About Me

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Hi, Welcome to my Blog. I'm an eclectic kind of crafter delving into many pots. I am just about managing to keep up my Scrapbooking Diary (usually about 6 months behind), plus any cards as required. I have a new found love of watercolour and Bible Journaling plus recently Junk Journaling too. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Art Journaling, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband, our son has left home now. For exercise I usually play Badminton and go Ballroom and Latin Dancing, but am plagued by a bad back. I like walking which I couple with Geocaching and sometimes Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I guess I am officially retired now. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Wednesday 27 July 2022

WOYWW #686 - Exercises, WATER, Graduation

I'm seeing my osteopath about various things right now (Back, Hamstring, Shoulder and Knee). 

So my desk is festooned with different weights ready for my new regime of exercises.

I did however do a scrapbook page this week.

The photos are from Advent/November last year when Jan introduced us to crocheted angels. Remember those, I made 20+ in the end.

I used one of my new Kraft Crazy dies of the angel, all the photos don't leave much room for other stuff but I managed it.
As for the WATER situation with a drought looming especially here in the South East, I have been saving water from various activities for the garden,

1) The Air-Con machine dehumidifies so there is a run off of water so that is collected in jugs...


2) I started saving run through water, and veg washing water in the kitchen,  and quite amazed at how much "waste" water there is.

Both are now transferred to conveniently located watering cans ready for the garden





3) I tried the jug to watering can method with bath water but that proved too much.

So yesterday we set up a hose from the bathroom to trugs outside. It took a bit to get it going but it worked in the end. 

Best to leave that water for 24 hours before use on garden. 

It's called "Grey Water" and you can definitely see why - LOL.




And to finish my son's Graduation from last week, a hectic day in the heat, driving to and from Southampton St Mary's Stadium but all done and such proud parents. 





Lovely to see him home for the first time since he moved out in March too.





And he insisted on a photo opportunity back at campus. 

a) When he was 18yrs and on his Open Day visit to Southampton University

b) Now Graduated 23yrs, 

I can feel a scrapbook page or two coming on.....





Happy WOYWW Everyone.






PS Blogger is a right pain today, photos won't drag and drop amongst other things!!

Wednesday 20 July 2022

WOYWW #685 - Kraft Crazy - Parcel #1

WOYW(T) What's On Your Workdesk "THURSDAY"

So last Thursday I received my first parcel from Kraft Crazy It's a local craft shop to Julia which is sadly closing down. The owner, Tracey is happy to post out parcels and is listing items on her shop's Facebook page to which we comment if we want them. Postage is charged at cost (I got a YODEL delivery), or you can pop into the shop if you are near enough (opening times on FB page). For Payment she takes Paypal or cards over the phone, it's as simple as that.

Anyway, I was far too excited to remember to take a photo before unpacking everything, but most things are on my Thursday desk. I got some dies and die/stamp sets, some stencils and a die folder with refills. Whoop Whoop.

I cut out all the dies and made up a couple of cards required for birthdays this month and a Christmas card for a friend which I made whilst on a craft call with her. (She was finishing off her bits for the church holiday club - see last week)

The girl came as an angel but I though she was OK as a girl (sans wings) I used my recently acquired circle wreath die from China for that one.

WOYW(M) What's On Your Workdesk "MONDAY"

So why am I writing this on Monday? Well - expecting son home Tuesday for his Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday (2 years later - added advantage is that he gets to graduate with the friends who stayed on an extra year for their Masters) 

So I'll be scheduling this post. But I just had to add that as I have finished off the last scrapbook (17th - all with 60 12x12 LOs). I needed to make room on my shelves by moving some stuff to the top of the wardrobe.

I managed to move down 9 of my old sticky back photo albums (got 19 of those even). So now my 5 new albums fit on the top along with 4 special albums too. Gosh that's a lot of scrapping.

WOYW(M) What's On Your WARDROBE "Monday"

Which leaves me with the wardrobe. The set of shop drawers with bits and bobs (from shelves) fit on here nicely and I've displayed various journals up there too.

Hope you have all managed OK in the heat - I've just had to succumb to putting air-con on as I'm dying in this heat despite putting car windscreen reflectors up on South facing Windows.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Wednesday 13 July 2022

WOYWW #684 - Craft Prep for Church Holiday Club

Wasn't expecting this last week but got a message from church asking for craft preparation volunteers. I waved my hands and picked up 4 packs to do on Sunday.


Did 3 Monday and the last one yesterday. Gosh that church paper trimmer is a tricky thing! 

Good job we have an air-con machine (which DH fixed Sunday as it wouldn't turn off Saturday night!!) With that and two fans I am just about existing in my room which thinks its Kew's hot house at present. 
I smiled at the wool supplied for the tags as it was one I'd donated to church.

Cutting these 140 cards out was the hardest pack by far. 
Oh and before I got to do all this I had done 7 scrapbook pages and an insert with journalling.

I was spurred on by the fact that these will fill my current scrapbook album and I'll get to start one of my new ones with my next page.

 
So a happier looking one of my hand post OP. The "get well" flowers I got chose the colours for me.


This is the journalling A4 card which will be slipped in between the 12x12 pages with the ribbon poking out of the top. 

The journalling isn't the happiest as last October was very challenging for me, I was very depressed and my self confidence had gone completely losing the function in my right hand for so long...

The photos are of my ear drums as I had my hearing test at the hospital soon after my hand op.

Green page is our first geocaching since my op and the Blue is my hubby going for a steroid injection for his thumb. He just had to get in on the action!




The last 3 pages are of England's Centenary Wood by the Woodland Trust in Langley Vale just a hop and a skip over Epsom Racecourse for us.

They are still and I mean STILL in the process of completing a car park so we had to be inventive in where we parked.

I guess that is me for this week phew!


Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Wednesday 6 July 2022

WOYWW #683 - Circle Wreath Die (from China!)

Nothing like a new die to get me crafting although truth be told I did start the double LO before the die actually arrived. 

Many thanks to Cindy who managed to find a source for the much wanted circle wreath die and as it wasn't that expensive we thought we'd have a go ordering from Ebay/China. 

It took 18days to arrive, didn't cut too well in it's original state (3 dies held together by metal tabs), so I separated them and did a double run through the Cuttlebug individually and all OK.

I managed to use the good cuts AND the not go good ones on my layout entitled THING. 

If you are of an age you'll remember The Addams Family's helping hand called Thing. I'd fussy cut my pre-op hand photo and this was what came to mind. 

Got a load of dies stacking up on order from Kraft Crazy, expecting to be crafting much more when I eventually get those.

Have done a jigsaw too. It's of Burning Shed a music supplier that my husband uses "a lot". 

I made myself do the sky first and the rest was pretty straight forward. 

I've had a little play with the fact that the 1000 piece jigsaws are made using a 500 piece die which is rotated for the second half of the picture. 


It takes all sorts....


And for the record my desk on Saturday - Hubby's 66th birthday... 

Totally inspired by Jan's Poppy bag fabric from last week.


So I got out my pieces of that same fabric and made my Hubby a couple of covers for his wheat heat bags (beany/hotty).

Nice surprise when he got back from his cycle ride.

Happy WOYWW Everyone