Lady June Workshop - part 2

... but not before noting my 5 seconds of fame!  I had one of my photos shown on the TV last night.  It was shown on Meridian TV's weather slot during the 6pm news programme.  Was so shocked.  Heard my name, looked up and there it was .... gone!  Haven't a clue what else was said as it was totally unexpected although, if I'd read my emails before the programme aired I could have been prepared and hubby wouldn't have missed it either - *LOL*  It was a photo I sent in at the beginning of February so certainly didn't expect it to be shown this far on.  Which photo was it?  This one!

Was really tired yesterday after the day at Deb's.  I think a full day of crafting, 180 miles and 4¼ hours on the road for the round trip took it out of me but it was well worth it.  Anyways, as I had another day of crafting booked with Jane at the Glitterpot today I decided to take it easy and spent the day working on my new and improved year book.  Yep, I'm back to that again *grin*  I did have time out to cook dinner  ... no sign of 'im indoors taking up those reins again just yet :0( ... Spanish style baked eggs, and very nice 'twere too!  Perhaps I need to start cooking some rubbish meals to encourage the take over *hehe!*

Here it is ... the final card made last Saturday and my second fave of the day although this one I had to finish at home.

Once again using the Lady June stamp mentioned in yesterday's post.  I think that everything else is pretty  much self-explanatory. This time it was to be used monochromatic but I felt that it needed to have a tiny bit of colour just to lift it so, tiny bit of colour I added!

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Lady June Workshop - part 1

Had a lovely day at Debs yesterday but I'm pooped - *LOL*. Meeting up with old friends and a day of crafting and chatting. Some excellent projects and a wonderful lunch. Debs certainly does us proud. Life can't get any better than that. Projects will be posted in due course but, in the meantime here's some more from the day of workshops at the Glitterpot last week.

Saturday 12th March - workshop with Jane Gill  at the Glitterpot.

This time we were using Jane's new Woodware stamp set called .... Lady June.  Pictures tell it all really.  Stamped with Stazon and light watercolouring (apart from the hair I actually like what I did .... makes a change!) Doily behind Nestie scalloped oval was inked, stamped image matted onto scalloped oval, feather, gems and ribbon. Easy to put together and very effective. This stamp set joined my collection :0)

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Bubble Butterflies Workshop - part 2!

The 2nd card we made I absolutely loved!

We used the large, single Woodware Bubble Butterfly stamp.  This is a very large stamp and would make a definite statement on a large square or A5 card.  

This one was stamped onto black shrink plastic with white Stazon, cut out  and heated until it had shrunk.  While still warm (I would say it was blooming hot) the wings were raised and held until the plastic had gone hard ... to give it some dimension.  I should add here that, before heating, the cut out shape was heavily doused with a stamp buddy (or talc would do) to help prevent the plastic sticking to itself as it curls through the heating process.  The powder was cleaned off with a baby wipe before gems/pearls/Stickles and Liquid Pearls were applied to decorate.  A large statement flower was made using various sizes of scalloped circles (I've seen tutorials for this type of flower in blogland but can't remember where so can't post a link but ..... if there's enough interest I might do one).  Stamped Hero Arts greeting onto a rectangle, matted with toning paper/card to the background papers (BoBunny in this instance), a border punch (this one was one of the new Woodware Crafty Edger - foolproof for matching the pattern) a bit of ribbon and done!  I fixed the butterfly with a blob of Pinflair gel but a sticky dot would work as well.     

One tip - if using Stickles, Liquid Pearls and the like .... allow each different product/colour to dry before adding another as they tend to run slightly, as can be seen on mine if looked at closely enough.

There were several variations of this card across the ladies in the workshop as not all added the butterfly to their flower.  It depended on how the rest of the card came together as to where the butterfly was placed but, without exception, all the cards were stunning.  Everyone's colour selections worked (we chose our own) as did their layouts.

Thanks Jane, for making us think for ourselves instead of having it handed on a plate!

Photos are not good as light was bad when taken.  The top of the card was actually a browny colour, not green

Dad day yesterday and, oh dear!  He seems to be getting worse mentally. Last week he started to ask me about what he had to do with his hearing aids when he went to bed. Went through the routine with him, a routine he's been doing for at least 10 years and what happens this week? The whole visit was taken up with the same thing.  Somehow he's managed to forget the routine or he's started thinking about it without doing it on auto-pilot and he's confused himself. He wasn't even wearing them yesterday and, when asked, he told me he'd not been wearing them for a 'couple of days' which could actually mean since my last visit. He has no concept of time. One had run out of battery but it seems he's now stopped asking the carers to change them for him as well. I told him he can't wait for me. If I'm ill he could be without them for weeks and nobody wants to hear his TV blaring out as it was yesterday - *lol* I've left a note for the carers to check he deals with the aids correctly at night .....  

There's other signs of deterioration as well. He gets so cross as he's aware that he's getting worse. He has trouble explaining things. He knows what he wants to say but the words aren't there. Lack of socialising doesn't help but he seems to think he's very busy. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that he's living his life in his head and that is his reality. Anything outside of his head is becoming increasingly difficult for him and that includes talking and conversing. It's scarey that it could be me in a few years.

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Bubble Butterflies Workshop - part 1!

But first -
Had another busy day, for me, yesterday.  Got the last 2 kitchen cupboards sorted while hubby was having his post op appointment with the surgeon, followed by an appointment with the hand therapist.  Found plenty more rubbish which will be finding it's way, either to the dogs home shop (might be rubbish to us but to somebody else?) or the tip!  Unfortunately there's more for the tip this time than the dogs home shop, although I found a lot of garden 'stuff' that my neighbour can probably find a use for ;0).  Only problem I've got now ... I found another cupboard I'd forgotten about.  Small one so decided to take care of that as well but - it's had a spill of something in it and it's a pull out which has to come off of runners so it's not an easy job.  Decided to leave it for another day as it's going to be a tough job to clean up whatever has spilled. Unfortunately I think some sort of chemical will need to be used.  So not good for my lungs but needs must!

Hubby can now start using his hand, gently, fully ... being sensible with it so, my cooking duties will be disappearing again soon - yay!  He can try driving again as well so hopefully I'll be getting my Wednesday's back as he's been champing at the bit to go shooting.  He was concerned about a 'clicking' he was getting near his thumb sometimes but seems they're not too concerned about that as it's not part of what they've done.  Just suggested it might be a touch of arthritis.  He was also concerned about a lump that had appeared on the side of his thumb 'joint'.  Turns out it's a screw they put in to hold everything together until it had all 'gelled'.  The screw will be coming out .... :0)  Looks as though normal life, as we know it, will be returning to some degree - and am I pleased about that! *hehe*

Anyway ...

Saturday March 12th, workshop with Jane Gill at the Glitterpot.

A 'scrapling' card.  The bit of card you get left with when you cut a folded piece of A4 to make a square card.  Don't let it go to waste ... use it - *lol*

Butterfly (using a stamp from Jane's new Woodware set called .... Bubble Butterflies :0)) stamped onto parchment/thick vellum and coloured with a variety of Sakura pens.  Gelly roll, normal, stardust - whatever is to hand.  A combination of a very large punched blossom, a variety of toning/contrasting paper flowers and a brad (in this instance a felt one).  A stencil ...  Jane had made the stencils from acetate and punches and there was a variety.  I chose the flower and double stenciled to give a shadow effect - and a greeting.

Quick, but very effective and the butterfly could be coloured with anything that will take to parchment/vellum.

Unfortunately photo shows the pen lines of the colouring but it's not actually obvious in real life.

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We are so lucky!

Day after day I've been watching the news since the awful events in Japan and I think how lucky we are to live where we do. The pictures that are being shown now, taken by the ordinary people, really give a sense of the devastation, the power and scale of the tsunami and what it's left in it's wake.  I feel so terribly sorry for those people and can't imagine how they will have the strength to pick themselves up and rebuild their lives.  At the same time I'm in awe.  It may seem strange and even a bit cold-hearted but, when I see pictures of the people that managed to get to high ground and actually watched what was going on beneath them, in a strange way, I'm envious. They were watching a totally natural spectacle which, hopefully, they will never experience the like of again in their lifetime but, in the fullness of time will appreciate the experience that they shared.

It just proves though, no amount of technology or knowledge will beat Mother Nature.  She will always win in the end.

My heart goes out to each and every one of them.

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On the way home ...

... on Wednesday, after I'd photographed the Meridian Monument, I decided to stop in Rottingdean and took a few photos around, and from, the village pond :0)  Lovely village and I'm so lucky to have it on my doorstep - well, within a couple of miles of my doorstep - *grin*

Mr & Mrs Mallard Duck.  

I'm thinking they're getting ready to set up home - *hehe* ↓

Looking south (ish) toward the Plough Inn. ↓

Looking north, across pond, towards Kipling Gardens ... named after Rudyard Kipling who lived in the Elms (just out of picture on right)  from 1897-1902 ↓ 

St Margaret's Church (12th century church, I believe) ↓

War memorial on the village green, facing St Margaret's (east) ↓

War memorial on the village green, facing pond (south) ↓

West view from village green, showing windmill on top of the hill ↓

Zoom into the windmill.  

One day I'll put on my walking shoes, park at top of Beacon Hill and go get a proper photo of this windmill ↓

A warning to anyone who might read blog.  You may notice some funny things going on over the next week or 2.  I'm planning on spending a bit of time playing and giving the blog a makeover. Unfortunately there's only so much I can do in background on my practice blog and it can't be copied over so will be trying and testing as I go. There may be things missing for a while - not by way of posts, current or otherwise - but more to do with the sidebar content.  Please bear with me but it will settle down, sooner rather than later hopefully.

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Another wobbler birthday ...

... this time for a great-nephew. Why does being a Great Aunt make you sound so much older than being a Nana does?  brother became a Great Uncle before he became a Dad - at least I was a Nana before I was a Great Aunt - lol!  Anyway, back to card.

Needed to make one quickly for my oldest great nephew - aged 8 (I think). I rarely see him and it must have been 3 years ago that I did but, would not ignore his birthday for all that. Anyway, I've a stock of these Kanban Wobbler sheets (fault of buying in bulk a kit from QVC). Easy peasy to put together and no brain power required. Most difficult thing with these is deciding what to use as the 'blank' to mount them on - other than deciding which one to make put together. This wobbler doesn't wobble as much as others I've made as I've just layered the head on using foam pads and not made a spring to make head wobble.  Guess you could call this one a ....♪♫♪♫ 'rocker' yeah, a jungle VIP ♪♫♪♫ ... OK, I know it's King of the swingers but poetic licence and all that! Anyway, here it is and excuse the pics as light was going and one had flash go, t'other didn't but you get the idea.

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Out and About ...

... on Wednesday. Well, actually I had my regular visit to the Chiropodist and after I left I decided to pop down the road from his surgery in Peacehaven and take a picture of, what I thought was, the Meridian Monument. This is the first time, in all my life living in such close proximity, that I've actually been to see it!  It was a lovely day but it was blowing a hoolie! Just as well the cliff top is fenced off otherwise I think I might have ended up over it - *lol*

Anyways, the monument that was built to mark the point where the Greenwich (Prime) Meridian passes the English south coast.

Plaque on sea side of the monument recording the date it was built, amongst other things.

On the land side of the monument is a bronze plaque detailing the world's major cities of the time and their distance from this particular point, in miles (waaaay before metrication came along)

View from rear of memorial towards the east.

View to the west with Brighton in the distance, approximately 6 miles away ... and coastline even further away towards Worthing.

Had a lovely day at the Glitterpot today doing workshops with Jane Gill. Good company and great workshops which I thoroughly enjoyed. One card to finish off but 4 cards made, not much spent. Came home and rounded the day off with a Chinese takeaway in front of TV. Can't get much better than that, although ..... arranging a crafty weekend away might just top it - *lol*!

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A Ruby Wedding

I've been waiting to post this card because I wanted to make sure that the recipients had received it.  Unfortunately they haven't!  I sometimes wonder about our postal system. 

UPDATE:  Card arrived ... a week after posting 1st class!

Anyway, dear friends of mine, Greta and Roger, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Sunday.  I didn't find out about it until the early part of last week and I didn't have much time to make a card.  Firstly I had no working room as my crafty space was doing a good job of hiding itself under all the 'junk' I'd piled in it and secondly, we had our night away and I had Dad to deal with amongst the normal 'stuff' I don't normally have to do but have at the moment - until OH is able-ish again.  I managed to get crafty space cleared and, after getting home and having a 'rest' from out night away I set to work .... trying to find mojo!  I had a sketch to follow for a challenge on the forum but I had no idea what to do.  I cobbled something together which I hated so it all came apart and I started again.  Hubby is thinking I'm mad 'cos he liked what I'd done but I didn't.  Still actually didn't like what I ended up with - mojo well and truly left me, or I never really had any in the first place and I can only make cards when I go to a workshop and told what to do :0(  Fact was, I'd run out of time as it had to go in post to get there on time .... or not, as it turned out 'cos they're still waiting!

Ingredients:

Plain white card blank.

Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder Tiny Bubbles.

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Set - Wedding.

Woodware clear stamps - Anniversaries.

Red ink pad for distressing card edges.

Red mirri card.

Ribbon from stash.

Gems from stash.

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Been playing ...

... today. I've started working on getting the blogs merged.  Well, they are actually merged now.  All the posts from Crafty Bits are now here and I've been working on the Tutorials.  Most just didn't make sense the way they'd transferred over so I've been editing and making them understandable again.  They're now done!  I don't think there's much more to do now other than give the layout a make-over and deal with the sidebar then it'll be all ready for the 'relaunch'.  I might (but only might), for the first time ever, offer some blog candy to 'celebrate' :0)

Inbetween times I've been sorting, clearing and cleaning kitchen cupboards - *yawn, boring* - but it has to be done.  Kitchen is a tip and needs a good sort out before I can even think of giving it a deep clean.  Think the dogs home will be getting another delivery soon - *LOL*  Took the opportunity, while Paul was out having his MRI and I had a couple of uninterrupted hours.  Managed to get 2 and a bit cupboards and a drawer done.  3 and a bit cupboards to go and I can then get into the serious cleaning - oh joy!

So now I'll finish the treat post!  I only stopped 'cos of the amount of pics ....

Anyways, we were going to eat in the hotel but didn't fancy what they had on menu.  Paul wanted fish & chips  and beautician told us that a restaurant called 'Fishy, Fishy' (apparently owned by Dermot O'Leary) did ordinary fish & chips as well as more fancy fish dishes.  Off we went to find it only to discover that it didn't have a wheelchair accessible entrance so we decided to try the other option we'd been recommended ... Jamie Oliver's Italian.  Hmmmmm!  Well, what can I say?   There's no booking at this restaurant and you have to be prepared to wait.  We were early so got seated without waiting.  Ordered a bottle of wine and wished we hadn't.  Wine was lovely - menu choice?  Nothing hit us and, if we hadn't already got the wine we'd have left but no option so choices had to be made.  Starters were delicious,  Unfortunately the main courses didn't follow suit.  They were nice but nothing exceptional.  Perhaps we should have had pasta but Paul had steak and I had a medley of local seafood.  Would we go back?  Nope!  The food just wasn't worth the prices being charged.

Back to hotel and did something we never do - watched TV in bed, after I'd had a non-spa bath (it's when I discovered the spa bit wasn't working). Reasonable night, luvverly full English for brekkie and a beautiful bright, sunny morning.  We decided, as we were right on the front and the weather was good, that we'd go for a stroll. Bearly a cloud in the sky and not a whisper of breeze but boy, was it cold!  It did, however, help to digest the mahoosive brekkie and finish our short stay off really nicely :0)

Brighton Fishing Museum

West Pier

Red brick building - Hilton Brighton Hotel Metropole

White building - The Grand Hotel

Grey building/red roof - Brighton Centre (conferences/events/concerts)

Where we stayed.  

Our room suite is the 2 bay windows on the the overhang immediately above the bus.

The hotel Atrium

Dining 'room' was in fact a mezzanine level overlooking the ground floor of the atrium.

View from reception to the rear entrance past the beauty/therapy rooms

This was the first time I'd been in this hotel never having had a function to attend there, or any other reason to go inside.  The atrium is very impressive and the therapy rooms quite luxurious.  The suite wasn't quite as impressive but all in all it was a good break, even if we were only a 20 minute drive from home - *LOL*

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