Another Bank Holiday (and it's raining- typical)

I know, I know, I did it again!  It's not that I have forgotten to blog more the fact I had nothing to blog about and I was busy with other things..... I think I was crafted out after the masses of birthdays in March!

So here we are at another Bank Holiday.  Of course the weather is typical of a British Bank Holiday and it's raining - so what better thing to do than catch up with my blog and maybe do some crafting?

I have started to 'try' and tidy my craft stash and have lots of lever arch files now filled with home made holders for my stamps and I am planning on doing the same for my embossing folders and dies and all the toppers and decoupage I get with the goody bags and that I buy because I like them and will use them - eventually.............

My mum come to visit at Easter so we spent a week visiting all the beautiful sights around the Antrim and Down coastline.  We were very lucky with the weather and it was beautiful, it could have been warmer but that was probably asking for a bit too much.

My house looked lovely while my mum was here because we weren't in it!  I did the usual mad tidy before she arrived but there was nothing I could do with my spare room/craft room.  There is a saying.......

How true is this?

To finish off the March birthdays I did a card for the beautiful Tia - my great niece who as you can see was 7 this year.  She always orders her card in advance and this year I actually didn't do exactly what she ordered but I am told she loved it anyway.  I chose the Gorguss stamp because it reminds me so much of Tia and added plenty of sparkle because what child doesn't like sparkle?

Also at the end of the month is my Sister in Laws birthday, my Aunties birthday and hubby's aunties birthday.

I posted the two cards to my sister in law and my auntie, all in England on the same day in the same post box.  Unfortunately my poor sister in law is still waiting for her cards to arrive but my auntie got hers!  I am not impressed Royal Mail!!!  I also entered my aunties card into a competition - sadly I didn't get anywhere but you have to be in it to win it!

Hubby's aunties card didn't have to go in the post so I know that one arrived!

I didn't do much over Easter as I have already mentioned and luckily after the March madness I only have 2 birthdays to worry about in April.

Tia's lovely mum has her birthday and my ex mother in law has her birthday.  For some reason I didn't take a photo of the card for my ex mother in law which is very unusual for me but I think I was in a hurry to make it and probably forgot!  I know I made it while my mum was here so I probably wasn't concentrating - ah well I can't remember everything................

Of course my Docrafts magazine arrived on the doorstep again.  I am sure my hubby thinks I love that magazine more than him because I spend so much time with it.  I still haven't perused it as much as I normally do but I am getting there.  I think I may need to sit down with a coffee and have another good look through it.  I have tried an idea I saw in it for foiling the edge of cards and I have used it a couple of times because it's so easy to do and it looks good.

I bought the Docrafts goody bag and I bought some of the other new stuff that came out this month and I have to say, as always I am impressed. 

May brings my Brother and Sister in Laws wedding anniversary.  I was on the phone to make sure that card arrived - not than I am paranoid or anything!  It is also my big brothers birthday.  The uncle card I used a decoupage kit for and I feel like I cheated a bit because it's not technically as hand made as the usual ones I make but it is a lovely card and the image reminds me of home so much I just had to buy it.

We have also recently had 2 very good bits of news and I will have some more cards to add to the list of 'to do' items.  We are expecting the patter of tiny feet in November for Tia's mum and my oldest great nephew and the youngest great nephew announced that he and his partner are getting married in April 2013.  I offered to do the invitations and they accepted so I better get looking for inspiration!

So that is me up to date again - I wonder how long it is to my next blog....... until then I will leave you with how I feel today........

Part time Bank Holiday

Well what have I been up to............

The new Docrafts Creativity magazine I subscribe to landed on my doorstep at the beginning of the month.  This lead me on a search for the new xcut die that I fell in love with.  Unfortunately it seems I wasn't the only person to 'need' this so desperately and I can't find it anywhere.  I tried all my usual places but they were all sold out.... I know I can buy online but there is a certain pleasure you get when you pay your money out of your purse and hold the thing in your hand there and then..... instant gratification I suppose. 

I was lucky enough to have 2 whole days leave from work left that had to be used before the end of the month so I took Friday off work and don't go back until Wednesday, thanks to the Bank Holiday here in Northern Ireland for St Patrick's Day.  So on Friday I went into Belfast planning on a good look around the shops............ unfortunately it poured with rain so I only really managed the craft shop (Craftworld) where the owner ordered me the elusive die I need.  I was really pleased with the service in there.  I didn't know they will order in items for you and if you can't get into the shop they will actually post it out to you.  I was very impressed!  I did also manage to get to LUSH to purchase my birthday present off my lovely son - it's not really a shop a teenage boy can go into with his mates and buy stuff in without losing his street cred so I said I would get something - nice mum that I am - at least I got what I wanted that way.....  anyway since it decided to pour with rain I was going to go home until my lovely hubby persuaded me to meet him and go on a bus run with his Friday club (he is a driver for the club and since I work for the same place I was able to go with him). I had planned on going into WH Smith but it's gone!!!! Closed it's doors and Eason's it taking the building..... Eason's is ok but I loved WH Smith!!

So it was St Patrick's Day on Saturday.  I heard that Belfast was a sea of green.  Not that I was daft enough to be there when I knew the place would be that busy.   I spent my day making cards - wow there is a surprise! 

Yet again I haven't kept up with my blog but time seems to fly when you're having fun...... meaning work sometimes sucks the energy out of me and I don't get around to doing the things I enjoy.  Not that I am complaining, I do love my job - but wouldn't it be wonderful if you could get a paid full time salary for only working a few hours a day?  That would suit me down to the ground - I can dream can't I?

I have been busy making lots of cards because March is a very busy month for family birthdays and also with mothers day - my birthday included - so far I haven't had to make my own card but my dear son 'omitted' to buy a Mother's Day card - so I may just have to make my own next year!  I did go out and buy my own present.....

So first birthday this month was my gorgeous great nephew Mitch who was 4 years old - time is flying by! 

Thank goodness my I have my trusty new Slice!  I don't think I could have tackled that without it!

I was very pleased to get a commission for my very first twins card. This card is going all the way to France and the person who ordered it was very pleased with the design.

Next up was my own birthday which I share with my lovely Dad but he was called to Heaven a few years ago so I don't get to phone him to wish him a Happy Birthday.  I really miss the phonecall where we said Happy Birthday to each other - but on a much happier note I do also share this special day will a lovely colleague and I always make her a card, I tried my very first ever easel card for her birthday this time.  She surprised me with a beautiful gift of a hand made coral necklace she had bought for me.  Even though I was in work it was a lovely day and I did enjoy my birthday.

Mother's Day and my lovely hubby's birthday was the same day this year so I had 5 cards to make........... for hubby there was one from me and one from my dear son, for Mother's Day there is my wonderful mum, my mother in law and this year I sent a card to my auntie because my lovely cousin passed away a couple of years ago now and I promised him I would do things like that for his mum..... she loved it even if it made her cry.

My mum loved her card which always has a butterfly theme as she loves them.  My mother in law liked her card and thought the retail therapy tag was just her.... that is why I chose that tag! 

Hubby liked his card but said that the writing was a little small...... Docrafts take note - can the writing be a bit bigger on the tags? ...... thanks.......

So as it's a Bank Holiday here today I am at home.  Dear son had to go to school because it's not a bank holiday for his school, so I was up at the usual time and drove him in.  The man came to sort the jungle that we called a garden and maybe if I sell enough cards I will be able to afford to get it all paved one day......  who wants to spend time gardening when I can spend time making cards?

Off I go to my little hideaway to make some more of the March cards.... still to come, my great niece Tia will be a big 7, my sis in law, my hubby's auntie and my auntie.... wow I best get busy!!!

Then there is April to think about...........................................

Too busy to blog............... yeah right!

I know, I know I haven't written anything for almost 3 weeks - do I hear a sign of relief?

There is no point in making up an excuse - the fact is I was making cards...... it's been a busy couple of weeks.

First of all a very good friend who has been recovering from a long illness took a turn for the worse and was back in hospital seriously ill BUT after 6 days of intensive treatment it looks like she has made a full recovery  - a huge sigh of relief there and loads of love sent to her and her family.

I posted the cards shown in my last blog to my lovely great nephew Ethan and his mum Nicole and we had the fantastic news that her partner, my nephew Glen, proposed and gave her a beautiful ring so I was frantically making an engagement card with the aid of my lovely new Slice Elite - faster and quieter as it says on the label - I have to say I am delighted with my new toy.

At work we had two members of staff leaving. One of the Consultants was moving on to a new post and our receptionist was leaving to go back to University for the February intake for Nursing so I had cards to make for them.  It was also the 'big' boss's birthday so I made her a card because it was an excuse to try a new design I had seen and wanted to try. That went down well and even her husband who never notices anything like that made a comment on how nice it was - praise indeed!

I got a really random card order from a friend back home in England just because I text her with a friendship message - sometimes I just do these random texts so my friends back home in England know I am still alive - I admit to being bad at keeping in touch sometimes.  Anyway she asked me to make a card for her mum and said she likes flowers and pink...... I made a card and messaged a photo to her for approval and popped it in the post for her as soon as it was finished.

Of course we also had St Valentines Day - my lovely hubby met me from work the day before and handed me my card and a single red rose early because he wouldn't see me until late on the actual day - I had to rush upstairs and finish the card I was making for him...

I had planned on making cards today but I ended up just doing housework, making Lasagne for dinner and other random stuff after my long overdue trip to the hairdressers to have my hair coloured and highlighted - it has to be done to hide the grey!!!  I have gone a little more blonde with the help of extra highlights this time and I have to say I am very pleased with the results!  I just hope that my colleagues recognise me on Monday!

I do actually plan on doing some card making this weekend to get a head start on the March madness - I have at least 10 cards to make just for the family, including mothers day of course.

I have offered to make wedding invitations for both my lovely nephews and their partners when they get around to tying the knot so if I get a chance I will have to do some research online........... and maybe buy some new craft goodies if I have any money left after my birthday also in March - at least there is one card I don't actually have to make!  I got an email from Crafters Companion and they have some beautiful new flowers coming into stock and I do love embellishing my girlie cards with a few well placed flowers - although I have no excuse now and my Slice had a good few flower designs I can use.

So no more talk of what I am going to do - it's time to get off my bum and actually go upstairs to the spare room or craft room as I have renamed it and get on with it!

I will leave with my thought for the day (and very true it is too):

Inspiration strikes!

I haven't done much crafting through the week - weekends are my usual crafting times because of work and family commitments - but hey that's life and I wouldn't change it for anything.

I have been getting on really well with all the January cards done early and sent out and the February cards are almost finished.  Just as well since it seems that every man and his dog has a birthday in March including me!

For the February birthdays first is my great nephew Ethan's birthday.



Then it's his mum Nicole's birthday, she is 21 this year.

And finally my best buddy Mandy's birthday - I decided not to put her age on it since in a few weeks I will catch up to her and she will delight in mocking me.  I did use her favourite character so I hope she likes it.





I haven't done the Valentine card yet but I will get that done this week as my lovely hubby will be out working two evenings this week and I do like to craft when it's quite.

I really do miss my lovely Slice machine and would have used it for the numbers on the cards I made today instead of nearly breaking my wrist using my very old Sizzix -  but I had interesting news about a new Slice  Elite so I am hoping to follow that up this week and with any luck I will have a new one by next weekend.  A guy on Ebay said to make an offer that we had discussed by phone and so all I am waiting for now is for him to accept it on the site - he has excellent feedback so I am looking forward to doing business with him.  I also have my eyes on some other items he has on his shop page..... this could get expensive lol.

Yesterday I went along to Hillmount Nursery as there was a craft demonstration on.  I already have the goody bag and the Docrafts magazine for this month since I decided to subscribe to it, so I was just looking for a few more ideas.  I don't normally stay for the demonstrations because I usually can't sit still for that long.  I didn't stay for hours because hubby was off at football (as a referee) just a few minutes away from the Nursery so I thought it was a good opportunity to have a nosey and maybe treat myself to some gems I was looking for then I could go back and collect him.

So when I got there the lady demonstrating was at lunch and myself and another lady I met there were looking at the lovely cards and talking between ourselves about card making.  We found two seats together and sat down to watch.  I have to say Cliona was very interesting and she had some beautiful cards on display which have given me some good ideas.  I thought it was great that she uses a couple of little things I do to make crafting easier like only take a bit of the backing off the double sided tape until you get it positioned where you want it then pull it off fully and how she stores her stamps - although I aren't brave enough to take the rubber off my mounted stamps and I have 3 drawers full of them!  I also like the fact that I am not the only crafter who puts something down then can't find it again!  I am so pleased I am a normal crafter and crafting in chaos is perfectly fine .... I do tidy up now and again!

I did buy more than one item at Hillmount but they were giving 20% off so it would have been rude not to!  I got the Black and Gold gems which I used today and the Xcut flowers, which I actually didn't use today I used a punch and peel offs which I then cut out - oh boy I do love my dies for crafting - if only I was rich I would have more......

I started card making because I thought it would be cheaper and more fun than going into the shops to buy cards - I know that's how I felt 8 years ago in the beginning when hubby persuaded me to buy a card making kit in The Paper Mill Shop - now I know that truth that is can be very expensive and it is truly addictive!  I will stand up proudly and be counted as a card making addict - shame the shops closed down - their website is okay it's the delivery that kills ya!!  Thank goodness my addiction made sure I have tons of white and cream quality card that I can use for the foreseeable future!

Well I better sign off for tonight as I promised my dear son that I would hem his trousers for Air Cadets - he tried his uniform on today and looks pretty damn good if I do say so myself - although I can't figure out why I had to learn how to do a Windsor knot for him to do his own tie .......

I will leave you with this thought .....................

Opps I did it again!

So yet again I blogged with good intentions in 2011 and it fell by the wayside when life caught up with me.

So what's happened since last time....... in a nutshell - in May I broke my wrist so for 9 weeks I couldn't do anything (although I did still go to work and found a 1 handed secretary can do quite a bit!), I had an interview - which needed a typing test just 2 days after getting the splint off my wrist - I passed - then the interview for the job I have been doing for the last 2 years.  Luckily I managed to pass the interview even though I thought I was a gibbering wreck and was told a few days later that the job was mine - woo hoo!!! Just a few days later we jetted off (I say jetted but the plane had propellers!) to Glasgow so we could fly out to sunnier skies in Orlando.  Probably our last holiday as a family since my dear son is almost 16 and doesn't really want to go off on holiday with us.  While I was on holiday the building I had worked in for the last 8 years was closed down and we (they) moved into another office just around the corner.... such a shame I wasn't there to help with the packing.

Not my wrist in the picture - I managed to break my right scaphoid bone!

When we got home from our fantastic holiday in Orlando we (I) had to quickly decorate the bedroom as the new fitted bedroom furniture was ready to be installed.  It was whilst getting the bedroom prepared that I broke my wrist!  Then it was work, work, work.  A quick trip to England for a week so we could go to a family Christening, home, start preparing for the dreaded Christmas which means making lots of cards.  Another very quick trip home to England to support my best friend and go to her mum's funeral - a lovely lady who was a very talented card maker and someone I will sadly miss.

Christmas flew by with another injury to my weakened wrist so 2 weeks strapped up and not allowed to do housework or much of anything..... oh dear!  I really enjoyed the 2 weeks off work resting - maybe if I did that the first time my wrist wouldn't have been injured again - or maybe if I hadn't lifted the heavy box of card..... oops............

So now we are in January, my wrist is doing great and I am busy doing what I love best - making cards!

I got the January cards done quite quickly and was happy to get an order for a New Baby card - I went to use my favourite bit of card making equipment only to find that it had died - I was totally gutted.  I am in mourning for my lovely Making Memories Slice machine.  I searched the web for information and found that it seems to be a fault on the early machines.  I decided that since it was broken doing a post mortem couldn't do any more harm so I took it apart hoping for a miracle but sadly any attempt at resurrection failed and my Slice is now in Making Memories Heaven - RIP (Rest in Pieces) my beloved machine.  Thank goodness I have a birthday in around 7 weeks - not that I want to be a year older but my lovely family give me cash so I will be buying the new Slice Elite, better, stronger and faster.

I have now started on the February cards which I had planned to make with the aid of my Slice but had to do the cutting out by hand..... I know you can imagine the wobbly cutting out BUT I used my trusty pc to print the number the size I wanted it then cut it out in the silver card then I drew around that and hand enlarged it in pencil so I had a template for the backing then cut it out again AND it has turned out very well, thank you very much.  I didn't realise I was that good ;-)

So the January cards are here:

You will have to come back for the next thrilling installment to see if I managed not to cut myself with a scalpel whilst trying to cut out shapes without my lovely Slice machine and to see that I didn't actually do too bad with the start of the February cards.

Cya next time

Getting Crafty

When I started this blog it was supposed to be just about my card making but it changed into a blog about what is happening in my life. So although it is called Skyelight Designs I don't actually sit and make cards all day every day - that would be a nice idea and if I win the lottery I think it is something that could happen lol - until then I will keep dreaming!

So my card making is confined to when I have time. Saturdays are my day to spend on making cards or trying to sort out the chaos of the spare room that I use as my card making space.

I keep promising myself I will get organised, but saying it and doing it are two very different things. I wish I could wake up one morning and be one of these tidy people who have immaculate homes and who don't burn the dinner occasionally (ok, quite often) and who never forgets to do the things like clean the oven or tidy the drawers in the kitchen - oh come on there is more to life than cleaning the oven................... saying that I did clean mine a week or so ago and it does look pretty amazing when you open the door and see the gleaming shelves lol.

So enough talk about what I wish I was and how things are supposed to be - I live in the real world and I am who I am. Happy, laid back, slightly mad, creative and untidy...... deal with it, I can't see me changing now! As they say 'a creative mind is an untidy mind' at least I keep telling myself that!

The cards that I have added today are: - a memorial card (well A4 laminated sheet to be framed at a later date), a leaving card, a few birthday cards, valentines and an engagement card. Further into the page are March birthday cards, well, the one to date. I will be trying to get the rest done this weekend.... watch this space!

So what's been happening?

I had to laugh last week. Hubby phoned me at work and asked if I would like a cleaner to come in to our house once a week. The idea does appeal but I don't feel comfortable about someone being in my house when I'm not there, I don't even like it when my mother in law comes in and cleans when we are on holiday (apart from the fact I usually make sure the place is clean before we go on holiday!). Also there is the fact that it's our mess we should clean it up ourselves, I say we meaning it is me that does it apart from hubby mostly does do the ironing. Well, all things considered I thought it would be ok for somone to come in and do the bathroom, kitchen, living room, hall and stairs. So I asked hubby to get a price......it was his friends wife who was asking for the work - anyway the price came back and she was asking for £8 an hour............. OMG I am a medical secretary and don't earn much more than that! So it looks like I won't be getting a cleaner in after all..... I may think I work hard and deserve a little help but basically I am too tight to want to pay for it!

I did have a card order so I got that made before I started getting ready for my mum coming to visit.

Back to the real world!

It has been a busy week with only a very small amount of crafting, but I am hoping to change that today.

My mum arrived on Friday 11th March for a 6 day visit and we did all the tourist stuff. It was great having her here especially as it was my birthday on the 13th and hubby's on the 18th. We had a fab time and it was hard to wave goodbye to her at the airport on Thursday when she left. We ate out quite a lot to celebrate both birthdays but I did my best to stick to my eating plan and only gained 1lb (even after eating a cream cake!) during the week of eating out a lot.

Talking of birthday cards - I had a mad scramble to get hubby's cards made this week - he did get them on his birthday - eventually!

I am still doing the Slimming World plan but I have stopped going to the classes because of the expense and since the 5th January I have lost 18lbs in total. I am happy with that and happier still that I can now wear the jeans that only a few short weeks ago I couldn't even get on! I still have a good way to go to get to the weight I want to be but I am making excellent progress and I am back on the wagon so to speak.

While my mum was here I treated myself to a skirt and top for the summer and also a pair of shoes to match. The total price for all of that was a whopping £36. I am the last of the big spenders. It is hard to believe that it was only last Saturday and now my mum is back home again. I wish the weather had been this good last week!!

The only crafting I did when mum was here was my great niece's birthday card - Tia will be 6 on 22nd March and had pre-ordered what she wanted on her card! Mum was taking it over for me so I needed it done before she went. As she was staying in a hotel and she liked to be there and settled between 8-9pm it meant that I had the opportunity to do a little crafting on an evening.

I got an order for wedding invitations so I had planned a day out to get the supplies I needed from the Paper Mill Shop at Junction One in Antrim. We arrived at Juction One and had a look around slowly - grabbing a bargin or four on the way around to the shop - the bargain was 4 pairs of Tom Tailor jeans for a huge £10!!!! Unfortunately not for me - for my lovely son! We got around to where the shop should be and............................... it was gone!!!!!! GONE! After the initial panic and thinking 'where do I get my supplies now?' we went for a coffee. I think I was in shock - it was one of my favourite places to buy craft products! I know they have a website so after going for a lovely carvery to the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena we headed back to Belfast and home I got on the pc and looked into ordering my supplies. The prices were ok but because I didn't spend over the £30 to qualify for free delivery the delivery cost was £11.95 - ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

So back to the hunt for the lovely irridescent card online! I have found another supplier but until I get a deposit I won't be ordering the card. I was also going to buy a punch (yes I am addicted to punches) that does circles, ovals, squares or straight edges. I searched and searched all my usual websites and beyond. Eventually I found a site called Craft Room (http://www.craft-room.co.uk/) and ordered exactly the punch I wanted on Monday evening. I got a lovely email back to say my order was dispached the next day and it arrived on Friday. We had no postal deliveries on Thursday here because it was St Patrick's Day and lots of things close for the day here. I also got some lovely free paper and ribbon with my order and contacted the owner of the site, Julia, to thank her for the prompt service and the lovely free gift. This is one site I will use again if there is anything I want to buy. Highly recommended - thanks Julia. I am planing on disappearing up to my craft hide away shortly and not coming out for a while so I can play with my new purchase.