I hope.

I have had nothing but bad luck recently.

We have had D&V bug from hell in the house recently, going through all members of the family, twice !!! Thank goodness for the quanity and location of potties in our house. I have seen and cleared up enough poo to last me a very long lifetime.

I have had several clinic and hospital appointments for my bad ear, concluding in a horrible squash me into a smartie (CAT Scanner) tube with a box on my head and I do not like small spaces. I spent the time trying to breath and not think about my current location. So I planned a birthday card I need to make for this weekend in my head. I was ever so relieved to get out after five minutes, though it felt like several hours to me.

Then I fell off a piece of soft play equipment and did an impressive amount of damage to my ankle. The A&E doctor exclaimed that he had never seen someone who had done so much damage to there foot without breaking it. Lucky me. He went on to say that as broken bones have no nerves, the damage I had done would properly give me more pain than if I had broken it and it might take as long to heal !!! (Actually a couple of weeks on and I think I am getting much better, through it is still very painful. Thank goodness for the little pink pills) So I have been hoping around on crutches, Deckchair had to take a week off work to help me with the children. Now I am hoping with one crutch and child caring with the other and crawling a lot !?!

Lastly last week an old filling got infected and I have had in the last 7 days, 4 dental appointments, including one emergency one, loads of drilling. I am awaiting an root canal treatment in 7 days time, which at the moment feels like an age away. I have spend several hours weeping in the bathroom in the middle of the night, trying not to wake my family up and waiting until I can take some more pain relief. Infected tooth really hurts, more that I can explain.
(Another vote of confidence for the little pink pills)

So I am hoping for less pain (ankle and teeth) this weekend, I just need a break.

On the bright side I must be due some good luck around now, I should buy a lottery ticket or something I jest a painfree night would be all the good luck I want or desire.

Dottie's World Website has been running for a year !!! To celebrate there is going to be a new look to the website and a week long party with party games and loads of give aways. Look at this blog candy !!!

Click pictures for a bigger photo.


Above is a finished A5 card for my sister's upcoming wedding anniversary. My first card with an text bit printed on the computer on tracing paper and added to a card. I finally got an useable embossing from my bigshot & Friskar plates, thanks to Petra's advice using cardboard shims.


I have figured out how to make square scalled cards using my bigz xl rectangle card die. Not finished but I love the shinyness


Square embossed scalloped card with frame using nestabilities.

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Layering using scalloped template. Unfinished card. Needs some writing and is a bit too bright.


This one has a brown foam flower and brown large nestibilities frame. My Bigshot will cut paper, card, felt and funky foam...need to try chipboard at some point.


Lastly trying a sideways embossing using Cuttlebug folders and a normal sized pre-bought card. I like the effect of flat and embossed card with ribbon and I will do this again. Unfinished card.

I am having fun.

Charmed Cards and Crafts

The challenge this week is to........"Link to a card you made with a download or a stamped image (does NOT have to be one of ours)
If you are using one of the Charmed Cards & Crafts downloads then you get two chances (please enter two comments, in the second just write "my second chance). All entries will be checked."

Here is the card I made for my mother for Mothers day.


And a 'Mother-to-be' card I made my sister


Details for Mum's card
Baby Tingla sitting stamped image coloured with Copic markers
Embossed Copiced card heart
Embossed Mirror card
Basic coated matt paper with 'silver' text
Purple ribbon from job lot of ebay attached with mini brads.
First attempt at some inside detail

Details for Sister's card
Pregnant Dotty (from the Love and Marriage collection at Charmed Cards and Crafts website) coloured with Copic markers
Silver and Black backing paper from stash
Embossed Mirror card
White ribbon from stash
First attempt at layers using foam pads...I gave Dotty three tummies

Charmed Cards and Crafts Copic challenge
There is a wonderful competion over at Charmed Cards and Crafts site to win 72 Copics pens. So why not pop over and join in the challenge Click on this link to go to the Charmed Cards and Craft competition


Note to me, comments to add to blog is minus spaces of course

< a href="http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/449-Mothers-Day-and-Copics-!!!.html"> Here's mine< /a>

< a href="http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/449-Mothers-Day-and-Copics-!!!.html"> My second chance< /a>

Dottie Challenge

The challenge this week is to........"Start the New Year with a Laugh" . I simply want to see "something funny" on your project; what you use and how you make it is up to you, as long as you use one of the Charmed downloads."

I made this very simple card.

Bit of a rush job and I have only just had time to do it, as grandparents have Babychair overnight to give Deckchair and I a break...well a semi break we still have our scrummy baby boy Highchair to love at home.

The main reason I was determined to get this challenge done was the incentive of a freebie from Dotty's world, to be precise, a copy of "Scruff in the Tub"


Details
My only Dotty image downloaded free from here
Coloured with Prismacolour pencils blended with baby oil
Basic Red card and hammened cream paper matting text on silver card
Glossy assent added to puddles and drops of water (Not very clear on the photo)

Note to me, comment to add to blog is minus spaces of course

< a href="http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/435-First-Dotty-World-Challenge.html"> Here's mine< /a>

Funny Punk song about breastfeeding .....enjoy

Here is another icon link to another stamp blog, which has new card challenges every Sunday (click the below image to visit the stamp blog) Called Magnolia Meets Stamp Avie.


Week 7 Challenge

"The challenge this week is to follow a sketch"

Here is my second ever card challenge and my first ever sketch one !!!
I decide to do another birthday card for another family member in January

I'm not happy with this card, the balance seems wrong and the lovely backing papers are too busy together. But on the other hand I certainly have a lot of scope for improvement and more importantly I enjoyed having a go.

Details
Fawn and pink versions of 'My Sweet Lili' Sarah Kay stamp
Embossed pink card 'ribbon'
Backing papers from Provo, 'Pocket full of Turquoise' and 'Pocket full of Purple'
Cut flowers and stamp frames from plain cream and pink card
Text Drawn on hammered cream paper Craftrobo and hand coloured in purple gel pen

Note to me, comment to add to blog is minus spaces of course

< a href="http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/429-First-MMSA-Sunday-Challenge.html"> Here is my entry< /a>

I have decided to make space in my life for two interests which I have not had time for in ages...crafts which I haven't had chance to do since the birth of my daughter and coursework for a course I started several months ago...whilst I won't be boring and post extracts from my future essays online, I can and will be posting any craft stuff I manage to find time for.

Here is a icon link to a stamp blog, which has new card challenges every Saturday (click the below image to visit the stamp blog) So when I have half an hour spare and need to make a card for an uncoming event, I am going to use this and similar sites for inspiration.



Week 27 Challenge

"The challenge this week is a RECIPE......3....2....1.
3 Flowers...2 Papers and 1 Ribbon"

Here is my first card challenge, I decided to make a birthday card for a female relation coming up after christmas.

I decided to go for a very simple and very pink design

Details
Penny Black Stamp 'Gifts for you' stamped in pink on hammer cream card
Coloured with Light Peach Prismacolour pencil (PC927) blended with baby oil
Backing paper from a job lot of scrapbooking paper bought from ebay
Basic cream ribbon
Punched flowers from pink and sparkly pink card.
Glossy assent and 5 pink beads added to main flower centre. (Not very clear on the photo)

Note to me, comment to add to blog is minus spaces of course

< a href="http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/428-First-Penny-Black-Saturday-Challenge.html"> Here's mine< /a>

I wanted to thank my neighbour who is a very lovely friendly person and ever so thoughtful. She came over to see me in the bad weather to see if I needed anything from the shops to save me dragging myself out of the house with two little ones...bless her.

On hearing that I use cloth nappies, she turned up with a set of Motherease nappies for me and several lovely items of clothing for our children. The nappies in particular are fantastic...no leaks overnight !!! I am thinking of buying a few more Motherease just for over night purposes.

Also I wanted to thank my MIL neighbour, who kindly knitted a lovely chunky cardigon for newborn Highchair. I thanked her in person and mentioned how much I loved it and got another small one last month and a third larger one is waiting to be picked up from my MIL's.

Being short of cash I hope by making my own thank you cards for these wonderful people, it will show them how much I appreciate their gifts.

Here are the cards.....Both with Sarah Kay Stamps coloured with Prismacolour pencils blended with baby oil.



I know they are only simple basic cards but I really hope they like them.

For selling fab stuff !!!

With this nasty wet weather and four people's worth of washing to do including a set of cloth nappies, I have been struggling to dry washing on the outside line. The couple of old maidens I have are literally falling to pieces and can't cope with the amount and weight of washing we now do. I have both maidens permanently full and I still have a growing washing mountain in my kitchen.

Enter Ikea and the Antonius clothes dryer.


It is massive, taller than me tall with bags of hanging space. I have been washing all evening and have hung up just under three loads already on the airer and it will definately take the next one currently in the washing machine. It is 'just under' three loads as I am hanging the very heavy jeans and pants on a seperate maiden, as I don't think the new airer would take very heavy stuff. It also folds up very neatly, remaining the same height but becoming very narrow and fairly easy to carry. Eventually it will be located under the spare bed when not in use in that room, but it is currently up in our dining room, whilst I play catch up with the laundry.

If I have beams in the right place, I hope to get this Antonius ceiling dryer for heavy jeans, bath towels etc, to hang upstairs over the landing.


I am confident that the washing mountain will soon be flattened, onward and upward towards the island of ironing

My mobile phone and I parted company several weeks ago now.

I did try ringing it and I heard the ringtone from the living room but as I can't hear directions I couldn't find it. By the time Deckchair got home the mobile (which only had a low charge at the time of being lost) had stopped ringing and was going straight to the answerphone. Despite looking everywhere for weeks it was nowhere to be found. I assumed our bright active toddler Babychair had something to do with the disappearance and I was hopeing the phone would turn up again, like a set of house keys had done some months before.

At first I wasn't bothered, to be honest it was a bit of a relief. Mobiles can be a hassle, remembering to keep them charged, carrying them around all the time and feeling obliged to answer them when they ring. I much prefer email, when you can answer in your own time.

But as days turned into weeks, I started missing the damm thing. I started finding myself saying, I'll just ring Deckchair, my mum, check the opening times for the children's music group and of course no mobile meant I would have to wait until I got back home.

On top of finally missing my mobile, there was the concern from my parents and husband at being out in the world with two young children and no way of calling for help, if say my dodgy car broke down when I was away from home, so I decided it was time to do something about it.

I rang our mobile company Virgin Mobile (Virgin Mobile Website) and spoke to a lovely lady in their customer service department. She was polite, friendly and ever so helpful, because I had an account with them for a few years and as I was willing to have a 'new to me' rather than a brand new phone and didn't need (nor want) the latest model, she found me a wonderful deal. So I end up with a 'new to me' pink mobile and my orginal number back for just over £12 !!! What a bargain. Plus she reordered a new sim card with my original mobile number on it, free of charge !!!

So Virgin Mobile is on my very short list of companies with an excellent customer service department.

Roll on the end of the week and my new(ish) phone arrival and I'll be contactable whilst out and about again

What a good idea
http://www.beadsafe.co.uk/page_1220804606861.html
Emergency Bracelets

Serves
4 large portions

Ingredients
500g Stewing Beef
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
vegetable oil
6 small potatos
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
1/2 small bottle of Black Sheep Ale
Pint of Beef Stock (Oxo cube & boiling water)

Instructions
1. Put flour, paprika, half the salt and pepper in a plastic food bag.
2. Add stewing beef cut into small cubes into the food bag and shake until all the meat is covered with flour.
3. Heat up vegetable oil in frying pan and brown the beef on all sides. Takes about 5 minutes.
4. Place sealed beef in slowcooker.
5. Add beer to frying pan and allow to collect flavour from the frying pan, add to slow cooker.
6. Make up beef stock and pour over beef in slow cooker.
7. Clean and peal all vegetables. Add sliced carrots and cubed potatoes to slow cooker.
8. Cook on the HIGH setting of the slowcooker for 5 hours.

Time
20 minutes to prepare
5 hours to cook in slow cooker

Result
Nice enough that Deckchair bagged the leftovers for his lunch the next day !!!
Definately will cook this one again.
Potatoes were slightly firm, maybe pre-cook potatoes before adding to the slow cooker next time.

Deckchair disappeared into the kitchen, I thought to make a cup of tea but he returned with a cup of tea AND a lovely 'bitsa' breakfast for me, him and DD.

His fab 'Bitsa' meals are bits of different food which don't necessarily normally go together on one plate but always taste lovely.

This one has nice crackers, cucumber, lovely smoked cheese, grapes, strawberries and branston pickle.

Mmmm, Just what I need after a broken nights sleep due to newborn and a cold.