Oh dear, playing catch up!

What happened there then? Stopped for a breather and suddenly it's the beginning of July and I'm planning my Christmas cards.

I hadn't really stopped though. I got it into my head to enter a competition in Creativity magazine. Somebody has to win after all. It took over my life because I really want to win. The prize is a visit to Hallmark Cards in BRADFORD plus thirty pounds worth of goodies (as if I didn't have enough). All right -it's not Disneyland or London but you know me I love Bradford and I fancied getting my card in the mag and meeting Claire Curd who seems like a nice lass. It would be something a bit different in my life. Anyway my six entries have been sent in but I don't think I can bear to post them on my blog in case it's tempting fate too much. Can't really imagine I might win but..........Oh and I had to send in a snapshot of myself as well ....painful.

Meanwhile we had a little fundraiser at the group I go to and I managed to sell a few cards as my contribution including some flowerpot cards which I was quite pleased with. We raised over £100 for Marie Curie cancer care.

While I was sorting out my competition entry I had to call at the post office which is right next door to Nortex Mill (Chorley Old Road Bolton personal shoppers only) so I popped in to check out if they were giving anything away and just bought a few ribbons to top up the collection. You never know when a world wide ribbon shortage may occur.

Another sympathy card

Pink Petticoat flourishes which I used to make the envelope as well.

Base card is 300 gsm from century paper as recommended by Liz at Pink Petticoat which I finally sussed how to get my printer to print without begging and pleading with it.

Royal and Langnickel rub on.

One of the not so good things about being older seems to be the number of sympathy cards to make. Sometimes quickly. This is the third one this year for us and I've another to make. My neighbour is Hindu and it's difficult sometimes to know what's appropriate but I wanted to drop something through the door to let her know I was thinking about her. I don't usually use rub ons but this sheet has been useful although some of the sentiments on it are way too flowery for me.

Final flowerpot

Seen these on a couple of blogs and wanted to know how to make them 'cos couldn't quite work it out. Think I finally found it on Craft Planet but it could have been Split Coast Stampers. Sorry if I'm being brief but got some probs with the ole pandies and armies as well just now (and the bumty is a bit numty-not to mention the head!!LOL). Anyway thanks to a major two day clear out prompted by the gift of a black bin bag full of storage boxes from my lovely buddy Lynn I found all sorts of bits and pieces including the whizzy paper on the pot which came as a freebie with Cardmaking and Papercraft. Got out several punches and had fun making up flowers with card candy from Craftwork cards in the middle. Even the tag was in the freebie. Struggled with leaves as couldn't find any green I liked except the little scrap.

The flowerpot is destined for a friend who moved house in May! Thought I'd better not send a new home card now as it's a bit late. Oops

Apart from all that I've been keeping an eye on the nasturtiums I planted in chimney pots in the backyard. At the moment the blackfly have homed in and need ERADICATING. How do they know where my nasturtiums are?

Much excitement over the weekend as a small contingent made their way to Glastonbury.

Number one son and partner plus number two son (on a jolly away from the family). I've still got the texts which I received over the course of this junket and they certainly gave an added excitement to watching on TV.

Here's just a few

1. specials nr a donkey flag (me "there's hundred's of ****** flags")
2. yes,but just one donkey shaped (I didn't see it!)
3. about to cry. two little boys. uh oh. ( I then had a phone call apparently to distract himself from bursting into tears at Rolf Harris. Number two said he had trouble during Sun Arise. I remember when we went to see ET.

There were others and I've not seen the photos yet. Trashland was apparently incredible (that's not a group by the way just one of the many areas on the site.

If you watched and you saw a sombrero in the crowd it might have been my babe. Then again.....

Have had another delivery from Jeanette of Stampin'Up goodies and have also had gooseberries given by DH's friend at the Oxfam shop who has an allotment. So far I've made gooseberry crumble and gooseberry fool and frozen some.

That's it then -how we got to July without trying. DH's birthday on the ninth and daughter in law graduates next week so plenty more cardmaking to get on with apart from standing guard over the nasturiums armed with some sort of spray to knock those black fly from the skies before they feed on my babies. Hey ho see ya folks.