Spring Has Sprung

The sign, for me, that Spring has arrived is when the purple crocus' around the confer in the garden, burst into flower....and they have.

Thought I would share them with you ....

Vicki's nephews are still with us and are helping her make Chocolate Brownies at the moment ...that is why I'm up here on the computer lol
Will do some blopping tonight.

Take Care xx

How I spent my Birthday Cash .... and doodling too.

Apparently we are in for rain and looking at the sky I think those men at the Met may have got it right ....its as dark as dusk out there.

Well you asked to see what I spent my birthday money on, so here we go ......
TSS Metal etcI am slowly building up my Metal embossing bits and learning how to use them ...here is a new mould ... some eraser tools and 2 sheets of TSS metal ....very different to ArtEmboss which is what I am playing with at the moment ... this is very soft and only the surface is coloured..... it is a lot cheaper though.
I now understand the reason for filling the embossed area but I'm not sure what with. It seems, from looking on the net, that you use something akin to polyfiler or a skimming plaster ...any advice gratefully accepted.

Bits that are Ranger and Tim Holtz ....sigh
Four of the new inks and one older that I didn't have ... refils for the TinyAttacher ...we all love it sooo much .... a mask ...new blender tool etc

Lastly ... some odds and ends.The paints are something I've never seen before and am dying to see if they do that they say they do ...if they do, some more will have to go on my wish list along with the other 4 stamps I wanted but ran out of money. The BG stamp was a sale bargain ... had to have one bargain.
And that's it all ...it was fun spending ... Thank you DD and Vicki and the Cats ...money never goes as far as you want it to, when buying stash....it could have been soooooo easy to spend three times as much lol

Thank you all for your comments on my last doodling ... I was really taken aback by how you all said 'Don't bin it' so I took another look and had another play, adding some green and gold and this is the result ...hope you still like it. ( DD is better at taking photos of LO's and cropping them but I just thought I'd have a go ...that's why the outer edges have been cut off slightly LOL)

If Jake's Mummy is reading this .......
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Monday, Emma

Have a great weekend every one....hope you stay dry

Take Care xx

Woyww Week 41 Already

Here I am ... just ... its been a funny week with its ups and downs but that's another story.

An up was that I received some metal for crafting ... a chic set of measuring cups and a large box of Thornton's from Emma and DS, along with cards from them all (Birthday and Mothers day) Ben decided to eat his one to me so there is a bite out of the bottom lol
I have also ...at last ... decided what to spend my Birthday money on, so that will be ordered later today .... cant wait....will post a photo when I get it all

Another up is I found a member of the family... on a branch that I thought was long lost and we have been communicating and swapping information this week. Until I moved up to Bonny Scotland we only lived about 10 or so miles away from each other.... small world. We share the same Great Grandparents. Some of you who read my FH blog might remember a LO about the Mobsby Family ... the girl was his mother.

Yet another up ...although a tiring one .... is that Vicki's nephews have been staying with us as their Mums not well. I had totally forgotten that there was a 6.30 AM lol
This is them helping to make cookies with VickiMaybe there were more ups than I thought


Now to the real purpose of this post ...WOYWW ....
Sorry this is a bit dark ....
I am not sure about the doodling as I used a thicker pen and am making more blank space... not finished yet .... but probably will bin it and start again ... must have a think on that one . My pen ran out on the other doodled LO and I know I had another but could I find it???? ....and patience is not my middle name. More haste less speed as they say.
The rest are photos and papers I am musing over for a LO of the German Market in December.

Now that was the easy bit ... nearly time for lunch ... and chocolates and coffee for stamina when I start checking up on every ones blogs,....how many this week I wonder???? ...and excuse to eat naughty food ... yum . May be it should be 'Whats On My Waist Line' lol

Take Care xx

Week 40 WOYWW ...already

Not sure where thedays have gone ...my desk has only got worse since last week, as I just continued to pile up bits as I created my last 3 LO's ...which as you can see have not even been filed yet.I also dont put away the boxes and bags that I drag from the shelves either ....until I trip over them and cause myself pain ...and then I kick them ... causing more lol

The only reason the shelves are tidy is that DD and VIcki cannot stand my mess and MAKE me tidy every so often. Today is maybe one of those days as DD announced that she would like to be able to find a few square inches of space to craft on when she returned home from work .... she should be so lucky lol

Having said that I don't know where the days have gone ... I REALLY don't know where the years have gone ....today is my 63rd birthday. As I sit tapping at the keys here I really do not feel any where near that age but I know that the moment I get up I will feel every one of them ...if not more.
DD and Vicki gave me some cash to have a little stash buy ...not sure what yet ....could be bits for my metal embossing ....or some of the new Distress inks ....or ...... stamps or ??????...... why is it so hard to choose when the money is in your hand and so easy when you have none. They also gave me a mini Birthday cake and a fluffy Meerkat. I wonder if Mr Postie will bring me anything else?????

I was quite chuffed that Emma loved my LO 'Monsters Inc' and that she wants me to replicate it ...framed ...for the boys bedroom and create something similar for another frame. Better get my thinking cap on.

Last week I went into Edinburgh to meet up for a meal with Steve Emma and the boys ... we were going to have a walk too but it was bitterly cold so we just had the meal at a slow pace. It was a very child friendly place ...they even gave the boys a colouring book and crayons ... and we didn't feel in the way, unlike in other eating places. They didn't even seem to mind that we spent nearly 3 hours there .... during their busy time.

Ben and Jake have a meal out with Nana B

This was the first time they had had a chip as Emma and Steve dont want them to crave 'junk food' or have too much salt and fat. Top row 2nd in from the left is Jake trying a slice of Red onion lol

With a bit of luck, next week there maybe a tidy ...ish, table with things to look at
I'm off now and will catch up with every ones blogs later .... after I have cleared a space for DD.
Take Care xx

Inspiration ...and 3 LO's

Last week I was inspired to try tags and inks and this week .... doodling. I am a person who rarely writes in my own hand and the thought of doing any sort of doodling caused me to feel inadequate ... and quite sick.
Now the fact I attempted to doodle is all JD, the WOYWW club and her linky thingy's fault.
Sorry Julia ... you must take the blame for me not hoovering and supper being late that evening.
Normally ...with the surge in members ..I can't get round to nose at everyone's crafting spot ...but with this linky thingy it was possible ... although I didn't have time to leave comments on everyone's blog. This meant I visited GezzyB's Crafty Bits and there it was ... a note book cover ... covered in doodling. My grey cells started thinking of when I doodled on school books about 50 years ago and before I could do anything to stop myself I had a sheet of white bazzil in one hand and a pen in the other.
I couldn't put the pen down ....I was addicted ...I was like a woman possessed ... and only emerged when the paper was full ...several hours later, suffering from almost locked knees, a back that had seized from not moving for so long ....and dehydration ....old age has a lot to answer for.

The other thing I tried was working from a sketch ....which I have not done for ages, as usually I don't like the result. In fact, I am not sure how one should use a sketch because when I examine LO's using one, they vary from looking just like the sketch (which is what I tend to do) up to there only being a vague connection. A few I have seen appear to have no connection what so ever... no matter how hard I have stared or which way I have turned the sketch. With a modicum of intelligence and craft ability, I feel I should be able to find the connection no matter how small, therefore the question I ask is .......

Why... and how do we use a sketch?

I have been told they are only for inspiration .... yet there are challenges using them and the winners resulting LO might be any of the above interpretations.
Although I have tried a couple below ...and they did actually vary a tiny bit from the sketch ...... Please can someone manage to tell me how I should use a sketch ... especially if I want to do a sketch challenge.....thank you in advance


Well after all that ...here are my LO's
The first two are using the February Sketch Challenges from A Trip Down Memory Lane ...first time I've tried a challenge




And my third ...yes third LO ...... is using my doodled bazzil





This has been a long post...hope you managed to get to the end without the aid of matchsticks lol
Take Care xx

WOYWW ...Wk 39

Here we are again and I have to admit that I STILL have not sorted my area ... so all you can see is one of the many piles, produced as I do anything creative. I have worked out that I need everything out ...at hand... before I can work. Take distress inks ...they are neatly piled on the shelf ...easy to use ... but I have to take them all off and end up with half of them strewn over the table .... even though I know I will only be using a few. I thought I would also show you the top half of the shelves that you saw last week ...most of the boxes are full of things that are not used very often ... but one just might need them .... lol I have posted the LO on G the P with a little about the man himself but here it is for those who might just like to see the LO.
I used a Basic Grey plainer one from a while back (forgotten the name) and then went to work with distress ink and a stamp.

I am terrible about sorting out Awards and quite some time ago I was awarded one by Diana for my FH Blog then I recently discovered that Paige had also kindly awarded me it, so this prompted me sort myself out and give myself a good talking to for being tardy. It was so thoughtful of them to award this to me .... Thankyou both Now I have to find 7 interesting things about me !!!!

7 interesting things …now this was hard and I had to ask DD and DS for help as I don’t think I’m very interesting....and I still dont ... but this is what I have come up with so here goes .....

I learnt to cover shyness by talking far too much

My favourite sandwich is Bacon and Marmalade ...yes together lol

I saw the Beatles Live and screamed a little !! …Twice in1963/4

I sang a few times with a Jazz Orchestra, when I was about 40… found it so hard to remember the words due to fear, that I had to have them on a stand by me.

When hubby was on the road in a Soul Band during the late 60’s, I met Ben E King, who then undressed for his set, in the changing room, in front of me … (You have to be old to find that interesting lol)

I ran a youth club (14-18yearolds) for 8 years and during that time I directed and produced Josephs Technicolor Dream Coat, and a pantomime I wrote with a friend … and organized a 15-hour Live band concert using local young bands (Where did all my ‘get up and go’ go to??)

My home, back then, was called Angie’s Café, by all the young motor bikers, who had left Youth Club. They used to pop in for a chat and for fried egg, with cheese and onion, sandwich..

I tried to learn to ride a motorbike …I even bought my own but I had no balance and a total uncontrolable fear of traffic … so I sold it and had to just enjoy having lifts from the lads who enjoyed my sandwiches .

OOPs ... that is 8

Well now I have to award it to 7 others ...where do I start

This was hard as one tends to go for the old faithfuls or the blogs you feel you have a friend at. Well after a hard think I came up with a real mixed bag but all have creativity in common.

Vicki ... her LO's are so creative and different, using techniques that I fancy trying

Darcy ... she really has Art and Soul and pops in great recipes too

Sharon ... her writting comes from a creative soul and you should see her quilts

Ann ... my admiration is for this lady who has to tidy up totally each time she creates.

Helen ... so many fun ideas and great cards ...where do they all come from?.
Pam ...another whose LO's I so enjoy as they tend to trigger my grey cells
Peter ...now here is something a little different ... creativity at its best.


This is getting very long but I just need to add the rules for accepting

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Place the logo on your blog
3. Link to the person who nominated you
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting
5. Nominate 7 bloggers for this award and post links to their blogs
6. Send a message to let them know they've been nominated

Please do not feel you have to pass it on ....just accept it from me with love.

Take Care xx

Getting hooked on inks and tags and everything messy

What fun I have had this past couple of days .... just messing about with blending inks and a mask and layering stamps and glimmer mist .... and getting very inky fingers ...arms ... and t-shirts.
Why have I never done this before ???? The answer is ...I don't know ...I maybe felt I wasn't an arty type. Like my LO's, these are restrained but then its only the beginning ...I feel there are many more in me which might be far more daring and bold ...but even if I play safe, I like them and had such fun doing them ...and that is what I want to experience again.


This was the first one where I tried glossy accents over a stamp

..... then I played with more shades of ink and several stamps on the next one ... and addeded my punched metal flowers.

.... then I used a cog mask and brighter colours as I became braver

and finally I tried glimmer mist...punched out my own butterfly and flower stencil and added the resulting punched butterfly to give a little 3-D effect.

I learnt a lot ...made loads of mistakes ...and would have done many things differently but for my first attempt I was pleased with the results ...if I do say so myself lol .... and now I at last realize why so many of you out there make tags and ATC's.

I also completed the LO that you could see the start of, on my desk on Wednesday. I shall post it tomorrow, on G the P, when I have written a background story to go with it.

Take Care xx