Some photos of new shop.

Here are a few photos of the new shop, hope you like them.

Internet at last............

I have finally got the Internet in at the shop , so I feel like I can start to relax at last.

The move went very well it only took us a weekend to move the fittings and then a few days to get everything up in the new place. I was very lucky as the guy I am renting from had just had the whole place painted and a new floor put down. I will post some photos when I get chance.

At the moment all my personal crafting stash is still in boxes but Hal finished putting up some shelves for me this week so I will be able to get them unpacked. I am so far behind with my CJ at the moment, luckily I don't have the CJs to post so I am not stopping anyone else getting them and will post my pages as soon as possible.

Back again.

Well I am back at this again.......

I have only just got back into the shop as we have not had any power for the last few days, the local power people decided to dig up the road and lay new cables. That and the fact that I have decided to move the shop things are just hunky dory at the moment........

The shop move is one that I have been thinking about for a while now and the right place came up so I am off to a new bigger home. I will also have a class room upstairs as well as a lot more room for the shop. It was getting to the point of if I had anything new I was having to take off some thing else to put it on display.

I dont seem to of done any scrapping for a while so all I have to show you is my kit lo from the UK Scrappers birthday party, hope you like it.

Im Back.........

OK I am back, sorry it has taken so long since my last blog.

I have been wondering just why I haven't been on here! yes I have had a major problem with my keyboard and with the power and Internet going down but that should not of stopped me. Then the other day I was chatting to a friend about blogs and how I just haven't been here for so long and realised that I have not been on since I gave my cousin my blog address. How weired it that! I obviously don't mind total strangers reading what I have to say but clam up when it comes to me knowing that family are reading. (love you lots Maggs)

So what has happened since the last blog?

To start with I have been tagged by Sue of the Design Collective.
Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.

1.Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

OK, so here goes:

1. I am totally addicted to tuna mayonnaise (I have it every day)

2. I live in a country that does not exist as for as the rest of the world is concerned.

3. I am married to the best man in the world my sole mate Hal.

4. I run a successful craft business in a country that doesn't do crafts as we know them.

5. I am always putting myself down.

6. I am a scrap stalker, I stalk a few different blogs each day.

7. I am a very loyal friend.

Now to tag others, I think I will tag,

Sunday my team mate from UK Scrappers.

Sharon who is in my CJ group.

Jennie who is also in the same CJ group and also has the same template for her blog.

Kirsty because she makes me laugh each day.

Emily I met her early in the year and she had a amazing effect on me.

I cannot think of anyone else at the moment so these will have to do.

New Team

A few weeks ago I joined a new team on UKScrappers Its great fun even if I have not been able to give it my full attention with all the things that have been going on at home. It gives me another outlet for my scrapbooking, we get weekly challenges set by each team and also by ourselves. I set this weeks planning to use Bazzil Bling and a overlay! as you can see from the end result things did not go as planned. I just love this photo it just makes me smile every time I look at it. It was taken early in the summer at a friends before it got to hot to be in the sun for long. If you look close you can see the pink glitter card that I used as a mat for the main photo. I think my man is macho enough to take it.!!

Wedding Book

The last few weeks I have been doing a wedding book for a friend to give to her brother as a gift after the wedding. I first told her that I would not do it but she has been so good to me the last few weeks with things that have been going on at home and she has been helping another friend out that I changed my mind and said I would do it for her.
I have never done a book like this before, I have always known the person involved so I had something to go on but this time there was nothing. I managed to get there favorite song so I have used that along with blank pages for her to put the photos and get the guests to sign before she gives it to them.

All I can do now is hope they like it.

I have put a few photos here but I have added a slide on the side of this blog with all the photos in.

If you have a look I hope you like it.

Bad Blogger!!!

I don't know how I have managed to not blog for over two weeks!!

There hasn't been a lot going on at the moment with it still being so hot, but I have managed to do a few more pages for the All my own work class. The Pet Peeves one I used file folders to hid my lists as I am going to have the album on show at work when I have finished and do not want some of my customers to know just what I think of them.

The next prompt was Rewards and Pleasures and I got to play with some lovely new stock on this one. I am trying to do each layout in a slightly different style to give people ideas as to what they can do themselves.

I will have to get a move on and get the rest done as the last prompt was today and I still have about 3 to do.

Bad Girls

I have just added the Bad Girls blinkie to my blog and cannot get it to blink!!!!! I have had this problem before and cannot remember how I changed it. Can anyone help please?

Photo from local paper!!!!!!

OK so this is the photo that was in the local paper from the Harry Potter party, isn't it a bad photo? He took two as I thought I had pulled a face on the first one, so witch one did he use? the first one of course!!!

I just do not know where the time is going, I am not very busy at work but do not seem to be getting anything done. I am blaming it all on the weather. I did manage to get a small AC unit to cool the shop down, but of course the weather has changed again and it is just nice at the moment.

I have managed to finish the next layouts for Dolly's class but that is about all I have done, I will post it when I get the photo done.

1st August

Well its the first of the month and this is supposed to be the hottest month of the year! We have had temperatures in the top 40s all ready so I really do not think it can get much higher. At the moment I am sitting here with the sweat dripping of my nose (not a pretty site) as we do not have air con in this building.

I just cannot get the motivation to do anything in this heat, I know it is just an excuse but it is true. I just hope some thing is done about the heat in here soon.

Latest pages

I have just finished the next two pages from Dolly's prompt. The first photo is my take on a typical day or week and the second is where I work. The journaling for this is on the tags in the middle, you can see the ribbon.

I have just looked at the next prompt and it suggests hidden journaling! Just done that on this one.

I am having a problem with the heat at the moment. It has got to 44 in the shade for a few days the last couple of weeks and it is starting to get me down. No one is coming into town because it is just too hot, so I am sat at work in the heat trying to work but everything is just too sticky.

I just cannot wait for the rain........

Harry Potter!!!!

OK so how sad am I! waiting up to get the new book.

We were invited to a party at our local and only english bookshop for the last book. It was a good night, we won the prize for the best adult costume but you will have to wait to see the photos as we forgot to take our camera with us. The book was released at midnight in the UK but that meant we had to wait until 2:00am to get ours, so if you hear any funny noises its me asleep on the keyboard, But I did manage the first 12 pages while we were waiting for the taxi home.

I hope it lives up to the hype, but only time will tell.

Happy Birthday Hal

Today is the birthday of the best man in the world, my husband Hal.

Happy Birthday darling.

Help I have been tagged!!!!

I have just been tagged by Kate so now I have to think of 7 interesting things to say about myself. This could take a few days of thought so just keep a look out for the revelations.

I was going to leave this link here today for anyone interested in a few sneak peeks from this years CHA. Hope you enjoy it.

All my own work

I have started doing Dolly's online class called All my own work. I am using a small 6x6 album for this class, as I have got one hanging around and all my layouts are a lot bigger than that.

I have enjoyed doing these first pages.

The one on the left is some of the brands I stock, the idea for the layout came from the All about me album I got sent from America.

The right side is just a tongue in cheek take on what I think about by work. I think the photos might be a bit big if you click on them as I am still not sure just how to do all of this.

I now have to write a job description! that should be fun. I will keep you posted as to how this comes along.

Music Monday!

I keep seeing this all over on other peoples blogs and it has really grown on me to the extent that i find my self singing it in the shower!!!

If you want to know what it is go here.

Scrapping again at last.

I have finally done another page. I just do not know what is wrong with me at the moment I have not done anything worthwhile for ages but hopefully that is coming to an end.

I love this range by Bo-Bunny and have been looking for the right photo to go with it. I have been thinking of doing a layout of my stepson's wedding but when I saw this photo I thought if I changed it to black and white it would work. There are a few things on there you cannot see properly as the photo is not the best.

ITS RAINING!!!!!

1st July and its raining! What is happening to the world?

Too Hot...

It is just too hot to do anything at the moment. The temperature is in the top 40s and they say it is going to get worse. The shops in the centre were I work are going to start opening later and close at about 10 at night to see if people will come in when it is cooler. Myself I think most people will not be around until it cool's down.

R.I.P. Gerry

We got up yesterday and noticed the cat was not well again, he had a history of this problem. So we went to the vets with him and left him as we usually do so they could see to him and arranged to pick him up later, as we have done so many times before.

Then at lunch time I just got a feeling that I could not shake off, so I rang my husband and asked him to ring the vet as I couldn't do it. He rang me back a few minutes later to tell me that the op went well but this time he just did not wake up.

I will miss you and your funny ways. The way you would sit on top of the cupboards in the kitchen and make me jump, the way you would be at the food cupboard as soon as anyone walked into the kitchen, even if you were asleep outside and the way you would curl up on my legs in the cold to keep warm.

Goodbye Gerry.

I'm Back Home!!!!!

I'm back.

I had a good time seeing the family again and shopping but is great to be back home. I knew I would be like this but I had to do it.

I went to a new supplier whilst I was in England, well they are new to me. It was great fun going around the warehouse getting to see and feel all the stock before making up my mind, of course I wanted everything but I had set myself a limit before I went so I couldn't get too carried away. {The new Elsie books and felt flowers just fell into my bag at the end, along with the Rusty Pickle Princess transparencies!!!}

Well you have to don't you.

I will add pics to my shop site when they arrive.

So its back to work, pricing up the stock I brought back with me and getting ready for the refit that I should be having next week.

I'm Coming Home.

I have booked my ticket and I am coming back to the UK next week. I don't know why I call it home as I have spent most of my life abroad, I suppose its because my family are all there.

Not a lot going on!!!

There is not a lot going on at the moment.

My friend Ronnie has come over to live for a few months, so it is great just having someone to talk to that is on the same wavelength. I am suffering from a large bout of homesickness at the moment and I have lost all confidence I had in myself when it comes to scrapbooking. I have done a few layouts just lately that have gone straight in the bin. I am going to book a flight back to the UK for a week just to sort myself out. If I see all the family that will help and being in UK again I will soon want to be back here.



I was sent this photo of my neice and her boyfriend a few days ago and I think this is what started it all off. Where has the time gone where has the little girl gone. This is her last School prom as she will be off to uni next year. I just feel as if I have missed so much of her growing up.

The Secret

I have been reading the secret the last few days and then found this great site. For the whole of June there is a online workshop called Scrapbooking the Secret.

I have also just found this site called Its a creative world. A great site for all things crafty.

I don't think I will have any excuse not to do things this month.

Not Blogging!!!

OK so I have not been blogging again for a while.

There is not a lot to talk about at the moment. My friend has come out to live with us for a few months, so it is great having someone to talk to again. I have been getting frustrated with paypal as it will not verify my payment for the design collective this month and I really do not want to miss out on any of the classes.

There is not much more to say really, a very boring time.
Other than the tourists are arriving and driving me insane and the season has just started!

Oh well...

A heart for sharing!

I have been following Shimelle's blog for a while now. This month she has been sharing a few things with us, the first was making these felt hearts.

The main problem I had doing this was trying to find felt on this island. I looked everywhere but could not find any. In the end I had to get my mum to send me some from England. I have seen on a few blogs some really good felt animals made so I think I will have a go at them as well.

Sorry about the quality of the photo but it was the only one I managed to get before my battery's ran out.

This is fun

You Belong in 1953

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatyeardoyoubelonginquiz/">What Year Do You Belong In?

It has got the date wrong!!! I wasn't born until a lot later Honest lol

Quiet week at work!

It has been so quiet at work this week, but that has given me time to finish my slide mailer from last months design collective.

I could only get a double mailer so I have made it into more of a picture frame than a key ring. I have still put a ring on to it so I could put it on to my bag if I wanted, but I think it will stay on my desk at work.

Scraplift

I have not done much scrapbooking this week. I did just do a scraplift from Terrie Farrell's blog, it is called Emily.

I used some photos we had done before we left England. The paper I used has a compass in the middle which you cannot see to well on the photo and I just cannot cut a straight line no matter what I use.

I am still doing the slide mailer from the DC site and I should get the coaster book finished this week, so I will get them on the blog as soon as I can.

I have found if I keep my postings short I can get them to publish, so this will do for now.

I WON!!!!

I do not believe it I won with my frog crown. There were only two of us in the gallery (mine went in twice by accident and I don't know how to delete it) and I thought the other crown would win as it was fabulous. A lot of time and effort had gone into making it and it was something that could be worn with pride. But my little frog crown won???

My Crowning Glory

The last challenge I managed to get done today was to make a crown. Well I knew I would not have the time to make one for myself so I put one together for the frog that sits on my desk at work. I think he looks good in it but the photo I put on the gallery is not that good.

I have had fun the last few days doing these challenges as I have never done anything like this before. I do not think I will win any thing as the standard of work on the gallery is amazing, and the things I have done have been done for the fun of it.

Loo Key Tag!!

The second project I tackled was to make a tag for your craft bag. Well as I do not have a bag yet and the one I am getting comes with its own tag, I thought I would make a tag for the loo key at work. I used just the paper that was on my desk and my quickuts to add decorations. I think it looks all right, and it does the job I haven't lost my key since I put it on this!!!

First Project!

I have just finished the first project of the day. It was to use a 6x12 layout. I have never done this size before so it was a bit of a challenge to come up with something original and new. I have used Bazzil cardstock and a transparency that I downloaded from 3peas. I think it looks OK. The photo was one that was done for her 16th birthday.

National Scrapbooking Day

Its national scrapbooking day and the Design Collective have a great collection of challenges on there site. I am hoping to get a few done this weekend. I will post them as I have finished them.

Lets try again!!!

OK I know you will not believe me but I have been trying to post on here for the last two weeks. I think I might of got to the bottom of the problem. I post in the afternoon after I have done what needs to be done for the shop but by then America is just waiting up and I have a problem getting on to blogger. Well that's my theory.

I am going to keep this short and see if I can get it to download.

I am 50

OK so how do I feel?

I am still the same as last week, well almost.
The last few weeks I have been getting very depressed. I have been thinking of all the things in life that I thought I would of had or done by now. I was going to do Shimelle's class but I was getting very down just thinking about the past. If I give it a week or two I might feel up to facing it.
I have had a good time with the boys here and I know Hal has just loved seeing them again.

First page done!

I have got my first page from The Design Collective done.

I used some dome stickers from Paper Adventures, a rub on from AMM and fibre that came in the basket I got given at christmas. I am quite pleased with it.

Easter eggs....

Jon and Kate finally got here after a delay of one and a half hours!!! and they brought Easter eggs with them. I didn't think we were going to have any eggs this year and now we have a large egg each and a box of cream eggs....Joy.

Lets just hope James and Lara get here ok and don't get delayed.

I am looking forward to having them all here for a few days and it is a great chance for Hal to have some quality time with them as he hasn't seen them since September.

Sorry!

I have not been on here as much as I should be.

The ball was a great night and staying the night in hotel was a treat but as normal with me the camera batteries ran out and I didn't get as many photos as I wanted.

The first classes from The Design Collective are out and they are really good. I thought we would be getting about one or two classes a month but the first one was three classes and a list of tips. I think this is very good value for what we paid and we are getting this a few times each month, I don't know how they do it!

I haven't got any of the layouts done that I wanted to get done this week and we are getting visitors as from tonight so I don't know when I will get time to do anything.

Getting to grips with this blog!

I am getting to grips with this blog.
I have just added a slider to show all my scrapbook photos! OK so I will now have to start taking photos of my pages. But that should be OK. The last two layouts I did I had framed and gave to my Mum for mothers day. I will just have to get the others done and onto this site. I am planing on doing one this week with some Bo Bunny stock we have just had in, and we are going to a ball this weekend so I will make sure I take my camera for that.

First Folder

I did It!

I got my first folder done. I thought I would do a few folders, one for each different technique then keep them all together in a magazine rack. I have just been outside and photographed it, now I can see all the flaws. Its amazing how you finish something and then a few days later you look at it again and wish you had done part of it different. Or is that just me?

We had a quiet weekend just went out with friends for dinner on Saturday night and then stayed in all day Sunday. The sun was out so we just sat about in the courtyard topping up the tan. I got a bad case of the blues yesterday but as it was the 25th I don't think I did too bad.

I have decided to do a few more layouts for work this week, lets just see if I can get them done or not.

Will It ever get done?

I still haven't started on my year book! I am not sure if I really want to do this now or not. I thought it sounded like a good idea before Christmas but now I am not sure. I sat down to start yet again yesterday and ended up making a tab book and a match book. At least I am getting something done.

I signed up to The Design Collective, they have some really great ideas and I am looking forward to starting there projects in a few weeks.

There is nothing much happening at the moment. It is cold and wet most of the time, and I am fed up wearing lots of layers. I just cannot wait for the summer.

Apple pie and ice cream!

OK so today isn't a good day! I am sitting here eating apple pie and ice cream!!!

I have been looking through a lot of blogs I have found on other peoples sites, and feel quite inadequate now. I will no doubt find out how to add things to this blog as I go along, but at the moment it just looks so bare to me.

I have also not done any crafting for a few days now, I just do not seem to have any motivation at present. I look at what others are doing and think "I couldn't do that" I will have to get out of this slump or I will get nothing done at all.

Oh well back to the pie.

What a week

Well where do I start!

Mum went back to England on Saturday, so we were up at 4am to get her to the airport on time for the flight. I then went back to bed for a few hours and Hal opened the shop for me, as we were going out that night. I went in to work at lunchtime and Hal came home to bed for a quick nap.

Sunday we just had a quiet day cleaning and getting things straight again as we hadn't had chance since I came out of hospital in January. The day ended we me falling flat on my face in the courtyard! luckily I didn't break anything, but my face is a bit of a mess.

On Tuesday I got a parcel from one of the new suppliers I met when I was at the show. The stock is a change from what I normally have so I hope it goes well.

All in all it has been a strange week, I think the fact that it started out hot and then has rained for the rest of the time has made everyone unsettled. That and the fact that I just don't seem to be able to settle down and start on my year scrapbook, we are in March already and I haven't even done January yet. I will just have to get down to it or I will not have any done by the time my birthday comes and that is the hole point of doing it.

Sunday

We had a great day on Sunday.

We went for a drive across the top coast of the island and I got my feet wet for the first time this year. We stopped for a coffee at a cafe just by the gate of a housing estate. Am I glad I don't live there, they were in the middle of a meeting. All we could hear was "you cant do this and you cant do that" just what we had left England to get away from, but it did give us all a good laugh.

The flowers are all just coming out at this time of year so the walks and road sides are so colourful.

Im back!!

I had a great time in England at the trade show.

Arrived on the Thursday and saw both boys, it was great to see them even if it was only for a few hours. Traveled up to Birmingham on the Friday and had a great time shopping.

The show started on Sunday but there were a lot of us there on the Saturday to start on the workshops. I was one of the lucky ones as I had managed to get a ticket for Tim Holtz. I think we all enjoyed getting our hands dirty with the inks and dyes, I know I did. I got my photo taken with him and will download that later, I also got my photo done with Sara Naumann from Hot of the press.

I have my Mum with me at the moment so I don't seem to be back into my routine yet.

A week!

I just cannot believe that a week has gone past all ready.

At the moment though I am getting ready to go to the UK for my first trade show, I am so excited about it. I have been reading up on the web sites about all the new stock that has just been launched.

To have a job that is also your hobby can be nerve racking at times. Do I order because I like it or do I really think the shop needs it? Well I will try not to get too much for me!

My first Blog!

This is my first blog.

I have decided to start a blog as a way of recording my thoughts and feelings as I am coming up to my 50th birthday. I also hope to add the work I have been doing for the shop and my scrapbook pages.