The Hat!!!

For my card today I have used an image from a Dover Pictura collection.
The hat has been blinged with Chameleon Glitter and tiny gems.

Well it was a bit of a shock getting up so early for the car boot yesterday.......and it was soooooo cold. The sun finally came out at about ten am and bought people with it and in the end we had a fairly good day.
Today I will be picking Miss Doodle up from pre-school and if the weather is OK we will be spending some time out in the front garden trying to tidy it up a bit once I have the quiche made for tea.
So I will go and get on as I really do fancy a day outside.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-   

Sweet Sixteen!!!

Pink and pretty for a young lady who will be sweet sixteen.
I've used Sizzix dies for the numbers and the rosette and Sizzix and Quickutz dies for the circles.
Pearl centre and sweetheart blossoms from Wild Orchid.
Ribbon and lace from my stash.

It's been a couple of busy days these last two days. Yesterday DD and I were out shopping for eight hours. We started off at Hobbycraft in Tamworth as I wanted some gathered lace and some particular buttons. They didn't have either so we then hit The Range in Burton where I did score on the buttons and also came out with a pair of flip flops as my slippers are getting a bit warm now the temperature is rising. After a reviving Starbucks we got the food shopping done and finally got home at just after five. Mr Manic thought we had got lost.
In search of the gathered lace, today we toddled off to Bridgemere and the Hobbycraft there. Still no luck but came out of one of the other concessions with footwear for New York street pounding so it wasn't a total loss........only thirty one weeks until I am wearing them......lol!!!
Up with the lark tomorrow morning for the car boot at Moira. The van is packed and everything else is sorted so just need to make us something to eat and a flask. Hope the rain holds off for a bit so we get some customers.
I think a cuppa and an early night are in order tonight.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x- 
  

Gnashing Of Teeth!!!

So.....for my birthday on April 15th I asked Mr Manic for a stash of ink cartridges for my printer. They arrived on April 16th and on April 16th my printer died. How bloody annoying is that?
I loved my little Epson Stylus S21 unfortunately it is no longer available:(( but Mr M came to the rescue and today I am awaiting the arrival of a new Epson printer and continuous ink system so we'll see how we get on with that.
ETA........I am cursed as far as printers are concerned. My new one arrived, got it set up and working with the sampler cartridges then opened the CISS and found two bottles of ink missing. I now have to wait until the postie brings them as the company I ordered from said they would send them out but not when.
I daren't print too much with these samplers so I am in a right old grump now........lol!!! 
Ah well....the car boot season has started again so I shall have to see if anyone is interested in the cartridges up there. I'm hoping to be up at Moira car boot a week on Sunday and then I shall do every other week throughout the summer.
Well I am off to have a ferret in the freezers and cupboards and make a shopping list for this afternoon.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x- 

Wot's This?!!!

Stamping......yes I stamped and coloured and inked. First time for ages and it was bliss.
The stamp was free on a magazine, paper is Basic Grey and I think the sentiment thingymadoodle was free from a magazine.....it was white but I inked it over to match the rest of the card.
I also got to do stampy and inky things yesterday. No Doodle in the house and it was my birthday so after DD had taken me out to lunch I decided to take a couple of hours off doing housey things. I've not made the efforts up into a card yet......that's a job for tonight after everyone is fed and watered and the washing up is done.
It's very strange here this morning as Ruby should be here but she is at pre-school. Mummy drops her off before going on to work and then we will be picking her up at eleven thirty. Oooooh I missed my early morning cuddle this morning.
Well there's time to do a couple more jobs before we have to out so I will get off and do them.
Bye for now.
Sheila-x-    

Blue For A Boy!!!

At the moment I am in the midst of all my least favourite cards and trying to make stock to fill gaps at the shop.
Baby cards are my least favourite but I came across the cute idea of using buttons as wheels on the bottom of this Sizzix elephant on Pinterest. I hasten to add that my card is totally different to the one I saw.
Papers are Pink Petticoat.

Well the sleepover went very well.......apart from a two thirty am wake up with a demand for breakfast. She did settle back down though and then slept until seven am. She was a little angel.
Monday we took her out on DD's Grand National winnings and she was a little demon. I had to get DD to take her back to the car where her mood changed instantly and I got back to find her giggling and behaving beautifully. I wouldn't have minded but I was in Hobbycraft buying mostly crafting stuff for her having already bought her two beautiful books from the Bridgemere book department. Ooooh she can be a monkey sometimes.
Yesterday she was lovely again so I wonder what today will bring when we take her to the cinema for the first time.
I did score myself a couple of mega bargains though while at Hobbycraft......the 2012 Heirloom Ornament Spellbinders dies for ten pounds and a couple of twenty metre rolls of ribbon for a pound each. I was well chuffed. There were plenty more bargains to be had but I was rushing to get back to the car to rescue DD although it turned out she didn't need it.

Next week Ruby starts going to pre-school five days a week so I won't have her until lunchtime now on the days she comes to me. I can't believe she is old enough but she is soooo ready for it. I will miss my early morning cuddles though until the school holidays.

Well I had best go plonk meself in bed if I am going to stay awake at the cinema later today.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-      

Gold!!!

Due to time issues at the minute.....in that I don't seem to have very much....lol......most of the cards I am making are quite plain and simple.

Dies are Sizzix and Quickutz.

The gem hearts were picked up at The Range sometime last year so I don't know if they still have them. They are clear but I tinted this one with a Promarker.

I have never been a coupon collector and user but now with having to feed six of us for half of the week on a budget for three I have become one. The trouble is that the coupons and vouchers drive me mad being all scrunched up in my purse and every week I had to go through them all to see if I could use any of them.......until I hit upon an easy solution.........a business card holder. I got a cheap one from Wilko which was about one fiftyish and now all of those pesky bits of paper are in order. Some of them have to be folded but I try not to fold across the barcode and distort it. I can see what I can use at a glance when I'm writing the shopping list and it's small enough to take to the supermarket with me.

The girl overseeing the Shop and Scan at Tesco was rather impressed with it so I thought I would just share my idea.

My little princess is coming to stay the night tomorrow so that mummy and daddy can have a date night. I have promised her a film and sweeties......naughty ganma......lol!!!

Most times when I babysit it's at their house and she is already in bed so I am quite excited to have her over to sleep in her own room. Not so sure I am looking forward as much to the five am wake up though. Hope Mr Manic is up for cooking lunch on Sunday.....lol!!!

Rightio.......time to get off and phone DD at work for a natter and then I am off to bed.

Tara for now.

Sheila-x-       

Peace & Quiet!!!

A birthday card for a Grandpa who loves his gardening.
I've used a Sweet Shoppe kit for this one and some little ladybird embellishments I picked up at Hobbycraft.
Talking of Hobbycraft......I see they are opening one in Derby in July. That will be very handy for me as it will be on Kingsway Retail Park and we can be there in ten minutes or so....great stuff.
We had a nice peaceful day here at Manic Towers yesterday. No visiting and no visitors so we all just did our own thing. I made a batch of baby cards while Mr Manic cooked lunch. It was lovely.
Today I have got down a box of diecuts which I want to use up along with a stack of papers so I shall go and get on and see what I produce.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-