That coffee buzz

Look what arrived in this household today! 

After a stressy couple of days at work it was a welcome arrival! I am now buzzing with a caffine rush after trying quite a few coffee's that come with it to decide which ones we like!! Those of you who know me quite well know I am not a coffee drinker but I think I will become and addict and I am currently a little more looney than normal!!

This is a scan of a card I made a few weeks ago. It was using a very cute image pink cat studio had released for free for a challenge. In true Nona style I just missed the deadline for the challenge but was really pleased with the card. I used this sketch on Nikki's Blog. I Just love this blog and her work is really inspiring.

I'd better go and calm down a little so I get some sleep;)

Fun despite being a year older!!

On Friday I turned 32! Ok so it is not old but I really didn't like hitting my 30's! Despite the age increase I had a lovely day which started with cards and presents containg lots of promarkers and Jonathon Ross' book (OK I know he is not popular at the moment but I do like him) I was very pleased to get some more promarkers after loving the initial ones I had for christmas.

We then went for coffee and cake for breakfast (well it was my birthday) and on to Westpoint arena for the Craft 4 crafters show. Despite there only being 2 stalls that really interested me, I came home with 17 new stamps incl 10 by sugar nellie.

Russ then took me into Exeter for lunch at Strada - Mmmmmm I will be heading back there again soon! After a trip to lakeland for the not so pleasent cleaning esentials and Hotel chocolate for my chocolate fixb (my idea of heaven) it was home to be told to wear my silly birthday hat (one in the shape of a cake Scrappybunny made me wear on my 30th!) In the end I relented and picked it up to find...

Isn't he gorgeous! I also got the little flower with the bambi title on it. He has joined Mickey, Minnie and Tinkerbell in the cabinet and looks just perfect - I am one very lucky girl.

I have managed to make 3 cards today using my new stamps and promarkers but not got any pics to show yet. Will hopefully upload some tomorrow.

A Good read

I have just finished this book


I loved it! She has had some real difficult times in her life and some real adventures too. I loved the fact it was written in letter form it was so different. If you get a chance to read it give it a try.

I have been busy creating

OK so the craft room is nowhere near tidy but I have been able to finish this gift for a team mate at work who is leaving on Friday. I am really sad she is the first one to go as part of the redundancies and she will be missed from the team. This is what I have made for her to remember us by.

It is a 7 gypsies minibook/box kit (it's been in my stash for 2 years!!!!) that I have decorated with 7 gypsies papers (another purchase 2 years ago!) and pics of the team from various drunken evenings!

Sorry the pics aren't very good but at least I have some how managed to upload them (fingers crossed and a lot of lost patience later!!!!!) I am giving it to her tomorrow as it is the last day I will be working with her :( Having said that we are having a team night out next friday to wish her well so there could be more drunken memories to snap!!!

Yesterday was a lovely day

OK a little late to post about yesterday but I just didn't get chance last night. I spent a few hours yesterday with Sarah. She is a very talented girl (and yet sooo grounded and unaware of it!!) and she helped me learn a bit more about this blogging lark.  I also got to meet Amy for the first time and what a total cutie she is! 

I learnt a lot (remember I didn't really know what I was doing!!!) and a bit more when Russ arrived home to me getting frustrated with and worked out what I was trying to do lol!

Today I am having to do the dreaded HW! I am not the most tidest of people and you wouldn't necessarily believe it (I know my clean freak husband doesn't!!) but I hate the house being a mess and it felt a little out of hand this week. Unfortunately the Craft/office room looks like a tornado has hit it (that tornado being me I guess) so as downstairs is near enough completed I need to start that. I find this room the hardest as I haven't quite got it "right" with regards to where everything belongs so I just move things from one place to another rather than actually putting things away IYKWIM!

Once complete I intend to do some crafting I guess that means more mess again lol!!! Maybe tomorrow I can upload a picture of what I have made.

Another week starts

Can you believe it is monday again? Me neither, the weekends seem to go so fast - even with a 31/2 day weekend! One good thing today was that the office was not auditioning to be a sauna! I went to work prepared for all possible temperature's so I could change as necessary (no I hadn't packed my bikini that would have made everyone go home ill!!!! lol) and no changes of attire were required. Perhaps if I take it all everyday the temperature will stay the same??

I think Ben is quite pleased that his normal routine has been in place today - Russ even managed to get home in time to go walking with us. Ben is a real creature of habit and routine and he turns very grumpy when it is broken bless him. He seems a very happy dog tonight - the first time for weeks!

I have been a little creative this evening. I am making a gift for an event next week and thought I should really make a start on it. I hope to post the finished article next week when I have learnt how to add pictures etc.....  Today was paper sticking and mess free  - I think paints may have to come out when I start the next stage so not sure I will be so clean after that!!

On a final note I forgot to say that my blog banner was made using a page kit from Kay Miller designs. The kit is call All Organic Page Kit. I love her stuff and Mary Fran's. It is great for digi and Hybrid scrapping/card making. I have made quite a few hybrid cards with their kits for all kinds of occasions. Go have a look but please do not blame me if you have to buy something!!

Yay I did it all on my own...

...... my blog banner that is lol!

Still bits I want to learn but really chuffed with the fact I now have a proper banner :)

End of year appraisal jinx???

I think so!! On Monday my manager and I discussed my good sickness record over the last 12 months - of course that just tempted fate and I was off sick on Tuesday & Thursday (and should have been wednesday too)!!! Of course the office becoming a sauna doesn't help matters. I checked the thermometer we have on the wall at one point and it was 27 degrees. Aparently this is the air conditioning fixed - I think not!! All in all not a good start to the new year healthwise for me or the air conditioning!

Yesterday was the Plymouth crop. I love going down there and meeting up with the girls. They are a lovely bunch and Sarah likes to tempt us with yummy stash she is working with & amazing LO's to inspire our mojo to return - yesterday was no different the new WRMK papers are gorgeous as are the LO's she was doing with them!. Unfortunately the scrapping mojo is still being hidden by the stamping bug I have at the moment!!

As you know my blogging has not been great in the past and a lot of that has to do with not knowing what on earth I am doing!! I love blogs with pictures and want mine to be like that too! Hopefully after Friday and a bit of a lesson from Sarah I may have a blog i am proud of and pictures of some of my creations - I am quite excited :D

Well back to reality, I must go and strip the bed - I really need to work on the domestic goddess that must be in me somewhere!!!!

I will be a blogger!!!

You can't say I give up!! This will be my third attempt at blogging and this year I am determined to make it work;)

I intend to use this as a log of the cards/layouts/Projects I complete though the year along with just muttering away here!!

This year is definately going to full with excitement and disappointment - on the good side it is our 10th wedding anniversary this year (boy where did that time go) and Mum's 60th (I can feel a party coming on!!!). On the other side I will at some point receive my redundancy notice. I won't be leaving before June and if I don't receive it at the end of February I will be OK until september but I will be glad when I finally know so I can start making plans and moving on with my life!


Of course we have a disney trip planned and will be celebrating in WDW - our first trip as DVC members and staying at our home resort of saratoga springs - I can't wait and we only have 128 days to go until we are flying out :D


Unfortunately I have no picture to share today as I didn't take pictures of the cards I made last minute (yes I also plan to be a little more organised this year from now on!!!! - we'll see lol;))

So that is my first post - here's to a lot more!