Wednesday 30 January 2008

Panic Stations!

School is being Ofsteded next week (Monday and Tuesday - thank goodness they cut it down to 2 days!).

Anyway, as at least 3 of the governors can't attend (one on holiday and two not able to escape from work), it looks like muggins is going to have to blag her way through a meeting with them (I've been assured I won't have to face them alone).

I felt phyically sick when I was told at 3.15, but I'm a little calmer now.

I did take that photo of my new stash, so I'll upload it in a minute for you - I need something to cheer me up after all!

Nestabilities

I forgot to mention yesterday that I received my long-awaited nestabilities set from the USA. I got 40% discount off the rrp and also got the postage reduced too, so paid about £32 in total, and when you consider that they are £17 for ONE SET, I got all four for less tan the price of two over here!. I ordered the set of circles (which includes small and large circles, and the corresponding scalloped edge circles to go with them). I'm going to have a play later if I get chance (James' swimming night tonight, so might be too late to post piccies until tomorrow).

I also got my order from the wonderful Helen at Craftables today. I spent all my points (see previous post) and a bit more too and got some scrummy stuff. I got 4 bottles of Primas, some 12x12 cardstock,a pad of Basic Grey Gypsy, two cats eye inkpads, some fingerlift tape and some ribbon. I might even take a photo of it in a bit, but for now I have to dash out and get some mince for tea so we can have spaghetti bolognese (the co-op hadn't had their meat order when I went at 9am this morning).

Tuesday 29 January 2008

Bad blogger

Well what an expensive week this has been. Michael (DH) and I went to Meadowhall on Monday for a consultation for laser eye surgery (for Michael, not me).

The crux of it was that Michael is a 'highly suitable' candidate (surprise surprise!) and we've booked a date for the surgery to be done. He goes to Nottingham on Monday 18th February to have the treatment, and we end up two grand poorer. Lovely. Mind you, we will be saving the monthly fees for his contact lenses, and there will be no more glasses to buy (at least not for the near future, as Michael doesn't need them for reading yet - he's not quite THAT old yet :wink: ).

So apart from that I don't have a lot to tell you. I made a few christmas cards at the end of last week (and old Canny Crafts tradition started by Anne Ashford all those years ago), so I'll pop a picture of those on here in lieu of a better picture for today.

I need to get loads of cards made in the next few weeks if I'm going to build my stock back up again. I should have posted a card today for my friend's daughter's 13th birthday, but if I post it tomorrow with a first class stamp, a following wind and a huge dose of good luck, it might just get there for Thursday (after all, it's only got to travel about 13 miles!).

Friday 25 January 2008

Drink anybody?

Or rather, a beer mat swap. These little beermats have been stripped, painted, covered with paper, and then had the images, phrases and rhinestuds fixed in the corners (with my Kandi Kane - which I've had for probably nearly 3 years and never used, and I thought it was about time). Just realised that the pictures probably don't show the colours properly, and they're much brighter in real life. Might try and get another picture later if the sun comes out.

Never done beer mats before, so not sure if they're really what I envisaged at the start of the project, but hey? I think they look OK. Lets hope the other people in the swap do too.


Tuesday 22 January 2008

A couple of pictures to keep you going...

Today I've decorated a smartie tube. Yes, I've typed that correctly. A smartie tube.

It's for a swap on the craft forum which I moderate - we have to decorate a smartie tube and fill it with 6 yards (or metres) of ribbon, and send them to the swap co-ordinator. She will then send mine to someone else, and send me one that someone else has decorated. And I end up with 6 lengths of lovely ribbon. Yum.

Anyway, here's my effort. It's painted with white acrylic paint (two coats) and then covered with Doodlebug black and white paisley paper, and I've coloured it all in with a red stardust glitter pen. Then I've popped a paisley peel off on a piece of card on the side.


I thought I'd show you a couple of other things I've done recently too.


This is a card I made with my Rock Star Nellie stamp, from the kit I bought. I thought this might do for my cousin's 40th birthday in February - he plays in a heavy metal rock band.


And finally this is a slim clipboard I decorated as part of a prize for a member on the aforementioned forum. She has had a bracelet, and altered tin, and altered box and this (and some chocolate I think). Hope she likes it!



Sunday 20 January 2008

Enchanted

was enchanting. A seriously harmless fluffy film, where the good guy gets the girl and everyone lives happily ever after. Bless.

The day was slightly marred by Sophie though, who upon reaching the age of seven, now thinks she is invincible, and unpunishable. On the way to the cinema in the car, she and James (and her friend Morgan) were playing on their DS Lites, on the 'pictochat' function (like a live messenger thing, but wirelessly connected rather than internet based).

We had been watching 'Are you smarter than a 10 year old' this morning, and one of the questions was about Mary I (Bloody Mary) so they were pushing the limits by repeating this and then 'dobbing each other in' for swearing. Sophie took it a step further. She decided to write F****** H*** (albeit spelled wrongly) on her DS. Well, that put a bit of a dampener on things I can tell you.

I do think though, that she is truly sorry, and she has solemnly promsed never to say, write or even think those words ever again. School has a lot for answer for these days.

Hope to be back in the craft room tomorrow. That, and use my new smaller slow cooker (changed the 6.5 litre one for a 3.5 litre model). Might attempt a bolognese in it, after I've nipped to Tesco in the morning to stock up on a few essentials.

Why does the December-January paypacket never seem to stretch far enough? Might have something to do with Christmas and all the December and January birthdays in our family I suppose. :D

Saturday 19 January 2008

A whole seven years

...have passed since Sophie was born. I can't quite fathom where all the years have gone.

Anyway, just a quick post today (haven't done any crafting today - only stamped some images for Mammy Hen on UKS to pop in the post on Monday. I hope she likes them.

So a couple of quick pictures to mark Sophie's birthday. We haven't had a party, as we're off to see Enchanted tomorrow at the pictures, and then to pizza hut afterwards.

The cake (Bratz as I predicted):

The blowing out of the candles (think yourselves lucky that you can't hear the singing):

Friday 18 January 2008

Sophie's cards

Let them eat cake

if I remember to buy one that is! I forgot for James' birthday cake back in December, and we ended up on a mercy mission on the way back from the cinema to buy one at Morrisons.

Yes, yes, I know I could make one, but really - what's the point? All that effort, and either way you look at it it's not going to last very long is it? So I'm sure Sophie will be happier with a suitably decorated sponge cake from some supermarket or other (probably Bratz with those awful made up faces and huge sinister eyes).

I have to put the inserts ito Sophie's cards in a minute, then I will photograph them and pop them on here for you to see. I doubt if she will see them tonight,and after tomorrow it really doesn't matter. I'll also have to try to find the cards I made for James back in December to show you too.

When Michael gets home from work it'll be off to the opticians (again) in the pouring rain (again) to get him some specs sorted. Then I assume he'll want to get a couple of hours kip having been up half the night.

Think I'll take the slow cooker back and get the smaller model too (pillock that I am) - as Michael pointed out to me that not only is it too big for the meals we will ordinarily want to cook, but we are severely limited for storage space in the kitchen, so it will have to be downsized.

I hate it when he's right - good job it doesn't happen very often then eh? LOL

Thursday 17 January 2008

Wet wet wet

is what I am, or rather we are, as James is here too (inset day).

Absolutely pouring down here it is! And we've just had the most torrential hailstorm too. Lovely weather.

James has had an eye test this morning. No change from his last prescription, which is not only good for his eyes, but means we didn't have to fork out for some new glasses. Yes, I know that children's glasses are free, but we always end up paying for thin lenses and having the anti-scratch coating on the lenses, so they come to about £35 usually. £35 we could well do without spending at the moment. Trouble is, Michael is going to the opticians tomorrow as he is desparate for new glasses. He actually wants laser eye treatment, but for that he needs to be able to wear glasses for a day or two before a consultation, so he needs his glasses to be up to date (and also not held together with insulating tape as his are at the moment). He's not at work tomorrow (daytime) as he has a 'shutdown' to do at about 4am tomorrow morning. Only good thing about that is he will get paid double time, and gets the rest of the day off.

I did, however, go to Argos and buy a new slow cooker. I think, however, having got it home, that it might be too big. I wanted a big one, so that we can cook a whole chicken in it, but I think it's going to be too big for normal family meals, which is what I really want it for.

As I'm not much of a cook (slight understatement - I can burn beans in a pan, me!), I'm going to have to think this one through a bit before I get past the point of no return.

Wednesday 16 January 2008

Slacking off again

I have been, haven't I?

(note to self: Must try harder)

Well I've Made Sophie's birthday cards from us and from James. Have to confess I've cheated by buying some Disney Princess stickers from ebay though. Just one more reason why I ought to have a Cricut with the disney cartridges. LOL.

I daren't post them up in case Sophie comes a nosing by by clicking on my links in the favourites bar. But I will of course, post them as soon as her birthday has been and gone on Saturday. I can't quite believe that she will be seven - where on earth does the time go?

I have made some more cards with my Sugar Nellies, which I will add to this post later on (they're still in my camera at the moment). I can't believe that for the first time in absolutely months I'm not behind with making the cards I need to send. I was truly terrible last year, and forgot more people than I remembered I'm sure. I'm also not doing as well with the blogging as I hoped I would, but I am trying to put that right now.

I have been helping a friend who dabbles in crafting to make a birthday card for her Fiance's Grandad who is soon to be 80.. A lilttle awkward as she wanted to go with a screws and fasteners theme (he set up an 'industrial fastener' company years ago). Still I think we managed to come up with an idea - thank heavens for Quickutz and Making Memories brads which look like screw heads.

Anyway - she took it home to finish it off, so if and when I manage to get a picture from her I'll let you have a look.

Got to takes James for his swimming lesson tonight, so will post those cards a bit later on.

Tuesday 8 January 2008

A spoonful of sugar...

...helps the medicine go down' so the song says. In my case it gets my crafty mojo back! Here are three cards I made this morning with my new Sugar Nellie stamps - God how I love these!




Sunday 6 January 2008

Wowser!

I'm not a lucky person in general, and that is understating the fact, but I've just won £15.00 to spend at Craftables as I placed their 1000th order!!

Add that to the £11 or so I had already accumulated, and that means I have £26 to spend on me, me ,me!

Thank you so much Helen. Fab stash, fab service, and now fab freebies - I'm in stash heaven!

Just a quickie...


So here it is - finally...the long awaiting very simple card I made for James' friend (yes, Sherlock, his name is William).

Probably not worth waiting for, but at least it's better to give a hand-made card when you're only putting money inside.
I've just sorted out all my new Sugar Nellie stamps, which I've trimmed down ready to use, so I'm hoping to get around to at least stamping and doing some colouring later on today.
I've also made an altered clipboard today for Kimb, the winner of the Christmas quiz on the forum. All 4 of use mods/admin are sorting out a prize for her, so hopefully she'll have a lovely surprise when she gets all her gifts together at the end of the week.
I wont post the picture here, but I'll pop a link in so you can have a quick look in case you're interested.

Thursday 3 January 2008

New Year - New Me ??

Well, I'm going to try anyway. I'm really going to make an effort to post more often, and one of my many 'resolutions' (don't like using that word, but can't think of another appropriate one) is that I am going to craft more and remember to photograph my creations again.

There was a time when I would photo or scan everything I made, but just lately the only thing I've been capturing are the cj pages I did. And I still haven't managed to post them onto the forum either.

Anyway - I need to make a card today for James to give to his friend as he's been invited to the cinema tomorrow (to see The Golden Compass- I'm quite envious). I'll endeavour to post my work later (or possibly tomorrow).

I will leave you with the most recent photo I took - one of James and Sophie with my Grandad - their Great Grandad) on Saturday just gone (29th December) - just two days before his 104th birthday.

Yes, that's 104 years old. And counting...