Gorgeous Thursday

Good morning and what a gorgeous morning it is outside here in Derby today.  It is 13 degrees, very mild and I think a little gardening will be in order around lunch time.

But first, I am back on to the organising and purging of the craft room.  We are very lucky as there is a wonderful lady who takes all our excess crafting items, bags them up and sells them on at very low prices (around £5 a bag I believe).  This money they goes on to help support days out/ treats/meals etc for a local care home so its a win win for everyone.  If you are local, have excess crafting supplies and would like to donate them please let me know and I will give you Tricias contact details, or you can pop them to me in The Craft Room and I will be happy to pass them on.

Here is a card that was made for a friends birthday yesterday.

It has been made using some retired papers from the Dressed to Impress suite.  You can still get the stamps and dies which are wonderful to create projects with.  Something very different for me but so enjoyed making it.  

I have quite a few handmade cards in The Craft Room at the moment so have decided to sell them on.  If you are in need of a card or two, or know someone that may be, please do pass on my details.

The new Stampin' Up! brochures will go live on 4th January, if there is anything that you would like out of these brochures I am currently offering a pre order service.  This is where you are able to let me know what you would like to order and I shall place this order for you first thing in the morning, in the hopes to beat the rush.  Get in touch if this is something that I can help you with.

Right, I had best get on with the organising.  Have a great day and thank you so much for having a read.  Tracey x

Wonderful Wednesday

 Good morning.  I have had to remind myself that it is Wednesday as I really am a bit confused about the days during this time inbetween Christmas and the New Year.  I am so pleased that I am not the only one though.

Today we are cooking a traditional Cypriot dish called Tava.  We shall do enough to last for two days as it is always better on the second day, a bit like a stew with pork and spices.  

It is also the start of the decluttering of the craft room.  All my cupboards, drawers and boxes are full to brimming.  I feel that my mind is cluttered when I am in there so there is only one thing to do, pass on all the things that I am not using.  I shall get great pleasure in sorting these out and it will take me the rest of the week at least.  

Just a few days left to grab yourself some great deals and bargains from Stampin' Up!  Here are just a few of them

You can click on the Shop Here icon at the bottom of the screen to have a look in more detail and place an order to be delivered directly to yourself.  Alternatively, if you are local to Alvaston, Derby, I will be very happy to place your order for you which you may collect from me.  My contact details are below should you wish to do this.

I had some very cute matchbox style boxes in my drawer and wanted to use them as gifts for friends.  So here is what I did with them.

It took me an awful long time but there is a little piece of my heart inside each and everyone of them.  I adored making them.  I used pretty papers from the retired Hydrangea suite to wrap around the boxes.  I die cut the largest tag from the Tailor made tag dies and onto that I stamped the words 'crafters gonna craft' from the Handmade For You stamp set from Stampin' Up! Using Memento Ink I stamped the scissors, the small box and the maniquin and coloured them in using Stampin' Up! blends.  A little cutting out and adhered them to the tag.  A hole was punched in the side of the drawer and some pretty retired ribbon was threaded through.  Inside the box I have put 3 reels of different twines/threads.  If you would like a little more information about these, please do get in touch.

 

The Sale a Bration and Spring Mini Catlogues are available to collect from The Craft Room as from 3rd January. 

Unfortunately hubby has come down with the Coronavirus and I cant have anyone near the house until this date, just to be sure that he cant pass it on.  So far I have been lucky and havent caught it but we are staying in seperate rooms as much as we can. 

Well I had best make a start on my day.  Thank you for having a read on this wonderful Wednesday and please, do get in touch if I can help in any way.  Tracey x

 

Last Christmas card for 2021

 

Good morning.  All a bit of dither this morning, I didnt realise it was Monday and I have nothing to rush around for.  It really is a bit of a strange way to start the day.  The meme above sums it up perfectly.

Here is the last card I made for 2021.  

 

The card is 8x8 and I loved making it.  I wasnt sure at first but once I created the skyline and left it over night, the following day it looked okay to me.  I think it took me more time to find all the stamps I wanted to use than stamping it all out.  I may have to look into some stamp organisation/storage solutions.

For the last few months (or is it a year or so?) we have been doing lateral flow tests every time we are due to see someone/go out and on Christmas Eve, Pauls test showed positive.  It created a right panic as I thought that neither of us could go out.  We went as far as the PCR center and both had PCR tests.  The results were received yesterday (boxing day) and mine is negative with his being positive.  He is okay, cold like symptoms and rather tired but its very frightening.  We are lucky that he has had both vaccines as well as a booster and is not terribly ill with it.  I am testing each day and am still negative and we are taking every precaution possible whilst living in the same house.  

Our Christmas photo this year, with his mask as a reminder of how we have spent our days, seperately.  

It did mean that I didnt manage to do my walk around with the Christmas cards to neighbours and friends who live by me on Christmas eve... opps.  I am looking forward to having a go at some New Year Cards to pop through the doors instead.

Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of loosing my eldest daughter and I usually go out for a walk, feed ducks and have some time with my thoughts.  

 

I didnt make it yesterday as I didnt feel that I wanted to do this alone so as soon as we are able, we shall go to our local park and have a wander round.  It is hard to believe that the time has passed by so quickly.  There was a memorial service for her in Larnaca the weekend prior to Christmas and a blessing of the grave yesterday.  This is a Cypriot tradition and one that will continue each year.

So today, once a few chores are done I shall go to the craft room and put things away.  I was so lucky to get so many beautiful gifts and they all need to find their home in the craft room.  

Thank you for having a read today and I do hope you have had a great festive time, whatever you have been doing.    Tracey x

Wimsy and Wonder money wallets

 

Good morning, brrr it is a little cold in Derby this morning.   I was hoping that by the time I have done a few chores it will be a tad warmer but the forecast is just for 4 degrees all day, with fog oppps.  I am going out later so I hope it clears for me.

Saturdays, as usual, are spent visiting mum and dad.  I do see them in the week as well but Saturday mornings we go round for a bit longer, get some shopping for them and offer to do anything that needs doing, although it is rare that they need anything.  We did something suprising and went to M&S in the afternoon.  A last minute Christmas present was needed so we soon picked that up, got it wrapped and that was a wrap.  All done on that score now.  Just waiting for one present to be delivered.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a lovley lady who is a fellow crafter and hope to get to know her a little more in the near future.  Isnt it nice when we meet others that share our hobby?

I had some time in The Craft Room sorting out something I am trying to make.  As it was Saturday evening, I didnt stay too long in there and by 7pm I was sitting back, feet up and ready to watch the Strictly Come Dancing final, did you see it?  It was a lovely show and I am so pleased that I made the time watch it live. 

I have had to make a couple of money wallets for Christmas presents for the grandchildren.  Some of them dont know what they want from Santa.

I have used Stampin' Up! Whimsy and Wonder Designer Series Paper along with Mint Macaron A4 card and some very pretty pink ribbon that I had in my stash.  I am hoping to share how to make this wallet later this week on a facebook live video.  

I have a few more of these to make for birthdays next year so it will be great for me to get ahead.  I also use this size wallet for Stampin' Up! gift cards.  This is where you can actually purchase a gift card from me to pass on to someone else, who can spend it on anything that they may want from Stampin' Up!  If you would like one of the gift cards, let me know and I can explain what it is in a little more detail.

As I am off out later, I had best get my skates on and get breakfast organised.  No Sunday lunch again today, we decided not to have one for the whole month of December, so that we enjoy our Christmas lunch a lot more.  

Thank you for having a read and I hope you have a smashing Sunday, Tracey x

 

 

 

If you just click on the image below, it will take you straight to the Clearance Rack

Should you wish to order anything from Stampin' Up! you can click on the basket image below and it will take you straight to the Stampin' Up! shop. 

I am always happy to place your order for you, which you can collect from Alvaston, if this makes life a little easier.  

Here are the details of how to get in touch with me.