Would like to start off by saying a couple of thank you’ s. The first is for all your kind words of encouragement during these difficult times here in Greece I really do appreciate them . Secondly would like to thank the lovely and talented ladies at Just for Fun who had me as their guest design team member last week , I had a ball ladies !!

This week over at Just for Fun they have an easy peasy challenge even I can’t moan about it ! the topic is ” Anything Goes ”  Now I know you are all most probably sick of my Silhouette creations but I am afraid to say I am not so until I get fed up or my pokey tool becomes blunt you will be seeing a few more of them !

It seems that everything I create at the moment has a flower on it and it always seems to end up in the corner, believe you me I did try several other positions but as you can see the corner won once again !

Both of the cards where made using the Silhouette including the background paper . For the flower I used my Paper Artsy flower die and the two little butterflies on the lower card which I hand punched ( not a rubber stamp or a drop of ink in sight ) the butterflies where added purely to cover up a little accident I had with my glue gun , ah whats a girl to do. Now for all you stampers and inkers out there who are most probably thinking this took me about two minutes I have to say in my defense that using electric die cutters is not as easy as it seems ! It has taken me hours to produce these two and then of course I lost the light ! Would also like to enter this into Moving along with the Times challenge a blog that I have been keeping an eye on of late, lot’s of my followers seem to enter this one so I thought well why should I be left out !!! Their theme is  ” Here Comes Summer ” and I hope these cards fit the bill. http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/

I have had several requests well one actually from Irini  ” The Boss ” at Get Creative where I am on the DT, for pictures of the dastardly duo Rosie and Bailey otherwise known as R&B. So for you Irini here are a couple of the little blighters trying to get in my gym bag. I do believe that Rosy ( the porker ) has a bag fetish,  ( a bit like myself  although I prefer to buy them rather than sit in them  ! ) on an earlier post I have a picture of her sitting in my suitcase !

That’s all for now folks look forward to popping by you all later on , it seems that the lecky man has taken pity on us and decided to give us a little break hence the long post and all the photo’s.

Bye for now

Marie

Difficult times here in Greece as to may have heard or read about. Won’t bore you all with the details but we are now at the stage where we are having intermittent power cut’s at unscheduled hours, funny how they seem to coincide with me uploading something to blogger. After the power cuts my internet is having it’s own little demonstration and is not co-operating . Hence I have to be very quick with the old crafting and uploading .

Last week I took part in a Simon Say”s Stamp and Show challenge for the first time and enjoyed it immensely another great theme again this week so am having another go. This week Simon Say’s Stamp and show  ” A Word ” and here are my two cards.

 

For this first one I used Designer Digitals paper which I printed onto parchment and added some little green pearls on the butterflies wings , although you do need a magnifying glass and a spotlight to see them ! I used my Silhouette to cut out anther piece of paper with the word nature incorporated. I made my flower using more parchment paper which I then embossed and coloured with Distress Inks a little bling in the centre and a pearl.

Once more I used my Silhouette to cut out the word nature and to incorporate a beetle within the word, the bird on the branch is also a digital stamp from Silhouette and the dragon flies I have no idea where I got those from as I tend to throw the packaging away as I have minimal space ! Once again the paper is Designer Digitals printed on to parchment. Do pop over to Simon Say’s Stamp and Show once again they have some fab entries and as usual their DT has some amazing pieces.

Hope you like them .

Am off quickly to upload before the lecky man  ( anyone from Liverpool will know what this means ) pulls the plug. !!!

Bye for now

Marie

As of the 25th of each month Gett Creative will be featuring a creative blogger read what our leader Irini has to say.

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 On the 25th of each month

 

I’m so excited ! All thoughts of bloggers bum have disapeared ! No I didn’t cover my mirror with a sheet !
The reason for such elation is as my post title say’s I am honoured to be guest designer on one of my favourite challenge blogs Just for Fun !! How about that then !!

Just for Fun was one of the first challenges I entered when I first started blogging. I remember I was so nervous but there was no need . The four lovelies, Zoe, Neet Sam and Von welcomed me with open arms
All four being very supportive and encouraging ( they even put up with my moaning ) . So when Zoe asked me would I like to be guest designer this week I was thrilled and honored and of course I accepted. For those of you who are new to my blog I have only been crafting since December and blogging since January so I was really surprised that I was asked although I have to say I think she has really excellent taste lol !

This weeks theme was chosen by Neet who I had the pleasure of meeting recently at Aintree what a lady ! Within two minutes we where chatting away and she was having a good old root in my shopping !!!! Neet has chosen for us steam punk and I do believe it is one of her favourite topics, you only have to check out her blog to see for yourself, there is also a fab tutorial where she makes an awesome steam punk mini . For all the deets pop over to Just for Fun and check out the fabulous work of the DT 

As you can see by my card it’s a little CAS meets steam punk lol. I used my silhouette to cut the penny farthing and the cog card and  Paper Artsy stamps underneath with black Stazon inkon  the wheels and  the side . The centre of the wheel has a little metal thingy no idea what it is ! The funny thing about this challenge was I was able to choose the particular theme I wanted to enter and me being me chose steam punk knowing full well I only had one stamp !!!! So I don’t want to hear any excuses from you all for not entering lol !!.

This second piece is a bit mad and wasn’t sure if I should show it or not but I  spent such a long time actually making it that I decided to share it with you all,  and if nothing else give you all a bit of a laugh.
I used once again my Silhouette to cut out some cogs ( you just can’t have steam punk without a cog now can you ? ) I placed them on my canvas and got out my distressing inks and gave them a good old seeing to ! I then removed them leaving behind well er …. cog shapes I think the technical term here is masking . I placed some black sand in an old metal tin which due to my wonderful photographic skills you cant see. I placed them in the sand at various intervals trying to get a 3 D effect,  have to say in real life  it looks a lot better,  ok a little better.

A little close up here trying and failing miserably to show  the 3 D effect !

Hope you take the time to pop over to `Just for Fun and have a go with this weeks theme I had great fun ( as soon as I had finished ) lol and am sure you will too.

Right off to work now see you all later.

Marie

What a day ! I have finally decided now that summer is here that I should  re-start my aqua aerobics classes which I have sadly neglected due to my new found love………crafting. The mirror however does not lie and it seems that I have the dreaded bloggers bum !!!!!!! Don’t get me wrong I love to craft but it definitely makes you fat ! I was a slim wisp of a girl ( well in my imagination anyway ) and now I am well…..a rather rounded woman and I have only been making cards for six months , I dread to think where I will end up if don’t unglue myself from in front of my Mac !

So there you have it will try to combine the both and see what happens but one thing is for sure the bloggers bum must go !!

Upon my return today from the swimming pool while I was slumped in my chair ( in front of the Mac ) I came across another challenge site Simon says Stamp and Show . Well in fact that’s not entirely true I have been checking this one out for a while but was a little too daunted to take part, but seeing how I had taken a plunge in the pool today I thought I would take the plunge here too. I really liked the theme this week as I have been working on some projects with metal on so here goes.

The flower on the card was made by using Paper Artsy die cut flowers out of metal and stamping on them with Stazon black ink the stamps are also Paper Artsy. The wings are made from paper and once again used Paper Artsy stamps with Stazon ink. Unfortunately had too much light (makes a change ) so it’s not such a good photo.

This card is a prototype for the menu for a friends daughters wedding although in reality it will be much larger and without so much embossing . Will share it when it’s ready. I have used gold metal card to mat the embossing and also for the sentiment ( hope this counts don’t want to be disqualified on my first attempt !! ) used my big shot to emboss the butterfly and the front panel.

A similar thing going on here used my Big Sot and Stampin Up die cut to create to the flower using gold metal and paper which I once again embossed. Added some lace which you can’t see at the edge !! and some fabric matted it all on to gold card and there you have it.

Hope the ladies at Simon says Stamp and Show approve, do pop over and visit their blog they have some great entries and the Dt’s work is stunning.

Going for a lie down now am exhausted …….swimming and crafting a tiring combination.

Bye for now

Marie

Hi there everyone, hope you all had a super weekend with lots of love, laughter and crafting. I for one packed up my troubles in my old kit bag ( now that’s and oldie ) together with the dastardly duo Rosy and Bailey and headed off to my summer house by the sea. Greece is finally having some good weather it’s at least three whole days since we have had rain !!!! So off we went although the dogs didn’t quite fit in the old kit bag that Rosy really must go on a diet !!!!!

As it’s the 20th of the month there is a new challenge up and running at Get Creative we are to follow a sketch created for us by the lovely Anastasia

I am sure you will agree it’s quite an easy one so look forward to see what you all come up ! Here is my take on the theme.

As you can see kept it simple using my Silhouette to make the smiley faces ( boy how I disliked these annoying cheery faces when I was young ) The sentiment is Stampin Up and Ranger distress ink, ran the card through the Big Shot for a little texture and then matted onto black card.

Why not pop over to Get Creative to see what my fellow design team members have created plenty of inspiration there. We also have two other challenges running at the moment and some lovely blog candy to be won so come on over and Get Creative you know you want to !

Bye for now

Marie

Summer is finally here in Greece Yipee !!! Which means that most people at the weekend head out to the beach myself included. All well and good except for the fact that I keep missing the Less is More challenges ( any chance in changing them to Thursdays Chrissie and Mandi  ? ) By the time I return I need a few days to get back in the swing of things and then its Thursday again, to late I fear to catch up and comment on all the entries which I try and do.

So for one week only I am leaving on Saturday instead of Sunday just so I can take part in this weeks Less is More challenge whose theme this week is  “Monograms ” Another fabulous choice by Chrissie and Mandi  I must say their challenges are never boring  how do you do it ladies ?

I used my Silhouette machine to cut out the border and the heart and also print the `monograms and then passed the heart through my big shot.

I wasn’t sure where I wanted the heart so I will let you all be the judge of where you think the best position is for it.

Right am of to pack my swimming cossie and the dogs will catch up with you all soon. Have a great weekend with lots of love , laughter and crafting.

By the way the initials stand for Teo my husband and Marie that’s me !!

Hi I”m back !

Did you notice I had been gone !!!!

It seems like I have been away from my desk  forever. I had my oldest friend Maria otherwise known as Dolly visiting from London for a week what fun we had. As soon as she left I was invited to go with my husband for a few days to the Greek Island of Lefkada ( beautiful ) of course I didn’t hesitate and arrived back this morning. Now of course I had my I Pad with me and tried to comment on all of your blogs and send emails but it just wasn’t having any !! Secretly I think hubby discombooberated it but that’s another story. So sorry to say I didn’t manage to do anything but I had very good intentions believe you me. So please forgive me If I am a little behind in my comments will try to catch up with you all as best I can, but my you have all been so busy !.

Unfortunately I missed taking part in last weeks Just for Fun challenge it was my first absentee hope I am forgiven. This weeks entry am sorry to say is a little bit on the rushed side and it shows ! Hope normal service will be resumed in the next few days, meanwhile…………..

The challenge at Just for Fun has been set by the very creative Sam who has chosen for us anything Tim well by the skin of my teeth I managed this one !

For this one am afraid the only thing Tim are the  Distress Inks hope this qualifies !

sorry about the background on this one had to take the photo on my balcony as the sun decided not to co operate  ( I think it’s in cahoots with my naughty I pad ) so along with Mr Tim’s embossing folders and distress  inks you also have a lovely view of the parked cars below my house .

If you want to see some real art do pop over to Just for Fun to see what the amazing design team has come up with together with lots of fabulous non rushed beautiful pieces.

Hope to visit you all soon and promise to have something better for you to make up for the above.

Bye

Marie

While you are reading this post I  ( hopefully ) am sunning myself by the sea with my oldest and best est friend  Maria otherwise know as Dolly  who is visiting from London. Our friendship is more than twenty five years old and for some reason we have always called each other Dolly. So when I was trying to think of a name for my blog I thought I would use Dolly somewhere in the title hence the name Dolly’s daydreams.

Anyway down to business Our fabulous leader Irini ( also known as the misting queen ) from Get Creative has a very interesting challenge for us  Irini says

There’s a new challenge blog on the block  “ Craft Room ” who yesterday started their first challenge which every two weeks will have a new theme their first is ” Anything Goes ” any easy one to get us all off to a good start. I found out about it from my lovely blogging friend Zoe who is on the Design Team. Do pop over and support them , the winnner will receive a  voucher for ten pounds to spend in the Craft room on line shop so what are you waiting for !!!

This card I would like to dedicate to Zoe to thank her for all her help and support she has given me since I started blogging and crafting a few months ago and to wish her and the rest of the design team the best of luck in their new venture. Of course cant give any details of the stamps I used to make this card because when I was in England I bought so many things at the craft fair I visited that in order to fit everything in my suitcase I had to throw all the packaging away ! So Don’t have a clue what most things are now !!

 For this book mark I used my Silhouette to create the rosette and then used distress inks to colour it. I  painted the base card  with a variety of Ecoline water colours and while it was still wet sprinkled it with salt crystals and left to dry thus giving the cell like effect.

Hope you like them.

Another piece of news is that being the first of the month Get Creative have a new sketch challenge going