Beaded thank you.

Sorry its another embroidered card but these seem to be my favourite dabble at the mo!!
Thanks for looking,x

The cats whiskers!

I loved making this card! Its may not look very professional but I made it for my friends teenage daughter, Sarah, who loves pink and cats! Personally I think teenagers are the hardest group to make for and I normally dread making them but I actually enjoyed putting this one together and making it girlie!

Sunshine!!

Today was my daughter Isabelle's last day at Nursery here in Gibraltar. It is a really lovely Nursery and the staff are more like family than carers. Sue, Izzy's key worker is fantastic and I know Izzy is going to miss her like crazy!

Izzy's room is for toddlers aged two and is called the 'Sunshine Room'. So I wanted to make a card for the children as well. I used bright colours to represent the 'Sunshine' and my baby girls picture so that the children won't forget her.

I think the 'Sunshine' kids are going to have a lot more peace now!! LOL!

Kilts!!!

As we are soon to be moving to bonny Scotland I thought it would be nice to do some 'Scottish' themed change of address cards. These photos don't show all of them but I didn't want to drive you completely kilt mad! Our new details are on the back of the tags.

The stamp is obviously a 'Nellie' from funkykits but I would like to add that after painting 120 of these little chaps I can honestly say I never want to use him again!!LOL!

The tags I got free of a friend who was going to bin them....nooooo....the card I already had and the ribbon I got off e-bay for about £3.00. So in total the whole lot only cost about £7.00...not bad considering they drove me do-lally!!!!

Even more babies!!

This card is for a very special friend of mine, Aimee, who last week had a beautiful baby girl...Kara Mai. Aimee had been trying for some time to have a baby so Kara is a very special little girl!

I am soooo happy!!

I had a fantastic surprise today. Julie from the wonderful 'Inspirational' blog asked is she could feature my 'lil' chicken' card on their blog!!

'This blog has been created to showcase creations from around the world that myself and the team find inspirational'.....so as you can imagine I am blushing quite a bit!

Please look at their blog as it is a great source on inspiration!!

And one for the kids!

I did this for my friend's son for his 7th birthday. There is blue coiled wire coming out of the top of his head but you can't see it very clearly on the photo.

Cornflower embroidery

I really loved putting this card together. I can't remember which paper I used but for once I was happy with the final outcome!

A thank you card....

I seem to be making a lot of thank you cards these days. I love making them, especially for people who really don't expect them!
This one was made for a lovely lady who has helped my family so much since I became ill.
She works for SSAFA...The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association and even though it is her job to help...she has also become a special friend. Thank you Margaret for everything,x

Lil' Chicken!

My mother has chickens...in fact that is what gets talked about the most on our weekly catch up calls!

So this card seemed so appropriate for her birthday...it was a big birthday but I am under the threat of death not to reveal it!! LOL!

Can't go cold turkey!

My craft stash is halfway back to the UK and my fingers are twitching with boredom!!

Luckily Gill took pity on me last night and allowed me to use some of her stash to finish a baby card off (Can't show it yet in case the new mummy pops on here!).

Then I noticed her ribbon stash and started gibbering! Gill took the hint and let me play with it.

I'm really not sure if I like the card as I have never done ribbon weaving before but it was great fun having a go!!

I've tried to leave it 'untidy' just to see what it would be like but not sure. Oh well....only another 23 days and I get to try again with my own stash!

So happy!

Today I received my first ever blog award!! It will probably be my last as well so am like a kid with a new toy!!!

Its the Arte Y Pico (Art & More) award.
The lovely Cass from poursomesugaronme-rockchick gave it to me and I can't stop grinning!! Cass and I started our blogs at the same time and she is sooooo talented so its a real morale boost to get it off her.
Now the rules of the award.....

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity,design,interesting material,and also contributes to the blogging community,no matter what language.

2. Each award has to give the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4. Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog,so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. To show these rules.

So now the hard part!!! 5 blogs? I want everyone though!!!

OK the ones I have chosen are...drum roll please......

Gill because she is so lovely, kind and creative!

Juliet does not know me but I love her blog! There's always something scrummy to look at!

Eleni because I love her layouts and I am her official stalker!

Michelle her blog and shop are fantastic!!

Ana because I just love her crafting style!!!

I just wish that I could have had all my new SBS sister's as well!

Thanks Cass...you really made my day!

Quirky flower!

I love using different colours and techniques and playing around using 'faux' stitching. I made this card for a friend of mine, Bev, who is very ill with Fibromyalgia and lots of other illness's that make her life pretty grim. She is very brave though and a real inspiration.

Tweet anniversary!

I loved making this card for my friend's Tracey and Nick's anniversary. They are the nuttiest couple I know and we have been friends now for about 14 years. The only problem is we have only ever been in the same country once but hopefully our move to Scotland will mean that we finally get time together!

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers-15.

Yippee!!! I am proud to say that I am a SBS 15!!!
I can't wait to see my new 'sister's' blogs and to get to know them all!

Peacock

I'm hoping to have the camera situation sorted out today as I have a 'sneaky peak' to show you that will be revealed next week. Don't get to excited...its just something that has kept me occupied for days!! LOL!

This card is for my mum...so I hope she does not peak on here before I get the chance to send it!!

She lives in NZ on a farm and recently took on some peacocks.

The card is embroidered and has been given an aged appearance with old gold ink. I put holes round the edge of the card and used eyelets. Then used some gorgeous 'eyelash' fibre to sew threw them all.

Heart breaking news

I have just had the terrible news that a very wonderful Fibromyalgia friend has passed away.
I never had the chance to meet Neil but chatted with him on a FM forum and he came across as very warm and caring.
The world lost a very special person today,x

Beach baby

This photo was taken 13 years ago...so my son is not going to be happy that I am sharing it with the world!!

I've kept it simple but as I love buttons I thought they would be a great way to put texture on the page.

Purr-fect!

Gill and I both love cats and over the past 2 years have fostered over 45 kittens and I would hate to think how many adult cats! We had got to the point where I had a litter in my bedroom, a litter in the bathroom, an adult cat in my sons room and that did not include my 6! Luckily hubby was away so was not having to put up with the chaos!!

Gill was looking after my daughter on this particular week and rang me to say that a very ill Siamese kitten had been added to my collection...and was in my downstairs loo!!

The poor mite was in a terrible state and was riddled with fleas and ringworm. She also had a crooked tail and was obviously dumped as she was not 'perfect'. Gill took her home as I was full and 'Coco' has never left. She is a real scabby cat and would never win any awards but to us she will always be beautiful.

I made this card for Gill and the disk (which is made out of sauce lid!) says 'purr-fect friend'....well that's what she is!!!

THANK YOU!!!!

Well I am humbled this morning and speechless which is just not me!!! Have had a rotten couple of days with the pain and keeping busy with this blog has really taken my mind off it. Dawn, Diane's and Gills advice have been invaluable in the changes that have been made...thanks girls!I've just popped on to post another card and have realised that by today 100 of you lovely people have stopped by to have a peek!!
OK, 100 many not be a lot for most blogs but for me it means so much so thank you and I hope you visit again!!

Sometimes we are invisible....

I wasn't going to put anything else on today as I've been feeling rough this afternoon but I have to point you in the direction of this website http://www.princesskitten.co.uk/index.html
I asked on the Docrafts forum if any of the bloggers could send me their details...and Pandy sent me her website.
Not only is this woman so flipping talented its scary...she also suffers from the same chronic illness's that I do....Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, IBS and all the other horrible bits that go with this.
May the 12th is Fibromyalgia awareness day so leading up to it I am going to post a few items about it.
You don't have to read them...but living with this on a daily basis is so hard and so little is known about this 'invisible' illness. I spend a lot of my time stuck in bed and for someone who wants to achieve so much its cruel. But if we can get the word out about it and make people understand what it does to us then hopefully more funding will be put into finding a cure for it. We don't want sympathy...we just want to be 'normal'.
But it still won't stop me crafting!! LOL!!!

Crafting....french style!!

Last year I had the good fortune to meet an incredibly talented French lady called Diane. She was in Gibraltar as well but was leaving within a few months to go back to the UK.

She very kindly did a fantastic origami demo for my craft club and also got me hooked on one technique that I have fallen completely head over heels in love with!! Considering I have no patience I find card embroidery very calming...and now I just can't stop!!

The best place I think for stitching templates is http://www.stitchingcards.co.uk/ and please check out Diane's blog http://aupoussinbleu.blogspot.com/ as it is lovely.

The above card is to thank a very special person in Gibraltar when I leave.....

Crafters block.....

So to get our creative juices flowing again Gill and I set ourselves a challenge. Both of us had beautiful papers and stamps from http://www.craftyindividuals.co.uk/ so we each made a card to see what different styles and techniques we could come up with.

Gill's is beautiful with soft lilacs, pinks and purples. She used beads and ribbon to add texture and a graduated Versamarker for the stamp. Its so lovely and girlie!

Mine on the other hand is made using deep colours, chipboard, ribbon and acetate. To get the effect with the acetate I first stamped the image in deep red onto my paper. Next I stamped the image again using a black Stazon onto the acetate.

I then put the acetate on top of my paper image and slightly moved it so that you can see the red underneath the black.

The acetate is attached with brads.

We were amazed at how different they had turned out and both wanted each others!! LOL!

Mamas!

No...not the stamping kind....the friend kind!! When I arrived in Gibraltar two years ago Gill was the first person I met and a few months later she introduced me to card making...and my hubby has never forgiven her for our reduced bank balance!! LOL!

Gill is one of my closest friends and it is with her that we set up the craft club over here and took on various challenges...working for The Cat Welfare Society and smelling of cat pee every Saturday!!

We recently had the exciting news that Gill is expecting her fourth baby!!! We are over the moon for her but I am so sad that we will not be together when it is born.

This card was made for her with much love...and because I love elephants!

No camera lead!!!

I am sat here cursing myself as I have some cards that I want to share with you...but I've packed the camera lead in a box which is now half way back to the UK!!!

So instead I am going to have to put a card on that is already in my Docrafts gallery...I'm hoping that if I ask nicely Gill might let me use her camera today so I can get my new stuff on here!

You will soon realise that I am hopelessly disorganised and its not just my crafting that is chaotic!!LOL!

My hero!

I heard this week that my friend Sally's hubby is off to Afganistan just before Christmas.

It brought back so many memories of last year when my hubby (who was already a hero in my eyes!) was sent out to Iraq.

It was a very scary time and I dread the day when he walks through the door to say he is being sent back again.

Apart from the kids, crafting and my friends and family...one thing that got me through it was a fantastic site called http://www.supportoursoldiers.co.uk/.

Not only do they send parcels out to the troops but they look after all of us that are left behind at home. The site is run by Karen and Agnes with lots of co-ordinators around the UK and it is non political but is so loving and caring and I made so many wonderful friends.

If you get a chance to have a look at it please have a look at all the wonderful tributes that have been made to all the troops that won't be coming home to their families. They are our fallen heroes and will always be remembered.

Why on earth 'elf-creations'?????

A few people have asked me how I chose my blog name....its simple really...it picked me!
Originally I wanted 'elf designs'...but it was already taken....and to be honest the word 'design' isn't one that should be used with my crafting!!
'Design' to me means being organised and putting thought into a craft item...not in my world!!
As my friends will tell you I am the most messiest crafter there is and chaos rules my craft desk!!
As for 'elf'....that's simple...its my initials...how lucky am I???LOL!!

Thinking of you....

A lovely lady that comes to my craft club recently lost her mum. I wanted to make a card that was not religious but would let her know that we were thinking of her. The colours are quite muted but I think it worked.

The adventure begins!!

I've wanted to 'blog' for so long...and now I am here I don't know where to start! Bear with me for the next few weeks whilst I dabble with this new world!

Thought I would start by showing you some of my work....thanks for looking!