Celebrating today . . . . . . . ..

Celebrating today as it's my Grandson's first birthday and mine too!!  Looking forward to seeing him this afternoon.  Cake baked and iced in the shape of a '1' as per Samantha's instructions  .   .   .  .   Presents wrapped and card made!!

together a several weeks ago.

Last night we went out for a curry with friends which was lovely as Joe and I don't go out for curries too often so it makes it extra special when we do.  Although it was bitter last night and quite icy on the pavements and road.  So when we were walking to the  the car park  from the restaurant I was a little apprehensive as I didn't want to slip and fall, so I was holding Joe's arm to keep me steady.  But all was fine so I needn't have worried!!!  

It's warmed up today with frost gone this morning - the weather is so strange of late and very changeable.  

Daughter and son in law's Christmas card this year made at a workshop back in October.  We did some embossing on acetate which was the first time for me and very effective.  

Lesley x

Tuesday's twitter . . .

This was the card I gave to my husband this Christmas, created at a crafting day at Spondon,  back in October.  

The last few days have been spent in the craft room creating as I've got a few cards to make for January birthdays and I've a workshop to prepare for at the end of this month .

Yesterday for the first time in ages I put washing on the line.   I hung the towels out on the washing line as it proved to be cold but a sunny day, and by jove they dried.  I just had to put them in the tumble dryer for a few moments to air them .  Today I will not be so lucky as it's overcast and miserable :( 

Pam took me out yesterday afternoon for a  couple of hours to a friends for a crafty make and take with crafting chat, coffee and cake!!

Well of to the shops in a bit and then back to bake a cake for Friday, finish of my grandson's first birthday card and then to start on another card for my daughter.

Lesley x

just a few hand crafted Christmas cards I received this Christmas (2016)

Well the New Year is upon us and the sun shine might be with us in March . . . . hopefully :)   Lets hope this cold weather goes soon.  

I've got an exiting year ahead, these of a few of the things I've got to look forward too . . . . my grandson will celebrate his first birthday on the 6th January and I will be celebrating my birthday on that day too!!!  He has bought such joy to us over the last 12 months :) 

I've been semi retired for 1 year and I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far  . . . . . 

Joe and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in August with special holiday with friends who will be celebrating their 40th anniversary on the exact day too . . . 

from Moreen 

from Doreen

 from Brenda

from Nerissa

Lesley x

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing you all a very happy 

and 

prosperous New Year  . . . . . . . . . 

Lesley  x x x 

Happy Christmas . . .

wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas

Lesley x

now for something different . . . .

Jack Frost has visited us over night and its very cold outside, so I think I will stay in the warm today.  I also started with a cold a few days ago so I've had several dates with blackcurrent lemsip!!!

 Emily came yesterday and stayed over night.  She wants to bake today.  She wants to  bake a cake  to  decorate with Christmas cake decoration and take home to her Mum,  Dad and brothers for Christmas Day.  She had great fun last night looking through the cake decorations that I've kept for such a time from when her Dad and Auntie Samantha was small and we used to bake in the days leading up to Christmas.  We used to bake Mince pies, sausage rolls, Christmas cakes, maids of honour, millionaires shortbread(one of my favourites)  and all manner of festive goodies.  Now days lots of people no longer like fruit cakes and mince pies, so I I rarely bake them (I have to watch my weight these days).  Joe the hubster has never been a fan of them either!!!

Now for something a little bit different today, no card but a hand crafted decoration .  .  .   .  

I made this for Oscar's 1st Christmas, he loved it because there is a bell on it and it made a noise.  His mummy loved it because it was traditional & especially for Oscar . . . 

Lesley x

after a bit of a rest I'm back . . . . .

I've not blogged for a while as life has been quite busy and you can only do so much . . . .   and sometimes you need to take a little bit of time out which is exactly what I have done!!

I have however still been crafting and holding crafting sessions with a group of lovely ladies who live in the Long Eaton area . . . 

Here are some of the cards we've made at theses sessions over the past few months & some that I've made just on my own.

wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 

Lesley x

Thursday's Long Eaton crafters

Last Thursday the Long Eaton ladies net for their craft day, and this was one of the cards we made, very CAS.  Our next get together is planned for the end of November and I need to get my thinking cap on as the theme is cards for Men.  I think most crafters' struggle with ideas for men's cards!!

I've taken advantage of the Crafter's Companion birthday week as there is free p & p and I've ordered a few things from them, hopefully they should be here by the end of the week

Recently we went to the National Aboretum for the dedications of a memorial to the RN Medical Service.

The sun shone, which was lovely as weather in the autumn is often unpredictable.  It was the first time we'd ever been and the place is massive. We promised that we would return as we only saw a fraction of it.  

 I also went to see the QARNNS memorial, as joining QARNNS back in 1975 was  one of the best things I ever did and the start of a long and happy career for me.  

.

Lesley x

Gap card . . . .

It was Emily's 8th birthday last weekend and this was the card I made for her.  I made a few 'gap' Christmas cards last year so I thought it was about time I made another one and thought the style would be just right for this.

thank for stopping by

Lesley x

reunion weekend in Plymouth . . . . . .

the last 2 weeks have been a little busy . . . our friends came over from Oz.  We then headed off to Plymouth for 4 nights which incorporated a hospital reunion and a catch up with more friends.

The sun shone for the majority of the weekend except for the Friday morning when it rained  . . a lot.  These weekend a lots of fun but very tiring, these days it takes me a week to get over them!!  lol.  They only happen ever 2 years and the last one was the 11th.  So we've been going for the last 22 years, so perhaps that's why? 

Saturday we had a mooch round the Hoe and took the ferry over to Mountbatten

Saturday nights tables before we all sat down

Elaine and I at Royal Willaim Yard Sunday morning

speed boat racing in the sound on Sunday morning

Lesley x

New baby card . . . .

Yesterday Cameron came for the day and after lunch although dark clouds were looming and I could hear thunder in the distance I thought we could beat the rain and take a trip to the park.  Well I was wrong!  On arriving at the park it started to rain and after a brave attempt on Cameron's part to play in the rain we eventually had to abandon the trip and return home.   Now I should have listened to my son who said make the trip in the morning as it's going to rain in the afternoon.  But I thought I knew best :) 

Friday I went out with a crafty friend to PDA where I bought some new card suitable for Christmas card a lovely red suitable to make poinsettias and a pine  colour suitable for holly leaves.   But whilst getting ready to post a new make I realised I should have also bought some blue similar to dark blue I used in the card below.  Looking on the bright side though I'll have to make another trip at a later date!!

Yesterday was also world card making and day so I did manage to put a few cards together.  

Now I don't make many cards larger than 6 x 6 but over the past few weeks I've made two 7 x 7 ones the second being a new baby one.  So whilst out Friday I bought some 8 x 8 to try out.  

Today I'm off with my friend to a craft day starting at 10 am and thoroughly looking forward to it.  Especially as we are trying some new craft items.


Lesley x

Christmas Shaker card . . .

it's been quite a good week so far, yesterday morning was taken up with hydrotherapy, which is doing wonders for my joints, followed by an afternoon out with Joe looking at touring caravans and a visit to Ikea.   Tuesday evening I saw Pam and she and I are out tomorrow visiting Clay Cross and Langley Mill, it involves crafting  . . . .  of course  :) 

Today I've been heading a craft session at Long Eaton and this is one of the cards that we made.  The craft days at Long Eaton are wonderful, the ladies are so lovely and always appreciate the effort I put into choosing what we make on the days.

We did 2 new things today a faux silk technique  and made a shaker card.  There was lots of concentration interspersed with crafty chatter, tea/coffee and many laughs.  

Faux silk 2 variations

shaker card

Lesley x

50th birthday card . . . . . . .

It's a bit wet and over cast today here in Derby, and the Autumn days are creeping up on us quickly.  the heating even turned itself on this morning for a short while a certain sign that the mornings are getting cooler.  Enough of this talk as I'm making myself depressed as the evening get darker early how I hate this time of year!!  

My daughter asked me to make a card for the team at work to give to  colleague who was turning 50 was into rock music, this is what I came up with, and was quite pleased with the out come.    

My 9 month old grandson is with us today so best get going before he destroys the conservatory!!!  lol

Lesley x

Thrifty crafting . . . . .

I'm on a quest to do some thrifty crafting & trying not to spend too much on craft items, but to make better use of the items I have and to think long and hard before I spend and only to buy items that have a multi use!!   I'm not sure how long it will last until I'm tempted by all those wonderful craft items out their!!  But here goes . . . . .

both cards made with a freebie embossing folder and stamp set that I bought last year and not used til now!!!  But also using some Creative Expressions gilding wax to give a bit of a shimmer :)

Lesley x

Christmas crafting . . . . . .

Yesterday I was up with the lark as I had a study day the other side of the city and it takes me quite a bit of time to get my joints into line in the morning!!  It was chilly both mornings but it's has warmed up in the afternoons. 

I've been for my first session of hydrotherapy, so I have a session every Wednesday until mid November!!  Joe dropped me off as it's so expensive to park & he went off to a nearby shopping outlet to have a wander.     I now have a 30 minute regime to do every week and although I was tired afterwards, I'm I am sure it will help to protect my joints.  I've had quite severe backache since our return from London, that's the price for over doing the walking.  But I won't let this 'arthur' beat me!! I need to keep mobile, but take regular rests!!

After 3 busy days I need to  rest this afternoon and tomorrow as well, so thought I would go to the craft room  this afternoon & do some crafting which keeps fairly sedentary.

I bought a die cut magazine last December and never used the die, so this year I've done quite a few cards using it.  Here is one of my examples.

Lesley x

Chronicles of London.... 'A Royal Day Out'

I can't believe that last weekend I was in London, where has this week gone!!

Sunday we visited the Royal Mews and the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, both were extremely interesting.  I just can't believe we never been until now!  

Irish State coach

the Glass Coach (the one used for Princess Diana's wedding and by the Duchess of Cambridge

the Australian State Coach

and lastly the Coronation  Coach, weighs 4 tons covered in gold leaf as you can see  It was amazing, It's so heavy that it take 25 yard to stop.

Unfortunately no photography is allowed in Buckingham Palace :(

But the state rooms were magnificent the decoration outstanding.  There was an exhibition of the Queens dresses through her reign including her wedding dress and her Coronation robes.  

At the end of the tour we went to have a drink the the Garden Tea room, which was lovely as it over looked the garden where the Garden Parties are held, but also the cakes are made by the same caterers that cater for the garden parties. So it would have been rude to not have one and I have to say they were delicious but not slimming world friendly.  I had a Frazier and Joe a Miellefleur.

 We were however allowed to take pictures as the walked though the gardens on our way to the exit.

Joe took this with is 'super dooper' camera using a special effect!!

Our Royal Day Out tickets last for a year so we are already planning another trip to London!!!

Chronicles of a trip to London . . . . . . . . .

I've just returned from 4 night in London and apart from Saturday the weather was superb.  Despite trying to pace myself I did do a lot of walking and I'm paying for it today :(  

Thursday we walked round the Serpentine and it was lovely and although I was brought up not far from London everything we did this weekend I'd not done before!!  It was great to see people using the Lido and swimming.

 the Lido

if you look closely you can see Westminster Abbey in the distance flying the Union Jack.

Friday whilst making our way to the Huntarian Museum we came across the Old Curioisity shop!!

Lesley x

Blog candy . . . .

fabulous blog candy over at Liz Crafty Sunflower blog
(click on the word Liz to visit her blog)