They're ENGAGED!!!!!

Our friends Andy & Carole got engaged yesterday! I'm so pleased for them (especially her as she'd given up hope!) and we're off to stay with them tonight so I thought I'd better quickly come up with an engagement card.

I have used the sketch from Friday Sketchers

...turned it round and this is what I came up with

I pinched the image from an old card someone bought me and Ben when we got engaged.

I'm also going to enter this card in Charisma Cardz challenge "Anything-but Christmas"

and here is a bonus picture of my silly little cat Jess hiding amongst the presents under the Christmas tree yesterday, just because it's a cute pic!

Merry Boxing Day everyone and thanks for stoping by x

A special Christmas card for my lovely parents

Given that my lovely Mum & Dad bought me SOOO much SU stuff home from the US, I thought I'd better make them a special Christmas card and this is what I came up with...

It was definitley based on a sketch but I cannot now find it for the life of me!

Thanks for stopping by

Merry Christmas everyone!

xxx

A special Christmas card for my hubby to be

I thought I'd use this week's Friday Sketchers sketch for inspiration

and this is what I came up with...

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by x

I've been a busy girl...

Having only just got back from holiday and having a somewhat busy week at work, I've had to work my socks off today getting ready for Christmas!

First up is 13 little gifts for my team at work

either a box of Guylian shells or yummy Lindors

here they all are together (I hope they appreciate them!)

A CD for my Grandad

Little packets of sweets/chocolate for my young cousins

and chocolate treats for the men in the family

Little boxes of smellies for the ladies

(these smell good enough to eat!)

and finally, my biggest challenge yet, a box of Turkish Delight for my Grandad, which was not easy to package!

I'm entering the whole lot into the Stamp with Us Christmas challenge this week which is very fitting as I got a lot of inspiration for these from the Stamp with Us online winter classes

Thanks for stopping by x

Stampin' Up! Heaven!

I have a confession to make...I absolutely LOVE the U.S. Stampin' Up! catalogue and my parents have just been out to Florida and picked me up a few bits and pieces, well alright, LOTS of bits and pieces!. I've ordered a load of stamps not available in the UK as well as punches, all the In Colours card stock, DSP ribbon, markers etc. I've just picked it up as even though I'm seeing my Mum tomorrow I couldn't wait until then!

Expect to see lots of projects featuring this lot!

Thanks for stopping by x

Drumroll please...

Random.org generated number is............................10, which means Donna has won my birthday candy! Donna could you please email your address to Nikiclaire2082@hotmail.com so I can get it posted out to you as soon as possible! Well done!

I had a fab holiday and a fab birthday (even though I had to work - the holiday was my compensation!). New York was amazing, I have never been anywhere as busy in my life! The cruise was also amazing, I ate so much food and am now VERY fat! I'm now only allowed to eat dust until the wedding in order to fit into my dress!

I'm still in a bit of a daze after a night flight home (and have got to go back to work tomorrow, boo hiss!) but will hopefully be back later in the week with some craft work!

Thanks for stopping by

Niki x

BIRTHDAY BLOG CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is my birthday tomorrow (23rd Nov) and to celebrate being another year older I am giving away:

A selection of 6 x 6 patterned papers
A selection of 12 x 12 patterned papers
Creative Expressions U Mount stamps - cupcakes
Papermania clear stamps - Clare Curd's Signature Range, Sentiments
Hero Arts Clear Design Stamps - 'Birthday Exp' (more cupcakes, ice cream etc)
7 x ribbon spools in various colours
1 x roll of foam pads
12 x 12 Postbound Scrapbook Album including 10 page inserts

The rules are:

1. Be UK based
2. Leave a link somewhere on your blog to spread the word
3. Become one of my followers
4. Leave a comment so I know you want to me entered in the draw

I'm off on an amazing holiday on Thursday, we're starting in New York for a few days and then we are cruising around the Caribbean (how exciting!!!) so I will randomly draw a winner on my return on Sunday 13 December

Thanks very much guys x

Sketch Saturday vs Anyone for Anya

I always love the Sketch Saturday sketches, here is this week's...

...which I rotated and turned into a birthday card for my sister in law to be (lots of birthdays this week!)

She's a shopaholic so this Miss Anya image was perfect. This week's Anyone for Anya challenge was 'Make a Fake' so I did some fake paper piercing by using a dotted line stamp down the edge of my image

Thanks for stopping by x

Friday Sketchers

Great sketch over at Friday Sketchers this week...

...and I needed to make a birthday card for my Mother in Law to be so it was the perfect opportunity to try out my new Garden Whimsy set and Whimsy wheel

I love this effect of raising up the butterfly but I'm a bit concerned about how it will survive the post!

Thanks for looking x

New Home

There was a sketch this week at Charisma Cardz...

...and I needed to make a New Home card for my lovely secretary, so here it is

Thanks for looking x

Wedding Fever has struck!!!

I'm getting married next year in July and I have been busy preparing...in the last few weeks I have found and bought my dress (no photos sorry!), found and bought the bridesmaids' dresses, had a hair trial, had a make up trial, sorted out our wedding rings and booked a load of other stuff! Phew, I've been busy, hence the disappearance from Blogland!

Most importantly, I have finished designing my wedding invitations which I have been agonizing over for months!

The fabulous Steph helped me out and lent me some of her lovely crafty goodies and at long last I finished the front...

...then I had to move on to the inside which I am now really happy with

the little cards come out (as you can see below) and have directions, a map, info about hotels, taxis & gifts as well as a little RSVP card so that people have no excuse not to respond!

And then I moved on to confetti cones (which for some reason my other half does not seem to think are a necessity?!) and cake boxes, both of which I cut out on my Cricut

These will all go in a lovely wicker basket and be given out by my little flower girl

and these I'm going to circle up and put on plates, which I think will look really cool on the day!

And finally (phew, I bet you're thinking!) here are a couple of hair pictures, just because I think I look quite nice!

I am going to enter this lot into this week's Cute Card Thursday challenge which is ''Glitter me silly" because the whole lot has sparkle on it, whether it's little diamontes or full on glitter, even my hair has glittery things in it!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Sketch Anya

Over at Anyone for Anya this week there was a sketch to follow...

so I thought I'd make my first Christmas card of the season with it

I just love Anya, she is sooo pretty!

Thanks for looking!

Autumn Glory

After messing up last week's Anyone for Anya challenge by doing paper piercing instead of paper piecing, I thought I'd have a go at this week's challenge which is Autumn Colours, so I went for pinks, purples, greens, blues...only joking!

I've used this week's Truly Scrumptious sketch
(whose theme this week also happens to be Autumn)...

...and here is my card!

Thanks for stopping by x

Snow White & Prince Charming

Fancy dress party last night and we went as Snow White and Prince Charming! What do you think?!

Back later with some crafting hopefully!!!

Scary Sweeties

This week's Papertake Weekly Challenge is 'The Dark Side' and as we're off to see some friends tomorrow who have two children I thought I'd put them together some little scary goodie bags! They have a selection of treats including a cookie, magic stars, haribo halloween mix, fake fangs, balloons and a glow stick, hopefully they will like!

I used a Lauren Meader template and made the pumpkin from the SU oval punches!

Thanks for looking!