Thanks Karen

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger’s aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight blogger’s who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
So I'd like to pass this award onto:=

All my crafting friends whose friendship I value immensely and the 'Bloggers" on Imag-e-nation who share their talents with us all.

Thank you Karen for awarding it to me. It is much appreciated.

Trees

I love all the tree stamps that are around at present and used mine with the shadow technique Jak showed us at Easingwold. Still manage to have a real fuss using the stamp placing set - usually get the first image on the wrong place on the plate - will eventually get the idea I'm sure.



Still I do really like this so it was worth the effort.

Where has the time gone

I've had a really strange few weeks with lots happening and much to get my head round - yes I know some people hate that phrase but it really does describe what I've had to do.
First I have had to come to terms with this being my last year as a teacher, I will be retiring at the end of this academic year - a year before I had intended but the alternative would have been to do a lot more teaching and have my SENCo job much changed. Was a really weird feeling for the first week or so but now I am really looking forward to having so much time to myself.

Then my 'baby' decided to go to University, but keep on her full time job in the Inland Revenue - only possible because she works flexi time. Means that I am having to do a lot more Murphy walking and evening meal cooking - perhaps it's just as well I'm retiring.

My son's boys are now both in the rock band 'Electric Nightmares' and have got through to the regional final of the Red Battle- a country wide competition. On Dec 2nd they will perform and then -if they get through - they will be in the finals in Liverpool. The ages of the band members are 13,13,16 and 17 so they are competing against bands who are older and more experienced. It would be amazing if they got through. They are also recording their second album with mainly their own songs.

I had planned to do some card making today but ended up backing stamps, putting Nesties into CD cases on magnetic sheet and clear stamps into CD cases too. My craft room looks much neater and stamps are ready to use but now need to find some more me time.

Sad Morning

I had an email this morning from my dear friend Jak (Crafter's Kitchen) to say that her dear Dad passed away peacefully last night. He had a fall last week and broke his hip, had to have an operation and then developed pneumonia. My thoughts are with her, her mum and her family.

Bits Box Card

I spent a large part of yesterday sorting out my papers and lots of folders and files. Got so many bits and a lot of things that I bought and have never used, or used a little of and then moved on. My tastes have changed so much over the past few years and my ideas and styles have developed so I ended up with a huge sack of 'rubbish' which went in the bin. I also have a large carrier full of stickers and papers and other bits and pieces that my neighbour - new crafter-might use.

At the end of the day I had gathered a few bits that had caught my eye and made up this 'Bitsa' card, just because I thought all the papers went well together.

Cake cards

The cupcake card - very girlie, lots of sparkle too. I've been thinking about getting these stamps for ages and finally succumbed.

This card is my Marks and Sparks Birthday Cake card - yes I know it doesn't look like a cake but it is testament to a crafter seeing materials in all manner of things. The polka dot card is part of the box that James' birthday cake came in and the ribbon was on the cake - washed and ironed. Voila my M&S Cake card!!




Stamps: Impression Obsession

Quilt Card

I received the papers today from QVC - a real bargain that was posted on our forum. As soon as I saw them I thought of this quilting - an idea from one of my blog hops and I can't remember where I saw it, so apologies to the originator.



I cut the squares with my nestabilities, stuck them on a backing card with a tiny dab of glue in the centre- well away from the path of the needle - then zig-zag stitched them along all the joins and the edges. Really love the result.