My goodies...

Like I promised, a photo of my goodies that I bought at the make-it show in Farnborough last Friday. I aimed on just buying things that I either needed, so I can use stash I already have or things I really wanted but only if it was a lot cheaper than buying them on line...

I bought the big and juicy pad (£8), as have had a brayer for years and never used it, the Martha Stewart punches as loved the look on them as QVC and as these were just £18, I treated myself to 2, all from Oyster stamps ... The 12 x12 pad was another bargain at £4.99 (embossed and glittered) as were the peel off's, glittered not £4.99, lol, they were just 50p each...


As for these stash below, I again loved the Tim Holtz on QVC last week, but didn't want the TSV, but managed to get some shiny card, alcohol inks, blending solution and pads which worked out a lot cheaper. Also fancied trying out the cosmic shimmer, as saw a fab demo using it with the TH inks and the gliding flakes and shrinkles, oh yes and the heat/messy mat was another bargain price, at just £4.99...

On the 'every item a £1' store (or 12 items for £10), I got some lovely templates that I think Stevens day centre will love and some scrapbook templates too (for me)...


and the usual few wooden buttons from button-it, double sided tape and a embossing tool that I saw used in another demo... I really enjoyed watching the demo's this year, as did all the shopping before 3, then after 2 trips to the car (not only of my stuff, but my mum and aunties too, honest), then I walked round chilling watching demo's, oh yes the blue flower on the right was also done at a demo which was given to me, by the man making it, after spraying it with scent, lol...

And finally 7 A4 clear storage boxes as still sorting out my arty attic and 2 large pen pouches to store my promarkers...

Saying of the week...

Children are a great comfort in your old age

and they help you reach it faster too

me 'greedy' never....

Well as you know Gina challenged me to make 'something for me' but while that was drying and because I had a WHOLE afternoon free for crafting I thought I would be 'greedy' and make myself something else.

That something else, was to cover a clipboard, which I'm not entirely sure about yet, (as might decide to distress the edges), but I know I can always do that afterwards, rather than ruin it...



I'm hopefully in for a fun day tomorrow as going the 'Make-it' show at Farnborough with my mum and auntie, I'm taking my camera with me, so hopefully can pick up some tips...

OH YES and I might even buy the odd thing or two for myself...

me 'greedy' never, lol....


UPDATE.... had a fab time at Farnborough, photos of stash that just happened to jump into my bag, to follow....

Something for 'me'...

A few weeks back, gina set me a challenge to make something for 'me', there was no time limit, as she know I get spurts of crafting time...

At the time, I couldn't think of anything, then when I was trying to find an address of one of my crafty friends last week, I realised I needed an address book, as my addresses were scribbled on scraps of paper, lol...

Then came up with the idea of trying some of the Tim Holtz goodies that I've had for yonks, but as it would be the first time of trying them out didn't want to go too big... So hunted around the attic to find this....


it is a 3x3 raw album...


Well I did say nothing too big, lol...



Anyway I watched a few TH demo's on you tube before I ventured into my Arty Attic...

and, I think I use every technique possible, lol...

First of all I used tattered rose crackle paint, then the blending tool with brushed corduroy and bundle sage distress inks, on both the inside and out...



Then using a 'hot off the press' stamp and pumice stone distress ink, stamped a few times, then brushing Heirloom Gold perfect pearls over the wet stamp...


And finally dug out the Mixed Minis plain and Elements swirls grungeboard, covered them all in Brushed Corduroy distress ink, putting ice stickles on the letters before sticking them on, and finally fixing the hinge with brads...



I am quite chuffed with myself for not only starting and finishing a project in one afternoon, but it was so much fun having such a messy afternoon too, lol...

Great fun

WOW I had such a fun afternoon yesterday....

I had great fun messing around, some for the first time with inks, stickles, grungeboard, glue, blending tool, perfect pearls, stamps, paper, cuttlebug, ribbon, to name just a few things, lol...

Oh and watched bit of Tim Holtz on youtube...

OK, I think I might have got a bit carried away, (looking at the state of my fingers at bedtime, lol) but my goodness it was fun, I've never tried so many different techniques in one afternoon before, and that was on just one project... I was actually working on 3 different projects...

Hopefully I'll be able to take a photo of one of them later today, as the other 2 still need to be finished.

Right, now need to go and get my little boy from respite, we also have Sam and Matt coming for a roast lunch as Matt has work at 2... So where yesterday, I had a lovely relaxing peaceful afternoon, (as even hubby was out at football) it will be the totally the opposite this afternoon, lol...

Oh well, it was lovely while it lasted, lol...

Saying of the week...

Once a fool, never a fool again.

Bit of crafting...

Well sort of, I finished off one of the cards I made last month for Suzie, can you guess how old she was yesterday, lol...


Also I actually opened a couple of items I've had for ages, the first was a bag of chipboard flowers which I painted round the edges using acrylic paint...


Then opened and used, yes used some crackle distressed paint from Tim Holtz that I've had since his craft day last year and never even tried, lol...


OK, not sure what I'm going to do with them, but was chuffed I managed some more crafting this week...

OK some of you might not class that as crafting, but I do, as not had really had a minute to myself these last few weeks... BUT am hoping that might change this Saturday, as hubby is off to the football and as Steven is at Russets, I'm unable to go to the footy as Steven is the season ticket holder, not me...

I have some idea's in my head, so lets hope I put that to some use and use the time and start and finish a project...
(so watch this space, lol)

Love is in the air....

Sunday afternoon, had a spare hour while Steven was out, so quickly knocked up a Valentine card for hubby...



... and when I say quickly, I mean quickly, lol...I used 'Clouds II' from Wubie prints, peel off balloons from imag-e-nation coloured in with marker pens...

The writing was cut using the 'Monde de Blonde' decorative strip out of little sizzlets adhesive card stock 'Neutrals'...

I know again a very simple one, but have had a lot on my plate at the moment, so no time to craft.

Saying of the week...

I can handle anything...

I have children.

More Lay Outs

Another couple of pages, this time for Steven's scrapbook, the first is of a Pompey signing session at Fratton park back in April 2003...


and the second of Steven school sports day where he got 1st prize for the catapult.


These were taken in July 2009, the same day which would have been my dad's 69th birthday, if he had not died less than 2 months before.

I did feel a little tearful while doing this page, but pleased I did it, as dad would have been so proud of Steven, as he and mum always came to Steven' sports days and shows whenever they could.

Xmas page

Well have not only done my first scrapbook page of 2011 but the first since November 2008, when I did the 2 wedding albums. As not only have I not had the time, but also not had the heart when it comes to photos... but feel the time is right to get back into it.

It is of my great nephew Orlando and was taken December 2009 when he was nearly 5 months old...



I wanted the heading to be nice and glittery but didn't have anything suitable so made my own using some precut cardboard letters (think they were from a Brenda Pinnick set).



I then coated them with a poppy red pro marker, clear ink and tinsel red embossing powder. To be honest I was very pleased with the results, especially as you cannot see I used all different coloured letters to start off with and I've not used my embossing powders and gun for over 4 years, lol...

The pattern at the bottom of the page was already printed onto the green paper, but the HOHOHO strip across the top was cut from a 12x12 border paper. The tags were from my stash as was Rudolf, whose nose was a brad covered with the same tinsel embossing powder to match the heading.

I'm going to be giving the page to my niece to put Orlando's album.

Saying of the week...

Please be patient...

I only work here because I'm...

Too old for a paper round,
Too young for a pension and
Too tired to have an affair!

Relection on 2010

Whoops, am a it late with this, this year.

Well as you know the first half of the year was taken up with sorting out my daughters house as we got it on the 22nd December 2009 and we had the builders straight in, in the January...

So what did we do, we had to do the damp and sort out the chimney first, then it was a new kitchen and bathroom. We also had a hole knocked through from the lounge into the dining room and had doors fitted, which of course meant building regulations were needed, all great fun. But we got all that sorted also a loft ladder fitted and wardrobes fitted in the master bedroom and a spot of painting in a couple of rooms, for them to move in on the 1st June...

The second half of the year was taken up with Steven leaving school after being there for 15 and half years, so quite an emotional time for me and a frustrating one for Steven as he didn't understand why his happy life style had to change?

To be honest it has been a roller coaster ride for both of us, and it's still not over yet. We are now on our 3rd carer (that's not counting the 2 that handed their notices in before they had actually worked with him). We now have a member of staff from the Out of Town Centre taking Steven out for his social skills on a Thursday morning, so fingers crossed, but seems to be going OK and we are in our 3rd week, lol.

Because of the house and Steven, we didn't really do any holidays, we did a weekend away in May, which was Steven's belated Birthday present and we wanted Steven out the way when Sam moved out, as he would have got totally confused with all the in and outs of furniture and boxes. Then in August Clive and I went away for 48 hours to celebrate our 25th wedding Anniversary, which was very relaxing with it having a spa and pool there, OK the relaxation didn't last once we got back home to reality, hehehe but it was lovely while it lasted. We also had a lovely BBQ round my daughters house to celebrate hubbies 50th.

Oh yes, I also help start a new carers group for parents/carers of young adults. As we found out there was not the support out there once your child leaves school or becomes 18 (an adult) and to be honest the problems become harder to deal with.
For one, you don't have the back up from the services, you loose your right to be classed as your son's mum, you become their carers, yes don't go there, it's ludicrous as I'm still my daughters mum, but in the eyes of the law I am not...

So I wonder what 2011 will bring, hopefully health, laughter, happiness and lots of rest, lol...xx

Cards

Last week I felt like a few people needed cheering up and seeing that Steven was in respite one evening, I thought I would make a few cards. So after doing Alma's birthday card the week before, I thought I would use the kit I got her greeting from and I came up with these...









But enjoyed making them so much, carried on using the kit and ended up making another 24, lol...



and still got stacks left in the kit, but will save that for another day, as want a change of scenery... The only downside to the kit is the greetings as I feel they don't show the greeting up too well. With Alma's one I went over the greeting with a glitter pen, but these cards I rubbed over some chalks to help highlight the greeting, has anyone else had this problem and if you have, how did you deal with it?...