Super Blog Candy...

...from Letraset.

If you love 'pens' especially those available from Letraset, you really need to pop over to Enfys at "Going Buggy" and see what she has up for grabs - the complete set of Flexmarkers.

If you are interested you really do need to pay her a visit as she will explain what you need to do to be in with a chance or 2 or 3 or...

Don't they always say "you gotta be in it to win it", so go on, hop on over there...........................

Bling it on...

...and a bit of good (???) news.

Having been backwards and forwards to Mum's over the weekend it didn't leave a lot of time for paper crafting but certainly provided plenty of time to get the old knitting needles out. After all, they are easily portable and knitting is a great way to pass the time sitting in clinic waiting rooms.

Here are pics of the 3 scarves I finished (I could easily have done another two but hadn't put the yarn in my bag - doh!!!).
As I've explained before, one of the easiest places to take pics is in my kitchen as that is where the light is at its best but I hadn't stopped to think about how to take pics of my scarves before.

I have knitted loads of the things and only just realised how handy the mug tree is for showing off the finished items - what am I like????????
Up until now all the glitzy scarves I've made contained silver lurex but at the weekend I picked up a brown mix with gold...it really looks lovely. Mum said I should have a go at making a hat to match but I think the only way would be to use double-ended needles or a circular needle so that the item can be knitted "in the round"...I'll have to have a think about that...

I mentioned "a bit of good (???) news" - I'm still undecided about it.

I have a small craft store near to where I live and until now the owner has concentrated on mainly card-making materials with a bit of scrapbooking thrown in. As the store is quite small and away from the main road she has been considering some other items that she could stock to help bring the customers in. She has decided on offering some 'ready made' items and she asked me if I would like to sell my cards through her shop.

This is where the problem arises as I never know what to charge for cards so I'm not sure what to do. I know she gets asked a lot for completed cards and I would be one of 3 local crafters who have been asked to supply cards for the shop.

I suppose I could agree on a trial basis and see how things go - any ideas folks?.......................................

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

...pretty to look at but too cold.

Despite a few bright sunny spells, a week after the snowfall it was still very much in evidence.
These pics are from the car park at Barleylands and as you can see - the fields were still under a pretty thick blanket of the stuff on Saturday.
I think one of the problems has been the very low temps (Friday night to Saturday saw temps around the -10C in most areas around here...a few places fell even lower) and I don't think anyone needs to read in the papers that this has been the coldest February since 1986...we can feel it!!!

Barleylands might be out in the middle of open fields but they are very good about clearing the car park and ensuring there are safe pathways for folk to walk on.

I just wonder how much of this all cleared with the icy drizzle that we had on Sunday........................

I know it's not just me...

...that has a 'thing' about notebooks and stationery.

I just can't resist pretty, quirky or unusual stationery and I know that there are a lot of crafters out there who are just the same.

I had seen all the hype about "Smash books" but wasn't totally convinced that they were something I would want to buy - that was until I actually saw them and a selection of accessories. Next thing I know, some of the money I had for Christmas was being parted with and I became the owner of this...
...but Christmas was a couple of months ago now and as you will see from the following photos - there isn't a mark or sign of ink anywhere to be seen.
Nothing here...
...or here.
Even the accessories are still in their packaging...
...everything is still as it was when I brought it home.

Why??????????

I just can't bring myself to mark it in anyway in case I 'spoil' it - daft isn't it!

I wanted it, I think it's great...and I can't use it (doh). I'm sure the novelty will wear off but isn't it silly.

Unfortunately, it's not the only 'notebook' that is resisting any in-put from me. This little cutie by Tim Holtz is fabulous. The cover has a lovely fabric texture...
...and I love the colours - but I've taken it out of its wrapping, I've handled it - and that's as far as it has gone.

Please tell me I'm not the only strange person who does things like this LOL...............................

Yucky...slushy...

...freezing cold.

As usual, Monday was cold & mucky...what we normally expect here after a downfall of snow as it starts to melt.

Then to add to this the drop in temps over night and this morning greeted us with the remains of the mucky snow and plenty of black ice. I really don't do 'slippy/slidy' things very well and hate walking in these conditions.

To me, snow is something to be admired from a distance, photographed...but not actually contended with. I have always loved snowy pictures and love taking photos of the stuff but driving or walking in it is not something I relish.

On the BBC Weather site they have a section for folk to submit their weather photos and over recent weeks there have been some fantastic pictures. This was one of the latest collection - can you tell what it is...
...it's chicken wire. Isn't it a fabulous effect.

I'm normally driving somewhere when I see things that I would love to snap but never have the opportunity to stop and do so........................

We have...

...SNOW!!!

Not just a dusting - a good covering as you can see...
This was the view our from the bedroom window (sky looks like it is holding even more of the white stuff).
The patio is covered and you can't tell where it ends and the lawn begins.
The garage.
The shed.
The view from the front door...and NO!! I wasn't going to wander out in my PJs to take more pics LOL
My poinsetta looks lovely against the white background but I still wish we didn't have it.

I hope the weather forecasters are right about it clearing from the South-east pretty quickly.....................................

Too cold...

...to craft!!!

I can hear it...the sharp intake of breath of Blogland...SHOCK - HORROR - surely not!...how could it be too cold.

Let me tell you...

When the outside temperature indicator on the car dashboard is reading -2C and the snowflake indicator is glowing a very bright red, you know it is cold. Add to this the fact that the Thursday night crop is held in an 'un-heated' shop with concrete floors; I think you start to get the idea.

It didn't seem too bad when we arrived but as we sat there the cold started to really bite and poor Sue, who was covering for Helen whilst she is off at Spring Fayre, couldn't find the heater.

Here is the LO I made a start on...
...the background PP is from the 'Jovial' Christmas range that is forming our kit for the current 4 sessions. It is quite a busy PP so I matted the photo on a piece of Bazzill kraft card and used Old Paper distress ink to shade the edges. The lower panel is from a piece of decorated ledger 12x12 (not sure of make).
The photo was one that I took Christmas before last on a visit to Harrods. I have used this pic in my Christmas planner but I wanted to do a LO with it in a larger size (6x8 inches).
I started to add embellies but by this time I couldn't feel my fingers - which made it quite difficult to use scissors and very dangerous brandishing 'pokey' tools...so I called it a day.

I need to sort out more embellies and actually come up with a title, so I'll let you see it when it is finally done.

I don't envy Annette (Voodoo Vixen) or anyone else who is combating temps of -20C or worse...minus 2 or 4 has me heading for the hot water bottles, fleeces and the duvet. Oh how I hope we don't have too much more of this to come....................