DAY - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE - Stampin' Up! Birthday Fancy Kit

 

 

Good morning, an early start again but I have had lots of sleep so feeling refreshed.  

It really does seem as though it’s been one mishap after another lately.  Yesterday’s little saga started off perfectly normally with a visit to Katerina, who was taking me to a couple of new shops. And let’s be honest… who doesn’t love a bit of shopping? Better still, going with one of the girls makes it feel rather special for me as we dont often get the chance. .

Off hubby and I went, parked the car outside her house, wandered into the house, and there to greet me was Marcy,  their soft, soppy golden retriever, crying with excitement as she always does. Those who know golden retrievers usually grab a toy when they’re overexcited, apparently it helps channel all that enthusiasm. But yesterday? No toy in sight.

Instead, in her excitement, she grabbed my arm and… ouch!

She absolutely didn’t bite me, Marcy is the gentlest soul. But somehow her teeth caught my skin and gave me a very nasty puncture. Suddenly there was blood, quite a lot of it, and I instantly had that horrible feeling that I might pass out or be sick. Typical me.

Cue the mad dash to the sink with cold water running over it, and goodness me, did it sting.  Of course, the water made it look as though I was losing gallons, which only added to the drama. Eventually things calmed down, some lint was put over the rather impressive gash, then a bandage. The last thing we need in this climate is a fly or insect deciding to investigate.

The trouble was, the stinging and pain weren’t easing up, so the cavalry was called in. Alexandros’ godfather came to the rescue, thankfully he’s an A&E nurse. He had a look, a prod, another look and then very casually announced, “Ahhh, it’s okay.” Apparently plenty of antiseptic, changing the dressing often, and keeping an eye on it should do the trick. Of course, as we don’t know quite how deep it is, I’ve been told to keep watch over it, moving on.  

It was a friends birthday yesterday and this is the card that I left with her.

The card was created using one of the Stampin' Up! kits and its just amazing.  You can do so much with this  kit. It is called Birthday Fancy and comes with a stamp set and a little ink spot  as well as sticky stuff and embellishments too.  It says you can create 12 cards with it but to be totally honest, you can create tons more with a few additional base cards and elements.  The lovely stamp set is brilliant and can be used for many more years. 

Well I had best get my skates on, thank you so much for having a read.  Tracey x

Stampin' Up! Promotions

Here is the May - August 2026 Catalogue that you can click on and have a browse but better still, why not pop into the Craft Room, Derby and grab a copy of your own. 

There are 5 brand new design (magnetic close) 2026-2028 In Colors.  

The Last Chance List has lots of beautifully colour co-ordinated favourites, all with that signature Stampin' Up! quality we know and love, but only whilst stock lasts.  If you click on the image below, a new page will open up and your can have a browse.

Paper Pumpkin is now available in the UK  I did write a whole post on all I know about this and we can subscribe in the UK.  Subcriptions are now for the June kit.   To find out a little more, click on the image below and a new window will open.  But please, do get in touch if I can help in anyway, I am always happy to help.

 

For Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping products please click on the image below and a new page will open up for the Memory Keeping section of the online store

 

 

You can click on the image below and a new window will open up where you can have a browse through the WHOLE shop. Please do get in touch with me if you would like any help.  My contact details are at the end of the post and I really am happy to help as much as I can.

If you would like to receive my newsletter and be added to my email list of friends do let me know.  I would hate you to miss out on all our get togethers and socials.  Always lots of new friends waiting to be met. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, here is where I can be found.  

DAY - ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE - Another Brighten your Day Birthday Card

 

Yesterday turned out to be one of those days, the sort where you wake up thinking you have a plan, but it didn't quite work out like that.  It all started rather earlier than I would have liked. We had to be up, showered, dressed and breakfasted by 8am because the lift men were due. To be fair to them, they arrived at 8.15am, which is practically early by local standards.  Hubby stayed with them while they worked, trying to learn a little more about the workings out etc.  and then, at 9.15, it was time for us to dash out because my pampering day had officially begun. First stop, my nails.

Naturally, because plans dont always go the way we want them to, the water tank man, who was booked for midday chose 9.15am, the exact moment we were stepping out of the door, to make his appearance. Typical.

Now, we have a couple of leaking pipes and he had already warned us that while they might a straightforward repair, there was a possibility that the tank itself could be causing problems. If things proved awkward, it could turn into a much bigger job. In fact, he was the second person to tell us exactly the same thing, so we had prepared ourselves mentally, or at least tried to.  Still, there was little we could do at that point, so off we went.

That meant I had to use the monster, otherwise known as the car. I discovered that driving it was absolutely fine provided there were no other vehicles on the road, no awkward parking spaces and preferably no obstacles whatsoever. Apart from that, a complete success.

Nails done, we headed home feeling rather pleased with ourselves. As we pulled up, the skies suddenly darkened and then came the rain, thunder and lightning. Oh my goodness, what a performance! It was one of those spectacular storms where Mother Nature decides to put on a full theatrical production. We actually sat outside for over an hour just watching the show. Nature can be quite extraordinary when it wants to be.

After a quick bite to eat, it was back into the monster again and off for a haircut, followed by a trip to the shop for glamorous purchases including a new tap, spanners and screwdrivers. Not exactly the sort of shopping trip dreams are made of. However, all was not lost because I did manage to find a lovely new picture for the wall, so naturally that became the highlight.

Then came cuddle time, followed by a mad dash to Bingo because apparently there had not yet been enough excitement packed into one day.

I can honestly tell you that by bedtime I was more than ready to see my pillow. Never has a bed looked so inviting. I think yesterday managed to fit about three days into one.

Yesterday was a special friends birthday and I went back to the Brighten your Day card that we made.  I am sure she will love it.  Posted it out in plenty of time.  I love the colours of this one.  

 Well, I had best get myself ready for the day.  Thanks so much for having a read.  Tracey x

Stampin' Up! Promotions

Here is the May - August 2026 Catalogue that you can click on and have a browse but better still, why not pop into the Craft Room, Derby and grab a copy of your own. 

There are 5 brand new design (magnetic close) 2026-2028 In Colors.  

The Last Chance List has lots of beautifully colour co-ordinated favourites, all with that signature Stampin' Up! quality we know and love, but only whilst stock lasts.  If you click on the image below, a new page will open up and your can have a browse.

Paper Pumpkin is now available in the UK  I did write a whole post on all I know about this and we can subscribe in the UK.  Subcriptions are now for the June kit.   To find out a little more, click on the image below and a new window will open.  But please, do get in touch if I can help in anyway, I am always happy to help.

 

For Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping products please click on the image below and a new page will open up for the Memory Keeping section of the online store

 

 

You can click on the image below and a new window will open up where you can have a browse through the WHOLE shop. Please do get in touch with me if you would like any help.  My contact details are at the end of the post and I really am happy to help as much as I can.

If you would like to receive my newsletter and be added to my email list of friends do let me know.  I would hate you to miss out on all our get togethers and socials.  Always lots of new friends waiting to be met. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, here is where I can be found.  

DAY - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE - Birthdays

 

 

 

Good morning, after a wonderful restful day yesterday, I am having another one very similar today.  It is also injection day so a quiet one will suite me.  Of course, I do hope to see the girls and the little ones later this evening but we shall just see how it all goes. 

May is full of wonderful celebrations for me, including my sister’s birthday, which gave me the perfect excuse to get creative in my craft room. It is also her Wedding Anniversary as well as my dad's birthday.

This is the card I made for her birthday and I have to say, I was especially pleased with how it turned out. Everything used is from Stampin’ Up!, and it’s one of those designs I can already tell I’ll be making again and again.
I used to be someone who would never dream of mixing different fonts on a card, but that changed a couple of years ago and I’m so glad it did. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone brings the loveliest surprises. I am really loving the yellow and green combination? They work beautifully together and bring such a fresh, cheerful feel to the design.

Are you local to Derby?  Do you fancy getting your hands on this years In Colors? If you answered yes, then the new In Color Club could be your answer.  

Do get in touch if you would like a little more information and sign up for this.  

Well, my car has gone into the garage to see if they can find out what the problem is.  A few things have already been ruled out but it's there for a few days.  In the meantime, son in law, Stavros has left his car for me to use.  It's a bit Toyota Yaris Cross.  I turned this car down twice in UK as it was too big and now I have one.  I am fine on the motorway but not yet attempted the side streets, oh my.  

Well I had best get ready for my day of being a bit lazy,  Thank you so much for having a read.  Tracey x

Stampin' Up! Promotions

Here is the May - August 2026 Catalogue that you can click on and have a browse but better still, why not pop into the Craft Room, Derby and grab a copy of your own. 

There are 5 brand new design (magnetic close) 2026-2028 In Colors.  

The Last Chance List has lots of beautifully colour co-ordinated favourites, all with that signature Stampin' Up! quality we know and love, but only whilst stock lasts.  If you click on the image below, a new page will open up and your can have a browse.

Paper Pumpkin is now available in the UK  I did write a whole post on all I know about this and we can subscribe in the UK.  Subcriptions are now for the June kit.   To find out a little more, click on the image below and a new window will open.  But please, do get in touch if I can help in anyway, I am always happy to help.

 

For Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping products please click on the image below and a new page will open up for the Memory Keeping section of the online store

 

 

You can click on the image below and a new window will open up where you can have a browse through the WHOLE shop. Please do get in touch with me if you would like any help.  My contact details are at the end of the post and I really am happy to help as much as I can.

If you would like to receive my newsletter and be added to my email list of friends do let me know.  I would hate you to miss out on all our get togethers and socials.  Always lots of new friends waiting to be met. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, here is where I can be found.  

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN - A few more finished cards

 

Good morning… and it really does feel like a proper Sunday morning today. It’s a slow start here, not just for me but for the weather too. At the moment it’s cloudy and the sun can’t quite decide whether it wants to make an appearance or stay tucked away behind the clouds. Whatever it chooses, I really don’t mind.

A little update on Mum, as many of you know she has Alzheimer’s as well as vascular dementia. Dad takes such amazing care of her and does an incredible job. More recently she’s also had to start insulin injections as she is diabetic too. She doesn’t get out much now as she can no longer walk, and sadly her confusion is steadily becoming worse.

Even so, it’s always lovely to see her and spend time chatting, regardless of whether what she says makes complete sense or turns into a little gobbledegook. One of the loveliest moments recently was receiving my birthday card from her. It’s been such a long time since I saw her handwriting. It has changed, of course, but she wrote it herself and that made it so very special. It’s definitely become one of those cards that will stay safely tucked away in my treasure box. I’m sure I’m not the only one with a little box full of precious memories and things too special to throw away.

Youngest daughter is slowly recovering from her gallbladder removal and she’s making good progress. Yesterday she needed fewer painkillers and was up and walking around more, so that all feels very positive. She’ll see the doctor towards the end of next week and then return later to have her stitches removed. The little one clearly knows something isn’t quite right, but he’s been so wonderfully behaved with us that it’s been an absolute pleasure keeping him occupied. We’ll be heading back over again this afternoon. Although I must admit I’m secretly hoping there are still a couple of her delicious Thermomix blueberry muffins left waiting for us!

I also recently finished off a few more cards — some with sentiments added to the front and some left blank, ready and waiting for just the right occasion. They all now have inserts and have been safely added to my card box. I always feel so much better when I haven’t got half-finished projects sitting in the craft room waiting for me.

A few more jobs were ticked off the ever-growing complex list yesterday and I do mean a few.  Sometimes it feels like one job gets crossed off and three more mysteriously appear overnight. I’m convinced there’s a secret list fairy adding extras while we sleep. 

Rising damp had made itself at home in both toilet/shower rooms around the pool, which is something quite common here with the age of the buildings. Back in those days damp proofing clearly wasn’t on anyone’s priority list.  Thankfully, we had a lovely chappie come in who worked his magic,  replacing tiles, repainting, treating the affected areas and generally making everything look much happier. He’s done a smashing job and hopefully bought us another year before the damp decides to make a return appearance.

While he was at it, he also tackled some uneven paving around the pool and sorted out ironwork peeping through around the inspection hatches, not exactly the sort of feature anyone wants on a poolside! He even repaired a step with broken tiles. So all in all, quite a few satisfying ticks off the list.

Paul and I had a lovely wander around afterwards to inspect everything and of course, no walk around the complex is complete without another little mission. Yesterday’s task involved popping up a few notices about feeding the feral cats.

Now before anyone thinks I’m anti-cat, I’m really not. Cyprus has thousands upon thousands of stray cats and they can be absolutely lovely to look at. Many enjoy a fuss and a little petting too. But they aren’t domestic pets and unfortunately they come with their own set of challenges. They can scratch and bite, they haven’t had vaccinations and often arrive with a few unwanted hitchhikers of the furry bug variety.

The bigger issue is that if food appears in the complex, word clearly spreads through the animal kingdom faster than village gossip! Feed one cat and suddenly we have extra visitors. Cats bring back their hunting trophies (which nobody wants to discover first thing in the morning!), then along come ants and insects, and if food and water are left out, the pigeons see it as an all-inclusive holiday resort invitation.  Before long we have pigeons nesting on windowsills and balconies, creating an unbelievable racket, endless mess and a smell that definitely won’t be bottled as a perfume anytime soon.  So, lovely to admire from afar… but on the complex? No cats thank you.

Well, I think it is coffee time.  Thank you so much for having a read and I do hope you have a smashing Sunday,  Tracey x

Stampin' Up! Promotions

Here is the May - August 2026 Catalogue that you can click on and have a browse but better still, why not pop into the Craft Room, Derby and grab a copy of your own. 

There are 5 brand new design (magnetic close) 2026-2028 In Colors.  

The Last Chance List has lots of beautifully colour co-ordinated favourites, all with that signature Stampin' Up! quality we know and love, but only whilst stock lasts.  If you click on the image below, a new page will open up and your can have a browse.

Paper Pumpkin is now available in the UK  I did write a whole post on all I know about this and we can subscribe in the UK.  Subcriptions are now for the June kit.   To find out a little more, click on the image below and a new window will open.  But please, do get in touch if I can help in anyway, I am always happy to help.

 

For Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping products please click on the image below and a new page will open up for the Memory Keeping section of the online store

 

 

You can click on the image below and a new window will open up where you can have a browse through the WHOLE shop. Please do get in touch with me if you would like any help.  My contact details are at the end of the post and I really am happy to help as much as I can.

If you would like to receive my newsletter and be added to my email list of friends do let me know.  I would hate you to miss out on all our get togethers and socials.  Always lots of new friends waiting to be met. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, here is where I can be found.  

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX - Birthday card

 

Good morning, another early start for me today but, with the promise of another lovely day ahead, I really cant complain.  There is something quite nice about being up before the world wakes up, although I may change my mind later when tiredness starts creeping in.

It was my Uncles birthday on Thursday, the same day as mine.  This is the card that I made for him.  I do like making masculine cards once the ideas start to flow.  I guess I would be better to have a whole day of creating such cards so that I have a ready supply rather than just make one or two when I need them, another date to add to my calendar. 

The blending was done before the panel went through the embossing folder and I really love the effect it gives. It adds a lovely bit of texture and dimension to the card and just lifts it that little bit more. It has also reminded me that I really need to make a few more like this… now all I need is the small matter of finding the time.

Yesterday turned into quite a busy day. It started with an 8am appointment with someone who never actually turned up… oops! So that was an early start for absolutely no reason at all.

After that there was a bit of a get together with members of the complex committee, of which hubby is part. It ended up taking quite a while and naturally finished with a little stroll around looking at this, that and everything in between.

Once that was done, it was a quick check in with the chap repairing one of our six drive gates. Last month a lady accidentally drove into it… and when I say accidentally, she thought the car was in drive but it was actually in reverse. She pressed the accelerator and well... you can probably guess the rest. The gate ended up completely flattened, her rear window shattered and the gate motor was absolutely demolished. One of those moments where you just know there was a lot of standing around afterwards saying, "Oh no!" 

Thankfully, that is all repaired, all up and running and in full working order.  It didnt take too long in Cyprus time either. 

After a quick bite it to eat, feet up for half an hour is was off to look after my youngest daughter follower the surgery she had on Thursday.  She had her gall bladder removed but hubby had to return to work.  We couldn't leave her alone with a nearly two year old so of course, it was my pleasure to step in.  What a wonderful time we had.  whilst I looked after the big one, the Chief Toddler Entertainment Officer took his role extremely seriously and fully committed himself to little one duties, as the photo above will happily verify!  I’m fairly sure there was plenty of chasing, entertaining and toddler-level energy expenditure involved.

It did end up being a bit of a late night though, so I have a feeling there may be a scheduled appointment with 40 winks later on today. Sometimes a little afternoon recharge is absolutely necessary. 

Well thank you for having a read.  Tracey x

Stampin' Up! Promotions

Here is the May - August 2026 Catalogue that you can click on and have a browse but better still, why not pop into the Craft Room, Derby and grab a copy of your own. 

There are 5 brand new design (magnetic close) 2026-2028 In Colors.  

The Last Chance List has lots of beautifully colour co-ordinated favourites, all with that signature Stampin' Up! quality we know and love, but only whilst stock lasts.  If you click on the image below, a new page will open up and your can have a browse.

 

Paper Pumpkin is now available in the UK  I did write a whole post on all I know about this and we can subscribe in the UK.  Subcriptions are now for the June kit.   To find out a little more, click on the image below and a new window will open.  But please, do get in touch if I can help in anyway, I am always happy to help.

 

For Scrapbooking and Memory Keeping products please click on the image below and a new page will open up for the Memory Keeping section of the online store

 

 

You can click on the image below and a new window will open up where you can have a browse through the WHOLE shop. Please do get in touch with me if you would like any help.  My contact details are at the end of the post and I really am happy to help as much as I can.

If you would like to receive my newsletter and be added to my email list of friends do let me know.  I would hate you to miss out on all our get togethers and socials.  Always lots of new friends waiting to be met. 

If you would like to get in touch with me, here is where I can be found.