Need a Hand?

I do! And I don't mean some help.

I need a "hand" to "model" my puppets. I need to spend ages taking photos of all of the ones I have finished revising so that I finish these patterns off and sell the finished puppets. Another bag full out of the way.

Last time I asked Benjamin for help to model some he was in a very bad mood because he wanted to be off doing other things and was very uncooperative!!!!!!

I was looking at those wooden ones on eBay but when I saw them in a shop, the thumb didn't go where I needed it to. Anyway, Mark helped me make this. He bent the garden wire and I covered it in the no longer needed tube bandaging and stuffed it.

It works like a dream! Of course, if the finished puppets sell well, I may make some more. To be honest, I don't want to spend my time crocheting to sell but I am trying really hard to save up to get my A-Z published - which isn't easy with the reduced hours and a 12 year old son who always needs something new.

So far I have made about £17 on ebay with all the stash. Not as much as I was hoping for but better than nothing and also saving just either throwing or giving everything away. I also found the gorgeous green chenile I knew was up there. No way am I getting rid of that. I have been dreaming for years about what I am going to make from it!

And in the wardrobe, I found the bag of chunky I was saving to make myself a cardigan. Some of my nice warm woolies are getting a bit past their "use-by" date. The elbows are getting thin and stringy and the cuffs are starting to unravel. And there was no way I was going to buy any new ones when I knew all that stuff was in the attic just waiting to be used.

And about that Clematis. I haven't given up. I ordered some of the sagey green thread to make the leaves from. It have arrived and is ready and waiting for me to use it but I have a long list of things which need to be done first. Besides, small cotton leaves are definately a summer project as I can't be making chunky cardigans then!

This week has been just as hectic!

And I have been buying stash again - but more of that later.

I got fed up waiting for the tape to come so I improvised. I cut strips of the same fabric I used for the front and staples it on the back as I was going to with the tape. Then I used the designer labels I made and stapled those on as well. It doesn't look quite as professional as the tape would but it does the job nicely. I now have 7 finished and two of them up for sale in the Florists. I am thinking about putting them on Etsy as well.

Here is the finished Leaves frame. And some close ups. All of the frames are 20cm x 20cm and made to fit a 9cm x 13 cm photo.

And finally that stash! First of all, I have to say that the lady was wonderful. I realised that I had ordered two different sized padded stars and emailed her to ask if she could send them the same size and add the difference to the postage.

Then I emailed her about some punches and couldn't make up my mind about them so decided not to get one as it was getting time to go to work.

I asked her for the total, which she sent and I paid. However, she hadn't adjusted it for the stars and, as I had turned the puter off and would be late for work if I turned it back on, didn't do anything about it.

The stash arrived the next morning, complete with the alternative stars. How is that for service? I emailed her to ask about the aditional cost and she came back to me to tell me that she hadn't altered it on purpose.

So, if you want great service and quick delivery, I suggest you pay her a visit.

Her shop is Pink Marshmallow on eBay.

More Stash!

I had this lot ages ago but with everything that is going on, I haven't got around to posting about them. Its more stash from my crochet embellishment swap.

This lot is from Donna. Chipboard to try. I have never used it before so this could be fun!

And this lot is from Jay. Loads of lovely stuff to have a play with.

And, finally, the Ribbons I won in the photo comp on UKS. Unfortunately, I haven't done any scrapping in over a month. I don't seem to have the time or the inclination. I just seem to have stress. Lots of stress.

Mark is really getting me down because today is the day he gets dismissed and he isn't sleeping again. Benjamin is getting me down because he is being a little S***. And, on top of everything else, I thought I had another ear infection only to discover it is toothache not earache - it hurt in the same place!!!!!

I managed to get an appointment at an emergency dental clinic yesterday afternoon and it cost £16.20 to get my tooth taken out. Today I feel like I have been kicked in the mouth but it is soooooooooo much better than the pain I have had the last few days.

One good thing is that my dearest has gone out for a "sort of" interview with one of the plumbers before going to get dismissed at Watertight. Apparently there is some work there and he may be looking to take somebody on permanently as somebody has just quit to go self employed! Mark says it will be a means to an end, give him some experience and money while he builds up his own business. I don't think he is looking at it as a permanent thing. At least, I hope not as I am convinced self-employed will be best for him.

And I am trying to update my "Sage" experience. It is 10 years since I have used it and so many of the jobs I have been looking at require it. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall here.

I tried Learn Direct and was told they didn't do it. So I googled. And a Learn Direct page came up!!!!! I phoned the freephone number on it and was told they did do it - and at the local centre that had told me they didn't!!!!! I gave up.

Two days later a letter came from Learn Direct detailing the course and the local centres I could do it at. So I went along to the Chatteris one at the time it said they were open on the letter and weren't open. The Library assistant told me to phone the March one.

So I did (although they had already told me they didn't do it) and was told that they didn't do it. I explained about the phone call and the letter from the main office and she looked it all up on the computer and it said that she couldn't register anybody on the course.

I am very tempted to phone Learn Direct again and tell them how useless they are!!!!!

In the meantime, I have downloaded a free 30 day trial version from Sage and got some books from the library. Now all I need is some peace to work through it. And if I need another 30 days, I can put it on Marks computer as well!

If you have read all this, you are very brave! It just seems like a lot of whinging!!!! Hopefully I will have something more cheerful next time.

I love the postie coming!

Especially when he brings me more stash!

This is the latest haul in my Crochet Swap.

These were from Jay and included a bar of chocolate for Benjamin. As you can imagine, that didn't last long! I love that little mini book. And the colour is wonderful! All the blue bits will be perfect for scrapping Benjamin!

And these were from Jane. I will forgive her the pink bits because of those lovely stammp Tilda images! I have 2 neices birthdays coming up and they will be perfect for their cards. This is much more fun than stash shopping because I never know what I am going to get!

Loads of Brads!

Look what I got in the post today! Loads of lovely Brads in exchange for some crocheted Ladybirds. Rebecca asked me if there was anything in particular I wanted, so I told her I always have to go and raid Lesleys brads. There are also some rather pretty beads. Also, I am in Scrapbook Inspirations this month!

Somebody entered a layout using my crocheted Rainbow. Unfortunately there is only my UKS user name and not my site addy, but at least I am in there!

Now to find a copy......

Stash!

I have been getting loads of lovely stash in the post.

No, I haven't been on a spending spree!

Would I?

This is from my crochet embellishment swap.

Mandi sure knows the way to my heart. Loads of lovely beads and buttons for me to play with. I am seriously tempted to take up this Fimo thing to make my own, they are so much more fun to crochet with than the stuff you can buy. I would also be able to make the holes a bit bigger to make them easier to crochet with.

And look at all this stash Tinkerbelle sent me. Far too much but I am not complaining. I love the hand made cards but I doubt very much that they will end up being used for cards as they are perfect for my Silk Album. I have another swap to get done and in the post for next week. I did tell her Monday but, of course, its a Bank Holiday so it will have to be Tuesday.

I have finished the lower case letters. And what is more, they are all added to mys site, including the doodling! The page still needs a bit more work as I need to add the numbers to it and the link for the free pattern. I also plan to convert this lot to digi and add the downloads to the page.

I redid the "Exhibition" for my Silk Album. I had to squash it in a bit because the new letters are bigger than the old ones. I am still pleased with it though.

And I need to add a "?" to this page so that I have all the punctuation on one page. Just like British Rail, I am getting there!