Happy Birthday Jude!!!

In true awards fashion I'm going to work through time backwards since the last post.

Firstly, tomorrow if a dear friend's birthday, so Happy Birthday Jude for tomorrow, and I still find your confession about going to the dogs amusing. For those of you not familiar with Edinburgh, The Dogs is a restaurant and not a self-deprecating remark by Jude, funny and amusing as she is!! Have a lovely evening Jude and bring your precious boy in to see me again soon. Anyway, was driven to making a birthday card as it was too late to find a nice shop-bought (sweary words I know) one by the time I finished work tonight. Came up with this effort using my beloved K & Co's Blue Awning. Needless to say the selflessness of this sacrifice of one of my most beloved papers will be totally lost on the recipient LOL!!! Sue-Bubbles you know who you are and you will vouch for my sacrifice!



Also, Happy Birthday to step-daughter Suzie, for yesterday (told you I was working backwards!!!

Yesterday saw Ross heading back to school after a lovely peaceful weekend at home. Peaceful and Ross aren't two words I would usually use in the same sentence so it was indeed a weekend to be celebrated. Major achievement for all parties involved was Ross allowing me to give him a haircut (No. 4 clippers all over, with zero blade trim round the edges!). This had to be done as Ross was in danger of adopting his look-alike persona of Elvis!! Ross was one of those children who had to be given his first haircut immediately prior to his christening aged 11 weeks or the minister would have struggled to find his face. This is a pretty remarkable achievement as Ross is one of those individuals for whom a haircut is regarded as something, quite literally, as something akin to physical assault, except in autism it's probably actually more of a sensory assault which is a step too far. Anyway, I digress, as usual.

The weekend was spent in a haze of sleep, housework, time with Ross and watching TV. I've decided one of my new heroes is Marco Pierre White - you've just got to love the guy. He's nothing if not honest and I personally find him very endearing.

I also found time since last posting to visit Foxcraft Cards to order this cute little stamp as quite a few of our part-time staff at work graduate this summer and cards will be in order.

I logged onto Docrafts last night and the ladies of the scrapbooking forum are having a right royal debate about whether or not to buy the Brenda Pinnick Scrapper Keeper kit which they've all been waiting on coming over the from QVC USA. I personally am feeling more than a wee bit tempted and I know several ladies have confessed on UK Scrappers to already having made the purchase far ahead of the much awaited QVC Craft Day this Sunday.

Right, need to go and phone school to check on Ross. Two and a half years down the line and we still phone morning and night to check on our precious boy - it's just a slightly different way of life now. Thank goodness for free evening and weekend calls!

Right

Definitely for the off, so take care ladies, and sparkles to you all.

XXXXX

1 sleep to go - yippee!!!!!!!

Well all,

I've sorted DS's room ready for his impending arrival tomorrow afternoon while I'll still be slogging away at work. Won't actually see him until I get home at about 5.30 - longest 4 hours in creation let me tell you.

Anyway, decided to have a seat in peace and quiet and do some blog-hopping. I've developed a bit of a fascination with card-making recently as I'm so pathetic at it. Found this love blog called Mel's Stampz. This girl has some lovely ideas and all her downloads are free which I think it pretty damn decent in the world of crafting so three cheers for Mel.

Also found another fab blog with loads of tips and techniques here - so many really different ideas - well different for me anyway that's for sure!!!

For those of yo0u who enjoy a little blog candy and the chance to win, pop over to Tinker & Co for some absolutely gorgeous pieces up for grabs.

Righty-ho, off to prepare supper for OH who'll be home before long and then, tomorrow morning - NO SLEEPS!!!!!!!!!

Take care all and thanks for reading my waffle!

Now I know

As I have said before, probably to the point of boredom, I'm not good at the cardmaking thing. I'm also, in my defence, relatively new to paper crafting.

I always wondered how people made cards with lovely quirky little images. I just assumed that they had hundreds of little rubber stamps or the like.

I was doing a little bit of lunch=time blog-hopping while stuffing a very boring cheese roll down my throat and found a like to this fabulous site which had the most adorable and quirky images which you can buy and download to use forever. Armed with this knowledge combined with my lesson in watercolours and stuff at the weekend there will be no stopping me now LOL.

Can I just add that I feel like such an idiot for not realising that such sites existed - think I really need to venture onto some cardmaking forums!!!

Must go and get on with some work now.

TFL

Only 3 sleeps...........

Here we are into another week and it's flying in at a rate of knots. The weekend flew in at a rate of knots and then here we are two days into the working week which means only 3 sleeps until Ross comes home for the weekend again - thank goodness.

When it was suggested that Ross be allowed to attend residential school some 60 miles from home we were all horrified and shell-shocked to say the least. It had never ever entered into our way of thinking. Bad enough that we allowed him to attend a "special school" but to have him away from home - that was never going to happen.

Probably the main reason that we agreed in the end was to allow DD a more normal life, especially as she was sue to start high school that year. Obviously we were meant to live more normal lives as adults as well but how many adults count their lives by in sleeps - sleeps until Ross comes home - home for home many sleeps - how many sleeps until he's home again.

For me it's probably been a bit easier because I've found activities to pass my evenings and every other weekend, but DD still struggles and so goes off down to visit Ross at the end of the first week to break up the long absence for both of them. We never ever wanted to use respite for Ross and indeed hardly ever had him away from us for even a night for the first 9 years of his life. I think the jury is probably still out on whether that was the right way to do.

Me, I think that as a parent, of course it's what you do, you don't have children to farm them out to unsuspecting relatives and others at any given opportunity. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that's how I felt. So to go from having with us constantly through the good, bad and b***y awful times, to having him away from us for 11 days out of 14 was and still is a massive change.

Anyway, work and DD keep us both busy in the empty days and we've gradually become used to the house being just a little too big and quiet for a lot of the time.

Anyway, on a quieter weekend I settled myself down to making some cards for my SIL who's performing in Carousel this week. Now I'm no cardmaker, as I've said before, but felt I should make a bit of an effort so see below for some of the results. I mean "Good Luck" and "Carousel" - what was I meant to do really - answers on a postcard please!!!!LOL

Must go now and prepare some supper for OH who will be home soon - dutiful wife or what. The pack my bag for tomorrow as I've got swimming after work with my brave ally Sue - more about that particular saga later!! Also must lat the fab ladies on the Docrafts scrapbooking forum know that I've actually dared to make cards and didn't top myself in the process.

Night night all.

Take care.

TTFN

Busy but nice!!

Well, it's been a busy weekend but in a nice way, not one of those hectic one's where you rush around like an eejit with nothing to show for it!

Saturday morning and I was up nice and early and heading off to Flawless Designs in Stirling for a Saturday morning workshop on stamping.

I was with a lovely bunch of ladies and thankfully wasn't the only one new to stamping. We worked on about half a dozen images using different mediums with about 3 different stamps.

The one below was a stamped image covered with Perfect Pearls then brushed and rubbed out. Really loved this effect. I've seen it on cards etc and always wondered how they achieved it. Now I know!


The we were taught how to stamp and mask to use the same image several times to create one big image. Again - easy once you know how!

This one was stamped, heat embossed and coloured with pens and chalks. OK - so my colour sense wasn't great but the theory and practice was really enjoyable for this one.

This was the first card using the little flower and leave stamps from Habico - now I know how people do those lovely flowery borders!

And last but not least - some triple embossing - this was great fun!! Used gold embossing powder with some mica sprinkled in on the last melt before stamping into it.

Did some shopping for OH's birthday in the afternoon with my mum and DD then I had a nice quiet evening after dinner with TV, tea and not a lot else. First quiet Saturday evening in goodness knows how long.

Today started off with a spate of housework while OH went off to do some electrical stuff for Andrew (Stepson). When he came back DD had disappeared off with my mum and nephew to our local big park to run off some of his steam (he's 3½ - enough said!!). SO OH and I had some lunch and pottered about before going to meet DD in town to look at wallpaper for her bedroom.

An hour and a half later we came out with samples for 4 possibles - isn't home decor flowery these days - definitely not my taste, but it's her room so I'm just paying for the stuff and OH can get it put up.

Tonight, around making dinner, homemade beef olives and all the trimmings - YUM - I finished some thank you cards for my SIL.

As I think I mentioned before she's in the local AM. Dram production of Carousel and likes to give Good Luck (or should that read "Break a leg"?) cards to certain of her fellow cast members. Will try and upload some examples tomorrow.

So here we are, and it's Sunday night already. DD started her S2 exams tomorrow with Maths first to go - how glad am I that I'm past all that? OH half is working this week on a late shift so DD and I get some time to ourselves in the evenings after dinner. It's another busy week for me at work this week, but I've come to the conclusion that they're all going to be like that for a while to come. I'm looking forward to hearing the stories of the Sports Union Ball which was held last night. A notoriously drunken and riotous affair, some staff from our department were attending for at least the meal, so that'll be some gossip to kick the week off!!!

I'm on the long haul now until my three weeks off in August but I'm sure it'll pass fairly quickly if I just don't think about it. Plus I still have another week to try and fit in before the end of September but I think I may be tempted to have a couple of long weekends and keep a couple of days for emergencies/shopping trips!!

Anyway, enough from me - must go and get stuff organised for tomorrow - and so it all starts again!

TTFNxx

Sunday Sunshine

Morning All

After a rare long lie, accompanied by tea and toast and a start on Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, I ventured downstairs to be met with the most glorious weather - and unexpected at that!! Hence the reason that the only weather forecast I believe is the one which greets my eyes.


The view above is the one facing due north from the back of our house.

This is the view north-east from the rear of the house, showing the Ochil Hills some 10 miles away.

Must go and make the most of the weather but just wanted to share it all with you while it lasts.

Catch up later. Off to search for wallpaper for DD's bedroom - a joy on a day such as this LOL!

TTFN.

Just one of those days..........

We all have those days we'd really just rather forget don't we? Well for me, today has been one of them. Avoiding the risk of developing a hurricane style rant, suffice it to say that this is a day when I really and truly loathe and detest autism and they way it affects people. In my case I hate what it does to Ross. What should have been a simple trip into town to collect a drive-thru MacDonald's Happy Meal turned into full scale warfare which meant us only getting a third of the way and then having to turn back. Ross was in meltdown and OH who was in back of car with him wasn't far behind. A good few hours later Ross has settled by OH is still not worth the speaking to.

Anyway, on a brighter note, one of the regulars on the Docrafts forum, Clarky J, has some fab blog candy on offer including some gorgeous stamps. Pop over and have a look - it's gotta be worth it. The girl's sure done good going by the number of hits her blog's received!!!

Need to go and get ready for back to work tomorrow - think that may be a blessing in disguise LOL!!

TTFNxxx

The Best Laid Plans................

I was so full of great intentions of being a diligent and regular little blogger and here I am, fallen by the wayside already!

Ross arrived home on Thursday which was lovely, but is also very time consuming. Between doing housework, helping DD with revision for her exams, keeping a watchful eye on Ross and generally just living, the time sure disappears at a rate of knots.

All my plans for a little crafting and me time went right out of the window.

Thank goodness for the lovely weather yesterday and most of today. The glorious sunshine certainly makes life seem so much brighter.

One thing I have to do is tidy out my little shed at the bottom of the garden which goes by the grand alias of "My Craft Room". It's only been in use for a couple of months now but I just love it. No-one interferes, I can leave things lying half-finished without any moans of "Are you going to tidy this junk away?" and similar comments.

Anyway I thought I'd post a few pics to give you the general idea of my little corner of tranquility.

Today being Easter Sunday I decided to do an Easter roast dinner with a leg of lamb and all the trimmings and invited my mum and dad. Lunch was scheduled for 2 o'clock which meant, by my reckoning, all would be finished and washed up by about 3.30 leaving me some time to relax and do something nice. Huh......... No sooner had we sat down than my brother and nephew arrived looking for OH's help with the new family vehicle. OH was a mechanic in a former life so such calls for help are still relatively common. Anyway, needless to say, 5 o'clock came and went before I got a chance to sit down. Why am I not surprised?

DD (Alexandra) was however delighted to receive a joint present from Brother and wife, grandparents and OH and I of a Nomination bracelet with the first couple of charm links. My niece received the same while my nephew and Ross, neither of whom eat chocolate (are they really our children LOL!!!) received clothes.

Anyway, I digress (I'm really good at that). Final challenge of the day came in a phone conversation with my sister-in-law who asked me to make Good Luck cards for cast members and others who will take to the boards next week in a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Watch this space!! I think I need to be struck by an almighty bolt of inspiration as I'm the first to confess that I'm no card maker.

TTFN

One More Sleep..................

................. and then I can go and bring DS home. Haven't seen him since last Monday and he's coming home for a long weekend, tomorrow until Tuesday - yippee!!!!!!!!

You'll read more about DS as time goes by but in the meantime here's a clue. In my unbiased opinion, he's handsome, smart. funny, loving and occasionally sarcastic. The fact that he's profoundly affected by autism is really neither here nor there in my book.

Day One and a Determined Start

Welcome to the madhouse - but then don't so many people say that about the same elements of their lives, whether answering the phone, opening the front door or meeting an old friend after too long a separation?

I was inspired to start blogging after surviving only three days off work for the Easter break before coming a little too lazy. I'm one of those sad people who thrive on routine and I'm told that a good blog needs regular updates so here we are.

I'll gradually be adding to the list of blogs which I enjoy, which inspire me, or just really made me laugh (in the nicest possible way).

Anyway, after lunch today I decided to finish some projects which have been lying in various stages of completion for varied lengths of time. I'm a terrible finisher, whether it's a lack of confidence in any finished item - I'm really not sure. But today is definitely a finishing day.

As no-one's really aware of this blog yet I'm safe to post a couple of items which were completed today.

Firstly a little book for Sall from her Aunty Gill. She's a great girl and often sends me little crafty gifts. virtual (Facebook) or otherwise when she senses I need a bit of cheering up.

Then a gift for one of the men in my life. I work with him, he's kind, handsome, academically brilliant and widely recognised as one of the most desired men on campus. And he's single!! Me - I'm what he calls "his surrogate mum". Anyway, sweets for Easter Rals, you know who you are.

And last, and probably most remarkably of all, a card. So what? I hear you say. Well I've never ever professed to being a card maker and I really have no patience at all for decoupage - it really rips my knitting. However.................... on a visit to our local craft emporium yesterday, Flawless Designs, I spotted a new decoupage range, well new to me any roads, "Flippin' Women" and decided to give it a go. See what you think below. It amused me!!!





Off out now to get some fresh air and drag DD and friend away from their revision for S2 exams.

TTFN