Tuesday 30 December 2008

Ive got the Bug!!!

No I am not ill or anything, I have just bought a Cricut. I have been looking at buying one for ages but wasnt sure I would use it for the ammount of money it costs but I did some extra work in December and earnt the money to buy it myself.

I have spent hours trying to decide which of the 3 to buy but have settled with the little bug for now, see how I get on with that and maybe I will upgrade at a later date.

No work for me today so I am crafting, I have a couple of projects I want to have a go at and if they work out maybe some piccies later so off to make a start, maybe back later!!!

Love

Maz

Monday 29 December 2008

That's it for another year

Well Christmas is over in our house as I was back to work today, I get Thursday off so it's a short week again for me.

Now to look forward to 2009 and the things I want to plan for, I want to take a new direction in my crafting but not sure what it will be yet, since I started this blog I have spent many hours (far too many!) looking at other peoples work on their blogs, there are a few that I could spend hours on if I had the time.

I love Jak Heaths blog - Crafters Kitchen her work is stunning, I love the way she makes her cards in a simple, elegant way. The way she matches her colours and the ideas she has are really inspiring.

I also love Annette's blog - Scrap happens here, I love all her work and like me she is a mini book lover.

I also have to tell you about my Daughter in laws blog - Karens cards from the heart, Karen only started crafting a few years ago but she has already found her feet with card making, I couldn't wait to get my Christmas card from her this year and I wasn't disappointed either.

What blogs do you all visit regularly? I am sure you all know of ones I haven't seen yet.

There are loads of great blogs out there and hopefully I will do a little more with mine this coming year.

Love

Maz

Tuesday 23 December 2008

A special Christmas Message !

Well its Christmas eve tomorrow and with work and family I shall be very busy so I wanted to take a few minutes to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone who has taken the time to read my blog, its still a baby at the minute but I am hoping to do much more with it in 2009.

I would also like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, to me Christmas is about family and especially the children, taking time to be together, celebrating and enjoying the company of each other. It is also a time to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

I have been very lucky in that I have always been surrounded with a very large family and yes we have our ups and downs as every family does but that's what makes it work. My own childhood was very different than those of my Grandchildren, my Mum didn't go out to work but spent her days sewing and baking enabling us to always have 'proper dinners' and new clothes even thought they were not well off. My Dad was a serviceman and served 21 years in the R.A.F. and although he spent many months sometimes away from home we were always together at Christmas

So I would like to ask you to read this poem that was written by a serving Australian Peacekeeping Soldier stationed overseas:-

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO,
IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT,
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED,
AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO,
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES,
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER,
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,
A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY LAW."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL,
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT."
MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

He asks that we pass this on to as many people as we can.

Christmas will be here in a couple of days and I am grateful to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. My own Stepson was recently a serving soldier in Irac. We should remember to think of our heroes, living and Dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Regardless of our political persuasions, regardless of our colour, creed or religion, regardless of our age or our sex, we undoubtedly owe our freedom and safety to our heroes in the forces, I also ask that you think of the families who's loved ones wont be home for Christmas this year, those brave men and women in foreign lands, far from home.


Merry Christmas


Maz

Friday 19 December 2008

New Frames

This is one of my great car boot finds, I bought 2 of these in the summer from a local car boot for just 50p each. The frames were originally from Next so I bet they weren't that price when they were new.



I realised I needed a present for a lady at work, I don't know this Lady very well but I do know she has 2 beautiful Granddaughters whom she adores. I didn't want to buy the last minute, no thought present so I dug out these frames and did this with them



Now she can display a photo of each of her Granddaughters in them and hopefully as they are quite neutral in colour they will be suitable for any room in her home.


The frames hold a 7" x 5" photo and have been covered in paper from Daisy D's, the paper is an all over design in the palest green with a hint of pink in it, I have added a strip of lace finished off with some beautiful braiding I already had in my box, I added some silk flowers with just a flush of pink in them and added seed beads to the centre of the largest one.

I hope she likes them!

Maz

Thursday 11 December 2008

I cant believe what I have done!!!

I really cant believe how stupid I have been!

This year as you know I have made all of my Grand kids presents for Christmas, the parents knew what they were all getting so I decided to make them all a surprise present and not tell any of them what they were. I deliberately have NOT added the pictures on here as 2 of my Daughter in laws read this blog, so what have I done you may ask.....

Well I have taken photo's of all the presents and uploaded them to my pc into 2 folders, the ones the parents know about and the ones they dont, no problem there or so you would think, the only trouble is I have used the folder with the suprise presents in as a screen saver on my pc and when my eldest Son and his family came to visit at the weekend my Grandaughter asked to use my pc as she always does and what did she see when she turned the screen on.............

Her present sitting looking back at her!!!

All I can say is I must be getting old, I didnt think for one minute that she always goes on the pc when she was here.

So much for the suprise eh!!!

Maz

Tuesday 9 December 2008

Another one or two off my list!!

Well I can now cross 2 more things off my 'Still 2 Do' list, I have made 2 sets of these, 1 for a Christmas present and 1 for a raffle prize at work.

I love these sets as they make great presents whether for Christmas or Birthdays, they are great to also have a spare set made up for an last minute pressie.

I bought the books and covered them using papers by Daisy D's, ric rac, metal corners and some paper flowers.





To go with the set I have made for a present I have also covered these picture frames to match



The frames were bought from Ikea in a pack of 2 for a couple of quid so quite a bargain. I may even get a set of these and cover them for myself.

Well off to see what else is on my list

Maz

Friday 5 December 2008

Where do the days go?

Well I cant believe its been over a week since I added anything on here, when I started this blog I promised myself that I would post something everyday or at least every other day but already I am starting to fall behind.

I have been so busy with work, I have taken on some extra hours for Tesco up to Christmas in the hope that it will earn me enough money to buy either a Cricut or a Craft Robo for my self, the biggest problem is that I cant decide which to buy so

whats your favourite and why?

Any advice or help would be great to help me decide, I have spent hours on the internet looking at places like UKS and other sites but still cant decide.

Well its our Christmas Crop Party tomorrow, I have finished my Secret Santa just got to decide what to take with me to do all day so I am off to go and have a look at my 'Still To Do' list and see whats on there.

Bye for now

Maz
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