Thought I'd share....

.....this picture - its from my phone so a little grainy, but this is from Wednesday and after the evening at the beach that I had with the Brownies and Rainbows - before I allowed her in the house - and STRAIGHT up to the bathroom!!
This is my baby - my 3 year old Olivia.
Now what do you think? Do you think she had a good time with all the big girls?? She is such a cheeky monkey!!

Stampin' Up!

I have stumbled across Amanda who is one of the UK's first Stampin' Up Demonstrators! I am technically a UK address so come under UK postage for emailed orders! I am very excited about this as I expect many of you like me are unable to get hold of Stampin' Up products due to not being in the USA! Unless its used off Ebay of course!
I also find that many of the challenges I enter specify Stampin' Up colours so when I use my own - which are of course as close as possible - it still isn't good enough and all the 'winners' are users of Stampin' Up products - such as the challenge I like to enter on Kristina's blog. Hardly makes it worth it does it? Putting in the effort and joining in?
ANYWAY!! Now YOU can get hold of Stampin' Up stuff too! (No I am not getting commission - just excited!) I am just getting into rubberstamping and this did make my heart skip a little beat there for a minute! Obviously UK visitors can get these from UK demonstrator, but also BFPO is UK postage!! So WOOHOO!!

I may have a little purchase after payday - I may even have a catalogue party in the near future?!?! What do you think Craft Club ladies?

Heidi's blog candy

Heidi from Heidi's Papir Verden is giving away blog candy here it is images and stamps from Hanglar & Stanglar that are simply adorable! She also has a great bilingual blog Norwegian/English with some great designs and inspiring ideas - especially the use of embellishments such as flowers and buttons! I like this one in particular - the paper bag!! It is ideal for a gift bag for that special person.
I really wish I was as imaginative as some of you ladies (and the odd gent) I have come across! Please continue to inspire :o)

On the way to Benalmadena

I had a hospital appointment in Benalmadena today - had my own driver and translater, how posh am I??? Anyway I didn't actually get to see too much of it apart from the private International Hospital itself and lots of appartments :(.
All the way up the coast its just building site after building site and what was obviously once beautiful Spanish countryside is now an eyesore. Cheap looking mass produced gaudy and tasteless appartments filled the sides of the Autopista del sol nearly the whole way from Gibraltar, the smaller once village type places - parts of which still struggle to keep a grasp on the charm and olde spanish style it once had, have just been swamped with cheap garish tourist tat. Such an awful shame. Anyone hoping to go to these places I passed on the way up the coast in the hope of experiencing the Spanish Lifestyle are going to be sadly disappointed.

Colour Inspiration Challenge no 9 card

Ok here is my card for Kristina's challenge no 9. Quite pleased with it - it was my first attempt at faux stitching, I resisted big ribbon knots and extra stamping!! I stuck to the wavy ribbon and I like it as it is, the 2 flower brads were a last minute addition and fill out the space a little as it seemed bare.

My perfect storage solution - I want it!

I saw this on Ashley's Design With Ink blog - its my perfect solution (if I had a load of pretty boxes too, lol) - how ideal is this???? Great for craft stuff!! A trip to Ikea in the offing me thinks! If not now, certainly when we go back to the UK next year. Love it!
Also Ashley has had a go at the Colour Inspiration Challenge - its lovely! Check it out!

Expat blog link

As you can see on the right ----> there is now a link to Expat Blogs - its because when I read Travellingmamas blog (who leaves lovely comments and questions for me and has some very lovely work - Hi!!), I realised that I am kind of one too! I have lived for 3 years in Cyprus before a few years back in the UK and now here on Gibraltar. I am kind of a travelling mama myself, lol! In a few years time we hope to emigrate to Australia.
I didn't realise how close we were - Travellingmama is just over the Straits in Morocco! Give me a wave!!
Anyhow - I am going to include more of what I get up to here on the Rock as well as the crafty stuff!! It has an amazing history.

Tired and achy..

Well we took the Rainbows and Brownies to the beach yesterday evening at Catalan Bay for a sandcastle competition, which was absolutely fab, we had a great time and several parents stayed and joined in the fun which is always great!
But...... I walked around on sand for over 3 hours and BOY!! my feet/ankles/knees/lower back are achy this morning! Must have been a right work out! Still it was worth it and they had a great time, no injuries, no arguments, great. Lovely, stress free-ish evening for us adults!

Colour Inspiration Challenge no 9 time!!

Challenge no9 time!! Kristina has come up with 5 colours this time using this picture and the colours above. If you fancy a go the deadline is 7pm US Mountain time so thats the early hours of the morning to many of us, so I have all day to try and find time to complete one.
To me, who doesn't have stampin up products this translates to red, orange, cream, olive green and turquoise!! Good luck if you get a chance to have a go.

Boy have I found a wonderful site!!

Katydid Creations! What more can I say, its wonderful, its a lady called Kathryn from Austin, Texas who does easy to follow tutorials with pictures for those like me who struggle! There are free templates!!! too, so far I have discovered the Spot of Tea Cards, the Seed Packet Cards, the Altered Clipboard Advent Calendar and Halloween Countdown AND!!! the Accordian Gift Card Holder!
Well I cannot wait to go off and explore further - I noticed many more tutorials on the main blog itself, including a scrap page of the month!!! I may be MIA for the rest of the day, lol, I hope that those of you who haven't discovered her yet, do so asap, cos Kathryn's designs are amazing.

Colour challenge and Gina's Comp

As per the last 2 blog entries (see the links there), I thought I'd have a bash. Didn't come out anything like I planned :( But its pretty and covers all bases. It does look better in real life.... The jewels on the right match up with the sticky ribbon just perfectly but you can't tell here.

Colour Inspiration Challenge time again!!

Oh, how pretty, see what picture Kristina has found this time! Lovely eh?

I am going to have a go at something this evening and submit it straight away - if I manage it this week!!