Heads Up For Easter

I am not doing a lot for Easter, but I will be making some Easter Bunny Penny Bags for work …….. and so naturally my eagle eye has been out looking for some small, good quality, value for money Easter themed sweeties to pop in them, along with lollies, marshmallows and other bits and pieces…….  and this is what I found in Tesco

……. chocolate coins …… 10 coins per net ……

…… and chocolate bunnies ……. 15 bunnies per net.  And yes, I was sad and I stood in middle of Tesco trying to count them!!!! They also have nets of small, foil wrapped eggs.  Anyway they are on special offer 2 nets for £1.50, which I reckon don’t work out that bad.

Happy Birthday Lindsay

I don’t often do requests, but this is a little something for Lindsay Denville

…… for when she pops by today! Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!

Valentines Favour Bags

I didn’t really do anything for Valentines Day, but I did pop this little jumble of bags into the pigeon holes of some of my friends at work on the last day of term as a fairing gift.

I used a narrow cello bag and put in small packets of Love Hearts, some foil wrapped chocolate hearts that I found in Bargains UK (99p), some chocolate coins and a felt heart ……..

……. fastened together with a red bulldog clip which is always a useful thing to have in your desk!

A Special Thank You Card

This card measure 5ins x 5ins and is made using a Kraft Card blank

Making this card felt very different from me, it’s a sort collage, something I enjoy, but don’t do a lot of on cards.  The background is made from cork sheet that gives it a different, rough texture to which I have  added a mixture of Tim Holtz paper embellishments, K & Co layered poppies, antique silver and dragon fly brads, clear self adhesive pebbles, and red twine, but I think it all goes together OK (????)

The reason for making this card was a very small thank you in comparison to Lizzie, a follower of more years than I care to remember, who sent me a most beautiful parcel containing a collection of wonderful bits, completely out of the blue. 

Inside the parcel were three beautifully wrapped packages full of lovely, lovely things.
What can I say?
Each package just got more wonderful …….

…… and I was totally, overwhelmed by Lizzie’s kindness, thought and generosity.  I love everything ….. I think the most inspiring were the Tim Holtz bottles, as I have a HUGE thing for little bottles, which are already screaming Christmas very loudly at me  ……….

Thank you soooooooo much Lizzie, as I said “Thank You” just doesn’t express my feelings, half as much as what it really meant to me!

A New Source For Pretzel Bags

A while ago I think I mentioned that I couldn’t find my usual source of pretzel bags on eBay, the ones I used for Elizabeth Shaw mints ……

…….. Well, I have now found a brilliant eBay shop, thanks to one of my lovely, lovely followers, so really, I cannot take any credit for the finding …. however, I have lost the original e-mail which included the link, so I cannot thank that person by name in this post ….. but THANK YOU SO MUCH on behalf of myself and others who might use the link.

I ordered packs of 50 2” x 8” (£1.85)  and 2”x 7” (£1.80) with free P & P.  They are excellent quality, arrived within days and are perfect for what I need them for! 

The cello bags come in 17 sizes, so well worth a look.  I could now do with ordering some 3” x 4” bags which are a brilliant size for packaging wish bracelets etc.
http://www.yolli.com/ or 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/yolliltd?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

This is just a personal “heads up”, I have had no communication with Yolli other than my order, I just liked what I found!!!

Counting The Days

Not that I am counting …… but, when it got to 100 days before I finally quit my office for good, I just couldn’t help myself!So,  the blue days are High Days, Feast Days, Days of Holy Obligation and weekends and so don’t count …… and the white ones are the ones I actually have to work, which I colour in as soon as my bum hits the seat, when I get in, in the morning ……!!!

Hand Painted Mug – Porcelain Painter Pen

Well I say hand painted ….. which suggests that I used a paint brush, but really  I used a black Marabu Porcelain Painter pen, but the title sounds much more posh, skilled and artistic doesn’t it?????!!!!

When I saw the mug in discountUK, with it’s classy back inside, I just had to have it (well, I bought two, but the other one will probably appear later on in another guise) and for 99p, it had to be done.

My source of inspiration was a bowl I bought in a charity shop when Marc stayed with me in the summer, which I think was also 99p.It was like the mug was made for a similar design. Once “painted” the mug had to be baked in the oven for 30 minutes at 160F and should now be dishwasher proof and ready for me to take to work for my coffee!

Exciting Times !!!!

Looks like “Mum’s Monkey” is being picked up in a few high places, but it comes to something when the invitations go to Monkey, Darrell and Nigel and not me!!!!!!!   ……. Anyway, this is what they found in their mail box when they got home from work last night …….

“Dear Mum’s Monkey,

I hope you’re well.

We’d like to invite you to a very exclusive screening on Tuesday 24^th February to launch the brand new series of Caitlin & Caz Moran’s RAISED BY WOLVES.

However, this is no ordinary press screening… a very special coach trip is also involved! Not only will you be accompanied by the writers and creators, Caitlin & Caz Moran, but also joining us will be the two brilliant actresses who play their teenage alter egos; Helen Monks & Alexa Davies.

The trip will begin at Wolverhampton Train Station at ****, we’ll board the coach with our very own Wulfrunians Caitlin & Caz, who will curate a unique tour of the city where they grew up – accompanied by some substantial refreshments. Forget local churches, and points of interest, this will be an no holds barred take on their hometown.

Once the tour has ended, the coach will take us on to Wolverhampton Cineworld where we’ll offer a first look preview of the first two episodes followed by a Q&A with the four ladies.

The invite for the screening is below - we really hope you can join us.”

How exciting is that?  Well,  it goes without saying that “we” shall all be going, but I think it was the promise of “substantial” coach refreshments that probably swayed it ……!!!!!

Taking Crafting A Bit Too Far …….

It’s been a bit bitter in Wolverhampton just lately and I finally decided to succumbed and rummage through my drawers to find a pair of gloves to wear  …… only to find,  as I put them on at the bus stop that ……….

……this was obviously a pair that I had cut a couple of fingers off when I had run out of snowmen’s hats for snowman chocolate bars, and had then absentmindedly rolled them back up and put away again !!

Still, I hope you noticed how straight and even my cuts were!!!

What am I like???????

MESSAGE FOR LIZZIE

xxxx Lizzie, what can I say?  I received your parcel on Saturday and am totally, totally overwhelmed ……. I just don’t know what to say …. but THANK YOU SO MUCH.  So many treasures ….. I loved everything and believe me everything has been very lovingly stroked and adored, especially the Tim Holtz pieces, you are so kind, too kind!!

I don’t have your e-mail, but a proper “thank you” is on it’s way, I just wanted to let you know it had arrived …… and I am very, very touched xxxxxx

Baby Welcome Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a hand cut, white linen effect card blank.

This is the card I made my Granddaughter Iris when she was born. Iris arrived a little sooner than I’d expected, and as I didn’t want to make a card in advance until I knew Tom and The Lovely Laura’s baby was safe it was made in the couple of hours before Lucy and I left for Worcester to meet Iris for the very first time. 

All I knew was that I wanted the card to be fresh, simple and unfussy. The self adhesive birds came from a pack I got from Michael’s in Las Vegas, that were just waiting to be used for such a wonderful occasion. 

Simple Premo! Sculpey Clay Necklace

The idea for this simple necklace is not mine, it was inspired by a tutorial I found on Pinterest. Sometimes I want to play, but feel a little lost, especially as I only started using oven bake clay seriously in the run up to Christmas. so having something to follow helps me over the initial hesitant stage and then I can develop and run with the idea if I am happy with the initial results.

http://crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/make-your-own-colourful-polymer-clay-necklaces--craft-8943

I used some of the Premo! Sculpey clay that Marc gave me a while back and thought I might also add a couple of metal beads from a deconstructed charity shop find, found when Marc was with me in the summer.

Admittedly,  I made the beads really, really quickly, so they vary and the finish is far from perfect, but if I was being arty farty I would say that they were …… erm …. organic!!!!!!!

I also think I may have baked them for a little too long as the colours darkened quite considerably …… but I was only experimenting!!!

All I did then was to thread the hardened beads onto a length of leather cord.  I did try a metal bead  between each separate colour, but it didn’t look right, so I settled for just one at each end.

I could tidy up this idea a lot …… if I wanted to make another necklace.  However, the beads might reappear once I have worn it a few times, in a new guise somewhere along the line, perhaps as part of hanging decoration ….. hmmmmmmmm!