Serious Brain Overload......

So have nothing to post as I have just been busy busy busy, trying to get Christmas ready... you would not believe the amount of times I have been to Tesco this week and have spent well over £300 thereon Monday alone!! Just waiting on one present now from Amazon, was dispatched on 12th and should have arrived yesterday... grrrr. I did receive a parcel yesterday tho, posted first class post on the 8th, so 10 days not bad for RM I guess!! Just need that parcel to turn up so I can stop worrying!! DH is wrapping presents whilst we watch a series of Without a Trace on telly, 2 episodes a night, then he has had enough....

Little children have broken up and the bigger ones finish early tomorrow, one christmas party (fancy dress no less) for one child tomorrow at the time the big ones need picking up from school and haven't even got the present yet.... poopy!! Cant believe this time next week Christmas will be over...... my new years resolution is to be more organised next year and not spent nearly as much money..... read Shimelle's blog earlier and they are having a making it Christmas where they are making everyone presents.... think I will try that one next year, but will start in January!! Serious stash diet coming up in the new year too..... maybe I will get to use up some of the stash I have accumulated over the last year, and I think I will be really brutal and sell a lot of my dies too as I use my cricut mainly now, and there are several dies I use a lot and others I havent even opened the packet of!!

So here are a couple of cards I have made but haven't posted on here yet.....

And here is a Christmas one I made for a Goth in DH's office....

Have a good evening all and take care xx

Busy, Busy, Busy.......... and RM suck!!

Have been pretty busy the past few days, we have been to a Nativity Play and have another one next week, need to photo shop the photos a bit so none to show at the moment.

Have finished my card order for this month (only 2 weeks late, but I have been busy with Christmas). Here are a few more of the cards I have made....

I am not very pleased with Royal Mail........... nothing is turning up, I ordered something last week which was dispatched Monday, DH ordered from the same company on Monday, item was dispatched Tuesday and it turned up Wednesday... I am still waiting for my parcel.... please RM I am waiting for it, please bring it tomorrow. I am also waiting on countless others that haven't turned up yet but were dispatched early on in the week. I have just been informed that another parcel I have ordered was dispatched today via City Link and will be delivered Monday and needs signing for and Monday morning is my shopping day...... aaaarrrggghhh!!!!

Yesterday my Sugar Nellie Club Kit turned up, haven't had time to play yet, but have some coloured images to make cards from, so will make that a priority after wrapping presents. This weekend is garden and garage tidy weekend, as DD has moved out she will be collecting all her bootsale stuff which means we get our garage back at last.... woohoo!!!

Did receive 1 parcel today, filled to the top with Tim Holtz embossing powders, another herma dispenser and the Autumn Leaves Designing with 2008.

Gotta fly, DS is off tobogganning tonight with Scouts and needs taking...... (not real snow I will add as there is no snow here).... have a good evening all xx

A Much Better Day.....

So excited, my mobile phone turned up around 8am.... but didn't connect me until around 12.15pm, but all up and running now (I think, will have to check a couple of things with DH otherwise is means me reading the manual....).

So haven't really done much today, so not much to blog, I always meet my son for lunch on a Tuesday, so we had a nice lunch together, but time flies so fast!!! Then posted all my Christmas cards at the post office, very grumpy lady who didn't want to post my cards through a slot, so guessed whether they would fit or not, so I apologise in advance if anyone gets charged, it really wasn't my fault!!

Here are a few cards I have made....

And here is a pic of my new mobile phone, a LG U990 Viewty.... all touch screen, what you see in the pic is what you get, no slides no opening nothing!!!

Have a good evening all..... xx

Been Very Busy (as usual).......

Well have been working non-stop since I last blogged, but not much crafty stuff I am afraid. Friday I was desperately trying to finish off my Christmas cards (which I forgot to photograph).. Saturday I woke up and decided to envoke the spirit of Christmas into our household, so DH had to lay carpet on our 2 sets of stairs, then laminate the middle hall.... so I dragged the children off to buy some new Christmas decorations. We spent ages in town in the lovely wet windy weather and came home with a nice selection (well they should have been they cost a fortune), but once home we realised we didn't have any drawing pins. DS1 came to the rescue and brought us some round and we decorated our lounge, not overdecorated, just the right amount, but we haven't got round to putting up our tree yet. We did buy a 2 foot tree for our hall and some small decorations so that is up, but the hall is also not yet decorated. Carpeting and laminating took longer than expected (now there's a surprise, why does that always happen to us) and wasn't finished on Saturday. I did manage to write my Christmas cards though, so that was another thing ticked off my list. Sunday, we went to church, then helped DD2 move into her new place with her OH, so off to Focus to buy them a double bed, then back and fourth a couple of time with all her stuff. After we had finished and DH had finished laying the second lot of stair carpet, off we went to their flat to have KFC..... lovely picnic on the floor as they are not getting their sofa until Wednesday.... maybe we should have all sat on their bed, all 11 of us!!! rofl

Today I went shopping (as always) and managed to get our Christmas turkey, all 9.6 kg of him. Also some christmas crackers so that is Christmas all organised.... NOT. Need to do our Christmas shop, but DH is late home from work tomorrow, Wednesday is school play night, Thursday is Church Club night, and Friday, well Fridays in Tesco does not bear thinking about along with all weekend, so that leads us to the following Monday which is only a week away from Christmas Eve....

Today I got a lush new kit from Scrapping Goodies, and an e-mail that at long last my new phone is going to arrive, 12 days late, but better late than never, I told my DD last Friday that if I topped up my old phone with credit it would finally turn up, and guess what, I was right!! DH also ordered my Christmas prezzies today, I added lots of stuff to wishlists and gave him a list of websites, my resolution for the new year is to learn to distress, so Christmas prezzies consists of lots and lots of this kind of stuff!!

Downloaded the trial version of the new cricut design studio on Friday night, and today I made a PEACE for above my lounge doorway for Christmas, could only use the 2 cartridges that came with the expression, but was so impressed I have ordered he full version. Well I do have 31 cartridges so wont be too limited in what I can do!!

Got most of my Chrissie Prezzies now, just need to wrap them (well actually I normally get DH to wrap them), so need to organise that before my dad visits next week.

Here are my projects I did today.....

After that really long post I will love you and leave you.... have a good evening xx

Hooray, something made at last.....

So... spent the morning trying to finish my Christmas Shopping online, but didn't quite manage it, so off to Argos tomorrow and then Freeport Braintree after that to pick up a few more bits. Couldn't go out today as was waiting for UPS to pick up a parcel from here. DS 2s Xbox 360, it has the dreaded ring of death, so has gone back to be fixed. DS1s x-box 360 also had the same problem and had to be returned, how ridiculous to bring out such an expensive machine, and most of them have had this ring of death thing and have had to go back. X-box have even extended the warranty from 1 year to 3 because of all the x-box problems..... hindsight is a wonderful thing!!

Woohoo, my prisma colour pencils turned up today, so have just ordered more paper stumps as would hate to run out (that is my pet fear, running out of stuff, so always try to keep stocked up on absolutely everything, guess its a habit I should try and break, then my house would be filled with less things). I have coloured in one sugar nellie stamp with my new pencils.... you just have to do this dont you. Only down side was that you have to actually sharpen all the pencils before you can use them. Decided to do this as I go along.

So I need to make 6 teacher cards as the boys have 3 teachers/helpers in each class (whatever happened to the days of 1 teacher per class) and that doesn't include the parent helpers, DS3 has said he will make his own (thank goodness). Have made 4 so far and here they are:-

DH has just cooked me a yummy meal as the boys and 1 girl are all at Church Club this evening, they just have egg on toast or something similar for tea and we eat on our own once they have gone, we had sushi to start..... (thank you Tesco for your yellow labels) and Moroccan lamb and rice afterwards, I am now too stuffed to eat dessert (although this is my fave part of the meal)...

Have a nice evening all xx

Decorating.........

I hate it when decorating is going on, the whole house messes up, and I cannot stand the mess, it has taken me and DD all day so far to clear up after the decorating, but not too much to go now, just seems so many jobs are building up and we are always so busy taking children places, meetings, school consultation etc there are just not enough hours in a day, and definately not enough days in the weekend. So hall is nearly finished, glossing done, walls re-papered in places and painted, and hall landing carpet ripped up. Now all that is left is to put up the blind in the hall, laminate the upstairs landing, and re-carpet the stairs with carpet that is buried somewhere in our garage, and that leads to another job, the garage and garden, such a mess you cant even get in there, the garden is also a mess, so much rubbish blowing around from this recent wind, trampoline needs putting away, slides, bikes, swimming pool steps, just a flipping mess. Oh yes the blind in the lounge also needs replacing, have the blind, but each slat needs trimming first so takes ages, and of course we wont be able to find the trimming tool as it will be somewhere in the garage that you cannot get into. So due to the decorating I have only made one card this week.....

Dont know why the lighting is so bad, perhaps because the weather is not too good here today.

Aaaaargh flippin Argos... ordered DD2 a bed for Christmas on 24th November for her and her OH as they were supposed to be moving into their new flat last weekend. We ordered 24th November and were given a delivery date of 3 December but unfortunately last weekend the people wouldn't move out as their place wasn't ready, so rang on 30th November to change the delivery date, was given the option of December 8th or 11th, so as we weren't sure they were moving in on the Saturday we said the 11th, a Tuesday. Well yesterday they rang to say they dont have it in stock.... how does this work, they have it instock for delivery on 3rd, but not instock for delivery on 11th, but... yes, they will have it in in time for Christmas. DD is pregnant and needs a bed, but they could just have the base without the mattress, but it is a matching bed base mattress type bed with underbed storage.... am I mad??? You bet your ass I am!! So she is now out bed hunting so we may be able to tell Argos where to send their bed too!!! he he. Other problem was the bed was ordered on DH's credit card, but we asked for delivery address to be different. Now Argos wont talk to DH as it is DDs name on the delivery slip.... how does this work eh??

Anyway, have to fly now, nearly time for school pick up and I have only just sat down.... have a nice day all xx

A Lazy Saturday.....

Ha ha, had a lay in this morning, cant remember the last time I didn't get up until 11am... then DH went with our neighbour to pick up his poor broken down car.... DS4 was unwell and went back to bed (which means he was really unwell) and so I stayed home with him... sod's law his car started first time, but he kept losing all display and lights a couple of times on the way home. Once home they checked the car over and found a couple of loose connections, so now the car is working better, but all displays still flickered off a couple of times whilst out on a test drive, so DH then tried connecting my old laptop computer with relevant software to his car's computer to see if it could tell him where the problem lies, but the car wont speak to the computer properly at the moment and then the rain started so DH had to give up for the day, but at least it is running a bit better now.... car maintenance will resume tomorrow.

In the meantime, I made a couple of cards, practised colouring in Sugar Nellie in various ways, but still waiting for my prisma colour pencils. New Tilda's arrived today, to go into a box with my other 14 unused (so far) Tilda's, I got party Tilda and party Edwin, and a concave corner punch which I used on both the cards I made today. I also received my sansador (odourless spirit) and paper stumps, so as I have no prisma colour pencils and the only ones I have other than waterproof ones are pastel pencils, I used those with the sansador and stumps, so the darker card today was coloured in in this way.

And just a little extra photo of my little pug in her Christmas santa hat.... DD3 bought her a little doggy santa hat today, and dont worry, although she looks a bit freaked out, her eyes always look like this and she was cool with it, although she did take it off once we put her down.

Have a good evening all xxx

I am Thinking of Hibernating.....

Whew, what a busy day...... cannot believe how things just get worse and worse... had a not too bad morning Christmas Shopping (well I sat in front of my computer and shopped), no hassle, no stress, and now have most things ordered and bought, christmas cards all made.... but then things started to go wrong, sent DD 2 to go get DH's christmas present for me, all ordered etc, just needed picking up, so she went to do this, I went on the school run, extra child today as DD 5 is having a friend over to stay tonight, so went shopping for extra food, and midnight snack type stuff. then the small school have disco's tonight, so need to get them ready for 4.45pm. Then at 4pm just after I get home from school run, DH rings, his car wont start, problem he is about 30 miles away, listen he says, it is turning over but wont start.... now ask me about a petrol engine, I can have a good old go at determining what is wrong, but give me diesel, and if the battery is turning over and the glow plug light goes out I am stumped... okay I says, try checking fuse to fuel pump, but whilst fiddling with fuses he manages to start car..... hallelujah, but no within 10 minutes he is on phone, all his lights have failed, no indicators, brake lights, nothing, but the car is still running, he has people flashing as he has no lights, so I tell him to park up at the nearest station and catch a train to the nearest station which is about 10 miles away... luckily he outside the station and does this, so children need to be at disco for 4.45, dh needs picking up 10 miles away, dd3 is still at Uni, DD2 needs to start work at 5, so manage to persuade DD2 to take the kids to disco, and get my neighbour to sit with remaining children, then DD3 turns up early from uni and comes with me for the trek to the station. We arrive home at the time the children need picking up from the disco at 6pm.... finally we are home and have dinner in front of us..... think we need a bottle of wine, and then DH can walk round to the school at 9.15 to pick up DS 3 from his disco. PHEW

Only one card to show you tonight....

I used my new nestabilities on this card, and my other 3 packs have turned up today, just haven't had the time to use them. Am also waiting on some new Magnolia stamps.... and a concave punch, which have been dispatched to me today. Fingers crossed for tomorrow...

off now, the wine is calling, have a good evening all xx

A Minor Victory.....

Ha ha ha, DD3 had a strange interview arranged today, probably for a telling off for something she didn't do, but she was very likely to blow up at the accusation thrown at her, so DH went with her for support and guess what, it shocked the guy so much that she had an "adult" with her, he was slightly lost for words, and then had to backtrack on everything he started to say, and actually then admitted that the problem was probably their fault anyway...... hmmmm wonder which way it would have gone if DD had been on her own, so minor victory amongst all the wrongness going on at the moment.... thank you Lord!!

Bought some nice wicker baskets in Poundstretcher this morning, and they had the most adorable largish cards in packets, 18 to a packet and buy 2 get third free, it is of sparkly snowman and sparkly santa, and I thought I could not make cards any cheaper for DS 4 and 5's classmates, so promptly bought them, just hope there is enough now.

Managed to make 4 Christmas cards today inbetween sonic trying to beat knuckles on my PSP!! Still haven't managed it, cant believe I got through the other levels so easily.... boo!!

Here are my cards...

Got just a small parcel today, a set of oval scalloped nestabilities, wizard dies to make different size scallop ovals.... just waiting on another 3 sets from someone else now, which are the plain ovals, scallop rectangles and plain rectangles.... hope they come soon. Also ordered 48 Prismacolour pencils from US, and some paper stumps and odourless spirit, and will try my hand at colouring my stamped magnolias and sugar nellies in this way.... still haven't got round to using my new Magnolias yet, just need to get these Christmas cards out of the way, also need to spend a day surfing for Christmas presents.

Managed to get DD2s bed delayed for a week, so hopefully they will be in their new flat by then. She is off to have a blood test at the hospital tomorrow as they found something not quite right in her last blood test and want to repeat it, but she doesn't know what, but was told it was nothing to worry about.... but I guess we worry just the same!!

Kids off out to their club now, so off to order my yummy chinese takeaway.... have a good evening all xx

Birthday Day......

Its my babies birthday.... he is 5 today, cannot believe I have been 5 years without being pregnant... rofl We really went out Sunday for his birthday, but I asked him what he would like for his birthday tea, and he aske for meat pies, although we have a rather yummy chocolate gateau for birthday cake!! He was more than happy with his remote control Dalek, which he has been dying to get his hands on for weeks, and a whole set of power rangers!!! Luckily we have recently laminated most of our house and so the dalek zips around pretty quickly. Looks like we will be having visitors in and out for the rest of the evening....

Just had an e-mail, was really excited about getting my new phone but it has been delayed until around 6 December, to say I am disappointed is an understatement, and I have been trying to use the credit up on my old phone.... so a big RASPBERRY to LG who cannot keep up with demand for the phone.

Have managed to make 2 christmas cards today, and coloured in one sugar nellie stamp to make another card with.... here are the cards...

DD2 wont be moving into her own place this weekend now as the people who are supposed to be moving out are not at the moment, as the place they are moving into is not ready.... so daughter has a written contract with someone who says she cannot move in, so what can she do!!! She can hardly force them can she!! So double bed and fridge freezer are being delivered to this address on Monday, and now all that will have to be changed, and she will have to find someone to store this stuff for her!! She has also found she will not be offered a permanent place where she is working at the moment, although she has been there 3 months, probably because she is pregnant and it is too expensive to keep her on, but as she didn't have a permanent contract there is nothing she can do, she will also struggle to find another job as she is pregnant.... at the moment lots of things are going wrong.... but this is all minor to some of the problems we have had over the past 3 years.. will just have to pray harder.

Anyway, off to have our birthday dinner now... have a good evening all xx

Phew......

Been busy making Christmas cards for the people at Church, needed 18, and I always do similar ones for them (as this makes my life easier), so spent Saturday and Sunday making 18 of them. Saturday, we also went out to PaperMill shop, how do I always end up spending so much when I dont need anything!!! The boys always make me buy them a box of card too, so along they went choosing colours they want.... cute eh!!
Sunday we took the children to KFC and then went to see Ratatouille at the cinema, and a good time was had by all I think. Some more Chrissy presents turned up yesterday, and by some fluke they turned up after I had got home from weekly shop, instead of whilst I was there, and then all the palavar of going to City Link etc to pick them up!!
Told DH I wanted a Sonic the Hedgehog game for my PSP for Christmas, and he walks in the room with one that he had bought me for my birthday that had never been opened..... ooops, but at least I am consistent in my wants, so spent the evening last night playing that, and got through the first two levels!!
At the moment, I just dont seem to be able to get into card making or anything creative, just feeling very lazy and cant put my mind to anything, but I really do need to sort out some more Christmas Presents etc, and make some more cards, I hate being disorganised, but for some reason I am always distracted. Got 15 more magnolia stamps on Friday and haven't even used them yet, so will need to use them soon I think... maybe tomorrow when I have nothing else to do.
Anyway, here are the cards I have been making...

I also designed a teddy bear template for my craft robo last night, so didn't totally waste my time. Thursday I am getting a new touch screen mobile phone, I am really excited, though I dont know why, it is only a mobile phone..... now who will I ring first!!! and does that mean I have to read a manual!!! lol Anyway, off now to beat robotnik.... have a good day all xx

Christmas is Coming.....

Been busy today, what with Dentists, teacher consultation meetings, school runs etc..... but I managed to make a few more Christmas cards. Will have to sort out my list to find out how many I actually need to make, maybe the shock of the numbers will really spur me into action!!!

So here are the few I have to post, that makes a grand total of er..... 16.

Was much better organised last year, and even made the kids cards for school.... think I am getting lazy and spending too much time on my computer.

So my parcel from Amazon that I have been waiting for for over a week has finally turned up, but my complaining about the amount of time it took has earned me a £3 gift voucher from them. Will have to start checking out some other Christmas presents too, as have many more still to buy. Received my US scrapbook kit this week, it is huge and I haven't even used the previous 2 months yet. I bought an extra Jack and Abby kit this month and have decided that as I have been decorating my house, and as the mini album is in the shape of a house, I might make a mini album of our decorating efforts, although I have no before photographs only after ones.... hall's turn next week, and I have seen a massive wardrobe type thing in Ikea where you can build whatever you want in the inside, so want a shelf for a computer with 2 monitors and a huge laser jet printer, and also a hanging bit for coats, a shoe rack for shoes, and some more shelves for storage of catalogues and telephone directories, gloves, hats etc. Problem although my car is huge, the wardrobe is more huge.... aaaarrrggghhh!!!

Okay well off to have my Chinese takeaway and check out how many more Chrissy cards I need to make, have a good evening all xx

Finished at Last.....

At last I have finished my secret keepers mini album, have decided to give it to son for Christmas as he has just started making cocktails and is still collecting stuff, so will buy him some bottles of booze and give him this album too so he can make some of the cocktails. He used to love Ghostbusters as a kid, so that is why I have included a cocktail called ghostbuster.

Here goes....

Made some more Christmas cards yesterday, will post them later today as it is so dull here I have not managed to photograph them yet... maybe I should take to scanning them instead.

Also tried an experiment with my magnolia stamps, will try and use them later and show you what I did.

Off to the dentist in a minute, 2 children 5 fillings between them, then I have a parent consultation appointment after school today, and another 2 tomorrow, non pupil day for big children at school tomorrow for this purpose. Nothing else exciting happened, so I will love you and leave you, have a good day all xx

WooHoo Finished For Now

Well the boys room is finally finished, and well pleased with it I am too.... much tidier, cleaner, brighter and modern... more streamlined with everything you would think they could need.... so why are they always in my room then!!!!

Have now decided to do the hall before Christmas too. we have three storeys, so that is two sets of stairs. Luckily if we can get matching base paper, we will only need to strip and paper the middle storey hall, the rest is okay, the paintwork needs repainting as hands dragged up and down handrails has worn the paint off (even though it is gloss), and then repaint the walls. I am going to laminate the middle hall landing too, the downstairs hall is already laminated, and hope to buy a large wardrobe with sliding doors for the entrance hallway, to store coats, shoes, computer, toys and any messy stuff!! Trailing telephone wire will need to be sorted too!!

Anyway, have now nearly completed a little book I have been making for my son for Christmas to go with his bottle of alcohol. He has decided to start making cocktails and insists that everyone buys him alcohol for his presents, my little book has a few cocktail recipes in, which should keep him going for a while. Will post piccys when it is totally finished. Need to set to in making more Christmas cards too, so hope to make about 10 more this week!!

Have just ordered a new mobile phone an LG Viewty, I have had my old phone for nearly 2 years which is unheard of for me, but nothing caught my eye, especially on the "3" network which I like (have had a contract with Orange before and they were totally naff, dd has one now and she has to ring up every month as they always charge her too much). Now this viewty is just one big gadget.... perfect for a Gadget Monkey like me... and it is touch screen, will let you know more once I get it.

Here are a few cards I made last week which I didn't post.

Have a good evening folks xx