A shabby little number

Oh my, where has this week gone?  It seems like only 5 minutes ago I was waiting for that school bell to ring so that I could start a long, relaxing and self-indulgent week at home.  Well relaxing never came into it - I've spent the week redecorating but it was worth all the swear words - I love my new-look dining room, even if I did have to apply 3 coats of paint to the walls...Grrr......!

However, I have managed to find some time to get my stash out and start playing around again.  It feels a bit weird because I'm not getting a daily fix at the moment.  I need to organise myself a bit better so that I can get more craft time in.  At least it's starting to look and feel a bit like Spring now - that's always a good spirit lifter!

It's absolutely AAAAAAAAAAAGES since I took part in a challenge blog so I decided that I would get myself over to Saturday Sketchers and pick up their gorgeous sketch this week as I knew that would be all the inspiration I needed to get going.

Isn't it fab!  Lots of lovely layers there.  On my travels I also noticed that Magnolias Down Under and Anything Goes challenges had the theme 'Distressing' this week so I'm entering this for their themes this week too.  So here's my card:

99% of the papers are from Donna's gorgeous Bearly Mine collections - mainly the Vintage collection in this instance.

Well that's my lot for today.  Thanks for stopping by and wishing you a very happy weekend. :o) xxx  

Back in Tech Land

Happy Wednesday morning to you, and if you are reading this can I just say how happy I am that you popped in.  My blogs have been extremely quiet for what seems like a lifetime but it's been out of my control.  I don't want to bore you with the details but, fingers crossed, everything should be OK now! 

Anyway, I am a little late posting this here - thank you Isaac for finding us another trojan to deal with!!!!  This is my DT offering for the current Bearly Mine Challenges theme which is Ribbons and Pearls:

It's been an odd couple of months in many ways.  Cash is tight (so what's new??) and stash spending has been non-existent.  In the absence of computer technology I have been playing around with other crafts and concentrating my efforts on home decor rather than papercrafts.  My sewing needles have had an airing, as has my crochet hook (though I think the less said about that one, the better!!!).  My dining room has been desperate for a facelift for about 3 years now - I decorated in there about 6 years ago and loved it up to about 3 years ago but have been putting off the inevitable using lack of inspiration as my sorry excuse.  However, I have finally found inspiration and have begun the process of revamping.  OMG, it's only a small room but it's taking much longer than I expected.  But I can see 'the look' beginning to happen and that's spurring me on.  Still a long way to go though as I am painting furniture too...... or rather, I will be once I get get off my backside and make that move!!!

So, that's me so far in 2011.  If you fancy winning yourself some goodies, get over to the Bearly Mine challenge blog and play along - there's some fab stash up for grabs and my teamies have come up with some amazing inspirational samples to whet your appetite.

Thanks for stopping by - catch you soon! :o) xx