Sunday 30 March 2008

Update on Life

For those of you who have been following what's been happening in my life, firstly, thanks for all the support, and second, here's a little update for you....

GOOD NEWS
The company that I went for an interview for on 19th March phoned on Thursday (27th) to say that they would like me to come in for an informal chat with the senior partner and to meet the rest of the team on Tuesday 1st April (I'm hoping this isn't just an April Fools joke!), well actually, they just said sometime next week & would fit in with me, so that's quite promising.

BAD NEWS
Geoff became unwell again on Thursday after returning to work on Tuesday, and we now think he may be suffering from motion sickness on the bus as they have springs on the seats which have the drivers bouncing all over the place. When he went back on Tuesday, he had a brilliant drive and was really enjoying it, but felt a bit odd Tuesday night and didn't sleep well. Wednesday, he didn't do any driving and felt okay, and also slept better. Thursday, he drove in the morning with a few minor mistakes, but by Thursday afternoon, he was making loads of mistakes and hitting curbs - on Thursday evening he looked like he was going to pass out, he was dizzy and feeling sick, and kept waking during the night. He went to the doctor on Friday, who has taken him off the blood pressure tablets to eliminate this as a possible cause (though he doesn't think this is the cause) and said to see how he gets on on Monday. Geoff does not want to do this and does not think the bus company will be happy with this either - he may not be carrying passengers, but even an empty bus can do a serious amount of carnage in an accident!

Anyway, he's resigned to the idea that his dream of being a bus driver is disappearing rapidly and is going to tell the bus company tomorrow that he can't continue.

Some good news though - one of the other jobs he looked at doing when he was sacked still looks like it might be a goer, it would be looking after boys with behavioural and learning difficulties and I think Geoff would be brilliant at it (he certainly has more patience than me & children love him). Anyway, Geoff went out to have a look at the place on Saturday, and they have said he should get in touch when he's had a think about it - which he has & he'll be back in touch with them next week to see if he can go and spend a day or half a day observing at the centre.

Perhaps this is what was intended for him all along and that's why we've had so many difficulties with the bus job.

As for me, I would just like to say thank you to you all for your kind wishes and prayers, just keep your fingers crossed a bit longer & I'll let you know how I get on on Tuesday.

Christmas Gift Box



I made this box before Christmas having seen loads on other people's blogs, I didn't have a pattern to follow & had to make it up as I went along, but it seemed to turn out quite well. Instructions for the bow on top can be found in the resources section of the Splitcoast Stampers website. If I were making it again, I would make the internal boxes stronger, the one's I made were from paper with card in the base, but could probably do with being a lot stronger.

covered notepad



Found a tutorial for how to cover a bought notepad on Chick N Scratch's blog, after some initial faffing about, it was actually really easy, and I just had to use my new watercolour pencils to colour in the Penny Black image.

Gift Jar



I made this just for fun really (just as well as I've eaten half the jelly babies!). I have been saving food jars - god knows what for but I'm a bit of a hoarder!! Anyway, when I got some Jelly babies the other day, the jar just screamed at me to be decorated - I'm not entirely happy with it, but the colours are good - would probably look better if it was full of sweets instead of only half full. Ah well, maybe next time

Sunday 23 March 2008

Happy Easter!



I made this card today - yes I know it should have been done before today, but I was being a bit slow. It's for my friendship swap buddy on the Docrafts website (better late than never). I'm a bit behind as I got invited to a children's party yesterday & spent the entire morning making the most fabulous card - then I forgot to take a picture of it to put on here!!!!

I got a fabulous bargain on Friday as well - 30 wooden letters for £1!!! (so I bought 2), they colour very easily, and you only need to use one at the beginning of words, for anyone local to me they are at Buyology on Western Approach - they also had some other wonderful stuff, but I was supposed to be buying a present for someone else so had to restrain myself (that and lack of any serious funds).

To all who are interested, I had my interview on Wednesday and I think it went okay - it's always difficult to tell and I don't want to get my hopes up, but I would really love the job, it sounds right up my street - so if you could all just say your prayers for me on this one?

Geoff is going back to work on Tuesday as the Doctor has changed his blood pressure tablets to ones that don't make him sick, dizzy, headachy and not sleep (nice side effects huh?!).

Hopefully I will get round to everyone's blogs tomorrow & leave some comments - thanks for visiting and I'll try and update slightly more often.

Friday 14 March 2008

Having Fun



This is another card I have been meaning to make for a while from the Splitcoast Stampers technique section, called a Tunnel Card. The paper on the front page is from a new range just released by Papermania & they are just lovely!. The tag was cut using my Cricut and the Tags, Bags, Boxes & more cartridge. The flower image is from the Dawn Bibby clear range and the oval was cut using the XCut shape cutter system.

Inside, I really had fun making the background colour. First I stamped a flower randomly in Versamark, then clear embossed these. I then used three pastel shades of chalk ink and randomly stamped these over the card using pieces of cotton wool, I then used a paper towel to polish the ink off the embossed images, so there are faint flowers in the background (not sure if the photo does this justice). The main images were stamped using purple brilliance ink, and watercoloured using watercolour pencils.

Have had so much fun with these, I'll have to go back over to Splitcoast and see what else I can have a go at - might have to wait until after I've sorted out the easter cards, mind you I could have a go at the treat box again with some easter eggs in it & done in yellow hmm.....



I made this using the instructions in the technique section of the Splitcoast Stampers website - not sure who I'm going to give it to yet, but this is one I saw ages ago & have now found the time to have a go at. Having admitted to starting things and not finishing, I'm trying to overcome this personality fault!!!

The treat box was made using Papermania deep purple card stock and the two papers used were from The English Paper Company (not sure if they are still trading). I used my lovely Crop A Dile to set the eyelets and tied it with white organza ribbon - it turned out really well, but much bigger than I was expecting, so I may try with smaller card next time.

Tuesday 11 March 2008

I've Been Tagged again!!

Thanks to Jami & Tracy for this one:

The rules of the game:
• Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, we all want to know them.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, 7 random facts, hmmmmm!!!

1. I have a morbid fear of maggots, totally irrational I know, but then most fears are.
2. We have two cats, Billy & Molly, both came from the cats and dogs home.
3. I have just discovered the TV series Life on Mars, and it's brilliant (sad what you get into when you don't have to go to work - we have cable TV with the old catch up facility).
4. I'm a huge Apple fan - have an IPhone, IPod and MacBook & would love to burn all PC's given the opportunity I HATE WINDOWS!!!!
5. I'm a classic hoarder - I try and avoid throwing things away as I know the moment I do I will have found a use for them- as I write this I'm sat staring at several empty cans waiting to be altered, along with yoghurt pots and jars.
6. This is getting harder..... I'm not good at finishing things - okay with starting, but usually loose interest before the end, which probably explains why I make cards & have trouble scrapbooking!
7. Yeah! last one...... Christmas is my favourite time of the year - I love all the glitter and sparkle & I probably have a better time on Christmas day than most kids!

Well, there you go, now I've got to tag 7 other bloggers - will let you know later who they are.

Saturday 8 March 2008

Thanks Tracy




I had a brilliant time at the DoCrafts demonstration this afternoon, and having bought my new cutting mat and a few other bits (didn't spend very much as it's such good value!), I had to come straight home and have a play and make the slider card - here's my version, hope you like. It took the best part of an hour to make, but that was more because I was fiddling than it being complicated. I don't actually have anyone I could give this to at the moment, but the idea was in my head and I had to get it out as it were!

Thanks again Tracy for a brilliant afternoon. BTW the glass cutting mat will mark (I must have been a bit heavy handed with my craft knife & I've now got a nice little score down the glass!!!) but it's not too deep so hopefully it won't affect it too much.

Anyway, off to have a bit more of a play - think I might have a go at the never ending card - Tracy made it look so easy (if I don't post for a while, you'll know it wasn't so easy & I'm still trying to untangle myself!)

Thursday 6 March 2008

Tags


I've been tagged, twice!! I'll have a think about who I'm going to tag with this one as most of the people I know have already been tagged with this one, hmmmmm!

I've also been tagged with questions from Lavender Stamper:

1. WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?
Can't really remember, but I know I was working for another financial adviser - he was brilliant though and I really enjoyed working with him (sort of gone down hill since!)

2.WHAT WERE YOU DOING 1 YEAR AGO?
Really enjoying being in our new home and still getting things sorted just the way we want.

3. NAME YOUR 5 FAVOURITE SNACKS?
Cheesy chips
Chocolate (anything chocolate)
Crisps
Garlic Bread
Toast and Marmite

4.NAME 5 THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A MILLIONAIRE?
Craft, Party, Spend, Craft oh and did I mention, party!!!

5.NAME 5 THINGS YOU LIKE DOING?
Crafting
Eating Chocolate
Having fun with my family
Cooking
Doing nothing

6.NAME 5 THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER WEAR AGAIN
Most of my clothes from the 80's (even if they do come back into fashion)
I think I'm going to count that as my 5 (saves me from embarrassing myself by naming my mistakes individually!)

7.NAME YOUR 5 FAVOURITE TOYS!
Cricut
Cuttlebug
Guillotine
Bone Folder
Magic Bullet (Kitchen toy)

8. YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE.
Nobody ever learned anything from what they got right (don't know who said it, but it's a motto I live by - not that I make loads of mistakes, but I try and make any I do make useful ones)

Well that made me think for a bit! think I need a lie down now!!!

Having Fun


I found instructions to make this card on Chick n Scratch's blog, and remembered that I had a tumbling clown stamp - it seemed the perfect stamp for a penny slider card. Since making this card I can't help picking it up every time I go near it and sliding it up and down - the Clown cartwheels perfectly up and down the card. You really must give this a try!

Now that I've stopped being depressed, I'm quite enjoying having time to play with my crafting, and actually not having loads of money to keep adding to my stash means I'm getting more inventive and actually using some of my stuff up - you should give it a try one month. Don't spend any money on craft - you could always put the money in a jar and see how much you've got at the end of the month, you'd probably have enough for a big splurge & not having bought anything for a while may even concentrate the mind so you buy what you'll make most use of (Well that's the theory anyway!!)

It will be nice to get back to work, but I'm hoping that I don't have to work for a financial adviser again - time to try something new!!!

Sunday 2 March 2008

Yeah!!!!!

I've got a job interview - it's not until 19th March, so plenty time to get some more, but at least I've got one!! Someone actually thought I'd be good for their company!!! Sorry to go on, but I'm so happy I could puke (not a nice image, sorry).


Anyway, it's mothers day and as well as searching hard for a new job this week, I've been making stuff, already posted the card keeper and candle, so here's a picture of the card I made for my mum - I'm so pleased with it as I took the time to design the layout on a piece of paper first, and thought really carefully where to place the elements, think it shows and I'll be using this more often to help.


This is the sketch I did on which the card is based - this is my own, but is so simple it's probably already out there somewhere!




I also made a photo wallet for my MIL (to go with the candle & box), with pictures of Geoff and Charlie from when we went to Disney last summer - hope you like this too, the instructions for the photo wallet can be found at Splitcoast Stampers