TLT - Amanda's Challenge - Christmas in June AND a Blog Hop AND a New Release!!!!!

Are you excited??? Cuz I am!!!! Why??? Well 1) It's TLT 2) It's a blog hop and 3) It's a new release {squeal}!!!! I have been desperate to release these new Christmas images for over a month now. Do you know how hard it's been to keep these to myself? I cannot wait for you to see the Ladybugs gorgeous creations. Thing is I haven't seen any of the Ladybugs efforts either so I'm going to be just as surprised as you!

Before I go on, thank you to everyone who entered last weeks challenge....there was a fabulicious amount of entries and it was flantastic to see some of you use the LCI freebie that came with July's issue of Simply Cards & Papercraft :-D Make sure you check to see if you're a winner and if you came out on top then email me with your chosen stamp (£6.50 value) and where you'd like it sent.

Ok let's get hopping!!!

 There are 4 sets of stamps in the Jack and Robyn Christmas release and I love ALL of them. I know when you see the DT's creations you'll agree the new images are just flabulous!

Are you ready? Here are the rules:

a) Visit each of the DT members in order and leave a comment on each of their blog hop posts.

b) Leave a comment on the challenge blog stating which is your most favourite of the new images once you have finished the hop.

c) Display the blog hop banner which is at the top of this post on your blog, either in a post or on your side bar but don't worry...you don't have to have a blog to win.

Pretty simple...we thought we'd go easy on you since it's the holidays lol.

The First Prize is the full set of all 4 stamps with 5 runners up receiving a stamp of their choice from the new release.

The winner and runners up will be chosen at random!

The hop will close 12pm midday GMT on Monday 4th July and the winners will be announced at 9am GMT on Tuesday 5th July

I am the first on the hop so you can't really get lost lol.

Ok here we go...this is what I came up with using Sledding Fun...

Ta da! Ok...be honest...what do you think? Ever since I saw the images I wanted to use one on a Double Twisted Easel card. This is also a project for a workshop I'm doing in Perth on Sunday but more on that later.

I had a bit of a panic because I'd chosen this gorgeous Bo Bunny paper but only had one sheet so I sos'd Hayley over at Funky Farm Scrapbook Barn and she had exactly 19 sheets which is the number coming to the workshop!

Isn't Robyn cheeky making poor Jack pull her up the hill lol

Each stamp set comes with two sentiments. I stamped 'Tis the season to be jolly over and over to make this sentiment tile and cut it and embossed it with a Nestie.

LOL...I wonder if Jack WILL tell Santa...

Ok...are these buttons megamazing or what??? I got these from Hayley too and they are so much more yummalicious IRL

I made these flower using 2 SU! punches...Boho Flower and 5 Petal Flower. Using a Gelly Roll pen I glittered up the edges of all the petals and they're all bound together with a Doodlebug Sugar Coated Brad. (I just realised the picture's round the wrong way lol)

Aaaaand breath Kerry lol. I really do hope you like these new images. I had so much fun playing with them. I'm going to go hopping now with the next stop being the gorgeous and mega talented Mary J.

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

I Did It Creations Challenge Blog - Mid Year Christmas
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Christmas in June
Creative Craft World - Christmas in June
Whoopsie Daisy Challenge - Christmas in June
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes

Before I go I want to tell you that today is supposed to be Julie's last day with us as Guest Designer as she has been filling in for Hayley while she's been busy. Julie has been megaamazing (a BIG thank you to Sue for the recommendation) and has slotted in so easily with the rest of the motley crew and I can tell you that's no mean feat!! We Ladybugs can be a bit of a shock to the system and I'm sure some of the previous GD's thought we were all a bit mad lol. I for one have loved having Julie at LCI and have enjoyed her beautiful creations. It will be sad to see her go but strange things happen here at LCI Central so you never know what's around the corner lol. Thank you for everything Julie {hug}

Thanks for stopping by today...I hope you enjoy the new images and the hop. Please let us know what you think as your comments are very important to us.

Catch ya later x

*The new release is on special offer for £5.50 each (rrp £6.50) until July 5th*

Happy Father's Day

I'm just about over the excitement of Take That, the Simply Cards & Papercraft LCI freebie and my brand spankin' new iphone....ok, I'm so not lol but I'm trying :-D I finally had a chance to play with my phone last night in between ironing breaks. I managed to syncronize it with my laptop and up/download some music. Then I had a lightbulb moment!! Wait for this one...you'll LOVE it! Remember I was telling you about all the flicken' and sharing of apps going on at the last crop and I was feeling extremely jealous and left out? Well Lynn (one of my most favourite people in the world despite her stalking tendencies...but that's ANOTHER story!) had one for scrapbooking sketches...can you believe it??? So as I was a-flicken' I wondered if there was one for card sketches and lo and BE-HOLD there was!! Well I downloaded that baby before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in French (think it might have been a tad quicker) so now if I'm ever stuck or my mojo has left the building all I gotta do is fire up my phone and start a-flicken'!!!!

I finally made Father's Day cards and one is winging it's way to Ireland as I type. The other one is waiting for strike actioin to end in Canada (we do not cross picket lines!) but I'm not sure I can part with this one cuz I absolutely love it (ever get one of those?). Do you think if I tell my mom to show it to my dad on her laptop he'll let me keep it??? I can only try ;-D Anyway, here it is...let me know if it's a thumbs up or a thumbs down....

Don't you just {heart} the colours? Not sure if I should confess this but I am THE most untidiest crafter and can't seem to find the paper pad I used but when I do I'll let you know. Hmmm...unless it wasn't a paper pad and it was pp???...either way I'll give you the deets when I find it!

As you can see I paper pieced the rug but didn't make too great a job of it :-(

This old guy reminds me of my FIL and his brother...they only have to sit down and they're snoring lol. Isn't he trendy with his pink shirt ;-D

I'm going to have to find that pp or pad or whatever cuz it's fabulicious!

Don't forget about the blog hop on Tuesday...it's going to be flabulous with prizes galore!!! Grab the banner and spread the news.

Hmmm....I'm thinking I've forgotten something but can't remember what it was ...now that's Irish lol! If I remember I'll let you know in my next post.

Hope you have a great weekend..it's a bit lot drizzly today...I can officially say my Brazillian Blowdry is no more :-(

Catch ya later x

ps forgot to mention I saw the layout for this card on Mary J's blog here

What a day...in a good way!!!

What can I say about today? It's been pretty awesome...that's a good place to start! It all started like this {insert wavy lines and swirly music}....

Got up and took the dogs  for a quick squiz round CB then to Doggy Daycare. Suzy Q  promptly arrived for her sewing lesson but I made breakfast before we started. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa so DLS told me about 50 million times. Well it's just like Sauchiehall St..pronounced Sawkee-hall whereas I was pronouncing it Sewchy-hall and then there's Milngavie which is Mil-guy but in Kerry speak it was Miln-gavie. And don't even get me started on Siobhan!!!) with applesauce, almond butter, almond milk, cinnamon, honey and blueberries. Ok, looking at that it sounds like a dogs breakfast but I can assure you and so can Suzy Q (unless she was lying) it's yummalicious AND healthy :-D Whilst in the middle of our sewing lesson the mail dropped on the mat .... can you even guess what was amongst it (apart from the buy one get one half price at Pizza Hut flyer) ? Some of you will know because you emailed me last night but THIS is what it was....

How bloomin' exciting!!!! Suzy Q and I were screamin'...ok I was doing most of the screamin' lol. I was asked months ago to do this and I was literally counting the days till it came out :-D

Another good thing that happened yesterday (it's now Thursday as Mr Blogger wouldn't upload my pictures) is that I got my new iphone up and running. It arrived the day before but I was too busy (???) to look at it properly. I remember at the last crop at least 4 of the girls had iphones and they were talking about this app and that app and flicken' their fingers across the screen and thinking...I wanna be one of those girls flicken' their screens lololol. So now I am...only thing is I've downloaded an app which I said I wouldn't and it's a NIGHTMARE!!! I'll warn you now...if you don't want to lose any more hours in the day DO NOT download Whirly Word!!

So the final great thing to happen was TAKE THAT!!!!! Nicole, Suzy Q and I went together and we had  a great time. The Pet Shop Boys were on first and sounded great. We only got the last 15 minutes but we got to hear my favourite song West End Girls :-D

Then it was time for the boys

The weather was abysmal...it poured with rain but it didn't affect the spirit of the crowd or the performance. Robbie was lushalicious (only took a couple of pics of him lol).

Ok...I've got a load of work to do today but before I go I want to say hi to Sheilagh and Jodi who are my latest followers...thanks for joining in :-D If I've missed anyone so far I apologise. Unless you say you're a new follower I won't know because for some reason the pictures don't always go in order of you adding yourself.

Have a great day and thanks for popping in.

Catch ya later x

TLT - Gaelle's Challenge - Use Red - AND the news!

You read right...it's time for another TLT. I know it was only Tueday yesterday right? Well it sure feels like it :-S This week is our lovely French Ladybug Gaelle's turn and she came up with using RED on your project.. I'll quickly remind you to check the Challenge Blog to see if you're one of the winner's from last weeks 'Number' challenge. If 'it's you' then email me with your choice of stamp (£6.50 value) and tell me where you want it sent. Good luck!

Red. Red! RED hmph! Don't get me wrong...I like red...I even like wearing red but it's like anything you HAVE to do...you struggle. Well I certainly did. If I look back at some of the cards I've made there is definitely red in them but for some reason every red I chose looked pink! I started my card on Sunday after the Father's Day celebrations (have you noticed I didn't post any FD cards? That's cuz I didn't make any...don't panic...I didn't buy any either but I kinda forgot! Don't even go there...I'm starting tomorrow!) I finally found what I thought was the perfect image and the perfect pp. I cut it all out...coloured in most of the image then went to bed. When I eventually found my way back to my room yesterday and saw what I'd accomplished the night before I just kinda stared at the pp....someone had come in while I was sleeping and coloured it pink!!! I swear on the Rubester's life it was red when I chose it on Sunday so I had to go back to the drawing board. Now on hindsight I really didn't have to because I'd coloured some of the image red and I'm sure Gaelle said 'as long as there was red somewhere' so I think I'm going to make a Dr's appointment and see if there's a name for what I've got!!!!

Are you ready? Here's what I came up with...

I had the perfect image in mind with On Your Bike Robyn because I wanted her to have a shiney red bike

I didn't trust myself with my GA so I used a glaze pen and gave it 2 coats...unfortunatley you can't see it in the pictures. I'm sure you're looking at the tree and thinking...she's REALLY lost it...a glitter tree!!

I was desperate to make a rolled daisy flower with some LCI felt...very fabulicious. The center is a SU! brad

And finally the inside...I'm really enjoying matching the inside with the outside :-D

I guess I'd better give you an edited version of the outcome of the Stanley Cup {sigh} I think I've been in denial the last few days but we lost in the last game (so much for your predictions EA!). I think everyone was in shock because The Canucks were the favourites to win. But that wasn't the worst...it was the riots afterward. I saw bits of it on tv and the internet and couldn't believe what I was seeing. In all my 47 years I have NEVER known that kind of violence after a sporting event in Canada though apparently there were riots after they lost in the final in 1994. Cars were flipped and doors ripped off then set alight. Store windows were smashed and looted. DLS said she sat crying while watching it on tv. But what she told me the next day warmed my heart. Apparently someone put it on Facebook and 15,000 people went downtown and helped clear up the mess...a parent turned their son in and a couple of others turned themselves in. I hope they catch as many people that were involved and those that were are ashamed.

Enough doom and gloom...I did hint that I might have some news for you and I can confirm that YES I DO!!! How do you feel about doing a bit of hopping? How do you feel about a new release? Do you want to win prizes? If you answered yes and you're waving your hand like crazy then you're going to LOVE what we have in store for you next week. We've got a new release of Christmas stamps and I have had a play with them and they are megaliciously fantabulous and you will love love LOVE them :-D For now all you have to do is grab the banner below and put it somewhere on your blog (don't worry...you don't have to have a blog to win) and spread the word. The more that know about the hop the more fun it will be :-D

That's it from me...hope you have a great day :-D

Catch ya later xx



Back from MIA

Is it Saturday already??? I got lost in a cloud last week. I had a deadline for some samples which I thought I'd get done while OH was away but didn't so spent the rest of the week trying to catch up. Why does life get in the way of crafting hmph?!

{hand to ear) Did I hear someone ask 'samples for what?'? (lol...never had to do a double question mark like that before) Wellllllllll...I can't tell you!!! Not just yet anyway but it won't be long. There might be a hint on this weeks TLT .... oh all right...you WILL find out on this weeks TLT!!!! I'm super duper excited...and I think you will be too...well that's a bit presumptious lol...I'll re-phrase that...I hope you will be too :-D

I needed a quick card for BFF...I was long overdue sending her some stuff I'd ordered from CHA and had delivered to DLBS (darling little big sister {she's OLDER than me but shorter rofl}) so I could save on the shipping to here...every little bit helps you know. It had to be something that didn't need colouring but still have the wow factor. Now I don't know if this has the wow factor (she didn't really say...was more interested in the goodies hmph!) but it certainly didn't need colouring. This is what I came up with...

Now I think it has the wow factor...I just LOVE it...clean and simple. I used Bazzill cs for the base and my beloved BG pp (did I tell you I only bought one sheet of each and regret it????)  The border is punched with and EK Sucess punch and the flower is my BSN (brand spankin' new) rolled daisy die.

OMG...isn't it FABULICIOUS!!! The centre is a glittered Doodlebug brad...love those things -D

and the Mary J'd inside :-D Look at me getting all fancy schmancy with the background ... tried to be a bit artistic for a change.

So I think that's me caught up...not too long of a post for you today...boy you got off lightly lol.

Hang on..forgot something....my Blogaversary! I can't believe I'm only 18 followers away from my target of 200...thank you so much to everyone who has signed up since Tuesday,  Rosalee, Faith and Priya....welcome

aboard :-D I got mixed up with one name last week....I said Kaye but it should have been Kathleen..sorry! Don't forget to leave a comment or become a follower for a chance to win the candy. I've started listing the items as I add them just in case you're not sure what they are or can't find them.

Ok, that's really me this time...have a super duper weekend.

Catch ya later xx

TLT - Tam's Challenge - Numbers

Hey everyone, welcome to another TLT! We have a doozey for you today but before I start my blurb I wanna thank everyone who entered our Male challenge last week (all 112 of you!!!) and congratulate last week's winners. Have you checked to see if it's you??? Well if you haven't...what are you waiting for??? Oh yeah..don't go just yet..stay with me for a bit and then skedaddle lol.

It was Tam's turn to chose the challenge which is Numbers. Now it can be a birthday, anniversary, clock whatever...as long as there's a number on it somewhere.

I try and do something a bit different every week...don't always succed but I do try! I think I managed this week...what do you think of this...

Well??? I think it's kinda funky... are you wondering which LCI image this is? Before you go trying to find it you won't...well, not on it's own anyway. This cupcake is from a Cupcake Cutie called Blowing Out Candle (how original...not!) and I've just used the cupcake (duh!) I managed to ink just the cupcake (did I say it was a cupcake lolol) and stamp it without too much trouble. I coloured it in with my Copics and for the icing used my favourite Fluffy Stuff and micro beads.

Good enough to eat?

I stamped the numbers from the Sentimental Number set...I LOVE this set...coloured it and applied Glossy Accents

I don't seem to be able to make a card without smartening up the inside anymore.

These next two pictures are for my Ladybug Michele as I know she LOVES these micro beads

The rest of the Ladybugs have got some flabulous makes to inspire you. I've got an amazing team and it's great to see how different we all are.

The blog candy is going great guns...hope you like what's in the pot so far :-D I had a surge of new followers the last couple of days...hi Debs (glad you got it sorted!), Ana, Larissa, Hlora, Sue, Jo and Kaye. It's great to have you on board...thank you to everyone for your lovely comments :-D

Ok, that's it from me today. No stories...thought I'd give you a break lol.

Thanks for stopping by

Catch ya later x

Frazzled!

What is it with men and airports? They don't want to be in them any longer than they need to even if they're the ones catching the flight. My mil finally had her long awaited back operation and the hubster flew to Dublin this morning to spend a few days with her. The flight was at 11:35 so I got up early and met Lynn and Suzy Q at CB with the dogs...came back to report we only had 5 miles left of gas which was a hint that maybe we should leave earlier than the 10am plan to fill up. As we were driving up to the closest gas station I noticed we weren't slowing down to pull in. I pointed out the GS only to be told there's one up on the left. Racking my brain (which didn't take long because there's not a lot in it these days!) the closest one to the left was miles away. To cut a long story short we did manage to get to a GS with 0 miles in the tank and we did manage to get to the airport with about 20 minutes before the gates shut! No wonder I dye my hair hmph.

Of course I had to make mil a card and this is what I came up with...

You should know by now that Daydreaming Ruby is my favourite (though I say it quietly so I don't upset the others) and I thought she'd be perfect for a get well card. I used my flantastic new pp from BG again...why oh why did I only buy one sheet of each???...and a sketch from one of our previous challenges. I love my new rolled daisy flower die and made the flower with one of Tam's gifts stuck in the middle.

Can you see why she's my favourite???

OMG...isn't this flower megamazing??!!! I added a bit of GD to the bud in the middle

I don't know if you can tell but I kinda curved the sentiment so it looks a bit like a flag waving in the wind...I really like this for a change from it laying flat.

Here's that scrumptious flower again and you can just about make out the waving sentiment

The inside has been Mary J'd

I hope she likes it. My sil LOVED the 25th anniversary card I sent ... it took 10 days to get to Dublin...what's that all about??!!! Even if I had of mailed it on time it still would have been late hmph!

Have you seen the latest addition to the Blogaversary candy? So far there's the KI Memories pad, ribbon, square tin, Scor-bug and tonday's entry....some self adhesive gems! And on that note I'd like to welcome 2 new followers Uta and Inny...welcome aboard girls :-D Inny was a winner from Michelle's Make It Monday Linky party I sponsored while I was home last month. I emailed to say I was away and would send her chosen stamp once I got back in the UK. I got an email from Inny last night to say that the stamp had arrived and thank you very much but I'd already sent it AND she had replied to say thank you very much she had received it lol. Well that just shows you that what I said about not taking long to rack my brain is absolutely 100% true!!!

I haven't given you an update on The Canucks lately...probably because after they won the first two games in Vancouver, they then went to Boston and lost the next two games 8-0 and 4-0!!!! Well I wasn't going to brag about that now was I lol. Thank goodness they are back to their winning ways because last night they won 1-0 back in Vancouver woot woot. They now have to go back to Boston and play tomorrow and if they win then they've won the Stanley Cup, if they lose it goes to the last game of the series and (best out of 7) and whoever wins wins! I spoke to DLS yesterday and she said a sports company EA or was it AE??? Anyway they predicted before the season started last year that Vancouver and Boston would be in the final and Vancouver would win the SC in the 7th game. Apparently they've made a lot of these kind of predictions before and have only been wrong once! Let's hope they're right again :-D

Ok...I've got to go make a card for my mate Lynn...she's asked for the same wedding card I made in my last post and I haven't even started yet (if you're reading this Lynn don't panic...you'll get it in time for the wedding!). Annette popped in earlier for a spot of shopping in the LCI Boutique and we had to have a catch up...well it would have been rude not to lol!!!

Have a great Saturday. Don't forget to leave a comment if you want a chance to win the candy and if you're a new follower make sure you mention it so you don't miss out on the prize :-D

Catch ya later x

Here comes the bride...

I finally got my rolled daisy dies from MFT the other day...with a catch...I got carded by the Post Office for £9.09 charges. I was gutted as I thought I was within the amount for not paying. I had no option really...if I wanted those dies I had to rescue them!! I handed over the card and got my precious package. When I looked at the breakdown of the charges I got so mad...the VAT charges were only £1.09 but the Royal Mail handling fee was £8.00!!!! Talk about daylight robbery...how they can say they're losing money is beyond me if they're charging ridiculous fees like that hmph (I am fully aware someone that works for the PO might be reading this and will shoot me down lol)

I forgot to tell you a little story from a couple of weeks ago. Suzy Q and her 4 year old daughter Kiera came over for a bit of retail therapy in the LCI Boutique! While SQ was shopping I made Kiera some toast. When I put it in front of her I said 'Bon Apetit' to which she replied...I don't like tea. Now you might be read that and think...that's not funny...but I thought it was hilarious and it still makes me giggle when I think about it lolololol....maybe you had to be there!

I was invited to a friends daughter's wedding last month. This will have been #3 of her 4 kids getting married...the 4th is getting married next month. She will have had 4 weddings and 2 grandchildren in 3 years by the time her other daughter has her baby later this year!!! Now wouldn't that make a great movie lol.

Well, I got all mixed up with my dates and thought I'd be travelling home the day of the wedding so I told my friend we wouldn't be able to make it. The fact is I was home 3 days BEFORE the wedding and by the time I worked it out there were no invitations left. I did ask to be put on the cancellation list...don't be too shocked by that as my friend knows me too well to be offended lol. Ok..so nobody cancelled and we didn't get to go but I did make a card for the happy couple and here it is...

I dug out Bride Nikki and coloured her in with my Copics and cut her out with my oval Nesties. There was no fear of being too heavy handed with the glitter on this one lol. I used my new embossing folder I bought at Craft World the other week. I'd been after this one ever since I saw it on Mary J's cards. I used white sheer ruffle ribbon to tie it closed.

I decided to use Swarovski crystals for the bouquet instead of colouring and glittering. This picture doesn't do much for it but trust me when I tell you it was sparklicious!

I thought a gate-fold card would be nice so when you untie the bow this is what you see.

I gave the inside the same treatment as the outside with the embossing folder and applied tiny 2mm crystals at all the crossroads (probably not what you would call it but you get what I mean) Personally I love it (just as well after yesterday's card hmph) and I hope the happy couple do too.

Thank you for all your comments so far on my Blogaversary post and hello to my 3 new followers Penni, Myrna and Diane...it's great to have you on

 board :-D Now I know bribery does work lol. In case you're not sure what I added today, it's a 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 tin with a hinged lid. You can see what can do with it here. I don't know about you but I'd be quite happy to win just the paper pad, ribbon and tin!!! I'll have a root around later to see what I can add for tomorrow.

That's it for me today...thank goodness you say! I never mean to write such long posts but I just can't help myself sometimes ... I talk such rubbish at times lol.

Thanks for stopping by.

Catch ya later x