Super Duper Candy Time

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I have just hit 20,000 hits here so I thought I'd celebrate with a wee bit of candy, and I thought I'd tie it in with my other exciting news - the release of the Craft Gift Set from Letraset that some of you already know about.


For those of you who don't... I was asked by Letraset to select the 12 colours for the kit and I chose a broad selection of markers that would be ideal for someone starting out with promarkers. They also asked me to put together a simple craft tutorial to include in the kit. So my creation and name is on the packaging - woohooo. I am absolutely thrilled to bits that they asked me and I really enjoyed doing it.Even if the deadline was mighty tight.

So this is what I'd like you to do to be in with a chance of winning the candy - I'll keep it simple.
1. Leave your name and blog address in Mr Linky below (please only enter ONCE!)
2. Also leave a comment on this post
3. Spread the word on your blog linking back to this post- I'm not fussed if you want to post just a link on your sidebar or in a post, and you can also use the pic - but only if you want to.


Ok so you've read the rules, you know what you're doing - I guess you'll want to know what's up for grabs? ok here goes...there will be a 1st prize and 2 runners up prizes
Update - there will be another  main prize: Letraset have very generously given me one of the brand new craft gift sets (as pictured) to give away. 


Main Prize 1

2x Diane Duda Xmas stamps from Sugar Nellie - Making Friends and Waiting for Santa
25 Promarkers: Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Sandstone, Spice, Coral, Rose Pink, Ruby, Berry Red, Red, Shale, Pastel Yellow, Canary, Meadow Green, Apple Green, Lime Green, Grass, Forest Green, Pine, Cool Aqua, Cornflower, Royal Blue, Indigo Blue, Amethyst, Blush & Satin.
4 Fineliners: 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7
Total worth £57.55

Main Prize 2**Update**
Letraset Craft Gift Pack which contains: Blush, Pink Carnation, Fuchsia Pink, Denim Blue, China Blue, Grass, Lush Green, Caramel, Cocoa, Umber, Sunflower & Poppy promarkers, plus 1 fineliner pen, 1 blender pen, 1 storage wallet, 1 marker pad and MY instruction sheet.
RRP £34.99 


Runner Up 1

5 Greys - CG1, 3, 4 & 5, WG3
7 Promarkers: Pastel Yellow, Satin, Sandstone, Lime Green, Cornflower, Amethyst, Ruby
 Total worth £20.28
Runner Up 2

4 Greys - WG2 & 3, IG3, CG4
8 Promarkers: Pastel Yellow, Satin, Sandstone, Burnt Sienna, Black, Lime Green, Berry Red, Royal Blue

Total worth £20.28


The candy closes at 12 noon on Monday 30th November and the winner will be announced the day after.

Friday

things haven't really gone to plan - but am hoping to get a card uploaded later on tonight.
In the meantime please go have a look at the latest tutorial at PfP - Maria has done a fabulous vintage style image. 

Thursday

nothing much to share today - trying to get a bit of time to do some more xmas cards, so will hopefully have something to show you tomorrow

I just had to share...

Willow and Faith pinched my post-it notes this evening and decided to draw pictures of mummy and daddy. And I just had to share them cos they really tickled me.

The large person in the left hand side pic is Me apparently, resembling The Blob! and the little figure is Graham, as drawn by Faith.
And the drawing on the right hand side is Graham as drawn by Willow - I thought she captured his beard, moustache and the few hairs he has left on his head particularly well lol

Passion for Promarkers #26 - Burnt Umber & Marsh Green

Welcome to week 26 of Passion for Promarkers, and this week we had a bit of a tough challenge - one of our Guest DT's, Barbara has chosen the colours Burnt Umber and Marsh Green. Initially, I'll be honest, I thought "UGH!" but after having a wee play around I realised that its actually a really nice combination - if you add in a pink, or a blue or any other of the "pretty" colours it works surprisingly well.


Anyway, remember, to qualify for the prize draw this week, all you need to do is use Burnt Umber and Marsh Green promarkers in your creation and you could be the lucky winner of a 5 pack of Promarkers from

The other girls on the DT (links on my sidebar) have created some fabulously inspirational designs this week - you need to see them.

Image: Reflective from Sugar Nellie, coloured with promarkers: Blush for her skin, Marsh Green and Olive Green for her dungarees, Caramel and Burnt Umber for her hair, Pastel yellow and Raw Sienna for her basket, Pink Carnation, Fuchsia and Carmine for the flowers, Pink Carnation and Fuchsia for her top, ribbons and patches, Leaf green, Red and Marsh Green for the apples, Meadow Green for the grass

Paper is MME Bloom & Grow, pink card is core'dinations cut using Martha Stewart Loopy punch, Anita's white organza ribbon, silver chain, jump ring and butterfly charm from stash. Green mat cut from core'dinations card using Labels 7 nesties in the cuttlebug and embossed with birds and swirls folder, then sanded. Greeting is Daisy & Dandelion

The close-up...

Angel Wishes Card #3

Well this is the day of the year that I hate. The car is in for its service and MOT today, I'm not terribly worried about it passing its MOT or about the cost because I have a service plan thats already paid up. The problem is that they treat me like an imbecile at this particular garage - I always end up falling out with them. If I mention a particular concern about how the car is running I just get one of those looks - you know, as if to say - och she's a woman, what the hell does she know. Well I actually know more than they realise, I didn't go out with a mechanic for 5 years and not learn anything. In fact I have actually changed a gearbox myself, and welded the floor of a 2CV (God I loved that car). So I do know when the biting point of the clutch is a bit high, I do know when the gearbox is a bit sticky. And I most certainly know that I can't possibly lose 4mm of tread on the tyres in a couple of weeks.
ok rant over, by the time this is posted I'll be up at the garage dropping off the car and picking up one of their silly little courtesy cars - and I did book 6 weeks ahead in order to get their silly little Corsa with the free advertising plastered all over it.
haha, there's me off again lol


So, getting back to the card... this is the 3rd Angel Wishes card I did. And again I chose a completely different colour scheme - although I do think I went slightly too dark with the dress. But it gave me the chance to cut into the gorgeous FancyPants papers I bought a wee while ago at Simply Create.

Image: Angel Wishes from Sugar Nellie, coloured with Promarkers: Blush for her skin, Caramel, Cocoa & Umber for her hair and the dog, Ruby & Burgundy for her sash and the dog's hat, Ice Grey 5 for the dog, Pine & Holly for the dress and Arctic Blue for her wings. I also used Sakura clear stardust on her wings and the stars on her dress and a Sakura white gel pen for highlights.

Paper is Fancy Pants - Christmas Magic from Simply Create, greeting is Papermania. The image is matted onto core'dinations card cut with circle scallop nesties in the cuttlebug and the greeting is also matted onto the same card.

Thought I'd keep it simple to show off the gorgeous paper.

Here's her close-up

Pepsi Day - 15 and a half weeks

Well we have discovered (the hard way) that Friday the 13th isn't a good day for Pepsi.
Now I'm not particularly superstitious, BUT I really dislike when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, I avoid making appointments, I try not to go anywhere other than absolutely necessary.
So, both the girls have really bad sore throats just now, Willow has been off school since the middle of the week, and I decided to just keep Faith at home on Friday too.
Faith is a bit of a wahoo for closing the living room door - usually so I can't see what she's up to. And this morning was no exception - the only problem was, Pepsi was trying to leave the room at the time!
Yup, you've guessed it... Pepsi's tail got caught in the door. So she started yelping, I picked her up and gave her cuddles, but she kept wagging her tail - every time it wagged, she yelped.
Then Willow noticed her tail was bleeding, so I had to phone the vet and get her an appointment.
So we went to the vet, she couldn't see her tail very well and had to shave it to see better. But when she did she realised that it was a just a tiny cut about half an inch from the tip, and it was bruised but not broken. She told me that as long as Pepsi doesn't lick it too much, it should heal fine.
That was the trauma and drama over with - or so we thought!
When I paid for the consultation I mentioned to the receptionist that we'd be back next week for another appointment, and the vet overheard me and said she's be quite happy to check Pepsi's heart murmur and do the microchip there and then and save us coming back next week.
She checked Pepsi's heart and agreed that the murmur was hardly detectable now, and she'll check it again when Pepsi is about 6 months old.
Then she got her microchip. she was very good while the vet inserted it. BUT it failed and didn't go in properly, it was still sticking out of her skin. So the vet had to pull it out and do another one. So that was poor Pepsi bleeding again.
Pepsi is very forgiving though and wanted to give the vet and receptionist a cuddle before we left. 

The 2nd Angel Wishes card

I've started stamping out xmas images in 3's, so that I can do cards in batches of 3, and by colouring them differently I have 3 different cards. So this is the 2nd of my cards using Angel Wishes from Sugar Nellie.

Image: Angel Wishes from Sugar Nellie, coloured with Promarkers: Blush & Baby Pink for her skin, Orchid & Amethyst for her sash, Arctic Blue & Sky Blue for her dress and wings, Caramel, Cocoa and Umber for her hair. IG2 and 5 for the dog, Arctic Blue & Sky Blue for his hat. Sakura clear stardust pen for the stars on her dress, her wings and her wand.

Papers are a freebie from a magazine, the cuttlebug ice crystal snowflake was cut from lilac pearlescent card, papermania silver snowflake brad, chain and angel charm from stash, the greeting is papermania and the image was cut using Labels 7 nesties in the cuttlebug. 

Here's her close-up...

Tomorrow is Pepsi Update day, so I'll be posting the 3rd card on Monday.

Promarker Tutorials

I don't know about any of you crafters out there, but I have only really used my promarkers for colouring in stamped and printed images, or for colouring ribbon and gems. I have never thought about drawing with them.


Well, if you are the same, you need to check out this week's Weekend Workshop over at Passion for Promarkers. We have a very special guest joining us this week and she has shown us how to make freehand promarker flowers - and they are gorgeous, will definitely need to barricade myself into my crafty space this weekend and give them a try.

No Papers!

I have finally got around to inking up the new Country Cousins stamps from Sugar Nellie, and I think this one is my favourite, she's a joy to colour. I stamped out 3 images and coloured them all in completely different colour schemes and this is the first one I've managed to finish.
I also thought I'd challenge myself NOT to use any papers - just my favourite core'dinations card.

 Image: Angel Wishes from Sugar Nellie, coloured with promarkers: Blush for her skin, Caramel, Cocoa and Umber for her hair, Ruby & Burgundy for her dress and the dog's hat, Oatmeal, Apricot & Terracotta for the dog, Poweder Blue & Arctic Blue for her wings (also sukura clear star pen), Gold & Mango for her sash, and IG 2 for the floor

Card is all core'dinations, the brown base is punched with MS Around the Page Deco Shell corner punch, the brown panel is embossed with snowflakes embossing folder and matted onto red core'dinations card. The image and yellow core'dinations mat is cut using Labels 8 nesties in the cuttlebug the greeting and ribbon  is Papermania.

Here's her close-up

Hopefully I'll be able to show the other two that I coloured soon, when I actually get 5 minutes to do some crafting!