Happy New Year!

Well, so it's getting a little late in the year for this greeting, but not too late as today is 12th Night. My apologies once again for not blogging over the last 5 weeks or so, but I've been kinda busy, you know?

Christmas was a little strange without Dad, but we had a good time anyway. Mum came to stay with us, and we had my brother and sister-in-law over for Christmas Day. We then went to my brother's for Boxing Day, and my sister and her partner came down from Essex for the day as well. We had the usual fun and games, and then everyone came to us for the 27th for a light lunch.

I had LOADS of cards for Christmas, and thanks go to the girls from Aunty's forum for their gorgeous display of handmade (and some not!) cards. So, thank you....

Inchy!
Donna
Jan
Crissi
Rainbow
Onestopscrapper
Jainethepain
Craftali
Carolann
Cat
CraftyRockChick
Annfromconsett
Julie
Cheryl
Scrappyqueen
Sandiee
Auntysally
dianic
Susan
Feebee

You are all stars (and I hope you liked the cards I sent you. If you didn't get one this year - please can I have your address????)

I also had a fab present from my Secret Santa on Aunty's - whom I've just discovered was Laureen. Thank you so much for my present, Laureen! I loved it. For those who don't know already what I got (I listed it on Aunty's Forum!), Laureen sent two bars of Galaxy chocolate (my absolute fave), some peeloffs and some DS foam tape. Always useful, and being the Peeloff Queen, I was more than content!

Well, time to be off. I have more to add, just not today. Today's post was all about saying thanks to the people who need it. I'll let you all know what I've been up to craftwise very soon...

TTFN

Elements ATCs

Now that my good friend Debs has received my ATCs safely, so she can organise them and send the swap back out, I can blog them and not spoil the surprise!

The swap was on Willow Crafts forum, and the theme was the Four Elements. Here is what I came up with...



All the ATCs are basically the same - I covered one side of them with Xyron permanent adhesive, and then stuck on strips of paper/card that I felt represented the element.



I then stamped a representative image onto shrink plastic, and once shrunk, glued it on.



I stamped on each one the word, and clear embossed over the top.



Finally I added matching ribbon and either buttons or jewels.

I like 'em, even if no-one else does! Now I just have to wait for the rest of the swap to come back, and I'll blog them when they do....

Some craft at last!

On Aunty's Forum I've been involved in a Christmas Topper swap. Now that the recipient has received it, I can finally blog it.... Woohoo!!!

It's made from an ATC which I covered with a christmassy paper, topped with a Christmas Tree die cut to which I added some bling. I inked the edges of the atc with some silver ink and then matted and layered it first to brushed silver cardstock, then metallic blue cardstock - et voila! Here it is.....



(Sorry about the flash glare - a hazard with metallic card!)

Well I actually managed to get something crafty done last night, in a roundabout fashion.

I've started - again - on tidying up my craft room. It doesn't look like I did much (to quote DH) but at least all my Craft Stamper magazines are neatly ordered in magazine files and on a shelf. As opposed to being stacked up on the floor in a corner. A few other things have found permanent homes, and as a result I actually have a square foot of space on my desk, and the rest of it is only piled 4 inches high as opposed to 8... Little by little, I will get the room tidy and clear for the weekend so I can sit down and do some PROPER crafting! :lol:

Tonight I'm helping out at this fireworks do in aid of Trade Aid - at least the weather looks like being ok and I'm not going to freeze my thru'pennies off! DH has been instructed to do pizza and chips for tea, and I'll nuke mine when I get in.

I'd love to toddle over to the Daring CardMakers and Wednesday Stampers websites today, but as I'm not going to be able to make anything till the weekend, why should I torment myself? Ho hum, shouldn't be much longer...

Keep checking back folks - I'm sure I'll squeeze something in soonish!

Fireworks and other stuff

I'm bad, aren't I?

Here's me, promising to blog more often, yet when I look at my blog it's been a whole month since I last blogged. Shame on me!

So what have we been up to?

Mostly unpacking boxes, putting up pictures, boarded out the loft, rewired the lighting in the loft. Oh, cut a new loft hatch that was twice the size of the old one.

Now we've dug up the front garden, moved some flower beds, widened the gateway, moved a fence and stuck in a load of new plants and bulbs. And I'm shattered.

Craftwise I have done nothing. I'd like to. But I still can't quite get into my craftroom to sit and do some work.

Mind you - I was a REALLY good girl on Monday of this week - I finally took my Mythical Dragon cross-stitch in to be framed. I get it back in about 8 days time, so I'll have to blog that moment!

Does that count as craftwork????

We've moved!

Well, it was actually a fortnight ago, but we're in our new house and suffocating under a pile of boxes!

I've not been around....

.... and here's why.

23th June 2007 - Sadly, we had to have Mugsy put down as the old age/diarrhoea was getting too bad and not responding to treatment, and he was suffering.

25th June 2007 - Nick starts a new job for Larasian Ltd on their building team. It means we have to get up at 5.30am to walk our two remaining dogs, then be in at work for 7.30am. I get an extra hour at lunchtime as a result, to come home and let them out for a wee. It means we're too tired to go online much in the evenings.

We also start hunting for a house near work.

28th July to 5th August - Off with Wolfshead Bowmen to Drogo for a week. Get home to find Dad has been poorly in our absence, and been in hospital twice.

8th August - Dad admitted to hospital again

9th August - Dad has his bowel operation

11th August - go up to London to visit Dad in hospital

13th August - Dad has a minor heart attack

15th August - hospital discover Dad has a pulmonary embolism (blood clot on the lung), and has a leak from his bowel where they repaired it, and has peritonitis as a result. Starts to go into organ failure.

16th August - Dad has emergency surgery to try to save his life - he survives to the end of the operation, when he has a second heart attack. The surgical team try for 40 minutes to resuscitate him, but sadly he passes away.

Dad's funeral will be the 3rd September.



In the middle of all this, we found a house, put in an offer which was accepted and have since run around like headless chickens sorting out paperwork etc. We should complete on the purchase some time in the next three weeks. It's been a tough couple of months, full of sadness and anguish for us, but we will get through it.

Thank you all, those of you who knew what was going on in my life, for your support at this tough time.

If Dogs & Cats Kept Diaries.....

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DIARY

6:00am - At last! I Go Pee! My favorite thing!
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
6:00 pm - They're home! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!



EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt
me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.
Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless
body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event.
However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was
walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to
return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to
be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him
in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...



Thanks to my friend Migs for sending me this!

Update #2

To continue.....

The other thing that I mentioned in one of my earlier posts (that is, late March) was that I'd started a new job. As of this coming Tuesday, the 19th, I will have been there for three months, and boy has the time flown!

I work for a company based in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, called Corintech Ltd. They are an electronics company, mainly dealing with microchips and printed circuit boards. My role there is - to many - quite dull and uninteresting, but I'm reasonably content. I'm an accounts and HR administrator, and it's a varied and interesting job. I mostly help with the purchase ledger (that is to say, the invoices and stuff to do with whatever we buy, rather than what we sell) and the payroll. I also deal with all the paperwork to do with contracts, recruitment, training and some of the not-so-nice aspects of human resources.

So there you have it. That's what I do for a day job.

Evening wise, I'm currently working on a stitch-a-long with Willow Crafts forum. I'm terribly behind on it though - we're doing a series of small stitched pieces based around the months of the year. Everyone else is either in the middle of, or has finished June's piece. Me? I've just started March's! Oh dear.....

I've also got to do a birth sampler for a friend. Her youngest son turned one this week, and will be having his christening in October. I've got as far as washing and ironing the fabric, marking it out to find the centre, stitching it onto the frame, photocopying the chart, and sorting the threads I need. Now I just need an extra day in the week so I can commence stitching it. I just want to get a little bit caught up with the SAL first..... ho hum. Place your bets now on whether or not I get it finished in time!

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day, as we're taking our oldest dog (Mugsy) to the vets for a check up. He's 15 and a half now (we're talking halves! Ulp!) and sadly is physically going downhill. He's a bit deaf (possibly selective only), eyesight is not as good as it was, he has weak back legs (drags his feet, literally not figuratively), is suffering from occasional incontinence and has almost permanent diarrhoea. That is not to say that he walks around pooping non-stop. It's just that when he does poop it's not a pleasant experience for all concerned, including him (remember the weak back legs? Can't stand for too long in one position either!), and we've tried all sorts of remedies. Bio yoghurt (vet's idea), rice, chicken, egg, no food for 24 hours, different food. To no avail. Occasionally we've got up in the morning to discover that he's wee'd or pooped in his sleep - and is still laying in it sound-O, not even aware of what he's done! It's getting to the point now where we've had enough, and I think he has too. Mind you, having said that, the front half of him seems to be doing fine. The other day, someone even asked me if he was the youngest of our three dogs! Personally I think they need their eyes checked! Sadly though we have to make a decision on how long to continue this tacit torment of him - and the decision needed is whether or not to put him down. We don't want to, so we're hoping and praying that the vet will have some other suggestions, or failing that some antibiotics, that will help. Hopefully I might get on here tomorrow some time to update you on how it goes.




Update!
The vet has agreed that Mugsy will probably not last long, but until that point we have been provided with enough pills and potions to either chemically preserve him, or hasten his end. I suspect the vet believes they will do the former, but who knows. So, mate, you have a month.....

Update #1

AS promised, I shall now commence updating you on everything that has so far come to pass.

Or in English, let's catch up, eh?

First and foremost, I want you to cast you mind back to February 19th. Or rather, scroll down and re-read the post I made that day!

I never did get around to putting on here the pictures of the ATC's I got in return. Here they are......



At the moment, as they're not directly in front of me, I can't recall exactly who's they are. But a big thank you to the folks involved in that swap - I love them!

I've also been involved in another Inchie swap, this time on Aunty's Forum, and though it wasn't as many, it was still a bit of a challenge. The idea was to make 5 inchies, and send them on to someone. In return, you got 5 inchies from a third party.

Here's my offering....



Yes, I know there are 6! I made an extra one, so I could pick which I thought were the 5 best. They were made on 140lb watercolour paper, using Daler Rowney inks in blue and aqua for the background, stamped in Memories ink Cobalt Blue, then versamarked (once dry) and embossed with an iridescent EP. I then added fibres in matching tones to one corner.

In return I got....



I think they're lovely, and they make a great set. Thanks Jaine!