here comes the bride dadadadaaaaaaa!

and all that stuff!
It has been super hectic here! House guests, both human and animal (current guest is Sparkle the super huge african land snail), christening, wedding, all associated appointments (mani/pedi etc) gift buying, birthdays and so on!
SO Sunday was THE day- christening first then on to the wedding.

Christening pics...

Laughter caused by Amelia SPLASHING with both hands in the font as she was being baptised (thankfully Rev Tim is so laid back, as long as the kids are safe they can wander around the church during the service etc) LOL! It was too funny!



Just look at her- she is such a little imp!



Parents, godparents and the most beautiful girlies (they really did look so so pretty)



So, christenings done, off to the wedding!



Always a cute kid to oblige with photos!












Confetti in the cleavage Chris?


Awww Groom blubbing! (sorry Rodg!)


Me and middle bridesmaid Caitlin, she had a whole box of toys and stuff in her place, and bless her she was so so excited about every single item! More impressed than she was with her dinner which she 'didn't ask for' LOL bless her heart!



More waffle to come soon- gotta go out in 2 minutes and am sat here with wet hair!

hola!

Back again! I have my hospital appointment through (was really quick to arrive which impressed me as apparently GP's are renowned for sitting with referrals on their desks for weeks on end before sending them to the hospital).

So off for scans to see what kind of state my gallbladder is in, whether there are any stones or anything lurking in there, and then two weeks later I get the results and my GP makes the decision whether I am to be operated on or not! *eek*



Onwards and upwards...I was one of the testers for this lil gadget for design objectives...






I have looked at these in the range a few times, as I liked the idea of the teensy little strips that can be used a couple at a time, or in one big line. I have used their mounting tabs before which I loved. To be honest the price made the decision for me, however if refills were an option (at a reasonable price) I would have forked out the £4.99 for the actual runner.
So, I set myself a little challenge with this baby. As I was doing my ATF layout for this week, I thought I would see how much of the layout I could stick using just this product.
This is the layout...








So there is the usual photo, card and paper, and then a flower and chipboard to stick down too. The adhesive coped really well, and I liked the fact that it held well, but had a little bit of a 'give' to allow me to reposition the item fairly easily.
The only thing that this product didn't hold too well was the chipboard, I did find that it popped off slightly (particularly the circle) but I have left it as is and will check again to see if it has 'taken' a bit better as time has gone on. I also decided afterwards to use a foam pad under the chipboard heart, and it was easy to remove after sticking it down with the runner.
Loved the fact that you could use it in a curve, it was ridiculously easy to use, and love that you can use the tiny strips for smaller areas. I will be putting this through its paces I can assure you!

Onto the Q&A bit-
1. How often do you use adhesive? Every time I craft, so not a huge amount at the moment (whilst I have been poorly), but usually most days.
2. What is the main type of adhesive you use? Gosh- I have a massive collection of adhesive, but I guess the most used is herma runners (repo and permanent), followed by DST, pva, glossy/matt accents and foam pads depending on the task in hand.
3. What do you look for in an adhesive? Good stickability, price, ease of use, a product that is not wasteful.
4. How easy is the product to remove from its packaging? very easy
5. Does the product appeal to you - i.e. does it look good? It's ok, I don't really pay a lot of attention to the aesthetics of things provided they have a good design for usability and storage, which this did.
6. How easy is the product to use? Very very easy, it has a really comfortable, easy to use design.
7. How well does the product perform? Very well, apart from the chipboard which I will check on again once a bit of time has elapsed.
8. Do you like this product? Very much so!
9. Do you consider it good value for money? It is good value in terms of usability, but too expensive for a non-refillable dispenser.
10. Would you consider buying this product in the future? Yes I would.
11. What would make you more likely to buy this product in the future? If the price came down a substantial amount, or if refills were available for a good price.
12. What would make you less likely to buy this product in the future? If it stayed at this price I would certainly think twice about buying it.

I would rate this at 8 out of 10 only losing points on the price and being non-refillable.

Well- photos of this gorgeous wee munchkin! Check her out!

cocky madame, closing her eyes and pointing whilst walking!


scrummy chubby legs!




being a smarty pants and carrying 'doggy'


she got really into walking the entire length of the lounge and diner between me and Amy (just under 40 steps yay!), spinning round and off she would go again. Unfortunately, just after this last photo she was chortling away (my fault!) and fell backwards straight onto her head :( Hoping it hasn't put her off, I think she is getting Jasmine's share of bumps, as she was a cocky so and so when she started walking!

back soon

sorry for the absence but for those who don't already know my life has pretty much been looking like this for a while





yup I have been pretty darn ill! In so much pain I could barely stand, and generally just yuk.
Didn't help that I was misdiagnosed twice, once at the doctors, and once at the hospital :( So by the time I was correctly diagnosed (minus a fair thwack of the ole red stuff too) and they realised it was an infection it had really set in and I was in agony. I often think Amy was plonked in my life for a reason, and yet again my theory worked out. She arrived (flowers in hand) on a really awful day when I had been sobbing in pain all bloody day- she spoke to the nurse at my surgery when I couldn't talk through the tears, and got me seen again immediately, this time with the right diagnosis! Love that girly (thanks darling, you always get me fixed!)
So I am now feeling a lot better than I was *crosses fingers* but get so tired really easily, I must listen to my body more, and stop at the right time rather than pushing myself and being absolutely wiped out as a result.
Got a date for scans to be done at the hospital to confirm if it was my gallbladder that was infected, and then back to docs again to decide whether I am to be operated on. *lallalaaaalalaa* not thinking about that now!

Good news (Ali you listening?!) Amelia finally walked last Tuesday! she wobbled a couple of steps in the kitchen while I was making a cup of tea- she was heading for the pantry! After that she was up to 15 steps in no time at all!
Will try to get some pics of her tomorrow, managed to catch loads on camcorder too *yay*

I am slowly trying to tackle the tip that is my scrap studio too- everything is being hauled out and resorted, will get pics when I finally finish- it will be slow going (so I don't knacker myself again lol) but I will get there and finally conquer the organisational hell!

Love and hugs x

a lil freebie for you

I seem to be forever making stuff in photoshop but never get round to sharing it- so here is a lil freebie for you- they are A4 size and you can download in png or jpeg :) They are a bit of a mish mash of colours- 3 brights, and 3 slightly more neutral (and good for 'man stuff')


Usual 'rules'...Personal use only please UNLESS you have my permission, just drop me an email- I don't bite (honest!) A credit would be nice if you use them and upload projects to a gallery
If you use them- please link me up to pics just so I can be nosey lol!



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pngs;
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Happy mothers day :) Hope all you mammies are well and truly spoilt :)

Had a gorgeous day friday- nearly 5 hours of pampering and slumping in the bar. Had an espa facial, arm/hand massage, neck shoulder chest top of back all massaged too as part of the facial, then apart from the gorgeous face part, the most wonderful head massage too. I have never ever been so relaxed, and yesterday I struggled a bit- I was pretty much good for nothing! I have real trouble relaxing, so it was very good for the body and soul. Plus who doesn't feel great about spending over £300 on pampering and not having to worry about the cost?! LOL! It really was heaven! And my skin is still glowing!

Grey and dreary here, lots to do so a quick post with another film poster...mwahaha!

what a bliddy night for those of us unfortunate enough to experience our 5.3 earthquake!

I was sat in bed on the lappy, and someone in a chatroom I was in posted that they had an earthquake- I read it, and then it hit. The cat fell out of bed, I leapt out of bed to go and calm Simba downstairs, knowing what a panic he would be in having experienced the last one in 2002 with him. The force almost knocked me over! Simba was way more freaked this time round, poor lil sausage had grazed both sides of his face, and as he came out of his cage he flew in a panic, hit the floor then flew back up to mama's shoulder where he stayed. Got him back in his cage after about 20 minutes soothing him, but he was so scared he would only hang from the top of the cage, so I had to make the decision to sleep on the sofa with him. I couldn't leave him on his own in that state love him.

Finally managed to settle him at around 3am. He is coping fine today on the lack of sleep- me, not so much!

Poor Jess had a bit of a week, another cat attacked her and resulted in most of one of her claws being ripped out of one of her back paws. She is a lot better now, after much limping and cleaning it up. It certainly seems less sore tonight. To top it all off I woke up on Sunday morning at 5am to find the very same cat in my bedroom having chased Jess in there. I was not impressed. The cat then tried to get out, but as the cat flap was set to 'in only' it smashed its way through instead. Proper smashed too, snapped all the fixings off the door so I now have a draft coming in where the cat flap was- trying to find another the same but it's not easy!

Got a new speedy laptop on Saturday, so am whizzing about now- 2gb of ram heaven!

Off on Friday for a girly afternoon of facials and spa treatments, then we are gonna go to the bar and bistro too- can't wait and my poor skin really needs it!

Discovered some great pics last night (thanks Rob!) there was a comp running to change a movie title by one letter...I roared at some of them til I cried heehee! So I thought I would leave some of my faves in my next few posts. Some are far too rude to post on here even though they are side-splittingly funny. Thanks beta!

howdy doodly!

Less than a month- whassup with that?!

Busy busy busy here. Went to the trade show at the weekend, was great to catch up with people, that's always the best bit. There were some gorgeous stands there, but nothing really jumped out at me :( Although I did reeeaaaaally like the Laura Ashley stamps! It was nice to see how many more stands there were, since I last went (3 years ago!) but it was smaller than last year apparently.

Had a nice lil surprise in the post on Friday. Got home from the stables to find a special delivery package on the side...no idea what that is...opened it up to find two little embossed boxes wrapped with lashings of ribbon....a little folder...and a letter- telling me that I had won a competition (from vicks)- cool beans! Thinking it would be a little prize, I was still really chuffed...as I read further I realised this was a biggy...£1000 to spend at hotel du vin- OH YES! So on Friday Amy and I are off for a facial and a slump in the bar and bistro- all gratis! ANNNNND with no kiddos! Much as I love 'em, sometimes a little child free treat is just the bees knees! ;)

Talking of the kiddos- how proud am I of this munchkin?! VERY! Jas has been really pushing forward with her riding- we had a great lesson out in the field the other week, she rode with a couple of oder children and adults, and did FAB. She was flying over the same height jumps that the adults were doing :DBut check this out- on Tuesday- her first triple jump ever! *beams* Hard to believe she is only seven.

Onto other things- this cushion is being privately auctioned on Kirsty's blog here to help raise money for Belle's trip to the US, with the hope of finding a diagnosis for her.

It is approx 8" square (ish), backed with black and white spot fabric, sewn on a vintage (early 1900's) singer machine, and a bit of hand sewing too. The front is felt embellished, with a little made with love charm and a little bit of swarovski bling...it comes as a complete cushion (no removable cover) and is finished with a bit of wonky stitching for that lovin' handmade feel ;)

ATF went up again on Tuesday, this weeks theme was exercise- Simba flies about to keep him fit, then we have plenty of lunatic acrobatics too- while he shouts 'reeaaddddy...steadddddddyyyyy GO!' If you would be interested in doing a guest design spot for us this year, leave me a link to some of your work, and your blog/email addy :) We are always on the lookout for inspirational pet stuff, lets face it, the blog was started due to a lack of inspiration and nice products for those of us who like to have albums of our critters.

Lastly a cute pic of my lil guy- playing on the windowsill in the sunshine :)

what a month!

seems this is turning into a monthly blog at the mo lol!


It's been a manic one!


Besides decorating and having a mare of a time with faulty stuff that has to go back (yes another broken bed lol and grrrrr), and being poorly (still not right) I have turned another year older this week. So now I am 28 and 12 months old. And next year I will be 28 and 24 months- I am not hitting that big milestone- nuh-uh. *shakes head*


Monday (day before my birthday) Mum took the day off work to take me out for lunch. fab food, fab time. On the way back there was a big crash, which we narrowly escaped. So I attended the wounded, gave my statement etc, and this morning have a massive book of questions from the solicitors to answer, and they would like me to stand as a witness should it go to court- ack- hate it. (but will of course do it)


Tuesday- gorgeous day with amy and my girlies, and the stables too :) Apart from my gorgeous gifts, I had some special gifts from my girlies- Amelia sneezed yogurt in my face and hair, I laughed so hard I cried, and then she was roaring cos I was laughing too lol! Jasmine- well- what can I say, she tried in vain to fart 'happy birthday' to me- dontcha just love 7 year old humour?! :D


Will leave you with the last two atf layouts :) Plus- I was very proud to have done 31 layouts, that is one for every day in january, as part of big picture scrapbooking LOAD class :)

mucky pets

your home from your pets view (no way was I climbing on curtain poles to take pics lol!) it is straight in real life- pants weather means using the scanner. and yes, simba is upside down in those pics (I didn't turn them round lol) he is hanging upside down off the door frame which he just loves to do lol!

a whole month!

since I blogged- but I am not gonna dwell too much- been ill for the last month, and just as I was getting over it BAM I got another flippin bug! Feeling a little better...getting there slowly!

ATF is back as of this evening. On the theme of resolutions. I can honestly say that Simba is being a real superstar at the moment, such a well behaved lil chap love him, so from both sides- NO resolutions!

credits:K Pertiet card and frame, miss mint word labels, staple and paper heart, R Penn paper, Lynn Ridge paisley paper

Bye bye

My nutty friend.
I will you so much- more than you will ever know.
You show 'em how it is done in the big crop up in the sky- goodness knows you always did everything in true 'Jan style'
Love you- god bless -x-

smells like christmas?

oh yes indeedy! Went to Swindon for the day yesterday with the aim of buying Christmas presents...well I bought lots of things for me but not a lot else! No pressies! I did indulge in a couple of eggnog lattes, Mum had gingerbread as per cacky pic taken on my phone, and in the first shop they over-indulged me and gave me an extra freebie- masses of whipped cream atop my already calorie laden giganticus latte! Oh yummers indeed!


Great day with Mum though, biggest bargain? Four bras in next for a whopping tenner (yes for all 4 of them!)








This pic is for Amy- yes this is your daughter on the shelves of Borders! I got a couple of weird looks when I took this pic- but if they had been brash enough to look closer they would see that the person taking the photo is the very same person in that little pic at the top of the page! Surely that is allowed!





Couple of random pics!






This is Lola- aint she gorgeous? She really is a beautiful pup- and I love her! She belongs to my God-daughters Willow and Caitlin, and the rest of the household.





Random pic of Amelia from last week, nowt like a chocolate coated baby! YUM!








My ATF layout for this week, theme was habits. Simba is truly defined by being a creature of habit. Everything involves some level of habit with him.
Used- bazzill, anna griffin papers (I am down to my last couple of inches of these papers, and I need more, they were a purchase many moons ago from a sale at hockles with Kirsty and Jen!) lots of misc brads, buttons and poundland velvet alphas :)
I am using my layouts to build a sort of portfolio of Simba, and the album is looking great so far, I love having a record of stuff like this :D

ATF are having a break now over Christmas, but will add some projects to keep you pet lovers going over the festive period, so keep checking the blog, or sub to bloglines.com to find out automatically when we have uploaded.
If anyone has any ideas for future themes we are working on the list for next year now, so let us know. I will also be scouting for guest designers soon, so link me up to your layouts, we like to use everyone, known, unknown, published, not published, on design teams or not, everyone is welcome :) We already have a couple of people lined up, but want more and more! So please, please show us your stuff!

freeeeeaaky!

ok, I just had a chain mail sent to me from a friend. Now, usually I don't bother even reading them, but for some reason I did and OMG! Here is the relevant part to me (will add my own notes to it in red lol!):
AQUARIUS - Does It In The Water

Trustworthy. Attractive. Great kisser. One of a kind, loves being in
long-term relationships true. Can be clumbsy at times but tries hard very true. Will take on any project also very true. Proud of themselves in whatever they do. Messy, and unorganized has the person who wrote this been sneaking into my house?. Procrastinators uh-huh. Great lovers, when their not sleeping this made me laugh out loud- last sunday morning mart and I had a humdinger of a row cos he woke me up thinking he was gonna get some loving!. Extreme thinkers yup. Loves their pets usually more then their familiy more than my family? They ARE my famly!. Can be VERY irritating to others when they try to explain or tell a story too true. Unpredictable yup. Will exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out this is sooooo true- I avoid confrontation if I possibly can- however if you seriously piss me off, it takes a lot for that to happen, but if you do you will never ever live it down!.



Here are the others if you wanna read your own, plus that means I am forwarding it to everyone so I can't possibly get the bad luck PMSL!



ARIES - The Aggressive

Outgoing. Lovable. Spontaneous. Not one to mess with. Funny. Excellent kisser EXTREMELY adorable. Loves relationships, and family is very important to an aries. Aries are known for being generous and giving. Addictive. Loud. Always has the need to be 'Right'. Aries will argue to prove their point for hours and hours. Aries are some of the most wonderful people in the world. 16 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



TAURUS - The Tramp

Aggressive. Loves being in long relationships. Likes to give a good fight.Fight for what they want. Can be annoying at times, but for the love of attention. Extremely outgoing. Loves to help people in times of need. Good kisser. Good personality. Stubborn. A caring person. They can be self centered and if they want something they will do anything to get it. They love to sleep and can be lazy. One of a kind. Not one to mess with. Are the most attractive people on earth! 15 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



GEMINI - The Twin

Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners Very Good at confusing people... Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you out. Gemini's will not take any crap from anyone. Gemini's like to tell people what they should do and get offended easily. They are great at losing things and are forgetful. Gemini's can be very sarcastic and childish at times, and are very nosey.Trustworthy. Always happy. VERY Loud. Talkative. Outgoing VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE. 9 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



CANCER - The Beauty

MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high appeal. A Cancer's Love is one of a kind. Very romantic. Most caring person you will ever meet in your life. Entirely creative Person, most's are artists and insane respectfully speaking. They perfected sex and do it often. Extremely random. An Ultimate Freak. Extremely funny and is usually the life of the party. Most cancers will take you under their wing and into their hearts where you will remain forever. Cancers make love with a passion beyond compareSpontaneous. Not a Fighter, But will kick your ass good if it comes down to it. Someone you should hold on to! 12 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



LEO - The Lion

Great talker. Attractive and passionate. Laid back. Usually happy, but when unhappy tend to be grouchy and childish. A leo's problem becomes everyone's problem. Most Leos are very predictable and tend to be monotonous. Knows how to have fun. Is really good at almost anything. Great kisser. Very predictable. Outgoing. Down to earth. Addictive. Attractive. Loud. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Not one to mess with. Rare to find. Good when found. 7 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



VIRGO - The One that Waits

Dominant in relationships. Someone loves them right now. Always wants the last word. Caring. Smart. Loud. Loyal. Easy to talk to. Everything you ever wanted. Easy to please. A pushover. Loves to gamble and take chances. Needs to have the last say in everything. They think they know everything and usually do. Respectful to others but you will quickly lose their respect if you do something untrustworthy towards them and never regain respect. The do not forgive and never forgetThe one and only. 7 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



LIBRA - The Lame One

Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! However, not the kind of person you want to mess with... you might end up crying... Libras can cause as much havoc as they can prevent. faithful friends to the end. Can hold a grudge for years. Libras are someone you want on your side. Usually great at sports and are extreme sports fanatics. Kinda dumb at times. 9 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



SCORPIO - The Addict

EXTREMELY adorable. Loves to joke. Very Good sense of humor. Will try almost anything once. Loves to be pampered. Energetic. Predictable. GREAT kisser. Always get what they want. Attractive. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Loves to party but at times to the extreme. Loves the smell and feel of money and is good at making it but just as good at spending it! Very protective over loved ones. HARD workers. Can be a good friend but if is disrespected by a friend, the friendship will end. Romantic. Caring. 4 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



SAGITTARIUS - The Promiscuous One

Spontaneous. High appeal. Rare to find. Great when found. Loves being in long relationships. So much love to give. A loner most of the time. Loses patience easily and will not take crap. If in a bad mood stay FAR away. Gets offended easily and remembers the offense forever. Loves deeply but at times will not show it feels it is a sign of weakness. Has many fears but will not show it. VERY private person. Defends loved ones will all their abilities. Can be childish often. Not one to mess with. Very pretty. Very romantic. Nice to everyone they meet. Their Love is one of a kind. Silly, fun and sweet. Have own unique appeal. Most caring person you will ever meet! Amazing in bed..!!! Not the kind of person you want to mess with- you might end up crying. 4 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



CAPRICORN - The Passionate Lover

Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Grouchy at times and annoying to some. Lazy and love to take it easy. But when they find a job or something they like to do they put their all into it. Proud, understanding and sweet.Irresistible. Loves being in long relationships. Great talker. Alwaysgets what he or she wants. Cool. Loves to win against other signs especially Gemini's in sports. Likes to cook but would rather go out to eat at good restaurants.Extremely fun. Loves to joke. Smart. 24 years of bad luck if you do not forward.



AQUARIUS - Does It In The Water

Trustworthy. Attractive. Great kisser. One of a kind, loves being inlong-term relationships. Can be clumbsy at times but tries hard. Will take on any project. Proud of themselves in whatever they do. Messy, and unorganized. Procrastinators. Great lovers, when their not sleeping. Extreme thinkers. Loves their pets usually more then their familiy. Can be VERY irritating to others when they try to explain or tell a story. Unpredictable. Will exceed your expectations. Not a Fighter, But will Knock your lights out. 2 years of bad luck if you do not forward



PISCES - The Partner for Life

Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. Messy at times and irresponsible! Smart but lazy. High appeal. Has the last word. Good to find, hard to keep. Passionate, wonderful lovers. Fun to be around. Too trusting at times and gets hurt easily. Lover of animals. VERY caring, make wonderful nurses or doctors. They always try to do the right thing sometimes get the short end of the stick. They sometimes et used by others and hurt because of their trusting. Extremely weird but in a good way. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. Always gets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet. Good friend to other but need to be choosy on who they allow their friends to be. 5 years of bad luck if you do not forward.





Last weeks ATF awwww look at the babies! Here is mine-




So many changes in Simba in the 6 years I have had him as part of my life. (A very big part of my life!)
Bazzill, KI memories cs, can't remember what the paper was lol possibly autumn leaves, clear buttons backed with jo sonjas paint, dovecraft brads, stamps away journalling stamps (soooo love these) heidi swapp chipboard, paperchase stickers

Vicki- your custom card order is on it's way- should be with you Tuesday :)


I would at this point like to echo what Shirl has said on her blog. We are all facing a very sad loss, one person in particular, and my heart is breaking for her. This woman is one of the most remarkable women in the world, and still has her sense of humour- I don't know how she has the strength after everything she has been through. Love her lots -x-

AT LAST!

So the thing I couldn't talk about? At long flippin last! Amy's bloke popped the big question last night! And she said yes (but let him stew for an hour and a half first- that's my girl! LOL)
This has been going on for months- we all knew it was gonna happen, but when? So he bought loads of helium balloons, roses, candles etc, the ring had been delivered to my house aaaaaages ago, and at last he finally did it!
So, after lots of frantic phonecalls (the best was when he got sprung with a car full of balloons when Amy drove past him coming back from the school run!)he did it- *insert big sigh of relief*
CONGRATULATIONS!
Love you lots -x-

MIA

sorry! Well actually thats a porker- I'm not really sorry! mwwahahahahaaaa! Been really busy- nec was great, I am skint! It was fab seeing my stamps for sale (even if Paul was saying that they are going on ebay cos he can't shift them the swine! LOL but thanks so much for all my goodies) really exciting and strange, and I took pics of them hung up on the stand for my own amusement! This is a big thing for me!
Spent a fortch, came back laden with goodies (over a hundred rubber stamps- the shame lol!)!
Met up with the ninja one, was fab to see her again, until next time Ginger!
Really missed the card fairy stand not being there any more *sob*

Anyway- am waiting for some news on something I can't possibly talk about *looks shifty* and I WANNA KNOW NOW!

gona go sort out laundry ad crack on with card orders- ttfn!

tis halloween!

and boy oh boy have I been busy! It's just quietened down now, and we only just ran out of treat parcels!
ETA NOT SURE WHY THE WHOLE PICS AREN'T SHOWING- LOOKS FINE IN PREVIEW- WILL PLAY WITH IT LATER ON

Lots of pics and not many words tonight methinks! A lot of these are just so I can look back next year for reference!

The guests...(sorry for blur- darn kids were too hyped up to stand still lol)









Nibbles...



My witchy things in the kitchen



and in the dark...wooooooo


close up of vampire blood (so proud of my scientific moment)



mega close up of blood...oil, water, food colouring and salt- love how it went all gloopy!


close up of oozing grubs- cornflour gloop, food colouring, cut the tops off q-tips



hmmmm lid kept falling through one of the pumpkins, so I wedged spider rings in to keep it on!



In serious danger of collapsing, (I gutted it too thin- but it survived the night!)


Eye of the beholder...



Great night- kids were all polite and well mannered- had some real little cuties round, tiny pumpkin toddlers galore!

sheesh

it's been a really super hectic couple of weeks with lots of horrid things happening :(

I have been armed with my big shoulders for other people to use (that is what they are there for) and they have got very damp on more than one occasion lol!

Still- things are looking better- onwards and upwards eh?



So the preparations for halloween are underway, getting there slowly but tomorrow is gonna be manic- so much still left to do- 2 pumpkins to carve, witches kitchen jars to finish, decs to go up and so on...

managed to get the treat packages made up though, same as last year (so much easier to give each child a package rather than the shy ones taking one small treat and the greedy ones taking handfuls- this way they all get the same)

The lounge....



and the finished articles...





Last theme at ATF was pets and their owners...



supplies- papermill card, a fab gsd file that I cut on my robo but I am so sorry I cannot remember who made it- if you let me know I will edit with the correct credit to the creator, lots of angel kisses and primas, twinkly gems, and some craft robo letters that I layered up to give a bit of dimension and some brads



Had a flippin nightmare today- we inherited a pond from my brother the other week, so after shifting a couple of tonnes of soil we got it in, complete with plants and fish, it all went really well. The pump and filter system was all working great and the water was clearing nicely. So on Sunday we shifted another tonne or so of soil, and moved the pump and waterfall, all looking really nice, ready for the next stage in landscaping. So this morning I went to peg out the washing, and there is obviously a major leak somewhere, no idea where, but the water has dropped to almost half- in one day! So I have now spent the morning measuring and treating tap water (after carefully saving all the pond water and rain water so we didn't have to have any tap water in there at all), leaving it to get to the right temp, and am about to go and lug it all back down to the pond again. One is not amused! GRRR! Still Mart and I have had a lovely snuggly day *wub*



Will be back with the halloween updates as soon as I can!

ETA FOR KIRSTY: Last year we made up about 70 little packages like the ones above...we ran out and made up about another 30-40 and they all went too!