Couples.... and a Couple of Computer Issues

I am (finally) back today with a card.  I've been absent for the last three weeks (though I'm sure no-one noticed, lol) because of MAJOR computer issues, which I will describe, as a way of venting some of my frustration, later.  Here's today's card, which I found hidden during these computer woes; it was for my Mum and Dad's Anniversary in 2016, which turned out to be their last Anniversary

I used an image from Crafty Sentiments (Benson Bear) called Couples, available here.... unfortunately it is a victim of my computer problems, so I no longer own it, it's coloured with Prismacolor pencils, which I didn't do much in 2016, so a fairly early example :-)  
The background paper is from Kaisercraft, the tan strip is a scrap die cut with Spellbinders A2 Scalloped Borders 2 die.  The little pink hearts were from a batch of goodies my Mum bought for me on one of their holidays in Malaysia... it was "our little thing" and I miss it.  Thankfully I still have a LOT of stuff she sourced for me over the years, so it's not gone forever just yet

I stamped on the edges of the jotting panel inside the card, I liked the effect.... then promptly have never done it again :-)  I'll have to give it another go.
So that's it for my card today, I'd like to enter in the following challenges: 
Sketch Saturday Have this great Sketch, which my card fits to a "T"... well a sideways "T", lol

Aud Sentiments Has a Bingo Challenge, I have used the "Die Cut/Flowers/2 Patterned Papers" line

The Paper Shelter Has Make it Bloom (flowers on paper, and stamp on the inside)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Has Use Patterned Paper

Pixies Snippets Playground Has "Snippets" (the tan strip)

Simon Says Challenge Has "Stamp on it" (if the digistamps on the front don't count, I've stamped inside)

Crafty Cardmakers  Has All Creatures Great and Small - bears are creatures, and so are butterflies :-)

Hiding in- my Craft Room Has a Pastels theme

Creatalicious Challenges Has Anything Goes, Option: Pastels

Little Miss Muffet, Cute Card Thursday, Give a Crafter A Cookie, Catch The Bug, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft and Crafting With Attitude All have Anything Goes Challenges

If you'd like to leave me there, I'll be back when I can with another card, until then Happy Crafting, if you'd like to hear a sorry tale read on...

The *&**ing computer saga

I decided to save ALL my Crafting stuff, images, papers, photos of finished projects, mmm, ALL my crafting stuff to Microsoft OneDrive as I have had (reasonable) success with iCloud for my business backups (to my Time Machine Backups, work's well covered!) and have just had (those backups I had) for my craft stuff, on discs, USBs etc
Well!  Microsoft OneDrive then proceeded to DELETE ALL my crafting files - well not all, but over 200GB -  yes, GIGAbytes.  Including my family photos back to 2004, (not many between 2004 and 2009 to be honest, but LOADS from since the twins were born) Holidays to New Zealand, birthdays, loads.  
It has done this by deleting the contents of folders... so the folders are still there, looking at first glance like a legitimate backup of a drive, but they're EMPTY.  So, a purchased set of twenty digital papers would look like it looked on my Hard Drive... until you go to use one of the files in the folder, and it's not there.  Rinse, repeat for HUNDREDS of folders.  Including 250+Mb scrapbooking kits
I spent EVERY spare minute, and some that weren't spare, lol, rebuilding the Drive - got to three quarters done, checked progress.... and it was all deleted AGAIN.  The folders were there, but empty.  No, the info is NOT in the Recycle Bin, it's just GONE.  And no, Microsoft doesn't care when you contact them about it. 
I have had to rebuild my drive AGAIN - on the Hard Drive this time, from the individual camera cards I have used over the years, luckily a lot of the pics I have "liked" I kept on those discs when overwriting for more recent projects.  Of course some I haven't, and from our iPhones.  Also, my old laptop had some files on, and my last laptop is having the hard drive removed and mounted so I can see what's on THAT tomorrow.  Of course all of this info includes the stuff I have edited out (you know all those random pics you take on your phones!) once, and now it's all got to be trawled through again, time, time, time.  
One good thing (you've got to look for the silver lining!) is that I have sorted and tagged EVERY file I have put back on my computer so far.... so they are easier to find, and I found this ONE card in a folder on my old lappy that I had missed copying over.
Of course when I went to see where I got the sentiment for this card, I realized I no longer HAVE the sentiment, so I don't know where it was from, I also don't have the image (I remembered where IT was from) and it makes me realize there are probably hundreds of image and sentiment files gone for good - many purchased, many generous "freebies" and some prizes for challenges.  
Some purchased scrapbooking kits and image files are unfortunately gone forever, but I must give a shout out to Nitwits who (for only $10) reactivated ALL the links for products I have bought there over the years, well over $100, and to My Memories Suite where I could access my purchases for nothing.  I still have to check some of the companies I know I've made a lot of purchases from and a couple of USB sticks where I save zipped image files, hoping to find some more there.
I would say that the moral to the story is "Backup" - but that is where this whole drama started!!  Well, not really.  I should have just had a Time Machine hooked up to my craft lappy as I have to my work one - I have a spare drive that WAS on my last laptop but played up (turns out that was the laptop not the drive, so I could have used it - and obviously SHOULD have!!)  I am trying to be brave, it IS a "first world problem" for sure.  But I am really p1$$3D off with Microsoft.... and what I hate most of all that it is taking up all my "crafting" time
I have re-found 40 of the 57 cards I hadn't posted on my blog yet, so I do have some offerings in the works... once I get time to sort out the best pics - digital photography does make you a bit "snap-happy", lol
Be safe, BACKUP and Happy Crafting, Donna

Two Years, a Million Tears

Just thought I'd acknowledge my beautiful Mum, who left us at 9.46am two years ago today
I miss her every day, I can't believe two years have gone already, and I can't believe I'm still struggling as I am... ah well, this too shall pass
This photo was taken by my son Chris (her favourite Grandson, not that she had favourites... but we all knew, lol) on her 80th birthday,.

It was such a great day, she loved every minute - but then, she WAS easily pleased :-). My sister and I took her for a "girly" treat, the only one we ever did all three together, having her nails, hair and makeup done ready for our stretch-limousine ride to a winery for lunch with family... this was post-lunch... not looking too bad - all things considered, hic

Butterflies, Boxes and Back on the Horse

Hello everyone.  Things have finally settled down enough in my "real life" for me to get back, at least in a small way, into my crafting.  I have dragged one of my makes out of my Drafts Folder, it's an "exploding box" card I made for my friend Andrena's 50th birthday, I really like them - she loved it, I hope you like it too.

It is made of quite heavy gold card, the patterned paper is Graphic 45.  I've also used a handmade paper as a mat and there's a ton of embossed velour paper involved too, oh and the trim is ribbon.  

The border on the lid was cut with a die cut, I think it's a Magnolia one... frankly I can't be bothered going to my craft room to check!  It works great as a border of the lid... just bends a bit when you stand it up! 
I used a Memory Box butterfly die cut in gold and trimmed with Swarovski diamantes on the top.  Stripy pink and plain green ribbon from my stash.

You all know how these things work; here's a picture with the lid "off"

The inside butterflies were cut from the Graphic 45 paper and jazzed up with some pearl and iridescent paints before being cut out and stuck to acetate strips to make them "float"  Photos never do these cards justice, it was really lovely in real life, with loads of texture.  The flowers are from my stash, the green ribbon on the inside is SO lush, yum yum. Wooden numerals painted with the same paints and a Happy Birthday die cut from gold (Sissix I think) complete the card

I always find it hard to find a place to write on these box cards... in this instance I made a mini card using some gold card and a scrap of the Graphic 45 paper, embellished it with a border and some bling then stuck it inside the lid of the box; worked really well :-)
That's about it for today's offering.  I hope to be back fairly soon... I do have a LOT in my drafts still, and I have made a few cards in the last year, most of which I photographed though not all :-(
I'd like to enter in the following challenges: 

As You Like It	Fave…Ribbons or Flowers, and Why - loads of flowers here, but I actually prefer ribbon because it's so user-friendly, comes in so many patterns and sits flat - which suits "my" style of card
The Paper Shelter	Border Punches or Border Dies (used a die)
Crafty Cardmakers edit: ineligible... my card/box is entered in more than 15 challenges, whoops. sorry ladies!	Fancy Folds
My Time to Craft	Die Cuts Only (no image, but yes to sentiment) even my sentiment is die-cut, lol
Sweet Stampin'	Autumn - I've used Autumn colours... my favourite!
Cute Card Thursday	Anything Goes
Hanna and Friends	#283 Anything but a Card - if you count this as a box!
Polkadoodles	Anything Goes
Hiding in- my Craft Room	Freestyle
Pixies Snippets Playground	Snippets -I've used snippets of card AND ribbon
Cute As A Button	#Anything Goes opt: Fall - used Autumn colours
Inky Chicks	Anything but a Square - well it IS square, but not a "square card"... I think that's in the spirit of the challenge
Little Miss Muffet	Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafty  Creations	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafting With FriendsCrafting with Friends #52	Anything Goes (Always)
Creative Fingers	Anything Goes (Always)
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper
Create and Inspire	Anything Goes
Creatalicious Challenges	#123Anything Goes, opt: Leaves
Simply Papercrafts	#51 Anything Goes
Crafting With Attitude	Anything Goes (Always)

On a personal note: My Dad has gone into permanent care, which is a hard thing for a family to come to as any of you that have done it would know, but we just couldn't keep him safe at home anymore.  It is a lovely place and he is settling as best as we could hope.
I have sold his house (emptying it first!), very stressful in a buyers market when we had a lower limit on what we "needed" to pay the bond for the home; we nearly made it, and have enough to come up with the shortfall.  Not having to pay $1200 a fortnight INTEREST on the bond (which hubby and I have been coming up with) is going to relieve the stress a lot - this is the first fortnight it won't apply, so we'll see :-)
I have managed to keep only six (albeit large-ish) boxes of "stuff" from Mum and Dad to sort and/or store... they bought a Royal Albert Old Country Roses full dinner and tea set each for us, I have emptied one of the display cabinets in my craft room (which is next to our family room) and installed lighting to display it and SOME of the gazillion matching crystal glasses my son eventually wants as his heirloom - it looks really nice, even though it was never my cup of tea, pardon the pun 
Anyway, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna                         

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, in a few minutes in fact, I lost my beloved Mum.  As it turns out I essentially lost my lovely Dad at that moment too.
Dad had started showing signs of dementia well before the accident, but with a strong structure he was able to live very well with my Mum at the helm; with her gone (and the circumstances of her passing) he began to unravel.  Five days after Mum died (the day I was at the Funeral Directors signing the last of the papers - the delay was due to the Coroner being involved) my sister rang and said she couldn't get Dad up.  We went there, thought he'd had a stroke and called the ambulance; turns out he had sepsis and was admitted to hospital where he stayed for ten days - he was allowed out for four hours to attend the funeral five days later.
Long story short the authorities decided on Dad's care without consultation with us - we were deemed "vulnerable" because of the Mum situation, the Power of Attorney I hold for him holding no sway-they treated vigorously an infection that could have easily seen him out, which he has repeatedly stated he wants, that has left him so damaged we were advised to find permanent residential care as soon as possible.  Turns out seven months of caring for a completely dependent, demented, incontinent person is "as soon as possible".  It was very hard, my sister lived with Dad I "did" days she did evenings/nights/mornings.  My husband and I did weekends - anyone who has dealt with caring for a parent with advanced dementia knows exactly the issues we faced, anyone who hasn't can't know; suffice to say "hard" doesn't begin to describe it. We had two sessions of respite, the first one at which he was assaulted by a fellow resident with more advanced dementiam
We got Dad into the facility of our choice on 1st March, then came the chore of preparing his house for sale to finance the $550,000 bond..  Trust us to have to sell (my husband and I are paying the interest on the unpaid bond at the rate of $603 a WEEK until the house sells) when the housing market is at the lowest for over ten years!
It took us two months to clear the house out - my sister returned to her home in the country for several weeks, so it was "my job", turns out Dad's been hoarding for years - cupboards FULL of neatly stacked JUNK!!
Now the house is not selling we are doing what we can (within financial reason) to freshen it up - we are currently repainting inside, it is a big house with four bedrooms three bathrooms and three living rooms so it's a LOT of painting... we are paying a painter to do the formal living and dining rooms as they have huge vaulted ceilings and we're not game to get on scaffold at our advanced age.  The agent can't believe it is not selling as it is a prime property - not much is moving in this section of the market, it should pick up "soon", whatever that means!
So hopefully I will get back to crafting (I've made two cards and two cakes in a year!) once the dust settles on this.  I go to see Dad every other day, but usually that is only an hour or so out of my day - once that's the only "extra" thing I have to fit in I can get back to it.
Of course I have had to sort my own place out too, to make room for some of the stuff that Mum has left us... I don't really want a full Old Country Roses dinner set, but Mum bought one for my sister and one for me, and told us that was her intention so I'll find a place for it :-) it's made me sort my craft stuff out too, ye gods and little fishes... talk about hoarding, lol.
Can't wait for this time of my life to be behind me, not enjoying it at all, but at least things are better than they were this time last year and the year to come should be better than the one gone
I won't post until I have something "craft-dee" to share, I do have LOADS in my drafts, so until then Happy Crafting

S"now Challenge at all!!

Well do you like my Post title??  Corny huh? :-)  The new challenge starting today at Di's Digis has the theme.... can you guess?.... Snow or Snowflake(s). I have used the opportunity to make a TRULY early start on my 2016 Christmas cards!  This one has an acetate front; the one thing that's even harder to capture in a photograph than glitter is acetate... so it is a picture-heavy post - and loooooooong ... warned ya!!

It looks like the image (the cuter than cute The Magic of Christmas available here)is stuck to the inside of the acetate but it's not; I wanted it to "hang" from the inside of the card rather than be back on an angle, as it would be if stuck to the "inside" of the card, so I worked out a system.  I'm sure it's not original, but I haven't seen this exact way of doing it before so I'm claiming it, lol.  

Well to be honest "system" is putting it a bit strongly, all I did was fold a small tab of the (very thick) acetate I used on the front of the card and stick it behind the image; when you push the card closed it flattens the tab down and the card is perfect for posting, when you pull the tab so it's 90 degrees to the back panel it holds the image panel out from the back panel meaning it's easier to see with the card standing "open".... I think you've probably worked out from all that "verbage" why there's a lot of pics, them speaking a thousand words and all -)) 

Straight out of the envelope :-)

Flattened for posting

With the acetate "tab" opened out

Here's the  "apparatus"... alias "bit of acetate", lol, and how the card looks when ready for posting as well as what it looks like when it first comes out of the envelope!

The panels at the top and bottom of the acetate front are embossed with Darice embossing folders... they are two of a set of three in the Seasonal Theme Embossing Folders set... I made sure I used the snowflake one to fit the theme, heat embossed with Ranger Bridal Tinsel EP... I know, it doesn't show in the pic, sigh.  A sliver of gold card adds a touch of elegance, I think :-) Paper Smooches Dots and Dashes dies were used to cut the edges of the embossed panels, it just finished them off somehow.  

I used a Joycraft Snowflake die to cut a gold snowflake (just to make EXTRA sure I had the theme covered, lol) and added a rhinestone and pearl embellishment from my stash to the centre to finish it off.
The "inside" of the card (which of course you can see most of from the outside) had a strip of paper from the same pack as the background (Wild Rose Studio's Annabelle's Xmas Pack) and a Memory Box Ivy Tendril die cut in gold to add interest, and to tie in the gold mat behind the image.

I coloured the image with Copics, and used the snowy sky paper I created before Christmas as a background (it's available in two colours on my freebies page, here, if you're interested) I added some Ice Stickles to the fur trim and snow on the image, it's pleasingly sparkly IRL :-))
I was going to use the back of the image panel as a jotting space, but decided the recipient may never find it!  So I added a panel to the rear of the card for that purpose and stamped a sentiment - my favourite Christmas sentiment, from (the sadly now defunct)  Tickled Pink Stamps - using Memento ink and my stamp-a-ma-jig... I LOVE that thing, it's made the world of difference to how often I'm prepared to use a rubber stamp;

I always botched it before I got this brilliant tool, not anymore :-
That's it for today's card, it's really very simple, just difficult to describe!  I hope you get a chance to pop over to the challenge blog and have a look at all the snowy wonderfulness there... and that you get a chance to enter the challenge too; great prize on offer as always, and if you use one of Di's cute images (digi or a Candibean rubber stamp) there's extra opportunities, WooHoo!!
I am SERIOUSLY going to be back in a few days, I even have the post ready.... well almost, rofl. In the meantime I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

As You Like It Favourite: Paper or Non Paper (paper…. At the moment, I love all crafts so it IS a "movable feast", lol

Pile It On Your First Initial … D = (Di's) Digis, Darice embossing folders… and of course a Duo of Darling mice!!

Hiding in my Craft Room Embossing

Clear It Out Theme: Winter Stash: Add a Snowflake

The Crazy Challenge Celebration

Creatalicious Challenges Something Old (Snowflake die, acetate- which is recycled packaging) Something New (Image, Embossing folders, edge dies)

Winter Wonderland Glitter and Shine

Crafty Hazlenuts Christmas Challenge Cute or Anything Christmas

Crafty Hazlenut's Christmas Extra Challenge Anything Goes (Christmas)

ABC Christmas Challenge A for Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes

That Craft Place Anything Goes

Inky Chicks Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

Despite my post title it WAS something of a challenge for me to "think snow"... in fact I thought I'd share a pic or two of the reason I have posted this a little late: it's been really hot here and as it was still over 30C at 8 pm I was having a bit of R&R and a "quick" dip in the pool that ended up involving a cheeky chardonnay and some particularly nice gorgonzola, yum yum.  

I especially love the pool in the evenings, the frangipanis we've planted have started to bloom and the fragrance in the balmy evenings is really quite gorgeous.  Now we've finally got around to putting the lighting in it's very nice out there at night. Snow wasn't really on my mind, but I DID remember to get this post out, so here it is :-))  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Not a fabulous start

Well like the title of this post says, our holiday has got off to a not-so-fabulous start!  Well not true really; the first two days were really good... we had a great flight from Perth to Melbourne (not setting off any alarms with my as-yet untried hip replacement was a good omen - I thought!  A nice evening and Sunday in Melbourne, one of my fave cities - and it has a Kaisercraft outlet so I did some shopping... so far so good.  Found, eventually, an internet cafe, printed out our boarding passes so we could get a quick get away this morning flying straight from Melbourne to Queenstown, 3Hrs and 15 minutes, pick up car at airport, snug in our room by evening - NUP!
We both misread the flight time (on the one and only piece of paper it was written on) as the check in time, so long  story short..... we missed the flight. 
 No more flights to Queenstown (at any price) until tomorrow - if there's any seats available (it's still ski season so not over likely), and if we don't make the decision to go with that the ADDITIONAL cost with Air New Zealand goes up from $900 to $1200 - $1400 (the fares only cost $550 when I booked them!) We MAY get the taxes back on our original flights, about $180
We checked with another airline, no flights to Queenstown (basically same story as Air NZ),  we CAN get you to Christchurch tonight.  But from Sydney.  So-oooo, here I am sitting in Sydney airport, with an annoyed hubby (Donna did have something of a meltdown, nervous flyer & new tickets for both legs of flight originally showing us not sitting together) after flying up from Melbourne - sitting together, nice chap took pity and booked us adjacent seats on both legs - hanging around for 3 hours, due to board plane for ChCh in twenty minutes. 
It gets us in at 10.40pm local time, luckily my hubby has a cousin (one of the reasons we're going, but we were supposed to be staying with them for a few days just before returning home in two weeks) who we can stay with tonight.  Then in the morning we will pick up our car (booked to be picked up from Queenstown airport this afternoon) and drive the 5+ hours down to Queenstown - did I mention it's ski season... so 5+ hours in less than ideal conditions.
..and my Mum rang as we were getting on the plane to Sydney... she's looking after Rocky the wonder dog, he's hurt his leg - he's had an Xray this morning, with anesthetic of course, and they're quoting between $550 and $600 for the probably required operation.  If I were home I'd probably "suck it and see", but it's too much responsibility for Mum and Dad at their age so I'm thinking we'll just have to go with the Vet's recommendation.  I have talked to her (very briefly) and she remembers Rocky's last medical emergency well, the one where he swallowed a cocktail fork and it cost us $4000, yup THOUSAND dollars to have it surgically removed then deal with the pancreatitis that followed.
Sigh
Tell me it's going to get better...
We've come on this holiday because we REALLY need it.  There's been so much going on at home with my son Matt's "issues", hubby's nephew dying, the ongoing issues with the drug dealer anti-social pig that lives behind us and changes with our work, so ENOUGH already Universe.... pleeeese.
Well that's me done, needed to vent.  Hopefully we'll be boarding in a few minutes and we can put today behind us
I'll be back with a scheduled post on Saturday (not sure what the WiFi situation is/will be in NZ), until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Di's Digis Monochromatic Challenge and /or Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper; take your pick or do 'em both

Well time has flown AGAIN, and not in a good way AGAIN... but so I don't get a reputation for being a misery guts I'll leave it at that... until the end of the post at least, lol.  It does mean that I haven't had a lot of Crafting Time, so today's card is doing "double duty" as my DT card for the challenges starting today at Di's Digis Challenge - where the theme is Monochromatic - and Crafty Hazelnut's monthly Patterned Paper challenge

I wonder if you can guess what colour I chose for my Monochromatic card, lol.  I used papers from Kaisercraft's Lullaby collection, the white detail on the background paper is flocked - it feels really nice.  I used one of the "sets" of stripes from the other patterned paper to paper piece the shelf, I added some shading "under" and on the ends of the shelf to emphasize the 3D effect
The cuter than cute image is called Animal Shelf and it's available here
for only $2.50.  I coloured, as usual, with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, adding some Ranger Glossy Accents to the balloon and some Sakura Glaze pen to the noses.  I inked around the image panel with Kaisercraft Orchid ink. 
I used Papertake Weekly's Sketch #64 - I love symmetry :-) The lace is from my stash, as are the tiny buttons and pearls.  The Baby Girl dies cuts are Spellbinders, as is the "Congratulations" on the inside of the card.  I added a layer of Icicle Stickles to the die cuts... I was going to heat emboss them with Bridal Tinsel EP, but did that to one of the "spare" die cuts I'd made and they were a different shade of pink... so in the interests of matching... they got the Stickles treattment.
That's it for today's card.  Really simple, best approach with a monochromatic card IMO, otherwise you spend (substitute "I spend") ages trying to match all the embellies.

Hope you get a chance to enter both Di's challenge and Hazel's... both have great prizes on offer - a nice paper pack from Hazel and Di has TWO sponsors; Crafters Companion UK and SVG Attic...also don't forget if you use one of Di's images - one of her digis or a Candibean stamp - you go into an extra draw with an additional prize of two digis.  That cant' be bad can it?
Pop over to  Di's Digis Challenge and Crafty Hazelnut's monthly Patterned Paper challenge and check out the rest of the DT's work... I'm sure you'll find it very inspiring :-) 
I'll be entering my card in the following challenges: 

The Crazy Challenge Monochromatic

Crafty Creations Use Four of Something (four critters, four buttons)

Gem of a Challenge Animals or Birds

Crazy 4 Challenges Include a Critter

As You Like It Fur or Feathers (Fur… I love colourful birds, but fur is FURRY :-)

Papertake Weekly Take Your Pick (Sketch, Product Lace

Paper Creator Crafts Dies or Punches

Hanna and Friends Lace and Pearls (four little pearls inside)

Cutie Pie Challenge Cute as a Button (four tiny ones)

OSAAT Anything Goes with Children

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Anything Goes

Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes
Well I've managed to get this post out, bit later in the day than anticipated as we've been babysitting the kids again while their poor parents try and reassemble their house.  They moved back in on Monday after staying the weekend with us (their nine weeks having turned to 14 weeks meant their "holiday house" was no longer available)  but it's a long way from finished: The carpets got wrecked during removal, half have been replaced the rest come on the 12th August, the blinds also got wrecked during storage so they're being replaced not sure when, the main bathroom floor = wrecked during the plaster replacement fiasco, that's getting redone "whenever", the walls in the bathroom have to be redone, the spa same, the bench in the ensuite same.... on and on it goes. Stressful doesn't START to describe it.  and 104 boxes to be sorted, they were stored by the removal company but some got damp, some got dusty (how you can manage both I've no idea!) so a lot of washing of linen's been going on there and here.
My chest infection (while not unusual, I'm asthmatic and do get one most winters, though not at all for the last couple of years) just won't go.  It's been draining.  I changed from Windows to Mac for my business, had the hard drive fail (after I'd uploaded and sorted all my data, of course) downloaded Office 2016 for Mac onto the new hard drive - disastrous at this stage, no functionality and crashing constantly, then couldn't get the old version back - I spent over 50 hours THIS WEEK, trying to resolve (mainly email) issues, finally got the clunky-by-comparison-to-Windows-but-OH-so-much-better-than-the-new-version of Office back on my machine, and access to all my contacts back.  Let me tell you, when I just signed in to my laptop and they're pushing hard for me to take up Windows 10, I couldn't hit the "not now" button hard or fast enough
Everyone send a wish that things get boring for Donna, ta
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Summer Fun

Well it's not Summer here, and I haven't been having a great deal of Fun... but that's the theme of the new Challenge starting today at Di's Digis Challenge Blog, so I'm going with it :-)  BTW, this is a loooongggg post!

The time has so got away from me that it was Thursday midnight before I remembered that the challenge was starting today... didn't leave me a whole lot of time but there's always enough time for an easel card I reckon, lol.  Luckily this image "Butterfly Fairy", available here, was sitting printed and ready to colour so she's "it"!  Allsorts Challenges has Fairies and Crafty Creations has Things With Wings for their challenge, so I'm entering there.

Bearly Mine Challenges wants us to go digital, easy peasy, and Delightful Challenges wants us to use our Favourite Things, that would be digital images and nice fresh papers ... ooh, and Copics; which I coloured with, adding lashings of Ranger Bridal Tinsel embossing powder to her wings - and to the little butterfly that I painstakingly cut an extra wing for to give extra dimension... and it hardly shows, lol. Corrosive Challenge wants us to use our Favourite Colouring Medium (Copics) so I'm in while Hobbycutz and Sweet Stampin' want to see Pink, so in there too :-)  
The papers are from Kaisercraft's Fine and Sunny collection, nice and Summery, he he; I'm entering  Little Red Wagon, My Mums Craft Shop and Crafty Little Fairies Summer Challenges as well as Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.  
The white mats are cut with Spellbinders Floral Ovals, using glittered cardstock, the blue cardstock is from my stash.
I followed the fab sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, and paper pieced and popped up on foam dots the clouds in the top right corner to fit with the sketch, sorta kinda, lol.  I added Stickles to the one cloud, it's nearly the same as the EP. Bunny Zoes Crafts want to see our Layers, here's mine :-)   
The flowers are from the Ribbon Girl and Mulberry Crafts, the organza ribbon is from my stash, I smothered a piece of Card Candi in Stickles and added it to the centre. Divas by Design, Paper Crafting Journey  and Craft Your Passion have Ribbons and/or Flowers challenges so I'm entering them.
The inside uses more of the Fine and Sunny paper and the strip at the top was one of the die cuts that came in the pad. The sentiment is computer generated, if you'd like it grab it here or from my freebies page, don't forget to click on it to open before downloading to give a better version :-)
Tuesday Throwdown, Paper Creator Crafts, That Craft Place, Through the Craftroom Door, Papertake Weekly, Aud Sentiments and Catch The Bug all have Anything Goes Challenges running so I'm entering them too.
That's it for today's card, check out the rest of the Design Team's work, fab as always, and I hope you get to join in the challenge with a great prize from the Cutting Café 
I seriously promise to be back soon with one of the cards from my drafts - though I have made my first crossover card and I'm so pleased with it that it may jump the queue, lol

Talking of Crossovers, one of the things that has taken up my time, along with continuing health issues, (sick babies not just me, lol) and it being the end of the Financial Year (every Bookkeeper's stressful time) is MY NEW CAR. Here's a "few" pics taken at the car yard before the plates ... oh, and the sidesteps - I am short and the car is not, lol - were put on

Now, I should say at this point, that as mentioned in a post some time ago, new car not my idea!  Hubby has been angling for a new car for me (he got one in May!) for two YEARS.  Mine was 10 years old, but only has 77000 km on the clock, and is immaculate; it sits sad and neglected pending sale on our spare driveway, poor thing.  I've got to say, the new one is pretty spiff.  

This is my first ever new car, it has all the fruit; leather interior,  panaromic sunroof, Sat Nav, Blue Tooth  and so on... all I've got to do is learn how to use it all, lol!  and it's a dream to drive.  I am, despite myself EXCITED!!  We got a 7 seater so we can take the family out with us - but as the booster seats have to go in the middle row, it's short straws for the third row, lol.  It's a toss up between the short (my folks) who fit better and the fit (my sons and DIL) who can actually get in easier!!  We haven't even got baby seats yet, so no rush for straws, lol.

That's 10 km on the clock... just over 5 miles!!!

How lucky am I... and maybe now I won't be getting dragged around car yards every weekend, lol
Anyway, I really will be back in a few days, until then Happy Crafting, Donna