Crafty Bloggers Network Guest blogger

This week we have a new guest blogger for you (slightly late due to technical issues), Jane Songhurst. So its over to Jane.....

Hello everyone, my name is Jane, I'm 52yrs old & am Mum to 4 wonderful sons, who have made me grandmother to 10 amazing & beautiful grandchildren. I live with my unruly Bichon Frise Ozzie aka The Hoolligan. Thank you to the Crafty Bloggers Network Girls for giving me this opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.

The card I have made for you is quite simple because most of my stash is packed away ready for my house move in about 4 weeks time. So please bare with me!

 I started crafting back in 1999 when I was disability retired from working in the care industry with the onset of Ankylosing Spondylosis & the work became to heavy for me. I started to collect craft materials with the view in mind of making cards, I still have the very 1st rubber stamp I bought, it's an Anita's wooden backed stamp if a starfish. I also at that time bought a mountain of pre made embellishments, ribbon, card & pretty paper, but didn't have a clue what to do with it all & it just sat there for a 12 months.

Then in 2000 I went to visit my sister in Australia & while in one of the huge shopping malls, I went in to look at one of the big craft stores & they were doing a demonstration for scrapbooking, I loved what I saw & purchased a 12x12 album & stack of papers ect.to bring home. That is where it all began, everything fell into place & I did nothing but scrapbook for many years, then I started attending a small local craft group & there was a lady there that made her own cards & they were fabulous, I also discovered a new era in die cuts had arrived, no longer were they the funny little everyday items like hearts, little people to dress or a fairy that I didn't have a clue how to use, they were patterns & shapes that you could build up & use with your rubber stamps. It was a whole new world evolving before my eyes & before I knew it I was addicted to cardmaking as well & I loved making them,while still enjoying my scrapbooking.

How would I describe my style? Eclectic I think, rarely 2 things the same & rarely turn out like the picture in my head at the start, whether it's a scrapbook layout or a card they just seem to evolve as I am working on it. They do always seem to be fairly clean lines, I love the look of the busy cards that some people make, but whenever I try busy, it just looks messy so I keep them simple.

I run 3 successful craft groups on Facebook known as The Craft Cupboard groups & recently started a spin off challenge blog called The Cupboard Trilogy  I also have my own blog called Doodles & Scraps of Me! 

The card I have made for you today which I haven't added a sentiment to yet, this is quite common for me because I tend to add a greeting later when I know who the card will be going too & what the occasion will be. I have used 3 half sheets of my favourite brand of Bazzill Basics card stock ~ Melon, Chiffon & Frosted, my Marianne Design Die ~ Anja's Quadrate Set, the piece of orange organza ribbon & the embellishment are from my tote. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this & I look forward to visiting your blogs soon Jane x