My New Look Website!!

At last - I have finished updating and revamping my website!! Any of you that have been with me since the beginning, will remember that the reason I set up the blog was for me to be able to document my trials and tribulations when setting up the website. Somewhere along the line, the blog took a different direction (one which I am very happy with I have to say), while the website faded away into the background.

I lost interest in it last year with the whole redundancy thing, and it never really did very well. To be honest, it didn't do well AT ALL. I realise now that it needs something else to make it somewhere people will want to visit . I'm not going to abandon the card selling - I can't stop making cards, and I need somewhere to sell them BUT I need to try something else. I haven't in the past, sold my other non-card items through the site - things like boxes, bags and the plethora of other things I now make and sell when I manage to get to craft fairs and the like, with my stall. So that will be my next job.

I'm also looking into a few other ideas - some of which could be a joint enterprise with my husband - others which are still a bit 'pie in the sky'. But you never know - some of them may just work!!

However, in the meantime, I felt that the site needed a much more interesting look. It was very white and uninspiring - and probably reflected how I felt at the time, as much as the amount I knew about developing a website. Alongside the new look, I have added a Clearance section, and another called "As seen on my blog", where selected cards featured in my blog will be available for sale. These currently have no message inside, so the purchaser will have the opportunity to choose what they would like to say!!

It's been quite a frustrating job to do the revamp - as when I altered one thing, it had a knock on effect on something else. At one point last week, I thought I'd lost the whole thing - and believe me there were tears and tantrums. I have to say, however, that once I got the hang of the live chat/help facility, which meant I could get advice and help on the problems within minutes, I was away. I feel sorry for the poor guys on the other end as I feel I was probably asking some quite stupid and obvious things!!

So, please feel free to check out the new-look site (click here to be re-directed there now) - and leave a message either there on the Guest Book, or here on the blog, letting me know what you think!! And as and when I add new things on, I'll let you know.

Speak soon!!

Cxxx

Nan's Buttons!!

At the end of last week, I had a break from crafting and spent some time researching my family tree. I have been working on this for several years - working in fits and starts, and moving slowly back into my family's past. The lady in this photo is my Nan (my Mum's mum). I don't have many memories of her - and that makes me sad in that I was 9 when she died - not exactly very young. My eldest niece is now 10, and I know how close she is to my Mum. If (heaven forbid) anything were to happen to my Mum (or my Dad), I wonder just how much would she or her younger sister would remember. I know I spent lots of time with my Nan - every Saturday afternoon she would look after me, my sister and my two older cousins so my Mum and my Aunt could go shopping on their own without the kids(something they still do to this day). It's sad that I don't remember.

On Monday, I took my Mum to two local cemeterys to look for the graves of her grandparents - strange I know, but I'm finding gravestones a good source of information, and I didn't have accurate death dates for them!! Mum quite enjoyed herself, as did my two nieces. My sister was less impressed - she said that graveyards gave her the heebeejeebees!! 

So, what does all this have to do with buttons? Well, the lady in this photo is my other Nan - and of course this is her wedding photo with my Grandad. Now this Nan I knew very well - and she was the last of my grandparents to pass away - just one year after my Grandad. I inherited her button box - along with all her other sewing things which I still use for all my mending. But until this week, all the buttons had just been left unused. I had sorted them into colour groups ages ago - but hadn't really been inspired to use them for anything. Until now!!

I had been wanting to have another go at making some gift bags - and finally got round to it. The bags are made from pearlescent card which gives them a lovely sheen - and although at 14cm x 18.5cm x 7cm not overly large - I'm happy that they are a useful size.

I chose to delve into the buttons to decorate the bags. Now this might sound quite straightforward, but, as my friends know, I am an organised person, and generally like things neat and tidy. And that does tend to mean that, in my crafting, I like my colours and embellishments to match.

But when you have a totally random selection of buttons, that is not easy. I have to admit that I had a real crisis with these two blue bags. They were the second and third bags I decorated. My husband brought me up a cup of tea during this process to find me pushing buttons round and round on my craft mat, desperatly trying to find a configuration of the buttons that I was happy with. His helpful suggestion (which I didn't take) was to just throw the buttons up in the air and see where they landed! He very nearly had them thrown at him!!!

Eventually, I was able to find a layout I was happy with - and from then I found it easier to accept that the buttons didn't match, had never matched and were never going to match!! So it was a case of actually going for less symmetrical, and more eclectic mixes and layouts!!

I'm really happy with the results on all the bags. And I'm sure my Nan would be glad to see that I'm finally putting her buttons to good use.

The bags were finished with ribbon handles - they're reinforced with an extra piece of card hidden under the folded bag top, so should take a reasonable weight.The bottom is also reinforced with an extra piece of matching card. The card and paper mounts for the buttons were cut from various scraps using Spellbbinder dies on my trusty Cuttlebug. They are all embossed with dots, using the That Special Touch of Mica Masks - the larger mat was embossed with the middle size of the three dotty masks, and the smaller mat with smallest dots.

 I am now looking into making a bigger size of bag - but that's going to have to wait a while as I am away for a few days (going to watch cricket!), and then it's all systems go to get ready for Studland Country Fair on Saturday 27th August. Am nervous but still looking forward to it.

Am sure I will have to spend some time next week practising how I want to set my stall out!! And my Nan's Buttons will definately be making an front row appearance!

Cxxx

What's in a Word??

Well, one word can be extremely expressive!! It can explain a feeling, an occasion, provide a description or just say what something is.

The first word that springs into mind right now, is totally unusable – because this is the second attempt at this blog entry!! The first attempt was lost right at the end when my laptop decided to crash my Internet connection!!! So, as I say, the first word that comes to my mind is not usable!!

So, what IS in a word? In this context, maybe the question should be “What’s in a Wordbook?” Or perhaps the place to start is “What IS a Wordbook?” Well, it sort of does what it says on the tin. It’s a book that it made from one word.
And that word is chosen to describe the person, event or occasion that it will be used for.

Each page of the book has a letter (or number) at the end, with the first page being the shortest, and subsequent pages increasingly longer.

Wordbooks can spell out a name or any special occasion.

And don’t forget those landmark ages – the 18th’s, 21st’s, 40th’s etc etc. In fact, you can use any combination of letters and numbers.



I print the pages onto 300gsm card, using the various, gorgeous Funky Hand CD’s, which have a great range of colours and styles.

Because I use A4 card, the maximum number of pages I would work with is 6, although 7 can be used at a push.
I decorate the pages using flowers, sequins and gems. And with my trusty Cuttlebug, I cut a variety of mats using matching card, which are used inside the book – for writing messages on – or for attaching photos. The book is bound using a Zutter Bind it All, and small sections of ribbon tied around the binding wire provide the finishing touches.

OK, so that’s what they are. But what are they for? Well, they make great alternatives to cards for those special birthdays and occasions – they will certainly stand out from the crowd. But they can also be used as mini scrapbooks for photos and other memorabilia. And there’s no limit to the occasions – I’ve used them for a Secret Santa, with little gifts attached to the pages!!

So what’s in a word – well, whatever you want to put into it.

And my final word for the day is PANCAKES!! Because of course, it's Shrove Tuesday - Pancake day. The day when people (much more noble than me) traditionally decide to give up something for Lent. I'm afraid I don't have the willpower (she says as she munches on a chocolate digestive!!) but always admire those that can!! But back to pancakes!! Unfortunately, we were a bit slow off the mark, and there were no lemons left in a two mile radius. I always have sugar and lemon on my pancakes, so was a little disappointed. Has golden syrup instead, which was OK - but will have to make sure I'm better prepared next year!!

And on that note... until next time!!

Cxx

PS Many thanks to my lovely husband who finally helped me get this blog done, after my second attempt also very nearly failed!!! Then there would have been a whole other load of words that would have sprung to mind!!

.... and back down south again!!

Just thought I'd update you and let you know I got home OK. The lovely Welshmen fixed my tyre just in time for me to get to my course before it started. I've had a very tiring - but very worthwhile - three days increasing my invertebrate knowledge (and getting very wet and bitten to death in the process), and investigating new and different ways of engaging the kiddies when learning about creepy crawlies!!

And along the way, I have consumed an inordinate amount of food!!! Blimey!! Cooked lunch, homemade cake at afternoon tea, and a three course dinner - and that was just the first day!! Add in a cooked breakfast on the following two days as well, and I have never eaten so much food in such a short space of time!!

So now I arrived back from a very damp Wales to a very warm and dry Dorset !! No mishaps on this journey. But was a much nicer one not just because of that. On the way up, I had taken advice from family about the best way to get there, and so had programmed my sat nav to go via these places - basically motorways for a lot of it. On the way back I decided to just let the sat nav take me where it wanted (I know my lovely sister-in-law has fallen out with her sat nav, but I have a great affection for mine and trust it implicitly - well, most of the time). I don't mind driving long distances, but I don't really like motorways, and the roadworks I went through on the way up looked to have the potential to be worse going home.

As it turned out I've had a lovely trip including a lot of reminiscing. I drove all the way through Wales from North to South, passing through mid Wales (as you obviously would!!) where we spent many childhood holidays with friends of my parents. Passed one of the parks we used to play in and it reminded me of winter snowball fights we had there!! Then further down, I crossed the New Severn Crossing. When I was doing my teacher training in Bristol, it was still being constructed (showing my age now!!) and we did a project looking at bridges and how it could be incorporated into the curriculum through maths and design technology! Yawn!!!!!

Then I picked up the route I used to travel back to Dorset from Bristol when I went home from Uni, remembering the exact point at the side of the road where I threw up on one particular journey! My Mum had come to collect me after I got a really nasty chest infection - and I was feeling very poorly!!

And nearer to home, I passed the little village pub where my husband and I had our first two dates!! It all really helped to pass a very long journey. And hopefully, the Red Bull shot will wear off soon, and I will be able to get the sleep that I know my body is in desperate need of!!

Cxxx

A journey north!!

Well, this post has nothing to do with setting up the website, but just had to let you know about my day. I am currently sat in a very lovely B&B in Criccieth, North Wales, having left home at 10am this morning.

I had done really well, was almost there - just outside of Porthmadog so I discovered later - when disaster struck.

But, let me take you a bit further back up the road, when I first noticed my car acting "funny" - every time I steered left there was a rubbing sound - and I didn't really need to turn the wheel very far left either! Well, with thoughts of all sorts of problems from wheel bearings to suspension (not that I know anything about cars!!) I decided to pull over at the next safe place. I was praying that I would find nothing, and that the car would be OK to get me here and maybe home again of Friday. Having said that, I was already envisaging being towed all the way back to Dorset - how on earth would I be able to hold a conversation with a complete stranger for that long?

Well, that safe place seemed to take ages to appear. So, was sat in a queue just outside of Porthmadog at temporary traffic lights, when a man coming the other way stops to tell me I have a flat tyre!!! Feeling somewhat relieved that the puzzle had been solved, I spied, on the opposite side of the road, the entrance to a derelict building, so pulled over there - the car actually struggling to get moving again.

So, knowing what to do, but not whether I could actually manage to do it, I proceeded to unload the contents of my boot (of course I'd packed EVERYTHING into the boot) onto the side of the road. One lovely lady, sat in the queue in her car, called out to me, asking if I wanted help. How sweet. I politely refused as I was sure I'd manage, and we both commented on the fact that no men had bothered offering to help me!! So, with my wordly possessions strewn around, I managed to get the jack out, but then proceeded to struggle with the tyre itself. I was just about to admit defeat and call the RAC (all the while wondering where the hell I would tell them I was), when one of the workman from the roadworks came over to see if I needed help!! Doh!! Of course I did!! He said his boss had seen me struggling and had sent him over to give me a hand. He kindly put the spare on with no fuss or bother and directed me to the nearest garage - it was at this point that I found I was just outside of Porthmadog (pronounced Portmadoc) and that there was a garage there that would be able to sort my tyre out. And it was on the way to Criccieth (pronounced Crickith) so wouldn't have to go out of my way!!

The two lovely Welshmen in there now have my tyre (which they tell me I made a great job of destroying), and will have it ready to refit to my car at 9.15am tomorrow morning!! Bless them!! Expect it will cost me a fortune but never mind!! They were very worried about my spare, and I can understand why. It's one of those small ones designed to take up less room in the boot, and only useful in emergencies. They were telling me to go slowly, particularly on the bends. When you look at the car, I can only describe it as looking like it has a peg leg!!

So, am now in my hotel room, where I'm staying tonight before heading off to the centre where the course is taking place. Have phoned to warn them I will be late. Have just had a very nutritious dinner in my room of pot noodle and jaffa cakes - I'm not one for going out to restaurants on my own anyway. Good job, as I don't want to drive any more than I need to. Hopefully the next three days at the centre, will see me well fed to make up for it.

Hopefully, my car will be sorted tomorrow, and with any luck there isn't any other damage!! The course had better be worth it after all that!! Cxxx