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to Crafti-n-Est...My place to share my love of craft with you.
Please browse my Posts, Pictures and ocasional waffle!!!
Email: egundry@warrington.ac.uk

Friday 31 December 2010

Merry New Year!!!

The little comment that Mia came out with this morning to a friend of mine...and after purchasing Just Dance 2 for the Wii a bottle of Baileys and three bottles of wine for a tenner in Asda this morning I honestly think it will be a "Merry New Year"...The girls and I are planning a dance off tonight and the rechargeable batteries are on charge as we speak...I am not sure Harry is planning on joining us, he will probably just record us looking like Muppets flailing about and upload the videos to You tube or Facebook before we know it!!!


So that's it then almost the end of another year...am I officially getting old now because this year has flown by at the most alarming rate and time is supposed to go faster the older you get!!! Speaking of which it was my Dads birthday yesterday and I made him this card, little Edwin coloured with Pro-markers.....


...and celebrated with him by having a little (!!!) glass of the old grape juice...I am certainly on target with my five a day with all this grape juice I am drinking lately!!!

This is one of the new additions to our family...another bloody build a bear...I swear that shop will not go out of business...EVER Mia now has 6 of them complete with outfits, pyjamas, shoes and god knows what else...so introducing Holly....the Christmas Kitty!!!


And here are a couple of the scrapbook layouts to go in my "Twenty 10" album....

Blackpool Beach...



Mia at the Albert Dock...


On A Beach in Liverpool somewhere....


Just want to say thank you to my readers, I know I have not been the best blogger this year, hopefully I will improve next year and blog at least once a week!!!
So Wishing you all a very "Merry New Year" and all the best for 2011...Bloody hell I have only just got used to writing 2010 and now its going to change all over again!!!


Wednesday 29 December 2010

So this is Christmas.....

....So that's it then...Christmas almost over for another year, my tree is looking very bare without the contents of Argos/Asda/Primark/Game sat under it prettily gift wrapped and the fridge almost empty again, the thought of another mince pie making me feel ill and two days of sales shopping with my kids are enough to have me reaching for the alcohol...Again!!!


Don`t get me wrong we had a lovely Christmas, but it was very quiet...I think that's thanks to electronics...Xbox, DS, PSP...you get me...I long for those days where it took me four hours to assemble something for the kids, where I broke my nails and had to stick a thousand stickers on in numerical order...I miss the excited whoops instead of the "cool" or "mint" comments that occasionally escaped my teens lips every so often when they open something they asked for...the magic is almost over for me as a mum, I only have Mia left to live the magic of Christmas through and at almost ten I am not sure that's even going to last much longer...However...Just look at this.....


Christmas morning...looking very grown up in her new dress and her new haircut but just look at that sparkle... that's what Christmas is about.

And this very beautiful shot of Ella...complete with new fringe....


Here`s a card I made just before Christmas...obviously, using my new Edwin stamp....

And I have done a fair bit of scrapping over Christmas, here`s one layout from Blackpool beach in October...Not recommended for those who feel the cold....


And I was supposed to do a demo earlier in December on Promarkers but had to cancel due to the weather, this was one of my samples...



I am off now to drink some water and eat some fruit and vegetables to cleanse my system of all the stodgy sugary crap I have eaten over the past week.....Just kidding bring on the wine and celebrations!!!

Sunday 12 December 2010

Oops I did it again...

...Yep another blog post, two in one day I can tell you are all impressed...but considering I have only managed 50 this year I thought I had better get my backside in gear!!!


Here`s my "Twenty 10" scrapbook album complete with title...



And here are a couple of layouts I have completed over the last few days that are now in my album...





Off now to get ready for the X Factor final...Go Matt Cardle...yes I am that sad!!!


28 Days Later....

...I go back to work...I have a whole 28 days off, I knew I went into Adult Education for a reason!!!


I "broke up" on Friday, well I was sick...bleurghhh...so Thursday really and already I have planned a month of clearing out cupboards and crafting...and lots of waffle on my blog because I will have time to do it. I have had the busiest term at work, since September I have taught an incredible 95 classes and enjoyed every minute of it and its looking like I am going to be just as busy after the Christmas break too.

I have completed so many projects for classes and have been teaching Christmas Crafts this term creating these little gems in a couple of my classes.....

Pound Shop wreath made spectacular with some wired ribbon, baubles and a glue gun....


"Pound Shop" mug made delicious with some Galaxy chocolate and hot chocolate and lots of sparkly curling ribbon..."reindeer poop" chocolate covered raisins and "Snowballs" mint imperials...


So I am a little bit Christmassed out now...I have spent the last five weeks covered in glitter, listening to Christmas songs and eating mince pies and the kids want to know when I am putting the tree up...do I have to bother this year...hmmm I guess so!!!

I did make this little Christmas card using one of my new Gorjuss Girls stamps...she is just so cute and coloured with Pro-Markers...which I love


And I finally started my Christmas shopping last week...I know last minute Lil...I`m pretty organised now though, went again yesterday got a majority of what I needed and wrapped up what I could...until I ran out of wrapping paper...6 bloody metres of it...so while Christmas shopping last week I treated myself to this...because it was such a bargain....


That scrapbook kit was £6...and has a ten pocket 8x8 album...I am going to theme this one, I have never themed an album before and call it "Twenty-10" and scrapbook all the memories and days out with my kids from this year. I have already completed three pages...get me!!!

I just wanted to say if you have been informed by my son that I am an extra on the Doctor Who Christmas special this year and was hoping to spot me die on it(!!!) I can state now that I am not appearing on a screen near you any time soon...I have no idea why he has told people this but I laughed so hard I cried when he told me that all his mates were going to watch out for me...KIDS, I have absolutely no idea where he gets his crazy sense of humour from!!!

Thursday 25 November 2010

Happy Birthday Ella!!!

Finally a teenager Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!



Although she seems to have been practising for a couple of years now!!!

Short blog post tonight but I promise to get back into blogging properly soon, I am just up to my crafty little eyes with glitter and baubles teaching ten Christmas Craft classes a week for the college!!!

I have my weekends back now though as my Kars Demo`s have finished for the year, will miss those but maybe not the early mornings, now I can stay snuggled in my duvet on a Saturday morning until the postman wakes me up as I am planning on doing all my Christmas shopping online and parcels are bound to be delivered at ungodly hours on a Saturday!!!

Off now to munch on some Birthday cake....mmmm!!!

Thursday 4 November 2010

Cheap Chomper!!!

Well that`s it...My holiday is almost over, just one more day off and that's already reserved for housework and the weekly shop...BORING!!!


To soften the blow a little I headed up to the QVC outlet store in Birchwood details here to hopefully pick up a bargain or two....woo hoo, I have never ever managed to pick up anything remotely interesting....until today, even though that November rain lingers, and that hair of mine is still kinky I managed to bag myself one of these....


Its called a "corner chomper" and it will round the corners of chipboard and has a photo corner design too...and guess what...under £2...yep the bargainaliscious price of £1.99!!!!

Then I spotted a We are Memory Keepers Scrapbook pack...18 papers, three lots of assorted stickers and glitter brads...£2.99..guess what...I bought two packs ;-)

And because I am lazy and haven't took a picture this is all I could find...


So less than £8 spent and I got new stuff to play with...oops that's alongside the stash that arrived from Ebay today...I am just out of control!!!

I am demonstrating the Cuttlebug using the Creatables and the Nellies Frames on Saturday at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel...honestly, Its a craft event for Heaths of Barrow I would have loved to stay over but I have another Demo on Sunday in Poynton at the Hazel Grove Art Shop demonstrating the new Slice Elite, Cuttlebug and Cricut...and then back to work for the college on Monday.

I have six Christmas Craft courses starting throughout the Warrington area so if anyone would like any details of course content, venues and times just drop me an email.

I am off now to play with my chomper...that almost sounds rude...and to chomp Quavers...they taste curly and are oh so more-ish mmmm!!!

Monday 1 November 2010

November Rain...

...Makes my hair go kinky and thats a fact, I can spend ten minutes wrestling with the hair straighteners every single morning only to step outside the door in the winter damp weather and my ends flick right back up, sometimes I wonder why I even bother!!!

I am glad I did today though, because even though Warrington was murky and damp Mia and I went shopping in Liverpool and it was beautiful sunshine over there. She had an Insect day...inset to the rest of us...and found it highly amusing to wind up Harry and Ella this morning because they had to go to school...not sure where she gets her sense of humour from!

And on the way home she began the conversation....
...Mummy, I have had a lovely day today thank you (which translates SHEESH did you really spend that much money on me!!!)...
...to which I replied, you are welcome Mia I have had a lovely day too (translating into Oh my God my purse is groaning)
AND
Then she continued with this little gem...
...Wouldn`t it be great if Mr Williams (head teacher) texted you tomorrow and said we had the rest of the week off..................................!!!!!
NO...i replied I can`t afford it, to which she smirks clutching her Primark booty!!!

Despite having to sell half of my belongings to fund her shopping habit it was lovely to spend the day with her, she makes me laugh, she is beautiful, loving and witty and a pleasure to be with....



I have been crafting too...mainly to get over the shock of how much money Mia can spend in Primark...I have obviously taught her well...
Inspired By Mel on Friday at a Breast Cancer Make and Take day we both took part in I created this...its not quite finished, I have to put some finishing touches to it....





and I have also created this... a gift voucher card....










I can see me creating a few of these for Christmas.
Have to go and...you guessed it... tidy my desk!!!

Monday 25 October 2010

Its been a while...

Since I blogged last, I know and to all those who have complained to me about my obvious neglect for my blog and the witterings I post I am sorry....I`ve had a mammoth timetable for the College and every weekend I have been tied up with Demos for Kars...I do have two weeks off from College though so expect some blogging...so much so I will probably bore you to death!!!

I have completed so many crafty projects over the last...hmmm is it really a month since I blogged last...I know it`s longer because I have done a term at work without a blog post...WOW that's just Lazy-Est!!!

Anyway without boring you with the rant about Uniform Policy at Ella and Harry`s school...!!! And how we have had Ofsted inspecting at work, and how I have loved teaching this term so much and how fabulous all my Demos have been.....WAKE UP...I have had a pretty good month.

I am demonstrating and teaching Pink Make and Take Jewellery at Cardcraft Plus on Friday...Come along if you can make it...but be warned there will be a lot of pink about.

I am also demonstrating the new Slice Elite on Saturday over in Frodsham at Crab Apple Crafts with Rosemary Merry on Saturday, so if you are interested in a PINK electronic die cutting machine come and watch. I will be blogging a product overview very soon.

So tomorrow is my Birthday...and I am at that OH MY GOD halfway stage between 30 and 40...I remember my 30th birthday and that was only five years ago and so being 40 is only five years away...I should be worried, or upset or thinking I am getting old...Yes...But I am loving life too much to even begin to worry about it...I love work, I have wonderful family and friends and I am just happy with who I am so...like they say age is just a number...will leave you with my favourite pictures from a lovely pre birthday celebratory lunch with a friend today...





Cheers...Happy Birthday me...

Sunday 12 September 2010

Ooops!!

Forgot to mention a friend of mine is selling a Bind it All machine hardly used if anyone is interested please email me xx

Thats It!!!

Back to work tomorrow after six long weeks off work!!!

I am looking forward to it though, I really enjoy work and I have new classes starting in new venues and there should be some familiar faces too, did have a bit of trouble trying to decide what to wear though, its been a while since I had to wear "work clothes" lol drama over now though!!!

Made a couple of cards today using one of my new Magnolia stamps, Creatables and some new Christmas papers....

Traditional red and green...



and a bit more contemporary...pink and green...



Tilda is "sitting" inside the card on this one, and I love the new wreath style Creatable which both cuts and embosses, the little stars are embossed.

I am off now for an early night with one of the five magazines that I have bought this week!!!

Saturday 11 September 2010

Windmills and Towers!!!

Today I was demonstrating for Barbara over in Thornton at Windmill Crafts...and I have had just the best day, to all the Ladies...and Gents who watched my demo and asked me questions...thank you, without you guys it would be pretty dull...and I even saw the Blackpool Tower on the train over too!!!

...Special thanks to the lady who had travelled from Tenerife in the early hours of this morning to watch me demo too...I told her I would blog that ;-)

I will be honest with you though, if you pay Barbara a visit be prepared to let go of your cash...I did...She has the most amazing collection of Matilda stamps and I came home with these two little Gems......



Oh and these too ;-).....



And I really want to play with them tonight but came home to a hideous pile of Ironing and all the kids beds to make up...and now I am too tired...boo!!!

Play day tomorrow...I promise myself!!!

Thursday 9 September 2010

September Classes

I have had quite a few people getting in touch with me about the classes I am teaching for Warrington Collegiate starting next week so though I would post my timetable on here for all to see...Classes run for five weeks this term:

Tuesday 14th: Scrapbooking 10-12 @ Penketh Oaks for five weeks

Thursday 16th: Jewellery making 10-12 @ Museum Street for Five weeks

Monday 20th: Jewellery Making 6.30-8.30 @ Great Sankey High School for five weeks

These courses are free if you are in receipt of certain benefits (email me for more information), all my other courses this term are referrals only.

And something very very strange has happened...so strange even I am a tiny little bit worried...I have all of my course outlines wrote...that's seven courses for five weeks, planned and designed, all course materials sourced and either purchased or ordered, I am demonstrating over at Windmill Crafts on Saturday and not only am I prepared I am packed and ready to go too...Its so much of a worry too that I had a "to do" list tonight and I "to done" it...good job really because.....
.......
.......Back to work Monday after five weeks off...and I am working ELEVEN days on the run!!!

Over at Craft Range next Saturday and Crab Apple Crafts next Sunday Demonstrating for Kars so come and say Hi if you are around.

Monday 6 September 2010

I Did It!!!!!

I bloody did it, I passed my first module of the degree I started, I received confirmation today and I am Bloody Beaming...

...because I really did not expect to pass, not because I thought I couldn`t do it but because I decided two days before the hand in date that I wanted to change the whole angle of my assignment and rewrote it completely in about six hours!!! I am over the moon and now have to decide if I want to continue with the second module, which obviously I do but have to work out if I can fit it in as I am back at work for the college next week and I have an awful lot of Demonstrations and Classes over the next couple of months at the weekends too...

...if anyone has a little house elf they want to lend me then I would really appreciate it, failing that I am thinking a personal assistant, a nanny or an Au pair...when I was little my Nan used to work for a family who always had Au Pairs although I always thought they were called "old pears".

So I am in a really "wow I really can do it " mood tonight, you know what I mean, as adults and especially as Mums we tend to doubt our own abilities as we get a little bit older and more often than not put our families before us so to achieve this even after screaming at my kids to shut up, ironing with one hand, on the phone with one shoulder, we`ve all done it perched the phone between our shoulder and our ear...whilst trying to work on my assignment...multi tasking to the max I do believe, I feel damn bloody good and intend to revel for a little while longer ;-).

Mia went back to school today...no tears!!!

Although that was because we got to school after the whistle had blown, not my fault I wont go into the grim details but as we left the house she had a nosebleed so I had to clean her up which made us late...I swear there is always a drama in this house, and because she got there after the whistle I dont think she had time to think about crying whilst I bundled her PE kit, games kit, lunch bag and school bag into her arms which were already full with "Sarah" the build a bear in school uniform!!! Do you know you couldn`t make this stuff up could you!!!

Look at this...



Does she remind you of anyone!!!

And how beautiful does she look here...



Beautiful because she insisted I braided her fringe and then straightened the rest of her hair...kids!!!

Completed two layouts today, after having my purse emptied by Harry and Ella, new phone for Harry, new earphones for Ella, and various sprays that make them smell sweet...bit of a worry considering Harry is nearly 15 and should be allergic to water and cleansing products.

Another one of the series of photographs I took of Mia when she collapsed after the shopping spree...this is the one where she realised I was taking her picture, just before a big scouse security guard told me off for taking pictures...of my own child...yeah whatever mate!!!




And one of Jack and I messing about last Monday in the sunshine...



So that's three layouts, a card and a "cupcake tube" I have created in two days...you want to see my desk...no really you do, I have turned over a new leaf...I have been tidying up as I go along!!!

I know even I am worried...the sooner I get back to work and back to normal the better!!!

Off now to search House Elf on Ebay!!!

Sunday 5 September 2010

Thats it then....

....Summers officially over....

Mia starts back to school tomorrow and Harry and Ella on Tuesday, Jack begins a new course at a new College tomorrow too and I....

....Have another week off work..hehehe!!!

Peace and quiet and the house staying tidy all day, no five thousand to constantly feed throughout the day and being able to go out exactly when and where I want to without twenty bloody questions...but I will miss them, I have really enjoyed spending the summer with them and despite the awful weather we have had the last week off was beautiful and we made the most of the sunshine with a couple of days out...

A picnic in the Park on bank holiday Monday something not quite right about the sun shining on a Bank holiday....lots of fun, my kids are good company when they are happy and outside...

Sunbathing....



Trying to sunbathe but having our sun blocked....



.....How high can he jump!!!

Piggy backs....



Then on Tuesday we hit the streets of Liverpool.

Too early in the morning waiting for the train to take us to the land of the Scousers...



My Munchkins in the Sunshine sat by the Mersey...



Going for a Titanic moment on a Ferry across the Mersey....Bloody brilliant boat ride...anyone who knows me really well knows I love the water and I loved every minute of the boat trip, but this for me was amazing, looking down at the sun sparkling on the water and the wind ruining my hair...



On a little beach the other side of the water, this was the safe beach, the one we went to before this we literally had to run for our lives as the tide came in!!!



...and after walking what seemed like twenty miles, the ferry ride, the beach, running for the ferry to get back, lunch in McHeartattacks and a mammoth two hours in Primark...poor little Mia....



Quite literally shopped til she dropped!!!

Yesterday I headed over to Manchester Central...GMEX to everyone for the Craft show....my poor feet are seriously screaming at me after this week believe me...

This is my stash....



Two scrapbooks for a fiver...bargain, two Tilda Magazines, lots of bling, three stamps, lots of gorgeous new papers, a Martha Stewart border punch....Yay finally lol and lots more, and I even started to play last night with my new goodies...so far have created this....



Very naughty I know but I saw a kit to make these "Cupcake Tubes" but wasn`t going to pay £7 for them when I knew I could make them myself from some card and acetate and one of my new stamps, isn`t that just the sweetest.

Layout of Mia from Tuesdays shop til you drop...using brand new papers...not like me at all I usually have to stroke them for at least 6 months before I will cut into them...



And because I had some paper left over and I wanted to try out another new stamp I created this...



I am liking aperture cards at the moment and created this with one of the Nellies frames, added an acetate window and stamped on that too.

Eagle eyes will notice I have used my new Martha Stewart punch in every one of those projects...see there its already paid for itself ;-), and showing just how versatile a punch can be...I so need another one now!!!

Off to lay out Mia`s uniform and make her packed lunch...I haven`t missed doing that I can tell you.