GRANNY SQUARE BLANKIE

195 Granny Squares Blankie


My December/January 2016 project i.e. a blankie for little Nina. 
I was introduced, in October last year, by a dear friend to a bi-weekly knitting and crochet craft group which was started by the lovely Linda and her daughter Julie.
It took some perseverance (seven weeks), but I managed to finish this granny square blankie with 195 squares, each square measuring 14x14cm. 
Fortunately it was finished for Nina's 2nd Birthday on 4 February 2016.

The blanket actually fits onto a queen side bed, but is for little Nina's room.
Nina's room's wooden floors are light grey and white, the cupboards are dark grey and the curtains white, so the blankie blends nicely into her colour scheme.

So here is Nina having fun on her new blankie.

... and here is Nina having fun with her two little friends, Ruan and Jordan
at her party ....

I would like to showcase this project here too:

PDE Linky Party - ATG

Thank you so much to the wonderful loving comments you always leave for me. 

Crafty Hugs

CHRISTMAS {Art by Mi Ran Showcase Blog}

{DT Project for Art by Miran}

Our theme for November is NON CHRISTMAS COLOURS.

One has to pinch oneself to realise it is already November 2014 with only a few to Christmas. Where has 2014 gone too?  But at least I managed to tick of another Christmas card, thanks to this cutie pie created by Mi Ran. She is called  ELFIE ELIZABETH.  Elfie looks like she is so excited to hand out those lovely gifts. Do yourself a favour and hop over to Mi Ran's Etsy shop and check out her awesome digi creations, here.  You can purchase ELFIE ELIZABETH here. 

The folded pin wheels have been created with scalloped square punches.  She has been coloured with Copics.  I have decided to use non traditional Christmas colours to go with ABM's theme for November. Hope you like the aqua and pink colours. The sentiment is from Paulette {Create with TLC}.  The design papers, bling and brads are from my stash.

I would like to venture over to the following challenges with this:

Through the Craft Room Door - ATG (2/2)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge

613 Avenue Create - ATG + Optional Twist

Inspiration Destination - ATG

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 12 Months of Christmas 

Word Art Wednesday: Anything goes with uplifting sentiment 

Sister Act Card Challenge - ATG

Get Creative - ATG + Stitching Twist (faux stitching around girl)

Squigglefly - Patterned Paper

Whoopsi Daisy - Add a Sentiment

Glitter n Sparkle - Anything but Square

Papertake Weekly - ATG

Party Time Tuesdays - ATG

Crafting by Designs - ATG

Creative Moments - ATG/Celebration

Delightful Challenge - Include Patterned Paper (1/1)

Little Miss Muffet - ATG (1/1)

Milk Coffee - Hand coloured image

A Crafty Mess- ATG (2/3)

Christmas Stamping All Year Round - ATG (1/1)

Creative Corner - Christmas

QKR Stampede - Lets Talk Christmas

Sister Act Card Challenge - ATG

The Stamping Boutique - Use 3 Embellishments (3 Pin wheels)

My Besties UK - ATG / Christmas

Ppinkydolls - ATG or add some Bling

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Make it Sparkle (1/1)

Creative Card Crew - Christmas Joy

Going Grey Scrap Creations - Make it Sparkle

Moving Along with the Times - Sparkle and/or Shine

Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed your visit here.

Signing off with some pics I took of the cute little Nina this past weekend.

and here is a pic of Nina at 9 days old, above she is 9 months old.  One can't believe they grow so quickly.

Crafty Hugs

IF FRIENDS WERE FLOWERS

ON THE MOVE ...

A quick warning to all my wonderful Followers that I will be MIA for a while and please do not think that I am ignoring you if I am not stopping by your lovely blogs in the next few weeks.  We are moving, fortunately within the same neighbourhood, where we are currently residing.  We are getting the keys to our new apartment this coming Sunday afternoon and will start getting some of our belongings into the apartment, Sunday evening.  A furniture removal company will move the big furniture items this coming Monday morning and we will be carting all the boxes, etc. during the course of the next three days until next Thursday.  Scaling down is hard, but leaves a feeling of freedom at the same time.  We thoroughly spring cleaned and got rid of so many unused items we haven't even touched the last decade, less is definitely more lol.  I am looking forward to packing out and settling into our new little home and of course getting my craft/workroom up and running again.

I am not leaving my lovely Followers bare handed though, I leave you with a tri-fold card I made some time ago, for a Card Day I taught, but never posted it here.  The images are from Bugaboo Stamps and can be found here.  the design papers are from FabScraps.  The images have been coloured with H2O water colour pencils.

THE INSIDE

THE FRONT

THE TEMPLATE (right click on image and save to your computer)

Taking a chance with this at the following wonderful challenges:

Make it Monday: Anything Goes

Inspire me Fridays: Anything Goes

Sister Act: Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything Goes

Scribble and Scrap: Anything Goes

Rhedd and Rosie: Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes with uplifting sentiment

Create with TLC Show it Off Sunday: Anything Goes

Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes

SweetPea Stampers: Sparkle and Shine

Word Play Saturday (October): Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes

Crafty Bloggers Network: Anything Goes (2/3)

Love to Scrap: Play some Blues

OLLCB: Things with Wings

Stamps and Fun = Creativity: 3D

The Paper Girls: Put a Bug on It

Creative Craft Challenges2: Anything Goes

Timeless Tuesday: Fussy Cutting Fun

Inky Chicks: Your Favourite Sentiment (this one on my card is definitely my favourite)

Use it Tuesdays: Creatures (all the design papers have been in my stash for more than 4 years)

Flutter By Wednesdays: No orange or black, must have butterfly

{PRODUCTS USED}

FabScraps

Bugaboo Stamps

InLinkz.com

POSITIVE LIFE ...
{DT Project Tammy's Scrapin Corner: Challenge #67}

This week our theme for Challenge #67 at Tammy's Scrapin Corner  is ANYTHING WITH WINGS.  I used this beautiful digi called Gladiola Hummer from Eureka Stamps.  You can purchase it here. The sentiment was designed by the super talented Lisa {Decosse Dynamite}.  

Another Centre Step Design.  The design papers are from Bo Bunny and BasidGrey.  I printed the image on white cardstock and a second time on BasicGrey Design Paper.  I coloured the flowers and the bird on the white cardstock with Copics and then only cropped the bird and the flowers.  I popped the bird and flowers with foam tape and then mounted them onto the image which was printed on the design paper.  Then I coloured the leaves with Copics on the design paper itself. The sentiment was chalked with dry chalks.  The black jewel stones are from Blueberry Berry.

Hope you will play along this week - so come on link your Anything with Wings creations to Tammy's Scrapin Corner's Challenge No.67. Can't wait to see what you create.

My darling husband completed another ultra marathon on Sunday, 2 June 2013, namely the Comrades Marathon.  It was an up run of 87km from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, here in South Africa.  I am so proud of him finishing in 10 hours 50 minutes, making the cut off time with 1 hour 10 minutes.  Lots of time to spare lol, as if nearly 11 hours running on a tar road in scorching temperatures of up to 34oC and a head on berg wind for most of the distance, is not enough to test the endurance.  Here are some pics of him on the road:

at 17km into the race

at 25km into the race

 .... at the finish

...  an exhausted, but very happy and emotional finisher - in his own words 'the most difficult thing I have done in my life'

Off to link this creation to the following challenges:

• Make it Monday: Anything Goes
• Sister Act: Anything Goes
• Inspire Me Fridays: Anything Goes
• Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes with Uplifting Sentiment
• Path of Positivity: Strength
• Aud Sentiments: Anything Goes
• Chalk N Stock: Anything Goes with Chalk (chalked the sentiments)
• Alphabet Challenge: I is for Image
• Digi Haven: Anything Goes
• Chalk Ah Lot Cafe: Anything Goes with Chalk (chalked the sentiments)
• Quirky Crafts: More than one fold
• Little Red Wagon: Use 3 or More Patterned Papers
• Word Play Saturday: Summertime
• Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything Goes (2/3)
• One Stitch at a Time: Use a Digi
• Eureka Stamps: Anything Goes
• Outlawz Monday Greeting Cards: Celebrate Summer
• Paper Makeup Stamps: Punches/Dies (used a scalloped square punch for the sentiment)
• Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Wings (1/1)
• Kaboodle Doodles: Summer
• Love to Create: Paper Piecing (Paper Pieced the flowers and the bird)
• There She Goes: Anything Goes
• Victorine Stamps: In the Garden with Animals & Bugs

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leaving such inspirational comments.  Please know that each and every comment is treasured.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ...
{Digi Stamps 4 Joy DS4J: DT Project Challenge #54}

This is another DT Project for a challenge over at DS4J's blog.  The theme for Challenge No.54 is a  BINGO with a Difference (the usual rules - 5 in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally apply)  I have created a centre step card using the cute Lillies for You digi.  You can find her here at the DS4J's shop.

The image was coloured with H2O's and dry chalks.  The sentiment is a freebie from the talented Hannelie of Desert Diva.

So hop on over to DS4J's blog and link your BINGO creation to Challenge #54.

Here's the BINGO with a Difference Board:

Please also visit my dear friend Pam's blog.  She and her darling hubby are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on 3 November and to honour this, she is hosting an Anniversary Challenge with some lovely DigiStamps4Joy digi images up for grabs.  All you have to do is create an Anniversary Card (link it up with Mr Linky) and become a Follower. 

Here are some pics I took during our recent visit to Pilansberg Nature Reserve here in South Africa:

I am off to link my BIRTHDAY creation above, to the following challenges:

1. Delightful Challenges: Delightful Stitching (Faux)
2. Simply Create: Anything Goes
3. Brown Sugar: Anything Goes
4. Inspire me Fridays: Anything Goes
5. Stamping for the Weekend: Anything Goes
6. Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything Goes
7. Corrosive: Know When to Fold 'Em
8. Lady Anne's: Anything Goes
9. Lexi's Creations: Special Birthday
10. Make it Monday: Anything Goes
11. Paper Playtime: Anything Goes
12. By the Cute and Girly: Birthday
13. The Old Back Porch Week 43: Anything Goes
14. Just Keep on Creating: Anything Goes
15. Anything Goes: Anything Goes
16. Creative Card Crew: Fancy Folds (3/3 entry)
17. LEJ: Anything Goes
18. Party Time Tuesdays: Anything Goes
19. Through the Craftroom Door: Anything Goes
20. My Mum's Craft Shop: Bold & Bright
21. Penny's Paper Crafty: Birthdays

Thank you to all my wonderful Followers (old and new) for all the lovely inspiring comments you leave behind.