Blog Candy

Blog candy time have a look here and here both have fantastic goodies at 'Karen's creation' and Tash's blog 'Little observations of everyday life' Fab!

thanks

Well I have finished my thank you cards to the children and here they are. I used 2 peas in a bucket dingbat downloads for the images and dovecraft and funky hand papers.

Visiting Childhood and Ragged Museum

Well on Wednesday I had an outing with my mum to visit the Ragged museum and museum of childhood. The Ragged museum told the story of Dr Banardos and talked about Victorian school life, included was a Victorian classroom. Mum wanted to specifically visit the ragged museum as her grandfather had been an orphan and had spent his early life in an industrial school in London. As the children got older they then made items to raise money for the school to continue! It was really interesting.
Then we moved onto the museum of childhood and looked at all different types of toys although it was strange seeing some of the toys I used to play with in a museum! One thing that was interesting though was a little old wooden rocking horse which had this sign in front of it...
'This horse was made by boys at the Boys home industrial school in Regents park, London. The home for orphaned boys was founded in 1858 and closed in 1920'.

Just think my great grandfather could have been involved in making this item it was such an exciting find!

No so big decorating disaster

Well disaster over! Andrew decided to call his dad and ask what to do and over his dad came to look at the situation and we can mastic and then cement and then plaster the holes. So no problem. Andrew doing some DIY! Quickly got a photo as evidence that he does DIY honest! So no plasterers needed PHEW! I am off to sugar soap the walls before painting them. woohoo!

Only problem now is that all this mastic, cement and plastering is going to take longer so will still have to wait longer to craft OH NO

Wordle

I have seen wordle pictures and they look fab you type in words and hey presto you get a LO here is my winter words version

Decorating!!!

If anyone is thinking of decorating heed this warning. You might find more issues with your room than just a need to repaint especially if there is wall paper involved!!! As you can see we are going green two tonal and then I am having a bare winter tree painted onto one of the walls. As I have always wanted a tree in my house, strange I know.

Here is the room as it was, before removing wallpaper and

here it is after wallpaper was removed...

All plasterers in the Chessington area please help!!!

Sorry!

Have been busy cleaning carpets and sorting out the house that I have not really had much time to craft except croping my pink petticoat images ready for christmas cards and thank you cards. I also have to make some commisioned cards too before going back to school!
It's so nice getting lots of things done that I normally wouldn't have time for!

Roman Villa

Well before the journey home and after more scrummy breakfast (and boy am I missing getting breakfast cooked for me) We decided to visit cheltenham and Chedworth Roman Villa.
We have been to Bath and Cirencester which are roman sites with loads to see (worth going really nice shops such as Sally Lunn's bun shop)
So thought it would be worth seeing. Cheltenham had lots of shops but we

didn't find much to go and see site seeing especially as it is Sunday, so we did buy a few things.

Chedworth was really interesting and showed lots of mosaics, a bath house and a spring. Although there is not much left. It makes you realise how much we in the UK treasure with the little roman artifacts we have. This is especially after visiting somewhere like Rome where there are artifact's every inch you visit and they are just laying around everywhere and still just about surviving!

Anyhow after we left to go home and see how Charlie and Lola were doing. I missed them terribly, they were looked after brilliantly and I would like to say thank you to a lady called Ann who fed them whilst we were away. As you can see they are not too phased about us being back!

Tewkesbury

Here is the second part to the day. We moved onto Tewkesbury and visited both the town and abbey. The town as you can see is quite old and has lovely tudor style buildings. It reminds me of Canterbury, somewhat. We had lunch here in a tea shop (very scrummy!) and then went shopping. I saw an art and stationary shop which had loads of craft stuff and ended up buying some Derwent aquatones crayons and flesh coloured watercolour paint

We visited the abbey, it is very old and dates back to 1102AD more info here.

Took lots of photos for my scrapbook so can't wait to start but need to sort out packing away my craft stuff to paint our 'pink' room

Anniversary day!!!

Yes it's our 8th wedding Anniversary, no idea whether that or paper, iron or what? We got my mum & dad's and Andrews mum & dad's card today and so here they are both parents cards handmade by the mum's

The first card is made by Andrew's mum and the second by my mum and she made the top cats topper as a magnet which is now sitting on my fridge. Inside Andrew's mum's card she used one of those embossed rose stickers similar to the one at the front. See I am surrounded by crafty people!

Well anyhow I better tell you about the second day of our little holiday. We went to Gloucester and started with a HUGE breakfast and toddled off to the centre of Gloucester

and it's cathedral. There was lots to look at generally and museums galore! Including a traditional Aunt Sally's sweet shop which I had to go and see...

Here is a picture of one the corridors or cloisters in the cathedral, which they use in two of the films of Harry Potter and a picture of the cathedral gardens, really pretty...

I am back!

I really enjoyed the break but am equally happy to be back. I really missed Charlie and Lola, and will now have Charlie trailing after me for the next few days becoming my shadow! Lola on the other hand just keeps appearing from nowhere and meowing at me as if to say 'Where were you!' I am now catching up with washing and tidying as well as trying out gifts I have bought over the break!!!

For our Anniversary we went to a hotel called 'Cheltenham Chase' in Gloucester. Outside it is really modern but inside and the grounds were beautiful. We looked out onto Coopers hill the famous cheese rolling hill! Here is a view from our bedroom window!

Andrew also surprised me by laying on champagne and chocolates, all which were extrememly yummy!!!

Apart from that we enjoyed the jacuzzi and steam rooms as well as lots of swimming before going to a very big 3 course dinner, again very yummy but did need to recover lots before breakfast the next day! I will fill you in on the second day tomorrow as I have loads of photos and feel all the photos are better in bite size pieces! Just like the chocolate!!!!

Wendy

A lady a work absolutely LOVES Bon Jovi. I had already made a card for her via another friend. She got back from New York and missed her birthday as she was away then, So I made her this card which she loved. She told me lots when I gave it to her. I had watched a Artylicious programme on create and craft and was taught how to make this folded book/card. I was really pleased on how it turned out!

Debz birthday card

Debz birthday party was really good fun, loads and loads of food and I caught up with lots of friends. It was a shame it was raining but you wouldn't have known everyone inside in the hall chatting away.
I made her card as you can see and a little bag to place it in and a friend and I bought her a 'bind it all' so watch her blog for lots of minibooks when she gets back!

No Sneaky peeks!!!!

Well I would blog what I have been working on but a certain 'someone' might realise it was for them and I have not had time to finish the circle minibook yet but it is coming along! Hopefully I can share the item with you tomoroow afternoon! Have also had a bad back and last night could not move for quite a while :(
If anyone has any good ideas on how to mend it I would be very grateful. Debz I am hoping to rest it so I can jump on the bouncy castle tomorrow. That's if I am allowed on! ;)
Hope you are all well and have fun crafting!

Guildford

Well today I visited Guildford so decided to blog this instead of my unfinished circle minibook which needs some more embellishments. Guildford was fantastic we saw some really old places dating back to medieval times one being an undercroft and also a chapel with beautiful gardens. We also had a bit of lunch & shopping and then went onto the guildford museum and learnt a bit about Lewis Carroll who wrote 'Alice in Wonderland' I wanted lots of inspiration for my 'wonderlandish' garden.

Here are my parents preparing to go to the museum.

PANTS

Well I have been busy having a go at the minibook from ukscrappers set through Sultry Summer Stash Bash 08 by Annette yesterday. Thank you Annette I really enjoyed the challenge adn the instructions were so easy to follow.
I am even considering making a couple of square ones for christmas cards too.
I have loads of fun chosing colours and ribbons etc. Although the decorating will take a little longer so will post it tomorrow!
I had to laugh as I cut out all the papers (Now that's funky) to cover the minibook which happens to be a circle minibook as look what shapes I made!

Yse its a load of old pants!!!!lol






Any ideas on what I do with them now apart from pant cards???

I have completed a challenge

Here is the July challenge in completing a LO. It has to have something hidden 4 and 2 of something circles sport/activity photo. Unfortunately I didn't have the last item. I have begun my New York/Rome scrapbook woohoo!

Mum's birthday

It is my Mum's birthday today, don't worry mum I won't say how old!!!!

Andrew, My brother & I bought her a dog charm for her bracelet & my dad bought her the mobile phone charm. Mum had the bracelet from 19 yrs old and had her charms stolen a little after, so we are gradually replacing them over the years as you can see.
We are also going out to a restaurant to celebrate her birthday too. So I will let you know what she thinks?