April already and one week to Ally Pally.

Can you believe it's the 1st April. I've spent part of the day making cards................it's about time I started using up that mountain of stash in my craft room.,infact I've spent quite abit of time over the past week in my craft room making cards. My goal is to try and not buy shop cards for the rest of the year.........this I've said for the past couple of years and not managed it but now I'm well on my way.
Good Friday tomorrow, we'll go to the in-laws for our traditional fish n chips. Had to have it at home last year because mum-in-law was in hospital having a knee replacement(bit inconsiderate of her.LOL)
Saturday it's the Bramford crop and it looks like it'll be another good turnout.The following Saturday is Ally Pally and as Ang and Carol won't be going this time(they're off to an altered art weekend in May) so I will be driving and taking Karen, Liz and Nancy. I'm soooo excited and have made a small list of stuff I'd like to get.
School holiday has started. I honesty have always loved the kids being on holiday, means not having to be up before 7am every morning and some days I can still be in my dressing gown at 9am! We can have a proper meal at lunch time rather than at tea-time, though I bet they'll moan.
Emily has Gang Show all next week, so it'll be busy running around. The following week we are decorating her bedroom, so she'll be sleeping in the dining room that week, the problem is where to put her wardrobe etc while were're doing that. The bed can be taken apart..................
Well hope you have a lovely Easter, fingers crossed the weather is kind to us.

Janina x

It's been snowing again!

Yep this morning the good old white stuff started to fall again, but all it done was made everywhere wet. I did love to see it before and after christmas and to see it last for a few days was better still.Time for the camera to come out, don my pink wellies and a walk round the village......heaven in my book.
It was the Bramford crop on Saturday and a very good turnout too, so much so I've ordered two more cropping tables to seat 4 more people, well with NSD on May 1st I expect the crop to be bursting at the seams. We are very lucky with our crop and have a super bunch of ladies who come along.............did you know we've just celebrated our 2nd birthday, doesn't seem possible it was 2yrs ago I started the crop where has the time gone?? It's been an enjoyable 2yrs so here's to the next 2.
QVC have a 7hr craft day starting midnight tomorrow night and the TSV is Martha Stewart punches, I'll be staying up to order mine. The price is going to be very good and one not to miss.
I'm trying to save for Ally Pally which is in April. Sadly my buddies won't be coming this time. Ang and Carol are going to the Artsycraft weekend in May, Janet has a new grandchild on the way, Angela has other committments and as yet Karen's unsure what she'll be working. Mcdonalds Chelmsford will not be the same without you all.LOL..........here's to September Ally P.
Haven't done much scrapping since Christmas, but have started to sort out my craft room.Last week I spent two days giving it a go and my desk looks alittle clearer, shame the floor doesn't. I need to get in there and finish it off this week so I can get some scrapping and cardmaking done and I'm trying to use up old stash before Ally P.
Got to go start cooking tea soon, something with yesterdays left over chicken. I've to work tonight so I'll leave at 9.30pm, be home by 7.15am tomorrow. Will go to bed once Tim and Emily have gone off to college/school.
I prefer working nights to days a 9hr night shift goes quicker than a 9hr day shift.
Well lots to do. Have a great week.

Christmas is a comin'.............

Afraid to say christmas will soon be upon us and I'm quickly running out of time or energy.LOL
Had quite a fruitful day so far. The tree is up, decorated and the lights are twinkling in the early evening darkness. I like to put the lights on when I get up in the mornings while it's still dark......looks so cosy while I drink my cup of tea!!!!
I've also written most of the christmas cards, just a handful left to do now. I've changed the linen on two beds and hoovered up from top to bottom, surprising what you can do when you put your mind to it.
My aim by the end of the week is to have finished the cards and wrapped all the presents, just got a couple left to buy tomorrow......did the rest last week at Lakeside shopping centre.
Had a great Christmas crop on Saturday in Bramford with over 30 ladies attending. Will be off to Papermaze crop on the 19th, so that's to look forward to apart from I'm at work that night as well as the Sunday night and Monday morning...busy weekend.
Emily is now starting to get her christmas tips from her paper round....last year she got over £200! I think she might buy herself a new flat screne TV for her bedroom.
Got an interview on Thursday at the residential home I work nights at as a relief carer. Silly I still had to fill out an application form and have to have an interview even tho' I've been working there over a year...fingers crossed I get permenant hours so I can then give up my other part-time job.....would make things easier for me.
I've still some christmas cards to make for my special friends, that's to be done by the 19th.I've ideas so that helps.LOL
Well lots to do. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas.
Janina x

Two weekends of fun

Hi folks.Yep this Saturday is the Papermaze crop which I have been going to now for about 4yrs. I always thoroughly enjoy it, don't do much scrapping but plenty of chatting with my lovely mates. Also means a trip to the Papermaze shop and no doubt I will be tempted into buying something even though next Saturday we're off to Ally Pally. Yes 7 of us will set off at 7.30am and arrive home exhausted but happy about 9pm. Ang will take her 'bus', so thanks for that Ang she's a real star, especially as she has to put up with Jekyll and Hyde as her navigator( aka me). The others are Carol, Karen, Liz, Janet and Angela. We always have such a great day with a much needed stop at the Chelmsford Mac D's on the way home........last time they didn't know what had hit them as 7 crazed women sat down to eat.LOL
Worked a night shift last night, glad to say it was a good one and the 9 hours went quick. Had 2 1/2 hrs sleep this morning and I'm now full of the joys of spring.......bit deluded there.
I now have my own craft room, as Aaron has moved out so I'm now in his old bedroom, which is downstairs so idael. If he decides to move back home he'll have to evict me.LOL
Well I'm in desperate need of a caffeine fix, been drinking it all night so you'd think my veins would be well topped up.............got to get some LO sorted out for Saturday. I've at least 6 that only need journalling on which I printed off yesterday so I'll finish those later. I'm desperately trying to use up my old stash.....gave me a chance to have a sort out by moving into a craft room, so now have several things to sell.
JANINA

The holidays are nearly over...

where has those 6 weeks of the summer holidays gone! Thursday Emily is back at school and starting yr10. Tim will be enrolling at college( he'll be 17yrs next week), Aaron missed out on getting into university, so intends taking a year out and deciding what to do, luckily he has a full time job to tide him over. I feel rather deflated with life at the moment, I don't really know why....it'd be lovely to say sod the lot of you and disappear for a few days....my dream is Florida and yes I would go by myself, sounds so selfish but hey we all have the erge at times but not all of us admit it.
Anyway it's the Bramford Crop on Saturday, so I've that to look forward too, then the following Saturday it's the Bromeswell Crop, the 3rd Saturday it's Papermaze and the 26th it's the long awaited trip to Ally Pally, so September Saturdays are fully booked.I'm actually sorting out some LO's to do on Saturday. I've also started a list of things to look out for at AP.
Got to go pick Tim up from football training soon. He sold his moped last week and is saving up for a 125 motorbike.......more worry!
I'm buying my friend Carol's large Artbin wheeled tote, I think at long last I've found a tote that serves my need for lots of space as I never know what to leave behind when I go to a crop. This tote I've filled with everything I take, all I need to do now is pay Carol for it. LOL....that's more cash for her Ally Pally stash shopping.
Well best end now, have a nice week peeps.

August already!

Should have been the Bramford Crop today but had to change it to next Saturday as my cousin Sian got married today and my daughter Emily was her bridesmaid........and gorgeous they both looked to.
Strange really as Sian's mum Maria was my mum's bridesmaid(they're sisters), I was Maria's bridesmaid and Sian was mine and now Emily is Sian's.......I took loads of photos so will be up at Asda tomorrow or Monday to sort out prints.
The rain held off long enough for photos to be taken.The wedding was at the beautiful church in Hadleigh. Tonight we're off to the reception....great I love a buffet and I'm starving LOL.
Will have plenty to scrap at the crop next week and Papermaze the following. I'll have LO to do but I also want to do a brag book each for Sian and my Auntie Maria.
I've actually been scrapbooking this week. Think I've completed 5, yes 5 LO's of Aaron New York trip he went on in April and of my nephew David's wedding from last year....I get fed up with doing all of one subject so like to alernate from one to another or 3. I hope to get alot more done in the coming weeks as I'm trying to use up my stash ready for restocking when we go to Ally Pally in September......trouble is my paper stash is about 3ft high !!!! I mean it and am not joking, I just love paper. There's some lovely new stuff been on show at cha..Jillybean Soup, Cosmo Cricket, Sassafrass to name but a few.
Well we're off to the evening do in awhile so best sign off............have a good week peeps
Janina x

Where has the time gone?

Didn't realise it was the beginning of May when I last blogged!Can't believe we're nearly into July.Someone mentioned christmas cards last week, ah my friend Liz when we took a ride out to Capture The Magic. I always have good intentions of starting to make christmas cards from July, but each year I get to November and think I'd best get a move on LOL. I'm really going to try this year, I say with fingers and toes crossed.
I've been doing alot of rubber stamping the past couple of months and watercolouring them with my lovely Caran D' Ache pencils(blame my mate Carol for getting me onto them) they produce such lovely results and you don't have to be a fab artist either. These images I'm getting done so I can have a couple of days making a batch of general cards.........I've got all the stuff just got to find some me time to do them. Me time has been harder the last few months what with working two part time jobs and having to catch up on sleep as one of them involves working wake nights and sometimes only having an hour spare before going onto my other part time job. Sympathy votes here please LOL
Took a trip out to Papermaze earlier................bad mistake as I bought one of the new EK Success border punches, very similar to the Martha Stewart punches(that's a laugh as they're made by EK too) but a smaller design, so great for mini books cardmaking etc.
The weather today is gloriously hot, lets hope it continues, odd cos Wimbledon is on too.
Treated us to a new computer desk from Staples yesterday, so have had a good sort out and Andy didn't moan about the desk, so it must be OK. The Scouts have taken the old one as they've got their bi-annual auction on Saturday to raise funds to keep their mini bus on the road.
I must stop now as I've just been asked' are you doing any tea?'
Enjoy the weather..................................
Janina x