half empty.....

that's the bottle of wine,  the glass is completely full.

Today I went to Waterstones to hear Karen Maitland talk.  Unfortunately, I was misinformed about the start time, and missed most of it, but what I did hear was really good.  If you like medieval/middle ages type stuff and you get the chance to hear her talk, take advantage of it and go and listen.  Well worth it.   If you've never read any of her work, then, according to her website, Company of Liars, which is the first book of hers I read, is on offer in various  places.  

 Fortunately I got the chance to have a bit of a chat with her afterwards, and she's suggested I write a book. So I'm considering it.    

And, as well as that, she recommended audiobooks to a couple of us, which I've never really considered before, but I bought one (well 2 for £6.00 in the Works) on my way home, and I listened to about half of it whilst cleaning up in the kitchen earlier.  Which could mean that my crafting/sewing gets a bit of a boost because I'll be able to "read" and craft at the same time.

The wine is now making me a little dozy, so I'll sign off for now, but will be back soon.

Later folks
xxx

Not sure about the yellow

Good evening on this last day of the 2012 Olympics

Don't know how much of it you've watched, but I've seen a fair bit, and think it's been absolutely brilliant.  44 World Records and 117 Olympic records set by athletes from all over the world.    I would have loved to have been able to spent some time in London these past few weeks, but it's not been possible.   And Team GB finished 3rd in the medal table with 65 medals.    I'm always very proud to be Welsh, but never been as proud of being British as I've been this past fortnight.

But Olympics aside, I've made a card specifically for the CD Sunday Challenge.   It didn't look right "flat" but I'm not sure the yellow flowers are the right addition.   At least, not that particular shade of yellow.  But at the moment, my access to my craft stuff is limited, for various reasons.   So I went with what I've got, but might change them before I actually give the card to anyone.

And here it is.

As the challenge title suggests - it has to use something from a CD, and the topic this week is Exotic birds and blooms.  I've used My Craft Studio Quintessential Country Garden.   The flowers were cut with a cricut using the Flower Shoppe cartridge and the little black ribbon was just hanging around.

later folks
xxx

And sleep ..............

Evening folks

I've worked stupid hours for the past month or so.   I took a couple of days off in the  middle of July, 11th - 13th, which were not as restful as originally hoped for as they involved a hospital appointment  (where apparently he is doubting his fibromyalgia/CFS diagnosis and has given me vitamin D supplements for said vitamin deficiency), my son's graduation (which involved a 5.00am start and a day, including 2 hour journey there and back, in the company of my ex-husband), and a visit from the gas man.

Since then I've worked nearly every day, having had 2 Sundays off, and then, after 14 days without a break, last Monday off.  The weekends were worked voluntarily, as overtime, but doesn't mean I'm not absolutely ker-nackered.   So I made the decision to not work this weekend and I also have Monday off next week.

And today I slept until about 8, got up, fed the cats, went back to bed and read my book for about 15 mins, went back to sleep until about 11.30.  Got up, lay on the sofa for a while.  Finished my book, watched the Olympics for a while, then the football came on, so I went back upstairs to get dressed.  Lay down on the bed for 5 minutes and got back up again about 3 hours later.

Maybe I was tired.

Off to watch the diving now - Good luck Tom

Later folks
xxx

A challenge for August

Well ladies and gents, I've been set a challenge by the lovely Nikky Hall, her of Polkadoodles fame.   What do you mean, you've not heard of Polkadoodles.  Well get yourself over there right now and then come back and read the rest of this.  The link leads to her website, but she also has a blog   I know I've made it sound like it's only me she's challenged, but that would not quite be true.  In fact it's not true at all, it's the monthly challenge for followers/members/likers, call us what you will, of her facebook group page.   It follows on from last month, when she was kind enough to provide with a freebie and a sketch and then told us to get on with it and design a card.   Which a lot of us did, and there was a very lovely winning card.  It wasn't mine, but that's ok, I didn't for a minute expect mine to be a winner.

Oh yes, of course I'll show you mine,  Only if you show me yours too.  (oh sorry, too much erotic fiction reading going on - yes I've read Fifty Shades - all 3 of them, and now I've read Bared to You by Sylvia Day - a much better book in my opinion but I digress)

Back to the card

the digi was by the very talented Emma Canning, who now designs for Polka Doodles.  I will be perfectly honest and say it would not have been my choice of digi if I could have chosen any of hers to use, but it was lovely to colour.  The other designs in the series are even lovlier.

And now, back to the August Challenge.   This is to post at least 3 cards to your blog during the month of August.  I will go back to check whether they can be any cards or PD specific.   But now I've come back this blogging malarky they'll be no stopping me.

I can tell you about all sorts of exciting stuff.   Betcha can't wait eh??????

Later folks

xxx



Last weekend with the bees.....

Last weekend a friend came to visit and I talked him into doing some gardening for me.  I did do a little bit, but not a lot.   My garden is, potentially, a thing of great beauty, but is a source of great frustration to me, mainly because I like the idea of gardening, but it never really comes about.

Anyway, whilst my pal was doing some gardening he said to me "why are there so many flies about?"   So I stuck my head out of the door and said "I don't think they are flies, I think you've disturbed a wasps nest", because over in the corner of the garden there were a lot of buzzing creatures.    However, this struck me as a little strange as neither of us had done anything in that part of the garden.    A little while later they were still flying around but it occurred to me that it could be a swarm of bees.   So I did a bit of googling and discovered that it was indeed a swarm.

So, not being at the point in my career where I figure beekeeping is going to be part of my future, I reckoned I need some help and found the following information about beekeepers that can help out with a swarm.   And a very nice gentleman came along and took them away for me

And these are the very bees that were in my garden. 

And the beekeeper did have 3 hives last year, but lost 2 of the colonies over the winter, so hopefully these bees will settle with him to replace one of the two he lost.

And when I find them, there will be some other photos of my garden, then and now and hopefully in the future.

Later folks
xxx

And finally ......

well it's taken me a little while, what with one thing another, but I've finally cleared up the dining room sufficiently to allow myself a little time to play with my new sewing machine

Here's some before and after photos of the room, the befores were taken in January, the afters were taken today.

Now I'm well aware that my after photos look like some other people's before photos, but I'm ok with that.  

And here's my new machine

So far I've only done a couple of inches of straight stitch, but I think I could be in love.

Need some food now so

later folks

xxx

It's arrived

Just in case there is anybody out remotely interested, my new sewing machine has arrived.  And if there isn't well, that's no problem, I'll just pretend you are all busy

Be back later with some pics

Later folks
xxx

A week and a bit off....

Well it's been a while, but here I am again. Since I last posted I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which, although I was pretty sure I had, I took a bit of acclimatising to be "official". But now I'm all ok again, well, as ok as I've ever been. And also since I last posted my blogger has changed which has taken more getting used to than the Fibro.

So why have I got a week and a bit off? Well, last Friday I went to Quilts UK in Malvern, and also was out all day Saturday at my normal monthly quilting group, and knowing how feeble I am I took the day off before and also booked yesterday (the monday) off. And that's all the time I intended to take off. However, I have a friend who's husband passed away recently and his funeral was yesterday. So, being aware that if I went to the funeral I wouldn't get the rest I require to set myself up for the rest of the week in work, I went into work last Monday intending to ask for Tuesday (today) off as well. But Monday was such a bad day that by 10.00am I'd asked for the rest of this week off. And my boss said yes.

And what do I intend to do with my week? I don't have major plans - I want to clear up a bit as my son is back from uni on 2nd June for good. Where has that 3 years gone? In fact where has the last 25 years gone? Next Monday, would be my silver wedding anniversary (if I was still married). My eldest, who has just turned 24, is planning on leaving home to set up home with his girlfriend soon. Which of course means that the younger one will want to move into his bedroom. Which means..........

YES I can finally have a dedicated craft/sewing room. And so this week, I'm having a bit of a sort out in my dining room which is the room I try to stick to for sewing, - partly because I can't see my dining room table (or the floor for that matter) and partly because I've ordred a new sewing machine. Oh, did I forget to mention that.

I've been looking at new sewing machines for a few years. When I started looking at buy a new machine they had just started bring out the ones with the larger throat space for quilting, and now there are lots with the larger throat space and lots with fancy embroidery stitches. Every year when I go to a quilt show, I lust after the machines, but haven't bought one. And pretty much every year somebody who has travelled up on the coach with us comes back with a new machine. In the past 2 or 3 years most of my pals have upgraded, and the woman I sat by on the coach this year came home with 2 machines. A pfaff quilt expression 4 and a smaller janome one for workshops. So I thought "Right, that's it, I'm having a new machine" Now, if I'd had an ounce of sense I would have played with lots of them at the show, but we were only there a couple of hours and theere were too many othere things to be doing.

I have tried out a lot of machines in my time, and, if truth be told, I've always leaned towards Janome machines, partly because that's what all my family have had, and they are also the ones that tend to be in classes. So I'm familiar with them. But that's not what I've gone for, mainly because the one I would want is the £1799 (£1499 if you are lucky enough to find it on offer) Horizon. Most of the other machines I would like, without looking at the ridiculously priced sewing/embroidery ones in the region of £3000 or more, or indeed the very nice looking Bernina 820QE which are the rolls royces of machines (at least according to many of the sewists out there) are between £1000 and £1500. But then I found the Husqvarna Viking 875Q on offer for £999. And then I managed to get it for £899 with the quilting extension table included (possibly also a walking foot, but not sure about that)

Now, I ordered it online from Coopers/Sewing Machines Discount, and have heard both good things and bad about them. but I reckoned with £200 discount and a £100 promise of free gifts on special promotion from Husqvarna, and payable over 4 months, I thought it was worth the risk. I won't get the goodies until I've made the final payment, which is a standard thing with many promotions. Today I receive a free set of scissors(£39.99 on the website). I've had a couple of conversations with them, both by phone and e-mail and so far don't have any complaints, other than the fact that I won't be getting as quickly as I had hoped because they ran out of stock, so it's being despatched direct from Germany and I should get it by the end of the week.

When I receive it I shall do a picture heavy post to show all the goodies in the box.

And whilst I'm waiting I'll make the most of the good weather and carry on spraying my nettles with industrial strength weedkiller - it's too difficult to be green and dig them all out.

Later folks
xxx

cut it up and stick it back together

No, I'm not talking about patchwork, but another quick card I've done.   I'm trying to do at least one a night and a couple every weekend because my friend is doing a Cakes for Parkinsons event, (her dad has it) and asked me if I'd do some cards.  So I said yes, and then remembered my Gran had Parkinsons as well. 

So here is tonight's effort.   For those of you who are fans of Nikky Hall and Polkadoodles, you may not immediately recognise her style but if you are a member of her newish Facebook group Polka Doodle Dandies, she has had a couple of free challenges.    So this is one of her images, coloured in with the new Promarker Limited Edition Spring pens, cut up and then stuck together again, in a completely different way.

Later folks

xxx

A poppet of a challenge

Good evening
Not a great deal accomplished today, but that's ok, there's always another day.  I did have a bit of a play with my newest craft CD - Paintbox Poppets from Crafters Companion - if you take a look on my sidebar >>>>>> there should be a blinkie linking to their UK blog - there is also a US blog which you can find via the UK one.

I deliberately chose to get a bit more familiar with this CD, partly because it is very lovely and partly because I wanted to do something for the weekly CD Sunday Challenge blog which this week is "spots and dots"

I haven't got to the point where I'm comfortable using lots of embellishments, and whilsts I love doing a complicated bit of paper engineering, at the moment, my engineering mojo is missing.  But it will be back.   Until that time I need to keep my crafting mojo afloat.

So here's a simple little card using one sheet of images from the card companion section so actually really cheap to make.

And as mentioned above - I'd like to enter it in the Spots and Dots Challenge over at The CD Sunday Challege

Later folks

xxx

More selling and a Paintbox Poppet card

Afternoon all
This time I'm selling The Cinch binding tool, Craft Artist Platinum and MCS Setting the Scene CD.   Nothing wrong with any of them. I bought the Cinch as an impulse buy thinking it would be very useful for all that scrapbooking and stuff I was going to do.  No doubt if I'd ever done it then it would have been worth it's weight in gold.  But you know how it goes, I didn't do it.  

If you are interested go here

And then there is this  which is the Craft Artist Platinum bundle and not forgetting the final item of this little selection which can be found here

Excuse my blatent advertising but if you don't know about it then you can't ignore it.

And one of the reasons I need money is so I can buy more new crafting goodies.  My latest purchase was the Paintbox Poppets CD and stamps and decoupage from Crafters Companion featuring artwork from the very talented Christine Haworth.

And here's a card I made with just a teeny tiny selection from this range

I can feel a bit more creativity coming on.

later folks

xxx

Made 2 cards -updated

I've added a name to the Tatty Teddy card so here is the finished version.   Aunty Sarah was delighted, she's not my Aunty Sarah, she's Aunty to the intended recipient of the card, so I hope the 1 year old Daisy will be fully appreciative.

And I think it looks more "finished" now

Later folks

xxx

made 2 cards

It seems to have been a little while since I've made any cards for anybody specific, and this weekend I've made 2.  I have another 2 to make, but one can be done in the early part of the week (needed for Wednesday) and the other is my mother's day card. For my mother that is, not my own.

The top two are the same card - made using the Tatty Teddy CD and the Ribbons and Rosettes Cricut Cartridge.    If memory serves me correctly I think the Sunday CD challenge this week is "from me to you" and so I would like to enter this card for that challenge

The bottom card is made for a friends 40th birthday.  I have made if for her team in work to give to her.  I will make a different one from me.

That's it for now folks

Later

xxx

SOLD and still selling Cricut

Evening folks - another quickie from me tonight, well fairly quick

I have sold the Big Shot (possibly to "Amanda" who queried it on a previous blog post, as the winner is indeed called Amanda).  I have also sold 3 copies of Craft Artist Professional.   I am thinking of putting Craft Artist Platinum up (which has a copy of professional included along with another 3 programmes), but have to find the letter that came with it providing the product key,  and also Complete Arts and Crafts Creativity Suite - also by Serif, which includes 5 programmes, including Digital Scrapbook Artist and PhotoPlus.

The Cricut didn't sell so I've now put it on as a Buy it Now for 30 days.  If at the end of that time it hasn't sold, then I will use it for cutting fabric, which was my original intention, but thought that having 2 Cricut machines, both the same size, was not really something I could justify doing if I could sell one. 

And I've been having a bit of a play with my new Cricut and my brand spanking new Flower Shoppe cartridge.   And as soon as I've sorted out my new laptop I will upload some photos for you to have a look at. But until then, have a gaze in wonderment (and amusement) at the following YouTube video of some folks using the self same cartridge

Later folks
xxx

Craft artist professional on ebay

I've got 3 Craft artist professional discs for sale on ebay - starting price £10, Buy it Now for £15.   If you are interested go look for Georgiegirl2012 or go via the links in the previous post.

Such Wickedness - so selling Cricut and Bigshot

Grab a cuppa and a biscuit and settle down for a read about my bad behaviour

I am a wicked wicked woman who will never be able to darken the door of Martin's Money Saving website ever again.  Why? I hear you ask (or is that just the voices in my head)  Well, I've only gone and spent some money.  And not just "some" money - rather a lot of money in fact.

Firstly, after watching Mel Heaton on C&C  I dug out my Cricut and decided it was indeed rather fabulous, and after playing for a little while came to the conclusion that I wanted more functionality.  Now, I had a bit of a browse, and rather liked the look of the Cricut Expression which cuts up to size 12" x 24", as indeed does the Cricut Imagine, but having read various forums it seems there have been some issues with it.

And then there are all those other marvellous electronic cutting machines - the Sizzix eClips, the Silhouette Cameo, the Black cat machines, the Pazzles machines, the eCraft - so many choices, how does one possible decide?   My understanding of the above is that the majority of them have to be connected to a computer for them to work, but you do have the freedom of designing your own images or buying idividual images.   The eClips can be used with cartridges in a similar way to a cricut but can be used with eSCAL software as well.     It used to be the case that Cricut machines could be used with SCAL software, but for some reason Provocraft (manufacturers of Cricut and cuttlebugs to name but two) did not like this, so took legal action and the software is no longer available but, if one still has SCAL software it does work with some of the Cricut machines.

Now, I'm not entirely irresponsible, and thought that maybe shelling out hundreds of pounds for a fancy electronic machine might not be completely sensible, so eventually I decided to stick with the machine I had.

and then I changed my mind and ordered the Cricut Create, which produces the same size images as the original Cricut Personal electronic cutter but has the added functionality I wanted.   And it's arrived, and it's lovely and it's fabulous, so I am going to sell my original Cricut.   fortunately it's free listing weekend on ebay, so that's where it is.  LOOK HERE

And then yesterday lunchtime I went for a bit of a wander round town, and found that my local craft shop has some special offers on.  And one of them is for the Cricut Gypsy  (£99).  How dare they tempt me like that.   Fortunately I am strong, and I resisted temptation.  But not for long, I had a bit of a "chat" with a "friend" who agreed with me that it would be a crime to leave it there and given that it is my birthday in less that a fortnight then he would purchase it for me for my birthday.   BUT IT'S NOT MY BIRTHDAY FOR NEARLY A FORTNIGHT.    So I went back today with my credit card.

Just as well I'm selling my Sizzix Big Shot Express (a manual die cutter, but with a motor instead of a handle) Yes I'm putting a link to that as well HERE

I'll leave off telling you about the new laptop (QVC TSV) because I'm not sure you could cope with it. But what's a girl to do when it has free crafting software with it.

And the TV has died, but who's got time to watch TV when there's crafting to do.

FOR SALE BIG SHOT EXPRESS

I'll post photos tomorrow, but I am looking to sell my barely used Sizzix Big Shot Express, with 10 Bigz dies and a selection of about a dozen cuttlebug dies.  Hoping for about £100 but open to offers.  Have not checked how much it will cost for postage/shipping yet.

Playing Cricut

I probably posted about a year ago how lucky I am to have a sister such as mine who upgraded her original Cricut Personal cutter to a Cricut Expression and cast off her first machine in my direction.  And yes, it was/is a lovely birthday present, however given that it's less than 3 weeks until my next birthday it has occurred to me that I've barely used it.  And having watched the marvellous Melanie Heaton on Create and Craft on more than one occasion during the past 12 months I have decided it's time I take part in her 2012 mission to get people using their Cricuts.   If you are not familiar with her and/or her work, check out her blog Paper Dreams.

I have registered on the Cricut.com website and community so that I can read hints and tips and the like and there is indeed some very useful info (and, as with all forums, a bit of wingeing in this case about Provocraft - the manufacturer of the Cricut machines)

I have discovered, via this forum that there is a website which tells you what image is on what cartridge, which I think is great.  One of the things I'd like to do with my cricut is cut out paper hexagons templates for patchwork.  Yes I know that a cricut is capable of so much more, but cutting out paper templates by hand is a little tiresome, and they are not always as accurate as they should be.   There are companies that have discovered this and so will sell you packets of precut templates.  Ha - have you seen the price of them.

So going to Mycutsearch and typing in hexagon you get the following result   How fab is that?  so if my finances only stretch to one cartridge, I can now choose from the ones which have my hexagon and by looking at the other images on the cartridge I can see which will work out most useful.   And I can see more infomation about all cartridges in the library

There is a poster on the forums called Scrapalette who also posted the following information so I thank her for this

Here's the 411 on carts:

The regular Cricut carts contain 6 full Creative Features and can hold up to 700 images. These carts come in the storage box and have a spiral bound handbook showing all the images.

Lite carts have one Creative Feature key for layers and have 50 base images, some with additional layer options using other keys. These carts come in a plastic storage box and have a tri-fold pamphlet showing the images.

There are also:
Solution carts contain 2 Feature keys (usually a Shadow and a Blackout), one layer option and hold 50 images (not counting shadow, blackout or layers). These carts (initially) had no storage box and all the images are shown of the cardboard packing.
Seasonal carts have no Creative Features but some images have layers or shadows that are on the Character keys and hold 30 images and are usually a limited edition and centered around a theme. These carts have no storage box and all the images are shown on the cardboard packaging.
Project and Event carts have fewer images than full carts, images centered around a theme but these not limited edition releases. These carts have a plastic storage box and a modified (because there aren't as many images), non-spiral bound handbook.

Cake carts are really full carts just with images geared toward cake decorating but they can also be used with papercrafting.

Then, there are the two categories of Imagine carts: one that is images and patterns (Art) or just patterns/colors (Colors and Patterns).

And now, there are digital carts for use with CCR or a Gypsy.

I have a lot to learn and a lot to playing to do.   I think Mel has her work cut out (ha ha) in order to accomplish her mission

Later folks
xxx

ps - just discovered the cartridge I want was sold exclusively with the Expression machine - hmmmmmm - praise the lord for ebay

too tired to type

good evening

I didn't sleep very well last night and today I've spent quite a bit of time painting.   So no words, just pictures. And only 2 of those

Later folks

Much later

xxx

I won I won I won

Hurrah - I won one of the signed Spectrum Noir DVDs

Thank you Marianne Fisher

Now - painting or sewing or cricutting or colouring.   Or reading, or knitting, or crocheting, or cleaning the kitchen.

Decisions Decisions

Later folks
xxx

my first fuschia

And here's the first fuschia

G'night folks

xxx

Some fusioneering and another chance to win

Evening my lovelies.

Firstly - another chance to win the amazing colouring DVD by Leann Chivers and Crafters Companion from a member of the design team - Lis

Next - I've had a play with Sheena Douglass' new paint fusion stamps (they are not Sheena's they are mine).  My first attempt was not (to my mind) overly successful, but you decide for yourself

It's not dreadful, but not how I wanted.  My main mistake was to stamp the flower image before looking at the tutorial on Youtube so when I tried to put the leaves in I couldn't comprehend quite how to do it.

So for my next attempt I worked out the composition first

I decided I wanted a little something extra in there, so added a fairy from the Fairyopolis range, and coloured her in with flexmarkers.   The background was too white so I coloured that with the linen flexmarker, but not so much so that it was a solid block of colour.   I then stamped in a sentiment (which is not exactly a sentiment but can't think of anything else to call it).

I might attempt the fuschia whilst I've got my  paints out

Later folks

xxx



Crafter's Companion Giveaway

hello people

Those wonderful folks at Crafters Companion are giving away a copy of their new "Colouring with the Spectrum Noir System" DVD.   I imagine that many of the hints and tips will be equally applicable for whatever alcohol pen system you use.  And as they say, you have to be in it to win it.   So if you want to be in it - go HERE

And if you don't want to be in with a chance, then don't go there

Simples

Later folks
xxx

Bibble bobble

Evening folks

Since my crochet escapade with the birdie decoration, which some of you eagle eyed viewers (see what I did there) may have seen on Create and Craft's "knit and natter" with Hayley West and Loen Love, I have done a bit of knitting before having a bit more of a practice with crochet.

I may have mentioned before that I am a huge fan of charity shops.  Whilst I was having a browse during my "can I leave the house for more than an hour without needing to sleep all of the following day" expedition last week I found 3 balls of pom pom yarn for 99p.   So I decided to knit something with it.  A cushion, thought I.  And not being sure how many stitches to cast on, or how big it would end up or how far the yarn would go, I cast on about 30 stitches (16 pompoms) and carried on in garter stitch (knitting - as opposed to purling, each row).   It took 2 balls before the sample was about 12" square.   And looked the same from either side.Which left me with a very small cushion front and and only one ball left.

So I had a bit of a think, and whilst watching Jonathan Ross on Saturday evening, I knitted the other ball into a scarf.  Nearly.  Made a mistake whilst casting off and the whole thing got a ladder right down the middle.   So I unrun/unran it, and started again.    and then changed my mind and decided I'd try making a cushion back but obviously I couldn't do it exactly the same as the front as I only had one ball of yarn.     So I did it on bigger needles and did stocking stitch, so rather than be the same on both sides it's a lot looser and flat on the back.

But I couldn't get a cushion pad small enough so bought a cheap 18" one and just shoved it in.  So the cushion is stuffed to overflowing.  But looks reasonable enough.

It's actually supposed to be the other way round, but I though it looked better like this.

I would like to have another go, but until I get round to buying some more of the pompom yarn, I am continuing with crochet practice.    I am just doing rows, and rows, and rows, of treble crochet (which for our US cousins I believe is double crochet) until I reach the end of the 100g ball of aran.   I'm hoping it will be long enough to form into some sort of cowl type thing.   but I don't think it will be so I might have to put some sort of experimental border on it and maybe some flowers and turn it into something pretty.

Or maybe a corset!


Later folks
xxx

Another attempt at crochet

evening folks
One of my work pals goes to a craft group on a Tuesday evening and every so often she will show me what she's been up to.  They are currently crocheting.   My pal is even more of a learner at crochet than me, so when she asked for my help in doing a circle I tried my best, but have to admit I wasn't much use.   The lunch that we discussed crochet over was nice though.

Apparently her crochet mentor had thought that she would be best off trying a circle as she didn'st seem to be able to get her head round working crochet in rows.  And to encourage her she told her about a rather fabulous blog, which was new to me but apparently very well renowned in crochet blogging circles.  And I can see why.  It's called Attic24 and written by a Mum called Lucy.  Not only does she produce inspiring work, she is a very good blogger as well.   The project my pal is working on is called "Birdie Decoration" and I think it's absolutely adorable.

The same day as our lunch I thought I'd give a circle a go.  Never done one, but how hard could it be?????   Well.  I have to admit that it wasn't as easy as it looked, but I'm a knitter not a crocheter.  I can make up a dishcloth by doing some sort of design that may or may not be an official crochet stitch but ended up kinda square.  But following a pattern when I don't know what the stitches are is a different thing altogether.

Anyway, I did a circle (albeit not completely circular) and left it at that, thinking I'd help my pal out the next time I saw her.  Unfortunately, my cold developed into acute sinusitis, and have not yet returned to work.   And then she asked me if I wanted to go to her Crafty group, just to get me out of the house for an hour or so.  So I went.  And I took my spectacular circular effort.

And she made me finish it -  so here is the finished birdie.  not as great as Lucy's but her's is rather marvellous.

Methinks I need a bit more practise. 

To aid me in this endeavour I have ordered myself some crochet hooks (bog standard ordinary ones).  And whilst I was at it I ordered myself some sock needles (Symfonie ones at that)

Later folks

xxx

Don't make me shout

Well here I am, been home from work sick for nearly 2 weeks.  The second time sick since Christmas, and in fact, if you include my Christmas leave I've only been in work for about 3 weeks since November.  And my 2 hit cold has developed into acute sinusitis, so I now have antibiotics and a nasal spray, to go with my paracetamol, antidepressants and anticonvulsants.  Yes, I am a walking pharmacy.

And it's as much as I can do to stay awake all day, but on Sunday I did manage to have a bit of a play, having been inspired by the marvellous Barbara Gray of Clarity stamps on create and craft.  If you haven't seen her work, or if you haven't seen her new website, go have a look. 

I copied a card she did on the show, and although I forgot to add a bit, I'm very pleased with the result.

I used the Clarity flower frame stamp and the mini pansy.  I used flexmarkers to colour them in.

later folks

xxx

FREE PROMARKERS

Well, not quite, but an opportunity to win some.   You need to follow this link to find out how.   And what's more they are the new limited edition ones.   So go on, you know you want to.   But if you don't want to, then it gives me more of an opportunity

Later folks

xxx

New online store

One of my favourite digi artists around is Beccy Muir from Beccy's place.   Until now she has been generosity itself and her images have been free.  Now she has finally come to her senses and is opening and online store, which is due to open within the next few hours.   If you haven't seen her work go check her out here



And  here's the link to her new store

2 cards

Just a quickie this morning to say I've nearly got my crafting mojo back.

I've joined the PolkaDoodleDandies FB group and we had a challenge to use the sketch that Nikky Hall had done specifically for the group in a project.   I've had a Grand calibur for a little while but not really used it for one reason and another.   I don't have hundreds of dies but I do have Labels 1 in both normal nestie size and grand nestie size.   So after I'd done some colouring I dug out some papers I just happened to have lying around and used various sizes to produce the following

Thee background to the top image is coloured in using linen flexmarker, then I coloured over the top using the focus colours.  A little bit of decoupage going on as well.

Most of the papers used were double sided and I cut the middle bit out of one of the layers to use on another card.   But I didn't know what to do with it.  Now given that my sister had given me some Core-dination card from Crafter's Companion for Christmas and I had not used it I thought I'd have a bit of an experiment.  So using an Impressability stencil and the GC I produce some background paper, and doing the whole sanding down thing made it look quite nice.    So I now had the background prepared, but needed a bit of a focus, so decided I wanted to have a watercolour "something".    So pulled out a stamp (Popcorn the Bear) and my Whispers watercolour pens and had a go.    I'm not entirely happy with the end result, but it's it's passable.

And here it is.

Later folks

xxx



6 weeks or so

I think it's been about 6 weeks since I last did a blog entry, and I've not been very productive in that time, in terms of crafting, but I have done some other stuff.    I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit slovenly around the house, some of this is due to depression, some is down to not having any energy at the end of the working day/week, and some of it's down to pure laziness.  But for some reason, just before Christmas I looked at the house and thought "how the heck have I let it get this bad"  Fortunately I had some time off over the Christmas period and spent nearly all of it scrubbing the ensuite and kitchen.  The rest of this year will be spent maintaining that and trying to do a bit more so that by next Christmas all I'll have to do is flick a duster round and it will be presentable for visitors.

There would be a picture of the nice clean kitchen here, but I've just remembered I took it on my phone, so it's not saved on my laptop.

But what is stored are my photos of my first garden project of 2012 - the shed. 

I didn't actually put the shed up myself, but I did clear the shed base, chop down the tree and assemble the shelves.

i've also decided to start scrapbooking my garden adventure, but haven't started it yet.  I have printed the pictures out, so maybe next weekend.

later folks

xxx