Rosie-D's Challenge Blog #65

You still have until next Sunday to enter the challenge over on Rosie D's on the theme of Friendship.

We've already had such a fantastic response to the Challenge but it would be great to see some more people taking part.

Here's the reveal of my little card I made using our sponsor Stretch N Bubbles image...

See you over there!

x

I love the smell of...

Germolene!

Do you remember the little, round flat, tan coloured tin with the pink cream in from when you were a kid?  I do, and so does Will.

What's just reminded me of the childhood smell is that when cooking dinner today, I leant forward to get the steamer off the back of the hob, my top came up and my stomach touched the top of the oven that had been on for quite some time cooking a gorgeous roast chicken then having the temperature turned up high for the Yorkshire Pudding.  Now, my reactions are quick, but obviously not quick enough to prevent a nice, red, horizontal burn and a little blister across my tummy.  I shouted to Will to grab me a cold flannel while I applied the outside of my glass of ice cold Diet Coke to it and for him to mash the potatoes for me while I try and cool the burn down while trying desperately not so swear and cuss in pain in front of the kids (I read once that if you don't cool a burn quickly, then your skin continues to burn for 5 minutes!!!!)  I would have ran cold water over the burn but I don't fit in the kitchen sink!

So, it was still nipping like a wotsit well over an hour later and I needed to apply something to calm the sting so I grab the first aid box and find the tube (not a tin any more sadly) and apply that classic childhood smelling pink cream to my sore tummy.  I've had to fold the waistband of my trousers down and my fold my top up as it's so sore to have anything touching it.

Any suggestions out there on how to calm the pain quickly?  I need help!

What smell reminds you of your childhood?  I'd love to know!

Rosie-D's Challenge Blog #65

Oh, my word!!!! Did you see how many entries we had last time round over on Rosie-D's Challenge Blog??   58 amazing entries.  Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to support myself and the Design Team,  you are fantastic!

We had 2 winners last time round; Cheryl & Irit who both won 4 fantastic images from our last sponsor, Digital Ink (Thanks Judy!)

We have yet another FANTASTIC sponsor this time around:

Stretch N Bubbles are giving are giving away 4 images to the winner and an image each to our Top 5 entrants!!!!

Our theme this time is 

FRIENDSHIP

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize you will need to take part in our challenge. Leave us your link with the lovely Mr Linky. A winner will be picked at random on Sunday 7th March from all those that have taken part. Good luck!


Here's my little sneaky peek...

 

Please pop over to the blog {HERE} to see the great work from the DT and to play along.

For sale on Ebay...

For any crafters interested, I've got the following for sale in my Ebay listings.

 

 
 

They're all BRAND NEW and unused.  The auctions end around midnight tomorrow.

You can find them {{HERE}} along with some kitchen bits that I've got looking for new homes.

More craft items will be added as I sort out my room.

*Edited to add these items below:

 

  

 

   

Major Ken Wood has arrived and is settling in rather nicely!

This is Major Ken Wood...

As  you can see, he's a bit like Steve Austin, the Bionic Man (ask your mum if you're too young to know who he is) because they say he's made from Titanium and we all know that the Bionic Man was put back together with metal bits and bobs now don't we?.

He wasn't in the house long before I had him totally undressed and on the worktop looking all desperate and ready for action...

And just look what he can do when he gets is tools out and you turn him on...

He managed to make 24 banana & white chocolate chunk muffins.  With the leftover mixture he made that into an 8" square cake.

He also made a lemon traybake with lemon icing but the icing cracked when I lifted it off the cooling rack and it looks all wrinkly now, so I'm not showing you it! HAHA!

I'm off to bed with his instruction manual and recipe book.  Boy, is this guy gonna get used and abused!

Sorry mum and dad if you read this post... bit rude, not what you'd expect from your baby daughter at all. ;-) xx

Freycob on Etsy

I signed up for Etsy in June last year and since then it's sat dormant.

Until tonight that is!  I'm in a clean up and clear out mood this weekend.  The  kitchen cupboards got it yesterday as I've got a shiny new toy on order which should be here on Tuesday and I need to make space.  I'll no doubt photograph, stroke and drool over it to within an inch of it's new little life and will share my passions with you next week.

I've got lots of stuff listed on Ebay.  You can find me under the user profile "ro5ie".  My old food processor was snapped up within 12 hours of going live... hmmmm, must have been too cheap! HAHA!  There are other kitchen gadgets and accessories that are all looking for a new home that are in the auction.  All are clean and in perfect condition too.

I've also put some craft stuff up for sale.  It's been gathering dust in the bottom of Jacob's wardrobe for quite some time.  You know how it is... you buy stuff intending to use it, then something new comes along and so you buy that as well.  Before you know it you've got far too much stuff than you'll ever get to use.  Better to make a bob or two out of it to invest in the future craft market.  Good for the economy too don't you think?  Buy it, sell it on, buy something else!  I've got lots more to sort out, photograph and list, but that'll be for another day now.  My original Sizzix machine will be going on there soon (I've still got the original box for it as well!)

But anyway... on to the subject of my post... Etsy!  As I said, I signed up for an Etsy account in June last year and have done nothing with it since then.  I've got such a stash of cards made and seeing as someone kindly told the Inland Revenue that I was selling my cards (like it's gonna make me millions of squidlets that they would want to tax- NOTTTTTTT - my losses were over £180 last year) I am registered as Self Employed, so as I have to Self Assess I'm going to try and sell on some of the cards that I make.  It'll never compensate me for the cards that I make and give to my daughter's school for them to sell to boost school funds (over 100 cards in one donation last year).  You could never charge an hourly rate but I make my cards because I love the time it gives me with my iPod on listening to music, chilling out after a day at work, or listening to my daughter read to me while she sits on the sofa bed in my craft studio.

You can find my Etsy shop {{HERE}}.  I'll add more cards etc. as time goes on and hopefully sell one or two of them from there!  Wish me luck

xx

Rosie D's Challenge No. 64 - Sponsored by Digital Ink

Digital Ink are sponsoring the challenge this time round on Rosie-D's.  They sent the DT some great images to work with for our theme JUST FOR MEN.

I must say that I truly ADORE this little fella!  How much like a hormonal teenager does he look?  A lot like my hormonal teenage son I may say! HAHA!  I just took one look at his face and knew the words he'd just uttered so I got out my Promarkers, coloured him in and made him into a lovely little card.

Please take time to pop over to the blog and congratulate the DT on their amazing work!  You have two weeks to take part in the hope of winning Digital Ink's prize too!

You know when you shouldn't but you do anyway?

Well, that was me yesterday morning.  A lovely bacon and egg roll; the yolk nice and runny down your fingers as you take that first bite..... SCHLURP!

I was in virtual food heaven until last night when the bad head kicked in!  It's still with me today and hasn't even tried to bother its lazy backside to go anywhere!

Ibuprofen and 4Head doesn't want to make it go anywhere either.

Oh well!!! It's the first egg I've had for15 months and I can therefore safely say that I really should NOT eat them, no matter how bloody gorgeous they taste!  I'm also not meant to eat the bacon, but that's not my demon food but only one that upsets my tummy!

Back to the lettuce leaves for me!

This was Freya's second birthday present to me...

Freya had said she had two presents for me today.  The first being my cake pan and this being the second...

We'd been talking about getting her waist length hair cut for some time now but she was never quite 100% sure if she wanted to get it done.  I was going to the hairdressers tonight anyway and she wanted to come with me to have hers done.  I must admit I wasn't 100% sure if she'd go through with it either.  I knew it would really suit her and make her look so grown up.

I was right!!!  Lorraine tied it in a pony tail and cut 8" straight off it before tidying the ends up and drying it.  I think she looks even more beautiful and grown up now.  It was a lovely surprise for her Grandma when we called in on our way home so that she could show it off, as it has been kept a secret from both her and Grandad at Freya's request.  Grandad won't see it until he collects her from school tomorrow as he was out at a meeting tonight and Grandma is now sworn to secrecy until then.

Freya told me she meant to say 'Happy Birthday Mummy' when it was finished but was so caught up in her new look that she totally forgot.  Needless to say, there was some considerable time spent in front of the mirror tonight swishing, brushing, combing and playing with the new hairdo when we got home.

Portrait shots of Freya

Last Saturday morning saw myself and Sarah with our cameras and a perfect little lady of a model spending a couple hours on a very cold morning in a local park while we both had a play taking some portrait shots.  I'm really pleased with these pictures as they were taken with my new 55-200mm lens which was enjoying it's first proper outing.

 

 

And a sneaky shot of Sarah looking busy!

Before posing for the lens herself...

This picture was purely accidental, it was bright sunshine and it was throwing the cabin into shadow so I was demonstrating what fill in flash can do to shadows and fired this shot off, only to review it and like it immensely!  Therefore it's no longer an accidental shot, but totally thought about long and hard hehe!

I ended up with a right stinking old headache as a result of the cold - must have got brain freeze in the frosty weather, but I really enjoyed myself.  It's really spurred me on to get out there and enjoy my photography.

21 today... 21 today (21 twice that is!)

I had a wonderful cuddle in bed from my very excited daughter, Freya, this morning wishing me a happy birthday and telling me that I just had to open my card that she'd made for me along with my pressie that we chose together on Saturday (and that she bought with her own money too!)  I'm now the proud owner of a bright orange 8" square silicone baking pan and she's promised to help me make the first cake in it.

Jacob made me a fab card too and disguised a lovely new pair of black leather gloves in his old iPod case to try an throw me off the scent of my pressie.  Only thing is.... I bought the gloves on Saturday and gave them to him to give to me for my birthday!

I didn't fall over a big box containing a new Kenwood KM020 Mixer this morning, but I did drop the odd hint that I'm saving up for one as I'd REALLY, REALLY, REALLY love one due to my 10+ year old Kenwood food processor showing signs of it's age and use.  It was initially going to be a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer but with the Kenwood I can replace my food processor and blender and have the stand mixer in one fabby gadget.  I can see me placing an order in the not too distant future for one.  Anyone know where I can get one at a bargain price?


On another note... to my darling friend/surrogate sister Susan.  We wish you lots of love today for your back operation.  We'll see you tomorrow night when the anaesthetic has worn off.  Love you loads sweet friend.