Today's the day! A new release and a blog hop!!!

  Hi! I'm so glad you could make it. Did you arrive from the Peachy Keen blog? Great!
'Coz if you are taking part in the hop, that is where you need to start.

What a frantic couple of days it's been!! The blog hop was a last minute decision. It's very late in the making, so please allow us a little slack if there's a bit of a glitch here and there. (It will be here if anywhere, I'm good at glitches)! LOL

If you didn't visit Peachy Keen first, I can reveal the most precious stamp set in the whole wide world here..................

PK-277,Vivienne and Friends 

Isn't it just FABULOUS!

I was delighted at the new set just because it's SO cute, but when I saw the name, I just cried!

Then I cried again when I found out that it was for all the stuff I'd had going on over the past 6 months.
(If you don't know, I lost my mum on 9th December. Her funeral was 21st December. We didn't bother with much of a Christmas. Spent January sorting mum's estate out. Had my mammogram in February. Was recalled and told I had breast cancer. Admitted to hospital on 25th March. Lump removed and had re-constructive surgery to both breasts. Am at present attending Christie hospital in Manchester daily, for radiotherapy. It's been a gruesome 6 months and Kathy has wiped all the bad from those months with this act of total friendship. I couldn't feel more honoured, or valued if I'd won an Oscar!!! I actually couldn't feel any better if I HAD!!!

What a fabulous gift to lift my spirits after the worse 6 months EVVAH!!! I can't hope to repay such kindness.
(The little fur baby, is based on my dog Harvey)!!! Ha Ha!  You can see him at the top of my blog.
When I was 'helping' Kathy tweak the images, I had no idea what she and the other girls were scheming and I will be forever grateful to them all for this privilege.

 If you would like to win this brand new Peachy Keen set, all you have to do, is leave me a comment telling me which of these three cards is your favourite. 

(I couldn't ink this set up fast enough when it dropped onto my mat and then I couldn't stop)!!

No 1

No 2

Or

No 3

 I will keep the competition going until Friday midnight GMT, (6pm CST) and I will announce a winner on Saturday.

Here is the order of the hop.........
Peachy Keen
Me
Lorie
Janice
Nikki
Emma
Heidi
Samantha
Lisa
Angelica
(Our lovely Sonia is in the process of moving house, so can't join us today).
Every card the girls made for this hop is totally STUNNING!!! I can't WAIT for you to see them all.

Make sure you visit ALL the blogs, as there are prizes on offer on some of the blogs and we wouldn't want you to miss the chance of a prize!!
 Your next stop is  LORIE. Go see her fab creations!!!

Good luck and have fun!!!
Viv xxx

It's time for Sneaky peek #2!

You are doing well at guessing what's in store for you!!
Can you guess this one?.........................

Or this one?................

Oooh, Can't wait to show you tomorrow!!!
That's all the tantalising you're going to get from me today girls but look HERE on Kathy's page at Peachy Keen......I hadn't got a CLUE!!! What a fabulous friend she is and her family is just as lovely.

SEE YOU TOMORROW!!

 Viv xxx

Oh BOY! Have Peachy Keen got a treat for you!

I don't know where to start with this story!! Ha Ha.
I've had a rubbish 6 months as most of you know. Losing my Mum just before Christmas.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer in February and am still undergoing treatment at present.
Not the best of times, but it could be worse.
BUT IT COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER, 'COZ I'VE GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU!
(Well it was a surprise for ME too). I have been paid the biggest compliment EVVAH!!!
I'll say no more for now, but I WILL tell you........Peachy Keen are about to release a brand new stamp set. Ok, they do that a lot, so what's the big deal this time? Well I'll tell ya........ON TUESDAY!!
Yep! I'm a horrible person for keeping you in suspense. LOL
I'm not going to tell you any more for now, but here's a sneak peek....

Does anything in this picture remind you of anyone?........Hee Hee  

I will tantalise you with another Sneaky peek tomorrow and on TUESDAY, all will be revealed both here and at Peachy Keen when you will see this whole fabulous set! (I will be giving one away as blog candy too). Whoo Hoo! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the next sneaky peek!

Bye for now!
Viv xxx

It's a glittery Fun Friday!!

OOH! we're all glittery and blingy today at The Fairy Fun Fridays Challenge Blog!
It's week 23 and the Challenge is...Glitz and Glitter! Music to many a girl's ears when it comes to card making!
Here's my sample......

 I added Stickles everywhere! I sprayed the roses with silver glitter spray and poured it onto the swirls on the Basic Grey DP. I coloured my gorgeous sitting fairy with Copics. She's called 'Little Lady' and is available to purchase HERE.Isn't she lovely all Stickled and glittery. I added some gems to the Nestie I used to frame her and popped one on the middle of the ribbon for balance.

Please hurry over to the Fairy Fun Fridays blog and see the amazing creations that my mega talented fellow DT members have come up with. You'll be amazed at their gorgeousness.
Play along for the chance to win some of Roberta's fabulous digi images and you may also win a guest DT spot!

Whatever you decide to do.....HAVE FUN!!!
Thanks for calling by
Viv xxx

Peachy Keen Challenge 30

This time the challenge is to MAKE A SHADOW BOX.
When Angelica told us what the challenge was, I was flummoxed 'coz I hadn't a CLUE how to do one!!
Hmmm, good old Google to the rescue! I Googled 'shadow box' and it came up with millions of ideas.
They all called for a proper frame and although I do have some, they were pretty inaccessible at the time, so weren't an option. There was only one thing for it.....make a box, glue it shut and cut the middle out.
Here's the result........

I used the side step card as the template for my 'scene'...(without the bit at the side).
For the main image, I used 'PK-210 Natalee'. The gorgeous 'daisies' are from PK-240 Say it with flowers', (One of my favourite sets). Not forgetting the 'sun', PK-M16, You are my sunshine.
The cloud background is a print out by Pink Petticoat.
I made the 'grass with my Martha Stewart punch and stuck it onto the first fold in front of Natalee. The border around the front of the aperture is also a MS punch, my latest fave, the little flowers. The branch is a McGill punch that's almost identical to the MS one. Not forgetting the picket fence MS punch at the back. The flowers in the corner were made with  X-cut retro daisy punches finished with a brad in the centre.
I had thought I wouldn't be able to rise to this challenge, but I reckon I did.
Please run to the Peachy Keen challenge blog for all the details and 'have a go'! There are two a fab prizes on offer , (as always) and you'll see the most amazing creations by my MEGA clever DT buddies.
I really enjoyed making this shadow box and I'm quite proud of it too.

Thanks for calling by
Viv xxx

It's Father's Day at Cards for Men......

 Well actually, it's the latest challenge...'Father's Day.
Here's what I came up with......

Aren't these little Whimsie Doodles whales the CUTEST!!!!
(The image was free for members of the WD group, over at Paper Craft Planet).

The challenge this week is being sponsored by .........

Who have kindly donated a prize of this Dina Dragon polymer stamp.

Now, we know how good you all are at men's cards now, so Father's Day should be a walk in the park for all you talented ladies out there. Get creating and join us in the challenge! You know you want to.

Hope on over to the Cards For Men Challenge Blog and see the amazing samples done by my totally clever fellow DT members. (You can get all the details while you're there too)!

Have fun!!

Thanks for calling by,
Viv xxx

Challenge 22 at Fairy Fun Fridays

Hi Everyone!
Yet again, Friday has whizzed round and it's time for the latest challenge over at Fairy Fun Fridays.
This week's challenge is..... 'Decorate a bag'.

This posed a problem for me, 'coz I didn't have any bags! (Well actually, I DID have some paper bags, but I had never used them, so had a clear out, ARGHHHH)!! That'll teach me to never throw anything away.
So, thinking cap on Viv. 'Decorate a bag, WHAT bag! Haven't got a bag. YES I HAVE!!!
LOADS of cello bags for putting cards in!! So, I stretched the challenge a bit and actually used a bag more than decorate it.
(This actually worked out well for me, 'coz it's for someone who's been through the mill a bit lately health wise similar to me).

Here were are.......

 The fabulous digi image, part of the set 'Tea Time' is perfect for this.

Inside showing the cello bag containing some English tea bags.

 

I got the instructions off SCS HERE, as usual. I would be lost without that forum! I had to adapt the width to accommodate the cello bag, but otherwise, It's exactly the same. Just substituted treats for tea!
 Now just you wait and see what the other brilliant DT members have in store for you!! They did wonders with their bags. (Gotta get me some bags now I've seen how they did theirs)!!!
Hurry on over to the Fairy Fun Friday challenge blog and play along for a chance to win some delightful digi images. Or play just for fun! Whichever you do, have FUN!!

Thanks for calling by!
Viv xxx