Dublin part two...

As I said in part one, we had decided we wanted walk round to the lighthouse, but by the time we got round there the wind had picked up a bit more, but it was lovely seeing all the sea spray, hitting the walls, we got some fab photos just waiting to be scrapped...

It hit the outer walls...

then if the waves were strong enough, would cascaded over onto the inner wall...

But we decided to still go for it, as not dangerous, more trying not to get wet from the spray, as we walked down on the lower wall, (not next to the sea) which was fine, but of course you couldn't see the spray coming...
It was fun though, trying to work out when was the best time to make a run for it, would we get caught by the spray and how wet would we get... but we made it, AND without getting caught out once, and was so please we did, it was a lovely little light house...

On the way back we were watching to see if there was a pattern with the waves, but typical with nature, there was not...

this bit was not so exciting, as I knew there was no other way back, lol, we just had to go for it... and we did....

I wasn't quite quick enough at one point, but with a bit of quick thinking, pulled myself up onto the railings and swung there till the water had subsided (well didn't want my boots get wet, did I?), but on the downside, hubby had the camera, but notice how far away he is taking the photo, yes such a gentleman, didn't wait for me, lol.......


It was fun though, to be honest, I really enjoyed it, as it was something we would not have normally been able to do if we had had Steven with us, so while Steven was enjoying he's time at Butlins with he's friends, (and he did as we was getting emails and photos everyday from them), we done something that we enjoyed...

Was a shame about the weather, as would have loved to have done a trip into the mountains, but that's the trouble, that's one thing you cannot book, 'the weather'... and it was over all to quick and we had to come home, as hubby was off to Bracknell on the Friday working...

...while I went to pick Steven up from school after he's week away, but he had such a fab time, that he didn't want to come home, when asked if he wanted to, he just gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked off with he's friends while waving goodbye to me, lol...

kids, don't you just love them, lol...

Dublin Part one...

Last week hubby and I popped over to Dublin for a few days, as Steven was away for the week with school to Butlins...

It rained nearly the whole time we were there, but it was still a nice break, not exactly relaxing, more fun... We stayed in a place called Rathmines, which was north of the River Liffy, I just love the locks, it reminded me of a holiday we did years ago on the Norfolk boards in a narrow boat,....


We did a tour round Dublin and visited the Guinness Storehouse, which we found very interesting, especially the pint of Guinness you get given at the end of the tour...


trouble is after a pint, it goes to my head...


We visited Howth by train, where we had a portion of chips (and a hot cup of coffee, lol) while walking round the sea wall, it was wet and windy, but lovely seeing all the fishing boats... also hubby nearly stood in the footprints of King George IV who was there in 12th August 1821...


oh and we liked the look of the lighthouse so much that we decided to walk round to it...


but the wind started picking up by then so.....

part two to follow....

I can tell the world now...

that my daughter is in engaged....

I got a couple of texts from her while she was away on her cruise with her boyfriend, saying they were fine and having a lovely time (the weather was lush and they had been swimming and were having cocktails by the pool, nothing like rubbing it in, with our weather, lol) but last week hubby and I got a phone call, as she wanted us to be the first to know, she was engaged, lol...

I'm not really surprised, as a mum you know these things (in fact Gina and I were only discussing before they went, would they come home engaged, lol)...

It's been hard not telling people, but she wanted to do that when she got back, OK she did say I could tell my crafty friends, but thinking about it, I couldn't put it on my blog or on do-crafts, as I'm not sure who knows who, and it might have got back to my mum or Matt's family before they got home, and I felt it was for Sam and Matt to make the big announcement...

Hence the rush in getting a card done, as I wanted her to have it upon they're return, but of course we would be away in Dublin then, (we put up a few balloons, banners and left a bottle of bubbly for them before we left)...

Just a shame the house fell through before they went on holiday...
oh well...we'll have to start looking again, I've all the time in the world, what with planning a wedding, house hunting and of course Stevens transition year, lol... (at least it will keep me out of trouble, lol)


The card is Linen card, used the Divine swirl cuttlebug embossing folder, sizzix double heart and think the purl slider was from lakelands and the ribbon and mirror card form my stash... (would have like some crystals or stones in some of the swirls, but would you believe it, I have every colour except clear, lol... looks like I'm going to have to go shopping)...

Well we got back from out little break in Ireland a few hours ago, we're shattered, done lots of walking and come home for a rest and hopefully some dry weather, as it rained the whole time we were there, lol...

Spinner album...

I first saw and heard about this on do-crafts, Jackie had got her hubby to help her make one, and Sue b had made one out of toilet rolls, so with the help of Jackie with the dimensions, I thought I'd have a go...

I cheated as I bought a wooden kitchen roll holder (from Asda for £2.50), well I let hubby off as he's busy painting my chicken shed and bits in the evening, lol...


Then set about cutting loads of card, chipboard and papers (using the K&Co pad I got off QVC)...


I covered the card and chipboard with the paper I cut, they're were either 4" square, or the ones with tabs on, were 4"x4.5".. I also inked the edges with my cats eyes chalk inks....


I cut holes with my BIA, using the spacer bar, so I could put the holes nearer the edge... and joined together using a 1 1/4" wire...


but when putting it together, felt I could put more pages in by not using the chipboard and tab chipboard pages, the card I had used and covered were strong enough, (oh well, you learn by your mistakes)...

I then place the whole book over the kitchen holder to see where I had to cut it down (OK hubby cut it down for me, as me and saws don't go together that well)....


A wooden knob was screwed on top, (bought from Homebase for £2.59 for a pack of 2)...


and there you have it, one spinner album with 70 pages in it, so 140 sides to decorate... think it will take me a time to fill, but plan on using old and up to date photos in it...

What a nice way to end the week...

This morning we had Harvest festival at Steven's school... I had a few phone calls and bills to pay first before picking mum up (which was nice as it was the first time she came to anything at school since dad died)...

Well they were doing a raffle, thinking about it, I never asked what the prize is, but how much they are, so I can see how many I can afford, lol...

The service was lovely, they had 4 really pretty flower arrangements in autumn colours, and some of the donations already on display, we sang/signed songs and pupils from each class took some of their harvest goodies up to add to the display...They did a slide show of where the donations were going to, which were for the local homeless and a special school in Ghana...

The head then announced the prize winners of the 4 flower displays and I was one of the lucky people, lol...so here are my lovely flowers that now look fab on my fire grate



Did offer them to my mum, but she declined as she still has some carnations I bought her last week... also she was catching a bus to see my sister, (I couldn't give her a lift as I had yet another meeting at the school after the harvest festival), but guess what I've got 2 weeks free of appointments, hooray, next week because Steven is off to Butlins at Bognor Regis with the school and the following week is half term...

So bliss..... till he goes back on the 2nd November when they all start again, starting with 3 college visits in that first week with the connexions officer...

My wheelbarrow....

Here's one of the kits I bought when we went to Welshpool, hubby's been working on it for me, I'm not one of those people that everything has to be kept looking new (stop laughing Gina, I will use all my craft kits up, it's just getting the time, honest), lol..

well here it is made up...



and painted...



and finally looking nice and weathered, in fact like the one my dad lent me years ago, lol... (we bought some real rust when we were at the show in Welshpool to make it look that way)...





the chicken shed is coming along slowly, but I'm fighting for hubby's time at the moment, as he's also working on a policeman and horse figure for someone else...I know, I know, he should get he's priorities right... 'ME'

OK maybe I should mention, he's getting paid to do the other figure (we don't actually get the money, the person donates money to our son school fund raising group, which they've done with all the figures my hubby makes for other people, he have raised £148 so far and some of the figures are living in as far away as France)...

Not got my little shed yet, so will adding that to my list tomorrow, a phone call to find out where it is...