Design Projects

As promised here are the things I made with the Design Kit Angela from Angel Crafts sent me.

I managed two layouts and a card, still have some scraps left, but put them to one side for the moment.

In my kit I received a sheet of Scenic Route White lined paper, a sheet of Making Memories - 5th Avenue - Sophia Flocked Leaves, a sheet of Making memories - 5th Avenue - Sophia Floral and a sheet of Making Memories - 5th Avenue - Sophia Geo Floral. I added a few things of my own, bazzill, blossoms, chipboard, alphas and some brads and I managed to make these.

This layout is using one of the many photos Kirsty Wiseman took of me in my house last year. Although my eyes are shut in this picture, it kinda sums up how I'm feeling at the moment, and how important my home is to me and how it keeps me centered, calm and sane all at the same time.

Some close up details of the heart with a scalloped bazzill border, hand cut and the cluster of embellishments. I especially love the badge, which came from paperchase and the large chipboard key came from Suzanne's stash, psssttt don't tell her.

A quick and easy card made with the left over paper and some of the many blossoms I seem to have breeding in my house.


A page made using the off cut of the bazzill heart that overhung on the first page and some of the lovely flocked leaves cut out. I love how the title came out, I stamped over the letters with a hero art leaves stamp and some acrylic paint. Really make it pop from the page now and ties in with the handcut leaves. I'll add my journalling later to this, once I can decide what to say.

Today has been great fun, but we did not seem to achieve a lot, we nipped over to Livingston as I needed to visit the papermill to pick up some cardstock for a class I'm teaching soon. We took a quick wander around so that the girls could see the water feature that is located their, it is amazing, and I have taken some pictures of it, but not had a chance to upload them yet. I will try before the week is out. Then it was home. I have felt like I'm fighting a cold off for a few weeks now, and in the car on the way home, I could not stop sneezing, so once home, Suzanne took charge so I could lie down for an hour in the vain home that it would pass. Well it seems to have done the trick so far, fingers crossed.

Now I must rush as me and Suzanne have some scrapping planned now the kids are in bed.

Joke of the day:

A man calls home to his wife and says, "Honey I have been asked to go fishing at a big lake up in Canada with my boss and several of his friends. We'll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I've been wanting, so would you please pack me enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and tackle box. We're leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. Oh! And please pack my new blue silk pajamas."

The wife thinks this sounds a little fishy but being a good wife she does exactly what her husband asked. The following weekend he comes home a little tired but otherwise looking good.

The wife welcomes him home and asks if he caught many fish. He says, "Yes! Lots of Walleye, some Blue gill, and a few Pike. But why didn't you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?"

The wife replies;

"I did, they were in your tackle box."

Hangover - What bloody hangover...................

I tried so hard to get myself drunk, but you know sometimes it just seems impossible, probably did not help that I kept neglecting my drink in favour of yet more bloody cleaning.

Woke up Saturday morning, bright and early, after a very restless nights sleep, and am now sporting a lovely set of matching bags under my eyes.

Suzanne and the kids arrived up on Saturday at about 5pm, and I had tea all ready for us. We spent a great night watching Britians got talent, how bloody amazing was that Dog - Bob, I've never seen a dog walk backwards before on its hind legs.

Today, Ben was bag packing in Asda for Army Cadets, so it was up early again, and whilst I was their I did our food shop for the week, then back home, got everything ready for tea, made a picnic up and then off we went to Calderglen Country Park. I've never been their before, but it was brilliant, although a little muddy, and my suggestion of a short cut across a field did not go down to well. Whoops.

Then back home in time for Ben and tea.

We have spent a lovely evening scrapping together, I've managed two layouts and a card for Angela's Design Team over at Angel Crafts, but I'll photograph them in the morning cause the light is poo pants just now, so I'll share them with you tomorrow.

Anyway, best go, I have been asked to teach a class to the ladies at my local card group and I have a stack of papers crying out to be turned into something scrummy.

Take care.

Joke of the day comes from Clare in Australlia, Babes I miss you.

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity .
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down. Done That
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In." Done That
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write " For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences! With "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8 .. Don't use any punctuation Do that all the time
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go." Done that, really confuses them, hee hee
12. Sing Along At The Opera .
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15 Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!" Done that
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go." Wish I could do that
20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......Send This E-mail To Someone ToMake Them Smile.Its Called ..... Therapy

Bollocks to that, I'll just post it here instead.

So how many have you done, or wish you could do.

TGIF

Home from work, off for a full week, house is clean and ready for guests to arrive, just need to do food shop.

So at last I can have my nervous Breakdown. I intent to get very very drunk tonight, listen to crap tv and music and have a bloody good sob.

Then once I recover from my hangover, which I best have, as won't feel fully sorry for myself till I do have one. I will attempt to put my life into order.

Honestly, why does life decide to treat you crap. I honestly thought everything was going ok, ok, i'm not loaded, I don't live the healthiest lifestyle, but I was happy. And all of a sudden, the rug gets pulled out from under you and you find yourself flat on your back looking up at rain clouds.

So, if I don't blog for a few days, its cause my head is throbbing, heres hoping.

Joke of the day is from a colleague at work:
There's an Englishman, Irishman & Scotsman all talking about their teenage daughters. The Englishman says " I was cleaning mydaughter's room the other day & I found a packet of cigarettes. I was really shocked as I didn't even know she smokes".

The Scotsman says "That's nothing. I was cleaning my daughter's room the other day when I came across a half full bottle of Vodka. I was really shocked as Ididn't even know she drank."

With that the Irishman says " Both of you have got nothing to worry about. I was cleaning my daughter's room the other day when I found packet of condoms. I was really shocked. I didn't even know She had a willy."

Cleaning binge

I've taken a mad spell of cleaning, my house is almost like a new pin. Out with the old and in with the new as they say.

I'm having difficulty sleeping and have quite a lot on my mind at the moment, and cleaning helps me to block all the thoughts and problems that I currently have.

Ben can't believe it, every room he goes into is like a palace, and all he can hear is me saying right behind him, don't you dare mess it up, hee hee, typical mum I know.

Only one more day at work, and then I'm off for a week and I'll be able to collapse in a heap and let all these problems pile on and hopefully I'll be able to deal with each one appropriately.

On a happier note, Suzanne and the kids are coming to stay for a week with us, I have a few things planned for us to do, days out, days in and lots of fun and games, hopefully they will be the distraction I need at the moment.

Joke of the day is from a colleague at work, hope you enjoy it.

Bruce is driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge one day when he sees his girlfriend, Sheila about to throw herself off. Bruce slams onthe brakes and yells, "Sheila, what the hell d'ya think you're doing?"

Sheila turns around with a tear in her eye and says, "G'day Bruce. Ya got me pregnant and so now I'm gonna kill myself."

Bruce gets a lump in his throat when he hears this.

He says "Strewth Sheila..... Not only are you a great shag, but you're a real sport too." And drives off.

Work Experience

Ben came to work with me today, He is currently off school for the next two weeks on holiday. The plan was that he would be home Monday, work with me Tuesday and then home for the rest of the week, and then from Friday 5.30pm, I on holiday for a week, YAHOOO. But like all best laid plans, they have gone to pot.

Whilst out at lunch today, he told me how much he was enjoying himself and asked if he could come in all week, I was so chuffed, like killing two birds with one stone. He is with me and he is safe, I don't have to worry about him been at home on his own (we where let down by the person who originally planned to watch him), he is getting experience of working life, and I'm getting my filing done, what could be better. He has been helping me out with some files that where stored off site, and that quite frankly where in a right bloody mess, so between us, we are organising them into some sort of order.

Tonight after tea, which we made together, we where washing and drying the pots and I said to him, I really enjoyed working with him, I never expected a answer back, but he came straight back that he enjoyed it as well, not only working at work, but working at home together.

Honestly that boy blows me away at times, sometimes I want to scream at him, for his lazyness, yet other times he can be so thoughtful and caring. Suppose its just teenage life.

Anyway, here is my little bobby dazzler, don't he just melt your heart.

Joke of the day:

Friendship between women: A woman doesn’t come home one night. The next day she tells her husband that she had slept over at a girlfriend's house. The husband calls his wife's 10 best friends. None of them know anything about it.

Friendship between men: A man doesn’t come home one night. The next day he tells his wife that he had slept over at a friend’s house. The wife calls her husband's 10 best men friends. Eight of them confirm that he had slept over, and two claim that he was still there.

Moderation

Everything in Moderation, is a good thing. I've signed up for the UKS Cyber Crop, I've signed up before in the past, but never actually taken part, but this time, I've been encouraged by a few friends to actually join in properly.

I suppose the thing that has scared me off in the past is the pace of the event, it seems so fast and people do seem to get a bit manic about it all. However, I think I have it just right. I've been watching what has been going on from a distance, I've jumped in and out when I can, but I've not let it dominate my life. And I have to say, I'm enjoying myself. I know, what am I like.

I know there are a few people out their who hate Cyber Crops with a passion and they will think I've lost the plot for joining in, but as far as I'm concerned if it gets me into my scraproom I'm happy.

I've done a few of the challenges, and I've enjoyed what I've done so far. I made a planner, out of an old discarded index box, and I love how it turned out. I used Heidi Grace papers that I received but would never normally use, I still have plenty of the dividers left, so once the Cyber crop is over, it may get converted into something else, and out of the scraps I made a do not disturb sign for my scraproom door. Something that I'll probably keep.

I have even been adopted in the Cyber crop by Cal, she is leading the Comedy Kings, and its a wonderful idea to allocate each newbie with somebody who can hold your hand and offfer advise. I'm not going to encourage you to sign up, thats upto you, but I for one am enjoying myself, and thats what life is all about. I'm going to be spending the actual weekend of the classes with a friend and we will do the classes together, help each out and have a good old girly time in the process.

Joke of the day is in support of all things cyber, and one for the boys as well.

Subject: Computer Hard and Software:

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system>activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected.I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0.

Please help!

Thanks,A Troubled User.

(KEEP READING)______________________________________

REPLY:Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed.You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation.

I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag, Nag 9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0! WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3.

This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,

Tech Support

Sad News

I have some sad news, I've had it for a while, but have only shared it with a small number of people, but I understand it is all out in the open now, so I can share it with you.

Angela has left Luxurious Angels.

She has decided to focus purely on her own business and its expansion, and I'm now running Luxurious Angels on my own, and I wish her tons and tons of success and joy.

This was not an easy decision for either of us, and I can't deny that I'm a bit upset to be losing Angela from the business. I had toyed with the idea of just stopping the retreats all together, but after feedback from the girls who where at the last retreat, and bearing in mind the retreat raises alot of money for charity I have decided to continue.

I'm currently looking at new locations, and once I have found a suitable one, I will be announcing the next date. I hope you can join me.

I don't want to finish with a joke tonight, instead I want to finish with this......

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON...It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. Sometimes they die. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. Your need has been answered, and now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON...It is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

I so agree with this, I have struggled with a few things recently, one of those is Angela leaving the business, and I do have to confess that our relationship and friendship no longer seems the same, which truly saddens me. It has made me think back on other friendships, etc. I've lost a few friends from the scrapbooking community over the years, but after serious consideration, I've lost them as they have been in my life for a reason, I and they have taken what we needed and then left. At first, I was hurt by the decision by them to leave the friendship and also in the manner they behaved, but after reading the speech above, I'm actually relieved that they left, I will no longer be sad over what if's and but's, I shall simply put them the memories of them in a box and move on. I won't let their behaviour cloud my judgement and I won't let it hold me back from making new friends.

I will celebrate the Lifetime relationship I have, I'm so very lucky to have a few friends that are amazing, our friendships have spanned 20+ years , and I cherish the friendship I have with them.

I will embrace the people who are in my life for a reason and try my hardest to help them fulfil the need that they have and also fulfil any needs I have.

And I will happily accept people into my life for a season, although I might not share as much of myself with them as I have in the past.

Take care of yourselves and be kind to everyone that enters your life, remember they are their for a reason.

Me Again

I know, what am I like, posting more than once a week, quick somebody call the blog police, Roz is breaking the rules, hee hee. I'm messing with ya, there are no blog rules.

Well what news do I have to share, not much actually, things are ticking over, Ben is driving me up the wall (no change there then) and work is great. I love my job, it stretches me every day, I learn something new every day and I work with a great bunch of people (hee david, you won't find any slagging off on here if your sneaking in). Sad thing is though, that I will be leaving it in September, its a maternity cover position, and the lady I'm covering for, has confirmed she is planning on returning, can't say I blame her, its a great job.

I'm about to set off trawling the country to locations for the next Luxurious Angels retreat, I actually love to drive, and its a great excuse to get out for a day and explore, so my weekends are quickly filling up with plans for exploring.

Mind you thought, I have to fit in two lovely ladies for a day each, as they brought me at the last retreat, I was auctioned off to raise some funds for Ellies fund. I was actually quite worried, nobody would want to buy me, but once it was clear, that I was willing to teach a small private group or tidy up their scrap room, the bids came flying in. In the end I was sold twice, once as a teacher and once as a slave. I'm actually really looking forward to it though, the girls who brought me are such a good laugh, we will have a scream.

In total between making cards, charging for swears at work and getting sold, I managed to raise £280 for Ellies fund, if you don't know anything about Ellie, then please go and visit Kirsty's blog for more details, its very close to my heart. I am lucky enough to know Ellie, and I can tell you, if you are ever lucky enough to meet her, then hold on, cause she will steal your heart, she has mine and Bens in a jar, and if we had another to give her, we would give it to her gladly. We both adore her to bits.

At the Luxurious Angels retreat we also did some fundraising for MacMillan Nurses, we raised a staggering £855. 00, can you believe it, that is most we have ever raised.

Anyway, thats about it from me. I'll leave you with a joke as usual.

Take care.xxx

It was a hot Saturday evening in the summer of 1960 and Fred had a date with Peggy Sue.
He arrived at her house and rang the bell.
"Oh, come on in!" Peggy Sue's mother said as she welcomed Fred in.
"Have a seat in the living room. Would you like something to drink? Lemonade? Iced tea?" "Iced tea, please," Fred said. Mom brought the iced tea."So, what are you and Peggy planning to do tonight?" she asked.
"Oh, probably catch a movie, then maybe grab a bite to eat at the malt shop,maybe take a walk on the beach..."
"Peggy likes to screw, you know," Mom informed him.
"Really?" Fred asked, eyebrows rose.
"Oh yes," the mother continued. "When she goes out with her friends, that's all they do!"
"Is that so?" asked Fred, incredulous.
"Yes," said the mother. "As a matter of fact, she'd screw all night if we let her!"
"Well, thanks for the tip!" Fred said as he began thinking about alternate plans for the evening.
A moment later, Peggy Sue came down the stairs looking pretty as a picture wearing a pink blouse and a hoop skirt, and with her hair tied back in abouncy ponytail. She greeted Fred."Have fun, kids!" the mother said as they left.
Half an hour later, a completely dishevelled Peggy Sue burst into the house and slammed the front door behind her."Twist, Mom!" she angrily yelled to her mother in the kitchen. "The Twist, Dammit! It's called the Twist! "