Personal Stuff ...

 Hi Everybody,

No card today as at present I have a bit of a problem.

I had cataract surgery on both eyes about two years ago and everything has been fine until a few weeks ago. I was out walking the dogs with Vickie and I asked her if everything looked cloudy to her and she said "No"

For me it was like looking through a dirty window and even though I cleaned my glasses things still stayed cloudy and misty.

So last week I went to my optician and had my eyes tested and told him my problem.

 Apparently it is quite common for cataract patients to experience this. It can happen after a few weeks or years and for some it never occurs. It has some fancy name that I cannot remember but it an be remedied easily with laser treatments.

So guess what I will be having !!!
 I am witing for them to send me an appointment and then I will be able to see properly again.   
My apologies for any typos in my blog posts but It is very awkward at present/

I do however have a video coming to you tomorrow staying with the Making Flowers theme so I hope you enjoy that and I will let you know how I go on with my eyesight. Wish me luck ....

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx.

 

Ella is three

Hi Everybody,

This beautiful creature is Ella and this picture was taken when she was just a couple of months old 

She hasn't changed much and she is  still a small cat but she has grown into her ears more and she is now three and the time has flown by.  

It seems like only last week that my eldest daughter rang to ask where I was and that she had something or me.

I was out with Ruby and we went straight home, and I was handed a cardboard box with this little kitten inside.

I picked her up and she started to purr straight away.

She goes out into my garden at the back of the house but because the walls are high she has never attempted to jump over and she is very safe out there in the sunshine.

                                                   She sits by the backdoor asking to go out.   

Now when Dougal comes he likes to chase her., but she turns round and confronts him and he squeals and runs away, he is scared of her. 

He is a Cockerpoo and ten times bigger than her but she is the boss.

They are a great source of joy to me and I love them all dearly>

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

                                                 

Cut Glass Frame

Hi Everybody,

Today I am sharing a large picture frame that I have embellished and it now sits in my craft room. I made this some time ago. 

The  side edges of the frame have been covered in tiny mirror tiles and the front has glass pieces glued to the front.

The little heart  is a mirror tile and  that and the gemstone are glued to the glass on the outside of the picture, and it sits in quite a deep frame.

For the inside of the picture I have used gold mirror card to create the base to the butterfly and the leaves and they are sitting on top of white leaves and purple ones cut with the same die.

The detailed layer of the butterfly is done in blue and lilac Distress Inked handmade paper with the butterfly image stamped in gold

The background is Distress Oxide inks that have been brushed on and then splattered with gold.

I have trimmed this into a smaller panel and mounted it onto some more white card to leave another border around the design.

I really am quite pleased with this piece.

What do you think ??  

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Made For Me

Made by Vicki L Phillips

 Hi Everybody,

Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be 77. 
I can't believe that and I really don't know where the years have gone.

It doesn't seem but a few years ago that my children were small and being taken to school. 

Now they have kids of their own and I have grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

I also can't believe that it is almost seven years since Griff died.  Time goes so quickly. 

I wanted to share this card with you that has been made for me by Vicki Phillips who is one of my regular readers and leaves me lovely comments too.

Vicki  has added a note to the inside of the card and it was a lovely surprise to receive it.

So THANK YOU very much Vicki for thinking of me and it stands proud in my lounge on top of my TV cabinet and I really hope you don't mind me sharing it here. 

Tomorrow I have a video for you and it is revisiting an old technique,  I shared years ago  on YouTube, so I hope you will enjoy it and maybe give it a try for yourself. Let me know your thoughts on the cards.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Ella Up Her Tree !!!!!!

Hi Everybody,

My eldest daughter has bought Ella a new cat tree as she loves to be up high and away from Ruby ... and Dougal when he visits.

Ella can feel safe up there while she surveys all that is going on around her.

I was pleasantly surprised that she took to it as well as she did and now she sits up there every day.

She can sit at different levels to look through the window and watch the birds and people as they pass by and it keep her entertained for ages.

Then when she has had enough she curls up n one of the centre parts that are enclosed and goes to sleep. 

It is quite a large tree but it fits into the bay window and doesn't block out too much light, and it keeps her happy which was my main objective.

It was a  bargain too as the lady who sold it found that her cats wouldn't use it and so she needed to get rid of it. Ella loves it 

Bye for now xx

Beyond the Stars - by Victoria Green

Hi Everybody,

Today I am showing you the first ever book written by my youngest daughter. (Dougal's mum)

Beyond The Stars by Victoria Green   
She has been doing a lot of studying for the past couple of years and has become an accredited NLP  practitioner 

 She is also a life coach with a speciality in menopausal women and has helped women from as far away as Brazil

This is her first book and it will be published on Amazon, and I am sure she will go on to do great things in the future.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a really

 Merry Christmas 

and a 

Happy New Year

 from

Christina & Ruby & Ella

XXXXXXXXXX 

Tower Computers

 Hi Everybody,

Well what a worrying time this has been and I have really struggled over the past two weeks.

 

But I am relieved to say that I found a really good computer man and I gave him a ring.
He tried to sort some of the things out remotely on the day that I called him but he needed to come and see what my system is like.

Griff used to sort out my problems for me and he would have known what to do.
ME .... well I am just lost !! 

 It seems that my PC has two hard drives and Antony, the computer man,  is going to simplify it for me in the next few weeks, by enlarging one of the drives and taking out the other one.
That way I will not lose any space that I now have.

He didn't recommend getting a new computer as he says this is a really good system and so that saves me some money.

He also managed to recover my Editing suite for the videos, and the photos that where lost was because of the two drives, so that is now sorted too.

I was just thankful that some photos were already in my Blog files and I could get to them,  and that I had done all my Friday Freebies well in advance.

So now I am back and can get things done again and I am happy that my PC now behaves as I expect it to. I will write gain with the winner tomorrow 

And if you live on the Fylde Coast and you are having computer troubles I would highly recommend TOWER COMPUTERS

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Ruby update

 Hi Everybody,

I have just come from the vets and I am so happy to say that Ruby’s eyes are much improved. She still has a way to go yet before they are fully healed but at least there was no mention of operations for her. I have to keep on with the two different types of drops for her eyes and take her back in two weeks and hopefully she will be all clear by then.

Another piece of news is that I have been given an appointment to have the knee replacement operation on my right knee on the 18th of March. I will need to self isolate for two weeks prior to the operation and have a COVID test three days before. I am hoping that by the summer I will be able to walk properly again without pain and take Ruby on a lovely long walk.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Ruby Update

 Hi Everybody.

Thank you for your concern over Ruby and this is just to bring you up to date on what is happening. The vet put some green liquid into her eyes  and he tells me she has ulcers on her eyes.   The looked really painful and she could hardly open them. Apparently the light is painful for her. 

He prescribed painkillers and some drops that have to be given three times a day to repair the Conjunctiva. She has more drops that need to be given five or six times a day to treat the ulcers. And so I have diligently given her the care she needs and cleaned her eyes every time I administer the drops.

I took her back to the vets last Thursday and the green liquid was put in again and although there is some improvement they are still not right. We have more medication for her and she is still on pain killers and I have to take her back next Thursday for another check up.

I have everything crossed that she will be much improved and feeling better in herself. If she is not improved then the vet says he will refer her to an opthalmagist for further treatment, which is called an Corneal debridement.

Please cross your fingers fo us and hope she will be fine. She is only four and such a beautiful dog.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

Paint Pouring with Arteza

Hi Everybody,

My eldest daughter likes my paint pouting efforts and she has asked me to do one for her dining room, and her favourite colours are green and purple

 I thought it would be about 12x12" and so I said yes.

 Then she said "It's the one with Audrey Hepburn on it " and I knew that it was a biiiiig canvas.

This is it and it is a good 30" square and you can just make out the print underneath.

 I have painted over it with white paint to block out the print.  Sorry Audrey !!

I used a really cheap house paint to do this as the canvas is so large and it would have been very expensive with acrylic

Once that was dry I did the base coat in white paint ready for the pour.

I had to lay this out on my garage floor because of the size and make sure that it was all level before I poured otherwise it would just run off the sides.

Once the Paint is spread out evenly I can get ready to work on it.

Then I had to mix my colours ready to work with. I used Arteza Acrylics and I mixed two shades of purple, and one of them was metallic, into separate  cups.

I mixed up three different shades of green and a beautiful gold and one of pewter

 Stupidly I started to pour and forgot to take photos of it as I did and so I have nothing to show you of that part.

But this is a section of it as it was tilted and once it is completely dry I am going to add Gold Leaf to  highlight the gold in it.

And I really hope she will like it when I give it to her to hang in her house.

 I will take a complete picture of it once it is finished to show you the end result.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Happy Mothers Day .. to everybody

Hi Everybody,

I do hope this post finds you all well and escaping the effects of Coronavirus. 

It is a very worrying time for all of us and can be very upsetting for those who have to isolate them selves from society.

I sympathise with you and I too, at 72 am, one of those who has to stay in doors.

We have to find things to occupy our time and keep our hands working.

 I have started to do my spring cleaning early

Make use of Facebook, if you are on it, to keep up with family and friends.

 Go back to writing letters or making phone calls to them. 

We may be in an imposed social distancing situation, but we can keep close emotionally and tell people you love that you do love them and are missing their company.

Also think about the people out there who have to face everyday wondering if someone they meet will infect them. People on the front line like NHS staff, shopkeepers, transport drivers, school staff who have to stay open for some children and many many other workers that are too many to mention.

Think also about small businesses who are struggling in a different way. If the supermarkets don't have fresh fruit and veg then try the small green groceries who will also be struggling to keep going

 This hits home to me personally as my Grandson has his own restaurant and has now had to close. He had a full house for Mothers day and now he has none.

 He is operating a Take Away service and I will be taking advantage of that as this situation worsens.

As for me well I will try to give you all something to look forward to each week with the

 Friday Freebie that will include the magazine and the gift that came with it.

I will cover the postage so that it is completely free to you and I am happy to send it wherever you are.

As crafters we can keep ourselves busy with the things we love to do, and remember that you don't need to go to the shops , Craft Stash is always there for items you may need.

 They are still operating a full service though many staff are working from home.

Subscribe to your favourite magazine to make sure you have the inspiration you need, and get it delivered direct to your door, keeping you safe.

And don't forget the NEW online community that has been started for us all

Craft World will be the place to keep in touch with other crafters and enjoy a little fun in the process.  And you will get exclusive videos on a regular basis.

So it's not the end of the world, and many of those who have had Coronavirus have now made a full recovery and  can move forward . 

We will all move forward eventually and things will get back to normal. 

The sun will still shine tomorrow and the rain will still come down, but spring is on the way and so is change.

 Keep smiling and be kind to others and we will all be better for it.

Much love and big hugs to you all

Boring Cream Lamp ...

Hi Everybody,

This is a lamp that sits in my hall way and it was one that I have had for years. 

It was just a plain cream one with gold calligraphy on a cream shade. 

So I decided to give it a new lease of life with a can of gold spray paint, some glitter and a little bit of  gold flower wrap.

I was very pleased that the gold writing showed up on the shade and it makes for a very pleasing result.

I sprayed the gold flowers wrap with the same can and that just blended all the shades of gold together and looked much better.

It now sits back in the hall and it is on a timer so that it lights up the room and I don't come in to a dark house ... which I hate doing.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Happy New Year 2020

Hi Everybody,

I wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year and my you get all the things you want for yourself and your family, and those dear to you.  

Time is going by so quickly for all of us and we need to make the most of what we have, so be happy and Laugh, Live and Love as much as you can. 

I also wanted to thank you for your continuing support over the past year and I know that some of you have been with me a long time.

I really am grateful that you stay with me and I hope you will be with me next year and the one after.

I couldn't do what I do without all of you.

I will be continuing with the Friday Freebie each week so I hope you will add your comments to that page each week.

I am going to be back on the Craft Stash Facebook Live channel,  and Hochanda, in the not to distant future and I have some beautiful die designs to share with you all

Thanks again for everything

Big big hugs xx

Sweater Story ...

Hello Everyone,

It's me Ruby and I just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year for 2020.

I am wearing my new Christmas sweater here and it keeps me really cozy when I go out.

My mum was mad at me the other day when we went for a walk because I decided to go for an unexpected swim in ... my new sweater.

The water wasn't the cleanest and I came out covered in mud and ... my new sweater

And I didn't smell the nicest either ... nor did ... my new sweater.

My mum was not best pleased with me but I, and my sweater, scrubbed up well, so nothing was lost in the end. She said the water was that dirty when she bathed me it was like  mud soup and it took ages to get me clean again.

But after  my mum had given me a nice warm bath,  dried me with the hair dryer and I had eaten my dinner I got the biggest cuddle while we sat on the sofa and I fell asleep on my mums lap.

So until my next adventure take care everyone and have a Good New Year

Much Love

Ruby xxx

Christmas Presents

Hi Everybody,

These are some more of my handmade presents and the recipients liked these too.

It is amazing what you can put together with some glass bought from the charity shops and it always surprises me what people discard.

This set has been spray painted silver and an upside down bell added to the top of the smallest dish. 

It looks like a pear and I have used flower wrap around all the pieces

Inside the bell interior, and to the wine glass on the tallest one, I have added crystals and sealed them in well onto a votive dish.

It is stood on a silver decorated tray with door knob feet on the bottom

And this one was the smallest one because of limited space on the dressing table.

I had to make the base myself from wooden blocks and spray it silver then decorate with mirrors and diamond wrap and door knob feet

I also added crystals to the empty cavities on the tallest and middle pieces

I am really pleased with all these items and I filled each one with cotton wool, ear buds and make up pads for my recipients to use.

And even if they don't use the contents the pieces will still make lovely ornaments

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Christmas Gifts ...

Hi Everybody,

I hope you all had a good day over the Christmas Holiday and not feeling too full of food and drink. 

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my glass ware and as I promised I have more to show you now that the day has gone by and my recipients have been given their gifts.

Depending on the space they had available on dressing tables I made these lovely sets for each of my daughters and granddaughters

In them I added cotton wool balls, cleansing pads and  ear buds and I am really pleased with the way they turned out.

Each of these also has a candle holder with it and they have been sprayed silver

The glitter on them has been sealed with Mod Podge and extra bling added to all pieces.

I have added small feet to each one to raise them up and they really do sparkle in the sunshine

I just hope that my recipients do like them and didn't say they did just to be polite

This one is on a very large mirror base that I made from wooden blocks  and then glued 5" mirrors to the top.

It has been decorated on top and on the sides and the jars are covered with crushed glass which again was sealed with Mod Podge to stop it flaking off.

These are some and I will show you more next week.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Gluey fingers...

Hi Everybody,

I have done some videos lately and my hands look dreadful in them.  I have explained that my fingers have black paint and glue on them and it is very stubborn when I try to get it off.

 I have promised to show you why they have been in this state but it will be mostly after Christmas as I have been making my own gifts this year.

Some of the things I have already shown you, in the form of my wall art with mirrors, spoons and plates, and you can scroll back if you wanted another look at them 

But this vase is one of the things I have done, not for anyone but me and it is made from cardboard, paper mache and silver paint. 

Then I added mirror tiles to it. So I hope you like it

It is really glitzy and I love it and it is in my guest bedroom.

It's quite big but because it is cardboard it can't be used for real flowers.

Artificial flowers don't bother me as I think they look really pretty and so that is what this one will be having added to it.

Though I must say it looks good enough with nothing in it.

So there you have it from all angles and it may not be up your street but it is certainly an eye catcher especially when the sun shines in through the window

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

More Strange Makes ...

Hi Everybody,

Here is a picture of the plates and spoons mirror with the string lights behind it and it looks lovely on the wall

The lights look blue but they are just bright white string lights and I got them from Amazon.

They are Olafus 16 pack LED String Lights for £16.99.  I love them and they make such a difference to any project and as long as you don't immerse the battery pack they can be used in water 

Now here is a challenge for you ... Can you tell me what this one is made from ??

I also added the lights behind this too and this is on my dining room wall.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Plastic Plates and Spoons ....

Hi Everybody,

I am so pleased that you liked my spoon mirror and all those who laughed have now got to say that they do like it. 

And here it is with the string lights behind it and it looks amazing on the wall. I made this after watching videos on YouTube and it was a real inspiration.

And this one cost me about £4.20 to make and I have lots of products left over to make a lot more. 

But this one is my favourite and for this I have used a foam board as the base, five silver plastic plates, flower mesh wrap, Gorilla glue and plastic spoons all from Amazon.

Five silver glitter coasters and five x 3" mirrors from the £1 shop, white paper flowers from my stash.

A can of silver spray paint, Mod Podge and a large tub of glitter from the Range. 

It is about beautiful and much bigger than the  spoon mirror and once I add the lights to it it will look fantastic.

Have you spotted the spoon handles in there ??

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx