one £9.99 canvas board (The works)
one metre of material £1.99 (Moystons)
handful of flower sequin things ( out of a mixed packet from the ELC)
ten minutes with latest toy..... staple gun! ten more mins with some fabric glue and there you go... personal wall art retailing on the net for upwards of £50.
I wanted something with brown and blue tones, couldnt find anything I liked on the net so decided to make my own.
Depression and no ovaries are a bit of a bad un when it comes to interaction.
Sorry.
I have recently been blog hopping and am loving so much of the creative masterpieces I have seen. I have had no energy for leaving comments. Sorry.
I have made a few last minute birthday cards, no Christmas cards yet :-S My mo jo is lurking, i know it! just can;t find it... it'll happen.
xxx
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/relay/
Have a look at the above link, I saw some details at the Race for Life about the Relays... its a team event (8 - 20 in the team) who have to stay on the track for 24 hours, not all of them! Just one person can be on the track at any given time. ... At the start of the event is a Survivours lap of honour, if you register as a Survivour you get sent a tee shirt and a lapel pin saying Survivour. There will be lots of fund raising throughout the day and during the evening there will be a ceremony when candles will be lit in the shape of the word HOPE. I envisage it will be a very emotional day as well as an uplifting one....
I contacted the organiser earlier to find out how many teams are taking place so that I can make them a thank you card, so will be cracking on with that over the next couple of days... and am going to make as many as I can of other cards which can be sold on the day... I will up load whatever I make.
Update on how I am doing - I've been fairly good with not lifting etc though have forgotten occasionally, have been a bit wiped out this week with flu like symptoms... its made me behave because I have mainly just been reading... Karin Slaughter books! what an author :-)
http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/EVANDALE-CRAFTS__W0QQ_armrsZ1
Just a quickie... ordered a punch and the set of liquid pearls from the above Ebay shop. Its a good price and for July free p+p.
It was delivered the next day with really good packaging..
Just thought I would let anyone reading this know
Hello out there :-)
Thank you for the messages left and the texts from Emma (Elf)
I came out on Monday afternoon and spent a few days with my sister. Being home now has shown me the meaning of frustration!!! All those jobs that *need* doing but can't be done.... My sister has just been around to do my hoovering, bless her... luckily she brought her dyson too because mine burnt out just before I went into hospital.... sods law eh!?
Feeling a bit 'ouch' at the moment but tonnes better than I did at the beginning of the week... (said with pride)>>>> I can get out of bed without looking like a beached whale struggling.... !!
I ended up having a full hysterectomy instead of key hole but never mind, its done now. More recovery time than I would have had but I have to focus on the fact that for this pain and frustration I now have less fear and worry about my reproductive organs being affected by the cancer gene...
Had a almighty scare the night of my surgery..... there's me pressing that morphine pca button like its going to run out if I don't press it.... and in the mist I heard the porter say something about the battery on the bed, bearing in mind I got back on the ward at 1945. I drifted in and out of sleep until almost 3am when I woke more alert than a child waiting for Santa to arrive! I pressed the bed button thing to raise the top of the bed and it was a bit too high so pressed slightly for it to go down again, it kept going!! .. *gulp* It would not go up again and I was hanging on for dear life to the sides of the bed (good job they still had the bed guards up) I was panicking as I could feel my stomach being stretched..... the lady in the bed next to me raised the alarm as I couldnt reach the nurse alarm.... I was mortified when they arrived and stood there, looking at me....
I'm normally a very easy patient in hospital but the panic and the pain brought something out in me, I was saying very loudly " GET ME UP, GET ME UP, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GET ME UP, GET ME OUT OF THIS BED" They were pressing the button and at the same time saying I must have pressed it into that position, I practically screamed at them that I had both hands on the rails so how could I have done that! One of them then plugged the bed in!!! and was able to raise the top half of the bed then.... They still maintained that I must have done something!!! Luckily other patients had witnessed what had happened as well as myself.
I did take this up with one of the Registrars and a Senior Nurse the next day, not sure if I should put something in writing...
It made me really anxious about doing anything to raise or lower the bed....
I'm hoping it has not made a difference to my healing, the wound looks ok. It's a wonder I didnt swear at them I was so scared at the time...
Gosh, don;t I go on!
Hello out there :-)
Just thought I would quickly update my blog, no cards at the moment although I have made some, but finding time to even get the camera out seems to be at a long list of things... but I'm going to have time to do all that when I come out.
I go in on Thursday for a hysterctomy, there is nothing wrong, it's precautionary due to my high ovarian cancer risk because of this evil mutant BRCA 2 gene... Anyway, it'll be four less things to worry about.... ovaries, tubes, cervix and womb.... I was cheeky and asked for a tummy tuck too.. obviously he said no. The Consultant said that most women ask for that too... ;-)
I did a silly thing... decided to decorate the spare room, move my craft room upstairs... at the moment its in a tiny conservertory which is affectionately known as the Tupperware room due to the amount of large storage drawers I have in there to ensure my papers etc do not fade with the sun.... so as well as about 8 - 10 paperwork things to tackle before Wednesday evening and getting some more pjs etc, I also have a whole room to finish and get up the stairs...
If I don't get a chance beforehand, I'll be back after with time to craft and post to my hearts content I hope.
Take care xxx
This is a card I made a couple of weeks ago using the Bonnie Baby stamps from Tracy, have a look at her blog http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/
And one I made the other day from Debbie over at http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/ I really can not urge readers enough to go purchase the June charity stamp, its only £3 postage free and a third of the cost Debbie will send to Cancer Research... its a stamp you can use not just for the race for life but also for people who are entering marathons, fun runs, school sports etc.. the race for life text is a seperate stamp from the image. I have combined it with a text stamp I have called 'what cancer cannot do'
If anyone would like me to stamp out and send them some of the 'what cancer cannot not do' text, then please leave me a message in the comment box, I will mail you for your address. The mail will come from imagination@useit4.fslife.co.uk which is my outlook express email address.
When I saw this stamp over on The Crafty Pad, I knew I had to have it... and at a small cost of £3, which isnt really £3 as a third of the cost is going to Cancer Research, then it was even more important to buy it. If you too want one pop over to Debbie at >>> http://thecraftypad.blogspot.com/
I honestly can not praise the customer service enough. I can also say after receiving my stamp this morning that it stamps out clear and crisp. The text fits nicely in the banner if you want. Its really versatile and I will be using it on the 'go for it and thank you cards' I am making for my friends and family who are taking part.
Today I went to M&S to get fitted for a couple of new bras... since my mastectomy in October I have just been using softies instead of prosthesis after getting an infection which lasted ages and ages down to what we later discovered was diabetes...
Anyway, I have been wearing some vest type tee shirts with inbuilt pockets... at a cost of £19.99 each or two for £35. A bit more expensive than your everyday tee shirt... but thats another moan for another time...
Today's moan is about how M&S advertise themselves as being a leader when it comes to post surgery bras... I will give them 10/10 for the fitters I have met who are trained at the local breast care unit.... but 0/10 for their onsite stock system. If you want to try on and/or buy a mastectomy bra and you live in the south west, you have to travel to Truro... about 1 hour 20 mins for most people but for me it would take a lot longer..... I drive slow! not too slow but slow.
You can buy them online, take them in to a M&S to have a fitting but thats it... They will take them back if they are not a good fit.
Totally no regard for what is for some women a massive step going to get a bra in the first place. No thought that a lot of women post surgery are too tired to be flitting in and out of the town centre in amoung going to the hospital for chemo, etc..
Only a few stores in the UK are stores that will stock the mastectomy range of bras. Our M&S fitters can recommend other bras however, these have to then be sent away by yourself and with extra cost of up to £6 per pocket to be right for a prothesis..
Guess who is writing to the Chairman of M&S?!!!
PS - On the plus side, if you are in need of some new bras, there is 25% off until next Saturday in all M&S's.......
My first ever challenge and its a two for one! The challenge was to use blue and green oon http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/
and I also used as best I could the sketch over at http://www.elzybells.typepad.com/
I was playing around with the Dang Cute Dinos made by Tracy whose blog is http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/ and came up with these two cards which I think are more male than girly (YAY!!) My stamping on the blue card was less than perfect and I should have maybe decided not to stamp straight onto the paper but its done now and a bit of a learning curve.
Just thought I would let anyone reading this know that I was having a looksee as you do on Cult pens but had seen before on Google that last year they gave a 10% discount on all orders during National Office week. This year it starts from the 11th May for a week.I rang Cult pens to see if they were taking part this year. The chap I spoke to wasn;t sure if that was going to be the case this year but I am to ring him back next Tuesday when he will know... So just in case... if you were poised with your finger on that order button... just wait a couple more days... just in case!!
On Monday afternoon, I spent a couple of hours with Tracy and was shown loads of crafting items that she has made but not put on her blog as of yet... Talk about skill! Plus what made it even more lovely is that she doesn't realise how talented she is... though at the same time that could be described as sad too.
She made a lovely 6x6 scrapbook, a note set holder and a few other items that she is designing templates for. I had a sneak peek at some future Devon & Devin Stamps, they really are cute and will fit so many occasions, the card she has on her blog http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/ does not do the stamps the justice they deserve.
Tracy had said she had some papers for me, papers!! bit of an understatement I would say as she gave me the box of goodies below... how generous is that!! But that was'nt everything...
She also gave me these!!
Yes!!! Two sheets of newly made rubber.. Dang Cute Dinos and Bonny Baby. I welled up, I can tell you.... Tracy would not accept any money for these as she said they were a present from her for everything I have been through health wise over the recent years. Now how generous and kind is that?
I think its only right that even though I know she might slap me for this, that I should point anyone reading this in the direction of her new online stamp shop>
http://www.justtracys.co.uk
Each of those FULL sheets of rubber stamps cost £19.99 and as you can see you get loads of images for that price. I love the little letters that fit in the building blocks on the Baby set. I'm making a baby card that I will put on tomorrow. Some people will think this is weird of me, but something I really liked about colouring in the pram is the wheels are not too thin, a promarker nib doesn't go over the edge, which is a major bonus for me... I have coloured prams in before with promarkers that are too thin wheels.. do you know what I mean?
The P & P is only 99p per order...
I made a card using the Dang Cute Dino set of stamps, well I say the set but thats a big fib! I used 4 stamps from the set and a sentiment. The card is for my sisters boyfriends parents who are retiring to a complex in Cyprus... I hope they get the funny side!
I feel really touched by Tracy's generousity, its not like she has some big multinational company and can afford to give full sets of stamps away. I'd better shut up or I'll be having a tear or two again! 
http://toodlesandbinks.blogspot.com/2009/04/at-last-we-can-say-bit-more.html
Blog candy ending tonight 30th April over at Toodles & Binks Blog... >>>>>>> thata way!
As you can see from the left hand side bar, I have been busy with the old surfing this evening.. :-)
I have after spending some time on Monday with Tracy decided to challenge myself with a couple of challenges. Holding her cards and other papercraft items in my hands gave me a bit of a ompf!
I'm going to blog tomorrow about my visit to Tracy's, mainly because I need some good light to take some photos...
http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/
I went over to Tracy's blog to thank her for helping me out with the photo/blog linking thing and spied her newly designed stamps... Little tinker had not even mentioned them to me when we spoke the other day..... She's like that, never one to blow her own trumpet.
Tracy used to work in the local craft shop and through that, we became friends, not that we see each other very often but when we do its like a continuation of our last chat... I like friendships like that :-) Tracy has kindly sorted out some papers for me... which I will collect tomorrow as I'm sort of near hers when I go to the hospital...
Thanks to both Tracy and Lea for their excellent instructions on doing the photo/link thingy..
Can someone tell me the most simple way of posting a picture of someone else's candy with a link so that when a blog visitor clicks on the picture it will take them to the owner of the candy's blog......
Thank you tons and tons xx
Ha!!! gotcha!!!!
Thank you so much for the winning thoughts.....
That was a bit naughty of me... because I am number 12 on the comments for the blog candy on http://passionforcrafts.blogspot.com/
If this candy doesn't reach somewhere in the 300 - 400 hundreds I'll eat that hat that everyone talks about! If I was to say Copics, Miss Anya's, Nesties galore, paper strokingly heaven, flowers, ribbons and buttons.... you would be leaving this post right now and getting over there...... *whooosh* you've gone already......;-)
REMEMBER...... NUMBER 12
My friends twins are 5 tomorrow and we live about 150 miles apart so I don;t get to see them very much.
I think I made a card that is a bit too old for a 5 year old with the card for Mollie. Her birthday cake was Tinkerbelle and she is having ballet lessons and loving them.. Morgan's is about right for a 5 year old but not exactly what he is into... I mailed his mum and asked her if he was still into football..... Nope!! now he is into Dr Who, Transformers or Power Rangers...
A lot of people who live in Devon and Cornwall know of the bargains to be had at Trago mills.. and I know of a lot of friends who live in other parts of the Country who have also bought some really good buys there....
I went to the Liskeard Trago yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see that they have expanded their craft section which was poor before ( apparently they did this last July but being a hermit I hadn't been there for ages!)
I've posted this mainly so that anyone who is coming this way, saves their crafting money if they can, to enable them to be able to get more for their money....
I think you can see on the photo above the difference in the prices but have made a mental list of some of the things there from the craft essentials leaflet so you can see the difference.
Daisy & Dandilion clear stamps RRP £5.99 - Trago price £3.79
Wheelabe tote RRP £59.99 - Trago price £ 39.95 or 99.. give or take 4 p!
Scalloped Cardstock 12x12 RRP £9.99 - Trago price £6.75 or there abouts, might be slightly cheaper
Alphaminis foam stickers RRP £1.99 - Trago price £1.49 and alphamania cardstock stickers
Cat & Dog Collections RRP £16.99 - Trago price £11.49 or cheaper.
Scalloped cards are between 50p - £1 cheaper than the RRP per pack
All paper flowers, Stamp duos and studded stickers are RRP £ 1.99 - trago price £1.29
Papermania The big one 12x12 papers RRP £14.99 - Trago price £10.79 or slightly less.
Clare Curd clear stamps RRP £5.99 - Trago price £3.79
Sorry I can't remember any other prices. Trago is a bit hit and miss with the products it carries but if you or any of your friends passing by either the Newton Abbot or Liskeard, its worth a crafting visit :-) - Highlight what you want in the craft essentials leaflet, give them the dosh and cross your fingers ;-) ..........
Karen has 72 Copic Marker pens as blog candy over at
http://charmedcrafts.blogspot.com/
It does end today 1oth April but you do still have time to enter ;-)
Karen says on her blog :-
The twist is that we want you to link to a project on your blog (in your comment) that either uses a download or a stamped image that you coloured in.
I have spent a hour tonight looking at different sites to get a small, medium and large in the retro flower punch... ( well if I can't get hold of the Miss Anya stamps then I have to console myself someway!!)
Have just ordered them from here
http://www.bgpayne.com
Never bought from the online store before but the prices are reasonable...
I made 40 thank you cards for my cousin 's wedding. They were all simply made with embossed plain white card and a few gems.
Below is the Congratulations card I made for my cousin and his new wife.
An assortment of cards made for friends and family recently. I'm a bad blogger by not giving details of what products I used but will get back into the swing of blogging soon I hope.
Steph recently returned from her third trip to Germany for treatment and the results from her second treatment was a further 15% reduction in the liver tumour... all good news :-)
What do you do with yours??
I'm ashamed to say that I am sorting through hundreds of the things at t his moment... 5 years worth to be exact... more than £1k's worth of mainly advertisements so it seems.....
I'm taking out some of the quick make sections and a few odd pages for future inspiration and then will take them to the scrap store. I'm sure they will be made good use of but if anyone has other ideas what they do with their old magazines, I'd be pleased to hear.
I might get some time soon to be able to blog regularly. xx
http://craftytracysstampingcorner.blogspot.com/
Take a look over on Tracey's blog for a link to a ***NEW*** stamp site. Great stamps, great prices and excellent customer service.
:-)
Steph and Ali are n Germany at the moment, Steph had her second lot of treatment yesterday... and the results of her first treatment...... I won't keep anyone in suspense... Dr Vogl gave them the fantastic news that the tumour on her liver has shrunk by over 20%..... how fantastic is that... as you can imagine they are both over the moon... Ali will have her partner around for longer even after one treatment.... and Steph will have something so many take for granted..... time..... I keep having a little happy tear...
Also she has been told she has a tumour pressing on her spinal cord that was in the UK going to be treated by radiotherapy .... Dr Vogl had said he can give it a blast with the Chemoembolization to remove it...... yep more tears from yours truly... so i can only imagine how Steph feels.
Take a look here... http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=607675658&ref=name#/group.php?gid=49543032511&ref=ts
This is one of Debbie's groups on facebook to highlight the petition that can be signed online to get Government to allow Chemoembolization here in the UK for all patients with Mesothelioma which would open the doors for ALL patients with cancers that can be treated to do so....
This is the direct link to the petition... don't forget to make sure if you sign it to ensure that you check your email after ( and junk mail) for the confirmation email. Make your vote count. :o)
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Mesothelioma-/
Fund raising is still continuing to make sure Steph can have the 3rd treatment...
Please pass on the link to all you know to sign the petition... There are people dying when there is no need, make your thoughts known to the Government.
PS I am still making cards!!
Thanks a million and I sincerely hope everyone reading this is happy and healthy xxx
:-) Good news is that Steph has had her first lot of treatment with Dr Vogl in Germany. He scanned her liver and said that he would be able to use the treatment on all the tumours that are there :-) She is back home now and is very tired. She was'nt able to have her normal chemo on Thursday due to her white blood count being too low..... this could have been because she had only had the treatment in Germany a few days beforehand..
Her next lot of treatment is due on the 20th Feb, the fundraising is still ongoing for that treatment, there was a fabulous fund raising evening on the 23rd January, many artists gave their time for free and a really good evening was had with lots of fundraising activities as well such as two lads who had leg waxes and one of them had his hair shaved... my niece did the pulling off of the waxing strips... shes evil !!!!! for a 12 year old... her friend also did the other leg... and they were pretty hairy... OUCH!
Stephs postman is doing as much fundraising at his depot and out and about to raise funds for the final treatment... what a fella eh!
I'm posting a video of Debbie Brewer who was Steph and Ali's inspiration behind the treatment - be warned, this might make you gulp back a few tears. A brave brave lady. This was taken last year after Debbies first treatment, when the treatment had shrunk the tumour by 18%, now it is 56% smaller..and in partial remission. she is due to go back in March. Dr Vogl sounds like my Consultant Mr Drabble. (By the way... if anyone is on facebook, please join my group called "We love Mr Drabble" )
The link to Debbies interview with the BBC.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=61960208520&h=37rtb&u=0FRyh
Steph is a 35 year old wonderful woman who just needs a chance!.
Steph has been having treatment since she was 30 for cancer. . The Cancer started in her breast then to her bones and then to her liver.
There has not been a month gone by where Steph has not had treatment since her diagnosis in 2005
Back in October, Steph won the fight for Avastin as it was not available on the NHS in her local PCT. Unfortunately she was only able to have a few infusions as she then became very ill with ischemic colitis.
Since 24th Oct 08, Steph has been in and out of Brent Ward, Stonehouse ward and St Lukes hospice in Plymouth.
After speaking with Steph's oncologist in the past 2 weeks, we now know the prognosis. Because of the bone and liver cancer, there is about 5 months of Steph's life remaining, and that's on treatment!
There has been a lot of contact with a lady (Debbie) who is being treated by a Prof. Dr. Thomas Vogl in Germany. He thinks he can give Steph better treatment to prolong her life and not just give her quality of life. Debbie is now in remission.
Chemoperfusion is something that is not on offer here in the UK.
So, this Chemoperfusion will cost about 4000 euros per treatment and we believe Prof Vogl wants to try 3 sessions.
Bearing in mind Steph is very poorly, she needs this as soon as possible.
Steph attends the same Macmillan Centre as I do and I wanted to be able to spread the word about her fundrasing as much as I could. I know very few people have very much money spare not just because its after Christmas but also with the credit crunch, but if you could donate a £1 it would be a pound closer to Steph being given the chance of extra quiality of life as well as extending her life. Please please can you pass the link to my page onto all your blogging buddies. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Here is the link to be able to donate directly
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7818016.stm
http://www.plymouthsound.co.uk/Article.asp?id=1091956
Steph's groups on facebook, please join and leave her an uplifting encouraging message if you feel able to. Whilst funds are being raised, Steph also needs encouragement and her spirits to be kept high... Shes a fighter but why do it alone when there are so many good people out there who would love nothing more than to be part of her journey... in letting her know she is thought of.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=37527647167&ref=mf
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=27649788290Extra edit!
Today was also my mums birthday and as I have been feeling unwell.. ( its only the diabetes meds!! yuck) and not in a fit state for leaving the house, it suddenly come to me after first posting this that I might not have been able to take flowers anywhere but in posting this.... hopefully a ray of hope can be expanded for Steph..... that for my mum would be the best present I could give right now.
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