My last blog post for 2017

This is to be my last blog post as next week I will be having my cataract done on my right eye and I have 2 more blog posts to deal with before I can take a break from writing them up so I hope you will forgive me.
For the last few days we have had our first snow showers of this winter, Friday it was off and on all day and yesterday we were free of them but we woke up this morning to find a very big layer of the stuff and as I look out of my window I can see it has just started again. Hubby has walked into town to try and get himself some milk and I hope he gets back soon as hes been out quite awhile and the road down into town is rather slippery in this sort of weather. The Forest is more or less cut of in places as the roads are impassable and several trees have come down and blocked them to.

As you can see its about 5 inches in depth and although our dog loves it and jumps around like a spring lamb in it the consequences arent so much fun, we have already experienced a 3 hour power cut and I was just despairing of never get a hot cup of coffee it suddenly came back on again. The house had started to get rather cold and because everything in this house is run by electricity we didnt even have any heat as we dont have a chimney so couldnt even have a fire and we cook with electric as well.
Well to try and cheer myself and you up I created this card with the new John next door dies and Im quite pleased with the end result so here you are.

Well Im going to finish now and I want to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and I will be back in the New Year, so do take care and keep warm.

Good Morning My Special Friends

Well this last week has been a busy one and Im sure tomorrow I hope will be a little quieter as its my 75th Birthday and although you have to do the normal things Im hoping I will be getting some phone calls from my family as I dont get to see them very often as they live so scatter across the country.
Next week is going to be a expensive one I fear as I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday to sort out my plate and I know from previous experience its not cheap but Im so hoping they will sort out my problem with the sore gum as the plate is rubbing on it.
The dog is due to be clipped so I think hubby will be taking her though she doesnt like that to much she gets a problem with being left if Im not there to do so, I will go if I have my plate but not if I dont I definitely look bad without it.
And then on Friday I have my 1st appt with the pre-diabetic clinic nurse, the doctor tried to reassure me that is to chat about my life style eating habits if I do as Im told I should be okay but it seems as you get older the risk of developing diabetes is a lot higher as the body cannot cope with the sugars in your body, what fun as if I havent had problems all year with my diet it seems and I was hoping to be able to eat normally again Im going to have to spend the rest of my life watching it again, not much fun for sure. But Im hoping that its a hiccup as I must admit that I did over do the licorice because of the constipation I now suffer due to loosing the last part of my bowel, and I have to have a sugar blood test every 3 months instead of 6 or at least I think thats what the doctor said it might have been 1 a month but I will ask when I see the D. nurse.
Well I think Im going to lay that to rest for today and show you the card I made for John next door's new facebook page group, I do love his crafting goodies and these ones I particularly love I hope you do to.

Its a combination of stamps, diecuts and stamps also a embossing folder which I cut a square from the middle to create the aperture which I but the stamped image behind.

A Card for this week

Well so far since trying to post 1 card a week I seem to be managing to do so lets hope it continues. Firstly thank you for the lovely comments on my dear son, its a strange thing that my mum lost a premature baby girl in 1950 at a week old and yes I do remember her because even though I was only 7 I did get to see her when they took both my mum and her to hospital, and then my sister also lost a son at 4 months to a cot death, so you know they say things run in threes lets hope that the last of that sort of thing happening in my family.
Well next Sunday I reach the grand old age of 75 I cannot believe Im going to be that mind you over this last year Ive certainly been reminded that my body is starting to give up, not only having to have the sigmoid colon removed in July but struggling to cope with the new way of managing my bowels (its totally different to my old way as I really cannot get them to work that way, I know I need to go but it just doesn't want to work when you get there so you can guess I'm having to strain all the time, which isn't what I want really) and then Ive been suffering with some balance problems, I have toppled over a couple of times though luckily I didn't do any damage just shook myself up. The doctor put me on antibiotic's for sinus but the side effects of them were dreadful constipation, which I thought I could counteract with licorice but the problem with that it has now caused me to be referred to the pre-diabetic nurse,  just hope it doesn't mean that's the next problem, its certainly shaken me and causing me to panic a bit as you can image, anyway I see the Dr again on Wednesday so hopefully she will reassure me, it showed I had a high blood sugar level (when I had a load of blood tests last week) after I came off them.
Well I think I had better just hope that things sort themselves out Please God, as I really don't need anymore problems I really hope that in the New Year it will be a better one for me, but no doubt other problems will arise but lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Here is this weeks Card I hope you like it.

My eldest daughter who is in her middle 50's is a personal trainer, she runs a jogging group in Strahaven in Scotland and loves anything to do with keeping healthy, she even ran the London Marathon a few years ago and I thought this fabulous image from Gordon Fraser would be (you can get it from Crafts u Print,) ideal for her, Ive printed it and coloured it with my copic pens, then cut it out completely.
The backing paper was also from the same source and I coloured this also with my copic pens and cut it out to create a background for my image.
I then downloaded the free backing papers and mounted them onto green card which was attached to a 6.50"x 6.50" white card, then stuck the background at the top of the card and the stamped sentiment which was also mounted onto green card at the bottom of my card towards the right, and I also did the same thing with the other sentiment but this time stuck it at the top on the left.
And to finish of I placed my cut out image as if she is running away from the background in the center of my card. I just hope she likes it, she likes plain and simple cards so lets hope this fits the bill.
See you all next week, hugs Shirleyxxxxx

Good Morning my Friends

Well thank you Bridgit for the comment on my mum, I must admit our relationship wasnt as close as I would like to have been as she was more orientated to my brother and Ive a feeling I was more like being the eldest was expected to show a good example, I must admit I was always scared of her as she had terrible PMT and would act just like a hell cat when she was due and it was best not to get in her way if you could help it.
But she was my mum and I did love her and in the last few years she did try to become closer but I always felt it was a bit strained but I forgave her as Ive a feeling she just couldnt help the way she was and she suffered terribly to and was in constant pain so when she died I think for her it was a happy release and the end of loneliness as my dad died at least 30 years before she did.
Anyway this week is another sad one for me as its my sons birthday on the 17th and he would have been 54 and it would have been such a joy to see him grown up with a family, but its not to have been and all I can remember is the 6 month old baby who suffered with Lymphatic Leukaemia in the last 2 months of his life, but at least I did go on to have 2 more daughters who have given me 5 grandsons between them and 3 great grandsons, so I have been rewarded in another way for my loss.

Here he is with his big sister at 19 days old

And now to cheer ourselves up here is this weeks card.

This has been created using the Woodware stamps, lots of different embossing powders and enamel accents, and the embossing folder is a Embossalious one. Hope you like the result.

Where does time go to

Today 8 years ago I lost my mum leaving me a orphan, yes I know at nearly 75 it was expected but I do miss her and our Sunday morning talks, plus which she has missed out on seeing her family get even larger.
She could have met her great great grandsons also a brand new one due in the New Year, and she would have been delighted, mum was very much a boy person and she could also have seen her other great great granddaughters from my sisters families.
Sleep peacefully mum we miss you, I hope you and dad are now enjoying your freedom from pain. Love you both Shirley and the family.

A Card for this week

Do you ever feel that things are never going to go right, well guess what Ive had a stinker one it all started last Sunday morning.
I logged onto my bank account to discover a message and after I read it I had to make my mind up whether I would ring up the number they displayed to ask if they would carry on sending me replacement credit cards, I thought it through and decided yes I would as although I dont use it very often as I have a couple of others I like to feel that I have it in case I do need it, also I know if you cancel it with the bank it can take longer to start one again and even as Im a pensioner they may feel it wasnt worth issuing one for me.
Anyway thats when the fun started, the phone number was a 0300 number and of course its one of those premium ones, anyway the first time I rang it in the morning I was supposed to put in a number or I should say parts of it, well I couldnt remember what number I had originally chosen mainly because I use online banking and not phone banking and of course they transferred me to a operator only no one came on, so after 15 mins I put the phone down. Then during the day I rethought it through and couldnt make my mind up whether to bother, and I thought oh blow I will give it one more time, and this time I got through to a operator and you can guess I had to go through a load of things to try to sort it out, well eventually I managed to get it sorted although I must admit I had to go through the whole thing twice before getting onto a voice recognition part, and even that you have to repeat a phrase 3 to 8 times before you get the ok. I just hope I don't have to go through that again, also I will make sure I use the card before its due to be renewed.
The next problem I will tell you after a break.

Todays card was created using Creative Expressions stamps by cutting 3 mounts and using my stamp mount (Crafts too) and keeping them rigid and attaching the stamps to the lid in one corner then turning the card around to fill each of the corners, then adding the sentiment in the middle.
I then put mounting foam behind each mount and then layering them up as shown.
Now for my next problem, Ive been waiting since my original appt in May to have my second cataract done, and of course because of my bowel operation it had to be put on hold, anyway at the end of August I rang a number I had been given to ask for my operation to be put back on the waiting list.
Well on Monday as I had not heard from the hospital, I know that they had a waiting list but when I had my first op done I dont think I waiting longer than 8 weeks and it was now 10 weeks, anyway it turned out that the person I rang in August HAD NOT PUT MY NAME BACK ON THE LIST, and you can guess what I felt, anyway I asked them if it was at all possible I would be happy to accept a cancellation to get it done as the cataract has grown so fast all I can see out of the eye is a fuzzy outline but no details so you can guess what its like when I colour anything.
Well in the afternoon I had another call from the hospital and a more with it person rang and I told her what had happened in the morning and that I had rung to see why I had not heard and she reassured me my name was back on the list, I also told her the reason I rung was I have started to suffer with more migraine aura's and with one duff eye and when they start my other is finding it difficult to see, plus which if Im not careful I can miss the start and so if I dont take my tablet it can develop into a full aura which can take anything up to a hour to clear. I dont drive at the moment mainly because of this and the cataract.
Guess what on Wednesday a letter arrives with a date I was so relieved but I still have to wait till the 21st December but at least its going to be done, thank goodness.
Well now you know my tail of woe, lets hope things improve, but I dont hold much hope I went to the dentist on Friday as I have been suffering with a gum infection, and she put a temporary filler on my plate and that cost £68. and all it was was a plastic filler shot with a gun. I have to go back at the end of the month to see if a more permanent solution can be sorted, I hate to think what thats going to cost.
Oh well see you next week. Hugs to all.

A Anniversary Card for Hubby

Good Morning Crafters, this year I have been following Chloe of  Chloe's Creative Cards as I really love her dies and stamps and for hubby this year I decided to give him a bit of bling but not to over the top.
Our Anniversary was in September but I pinched his card yesterday which is still on display to show you it, as Ive said before I have been making cards but Ive not always taken a photo of them, probably because I did'nt want the people who they were made for to see them but now it does'nt matter now for this one especially. I hope you like the result though the photo isnt the best I'm afraid.

For some unknown reason its gone rather yellow in the middle probably because a light is reflecting but I can assure you its completely white and silver embossing.
Ive used the butterfly heart die and stamp and the flower stamp which I cut out and layered up, also the greenery which has got slightly bent when in the envelope.

Well here is another blog post

Good Morning Crafters, thank you so much Brigit, Melodie, Marianne and Anne for leaving such wonderful comments I will try and keep the momentum going its stupid really I have had quite a few cards that I made and not bothered to post on  here and Ive got to say is just my laziness so maybe I can pull up my socks and start posting some of the cards I have already made ready to use and the following ones for Men are the latest ones I have made in the last couple of weeks.
And I so agree with you about people blog hoping I myself have been one of those that would religiously go around all my list and leave comments but as at times like posting on my No.1 blog I just haven't had the mojo to do so, the only ones I have found that I really needed to keep up with were my Paper Shelter DT blog members and my Pink Gem ones.
Anyway here are my latest cards to show you I hope you like them, its always difficult to create cards for men but I have a secret to give you I rather enjoy making them and Im always on the look out for images that will make simple cards that men I hope will enjoy receiving and to be honest most of the men I know are not those that enjoy Golf (my father in law was the only one), Boats, Scenery but anything to do with cars, machines, steam engines (hubby) that sort of thing so I hope these cards will go down well with those that are to receive them.

 Using Woodware Stamp, Pixie Powders and Chalk Clouds

Using Pixie Powders and Sue Wilson Dies

Using Heartfelt Stamp and Tim Holtz Oxide Inkpads

I have to say that I made six of each of the cards so that now I have a stash of men cards so hopefully for the next few months I shall be ready to send them out.

I know its been along time

Good Morning Crafter's yes I know its been along time since I posted anything on this No.2 blog but as you are probably aware I have had a very painful and difficult few months since Christmas last year and its taking me longer to become motivated to start up this particular blog and even my No.1 blog has suffered to, Ive just been posting my Challenge Cards.
Its now almost 5 years since I started posting on this blog and 9 years since  I started my No.1 blog so I should offer some blog candy but Im going to give this year a miss if you dont mind as this is not the time to do so, I know I have lost my regular visitors on here and the same on my other blog I will make up for it hopefully by improving things by my 10th anniversary next year.
Now thats out of the way I must admit to having been making the odd card now and again all though the year and just in the last week I have created at least 7 new cards and Im going to post them here in a moment.
Firstly I want to tell you that Im gradually readjusting to having part of my large bowel removed and thank goodness Im now out of the terrible pain I have suffered Thank God. I wasnt aware how bad I was and again I Thank God for sparing me as my actual bowel had perforated and luckily because I had a lot of scar tissue from my Endemetriosis and Body Fat it had sealed it in and stopped it going into my body and causing Sepsis, so if you suffer with Diverticulitis please do make sure you keep your eye on your symphtoms.
And now to get of my Health and start a new term here, and I have had these Art Impressions fabulous stamps for quite along time and as I need to create several female cards I thought these were ideal for my friends and family, hope you do to.

I sincerely hope that they make you smile as much as they do me, the backgrounds on 6 of them is the new Distress Oxides which I absolutely love, and as I only had the six I used the background papers from one of the Sweetshoppe Papers on the last one.
Hopefully it wont be quite so long before I get back to you.

New Baby Cards using Sue Wilson Dies and Stamps

Just over the next few months I have several friends and family who are having babies and to start the year of at the beginning of this month my great niece gave birth to a beautiful little girl, and then another friend her son had a little boy, and then we have two more little boys due in the next few months so you can guess what I have been doing, I do hope you like the results of the two I am posting today which were created using Sue Wilson's New Arrivals Die and Stamps, also using Phil Martins paper pad.
These Cards are being entered in the following Challenges:-
http://4craftychicks.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://cardz4galz.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://craftingwithanattitude.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://crafty-girls-creations.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://digitaldelightsbyloubylootips.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://littlemissmuffetchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ 
http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Two Cards for the Facebook Sundays with Santa Challenges

These two cards were created using the new Groovie Plates, its been  a number of years since I did any parching but this new way of drawing the pictures is so much easier than it used to be, and these two were made for the Challenges I host over on Facebook, after I used the plates to draw the pictures I then used my pencils to colour them from the back and my PCA tools to emboss them, before mounting them up on the red and green square mounts.
If your interested in joining the page let me know, its a way of creating a stash of cards ready to sign and send come this Xmas.
These Cards are being entered in the following Challenges:-
http://christmasatsweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
http://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.co.uk/
http://inspirationdestinationchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thecraftyaddicts.blogspot.co.uk/
http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.co.uk/
http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.co.uk/

 

A Card for Through the Craft Door Facebook Page

This last weekend I was lucky enough to be allowed to download this gorgeous "Wild Roses" image from "Through the Craft Door" Facebook page, and I have to admit that roses are one of those flowers I love and so did my mum, whose favourite colour was a deep deep red one, and she would plant whole beds of them in her garden, and she also love the scent of them to, I can if I shut my eyes see her bending over the flowers and drinking in the smell of them. She also love to collect pictures of them to, and my dad would bring her home calendars that were full of the pictures and then frame them for her.
So you can imagine that this image bought lovely memories back for me, and I was also extremely lucky to receive from a very dear friend of mine in Guernsey a rose bush out of the blue and this one also is a deep red so Im so looking forward to seeing it come into bloom.
I think I had better get back to explaining what I have done, I printed the image onto white card then used my copic pens to colour it, afterwards I used a square Nestabilitie die to cut it out and Art Nouveau one for the mount out of red card.
The actual card is a 7.50"x 7.50" white card with a first mount out of red card the papers are from SweetShoppe Designs and I have use three of the papers and layered them up as shown. I also used a ribbon which is just shown in the left hand corner above the pink paper and below the top multi green mount. I then placed my mounted image towards the top in the center with the sentiment down below towards the right hand corner. To finish of I have used some Nuvo Pearl drops in all four courners.
This Card is to be entered in the following Challenges:-
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
http://craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
http://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.co.uk/
http://inspirationdestinationchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://lilredwagon.blogspot.co.uk/
http://papercraftcrew.com/
http://www.scrapyland-blog.com/
http://thesisterhoodofcrafters.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thecraftyaddicts.blogspot.co.uk/
http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.co.uk/

A Card for the last ArtbyMiran Facebook Reserved Challenge

Good Morning Crafters, I cannot believe its 2 months since I posted a card here on my No.2 blog I have been creating but as Ive been rather ill over this time I may have not felt like posting anything I made, Im really sorry to have let you down.
Anyway a very Happy New Year to you and over on Facebook Art by Miran are changing their Reserved Monthly Challenge and this is the last one they are hosting, as always you are entitled to a free image if you have taken part in the last months Challenge and this is the  young lady for this month.

I have printed her onto white card then used my copic pens to colour her, afterwards I cut her out with a Spellbinders rectangle die and a fancy one for the mount out of mauve card. I stamped the sentiment onto white card and I have used the small die as shown to mount it.
The base card is a 6.50"x 6.50" white card with a first mount out of mauve card and the papers are also from Art by Miran and I have used three papers in lilac, pink and blue and used a Martha Stewart Border die to give it a fancy edge then layered them up as who in the photo.
I then placed my mounted image towards the left and the sentiment underneath, to finish of I have used Tonic's pearl drops in three of the corners.
This card is to be entered in the following Challenges:-
http://artbymiranchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/
https://craftingbydesigns.blogspot.co.uk/
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/
http://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.co.uk/
http://inspirationdestinationchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://thecraftyaddicts.blogspot.co.uk/
http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.co.uk/