Happy New Year!

I am one of those people who really struggles with New Year. I love Christmas and always find New Year a bit of an anti-climax.  Also around this time I start to struggle with the lack or normality, the house is still a mess as the all the presents still need to find homes, and I begin to get very irritable.

I quite like a bit of solitude and quite often retreat to my craft room, but as my 2 Goddaughters are currently sleeping in there that is not an option! This is doubly annoying as Santa brought me some lovely crafty goodies that I currently have to find homes for!

I do however make resolutions, not to things up, but to try and do something positive.

This year I plan to...

• Finally finish organising my craft room... (a project that is nearly finished, but currently on hold due to the girls sleeping in it!)
• Post at least once a week to this blog, with examples of what I am up to.
• Complete my colouring lessons at Kit and Clowder, starting with Skin and Hair.
• Finally get some semblance of order and routine to my housework. (a la Flylady)

Wish me luck..... I have a feeling I might need it!!

Happy Christmas Alyce Blog hop

Hi Everyone and Merry Christmas!!

I'm guessing you're here on a blog hop!
I've never done this before, and I'm not a regular blogger (although I plan to change that in the new year!) But this restart to my blog was prompted by wanting to do something to recognise the amazing Alyce Keegan from Kit and Clowder.

About 6 months ago I was looking for ways to improve my colouring, and stumbled upon Alyce's website. I signed up for the skin and hair class and was not disappointed!!

So far for various reasons I haven't got very far into my classes, but look at the improvements already!

This card was created a couple of years ago, and I was really pleased with it at the time. Now look at this one with the same image done this year after a couple of Alyce's classes!

The difference in the colouring is amazing, even I didn't realize how much better I had become until I put these two pictures on the same page!

Not only are there amazing classes but there's  whole online community on Facebook who all support each other with their crafty endeavours!

So thank you Alyce for all your hard work and your amazing classes, keep doing what you do best, which is inspire and encourage over 5000 of us on a daily basis!!

If you've been following the hop you should have come here from http://www.houseofborowski.blogspot.com.au/

So the next blog on the list is http://scrapbynini.fr/

To start at the beginning with the wonderful Mari who organised the blog hop go to http://marikocreations.blogspot.co.uk/

Storm in a tea cup?

Sometimes we Brits can be a funny lot. On Sunday there were severe weather warning of gale and hurricane force winds. On Monday there were a lot of strong winds,some trees down and lots of homes without power.  Most people escaped unscathed, and as a result people have been complaining that we were warned at all. 

In 1987 we had a hurricane that wasn't forecast, in fact there is one weather forecaster who is famously remembered for denying it was coming, and there was an outcry that we were unprepared! 

Sometimes you just can't win!

Mundane everyday life....

Have decided that maybe I should blog more regularly, and not just to enter challenges. So I need to share what I've been up to on a more regular basis. I don't care if anyone reads it, but sometimes we all need to get things off our chests! 

Currently writing this post sitting in a doctors waiting room as Tom's chest is acting up again. Why is it always at weekends or bank holidays?? 

Still I'm thankful for the fact we live in the UK, so all our visits are free at the point if care. I read so many stories about other countries where this is not the case.

I know I am perhaps a little biased as they are my employers but the NHS is a much maligned institution, that does it's best with what it has. In my experience on both sides of the fence the staff work hard and get little thanks for what they do. In the eyes of the media, it's never quite good enough...

Ok rant over!!! 

P.s. Have now been seen and he has a course of Prednisilone which should sort him out. 

P.p.s. This post failed to upload yesterday so am posting it now. Will be back later once I've finished work to update on the latest saga!! 

Busy, busy, busy!

We're now entering that slightly chaotic period of the school year, concerts, sports day, teachers cards and gifts to make.

I'm also singing for 3 services in Norwich Cathdral this weekend so that's a write off crafting wise, and I'm on call the following weekend so that could be the same! Only six gifts and cards to make! Yikes!!! 

This can't be good....

I've discovered Pinterest.... Now my 'card porn' habit ( as it has been dubbed by a friend at work) has been taken to a whole new level!

I always think it's amazing to look at the work others have produced and now I can at least 'pin' it so I can actually find it again! 

I've been off work I'll for a couple of days this week so spent some time tidying and re-organising my craft room again. I'm nearly happy with the results! 

Another card to show you this time one I made last night for my Goddaughter to give to her ballet teacher...

Stamp - Bugaboo Brats Ballerina coloured with Promarkers

Card and paper from stash, and I've had them so many years I can't even begin to guess where from sorry!

Dies - xcut large ovals. 

I would like to enter this in the following challenges....

Little Red Wagon - #193 Monochrome
Paper Pretties - PWC266 Monochromatic Mania
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Pink and White
Cardmaking Mamas - Monochromatic
My Mum's Craft Shop - Just for Girls
CMC Copics Challenge - Anything goes

One of my other passions....

As well as crafting I also enjoy baking (and eating!) good cake and proper tea.

I have several favourite haunts to indulge this little passion, and am writing this post in one of them. 

Look what I've got...

And it was delicious! 

Cake is a bit of a running theme in this post, it even forms the subject of today's card....

Paper and Decopage - Tea Party from Dovecraft

Washi Tape - Cupcake Collection from Dovecraft.

Sentiment - Gingers House

Coloured with chalks.

Matted on Core'dinations Card stock (Cosmo Cricket Neutral Collection)

I would like enter into the following challenges....

Cupcake Craft challenge - Not for Flowers

Stamps+ Fun=Creativity - Cake Inky Chicks - Anything Goes Party Time tuesdays - Anything Goes Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes Thanks Lisa xx