HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know I have been a horrible blogger in the past three months since I started my new job. I do miss you all a great deal, and wish I could spend hours every day like I used to, visiting blogs and being inspired so much by your beautiful artwork and stories that made me smile and sad sometimes, too.

Just wanted to come here in the last hour of 2008 to wish you all the happiest 2009. Times are hard for many people right now, but I hope that in the midst of whatever you are facing, that you remember to treasure whatever small miracles there may also be amongst the ashes. I have had some very difficult times myself in the past seven years, so I know something about it, and all I would say if you are also going through tough times is please try, try, TRY to be as positive as you can. It really does help.

My miracle came when I stopped looking down at the mess I was in and being angry, stopped looking at what I didn't have, and started instead to look up and realise that I still had so much and started thanking God for it. I know it sounds really cheesy, but that really was the break point. Whatever you make of it, I believe that something was released... broken.. call it what you will, and blessing was allowed to come in. I had a new job within two weeks.

So, anyway.. a bit preachy, I know, but y'know what? I'm not sorry. If it helps one person, it was worth the mockery of others.

Once again, I wish you ALL a very happy 2009. Keep looking up.

God bless..

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wishing you all a very merry and blessed Christmas!

A Belated TOOT!!

This is for my mega, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, "I'm not worthy" talented Funky Hand DT mate, Kath Stewart, who has only gone and won the Cardmaker of the Year 2008 comp in the Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine!!! Yaaaayyyyy!! You go, girl!

I can't imagine that anyone in crafty blogland won't have heard of Kath or visited her blog, but - just in case - you'll find a treasure trove of wonder HERE.

Congratulations again, Kath. :o)

Hugs,
Chris xx

Funky Birthday...

Bet you'd all thought I'd dropped off the planet! Nope, still here. This is my birthday card for my lovely Funky Hand DT-mate, Jozza, whose birthday is today! Happy Birthday, matey!! Hope the card arrived on time. Check her blog. She is a super-talented and well-published cardmaker.. You may recognise her work from the Crafts Beautiful magazine.

The paper I've used is from the wonderful new 'Funky Daze' CD-rom from Funky Hand. Fab!

New Blog... I mean, 'FLOG'!! ;o)

Like most people these days, I need to supplement my income a bit, so I have decided to start a slow clearout of - well, just about everything, lol - from jewellery, clothing and surplus craft supplies, to more obscure items, like some of my dad's old RAF uniform and mess kit, to some bits of old mechano! That's pretty obscure, wouldn't you say? ;o)

So... I have started what I am calling a 'Flog'... Craftling's Flog. HERE.

I have started this evening with some items of diamanté jewellery.

Tip Top Toppers' Blog Candy!

Hi, all.. Just to spice things up a bit around here, wanted to draw your attention to some fab blog candy up for grabs on my Funky Hand DT mate, Ruth's blog HERE. She is celebrating 5,000 visitors, and wants you to share your proudest crafty moment with her. Some lovely things on show.. Go see!! :o)

Mum's Anniversary Card... Sneak Peak!

I can't show you all of this yet, as it uses papers from a soon-to-be-released download from Funky Hand, called 'Hearts & Flowers'. Not sure yet when this will be available, but it won't be long, and you'll love it when it is! You will be able to obtain it HERE.

Funky Daze # 5.. Happy Birthday, ????!

Hehe!! Can't show you this one yet, but it is already made, and yes, it does use Funky Daze paper, and yes, it is for yet another Funky Hand DT-mate who also has a birthday quite soon! You know who you are... J... O... Z........................

Cards to come... Got to make an anniversary card for my mum on Sunday. Dad passed away three years ago, but it's still nice to mark their anniversary. Unfortunately, dad missed their golden wedding anniversary by two weeks!!

Then it's my sister's birthday on 10th December, so those are my two most urgent cards.

I haven't made any Christmas cards yet (except those I have made for challenges), but time (and the inclination) is not on my side, so will most likely.... (whispering)... BUY my cards this year!!! SHOCK HORROR!!

I will leave you with that hideous thought, and wish you a happy, creative weekend! :o)

Funky Daze # 4.. Happy Birthday, Allison!

Card number four using lovely spotty paper from the FUNKY DAZE CD-rom, and a Martha Stewart zig-zag border punch which I won from my Funky Hand DT-mate, Enfys.. Thank you, En! :o) This card was also my birthday card for yet another Funky Hand DT-mate whose birthday was this week! Hope you had a lovely day, Allison! :o)

Funky Daze #3.. Happy Birthday, Anice!

Card number three using papers from the lovely FUNKY DAZE CD-rom, and a birthday card for Anice, the owner and creative talent behind Funky Hand, and, of course, my DT boss! :o)

The photo doesn't do this beautiful paper justice. Winter daylight is not the best for photography, sadly.

Funky Daze #2.. Happy Birthday, Enfys!

Card number two using papers from FUNKY DAZE, and it was for my Funky Hand DT mate, Enfys (or En, as we call her), who spends half her year in Florida, lucky thing!

Funky Daze #1..

Hooray!! Here is the first of the cards I have made in the past few weeks using papers from Funky Hand's lovely new CD-Rom, FUNKY DAZE. You can find it on the Funky Hand website, HERE. Watch out in particular for the Word Book templates. You can now make your own, using any word you like up to five or six letters. Brilliant!

Temporary closure of Comments facility...

Hi, everyone..

I am closing the option to leave comments on my blogs. Hopefully, this will just be temporary, and my blog-hopping mojo will return. The lovely comments everyone leaves are humbling but I am completely embarassed that I don't have the time or the energy to respond. All my focus is on work right now, and the last thing I want to do in the evenings is spend even more time on the computer, so it's not fair to you to have your kindness ignored.

I hope you understand, and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your sweet thoughts and awards.. You are all stars, and I appreciate you greatly!!

The comments option will go back on when I feel I can reciprocate. Meanwhile, there may be the odd card posted, as I have a bit of a backlog that I couldn't post before, as they are for a bunch of birthdays that are nearly all this week!

So watch this space in the next few days! And thanks again for understanding.

More resignations... :'o(

Finished work at 9.00pm again, and my days just seem to be getting longer. Not that I am complaining.. I am loving my job, and it's not that anyone is asking me to work long hours... I choose to. But it has totally squeezed my cardmaking mojo dry, I'm afraid.

So - with heavy heart - I have chosen to resign from another couple of teams..... the Basic Grey Challenge blog and the Inspirational team. I have loved them, but I don't want my cardmaking and blog-hopping to be a source of pressure and stress because I am letting people down. It should be fun!

I am sticking with Anice at Funky Hand for as long as I decide to continue cardmaking, as she was the first one to offer me the opportunity, but - to be truthful - I am feeling like my mojo has gone for good, and I am beginning to look at my craft room and thinking what else I could do with it..... hmmm.

Maybe after I've made a few cards just for fun, my muse will return, but we'll see.

Basic Grey Challenge #10 ~ Glitter

DARK SNOWFLAKE

For the Basic Grey Challenge blog. Probably the simplest card I have ever made! Uses Ambrosia paper. Would be a great option for mass-producing a lot of cards, as it was very quick.

Cut paper to size, ink the edges, and stick down. Stamp two large snowflakes in Versafine Onyx black ink. Use a small paintbrush to paint Craft Planet silver glitter glue over the snowflakes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATH!

Well, our Kath, the biggest and bestest blogger in craftland, is celebrating a special birthday today, and I would like to send her my very best wishes for a lovely day.

This is my card for her, which should have arrived yesterday... along with the handful of cards I received from other bloggers to pass on to her.

And I'm afraid I have a confession.. I said I would put names in a hat for those who sent me a card for Kath, and send a small prize to someone, but guess what? I've been so busy this week, I completely forgot about that, and didn't keep a record of who sent in a card! There were at least two, though, that were anonymous, so... my apologies. If you were one of them, please let me know by Sunday, and I'll fulfil my promise to do a draw. (Now, I do have some idea who sent cards, so no cheating now! lol ;o)

Let's see if we can do this q-u-i-e-t-l-y.. (sshhhhhh)

Keeping this at the top until November. Please scroll down for new posts.

(checks back over both shoulders) S'alright... the coast is clear... but we'll have to be quick, as she's never gone for long..............

It's someone very special's birthday in a couple of weeks, and it's a very special one... almost everyone in Blogland knows her.. she's the most prolific commenter I know! As well as being a really lovely lady, and a very talented card artist....

Listen closely... I'll just whisper her name very quietly, as I know I'll be in big trouble for this... it's..

KATH..

There.. did you get that? Yes.. she of just about every DT going.

Now, her birthday is on 7th November. If anyone would like to make her a card but doesn't know her address, then tough.. I won't give it to you! Ha! lol.. BUT I will send on your cards if you get them to me before 4th November, so I will have time to package them all up and get them in the post to her in time to 'surprise' her for her birthday!(Yeh, right... like the nosy aul' besum won't know what's going on... never misses a trick...)

If you'd like my address (and I can confirm that you are a genuine crafty blogger and not an axe murderer), then please email me via my blog profile, and I'll send you MY address, not Kath's. (Not fair to do that without her permission.)

EDIT: Wouldn't it be lovely if she got 60 cards (or more) for her birthday? (Great idea, Ruth!) For every card sent to me for Kath's birthday by 4th November, I will put names in a hat for a small pressie. Don't know what yet, and it won't be much, but I'll think of something.

Hugs,

Basic Grey Challenge #9 ~ Christmas

SNOWGOOSE

My card is for this week's challenge on the Basic Grey Challenges blog HERE. The theme this time is Christmas. Show us your festive creations with a BG twist! :o)

I came across a Lilykate sheet with a flying goose on, and thought how perfect for Christmas! You know the old rhyme.. "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat".. Remember that one?

For the holly leaves, I just drew them freehand on the back of some lovely blue BG Cupcake paper, and cut them out & inked the edges. The snowflake is a Sizzix one, and the flourishes are... hmmm.. can't remember.. Will check and let you know. If I remember. ;o)

Think I am regretting the positioning of the flourish on the left. Could have put that somewhere else to better effect, but on the whole, I think it works. No doubt 'Anonymous' would disagree, but they're history! lol ;o)

Thank You & An Apology..

Hi, all..

Just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who leaves me such wonderful, warm messages. I am really touched when people take the time, and I honestly appreciate it enormously. But I have to apologise for not getting back to many of you for a while. It takes me forever to get around everyone's blogs, and my crafting is way behind, too, so please bear with me if I haven't yet returned the compliment. I will just as soon as a I can. :o)

Meanwhile, this card is for you.

Not crafty, but GOT to have my say...

Messrs Ross and Brand messed up royally, and apparently the BBC have now had 35,000 complaints, but it's the younger end of the market.. Radio 1 listeners... that - quote - "can't see what the fuss is about". Why doesn't that surprise me?

Thing is, what Ross & Brand did wasn't nice and it was stupid, BUT it was just a catalyst for a much bigger issue to come to the fore, and I think the supposed "over-the-top" public response is a backlash against the downward slide of society towards self, self, self and sod anyone else, as long as I'm getting my needs met. And that attitude just makes my blood boil.

Some people have said that we have much bigger issues to be concerned with in the UK right now, and I can see their point ~ we do have some pretty serious issues to deal with, but I have to admit that I am chuffed to bits that this has come up, as well, and broadcasting standards might improve as a result.

The bigger issue is about treating others as you would be treated yourself.. with respect, courtesy, consideration and dignity. Humour at the expense of someone else's dignity is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER acceptable, in my view.. It is just mindless and cruel.

And another thing... when you break it right down, the cause of teen violence (or any kind of violence, come to that) is indicative of a total breakdown of respect for other people.

Coming back to Ross & Brand, if our adults (and in particular a popular pair of adults/role models like these two) behave in such a rude and disrespectful manner, what message is that sending out to our kids?

As for the punishment? Well, if it were Acme Electrical Mechanical Engineering & Co Ltd, Joe Bloggs would undergo instant dismissal without notice for gross misconduct for bringing the firm into disrepute. I doubt very much that there would be any opportunity for verbal or written warnings, or suspensions.

Nuff said.

Kath's cards..

... are beginning to arrive now, but PLEASE, PLEASE make sure you use the correct postage! I had one today that didn't. I won't embarass the person, but let me just say that a jiffy bag the size you used is more than just a 1st class stamp!! I wouldn't mind.. I mean, what's £1.06 surcharge between friends, but the biggest problem is that it's a 40 minute round trip to the sorting office, but even worse than that, is that my favourite local stash emporium is right next door, and well, you just HAVE to, don't you? So £1.06 becomes £35!!! And it's all your fault. (sigh)

;o)

Anonymous comments...

... are no longer accepted on this blog.

As it is, I use comment moderation, so no comments reach my blog unless I allow them to. Please be aware that I will report any abuse.

With apologies to the vast majority of visitors here, who are friendly, well-mannered and..... sane! For the most part, anyway.... !! ;o)

Basic Grey Challenge #8 ~ Shapes ~ Geometric Daisy

My contribution to the DT team for this week's challenge over at the Basic Grey Challenge blog, which is 'Shapes'. We're inviting you to 'get shapely' with squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, rhomboids, octagons.. you name it!

My card uses triangles for the daisy petals, squares and circles, and a plethora of different BG papers.. Two Scoops, Mellow, Archaic and the background is from an 8½ x 8½ pad of BG scrapbooking papers. The button is also BG.. Cupcake. Brads, twine and Stickles complete the picture. Oh, and the stem and leaves were hand-drawn/cut and also made out of BG paper.

Do hop on over to the blog to admire the rest of the DT's work, and take part if you can. We look forward to seeing you there. :o)

Autumn Award

Isn't this glorious? Aren't you just loving the colours in the trees right now? And on the ground where golden flakes have fallen?

I am! It's stunning. I love this annual display, and the chill in the air. Not a summer girl, me. Autumn and Spring, and winter when there's snow... Do you remember that white fluffy stuff that used to fall out of the sky?

Anyway, my lovely friend, Kath (yes the one with the birthday coming up!!) awarded this to me, and as usual, I am supposed to pass it on, so I will choose people I know have been having a tough time lately, in the hope it might bring a moment's smile.

I therefore award it to...

• Gina
• Emma
• Allison
• Jozza
• Lorraine

And if anyone else has been having a particularly tough time, please feel free to snag it for your blog, with my blessings for a lovely autumn.

Samples for Craft 4 Charity CD

Some time ago, the Funky Hand DT were asked to produce some samples from papers that Anice was asked to produce for the Craft 4 Charity CD. (For info, go HERE.)


Anice produced a mini range called 'Girls & Boys', and here are the samples I made with them. (Apologies if I have blogged these before, but I don't think I have.)

To see the fab cards the rest of the DT made, you can visit their blogs by clicking on the links in my sidebar. You may have to search around for them on their blogs, but that's no hardship, as they all have some stunning things to look at! :o)