Gosh my postings are getting few and far between of late. So much to do and so little time lol. I shall be back in a few days with Novembers challenge over at Christmas Cards All Year Round :)


So we've almost finished half term, pity Halloween is the first day back at school but what can you do. My son keeps asking when we're going to put the decorations up and i keep telling him that what we have is up. We have decorated the Owls...

We have decorated Pumpkins (as of the night before last)...

 My hubby did the one above...

I did this which initially was supposed to be an Owl but ended up just being a rather strange face lol...


We have odds and ends around including some toilet rolls that we decorated...

this was supposed to be a crafty project with my son but soon became mine with some help from hubby...

Also this week we've been to Stratford for a viewing of some photos that i had done as part of a 'Model Experience' makeover. I managed to whittle the choices down to two which came as part of the deal but am now awaiting their arrival. I took the chance to take some more pictures in Stratford and then played around with them using Picnic...

Here is Mr Shakespeare himself ;) 

and a spooktacular view across the river...


We've been to a Halloween party where my son took great delight in dressing up as a Vampire!

and lastly i got a job! 

Or another job i guess. I have been searching for that illusive job that inspires and full fills ones needs. I still do a bit of hairdressing, i deliver leaflets two mornings a week which has done wonders for my weight but come rain or shine or snow i have to go, i write poems for e-cards but now i am helping out in a kitchen for The Jolly Good Pud Company who makes all kinds of wonderful baked goodies for weddings, special events and they also sell on our local market. You know how i love to bake and bake i have already and I've only been in two days this week, or three if you count yesterdays Cup Cake Basics class but that was more pleasure than work. One thing i had to master was decorating cakes using icing bags and nozzles and i was pretty pleased with what i turned out yesterday...

It's hard to choose favourites but you can see all that i decorated in the top picture and some close ups of a couple. They are going down quite well so far and i have baked some more cupcakes of my own to decorate later. So as you can tell it's been a pretty full on week and golly it's Monday tomorrow and most things return to normal...or do they ha ha ha ha cackle cackle lol...

Play Time

Well for the last few weeks i have been stopping by the Play Date Cafe and admiring their weekly challenge but what with one thing or another i haven't had a moment to take part. Today i got a bonus day off and as is me i was actually like 'oh what to do', not for a lack of things just making a decision. Anyway i had a look through one or two draws and thought, oh yes the Thanksgiving print outs from last year, look at the colours they pretty much fit the theme so i went with it. Three not my monthly five but three is better than none although i may need to make more but I'm happy i got to play, got to take part and got to use something that may well have stayed in my draw. Please stop by the Play Date Cafe and see the other creations inspired by their colour theme :)

Whoooo knew lol

Here we are and it's October all ready, gosh all of a sudden time seems to have picked up speed. Anyway a new month meant a new challenge over at CCAYR and this month the challenge was


 'So...  your Christmas cards this month need to have at least one of what are considered Halloween colours (orange, green, purple, black).  We'd also like to see a punch or die cut somewhere on your card and this can mean regular punches, Spellbinders dies, border punches, something that was purchased pre-done, etc!'


So here is what i came up with...

I introduced green as it seemed the most appropriate colour for both Halloween and Christmas and fortunately i had these lovely stickers which i think i bought from a £1 shop and had never used along with the metallic paper clips which would have been wasted for fastening things together but add more of a festive feel and finish off the cards nicely. I have used a punch on the papers although i suspect it should have been what was punched out rather than the shape which was included but penny has only just dropped lol. Anyway if i do say so myself i love these cards, the colours and the simplicity and it helped me use something that would have otherwise stayed in the draw. Here's to the festive season and all that follows :) Don't forget to stop by and see all the other lovely creations made by my fellow DT members :)

Here comes September

Well can you believe another month is over and September starts, by next week the hols will be over with and the kids back to school. Strangely the end of this holiday crept up on me, i thought we had another week to go and part of me will actually miss having my son around although I'm sure i will soon fill my day.


Anyway a new month and a new challenge over at Christmas Cards All Year Round. This months challenge involves your 'stash' and you can do whatever you chose providing what you use is over a year old!


So here is my inspiration for this challenge and it was a good excuse to look at things that have been sat around for sometime now doing nothing...

I made this months challenge using some Debbie Mumm 'Gingerbread' punch outs. I'm not sure how long I've had these but it's a long time so it was really nice to finally make use of them. The cards were mounted on cream card and distressed (as is my thing lol) and then re-mounted on some festive paper from a gift I was sent early last year that also had gingerbread men on but I didn't use enough of the paper for that to be apparent. Finished touches with gold stickers also coloured with markers and bits of ribbon and rub-ons. Another five in the bag :)

And here is my newest canvas, i made two of this type of thing yesterday but the other one is for a present so I'm keeping it under wraps. I like the idea of being able to enjoy the look of a card but keep it up all year round or seasonally accordingly :)


Have a great weekend :)

Choc Chip Muffins (with the choc chips lol)

So once again when browsing the blogs i follow i found this recipe over at Bakerella for Choc Choc Chip muffins. This recipe involved sour cream which to be honest i had no idea about and nor do i now either but i had a go. I got a recipe book out which gave me some idea about converting cups into grams. I do have cups but 'cupping' marg or butter isn't easy and so i began. I have to say this followed a sponge which i shall be jamming and creaming in the not too distant future so it's been a baking morning. Anyway the only way my recipe differs is that i didn't add any salt. Rarely do i add salt because i nearly always use butter (with salt), infact bar chips i hardly ever use salt on anything. Anyway i mixed up the ingredients as directed and popped them in the oven, tick tock, tick tock...

I have to admit they do look pretty tasty and yes i manage 12 i believe it was in muffin cases (bigger than the usual cup case anyway) and once I'd finished my lunch i tried one...Wow i will definitely be making these again and I'm hoping as they have choc chips in my son will happily eat then too, fingers crossed. Thumbs up from me :)

I am linking up for the second week running over at A Spoonful of Sugar for Weekend Baking :) Don't forget to stop by and see what your inspired by :)