Tuesday, 30 June 2009

The crafty place

Saveapenny from the card thread over on MoneySavingExpert set up a web space for all us crafty guys to meet up and discuss/chat to our hearts content. You can find the crafty place here and it is free, friendly and fun. I have joined in with the swops and challenges (these only started in May) and have made some new friends through these activities.

This month the challenge was to make a card with a summer feel and the word summer on it. I found this challenge quite difficult as I didn't want to put summer anywhere so it really was a challenge and I didn't have anyone to send it to so I did it quite quickly and don't really like it!




The ribbon I think is American Crafts, the paper is Basic Grey as is the chipboard cone (both Cupcake range) and I had the other letters in my stash. I might send it to the in laws as FIL loves icecream!

The theme for the card swop was 'pink' so although I am so not a pink girlie pig as you know, this wasn't too hard as there are quite a few pink things in my stash! I used some glittery card and some papermania chipboard with girlie shoes, then added some sequin flowers with gems for a bit of pink bling! A very simple card but I quite liked it!



For the first card swop I didn't actually get a card as I was a bit dubious about the person I was swopping with for several reasons and didn't give her my details in the end, she has never posted on Craftyplace since so I think it was a wise decision! I eagerly await my swop card this month and I'm quite excited!

Another swop is with ATC's or 'fat pages'. I went and bought some ATC's ready made and my first one for May was a bit of an effort as I found it really fiddly but this time I really enjoyed the theme of 'feeling blue'. See my post from 23rd June to see my experiences of ATC making!! I have just received my ATC in return and it is absolutely fabulous and it came with a fat page too so i was doubly blessed this month. The fantastically talented Debbie made these for me and you can probably guess why I was soooo thrilled!





That piggy stamp is the cutest ever and poor Debbie has had me asking her about 10 times where it came from (a seller on ebay, I am on the lookout for it!). Thanks Debbie xxx

The last swop I participate in each month is the stash swop, there are a list of things to include as a guide but it is always a surprise as to what you actually get! I especially like this as craft funds are definitely at a minimum as money is a bit tight at the mo, so this is my monthly outlet for having something new to play with!! I swopped with Caroline and was really happy with the gorgeous goodies I got have a look for yourself......



thanks to everyone on MSE and the Craftyplace for all your inspiration and advice over the months I appreciate you all xxx (one day I may even let you know that this blog exists!!)

Monday, 29 June 2009

Feeling hot hot hot!!!

The weather is amazing here at the moment so much better than last year thank goodness! So yesterday we decided to get the big paddling pool out and set up for the first time! It was great fun watching the kids trying to make sure the bottom of the pool was wrinkle free as you can see from their exploits below.....









Then of course someone had to really 'go for it' and that person always has to be my boy!!! So he just dived in!! It is great to be a child and enjoy the simple things in life.... guess where they are now yep at 7.30 pm they are back in our 'pool'!!




fantasy card challenge MSE



well as usual I entered my challenge cards totally at the last minute!! I did them in the heat this afternoon before going off to work. They were made for my twin neice and nephew who will be 3 in mid July.



The die cuts are Lilli of the valley (with a touch of added glitter not shown in the pics!) and are really cute then matted on plain card, on papermania paper and then mounted on craftwork cards scalloped cards. They were really quick and simple to make and I am quite happy with them!

Back from Birmingham

I had the best time in Birmingham. I was at the annual NHIVNA conference and traveled up via train catching the very comfortable 10.23 from Euston.

I stayed in the Crowne Plaza on Holiday Street and although it is not very attractive from the outside the rooms were lovely! I kept saying I was looking forward to having the big bed all to myself but it was actually too big and I missed my family!

I did however make the most of the pristine bathroom with all the fab and fun mini toiletries and a cosy white towelling dressing gown and of course the complimentary tea (black earl grey just what I needed!)

The first afternoon I was at the ICC looking at cardiovascular risks. Well I nearly had a few risks myself trying to balance a very hot lunch plate, whilst sat on the stairs with people trying to get past! In the evening I kind of gate crashed a meal that was sponsored by one of the companies and I had a fantastic if somewhat spicey hot Indian. My friend Charlotte at the conference had said it was her plan to have a curry whilst in Birmingham so we did well to blag a free one!

Day two was full on at the ICC which is a very well organised venue with good facilities and fantastic catering. So good that I put on 3 lbs while I was away! Whoops! I attended some really interesting lectures and took copious notes as I have to do a feedback session at my clinic in July! Thursday night was the Gala Dinner at my hotel so easy to get home from! It was so funny as Charlotte is a bit of a glam chick and she had got a fantastic outfit together (matching shoes, bag and dress) you get the picture! I am not girlie at all but felt I had to make an effort, so I took the tags from the dress that had hung unworn in the wardrobe for two years and removed the labels from the matching high shoes and I was ready! I forgot to put on any jewellry and spent the beginning of the night complaining about trying to walk in high heeled shoes! Fortuantely after several glasses of wine I was up on the dancefloor joining in with the rest of the boogie babes and dancing queens!

Day three rather sore feet and the need for a big breakfast. The conference felt a bit harder going as I was tired but still so many good speakers and more fab food! I just wanted to get back home and thankfully the journey from Birmingham to my front door was only just over 3 hours! I didn't really get a chance to check Birmingham out just did a couple of short walks around the canals looking for the Indian Restaurant and I just missed seeing all the Britains got Talent gang (shame we love Diversity and all voted for them here!) But as Dorothy said there really is no place like home xxx

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

off to Birmingham

I have been trying very hard to be a good blogger and chat to myself on a daily basis. Today I am off to Birmingham for the annual NHIVNA conference so will be away until Friday night and no internet access for me (breathe breathe it will be ok!!).

I have been for the last two years and they are really great events as there are so many fanatstic lectures, great networking and a fab boozy dinner on the Thursday night! That brings me nicely to the dress dillema! I never wear one but the colleague I know who's going has bought a special one to wear for 'the do'. So I have taken the brand new one I bought 2 years ago out of my wardrobe, cut of all the tags and packed it. I have also put the brand new 'proper girlie shoes' in the suitcase too (also over a year old!). I'm sure last year I just wore jeans!! Will let you know how it goes.

In case you are wondering I am a chatty, crafty arty pig but not a pink, girlie, dress wearing pig!!

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

ATC's



Well what can I say about these tiny creations!!?? I made my first one for the very first ATC swop on the Crafty Swop but I didn't really enjoy making it as I struggled for ideas and it just seemed too tiny. I got a sweet one back from my fellow swopee! The latest swop on CP was for an ATC called 'feeling blue'. I took this literally and made it entirely out of blue, papers, thread, flowers the lot! I picked a basket of flowers as you give flowers when someone is feeling down/blue (get it!). Also i took the 'feeling' bit literally and made it a very tactile card with mulberry paper, textured paper, chipboard, thread, button, flocked brad, glittered card, tiny gems and of course material flowers. I loved it! Actually I think I was sad to be sending it away as I thought it was really good and that is amazing for me to feel that way about one of my creations! Anyway here are all the ATC's as mentioned above what do you think????
this is the first one I made...






this is my 1st ever given ATC


my brilliant ATC!! sorry I just love it!

Monday, 22 June 2009

Family get together


Well yesterday was the family get together for my mum's special birthday! It was as mad and chaotic as usual and I loved it! My auntie M hosted it and cooked about 90 % of the food and it was scrumtastic! plus I was lucky enough to be given some of the left overs so we didn't have to cook tonight (doubly great as I worked until almost 8pm today!!). My sister made the most delicious 2 tired choccie cake covered with flakes and the obligatory special number sticking out the top!! I just had to bring the booze so it was easy for me.
we always have our ups and downs at these family get togethers with 3 generations and lots of personalities. The funniest thing was the card my gorgeous 20 year old neice gave to my mum. It read ' You know you are getting old when your friends smell of piss!!!'. I cracked up laughing I thought it was hilarious sadly mother 'was not amused'!!

Sunday, 21 June 2009

the cat's whiskers

just nipped on to say that the blog that I got the 'inside' idea from is this one the Cat's Whiskers
http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/ go and have a look as Jacqui is fantastic with her cards and other crafty creations!

Saturday, 20 June 2009




OK I am on a roll! Despite the fact that my last post looked nothing lie Iwanted t to I am gonna give it another try. See my blog posts are just like buses, nothing for ages then 3 come at once!!!
Also I think I have got the pics where I wanted them as I relaised I could add more than one image at a time!
This is my father's day card. I was gonna make a wellie boot shaped card but the template thing I had was a lot smaller than I thought so I just cut out the shape instead and stuck it on some papermania paper (I think, this was given to me by Rusty, it matched my colour scheme perfectly) and used some papermania birds (secret garden), some cardboard stickers (inside and out) a flower from my stash and some card candy (pretend brads made from card that are stuck on with little foam pads!) Again I tried the decorating inside and out and think it has worked in a very basic way, well I am happy with it anyway.
Okay gonna get ready to go to see my family now, packing and getting the birthday and fathers day presents organised! Hopefully I will be back soon although I think it's only really for me this site as I have not 'advertised' it anywhere and no-one ever comments (well not since the first post!) it suits me though as I do chat and waffle away and I think it might become my therapy!!!











Well I have bitten the bullet and posted a couple of pics of cards I made late last night.
It is my wonderful Mum's special birthday tomorrow so I had to make her a card. She is so appreciative of the few cards I have made her so far that I love making them for her and she always gives me positive feedback. She has a really generous nature and is always so kind and giving of her time and everything else. When I grow up I want to be just like her! She has had a tough year with some health problems but she is very uncomplaining and just muddles through it all with a smile and a prayer.
The card is made with a Magnolia image from the ever generous Rusty, coloured in with Whispers pens and some Sakura glaze added to her shoes hair ties and the cake. I also decoupaged the cake to give it a bit more depth and the image is on foam pads! The paper and word embellishments came from craftwork cards and flowers I bought in good ol' WH Smith. The second image is inspired by one of the many fantastic card makers I have seen on the net, tho' I have forgotten who sorry! They create a fantastic inside to the card as well as an amazing outside so I decided to give it a try in a much more simplified way
So what do you think??
I need to work out how to get the photos in different places wih the writing as no matter what I did they ended up side by side at the top and I didn't want them there! Any ideas gratefully received xxx


Long time no see!

Well it seems that I spend all my time catching up with other people's amazing blogs and never spend a moment trying to do anything decent with my own! So I am determined to try and actually post a photo of some craftiness this weekend!!!

I think I am slightly afraid to be honest I have a lot of craft envy at the moment. Do you know what I am talking about???
I have it on 2 levels, firstly there are some amazing people out there! Some may only have been crafting and blogging for a short time but they seem to have an natural ability that I will never posess in a million years! How can I put my feeble attempts on here for the whole world to see???
Secondly I am suffering from a streak of jealousy regarding people's crafting purchases! I know that is sooo bad of me to say it out loud!! I love buying and get addicted to bargains and also can't stop buying crafty goodies. Well up until recently anyway.... Money is a bit tighter than it was a few months ago so I have had to cut back, no meals out, no take aways, no haircuts, no craft buys. I have broken this rule now twice in 3 months and bought an x-cut guillotine with a money off code and I have just ordered some bargain papers with free postage (these were paid for with paypal and I found I had money in my account so only cost about £2 in real money!!)

See I am not a nice person at all really as I get a bit green at times! I feel inferior in skill and in my products!! Really I have enough crafting stuff and have items unused and I should be grateful for what I have, not just in my stash but in my life generally. I have friends and I have fantastic family, I am going to see my parents this weekend and there will be about 15 of us all together and I cannot wait!