Motorway...

...madness.

My niece asked ever so nicely if I would pick her up from Uni and take her to her Mum's (Uni is in Leicester, Mum is in Essex). So this morning I set off round the M25 to pick up the M1. At the approach to the M1 exit was where the problems started...

Traffic was queuing back onto the M25 because of the roadworks between junctions 6 & 10 on the M1 it seemed to take for ever but once passed the roadworks things picked up and we were going great guns until J11. Speed restrictions, but no indication why - then I saw the tailbacks on the other side of the road (can only assume the speed restrictions on our side were to try and prevent problems with folk slowing down sharply to look at the accident on the other side). Once clear of there it was plain sailing until J17. Things slowed right down and got progressively worse - turned out there had been a car overturn between J19 & J20 closing off two lanes. When I finally reached that point I can only say that there wasn't a lot of the car left...a real mangled mess.

It hasn't been the best day for driving as it has been very hot and humid but I got to Leicester, collected niece and set off on the return.

The return journey wasn't much better and I really can't believe the idiots that were out and about...lane hopping, bumper hugging, undertaking, overtaking...complete and utter madness - is it something to do with the heat and sunshine, do you thing (hummmmmmmm).

All I can say is, boy am I glad that I'm not doing the return run next week LOL........................

There's not...

...mushroom, around here (yes you are allowed to groan LOL).




I was blog hopping earlier and I found some lovely cards over on Hysteri-Cal's blog. They had the cutest little mushrooms on them :o)

I like mushrooms...and I thought you all might like to see some that I made a few years ago when I used to attend ceramic art classes.

Our tutor had arranged for a teacher from the USA to come and do some all-day classes using a new range of paints. There were 3 days of classes (Fri/Sat/Sun) and Mum treated me to them as my birthday present. Day one and two consisted of decorating 4 pieces each day - they were long days and it took some doing to get the pieces finished. The Sunday was just one huge piece, a Christmas lamp shaped like a bowling ball with a snowman sat on the top (sadly it got broken last year and I don't have any pics).

The mushroom piece was also a lamp and I really love it even though the only bulbs that will fit into the globe in the centre cost an arm and a leg to buy :o(.......

The 25th has...

...arrived!

Slept in later this morning as I had a bit of a restless night :o( so my day started later than normal. Got the usual pic of the time - 8.20ish (good grief, day almost gone LOL), took a pic from the bedroom window - boy does the Elder tree need cutting back, and remembered to get photos of breakfast before most of it had been eaten LOL

The photo prompt from Shimelle this month is to look at what makes up the whole (not very good at macro photography) so I took a pic of the kitchen worktop with the whole of my brekkie on view and then zoomed in to various bits - I'll have to see what the pics look like when printed off as to whether I can use them or not.

The weather is not playing nice so I think I'll have to get outside fairly quickly if I'm to get any outside shots today....................

This month...

...has flown.



It doesn't seem possible that a whole month has passed and tomorrow is the 25th - the day for taking loads of pics from morn 'til night LOL

Camera should be fine cos I treated myself to some new batteries last week and I have downloaded a load of pics to make space on the memory card.

So, I think I'm all set for the August "Scrap your Day"...................

Awards...

...awards, loads of awards.



There seem to be so many different little icons appearing all over blogland. The lovely Debbie has advised all those that visit her blog that they may help themselves to this one...a lovely gesture as I always have problems coming up with just the number of folk suggested by the award rules. So continuing in the spirit of generosity - feel free to grab this if you like it. There are so many fab blogs out there that I could spend all day every day just blog-hopping but that would never do.

Perhaps there should be a competition to see just how many different awards are out there at the moment, what do you think..............

Books...

...don't count.

After all, they are not stash LOL



I finally got my copy of the Elsie F "Recipe Box" - the lovely ladies at Artbase had remembered that I had asked about it earlier in the year and when their stock came in they kept one aside for me...thanks girls :o)

However, that wasn't the only book that I came away with LOL. As you can see, I got a copy of the book shown above - it is fab. Loads of lovely projects and some really super ideas.

Problem...I'm still trying to find someone who can point me in the direction of some more hours in the day......................

The minibook...

...a few more pics :o)









I think Simon liked it and everyone else was having a laugh at the jokes that I had put on the tags (all jokes that Simon has sent by TEXT at some time or other).

I'm glad you had a Happy Birthday Simon...here's wishing you all the best for the coming year................

Quick edit: For those who have asked the jokes are a little bit 'near the knuckle' as they say so probably not appropriate for blogging LOL

Simon's...

...birthday bash.



Not all the pics came out very well but everyone was having a good time and had a giggle at some of the pics.



There was a birthday cake with loads of candles and I had a hell of a job getting the light right or trying to get folk to stay still LOL



Simon's mate Elston has become known as Lagerboy which Simon emphasizes as he is an Aleman. At a recent beer festival, he found this t-shirt for Elston and insisted he wear it for his birthday (hehe).



I had decided to make Simon a minibook as a combined card and present.



The girls from Walthamstow office seemed to be have a grand time.

And so another year has passed...wonder what we'll all be doing this time next year...........

Be Warned...

...celebrating when tired is not a good idea LOL

Yesterday was my friend Simon's birthday and he had invited friends and colleagues to join him for a celebration. I had promised to go but really I didn't intend to stay very long because I was feeling rather tired having had an early start because of attenting a meeting at one of our other offices.

It was a great evening and time flew far more quickly than anticipated so I ended up on the last train home...and I fell asleep (don't you dare laugh).

I remember hearing several of the automated announcements and thinking that it was taking a long time to get home - the next thing I knew we were pulling into BENFLEET - two stops past my station. What was worse was that upon checking, the train had been taking a long time and because it was delayed I had just missed the last return train that would have taken me home. Luckily, Benfleet is Mum's local station so a quick call and a cab ride and I spent the night at Mum's...heaven only knows what would have happened if I had missed that station too, LOL.

I had visions of me curled up in a siding somewhere, or having to fork out loads of money on a cab to get home. So be warned..................

You have probably...

...noticed LOL I've been decorating :o)

A visit to Debbie's blog the other day and I found she had transformed her blog with a wonderful black and pink background - so I went to investigate (as you do, hehe).

She had found a site "The cutest blog on the block" - some super stuff on there and loads of backgrounds...FREE (you can link to it via the button at the top left side of the screen). I spent ages browsing and found a couple I really liked but couldn't make up my mind which to use.

Yesterday whilst blog-hopping I noticed Charlol had used one of the designs I was considering so that was it...mind made up...I used the other one LOL

Hope you like the new look.............

Tim Holtz Style Mirror...

...courtesy of the Artbase August workshop.















What a fab project and a wonderfully messy day LOL

Thanks have to go to Emma and Margaret for bringing us this great class.

We got to play with Tim Holtz crackle paints, distressing powders and distressing inks...as well as lots of gooy Glossy Accents. It's amazing how mucky a group of grown up ladies can get without even really trying very hard LOL. However, the day did start with a very big decission to be made...what selection of colours to use - I chose the colours you see above because my hall is yellow and blue and the 'bits' I had collected to put on the mirror were mainly boaty in nature.

The yellowy photo was taken in my hallway and as you can see the lighting wasn't very good but it does prove that the mirror came home and went straight on the wall :o). The other pics were taken in the kitchen cos the light is so much better and two of the pics show just small bits of the mirror so hopefully you can see the detail a bit more clearly.

I had the most wonderful time doing this project (even though 24hrs later I'm still scrubbing ink from under my nails). Way to go Emma & Margaret, thanks for a really super day......................

Cards, food and...

...typhoons.

Well, that's what it seemed like LOL

When I woke up this morning it was a super sunny day, but it wasn't to last :o( By the time I had driven to the workshop the sky was dull, rain was trying and it was very windy.

Despite feeling that the workroom was going to take-off at any moment and having times when the wind and rain were so loud we couldn't hear what poor Dawn was trying to tell us - it was a fab day.

The first card was a giant boxed Christmas card in non-traditional colours. Lots of glittering and sticking...boy did we get messy cos the wind would occasionally get through and things blew about some what LOL The box was made from scratch too.

The second card was a beautiful lavender and silver giant birthday card lots of cricut elements that had to be layered , glittered and stuck down. we used scented paper inside.

Finally we made a boy and a girl tag birthday card...what with the weather and everything, time finally defeated us (the boy card will have to be finished later) but we got to play with fantasy film, H2Os and other colourling mediums.

A super selection of fab cards and a lunch that would rival any restaurant (thanks to Dawn's DH - Brian). Freshly cooked gammon with chunks of fresh pineapple, quiche, new potatoes, salad and loads of other stuff....mmmmmmmm, scrummy.

Thank you Dawn & Brian for another absolutely fabulous day - if you forget about the weather, that is LOL...............................

Cars...

...GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I am not having a good time at the moment with my car. Last week I spent 2 days getting the MOT sorted...2 days for them to change a tyre - hurumf.

Tonight I went out to the car loaded down with totes etc to go off to scrap night and guess what...I had a flat. Could I find the footpump...could I like h***

Knocked at my neighbour to ask if I could borrow a pump and bless him he came to do it for me. After pumping up the tyre it was clear that the air was escaping so he changed the tyre for me and even offered to take the punctured one to get it fixed - luckily I think this is covered by the lease arrangement so I will need to sort that out tomorrow - after the cardmaking workshop.

Cars and tyres get a big thumbs down from me at the moment but lovely, kind, helpful neighbours get a super THUMBS UP........................

I refuse...

...to take responsibility LOL

Caroline has posted on her blog that she gave in and bought a Cuttlebug - let me state here, for the record...I had nothing to do with it (honest Ted). I might have sung the praises of their wonderful embossing folders once or twice but I will not be held accountable (he, he).

I'm sure it won't be long before she starts posting pics involving the use of her new toy....................

Doesn't time...

...fly LOL

It is nearly a year since we all went out to celebrate Simon's birthday and next week we will be doing the same c",)

Last year I took loads of pics as it was my first chance to play with my new camera - as I've had plenty of 'playing' in the last year I hope to get a some better pics this year LOL




All the gang should be there so hopefully we should get some good/interesting shots LOL................

Thunder...

...and Lightening and lots of rain.

Whilst sitting here catching up on my blog browsing a storm has broken overhead (yes I have a PC circuit-breaker etc so I'm okay being on here).

This is one of those occasions when I wish I had a better camera so that I could take pics of the lightening...it is certainly lighting up the sky LOL

The rain sounds like it is also hail...no I'm not going out to check...no way jose.

Fingers crossed it actually clears the air a bit as it has been very hot and stuffy even though it has been overcast on and off thoughout the day..............

Minibook Monday...

...first class of the Sultry Summer Stash Bash '08




As you can see, I seem to have got a bit carried away LOL

When I started rummaging through my stash to find suitable bits to do Annette's class I decided I was going to do a lavender circle book and a blue square one...big problem...everytime I went to search for something for the books I found something else that made me think "ooo, wonder if that will work" and as a result I have four books in various stages of construction.

The lavender one is done all but the photos and some embellies...the other 3 are all cut, folded and in the process of being put together...so watch this space..........

Sultry Summer...

...Stash Bash '08

The fun has begun :o)

For the month of August, UKS are running a summer event with a new class and chat thread everyday. The aim of the event is also to reduce the stash mountains that most of us have LOL.

We 'kicked off' with "minibook monday" thanks to Annette who provided two super minibook designs to have a go at - I'll be doing mine at scrap night so hopefully I'll be able to take some pics and post them fairly soon.

"technique tuesday" is a LO using a sketch and stamping...probably have a go at this some time during the month.

This is a more relaxed event - no deadlines - just a chance to scrap using the inspiration supplied by the daily classes - fabby stuff.

I wonder how much stash I'll manage to use up...ask me in a month's time............

Grrrrrrrrrr...

...and double Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

My PC has been playing up all week so I decided to upgrade my security package. I seem to have succeeded in removing the pop-up warnings now that the PC has been scanned etc. However, it keeps interupting my internet access with warnings - this is getting rather frustrating.................