I shouldn't be here!

I should be doing about 50,000 other things.

But........

I really wanted to show you these. I really have this ATC bug - and I am loving it! I am hosting a Digi/Hybrid ATC swap on UKS and after some thought, decided to go away from the crochet theme and go for the A-Z instead. I was going to do some stamping on them and it was suggested that embossing looks great.

The problem is that I don't have the stuff required to emboss so the very nice lady who suggested it sent me some embossing powder in the post.

Now I am hooked!

The embossing didn't turn out as well as I had hoped but, after trying on on plain card and it working perfectly, I have decided it must be the photo paper that is at fault.

Now I had better go and do those 50,000 other things!

Crochet & Scrapping

I know I haven't been on here much recently but I have been doing lots of scrapping.

I am in the process of putting together an 8" album to display some of my crocheted embellishments. Hopefully, if people see them used they will buy more! Some are new LOs, some are older digi ones that I have printed off without the crochet bits and added the "real" versions instead. This is a "real" one with crocheted daisiesfrom the scrapping pattern on Rainbow Valley. I have used brads in the centre of them.

And this is another using crocheted doodling which is a free pattern on my site. I am not entirely happy about the flower in the corner, I may change it for something else. The little bee stamp I got on eBay. And, of course, I did get the second set of letters from Tesco. And have made good use of them!

I have also been working on my A-Z photo journal. I know the idea was to get it all done last year but the time ran away with me!

I have started scrapping the letters. I am doing double layouts for each letter and three different versions - a digi 12", a digi A4 and a real 12".

The reason for the digi A4 is so that I can take them into work and get them printed off for the residents to look at. As many of them are local, it may help them remember things.

The digi 12" is partly for planning but also for printing off to give my family an 8" version of it.

And the "real" 12" is for me. I deserve it after all the hard work going into it.

I'm a Yummy Mummy

Honest!

The name of our team on UKS is the "Yummy Mummys"

The new layout of the site has made us realise that we are sadly lacking in the avatar department so I came up with an in-house competition for the Teamies.

Create an avatar and we can vote on it. So, these two are my entries. The first one is a digi LO. I scoured the 'net for lips and created this in PSE5.

This one is a "real" one. And the reason I bought those stamps in Tesco last week. The paper is double sided and, although you can't tell from this pic, the large circle has flowers on it. I crocheted the "Yummy Mummy" with letters from my Scrapping Journalling pattern on Rainbow Valley and arranged it around the large circle then stamped "Im A" in the small one. Finally, I used the flowers I crocheted for our Easter tree in the middle.

So now you know why I NEEDED those stamps.

Actually, Benjamin has been having loads of fun with them. And my pens. They have kept him quiet for hours - no mean feat for a child that doesn't stop talking!

I managed to get around to adding my new Rainbows and Stars to Rainbow Valley. No sales yet though. I am still trying to think of some more along the "Rainbows and Stars" theme to add to the pattern.

Rainbows and Stars

I bet you are shocked. This is the third day in a row I am posting.

Don't expect it to carry on!!!!

I really wanted to share what I have been working on - Shooting Stars. You may recognise one of them from this Layout. These are going to be part of my new scrapping pattern. The Stars and their Tails are made separately so that you can add them to your layout in which ever way you want to.

And here are some more Stars. These are a version of the stars I used on this Silk Painting. They are beaded in both the silk and the layout. I also used a finer thread to crochet them with. The ones in this picture are unbeaded and with the size thread I normally use for all my scrapping bits.

I will be adding them all to Rainbow Valley for sale as soon as I sort out some prices and find some time to do it.

And finally, as requested, pics of my new stamps. They are stamped (badly) on to an A5 sheet, just for you!

Stamp, Stamp, Stamp!

As if spending all that cash on eBay wasn't enough, I bought more in Tesco this morning!

The thing is, I really NEEDED them!

We are doing a mini competition in our UKS team for an avatar. Rather than one of us just come up with something, I thought it would be an idea for all of us to create a LO or two then we can all vote for our favourite. I am half way through a proper 8" LO and needed some small letters for it.

So, I was looking in Tesco this morning, having just filled up the trolley with food, and I saw a pack of stickers which would work.

However, then I saw a set of alpha stamps complete with acylic block. My son is no help at all, you know. He promptly took the stickers out of the trolly and told me the stamps would be much better as I could use them over and over again. And that the birthday set that was in the same box would be perfect to go with them.

So I came out of Tesco having spent nealy £40 on food and another £10 on stamps.

At least they are giving me some peace as he is now sitting at the table playing with them.

Anyway, here is the jpeg of the personalised stamps I ordered from eBay yesterday. The seller is ever so helpful and will send you a jpeg so that you can see what it looks like before you order.

All the other stamps I ordered from this seller, also very helpful.

I promise pics when they arrive.

Tree-mendous

I thought you would like to see our Easter Tree.

We have never made one of these before and I thought it would be fun.

Of course, ours is decorated with the inevitable crochet. I made the little eggs and the flowers to go on it. I bought Benjamin some bunny and chick kits from Tesco and he made those.

But, I have to say, the bit that really makes it for me is the fact that I put the twig in water when I cut it and all the leaves have come out on it.

Unfortunately, despite being out in water, the leaves didn't come out on the ones I made for work.

They are decorated totally differently, although I have used some crocheted eggs. I used plastic eggs which the residents decorated and were later filled with choccy, tissue flowers and lots of ribbon.

The photo isn't very good either, it was taken with a flash in the corner of the room so the shadows on the make it look odd.

Oh, and you really don't want to know how much I have just spent on new stamps!!!!!

Don't you just love eBay?

Do Trolls have Tails?

Is it that long since I blogged???????

So much has happened this last month.

The good news is that Mark has found a new job. It isn't as much money but it is something he will enjoy doing and he can walk to work which will save around £1500 a year! After his first week he is in a much better mood than he has been in a long time and its really great to see him back to his old self.

Of course, that now means that any money I have spare at the end of the month after the food shopping is all mine!!!!!! I have been looking at cameras again.

I quite like the Ixus 970 or 80. Basically the 970 has better macro and zoom capabilities but is about £60 more. Its a hard decision!!!!

And, after Saturday I am going to have to wait even longer for it. I think I may have got myself on a very slippery slope yesterday. Mark went shooting for the first time in ages so I cadged a lift to Huntingdon. I needed some "Happy Easter" peel offs for work. I got them, I also got a couple of other things for the cards we are making.

The Market stall didn't have what I wanted but they were selling some stamps cheap. I resisted. Stamping is something I haven't yet got into. And I don't have any ink. It was going to work out expensive to buy ink and stamps for work.

However, there were a lot of sales around!!!!! Colemans were selling peel offs at 10 for £3, so I just had to get some (especially as I was rather shocked last week to realise that I didn't have a gold "Happy Birthday" for a card I was making). However, I knew my peel off folder was full so I only got one lot. Grafton Projects were having a closing down sale. They are going online instead. They had peel off folders there. They also had a box of 20 assorted small size inks reduced to £4.99.

You have guessed it! I got both of them then went back to the market and got some stamps then went back to Colemans for more stickers!!!! Anyway, now I have 20 inks and 4 stamps and an extra filder of peel-offs! Might have a play later.

And later, after encouragement from Mark, I went to Argos and bought two games for the Wii. Board games (for me) and Brain Training (for him). They were selling them any two for £30.

I think the camera might have to wait for another month unless I sell an extortionate amount of crochet over the next month!

These Fellas might help! I am currently working on a new set of puppets - Fantasy. I have a Dragon and Unicorn and wanted something else to go with it. I decided on a Troll. This was the first draft. I used some pictures I found online. I wasn't entirely happy with him. Hands and feet too big for a start.

Of course, I couldn't make him exactly the same. Apart from the copyright issue, the face would have been too flat to get your hand in. And what point is a puppet you can't get your hand in? So, do trolls have tails?