Not a card but something I made myself

one £9.99 canvas board (The works)
one metre of material £1.99 (Moystons)
handful of flower sequin things ( out of a mixed packet from the ELC)

ten minutes with latest toy..... staple gun! ten more mins with some fabric glue and there you go... personal wall art retailing on the net for upwards of £50.

I wanted something with brown and blue tones, couldnt find anything I liked on the net so decided to make my own.

Confession..... I have been a hermit.

Depression and no ovaries are a bit of a bad un when it comes to interaction.

Sorry.

I have recently been blog hopping and am loving so much of the creative masterpieces I have seen. I have had no energy for leaving comments. Sorry.

I have made a few last minute birthday cards, no Christmas cards yet :-S My mo jo is lurking, i know it! just can;t find it... it'll happen.

xxx

I'm making cards for http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/relay/

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/relay/

Have a look at the above link, I saw some details at the Race for Life about the Relays... its a team event (8 - 20 in the team) who have to stay on the track for 24 hours, not all of them! Just one person can be on the track at any given time. ... At the start of the event is a Survivours lap of honour, if you register as a Survivour you get sent a tee shirt and a lapel pin saying Survivour. There will be lots of fund raising throughout the day and during the evening there will be a ceremony when candles will be lit in the shape of the word HOPE. I envisage it will be a very emotional day as well as an uplifting one....

I contacted the organiser earlier to find out how many teams are taking place so that I can make them a thank you card, so will be cracking on with that over the next couple of days... and am going to make as many as I can of other cards which can be sold on the day... I will up load whatever I make.

Update on how I am doing - I've been fairly good with not lifting etc though have forgotten occasionally, have been a bit wiped out this week with flu like symptoms... its made me behave because I have mainly just been reading... Karin Slaughter books! what an author :-)

MSBP £13.99

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/EVANDALE-CRAFTS__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Just a quickie... ordered a punch and the set of liquid pearls from the above Ebay shop. Its a good price and for July free p+p.

It was delivered the next day with really good packaging..

Just thought I would let anyone reading this know

Out of hospital and home now :-)

Hello out there :-)

Thank you for the messages left and the texts from Emma (Elf)

I came out on Monday afternoon and spent a few days with my sister. Being home now has shown me the meaning of frustration!!! All those jobs that *need* doing but can't be done.... My sister has just been around to do my hoovering, bless her... luckily she brought her dyson too because mine burnt out just before I went into hospital.... sods law eh!?

Feeling a bit 'ouch' at the moment but tonnes better than I did at the beginning of the week... (said with pride)>>>> I can get out of bed without looking like a beached whale struggling.... !!

I ended up having a full hysterectomy instead of key hole but never mind, its done now. More recovery time than I would have had but I have to focus on the fact that for this pain and frustration I now have less fear and worry about my reproductive organs being affected by the cancer gene...

Had a almighty scare the night of my surgery..... there's me pressing that morphine pca button like its going to run out if I don't press it.... and in the mist I heard the porter say something about the battery on the bed, bearing in mind I got back on the ward at 1945. I drifted in and out of sleep until almost 3am when I woke more alert than a child waiting for Santa to arrive! I pressed the bed button thing to raise the top of the bed and it was a bit too high so pressed slightly for it to go down again, it kept going!! .. *gulp* It would not go up again and I was hanging on for dear life to the sides of the bed (good job they still had the bed guards up) I was panicking as I could feel my stomach being stretched..... the lady in the bed next to me raised the alarm as I couldnt reach the nurse alarm.... I was mortified when they arrived and stood there, looking at me....

I'm normally a very easy patient in hospital but the panic and the pain brought something out in me, I was saying very loudly " GET ME UP, GET ME UP, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GET ME UP, GET ME OUT OF THIS BED" They were pressing the button and at the same time saying I must have pressed it into that position, I practically screamed at them that I had both hands on the rails so how could I have done that! One of them then plugged the bed in!!! and was able to raise the top half of the bed then.... They still maintained that I must have done something!!! Luckily other patients had witnessed what had happened as well as myself.

I did take this up with one of the Registrars and a Senior Nurse the next day, not sure if I should put something in writing...

It made me really anxious about doing anything to raise or lower the bed....

I'm hoping it has not made a difference to my healing, the wound looks ok. It's a wonder I didnt swear at them I was so scared at the time...

Gosh, don;t I go on!

Going into hospital

Hello out there :-)

Just thought I would quickly update my blog, no cards at the moment although I have made some, but finding time to even get the camera out seems to be at a long list of things... but I'm going to have time to do all that when I come out.

I go in on Thursday for a hysterctomy, there is nothing wrong, it's precautionary due to my high ovarian cancer risk because of this evil mutant BRCA 2 gene... Anyway, it'll be four less things to worry about.... ovaries, tubes, cervix and womb.... I was cheeky and asked for a tummy tuck too.. obviously he said no. The Consultant said that most women ask for that too... ;-)

I did a silly thing... decided to decorate the spare room, move my craft room upstairs... at the moment its in a tiny conservertory which is affectionately known as the Tupperware room due to the amount of large storage drawers I have in there to ensure my papers etc do not fade with the sun.... so as well as about 8 - 10 paperwork things to tackle before Wednesday evening and getting some more pjs etc, I also have a whole room to finish and get up the stairs...

If I don't get a chance beforehand, I'll be back after with time to craft and post to my hearts content I hope.

Take care xxx

A card from Tracys stamps and one from Debbies charity stamp

This is a card I made a couple of weeks ago using the Bonnie Baby stamps from Tracy, have a look at her blog http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/



And one I made the other day from Debbie over at http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/ I really can not urge readers enough to go purchase the June charity stamp, its only £3 postage free and a third of the cost Debbie will send to Cancer Research... its a stamp you can use not just for the race for life but also for people who are entering marathons, fun runs, school sports etc.. the race for life text is a seperate stamp from the image. I have combined it with a text stamp I have called 'what cancer cannot do'

If anyone would like me to stamp out and send them some of the 'what cancer cannot not do' text, then please leave me a message in the comment box, I will mail you for your address. The mail will come from imagination@useit4.fslife.co.uk which is my outlook express email address.

Totally great Customer service & a great stamp

When I saw this stamp over on The Crafty Pad, I knew I had to have it... and at a small cost of £3, which isnt really £3 as a third of the cost is going to Cancer Research, then it was even more important to buy it. If you too want one pop over to Debbie at >>> http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/

I honestly can not praise the customer service enough. I can also say after receiving my stamp this morning that it stamps out clear and crisp. The text fits nicely in the banner if you want. Its really versatile and I will be using it on the 'go for it and thank you cards' I am making for my friends and family who are taking part.

Having a moan..

Today I went to M&S to get fitted for a couple of new bras... since my mastectomy in October I have just been using softies instead of prosthesis after getting an infection which lasted ages and ages down to what we later discovered was diabetes...

Anyway, I have been wearing some vest type tee shirts with inbuilt pockets... at a cost of £19.99 each or two for £35. A bit more expensive than your everyday tee shirt... but thats another moan for another time...

Today's moan is about how M&S advertise themselves as being a leader when it comes to post surgery bras... I will give them 10/10 for the fitters I have met who are trained at the local breast care unit.... but 0/10 for their onsite stock system. If you want to try on and/or buy a mastectomy bra and you live in the south west, you have to travel to Truro... about 1 hour 20 mins for most people but for me it would take a lot longer..... I drive slow! not too slow but slow.

You can buy them online, take them in to a M&S to have a fitting but thats it... They will take them back if they are not a good fit.

Totally no regard for what is for some women a massive step going to get a bra in the first place. No thought that a lot of women post surgery are too tired to be flitting in and out of the town centre in amoung going to the hospital for chemo, etc..

Only a few stores in the UK are stores that will stock the mastectomy range of bras. Our M&S fitters can recommend other bras however, these have to then be sent away by yourself and with extra cost of up to £6 per pocket to be right for a prothesis..

Guess who is writing to the Chairman of M&S?!!!

PS - On the plus side, if you are in need of some new bras, there is 25% off until next Saturday in all M&S's.......

Two for one challenge entry :-)

My first ever challenge and its a two for one! The challenge was to use blue and green oon http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/

and I also used as best I could the sketch over at http://www.elzybells.typepad.com/

Couple of Dang Cute Dino cards

I was playing around with the Dang Cute Dinos made by Tracy whose blog is http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/ and came up with these two cards which I think are more male than girly (YAY!!) My stamping on the blue card was less than perfect and I should have maybe decided not to stamp straight onto the paper but its done now and a bit of a learning curve.

Cult Pens - copics

Just thought I would let anyone reading this know that I was having a looksee as you do on Cult pens but had seen before on Google that last year they gave a 10% discount on all orders during National Office week. This year it starts from the 11th May for a week.I rang Cult pens to see if they were taking part this year. The chap I spoke to wasn;t sure if that was going to be the case this year but I am to ring him back next Tuesday when he will know... So just in case... if you were poised with your finger on that order button... just wait a couple more days... just in case!!

True Crafting Spirit

On Monday afternoon, I spent a couple of hours with Tracy and was shown loads of crafting items that she has made but not put on her blog as of yet... Talk about skill! Plus what made it even more lovely is that she doesn't realise how talented she is... though at the same time that could be described as sad too.

She made a lovely 6x6 scrapbook, a note set holder and a few other items that she is designing templates for. I had a sneak peek at some future Devon & Devin Stamps, they really are cute and will fit so many occasions, the card she has on her blog http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/ does not do the stamps the justice they deserve.

Tracy had said she had some papers for me, papers!! bit of an understatement I would say as she gave me the box of goodies below... how generous is that!! But that was'nt everything...




She also gave me these!!



Yes!!! Two sheets of newly made rubber.. Dang Cute Dinos and Bonny Baby. I welled up, I can tell you.... Tracy would not accept any money for these as she said they were a present from her for everything I have been through health wise over the recent years. Now how generous and kind is that?

I think its only right that even though I know she might slap me for this, that I should point anyone reading this in the direction of her new online stamp shop>
http://www.justtracys.co.uk

Each of those FULL sheets of rubber stamps cost £19.99 and as you can see you get loads of images for that price. I love the little letters that fit in the building blocks on the Baby set. I'm making a baby card that I will put on tomorrow. Some people will think this is weird of me, but something I really liked about colouring in the pram is the wheels are not too thin, a promarker nib doesn't go over the edge, which is a major bonus for me... I have coloured prams in before with promarkers that are too thin wheels.. do you know what I mean?

The P & P is only 99p per order...

I made a card using the Dang Cute Dino set of stamps, well I say the set but thats a big fib! I used 4 stamps from the set and a sentiment. The card is for my sisters boyfriends parents who are retiring to a complex in Cyprus... I hope they get the funny side!


I feel really touched by Tracy's generousity, its not like she has some big multinational company and can afford to give full sets of stamps away. I'd better shut up or I'll be having a tear or two again!

Blog Candy ending tonight - Toodles & Binks

http://toodlesandbinks.blogspot.com/2009/04/at-last-we-can-say-bit-more.html

Blog candy ending tonight 30th April over at Toodles & Binks Blog... >>>>>>> thata way!

Blog Candy, hopping and challenges.

As you can see from the left hand side bar, I have been busy with the old surfing this evening.. :-)

I have after spending some time on Monday with Tracy decided to challenge myself with a couple of challenges. Holding her cards and other papercraft items in my hands gave me a bit of a ompf!

I'm going to blog tomorrow about my visit to Tracy's, mainly because I need some good light to take some photos...