Happy Birthday Pepsi

My other baby had her 1st birthday today - yup, wee Princess Pepsi is a whole 1 year old now.

She got loads of treats and a new chewy teddy for her birthday. I have taken pics of her and have some other pics to share with you, but don't have time to get them off the camera just now.

Will hopefully be back tomorrow with all the pics

And in case you're wondering, I'm getting on fine - this is now DAY 5 nearly finished and I haven't given in.

Super Bitch from Hell!

yup that's me, or Crabby Mum as the kids have nicknamed me, and the reason for this complete change of personality (no sniggering at the "complete change" part please)? well I've finally bitten the bullet and stopped smoking. 

I have tried for years to stop smoking but my big problem is no will-power, I always hoped that being pregnant would have made me stop, but I could've quite merrily eaten fags when I was pregnant, especially with Faith. I've done the patches, but kept having a sneaky fag while wearing them for the buzz (!!), I've tried the gum, the inhalator, the electronic cigarette, and even hypnosis - but it just didn't work for me.

Well a month or so ago my best friend decided to give the Champix tablets a try, in case you're interested it's supposed to bind to the nicotine receptors in your brain so reducing cravings, it allegedly reduces the symptoms of whithdrawal and reduces the satisfaction the smoker gains from smoking a cigarette. You're supposed to pick a day to stop smoking between day 8 and day 14 of taking the tablets. So she stopped on day 10 and hasn't had a cigarette since, she says the smell of smoking now makes her feel sick - in fact she is the biggest pain in the bum ex-smoker that ever was lol

So Graham and I have decided to stop smoking, he's away offshore with his tablets and I started taking mone just before he went away. I had my last cigarette on Sunday night, seeing as it was 4 years exactly since we stopped smoking in the house and I would remember the date as it's Fayfee's birthday.

Now, I'm not going to say it's easy, because I haven't found it at all easy - although in fairness I have found it easier than the nicotine replacement therapy products. I am now on day 2 of no smoking and I could murder a fag - I have to keep reminding myself not to have a cigarette, my biggest triggers seem to be after a cup of tea (so I've switched to coffee), and after food (so I chew a carrot or eat some fruit) and the worst one of all is when I'm on the phone - I didn't realise that I automatically answer the phone and reach for my cigarettes ready to go outside with a fag an have a blether. Now if I was a normal person thentalking on the phone isn't that big a deal, my phone doesn't really ring very much - but I'm not a normal person, and I talk to my bestest pal 2 or else 3 times a day, up to an hour each time lol And with Graham being offshore, he phones every night too, which just adds to my danger time. But so far I'm coping. I announced my stopping smoking on my Facebook pages yesterday, I wasn't looking for sympathy or even all the fantastic support and encouragement I have been getting - I did it so that I would look really bloody stupid if I failed, and that's a pretty big incentive for me, I just hate to look stupid.

I'm not convinced the Champix are actually working for me - cos it doesn't seem to have reduced my cravings any, but then I'm wary of stopping them in case they have been working and I'll get the full force of the cravings. But I have to go back to the GP tomorrow, so I'll see what he has to say.

I'll try not to bore you over the coming days, weeks and months with my no smoking journey, but I will try to keep you up to date with my progress in between some crafty stuff. Am trying to find the time to get some promarker tuts together - so if anyone has any special request just let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Happy Birthday Baby

It's my baby girl's 4th birthday today - yes, I know she's not a baby anymore, but she'll always be MY baby. She's at the age where it really doesn't matter what gift you get her, she'll ooh and aah over it - so much nicer than the big sulk and "why didn't you buy me the pony/xbox/elephant I wanted????" complete with crossed arms lol in case you don't know, that's her big sister Willow I'm talking about

So here's some pics of my wee girl's big day....

 

tickled pink!

 

cuddling her baby chimp

 

Alicia Keys, eat your heart out!

 

In a bit of a hurry...

  

It HAD to be a Hello Kitty cake

 

On the new seesaw in the hall cos the rain started

 

Pepsi doing her impression of a bonnet

 

the card I made for Faith's birthday

It's wedding season

Well it's wedding season again - not that I have any to go to, all my chums choose to live in sin lol. In fact the last wedding I was at was about 7 years ago. Nevertheless, I got an order to make a wedding card from the same lady who ordered the acceptance card a few weeks ago, and after I sent her the pic to check it was ok - her chum decided she wanted one the same for a weddding she had to go to. 

So the first card... the lady asked me to make it in the bride's colours - but the complicating factor was, she didn't want to know what those colours were, she wanted them to be a surprise. So she phoned someone so that they could tell me the colours direct lol - but then we realised there was a flaw in her plan..... once I'd made the card for heer, she would see what the colours were before the wedding - oh well.

Ok so that's enough waffling, here are the cards - the colours for the first one were ivory and taupe...

The background congratulations paper has been in my stash for years, I used some ivory card that has a slight gold pearlised sheen for the panels - one was embossed with the birds and swirls cuttlebug folder and one was stamped with the greeting (the greeting is a generic wooden stamp) and some Hero Arts swirls. All the panels were matted onto taupe core'dinations card. I used one of the beautiful Marianne D creatable butterflies (from Angel Crafts) and added a couple of adhesive pearls to it.

And here's the second one, and I used muted gold pearlised paper, white congratulation paper, and white core'dinations card for this version...

WOYWW & Promarker Storage

Yup, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon that is WOYWW! I've been meaning to join in for ages, but quite frankly my workdesk has been a disgrace, and...... today is no different and I've got to the point where I'm not worried lol

So this is the bloody mess I call a desk, right after I finished my MIL birthday card...

So there's loads of stuff there, stuff from cards that I can't show you yet, and stuff that I have plans for - complete chaos, what can I say.

And so that you don't think I'm a complete disorganised wench, I thought I'd show you my fabby promarker storage. I got the idea from Nicky, but expanded slightly on it. I bought my cd storage case from eBay, and I made sure it was a larger one that had 3 bays for hanging the cd pockets - this way it can be arranged the same way as my colour chart.

As you can see, the promarkers fit into the cd suspension pockets perfectly

And this is the case all locked up and ready to be transported anywhere I'm teaching or demo-ing!

(I just want to apologise for the pics, I took them with my phone!)

MIL Birthday

I have so many birthdays coming up over the next few weeks that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. My MIL's birthday is next week, as well as my friends' daughter, my nephew, my cousin and Pepsi. Not forgetting my youngest, Faith who turns 4 on Sunday - and that's just one week lol

Anyway, I thought I better get my MIL's card done before Graham goes offshore tomorrow so he can write it out. I'll nip to Markies this week and pop a gift card in it for her too.

Image is Stella (a digi) from Bugaboo Stamps, coloured with my trusty promarkers: warm grey 1-5 for the hair, Coral, Sunkissed Pink and Blush for the skin, warm grey 3 and duck egg for her top, black, cool grey 2,3, 5 for the tyres, arches and ground. Lime Zest, Lime Green and Bright Green for the car, Baby Pink and Cerise for the wheels, and interior.

The papers are all MME, a freebie from Papercraft Essentials magazine, which were distressed with my Tim Holts distressing tool and inked with Worn Lipstick distress ink. Pearls are Prima e line.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges...

Passion for Promarkers - Distressing

Digital Tuesday - Happy Birthday

Corrosive Challenges - Cartoons

One Stop Craft Challenge - Colour challenge

Stamp Something - Something Digital

Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch

2 fabulous days!

I've just had 2 fantabulous days...

yesterday I had a wee jaunt out to Simply Create and had a whale of an afternoon with Anne and Kath - you ladies are just the best company. So a quick hello to my "mum" haha (Kath explains that story better on her blog) and to the fab Anne.

Here's a wee pic of myself and Anne in Simply Create - Kath took the pic so unfortunately she's not in this one, but I'm sure we can get something sorted out next time to include her.

Ladies, we definitely need to do this more often!

And today was just glorious - for once, all 3 kids played outside all day (usually Scott manages to slope off at some point to play with his DSi), Graham weeded the barked area and I weeded the chuckies. We rearranged the big picnic table back onto the deck, Graham sawed off some sycamore branches so that the deck got a bit more daylight, and we moved the kids trampoline. Scott was very helpful and kept us all topped up with drinks and emptied weed buckets for us. So we got loads done in the sunshine. Then Graham went and got a Burger king for us all to eat on the deck - oh I so love summer!

Angel Crafts - Ribbon Kit DT

I forgot all about posting these samples for the Papillon ribbon kit from Angel Crafts - it's still available, and you can also subscribe to these monthly kits. There are just so many possibilities and Angela picks out the most beautiful elements and ribbons for you.

This tag is made with pink hammered card, and I kept it simple by layering a couple of the blooms from the kit and using my crop-a-dile to insert an eyelet, then cut the Prima pearl butterfly in half so that it looks like a side view and added it to the flower. I then tied on the pink circle and blue strip ribbons which are also from the Papillon kit. I think I'll keep this for myself and use as a book mark!

Now this card is much simpler than it looks!

the burgundy card mat and punched panel is core'dinations card ( I used a deep edger MS punch), the patterned paper is the reverse side of this MME So Sophie paper which is on sale here at the moment , I used two of the ribbons from the Papillon kit to cover the join of the punched panel.

Now, for the butterfly all I did was adhere lengths of ribbon to some cardstock, then carefully position it over the butterfly Bigz sizzix die and run it through the cuttlebug. Because the sizzix Bigz dies are so deep, they cut the ribbon very cleanly. Then all I had to do was add the antennae from the Prima pearl butterfly (also in the kit) and some pearls to the body.

Save the Children - Simply Create

Well we now have plenty of time to make things for Jacqui's Simply Create Save the Children Crop which has been postponed until the 4th September, so I made a batch of CAS cards to take out for her sales table. Now, you may be asking why would you want to make cards or anything else for this, well 2 reasons really - 1. they will be sold with all proceeds going to Save the Children and 2. because you could win £50 to spend in Simply Create, even if you live too far away to visit Jacqui's gorgeous shop, she'll post 50 quid of stash out to the winners.

So, here's my first batch of 8 cards all cello bagged up and ready to take out with me on my next jaunt.

I've used various cuttlebug embossing folders on the white pearlescent card, then used a MS punch on one side of the panel, matted it onto red core'dinations card and added a black gingham ribbon from Angel Crafts, the greetings are Penny Black

So, fancy joining in for your chance to raise money for Save the Children and for a chance to win? then here's what to do... Theme - "A Better World” and/or “Change” or anything in red and white! Donate a card or mini album or something made out of paper, card and/or fabric that can be sold in aid of the charity.  This could be a simple project like a card saying sending you a smile or anything really........

(Due to the item being resold please can you include an envelope and or packaging suitable for sale, thanks.)

Sugar Nellies

I've been trying to find the time to catch up with everything and get a few challenges done, but it's not going to plan at all! What with the lovely weather and the constant demands of 3 kids on school holidays, my time doesn't seem to be my own. I coloured a couple of the new Home Grown Manga's from Sugar Nellie recently, and even managed to follow the sketch for the Sugr Bowl with one of them - unfortunately I missed the deadline for the challenge, but hey-ho, I'll share it anyway...

Image is Tiny Tiddler from Sugar Nellie, coloured with my faithful promarkers, 

Kraft card from SU, papers from Wild Rose Studio Polka Dots, ribbon from stash and I used the large octagon & large scallop octagon nesties in the cuttlebug, and the garden trellis MS punch

Image: Goldilocks from Sugar Nellie, coloured with promarkers

cardstock is core'dinations, paper is doodlebug, MS border punch, labels nesties

Will be back soon, as I've been photographing other stuff that I haven't shared with you.

More Samples

Here's the last few samples from my Demo Day at Kitty Krafts - thought I'd share them while I remember...

The first two are using a gorgeous Hero Arts cling stamp called  Bouquet In A Vase

The next one is Dexter from Sugar Nellie...

And these last ones are all Penny Black Hedgies...

And this one's my favourite...

Of course all images were coloured with promarkers, the papers on the 1st and 3rd cards are Imaginisce, on cards 2, 4 and 5 are Dovecraft - Back to Basics and the papers on the last card are American Crafts.

argh, it's July already!

Well the kids broke up on Friday - so we are now in for 6 weeks of hell, oops, I mean fun and sun!

Made the remaining teachers cards, and to save myself a load of grief I just kept with the simple design of Faith's ones - doing Scott's teachers' ones in blue and Willow's teachers' in pink.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day - Graham spent most of it inside the house though, sorting out my new laptop and transferring all my stuff across from my old one. I did a bit of weeding - where on earth do all those weeds come from?? then got bored so sat in the sun and read my book. I was on my last book - I absolutely hate not having anything to read, so treated myself to an Amazon order, the new Tess Gerritsen, the new Stuart MacBride, 9th one in the womens murder club from James Patterson, The Eclipse Novella - The short 2nd life of Bree Tanner, the new Sookie Stackhouse. So I now have plenty to keep me going over the summer hopefully, after I've finished the Time-Travellers Wife.

Today we took the kids to the cinema in Union Square to see Shrek 4 in 3D - and it's fab, you must go and see it. Although I have to say it's a bloody expensive afternoon out - 40-odd quid for the tickets for the 5 of us including 3d glasses, then another 20 quid for popcorn, juice and sweeties, and then another 20 odd quid for tea at Burger King. But hey-ho, the kids loved it and so did Graham and I.

When we got home we noticed something strange out at sea, so we had to go out and take pics to see what it was - according to Graham it's a jack-up being towed - A jack-up rig is a type of mobile platform that is able to stand still on the seafloor, resting on a number of supporting legs.

While we were out having a nosey at that, Graham took some lovely pics of the garden - here's my Alliums..

And here's a really cute idea I pinched from the nursery - I filled the kids' old wellies with compost, planted some nasturtium seeds and voila...