Moving On...

Hi! Just briefly stopping by to report in on the Happenings of Life amidst the chaos of moving home. I am up to my eyeballs in boxes and there's still no end in sight. Who could imagine it was possible to accumulate so much "stuff", 90% of which I never use! I might need to start looking for alternative destinations for my use-free items.

This box, for instance, is to be sealed tightly and shipped to Abu Dhabi forthwith. (Only joking...)

All the activity and the stress of phoning a million utility companies to change my details over (you really do need a masters degree to do this) has meant nil card-making except for a couple of friends' kids' birthdays:

I'm desperate to get my craft room set up in the new place and knuckle down to productive cardmaking! There's been very little time to chill out recently and I miss being creative. However the delightful spring weather we've been having has made me positive for the future and although I will be leaving my garden behind I have captured one lasting image from it:

Now, having spilled coffee in my keyboard I think that's a sign I need to get back to the box mountain, sigh. Chances are this will be my last foray into blogworld for quite some time until I can get myself connected up in the flat, so I hope my readers (if there are any) will bear with me for this interlude.

Hope to be back with you soon! Byee!!

Empty Boxes and Inedible Muffins

Hello! Well, I really am the Master of Getting Nothing Done. Less than a week until I pick up the keys to my new place and I've not done any packing yet! I've collected plenty of cardboard boxes courtesy of work, which the cats have had a great time playing in, but which remain otherwise empty :o( No doubt it will be a last minute panic as it always seems to be with me.

I didn't do much at the weekend. Himself was away up North doing manly things with his mates in a remote cottage near Aviemore on their annual Lads Holiday (I suspect that possibly, just possibly, it may have involved eating loads, drinking loads, golf and computer games!) so I was very lazy indeed. I didn't get up until 11.15am on Sunday (SO many box-packing hours lost!) and I watched a lot of telly and had many a bath. I even decided against going to an 18th birthday celebration for my Outnumbered-Male Workmate on Saturday night because I just felt too damn old and past-it! Blah. I did, however, make some cards:

All in the Stampin'Up "vein", as you can see. I would be bereft without my scallop punches now!

I made my final attempt at baking: some carrot muffins, which were vile, so I have now decided to throw in the "towel" as far as cake-making is concerned. It is rarely a success, despite my enjoyment of savoury cooking, so I should bow out gracefully and let more able bakers do the whole muffin thing. Everyone at work is on a diet anyway so there is no point taking in the "fruits" of my labours for them to be poisoned by - er, I mean enjoy!

In Family news, my poor Grannie had a fall on Friday and is spending a few days in hospital. I think she's doing OK but I wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her soon. Get Well Soon, Grannie! (Hope you like the card)

Gosh, it's getting late! Better head off now and get busy not-packing-any-boxes-again!!

Sweet Treats

My Sweet Treats class is fully booked; people want to come and learn how to make my creations - woo-hoo!!!!

Here are some sneak peeks:

I've had quite a productive day on the whole: I've prepped for my OTHER April class, done my grocery shopping, made phone calls re my house-move, cooked a vegetable lasagne for my long-suffering parents and now I'm going to soak in a long, hot bath! Then I might just eat the cupcake, the cookie and the chocolates - yes, all in one go!!!!

A Very Cultured Weekend (Almost)

Well, the film, "He's Just Not That Into You", was very enjoyable; definately a chick flick - we couldn't imagine the menfolk sitting through it - but it was a good cast, some touching moments, and the subject matter prompted much discussion between my friend and I as we left the cinema. Then we managed to get lost, on foot, trying to find the car in the multi-storey car park, then lost our way again trying to drive out of the bloomin' car park! We reminded ourselves, sadly, of our mums who are also friends and who took us places when we were younger and usually, errr, got us all lost! Sorry Mum! I don't think sense of direction is a strong gene in us!

In the next exciting instalment of Things To Do For Free In Edinburgh On A Sunday Afternoon: The National Gallery. Himself and I had a very pleasant walk through Princes Street Gardens in some idyllically spring-like weather before a freak hailstorm hit and we scuttled into the gallery post-haste. We proceeded to spend a couple of culture-laden hours wandering around, admiring the portraits and discussing the intricate brushwork and the breathtaking use of colour and light to convey contrasting textures. OK...well, maybe not...but we did TRY to look intellectual! And the cafe' was very comfortable :o)

The weekend ended on a flat note - literally - when I experienced the joys of a flat tyre for the first time in my years of car-ownership. Panic threatened to burst forth from my "bosom", but I kept it in check, mainly as a result of the calmness and practicality of a certain man-prescence. What would we do without them?!

In final news: my hunt for a flat may be over and I hope to move into my new abode within two weeks!! So I'm going to be VERY busy and I'm sure my blogging habit will suffer. But it's all quite exciting and I still plan to churn out some cards meantime! If nothing else, I'll need to make some New Address ones!

That's all for now, a sneak peek of my "Sweet Treats" class next time if you're lucky!

Card Class Corruption!

I can't believe I've been absent for so long AGAIN but I have had Blogger's Block as well as it being another hectic week. The work night out was a good laugh although with my digestion still in a delicate state, it didn't take much food to fill me up and I literally felt fit to burst by the end of the night, even though not a drop of alcohol was consumed. Plus I have successfully managed to spread my lurgy throughout my colleagues, including the manager - ooerrr!! Well, I am the main suspect anyway, not a dodgy fajita.

My two classes for April were "launched", and there were some immediate bookings, which gives me quite a buzz. Now I'm under pressure to come up with some great items that will not disappoint. There were plans afoot to sabotage my Irish cohort's class descriptions before publication; with her loopy handwriting, her class "featuring fairies" could easily have been misread as "festering fairies", which doesn't have quite the same appeal! But I'm not that evil :o)

Corrie has been unwell this week, as a result of an amorous encounter with a block of feta cheese. I really ought to learn not to leave such things out on the kitchen worktop! Sigh.

Some cards have been made:

The top two were made with batches in mind, the other two were for specific occasions and feature my colour scheme of the moment. I have decided to use a weekly colour challenge blog as part of my inspiration: this week it's tangerine and two shades of blue which is certainly "interesting"!

Tonight I'm off to the cinema for a girlie chick flick with my dog-owning friend. Quite looking forward to it, I feel the need to chill out after a busy day at work yesterday (28 boxes of delivery to unpack and check!!) and the added pressure of flat-hunting. An afternoon of cardmaking awaits, but first I'm off for a cup of "char" and some carrot cake....

Yum!

Spring is Sprung!

Hi folks, no pics today, just an update. Up until a couple of days ago I was still feeling fairly icky after my vom-fest, and the appetite is only just returning to normal. About time too, so I have been plying myself with health-giving smoothies and, er, chocolate. Well, I don't want to waste away do I?

There has been some pleasant, springlike weather recently, and on Saturday we went for a lengthy walk in a nearby country park, which, apart from the neighbouring sewage works (and accompanying delightful odour) and the yobs setting fire to the picnic area, afforded us some picturesque views and a plethora of photo opportunities (guess who didn't have her camera with her?? When will I learn???!!?). I am determined to get out and about into the "fresh" air a lot more this year, and to discover all the local walking routes. Cycling too, would be good, except for the fact that my bike hasn't seen the light of day for about 8 years, and I don't "do" hills.

Work has been busy, with the wedding season upon us and my ongoing preparation for two classes I'm teaching in April. Today I devised the wording to go on the class list we will print for our customers; my colleague and I were vying for the title of Most Enticing Descriptive Paragraph to draw the punters in, with hilarious results. We really are wasted as mere shop workers.

Well, I'm pretty tired tonight so no crafting for me :o( Tomorrow is the work "christmas" night out at a Mexican eaterie and I'm quite looking forward to it, assuming I can actually eat something and I'm not yawning into my chimichungas by 9pm.

See you soon! (With some cards and photos hopefully!)

Whined and Dined

Gosh, it never rains but it pours, eh? Lots been going on around here lately; I'm undergoing a lifestyle overhaul that is destined to make my head explode, but I'm bearing up and feeling quite positive about the future. After all, that which does not kill you makes you stronger, isn't that what they say?

A slight setback yesterday in that I was confined to bed with a nasty stomach bug thingy, which has left me unable to eat for 24 hours and severely lacking in energy. Oh, and I had to take a day off work, which was a pain as I was actually, foolishly, LOOKING FORWARD to going in! Enjoyment of one's work? Surely an unheard of concept! On Sunday, before illness struck, I was counting my blessings and had an extremely productive day as a result. Cards were made:

I chose a particular colour scheme for the latter two and another one which I can't show yet as it's for someone :o) I also did some work on the class I'm planning for the "Sweet" range, which I'm quite excited about.

And I had a lovely Valentine's Day; first lunch with my parents then a 3-course dinner cooked for me and a dozen red roses courtesy of Himself:

I am a lucky girl really :o)