I've been tagged!!!

I have been tagged for the very first time by my friend Angie at Pixieland http://craftypixiedust.blogspot.com/ and been given this wonderful award.





The "rules" are as follows:-


1) You have to pick 5 blogs who 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 have the name of the author and also a link to the blog to be visited by everyone.

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

4) Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "arte y pico" blog (linked in my title) so everyone will know the origin of this award. (Cut and paste the info into your blog to make things easier)
Hmm.... now, who to choose.... I've omitted a couple of my favourite blogs as I know they're busy ladies and prefer not to be tagged, but as I've got more than five favourites this is not a problem! So I choose the following (just click on their names to be taken to their blogs)

CraftyC's Crafting Library - http://clairebsd.blogspot.com/
Lazy Trout - http://lazy-trout.blogspot.com/
Leigh's Little Blog - http://leighslittleblog.blogspot.com/
Nikki's Cards and News - http://nikkiscardsandnews.blogspot.com/
Challenge Addict - http://challengeaddict.blogspot.com/

NOT a crafty post

Well I WAS going to blog a couple of cards, but quite honestly the scans were so bad that I couldn't bring myself to share them.

However, I thought I would share a couple of pics of my "girlies", my two standard poodles Molly and Lulu.

Here is Molly.




If ever there was a grumpy old woman of the dog world, Molly is it!

She hasn't grown more grumpy with age............she was like that as a puppy. She likes her own company, and playing with balls. She would fetch a ball until she expired! She is loving and loyal, and we love her to bits.


Here is Lulu.




She is quite obviously the pretty one, but to say that she is the bimbo of the dog world is to insult bimbos.

She is just SO sweet natured, she doesn't have a bad bone in her body.

But she has no brains either!!! But her sweet nature makes up for it.

Molly is the boss of the two,and Lulu doesn't mind.

They have both adapted well to life in Spain, and we wouldn't be without them for the world.

And finally here they are together, you can see who rules the roost can't you?




I'm off now to make some cards..........hopefully

I am a VERY bad blogger!

I can't belive how long it is since I last blogged!
My life is so full just recently that taking time out to update this blog has just fallen out of the equation.

I had the MOST wonderful few days with my darling daughter Sally in the UK. We did a girly road trip from Bedford to the place we were both born, Stoke-On-Trent.
We went around old haunts where we used to go riding, and had a lovely visit with my Aunt Dorothy, who at 84 has more energy than I have at the moment. My cousin Jeff was also there, (I haven't seen him for a good few years,) with his lovely daughter Sarah. We had a really good time.

We then drove up to Manchester where we had tickets for a Westlife concert.......that was great.

In my absence I have also been making quite a few cards for orders.

I'll post a few now and the others later.

Here is one of my favourites.



I am sorry for the poor scan. This card was my first using my new Nestabilities dies, and uses a Shabby Princess image (Spring Breeze really HAS to be my favourite!)on lilac pearlescent card, matted onto Bazzill cardstock. It is enhanced with lovely lilac pearl hearts.

Another one using the same Shabby Princess images was for a ruby wedding.

Here's the outside.


I used my Cuttlebug folder on pearlescent card, and cut the Sizzix hearts on the "bug" too.

Here's the inside:-



I really love lilac ..........can you tell?

My last card for now is using a Sugar Nellie stamp.


She is watercoloured and has some Sakura sparkle on her cardigan. The papers are Making Memories, flowers are by Prima, and the ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis

Must fly now............am giving a Spanish lesson to two friends.

A Few new cards and a bit of news

I have been fairly busy with card orders recently, and only now am finding time to blog them

The first is a special "concertina" card, requested by a lady for her husband's 60th birthday. The brief was to use my Sugar Nellie Pirate, and somehow link it to a Ferrari!!!!

I decided on a pirate treasure hunt, and the results are below.






The papers are all free downloads from Monti's Pixel Playground, and I have used Sakura glitter pens and jewels to add a bit of texture.


My next two are for the same lady.

This one was for a Religious Easter card.





Again I have used a free download for the main image. The backing paper was "made" on my own PC.

The second one was for the lady's daughter, with an image of the family pet.





The pawprint background paper was again from Monti's Pixel playground.Fabulous site!!

I am going back to England on Friday for a "girly" long weekend with my lovely daughter Sally, who I miss terribly.

It is both our birthdays in March and our mutual gift to each other is going to a Westlife concert in Manchester, preceded by 2 days in Stoke, where we are both originally from.
We are going to mooch around old haunts, and visit my elderly aunt who is now on her own after 60 years of marriage, as my uncle is now ill and in a nursing home.

I'm also going to take some flowers to the final resting place of my mum, dad, and sister..........sure to be a bit emotional.

Then it's off up to Manchester for the concert ........woooooooooopeeeeeeee!!
followed by some retail therapy in Manchester.

I am really looking forward to it, but know I'll miss hubby terribly.

I'm back again!

Well I see it's over 2 weeks since I last blogged. This is mainly because I've been so busy.
I have 3 Spanish lessons myself per week, I am now giving basic Spanish lessons, and what with the dogs, house, card orders and DH to look after I've been a bit short on time.

However I have lots of cards to show, and gossip to impart.

Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary, and is a good time to take stock of life.

If anyone had told me 7 years ago that I would be married to a Puerto Rican lawyer, and retired in Spain I'd have had them committed.:-)

They say God moves in mysterious ways, and to that I would add, unthinkable and marvellous ones too. I thank Him every day for the blessings I have received. Life is not perfect, and still fraught with worries about one's children, but I trust God has it all in hand.

Here is the card I made for Frank for our Anniversary. The photo is from last year, and I matted it onto Bazzill cardstock, and just added Prima flowers. he loves it!!!



I will blog my card orders later as I have to rush now to get ready for our lunch out.

Back on Board

Well it's been a few days since I last blogged, but we've had guests since Wednesday. They have now returned to the UK but are coming out here to live permanently in March.

Have only made a couple of cards as time has been limited.

This one is an order for a guy who loves to sing karaoke and has just returned from a cruise where he sang a lot.



The image is from Cuddly Buddy, and is set on an image downloaded from Google, matted onto gold mirri, and black Bazill card.

I have added Sakura glitter pens to the curtains, and clothing.




This is another image from Cuddly Buddy (they are SO good for male cards) It's for a golf lover's 60th birthday. The backing papers are from the same Country Gents set, and again I've used gold mirri card............I think I use that when I have no other ideas... LOL.

Have 3 more orders to complete. Hopefully the mojo will not let me down.

More Challenge Cards

Well yesterday was a mixed bag. I woke with a migraine and had to cancel my (new) once a week Spanish conversation session with Cristina. Although the actual pain had gone by late afternoon, they always leave me feeling washed out mentally, and in no fit state to speak in Spanish for 1 hour+. So we rearranged it for today.

I did however manage to make 3 more cards for Shell's Card Challenge on Cardmaking Friends.

I am trying to economise, so wanted to use papers that were free, alongside my New Cuddly Buddy graphics.




and:-





Both of these cards use images from the Country Gents collection.

The first one also uses backing papers from the collection, and the second from the wonderful Shabby Princess. The sportsmen are matted onto gold mirri card which doesn't show up too well.

The next one again uses Shabby Princess papers, and a large Prima flower, with a Pink Petticoat sentiment.



I hope to make more today............I'll let you know!

All In A Days Work!!

Those of you who know me will know that we try to let out two of our rooms as a BnB - not had too many guests yet, but hope springs eternal.

I had planned to spend today (after the ironing) making cards, but a neighbour knocked on the door at midday to ask if a visiting artist could stay.

"When?" I asked.
"Tonight and the next two nights" she replied.

Well the room wasn't aired and I needed to give everywhere a thorough cleaning so at first I said I could only put her up for tomorrow and Tuesday.

However after a burst of energy, I had made up and aired the room by 4.30, so called her to say her friend could stay from tonight if she wished.

They turned up at 9.45, and to say the friend was well oiled would be putting it mildly.

We got her upstairs, in the hope she would fall asleep.

My neighbour left to fetch her luggage, and within 2 minutes I was entertaining the drunken lady in my living room. She wasn't going to sleep it off as I had thought.

Now, don't get me wrong, she is obviously a VERY nice lady, but I was concerned that she would break the glass lamps, vases etc, in her room, and, more to the point, fall down the 3 flights of stairs and hurt herself.

Ten minutes later my neighbour reappeared with a 6foot 6" Norwegian artist, who she said would "give her a good talking to, and put her straight"

To cut the story short, they took her away, apologising profusely for her behaviour.

I've lost out on 2 night's accomodation, but WHAT an experience.

Who'd be a landlady??

Needless to say I haven't made a single card. :-(

Sketch Challenge Cards

I belong to a lovely forum called Cardmaking Friends, and Shell (AKA Challenge Addict) very kindly sets us sketch challenges to get our mojo working.
I have to confess to not having done many lately, but now my card orders are done I have done two this afternoon.

The first one is for my very best friend in the whole world. You know, the sort of friend who has been through all your tough times with you ( and vice versa).
Anyway, my lovely friend Lynn had an horrific accident 10 days ago when skiing in Austria, and had to be airlifted from the mountain. She ruptured the ligaments in both knees, but one is so severe that she was operated on in Austria, and had to stay in hospital until she got a certificate saying she was fit to fly.

She occupied 3 seats on the flight and is now at home with the worst leg in a brace and unable to walk.
She faces much pain and many months of recuperation, so here is the card I made for her.



The papers and image are a download from Shabby Princess, matted onto Bazzill card.



The next card also has Shabby Princess papers with a Prima flower.



Apart from my cardmaking I have been to my Spanish class this morning.

My "profesora" is the sweetest lady I have ever met, Paloma, and is just so patient.
It is a joy to go to her classes. I also go to her privately once a week for a conversation class.
I just wish my Spanish was showing an improvement for so much effort!!

Sugar Nellies

At the moment my favourite stamps are Sugar Nellies from Funky Kits.

I had a recent order for 10 cards and the customer liked the cuteness of them.

Here are a few







The first card uses the Pirate stamp and a free download from Montispixel playground, with Stickles glitter glue on the palm trees and treasure chest.

The second uses the pirate again, on Making Memories Cheeky Emery papers, with Bazzill cardstock.
Watercolour pencils are Aquarel (only ones I could find in Spain.)
These Sugar Nellies will be dominating my cardmaking for some time to come I think.

Another stamp I love is Hamish.

Here he is with his tractor:-



I have used my Cuttlebug for the backing card.


and here in his kilt with his wee doggie:-







Do let me know if you love Nellie as much as I do.

My first post

Well I created this blog ages ago, and haven't yet blogged, and was reminded of this by my new friend Cristina, who seems to combine a full time job with so many other things, and still has time to post, that I felt almost ashamed not to be doing the same.

We have been up at 5am two days running to drive down to Alicante. Yesterday to try once more to get Frank's residencia sorted out, and today to take our best friends to the airport for a trip back to the UK. I am exhausted- walking the dogs at 6am is definitely not recommended!!!

I am very much lacking in motivation to do anything today, and for a few days past now.
Hopefully my mojo will return soon.

As soon as I have figured out how to do it, I will start posting piccies of my cards.