curlywhiskers&twitchingnoses

Copic blog candy

2009-08-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

The lovely Karen of 'Charmed cards and Crafts is giving away a second set of Copics-it doesn't get better than this!

Karen's blog 'Crafty goings on' is always worth a visit-she's really talented and nice too, so a great place to pop by.

Not long to go on the Copic candy-so hurry. Having said that, maybe take a v..e...r..y....s....l....o....w..d..a..u..d..l..e.. over there perhaps next week sometime, even the week afetr????

Oh-can't be mean-ends 9th August so go NOW!

Apologies, a winner and a special birthday

2009-05-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back. Sorry about going missing. It was a combination of me not being very well and blogger not being very well. We both seem to be Ok now so let's get on!

First of all a winner for the blog candy. As promised, I put all the entrants into a hat as no idea how to do the random number thingie. Basil cat then chose the winner (he loves bits of paper)-photos to follow when camera battery re-charged (why do camera batteries run out just when you need them most?).

So..da..da..de..da...da...da..

The Winner is:

Me

who said:

'Hi,Just popped by to congratualte you on being a clever clogs lol and thank you for your kind words.You were spot on about the band and title. I think your going to be good at this. Will be doing a few more.Lovley blog candy by the way x'

Me is Emma so congratulations and thanks for entering. I'll email you too so if you can send me your address I'll get your new goodies off to you asap. It's been very exciting having entries from all sorts of places in the world-thanks everyone.

The card by the way is a birthday card for my Great Aunt, always known as Auntie Else. Auntie Else means the world to me but sadly is in a care home with a form of dementia and general old age problems. It's her birthday on Saturday 30th May and as Auntie Else always likes to say, she's as old as the Queen! We honestly never thought she'd be here for this birthday as things have been really bad several times.

I had to make the card early as I need to post the card to my auntie Julie who will then be able to take it to Auntie Else on her birthday. It's highly likely Auntie Else won't remember who I am but hopefully she'll like the card anyway. She does remember who I am sometimes as my Auntie Angie (who along with Julie have taken wonderful care of Auntie Else over the years) has said that she's mentioned me and asked Auntie Else if she knows who I am and Auntie Else will say yes.That always makes me cry!

So, hopefully Auntie Else will like the card-I made it bold as her eyesight isn't very good-that's why the sentiment is so large too. The card itself is large too-A5 so she can hold it better and so the details on it can be big. I've 3d'd the roses and put some Stickle and gems on them so hopefully she'll be able to see it Ok and like it which is the main thing of course.

Ingredients:
Stampin Up stamp set 'Roses in Winter'
Stampin Up ink pads -'Pale Plum' and 'Perfect Plum'
Stampin Up ink pad 'Certainly Celery'
Stampin Up card 'Pale Plum' and 'Perfect Plum'
Stampin Up card 'Whisper White'
Stampin Up white taffetta ribbon
Stickels
Gems & Pearls-Kanban
Sentiment Computer generated

Quick!

2009-05-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie-winners of blog candy to be announced shortly.

Shimmerz paints are re-launching on May 20th 2009 and they have some fab blog candy. You need to be quick as it closes today at 11.69 Mountain time (no idea when that is guys sorry so just hurry)!

http://shimmerzpaints.blogspot.com/2009/05/spritz-is-back-win-some.html?commentPage=2

It's a fab blog-with loads of info about the Shimmerz range which believe you me will be the talk of blogland very soon and on all our blogs if I know us crafters!

So quick-you can win some fab goodies and see what the new must have is!

Are you ready for The Next Level

2009-05-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is exciting! My absolute favourite cardmaker Ann otherwise known as 'Madgesty' has joined up with the amazing Dawn 'All Pink Girl' to form a new challenge blog.There's masses of challenge blogs out there, but this promises to be something different-a fresh approach to challenge blogs with information and advice as well as challenges!

It all starts soon and to celebrate the launch there's some fab blog candy to be won on their new blog The Next Level.

It promises to be amazing, with all sorts of tips and information on offer including some digital work. As the challenge blog isn't linked to any specific brand it's undoubtedly one of the most realistic challenge blogs-after all most of us use bits from all sorts of manufacturers.

Ann uses lots of digital papers and makes the most breathtakingly gorgeous cards ever. I can't wait to see what tips she has to offer. If you're unfamiliar with her work (shame on you!) head over to her blog which is on my sidebar or here!

You must go and see her cards-she really is worthy of her title 'Madgesty' though that relates to her not carrying money but it should also relate to her being the Queen of cardmaking! Dawn's skills are legendary-this is an incredible team.

Right, I'll stop gushing now...head over to the Next Level and see what's going on-I am absolutely certain you won't regret it. Dawn and Ann are real Masters at this crafting game-I'm so excited about this!

Launch day is the 1st June 2009 but if you want to know more now (and who wouldn't) and/or want to check out the blog candy get over there asap!

Finally some blog candy!

2009-05-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about doing some blog candy for a while but struggling with what to offer as a prize. Blogging has made such a difference to my life, I've met some genuinely wonderful people and my cardmaking and confidence has come on leaps and bounds.

I confess to being a bit susceptible to 'blog envy' but was shocked when I realised I also suffer from 'blog candy envy'!!

I have done my best to offer some rather humble blog candy and though it does not contain every single Copic available (nor even one of them!), nor a years supply of Basic Grey paper nor even a days crafting with Tim Holtz, I hope that nonetheless at least one person fancies winning it for the sake of my pride at least!!!

As my photography is notoriously poor I'd better translate! Basically it's some ribbons and lace, a pack of paper flowers, some Anna Griffin stickers-one sheet of flowers and two sheets of alphabets-with Upper and Lower case, a pack of pearlised square card blanks and envelopes, a few bits of Maya Road chipboard in paisley and key shapes,a sealed Memories ink pad in 'Port Red', some 'Strawberry Ice' Ice Stickles, a roll of American Crafts ribbon and a chipboard mini book with heart designs. Sorry it's not the most exciting but I've tried to get some nice bits with a bit of variety.

As I believe blog candy to be a gift and gifts should be freely given there's no jumping through hoops involved here! Just add a comment below and if you could mention it on your blog just in case someone else might fancy winning it too, that would be great!I won't be checking up on you but I will pop over and visit-I LOVE bloghopping!

If you don't have a blog that's fine though I still can't work out how to add a 'contact me' button nor do I know if merely adding a comment will provide enough information for me to track you down again should you win. I will try and sort out a contact me button as the more the merrier!

I'll ship anywhere (with a bit of help from Royal Mail) though preferably not to a space station though as I fear the P+P would be a bit pricey!

I'll draw a name out of the hat (and it will be a hat as not tecky enough to figure out the random number thingie) and post the winner's name on here. I will also contact the winner directly-the winner's the winner and you won't lose the prize by not contacting me within 24hrs or whatever-oh I'm such an anarchist aren't I with no rules!

The blog candy will close at 12.00 midnight on 18th May 2009-a week from now. I'll post the winners name the next day.

Assuming at least one person enters and I'm not left sobbing and feeling a bit 'Jennie no mates' I'll try and do a bit more blog candy now and again. There's no way of ever adequately thanking those who have specifically made such a difference to my life but they know who they are.

Right, off to blog hop a bit more....!Good luck.

A Passion for Papertrey challenge :Recycle

2009-05-10T08:59:00.002-07:00

I've been utterly useless and missed a week (sorry girls) but here's my attempt at the latest challenge on 'A Passion for Papertrey' which this week is 'recycle'. This means using a spare button off a top, or a tag off something new or even as Steph has done, using household items.

I've used a ribbon from a Molton Brown gift box which is a really thick grosgrain masquerading as chocolate chip! I didn't have enough to tie a bow so knotted it instead. I forgot to take a photo of the ribbon before I stuck in on the card so here's the leftover bits anyway! The writing is on the back of the ribbon on the card!

I haven't got the right raspberry coloured Copic which is a bit annoying and I have thought and thought and still can't figure out how to colour in the bottom of the glass sundae bowl. None of the colours I have look right so I've left it rather regretfully...

Good luck everyone-can't wait to see what everyone's used and recycled.Oh by the way the 'yum' doesn't relate to the ice cream sundae...nope..I mean 'yum' Raspberry Fizz!!!!

Ingredients:
Papertrey white card
Papertrey Raspberry Fizz paper
Stampin Up stamp set 'Sweet Treats'
Stampin Up Barely banana and Chocolate Chip card
K & co rub on alphabet
Copics
Sharpie in red
Fuschia Pink Stazon ink pad
Gems from stash
Small round punch
Molton Brown ribbon-recycled

The loveliest dress in the world..?

2009-05-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

(Stupid, annoying, horrible, mean..OK you get it-BLOGGER is messing me about AGAIN! Sorry about the sore necks-I have a sore head from trying to mend it believe me and if I don't 'step away from the PC now' I will probably kill it. Sorry.)

Not long after I first started making cards I saw a card in a magazine that I absolutely loved. The card featured this gorgeous dress stamp (though it wasn't identified makerwise) and it was just wonderful. rather helpfully, the name in the magazine matched someone on a forum I visited. I PM'd the lady in question and gushed about her card (alot) before asking her if she'd mind giving me the details of the stamp as I had to have it!

As is prone to happening in this very kind craft world of ours, the lady offered to send me some stamped images. This is one of those images. I still don't have the stamp (though still am desperate for it) and I've never used the images as I still feel so intimidated by the memory of this lady's amazing card all that time ago.

Last night I decided to use the image and to make the prettiest card I possibly could in an attempt to show the beautiful image in all it's glory. I didn't dare use my Copics on it as didn't think the ink would handle it (and anyway Copics would be too bright for this card) and was cautious with watercolours though to my relief it turned out OK.

I wanted a soft, delicate effect; essentially I wanted to create the sort of card you could imagine finding in an old shoe box wrapped in tissue paper at the back of your Granny's wardrobe.

I've never used vellum in this way but desperately wanted it to work so as to truly soften the effect of the image. I had to use the gems as the vellum needs to lie flat in order to see the dress image clearly and couldn't see another way of making the vellum lie flat. Pleading and begging didn't seem to work! I think the gems are OK but it was scary as I kept having to add more to keep the vellum flat and I thought I'd ruin the card...hope I haven't.

I received my new Fiskars border punch in the post yesterday so perfect timing.I'd ordered it a while ago but the shop's been really busy so it's been delayed a bit. To me, it's perfect for this card and I'm really chuffed with it though another craft shop did tell me it could be used on card and thus it was nearly killed within 5 minutes of entering the house when I tried it out on SU card! The moral to this tale-NOPE, not even the new Fiskars punches work on card.

Anyway-hope you like it...

Ingredients:

Stamped image

Stampin Up Pretty in Pink card, ink & taffeta ribbon

Stampin Up designer paper

Fiskars 'Lacy days of Summer' border punch

Sentiment stamp from Anna Griffin

Vellum from stash

Gems c/o Steph

Pearls from Stampin Up

Lace from Scandanaivian shop in my town

Paper flowers from craft shop

Pin, beads etc handmade by me!

You make each day brighter...

2009-05-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the sun shone and it was so lovely I had to craft. My craft table is by the window looking into the garden and as the back of the house is south-west facing, it gets very sunny and very hot!

The sunshine inspired the card design-all fresh and bright and pretty!

Today I'm nursing a front chipped tooth.When I woke up this morning my mouth felt odd and when I looked in the mirror, ta da! No idea what I've done although I do watch 'The Wire' and it's on really late and can be very violent so maybe I've been thrashing around trying to escape the baddies and somehow bumped my tooth! I can't see my dentist until Saturday morning although I could see other dentists. My dentist is endlessly patient, so as my tooth isn't hurting (as yet) I'm going to be very brave and try and wait until Saturday!

Poor Ernie has an eye infection at the moment-not entirely sure of the cause though suspect a claw possibly! I saw it when I went down on Tuesday afternoon so fed them, came straight home, phoned the vet and got a virtually immediate appointment. Considering Ernie's not been in a carrier, or to the vet in 8 years or so and barely had any human contact for that time, he did really well. He spent the entire time at the vets huddled into me poor sweetheart.

It's antibiotic cream twice a day in the infected eye, which Ernie finds extremely disturbing and cannot for the life of him understand. He doesn't get aggressive just confused and frightened which is really awful for me too. I'd rather he hissed and bit me than flinched and shook. Extra cuddles and love have been prescribed by Dr me and hopefully his poor eye will be better soon and everything can get back to normal for Ernie once again.

Ingredients:
Daisy rubber stamp from Sugar Nellie
Sentiment from Stampin Up
Stampin Up card-Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink ink from Stampin Up
K & co paper
Papertrey white card
Copics
Chalk ink pad
Memento black ink pad
Gems from stash
Green gingham gathered ribbon from Bazzill
Pink faux suede ribbon from haberdahery shop
Heart locket from stash
Paper flowers from craft shop
Hydrangea petals from Prima

Love conquers all

2009-05-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

The beautiful and very brave Sophie

Soon it will be the first anniversary of the beautiful and very brave Sophie being taken from us. Words are quite simply inadequate at expressing the grief I feel at her loss and we all miss her so, so much. Every day I miss Soph. Our whole family structure changed when she died; literally things have not been the same since. I used to have Soph and Humphrey (her brother) sitting on my feet as I sat crafting or on my PC. Now I sit alone as since Sophie's death Humphrey can't bear to be downstairs so he lives upstairs with Jacob now and I often craft alone if Tom and Basil are sunbathing or adventuring!

Humphrey had never known life without Sophie. They did do things individually but spent a considerable amount of time cuddling and simply lying together. When they were together and active, they became 'Bonnie and Clyde' as they used to get up to terrible mischief! If they came running out of a room together I'd have to go into that room and see what they'd been up to! Sophe was clever though and if she heard me coming she'd vanish from the ;'scene of the crime' leaving Humphrey in the midst of the chaos the two of them had created! Poor Humph would be sat there, surrounded by chaos looking very confused as he wondered where on earth Sophe had disappeared to! Bunnies are very clever, the most intelligent animals I've ever known and able to outwit me 100 times out of 100-I have never outwitted a bunny despite having a degree etc!

Humphrey and Sophie

After we lost Sophe I tried my very best to take extra special care of Humphrey as I had promised Sophie I would. He lived in my bedroom and so for a while my room became the sitting room and we'd all congregate in there to keep Humphrey company. Sometimes we'd all go downstairs for a change of scene although after a while Humphrey started to get anxious downstairs and so I no longer take the bunnies downstairs.

Humphrey made it clear that he was interested in Jacob. Male rabbits generally don't get on, in fact I would always say never to put two males together. Even if the males are brothers, they can and will fight and can cause each other horrific injuries. I'd never claim to be an expert but I am experienced in rabbit care so felt it was safe to allow Humphrey to continue in expressing his interest and see what happened.

What happened turned out to be one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced. Humphrey started jumping up onto the other end of the settee to Jacob and over time sidled closer and closer. Jacob's always been very fearful of 'introductions' (the term used for the early days of the bonding process in rabbits)

and so was a bit nervous by Humphrey's presence but I ensured that I remained with Jacob when Humphrey was around, both as reassurance for Jacob and for general safety reasons-I had no idea what would happen. Jacob LOVES cuddles so I told him if he could make friends with Humphrey he'd not only get more cuddle but they'd be the best cuddles in the world-bunny cuddles!

Eventually Humphrey ended up lying next to Jacob. If Jacob moved however, Humphrey would chase him which obviously upset Jacob. Rabbits chasing one another can indicate aggression but it also is normal rabbit behaviour especially in the early stages of a relationship. Very soon this behaviour ended though I still always supervised them and when I went out or to bed, I would separate them.

Jacob and Humphrey

I did wonder if this would be as good as it would get but the bonding became complete and for 8/9 months Jacob and Humphrey have been best bunny friends. They are devoted to each other and I never, ever tire of seeing them together. Jacob is getting on a bit age wise and has a few health problems. He has constantly weepy eyes and before he and Humphrey bonded, Jacob had lost the fur under his eyes and was on antibiotics, cortisone cream and twice daily bathing of the eye area by myself in an attempt to stop the tears burning his poor little face so much. It was awful, I did all I could and was forever wiping his eyes and we were at the vets having the tear ducts cleaned regularly too.

Within a week of bonding with Humphrey, Jacobs fur was growing back and we have NEVER had to go to the vets about his eyes since!!We don't need the cream any more nor the antibiotics as Humphrey cleans Jacobs' eyes so well.There are no words to describe my joy at how happy they are. They love each other so much and most of all, they need each other. I would never have imagined this could happen, it's very rare indeed for two male rabbits to bond in this way especially as they are not related and Jacob is around 6 years old and Humphrey 5, so adult males-albeit neutered.

It's so wonderful. Humphrey has helped Jacob so much, Jacob's even lost some of his excess weight racing round after him for a cuddle! Jacobs is as I always say 'made of love and kindness' and to get as many cuddles as he does now is heavenly for him! Humphrey is the most extraordinary bunny to have instigated this. I believe it is because he and Sophie were so happy that Humphrey wanted more bunny happiness and love. I do feel a certain amount of pride in a way too that I could recognise what Humphrey was doing and that I know my guys well enough to feel able to allow Humphrey to continue his approaches to Jacob. I honestly had no idea where we were heading but it's been an amzing journey and continues to be a delight and absolute honour to witness such love. My guys mean the world to me and also to one another and though life isn't in many ways how I would choose it to be, I know I am blessed beyond comparison to share my life with such extraordinary beings.

More blog candy

2009-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

Fiona J has some gorjuss blog candy on offer. Head on over and take a look-there's a clue in this somewhere-have you guessed yet? You've got until midnight on the 14th May by the way!

Congratulations,some fab blog candy and Inspector Morse!

2009-05-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

The above gorgeous blog candy (which clearly has my name written all over it-I wish) is courtesy of Kate and can be seen on her blog Yours Truly.

Many of us know Kate via the blog she co-runs with Steph-A Passion for Papertrey. Kate's celebrating 10,000 hits on her blog and also having been chosen to join the design team at the new UK Stampin Up inspired blog 'Stamp with us'.

So if you fancy being in with a chance to win all those lovely goodies head over to Kate's blog and who knows? Kate's asking entrants to name their all time favourite TV show-how hard is that?I'm so sentimental for children's programmes (which I happily watch today to be honest too!) and Inspector Morse is (all my Friends and family know) an absolute addiction of mine!

When I was at university in my second year I didn't even go down to the bar on a SATURDAY night until after 10.00pm in order not to miss Inspector Morse! We had a video recorder in our student house (OK-I'm quite old!), but I had to watch Morse as soon as I could, even though I'd miss most of the night at the Student Union bar. I had a phone by my bed (yep-pre everyone in the world having a mobile) and my friends would phone and remind me that it was a SATURDAY night and why was I sat in bed watching Morse? I'd tell them I only answered as an ad break was on and if they didn't stop phoning me there would be trouble!!!

Even now, it's on most days and I still watch it on the edge of my seat every time! I have no idea how many times I've watched each episode but I LOVE it-I am truly devoted to this programme. I adore John Thaw and he is just the most perfect Morse. Colin Dexter (the author of the Morse books) has arranged it so that for as long as it is possible to legally do so, no one else will play Morse, so strongly does Dexter believes that John Thaw was Morse and should remain Morse for always.

One of my happiest times was when I visited my brother whilst he was studying at Oxford University. I drove him mad with my Morse addiction. As we walked around Oxford Andrew would be doing the 'History of Oxford' tour and telling me how this building was built in 1558 or whatever and this is the oldest pub in Oxford, whilst I was excitedly on the 'Inspector Morse' tour and be on the verge of hysteria as we'd pass the place where this or that murder happened or whatever!! It was so exciting!

No card-sorry. It's a cuddle day with my guys today and I'd best be heading back. It's cold, gloomy and intermittently wet so cuddling is the perfect way to pass the time; with occasional battles as I try to read the weekend Times with bunnies and pussy cats sprawling all over the pages and refusing to get off!

Enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday anyway-it might not be sunny but for many of us it's a bit of free time nonetheless. Back with a card soon.

Sugar bowl challenge:MEN!

2009-05-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is my attempt at the latest Sugar Bowl challenge. This challenge is all about 'MEN'. I'm rather limited in Sugar Nellie stamps featuring boys so this is the best I can do. As usual the picture is VERY iffy (I'll try and re-do it should we get any more sun) but in reality I'm pleased with the card.

It's turned out exactly as I hoped it would-all the ideas worked out really well, although I'm rather uncertain about the glitter. I do feel it needed glitter -I just struggled as to where to put it! I did have alot of fun making this card though-I've never made a card like this-I specialise in pretty, girlie card so this is very much 'out of my comfort range', Nonetheless I had a great time-I just sort of felt that 'anything goes' and hopefully it works in other people's eyes and not just mine?

This card has so many 'blasts from the past'!

On this card I used something I never, ever thought I'd use-a......peeloff! I really wanted a star for on my bunnies top but didn't have a small enough punch or chipboard piece. Whilst rifling through my stash I came across a sheet containing a few gold holographic stars. I used a red Sharpie pen to match the colours used on my card.

I also found some Sizzix balloons which I bought in my early cardmaking days from ebay I think! The paper and red and blue pearlescent card are also things I never thought I'd ever use-ideal for these credit crunch times!

Even the ink pad is an old Brilliance 3 colours in one pad so I had to fiddle about trying to ink my stamp with the blue and red inks and not the green which was tedious! I don't think I've ever used this ink pad-again it's a 'new to crafting' purchase a long time ago! Finally the Sharpie pens are only in my possession as UKS used to talk about them ALL the time. I bought a few and only use them for parcels and freezer bags! I don't have a red Copic as yet so my red Sharpie saved the day on the bunny's top as well as the star. I'm utterly amazed how many bits and pieces I've used on this card which I never normally would. It's all very 'Ashes to Ashes'!!!

Being a hoarder has it's uses you know!

Ingredients:
Sugar Nellie Little Cotton Rabbits bunny stamp
Hero Arts ticket stamp
Star stamp from Kars
Copics
Stampin Up Real Red cardstock
Star paper from stash
Red & blue pearlescent card from stash
Sizzix balloons
Memento black ink
Brilliance inkpad-3 colours
Sharpie red pen
Star punch
Coloured staples from stash
Peeloff star from stash
Two toned cord from local craft shop
Stickles

Celebrate in a hurry!

2009-04-29T07:15:00.001-07:00

I love making cards I really do. What I don't like about I though is that I have to always make a card myself, I can never, ever do the 'B'(***see bottom of post) word again.

That's fine of course, usually. However, since I've started making cards I seem to have fallen into some strange black hole where I am unable to find out it's someones birthday etc until either after 6.00pm the night before or worse still the day itself.

Cardmaking's a joyous activity when you can have a play, a bit of a dawdle. When it's break the speed of sound fast it's not so fun, in fact it's utterly horrible.

Needless to say I've had one of those record breaking cardmaking dramas today. It is with exhaustion that I write this post! I'm shattered and my card room has been ransacked quite simply. I am having to keep my eyes firmly on the monitor screen as if I look around....sob....wail...a bit more sobbing!

Hell hole of a craft room aside, I've done it! Hallelujah, I've made a card!

I have always been told that I am my own worst enemy, more times that you can imagine. At the age of...mumble..mumble..30...something or other..I am able to be an adult about this and stand up and say (cough, clear throat) 'I am my own worst enemy'.

Cards needed in a hurry need to be fast cards, simple cards,dare I say it-easy cards. However (and this is the own worst enemy bit) I couldn't bear anyone to think I'd made them a 'fast, simple...easy' card. So I don't.

This isn't the most complicated card in the world but it wasn't a five minute job either believe me. I had no idea what to do when I started and I feel it has than sense of uncertainty still about it, oh and the stupid (OK I didn't exactly think stupid at the time but I do try really hard not to swear..too much..well not every five minutes-ooops I meant day of course) rub ons had a crisis of identity and became stickers so they stuck where they decided to go and not where I wanted them too!! Bad rub ons!

Never mind. I'm too tired to care (that's a lie of course) and still need to go and see Bobbi and Ernie (who are doing great) and see my guys for some cuddling and to assure them that I'm OK really despite all the howling and wailing!(OK I'm exaggerating that-I'm a bit prone to that would you believe?).

Anyway, best go and sing Happy Birthday to my neighbour and do lots of smiling and hope (and I mean really hope) that they've got birthday cake as I need some badly-I've earned it!

*** BUY!

Ingredients:
Card blank from stash
K & co paper
Stampin Up card in Creamy Caramel and Regal Rose
Stampin Up stamp set 'Natural beauty'
Papertrey white card
Copics
Stampin Up border punch
Making memories rub on (that thinks it's a sticker)
Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon
Brads from stash
3D foam pads

Elizabeth Bell blog candy

2009-04-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

How great is blog candy? Not only could you potentially win some gorgeous goodies, but the blog world is opened each time a little further and new favourites are found.

Katharina's blog 'Stamping with a Whiff of Joy' is one such blog. Hugely talented and generous as she's giving away 2 sets of the new Elizabeth Bell Summer collection!

Pop over and have a look-and look at her cards-amazing. Katharina's even got a list of tutorials and tips-it's well worth a visit and adding to favourites-I have!

Cherish the Gorjuss-ness & a Mr B progress report!

2009-04-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist doing another Gorjuss girl card. I love these images-they seem so ethereal and there's something almost bewitching about the images. Somehow I'm back with turquoise again;considering I'm not keen on the colour, I seem to have an astonishing array of turquoise bits and pieces!

As for yellow- I LOATHE yellow but I've managed to sneak it some Certainly Celery which I adore and which helped me to cope with two scary colours! Phew!

Apologies for the photos-I'm going to have to try and figure out what is going wrong. It's the editing that seems to be messing the quality up-I do auto enhancement and the result tends to be worse than the original photo-not better. It's hugely frustrating but I've been cardmaking and PC-ing for some time now and need to clock off and catch up on some bunny and pussy cat time.The awful photos will have to stay for now, sorry. Aaaargh, why can't things be easy?

It's a gorgeous evening though so can't stay cross for long. I'm watching Mr B (Blackbird) demolish his latest batch of apples and pears so photo quality seems somewhat insignificant right now. He's eaten all the winter apples so I've now resorted to buying him vast quantities of apples and pears (his clear favourite), which he gobbles in record time.

Yesterday I noticed he was being uncharacteristically quick with his return journey and discovered that at the end of the garden was a rather large baby blackbird sat happily on a wheelie bin, with the biggest mouth you've ever seen optimistically open wide.

Poor Mr. B was desperately trying to keep this 'baby' fed but the baby was huge and his appetite even bigger. Meanwhile, I was split between ensuring there was a plentiful supply of fruit for Mr B and 'baby' and ensuring that Tom, Basil and neighbouring cat McCauley didn't suddenly take it upon themselves to satisfy any hunger they might have by eating Mr B's beloved baby!

Needless to say all the fruit I bought yesterday which I had anticipated lasting several days was actually all gone by lunchtime (our lunchtime-it appears blackbirds have a permanent lunchtime). I thus had to trek back into town today, battle the crowds and lug home another hoard of apples and pears. Lets hope (for my sake at least) that these last a little longer!

Must dash, but the sweetest thing in all this is that poor Mr. B doesn't seem able to eat the apples unless I've cut them in half! Poor sweetie-not only do I have to provide the food but serve it to the specific requirements of this handsome man! If any of you had ever wondered why I don't manage to post a card a day-now you have your answer! Sorry, no up to date photos of Mr B and family-must do some, oh and we have baby duckies too down at the river and blue tits in the nest box-it's all so exciting;how amazing this time of year is-new life everywhere!

Ingredients:

Gorjuss girl rubber stamp from Sugar Nellie
Certainly Celery card and grosgrain ribbon from Stampin Up
Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon from Stampin Up
Paisley background stamp from Stampin Up
Basic Grey papers
Basic Grey brad
Prima hydrangea petals
Paisley vellum from stash
Copics
Memento black ink
Brilliance Peacock ink pad (turquoise colour used)
Basic Grey chipboard heart
K & co rub on sentiment
Yellow organza ribbon from stash
Gems and sequin flower from stash

In bloom

2009-04-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of those cards that just comes together as it is made. Initially I used different papers but couldn't get it to work so I started again and somehow these papers involved themselves! I couldn't get this card to work at all, it wasn't flowing at all so I just tried things and somehow I managed (just about) to pull a card together!

I had terrible problems with Tilda-she's been very naughty indeed! Actually, it's not Tilda so much as the cutting out of Tilda that caused huge problems. I still can't get a neat edge under her plaits and I've used scissors, my craft knife (complete with new blade) and various nail files in a desperate attempt to get a neat edge and failed miserably. I just felt that this card was somehow doomed to fail so just decided to carry on, get it done and hopefully my next creation will be a happier one!

A couple of things did go well though. I used my Stampin Up scallop border punch for the borders (funnily enough) and then my Silent Setter to punch out holes within each scallop. I think this is very effective and I'll do this again. My other success was my home made pin. I love all these pins on people's blogs but have been too much in awe to realise that I can very easily make some myself! I do do a bit of jewellery making (though I tend to do more buying of beads etc than actual making of jewellery!) so I have an abundance of beads suitable for these pins. I just used head pins and used a crimp bead to hold the top beads in place.

As I certainly don't want anyone to suffer injury as a result of my cards, I glued a small bead onto the end of the pin to hide the sharp pin end. Within the Stampin Up Pretties kit are included some attachments to put on the end of the pins supplied to keep them safe. Try as I might I haven't been able to track any down in the real world so the bead will have to suffice until I am able to find a suitable alternative.

I'm pleased with the result-the pin looks gorgeous with the Prima hydrangea petals I as I made the pin myself, I was able to choose just the right colours to co-ordiate with the colours used throughout the rest of the card.I've already made a few more-they take a matter of seconds-all my cards will be covered in pins for at least the immediate future methinks!

I was struggling to find a suitable sentiment but when I found this one 'in Bloom' I knew it was just right. The lovely Steph sent me a super pack of K & Co rub ons when she returned from her holiday recently. The sentiment and the stitching at the botoom of the card are both from this pack and are the perfect final details.

Ingredients:
Europa card for card blank
Basic grey papers
Tilda sitting stamp from Magnolia
K & co rub ons-sentiment and stitching
Stampin Up border punch
Large and small circle and scalloped circle punches

Silent Setter
Prima hydrangea flowers
Copics
Various beads, head pin and lace from stash
Pearls from Stampin Up Pretties kit

Woo hoo!

2009-04-20T03:20:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm feeling rather chuffed right now as soon I'll have some more craft goodies winging their way to me! What's so strange about that you ask? Well.....I am a WINNER!!!!! (been watching alot of US TV lately!).

I won on one of Sarahs prize days. On day 3 Sarah created a beautiful box with a handle with a banner attched to it. She decorated it in blue for a baby. Sarah asked for suggestions as to ideas the box could be used for. I said I'd fill the box with goodies for Mummy-face packs, hand creams etc and put the baby banner on their cot. Sarah chose this idea as the winning entry!! She'll send me some die cuts of the boxes and banners so I'll make one up (it'll come a poor second to Sarah's effort alas) and post it up here soon.

Then this morning, I spotted that I had won the Passion for Papertrey scallops challenge!! With this challenge it's a 2009 computerised pick a name out of a hat system and the name was me!! It's for the baby card I did yesterday (above). I'm thrilled! I won some gorgeous papers, a bit of card and some ribbons. I'm not familiar with the paper set-(but then all I know is the Raspberry Fizz set as we all long for that!) but I believe it's male oriented which will be handy-I'm off to the Papertrey site to have a look for it now-wee hee!!

Thank you Kate and Steph!

Passion for papertrey challenge-Scallops

2009-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

I've been unable to do much crafting recently for one reason or another and as a result I missed one of the challenges on Kate and Stephs blog 'A Passion for Papertrey'. Desperate to get back on track I visited the blog to find the theme being 'scallops'. Phew-I can do this!

Here's my attempt anyway. I have so few Papertrey bits, just a few lovely items Steph generously sent me, but if I can win one of these challenges my Papertrey stash will more than double so here goes!

I don't actually know the names of these Papertrey colours but the card, paper and ribbon are all Papertrey. I've used two Stampin Up sets for the baby and sentiment (I ADORE this baby) and Copics for colouring-I'm still practising furiously! Happily I have some Copic markers that perfectly match the Papertrey colours!

I 3D'd the baby and though it's a simple card I am pleased with the result-I actually don't feel the need to start sticking every embellishment in sight on it! I must be ill! For the ribbon I punched two holes near the join with my Silent Setter and pulled each end through this to tie the bow. Three small Papermania gems complete the card.

The card has been cut with the join at the top. I do like cards this shape and again it seemed to work well with what I was trying to do. All in all a simple but effective card and I have enjoyed using the gorgeous Stampin Up baby very much! It was about time he/she had an outing!

Ingredients:
Card, paper & ribbon from Papertrey (courtesy of Steph)
Stampin Up stamp sets-
Baby from 'Cuddles & Tickles'
Sentiment from 'I'm Here'
Copics
Gems from papermania
Scalloped border punch from Stampin Up
Circle and Scalloped circlePunches

Sugar bowl challenge 8

2009-04-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness me-this has been a challenge. Nope, not a challenge, an ordeal! Marlene drew an amazing sketch for this week's challenge which I initially thought I'd love doing. I have really, really, really struggled with this right from the start. I kept losing track of all the layers-couldn't draw the sketch for the life of me so had to repeatedly refer back to the Sugar Bowl blog, and it just has been so hard trying to work out the dimensions of each of the pieces! I've used another Little Cotton Rabbit stamp-gosh I really do LOVE these! I just hope I've got the sketch right! I'm sure I've messed it up somewhere!

This evening as I've desperately been trying to put it all together and embellish it etc, my cat Tom has been the cat from hell! He is demanding at the best of times-Maria Carey (reportedly an absolute horror in the world of the demanding) has nothing on Tom. Tom suffers from an extreme form of 'cat indecisiveness'. This indecisiveness is well known to cat carers. Cats cannot make their minds up and Tom is the dictionary definition of this condition.

This is bad enough if you consider that it manifests itself in an inability to decide whether to be in or out, whether he wants to eat of not, whether he likes the food or not, whether he wants to sit her, or stand there or go anyway at all (all this whilst standing in a doorway or the narrowest part of the house or garden) so it's a case of having to climb over him (following an emergency stop to avoid trampling on him!).

This evening he has been at his most indecisive.

Despite FIVE bowls of different food, Tom remains dissatisfied in the food department, he has been in and out the house so many times I literally am in a daze and has been doing his 'cat staring' to the point at which I am a nervous wreck and exhausted by him! I have a headache as a result of trying to use my non existent psychic powers to deduce what on earth is wants! Tom has a cat flap which he used for goodness knows how many years. Now, he has arthritis and when I'm in a kindly mood I put his refusal to use the catflap down to it possibly aggravating his arthritis.

When I'm feeling less charitable (usually after opening and shutting the door 1000 times in the space of 30 seconds, so every day!) I put it down to Tom being a Diva and the fact that he sees the situation as something in the order of why should he demean himself by wriggling through a hole in the door when there's Mum to open it whenever I want?

Good point-you've got to hand it to him-he's got brains.

So, this card isn't right-I've tried and tried but am waving a white flag of defeat. I haven't been defeated by the card-nope, I've been defeated by Tom and I'm going to have to go and see if I can work out why he remains extremely dissatisfied with life!

On a more humorous note, I've mentioned Tom's amazing toes before now. He has many more toes that cats normally do, which happily means there's even more of him! Our last vet used to say 'there's toes everywhere' when he saw Tom and he's been found surrounded by people with one of the neighbours pointing out knowingly his many toes and 'boxing glove' shaped paws.

We had to go to the vet yesterday for Tom to have his cortisone injection he has to reduce the arthritis pain. The vet mentioned Tom's toes as we finished the consultation. He said that he's seen cats with extra toes before but never anywhere near as many as Tom has. He said Tom has the most incredible number of toes and it's very rare indeed to have so many.

That's reminded me, I must trim his nails. I don't need to do all of them but some of Tom's toes are hidden and so the claws if left untrimmed would simply grow into Tom's feet. If you look on your hand at the gap between your thumb and first finger. In that gap, Tom has a small toe. Cutting that nail isn't easy believe me. I have to single handed, hold Tom (who does not consent to this procedure), open the toes up, find the toe, find the nail and clip it carefully not cutting into Tom at all. Phew. What a job and lucky me-I'm the lucky girl who's got to do it! I have to keep a close eye on how these nails grown and regularly trim them. So instead of cardmaking, I'm going to be savaged by a yowling cat who I know is saying very bad things to me!

Wish me luck!

Ingredients:

Card blank from stash

Little Cotton Rabbit stamp by Sugar Nellie

Jenni Bowlin paper

The English Paper Company paper

Karen Marie Klip paper

White hammered card from stash

Whisper White card by Stampin Up

Happy day stamp by Stampin Up

Bashful Blue ink by Stampin Up

Watercolour pencils by Faber Castell and Derwent

Queen & co felt ribbon

Felt flowers from stash

Lace from stash

Pearls from Kanban

Messy Rabbit blog candy- be quick!!!

2009-04-10T10:19:00.001-07:00

Ooops, only just found this so hurry up as only got until midnight tonight...

http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/2009/04/this-post-will-stay-at-top-until-10-th.html

...for the chance to win some gorgeous Messy Rabbit blog candy as Jacqui celebrates her blog birthday!

Touch the Stars

2009-04-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd try and add a colour that is way out of my comfort zone-turqouise. This decision came after my light blue Copic turned into a turquoise type colour after a couple of layers! I'm really pleased with this card-I can still see messed up bits but the essence of what I want to create remains-this is more like it!

Aargh, the sentiment's moved a bit for the photo! You could never imagine the problems I've had using the silver hodgepodge frame and cutting the sentiment to fit it! It's been awful! I just couldn't seem to work out how to cut it to fit properly-my brain totally failed me!

Ingredients:
Card blank from stash
Basic grey papers
Whipsper White card from Stampin Up
Chipboard flowers from Stampin Up (covered in Basic grey paper)
Chipboard stars from American Crafts
Chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon from Stampin Up
Ribbon charm and silver frame from Silver Hodgepodge set from Stampin Up
Sentiment stamp from 'Dreams and Dragons' set from Stampin Up
'Gorguss girl' rubber stamp from Sugar Nellie
Chocolate Chip ink from Stampin Up for sentiment
Dark Brown chalk ink for edges

Naughty pussy cat!

2009-04-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

I saw this stamp and as they say 'it had my name on it'! Penny Black are just phenomenol-they just seem to be able to create the most gorgeous images of animals in a way no one else comes close to. I only have a couple of their images-this and a Christmas cat one so must get saving for more! I have my eye on a gorgeous bunny one-similar to this image with a bunny on his back lying on a bird table or something. The bunny looks just like Jacob and he lies like that all the time when he trances himself.

This cat so reminds me of Tom, though I do have a photo on this blog of Basil sitting a bird table which is rather similar to this naughty cat.

I love these papers from Making Memories but not managed to use them yet. I couldn't seem to match this image to the usual suspects paper wise and as a last resort I tried these and actually thought they worked really well. I could so imagine having a skirt or dress with the chocolate brown pattern!! Love it!

I'm afraid my photo lets me down again-I'm utterly useless-it was such a sunny day so I should have no excuse. having said that, it was so sunny I couldn't actually see the card properly! I laid it on white paper and then the white just reflected back at me because of the strength of the sun and I'm amazed I even got the whole card in shot!

Never mind-need to practise so many things clearly, as well as my new Copics!

Ingredients:

Penny Black cat stamp

'Reach for the stars' sentiment stamp-Hero Arts

Card blank from Steph so unknown

Making memories paper

Whisper White card from Stampin Up

Chocolate Chip card by Stampin Up

Taffeta pink ribbon from Stampin Up

Pink gems from Steph so unknown

Clear gems from stash

Gorgeous bunnies

2009-04-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Being an avid bunny fan I simply HAD to have the set of Little Cotton Rabbit rubber stamps from Sugar Nellie in my collection. This is my first card made with them and I've been playing with Copics-trying to learn how to blend them etc. I still need more colours so I'm rather limited now. Currently, I have got mainly browns and pinks-browns for bunnies and pussy cats and pinks because I'm a pink fan! I really hope I'll get the hang of Copics as I've been in awe of some of the photos of cards on blogs I've seen. Even without the blending, I still adore them, they're gorgeous colours and the lack of brush strokes is something that for me makes them worth every penny. I did try the Stampin Up markers and though the colours are gorgeous, brush strokes are a real issue. It's so disappointing to try really hard with a card and then all you can see are brush strokes all over the image.

I've done a few fussy cards recently so thought I'd keep this one fresh and simple. I've wanted to use one of the Jenni Bowlin journalling pieces on a card forever; one of the pink ones seemed perfect for this card. I received a card from someone which had a little piece of the new Stampin Up pink striped ribbon. It's from the new mini and after I had tried with goodness knows how many bits of ribbon of various colours, I spotted the card and couldn't believe how perfect the ribbon was for this card! So, it's cannibalised ribbon I suppose but for me it just matches the stripes on the Jennie Bowlin journalling card perfectly!

Ingredients:

Square card blank from stash

Little Cotton Rabbits stamps from Sugar Nellie

Copics

Barely banana card from Stampin Up

Pretty in Pink card from Stampin Up

Scalloped border punch from Stampin Up

Anna Griffin paper

Anna Griffin rub on sentiment

Jennie Bowlin journalling card

Stampin Up striped grosgrain ribbon

Gems from stash

The Sugar Bowl challenge 7 -Spring or Easter

2009-04-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

This weeks Sugar Bowl challenge from Sugar Nellie challenge is by way of acknowledging the much better weather we've been having! The choice therefore is either Easter or Spring. I liked the idea of Spring as a theme-I feel so much better when the sun shines and am compelled to use pretty and fresh tones. I've never made a card specifically dedicated to the theme of Spring either so why not? There's still time to join in-cards need to be posted on The Sugar Bowl blog by midnight on Wednesday 8th April and you'll be entered into a draw to win some Sugar Nellie goodies. Pop over and have a look-the design team have as always created some amazing items.

Sorry the photo isn't very good. It's a beautiful day so no blaming the weather-I'm just not a very good photographer alas.

Ingredients:
Pink card from stash for card blank & matting
Basic Grey paper-various
Sugar Nellie stamp by Leanne Ellis
Paper flowers from Sarahs cards
Papermania brads
Copics
Flourish made from Basic Grey paper using Maya Road chipboard flourish as a template
Leaf buttons from stash (knew I'd use them one day!)
Butterfly from stash (felt certain I'd NEVER use this so yipee!)
Spring sentiment by Jolees boutique
Ribbon from stash

The Sugar Bowl Mothers Day Challenge

2009-03-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Another challenge would you believe? I getting quite into all this aren't I? This challenge is on the Sugar Bowl blog which is one of the Sugar Nellie blogs. The great thing about this challenge is no complicated rules (I think!) other than having to use a Sugar Nellie image and needing to be a follower.

It's not the easiest of challenges to join in terms of confidence as the talent within the Sugar Nellie camp is breathtaking. It's nice though to have a reason to do a card as there's only so many birthday cards etc that I need to make. I LOVE these images as I may have mentioned before) and also what's ever so exciting is at last I managed to track down some pom pom ribbon and it arrived in time to ass to this card. I've longed for pom pom ribbon forever-it's even more fab than I hoped it would be so expect all my future card for a while at least to be embellished with pom pom ribbon!
So here goes...

Ingredients:
Cream card blank from stash
Basic Grey papers
Pink card from stash
Sugar Nellie stamp by Leanne Ellis
Bazzill Pom Pom ribbon
Stickles diamond
Blooms from Sarahs cards
Heart brad from stash
Heart punch
Organza ribbon from stash
Dark brown colorbox chalk inkpad
Black Stazon

Goodbye Jade

2009-03-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

I've just found out that dear Jade Goody has died.

I am deeply upset. I find injustice a very difficult thing to cope with at the best of times-this is an injustice if ever there was one.

Jade died at home surrounded by her family and friends as she wished. She was 27.

God bless.

Passion for Papertrey challenge

2009-03-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

With many thanks to the lovely Steph who kindly sent me a few Papertrey bits so I could participate, here is my attempt at the current challenge on A Passion for Papertrey.

If you've seen my previous attempt at a challenge you'll know that I can never fully understand the instructions! This challenge is for 'one layer'. My interpretation is that the card is the one and only layer. Embellishments and ribbon are allowed-other than that it's a no no.

Kate's cards seem to me to follow this rule so I desperately tried to reign in my usual urges to amass as much as is possible on a single card! I often feel my cards are akin to the Guinness World Record attempt-along the line of how many people can fit in a telephone box! My take on this is how many different things can I stick on a card and it still:

a) fit in an envelope to send

b) stand up unassisted!

Anyway, I did my best, then looked at the other challenge cards and it seems I may be alone in my interpretation. Other people have put paper layers on and then everything else-I may be disqualified for getting it all wrong and I suffered, yes, suffered doing this card with it's cruel (and maybe not entirely factual) limitations!!!! Sorry guys if I've got it wrong!

Anyway, I tried to do my usual /more is most definitely more' kind of card with only 1 layer-the card. It was hard but I certainly can see the value in cards like this-a true one layered card is so much quicker to do and although I'm clearly extremely organised (in fact organisation is my middle name along with fibber), there are times (most times) when I need a card in a hurry. A quick card would be my saviour but alas my genetic make-up gets scared by minimalism-I'm a victim really, so back to the Guinness World record attempts I think!

Ingredients: (All Papertrey unless otherwise stated)

Card

Paper

Stampin Up Riveting stamp set

Stampin Up Swirls and Blossoms background stamp

Brilliance ink Pearlescent Purple

Flower punch unknown

Gems unknown

Blog candy

2009-03-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just must let you know about some fab blog candy over at Phoenix Crafts.

There's lots of gorgeous candy about so keep looking at the blog candy information on the right hand side of my blog as I'll keep you informed of anything else I come across. If you win though you have to share with me!!! Hee! hee! Just joking of course-good luck.

Spring has sprung!

2009-03-20T11:07:00.001-07:00

It has been the most beautiful day here today, Not only did we get the most glorious sunshine but it was mild, particularly if you stayed in the sun. I had to get a bit of shopping and got so hot in the shops due to my wearing Winter woolies still. It's now just after 6.00pm and the temperature has dropped significantly so it's quite chilly. The sun seems reluctant to disappear for the night so we have a glorious sunset with the sky a delightful orangey red watercolour mix. Artists glory in sunsets such as this-I am a huge sunset fan so never bore of watching their all too brief existence. What's so incredibly wonderful about sunsets is that nature doesn't place any limit on the number we can enjoy. Eclipses happen once every so many years, sunsets can occur night after night and never be diluted by the frequency of the act.

I was compelled upon waking to get out in the garden and take some photos. I also took my camera out with me but totally forgot about it so the beautiful flowers down at Ernie and Bobbies will have to wait. These Narcissus are from in my garden but we have rather a glut of Daffodils nearby. I live literally round the corner from the river that runs through my town. It's not a huge river and it meanders through my town gently apart from when it's torrential rain when it breaks it's banks with alarming frequency-people still are repairing thrir homes after the floods of last 'Summer'. I've always longed to live with a river running either through or at least at the bottom of my garden. Last Summers floods showed that such a dream can also be a terrible nightmare. My town flooded badly twice in consecutive months. Our much loved river became a common enemy to many-no one will ever view it in quite the same way agin.

>

Nonetheless most of the time the river is something we all gravitate too though it's not only humans who enjoy it's charms. Behind my garden I have the town bowling green, tennis courts, putting green and fishing pond. The pond is directly behind my garden. The combination of all that water results in a great variety of nature. We have an owl, a sparrow hawk (good and bad), the most enormous amounts of frogs and toads in the garden (and in the Summer with open doors often in the house!) and ducks! At night they go to bed on the pond and you can hear them squabbling (or that's my view anyway) with honking and squawking as they presumably elbow one another in an attempt to get a bit of space to sleep!

In the day they sit all over the place and adore it by the river where they nest. The joy of walking into town counting the ducklings as they sit on the riverbank which itself is covered in daffodils never diminishes. As the ducklings grow they learn to swim and again counting becomes almost compulsory with a current conversation between town folk running along the lines of:

Person A'I saw 12 ducklings today by the river'
Person B 'Really, I've seen 10 but last year I saw 14 swimming behind one mother duck'
Person A '14? Blimey, I wouldn't want 14 children!'
Person B 'Ah, but if you're a duck you don't have them for as long as we do!'

Laughter from both!

When the ducklings arrive I will try and take some photos top post on here. In the meantime we've some Primroses, Narcissus and a stunning Hellebore from my garden.

A time of hope?

2009-03-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

It's swiftly becoming a beautiful and bright Spring for us in the UK. We've been blessed with lots of sunshine and the odd bit of warmth, though it's still chilly in the main. Spring is a time of hope and looking to the future, of being glad we've got through another dark, cold Winter.

In a few days the clocks 'spring forward' and we can look forward to lighter evenings-something I'm very much looking forward to.

Sometimes the world seems so entirely full of hope that we almost take our eye off the ball and forget, if only for a moment that the feeling of hope and of a new dawn is not, and cannot be shared by everyone.

I write as last night we learnt of the death of the actress Natasha Richardson, a beautiful Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter and friend. A desperately sad death coming out of nowhere it seems.

Jade Goody is facing her last moments with her small children, her husband of less than one month and her other family and friends. Jade is 27 and less than a year ago was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

In Northern Ireland more families are grieving and walking behind hearses carrying the bodies of those they love. All too often we hear of the death of yet another soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, of more civilian deaths, of suffering in Zimbabwe, Darfur and so many other places.

It seems that there is as much despair and pain and suffering as there is hope. It's easy for all that hope to evaporate, to seem as fragile as the daffodils thin flowerheads. It's all very cliched though, but we can look back to these flowers to reignite our hope. Look at the snowdrops and crocuses, the little naccissus daffodils, all so small and yet they force their way through frost hardened grown, through snow if necessary and bloom their little hearts out.

The winter flowering bulbs have to be some of the most hardy species in nature. You can plant them one year and for years after they'll just get on with it and flower merrily and what's more increase in number year on year. They do this all by themselves, those tiny little snowdrop bulds smaller than the fleshy part of your thumb, do battle with Winter year on year and what's more win that battle.

No matter how harsh the Winter, how freak the weather conditions, when we are doubting the existence of Spring these little flowers show us to keep the faith, that there are cycles in this life and come what may these cycles of life carry on and on and on.

It's normal to feel despair at times, to worry and be afraid but all things will pass and the next cycle will begin. We always remember how amazing the Spring flowers looked last year and the year before yet each year is somehow even better than the previous and if we ever feel small and wek and out of control of life we could do worse than going off and finding some little Spring flowers and remembering that if they can get through the darkness of Winter-so can we all.

I'll get some photos for this post asap but I wanted to post the words anyway.

Jade Goody

2009-03-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to post about Jade for a long time now but it is so upsetting that I really struggle to determine what exactly to say.

This is a terrible, terrible time, Jade's life is ebbing away and no-one can stop this awful thing happening.

Jade is a true human being, with good points, bad points and has learnt her lessons well. She is wise beyond her mere 27 years. She is kind and decent and clearly a devoted Mother, daughter, wife and friend to so many.

At this time of year Marie Curie do their annual appeal for funds. Fittingly for this time of year, a Daffodil is their logo and you may have seen the pretty paper daffodils together with a donation box in shops recently. Marie Curie nurses provide round the clock nursing care and support. The existence of Marie Curie nurses allows many people to die in their own home and not in a hospice or hospital.

Dying at home means so much for so many people; to be surrounded by the familiar and by their family is the last wish of many and Marie Curie nurses grant this wish where possible. Should more intensive care be required, Marie Curie also have 10 hospices in the UK.

This appeal may sadly be all too personally relevant to some of us, but for the card makers amongst us, this appeal allows us to do our bit to actively help in the way we do best-making cards. Together with Do-crafts, Marie Curie ask that cards are made that can then be sold to raise funds for the charity. All cards need to be received by 30th April so there's still plenty of time.

If you go to the following website:

http://www.create-a-card-for-cancer-care.org/

you will find all the information you need. The forum on 'In Love with Stamping' which is a UK site dedicated to Stampin Up in the Uk though not solely about Stampin Up also has details-forum members are trying to make as many cards as possible for this cause.

www.inlovewithstamping.com

You can also find details of this campaign on the following Docrafts site:

http://www.docrafts.co.uk/asp/articles/?page=261

Details on the special Papermania Daffodil clear stamps available are also on this site. A donation is made to Marie Curie for every set sold.

As crafters, we have so much stash and usually make far more cards than we actually ever send. What better use of your crafting abilities than to raise money to help Marie Curie nurses help people at their time of greatest need? You can make cards especially for this appeal or use ones you have already. Do both if you possibly can!

Cards for all occasions are welcomed, the only stipulation is that they need to be
A6 size. A special card gift bag is available in many stores selling docrafts products but all the details are available on the docrafts site mentioned above.

Of course making cards isn't the only way to help this appeal. The fundraising page of Marie Curie nurses has some interesting crafty ideas:

'-Host your very own Craft Class
- Host a Tea Party
- Craft as a family
- Have a Craft Clear Out!'

Funds are desperately needed. It's awful to consider this but who knows if we or someone we love may need the Marie Curie nurses one day? If we did need them, they would help us-we need to help them. We really can make a difference and it's all so easy to make our craft stash that usually makes us feel so guilty become something so positive and good.

We can get involved with this appeal for many reasons. There are so many good reasons. I have many reasons myself why I am making cards and Jade is one of those reasons. I have been incredibly moved by her ordeal and I will never forget her on Big Brother when we all first 'met' her so to speak. I never for a moment thought it would end like this, I'm still finding it hard to grasp. Jade though has proved herself more than just a fighter though, she's also shown such compassion and forgiveness in these recent months. My cards are for Jade as are my prayers and if any of you pray, please consider a prayer for a young woman facing being torn from her two small boys, her husband, Mum and friends at the age of 27.

If anyone wants to know more about the help Marie Curie nurses offer please go to:

http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

You can also ask your GP or District Nurse about the free service offered if you or someone you know would like the support of Marie Curie nurses.

A moan and a bit of a weep

2009-03-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

OK, creaky necks again guys!! I have NO IDEA why Mr Blogger is being so naughty again! It's getting tedious though and I'm feeling so stressed at the moment anyway so for now it's this or nothing-can we make do with this just for now please?

Just a quickie as fed up too-stressed and fed up-does it get any worse? My neighbours are renovating their house. Bad enough at the best of times but 3 years ago that house was gutted and central heating out in and re-built so I have had my share of noise methinks! this time it's sanding the floors thus far. Noisy yes and now we have the varnish fumes flooding through an untold number of holes between the two house which is a nightmare. I realise we're terraced but it's like living communally with the amount of sounds and smells that come from next door. I always know what they're having for tea and ..well yes, I know what they're having for tea!

What makes the varnish a particular issue is that I have alot of allergies chemical wise and have discovered I have an allergy to floor varnish too! Great! I have a sore throat, painful chest, am very shaky (which is horrible) and have tingling in my lips. No good. I'm using my asthma inhaler but no more antihistamines allowed as on a betahistine for vertigo. It never rains.....

The fact is, I'm not worried about me it's my guys I'm worried about. The smell is so strong and it's fumes essentially. We have to keep windows open 25/7 (gosh-never used that phrases before) and it's COLD! I can also still smell it. When I dash to Ernie and Bobbi I feel so much better-I can breathe but the rest of my guys can't come so it's no good. Tom virtually is living outside and not sure if it's the fumes. Humphrey and Jacob are on antibiotics for long term respiratory problems so I'm scared to death about them. These door are neighbours from hell so didn't have the decency to come round and warn us about this-nor did they the other side of them. When I saw the girl and asked her about it she told me it was going to go on 'all year as we're doing the whole place up'-that was just before she shut the door in my face. Classy!

When I moved here it was a lovely road-now we have alot of crime-particularly aimed at vechiles and the outside of our properties. The police are here all the time doing door to door about the latest crime-it's horrible. At night people run past banging on the windows and shouting and swearing until goodness knows when as we're on a 'pub route' apparently. Day and night there's cars and motorbikes racing up and down; combined with the partying neighbours from hell it's become unbearable living here to be honest.

The thin walls mean we hear every conversation, every argument, every time they have visitors round-shouting and shrieking until late. Sorry, I'm feeling really low and they've just got home-that awful sound of their front door slamming signals their homecoming. Bad every night of the week but Friday is particularly feared as it marks the beginning of the weekend. In the Summer it's even worse-they have all day barbecues-my little garden that I used to love becomes out of bounds-you can't breathe and it's intimidating when there's so many of them. My poor animals are afraid to go out so we're left inside with the windows shut to keep the smoke out day after day.I just have reached the end of my tether on this I think, and I'm just so tired which doesn't help.

I should go-I'm too moany and I think cuddle with my bunnies and puss cats is in order. I just feel so responsible for them-I can't change things and I hate that I can't protect them-can't even ensure they can breathe clean and safe air. Sorry guys-useless post this with a card on it's side and me fed up-try again soon!! I'll try and sort out the photo and details of items used too though it's obviously little Tilda on a swing.

Your radiance lights up the sky

2009-03-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the gloomy photo-it looks like it's going to rain very hard soon-typical as need to pop out! Another Sugar Nellie stamp-how could I resist the little birds? I just had a play with this and had tonnes of fun! I paper pieced the girls dress, top, hair and boots as well as the bow in her hair and bird box. I used Stampin Up markers to do colouring in and attempted rosy cheeks for the first time! I used my Silent setter to make the hole in the bird box, or how would the little birds get in and it's baby birds time soon!

I used up a few things from my stash which I'm pleased with. The gorgeous paper rose and other bloom are as I used on the scrapbook layout for 'The beautiful and very brave Sophie' and from Sarah's cards. The bird brad however, is from Papermania and I've had it an age but it's perfect for this card! I have no idea by the way why Mr Blogger has turned my photo around though I suspect he has an issue with the size of it! I'm not very PC literate so won't try and fix it or I'll end up losing everything. Don't get neck ache though by looking at the photo too long!

The star buttons are also something that have been hanging out in my button jar for ever. I wasn't completely sure about them on this card-not sure if they look a bit 'plasticky' but with the Stampin Up chocolate chip grosgrain I think (hope) the nasty plastic look is diluted at least.

Sentiment wise I used an All Night media stamp which was one of the first stamps I ever bought. I always feel I'm lacking in basic, small sentiments but have a few with really lovely messages and I think this one fits the bill on this occasion nicely.

Other than that my Stampin Up scalloped punch got another outing (are you bored yet?) and the rest of the card is a mixture of utterly gorgeous Basic Grey papers-Sultry and Sugared to be precise. I do have some 12" x 12" theoretically for scrapbooking but in reality more for looking at and going 'ahhh'. I love the 6" x 6" for cardmaking though as the pattern is reduced and so is far more suitable for cards.

My favourite Basic Grey paper set thus far is 'Perhaps' (I LOVE IT!!) but the 12" paper pattern is far too large and overwhelming for cards, whereas the 6" is perfect and I mean PERFECT in every sense of the word!!! This card is bigger than 6" in height but it didn't matter as I layered the papers anyway and for 6" x 4" cards the smaller papers easily cover the card if you choose.I just matted with random bits of card from my stash-no need to use really nice stuff when you only see a millimetre or so so my Stampin Up stuff stayed in it's box for this card! Oh, just fibbed a bit! I did use Chocolate Chip for the girl and sentiment but I don't have any other choclate card!

I had alot of fun making this card and have to say that I'm pretty chuffed with the result. I'm really enjoying my cardmaking again after a horrible mojo drought and my confidence is coming on slowly but surely. Having a nice sunny day helps of course, I'm cheerier as regular readers of this blog will know, but also the light lends itself so much better to cardmaking. It's so nice to be able to see colours accurately and patterns too. I definitely feel like making fresh cards, Spring clearly comes to cardmaking land too!

Ingredients:
Sugar Nellie girl with birds stamp by Leanne Ellis
All Night Media sentiment stamp
Basic Grey papers-Sultry and Sugared
Maya Road ribbon charm
Stampin Up chocolate chip narrow grosgrain ribbon
Stampin Up Chocolate Chip card
Stampin Up scalloped border punch
Stampin Up markers
Blooms from Sarah's cards
Bird brad from Papermania
Star buttons unknown
Europa card
Royal & Langnickel hammered card blank

Being a Domestic Goddess

2009-03-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've shown you my lemon meringue pie; this is the only other thing that gets me near an oven! I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Nigella Lawson and adored her first husband John Diamond the Times journalist who sadly died from cancer several years ago. The Times isn't the same without him and I still flick straight to the back page looking for him even now.

Alas Father Christmas hasn't been so encouraging of my Nigella crush recently so I've not got her most recent books but I do have a few and the muffins above are from 'How to be a Domestic Goddess'.

I actually haven't cooked for a while now as I got a new oven that was lousy at cooking-ironic huh? This oven actually burnt things, or specifically the bottom of things and I assure you with hands on heart that it was the oven and not me!

Recently I got a new microwave/grill/oven which is fab! It's brilliant for me for many reasons including the fact that sitting on the worktop as it does means I don't have to bend down with heavy things to gain access to the oven. Mobility wise I am extremely appreciative and grateful for this. The oven works in essence as a microwave does, even in it's 'oven' capacity, so you choose the time the food needs to be cooked for. Once it reaches this time, it beeps several times then turns itself off. It has a fan that then kicks in, thus removing the possibility of food carrying on cooking and burning as I continueside-tracked as ever, oblivious to all of this due to my terrible memory problems! This alone makes the most almighty difference to my life.

Most brilliantly of all, this is an oven that cooks and does not burn things unless programmed incorrectly. Hallelujah!

I'm thrilled (yes I need to get out more!) and so have found myself in the midst of a cooking frenzy and am compelled by unknown forces (possibly hormonal or just because I'm female and like scrummy things) to make muffins, and then double quantity muffins, then Lemon Meringue pie and a few more muffins (OK double quantity again) and then a couple more(or maybe more than that) Lemon meringue pies!

In the past

I've also had a Flapjack addiction and have no idea how I've thus far resisted the rather sticky and torn flapjack page in my cookbook (also Nigella I believe) and I've always had a certain fondness for Banana and Honey tea bread (a pattern emerges) which again I've somehow not re-visited as yet! Worry ye not! I will get there I assure you!

I actually have as yearning for something orangey so need to have a good search through the recipe books and see if I can find anything easy peasy to make and yet highly scrumptious to eat. I do have a project in mind, only thwarted thus far by a lack of peanut butter. My dreadful memory is working against me here as I keep forgetting to buy some and the jar we have has been raided to almost extinction already. I must remember soon though, I'm chomping at the bit to make some Snickers Muffins!! Snickers + Muffins = Gorgeousness!

Yep, you've guessed it, another Nigella recipe but come on, this is the woman who cooks with Coca Cola-you've got to admire her for managing to create the most unhealthy and utterly divine food possible.

Oh, dear, I've got a serious issue with crumbs littering my keyboard now and to get them out I did the incredibly stupid yet at the time so obvious idea of blowing them free!

Astonishingly, it appears that banana and honey muffin crumbs aren't the only thing to fall victim to the crevice between 'w' and 'e' and 'j' and 'k' and so forth. A dust storm has emerged from my keyboard and raised the ugly concept that maybe, just maybe we've a bit of a dusty home. My right eye has something (possible many things) in it and it hurts. Why is the obvious generally also the most stupid? Why with the balance of hindsight do obvious things seems so 'obviously stupid'?

Nope, considered the dusty home idea and flung it out of court-one dust storm need not lead to extreme measures-need to calm down, a bit of dust never killed anyone (the fluff could do with C.S.I. to identify it's origins possibly-or maybe not as it'll be skin-YUCK) but I'm certain dragging an extremely heavy Dyson around can and has! ***I actually did do some hoovering or Dysoning today so I can take it easy now and polish my housekeeping halo-seems I am a bit of a Domestic Goddess after all.........

*** Mr Dyson I was just being humorous of course, please don't trouble your legal team to sue me for suggesting that Dysoning can and has killed people!! Gulp!

Showing off my hodgepodge!

2009-03-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd do a card using the Polka Dot punches Stampin Up set that was available only during Saleabration. This set is courtesy of Jeannette-a lovely, lovely set, thank you! The hodgepodge hardware is also courtesy of a fab offer from Jeannette where you pay a certain amount to get a partial set to try. Jeannette's also offering this with papers and pretties and I think she may have the odd spot available still on a ribbon deal-not sure-pop over and see.

I've never used the hodgepodge before but I was struggling to finish the card sentiment wise. I'd been so used to not having the hodgepodges that I forgot I did now have some and when I spotted this small frame, I wondered and tried it and think it is just right!

Best disappear for now, need to feed the birds before it gets dark and it's getting darker rapidly. It's also getting extremely chilly-I've just been down to Ernie and Bobbi (for the second time I hasten to add) and given them more food and changed their water as I forgot the bottle of water when I went earlier. The guys wouldn't exactly be short of water though as it rained extremely hard when I was there this morning. As a result of getting soaked, I put my gloves on the radiator to dry and forgot to retrieve them when I went back just now. My poor hands are so cold! Picking wet dandelion leaves and Sow Thistle on a cold still Winter's evening isn't the best idea when you're prone to painful hands when cold! What could I do though? My bunnies want dandelions, they get dandelions and when I've picked them when it's hailing/raining/snowing and snow on the ground, conditions such as those this evening are by comparison a breeze!!

Ingredients:
(All from Stampin Up)
Polka Dot Punches stamp set
Happy sentiment from retired set
Designer paper (retired but still avaialble)
Real Red card
Real Red and Chocolate Chip inkpads
Silver Hodgepodge Hardware (frame and both sets of brads)

A quick hello

2009-03-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

Just a quick hello and a card before you all think I've been abducted by aliens! The reality is considerably less interesting as I'm just feeling pretty awful at the moment.The culprit this time is ongoing vertigo which is worsening and starting to really get me down. I've had problems with vertigo before and have had what I call 'background' vertigo for several years which tends mainly to raise it's ugly head when I lie down.

Before Christmas the vertigo increased in severity and it's essentially 24/7 vertigo now. It is not nice and I really struggle to stay on my feet sometimes. I even get big 'waves' of it when I'm sitting down and being perfectly still. I've been back and forth to the GP each 'back' bit clutching another different lot of medication that it's hoped will alleviate the symptoms; each 'forth' because it hasn't.

I feel very nauseous as you can imagine living in a world that's forever spinning, and I'm utterly exhausted. I'm always tired thanks for M.E. but this is different, quite simply I feel I could go to bed to sleep throughout the day and by the evening I'm struggling to keep my eyes open when Eastenders is on!

My GP says the tiredness is due to the strain mentally and physically of trying to keep a 'grip' and stay on my feet and hopefully walking in the direction I want to (which is harder than it sounds for me). She said it's also tiring as it's so frightening and it's true it isn't pleasant at all and I am worried about what is causing it and if it will go away or carry on like this forever which is an unbearable thought.

Anyway, I have more tablets to take as well as some other tablets I've been given so this is the big guns by the sounds of it! I have to go back again in a week, so back along that well trodden path again...

Not sure if you're all totally asleep (other people's health can be so boring I know) but back to more interesting matters. I latterly have discovered the joys of Sugar Nellie. I'm not into all of the children stamps (and there's a phenomenal amount of them on the market), but I do like Tilda though not the baby who's a bit scary! I adore the girl on the card above part of the range by Leanne Ellis. The range is so pretty and lovely. I really, really, really like them!

This is my very first attempt at a card and I hope I've done the beautiful stamp justice. I wanted to do a pretty card to reflect the character's prettiness and I'm pleased with the result-I'm getting better at playing with papers I think though still lots of practice to be done.

Sorry I've not been here alot but been shattered, too tired to blog and too tired to play-too tired even to blog hop!!! Shock! Horror! Gasp!

I'm trying to play a bit with my cardmaking but it's alot of looking up and down and it's not good with vertigo alas. I'm off to cuddle my bunnies now ( my calming medicine) and I'm sure Basil will take part as when there's cuddling going on Basil always seems to know and appears from nowhere to join in! Ahhhh!

Ingredients:

Royal & Langnickel cardblank
Sugar Nellie Leanne Elllis rubber stamp
Pebbles paper
Paper blooms from Sarah's cards
Pink lace from haberdahery department
Stampin Up sentiment
Stampin Up Old Olive & Barely Banana card
Stampin Up markers
Papermania gems
Stazon black ink

Another bunny & a bit happy/sad

2009-03-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

All this lovely sunshine is contributing to a really positive and sunny outlook hence this rather cheerful card. I've been struggling with my colouring in of images (an ongoing battle) and thought I'd be brave and tackle my constantly overlooked and much feared H20's. I got some H20's a good couple of years or so ago and had such high hopes for them as everyone was talking about them at the time. When they arrived, I adored the little containers full of jewel like colours but apart from doing paper swatches of colours I never managed to do anything especially productive.

Inspired once again by Jeannette (honestly her blog is choc a block full of so many techniques) who is clearly a HUGE fan of H20's I set about the transition from paper swatches to full blown colouring in!!! Well, Rome wasn't built in a day, but I managed to find just about the right colours for the above bunny and flowers in my teeny weeny H20 collection. The bunny colour I'm especially pleased with. I do have a problem though. I don't actually know what colour I used to colour in my bunny as I just took the tops off all the H20's, spritzed them with water, waited (all of about .5 of a second!) and then did a few colour swatches and then dived straight into colouring the bunny! Brave or what?

Whatever the colour is (and I will of course work it out one day), I'm really pleased with it. It's a lovely sort of caramel (nope none of the H20's are called caramel). The roses are a sort of reddy-pink (Ok, hands up I can't remember that one either) but the green was called (drum roll please) SAGE!!! At least I think it was! hee! hee! It's not the perfect green but it's the only green I have so sage green it was. Oh no, just remembered, there's actually two browns used. Oh dear I am useless!

Moving on swiftly, I adore this Elzybells stamp and it was one of the first stamps I bought. The bunny is so gorgeous and I'm sure he's smiling. Yes, I think he's a he too-not sure why, probably as women don't tend to give bunches of roses though this image could be a lady bunny thrilled at having received a big bunch of roses....um..got you thinking now!

I'm being a good girl and doing quite well at using up stash. The papers are K & co (and very nice they are too) and I've managed to find a use for one of my lovely Love Elsie chipboard buttons that I have and never seen able to find a purpose for on one of the hydrangea (love hydrangeas) blooms. I did struggle to use the ribbon as I think I'd like to just keep it to look at but it works so well I think that it was a 'meant to be kind of thing'. Oh, just from a local haberdashery shop-ooh I love that word-haberdashery, haberdashery, haberdashery.

I decided to continue the scalloped theme after punching out the bunny. I'm not sure I chose to do this, more that I am compelled to being as I am utterly bewitched by the Stampin Up scalloped border punch. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Ok, I'm a bit behind the pack on this but I thought I could resist it. I now know how certifiably mad I was to resist it so long as it is fab and makes a real difference to a card.

I will try not to do every card with scallops but I think some praise is due being as I did resist doing all the card edges in scallops too, and it wasn't easy. My hand (firmly holding the said punch) moved all of it's own accord towards the card edges and it took all my strength to resist and put the punch away and out of sight (though it called to me LOUDLY). Oh, mustn't forget the Making memories rub on-without which the card wouldn't be what it is!

Back to gloomy cards soon according to dear (voice of doom) Len the neighbour. For the past week, whenever I've happily mentioned how cheery I feel when the sun is shining dear (um!) Len has said 'I don't want to be the conveyer of bad news but it's going to get very cold and snow and the end of the world is nigh'. Oh, sorry, he didn't say anything about the end of the world being nigh, it's just when he starts his gloomy weather forecast I can't help but feel he is being a prophet of doom!! Yes, it may well get cold and even snow but Len doesn't have to tell me and change my smiling face into a sad one does he? He could pretend he hasn't heard the weather, it's not as if I asked him for the weather forecast, but no, stomp, stomp, stomp all over my (sun reliant) happy mood!!

On a serious note, I've really come to have a much better understanding of my SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). When the sun shines I feel almost a bit hysterical with happy, positive thoughts and a belief that I can do anything. If it's gloomy I want to stay in bed and I'm useless at everything! I'm not sure if it's getting worse but I certainly believe the poor Summer's have made things worse by having so many negative and gloomy days. I've read a bit about SAD recently and it's actually unusual to have symptoms all year round-most people just suffer from October to February. Trust me to be weird and get it all year round-or is that the SAD and melancholy speaking?! Clearly I've found another reason why I need to move to a sunnier and warmer climate.

My guys would love it too (apart from the travelling, none of us would like that), with all this 'pussy cat and bunny rabbit weather' (as we call nice sunny days!), I've been up and down opening the back door every hundreth of a second for Tom (cat flaps are demeaning apparently). Basil, Jacob and Humphrey have been doing a lot of 'indoor sunbathing'. We've all been much happier, Bobbi and Ernie have been warmer too and we don't want any more cold weather and snow thank you very much!!!

Bye for now.

My blog candy arrived!

2009-02-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! My blog candy arrived!

I won this recently on Sarah's blog Card Oasis and have been so excited waiting for it. Look at all those stamps! The papers are stunning, I'll be using those very happily indeed!

Sarah, thank you very much indeed, I feel a very lucky winner!

Cupcake Craft Challenge (28)

2009-02-28T02:15:00.000-08:00

I've never done a card challenge before and only ever tried one sketch which as you recall Linda did a few months ago. I don't really understand how sketches work-sometimes people change so much it seems unrecognisable to me, so I have no idea if anything can be changed, if you can add additional elements and so forth!

Nonetheless Jeannette's role as guest designer on Cupcake Craft Challenges has motivated me to try this weeks sketch myself. Last week I did try to do an altered piece but wasn't happy with the finish (to say the least!). This week, I am going to be brave (I think) and send the link off to the challenge blog. Not entirely confident about doing this but it's good to try new things. I just hope I've followed the rules properly and my card doesn't get escorted off the premises! The sketch I need to follow is shown above. The blog states that you can't move the elements around though you can change the size of them. I think I'm pretty accurate regarding the sketch, fear and inexperience means I dare not try and do anything else in case it's not allowed. I like the sketch as it is though and enjoyed doing the angled matting and layering bit as I've never tried that before.

I first saw this Ophelia stamp on another blog a couple of years ago. I adored her at first sight and still do. I searched long and hard for her-there's not many stamps I've seen and wanted more than 'Ophelia'.

As far as I am concerned the stamp does all the talking-there's nothing I can do to make the image any better than it already it and I thought a monochrome card would work really well. I'm quite pleased with the result actually-it's not overly vintage, not overly feminine either, but the striking beauty of Ophelia means that this stamp can be so versatile-I must get her out more instead of being afraid of not doing her justice.

I enjoyed making this card and I'm pleased with the result. I see a great many challenges on various blogs and think I should try and tackle a few more and hopefully gain a bit of confidence along the way.

Ingredients:
Ophelia stamp from Stampsmith
Dream stamp by Anna Griffin
Anna Griffin card
Whisper White card from Stampin Up
Stazon ink
HOTP embellishments
Papermania glitter brads
White textured mulberry paper
Black card
Lace

Cupcakes anyone?

2009-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

At last I have been able to tick the 'Crazy for Cupcakes' Stampin up set off my list! I have a confession to make-when the catalogue first came out I just didn't' get it'. As usual it's blog and forum hopping and seeing what people with incredible talent can do with this set that brought me back in sync with the rest of humanity and wanting in desperately!

Once I 'got it' I adored this set and I'm beyond happy to have it in my collection. I decided to use the same stamp in two ways in order to show myself how useful this set will be. I have always struggled with birthday cards. For each persons birthday thus far I have done a themed card reflecting their hobbies and interests which is often very hard work, although, it barely needs to be said, is always well worth the effort. However, I longed for something easier and fun, something that shouted out 'birthday'. I did really like the Big Bold Birthday but this set is so pretty and girly and yet can be for boys too-or at least I've attempted to make a card suitable for a boy!

The cards are both A6 size though made by folding an A4 piece of card lengthways and then cutting in half. The fold therefore is at the top and I think it's nice to have a change. I made each card using the same basic recipe and used the Stampin up scalloped punch to create the scallop on the smaller piece of paper (surprisingly enough!). The pink card I used markers to watercolour the cupcake whereas the blue I simply coloured the cupcake in as I wanted a bolder look.

Not too bad for a first attempt although I couldn't get the bows right no matter how hard I tried! I'm really looking forward to lots more playing with this particular set and plan to make a few birthday cards for my card box. I'm hoping that birthdays that are in future 'sprung' upon me, are no longer such a mess of desperate and rushed cardmaking through the night as far too often has been the case previously!

Ingredients:(all items Stampin Up unless stated)

Cardstock in Bashful Blue and Pretty in Pink
Petals & Paisley designer paper
Tea & Crumpets designer paper
Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip & Bashful Blue inkpads
Marker pens
Whisper White card
Very Vanilla card
Pretty in Pink & Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon

Scallop border punch

Oval punch EK Success
Diamond stickles glue

Self adhesive gems unknown make

New Papertrey blog for the UK!!!!

2009-02-23T04:11:00.001-08:00

Must tell you the new hot news!
Here in the UK we do find the Atlantic can be a HUGE gap between us and the big craft heaven that is the US. It's great to visit American blogs and forums and believe me I do far, far too much in truth. Having sites that relate to the UK market though are much nicer and more relevent in terms of card sizes and so forth, and with this thought in mind the wonderful Kate and Steph have created a special Papertrey blog especially for us UK and European fans!

They'll be all sorts of things going on including fortnightly challenges and PRIZES! The first post has been..well..posted and I urge you, in fact I must insist that you head over and have a look. Now! No off you go, I've nothing else interesting to say, sorry, but do go and see this new blog as it's gorgeous and the first challenge is awaiting you. Have fun!

2009-02-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

Remember how Jeannette as guest designing on the Cupcake Craft Challenges blog? I said I'd take part and I need to get it done by today officially. It's been a disaster. I've really messed it up, it looks awful but hey, I'll show it to you anyway! This is essentially a post about how NOT to cover a box!

I had the best of intentions, cover a post it note or whatever they're called holder, embellish it and then decorate the blanks pieces of paper to co-ordinate with the outside of the box. The original box is as above.

I decided to use the same paper as I used to make the cat card on my post about The Cinnamon Trust. Too late in the day I realise that covering the box would be a bit tricky due to the lid lifting. This means of course that the paper will bunch up a bit and I was worried this may be a problem.

Anyway, I persevered and in hindsight covered the wrong sides in the wrong order. It's ended up being a real mess but I promised I'd get something done for today so I've kept at it (through the tears! sob!) and this is the result. If you think you can see poor edging-yep you can. The lid needed a much thicker bit of paper to stop the underneath showing through and in handling it, I nearly dropped it and any edges that had been vaguely acceptable were scuffed by my fingers although I didn't realise that of course until I had taken the picture in the rapidly fading light! I'm sure you can all point out many other things wrong with it-finding something right is much harder-nigh impossible! Sigh!

Never mind, you can see my master plan at least! It could have been nice, it just isn't. As usual the whole hindsight thing comes into play and I'm sure the next one would be alot better. The thing is I'm never doing this again-it's been horrible! I know when I'm beaten!

Seriously though, it is awful but I realise what went wrong (all of it) but at least I kept going and finished it. It's really hard continuing with something you feel gutted about but I'm glad I did as I can see my idea was OK, just the logistics went a bit awry. Just realised I haven't even taken a photo of the lid on the outside! It's too dark now though perhaps that would work to my benefit and trick you all into thinking it looks amazing, it's just a bit dark when really it looks as awful as the rest of it! Never mind, it didn't work, hey ho, there's always tomorrow's project to try and get better.

Materials used:

Paper will check out

Stampin Up Very Vanilla and Old Olive card

Old Olive ink and grosgrain ribbon

Alphabet stickers unknown

Fish and cat punches

Paw print stamp by Anitas

Cat stamp by Stampcraft
Tom cat stamp unknown as no mark on wood

Another lovely award

2009-02-21T03:08:00.000-08:00

Jeannette has kindly given me this award and in doing so brought a tear to my eye. The internet, forums and blogging enable me to 'meet' all sorts of people and every so often I'm lucky enough to 'meet' really special people. Jeannette falls into this category.

This is a beautiful award and I will do my very best to work out how to post it down the right hand side-the blog equivalent of a mantelpiece! Thank you Jeannette. It is much appreciated.

Stampin Up shares

2009-02-20T04:28:00.000-08:00

I know I can't afford to buy whole packs of every item in the SU catalogue, and in truth often it would be too much of each thing. I've noticed a couple of shares going on that may be of intereste to people so thought I'd share the details. These won't be every share goin-just the ones I've come across. All are with SU demonstrators so obviously you can buy other stuff too. The details are on each persons blog but essentially the SU demonstrator buys for example a roll of every ribbon in the SU UK catalogue then will split each roll into a certain number of shares. You can have one share of each ribbon-maybe a metre of each, sometimes two, of you could have two or more shares.

I did a ribbon share a while ago and highly recommend it. With this being still Sale-a-bration (until the end of February), many demos are offering the chance to win a sale-a-bration stamp set-Jeannette has an amazing offer on her blog with the taffeta (read must have gorgeousness) and linen thread (fab for buttons) and a sale-a-bration set if I am reading right! I sound slightly uncertain as the deal is so good it's almost too good to be true! All that for £16.50 including P+P!

Jeannette is nothing if not kind and generous though so it's all true-the deal to break all deals!!-go and see! If you're lucky Jeannette may still have a space left on her other ribbon share for the card makers favourite grosgrain-be quick!

I've decided to join in on Joanna's silver hodgepodge share. I like the look of the hodgepodge but at nearly £25, I can't afford the whole box and doubt I'd manage to use it all. Joanne is offering shares of a fifth of a box, just a good amount to get a real feel for the product and at an affordable
£4.65 plus 65p P+P. For the non SU addicts, hodgepodge is the name SU uses for a gorgeous collection of plain brads, frames and the most beautiful patterned silver brads.

There's a few paper shares going on too. The SU designer paper is fab, a good thickness and double sided of course. To get a pack of each would cost a fortune Julie is offering the opportunity to get a 6"x6" piece of EVERY design-that's 84 6"x6" sheets, which should keep you going for a while!!!

I'll let you know if I come across any other shares like this. I know I find them invaluable. Now I'm off to plan what cards I'll make once I've got my eager hands on some silver hodgepodge. With Mothers Day not far off I'd say taffeta ribbon and silver hodgepodge are a must providing the final little details that make a gorgeous card an extra very special gorgeous card!

Pink Petticoat freebie!!!

2009-02-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Liz from Pink Petticoat has kindly given her consent to sharing this freebie that she's posted on the Pink Petticoat blog:

http://pinkpetticoat.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-think.html?dm_i=518879495

It's a lovely birdie, really makes me think of Spring, so follow the link and download it and get creating!

Guess what?

2009-02-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

We need new taps!! (sigh).

How many plumbers does it take to mend a broken tap?

2009-02-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

"Can you see him yet Tom?"

Have you ever heard that joke? Me neither. This isn't a joke though-I'm living it!

Today I have plumber number 2 coming to look at the taps. My dear Mother/landlady is rather unhappy about having to buy two new taps as per the advice of the British Gas plumber. She's prefer they needed new washers which is cheaper of course. This means she's trawled the Yellow Pages and found a plumber who'll do a free quote and the poor man has to come out and in a deja vu experience have a look at the taps and for the second time, diagnose the problem. I can't abide strangers in my home-I get very anxious and especially men. I don't like men coming here who I don't know when only I'm in but my Mum thinks I'm being over dramatic and won't come round to be here too.

I therefore have to have these people round, they tell ME what the problem is,I tell Mum and she doesn't believe me/doesn't want to believe me and then another person is sent round and the experience is repeated.

This chap said on the telephone that he thinks it's washers. Oh, well, it's not my money I suppose, I just want to be able to have a wash in a sink and not hanging over the bath!!

I Will try to post a more interesting post later though I can't promise it'll be more interesting! I do have to go into town between now and the plumber coming round and my town though small is often very strange-perhaps small and strange go together! I don't come from here originally and I'm therefore known as an 'outsider'. People say that to your face. Oddly, most of the people I know and get on best with are also 'outsiders', somehow we seem to find one another. The 'outsiders' are usually the people who have got things changed for the better here too, created popular clubs and societies and so forth.

Why this stigma remains is beyond me but when I lived in Bournemouth, there was a very high percentage of people who had moved into the area. Several had literally visited Bournemouth on holiday and then stayed! One family I knew, came on holiday then the Mum and children stayed (never going back 'home' again) whilst the husband went back to work and sold the house etc before re-joining them back in Bournemouth!! It was such a beautiful place and I miss it beyond words. Can't talk about it anymore as tears already in my eyes.

Right, best get organised, hoover up rabbit poo and food, pick up Basil's hairball (again-Persians are so troubled by them), hoover downstairs of cat hair (moulting says something about the central heating situation methinks)and shut Basil, Jacob and Humphrey into my bedroom again for health and safety reasons. Poor Basil hates strangers more than I do, and my anxiety is increased by Basil's genuine terror when strangers are in the house. To have to go through this again, and possibly again if new taps are needed upsets me and also makes me cross. I'm very protective of my guys-they're my children after all.

"Shush, I'm hiding!"

Jeannette the guest designer challenge!

2009-02-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

Don't foget to pop over to Cupcake challenge and see the amazing creation Jeannette has made for the challenge.

It involves altering something but it doesn't have to be all weird and 'altered art', just a re-use of something.

There's some fab ideas, why not try the challenge yourself-I am-though not sure if there-s a timescale as I'm a bit useless at hitting targets nowadays!

Still, wht they say about 'it's the taking part that counts' applies here for sure so have a go-it's alot of fun judging by the designers creations and see what you can re-cycle!

Clever Mr. Blackbird

2009-02-16T03:09:00.000-08:00

This is a very clever Mr. Blackbird!

Excuse the photos-they're taken through my kitchen window. Outside my back door I have an area that's sort of roofed with corrugated plastic. It's very ugly but extremely useful-more useful than ugly if you see what I mean! It provides shelter from the elements and also a frost free area for my plants in pots to overwinter. In the Summer the large sandpit outside is a fab bunny digging box and this very special couple are The Beautiful and very brave Sophie and Humphrey sunbathing happily in it.

The sandpit also has a canvas roof and in Winter is crammed full of plants apart from little corridors that are provided for my cats Tom and Basil and also the cat from next door but one Macaulay. I also have put a chair out ther with lots of snuggly bedding underneath it too-bunk beds!

Macaulay like to come into our garden and eat the catnip, lie on the grass, sit on the tables, use the facilities (!!) and in Winter snuggle up with an array of plants in the sandpit! Macaulay is most welcome-he used to be King of the Jungle and an absolute nightmare for attacking cats. With the passing of years, now he's the victim. Macaulay likes to come into our garden and hide and be safe I think, he also adores cuddles so daily I'm at my computer or in the kitchen when I hear frantic meowing and it's Macaulay desperately in need of a cuddle!

When I get outside Macaulay meows happily and then jumps onto a nearby table or possibly the St Tropez sun longer (look at this photo and guess why it's called that!).

I can't bend down very well and need to lean when standing-sitting is my preference and Macaulay knows that! It's so sweet that he feels so safe here, though Tom has recently become inclined to give Macaulay the odd biff (yikes-no claws though as Tom is a pacifist really)and try to 'encourage' (i.e. biff and hesitantly and very slowly chase) Macaulay to 'get orf my land' (I used to love Viz magazine when I was a student and remember this phrases so well).

Anyway, lost my thread as per usual!

Essentially, Mr. Blackbird has found a stash of apples that are also overwintering outside! The apples are there and not in an outhouse as the outhouses are occupied by a rather large commune of mice I fear! The mice and I have a deal-stay out of the house and you'll be OK!

My poor apples are thus not in an ideal location but nonetheless they have been keeping well and when I've (eventually) emptied the freezer of stewed apples, I had intended to make many a crumble and pie from the overwintering apples. Alas, Mr Blackbird has used all his cunning and found them and now every approximately minute and a half he comes, has a munch of apple, flies off and then returns to repeat the experience!! Astonishingly it remains only Mr. Blackbird-no one else has spied this initiative and joined in but I feel certain it's only time before a huge flock of birds descend to the apple delight!

What's really weird is that I am always putting apples out for the birds as I always believed them to be a good food (and fluid) source for many birds. I've always done this but this year the apples remain untouched and simply slowly rot. Mr. Blackbird clearly prefers 'pick your own'!

The Cinnamon Trust

2009-02-15T06:23:00.001-08:00

I'd mentioned to Jeannette about doing a cat card next as it's been a while so here we are! I also thought it a useful link to something I wanted to mention. I don't know if any of you have heard of The Cinnamon Trust? ( www.cinnamon.org.uk). Mrs Averil Jarvis MBE is the Director and Founder with Paul McCartney, Sir Peter Sullevan, Katie Boyle, Nerys Hughes and Virginia McKenna being patrons.

As an animal lover and more importantly animal carer I know all too well the concern created by thinking about what would happen to my guys should anything happen to me. It is something that concerns me greatly. For people who are elderly and/or very ill this anguish causes additional upset and distress and there may not be an immediate answer in terms of possibly family or friends offering a home.

The Cinnamon Trust provides the answer to that problem and more. Anyone of any age who is terminally ill can ask the trust for help. The help offered is a 'forever' home for these much loved animals either within someone else's home or at one of two 'home from home' sanctuaries that the trust owns. Foster care is also offered, long term if necessary whilst someone is in hospital or residential care. The trust can even provide help with animals by way of dog walking or any other aspect of day to day care becomes a problem. Over 8,000 'community service volunteers' throughout the country and able to offer help in this huge variety of ways. The trust also campaigns for more residential homes to allow animals and has a guide available which contains the details of 'Pet Friendly Care Homes'.

It's impossible for me to fully explain the work The Cinnamon Trust does. One of their newsletters is a joy to behold, detailing how various long term animal residents are, friendships that have been made and so forth. Particularly touching are the tales of people who need to go into residential care or hospital where their animals are unable to join them. The trust 'matches' animals to people (at the owners request) and so another person who may have just lost an animal and be desperately missing that companionship and friendship, could be matched to an animal in need of a home. The exchange of letters and photographs are encouraged-it truly is such an important service The Cinnamon Trust offers.

I really would urge you to look at the site of The Cinnamon Trust and see the work they are doing. If you know anyone who could benefit from the services the trust provides please do pass on their details.

In the meantime I leave you with some links for more information and/or to offer donations should you wish and also a volunteer detail link should you feel able to offer the trust some practical help. If you are having a car boot sale or thinking of raising money for charity it would be wonderful if you could consider The Cinnamon Trust-all the care and help they offer is costly and many, many animals and their human carers desperately need this often overlooked help.

I hope you don't mind me mentioning this. I've wanted to for a while-I am so touched by the work The Cinnamon Trust provides and the work these people do needs to be made better known-particularly in terms of their ability to offer help to people we may know ourselves facing the issue of worrying about what will happen to a loved pet if residential home or hospital admittance proves necessary.

If the links don't work (no idea why they will or won't please cut and paste or follow The Cinnamon Trust and you will find all the information on their site. Thank you.

www.cinnamon.org.uk

Donation and Gift Aid form:
http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/CT%20Donation-Gift%20Aid%20form.pdf

Volunteer form:
http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/CT%20Volunteer%20form.pdf

The Cinnamon Trust:
http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/home.html

A card, a moan and alot of love

2009-02-14T02:49:00.000-08:00

Well I've finally made a card! In honour of it being St. Valentines Day I did one with hearts, no suffering involved though as the Stampin Up set 'Happy Hearts' is just gorgeous. I used nice fresh Spring colours and actually today is a gorgeous sunny day so extra spot on there!

I've been following (as best I can) a sketch that was in the April 2008 issue of Sheetload of cards'. I promise I haven't had it since April last year-I came across it just a couple of weeks ago and loved it and I've done my best to do it justice.

I think in hindsight I used the wrong paper design. The paper is supposed to be two pieces but with this stripe although it is two pieces and I've inked the edges and so forth, you can't really tell as you would had I used a floral for example. I love this paper though and needed some colour after all this grey and snow!

I survived the British Gas man coming round yesterday you'll be pleased to know! He spent about 3 seconds in my houes-no he can't mend taps, yes you'll have to find someone else. What a waste of time! Now I've got to wait and see if I actually get some new taps-both do need changing! My Mum owns this house, (I rent it off her) and she's not the best in terms of maintenance, repairs etc. If repairs and maintenance were free and there was no effort involved I'd have a beautiful home, alas both time and money are required and my Mum is notorious for not being prepared to spend either if she can help it! Now if you could get repairs done via QVC I'd be OK...must have a word with them-she loves QVC and TV per se-it's a shame 'telly addicts' isn't on anymore as my Mum would have been great-whenever you phone she's always watching the television and it's her 'favourite'!!! I get really annoyed to have the TV chosen (yet again) over me!! My brother insists she'll never change though and I need to just accept it but I struggle. I'm just a stickler for manners-and they don't cost anything after all!

I'm the same with call waiting-you know when people are talking happily to you and suddenly say 'oh hang on, I've someone else trying to get through' and disappear. You're sat on the end of the phone thinking 'are you coming back?' and sometimes they do, sometimes they don't! Actually my Mum used to have that too, but couldn't work it properly. She used to just say 'there's someone else trying to get through, they might be important' and put the phone down! I would be incensed! Thankfully she stopped getting that-it's not free and it's not QVC!!!

Right, moan over, it's a day of love so I'll finish with a picture of my guys, my family together. It's taken at night and I can't use a flash with animals eyes so it's not the best but to me it illustrates love and today is, after all, the day of love.

From left:
Humphrey, Jacob, Basil and Tom. Tom is nearly hanging off the chair as Basil has an annoying tendancy to oversniff Tom! However annoying this is, Tom still wants to be close to the others-my heart just sighs when I see them cuddling one another-it means the world to me that they're friends and love each other as they do.

So Happy Valentines Day. Whomever you love, love them some more today and then tomorrow and the day after. How blessed we are.

Stamps:
Stampin Up 'Happy Hearts
Stampin Up 'Wild Hearts' background stamp

Other:
Stampin Up Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Old Olive inkpads
Stazon hot pink ink pad
Europa cardstock
K & company paper
K & company sentiment sticke
brads, gems, and other cardstock from stash

Big snow

2009-02-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, just after lunch it suddenly went really cold and got darker too. The forecast had been for bright sunshine all day. I looked out the window a while later and it was snowing though very gently and with very wispy flakes. It gathered momentum but still didn't look capable of settling. I needed to go to see Ernie and Bobbi though so got my stuff together and headed out. As I opened the front door this is what faced me. HUGE flakes of snow. I walked a few paces down the road then headed back for my camera in an attempt to capture the size of the snowflakes. it wasn't easy, nor entirely successful and I was terrified I'd kill my camera as the snow was getting increasingly heavy.

I stopped round the corner to take these-it was so incredible-not just due to the size of the flakes but the silence and beauty was breathtaking. It was truly magical. I'm not sure if you can see the size properly but I've tried. A girl from further up my road stopped as I took the pictures and commented on the silence of it all. I said it was like Narnia and she agreed. Snow normally creates a quieter world but this was more than that. It was absolutely silent, as though all the senses were mixed up somehow. Our vision was filled with these enormous flakes which were mostly vertically heading towards the ground-the swirling seen in the photos is of the flakes twisting or dancing perhaps in mid air-it wasn't a blizzard-the snow was falling straight to the floor which rapidly covered.

I fed Ernie and Bobbi, changed bedding's etc and then searched for Ernie as I couldn't find him and I worry. Eventually I did find him and he was all upset as he doesn't like the snow. I headed back to the greenhouse and he happily followed at top speed. I wiped the snow off him so he was all dry and then left them to it as the snow was getting deeper by the moment.

I popped into Lens (my neighbour who is the official carer for Ernie and Bobbi) on the way home. I was staring to get worried about the feasibility of a vets visit-Bobbi needed to be re-checked after her initial abscess treatment and no doubt another antibiotic injection would be necessary. Len said we'd be fine (although I have to do all the carrying, talking etc so it's not as though in truth Len participates hugely in this!). I was worried about slipping as the ground was covered both pavements and roads.

We agreed a time to meet and between then and 4.00pm when we were to set off it snowed constantly and heavily. It had become a blizzard now and hard to see. My neighbour who will drive us to the vets if required is also old (mid 70's) and I didn't think the conditions suitable for him to drive in. Consequently that meant I had to carry Bobbi all the way-both ways. Much of the way we had snow in our face which was horrendous. Bobbi was in her carrier on bedding that had been on the radiator, with a heat pad and with the carrier covered with a blanket with paw prints on (I deemed this appropriate!). When we got to the vets I had to take my scarf, coat, hat and gloves off as otherwise when I held her she'd have got wet from me! Bobbie needless to say was very warm and dry throughout!

I was terrified walking in the snow as it was very slippery. Len insisted we walk in the road (it's safer apparently despite the cars!). he kept going when cars slid towards us whilst I (always the coward) hid behind parked cars and prayed they'd skid back the other way and not hit us. The land at Len's is horrendously bumpy, it's a true miracle I didn't fall and today my arms hurt me so much from holding little (but weighs a tonne) Bobbie all that time!!

Anyway, Bobbi did well at the vets, just needing one more antibiotic injection, and the free packet of treats seemed the least she deserved after her ordeal. She actually also seemed to enjoy the journeys to and from the vets-glad someone did and upon arriving back home she gobbled up two plates of food in record time. Stress=comfort eating may exist even in puss cats!

I wanted to take more photos of how deep the snow got but I didn't dare take my camera back out again and then unhappily (though typically) I forgot before it got dark. We had quite a bit though, the umpteenth time in the space of a couple of weeks.

Oh well, best get some lunch. I'm waiting for a British Gas person/plumber to take a look at my taps which are being iffy in the bathroom. Both hot and cold in the sink died then cold was somehow resurrected (am i being blasphemou saying this, or can resurrection be used other than in the Jesus sense? Apologies if I am-I am a Christian and would hate to be rude). Now just the cold works (albeit remaining a bit of a diva) and so my Mum insisted that I call British Gas to get someone to look at them under the maintenance agreement she has with them(Mum owns my house). There's a couple of major snags. Firstly British gas 'don't do taps' so this is 99.9% likely to be an utter waste of time. Secondly they are supposed to come between 12pm and 6pm (no you can't have a life and need to go out shopping, feed stray cats etc) and thirdly my neighbour just told me that at 11.00am a British Gas man knocked on my door. I was no doubt hoovering up rabbit poo and desperately opening windows as Basil decided to use his tray not long before the person was due!

My poor bunnies are now shut in my bedroom so they can't poo over the landing before the person comes (many people seem inexplicably to object to treading in rabbit poo whilst in a house though they do love the bunnies that commit such a heinous act) and also they won't get trodden on which is a hideous occurance threatened all too often by those unaccustomed to rabbits in a house. Happily no one has actually trodden on any bunnies (though I suspect my dad may once have come terrifyingly close-best not think about that too much or I may disown him for good!). What tends to happen is people stop suddenly, there's this huge silence as Humphrey or Jacob come into view looking, well like the rabbits they are; people stare a bit then say 'is that a rabbit?'. 'Um, yes, the big ears are a big clue' I say. Then they stare some more and say 'In the house?'. We're usually in the dining room-you know walls, ceiling, carpet on the floor, windows etc with one or two furry creatures with big ears hopping towards us. I never know how to answer this really and therefore end up saying something totaslly ridiculous like 'Yes, they're houserabbits'!!

So the bunnies are under bedroom arrest for everyone's safety and sanity, Basil is in with them as he knows something is going on and he's terrified of strangers. I meanwhile am thirsty but dare not drink too much in case the BG person can mend the taps but it takes ages and the loo is in the bathroom! I can't feed the birds again in case I miss the door. I can't craft in case the man bangs the front door really hard and I slip with my scissors and cut off a bunny's ears or the stem of a flower!

I am a worrier if you hadn't realise by now and now I'm worrying in case the BG man came at 11.00am as he thinks he was due in the morning NOT the afternoon and thus won't come now. I didn't say morning as it's between 8.00 (what!!!) and 12.00pm and 8.00am is not a target (bearing in mind the great hoovering and logistical rabbit nightmare that was necessary) I could meet. I think I'll phone them. I hate this and he's got to come now-I've hoovered for goodness sakes and cleaned the bathroom!! We look like a show home! (Well OK we don't-we still have rabbits pooing on my bedroom floor which isn't usual in show homes and neither are cat litter trays and hairy, moulting cats everywhere. may not be a show home but it's our home. Let's make that call.

Blog Awards ceremony!

2009-02-12T03:43:00.001-08:00

Well, disappointingly Jonathan Ross can't be with us today as he's busy learning a whole new vocabulary that doesn't involve swearing all the time. Between you and me I think he should give the book to Gordon Ramsey when he's finished with it assuming it works. I say 'give' as opposed to the usual 'lend' as I think Gordon Ramsey's need is so great that it's going to be long term dictionary reading can save him from his verbal diet equivalent of junk food (swearing, swearing and swearing a bit more).

Anyway, I'm doing my usual bit of getting sidetracked though as I say 'sidetracked is my middle name'.

Right so I'm in a beautiful dress-not too OTT, not too short, just perfect and that means I can't breathe very well, eat or sit down so best be getting on with this as breathing, eating and well sitting down are fairly crucial to the human body!My hair also looks fabulous, I'm wearing jewellery so expensive security guards follow me around and the paparazzi are driving me mad!!

After the wonderful Jeanette gave me the lovely award, if you remember I have to choose five more blogs to give the said award to that show attitude/gratitude.It's been alot of furrowed brows (ie when I get wrinkles I can blame you Jeanette as frowning leads to wrinkles or so I'm told)!

In the end I've chosen blogs that are varied and interesting, regularly updated and personal-you can really believe there is a human behind the blog! If you haven't been to these blogs then 'be free'and go exploring-you won't regret it and I promise you'll be hugely inspired and entertained no less!! The recipients need to (should they desire) copy the award from this post and add it to their post or blog. Then choose five more blogs that they believe show attitude/grattitude, post these blogs as I have done and let the new awardees know by posting a comment on their blogs.

So the awards go to: (visualise a gold envelope here (no doubt the instructions to make it are on SCS (!)-scalloped edge, pretty ribbon, lots of glitter etc etc):

Stamps, Paper, Scissors (this is a MUST GO TO blog. Jan Tink is so funny and certainly shows attitude-I adore her blog)

Anna's Girls (Anna has a fab craft room and her blog is a great mix of craft and real life and getting a new car sorted showed real attitude!)

Cardmaking & me (Tassy is a very talented creator of all sots of gorgeous things and a very personal approach to crafting too- a really nice person)

(The Crafty Butterfly is a fantastic stampers blog by Wendy.Absolutely full of different techniques, styles and ideas it's well worth a visit and another and another-there's so many things to see)

Little Cotton Rabbit ( just about the first blog I ever went on, many moons ago. I think I was attracted by the 'rabbit' mention and of course subsequently rubber stamps were made of the aforementioned rabbits! It's primarily about knitting but also a bit of life and a fab list of blogs to then blog hop to as well).

Well hopefully all the recipients are overjoyed to receive such a prestigious award. I'm off to the aftershow party (Elton and David are holding it the darlings but I did tell them no Liz Hurley! If they've sneaked her in I'll be furious!. Need to change before of course-can't wear the same dress can I. The next dress is a stunner-inspired by all the snow it's white and sparkly-perfect. Just need to find the Stazon cleaner as noticed that I still have some ink on my hands from cardmaking earlier-chipboard letters are a pain to ink-the ink goes everywhere and I always only remember the gloves when I'm trying to scrub the ink off my hands!Hope it doesn't take off my St Tropez fake tan-streaky hands are so 2008!!!

Normal service will be resumed shortly!!

I won blog candy!

2009-02-11T07:19:00.000-08:00

Yum..Lemon Meringue Pie!!

Actually I had a surprise today as I found out that I won some blog candy!!! Whoopee!! I was the name drawn out on Sarah's blog this morning and win some gorgeous papers and lots of stamps! Very exciting indeed!

Sarah's daughter drew my name out and it's her 10th birthday today so I'm not the only happy person today! I remember being at school and in the queue for lunch when I overheard two girls in front of me and my friend discussing birthdays.

'I'm double figures now' announced one girl proudly and I remember feeling so in awe of this older girl who seemed so grown up! At that moment I too got very excited about being double figures and when my 10th birthday eventually did arrive, I'm sure I bored everyone to death by continually announcing the fact that I was now double figures and how special that meant I was!!

Back to the blog candy. Poor Sarah is poorly at the moment so I've told her not to be in any hurry to post my goodies. When they do arrive I'll post a picture on here and get crafting with them! It's horrible being poorly though so best wishes and lots of get well soon hugs to Sarah.

Bobbi seemed alot better today when I saw her thank goodness. I have been so worried. Although she was in a bed when I arrived she was happy to have lots of cuddle and kisses and then returned to her usual self by accompanying me when I went to seek out dandelions and sow thistle for Jacob and Humphrey. Bobbi does the reconnaissance on her daily adventures and then when I go searching, she comes with me and sits by dandelion patches. I know this sounds crazy but she really does-she's a great help! Today we got plenty and quickly-just as well as it then started to rain and went really cold.

As mentioned before, Ernie isn't much help when he comes with me on my forays. A couple of days ago he came out and after attacking my hands numerous times he then wandered off only to turn around and before I knew it he had launched himself on me-goodness only knows why! I have mud all over my coat now -people must wonder why! It's a sort of 'puffa jacket' (are they still called 'puffa jackets?') that I wear to the puss cats as it's very warm and wind proof and doesn't matter if it gets muddy, hairy or pierced by cats padding happily whilst having a cuddle on my lap.I think I must remember to wipe it clean before people think I've been rolling in mud or something weird!

I still haven't sorted out my blog candy award have I? Useless me. I will have a ponder and be back either later or tomorrow. There are so many fab blogs out there-in fact I'd get much more crafting done if I didn't spend so much time blog-hopping! It's irresistible though isn't it?

Blog Award and a poorly Bobbi

2009-02-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

My first blog award! This has been given to me by the lovely Jeanette (thank you, thank you, thank you!!) and I'm suitably chuffed of course. I now have the task of choosing five more blogs which show 'attitude/gratitude' and award this treasure to them. Passing on the love so to speak!

Well, a challenge in itself and I can't get Spice Girls songs out of my head now-must be the 'attitude' bit, I keep thinking of 'girl power'. A bit sexist that possibly, though thinking about it I don't frequent many male blogs apart from Tim Holtz course! My Spice Girls songs are all very brief I hasten to add. Spice Girls weren't really me (to say the least) I was a bit old and more into Nirvana than wondering what Scary and whoever the others were, were doing!

Anyway, I will have something to eat and have a ponder and be back soon with my very own award ceremony!

I'm hungry and shattered-poor Bobbi (puss cat) hasn't been 100% for a couple of days which has been very worrying of course. I've suspected an abscess and tried to check her over to accompanying hisses and yeowls! Anyway, I went down earlier and an abscess has well and truly made itself known-all weepy, red and very painful looking. I've just been to the vets with her-poor Bobbi was very brave but it clearly hurt alot to have the wound cleaner. She's been given a 48hour antibiotic and back again on Thursday for a deja vu visit (ie another antibiotic, clean etc) no doubt!

Painful for Bobbi but a relief for me-she's not been right and now we've spotted and are treating an abscess so hopefully the antibiotic will kick in and she'll be feeling a whole lot better soon. Not easy catching her, boxing her etc and I'm tired anyway (on second lot of antibiotics myself for sinusitis) so exhausted now and need some comfort food as it's VERY cold out too!

Exciting news! (and a bit of blog candy too)

2009-02-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

I only posted a short while ago about how Jeanette has been so inspirational to me. Well lo and behold she's just announced that she's to be a guest designer!! Woo hoo!

Jeanette will be on the at Cupcakes Craft Challenges blog next Monday (16th February I think) so pop over and take a look. This is well deserved and I along with her many other 'fans' are chuffed to bits!

I'm sure Jeanette won't mind me adding a teeny bit of blog candy news to this post especially as Jeanette's just had a fab blog candy delight on offer herself!

Elusive Images are to release two new plates which are stunning as usual and butterfly inspired. Glenda Waterworth is offering the chance to win a plate so check out the blog and see what you need to do (it involves somersaults and cartwheels by the way so best not bother....!).

OK, it doesn't, I just think the less entries received the more chance that I will win!! Worth a try!

Happy Birthday

2009-02-09T04:12:00.000-08:00

A little (A6-seems small to me!) birthday card here. I'm right on trend here stampwise with a Rachelle Anne Miller stamp from the Lily & Milo collection-this presumably is Lily!

It's a gorgeous stamp I think and involves lots of colouring in which is definitely my preference. When I get a stamp with little or no colouring I feel short changed and a bit of a cheat actually!

Anyway, I've been really struggling with this thing we call 'Mojo' lately-my mind being willing and my body weak hasn't helped either. Nonetheless I was determined to have a play (I'd done some hoovering-come on I EARNED some play time) and play I did.

In all honesty, mixing papers has been something I've longed to do but been too scared/rubbish to manage myself. Jeanette's blog is full of cards where she's mixed papers, different colours and textures, shapes and sizes etc-I've been so inspired since I found it (or should that be her?)!

So I sat down, got out some papers, got scared, looked at Jeanette's blog again and felt better and this is the result. I'm really pleased actually-just what I had in my head and what's in my head doesn't often end up on the card in front of me I can assure you.

My only reservations (yep, I'm my own worst critic) are that I struggled ages with what to put in the bottom left-I'm not entirely convince the flower is right but nothing else seemed to work. The sentiment is too feint too; that's Pretty in Pink ink being overwhelmed I think! Never mind!

Ingredients:
Rachelle Anne Miller (Lily & Milo) stamp
'Wild Hearts' SU background stamp
'Birthday Bunnies' SU stamp set for the sentiment
Basic Grey chipboard
K and company diamond paper
Papermania spotted paper
Barely Banana SU cardstock
Pretty in Pink SU ink
Paper blooms
Brad
Stickles on image and brad

Mini book and a very naughty printer!

2009-02-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

Well, at long last I've summoned up the courage to try and create a mini book! It's not completely finished-I need some different stickers to spell 'Ernie' (the tabby and white cat who is next to 'Bobbi' in the book. White stickers as used in the rest of the book don't show up properly thus requiring a desperate search for some blue-and a wishing for the upteenth time that I had the ability to plan things rather than just dive straight in and therefore alternate between white and blue stickers rather than have to mess about as I will now!

Aren't my guys gorgeous? The book's pretty rubbish-attaching paper to swirly edges isn't something I have a natural gift for it has to be said! Also, my first time working on such a small scale and being a 'more is more' person, I found it tough not having acres of space! Still, I kept at it despite catastophe after disaster and it's just for me and anything with photos of my guys in is good enough for me!

This is now in it's maybe 5th day and I am really struggling. I knew I used my printer alot but I am totally reliant on it it seems! What can I do? I did attempt the whole 'DIY' approach and went into 'My computer' and pretended I understood exactly what it was saying and doing and all would be fine, I could fix it easy peasy. In reality I nearly cried with frustration, got cross and the feeling of being totally thick was overwhelming.

I wonder if I should (listen to this-all my own ideas!!!!), uninstall the printer and then re-install it and then maybe it'll work again. (Impressive use of computer words there you've got to admit).

The idea is one thing, the actual logistics are a bit iffy as not sure how to re-install anything let alone the printer. On a more positive (though this is debatable) note, I feel confident that I can do the uninstall bit as have a strange gift for removing things (oddly always vitally important) from my PC yet being unable to conjure them back from the black hole to which they were magically transported.

Anyway, back to the mini book! With the final two pages I obviously ran out of space and so Bobbi and Ernie can't have 2 facing pages each. What I've done is have the photos as being able to lift up so the journalling is underneath. I wanted Bobbi and Ernie in this book and wanted everyone to have individual pages and not 'Erni and Bobbi together' pages, and this is the only way I could solve the issue of not enough pages!

Now I just need some blue stickers for Ernie, my printer to work so I can print out the journalling and ideally be able to swap some of the white name stickers for blue to be equal between the white and blue!

A fair number of problems arose during this, but it's all a learning curve, next time will be better and if companies could make proper bunny rabbit stickers and phrases as they do dogs and cats then life would be even better!

Items used:
K and company exposed mini book
Stampin Up designer paper
Stampin up ribbon
American Craft felt Thickers
Making Memories alphabet stickers shimmer white
Sandylion fuzzy bunny stickers
Karen Foster cat embellishments
American crafts chipboard stars
Gems
Cat themed buttons
Metal bunny embellishment from Scrapz

Getting on with it

2009-02-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

Not the post I anticipated but my camera's batteries gave up when I tried to upload/download some new photos! Typical is the phrase that comes to mind right now-what I actually said at the time differs ever so slightly. On top of that my camera has since then spent the whole time on my table hidden by various papers, reels of ribbon, stamps etc and thus STILL isn't charged! Must do that in a mo and it doesn't take long thank goodness.

What I will post about is an incredible conversation I had with my neighbour yesterday.

As I arrived at his house to medicate Rat the cat, the news was on his television (he's early 90's so it was VERY too!). The news was full (as always at the moment) of the snow everywhere and horrendous stories of people being stuck in their cars for 5 hours etc.

I did a few 'oh no that's awful' and alot of 'why are people climbing mountains when there's blizzards and 20 foot of snow?' when Len managed to find the mute button (to my great relief) and announced 'you don't know what snow is'.

I found a seat (Len is a great and lengthy storyteller) and Len told me of the time in 1947 when it snowed for weeks very heavily. I've heard about this snow event many, many times-snow piled above telegraph poles, not being able to open your front door, not able to get to work etc. It sounds utterly horrendous and we'd never cope nowadays in truth-Len is right.

Apparently the snow in 1947 started on the Thursday. It snowed and snowed and people tried desperately to carry on. It's incredible how well they did manage to carry on-the train service (Dr Beeching deprived my town of) managed to keep going even when nothing else did. The buses did their best, initially managing to keep going, then small villages and minor roads were removed so the bus just stayed on 'major' (major in 1947) roads. On one day the snow was atrocious. It had piled up so high at the sides of the roads it was higher than houses. The wind did part of this and people clearing the roads contributed to this incredible sight. It was Monday and the bus set off from my town, managed to get to the next and eventually the next. It began it's return journey and got just over a mile outside my town when the snow became simply too high to keep going. There was the driver and about four or five passengers. It was a desperate situation and they must have tried so hard to keep going being only a mile or so from home. It was not possible to continue so the driver and passengers had no alternative but to head to the two cottages nearby.

Thankfully the cottages were occupied and took in the desperate travellers. It took until Thursday (from Monday) for people to dig through the snow and find the bus!!! They must have been so relieved as with no mobile phones, limited landline use and cables down due to the deluge of snow, it must have been a very worrying time indeed for the families of those involved when the bus failed to return to depot on the Monday as expected.

Can you imagine how that incident would have panned out in 2009? Army helicopters, TV crews, Prime Minister's statement etc. Afterwards the driver and passengers would have had counselling and they'd probably have sued the bus company who would have sued the Council for not gritting properly and so on and so forth. The newspapers would have been full of 'exclusives' by 'terror snow hell bus passengers' and the cottage where they stayed would have become a local tourist attraction! Back in 1947 people just got on with it.

When Len said that we don't know what snow is, he was clearly right. I post these pictures of the primroses/primulas as way of proving how nature is 'getting on with it' and under trees and hedges there are lots of signs that Spring is on it's way, with flowers and shoots galore and snowdrops rather appropriately too!

More Blog Candy

2009-02-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

Jeanette who happens to have a super blog has joined the blog candy crew after a whopping 20,000 visitors and 200 posts in just ONE YEAR!

http://jeannettespages.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-candy.html

Pop over to have a good look around-Jeanette also is an SU demo and has a great ribbon share on the go at the moment too if anyone is interested where you get the chance to try every colour and type of ribbon available from SU in the Uk for alot less than having to buy whole reels of each. I got my ribbon via a ribbon share and I highly recommend it-it's great having every colour and makes cardmaking alot more interesting than if you only have only one or two reels-pink or very vanilla with yellow-it's a no no, so have a think anyway.

I also noticed that Jeanette is offering free Saleabration SU stamp sets if you join her swap-absolute deal of the day, week, month?

How many reasons do you need to go to Jeanettes blog then? Offf you go-I don't mind-have fun and don't make too much noise when you return! (We all turn into our Mum's/Dad's one day-it's inevitable!).

Blog candy-nearly forgot sorry!

2009-02-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Aaargh!

How bad am I!

You'll feel a sense of deja vu here but Steph on her 'Much ado about nothing' (name isn't accurate by the way-her creations are stunning) has MORE blog candy on offer!

http://stephmuchadoaboutnothing.blogspot.com/

As I recall it ends tonight at midnight-TUESDAY night so hurry and then get those fingers crossed. you'll thank me for doing so whether you win or not as Steph has created an amazing blog with a variety of projects all stunning! Pop over and be inspired to make some beautiful things and you never know-you might even win!

Now that's a surprise!

2009-02-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

This is the best example of snow I can find today! It's been a glorious day-very sunny and bright, totally unexpected but most welcome!

Yesterday we still had plenty of snow both on the ground and falling-it snowed virtually constantly all day. I watched the news and weather, as we all did, with a sense of fear, more snow was forecast, very heavy in places and today (Tuesday) was supposed to be even worse than yesterday due to the added ice element which would be treacherous according to numerous weather forecasts.

In reality, it started to rain yesterday evening and didn't stop before I went to bed at least and I was up late watching Newsnight and then more doom laden news and weather!

I opened my bedroom curtain for a sneak peak this morning not knowing what I would find had happened. To my amazement and relief I saw no sign of snow, no rain either, just a bit wet on the road and pavements really as would be expected.

I went over the road to medicate the neighbours cat and felt my usual sun affected cheerful self! I really do feel lively and hopeful when it's sunny-it's so hard when my body so stubbornly resists all encouragement and finally begging from my mind to get moving! I'm very M.E'y as I call it-my M'E' has been awful for a while now-acute for much of it which is very tedious indeed. I long to make cards, scrapbook, all sorts of projects but struggle to even have a wash. It's at the awful stage where a shower is too much so my poor hair is not looking it's best-thank goodness I have no one to impress. My pain is always worst at these times too, my sleep disturbed with awful and very vivid nightmares and sleep sweats are a real problem too. Gosh, I sound very attractive don't I? More like Loretta Slob from the Harry Enfield show!

Joking aside, it's really hard living like this and it's hard to keep my head calm and not plummet itself. The sun shining does help my head but increases my extreme frustration when my body says no ala the computer in Little Britain:

Me:'Shall we try and hoover a room'
Body: 'No'
Me: How about having a shower?'
Body: 'You'll never make it and feel like death afterwards'
Me: 'What about sweeping up the bird seed-we'll get rats otherwise'
Body: 'Is that a serious question?'
Me: 'A card needn't take up too much energy..'
Body: 'No, No, No, No, No!'
Me: 'I have to go and feed Ernie and Bobbi though'
Body: 'Snorts'.

This is my life and even with the sun shining it's hard to stay calm. It gets me down, I look at other blogs and they're full of amazing things and mine is useless and empty. I look at all my craft stuff and I'm too tired to even find the materials to make a project let alone make one. I'll regret spending so long writing this, even with goodness knows how many breaks to rest!

Never mind, I didn't want to post all moany and melancholy. Let's get back to the planned post shall we?

This is Ernie this morning having a wash outside his igloo-one of his many beds. By his I mean that is what Ernie would call all the beds he and Bobbi have avaiable to them. I would say 'the' beds rather than 'his' beds but let's not split hairs
!
It occurred to me that I speak of Ernie and Bobbie but haven't shown the beds I've sorted out for them to get them through the Winter.This igloo was on ebay and is actually for a dog-a spaniel size I think. It's fantastic, so sort of futuristic and everyone who's seen it has been very impressed. It came with a clear plastic door that a dog could push easily to get in and out. I felt this wouldn't work with Ernie and Bobbi so I removed it and hunted on the internet for ideas. I managed to find the answer on a Canadian Site ( I think-should check actually and provide link)who have all sorts of advice regarding keeping animals warm outside. The answer was to get a couple of rolls of bubble wrap which holds the heat in well. I attached it to the door with double sided tape and cut it nearly all the way through to form the strands you can see. I gradually added it bit by bit, not covering the whole door to begin with and moving into covering the door and adding a few layers.

Inside the igloo is a fairly large area and I feared it wouldn't be cosy enough for a single cat-Ernie and Bobbi aren't great friends so they'd never share. I have used every old blanket, jumper etc I can find plus some bought gorgeous soft fleeces which hold the heat really well. I cut up a couple of old duvets and seemed them to make little beds that will fit into a pillow case and use them aplenty. With Bobbi's small cosy bed I cut the duvet smaller and cut up a fleece to make bespoke cases which she loves!

Just inside the igloo I have a bolster cushion I cut in half and that is right against the side to narrow the entrance. I also have a couple of towels (to dry wet feet) just inside the entrance and then have built up the bedding so the cats need to climb into their bed as it were. The bedding inside then drops down so with the entrance higher than the sleeping area any cold air that does sneak past the bubble wrap door will go over their head. It's very popular so it must be good!I will take some photos of the other beds soon so you can see what's else on offer!

This is Bobbi in her high bed right by the window and a fantastic suntrap. It was really warm in the greenhouse today, as always when it's sunny. Bobbi loved it up in this bed-she has a warm 'Bobbi bed' but Bobbi does love being outside so when it's a bit chilly to be out or too wet for puss cat feet, Bobbi will happily snuggle in this bed for hours catching the suns rays and warming her bones.

A tale of dedication and love (or possibly insanity)

2009-02-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Blimey!

What weather forecasters are calling the coldest winter in 13 years certainly is very COLD isn't it!

Today, mindful of the fact that snow was due later, I went to my neighbours at midday as planned so i could medicate his cat and hoped to get down to Ernie and Bobbi soon afterwards as I really wanted to get some Dandelions and Sow Thistle for Jacob and Humphrey. Once it snows it's obviously very bleak and almost imposibble trying to track down teeny baby dandelions hiding from the elements! I therefore had decided that if i could get a good few goodies for the bunnies today, it would last for a day or so and of course they have plenty of fresh supermarket herbs, veggies and fruit-the dandlions and Sow thistle are merely for variety's sake.

As I left to go round my neighbours I caught the weather forcast on 'Country File' It stated that the snow would arrive at about 2.00pm. Earlier than I had expected but fine-I was well within schedule.

I went to my neighbours, measured out the medicine for Rat the Cat, ensured she ate it all, had a quick chat to my neighbour and left. As I opened his back door, the snow appeared almost as though it had been waiting for me! It was wispy and light, it was still perfectly possible to carry out my dandelion quest and I wasn't unduly worried.

I nipped into my house, told everyone I was off and would be back soon and picked up the bag with food, water, spare bedding etc in for Ernie and Bobbi. Literally a couple of minutes had passed since the wispy snow began, but to my horror as I openened my front door there was now a blizzard! I couldn't believe all this snow had suddenly appeared and the walk to the cats was awful-I couldn't see, snow kept hitting my eyes which really hurt and I wasn't feeling very positive at all anymore.

Arriving at the cats, i quickly fed them and had a speedy kiss and hello and then went outside to begin the dandelion and Sow Thistle search. Already snow was covering the ground and it was hard to see anything let alone teeny dandelions. As I desperately tried to track down the incredibly elusive bunny delights, I realise what an utter madwoman I must look like as I scurried around looking for virtual needles in a haystack in a blizzard! I love my bunnies though and if they want dandelions, then they get dandelions-I wasn't giving up so soon after beginning. I managed to get a few bits of Sow Thistle and dandelions but still needed lots more so set off for another part of the garden to search there. That was when the hail started. It was literally snowing an absolute blizzard AND hailing all at once. The hail was bizarre-if you've ever seen the small round polystyrene balls you get in beanbags that go everywhere, you'll know what this hail looked like. The effect of the hail on the ground was exactly as though a beanbag had spilled everywhere.It was really weird as I honestly couldn't get out of my head the idea that there were balls of polystyrene everywhere. they didn't melt or change shape, but remained as perfect circles littering the ground.

Now, there's love anddedication and there's insanity, so at this point I decided that retreat seemed like the sensible plan! I fled back to the greenhouse, not before looking in the window and seeing Ernie and Bobbi looking all dry and happy staring at me in confusion. Bobbi even gave a big meow at me through the glass!
As I went into the greenhouse I realise that I was now spreading hail everywhere inside as the tiny balls were apparently as light as polystyrene too and kept dropping off my hat and shouldersd and even my gloves. I felt like a one woman weather machine! The door to the greenhouse doesn't close properly and thus enables Bobbi and Ernie to be able to come and go as they please. Bobbi, Ernie and I all stood in awe as the hail poured through the opening and piled up inside. It really was extraordinary to see.

I stayed a while fussing them then noticed the snow had abated so thought it a good time to leave-while I could. As I got to the gate I became aware of something, looked round and it was Ernie. He was meow, meow, meow. I fussed him, dodged numerous attepts to scratch and bite me (as you do with Ernie) and eventually walked a particularly scary walk back to the greenhose with Ernie who was afraid of the wind and the funny noises and kept going for me again and again and again.Note:Jeans and boots do not only offer protection against the elements!

By the time I got home my hands were really hurting (you can't wear gloves when picking dandelions or stroking Ernies)and I still had to go down the garden and refill the bird tables, feeders etc for the birds.It's endless this looking after business!

I've warmed through again now and will NOT be venturing forth again until tomorrow (Oh, well apart from to top up the bird tables again as they get up well before me in the morning and need breakfast!. I'm not the only one less than enthralled with snow. Basil won't entertain the idea at all and Tom is pretty disgusted by the whole idea of it too. As the snow only settled latterly after the wind eased off a bit I don't have any photos of Tom today but this one at top of this post was taken a couple of years ago and says it all really.

More still to come so keep warm everyone and keep safe.

An irresistible bunny

2009-01-31T03:54:00.000-08:00

Just a quick card but a fun card to make. The stamp (irresistible isn't he?) is from the new collection at Little Claires. As mentioned on more than one occasion, I loathe acrylic stamps as i just don't seem to be able to get on with them. Whether they're getting better in general or if I've just managed to stumble on a couple of companies who do superior acrylic stamps I don't know but Little Claire's stamps are superb. They're all so cheerful and for those who've visited my blog before, you will already know that anything with animals in general and especially cats and bunnies is irresistible to me.

So, I saw this bunny and had to have him! I wonder if she'll do a lady bunny too? Hope so, oh and bunny babies...!!? This card is C6 which is unusual for me as I prefer larger cards but I had the image coloured in and wanted to just make a quick and easy fun card. These would be easy to make alot of actually, especially if you reduced the matted layers and would make perfect Easter cards especially if you could bring some Easter eggs in by using papers, stickers, stamps etc. I think he makes a great Thank you card though too.

I used Stampin Up markers to colour him in and some glossy accents on the flowers for extra shine. I used a sentiment 'thank you' and a small swirl from the 'Noteworthy' set also from SU. These were stamped in 'Pretty in Pink' to match the flowers. The C6 card base is 'Barely Banana' with matted layers in 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Apricot Appeal'.

I used a Stampin Up brad to attach the paper blooms from Sarahs cards.

PS Please ignore the appalling grass and flowers by the bunny's feet. I didn't want him hanging in midair and have seen the whole 'making ground' thing demonstrated many times. I KNOW I am not artistic but really-a bit of grass should be easy enough surely? Not for me, but I didn't want to have to stamp another image to 3D the bunny on(remember this is a quick card!)so persevered and well, the bunny is so gorgeous I hope people won't look at the grass etc! Plan B is required for my next attempt though no idea what plan B is yet.

Yet more blog candy!

2009-01-28T12:38:00.001-08:00

Well, if you were crowned Papercrafter of the Year 2008 in Papercraft Essentials magazine wouldn't you celebrate?!

Kim won and is sharing her success with some fab blog candy-we'll have rotten teeth at this rate! Go to Kim's blog and see the sort of cards that (rightly) so impressed the judges-be inspired and look at the lovely goodies on offer.

Of course you'll see more of Kim's work in future editions but what a fantastic achievement-well done!

A card and a terrible photo

2009-01-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

Apart from the insipid colour of this photo; (taking photos on gloomy Winter days in England isn't a recipe for photo perfection alas!), I thought this quite a cheery card.

The stamp is from MFT (My Favorite Things) - another US company and they're fab! This set actually comes with the lady, a lead and lots of different dogs-sausage dogs, labrador, boxer, the poodle of course and many more. It's a clear stamp set (yes I know I don't like clear stamps), but (and it's a big but) easy to work with-no squishing-yea!

I used a Karen Marie Klip paper to paper piece the lady's skirt and for the background. I am going to have to try and take another photo-this is shocking!

Coloured in with SU markers and just a white card blank, some Europa pink marble card and a few gems finish it off. The sentiment was the best I could manage, as no doggie sentiments! Thought it worked anyway-a bit like 'follow your nose' I thought.....

Sorry about the AWFUL photo-I will try, try, try again.

The beautiful and very brave Sophie

2009-01-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

This is my latest scrapbook layout featuring the beautiful and very brave Sophie. If you've visited my blog before you'll know that Sophie fought so hard but lost her battle for life in May 2008. We miss her so much, life really is not the same and our home certainly isn't the same without Soph running around.

I'm only a scrapbook beginner and with one thing and another I make very slow progress. I have tried to make this page so many times but it's been so hard, the other day I just felt ready and the ideas just flowed really easily. I want my pages to be personal and not just trying to be 'on-trend' for the sake of it. It is for this reason that I hand write my journalling though I loathe my writing and I'm not fussy about rulers to line everything up-it's about the subject-in this case Soph and nothing else. I want my pages to enable the viewer to understand what I'm trying to say without me having to explain. I try to capture the subjects character and my feelings towards them-my pages are 'made with love' quite simply. It's primarily me who looks at them and I do enjoy looking over the 5 (including this page) layouts I've completed. I think Soph would approve of this one and whatever I've done in terms of embellishing doesn't (I sincerely hope) detract from the photo which says it all-my beautiful Sophie.

I had told Soph when I started scrapbooking that when I did her page, I would do the prettiest and most girlie layout possible, in an attempt to reflect Soph's beauty. I have tried hard to do this, to find the prettiest embellishments possible and create a really girlie, pretty page.

It's a very gloomy day here, hence the flash but I wanted to post this photo anyway.

I should list some of the ingredients shouldn't I?

Laura Ashley 12 x 12" paper

Paper blooms including the large 'Wild Rose' from Sarahs cards

Green Thickers from American Crafts (also from Sarahs cards)

Chatterbox pink chipboard letters

Making memories polka dot pink puffy alpha letters

Queen and Co. pink and green floral design felt ribbon

Brenda Walton bunny embellishment

Stick on pearls by Joy crafts

'Love' epoxy dome sticker by Michele Ackerman

Jenni Bowlin journalling shape and scalloped circle behind epoxy 'Love' sticker

Pink and white lace from local haberdashery shop

Flower gems and flat backed pearl from local craft shop can't remember make

Christmas Thank You cards

2009-01-21T04:21:00.001-08:00

I managed to get my thank you cards done a week or so ago but kept forgetting to post, so here we are-eventually!

I have always written thank you letters/made thank you cards since being a child-I think a written thank you means so much more than a rushed verbal one. Someone spent time and thought on me, so the least I can do is return this and say thank you properly.

These cards were in response to some lovely Christmas presents and the lovely time I spent on Christmas Day I spent with my Mum and her husband.

To make these cards I used Royal and Langnickel cream square hammered card blanks that I've had for ages so it was great to find a use-I seem to be afraid of square cards in a way even though I love how they look!

The rest is from Stampin Up to include some of the retired (but still available whilse stocks last) Dashing designer paper which is double sided so the strips of paper on the cards above show each side of just one of the papers in the set.

I used Real Red cardstock punched with a scallop punch.

The stamps are 'Natural Beauty' for the robin and 'Simple Sayings 2' for the sentiment (again-it's a great set!). Both are retired.

I used a memories ink pad to stamp the image and then watercoloured the robin using Stampin Up ink pads and a aquapainter. Real Red and Chocolate Chip were used for the robin and Real Red for the sentiment.

It's not often I've made several cards in one go but I really enjoyed the process which surprised me.

I'm finding I am enjoying watercolouring more and more which is incredible considering how horrific art classes were at school. I find it so rewarding and quite soothing actually. I think I really enjoy being creative even in this small way.

The recipients liked the cards so that's what matters ultimately and I've a set of small 'Love Notes' (small blank cards and envelopes) from Stampin Up that I've been wanting to make a card set from for ages and now I think my confidence may be up to it! I can but try can't I!

How amazing is this.....

2009-01-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

...prize! (You'll have to blog hop to see!).

Pop over to see Steph on her cleverly titled 'much ado about nothing' blog and you could win some beautiful stamps.

http://stephmuchadoaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-candy-alert.html#comment-form

While you're there, do stop and look at her creations- on the 14th January she posted 'a card to share' and I want it! It's beautiful and making me seriously want the Stampin Up papers she used! Then look at the one she posted on the 15th!! WOW! Gorgeous colours too!

Steph seems to be new to blogging but I for one will go back as I can't wait to see more cards she makes as they're really 'my kind of card', which is extra good.

There's alot of blogs out there but Steph's is a real breath of fresh air and I can't wait to see how it pans out, so best of luck Steph.

Just because

2009-01-19T04:45:00.000-08:00

In the cardmaking world the next big thing (or Holiday as our US friends would say) is 'Valentines Day'. As I spend alot of time on Splitcoaststampers I feel somewhat surrounded by valentine cards so when I came across a card challenge by Linda on her blog, I thought a Valentines theme appropriate! The challenge comes about after Linda reached 10,000 hits on her blog-how amazing is that!? To celebrate this mammouth achievement, Linda is doing a challenge with a prize for the lucky winner.

Linda has designed a sketch as an inspirational guide to the card design she wants and as well as being fun and challenging, the lucky winner will win a Stampin Up (Linda is an S.U. Demonstrator) stamp set from the limited edition 'Sale-a-bration' range. The draw will take place on 24th January which is also the birthday of one of Linda's sons. (Happy Birthday!).

This is my attempt using Linda's sketch. It's almost entirely Stampin Up:

Real Red, Old Olive and very Vanilla cardstock
Real Red and Old Olive ink for the hearts and edging the Very Vanilla panel
'Dashing' designer paper
Real red and very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon
Sticker from a 'Love Notes' sticker pack (not available in the UK currently)

Simple Sayings 2 stamp set used for the sentiment
Happy Hearts for the hearts- raised using stampin dimensionals

Heat and Stick powder
Glitter
Circle punch for cutting a circle from the designer paper for behind the sticker
Corner punch to make the scalloped border as I don't have the S.U. scalloped punch

Versamark black ink as I don't have an SU black one!

The 'Happy Hearts' stamp set and the 'Dashing' designer paper are both retired now but still available while stocks last (feel like I'm on QVC saying that!).

I actually quite struggled with this card-there's alot of elements to incorporate and I don't usually follow sketches or cards I've seen, my cards just evolve somehow by themselves. I do see sketches I like though so must try a few more and once I get the hang of it, hopefully it'll seem easier than this card was to make!

Having said that, I am reasonably pleased with the result-it's certainly alot more minimal than I usually do, which is something I've been trying to do with my cards-take a more simplistic approach. This doesn't make the card 'simpler' or easier to make-quite the opposite and it's certainly alien to me, but I see this card as a step in that direction which is good at least!

SU blog candy-what could be better!

2009-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Found another lovely blog:

http://emmalockley.blogspot.com/

Emma is an SU (Stampin Up) lady so the candy is fab and so are the projects on her blog-check out the cupcake clock!

Closes 15th January so get over there and have a go and hang around a bit, download the cupcake template and have a play-cupcakes are perfect for most people and you can do so much with them-if you win the candy, you can do so many different toppings with the fab paper!

Lest we forget

2008-11-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

Today is Remembrance Sunday and all around the country and also in Iraq and Afghanistan, services of remembrance have been taking place to honour all those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

On 11th November it will be 90 years since the end of the First World War. As in previous years there will be two minutes silence at 11.00am-the eleventh month, on the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour.

It is crucial that we remember and commemorate those who have paid such a high price in order that the rest of us are safe and free. Since Remembrance Sunday in 2007 over 30 British servicemen and women have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. So called 'modern' war costs less lives but does not leave these brave men and women unscathed. Limbs are lost in horrific numbers, recent reports in The Times stated that soldiers are being literally deafened by the horrendous noise of war. The broken bodies that come home are fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, friends-much loved people who need help financially and emotionally in order to carve out a new and often very different life to that envisioned.

The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 and supports these men and women, day after day, month after month, year after year. This year they hoped to sell 40 million poppies. The money made from the sale of the poppies goes towards providing help in any number of ways to ex-service men and women as well as those currently serving. The Royal British Legion who also campaign for the rights of these people on issues such as war pensions and the previously mentioned hearing problems suffered by so many. According to figures on The Royal British Legion's website 10.5 million people are currently able to ask for help. An astonishing £75million was spent last year helping those in need.

Clearly all this work is only possible with the help of the general public-think of the debt we owe-is a £1.00 or £2.00 for a poppy too much to ask? The Royal British Legion help people every day of the year and need our help to help those in need. Please go to the Royal British Legion website and see what they do, stories of those they help and ways to support the incredible work they do.

We must not forget-we will not.

The very best in blog candy

2008-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Blog-hopping takes on a whole new life when you blog hop Stampin Up inspired blogs. Demonstrators have amazing blogs-Stampin Up is what they so after all and so I find them not only visually entertaining and inspiring but also packed full of product information, techniques, special offers and of course every so often, guaranteed fantastic Stampin Up blog candy.

Although Stampin Up have only been in the Uk just over a year, Uk demonstrators must surely have the Stampin Up powers that be massively impressed. Julie has a lovely blog, beautiful photos (so essential on a blog and an area I fail miserably on I know) and lots of gorgeous projects often made up with a choccie, celery and pink colour range-my favourites!Look out for the 'tea and crumpets' in 'October 2008-not alas real tea and crumpets though I suspect there may have been behind the scenes, but the new paper range 'tea and crumpets'. Julie made some lovely little note cards and a box-I keep meaning to have a go myself and really want to now!

Anyway, as always I'm veering massively off the main point of this post which is to let you know about some SU blog candy. Julie has amassed an amazing 25,000 blog hits-(WHAT?), no really and been promoted by Stampin Up! To celebrate this joint achievement, Julie has donated a new SU stamp set (normally only available to hostesses/or if you've spent over £150 in one go)to her 'blog candy event'! To be in with a chance just pop over to Julie's blog-have a read and if you're in the UK, mention this fab candy on your own blog and then leave a message on Julie's blog to let her know you've done all this and then cross everything.

Must mention that until 10.00pm on Sunday 9th November 2008, Julie is also offering FREE UK P+P on any Stampin Up order. You could save alot of money there depending on the size of order but as P+P usually is a minimum of around £3.95-it's a good deal!

Monkeying around...

2008-11-03T04:28:00.001-08:00

Hey what do you think to the jokey title? I thought as the BBC are short of comedians I'd subtly put myself forward.(um...) I have other jokes too-

'How many men does it take to buy a loo-roll?
'Don't know-it's never been done!'

Oh dear-I've dried up (I know the lingo too you know)-nightmare! I'd obviously need to practice a bit, polish up my act, maybe a few props-a stool to sit on, maybe a pint of beer-that's what comedians seem to do-used to smoke but get arrested now and that's NOT funny...um.

Anyway, back to cardmaking.

Splitcoaststampers provide the tuturials once again. This is called a 'free standing pop-up card'.

Essentially this is a really effective card in terms of 'oooh and ahh' value but it is not only beatiful; it's clever too and will fold down to put into an envelope. How good is that! Whatever next? A card that makes itself?

Both cards are virtually all Stampin Up in terms of DNA-the monkey set is called 'Monkey Business' and is a long since retired US set and I love it! There's another monkey too which is in a hanging position so you could stamp it hanging from the foliage. I struggled determining the precise height as to where the monkey needed to be as I didn't want him standing in mid air-I wanted him to look as though he was standing on the card base. I knew the tag part of the card goes down into the box base a bit but hard to be precise and I feel certain each card would slightly differ to be honest on this point. I used my PSX stamp positioner on every image on the tag and although I'm pretty close with the monkey, I feel he is a bit low in truth but considering it's the first time I've made this type of card it's not too shameful!

The cardstock is 'Barely Banana'(who's have thought it!)'Certainly Celery' and the ever gorgeous 'Chocolate Chip';and the same colour inks are used too bar the yellow which is a versacolour as I don't possess the barely banana ink. I coloured in the monkeys tummy and added depth to the bananas with the 'Cocoa'from the SU pastel set.

The background stamp on the box type base is called 'Swirls and Blossoms' and it was the best I could find that worked with the theme as I felt the base needed decoration too.

Very Vanilla taffetta ribbon and an unknown chocolate grosgrain. I used a paper reinforcement ring to keep the hole in the tag nice and neat.(Hole punched by Silent Setter) I inked the reinforcement ring let it dry and repeated about three times to ensure a deep chocolate colour. All I could think of as no eyelets in a suitable colour big enough! I'm glad I persevered with my quest to find paper reinforcement rings even though it took months to find any!

What about the monkey button on the base! How gorgeous is he? A local shop was selling off a load of buttons they won't be stocking anymore and happily I spotted this box of treasures-all sorts of kinds and this monkey was among them. Let's just say that after I left, there were no more monkeys in that shop!!!I left the button back intact and managed to thread my ribbon through it (eventually). removing the button back is useful if the button needs to sit flat on a page as it can then be attached with glue dots or similar.

This stamp set is 'Spring Garden'another favourite and about the only floral set I could find that was small enough to work on the limited space the tag allows. Great set though so no hardship to use and I think it's very effective.I used the 'Canvas' background stamp on the base on this card-it's a real classic in my view.

Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery card and ink, unknown grosgrain ribbon and blooms, finished off with a Bashful Blue button. The tag is reinforced with a Stampin Up large eyelet.

I support Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross

2008-10-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

This world never fails to amaze me!

The news events that are happening,recession, mass job losses, war, disease, terrible weather, the election of a new President for the most powerful nation on Earth....

In the Uk the newspapers, TV and radio news, TV programmes, the internet, THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, everywhere the talk is of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.

It seems ridiculous to discuss the details of the event-it's everywhere, though as always the facts aren't necessarily as well known as the 'hype'. I just feel it's just ludicrous what is happening, and thus feel a strong need to express my personal opinion on the matter.

Jonathan Ross was a guest on the Russell Brand radio show on Radio 2 a week or so ago. Andrew Sachs (who with respect is best known as 'Manuel' in 'Faulty Towers') was due to be a guest on the show too but pulled out due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.

Russell Brand (the RISQUE comedian) and Jonathan Ross (the RISQUE and well paid TV and radio presenter) telephoned Andrew Sach's answerphone several times leaving increasingly silly and 'offensive' (thus deemed) messages. The most offensive, relates to Andrew Sach's grandaughter who Russell Brand has slept with (in common with most women frankly). The said grandaughter Georgina may have been attracted to the 'risque' side of Russell Brands personality as she is certainly that herself being a member of some very rudely named 'dance' group and a fondness for appearing with very few clothes on her You Tube site.(She maybe had a better Summer where she lives than we did, hence the lack of clothes!).

Max Clifford (words fail me) has taken the horribly wronged Georgina under his wing and is apparently now assisting her in making a fortune from selling her story to the 'news'papers. Presumably this is 'compensation' of a sort for the fact that her character has been violated by the oh so naughty Russell and Jonathan.

Andrew Sachs who was clearly horrified by the whole thing and did NOT get the 'joke'certainly deserves the apologies he has been given and I am sure the assurance that this will never happen again must be of comfort to him. According to reports, Andrew Sachs is satisfied by the apologies received and does not wish the matter to be taken further. However grandaughter Georgina who loyally defended her Grandfather, appears to have her watch set differently to the rest of the world (well the sensible ones weary of this 'story' dominating the news and wondering about all that life and death stuff that normally is on the news?) Georgina's watch appears to show that it's only 5 past the hour, which means she has a whole 10 minutes left in accordance with Andy Warhol's comments (read contract). A person can earn alot of money in 10 minutes and although it is unseasonably cold, 10 minutes isn't too long to have to be undressed, for 10 minutes can mean alot of '0's'or to be more accurate '£££££££££'s'.

Good old Max Clifford. The newspapers (even the red-tops) have been all too serious lately with all this talk of recession, job losses, negative equity and so forth. Dear Max is attempting to jump start the economy himself and in his own inimitable way. I suppose Max Clifford is in a 'prof-no, sorry 'job'
that is 'recession-proof'.The selling of souls (and along with it reputations, self respect etc) is absolutely recession-proof. It's just such a relief that something 'good' (barely dressed Georgina making all this money) came out of Andrew Sach's distress.I'm genuinely relieved he feels better poor man.

I really do understand that Andrew Sachs was upset by the stupidity of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. It's just in my opinion blown up out of all proportion. Thousands have now complained-99.9% AFTER the media fuss developed. People dislike Jonathan Ross as he is on a huge salary. People dislike Russell Brand as he is successful with women (polite way of putting it!) and they don't understand his humour and people dislike the BBC as it's not only responsible for the licence fee which means it's beholden to ALL of us but also is inextricably linked to the Government.The BBC has to please all of us all of the time and it's frankly an impossible task.

I'm not sure if this is just a UK thing, but most of the time the media is raving on about Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Just as with everyone else it builds someone up and then beats them down again. It's ugly and vile and I'm sick of it. They went too far but they're not murderers or child molesters or terrorists. They're people working in the entertainment industry, catering for the more 'wild' and dare I say it 'younger' audience and the people shrieking and wailing aren't the people who would be part of the 'target' audience for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross (except perhaps on Film 2008/whatever!).

The media and certain parts of society are making noises that sound scarily like baying for blood. If we could all calm down, stop acting like pack animals with the whiff of blood in the air and get back to being supposedly 'civilised' people, I would feel a great deal better. I just have this funny feeling that I'd rather our Prime Minister concentrated on keeping people in work, with roof's over their heads and able to afford to eat and be warm, rather than pass comment on two people (in a population of 50 odd MILLION). I need you more Gordon.

Record breaking card and 'catch'!

2008-10-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post this card I made recently for my Mum to give to her husband on his birthday. The said husband loves fishing (to the point of having a large pond dug out of a paddock in their house when they bought it-complete with island and little boat!) and I had spotted these in a craft shop one day and knew that they would be perfect for my Mum's husband.

Mum asked me to do a card a couple of days before his birthday and said she'd pick the card up on the Sunday evening. She then appeared on the doorstep on the Saturday (I'd literally just walked through the door myself) and asked if the card was ready as she wanted to take it now!!!

I am a terrible last minute person; I think this goes back to the days of being a student and doing my essays and even dissertation at the last minute!! I hardly need to say then that no, the card wasn't done. I had actually stayed up late the previous night to cut out the decoupage but other than choosing card stock, that was it. I showed Mum the sum of my efforts thus far-cut up decoupage and a couple of bits of A4 card. 'OK' she said. 'What do you need, say half an hour?'!!!

I managed to get an hour and got to work. Mum reappeared after half an hour and said not to worry about it not being completed, she'd sit and watch me finish it. I am not a demonstrator, never would be as totally lacking in confidence (and skills frankly). I have shaky hands at the best of times, with Mum right by me watching it was a nightmare just putting the decoupage on top of one another accurately. I had glittered the fish with Stickles in the hope it would dry in time and somehow I managed to complete this card and insert in super quick time.

Now, I'm sure opinions are divided on the whole 'Paper Nation/Jolly Nation' range which is where the Fisherman comes from. I like some of them, not all, but can certainly see their appeal and in truth I think the designers have done a great job and really captured the market with these designs. I think they're great designs for people with certain hobbies-there's a lady cooking, a little girl doing ballet, wonderful cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters etc, some unusual designs are covered, and for the more difficult cards-often cards for men, the hobbies covered are across the board and are such fun.

Having never used this range before in a card-(I have used the cat on a scrapbooking page for Tom), I was pleased with the result-especially under such pressure-both time-wise and with Mum watching!!

Hubby loved the card apparently-especially the glittered (and HUGE) fish! Thank goodness for 'stash'-the bits we collect for 'one day' that do come in handy and are card life savers when they do!

The card stock is part Europa (the blue) - I love this card! It's so thick and heavy and gorgeous marble colours. The khaki card is an amazing sort of linen effect card I found in my local craft shop-no idea of true identity I'm afraid but it's too thin to make cards but great for matting and layering. Stickles glitter glue on the fish, Paper Nation for the image and background paper and a DCWV sentiment sticker.

Two new techniques for the price of one! (Happy Birthday Mum)

2008-10-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

(updated photo-a bit better anyway!)

With apologies for the poor photography (Mario Testino was partying in Brazil and couldn't make it), I present my return to the blogging world and a pretty card to boot. You will seriously have to forgive the poor photo-it is very dark and cold and windy and bleak and despite putting on every light I could, the photo still looks as though I took it in a cave. If the sun ever shines (Please not that SAD is my companion today!) I will try again to get a photo that allows you to recognise that the card and ink used for this card are Stampin Up's 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Chocolate Chip' (yum).

The marvellous Splitcoaststampers (SCS) site has an amazing section called 'resources'. This rather boring title is in reality a veritable feast of techniques, amazing card designs, boxes...go see! I have decided to try a few of the tutorials for various cards out. It's slightly tricky sometimes as SCS is an American site and as you may already know, Americans don't have A4 as a size of card/paper. Basically this means that the cards made in accordance with the tutorials on SCS will not be in sizes we in the Uk are used to. The tutorials also use Stampin Up products in the main and not only do I not have a huge SU (Stampin Up) stash, but the UK does not have access to the entire range availability to US crafters. None of these issues are insurmountable (where there's a will there's a way'-many of the cards are so stunning you'd want to make a box for them anyway-so no worries envelope wise and with a bit of thought lacking the precise tool or product rarely means you can't tackle the project at all-just think outside the box a bit and off you go.

The above card is called a 'joy-fold' (nope, no idea why it's called that) and is a 'joy' to make and a 'joy' to give and a 'joy' to receive and a...oh enough of the 'joy'...oh OK, back to the card!

My very first attempt went reasonably well. 'Chocolate chip' cardstock with 'Pretty in Pink' works well I think and I felt no need for a third colour, especially as I used 'Whisper White' for the main image. The 'Pretty in Pink' cardstock was stamped on in the same colour ink using two of the most useful background stamps known to man-'Paisley' and 'Canvas'-both Stampin Up.

The stamp set is the beautiful 'Best Blossoms', a US set which I am almost certain is retired. I love it. I stamped the berries and the 3 flower stamp in 'Pretty in Pink' onto Whisper White and the sentiment (from the same set) in 'Chocolate Chip' ink.

(trying to update this photo but computer is currently saying 'no' as per usual).

I left the images to dry thoroughly before cutting to the correct size to mat onto a 'canvas' mat on the outside of the small card. I then attempted the 'dazzling diamond dust' technique from SCS. This technique uses an embossing powder we don't have available to us in the UK and so the need to improvise was apparent. Having posed a question on the SCS forum relating to tools and techniques, I knew that if I mixed equal quantities of clear embossing powder and a fine iridescent glitter and used this, the technique should work. I used Stewart Gill's ultraclear embossing powder and an unknown fine iridescent glitter. Simply cover the image sheet in Versamark and then emboss as usual with your heat gun using your DIY embossing powder and glitter mix.

It's essential to ensure that the embossing powder melts sufficiently in order to ensure that the glitter becomes part of the embossing and therefore won't 'shed' glitter everywhere. This takes a while, be careful not to go too close or remain too long in each area as you don't want to burn it and have to start again. I just took it slow, moved around and turned off my gun a couple of times and after waiting a few seconds to allow the embossing powder which has liquified) to cool, I would then gently touch the surface to see if it felt gritty or smooth. Gritty areas were re-done with the heat gun.

I was really pleased with the effect and so also did the single flowers in the same way. These were a bit fiddly to say the least as they blew about in the draft of the heat gun so you need to get a pair of tweezers or even a knife and hold down a tiny bit so the item stays still but you don't lose too much of the embossing by covering it up whilst you hold it. (No one ever said crafting was easy!).

The glittery shiny effect is stunning. This would be great with Christmas snowy cards and I can't wait to try it with a coloured glitter. I think if a light colour was used you'd still be able to clearly see the stamped images but with say a pinky hue or silver maybe.

The flower on the front left of the card enables the smaller card flap to slot behind it and keep the card closed. This isn't crucial but I thought it meant the card had more impact if the recipient opened it themselves and is so easy to do anyway so no trouble. I used Stampin Up dimensionals (3d pads would be fine) to hold the flower in place. The card was finished off with a piece of 'Pretty in Pink' taffeta ribbon bow-ribbon courtesy of the most wondrous Monica who kindly sent me a few bits and pieces when I told her I needed to make a card for my Mum's birthday and running out of time and missing 'pretty in pink' ribbon! Thank you!

P.S. Gave Mum the card-she loved it. What's nicer than making something special for those we love? The best bit of crafting I think, are the smiles- even if people have no idea how amazing a technique such and such is, or how many times a particular image was stamped until it was absolutely PERFECT! We crafters know though don't we!

Candy that won't make your dentist cross!

2008-10-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Must quickly post about some gorgeous blog candy over at Linda's blog. Linda is a Stampin Up demo and has some lovely cards and projects on her blog.

http://www.purelystamping.blogspot.com/

I absolutely insist that if you follow this link through to the blog candy you hang around and look at her lovely cards and other creations! If you don't I will know! Big Sister is watching!

If you don't win it (sob) once you've wiped your eyes, picked up all the soggy tissues and peeled your loyal cat/bunny/dog/snake/child/whatever off your lap, follow the link Linda provides and make your own!! The site the instructions for this stunning creation come from is by Danni and well worth a look.

This is the wonder of blogs, not only is each blog amazing in it's own right (present company excepted!), but blogs are like the little windy streets you find in places such as York, Winchester, Oxford,Warwick, Cambridge etc when you're visiting for a day on a short break. Down these lovely streets you seem to find a mass of amazing and highly individual shops filled with an eclectic range of 'must haves' and 'I want it alls!'.

I love blog hopping/wandering, what is it called? Just remember to bookmark or put into favourites all these blogs so you can come back when you've a few weeks to spare!

Blackberries galore

2008-08-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

(Blackberries 2008)

Well, late Summer seemed to catch up on us all too soon I feel. Now, it's September, I suppose we're in Autumn now; it certainly feels like it and the nights are drawing in at a speed akin to the fastest of Olympic athletes. The sun (despite it's best endeavours) takes longer to warm the day, but, for me at least, the most significant
signs of Autumn being upon us has to be the smell.

Our sense of smell is such a magical sense. I often think it's such an abused and taken for granted sense; usually we are only aware of this incredible gift when we smell something horrible; drains, smelly public loos (yuk), for me a shop in town that sells fishing stuff and maggots and smells like hell-it literally makes me retch uncontrollably if I go anywhere near it. I feel ill discussing it; it is indescribably awful.

Our sense of smell though is surely the strongest provoker of memories that we have? It links directly to our feelings, even if it's just the smell of fresh bread in a bakery, a fish and chip shop, a bar-be-cue. A newsagent near me has recently began stocking those large jars of sweets that used to be bought as a '1/4' but now is 100g I think! As children we were allowed 1/4 of sweets a week. We bought these from our pocket money and they were supposed to last us a week. It was always so hard to decide which to get and having three siblings, I always ended up wishing I had chosen what they had. I remember my brother loved 'Rosy Apples'. he used to let us have one of his, even though there wasn't many to a 1/4. I did like them but never chose them for myself, I liked sherberty sweets, and later 'medicinal' tasting ones like 'Kop Kops', 'Cough Candy twist' and various other herbal type ones. I have always adored liquorice, still do, especially the difficult to source 'Lakeland' liquorice from Australia (all those food miles are hard to reconcile with too when it's liquorice).

As I spied these jars of sweets in this shop, I had the same decision making to do. I ummed and ahhed and eventually decided. As the lady opened the jar to measure out my '100g', the smell of the sweets as she lifted the lid made me feel very like I was experiencing a 'Life on Mars' moment and I had been transported back to the late 1970's and early 1980's. It was phenomenal and dramatic as this sounds, it literally caught my breath.

Autumn smells of bonfires and leaves and where I live chimneys as virtually everyone has 'real' fires. Autumn also smells of casseroles and crumbles and warmer food. soon the smell (and sound) of fireworks will fill the air as Bonfire Night approaches all too quickly!

My birthday is in November and as a child I always adored Autumn, probably in part to the linking of falling leaves with heaps of presents and attention! I loved kicking leaves about. Although we do have trees where I live, the ones right by my house aren't especially dramatic. I'd love to go to an arboretum and most of all would love, love, love to go to new England in the US in Autumn/ the fall, and see the awe inspiring display of colour en masse.

(Blackberries 2008)

Back here in 'sunny Blighty', I've been blackberry picking galore, thus quite often are to be seen returning home somewhat bedraggled with purple hands with the blood from a million bramble thorns creating an 'interesting' and in some eyes I'm sure 'artistic' marbled effect from numerous (painful) scratches. I never fail to be amazed at the various bobbles and seeds attached to my legs in natures highly successful attempts at spreading seeds as far geographically as possible through the manner of attaching to whatever poor soul, be that cat, dog or blackberry hunter! On occasion I also have brought home a few caterpillars and indeed a beautiful teeny/baby snail, who have all hitched a -permisionless lift from the unsuspecting me!

(Mad apple tree 2008)

My freezer is now full of blackberries and stewed apple that should provide for scrummy crumbles and pies for some time to come. We're still only on the apple 'faller's' currently of which there are aplenty on account of the horrendous weather and storms which regularly torment us. On a more positive note, these 'fallers' are victims of the storms and high winds and thus are to be found with only a dusting of soil from the ground and thus the battle between man and slugs, grubs, is avoided.(For this I will be forever grateful as a crumble loses a great deal of charm with the knowledge that the apple from which it was made was previously inhabited by a family of grubs). My kitchen and wooden spoons have all been dyed a beautiful purple (and it is purple) along with the odd tea towel and alas a favourite top of mine is now 'individualised' by Jackson Pollock type spashes of stewing blackberries! It's clear that blackberries were an extremely useful colour provider in times when natural dyes were used entirely!

Still playing...

2008-08-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

I've been playing a bit more with some Stampin Up stamps and here are the results! The card above is made with the 'Spring Garden' set. This set is so beautiful and ethereal, a really gentle and pretty set of stamps. I versa-marked the stems, flowers etc and then chalked on top, gently allowing the colours to merge. I actually used the chalks I received in my Stampin Up prize. Three colours only would you believe! I used the 'Bashful Blue' (love this colour so much), the 'Rose Red' and the 'Always Artichoke' which is a darkish green.

The base card is a light pink card from an Anna Griffin set off QVC sometime and I used the 'bashful blue' ink with an Anna Griffin background stamp, again from a set sometime I think, it's acrylic, I'm sure it was part of a set with a garden theme...! The sentiment is a sticker from 'DCWV' and I am annoyed as it looked the perfect colour until it was well and truly stuck onto the card. At this point, the sticker decided to become 'turquoise' instead of light blue/teal. I contemplated various ideas and think I'll end up having to matt over it and stamp a sentiment. I'm just trying to be good and use up some of my stash, and the DCWV stickers remain unused despite me getting them in a long ago parcel (mentioned on this blog) after I made some suggestions to a craft site regarding definitions of craft tools/materials etc.

The ribbon is from a local haberdashery department, the blue matting layer is a shimmery blue but part of my stash and origin unknown! The pink dotty matting is from a Karen Marie Klip polka dot pink card set. I love the colours but find these cards very disappointing as paper thin. All the cards in this range are the same; such a shame and really surprising as the range is so pretty and original, I am amazed the cardstock would be so poor. Useless for card bases but can be used for matting and layering at least so money not entirely wasted!!

The other two cards use the 'Stampin Up' 'Flower Factory' set which I think is a really useful and versatile set. Alas, the horticultarists amongst you will note that the stem and leaves are wrong and indeed are from the 'Stampin Up' 'Terrific Tulips' set. I seem to have lots of flower heads and few stems and leaves....! I thought I'd give it a go and just ensure, if I ever send these cards, that I send them to someone who won't know the difference between the leaves of a dandelion and a tulip!

'Europa' cardstock on the large card, with random matting and layering card. Also unknown in origin (as ever) are the miri card and the gingham paper. The gingham ribbon is 'Stampin Up', the sentiment is from the 'Riveting' Stampin up set and the button is from 'Love Elsie'. The rub on sentiment is 'Anna Griffin' and the crystals are again unknown but the non stick kind so thanks 'Quickie' gluepen!

The small card has random ribbon and cardstock with a 'Making Memories' ribbon slide and 'Stampin Up' crystal brads. 'Stampin up' ink pads and 'Stewart Gill' 'metallic silver' embossing powder. The sentiment rub on is once again by Anna Griffin.

Spring Garden cards

2008-08-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

These two cards were made remarkably quickly and easily using the beautiful 'Spring Garden' stamp set from Stampin Up.

The long thin card was inspired by a card in the current Stampin Up UK catalogue. The stamps are just such fun to use. The quality is always superb and I honestly think Stampin Up stamps are the easiest stamps to use that I've come across too.

I love the way you get 'sets' of stamps, other than the odd stand alone that usually either a very large single stamp or a background stamp. The individual stamps within each set all work together, often in layers so to speak, as in the petals of 'Roses in Winter'.

On each card the stamps the flower stamps are 'Stampin Up', the sentiment stamped in black Stazon onto the red grosgrain ribbon is an unknown make (sorry). The inks used are again 'Stampin Up'(Rose Red, Bashful Blue and Always Artichoke).The red cardstock is also 'Stampin up'.

A 'Royal and Langnickel' white card and the blue card from a pack bought from QVC many, many moons ago. the green grosgrain ribbon is from 'Stampin Up' and the red bought from a local haberdashery department. the centre of the small flower on thee white card has a red snap; again, the origins are unknown...just part of my stash collected over time! I used a lovely apple green 'Staedtler triplus fineliner' pen for the faux stitching around the flower (I love these pens for journalling too). Finally, an Anna Griffin rub on sentiment was used on the blue card.

Anyway, I realise this sounds rather too much like an advertisement and that's not my job; I'm not in advertising I promise!! I think, if anything, I'm being rather evangelical about 'Stampin Up. When I first started card making I really wanted to do rubber stamping but always truggled to achieve the results I craved. Once I got my Marvy le Plume pens, I felt a whole lot better, getting some good quality watercolouring pencils also was a massive step and now to find such beautiful stamps that enable, nay positively encourage stampers to take stamping to that extra level; I'm just feeling really happy about my stamping right now. Best of all, I am really enjoying playing!

Blimey, I've made a card! (and posted twice!)

2008-08-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post my latest card creation so to speak. I have actually made a few cards lately (believe it or not) but I am always so unorganised and the cards take ages to make due to poor energy etc and then I end up forgetting to take a photo!!

Anyway, I am really pleased with this card. It's (as some of you will recognise) made using the breathtakingly beautiful 'Roses in Winter' rubber stamp set from 'Stampin Up'.

The base pink card is an unknown make (bought when I first started card making a few years ago,the green card is by Anna Griffin as is the sentiment stamp which believe it or not I've had for ages and never used!

The ribbon is from a local haberdashery department and somehow (don't ask how), I've managed to follow the instructions for the knotted bow in a beautiful book that I absolutely recommend 'Paper Crafting with Elegance' by Anna Griffin.

I used Colorbox Queue inks for the pinks of the roses and Versacolor in lime for the stems together with a Pretty Color inkpad for the sage green leaves.**

I've decoupaged the roses and asides from the fact that I think this is such a pretty card, I really enjoyed making it; the stamping was great fun! I think this stamp set could be used in some many different ways, colours and styles and certainly I've seen some beautiful cards in the galley on Splitcoast Stampers (go to gallery, choose Stampin Up as a category and set 'Roses in Winter'). I really am just so excited about this set, I feel in love with it when I first saw a card using it and to have at last it is a combination of 'phew' and ''yes! yes! yes!'!

**Oh, just thought, I could and should have used the Stampin up inkpad in the sage type colour that I won!!! I'd forgotten about that as it's all still in it's box looking gorgeous. I really struggled trying to find the right colours too! Typical! Must unpack my goodies now-they all just looked so pretty in their box....

Mrs B

2008-08-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

Mrs B is a beautiful female blackbird who comes to visit and I just have to blog about her. I first met Mrs B last year. She built a nest just outside my back door in the small area of the overflow pipes from the bathroom. I have an extremely ugly but incredibly functional and useful plastic roof covering an area of maybe 8 foot by 8 foot (IE probably not that at all-I'm terrible at numbers and spacial awareness!).

Mrs B's nest (Mrs Blackbird..get it!), was under this covered area so sheltered from the rain. Unfortunately, we have a West facing garden so it gets very, VERY hot. In the morning the sun rises at the front, but by late morning, the sun is racing up the garden towards the house at a cracking pace. I was consequently really worried that Mrs B's nest and contents would bake. I also was concerned about cleaning products reaching the nest so I didn't let anything go down the sink or bath that could be hazardous.

Regarding the heat, I did manage to reach out of a window to put a towel over the plastic roof over the nest site. Mrs B seemed anxious, presumably as the towel made the area darker too, so I had to remove the towel-pronto!

Mrs B was a lone parent throughout her motherhood. I supported her as best as I could by providing a generous supply of live meal worms (a difficult thing for a vegetarian to do)and water which I would put on top of the sandpit/digging box for the bunnies with its canvas roof. One night I noticed she hadn't returned to her nest and it was 11.00pm and dark. I knew this meant either that something awful had happened to Mrs B, or that she had deserted her nest. I couldn't see inside the nest so had to use a mirror and angle it, and it was then that I discovered that Mrs B's brood, in reality a sole chick, had died. Mrs B had deserted the nest as there was no reason to stay.

I saw Mrs B for the rest of the Summer of 2007.The meal worm deal continued too and it was so lovely to see that she was well and nothing awful had happened to her. One day, as Summer (what Summer we may ask!) breathed it's last breaths, Mrs B didn't come for her meal worms, nor later that day, nor again. I hoped she had found a life that didn't involve relying on me for food, I really hoped and prayed this is what had happened.

Spring 2008 arrived and as the warmer days occasionally and all too briefly appeared, so too did Mrs B. I knew it was her immediately. I was so thrilled, firstly that she was alive and well, and secondly that she had remembered me and knew to come to me when she was hungry. The meal worm order resumed and as Mrs b was soon joined by another female and a male blackbird, the order increased accordingly! I think the shop must have thought I was feeding the 5,000 not 3 blackbirds! Having said that, it was soon apparent that the meal worms were providing sustenance for more than the adult birds. These incredible parents, would arrive, grab a couple of meal worms themselves and then fill their beaks to beyond capacity and fly off to their nests before returning shortly to repeat the process. The water provided was clearly much appreciated as was the large water bowl we always have outside for the mammals in my life, which developed a dual role of water bowl and bird bath!! Needless to say, once bath time was completed, the bowl would be thoroughly washed and re-filled as no one wants to drink someone elses' bathwater do they!

Mrs B has continued to visit throughout the Summer. She sits on the roof of the sandpit/digging box and peers through the window for me if I don't immediately rush out armed with meal worms! She squawks if peering doesn't work and should the back door be open, Mrs B will come into the house to find me.

Whenever I am in the garden I have the company of Mrs B. If I am in a neighbours garden or down the alleyway, Mrs B will appear and make her presence known. She's actually very patient once she's found me and will happily sit on the fence or a wall for a while whilst I finish a conversation or gather sufficient veggies and herbs for the bunnies!

Unfortunately Mr B (who isn't Mrs B's Mr B if you see what I mean!) has got to be rather aggressive, as blackbirds do, and so when Mrs B visits to eat, I have to stand guard in order to prevent the foul tempered Mr B from frightening poor, gentle Mrs B and preventing her from getting near the meal worm feast. Mr b is actually extremely brave as well as bad tempered as when I 'stand guard', I have to keep in clear view of Mr B or he tries to intimidate me and will fly towards me, such is his determination not to allow a single meal worm to be lost to another. This is not a character assassination however, and Mr B is clearly a devoted father as it is very unusual for him to eat a single meal worm. Mr B lands, fills his beak furiously and departs. Perhaps it's a man/woman thing, the ladies hang around a while, have a coffee (sip of water) and a chocolate muffin (hey, I deserve a treat looking after so many children is tough work you know)and see if anything new is in stock, maybe some apple, a bit of chicken, to break up the meal worm monotony!!

Mrs B, Mr B and their fellow blackbirds have brought me such joy with their daily antics. Mrs b is such an incredible blackbird, I never imagined a bird could be so tame unless I had hand reared her which I obviously haven't. I have no idea where she nested, nor where her Mr B is as i have caught no sight of her with a male. She is always alone. Of course, there is always a price to pay for love and I live with the threat of Mrs B disappearing one day never to return. I honestly wish I could keep her totally safe, but her need for freedom as a wild creature is a daily battle for survival. I only hope I have brought something positive to Mrs B's life, if only that I am a reliable source of food for her and indeed all birds as the bird tables are always well stocked.

For now, I must just enjoy what we have; a wild bird who for some reason chose me out of all the billions of people in the world as someone to trust. I hope I never let her down.

Back home

2008-08-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

(Tom Summer 2006)

Tom is back home and recovering.

It was such a stressful day, not helped by the fact that the vets telephoned me when Tom was under anaesthetic to ask if I wanted his facial cyst removing as he was coping well with the anaethestic. Tom has had a cyst on his lower face, just going into his neck for approximately a year now. it grows and grows but coording to my vet was painless. I got very concerned as the cyst grew quite large indeed but one day Tom came in and had a tiny bit of blood on his scruff. When i investigated, the cyst had burst, possibly on a twig or similar as Tom adventured. Tom was totally oblivious to it and I was just glad the issue had sorted itself out!

Over the last few months the cyst has began to grow again. As before, Tom seemed entirely untroubled by it. There was no discussion of the cyst prior to Tom's denta, in fact my vet upon examining Tom stated 'Oh, it seems as though his microchip has slipped round' which was rather worrying as he was refering to this much discussed cyst.

I was really thrown by the telephone call from the vets. I had been told to telephone at 3.30pm to see how Tom had got on, so to be telephoned before then by the vets was for a few moments really frightening.

I was concerned about recovery time if the cyst was removed and ultimatly it hadn't seemed to cause Tom any pain. I said that I felt this was a veterinary decision but that Toms welfare and recovery was the priority.

In the event it was removed and poor Tom has a large wound (surprisingly large) with three stitches. His neck has been shaved and as the other side was shaved to take blood for tests last week, he'll be needing a scarf if it doesn't grow back soon! The stitches need to be removed in ten days.

I am cross though as Tom's claws were cut, very badly and at least two nails have bled. I didn't ask them to cut his nails, nor did I give permission. The claws have been very badly cut, I would guess with an inappropriate tool, as the claws are chipped and scuffed badly. All the nails have been cut, which is ridiculous and entirely unnecessary and all are far too short.

I have spoken to my vet and astonishingly he cut Toms nails. He said they'll grow back so 'you needn't worry about that, they will grow back'. Obviously I am well aware that nails grow back, my point is that they shouldn't have been cut in the first place, and certainly not as badly as this. The vet said that he cuts lots of nails and some bleed, some don't. Well, yes, they bleed if cut too short and into the quick.

It's probably best if I don't discuss this any more on here, and besides, I feel so angry and upset about it. Tom has enough on his plate without sore bleeding and chipped nails.

Anyway, he's home and safe. What a brave man he is, 'king of the jungle' as I call him. He coped extraordinarily well, and home is as it should be, everyone together.

Please pray for Tom

2008-07-31T01:15:00.000-07:00

(Tom - June 2008)

A week ago Tom was diagnosed with chronic renal failure (CRF). I had felt for a couple of weeks that Tom had been drinking alot and urinating a great deal, was ravenously hungry and when he slept it was a really deep sleep.

I had already decided I would get Tom's blood tested when the vet examined him at Tom's yearly MOT and told me that Tom needed some dental work doing.After a certain age, vets recommend that blood tests are done prior to any surgical procedure. if Tom had had his dental without blood tests, he would have been very ill and possibly worse.

As the day of the dental approached I became increasingly edgy, I just didn't feel right and it was more than the usual (though huge) anxiety felt when one of my guys is at the vets. the day before the date of the dental last week, Tom didn't actually properly get up and eat anything of substance until 5.40pm. Most animals other than rabbits (who must NOT fast)have to fast in order that they are not at risk during surgery; the same reasons we have to. Tom hadn't eaten enough considering the next day he wouldn't eat much at all and not until late in the day and I was very anxious about this. The next day I cancelled the dental but took Tom in for some blood tests as he was in a virtually constant deep sleep by now and I was concerned his toes weren't as pink as usual.

The blood tests confirmed that Tom is in the early stages of kidney failure.Although it is classified as the early stages, the kidneys in fact has to be failing quite consideratly before tests can pick up any problems.

Tom has been put on medication and we also have some special food. I will post more about this soon and provide some links to wonderful support groups and sites which provide information that can be understood by us laypeople!

I am posting this now as Tom is due in a hour to go to the vets for the aforementioned dental. Due to his condition he will need to be on a drip before and throughout the procedure. I am scared to death. Tom is the most beautiful (inside and out) gentleman who has been a loyal friend and family member for a good 15 years now.

Please pray/think positive thoughts and I will let you know how we get on asap. I'm hoping all will be ok and he will be back home tonight. Tom is so brave and resiliant. I have to be too.

Thank you.

Tom the Polydactyl

2008-07-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

The extremely photogenic Tom has been a member of our family since 1993.The year before the much loved Benjie had become very ill and I had had to dash back from University to take him to the vets to be put to sleep. Although Benjie was officially a 'family' cat, he and I were very close and I miss him greatly. It broke my heart, that trip to the vets, and as Benjie had been the sole survivor of the vast array of 'original' animal family members, Benjie's loss hit us all very hard indeed.

One day my Mum telephoned and told me that she had been to the local RSPCA centre and adopted a cat. The 'new' family member looked very like Benjie and was at the centre following a road traffic accident. No one had claimed him so after the qualifying period, the cat who would become Tom, became available for adoption and we were blessed to re-home him.

Tom didn't actually become 'Tom' immediately. Initially (and as a direct result of his mischievous character) 'Tom' was named 'Houdini'. 'Houdini' was with us very briefly however and so Tom became 'Tom' or to be more accurate 'Tom Thumb'. Tom, you see, is a 'POLYDACTYL';

'A polydactyl cat is a cat with a congenital physical anomaly, with more than usual number of toes on one or all of its paws as a result of a cat body type genetic mutation. In animals including humans, polydactyly (or polydactylism, also known as hyperdactyly) is the anatomical abnormality of having more than the usual number of digits on the hands or feet'.
(Wilkipedia)

Tom's front paws look very much as though he is wearing boxing gloves. We always used to say that Tom could write as he looks as though he could hold a pen. vets are always fascinated by toms toes; our last vet used to spend much of the consultation repeatedly saying 'toes everywhere, there's toes everywhere'!

As well as being very cute, these extra toes come with extra responsibilities. With most cats (and indeed dogs, walking on a hard surface such as concrete will naturally keep the claws in check and prevent them becoming excessively long. With Toms toes, many of them don't ever touch the ground and so its is necessary to trim them on a regular basis in order to prevent them growing too long and then be vulnerable to getting caught and potentially being torn off which would obviously be very painful for Tom.

As you can imagine, it's important to have a cats co-operation when attempting nail trimming. Alas, Tom disagrees with the need for what I call 'maintenance' and he calls 'mutilation'! What follows is very similar to wrestling but with no rules; basically I try my very best to quickly but accurately clip the necessary claws and not cut off one of Toms toes accidentally, while Tom fights like an extremely wild and probably rabid banshee and in a valiant attempt to ensure absolute authenticity, Tom screams and wails and hisses and yowls like a wild rabid banshee too!! It truly must be a sight to behold; me with blood seeping from numerous scratches, ducking desperately to avoid additional injury and trying my very best to control Toms mad thrashing (and that's just trying to wrap the towel round him), whilst Tom puts in yet another Oscar winning performance (Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' looks like a child in a school play compared to Tom) just to avoid having a few nails trimmed!!

As you imagine the scene, may I mention that Tom has claws actually in the space between his 'thumb' and 'first finger'. These claws never even see the light of day,(even my vets are surprised when they are mentioned), but they (left to their own devices) would continue to grow until they would simply grow back into Tom himself.These nails are the very devil of nails and it is these (astonishingly and heart breakingly) fast growing nails that cause the most yowls (from Tom) and (prayers) from me in my determined efforts to prevent Tom becoming lame from these awful nails.

Afterwards, Tom makes a big thing of shaking himself clear from me and licking off my horrible touch and then will sit beside me happily with no apparent fear or upset remaining. My recovery takes a little longer and generally involves tissues (to mop my brow and soak up blood!)plasters, and on the odd occasion a paper bag to control the hyper ventilation brought on by the extreme stress and fear involved in facing an animal who looks and behaves as though tempted to kill you!!

Funnily enough, although Tom is happy enough (no doubt congratulating himself on another incredibly authentic performance) my other animals all view me with caution and wariness for quite some time! Tom will notice this and with his beautiful eyes will gaze at me intently before producing a drawn out blink; as if to say 'Tom 1 - Human 0 again!!.

Cool Tummies

2008-07-22T04:30:00.001-07:00

This is my most recently completed layout. The stars of the how this time are Humphrey and the Beautiful Sophie. I started this page in the days following Sophies death. I wasn't sure if I could cope but she had always been my crafting company, always close, too close actually as I had to climb over here more times that I could say! I always told Soph that when I did her page (I always intended to do a joint Humphrey and Sophie page and then individual pages) that it would be the most beautiful page ever, really girly and beautiful as it would have to be to properly represent her - the beautiful Sophie.

That page is next to do and I have gathered as many pretty things as I have managed in an attempt to properly show off how very beautiful Sophie is.

This page concerns Humphrey and Sophie in their 'digging box', which is a large wooden sandpit with a canvas roof. Sophie adored being outside, literally spending every moment she could and as well as munching on everything she could find, Soph also pursued her hobby of digging. It was Soph who discovered that if she dug a hole and lay in it, her tummy would be much cooler and with her brother (Humphrey), would spent happy times in the shade watching the world go by.

When I did this page I was very much out of my comfort zone. Emotionally it was very hard and the pressure to produce a page that was worthy of Humphrey and Sophie was higher than ever. I knew it neede to be a sunnyish page though hence the involvement of the colour orange which I loathe! I had great difficulty finding stuff that would be suitable and once again the paper I used (K and Company) whilst initally appearing perfect, was in reality very difficult to 'control'.

I did my very best and again chose to add some hidden journalling (under the smaller photos to be accessed via the green tags) which for Sophie contained additional information about her and for Humphrey likewise. I do have some journalling on show in my awful handwriting, but I do think it's more personal to write it myself.

As ever my photos aren't great and my cropping is criminal! (I do find it hard to photograph my layouts well). Unhappily this means that the detail on the paper isn't very clear. The paper itself contains words too which I picked up by using additional K and Company words. The vinyl American Crafts thickers I felt were perfect in texture as well as colour and add to the summery theme.

I hope the page shows not only the fun Humphrey and Sophie had outside but also their deep love for one another. We miss Sophie terribly and when I did the journalling I found I was unable to speak of Sophie in the past tense, so the present tense is used. It's hard now to say Sophie 'did' rather than 'does'.

I am only a beginner at scrapbooking so my technique, style and sense of design isn't all that great. Having said that, to me scrapbooking is about preserving memories, about the ability to create something that in 50 years time people can see and know something about the subject matter, why the photo was taken, what's happening, why the event, the time, the participants are special. I'm not stretching the boundaries of design but I create a page to fulfill all the requirements mentioned above. I do this for me and I do it so others can see the pages and enjoy them but mostly I do it so the people/animals on the pages will never be forgotton.

A favourite place

2008-07-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

At number three in the 'scrapbook history of me' is 'A favourite place' featuring Basil.

I mentioned how difficult I found this layout on the previous post. I found it so tough. I think one of my problems (I have loads!) is that I am very hard on myself, I want perfection immediately. I am an avid reader of just about everything, but certainly card and scrapbooking magazines and also have somewhat of an addiction to UKS. The gallery on UKS is inspiring, amazing, fantastic and also a little intimidating for a beginner who can't even begin to determine what materials have been used, where to get them from, how to use them etc!

For this layout, I really wanted to try the idea of using a single photo within a simplistic layout. This photo of Basil on his climbing frame seemed perfect so I printed it off in various sizes to see which would be best. The moment I saw this paper (K and Company - Amy Butler), I knew it would be perfect for this layout. Everything seemed to be going really well until it became apparent that the paper is extremely limiting due to having large patterns in two corners. This affected the size of photo I could use and also how I was able to further embellish and add the necessary journalling to the layout.

I had bought the 'Queen and co' felt ribbon a while ago and just had to use it on this layout. This version isn't self adhesive so typically I had huge problems trying to work out how to adhere it invisably to the page! I tried everything - Xyron, PVA, glue dots, double sided tape etc, etc. I didn't want to use brads as it would have affected the whole presentation of the ribbon which I believed provided a great effect but only if it could be attached to the page without other adornments!

In the end UKS (as usual) provided the answer. The forum is an amazing source of information and there seem to be so many members that any questions asked receive an answer almost immediately!

I 'xyroned' the ribbon and with my 'pricking tool' then removed the excess glue from the holes in the ribbon. (Yep, as awful and ridiculous as it sounds).

Although I really struggled with this layout, I am pleased with the result. I tried very hard to keep the embellishing under control and the hidden journalling underneath the title was my solution to the issue of potentially cluttering up the layout with words.

I felt uneasy about 'space' though so had to fill it, but I hope I've not overdone it with the flowers (first time I've done these and I think they'll transfer well to cards too). What would I be without inspiration from magazines, websites and blogs?

My intention with all my layouts is to create something I can look at again and again and enjoy. I've started with my animals (how could I not) but eventually, I hope to scrap family photos from today, yesterday and tomorrow! My work rate is slow as my health is poor and interferes constantly. It's frustrating when to be occupied is so good for my head yet so bad for my body!

Never mind, slowly but surely and at least I eventually managed to get going after several years of trying and failing. I love scrapbooking though, all those memories, Trouble is more memories are created all the time, how on earth do we keep up when I need to go backwards as well as forwards!!!!

'The many beds of Tom'

2008-07-21T05:40:00.001-07:00

(Maya Road alphabet,The English paper Company papers, Paper Nation cat decoupage, PSX stickers, Anna Griffin card and frames, Anitas acrylic paint, Glossy Accents, K and Co alphabet stickers and other various items).

This is the second scrapbook page I have made. It's called 'The many beds of Tom' as Tom has these incredible phases on sleeping in a particular place, loyally sleeping there for days, weeks, even months without fail, before suddenly transferring his affection to another place entirely!

The page is designed in a patch work format, as you can imagine, in order to mimick a patchwork quilt on a bed and thus hopefully re-inforce the 'sleeping/bed' theme.

I really enjoyed making this page and has employed 'hidden journalling' as a way of ensuring that the necessary text does not interfere with the 'patchwork' effect which is otherwise consistent in the use of photos, paper and relevent embellishments.

In my short scrapbooking life (all of four pages so far) I have grown very fond of hidden journalling! Partially it's useful in that I ideally want my pages to 'stand alone' to the extent of not needing me to explain what the page is about. In order to successfully achieve that goal, it's seemed necessary to include more text that I can happily/easily place on the layout without the text becoming overly dominant.

Perhaps in time I will gain the confidence and experience necessary in order to 'control' the layout no matter what items I wish to include. My 'more is more' policy no doubt is providing it's own difficulties, though with the next layout I did (one based on Basil cat), I did try to do a 'cleaner' layout and it was by far the hardest page to do, taking ages and involving regular episodes involving putting aside for a few days, calming down and then trying again. I got there in the end and I will post that page next, but it was hard and I certainly wouldn't say I have cracked the issue of 'less is more'..in truth,I'm not sure I really want to; when there are so many nice crafty things in the world and stash to use, why limit myself to using only one to two items a page??! Something for us crafters to ponder!

Scrapbooking first attempt

2008-07-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

(K and Co paper, Maya Road chipboard letters, Basic grey chipboard photo tag,Brenda Walton rabbit embellishment (in wood), Paper Nation decoupage rabbit,various other items from craft shops and haberdasheries).

This is my first scrapbooking page! This is Jacob bunny trying out a new tunnel. Jacob can run really fast despite having little legs and being rather porky!He has the nickname 'The Rocket' as a result of the way he blasts out of the blocks to reach me whenever I have a plate of veggies and herbs for him!

When I first started cardmaking about 3 years ago, I really wanted to do scrapbooking. The first kit I ever bought, the first craft stuff ever, was a K and Co scrapbook kit that was a TSV on QVC.

All my life I have been a hoarder and memories have always meant a great deal to me and the preservation of them. I love photographs and the stories people tell of what they have done in their life, special moments and so forth. I spent a great deal of time as a child with one set of Grandparents. Granny and Grandad meant the world to me; every weekend, every school holiday, every moment I could I tried to spend with them. Granny used to tell me about the adventures she got up to when she was young. She lived in Warwick (UK) all her life and so the places she mentioned were familiar to me. It's wonderful to think of all the generations who played on 'the common' which is also where Warwick Racecourse is.

To this day I am especially comfortable with older people and I have several neighbours who have incredible stories to tell of fighting in World War 2 and being called up for National Service to name but two of their experiences.

As a child I loved making scrapbooks, filling the big plain pages with postcards, pictures, birthday cards and all the things that meant so much to me at the time. I must take some photos (yes, the hoarder in me kept these too) and I can show you my scrapbook on Holland. I had an absolute obsession with going to Holland and did a scrapbook with as many pictures and stuff that I could find, even getting out library books on the subject! My Granny and I actually wrote to 'Jim'll Fix It'to ask if we could go but with no success. I was devastated! In hindsight it was possibly a lucky escape; I find Jimmy Saville rather sinister and scary now! I value my personal space alot and don't think Jim would have so i'm not sure I'd have coped in reality! I did make it to Amsterdam about 10 years ago for a couple of days though. Granny died in 1983 but she came with me in spirit and it was even more fantastic than I had ever imagined. I'd love to spend more time there as there's so much to do.

I visited Anne Franks house though which was desperately moving and the Van Gogh museum. I also went to a wonderful palace in the centre of town with amazing murals on the walls and ceilings. I'd love to go there again. I also had a lovely wander around the Amsterdam that's not touristy, visitng markets and seeing where people live which I enjoyed but found myself completely lost and had it not been for a local who spoke English, I may still be there now!