Candy to be won........four times over

The Summer Collection

30 sheets assorted DP's, Judikins, Inkadinkadoo, Magenta etc., stamps, Marvy markers and wet looks, flowers, cardstock, ribbons.

Good Morning everyone and yes I have some candy for my lovely blog friends. But there is a twist.........did you think I was just going to let you just add your name and hope, oh no........not that easy this time.

I know it's really really mean of me, but I was so taken with the little competition my lovely blog friend Lisa Jane ran when she went on her hols, I thought I would do something similar.......but unlike Lisa, I am going to make you work for the clues. So this is how it works........

The Christmas Selection

12 sheets K & Co plain and foiled DPs. Marvy Markers and Wet Looks, Stamps Happen, Inkadinkadoo, Funstamps, Anna Griffin etc., stamps, Flower Soft, cardstock, gems, ribbons, flowers, emboss powder.

I am going to be away for sixteen days on a brand new great big boat on the high seas, I'm not going to tell you where exactly, that would spoil all the fun, but I will tell you that I will be in the Mediterranean most of the time, or pretty close to it............

Floating Hotel

Our pad for the holiday will be a suite right at the top back.......where you can see the white corner section coming down the boat......our very favourite place on a boat where the views are fabulous.

On each of the Nine posts I have scheduled while we are away I will give you some clues and all you need to do is leave me a comment on each post with the answer where I am that day. It's a bit of a geography lesson, but I have Googled each one to check it out and the answers are all there for you, if you can't guess from my clues. And I have even added a picture or two to help you along the way. I will draw the winners on Monday 9th August.

Another Little Collection

15 sheets DP's, 10 sheets patterned vellum, assorted unmounted stamps, Keepsake emboss board.

There are four lots of candy up for grabs, a Christmas collection, a Summer collection and two smaller prizes to help spread the love a bit further. So four winners, which Random Org., will select from all of those who get the answers right. To be in with a chance this is all you have to do:

1) Leave me a comment to tell me where you think I am that day.

2) Do the same on each of the NINE posts as they pop up on my blog.

3) Be or become a follower.

4) Spread the word on your own blog and have fun.

And the Fourth Collection

12 sheets assorted DP's, Keepsake board, set of four Laura Ashley stamps.

I have really enjoyed putting this all together and I hope you will enjoy taking part just as much, the first clue will be tomorrow...........

But before I finish I must not forget our new Challenge at Polkadoodles where Enfys would like to see Christmas in July. This was a perfect opportunity to use the new Paper Boutique Christmas CD which us lucky DT girls have been playing with for a few weeks prior to it's launch at the end of this month. I made a stepper card, cut three different sizes fairies from the CD, added lots of glitter, stamped sentiment from the Christmas stamp set and a border punched from Martha Stewart embossed snowflakes.

Eternal City

Today sees us in the Eternal City, seeped in history where gladiators once fought to the death something Russel Crow knows a bit about. A few pennies into the famous fountain above will make sure you return, or so the saying goes.

Despite visiting this City many times there is always something new to see and I never tire or returning be it for a week or a day. It really is my favourite Capital City in the World.

On to challenges now, first Polkadoodles where the boss Nikky has set our challenge and wants us to make something generic that will work for a male or female. She also wants us to use at least two Polkadoodle products on our project.

So I have made a word book spelling BIRTHDAY which I created on the Cricut using the DS and Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I selected coordinating papers from Candy Doodles CD.........I just love this lime and black combo. I stamped the ladybird trail from the unmounted stamp set several times, cut into strips and ran them across the bottom of each page.

The greeting on the front is from the new Paper Boutique Christmas CD, I used the Zutter to create a spine and tied it with cord and raffia.........I am really pleased with myself as I just knew this lovely lime coloured raffia from the wrapping on some flowers months ago would come in useful one day.

Next candy clue is tomorrow...........half way there now.

Wedding bells

Enfys would like to see dimension and texture on our work this week at Polkadoodles, so a perfect opportunity to have a go at this fab wedding cake on the Paper Boutique CD.

I was amazed how quick and easy it was to cut out and assemble and here I have gone with a real whopper A4 card. Six layers in total, liberal helpings of glitter which I added to the scrolls and patterns on the design using a quickie glue pen, glitter card plus some butterflies and the sentiment cut with a sizzix die through the Big Shot.

Flopsy Bunny

Our tamie Claire has selected the them of Animals at Polkadoodles this week.

Now I am not one for large pink bunnies, only in my dreams and the only ones I normally come into contact with are the wild ones in the paddocks. But I thought this would make a fab get well card and although I was a bit hesitant how it would be accepted by a seventeen year old, it brought a smile to her face when she was in hospital.

All of the elements and the checked paper are from the Paper Boutique CD and I have to say after I had made it up and decoupaged him I rather fell in love with Mr Flopsy and his over sized carrot. I thought the Martha Stewart bunny punch matched really well across the top. The letters are cut with a Sizzix die through the Big Shot.

Owl be getting messy fingers

Funny how things turn out, must be second sight because I spent a lot of time last week getting my DT work done early and am I so pleased I did because I am really struggling to create anything half acceptable this week let alone blog. Sorry folks, I am trying I promise and will visit soon.

I heard from the hospital yesterday and they hope to be able to do my ultrasound and scan next week, but the sigmoidoscopy can't be done until the middle of April because of the huge backlog they have due to their ongoing virus issue and department closures. I tried speaking with them to see if I could go to another hospital, but they can't refer me outside the GP's catchment area and the cost of the scans/tests privately is astronomical.

Clearly it does not look like any quick answers for me, but life can't stand still and I have to try and get positive with some sort of normality back into life, so I have decided there is no point cancelling my demo day at Stamplaot tomorrow. If you are in the area between 10-4, do pop in to say hello and of course feast your eyes on all the goodies the new shop has to offer. I intend getting messy fingers indulging myself in inks and the like and sharing some of my favourite background and stamping techniques. And afterwards an Indian with Sir and Lady Stampalot, so something good to look forward to.

On to my card which is for this weeks Polkadoodle where the boss Nikky has set the theme and given us a sketch with a wicked twist - "Use four shapes which MUST interlock/mat and layer over each other in some way" and use blue and brown. I can tell you it had some of us scratching our heads for a day or so.

I have used the Mr Twitty section of the new Paper Boutique CD. This section is all blues and browns, so hopefully I am safe. Mr Twitty has been decoupaged, the mats all cut with Nesties through the Big Shot. The border is Martha Stewart arched lattice and the corner a Sizzix die. Ribbons and buttons added to embellish.

Polkadoodles 10

Before I tell you all about the new challenge at Polkadoodles I need to remind you that we have more Hero candy on offer here. So it you have not already added your name there is still time before the draw on Monday.

My Doodly teamie Fliss would like to see projects to celebrate a milestone age birthday or anniversary. The new Paper Boutique is selling like hot cakes and every time Nikky takes it to C&C it's a sell out and I have used it as the basis for my DT card this week.

I also combined some stamping using the Back to Nature stamp set. First off, I stamped the swirl and flower round the edges of a piece of white cardstock with versamark and embossed with detail clear. I then distressed with one of the new Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet and and Bundled Sage, two of the lush new colours. The flowers were stamped onto the green and pink papers, cut out and layered onto a 'stem' made with a Sizzix die run through the Big Shot. I added cord, punched leaves and pearls and a 21st birthday sentiment from the same CD.

Pink Polkadoodles

This is my very first time to host the challenge since I was invited to become a Polkadoodler and I have come up with the them of Wings with some stamping......I know I am so transparent, but don't we all love wings and especially those of the flutterby version.

Myself and fellow DT members were so lucky to get to play with the brand new Paper Boutique CD before it was launched by Nikky on Create and Craft last week. There are some absolutely beautiful elements on it and if you have not ordered yours yet, then what are you waiting for because it's a must have.

As soon as I saw it I had to get to work with the Secret Garden section and based my creation around one of the templates which I cut out an decoupaged to make an easel card. I then made a small box with a drawer, covered it with papers from the CD and mounted the card on the top. The little trees and flowers are stamped onto shrink plastic using the BTN stamp set and coloured in with Brilliance ink. The fence is a Martha Stewart punch.

I have made a few of these easel card boxes lately as I feel they a bit different and make a lovely gift. I have been asked how to make them several times, so will do my best to get a tutorial together.