So what have I been.....

...up to? Well, first I've been busy with a card and stationary set for my friend's birthday....which was last Sunday. Had a panic with the card though. Theo decided to help..and was the air blue! I'd left it to dry and darling boy did what cats do...chased a moth on the outside of the window. In the process he brought my net curtain down and managed to knock the card on the floor. Silicone all over the acetate. After carefully dismantling and using a fresh piece of acetate it turned out OK. I used one of the Flippin Women sheets from La Pashe. I scored the card stock into squares to represent tiling..and then stamped a blue flower on alternate squares I took the picture before I realized that I'd forgotten to put the champagne cork on..that was remedied before I gave it to my friend. The insert is a birthday bubbles sheet from someone on the Imag-e-nation forum. I'm sorry, I can't for the life of me remember who it is. If you know can you please let me know so that I can give credit where it's due. (I really will have to start tagging these items, that are so freely and generously shared, so that I'll know at a glance who's they are.)

Below is the outside of the stationary set. I first got the inspiration for this from Jak's blog. It was going to be blue, then I found this gorgeous textured gold card in my stash that I didn't realize I had. The initial is metal and I've put a very small blue gem where a brad should be. The flower is a download from Jak's build a blossom sets....available on her blog....and a small blue gem in the centre. I have to say that the pictures are not good.

The inside....I used Jak's sheets... yet again available from her blog. They were originally black and white but she very kindly gave me permission to change the colour....to blue. Have you guessed yet that my friends favourite colour is blue?

Here are a few of the cards that I made to go inside. All the papers used are from Jak's blog. I used the same sentiment on all the cards..Just to say....as I think it's a very useful sentiment....hello....thinking of you...get well soon...etc,


And finally.....a card for my niece's birthday. The flowers and backing paper from Fred. The circle sentiment from Funky Fairy.

P.S. A quick pic of Theo getting to know his way around the garden. He's been an indoor cat up to a couple of weeks ago.

It's been a long time...

....since I updated my blog. I've been busy working on a little project for a friend that I should have started a week earlier. Due to me feeling worse than usual and a slow recovery from the chest infection, it was a last minute thing. I still haven't got rid of this cough and it is very annoying. My concentration is a bit lax as well...so I haven't been able to spend too much time on the computer. I'm catching up though. I have remembered to take piccies of what I have been making and some ATC's that I have received for this months swaps. Hopefully I will be back very soon with a loooooooooong post! Think I might split it down into several short posts though. A lot easier for me to do and for you to read.

I've been gardening.

All week. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and I wasn't going to miss the opportunity. Normally when I decide to garden it's an all day thing with me. I just love being out there. Well I know I wouldn't have managed that, so I have made myself wait until the late afternoon. It's been a bit frustrating but it has worked. I've managed to pace myself a bit and I was surprised how well I've done. After the initial hard work of the first cut of the lawn.....the term "lawn" used very loosely....the rest was a doddle. The perennial plants I have been putting in, and keeping my fingers crossed that they would grow, are maturing very nicely and as a result there was hardly any weeding of the flower beds to be done...Yay!!! The back is just about done....just the hedges to trim before they get out of hand...and then on to the much smaller front. I'm dreading doing that....because Lily is back with a vengeance! Not much in the flower beds, just a couple which I can easily get rid of...but oh my word!...the front lawn is half covered with it. There is no way I'm digging that up ! It makes all that work I did digging it out seem just a waste of time now. All I can do is hopefully just keep cutting it down with the lawn mower and hope it gives up. If it gets desperate I could always blitz the whole lot with weedkiller.
I actually got to go swimming yesterday. Only did 12 lengths but it was enough. Although the chest infection has cleared I've still got a hacking cough and my breathing is still a bit wheezy. I'm supposed to make an appointment at the doctors for a lung function test but I can't see the point in going until the cough has cleared a bit more.
I've not done much crafting.....just some ATC's. I've another couple to do this week and 2 birthday cards. Tomorrow I'm in front of the TV. Jak of La Pashe fame is on with some new flippin sheets...the boys will have to do the cooking.

It's been a strange day.

Today would have been my son Matthew's 37th birthday. He died in 1990 but sometimes it feels as if we lost him such a short time ago. I didn't go to the cemetery...instead I spent some time tidying the garden. I know I'm going to suffer for it but it really did need doing....still lots to do...but I enjoyed myself, and it has been such a glorious day. We've had some beautiful weather lately and I was fed up of not being able to get out and enjoy it.
The last couple of weeks have seen me struggling to cope with the everyday things..getting out of bed, dressing, washing, light housework......just the normal everyday things...I've had to really push myself and I don't feel better for doing it. The boys have not helped at all. I'm going to have talk very seriously with them..they will have to do more. OK, they do their own washing, ironing and see to their own rooms. What they don't do is help with the washing up, cooking, cleaning and shopping. I manage to get to the local shop most days..they won't go...but the fortnightly shop with eldest and DIL is becoming increasingly more difficult. Last Thursday saw my son having to hold me up after me nearly passing out...and this is just for basics. I used to shop online when I was working just to save time. I had better things to do, and I hate shopping! It does have it's drawbacks though. If they haven't got what you want, the alternatives are not always suitable. Of course there is the cost to consider as well. We all have to watch the pennies a lot more carefully. Well I'm afraid the boys will have to get their act together and start taking some responsibility for food shopping. After all they eat most of it. If they won't help out a bit more they will have to go hungry..and I can't see them doing that!

Some blog candy....

...for you to check out.

Bev.... has reached over 200,000 hits!..awesome candy!..................23rd April

Sarah-Jane ...is celebrating 5000 hits with some fat free candy....26th April

Caroline.........is offering some cute candy for her first blog candy..27th April

Julie...............has some belated birthday candy to give away..........27th April

Jackie............has had a good sort out, and will be adding more!......1st May

Happy blog hopping!

Still under the weather...

....but I think I'm starting to make some improvement. I'm still very tired...even the most mundane of tasks I'm finding extremely tiring. The hacking cough is still with me and keeps me awake at night. Poor Theo doesn't know what's happening. He comes for a cuddle and then I start coughing, and he darts away frightened to death and keeps his distance for a while...but he does forgive me and has started following me around the house....perhaps he can sense that I am not well. No cards have been made for a couple of weeks now..but I must get my act together...got a couple of birthdays coming up. I don't want to resort to buying a card as I did for my sister-in-laws birthday last week...I felt so guilty!

Here is the last card I made..and Easter card for my friend Anne. I saw a tutorial that Joanne has provided here. She makes some gorgeous cards with punch flowers and I really wanted to have a go with these daffodils. I didn't have the right punches or the right paper so I improvised with what I had. I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. The hardest part was cutting circles with deckle edge scissors.....they kept wanting to go square.

A thank you...

...to the lovely Liz for an award. She is a lovely caring lady who I only know "online" through the imag-e-nation forum and her lovely blog. She has not been well herself but has always given me support with a comment or two when things have not been going well. Thank you Liz....you're a star! I'm supposed to pass it on but again my list of worthy recipients is far too long...so if you a regular on here please accept this award for yourselves..you deserve it!

I'm not sure whether I'm improving health wise at the moment. The weekend has been spent in a bit of a haze...and I'm just beginning to resurface. The antibiotics have had a side effect of causing hearing loss. As I am partially deaf anyway and the infection has caused my tinnitus to increase in volume, it has been very difficult balance wise. I'm still a little disorientated and can't stand or walk for very long. At the moment it feels as if I have gone right back to where I started from 4 years ago...perhaps that me being pessimistic. Of course I ought to have known better when I said it was just a cold..I never have a cold. Even as a child I didn't have colds. Just every 5 years or so I would come down with bronchitis, which kept me off school for about a month. The doctors said this was because of the TB I had when very young. I also think that's why I was never ill otherwise...I had so much penicillin pumped into me germs never dared come near me! It's a bit ironic now though because I now have a penicillin allergy. Weird!

Just a quick post....

.....today cos I'm off to my bed. You know that cold I started with last week......guess what?...fluid on my lungs. Why can't things be simple...I'm now on antibiotics, after managing to get past a receptionist who insisted that there were no doctors appointment available until after the bank holiday. Good grief! I know the surgery serves a large area, and isn't the only surgery in the area by the way..but there are 10 doctors there most days. Well....I got to see the senior practise nurse, who after a quick examination consulted with a doctor and I came away with antibiotics and told to book a lung efficiency test when this clears up. She did say that the antibiotics should clear it...but if I'm not feeling any better by Monday, I have to phone and I will be seen by a doctor. Comforting?

An award!...

.....from the lovely Cazz. Thank you so much. If you you don't already visit Cazz I urge you to. She has had an horrendous time....having to make heartbreaking and difficult life changing decisions, but throughout she has managed to stay strong and keep a sense of humour. While you are over there take a look at Pumpkins blog....lol

I'm supposed to pass this award on to 5 people who I think are something special. Well I can't pick out just 5....there are so many. So I'm going to award this to all my regular visitors. You are all special to me.

I'm not well....

.....and I really think I should have stayed in bed today. I dragged myself out of bed about 1 0'clock thinking I would feel better by moving about a bit. Big mistake. My head is pounding, I ache all over and my throat feels as though I've tried to swallow barbed wire. I can't take any of the "cold remedies" because they contain paracetamol and do not mix with the medication I'm already on. Think I might send son up to shop tomorrow for some honey...that with warm water might do the trick. I'm supposed to be going swimming...will have to give that a miss again. Hopefully this will not last too long....I've a birthday card to make ready for posting Monday....and Tuesday I'm meeting my friend for lunch. Although we've spoken on the phone we haven't seen each other for 6 months! So much to catch up on. I know you're reading this Anne.....I will be there!