It's nearly here...

...that time of year when we join Kerryanne English for some good old fashioned homely type Christmas stuff.

Each year for the last couple of years, Kerryanne has run her Simply Christmas event. She shares tips, ideas, recipes etc. that will help to put 'Family & Home' back into Christmas. She also invites some of her crafting friends to share stuff too.

The event helps to take the stress out of the run-up to Christmas by giving you ideas/tools for planning...from gift making to card sending, house decorating to shopping for that fabulous Christmas meal.

You will notice a new button over on my side-bar...why not hop over to Kerryanne's blog and nab a button for yourself and then you too can join in the fun.

The Holidays are coming...Holidays are coming...............

No knitting...

...and stitching kept to a minimum.

Let me start by saying, these are NOT my creations...they are something that I found via a link from a blog I follow.

I love to knit but I know there are a lot of folk out there who do not or just can't...so when I found these over on the Sizzix site I just had to share.

For all of you papercrafters who have a Bigshot or Cuttlebug - I'm sure you have plenty of dies that would be suitable for decorating these cute little mug hugs.

Dig out those sheets of felt and see what you can come up with.

Why not turn your mug into a steaming cauldron with a bit of black/orange/purple felt or even get the kids making their own 'hug' over the half-term holiday.

No tension to worry about (just measure and cut to size), no dropped stitches and as I said...the sewing can be kept to a minimum.

Go on, see what you can come up with.....................................

Mystery Kit...

...the reveal.

One of the elements of a CyberCrop over at UKScrappers is the team Mystery Kit - a box of scrapping goodies put together by one of the Sponsors for a specific team at a super price. The number of kits are usually limited in number so it can be a bit of a scramble to try and nab one.

With this box of goodies you have to create something...a mini-book, LOs, a piece of paper engineering...anything you like but there are conditions that you must obey...

You must not discuss the contents of the kit with anyone - not even fellow teamies.

You must only use what comes in/with the kit i.e. the the kit and any packaging - except for a list of specific allowable additions (black/white plain CS or paper, black/white ink, thread, anytype of glue, any tools - inc. stamps, I think you get the idea).

It can be pretty difficult when faced with the contents of the box to decide what to make and it makes it so much harder when you can't chat about it with your team to get ideas - still, that's part of the fun and challenge.

I decided to make a stationery box...

...the base being constructed from white CS and given a bit more stability with some black CS panels before being decorated with some of the PP provided in the kit.
When the lid is taken off...

...the front drops down to reveal the contents.
I made a few note cards...

...using up the odds and ends of PP that I used to decorate the box.
The mini-album is made from the greyboard that was supplied...

...and decorated with more PP. The pages have been made from white CS and as there were no book rings and only a limited amount of ribbon - I went with CS hinges to fix it all together and more of the CS was used to wrap the spine.
The stationery box has 3 sections for storage...

...and I will probably add some more bits-n-bobs after the CC has finished.
The little note cards are perfect for a quick 'thank you' or...

...just a quick keep in touch sort of message. I kept the decoration fairly simple as I am trying to be more 'postage aware' with my card makes.

No-one gets to see anything that has been made until the gallery is opened for voting - that in itself can be a bit stressful as you can't see if you have up-loaded it correctly due to it being a 'hidden gallery'.

The kit was fab and I still have quite a bit left which I'll be able to make good use of. From choice...if I had been using these PPs without any restrictions, I would probably have chosen kraft CS or brown/cream as my additional items - but hey!...that's part of the fun of the challenge....................................

Oh Poop!!!...

...(best I could think of LOL).

I've waited weeks to get a chance of a photo of the Orbit all lit-up. This was the best I could manage...

...not very impressive, huh?

The only elevated place to take the pic from was our office and the first couple of pics were useless because of the bounce-back of the flash on the windows - so this one was taken with the camera held outside the window (wrist-strap firmly in place LOL), not easy as the windows only open a small amount at a rather funny angle.

The building site next to the office has been a hive of activity until quite late in the evening. This is a pic of the big drill thingy that they have been using all week (wonder where they get rawl-plugs to fit???).

As I mentioned in the last post - there was a rather big oops! when the dirt from the drilling pushed over the fence into our car park. Only a few moments before there had been 3 cars parked there..................................

Indian Summer?...

...think I mis(t) it.

Okay, don't groan too loudly - it wasn't my idea...the pun came from one of the Monday newspapers.

Having a quick hop around Blogland it would seem that the Fog & Mist was pretty much common across the country.

The view from the office has been grotty all day and the heavy mist just hasn't lifted - at times you could only just make out the Olympic stadium and the top of the Orbit was sort of lost somewhere in the murk.

Instead of enjoying unusually warm temps for this time of year; I'm sitting here with a lovely hot mug of Hot chocolate mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The office was its usual Monday morning icebox (well it was in our wing) and things didn't really improve all day - I dread to think what it's going to be like when the weather gets really cold.

All this dismal weather is not doing much for my creativity - there is the 10th Anniversary CyberCrop fast approaching over on UKScrappers and except for the Mosgots and the tidy-up I don't seem to have achieved very much **pout**

I thought if I sat here for a while I would get some inspiration but at the moment all I can think of is going and snuggling up in a nice warm bed. Oh well, things may be better once I've slept on it - nighty night.....................................

The Mosgots are...

...ready to fly.

Before I explain what a 'mosgot' is, I just wanted to prove that my desk is still tidy...

...even after 'mosgot' construction LOL

It seems kinda bland just saying it was a 'typo' but that's how it started.

When UKS have a CyberCrop it has been a sort of tradition to have a Mascot Swap - usually an exchange of small cuddly toys that the recipient can sit on their desk/work area.

Someone asked if there was going to be a swap this time but instead of 'mascot' it printed as 'mosgot'...so The Detectives are having an ATC Mosgot Swap (sounds much more fun than mascots LOL).

These are my five completed and ready to wing off to Suzie...

...who is acting as swap host for the event.

I went with some cheery 'menguins' (no that is not another typo - it's what we have always jokingly called them in our family)

You might have noticed that there are some little menguins below the ATCs...these are little 'mosgots' that the recipients will be able to use in any way they like (there are a variety of mini menguins so they might not match the image on the front of the ATC (and they will be snuggling inside the ATC for their journey).

I actually made 6 of these so that I could keep one...

...as you can see - this little chappie has made himself at home on my nice tidy storage stack.

Never having made an ATC before (I don't think you can count the samples that we made at one of Andy's "Tim style" days) I didn't realise how difficult it could be to make something soooooooooooooooooo small. Worse than that, I was worried that my efforts would be woeful against the creations of the others in the swap. Never mind - we're all in it for the fun so I hope folk will like these when they recieve them.

Suzie; they are heading to the seaside and will be in the post to you tomorrow......................................

Pens, Pens, Pens...

...what crafter doesn't like pens!

The lovely Enfys has been given a set of Promarkers to give to one of her followers...hop on over to Going Buggy

I'm not going to show you a picture of the prize you could win as you really do need to hop on over there and see what it is all about.

Can I just say; Letraset who have provided the prize have not been stingy..........................................

CDACPC22...

...has arrived.

The latest progressive challenge over on the CDAC site had two free digi images this time. A lovely colletion of mushrooms and some stitching bits & bobs...I love both but have only had time to make a card using the stitching image by Pattie's Creations (CDACPC22a).

The image was coloured using Spectrum Noir pens and then it was rough cut to use on the front of the card. It was attached using foam pads to give dimension.

The PPs and embellies used on the card were all from a DoCraft Goodie Bag that I bought earlier in the year.

The die-cut label is from the retro range that they did early this Summer.

Hope you like it.

Why not hop over to the CDAC site and see what other folk have come up with............................................

Are you sitting down...

...as this could come as a shock!

In the previous post I showed you my desk after clearing enough space to set down a cuppa.

Well...I got home from work and once I'd had something to eat, I got stuck in.

I started by clearing everything off apart from the PC...

...and everywhere got a good clean (it couldn't have been that dirty - could it?) gosh the grime that came off was awful. I know PCs attract the dust but really...

I finally moved the PC to where I've wanted it for ages - no more sitting at a funny angle...

...so much easier. The blotter that I bought I don't know how many years ago is now out of the packet and on the desk - perfect as it has a wrist rest for when I'm typing.

A close-up folks of a few of the plastic trays that I bought when Artbase closed its b&m store. At last a place to keep things tidy on the desk...

...and as they are 12x12 trays, everything that I need craftwise is to hand.

I have to say, I'm pretty darn pleased with this evenings efforts.....................

A Little bit of...

...pre-Cyber-Crop organisation.

My 'planner' is sorted...

...I always set up a folder for CCs as I like to keep a hard copy of the classes and challenges for future ref.

A very simple project of labelling up a ring binder...

...filling it with plastic pockets and printing off the items to be stored there. Quick and very easy.

I have a whole set of these dating back to the first CC I did which was the UKS 5th Birthday celebration - doesn't time fly.

Chief Woozle briefed us on preparation for the CC and suggested we get our working 'space' (???) tidy and ready for action...

...I've made a start - I actually have space to put down my cup now LOL..........................

First Pre-cybercrop challenge...

...was to create a Birthday card.

After all, it is UKScrappers' 10th Birthday. So here is my card...

...it was suggested that Red/White/Blue should be the colour theme as those are the forum colours for UKS.

The image is one I coloured a while ago...

...lucky enough, I coloured two versions of this stamp and one was R/W/B.

Made use of some of the Jubilee themed stash that I bought earlier in the year...

...Portabello Road dotty paper and a Kanban die-cut.

Now comes the fun bit...it is rather a long time since there was a cybercrop on UKS and I've got to try and remember how to upload piccies - wish me luck folks LOL............................................

What's Rocking your World Friday...

...on a Saturday (at least it's a day earlier than last week LOL).

If you still aren't sure what this is all about, hop over to Virginia's blog where she will give you a bit more detail - but in a nut-shell...it is taking the time to look back over the last 7 days and share the lovely things that have brightened your world.

So, what has rocked my world this week...

Hotwater bottles - the weather has been so damp & chilly this week that it has been lovely to snuggle up on the sofa of an evening with a fleece covered hotwater bottle in front of the TV.

Cybercrops - it seems sooooooooooooooo long since there was a CC over on UKScrappers but there is one starting at the end of this month (with a few things taking place in the run-up). I signed up and was allocated to the Detectives team. It has been fun 'meeting up' with old friends who I haven't seen much of since the last CC.

Visiting with family - it was lovely to get a chance to spend some time with my niece who was on a brief visit to the UK from Germany. Shame she wasn't able to take advantage of the 30% off weekend at Pinnacle Crafts and even more of a shame that the weather was so grotty Tuesday evening...but it was lovely to see her and spend some time with her.

Jacket Potatoes - we have a cafe near the office who serve the most MAHOOSIVE jacket spuns you could possibly imagine. Filled with bolognaise (sp?) they are just fab.

Shops - the real bricks & mortar type...not on-line virtual ones. I don't like ordering stuff on-line if I haven't had a chance to see it in the flesh and I certainly don't like having to pay huge amounts of P&P, so it was great that I found out the big John Lewis store in Westfield (Stratford) stocks Liz Earle toiletries. I was able to pick up one of the limited edition Cleanse & Polish - smells devine. Also whilst in Westfield I popped into HMV to look for the Daniel Craige Bond films - they only had one but it was really cheap - £3. However, I didn't get it. They had the 50th anniversary box set of all 23 Bond movies reduced to just over £40...well, it would have been rude not to take advantage of the bargain.

Friends - just spending some 'girly' time wandering around craft shops and having coffee & cake, whilst not really being in a rush to be anywhere else (even if I did end up spending more than I intended LOL).

Dark evenings - I love & hate these. I really don't enjoy leaving for work in the dark or returning the same way but it is lovely to snuggle up on the sofa in front of the fire with the lights dimmed and just watch some TV - seems so much more cosy.

Haven't done a lot of crafting this week and haven't taken many photos but I came across this pic on-line.

The dark clouds give this photo a very moody feel.

Well that was what rocked my week, why don't you hop over to Virginia's blog and see what is rocking the world for the other Rockettes..................................

Has your Mojo gone missing...

...or is you creativity comatose?

If so, get yourself over to UKScrappers (link in my sidebar) and sign up for the coming Cybrecrop.

It will be taking place October 26th through to November 4th...with a number of challenges beforehand to get the creative juices flowing.

This event is being run in a far more relaxed way this time so that no-one feels pressured to make stuff they are not happy with just to meet a deadline or to add to the team points total. You can dip in and do as much or as little as you fancy or time permits.

I'm in and I am part of the Detectives team - do hop over to UKScrappers to find out more. Come along and join in the fun..................................

This Little Piggy...

...is from DoodlePantry.

It is the digi image provided for the CDACPC21 challenge.

The challenges are being run slightly different this time around and folk can request an image early and submit it before the 'release date' in the hope that their submission will be selected as a 'star' - my little piggy didn't make it this time.

I'm still playing with my Spectrum Noirs and was pretty pleased with how this coloured-up.

Isn't this little porker just sooooooooooooo cute.

A fair bit of matting & layering on this one...

...but I'm still trying to limit the embellies because of postage costs.

If you'd like to see who the stars were for this challenge, do hop over to the CDAC site and take a look. You'll also get to see what other folk have come up with........................................