SECC.....4th - 7th March 2010

Effervescence Border Punch

A very late good morning to everyone... had a bit of a lie in this morning I'm afraid... naughty us.

Well I thought that I would let you know that Fiskars will be attending the SECC from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th March 2010.... alas however... it will be in a different capacity from previous years. How so you may well ask... well... you will possibly remember that last October both Kath and myself were let down only a few weeks out from the show (we were both gutted) although we were told that we would both be working again in March... sadly that is not the case. It has been decided that Fiskars will be having a smaller booth this time around. What does this mean for us... well, on the Thursday the lovely Severine will be on the booth with me to welcome everyone along on the opening day, but then she is returning home again and for the following 3 days I will be operating the booth on my own.

During the 4 days I will be demonstrating the new range of products for 2010 combined with some of the original products from previous years.

If you happen to be attending the show I would love if you popped along to say hi... it's going to be very strange for me working the booth on my own, and can only hope the economy picks up through the year and that both Kath and I can work together again in the Autumn.

In the meantime I thought I'd share a picture of one of the new border punches called Effervescence... I am still awaiting the arrival of my puch so as soon as it arrives I will try & share some projects with you.

Toodles for now and happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

p.s. Now we all know why Kath is called the Mamma of us all... here she is worrying about my wee belly again... she knows I need to eat else I may very well fade away... but not to worry... taking breaks won't be any kind of an issue as it's a lockable counter I'm getting so simply have to put the products away behind closed doors, lock & off I go...

Ready to Post....

Hi all and hope you've had a good start to the weekend... we've been to the garage this morning with Rob's car, nothing major, just a part that had to be changed so I went along for the ride to keep him company. Once that was done we detoured by the pet store so we're all stocked up on supplies again, then it was back here for some lunch.

As I'm sat on my wee bum typing this out... poor hubby is up a ladder changing the light in the en-suite... tee hee... bet it's not long though before he's calling my name to assist...

Anyhow, here is a taster of a card I've made... only problem is it's heading out in the post today and I can't have the recipient possibly viewing it on here before it arrives... hence the reason why you can only see a taster and not the whole thing.... this I will be able to post in full on Tues....

The weather may be a bit on the dank and dreary side... but thank heavens we have nice bright coloured card & papers eh...

See you all soon.

Lorraine

xxx

Still to be scrubbed....

Well here we go again folks... I have done my best to get a relatively good pic, but the space is small & I had to stand outside the door to try & get this much.... lol....

As you can see I went for a white shower screen instead of chrome.... it was one of those judgements you always question until you see the end result & I think I made the right one. Even although the shower itself & taps are chrome I decided to keep the frame white in keeping with the w.c & sink... felt that it would look a bit strange if I then threw a big old chrome frame into the middle of it all.... I'm still in awe though at just how much the w.c. is reflecting in the shower glass... hmmm... wonder how long I can maintain that look.... I'm not the best glass cleaner... tee hee... always end up with streaks somewhere...

We decided to stick with the floor temporarily to save money (it's a little tight at the moment) but now that everything else is in place it stands out like a sore thumb... YUCK.... the good thing being that I have tiles left over so I'm going to call the tilers & see how much they would take to fit my floor... other alternative is to throw some lino down.

Now... again we tried to save some cash by keeping our old w.c. & sink... they are afterall porcelain & in perfectly good condition. The taps on the otherhand... well... they were what told you that they were a decade old & used... Easy peezy.... a good old scrub of the sink whilst it was off the wall & replaced the old taps with new ones from the DIY store.... now you would think I have a new sink too... only thing is... it didn't cost a fortune.

Now, we just have to wait until tomorrow so I can get it all scrubbed up & we can finally have a shower again. YIPPEE....

Oh yes... I did have to do some shopping yesterday too.... you know.... new bath towels, toilet brush etc so they all matched... lol.

Catch you all later.

Lorraine

xxx

Baby Maya Update....

Afternoon again folks.... this time I have some wonderful news to share with you all..

Gayle text me a couple of hours again to let me know that they were all getting ready to depart from the hospital....

Oh yes... wee baby Maya is returning home safe & well.... thank goodness for that.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Exam results

Yippee... I forget to tell you all earlier....

Yesterday was such a wonderful day as my en-suite was tiled.... received great news on Maya's condition & to top it all off I got the results back on my essay....

Apparently... according to my tutor... I produced an excellent essay last time around... so cannot believe that I managed to do as well with it as I did.... only the big ECA to go now which I'm due to start working on next week. Fingers crossed I can do as well with that one & achieve the points I need to move on to my next course.

Toodles for now

Lorraine xxx

What a Difference...

OMG.... what a difference a day makes eh!!!!

Here is a picture taken this morning of the same area that I showed you yesterday... no more scabby patched up plasterboard walls covered in old tile cement... oh no..... this morning this is how things look... much better don't you think?

Guys are due back today to finish it all off so I really can't wait to see the end result... I'm so excited...

Well, best get myself organised before they arrive so I'll bid you all farewell for the moment being. See ya soon.

Love & hugs

Lorraine xxx

Picture of Baby Maya...

Okay folks... if you want to see the first released picture of baby Maya then follow these instructions:

Click link to go to Gayle's blog

Once there check under her twitter notes on the left hand side of the screen for the one that says twitpic.com

Click on this link & you will see a beautiful picture of Maya....

You can do this even if you are not a member of Twitter....

Enjoy!!!

Lorraine

xxx

Hospital update on Maya

New text received from Gayle approx 10 minutes ago to give me a wee update on Maya's condition...

Good news is that today they have moved Maya out of her incubator and taken her off of all the monitors... she is now just on a wee drip and they have also been moved into a wee room of their own on a ward.

Now how's that for excellent news of the day....

Hugs
Lorraine xxx

p.s. May I also say a huge thanks to everyone who has sent well wishes for Gayle & her family, I know they have been much appreciated as this has been a stressful time for them all.

ANYONE FOR A SHOWER....

Well as you can probably guess from this picture my answer to that question today is definately yes please ... me ...

Thought I would post a quick message this morning to share with you all the delightful looks of my en-suite at the moment... definately a mess eh!!!

At least the tilers are due to arrive any minute now & the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned... hopefully it will start to take shape once they've finished then only tomorrow to go when everything should come together....

I've got a card to finish today & some study to do so I'll try pop back tonight with another posting.

Have a great day.

Lorraine xxx

CRAP IS ALL GONE

Woohooo..... the en-suite has been gutted, part of a wall had to be replaced & now my new shower tray is in place... thank goodness for that... no more worries over water leaking through the crack & this time we have got a stone base so I have much more peace of mind for the future.

Tilers are due to arrive at 8am tomorrow morning to crack on with that and I'm so excited to see how it looks by the end play tomorrow... right now it looks like a bomb site but we should be able to see a difference in 24 hours time.

Well I'm off again as I want to try & get a little something made tonight or at least started depending upon what I do... lol.

See you all tomorrow again.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

BABY MAYA UPDATE....

Well... I received a text from Gayle this morning with an update on baby Maya so had to share it with you all... unfortunately I was hoping that my next communication with her would include some photos etc but not the case I'm afraid.

Gayle has been at the hospital for almost 30 hours now with Maya... she took what appeared to be some kind of fit the other night & her colour was changing so she was rushed to hospital via ambulance... She is currently in Neonatal I.C.U awaiting test results but at the moment they are unsure what is wrong with her...

Please send your thoughts out to all the family today in the hopes that Maya can return home soon... as soon as I receive any more update I'll pass it on but obviously at this moment in time Gayle has much more pressing things on her mind.

Take care all

Lorraine

xxx

DEMOLITION STARTS TOMORROW....

Good morning all you lovelies out there in blogland.... sure hope I'm saying that tomorrow... lol.

The grand job of demolishing & re-building my en-suite commences tomorrow & although I'm excited, I'm also apprehensive.... you know, the way you are when you just hope that everything goes without a hitch & that you love the finished product.

Well, I thought I'd give you a glimpse of one of my new tiles... I know it looks quite bland & boring here but if you enlarge the picture you will see how there are different colours showing through... just can't get away from the crafting effects.... the tiles have a distressed look...

This is my decorative tile & the others have the same distressed effect but there is no mosaic effect, just a plain tile.... there will be two rows of plain & then a row of mosaic... in a vertical manner. Even though they are pretty dark tiles, they have a massive amount of reflective quality in them so hope that it will all be lovely once it's done.

Right, enough rabbling from me for now as today is prep day... everything must be cleared ready for the job to commence... hell.... I guess that means yet more scrubbing for me!!! Yuck...

See you all again soon.

Lorraine

xxx

Little Bird...

Now with the arrival of Gayle's new little bundle of joy... all attention is going to be on them and there's no way I could leave Little Bird out of the equation... she is afterall new to this 'big sister' scenario... lol

How appropriate I thought was this paper from the Dovecraft Funky Vintage range with not 1 but 2 funky little birds...

I start by placing some pale blue Dovecraft textured cardstock onto my base card and then I actually cut around the 2 edges of the paper so that the flowers protruded over the blue background... and attached to the card. Finishing touches were a lovely heavy organza type flower, complete with sequin and bead and also there was a massive requirement for some gems... pink, blue and white.... oh and the eyes' of the birds are some sparkly adhesive dots by Papermania.

Just have to hope that Little Bird likes it now...

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

p.s.. can you tell I'm not fully functioning... meant to schedule this for later but oh no... I had to go and make a big a** of it didn't I.... (sorry) please forgive me... x

Baby has been named....

Morning folks...

Have just received a little text message from a very tired new mummy... Gayle... she is thankfully back in the comfort of her own home now, although she has to go back to hospital today just for some checks to be done... still better than lying in a hospital bed though...

Mum & baby are doing fine & dandy so now I just have to give them a little time to settle back in at home before I rush over to see the gorgeous new addition to the family... I'm so excited... lol..

Anyhow... mum won the battle over the baby's name and here it is....

MAYA

Is that not just the cutest name... now I know that some of you out there have been waiting in line with me for her grand arrival so we could get on with making our new arrival cards... so there's no reason for you to hold off any longer... lol... if anyone needs a note of Gayle's address, drop me an email & I'll be more than happy to give it to you.

Pop over to her blog also & leave your own message of congratulations, but I'm not sure quite when she'll get a chance to catch up with them all... you know Gayle though... Mrs Efficient always so I don't imagine it will take her long to find a routine.

Will pop back later with a little creation but this announcement was more important.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT......

Well good morning again everyone.... back with exremely good news this time.

Oh yes... the long awaited birth has occurred this morning.... yippee....

Gayle has just texted to say that she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl this morning at 9.52am... weighing in at 7lb 8oz..... at present.... name is still under debate...

Three cheers for Gayle... hip, hip, horray....

If I hear any more news before Gayle is back to blogging then I will happily pass it on to you all.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

What a week ahead...

Would you believe it's Saturday morning... card uploaded... yippee... ready to go dashing around looking for tiles and got a text from my tutor.... oh yes... another phone tutorial has just been booked for 8pm next Friday.... what a lovely week I have to look forward to eh... heaps of study whilst my en-suite is being demolished & rebuilt... please say your prayers that I manage to keep some sanity in my life... lol....

Well must dash now as only have today & tomorrow to find the perfect tile...

Hugs to all

Lorraine

xxx

Turning Two...

Morning folks & hope you're all up bright & early full of the joys of spring... lol... if it's anything like here then you'll be blooming freezing...

Anyway, here's a card I made for my friends' little girl Tia who will be turning 2 next Saturday.

This was such a quick card to make I couldn't believe it myself.... Took a lovely sheet of paper from Pepper & Friends which I attached to a white card blank. Next up used a Fiskars shape template to cut the number 2 from some Dovecraft textured cardstock which I attached using silicone glue inside of the lovely floral circle & then to add that finishing touch I added a lovely little irridescent white flower to the top corner.... (Tia always has little flowers attached to her hats).

Oh I did forget to say that the background paper was slightly larger than my base card so I simply trimmed off the floral border at the bottom & then re-attached to the card... couldn't possibly leave off such a pretty border & it's all glittery too...

Have a happy Saturday crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Quick card for mum...

The other day when my mum flew through the door needing a very quick card indeed... well I just grabbed what was closest to hand at the time which turned out to be a K&Co pad & some lovely flowers I bought from Joanna Sheen last year...

Some quick adhesion onto a gorgeous scalloped card from Craftwork Cards then some flowers across the front... the pink flowers are single layer but the green has a large plain & a small glittered flower for added dimension... then some glittered centres to finish off...

I did only have 5 minutes to make this one & to be honest I'm not that keen on it... but... at least my mum loved it & that's all that matters.

See ya all soon

Lorraine

xxx

PRE-BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT.....

Morning everyone.... sorry I still don't have my cards uploaded but have been running around trying to get everything organised for my en-suite as it's now all booked and house will be in turmoil next week as they are going to fit it over Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday so the mad dash is on to get the tiles delivered etc on time.

Alas.... on to much more important topics such as Gayle's pregnancy... WAIT FOR IT......

Finally I received at text at 10.07am today from Gayle to say her water has now broken naturally.... that was a close call as they were only letting her go until tomorrow morning before the hospital took action.... Let's all keep our fingers crossed that it's a quick labour & as soon as I hear any more I will let you know... Ali if you're reading this.... take deep breathes'.... lol...

Anyway, I'll post my cards a little later on as I didn't want to show them along with the big announcement on Gayle...

Hugs & kisses

Lorraine

xxx

1 down & 1 to go...

I would say good morning everyone but heck it's almost lunch time already.... where does the day go... if by any chance anyone does have the correct answer to that question, please let me know... lol

Dashing around as per the norm in this household... housework & washing done... animals tended to.... dealing with the bathroom.... waiting on Tesco to arrive with my weekly shop and now have to do a speedy check on some other products...

However... I have also had to throw together a very quick card this morning for my mum to give to a friend... don't have it downloaded yet but I will later on (this is my one down) & hopefully I'll also get another one done which is for my friends' little girl who will be 2 next week (that's my one to go)... so you never know... I may well manage to download 2 cards in 1 day which would be a miracle for me right now... lol

Well enough chat for now if I've to achieve all my goals for I'll say toodles for now & I'll be back later...

Happy crafting

Lorraine xxx

I'm on a roll today....

Good day to all you lovelies out there in blogland.... and yippee today's a good day... well so far that is so keeping fingers crossed.

Have got all the housework done, washing etc complete so doing well... had no option really as guy is coming to take a look at the shower today & give us a quote for replacement... heaven forbid any dust is visible... lol....

Wee Buddy is doing well after his visit to the vet... though he did feel very sorry for himself last night. After having a G.A, teeth buffed down & an extraction I can't really say I blame him. He is now eating & drinking as normal again so hopefully he'll be 100% in the next few days.

Well I'd love nothing more than to sit here & chat, blog hop etc but before I have my own personal time I have several other things I need to deal with online... Need to order food, new tiles for en-suite as the sale ends today & some vinyl for a few boards I need to make up for my hubby...

Toodles for now me lovelies & hope to see you all again soon.

Hugs

Lorraine xxx

Last nights phone call.....

Good morning everyone... I did manage to visit some of you yesterday and I will continue to do my best to keep getting round you all over the coming days... it was so lovely catching up with all the gorgeous creations you've been making. Thank you also for those who left me lovely messages relating to my accident.... much appreciated as it really did shake me up xxx to you all.

Well, we were just in the door yesterday when the phone rang and it was one of my best friends (the one who adopted a little girl)... well she's back up her for a visit and her uncle is really ill with his health rapidly deteriorating. Now his 21 year old daughter is engaged but they had no plans in place for a wedding but due to her fathers' health they are now trying to arrange their wedding for June... poor lass is everywhere as her primary concern is that her Dad is there on her wedding day... understandable.

Today's task is to try and come up with a design for her wedding stationery... which has to be made as cheaply as possible as they have no real money saved for the wedding... thinking cap has to be well and truly on today as I would like her to have something that she really likes and looks good, even if done on the cheap... keep fingers crossed for me...

Right, guess I better get on with the housework now, washing machine on etc so that I have plenty time this afternoon... (Gail also coming for a wee visit with the baby).

Back soon...

Lorraine xxx

Simplicity....

Here's a little card I made... very simplistic in design but at the same time quite pretty I think because it is so uncluttered.

I had bought a goodie bag from Craftworks Cards at the SECC and the majority of it was christmas related.. there were however some little elements that weren't and that's what I've gone with here.

Scalloped base card, yummy, then I slightly inked the edges of a piece of pretty paper (sorry you can't see the inking in the picture) and attached this to my base card. Next I took one of the image tags and coloured using Bruynzeel water colour pencils. Made the flowers on the owl blue, to match with the background paper & added some Papermania shimmer dots for the eyes so they have a 3D effect. The tag was then layered onto the base card using silicone for a slightly raised effect. Finally I attached 2 brown glitter flowers ( used brown ones to they coordinated with the brown of the owls) and in the centre of the flowers I used some more Papermania shimmer dots... Not sure if you can see them if you zoom in on the picture.

Now... thought I would briefly share my continuing good news with you all.... oh yes... you will know that I am the luckiest person on earth over the last few months... (NOT)... and here's what happened yesterday.

I got a lovely new red vase from homebase to sit on my living room window... brighten the place up and that you know without spending a fortune... (£9.99)... then popped to Asda for a few essentials and then was heading up to the gym to collect my hubby for us both to come home. Well... I encountered several problems with another vehicle (he kept cutting me up)... then finally upon approach to a roundabout he done it again... this time slamming his brakes on!!! Fortunately, I was able to swerve into the opposite lane & get around him safely... but had to cut back in front of him in order that I could continue on my route... Around the roundabout I went and as I was coming off of the roundabout he came right up the side of me, sliced me up again and slammed the anchors on.... this time he did not leave me enough space to swerve as I had a barrier on one side and oncoming traffic on the other... right into the back of him I went... Oh yes... before I had actually hit him... he was jumping out of the car along with his wife & son... Don't really think there was any requirement for a 3 against 1 gang up but hey ho... that's what happens with scum I guess. Well, they then start throwing accusations around.. (think he forgot he slammed his brakes, or not), and fortunately some guys came out of the pub across the way and were watching the whole event. These people were so aggressive in nature that the guys actually crossed the road and stood next to me, I guess they had the same thoughts as me in relation to their mannerism. Well I called direct enquiries to be put through to the local police station & asked the man to remain calm & wait on them arriving. I also informed him that there was a camera right on the corner that would have captured the whole incident so I had nothing to hide... to cut a long story short... after a whole load of verbal abuse, fingers in my face etc, the man quickly jumped in his car and left the scene!!! Must admit right enough, I did tell him I thought he was simply trying nothing more than an insurance scam but that the video evidence would show he was at fault... Just to keep myself in the clear I went to the police station and reported the accident, gave them the registration etc. Needless to say my neck & back were a little tender last night, though I'm not quite sure if that was due to the impact or the tension.

Why oh why do we have such ******** driving on our roads...

Well for the rest of the day I will be in Rob's office as after the fire, the stained glass windows need to be replaced as they were blown out by the heat. For health and safety reasons they can only do the work on a Sunday so we need to go sit in the office for a few hours while they do the preparatory work, then they are scheduled to come back next Sunday and install the glass itself. Yes, this sounds like a very boring afternoon, but I'm hoping that if Rob doesn't draw me into helping him with some paperwork, that I may infact get time to do some blog hopping.... that would be awesome as I haven't had time to visit anyone for weeks.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Positive & Negative....

What a last few days it's been here in this mad house I call home..... lol

The positive outcome of it all is that I have finally managed to complete and submit my essay... yippee.... based on the positive and negative effects that our social environment can create on us. See where my title comes form now.... oh yes I have gone well and truly mad over the last few days... too much brain power being used up I think...

Sadly I also encountered a negative.... my poor wee guinea pig Gru passed away just after 12.30am on Thursday morning... he was about 7 years old and had been born with a respiratory problem so he had done well to make it to such a good age. Very sad indeed but hopefully he can breathe freely now in piggy heaven.

Well, I've decided that once I have done the necessary chores for the day I am taking the rest of the day off to relax.... and what do I have planned to help chill me out.... hmmm me thinks it will have to be some crafting.... major withdrawl symptoms are being encountered and need remedied asap....

Will pop back later to upload my new creation.

Happy crafting to one and all.

Lorraine xxx

WRITERS BLOCK..... OH NO

Good morning everyone & my sincerest of apologies for failing to get any more challenges completed over the last few days....

To say that I am encountering writers block at the moment is nothing less than an under statement.... it's actually not that I don't know what I want to say, it's simply that I cannot satisfy myself with my choice of words. My next assignment is due for submission this week, I've worked on it all weekend long & I'm still not close to having my final version completed. I really wanted it to be ready for submission today & now I'm starting to feel under pressure (caused by myself) to get this thing done. For some reason though, I have the feeling that when I sit down to work on it later, that I'm just going to batter the whole thing out within 4 or 5 hours... it's a funny thing when it comes to this but I think I am going to produce better work today now that I am feeling the pressure... sure hope I'm right.

Keep fingers crossed for me please, as the sooner this is done, the sooner I can get some crafting done... lol

Big hugs to all

Lorraine xxx

p.s. don't be fooled by the nice tidy look of the picture... everything is now out of the bag & the place is covered with highlighter pens, A4 notepaper etc etc etc... oh that felt good to use that abbreviation as it's a cardinal sin to use it in an essay.... lol

Just got computer back....

Sorry I've been missing for a few days folks, but unfortunately the other day I updated my software security & when my computer was supposed to restart after the update it simply would not function. Needless to say we had a little trip to our local computer expert to see what he could do for us & thankfully we are back in working order again.

I never knew this before but apparently for absolutely no known reason... sometimes when you do updates & restart your computer, the computer then takes over & simply cannot put all the information together in the order it should... therefore it fails...

Not much good to me though eh!

Well now I'm back up & running I'm off to get my Tesco order in then need to make a start on my next essay as it's due for submission next week then I can have a little crafty play later on.

See you all soon.

Lorraine

xxx

GET FUNKY CHALLENGE .....

I know I promised this one yesterday but it was a jam packed day which started off with my shower base cracking... oh yeah.... I also had a bit of the grouting fall out... well what can I say... the thing is almost 10 years old now so credit crunch or not... we have to deal with a new en-suite issue.

Alas, I had to postpone my posting today so here it is.. this time it's my entry to the Get Funky challenge which has to be spots & stripes.

I was a very naughty girl & almost forgot poor Ava's birthday so it was a last minute dash to make her card. The book says "oh no" and the front says U.R 4.... inside contains some stickers with party hats & cakes on... along with some flowers & gems.

Word book was created using the Funky Daze CD & I printed on both ends of the card. Cut out the letters then added some stitched doodling. There are some small sticker gems inside some of the circles on the letters (Papermania) and the stickers, chipboard embellishments, book ring & ribbons all come from my box of tricks by Brenda Pinnick.

Well I'm off now to do the postbox run, organise what's for tonights tea, place a tesco order & then get my head back in the books as it's essay time again!!!

Hmmmm may need to have a quick peek though at some other challenges first.... lol

See ya all soon & happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Challenge time tomorrow again

Sorry I've been missing for a few days folks, but with the weather it's taken so much longer to get around places to get things done. In addition to that, my heads been stuck in my books as I need to start my next essay this week & Rob & I have been out & about all weekend.

However.... I am currently working on another challenge card which will be completed by the end of the night, so I'll be able to upload it tomorrow.

Think I need to get a new routine worked out where I can fit everything into the day... lol

See ya all tomorrow.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

The Sugar Bowl Challenge

Woohoo..... Yippee..... Can you believe it.....

I've actually managed to find time to make & upload a card.... gosh I'm in shock I think.... lol.

This little one is for the Sugar Bowl challenge and is based around a fabby sketch. I had been making a word book for someone's birthday & so decided to go along with the same colour scheme so that I could use up my scraps... waste not, want not in these hard financial times is my moto. so the more I can use up my scraps, the better.

Image was coloured using Bruynzeel water colour pencils & to finish off I added two lovely glittery blue stars from Ashby Designs.

Before I go just a quick update on my OU assignment... I found out on Monday night that I have thankfully passed my first assignment with flying colours... here's hoping I do as well with the second one which is due in about 10 days time.... yes.... there is some serious studying going on here at the moment, but I'm loving it.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Hats off....

I take my hat off to everyone who has found the time over the last few days to make & upload some really lovely cards.

We were out shopping today when the snow blizzard started yet again so we started to head back to the safety of home, only to get rear ended by another car in the process... thankfully there doesn't appear to be any damage to either car and both Rob & I are okay apart from some neck pain. Bloody typical that is & it's only the 2nd of January. Main thing is no-one was badly injured & cars appear to be okay.

To help make myself feel better I just had to have a little nosey at the challenges around to see if there was anything happening on that front & yippee..... challenges are rolling for 2010.... what a great excuse to do some crafting tonight... after my study session that is... lol.

Let's see if I can get myself back into the challenge mode as it's been so long since I've been able to join in... I may have forgotten what buttons to push.... tee hee...

Hope you're all enjoying the holidays still...

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well a huge, massive, enormous..... Happy New Year to all you fellow bloggers out there in blogland. Here's to the start of a new year that we can fill with a whole load of new dreams, aspirations & inspirations... For many, it will hopefully be a much better year than the one we have just left behind... good ridance is what I have to say to 2009 and I'm looking forward to having loads of fun in 2010. Most of all I wish you all a great deal of good health for the next 12 months...

It was a bit of a late night in our household... or should that be early morning... lol.... so we have only just rolled out of bed about a half hour ago & are due at mums for dinner at 2pm! Golly gosh I must get the skates on... I can hear that Rob has just turned the shower off so it's almost my turn & need to get the old slap stick on the face etc so I look like I have pink glowing cheeks on this very cold & white winter's morning we have here.

Hoping you all have a lovely day, no matter whether you are staying indoors or heading off out to share the day with family or friends... and here's to plenty of new challenges in the wonderful world of blogland.

Hugs & kisses

Lorraine

xxx

Need to get back to work now....

Oh yes, we're still amidst the holiday season but time to get back to work again as I have 2 birthday cards to make now & a new home card....

Mind is buzzing away with ideas & after tea I'll be sat in a nice comfy sofa starting away with at least 1 design... OMG does this mean that I may actually upload a card tomorrow.... oh well I sure hope so....

Hope you're all having a lovely lazy time over the holidays & not like me... eaten too much food & now have a big swollen tummy.... lol...

See ya all soon.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

Merry Christmas to you all.....

Well the day has arrived as has Santa with his big old bag of goodies.... this is.... if you've been good over the last year... lol

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas filled with fun & laughter.

Thank you so much to everyone who has shown me support over the last year... it has been rather a difficult one for us so it's been lovely to know that there are always friends out there in blogland who I can turn to. Thank you.

Now go have lots of fun & enjoy the day with friends & family.

Merry Christmas

Lorraine

xxx

Nationwide Appeal.............

Well I've been dashing around like a mad woman (no doubt like most of the women in the country) getting prepared for Christmas & now I am almost there.... got a few little bits & bobs to tend to but nothing major.... and finally got the last of my cards delivered today... I must be more organised next year.... hopefully I will be able to get a pic or two uploaded tomorrow before Brianna & her boyfriend come to visit....

However, I do have one final appeal for this year relating to "Support our Soldiers".

To show our respect for all of our troops, no matter where they are & also for those who given their lives in the name of our country, is it possible for you to give up just 1 minute of your time on Christmas Day to think of them...

Can our proud nation unite at 2pm on Christmas Day & every household light a candle & stop for just 1 minute & think of all our guys & gals.

This is the 7th year running that "Support our Soldiers" have been lighting candles & I for one don't think it's a great deal to ask.

Please join in with many others around the country at 2pm on Christmas Day. Thank you.

Seasons joy to one & all

Lorraine

xxx

My wee mammies birthday

Morning folks... long time no speak.... lol

Well it's my wee mammies birthday today so I'm up nice & bright & early to get a load of stuff done so I can spend some time with her later.

It's been a rather white weekend here... oh yes... we've had snow probably like most of the rest of the country going by what the news is saying.

Amidst all the snow & house cleaning this weekend, I've also managed to make about 60 cards... with a little help from the Nitwit collection that is... I am completely new to digital card making so it's a learning experience for me, but I'm getting there.

Promise I will do my best to get the dust blown off of the old camera later & see if I can get some piccies uploaded.

Hope you all had a fab weekend & by this time next week we'll all be prepping for New Year... gosh how time flies eh!!!

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Still no pictures... sorry

OMG.... yes it is snowy outside but it's been snowing inside too....

My household is certainly seeing the year out in fashion as if you read my previous posting you will see that we've been having to deal with the results of a fire... update on that one... police caught the *********** who done it.... wonder if they'll get anything more than a wrap on the knuckles!!!!

BUT....... yesterday....... someone rammed something right through the back window on Rob's car so yet another issue to deal with.... thankfully on the phone to Admiral... quick dealings with them... then Autoglass called & asked if we would like to garage the car overnight in their facility... yippee.... out of the elements so we couldn't have asked for more than that... hopefully the glass will arrive today & Rob can get his car on the road again... in the meantime I'm running him back & forth to work in my wee Aygo.... which may I say, held the road very well this morning in all the ice & snow.

Skip is due to be taken away today so I'm gutting the last of the cupboards then I have to sort everything all into it's new place... also got some new side tables & lamps the other day... golly gosh.... I'm generally quite good with flat pack but these flaming tables took me almost 6 hours to build.... thought my hand was going to blister by the end of it all but thankfully it was fine the following day.

Right I'm off to throw the rest of the trash out, hang the washing up, vacuum, shop & then hopefully squeeze in some study & card making.

With any luck my blogging may get a little better next week....

Crafty hugs to one & all.

Lorraine

xxx

Man have we been on fire this weekend.... literally

Sorry I haven't been around over the weekend folks but oh yes it was one of those weekend... firstly I had to finish off my OU assignment which is now done & about to be submitted as soon as I finish this posting. In addition to that Rob took the weekend off & we hired a skip to do the old winter clear out (it's almost full!).

Lastly but by far the worst event of the weekend was that we received a call from Rob's business partner to tell us that their building had been set on fire... Here we go again.... the office is in a tenement building thankfully so the walls are very thick stone ones... There are 4 companies operate from the same close & apparently on Saturday night one of the juniours in the hairdressers was left to lock up... unfortunately he failed to actually lock the door..... oh great let's leave the building wide open eh!!! As there is no lift in the building there were a few chairs set out on the landing so older people could take a rest & yes you guessed it... these were set alight. Fortunately the building faces into the back of the local police station & some police officer spotted the flames going up the inside of the building so they reacted quickly & put the back door of the building in to exterminate the flames... Thankfully no-one was in the building at the time. The hinges have literally been taken off so a whole new door & frame will have to be installed... the chairs.. well the only part of them left is the metal frame so they are now binned... some windows have blown out with the heat & will need replacing & the close is black with the smoke so the insurance company have a fire cleaning company coming out today to assess the damage & price the job up...

Hence why I have not been blogging... I have managed to make a few quick cards but haven't gotten around to taking any pics yet... will try to do it today if I get time.

Hope all is well with everyone & that you're doing loads of lovely crafting.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

Pneumonia update....

Yes I know... I never managed to get back with anything else yesterday as the day just flew by & last night Brianna & her boyfriend were over to visit so nothing done then either...

Had to make a trip to Asda yesterday even although my Tesco delivery arrived just the day before... what for... well Rob has decided that he is making sweet potato pie for christmas... but not just one pie... oh no... 1 for us, 1 for my mum & Eric and then 2 for friends as a special thing for them on christmas day.... what a nightmare.... cinnamon, nutmeg, evaporated cream etc.... but I also had strict instructions to buy 4 tins of cream so that he can give a can over with each pie... what a man... when something gets in his head, there really is no stopping him...

Anyhow, today has been spent running around & now I'm off to do a little bit of my essay whilst the house is nice & quiet but before doing so I thought I'd give you a wee health update... this morning started with my attending the doctor in relation to my pneumonia... and yippee.... I've been given the all clear.... the pneumonia has left my body and long may it stay away.....

However.... oh yes, if you know me at all, then you will know by now that my life never runs smooth... apparently due to the pneumonia & xrays it has now been highlighted that I may in actual fact have asthma.... see told you there's always something going on with me... with this discovery I will now have to take some breathing tests so I have been put on the waiting list which is apparently about 6 weeks or so & my doctor has now put me on an inhaler 3 times a day... what a start I had to the day eh!!!

Well I sure do hope you are all doing well out there in blogland & if I do well with my essay then I might be able to squeeze in some card making later.... fingers crossed.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

For a mini crafter

This is for a little mini crafter on her 11th birthday. She is my friend's niece Danni & this year she has actually started making cards... yippee.... another one to join the clan.... she lives down south but comes up here a couple of times a year & when she does we all sit down & get the crafting goodies out to have a play. On her last visit I gave her a whole load of stamped images away with her that she could colour in & use on her cards... low & behold.... the following week I received a handmade thank you card from her... what a darling she is.

I thought this card would be a good way of showing her how to use ribbon in a different way. Teaching from afar you see.. lol.. but it's also a lovely bright card for a little girl who loves pink.

All elements of the card are from a Brenda Pinnick kit I bought from QVC.

Hope to be back again a little later with something else to share.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Bauble duet

This was a hard one to catch on the camera due to the sun as you can see in the bottom corner but I have done my best... albeit the image is a little dark but it's better than loads of reflection.

A quick run of glitter along the bottom, silicone to attach the baubles & sentiment, silver peel offs to hang my baubles & some gems for the finishing touch... a big thank you once again to Kanban as if it wasn't for this set, a whole load of people would be getting shop bought cards from me this year and that really just wouldn't do...

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

All striped to go....

Oh yes, another Kanban quickie for you all... still not managed to make a start on those special cards yet... hopefully next week after I've got my first essay completed...

So, here I took my base card (Craftwork Cards), used 4 rows of double sided tape & glittered them up black then simply added the bauble with silicone & a little silver peel off.... voila... done.

Now today I have the grocery shopping being delivered, some christmas pressies also being delivered that I ordered online yesterday, housework & washing as usual, some pet cages to clean, need to do a few hours studying & see if I can squeeze in making a few more cards...

Will pop back later again & upload another little something.

Hope you all have a fab day filled with love & crafting.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

Basic Styling

Another quick make card thanks to my new Kanban kit.... Here I took a white card (Craftwork Cards), put a strip of double sided tape across the card & covered with black glitter. Used one of the baubles & sentiment disc which were attached used silicone, and a silver peel off for the string. Three self adhesive gems finish the whole card off...

Yippee, another one bites the dust....

Happy crafting

Lorraine

A splash of colour

The time sure does seem to be flying by now that we are into December & before we know it Christmas will be all done & dusted & we'll be looking forward to the start of another new year.

This weekend Rob & I went & got some Christmas pressies.... it's a very cheap year for us this year as there's not a lot of spare cash but hey ho... Christmas afterall is not about the monetary value is it... and would you believe this is the first pressies we have gotten... best get my skates on I think... lol... He also treated me to lunch which was lovely, good old steak pie on a cold winters day... and I need some new tinsel for my christmas tree so got that too... will try to take a pic later to share with you all.

Yesterday... well like most other women in the country... not only do we have the spring & autumn cleaning to do, but we have this requirement to do the Christmas clean out too.... Oh yes, my day yesterday was filled with scrubbing... floors, tiles, oven (yuck!)... so at least I've got a start made on that now too.

Today, hmmm well that's a different story... I'm due another phone tutorial tonight as this week I have to make a start on my first T.M.A (Tutor Marked Assignment)... oh yes.... I have to have completed a 1000 word essay by the start of next week... my hands are sweating right now just at the thought of it. Thus, once I've placed my Tesco order (forgot to do it yesterday) then I'm off to bury my head in the books for the rest of the day.

Well, best dash now & get myself organised so I'll catch up with you all later on again.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

Poinsetta Pleasure

Close up of the layering

Yes I know this is yet another plain card & is certainly not extravegant in any way whatsoever but it was another quick make which is passable for my neighbours who at the end of the day will most probably only receive boxed cards from everyone else...

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

All wrapped up...

I just think this is such a sweet little image that I am going to give this card to my friends daughter who is 5 years old... I can just see her sitting on her own bed ready to dive into her pressies on Christmas morning... still got a little glitter to add to this one... especially on the stars in the night time sky.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

Morning Beauty

Sorry the picture is a little off focus but I was trying to snap the wee critter before he ran off...

Isn't this just the cutest little fella to see when you open the blinds in the morning & I was lucky enough to have him in my back garden today... he is munching away on some left over bunny food as when we empty the bowls we just put it on the grass for the birds etc but now I have a new little buddy to keep my eye open for.

Obviously I've called him Sammy..... lol

Well I've had a really busy last few days hence why I've been awol & at the moment I'm shattered... today will require a bit of rest & pampering but I do have some cards to share with you all so I'll pop them on later.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Sparkle & Shine

Sorry I couldn't get a better picture of this but I've had the sun shining in the window & no matter what way I put the card I keep catching it... not complaining though as at least it means the rain gone for the moment being...

Here I simply added 3 glitter stripes to the base card, mounted the baubles using silicone, silver peel offs for the string & some gems to finish.

Can you see how my card pile is beginning to grow... at least my neighbours will now still be receiving hand made cards this year instead of shop bought.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Plain & Simple

I'm challenging myself to see how many cards I can make without adding too many extras apart from the toppers themselves.... so here is a plain & simple one... sorry about the quality of the photo but I've not quite gotten to grips with this new edit program I have yet.

3 bauble toppers mounted using silicone, some peel offs for the string & self adhesive gems... voila another card to add to my pile... yippee

Card Base : Craftwork Cards

Baubles : Kanban kit from QVC

Gems : Stash

Back with another later but right now I'm off to do some housework then get the head back in the books again... oh & I have my Tesco delivery due between 12 - 2pm... getting quite into this being delivered to the door so I am... lol

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Evening All....

Well I've been out & about for most of the day with my dear hubby who also treated me to a delicious lunch at Nando's.... yummy....

I've just put through my Tesco order for delivery tomorrow so that's that & now it's time to put my head in the books again as I have my next phone tutorial tomorrow evening for my OU course... hmmmm.... wonder how that will go...

I am ashamed to say that I did infact make 5 cards last night but never got around to taking pics today & it's rather dark now so I'm gonna wait until tomorrow to share them.

Hope you've all had a fab weekend.

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

My 2nd Christmas make...

Now I know that my flash has caught a lot of the gold on this one... but I thought it was quite cute as it gives a slight illusion that the tree is lit with fairy lights...

This card & the one I posted earlier today were both taken from the one Kanban sheet & all I had to provide was the 2 base cards... now you really can't ask for easier than that can you....

Think I will add a few gems to this one though just to finish off as it's slightly bland looking at the moment.

Hmmm wonder what my next make will be from my box of goodies...

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Quick Kanban make for Christmas

Here is a wee quickie card I made using my Kanban kit... couldn't believe just how easy they have made it for people to make their cards this year... thank goodness for that as I just don't have the time right now to dedicate to making cards for all my neighbours... My close family & friends will of course receive cards that I have taken time on but the fact that I can make these easy ones for neighbours allows me the time to make those extra special ones.

Although it's not a very good picture there is quite a bit of decoupage on the image all die cut of course so even that was a doddle.... lol

Well I can't share my whopping 2 great makes with you all at the same time so I'll post my other one this evening.

Have a fab weekend filled with lots of lovely crafting

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

Up to 60% off sale

I was having a wee nosey around some sites earlier & couldn't believe it when I happened upon one that has up to 60% off.

What an awesome deal on stamps etc...

Pop over & have a nosey for yourself at the lovely Wendie Rhodes website... you never you... you may decide to pick up a bargain or two... lol

Hugs

Lorraine

xxx

I am still alive...

Morning folks... I so can't believe it's been a whole week since I was last on my blog... time has just been flying by.

What have I been up to in my absense... well, I'm in the middle of making up samples for 4 different shops so battering on the old brain cells there.... helping Rob with his admin work at the office..... had another xray taken on Fri at the hospital & as always need to wait for 10 days before I get the results from my GP.... and finally I've had my wee head stuck in my OU course work also.

I'm so loving my Psychology course & it's actually very addictive... the other night I found myself sitting on the sofa at 3am practising my mind maps... oh yeah... never worked with them before in my puff but my tutor recommended that I give it a go as I've also used Linear Notes in the past but she finds them to be rather lengthy & time consuming... well I must admit I think she has a very good point there & the mind maps seem to be working super duper for me at the moment. I only have another few weeks though before I have to start working on my first assignment which is a 1000 word essay... hmmmm... this could be the tricky part as I haven't written an essay for over 20 years... just have to stay calm & do the best I can.

How many of my Christmas cards do I have made.... well let me see... all of 2 me thinks... it's been a bit of a whirlwind in this old house of late so I must admit that the other week I gave in & purchased a set from QVC.... something I don't use is Kanban but it makes for quick & easy cards so that will work wonders this year... I do have to admit that the quality is super, designs are lovely & I'll be able to batter 100 cards out in no time (once I get a day to do it that is).... lol.

Righty ho.... I'm off now to do some more work but I promise I will come back later & post a picture or two...

Hope everyone is having a fab time in blogland at the moment & looking forward to the very quickly approaching Christmas... oh I bought a new tree too so will let you have a wee nosey at that later on too.

Big crafty hugs to one & all

Lorraine

xxx

Before I dash out the door

Oh yes getting ready to dash out the door for yet another doctors appointment but very quickly before I leave here is a simple little card I made for my niece... it depicts her to a tee.... plain & simple but bright & vibrant all at the same time....

Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I had a very ill bunny that sadly passed away so my mood was not the best, even though I know she is no longer suffering now.

Okay folks... that's all for now.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

Hello again.....

Yes I know... I disappeared off the face of the earth again.... sorry about that but last week could have been a much better week than it turned out to be.

My pneumonia hasn't cleared... so back on another course of anti-biotics & as I am typing this... every time I breathe in... all I can feel is like bubbles in my lung.... I have to get another xray carried out on Friday to see how much fluid is still lying in my lungs, so I am hoping that it has gone down considerably. Then I have to attend the doctors 10 days after that to get my lung checked again & see what the result of the xray is... Fingers crossed that I get the all clear then as I was so disappointed last week to be told that it hadn't cleared.

In addition to that, Rob's medication has been changed & is not working properly so we need to get him back to the docs to see what can be done... he is back to being up half the night again so not a lot of sleep being obtained in this house at the moment & I had a fight with the hospital over his appointment with the specialist... wait for this... they changed his medication in June & she wanted to review him in 3 months to ensure it was working (which it's not) but the earliest appointment they had was October... ok it's only an extra month.... well that appointment was cancelled & changed to December... hmmmmm.... ok try & go with the flow as these things sometimes happen.... well low & behold we received another letter cancelling this appointment & putting him back to March.... I don't think so!!!!! On the phone I went & did I throw a wobbler or did I throw a wobbler.... believe it or not... all these appointments are being cancelled due to the specialist being on annual leave.... how lucky is she to be able to holiday every 2-3 months during a credit crunch!!! Not my problem I said & as far as I was concerned this was now turning into a case of patient neglect.... well.... the outcome is that he now has an appointment in January.... so we shall just have to wait & see what happens.

The nice thing that did happen though was that the lovely Kat presented me with this award.

Apparently I have to answer the following list of questions... so here goes

1. Where is your cell phone? Right in front of me on the desk

2. Your hair? Dyed & will be from now on... used to be mousy brown but now a lot of grey...

3. Your mother? Probably munching on breakfast at present

4. Your father? Heaven as of May 1997

5. Your favourite food? Chicken Satay (must be Cantonese style though)

6. Your dream last night? Wasn't asleep long enough to dream

7. Your favourite drink? Coffee

8. Your dream/goal? To obtain a degree in Psychology & help others to find happiness

9. What room are you in? Craft

10. Your hobby? Crafting

11. Your fear? Spiders

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Living a happy, healthy life with my loved ones around me

13. Where were you last night? Sat on the sofa studying

14. Something that you aren't? Liar

15. Muffins? Only when the mood takes me

16. Wish list items? Health & happiness.... as they say... the best things in life are free

17. Where did you grow up? Same place as I live now

18. Last thing you did? Poured a coffee

19. What are you wearing? Still in pj's

20. Your tv? Living room & one in craft room but it's hardly ever on

21. Your pets? 1 cat, 1 guinea pig, 2 mini hamsters & 7 rescue rabbits

22. Your friends? True to me as I don't like pretend mates....

23. Your life? Well I could do with the credit crunch disappearing quickly & some really good health for both my hubby & myself....

24. Your mood? Always strive to be optomistic

25. Missing somone? My dad & brother every day... both deceased

26. Vehicle? "Aggie" the Aygo... shame she's not as clean as Aggie McKenzie though... lol

27. Something you're not wearing? Underwear.... not yet anyway....

28. Your favourite store? Craft wise it would have to be the Markingworld (Sakura) warehouse where I get to rummage to my hearts content... as for clothes... hmmmm.... toss up between Jane Norman & Zara....

29. Your favourite colour? Red... always sure to brighten a dark day

30. When was the last time you laughed? Last night watching tv

31. Last time you cried? When I got told I had pneumonia... the pain was so so bad

32. Your best friend? Like a sister to me

33. One place I go to over and over? The flaming supermarket!!!!

34. Facebook? Not enough time in my day...

35. Favourite place to eat? My local Cantonese restaurant

Golly gosh.... felt like I was never going to reach the end of that list... well I know I'm supposed to pass it on but most people probably have it by now seeing as I'm running so far behind... thus I will not list anyone by name but... please feel free to lift the award for your own blog if you've not already got it.

Okay.... time to get my bum in gear... shower, dress & on with the day ahead... hopefully I will get back later with a little something that I've already made a start on.... please keep fingers crossed for me... lol

Missing you all heaps & as soon as time & health allows I will be popping over to your blogs for a visit.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

GOOD MORNING...

A very good morning to all you lovelies out there in blogland... hope your weather is a bit like mine today... yes there may well be a nip in the air but at least there is a little sun shining through which is helping to make the house so nice, light & bright, never mind heating it all up... oh I so love days like this.

Well I didn't manage to make anything last night as I decided to try & get the old brain cells functioning again... it's been very difficult to concentrate this week so I hadn't managed to get any studying done... alas... last night I managed to screw the old brain back in place a little & squeezed in a few hours with the old Psychology study... don't want to fall behind... especially when the course has just started.

It may well have done me the world of good too as I've just had the best nights sleep... even though I was sat upright... believe it or not... I managed to get about 6 hours all in... amazing!!!

Just been online & put through my weekly shopping order to Tesco... I used this system last week as I'm locked in the house.... and boy was it fabulous. Delivery driver brought it straight into the kitchen, helped Rob to unpack it & even took away my old carrier bags... what a first class service they provide.

I'm also hoping that Mr Postie may arrive today as I placed an order with QVC during the week & it was dispatched yesterday... wishful thinking I'm sure as it probably won't arrive until Monday... but hey ho I can only live in hope for today...

Well I guess it's time to sign off now... get cleaned up & see what my old brain can come up with on the card front today... I also have a sympathy card to make... hard enough at the best of times but when there is no mojo in play... it will probably take me all day to come up with a design for this one...

Back to see you all again a little later

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx

What a stunning card I received

Now if this is not what you call a truly professional handmade card that is simply stunning to the eye then I don't know what is...

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened this little beauty & believe you me... my picture does it no justice... this is truly perfection.

Who is the sender of such a gorgeous creation... none other than Kim Piggott.... oh yes... now you all know why it is so stunning don't you.... I'm just so proud to have been the recipient of this little beauty which now has pride of place on my mantle for all my visitors to see.

Happy crafting

Lorraine

xxx