Morning All!!!

Well that was a busy week!!!
When it's so busy in the house and with Ruby there is not much time for crafting so I have to do my queezy cards. Now though there will be time to do some Cricuting and maybe even some stamping as there will be no gorgeous, mischievous little girl here this next week. They are off on holiday to Centre Parcs for a few days. Once all the sofa shifting, window cleaning and oven cleaning (bleurgh) are out of the way my time will be my own..yay!!!
DD and I nipped out to get my carry on bag for the plane when we go to New York. I've gone for a back pack which then can be used out and about for shopping......although I am not sure I got one big enough....lol!!! All I really need to buy now is a new coat but I will leave that until later in the year.
Tomorrow is car boot day so today we will be loading up the van ready for off at ridiculous 'o' clock in the morning.
Have a great weekend.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x- 

Sunny Day Shennanigans!!!

Inks and stamps........a very rare event in the workroom these days.
The Hero Arts butterfly is stamped onto a background inked with distress inks.
Foliage stamp is Kaisercraft and the sentiment is Inkadinkado.

It's a beautiful sunny day today....so far anyway.....and I am going to spend the morning preparing a picnic as Mr Manic and I are taking Miss Ruby to the Play Barn at Amerton after we pick her up from preschool. She loves it there so she got a one year pass for her birthday and we are all making the most of it. Either mummy and daddy or we take her at least three times a week which combined with being at pre-school every day is tiring her out and making her eat and sleep better than she has ever done. After a game of football I'm not sleeping too bad either.....lol!!!

The migraine didn't nobble me too badly yesterday and I managed to keep going until Ruby went home before I needed a lie down.
I must remember to take my sunglasses out with me today so that I don't end up with another one.
OK....off to give my bread buttering arm a workout.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x- 

Spring Birthday!!!

A 'queezy' (quick and easy) card this morning.
I bought the felt flowers from Hobbycraft just because I liked them with no idea of what I was going to do with them but they came in handy for a batch of quick cards.
Sentiment is from a pack which I got from The Works.

Well it's bright and sunny outside this morning and I had plans for being outside but I shall have to see how things go as I have woken up with the start of a migraine. I haven't had one for ages.
Luckily I've planned a simple evening meal which Mr Manic can cook if I am laid up with it.

Right......I'll get off and see if I can get something done before this head of mine scuppers me.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-   

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- 
  

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-    

Bits 'n' Bobs!!!

Another card.
Very simple using Cricut cut letters and Pink Petticoat papers.
The buttons I have had squirreled away forever. I think they came in a box of Papermania embellishments years ago when Debs' shop was still in Tutbury.
I shall be glad when this snow has gone now. I love it until it starts looking filthy and that is how it's looking now. Mind you...DD and I were up in the hills here earlier today and I was shocked at how much more there was up there. Massive drifts still about where the sun doesn't quite get to it.
My little angel has been very poorly this last week with a cold and the most horrendous cough which has been stopping her sleeping.
Hopefully she was able to go to her Easter party at pre-school this morning. I haven't spoken to DS yet today. I hope the injury I sustained while making her Easter bonnet weren't in vain. I took a chunk out of the side of my finger with hot glue. Oh my word it hurts. Very dangerous stuff this ganma business.....lol!!!
DS is taking me out for a meal on Saturday night to give me a night off cooking and washing up. Bless him. It will be nice to spend a bit of time with him.
I thought I would nip into town and have my hair trimmed to tidy it up a bit and ended up going mad and having it restyled to a chin length bob. I love it. Hubby didn't even notice when he came home from work.........it was only about six inches shorter......lol!!!
Well I am off for a major cardmaking session. No Ruby until next Wednesday so once the housey jobs are done my time is my own....yay!!!
Happy Easter.......have a good weekend.
Sheila-x-     

Easy Like Sunday Morning!!!

.......and what might I ask is easy about Sunday morning when you've been up since the crack of dawn? Six thirty am and I have already had a shower and cleaned the bathroom, tidied Ruby's bedroom and sorted the laundry. I forsee an early night tonight...lol!!!
The reason for my unusual activity is a visit later by the Doodle Clan who are coming for lunch......well if they can get out onto the road that is. They were snowed in yesterday. I think the farmer has cleared the roads but it's a bit tricky getting down the track from the cottage to the road. Hopefully they can make it.
ETA.....no they can't make it. They are blocked in by huge snow drifts. I have plated their dinner up and DD and I are going to drive down to meet DS who is going to walk down to the road.
I soooo wanted a hug with my Doodle Bird today as she isn't very well......well they all have pretty bad colds and DS has tonsilitis too. Not sure if DDIL will be able to get out for work tomorrow so it's a bit of a waiting game. 
My card today is made using some seed packet images from Dover Pictura. The background is stamped using an image which I think is PSX and Peeled Paint Distress Ink. The card is 8x8.
I'm off to crank up the old oven ready for it's days work. First a batch of scones and then a roast pork dinner with all the trimmings.
Bye for now.
Sheila-x-   

A Card To Share At Last!!!

I was beginning to think I would never post another picture on here. After promising to take some pics of the Easter cards before they went down to the shop Mr Manic was taken very ill and I have been nursing him back to health along with still taking care of Ruby and cooking for two households. No wonder I am feeling rather ragged around the edges then.....lol!!! I would kill to have my bath back right now and have a good soak in some Badedas.
Anyway......here at last is a card. I am rather enjoying using my Sweet Shoppe collections at the moment and for this one I have used a free kit called One For The Road (car and traffic lights) and a kit called Best Dad Ever for the papers.
I had good news when I went for my annual diabetic review last week. Not only have I lost more weight but my blood sugars have come down dramatically and my cholesterol too. I want to try and lose another two stones before we go to New York. The healthy eating is coming along nicely but I do need to do more exercise so I am going to try and get out and walk every day.
I'm afraid that I have had to disable the ability to leave anonymous comments due to the horrendous amount of spam comments I have been getting. Blogger usually copes with them quite well but lately a lot have been getting through and my e mail inbox has been inundated with them.
Right.....I am off to make some paper roses for my Darling Doodle's Easter bonnet........or I might cut up some paper ready for card fronts. I shall decide after a nice cuppa.
Thanks to anyone who is still dropping by.
Sheila-x- 

It's A First!!!

Another card order done and dusted. This is for a man who restores old cars.......hence the cogs.
I used the cogs embossing folder on the fishtail flags and for the silver cogs I used the new die set. Both by Papermania.
Didn't get much done today in the way of crafting. I felt proper 'off it'. I don't know what was the matter apart from feeling hot and bothered all day. I long for some nice crisp, frosty weather.
Dancing On Ice seemed to be lacking something tonight.......not sure what. Hopefully it will get a bit more exciting.
Must go and tidy the kitchen up as Miss Doodle will be here first thing. I only saw her Friday but it seems ages ago so I am ready for my kisses and cuddles.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x-

Nose To The Grindstone!!!

At the start of every new year I always wonder if this will be the year that the card orders dry up and I will have to find something else to do. Well I don't think it will be this year. I have just completed four orders today (sorry....Saturday) and have a mahoosive order from my best customer for her cards for the whole year.
Lucky for me that I have new Cricut cartridges and stuff to play with then.
My card for today is made using the Cricut Suburbia cartridge which I had for Christmas.
The background is stamped using an Artemio stamp and I have gone around the edges with black chalk.
DD restocked at the shop for me on Thursday so I had a few pennies to pick up some of my want list from the new Papermania collections. So I now have the cogs stamp and embossing folder and the Vintage notes doily stamp and die. I also treated myself to a DCWV stack of glitter paper as I am fed up of the glitter card that sheds and gets everywhere. Oooooh I do love new stuff.
I'm hoping that Mr Manic will offer to do lunch tomorrow so that I can get on with making as everything will have to stop for Dancing On Ice......yay!!! Last year I watched Strictly Come Dancing for the first time.......loved it and am missing it so DOI has come along just right for me.
Well I just have to put the finishing touches to one last card for this session and then it's a cup of decaff and bed for me.
Bye for now......and thanks for visiting.
Sheila-x-
 

No Christmas Today!!!

I really shouldn't try and take pics at night in this back room but hey ho......I think you can get the gist of it.
A last minute order late last night which needs delivering tomorrow so I thought I would give my new Sewing Room die an airing.
Papers....I haven't a clue as I just dragged them off the shelf and got to work.
The dies for the mirror are Go Kreate and XCut.
I cut the mannequin, spool and buttons from chipboard and used a Snow Cap Dabber on them.
I think I shall be making more of these for the shop.

Today has been rather frustrating. I finished Ruby's angel costume and took it down to try it on her for length etc and everything was perfect so I said to keep it there to show London grandma who was making a flying visit. Today Mr Manic picked it up to be washed and ironed and instead of going with my instincts and giving it a gentle handwash......I put it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle and the bloody voile on the wings has frayed and the lace has come away. So the evening I was going to spend playing with a couple of new Cricut cartridges will now be spent sewing the lace back on by hand....ooooooh I could spit. And once that's done I need to tidy the workroom and get all of my stuff out of the way of the little fingers that will be here early in the morning and make a lasagne for tea tomorrow. I need a wife I think......lol!!!
Anyhoo...best get to it.
Tara for now.
Sheila-x- 

The Boy!!!

Here's the little boy card to go with the one I posted yesterday. Exactly the same except I used a Spellbinder star die instead of a flower punch.
I can't believe I was up before the alarm this morning and raring to go. So glad it didn't rain as we had an amazing morning. I think I need to have another sort out before the next one we do in a fortnight.....weather permitting. I don't mind the cold but I draw the line at standing in a field in the rain.
Had to have a nap after lunch and woke up feeling a bit blurgh so a bit of gentle pottering tonight I think before an early night. Ruby is being dropped off at some ungodly hour tomorrow morning as her mummy has to catch an early train to London for a training day.
So that's me for today........hope you had a good weekend.
Thanks for dropping by.
Sheila-x-

Warning....Cute!!!

Sorry.....it just had to be done. I am in desperate need of baby cards for the shop stand.
Baby face and bottle are from Cricut-Doodlecharms and the flower is punched.
Sentiment is by Rubbadubbadoo.
I am secretly chuffed with how it turned out for saying I don't like making baby cards.......as you well know.
Today has been pretty productive on the housey front and we now have several jars of homemade jam in the store cupboard. There were some extremely bargainous strawberries at the veg shop in town yesterday......two large punnets for a pound and Mr Manic gathered some damsons for free today so I set about christening my jam kettles. Pretty scary stuff this jam making but the strawberry tastes divine. Slightly runnier than it should be but none the worse for it. The damson is gorgeous and I wish now that I had made more than the three jars I did.
Tomorrow DD and I are off to Moira again to do the car boot.....well depending on the weather when we get up. We are forecast rain so I shan't go if it is thrashing it down. Whatever we do the van has to be unloaded tomorrow as Mr Manic is back at work on Monday after a fortnight off. Luckily we don't have to lug it all up the garden steps and into the house as my kind hubby has cleared a huge space in the garden shed and we can park right in front of it.
I just have to tidy up this pit of a workroom and then I am off for a shower before I plonk myself on the sofa for a read. The book I am reading is just getting very tense and interesting after a slow start and I find myself reading bits of it whenever I can be doing something with one hand while I hold the book with my other hand. Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Circus...Sort Of!!!

Not something you see ever so often on my blog....cards for children but this is an order for a special little boy.
The card is 8x8.
Dies used-:
Lion-Sizzix
Scallop border-Sizzix Tim Holtz On The Edge
Ballons and stars-Sizzix Framelits
Number-Sizzlet Alphabet Round-a-bout
I used a free Craft Stamper stamp for the bunting
The lions stand is handcut.
I must say that I am pretty chuffed with it.

Ruby has just about run me ragged today so a nice gentle evening is in order. I may do some prep for making cards with later in the week.
Thanks for visiting me today.
Sheila-x-

Paris!!!

Another card from the order I have just done.
Backgrounds are some of my inky ones.
Stamps-:
Eiffel Tower- Stampers Anonymous.
Carte Postal-Kaisercraft
Sentiment-Personal Impressions.

I nipped up to Byrkley today as I needed some primary coloured card.......and once again I came out with enough stamps to stock a shop. I just had to have the Michael Powell Christmas stamps so had all four and then I fell in love with the new Urban Stamps-Home for Christmas so I ended up with three sets of them as well. Eeeeeeh what am I like?
Since then I have had my head down making. I was a bit stumped for a card for a little boy of two but that's all sorted now and I'll show you that tomorrow.
Mr Manic has lit a fire tonight as it is wet, windy and rather chilly so I think I will wind down now and go have a snuggle after my shower.......talking of which.......I still hate it and don't know if I will ever get to like it. I want me bath back!!!
Thanks for dropping in today.
Sheila-x-

Fashion!!!

One of the cards for the order I have been working on.
The papers are First Edition.
The lady image is by Stampendous and the fashion definition is Rubbadubbadoo.
Punched border is Martha Stewart.

Well it's been a fabulous day today. I spent the morning finishing off the order as there were no house jobs to do......I expect I could have found some but I didn't go looking....lol!!!
Then when DD got up she took me out for lunch and a wander around The Range where I bought some paper stacks for Christmas cards. Mr Manic was just having ham and salad for tea so I got that prepared and did him some new potatoes to go with it...and that was the extent of my domesticity today......it felt like I was on holiday.
No Ruby tomorrow as DDIL is off work so I just have her two days and then they are all off for a week.......plenty of jobs lined up for me so that won't be a holiday week for me.
I'm going to tidy up in here now and then start on some more cards that need finishing off.
Thanks for your visit.
Sheila-x-