OMG!!!!! Please Someone, Take Marc Away!!!!!!!!

I was hoping to post every couple days re: Marc’s visit ……. but we are having such a wonderful time …..

………..there hasn’t been a spare second to do it,  if you know what I mean …… however I just had to share this morning with you ……..

As I lay in bed contemplating the adventures of the coming day I heard the rumble of the Jacuzzi and thought “ahhhhhhhhh” Marc’s having a lovely relaxing five minutes …… a little treat …….

…….. then I heard the plaintiff calls for help ………..

…….. and saw thick, soapy bubbles pouring from under the bathroom door ……. and remembered I that had forgotten to tell Marc to be VERY sparing with the foam bath ………!!!!!!!!!!!!! And though I would never, ever disturb a gentleman during his ablutions ….. and would certainly never kiss and tell, there was no way I was going to let this one go …….. let’s just say we cried and cried with laughter …….. once I found him!!!!!

Wooo Hooo Hoooo Marc Has Landed!!!!

My apologies for the first few days of Marc’s “State Visit”, we have been having such a wonderful time I have been forgetting to take as many photos as I should have been …..

Marc arrived at midday on Thursday, but when it came to meeting him at Wolverhampton Station I couldn’t believe how sick I felt and Marc said he felt exactly the same on the train, what are we like?  But do you know, we started off exactly where we left off when I was last in London June ……. non stop nattering!

So …..  after the grand tour of “The Chateau” and taking Marc’s enormous suitcase up to his room it would have been rude not to toast his visit in the garden with a cheeky vodka or two and a few nibbles dams le jar din …..,

After which we went on a walk round the village and began to fill in the Bear Hunt form I had purchased a week or so ago (there is a knitted teddy bear in most of the windows of the shops in my village, Cods all and Birches Bridge, and we have to spot them and then write down which shop they are in and what colour sash they are wearing, in aid of the Children’s Hospice),  and then in the evening we had a lovely meal at Cods all Spice, nom, nom, nom!!

On Friday we were up with the lark and after a coffee or two I took Marc to share in the pleasures of Bentley Bridge ….. Our first port of call was Hobby Craft ….I have to say we were VERY restrained in our purchasing, but we both have soooooo much stuff we are now both getting very good at asking ourselves if we really need something! The bargain of the day was buying two huge boxes of flat back gems at £3 each, as Marc says, you can never have to much bling!

We also spotted some half price Tim Holtz and Sizzix dies, but again, just about managed to resist!

We then visited Home Bargains, where Marc bought me the candle stick (£1.99) as a base to make a cake stand, B M Bargains, T K Max, Aldi and Pets at Home, followed up by a slap up Panini in Sainsbury’s ….. as I have said before, I know how to treat a man!!!

This was then followed by a whistle stop trip round Wednesfield …… all of which must have been very heady fruit even for a gentleman what lives on the edge of Portobello Road and Notting Hill, yet remarkably he showed remarkable restraint in curbing his excitement,  lest he should embarrass me in the High Street!!!

In the evening we started to play/experiment with the wire twister and coiling Gismo Marc bought me from Jewellery Maker http://www.jewellerymaker.com/

…… with Marc looking for instructions on YouTube.

We didn’t do too badly …… but as a non jewellery maker I was just embarking on a steep learning curve!!

We managed a bit of simple coiling and twisting to make a doll size bangle and a very basic choker  …..

But a little knowledge in Marc and my hands is a very dangerous thing!!!!

Message For Jacqui–Re Las Vegas Shopping!!

Hi Jacqui …… I am very jealous of your trip to Vegas, as I just want to do it all again a million times over!!

The Michaels I went to was on a large retail park which also had a Walmart and 99c Store – the address for Michael’s is 1251 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102.

We got there by taxi and found each and every taxi driver we met really lovely and helpful.  We spent all day at the park, which might sound mad to others but there were a lot of things on our Vegas bucket list to tick off! But believe me it was soooooooooooooooo hot just walking across the park from Michael's to Walmart sapped our energy so we had to stop of at the Chicken restaurant in the middle for a drink and rest (as recommended by taxi driver), by the time we got to the 99c Store we were exhausted!!!!

It might be worth looking for any money off vouchers for Michaels on the net and printing them off before you go …… and what the weight of whatever you buy!!  We paid for excess baggage at our hotel which is much, much cheaper than having to pay for it at the airport …… and believe me we needed it, my case was full of Rainbow Twizzlers!!

Another top tip ….. I have never, ever used money off vouchers before but we used them in Vegas, you can save so much money on food and entrance fees …… if you can get one for the Champagne Buffet at the Mirage (on a Sunday, I think) you won’t regret it!

So jealous, like I said I would do it all again tomorrow!!

Exciting News ….. Roll Out The Red Carpet …..Marc’s Coming To Stay With Me!!!!

Tomorrow, Marc comes to stay with me for just over a week, I will collect him from Wolverhampton Station, prompt, when he arrives on the 12.37 train……  and from there on our adventure will begin …….. I don’t  know who is the more excited …… me and Marc or The Monkeys!  I have scrubbed the house like there is no tomorrow to meet with the de rigueur standards of Notting Hill ……. after finding me on my hands and knees cleaning the utility floor Lucy remarked that it was if the Queen was coming, to which I had to reply “But ”He” is!!!!”

I have planned a very full and robust “Wolverhampton Staycation” for us,  although nothing is written in stone, we can change to suit our whim and mood ….. however we will start off on Friday with a trip to…… wait for it ….. Hobby Craft, Home Bargains and BM Bargains, followed by a buffet lunch at Cosmo at Bentley Bridge!  LOL, I know how to give a guy a good time, but for all of central London and it’s pleasures ……it does not have such delights …… (well, not without travelling out a fair way).  So Dianne will probably hear our girlie squeals in Florida! Hopefully, we will find a few bargains and treasures that we will be able to share and create a few projects with during Marc’s stay, that I can then post.

Other trips on the horizon are to Bridgenorth and Ironbridge, AND a nights stay in Shrewsbury ….. not only for it’s historical interests BUT for the QVC outlet shop where we plan to purchase a matching fleece wolf jacket each to cement our friendship even further ………

However, no matter how heady our days may seem, all Marc has specifically requested is to travel on the Banga bus, but I have warned him that it could get bumpy and he may have to pay an all be it discounted fare as his bus pass may not actually cover “village” buses!!!!!

When we are taking things a little more gently, there are also the delights of the village to enjoy …. we shall be fine dining at the greasy spoon and the newly opened village “Kitchen” https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kitchen-bilbrook/450649748374462, as well as The Woodman and Codsall Spice ….. as I said, I know how to treat “my man”!  There is a Teddy Bear Hunt for which we are already entered, and one afternoon we are off to paint a plate/mug at the local Codsall Hive http://codsallhive.co.uk/

I am hoping that at the end of each day and if we are not too tired, we can get together and write a post or two so that you can see what we’ve been up to …. so watch this space ….. HAPPY DAYS AHEAD!

Forever Friends Card Kit

I saw this card kit in The Works and at £1.49 it would have been rude not to buy it and give it a try!

…… it turned out OK, just like on the packet, I feel the need to add something else, but just don’t have a clue what …… there’s too much blue space, but that’s me!!! It would be a brilliant kit for a child to make a “professional” looking card if they didn’t have a lot of card making paraphernalia. There was a sheet of pink background paper, three sheets of press out die cuts, including a lot of sentiments, plus some felt shapes, a length of string and about four buttons in the pack.

I thought I would set myself a challenge and see how many cards I could make, but to be honest, I only managed another one, as the words were a bit random, so I chucked them, but kept the picture panels, “just in case”, however, as I said before, a child would have a wonderful time for just £1.49.

I did “decorate” the inside of the second card to use a few more bits up, something I don’t really do enough of ….. but which always a nice touch.

Over The Top 21st Birthday Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using white linen effect card
Oh good grief, you can tell I am a bit rusty!! I can’t believe that I have even forgotten my sacred rule of card making that less is more!!  Ye Gods!!

This is the card I made for my niece’s 21st birthday, I think I was panicking because time was short and I needed to get it done …… but then went completely overboard, there’s too many fonts, and far too many random colours and patterns …. and you can’t see the hologram silver background clearly in this picture, thank goodness.  My apologies for my assault on your card making sensibilities …… there is no excuse for my putting everything but the kitchen sink on a card!!! Major mojo overload!!!

Christmas 2014 – Christmas Stocking Cards

On my desk there is a small pile of Christmas cards I have received that I have kept as a source of inspiration for ideas …..

I kept the cards below as I don’t think I use stockings enough in my cards,  but they can be very useful when you need to make a really quick card.  Then, as fortune would have it, I found a random pack of six 3D stockings while mooching in my drawers and I thought ……. hmmmmm, the proof of the pudding …..

So, I started by cutting card blanks measuring 5ins x 5ins using white linen effect card.

I then used an old punch (sorry, I don’t know the make) to punch out shapes which when joined together made a fir swag. …… from which I hung the stockings with a little doodling.

All I then needed to do was add a few clusters of red flat back gems for a little extra dimension and bling!  So simple and made in, I would say, less than ten minutes!

Christmas Cards for 2014 – Christmas Tree Design

Each of these white or red card hand cut card blanks measure 5ins x 5ins and use either a linen effect or plain textured cardstock.

The toppers are made using the  Christmas Tree design from a pack of red foil gift tags (below), with the backs cut off and papers from the 6” x 6” Christmas paper pack from Wilkinsons Christmas 2013 range which I am praying they repeat with something similar this year.

I’ve also added red and clear flat back gems on the tree and scalloped edges of the Spellbinder die cut square, plus a touch of faux stitching around some of the edges.

There’s a lot of mat and layering going on, but I have been mindful, no matter how tempting, not to use any foam pads for extra dimension because if posted they may not fit through the post office gauge, and so cost extra to post

Covered Ikea Drawers

I’ve had these Ikea Moppe drawers for years and years and not done a thing with them except for filling them with my pens and dimensional paints …..
…… until I thought that they would be a perfect foil for my My Mind’s Eye Stella and Rose 12 x 12 paper pad, as they were looking a bit grubby ….

…… so templates were duly made and drawers fronts and box sides duly covered ….. and you will no doubt notice that I couldn’t resist doing some faux stitching round the drawer edges.

…… I also coloured the box frame edges with a Promarker pen. I reckon all of this took me no longer than an hour, if that ……

……. the laborious part was the varnishing, for which I used Wilkinson’s clear, quick drying varnish, which really does dry quickly between coats, it’s just that I am very impatient!!

I then did a bit of Googling for Ikea Moppe drawers and found this project for an apothecary chest  with the drawers turned round ……. http://magpiejaybirdandmew.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/diy-apothecary-box/

I just love apothecary drawers, but never in this world would be able to afford an original set ….. but this has certainly given me food of thought as I want something different to go in my lounge fireplace ……

……. and this could be it ….. by putting joining four together?

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40216357/

World Exclusive News - A Baby Pic And Marc’s Coming To Stay With Me!!!

I was in such a hurry to get a post written yesterday that I didn’t have time for to introduce you to Iris …… my very, very beautiful granddaughter, not only has she inherited the gift of great beauty and intelligence …… but she can also poo for England, that’s my girl!!!!

And my other exclusive news??????  Well, Marc is coming to stay with me for nine whole days in the summer, he has finally been lured from London by the pleasures and bright lights of Wolverhampton!!  I don’t know who is the most excited, me or him!

I am going to treat this special visit as my holiday too and see Wolverhampton and my humble village through the eyes of an international tourist!  Can you believe Marc, a man who has travelled the world in showbiz style, is almost totally overwhelmed by the thought of being able to go into town on the village Banga bus with me!I have so much planned …… we are going on shopping extravaganza to the only Tesco Express in the village, a cream tea at our new village cafe and a fry up in the greasy spoon ….. followed by a plate painting session in the next village, as well as “doing” all the charity shops in town, visits to Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury and Birmingham and a bumper trip to Bentley Bridge, a local retail park to “do” HobbyCraft, Home Bargains and BM Bargains! I know how to give a boy a good time!!!!!!!

On the days we decide to just stay at home to give Marc a bit of a rest from this mad, hectic social whirl we are hoping to put some projects together for the blog, hopefully using items purchased from said HobbyCraft, Home Bargains and BM Bargains …. I know Marc is counting the days ….. and I might burst …… the keys of Wolverhampton are about to become Marc’s!!

Thank You …… Lost Photos ….. And Other Developments ….

What a to do!  Thank you sooooooooo much for all your help and advice and e-mails re: my lost photos!!

I shall attempt to explain the problem ….. I use Livewriter to create a blog post because it is much easier to manipulate pictures and text than Blogger.  When a post is complete I then send it “magically” to either one of my blogs to said Blogger, where, more or  less all I need to do is schedule a date for the post to be published.

But connected to the Livewriter programme is Picasa where all the pictures I have used are stored.  I don’t often look at Picasa, and goodness knows what made me look on Sunday, but when I saw I had albums containing 1000’s of old pictures I decided to have a “clean up” ….. not realising how everything was intrinsically linked! Not “only” did I delete two albums into the Trash Can, but despite the warning I also then went on to empty the Trash Can and that is when they all disappeared for good!!!!

I have never backed up my blog pictures ….. there are so many, once a story or project is over I don’t really need them, and like I said there were/are thousands of them after 5 years of writing two blogs.

I think I can salvage “Mums Monkey” in time, from what I can see I have lost six months of photos …… I can do this by retrieving the blog posts one at a time from Blogger, because, goodness knows why/how, the pictures, though they don’t appear in Blogger in any shape or form, still exist in Livewriter when retrieved, if that makes sense.  So by copying the pictures and then saving them again as a jpeg I can reinsert them back into the post …. and as before, return it to Blogger, talk about a Fiddle Fart!  However, I am a little mystified by the fact that few odd pictures remain, but never mind.

As I said, I think I may be able to do this very slowly for “The Boys”, but I think too much has been lost with Fiddle Fart ……. when I looked yesterday, there are pages and pages and pages without pictures …….. and that is my conundrum …… I think the days of Fiddle Fart were drawing nigh …. I craft so little these days …… and life, once more, if changing big time for me ….. not only do I have the most wonderful baby granddaughter Iris Amelia Geddes, who arrived on 20th June, and will be taking up an awful lot of weekends from now on ……….

BUT, redundancy has reared it’s ugly head at the school where I work, and I have “opted” to take voluntary redundancy ….. although with less than three weeks left before the end of term this has yet to be confirmed!  My old job no longer fits the new structure, and although there were jobs that were “ring fenced”, without going into too much detail, most jobs have been down graded, hours cut and responsibilities added to …….. so I have decided, foolishly or otherwise, to jump ship and not apply for any of the new positions. 

I have rambled on enough for one day  …… but I have more to add, so I will “divulge” again tomorrow

Patchwork Christmas Card

This card measures 14.5cms x 14.5cms and is made using a hand cut blank using a white linen effect card.

It’s time for me to make a new crafty resolution ….. to make sure that when I buy something in a great flurry of inspiration, I try to use them as soon as I possibly can afterwards and not put it them away …… for the inspiration and the ideas to disappear …..

…… because that’s what happened when I found these Kaisercraft die cut shapes,  reduced to £2.75 from £5.50 in Paperchase, on the way home I was full of ideas ….. but when I re-looked at them a few weeks later  …… I thought ….. what was I thinking? And that’s money down the pan …. unless I can rekindle those ideas …. 

So, determined not to throw my money away, I did me some Googling and decided that patchwork was the way to go, using scraps of Christmas papers and faux stitching. The finished card has got a retro feel about it ….

I have to admit I am not 100% sure about it ….. but perhaps things I’ll be more convinced and confident as I work my way through the rest of the pack!