Tagged again

This is the 4th time I have been tagged, thanks very much to Kerry Angelwings, but I have decided to pass as I only just got tagged and tagged others very recently!

I can't go through it again right now, sorry Kerry! (Also Kerry was one of the people I tagged which turned out to be jointly with Mel, Kerry didn't notice but tagged me back!)

Keep those guesses coming, check the photos first! 20 days to go until I pick a winner, and I have a lot of goodies, you could get eyelets, toppers, papers, ink pads, stamps, ribbons - a selection of goodies to play with!

I have been back at work today, despite suffering from a "non specific virus". I wasn't feeling too bad but I am seizing up all over now! Suffered for the past week and a half - just my luck as I have been on leave!

I have had antibiotics from a hospital doctor, had my teeth xrayed then got the non specific verdict from another doctor - great holiday (NOT)!

Had a reasonable journey to work this morning, despite the 12 week roadworks closing one of the main routes and forcing loads of traffic onto the road I take daily, but coming back was hell! Once the jam cleared I got stuck behind a 40 mph driver, who had so many political and footy slogans on his back window I doubt he could see the queue behind him!

I am not looking forward to my journey in tomorrow as I have to get to a different office, and go through the worst of the traffic!

Lots of guesses to win blog candy!

Here is Alfie enjoying one of his favourite treats - a raw carrot!

How many stamps - keep the guesses coming folks!

Now if you make two guesses realising you made a mistake first time, I will only take the last one as being your entry even if the previous guess were more correct!

I should have said one entry per person, one person made a mistake (Louly) and guessed again, and contacted me to say that. I will allow that to happen only once per person and only if they are consecutive comments.

Any more than two guesses and you are out!

Mel sweetie, I don't have a shop! It is just my craft room. Not as spectacular as some I have seen but better than others! Maybe I should open it up as a shop, I am pretty well stocked up!

No I haven't used them all, hardly any of them! But now they are more organised I will.

I have changed the look of the slide show again, the photographers are not hiding the card now! I may have to run another poll as I only got 4 votes on photographers or not!

Weird world and blog candy!

Slide show Poll.

There are 15 hours to go on the poll (NOW CLOSED, 2 VOTES TO KEEP 2 TO CHANGE) on the photographers effect on the slide show. Now to be fair and due to only one previous vote and apparent lack of interest I removed the photographers a while ago, substituted them for butterflies, got fed up with that, tried a few things and ended up with hearts!

Two people by then had voted for a different effect to photographers. Now with hours to go and no photographers to be seen somebody voted that they like the photographers!

I wonder if I should put them back until it ends!


Stamps.

On the stamp organisation front - I realised I put the stamps in rubber side down, which is wrong for storage, and I know I could have turned the Tuff boxes over but then the labels (and the lid) would be the wrong way up!

So today I renamed all the photos I took of each box, some boxes were labelled already but now have slightly different contents and half of them didn't have labels so I got the Dymo out and made labels. I have just realised there is a place on the handle for a label, I hadn't noticed before so had stuck them on the box next to the handles and they were always falling off or getting knocked off!

Blog Candy.

I have decided to give some blog candy to the crafter who guesses correctly (or closest to the correct number), how many wood mounted stamps do I have in the Tuff boxes.

I don't know the answer yet, I have to count them.

Here are some clues:
1. There are 17 Tuff boxes
2. The tuff boxes are A4 size
3. The stamps are different sizes
4. There are some gaps in a few of the boxes
5. There are some small foam stamps and one acrylic backed stamp which won't count.

Rules:

The winner must be a crafter that has a craft blog, or is a member of a craft forum who has been posting photos of their work and can provide details that can be verified - link to blog or forum and your forum name!

The prize is likely to be a new stamp or stamps, and/or other bits! I haven't totally decided yet.

If more than one crafter guesses the right or same closest amount there will be a draw unless there are only two - then I might manage two prizes!

I will eliminate anyone who has more than two guesses (or two guesses with a big gap between them), and if there are two guesses close together because the first was wrong you must let me know, I will then only take the second guess regardless of which is correct.

(Please note that as I moderate all comments they won't appear right away, however if it is obvious that someone has posted the exactly the same comment with the same guess more than once I will let you off!.)


The closing date is 20th April.

Right he has gone!

Sooty chilling in my craft room!


So I have laid out all the Tuff boxes I currently have with wood mounted stamps in them, and there are more in the box at the end.

My previous logic was to try and keep things together but to fit in as many stamps as possible so there are some unlikely combinations in some boxes!

I have to sort them out into collections, photograph each one and get them back in here before I have to go out at 15:00 hours!

Then I will have a catalogue of all the mounted stamps!

Watch out for exciting news coming soon!




Alfie supervising the stamp sorting!

New Stash

Here is just some of my new stash, some second hand and some new stamps, and some pens and flowers!

I am not generally keen on little children with no mouths but I seem to have acquired one, she is a rag doll though, and rather cute!

Now last night I started organising my clear stamp sets, and found that a small "birthday" was missing.
Last seen next to "happy" on an acrylic block!

So I started searching through the pile of stuff the block was sitting on, no luck. Gave my rotary trimmer a good clean even under it, but nothing. Started lining up punches that needed to go away in a line on the trimmer and ..... I felt something on one of them..... yes it was "birthday"!

So having sorted out most of the clear stamps and decided I need another clear stamp wallet, and put the punches away apart from the set of three that won't fit I am now attempting to organise my wood mounted stamps into themes in the Tuff boxes.

I want to lay them all out on the lounge floor but DH is home for lunch so I will have to wait or manage in here, but there is not a lot of floor visible in here!

To Do List

1. Re sort wood backed stamps into themed tuff boxes
2. Sort out remaining magazine mountain and recycle, donate, tear out interesting articles
3.Make some cards
4. Tidy work space so I can make some cards
5. Mend son's torn jeans
6. Scrapbook layout for Sunday all day scrap competition? Need inspiration!
7. Sort out photos on PC into albums or folders so I can find them!
8. Make birthday cards for April and May
9. Make Chicken Curry
10. Sort out washing
11. Sort out half finished curtains and other sewing projects
12. Sort out clothes I don't wear and put in charity bags or recycle
13. Sort out craft stuff I don't want and put on Ebay or blog candy?
14. Tag 6 people (again)
15. Watch all programmes I recorded and delete them
16. Do some geneology
17. Read geneology mags I got on subs for Christmas - have 3 to read now!
18. Enter craft competitions in magazines (before it is too late).
19. Put receipts on spreadsheet and shred them, think I have around 2 years worth to catch up!
20. Try encuastic art kit
21. Try Imagepac stamp making kit
22. Use Melt Pot properly
23. Try and remember what else needs doing!

Tagged again!

Thanks to Mel, of Mel's creative corner!

This is the third time I have been tagged recently, quite an honour I guess!

I need to find 6 bloggers to pass this onto again that I haven't already tagged, but last time not many actually took on this challenge!

I also need to tell you 6 things about me (I hope I don't repeat what I said last time).

1. I love rock music
2. I have two grown sons
3. I also love turquoise (as I see Mel does)
4. I have only been abroad once nearly three years ago to Prague
5. I used to have two tortoises, then a third one turned up but I gave them to a good home when I was pregnant. Wish I had kept them.
6. I used to dream of having a pony and threw in my A levels to work in a stables to "train" for nothing. That all went horribly wrong!

Here are the rules:


1.put a link to the person who tagged you
2 . mention the rules to each person you tag
3. mention 6 things about you
4. tag 6 other people and provide links to their blogs
5. leave comments on these peoples blogs to tell them they have been tagged

I will tag the following:

1 Kerry Angelwings who despite having a back op keeps on crafting.
2. Jules DevonBunny who is another busy lady and lovely with it.
3. Peanutnut, who is Snoopy mad and makes lovely things.
4. Colleen, the NZcrafter who does amazing quilling.
5. Silvercustard, who is an emerging star.
6. FeFe who is another amazing mum and crafter.

I hope you haven't got fed up with being tagged ladies!

Happy Easter

I hope you had a lovely Easter. I did but I have been in pain with toothache, or rather jaw ache unfortunately so I have to try and see a dentist again tomorrow! Only saw one a week or so ago for a check up!

The cards went down well. I have made a few other cards but I am using the spare stamped images for the swap so I can't show you yet!

I am watching an old Create and Craft with Dawn Bibby that I recorded, I need to delete some and to my horror I had recorded over 170 programmes or films that I hadn't yet watched!

The technology is wonderful, instead of staying up too late watching the good films and programmes that seem to be on so late I could record them and go to bed! Great idea but then you have to make time to watch them and delete them!

I have had the family round, my son for the weekend, and my parents and MIL today for dinner. Luckily the boys did most of the work, I didn't feel up to it!

So I have added some photos, thought I should take some for scrapping if I ever get into it! There are daffodils in a vase, I bought them in Tesco. Daffs in the garden, and the Easter Egg stash, not all mine, mine is the organic Green and Blacks one, with some small bars on top (I ate the rest) and there was another small box of Green and Black eggs that got missed from the photo.

The Green and Blacks egg boxes are rather nice and I have already cut them up with the intention of adding them to cards!

Birthday card

This is a stamped card using Rubbadubbadoo stamps. I also used the Cropadile big bite to set eyelets down the fold side. I had some difficulty with that, and I think I will end up with builders muscles if I carry on!

I had to use pliers to sort 4 out of 14 eyelets out that weren't set properly and one was totally mashed but is hidden behind the castle. The whole card looks wonky now but it is too late as it has gone to the recipient!

Hooray Robo DM software is sorted!

I got the second licence file today after sending another number in, and Hooray it seems to have done the trick!

I have also repaired Office and that is working so happy bunny apart from still no sound working!

I have posted off the stamped images and collected a parcel today and that is about all I have done!

Just had a phone call offering me Quick and Crafty and Crafts Beautiful at 40% and 30% off, and I agreed to go for it though I wasn't going to renew! I can cancel during the three months if I decide not to go ahead though!

I'm Stamping

Well not right now:- right now I am blogging! I have joined a stamp swap on PCJ, and the first one is to stamp any three images and send them off to the organiser with a stamp and each will get three different images back.

You know I have many hundreds of stamps, mostly unused so it has been difficult to choose but I have managed three totally different images that will remain secret until the swap is complete.

Once swapped we have to make cards with the new stamped images.

The really good thing that this is doing is making me use my stamps, as I took several attempts to get the best results and stamped a few extras.

After the initial swap there will be a theme issued, maybe colours or types of image. I have never done anything like this before!

On the Robo front, I got a new licence file from Graphtec today after sending in a couple of numbers they asked for, but as I was warned the new licence file doesn't work and I still got a message asking for a security device to be installed again!

I see Cass is having the same problems, see Tales from a Craft Box! I don't know if it is a coincidence but since installing it Microsoft Office applications are not working any more!

I have some time off now - WAHOO! So I hope to get lots of cards made but plans often don't come to fruition! You will have to wait and see!

Remember the dinosaur toy?

You might remember I mended Alfie's dinosaur toy a little while ago and posted the photo of the then 3 legged shorter tailed pink creature.

Well this is the toy now:

Despite the fact it is disembowelled and no longer has a roar Alfie loves it and Sooty tries to get it from him which is funny!

If you dropped your organic chocolate bar in the dog's water bowl would you eat it anyway?

That is the poll I put on the Papercraft Junkies (PCJ) forum today - don't ask me why (you really don't want to know) but please go and vote!

Today I went to town with a list, one of the things on it was to go to the DoCrafts demo in the craft shop. I got there just too late, the demonstrator was leaving.

However I was pleased to find I was wrong about there not being a goody bag this time, there certainly was. There were also some other offers too good to pass up on, namely a few different bags of themed paper with embellishments at £9.99 each, I bought three different ones as well as the goody bag!

The other offer was a pretty expanding folder with a load of sheets of peel offs, I am trying to give up peel offs so I didn't go for that one!

So I have lots of new goodies, surprise surprise!

I have ordered a new tumble dryer, lets hope it is better than the outgoing broken one!

50th birthday card

Here is the Big Bite and the Notch tool I received recently, and the 50th birthday card cut with the Robo and embellished with all sorts - brads, ribbons, ribbon tags, clip, daffodil stickers, March rub on, button car, brass PC charm, and Papermania dome stickers.


















Finally here is Sooty studying my PC which has a realistic screen saver of a pug dog licking the screen, posted on one of the forums I belong too!

Alfie dog was afraid to look!

I love the postman!

Just one package today, a Basic Grey notch tool and some chipboard shapes and ribbon and quotes. I wasn't going to buy a notch tool but I gave in! I haven't tried the new Big Bite yet, it is still sealed in the packaging!

I will take some photos but I am tired again so it won't be today.

Wow - feels like Christmas!

I have had loads of parcels today! My Cropadile Big Bite arrived pre ordered from Sir Stampalot, with some bags and pots of eyelets, and some special eyelets and snaps for it arrived from the USA.

Also more stamps, a bargain lot of Stampendous clear stamps. Also 4 Tuff boxes I ordered to store my wooden stamps in and they are perfect for that, you can put them upside down to store the stamps correctly rubber side up, and turn them over to see what is in there and they stack beautifully.

I also got my Papercraft Inspirations magazine, and guess what - the free gift is a set of spring stamps!

I couldn't open any of the packages when I first got home as we were going to a free film preview and I only had time to get changed and jump in the car.

The film we saw was 27 dresses, a romantic comedy a bit like 4 weddings and a funeral but not nearly as good, very American, bit sugary - girl gets correct boy, or is it boy gets girl in the end!

The weather was awful, we had to fight our way back to the car park in gales and rain!

So now I am too tired to play with my new toys, or decide if the 50th card needs one more ribbon.... I think I will go to bed!

Robo adventures continued

I wanted to make a 50th card from a Robo template on the Cutters CD, but the CD was faulty, however the people administrating sales of the CD have emailed me the files I wanted and will replace the CD in due course.

So I got cutting, cut out a card template in pale blue pearlescent card, that was fine after two attempts as I needed to add dashed lines at the fold, I couldn't fold it correctly without something!

Then I tried the big 50 to decoupage on the front in silver metallic card which I measured with the digital callipers and it should have been fine but Robo wouldn't cut it even when I set it to cut three times. I must check if the blade needs cleaning thinking about it!

So now I have the card template, and I cut through the uncut silver so I have the 50 and a name, I just need to embellish it.

First I searched every container I have for a computer charm, I found it in the first one I looked in on the third time of looking - why did I put computer charms in with large feather charms?

So I just need to get going and assemble it, and decide on the final embellishments, I am thinking ribbon and buttons, or maybe brads!

Robo blues and slide show success

Hooray, thanks to a kind person on the bloggers forum I have got the slide show back where and how I want it! In fact it looks better than before I think.

I have been trying to get Design Manager for Craft Robo working, but I had to reinstall everything after the PC problems and reformatting. This is the first time I have tried to use it, and everytime I opened a file I got a message saying a security device was missing, then it shut down!

So I thought I would use Robo Master and look on the Cutters disk for a 50 template to make a card but I kept getting error messages there too, it seems I have a faulty CD so I need a replacement or the files emailed to me, I would rather have a new CD so I won't have it in time. So I will either have to make a new template with Robo Master unless Graphtec can sort out DM for me, or I will have to do something else!

With all that going on and the fact I haven't been feeling well for a few days, especially yesterday, I haven't managed to get to making any cards yet, I will soon!

I was watching QVC and trying to work out if I wanted one of the kits for sale, but I have decided against it! I have so much stuff and have spent loads lately I really don't need it!

I got Craft Stamper Magazine today, it has a little Easter stamp with eggs and two cute ducks on it and I like the examples although I have hardly ever used the free stamps from the last 4 years, and never make the ones in the magazine but this time I think I might make them but I need the pearlescent card in the colours. You can buy a kit for £17 with some card, 3 souffle pens, Chippies chipboard flowers and hearts, and ink pads ribbon and brads! I have found the Chippies separately, want a set of the pens, have loads of ink pads but not sure I have all the colours of card in pearlescent!

Messy Crafter Award

I entered a challenge on the Card Making and Papercraft Forum, which was run by Margaret (lonely crafter) and her Mum. Thanks very much (I think) ladies This is the photo that won it for me! The second photo is another view of the room at the same time.

The room is possibly slightly tidier now, as I bought new drawers but not a lot! This photo was taken in the middle of a tidying up exercise, or an attempt at it!

This is a later photo, I will take some more of how it is now!

Auction for Ellie finishing soon!

Please go and bid on this gorgeous bag which the lovely and talented Deanne has put up for auction to raise funds for little Ellie Wiseman to go to America to see if there is something that can be done for her.


Bag for auction for Ellie's Trust.

Deekatz blog, where you can bid on the bag

Mother's day and dinosaur

Two photos, one is my Mother's day vase of flowers with Piglet toy. The other is the Good Boy dinosaur toy which I repaired, it now has three legs, no tail and no eyes! Within minutes of getting it back Alfie had ripped a hole in another leg and was pulling out the stuffing!

I tried to get another one to replace it, it has lasted for weeks, but they were out of stock. I went back as they told me the toys would be in Monday, but by Tuesday they still hadn't arrived. We went to Pets at Home, Sootie loves seeing the rabbits! Tried to find a dinosaur but there were none, but we found some talking undersea creatures, and they were buy one get one free!

So we bought two, Alfie carried one to the car but buy the time we got home 5 minutes later he had ripped a hole in the turtle's "shell" and pulled out the sound box and the stuffing! The other one is still in one piece so far!

I am going to attempt to make a tough toy with the sound box in now! We did see some very tough toys, they said they were "battle tested" but they didn't make the noise that attracts Alfie to them, he doesn't like no noise, or squeekers but music, talking, roaring - he has to have it and kill it!

I had a parcel of ---- you guessed it --- stamps! I also got scissors and chalk marker pens! According to the label on the package I should have paid over £12, £4 of which was VAT and £8 was a handling fee, but the postie just left it in the box!

I might get some stamping done this weekend - I hope so!

I have some help from two places on the slide show so I hope to fix that soon too!

I am putting a card photo in so I can link it to a blog challenge, it is on my slide show already.

Bit of bother

I am having a bit of bother with the slide show, first when I added some extra photos the size changed to something smaller than I set. Then I ended up with two small slide shows, then I got the size back but can't seem to put the slide show back where it was!

Fantastic! I don't know if this will be better tomorrow, or if I am stuck with this as now the size is as I wanted but half of the frame is hidden behind the side elements!

I know it is very annoying though! I tried to save the size back to the small size but now it wants to stay big and half hidden!

Any suggestions welcome!

Make My Day Award received

I got an award from Tassie, thanks so much that is really nice and thanks to Debbie I have been able to upload it! This is the first award I have received on my blog, how exciting!

Link to Tassie's Blog

I have duly awarded 5 other bloggers as follows:

Here are the rules: 1) Write a post with links to 5 blogs you find of interest and that inspire you. 2) Acknowledge the post of the award giver. 3) Display the logo "You Make My Day" 4) Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.


So I am going to give this award to the following bloggers:


1. Deanne who as well as being inspirational is auctioning a special bag for a very special little girl who is very ill (see number 5 also) http://deezkatz.blogspot.com/


2. Joanne "Bubbles" http://bubbles72blog.blogspot.com/


3. Anice who is now famous and known as Funkyhand http://www.funkyhand.blogspot.com/


4. Cheryl - Mum on the Run http://mum-on-the-run.blogspot.com/


5. And last but definately not least, the most inspiration woman I have come across and her amazing little girl Ellie: Kirstie Whiteman: http://limegreenbogiegirl.blogspot.com/