September Birthdays

Birthday card:

2 x large bars of chocolate as they are:

2 x large bars of chocolate wrapped up with pp:

Chocolate gift completely 'jazzed up:
Chocolate gift + co-ordinating birthday card:
2nd birthday card with organza ribbon and a wee bit glitter:

Side view of wrapped up [2nd] chocolate gift:

front view of chocolate gift:
Front close-up view of chocolate gift:
"Birthday Bottle" all jazzed up includ. chocolate gift:

September seems to be the busiest month for birthdays! Various relatives and friends' birthdays all seem to cluster around the same time.

If time allows me, I try to handcraft cards for the special peeps [occasionally I buy them if I don't have time!]. But for most people's birthdays I usually buy them from the local wee shop usually for around 80 odd pence!

Crimbo cards!

Well the table was still set up in the living room [shockeroonie] and I thought it was about time I got a 'fix' of crafting for just 'me'.

I have never been this organised for Christmas cards ever in my puff before LOL!!

I used a combination of Stampin Up punches and stamps, DCWV patterned paper, Bazill cardstock and a little bit of glitter. I took photos last night but they were *pants* so re-took them today and they seem far better in daylight [I should've known this already].

With a few of the paisley style cards, I thought I could 'jazz' the up using the ultra fine glitter I bought [a bargain for £1.20] from Paperlace in Dalkeith and my glue pen. I thought they turned not too bad!

1 in a million

Another commission - a 'millions' gift jar.

As before, a brand new Ikea jar washed out and filled with 'Millions' candy. Lid decorated with paper disc sized to the lid of the jar. A couple of co-ordinating Ellison daisies cut out and secured to disc the final embellishment adhered securely to the jar lid. Add a couple of small tags - voila!

Liberton High School Open Day - 23rd Aug

The driveway to 'Libby'

Dianne, Michelle, Linda, Crispin [small image I am holding] and myself

Denise, Michelle and I [in the assembly hall]

The 23rd August was the open day for Libby High School as it is celebrating it's 50 anniversary! That day was also the very 1st time walking up the drive to the school, and actually being in the building since I left oooh how many years ago???!!! LOL

There was a good turnout for the day. First stop was in the assembly hall and a welcome from LHS's current HT, Donald John MacDonald. It was weird being in the assembly hall on the 'wrong side' as our wee group used to always gather around at the rear, right hand side of the hall just as you come through the doors. One of the group was missing, Crispin - now known as Cris who is now living and working in London. Denise blew up a photo of Cris and cut it out, added a stem so that Cris could 'join' us in the photies! Quite a few changes carried out through the school since we last attended. And although I am the same height now as I was at Libby, everything seemed smaller compared to how we all remembered it LOL!! Mrs Stenhouse, the nurse who worked at Libby whilst we were there hadn't really changed but us as pupils into adults sure did. As much as Mrs Stenhouse didn't recognise us, she sure remembered some of our names! A few other faces we recognised including Mr Adams, the music teacher turned up on the day! It was great to meet up with some of the girls from my year and we all went for a spot of lunch, blether and out came out the photies. OMG - we were fashion victims of 80's!

Dianne, Michelle, Linda, Crispin and Denise

Mr Adams the music teacher
Denise - ? being interviewed for the news Denise, Michelle and Dianne [in art dept]
Linda, Michelle, Dianne, Me, Pauline and Denise [in art dept]

Denise, Crispin and Pauline

Linda, Denise, Michelle and Dianne [in assembly hall]

Irene Harrison's retirement

Irene - may you have the retirement you have been planning - we know you will be kept very busy socialising and enjoying family, friends, new and old hobbies - ENJOY!

The celebrity herself:

Well today is Irene Harrison's last day working as a teacher at one of our primary schools. Irene taught 2 of my children and is a long serving member of staff, and well known in our community. It isn't unusual to find a few of the children who attend school nowadays are children or relatives of children Irene had previously taught at school over the years.

Irene had mentioned to myself and a couple of my friends [who regularly meet at school etc for fundraising and parent council stuff] that she had recently taken up horse riding. Suzanne [you know who you are LOL!] came up with the idea of the horseshoe seeing as she knew I had made one previously for a wedding this year. I had tried to incorporate the school colours of purple, silver and black. I managed to find gorgeous black ribbon with purple tartan, I spray painted the horse shoe silver and then dressed it up with some purple and silver embellishments and some bling!

Irene was delighted with the gift!

The horsehoe retirement gift:

Horsehoe painted silver

Horse shoe all jazzed up:

Presentation is in the smallest of details:

Retirement and gift cards:

All together:

Wedding card

A wedding card commission completed yesterday:

I used basic turquoise cardstock. Matted black cardstock and stamped with "Sanded" SU background stamp and a shade of turquoise chalk ink and secured to background card. Cut another mat of white cardstock and stamped with the SU French Script background stamp. It was accidental that there was not enough pressure in the centre giving a 'worn' effect but it worked quite well when I secured the metal embellishment! Using a strip of turquoise cardstock and one of the "Wonderful Words" stamps, I stamped in black 'Love' and then secured to the bottom of the script background mat.

Gill's 40th Birthday Album

Yay - it's Gill!

Yeah I know I know! Gill's 40th was way back in June but with life and my illness taking over, I have only just recently completed the album!

Not terrific photos granted only due to the fact that I was in a bit of a rush to get the album completed and then present them to Gill the other week when we arranged to get together for a cuppa, blether and a good laughing session!

I am glad Gill was delighted with the album!

I sneaked a champagne cork from our celebrations

and 'dressed' it up a little as a memento:

Final gift presentation with jazzed up champagne cork:

The 2 Gillians

I used Stamping Up scallop punch and a couple of stamps for this page: The pink 15 seater limo with business cards:
Us girlies getting into our carriage - thats me with the white jeans on!

Only some of the girls inside the limo - sadly the smoke machine

came on at the moment of taking this picture:

I'm back!

Well, it's been a while since I last updated. What with summer hols, helping out at the kids' summer playscheme, trying to keep up with my photography course I recently completed and then the return to school! All through that I wasn't particularly well for around 8 weeks with some viral illness which basically 'floored' and drained me!

So brace yourselves for some flooding of the blog now LOL!