Electrical things Suicide week

Why do electrical things all go wrong at the same time? First it was the dishwasher, we have had it about two and a half years, it had a two year warranty and we had the engineer out several times to try and fix the same problem it has now - he never did fix it completely! So we decided it wasn't worth spending money on it if it carries on doing the same thing so a new one is on the way tomorrow!

Then my brand new printer bought a couple of weeks ago jammed. I was printing photos to cut out on my Craft Robo to finish my son's graduation exploding box, he graduated a month ago but my old printer wasn't printing properly and I am using photos from the graduation. He will be home to collect some stuff to move into his new flat this weekend, and I wanted to print off some bigger photos and frame them for him too.
I contacted Epson and two days later they got back and told me to take it to an Express Centre, as listed on their website. I looked and there is a local one but I will have to carry it quite a way from the car to the shop, and back and it is heavy and I don't want to drop it! I am on my own this weekend too. I am to phone them first and make sure they have the same model in stock to be able to replace it. I sent an email back to Epson saying I am not impressed as this is not a budget printer, the last printer I had developed a problem and they sent an engineer out who replaced it and it was fine for years. If it was a cheap light printer it would be fine. I don't know if they will be any more help though. I also emailed PC World today as I bought it from them online but they are not listed as an Express Centre, if I could take it back to the one not far from work I could drive it there and not have to carry it far, in fact they would probably come and get it out the car for me. So I will have to wait and see if I get a favourable response from them or Epson!

The alarm clock decided to join in a couple of nights ago, it went off just before midnight, I accused Hubby, but he denied it. Then last night it went off twice around midnight and then didn't go off this morning. I thought it was my son this time as Hubby was to take him to the airport in the middle of the night, but when I checked the alarm times (there are two of them) are still set on what they were and not altered, so why did they go off and will it happen tonight?
Deep joy - another disturbed night if it does!

Haunted House

Another Halloween card, this time a Sizzix die cut house with Woolworth stickers, and the card front is cut so the house overlaps giving a more 3d look!

Happy Halloween

Here is my second ever Halloween card. Probably a bit late to sell these for charity for this year, maybe not!

I just have to get them to my friend in the London office and they may go!

Boo card

I had these brilliant Halloween eyelets in a mystery parcel, they were just crying out to be used!

So this is my first Halloween card ever. I took two versions, I am not sure which is the best but the one with the shine shows the detail better!

Before new drawers:













After new drawers:

This is my craft room before the new drawers arrived and after I had put them in place and started filling them.

You probably can't tell the difference but I am in mid re-organisation of the stuff! It doesn't feel like having all those extra drawers has made a lot of difference so far - in fact before looks tidier so far! Maybe I need to sell more stuff!

Snowman card

This jolly snowman card is for a challenge but I don't think it is good enough. I may enter it if I don't have time for another!

My first Christmas card this year

Here is my latest creation for a challenge on the Crafts By Carolyn forum. The challenge was a Christmas card using only black and white! I didn't think this would work but I am pleased with it. The girl is a UM stamp called Holly, I stamped holly corners, mounted Holly on black metallic card and cut holly leaves from the same, added a white feather, black bow, gem berries and a heart, and some black ric rac. I think this should go to someone special!

New challenge card and printer probs

This card is for a distressed and worn challenge and is my first attempt at distressed proper! I used a Hero Arts stamp with some travel paper that I can't recall the source of, ribbon and a chipboard buckle, and sepia ink pad wiped onto cream hammered card for an aged effect (hopefully).

I have left a gap at the bottom for a greeting when I decide who is getting this card, I think it will be for my son's girlfriend's birthday that is soon as they are going on two holidays afterwards!

I was thinking of trying to print a greeting on Safmat to rub on the chipboard, but I forgot the printer is out of ink, and I haven't bought more because I think it is faulty and as it costs about £68 to refill and extra if I try cleaning cartridges first I am going to buy a new one. The trouble is I can't decide which one to get out of about 5! I am tempted to go for an A3 printer but then I don't know what I would do with A3 size photos. Some of them print on thick media so that has tempting possibilities for crafting, one has a gold award but is not an A3 printer and doesn't print thick media. Epson has a good review but the print heads aren't changeable and that is what is wrong with my current one, after only a few years it is heading for landfill! HP and Canon do printers with replaceable print heads, and they have good reviews too.
The prices vary between £200 and £450, but I need one now.

Children do not listen, my 29 year old son didn't! He was looking to book a holiday and needed to print the confirmation. I said if you print anything change it to black and white! He printed first then asked if I could change it to black and white as it wouldn't print the second page - by then he had used the last drop of cyan and once any colour has emptied Epson's stop printing even if you set it to black! That is another thing I don't like about them! Put another colour in says DS, I don't have any I said! Flippin Heck, I told him to do it for a reason, now we can't print anything until I get a new printer - better make that decision I suppose!

Do you like my slide show?

I saw one on another blog, and I thought I would give it a go. When it first posted it was just another post but when I put it on the side it is slightly squashed up! I love the layout and colours I have now so I am reluctant to change to a different one to get it in.

What do you think, is it annoying or do you like it? Should I try a different layout?
I could move it lower down the side, that would be easy then it wouldn't be right in your face.

Great giveaway

I just heard of a great blog candy giveaway, just hot foot it over to rattytatty's blog, and leave a comment to be eligible for the draw!