The Good, the Bad and the Scary!!!

Thank you for all the comments about the chipboard, both on here and the UKS thread.

Unfortunately, I can't do most of it because I don't have a clue what half the stuff you are using is and I certainly don't have any of it in my stash.

However, that WILL change when I get my first wages from my new job!!!!!

When that will actually be is a totally different matter. Yesterday my CRB form was STILL sitting on somebodys desk. This time it is because the cheque is made out to the wrong people so they can't cash it. And, instead of getting back to the nursing home about it, they just left it. They don't seem to realise that they are playing with peoples lives when that do things like that!

Ok, in my case, it may not be a matter of life and death but, it is a matter of stash or no stash!

Anyway, on to better things!

Look at what I am working on now!!!! These are the prototypes. I am not sure whether to embroider eyes etc on them. I think it might be better leave them so that people can add their own. I am currently working on a ghost and, as always, open to suggestions for this collection.

Chipboard

I have never tried chipboard before but I had this lovely lot ages ago in my crochet embellishment swap from Donna.

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The thing is, I don't have a clue how to use it!!!!!

Any suggestions?

Unfortunately, I can't find out how you leave clickable links in your comments but, if you can leave a link to something you have done, I can copy and paste it.

"Real" Scrapping!

I managed to get those photos sorted!

This is the layout for the Shooting Star, the first in the set of 3 along the Stars and Rainbows theme. Those handmade silk papers I bought are gorgeous! They are made from recycled garments so are perfect for the layouts.

I crocheted a shooting star to match the one in the silk painting and stitched the beads on to some handmade paper. This is the second one I did. When the lady picked up the first one she decided she wanted 3 different ones instead of 3 the same. This gave me a bit of a dilemma - but also a chance to experiment.

I had never tried crochet on any of my silks before but it worked really well. I re-created one of the stars for the layout. I also stitched some of the beads on to the paper again and used more of the silk papers. I wasn't so happy with the third silk - but she likes it.

I was trying to re-create the effect at the bottom of a waterfall in stars. I made loads of crocheted ones in rainbow colours for the silk, which I also used on the layout.

I stitched a rainbow on to the silk paper in the beads I used on the silk. The Snowdrops are still a W.I.P. I have made the embellishments but need to wait until I get some green handmade paper for them.

My CRB check for the new job STILL has not been received by the CRB and the cheque I wrote has STILL not cleared. I am beginning to think that somebody doesn't want me there!

I have been scrapping!

"Real" Scrapping as well!

Unfortunately, they are not quite finished so you are going to have to wait to see them!

But you can see the digi ones I was sorting out my photos to send off for printing for my A-Z album, when I decided to digi scrap A. Part of the reason is to use the digi versions to "plan" the real versions. And part of it is because I want a digi album to share as well. I can put it on to a cd or online and it will look so much nicer than photos of the real one.

I have also used the journalling blocks from this and added them to the photos to be printed so that I can use them in the real one. This is A for Abbey. There were loads of photos and info for it that I ended up with a double one. The "Real" scrapping is for my Silk Album. I was going to wait until I sent off the other photo to do it but changed my mind.

Sorting out the photos gave me the urge to scrap so I printed them off myself. Besides, I wanted some of them bigger than 6x4 so I couldn't use the free ones anyway.

I have crocheted the bits I need for the embellies and am in the process of making the beaded embellies. I decided to stitch them on to the paper, rather than making wired ones for the rainbows.

I think I will be making a wired Snowdrop one though.

If all goes to plan I will have the Rainbow ones finished very soon and get the photos taken.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do the Snowdrops as I don't have any green handmade paper.

Also, until I start this job, I don't have any money to get some.

They are going to have to wait!

Spam, Spam, Spam

You know, I get so fed up of turning my emails on to find about 50 emails (or more) and only one of them is actually for me.

I really don't want a bigger penis so that I can thrill the girls all night!!!!!

I tried setting up loads of filters to get the spam deleted but then I started missing other emails that I needed. So now I have to go through it all and delete it manually.

I am in the process of changing my email over so a lot of it will hopefully stop when I delete the old addy.

I thought there was laws against this happening. If there are, they are not working!

I am not sure how they get my email all the time but I know part of it is down to mass mailing.

Basically, if you forward an email on to somebody and leave everybodies email addies on it, some where along the line it will get picked up and all the addies will be harvested for spam.

If you must mass email, please go and read this on my msn group so that you can do it more safely.

And the other thing..........

I get really fed up of mail through the letter box trying to get me to spend money I don't have or offering me money I can't afford to pay back.

It is no wonder so many people are in debt!

I am a bit naughty with this. Just my little "Stuff it where the sun don't shine" to these people.

If the things come with a prepaid envelope, I take out the bit that has my address on and shred it, them stuff all the rest in the envelope and post it back to them.

Its even better when you get two lots on one day, you can swap the contents over!

It doesn't cost them much for all this mass mailing that they do but it does cost them more for all the returns that they get. They don't actually have to pay for those until they are used.

OK, it may not make much difference in the grand scheme of things but it gives me a certain satisfaction!

I am pleased to announce........

That I have finally finished my Puppets pattern!

You have already met the individual puppets so I won't bore you with that. I am off to add the pattern to Rainbow Valley When all that is done, I can carry on with my A-Z. I am sorting out the photos I want printed so that I can send them off. I need to decide how big I want them all first and any smaller than 6x4 can be added to one print.

I would nornally print them myself but I had an offer of free prints through from Snap fish and the postage is only 99p for up ro 50 and £1.49 for up to 500. Also, if I refer people and they sign up (don't need to actually buy and no card details needed) we both get an additional 20 prints free.

If anybody is interested, use the "Ask me, I might" button on the left to email me.

Are you sitting down?

I have done some scrapping!!!!!!!

I took it into my head yesterday to have a go at the weekly on UKS And this is the result. Its a digi LO from some of the pics I took when we spent the afternoon at a friends farm. The pics are for my A-Z Photo journal of Chatteris and I do plan on a scrapbook for the complete collection. So I will be re-doing this one "properly"!

I used a photo of the corn in the field for the background and slightly lightened and desaturated the centre. Then I used different photos of the combine with a black and while border in the middle.

The Corn is from my "Flowers and Friends" Scrapbooking pattern and the Bow is a free pattern on my msn group. If you can't crochet, I can supply the "real" versions.

Have you burnt any yet Mum?

My son has such faith in my cooking!!!!!!!

As it happened, I hadn't. But I still told him they taste better burnt! We were making Welsh Cakes. They are a sort of scone but cooked on a griddle. And, seriously, when cooked on a cast iron griddle they do taste better with a tinge of black on them. Cooking is not my favourite pastime. Especially baking.

I hate the feel of the mixture under my nails and spend more time washing my hands than anything else. So it helps to have a willing helper who loves getting his hands in to this sort of thing. Unfortunately, there is no way I can let him near an extremely hot cast iron griddle so I have to do that bit. Better I get burned than him! Fancy making some? You will need - 1lb SR flour ½lb fat 6oz sugar mixed spice currants milk

Mix the flour and sugar together. Add some spice to taste. Then mix in the fat. When you have a nice even mixture, add some currants to taste then just enough milk to bind it all together. Roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick and cut into circles. You then need to cook them on the griddle. This takes some practise. Too hot and you burn them before the middle is cooked, too cool and you dry them out. I just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Keep turning them over until they are a nice colour on both sides and put them on a cooling rack when they are done. As you can see - none burnt. At least, not on that side!!!!!! They are also really nice with apple instead of currants. Just grate up a large cooking apple and leave out the milk. Enjoy!

Puppets and Zion

I was going to be ever so good and try to blog at least every other day. Look how long that lasted!!!!!

Still, I have been busy with other things.

First of all, I listed my Halloween Baskets pattern on Etsy. This isn't a new pattern, I wrote it some years ago but I still love it. I was debating about putting it on eBay as well but with the new rules about ebooks (and the new listing prices) I decided not to. Etsy is so much cheaper to sell from when you are dealing with handicrafts.

Here are some of the puppets I have been working on. Meet Petula Parrot,

Sidney Snake,

and Arnold Aligator. These are the "Jungle Puppets". As always, made from 100% machine washable acrylic so you don't have to worry about them getting dirty. I have listed them all for sale on Etsy. The pattern will be on there just as soon as it is finished.

During the crash a whole pile of my photos got corrupted. Fortunately, some of them were from my A-Z photo journal of Chatteris which means they are relatively easy to replace. I decided to go out to the bank and Co-op yesterday and replace some of the photos. I went to the bank first then started taking some pics.

Wouldn't you know it - it started to rain! So I went to the Co-op to get what I needed only to find I hadn't put my purse in!!!! At least by the time I got back to the town centre it wasn't raining any more and I managed to replace some of the pics from Jubilee Gardens. I actually think they are a little better than before. The dark sky wasn't such a contrast against the black clock. But yesterday wasn't a complete disaster! In the evening I left the boys playing on the Wii and went out - complete with purse!

And I managed a new letter - Z This is the Zion Hall. I haven't been able to find out much info about it apart from this little bit I found online. Another such church (non-conformist) in Park Street was founded in 1819. In 1851 the congregation numbered 485.

However, the sign says 1839. I think a trip to the local museum is in order. And I still need to finish sorting out those Harvest ones.

September Calendar

I have been a bad blogger! Nothing in over 2 weeks!!!!! I hope these pics make up for it.

I thought I would brighten up your desktop this month! This is a photo I took yesterday at the local garden centre. I just can't resist those bright blooms. As usual, click on the pic over in the left column to download.

I just can't resist dandelion clocks! The macro lens allows me to get really close and see all the fine detail. I like the way the narrow depth of field softens it and make it look fluffy. I did get some of a bee on the dandelions but he is blurred in all the photos because he just wouldn't keep still! Better luck next time?????

And, yes its pink, but it was the only rose bush there!

I really don't know where the time has gone. Since Benjamin has come home it has been all go. We went to Cambridge on Friday to do all the Museums. Of course, I didn't realise just how many there were! There are 8 free ones in walking distance of the bus stop and 15 in total. We managed 4!!!!!

But we had a great time. The down side was the 1½ hours on the bus each way, which was actually more than that because of the traffic. But the fare was only £5.50 for both of us so that made up for it a bit.

This is a definate repeat for half term, however, as he also has 2 teacher training days added on to the end of half term, we might do it then when there won't be so many people around.

And I must remember to take the camera next time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something else I have been doing is working on some puppet patterns. I "lost" the Jungle Puppets in my recent puter crash and didn't realise until I was putting them all back on the puter from the discs. I hadn't saved that one to disc - Silly me!

Anyway, I was sent a US copy of one I had sold and have been using that one the create the UK copy and remake them to take pics. While I was at it, I have altered one or two things to make them easier to do.

When finished, I will be putting both the pattern and the puppets on Etsy and send out the re-vamped copies to the two nice ladies who sent me theirs!

I have also been re-working some of the older pupper patterns. The original ones were made in a totally different way to the newer ones as they have "evolved" somewhat over the years. I have been working on the Pond set. This will also be on Etsy when finished.

Now, I have a jam packed day ahead of me so I had best get off here and get on with it!

Dilemma!

As you may have read, I have to have a major sort out of my crochet stash as it is taking over the house!

I have more yarn here than I can ever hope to use, even if I live to be 150!!! Hence the "Funky Fibre Giveaway" below.

Today, I have started sorting out my thread. I have finally collected enough colours of the DMC Petra to convert all the Scrapping Items I sell on my site from the thread I have been using. The DMC looks and feels nicer, although it doesn't cost more and, in theory, is the same quality.

Now the dilemma. I haven't sold any of the actual items since last summer. Is it really worth the effort of making everything in the new thread to add to the site for sale? Or should I just delete the pages and create a "Sale" page for the stuff I already have here that I made when designing the patterns?

What do you think?

Of course, I could just add a load of pics on here of the stuff I need to clear out and do another stash exchange????????

Whatever I do, I still have a carrier bag of the Twilleys thread to dispose of!!!!!

My patterns have been doing quite well on Etsy. I have also added a few more to Craftjuice - including Christmas ones.

This may seem a bit early but it is nearly September and people who will want to be making these will want the patterns in plenty of time.

When it gets a bit closer to the time, I will add some actual items. I have loads of them in the wardrobe as well! However, as listing stay on Etsy for 4 months, I won't be leaving it for too long.

In the money!

Well, this combination of Etsy and CraftJuice seems to be working very well for me!

I have sold 12 patterns over the last 3 days. Just wish I could do it all the time then I wouldn't have to worry about jobs and CRB checks!!!!!

This is the latest one I have listed on Craftjuice. It is actually the first pattern I ever wrote for sale. It remains my best selling pattern.

I have also made loads of them for sale and they have gone all over the world. It looks great in blues for a baby boy.

I have started sorting out those cupboards! Honest!!!

I found I bag of thread left over from making the wall hangings. I didn't realise there was so much. I can make another 2 tops from it - at least!

I also found the bag with the new denim skirt in. I stopped making this when I started losing weight. Although the doc wants me to lose another 4 stone, I can't see this happening. So I might just get on and finish that. I could do with some new clothes!

Doesn't leave a lot of time for Scrapping though! And I have a pile of new stash to use that I got through the Crochet Embellishment Swap! I also bought some on the weekend. Not much, just some handmade papers so I can scrap the last 4 silk paintings I made.

So much to do and so little time!

First Day of Peace.

It doesn't really seem all that strange. I am used to Benjamin being in school while Mark is in work.

But the thought of 2 whole weeks of being on my own from 7.30am to 5.30pm is a little daunting.

I am, by nature, more of a loner. I enjoy my own company and generally find that I don't have enough of it when it is the school holidays.

But, somehow, I get the feeling that I am going to get too much of it over the next 2 weeks.

It isn't as if I don't have plenty to do. Mark has been nagging me to sort out my cupboards. I am a dreadful hoarder and people keep giving me stuff which I can't possibly throw away as I am sure I will use it at some point.

However, this rather large bag of oddments of chunky yarn and heavy weight upholstery fabric, what on earth am I going to use those for????? It just has to go!

Anybody want it?

Thanks to everybody who voted on Craft juice. I really need to explain how it works.

When you submit an item, it goes on the "Upcoming" page. When you have 5 votes it get promoted to the "Popular Crafts" page, which is the main Craftjuice page. You can still get votes when it is on there.

I submitted my Snakes and Ladders today. It has 4 votes already so hopefully will be promoted soon.

It is a great place to showcase your crafts, whether you are selling them or not. Unfortunately, the pictures need to be online already. I was hoping to link to them from my site but for some reason it didn't work.

That is why the one of the Scrapping Babies didn't have a picture. I ended up adding it to Etsy and using the pics from there. Unfortunately, this meant entering it twice and I have no idea how to delete the one that didn't work. The one that did work is now on the front page and has 9 votes!

Pattern Finished!

And I am sooooo pleased!!!!!

I am pleased that it is finished.

And pleased with the way it turned out.

And especially pleased at the time it took. That had to be the quickest ever pattern I have done from start to finish!!!!!

So here it is!

I have added it to Rainbow Valley.

This week has been an odd one. Benjamin is staying with my parents in Penarth and it is sooooooooooo quiet around here!!!!!

Mark is off work but has spent a lot of time down the shed so we haven't been out much. Apart from yesterday when we were out all day. We went to visit a friend, then did some shopping. We now have a new patio set and I have some trainer socks in colours to clash wonderfully with my red trainers!

I am hoping it is going to brighten up a little soon. I am thinking about going to the garden centre to see if they have any of those little lanterns for tea lights left. They would look lovely with the new patio table.

If not, I will go next week. Mark will be back in work and Benjamin won't be home for another 2 weeks.

What am I going to do with myself?????

Horses and Ducks

Yes, you guessed it, more Baby Scrapping stuff.

But first, an important announcement.

My pipex site is continually getting hacked and I have no idea how. I think it is down to the server as I know the files on my computer are clean.

So, I have deleted everything on it. Now all the pages do it give you a link to the new site.

Hopefully, this will stop all the problems.

If you have a link to my site anywhere on your site or blog, please click on it and go to the new site to update your links.

Here are the Rocking Horses I have been working on. I wasn't sure how to do them but am really pleased with the way they turned out. They only have two legs, not four, as this would have made them a bit bulky for the page. But they do have two ears so you can face them either way.

And somebody suggested Ducks! No prizes for who!!!! I hope to have all of these up on my site for sale very soon. The mittens and booties set are already there, along with the Teddies.

I am also considering adding the words "baby boy" and "baby girl" to the page.

But all of that is going to have to wait a few days. Tonight we are off to Cardiff to take Benjamin to stay with my parents. I have no idea how long he is going for! We will be back tomorrow but them Mark has the week off so I won't be around much.

I just hope I have time to get to the beach in the morning!

Naff Idea????

I thought it was a great one!!!! Thanks Annette! So here are some nappies, along with a Moses basket - a suggestion from somebody else. Any more?

More Baby Stuff

I have been working on more baby scrapping stuff. Here is the complete Boy set. It is all made in the new thread I have been slowly stocking up on. I will still be selling the stuff made with the old thread for now as I still have a huge stash of it. The problem is that I can't replace it when I have used it

I have been slowly stocking up on a range of DMC Petra. Unfotunately, I don't have the range of colours in it yet. I need to sell more of the older stuff to afford the new ones!

These are some accessories I have been working on. I could really do with some inspiration here as I can't think what else to make!!! Any Suggestions?

And here are some cards we made on the weekend. We used wallpaper I bought in a clearance sale for 50p. I did the top 2 and Benjamin did the bottom 2. We were quite pleased with the results, having never done decoupage before!

New Silks

I wasn't going to post these until the customer had collected them but as she couldn't come last night and I had the pics all ready to post today, I thought "Why not?"

This one is my favourite of the two. To make it a little different I crocheted lace beaded stars. I did the silk as if I was going to bead them to give the white background and I am quite pleased with the result.

This shows a close up of the medium star.

Here is the other. I crocheted rainbow coloured stars for this one which I scattered about.

I am thinking of adding the stars to my site to use for scrapping.

What do you think?

Everything's coming up Roses.......

More good news!!!!!

I went for the interview last week for the "Activities Organiser" at a local nursing home. He said he would ring me back that afternoon but, after a week of not hearing, I assumed that I didn't have the job.

However, this morning I had a call to say I did!!!!!!

There is one minor problem, I need a CRB check. I am in the process of having one done for a position of relief dinner lady at Benjamins school and can't believe the time it is taking!!!! Now they tell me that there is somebody else with the same name born on the same day so they want photos and finger prints to prove which one is me!!!!

I have asked the nursing home to delay applying for their one until this one is sorted out, or at least in the process!

Still, at least I have a job!

And I have been making more of those little teddies! I will put them on my site asap, complete with all the other baby scrapping stuff!

Fame and Fortune!

Well, Fame at least! Here is the bit about me in Scrapbook Inspirations. And there is more on their site with links to both my site and msn group.

And for all you "Pinkaholics", here is the girl baby set.

And here are some teddies. Now, the thing is, I only have a boy so I need somebody the scrap the girl set for me.

I will send you all the stuff in the picture, all I need in return is a good quality jpeg for both the pattern and my site.

I know there are a few new baby girls out there so who is going to offer.