Would just like ......

......to wish you all a Happy New Year!!



May you all have Peace, Good Health and Happiness in the coming year.


P.S. I only just noticed that my clock is wrong....it's an hour fast..can't have set it properly!!
Will save me having to alter it in the spring which hopefully isn't to far away now....(I wish!!)

I'm still here....

....even though I haven't posted for a while. I hope everyone has had a good Christmas/Holiday season. I haven't done any crafting but I do need to get started as I have 3 family birthdays and a commissioned one in the next month. My Christmas was a quiet relaxing one....but my mind has been thrown into turmoil. The reason?....well I'll tell you. I come from a family of 5 kids and we were all split up and went into foster care at an early age.....I have no problem with that... (even though there are still a lot of unresolved issues for me)...and we all kept in touch over the years. My older sister lives not too far away from me and I was a little surprised when their Christmas card came by post..it's usually hand delivered. I haven't seen her for a while so when I took my card for them I got a real shock. My sister has had a lot of health problems..mainly inherited ones. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. When I saw her I nearly didn't recognise the little old lady hunched up and confined to a chair unable to stand without help. I transpires that after 2 operations on both knees, 2 hip replacements and the replacements of cataracts in both eyes she is totally housebound. One of her hip replacements had to be removed and replaced by a temporary rod until they can operate again in February at the earliest. She twisted and broke her elbow while trying to use a walking frame the hospital had provided her. To top it all her husband has sustained a back injury and is unable to work at the moment or carry my sister. My sister does have a stair lift but due to her present difficulties cannot get to it, so has to sleep on the sofa and cannot get to the upstairs bathroom. He considered giving up work to become her full time carer...but with a mortgage they just can't afford to do this. His work often takes him abroad..and so would need a carer for those times. At the cost of £8 an hour and £50 for a night carer the cost again is not feasible. So what do they do? I just feel so helpless that I can't do anything to help....and I admit I am downright terrified.....this could be me in 5 years time. At 56 she is only 16 months older than me....that vision is not a pretty one...

Almost done...

...my Christmas cards that is. I've got 2 Christmas and 1 birthday to do by the weekend for a customer. I was hoping to get them done tonight but I'm in so much pain with my back, and the painkillers are not helping one jot. I think the pain is caused by the travelling on buses....4 of them today. It was my last rheumatology appointment. A 10 minute appointment, and two and half hours to get home. As I thought, he has passed me back to my GP, and stressed that I must have another bone scan in the next year as I am losing bone density at a rather alarming rate. I did remind him that it was to be expected really as my late mother and both of my sisters are sufferers. At that he reminded me to take great care not to fall or cause undue strain on my bones as they are so vulnerable....as if I need telling....I'm wondering a bit if is the problem with my back at the moment. He couldn't give me any explanation why walking is so painful on my feet though....he put that down "possibly" to M.E. Can't win really can I?
Now I have to get the calendar and work out if I will need a prescription ordering before Christmas...the surgery is closed for 4 days and I don't want to run out of medication in the middle of Christmas. When I've done that I'm off to bed with a hot water bottle to see if that will ease the pain at all.

I'm not happy.

Besides feeling really down due to this cold/flu I have...and can't seem to shift...my second youngest son commented yesterday that due to the government clamping down on people claiming benefit I would have to start work very soon. I replied that I wish I was fit enough to work and would be there like a shot if I could. He then said....and this is the bit that really upset me..."what's wrong with you anyway..you look all right to me. If you can make cards and use the computer there's not much wrong with you...what is wrong with you anyway." Now I have got used to strangers and slight acquaintances making those sort of comments....but from my own son, I was devastated. I retorted by asking him if he would like a copy of my medical records...and I ended up walking out of the room. Today he's acting as though nothing has been said....and perhaps I'm being a tad sensitive...but his comments hurt, and they are still hurting. The upshot of all this is that I have moved all my crafting stuff upstairs to my bedroom where it will stay. It's meant moving everything round as there is even less room than downstairs..but I'm afraid I'm stubborn and wont invite any more such comments from him by pursuing my sanity saving hobby in his presence. Needless to say I haven't done any cards or participated in any of the challenges for the last few days.

Loads and loads....

.....of blog candy on offer...so grab a cuppa...get comfy and here we go.

Kadoodle... have a cowboy stamp to give away this week.
Sally ...from Bootiful Stampz is giving another stamp away
Suzanne ....has some gorgeous stamps to give away....ends Dec 14th
Julie.... has a Christmas quiz candy ...ends Dec 14th

Emma ...is celebrating being invited to join the Forever Friends DT with candy..ends Dec 15th

Kim ..has candy plus some of her own charms...ends Dec 17th

Dawny... has candy to celebrate her birthday..ends Dec 20th
Rica ..is celebrating being chosen for the Basic Grey Challenge DT...ends Dec 23rd
Jill ....is celebrating her 40th birthday on Dec 16th with some gorgeous candy...ends Dec 23rd
Karen...has mega mega mega Christmas candy!...ends Jan 1st
.....and don't forget Whiff of Joy Stamps Advent Calender give away.

Now how kind am I? ......I could have kept all that to myself and increased my chances of winning some of the gorgeous and very generous candy....Only kidding!!

Still not.....

....feeling anything like human, but I've managed 1 card for 2 challenges. I'm not really happy with it though. The first is for Friday Sketchers #31........and the second is for Stamp Something....snow something.

Backing paper from Funky Fairy....sentiment and snowflake strips cut from paper from magazine.

Image stamp from Woodware which I've water coloured and added Sakura clear glitter to the snow.

I'm a bit late ....

...but hopefully not too late. My card for this weeks ABC Challenge which was T for Three's....and SCSC #10 which is embossing. Kept it fairly simple as I have still a few more cards to do....a few Christmas and a couple of birthdays.
I've dry embossed 3 baubles on to champagne pearl card....mounted them onto a silk red card and then onto plain white card stock which I've also embossed around the edges. The sentiment is stamped with wetlook marvy red then heat embossed....it looks a lot shinier in real life. Finished it off with 3 red gems.

How chuffed am I????

The answer to that one is...very! Ok, so I'm still feeling absolutely yuck! and getting worse..I think this may turn into a chest infection. I just heard that my vintage card for the Cupcake Craft Challenge has been picked as one of the top 5...whoo hooo!!! It may not seem much of an accolade but it means a lot to me. I am so critical of my artistic abilities and this doesn't half give you an ego boost. Thank you Lauren...and all the people who commented on my card...it's made my day! Off to have a little browse now.

I've lost a day.

Yesterday I got up had breakfast then went back to bed for a couple of hours.....that turned into 14. I slept the whole day and most of the evening through. I got up again to get myself a drink and take some painkillers....that was what woke me up.....then went back to bed. I can't say that I feel any better for it. Determined to stay up for a while today so I busied myself with making a card. Anything more strenuous was out of the question. It's a good job I've taught my boys how to look after themselves because I'm just no use to them at the moment. Little Theo must sense that I'm not well...he hasn't left me alone for the last 3 days. He's not normally allowed upstairs but has managed to get through the door and laid on my bed with me. When I have got up and gone downstairs he's followed me around chirruping at me, and sat on my knee purring when I'm sat in the chair. They do say that animals know when you aren't well, and he has been a comfort.

Well here's the card and it covers 2 challenges. Papertake Weekly Challenge which is a Ready Steady Craft! recipe...1 ribbon, 2 rectangles and 3 small round embellishments...and Dutch Dare card Challenge #26 which calls for scalloped edges on the card.

Backing paper... magazine download..sentiment cut from a backing sheet. Santa image....Paperartsy. Flowers....Woodware punch. Ribbon and brads from stash.

2 lots of candy....

....up for grabs...and you really don't want to miss these.
Check out Paula of Pollycraft designs.....she has something absolutely AWESOME! to give away.
Sally of Bootifulstampz has a weekly give away of a stamp not yet released.

A quick post.....

...and I hope I'm in time for this one. A card made for SCSC #9. I decided not to make up anything new...use images that I've already made up and papers embellishments that I've already got. The pyramage image is a sheet from Jooles...backing paper from a magazine download....Sentiment stamp from Woodware and ribbon and eyelets from stash.

Might be back later....but then again I might not.

Flu?...

After my bout of not feeling too well a couple of weeks ago I thought I'd be OK....but I'm not. I don't know if it's the M.E. or this horrible bug that seems to be sweeping the country.....but I feel "fluey." It's a bit hard for me to know if this is just going to be a bad cold or the flu.....because since the onset of M.E...... which started with a very bad bout of flu....my body is still making flu antibodies.....even though I haven't had flu for the last 3 years. It's one of those things with M.E.....your brain and body just don't listen to what the other is saying! Not what I need just now. I haven't got as far as I had hoped with the card making..but I have managed 3...all similar..but not the same.

The backing paper for all three and the image on the blue card is from Fred, She Said bundle "Catching snowflakes" The image on the red card is Emma..again from Fred She Said. The green decoupage elves (don't you just love 'em?) image is from La Pashe....available online from the Imag-e-nation shop. The sentiment stamp is ..I think ..from Woodware.

Right....I'm off to bed with a hot drink and a hot water bottle. I have to be up reasonably early tomorrow.....things to do...like collecting my prescription and getting it filled...which I should have done today (have run out of painkillers) but didn't get up in time.....Thursday being half day closing for the doctor's and the chemist.

Made a card...

...last night. I think I'm back in crafting mode. This card...I think ...covers 3 challenges.

Friday Sketchers #30 .......Stamp Something Black Friday Challenge, which calls for something black.... and last, but I'm not too sure about this one Cup Cake Craft Challenge 16 which calls for vintage. Would you consider this vintage?

The backing paper on the card stock I don't know the origin. The other papers and stamps from Paperartsy.

The seasons greetings button is one I downloaded from another blog...and I can't remember who's blog it was. The name on the sheet is Lyndsey Marie..so if it's you, or you know who it is could you please let me know so that I can give credit where it's due.

Might be back later.... or not....I've a few Christmas cards to get done for the weekend...so I'd better get a move on.

Not felt like....

After a disappointing Saturday I haven't felt like doing any cards, so that means I've missed doing some of the challenges. I really must shake myself up and get motivated again. I like doing the challenges..they inspire me to try something a bit different. To start there is some gorgeous blog candy up for grabs...so here goes.

Katharina has a fabulous Whiff of Joy Advent calender event. A new stamp every day!
Claire has an enormous amount to give away for over 36,000 hits.
Kadoodle have a new stamp to give away this week.

I got the candy...

...that I won on Elin's blog. I can only say that the picture does not do it justice. A gorgeous gift bag with a cute little nut mouse attached, chocolates and some beautiful crochet flowers. Thank you Elin. I will certainly treasure it. I've taken a quick pic (before I eat all the choccies!) but the quality isn't too good.

Collecting my candy was about the only good thing that happened today. I got up at the crack of dawn...well...7.30...very early for me. Took myself off in the freezing fog to meet son and DIL armed with cards for the Christmas fayre. What a complete waste of time. Just 7 tables and 2 of those selling tatty second-hand goods, one lady face painting, another with cookies for the kids to decorate, one selling balloons, pencils, sweets etc. and another with second hand jigsaws and toys. It was not advertised except for a small poster pinned to the outside notice board. There was a Santa but he was upstairs with the refreshments, and he went home early. It was a thoroughly miserable turnout. We thought that more people would turn up as the sun came out and cleared the fog. No go. The weather turned again on my way home and I still haven't been able to get warm. So I'm cold, tired and fed up.

Hop over...

...to Bev's blog to find some lovely pink candy!

It's just been...

...one of those days. You know the ones I mean. You have made plans for what you need to do and everything that could go wrong does. I won't bore you with the details...they are so mundane.
I have managed to get done 2 cards for 4 challenges though. So here they are. This one fits the SCSC Challenge #8 which calls for decoupage.....and the ABC challenge which calls for snow....and it is a snowy image. This card is way off my usual style but was quick to do.....it's growing on me. Image layered up with red and dark blue card stock on white.....gold peel-offs to finish. I haven't used peel-offs for ages. I think I'm moving away from them...but they do come in handy sometimes.

The next card covers Sketch Saturday Sketch#26....and Dutch Dare Challenge #25 to put a hole somewhere on the card. Mine has 2 holes.....on the sentiment tag.

The image and sentiment stamps from Paperartsy..backing papers from magazine....eyelets from stash.

My signature's back!

3 blog candies....

.....and they are truly scrumptious!

First.....Kadoodle have a new stamp up for grabs this week.

Second.....Emma has some gorgeous candy to celebrate 2,000 hits although she has now well and truly passed that.

Last but not least.....Sonja has a lovely WOY stamp.

A challenge card

It's not turning out to be a good week for making cards. I'm feeling a lot better and thought that I would make a few cards yesterday. The gods are against me though. My son and DIL have roped me in to help them with a Christmas fayre at a local church on Saturday. The organizers hadn't anyone to make and sell cards. The lady that used to do it has sadly died. They asked my DIL if she knew of anyone and of course said yes...herself, her partner (my son) and me. Well..seeing as I have some cards made from entering the challenges, and having images stamped/coloured/decoupaged/matted and layered etc..... getting them made up into simple cards would have been easy. Emphatically No!!. First, my printer which is quite old now, is on a go slow..I need it to print out some backing papers and the inserts..and Theo. Every time I get out my crafting stuff he starts. He wants to play with everything...glue stick, craft knife, scissors, DST, papers, inks.....you get the picture? Well it meant that yesterday I got the grand total of 3 cards made...and I still have inserts to make as well.

Here is one of them that fits one of the challenges. Rainbow Lady's Challenge #40 which asks for snowmen. Suffice to say that I'm not doing very well at getting any more challenge cards done this week


The image and sentiment is from La Pashe..the backing paper downloaded from Funky Fairy.

My signature seems to be coming and going as well.....definitely got the gremlins in this week.

Blog candy

Click here for some amazing blog candy from Kristine.

I feel....

...like death warmed up. My body feels as if it's been used as a punching bag...my feet and legs are screaming and I can't get any ease either sitting or standing..so I'm doing a bit of both. I did go back to bed this morning with a hot water bottle, but that made me feel worse, so I got up, took some more painkillers and I've made a card. It's for the PWC...Snow!...so I did some snowflakes with my one and only single snowflake that I thought I had lost. Stamped with versamark and embossed with silver sparkle EP The backing is from a free download on the Imag-e-nation forum and I can't remember who posted it. I'm sure someone will know, so if you could let me know I can give the deserved credit where's it's due. The card stock looks black but it is actually dark blue. The sentiment is from Woodware. It's a simple little card but just so pleased with myself that I actually managed to make it!!

Here's another card I made, not for a challenge though. It's for my eldest grand-daughter's birthday. She's not all that girly but I decided to go to town on the bling and a bit pink...and she does love her handbags and shoes.

The backing paper is a free download from making-handmade-cards. The other paper covering the 12 I don't know where it's from. The number template is from Imag-e-nation.

I don't think I'm going to manage any more cards today so that means I will miss out on doing some of the challenges. I'm off to have a cuppa and something to eat so that I can take some more painkillers. Take care out there.

One card...

......3 challenges. Aren't I getting clever! Well not really. Some of the cards I am doing are way off what I normally do, and so are a bit experimental for me.

The 3 challenges.....SCSC Challenge #7 Cute as a button. A Spoonful of Sugar challenge #26 Blooming Marvellous. ABC Challenge..R for Ribbon. Some of you alert challenge takers might notice that the layout of this card is a sketch for Sketch Saturday sketch #25. It follows the sketch but it should have been a Christmas card to be eligible. If I get the time later I might just manage to make one.

The image is from Funky Fairy's....the backing papers are from a 6x6 pad of pearlised papers and I can't remember what make. Flowers and buttons from stash.

Blog candy...

You've just got to check out Debbie's blog...and the candy she is giving away to celebrate 12,000 hits.

Ria from Funky Fairy has some gorgeous candy to celebrate over 17,00 hits.

Don't forget Kadoodle have a new stamp to give away this week

3 cards....

....4 challenges. The first card is for the This Thursday Challenge #21. It threw me a bit with the metallic bit. Anyhow....the card is a dufex decoupage and has silver backing paper.....so I think that it qualifies for metallic. I decided to keep it fairly simple and only add the ribbon as an embellishment to keep the focus on the image. I'm pleased with the way the dufex has turned out. Cutting it out with Theo trying to help nearly ended in disaster. I nearly had an ear less cat!
I'm afraid that he still has to learn that not everything is a toy....and I've discovered Pinflair Gel..a bit pricier but a lot better to work with than silicone.

The next card covers 2 challenges. RainbowLady's Challenge #39...Things with Wings......and Daring Cardmakers..Birds. I got a bit stuck with this....but went for fairly simple and traditional.

Finally....Stamp Something Sketch Something challenge. Ooh look.....I've gone all pink and glittery...well only a bit of glitter.

I'm getting better with the camera....but I must remember to take the photo's during the day when thee is natural light! Not that my living room has a lot of natural light at this time of the year....it is north facing and the coldest room in the house.

A good day..

.....today. I've been quite productive. I've finished all my ATC's for this month and they are ready to be posted tomorrow. I haven't made a full card today.....2 almost done..will finish them tomorrow, hopefully when I get back from the doc's for my blood tests. I have got a card to post here though. It's the one I made for the Imag-e-nation forum challenge set by Val. I didn't win....but my aim at the moment is just to take part. The challenge was to make a card using one of Joanie's sheets. You can see all the other entries on Joanie's blog

I've volunteered to host Decembers ATC swap on the Foggy Friends forum. There are only a few who take part in this swap, and were struggling for someone to host. A lot of the people who take part are very badly affected by M.E. and so sometimes find it a real challenge. It would have been a shame not to have the last swap for 2008 , so that's why I agreed to host. I just hope I don't make a complete pig's ear of it.

The saga...

......of last last Friday's appointment. It wasn't unexpected really. The bone scan results show that my bone density has deteriorated alarmingly since my last one in 2005....and I do have osteoporosis. Apparently I am not getting enough calcium or doing enough weight bearing exercise. She asked me what my diet was like and I said that it thought it quite good really. Yes I do have a sweet tooth and have cut out the sugar in tea...I eat a good range of foods including wholemeal bread and plenty of fruit and veg. I know I could do with losing about half a stone and I am losing it since going swimming. Not good enough for her though...I need to lose some weight (although I am not overweight!) walk a lot more and don't take the bus and taxi's. Taxi's??..I can afford to go everywhere by taxi?? When I said that walking was painful and tiring for me her answer was to give me yet more painkillers..... HELLOOOO!! I HAVE M.E. She then gave me a list of common foods that contain calcium, so I think I've got the calcium thing sorted now. I start to have sugar again...there's 2mg per 100g in that. Cheddar cheese sandwiches made with white bread and butter rather than low fat spread....that's 55mg in a slice of white compared to 13mg in wholemeal.....and fried sausage and chips. There's more in fried sausages than there is in grilled bacon..and the same goes for chips rather than boiled potatoes. With this sort of diet I will increase my amount of calcium very easily.....but I will probably die early due to obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Then she prescribed another lot of medication. This is one tablet to be taken once a week on the same day of the week for the rest of my life. It has to be taken whilst upright with a full glass of water and nothing to eat or drink for 30 minutes afterwards. I started taking it on Saturday and the hardest thing is having to wait half an hour before I can put the kettle on for my morning cuppa. I don't even begin to function until I've had that. You confused yet?...I am!! Oh..and I've got to have more blood tests on Wednesday. My blood tests from the hospital "were a bit fuzzy"....the doctors words....and showed some inflammation which needs investigating. Don't think there's much more they can test me for now. At least now when people ask what's wrong with me, I can say that I have a medical condition which most people are aware of and not get the withering looks of disbelieve.

I won....

...blog candy!!!!! Take a look here to see what I won. Choccies.....mmmmm!


Down to business now. Here is my entry for this week's ABC Challenge....a quick card.

A pyramage mounted on silver mirri card..then on dark blue card stock onto a white card. A bit of Sakura clear glitter...then a silver ribbon. Voila!..all quick and east to cut and mount.

The pyramarge is one of Joanie's, another member of the Imag-e-nation forum (there really are a lot of talented and generous people on there)...card stock and ribbon from stash.

I don't do mornings...

..but here I am early....for me that is...on a Sunday morning. Why am I here at this time? I couldn't sleep so I thought I would get up and try and get some cards made. I have made 4 cards but I can't say that I am happy with all of them. I've got the mojo for creating, but they just don't seem to be turning out how I intended. Well here goes ....3 cards for 3 challenges...but I'll only post for 2 just now.
Papertake Weekly Challenge.....using Dawny's sketch#2. I actually made 2 cards for this because I'm not sure if one, or even both of them actually follows the sketch.

I like this black and white one. The image and backing sheet is by CraftySal, a member of the Imag-e-nation forum. I went over the black parts of the image with an embossing pen then clear embossed it. I added a little Sakura clear sparkle to the poinsettia, holly leaves and the firs. Not your usual colours for Christmas but I think it gives quite a dramatic effect.

Here's the second card.

I'm not really happy with this one. I wanted to use the image but I'm not too sure about the green card. The image and paper is free download by Jak.. go check out her blog, her work is amazing....and the sentiment and swirl stamps are by Paperartsy.

Funky Fairys challenge #41
I really tried with this sketch but just couldn't get it right. Never mind it's another card done..and perhaps I will grow to like it...or someone else might.

Decoupage and spotty paper from Funky Fairys. Snowflake paper from Crafts Beautiful.

I'm off to have my breakfast now, and then I'm going to son and DIL's. The weather looks as though it might be quite good today....we have blue sky and only a little light cloud...so hopefully I won't get wet. I might be back later with the saga of my doctors appointment. Oh... by the way...I found my snowflake stamp, and some other things that I had forgotten about when I was stroking...ahem...sorry....tidying my craft stuff away. It was stuck to a small piece of acetate. Happy now.