Its nearly New Year

Heck where did 2011 go! It doesn't seem two tic since it was 2010! Mind you this time last year we'd had a big dose of that nasty white stuff which fortunately hasn't happened this year!

So I thought I'd share a few gratuitous pics of the girls! Well what could be better?

Here's Tinker, just about to deal with an itch!

Harry came to snuggle up next to her and was deep in thought!

Oh hang on she's got Tinkers itchy thing now!


Hmm what shall I do next...

Tinker's decided to have a look down her tube!

Best look a bit further down it! You can just see the blue edge of her wing feathers too - pretty huh?

Now for something a bit less colourful!

A new challenge has just gone up at Totally Gorjuss This week the theme is 'Happy' so it can be a creation for Happy anything!

A nice easy start to the year.

I've used one of the cute Lili of the Valley mice stamps. these are a breeze to colour! papers are Eva by Basic Grey. Flowers from Wild Orchid crafts ribbon from stash.

Thanks for visiting and leaving me a comment or two - Happy New Year to you all - health and happiness to you all!

Its Chrissstmasssss

Well surprise surprise! Its me that's the surprise not that its Christmas, I mean that happens every year right? Seemingly more often than I blog lately. I promise to try and do better next year... is that a threat or a promise though? lol

So I thought I'd show you a bit of what I've been up to.

So these babies are almond and mincemeat macaroons. I think they smell lovely - I hate mincemeat though!


Then there were the mini mince pies. Don't they look fab? Fiddly though as then I to specially make teeny tiny boxes.... Each one is just under an inch across.

Oh and mince pies.... I made hundreds of these! Oh and there were none left for the family either... do you think I should make them some?


Now I make a few parrot cards ;))

These lovely stamps are by Stampotique they have a huge range of stamps these days! So here's a few I made.

These are by a super young artist called Kylie Diorio - I think she's really captured what parrots are about in her drawings. Now some of them are designated as one bird.... I've used my artistic licence to make them something else.






These were actually two love birds, here I've done an African Grey and a Senegal ;))


This guy is down as an Amazon - here he's an African Grey.


Love birds into Caiques! Well I had to didn't I?















I do like this one, the Amazon is dictating his Christmas list!

Now if Mr Blogger has played nicely.... there should be a little clip if Tinker with her new favourite thing.... A long cardboard tube! She sticks her head down it and growls and whistles. She'll do it for ages and ages. Note Harry bouncing along the tube to join in!

So folks that's all from me - oh please all have a fabulous Christmas!

And again

Yay its only me, again! I know and so soon after the last time, which was a long time from the last time before the last time before the last time before that!

Can you remember the stocking I made the other week?



That's this one here in red and green.

Well I got to thinking, which I know can be dangerous for me. Well my thoughts were about making another one in shades of blue. Now I just so happened to have one or two bits and pieces of blue fabric! How lucky was that? So off I set and did a spot of cutting and stitching.

And Taaaa-Daaaaarrrr



The stocking in shades of blue. At first I thought my lush snowflake fabric was a bit bright but once it came together I think it looks OK. The back of the stocking is blue gingham.

You likey?

I'm here again

Howdy there! I'm back again, a bit like the proverbial bad penny I suppose. You know turning up when I'm least expected. Just been a touch of manic-ness here again, but hey when is it any different I hear you say.... well assuming there's someone reading this of course ;)) Oh and just for the cherry on my cake I've got bronchitis AGAIN! Though I'm going to behave as I don't want what I had last year.

So there's a new challenge over at Totally Gorjuss This week the theme is ~sniggers~ Let it snow! And you all know how much I love that! Well hopefully this will be the only snow we see I certainly hope so.

So I got out this little darling from Wee Stamps She's been coloured with Copics, papers are my old favourites from Bo Bunny.... (I've only got one sheet left!), a Timmy clock dial, an assortment of snowflakes, holly leaves and a hellebore flower. Oh a smattering of Diamond Stickles too.


A bit of an arty shot for you.


Now I'm sure you remember my escapades with Little Missy Bitey Britches aka Tinker. For some reason Tinker decided Mummy was one BAAAD person who needed biting as hard and as often as she could get me! I've had a few good chomps from her.

Well I wasn't too keen on this to be honest. I prefer my blood in my veins and my skin without holes. Oh and it bloody hurt, she might be small but blimey can she get some power in that beak!!!

So we went right back to basics and we've made friends again. She still has the odd moments but we're much better. So I did a little film of her. She's sat on my knee. Harry of course HAD to be involved and she's sat in the foreground preening herself.





So how about this then? Tinker and me and my blood where it should be! Harry is doing most of the kissing noises, she makes them to herself when she's preening.

So that's my chickies!

Whoopsi Daisy Christmas blog hop

Well howdy there and welcome to the Whoopsi Daisy Christmas blog hop!

A big hellooo from me and all the other Daisy Divas, you should have arrived here from Lills blog.

So why a blog hop? Well its soon going to be Christmas so I heard..... GULP! So to celebrate we thought we'd have a hop with mega chances of winning a prize to help you on your way to a happy creative Christmas. Each Diva will do a draw from the commenter's on her blog, that person will receive the sheet that Diva has used, I'm also going to pop a few bits and pieces in to make sure your Christmas gets off to a good start.

In addition each Diva has a letter, collect all the letters and solve the puzzle and email your answer to linniepink@google.mail for the chance to win 4 sheets of Whoopsi Daisy images!

So here's the order of the hop;

Linne

Nataliya

Mona E

Karen C

Audrey

Sande

Beth

Daisychain

Sheri

Joanie

Lill S

Net - that's me!

Suze

So here's my offering, little Daisy riding her polar bear to the North Pole..... I mean anyone who's anyone has a polar bear don't they?

She's been coloured with copics and I tried for a sort of mainly white effect.

Oh and here's the arty shot. Whoops I forget to crop it! Look how tidy my desk is!


So my letter is A and your next port of call is the taelnted Suze

Christmas Stocking!

I've been to another day workshop at my local sewing shop! Knit and Stitch, its bad, bad, bad place though! Well my purse certainly thinks so. I just wish they'd stop having new fabric that I need.... OK maybe not need exactly but want is similar isn't it?

Anyway off I went knowing we were making a Christmas stocking. When I saw Lucy's (our teacher) I thought no chance!

So after a few hours of cutting and stitching....

Ta darrrrr!

I have to say I'm rather impressed.



The back is just plain, but I really like it.

Mind you Santa won't get many big presents in it, I reckon I need to scale the pattern up!

T'is only me!

~Waves~

Tis only little ol' moi! Yup a victim of those pesky time thieves again! I know they always say lightening doesn't strike twice in the same place.... well those time thieves do for sure!

So before I treat you to a card a bit of news. Two bits actually ;)) Firstly I was asked to join the faberlus Nikky! Yup the Polkadoodle Momma herself! So yours truly is now a proud member of Polkadoodles DT! I'm absolutely totally thrilled! So watch this space - their stuff is superb.

Now the next news.... I've been asked to join the clever girls over at Creative Card Crew Another bit of fab news huh?

Well that's the good news over..... oh not really because a new challenge has just leapt into being over at Totally Gorjuss This week our sponsor is Fantastic Ribbons So that's another bit of good news, gee I'm full of it this week!

So the theme for this week is 'I remember' What we want is for to create something that evokes a memory. So images that make you remember. Easy huh?

So I've used this cute little guy from Lili of the Valley, of course he's been coloured with Copics.

Now this image makes me think back to when I was small. One of my brothers was always breaking things..... and he'd always blame me!

Now I didn't think flowers looked right on here, which has got to be a first for me. I usually manage to shoehorn them in somewhere! So a little delve round stash city located these cute little star buttons. A bit of button cord and punching a la Martha Stewart and he was done!

So pop over to Totally Gorjuss and check out what the other Gorjussettes have done - its awesome!

Remember those photos?...

The sun has got his hat on! Hip hip hip hooray! yay we've got sunshine! And according to the weatherman most of the UK has too. Lovely huh? I mean its nice but another 10 degrees would be even better - aren't I greedy? But any sun is better than no sun in my book.

So another challenge is on at Totally Gorjuss This week its bingo! I spent hours and hours drawing up a chart, calculating all the mathematical permutations and all the eventualities.... er OK I drew up a chart and picked all my favourite crafting bits and bobs and filled them in! All you have to do is a line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. I sort of chose diagonal..... lace, buttons and bling... only bling didn't look right on the paper so pearls are bling aren't they? ;))

This is one of my all time favourite Magnolias - I ♥ her! Yes I know she's an old Christmas release but she fits in for so many other things too.


Of course she's been coloured with Copics ;))

Dress YG 91, 93, 95, 97 and E 40, 41, 42 43

Hair E50 25 and 29

Skin E000, 00, 02, 11 and R20

Touches of Prisma pencil and shaded around the outline with French Grey 70% and 30%, rubbed out with Sansodor.

When I picked my bingo line I wasn't quite sure just how I was going to incorporate my buttons. I tried placing them on the card and they didn't look right. So I tried them in the other corner and still didn't like them. So I got my lace and glued it around the edge and crossed my fingers! Well gluing onto plastic.... but Crafters Pick from Wild Orchid Crafts did the trick! So I made these 'flowers' with my buttons and lace.


The papers are from Nitwits, cherry blossoms.

This week TG is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, the winner will receive $10 to spend online.

So now a few more holiday pics!

Sweet little peacock baby with his Momma.

The chateau at Branfere. This is a 'zoo' of sorts. It was founded many years ago as an animal collection. Its a great place to visit. If you want lions and tigers don't go! They don't have them.

Plenty of other animals to see and the grounds are really pretty.

Isn't this swan odd looking? A bit like he's stuck his neck in black paint!


These are Siamangs, a type of gibbon. This is this years baby playing with last years baby. They were so athletic! Mum and dad just sat on the ground chilling ;))




Some of the golf course we played had lakes. Lakes mean water birds! There were lots of them!

The tiny specks on the grass are coots. There were hundreds of them! They do a fine job of keeping the grass nicely cropped.

More of them, they'd all come out together.

Isn't this house pretty? I ♥ this house! I can remember seeing it years ago and thinking how lovely it was then.

This house is right on the promenade in La Baule. Most of the properties along here are blocks of apartments but here and there are still some beautiful old houses. These two are lovely.

Now another card! I know what a treat! Well maybe treat isn't the right word.... I'm entering this spooky little witch into two challenges! I know two! The first is at Tando Creative who have a spooky theme going on. The second is a DT call at Creative Card Crew which is also spooky!

This cute little witch is a Hambo stamp. She's been coloured with Copics and the papers are from MME.

So I hope you're till awake after my epic!

I'm back!

Boo!

I'm back! This time I can't blame my absence on aliens, time warp, cosmic imbalance or any form of paranormal activity. Nope lucky old me has been on holiday! Though with the foul weather now - listen you can hear the rain hammering on the windows - it seems ages ago :(( Ahh the sun... the lovely hot sun! It was F A B U L O U S !!! I lurve France! I mean don't get me wrong I love America too but I actually enjoy the getting to France. Drive to the ferry, catch boat, have a lovely meal, a few beverages ;)), bed a nice drive on roads without potholes and we're there. Much better than the airport drama of luggage and queues!

So prepare yourself I have photos!

This is me with the Chateau de La Bretesche in the background.


A little sidestreet in a pretty little seaside town called Piriac


The beach at Piriac. Now this 'ruin' is on the beach and is below the tide line. I don't know what it was really but I'm guessing that it was perhaps something to do with oysters. All those white splodges are actually oysters! There were loads of people on the beach chipping them off the rocks and digging up clams and cockles.

Rocks at the same place!

You can see some of the folks digging, they all had little rakes and baskets.

Part of the gatehouse at La Bretesche - isn't it beautiful?

Little backstreet at Le Croisic - it was just a car width! Ours only just fitted!


Little cove near Batz sur Mer - these rocks and sand actually sparkle! Oh I tried a paddle - freezing!

I think this house is just so pretty, its in the medieval part of Guerande


The beach at La Baule, this beach is just fantastic!

The chateau at la Bretesche, its built in a lake!

So a taster of our French trip - I have about another 600 photos.... I'll share a few more, unless you want to see them all..... ;))

Now onto the important stuff ;)) The new challenge at Totally Gorjuss this week is in honour of my holidays, well kind of. Its Ooh la la! hehe kind of appropriate huh?

I've used this little sauce pot from Kraftin Kimmie - isn't she Ooh la la personified? She's one of my favourite Kraftin Kimmie stamps. Papers are some scraps of Basic Grey Scarlets Letter.


Here's the arty shot of those beautiful flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Pop over to Totally Gorjuss and check out what the Gorjussettes have come up with. this week we're sponsored by Crafters Companion. The lucky winner will receive £10 to spend in their online store.