Checking In

I've been a bad blogger this week. We've had visitors staying, so a bit of housework was called for in preparation, you know how it is... and then, well it's a bit rude to disappear off to the craft room or spend too long on the pc. It's lovley to have them staying though, and a good excuse to do a bit of "proper" cooking too instead of just making the usual sort of midweek meals.
I tried out a new pork recipe from an old Good Food magazine, it was OK but I probably won't bother with that one again. Yesterday I made Nigella Lawson's Italian meatballs with tomato sauce - always goes down well, and makes enough meatballs to put a boxful in the freezer for another day (or two!). I also made a chocolate bread and butter pudding - very very naughty, but very very nice.
My rellies are packing the car up ready to head off to Rye for a wedding, then a week on the south coast, so I'm snatching a few minutes to write this.

Friday is of course DCM day, and its Jane's to dare this week:
Okay -are you ready ? For my dare you can choose any theme for the card BUT it must incorporate 'Checks', whether it be gingham paper or ribbon or squares, any thing really as long as it incorporates some kind of shape with 4 equal sides....... so go on- I dare you to think outside the square/step out of the box ..............easy as, eh ?!!

I managed to get organised at the weekend and make a couple of cards for this one. It was my BILs birthday during the week so the first one was made for him. The idea came from Rosie's card for the haberdashery dare - although she used fabric from some old pyjamas and I've just used paper

Paper is Making Memories - from the San collection, I think
Monogram is Cosmo Cricket (yes, real, not cereal packet, for once!)
Gingham ribbon and brads from my stash
The blue card is pearlised, though it doesn't show up in the photo
Other letters are cut with the Robo
I bought this gorgeous bright and happy paper from Scrapshed (a new favourite shop of mine....don't look if you're on a stash-diet) a week or two ago, it's by Paper Heart Studios and I love the colours. I used a wavy check paper for the background and a small squares design for the flower and border.
The flower is made with 6 heart shapes cut with the Robo.
All the ribbon from Ribbon Oasis

I would like to add a greeting to this one, but I can't figure out where to stick it - so to speak, so it'll stay unfinished until I decide what to do, I suppose!

There are lots of gorgeous Checked Out cards on the DCM blog this week, so please pop along and see them all, there's more info on our personal blogs so don't forget to check all of those out too!

Well, I've just waved my rellies off - they are braving the M25 this morning and not looking forward to it, they are quite nervous about it actually, so please keep your fingers crossed that they don't encounter any problems - it can be such a nightmare of a road.

I completely missed seeing the visitor total for my blog pass the 20,000 mark - I'd noticed it was on it's way and then just completely forgot to keep checking! I was going to do some blog candy too.........Ah well, I'll have to be more organised for the 25,000 one, eh? Hopefully, it'll get there! Anyway, I just want to say a big Thank You to everyone who visits - when I started writing the blog I really just thought it would be a bit of a diary that only a few friends bothered with, so having so many people drop by is just amazing. I love to see where everyone comes from and reading the comments that are left is always such a thrill, so if you do read this, please don't leave without saying "hello" - I really really do love to hear from you.

I'm going to do me some crafting now, the box of cards that hubby keeps on his desk at work is at here at the moment so I can update the contents a bit. So I may even have new stuff to show on here if I get on with it, too.

Thanks for looking