Wednesday 31 December 2008

NEW YEAR

Fidget knickers is lying flat on his back - on my lap - wrapped up in a quilt - with his jumper on - and his 'big brother' curled up beside him . . . .
. . .




. . this time last year he was - all on his own - in a police kennels - a concrete box - in the dark - and the cold











He can't believe his luck and wishes everyone a happy New Year



Let's hope we all get that lucky in 2009!




HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Yours





P XXXX












CUTTLEBUG

I won't say that having a Cuttlebug has 'revolutionised' my craft - but it does make some of the jobs I was starting to find hard on my hands. The FMS has started to creep into my hands a bit and I am finding it hard to do large background embossing,




The background paper is speckled with various red inks. Then the embossing folder is inked up with smudges of pink and green.

I think it's the first time I have used the Do Craft free gift straight away.




Yours


P XXXX






Tuesday 30 December 2008

NEW CARDS

What do we need now? - Thank you cards of course!





Corner images stamped with a green variegated ink pad, then added pearl paints - middle cream panel embossed with CB 'swirls' - tiny speckles are liquid pearls - both of the upper cream panels are matted with a light and dark green - text is foundation in a pearl green ink.

If you mix plain ink with pearlie ink, it creates depth and texture, without you doing much else.














Yours






P XXXX














Monday 29 December 2008

TIP OF THE DAY

I use a lot of gems in my work, I have all sorts of mixed shapes and sizes down to 1mm.


People often ask how I have the Patience - but I have a trick up my sleeve - and I will share.
Take the fluff bit off the end of a cotton bud and add a blob of blu-tac. You can mould it with your fingers into a very fine point, and re-mould when you need to. You can use the point to 'gently' pick up the gems and place them on your glue. The glue is usually a stronger bond than the blu-tac, and the gem stays there, if you have been a bit heavy handed picking up the gem - use your craft knife tip to set it on the glue. When the blu-tac gets too mucky and non-sticky - replace the lump.
Simple!
Yours


P XXXX






Sunday 28 December 2008

NEW PROJECT

I really must do more scrapbooking this year. I don't do enough, but this is my quiet time and I aim to improve (for a while!)




So, I have tarted up an old scrap book cover (actually, I think it was the first one I ever bought) and I am going to scrap all the photos that the old goat has taken - and will take- of my new log cabin.

That means all the scrapbook layouts for a while will be 'housey'.





Yours


P XXXX






DID YOU KNOW?

Heard on the grapevine that the impress machine is to be discontinued. So be on the look out for greatly reduced dies. Remember - they fit the Cuttlebug with plate 'C' instead of one of the 'B's
Yours
P XXXX


Friday 26 December 2008



We are having Christmas today because the old goat has been out working for the past 2 days


So here is my Christmas snag from Makka (who does loads for me)


AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS TODAY FOR THE OLD GOAT!


Yours

P XXXX




Monday 22 December 2008

NEW SITES

With all the time we have to kill over the Christmas holidays (??), I thought I would pass on a fantastic resource site. It's American site and is full of all sorts of ideas, sorry but craft is still much more mainstream there, they all treat it as a normal thing to do and have so many ideas and tricks - we are so behind!
Make sure you have plenty of time - you will get hooked!
Yours
P XXXX


NEW SPACE

I HAVE A ROOF
-
I HAVE A ROOF




Would you believe I have a commission?? I popped in to Janet's on the way to Morrisons to pick up some pale pink card. They were totally dead, getting the new Docraft promo going. They are open tomorrow, but then closed for a week. Looked quite interesting - not telling - very interesting!

Then I tackled Morrisons to do the week's shopping - oh my goodness!!It was mobbed. I usually go on a Monday because it's so quiet, never imagined that every body in the County would be in there.We were quite lucky to find a parking spot close to the doors - but it took us 20 minutes to get out the car park.

Spent the rest of the day dozing in frome of the telly totally shattered!


Yours



P XXXX








Sunday 21 December 2008

NEW IDEA

Soo fed up - it's pouring with rain and the guys can't work outside.

Wanted to do something totally different - but not hard work like scribing.
so I had this idea from Jackie Topa - a stationary box.
http://jackietopa.typepad.com/addicted_to_stamping/2008/05/stationary-box.html

Check out her blog - I love folk who can do stuff!!


Still a bit of decorating, and card making to do, but it's a great idea. Needs a bit more tinkering and sizing up for me to get it to selling stage (her supplies list is not quite enough - you need 2 12" x 12" card squares, I need to include the envelopes and cards in my costings, and I want to add extra reinforcement to the sides - silly bits and bobs).

But I love it


Yours


P XXXX






Saturday 20 December 2008

NEW SPACE



Got the roof bit on the new cabin. The guys worked into the dark to get this far.



Yours

P XXXX




Friday 19 December 2008

END OF YEAR

Well I have closed the Christmas. Arrrh sad - got to do a stock take now - arrh yuk!
I am going to take it easy for a couple of weeks to recoup - and concentrate on getting my new cabin up and running.
Got loads of ideas and plans for next year though, so keep popping back.
Yours
P XXXX


Thursday 18 December 2008

GOOGLE RANT

I would like to issue a blanket apology to all those folks who I have left messages with the past few days - and have ended up with 2 or 3 copies of the same thing. AND now I know why I also get 2 or 3 copies of the same thing.
I just can't work out if it's sent the message or not!!!!
I have loads of Google stuff attached to my website and 'logging in' is a total nightmare. I can be working on my blog in one window, adding something to another site in another window and it won't take my password - WHAT - HELLO - I am already in here working.
Totally beyond my limited feline abilities - so sorry to all those I have sent the same message over and over - and I wonder if I have thought I sent others but not.
Rant over - off to surf more blogs
Yours
P XXXX


BLOG CANDY

To celebrate her birthday is giving away a HUGE bundle of stuff!
Yours
P XXXX


Wednesday 17 December 2008

STAR BOOK

I was a bit brighter this morning and I have got the last of my Christmas cards and letters in the post.

I was even well enough to do a bit at my bench. I wanted to use up some of my old Christmas papers - so I made a star book, these take loads of paper!
It's a wonderful mixture of patterns - kept to a red/green/white colour theme, other wise it would just be a confusing muddle. Don't ask me for sizes - I just cut 4 x 6" square in half and built outwards. I think I added 1cm top and bottom and 2cm each side to make the star, but you can fiddle about with that.
I have used up all sorts of stickers on the front and added some plainer squares to set photos onto.








Yours




P XXXX










Tuesday 16 December 2008

POORLY KITTEN

Sorry folk - kitten is really rough.
I have been battling for a couple of weeks but I finally have to give in, the FMS has knocked me off my feet - and I have a nasty feeling I have the beginnings of a chest infection.
It's princelet's Christmas concert tonight and I have told him I better not go. The last thing I need is to go out in to the cold and dark rainy night to sit in a damp church for 2 hours. Bless his little socks I hate to miss it (I spend £80 a term for his drum lessons - yes you heard me - a TERM, so I would like to see what my money (well, his granny's) buys!).
Just wish me well folks - I will find a project for you to do tomorrow. For now I an going to lie on the sofa and snuggle with fidget
Yours
P XXXX


Sunday 14 December 2008

TIP OF THE DAY



I bought one of those stamp cleaning pads - but I could not get hold of it properly.

So I trimmed it to fit into an old supermarket plastic tray.

Now I squirt the stamp with water or Staz-on cleaner grab my stamp scrubber and scrub. My stamps are turning out much cleaner and it's so easy.





Yours


P XXXX






Saturday 13 December 2008

EMAILS

After 10 years of using the same email address Ben and I are being forced to change it. Supernet reckon they are going to charge my £10 A MONTH for the privilege of using them. Well they are not.
I have spent 4 hours today going through my address book, business index and contacts list.
Just in case I miss you off the list
NEW PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS
Yours
P XXXX


Friday 12 December 2008

Have a look at this - it so cool
Yours
P XXXX



Fidget has new pjs. It would be a real cute photo if I had not cut off his head!!

I was bribing him with treats to sit still.



I was going to show you princelet's Christmas card - then I realised he might see it here before he got it. A couple of his girlie friends pop in here and would tell him.

I am doing too well this year - I must have missed something vital. Got all princelet's tree parcels (he has had his drum kit - you can't exactly hide it LOL) - got most of the old goat's tree parcels. Most of my cards and letter are done and posted. Got the old goat's card to do, but all the card and papers are ready - just need the energy (!), again can't show you!!!



Yours


P XXXX






Thursday 11 December 2008

STUDY DAY

I have been to class today and I want to show you something.
We were doing a quite simple border pattern


Now this is the class sample.

The border is stamped in green Staz-on ant the flowers are coloured with whispers red and green pens.







This is mine - every one always peers over my shoulder to see what I do, because I am 'arty'.

Same stamp - same green staz-on - but I have water coloured with whispers, added red liquid pearl dots and a couple of red stars.


You decide which you prefer.





Yours



P XXXX








Wednesday 10 December 2008

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

We have doors, a window and the floor is down.


I have been such a good bunnie today. Got rid of a load of cards for an order and then I sat a wrote most of my Christmas letters.


Having moved 300 miles, my few friends are so far away I never see them and have got into the habit of dong a quick note of what we have been up to in the year. It's nice to take a short while to think of them and remember the things we used to do - and mentally send good wishes down to them.


Yours

P XXXX




Tuesday 9 December 2008

You know - sometimes you have a day, when you really touch base with your soul.
Those of you that have known me for a long time will know that I am a practising Christian. I don't scream and shout about it (perhaps I should), but it's there - ticking along all through my life. Tuesdays is my Church office day. Hay, Well, I turn up and unlock the office door, meditate a bit, do a bit of cross stitch, update my site and blog (yes I do), do a bit of design work, whatever; and - once in a while people drop by or the phone rings.
Well this time of year is kind of busy for church folk, and there were several people dropping by - doing various jobs - preparing, well, and so on. Reg dropped in to see how I was - they know I have been rough - and he stopped to chat. Then he took my hands and we prayed together - he wanted to ask Jesus to heal me, I wanted to ask for the strength to cope with this unknown illness.
And I realised (for the XXth time) just what a lucky bunnie I am.
I have an illness that the medics consider rare and some don't even acknowledge. Even in this day and age, people with this illness are made to feel as if they are (at best) liars or (at worst??) fakers. I am soooo lucky - I have a hubby who believes in me and (over) cossets me - a doctor who knows he can't do anything (but would do anything) to soften the impact of this illness - and loads of other friends/church/craft/email/buddies/you guys(!) - all in there with me.
You all support me and encourage me and push me and prod me and nag me and generally just keep me going through the rough times: until I come out into the sunshine again.
Well - - THANK YOU ONE AND ALL - - the past couple of weeks have been rough - - but with your love and support, I will settle into normal life again.
And to all you other FMS/CFS: well - you know
OK -Slushy moment over !!!!!!!!!!!
Yours
P XXXX


Sunday 7 December 2008

Saturday 6 December 2008

BUSY, BUSY

My bench became a mini production line today. A local fire protection service had ordered 50 x A5 cards with their company Christmas photo and a greeting insert. Photos arrived yesterday - so today I made up the order.

Got another Christmas fair tomorrow (Morecombe - if you are about, in the old station). From now on, the Christmas section in the shop is starting to be broken up. Christmas is not a huge thing for me, I just can't afford to carry the stock. I usually treat myself to ONE stamp set/stencil and ONE set of papers. This year I bought my 'baubles' stamps and the 'Hint of Pink' Christmas papers.

All my time is allocated up until the end of next week - let's face it, if you need a card by then - oops what's left over!

Just in cast you need to know:-

LAST POSTING
2nd class - 18th December
1st class - 20th December







Yours


P XXXX






Friday 5 December 2008

NEW IDEA

I am starting to clear out the Christmas shop , and I found some stamped bauble images.

How cute is that?
Black straws cut in half then and over-lapped - 2 of each image back to back on a golden binding thread




Yours



P XXXX








Thursday 4 December 2008

TRIED SOMETHING NEW

I picked up a HUGE bag of bananas in Morrison's for 25p so I fancied to have a go at banana jam. I know you can use bananas to make jam - I used to have a friend that could make jam or pickle out of anything that the market was clearing out at the end of the day.
As it was the first time I had made it, I kind of followed the recipe (apart from the slug of rum I chucked in for a bit of zip!). It has 4 lemons in it, so it is not at all sticky sugary.
The old goat really likes it - I have 8 little jars of it, so it's just as well.
Good morning's work that was.
Yours
P XXXX


Wednesday 3 December 2008

NEW SPACE

- - ERM - had a lorry turn up today - -



- - With my new cabin on it!


Then we unpacked it all
- - opps - -
- What have I done???

Yours (now under wood planks as well as snow)



P XXXX








Tuesday 2 December 2008

SCRAP BOOK PAGES


WE GOT SNOW!

Almost snowed in - still loads on the ground, and -4 is the forecast tonight - so tomorrow - well we will have to see.

As my desk is clear and all the orders met, I can concentrate on the Christmas fairs coming up - -


- and -

- - play with a bit of scrap booking


I am using up bits and not buying much at the moment - there are going to be some fantastic sales after Christmas, just you wait and see.








Yours



P XXXX








SHOWS


This is me at a show last week


Yours

P XXXX




Monday 1 December 2008

Thought I had better not have a 'proper' day off - as I did so little last week! I am still very fragile so I didn't over do it. Had a clear up and finished off some bits and bobs.







So what can I show you? How about the fenced landscape cards?

They are so beautiful made up, I shall defiantly be doing more of these.


Yours


P XXXX