Dipping my toe into another crafting location

Well I've not blogged for some time as you can see and feel guilty about it every day.  We all make promises and I promised to update my blog everyday and failed!!

I suppose we can all say we lead busy lifes and work strange hours, I know both apply to me, however, time out is so so important. 

So where am I at right now??  Well at the moment I'm in France where I have been since 16th January taking care of my son who chefs at Restaurant Umia under the world famous pastry chef and Mr Chocolate himself Monsieur Frederic Bau.  

My son decided on 15th January to go for a 25km cycle ride on the ViaRhona cycle route near to where he lives.  He's bought a new bike on the Tuesday and looked forward to his ride out.  2-3 Km before the end of his cycle and I do point out at this time the purpose of the cycle trip was he was going off to see Valence Cathedral; he crashed!!  Over the handlebars he went and broke both his arms and gravel rashed the right side of his face and shoulder quite severely.  I had text him earlier in the day like I normally do on a Sunday to say text me when you want me to call.  He text me around 1pm and said can you phone me tonight please.  So I thought he'd gone off with work friends to do something.  I text him straight back and said "enjoy your day and I'll call you later"  Later came and still no text from him so I text him again and said "are you OK?"

He phoned me straight away and said actually I'm not OK I'm been at the hospital all afternoon and I have two broken arms.  Within ten minutes of the phone call my flight was booked and I had called my boss to say what was happening and explained I was unsure how long I'd be away.

My husband and I arrived the next day and had to evaluate our findings.  It was agreed that I would stay until my son was well again and that my husband would return to the UK a few days later.


I have been here ever since and fortunately bought some form of crafting with me.


I had started a cross stitch about 18 months ago... and not got very far!!  I don't normally do cross stitching so being here was a chance for me to get on with it ... no door bell, no phone ringing, just me and the cross stitch and the occasional stop to help my son.  I started with a bookmark cross stitch which I had put in the same bag without knowing and finished it within a couple of hours.  I really enjoyed doing it more than I let on.  My husband and my son said "oh no, not another craft."  So then I was ready for the one I started all that time ago.  


I started it but only worked on it in the evenings as I knew it had to last me.  Before I knew it I had finished it and was now tapping my fingers as I had nothing else to do.  


So I looked up craft shops in France !! MMMmmm Don't the French craft???


I ended up in Lyon for the day just window shopping and by sheer chance found a craft shop in the shopping mall called Loisir Creatif.  I looked around but had to consider I only had hand luggage space.  I found crafts in there that lots of you already do and know about but I had always dismissed.  So when I go home I'm going to try Decopatch and mosaic 
I did end up buying another cross stitch which fortunately was in their chuck out bin.  I paid 4 euros and it was marked up as 25 euros... result eh!!
So that's where I'm at ... cross stitching my little heart out.  


I will carry on cross stitching when I get home and I already have the threads that I purchased online being sent for my return.  I also bought some aida from Loisir Creatif in Lyon and I bought an amazing magazine/ book from the Intermarche supermarket.... so my next three projects regarding cross stitch are already lined up.


I have also used my time to research where I want my cardmaking and scrapbooking to go next.


I bought a sewing machine before I came away so I've got a couple of projects already on the go.  




Anyhow I'll try ... yes try to blog more now but for the time being here's the cross stitching projects 

Book Mark came first just to see if I still
had the patience for cross stitch

The bear that I started so so long ago 

Really enjoyed stitching this one.  Faye Whittakers
Quiet moments collection

I'd like to be under the sea

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, I left my vest and socks there, I wonder if they're still dry !!!

Don't know if they are the actual words to the poem, but they are the words I used for the poem for my son when he was small.

Even now, both my boys (well at 19 and 18 I suppose they're men) love the beach. So I wanted to scrap this innocent picture of my eldest son which was taken maybe 3 years ago.

Now they're both working and at college, we don't get much time together to do all those fun things as a family anymore. So I've vowed to myself that I shall start to scrap our memories. If you click on the image, the image will open up in Daisytrail.com for you to view.

Making time for what you enjoy

This week two years my husband and I took a week off. We had just learnt that my husbands step father who was a remarkable man had pancreatic cancer... My husband and I had taken a week off work to be on hand for my mother in law who was living by father in laws bedside. We had a couple of days out with picnics and chose to just sit and reflect on the situation in hand.

We were told that the cancer was not treatable and father in law could only be made more comfortable. We were also told that this type of cancer would take father in law within or around 12-15 months. We lost my father in law on my husbands birthday 1st August last year ... we as a family were all with him when he passed.

My father in law was a go getter and he had worked for years setting up his retirement. He had laid all the foundations ready for that day .... he died 10 days after he officially retired !!!

We sometimes found it very hard to cope with that mother and father in law was more often than not off doing stuff for charities and socialising with friends. Surely family is important as well.

Since father in law has passed we have taken on a similar approach to life. Go get what you want and enjoy your free time. Work hard and get what's yours .. no ones going to just give it to you.

In the UK I think we have just been taught to work work work, free time seems to consist of rest quickly the next instalment of work work work is on the way. Whereas in other parts of the world people seem to have proper down time .. time for family and to to what they enjoy.

As a school child I never seem to remember being told I was good at anything, I only seem to remember school installing that I wasn't any good at anything particular. My cooking skills were second to none, but because I was ill on the day of my exam I was told I couldn't be bothered!!

I'd always wanted to be in the catering industry, so this pretty much deflated my dream. My art and crafts teacher once again told me my work was nothing to write home about.

I think the point I am trying to make here is we're all good at something. I love cooking and know I'm good at it. My craft work is also of a high standard, be it card making, scrapbooking, stationery making, jewellery making ... but then does all that matter, surely it's all about enjoying and relaxing with what you want to do with your free time, it's not how good we are. We all need and should turn off from everyday life and have that "ME" time ....

I try to craft in one way or another every day and now need to make time for blogging what I really enjoy doing .... I would say the most memorable piece of craft is the scrapbook I made for mother and father in law of our last family Christmas (2009) In fact this was the first Christmas since I have know my husband (1989) that the whole family was there for Christmas day.

Enjoy your "ME" time and make sure you get this each and every day. It is so so important.

Wall hanger for the Rolfe's

My in-laws have had an incredibly bad year and to be honest we did not know if my father in law would be here. He was told in May that he may have as little as 5 months left. He is doing quite well at the moment and they are preparing for a Christmas at home with family. I thought I would make this cute little wall hanger for them which simply says Christmas at the Rolfes. The picture doesn't do this any justice really .. but I'm sure you'll get the point. Janie xx

Happy anniversary

Such a busy time of year for everybody ... and amongst all those Christmas preparations and Christmas cards and such likes I like a lot of people have birthday and anniversary cards to make too. My brother and his wife have been married for 31 years and I remember their wedding day as if it was yesterday. There is 10 years between me and my brother Colin but I am so close to him. My sister in law is very special to me too, but then, I have known her since I was 8 years old and that's an awful long time ago..... anyway they are very very special to us and we love them very much. Happy Anniversary Colin and Elaine. We love you xx

Butterfly box

Just wanted to share with you the box I just made with my scor-pal and my cricut gypsy... I really really enjoyed making this cute little box ... It has an acetate centre, so maybe some homemade biscotti or chocolates will be placed in there for someone special .. I wonder who that someone might be xx Janie xx

What have I done???????????????????????

This is the mother of all mistakes... I sold my baby cricut on ebay a few days ago as used but very well looked after. Complete with all manuals and cables and new cutting mat.. no cartridges... Just got an email from the buyer to say .. Hey where's the overlay ?? Overlay I'm thinking, what overlay .... So I get out all my cartridges and guess what... When Mrs Stupid linked all her carts to her new gypsy she left George in the machine. I have emailed and asked for George to come home but we'll have to wait and see. Anyone with a cricut will understand what I am going through without George. I know he's linked to my gypsy but I would like him back ... :-(

Will keep you informed on the outcome... xx

GEORGE IS NOW HOME ... BACK WHERE HE BELONGS .... HOW I'VE MISSED YOU GEORGE .... NOW BACK TO WORK GEORGE YOU HAVE HAD TOO MANY DAYS OFF ALREADY ... LOVE YOU GEORGE XX

Cricut is such a fantastic sport!!

Well, I've got the gypsy up and running and just love it, love it, love it... but .... my cricut just wasn't big enough ... Shhh that's what I convinced myself with anyway. Sooooooooo, I put it up for sale and a few other non used craft items and hey ... I'm the proud mummy of a cricut expression now... and I love it.. I miss my baby cricut but this expression is just awesome. Trouble is now, I just don't know what to play with. They say bigger is better and I guess they're right. Will put some cricut expression creations on here as soon as possible. xx

My challenge for the weekend ...

Well, a local crafting friend of mine who worked until recently for Fee J Designs has decided to compose a website for digital downloads. On Friday she sent me a message through facebook to ask me to do some samples from some of her downloads. So today being the first opportunity I printed off the papers and got to work. Here's my interpretation of those papers. What I had to work with was very vibrant and cheery. I had great fun working with Deb Mitchells digital downloads. I wish her all the luck in the world with her new venture.

Gypsy

Well, still no Gypsy from Ideal world!! So been onto them again and I have been assured that my missing parts will be sent out today...Lets hope so eh!!

Cannot believe what I have had to go through to obtain the missing parts. Anyway whilst I've been waiting I've been looking to purchase an Expression .. may have said that before but hey I'm over 40 so I'm aloud to repeat myself. I'm over 40 so I'm aloud to repeat myself.....hee hee. So my Cricut original is up for sale.. will be sad to see it go but can't have it all ..

Hopefully by the weekend I will be posting my work helped along by my gypsy... I am so envious of all of you that received yours complete .. Will keep you posted on my gypsy.. xx

19.30hrs - Just had a phone call from Ideal world to say that my missing charges will be sent out today via special delivery post ... Let's watch that space eh.

Gypsy

Well I've not been on here for ages. Personal life became very hectic and with one thing and another my blog had to go to the back of the queue. My father in law is dying of pancreatic cancer and I've been diagnosed with Inflammatory bowel disease in the form of ulcerative colitis. Good days and bad days ... more bad than good but hey ho ..

I still have the most wonderful husband although he has his moments!! Two wonderful teenage boys .. who I love more than life itself. If only they knew how much they just would not believe it.

So back to the present and my blog... I need to get on here more I really really do.

I just bought .. oops sorry my husband has just bought me a Cricut Gypsy. Gyspy delivered and all excited I open it up and turn it on ... Wow this little machine is amazing. Hold on there's no power cables so I cannot charge this machine when the battery dies.... Hey I'm getting into this now ... O my god!! The battery has gone .. no power cables so I phone Ideal World and tell them of my missing parts. Don't worry I am told, we'll raise an enquiry and find out if you should have some power cables!! Erm hello ... Surely you would not buy a new car and not expect a key!!

Would you????

So we're now 5 days on and still nothing.. Phone Ideal World again and I am told I'll have to leave it until Wednesday. I know when I get this sorted out I will be very happy with my gypsy but until then I just keep looking at videos and other peoples work from their gypsy's and work myself up.

Can't wait to post some Gypsy work on here.... Stay tuned.

Have a great weekend

Jane

Stooooop!! I'm calling "Time Out"

Well today is Sunday 28th June 2009. Tomorrow my husband has a track day at Donington Park courtesy of Dunlop Tyres through our tyre wholesaler. He goes today as we live about 200 miles away and obviouly he needs to be fresh as a daisy for the track.

So whilst my mans away I shall play... Crafting heaven here I come.

I'm deciding today whether or not to purchase the Sure cuts a lot software ... Think by the end of the day I will... Looks like the way to go to me. If you know different then let me know.

Today I shall be making a word book with the help of my Cricut and My craft studio software (who I now design samples for)

I've been doing a lot of work lately in lilac and pastel greens but today I think I'm in a blue, cream and rust mood so I guess today will be male orientated. Does that mean I'm missing my man already???

My word of the day today is Contagious ... Why ????? Because I hope if you're reading this or any other craft blog you will be infected by this fantastic past time.... Go on give it a try ... You know you want to....

Shall post pictures of whatever I come up with today later if thats OK.

Love to all

Janie

xx

Keeping to my promise followers

Hi Followers

I promised you all that I would make a pact to blog each and every day ... So here I am. I've been making more and more friends on the internet through Trimcraft.co.uk and on Cricut.com and there are truly some lovely people out there around the world who share my passion for crafting.

Most are very inspirational and enjoy this wonderful passion as much as I do.

I have been fortunate enough to start making samples for Create and Craft TV and I have been having an absolute blast.

My work was shown yesterday on their blockbuster day... How proud am I??

I have so many ideas running around in my head and so many projects to upload so please bear with me.

I recently became friends with a lady called Cookie in NY and I have been helping her with a Cricut problem she has had. She is so funny ... Thankyou Cookie for becoming my friend.

Well I am back to work now ... well after I've made a cuppa. Then I shall look forward to going home to upload my projects from Createandcraft.tv

Love to all

Janie

xx

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I am a Hydrangea What Flower Are You?

My cards - My world

Thanks Jessie

So I was looking around at other peoples blogs and found this blog that was asking for you to comment with the chance of winning blog candy... Yay I thought ... I should try that ... I just don't win anything ... I'm always one number out with the christmas raffle, so why would I be that lucky.

Anyway I commented and then the next day I fell ill and just forgot all about it. Then a few days later I received an email to say I had won a set of nestabilities. My name had been selected by Heidi's daughter.

I received my blog candy together with a lovely Penny Black stamped card from Heidi. This was so sweet of Heidi and it really cheered me up.

You hear so many awful things nowadays and sometimes you start to believe that there are no nice people left..... But there are.

I made Heidi's daughter who chose my comment a card and I received a lovely photo of Jessie in return. I will not post my lovely photo but I'll share the card I made for Jessie instead.

Keep smiling Jessie

My babies birthday ... Oh he's 15

OOhh i'm getting excited. It's my youngest sons birthday on Sunday. He'll be 15 and he's so into VW campers its untrue. So I've made him a VW card. His name is Rhys but we call him Noonie. Don't ask why we just do. Nigel on Create and Craft calls him Noonie Noonie the crafting loonie.... yes he helps me craft and he's quite good. He seems to know just what colours to put together and whats hip and whats not so hip.

Noon plays guitar and his band are called The Lost. He's been saving really hard and not going out with his mates has been difficult, but he is very focused. So on Sunday with his savings and birthday dosh he can go and get himself another guitar and wha wha pedal. How many dresses does one girl need ?? Hee Hee

Both my kids were premmies and to me it makes them just that little bit more special. Both my boys had big problems when they were born, but they are fighters and they are both here to tell the tale.

To top the lot when Noonie was 6 years old I was working nights and at 1 o'clock in the morning my husband phoned me to tell me Noon was unwell and that I should come home straight away. I don't drive and obviously my husband could not come out to me. So I ran home across the park in the pitch black and when I got in I went straight to the hospital with Noon. He had contracted meningitis - our world fell apart. He's fine now and he's proven to us that if you fight back you can get through the trash thats dealt to you.

I'm sure anyone reading this loves their kids with all their heart. I love mine too. Please go tell your kids how much you love them. I tell mine everyday ... several times a day!!

Enjoy your kids like theres no tomorrow

Where did I begin

A few years ago my brother and sister in law bought a handmade card from their local hospital for our wedding anniversary. I was really pleased with the card and whilst sitting looking at all our cards one evening, I thought to myself - hey I could do that.

So I asked for a pack of card blanks and some other basics for my birthday. My birthday came and I started my crafting.

The first card or two I made were so basic. I've kept them to look back on now and again. They are so bad!!!

Since then my crafting goodies have multiplied big time. I am a great believer in the best tools do the best job. Hence I had to have a Cricut machine, Big shot was my 40th birhtday pressie plus a range of texturz plates and dies, Bind it all was a want, but now wouldn't be without it. Vast range of embossing boards, cds are a real must for me. Joanna Sheen, Chris Warner, Cupcake, Create and Craft trilogy are all used day in and day out.

I craft like there is no tomorrow and I most probably get on everyones nerves keep going on and on and on about it ..... But I love it.

Unfortunately I do not have a craft room ... YET.

All my craft goodies are kept in drawer systems and I tend to take over the dining room as most crafters do that do not have their own craft room.