Miss Black is having a baby!

Marianne had asked me to make up a nappy cake for her teacher - no problem! Congrats to Carrie Black.

Black sparkly glitter discovery!

I discovered black sparkly glitter in Hobbycraft yesterday!! I had an idea/inspiration taken from a mass produced Christmas card. It had a black glittery snowflake on it - it was really quite pretty - not this is having the same effect though I quite like it just the same!

Tag cut using Sizzix scallop tag from the combo set. Red card. Versamark and stamp from an SU! Christmas stamp set. Glitter set [hopefully] with hairspray. Nothing too fancy but the final product looked quite good on these little paper bags from a Christmas set from Ikea.

Colleagues' Christmas presents all wrapped

Not the best produced image - this was taken using my mobile phone camera [which I hate using to take photos]. Kirsten's desk! The present at the rear of the photo with large silver florist bow + Gingerbread man gift tag is for Kirsten.

Basic ribbon start:

Handmade bow using ribbon + button - this was a labour of love combined with sewing, a plain button and a glue gun!

Neice and Nephew's Christmas Cards

I made these personalised Christmas cards for my niece and nephew:

A close-up of the star brads as tree toppers:

SU! Scallop edge punch used + Sizzix Snowflake die coated with SU! "Stampin Glitter"; PPs by Papermania Christmas pad:

Lettering cut using Sizzix "Fun Serif" and "Nouveau" Sizzlet alphabets.

Secret Santa at work

For the 1st time in years, I have been invited to take part in the office "Secret Santa" . I am not giving the game away as to what the gift was - unfortunately the £5.00 budget doesn't stretch too far - the recipient may well be disappointed after seeing how the gift is wrapped LOL!! I thought I'd make an extra effort with regards to the wrapping.

The paper is basic brown wrapping paper - it's not the thickest or strongest of paper so the paper was 'wound' round the gift a couple of times to prevent any inevitable ripping. I dug out some of the leftover Christmas wire edged ribbon and set to wrap it round the gift making a bow. At least with the wire edging, it's easier to manipulate the bow to the desired effect.

A lovely wire ribbon bow:

Once everything was in place, I stamped one corner of the exposed wrapping paper with an SU! sentiment stamp from a Chrismas set:

Next I got to work on the gift tag. Using the jumbo scallop tag die from Sizzix, I cut a tag using red cardstock. I then stamped the swirly image with an SU! stamp wheel with Versamark, added the gold embossing powder, set it with the heat gun. The "To" and "From" details were printed using my computer and printer overlapping the gold embossing - a happy accident!

Completely wrapped:

Some Christmas Cards

I managed a couple of weeks ago to get started on my Christmas cards...........

Heat embossed silver "Joy" Cards - Sentiment and Baroque Motif stamp from Stampin' Up!

Oval Scallop punch [Woodware] + SU! Scallop edge punch used here along with the Stampin' Up markers colouring in the Christmas tree [from an SU! stamp set]:

This card is slightly different from the card above in that I have embossed 1/3 of the card with an embossing folder:

Snowflake stamp and sentiment stamp from Stampin' Up! stamp sets. Scallop circle embossed with snowflake embossing folder. Circles cut using various sized circle punches.

More embossing with folders sentiment from an SU! stamp set:

I did the snowfall scene embossing on red card and using versamark then heat embossed with white embossing powder showing the design outlines in red greeting sentiment from an SU! stamp set:

A close up:

Santa embossed:

Scallop circle framing embossed Santa:

PP from a papermania pad; tag cut using Sizzix tag die; SU! scallop circle punch - stamps produced by SU!:

Silver embossed stamped snowflake [stamp from SU!]:

A blog award!

How fabby is it to receive an award?

I received this award from Mar who has recently came back to the world of blogging - please take a wee look - Mar is remarkable woman. Mar's absence has been sorely missed but only due to the fact that having recently undergone intensive back surgery and and now in rehabilitation, no wonder Mar hasn't been around on the net too much. Glad to see you return and blogging honey!!


I have to list 5 things I like doing & then pass the award on to 5 blogging friends.

1. Spending time with my family


2. Crafting now that my mojo has returned!


3. Driving now that I have recently passed my test and got "Cilla"


4. Spending time with friends


5. Listening to my Ipod

Now to award 5 of my friends:

• Denise - see her blog here
• Monica - see her blog here
• Emma - see her blog here
• Alex - see her blog here
• Denise - see her blog here
  

Very inspirational blogs - and very talented ladies - enjoy!

The Crimbo Tree is Up!

I'd promised the kids that I'd get the Christmas tree up on Sunday but due to the time I spent at work on Sunday, it was too late to start setting up. So the kids were happy with my suggestion that if I built up the tree in time for them finishing school for the day - they could dress it up.

It's an 8 foot tree so I could only get so much of the tree in shot but was too lazy to go look out the wide angle lens!

Without camera flash:

With camera flash:

Party Season Survival Kit Commission

Here is a party season survival kit I made a couple of weeks ago on behalf of a friend to donate to a school fundraising event Scottish Ceilidh. Alison tried to get me to charge for items etc and I didn't oblige only due to all the help Alison had given our school fundraising group and school Parent Council over the last couple of years whilst I was an active member. But I have to say a big "THANKS" and appreciation to Alison as she had very generously given me a half bottle of Grouse for my troubles!

A wee "Thank You" card

Just another little "Thank you" card for my sister Laura & her family.

Congratulations to Carrie!

Congratulations to my cousin's daughter Carrie, who gave birth to a wee bouncing boy, 8lbs and 8 oz on Sunday 6th December at 4.20 pm. Congratulations also to the new grandparents, Lisa and Davy!!

My 40th Birthday Celebrations - with the family

The birthday girl!:

Ali & wee Stewart:
Just about to blow out the candles:

I'll huff and I'll puff......:

Mum & Dad:

My 40th Birthday - celebrations with the girls

OUT ON THE 30th OCTOBER:

Myself & Alison: Debbie & Ali:

Ali looking in the cake bag ......:
Sheila and Donna:

Margaret. Judith, Suz, Mandy and Sheila:

[left to right]

My 40th Birthday presents

My stress-reducing kit from Sharon, David and Rhuaridh:

My wee "birdie" gift from Jude et al:

Various jewelry & gifts:

"Cilla" - my wee 'runaround'

My 40th Birthday!

Yep!! On 31st October 2009, it was my 40th Birthday!!

I had planned to have a birthday bash [party] but with having various other demands on our finances, it was perhaps best not to have a party [I really needed a real good knees up]. Instead my friend Suzanne had organised a wee "quiet" drink with the girls and had invited me on the evening before - I had just assumed it was just a night out with the girlies. How wrong was I?! We all met up in "Keepers" in Tranent for a blether and a wee drink. Only the girls had presented a fabulous chocolat birthday cake in the shape of a champagne bottle with lit candles and the pub went TOTALLY quiet whilst they sang "Happy Birthday" to me!! My wee face was buzzin' red so it was LOL!!! A really nice surprise!! The girls also presented a birthday card with a fair bit of money enclosed - I was geniuinely gobsmacked as I hadn't really expected it. The girls said that they could have gotten me a present for my 40th but also knew I hankered after a wee car for myself. It was suggested that I could put the money towards a wee car - and that's exactly what I did a little later on!!

I received lovely gifts in the form of a litre bottle of whiskey from Ethan, one of Marianne's chums; an Amazon gift voucher from Lynne and Sarah from work [including a box of choccies] - I managed to buy a basic Sat Nav with this; Money from my eldest sister Joyce; lovely sparkly earrings from my sister Laura, Jamie and the kids; A miniature bottle of Grouse Whiskey with a couple of chocs and engraved "Famous Grouse" whiskey glass from Jude & Co; A gorgeous little heart pendant necklace from Denise and Dan; A gorgeous heart pendant necklace from Fiona, Scott and kids; A gorgeous butterfly pendant necklace from my mum and dad along with a litre bottle of Grouse + they very generously took Stewart, me and the kids out for a terrific celebratory meal; my favourite Cerrutti 1881 perfume from the kids; a stress-reducing kit from Sharon, David and Ruaridh; I received a beautiful silver necklace and matching earrings from my parents-in-law. Last but not least, my wee car - a combined 40th B'day gift from Stewart and all the birthday monies I had received.

Many, many thanks to you all!!

Childhood photos

Me, Denise and Joyce:

Me sleeping on Nana Combe's knee hugging 'Ted':

Me, Denise and Joyce at a later date circa late 70s: