Port Sunlight..........

Well my day at Port Sunlight was very successful in my mind. I really enjoyed the show and there was so much variety, which I think some shows recently have not achieved. I was picked up and chauffeured this morning, lovely to see Gill again and I got to meet Jennifer (she has been reading my blog) Gill has yet to find it as she is a "newbie" crafter and not really bothered with blogs. Jennifer and I are changing that for her and now she has the beginning of a craft "stash". I think she found the show a little daunting at first but then I am sure she started to enjoy herself. I was in my element with lots of ohhh and ahhhs. I even met a few people I knew so managed to have a chat too.

Now the things I bought.....well, are you all ready for the yummy yum things??? I did get a lot and spent far too much but as I said to another lady today, "we do need the things we buy". I think we are just trying to convince ourselves about that subject. Some of my pics are not the best for now as the natural light is fast disapearing from my craft room. If we are very lucky tomorrow and we get some sun I will retake them. I highly recomend the Port Sunlight Show to any crafter and I believe the next one is in October....I will be there.

I watched a fabulous demonstration using the melting pot and the jewel enamel. A flower was made with

 Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine paper and then dipped into the melted enamel to create a wonderful effect. I love making paper flowers and when i seen this I just had to have all the other bits and bobs to create the effect myself. 

All my other lovely things from today. I picked up some bargains, unmounted stamps for 95p and a wooden stamp suitable for a man's card for the large amount of £1.50 (marked up at £8.50) I like bargains and managed to find a few today......

 Not the best picture for you to see but........squint your eyes and it may make it better for you.

My Tim Holtz goodies.......I have no idea what to do first. 

An end to a great day, shopping for craft things, sitting in the sun at lunchtime, funny text and lots of laughs. Now I just need to find room for all this stuff in my room. Have I told you I need a bigger room??? I do.....bye for now and have fun.

4th May.........x

I am sitting here at my desk and really should be out enjoying the sunshine today, but I only got in the garden for a little while to water my lovely little (tiny actually) vegtables and then to hang washing out. I lead a very exciting life, did I tell you that already??? I look out of my window of my craft room and watch the oak trees blowing in the breeze, they seemed to have turned very green overnight. I have watched these trees over the seasons for the last 4 and half years of living here.  How they change from the bare trees of the winter and enabling me to watch the squirrels scurrying around them to the lush green colour they are now. I know these trees have been here a long time and also know they were here when my dad worked on the old Burtonwood Air Base during ww2. Makes me feel all sentimental when I think of that and all the history and funny stories he told me as a child. Sunday afternoons spent driving around this area in his old blue beetle car. Wonder how I ended up with one! Then for me to end up living on the very place which he spent the wars years.

I am babbling on today but after all this is my blog and a diary of "me". I am listening to Tonight by Sugarland, such a lovely song and meaningful words. I love the song and go all dreamy when I hear it. Its one of those days and the song goes perfect with the day.....ok, wake up Jackie. Have to go and post my ebay items and then into Warrington with Tasha......that means she will make me spend money on her. The children have a way of doing that, have you noticed? I will have to be strong and not give in to her demands. I can but try. Enjoy the sunshine everyone and tc. x

Cath Kidston anyone?

 My first card to go on my blog, how very exciting. I have made this in about 15 mins flat....I timed myself. I usually take hours making a card but this one was so simple. I "borrowed" the Cath Kidstons catalogue from Natasha with strict orders not to use certain pages as she has a slight "thing" for all the flowery things in it. So funny to watch her while she literally drools over everything in the catalogue.There are some very lovely things in there but sooo expensive.

 My card is made for Natasha's friend Lissy, who turns 17 tomorrow. She is another CK addict too, so I am sure she will be happy with my little simple card. I hear shouts from Mike that I should sell my cards......same old answer, "one day I will". I am busy selling my old craft things on Ebay and have made the grand total of £63.90 in five days. How good is that? Pity, I have spent it already on art materials from the USA. It was free post and packaging so I just could not resist. Thats me......I can't resist certain things!

What did you do today, the day of the Royal wedding?

Its been yet another lovely sunny day and also the wedding of Kate and William. I had planned to sit all morning and watch it all morning much to the annoyance of my husband but, yes, I managed to stay in bed and watch it. He was interested too (don't think men like to admit they like weddings but secretly I think they do) I was totally taken away with the delicious hats and outfits.....would have been the shoes too the cameras just never zoomed into the shoes, pity! Anyway, I had lots of cups of tea supplied and even breakfast in bed so not too bad a morning after all. The wedding was lovely, the dress was even more lovely and they both looked so very happy and in love, just the way it should be when you are sharing a day like that together. I hope they have a wonderful life together and wish them the best of everything.

 Now I have been in my garden taking pictures the flowers. I hate gardening as it ruins my nails (not very good nails atm due to wearing acrylics for month) but I love my plants that are flowering right now. My glorious Peony which has travelled with us for 4 houses and is still going strong. I am very attached to it for some reason. I hope you like my pictures and will put some of my "crafty stuff" here soon. I have been busy visiting my friend in Penrith for a few days and now I am home really need to get on with some painting......there is never enough time in a day to do everything but something you do have to make time for sometimes, especially if they "are" important. My theory is if you don't take the time, you will lose that "thing" and then one day you will realise how important it was and it is too late by then. I like my theories.....Have fun everyone and take care of yourselves.

 My Cutey puppy Mollie, she is 7 months old and wanted to be in the pictures I was taking. She loves being in the garden and runs around like a mad dog. She is a sweety.......so are Millie and Maisie.

I am now going to enjoy the last of the sunshine and take the dogs for a run around the old Burtonwood air strip. See you all soon......

Good Friday.......

For years now we have spent our Easter weekends in the Lake District but, this year we are at home and I am not a happy bunny today, due to this and lots of other things (we won't go into that right now) All my children are either at work or getting ready to go so Mike and I are having a day of painting.......painting the hall, stairs and landing. Not my favourite type of painting but I do have to show willing....I suppose. I like to paint with great brushes, lovely colours and lots of different canvases. I may have to sneak away later and do some of my fav painting.....he may not even notice! I hope you have a great holiday weekend and maybe get some crafting in there sometime......I am hoping so too but its looking like a very slim chance. Oh, never mind I wanted the decorating done for so long and now its will be. Sometimes, I wish we had a magic wand to wave and make everything just so.....oh, how I wish that was the way. Have a good one!

My favourite place to be.......my craft room.

I have tried to figure out where to start with this blog so I decided to share with you all where I actually do my crafting.  My quiet place, where I am able to disappear into when I want to create something or in my case make a complete mess! Its fun though no matter what I do. I love to make cards, scrapbook, paint and jewellery making. I said earlier I should make a list of the things I want to do and tick them off when I eventually get to do them.....I will put that on my list of things to do, make a to do list. Mad!!!

It is organised chaos, my chaos. I know where most things are now and hate when ever anyone wants to look around and use something of mine. My daughters are the worse, Charlotte is doing a Fine Art degree  at Chester University and has been working in my room on her assignments. This means she finds out what I have hidden away in my room.....not a good idea as its like a sweety shop to her. You see her eyes light up, especially when she got her hands on my lovely paints and stamps. My youngest daughter Natasha, walks in the room and her face lights up and says many times to me that she did not realise I had such nice things. They do not seem to understand they are for ME! I dont mind sharing occasionally, just as long as they clean up after themselves and put everything back "in my room".

 My very disorganised cupboard with just about everything in it. I found some lovely taffeta rolls of material in The Works, various colours and sooooo yummy. I had to get a roll in each colour. I haven't used them yet but as always...one day I will!

 My sanctuary.......I could stay here all day and night but as us crafter all know so well, we have to go and do some housework sometimes and feed our families.

 Love my IMac......I am lucky and have a Macbook too. Pffft to all you people who don't like Apple mac.

I love using my Macs and don't think I will ever go back to windows now. 

 I really like the effect of this picture. My cute little birdcage which everyone who sees it wants it.....nooo, its mine, all mine! My lovely mother day flowers too.

I also share my room with a tank full of tropical fish. I will let you see those another day as my son has to sort the tank out, due to me  feeding the algea eater fish too much food and he is not doing his job eating the algea....lazy fish!

Well here I go......

Last night I was at my friend's Helens craft class with a great bunch of fellow crafters. We had a really good laugh over various things, including Catherine always being first having to have to do anything, I am always last, so we all get to watch her trying out the new craft techniques. So funny! We started to chat about blogs and nearly everyone had one, I had tried to work on mine yesterday and never really got very far. We all agreed to follow each others blogs, so here I am and mine is now started...yehhhh!!! Phew, panic over and first post done. Thanks to everyone last night who encouraged me. You know who you all are.