Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad

Today is my parent's 46th Wedding Anniversary and here is the card I made for them. I used one of the new Ice Cream Parlour doilies from Craftwork Cards and some of their Card Candy. Mum and I saw a version of this card on the CC stand when we went to the stamp show at Alexandra Palace. My parents are away for the weekend in Glastonbury - I hope they are having a lovely time.

I have been overwhelmed by the reaction to Emily's Tinkerbell dress - thank you so much everyone, and to all the kind messages I have received regarding my health issues at the moment. I wouldn't normally post about something like that - but some days it's hard to switch off from it. I'm OK but I'm hoping for a diagnosis soon so that I can deal with whatever the problem is - it's the not knowing that is hard to cope with.

Looking forward to seeing the pumpkin for tonight - Mark is carving it as I type (with a little bit of help from Edward!). Happy Halloween!

M x

Pumpkins

Yesterday we went to our local farm shop to choose our pumpkin for Halloween. We couldn't persuade the children away from the traditional orange version - but look at the glorious Autumnal colours in the photo below.

It was tricky getting this photo as Edward wouldn't keep still, he kept running off - it was like shopping with a toddler!

My day of baking didn't quite go according to plan today. I had one batch of chocolate cupcakes mixed and ready to cook when I discovered that the element had gone in my main oven. I did cook then in the top oven but I'm not sure they have been successful - they seemed to need nearly twice the cooking time, and they don't look as spongy as usual. I was keen to make some Whoopie Pies from my new book, but they will have to wait until another day.

Have a great weekend.

M x

P.S Thanks for the kind comments from yesterday's post. Emily's dress is hanging on the dining room door and every time I have walked past it today I've given it a little stroke!

Where has the week gone??!!

I can't believe it's Friday tomorrow. It only seems 5 minutes ago I was posting about the children going off to my parents and now they are back and the week is almost over.

Monday was my one day of totally chilling - I only made one card. I caught up on some programmes and watched a film. It was really relaxing. Then Mark and I went to Pizza Express for a treat - it seemed odd without the children.

Tuesday I had a doctors appointment which I wasn't looking forward to. I've been waiting for the results of some tests I have had recently. I've had some serious joint pain in my shoulders and hips since July and have been living off painkillers for a while now. The tests were to check for auto-immune disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis. The upshot is that they don't know what is causing the pain so I'm being referred to a Rheumatologist. Deep joy - more tests! Anyway, to take my mind off my health worries, I got on with Emily's Tinkerbell dress.

It started life like this :

And ended up looking like this!!

I'm so pleased with how it turned out (not bad without a pattern!), and I think Emily looks beautiful. She is absolutely thrilled with it, so I'm very happy.

Yesterday and today have been busy days - the children returning, haircuts, new glasses for me, shopping, pumpkin buying etc etc. I've got lots of things still to do - craft things for my two Christmas Craft shows, baking etc, but somehow I don't think I'm going to get it all done. Mark has been on holiday today and is off again tomorrow. He wants to go out tomorrow to a National Trust property, so I'm not sure what is going to happen yet. We will have to wait and see.

Take care. M x

Happy Days!

This morning is all about getting the children ready to dispatch them to my parents for a couple of days.

How different they are! Edward at 11 - jeans, t-shirts, underwear, pyjamas - packed in 5 mins flat! He spends more time choosing how many and which books to take.

Emily at 15 on the other hand, is still not packed, most of the clothes she is taking are being collected from that well known storage area - her bedroom floor! Her priority seems to be uploading photos to Facebook, Tumblr - where ever! And if I even mention her science revision, I am shooed away with a "ALRIGHT - I KNOW!!" Happy days!

We are leaving in less than an hour - will she be ready on time? Probably not!

Have a good day. M x

Hello, Hello!

It's been a while - I'm sorry. I've not had the best couple of weeks - have being feeling very low. Apologies for not visiting many of your blogs, I am looking forward have a peep soon. Anyway I'm back now and have a few note cards to show you

You may recognise this first one, as it is a design I have revisited. My mum really liked the first pack, so I gave them to her because she has been helping me out a lot recently - she's a whizz with iron!
This pack uses a sheet of paper from my new My Mind's Eye paper stack that I posted about a couple of weeks ago. I love the shabby look.

This next one is my absolute favourite - I love the colour and the glittery flower. I almost want to keep them for myself!

Purple circles with a jewel and a Prima paper flower.

The next two are on white cards (not sure if you can see that from the photos) with a panel stamped using distress inks and then rubbed with a sponge to give a mottled, textured look. The stamp is a Hero Arts one I've had for over a year and never used - simple and elegant.

The final design is quite contemporary - can't remember where the paper came from, I've probably had it a while.

I've got enough cards to make another two packs, so hopefully I will get those finished this week.

I've been really busy today, I've pinned out and starched 7 crochet snowflakes (just need to sew on some sparkly beads), but my main project has been to make a glittery Tinkerbell dress for my 15 year old daughter to wear to a party next week. I've been flying by the seat of my pants and making it up as I go along, with no pattern. So far the bodice is completed, the skirt is next, then the dreaded zip. I've had a couple of hairy moments, but it's looking pretty good, even if I do say so myself!

I'm going to have a relaxing, creative half-term. The children are spending a couple of days with my parents so I'll have a bit of "me" time for the first few days. Emily has a lot of revision to do for some science exams at the beginning of November, and Edward has some holiday homework too - so they'll be busy, busy!

Ta ta for now. It's Pimms o'clock and time for Strictly!

M x

Treats for Me!

Because I haven't been feeling so good recently, I thought I deserved a little treat (or 3!). My first came in a beautifully wrapped package - it felt like my birthday.

Some beautiful acrylic paints from here that I took a fancy to at Alexandra Palace a few weeks ago. There are 10 colours in the range, and I ordered blue, green, purple, teal and white. I'm saving my pennies for the other five.

My second treat is another paper stack. This one is from My Mind's Eye and is called Complete Boy. It's not just for boys, but it's certainly less feminine. I have quite a lot of girlie coloured paper so I bought this one for a change. It's got a very "shabby chic" look about it.

My final treat is a stamp called Prom Queen by Stampotique. Again, I took a liking to it at Alexandra Palace but decided not to buy it, but when I got home I wished I had. So I did! I don't know how much I will use it, but I love the image. It reminds me of my daughter a little bit and her style - although she is not as extreme as this I hasten to add!

Must get back to my note cards - have been making another three sets today, and I've been playing around with some Distress Ink pads. Hopefully I will get to show them to you tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

M x

P.S. I've been having problems uploading my photos to Blogger today - waiting 20 mins and still no photos. So my lovely hubby has been showing me how to resize and crop my photos and they uploaded in less than 2 mins!

Craft Fair Goodies

As promised here are some of the craft fair items that I have been working on. Below are 11 packs of note cards in various designs. The cards themselves are about 9cm x 11.5cm and there are five cards in each pack. I'm trying to decide which one is my favourite but I have to confess, I like them all!!


And here they are in close up so that you can see the detail. First up is a little Japanese doll, stamped using a Hero Arts stamp and coloured in with my trusty Promarkers.


Next is another stamped card, using a flower from the Build-a-Bloom set by Craftwork Cards.

Next up is a frosted cupcake, with a stamped image (can't remember the manufacturer), Kanban paper, coloured in with Promarkers with a little bit of glitter on top.

Another cupcake from the same set, with paper by DCWV and more Promarkers and glitter.

Sweet little bags and shoes - paper by Bella Press, and a little touch of glitter. Just a Note stamp by Graphicus.

Owls (I love the owls!). Stamped image from Craftwork Cards and the paper range is from My Minds Eye.

Another Japanese doll using the Hero Arts stamps, coloured again with Promarkers (I am so addicted!).

I can't remember the name of these papers, I've had them for ages. I think the colours are unusual, but they really work.

A tree full of birds from Graphicus - coloured with Promarkers and highlighted with a Sakura Gelly Roll pen.

This next one is Mark's favourite (perhaps it's the absence of glitter!). Papers are by DCWV.

Finally another girlie one, shoes, dresses and handbags. Paper by DCWV with some paper Prima flowers and dimensional paint in the middle.

And now for some crochet. I've been making lots and lots of flowers for brooches, but haven't actually finished any off. On Friday evening when I was feeling better I thought I ought to make a start - sewing buttons in the middle and attaching brooch backs on the other side. The first photo is a brooch I am keeping for myself - well, I think I deserve one after all my hard work!

Here are the five finished ones - I've got SO many more to finish - I need to get my act together!

I've now got two craft events that I am attending - one on the 21st November and the other is on the 4th December - it's going to be a busy time!!

Take care. M x

Miserable Sunday

So here I am sitting snuggled under my granny blanket, watching Sex and the City Season 3, glad I am not out in this filthy weather.

I have to say that apart form a niggly sore throat and cough, I am feeling much better. So back to work tomorrow. Thanks for the kind messages, people. Emily is feeling better too - so much so that she has gone out without a coat or sweatshirt, in a thin shirt, in the RAIN! I tried to tell her, but what do I know??!! She did at least take the proffered umbrella, but I bet she doesn't use it. She better not have a relapse!!

I have been busy making note cards and also finishing off some flower brooches. Hopefully I will have something to show you soon (just waiting for Mark to get back from Tesco so that he can scan the cards!).

Stay in the warm and dry and have a good Sunday.

M x

Thanks goodness it's Friday!

I'm not having a great week this week, actually I'm off work today, after being sent home yesterday. I have succumbed to the dreaded lurgy and am currently sitting snuggled under a duvet on the sofa with Emily who has it too. We both look like ghosts with red noses!

I'm hoping that I will be better for the weekend because I want to have a play with some of my goodies from last weekend, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

So Emily and I are drinking hot chocolate and watching films, feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves!

Hope you guys are all OK. Take care.

M x