"BUDDY'S CHALLENGE"

{Sketch Saturday Challenge}

The very talented Kath's 4-legged companion, the golden deliciousness, His Lordship Laurence celebrates his 21st doggy birthday today and has hijacked his Mam's blog to host a little challenge of his own ....

"Hi Everybody......it's BUDDY or you may know me better as "THE BUDSTER" ....now aren't you surprised....bet you didn't know that dogs can blog just like all you lovely crafters....well I am a little bit fed up of my Mum hogging this blog all the time....it's all cards and crafty stuff....well how boring is that......so I think it's time that we all had a little bit of doggy fun. What my Mum doesn't know is that all her lovely followers only visit to catch a glimpse of me....well I can't help being such a handsome devil can I. Always up for a bit of fun and good old fashioned mischief.....so here's what I've got in mind.......I am going to be in so much trouble for this ...but what's new....so in for a penny... in for a pound. I have a birthday coming up.....will be 3 on Tuesday.....but for us doggy chaps....well it's a bit of a special one.....21 in doggy years.....and you know what....I will probably get one card from Mum & Dad and a load of stupid squeaky stuff....so just to prove to My Mum what a popular fella I am......I am setting you all a bit of a challenge......make me a card for my birthday......now you don't need to post it because that poor postie chap must be fed up delivering stuff here.....just leave a comment here with a link to your card.....see I have been listening to all this bloggy jargon.....and then I can come visit you. Now I know that all these challengy things give out prizes.....well cheapskate I ain't......so there will be a bumper prize for my favourite card......the cubbyhole queen doesn't know it yet.....but her stash is definitely going to be a good bit lighter....you wouldn't believe the stuff in there.....hardly room for me to rest my handsome head....and when I do manage to get a bit of shut eye.....I end up covered in those little white squares...blighters of things...they get everywhere. I have hatched a cunning plan to get the prize to the lucky winner....I am thinking that nice postie chap might help me out....if I promise not to chase him again and I know what you're thinking.....gee this dog just ain't a pretty face.Well what you waiting for.....can't wait to see some birthday cards.......the deadline is Sunday 5th July at noon GMT......well off to get the old head down and have a snooze....who would have believed how tiring this blogging malarkey can be.BIG DOGGY CUDDLES AND KISSES "BUDDY"and that's another bone of contention.....that reminds me where did I leave that bone...why does she insist on calling me "THE BUDSTER".....my proper name is "HIS LORDSHIP LAURENCE"but no need to stand on ceremony....you don't have to bow or curtsey....just crack on with the card."

So I took His Lordship up on his challenge and created this little birthday card for him. Buddy I do hope you like your birthday card all the way here from the Southern tip of Africa. I am sure you all agree that Buddy is a serious contender for eye candy of the year.

I also need to request a huge favour from you Buddy ... please could you email me your postal address so that I can pop the real McCoy in the post for you and just may be you can have a real sniff and lick at your South African birthday card.

I have also entered Buddy's card for the current Sketch Saturday challenge, hope you don't mind Buddy.

Thanks again for all your lovely comments and your friendly visits.

TODAY IS THE DAY ...

{DDCC: A sketch by Cathy + Stamp Something: Embellished Somethings}

At last I am a step ahead again with my Design Team work for the Dutch Dare Card Challenge. Next week's challenge 55 is a sketch by the talented Cathy. As I have said before, a sketch is such a great way of getting that Mojo in action. I inked up my Chiswick acrylic clock stamp set for the first time and I am quite surprised at the stamped results. Never thought it would look anything close to this. The cardstocks are my usual BG favourites. The four foam black corners and cork sentiment are from my stash.

The challenge this week over at Stamp Something is Embellished Somethings and the photo turns and brads should qualify this creation for it.

We had a little bit of drama today as the pipe linked to our irrigation system sprung a leak. Water was spurting at a steady flow out of the wall and we had to switch the water off for most of the day. We called out The Drain Surgeon who arrived the same time as the start of the big British Lions/Springbok test at Loftus (yippee, the Boks won!! Bokke Bo). They left just before 5pm and managed to saw off the old elbow joint which caused the leak and replaced it with a new elbow, but only after knocking a biggish whole in our nicely painted and plastered house wall. But at least the problem is fixed and I can now start catching up on my 2 litres of water I need to down daily ... lots of visits to you know where, coming up. I can really recommend The Drain Surgeon for a job well done.

Its still on the coldish side here in Gauteng with the under floor heating, heaters and electric blanket working over time. But we much prefer very cold winters to those uncomfortable sticky hot summers.

Did an hour spinning class early this morning and feel quite energised, apart from one or two soar leg muscles. Off to another yoga session tomorrow morning. I did my toughest yoga class, Friday a week ago and ended up with bruised elbows and very soar arm muscles. There were loads of shoulder and head stands in the class which I seriously struggled with ... and there I thought us humans are built for walking on our feet and not standing on our heads ... must have had it wrong all along ...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and remember to relax as well. Thanks everyone for once again taking the time to pop in here and for all your uplifting comments.

A WINNING FRIDAY!!

Once again, I just can't believe my luck. When I opened my emails this morning, there was a comment from Katie Renz on my latest card with the Iris Folding triangle design and Katie also informed me that I was this week's challenge winner over at Stamp Something. Thank you Katie (Design Team member for Stamp Something) for being my eye witness out there in blog land.

And the set of four stamps below, sponsored by Katie from Paper Makeup Stamps, was my prize. A huge thank you once again to Katie being so generous with the prize and to the Design Team of Stamp Something for hosting such versatile challenges each week.

Now, I just can't wait for Mr Postman to pop by with the delivery.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. May all you South Africans keep snug and warm, as seriously cold weather is already setting in and are forecasted for the rest of the weekend. Thanks again for all your inspiring comments.

LIFE'S GOOD with TRIANGLES

{DDCC Design Team Project + Stamp Something + ABC Challenge}

Okay, by now you all no my weekly drill of completing my Dutch Dare Card Challenge design team project. This week the theme is to create a triangle card. I probably haven't interpreted the challenge 100%, but I thought that my triangle iris folding design would be suitable. The triangle shape is probably the easiest iris folding design shape I have done thus far. I really enjoyed creating this iris folding project and would probably use the triangle iris folding design much more in future.

I am also entering this card into this week's challenge over at Stamp Something where the challenge this week is to create a card with black, white and one other colour. My one other colour is grey. The card's colours are actually true black and white and I apologise for the slightly yellow tint in the photos, but at least you are getting the idea ... I hope ... Then I am also entering this creation into this week's ABC Challenge's Two Tone theme.

Below is a photo or two of the nectar bottle I was telling you all about in a few posts back. The nectar drinking birdies just love this bottle filled with one third brown sugar and two thirds water. The winged tribe definitely like their drink shaken and not stirred, so just shake the sugar and water thoroughly in the bottle until all the sugar has dissolved. Once they have discovered it in your garden, they probably take just over one week to finish it. As I have mentioned before, I purchased this bottle at our local pet shop. There are colourful beads adhered to the wire holder which probably is giving locals new job opportunities.

Off to start with my latest commission for 40 wedding card invitations. Then there is also 80 pillow gift boxes for the tables ... seems like these pillow boxes just can't stop haunting me in their numbers galore.

Thank you once again for all your lovely comments. I know there are quite a few of DL's regular followers that still struggle to access the site and I am sure Mr Blogger is still slaving away at fixing this problems. So thanks for all your patience.

{Saturday, 13 June 2009}

I left Johannesburg from Oliver Tambo Airport, Thursday morning, in cold rainy weather and arrived in Durban stepping off the plane into summer weather, but thats Durbs for you. Doing Life's (DL) trustworthy Jack of all Trades duly collected me at the airport with her car already packed to the brim with DL boxes of supplies, leaving just enough space to fit my nearly 30kg suitcase onto the backseat.

No, its not a typo, my suitcase really weighed 29+ kgs and when putting the suitcase onto the scale at the check-in at OR Thambo, the attendant asked me to step of the scale and I responded by saying that I am off the scale. Her eyes stretched as she realised that the suitcase really weighed that much. She gave me a slip with the weight noted and said that I need to go to Kulula's sales counter after check-in to pay R200+ for being over 22kg.

At the check-in counter I duly informed the attendant that I am aware of my luggage overweight and will go and pay for it. No, he says, seeing that you don't have any hand luggage, i will quickly go and check with my manager whether its okay. So after a few minutes he returned and friendly stated that there's no need to pay for the excess weight. Well, needless to say, he nearly got a big hug from me. Now isn't that service for you. Well done Kalula and keep up your excellent client service and may you be a leading example to SAA!

Michelle dropped me and all the DL boxes of stock at the Inn Afrika B&B in Kloof and returned to AlexanderCox Attorneys to complete her afternoon shift. I settled into my room and lazed around for the rest of the afternoon just vegetating and completing a few Soduko puzzles (there's a real addiction here). Michelle and Dereck collected me just before 7pm for supper at Oscars in Hillcrest ... I can really recommend their starter Vegetarian Stack ... very yummy. After supper we went to watch a show at the Heritage Theatre just across the road from Oscars.

Got to bed just before 12 midnight just to get woken by my cell phone alarm at 5:30am on Friday morning. Had breakfast at 6:30am after which Michelle picked me up for our facials and peddis with a beauty salon at the Heritage Market in Hillcrest at 8am. Once again DL's boxes of stock was reloaded into the car. Must say that his was definitely the best facial and peddi I have ever had. The peddi was so relaxing sitting on a bed with a cup of tea in hand and a stunning view over a gorgeous valley through huge glass walls in front of you. So if you are a local resident in Kloof/Hillcrest, treat yourself to a couple of hours of relaxation and pampering at the Heritage Retreat. Thanks Michelle for schlepping me along, it was well worth it.

After our pamper session we set off for Makaranga Garden Lodge where the boxes were off-loaded at the conference venue and we started setting up just before 11am and only finished just after 8pm. Michelle took me back to Inn Afrika where we had a quick night cap in my room before she left for home. No time was wasted and I promptly got into bed for a good nights recharging and rose at 5:00am on Saturday (the big day). Had a cup of tea and yoghurt and Michelle's taxi service collected me at 6:30am.

Above, the prizes beautifully wrapped by a very talented Michelle.

Then there were of course the tradition of crowning a Speed Queen at each DL Scrapaganza which this year was the ever so speedy and elegant Tracey Meikle who won apart from a very painful tennis elbow. Congrats Tracey on being the 4th DL Speed Queen.

The grand prize was determined by guessing how many brads there were in a sealed bottle and the worthy winner who had the nearest guess was Linda Stuart. Linda I hope you enjoy creating with your new tool and all the brads.

Spot prizes were determined by balloons with messages inside containing smiley or frowning faces ... of course the smiley face meaning a prize is on the cards.

Then there was the Best Pink & Black Dresser of the day which was won by a very elegant, classy and chirpy Libby Houreau. I must say those, pink roses were to die for as the infamous David would discover during the course of the afternoon!

No comment on the above censored scenes. But hey thats just a natural reaction when there is only one available male amongste nearly 40 females!

At the conference venue we just got a few minor things in place. The first delegates pitched just before 7am, very excited, eager, dressed in pink and black and dashing to reserve the best seat, after which the Doing Life shop was frequented. As the girls arrived, slowly but surely the noise level rose as everyone was catching up with each other on all the happenings since they last saw each other six months ago at the previous DL Scrapaganza. A cup of coffee and a muffin was also enjoyed before the girls took their seats and waited for the excitement to start.

Yours truly started off the Scrapaganza with a few welcoming words and of course Michelle reading her Ode, which has also become one of the DL Scrapaganza traditions. I followed on with a few explanations on all the competions running throughout the day and then got everyone going with the first layout of the day which was the Destiny Layout.

The buffet lunch was once again seriously delicious. The food ranged from yummy vegetable soup to a seafood/cold meat/salad bar, to warm meats and healthy veggies. And last, but not least, the yummylicious dessert station. Once again my personal favourite, the lemon meringue pie was delicious as well as the black cherry trifle and apple crumble pie. Naturally the healthy fruit salad option did not get much support.

After a creatively productive day, the last delegate left at 5pm. Michelle and me then promptly started stock taking the shop's supplies, packed everything in boxes again, carried everything up a flight of steps and then finally loaded the remaining DL stock into Michelle's transport service. We then had a light dinner at Makaranga after which my personal taxi service dropped me at my B&B just before 10pm.

Michelle thank you for all your unselfish, friendly support ... without you a DL Scrapaganza will not be a reality. I also would like to take this opportunity to wish Michelle a happy birthday for Monday, 15 June and HUGE congratulaionts on her and Dereck's 25th Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday, 16 June. May the next 25 years be even more special than the first. Above is Shelley with the Anniversary cake she baked and decorated for Michelle. Below, of course is madam Michelle herself admiring her cake.

I spent Sunday vegetating again at the Inn Afrika B&B, but did get round to using their local computer station and internet to write this post. Michelle collected me just after 2pm for a quick visit with Shelley who was house sitting a friends home and then also collected her beautiful cake. I flew back on Monday and got home just before lunch, quite tired, but very relieved that the Scrapaganza ran smoothly. A huge thank you to all of you girls attending and helping to make it a funfilled day.

We are weighing in with the dietician tomorrow morning, after another month following our eating plan, its been three months now. So hold thumbs that I am at least a few grams lighter and not heavier. Conroy has been doing well with our eating plan and has lost 17kg since January 2008, so yours truly's cooking methods and ingredients are doing the trick.