MY MUM

It is two years today since we lost our beautiful Mum

IM SPENDING CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS THIS YEAR

I see the countless Christmas trees

around the world below

with tiny lights, like heaven's stars,

reflecting in the snow.

The sight is so spectacular,

please wipe away that tear.

For im spending Christmas

with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs

that people hold so dear.

But the sounds of music can't compare

with the Christmas choir up here.

For i have no words to tell you

the joy their voices bring,

for it is beyond description

to hear an angel sing.

I can't tell you of the splendor,

or the peace here in this place.

Can you just imagine Christmas

with our saviour, face to face.

I'll ask him to light your spirit,

as i tell him of your love.

So then, pray for one another

as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your hearts be joyful,

and let your spirit sing.

For i'm spending Christmas in heaven,

and i'm walking with the king!

by Wanda Bencke



Not a single day or minute goes by where we do not think of you. We miss & love you so much. Godbless you Mum xxx

Some Hedgie Info & Pics I Would Like to Share With You All!

Hello my lovelies! i just wanted to share some information to all of you caring folk out there who have been emailing me about the hedgies. A lot of you want to know why they have not hybernated yet so thought i would fill you in on what i know.

Usually Hedgehogs hybernate between Nov/Dec to Mar/Apr. A lot depends on how cold the winter months are as to how long they are around for. The only reason they hybernate is to survive the winter as food is so scarce for them at these times. When the little guys go into hybernation mode their metobolic rate drops dramatically so they burn much less fat. This is why hedgies need to store up as much fat during the summer/autumn months as without it they will not live through winter (this is why so many do not wake up and die in their nests).

Very often the hedgies wake from their hybernation several times, especially if food is available to them (like in my garden!) and often they have more than one nest (some have up to 12!!!) which they may move to especially if their current one is under threat from preditors or the elements (not enough insulation due to the weather etc).

So now you all know why i leave food out every night of the year come hail or storm. Infact it is encouraged even during hybernation. Cat food (meat and biscuits) is the best things that humans can put down for them but usually suggested is chicken flavoured only for their digestion.

If anyone would like more info please do not be scared to ask as i love these creatures so much and would encourage anyone to do their bit to help our little endangered friends. I have added this link to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society which makes great reading with loads of facts including encouraging them into our gardens.

TAKEN BEHIND THE CONSERVATORY DOOR DURING THE FIRST HEDGIE SIGHTINGS OF 2010

Thankyou for dropping in guys. Take care and keep warm in UK and cool in OZ!!!.

Love Clare xxx

WANT TO SHARE SOME PICS!!!

Just wanting to share pics from the past week in the UK. This is mainly to benefit my Aussie mates who do not get to see snow. I am sure all of my mates in the UK are well over snow pics by now!!!.

 SOME PICS I TOOK ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

 THURSDAY

 YEP, THAT'S COLD!

 LOOK AT THE BIRD BATH!!!

 MANAGED TO CLEAR SOME SNOW SO THE POOR BIRDS COULD EAT

 THE HEDGEHOG CABINS RESEMBLING IGLOO'S!!!

 ALL THE PROOF I NEED TO KNOW THAT I HAVE HEDGIES IN THE CABIN'S

LOOK HOW CUTE THOSE TINY LITTLE HEDGEHOG HOOF PRINTS ARE!

The snow was really handy as i now know that there are definitely hedgehogs in the two cabins. I saw all little tiny tracks leading from cabin to the food i put down every night by the conservatory doors. I could also actually see where they had burrowed out of the snow from the cabin's. The fox is also still around as i found his/her tracks and the food has always gone by morning.

Today we have had really heavy rain and the snow has completely gone now.

It was definitely beautiful while it lasted!!!.

Hope everyone is safe and well. Will be back again soon.

Big hugs Clare xxx

UPDATES!!!! Coffee morning, thankyou's, health, pics..............

I have decided my New Year Resolution is to stop being a God awful blogger!!!.

I can't believe how quickly the weeks are going by and just how busy my life has been.

I am feelin a lot more recovered from my hospital visit although it has taken a good few weeks. Off to see a specialist in a couple of weeks. Good news when i saw my Rheumatologist is that i am set for a new drug trial. I will have to spend the day in hospital one day a month to have infusions but if it is going to work it will be well worth it. I know there is no cure but to help slow it down and help with the pain will be good if it works, plus it will mean coming off the steroids. Will update you in the forthcoming weeks.

So Saturday we had the big weekend for me and Wendy with our St.Wilfred's coffee morning. I am so so happy to announce that it was a huge success and although the end figures are yet to be announced we reckon we had made near on £500! not bad for a 2 hour coffee morning hey!. Here are some pics of my table and some random shots. Bear in mind this is before everyone arrived!!!.

I would like to say a big big thankyou to all of the kind girls who have donated cards. I do hope i do not leave anyone out of my list, here goes;

Teri

Helen

Sally

Deb

Belinda

Mel
Claire
Brenda

I would also like to say a big thankyou to my lovely friend Keryn who is a constant support to me and always there for me to bend her ear and ask her advice, not only on crafty issues!!!.

I would also like to add some pics of some other sights from Saturday which really shows that winter is definitely here!.

The weather is still really bad here in the South East and not sure when it is due to improve. Hope all of my Aussie friends enjoy the pics!!!.

I am taking a well earned rest at the moment but already i am starting to get twitchy and wanting to create. I am so over doing Christmas stuff though!!!. Maybe i need to start using some stamps and bits that i have not used yet.

I promise that i will let you know when the figures are announced for the coffee morning and will stop neglecting my blog in future, afterall i have missed everyone big time.

Big love and hugs Clare xxx

MIA But Good Excuses!!!

Hi blog friends!!! Im back in the land of the living after a mad 2 weeks. As many of my close friends know i was rushed into hospital last week with excrutiating pains in my stomach which turned out to be kidney stones and a kidney infection. I figure this passes as a good excuse for my absence!!!.

Wow what a totally awful experience that was and never experienced pain of that intensity (believe me i have had a lot of pain in my time!). It was really scary and the worst part was that i was throwing up big time with it and got dehydrated. I even managed to throw up over the doctor in emergency, i did ask for a sick bowl!!!.

So after xray's, CT scan, bloods etc and debating whether i needed an operation it was decided that i would be able to pass the stones naturally. I was so relieved and just could not wait to get home.

I have been recuperating over the past week and now getting back into cardmaking mode. I am seriously panicking as the coffee morning me and Wendy have planned is only 3 weeks away, 27th November. I am doing great guns on the card side thanks to so many kind donations, so now i am starting on gift idea's which i will keep you posted with.

Just wanted to post a card i made recently for Wendy's birthday (for her hubby to give to her, hence the wording he chose!!!) just so you know i have been producing. Sorry not great quality photography.

I used some yummy Papermania papers, Woodware owl stamp, circle Nestie and Martha Stewart leaf punch.

Thankyou so much for the kind well wishes and get well cards my friends.

Big hugs Clare xxx

THANKYOU STEVE!!!!

Take a look at this amazing painting of my furbabies, Bert & Simone that my bestie KERYN'S hubster Steve created. He is so so talented and i got really choked up and emotional when i saw it for the first time when Keryn came up and visited me from Southampton.

THESE ARE MY BABIES!!!

Had such a wonderful day. I cannot wait till the next visit!!!.

Hugs Clare xxx

St.WILFRED'S CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER 27th NOVEMBER!!!

Yep, Wendy and i have set our Christmas fundraiser for 27th November which will be held at Wendy's house. She very kindly offered as her house is bigger than mine and she does not want me being landed with a big clean up at mine!!!! bless her. So over the next 4 weeks or so it will be all hands on deck, loads of creating and lots of preperations to be made.

So just a taster of what i have been up to!!!

 Have lots of things on the go as i want to try making a lot of handmade gifts too which i will update you all with another day.

Wendy is going to make lots of tiny Christmas cakes, marzipan and ice and will take them into the St.Wilfred's day centre and get the patients to decorate them. One of the patients is really good at making iced decorations!!!. Some of the patients also want to come to the fundraiser, health pending.

I took my sister Helen's advice and am trying to make card sets instead of trying to make every one different. I reckon thinking of the ideas sometimes takes longer than actually making the card!!!.

I would like to say a big big thankyou to debby yates who sent a beautiful box of her cards last week. Thankyou so much hun!!! please pop over to her gorgeous BLOG and check out her creations.

Thankyou to the other lovely ladies who have also emailed me about sending cards. It means so much to have such wonderful blog friends. Anyone else who is interested in donating any cards please email me at earlygirl1@hotmail.co.uk. Please could you just put down as the subject of the email as St.Wilf's or card donations, just so i know it is not spammers etc.

Finally Bert & Simone have some pictures that they would like to share with you!!!

Thanks for visiting

Big hugs

Clare xxxx

A CALL OUT TO ALL OF MY CRAFTY FRIENDS!!!!

I would like to ask all of my crafty friends if they have any handmade Christmas cards which they are able to spare. I am arranging a fundraising coffee morning at home for St.Wilfred's Hospice some time in November.

Many of you wonderful friends helped me a few weeks back for little Cameron's event and the response was amazing. I would like to repeat this by holding one myself and have already many friends wanting to get involved on the day.

As many of you know St.Wilfred's Hospice is where my beautiful Mum was looked after during her final days before she passed away there on 17th December 2008. I am now heavily involved with Wilfie's and do card classes with the patients as well as selling cards with all of the proceeds going to the hospice.

If any of you would like to help me, even by sending one Christmas card that you have in your stash to spare, email me on earlygirl1@hotmail.co.uk (if you could kindly mention CARDS for the subject so that i know it is not a dodgy email!!!).

I always advise you as the cardmaker to add your details, blog and/or contact details on your card so that you get the recognition for your creation. It is good advertising for yourself too!!!.

I will confirm the date over the next couple of weeks.

Big thanks to you all

Love Clare xxx

THE FOREVER DREAM

Hi friends!!! just wanted to share a quick card i made yesterday. Not the most exciting but hey i gotta start somewhere!!!.

I used my brayer and used my Big and Juicy Happy Birthday Ranger ink pad on glossy card for the background, the stamp is by Penny Black called the The Forever Dream, coloured with ProMarkers, Card Candy, Pebbles Inc Happy Birthday rub-on, white linen card and an oval die.

Take care xxx

A MUCH AWAITED HEDGIEVILLE UPDATE!!!

Can't believe how quickly the weeks are going and there is definitely that winter chill in the air now. Although there are still a few weeks before our little spikey friends even think about hybernating me & Dad set about making their habitat a lot more secluded and wildlife friendly.

Just added one of my older pics of one of the hoggies as it is getting harder to see them now. Now that the area is more concealed i am trying not to interfere as i really want them to hybernate there for the winter. The good news is that for the first time both of the cabins are being used!!!. The day after we had rearranged the area i checked and felt spikes in both cabins. I can pretty much tell too as there is loads of straw around the entrances and you can see where they have burrowed each morning to get back inside. The nights are drawing in and we have had loads of rain so it is very rare these days to get a glimpse of them. I know they are visiting though by the tell tale signs with their food.

I promise to keep you up to date but do not think there will be a great deal of action over the next few weeks.

Just a picture of a little fledgling in rescued a few weeks ago from my Dad's cat Sammy. I looked after him over night and syringe fed/water and the next morning i took him to the vets as they contact the Wildlife Centre so they can care for him and release him when he is old enough. I am so happy as many of them die from shock but he survived the night. Don't think i hardly slept that night!!!.

Thankyou for visiting. Promise to be back soon.

Hugs Clare xxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KERYN!!!!!

I would like to wish my beautiful friend KERYN a very Happy Birthday for today!!!!

I have known Keryn for several months now through Blogger and i even had the pleasure of meeting her 3 weeks ago when her, hubby and their two gorgeous dogs Poppy & Honey travelled all the way from Southampton to visit me.  I know what a big deal that was for Keryn as she suffer's a lot of pain and the journey down was very uncomfortable for her. It was such a wonderful day, one i will always remember & hopefully one of many to come.

I know Keryn will be mad at me for doing this but TOUGH!!! she is one of the bestest friends you could ever have and spreads happiness & kindness wherever she goes. Keryn spoilt me rotten and even this week her thoughtfullness has shone.

The weekend was a difficult time for me with it being Mum's birthday and Keryn sent the most gorgeous card and two beads for my Pandora bracelet!!!. Keryn sent me the clear bead and the diamonte bead shown below. I am a very lucky girl.

Keryn is always there when i need a friend, someone to talk to, tell her if im feeling crap and share any news with. I pray that i am as good a friend to her as she is with me.

So my darling friend, have a wonderful day and hope you get spoilt rotten by all that love you gorgeous girl.

Love you mate, big hugs Clare xxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM....

MUM'S LAST BIRTHDAY BEFORE SHE PASSED ON 17/12/08

Just wanting to wish you a Happy Birthday Mum as it would have been your 70th today.

Me, Martin, Dad and Caz went to your favourite place to eat today and then me and Caz went shopping, another of your favourite passtimes!.

To commemorate your Birthday today i brought a new charm for my Pandora bracelet, an angel. Everytime i see it it will remind me of you and the special day we had.

Mum never ever forget how much we love you and know that one day we will be able to celebrate your Birthday together again.

Below is the card i made you and a pic of your memorial after all of your special Birthday gifts were left.

Happy Birthday to the best Mum in the world. Miss you every single day. Love you always, Clare xxx

A Couple of Cards

Just wanted to post a couple of cards i have been making. My mojo is starting to return and yesterday i went to the South Stamp Show in Worthing and got so much inspiration, especially from Jenny Mayes from Hobby Art. She is such a lovely lady and she does my all time favourite kind of stamping, landscape and scenery stamps.

And of course i just had to buy some new one's and really want to try them out this week.

So the first is an Anniversary card i was asked to do for a friend and i am also entering it into the card challenge over at Scrap Therapy. I used the Bo Bunny Sophie collection which i absolutely adore.

As you can see, lots of fussy cutting, lots of bling and my brand new Spellbinders fancy tags (thanks Keryn!!!).

The second card was for a friends Grandson who has just turned 16 today. Thinking it called for Imaginisce Live Loud collection i got to work and made this.

Thankyou for stopping by xxx

Pop Over to Scrap Therapy & Check out the Challenges!!!

BAD BLOGGER!!!

Hi everyone!!! I know i have been a norty blogger. Cannot believe how quickly this year is going and how time seems to fly by. Have heaps to tell so will probably cover it all over a couple of posts.

Firstly since my last write up i have been in to St.Wilfred's Hospice and have introduced myself to some of the patients that go in for day visits between Tuesdays and Fridays. I went in last Thursday and met the art therapist who goes in each day and between us we decided that when i go in for my card sessions i will cover the afternoon which will be for 2 hours. I felt like i did not want to interfere with the work she covers with patients so if she can do the mornings and also the patients will not have to decided whether they want to do art or cards that day.

I also know that i am better healthwise in the afternoon as in the mornings it takes me a while to get going as my joints are so painful and have to dose myself up with meds.

The good thing with voluntary work is that i can go in when i feel well and can also go in at last minute if i decide. I would feel bad if i had planned a day and couldn't manage it though, i would feel as though i was letting the patients down. I guess i will have to deal with that if it happens though. I also have the option of going in any day between Tues-Fri and the patients vary each day.

So this week i am going to go into the Uckfield day centre for the day as the patients keep hassling poor Wendy saying "when is Clare coming in again?" and poor Joyce is itching to finish her two cards!!!. So i promised and figure that if i can go in atleast once a month it will keep the troops happy!!!.

I will also do 2 hours at the hospice on Thursday afternoon as one of the patients would like to make his wife an Anniversary card (ahhh bless!) so how could i refuse!!! im a sucker i know. Funnily enough there were three gentlemen patients who were so enthusiastic about taking part and one of them even does cardmaking at home in his spare time.

So i will let you know how things are going throughout the weeks and take pics and make updates. Thankyou so much for all of your interest, it makes my heart feel warm.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

WOW HOW LUCKY AM I????

Wow what a lovely start to my morning!!! I have been awarded 2 wonderful blog awards from my gorgeous friends KERYN and CLAIRE!!!!! Thankyou sooooo much beautiful girls.

I have to follow the rules for each award so in no particular order, here goes.

This award is from Claire and firstly i have to thank the person who sent this award. THANKYOU CLAIRE!!!. Secondly i have to list three things i like about myself;

1) I think im a kind & caring person  2) I am totally genuine  3) I love to help people & animals & always want to make them feel happy/better.  Finally i need to pass on the award to 7 people. I am so happy i have received 2 awards as i get to choose another 5 as well as these 7!!!. The friends i have chosen are;

Margi

Deb 

Melissa

Melinda

Squirrel

Marelize

Corrina

This award is from Keryn and the rules are;
1) To thank the person who sent the award. THANKYOU KERYN!!!!
2) Display the award on your blog, which i have done here and on my side bar
3) List 3 things about yourself;
a) I am vegetarian and only buy cosmetics and house hold products that are not tested on animals. I think i probably have the most animal friendly house on the street!!!
b) I am a big believer in the afterlife and i am going to visit a psychic/medium very soon
c) I want to start growing my own vegetables & fruit next year. I love the taste of organic foods & hate pesticides etc. I love healthy foods and would love the feeling of "living off the land!!!"
4) Post a picture that you love;

Well it is a double one caught in two stages of a dance that Mum and Dad had on my wedding day, still the best day of mine & Martin's life as without it there would not be the beautiful memories like these.

5) Tag 5 people you would like to pass this award on to;

Claire (aka wanna-b-rich)

Tracey

Sue

Paula

Teri

Thankyou so much Claire & Keryn for thinking of me. I wish i could have named you both on these lists but i know you both had each received these awards. Instead i send you both loads of love.

This was so hard choosing names, not because i was not sure who i wanted but because i did not want to leave anyone out as there is still plenty i could name!!!.

So to each of you who i have named i want to thankyou for being such beautiful friends and for always commenting on my posts. Also your blogs truly inspire me each and every time i visit with your gorgeous creations.

Thankyou for letting me share.

Love & hugs Clare xxx