What Next???

So, you all know about Merlot, no real change with him at the moment, will speak to the specialist vet later today, but in the mean time...

I need to replace the windscreen in my car!  What a fright I got yesterday as a lorry passed and hurled something towards me, don't know what it was just heard the whack then saw the damage!  Good job it hit the corner otherwise my whole windscreen would have shattered!

So to put me in a better frame of mind, what better than a spot of card making.  This time using a Willow Sketchie Image from a couple of years back.  Such a cutie don't you think?

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Loved this weeks sketch!
Papertake - Oh How Cute
Passion for Promarkers - Autumn Colours
Fitztown - Tag & Digital Element - digi stamp
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Cutie Pies - 3 of something...3 hedgehogs & 3 squares

Winner at Passion for Promarkers! Yipee!! Jx

Christmas is a Coming!

Think I read on Facebook the other night that Christmas was only 12 weeks away - it's probably less now so I must get a wriggle on with those cards!

This one uses a PB Hedgie from a few years back along with LOTV papers.  And talking of hedgies... guess what?  The mammoth task of cutting back our hedge is over for another year.  Colin was home last weekend and made a start on the side, and during the week I finished off the rest.  Hubs did the last bit as it was too high for me even with the platform, and surprisingly he said he had " the toughest thickest bit to do!"  goes without saying doesn't it!

Challenges;
PBSC - Blue/Brown & White
Winter Wonderland - Layer It Up
Christmas @ Sweet Stampin - Christmas Critters
CHCC - Make it Colourful
SSW2 - Sketch & Coffee Twist - (Latte coloured, mmm!)

Ryder Cup

With the Ryder Cup coming to a close this weekend, I thought a golf themed card would be appropriate,

It's made following the lovely sketch by Sketch n Stash, using old Basic Grey papers, an old PB stamp and a newer La La Land die.

Challenges;
Sketch n Stash - Sketch 147
Sweet Stampin - Just For Men
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

My Guy!

It's been a few days since I last updated you on Merlot's progress.  Some of these have been good days, others not so.  But we made the desision yesterday to start letting him outside again as he was just so low being stuck in, and it has certainly had the desired effect, my guy is much happier now, the spring to his step has returned and so to has his purr!

On the down side though, the Aberdeen vet thinks he has a jaw fracture and wants to repair that which may involve taping his mouth shut for two weeks and him being tube fed, and the final blow was when they said they'd just remove his eye while they were at it!  ME THINKS NOT!

All of the above may eventually come to pass, but I do think Merlot has improved loads without surgical intervention and I'd like to see how far his recovery will reach before making drastic decisions...watch this space! Jx

Update on Merlot

Well my little fella was back at the vet again today for another x-ray to try and work out why his jaw is out of line.  Nothing conclusive was found but his plates are to be sent away for a specialist opinion.  They do however think he has nerve damage around his eye area and this means his eye isn't opening fully.  On a brighter note, his eye is changing daily.  Still no sight, but it now moves and we have a feeling he senses movement on the left side now.  It's going to be a long haul for pusskins, but I am more positive again and I'm just so relieved he's still with us. Will post another pic of him tomorrow once he's fully woken from his anaesthetic - he's still a bit groggy just now, Jx

Weight Watchers!

Quick post tonight, had to make this card for a friend, and have taken so long to do so!  Partly due to the stamp coming from the USA and partly cause I'm so busy just now... thought I was supposed to have more time once the boys moved out!

Challenges;
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 - Super sketch

As for Merlot, he's still not great, he's back at the vet tomorrow so I'll update this post tomorrow night, Jx

Merlot

No card today, but instead a progress report on Merlot - yup that gorgeous kitten I showed you the other week beside the mouse.

Unfortunately he was badly injured on Wednesday and had to be rushed to the vet.  Still don't know if he was hit by a vehicle or attacked by an animal, but his injuries were extensive - to horrid to share.

Anyway he was in the vets till Fri and as he was managing to eat they let him home.  He has to go back this coming week to be assessed.

He has nasty facial injuries, a horrendous eye and a squint jaw.  He now goes about dribbling and with his tongue out so goodness knows what's wrong.  Hopefully as the swelling goes down some of the above will correct, just have to wait and see.  Our main concern however is his left eye, it is considerably calmer, but unfortunately he hasn't seen through it since the accident and it's not looking as it should.  Fingers crossed my little kitten makes a full recovery.  Rest is a great healer and he's getting plenty of that along with much love.
Jx

A Little Bit of Gossip...

Sorry, I don't actually have any gossip today, just telling you the name of the gorgeous Sugar Nellie stamp I'm using today for Pami's challenge over at Moving Along With The Times.

She has chosen

Fairies

as our theme this week, & I was going to use a lovely LOTV fairy for the job, but then in an indulgent splurge, (you know the ones!) I bought new stamps from the Sugar Nellie Fairy Glen Collection.  I have admired these cuties from a far for some time now, and after my first pay from my new job I thought I deserved a treat!

So here is my card, made using Basic Grey papers from a long time ago and Promarker colouring.  Finally the card is finished with punched flowers and fern and LOTV tags. Ooh and a few splashes of glossy accents!

Challenges;
Papertake - Punch it Out
Passion for Promarkers - Make it Digital - SN digi
Sweet Stamps - Anything goes
TTCRD - Anything Goes
Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Tag You're it
Glitter n Sparkle - Use a Punch
Simon Says Stamp - Tag It
Stamping Sensations - Things with wings

The rest of the DT have made some super cards this week, why not hop back to the main page and leave them a comment, Jx

Birnam Wood

Hands up those who studied Macbeth at school, remember Birnam Wood? Duncan told his men to chop down boughs from Birnam Wood and to disguise themselves behind the branches and in the shadows as they advanced on Dunsinane Hill to commence battle with Macbeth!

Literature Lesson over, now for the card!

Tree themed, hence the above reference to Birnam Wood.  And the reason for trees being topical at the moment is the annual hedge trim.  I say trim cause that's usually all I manage, but Colin decided to help this year, which meant chain saws and power tools in action.  The result...about a foot off the top of the trees - and a load of tree cuttings to dispose of!  He did a grand job, pity he left with only one side done though!

So this is his card to send him on his way & to wish him all the best at RGU.  Missing him loads as you can imagine, Jx

Challenges;
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes
Crafty Boots - Anything Goes
Dream Valley - No Stamps

Chums

It's so lovely to be back crafting, I've really missed it over the Summer and hope to get caught up on cards over the coming weeks.  We have loads of family Birthdays in October, so I best make a start on them, so today's offering is a boy birthday card made using the OLL CD Say It With Words.

Challenges;
Ooh LaLa 65 - Birthday Boys
Jelly Park - All about pets
Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - CAS

Finally I must share this photo with you, Merlot & the catch of the day... I hasten to add, the mouse was not harmed in any way and is now back in the field!

I'm Back!

After a somewhat extended crafting break I think I'm back and card making again.

The household has shrunk significantly, Colin moved out on Saturday, Alan the week before so now it's just me, hubby & cats!

So before I get onto my card, here are a few photo's of Colin in his new flat...

His room is tiny and is just one in a flat of 8 boys.

This is the front door to the flat.

And this is the outside of the building - sadly they are on the top floor!

I did hope to get a few more photos, but tears got in the way - mine obviously not Colin's!  He however is delighted to be a student, loves his flat and is getting on well with his flat mates.  Hopefully this will continue to be the case once Freshers Week is over and the real work begins.

Now, my card, made for a wedding this weekend using lovely Wild Rose Studio papers and a gorgeous Stamping Bella image.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - 327 by Debra
316 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Hobbycutz - Gold or Silver
Brown Sugar - Celebrations - Wedding

Mad Hatters

Well that's Alan away back to start 3rd year at Uni, Colin leaves this coming weekend and then the house will be empty.  It's been kinda busy as you can imagine getting things ready for them leaving home hence the lack of cards, but after next weekend, I should be able to return to making more cards and doing more comments.

In the mean time, I'd like to share a CAS card I made from the the Ooh La La "Say it With Words" CD, This time I chose the image A Great Hat along with the co-ordinating papers.

Challenges;
Ooh La La - CAS
Hobbybook Designer - Girly
Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More  - CAS
Wonderful Wednesday - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Golden Wedding Box Card

I'm a bit ahead of myself here, but hopefully by the time this posts I'll be in full swing with Christmas card production.

In the mean time however I want to tell you about the latest challenge over at Moving Along With The Times - chosen by Debs, it's...

A shaped card - no squares or rectangles allowed!

Now this challenge has had me stumped in the past - I'm a square kinda a girl - till I discovered box cards!

Quite a difficult one to photo - but I hope you get the general idea.  The couple are LOTV, the bells PB and the papers Wild Rose Studio.

And if any of you haven't made one of these before, instructions can be found here.

And like last time, the card was too big for an envelope, so I had to make a box too - don't like doing boxes, but Bev's tutorial here does make matters a lot simpler.

Challenges;
Storyteller - Wedding
Crafting at the weekend - Anything goes
Crafty Calendar - Anything goes
A Creative Romance - A touch of kraft
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Fab n Funky - Bingo - Flowers, Pearls & Ribbon on the box
Paper Shelter - Stars or hearts - I chose hearts
Simon says Stamp - No digi - PB & LOTV

Birthday Blooms

It's been another long gap between makes for me, but I was asked to make this one for someones 50th at the weekend - the thing is, I was actually asked to make this one a few months ago, so I bought new images, planned it all then thought I'd plenty time, which I did back then!

Anyway, the image is a digi from From the Heart stamps - don't have too many of these, but I do love them. This one is called, Mixed Boquet, available here.

Papers are Doodlebug & Papermania, and the layers are set on kraft.  The sentiment used is based on the one issued with the image but I re-typed it to personalise it.

Sorry about the pic colours and angle of my easel card - I took the shots at night and meant to take more, but the card is now gone and I forgot to re-photograph it first!

Challenges;
From the Heart - 077 - sketch or flowers

Sketch Saturday - Old sketch - No 228

Papertake - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes