Time For Some Cards

I've been very busy with cardmaking for the past couple of weeks. Because of all the horsey stuff going on, I may decide to use my other blog to show you my cards (it's sitting there dormant at the moment). I'll let you know if I decide to go down that route though.

For some reason I have loads of birthdays to make for in April. I do one for my eldest grandson and one for Pongo and Missis' eldest son (henceforth to be known as Badger!) I decided cars were the thing this year, especially as Badger had a Go-karting party on Saturday. So here we are:

This isn't quite finished, I did put '11 today' on the front as well. Here is the one for my grandson:

I heat embossed the car image. You can't really tell, but it gives it a completely different effect. Both cards have little pockets inside, where I've put money in. Apparently both boys were quite fascinated by this. Christian actually said, "Look what I've found inside it!" and was thrilled.

I made this for my lovely aunt. I saw some ideas for these in a magazine, and then only a couple of days later I actually saw the stamps and paper for sale in my local craft shop. I'd fallen in love with them in the magazine and could hardly believe I was looking at the very things I needed. I snapped them up pdq, I can tell you! I think I'll be using this stamp a lot.I had the idea a few weeks ago of making a note of everyone's birthdays in our Bible Study group so that I could make each person a card for their birthdays and get everyone in the group to sign it. This has gone down very well, much to my pleasure. So, with several cards on the go, my group leader rang me last week to say that Debs has had her baby and could I make her a card from the group. They've had a little girl, who they still haven't named (?) so I made this. I thoroughly enjoyed making it:

I've put flock on the baby's hat so it has a fluffy feel. The image is set on a doily, which feels like a crocheted baby's blanket, so the whole card is very tactile.

And here's the inside. I hope they like receiving it as much as I've enjoyed making it.

So what do you think? Should I split things up so the card making stuff is separate from the horsey stuff? The way things are going there will be a lot of competitions to write about this year, but I make a card nearly every day as well, so I'm not sure what to do.

Mrs O.

P.S. Can I also just say, in case you've been wondering, that there is clearly something wrong with the HTML on my blog at the moment, so it keeps putting everything together in one single paragraph. Even if you add the HTML in manually, it doesn't save it. I don't understand what's going on. Have I caused it? Any ideas?

Butterflies and Bows

I am on a roll with card making at the moment. Sometimes I get to my desk and I'm so excited I don't know where to start. I can't decide whether to flock something, put glossy accents on it or heat emboss it! No piece of card or paper is safe. I've made more cards for Mother's Day. I don't know if I mentioned that my own dear mum died about five years ago. I've never missed her on the big occasions like Mother's Day or her birthday until last year's Mother's Day where I felt that I couldn't make any cards without a mum of my own to send one to. But this year I've decided to make each one with love as if they were all for her, and I'm really enjoying myself.

Look:

These beautiful little toppers (the chipboard with the boy and girl on a swing) were free with a magazine I bought recently, so this card cost me absolutely nothing to make. I got the butterfly punch for my birthday. I could easily get carried away with these, don't be surprised if it's 'butterflies with everything' from now on.

I'm very pleased with this one, too. I've used a flower punch on the white vertical strip. For some reason I've had this punch for ages and only just worked out how to use it. Again, there is a very sweet image on the topper.

It's beautiful and sunny here. I am very affected by the weather, I've realised, especially as my job is outside all the time. The slightest bit of sunshine totally changes my outlook on life. Barnaby has gone out without a rug on for the last few days and even Zak is in a rug without a neck cover. Cats, dog and chickens are sunbathing for most of the day. I went for a fabulous ride yesterday. We came to a place where, for some inexplicable reason, someone has dumped two whole bales of haylage (Why?) . Barnaby was having none of it, reared up and spun round, but this was partly naughtiness, as he didn't think we should be going that way anyway, so he set off in the opposite direction. It was one of those times where you have a brief second's realisation of 'I bet he looks stunning' even while you're trying to sort things out! I was extremely pleased that I was able to stop him, turn him back and make him go past the spooky object. He was clearly fooling, silly boy, he isn't afraid of anything and we both know it. There were a few fabulous canters after that, whether I wanted to or not (this is at a place called Stubbing Court which is beautiful. You can see where the hall looks out across the lake. With the sun shining on the water it was a blissful place to be).

I hope you're all getting some time to make the most of this lovely weather, too, although I gather some of my American friends have snow, good grief.

Well I'm off to bake a cake (and maybe some biscuits too, if I get time).

Blessings, everyone,

Mrs O. (who is pleased to say that Zak is no longer lame, judging from the way he was belting up and down in the manege this morning...)

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, I've never been so busy. It's all about prioritizing, isn't it? The fact is I love to ride, so by the time I've mucked out, taking Barnaby out somewhere is my first priority, which can also be quite tiring, as you can imagine. So the way I spend the rest of my time is very important to me. I've realised how important card making has become to me, I absolutely love it. I do love blogging too, but I've realised I'm spending far too much time on facebook again. I do love Farmville (do you play it?) but it's so slow, especially if you play in the evenings, which makes it very time consuming. I've decided to put that on the back burner for a while. It takes over your life if you're not careful, doesn't it? We did a fantastic fourteen mile pleasure ride round Rother Valley Country Park last Saturday. It was absolutely superb. We did a ten mile circuit and arrived back at the lorry park so the horses thought we'd finished. I nearly called it a day there, but I'm so glad I carried on as it was nearly all galloping after that. I thought Barnaby might be tired but he easily kept up with Zak. It was a fabulous place, the sun was shining and both horses were in a very good mood. It was my birthday on Monday (14th) so we went to my favourite craft shop, Dolly Cottage Crafts (what a sweet name!) and bought the item I've been waiting and waiting for - a heat embossing gun. I've been playing with it ever since. I also got some flock and some adhesive paper. Let me show you what I've been doing:

I've made several cards for Mother's Day which I've taken to the shop, and this is one of them. The thing is, the scalloped pink border is made using flock, so it's got that lovely soft texture. I stamped the image of the little girl and coloured it as usual, and then stamped it again on adhesive paper. I cut out the section that is her pink top and stuck it down on the stamped image. It's double sided sticky paper, so I peeled the top off and rubbed in the flock. I am very pleased with it. I'd like a pale brown flock, then I could use it on some bears, which would look really cute I think.

What else? Oh yes, this one:

This is another stamp from Little Claire's Designs. I think they're all so sweet. These and Lili of the Valley are my favourites. This card was actually quite hard to make and should have had an acetate window but I couldn't get the ink to show up on it at all which is a bit frustrating. I'm pleased with the end result though.

So all is well here, but one of the other reasons I haven't been blogging is that I'm so deeply in shock over the events taking place in Japan. I'm sure we're all watching developments unfolding on our television screens in horror. I think it's hard to grasp the scale of the disaster. Some of the images of the tsunami make it look like a bit of treacle spreading out, it's so hard to believe the wave was over 20 feet high and moving at a rate of 10m per second. You just can't fathom it, can you? So my thoughts and prayers are for all those involved, and I'm sure yours are too.

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Mrs O.

A Reprieve

The days are busy, but damp, foggy and miserable. I was quite glad to see the back of February but today has been just the same. We have driven to the location of the show jumping competition tomorrow as it's a new venue for us. I am sick with nerves and it's not even me doing it! I will be unpaid groom for the day. I'll let you know how we get on.
I have finally got my mojo back on the card-making front. I realised my mistake. I'd packed all my card magazines into a trunk, just to be tidy, but then we bought a new (fabulous) printer and put it on top of the trunk. Without my magazines for inspiration I found it very difficult to get anything made. Anyway, I found some vellum in a drawer that I must have had for a year and finally put it to good use.
See what you think:
I love the feel of vellum, I could play with it all day. Have a look at this one:

On another subject, you may remember that we hatched quite a few chicks last year, which have all grown up. Unfortunately, the cockerels have been 'excess to requirements' and treated accordingly. The youngest babies have grown up too, and one of them has also turned out to be male. We put him into solitary, pending an enquiry, but last week we rode past a farm and counted not one, not two, but four cockerels, all with a few hens each and all seemingly living quite amicably together. We've decided that the cockerel can come out and go back to his harem. His girls seem to have really missed him and George doesn't seem too bothered. I have named this cockerel Charlie (actually after Charles I, due to his impending fate!) and he's very handsome. Unfortunately he didn't make it to this photo call, but I hope you like it:

George and his women.

Some of the younger hens are starting to lay eggs. They are absolutely tiny. Sometimes they don't make it to the nesting box and I keep finding eggs all over the place. We've ended up with twenty chickens altogether. Not bad considering we started off with six.

Pretty In Pink

So much to tell you, so little time, so I'd better get started...

Firstly, I noticed in my random comments in the last post, that I stated that my favourite colour is blue. Now when I really stop and consider it, I am indeed very fond of blue, and green. But why oh why didn't I just tell the truth? My favourite colour is pink, yes

pink

there's nothing shameful in that, is there?

I like pink.

Look, here's Favourite Jacket:

which obviously goes with Favourite Skirt:

(which clearly should have been ironed but isn't).

and 'Sweatshirt I am More Than Likely to Wear to Church':

It's not a coincidence, is it?

So why do I feel like a criminal every time someone asks me what my favourite colour is? Maybe I think people will think I am a ditsy little girl who likes pink (with a chihuahua in my handbag) which clearly I am not (although I do have a soft spot for cupcakes with pink icing). I am a very down-to-earth girl who wears jeans and walks like a farmer's wife. Well I've admitted it now and I'm going to revel in it. Good news for favourite notebook, then...

No wonder it has pride of place on my desk.

Secondly, my mojo has been slightly absent on the cardmaking front, but that's because I managed to convince myself that I wasn't going to sell any of the Valentine's Day cards I made for the shop. I have finally been down today to do a stock take and I've sold nine out of the ten cards that I made, plus five other cards. I can't believe it. I'd got into a bit of a state about not buying any more stamps or paper, so I've heaved a huge sigh of relief. I still let Mr O buy the celebratory Chinese meal though...

I have made a few cards, though, so I hope you like this one:

It's my little mouse stamp from Little Claire's Designs. I do so love the style of their stamps and this one is no exception. I dare say this one will crop up again.

I've got quite a bit to tell you about Barnaby but I'd better save that for my next post. Visitors are coming tomorrow so I've had one of those major clean-ups that makes you barely recognise your own house.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Mrs O.

Show and Tell

My grandson's christening on Sunday was wonderful. Not many photos, as trying to get that many boys to stay still long enough to take a picture is virtually impossible.

But I must show you the card I made. Have a look:

Ever since I saw this image from Lili of the Valley I've been dying to get it, so of course this was the perfect excuse. The stamp is very detailed and it took several attempts to get everything onto the card. It was lovely to colour in. As you can see I've kept the design very simple, bearing in mind it's for a boy.

It gave me itchy fingers though and I was dying to make something else. If I'd had loads of notice I'd have done a cross stitch sampler or something, but I only had one day left. So I decided to make this:

"It's... a box," you say. Yes, it's a box, but not just an ordinary box. It's an exploding box. You take the lid off and enjoy your own 'ta-da!' moment.

It's got lots of christening symbols on it, plus the details of the christening, where and when it took place and who the godparents are. It took me all day to make. It's all very well watching a video on how to make one, but the demonstrator obviously had all the bits pre-prepared and two assistants to stick all the bits on the smaller sections while she did the big one. When you have to start from scratch, deciding on your colour scheme and what it is you're trying to convey, there's quite a lot of work involved, but it was a labour of love. Daughter 1 really liked it anyway, and it's something to keep, isn't it?

I think this will pass my challenge this month to make something with paper that isn't a card, don't you?

More goings-on tomorrow, but in the mean time, can I just say thankyou for your recent comments that have totally and utterly made my day.

Be blessed everyone.

Mrs O.

Breakthrough

I've come to a decision with Barnaby. Let me explain. My very first pony, Crispin, was the love of my life. I never took him to any shows. I didn't even know what showing was back then. Loads of other people from the yard used to go. I never felt I was missing out on anything, or that I was deprived in any way - I had a horse, for goodness sake, what more could a girl ask for? Crispin was the love of my life.
Then I got Max, and I loved him too, but felt under constant pressure to perform. This meant I liked him more when he did well, and got frustrated with him when he didn't. It's very strange. It's why a lot of people sell their horses all the time. That's quite a confession, really. I think it stems from doing that Bible study last week about unconditional love. I have actually stood in the show ring with Max and as the judge has placed me fifth or sixth, I've whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, darling, the judge is completely blind!"
But I've realised with Barnaby I want to get back to what I had with Crispin, i.e. I want to love him for who he is, not what he can do. I used to ride Crispin out and every ride was an adventure, because I had a horse. It was the most thrilling thing in the world. I wanted to shout it to every passer-by, but I expect my idiot grin was a bit of a giveaway.
So last week, on Monday I rode Barnaby in the school and it was awful, just doing flat-work. Then on Wednesday I tried to jump him and it was disasterous and nearly dangerous as he tanked round with his head between his knees and tripped over the trotting poles, nearly tipping me over his neck. Honestly, I don't know what's going on with that.
Then on Friday I decided to hack out and it was utterly fantastic. We did about six miles, up hill and down dale, on roads, being passed by every kind of traffic known to man, which Barnaby doesn't even look at. We passed dogs and a woman feeding a flock of seagulls, and a skip full of rubbish and Barnaby never gave it a second glance. I was as high as a kite when I got back.
So, after big discussions with Mr O, I have decided to chuck in any kind of competing, because I need to ride this horse with no pressure whatsoever and actually be allowed to enjoy him.
I honestly feel that a massive weight has been lifted off me. If I want to ride, I will ride. If I don't, I won't. Yesterday I rode for an hour and a half, and it was absolute bliss. We went for miles. I am going to do lots of pleasure rides this year, and the odd bit of TREC and thoroughly enjoy what this horse does best, and that's that. Because I utterly love him for who he is - enough said.

I've been having lots of fun making cards, check these out:
I've liked these cute bunnies for ages and finally got round to ordering the stamp a couple of weeks ago. It took a lot of trial and error with my Promarkers to get the paleness of the two rabbits right. The paper is from My Mind's Eye and I've had it for ages. I originally bought it to do my scrapbooking with last year, but I've got loads left. I think that's the thing with these papers, the initial outlay can be quite a bit, but you get so much out of it, it more than pays for itself in the end. The main thing I wanted to do with this card, was the two bits of ribbon with the buttons on the end, which worked out really well.

I'm really pleased with this card, too:

This is a waterfall card, and I've been wanting to make one since Christmas. There was an article showing you how to make one in one of the magazines I buy, but the instructions weren't very good. If you want a brilliant tutorial, try here. This is a really good card for a man, and uses stamped images of boats and sailing things. You pull the tab at the bottom and the pictures flip up, revealing 'Happy Birthday' at the bottom. Once you've got the hang of it, I think they could be quite addictive. You could put hearts and flowers on each flap, then have 'Happy Valentine's Day' at the bottom. The possibilities are endless.

So, last Thursday, daughter 1 rang me and said, "Don't forget it's Caelan's christening next Sunday." "Pardon?" I said. "Well," she said, "I did tell dad about three weeks ago..." Marvellous. So I have sprung into action and ordered the bits I want to make his card, which fortunately came in the post yesterday. Nothing like a bit of warning, though, is there? I'll show you the card as soon as it's done.

Challenges For January - How Did I Do?

Well it's been a very busy month, and I have only just been able to complete as many of my challenges as possible for January, so how did I get on?

1. Finish reading 'Perfect Manners' by Kelly Marks: I have been so impressed with this book. We have an organisation in the UK called The British Horse Society, which is responsible for courses and exams you can take. Although I think they do fairly well on the riding front, they don't teach you any of the stuff this book covers, which is actually vital for your relationship with your horse. I wish I'd found this book years ago. It's got some very simple exercises in it that I'm using to transform Barnaby from being a bolshie so-and-so into a well mannered horse who is becoming a pleasure to be with. Sometimes, by the time I've fought to get him in, groom him and tack him up I'm too exhausted to ride! Using these methods has meant I can go for a ride and make it the pleasure it's supposed to be. I can't recommend it enough.

2. Do at least four chapters of the Bible Study on marriage: I've done two chapters. It's a fascinating book called Secrets - Transforming Your Life and Marriage by Kerry Clarensau. I guess anything that enhances your marriage is worth taking a look at. This book is really challenging me though. It even dares to suggest that I may be slightly selfish and self-centered. Who, me? How can that be? I'm lovely - everybody knows that! It talks about unconditional love, something we apply easily to our children, but don't necessarily apply to our husbands. It's a proper study, with sections for you to fill in, and I'm really enjoying it. Kerry Clarensau is American, and I love the way American's approach their relationship with God, much bolder than the average Brit, so refreshing. A very interesting book, I recommend this, too.

3. Make some Valentine cards, including one for Mr O: Well, I have definitely made some Valentine cards, look:






and I did, in fact, make a card for Mr O and said, "Let's do cards this year." Then I thought about it and reverted to what we really think, which is that we don't need one day a year to say 'I love you,' and that our anniversary is much more important to us than Valentine's Day, so we'll stick to celebrating that. Also, I took the card to the shop to sell...

4. Practise for dressage competition on Jan 30th: Well, that hasn't worked out, has it?! Thankyou to Jean and Cheyenne, I took both your comments on board. I do totally agree that dressage is good for a horse and promotes his health and well-being. I'm not talking about piaffe and passage here, just some basic movements would be nice, but for whatever reason, Barnaby seems very incapable and I have withdrawn from the competition. I'd still like to do some showing though, so the door isn't closed on this chapter just yet.
5. Do at least 1 map reading walk: I only completed this yesterday. It was going to be so simple, a 20 minute walk with 'Er Indoors on the footpath round the back of the riding school, past the old quarry and come out next to Lucy Goosie's house. So we set off in fine style down the road, onto the footpath and up round the quarry. We came out into a field surrounded by dry stone walls and I couldn't see a way out. I walked round and round (Tessa was thrilled at first, then gradually lost faith in me, 'Daddy doesn't do it like this!' written all over her face.) In the end I had to retrace my steps and follow a completey different path and came out through a gate onto the road. A farmer passed me and I thought, 'Now I'm in trouble,' but he just smiled and waved, so I carried on. I came out further up the lane, a field away from Lucy Goosie's house. So frustrating (yes I did have a map with me!) Tessa's paws were hot by then.
Next week I'm going to do it the other way round and try to work out where I went wrong. I was exhausted by the time I got back, having turned a 20 minute stroll into an hour's ordeal. This bodes well for TREC competitions, doesn't it? That will consist of me getting completely lost on a horse, what fun.

6. Make a birthday card for Seven: I did, and here it is:

Perfect for a boy of 8 I think. I love doing easel cards, and I was thrilled to find papers that went so well together (for free!) He really liked it, anyway.
So all in all, not too bad for my month's efforts. I wonder what February will bring? I was going to change it from challenges to 'Things to look forward to in February...' but I think I rather like stretching myself in this way.
Well I'm off to ride the boy in freezing cold temperatures, but gorgeous sunshine.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Mrs O.

Pay It Forward

I have seen a brilliant game over at the wonderful Shirley's blog (Nannieflash to you!) She got the idea from Dorcas' blog http://dorcasdesigns.blogspot.com/ and it sounds so brilliant, I just had to join in.

This is how it works: I promise to send something handmade (in this case, a card) to the first five people who comment on this post. But there is a catch. You must post this, too, offering something handmade or homemade, to five other people to be sent during 2011. If you'd like to join in the fun, then be the first to post a comment, and something handmade especially for you, will be winging its way to you very soon. It doesn't matter where in the world you are, I'll post to anywhere. Isn't that cool? Let's see what we can do, come and join in.

I was very swift to put my name down on Shirley's blog, as she makes the most amazing cards. I just have to show you what came in the post yesterday.

This is a truly beautiful card. I recognise the LOTV image, which is so sweet, but it's the way she's done the flowers and leaves, which is truly outstanding.

She sent me this as an extra, as she saw the horse and thought of me. How utterly lovely. Thankyou so much for these, Shirley, I will treasure them.

So if you'd like something handmade by me, pop a comment on and I'll get cracking.

Exhausted!

I am so glad to see the end of what's been an incredibly busy week. Missis was away Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, appeared briefly Thursday morning, then flew to France in the afternoon and came back last night! 'Struth. This means I've mucked out all four horses every day except Thursday, when I only had Zak and Barnaby to do. It's also got colder and colder as the week's gone on, and yesterday the tap was frozen, so I had to do all the horse waters from my kitchen tap again. It also means I can't wash the horses' legs off at night, which is a pain.
As you can imagine, this hasn't left me a lot of time to do much else. By the time I've finished I just want to come in and collapse. I lunged Zak twice and rode Barnaby too, and levelled the manege, which was phenomenally hard work. It took four attempts to get the quad going and to pump the tyres up.
I have made a few cards though, these two for a commission from one of Mr O's colleagues:

How cute is this image? It's from Lili of the Valley. I was saving it for my granddaughter's birthday in August, but this customer wanted a card for her niece and I decided this would be perfect. I was so carried away I immediately made another one for the shop.

I'm very pleased with this one as well, another stamp from Lili of the Valley. It looks as though I'll be collecting these! I am definitely discovering my 'style'. Previously if anyone had asked me, I wouldn't really have known what to say, but even I can't help noticing I'm drawn to pastel colours and cute bears. There's always room for another bear in my collection. I love the lace and the flowers on this card, which are from Wild Orchid Crafts. These flowers are very petite and I do have some much bigger ones in various colours. There are lots of beautiful blogs where people show you cards used with these, but it has made me wonder recently whether people struggle to get them into an envelope, and whether they think to try it out with their own makes! Having made a card recently for Missis' son, I felt very strange when I had to actually write in it and put it in the envelope myself, I'm so used to making them for other people now.

I have actually been down to the shop today to take a few more. My rack is in the window, and it was so thrilling to see my own cards in there. Mr O was quite impressed. I am working on several Valentine's cards, but I'll show you those nearer the time.

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Reality Check

As you may remember, I am reading 'Dark Fire' by C.J. Sansom. It's extremely good. The characters in it are the Wentworth family. Wentworth is my maiden name, so I was quite captivated, as you can imagine. The main character, Matthew Shardlake, has a horse called Chancery. I was reading away merrily last night, minding my own business, when suddenly,

'...To my horror I saw Toky directly underneath me, staring up at me with a snarling smile, the sunlight flashing off his dagger...Toky thrust upwards at my groin. Chancery saved me. As Toky stabbed, he reared up, neighing in terror and kicking out. Toky jumped back. I glanced down at my waist, clutching the slippery neck of the rearing horse, but it was Chancery's blood that stained it, welling from a great gash in his side...
'I must get him home.' But at that moment Chancery shuddered and slipped forward to his knees. I had barely time to jump off before he fell on his side. I looked at the blood still welling on to the dusty cobbles, and thought how easily it could have been mine. I looked at his eyes but aleady they were glazing over; my old horse was dead...'

Oh no. I blinked rapidly to dissipate the tears, and hope that Mr O hadn't noticed. Oh boy, these guys had better get their comeuppance.
The book is set in 1540, Henry VIII is on the throne, and the writer evokes the period perfectly. I was pushing my barrow through the barn yesterday, when the ducks crossed my path. I felt as if I could quite easily be in a tudor market. I need to get out more.

And get out we have. We've managed to drive into various parts of town. I can't believe how much snow there is everywhere. It made some familiar roads unrecognisable, and was quite hair-raising as in places people can't use the pavements, as they're piled high with snow, so they're walking in the road. Very nerve wracking.

But at last, I have bought Mr O a Christmas present or two. It's been very difficult as every time I've asked him what he wants, he just says, "I don't know." Grrr! So frustrating. Anyway, yesterday he saw a very nice jacket that he can ride in, and plumped for it. We've also picked up Pongo's present, which is a saddle cloth, with 'Lyndon' embroidered on it, which is Lyndy's proper name. Hope he likes it.

I've bought treat stockings for the horses, and we ended up buying a stable rug for Zak, that has a neck, as I have borrowed (pinched) his for Barnaby. We are going down to -10 at night, and I just feel Barnaby needs an extra rug on. I've bought him a Likit, too. It's banana flavour, so he should like it.

I've been meaning to show you something for ages. A while ago I went to Hobbycraft, and bought a stamp for my cards that says, 'Handmade by' so I can use it on each card and just write my name underneath the stamp. I was quite pleased with it, until a few weeks ago, I discovered the Bunny Zoe's Crafts website. They sell personalised stamps, at a very reasonable price, so I ordered this:

Sorry about the photo quality, but I'm sure you can see what it is. It came really quickly (considering it was made in Norway) and I am thrilled with it. As you can imagine, it's on every card I've made recently. It's one of my favourite things I've bought this year.

I've had a wonderful day making cards for the grandchildren today. This is what Christmas is all about. I feel ready to put my decorations up now, but you will think I'm a bit mad/bah-humbugish as we have no room for a Christmas tree here. Last year I put loads of holly and mistletoe round and it looked very festive in the end. My other sadness is that we have no open fire or fireplace, which is a bit odd considering the age of the house. So I have to be a bit more imaginative with my decorating.

Before you go, spare a minute to read this month's poem on my sidebar. I've loved it since I was a child, and thrilled to find it when I googled it.

Keep warm everyone.

Mrs O.

Still Snowing...

As my title suggests, there has been no change in the weather. Pongo and I measured the drifts yesterday, and it is up to five feet in places. We cut a section out and I stood in it, with just my head protruding at the top (I am five foot seven). Now Kirsty the cat is hiding in it, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting passer-by.

Apparently we had temperatures into minus double figures last night. Everyone seemed fine this morning though, and Mr O has made it to work for the past two days.

Barnaby insists on going out each morning, and poor Zak has to accompany him. He looked at me yesterday as if to say, "Do I have to? Just to keep him company. I'm quite happy here with my pile of hay and my rug on really." Poor boy. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!

They come in after an hour or so. Barnaby is phenomenally clean, whiter than white. I've given him a good groom this morning, and he's gleaming. He is actually due to be clipped again, but I think that would be a bit mean, don't you? I wonder if he realises what a kindness I have performed (just by leaving him alone!)

Mr O appeared at lunch time yesterday, to my astonishment, and basically said that if Son 1 wanted a lift home, it was now or never, as it was still snowing. Son 1 lives near Nottingham, and apparently the roads were pretty clear, so they got there safe and sound. I am so glad he came, though, he made things so much easier. I had to do everything myself this morning, and realised how hard it is to push a full wheelbarrow through the snow, even the short distance to the barn, but then I found the sliding door had frozen shut. I had to ring Pongo and ask him to come out and open it for me, which he did. Then he offered to muck Lyndy out, which was wonderful (Lyndy is his horse, after all).

Of course, this is the perfect weather to sit indoors, with the fire on, and make some cards. The irony is, even if Mr O can get them into work, the recipient can't get in, so the cards will have to sit on her desk until Monday.

I've made this:

I am learning to assess a card when I see it in a magazine or on a blog, and ask myself what it is about the card that is so appealing. I saw these papers and couldn't resist them. They are the sweetest thing I've seen all Christmas. I am so in love with that pastel blue and red colour combination.

The papers I ordered from America are based on this colour scheme. Of course now we have so much snow, the dustmen haven't been, and neither has the postman, so my chances of getting these papers before Christmas are now nil. Never mind, they'll be something to look forward to next year.

I've also made this, as the person I'm making the cards for also wanted a birthday card for her nephew, one from her and one from her son, so this is the one for her son to give his cousin.

I've never made a pop-up card before, and it took me ages to get my head round the instructions, even though I had a picture of the finished item in front of me. But once I'd done it, it was pretty obvious, so I'm bound to make some more of these.

I emailed the customer to ask what her nephew was into, and as you can see, she said football. I had a bit of a panic because I realised if I ordered something to use it wouldn't be delivered, then I had a brainwave and ordered the pyramage above from Craftsuprint. How brilliant that I can just pay for it and download it, and there it is, ready for me to use, without any post involved. That's clever, really, isn't it? No wonder they're saying, "It's the way forward in card making."

I hope all my readers have a good weekend. I am trying not to panic about Christmas shopping. People will have to have money if I can't get to the shops, but it's not the same, is it?

We were also supposed to be going to a dressage competition on Sunday, but of course, it's cancelled. It doesn't matter now, because a) I haven't been able to practise because of the snow, and b) there's no way I'd drive the lorry there anyway. They've postponed it until the following week, but I still don't know if we'll be able to get there. Such a shame, I was looking forward to it.

So wrap up warm, everyone, and look after yourselves (and anyone you know, who could do with a helping hand). I'm off to bake a cake, my first one with duck eggs. Wish me luck!

Mrs O.

It's All Good...

...but it's also freezing cold. We seem to have escaped the snow so far, though. For the past two days the ducks have come out of their coop (if that's the correct term) run to the pond, assessed the situation, and run straight back to the coop. They stand there muttering to themselves about the injustices in the world and where the next meal is coming from. This morning I realised they are actually thirsty and filled a washing up bowl full of water for them. They looked at me gratefully and tucked in.
Water seems to be the thing, actually, as everywhere is frozen. I noticed Lindy looking glumly into the trough. I went up with the largest hammer I could find, and smashed a hole in the ice. Barnaby appeared instantly, pushed Lindy to one side and began slurping through the hole. He drank for ages before submitting to Zak. Next was Hugo, then finally Lindy, by now a bit disgruntled that he'd actually been the one to point out the situation, but the last to be served.
Penny has been out of confinement with her nine babies for the last couple of weeks, as we were worried she was suffering from a lack of daylight. She reminds me so much of 'The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe...' She immediately abandoned her babies and went for a dustbath in the plant pot. Little chicks were cheeping in distress, but she just slammed the bathroom door in their faces. Mind you, if I'd spent a month in a rabbit hutch with nine babies, I'd probably want some 'me' time, too.
You have no idea how difficult it is to muck out two stables with 17 chickens in it....
Fortunately Barnaby seems to be recovering. He's actually worked every day this week, and the swelling is reducing. I asked Mr O to hack him out on Wednesday. I don't know what he did, but Bard was very calm for our hack yesterday, and impeccably behaved when I lunged him today (apart from the girly squeal at the beginning). I am so relieved he is okay.
I am wading through the cardmaking, but I am really enjoying it now. I've made two for some boys, which I'm also going to be using for my grandsons this year. I realised I am suffering from a lack of decoupage in my life, so I made this:
I love these little ticket sentiments. They are so original.
Now I can tell you that of all the cards I've made, this is my favourite Christmas card this year, not because I've made it, but because I love the stamps, the colour scheme and the simplicity of it. Again I've used the ticket sentiment stamps. I just love them.

I am a bit frustrated because I ordered some papers from an American company (which will deliberately remain nameless) which are taking absolute ages to arrive. I specifically wanted the 6"x6" size, which I couldn't get in the UK, so I ordered them from America and they haven't come. They are so beautiful, I'm dying to use them but I can't. Do I order the 8x8 size and start using it, and put the 6x6 away when they eventually arrive, to use next year? I'm not complaining about the company, I'm just champing at the bit to use these papers, and fed up with hanging round the post box all day like a disappointed bloodhound. What would you do?

Of course the plan is to go showjumping on Sunday, but I'm not building my hopes up, as I'm sure it'll be snowing here by then, and Mr O and I agree there's no way we're taking the lorry out with snow on the road.

Have a good weekend, everyone, and for goodness sake, wrap up warm!

Mrs O.

Oh dear...

I rode Barnaby yesterday, for about twenty minutes in the manege, just to see how he felt, and he was fine. I only did walk and trot, nothing manic. It felt wonderful to be on him again, and he was full of energy.
We've been to church (fantastic time) and come home. I've just got Barnaby in and been grooming him, and soon discovered two huge lumps on his belly and his sheath is massively swollen. I assume it's an infection and we'll have to get the vet out again. It's quite annoying though, when he's been on antibiotics all week. My poor boy. He certainly didn't have anything like that yesterday. The lumps don't hurt, but his sheath is sore. I can't stand it when things happen to our horses, honestly sometimes it's worse than with children. At least they can tell you which bit hurts. And it doesn't cost two hundred pounds to take them to the doctors!
Anyway, it's all go here. We started the Christmas shopping yesterday. Does anybody else miss Woolworths? Argos just seemed to have girls things in, but the items we wanted were both sold out. It was only by chance we had to go to the bank, walked past the Co-Op and realised they have a toy department. We managed to get everything in the end.
We've also been to my lovely, favourite craft shop and bought my Christmas present. Yes! I have in my own home, though not officially in my possession, a Sizzix Bigshot. It's a machine for die cutting and embossing and I'll do a 'show and tell' on Christmas Day. You may be thinking, 'Fancy going and buying your own Christmas present,' but let me explain:-
Years ago I sent Mr O to the shop to buy some nice drinks for lunch and some foil. He came back with crisps and a copy of the Times.
So the rival to Sizzix is called a Cuttlebug, and Mr O knows this. So he got Sizzix and Cuttlebug mixed up and asked me if I 'still wanted a Shuttlecock for Christmas?' which is why I felt the wisest thing was to go with him and make sure he got the right thing. I hardly want to be opening a shuttlecock on Christmas morning, do I?
And I must spend a brief moment saying how much I enjoyed C.J. Sansom's book 'Dissolution'. It's obviously set in Tudor times, and introduces the character of Matthew Shardlake, who is a lawyer. He is employed by Thomas Cromwell to go and investigate a murder in a monastery. It turned out to be extremely good. At first I thought, 'Gosh, this is hard to get into,' then when I looked I was already on chapter twelve! It can't be that bad then, can it?
As you know, Tiny Cottage is, well, tiny, so we are trying not to buy books, which take up a lot of room, so the library is a godsend, as you can imagine. I was just wondering if I would get another book in between now and Christmas, when in the market yesterday I spotted 'Dark Fire' which is the next book in the series. I am thrilled. I love it when things like that happen. I quickly handed over the money and pocketed the book (in a very 'Artful Dodger' sort of way). I might pass it on to Daughter 1 when I've finished it, she likes that sort of thing, too.
Just a quick card to show you.

This is made using the Kaisercraft 'Be Merry' papers again, which I am so in love with, but when you undo the ribbon, and open the card, it looks like this on the inside (sorry the picture quality isn't very good, and I can't take another photo as the card has already gone to its recipient:)
I really enjoyed making this, it's like a card within a card, and something a little more special. I learned from experience that it takes quite a bit of paper to do it correctly, but got there in the end and am really pleased with it.
As you can see, it ties with a bow. When Mr O gave it to the recipient he said, "That's what I don't like about it, the bow tying." Fortunately the recipient said, "I am a woman, I can do bows!" I was a bit cross with him, though, I hardly need him to say something negative about my cards as he's handing them over, do I? No wonder he isn't in sales, bless him!
Well, we are off to Worksop now, to spend some time with Daughter 2 and the Flower Fairy, who I haven't seen for ages. We are looking forward to the tale of how she got her toy bucket stuck on her head, trapped by the handle, and had to have it cut off! (The bucket, that is, not her head!!) Never a dull moment with children, is there?
Stay cosy and warm everyone,
Mrs O.

Dark and Drubblie Days

I just want you to know that it's cold, wet and miserable here. But I am a perky person, because Barnaby is finally getting better. He was totally loopy after the hunt had been past. He wouldn't come in for his tea until everyone else came in, then I took his rug off and realised he was soaking wet. I just managed to swing a sweat rug on him, but he was like a steamed pudding. Then the shaking started. Some horses are just not designed to have adrenaline. Two hunts in two days is a bit much, don't you think?
I kept his head collar and lead rope on, to keep him away from the door, and tied his lunge line round and round the door posts to keep his head in. Apart from that I just talked and talked to him, staying really calm, until it started to get through to him. I didn't leave him until he was calm enough to eat his tea and start eating his hay, which was about an hour and a half. I'm hoping this will be a bonding experience!
I am enjoying making cards at the moment, but I can't help noticing Mr O is trying to direct my artistic flair! I'm finding it quite frustrating making cards to order, and having to put a sentiment on each one like, 'To a wonderful mother at Christmas.' I'm sure she's a wonderful mother, and it is Christmas, but I just want to use some of my lovely little sentiments because they match my papers perfectly, and that's why I bought them!
It's lovely when it's cold outside to sit at my desk and get creative. I need a cup of coffee and a pile of biscuits, and am soon deeply involved in what I'm doing. I love to have the radio on. Do you work best in silence, or do you like a bit of background noise? And do you prefer to work during the day, or at night? I have noticed the light is completely different, as my desk is by the window. If I make a card at night, sometimes I come down in the morning, open the curtains, and the card looks completely different!
Anyway, these are some of the cards that I've made for people recently:

This stamp is my latest delivery from Little Claire's designs. The paper is by Kaisercraft. I am going to be so sad when I've used it all up (unless I decide to buy some more, obviously!)

Here she is again! This time she's coloured in sepia tone Promarkers after I saw a tutorial on Enfys' blog. I realised I had all but one of the Promarkers she used and decided to give it a go. I was thrilled at the result. I can't believe I can do stuff like this!

I've been down into the village today, and had to go to the post office. I asked the man behind the counter if he was the owner and he said yes. (It turns out he also owns one of the village pubs too, a busy man, obviously!) I asked him what his criteria was for buying cards, whether he was tied in to one particular supplier and he said no. He said to bring some samples down and he'd have a look. Oh my life! Now I am nervous. Will I be able to make enough to sell? Or worse, what if they don't sell? I'm not going to panic. He hasn't even said yes yet. Imagine it, though, my cards for sale in the village shop. How cool would that be?

The events of Sunday afternoon rather overtook the rest of the weekend, but there was another thing that happened on Sunday morning. Mr O was washing his hands at the kitchen sink and was admiring the view, and the 'new' wooden fencing. Then it dawned on him there was rather too much view and that the stone wall had collapsed in the night! He called me round to have a look. We stood there gaping at the hole. Then a cow hove into view. We don't normally see as much of them as this. Fortunately there is a barbed wire fence on their side, so they shouldn't be invading us just yet. We'd better phone the dry stone wall guys. Never a dull moment round here!

Tea and Sympathy

It's all very well, this card making malarkey, but it has its ups and downs. Sadly, a colleague of Mr O's died a couple of weeks ago, and his funeral was last Friday. Of course, two days before the funeral, Mr O asked me to make a 'With sympathy' card. I decided it was within my capabilities and made a card with a poppy on it (poppies for remembrance, I thought, especially as it's November). It was discreet but quite feminine. Mr O came home and I showed him the card. It turned out he didn't want a card for the widow, he wanted a card for the son in law of the deceased man, who he also works with. So then I had to make a card from a man, to a man, regarding a man who had passed away. Unfortunately I can't show you what I made, as no sooner was it finished than it was whisked away. I'll know better next time. More communication, I think.

Another of Mr O's colleagues has a sister who is emigrating to Australia, and requested a Bon Voyage card. When someone commissions you to make a card they can be very specific about what they require. I do point out that I am not an artist, but Mr O is so confident in my capabilities (for some inexplicable reason, please don't think I'm being bigheaded here) he just agrees to the request. All we knew was, she is moving to Australia and likes castles.

Unfortunately, again, I can't show you what I made, but I made a card that looked like a castle on the outside, with an acetate window, with a kangaroo peeking through from inside the card. The wording said, 'From castle views... to kangaroos.' Mr O took it in on Monday. His colleague saw it and burst into tears! It turns out her sister likes castles so much she had bought a house with a view of Bolsover Castle and cut the garden hedge as low as possible in order to make the most of the view. I had no idea. The card obviously touched a chord, and I hope the recipient is as blessed as the giver on this occasion. Just shows what you can do when you put your mind to it, doesn't it?

Now, do you remember this card I made last week?

Cute, but a bit plain. The flowers I ordered from Wild Orchid Crafts came on Tuesday, so I was able to put the finishing touches I really wanted to add, and now it looks like this.

I could rave on about these flowers all day, they are absolutely beautiful, easy to use and totally transform a card.

I'm really pleased with it, so made a similar one:

It's going to be 'flowers with everything' from now on, isn't it?

These have already been ordered and will be winging their way to their new home on Monday.

Just to say, that tomorrow is my 200th post, so to mark the milestone, I will be doing a give-away, so pop back soon to see what I'm doing.

Website of the Week

I seem to have spent the last couple of weeks reading loads and loads of incredible card-making blogs, all with cards on that make me think, 'That's exactly how I want my cards to look.' Unfortunately I seem to have spent so much time reading blogs I've had very little time left to write my own! Oops.
I was trying to think where it all started, and I think it may be the Lily of the Valley website, which has totally captivated me. I'm sure, if you're remotely into card making, you'll already have visited. I kept seeing adverts for their stamps which I thought were lovely, but didn't really apply to me, but then I saw a card in one of the mags that was very similar to this, and I thought, 'Now I have to have this.'


Finally, after a great deal of what I consider 'make do and mend,' this is my idea of a Christmas card.
One thing leads to another, doesn't it? The above card is made from a stamped image called 'Dropping The Shopping'. While I was browsing, I couldn't resist this set of what they call 'cute squares'. They come as they are, so you don't need to colour them in (you get someone else's much better efforts instead!) The backing papers are also available for download from the website. This was my first attempt at buying downloadable stuff, and it worked really well. And of course, once you've downloaded them, you've got them for ever.

These images are so sweet, I was smitten.

But of course, the advantage to having the stamp is that you can colour it in in any way you wish, to match various backing papers, which is why I did this:



And I have to say, although I am very pleased with some of the Christmas cards I've made this year, this one is definitely my favourite so far. It isn't quite finished, though. I'm waiting for some flowers to arrive which I'm going to use on it. There is one more card to come, which fits my idea of Christmas card perfection, but I'll show you that some time next week.
I just want to add a big thankyou to Margaret of Christian Chick Crafts who heard my cry for help last week and sent me a set of die cut circles with slightly bigger scalloped circles to aid me in my craft making. She also sent me loads of papers and a beautiful set of stamps that I've already used in my scrapbooking (I'll show you soon). Thankyou so much Margaret, they are fabulous.
And so, Lily of the Valley meets all my requirements of a good website because:
1. The stamps and cards are good value for money.
2. They have an excellent, awe inspiring gallery.
3. They have a terrific blog, which I now follow.
4. My goods arrived very quickly (always a good thing when you're dying to play with something new!)
5. They have the best tutorial on using Promarkers I've ever seen. Click here to have a look.

So pop over when you get a moment, I guarantee you'll be inspired.

Well I'm off to ride in the rain. Lately, it's either that or don't ride. Good old British weather, you can't beat it, can you?
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Mrs O.

Website Of The Week

Hello all.
As planned, I thought each week on a Friday I'd showcase a website that I've found really useful in my card making explorations. They're not in any order of preference, just websites that stand out.
So the first one is Card Making Magic. com run by a woman called Christina. She puts on tutorials that are really easy to follow. Because of this website I've successfully made tri-fold cards and off-set gatefold cards because the instructions were really clear. Her video tutorials are really good, too, with an excellent one on making paper bows, which now adorn loads of my cards and one on making acetate flowers, which look fantastic. I'll be dipping into this website regularly from now on. It's certainly earned its spot on my favourites bar. Hop on over when you get a moment, but put the kettle on first, I guarantee you'll be there a while.
Anyway, I haven't been idle this week, and have a few cards to show you.


This is one of the Christmas fairy stamps. I've decided once she stops involving herself in festive activities, she's actually quite nice. There is a story behind these backing papers. I saw them featured in a magazine article and thought they were lovely, so I ordered them from someone on ebay. When they came, I flicked through them and found that not one of them even faintly resembles those used in the magazine article. I was so cross, I felt like ringing the magazine up and asking them what papers they used, as they certainly weren't the Basic Grey Lemonade pack, as stated. Never mind, I am using them here and there, so I suppose it doesn't matter, but I wasn't very impressed at the time, as you can imagine.

This card was made using the Owlgate stamp again, which is very sweet. It occurred to me yesterday that I could print out the name of our farm in small print and put it like a sign on the gate, which I think would look quite cute.

I've put glitter round the owls hats, and what you probably can't tell is that they're looking at each other as if they're thoroughly embarrassed about having to wear silly hats.

I don't know what these backing papers are called, as I bought them last year, when I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and I've lost the cover. What I do know is that they're very frustrating to work with and I'll be glad when they're all gone. I've learned a lot about backing papers recently. I've learned that they should be exactly that, 'backing papers,' items in the background that say, "Hello," not "HELLO!" A lot of papers I've come across this year are far too loud and don't sit back where they belong. Behave yourselves, please, backing papers!

Anyway, I'm off to brace myself against the cold, and go and ride The Boy. He'll be thrilled, I'm sure.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Mrs O.

Autumn Card

I decided to take a well-earned break from making Christmas cards and do something a little more appropriate to the season, before it finishes and I've missed it completely. For the first time in ages I was wide awake at night, with ideas flowing through my head. And in the morning, this is what I made:

I've decided to make something like this once a month. This is partly inspired by Floss's Blog where she uses a colour scheme from a particular calendar as inspiration for a display that changes each month, and partly by Margaret's blog where she makes beautiful little inspirational placards that I really like.

I wanted to reflect what autumn, by far my favourite season, means to me, so there are many elements to this card. It actually has a 'bottom' so you can stand it up, but I've put string at the top so I can hang it up. It's actually hanging at my kitchen window and I've used the window sill to display a few more autumnal items. I don't object to doing the washing up, but it's definitely enhanced by having a few pretty things to look at while I work.

The basic design for this card can be found here but I am going to be featuring the whole website in a new little series I'm going to be doing on Fridays, as I am finding some fabulous websites useful for card makers, which I think I ought to share.

You can tell it's autumn because:

1. I have finally put all my T shirts away and got all my jumpers and polonecks out. It's like greeting old friends.

2. It gets too dark at night for Mr O to be able to ride after work during the week. To say he is depressed about this is an understatement.

3. My garden is full of leaves, which I will now go and sweep up.

4. The cats start treating the house like a hotel again. Honestly, if you miss having teenagers at home, just get a couple of cats. We've been like ships that pass in the night all summer, but the moment the temperature drops below ten degrees, I get two little waifs sitting shivering on my doorstep, telling me how much they've missed me.

5. There is a dramatic increase in the consumption of hot chocolate (which will be discussed in a later post) custard and pies. Mostly pies.

Never mind, only 67 days until Christmas!

Mrs O.

Transformation

It's been a busy week here. Mr O has been helping Pongo lay hardcore between the two barns. This is our route from the stables to the field. During the summer it's rock hard and dry but you only need a drop of rain and it turns to thick mud over night - not funny when you're trying to lead horses along it, trying to stay upright and not get splashed by the horse's hooves.
The first job, though, was to move the muck heap, which took nearly two days, loading everything into a trailer and dropping it off at a local farm. The space looks huge without it. There is usually a burning pile next to the muck heap, which has also been shifted. The new muck heap will be at the back of the barn, so not visible to the road and not the first thing that visitors see.
So now the area looks like this:


Pongo has been shovelling loads of hardcore with the JCB and Mr O has been flattening it with the roller. Today they've been putting on road planings, and it looks fantastic. The chickens are totally confused though, because there isn't a blade of grass to be seen in their usual landscape. They look a bit as if they've landed on the moon. We need to open the brown door onto the field and let them go out that way to find the new muck heap, silly things.
There's no danger of chickens taking over the world, though, is there? George gets amorous with Betty, so she runs behind him and he can't find her. He looks to right and left - no chicken. He looks momentarily baffled, but shrugs his shoulders and carries on with his day, bless him. I wink at Betty, and she nods at me, and all is well with the world.
I just thought I'd show you this:

This is Purdy, snuggling up in Zak's travel boots (which shouldn't be there, obviously). Does this make her Puss in Boots? Oh well, worth a try.
I've made a couple of cards.

You wouldn't believe the problems I had making what looks like such a simple card. I know I'm slightly under the weather but I shouldn't be let loose with crafting items when I'm feeling a bit non compos mentis. Even though I had instructions to follow I couldn't think which way to fold the card, then measured it wrong so I hadn't folded it back far enough, which is why the little blue border is on the left hand side, but actually it worked out really well in the end. And after all that I was flicking through a catalogue and found some ready-folded cards for sale - D'oh!
My stamps finally came from Little Claire's Designs. I rushed to my desk and instantly began stamping. All of the kit to make this card is provided, plus a gallery with instructions to make a few others. I'm sure you can see the owls on the top of the gate, but near the bottom on the right, is a little family of mice. It's very cute. It comes with the stamp saying, "Happy Christmas from all of us." It's making me desperate for a Sizzix machine, which I can't have until Christmas, because I'm desperate to make some more circles.


The best thing about this was that I had all the Promarkers I needed ready and waiting for me to spring into action, which was wonderful.
I'm also not going to do this next year, though (making Christmas cards so early, I mean). I'm going to make a couple of Christmas cards every week, and not make any to sell, they'll just be for family and friends, but equipped with my Sizzix and an embossing gun, there'll be no stopping me. I feel as if I've missed the opportunity to make some autumn cards, which is my favourite season. I think I'll rectify the situation this week, if I get time.
I've also obviously realised that I am coming up to my first anniversary of blogging, plus I was waiting to see when I'd get to 50 followers (and now I'm on 52!) I'm also getting close to my 200th post, so I'll put them all together and organise a giveaway some time soon, to celebrate, so watch this space.