Stamps, shows and Sizzix

I'm almost ready for my bed, but I thought I'd just take the chance to do a quick post before I retire. I'll be replying to the emails that are lingering in my inbox tomorrow, so please don't think that I'm ignoring you if you're awaiting a reply!

It was great to see so many familiar (and unfamiliar) faces over the three days of the Event City show last week. It was a busy old time but really fun too. Here's my table looking a bit messy (just for a change!)....

....you can see how good Big Shot machines are....Wendy brings this one along for me to use at the shows and it's still going strong even though it's years old. I was kept busy showing how to make flowers using the Sizzix Susan's Garden flower dies.This is the Burlap canvas that you can see part done in the above picture...

...I used black gesso over some of the canvas and then rubbed copper Metallic Lustre over the surface. Not the best picture as the colours seem to have gone a little day-glo for some reason!

The quote is from one of my new stamp sets (I just used part of the quote here) and you can see the full collection here. I have a new series called Zendoodles, which comprise images that are perfect for doodling inside, but there are also "ready to go" versions that I've already zentangled. There are also filler blocks and borders to go with the designs. Here's a card made using the filler blocks stamped over white card which I then sprayed with Dylusions inks. I used a black pen in between the blocks and a white pen to highlight the patterns.

The heart is from another Zendoodle set which I've doodled and coloured. The borders have been stamped too and the word is from one of Tim's Remnant Rubs sheets. The Zendoodles are such fun to work with!

I've not forgotten the Doo Lally Pips of course! Here's one of my new characters called "Sartorial Elegance"....

.....I'm sure we've all come across one of those well dressed teens.....not!

And my take on Miss Haversham.....

....well, she's actually called "Frayed around the edges"! 

This tag has images from my "Funny owls" set.....

....I used Tim's Stripes stencil in the background and it made me think of a woodland, so it made an ideal choice for the birdies.

I'll share some more of my samples of the new designs tomorrow. Meanwhile here's another version of the rounded birdhouses made with the Bigz XL die of the same name.....

.....this one was made at the show last week and I used the mini daisy dies to create the little flowers as well as Tim's new Spring Greenery die for the foliage. Here's a closer look at the roof.....

Well, my bed is really calling now as it's been a long day....making more samples for next week, die cutting lots of pieces for my workshops at the show, typing up instructions.....and I also got around to a cosmetic repair in the kitchen that has needed doing for ages. Why I did it today I have no idea, except that it was getting on my nerves! Whoever had fitted mum and dad's kitchen had made a poor job of the counter edges either side of the cooker, leaving the bare chipboard on show on the edges. Not just unsightly, but a magnet for crumbs and other cooking detritus - yuck! So, I decided to sort it this afternoon and, after cleaning everything, I laid a bead of silicone sealant along each raw edge to stop bits getting stuck down there. After the sealant had set I used a small brush and painted over the remaining chipboard with white gloss. It might not be the most professional of finishes but at least it looks clean and tidy and it should be a lot easier to keep crumb free now!

So, a good night's sleep is what's needed now and then I can get cracking for another productive day tomorrow hopefully. I hope none of you are being too badly effected by the terrible weather and all the chaos that's been created. Night all.

Service resumed

Hello folks and, yet again, I'm starting with an apology for being absent from blogland for a few weeks. This has been partly due to me being weighed down with show prepping work - I'm going to be at forthcoming Event City show this Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then Stitches trade show for four days the week after that, so, loads to do.

Alongside this, our mum developed a chest infection which, combined with her ongoing illness, meant that she was very, very poorly. So much so that we warned to expect the worse.We have had a very worrying time and, you may imagine that other things have taken a back seat. Thankfully, I'm happy to say, that mum has amazed everyone and has bounced back yet again. She really is a remarkable lady and my new name for her is Duracell! We know that we still have to take things a day at a time, but, for the moment, mum is out of the woods. Needless to say, Heather and I have been feeling pretty stressed again and it's been quite hard to concentrate on work.

I have been doing my best though and I'm ready for the first show at least! So, I'll be on the Card-io stand again at the Event City show near the Trafford centre in Manchester. I'm concentrating solely on Sizzix dies this time, so I've been making a whole selection of dimensional projects, including flowers made using the Susan's Garden range of Thinlits dies. Here's a wheelbarrow made using a Bigz XL die which I've then filled with flowers made from card stock that's been inked and shaped. I cut slivers of green card on my trimmer to create the filler - I didn't have any of the stuff you can get from the florist which would have been quicker if not as creative!

I'm especially fond of the Poppy die which comes together beautifully. I used a heavy card stock to make the wheelbarrow which I then coated with black gesso. I used the same technique with another Sizzix die - the watering can......

....I used my pallette knife to spread the gesso quite thickly to give plenty of texture. It takes a fair while to dry, but if left in a warm spot the surface will cure faster and then a heat gun can be used to gently finish the drying process - with care though, so as not to make the gesso bubble up.

Once fully dry I use DecoArt Metallic Lustre to create the finish by simply rubbing it over the surface with my finger. I used Silver Sparkle on the watering can.........

...the left hand example was just cut from basic card stock which I inked to give some definition. The watering can creates an open box effect, so it's easy to add flowers etc.

The weather has been pretty cold, wet and windy here and, on Friday, we had some snow......bbbrrrr! Thankfully, it turned to sludgy sleet so it didn't stick...

....anyway, a combination of the icy temperatures and having a tidy entrance to the house over Christmas made me decide not to fill the Doo Lally room up with work again. I really do like coming in at the front door and not being confronted by piles of card and an inky mess everywhere! It's much nicer when people call round too - especially if they don't know what all the mess is about! So, I decided to go back to the way I used to work back in our flat in Manchester - that is, on the floor! I know it wouldn't suit everyone, but it has lots to recommend it....I'm warm for a start, by the fire in the lounge. It also means that I can spread things out around me, all easily on hand. When I'm die cutting it makes things simpler too with so much more space than working on a desk. 

I have a small table with wheels that I put everything I'll need onto and then I can simply push the day's materials into the lounge in one go. I "tidy" it away when I've finished for the day, though it's not very tidily put away at the moment whilst I'm so busy. The spare room (which is already minus a bed - given to my nephew!) does look rather like a dumping ground just now but at least I can close the door and get away from it in the evening. And I don't mind working on the floor - I'm always the one sat on the carpet when there are more people than chairs!

Thank goodness the evenings are gradually getting a little lighter. I don't know about you, but I'm really fed up with the dark mornings and short days. It's been really sunny here today and that, coupled with seeing Spring bulbs poking through the ground really does help to lift the spirits. I don't know where my snowdrops are though - I know I planted some! I had to go into the village today and I walked through the park where the gardeners were laying tons of bark chippings on all the beds. It looked and smelled wonderful and really made me want to get cracking in the garden again. I'm afraid my garden really does look shocking at the moment, so I'm desperate for the warmer weather so I can get it sorted.

No time at the moment anyway of course - especially when this box arrived last week....

...my new stamp sets! They are pre production rubber versions and I can't share any of the designs with you as we haven't released the images yet. You may be able to get a sneaky peek if you enlarge the photo though! So, you can see there's a lot to go at there - and all to be done by the end of next week.

When I'm working (on the floor!) I usually have my lap top nearby so that I can regularly check for emails, stock numbers of products etc. I thought you might find this picture quite amusing........

......I got quite a surprise when I looked up! Thomas has a habit of plonking himself beside the laptop when he wants my attention, but I think he just decided it would be a nice way to warm his bum this time! Needless to say I shooed him off there pretty sharpish and, thankfully, the laptop survived his ton weight and tendency to dribble!

So I'd better share a piccie of Tara as well, just to even things up, and she does look very pretty in this one...

....the little worried expression is her default setting!

Well, now that I've said hello again, I'll sign off and hope to share pictures from this week's show after the weekend. Also hope to see lots of you there for, what I'm sure, will be a very busy and interesting event. 

The bird house is steaming

The laptop is perched on my knees and I must admit it's rather nice to feel the warmth coming off it! It's been a really sunny day here and comparatively mild but, now the evening is drawing in it's gone really chilly and I'm feeling a mite shivery. It's a hot shower for me after I post this and there's a chicken roasting in the oven for later. 

Anyway, the birdhouse in the title of this post, is made using the Sizzix Rounded 3D Birdhouse die. It's another of the Bigz XL ones, so you do need the extended plates to use it. I've been working on several projects today, in preparation for the three days at Event City in Manchester in February, but this birdhouse was my favourite.....

.....I'd made a couple of more "conventional" versions and then decided to go a little steampunk! The chimney is not part of the die, but was quite simply made by rolling up a tube of paper and snipping across it so I could form the bend. 

I used a Graphic 45 paper for the main body of the birdhouse and the roof is from a DCWV pad. A quick rummage through my box of Ideaology bits and pieces gave me the metal flowers, leaves, cogs and keyhole. The little key was in my "allsorts" tin! I used a mixture of decorative brads by MME to attach the flowers to the roof and walls.

The metal embellishments go all the way round the birdhouse. Here's a closer look at the base....

....I attached the key using a large jump ring through a hole in the roof edge with an eyelet secured using a Cropodile.

I really enjoyed making this whimsical piece which stands around 5" high. It's not difficult to put the 3D objects together as they've been so well designed and it means you can really go to town on the decoration. I'll share more of my projects in the next couple of weeks...I've still got lots to do....as well as all my stamped projects for Stitches!

Right, the thought of a hot shower is drawing me now, and I can smell roast chicken, so I shall sign off for this evening and go and get warmed up!

Show time!

This could be quite a long post......it's been a week since the first day of the show at the NEC already - ridiculous! I've been up to my elbows in inks, papers, dies, glitter, stamps and glue.....nothing new there then! I'm quite looking forward to being able to take a couple of days off next week - hopefully - but, till then, it's as hectic as ever.

Working at the show over the four days was really good fun, hard work but fun. Each show day began at 9am and finished at 5.30pm so, with little time to take breaks, it was full on. I was on the Card-io stand and, while Wendy was demonstrating her own beautiful Majestix stamps, I was working with Sizzix dies. This was quite a change for me and it took me a while to adjust to not being covered in purple and blue ink! I really enjoyed showing how to construct the dimensional creations such as the Luminary and Birdhouse. These Treat Poppers (crackers to you and I!) were a big hit too....

....I made lots of them at the show. The great thing is that the crackers themselves are quite quick to make so you can afford to spend lots of time decorating them.

Here's a table decoration made from two Sizzix dies - the Reindeer and the Sleigh. The sleigh is very cleverly thought out and fits together beautifully. It's ideal for holding little sweet treats!

I hope everyone who bought the dies is having great fun using them....I know I did!

I had forgotten how drying the air in the NEC can be and so had omitted to take any lip balm with me. By day two I felt as if I'd been traipsing through a desert! Diane (Thomas and Tara's unofficial auntie!) paid a visit and took this photo of me trying to do a running repair with my lipstick...nowhere near as effective as lip balm I have to say!

Diane also brought pressies for T & T.....beautifully stamped and decorated.....

.....their names were even stamped on the reverse of the labels! Thank you Diane, they loved them! If you click on Diane's name (above) you can see some more piccies of the show.

On day four I was back to stamping and getting covered in inks. My Doo Lally Pip stamps raised a few smiles which is just what I intend! It was a day of contrasts with everyone having great fun and then the two minutes silence which is always marked at 11am on the Sunday of the show at the NEC and I found it especially moving this year.

Then, before I knew it,  the show was over - unbelievably quickly it seemed. It was quite a trek back home and, thankfully, my neighbour had put the heat on for me so I could have a hot shower before an early night. I was pooped!

I mentioned last week that I was a bit worried about the weight of my case and how I'd get on carting everything down to Birmingham. My poor case was just not up to it, so I have had to have a complete change and am now getting used to a new one. Of course, this hasn't gone unnoticed and a certain someone decided to check whether it was suitable.......

.....by the way, that's not a real mouse on the carpet - just a toy that has been mostly ignored by both Tara and Thomas!

There wasn't really much time for a rest as I was up in Durham yesterday, so I had to prep more samples for my demo there in Crafty Nook. On Monday though, I spent some time with Heather - I've passed on all the good wishes that were sent her way last week...thank you from both of us. We called into St Chads to lay a rose on the memorial book of remembrance as it was two years since our dad passed away and his name was on the page for that day.

I had a lovely time at Crafty Nook, once again working with Sizzix dies and also decorating some candles too....

...this one was made by cutting a Sizzlits die (Woodland Deer) from Graphic 45 paper which I edged with Gathered Twigs Distress ink before warpping it round the candle base. I wrapped greaseproof paper around the candle and heated it gently to melt the paper into the wax. I used the same technique to add the Martha Stewart punched fern around the top. You can't really see it here, but I also added some Rock Candy Distress dry glitter over the surface for a little bit of twinkle. 

Today I've been getting more things made for my demonstration this coming Saturday in Chesterfield at Crazy About Cake Craft who have now expanded into papercrafts as well as their established baking supplies. 

A certain someone always worries when he sees me getting my case out as he knows it usually means that I'll be trolling off again. 

I think he figured that if I was going away then he was coming too! As you can see though, he's a big boy and there wouldn't have been much room left for anything else! Bless him!

Here's a non Christmassy wreath that I made this afternoon using the Sizzix Prima Gulien die....

...the flowers are quite large so I didn't need too many to cover the card circle beneath. I used quite muted paper and edged them with various ink colours. If you look closely you might be able to see the Glossy Accent dew drops here and there.

Well, time to put my dinner in the oven and then a shower while it's cooking. Lots of ink and glue on my hands, so washing my hair should get rid of that lot! I'm a bit sore and stiff too, and it's really cold here, so some hot water and spicy shower creme is just what the doctor ordered!

PS It's amazing what they sell in supermarkets these days. We have a Booths store here and look what's in one of their carrier bags.....

This picture is specially for my friend Paul, who has a soft spot for Tara!

PPS before anyone reports me to the RSPCA I didn't ram Tara into a carrier bag for the sake of a cute photo! She is obsessed with climbing into things and has taken to running into this bag and skidding across the carpet as if she's on a snow slide!

AWOL agaaaiiiin!

Hello folks, that is, if anyone is even reading this....after going awol for a couple of weeks it wouldn't surprise me if nobody is there now! It's been a very fraught few weeks, with the death of my brother in law, Graham, and, along with having to get lots of work done, it has led to me having a break from blogging and emailing - retreating into my shell for a while as I do when life becomes overwhelming. 

It's time to get back on track though. It's Sunday and I'm heading back to church shortly for a special All Saints day memorial service so I thought I'd take the chance to share a few photos. Talking of church, I've set up a new blog now, called My Rambling Spirit, which you can find a link to in my left sidebar. I sometimes feel uncomfortable talking about the more spiritual side of life on this blog...after all, I know that some people visit just to see what I've been making and maybe read a few exploits of my two pusscats or the garden! So, the new blog is where I can just ramble on about how I feel about things.

Anyway, back to this blog! Hello to everyone who I met at recent demonstrations at the Leigh show, Card-io and The Paper Warehouse. A special thanks for all the lovely messages and cards for Heather and myself which were very much appreciated. I'm getting round to thanking everyone slowly but surely.

For the month of November I'm concentrating on demonstrating ideas for Christmas decorations and gifts - with a little stamping thrown in too along the way! I've been really enjoying working with the WRMK envelope punch and a range of Sizzix dies. I didn't expect to be so bowled over by an envelope maker but it really is terrific and makes much more than just envelopes. I've been making boxes and shaped tags too.

Not the easiest thing to photograph and the background doesn't help! The papers I used were from the MME Vintage Christmas range, along with some Bazzill card stock.The envelope punch has certainly proved to be a big hit and it does mean that you can make odd shaped cards which is good if, like me, you often decide to make something using bits and pieces of cardstock that are lying around.

All inkiness has been put to one side this week and I've moved from the Doo Lally workroom and into the lounge where I have been spreading card, papers, dies, embellishments and my Big Shot over the floor with a "me" sized space in the middle! I just needed the extra space to work in and I've been watching the old classic films in the afternoon while cutting and sticking which has been rather enjoyable.

Two new favourites have to be the TH Luminary die and the 3D Birdhouse Scoreboard die. The scoreboard dies allow you to cut and score heavy weight chipboard or mount board in one pass, though you can also use them with standard cardstock too of course. Below is one of the bird houses made up and decorated...I used a natural twig to push through the base of this one, so it could be used within a festive floral arrangement.

The dies are really easy to work with and I like the fact that they can be used throughout the year, not just for Christmas projects. Although Halloween is now over, I couldn't resist making a spooky, gothic Luminary with one of Tim's battery operated lanterns inside....

I used Graphic 45 papers for the Luminary itself - it's amazing just how strong this piece is even when made from paper. I cut out a few bats and cats and added some black gem spiders with wire legs as well as some wispy fibres - all great fun!

A certain someone has been keeping me company whilst I create, albeit from behind the net curtains at times....he still likes to keep an eye on me though....

....what a cute button nose! He won't be very happy, nor Tara, when I leave them for most of next week while I'm at the NEC though. My neighbour will be coming in twice a day to feed them and let them in and out, but they don't like their mum not being here at their beck and call. Poor little sweeties!

At least I haven't been missing out on nice sunny weather whilst I've been chained to the Big Shot machine! The view through my front window has basically been like this....

 .....but at least nothing has been blown down or swept away...yet! 

Heather and I were lucky on the day we had in town last week and we spent a sunny day wandering around the art gallery and shops for a good many hours. It helped to blow some of the cobwebs away and did us good. The exhibition at the gallery "creeped me out" though, much to Heather's amusement, as it was based around fairgrounds and Coney Island in particular and featured, amongst other things,  lots of images of weird waxwork figures accompanied by old soundtracks of music hall performers and slightly eerie laughter. Made me shiver!

I was glad to get into the "normality" of the streets and shops again and we had a nice lunch followed by some retail therapy where some new fleecy pj's were one of the must have purchases to combat the increasingly cold evenings. Don't let me get started on the cost of fuel and the fuel companies though.....and since when did it become the norm for them to harass customers by phone only a week after sending a bill? Gone are the days, it seems, of the polite reminder letter a couple of weeks after a bill - now it's straight onto demanding money over the phone....swines! Sorry, I did say don't let me get started!

So, I hope to see lots of you in Birmingham next week. I'll be on the Card-io stand and both Wendy and myself will be demonstrating - Wendy will be using her wonderful Tapestry stamps and I'll have my Christmas stamps, various inks and mediums and the gorgeous dies. I'll be there for the whole show from Thursday to Sunday inclusive.

It's now going dark - how miserable at 5pm! So, I had better get myself organised for my second trip to St Chads of the day. Take care everyone and keep warm!

Christmas baubles

Just a fairly quick post today. I'm waiting in for a parcel that the PO tried to deliver on Saturday. The soonest re-delivery date was Wednesday, so, of course, I waited in all day for it to arrive - it didn't! So an irritated call to my local sorting office this morning resulted in the very nice man (no, he really was very nice - I wasn't being sarcastic!) telling me that he had personally put it out for delivery for me yesterday and had no idea why I hadn't received it. He rang me back to say that it would be with me sometime today and then had a chat with me about my mum and dad who he vividly recalled from when he used to do deliveries himself. Needless to say, his personal chit chat with me managed to assuage some of my annoyance of the rubbish service! 

I'm going to be at Samuel Taylor's in Leeds on Saturday where I'll be teaching a workshop in the morning and doing a demonstration in the afternoon. So, I thought I'd share one of the things I'll be demonstrating....

....these baubles are great fun to make using the Tim Holtz rosette Sizzlit dies from Sizzix. I used the original single die as well as the mini rosette die which has two smaller sizes. If you are using heavier weight cardstock, or mirri card, I suggest a cool melt glue gun to adhere the rosettes to the backing circles as they have a tendency to pop off otherwise! 

Here's a closer look at one from a side view to show the dimension better....

...I'm hoping to make quite a few for my tree as they are a great way to use up those odd sheets of decorative papers that we all have taking up space! 

These ones are pretty simple...just a few papers, card and either brads or gems for the centres and I've just used white cord for the hangers. However, I'm going to be making some with glittered edges, maybe some tinsel sandwiched between the two largest rosettes, ribbon hangers etc. Great fun!

Before I forget (again) I have now got the new Ranger Sticky embossing powder and have given it a try. It's very good indeed. Simply stamp using an embossing ink, sprinkle on the sticky embossing powder and shake off the excess. Have your glitter ready, heat the powder and immediately pour on the glitter. I pressed the glitter down slightly. Shake off the excess and voila, a glittered image. I was able to use a brush to dust away the excess without it moving the stamped image at all. One tip is to use an anti static pad first of course. So, it gets a thumbs up from me.

Well, that'smy coffee break over, so it's back to work - colouring in at the moment, oh, and waiting of course!  

A few samples

Bank holiday Monday was the usual wash out wasn't it. I only popped outside to take out some rubbish, but otherwise Tara, Thomas and I battened down the hatches and kept dry. It's been a total contrast here today.....glorious sunshine and really warm.

So, I've had the doors and windows open all day while I've been working. Lovely, but now I'm regretting it as there are so many mosquitoes inside that I've lost count. The lemon oil is having no deterrent effect whatsoever obviously! I've just spent half an hour going round with my insect repellent and squirting the little demons which dispatches them very quickly if I get my aim right. I do feel awful doing it, but I know I'll end up being bitten all night if I let my soft hearted side take over. At least I have an excuse for the cobwebs now.....I need plenty of spiders around to eat the midges!
I've been busy making samples for this weekend's demonstration at Cutting Edge Crafts in Skegness as well as completing a magazine project. I had a die cutting afternoon yesterday so I had plenty of bits ready to work with today. I enjoyed making this tag, though I'm looking at the photo now and seeing things that I'd do differently! I used the negative from cutting the "25" and dabbed Snow Cap acrylic paint through it as well as stroking a little around the tag generally. I blended Evergreen Bough, Peacock Feathers and Pine Needles Distress inks over the tag, then wiped off the excess with a damp tissue before stamping the trees in a mix of Pine Needles and Walnut Stain and wiping the excess off again. I like the effect of the number looking both behind and in front of the trees. The deer is cut from Grungeboard inked with various red and brown tones and I added a few swirls with an Inkssentials white pen. I really liked the way the colours came together on this card - not my usual first choice but I think they work well. The focal images are made using a Sizzlits long die called Festive Greenery which has so many delicate elements. I used Snow Cap again to add the snowy details. The greeting is from one of my last season's Christmas stamp sets called Silent Night which has fourteen assorted styles of Christmas words and messages. I got really caught up making this tag! The background is embossed though you might not be able to tell here. I may well change the ribbon as it turned out a little more red than I wanted, so I might try for a more plummy colour....I'll see how my time pans out tomorrow. Well, after being such a warm day it's gone really chilly now, so I think it's time to go to bed, snuggle under the duvet and hope I can avoid the pesky biters tonight! Oh, if you want to see a little video clip of Tara just click on my You Tube link near the top of my left sidebar.

And the cat got up & slowly walked away...

What a mixed up day for weather it has been here in Lancashire. Raining this morning which then turned into bright sunshine and a very warm atmosphere and then more rain this afternoon which very quickly became torrential. Does anyone know where I can buy Gopher wood from as I am seriously considering building an ark if it carries on like this! This was the view from the side of the house earlier...well, at least the lawn is looking lush now, but just look at all those puddles!Needless to say that Thomas and Tara have been inside all day, so, once I had packed my case ready for tomorrow's demonstration day in Kendal, I went into the conservatory with pencil and paper where Tara was lounging on one of the chairs. Of course, it's an unwritten cat law that if a human approaches with either a camera or drawing equipment you must lull them into a false sense of security by keeping very, very still....right until the last moment when you must then keep changing position, yawning, cleaning paws and so forth. For the ultimate feline superiority moment, give the human a withering look that says "How dare you imagine that you, a mere human, could capture my beauty...", then simply get up and walk away.
Of course, Tara is well versed in all these things, so she suddenly decided that being a fidget was what she wanted to be. She kept glancing at me, keeping still just long enough for me to start something and eventually she jumped down and sashayed through the door! Still, I got a few scribbles done and, unless you're drawing a cat from a photograph, that's about the best you can hope for. A few images then, with one that does capture her sweetest expression reasonably well. I must thank Paul again for convincing me to do some sketches to share on here. Check Paul's latest creations where he's been drawing on tags. Great idea! Of course, I'm always drawing for work, but these "extra curricular" doodles are just for pleasure. David always liked to see me drawing, so I know he'd be pleased too
I've been cranking the Big Shot handle again this morning and here's another tag that I finished earlier. The photo doesn't show the colours very well, which are more teal and lilac in reality. The "Joy", trees and sript (on the deer) are from Andy Skinner's Christmas stamps and I used a snowflake border embossing die across the tag before blending Distress ink over it. I added white paint and glitter to the trees for an extra festive flourish.I really like the Bigz die with the two deer - they remind me of the old Babycham character! By the way, the tag is on the heather again (just before the downpour) and I should point out that my sister Heather, was not lounging in the garden whilst I draped tags over her yesterday....as she pointed out, having put a capital "H" on the word did make it seem like a possibility!
Well, I can smell the aroma of a perfectly baked potato, so I had better sign off and fill it with tuna and celery before it gets a bit too burned. Hope to see some of you in Kendal tomorrow and hope it stays dry.

My day of rest...

Well, not exactly a day of rest as it turned out, but more of that later.
On Friday, Heather came over to spend the day with me and to sleep over. In the afternoon one of my neighbours kindly offered to dig the hole for us to bury David's ashes and plant the rose, called "Moment in Time", which I got to commemorate him. Although it was very emotional, it felt like a positive and very important step and the rose will be a living memory of David.
It was a day of very differing ceremonies and Heather and I had decided to watch the Olympic opening celebrations together, so later on we treated ourselves to a Chinese takeaway (and a very extravagant bottle of Lambrini...which is about my level of alcoholic beverage!) before settling down in front of the TV.
I was pretty sceptical about what it would be like and was quite ready to cringe through the whole thing. However, we both thought it was good on the whole, amazing in parts and not so good in others. I really enjoyed the first sections...the almost steampunk industrial vision of towers and the forging of the rings, the Mr Bean Chariots of Fire sketch and, of course, the hilarious 007/Queen idea.We had sore throats from laughing out loud at that last one!
Being a square old thing, I didn't enjoy much of the "pop culture" section, which seemed to take over much of the remainder of the show. It was good to see that there were some spiritual moments included - such as Abide with Me in memory of the London bombing victims. Not sure who the singer was but we weren't impressed with her voice at all...shame there was no Bryn Terfell, Alfie Boe or even Leslie Garrett to show off some really good singers. We really didn't get the cycling birds - any ideas? Arctic Monkeys and Paul McCartney nearly made me turn the sound off! We really enjoyed the spectacle though and it was certainly different.
Yesterday the postman brought me a big parcel which had this pink and black beauty in it - the Sizzix Bigshot.... I was also sent a nice range of Tim's dies to go with it - you can just see a few of them on the left. Personal Impressions are now stocking Sizzix products, so I can finally use them! Tim's dies are definitely my cup of tea, so I shall enjoy working with them...I'll post pics when I've got samples made up.
Last night the rain here was incredible and the sound of the water hitting the conservatory roof was quite scary - Tara was very nervous indeed! Although I got to sleep reasonably quickly, the rain woke me up again not long after and I had one of those awful nights where sleep completely evaded me. At 3am I gave in and got up for an hour...to the sounds of Thomas and Tara both snoring away quite happily! I did finally manage an hour or so before they gave me an early morning alarm call for breakfast of course!
This morning I walked into the village to go to St Chads where the service was very uplifting. The rain had just about gone and the sun started to blaze down. A real rainbow day as I call them. When I got home I made a decision to start on one really bad area of the garden. It's one of two patches that David and I were beginning to sort out but they obviously got left. Every time I look at them they make me feel so sad but have seemed overwhelming really.
However, I sometimes make a decision to give myself ridiculous challenges and today was one of those occasions! I looked out at this overgrown mess and thought "I'm going to get this done today!". So, this was at 2 o'clock this afternoon when I had just made a start (then decided I should do before and after shots!). You wouldn't believe that we'd cleared this patch once looking at the state of it. And here's a different view where you can see the area I'd just started on before taking the picture. At 3pm it looked like this...my hands were getting sore but I was determined to get it done! I was using the trowel as I find that easier to handle than a full sized spade. I was taking out all my anger and frustration on the weeds and stones which really helped! By 5pm it looked like this..... ......yes! Cleared, including the area beneath the Laburnum and shrubs at the back. I then sprayed the last vestiges of weed with a soil and animal friendly weed killer before pondering the stepping stones. They're pretty expensive to buy, so I decided to utilise what I already had. There were a collection of bits and pieces of paving stones that had been lying around so I tried them out until I found a shape that I liked with what there was. Some more digging and tamping in and by around 6 0'clock I'd managed to get to this stage. Okay, the stepping stones aren't exactly wonderful, but they look okay to me and they'll look fine when I finish the area off.
Now, that begs the question.....how shall I do that? Do I use the garish white gravel from the adjacent troublesome area, shall I add bark chippings? I'm veering to bark chippings and I'm going to make use of pots to bring flowers into this patch with bulbs planted at the back area. What do you think? Suggestions on a postcard please....or as a comment anyway!
So, I think I will sleep tonight what with the fresh air and the smell of lavender that has been wafting over me all afternoon. I've put some inside my pillowcase just to make sure. My hands are throbbing and covered in scratches, despite gloves, but it feels really good to have got such a lot done. The only thing that was missing was me running into the house like a big kid to drag David out to "come and have a look what I've done!", but I'm sure he was watching me and smiling with approval.
I have new drawings to start work on this week so I hope the hands feel a bit less painful tomorrow! I'm sure a good sleep will do the trick, so I am off for an early night now before I nod off in front of the computer screen............