I'm thinking ...

... I can call the photo book done but need to make a final check of it before I order.  There's been a few edits done as there were a couple of pages I wasn't happy with.  There's one I'm still not 100% satisfied with but I can't seem to get it looking just right so giving up on trying now.  Discount voucher has been bought so order can be placed as soon as I've done the final edit.

Lost track of where I am with the blog now.  Been side-tracked too long.  We're currently dog sitting.  Eldest is on holiday and we've got her for a week.  Half way through and I'm knackered!  I'd better have lost a few lbs by the time she goes home.  Haven't done this much walking in donkeys!  She's a youngster so still a puppy, pretty much, and is very lively.  A beautiful temperament, even if she won't win too much in the beauty stakes - *ROFL!*

I have photos to check and edit and I've bought a new camera.  The Panasonic I have developed a fault, same as the previous one did, so this time I've changed brand and actually bought a lower spec.  Not sure if I'm going to like it or whether I'll be investing in something a bit higher spec.  I like a compact camera but one with a bit of manual function .... sometimes.  This one doesn't have any manual function that I can see although I've not yet downloaded the manual to see how it works.  I wanted to see what the photos were like on auto before I bothered.  They're OK - not bad but not excellent either.  I have time before the cruise next year to decide what to do.

A couple of weeks ago, in Clair's workshop, we made a cute card with hedgehogs as the focal point.  Wasn't sure of it when I saw the photo (what's new) but really like it in real life - lol!  I have managed to get a photo of that .....

The hedgehogs are a stamp set by MFT called ... Happy Hedgehogs.  I coloured them with 'new to me' Nuvo Dual Tip pens (alcohol ink pens) that I found in a sale and bought a full range of colours.  Good enough and a small enough set to carry and use at workshop.  We're doing a couple of Christmas cards this week *grin*

Tomorrow I'm sorting and ordering the photo book.  Hopefully then I can sort out my more recent photos of what I've been up to and blog ....

Don't hold yer breath  *LOL*

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Really been ...

... side-tracked these past couple of weeks or so.  Photo book of Florida has really been taking me away from everything else, apart from the normal things like laundry, shopping, housework etc, although even that has suffered to a certain extent.  The OH and I have made a bit of time for 'tourist at home' type things and a trip to the cinema.  Ben Hur last time.  Never been to the cinema so much.  Think, in the 30+ years we've been married we've been 4 times until recently .... a war film (one of the Telly Savalas ones - first date), Ghost Busters a couple of weeks later when we got engaged and a few years later ... Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.  He thinks we've been more since then.  If we have I don't remember and why would I remember them 3 and nothing newer???  We've seen several films lately and all thanks to those blooming meerkats - LOL!

Anyway, I think I've finished the photo book.  Not sure entirely as there's some I'm not completely happy however, there's a deal on a voucher for a heavily discounted print.  I'll buy the voucher then I'll have a month from date of purchase to complete and order the book.  I'll buy it on the last day of the offer and then I'll spend time going through it a few times to tidy it up and try to become happy with the pages I'm not too pleased with.  A few days break may help.

I was awake at 2:30 this morning.  Got up at 4:30 because I got fed up of laying there with brain refusing to shut down.  By the time the OH had got up I'd sorted out all my recipes and rehomed them.  Completed my Microsoft daily challenges and completed the photo book which I'd left with a few pages and a couple of days of the holiday to do.  To that end, here is what it is at the moment.  It may change a bit but most of it will stay as is .....

http://www.photobox.co.uk/creation/4398163425

It's been a while since I've done one.  Not even sure how to get it on the blog other than a straight forward link.  May have to go look at previous ones - ROFL!

UPDATE: 22/09/16 - it seems all my other photo books have disappeared from the blog.  Have a job to put links on now and update the relevant posts.  Thanks Google 'cos can't see any other reason they'd have disappeared other than Blogger no longer accepting how they were put on *sad*

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Arrghhhh! ...

... slipping behind again *shock!*

I keep getting side-tracked.  I'm trying to do a photo book for the Florida trip I did with some of Clair's workshop members back in May.  It's easy for it to take over everything and before I know it the 10 minutes I was going to give it has become a few hours.  I'm working on day 7.  I've got to day 7 reasonably quickly and easily but day 7 is Disney's Magic Kingdom day.  Lots of photos and, although most won't make it into the book and not even been selected to download to the Photobox album, there's still lots to go through and be selective.  When I started doing these photo books the largest book had 100 pages.  The last one I did they'd increased that to 120.  I notice that it's now 160.  Initially I didn't think I was going to get to the 100.  Without Magic Kingdom and Epcot (which is still to be done) I don't think I would have.  It now seems, I may need the full 160 *wow!*

I do have things to blog - another tourist in my home town trip out and a different workshop.  Photos have been uploaded for one, photos of results still to be taken of another and ... a birthday!  Our little grandson was 8 on Thursday.

I'll try harder to leave the photo book and catch up here .... perhaps *LOL!*

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Workshop ...

... first of Clair's in September.  Rolled flowers.  I'm not a fan of rolled flowers.  Have tried to love them.  Have tried to like them but they just don't do it for me.  The card is pretty but it would have been as pretty using different flowers.  I finished the base card in workshop - and a few of the flowers were rolled.  I didn't finish them there.  I took an old paperback book with me.  The sample card was grey, pink and blue flowers.  I fancied a few book page ones.  Initially wasn't going to use any pink but the pink lifted the other colours so pink was used.  I like the book page flowers.  Should have used a different book though.  The pages of this one were a tad too thin to make the flowers effectively.  It'll make good background paper though and I'm sure there are other ways it will be used.  I'll use thicker book pages for flowers in future.  So, here's the card ..... will have to think about who's likely to be receiving this one.  *grin*

Workshop was interesting this week. A sing-song began.  Can't remember how or why but what started as a sing-song pretty much became a full scale choir.  Strangely it sounded really good - and was fun!

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Doctors, nurses ...

 ... nothing much more interesting except we've had a day looking after this little one.

This past week we decided to be tourists in our own town and take a boat trip from the Marina. Just 45 minutes along the coast, from the Marina, out past the Palace Pier and on to the West Pier ruins and then back again.  On buying the ticket the guy said it was choppy and we may get wet.  'Tis only water!  It was a tad choppy but I was able to stand when I wanted - and we didn't get wet.  Well, one spray hit us but that was all.  Kids were loving it - just like a theme park ride was the general concensus.  I thought it better *LOL*

The West Pier will never be restored.  There's a new attraction where the entrance to the West Pier used to be.  It opened towards the end of August.  The i360 or i-Sore as some have dubbed it.  Have to say it's a weird looking thing.  The pod looks so tiny compared to the pole it travels up but it's supposed to carry 250 people.  I've not been up in it yet.  I'll wait until the novelty has worn off then go and register as a resident and get the ride half price *grin*.  I'll go up once, to say I've done it.  Doubt I'll bother again.  I've heard complaints that it's not a long enough ride.  I'm lead to believe it's 20 minutes in total.  The complaints I've heard about say you don't get long at the top (which isn't the top but quite a few meters below the actual top of the pole) - not long enough to take everything in, anyway.  Guess half price might be as much as anyone should pay???  I'll find out when I do it.  It did look as though it spends longer at ground level than 'up the pole' *LOL!*

On the way back to the Marina I got some shots of the coast the other way ... Rottingdean, Saltdean, Peacehaven and beyond ... Newhaven, Seaford

The only other thing of note that happened ...

The OH drove for the first time in over 2 years *YAY!*  My car is booked for it's MOT and should be back on the road at the end of the month - over a year since it has been.  Just hope it doesn't need major works.

Nothing crafty to show.  Workshop card from last week hasn't been finished yet.  I've flowers to roll - or replace.  Not decided yet but will at some point.

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