This has been the worst...

...five months of my life.

I can only imagine how the eight members of staff have felt during this time, knowing that they no longer had jobs.

As those of you who visit on a regular basis, I have been struggling to make their leaving cards but Bank Holiday weekend I made myself sit down and deal with the task in hand - a stack of Art Deco toppers came in very handy and so did the Deco PPs from DoCraft that I had in my stash.

All the cards were created on a 6x6 white pearl CS base...

 ...these three were for Anne, Sharon & Malcolm.
To throw another spanner in the works, I also had three staff leaving to take up jobs in another office...

 ...so these three were to wish Chris, Vas and Anji all the best in their new roles.
Sue has worked with me for a long time...

 ...she is the only original member of the clerical team I was given to manage...

 ...and just like with Kim last week, this was a farewell that I found extremely hard.
The last three cards were for Maria, Denise & Jenny...

 ...and I found it very difficult to write all of these because this felt like the heart was being ripped out of my team.

The office had made a collection for each of them so there was a small presentation so that all their colleagues could express their thanks for all the work and support these folk have provided over the years...there were a lot of tears - especially from me.

Some of the leavers just wanted to slip away quietly...

 ...but a few wanted to have a drink and meal to say goodbye to each other...

 ...very difficult to stay up-beat on such a sad occasion.
Anthony is a colleague who has been coming down from his office in Ipswich once or twice a week...

 ...to help out with all the paperwork involved with so many folk leaving. Friday was the last visit he will make as his office now belongs to a different region (everything is changing).
This is a terrible photo but it was the only one I was able to catch of Maria...

...I have worked with her for most of the 18 years that she has worked in the Department (although she only joined my clerical team about 8 years ago). When Maria started work here, she only intended it to be a temporary thing but like many of us, she found time had flown by without even realising. Although she didn't really want to leave, she has used this as the 'push' to go back to studying in September as she has decided to become a mid-wife.

I wish all my leavers the very best for the future in what ever they decide to do................................

Typical...

...the moment I post about it, it sorts itself.

For more than 24 hours the problem existed. So when I post to see if others are having the same problem it decides to rectify itself.

I think the Gremlins have taken over my PC.................................................................

Okay, is it just me...

...or are there problems with links to Bloglovin and a number of countdowns?

I noticed yesterday that my Bloglovin 'buttons' were not showing in my sidebar and when I looked further some of my countdowns had gone missing too. If you click where the link should be you just get told "are you sure you have used the correct address"...or something similar.

So hopping over to a few blogs where I know these 'buttons' are also used, I found the same thing.

Now is this a problem for everyone using these facilities or is the problem with my PC?

If you have Bloglovin buttons/links, Crafty blogs countdown or any other countdown type thingies that have disappeared - would you please let me know.

If yours are all okay and it is only me who can't see/link via them then something is amiss with my PC and if that is the case...with my level of 'techy' knowhow I will give myself permission to duly engage PANIC MODE...LOL

Oh the wonders of modern technology...................................................................

Thank you...

...for all the Cyber-hugs.

Yesterday was a pretty awful day - the whole office seemed to be 'down'. Even the weather came out in sympathy with heavy rain & thunder storms.

Unfortunately, that was only the start. One down, ten more to go.

I've been looking after another team, as well as my own, since October and the 3 remaining members of that team have finally been offered jobs elsewhere so will also be leaving at the end of the month.

So next week involves my 7 remaining leavers and the 3 off to pastures new.

Sooooooooooooo much change.

Now to paste a brave face on and head off to the office for another round of meetings and wondering how I'm going to get everything done.............................................................................

Today is a day...

... I haven't been looking forward to.

So here's some bits I've been doing to try and take my mind off things.

This is a work in progress that you have already had a peek at...

...I am gradually adding more coloured areas to the page.

This one is completed...

...I just wanted to play around with some colours & shading on the flowers and despite the rubbish photo (the curve of the page caught the light from the window on the left) I am pretty pleased with the way the colours worked on each of the different types of bloom.

Today is not going to be a good day as the first of my leavers departs. Although I will miss all of those being made redundant, this is the one who will leave the biggest hole and will be the hardest to replace - in fact, I don't think it would ever be possible to replace this individual.

I have sorted a gift & card and made sure there is a substantial supply of tissues. Not a day I'm looking forward to...........................................................

No shading involved...

...just playing around with colours.

This page is just a bit of soothing "me" time...

...the colours have been restricted to Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet and Dusty Concord. These smaller designs are wonderful for picking up & putting down as & when the mood takes me. I haven't yet decided how much white I intend to leave on this but I'll show you when I think enough is enough.

I've only just started on this one and so far I've used Abandoned Coral and Mermaid Lagoon...

...I might use this as a sampler of the new 2015 colours being added to the Distress range. As some of the colours are quite bright I might have another play with Picket Fence but we'll see how it goes.

Spent some time in the garden cutting back the shrubbery that has enveloped the shed (should have taken a photo before I started - not sure if I've got one somewhere from a couple of weeks ago). It is surprising how much space the shrubs extended out into. Glad I made a good start on this as the weather for the next few days isn't supposed to be too great. Hopefully, with it being Bank Holiday next weekend I'll be able to get some more done.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend................................................................................

You knew I wouldn't resist...

...didn't you!

There I was telling you all that I now had a plentiful collection of "Grown-up" colouring books and that I wouldn't be buying any more...then this happened...

 ...I saw some finished pages from the "Enchanted Forest" on another blog and loved the designs that I saw. However, when I went looking on the web for more info about this book I was shocked to see what was being charged on that well-known shopping site that begins with an 'A' - prices ranged from £19.99 to £54...yes you are reading that correctly...£54!!! I was very disappointed but honestly, who pays £54 for a colouring book?

Friday I went with a colleague to purchase the gift cards/vouchers for the leaving gifts of my folk and we passed Foyle's bookshop. There in the window was the book so we had a quick look inside. They had quite a selection of colouring books and a good stock of each title. The printed price on the back of this book is £9.95 so one fell into my basket, was duly paid for and now resides with my other books.

On the way back to the office we passed WHS and they had a newly stocked display also including this book so the prices on the shopping site can't be a reflection of limited availability - there are plenty of them out there.
In addition to the book above, the local newsagent is also stocking some books with the magazines and this one was only £2.99...

...it is labelled "No:1" but there is no indication as to the frequency of this publication.

I am still having a play with colours...

 ...still using my Distress Markers...

 ...the main flower colour is the new "Abandoned Coral"...

...and I also had a bit of a play with some shading and also "white-washing". I haven't really used the "Picket Fence" pen before in my colouring and I'm glad I've had a play because it has shown me that I need to be a bit more careful when it comes to the outlines.

"Picket Fence" is a white-wash that can be used over any of the other colours but still leaves the base colour visible but whitened - this goes for the outlines too. So if you want your outlines to remain 'crisp' you either need to try to keep within the lines (not that easy as the 'white' doesn't really show until is dries) or go back over the lines with a liner pen.

The sun is shining at the moment but it looks a bit breezy out there so I don't think I'll be sitting outside colouring but I might have to get out in the garden and cut back some of the shrubs as the sun and rain we have had over recent weeks seems to have made them sprout uncontrollably.

Enjoy your Sunday, whatever you are intending to do.................................................

Time is ticking away...

...and I just can't get my mojo to play ball.

In January of this year the lowest grade members of my team received news that they were 'surplus' and were offered voluntary redundancy.

By the end of February it was known that all 8 had reluctantly accepted the package.

On Tuesday 19 May, I will say goodbye to the first of them.

It has been a very stressful time but credit to them all, they have come in and continued to deliver the very high standard of performance that they always have...something that has made me feel very proud but also very sad.

For weeks now I have been trying to make cards for each of them but every time I sit down to do so, Mr Mojo takes a hike...I think he knows that this is something that I really do not want to be doing.

I've known most of these folk for over ten years and we have been through changes in management structures, the death of a colleague, serious health issues - happy & sad times - and the thing that I can always rely on is their dependability and willingness to support each other.

This is going to leave a very big hole that the remaining team members are going to have to adjust to.

So by the end of this month, my original team will be considerably smaller but they have merged the remains of another team with mine. This means new faces and getting to know peoples quirks so that we can work towards forming the 'Team' feel that has always existed here.

Those leaving can never be replaced as they are all individuals with their own personalities/skills/quirks and we will miss them terribly.

Now I really must try and pin down Mr Mojo and get these cards sorted.........................................

More colouring...

...and playing with contrasts.

Where there are double pages of designs facing each other in the colouring books, I have been having some fun trying out different colour combos and different contrasts.

This page used mainly blues, greens and a touch of beige...

 ...I love the vivid tone of the new Mermaid Lagoon Distress Marker. In complete contrast...

 ...the facing page (which in this case is a mirror image) has been coloured using yellows and oranges - very different. The great thing about having the pages side-by-side is that you can compare the different colour combos.

This one is a work in progress...

...I have used pinks on the upper flower and mauves on the lower one. On this occasion, I actually went back to some shading & blending and was very pleased with the result.

So far, I have only used Distress Markers in these colouring books but in response to a question raised on an earlier post I tried some alcohol pens.

If you are wanting to colour the designs that are printed on both sides of the pages, alcohol pens are not really suitable as they do bleed through a bit - even the water-based pens will bleed through if you make the paper too wet. However, if you are not bothered about being able to use both sides of each page you can use the alcohol pens without any problem - although I would suggest that you place a piece of paper under the page to act as a bit of protection from staining another page.

If the thought of spoiling or having to choose which side you want to colour bothers you - don't worry - there are actually quite a few books available that have images only printed on one side of each page - I would still suggest some paper as protection though if you are going to use alcohol pens.

So go on...have a play and just 'chill' for a while................................................................

Finally managed...

...to get some slightly better photos.

The sun was shining Sunday morning so I dashed outside to grab a few photos before heading off to Mum's.

This is the view from the front path...

...and shows the hanging baskets on the front more clearly. A bit of a zoom in...

 ...and you can see they are well planted and blooming well. This one...

...is by the side of the front door and I was able to get a higher angle on the shot. I just love the lavender shade of the baskets and how it shows off the mauves of the flowers so well.

I'm being very good with the watering and even remembered to purchase some plant food - so fingers crossed they should provide a good show for quite some time..................................................

More colouring...

...and a new book to play with.

This book is currently on the top sellers list in WHS...

 ...it is just under A5 in size so great for sticking in your bag with a few pens or pencils.
This is the design that appears on the front cover and it is surprising how the colours in the photo look very different to how they appear in real life...

 ...I wasn't trying for anything in particular - just trying out a few blues & greens.
This was a quick design and very simple in its make up...

 ...nothing too complicated, just a bit of a play.
I suppose you would call this design "clouds" and the left-hand page is in similar colours to those that appear on the back cover of the book. As this was a double page design...

...I wanted to see how it looked in a different colour-way.

This is one of the things I love about colouring, the same image can be made to look quite different just by using a different combination of colours.

I am really enjoying this "no pressure" type colouring. Grown-up colouring play-time is a great way to switch off from the stresses of the everyday world. If the colours don't work - who cares...it's play-time. If the colours do work - you have a great reference piece for future crafting.

I did have a look in the web to see what other colouring books are 'out there' - I nearly fell off my seat when I saw some of the prices. Obviously a case of some sources thinking they can cash in on the current trend. I won't be spending that type of money when you can pick up some very nice books in your local book stores. For the moment, I think I have plenty to keep me occupied...although..............

Weekend intentions...

...never quite turn out as planned.

Last weekend was May-day Bank Holiday so many of us had an extra day away from work.

The stores were stacked with BBQ stuff the week before because the forecast was supposed to be good (perhaps a little chilly) but as usual, Mother Nature did her own thing.

Rain, Fog, Wind, Hail and some Sunshine put in an appearance in my neck of the woods at some point over the 3 days.

I finally remembered to divert to Homebase on my way home on Saturday as I have been meaning to pick up some replacement support batons for my fence. For a Bank Holiday weekend it wasn't very busy even though they had additional discounts & promotions. I spotted some ready planted hanging baskets which were only £6 each after discount so grabbed some for the front of the house.

There were also some pretty pot plants in a similar colour to the planting in the hanging baskets...

 ...these have settled in very nicely in the tubs by the front door.
The hanging baskets are in place...

...but this was the best photo I could get as it was raining at the time.

I have tried all week to get a better photo but the weather and light hasn't wanted to 'play nice' so hopefully I can try again later as things seem to be brightening up.

I remembered the batons and I did fix the fence panel but where the wood has swollen with the rain, I haven't been able to slot the panel back into the concrete posts (you should have been a fly on the wall on Bank Holiday Monday - I was up a step ladder trying to get enough 'height' to slot the panel in when a lovely lady going past offered to come and give me a hand. It didn't work. We ended in frustrated giggles and the panel is currently laying on the veranda waiting to dry out a bit more).

I think a few folk round about tried to have BBQs as you could smell them on the breeze but I would imagine most of the food was eaten indoors as the rain kept putting in an appearance.

Did you get up to anything exciting Bank Holiday weekend?..................................................

Grown-up colouring in...

...is currently all the rage here in the UK.

I don't understand why it has taken the publishing world so long to cotton-on to the fact...

Suddenly, retailers have shelves full of colouring books aimed at grown-ups and there is also a 'part-work' publication on the go at the moment promoting the fact that colouring can be very therapeutic - go figure; could have told them that yonks ago LOL

Still, I suppose it is better late than never and now grown-ups who might not otherwise craft can feel okay about buying colouring books rather than pretend they are for the kiddies.

I love colouring. I have always loved colouring and the craft world of stamps & digi images have fed this love over the years but I decided to treat myself to one of these...

 ...it is an A5 size journal type booklet full of a wide variety of designs that I can play around with. The weather is still playing up the old 'arfa-ritis' but these are images that I can block colour if I like and they are just for me.
This was the first image that I completed using my new Cracked Pistachio distress marker...

 ...I wanted to see what other shades from the range would work well as solid blocks rather than worrying about shading - I was rather pleased with the result.
I then pulled out all the browns & beiges and came up with this...

 ...now normally when I'm colouring, I would be using alcohol pens that blend smoothly but I quite liked the 'shabby', 'distressed' look that these markers have given. Yes; I know they are water-based and I could have blended everything with a water-brush but this was 'playtime' and I was rather pleased with this effect.
The great thing about colouring in like this is you can play around with colour combos. I wasn't so sure about this one...

 ...but it was great spending some 'me' time just following the lines and filling in the spaces - no pressure.
The booklet does contain a number of designs that I would not usually consider for colouring but I actually found this one to be quite useful when playing around with colour combos...

...the 3 cracked pistachio frames have different in-fills and the depth of colour really does create a different effect. The other 3 frames are all coloured with an in-fill of broken china and the actual frames are from the red range of shades - again, very different results.

So if you haven't done much colouring because you have been put off by the thought of having to stamp some images or pinching some pages from the kids colouring books - you can now get yourself some of your very own colouring books (there are themed books such as fairies, flowers, cities, Celtic etc.) and the fact that they come in A4 or A5 sizes you can pick what is most convenient for you.

For me, colouring and blending with my alcohol pens is still my passion but this type of 'no pressure, no worries' colouring is very relaxing - go on, give it a go...........................................................

Last weekend...

...was Demo Day.

On 25 April, over at Pinnacle Crafts there was a free demo day showing folk how to get the most out of their Cosmic Shimmer products from Creative Expressions.

Andy Pearson is part of the family who own 'Pinnacles' and he is also a Design Team member for Creative Expressions. As usual, it was a packed house and Andy had a few tricks up his sleeve to amaze folk.

One of the first things he showed was this demo board of die-cut sentiments...

...these were not CS coloured with various products - they were all cut from vinyl-type sheets that he had created using textured paste & glittered textured paste.
There were loads of super card samples...

 ...I love this one as the gilding wax on the clock-face really has a metal look...

 ...and the background was created using a PP of cogs but a sheet of acetate was attached over the top after having a brushing of mica powders on the reverse - really softens the effect...

 ...lots of layers on this one so not something you would want to post but the effect is fabulous.

It was a very busy day for Andy - 10am to 3pm - non-stop...

...people came and went...

...samples were passed around and there were exclamations of surprise & amazement at which products had been used on some of them.

A really fabulous day - it's always great watching other folk work LOL......................................