St.Wilfie's Update & a Stack More Cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone, hope we are all well and busy creating!!! well i promised you all an update on Cameron's coffee morning and i can proudly say that £403.00 was raised on the day!!!! that is amazing for a 2 hour fundraiser!!!.

I am planning to do my own fundraiser a little closer to Christmas so i will be keeping you all posted ok. So that means that cards are still more than appreciated!!! i will also be doing some card classes shortly at the day centre and will be taking cards in to sell to raise money.

I cannot believe the amount of cards that have been sent in since the coffee morning and i have some more very special people to thank. I am also adding a few pics to show you the gorgeous cards proudly vacating my craft room!!!

I would like to thank;

Curt O'Brian for the 12 beautiful House Mouse cards which i will have trouble parting with!!! Curt sent his cards all the way from the USA!

Teresa Sherman for a big box of 36 cards! please pop by her Digital Stamp Shop too!!! This is the second batch of cards that Teri has very kindly sent!

Vicki all the way from OZ and one of my Scrap Therapy pals. Thankyou Vicki for thinking of us!

Thankyou so much guys!!! please make sure that you pop over and check out their fab blogs to see more of their creations.

I spoke with my sister Helen last week and she has a big parcel of cards from some of the girls in OZ who have kindly donated so cannot wait to get them. I will let everyone know when they arrive!!!.

So i am going to leave you with pics of some of the cards Curt, Teri and Vicki have sent.

By Curt

By Teri

By Vicki

Im so sorry about the glare in some but they had the plastic covers on the cards which i did not want to open as all sealed up with creators stickers on. Wish i could have photographed all but think i would be here a month of Sundays!!! besides you can go check out everyone's work on their blogs.

I will be back again soon with updates.

So sorry that i have not been very productive of late. Along with another flare up of my RA i am busy getting my life together as hubster has now moved out. All is cool though and he has moved very nearby and i think he has been over everyday day since he moved out!!!! We are both so happy that we are still able to be close & good friends, makes life a lot easier. He misses the furbabies dreadfully but he knows he can see them whenever he wants to.

I am now in the process of sorting out the bungalow the way "i want it", will be a bit of painting, adding to, sorting out and rearranging. Trying to make life easier around the house for me to live independently too.

Today me and Dad tackled the sheds!!! off to the tip tomorrow and now have a fully functioning shed less the crap!!! the other one is a bit delapidated and noticed there is a large area of flooring missing so once it was cleared out i shut the door behind and hopefully will make a nice home for any forms of wildlife wishing to habitat!!!.

So bear with me and soon i will be back to creating and you never know i may be able to post some pics of my rearranged pad!!!.

Take care & loads of hugs, Clare xxx

LOOK WHAT I HAVE BEEN MAKING!!!!

Hi everyone, so sorry about the absence but hopefully i am back with mojo intact!!!!

I have just had the best weekend at a wonderful "Card Feast" for two days. It was run at the local ESK store by the lovely Gaynor White & Ann Hide and we had 2 full days of creating & inspiration, meeting lots of lovely new people, a yummy meal and treats each day. Here are all of the things we made!!!!!

A CUTE LITTLE MEMO PAD & HOLDER

(DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

THIS WOULD MAKE AN AWESOME TABLE SETTING!!!

(DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

SUGARED ALMONDS TO HIDE IN THE TEACUP 

 WE HANDMADE THESE GORGEOUS PETALS WITH SILVER WIRE & BEADS!!! 

 SUCH A LOVELY IDEA TO GIVE TO SOMEONE AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT. THEY ARE MADE OF CHIPBOARD & YOU CAN ADD PHOTOS!

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

 MY FAVOURITE STYLE! SCENERY STAMPED CARDS!!!!

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

 A SELECTION OF CARDS!!!

 (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

  (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

 (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

(DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

As you can see there was heaps of creations. We all really enjoyed the weekend and are looking forward to the next one being planned! thankyou Gaynor & Ann, MWAH xxx

Thankyou for stopping by. Will be back soon with more news and creations!

Lots of love Clare xxx

St.Wilfred's Fundraiser Saturday!!!!!

Wow what a great day it turned out to be!!!!! we were so thrilled with the turn out and for the whole 2 hour event i reckon we did fantastically!

It is Sunday morning and i am sitting here still in PJ's just chilling and reflecting about the manic week it has been! i am still amazed at the response to my beautiful friend KERYN'S blog appeal and the kindness that all fellow card makers have shown by sending parcels full of cards to donate.

Yesterday went so well and i do know that the cards alone made £70.00 in 2 hours!!! we should know in a week or so the total donations that were made so i will make an announcement as soon as those figures are in.

I would like to share some pics with you, in particular one's of a very special little boy who made the day happen. Here is Cameron!!!

  

HERE IS CAMERON TOGGED OUT IN HIS ST.WILFIES T-SHIRT!

IN CHARGE OF THE TREASURE HUNT & CRAFT TABLE!

ON THE BALL WITH THE TAKINGS!

HERE ARE PICS OF ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL CARDS EVERYONE HAS DONATED!

 ME, LOUISE (CAMERONS MUM), WENDY (CAMERONS NAN) AND CAMERON, BY THEN HE HAD DECIDED TO GET HIS FACE PAINTED!!!

Now that i have been part of a fundraising event it has inspired me to do one of my own so i am hoping to do one later in the year and make it Christmassy. Obviously i need to find out about it and run through more ideas but i would love to organise something with the help of my friends.

Cards that were left over from yesterday will be sold at future events and at the Wednesday care centre so every now and then i will be updating you guys on cards sale figures. Please also feel free to carry on sending any spare cards or crafty creations as each and every one of them will be sold and every single penny/cents will be donated to St.Wilfred's Hospice. 

Thankyou so so much everyone. You have all totally restored my faith in people's kindness. I was telling everyone yesterday who would listen about how everyone has been donating their cards, also from all around the globe!!! 

I would like to say a huge thankyou to all of these ladies so far;

KERYN, JODY D, BRENDA B, ANNIE J, SYLVIE, TERRY S, JODY P, JULIA D, CHRISSIE S,  CLAIRE, ENFYS C, SUE CARRINGTON, JO B, SUE COOPER, JODY, DEBBY Y, CRAFTY CHRIS & TASHA.

I am so hoping that i have remembered everyone! please thump me if i haven't ok. Any future cards that arrive i will still be thnking them personally & in blog posts. I know the girls at SCRAP THERAPY are planning cardmaking days to which the owners Lee-Anne & Danny are organising so watch this space!!!

I will be updating again very soon.

Godbless to everyone.

Love & hugs Clare xxx 

Wowsers More Coming in!!!!!

Howdy everyone, sorry im a little late tonight but had the girls over to help me sift through all of the beautiful cards which are still arriving each day. Apart from Dawny and Amanda pawing away in envy and "ooooh's and aaaahhh's" we did actually get all of the cards priced up which was such a big help.

Ok firstly, today not only did i get a visit from Mr.Postie but Mr.Royal Mail Van Driver!!!

Well to say me and the cats were excited is an understatement! i managed to distract Simone for 5 seconds with treats long enough to get this pic! so today i would like to say a very big thankyou to;

1. Crafty Chris

2. Claire

3. Debby

Please go take a look at their beautiful work over on their blogs. Thankyou so much girls you are so so generous.

I am so excited about Saturday now with having so many gorgeous cards to temp everyone with!!!

So tonight the girls were over and we decided to take some random pics of the cards and us generally pratting around!!!

I know, not the most flattering pics of us but it was late, hot and we were tired!!!!

Right off to bed so will be back tomorrow. Thankyou once again all of you very lovely and kind cardmakers out there.

Godbless

Love Clare xxx

Toot Toot.......More Cards!!!!!!

Wow more cards today delivered by Mr.Postie!!! Just had a tally up and we now have 125 gorgeous cards towards Cameron's St.Wilfie's coffee morning!!!!!

Today i had a big parcel through from the very beautiful Teresa Sherman (Teri) with loads of yummy cards. Please go pop by Teri's great blog and also go visit her wonderful digi shop Delicious Doodles. Teri is such a very talented lady and draws all of her own fabulous digi images. Thankyou so much Teri, MWAH!!!!!

So here is todays pics for you just to show you the volume of cards coming in;

Teri's contribution today!!!

Wow Look at all of these gorgeous cards!!!!!

Here's my baby girl giving the paws up on the parcels!!!!

You will all be glad to know that Bert & Simone have to inspect all of the parcels on a daily basis, they are like sniffer dogs!!!

Well only another 2 days tomorrow before the big event so i am still creating. Will bring you some pics tomorrow of what i have been making. Just to reassure you all that any cards left on Saturday, well if there are any! will be sold at later events and/or when i pop in to the Wednesday day centre or the hospice itself. Please keep sending them in guys as i am also hoping to maybe have my own coffee morning, perhaps nearer to Christmas permitting.

Thankyou once again everyone, if i could i would wrap my arms around you all!!! will be back tomorrow.

Big big enormous squidgy kisses.

Clare xxx

Whoopie found it!!!!

Ok so i was a little hasty suspecting Bert & Simone of kidnapping the camera! it actually took Martin to find it tonight after he too turned the bungalow upside down. In the process of searching under wardrobes, chests of drawers etc he found half of the kitties toys so they are extremely happy tonight!!! all i seem to do is buy them ping pong balls, squeaky toys and foam balls because they go missing, now i know where, i thought they were eating them!!! It was found on the kitties radiator bed which i use for piling paperwork onto as they never go on it!

Anyway back to business and here is a picture to show all of the wonderful parcels that have arrived so far;

Today i received another two yummy packages, and one was all the way from America!!!!

So i would like to thank Brenda Butler all the way from Michigan and Julia Dunnit for all of their beautiful cards. Please pop over to their gorgeous blogs  by clicking onto their names. Thankyou so so much girls you are so kind!!!

I am currently working on a few altered creations now. I have made a few cards but i reckon that we are going to be well covered!!! so thought it would be a good idea to make some notebooks, decorate some trinket boxes etc. I will take some pics tomorrow along with pictures each day of all of the beautiful cards everyone is sending.

Thankyou once again (i do not think i can say it enough!!!) and also for all of your wonderful messages that you are sending on my blog and by email.

Love to you all, back tomorrow!!!

Aaaaaggghhh Lost my Camera!!!!

I am so sorry i am so late to post but have been searching high & low for my camera!!!! Every day this week i want to do a post on the progress of the St.Wilfies charity event happening this Saturday along with all of the wonderful card filled parcels that have started to arrive.

All evening i have been ripping the bungalow apart searching for the blinking camera. Two little pussycats are giving me "those eyes" everytime i look at them as if they are saying "it wasn't me!" the verdict is out on that one until i find it as i know they have been caught playing with it as they love the string thingy attatched to the case, Bert in particular is fond of it as it resembles the ribbon box!

Ok so no photies tonight but i have some very special ladies to thank today. Mr.Postman came with his reinforced postbag on wheels this morning with not one but six parcels!!!!!! me and the furbabies were so excites as they tumbled onto the bed ready to be opened.

Simone showed her approved by playing with bits of ribbon and string attatched to certain cards and the pair of them were "sniffing" on overdrive and rubbing & smooching against cards & parcels claiming them for theirselves!

So today the very special ladies i need to thank, in no particular order are;

1. Jo B

2. Jody P

3. Sue C

4. Chrissie S

5. Enyf's C

6. Sue C

Out of respect i will not include these ladies surnames but i have linked all of their names direct to their blogs so please, please go pop over to see their beautiful work.

THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU BEAUTIFUL LADIES!!!!!!!!! 

These lovely ladies cards are so yummy i might have to keep them all!!! no, seriously i believe we are going to be able to raise a lot of money for Cameron's coffee morning. I feel totally humbled by the response of Keryn's plea over on her blog last week. We have both received so many emails with the offer to send cards, not only in the UK but USA, Australia and even Gibraltar!!!

Just remember everyone that this plea is not only for Saturday but will be an ongoing fundraising pledge.

I will be thanking everyone personally but i will also add them to my blog posts as soon as they arrive as i know that Keryn has received some too which are being sent on.

Ok so i am going to hunt a bit more for this flipping camera and will be adding pics as soon as i can. Failing that i will be asking people to send me cameras also, NO IM ONLY JOKING!!! sure i can borrow one!

Thankyou again for all of your efforts & kindness everyone. I will be back tomorrow after stalking the postie. Best go get on creating in my craft room.

Warm hugs, Clare xxx

P.S Feeling a lot more human this week, steroids kicking in  atlast and not needed Morphine, just normal meds. Will be keeping Morphine in the bathroom cabinet only for really bad pain & parties!!!

When Your Friends Come Together...

I can never get used to the sheer kindness of people who i am proud to call friends. During my time of being out of action i have had a big worry on my mind, i promised a little boy by the name of Cameron, who is only 7 years old by the way, that i would attend the coffee morning he has arranged at his house on 17th July to raise money for St.Wilfred's Hospice. He asked me to make lots of cards for him and anything else crafty to help make more money towards his coffee morning. He is a totally outstanding little boy and is where his Nan Wendy works as a carer. Many of you also know that the hospice is totally close to my heart as they looked after my dear Mum and is where she spent her last days on earth. Wendy is also my neighbour and also looked after Mum. 

The big worry comes from me because i have been out of action and unable to make any cards of late. I have a few to contribute but really wanted to go that extra mile for this little boy who has even sold some of his toys to help raise money.

So this morning i heard from my beautiful friend KERYN who has made an announcement on her BLOG appealing to all of her friends to donate cards for this wonderful cause. Not only has keryn had response from her blog followers but also from challenge blogs she enters. So thankyou so far to Claire, Chris, Tasha, Sue, Annie, Enfys, Sue C, Chrissie and Jody who have all so kindly agreed to send a card or cards. I am so overwhelmed at everyone's generosity and has made me really teary, but in a good way!!! So if there is anyone else out there who is interested please feel free to email me on earlygirl1@hotmail.co.uk and if you can just pop up in the message box "For St.Wilf's Card Donations" just so i know i am not being spammed!!! If you are sending cards please make sure that you put your name on the card so that you, the designer can get the credit, feel free to add a contact number/email/blog too so that people can see your future work too.

This will be an ongoing cause in my heart as when i am well enough i am going to go to the St.Wilfred's day centre when i can. It is open every Wednesday in Uckfield and is open for the local patients in surrounding villages and is somewhere they can get together to take their minds off their illness, get them out in the community, advice on treatments, have a nice cooked meal and have a good old chin wag. St.Wilf's are looking for volunteers, especially in the craft areas to go in and make cards, get the patients involved and have a bit of fun as well as being there to talk and share experiences etc. It is a very laid back day for all to chill out and have a bit of pampering, as well as meeting some amazing people. So i will be constantly making & selling cards and every penny will be going to the hospice.

I will be thanking everyone personally and am also going to be taking pics and will announce the funds that are raised on Cameron's special day.

You have all made me feel so happy in my heart tonight, thankyou beautiful ladies xxx

P.S Keryn you are my guardian angel, and i have now stopped blubbing!

  

An Update!

Hello beautiful friends, just an update to let you know what is happening. Monday i spent the morning on the phone to GP to hospital, back to GP, back to hospital & then back to GP. It took me to end up in tears on the phone to actually get something done and my doctor rang me at 1pm after being in consultations all morning. He did not seem too thrilled that i had been buggered around all morning 
and still not having the letter from the hospital he did a prescription of his own. So the past couple of days i have been in an almost comatosed state of Morphine and steroids and complete bed rest. Not that i could have done anything else, boy is that morphine good and helped no end but you just cannot function!!! My doctor is going to prescribe the new painkiller when he finally gets the letter but he wants me to keep the morphine as a breakthrough drug incase i ever get that bad again.

So this morning i have felt a lot better and hopefully the steroids are kicking in. I have not needed the morphine today and got by with my regular pain meds. It says that your body gets over the side effects when you take it regularly but i do not want to get used to it. That strictly stays in the med cupboard if nothing else helps. Like i say it is a an exeptional drug for pain relief but could not handle being in a zombi like state 24/7!!!

Thankyou again my friends for all of your well wishes. Hopefully i will be back to creating real soon xxxx

Thankyou xxx

Would just like to say a big big thankyou to all of my beautiful friends for your wonderful well wishes. Can only keep this brief as unfortunately my Rheumatoid is now affecting my right hand (yep thanks for that you bastard disease!). I have had a really bad week, hence no creating. Tomorrow i will be chasing my GP again as still no word on my new treatment which is now 2 weeks since i saw my specialist, it is so bloody frustrating!!!

Your lovely messages, emails, phonecalls and gifts (thanks Keryn!) mean absolutely everything to me and give me a real boost and keep me going. You are all just the best!!! xxxx

BIG, BIG UPDATE, MAY NEED A CUPPA FOR THIS ONE!!!

Hello all of my gorgeous blog family, i am so sorry it has been a while but i do have several good reasons, believe me!!! im afraid i bring no cards at this time as i have not been doing a lot of late (which i hope to rectify shortly!).

So here goes...............deep breath........and away we go..........................

I have not been able to write about this thus far, you have probably noticed i have not been my usual chirpy self of late (again hopefully soon to be rectified!) and i have had a lot of family (who read my blog) to inform first, that being my blood family, not my blog family! unfortunately me & the hubster have decided to seperate. No one else in the frame, no animosity, no nastiness, no rowing......we still remain very close, best friends infact, which was one of the reasons our marriage did not work. We love each other dearly, but just as friends, and we want to remain in each other's lives. It has been one of the hardest decisions in my life but i think it is best for both of us. We both have many plans for our future, seperately & together. Our friendship and our furbabies will keep us linked, and as my family is  also his, this will keep us united.

I have also been feeling really unwell for the last 3 weeks with my Rheumatoid as many of you know. As well as a lot of pain i have been feeling totally exhausted and not having much enthusiasm to be creative. I know a lot of stress has not helped and i need to start taking more control over my life. I went to see my Rheumatologist on Tuesday and to say he was a little shocked at how much i have deteriorated since he last saw me is an understatement. For the past few months i have only being seeing my Biologics nurse who has been supervising my drug trials but Dr.Sam now wants to see me on a very regular basis. The first thing he wants to do is get my pain under a lot more control. Over the next 4 months he wants to get me on daily steroids (i have been having injections every few weeks) and a slow release & long lasting pain killer, along with breakthrough meds if needed. Although i am worried about being on daily steroids, at this point i am willing to give anything a go. Mum was on them for 20 years and they did so much damage to her poor body but they helped to keep her alive. There are 2 more drug trials coming out in the next couple of months so Dr.Sam wants to see which one will be suitable. He also wants me to have another MRI scan as it has been a couple of years since i last had one. He is concerned about my spine so i guess he wants to see what kind of deterioration is going on there too. So all in all it was a good appointment. I have to wait for my GP to prescribe the new meds so guessing i will be starting these some time next week.

I have many plans for my future which i will be sharing with you all over the following weeks. My main goal at the moment is to get my RA under more control. Me & hubster need to get the finances sorted and all of the crap that goes with it (lots of form filling i guess!!!). I should be able to stay in the bungalow with the furbabies which i am relieved about as could not bear that upheaval.

Thankyou to all of my beautiful friends and thankyou for listening to me harp on. I find that my blog is the best therapy around. Your comments are absolutely precious to me & keep me going through the good & bad times. I promise i will be popping by everyone's blogs very soon as i know i have let that slip big time. I have always made a big effort to update my reading list daily and comment on all of your blogs but have not even been on my laptop as regular as normal.

I love you guys and will be back soon, just bear with me! xxxxxxxxxxxx

An Update & Some Birthday Cards

Hi folks! sorry i have not been in blogland for a while but have been having some bad days lately with my Rheumatoid. I ended up going to the hospital on Thursday for steroid injections which have helped a lot but unfortunately they are quite short lived so will be making the most of it!!!. Back to the Rheumatologist on 22nd so will find out about a new drug trial which i was informed about on Thursday.

Anyway enough about my ailment crap!!! back to cards. It was the hubsters birthday yesterday and as his love for cats is as big as mine i knew i had to get my new Magenta cat stamps to work (i have been itching to use them on that spesh card);

They totally look like my little furbabies Bert & Simone which was my ultimate reason for buying them, he he!!

The pp i have used is by Clare Curd for Papermania, Prima flowers, brown organza ribbon (to blend in with brown fur!), bling and cannot remember who the sentiment is by.

Just another quicky card with a Penny Black image i was sent. I delved into a colour i wouldn't normaly use, a splash of red. I am trying to step out of my comfort zone of colours, the next maybe orange!!!

Just a quick hedgie update, i had the dreaded job of cleaning out the hedgehog cabins last week. Eeeww it was gross, good job i love them!!! the cabins were empty so took the decision to have a clean up. Unfortunately since i have done this they have vacated during the daylight hours. They go in there during the night though so atleast they have a resting spot. I wanted them clean in the hope that any pregnant Mum's would be comfy to have her hoglets, i still live in hope!!!

Over the past week i have witnessed a hedgie throwing up, sneezing & hobbling!!! on Saturday night one even looked right up at me behind the conservatory door & put his/her front paws on the door ledge. I gently opened the door and i was able to pet the hedgie for about 5 minutes. This is the type of reward i live for. It is as if they are thanking me for looking after them.

Have a great day everyone.

Big hugs Clare xxx

Scrapville Monthly Sketch Challenge

This is my card for this months Scrapville card challenge. The sketches were created by the wonderful & talented Melinda.

Layout Sketch

Card Sketch

On my card i have used pp MME, Bazzill card, Prima flowers, Card candy & Sentiment by Creative Cards.

I will be back later with more. Thanks for popping by!!!

Love Clare xxx

I Love Imaginisce, Did You Know That Already???

So i have been tinkering around with my new Imaginisce stash from Melinda & Keryn and have made a card. How gorgeous is that pp and flower stamp!

Hope you are enjoying the beautiful UK sun today xxx

Thankyou so Much!!!

I would just like to thank everyone so much for all of their very kind messages and support. I do not know what i would do with all of my lovely friends, you are really helping me to get through the bad times & have cheered me up no end.

I would also like to say a very special thankyou to two of my beautiful friends Melinda and Keryn who have both sent me a parcel of goodies this week. Both filled with my very favourite Imaginisce brand and more!!!

Here are some pics to share;

YES THAT IS BERT IN CHARGE OF THE STASH!!!

LOOK AT THOSE CUTE LITTLE HEDIES FROM MELINDA!!!

AND WHILE I AM TALKING ABOUT THEM HERE ARE SOME PICS OF

BERT & SIMONE!!!

No matter what is going on in my life, the good & the bad i know i have always got my furbabies and my friends to cheer me up!!!

Thankyou everyone, i love you all heaps xxx

Penny Black Saturday Challenge & an Update

Wanted to take part in the Penny Black challenge blog this week and the theme for week 103 is "in the garden". If you would like to take part hop over HERE to be in with a chance of winning a 15% lifetime discount voucher at P B Stamps and to join in the fun.

Here is my card; 

Im sorry i have not been around for a while but i have been going through some personal crap which i am not going to bore you with but has given my mojo a bit of a knocking as i have not had the time to do much.

The hedgies, the field mouse, the fox & the stray cat is still around & being spoilt by me! little Minnie has been back a couple of times to visit although she must have a nest elsewhere as she disappears into next doors garden. Lola is definitely a "Lola" as i managed to gently roll her slightly to her side the other evening to take a peek and im 99% sure that it is her inhabiting the cabin at the moment. I am keeping everything crossed that hoglets are on their way!!!

Will be back very soon. Have a wonderful bank holiday weekend everyone xxx