Thursday 28 February 2008

Perfect timing!!

I am on a real low at the moment. I am thoroughly exhausted and just cannot shift this flu- getting up with Amelia every night just isn't helping either. As well as travelling to dialysis 3 times a week my mum had to go back up to the hospital yesterday for a check up. It seems as well as needing yet another operation to try to get her home dialysis working they want her to go through tests and get her on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.

The children are driving me mad....I know many families have to deal with sibling rivalry but it's getting to a point now that they are argueing over who feeds the cat or who turns the light out..I feel they are fighting for my attention...but it is always Amelia who seems to get it. They are just worlds apart I have a disabled 6 year old, who in some respects is more like a 3-4 yr old...and an 8 year old with the reading age of 13 and numeracy skills of the average Y6 student!! I am pulling my hair out trying to juggle everyones needs......and as for my NVQ, I haven't looked at it in weeks!!!

If you are still with me, you may have gathered that I am rather stressed........but there is always something, or SOMEONE to paint on the silver lining isn't there!!!!!

My guardian angel wishes to to kept un-named, but you know who you are!!!

Mr Postie arrived today with a jiffy bag.....I have been "chatting" to this un-named crafter on Crafts by Carolyn, after I had asked for opinions on slide mount dies. This lovely crafter offered to cut me some-for which in itself I was extremely grateful. She then went on to say she would stamp a few images for me, knowing that I have found my new passion of stamping. BUT when I opened up the jiffy bag this afternoon- I was in absolute floods of tears. I cannot thank you enough, I really can't.

Here is what I found;

As well as the slide mounts and the stamped images there were some nestabilities shapes for me to try out, some beautiful blooms and die cut flowers andthe most amazing ribbons!!

As I said, I simply cannot thank you enough for the wonderful kindness , the beautiful stash but most of all, for painting the clouds with a silver lining!!

Tuesday 26 February 2008

Nearly time up!!!

Well not done that great actually. I finished off hoovering upstairs first..then I;


1. had my cuppa while trying to....

2. clean the kitchen. Got a bit carried away with the time trying to move cupboards around and change the position of the tumble dryer......

3. Then I had lunch

4.....played with buttons and flowers for the DCM midweek dare and wasn't happy so I put them away

5.......and started my MN Easter swap!!!


.....and before you know it, it's time to collect kiddies again!!


Here's a tiny little taster of what I have done so far...not much!!

Todays goals are......

in this order:

1. have a cuppa
2. clean kitchen
3. have lunch
4. make the latest mid-week dare
5. make a start on the MN Easter swap!

Ready, steady, GO.....lets, see how ,much I can get done before I collect kiddies!!!

Monday 25 February 2008

Now I am going green!


Using one of my new Crafty Individuals stamps (a bargain at only £2.65) I made up this mens card tonight- sorry- awful pic!!

Still blue!!!

Not a great day, I am feeling absolutley shattered. Been awake with Amelia several times last night, as we are full of flu. I have been dosing her up and having to put the steroid cream back on her poor little face as it is so sore!!!



Me- I feel like I have been run over by a steam roller and my head is pounding but with the children being off last week- I have got so much to do. Tried to get some housework done this morning, but all I managed was to flick a duster around - even then I had to keep stopping inbetween with coughing fits!!! As a good will gesture, I did get the hoover out too, but never got as far as plugging it in!

Sat down with a lemsip this afternoon and made these!!!!




I SO LOVE my new stamps. I have still got a few more I haven't even tried yet. Might try to play later but I have promise myself a very long soak in the bath and an early night- just in case I am up with Amelia again!

Sunday 24 February 2008

Don't feel BLUE!!!

I have had such self indulgence this morning- making something-just for the sake of it rather than needing to send it to someone else!!! I have combined a few things into one concertina card to express my thanks to the forum & cyber friends that help and inspire me, kick me up the backside when I am on need of it and cheer me up when I am low!!!

The card is inspired by:

The Mumsnet Art & Craft Challenge!Our first challenge in this brand new crafters blog is a colour challenge. Inspired by the blue storm front I observed over Sainsbury's last week the colour for the challenge is blue, any blue you so desire, dark blue, light blue, teal just as long as there is some element of blue in your crafting.
the medium is anything you wish, beads, paint, cards, fabric, papier machet, etc
due date: Monday the 18th of Feb (in two weeks time) if you finish your challenge before the due date please feel free to post your pictures here at anytime.
Happy Crafting Ladies - meridian.
I know I am late-but what's new there!

Crafts Beautiful "Download" Challenge!The challenge is to create *any kind of crafty project* using one of the FREE downloads from this site. It can be papers, a knitting pattern, motifs or even a combination of a few different ones. We will be uploading several new downloads over the course of this week so keep your eyes peeled for those too. Simply click on the ‘Downloads’ tab at the top of the page to view the full selection.

Just Bex-Challenge 12-A card with a difference!
so now we want you so make a card any size BUT NOT 'normal!' You must make a card with a difference ie not a straight forward landscape or portrait fold ,
maybe a card with more than 1 fold or a wallet style - anything goes just DIFFERENT.

Crafts by Caroyln- for all the help support and encouragement they have given me recently with my stamping queations!!


With all that for inspiration- what more could I ask for. This is what I ended up with!!





Saturday 23 February 2008

More notebooks!


Just finished making these initialled notebooks for Nbg. I also made 2 of these for her earlier on today- hope you like them!!

Friday 22 February 2008

Out of my comfort zone!

Made another card this afternoon and I am really not sure of it, it's probably the colours that are my biggest concern!! Whatever way I look at it though I still thoroughly enjoyed trying out something a bit different.

I met 2 challenges along the way too!!

Rip it up on Crafts by Carolyn-"ripping and tearing it doesn't matter what you tear - just getting ripping! "

and Fantastic Plastic over on Daring Cardmakers. "This week it's Rhi here to dare you and I'm on a recycling mission. I dare you to look again at the plastic packaging around you and transform it into a brand new card. It could be food packaging, craft packaging or just something plastic that's destined for the bin or recycling. Trim it, die cut it, alcohol ink it, crop-o-dile it, give it a new lease of life then share it via your blog for us all to see. Happy Recycling! "

Here it is- please don't be too harsh!!! Runs off and hides under her new stamps!!!



Stupid printer - yummy new stash!!

I have been having problems with my printer this week, it is very temperamental. First it wounldn't scan, then it wouldn't print the photographs I wanted for a challenge and last night it decided it wouldn't even print the wording I needed for some "must make" cards!!

SO, this morning I have had to un-install all the printer software and drivers and re-install all...it took forever...and was much more luck than judgement that now my printer seems OK again.

Not one to waste precious time while it was all loading, I made this card from some of my new stamps!! I am still, very much, sticking to the basics but having so much fun! Why did it take me nearly 5 years of cardmaking to get hooked on stamping?

PS: Do you think she has too much blusher on?


Monday 18 February 2008

Bex Challenge 5- Take a letter.

A feeble attempt from me!!!

Take 3 things beginning with the same letter and use them to make a creation!!!
I choose "S"........shoes, stamping, sepia....errrm....sticky pads......straws...the clutching at variety!

First time using these stamps from Jennie at The Artistic Stamper - I have been busy cutting and mounting some of these today!!

Sunday 17 February 2008

Triple whammy card!!!




I have just made a version of a design I made up a good few years ago and I had forgotten how much I enjoy hand stitching on my cards. My original has a lot more doodling on it and I am tempted to add more to this one......my big problem with doodling, when is enough, ENOUGH!!

It meets THREE challenges that I have had my eye on:


Just Bex- Challenge 8- Colour matching

"what does this conjure up - use these colours to create a card or LO "


The latest Dare from the DCM team.
Love and Friendship
Keryn and Rachel are daring you to make a card in the theme of love and friendship for one of the special people in your life. It could be a valentines card, a thankyou for a close friend or a way to propose to the man in your life on the 29th February.
and last by certainly not least -
The latest challenge over on Crafts by Carolyn.
To make a Mother's Day card!

Saturday 16 February 2008

Bex-Challenge 6-Black, white &...


From the fab Sue a challenge to use Black / White and a colour of your choice and then make us whatever you fancy ....


I struggled with this as I didn't really have the papers I wanted in B&W!! So my versions is more like PINK and black & white! Used my Dotta.Riffic pen that has been rather neglected of late!

Big Challenge 3- A recipe!

Here the next of my challenges over on Just Bex!



We would like you to incorporate the following into a card, ATC, LO etc


1 a ribbon
2 blooms
3 different patterned papers


I actually stamped this image last night to use for the template challenge but then I changed my mind...waste not want not, it fits the recipe criteria and used up a few scraps of paper as well!!


Friday 15 February 2008

Bex- Big Challenge 1

A template!! I loved doing this-trying out a few different colours for me..I am not sure of the main stamped image but please with the little flowers!


The pink THING is complete!!




It turned out like a little sort of floppy earred rabbit!!!!! I used the pattern from http://www.fuzzymitten.com/patterns and mucked around with the ears.
I have also managed to make my Chinese Whisper card today, had great fun with that and cannot wait to see all the different creations!!! I have taken piccies but need to wait for the other crafters to complete before I post of course.
Right, what is next on my crafty list!!!




Thursday 14 February 2008

The Pink Limo card!!!


I have really struggled with this and not at all happy with it, but hey ho, that the way the cookie crumbles....I just hope Tilly and Katie like it!!


Kiddies are in bed, dinner is in process and the is a glass of wine downstairs calling my name!!!!

I think I need a few goals!!!!

Been a bit off colour on the crafting front recently and I MUST get my act together before it all falls apart at the seems!!!! There is lots going on at the moment and I want to join in some of the fun.

There is a BIG CHALLENGE WEEKEND about to start over on Just Bex.

I have recieved my email of a card from the lovely Clare (Kenspeckle) for the Chinese Whisper over on Crafts by Caroyln. It's now my turn to make a card inspired by the template and then email a pic to the next crafter on the list .

Here are my last lot of goals and how badly I have done with them!!!

*knitted thingy -all knitted and mostly sewn-still not made up
*birthday club card-DONE
*cut 40 die cut animals-still not done sorry Andrea some of these are for you!
*update Down Syndrome A/c!!--YIPPPEEEE all up to date today and thank you cards sent out!
*start DD's statement review- had meeting with school and Annual review booked

*NVQ- very little this week!!! I will have to play catch up.



and now for some more additions!
* Finish PINK LIMO card!

* Blue challenge on MN Crafters
* Easter Swap on MN Crafters
* Mother's Day sample cards (x10!)

I am sure there are more I need to add later, I need to go through my diary 'till the end of March and add those to my list...that should keep my out of mischief for a while.

Right now for some advice....we had a £10 voucher from Argos that needed to be used today. SO reserved a few things that we needed and hubby was going to get them yesterday. He went to Argos, collect the goods and later found the £10 voucher still in his wallet!(MEN!) So I convinced him I NEEDED these!



Moved a few things around on my desk today...but now I don't know what to put in them! HELP, quickly, before hubby comes home and kidnaps them for the garage!! Ideas please!

Saturday 9 February 2008

The mystery of the missing tooth!


Amelia has had a very wobbly front tooth for ages now and has been asking about the tooth fairy every day. Well tonight, she came running up to me in my craft room with a slightly bloodied mouth and this tiny little tooth in her hand. She was SO excited that it had at long last come out and was jumping around. I hugged her and sent her back off downstairs to show Chris....but somehow between me and Chris the little tooth went missing!!
After looking everywhere for it, we gave up. I sat down and told Amelia the story of Lola (thank you Helen Mc) and said that Amelia had to dream about everything that made her happy, so that the tooth fairy would see the gap from the missing tooth. Then we filled her little tooth box with some goodies that we thought the tooth fairy would like: a pretty pink and very fluffy feather, a few tiny little die cut hearts and of course some irridescent glitter. I made out a tiny little note explaining to the tooth fairy what had happened and Amelia is now sound asleep - hopefully with a big smile on her face.

This little piggie went to blogland!

I have been a bad, bad, blogger and crafter again!! (hangs head in shame) Been rather caught up in my NVQ this week but progress has been very slow due to a technical hitch- however I did complete my first phone assessment and have done lots of reading on my first of 9 units!

Out of the very feeble challenge I set myself last week I have done poorly!!!

BUT I did mange to complete a little piggie from the book "Toy Knits" by Debbie Bliss. I have quite a bit of this cotton left so I might make a litter of them!!!





Saturday 2 February 2008

Yipppeeeeee!!!!

It's been hectic this week trying to make a start on my NVQ but seem to be getting nowhere!! The house is still a complete shambles and I have lost my crafty mojo underneath the clutter!!!

BUT, in search of some direction yesterday I sat down (trying to make some time for me) and browsed through the forums only to find this on Crafts Beautiful!!!!


Winner of Xyron Creative Station!

I know I said this would be announced on the 1st February, but I’m out of the office now until Monday and didn’t want to keep you all in suspense.
Firstly a big *thank you* to everyone who entered cards in the Valentine’s challenge, it was a really tough one to pick.
In the end we selected this stunning card by Dingledel, so congrats to you!


Oh my goodness- what a much needed boost!!!!!


My winning card was this one!