I've been tagged!

This is a new experience! I guess it had to happen eventually.

I have been tagged, and what I have to do now apparently is publish the rules, tell you 7 things about myself that you didn't know and tag 7 other people and link their blogs!

Given that for some reason unknown to me when I had PC problems and I backed up and imported my bookmarks again afterwards the craft blog folder was totally empty! So I have spent hours trawling through forums looking for my buddies to tag!

I also used links on Cass's blog for some and that is when I found I had previously been tagged by Silver Custard but I didn't know - so apologies for that!

I am trying to watch a stamping DVD which I have not been concentrating on a bit while looking for BLOG buddies to tag! Also the presenter is a little serious for my liking - maybe that is why it was reduced!

I believe I have to add the links then let the tagged victims know I did it! I have collected a few now, so here goes:

Here are the rules:

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

1. I used to be in the church choir when I was at school
   
2. I used to sell Tupperware at Tupperware parties
   
3. I used to sell Avon products door to door
   
4. I am a qualified accountant
   
5. I learnt to crochet at the age of 11
   
6. I have a novelty sock fetish, have many pairs with animals on them or flowers
   
7. I own "cough cough" lots of rubber stamps but haven't used most of them (then you probably already know that) and still keep buying more!
   

You've been Tagged:

Tales from the Craft Box
Stampin' Up! London Gal
Angels Crafty Creativity
Caro - crafts and life
Chunterings......
E.C.P.
Rattytattys Paper Raving Blog
Crafts by Louly

Apologies if you don't like tagging, or if I missed you this time!

To buy a craft tote or not?

Last week when I popped into the local craft shop they had Papermania totes in both colours reduced to £29.99, and I looked and thought where would I put it, and do I really want one - would I use it?
I have recently joined a scrapping crop but haven't really been properly apart from dropping in to say hello as I was feeling too tired to stay, and they were all sitting there making lovely things and all seemed to have the wheeled totes!

So maybe I need one for the crop, I haven't done scrapbooking but I have bought a few scrapbooks and although I have a tote with a shoulder strap the A4 plus Tuff boxes fit perfectly so I don't know if 12" x 12" would fit. I will try but then it could be heavy to carry with scrapbooks and tools, and I only have to go down the road and will probably be dropping in after Pilates so will be driving anyway.

Today I decided to go back and get a tote but they only had the brown and pink one, I asked if there was a lilac one but they said no. Said they had sold two lilac ones today, I said you only had two last week so you can't have done - oh no we had some in the passageway!

I didn't buy it, I don't know why but I don't think I could bring myself to love the brown and pink combination, maybe pink and brown would have been alright.

I would love a black and red, pink and grey, spotty one if you are reading Do Crafts! I wonder if you are about to bring out new colours and that is why everyone has offers but I haven't found another for £29.99, apart from Arty Miss who are selling at £49.99 but you get a free mini tote worth £19.99.

So now I have to ask myself if I want to spend £50 on a tote, that might be in the way and get used little! Or if I could get to the Cheltenham show - would anyone be selling them that cheap?

I need to win one!

I did buy something - well it is rude not to! I bought two mini corner stamp sets, I don't think I have any like it already.

Tomorrow I might go and see Sweeney Todd at the cinema, I haven't done the housework (what's new), which really needs doing but I would love to see Sweeney Todd!

New Dog Toy - lasted a few hours!

One of my dogs loves to play with soft toys, he will carry them round the room while you "chase" him! He used to move a lot faster when he was 10 months old and we just got him! Sometimes the older dog will play with him, but not often.

The older dog goes mad when I set one of those singing toys off, more so if it moves too, so the singing dancing dogs on a cushion that Hubby got me, that sing I Got You Babe drive him demented!

Christmas snowmen and singing penguins, singing reindeer - he will try to climb the furniture to get to them.

So when I saw some musical dog toys in the pet shop I had to get him one, and he had a great time worrying it, and dragging it about when it was set off to play the tune. It would have been better if it had sung as well but it was a start!

The younger dog got it for a while and carried it gently round, the older dog had managed to rip the label off, break the stitching open and pull out the sound mechanism by the following lunchtime - so that was a waste of £5!

The toy was made by Rosewood and is a Mister Twister Rocks toy

We found 3 batteries scattered around, but it looked like the little sound box should have a plastic cover screwed on to keep the batteries in - that has never shown up so maybe the dog swallowed it!

I won't be getting another, one was coming apart in the shop!

Prize goodies from Beautiful cards

These are the lovely goodies I got from Beautiful Cards magazine for having my two cards published as the "Star Letter".

Hope to make a thank you card for Origin Publishing soon!

Here are the cards they featured:

Donkeys

New stuff photos

I Promised you stamps, and here are some of my new stamps and stuff. I still have to take photos of my goodies for the cards in Beautiful Cards magazine which weren't the cards I imagined they would be - as I couldn't remember what I sent in! There are more stamps and goodies since these photos!

At last I have made a new card!

Not only that but I got the photo software on, well some of it, so I could upload it!

It is a challenge card for PCJ forum, and the brief was to include 4 squares! I loaded a very old photo too, the daisy daisy card which is on the slide show somewhere!

This card has 4 stamped images using a Hero Arts set called Pastel Petals which I have had for ages but not used before. I used Brilliance Twilight which is a three colour ink pad and embossed with sparkly clear powder, the image is stamped on light green marbled card, and they are matted onto dark blue card, mounted on textured pink card.

The greeting is stamped from Stampendous Window Boxes clear set, in blue ink embossed with clear powder on the same pink card but the smooth side, and it is mounted on the dark blue card. I couldn't decide where to put it - top right or bottom left!
Pink and blue eyelash fibres finish the card.

Did you miss me (again)????

It started with a wet patch on the carpet in the hall, well it had been raining hard enough to cause floods! I asked what it was, DH said "I thought it was something to do with you" - I had only just walked through the door having been at work all day! I said no, so he tried to blame it on our son - I tried the dogs or the new door.

So he got the carpet up, totally soaked underneath and a big puddle, and he called the door people but by the time they came he had realised it was the plumbing (I think he put that bit in) to the radiator in the extension (my craft room) and he started drilling the concrete up! The door people came and he didn't confess but let them put sealant along the bottom!

We managed to contact our plumber, who had just had an eye operation, but came out anyway and spent the morning replumbing the radiator - we had no heating for a couple of days, and had to use the electric to heat the shower water. Also during the process DH removed some boxing round some pipes and that meant the phone socket was hangin on it's wires - the plumber managed to knock the whole thing off so no phone and no internet!

I finally managed to rewire the thing, but the BT wires are a bit short and one snapped - I had to join it and hope for the best, then I still couldn't get on line but strangly my son could upstairs. I decided I would have to take it to bits and change the wires round, which didn't make any difference - then I checked the back of the PC and found the wire wasn't pushed in properly - so I am back now!

I have discovered that I lost the envelope with the bits and pieces I made in the Debbie Moore workshop, I must have dropped them or left them in the hotel.

I had the oriental papers and vellums arrive that I paid for at the show but were out of stock, Debbie sent them without charging postage on top, so now I can recreate the stuff I did in the workshop.

I have still not loaded the photo software or photos back onto the PC, I want the disk that my son got with his camera as it is more up to date than the one I have for my Cannon camera even though they are totally different models the software is the same.

Weekend in Exeter

We had a nice weekend in Exeter despite the weather, but it brightened up on Monday and was quite nice.

We went to see Peer Gynt performed at the new theatre by the Cygnet training company. It was very enjoyable and different with three rows of chairs each side of the room with the performance in the middle. It was extremely good value at £8 each, and we went on the off chance of getting in. At half time you could purchase a hot drink and some chocolate or biscuits - all very civilised!

On Sunday we visited the craft exhibition at Westpoint. Well I did, DH came in for a while then sat in the car but not before I made him stay and watch Alan and Barry to get the free gift at the end, I had signed up for a workshop and it clashed with the show, but we didn't win the big prize! I attended a Metal Magic workshop and watched Ready Steady Craft and later chatted to Debbie Moore on her stall, and I bought a few things (more than DH thinks I did) from Debbie and other stalls, but not as much as I have at shows before. There weren't many bargains, and I didn't have time to go round slowly looking after the workshop and show. I bought a bowl of chips with grated cheese and a can of soft drink which cost me £5.50!
I was going to buy some pick and mix card on the way out but the seller was so rude and wouldn't let me as the show was closing and more to the point I only had a cheque and not enough cash by then. Annoyingly he had just let another woman buy a box minutes before!

I have had more rubber stamps arrive (I bought some clear ones at the show too)!

On Monday we visited the Donkey sanctuary, and found Little Vijay who was very bad tempered at having to meet us! There were other friendlier donkeys, one was called Solo (47 years old) and was lovely.
We saw Little Vijay working giving disabled children a riding lesson too, he seemed to behave in there!

Won goodies!

I had some goodies arrive yesterday, I have a card published in Beautiful Cards issue 20 - must try and find that one in the shops! I got a lovely rubber stamp, some sticky ribbons, eyelets, gorgeous buttons, and some pretty brad buddies.

I will take a photo and post once I have got my PC back to normal - which could take some time!

I am off to Exeter for the weekend and will no doubt come back with more goodies from the Craft Exhibition, and I am going to visit my adopted donkey at the donkey sanctuary. Mine is called Little Vijay who was born there and is used for riding for the disabled at the centre.

Must get a bag of carrots! The weather forecast isn't good though!

PC problems - back now

Sorry not to post for ages, but I had PC probs. It is back up and running now but I will be installing the software back on for weeks!

I was just going to post more photos of new stash too! I may get to it next week if I install the photo program next!

WOW 1000 Visits to my blog!

I have had 1000 visitors to my blog, although it always counts me too when I am checking it or checking new posts!

I haven't done any crafting but I have been tidying my craft room/study! I will have some peace and quiet next week so hopefully will get this finished and make some cards.

In case I don't get to post tomorrow I will wish you all -

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Christmas Tree

Here is my little Christmas Tree. You can't tell because it was light but it has fibre optics and the built in little stars and star on the top light up and change colour. I really like it but my youngest son in residence would prefer a bigger tree, so we have ordered a half price navy blue tree with nearly 400 little lights that is 6'6" high from John Lewis!

I am already mourning the loss of the little tree (I bought the red cloth this year specially in the sales to go on the table under it), I would have liked to keep both and put one in the dining room but Bah Humbug Hubby won't hear of it! He has given it to my eldest son who now lives in a split level"house" with his girlfriend, but they have so much stuff to take back they can't fit it in when they leave tomorrow.

I suppose it will still be in the family (and he doesn't get the teddy angels), sigh!









Moving on here are the latest stamps from Ebay, these Hero Arts stamps were a bargain from the USA! Just right for Valentine's cards and spring cards!

I have more on the way, I seem to have a stamp obsession at the moment, which is a bit sad as I haven't used most of the ones I already have!

I have also listed a few things on Ebay, well I need to pay for the stamps! Looking round to see what else to part with now!

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone! It is all over now, the Christmas dinner was cooked and eaten and compliments were received, gifts were given and received and I am exhausted!



Here are a few of the last Christmas cards I made, the holly leaves were cut with the Craft Robo from a template provided on UKS.

I cut a bigger version to use for present tags. The card edging was punched using a Kreaxions 5 way punch, the under flap was lined with ribbon and dotted with 3d red paint to show through the punched berries. The greeting is on acetate and is from a book called Cardmaker's Christmas - clear and frosted overlays by Hot off the Press which I bought from the USA.












These angel charm cards are made with toppers by Papermania (to the rescue of this last minute card maker again) and Papermania card blanks, and layered onto vellum, with a foil greeting on each from Lakeland.




















The glitter tree cards were made with a Papermania embellishment pack which had a couple of glitter tree tags and all the bits to make several more as well as the greeting strips and other bits and bobs. I used a red foil Lakeland greeting on the gold one as it went with the tree colours so well. The card blanks are also Papermania.























I am off to see Mamma Mia tomorrow, this is one of my presents and we have a box booked! I also have my donkey adopted again for the year, a weekend in Exeter to visit both him and the craft show, a pashmina, money, a CD, a DVD, a Chinese tea set, two ornaments, a bird feeding station and a squirrel feeder!

Well after several late nights at parties or up making last minute cards or wrapping presents I am shattered and off to bed now to get some much needed sleep!

Desperately making quick Christmas Cards

I found these lovely Papermania toppers in my Christmas stash, I think they were in either a goodie bag or a package of goodies I was sent.

I think I have overdone the glitter glue blobs on the second card, and somewhat ruined it and the other two!

I have more toppers and a Papermania embellishment kit that has cute little glitter trees to make up into tags which should be quick to do. I also have some Tesco kit cards left, and one more kit with most bits missing to complete.

I need enough cards for all the people at my parent's party tomorrow, and then the party we are going to Sunday, I then have the neighbours (9 houses) to do and any remaining people on the list. I print my list onto labels for the envelopes to save writing, and I just have to use all the labels and hope I didn't miss anyone!
I have written some bought cards too to help out as I needed at least 30 more and have only made about 10 so far.

I also need a present wrapped for my youngest neice, her older sister and brother will probably just get money but the little one likes card making and anything making, and I gave her the tote for her birthday.
So as I was in Bath after my office do I popped into Lakeland and bought some things but I know I picked up a pack of peel off stickers that was in the sale and a pack of other stickers in bright colours that I didn't have and hadn't paid for when I got home so I think the cashier missed it. I can't go back just for those, and I am not paying £5 delivery to get them here for Christmas even if they are on the website so I need to go out and get some locally but it won't be so many for the price!

I also have an ironing mountain I am about to tackle, there are so many things to do I keep starting on something else and not finishing anything! Panic time!
I am supposed to be printing off some photos also for presents, and I need to buy a frame!

Roll on the New Year, and I am getting a cold just in time for the parties!

Commissioned cards

My husband commissioned me to make two cards for his friend's daughters (only I don't think I am getting paid for them).
The brief was that one child liked pink, princesses, Barbie but not dolls, and the older child likes High School Rap (is that High School Musical I wonder?), mauve and purple.

I don't know if they will like what I made, I went with the colours really, pinked up a Lili of the Valley Christmas fairy, and the other one is very purple and sparkly!

I had a phone call from hubby just after he got to work, the one with Libby on should have been Livi - he got it wrong, so could I leave out a v and an i? I said I would have to colour them in but I left them for him and I don't know if he got them on straight! Also if anybody has these letter peel offs you will notice that the L is actually an H, but I thought it looked like a capital L until I realised the whole set was lower case! The proper L is in Alice but I hope they won't realise!

I had to write out some cards to post, I thought it was the last day for posting today but someone at work thought it was yesterday - well they will get there in the end!

I have used my entire stock of hand made cards apart from the three challenge ones that I wanted to go to special people. I need another 30 at least so I will have to either get making some quick cards or I will have to buy some!

It is even colder today I think! I went to the office Christmas lunch today, that was nice but there was not enough for me to feel full - then I have a difficult diet due to intolerances. I did a bit of shopping then came home and I popped into Lakeland and bought some crafty bits, some were for my neice for Christmas, but when I got home I didn't have the pack of peel off stickers or the other stickers I picked up! I wasn't charged but now I only have half of what I wanted and I am not going all the way back before Christmas, paying a couple of pounds parking on top and struggling through the Christmas crowds so I will have to get something else locally. I think the cashier must have missed them in the bottom of the basket sadly!

Brrrrr

It is so cold! I have cleaned out the bird feeders and refilled them, the rain made them jam up and I don't think the seed mix I bought is very good for wet weather as it has ground peanuts in it so is like a powder that quickly turns to paste! I often have to unjam it. The whole peanuts went all rotten too, so I had to scrape them out take the thing to bits and scrub it.

I hope it doesn't rain again soon after all that!

I have made a few more kit cards and I may post a photo of them but they are much the same as the blue one with an angel already posted (mine are better I think) but I haven't done the thread and beads down the sides yet.

I got my work list up to date ready - I print of card labels as I hate writing them out. I need to get my friends and family list up to date now.

I also need to make the two cards my husband commissioned, I have some backing paper for the pink one and my Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine came today with some free papers some of which are purple - perfect!

I also had a surprise Christmas present, it was from www.lovethoseshoes.com where I spend a lot of money on footwear. It arrived in a padded envelope and inside was something wrapped in Christmas paper. I wasn't expecting anything and not thinking that they would send a present so it must be an advertising gimmick and would contain a catalogue, I opened it! It is a book called Inspiring Women, how real women succeed in business! I wish I had kept it to go under the tree now (not that we have the decorations up yet due to my husband being a Bah Humbug sort of chap)!

Card kits continued

This is the next card kit which is more upmarket than the Tesco ones! You get one completed card which is the second from the right here, and you get 4 more card blanks, and enough gold card, material, frames, gems and thread to make the 4 remaining frames, and 4 greetings. You also get gold thread and beads for the trim but not enough thread to do it how they did it on the sample card.
This kit was missing two angel charms sadly, so I managed to find a different angel and a brass horn to take the place of the missing charms! You can't look a gift horse in the mouth!

I feel like using kits is cheating but then I don't have time to worry!

Two more kits I haven't started yet have a sample card that looks like this:



The angel card kit on the right does have all of the angels to make the other four cards, the one with the squares and gems has everything missing except the gems, but I can manage the squares!

As these were given to me in a big box of stuff to say thanks for being a moderator (but we don't need you now) on the Crafts Beautiful site, I am more than happy with all that I got!

Oh and I just found another 6 card blanks in the Tesco plain variety that I missed so I have a few more of them to make and don't have as much left over as I thought! Seemed a bit strange at the time.

My husband has given me a card order for two Christmas cards he is to give to a friend's daughters, I have been told one is into pink, princesses and Barbie but not dolls, and one is into High School Rap and mauve or purple. I don't do Disney type stuff, but I can do pink, and I have no idea what High School Rap might be ( must be my age)! Anyway these are Christmas cards, not birthday cards, and I have enough to do without going out of my way to make special orders!

Grumble over I will see what I can do, but it will probably just be Christmas cards one in pink and one purple themed!

Christmas card progress

I have made up all the plain kits so have about 30 cards made now, which is 30 more than I had last week! A couple of the patterned kits to go then I can start on the other kits I have round the place!

I went out for a walk but on the path lunchtime, it is getting a bit too muddy to do the walk on the grass! I saw two plump squirrels eating on the grass and got really close before one spotted me and ran up a tree, jumping across to a second tree! The other one didn't spot me at all and I stood watching it sitting upright eating, but when I moved it suddenly realised I was there and ran up a different tree!

I had to report my fall last week in the accident book today, even though there was nothing that caused it, only me! I still have the bruises though!

Christmas card kits

After Christmas last year I bought a pile of card kits from Tesco, which were reduced from nearly £3 to 50p I think.

They were supposed to be make your own charity cards, but only 20p goes to charity - I hope it still did despite the reduction!




This is what you got in the plainer of the two kits I bought: 6 small square card blanks, six white envelopes, six small squares of vellum and six of gold card, six bows, a length of blue ribbon, numerous sequins and beads, a length of narrow ivory ribbon (not mentioned in the instructions, neither are the seed beads mentioned), a template for cutting three shapes and an instruction sheet. No glue or sticky stuff, and it definately requires some knowledge of card making to know how to "fix to the centre of your card" and "fix to the centre of your white card".


I decided to get the die cutter out and found some dies to make similar shapes to the template, in fact I can get two from one square with the tree if not the stocking, as I end up with a shaped frame, see photo of the first 4 cards I made.








I then decided as I have 5 boxes of the kit featured below that I could make a box of the same shape, and this would be quicker so I set to work making baubles first, pictured below!














I want to use the kits to get them out of the way, then I have other kits to use that I bought or won last year, and a copy of the Christmas Lets Make Cards to use, before I get onto proper stamped cards! I will probably have to make "proper" cards in January ready for next year - I jokingly said I would last January but here I am with 24 days to the day, and less than that to get them all done and out to family and friends. Last year I was still making and delivering on Christmas Eve!