I'm back - no longer MIA!!!!!

Phew after what seems like a lifetime I am back on the blogging scene, but for how long I don't know.
As some of you may know we have recently had some terrible problems with out internet provider, SKY. They had blocked us  (switched us off ) twice and lo and behold they did it again a week ago Monday. They don't give us any notice, they don't email us, ring us or send us a letter. One minute we are working on the computer and the next the internet is gone completely. They won't even tell us what the problem is so that we can rectify it!!!! I can tell you we have been mad angry here in this little part of Wolverhampton! It has been devastating for my husband and daughter as a lot of work is done in the evenings on the computer and they haven't been able to do anything. I haven't been able to fulfill my DT duties (I have only just joined one Challenge blog recently on the DT team, what must they think?) and of course I haven't commented on all your blogs either. I have a lot to catch up with so please bear with me.

On to happier things. I was at the Summer Crafting show at Doncaster on Saturday and was demoing for Sarah at Hotshot crafts. She has all the latest Kanban stamps and all with FREE p+p!!! You can click on the link at the top of my side bar to order. The stamps are really good quality and some of them are very similar to LOTV. I had 2 days to make 42 cards and I am glad to say I did it! How I am not sure ,,,no housework or cooking!!!
I also got to meet the lovely Net, owner of the Totally Gorjuss blog and we had a little natter. I will try to upload a card as soon as poss Net,as long as I don't get blocked again! The day was sooooo busy,. It was like the NEC. Over the next few days I will upload some of the samples I made.
It is so good to be back. Please leave a comment as I have been very lonely this past week!!!

Love sarah XXX
p.s. I have just noticed that on the first picture of me with Net I look like I have been self harming! Honestly I haven't. Those are 2 oven burns. Really, cooking is far to dangerous a hobby. It's much safer working with sharp scissors, guillotines and sharp craft knives!!!!!

Kenny K card

This is my first first attempt at a Kenny K digital image. They are so great. The theme for their first challenge is PASTELS which is lovely.
My ingredients for this card are

• Papermania - Rose Garden papers
• Promakers
• Martha Stewart border punch
• gems from Poundland

I have also followed the sketch at Papertake weekly

I may not be able to blog for the next few days as I have just got back from Sarah's shop (High Town Art shop / Hotshotcrafts) with tons of goodies. I have to make 42 cards for Thursday and the majority of them need to be stamped and coloured!!!!! It's worth visiting their website as there is free p + p on most items!
Now where did I put those Promarkers?.............
See you Love sarah XXX

Cowgirls Sunday Challenge DT card

 This is the 2nd card I made for Cowgirls Sunday Challenge. Silly me didn't read the rules correctly and I made a card NOT using one of CJ's images.!!!!! So I made another one last night with a correct image!. The theme for this week is Sherbert./Ice Cream and I chose Tiramisu (coffee and cream) as my flavour inspiration.
My ingredients for the card are

• DCWV All about Boys Stack ( my bargain from Dunelm...remember?)
• "Boots" image from Cowgirl up digital ranch
• Sizzix cactus and Yee Haw dies

This is the first, incorrect card I made. I hope you like both of them anyway
Enjoy the sunshine
Love sarah XXX

Totally Gorjuss DT card _ water

Hi girls. How are you coping in this glorious heat?????
It's a good thing that this week our theme at Totally Gorjuss is water!!!! May make you feel cooler!
I have used a Sweet Pea stamp  ( from my blogging friend Angela ) as they are mermaidy and look like they live in the sea. I have used one of my new Sizzix Pro dies to cut the card shape and another new die," Dream" for the word. I will be putting some of these up for sale on Ebay if anyone is interested, or you can get in touch with me direct.
Hope you like it.
Have a great weekend and if any of you go to the Doncaster show next weekend (17th) come and say hello to me on the Hotshotcrafts stand
Love sarah XXX
p.s. Don't forget to check out Cowgirls Sunday Challenge this weekend. where the theme is Sherbet/Ice Cream
and the sponsors are Delicious Doodles

Your prize will be that you can pick 3 images by choice from her store and 2 images of choice from CJ's Cowgirls Up!

Along with a "Winners Badge" to display on your blog!
The "Top 3" will win "1 Image of choice from CJ"
and a "Top 3 Badge" that they will be able to proudly display on their blog's.

My parents 51st Anniversary card

 It was mum and dads 51st Anniversary a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who follow me regularly you will know my dad has not been well for a while. He is so much better now and we had a lovely family meal at Jimmy Spices in Solihull.

This is the card I made for them. It is a bit of a 2 in 1 card as it will stand up against the wall as you can see above. But, it is also an easel card

Yet another exploding box!

Good morning everyone
I was asked to make yet another exploding box for a wedding tomorrow by the brides mother. The colour theme is black, white and fuschia pink!. I was given free run on this one although I was told the groom loves cars. So here is what I came up with. I have photos of each layer of the box before I assembled it and then the final box itself. The brides sister saw it yesterday and I loved it. I just hope the bride and groom like it too!

Lovely Hanglar only challenge card

At last I have had chance to make  a card for a challenge and this is mine for Lovely Hanglar only

There is a sketch to follow and this is my interpretation of it.
Here is what I have used

• Tim Holtz Shabby Vintage papers
• Promarkers
• Sizzix Primitive Star die
• Stickles
• Quickcutz border die
• gems

I hope you like it
Have a great evening#
Love sarah X

My First DT card for Cowgirl -Up Stamps

Hope you all had a great weekend.
Well here is my first DT card for Cowgirls Sunday Challenge where the theme is "Scallops and embellishments"
The DT have all made wonderful cards. We have all used images from CJ's shop. I have used the Watering can Image which you can buy here. It is only $1.75 or approx. £1.15. And of course because it is a digital image you can resize it, flip it etc.
I have coloured mine with Copics which you can buy here at Hotshotcrafts.I have also added Glossy Accents over the flowers which you can also buy at Hotshotcrafts. I have added some pink netting which i fed through the back of a pearl button which I bought from  The Hobby House. Here is my list of ingredients

• Paper and cardstock - DCWV and Basic Grey
• Digital image - Cowgirls digital stamp
• Netting
• Pearl Button - The Hobby House
• Martha Stewart punch

I hope you like it. It is going to be used as a leaving card for one of the teachers who is retiring. I still have another 2 retirement cards to make so as soon as I have done them i will post pictures.
Thanks for all the comments you leave.

 The sponsor for this weeks challenge is Crafty Ribbons
 So have a go. See if you can win or make the top 3
 Love sarah XXX

Totally Gorjuss DT card

I won't mention the football or the tennis!!!!!!!!!!!!
But we are a great nation of cardmakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Saturday so it has to be a new challenge at Totally Gorjuss. We have a super sketch for you to follow

This is my card. I have coloured TGF image with Promarkers. the lacey border is made with a MS punch. I have added some net circles behind the image. The DP is Cosmo Cricket
Have a good weekend

An amazing funeral attendance

 Some of you, particularly if you live in the Midlands, may have heard about a young lad called Josh who died 6 weeks ago when a car mounted the kerb in Smethwick, and pinned him up against a shop front. The shop front collapsed. Several others were injured but unfortunately Josh lost his life that day. He was only 15. He and his older brother were friends of my children and we know the family. So it was a real shock to us when we heard of the incident and then realized it was someone we knew. Now when someone dies people always say what a lovely person they were, and this was really true in Josh's case. Both he and his brother are and were an absolute credit to their parents, children any parent would be proud of. And the proof of it was at the funeral. There were 400 at the crematorium and about 1,000 at the Hall in Dudley, the majority being adults who were so impressed with this young man. Many of his school friends at teachers attended too. It was very emotional seeing girls and boys walking in with bouquets of flowers and then seeing them go and talk to Josh's parents afterwards.
It is a good reminder to us that we do not know what is around the corner or how long we have left. Life is too short to bear grudges.
Josh, you may be gone but you are not forgotten

(James 4:14) whereas YOU do not know what YOUR life will be tomorrow. For YOU are a mist appearing for a little while and then disappearing.


Sarah

Exciting news, and more cards

I won't mention the football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another glorious day weather wise.
My exciting news is that CJ at Cowgirls Sunday Challenge has asked me to join her DT!!!! Do check out her blog and shop Loads of great images there to play with.
Here are a few quick and easy flower card I made as well as my card for Chi Chi Memories

You can buy the elephant stamp here.
http://www.chichimemories.com/digital-stamp-set---4th-of-july.html
I used my Primitive Stars Sizzix die and coloured the image with Promarkers

 Finally here is a picture of me with my younger sister Ruth who was the Production Manager for Gardeners World at the NEC last week

Totally Gorjuss DT card

Hi girls
Whjat great weather
We are off tonight to celebrate mum and dads 51st Wedding Anniversary.
This week at Totally Gorjuss we want to see bags and I know how you girls love those.
Here is mine. I have used MS border punch for the handle  and a digi image coloured with Promarkers

It is so easy to make. I hope you have a go
Love sarah XXX

Another bargain! 2nd post of the day

 

Just thought I would add this quick post. I was in Home Bargains In Wolverhampton yesterday. Not sure if there are any others around the country. I spied these 2 stamps PARTY and MUCHAS GRACIAS. Would you believe it they were 19p each. Yes 19p each!!!!!!
Has any one else found any good bargains recently? I would love to know what you have found and where
Love sarah XXX