HS:MS mesh

A material made from a network of wire or threads. Show us 'mesh' in your space today.

This is a sieve that is frequently used in my kitchen:



I hope everyone's having a better day than I am!! (computer problems, not to mention other things).

Tagged by Emma

I was also tagged by Emma

Emma said: Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Right then here goes:

Firstly I must explain that I've done this one before, so I might be repeating myself (but I don't suppose anyone will remember):

1. I've never ridden a bicyle
2. I can't swim
3. I remained single until I was 43
4. I've had my photo in Hello magazine
5. I've sung a solo in the Royal Albert Hall
6. One of my favourite books is 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier
7. One of my favourite films is 'A touch of class'

As Emma said, that was hard (even though I've done it before - tried to think up different things, but there are some repeats).

I now tag:

Rachael
Kate
Louise
Diana
etteY
Rach
Sharon

These are all friends on HS:MS - if you haven't visited it yet, check it out!

Tagged by Andrea

I was tagged a few days ago by Andrea and I apologise for not doing this before.

Here goes:

4 places I have worked:
1. BX Plastics, Manningtree
2. BXL, London
3. Brook Street Bureau temping
4. Turnham Primary School

4 places I have lived:
1. Dovercourt
2. Catford
3. Petts Wood
4. Bromley

4 places I have visited:
1. Singapore
2. Perth, Australia
3. Hong Kong
4. Bermuda

4 favourite foods:
1. dark chocolate
2. chips (but don't often have them nowadays)
3. pasta
4. strawberries

4 places I would rather be:
1 - 4. on holiday somewhere warm

4 blogging buddies - because I love to visit their blogs:

1. Chris
2. Bobs
3. Suzy B
4. Charli

Apologies to Andrea and Emma

I got tagged the other day by Andrea and Emma (two different tags) and I told them I'd do them when my sale was over, but I'm sorry, girls, I haven't done it yet. I will tomorrow.

Just Bex September challenge 1 O's and X's

This was the template that Sue gave us:



And here is my card (it really is square, honestly - photo taken on the slant to avoid flash reflection in the middle):



Earlier this evening I did a card for a chinese whisper swap on Carolyn's, but I can't show it yet until all the others have been seen.

HS:MS tray

A flat , shallow container for carrying food, drin k and small items. Find a 'tray' in your space.

This is my favourite tray, although it doesn't get used very often:



And this is one that I use a lot. When I first had a vertebra fracture my mum bought me a special craft lap tray, but I couldn't use it because it was too big and cumbersome. This is my old, old lap tray, but it still gets plenty of use. I find that towards the end of the day however my back has felt earlier, the pain isn't good and I tend now to sit in my armchair for my evening meal, using my lap tray:

Just Bex September challenge 10 folding card

During September I didn't take part in challenges on Just Bex because I was preparing for my card sale. I know that many people incorporate the challenges at the same time, but I couldn't cope with trying to do that.

Yesterday I decided to try and get back into the swing of things, so I started on September challenge 10 foldering card: to make a folding card like the one below . It's made from one sheet of cardstock, and is very straightforward!' and there were clear instructions to achieve the card.

Having got all the bits out to do the card, I half finished it last night and have to admit that I didn't feel like completely it tonight, but I have, and I'm glad I did.

I've made an anniverary card for my brother and sister-in-law (I hope it's safe to show, because I don't think they look here very often).

The hearts tucked inside the little envelope have their initials on them.

Most of the cardstock and bits used were from K & Co Brookfield range:











I'm so thankful that Nicky set this challenge, because it's made an unusual anniversary card - it's certainly something I'll try again sometime.

RAK received

Postie came this afternoon (we had given up thinking there was any post today) and I received a RAK from Karen G on Carolyn's forum:



Thank you, Karen. A bit of cheer on a sad day (family-wise - can't go into it).

HS:MS card

A Piece of thick, stiff paper. Find 'card' in your space today.

A couple of pictures of some of the card in my space. The first one shows a section of eleven A4 trays with ten 12 x 12 trays to the left. The second picture shows part of a 15 drawer cabinet which is now housed inside a cupboard in my newly fitted out room (well, it was done in July, but still has to be decorated). You can see how disorganised I am because I still haven't changed the labels on the drawers since sorting out card.

Patsy's 10,000 hits competition

Patsy is running a competition on her blog. She says: 'As a few of you know, I haven't been very well recently so I thought what better way to cheer me up than to see you create a 'Get Well Soon' card! It doesn't have to be for me really lol! But I'd like to see your creations so post a link here. I'll give you two weeks from today to post here and then I'll get my lovely assistant (DD) to help me pick a winner!
Anyone can enter (worldwide) and you can enter more than once if you so wish.....
So, I can't wait to see your gorgeous creations :) Go on, have a go!!! :)
Patsy x'

So here is my entry:



This morning I've been stamping for a swap on Just Bex - A5 sheets of Christmas stamps - chose six of my favourites, and stamped up quite a few for myself while I was at it - so there will be some more Christmas cards soon.

HS:MS wheel

A circular object that revolves on an axle. Find a wheel in your space today.

I chose the little wheels underneath the basket that pulls out in the dishwasher. I changed it to black and white (it seemed to look a bit better):

HS:MS SOS 6

'Your day to let those photo's shine !!!!!'

My photos today are nothing special, but they bring back memories for me. This afternoon I went to visit a friend in our local hospital. Two years ago today John was admitted there, following a heart attack (he hadn't realised he'd had one) and tests revealed that he was in urgent need of surgery, so that a week later he had a heart bypass op in King's College Hospital. We are both so grateful to God that our GP acted promptly to get John to hospital even though neither of us thought it was necessary. The last two years haven't been easy, but we're so thankful that John was diagnosed (apparently another fatal heart attack would have followed) and given the op he needed. Although he's not in the best of health, these last two years have been very precious to us.

HS:MS SPS 6

Another Saturday, another Self Portrait!!!

Well, here I am at the end of a tiring day. I'm not sure what I did to achieve this, but I firstly made it 'antique' (sounds just about right for me) and then played around with the hue etc:



As a few people have commented on the way I cropped the picture, I thought I'd show the original before it was changed. This was it:



so not much cropping really.

Sale in aid of TEAR Fund

I knew that quite a few people for various reasons wouldn't be able to come along today, but I was still disappointed when the response was poor this morning - although, of course, I was very pleased to see those who did come. There were more people this afternoon (making a total of 14 throughout the day) and in the end I sold £180 worth of cards, so I'll be able to send £54 to TEAR Fund plus a donation of £10.

I was glad that I made packs of Christmas cards - selling 5 in a pack for £2, because I sold 21 of these. I also sold 40 indidividual Christmas cards at £1 each and 50 cards made from recycling other cards. Apart from that I sold 45 other greetings cards, costing either £1.50 or £2 each.

I'm really appreciative of those who came and supported this worthy cause.

Lighthouse ATCs

These ATCs are for this month's swap on Crafts by Carolyn. They are very simple (perhaps because I was running out of time!):

Lemon and Lime ATCs

The theme for this month's ATC swap on Tanda Stamps is 'lemon and lime'. I had the mad idea of using real lemon slices to stamp and emboss. Here are the results.

The first photo is flash and reflects the light, but probably shows up the detail of the lemon stamping better than the non-flash photo below it:





Well I tried something different!

Zigzag cards

The last couple of days I've been sorting out what I've got ready for the sale tomorrow. I found that I'd got more unfinished symphonies than Schubert - many more! I had lots of tags that I'd prepared ready to put on cards, but never had - so I've now got 32 more cards, having made these up.

I found up these little zigzag cards and thought I'd do something with them, so, a few blooms and bits and here they are (photos are terrible, it's so dull and rainy, which doesn't account for me chopping the tops of some of the cards - they do all go to a point at the top):













I'm having to be very careful today because I was in severe pain again last night with my back - there seems to be another area that's caved in a bit more, so I think there's possibly another vertebra fractured - there's not much I can do about preventing them, other than wrap myself in cottonwool! I even have to ask John to pick things up from the floor if I drop them - he's so good, bless him.

HS:MS cushion

Soft furnishing to adorn a chair. Show us cushion in your space.

It was quite hard to take a photo of one of my favourite cushions on my armchair, because it's raining and the light is terrible, but I suppose it was good for me to try and get it right (not that I succeeded). The material of the cusion has a sheen to it and the circles are different materials, including velvet - the light has reflected on some of the circles:

HS:MS stamp

To make an impression.
A small token that ensures carriage of mail
To make a noise with ones foot.
Show us what Stamp is to you, in your space.

This was an easy one today - just as well, because I'm trying to get everything ready for Saturday and we're also going out to lunch today with Mum and my brother and SIL.

These stamps were still on my work surface from yesterday, having done the cards on display below. You can now all see that I'm a 'norty' girl 'cause I didn't clean my stamps.

New Salt Challenge: Joy

It was my turn to choose the topic for this fortnight's challenge. This is what I wrote:

We have been pleased to see folks joining in our challenges, including the wonderful creations for 'God's Promises'.

It's Hazel here; it's my turn to set the challenge this time and I've chosen

'Joy'

When things are going well in life we feel happy and joyful, but sometimes circumstances of life may cause us to feel sad, but even at those times we can still experience the joy of the Lord. I'm reminded of the verse in Nehemiah 8:10b: 'for the joy of the Lord is my strength'.

We'd love to see your take on this challenge

so please leave us a comment when you are finished your piece,

so that we and others may see your work.

To get you inspired the Design Team have come up with some beautiful pieces.

Please take a look at Salt

This what I did, which started me off making the other stamped cards using the lovely English Paper Company Christmas angels papers that you saw yesterday. The circular stamp and wording are from Rubbadubbadoo and the tiny angel and dove stamps are part of a Hero Arts set.

Angel Christmas cards

I got some lovely 12 x 12 Christmas papers from English Paper Company and particularly like the angel ones. I cut each paper into 4 6 x 6 squares so that the printed angel was in one corner. I then used stamps with Brilliance moonlight white and embossed with fine detail white. I did 4 of each, so that's given me another 16 Christmas cards.

I can only show three of the designs - the other one will have to wait till tomorrow (it might have something to do with my Salt challenge effort to be launched in the morning - watch this space!)

The photos don't really do them justice - it's a better blue irl.