Mother & Baby Doing Well!

Just to say ...

He's back 

Very happy and very relaxed...

And so am I!!

~ Ros ~

Dreaming of Peaceful Days ....

... Yep, that's me 

Every day seems to throw up a new challenge ... And I'm not talking craft challenges 

I'd like to say I'm longing for normality around here but I can't remember what that is anymore

I've dealt with broken appliances, car problems, broken glasses, sick cats and an incapacitated husband ... I've run around to so many hospital appointments I feel like part of the staff ... 

Having now got Gipsy fit and well, the little ginger cat turned up with a nasty injury to his foot ... I had been dreading having to take him to the vet ... He's been a stray for a long time and I didn't want to have to break his trust just yet... Even though I needed to get him neutered ... But fate intervened and so yesterday he was neutered, had his foot cleaned and was vaccinated ...

We brought him home at about 4.30 and he was so eager to get out ... I managed to keep him in until 8.30pm when the anaesthetic had worn off but had to let him go then ... So far he hasn't returned and I am worried sick ... I need to get pain killers into him so I am keeping my fingers crossed he returns safe and well.

So, Monday was my friend's anniversary ... I made the card a while ago and posted it here ... You know what I'm going to say don't you? Yes, when I came to get the card out on Sunday it was gone ... nowhere to be found ... How does that happen?? I searched everywhere ... but looking for a card in a room filled with card and paper ... Yeh right! The worst thing ... my mojo took a hike too! I could have easily recreated the original but - forgive the pun - I hadn't the heart to. After hours of pulling my hair out I did create a card ... and yes it's very like the original

I added the little black cat in the hope of good luck ... for me really Lol!

Well I'm going to love you and leave you now ... there are 3 places I need to be ... at one time

I hope you are having a better 2014 than I am ...

Till soon take care

~ Ros ~

Merci

Hi there!

Over at City Crafter today we have Kirsty hosting for us with a fabulous challenge

Do You Speak English?

Kirsty is asking that we make a card or project that features another language 

It was a perfect opportunity to make a card to send to a sweet blog friend for her kindness

And I pulled out my "french" stamps for this one

There are 3 different stamps ... Tim Holtz, Waltzingmouse and Inkylicious together with white and black embossing powders

I love this combination of colours and I love this challenge ... 

I hope you'll come and join us this week ... Our DT have some more inspiration for you up on the Blog and the winner of the challenge will be offered a Guest spot with us 

Thanks so much for stopping by and thank you for all your kind wishes ... My cat is now fully recovered ... I've given her medication everyday at 4.30am (when she wakes me up) and for the last 2 mornings she has slept in till 6am. 

Have a lovely day and stay safe

~ Ros ~

Soft

Hello ...

It's time for a new prompt at 

Our Beautiful World

Where our team from around the globe share photos each week based on a word prompt.

Our prompt this week has been selected for us by Bonita ... She 's chosen a wonderful word...

Soft

It's been a little harsh in the UK weather wise ... as indeed I'm sure it has where many of you are living ... my week has been much like the weather
But it's the Softness around me that keeps me smiling

Like the Soft delicate creamy pinks of my carnations

and the Soft velvety feel of a petals on a rose

... or the fluffy Soft...ness of feathers

But most of all it's the warm silky Soft...ness of this little guy

... with his gentle Soft purring when he comes in from the cold and settles on his Soft fleece blanket

I have a huge Soft spot when it comes to animals

Link up your photo that relates to Soft at 

Our Beautiful World 

and hop over to the blog to see what the rest of the team have shared this week

Enjoy your day

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Me & You Album

Hi there!

I have a little chunky album to show you which I made for my husband's new DIL

My DH must think he's in the secret service ... I only get told things on a "need to know" basis, hence I only found out on friday that his son and DIL would be coming to see us on Sunday and that they were off to Australia soon ... So this little album was a rush job and as we missed the wedding due to DH being in hospital ... I only had a few phone photos to work with

The album is a total mish mash of different papers and embellishments

... and I used a lot of things my blog friends have sent me too, like that pretty spray of pink stones

Albums are great for using up little bits and pieces

This cute arrow had been hiding away for years

...along with glittery letters and unused die cuts

I love adding texture with fabrics scraps and making little pockets 

...To conceal photos or journalling

 The happy couple loved it and that makes it all worthwhile

On another note -sick cats

 ... My Aunt called to say her cat was not well. my friend was distraught because her cat was sick and had to stay at the vets ... and my two have also been ill. 

I was the vets early 

this morning 

with a howling Gispsy ... she's had a painkiller injection for her cystitis and I have some meds to give her which will hopefully get her better and maybe, just maybe I can get some sleep... I am, after all £100 lighter in the pocket and I've been up at 5am every morning for days now ... to say I'm tired is an understatement ... 

Blogger has not been very cooperative either lately ... is it just me?

I hope you're having a better week 

Take care and thanks for looking in on me

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Flowers and Lace

Hello ...

I hope you are enjoying your week ... We are still dealing with the rain and high winds ... Thankfully in my neck of the woods we haven't been flooded out like so many people in the UK... I just could not imagine the heartache they must feel ...

 The weather is affecting the internet connection here though so it makes blogging and in particular leaving comments a very long and painful process

Seems that crazy weather is affecting lots of the planet right now...

 Today of course is challenge time at City Crafter and our newest DT member, the sweet and very talented Anna, has set our challenge which is 

Use Flowers and Lace

This beautiful inspiration photo was taken by Anna and it speaks of vintage, shabby chic and romance ... Yet my card this week has more of a modern twist ... 

I made it for my SIL who celebrated her birthday last week

... using a Flourishes stamp from a set I was lucky enough to win from one of their DT members ... my friend Heather

... And that gorgeous crown embellishment came from my friend Diane

Our Guest Designer this week is Victoriya, winner of challenge 195, I'm sure she would love it if you stopped by her blog and said 'Hi" 

And check out the projects from my fellow DT at CCCB too...

We hope you'll come and join us this week ... and please bear with me if I haven't been able to visit your blogs yet ... hopefully this weather can't last forever

Have a lovely day

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Times to Celebrate

Hello and good morning!

It's time for a new prompt at 

Our Beautiful World 

And the prompt is  Celebration ... Chosen for us by Milagros

I'm going a little random here even though my DH celebrated a Big birthday this past week ... My Celebration photos are from my archives and have nothing to do with birthdays

First up - My Gold and Silver medals!

 ... Not from the Olympics obviously (hee hee) and they're not even real gold or even real silver 

I was awarded them for the 3 years I did the "Race For Life" raising money in aid of cancer research and one is for raising money for Breast Cancer 

Here I am number 871 standing next to my SIL and some of her friends ... We raised a fair bit of money between us over the years  which was worth celebrating

And something completely different ... (well, I said it was random) 

What's this you say ... Well many years of my life were spent working in insurance ... I started in a large company when I left school, working in various departments until I landed the job of head receptionist in their brand new Head Office building in the city...

It was officially opened in 1976 by Princess Alexandra and that's me having just presented her with those flowers and having a little chat ... 

It was a very special celebration and I made my dress especially for the occasion 

I was lucky to meet quite a few interesting people during those years including one of our past Prime Ministers

Sir Harold Wilson

They were times to celebrate for the young lady I was then

We'd love to see your celebration photos this week ... I hope you link up with us at 

Our Beautiful World 

Don't forget to stop over at the Blog and see what my friends across the globe are sharing

Have a lovely Sunday

Till soon

~ Ros ~

Shopping our Stash

Hello...

I noticed that this weeks challenge at 

Shopping Our Stash

Is to use something shiny ... Of course it has to be something that is already in your stash

Fortunately I have just made a card for my son to give to my husband which uses some glitter card that has been in my stash for at least 3 years

Those glittery balloons have also been hiding ... waiting for the right moment to make their appearance

The broadband here is working so slow it's taking me ages to do anything on my computer ... with that and the amber warning for high winds and even more rain ... I think the best thing to do is to hibernate till normal service resumes

I hope you're having a good day wherever you are

Take care

~ Ros ~

Two Hearts ...

Hello ...

How are you? Good I hope and looking forward to the new challenge today at

City Crafter Challenge Blog

Where our hostess is the lovely Charlene and the challenge she has set us is to make a card or project that includes the word

LOVE 

Source

It may be Valentine's day on Friday but your project doesn't have to be Valentine's related

I needed an anniversary card for some friends of mine and I kept it very simple ... inspired by Charlene's photo

My sweet friend Stella sent me some lovely double sided papers and I just had to use them for this

The embossing folder I used is the Swiss Dots folder ... an all time favourite but I embossed both sides of the card - slightly offsetting one - to get a different look

The sentiment is computer generated - a bit of lace and a glittery rose just completes my simple card

Our Guest Designer this week - Winner of challenge 194 - is Lucille ... a regular at City Crafter and we are thrilled to have her with us this week ... Please hop over to her blog and say 'Hi" I'm sure you will love her work

If you would like a chance at Guest Designing with us all you have to do is link up with us and be sure to follow the rules ...

My fellow DT at CCCB have some beautiful creations to inspire you ... do take a look

Thanks so much for your visit and for leaving me such encouraging comments ... I really do appreciate it ...

Till soon ... be safe

~ Ros ~

Just Another Day

Hi there!

I'm just popping in with a quick card I made for my son to give to his Aunt who celebrates her birthday this week ...

Something bright and cheerful ... which is not how I am feeling right now

I had a really hectic but fun night with my group who loved making their Valentine's goodies - It was another very busy week for me and yesterday we had family over ... I got to see my great nephew Ross which was lovely! He's growing up so fast ...

There's no let up this week - I have a few days of driving my husband to hospital appointments 

He celebrates a BIG birthday on Wednesday ...

I was planning on booking a lovely restaurant for us to have an evening out ... so I can relax and not have to cook for once Lol! But it seems he's chosen to spend it with some 30,000 football fans instead

Yep, I'm hurting...

I hope your week is a good one

~ Ros ~

Our Beautiful World

Hello...

I got to choose the  prompt this week at 

Our Beautiful World 

And this week I've chosen

Derelict

I wonder if like me you ever pass a derelict building and think about it's history 

The secrets within those walls ... do you hear echos of laugher... or tears

I've dug into my archives to share some photos with you of a Derelict place that touched my heart

Some of you will no doubt recognise this place ... 

This is Herculaneum in Italy 

A once beautiful affluent city built by the Romans and destroyed along with Pompeii in 79AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted

At school we learned a little about Pompeii and like me, I'm sure many of you have been fortunate to have visited ... But I confess until I took a trip to Italy some 7 or 8 years ago ... I had never heard of Herculaneum

... unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum is below 'ground' level ... you have to descend into the derelict city via the bridge in the photo. Looking down you get a full perspective of just how deep this city was buried, of the tragedy that happened unannounced and so quickly

It was a large city - much of it still buried under the now sprawling town of Campania

How surreal it is to walk along the derelict and deserted streets of 79AD, enter the homes and shops of another 'Time' whilst being overlooked by those of the 21st century ... And even more surreal is knowing that many of the original residents still lie here ...

Derelict but hauntingly beautiful ...

... Amazingly preserved paintings ... done by whom? 

There are many photos on the internet of this Derelict place ... these are just a few of mine

And we'd love it if you shared yours with us too at 

Our Beautiful World

Have a wonderful day

~ Ros ~

Love Bug

Hi there!

I've been up since 5am again with a sick cat ... I finally managed to keep her in and get her to the Vet. They call her the Ninja cat ... she is wild in the surgery - I came out with plasters on my hands!

Suffice to say she is much calmer now and has had some painkillers and antibiotics so for now at least all is quiet....

Some of you have asked that I share the cards my group will be making this evening... well here's one of them ... simple and easy for them to do

The eagled eyed amongst you will see that I have one wing the wrong way as the hearts are upside down ... That's from lack of sleep

This also fits our colour splash challenge at City Crafter this week ... I hope you can play along

Enjoy your day ... I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow!

Till soon

~ Ros ~

More Gifts

Hi there ...

Just wanted to pop in with a gift idea and some happy mail I got ...

These last few days have been a bit rough with one thing or another and it really cheered up when I received a package from my sweet friend Sue Lelli

Aren't they just adorable?

And look at the pretty card that came with them

I'm so lucky to have such lovely blog friends

Thank you Sue!

I've been busy organising things for my Special Needs craft group tomorrow night ... I'll take my camera and hopeful get some photos of their creations ... I've cut out things to make Valentine banners and some cards too and as it's a Valentine's evening ... I've made them all a little gift which they can either keep or maybe give to someone they love

They are simple enough to make but not something they could make with a glue stick and though I do have a lot of guys in the group ... they love to make girlie things to give to their mums or sisters

I hope you are having a good week ... take care

Till soon

~ Ros ~