge #1 - Anything Goes
Just Tracy's Crafts Challenge - Yellow, Green and White
Just Keep On Creating Challenge #1 - Anything Goes
Be The Next Papercraft Star Challenge #91 - Anything Goes!
Divas By Design Challenge #29 - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #149 - Easter/Spring
Hanna & Friends Challenge #139 - Easter/Spring
Little Miss Muffet Challenge #32 - Spring Colours (Pastels)
Charisma Cardz Challenge #13 - Chipboard or Stickers

35 comments:

  1. Gorgeous card. I love the way you have coloured that cute image.

    Hugs
    Jayne
    x

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  2. Love your card Andy, so colourful and the image is just adorable. I share you views on your post tonight, I'm so glad I craft and blog cause I see so much selfishness everywhere else, quite sad really. Have a lovely Easter weekend. Carolxx

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  3. What a fun, cheery card, Andy! The main image is just too adorable and your coloring is superb! Love the BG paper you chose for this too! Thanks for joining us over at The Crafter's Cafe!

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  4. You know, Andy, you're story made my afternoon! People are like sheep don't you think? I always enjoy watching people at a craft fair as they swarm a booth that has useless crafts and go away even faster when they discover that it was the owner picking up her own things! Your card is fun and your coloring so pretty and cheery! glad your craft room gives you the sanity you need to deal with the rest of the world. Thanks for joining us this week for the Papercraft Star "Anything Goes" challenge.

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  5. Ohhhh this is a lovely spring colored card! Precious image too...

    Thanks for joining in at http://fashionistachallenge.blogspot.com/

    Dt Coordinator,
    Rina

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  6. Lovely card!

    thank you for joining in the fun with us at SMC for our ” Mothers day/Spring ” challenge

    Hope you will join us again soon
    Good luck in the draw

    Hugs Shaz x

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  7. hahaha I love Sylvia's comment about Craft Fairs!!!! Oh and you are on a par with me about the petrol fiasco :-D

    Thank you for joining us over at Tando with your very pretty card x

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  8. Hi, Andy! Great card with lots of wonderful colors. Thanks for sharing with us at Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog.

    Chana

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  9. A great card and I love the colourful background.

    Thanks for joining us at the Pretty Little Ribbon Shop challenge.

    Sarah x

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  10. Such a sweet card!! Love your darling image and papers. Those buttons are fab too!! Thanks for joining us at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog.

    Linda

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  11. Your card is so pretty, love your adorable image and papers.Thank you for joining us at Oozak's first challenge.

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  12. Brilliant card Andy.
    Teresa

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  13. Such a bright and beautiful card, Andy:)

    Thank you for joining in with us at the Pretty Little Ribbon Shop challenge.

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  14. Wonderful card!! The colors are beautiful!! Thanks for joining us at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge blog!!

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  15. Well we have survived this fuel crisis can only hope that no one who desperatly needed fuel found themselves unable to get any. Flexi pens sound great will have to give them some thought thanks.

    Love your celebration of Spring thank you for sharing with us at Tando Creative good luck XOXO Zoe

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  16. Gorgeous card Andy, fantastic use of colour and you have done a fab job with your flexies.
    Hugs
    Clare
    xx

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  17. What a fun and bright image. I love your use of colour.
    Thank you so much for joining us for the 1st Fashionista Challenge. Good luck with the Challenge and we hope to see you again very soon.

    Laine

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  18. Andy, it totally ok to ramble to get it out. I'm glad you have crafting to take you to another place far from worries. Your card is lovely. The image is colored so well. Thank you for joining us this week over at the Papercraft Star!

    Anitra

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  19. Hi Andy...I love this card...so bright and cheerful and what a fabulous image.
    Debbie

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  20. Hi Andy, our post gas spoken volumes to me. I have worked in customer service for an electricity company for years and it still amazes me how rude people can be, only yesterday one of my work mates was threatened with her life over something really trivial. If it wasn't for my craft addiction I would go mad.

    I love your card, the colouring is amazing, one day I will be able to colour in like that. I also love the beautiful and bright paper that you have used. Good luck with using the new markers

    Thanks so much for entering your lovely creation at Anything goes, Just keep on creating . I hope you will continue to play along, I look forward to reading more of your posts

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  21. Back again

    Thanks for joining us this week at Diva's and dont forget if you join in the blog hop there is a chance to win even more lovely prizes

    Good luck
    Jayne
    x

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  22. Gorgeous. Thanks for joining at CCCB, and hope to see you back next month.
    Hugz,
    Christine Dt at CCCB

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  23. A beautiful card Andy, such a happy sunny creation! Great colouring on this sweet image, you worked those flexmarkers well! I have about 6 in my collection, and I love them too! But, am going to have to save up to buy some more ( boo!)
    Love the funky papers too, so cheerful!
    Thanks for joining us at Charisma Cardz this week!

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  24. She is adorable Andy I love my flex markers too what a lovely card I love it , the colours are beautiful.
    Have a nice Easter Sunday and Monday Elaine Hugs Elaine

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  25. I love your take on the fuel madness and sadly I can believe smokers would be ignorant. Never mind though, you made a gorgeous card! Thanks for entering it into the Tando challenge.

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  26. What a gorgeous card

    Thankyou for joining us at SMC - good luck in the draw

    Ang x

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  27. Fabulous Andy!! love those papers and sweet image !!Thanks for joining us at Diva's this time hope to see you next time too
    hugs
    laney

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  28. You made my day reading your post....but back to your card, what a wonderful creation, it's beautifully coloured with the flex markers. Thank you for joining us at Just Tracys, Elaine x

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  29. Fantastic spring card!

    Thanks so much for joining us at Hanna & Friends.

    Hugs, Kiki

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  30. Just found your blog!! wow great cards and projects...but a question too???? You have made a card for i love promarkers and i NEED to know what dies you have used - its the white on white one. It is a fantastic card and has given me an idea for a very special wedding card i have to make, if you have 5 mins could you let me know the deets pretty pretty please

    Sylvia x

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  31. Love your bright and beautiful card. Perfectly done!

    pay per click guru

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  32. Just saw your card over on just keep crafting cahellnge blog, and had to pop over and say how gorgeous it is, love your fab colours x
    Wendy x

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  33. Gorgeous card,love the sweet image and colours...Thanks for joining in with us at Just Tracy's,hope to see you next time....
    Mandy x

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  34. What a beautiful creation! I love your image and the wonderful flowers...
    Thanks for playing along with us at Fashionista Challenge..
    Hugs Natalie xx

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  35. I read all the way through to the end... your wife is indeed lucky to have your old pens. Not tried the flexi-nibs.

    Very colourful card and I hope one day to be as expert as you with the shading.

    Interesting read. :)

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Please feel free to leave a comment, I welcome constructive criticism.