Where does the time go

Afternoon all

I am so sorry I have not been around no excuses just lazy the days are just escaping from me.  I have been to test drive my new car which will be delivered in early December can't wait.  I had a lovely day out last week with a couple of my neighbours went plant shopping as I wanted to do something under my living room window and one of my neighbours loves gardening and gave me some hints and tips and even helped me make this rockery

This area was just covered with weeds and grass I love the look of this so much that I keep having to go out and look at it the ornaments I have had given as presents or have bought over the years so thought they would look pretty in with the plants.  I have made a promise to myself that as from the 1st October I will blog and comment every day as I used to but at the moment am thinking of going to Exeter Westpoint show on the 25th September, I also have a craft fair coming up and an advanced soap making course which I am really looking forward to, so as I am busy until October I will  just pop by every now and again but after that I promise to catch up with everyone.

Love Alison xx

Getting Ready for Craft Fair

Morning All

Reasonably busy day today for me as I need to sort out what I will be taking to a craft fair which I booked ages ago and forgotten about until the calendar reminded me yesterday ooops.  It is in a residential old folks home and they are trying to raise funds to take the residents on holiday so at the  time I thought this would be a good one to attend as its for a good cause.

I need to make some bath bombs this afternoon and package them up as I do not have many left, plenty of other stock though so should be alright.

Only a few more crafty bits to show you until I start taking photo's of my newest makes but think you may like the few cards I have made so here goes:

These are all commissioned cards so all finished and on their way to their respective owners

Well must get showered and dressed, into Ivybridge to put Sarah's cheque into the bank for her, then local garden centre in Ivybridge to get some beads as they sell crafty stuff, I will then try and sort the car out or what I am putting in it to save Alan some work when he gets home will probably be told off for doing things I shouldn't lol.

Well that's it from me today catch you all soon.  

Love Alison x 

Have had a lovely day

Afternoon everybody

I have had a lovely afternoon spent with my Cousin Stephen, his wife Tracy and daughter Siobhan and her boyfriend Christopher, did salad for lunch with carrot cake for after's turned out rather well considering how long it has been since I did any baking.

I have not managed to do any crafting whatsoever over the last couple of days, not even sure where yesterday went lol.

I have a couple of makes to show you before I go off to see all your wonderful creations so without further ado

Made for the sheer fun of making a card 

Not made for anything in particular just fancied making a card 

Well that's it from me for now

Catch up soon

Love Alison xx

Baby Sitting

Morning all

Had a busy morning had to go into Ivybridge fairly early to avoid the queues in the Post Office as I get my elderly neighbour's pension for her and before doing this wanted to get the housework done so that I could have some play time, before going to Sarah's to babysit some rats that she is looking after as she had double booked herself in looking after pets department.

I have now finished all my order's apart from one wedding candle which I will do today hopefully.

Toby is still missing it has been about 3.5 weeks now since we last saw him, have put adverts up and around the village and asked various friends to keep an eye out for him but so far no sighting at all, have phoned the vets, animal welfare places even the microchip company but there have been no alerts, Bella is missing him and so are we.

On to today's craft projects, I am into patchwork and quilting at the moment and really enjoying getting back into sewing and here are some makes from over the past week or so

Patchwork bag really enjoyed making this, the picture does not do it justice.

Commissioned Birthday Card 

Well that's it from me today will catch up with everybody's blog shortly just need to put some ribbons on my candles and that is another order completed.

Love to all

Alison x

What a horrid day

What happened to all that sunny gorgeous weather we have had, today is dismal.  Alan and I were going to go out for the day but have decided to stay home instead, Alan is steam cleaning the bathroom.  I am going to finish all my commissioned goodies, ie, 10 Christmas Cards, 2 Birthday Cards, 3 Christmas Candles that is just one order I then have an order for 1 wedding candle and an anniversary card, another order for two birthday cards an order for 1 8 x 8 birthday card  and another for a wedding candle and then last but not least a male card for a 103 year old busy or what my online shop is taking off big time.

I have been trying to learn the art of quilting and patchwork and have had some small successes and some not so good but it's all part of the learning process.

We are going away for a long weekend around the 5th September and am really looking forward to it, it's our yearly get together with friends from the Navy last year was Sicily this year South Wales who know's where next year.  We are also going to Hampshire for Alan's eldest brother's 50th Wedding Anniversary, camera at the ready.

I had a lovely time over with Rachel on Saturday and managed to get loads of cards made but have forgotten to take photo's of two of them as they were needed straight away but will take photo's of the rest of them and post them over the next couple of days.

Well what shall I show you today let me have a think ????????????????????????????

This is my first attempt at patchwork think it turned out quite well really, this is for Sarah's bedroom as she is decorating it in cream and red mostly cream with red accessories as her bedroom furniture is dark mahogany so this will work quite well with it.

I am just going to rinse the dye out of my hair and will be back to start commenting, I am trying to get back into doing my blog and commenting as from today will not go back to comment as I think I need to concentrate on going forward.

Sorry for the rambling.

Love to all Alison

Shock, Horror, I'm here

Afternoon all

Hope you are enjoying the sunny weather we are having today, I am so sorry I have not been around for ages but have been rather poorly but am on the mend now thank goodness.  I have done a little bit of crafting but not too much since I went AWOL, I have made Sarah's seat covers for both her settee's and must admit considering this is my first attempt at anything like this they turned out wonderfully.

Also the pictures below are to make my big sister Trish jealous these are the view's from Sarah's place

From the Hoe

Drake's Island 

We had a lovely time walking along the Hoe with Sarah we took Bella with us and sat relaxing having an ice-cream yummy.   I have some other crafts on the go at the moment and will show them as and when they are finished.  I have had to give up on my two design teams as I could not cope with the amount of work and commenting, I hated doing it but need to concentrate on my health so it was such a sad day when I resigned felt like crying.

Toby is still missing it has been around three weeks now and not a sign of him, have asked people, phoned the vets, rescue places, the microchip company, put posters on Facebook and in our local village shop to no avail.

I am hopefully going over to my crafty mate Rachel's tomorrow to do some crafting am looking forward to that as it has been months since we last played together.  I have lots to do but trying to space myself so I don't overdo it.

On a good note our garden is looking lovely so here are some pictures for Jane

I will try to catch up with everyone over the next few days but hope you are all ok and hugs to those who need one.

Love Alison xxx

New Challenge over at Oldie But A Goodie

Morning All

I am so late with this post I have been really poorly with my Fibromyalgia and can barely move for the pain,I have also had some bad news which has knocked me back my darling eldest brother has bladder cancer and out of all my brother's and sisters he is the one that has always been there for me I am so close to him and love him dearly  Also our darling Toby (little gingernut cat) has gone missing we have not seen him now since Saturday have phoned all the logical places but he has not been handed in anywhere I hope someone has decided to take him rather than thinking about lying hurt somewhere and not able to get home.  

We have a new challenge today at OBAG and the theme is Black and White Plus 1.  This fortnight's theme was given to us by the lovely Francessca.

On a sad not the lovely Janice is leaving us but I wish her all the best though I will miss her.  The card have made today is using an image by Mo Manning I just love her images so without further ado here is my card

I have taken some photo's of Sarah's new settee covers now I have finished them will blog them later this week.  Why not pop over to OBAG and join in the challenge.

Lots of love Alison xx

New Challenge over at Open Minded Crafting Fun

Good Morning everybody this is going to be a very short post as I am having a massive flare-up of my Fibromyalgia, slept from 4pm yesterday until 7am this morning, feeling sick, dizzy and generally yucky.  On a good note I have finished Sarah's seat covers for both her settee's (sofa) and have come to the decision that I should resign from the Cornwood Show as Secretary as it is too much for me, I will see the year out to give them time to replace me which I think is fair.

Is anybody else having trouble opening up google chrome I am having to restart the computer every time I want to go on line stupid machines and technology.

Well today is a new challenge over at Open Minded Crafting Fun and the theme this fortnight is Summer Food (BBQ, Picnic, Lemonade, Ice-Cream etc).  I chose Dad's Ice Cream from Digi stamps 4 joy 
and this is the card I made

Please excuse the quality of the photo but it was quite dark here yesterday with rain etc so could not quite get the lighting right.   

Why not pop along to Open Minded Crafting Fun and join in we have lots of fabulous sponsors and prizes you can also check out the rest of the team's beautiful creations much better than mine lol.  

Catch up with you all soon when I am up and running again.

Love Alison xx

Commissioned Birthday Card

Morning all, I will be on my way to Exeter hopefully by the time this post pops onto my blog that's if my scheduling works out ok.   Alan and I are off to a motability event today and in the afternoon popping over to see Sarah and help her finish unpacking.

I was commissioned to do a birthday card and this is what I came up with used the double CD by Katie Sue Designs (House of Zandra) titled Fabulous Fashion fell in love with this CD and just had to have it.

Hope you are all having a good weekend and that it's not too hot for you, think I am melting.  Will pop by later today to do a little blog hopping.  

Lots of love

Alison x

A Quick Post for Jane

Hi all

I have been promising Jane a glimpse of my garden, now if you know me at all I am not in any way sense or form a gardener but I do like pretty plants and this year I decided I would at least give my garden a chance although it still needs a lot of work.  We need to put some liner down and redo the gravel as the weeds are terrible but that is a job for the Autumn when it is a bit cooler.

so here we go

put this little box around the bottom of the rotary washing line

This is the bank at the back of our property right hand side

Left hand side of the bank at the back of property

Left hand corner of garden at the back 

Right hand side of the garden at the back

Front under our bedroom window

Well Jane hope you like what we have done this year, next year I will use the seeds you sent me and will take more photo's.

I have a funeral to go to at 11.30 today a good friend of mine died of cancer and today is the day we say goodbye.  We are all wearing yellow as that was her favourite colour.  This afternoon I am off to see Sarah as I have made one seat cover for her settee and want to make sure it fits before making three more of them will take photo's for you to see.  

I finally have my new sewing machine and Alan has bought me an over-locker, shame I don't know how to use it but I am sure I will find something on YouTube.

I am off to get ready now have done a bit of commenting but not nearly enough but think I have caught up with most of your recent works ladies and gents and you are all so very talented.  

Love to all

Alison xx

OMG late again

Hi all

So sorry but I am late with this post should of gone out at 09.00 this morning but what with one thing and another things have escaped my life is one busy whirlwind at the moment but hopefully soon everything should be sorted.

today we have a new challenge over at OBAG and the theme this fortnight was picked by Janice and is Fruit and Veg well this posed a real problem for me and this is what I came up with hope you like it.

Why not pop over and join in the fun.  Good luck to all those that enter.

The reason why I am so late and not blogging at the moment is that Sarah has finally moved into her own place and we have spent the last week getting everything from storage and emptying our house of all her goodies she has stuffed all over the place, that left me with space to put all my candles, soaps and everything else for my craft stall so had a good sort out as well.  Today I have been to a charity shop and given a very generous donation of items, then went to the tip with a car load of crappy stuff, then popped over to where Sarah works to hand her some chargers that she had forgotten to take with her.  I came home to start working on the Cornwood Show which is being held on the 9th August to which I am secretary, then ran out of card to do the car passes and show passes so had to go into Ivybridge to collect some more, then started dinner, got the washing in off the line, loaded dishwasher after dinner, fed Bella and Toby and then realised what the day was so thought god better get my DT stuff sorted out.

Sarah managed to buy two very large settee's for £24.00 each the colour was horrid but we dyed the main seating in chocolate brown and the bought some material for the seat covers which I am going to make as soon as I get around to it, especially now I have a sewing machine again.

I had a craft fair in Exmouth on Sunday which went fairly well made a reasonable profit especially as I used some of it to buy a little orange duck for my lounge.

Well guys am off again to catch up with my Cornwood Show Stuff and I do promise to get back into blogging and commenting as soon as things settle down.

Love to all

Alison x

New Challenge at Open Minded Crafting Fun #15

Hi All

Sorry this is so late but we are helping Sarah move into her new flat so things are very hectic around here plus I am getting ready for a craft fair in Exmouth tomorrow morning.

We have a new challenge over at Open Minded Crafting Fun so why not join in the fun and have a chance of winning some fabulous prizes from our wonderful sponsors.

This fortnight the theme is vacation and I used a wonderful digi image from Digital Delights called Beach Babe Britt she is so cute.

Here is the card I made

Sorry this is such a short post but need to get myself sorted out for tomorrow and then meet Sarah to deliver her newly dyed settee covers which are finally dry only taken about three days.

Love to All 

Alison x

New Challenge Oldie But A Goodie

Morning all

Blimey forgot about this challenge so am really late getting this posted.  We have a new challenge at OBAG and this week's theme School's Out was picked by Anne-Marie, I really struggled with this one as I no longer have children at school age and could not think of anything until I found this brilliant image so here is what I came up with

I wanted to make the card as simple as possible but then decided to put the felt flower and button bird on it because it looked too bare.

That's it from me for now will be back soon to catch up so sorry but it's hectic here at the moment and life is getting in the way of my crafting.

Why not pop over to OBAG and join in with the challenge you never know a prize might be winging your way in two weeks time.

Love to all

Alison 

Open Minded Crafting Fun Challenge #14

Morning Everybody, we have a new challenge over at Open-Minded Crafting Fun and the theme this fortnight is Water Water Everywhere I got to choose a fun image from Scribbles Designs called Carl's pad and here is my card

we have 4 sponsors this week and the team have come up with some fantastic creations why not pop along and check them out and also enter the challenge yourself with the gorgeous prizes we have this fortnight it would be a shame for you to miss out.

I am off to a material auction this morning but have woken up with Blepharitis which is swelling of the eyes which is also itchy so am off to the chemist to get some drops which may help, I used to suffer with this when I was working but have not had it since 2010 so not sure what has kicked it off this time maybe not getting all my makeup off of a night.

Have finally sorted out my sewing machine, they are sending a complete new one to me as I refused to have the other one repaired but ended up quoting the sale of goods act to them has left a bit of a sour note in my mouth as I hate confrontations and usually back down but this time I stuck to my guns, but it is going to take about 2 weeks before the new one arrives as they don't have them in stock. (liar liar pants on fire) think I am being fobbed off really.

Am signing off now and hopefully this afternoon can get to commenting on your gorgeous blogs.  

Love to all

Alison 

Entering a challenge

Afternoon all

Sorry not been around again but have been a little busy not sure if I told you but my new sewing machine decided it didn't want to play any more and I had to send it back, informed the company that I didn't want that machine back that I wanted a new one as what was to say that it would not go wrong again it was obviously a bad batch for it to stop working after 3 months, but it has taken me nearly all week to get this sorted and they are now going to send a new one out next week hopefully, watch this space.

Well I am going to enter a challenge for the first time in ages and it is Creative Inspiration Challenge Blog
they have a sketch this week and the theme is anything goes so here is the sketch

and this is what I came up with, using flowers, paper and card from stash.  

I have also been commissioned to make two cards which I will get onto tomorrow.  On Saturday I have been invited to an auction of material, buttons etc so looking forward to that and I would like to get over to Rachel's as it's been ages since we got together and I am getting withdrawal symptoms.  

Am off just now will catch up with your wonderful creations later.  

Love Alison xx

Thank you

Dear All

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me get well wishes whilst I was AWOL and for all your lovely comments on my blog.

I have been making a few bags this week one was an order and a friend asked me to take a couple of her dresses up where they were to long.  I had a craft fair today at our local Garden Centre not made much money took around £35.00 but met up with some lovely girls on the circuit who I have met previously.

I could not use my new soap stand as it was too big for the table I booked which was the only one left and was a small 4ft one, could not sell my cards, bags or aprons as other people were selling those and the organiser tries not to have duplicates of the same craft which I agree with as it makes it fair for everyone then. .

Here is a picture of my latest bags have made both of these in oilcloth.

I am a bit disappointed in the fact that my new sewing machine which Alan bought for me for my birthday in March, a Huskavana decided not to play on Friday just stopped working so it has to go back to the shop not a happy bunny but thank goodness I kept my old one so at least I have a sewing machine whilst sorting my new one out only three months old.  

Hope you are all having a good weekend despite the horrid weather.

Love Alison 

New Challenge over at Oldie But A Goodie

Morning All

What beautiful weather we have been having, the sun makes the day so much brighter and lifts my spirit.  We had a lovely day out on Saturday going to pick up my greeting card stand, went to Ikea but honestly don't see what there is to rave about not that impressed really but at least I can now say that I have been.

We had lunch in a lovely country pub as we came back avoiding the motorway as the traffic on the M4 to M5 had massive tailbacks, finally arriving home around 6pm.

I am doing another craft fair at Endsleigh Garden Centre again this weekend and already have an order for two large spiral candles which is good news as that means I have already made the price of my table.

It was my turn at OBAG to choose the theme for this fortnight's challenge and I have chosen Baby and the prize for the lucky winner is below

I chose the theme baby as I wanted to use my Mo Manning digi stamp that I have had for ages and never used and it is so cute.

Am off out this morning to the Scrap Shop in Plymouth, you have to be a member to use this shop and my friend Jane is taking me, they sell all kinds of craft stuff amongst other bits and bobs and I need some webbing to make handles for my bags which again I have an order for and need to get finished by next Monday but can do that over the next few days.  

Bye for now will catch up with you all soon, I know I keep saying this but my back is a bit easier and my Fibromyalgia is now settling down again so hey can sit at the computer.

Love Alison 

New Challenge over at Open-Minded Crafting Fun

Morning Everybody

Just a quick post this morning as we are off to Bristol to pick up a greeting card stand that I can use at my craft fairs and will save me room on my table as it is a floor revolving one bought through Ebay, what did we do before Ebay can anyone remember?

Well today's Challenge over at Open-Minded Crafting Fun  this fortnight is Patriotic Colours, we have lots of sponsors so why not check the site out and see who are sponsors are and of course if you enter and win you will be getting a fantastic prize.

Here is my card

I used my spectrum noir pens for colouring the flowers and beads are from my stash and the ribbon I think I bought from the Ribbon Girl but I'm not sure.

As I said this is a very short post today as I have to get showered and dressed before 8am and as its 7.30 as I am typing this need to move my butt. 

Hope you are all keeping well hugs to those that need one.  I promise I will get around to catching up with you all soon, but sitting at the computer desk is a killer on my back and I can only sit here for short periods.  This post is scheduled so by the time it gets to my blog I will be on my way to Bristol. 

Loads of love for now

Alison 

I am still alive - Warning Very Picture Heavy

Morning All

Not dead just missing in action again but slowly on the mend.  I have managed to do some crafting on the odd day or two but nothing much.

The decorating is all finished now thank goodness and here are a few pics

This is a picture of the main wall with the fireplace and mirror and my gorgeous new wallpaper

New Ceiling Light

Hearth with my little wooden duck bought at a craft fair

Left Hand Corner on main wall 

Candle I made 

New Cushions I made 

My Beautiful New Lamp 

Lamp when turned on 

Right Hand Corner on main wall, the lamp in the corner is made from cut glass crystal  and was a wedding present nearly 40 years ago but the shade was the wrong colour so used my spectrum noir pens on the shade to achieve the right colour rather than buying a new one. 

Now on to the crafty bits that I have been doing, lots of sewing and again picture heavy.

I have more made up but have not taken photo's of them yet will try and get on to that later today and post it on the blog tomorrow all being well.

I will pop by shortly to do a bit of blog hopping and try and do a bit of catching up but sorry if I miss anyone out as I am only going back 1 day and then carrying on as normal tomorrow.

Love to All

Alison