I'm fed up....

....with AOL. My slide show is back..I think.....I'm going to remove it anyway. Most of my pictures have been transferred to the new hosting site....but it wont let me stayed logged in.....and I can't do any editing with it. I can't even keep all the tags that I've spent hours doing.....that's no good to me. At least with AOL pictures you could just upload the pictures and then edit them. I got so fed up with it today that I decided to download them all to my computer and then upload them on to Picasa. Then Aol decided it wasn't playing nice..(nothing new there then)...it kept shutting down halfway through the download so I had to keep rebooting...so now, I have only got about half my pictures downloaded to the computer and no tags.......GGrrrrrrrrrr!!! I will still have to edit any new pictures before uploading to Picasa though. Why do they have to go and mess things up? I was happy with the way things were...I knew what I was doing..now it's all change and something new to learn.
Son has finally took pics of my 2 cards that I have done for challenges and says he will put them on computer in the morning. I hope so..at this rate I won't get them entered. I tried photographing them myself, but as usual they turned out really bad. Even tried scanning them..a bit better but not much.
I have updated my ATC's....there is a link on the right hand side ......over there>>>>>>>>
That's all October done so now it's time to start the November ones.

Today has been very cold but not as wet as yesterday. It looks as though this cold spell will be with us for a few days yet. I have three jumpers on and the central heating....very low...I'm dreading my next lot of bills. It's lovely when Theo sits on my lap..he's always lovely and warm.
Right....I'm off to get my hot water bottle filled and the extra fleece blanket on my bed. It's the warmest place to be. Hopefully I will have a couple of cards for you tomorrow.

A Quickie....

Just to let you know that there is more blog candy out there. I'm still waiting for son to take piccies of my latest creations.

Vicky has candy as she is nearing 5,000 hits and her birthday on the 18th November.....
Happy Birthday Vicky.

Suzy has a beautiful WOJ stamp up for grabs.

Elin has a lot of candy..you've got a choice here..pick one..or pick 'em all!

Bev and DT members have candy to give away....choose just one.

Elaine has candy..again to celebrate her upcoming birthday...Happy 40th !

Brrrr...

....it's been cold....again....but on the bright side I got 2 more Christmas cards done. haven't taken a piccy yet though. They are for blog challenges....getting into those now. Makes you think a bit and takes you out of your comfort zone. Even if I don't get them photographed in time for the challenges it does mean that I'm getting my Christmas cards sorted without any panic!
It's shopping day tomorrow and the weather forecast is for cold and rain. I hate the cold....but I hate the cold rain even more. There's no swimming this Friday, it being half term, I wouldn't really fancy going with a load of squealing, splashing kids being there anyway. Let them have their fun by all means.....but leave me out of it! Might even get some more cards done instead.
The slide show of my cards isn't working. I think this is because it's an AOL one and they are shutting down their picture hosting at the end of the year. I have a Picasa account so I think I may transfer all my piccies on to there. I've quite a bit of tidying up to do on the computer. Some things need sorting and sending to my external hard drive..and I really need to update some of my links on here. I've been a bit lazy with that I think.....too busy reading the wonderfully inspiring blogs.

Another....

...cold day here in South Yorkshire, but at least it has stayed dry. I do know that some places in the UK have had snow!
Guess what?...youngest actually uploaded the piccies of my cards....Yay!
So here are my 2 cards for the blog challenges. I don't really know if I have done this right..but here goes.
The first one is for This Thursday It's throwing a curve..and though a very simple and quick card, I think there are definitely curves on this one.

The pyramage image from La Pashe.

The next one.....(I know...2 in one week!!) is for Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. A sketch by Donna. I've never followed a sketch before so I hope I've done this right.

Backing paper from Crafts Beautiful magazine.

"Emma the Hugger " image and sentiment from Tracey Miller.

It's been...

.....a beautiful sunny day, but very cold. I had to go to the local shop for essentials...cat food, bread, milk, etc. Well actually I didn't need cat food, but it has been on offer for the last couple of weeks so I have been stocking up while it's cheap. Every step was painful. My feet are causing me a lot of pain at the moment...even walking about the house, which hasn't bothered me before.
I've managed to get 2 Christmas cards done today with a lot of hindrance from Theo..surprising that he didn't get his ears or paws cut off. The inspiration for them has come from me being determined to try and complete a couple of cards for challenges. I can't put them on yet as I'm waiting for youngest son to take piccies and upload them for me. His camera phone takes much better pictures than my camera.....(could be that I'm useless with a camera though). At least I have 2 less cards to make for Christmas now.
He still hasn't uploaded the pic of my card for the forum challenge yet....it will be too late if he doesn't get a move on!


Blog Candy

Vivienne at Crafting Haven is celebrating 10,000 hits with blog candy.

Leonie is also celebrating 10,000 hits!

And don't forget Kadoodle Stamps are continuing their stamp give away with a new stamp this week

I wish the weather...

.......would make it's mind up. Today's weather started showery....the sun came out and was quite pleasant....but now the rain looks as if it has settled in for the night. If it continues tomorrow I'm not going anywhere..a good reason to stay at home and get some cards done. I spent 2 hours last night cutting out loads of Christmas decoupage.....just got to assemble it all now. I hope I've got enough silicone....if not I will have to resort to 3d foam pads....prefer silicone though.

Clocks.

Here in the UK the clocks go back 1 hour tonight...(or rather very early Sunday morning). ..and an extra hour in bed tomorrow morning. It means darker mornings and darker evenings....and a sure sign that winter is only just around the corner. Today's weather has been very wet, windy and cold....brrrr! I hate the cold!
Time I think to stay put indoors and do lots of card making....ready for Christmas. You never know, if my mojo doesn't dessert (sp?) me altogether I might get well ahead this year...I wish!!

Even more.....

....blog candy.....and I'm sure that there is a loads more out there if you have the time to go blog hopping.


Camilla has an"oh so cute" Whiff of Joy stamp....you'll love this one!

Olga is celebrating 1,000 hits.

Kadoodle Stamps have another stamp to give away for their weekly blog candy. (Nearly forgot about this one!)

I went....

.....swimming. I really didn't think I was going to make it. I'd set the alarm for 9 o'clock so that I would be up in time to get done what needed to be done, and so that I wouldn't be rushing about.
Not sleeping well meant that I did wake up to the alarm .....but then I fell asleep until 1 o'clock!! Made up my mind to go swimming anyway. Seeing as I wasn't feeling at all energetic I thought that I'd catch the bus.....but I just missed one, so rather than wait 20 mins or so for the next one I set off walking. The walk is all uphill and used to take 10 mins or so in the old days. It now takes me half an hour with 2 stops on the way. It was a beautiful day, though a bit cold. I didn't quite manage the full hour of swimming that I usually do and I was really struggling. When I first went I could only do 2 lengths and then had to stop for a rest. I've now got this up to 6 lengths at a time....and do 30 lengthts in an hour. Today it was 24 lengths with a struggle. One good thing though. I don't know if it's the swimming, or the fact that I've cut a bit of sugar out of my diet...(sweeteners instead of sugar in my tea)...but I've lost 3lbs in weight.
The card for the Imag-e-nation forum challenge is finished...just got to get a decent picture now....and remember to upload it. I've also updated my ATC's.....just waiting for 2 lots to arrive for this month.


Blog Candy

Katharina has some lovely candy to give away on the High Hopes blog Hop.

I'm still ....

...feeling so tired....and I'm supposed to be going swimming tomorrow. Perhaps it will do me a bit of good to go. The weather has been truly miserable today....cold wet and very windy. I've started on another card for the forum challenge....so far it's going OK. If I do finish and enter it I will be so pleased with myself, even if I don't get any votes for it. Blogger is playing up tonight....it won't let me post any comments to other blogs, and may not publish this post! Well here goes....

I've got...

...a black eye. Don't ask how I got it 'cus I don't know. My eye felt a bit dry and itchy last night , but I put that down to being tired. Woke up this morning....late....and there it was...and it hurts. It's not as bad as it sounds though.....but it is annoying! Since having M.E. I am a bit clumsy and always walking into doors and sometimes walls....my balance isn't very good at times. As I wear glasses I think I would have known if I had done anything to cause a black eye. My arms and legs are usually covered in small bruises and scratches. That's another thing with the M.E....minor cuts and scratches which wouldn't normally bother you take longer than normal to heal... I think that is something to do with the fact that your immune system can become weak.
Not the only thing weak....my mojo isn't playing nice. I thought that I would try and make a card for the Imag-e-nation forum challenge. Have always wanted to try, but always forget and then run out of time. It ended up in the bin....it just wouldn't come together. Perhaps I will try something different tomorrow.


Blog Candy

Rach has a WOY stamp..and some papers and some buttons and ...lots!!

Nikki has some PINK candy to celebrate 30,000 hits and to help for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's cold....

It's turned really cold today, even though the sun has been bravely shining through the showers. Still feeling really tired so haven't done much at all. I thought that I could probably have a quiet afternoon making a couple of cards.......ended up falling asleep in the chair with Theo. Can't say that I feel much better for it though.....perhaps tomorrow.

Pass it on...

I know it's half way through the month and perhaps I'm a bit late with this....better late than never. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month...so please feel free to pass along this little penguin as a reminder to all the women you know.

Take care.

I'm tired tonight...

..because I have been busy for the last few days and it's catching up with me. Thursday was shopping, Friday swimming...and Saturday the beautiful autumnal weather was still with us..so what did I do? Yes....spent the whole afternoon in the garden. I only meant to spend a couple of hours...but I do love being out there...and I get so engrossed in a little world of my own. Glad I did now, because today the dreary rain is with us again. Today has been spent trying to catch up on the housework. Got quite a bit done so I might be able to take it a bit easier for the rest of the week. Actually I might not have a choice in the matter.......nothing planned though.
There is a lot of blog candy about and some of it is for the cutest of stamps (I haven't won any)....but I've found something else that is so cute for Christmas. Tracey, of Fred, She Said, has a gorgeous design to buy as a digi download.....Emma the Hugger.....and yes I have succumbed.

Now for the blog candy.

Jen is offering a set of WOJ Guardian Angel stamps.

Jill is offering candy to celebrate 10,000 hits

Joanne has some scrummy candy up for grabs to celebrate belated blogaversary, hits, and her upcoming birthday.
(Would you look at that...all the J's)

I really need to find some time to update my blog roll. There are so many wonderfully inspiring blogs that I read 9mostly crafting) but haven't put them on my blog roll on here yet. Note to self to make time.

Yes.....there's more....

.....blog candy!!!

Julie has yummy candy to give away for her blogaversary.

Poppet has a new look blog and is giving away a huge amount of candy.

Julie at Inspirational is giving away her very first candy.

Kristin is giving away a beautiful stamp to celebrate 15000 hits.

Phew......anymore? There are some really generous people out there...thank you to you all.

Did another....

....Christmas card. The last of five that I made as a bingo prize. The lady who runs a bingo afternoon at a local community centre and receives very little funding for her efforts asked if I would donate a few cards as prizes. No problem..and my eldest son (also a crafter) has made a pack as well. As our styles are completely different it should give a bit of choice...and if they like them we might get a few orders.

So here it is. I know I keep saying this....but....apologies for the quality of the picture.

The tree and flourish stamps are from paperartsy......not sure about the sentiment stamp.

Some more blog candy!!!!

Take a look here for some scrummy candy from Natalie.....

....and Ila has some High hopes candy here.

Didn't I....

..tell you that there was a lot of blog candy about? Course I did....and here are 3 more for you.

Kadoodle....have a stamp to give away every week from now until Christmas.

Donalda....has a Whiff of Joy stamp up for grabs...really want...sorry...need some of those gorgeous stamps!

Deb...has stamps, paper and ribbons!



I'm still in Christmas mode...got some lovely decoupage sheets in post today ...and expecting more from La Pashe....so hopefully I will be able to get some more cards done over the next few days. La Pashe has something new out.....just go to Jak's blog for the lowdown on that...think you're going to love it.

Lots of....

....blog candy about at the moment. I'm sure there is lots more but here are just five, in no particular order.

First......Glenda....has loads of Christmas goodies.

Second...Paul....has some gorgeous candy, including some stamped images and lots of die-cuts.

Third.....Martine...paper crafting double CD...and some stamped images

Fourth...Kimmi....has some High Hopes stamps up for grabs.

Last ..but not least....Natalie.....embellishments, as she says, you can never have too many.

I can...

.....do Christmas cards without backing paper. I managed another 2 today while Theo was taking a nap. I must tell you that they are scanned and so very poor quality pictures..they do look a lot better in real life. They are gold and silver on white CS...and silver and gold always shows as black on scanned images. I was playing around with my new stamps and wasn't sure how they were going to turn out...but I'm pleasantly surprised at the result.....vintage meets ultra modern.

The first one is stamped in silver and matted and layered on silver mirri card....and then a little glitter glue added to the tree.

The gold is made the same way but no glitter.

The background stamp, Santa and the sentiments are from Paperartsy...the tree from Woodware I think.

In Christmas mode...

After making a start on my Christmas cards ....(with a little help from Theo..NOT!!!!)...my brain was beginning to get into Christmas mode, and ideas were flooding my brain. After Friday's swimming I thought that I would make a couple more. It was not to be though. My printer has run out of blue ink and I won't be able to get a refill until Tuesday...how frustrating is that? Ok..I can make cards without the printer...but for the one's I wanted to do, and was all fired up for...I need my printer! I'm miffed now. Just hope that the ideas in my head stay there until Tuesday.


On another note, but still craft related, Peejay is having a sale of decoupage sheets. Lucky dip......£4.99 for 10 sheets......a bargain in any body's book. Just go to her blog and follow the link.

Do you want some really cute candy?

If the answer to that is yes....then you just have to have a look at what Nikki is offering. The cutest little dragons!!

Cats and crafts.....

...just don't mix!! Especially a particularly boisterous 13 week old called Theo. I finally got started trying to make some Christmas cards......but Theo wanted to play too. He wanted to play with my ink pads, unmounted stamps, mirri card, chalks and the bag of cotton wool that I use for the chalks...he had that all over the floor. I ended up having to lock him in the kitchen for half an hour......and the pitiful cries would have had the RSPCA round like a shot if they had heard him! Anyway I only managed 2 cards....simple ones....but at least it's a start.



Again the quality of the pictures is not brilliant.
Think I will drop some very heavy hints for a decent camera for my Christmas present.










The weather has been gloriously autumnal this week...don't know how long it will last though.
I'm going swimming again tomorrow, I really need to, I've been lazy this week.

Take a look.....

..at the super blog candy that Camilla has on offer ....."Whiff of Joy"...... it's gorgeous!

What a weekend...

....it's been. After Thursday's mammoth shop (including a bit of craft shopping) and Friday's swimming I have been cream crackered. I have been so tired but not able to get much sleep which has resulted in me getting up late for the last few days....just when I thought that I had broken that particular cycle....will have to try and break it again. Saturday's weather was atrocious.....wet, cold, windy and dark.....while Sunday saw the sun shining, although it was a little chilly. Today started OK but has now turned wet and cold. I've resorted to putting the central heating on for a couple of hours tonight, just to warm the house through a bit. Winter seems to have crept up on us. I've no plans to for the rest of the week except Friday's swimming, so perhaps I can get started on my Christmas cards. My new Christmas stamps arrived today so I really don't have any excuse. I've also been very good and got my ATC's done for this month's 3 swaps!! They just need posting now. I am waiting for last month's swap from one of the groups but hopefully they should be here tomorrow. It annoys me when the swaps are not sent out when they are supposed to be, due to the host waiting on late arrivals. We have a month to make and send them so why people are late I don't know. If they are too busy and find it hard to meet the deadline they should say so and withdraw from the swap. That's my rant for this week ...LOL

Bone scan..

Went to the hospital for my bone scan yesterday morning. It was a wet, grey day but brightened up towards the afternoon. It seems that there is a problem with my bones so I was asked for blood and urine samples. (Just what do they want all these samples for I ask myself) Unless they get in touch with my GP, I will have to wait until December when my next appointment at the rheumatology clinic is due to find out the results.
The appointment at the DWP was my last (Thank God!!). It was a complete waste of time....just to confirm that I had been on the pain management course and my feed back on it.....not very good.
I was really tired on the way home...it was school rush hour.....and long traffic queues due to ongoing roadworks. A fairly large lady with a tiny baby in a tank, (the "travel system"..which is padding, safety straps, hoods, aprons and full wet weather covers.)..and accompanied by 2 children (twins) about 7 years of age got on the now crowded bus. She managed to block the aisle very successfully and then got off 2 stops later. Why on earth did she get on the bus in the first place! It would have been a damn site quicker and a lot less hassle for her and the bus passengers for her to have walked....and it was all downhill!! Don't people walk anywhere these days.
By the time I got home I was wrecked. Went to bed reasonably early and couldn't get to sleep until the early hours of this morning. Suffice to say I didn't get up until 3 PM and didn't get any cards started which I was hoping for. Tomorrow is shopping day and Friday swimming. Oh well ....there's always the weekend...and I hope the weather improves....it's been so dreary, wet and windy today.