QUICK BIT OF CRAFTING

Click on the photo to see better, as my grandaughter was starting nursery school and was enjoying it and being good (she is very clingy to mum - understandably), so I am sending her these hands with a message between them saying "We love you this much!" a letter and nail varnish to paint the fingernails, (gotta add the crafty bit!) x 

Happy New Year!

 My son Harry on New Years Eve and below the note he left me on the fridge for making 20 christmas cards on the evening before he needed them, which I woke up to x 

Back to crafting!

 The first ever wreath made at a workshop

 Jorgie crafting for Christmas  making her mum a treasure box and card

the finished products!!!

what do you do when everything is going wrong? Have a party! x

Have a little party x

Just before Christmas, my hubby was ill, I was still getting over it,  we had my grandaughter stay who was a little poorly too, the heating had packed up, it was freezing, and the shower had broke too! So what do you do?????
Have a party, We got the party poppers out, the music on and the cupcakes out and had fun!

where have I been, experiencing the Mad, Bad, Sad and Glad life I lead!!!!!!!

Hi all, sorry I have been missing since November, please be assured that my charity work continues, just a little more sporadically, I have done my free classes at the childrens centre, donated items, raised a little money etc., so I am still striving to make a difference through crafting x


MAD: 
You may have noticed a weight loss ticker creep on to the top of my blog well, on 3rd of January this year I had a GASTRIC BAND!!!!!!!!!  I have lost 2lb in the pre-op week and my first week of banding I have lost 8lb!!! So please share my journey with me, it is an exciting time I have waited a couple of years to have, but we are here.

BAD:
On Wednesday just gone I came out of hospital from my banding op and on the evening, my son Harry was mugged! x I wont go into the gory details but those that know Harry know that he is a passive, kind and thoughful young man who wouldnt hurt a fly, so the fact that they beat him, then took his beloved ipod and stamped on it and beat him some more has been hard to bear for all of us. Harry made me proud when he expressed pity for these 2 hooded young men, and although Harry is the most non-materialistic teenager I knkow, (no tv in room, doesnt play computer games, doesnt wear jewellery etc.,) his music is his passion, so we went out and replaced his ipod and earphones, and he said as the other one was taking as evidence, but might still work, should he give that to someone who might need one when he gets it back?! God knows how proud I am of that young man. 


SAD: 
This mugging has affected this family deeply, and I keep bursting into tears and cannot reallly talk face to face with anyone other than Harry ( I can get strength for him somehow) and my hubby x So there is a journey for us to travel, which we are still on - wish us luck. 



GLAD: 
Especially with the Stephen Lawrence story in  the news, I am so glad my son was not seriously hurt, and has the moral fibre and soft heart to be able to move on from this callous incident x  I would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and for everyones support for my charity work in 2011, I couldnt do it without you. 


I aim to update you with photos on the lighter side of my life soon x Leigh x

My craft social

 These are box cards made at my various craft socials - Thanks to Kym who taught us!!!! I will be putting little gifts in them and giving them as Christmas cards/gifts x

My precious grandaughter crafting! Stamping, painting, drawing and decorating!

 My grandaughter Jorgie adores crafting, with a little encouragement from her mum and nan x Well she came down to stay for a short while and we had to cram as many crafts as possible x  So she stamped, drew, painted and decorated a cone for the Christmas tree. 

This is a bracelet I quickly made Jorgie when she stayed x

my latest workshop

You may recall I made a lampshade recently at a workshop (in the picture) well today I made the pillow to match! Hope you like them x Although regarding the cushio I had LOTS of help x

**THE RIPPLE OF KINDNESS** Please read! x

Hi all, most of you know me have heard me mention the ripple of kindness, well recently I have the appropriate story to tell you to outline exactly what I mean............

Recently I met a lovely lady who makes and sells absolutely gorgeous jewellery (Suze at Bejewelled of Coggeshall ) , and we were chatting and we exchanged details and not long after she got in touch and told me that a local lady had some material and lace etc., to donate would I like them, well of couse I never say no as I have so many lovely contacts that I can always find homes for things to charitable causes, so the lady got in touch for a time and date for my hubby to get  the items, when we got talking it just so happens, she has a lady visitor staying with her (Mariana) is a manager in a Bulgarian orphanage who makes cards to raise money for the childrens operations so of course I invited them over to choose some craft stuff. She came over and was so very pleased with the items I could give her and I got my lace etc., In addition to this I was telling the English lady  that my son is training to work with children, has been on a humanitarian aid trip to the Ukraine 2 years previously, this year has sponsored a child in Africa's education for a year (as a gift from me from funds raised) and next year is going to orphanages in Budapest and would like to work with disabled children eventually, well she has friends in Bulgaria who she spoke with and who have offered to put Harry up if he wished to volunteer at an orphanage in Bulgaria!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe that?????? 

Now people say "What goes around comes around" for the first time in my life I am starting to believe it, all these people were either recipients or givers of kindness or both all from one lady on facebook!

SUZE ~ KAY ~ MARIANA ~ LEIGH ~ MARIANA ~ KAY ~ SHEILA ~ HARRY! ~ ORPHANAGE ~ CHILDREN ~ ELDERLY RESIDENTIAL HOME RESIDENTS ~ ETC., ETC the list goes on............

When we say how can "I" make a difference (little old me!) well

heres your proof!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading

Here is the link to the orphanage that Mariana works in and you can see her in the picture at the top with her children. 

HERE 

Leigh x

The miracle of cards!!!!

When I was making this Christmas card in the dining room with the tv on a film come on called "The miracle of the cards" and what a goosebump and hairs raised on the back of your neck type movie it was. Its a true story about a little lad who was terminally ill with cancer who wanted to achieve the record for the most cards for the Guinness book of records. When they got near the target, the Guinness book of records said it was for cards made themselves not received! The mum wouldnt spoil the boys dream and they carried on, this little lad was so very ill, and these cards meant the world to him, anyway it is a very moving film and I wont spoil the storyline, but please try to see it if you ever get the chance, it was on CBS Reality (SKY) or would make a great christmas gift for any crafter! x Above is the card I was making while watching it...... and it felt sooo poignant! It has really stayed with me, and I know it will stay with you too, especially those of you that send cards to sick children and adults x Leigh x

My new silhouette cameo!

Hi all, I am lucky to have got the new silhouette cameo, and I just love it. Here are the first things I made!

Hope you like them!

BEAUTIFUL NAPKIN ART! AND INTERESTING STORAGE SOLUTIONS!

 Below is a concertina file box that I decided to file my serviettes in for my napkin art, that I am so besotted with, but when I looked at it, I thought how plain it was and of course I had to decoupage it x Hope you like it x

 The above and below is the different shape pen holders that my hubby makes to sell for my charity crafting (see my ebay link on my sidebar on the right)  and I painted one cream and glued cupcake napkin art on them. I did these to show what can be done with these storage stands. As originally they come like this.......................

 Above (on the left) is a mdf tool holder hubby makes as well, and I painted mine on the right. 

Below is another mdf storage creation from hubby, that I painted then I put white peel off border all round the edge and then each tiny little hole I put a tiny dab of glitter glue (yes it took ages!)

 And below, you might have seen this before but hubby used some poundshop garden decorations and added to a block of wood and the middle bit (I am very technical dont you think) to make a funky kitchen roll holder, storage should not be boring x

Hope you like my current adventures making storage more interesting x

Thought for the day!!!!!!! I should take my own advice!!!! Not craft related x

Hi all, I though I would share with you a little story where yes! I should take a little of my own advice.......My hubby and I were out a while back, and we saw a gentleman at a stall, that I have seen many times before, now considering I have often said to my children when complaining that someone is "MISERABLE"  not to judge as you dont know they could have had bad news that day or have real troubles, I found myself saying to my husband (regarding this stall holder), God he is miserable that one.

Now I dont normally stop at his stall, but on this occasion I did and getting close to him I noticed he had a trachetomy (is that how it is spelt), and I said to him, oooh what have you done? Pointing to his throat, he went on to tell me how he had cancer of the lung and tumours in his throat and how ill he had been, well! I felt so ashamed that I had thought him miserable without giving it much thought, I said how are you now? He said with a big beam, I got the all clear this morning! Well! I nearly jumped over the stall to hug him, though as he had been through so much, I thought better of it and clasped his hand in a very pleased handshake, after telling him to put on some weight (I am cheeky but I get away with it!), I went on my way, and remarked to my husband, I should take my own advice - to which he smiled!!!!!!!

Thought I would share that with you, beings I am studying far too hard to craft!!!!!
Which I must get back to speak later x Leigh x

Hubbys newest storage invention!

Hi, as some of you may know, after having problems with budget not stretching to some storage solutions, I have often got hubby to make some, here is his newest one, for rulers, tools, pens etc., We will be selling this for £5 plus P and P and it can be decorated too! 

My clever hubby has made pro-marker and copic stands, bow makers, unusual pen holders that stack and is now perfecting a tiered stickles stand x 

I AM NOT! AMUSED!

  Look what I got in the post!!!! I am only 45!!!!!!!!!! 

Did make me chuckle though!

Trick or treat goodies plus others too!

 Above are the 4 pkst of  halloween treats for my grandchilren, and the bowl below which is made out of a melted record, has the goodies for any trick or treaters!

 What with birthdays, halloween, and other reasons for buyiing my son and grandchildren goodies I decorated these bags to hold it all!

I had a little bit of wrapping paper left over from the pressies above so cut some strips and folded them over, put flowers and a brad on them and Voila! we have a bow!

Romantic gesture from husband!

Hi all, when I got home from the lampshade making workshop, I found a surprise, I had put some scrabble pieces on my worktop in my craft room to sort out when I got home, and when I did hubby had wrote the above, well you know me! Soppy and I couldnt then put these away, so I made this................

Sweet memories!!!!!!!

This plaque was inked with a red stampin up ink pad and one of its vintage rollagraphs, it was soooo easy!!! My friend Karen from Karens world sells stamping up, in such a relaxed and helpful way xSo if you need any, please contact her in her blog, she would love to hear from you x

Lampshade making workshop

I am trying to learn as much as I can in crafts, and have recently been lucky enough to attend a "made by me" workshop. I made a lampshade and it was a fabulous afternoon x We were completely spoilt with drinks and cupcakes and I made a lovely lampshade that you can see on my lamp above. I have had this lamp for sometime as everytime I bought a lampshade for it, I didnt like it. So I thought I know I will make one! 

I loved the workshop so much I am going to do beginners sewing machine with them in November x Where I hope to make a matching cushion. 

If you want to know more about "Made by me" click on their motif above to go to their website. They also have a facebook account HERE