Saturday 31 December 2011

Time for Reflection and Some Favourite Makes

Hello Everyone

It's New Years Eve and I'm at home blogging, whilst Richard is sleeping in the chair LOL! I haven't even had a drink - as you may have read in my last post, my little girl Eleri is not 100% at the moment, and I'm still worrying that she's going to end up being very ill and have a trip to hospital. We're not sure what's wrong but she is still suffering with tummy pains, also in her back and tops of her legs - caused by constipation the doctors think - she hasn't 'been' now for 9 days - the powders from the doctor haven't kicked in yet. We had to take a 3rd urine sample to the doctors yesterday (she has traces of blood in her urine, but nothing specific showed up in the lab for her last sample). I'm not sleeping too well (though Eleri is!) - I'm just worrying and dreaming all sorts of horrid things!

*** Update on 1.1.12 - a motion has been passed LOL! I hope this means that Eleri is on the mend but I am still keeping a close eye on her. Just waiting for the results from the doctor on Tuesday now. ***

**** Update on 3.1.12 - Eleri's results were clear - she is still complaining of tummy pains but the doctor thinks she will do until everything settles down - she is to continue with the powders for a few more days - and I'm still keeping a close eye on her. ****

Anyway, enough of that. Lots of people have been blogging about their favourite creations of 2011, so I thought I would join in. On looking back at my blog, not all my favourites are cards.

My first choice is the thank you card I sent to the hospital staff who looked after my MIL up until she passed away in December 2010. I have missed her very much this year.



Next up, the card I made for my cousin's 30th birthday. We had a lovely big family get together for her before she returned to New Zealand in January.





I made some gorgeous cake pops for Eleri's classmates when it was her birthday in February. They went down a storm with the children. I really should make them again.



Next up the card I became a Top Five Passionista with at Passion for Promarkers.



It's midnight! Happy New Year to everyone! Just seen fireworks coming out of Big Ben on TV (the fireworks display in London). Wwooowww! That was amazing, but it must have cost a fffooortune!

Back to my post.

A simple, but bright and cheerful card for my Mum for Mother's Day.



Now for some male cards:

I had to put this one in because my Dad made me laugh so much when he opened it upside down, and thought it said 'Pep' then wondered if I was giving him a pep pill! ha ha!







I discovered the Jewellery Maker channel on TV this year, and started making jewellery. This bracelet was shown on the TV show, full screen on telly (wow, that was so exciting!)



Now for a baby card. I love my handmade flowers on this one:



Some teacher gifts:





My Aunty's 50th birthday card:



And, finally, the Christmas decoration I made at a craft class. It is currently on our mantle piece:



Well, looking back, it's a good job I'm not entering this post in any challenges because I could not cut it down to 5 or 10 makes!

So, do you have any plans or wishes for 2012? I hope that Eleri is going to get better quickly. I really want to make more regular contact with friends who I have not seen enough of in 2011. I have got to get into a regular exercise routine.

And, lastly, I wish all my friends, family, colleagues, and everyone in blogland a peaceful, healthy and happy 2012.

Well that was a long post - if you've got through it all - thank you so much!

I'll love you and leave you now!

Lots of love, Andrea xx

Monday 26 December 2011

I Hope You're Having a Good One!

Hello everyone, and compliments of the season to you all. I hope you're having a good Christmas.

We had a lovely day yesterday - the children are happy with their presents, I was spoiled rotten, and Richard's Dad came over to spend some time with us.

Unfortunately, my Mum and Dad are poorly at the moment, though my Mum is on the mend. They both have a nasty cold that is going around - Dad went back to bed yesterday afternoon, and was not very well when we were there this afternoon. It seems that one of them is always ill on Christmas Day. My Mum has had four Christmases on the trot now when she has been unwell!

I also have a friend in hospital at the moment - she had an operation on 22nd December - so I have been thinking of her a lot.

And Eleri is not particularly well at the moment - she's been complaining of tummy pains for over a fortnight, had three trips to the doctor so far, and will be going again when they open on Wednesday if she's still complaining tomorrow. She's not in agony, doesn't have a temperature, and she is sleeping well, her urine sample was clear so she doesn't have a water infection, but I am really worried about her. I just don't know what is going on. She is fine some of the time, then she starts complaining that her tummy hurts, and when I say that she seems to have been OK all day, she says that it has been hurting all day too. It seems as though she is unable to cope with it so much when she is tired, and was complaining most in the evenings, but the last couple of days she has been complaining at different times throughout the day.

Anyway, the real reason I came on here today was to show the gifts I made for people this year - I hope they all liked them!

I made a door hanger for my niece. This is the front:



The image is a Wags n Whiskers digi, which I used because she looks a little like Caitlyn, my niece. I coloured her with Promarkers. The papers are downloaded from Raspberry Road Designs - Fight Like a Girl, I think.

This is the back:



This image is Prima Ballerina Nora digi from Whiff of Joy.

I made a matching photo hanger for her bedroom:



I would like to enter the above gift set into this week's Charisma Cardz Challenge which is Anything Goes.

I made jewellery for some other friends and for teachers at school, and one for Eleri:















I also made a macrame bracelet for my nephew, and I knitted a scarf and flower brooch for my Mum, but heck I forgot to take photos before I wrapped them - der!!

Sorry this post was so long, but I hope you managed to stay to the end and thank you if you did!

I'm not sure when I'll have something else to post, but I hope I can call to see some of your blogs over the next few days.

Love, Andrea xx