the Margriet Fair was..

enjoyable. We had a lovely day out and bought several Christmas presents etc which was the general idea, but also some things we wanted for ourselves! It was not overly crowded - I was prepared for more of a crush, but we got around easily with out shopping trolley ( alias my scrap trolley!) and stuffed our goodies in there no problem! Now I have to unpack my bag and see what is for who and then rest...it was a long day, and my arm is very painful. Ann was wonderful and carted the trolley all day, but I still am having a lot of problems with the pain. I did get Peter a massage cushion so I am hoping that he will use it in his chair and get some relief from his bad back. A lovely sunny day out there - showing all the dust in here of course, but hey! I am going to relax and scrap a while now 'cos I have already ironed and hoovered and the rest can wait until tomorrow! have a great day yourselvess, Suzannex

Margriet Winter Fair

Ann and I are off to the Margriet Winter Fair today! Well, shortly in fact. I have to make my lunch next and then she is coming to call for me around 8.20am We are going by train as it is easier than driving in and out of Utrecht I think, and we got the great deal from Blokker - 2 for the price of 1!!! I went a few years ago with Hillie and given that we went to the Kreadoe last year, we wanted to do something different this time around. Hoping to find lots of Christmas presents too - so much take some bags!! Apart from that, Strictly is proving interesting - almost all the pairs are terrific and no-one deserves to go, but what about VINCENT AND RACHEL???? Absoultely sizzling rumba! It was fantastic and I would love to see them win. They are my favourites, along with Erin and Austin and Matthew and Christine. Tom and Camilla are great too, but I don't connect with Tom for some reason so he is not my fave for the title. Doesn't mean I don't think he might win; there is a strong possibility but not with my vote. WOnder who will be in the dreaded dance-off tonight?... Well, I ought to get moving so bye for now and a great Sunday to one and all!! Suex

the promised cards!

Here are all the cards I have made this week! I am eagerly awaiting the new tool so until then I am holding off from making any more so that I can use that on the next set!! Let me know whether you like these cards please - feedback is moer than welcome!!! Suex

Lots of card-making, only one good photo!!

I have been busy making Christmas cards and wanted to add them here but I had got awful light in the room, and only one came out looking reasonable! So here it is! I am loving using the new magnolias! So cute, and in combi with the nesties and Falala papers it is so easy to create lovely cards! On the matter of my shoulders; went to see GP and now have to have physio starting Tuesday. I am totally stiff and tight and it is very painful when I try to lift or carry or get dressed! I think it is just overworked muscles but even the hint of 'you will need an injection in your shoulder' was enough to scare me! I am not brave when it comes to needles and pain. Anyway, I am back off to try and take better lit photos, have a great evening where ever you are! Suzannex

post-workshop update!

It did all go smoothly and everybody loved our project and even said we could come back again next year!!! SO, another few converts to Scrapping!! It was hard work getting everything cut and the kits made but we did it, and the evening went fast. Dreadful weather and we were so worried that it would stop some ladies attending but we had 30 in total so excellent turnout! My shoulders are killing me of course so it is off to my GP to get some pain relief I feel. To much for me now that I can hardly raise the left one up anymore. And what are we going to do with our luvverly jubbly??? Buy more scrap materials of course! Loes and I went over to Paulines and bought the oh so wonderful Fa la la line and immediately started on more cards. Time is pressing now! And Ann and I are off to the Margriet Winter Fair this weekend so I am hoping to find nice pressies there too. Loes and I have also ordered the amazing THREADING WATER PUNCH from the USA. We wanted to have it to make those nice borders on our cards so sitting at the computer on Monday we managed to find it at this store: www.CraftTownHobbyLandUSA.com and it is a good price too - 15dollars. They have already posted them to us so we are eagerly awaiting the mailman!!! But now I am off to the shops for bread etc and then its raining so what is a girl to do???? SCRAP!!! bye, Suzannex

nightmares have started!!

Ok, so I have had a really bad nights sleep - or rather lack of!! I was dreaming about the workshop and that they hated it and wouldn't do anything, and made all kinds of other things out of the kits than what we had planned!! It was awful!! And now I am shattered and the day is just starting........and somehow my blog type has changed over night and it feels different.......am I lost in another dimension?!!! What is happening to me - HELP!!!! I have discovered this week that I am old-fashioned with old-fashioned manners and love of proper etiquette! I also know that I do not respond to being pushed into a corner, and that I have a strong sense of fairplay. I am wrestling with a few things right now, ones that upset and annoy me intensely, and cause many 'inthebrain' storms for me!!! My creed of 'do as you would be done by' is sometimes hard to stand by, but I find it is very important to me to make a stand when this happens and remain true to what I believe in. I also feel my homesickness period approaching fast, and that also has the habit of making me more stubborn and intrenched in these matters! I am probably turning into a "grumpy old woman" but if we start to ignore these rules of society and friendship where will it all end? What will the youth of today actually learn from us? What is our legacy going to be to them? "Take what you want and hang the consequences"? My daughter was given some lovely things by my friend Loes recently and another friend was asking for her address to send Christmas presents to etc, so I gave her their email addresses and when she got her laptop she wrote to thank them. What made me so happy was hearing their pleasure that Becci had corresponded directly with them and sent her own message of how she is doing etc. This in turn made me feel proud that I have a daughter who also thinks these things are important too. Sending even a little bit of happiness is worth so much I think. So, Thank you to all of you that visit this blog and hopefully find something worth reading every now and again!!!!

post -weekend blogging

Catching up with blogs and writing my own is good therapy for a cold!! That is decided, as today it is cold and damp and very nice being indoors with a hot cup of coffee and a CD playing in the kitchen. No-one is going to persuade me to venture outside today!! I have been very diligent and got the ironing out of the way first thing this morning so the rest of the day is mine!! I have to continue cutting out the carton templates for the workshop but it kills my arm after a while so I have to do it in sittings. Roll on next Monday when it is over and I can relax again! I have sent for the new Magnolia stamps - a bit naughty of me but they are SO cute!!! I did it via the magnolia site so goodness only knows how long they will take to arrive. I am going to use them for some christmas cards and other projects once this workshop is over with. And I got my SCRAPKIT from Chantal at the weekend with perfect Webster's Pages paper!! I love their stuff and was delighted that this was the choice this time. Chantal had told me it would be right up my street and she was right! I am starting the annual hunt for my christmas recipe books!!! Why I never can remember where I put them during the year I don't know but it is all part of the process!! Iwant to make the Irish Whiskey cakes as I am going to give them away as presents this year. I am having a HOMEMADE YEAR!!! I think it is what christmas is all about.........but anyone know how to make an Xbox 360????? Tim might have to be the one exception! He is finding all the offers and the lowest price for me but I want to wait a little longer and hope for a last minute offer once Sinterklaas is over. We don't do that here but Tim is going to Alicia's so that he can experience it for himself. Oh, it is so nice thinking about CHRISTMAS!!

frosty mornings and cups of tea!

Oh dear, I feel a sore throat starting!! I seem to be so vunerable to these things in recent years. I went to work on Tuesday at the garden centre with our clients, and there was only outside work for us............in the pouring rain!!! I think that is when I caught this chill. Thankfully I was able to get us taken back to the centre quite quickly as I was not happy to allow us to freeze to the bone there! And I have choir this evening and I want to sing ok! I am feeling a little under pressure at the moment with all the prep for our workshop. It is taking SO LONG to cut and pack and work out all the little details etc. My hat off to those that do this on a regular basis!!! I only hope they love what we are doing and will all turn up and enjoy the evening. Loes keeps reassuring me that it will all be ok.............and that the white wine will be in the fridge for when it is all over!! She is such a sweet friend - helping me so much and always so cheerful and happy. A kinder friend I can't think of at the moment. xx Almost November. And I can start officially thinking about CHRISTMAS! I am already looking for present ideas etc and making some hand-made packaging etc. I want to be original and creative this year, that's the goal. I have decided to go all folk arty as that is my preference; I don't do glam!!! I am sure in a former life I was either scandinavian or from new England or Canada...those wonderful wooden houses with their porches and veranda's are so me! I want a porch here but Peter says that is not typical Dutch..who cares?! We have the perfect spot for one and it would be so handy and warm for the house. I will have to pursuade him eventually. At the moment we are busy with chosing a new door curtain for the front door. I have found the most perfect material and it has been measured etc but I think they have too much material and we don't need that there. I will go in today and tell them that. The English way of curtain making is different; we can use less material and still make it fit because we have other taping for the tabs etc. I dread to think how much it will cost to do the living room when we get around to finding the right material for there!!!! I am waffling rather and I ought to be roasting the tomatoes for our soup! So that is where you can find me for the next hour or so, in the kitchen, music on, humming as I go! have a great day, Suzannex

more cards etc!

This is a clear album cover I am making for my Christmas photos this year. It is one that fits the bind-it-all. I am still experimenting with clear albums as I am not sure how fond I am of them, but the cover will at least be see-through!!

The new Basic Grey papers are what I have chosen to use right now - more mellow and a little vintage style instead of the cute and sweet papers that are also around. This reminds me of a plum pudding!!!

Again the wonderful Purple Onion designs stamp - see their site for great unmounted stamps that are really well priced and arrive very swiftly indeed!

More heart-shaped nestie...this time a larger one but very sweet. The sentiments stamp I just think is great!

Sinple but effective I think? Making good use of my Christmas stamps right now, and not going for the magnolias. high hopes, whiff of joy, you name it sort that are so hip here. I like to be different!!! bye, off to enjoy a day of scrapping with Loes upstairs in my room, music on, coffee at the ready..what a life, eh?!!!!

Suex