Where did everyone go?

After a crummy night's "sleep" on Monday, I decided on an early bed last night (with fresh sheets - lovely!) and slept right through. So I was up at the crack of dawn this morning...well, at around 6.30am anyway! This was the sight that greeted me.....

......thick fog, hence my post title - although the photo doesn't really show just how foggy it is. I took this one of the same view from the back of my house, last night, just before bed time when the fog had begun to crept in.....

.....it made me think of a John Carpenter film that David and I used to enjoy watching...The Fog. It used to amuse David no end how it made me jump every time, even though I knew what was coming! Here's another view from last night that somehow reminds me of paintings by one of my favourite artists, John Atkinson Grimshaw who was a Victorian painter born in Leeds.

He painted a wide range of subjects, but he's probably best known for his atmospheric night time town scapes. He was a very experimental artist too, using sand and other materials mixed with his oil paints, to get different effects. Sadly, he died from cancer at a relatively young age, but not before he'd left a wonderful legacy of work. If you don't know his paintings, do click the above link for a real treat.

Well, I decamped into the conservatory again yesterday to make the most of the sunshine while I worked. I was finishing the second display board of flowers made from the Sizzix Susan's garden dies, ready for the four day show at the NEC next week. 

Some of the flowers on the left board have got slightly crushed in transit after being trolled around in my case! My favourite set of the new (to me) ones is probably the Pansy and Violet which I really enjoyed adding the shading to. They're all lovely though and many are very versatile in that you can change the colours and how you shape the petals to create different blooms.

Of course, before the NEC, I am visiting A Maze of Memories in Long Crendon this weekend, where I'll be demonstrating and hosting some make n take sessions using my new Zendoodle stamps. (Click on the link for more information about the day). Here's a sneaky peek of the make n take project!

When assembling the Sizzix flowers I've been using one of my all time favourite adhesives, Art Glitter Glue, which was designed to be used with ultra fine glitters as it's really strong and grabs the pesky glitter so it doesn't shed. It also dries clear which makes it perfect for the glitter under acetate technique. I hadn't done this for ages, so I felt it was time to revisit an old favourite! I'd got one of the ultra fine tip attachments for the glue, so, once I'd stamped my Zendoodles Fungi (CICSA6196) onto acetate, I began filling in with glue and glitter one colour at a time. The conservatory needed a good hoovering when I'd finished! This is the back of the design.......

....showing the glitter over the stamped image. I left it to fully set overnight and, once I've finished this post, I'll be turning it over to see how it looks from the front, with the glitter encapsulated beneath the acetate. I'll show you the finished result next time! Unfortunately, I already know that the central toadstool has got a splodge of turquoise/lilac glitter where it shouldn't be, as I managed to dink it with the top of the glitter pot as I was sprinkling...gggrrr!
So, I'll be off first thing tomorrow for the four and a half hour trip to Haddenham and Thame. Christina, who owns AMOM is taking me into Oxford for the afternoon which I'm really looking forward to, having only been through it before. I hope the sunshine comes back! I've got a new tote bag too, from Advantus, so I'm giving it it's first test run on this trip. It's not roomy enough for the excursions when I need to take large Sizzix dies with me, but I'm managing to get all my stamping paraphernalia in it quite nicely and it seems very comfy to pull along.
Time to get some work done now. The coffee is drained, the fog is gradually lifting and I've got some last things to put together for my trip tomorrow. I'm off out this evening too, popping up to church for puppet rehearsals and a new piece that we are starting on based around the story of Lazarus. I've no idea what character I'll be playing yet, and I'll get my first look at the script tonight too. Thankfully, we don't have to learn the lines by heart as we have them pinned up behind the screen - he he!
Before I go, here are two close ups of my best pals, taken in the conservatory yesterday....

....my big soldier, Thomas, and the little madam herself........

.....big nose...er...I mean Tara! They both loved being in the conservatory with me yesterday. I had the door open and they were happily wandering in and out of the garden secure in the knowledge that I was keeping an eye on them!
And, just to finish, I thought it would be fun to add a new element to my blog posts. So, this occasional feature is called "This time last year...". I like to look back at photos for the same date from a year ago to see what I was up to, what the garden looked like, anything interesting (or not!), so here is a picture from this date in 2013.....

....a huge crow that visited the bird table in the front garden (well, under the table really) and spent quite some time picking out crumbs from between the gravel. I love these massive birds with their imposing beaks as they are surprisingly shy considering how powerful they are.
So, next time I post I'll share a photo from "this time last year" - if there is one of course!
Have a great weekend everyone.

And breathe....

...well, it is Stitches trade show in a couple of days, so life is always frenetic in the lead up as well as at the actual event! I'm travelling down tomorrow morning, God and weather willing, and am just about sorted now. There are still a couple of items of clothing drying over radiators that I have to try and cram into an already full to bursting suitcase and then the final few last minute things to throw into my bag tomorrow morning. All this without squashing any of my samples of course!

I hope everyone is coping with the terrible weather conditions okay. On Wednesday this area was hit by the massive winds that struck the west coast. It was quite scary, listening to the house making strange noises as it was buffeted by the gales. I thought the conservatory roof was going to lift off several times, but, thank goodness, the house stayed intact. There are a couple of trees down in the park and there were lots of people replacing fences yesterday. Today it's cold, pretty windy and sunny but we had torrential rain and hailstones from midday which was exactly what the weathermen had predicted...they are so accurate these days - shame they can't actually do anything about the rotten weather though!

I'd set aside the morning to get the house ship shape...well, my neighbour will be coming in to look after T&T and I would have been embarrassed for her to see the state that everything was in! I confess that housework is not something I'm very good at, especially when I'm tied up with getting things prepped for a big event. So, it was a nice early start to my day and then a methodical blitz! I started in my bedroom and decided to really have a good clear up. I filled a big bag with rubbish and had a box to empty into the paper recycling bin - that felt good! Dusting, polishing and hoovering and the room looked so much better which spurred me on.

The conservatory was next, followed by the kitchen and I managed to clear quite a lot of counter space before cleaning the surfaces, sink and floor. The bathroom only needed a quick once over and then I tidied and hoovered the living room and porch. The spare room is just a dumping ground at the moment so was the one room that I left as it was!!! The bad weather had left my windows all looking pretty dreadful (ie, could hardly see through them!) so I gave them a really good wash followed by my favourite job of getting the water off with my trusty squeegee - very satisfying! Of course, the rain came down not long after, but hey ho, that's housework for you!

Thomas is already looking at me very suspiciously and Tara has been climbing onto my lap this afternoon - they always seem to know when I'm going to be leaving them for a few days. I do hate leaving them.

Well, here are just a few more pictures to share. I haven't photographed most of my new samples yet, but I'll be sure to take some snaps whilst I'm away. This is a card using Dylusions sprays for the background and my Zendoodle fish as well as a sprinkle or three of Distress Glitter.

The words are from my Quips set.

I've been having fun using my new "Hippetty Hoppetty" stamp set - I always like using silhouette images. This tag also features images from a set called "Change is in the Air" and I stamped the rabbits with various shades of Distress ink to make them fade into the background more.

I was trying to capture the essence of Watership Down with the faded look- I love the book, the film and the music. Here are more rabbits from the set, this time I inked them with Distress ink and then applied my Zendoodle Fillers patterns to the rabbits with a darker ink before stamping, rather than having just a plain silhouette.

So, not much to share today, but I will fill my posts with photos when I get back from the NEC. 

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and it's always a great event for recharging the batteries despite all the hard work! 

Take care everyone, keep warm and dry and safe.

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.

A Sunday to remember

What a wonderful Sunday yesterday was. After church, my sister Heather met up with me in the church hall where we have teas and coffees after the service, and then we picked up a few extra nibbles before coming back to my place. We laid out our indoor picnic and then got settled down to watch the Wimbledon men's singles final.

We had to have the ubiquitous Robinson's Barley Water of course, but we also splashed out on some Lambrini and some strawberry flavoured Kopparberg cider - not that either of us are drinkers, but we thought we'd go mad! I was getting into excitement mode even when they were warming up!

 Lol! As the cameras were scanning around the crowd we noted that Sean Connery didn't seem to be there, which was a little surprising as he has usually been at Andy Murray's big matches. I remarked that I'd prefer to look at another Scottish actor, Gerard Butler anyway. Talk about your wish is our command....later on in the match the cameras honed in on.....

....the aforementioned Mr Butler! 

Needless to say we had a brilliant afternoon with much "yyyeeeessssss"ing, "oh noooooooo"ing, heads in hands and arms raised to the rafters! How they ran around like they did for hours in that heat can only be marvelled at - tennis players are definitely the fittest sportsmen on the planet! We were a bit hoarse by the time Andy finally triumphed, and I caught the moment....

......well done Andy, you did everyone proud....even if you did almost forget to hug your mum! 

After we'd come down from the ceiling we went for a bit of a wander round the garden and a walk down the lane to cool off and get some fresh air. We didn't see the deer I'm afraid, even though I kept going to the back of the house all evening just to check! Hopefully I'll spot them again when I have my camera in hand.

We had a nice relaxing evening and went to bed pretty late.

This morning Heather dropped me off in the village on her way home as I had another funeral to "verge" at. Today I also had to process, that is, lead the procession into and out of church. All went okay I'm pleased to say.

The heatwave continues and I am typing this now while I'm cooling down after walking home from church. I stopped off to sit on a shady bench in the park at one point - everyone was walking around at the speed of zombies! Too hot for me I have to confess, but I wouldn't dare to complain!
On another topic entirely, I'm happy to say that my new Christmas stamp sets are available now! Also, the Crafty Impressions festive sets which are our general range. You can link straight to my new Doo Lally Pip sets here, and you can look at the full range by clicking page 2, 3 etc. To see the new Crafty Impressions sets, including some of mine, click here and scroll through the pages...there are seven of them. They will be available from any craft shop that stocks Personal Impressions products. If you make a note of the code of any stamp that you'd like, your local store can order them if they don't have them in stock. There is also a "nearest stockist" search bar on the website that you can punch your postcode into. Any problems, just drop me an email!

There are frogs in my garden now....

Yes, look what I found sitting around the flower bed outside my Doo Lally room this morning.......

 .....little green frogs..... with placards and hats? Okay, sorry about that, I couldn't resist posing them outside like this! I made these years ago when I used to sell some crafty makes through a shop in East Sussex. I made all sorts of things to sell there, from cards to paintings and anything in between that took my fancy. These little frogs were a best seller! 

When the shop closed I was sent all the unsold items back and most of them came to mum and dad's house....neighbours would call round to buy the odd card or gift. This morning I was having a root about, looking for some bits and pieces to donate to the charity shop that's being run by St Chads this week, and I came across these little fellas! So, after a little spruce up, they will be sitting in the shop this afternoon and, hopefully, hopping off with new owners by the end of the week. Brought back lots of memories when I found them....isn't it weird when you find things that you made years ago?

I have hardly known if I'm coming or going this week with one thing and another. All my usual work of course....sample making, prepping the kits for Saturday's workshop at Samuel Taylor's in Leeds on Saturday and trying to get on with more pieces for my Etsy shop. Tuesday was a different kind of busy though, as I started the day by shadowing Robert, our verger, as he showed me the ropes. The 45 minutes of preparation for the morning service went from emptying the waste bins in the church grounds, through switching on particular lights, setting up the communion table and lighting candles........at one point I remarked that I felt like I was on the Krypton factor with so much to remember! Hopefully another couple of "run throughs" will make everything stick in my mind.

After that I took a couple of buses to go and visit mum in the care home. Mum has Alzheimer's disease, but she still smiles and laughs with us, although some days are better than others. Usually Heather and I go together of course, but I've been going up on my own since Graham's illness was diagnosed....she has enough to cope with and going to the home can be upsetting sometimes. When I got there mum was in the dining room and her pudding had just been brought in, so I sat and fed her.....she's always had a sweet tooth and she does love her puds! This time it was jam roly poly and custard and, ooh, it did look, and smell, good! Another trip down memory lane - I think it was everyone's favourite school pudding and I clearly remember letting people go in front of me so I could make sure I got a nice jammy bit from the middle!

 Mum doesn't look very smiley here, but of course, that's because I had the camera out! The best part about visiting her is when she gets the giggles, which she does quite often. The staff all think she's wonderful as she's so cheerful.

Well, another couple of bus rides home and then I had to do some grocery shopping and one thing and another meant that the day had just whizzed by really. Next week is going to be a busy one, starting with Saturday's workshop/demo at Samuel Taylors of course. On Tuesday I am shadowing Robert in the morning again and then helping with my first funeral service in the afternoon. On Thursday I'm in at the deep end....setting up for morning service and then a funeral straight afterwards - both of which I'll be doing on my own whilst Robert is away. Later in the evening we are having a puppet rehearsal in church too, so I think I had better take sandwiches! Hopefully all will go well.

Then on Friday I'll be heading down for a big demo event at Coleman's warehouse in Rushden, Northamptonshire, so, lots of extra samples to be made before then of course. Busy, busy!

I've got to toddle into the village shortly to do a couple of errands and drop the froggies and a few other bits into the charity shop, so will just share the last of the new A6 Christmas stamp sets before I go. There are also quite a few Tinchie stamps as well, but I'm not going to post all those! So, final peeps, peeps!

Do you think I need to see someone about my snowman addiction?!? This sketchy set is called "Frosty Kisses" (CICSA6085) and I'm seeing lots of pale lilacs and icy blues for this one.

Another quotes, messages set now, this one is called "It's a time to give" (CICSA6109)....

 .....again, large enough to make the words a focal point on a card or tag, but also useful for inserts too of course.

Very last one of the sets now, and this is "Jack Frost" (CICSA6110) a rather ethereal Doo lally Pip character with a cracked ice border, some ice crystals and other freezing motifs!

 All the sets should be available in a few weeks, but I will update their progress on here of course. Hope you've enjoyed the sneaky peeks. There were moments when I didn't think I'd get all my designs done in time for the deadlines, but, as usual, everything finally came together.

Well, I must away to the village now, but not before I've "put my face on" or I'll frighten the horses as they say!

I may need a smaller pan...

Before I share a few more new stamp previews, I did promise to show you a photo of my first crop of home grown vegetable, or, in this case, legumes. I snipped off the largest French beans to go with my "Sunday roast" dinner....not a real roast I confess, as I bought some slices of turkey from the deli! Well, here's the first harvest....

.....no laughing at the back there! I must admit that the famous scene from Jaws sprang to mind, but with a twist, and I found myself saying "I think I'm gonna need a smaller pan"! However, they were delicious, with that unmistakeable squeak that French beans have when you bite into them. The rest of my meal was almost ready, the water already boiling in readiness, so just two minutes after I picked them, these little beauties were cooked and on my plate. There are lots more beans growing on the plant, so I should have a regular supply for a few weeks.

Slightly more spectacular is the courgette plant in the conservatory which is, obviously, streaks ahead of the outdoor ones I'm also growing. Every morning now I am met with this sight.....

 .....exotic looking yellow orange flowers on thin stalks that open to four inches across.....then, by mid afternoon, they wilt and wither, only to be replaced by another fresh bloom the next morning. I was a little confused by the life cycle going on here, as there's another flower coming through that has the definite beginnings of a courgette behind it. A bit of internet browsing cleared it up and I discovered that the plant has both male and female flowers - the ones that bloom and then die are the male flowers and the courgettes grow behind the female flowers. I now keep trying to waft bees into the conservatory so they can pollinate them! It's all great fun!

Talking of fun, amidst all the worry and fears over my brother in law's health, we are trying to keep our spirits up and make sure that we have some breaks from the depression. If you pop over to Heather's blog you will find her photos of one such day that we spent last week. Heather's latest post is about the nostalgic trip we made to our childhood home, in fact, the house where I was born.....I remember, I remember and all that! More photos of me I'm afraid.....I've never been photogenic and you'd never know from the photos that I've lost over two stone and gone from a size 22 to a 14 bottoms and 16 tops!! Always a nasty shock to see that the image in one's head doesn't quite match the one in the photo! Actually, I think that Heather is secretly photoshopping the pictures - it's the only explanation!

Today I'd planned to go and visit mum as well as do some errands, but have decided to do all that tomorrow instead now, as I am going to be walking into the village in the morning to spend an hour or two with the Verger so he can show me the ropes. He's going to be on holiday in a couple of weeks, so I'll be taking over his duties till he returns.....hope I can take everything in tomorrow. Next week I'm also going to be assisting him at a large funeral service, so it's a bit of a steep learning curve coming up. Wish me luck folks! I'm quite amazed at the trust that's been shown to me by the church after a relatively short time and grateful for the chance to give something back after all the support and help they have given me over this past year.

Well, that's enough of the domestic and social round up! Here are a few more of the new stamp designs....more in the previous three posts in case you missed them. A Doo Lally Pip fairy to start with, this set is called "Christmas Swishes" ( I know....groan...but I do like a good, or bad, pun!) the code for this set is CICSA6114......

 .....the odd curved image at the top is her halo, measured so that it will fit around her head....I don't just throw these things together you know! Lol! More useful swirls and a crown so she can be a fairy princess too of course. She really doesn't only have to be for Christmas....if the stars on her skirt look too festive for using at other times of the year, a little paper piecing of her outfit will sort that out.

Surely there can't be any more snowmen I hear you cry......oh yes there can! I know, I know...it's a bit of an obsession, but I know I'm not alone in this one and I'm always asked for fresh ones every year. So, here are some more snowy folk.......

  .....I know, flying snowmen silhouettes! No surprise then that this Doo Lally Pip set is called "Flying Snowmen" (CICSA6106). I'll be stamping those airborne guys across one of my Distressy backgrounds with some faux bleached trees....I still get asked to show the waterbrushed trees at demos even after doing them so many times!
Another Doo Lally character now and this one is "Flying Tonight" (CICSA6107) another terrible pun that will make sense to anyone who heard Kenneth Williams proclaim "Frying tonight!" in the horror send up Carry on Screaming. Well, this character is a little cooky, but hopefully not too scary.......

 ......the little silhouette reindeer sled will also be going onto my Distressy skies I think. The snowflakey tree took an age to draw and my fingers were almost seizing up by the time I completed it! I think I am seeing the main character coloured in a rich Teal green rather than the usual reds, but I'm sure I'll be making lots of versions.
Finally, for this selection, one of my quote sets, and this one is CICSA6113 "Believe makes Christmas" (odd title I know...not mine!) and it's from the Crafty Impressions range....

...the quotes are small enough for the inside of a card but large enough to be the main feature on the front of cards too. I do like to add something a little different to just "Happy Christmas" etc to the cards that I send, so some quotes, or phrases just fit the bill.....not as flowery as a full blown verse, but more than just a simple greeting.
Right, I had better get on with things now. The first thing is to warm a croissant and make a coffee for a very late breakfast. I've been up for hours but I rarely eat as soon as I'm dressed, it takes a while for my appetite to kick in. The tummy is rumbling slightly now though, so I'm off to the kitchen!

...and more stamps

Thank you for the lovely comments about the new stamp sets. They are much appreciated. Drawing the designs is a very solitary thing, so it's always good to get positive feedback when I finally get to share them! I was drawing again today, but have had to call it a day as the temperature here has plummeted again and my fingers are complaining.....they're prone to the cold when I'm doing fiddly pen work. I may well get some tags or cards made later instead - much more movement in that to keep the circulation flowing!

So, as promised, here are a few more of my new stamp sets, all of which will be available very soon from Personal Impressions stockists.

This one is "Daahling" (CICSA6059)...you know the type! Lol! Again, from my Doo-Lally-Pip range.

Next is this set called "Pooch" (CICSA6065) with a rather dopey character and his grumpy bulldog. This set is also from the Doo-Lally-Pip range.

 This next one is a set that's in my Lindsay Mason designs collection.....

...it's called "Too Hoots" (CICSA6035) and I really enjoyed working on this set which took ages to draw with all the dot details! I'm a big owl fan and I thought it would be fun to have some patterned ones for a change.

Also from my Lindsay Mason range, this set is called "Funtastic Robots" (CICSA6034)......

......I think this set will be great for boys (and men's!) cards as well as journalling, hence the relative titles. Incidentally, I usually do both handwritten and typed word options for the stamps and then PI decide which to use, so I normally don't know which version will be in the sets until they are on the website!

I'll finish today's previews with another phrases set, also in my general Lindsay Mason designs range. This set is called "I've had enough" (CICSA6037)....I know the feeling!

 It has a mix of fonts and the "this is me" words are individual stamps so that you can space them out however you wish. I used a couple of the stamps from this set on the tags I showed yesterday.

Well, that's it for today! I'll try and post again tomorrow if I get the chance.

I'm hoping it's not too slippery tomorrow morning as I have to walk into the village to get to church...I may take dad's old walking stick if it is icy! Then it will be getting home and warmed up again with some lunch before cracking on with work. I know I keep harping on about the temperature, but I can't recall ever feeling as generally cold as I do these days! Bbbbrrrrr! I think there may be a nice hot bubble bath on the menu tonight - lovely!

I'm pooped!

I set aside today for having a really good pre-Christmas tidy, clear out and clean. It was a very gloomy morning with very little sunlight peeking over the yard arm until well after nine. Anyway, I set to work and carried on till mid afternoon when I decided to call it a day as I was desperate for a coffee and a bite to eat.

I am an absolutely awful housekeeper, partly due to the fact that David did all the domestic side of things while I cracked on with what I have to do. I've had such a busy few weeks that I really let things slide so there was quite a bit to get through today.

Anyway, I've completely done the workroom/vestibule that I never know what to call...Heather and I have started calling it the Doo-Lally-Pip room now, after my new stamp range and it seems like a good choice! Everything got cleared off the table, all the bits and pieces sorted through and lots of rubbish thrown out or into the recycling bin. I finally made a decision to clear all the drawers and cupboard space that was filled with David's clothes. I really struggled, but I went through everything and chose certain items that are extra special to me and have put those all neatly away. Everything else will go to the charity shop now. It was tough, but I know that David would have told me to stop being silly and use the space - he wasn't sentimental about objects and "things". 

So, I've now put my work materials in the drawers - inkpads in one, dies in another etc. I don't know how long they will stay in any kind of order, but it's a start. After a good clean I put some cheerful fabric over my table and along the shelf that I place my canvasses and altered art pieces on. I've upset a few spiders, but I think they will soon make themselves at home again!

I then tackled the lounge, made a huge pile of old paperwork to recycle, dusted, polished and tidied and threw another big bag full of rubbish out. Where does all the mass of accumulated nonsense come from?

I'll have to have another day of h*!**!!k tomorrow to tackle the two bedrooms, kitchen and conservatory, but I feel like I achieved quite a lot today so it won't seem such a chore tomorrow. I'll change all the bedding too, though I think it's going to take a long time to dry any laundry out at the moment and the thought of damp sheets over the radiators makes me shiver!

I'm just waiting for the plumber to arrive any time now as there is a problem in the kitchen - one of the floorboards has gone "squashy" which is a bad sign and I think there's either a slow leak from under the sink, or something to do with the temperamental washing machine. Hopefully it won't be anything too major and the florboard will dry out - eek! It's so weird to have to have "a man in" as, again, David always took care of any problems...he really could do anything.

Anyway, that's been my day so far. I'll share some more sneaky peeks of my new designs now - hope you like them. This first one is from the Crafty Impressions (a new range that PI are doing) All Occasions section and I designed this set with several ideas in mind - they will work well stamped in Glue n Seal, or using the new Ranger sticky embossing powder and dry glitters. I'll also be using them stamped in Archival black over alcohol ink or Dylusions ink sprayed backgrounds.

The set is called "Hope Blooms" (CICSA6012).

Next is a set called "Don't be afraid" (CICSA6023) which is from my Doo-Lally-Pip collection and has lots of useful quotes for cards or journalling.

The next set is also from the Doo-Lally-Pip range. This one is "Time Travel" (CICSA6029) and works really well with the Steamed Up set that I showed on last night's post.

The main character is quite androgynous - with or without the top hat! This was another set that took hours and hours to draw.

To complete tonight's little peeps, these last two are Tinchies (small single stamps) and are both from the Easter range, though they can obviously be used at any time of the year. They are both bunnies  - why do we call rabbits "bunnies" by the way?

This one is called "Bunny Behind" (CICST001) for obvious reasons - though I don't give them the names!

And this one is called "Rabbit Warren" (CICST005)

Well, hope you like them! If you didn't catch last night's post you can see more of the new designs there.

I'll post a few more tomorrow as well.

Well, I'm going to relax for the evening now. I decided on the chicken fried rice last night - it was more like a chicken kedgeree really and very tasty. I added some curry powder to the onions and then lots of different vegetables (it can be hard to get that five a day and now "they" say we should have seven!) before stirring an egg into the pan, adding the rice, soy sauce and finally the pieces of chicken. Yummy! So, it will be spaghetti tonight I think - unless I wimp out and just slam a lasagne ready meal into the oven. Must go and feed my two mischievous moggies first though!

New stamp sets

I should be feeling more relaxed now, as Saturday's demonstration, at Suzi Crafts in Stockton, was my last outing, work wise, for this year. Somehow, I feel just the opposite though, and my head is swimming with lists of things to be done, things to buy, things to send and, of course, bills to pay. The last being the one causing the most stress needless to say!

I'm also feeling very irritated just now as I decided that, before I put up any Christmas decorations, I must sort out the dreadful state of part of the ceiling in my work room come vestibule. The flat roof had been leaking very badly throughout the summer and, although it was fixed, I still hadn't redecorated the ceiling. It looked a sight really, big blobs of expansion foam coming through where some holes had been filled, paper coming away and lots of water marks of course. 

So, full of great confidence (!) I found some suitable wallpaper in a drawer in the garage, along with adhesive and a big brush. My confidence evaporated as quickly as the wallpaper unstuck itself from the ceiling! I couldn't even get it to hold up long enough to attach more than a few inches - what a disaster! I'm sure that the neighbours were very entertained if they were watching my Norman Wisdom like attempts - good thing they couldn't hear me...I don't swear as a rule, but I was getting pretty fed up!

Eventually I decided that this was just not a one woman job and....gave up. I switched plans and found some paint which I've daubed on for now. It looks frightful to be truthful - but will have to do for now. I think I'll get some textured paint which will cover the uneven surface but it will have to wait till new year now. It's hard with no one to help, though David always managed to work wonders with only my occasional assistance. So, although I might get some odd jobs rebuilding garden walls, I don't think I'll be picking up any work as a decorator!

Hello to everyone that I met on Saturday and thanks for all making me so welcome. It was a really fun day and what an enthusiastic bunch. Thanks too, to Tom and Sue for keeping me warm with a heater and coffees - as well as the chips and gravy for lunch....naughty but nice....they know how to make good gravy in the north east! I hope I'll be back there next year.

Yesterday was a good start to getting into the Christmas spirit. As well as the normal Sunday service at St Chads, there were two other special events that I attended. First was a late afternoon Christingle service which involved oranges decorated with sticks, sweets, ribbon and candles. The lights in the church were all turned out and the vicar told the story behind the Christingle oranges before lighting the first candle. Everyone came forward to take an orange and form a huge circle of people around the inside of the church and the flame was then passed from person to person. A really beautiful service and I loved the fact that even the children were holding the candles....nuts to the health and safety bureaucrats!

I then braved the cold and spent an hour or so browsing the village shop windows and having a coffee until the evening service which was an Advent celebration with music from the choir and lots of Carol singing. I walked home through the park (so nice to be somewhere that I feel safe walking in a park at night) and had a lazy evening on the sofa watching the box and getting warm again.

Well, that's been my weekend, and now, as promised, here are a few of my new stamp sets that will be available early next year. They are all  from my new "Doo-Lally-Pip collection"! I'll share more over the next few days. Here goes....

 .....this set is called "My purrfect pal" (CICSA6022) and I hope will appeal to other feline fanciers like myself. Being in the Doo-Lally-Pip series it has to have a quirky touch of course. Next up is....

 ....."Steamed up" (CICSA6025) which is one of my favourites of the new designs. I can't describe just how long this set took to draw! I don't use my computer to design with, except for some of my quotes and messages, so it does take hours for some very detailed images. Of course, when designing stamps, everything is literally black and white ie no grey shading allowed! So, any shadows have to be created with fine black lines which is what takes the time. I hope this will be a really useful set for journalling, altered art and cardmaking too of course. The next set is.......

...... "Behind the mask" (CICSA6028) with the Pierrot and Venetian mask. I really enjoyed drawing this set and I'll be using these images in my own journal I know. Here's a new quotes set.....

 .....this one is called "Create" (CICSA6026). My Creative Thoughts A5 set has been one of my most popular designs this year, so we have got several A6 quote collections this time. You will have to turn your necks round to read some of them I'm afraid, but we like to pack them onto the sheets! I'll share some of the other quote sets over the next few days. Finally for tonight......

 .....this is "My fragile heart" (CICSA6024) which will work for Valentine cards of course, but for journalling, tags and general cards too. 

That's all the sneaky peeks for now. The sets I've shown are all A6 size and are in the new Crafty Impressions section of the PI website. They'll be available from any store that stocks Personal Impressions products.

Well, it's time for me to go into the kitchen and rustle something up for dinner...not sure what yet, but I've really been trying to do some "proper" cooking lately, instead of relying on ready meals and cans. I actually made a vegetable curry last week that was pretty good if I say so myself, and Nigel Slater inspired me to make a fruit crumble (I did a sugar free version) that turned out really well. It's going to be either chicken fried rice or meatball spaghetti tonight depending on how I feel when I open the fridge!

I know I keep signing off like this lately, but do keep warm everyone.