Ballet

I have always loved to dance, it's like singing with your body.

I started Ballet classes around 4yrs and continued until about 14yrs.

I got my first and only tutu in April 1970 when I was just 6yrs, it still fitted me the following year although you can see my hair had grown somewhat.

I not only did Ballet, but also Tap, Modern, National and Greek dancing. I was often on stage in competition or productions. I remember being in Thumberlina and Snow White. I was a bunny in the latter (thankfully no photo!!). This was all when I lived in South Devon in the early 70's.

I have 4 certificates to show my achievements. I won a medal and distinction for my Bretagne Duet with Julia Creber and also a distinction for our "Busy Doing Nothing" duet with Amanda Rundle in the same year 1971.

   

I auditioned for the Royal Ballet School and got to the last section but didn't get a place.

I got up to Pre-elementary in my Ballet Exams and was just into Pointe Ballet Shoes when we moved house/area and I gave up.

I gave my pointe shoes away to a friend's sister, something I now regret.



However I found a keyring shoe in a dance shop the other day. It is made the same way as a real shoe and I love it.

I remember Ballet with fondness and still love to dance and find I now live just up the road from the birthplace of Dame Margot Fonteyn.

In my late 20's/early 30's I did Ballroom and Latin dancing at Peggy Spencer's Dance Centre in Penge and recently I have taken up Line Dancing.

I'd love to do more Ballroom/Latin but lacking a dancing partner is a big consideration....one day........

WOYWW #398 - Flowers Abound

Here's my desk today. Just got a couple deliveries, 2 books for preschool and 3 stickles.

The stickles colours are:- Lagoon, Gold and Raspberry Tart.

The Raspberry Tart isn't exactly what I was expecting as the basic pink colour is flecked with holographic blue a bit like the Crystal.

My makes for this week are, a tag for a SWAP.


Then I used the left-over flower diecuts for a journal page and one of my favourite poem quotes by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

I will be the gladdest thing under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one.





Finally I did the last page of my 60 page 12th 12x12 scrapbook album.

Still have over 100 photos to scrap to finish off 2016, goodness me!

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

PS And my favourite music of the moment is Ed Sheeran. I downloaded his latest 2 singles and have pre-ordered his new album due out on 3rd March called Divide. Oh YES!

WOYWW #397 - Spot the Difference?

Guess what's changed on my desk?

If you can't spot it - the answer is here.

Saw another desker use a panorama so I have done the same with my craftcorner.

I have done quite a bit of crafting this week but had to pack it up for my Mum's birthday which is today. 

I made her a mini album of my son's "learning to drive adventure" which she financed.

The last page has two hidden tags which we wrote our thank yous on.

I also made an ATC thank you and a card for my aunt's birthday next month. On a roll.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

New Puter!

My desk has gone from craft to computer!

I acquired the computer by default from my Mum as she just got a new one. We bought a few new parts and my husband updated it for me.

I used to have a laptop but it died sometime after I got my Nexus 7 tablet in October 2013 so I have survived with just that and the use of the main PC as and when...

I did get my first smartphone last April so now I have my very own PC as well. Much easier to write my blog on a proper keyboard with a bigger screen.

Only problem is I have a lot of crafty stuff to find homes for now - oh well.

Up side is I will be doing more stuff with my SAD light which can only be good at this time of year.

Onwards and Upwards.

WOYWW #396 - Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.

Gosh, I've not blogged for 4 weeks but here I am again.

On my desk are some dies (bought/freebies).


My SWAP challenge this month is to make something with New Stash so hopefully I'll be able to show something before long.








I did make up the wooden owl last night which was a gift from a friend for Christmas.

Next to him is my Pokémon Squirtle toy from my son.

The "Lush" album is awaiting the photos of my son and his new little car. My Mum bought him his lessons and the car so I'll be making the album for her. Not sure I'll manage it for her birthday on 11th though - come on Photobox

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #392 - Gold Dust

I thought the top thing on my Bucket List wouldn't be possible, as it's something you just cannot buy.

My friend said I could be her birthing partner (aswell as her husband) but we still didn't think it would happen as I live a bit away from her and lots of other factors....

Well last Thursday the phone call came. She hadn't left for the hospital yet but I jumped into action, ate hurriedly took some paracetamol for a headache and cut my thumb quite badly on the silver packaging!!! Taped that up and flew out the door.

It was dark and rush hour and I wasn't that sure where the hospital was!!! There were roadworks and long queues, but I made it.

They were still in the triage cubical but the contractions were coming thick and fast. I did back massage and made them both laugh which eased the tension.

It was the most serene time ever amidst all the pain and gas & air (fairy juice!). She did it - a baby boy on 1st December and I got to cut the cord as well. Well that's my Christmas present all sorted.

As for my desk - well Christmas crafting has gone out of the window. I bought some basic cards with the intention of adding some sparkle. What a time for your gold Stickles to run out.

Well actually not run out but refuse to come out of the pot as they were just left around the sides.

First I took the nozzle off and got as much out of there as possible and used an embossing tool to sparkle my stars, but I still couldn't reach the sides!

Second I cut the bottom off to get the rest out. I sparkled 30 cards and still have a good deal left which I put in a little container (hope it keeps OK in there).

So there we have it
Gold Dust of an experience I am still on a high from and
Gold Dust in the form of Stickles.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #391 - Wheel Trims

OK so my desk still hasn't seen any action since last week and trying not to bore too much I have substituted Workdesk with Wheel Trims!

I have steel wheels on my car, which I bought nearly new 9 yrs ago. The wheel trims were stolen a few years back so we replaced with some generic Halfords ones. These have become a tad tatty over the years plus my son had a run in with the curb when he was learning to drive so we decided to replace them after he passed his test.

So here are my wheel trims:-

Steel with slight dent, and Original Trims, all four were stolen overnight from right outside our house! Original trims cost in the region of £30 for ONE!



First replacement (apparently a pain to clean?) and new replacements,
Richmond - £20 for a 4 pack!
Funny how the replacements try to look like alloy wheels but the original ones didn't.



I learnt my lesson with trim thieves and have my trims secured with cable ties.

So there we have it, What's on your Wheel Trim Wednesday! (WOYWW)

PS Zsuzsu if you see this please get in touch with me by my email as I can't reply to any of your posts without signing up to Google + and I would so like to reply to your comments.

WOYWW #390 - Crafting but not Christmas!

So I actually did some crafting this week, despite a horrid cough!

Also managed a course for work yesterday on the schemas young children use as they learn, which accounts for the book on my desk.


For our SWAP this month on UKPC we did a sketch.

Certainly got me out of the usual box I cling to with my crafting. I flipped the image for my card.

I had a bit of trouble with sticking the metallic ric-rac as my pinflair was a bit "thick" from non-use of late! So I had to commandeer my Cuttlebug for some weight on the problem.




Then I did a journal page with a couple of characters drawn by a friend, as I thought they needed a home.




Gosh my stencils and stamps haven't seen the light of day for months, I'd quite forgotten how to journal too.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #389 - Result!

I can hardly contain myself, been all fingers and thumbs since the news.

My Son PASSED his driving test today!!!

BJ does happy dance.

Result - Empty Desk!

Was trying to alter a t-shirt but stretchy fabric is notorious for puckering and stuff so result resigned to fabric drawer!

PC up swanny with regards photo editing so can't even do that today but here is the LO I started last week all done.

Happy WOYWW Everyone!

BJ still doing Happy Dance!

WOYWW #388 - More Decluttering!

Having super cleaned and tidied one side of my room for the ceiling repairs the other week I though my actual "Craft Corner" needed some sorting too. Fortunately I found a "before" photo from back in June to show the difference.

  

OK so truth be told I did manage to visit my old (now closed down) craft shop's sale in a church hall. They have them now and again but this was the first I could make and at 10p a sheet for 12x12 papers/card I got a job lot. Oh and some brads and a décopatch turtle for good measure.

So perhaps all the new stash pushed me to declutter more? Whatever, it is a bit better now but I have my eye on the top shelf now!!


The new papers did get me started on some more LOs. The Queen on her way to Epsom Derby and our Preschool celebrating the Queen's 90th Birthday. They sent the Queen a birthday card and she sent a reply which was great.

Oh and did you manage to spot my new addition from last week?



I made him up Wednesday evening whilst watching TV. I used lime green thread, of various shades, which was all I had in my stash. Plus I added different buttons for his eyes and one on the heart and I did french knots on the bib too. The ribbon hanger was from a cardigan. I'd just snipped them out although I'd had the cardi for years!!

So I guess that is me for the week.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

WOYWW #387 - Tidy

After last week's upheaval with the ceiling work, that side of my room got a jolly good clean and tidy. I did hurt my back/shoulder in the process so ended up having to rest quite a bit of last weekend and I also had an IBS episode but that calmed down after 24hours of being uncomfortable!



I tossed out most of my old craft mags and rearranged my stuff on my bookshelves.

I came across the kit for the little owl I made up a while back which has been on my desk since and laid out the pieces to make up its sibling but that was as far as it went. As it is black, white and grey I was pondering adding an accent colour like we did for our SWAP on UKPC last month. Lime Green is my colour of choice at the moment.

OK so not much going on here.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Finally for the Geocachers out there, my latest travel bug, the dolphin TB5H393 has actually moved!

I did ask on a FB page and one lad said he'd go and get it but the very same day someone else got it and moved it on - yippee.

I have also registered one for myself today, the second Celtic Heart, TB68AYA to log where I go as it is the replacement for the first one which got lost a few years ago. Didn't realise you could do that until I joined the Geocaching UK Facebook Group. Learning so much more now.