Back In One Piece – Well Almost!!!!

Hi peeps and hope everyone is OK. We got back in one piece from our camping expedition – well almost, but more of that in a sec. Firstly I better get me card on as I am a tad on the late side again.

So nipping over to  Papertake Weekly, we have a sketch for you ….

… and here is the very chap.

It’s one of my faves I have to say and I like it as there is a lot of room for manoeuvre here, but for once I didn't tinker and just stuck to the pic!!!! This was probably cos my 2 brain cells are still not fully back in creative mode.

We are sponsored by wonderful Heidi and crew over at Simon Says Stamp.

And there is a shopping voucher up for grabs for one lucky girlie so if you get a sec, nip over and have a nosey :)

So here’s the old card.

I decided to use one of the new CC Designs images and this one is a lil sweetie called Abigail. You can get her and other newbies from the lovely Tracy at Dies To Die For and you can see them all here.

I did the Copics thing (natch!!) and these are the colours I used -

E000, E00, E21, R11, R20 (skin), E41, E42, E50 (hair), BG0000, BG02, BG10, C00, C1,, C3, C5, R85, RV0000, RV000. RV00 (the rest)

and there’s some polychomos pencilling here and there as well.

The gorgeous papers are from the new My Minds Eye Happier 6 x 6 pad and are also available from Dies To Die For.

And in case you haven't checked them out, Tracy has some really good offers on at the mo including some paper offers plus a whole heap of new stuff in so it’s well worth a butchers me darlins :)

I am LOVING these.

They are sparkly buttons and you can get them from the one and only Ribbon Girl.

This pic doesn’t do them anywhere near justice – they are blinga-linga-lious and they are more sparkly than Donny Osmond’s gnashers :)

And the pretty ribbon is 15mm satin – aqua – and is also from The Ribbon Girl

 

I just used a few pretty blooms – you don't always need a florist shop full I think – and these are sweetheart blossoms and 6mm closed rosebuds, both from Wild Orchid Crafts.

 

A Pink Petticoat sentiment printed onto Safmat – what would we do without that stuff!!!

So that’s the old card done.

Well the camping was fab.

We enjoyed the break but the weather wasn't brill. We arrived at the campsite in pouring rain and gusting wind and started to put the tent up.  After what seemed like a week later, it was up and we literally had to peel our wet clothes off. Not the best start to the hol and the legs itched like hell for hours after!!  My Emma had her shower cap on while she was putting up their tent as the hood on her waterproof was getting in her way. She refused to let us take pics which is a shame as it was quite a sight to behold!!!

It rained and trained for most of the Saturday and all through the night as well and the winds were something else. I did wonder if our tent would stay up, but it did and we did feel a bit smug as we lay there all warm and cozy in our sleeping bags  listening to the awful weather outside, and thank you Mr Vango btw, those sleeping bags are AMAZING.

But to be fair, the next day was lovely and that’s pretty much how it continued. So we spend our days going around the lovely island of Anglesey (and eyeing up the possibilities of  retiring  to Beaumaris which is just gorgeous) and the rest of our nights sitting around the BBQ and eating, drinking and being fairly merry :)

So far so good – well you knew it wouldn’t last!!!

On the Wednesday I started with a sore throat and at first I thought it was because I had stupidly inhaled fly spray that I;d sprayed into our tent as there was  a wasp flying around. On Thursday it was still quite sore but I felt OK in myself. But by Friday afternoon and thankfully once we had gotten back home,  I wasn't at all OK and a really heavy cold had set in, no doubt thanks to the soaking we got on our first day.

That will teach me to be smug in me sleeping bag I guess!!!

So I spent the weekend lying on the coach and generally feeling sorry for myself. R had gone to Cornwall to see his mum so thankfully there wasn’t anybody about to inflict the misery on.

And speaking of R, my lovely Richard was 50 yesterday (he’s a bit of a toy boy, but only by a couple of years!!).  So we all went out for a bite to eat and I could only manage my starter which isn't like me at all.

I look the picture of health don’t I – not!!!!

Thank God there’s no sound cos there was much sniffing, snotting,  coughing and spluttering I can tell you!! How the others managed to eat with my sound effects I have no clue, poor things!!!

So I have been on the Berocca to try and pep myself up.

So far I haven’t felt compelled to go and do any lumber jacking but it will kick in soon I feel sure!!!

Me but on a good day – I’m the one on the left lol!! Oooerr,  I wonder if it will make me grow a beard???

(like I haven’t got one already, hahhhaaaaaa!!!)

Anyway I am far too ill to carry on this hilarity so I better get off and go and have another sniff of the Olbas Oil.

But I’ll leave you with a sneakie peekie ……

.. of my card for tomorrow.

BUT there’ll be a bit more than a card here so if you get a sec, come back and check it all out. I can’t say too much but I think that even with my bunged up snout, I can detect the whiff of candy in the air!!!

Enjoy your evening and have a great day and huggiest of hugs to all xxx

We Survived!!!!

Hi peeps and hope you are all OK today and that you had a great weekend.

We most certainly did – we did our first camping trip…. and we survived!!

Those who know me will be open mouthed at the thought of me even attempting this but I am a total convert now – it’s awesome!!

Before I go on I should explain that there is no card today as I have hurt my hand  - nothing to do with the trip – and it’s a bit sore, so I am resting it for a day or 2 and hope it will settle down. But I thought I’d share this with you.

So back to the trip (which ironically was how I hurt my hand – grrr!!)

My Emma and her partner are seasoned in the art of all things tent-ish  and had planned to go away for a weekend and asked us if we wanted to go, so we said  errrrr yes OK!!! We had no tent or any equipment but we decided to embrace it and we bit the bullet and bought  ……

… this bad boy which was half price in the end of season sale at the camping shop near here and it was surprisingly easy to put up which we like!!!! I know it isn't perfect looking in this pic and we did have to make a few adjustments but we got there in the end.

Kyla took her friend Olivia who is a lovely kid and here they are getting ready for bed.

On Saturday we were having visitors so the girls decided that they would do a ‘show’ for us all and they had sorted out the ‘auditorium’ by 11am.

Bless!!!

And after all that they forgot to do it lol!!!

And here’s our gang – minus Tim and Emma although you can just see Tim in the background getting something out of his tent.

Tim and Emma’s friends,  Hot Dog (don’t ask) and his soon wife to be Michaela  who is Olivia’s mum were there.

Hot Dog’s folks, who are our friends as well, also came over …

… and here they are.

Joyce makes cards as well so she is one of us and I have been trying to persuade her to set up a blog so one day you might be reading her posts as well :)  Come on Joycie, you can do it girl xxx

Also present were Michaela’s Mum and Tim’s folks and I was there of course, doing me David Bailey thing!!!

And a very nice evening we all had as well. Richard was on BBQ duty bless him  and thanks Richie Boy for keeping us all well fed xxx

And we are all going away again soon.

Hot Dog and Michaela are going  to the US  in August to get hitched and Emma and Tim are going as well – we have her Ladyship all to ourselves for one whole week :))))))) Then when they get back, the whole crew are going to Anglesey for a week’s camping (see, I told you I was a convert!!)

Marvellous :)

On Sunday after we had packed up, Tim’s brother and his wife and kids came out to see us and we took the girls horse riding.

   

So here is her Ladyship on Misty, bless her.

Olivia is on Charlie ( and being down with the kids like I am lol, I know that you younger peeps will be sniggering at that but that’s the pony’s name!!!!)  Olivia has been riding for a while now so she is quite good - just like my two were when they were younger, this little soul is pony mad.

Alicia was on April.

And here they are after their hack out - awww.

We followed them on foot and had a lovely walk.

This is a typical Kyla pose – I have lots of pics of her like this and she cannot help herself.

She had us in fits telling us about one of her friends at school who ‘likes the one out of JLS with the wind-ey hair and wants to ‘snug’ him’. We asked her what it meant and she said that ‘snugging’ was like kissing but your mouth went funny!!!!

Yes, quite!!!!

So after a nice Sunday lunch at a nearby pub, we all headed home and did the unpacking and cleaning everything before putting it all away again bit (not the best bit but there ya go – you have to take the rough with the smooth I guess)

So all in all it was a total success.

I realise of course that it helped  that we had quite nice weather but that said,  it did  rain heavily was really windy in the night.  Had it have been like that during the day then it may have been slightly miserable.  And the camp site was beautifully kept and really clean with excellent facilities which also helped cos I don’t think I could go without a shower or washing my hair. The down side was the ‘expletive expletive’ seagulls who decided to go for it in a majorly loud fashion at 4.30am. I am an animal lover and would never hurt anything usually, but  …….

Before I go, what a weekend for bad news. My heart goes out to the Norway and all of it’s people, and I still cannot get my head around the unspeakably evil thing that happened there. And then poor Amy Winehouse. A troubled soul for sure and I hope that she now has the peace that has alluded her for so long. You cannot give somebody that amount of fame and attention without it affecting them in some way. I felt so sorry for her folks – her mother looked destroyed. They for sure would have known that it was likely to happen at some point but it is still awful. And what a tragic waste of such an amazing talent.

So thank you for bearing with me if you got the end here!! It’s a bit like dragging peeps round to your house to see your holiday snaps I know,  but in the absence of a card I thought Id show you some of the pics. You have no idea how long this has taken to type out using one hand.

Have a great day and huggiest of hugs to all xxx