Phewwweeee! (Wiping brow!!)

Its just soooooooooo hot! What lovely - but hot and tiring weather!
I will catch up with blogging and card pics tomorrow evening I promise! Have the leaving do tonight and have had Gills daughter this weekend for mine's birthday sleepover! We have her again overnight later in the week for as they have their 'marchout'.
Will post any pics that aren't too rude up here tomorrow!!

Woohoo!!!

For 2 reasons!!

1. I passed 2 more courses yesterday!! Yeh! Well done Gill too, we had one of those courses in common.

2. I passed counter 5000 counter hits just now! That is of course not including the couple of thousand that visited before I thought to put in a counter - doh!
I think some blog candy may be in order! After payday at the weekend though! Check back here!!

Almost free!! But getting sad & friendship!

I have one last essay to complete today (on Stress of all things!!) then I am free at last from the OU for a while!!
It will be so nice to have nothing on but my family (albeit as a single parent to 4 under 12 for a few months and alone, far from home) and the Craft Club!!

Its getting closer and closer to Afghanistan for hubby now and I am getting more and more apprehensive. Just a couple of weeks, then he is gone for months. It is becoming more and more hard NOT to watch the news now, with the violence seemingly escalating and worsening again. I just hope with all my heart he stays safe while he is there and returns to us in a few months safe.

I have been getting great support from friends who have been fab these past couple of months especially after all the unwarranted crap I have been taking recently, with the dates of hubby's deployment changing on an almost fortnightly basis and the health issues and hospital appointments to top it all. I just hope that nothing else happens in the next month or 2 to throw a spanner in the works, because that will just be highly unfair with all I have to cope with at the moment already!!

I have also realised recently that some people in this world are just naturally nasty, self centred and vindictive, using any means necessary to upset, manipulate and gain attention.
I have also found recently that most people aren't stupid and can work out who these types of people are themselves without any guidance from me! They make themselves perfectly clear to everyone.
I am learning lessons about friendship here, yes at my age! I have always tried to be honest and loyal. This wins out in the end. Now I have good friends who like me for me - not what I can do for them or because I demand it (which I have never done). Who support me and know I won't lie to them. Because the other type of 'friend' is the one who loses out in the end. Thanks Girls. xx

This weekend I have yet another leaving do, this time for Annette (one of 2!!) and this time GASP! SHOCK! HORROR! We are taking hubby's with us!?!?! We figure they deserve a night out too, bless their cottons!! We are sooo gonna have to be on our very best behaviour (or try anyway... Annette, Martine, I shall be watching you, (snigger))!!!! Once again I will take pics and hopefully the less risque ones will make it onto here! Thats if I am not too drunk and actually remember to take pics!

Has anyone else scrapbooked a night of drunkenness? I figure taking pics will help us remember the 'do' cos the alcohol wont! HAHA!

12 years ago today...

at the tender age of 22 I became a Mummy for the first time!
Happy Birthday baby girl!!!

Cards!! As promised.

OK, here are a few!

By me for youngest to give to Daddy

By eldest for Daddy.

By no'3 to give to Daddy.

Decoupage golf card, also by no'3 for Daddy.

Decoupage RAF card, made by eldest.

Decoupage golf card by no'2.

Also included here are a couple of handmade cards made for daughter no'3 for her birthday last week.

Made at Craft Club.

Made by eldest.

Made by no'2.

Made by Gill for her son to give to no'3 at her party last week.

Gill...

it was an absolute pleasure. xxx

What a lovely evening!

We went to the Wok last night for Gill's leaving meal and it was lovely! Angeline made a nappy cake and we all got her a necklace for her gift, a beautiful choice by Christine which she loved! We had such a lovely evening!

Here are a few pics, some of which I plan to Scrapbook and send on for a 'Miss you' gift from us - so when the big envelope arrives Gill ( I know she reads here!), look surprised!!

This is a little joke tshirt for the baby - wearing his first souvenir from Gibraltar!

The huge nappy cake creation by Angeline!

Gill having a laugh.

Exploring the cake!

The table of beautiful ladies and great friends!!!

I love you all ladies, you been true friends and a fab support to me these past few weeks, I have really enjoyed spending all the extra time with you. The coffee mornings, creative evenings, extended chats on the phone and computer - long may it continue wherever we may be!

Next up is Annette leaving - that will be a night of booze and dancing I expect - I am wondering if Emma C's unhealthy obsession with my hubby and knickers will continue!! I am in groupie hell, haha!!!

A sketch & Exam

We had 2 more newbies for Craft Club last night! Welcome Vicky and Sarah I am so pleased! It was also great to see Sue back again!
We did the sketch challenge again, this time it was this one:
And here was the card I made:

I showed how to do eyelets and we discussed the purchase of a Crop-a-dile (Yeh!!) with the raffle money.

Also yesterday Gill and I had our exam for an OU course we were on, it was lovely as we drove down together, it was just us in the exam so nice and quiet, we kept each others nerves at bay (or were we just at the point of non-caring?!?! LOL) we both finished at the identical time, looked up and it was like "You done? Yeh me too!" Great minds, eh?? I hope I do as well as she does though, she is a very intelligent lady!

Tonight we are off with a nice group of friends for Gill's leaving meal at the Wok just over the border in Spain, she is into her last 3 weeks now and we are really gonna miss her when she goes, we have always been friends as we have so very much in common but we have finally been able/allowed to become really good friends these past few months, spending ages on the phone talking honestly over issues that have been forced our way due to no fault of our own, having 'coffee mornings' etc with some other friends and I tell you, its been lovely! Finally! Its a shame she has to go, but we will keep in contact especially as soon we will have even more in common!

I will pop some photos on the blog of the do this evening, and on our Craft Club Facebook group for those ladies who have access.

I also have a couple of pics to take of cards I made recently so will crack on with that tomorrow!

Take care all and happy crafting :o)

Wow! Its been a week!

Oh we have been so busy!
Gill and I have an exam tomorrow that a little revision has been done for, I have had my 7 year olds birthday and bowling party, been to the pool, had swimming lessons, craft club, youth club, Fathers Day and we have been very busy preparing for hubby going to Afghanistan (as best we can anyway)!!
I have also made a couple of cards AND been getting bits together for my first proper attempt at a scrapbook page!
Once the exam is over tomorrow, I will play catch up and get some pics posted.
Hubby's dates have been changed yet again but now (unless it changes again of course!) they fall so no-ones birthdays should be missed and he should also be here for both of our daughter's plays (she is in High School Musical on 27/6 and Sound of Music as Brigitta Von Trapp for 6 performances in Nov).
So busy, busy and busy!!
We hopefully have quite a few new ones at Craft Club tomorrow and another returning one, so thats all very exciting too!
And phew (wiping brow) after tomorrow, my only commitment outside of my family for a few months is the craft club, so a relaxing summer is in order I hope!

More Blog Candy!

Donalda is having a little blog candy give away cos she can!!! Check it and while you are there take time to have a look at her lovely work.

Another Fathers Day Card

Here is the card I made today for the FIL for Fathers Day on Sunday.

Slightly smaller than the last one!!

Blog Candy

My fab SBS17 sister Tracy is offering blog candy over at her blog! Its her birthday June 14th and is a gorgeous fantasy themed candy!

Sale, card and Oooh I've been ousted....

...as the no'1 on the Toplisted site!! I really am gonna have to stop linking to other sites on there, haha! Still I don't mind, the top one now is one I linked here a week or 2 ago for being so good and also a couple of others I have listed.
As I go through there is still the odd one that misrepresents itself saying it offers free templates and goodies when it doesn't - just to get you to click on it I suppose, but on the whole, the sites are honest and full of genuine crafty loveliness!!

Talking of which!!!!!! MadaboutCards has a sizzling summer sale!! Woohoo!!! Check it out! Then check it out regularly as they often has mini sales too!

I am having an exciting day - I have been mopping my floor! BUT I did find a little time to create a card whilst ignoring the rest of the housework, hehe!
This was made using generic cardstock from my stash, ribbon from my stash (bought from a shop called Princess Silks in Gibraltar), InkItUp! inks, free stamps from the front of Papercraft Inspirations and Papermania brads.
I have a Karaoke party night to celebrate the end of term with Brownies and Rainbows tonight - 3 and a half hours of it..... wish me luck..... I will take a packet of headache tablets with me!!

Free Templates and Papers!!

For download and print off! Go to the Papercraft Inspirations Magazine and the latest papers and templates that come free with their mags are free to print off!! Bargain! Links are on the left. There is also a chance to win crafty stuff and a top tips section!

Blog hopping again!

Been having a look about again, yes should be studying I know, but there are so many crafty sites to explore!!
Kwerner has updated her fab blog - check out her mini cards for her card club and also she has updated her YouTube channel, check out her Make a card Monday cards and there are loads of hints and tips.
The of course there is the wonderful resource Toplisted which has great stuff, I have found:
Debs Blog, she makes simple and beautiful cards!
Cardmakingfriends forum have a crafty chat!

There are a couple more I have been reading but I will list them later as I have to get the kids off to school!! And my eldest is coming home today from her Granada trip!! Yeh!!

Dad - close your eyes!

Ok here it is as promised, didn't turn out anywhere near what I envisioned but I actually quite like it for such a simple card!!

This card is for my dad and will be popped in the post this week so now have to find an envelope big enough! Its a 12 x 12 folded in half. I have used brads as a button on each one, they and the other embellishments are from papermania.

The origami shirt instructions can be found here at Madaboutcards.

Don't forget also that Madaboutcards has quite a few free downloadable papers as you have a good hunt around the projects. Or you can go here where the first download in each set is free.