RNLI fundraising...

...still going strong.

Oh and look what a colleague has made...

...a toilet-roll cover looking like a football fans bobble hat. Another looking like a tiger...

 ...sitting snug in amongst the teddies that another member of staff donated...

 ...and another toilet-roll bobble hat. A couple of kiddies hats...

 ...complete with google eyes and just look at this bunny...

 ...isn't it cute. It is a soft & cuddly child's handbag. There's more...

 ...a little piggy bag and a kitty...

 ...but if there is a cat there has to be...

 ...a dog. They are all adorable and just to round things off...

...a couple of animal face shoulder bags. Gosh Francis must have been burning the midnight oil to produce all these adorable items.
We have a second 'splash' on our totaliser...

...but with these super additions, I don't think it will be long before we are adding another.

It would be super if we could double our original target by the end of the Summer so we will keep things going and hopefully the pennies will continue to roll in......................................

Memories are...

...made of this.

Yesterday as I left the office I passed a young mum and her little one playing "don't step on the cracks" - it was such fun seeing the pure enjoyment on the little ones face as he held his mom's hand and tried to step from paving slab to paving slab without stepping on the joins. This is the stuff childhood memories should be made of...not 24/7 in front of a TV or stuck to a mobile phone. Life should be fun - the world makes children grow up quick enough without robbing them of simple joys like this.

As a child (pre-school) I stayed with my Grandparents for extended periods as my Mum was in and out of hospital during her pregnancy with my Sister and in those days there was no 'paternity leave' so Dad had to continue going to work each day.

One of my fondest memories of that time was captured in this photo...

...I loved to spend time 'helping' Granddad in the garden (running back and forth carrying veg or flowers to Gran in the kitchen) and if I had been good, I would be given one of Granddads Gold sweets. He loved butterscotch and the brand he bought were in a box with each rectangular piece wrapped in gold foil. It was such a treat to be given one of these treasures.

The garden at my Grandparents house was very long and narrow but Granddad had the borders brimming with colourful flowers and at the end of the garden was the raised veg area along with his "little shed" (it had originally been the family Andersen shelter). Next to the house was the coal bunker and the larger shed, along with Granddad's 'planning' bench.

I was too young to know or realise that my Granddad had been retired early due to Emphysema and as much as he loved his garden the effort involved made it difficult for him to breath - so we would sit for a while and plan the garden or plan how we would spend the day.

It makes me sad to see so many children now relying on phones and things to keep themselves amused because the adults in their lives don't seem (or want) to have the time to spend with them. We live in a digital age but there are some things that all children should have the joy of experiencing.

I'm just glad that at least I have these wonderful memories...............................................

Change the colour...

...change the look.

The same design can look quite different when made using different colours.

Here are some more examples of my "Cosy Cottage" Christmas cards...

...using bright pink...

...dark teal...

 ...violet...

...and coffee & cream.
 The cards are all basically the same but with a change of colour...

...and a different combo of ribbons, a subtle change can be created.

So if you have a lot of cards to make, especially for Christmas, find a design you are happy with and just alter the colours and embellishments a little. You will have a different look without having to start from scratch............................................................................

The Olympics start today...

...but I'm still making Christmas cards.

August 5 2016 and the games open in Rio - a very different location to the games in London four years ago. We had some lovely weather (and the usual British "wet") in 2012 but temperatures then were nothing to compare with what folk will experience over in Rio. It will be HOT !!!

So to cool everyone down, I'm sharing some snowy creations that I've added to my pile of Crimbo cards.

Craft Creations have released some lovely Christmas toppers and they also have this card kit...

 ...which includes 4 card blanks but loads more stuff too. Allowing you to make more than four.
The kit has 8 printed aperture designs which are all foiled...

...even after making your four as the pack shows, you still have four left to play with.
The central design uses a topper behind the aperture...

...and there are decoupage pieces to enhance the topper which you can use as intended or keep these for use elsewhere. There are also a good selection of sentiments.

With the use of some additional CS and a little planning, 4 can easily become 12. So you could add to your Christmas card stock without too much effort - always handy when time is at a premium. Kits can be a good starting point (especially if Mr Mojo is still off on his holidays) and you can adapt them to suit your needs and have a play around with them to suit your style.

Cool down with some Christmas crafting whilst you catch up on all the heated activity over in Rio..................................................................

It's all the rage...

...apparently.

Hobbycraft refer to it as 'Knitting for your nest' and magazines have a variety of terms for it.

I just think of it as adding a "Homely" touch.

This is a set of bedding that I have had for some time...

 ...it is brushed cotton/flannelette and is a set that I use during the Winter months as it is warm and snuggly. However, when it is on the bed it looks a bit boring so I decided to make a throw.

Sorry about the creases but I just laid it over the bed to get the photo.

Going with the 'Granny blanket' style, I found the perfect colours in Linens Direct...

...and made a start on the blanket. I think I will add in a lot more of the paler blue as it gets bigger otherwise it could look rather dark but I'm pleased with the way the colours are coming together so far..............................................................

Making the most...

...out of a stamp.

I have been making lots of quick & easy Christmas cards with my Creative Expressions "Cosy Cottage" stamp by Sue Wilson. As it is a 'snow' scene it doesn't take much to colour it and with a dusting of glitter or Stickles, I have been merrily 'batch' card making.

However, a friend recently collected the keys to his new flat so I needed a New Home card.

I really couldn't think of any stamps that I had that would be suitable but there staring me in the face was my Cosy Cottage.

So I gave it a go and added some colour to the image...

 ...a wash of colour and some flicks of a variety of greens...

...and the winter scene suddenly becomes something completely different.

I admit to being a 'lazy' crafter - I don't often look beyond the obvious but I'm so glad some of Andy's (Pinnacle Crafts) advice about getting the most out of our stash has sunk in. Thank you Andy.

I can now keep a batch of these stamped ready for use...Christmas, Winter birthdays, New Home even Retirement.

Isn't it great to have stuff that can be so versatile........................................................

Friday was...

...my Sister's birthday.

As she is a lover of candles & wax melts, I bought her an electric wax warmer.

This is the warmer that I bought and it looks very pretty...

...surrounded by her crystal collection. The light from the warmer catches all the crystals and makes them sparkle.

We have had a running joke about this gift.

I bought it a month ago (it was the last one that Naked Flame had in this colourway) and as I wasn't going to see my Sister on her actual birthday, I gave her the sealed box.

Our telephone conversations since have all included references to "The Box" and even on the morning of her birthday when I phoned to wish her a lovely day she said 'thank you' for her lovely box LOL

I took her to Naked Flame yesterday so that she could spend some of her birthday money on candles - just a few candles (**rollseyes**) - and when I took her home I was able to get the photo above.

I think it will always be referred to as "The Box" but at least we will both know what we are talking about..............................................................