Getting into Christmas.... lol.

Here is a Christmas card made using a different fold. Details of which can be found here. Our swap on my card group next month is to make a card with a different fold to the usual, and this is the fold I've used, but not the card.

The photo below I was trying to show the gorgeous Daisy stamp but with his gorgeous Stickles glittered hat that I've used on the scrapbook page.




And this is my scrapbook page which is about our decorations at Christmas and the atmosphere they create. Inside the little red envelope at the bottom are more photos of the decorations/tree. I tend to take so many photos I don't have enough room!

Flowers??

I keep thinking about not having enough paper flowers... although I do have 3 long tubs of Prima flowers and a organza bag packed with tiny flowers, of course I still don't have enough. Then I wondered why on earth I worried about the "lack" of papers flowers I have when I can quill them??!

Below is a photo of the first bouquet I made of quilled flowers. I made it about 4 years ago.



Below is another bouquet mounted on some spirelli.

Hey Daisy!

I made a Christmas card today! I should be cross stitching a Silver Wedding picture to be framed though... I've got to make two, and I've less than two weeks left to do them... and that's putting me off!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway. I'd tried to get this months Do Crafts Creativity magazine this week and was unable to, but my friendly Coleman's shop emailed the other shops, and got one in for me and I picked it up this morning. The magazine is SO worth the cover price of £2.50 because I got this gorgeous Daisy cuddly stamp, complete with the tag greetings stamp as well, as a free gift! How fab is that?!
So I used some of last years Christmas papers for the layering and matting. I stamped Daisy in a dark brown Tom Holtz distress ink so that I could just water brush over her for the colouring. I added glitter to her Christmas hat, and I red Stickles glittered the red roses, and hung a little Christmas tree charm off of the tag. Such a cute stamp.

This card suits the challenge on Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge perfectly. So I've entered this cute and square card there. Thanks Avril for the pointer x.

Just lazing around Tilda.

Wow, two cards in one day!! (See post below for the first card of today). This card I made using the fab papers that I bought with my £30 vouchers I received from the cross stitch mag.
I used my chalks as well! They've not seen the light of day for a couple of years now, and I really enjoyed edging both the oval and the edge of the card itself. I'm definitely loving my craft room, and so is Matthew - he's been up there colouring in as well.
I glittered the tiny butterflies with stardust Stickles, and the centres of the daisies I glittered with a lovely yellow stickles.

Forever Friends and new papers.

This morning I received my scrummy scrapbook papers/cardstock from Craft Creations Ltd. I had ordered them using the money that I'd won from appearing in Cross Stitch Card Shop as the star letter in issue 67. These papers are gorgeous!!! You can't see the print too well on the photos, but one of them has a daisy pattern and is soooo pretty.

I used one of my Forever Friends images that I'd stamped and coloured in ages ago. I added ink to the edges and crystal laquers to the hearts and a sprinkle of glamour dust.
I used a cream crocheted edging, and an assortment of flowers.

An interesting News Report.
A number of incidents were reported at Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, including powerful lights and objects coming out from the water, Russia Today said.

In one case in 1982, military divers training at the lake said they spotted a group of humanoid creatures dressed in silver suits at a depth of 50 metres.
They tried to catch the visitors but three of the seven men died in the process, while four others were severely injured in the incident, according to the records.

On another occasion, a nuclear submarine on a combat mission in the Pacific Ocean detected six unknown objects. The captain of the vessel ordered the crew to bring it to the surface after failing to shake off the pursuers. The objects followed them up before flying away into the sky, the newly published files claimed.

Further mysterious events happened in the Bermuda Triangle area, including instruments on ships and submarines breaking down for no apparent reason.
Former navy officer Rear Admiral Yury Beketov said deliberate disruption from UFOs, which were detected "moving at incredible speed", could have been to blame.
He said: "It was like the objects defied the laws of physics. There's only one explanation: the creatures who built them far surpass us in development."

The records, which date back to Soviet times, were compiled by a special navy group tasked with collecting reports of unexplained incidents from submarines and military ships.

Taken from Sky News online.

Christmas in Craft World.

... starts in January, so I'm late getting started!!
I belong to an ATC group which I've been very lapse with for well over a year, that's bad though coz I part run/own it! So anyway, I thought I'd check the up and coming ATC themes and saw, amongst others, Christmas.
I decided to make these on acetate and I really love them! I enjoyed making them today.
I've been in my craft room, along with Matthew, twice today! I made my unusual card fold card that is the theme for my Card swap group (we've not swapped in months, so new start!), better not upload that here though yet, and Matthew made two Christmas cards with scary Santa eyes! Not meant to be, but he coloured the eyes in and now they're scary.
Later we went back to the craft room to make some ATC's. Matthew made one great Christmas themed one, and these are my two for the December swap on the ATC group. I ran around the outside edge in Stardust Stickles glitter glue.
Click on image for a better view.

Something for Cheryl's grandson.

Door plate for Leo.
I made this with my Cricut Expressions machine and the Disney and Friends cartridge. I made him for Cheryl's grandson who's just turned one. He has his new room in a new house.
I'd not sent him a birthday card and said I'd make him something instead. Matthew now wants one, lol. He is cute though, I wouldn't mind a "Justin and Roz's room" one!

I've only been in my craft room 3 times since the desk went in and I could use the room. Mainly coz of Justin being off for the week and we've been busy with other things. In those three times I've made Darryl and Abby a New Home card, and also an Engagement card, and now tonight this Mickey Mouse. I don't suppose I shall use the room much until the school summer holidays are over in September, but I do love being in there.

An hour by the river.

Today we went to dad's for dinner, and as Justin has this week off he came with us for our walk over the river. Dad stayed at home peeling the veg!

Me and Justin.




A bridge crossing one of the weir's.




My back garden... I wish!

Matthew and Justin on a bridge crossing a small weir.

A smiling Justin!

Me!

Me and our lovely Matthew.

Stitched Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card.

I stitched this card for my cousin Carol and her husband Terry. I was their bridesmaid 40 years ago when I was just three... awwwww, lol. Their daughter, Melanie, who's children go to the same school as Matthew asked me to stitch them a card. I like how it turned out.
Below is a pic of me as that bridesmaid! Bless eh?!

My craft room!!

So here's my craft room!! This was Matthew's tiny room up until a week ago... see the Winnie the Pooh wallpaper??! LOL!
You can't see by the pic but I've got tubs underneath the desk. There's my old trolley thingy under the telly. I have set out my wonderful Cricut Expressions machine on the desk, along with a basket with essential bits like double sided tape, scissors etc. On the windowsill are my glitters and my little paint pots... what are they called???? My Prismacolour pencils are in pencil cases... everything's tidy.



This next photo is my canvas shelf cupboard - it hasn't been as tidy as this in about a year! I had a good clear out as well and chucked some stuff.

Just a close up of my desk. It took Justin about an hour and a half last night, but well worth it! Thanks Justin xxx

Wooohooooooooo Matthew!!

Here is Matthew FINALLY riding his bike. (Click the triangle on the video dad!) He got SO frustrated over Christmas because he just couldn't do it, so gave up, and didn't like his bike very much. Today, Justin and Matthew went out to the garage and saw that the back tyre was flat, so Justin pumped it up and then Matthew walked around with his bike. He then got on it without us looking (well he didn't see me up at the bedroom window) and just got on it and rode it! I later went out and took this little video of him. I wish I sounded a bit posher, lol.

Darryl and Abby seem happy in their new home. It's still a tip, lol, but Darryl's bedroom here is now clear and Justin is busy painting the bottom half of the wall as Matthew can't wait to get in there.
We didn't finish taking Darryl's possessions round his new house until this afternoon, so it's been a busy few days and I'm glad I had the weekend off!

WOW! AMAZING BLOG CANDY

Fantastic blog candy giveaway!! 7 prizes in total!!!
Click here to visit, and don't forget to check out this lady's blog while you're at it for lots of inspiration.
Thanks Chrissy!

Darryl moves out on Friday...

So my firstborn is leaving home on Friday to live with his girlfriend, Abby. They will be living about 3 minutes walk from us, which is ideal for when they want us to babysit - not too far for them to walk to ours and bring him over, lol. Matthew, although he has said that he will really miss Darryl, is looking forward to moving into Darryl's old room, which is probably 3 times bigger than his little room he is currently in. He is excited because he will be able to have his little portable telly connected up to the Virgin Tv box and not Freeview like he has at the moment.

I am of course sad that Darryl is moving out, but I am also looking forward to claiming Matthew's room for a craft room!! I shall be moving my big craft cupboard - it's on of those canvas shelving unit thingy's (click here to see what I mean), and little wheelie draw thing, and click here to see the desk that Justin is ordering for me, and an office chair to have up there as well. I will get my old portable telly from Dad's that is currently in Dad's kitchen, unused nowadays, and plug it into Matthew's old Freeview box, and now that Create and Craft are broadcasting on that I shall be able to have that on up there. My laptop can connect wirelessly to the broadband, and my Cricut Expressions can sit proudly on the desk out of it's box. So that, I'm looking forward to.

Darryl hasn't packed a single thing yet. I do keep on at him to get started and not leave it till the last minute, but Darryl has always been a last minute kind of guy, lol. They, Darryl and Abby, have just left for London. It's their two year anniversary today and they're going for a meal at Planet Hollywood, near Picadilly I think.

So my plans for today is to do some cross stitching. I need to get the first card done in the next couple of days, then get started on the other two...

A double celebration!

We cut the first cucumber from the plant and also the first strawberry!!!!! Wooohoooooooooo!! LOL!
I don't actually eat cucumbers, but Justin said it was lovely, tasted just like a cucumber, lol. He said the strawberry was a bit sharp - he wanted a ton of sugar on it!!!! We actually cut the strawberry into three pieces so the three of us here got a bit. Darryl was at work at the cinema so he's having fun enough, but didn't get any strawberry lol. He gets to watch his first free film tonight after he's finished working.

I've not done any stitching on my puppy this week. I've had orders for three cross stitched cards, so I'm having to get on with those... first one looking good so far!!

A few photos of summer...

Matthew sitting amongst the growing tomatoes! LOL!

In the paddling pool after a hot summers day.

Just chillin' after a hot day at work.


Matthew's sunflower he planted from using a seed from the wild bird food.

The rest of the pictures are some of the veggies I've been growing. I'm definitely going to do it again next year.


Runner beans! Grown from some seeds dad gave me. First sown in the greenhouse, then planted 3 in a big pot with a wigwam cane structure.


Tomatoes.


This is how the cucumbers are coming along. This is just an updated pic of that other cucumber on a post further down the page. This photo was taken 8 days after the other one.


First RED strawberry, wooooohoooooooo!

I have learned that I need a bigger pot for my carrots next time.
Cucumbers, when started in the airing cupboard only need about 2-3 days in there, then transfer to a greenhouse - mine was unheated and did fine. If you leave them in the airing cupboard, they get too "leggy" and then die when transferred. I did start off another one in the greenhouse, and that grew and is outside next to the other plant. It produced cucumbers about a week after the one started in the airing cupboard.
Next year I shall also plant peas. I wanted to this year and I have no idea why I didn't sow any.
I can't wait to try something that we've grown!!

Sports Day!

First game was controlling the football.

Matthew with his teacher, Mr Lemmon.

Hockey anyone?

Matthew in the centre of the track competing in the relay race.

It was a very hot day, 32C - 91F. Justin had the day off work to come along and cheer Matthew on with me. Matthew came first in a couple of the races/games.

We went to town in the afternoon, Darryl upgraded his phone to a Samsung Tocco Silver. We also got some shopping, including ice lollies!!

I'm about to make a salad for dinner and Justin is going to sort out Matthew's paddling pool.
Darryl heard yesterday that he and Abby can move into their maisonette next Friday. I shall miss him, but he will only be 3 minutes away. I'm looking forward to moving Matthew's toys from the lounge up to his "new" bedroom!