Cupcakes

Well fellow blogger it’s back to work tomorrow – but I’ve had a great weeks annual leave.  I’ve done lots of sorting – lots of crafting and booked a few weekend away in our caravan and book one of our French holiday for later in the year. I’ve done some of the dreaded house work a bit of spring cleaning & had my grandchildren to play.  Cameron came this afternoon and a wonderful time we had :) reading Goldilocks and the 3 bears and on the way home to his  house we had we have to go and buy some porridge lol.

This is a plain and simple card with no frills but quite effective I think whisper white card Crazy for cup cake stamp set SU water colour crayons

I’ve wanted the Bloomnin’ with Beauty stamp set for ages and it arrived last week so I’ve made lots of cards with it over the last 2 evening so will post some of my simple creations with it later this week. Well for all of you who work have a great week next week and for all of you who are lucky enough to be retired or  not to have to work for what ever reason have a great week Roll on next week end Lesley x

Holidays

 

I’ve been to have my hair done today at Body Matters at Borrowash so whilst I was out that way I popped into Hobby Horse at Elvaston for a mooch around.  I bought some lovely black crystals which I thought would be just right for black and white cards. I also nipped into Sommerfield/Co op  to purchase some toilet tissue as it was 2 for £5.00 a bargain!!!!   This week Joe and I have booked a few holidays and caravanning weekend.  Latter this year in Northern France - which I’m so looking forward to.  But before that we are off for a week in the Spring to the New Forest and Bladon nr Oxford both sites are run by the Caravan Club.  Yes we are taking our caravan with us.  We plan to go and see Marlborough House whilst at Bladon something I’ve wanted to do for ages.  I’m at present reading Jenny Churchill: Winston’s American Mother by Anna Sebba.  Joe and I just love visiting old county houses so this will be right up our street!!  My other plan this year is the visit the  Workhouse at Southall Nottinghamshire a National Trust property.  I’ve also booked myself on a all day Stampin’ Up!®  training event in March at Coventry which I’m very much looking forward too.  I’m soooooooooooo exited!!!!

This card is made with all  items using the Stampin’ Up!® Sale-A-Bration Good Neighbours stamp set

Well I’m off to card craft now hope you all are having a good day Lesley x

Today we mourn the passing on of Common Sense.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Happy Moments!!!

Isn’t it cold this week brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  My feet are very clod right at this moment. Well yesterday got off to a good start although I didn’t get round to my mum’s house to do some sorting I did lots of bitty things that I’d been putting off until I’d got more time.  I was up bright and breezy this morning.  First off all I had to sort my cafe out on cafe world (face book) It’s really therapeutic and great fun!!!!  I then dropped Joe off at work just before 9.  Went to pick  the grand children to take them to nursery as Nicola feeling not too good and one of there cars needed to see the car doctor!!.  I was lovely taking them as they are so cute.  Cameron was pulling Emily’s Dora the Explora suit case with all her bits in for Nursery and Nanny carried his Thomas bag.  I got lovely kisses from them when I left them. I did get to my mum’s house today though and I’ve been to the charity shop twice today.  I shall go and get another load tomorrow morning to take.  My difficulty is wanting to keep it all as I feel I’m disassembling my Mum’s life which I’m finding extremely hard.  I think it must be ‘cause I’m a sentimentalist at heart.  But I know cannot keep it all so I’m trying to decide what is really important to me that I need to keep and what I can recycle.

HAPPY MOMENTS Stampin’ Up!® Sale-A-Bration I just love the colours and I think they look clean and simple

Well hope your week is going well  best wishes Lesley x

Clean and Simple

I made this a few weeks ago using the SU stamp set Good Neighbours & SU card and paper

I’m on annual leave this week. It’s going to be a busy week me thinks as I’ve loads of things to sort that I’ve been putting off for week nay months some of them.

I need to spend a day at my mum’s sorting out and organising the items I have already sorted arranging to take them to the Charity shop.

I have my French homework to do before Wednesday, and I’m hoping to meet a friend for lunch to this week. Thursday I’m having my hair done as my poor hairdresser was suffering with sickness on Friday so my appointment had to be rearranged!!

thank you for stopping by and please leave a comment as I love reading them Have a great day Lesley x

2nd birthday

My great niece Ruqayah was 2 on the 12th January.  She lives in Portsmouth so I don’t see  her very often.  Her mum and dad live with with my brother  & sister in law.

The card layout came from one I made at Tracey new catalogue launch in October but I have put my own twist to it –  everything is SU bar the ribbon which came from my stash which I think compliments the card really well   The background paper is from Tall Tales and  the elephant is from the stamp set Animal Stories

Samantha’s birthday

It was Samantha’s birthday on January 11th and we had a bit of a family get together at our house and a buffet to celebrate the Sunday.  We also got the Wii out so we were ski jumping, down hill skiing, bowling etc – I just love it as do all the family – although I it is better when you play it with friends or family, I don’t like playing it on my own or just with Joe.

This is the card I made for Samantha.  Tracey showed us how to make an easal card at one of her workshops before Christmas. – otherwise I wouldn’t have had no idea how to make it lol !!! I was really proud that is turned out so well!!  Who’d have  thought it.

I didn’t make a big birthday cake – instead I made some vanilla & chocolate cup cakes enjoyed by adults grandchildren alike.   I haven’t made ‘little cakes’ (that’s what my mum always referred to them as) in years I had not used my icing equipment for years – so it gave me an opportunity to have a ‘good sort’ out too.  So I felt very good about that too.  As we are trying to de clutter our house as I have quite a few precious items that I want to keep that were my Mum’s.

Stampin' Up!® hostess set

This sample is made using a level 1 hostess set Darling Dots It was quite a coincidence when I took this card to Little Eaton garden centre yesterday to meet Liz, Jackie, Pam, Tracey, and Paula for a coffee.  Tracey said she’d produced an almost identical card to the one below.  Now there had been no conferring as when we last met as a small team of SU demonstrators it was agreed that we all needed to make a card to show what could be made with a hostess set, and that we would bring it along to our next get together.  So I shall have to put my ‘thinking cap’ on again – ouch!!!!!! How freaky is that!!!!

Stampin’ Up!® Vintage Labels Set

below  are some samples cards I made using the Vintage label set featured in the Stampin’ Up!® Sale-A-Bration  promotion.   We has a session at Tracey’s house playing with the sets featured in this promotion.   I have some further samples to post which feature the Happy Moments set

Pocket silhouette image stamped in craft white ink onto black card.

This is one of the big events of the Stampin’ Up! calendar – for two whole months  from 30th December 2009 -  28th February 2010, every time you spend £45 on Stampin' Up!® products you receive yourself a FREE stamp set! (excl p&p) To place an order please contact via the blog sending me your contact details & I will get back to you if you would like to see catalogue please contact me via my blog

Family Cards Christmas Cards

I know Christmas is long gone but we are always a little slow in our house at taking down the Christmas decorations – we’ve or should I say Joe has just finished it today!!

So I thought I would share with you some cards that I made for my family this year

Tracey showed us the making of this scene with the reindeer and pine trees at a Monday night  workshops.   I loved it so much that I made 2 cards using the scene but a different layout.  One in blue the other in lilac using DCWV Christmas backing papers,  ribbon a bling from my stash.  The stamps are from SU.

with the sentiment added (sorry the picture is a bit blurry!! )

Similar design to the above but using lilac colour scheme. this one had a similar sentiment but in the right hand corner instead (but I forgot to take a picture of it before I sent it! ) lol

I really enjoyed making these cards & trying out a new colour scheme for it.

Card for my grandson Cameron

card made for my grand daughter Emily minus sentiment

Good Neighbours

 

Below are 2 samples made with the Good Neighbours Stampin’ Up!® Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set     I just need to  put a sentiment on them -  thought about ones relating to ‘New Home’ but also like the sentiment ‘love is spoken here’. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know best wishes to all Lesley x x

This is one of the big events of the Stampin’ Up! calendar – for two whole months  from 30th December 2009 -  28th February 2010, every time you spend £45 on Stampin' Up!® products you receive yourself a FREE stamp set! (excl p&p) To place an order please contact via the blog sending me your contact details & I will get back to you if you would like to see catalogue please contact me via my blog

It’s snowing again in Derby -  yipeeeeeee Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr  to!!!!! I will need to get my snow boots on today so I don’t fall – As I am really paranoid about falling and breaking my bones :(

THE FROZEN NORTH

It was my birthday on the 6th and usually after New Year Joe and I take a few days away in London, but this year we decided to go to York for a change.  It was very cold when we arrived on January 3rd and snow was already around! Sunday we met up with friends Sue and Andy who are now living in N. Yorkshire.  We haven’t seen Sue and Andy for several years so it was lovely to catch up over a pub meal and a few drinks.  Sue and I we first met in January 1975 when we both started our Nursing careers in the QARNNS at RNH Stonehouse Plymouth.  We don’t see each other very often but we still keep in touch. Monday we had planned nothing specific but while away a few hours wandering about York shopping and stopping off occasionally for a drink.

View from hotel window Tuesday morning brrrrrrrrrrrr!

View of the Castle Museum from our hotel window brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr again!!!

At watering stop at Cafe Nero York to have hot chocolate to warm us up!!!!!  Joe’s feet were frozen!!

View from Lendal bridge Tuesday lunchtime as we walked to the NRM (National Railway Museum) at York.  A third brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!! We then spent an afternoon at the Railway Museum it was a lovely museum loads to see and interactive & in the warm!!!

On our way back to the Hotel I stopped at Betty’s famous in these parts for afternoon tea and wonderful pastries and baking.  I bought a Yorkshire Curd tart and if you have never tasted it you don’t know what you are missing it is truly delicious

Wednesday we woke up to more snow and –7oC and did wonder whether we would get back home or whether we might have to stay for another night in York!  But we decided after listening to the news & checking out the National Road Agency website that we would brave the weather and return to Derby.  The A64, M18 and the M1 were remarkably quiet I think everyone had stayed at home as advised,  following the advice only to venture out if your journey was really necessary. So we arrived back in Derby around 2pm yesterday!!

Stampin’ Up!® Sale-A-Bration!

This is one of the big events of the Stampin’ Up! calendar – for two whole months  from 30th December 2009 -  28th February 2010, every time you spend £45 on Stampin' Up!® products you receive yourself a FREE stamp set! (excl p&p) To place an order please contact via the blog sending me your contact details & I will get back to you if you would like to see catalogue please contact me via my blog.

Below are 2 samples made with one of the  Happy Moments stamps using black real red and whisper white card stock scallop oval punch, oval punch, red and black checked ribbon – image stamped in black

.

Vintage label set

The Stamp Man Award

I’ve chosen this card   I’ve learnt the  technique of using  colouring pencils and Sansador & this is one of the cards that I’ve made using this newly acquired technique