RIP Denise

My friend Sue from 'home' phoned me on Wednesday night to inform me that yet another of my friends had passed away.

Denise was an alcoholic and had been for years. She was 38 and left two young children of 12 and 7.

In our single days, there used to be about 6 of us who would meet up on a Wednesday, go for a drink and then land at Sue's house and have a take-away. Our weekends would be spent drinking and nightclubbing.

However, once we were all married and/or had our children, we just kept up our Wednesday night 'dates'. Over time though, it was obvious that Denise had a problem. I won't go into details, this isn't the place, and I'm not sure I won't word it right, but I need to get things off my chest. Denise lost a great job, a wonderful husband who tried for years to help her, she lost her home and then she eventually lost her kids. Surely at some point, something would have 'registered' with her that something was wrong??? Surely something more could have been done. As friends we tried to talk to her about it, and she confessed that she knew she had a problem, but that it was under control. Eventually, she would just get nasty if you mentioned it.

The last time I remember seeing her, she looked like a tramp and stank of booze.

I wish to god I had given her a good shake then and tried to make her see sense. Even after being hospitalised on many occasions - she still carried on.

I just can't find a rhyme or reason to it .... I wish I had an answer.

I know now that she is at peace and rid of this wretched illness.

Love to you and yours xx

I've been tagged .... again !!!!

..... by Bev ... so ........ 7 things about me ..... hmmmmmmmmm

1. I always try to see the funny side of things, which can often lead me into trouble.

One of my best mates 'Little Sue' had a fab budgie called Eric. He died. She told me. I was devastated for her because I knew how much Eric meant to her ... what did I do ? laugh .... I think it must be a nervous thing.

Its like when someone tells you bad news .. what do we say "nooooo you're kidding/joking/lying' ... I mean why do we say it ?? We know they're not kidding/joking/lyin ... but still we say it ...... mad or wot ???

2. I hate hate hate those green rubbery things ..... no no no not rubber washing up glovey things ...... what are they called ..erm ... erm ... advocados .. jeez they're 'orrible. They're green and rubber and gross - yeuch yeuch.

3. I appeared on daytime television 3 times. *shuts gob* *says no more*

4. I go to church - only occasionally, but I do go.

5. I talk a lot !!!!!!! Now, who never knew that ????? PML !!

6. I once stole a bus. *says no more*

7. I am a twin.

8..... this is a bonus one ......... I haven't got a clue who I am gonna tag .. but I'll come back and let ya know !

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What Year Do You Belong In ????

You Belong in 1993

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

More UKS Cybercrop details ....

This is the challenge class that I was asked to design. I made two 'teapots' for the challenge - as you can see, one was painted, and the 'flowerpot' was decorated with blossoms and flowers ... and hundreds of brads !!

Hope you like ! xx

More News .....

I was asked by Rebecca at Rebeccas Scrapbooking Stash to do some altering work for her. These are two of the projects I made.

If the pictures come out ok, then the top photographs will show the altered cigar box made with yummy Dream Street papers, lil david hardware and blossoms .... and the purse underneath was made using Tim Holtz alcohol inks and stazon stamping. I'm going to use the purse to hold Prima's in and clip it to my tote !

I really enjoyed making these projects .. and Aaron has already claimed the cigar box for his teacher when he leaves school in July - although he's requested that it gets stuffed with chocolates .... one had to bite one's tongue to stop myself from telling him to 'get stuffed' !!!

UKS Cybercrop Weekend Win

UKS Cybercrop weekend was last week. I was very fortunate to be in the Clubs team ... and what a team we were, as we went on to win the competition !!! Go girls !!!

Anyway, I also amazingly won one of the Mystery Kit challenges along with three other very talented crafters, and this is what I made. For info (and my cousin Gill xx who reads my blog) you can only use whatever is in the kit and nothing else.

Its called Scrapology and its based on the game of Monopoly. Instead of buying the normal streets, you buy UKS sponsors shops and instead of buying the Utility companies, you can buy UKS forums !! There is a Community Chest and Chance ... and instead of getting sent to Jail you get sent to the Kitchen to do some housework !!

Hope you like the photographs.

Holiday - yay !!!!

YAY !!! Broke up for the holidays on Friday - yippeee yay !!!

I really need this rest - so much has been happening in school. We've had ongoing racial disputes with pupils for a while now, but more recently the tension has been mounting and mounting. There have been fights nearly every day and I was first on the scene to one particular nasty fight and ended up getting a couple of kicks and a punch trying to separate it. Not nice.

Anyway, I've been joining in with the Cyber Crop weekend on Scrapstars this weekend. I only found the site on Friday courtesy of Angela @ Angel Crafts, and I have been really warmly received. Their Cyber Crop has been going on all week and runs into next week again, but the climax was this weekend. The layout above is one of the digi-projects that I took part in - but used stash instead. I don't know what it is about digi-scrapping, but I can't do it, and I just don't think I could get my ahead around not being able to sniff and stroke my stash !!!

Well, I'll be heading to Mums at the end of the week. Aaron is at football from Monday to Wednesday, so I reckon Stewart and I could get some serious cleaning done ! I'll just play it by ear and go with the flow tho ....

Stamping Up !

YAY !!! My first lot of Stamping Up stamps arrived yesterday from Canada. These two first sets I've managed to get are sets that I've been after for some time. Paris in Spring and Alphabet Soup. The cards above are three of the cards I've made today whilst I've been having a play.

I've got another two sets coming any day now .... and I'm therefore busy stalking the postman !!

There's a whisper that SU are coming to the UK in 2008, which will be fab news. They don't only sell stamps and rollerstamps, but also cardstock, amazing ink pads, patterned papers and heaps of embellishments - all of which co-ordinate with each other. Cardstock to match inkpads - I mean how cool is that !!!

Why oh why can't we get British manufacturers to do the same thing :(

Angel Crafts Design Team work

Mad busy ... but ......

This is a commissioned canvas I have done for a colleague at work.

Used: Scenic route papers, maya road chipboard flourishes, AC ribbons from little silver hat and heidi swapp alphas.

Will follow this post with some DT 'offerings' ...........

Sunday 11th March

(This is the layout I mention below where you can't really see the 3-d effect)

Not a lot to report really. I've been busy making more cards for school - Mothers Day and more Birthday cards - don't know why my cards are suddenly starting to sell so well, but i'm not complaining !!

Did a nice layout during the week, but sadly you can't see all the stand-out flowers on them or the doodling. I seriously need to think about buying a decent camera, but other 'needed' things keep being 'needed' :(

Anyway, i've got a mad couple of weeks coming up at school - loads going on. Kids need to take their ROAs home tomorrow (Record of Achievements) and I need to double check that everything is inside them that should be so that their parents can read them and comment upon them at Parents Evening.

Tuesday is Interform, where the whole Year group competes against each class - In two years my class has only won one category - the boys hockey !!

Parents evening on Wednesday (can't wait as I really need to have serious talks with some parents and I am going to be brutally honest instead of trying to keep the discussion about their child 'positive') . There's a limit to how many times a child can get away with saying "Shurrup ya gay or Shurrup ya slag" without me wanting to turn em over and slap their backsides.

I believe that the positive approach with kids does work, and I also believe that inclusion works. However, as is always the case, there are the exceptions to the rule. I seem to have all the 'exceptions' in my class tho !! Sometimes the heavy handed approach works better (and I don't mean physically), but it has to come from both school AND the parents. What's the point of phoning home and having parents come into school when the same child goes home, walks up to their room and starts playing on their playstations, listening to their Ipods and watching TV via their DVDs ......

If I were ever called into Aaron's school - then I'm afraid all he'd be left with in his bedroom would be a mattress and covers .. and a book. End of. We used to get the threat of the ruler at school and/or cane depending on the severity of the punishment and at home, I used to have the threat of my mothers wooden scholl. Neither did me any harm, and I do feel that it gave me a good grounding.

Grrrrrrrr - sorry, just needed to let off steam there ....

I digress, Thursday will be getting the school ready for Red Nose Day which will be on Friday. We have male teachers being waxed, female teachers 'colouring' their hair for the day, some forms are having PJ parties ... and one Key Stage Manager is going to be dunked and savagely attacked by soft tomatoes - gross !!!

Anyway, inbetween all this, I hope to have some free evenings to be able to relax by crafting. I would hate to think how high my BP would be if I didn't have this wonderful activity to help me relax.

Hope you all have a fabulous week xxxxxxxxx

Back ... sorry for the delay

Above is the fab Calendar Book we made with Emily Adams using the equally fab Rock Star Imagination Gin-X papers that Emily designed - cool or wot !!!!! You get heaps on the chipboard sheets so well worth buying !

Above are the fab tags we made with Tim Holtz - if you would like the instructions of each technique used, please feel free to email me.

Away with the Fairies Retreat

Wow - i've been so busy this week its been unbelievable ... anyway ... the Away with the Fairies Retreat.

OMG - it was fab ......

Arrived Friday in Oxford and went to a local shopping mall to do some shopping (obviosuly) !!! The hotel was only 10 mins away, but there had been an accident, and it took us over an hour to get to the hotel .... We had to sign in at 7pm and then instructed to go straight to class ... well it was only a class by the incredible Emily Adams from Imagination Gin-X .... OMG she was fabulous. So easy to talk to and get along with ... i think she thought we were all mad .. but anyway, here's a video on HER blog ... with us lot on it ... we're the last table she came to ..

Here (look for Teaching at Away with the Fairies)

Guess who else was there ..... Tim !!!!!!!!!!! OMG he was standing in front of me ... and I tried to play it cool, but I was actually physically shaking. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak .. nothing ... then I pulled myself together ... got a photo took with him, and got on with Emily's class. I'd been looking at their new papers from CHA and thinking I could do a fab journal with the Rock Star ones .. and lo and behold the class was with the Rock Star papers - freaky or wot !

Saturday morning came ... and my first class was with Tim Holtz ... we made the most beautiful necklace made using a watch fob, diamond crown and silver wings, oh and the inside is a miniature collage (below)...... The second class was all about techniques using the new Adirondak Acrylic Paint Dabbers/Daubers .... wow ..... wow ... wow.... He really teaches in such a laid back manner .. and nothing is too much trouble ... anyway, above is the tag book we made using the techniques Tim taught us.

I'll upload class 3 tomorrow ............ phew !

I'm Away .......

with the fairies .... at the Away with the Fairies retreat - back on Monday ....

Oh, and did I mention I get to meet 'Sir Tim' ??? Boy, I can't wait.

Catch ya soon one an all xxxxxxxxxxx

Wow - that went quick ....

My weeks holiday from school that is - swoosh .... its gone ....

Anyway, a week from today, I will be at the Away with the Fairies Retreat ... I just soooo cannot wait for it. In honour of the event, I have been doing some stamping and a bit of collaging ... and a bit of experimenting. I used to really love stamping, and then sort of went off it a bit. Sold a heap of my stamps on ebay for a pittance and I now find myself looking for stamps that have gone :(

Anyway, above (or wherever it ends up) is a card I made by bleach stamping. I used to love using this technique because it turns out different every time - Edited: altered it slightly so that it would comply with the sketch challenge on Card Positioning Systems (CPS) a new card sketch challenge blog - pop over and have a look !

Have a fabby weekend everyone - Heaps of hugs - me xxxxxxxx

Most Excellent News - and Happy Valentines !

I have been selected to join the Angel Crafts Design Team !!!

I truly didn't think I would make the team especially looking at the galleries of everyone else who has been selected, but YAY !!! I did !!

Valentines Day

Well, here was me thinking that Stewart and I had agreed to not buy each other anything, and lo and behold this morning he presents me with a hoooge box of my fave Lindt chocolates AND ... a bottle of my fave champagne !! I was sooooooo chuffed ! Bless, i'll let him off doing no housework today ... and I'll even forgive him for not even doing the breakfast dishes !

Lianne and I toddled off to one of the many Retail Centre's in Manchester today with Sophie and Aaron. I couldn't believe it, but I managed to get some of the place/order holders to clip my happy flowers onto. I'll take a picture later and load them up ! Anyway, whilst we were there, Lianne decided to look for some 'wee' trainers for Sophiekins ..... As we were waiting for the Assistant to bring us some trainers, we spotted these humongous trainers - and I mean humongous !! They were absolute whoppers ! They looked like canoes ..... well we laughed and giggled at the size of them ... the Assistant came back, and he nearly died when I said to him "is it true what they say about big feet because if it is, I bet fellas who were these shoes have their 'doodahs' strapped to their legs ! Said Assistant howled with laughter and was still giggling as we were leaving ... but honestly - you have never seen a pair of shoes in your life as big as what these ones were ........... again, i'll load a picture of them later !

Anyway - love and kisses to you all on this most wonderful-lest of Valentines Days xxxxxxx

Blog hopping and Away with the Fairies !

I have been blog hopping this afternoon - and came upon the most fantastic blog ... wait until you see these creations - OMG - utterly fab fab fab ... here's the link to Lea Lawson's blog .. please just spend a minute looking, you won't be disappointed !

Anyway, I can't believe its less than two weeks until we all trek down to Oxford for the Away with the Fairies retreat.

Lianne and I were chatting about it tonight, and I was talking about how I will react when I actually get to meet one of my heroes Sir Tim - anyway, just i'm starting to buzz about Sir Tim, the phone goes and its Orlando !!! I had forgotten to send in my meal order for at the Hotel ... anyway, we chatted for ages about the retreat, and I was nearly peeing my pants - oh boy, I just cannot wait another 10 sleeps until I get there .......... well I will have to, but I really don't want to wait .... anyway, I'm sure I'll pee my pants by the time I get to meet the 'man' himself .... I have a feeling I will faint if he even says hello to me.

This really is a dream come true for me ... i've followed him for years and years (not stalking following, but following following if you know what i mean) .... never once thinking that I would ever get to take a class with him .... and here I am, little old me .... going to not only meet him but take a class with him - i'm gobsmacked. Honestly !!!!!!!!

Well, the layout above was made tonight while Lianne was here - for once we actually got some scrapping done instead of scoffing, drinking pop and laughing !

Take care everyone and don't forget to follow your dreams because you never know, one day they might come true. xx

My my ... loads to catch up on ......

School

We've had the school production of Oliver this week, and I always get roped in to doing the make up for the kids. This year we involved 18 primary school kids from surrounding schools, and they were absolutely fantastic !!! I haven't posted a picture of them for obvious reasons, but the kids at my school (and parents) have given the ok for theirs to be posted ... so here/there/wherever ... are a few of our kids in all their glory !!!

Thank goodness its all over tho. The show was on for 3 nights, and I had to be back in school for 5.30 every night .... I really do feel a bit knackered today ... but it really was well worth it !!!

Other News

So much going on at the moment that I'm meeting myself trying to catch up !!! Had a bit of a health scare last week when I got carted off by ambulance with a suspected heart attack - it turned out to be IBS and my fault because I haven't been taking the tablets properly ... 3 a day I'm supposed to be taking NOT one when I feel unwell !!! Ooops ! Week before that, my BP soared and my heart was racing so Doc has put me on Beta Blockers - I feel really fab on them ... so thanks to Dr Majunder - he has a lot to put up with from me !!!

Scrapping wise I haven't done a lot, as I've been busy making Valentine cards and other commissioned cards - god knows why i've got a run on cards at the moment. I must get some scrapping done tho as I have a load of photos to get printed off and scrapped !

Joke

Our Four Sons

Four guys went golfing; one went in the clubhouse to pay while the others waited at the first tee. One of the guys says, “I'm so proud of my son. He is a stock broker and he's made enought that he just gave away a huge portfolio.” The next guy said, “I'm so proud of my son. He's a car dealer and he's doing so well, he just gave away a Ferrari.” The third guy says, “I'm so proud of my son. He's got enough money that he just gave away a million-dollar home.” Just as the third guy fininshes talking, the fourth guy joins them and asks, “What are you guys talking about?'“Just about how good our sons are doing,” the three men replied. “Well, my son is doing very well,” says the fourth man, “He's a male stripper and just last week he got a huge portfolio, a Ferrari and a million-dollar home.”

Have you seen ........

......... the new Blog by Fairies with Tude ? ..... well, I made this chipbox after accidentally stumbling into their Blog .... cool or what ? It can be used for sooooo many things ... an address book, a card reminder, send gifts in ..... absolutely allsorts ... I am soooo chuffed with this !!!

I made mine using American Crafts papers and heaps of ribbons from Little Silver Hat

Catching up ...... (and I've been tagged again)

Oops - I seem to have been a tad remisce in posting on my blog ... anyway ...

I've had a bit of a heart scare (again). BP very high and my heart was racing, so doc has added a beta blocker to the mound of tablets that I'm already taking. Funnily enough, I only had a banging thumping headache that wouldn't shift .. but other than that, I felt ok in myself - ho hum. I'm feeling fine now, but stressing myself stupid about dying ... I need to get the thought out of my head, and stop being stupid so someone please give me a kick up the posterior.

Anyway, my latest round layouts, should be somewhere in this post .... again, where they turn up is anyone's bet !!!

While I've been off school, i've also made a start on Valentines cards - the kids at school always ask me to make a 'special' card for them, so in preparation i've made a start. I got some fab lushy lush ribbons from Lianne (www.littlesilverhat.co.uk) and i'm on a role .... isn't it funny that a single ribbon/piece of paper/embellishment can set you off on a role ... but a role I am on anyway !!

Swimming

Aaron started swimming lessons at the new baths tonight. He has no confidence in the water whatsoever even at 11, and although i'm not a pushy mother, I really have been pushy over this swimming malarky. He was previously having lessons at the main pool in Rochdale, but because of the confidence issues, they put him in a class with the toddlers !!! I could have cried for him ..... anyway, the class he is now with are kids his own age or just slightly older and he feels so much more happier about it now .... Well he must be happier because he swam a whole length on his back without floats and he's never done that before - rock on Aaron !!!!

Besides which, my brother who is now a [sea] Captain was exactly the same and hated the water until he was about 14 - ironic or wot ??

Tagged again .... by Hosiemosie

1. grab the book closest to you

2. open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence

3. post the text of the following three sentences on your blog

4. name of the author and book

5. tag three people of you own

"When Sergeant Player arrived at the committee headquaters, a requisitioned building in the Place de la Madeleine, he took his place in line waiting to receive a folder of information about what was expected of him, while he was on Allied territory - how to locate the Eiffel Tower, which clubs and restaurants were within his price range, how to avoid catching VD. It looked as if this advice was being dispensed by a group of middle aged ladies who couldn't possibly have seen the inside of a nightclub for the past twenty years".

Jeffrey Archer - The Fourth Estate

Tagging - Debbie Duck, Chrissie and Roz

(will add links tomorrow)