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

AN AMAZING DAY AT ST.WILF'S

Hi everyone!!! i would just like to share with you the amazing day i had on Wednesday at the St.Wilfred's Hospice Day Centre. Some time ago i was asked if would like to spend the day there and take my cards and perhaps show the patients how to make them. Wendy, my beautiful friend who works there, had taken a box of my cards in some weeks ago to sell for Wilfie's fundraising. They proved so popular and the patients asked about me and how i make them so this is how it all came about me being asked to go in there.

So this week it happened!!! i packed up my dolly trolley packed to brim of craft stash and me and Wendy headed to the temporary base in Uckfield. I was really nervous as i did not know what to expect as i had never done anything like this before. Instead of going in unprepared i made up some card packs with stamped images and made up some little files of card and papers already cut to size. I took lots of embellishments and sentiments too.  I made this card below so that the patients had an idea of the style of card we could make. I kept it simple and i had made sure that there were lots of different images for them to choose from and lots of different patterned and coloured paper to choose just so that everyone's card would be different.

I realised when everyone started pouring in to the day centre that i had not needed to worry. I had the biggest & warmest welcome imaginable. At first i was known as "the card lady" as the patients started talking amongst themselves!!!. The nursing staff and volunteers were amazing too and the kindest people you could meet. I was made so welcome and they could not do enough for me.

There were 6 patients in total on Wednesday (it varies week by week) and they all wanted to participate. They were all so excited!. The most amazing thing of the day was that i had a 97 year old man making cards! his enthusiasm was fantastic. Another gentleman who is 93 is really into art and he did a terrific job with his lighthouse image and got well into the Promarkers. He had brought a canvas in of an Aborigional scene which he had made and it was awesome!.

Some of the patients who were unable to physically make the cards themselves were included as much as the able bodied one's. I made up the cards but got them to choose everything they wanted on the card, from the image to what coloured Promarker they wanted & where. It was good as the volunteers helped me out. Some of the nurses were even making cards!!!.

I had a really big soft spot for one of the ladies by the name of Joyce. She was totally beautiful and the tiniest thing you have seen. Joyce made 2 cards and coloured 2 more images but did not have time to finish. We were all really sad when the time had come for everyone to go back on the minibus. I have promised that i will go back very soon and i have kept hold of the unfinished cards and will be taking them back next time for them to finish.

I feel so totally humbled by my day on Wednesday. How a wonderful group of people can get together every week just to take their minds off their illness and forget all their worries. I feel so close to everyone, just after a day.

I have been asked about the possibility of going in to the actual Hospice in Eastbourne to do some cardmaking with patients. I know this will be hard as it is where Mum passed away but i know she would want me to get over this and do it.

By the way to everyone who has kindly donated cards i managed to sell £16 worth of your cardson Weds!!! they also said a very big thankyou to everyone.

Thankyou for letting me share this with you.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

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