Wendie Rhodes Collection on Special offer

Wendie Rhodes Collection is on Special offer for a limited period only, these delightful stamps from Wendie Rhodes are both popular and versatile. We have three ranges on offer her Art Nouveau, Christams Range and her Doodle Range Click here for more information

The Daddy!

This is from my Fuji S9600 and then this one is taken with my new Nikon D80

neither photo has been edited and I cannot wait to get to grips with the New Daddy! The colour clarity and sharpness is fantastic and as I manage to get around the different settings and features I will be posting more pics! Oh happy days!

Introducing my car........ the V8 Vantage

Last Friday we went to the Motor show in London to see...... well Aston Martins of course - my future car... well one can dream!

Now unfortunately most of the Cars that you go to a Motor show to see were in the UC area - otherwise known as the Ultimate Collection area, invitation only or £90.00 a pre-booked ticket area! Yes I know dissappopinting to say the least and way too cheeky of the organisers I say; but still I did manage to take a pic of my car

Stunning isn't it?! I think this may just have to be my new screen saver..... sigh

Some days it's just all over-rated

Yep, some days it is just all over-rated that whole run your own business, be your own boss yarda, yarda, yarda and today is definately one of those days - so what did I do about it when I got home? Call a friend and lay it all out as one does? Nope - I thought why bring someone elses day down... no, I took up the Wii did some boxing and knocked out 5 opponents in the first round each - yep I was that annoyed - so there is another up side to the Wii stress relief! After that I did also do the step including the advanced, the yoga and a few of the other exercises and although my Wii age is still 40! I am feeling as though actually it is a good idea, it is amazing competitive you are with yourself, well me anyway, in the short space of time I have broken most of my own records and actually the trainer really is not that annoying and I know that I am working on muscles I did not even know existed because they are aching!

So we shall see what happens after a week. But the flip side is at least I am in a happier place this evening than I was late this afternoon!

Is it possible to be Wii Fit?

Is it possible to be Wii fit? Well I am about to find out, after already having embarked on a healthier eating, dragging the exercise machine out of the garage and actually using it lifestyle Nick surprised us yesterday with a Wii and the Wii fit board etc... Now it has to be said I have already lost 3lbs through my above mentioned method and yes I did get back from London on Friday at about 9.00pm to then go onto the Gazelle for 28 minutes - yes I am dedicated (so far!) No seriously, I will not tell you my weight for I am not into public humiliation but let's just say I really need to lose 1 1/2 stone and let's just say that the Wii does confirm I am overweight (also to all and sundry who happen to be within ear shot at the time, so yes, thanks for that!) But I have mentioned before I hate the thought of being unfit, growing older and slower and then not having the fitness to keep up with my (very fit) 10 year old.

Now I do want to get paranoid about these things after all I would prefer to live my life rather than exist so I do not want to be counting every calorie and spending more time checking the labels for fat content and sugar than it actually takes to normally shop as I do not actually eat very unhealthily it purely comes down to the fact that I craft for a living which means I am sat down and the rest of my time I am running the two business' which means I am either on the computer (sat down) or on the telephone (sat down) and if I am really lucky I may be going to do a workshop or a demo so I am in the car (sat down, you can see where I am going with this then?!) and then hurrah at the demo or workshop I am predominantly stood up..... in one place!

So it is fair to say that apart from running up and down the stairs at home I do not get exercise at all. Now here within lies the problem - time - I always have lack of time due to how much I work but I have to make time and I guess this is one of the reasons the Wii helps - it keeps track of all the time you have spent doing the activities as well as your progress etc... and there is no way of cheating! if you have spent 30 mins exercising then you have spent 30 mins not that well I think I have probably been exercising for an hour or so! Now the other part is that you definitely work out more areas of the body - the Gazelle that I dragged out of the garage (that was at least 12 calories) is quite good for cardiovascular and working out parts of the body but not all, so the Wii fit it is and personally I can vouch for the fact that actually it is much tougher than you first think and as for the trainer well there is no fooling them either, after embarking on the muscular work out I realised we had the board the wrong way around so afterward the trainer, being very helpfull, said "now I know you stopped halfway through......." I wanted to then shout back well of course I did the board was the wrong way round! But alas that would have done me no good but I was content with the thought that if I ever do find the trainer too annoying there is always the mute button!

Online Video tutorial

Hurrah! I have actually got round to doing another video tutorial for your crafty viewing pleasure - this is slightly different to my other videos as this is an altered project, well we are coming up to the summer holidays and I have revived an old board game to ensure that the kids will want to play it if we should have any of those British Rainy days that we are so well known for!

Enjoy!

Pop

Some days you just feel as though things get to you that little bit more and today is one of those days, not one to harbor onto dates but it was a year ago today that we had my Pop's funeral and today this day is more devastating than the actual day he died? Why? because today a year ago it became real that he had died, up until the funeral I guess I could kid myself that actually it was just a mistake, it could not be real because he just couldn't be dead. He died of cancer and yes I know we knew it was inevitable but I guess we still thought that this miracle was going to happen and everything would be ok. I miss him more than I ever try to let on and still find it hard to think I will not see him again, or hug him. The picture above was taken at Paulton's Park, it was when we found he had cancer and so he wanted to take all the kids out, it was a happy yet somber day and there were not many smiles but I managed to catch this one on camera and I cannot even begin to explain how dear it is to me - I know it is not a perfect picture but non the less it is perfect to me because of who it represents.

I Got an award!

Ok I am choked seriously, I must be sending out good vibes to have so many good things happening. The very bubbly and wonderful Dawn has given me this award

and so now I feel extra special! Isn't it nice to know that you are appreciated in some way.... So pass on this wonderful feeling these are the people I would like to nominate for this award

Clarebear - she is a solid Crafting buddy, class attendee, general phone conversational listner (for everything) and just one great friend

Kirsty - well lets face it not only is that girl amazingly talented but she also spreads sunshine to many people through her blog and actions and again is a friend any gal is lucky to have :)

Bernie Berlin - who does some amazing work and her blog will not only reduce you to tears of sadness but also of joy that one person can be so selfless, caring and giving. I had the great fortune to meet her at Ranger and she is one lady I will never forget

Terri - she is amazing, such a nice person and has freakingly cool stuff on her blog that she makes with her very own fair hands

Donna - this girl cracks me up! Seriously she is very funny - I love her honest upfront approach to things and that fact that she is so comfortable in her own skin - and when her daughter adds her 2cents worth it is soooo adorable

Now I know I meant to put down 7 but the other blogs that inspire the most have people that are here, there and everywhere and so rarely add the awards that get passed on and no that is not a snobbish thing, just I am too darn busy type thing and you know what I can relate, although I am tying to take things at a slighter slower pace after so many bollockings from friends

So the other two sites that inspire me the most are

Tim Holtz - well you would not expect less surely?!

Rebecca Sower - I love her Photograph's and they inspire in a number of ways that would bore you to death so I shall leave it there and just tell you to go and check it out

The rules for the award are as follows:
The rules for this award are:-

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

As promised

Kirsty has returned home sniff sniff, it was amazing seeing her and so touching that in this manic world you can have people that help you to slow down and take a break - it is not an easy feat for me to be able to do that so it was appreciated loads.

So Monday was a typical Monday, trying to get everything back on track, projects to make, the PartiCraft Magazine articles to write and put together, kits to put together for tjc designs oh and then a meeting to squeeze in to then return home and start all over again. But then his morning I have the great job of sharing the photo's that the extremely talented Kirsty took and then that makes me smile all over again and reminds me that I had the best weekend I have had in ages :)

I adore these pictures of Kiehsa she has the most beautiful natural smile (I know slightly bias) but it warms me to the very bottom of my soul!

Poppylicious

Well what a day - firstly have actually managed to get some much needed housework done and can I say that you really know who your friends are when they pick up a duster and the polish and tootle off to clean your front room! Which basically means either Kirsty really did think I was way too stressed out and that I do need help or that she thinks my front room is way to skanky to even sit in! I cooked a Roast dinner and had proper Yorkshire puds made by a proper yorkshire lass and then we went off to have photographs taken. I knew of an amazing field full of poppies that I have been dying to get too to snap some picturesLoved this Dragonfly photo, I am still chuffed with myself that I managed to get it so clearly.... ok self congratulatory period now over....!

And of course no afternoon would be complete without a few pics of Kiesha
I will post some more of the pictures we took later and I will also put up the ones from Kirsty soon too as they are AMAZING!!!!