Lost LIMs

I'm rubbish, I admit it. I spend half my Saturdays annoying my DH by constantly logging on to the Less Is More blog to see whether they've updated it with the new challenge yet, then I fidget around all weekend until I have time to myself to make my card(s), and then.... life overtakes and I forget to post the dratted things. That's the second time that's happened. Or is it the third? Could it possibly coincide with visitors? Anyway. This week I'm posting this week's LIM challenge (a sketch) AND last week's, to prove I really did do it.

Last week's monogram cards: an anniversary and two birthdays. I used a stencil and Stickles to get the lettering perfect. How about that! I didn't expect it to work, but doesn't it look impressive? The corners are from an EK Success punch, and the dies are Spellbinders hearts and a Cuttlebug one.

And now, because I know you've had to read through all that fluff to get to the point of why you're here.... Ho Ho Ho!

And a close-up, because my camera angle really could have been better...

I used the LIM sketch, and I've made 6 (and an extra one because I had the bits left over) for Fab's Big Christmas Cards Challenge. June's challenge is 6 cards centred around the sentiment, and I'm fully intending to go back and do January through to April as well. When life lets me.

My next life distractions include typing up the minutes from a particularly traumatic church AGM, a PCC meeting (more minutes), and starting a singing group at church. This last is losing me sleep. I serve, I don't lead. I'm a singer, not a conductor or director. I can play the guitar but not the organ, and we don't have an accompanist. We also haven't got any songbooks yet, or not any with black dots in them - only one or two with the words. Several of the singers can only attend half the practises, mostly at different times from each other. Some want a late practise after work and others only go out during daylight. Most only want to sing traditional hymns - and the priest only knows contemporary stuff. Aaaaaaaargh the trials and tribulations of the don't-wanna-be choir director........

Our first meeting/rehearsal is next week. If you could spare a little prayer that this will be a success, I'm sure we would all much appreciate it. Especially me. Thank you!

Visitors

I've been so lucky this month. We had A and S come to stay with us, and I had the fun of taking them around the area and seeing things with them which I wouldn't normally see, as well as our favourites from MIL's and FIL's trip again. I mean, is it possible to get tired of cuddling kangaroos, smoothing koalas and quokka-hunting?

A and S are so easy to entertain. They appreciated my cooking, helped with the washing up and were interested in everything. We enjoyed some wonderful meals and discovered alcohol-removed and sulphate-free wine - not in the same bottle! They stayed for a week, then they spent a week away flying to Uluru, getting the coach to Alice Springs and the Ghan train to Adelaide, before flying back to us for a final few days. Here are some photos from their trip.

No this isn't them! This is a quokka on Rottnest Island. All the others were snoozing in the sun, but this little chap was very alert. He came right up to me and sniffed my hand. He had a cold nose.

Aaaaaah! Look at the fluff on her! She was the well-behaved one. Karen, on the other hand, kept trying to run off with the children and caused the volunteer keepers a lot of angst. They ended up calling Steve the koala man to rescue them. When he arrived, with a big grin on his face, she ran up his legs and sat on his hip like a small child - she just wanted a cuddle, bless her. Our little model here just sat serenely and watched all the commotion from her tree, calm as (as they say around here). I think A wanted to take her home with him.

It's a hard life being a mum. Her joey is having a drink from inside the pouch, and mum is just resting on her teen's back. I could be a kangaroo, I think.

Here is A! "Ugh. I'm scared." (Check out that smile though.)

I took them to Fremantle prison.

S and her camera.

Aha. That's what she's immortalising: Perth by night, how beautiful. And much better than my blurred, wonky balanced-on-a-bird-poo-topped-post effort.

Us all at the Silver Spoon, our favourite local restaurant, for our second visit with them. Always worth a dessert shot. I have candy-floss in a wine-glass, with Turkish delight and rose granita. Not easy to eat but worth every sticky hair and eyelash.

Thanks for a wonderful time both of you! Come again!

2 cards

I had a productive day today. After checking the weather forecast yesterday, I spent all day doing laundry. It was just as well I did, because to my surprise it was actually right - today it tipped down practically all day! It was dark, damp, cold and dreary - perfect weather for card-making. Of course I got the church work done first, but I managed these two before tea.

This is Willow from Whiff of Joy with her shopping. She is coloured with Copics and Stickles in blue, purple and silver (Colour Create's challenge), decorated with lace (Bizzy Becs store challenge), pins and pearls for Cute Card Thursday and set in a sketch from Sketch Saturday. I used paper from Basic Grey's Wisteria collection.

Basic Grey's challenge is to use pink, lime and brown, so I've used papers from the Lemonade collection. Charisma Cardz want to see an age, House Mouse and Friends want jewels so I hope these little dew drops filled with Stickles count, Simon Says Stamp's subject is "fruity", Truly Scrumptious want "summer sparkle" (it's COVERED with Stickles in Coffee Ice and Cinnamon) and I've used the same sketch from Sketch Saturday as before - I rather like it!

Mmmmm.....

I love the smell of freshly-delivered, freshly-opened Basic Grey papers in the morning...

My ScrapJazz NSBD prize has arrived from the US - so exciting. Thank you Mary for saving me SJ shipping by repackaging it and sending it by regular post for me. And thank you even more for including extra goodies in the parcel! What a wonderful thing to do. If you're reading this, let me have your Skype details so you can tell me what to do with those springy things? Haha.

Last week we had friends staying with us, and now they have gone off to see Uluru, Alice Springs, and Adelaide on the Ghan before stopping off for a final couple of days with us, then heading back to the UK. We had a lovely week, really packing in the sight-seeing and tourist stuff - I think they're looking forward to a rest now. I'm having a laundry and crafty day, and loving it.

I started this little card last night, but the light was... well, rented house kinda electric light, so it had to wait until daylight to be finished. The Less Is More ladies have challenged us to a one-layered card with a frame around the stamp. I know we're supposed to use minimal embellishments, so I hope the frame made of gems isn't over-doing it. It looks pretty minimal to me. I used the gems because House Mouse and Friends want jewels for their challenge, and Creative Card Crew's subject is "wings".

Father's Day

When I had a friend over to teach her how I recycle candles, she brought me a little spanner charm that she's found somewhere. So kind of her, and it's perfect for my Father's Day card for FIL for these challenges:

Less Is More: monochrome
Simon Says Stamp: masculine
Stampavie: more than one fold

I used my Spellbinders hearts dies, silver Stickles, Bazzill polka dots card-stock and silver card scraps, my Crop-a-dile and silver journalling pen. And the spanner!