Little Red Wagon #258 - Thanks and Thanksgiving

Hello there.

I'll be honest with you when I say I'd given up all hope of managing a post for Little Red Wagon this week!

My computer took it's final breath (well actually it's 3rd time around final breath!) last Thursday and I've been valiantly attempting a little CPR ever since.

To no avail.

This, hot on the heels of my dryer biting the dust last week and having to purchase one of those, and then there's the dishwasher, and new brake pads.....but we won't go there!

Needless to say, any hope of purchasing a new computer in the near future were dashed, and my blogging days were transformed to a dreamlike state.

However, yesterday I caught a small glimmer of hope in the form of a flashing cursor and behold.......we have life!

This thing is like a phoenix I tell ya - rising out of the ashes for one more blog post!

Well hopefully it will be for more than one blog post, but I won't hold my breath just yet.

I will however tell you that I ran up to my crafty closet last night and whipped together a card for this weeks..........

Tracy is hosting our challenge and quite appropriately she would like us to share a little 'Thankfullness' for .....oh......say.......computers and dryers that work.........general stuff like that!

Thanksgiving will be celebrated this weekend here in Canada, and myself being far too English to celebrate such a holiday, took the 'Thank you' route for my creation........

I apologize for the wishy-washy photograph!  I took and retook but the colour scheme still produces the same effect.

Shame cause it's so pretty in real life......honest!

Continuing with my re-born love for the use of embossing powder on scrapbook pages, I thought I'd progress on to cards.

I added a button and a pretty little pebble then all done.

You know there's always a bunch of inspiration posted from the Girlfriends over on the Little Red Wagon blog so why not hop on over and take a look.  You can link up your own 'Thankful' creation whilst you're there.

I will be back tomorrow for a Scrapmuch? Sketchy Friday challenge, technology permitting, so till then have a good one,

Jayne.x.

Little Red Wagon #257 - In Stitches

Good morning!

It's Wednesday which means it must be time for another challenge over at......

It happens to be my turn for this weeks challenge, so I'm going with one of my trusty favourites.......Stitching!

Real or faux, doesn't matter as long as there is some form of thread resembling pattern on your creation!

I absolutely love the look of 'real' sewing on a card or layout, but unfortunately I'm usually too lazy to fetch my sewing machine from the basement, or just a little mentally challenged when it comes to achieving a beautifully straight line!

So unfortunately, for my sample you'll have to make do with a fine line marker and a (not so) steady hand!

Looking back now, I think my 'faux stitching' turned more into 'faux doodling' with my uneven zig-zags, but I'm sure you get the general idea.

This is also the first image I have coloured in at least nine months!

I kinda lost my mojo when my computer crashed back then, and I lost the whole of my digi collection.......a few hundred to say the least.  I hadn't got the heart or motivation to start collecting again so.......I just stopped!

Fortunately for me, the other night I was trawling back through old emails from 2012 and found some which still had attachments of some of my favourite Saturated Canary images.......joy!

I finally forced myself to pick up a marker and get back on the bicycle so to speak.

After all.......I am now the proud owner of 24 digital images!!!!

Note to self: When you have not coloured anything for....oh.....say......nine months or more, maybe you should start with something you were at least familiar with before (Copics!) and not something you had never quite got to grips with in the first place! (Promarkers!!).

Just sayin'!

Oh well, it's a start.

Hopefully you will have some success with the sewing machine, needle and thread, or marker and whip up some fabulously stitched creations.

Just link up over on the Little Red Wagon blog and we'll be sure to stop by.

Don't forget also, to check out a little inspiration from the rest of the Girlfriends whilst you're there.

Have a great week,
Jayne.x.

Little Red Wagon #241 - Teacher Appreciation

Hi there.......yep I'm still here!

Sorry I haven't been around recently but I was sick for a little while with a virus......knocked me off my feet!  Now I'm battling what looks like Carpal Tunnel which is playing havoc with EVERYTHING I try to do, but mostly my sleep and crafting......the two things I love to do!

Even today's post is a struggle so I'm keeping it short and sweet.

Over at Little Red Wagon this week.........

Jodi would like to see a little Teacher Appreciation as the school year is rapidly coming to an end.

My project isn't overly 'Teacher'ish.......well not at all actually......just a simple 'Thank You' card which will make it's way to my youngest daughter's Teacher.  It was made with the pre-requisite that 'maybe it could be pink'........and 'an animal would be cool'.......ooh and 'some sparkle please'!

Sure, cause nothing says a huge thank you to your teacher like a pink, blinged up animal card now does it?!

Her wish is my command, so here's the very 'un'Teacherlike Appreciation card:

The cute little monkey was a freebie cut file from Miss Kate Cuttables, and I had to dig into the depths of my high school brain to retrieve a few different languages for the sentiment!

Well that's about all I can manage for today, so I'm off to try and restore some feeling into my fingers.

Check out the rest of the projects from the Girlfriends over on the Little Red Wagon blog when you get a chance.

I may not be around here as often as I'd like in the near future.  Hopefully some pending Doctor's appointments will have a few answers for me.

Till then, enjoy your day,
Jayne.x.

Little Red Wagon #182 Crimp My Style!

Hi there.

Sorry for my late posting today, but yesterday turned out to be a little chaotic.  I ended up having to work an unplanned double shift and the day included quite the goose egg on my daughters forehead ,after a disagreement with the tarmac at school!

Oh dear.

Needless to say any plans for cardmaking went right out the window.  I finally managed to get myself in gear this morning and produce a card as it's Wednesday, which means it's that time again..........

.....time to dig into your wagon for challenge #182  'Crimp My Style' issued by Rosanne.

I did follow the rules and used something crimped on my creation, I just didn't exactly crimp it myself.........that would mean a little extra work on my part, and it just wasn't going to happen this morning. I dug into my stash and came out with a corrugated sheet from Fancy Pants that I've been itching to use for a while anyhow!

Here goes.

Lots of fussy cutting on here and I do love these papers - Park Bench from Fancy Pants, great colour scheme.

That's about all folks, short and sweet.

Hopefully you'll get a chance to join in with this weeks challenge and don't forget to check out the creations from the rest of the girlfriends.

Have a great day and I'll see you later in the week,
Jayne.x.

Little Red Wagon.....Be A Negative Nellie!

Good morning.

Hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and the bunny was good to you!

He didn't actually leave me any chocolate treats which is good for my waistline, but not so good for the kiddo's........means I'll have to steal borrow some of their stash!

I haven't been around as much as I'd have liked, and it's not that I haven't been busily creating, I have - like a maniac actually as Scrapfest is literally next week, but of course can't post any of that yet.

It is Wednesday though which means Little Red Wagon day, and a card of course!

Jan's turn to deliver the challenge today and only she could come up with the title 'Be A Negative Nellie'!

Just to be clear, it means we are to use the negative space of a die cut, and although I do love this type of challenge (gets the old brain cells working you know), when you decide to make said card at, oooh lets say midnight last night (I finished at 1.10am this morning) it can get a little frustrating, and noisy when you've got your Slice running.........did I mention I scrap in my bedroom - good job hubby had fallen asleep on the couch!

Anyhow all said and done, I'm quite pleased with the outcome.

Here goes:

The sentiment (a freebie I picked up eons ago from a blog called Scrapdictive) and border were printed via Word.

I then 'popped' the whole front of the card to allow me some button sticking in there.

Again I wouldn't recommend having to glue dot a whole bunch of teeny tiny buttons at some silly hour in the night/morning.......not the most enjoyable thing to do!

Ah well, another card for the stock pile.

I hope you'll get a chance to play along with this weeks challenge, we'd love to see your creative talents put to the test.  Don't forget to check out the projects from the rest of the girlfriends........genius I tell ya!

Have a great day and hopefully I'll be back here a little more regularly as I'm happy to say I'm pretty much done with DT deadlines.

See you soon,
Jayne.x.

You're a lifesaver!

Hello again.

Time for a card today me thinks.

I've used another Saturated Canary image (you might have guessed how much I like em ) and this one (along with a few others!) has been coloured and sitting very patiently on my desk, waiting to make it's way onto a card.

The perfect occasion arose when I needed a 'Thank You' card for an awesome partner in 'crafting' crime, who kindly stepped in to look after fish, hamsters and probably any other living thing in my house, while we were away for a few days!

Carola the animals are grateful, as are myself and the kiddo's!

Anyhow on to the card, and for a change, this one's coloured with Prisma pencils and OCMS.

Sorry for the light on this photo but it was taken in the evening.

I've loved this image since I first saw it, but wasn't quite sure what I'd use it for.  That said, did you like my wit there with the sentiment, turning it into a 'Thank You' huh?  Not just a pretty face you know, I had to use my brain for that one!

As mentioned before colouring is with pencils.......

and papers are from Authentique's 'Fresh' collection.

Thanks for checking in today and hopefully I'll be back again sometime this week......if I can come up with something to post!

Have a great day,
Jayne.x.

Happy Hedgehog...............

Good morning. I think I'm back into the routine.....ever noticed how when you return from a vacation, firstly it seems like a million years ago since you were soaking up the fun, and secondly, you feel like you need a vacation to recover from your vacation!

Well it's a crisp 4 degrees here today - not Florida temperatures for sure. I'm actually sitting inside the house with my scarf tied around my neck. However, all is quiet, I have the house to myself, plenty of baking to do, a list of chores as long as my arm, and who knows........maybe a little crafting! Ha, I think the latter will have to wait.

For today's sampling I dived into the Prisma's.........haven't done that for a while, but this cute little fella was crying out for a little softness (even if he is a little prickly!). Here's one sweet little hedgehog..............

I believe this little guy was a freebie I once picked up from Di's Digi Downloads.

When I return to pencils after using markers for quite some time, I almost feel as though I'm starting over. It takes me a while to get into them, as I don't colour in the same way as I do with Copic's. Still, I always love the softness of them, and the seamless blending you can achieve.

Papers are from Cosmo Cricket's 'Earth Love' 6"x6" pad.

That's it from me for today, so have a good one and I'll see you soon

Jayne.

A huge Thank You!

Happy Friday everyone........the sun is shining....the kiddiewinks have the day off school....what could be better?

Today's card is a dose of happy and sad all mixed in together. It's an extremely sweet image from By Lori Designs of course, and that makes me happy, but it is also my last Design Team creation for the 'Oh so talented' Lori Boyd. Yes, all good things must come to an end, and this ride has been a blast. Did you know it was one of Lori's images (in rubber) that first got me started on this whole crazy colouring/card making journey? So for that, the Design Team opportunity, and the endless supply of inspiration she has given since, I would like to send her a huge 'Thank You'!

And don't worry....I'm sure you'll still be seeing a little Lollipop goodness around here from time to time.........didn't think I could stay away did ya?

Anyhow, shall we get to the good part....a card. Here she is........Lollipop Amy........

Told you she was sweet!

To prove the point, Amy will be making her way to the equally sweet, ever so patient teacher, who has nurtured my youngest daughter for the last year. Another Thank You!

So, other than Copic's for skin area's, I coloured with my Prisma pencils again.....(Oh how I missed them!) and papers are from one of the new Lime Twist 6'x6' pads from My Minds Eye. The only other additions are a Nestie, sentiment printed from Word, ribbon from Making Memories and pearls from the $$ store. I did add just enough glitter to make Amy sparkle.......here's a close up.........

One last thing, the layout for this card was inspired by a sketch from The Deconstructed Sketch......love those sketches, I'm working on another at the moment, but this one was from a week ago.

Well that's about it for today.....I'll be back next week with who knows what?
You'll have to pop back for a visit to find out!
Have a great weekend
Jayne.x.

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Challenges entered:
Stamp Something - June Digi Day
Pear Tree Designs - #51 Sparkle
A Spoonful Of Sugar - #154 Flower Power
Diva's By Design - Florals
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - What eva'!
Truly Scrumptious - #58 Summer Sparkle

Crochet flowers anyone?

I'm here with something a little different today..........a little project of mine.

You know those pretty little crochet flowers we see here and there, the ones that look oh so nice on cards and layouts. The ones that are available in a whole range of lovely colours..........the ones that can become a little expensive for the obsessive amongst us who decide they need every available colour (ahem........mentioning no names!).

Well, I decided in my wisdom that I could make my own. Crocheting can't be that difficult.......you only use one hook......I have two hands.......I could probably colour at the same time! (lol) Yes, this was me being naive, but I now had a mission and was determined to conquer the crochet hook.

Here's how it went..........

First, I tried using some lovely cotton yarn, I thought would look really purdy!

Too thick!

Then, I found some crochet cotton which was much thinner, and I thought would work better...........

.........it did! Maybe the clue was in the name...........Crochet Cotton..........do ya think?

So then, I went on a little flower frenzy...............

...........believe me, there are more since.

Then, I tried them on a super quick, less than 10 minutes card...............

There we go........mission complete! Not perfect, but I'm satisfied with the results and they're certainly economical.

Here's my challenge to you all........pick up the hook and go for it!

Have a great day

Jayne.x.