Just a week...

...to Christmas day. Am I ready for it?....no I'm not!  Those lovely people at the benefit department have made an almighty cock-up. Was supposed to collect my benefit from the post office today.  Shopping in town tomorrow and having my grocery order delivered Thursday.  It ain't happening!! Why?  Someone has inputted a wrong house number on my claim so nothing has been paid out. After half an hour of answering security questions to confirm my identity,   (D.O.B.  N.I. number, post code, nationality, how long at present address, phone number etc.),  I've been told that someone from the office responsible for my claim will phone me tomorrow to try and sort it out.  You really couldn't make this up. Nearly eight years of claiming, and a week before Christmas someone goes and b**** it up.  I am not a happy bunny. I certainly will be glad when this year is over..it hasn't been a good one. 

On to some pics now. 

First...two things I made for my friend Anne. a little birdhouse inspired by Leonie.  The cross stitch was for her birthday last May but have only just got round to being able to give it to her.
 I apologise for the rubbish photography.

Next....granddaughters birthday card

A selection of Christmas cards made.

This will probably my last post this year, so I will wish you all a peaceful, healthy and happy Christmas season, and a big thank you for visiting.

3 months since my last post

The reason?  I'm struggling with my health. My energy levels are very low and the arthritis is getting worse and slowing me down even more. The computer has taken a bit of a back seat as my concentration levels are practicaly nil.  I haven't been in the garden for months and it really does need some attention before the really bad weather sets in.  I have been crafting though....mostly making cards for my son. These have been orders he's had, but been unable to fill because of major decorating and all his craft stuff being packed away. Well I got them done..the customers were really pleased with the cards, and now it looks as though we both have potential Christmas orders in the pipe line. Still got to make a start on my own!!!

Here's a few that I've made...not posting them all.....it would take me too long and probably bore the pants off you!....LOL 

These 3 for son's friends 

5 cards for a special lady from members of her family. I used papers from Making Cards magazine  and the last one was done with the help of Craft Artist. The customer requested a floral theme for all of them.

Finally a card for son's friends 1st  wedding anniversary

Thank you for looking.... and being patient

Another one...

...card that is. This one was a bit more difficult as I know practically nothing about the recipient. My son passed this on to me to make as with everything going on with him at the moment he didn't feel that he could do it. All I know is that it is for an elderly woman to give to her husband. He likes gardening but has had to seriously downsize owing to his health, and it had to have husband on it. I hope it fits the bill. I madee it using CAP (Craft Artist Professional) and it is a hybrid. The background was printed straight out and the verse panel and butterfly was printed separately then matted and layered. I added glossy accents to the clock and the butterfly, and a bit of raffia. just need to find out if a sentiment is needed for the insert.

The last two days have been glorious weather wise so I have taken advantage and spent a lot of time in the garden. It's been hard work and very tiring, but worth it. Sons have been very helpful with the housework and cooking. I think they are beginning to appreciate how much work it takes. It's been swings and roundabouts with some of my plants though.    Things have really flourished..especially the Buddlia (which is 3 times the size it was last year) and my shrubs. The casualties have been my pansies and snapdragons which the heavy rain washed out, and my dwarf lupins. I bought them last year and they did really well. I've never been able to grow them in this garden before. Well they were flourishing this year until the snails got to them...and my hosta....decimated!!!

I made a card..

...for this months challenge at the Crafters re-united forum. The theme is "sweet treats".  Used a stamp by Adam Prescott...I love his stamps. Didn't go overboard with the embellishments as I didn't want to cover up too much of the lovely embossed handmade paper. Had it in my stash for ages. The flowers were made from the waste of a big papermania punch. Added a small gem in the centres and a couple of Woodware leaf sprays, a tiny sentiment and a bit of sparkly ribbon. The mirri frame is showing as gold but is actually silver.

I'm still here...

..just been engrossed. I've been spending a lot of time on the Craft Artist forum...(CAP). There are so many very knowledgeable and talented people on there. I'm determined to use CAP rather than it being sat on my computer doing nothing. It is a fairly simple programme to use..even for me! My problem is the brain fog I get with the M.E. I can read something and a few seconds later have forgotten everything I've read. I've started by slowly reading something, then finding all the instructions on the CAP help files and printing them out, then actually trying the techniques for myself. It works for me even though it is a bit slow and  time spent on the comp tires me very quickly. I'm getting there.
The rest of my time has been spent dodging the rain. Trying to catch up with my gardening in the short spells of nice weather, and also going over to eldest sons to try and keep his garden from running amok. He badly damaged his hand and now has had carpal tunnel surgery which has meant that he is very limited to what he can do. Me and one of my other sons are going over there tomorrow to help with shifting carpets and furniture. New central heating is being installed next week and the council have told him that the workmen have got to be able to get to the pipework and radiators or else it doesn't get done. You'd think they would offer him some help...he is registered as disabled after all.
I haven't done much crafting at home but have actually made two cards at the craft group...and something new to me...iris folding.  I've never been able to actually make a card before as we are so busy helping the others. No sentiments on the cards as yet.
I didn't like the leaves on the tulip pattern so used quilled leaves instead. Pearl papers and silver peel offs.
(Not used peel offs for a long time.)

Used some patterned papers from my stash and gold peel offs

Blogger not playing nice at the moment..wont let me put pics where I want to...grrrr

Scrapbooking...

....that's what I've been up to. Not to good at it yet..only done three pages so far.  At least with digi scrapping I can just alter or delete if I don't like it and no papers or embellishments wasted. Anyway here are my latest efforts. They are both of my friend Anne. Both done using Craft Artist and the free digi kits. I snagged the pics from her face book page and had a play.

I can't believe....

....that it's almost a month since my last post. Where have the last few months gone?....it'll soon be Christmas!!  Again I have been very busy with the weather dictating most of my activities. We had what could be described as almost a tropical heatwave....then more downpours. I've been helping my eldest getting his garden tidied. A few weeks ago he broke his hand (an argument with a door that the door won unfortunately) and has found.....and is still....finding it very difficult to use. His hand is permanently damaged and combined with his other health problems it isn't easy for him. It's also meant that I've had to do more at the weekly craft club.....he hasn't been able to help some of our members as much, being right handed and it was the right hand that he injured.
My yearly eye test was due and I've had that with no problems.....my prescription has altered very slightly but not enough that I needed new glasses.  Also had my prescription review at the doctors. No problems..my blood pressure was slightly up but the doc said that  may be due to the medication, and I've lost some weight,,,again. Really pleased about that considering I don't get the exercise I used to and I don't do diets.  It helps the osteo arthritis if I can maintain it.
Anyway.....this week was the turn of my garden again. I got the front garden done at the weekend, was only going to cut the grass but ended up doing it all. Today I managed to cut the two lawns in the back and edged the bottom lawn and weeded the flower beds before the rain started.  The plants are really flourishing but so are the weeds.  The weather has forecast for more rain over the next couple of days so I can't see me getting the rest done this week. A good thing really, otherwise I would be tempted to get out there and get it finished...and then I would be paying the price with pain for the next few days and then nothing would get done.
Billy and Olly (my two cats) have been loving going outside, but I worry when they are out now. Ollie hasn't wandered from the garden yet.....preferring to lie in the sun.......but Billy is venturing further afield. Not far...only the neighbouring gardens....but my little Theo wasn't far from home when he was killed on the road.  I always give a sigh of relief when Billy comes back safe and sound.
No cards made this time .....just been playing with things in my stash and trying things out. I want to make a card for this months forum challenge but my mojo is having a little holiday. Perhaps it will come back with the rain.

The unpredictable weather continues...

A a result I have spent the last two weekends gardening.....breaking all my self imposed rules.....and I'm now paying the consequences.  The garden is looking very respectable but I ache, my hands are painful and swollen and I've been exhausted for the past week. I managed to make a card yesterday though, so I think I'm getting back to normal...whatever normal is.
Here are 3 cards....the first 2  I made before I did the gardening.
The first one a quilling card ...for my friend Anne's birthday...made using an onion holder. Kept it simple and added pearls and a spotty organza ribbon.


                                   

This one was for my niece, and used papers by Nancy Watt...pearls again and a bit of lace. It doesn't show in the pic but I added a smidgen of glitter to the pansy petals.


                                    

And the last one.....my entry for this month's inspirational challenge on the Crafters Re-United forum.
The theme has to be based on a film but the card must be black and white. Struggled a bit with this one but then a trawl through my computer turned up this Dustin Pike image. Perfect.."The Graduate."
Was  bit fazed with the "colouring"...it's all about shade and shadow.....but not too bad a job I think.

Thank you for looking.

April showers..?

....monsoon more like. Got soaked today just going to local shop. I was hoping to make a start on the gardening but no hope of that with all this rain we're getting. The grass will soon be up to my knees at this rate.  Anyhow...at last I'm in the land of the hearing again. A 2 hour journey to the hospital for my hearing aid....and it took all of 10 minutes to sort. A new one for my worst affected ear and new tubing for the other. I've had another busy week with a little crafting. I wasn't going to enter this month's inspirational challenge on the Crafters re-united forum as I didn't think I would have much time. But then I thought, why not. The challenge was a sketch and a theme..a baby card. As there are no new babies due I decided on  small, quick and easy...one for the box. Everything used is from my stash and most of it out of my "bit box"

Now for my bit of playing that I did a few weeks ago. At the craft group we all have a folder that we can keep our unfinished makes in. Saves us having to remember to take things home then back again. Well the folders were cheap..and either a dirty brown or dull olive green. I got a green one and decorated mine using white ink, sequins, and a bit of acetate that I stamped and coloured with glass paints. Didn't have a plan when I started it...just went with the flow so to speak.

O....M....G!!

......My 2 girls...Milly and Molly.....are not. They are Billy and Olly!  How has this come about?  I took them to the vets to be spayed and it was discovered that they were male, not female.  Those of you who have been with me for a while will know the saga. They joined our family 18 months ago from a litter of 5. The RSPCA were involved from the start. I was asked if I had a preference and I said no. The other 3 male kittens were re homed at 8 weeks but the remaining 2 had to stay with their mother another 2 weeks because they were so tiny. At first I was only having one of them but because they were both females it meant that the last remaining kitten was hard to re home and would have to go to the RSPCA. That's how I ended up with 2... according to the RSPCA...female kittens. Molly and Milly. It was a bit of a shock but they are still my fur babies and I love 'em to bits. Even the so called experts get it wrong sometimes.  All this has come at the end of an very tiring week. Craft group on Tuesday afternoon..which I'm having to do a lot of the organizing at the moment because my son, who started the group, has broken his hand. Shopping in town on Wednesday, and the vets with the boys yesterday.  I haven't been able to do any crafting this week but I need to do some this weekend for the group. They want to try quilling. I think I can come up with something fairly simple for them...hope so anyway.

My first...

..scrapbook page. I've wanted to try scrap booking for a while now but didn't really know where to start. A while ago I downloaded a free copy of craft artist compact. I played around with it but didn't actually make anything. This weekend I have been watching Michelle on Create and Craft....so much inspiration and great demos. And the great offer on Craft Artist Professional!  I'm not a member of the C&C club so even  the low price is beyond me at present. My funds are very tight at the moment and I have promised myself not to buy any more crafting goodies for a while. Then I heard that Daisytrail members could download the software for £2.99......and I am....so I did.  And here is the result.  8x8...kept it reasonably simple using elements from the free kits available to download on the site.  Lots of pics on my computer waiting to be scrapped. Think I'm hooked!

Those of you who have been with me for a while will remember my Theo.

It's spring!

Spring has officially sprung and there is so much to do in the garden. It's looking very colourfull at the moment with all the spring bulbs that have come through this year.  I'm itching to get out there but I still don't have the energy. I am starting to be able to do a little more each day but the progress is slow...too slow for me..I want to get going! Not been totally idle though. I've done a little crafting in the form of cards.

This one was for my friend Anne. She was feeling a bit fed up..so a "just because" card.

A birthday stepper card for my great Niece.

Finally this month's forum inspirational. A sketch and using three different backing papers, a ribbon, and a bow...and no image. The focal point had to be text. Found it a bit daunting at first but thanks to a 6x6 paper pad it was made easier 'cos Ii knew all the papers would co-ordinate. This might end up as my SIL's birthday card in a couple of weeks.

Finished one project for our crafting group...but I forgot to take a pic. Will try to remember next week.

Also got another couple of projects on the go and I hope I finish them in time for when I need them. Not telling what they are as that will spoil someone's surprise.