Downs and ups and downs again.

Taken a dive again, I'm afraid. Sleep is difficult, but being sleepy isn't! I seem to be doing 36 hour days straight, then 6 or 7 hours of heavy, sluggish sleep, the type that leaves you with squitty eyes, like two pee-holes in the snow.

And very lucid dreams, the type where I am conscious IN the dream that I am dreaming, which, to say the least, is weird. (It's handy in nightmares though, as I can wake myself up!)

All my tidying up and organisation, which left me feeling so good last month, has pretty much come to nothing. I had to move craft stuff back into the living room to use, as the craft room is still an ice box- still no heating sorted out. Trying to craft on the floor in the living room has produced a few nice cards, but also wreaks my back.

To be honest, lately, I have been getting frustrated with things to the point of tears and sometimes I just give up with the day and crawl back to bed, where I'll lie and listen to the radio or flick through a book or two.

I've filled in my driving licence application. Maybe if I can finally learn to drive that will give me a new layer to my life. I know in theory it should do, but the prospect of driving still terrifies me. If I can do it, then I give myself more options for employment, if I can face it.

Basically I am so frustrated and bored by not being able to sort the heating myself, and sort putting up shelves myself, and a hundred-and-one other things on our 'House jobs to-do list'.

I have to admit that, although I do love him, the frustration caused by living with a serial procrastinator is having a bad affect on me, to the point where I just don't know why I'm here any more. I just want to switch off. Give up. I just can't go on like this, not if it means feeling like this. But then I feel guilty, as I know he has so many worries of his own...

Card that sits, or goes boing!!!

Some months ago, I posted about an offer to sign up for 5 issues of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine for just £5, incl. UK postage. As the cover price for one copy is usually £3.99, and each copy comes with a free gift, I signed up. The offer is still open, here. The free gifts have been amazing, including a big set of acrylic stamps and lots of papers.

This project was included in a recent issue

I'd wanted to have a go at making this type of card for some time and yesterday I finally plucked up courage to have a go! Here it is-I added a bit of my own round the back.... :)I have put in an extra bit of card, with a little loop of ribbon on so you can pull it out.
The whirl stamp design on it was done using one of the magazine's freebie stamps.
The other side is left blank for the sender to write a secret note.The card closes down again OK for sending:The stamp on the front of the card, with the bird, was 99p at The Range and it's by Dovecraft. I've gone over the flowers with a clear Sakura Stardust pen, but it doesn't show here.The background paper is the same as I used on the Easter card in my last post! I had a few scraps left.

I have recently bought a metal ruler and a glass cutting mat :) and these made cutting and measuring very easy.
The whole thing was much more easy that I thought, in fact, and I shall be making more of these.

I need to get better card, some that doesn't split when it's folded. I've read that Bazill card is great in this way. I have put off investing in anything but the cheapest so far, but I might buy a few sheets just for folding projects.

I scanned in the template for anyone out there who would like to have a go:The measurements here are in centimetres -I don't know why- the project on the page before this one was in inches!! I can use both, so I'm not worried, but you'd think the magazine would use one or the other, for continuity!!

If you prefer inches the rough translation is about:

6.25cm = 2.5 inches
12.5cm = 5 inches
25cm = 10 inches

If ever you need a metric to imperial conversion, or vice versa, go to this
online metric conversions
(type in one number, press a button, it converts it).

If you do have a go, please let me know so I can come to your blog and see!!!




PS!!!!

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I'm finally getting 'round to putting new cards in my shop. I've decided to keep all postage/shipping free of charge. Average price of a card is around US$2, so it's pretty cheap!!! It won't make me rich, but could offset the cost of materials a wee bit, and help me keep this new hobby of mine going. So do have a look if you'd like a special card. I can do some to order, too. Just let me know what you'd like :)
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Cool!

Your Power Bird is an Eagle

You are spiritual and able to soar to great heights. You are a true inspiration, and many people look to you for guidance. And you are quite demanding in relationships... but you're worth it. People know that you will become even greater than you imagine.

What's Your Power Bird?

Sketch Saturday Challenge

It's a while since I joined in with any of the weekly challenges in Craft Blog Land. Thought I'd try to get back into the routine :)

So! Here is this week's layout challenge from Sketch Saturday:

And here is my interpretation, the "twee"est, sweetest, pinkest card I've ever produced, I think. Maybe my recent bug has imprinted Pepto-Bismol deep into my brain :)

• Colouring was done with my Derwent Water Colour pencils, with a little clear Sakura Stardust sparkle on the flower and the rabbit.
• The background papers were freebies with Crafts Beautiful magazine. They are also available to download, free, from their website, here. You just need to sign up for their emailed newsletter and get a log-on and password.
  
• The pink/green circles are made from paper I decorated with my Glitz Pearlescent Paints.
• I've added faux stitching with Sakura Souffle pens.
• The "Easter Wishes" dome sticker was a freebie with the same magazine last year.
  
• The flower is Papermania, I think.
  
• The stamp is a Sugar Nellie, which you can buy online from Funky Kits.
• Sugar Nellies also have a blog, here.
  

I bought the stamp recently, thinking I could make some Easter cards with it. What do you think? I'll have to do some religious ones, too, for people I know who'd prefer those. But for now I'll concentrate on spring colours and this cheeky bunny.

Here is another. Not tied in with the sketch this time, I just wanted to do that stamp again :)
Still not quite happy with the colours I've used for the girl's clothes, especially the shoes. Any ideas?
I like the carrot button, from my local haberdashery, as is the ribbon, which I found there for 20p a metre! MUCH cheaper than the stuff made specialy for craft shops!

Not happy with the "Happy Easter", though it looks a bit better in real life than it does here in the photo: I used a yellow embossing pen with clear embossing powder. It worked ok, I just don't like my writing!
That lovely glass, by the way, in the shape of a cat's foot and with a picture of a cat and pawprints on it, was a Christmas present from Stardust, all the way from Japan! I love it. It's too good to use as a glass though, I don't want to risk breaking it! SO I keep it on the side in the sunlight, and it makes me smile whenever I look at it. That's the best kind of present, don't you think? :)

Valentine's Day....

Belated Happy Valentine's Day!

I was delighted to receive this from Ms Peach!Dilly, lover of all things princessy, was very taken with it, too!It has lots of lovely different pages...
...and a lovely pawtrait of Ms Peach herself :)
I spotted this clever montage of hearts over on Stardust's blog. I hope she doesn't mind me borrowing it!
Here is another heart.
I bought a plain, cardboard heart-shaped box from the craft shop in Colchester.
Then I coloured it using my pearlescent glues and sprinkled fine black glitter on it.... filled it with chocolates wrapped in tissue, made a tag, and wrapped it with red raffia...... et voila. A present for Luvbug!
....And for the card...

first let me explain something:

Luvbug speaks fluent Spanish. He worked in Ecuador for a couple of years so used it a lot. Spanish has some funny little sayings, as I'm sure all languages probably do.
One is to say that someone is your "half orange"....... if you cut an orange in half, the two sides look the same, they go together perfectly. Hence the saying that your partner is your half orange. SO.......
I made the half orange out of felt. I couldn't remember what orange blossom looked like, but hope the black outline flowers look like it enough!He liked it a lot...
...once he remembered the significance of the half orange, and that no, it had nothing to do with half-time snacks at football.

Oh well! :)

Mother's Day card.

Pootling about in front of the fire to keep warm, this is what I ended up with last night!

-Got my Mother's Day card done!

The inside.....

• Here are the materials I used-
• I made some fancy paper using some Glitz It pearlescent glue. I glooped it onto some paper then squashed another sheet on top and moved it about. Remember how we used to do this on folded paper as kids? -Then when you opened it it looked like a butterfly? :)
• I also used patterned paper called 'Siesta' from The English Paper Company.
• The flowers- I drew these then coloured them using the glue!- It works well with a waterbrush. You can move it about and keep it thick, like an acrylic, or brush it out into a wash.
• The stamps are in a set called "oh my dear" by Sassafras.
• I used the heart punch [which was about £1 in Tesco!] to make hearts all round the patterned paper, then layered this on top of the home decorated stuff, to show little pearlescent hearts coming through.

It's a wee bit fancy but Ithink my mum will like it. She loves deer and flowers, and she'll like these colours!

Incidentally, those glue bottles usually cost £1.99 each, but I got a set of 10 last week from QVC for under £12. Worth checking out if you like them!

I've never ordered from QVC before but was curled up in front of the tv last Tuesday afternoon with a sore tummy! I ordered them then and was playing with them by Friday afternoon :) Thanks, Julie, for the inspiration to get playing and do some papers of my own!!

My new avatar/profile pic

The more observant among you may have noticed that I've changed my pic. Fluffy is still in it, though, and gradually taking over the picture!She is on the sofa, sitting next to K, who took the picture. I'm sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa. Fluffy is yeowing at K because she just wants to climb on his lap, but he wants to take pictures. I like this pic because it shows her moving, yet her pupils are in focus. Nice one, K!

Here are some pic's taken the same afternoon.
Fluffy loves to be brushed.
Just look at the bliss on her face!
And here, Fluff and Scooter are caught in a rare moment of sharing for mutual benefit!!!
Usually he'll give her one of his stares and she moves away. Or, he'll lie alongside, leaving a gap, then sort of nonchalantly stretch, yawn, and "accidentally" pat her on the bottom, sending her springing into the air.
Awwwwwww................

As you might know, they live with my mum. I get the bills, she gets the cuddles!!! But then, she also gets stressful trips to the vet: she called at the weekend to say that Scooter is limping on one of his back legs. He does have arthritis, so I am 'hoping' it's that, and nothing new. He won't allow a close examination, but she can't see an abscess or any wound. Maybe he sat too long on some frosty ground? If he's no better by Monday evening she's going to take him to the vet Tuesday. Waaahhhhh!!!

We had planned to be there this weekend- but instead we had to get a man out to fix the guttering and seal the roof- quite a bit of the thawed snow had come through! Oops! I miss my pusscats, especially if one of them isn't well. Mind you, if I had gone this weekend I'd have found it very difficult to leave him if he was limping. Poor Scoot!

Recent pressies... :)

The snow storms have moved more north an west now, and after some sleet and rain last night, most of ours has gone. We had blue skies again today- amazing, after the grey skies and snow of late.

Now..... must show you these two books that Luvbug bought me for Christmas:Living The Creative Life and Art Journals & Creative Healing -the links go to their space on Amazon, which give a good description of them, if you'd like to read more. You can flip through a few pages online to see what they're like inside. Have a look!

I read the Creative Life one from cover to cover weeks ago, and I'm nearly at the end of the Journals one. Absolutely brilliant!!! I really recommend them.

Next, Julie sent me more papers!!!!! Hurrayy!!!!!! THANKS, Julie!!!!(As you can just see in this photo, Julie also sent chocolate!!!! Bob here is sneaking up on it, but I managed to eat at least half of it myself, despite my diet. Well, it doesn't count if it's a gift, does it? Like if you get a bar that's '50% extra free' - that extra bit doesn't have any sugar, fat or calories in it. It's true.)

I love the handmade and hand decorated stuff that she does. I used lots from the last collection she sent me on my Christmas cards, especially the commissioned ones, to make them extra-special :)
I've already made you a wee something from this lot, Julie, with Dilly's help, of course :) ....I'll send it next time I'm out and about! (Dilly is blogging in more detail about this parcel as we speak........)

Finally, here's a wee pressie to myself from the sales: a border punch:

They are normally£11.99 but this was half price, with just £1 postage, so I thought, ah well, I've mused about getting a border punch for a while, so....I bought it from Crafter's Companion- (sorry, I just checked for you and they are back up to full price now!)

Thing is, this one cuts borders on an oval shape and, I don't know if my brain has partially hibernated or something, but I am having a hard time working it! I've yet to use it successfully.

Grr.... if I can't get it sussed, I may have to offer it as some Blog Candy some time! Someone, somewhere should be able to use it! Maybe I could do a swap with someone- if you'd like this, would you do a swap for something in your craft stash that you no longer need????