A craft post - because I can

Yes I know don't faint, this is a mid-week blog post (well it's not a Friday post), this be a Saturday post and it's craft related, what more could you ask for.

I find myself up and about early, DH has gone into work boo hoo - hiss, but said 11 year old is here to keep me company, not quite as whoozy as I've been so hoping to do some things today, I'm in the middle of finishing off a mini book at the moment, which I've had great fun making.  Despite the house been upside down (because we're decorating - that'll be the royal "we" because I can't really do much other than tea mash, but hubby knows I've set my heart of getting it sorted before December hits and he's not going off plan - love you Sweetie.  I've also had my sister volunteer to help, how lovely is that, so I'm feeling upbeat and positive at the moment.  So thought I'd share this positive feeling with you with a craft post.

This is a mini book I recently made, it started out as a child's board book, I think it was a 'princess' type book, I took the book apart initially, got hubby to sand it for me (can't stand sand paper honestly - run away run away), then set too with the paint, I love the painted surface, just a mix of gorgeous paint colours and these colours are very me, I'm not technically a 'blue' person on a grand scale, wouldn't paint a room blue for instance, but this vivid blue colour is very 'jewel' like so it speaks volumes to me.

The original book had little cut out windows and so I've tried to place the photos carefully so I can see glimpses of what is to come.

I added a strip of art paper that I'd used paint, punchinella and spray inks on which I then ripped into strips, to bring the page together I used a selection of star stamps (which are my favourite, not regimental stamps, the quirky ones that have some depth to them) and colours some of them in, fastened with the bind it all and a selection of ribbons this is what the book looks like! 

 Inside the book more pictures from a day out at YSP

So it goes to show, that with a few paints, a cheap charity shop buy and some stamps, you can create a unique little mini book that provides a lasting memory of a family day out!

ROCKING MY WORLD FRIDAY

Wow can you believe it's Friday again - how the weeks are flying by - so what time of the week is it - well obviously its

Well it's been another trying week health wise but I know others have had far harder things to contend with, so my first grateful is appreciating that at the moment my health is suffering a little and I need to accept this and let my body start to adjust itself back into a better state, I'm demanding that it 'get better now' but that's not happening so it looks like a slow recovery back to normality.

My hubby and son again top the list this week, tolerating my complete inability to do so many things but not moaning, or complaining and I've noted that they can be even being a tad grumpy if I try and do too much so thank you boys you are both amazing!

Grateful for the invention of medicines to try and counteract the state of my inner ear at the moment, when my Mum was treated for Meniere's disease back in the 70's there was absolutely no treatment whatsoever, so the fact that medicine has advanced and is now able to offer some relief is amazing in itself. 

My blog friends - I love each and every one of you, you have kept me smiling, been concerned, kept me in the loop, used me to lean on and let me lean back, you are all utterly amazing and I'm grateful to have each and every one of you in my life even if on the most part I haven't met you - you are utterly wonderful

I'm grateful for a comfy bed to collapse into and big thick duvets

I'm grateful for breakfast club being able to take said 11 year old into school so hubby can try and get a full day in whilst I've been so poorly

I'm grateful for my Mum and my sister and my brother and for Fi and my niece all of whom have been concerned for me and how poorly I've been.

I'm grateful for my Mum having a bonfire celebration last weekend to allow me to get out of the house and catch up, even if it meant having to get in the car and feeling mighty off when I got there, it was worth it and my balance settled down during the evening.

I'm grateful for my hubby emptying the TV room on his own on Thursday night ready to decorate and not been put off our original plan even though I'm not well enough to help - he really is awesome.

I'm grateful for my sister ringing for a chat this afternoon (Thursday) on her way back from Uni.

I'm grateful for great teachers who are trying to help said 11 year old move things forward in his last year at primary school and having expectations that match ours - let him be the very best he can be for himself with us helping to support him along the way.

I'm grateful that the tablets are keeping the screen that I'm typing on level and steady (it wasn't last Thursday). 

 A long list of strange gratefuls but that's what this week has been like.

 I hope your week has been good, I know for some it has been unbelievably difficult and I'm thinking of you at the moment, come back to this, in your own time and when you are ready.  

So it's been weeks since I posted some crafting so I'll provide double helpings today,

 first up is a photo from the a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park earlier in the year,  that hubby took of me that I didn't hate (makes a change) I quite enjoyed using the bright vibrant colours, I also used some 'close up' photos to create the three embellishments on the right.

 The journaling was stamped using some mini rubber stamps, that I love, I have about 5 sets of these mini-peg beauties that I use in both my art journaling and scrapbooking 

 I used some chipboard letters that I had in bright green for the title

 this layout documents a fabulous McKee exhibition we saw when we were in Scarborough, formally a cartoonist he turned his hand to art and creates these amazing pieces of artwork.  This one I believe was called Goth weekend and is obviously based in Whitby with the ruined Abbey in the background - it struck the right cord with us.  I used the colours in the photo to create the page.

 Tim Holtz lettering for the title, a little bit of of hand stitching, punched edges and some velvet ribbon.

 Journalling done using those tiny peg letters again!

 so there you go another Rocking post for another week, if you are joining in please leave a comment and add to Mr Linky, if you aren't joining in this week don't forget to take a moment to think for yourself and find something to be grateful for, irrelevant of how small that has made you grateful this week and hopefully this will lift your mood and ready you for the week ahead.  May you all have a beautiful and blessed weekend and week ahead.

ROCKING MY WORLD FRIDAY with Mr Linky added

Well this is nice, sitting finally to type up a blog post, because I've been poorly, not a little bit poorly but really quite poorly.  Had a lovely week away last week but came down with labyrinthitus which has little to do with David Bowie and a lot more to do with balance and room spin, full 360 degree spin, and throwing up - not grand, so you might think I'll be postponing my post this week - how wrong can you get

Because it is

So what can I drag out of the deep recesses of my week

Well there have been positive comments from lots of lovely people in blog land - so thank you to all of you on that front.

I'm grateful for the NHS - although there was little that they could do I did see a Doctor who gave me some anti-vertigo tablets which have helped, so I'm extremely grateful for having a health service available, there are so many in the world that don't have this.

I'm utterly utterly grateful for my amazing hubby, he's gone in late to work, left early to drop off and collect said 11 year old, took Monday off because he was worried about me.  He's shopped and cooked and just got on with day to day things without me, he's made me tea, he's been there when I've been really sick (one of my ultimate pet hates I absolutely detest throwing up and he knows this), he's got me cold flannels for my head, he's left me to sleep, he's ironed, he's got presents for children's parties and taken said 11 year old to said party and collected him after without a murmur of a whinge.  He even put up with my moans on Wednesday when I indicated that the house was 'messy' and let me give orders whilst he and said 11 year old scurried around tidying around to make the house a tidier place to be (I didn't make them do a major clean but in all honesty I was getting a better but feeling low with the state of things, so I staggered around and asked for their help for half and hour and it was soon done).

He's made me laugh this week (which at times I didn't think possible), he's offered me hugs (when I could manage them) and provided ample tissues when I was feeling very sorry for myself - quite literally nothing has been too much trouble - he is quite honestly amazing and yes I am ultimately grateful for him!

Said 11 year old also gets a mention, he doesn't like to see Mum ill but he did make me giggle when his only line this week seemed to be "Are you OK Mum?" "Yes" "Have you been sick?" - literally the only two questions I got asked on a regular basis all week.

My sister for catching up with me and making me feel human this week, it was so lovely to have a natter even though I was still suffering room spin at the time.

Virgin Media - yes can you believe they are on my list of gratefuls, I'm not a TV person (enjoy my crafting too much but it's been none existent this week as you can imagine) I discovered TV on demand - not something that I'd looked at in quite some time and found Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, one of my all time favourite authors whose books sit pride of place in our library, I struggled with A Colour Of Magic (not sure if I was paying enough attention LOL) but Going Postal was brilliant, an absolute joy to watch.

Jamie Oliver and his Great British meals even though he seemed to think that Yorkshire consisted of Leeds and Leeds alone made me giggle at the end with the preview of next weeks show when he gets so excited about a dish he's making he manages to split his trousers - made me giggle with hubby on Tuesday night - a much needed laugh.


Oooh here was me being smart - finding that I was feeling better Wednesday only to be struck down thursday again, so the post never got finished, not feeling too great today so you'll have to put up with Wednesday's info above for this week - sorry Rockettes I'll try and be back on form for next week.

In the meantime Mr Linky because we missed him

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY!!!! THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN ADVANCE - WARNINGS IF IT DOESN'T REFLECT REALITY LOL!

So here we are at the end of yet another week and this one sees October drawing to a close, where has the month gone, come to that where has the year gone, another month and we'll be dragging out the Christmas decs!  Oohhh yes we will... but before then we've got Rocking Your World Friday

Now this is a post that is being done in advance - sooooo let's see how close I get to reality shall we (Actually I'm reading this on Thursday via a Wifi connection - shall I re-do or just edit the bits that appear to have missed the mark slightly - me thinks a slightly edited version will do you for now).

Well it's been beautiful autumnal weather all week hasn't it, blue skies, crisp mornings, beautiful colours on the trees we couldn't have asked for better...  (Actually it's not been bad, bit breezy on a couple of days out, bit wet occasionally, a massive lightening storm on Tuesday evening, but all in all we've managed to dodge the raindrops not such a bad week at all).

We've enjoyed family time away to relax and take stock, to brush off the cobwebs and be ready for the rest of the year, we've had some fabulous days outs venturing to Richmond (actually we've not done this one yet, it is scheduled for Friday but we'll see - we were going on Wednesday until we found out the castle was shut - what wrong with places do they not know it's half term?) and to the Forbidden Corner (well that's a story all on it's own, the one where the child triggered the water and Mummy was stood on the stone that had the water jets on - yes you can stop laughing - did I get wet?  Nope I got absolutely totally and utterly drenched and had to walk around for hours more in extremely wet cold trousers - I can laugh about it now but at the time it wasn't the most pleasant of feelings).

We've enjoyed the woodburning fire and toasting marshmallows.  (Again a bit of a lie to be honest, the only marshmallows toasted dripped all over my magazine, then my hand, then the floor - it wasn't a pretty sight I can tell you - since then the boys have been merely making the worlds biggest fire and we've abandoned the marshmallows).    

We've enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the area we are in, we've enjoyed a time to be with each other.  Actually this one is spot on although the word tranquility with the number of crows outside the window in a morning and the owls at 4am - probably doesn't quite fit!  However, we have enjoyed having time together as a family. 

We've had quiet evenings and lazy mornings, we haven't run around everything in the hope we can get it all covered, but spent time just enjoying time with each other and the world around us. What planet was I on, not run around doing everything - that would mean spending time just chilling with hyperactive hubby and an 11 year old on my hands that hasn't happened, we've done Cold Stones Cut, Fountains Abbey (twice), the Forbidden Corner, Middleham Castle (because it was there as and we were sailing past), we've done Jervaux Abbey, Brimham Rocks, The Chocolate Factory, The Tea Pottery, The Arts Festival, Theakston's Brewery, and it's only Thursday morning!

We've done a bit of art of an evening (no we haven't we've done a glass of wine, a coughing fit and sleep) and played board games (actually card games but it's close enough).  The boys took the nerf guns so there have been a few fun evenings where they've been playing with that. Twaddle 11 year old and hubby have been building fires or 11 year old has been hanging teddies over the top bannister - it looks quite gruesome really - however, this morning he's trying to make them harnesses with an egg box and some string.    Overall it's been a calm week, where we've been able to recharge our batteries.  Twaddle I'm knackered looking forward to going home for a rest. 

And now as we head into November, we've got a house to get sorted (I kid you not), that TV room has to be done and fairly pronto when we get back, so it'll be all hands on deck to see what we can achieve!  Any volunteers?  It's a big room and there is a lot to do!


A bit of crafting

 and close up - me finally finding a way to use those Twiddley Bits!

I hope your week has been just as 'Rocking' as ours, if you are joining in leave a comment with your link to your blog so we can come and visit (no Mr Linky this week at the mo)

ROCKING MY WORLD FRIDAY (best grab a cuppa this is a long one)

Good morning fellow bloggers, how are you this fair morning and how fair my Rockettes?

It's a cold and chilly morning and today brings the need to stay in for a delivery grrrrr, packing grrrrrrrrrrrr but this leads to time away from tomorrow hurray!!!!!!!

So what kind of week have you had because it's

This week has been a strange mixed one?  Work - well enough said about that.  Cough stilll here - apparently according to the Doctor, it's no better but no worse - so antibiotics again for yours truly me thinks!  I am grateful for the Doctor seeing me though, and making sure things weren't taking a turn for the worse - so that's a grateful even if a weird one.

Evening craft sessions, I'm on with a few things this week, managed a few 12 x 12 layouts, managed to finish a mini book, managed the start of the altered clipboards.  Clipboards purchased from Staples at a cost of £2.99 each, they are 'normal' sized and are just a hard board backing.  Up to now I've covered them in paper and inked or painted the edges.  Said 11 year old has selected which one for which teacher, now I need to tart them up a bit with ribbon and names on them, think I'm going to go for die-cut name on these, although did give said 11 year old the opportunity of a stamped name.  Might do a couple of post it note holders to add to the 'gift' to finish it off - but not sure yet and haven't ever made those so they should prove interesting!  I'll take photos once completed.  I'm using up paper from the many many paper stacks I have lurking around, using papers that I couldn't quite honestly ever see me using!

I know I mentioned an age ago - my niece making myself and said 11 year old some awesome birthday cards, but then I forgot to share them - so here they are.

Said 11 year olds

Mine - aren't they gorgeous! 

Games night at home, we managed a second one of these on Wednesday evening and despite a few tears (said 11 year old isn't a great loser he sooooooooooooooooo reminds me of someone I knew when I was little LOL).  He dragged down the giant Monopoly board and we set a time limit of an hour, I managed to wipe the board with both him and my hubby and said 11 year old got more and more frustrated until we explained that the game was really 'won' by the dice because it all depended on where everyone landed, what they bought and what number they threw that gave the game to the eventual winner - not sure he's convinced but I don't want to abandon games night.  It might be difficult for him to get but I'm all for children (and adults sometimes) learning to 'lose' at things like games, it brings out the competitive edge and as most of life turns into some sort of competitiveness at some point I don't think there is any harm in learning the jubilation of a 'win' or the disappointment of a 'lose'.  So we'll keep going and see if he starts to enjoy the games night irrelevant of the 'win' or 'lose' scenario!

Next up is Carmen's Secret Santa, now I'm giggling because I have a feeling that by the time we are done, it might not be as 'secret' as we hoped, the reason behind this, well quite a few of us that have signed up have well known 'styles' so I'm wondering how many of us are going to work out who has 'sent' to us!  LOL but if it gets me in the Christmas spirit during November and provides a gift for an amazing person then that can only be a good thing!

Right me thinks that might have to do you this week but I'm liking that as a list overall aren't you?

Crafting wise, well I've still not got around to photographing anything recently so still dragging things out of the blog folder that have been there 'forever' a photo from our foreign holiday about three years ago!

 Close ups - the title, was using a small tag punch, inked at the edges, stamped in the middle, eyelet at the centre, raised on form dots with some ribbons through.

 and of course the hand stitching, one of my all time favourites, as most of you know!

So there you go and the question What's Rocking Your World this week?

Mr Linky below, I'll prepare a post in advance for next week but there will be no linky on that one, so don't forget to leave your comments and I'll try and publish them as I go next week!

ROCKING MY WORLD FRIDAY (best grab a cuppa this is a long one)

Good Morning Rockers and Rockettes - how fair thee this morn?  For tis Friday which means...

Well I'm sat here on Thursday night and well I'm still not well, the cough has now gone into a full blown head cold with ruttly chesty cough to boot, so now I'm fully poorly rather than just ridiculous cough, problem is with one day of antibiotics to go this doesn't bode well for being clear of all the grim crap now does it - but I'm also sat with a glass of wine - nope I'll rephrase that - with an empty glass - hold up...

glug glug glug

Yeah full again!!!!

So this week, well I could be miserable and tell you how I've coughed and sneezed my way from beginning to end, how I should be a stockmarket holder of shares in Halls Mentholyptus but that's not what Rocking Your World posts are all about - so you get this version...

You may recall said gift for an old school friend to celebrate her daughter's 1st birthday - basically I got to play with pink paper, well I know when I shared it that it had been received and that she liked it which made me smile, last Friday afternoon, I headed back from picking up said 11 year old to find our next door neighbour wandering down our drive with a big bunch of flowers... "they're pretty" my brain said to me... why is she walking towards me with them... I'm so confused...

"I took these in for you..." she declares

I was utterly utterly bewildered - who on earth had sent me a bunch of beautiful Interflora flowers? 

Yes you guessed it Karen had sent me a bunch of the most exquisite flowers, I was gobsmacked I'd sent her a birthday gift for her daughter and she sends me a bunch of flowers to say thank you - I was utterly completely and utterly overwhelmed and I've told her that she has to promise not to do anything as mad, crazy and utterly unexpected again because - well - because I loved making a gift for her to document her daughter's birthday and I loved that she liked it even more... but I have to say that the flowers were utterly utterly beautiful so here they are (forgive the things in the background - focus on the flowers!!!!)

So a big ... no ...a huge thank you to Karen for managing to render me speechless last week!

Saturday brought a day trip to Magna and an RSC production of Hamlet, neither my brother, my sister or my brother's girlfriend Fi had ever been to Magna so they took great delight in wandering about, I must admit it is a fairly awesome place to go to when you've not been before, just the enormity of the steel works is something to stop you in your tracks!  We had great fun venturing into the air, water, fire and earth section.  Fi and John particularly enjoyed trying out the JCB's in 'Earth' - something apparently my brother has been wanting to do since he was little and given his ability if he ever decides to venture in that direction he's got the knack when it comes to managing the trials and tribulations of a JCB bucket which I have to say when I tried it proved very blinking difficult!!!!

The play - well what can we say - it was quite simply fantastic, the cast were great, keen to wander around the audience, even if just to scare the crowd which the guy who played Hamlet did.  However, the star of the show, the complete and utter star was the lady who played Ophelia, her ability to portray the madness that set in following her Father's murder was truly amazing!  We all enjoyed it and with a running time of just over an hour we weren't all suffering with bad backs at the end (which is a good job because the seating wasn't great).

Wednesday evening brought another show for us - this time Othello at the Crucible, the Crucible theatre (the one where they do World Snooker) is fabulous because of the view you get no matter where you are is pretty awesome and it is practically in the round.  The show was fabulous, I didn't know the story and I was completely enthralled from beginning to end, the actors and actresses were amazing but the two key female parts being Desdemona and Amelia were completely and utterly amazing and there was a part in the play when I almost broke down in tears because of the amazing acting, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.  Add to that Iago who was fabulous with a broad Yorkshire accent we really did have an amazing night out.

So the big shout out this week in amongst the pile of tissues, the antibiotics and the Halls mentholyptus has to be the live theatre that we get to enjoy in this country, we really do have an amazingly broad spectrum of plays that we can gain access too and it is an utter joy to attend such amazing theatre, so that is my biggest grateful.

Although I have others -

• my mojo has returned when it comes to my Darcy's 52 words (which is a good job because I got stuck on tribal).
• my crafting has meant a couple of completed mini books
• a beautiful chatty thread with my new circle journal - really getting to know the other participants
• Charlotte at the hairdressers - not only for performing her usual magic but also for pushing me with regards to my make up back in the summer when I was losing the will to live with the state of my skin - she (like my Doctor) had said I should give Bare Minerals a try and eventually I did, it cost (don't get me wrong it cost) but I have felt more confident with my appearance since I started using them and my skin seems to be accepting the change and is happier for it (if one can have happier skin then mine's it).
• my blog friends for just being amazing, I'm still amazed at Carmen and her middle name (I told my brother this morning and he thought it was awesome!!!!) Jo and Susie for being their usual selves, Michelle for her beautiful journal journeys - I will be joining you hun, keep going because it's a blessing to read your posts, Janet for her gorgeous creations and joining in when she can, Toni for her gorgeous cards - I still sit in awe when I see them, for the gorgeous poetry I get to read, the comments I get to enjoy, for friends I haven't seen in an age, for inspiration and for mostly being just you - and you know who you are - a big thank you!!!!

So there you go it's probably turned into an epic post but in the blink of an eye I've typed it - almost finished the small glass of wine - how's the tree coming Susie and Carmen?

I always share a bit of crafting so here is this weeks photo a general layout from York, using photos of the Minster, from the Top of Cliffords tower, from our general exploring and the Hand of God picture, as well as the cast cats on patios and up the side of buildings!

I promise to get some more crafting done soon, just going to collapse in a heap first.  Added to which I've had dear hubby at home poorly this week and my niece off poorly it seems we are all struggling a little bit at the moment, but let's be happy for the fact we are surrounded by people we love, don't wait to tell them how much we love them tell them right now - go on tell them right now, it'll give you a positive feeling and maybe lift your spirits and when all is said and done, having loved ones around us always makes life so much better.

Mr Linky for those links, but don't forget to leave a comment because these disappear after a week because I'm tight LMAO!!!

PPS Michelle - I hope the breakfast was beautiful - sometimes to abandon the modern technology and look at which is right in front of you, puts your feet back on the ground and makes you appreciate every single moment you have with people you love - keep it going girl - it's worth it and you know it is - and yes this is a late add on, but your thoughts around your 'breakfast' have kept my subconscious mind occupied all day!!!

MORNING ALL AND ANOTHER CHRISTMAS ALTERABLE

Good morning fellow bloggers, how are you this Wednesday morning?  Me you ask,  I'm full of cold with a chest infection so I'm doing great - day off???? No don't be silly too much work to do.  Rest of family you ask??? Hubby fast on in bed poorly - we're having a great week not!!!!!  Actually we are OK overall just suffering a bit, we'll be OK in a couple of days, just needing a bit of time to get us sorted. 

Anyway, thought I'd stop by and do a quick post because I can show off another of my alterables - now technically speaking I should put what it looked like first on my blog - but that will be the link picture on blogger dashboard and it might frighten you away - so I've put the finished results first!!!  Two of them so hopefully you can see the dimension 

This was a charity shop buy, a small extremely well made shadow box frame - quick scroll down to see what it looked like originally.  Originally yellow pine with a silk gerbera inside - honestly not the most inspiring of looks, so I dismantled it and sanded the frame (well DH sanded the frame because I don't do sandpaper), then I painted it with black acrylic paints, stamped some paper artsy houses onto cream cardstock and pink cardstock, did a bit of paper piecing stamped the words home is where the heart is on the same cream cardstock, roughly cut out and penned around (twice for good measure), used some black soot ink through some heart punchinella.  Then I used some pink paper at the back onto the original mount, layered up the houses with some foam squares, stuck down the saying and reassembled and I have to say I am rather pleased with it! 

I have another one exactly the same that I'm working on at the moment, but I fancy doing something different with that, just not sure what (yet?).  Thank you for popping by and hope you are having a grand day!