HYXGT??

Afternoon all, well its cold and wet here - yuk!! Well, I am on time (for once!) except I dont think Paddington has posted hers yet, but my cross stitch is finished:




Not sure what to do with it now though!! It is my neices 21st in June so thinking I will use it on her card. Hmm what to start next - I know I said I wasnt going to do any more large projects as they never get finished - but in this months Cross stitcher magazine there is a fab pattern for a chicken to make into a cushion and I love it - dont know where it would go in the house but it looks lovely - so if I can get the fabric might have a crack at that. There is another stumbling block though, in that I dont have a sewing machine - so dont know how I would finish it all off - would it be too much to do by hand!?! I look at other people blogs though and see some fantastic makes with applique etc and so tempted to have a go because they always look fab - think I will have to have a look for courses because I just dont know where to start... if anyone knows of any tutorial blogs that would be good for an absolute beginner could you let me know that would be great.

Also, is there anyone else like me who takes forever to fully finish things - for example in about September last year I started this coaster design I have had it finished for ages but never got round to sorting out the actual coaster, I wouldn't care I had been given the details of where to get them from just never seemed to get it sorted, so when I nipped into Hobbycraft yesterday there was 1 on the shelf - so I have finally finished it (now I have got the size right I will iron it), it was supposed to be for a teachers gift - but I think it is too nice - might have to keep it for myself:



While faffing on last night after seeing Rainmacs blog I had a go at making a little easter basket - this is my prototype first attemp - but it was really easy to do, so will have to get a shifty on to get some made for Sunday. We are all off to my mums and they would look good for the adults on the table!

Nothing but trouble!!

Do you ever go to make a card, but wish you had never started because everything that can go wrong, does!!

Well this is what happened here, things cut incorrectly, placed incorrectly etc. etc. this is a quick make for over on MSE for those that didnt go to the NEC and it had to include a cake:



My lesson learnt from this is dont try to make a card when you are tired (and hungry!) x

Cards for boys.

The boys have been invited to a couple of parties over the next couple of weekends - so thought would be good and get them made now - I had an idea for the one that is for a six year old and wanted to use the new die cut from Lili of the Valley:



The paper is taken from a 12 x12 sheet from Basic Grey that I got in a bargain pack from Craft Superstore and the sentiment is from the goody bag from Craftwork Cards. I am wondering whether to put paper on the inside or just to leave it white?? What do you think?? I would like to enter this card into the Cards for Men challenge no. 6

The next is for a 10 year old and was unsure if my son would like this and ask for a shop bought one - however, he quite likes it so .... result!


Thank you to Rainmac for the paper and I'm not sure if the image that I have coloured with pro-markers came from Rainmac as well or Craftygranny - but a big thank you anyway!!

Late again!!

Oop I'm a day late again for Paddingtons HYXGT, I've just been doing a little bit of stitching on a night so here is the latest pic (sorry its a bit blurry)


Well this week I have been doing my spring clean and have finally finished but I just wanted to show you some pics of the state of my bedside cabinet - erm I think I have a bit of reading to catch up on!! lol

Card for a couple of challenges.

Well, I am suitably recovered from the weekend and started my spring clean - except I kept coming on the internet so didnt get much done, but I promise I will finish it on Wednesday!!

Tonight though I have made a card that I would like to enter into a couple of challenges:





The first is the Food & Drink challenge over at Cupcake Craft Challenge, the second is Going Dotty over at Creative Card Crew and the third is Tutti Frutti over at Basic Grey.

The dotty paper is Basic Grey that I received from Melissa.
The image is a lovely House Mouse that I received from Rusty.
(Thanks Ladies!)
Coloured with promarkers, and fancy edged with a trimmer I received for Christmas off my mum.

Trip to Harrogate.

Hi everyone, this weekend my hubby took me to Harrogate to the Papercrafts fair and it was mad, seemed so much busier than last time - but still managed to have a good mooch - although some stalls like Lili of the Valley & Craftwork Cards they were hard work to get close to. Eventually I did though - my hubby says I need to be more ruthless and just push in - other people do!!

I managed to spend a small fortune & got most of the things off my list (and a couple of things I didnt have on my list!!), there was a couple of other things I was going to go back for but then I couldnt remember the stalls - but by early afternoon we were both v. hungry and getting a bit stressed - so we called it a day. I have taken a pic of the stash I got - I am gutted that I forgot to take my camera - so I could have taken pics of cards for inspiration - doh!!



There are some Lili of the Valley die cuts, goody bag - ribbons - owls from Craftwork Cards, Anitas 3d gloss finish, a dvd on how to use my Big Shot properly!! - erm what else oh yes a black promarker, circle frame cutters and 10 rolls of extra sticky dst. Think thats it.

We made a bit of a weekend of it, stayed overnight and then had a trip to Skipton today - and it was lovely - next time I go though I MUST remember the camera.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. xx

Isn't it lovely when the postie brings goodies!?!

Hi, I know it's only Wednesday - but so far it has been a great week. I love getting things in the post - and this week I have had some lovely things delivered. The first is from Craftygranny & Kaitlyn who sent an atc & fat page with some gorgeous images and papers:



A lovely surprise xx

Then today, after taking part in the card swap & atc swap over at Craftyplace, I received these from Dragonllew again with some fab images:



Just beautiful!!

I also received some new papers - Basic Grey Offbeat - so I will just sit and stroke them a while - hee hee because they might be too scrummy to use!!

You might have seen on some blogs woyww (Whats on your Workdesk Wednesday) - well Paddington came up with the idea HYXGT (How's your X-Stitch Going Tuesday) - oops I know I am a day late but here is my current work in progress:



It's just a freebie out of a magazine, but I have reached the conclusion I am just going to stick to little projects - as I know I will never finish off a large project - I have lots of UFO's that are never going to get finished to prove it - lol.

Enjoy the rest of your week xx

Did you have a nice Mothers Day??

Hi all, did you have a nice day yesterday?? Even if you aren't a mum - hope you had a relaxing day - well I was really spoilt, with breakfast in bed, lovely gifts and great cards:



My eldest made this one and couldnt stop telling me how hard it was to do the flowers!!



My youngest made this one - I love both cards!!



Well I have finally got round to making a card as well - yay!! Over on MSE Lyndach set us a challenge - so here is my entry:






On Crafty Place the card swap names have been drawn - I have sent my card off and now realised I have deleted the photo of it!! aargh I did this last month as well - doh!!

Things to make me smile!!

Hello everyone, cant believe it's nearly Friday already - where does the time go?!? Well, I haven't made anymore cards but I have a few that I need to get cracking with - but been caught up in my cross stitch again - just doing a freebie bookmark for mothers day that came with a magazine.

Anyway, a couple of things have cheered me up today:


1. A little £1 pot of tete a tete daffodils from Morissons that have opened up lovely.



2. A scrummy little pile of not too old magazines from a friend of my mums who knows I like this type of magazine - well actually any magazine, I think I have a bit of a magazine addiction!!




3. My gorgeous new stamp arrived today. I can't tell you how long I have loved this image - but sometimes I am such a ditherer that I only bought it this week and took advantage of a free p&p offer.



4. Finally my 6 year old came out of school with this tonight - and I was quite moved!!

Posted by Ali at 07:52

Apologies!

Well, I must apologise as I have been messing around with my blog and somehow managed to delete the post below when I was trying to alter something to do with the security side of it and I think I have lost the 9 lovely comments, but was able to copy the post from elsewhere for the owl card and I was also trying to alter the layout of the blog - and really I should know better - me & technology just don't go together. However, it wasn't done deliberately and all your comments are special to me - so again - please accept my apologies. xxx (I am going on a hunt to see if I can find them!)

Where has the time gone???

Evening everyone, hope your week is going ok. Well it's not much of a post tonight as we have gerbils to clean out (its only a 5 min job - but why do I dread doing it???) and kids to bath - nearly as traumatic as cleaning out the gerbils lol!

I managed to make a quick card after tea and will enter it for the papertake weekly challenge:



Hope it is ok - didnt have a suitable sentiment and did my own. Do you think it is ok???

Enjoy the rest of your week and will hopefully catch up later.

Where has the time gone???

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it has been nearly a week since my last post - where has the time gone. I know I have started to work an extra morning - but - it's only 4 hours extra!!! I really have problems with getting organised - and I really need to start managing my time better - but I just don't know where to start - and everything is suffering!?! (if anyone has any tips on what works for them - they would be greatly received - lol). Like today, busy faffing on with cards - thinking I had 15 mins while waiting for the steamer to ping, when I realised I hadn't put the parsnips or broccoli & cauli to have with our tea. Earlier in the day, I realised I had ordered the wrong stamp from the Glitter Pot - I like the one that has arrived but I need to pay more attention. Then panicked thinking I hadn't got the boys uniforms ready for the morning - but all I was short was a pair of trousers, which are now ironed and ready.

Anyway, enough of my moaning - I eventually managed to finish the backstitching on the daffodil the other night, and finally put it on a card today -



(noticed the ribbon goes up at one end, but in real life - it doesn't look that bad!)

I have also entered the card swap again at Crafty Place and was going to use this card:

But I have decided I dont like it - the Spring sticker is wonky and it does look bad in real life, so have done something else - however I wont post a pic until the swap actually takes place.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your Sunday - and hopefully it won't take me a week to blog again - I WILL GET ORGANISED!!

Lovely Sunny Doing Day!

Hi, well for the first time in ages had a really good doing day - (you know - one of those days were you get lots done!) - quite rare for me!!! and I seriously think it is because it has been a beautiful day. I have been able to peg out washing (granted it wasnt totally dry - but nearly!!), wash the car and weed the borders in the garden - as well as other bits - wanted to get as much done outside as I could.

Another reason I was cheery received my order from Etsy - never used etsy before and the items were coming from America - but no problems. The order took a week and the items were lovely. Recently the lovely rainmac sent me a card with a fab image on - and then I just had to have the stamp - couldnt find it in the uk - but etsy came up trumps. While ordering the stamp, started looking at other items for sale and saw some cute paper, so oops into the basket they went:




Yesterday, me & the boys went to the beach, unfortunately the weather wasnt as nice - but at least it was dry - was hoping to spend a couple of hours there, but the boys got wet by a surprise wave when they were having a little paddle - being the organised mum that I am - NOT - didnt think we would have a need for spare clothes - doh! So we came home early - with a bucket full of pebbles - some really lovely ones - and some to be painted.




I have been working on another cross stitch card - this time a daffodil - its only little but kept making loads of mistakes - my excuse was the shades were similar - (ahem) - but all mistakes have been unpicked and re-stitched just doing the backstitch now:




At last I have also made a card with papers - its been a little while:


Finally, my last reason to be cheerful: hubby won the lottery at work not a lot but gave me a little bit to buy some crafty stuff - yippee - off for a little peruse of online shops to see what I can get.

Hope March is a happy sunny one for you!!

p.s. have you seen the moon tonight :-)