March ....

... the 2nd part *ROFL*

Busy! Bed making, 4 workshops, movies, hospital appointments (the OH, not me), opticians (me, not the OH), Mother's Day, a new toy for the OH and a tip run for me.  Some covered here, others for the future .....

The bed replacement went well.  It took me an afternoon, once I got time to work on it, before I got to a stage where I needed a little help - or so I thought.  I realised afterwards that I could have done it completely on my own by just putting a part together in a different way to the instructions but hey-ho, youngest came and gave me the 15 minutes of help needed and I finished putting it together a couple of afternoons later.

From this ....

To this .....

Time taken in total, not allowing for the frequent breaks I needed ... about 2 to 3 hours.  Tip run?  To get rid of all the blimming cardboard, polystyrene and plastic packaging.  All in all this bed gave me a good workout, that's for sure, but not bad for an old girl *wink*

Workshops ... in order of appearance

Oyster Stamps, held at West Wittering.  That'll be in another post *grin*

Clair & Sharni's .... cards, details made follow

Linda Goble ... something a little different and another post

Helen Winstone ... a Stampin' Up afternoon and very enjoyable - cards at end.

Clair & Sharni's workshop this time were cuties

Clair's card 

 Stamps: Wild Rose Studio Dog with a Heart stamp, Stampin' Up Best  Wishes,

 Dies: MFT Stitched Stax, Mama Elephant Mini Tags

 Background: Nuvo mousse, Tonic stencil

Sharni's card
 Stamps: WRS Bunny Ballerina, Lawn Fawn Happy, Happy, Happy

 Dies:  Lawn Fawn Happy, Happy, Happy,  MFT Stitched Scallop Basic edge 1

Helen's Stampin' Up workshop.  I love this stamp set ...

More will follow - at some point *wink*

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Friday was ...

... an amazing day.  My first experience of a cruise ship. P&O's cruise ship Aurora.  I went, with my bro, sis-in-law and niece to visit my youngest nephew while he was in port before departing to the Caribbean for Christmas.  He'd just docked on return from a Baltic cruise so had a few hours off.  We delivered his Christmas presents and he gave us a tour of the ship.  Lunch was had on the ship and the food was wonderful.  The ship is amazing.  It's not the biggest of P&Os fleet, by any means but it's classic and looked extra good all dressed for Christmas.  We had to be off the ship by 3pm but it was quite an experience and a few hours I shall remember for a long time.  He took us backstage to show us the dressing rooms and the general backstage area full of props and costumes.  Even got to stand on the stage looking into the auditorium. He then took us round the rest of the ship. We'd happily have stowed away but we'd had to hand our passports in before we boarded so they'd have noticed we'd not returned for them *ROFL*   Lots of photos ......

Theatre

Atrium

A dining room

Cinema

Lounge

Another dining room

Yes, that does say World Cruise 2017.  It's his next one when this one is done - not jealous!

One of the 3 swimming pools.  This one is covered but has a sliding roof.

Another pool

Crow's nest bar - above the bridge.  Entrance to the bridge is where the railings are.

Library

Costas, but like none I've ever seen before - lol!

Nephew and his girlfriend who has joined him for the duration of the Christmas cruise

Crafty stuff ....
The Tuesday following the All Counties Craft Challenge weekend in Godalming I did another workshop with Helen of Craft Bunnies.  She was leading us through the making of a calendar using an Ikea photo frame.  I loved it.  I'm thinking I may make some more but, then again - lol!  Once again, with Helen, it was all Stampin' Up products used - apart from the frame and the book rings.

At this point, my crafting for the year is nearly at an end.  Just one more crafty day left in November  to note and it's all done until 2017 although I think I've missed one of Clair's.  I'll have to check ....

Greta is having a 'playday' this week but not sure there'll be much done by way of crafting.  More like chatting and laughing ending up with a meal.
There's still plenty of other 'stuff' before I'm done with 2016 though *grin*

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Lovely afternoon ...

... today.  Youngest grandchildren's school Christmas concert.  First year that 2 have been in the same production - and the last as there will only be the youngest left at this school next year.  It was a singing concert, rather than an acted performance.  Youngest managed to sing a bit and that's a novelty as he normally doesn't sing, or take part, much at all *lol!*  Photos taken, to be reviewed, but not holding breath that they're any good.  Light was bad for photos and they were too far away really.  We'll see.

Holiday to Norfolk in October.  Photos edited, rubbish ones deleted, suspect ones kept along with the good.  A photo book is going to be done!  A lovely week.

We spent our anniversary afternoon on a Broads Tour.  After that there was a decidedly animal theme to the week.  We visited Africa Alive safari park, just outside Lowestoft.  A change of continent and we went to Thrigby Hall Animal Park ... Asian animals.  We had a day in Great Yarmouth.  Totally dead and not impressed but while there we went to the Sealife Centre and then had a stroll around Merrivale Model Village.  That was a quaint, old fashioned attraction but pretty good.  Weather was very changeable, sunny, warm and shirt sleeve order one day to wet, miserable and wintry cold another.  Photos?  When the photo book is done *grin* .... except -

- 2016 finishes with 3 'super moons' - one in October, the best in November (the closest it's been to earth in many a year) and the last in December.  The October one was the night of our anniversary.  I played with the OH's camera.  October 2016's Hunter super moon .....

In November I did quite a number of workshops.
The weekend before a "very special weekend" there was another Christmas card workshop with Helen of Crafty Bunnies.  Cally and I made a day of it and visited Hobbycraft before lunch and then, after lunch, on to Helen's.  A lovely day and not a bad selection of cards made *grin*

Again, with Helen, all products used were Stampin' Up ones ... papers, stamps, inks and cardstock - everything.

The day before the "very special weekend" I did Linda's last workshop of the year.  I think what we did that day has to be my most favourite card of the year.  An 8x8 card, the snowman is a retired (I think 'cos can't find it anywhere) Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers/copics (can't remember now) after he'd been masked and the background put in. The sky was done with distress inks and ink duster brushes.  Love the soft effect these brushes give, and with no risk of those lines that you can get with the blender foam.  Finished with fluffy stuff and glitter glue for the berries   I love, love, love this card!  It's stunning and the photos just don't do it any justice at all.  I'm planning on finding a nice frame ...

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Think I've ...

... found some time to do some catch up with the blog.  The Florida photobook side-tracked me and got me behind and then life has got in the way but, although still mega busy I've managed to sort some photos from workshops and 'stuff' over the past few months.. Seems I've not had much time to myself for a good while.  My social life really took off and, although I've still a pretty full calendar up until Christmas it may quieten down a bit after ... for a while.

This weekend we've been dog sitting again - our eldest's little Frenchie, Bella.  They had a Christmas party to go to at a local hotel (the Metropole).  We were more than happy to have charge of Bella for a while *grin*   

Bit of a busy house before everyone disappeared to do whatever they were doing - Christmas parties, working, whatever.  The OH keeping Bella occupied, or is that the other way round?  Eldest writing the Christmas cards.  Eldest granddaughter performing surgery on the daughter-in-law .... well doing her lashes at least.  Eldest grandson was lurking as well but he's camera shy .... not! however he's difficult to get a photo of!

I'd planned on getting the Christmas tree up this weekend.  If it didn't get done this weekend it wasn't going to get done at all.  Bella thought she'd help *ROFL*  I was presented with various decorations in part of the living room I didn't need them in but, she tried!  The decs, at least, all we're having ... are up.

That leads me neatly on to a 'catch up'.   I noted, way back, that I'd done a new, all day, Christmas card workshop back in September.  It was held by Helen of Crafty Bunnies.  It was a good day and we made several Christmas card designs and some tags.  All products used were Stampin' Up but then Helen is a Stampin' Up demonstrator.  I've since done more workshops with her ....  For now, this is what we made on the all day workshop.

Also in September I went to another different workshop.  Somebody I knew was doing workshops and I found out about one I was interested in and contacted her to see if she had space for me and my mate Cally to join her workshops.  Unfortunately she had no space for either of us so I asked her to keep us in mind.  I then got a message to say that a space had come free for this one particular workshop but only one so I took it up.  Decorating a glass block.  Well, I did the basic decorating and bought the block home.  I purchased lights to go inside and that was it but ... I wanted to do something more with it.  I finally got to do that something more today .... Yep, nearly 3 months after making it, it finally got finished today and it's in use and looking very pretty :)  I love it *grin*

As it's turned out, I've been able to go to all of Linda's workshops since.  She really has a limit of 4 so it was agreed I would step in when one of the 4 in the group I was placed in couldn't make it.  Since September somebody has had to drop out for one reason or another so I've been able to go.  It now looks as though I'll be going regularly, whatever, and making a 5th member.  Linda already has one group of 5.  It's pretty cosy but she seems to think it can work ... just.  We'll see.  I don't mind keeping it on an adhoc basis.

This week just gone Linda arranged a Christmas lunch for all her workshop people (can't say ladies as there's a male involved in one).  A lovely lunch at an Italian restaurant local to her.  The food was wonderful and extremely reasonable.  Made a change to go to an independant as opposed to a chain.  As it turned out, there were only 3 people I'd not met before. Everyone else goes to Clair's workshops as well - or I've met them at one of Clair's all day workshops *grin*

 

Think I need a hair cut!  Oh yes, that'll be on Tuesday then *ROFL*  Another busy week on the calendar .....

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