Wonderful News to Share... I'm on a new DT !

Hello friends, I hope you are all well and crafting up a storm!!  I have some news to share with you all this evening....

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I have been invited to join the Design Team over at the Anything Goes Challenge Blog.   I am so looking forward to getting to know my new DT sisters.

Challenges at the Anything Goes Challenge Blog run every fortnight on Tuesdays. My first card as a DT member will be showcased for the challenge on 6th September, so I hope to see you there !

We also support the Craft Den Online Shop, so do pay them a visit... there are loads of goodies to tempt the eye... Here's a short list to whet the appetite...

• Magnolia
• Paperartsy
• Wild Rose
• Bo Bunny
• Crafters Companion
• Forever Friends
• Sugar Nellie
• MS Punches

The list goes on and on.... Please pay the Craft Den a visit for all your crafting needs !

Thanks so much for popping by and sharing this news with me.  I hope you'll join in the challenges, as they are going to be loads of fun.

Tons of hugs from a very excited  ME !! xx

Water for Elephants - Review

Kendall and I watched the DVD Water for Elephants last night and I just had to share it with you all. With all the rubbish they show on television in SA, I haven't watched a movie for quite some time now and so I took time off crafting to enjoy this movie with her and I was pleasantly surprised. 

The Storyline
After his parents' death, Jacob Jankoski is left penniless and homeless. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss August whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife Marlena, whom August is very possessive of and who Jacob finds himself soon falling in love with. Written by mel47

We had a good giggle afterwards.... it was nice seeing Robert Pattinson in the "pink" so to speak, as we've only seen him as the pale-faced Edward in the Twilight series.

Wishing you all a fabulous crafting week.

hugs Sharon x

Simply Magnolia - Love is in the Air

Welcome to another challenge at Simply Magnolia, where all Maggie stamp lovers meet.  Our theme this fortnight is Love is in the Air.  Our wonderful sponsor is Duymelot.

For this challenge I used Pink Tilda with Striped Tights.  She's adorable and an old favourite.  I've placed her on a gorgeous chair which is a local stamp, given to me as a gift from my friend Madeline.  I was thrilled to receive this in the post this week and just HAD to use it!  As you can see I have paper pieced it and for the first time ever (I'm slow I know hehe), I've paper pieced Tilda's dress too!  

The gorgeous leaves in the top left hand corner was also a gift from my friend Sandra.  This is really a beautiful punch and I was happy to receive a whole lot of punched leaves.  I've decided to use some brads on this card for a change, as they just collecting dust...hehe   As you all know, I luv my pearls and tend to ignore the other embellies I have !

Please visit the Simply Magnolia blog to view the rest of my teamies cards.  We hope to inspire you to take part in this challenge.

Happy crafting and thanks for popping by, hugs Sharon x

Totally Gorjuss (GDT) - As you like it!

Happy Saturday and welcome to another challenge at the Totally Gorjuss blog.  Our DT sisters have produced some stunning creations for your inspiration and our kind sponsor this week is Kenny K.  You can find Kenny's gorgeous images here.

As I served on Kenny K's first DT squad a while back, I have quite a few of his images in my Kenny K folder and I had no hesitation is deciding which Kenny K image to use.  This is Troublemaker, my all-time favourite.  She's from the Glam Gang series, which I still feel is Kenny's best (we all have our own opinions, right?)  Ain't she a doll!  Look at those eyes!!! Yikes!

Thanks to my friend Amelia for punching me the lovely fence.  It just finishes this card off ! If you haven't viewed Amelia's creations, please pop around to her blog. She makes the most awesome cards.

Well, I hope you'll be inspired to take part in this challenge. Kenny's images are hugely popular and YOU could be the winner this week!   hugs Sharon x

Pink Tilda Ice/Ballet Princess

Oh how nice just to chill with no pressures... I've been commissioned to make a card by a friend in Port Elizabeth, one of the coastal cities on our East Coast.  I can't quite recall if it's a Good Luck card (for Ballet Exams or a Ballet Show), so I have let it sentiment-free.  I need to give it to her boss who is visiting us at the moment, but is returning on Friday... so here goes.... Hope she likes it!

The card is devoid of flowers and other embellishments, to keep it nice and flat!  Also, keeping in theme with the C&S look.  I just added my new stunning organza glitter pink ribbon and fastened a ballet shoe charm which seemed fitting for the occasion.

I haven't coloured an image for quite some time now and really struggled with this one... felt like a novice colourist... shew, better start colouring in some more before I forget completely how to do it! hehehe  This little beauty is Pink Tilda Ice/Ballet Pincess, which I purchased from 7 Kids College Fund.

Thanks to the faithful friends that still pop around to visit and leave a comment. I really appreciate it and will be popping by to visit you too.   Hugs Sharon x

Get Well Card No. 1

Hi friends... just heard yesterday that an ex-colleague of mine, whom I've known for many years, went in for an open-heart operation yesterday.  She is doing well and the pipes were removed today and she managed a smile.  Although we haven't seen each other for a few years, it is times like this that I feel it's nice to be remembered by people you once spent lots of time with in the workplace.  I therefore made this Get Well card for Anita, sticking with the clean and simple look I'm so enjoying doing right now.  Hope you like it.

The sentiment stamp was purchased from a local supplier, Merrypak, but there is no mention of the company that produced it. 

All Anita's current and ex-colleagues have been invited to make a card or tag with a small gift, so I decided to make a card, as I can then write a nice lengthy message therein. I'm sending it with some nice smelly goodies and of course something sweet to make her feel better !

Here's a peek at the inside.  It kinda looks a bit bare, but keep in mind that I'll be filling the white space with a message. 

I made an envelope over the weekend and it will suit this card perfectly.

Right, that's Get Well card No. 1 completed and now I need to start on Get Well card No. 2, which will be for a colleague whom I currently work with.  She has been hospitalised with pneumonia and we wish her all the very best.  I'll showcase her card once it's completed.

Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.  Happy crafting! hugs Sharon x

It's raining pancakes...

Morning friends... I was hoping the title of this post would catch your attention...hehehe   It was cold and wet in Cape Town yesterday. Just the perfect weather for staying indoors and catching up on some crafting... My favourite kind of day.

I made some of my lovely Vegetable and Bacon soup, which Kendall loves so much and we had that for lunch.  For supper, she whipped up some pancakes and brought it to my craft-table whilst I was busy skyping and crafting with a friend...

Now doesn't that look yummy.... no wonder I can't lose any weight!!!   Only joking, it's not like this is a daily or weekly occurrence!

Inbetween eating, crafting and chatting I managed to come up with some more Clean and Simple cards, which I thought I would share with you all.  Hope you like them.  Thanks so much for those who visit and leave such sweet and encouraging comments, I really appreciate them all!

The polka dot paper is a very old favourite which I purchased from Paola ages ago and I think it is the last or second last piece that I have. I've teamed it up with the stunning ribbon I received from Gail for my birthday.  Underneath that I've added some paper lace, using one of Martha Stewart's punches. Added a flower and stamp and Bob's your Uncle!  The stamp is a local product from Great Impressions, purchased at Merrypak.  I thought I could use this a lot!

I have had this piece piece of butterfly designer paper what seems like for EVER!  As it is much too pretty to cover with all sorts of embellishments, I thought it would make a perfect C&S card.  Just used a simple polka dot ribbon to run beneath the classic sentiment and voila!  Love it!

Hope you have a wonderful day... I'll be catching up with you all later.  Take care, hugs Sharon x

Stock-taking and other things to share...

Hi friends, so sorry that I've been absent for a short while, but as I mentioned in one of my last posts, it is a very busy period at work right now and I've been so busy that I haven't had time to sit and play..., but that doesn't mean I've been idle.... as you can see from the pics below.  Warning:  There are quite a few, so if you want to opt out now, please feel free to do so, but I'm hoping you'll stay as I have some interesting things to share... (smile)

Right, let's get started shall we ?

Clean and Simple Cards
I completed the orders for some Clean and Simple cards and Birthday Tags and guess what ???... I completely forgot to take some pics of all the cards, but I can tell you they were really stunning and the recipients loved them.  Hopefully more orders to come.  As I enjoyed making these cards, I thought I'd continue with this theme and make a few to keep on hand should I, or anyone else need them, so here are 3 I made last night...

The orange heart designed paper was given to me as a birthday gift and I just love it.  Thanks so much Sandra. 

This card was made with some new papers I received from Paola yesterday.  They are Kaisercraft and are absolutely gorgeous.  As they are double sided, I thought I'd place a strip of the back of the floral sheet down the side for you to see.

This is a birthday card for a special young lady at work, who is about the same age as my daughter. It's her birthday today and this card will go with the gift I bought her!

Stock-taking
About a week ago I bought some lovely blank paged spiral A5 books to keep as an Inventory of all the stamps I have.  So, I set about stamping all my Magnolia's and I was amazed at the amount I have. Here's a pic to share...

I have placed the name of the stamp next to the image and have numbered it.  The number refers to the CD box I have placed it in.  To save on space, I usually place 2 stamps in a CD case.  I am doing this with ALL my stamps now, so it is very much a work in progress and will take a while to complete, but at the end of the day, it'll help if I can just page through my books when I'm looking for a particular stamp to combine with another one.

Here's a pic of the box I keep my Magnolia stamps in...

And a peek at the inside...

As you can see, there are 2 Maggies in the CD case, which are stamped so easy to see on the eye. I have titled them and each CD case has it's own number.

Shopping

Kendall and I took a drive through to the beautiful town of Somerset West, which was named after Lord Charles Somerset in 1819.  They have a beautiful Mall with one of the biggest PnA's that I've ever seen, so I browsed and browsed and bought some of this ribbon... it is absolutely gorgeous!  The stunning glass beads were a gift from Paola, thanks so much!

Here's a pic of the Kaisercraft paper I purchased from Paola.  It's from the Miss Nelly collection.

And then I just had to get some more blank cards (pic below) and envelopes from the UK.  I received this as a gift from my friend Sandra and they are working so well for me, that I asked if she could get me some more.  We don't get these sized (135mm x 135mm) square cards in SA with the envelopes, so I have to import them.  If any of our local crafters have found a shop in SA who stock these, please let me know.  They really cut down on crafting time.  Before I was introduced to these cards, I used to order paper and cut my own.

Showcasing cards

And finally, as you know, I love showcasing cards I receive from my crafting friends and this is a very special one I received from my friend Sandra... isn't it beautiful?  Sandra has the most stunning collection of punches as is evidenced from her gorgeous flowers and leaves.  Love that stamp Sandra, thanks so much!

Thank You

I KNOW this has been a long post and if you've stayed with me until the end, well done...!  I hope you found something of interest.

Thanks for popping by and here's wishing you all a beautiful Sunday with your loved ones.  May you enjoy a super crafting week.  If you'd like to leave a comment, I'd love to read them.  hugs Sharon x

More Birthday Thanks

One of my blogfriends from Canada, Christine, mentioned on her blog the other day that she has the most wonderful blogfriends across the world... I can only reiterate what she has said... Through my blog, I have met the most awesome crafters whom I now have the privilege of calling friends.  As you know, I celebrated my birthday on 2nd August, but yet the most beautiful birthday cards keep filling up my postbox... isn't that wonderful ?

This week I was thrilled to receive this absolutely stunning card from Amelia... If you haven't visited Amelia's blog, then you are really missing something... her cards are a real treat for the eye.  Thanks so much Amelia for the beautiful card and the most awesome packets of wonderful crafty goodies, which I cannot wait to use!  You have really spoilt me!

And then, all the way from Canada, I received this gorgeous, summery card from one of my newest blogfriend, Linda.  Thanks so much Linda... your card really brightened my day.  Linda and I belong to the Magnolia-licious Yahoo group where all Magnolia stamp lovers meet and share their cards. 

Isn't this adorable?  Thanks so much for sharing my friends cards and talents with me.  I count myself truly blessed to have met such wonderfully talented women in blogland.  hugs Sharon x

Totally Gorjuss (GDT) - Circles

It's Saturday!  Welcome to another challenge at Totally Gorjuss.  As you can see from my card below, the challenge is Circles this week.  Please visit the challenge blog to view the rest of the DT's cards... there are some awesome creations for your inspiration.

This was a real challenge for me.  I've never made a circle card before and had to ask a friend of mine how to cut this Marianne Die so that it doesn't cut all the way through.  So... armed with a few notes, I set about inserting the die onto the paper and voila!... here's my Circle card.  I'm into the Clean and Simple cards right now... no image.  The beautiful paper is a pad called Annalee, a purchase from Crafty Emma's Store in the UK and I think the sentiment is from LOTV.  Made a bow out of seam binding, a purchase from Creative Treasures.  The gorgeous cherry blossom is also from them and the flat backed pearls from Paola.

Our sponsor this week is Crafter's Companion... do pay them a visit.  Thanks for popping by.  Have a super crafting weekend.  It's cold and wet in Cape Town... finally we have typical August weather in the Cape.

hugs Sharon x

Clean and Simple it is!

Hello friends... I haven't had much time for blog hopping, so please forgive me if I haven't been to visit for a while.  This is our busiest time of the year at work where we are preparing for our Annual Roadshow and I have to do all the travel bookings for our group who will be travelling all over the country.  You have to check and recheck everything!   It is mentally exhausting.

None of my crafty friends were available for a skype and craft session, so I managed to get 3 cards done this evening.  I received a beautiful pack of paper as a birthday gift from one of my friends and I couldn't wait to use it to make a few clean and simple cards.  The paper is just too pretty to cover with lots of embellishments.  Hope you like them...

I made this quick little Baby Card to take to work tomorrow as my friend's friend gave birth to a little girl today and I just know she'll want a card.  I hate being unprepared at work when someone's looking for a card and I have plenty, but they're all sitting at home... hellllooooo!

I will be entering this card into the Clean and Simple challenge over at Cute Card Thursday.

Thanks for popping by... I will make a turn at your end soon. hugs Sharon x

[Edit: Friday morning... my friend loved the Baby Card, in fact she loved them all and has placed an order for 10 of my C&S cards...woohooo]
 

Birthday Card Thanks

I received 2 more beautiful birthday cards from my blogfriends and thought I would just share them with you as they are so very pretty.

A huge thanks to my French friend Catherine, whose work I admire so much. Let me tell you, this card is so pretty IRL. That glitter is gorgeous.  The buttons are made from paper... they look so real!  I first saw card candy on Catherine's cards and I was hooked... now I have lots of card candy of my own.  A lot of products which one takes for granted, we just don't get locally, so we have to import most of these delicious items. Thank goodness for online shopping I say and some very special friends who spoil you rotten by sending you gifts in the post!

And then Ursula sent me this gorgeous card, which I need to share with you all... isn't it so pretty ? Ursula is one of our local crafters and my fellow RSA (Rubber Stamping in SA) crafty sister whom I've got to know through this wonderful group.

Those swirls are so pretty and filled with glitter.  Ursula's stamped the inside and it really is gorgeous work.  I notice she's combined real and paper flowers on the swirl, which is so effective. Thanks Ursula for the gorgeous card.

I hope you enjoyed viewing these cards with me today.  Tons of hugs, Sharon x

It's Shades of Sunshine at the Paperlane

Hello again friends... It's Shades of Sunshine at the Paperlane's challenge blog, where you get to use those delightful Molly Bloom stamps, which I love so much.

I was fortunate to win the last challenge and thought I'd enter the second one as well, for the fun of it seeing that I have quite a few Molly's in my stash!  I'm hoping to meet other Molly Bloom friends along the way... Here's my interpretation...

As I am lacking a few background/accessory Molly Bloom stamps, I have perched Farmyard Molly onto Magnolia's Spring Fence... and then I used the lovely flowers from the Molly Bloom Summer Fun collection to complete this lovely summer picture.  In the corner I used a sun from the Elisabeth Bell's range of stamps.  All that masking, I tell you... there's no stopping me now !!!

Added a bit of glaze to those lovely MB flowers to make them pop a bit.  Additional embellies are a range of different flowers from my stash and a little bow in the right hand corner to create the right balance.

Thanks so much for popping by to visit me today and leaving a comment, I so enjoy reading them.  If you have any Molly Bloom stamps, why not join in the fun at The Paperlane...

Tons of hugs, Sharon x

Pics to share of my new Craft Table...

Hello dear bloggy friends... well, it's the end of the long weekend for me and it went by so quickly (unfortunately)... and here I am, not having made 1 card the whole weekend, but I haven't been sitting idle.  Let me share a few pics with you all...

Here's a pic of my old Craft Corner, which is part of my huge bedroom...  As you can see, nothing very exciting.  My desk was so full that I hardly had space to craft... how on earth did I manage for so long?  And notice the laptop perched on top of a those plastic drawers... NOT ideal I tell you!! Well, I got rid of the chair and the desk and designed my own craft table and chest of drawers which a carpenter made for me...

Here's the new Craft Table and Chest of Drawers.... Note, the Laptop has a permanent place to stand and I still have plenty of space to craft.

Don't you just LOVE it!  Well, I DO!!!  Am sitting here right now, typing this post and it is fabulous having so much space to work on.  However, it has taken me the whole flippin' afternoon to clear out and pack my new drawers... I even have some empty ones which need filling... I can just hear my friend Sandra saying "I can feel a shopping spree coming on Sharon" !!!  No Sandra, I'll just have to make do with what I have... hehehe

Now that you've seen the desk and all the wonderful drawers, I bet you'd like to see what's inside and of course on top, so here goes...

I wanted the chest of drawers the height of kitchen units, so that I can stand and do my embossing without having to bend my back.  It's the perfect height for me.  Here's a pic of my cuttlebug, with a few soft and furry friends to keep me company.  I'll show you what's inside the baskets...

This basket holds my CB plates, stamp cleaner, embossing plates and nesties... nice to have them on hand, don't have to dig for them elsewhere.

The other basket holds my completed cards, which you've seen on my blog... they're for SALE.  If anyone is interested, email me privately.

In the top drawer of my chest of drawers, I have some ribbons/lace, flowers and my MS punches... how on earth did I accumulate so many?  Now that they're not hidden away, I'm amazed at how many I have (for me that is).

As you can see, I colour code my flowers and ribbons.  I place all the same colours in plastic bags, which makes it easier for me to find.  It also helps to see when your stock is running low of a certain type and colour of flower or ribbon/lace.

This drawer holds all the christmassy coloured ribbon and odds and ends... a few stamps and more punches.

And now for my Paper Cupboard which is on the left hand side of my craft table...

I have 2 stacked paper stands on top of each other... the top is for my plain cardstock and the bottom for my patterned paper, which still needs to be sorted by the way, but that's a job for the weekend.

Apologies for the quality of the pics, but I'm sure you get the picture... Thanks for sharing my new furniture with me.  As you can imagine, I'm a very happy bunny right now, just wish I could have another day or 2 to sit a craft.

Earlier this evening, I "met", via skype, 2 very dear blogfriends, Lins and Celia from Belgium. Celia is currentnly on vacation in Poland.  Isn't this technology amazing?  Unreal how it brings the world into your own home and your home into theirs.  Enjoyed the chat girls and look forward to catching up with you again some evening.

Thanks for popping by, I really appreciate the visits and of course your comments. They make my day.  Wishing you all a super crafting week, hugs Sharon x

USE those scraps...

Morning friends... Just thought I would share a card I made with a few leftover scrap paper which we all have tons of right?   The Script background and Bicyle image were stamped for me by a new crafty friend, Madeline.  Thanks so much for these stamped gifts, I so enjoyed colouring and putting this very clean and simple card together.

This one I'm keeping to add to my own stash and as I have more of these stamped images, I'll be making another card soon, just using different colours.  Hope you like it?

And here's another look, so that you can see the glaze I've used on the Bicyle. 

Bought some new papers yesterday, but I'll share these with you later. Now I need to get out of this bed and head for the shopping mall (again...lol). 

Thanks for popping by, hugs Sharon

Simply Magnolia (DT) - A Sketch

Happy Sunday friends and welcome to another challenge at Simply Magnolia... Thanks to those who entered our colour coded challenge... you really wowed us with your beautiful creations... thanks so much ladies... it was a real pleasure visiting you!

Our challenge this time is running for 3 weeks... so there is plenty of time for you to get creative. We hope you like the Sketch.  Remember, you can turn it around, as long as the basics remain recognisable... so, have FUN!  Please visit our Challenge Blog, as my fellow DT sisters have made some stunning creations to inspire you.

I have used the gorgeous Secret Tilda for this card. I'm really trying to master the "folds" in the clothing, so be nice, will you...lol  This is not a colour combination I would normally use, thought I'd give you all a break from the PINK!  But somehow, the pink got in there somehow...lol

I used a white gel pen to create the white dots on our Tilda's top.  Quite like the effect.  The sentiment is a purchase from one of my online shops.  Our wonderful sponsor is Jacobi.  Please visit the SM Challenge Blog to see what you can win.

Thanks so much for popping around for a visit... Hugs Sharon x

Totally Gorjuss (GDT) - A Sketch

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts this week... it's just been so hectic on the work front that I've been too exhausted to sit at the craft table.

But, hey... it's Saturday and I am here to welcome you to another challenge at Totally Gorjuss.  This week we have a lovely sketch for you to follow...

And here's my little number, which I hope will give you some inspiration...

Let me tell you, this is my first successful attempt at masking... yeah, I know, probably way behind the times here, but I've been struggling to get it right and thankfully managed to do so over the weekend.  My "teacher" Paola, gave me a hard time when I was not "getting" it [she even yelled at me, more than once...lol, a real hard taskmaster this one...lol]... but she AND I persevered and viola!  I am extremely happy with the result.

I must confess, this little Elf Tilda which I purchased from Paola ages ago... hasn't seen the light of day since I got her.  I'm not even sure she's been showcased on my blog before.  I found her when I was clearing out.  The fence is Magnolia's Spring Fence.  Am really pleased that I got it.

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Joanna Sheen - do pop around to her website, she has some awesome goodies for you to buy.

Thanks so much for visiting.  We look forward to visiting YOU again this week.  hugs Sharon x

Birthday wishes and I'm a Winner....

Good morning friends.... well it's another year older for me today, as it's my birthday.... and I have received some wonderful birthday cards and gifts from my stamping and blogging friends, which I'll be sharing with you in this post

Also.... the dry spell has broken... yayyyyy   I won the challenge over at The Paperlane Challenge blog with my Molly and George card... woohooooooooo, what an awesome birthday gift that was.  Thanks so much Paperlane!

My first birthday card is a double display card from Paola - isn't this gorgeous ? Thanks so much Paola for this awesome card and gifts...wow!  Paola is my "online" teacher-friend... I seriously need some lessons to master those folds Paola.  Paola's talent is well known amongst our stamping community in SA... and for those who don't know, she's on the Magnolia International DT too...  x

A beautiful card from my blogfriend Lins in Belgium - I love this nestie so much that I just had to order it from Paola.  Beautiful work Lins. Thanks ever so much, also for the lovely stamped images. x

And I just love this easel card from my stamping friend Debbie... Beautiful use of nesties, punches and colour Debbie... wow!  My favourite... pink!  Such a gorgeous stamp... So kind of you to think of me and thanks too for the paper and doilies. x

A beautiful card from Tessa and Anke from Holland. Just love this.  What a wonderful surprise this was. Thanks so much ladies... wow. What a stunning dragonfly die that is. xx

Isn't this card gorgeous too ? You know me, love my Tilda's and this one from my friend Rene is just too cute for words.  Lovely kraft card, which has been distressed around the edges. Lovely use of flowers in the corner.  Thanks so much for the beautiful scarf too Rene... love it! x

I love showcasing cards sent to me by my crafting friends and appreciate you popping by to share in their beauty with me today. 

I'm off to put in a day's work.  Will catch up with you all later.  Happy Birthday to anyone else having a birthday today!  Tons of hugs, Sharon x