Bank Holiday Loveliness

Just the thought of not being at work is super fab at the moment, I love my job dearly, but I love the holidays best! This weekend was no exception! Today we went of to West Wittering and spent some lovely time in the sunshine (yes I am lobster red, even thought I had suncream on!)

We had a lovely little picnic when we arrived before going anywhere near the beach, seeing as sand and food really do not mix! Charley decided to make herself a little monster roll!

Then later in the afternoon we moved onto Hayling Island where we had the most yummiest fish and chips I have ever had, even Charlottes plate was clean at the end of it!

We arrived at the beach and managed to set up in a spot about 3 meters away from Charlottes friend from preschooll how spooky! So they were both sorted for friends for the afternoon!

Anyhow after several hours play and lots of sunshine to boot, we moved down the coast and had a fabby time at the little funfair, by the way if you ever go on the flume ride there, do it last and dont sit at the back, I survived the whole ride getting just mildly wet till we were sat waiting to get off and other boat banged into the back of us and then I didnt just get soaked, I was mega soaked!!!!!!!!!!

My little monkey on the dragon roller coaster! She insisted on going on this ride on her own! Bless her!

So what does today hold in store for us? Well for me lots of cun cream, long sleeved t-shirts and a donkey derby! Yes our local village in Sandhurst still holds this every year, so to follow tradition thats where we are heading today! Donkey pics to follow!

Baby!

Well no Im not really having one but I am getting a baby cricut! I have decided to trade in old robbie robo for a cuttlebug, Robbie and I havent got on very well since I bought him and so Im looking to ditch him for a more idiot friendly machine, Im also not crafting in the same place as I used to so the fact its all logged up to the study pc doesnt help me in the spare room! Ive got one from the market place in UKS and Im more than happy the lady is even parting with her George cartridge! much to her dislike! So if anyone wants a robo let me know im going to pop him on the marketplace over the weekend, comes complete with disks and handbooks and in the original box, no reciept though, havent a clue where that went! Offers welcome!

Anyhow am off to a wedding tomorrow which reminds me I really must go make that card! Have a good evening folks!

revamped glasses!

Will basically just my old frames with new lenses, I spent hours trailing round shops yesterday to find new glasses and have decided to stick with what I have and just relense them. Ive been having probs with my eyes all last week, mainly due to my cold I feel and when I had them tested it was one eye that was worse. Anyhow as my head isnt very wide I usually have to have teens glasses and normally this isnt an issues, specsavers does me proud every time, not this year though!!!!!!!! They are all them horrible rectangular lenses I hate so gave up and retreated back to asda (the cheapest for reglazing!) and ordered them.

What a hassle!

Havent done any crafting, Ive started reading up ready for my GTP and bought myself a few files this weekend, apart from that theres nothing exciting going on in our household, so will leave blogging for today and come back when there is something more exciting go on!

WOW! I did it...

I got on the GTP course at Reading Uni, my dream has always been to teach and now its going to be reality, Ive been an unqualified teacher for the past 2 terms, so its exciting to think that in a years time I will be qualified.

Its also very scary as Im leaving the comfort and safety of the job I love to take on a huge amount of work, but it will be worth it in the long run! Maybe I could have picked a better year to start it in rather than next academic year as there is sooo much going on, mums 60th, m&d's ruby wedding, gramps 90th birthday, but heyho I cant pick and choose when to start can I

Of course the biggest milestone in my baby's life is happening next academic year too - she starts school in september! I have a meeting at the school to find out the nitty gritty details of start dates/times on monday and of course , how much the uniform is going to cost me!!!!!! Everything these days has to have the flippin school logo on it which inflats the price by about £5 so when you need to buy 4/5 of everything as you dont want to wash every day it all adds up!

New promarker blog!

A new challenge blog has been launched - Passion for ProMarkers. I will be watching this new blog with interest for inspiration as I have finally discovered promarkers a few weeks ago! They are offering some ProMarker blog candy to celebrate their launch! How fab!

Cosmo Cricket Photo Cube

I made this photocube ages ago and never posted it, so here it is, its made using only the elements of the Cosmo cricket tsv. This little cube usually takes pride of place on the coffee table in the lounge! Its covered ith pics of our time in brussells in 2007, we so love Brussells!

Gina's Christmas fortnight!

Over on DC Gina has set and xmas fortnight challenge where we create a present/card for xmas in order to beat the christmas rush, I have not made cards in the whole time the project has run and dont intend to start anytime soon, I have stuck to pressies including this little shopping list clipboard. The boards are from a QVC kit and the papers are basic grey Sultry, one of my girly favs! hope you like it, I have made this for my mum as she loves her little lists for shopping!

Here is the front:

Flip it over and here is the back!

Ok so I was wrong...

I did do some scrapping yesterday, but I havent photographed it yet, so cant show you as the light isnt good at the moment, I dug out the cosmo cricket tsv and made myself a little round book of our day at Frimley Lodge Park last month, its quite cute.

Ive promised Emily I will make her a little chicken cube for her desk at work as she is sooo sad they have gone, but I havent got my pics printed yet so will have to sort that one out for her, bless!!!!!!!

Been a crappy day, I managed to break the little knob for my electric mirrors this afternoon and its gonna cost £101 just for the part, stuff that, Im just gonna have to stick my hand out the window and make them move, Im not paying that for a silly little stick of plastic!

Was lovely and sunny today though and we ordered the dollars for our states holiday, how cool its just under 11 weeks away and then I will rubbing paws with the great Mickey himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Yippppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I also intend to do some serious scrapbook shopping so am only taking out bare essential clothing so there is lots of room in the suitcase on the way home for all my treats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right Im off work to do!

Busy Sundays!

We have been up for ages and the beds are made, the dishwasher on and emptied and the washing on the line!

Two cars washed and we are just chillin for a few mins before we go and get our cossies on for swimming,then we are having lunch out and back home then for a bit of garden tidying, it desperatly needs cutting and strimming as well as some more bags of woodchips popped onto the flower beds.

Cant see myself crafting today, but not to worry, I can live without it for a few days!!!! Ive also some very boring school paperwork to get finished!!!!

Have been a bit naughty this week...

and ordered myself a scrapagogo kit, the newport bay kit looked so scrummy sat there online that I just had to have it, so I ordered it on my credit card, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, dont tell huby Im supposed to be keeping that clear for my hols!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on now, who can resist this yummy looking peice of gorgeousness that comes supplied in its own bright yellow pizza box, happy days are here again, perhaps after my hols Ill start subscribing again!...or maybe before even!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Album in a tin

I bought this little set of tins and clipboards from QVC a couple of weeks ago, there was no pic but I took a gamble and decided to get them, they were fab, 4 little woodware cd tins - 2 circular and 2 square, with 2 mini clipboards.

As nan is still in hospital I made her a little mini book to cheer her up and the fab thing about these is that they stand up so dont take much space up, perfect for her bedside locker to remind her of us lot, as ugly as we may be!!!!! All the papers are CCSR, there isnt too many embellies as the tins are quite flat but Ive popped on a few and she loved them! AC ribbons used and some of the crafters delight TSV too!!!!

The front and the decorated tin!

The back!

Just the front!

Just the back!

Not the very best of my work but Nan loved it just the same, going to have a go at the clipboards at the weekend ready for xmas pressies!!!!

Bank Holiday happiness

We all love a bank holiday don't we, so why arent there more of them. Dispite being really poorly with a cold I still managed to do a few things with the help of a box of tissues and some decongestants!

SO off we trotted to Bournemouth on Sunday, a quick spin on the merry go round.

Followed by a stroll along the beach...

An icecream in the park....

A stroll through the park to see some wicked art work - this one is called scarecrows for squirrels!

And a shot of me taken by Charley in the back of the car!!!

Thriller Live!

We have just been to see this at our local theatre tonight, and wow was it fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you get the chance to go, do as it really was well worth the money! We we posh this evening and had a box to ourselves too!!!!

Thriller Live is a spectacular concert specially created to celebrate the incredible career of the world's greatest entertainer - Michael Jackson.The amazing concert features a West End cast of performers including singers, a live band, and as you'd expect, fantastic dancers paying tribute to the true King of Pop!Thriller Live is a celebration of the music of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. This sensational concert features specially created choreography and brilliant vocal performances, in a brand new show that brings the magic of Michael and the Jackson 5 to life.

Featuring over two hours of hit songs including I Want You Back, I'll Be There, Show You The Way To Go, Can You Feel It, Rock With You, She's Out Of My Life, Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Earth Song and many more!

We arrived back to an ambulance on m&d's doorstep as gramps has had another hypo, thats 2 in one day, one more and he will be in hospital like nan! What is going on at the moment!!!!

A long, long week....

for lots of reasons, my nan has been ill and causing the family lots of worry and anxiety, she has been admitted to hospital now, so we may get to the root of the problem, well fingers crossed that we will! So the week has had stress from there, extra stress in the form of childcare issues as mum hasnt been around and poor little charley has been passed from pillar to post this week with so many different peeps looking after her its unbelieveable, not that I am not grateful to each and every one of them, but I feel sorry for little bear, being a fulltime working mum stinks!!!

Beary has a cold and been sleeping in the spare room with me most of the week and now I have the stinking cold too! So am feeling sorry for myself.

It was my GTP interview on wednesday which went well (according to my head) I dont think itwent that well but heyho! She is convinced that i have a place and I can only hope and keep my fingers crossed until I get the official response from the uni themselves, which could be any time in the next three weeks, so fingers crossed everyone!

Im going to make a card later for my mum to take down to my nanna as whenever she is released from hospital they will be sending her to a rehab centre for a few weeks as she cant walk at the moment.

Life just seems to be whizzing by me at the moment, but I seem to be watching it in slow motion, Im lookig forward to the long weekend, believe me after this week I need it!

Ohhhhhhh nearly forgot, at school we have baby chicks, here is the website address
Click here to view live images of our chicks hatching!

how cool are they!!!!!

This is what the weekend is all about...

Sunshine, fun and ice lollies! We spent today at the Lodge Park playing ball and eating icecream, it was glorious weather and great fun, I wouldnt like to even consider how many ice lollies this little lady ate, but she had fun!

Looks like too much ball for this little one!!!

So we just had to soak up the sunshine at the Quays with a glass of wine, that was soooo tragic!

Urghhhhhhhh its monday tomorrow, I dont like mondays!

Get well soon

Made another card this weekend using the CCSR. I used CSSR papers and sentiment stamps but a cool pink petticoat image and papermania silk flower, button from stash!, this card is for Kirsty cards for heroes which I need to get packaged up and sent tomorrow!!!! Im way behind!

CSSR challenge

Ive my completed my Colour Challenge over on CCSR. the challenge this week was to use Turquoise and Yellow as the challenge this week. So here is my take on the challenge!

Hope you like it!

Card Ingredients: I have used CCSR papers, core'dinations cardstock, CSSR doodles stamps, pm adhesive gems, stazon ink and PM Duos stamp, I love this little fairy she is soooo cute!

What fabby blog candy!!!

Debbie is offering some fantastically amazing blog candy! Go check out her blog, she makes the most brilliant cards. I have started making cards again recently and this blog is a fab inspriation!

Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad

So here is the card that I made for mum and dad for the annversary, once again its a CCSR card. The card was lifted from the CCSR blog and is one of Tab's cards from Sketch Challenge #3 which I thought would be perfect, only problem is I dont seem to have a greetings stamp for 'happy anniversary' so I used an autumn leaves love stamp instead, all the papers are CCSR barring, copics used to grey the edges of the butterflies, ribbon from stash, pm black gems and core'dinations black cardstock.

I even decorated the insides! This is something I never do for cards, bu today I thought I would, Im quite pleased with it actually, now just need to get my nan and grandads card for tomorrow sorted and Im away!!!!

Tough times

I havent been blogging for a while due to a situation that has arisen in the family. Its causing a lot of stress for all the family and its a real hard time thats is probably going to have some nasty consequences for all of us, the likelihood is that after 60+ years of marriage my grandparents will be split up and one of them put in a nursing home while the other has to move into sheltered accomodation. Isnt our system unfair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They should both be allowed to stay together wherever they go!!!!

Anyhows, it has been a bit of a strange week with me babysitting (quite literally) my grandparents one evening so my folks could go out so crafting has taken a back seat but Ive woken up this morning almost swearing because I havent made my parents an anniversary card and its their anniversary today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ooooooooooooooppppppppppppsssssssss! So am off to do that now, will post it later and also that wedding journak jar too as Im giving that to Emma today when she comes over!

Wedding guest book

Wow, two posts in one day! Just to prove I have been doing crafty things, here is the guest book that I have made for Emma and Phil, Im soooo looking forward to going to her evening reception!

Each of the pages has a glittery silver heart and their initials. Its exactly as they want it, so I hope they will be pleased with it. I decorated the journaling jar, but wont post on here till I have finished the notebook to go with it!I got some more promarkers today so am looking forward to getting them out and having a play. At the moment I am watching a dvd 'The Changling' not sure if I can get into it or not yet, we shall see!

Clare Curd Signature Range

I used my first sheet of Clare Curd paper at the weekend to make a card for the challenge over on CCSR. There is a fabby sketch to follow! I used CCSR paper the big one, CCSR doodles stamps, CCSR party chics stamps and promarkers to colour the image. I used some ribbons from stash, core'dinations cardstock and a pm brads - glitter and flock ones!

I love this card, even if I do say so myself!

Freedom!

Thats what I had today, 3.5 hours to be precise without Charley and it was bloody lovely!!! When I think back to the first week of the hols when I was soooo poorly and craving a bit of peace and quiet, well finally I got it. Charley had a lovely time with her friend and I popped into town for a few bits and bobs - hmmmmmmmm bits and bobs that cost £17 in Asda, not really bits and bobs then, I also went into Snip and bought some fabby little wicker baskets that now sit on my desk holding my clear stamps, my promarkers and my 6x6 papers, am going back tomorrow for another one as I have more promarkers on their way!

Hey steve hasnt even noticed the large set of green drawers on my craft desk that hold the 'Summer Suprise' DCWV summer kit I bought last week on QVC, he is sooooo stupid sometimes! I just loved the papers and thought that they would be fabby for my holiday album when we get back from Florida, along with all the bits Ill buy there as well!!!! Would take a pic but my desk is in creative chaos where I was busy trying out my Clare Curd papers and stamps tonight, will show the fruits of my labour tomorrow, one card all evening and Im chuffed, easily pleased arent i?????????lol!

So tomorrow we ARE feeding ducks as I have enough stale bread to feed about 6 ponds worth and then off out for a curry in the evening, not sure what Charlotte is going to make of it she hasnt been to the curryhouse since she was about 6 months and ate anything and everything in sight! me thinks that may be different this time though!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday we will be swimming again, maybe I will start shedding those pounds, who knows, we went this evening then I went home a cooked a humungous macaroni cheese, - well planned that was wasnt it!!!! Lol!

Right tis time for beddy byes now so will add some pics in the morning and I really must get around to posting my pics of the photo cube I did with my cosmo cricket set and Em's guest book which is now finished, I just need some black card for the journal and Im done!!!! Hip, hip, hip hooray!

Night x

Clare Curd the big one!

I love Clare's 'the big one' paper stack and even though I couldnt really afford it I bought it today, however there is no way Ill ever get through 200 sheets so if any of you want some but only want to buy 10 or so sheets Ill happily sell 10 for 89p plus postage, of course if your happy for the paper to be cut down to A6 it will be far cheaper postage costs, but if you want 12x12 sheets it will be more expensive, Ill work out what the actual cost is later, leave me a message on here if you fancy some!

Ill even throw in a few of the new stamped images too!

Where has the sun gone

Yesterday was beautiful, sunny skies, blueness and warmth, this morning I woke to thunder and lightening storms!

Last night Em's came over, more wedding stuff and I made her guest book to her specifications, that bind it all comes in handy sometimes, will post a pic later as I havent got my camera ready yet! So we have now done the table names, guest book and Ive given her the directions on making her table plan, its all coming together now!! Must get some black card today to make her journal for her journalling har I have started, any ideas for wedding/love based questions to go in the jar would be gratefully recieved!!!!!

Fancy a little visit to the craft shop for some of Clare Curds stamps so thats where I will be pootling off to soon, I also want her yummy paper pack for card making but might have to give that a miss at £14.99 Id never use it all! Have ordered some more promarkers too, I soooooo need them!!!

52 Q&A's

Ok ,so I have gotten way behind on this project, so Im using the next few days off of work to catch up, here are three tags that I did a week or two ago that I didnt get around to posting on here, Im not doing them in any particular order whilst I catch up and just fancied doing these ones first!

First up was Q5 - How Do I Feel Today?

Q7 - If I couldnt fail, what would I do? Stupid question really, open my own craft shop!

And Q9 - when were you last brave - well when I had my blood test, I have anything to do with needles!

So there are three more for my collection Ive still quite a few to catch up on I think that they are up to Q15 and Ive only done 6 so best get on and stop blogging! bye for now!

Some pics

Here are some of the things Ive been up to recently, last week when I was poorly and in bed I was treated to a litle puppet show by the fabulous Charley!

Of course I couldnt see her only the horse and the tiger who were going to a party!

I made this A5 card last night for Paul's mum for her 70th, papermania scrumptious papers, ribbon from a chocloate box!, papermania letters and bazzill cardstock. The brad int he centre of the flowers was a white fabric one that I inked with my cats eyes stack and the flowers and lace (barring the pink one) were from a swap with Claire, from my team. the frutiloops, over on UKS last year when we all did a stash swap!

This is the card I made for gramps for his birthday last month I used flock for the first time on this card and love the texture, the papers are from a cheap shop I visited a while back and the cardstock is core'dinations. The little froggy image is a pink petticoat, hoppy wishes for him.

This is the tag book that I made for Mother in Law for one of Gina's xmas challenges over on docrafts. Its made from K&Co poppy papers and Papermania collossall stack. Ribbons and flowers from stash and used my trusty cropodile!

... Its only 8am...

and charley is tucking into easter eggs already!!!! Good job I walked in her or she would have eaten the lot!

Made a 70 card for a commission last night so just need to put the word MUM on it and its done, will post pics of it later, Im quite pleased with it. My style has changed quite a lot over the last 6 months and Im enjoying card making much more than I used to. If I had more time Id re-open my online shop, but there is a dream isnt there! Especially seeing as Im going for an interview for a new training post in a couple of weeks time! I have my fingers crossed that I get it too!

As for today, Ive nothing planned, as little as possible I hope, might get on with chucking out again, Ive made a rule thai have to chuck out 3 items from each room each day from the kitchen, lounge, charleys room, the study and the spare room! I seriously need to declutter!

What a lovely day!

Well after most of the weekend being a wash out today has been lovely and sunny, not boiling hot, but cheerful! Even have managed to get washing dry! I found this site today http://flylady.net/index.asp as I so need to get organised, and started on Charleys room much to her disgust!!! But it feels better in there, although its still cluttered.

So Im off to shine my sink! How lovely to want to do h****w**k!

No crafting for me again today as we went swimming today, my all time hate and for the second time this weekend too! Oh I forogt to say the kids pool is only 0.9m deep so I dont have to worry about getting out of my depth and its very warm in there too! You never know I may even start to enjoy it soon.

Right shine my sink and then Im going to make myself a few cards with all those images that I have promarkered this weekend I deserve it!!!

And the winner is......

....... crafting Gill........ there were 86 mini eggs in Charlottes vase, so you were the closest, pm your addy and Ill get a little prize in the post to you!


Thank you all for entering, hope you had fun!

Promarkers

Spent the day colouring images with my new promarkers and am loving them! Perhaps I should use them to make some cards now!!!! Or maybe just stalk the stores and see where I can get some more.

Now for that competition

As Easter is only a few days away I thought that Id give a few bits and bobs away, ribbons, blooms, brads and a few other bits, so if you think you would like to win them, you need to guess how many mini easter eggs are inside this vase that Charlotte made and leave me a comment telling me how many there are!

I will announce the winner after 5pm easter sunday so you have plenty of time to get guessing!!!!

Don't forget.....

to check back here later for a little easter competition!!!

Look what I made today!

Well not made by me personally but by Charlotte!

They are cheap and cheerful QS glass vases jazzed up with some kids craft planet clear stickers, they are soooo cute. They are for the nana's for easter, I think they are great and will look fab with a few daffodils plopped in them on the day, Im not one for too many sweet treats but I guess that they could be filled with mini eggs and home made daffs we shall see what tommorrow brings!

Talking of tomorrow check back about lunchtime tomorrow for a bit of an eastery competition with a scrapping prize!

Havent felt like this...

in ages, OMG am I ill or what! All day I have been really poorly with a stomach bug, I cant keep out of the bathroom! Poor ole charley hasnt had a mummy today, not that she is fussed my DS Lite has been her form of entertainement since lunchtime today when she got back from bowling with Daddy and Uncle Paul. Her only saving grace was when she stopped for 5 minutes to eat some choccy one of the kids bought me for easter! No I lie, she actually went to sleep with me for an hour earlier this afternoon, we were knackerdoodled!

So that has meant no crafting, I did some on thursday night as a pressie for a pre school teacher then forgot to photograph it so I cant even show you that! My Scrappydo's order arrived on thursday and I havent even had time to play with that, its a shame that they are now closed, but I was pleased with my bargains, some scenic route papers and chipboard (sonama) which will be perfect for my spain album, that I really should get on with and some fabby manhatten papers to that are gorgeous and i dont want to cut at the minute.

Im going to make steve a photocube for easter for his desk at work, I will finally get around to using some the cosmo cricket kit that I am still paying for!!!!! Ive made my easter cards so just need to think what i can get charley to make for everyone as a pressie.

I was well made up this week at work, all term long I have been acting as a teacher rather than a nursery nurse, well they have finally agreed to pay me as an unqualified teacher for the rest of this term, I have an interview for my GTP at the end of the month and hopefully will get on the course then I can have my own class in a year and a bits time, after lots of hard work!!!!!! Still it should be fun.

This is the book that I will be reviewing in my interview its so cool, check it out on amazon!