new stamps and blog candy giveaway

Below is a link to Foxy's new stamps 'paddy' and 'poppy' and her blog candy giveaway, check them out, they are fab...

http://foxcrafts.blogspot.com/

Round mini scrapbook

Not sure where I got the book from, think it was a freebie in a craft mag, I've never actually completed a mini scrapbook before, so this is the very first, just hope she likes it.

It is for the little girl of the people we stayed with we went over to Paris last month. We went on a Monday coming back on the Thursday, while Steven was away at Butlins with the school....

The pictures were taken in their back garden where they have a 'G' scale garden railway, OK one of the reasons why we went to France, was that hubby wanted to see the train layout in real life rather than via their blogs, also I wanted to go through the channel tunnel.

We were lucky with the weather, it was a gorgeous day (not like the day before when we spent the day in Paris, it rained nearly all day, lol photos to follow).

Hubby had made Carl some figures for his garden railway, and also took over the ones he has made for our layout to show him, so they had fun placing them down and taking photos of them, well it kept them out of trouble, lol....
also meant I could sit and do some decoupage, and take photos of them taking photos of the figures and trains...

Said I would send the photos over to Josephine, but thought it might be nice in a book form rather than just emailed.

The cover,

1st photo...Even though she had, had a half day from school, she still had homework to do after lunch.

2nd photo...Here they are placing the figures in their positions for the photo call, lol

3rd photo...Well here are the good looking bunch

4th photo...Josephine and her dad taking photos

5th photo...Oops, not sure what her dad will say when he sees this photo, lol

6th photo...Josephine loves pony's and is always using her scooter as one, lol.


It was lovely break, the first one ever away from home without either of the children....the first one of many, I hope....

so much to do, so little time...

Sorry not been around, just not been had the energy for anything let alone blog, have had an emotional few weeks one way or another, but not really the things you blog about, but hey 'I'm back' and with vengeance, have even started crafting again, and enjoying it.


OK, OK, still not started my Christmas cards yet, but have done a little round tag book (as I call it) for the little girl we visited when we went to Paris last month, thinking about it, have not posted about our holiday to France or even any photos, sorry, so will have to sort that out too,

so much to do, so little time, lol..

Littlen in watching CBeebies, it's his favorite time of day on Saturdays and Sundays, Teletubbies, Balamory and Something Special all after each other, (with a little bit of Tweenies and Birthdays thrown in too), it's always at the same time, in the same order at the weekends, well that's until BBC decides to change it, but I'll worry about that when it happens.

Right off to find the camera to see about photographing the round book, and then fancy fresh homemade coleslaw, granary bread and ham for lunch, so better make sure I have the cabbage, onions etc....

Weight lost recipe: no 7

French-style sausage casserole

454g packet of extra-lean sausages
garlic low-fat spray
1 onion, finely sliced
20g (3/4 oz) gravy granules
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 dessert spoon whole-grain mustard
220ml (8 fl oz) brown ale

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190c/375f
Put the sausages on a baking tray and place in the preheated oven. Fry the onions off in a non-stick frying pan with the cooking spray until starting to brown.
Meanwhile make the gravy granules and boiling water, make 300ml (1/2 pt) gravy. To this add the vinegar and mustard and top up with the beer.
Transfer the cooked onions to a casserole dish and top with the part-baked sausages. Add the gravy mixture, reduce the oven to 3/170c/325f.
Cover the casserole and cook for 3/4 hour, remove the cover, spoon the gravy over the sausages and cook for a further 15 minutes.

We have this with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes.

To be honest even if you don't like mustard, (which I cannot stand) this recipe is lovely, especially with the weather at the moment, it's delicious.

Standing on my own two feet

A few weeks ago I got this card..

from the blood service thanking me for donating 3 times over twelve months, and with it came a letter saying I can claim a slate coaster next time I give blood which was to be Tuesday 5th November.

I always go with my dad in fact he 'always' does the booking up for us, but this time dad would not be coming as he is unable to give blood anymore.
I felt quite emotional when they asked where my dad was as they noticed he had canceled and thought he had gone on holiday again, as he is always nipping off in his caravan, lol. So it was a little upsetting telling them, that he is unable to give anymore, they were really sweet, gave me a slate coaster for him, but it was the thank you card that they went and wrote out that really touched a nerve, thanking him for the 109 pints he has donated, (makes my 35 look a little feeble, lol) and that was not counting the pints he gave when he was in the Army.

He was taken back by the card and coaster when I gave them to him, as he was a little disappointed having to stop, as he always thought he would get to his 70th Birthday (which is the age you have to stop), so he still had 2 years to go, as he's still a spring chicken at 68, lol.
This is my coaster...

So now my daddy's not coming with me anymore, I really got to learn to stand on my own 2 feet, so I had to make my next appointment all by myself while I was there, lol

So can someone please remind me nearer the time, that I'm next giving blood on the 17th March 2009, as I might forget, as dad always reminded me when it was due...

Weight lost recipe: no 6

Fresh Tomato Pasta

350g (12 oz) pasta
low-fat cooking spray
1 onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) ripe tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 pack of fresh Basil, chopped

Cook the pasta, drain. Spray a large frying-pan with the cooking spray and out on a medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic and onion until soft, then add the tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down.
Toss the pasta into the sauce with the fresh basil, season and serve.

We tend to have it with diced grilled gammon, OH and olives, bread sticks and Parmesan, lol

Ankle biter's First Birthday Card

Well my great nephew was 1 year old a few days ago, it reminded me about the First Christmas card I made him last year, which was the first (and last) time I have used my wizard nestabilities, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with them, they give a great effect, but yet again, it was a 'MUST HAVE ' purchase at the time, (OK I ended up buying 4 sets in one go, well I thought it would work out cheaper in the long run lol), and I loved them, but packed them away cos of Christmas coming up and yep, forgot about them till now lol...

...oh yes, and I also bought another 4 sets this year at The Make-it Show earlier this year, (well again they were on offer) and yep, they're still in mint condition.

Anyway thought I would dig out the pictures I took to show you, have not thought about what I will do him for his second Christmas, saying that still have not thought about any Christmas cards as yet!!!!

I used the wizard oval scallop nestabilitie through my cuttlebug and 'You're Not Boss of Me' for the writing, which I ran through the xyron, stuck on the card, then sprinkled glitter over the top to soak up the left over glue (from the xyron) and to add a lovely Christmas sparkle.
The Father Christmas decoupage was from a book I got from QVC a few years back, I wanted a traditional Father Christmas, so he fitted perfectly.



and this was his first Birthday card I made for him the other day...



...did want to use the sizzix Alphabars 'doodle dots' for Alfie's name, but when I opened the boxes (I bought the whole set of upper and lowercase alphabets and numbers from Ellison sale at the end of August) found I had 2 sets of lowercase alphabets, and no uppercase, even though the box said it was an uppercase. Did phone Ellison to be told they had been reduced to clear, so could not replace them, (but would give me a complete refund), so ended using the cuttlebug 'You're Not Boss of Me' again.
The sizzlit teddy bear w/shirt was put on with 3d foam pads and the balloon/streamers peel offs were from Asda when they were selling them off cheap earlier this year, coloured in with WHSmiths glitter pens. Oh yes round the number 1, I used the fluid chalk cats eyes that were recommened from the ladies on do-crafts, thanks ladies yes they are fab and note I bought and used them in the same month, a FIRST for me I think lol.

Next month

Just had a phone call from my daughter to say she is down town, Christmas shopping, as it's ''CHRISTMAS'' next month.


Nothing like cheering her mum up on a cold rainy day, having just got over the trick and treaters from last night, lol

Children who'll have them!!!!!!!