We're Back...

Wow, why is it you always feel like a holiday to get over your holiday.  It was an early start today and now after what feels like hundreds of loads of washing, I'm exhausted and want to go back to the sun!

We have had a fabulous week with blooming lovely weather!!!  The place was beautiful (Alcudia, Majorca) so much so I have just been looking at holidays for next year for there.  It was just great.  Although my complaint would be small, I wouldn't go back to the particular hotel we stayed in but you live and learn.

So although I don't have anything crafty to show, I thought I would just let the blogging world know I was back and I have missed you all (honest!!!!) and let you have a sneak peek at a couple to holiday piccys...
Also, our day out in London before our holiday was pretty good too...the sun shone which was a bonus and The Duck tour was enjoyable.

My two gorgeous boys cooling off!!

The Duck Tour.

Oh Well, back to reality now....going food shopping and school shoe shopping tomorrow, what joy!!!

Certainly back down to earth with a bump!
Thanks for stopping by
Take care xxx

Boys eh!!!!!

Arrrgghhh!!!!

Boys!!! I could scream!  I have just had a long winded conversation with my son about where all his money has gone and he doesn't seem to understand that when its gone, its gone!  He seemed to think he had more in his moneybox than he has actually got and because he has nothing decent to show for it he is all stroppy! 
Hopefully, it's a lesson well learnt!!!! (it doesn't help that my other son doesn't spend any money so he now has more so that didn't go down well either!)

I've made an Anniversary card for some friends and I don't think its my greatest achievement but I guess good and bad should be shown on here!!!!

The image is from a pack of LOTV images which came free from a magazine (can't remember which - sorry)  I used watercolour pencils which wasn't the best idea as the paper quality wasn't great but once layered onto some card it didn't look too bad!

We're off to London tomorrow.....It's Elliots birthday on Tuesday and because we are off on holiday on Wednesday and its an early start, we are having a day out tomorrow instead.  We are doing the Duck Tour which looks fab and we know a few people who have done it and they say it is great!
I still have some bits to do though...ironing, packing, wrapping of presents!!!  Is a womans work never done!!!

Thanks for stopping by
Take care xxx

Same but different....AGAIN!!!!

So, the sun has finally made an apperance and it's quite warm out there now!!

I have been busy trying to get everything ready for our hols and its not going too bad.  One suitcase packed (and underweight!) and hopefully just one more to go!!!  Last year I did manage 3 suitcases for the 4 of us but I am hopeful I can get it all in 2 this year!!!!  Its all those last minute things we all forget about though so I'll have to wait and see.

I have made a card for my nephews daughter whose birthday it is soon after we get back so I am trying to be organised.  It's using the same stamp as on the previous girly card but it's different!

I bought some mica powders recently and am still finding ways to use them but I stamped the little girl with versamark and embossed it with a cosmic shimmer embossing powder and then coloured the necklace with the mica powder as a paint.  It does look pretty good when moved about in the light!

Not a great picture but you get the idea.....


I am off to try and sort a few more things out and try and make upstairs look a bit less like a chinese laundry - I have clothes hanging everywhere!!!
Thanks for stopping by.
Take care xx

Same but different....

We have had a lovely day today.  We met up with an old friend  and went strawberry picking.  The sun was shining and it was great.  We had to be careful not to pick too many as we are going away and don't want them going to waste!  Not that that could happen really with my two piglets!!!!!

I made the congratulations card for my friend last night and its a variation on something I made last year for another friends wedding ( and before I had the blog and took photos of things I made!).

Its a bouquet made by drawing a faint circle and filling it in by stamping the flower and then cuttiing it out.  I then cut out some individually stamped flowers and added them to the circle of flowers to give it some dimension.  (When I made the wedding card the bouquet was bigger and I  added some pearls to the individual flowers)
The flower and sentiment stamp is from SU and the ink was Old Olive also by SU.  The gingham paper was from a paper stack by Serif (Picnic in the Park)

A close up of the bouquet

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges;

Try it on Tuesday - Anything Goes
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - #53 Anything Goes

I have just looked at the weather forecast for Majorca at the temperature at the moment is in the 30's.....oh my, I hope it cools down slightly before next week (only a little bit though)

Thanks for stopping by
Take care xxx

I've been playing....

Really strange thing happened today....I woke up and my wrist was fine, not any pain at all!!!  It's all because I made an appointment at the Drs yesterday!!  Oh well, I'm not complaining.  I have two weeks off work now and a week in sun next week so hopefully it'll have time to recover!

So, I have been playing with my top note die from Stampin Up and there is lots you can do with it, I'm quite surprised......
I have tried a couple of things and thought you may want to have a quick look....

This is a little box/bag that we put some chocolates in for the teaching assistant at school.

Oopps, forgot to flip the image!

This is a little pizza style box.  I haven't used it for anything yet but it's quite cute and could be very handy at Christmas.

I'm off now to make a congratulations card for my friend who has just got engaged.

Thanks for stopping by
Take care xx

Well, Well.....

What a week it has been....Had a fantastic time away, really chilled with lots of laughs!!! 
I had two lots of  lovely news whilst away and although I'm not that superstitious I do think these things come in threes and I've just had it so I'm all happy, happy, happy!!!

The first was my friend has had beautiful twin girls, the second was a good friend got offered the job he was desperate for and  tonight the third is my friend has got engaged!!!!  So, all in all, a very good week for them!!!

On the downside though, years ago, before I had the boys, I had problems with my wrist (constant pain) and wore a splint for weeks at a time .  Eventually it was put in plaster to immobilise it completely.  It seemed to do the trick but right now the pain is back and its agony!!!  Really struggling with everyday things which is harder now because the boys still need stuff doing.  Before when I had the pain I only had me to consider.  Oh well, enough complaining woman!!!!!

I have managed (only just!) to do a card........not really, it was fine but I think I will be taking it a bit easier for a while.  This is for a friends little girl.

I'm sure she will love it as thats exactly what she does......she is 5 going on 15 and it makes me thankful I have boys....no disrespect to anyone who has gorgeous girls but boy do they scare me!!!!!

Got a busy few days planned before our holiday next week and a doctors appointment tomorrow to hopefully sort me out....fingers crossed!
Thanks for stopping by

Take care xxxx

A few days away....

And I am really looking forward to them.... We are going away tomorrow once I've finished work just until Saturday and the boys are very excited.  Mum and I are too because of the really good craft shop nearby but I won't remind the boys about that just yet!!!!!!

So, just as I was complaining about my lack of creativity a friend asked if I could whip her together a card before I go away.  She wanted a card with a dog on it and not really girly.  I don't have anything doggy but my Mum did (Thanks Mum!) so this is what I've come up with.

Its a Z shaped card - think thats what its called anyway!

It needed to be quite flat for posting

Check out the NON blurry pictures.....I think I may have mastered my camera....finally!!!

I am going to enter this into Make it Monday - Anything goes #49 - Why not give it a try!!!

Tonight I have also done something I may end up regretting.....
I have registered to do a midnight walk in aid of a local hospice but its 11 miles and its been a while since I've walked that far.....I have a voucher for a spa that I was going to use before my holiday but I think I may keeping that for after the walk as I have a feeling my feet are going to need some TLC...

I won't be here until at least the weekend so I'll let you know what bargains I get at this craft shop so until then, Thanks for stopping by xx

I'm lost!!!

What do you do when nothing seems to be going right??!!!

Everything I am making at the moment seem to be taking twice (sometimes three times) as long as I just can't seem to find "it".  I look at a card and think either something is missing or it's just not right and I don't know why!!!  

I was asked to do an 18th birthday card and I just could not get it right!!!!  Time was running out and I had to drop it off today and I'm still not sure about it but its too late now!

The Birthday girls favourite colours are pink and green and she is really into handbags so I made the bag from the top note die. 
She is having a party next weekend so I also made a card to give her from us and again, with this one I think I ripped it apart 3 times and still not happy with it.

The medallion stamp is ages old with dresses, shoes and handbags and perfect for this birthday girl but I could not sort this out at all.  The 'flowers' are punched and inked with the centres from the medallion stamp (they are lipsticks) but everytime I look at them I see the St Georges cross.......

Arrrgghhh.......help......someone!!!!  What am I to do???

This evening I have been trying to do Elliots card (my baby is 7 later in the month) but I keep trying different things and I'm not liking anything.  Oh well, a break, maybe thats whats needed.....

We are going away on Tuesday with my Mum (we go every year for a few days) and there is this amazing craft shop locally that sells some really lovely things at really good prices so maybe after a break and a visit to this aladdins cave I will be happier.....either that or I will have to buy a few cards!!!

Thanks for stopping by xx

Birthday Boys

Well, what a change in weather.....we have had glorious sunshine all week and then I was woken up at stupid o'clock to pouring rain!!!!  I guess it was needed but still, it ruined my plans no end!!

So, as mentioned yesterday here are the boys cards.  On Saturday the birthday boy is having a laser quest party and my boys will LOVE it (I know what they will want to do for theirs!) and then on Tuesday they have been invited to a fancy dress party. 

I was very tempted to buy a card for the fancy dress birthday boy as his father is an artist.  He designs cards for M&S so I always feel a teeny tiny bit intimidated when giving them one of my homemade cards....but I decided against it so here is his.......(very plain and boring but SAFE!!!!)

Thanks for stopping by,
Take care xx

New Home...

Good Evening All,

We have had a lovely day today, just me and the boys.  We went for a "wooly' day to learn how to make felt, how to weave and knit.  The boys really enjoyed it and finishing off their braiding as we speak....

My brother had recently moved into a new house from a flat so he is loving having a garden...He may be a secret Alan Titchmarsh wannabe, who knows...so, I made him this.....

He has a couple of birds (not sure what!) and he threw open the french doors and put the cage on the table so that they could get some air.  He went up for a shower and when he came down there were 3 cats sat on the decking just looking at the birds....bet the cats thought Christmas had come early!!
Needless to say, he hasn't done that since!

The boys have a few partys this week so I have been pottering around with a few ideas..I think cards for boys of a certain age are just as tricky as mens really. Oh well, hopefully they will be acceptable!!

Thanks for stopping by
Take care xx