I Haven't Done This In Over 30 Years!!!

Well, I plucked up courage to take the children on a cycle ride this morning, and stopped for a little picnic and some play time by the river on the way back home - we did have a lovely morning - I think!



...and now I have a sore bottom, stiff hips and an achy knee, but it must have been worth it - right?? I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get in that saddle again LOL!

Here are a few more photos:


Andrew - it's not often I manage to get a decent photo of him these days - he usually objects to having it taken - must have caught him on a good day!


Eleri - look at that messy hair - she won't let me put it up very often when she's not in school - we really must take a trip to the hairdresser! And all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth!!!


The two of them getting ready to throw stones in the river.

Well that's it for now - I wonder if I'll be able to move at all tomorrow? LOL!

Love, Andrea xx

I've honestly been crying with laughter ...

Hello again

Have you ever laughed so much you've nearly really cried - well I have just been like that LOL!

When I was at the play day last week, one of the play leaders was telling me about a blog he'd been told about called Sleep Talkin' Man - the man's wife records her husband when he's talking in his sleep, and she posts it all on this blog. I just remembered about it and had a quick look. OMG, as long as you aren't easily offended, take a look/listen. I hope I remember to have a look here again sometime - it was just the tonic I needed!

Love, Andrea xx

Congratulations

Hello Fellow Bloggers and Crafters. I hope you are all well. My hubby is suffering with sciatica at the moment and he is in a bit of a state, but he's still insistent that he wants to play cricket at the weekend!!!!

Anyway, on to my card. Aaahh, no, must tell you (LOL!) - I sent another entry in to the Jewellery Maker Wall of Fame (the bracelet shown in my last post) - I don't know if this one has been seen on the big screen, but I have been able to see my piccie on the wall behind the guest designers for the past two days - even that is exciting for me! I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my name will be drawn out of the hat tomorrow afternoon. But I know that everyone else is feeling the same way - I always feel happy for whoever wins though!

So, now to my card.



The two Mental Health Advocates who work in the same office as me have recently obtained the Level 3 Diploma in Independent Advocacy. This was such a lot of hard work for both of them, and the Diploma is well deserved. So I thought I really must make them a card each. So this is the first one.

The image is from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with Promarkers (I'm not good at colouring black things - I think it is because I haven't got enough shades of grey but its a bad workman who blames his tools as the saying goes!). The papers are from two different Kay and Co stacks (I'm sorry I don't know what they're called). The flowers and ribbon are from my stash, as is the pearl brad in the centre of the flower and the pearl gems which I coloured with promarkers. I made the diploma on the computer.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sweet Stop Sketch 121 - the sketch I've followed
Papertake Weekly - a bingo challenge - I've chosen the top line - free (ribbon), pearls and blooms
Incy Wincy Designs - a recipe challenge - 3 embellishments (ribbon, pearls and flowers), 2 papers and 1 image - I hope my entry counts as I have more than 3 embellishments so I will understand if you have to delete me!

I haven't managed to make the other Congratulations card yet - I hope to do that sometime this week though. I was planning on making it this evening, but I've spent time blogging and watching TV, so its too late now - think I'll go to bed to do some reading instead LOL! I'm reading the third book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson - I think they're brilliant books.

Thanks for taking the time to peek at my blog - I hope to see you again soon - and enjoy the rest of the week.

Love, Andrea xx

New Home Card and Another Bracelet

Hello Peoples - I hope you're having a good week. Over halfway through the school holidays already - I just cannot believe it!

There was a free play day at our local sports centre today, so I took the children along. But I couldn't get Andrew to join in anything - breakdancing - neither of the children would have a go and they wouldn't let me attempt it either LOL! Eleri did paint a little on a graffiti board, so did I! They both did some modelling with salt dough, and Eleri coloured a clown face to hang on her bedroom wall, and I did some cutting out for her! I think Andrew bounced a ball across the room whilst we were doing that, and then sat at the table with us and put his head on the table, looking extremely bored! I really wish I could get Andrew to attempt things, or show an interest in something besides the TV and DS! He completed all the levels in his swimming lessons at the end of school term and he's refusing to move onto the next level next term which would be swimming lengths and improving stroke and speed - I've told him that, if he won't go swimming, he has got to take up another class of some kind, but he is refusing to try anything I suggest. I just don't know what to do - I really worry about him, and I don't want him to be like me - I was always too shy to do things when I was young (not much better now actually LOL!), and I've never been sporty - I wish I could find him something that he really enjoys that will increase his fitness.

On re-reading this, I think I've made Andrew out to be a real couch potato - he honestly isn't that bad - he does go out to play with his friends, kicking the football, riding his bike, trampolining etc. But I would like him to have a structured sports session once a week - but something he enjoys! Maybe I'm wrong in that, I don't know!

Anyway enough of my woes, onto some photos to share with you.

This is a new home card I've made this week for a workmate of my hubby who has just bought his first house with his girlfriend.



The wooden house is from a kit I bought from Create and Craft years ago. The flowery background paper is from Cute Companions CD. I cut the top right corner off the front of the card, and used the backing paper on the inside, and added a layered die cut flower to the corner. Ribbon and ribbon slider from my stash. Lots of spray glitter, and adhesive gems (maybe it's too glittery LOL!). (Oh in case you're wondering what my watch is doing in the corner - it was holding the front of the card down so that I could get a reasonably decent photo!)

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Inspirational Card Sketches - sketch
Ellephantastic Challenges - add some layers

I've also made myself another bracelet.



I'm using real gemstones - and this one has jade, quartz and agate - the quartz rounds look just like bubbles in real life. I so love the feel of gemstone jewellery - they feel cool on the skin, and I love the weight of the jewellery when it's on. Trouble is, I'm addicted to buying the gems and love making the jewellery - but haven't got the courage to sell any, so I have got to put this to a stop. I do want to make some jewellery for presents though, so maybe that's an excuse to buy some more gem strands LOL! What do you think?

I'm entering this bracelet in the following challenge:

Inspire Me Fridays

Anyway, I'm sorry my posts turn out so long - I just keep typing what's popping into my head, and hoping it makes sense!

Thanks for popping by. I hope to be back soon.

Love, Andrea xx

My Other News!

Hello Everyone!

Well, has anyone called back to check what my other exciting news is? Here goes - I am thrilled to have been asked if I would like to be Guest Designer for Craft Your Days Away 1st birthday challenge today - how good is that? (big smiles from me!!).

So, here's the card I made. This is a card I made for a friend of Eleri's, who had her 6th birthday party yesterday.



The image is the other half of the image I used the other day (Molly and Tom from Digistamp Boutique), and I've coloured her with promarkers. The papers are My Minds Eye Quite Contrary - I've nearly finished this pad, which is very disappointing! The sentiment was from the pad too. I've added stickles to her goggles and around the image, added some die-cut flowers, and popped on some Papermania adhesive shimmer dots to the centres of the flowers, to the dot above the 'i' in the sentiment and to each corner of the card (unfortunately, you can hardly see them in the photo).

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - the sketch I followed
The Paper Shelter - Flowers, flowers, flowers
Totally Papercrafts - Holidays
Charisma Cardz - a Bingo challenge and I chose Flowers, Gems and Circles

So now I'll show you the present I made for Eleri's friend. I made a necklace and bracelet set, along with a keyring.





I have to say I am a bit disappointed with the keyring as I hadn't got the same colour beads left as I used in the necklace and bracelet, and I hadn't got a letter I in the same sort of beads as the others for the name, so I had to mix the beads up. I prefer things to match much better than this. But I hope Eleri's friend likes her gift. I popped some money in the gift box as well, just in case LOL!

Well, that's it from me - I have been making another bracelet this evening, and I have some more cards to make over the next couple of days. So, hopefully, it won't be long before I pop back here again.

I want to finish by saying a HUGE Thank You to the ladies at Craft Your Days Away for inviting me to be a Guest Designer today. And thank you fellow bloggers for taking the time to check my blog, and have a lovely weekend!

Love, Andrea xx

I'm So Excited!!!!!!

Hello Everyone

This is one excited lady here :) - I did intend posting about this when I have a picture to show you, but I can't wait LOL!

Some of you might know that I am getting into jewellery making, and I'm addicted to the jewellery maker tv channel. Well, the bracelet that I showed on my blog last week (see my post here) has been shown on telly today (whoop whoop whoop!!!!). It was just pure flukey chance that I saw it this evening. So how did this happen? Well, customers of the tv channel are encouraged to send in photos of their jewellery - they might be shown on tv, and each one is allocated a number, and then a draw is made every Wednesday and there are two lucky winners to win a credit of £50 or £100 to their account. Unfortunately, I didn't win the draw but that doesn't matter because my creation was shown on telly - wow, wow, wow!!!! And the 4 hour show is repeated throughout the 24 hours, so my bracelet will have been on telly 6 times!!!!!!!

Can you tell, I'm sooooo happy!

I've also got something else to tell you but that really does have to wait a while! I'll leave you hanging on for that (maybe call back to see me again sometime on Saturday! LOL)

Sending you wishes that something wonderful happens for you too!

See you soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Another Birthday Boy

Hello Peoples - Middle of the week already - why do they go so fast?

About to take the children swimming, so this is a quickie, just to enter this week's Cute Card Thursday challenge. This is the card I've made for my nephew, whose birthday is tomorrow - Happy 7th birthday tomorrow Jake!



The image is from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers. The papers are Basic Grey Cupcake (I think), and I've used my paper crimper again.

Must go now - may add more details later!

Love, Andrea xx