Thank You Denise!!

How gorgeous is that card? - VERY!! And just look what accompanied the card - these fabby embellies! It really was a lovely surprise - so *THANK YOU* Denise!! Denise has just recently started up her blog - please take a wee look - her photies are just fabby! :o)

Dunbar on Sunday

Dunbar Harbour:

A few nets stockpiled:

Newish lobster pots piled up:

Close-up of draw-bridge cog wheel:

In the distance - Bass Rock:

Algae on the wall:

It was quite a nice day on Sunday - Hubby took the kids and our nephew swimming to Dunbar pool. I couldn't go as I was in agony with my gammy knee - there's no way I could have gone in or out of the pool gracefully. I would have been terrified if I had to move a certain way to get in safely only for my back to be put out again! I took my DSLR with me as I haven't really left the house without it - correction I have been housebound for a while due to my back + sickly kiddies. At least it got me outta the house and also an opportunity to use the new camera. Some of the images I took were literally *pants* quality - due to the fact I was using my new Sigma 17-70mm 1:2.8-4.5 lens which does not auto-focus. I knew that it would probs take me a while to get used to using the manual focusing malarky.

Tonight I’ve just pre-ordered an AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens which will autofocus on the Nikon D40 – yay!!

Kids and illnesses!

What a time we've had of late with regards to illnesses! What with me and my sore back, then it was Ali's 'turn' to fall ill with a viral infection and an associated rash - poor wee mite!! We didn't get out much during our school February break due to her not feeling too great. We did manage 1 day to get out however - to the cinema. We went to see "Madagascar 2" which was pretty funny. The cinema was totally quiet - only around 20 peeps maximum in the cinema that day. Perhaps this was due to the fact that East Lothian schools have had their holidays out of sync from other authorities.

By the time the kids were due to return to school, Ali still hadn't improved - she returned to school on the Wednesday for her school trip only to be exhausted when she got home - she didn't have much of an appetite either. Seems this viral illness took the wind out of her. On the actual day of return to school [Tuesday] wee Stewart complained of having a sore throat [this was evident upon him talking] and his rash was raging compared to what Ali's was. Fluctuating temps. Anther child's trip to the doc's and voila, he has tonsilitis. It took around 2 days following that for his meds to kick in with apparent improvement. Thankfully by the weekend both Ali and Stewart were a lot better - I promised them another trip to the cinema. We went to see "Hotel for Dogs" - different! A good humoured family entertaining movie I thought. Kids and I enjoyed that.

I have been tagged!

I have been tagged by the lovely Lainy - thank you!! :o)

Here's what you have to do: You have to write 20 facts about yourself on your blog and then tag 5 more people.

Here are my 20 facts:

1. I actually left high school to become a seamstress – I am now a medical secretary!
2. I love Stampin’ Up products!
3. I have 2 x expensive hobbies: 1. Photography 2. Papercrafting
4. I love chocolate
5. I used to be a teddy girl in the 1980’s!
6. My short term memory is *pants* now I am getting older!
7. I celebrate my 40th birthday later this year and I have decided to have a parrrrttteeee to celebrate!
8. I love dancing – particularly to rock n’ roll, northern soul and Motown
9. I enjoy playing guitar hero on PS2 and the Wii – though only any good on the ‘easy’ setting!
10. I’d love to go on a hot air balloon ride, parachute out of a plane or abseil for charity
11. I enjoy good company and a good laugh – it’s a lot of fun!
12. I hate rude people and bullies!
13. I am going to take driving lessons next month – it’s been 15½ years since my last driving lesson!
14. I wish to go to USA and visit scrapbooking stores – yeehaw!
15. I wish to go to Australia and visit my uncle John
16. I love being with my family
17. I would love to feel more comfortable doing portrait photography
18. I wished I could have another room for my crafting or either a ‘crafting shed’ in the garden!
19. I have previously worked as a papergirl, checkout lady and a supervisor in a supermarket, worked as a seamstress, barmaid in an Edinburgh hotel, worked as a lab assistant in the blood transfusion service, then worked as admin assistant in the BTS!
20. I will have been married for 19 years this coming August [would’ve been outta jail for murder in less time LOL!!]

Now my turn to tag!! I tag: Little Puddings Nappy Cakes Mad Imaginations Patterned Paper Princess and Denise

Thank-You tags to match party bags

Fries to go anyone?

Hand-cut and stamped French fries cartons made into party bags:

How about using one of these as a template to make into something else?

That's exactly what I did! Something a little different from the ordinary I thought. I used normal/basic cardstock, opened up the above packaging, traced round the carton 10 times. Used my scoring tools to make creases at appropriate points. To get the curved effect, I used my scoring pen, a CD and the reverse side of a mouse mat and 'scored' the cut-outs where the curves were to be placed. Using various stamps from my SU collection, I stamped randomly over the cardstock with a stamped centre piece as a focal point. I then used my ATG glue gun at the securing points/edges and then shaped and secured the carton.

I then filled the bottom of the cartons with scrunched up tissue paper, then inserted a little note pad, 2 glittery pencils, drumstick lollipop, 'Hello Kitty' body lotion, bar of chocolate and a chunky glo-stick and some 'happy birthday' confetti.

Using my kitchen heat sealer and florist's cellophane wrap, I made custom sized bags to fit these filled cartons. I then sealed the bags by tying curling ribbon.

Baby Mima's Nappy cake

Cake base contents:

Prior to cellophane wrap:

All wrapped up #1:

All wrapped up #2:

Cake 'topper':
Rear of cake 'topper':

All wrapped up - front view:

Nappy cake 'ingredients':

Baby Mima's card

Gift tags for nappy cake:

Close-up of embellishment:
View of full card:

I've been tagged

heh heh heh - I've just come across my being tagged on Mar's blog

Sweet 16th Thank You Notelets

Seeing as I couldn't get to sleep last night with my backache and Stewart on night shift [it seems like I am doing night shift too!] I thought I'd get the thank you notelets out of the way before another block of time flew by! I just made single sided notelets rather than a folded card - easier and much quicker to work through a small number of them.

M-I-Law's b'day

It was my mother-in-law's birthday yesterday and I only managed to make the cards v. quickly today. Things have been topsy-turvy since Stewart's been working 12 hr night shifts and me having a sore back. Every now and again I get a day when mobility is good but it soon has an effect later on LOL!!

Anyway's belated happy birthday Sandra!! - before I forget it's my youngest sister's birthday today also - Happy Birthday sis!