Happy Birthday Judy!

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear mo-om

Happy birthday to you!!

Hip hip horaaaaaay :- )

Love you mom xx

Brrrrrr

It's a cold one out there today! But I much prefer the cold to the rain :-) I took Rocky and Ruby to Cathkin Braes this morning and boy was it busy! There was the most gorgeous Labradoodle called Hibert...I wish I had taken a picture of him. He was 6 months old with long jet black curls and full of mischief!! Ruby and Rocky loved him...he was still at the jumping like a lamb stage....ca-ute!

I think yesterdays crop was a success....we laughed, we caught up, we laughed, we made the 2 make and takes, we laughed, we played, we laughed....yup...sounds like a success to me lol. Some of the girls hadn't been since the summer and then the October crop was cancelled so we had a lot to tell each other. I had also brought a lot (but by no means all) of 12 x 12 dp to sell. I would rather have someone else use it than collect dust and the girls happily dove in and had a rummage.

Chris had us in hysterics when she couldn't find some of the letters she had patiently cut out with the Cuttlebug and then realized she'd missed cutting some out altogether. One of the B plates mysteriously disappeared so the hunt was on for that...turning up in Chris's bag! We teased her that by June she would have the whole kit and caboodle LOL...luckily she saw the funny side :-)

Here are the M & T's....

So what do you think? I'm really happy with they way they turned out. I saw the Accordian File box on Valerie Stangle's blog the other week and it was love at first sight! I believe you can find the tutorial on the ScorPal website but I made it larger and changed the shape to a square. And with Christmas coming up I decided it would be perfect for all the receipts from our Christmas shopping. It was very easy to adapt (if I can do it anyone can lol) and the girls enjoyed making it. Hmmmm...I'm just wondering if there are enough pockets for all the receipts!

The second M & T was an easel card...I'm really loving these...and because I had everything cut and stamped and embossed it was very quick to put together which left plenty of time to do our own thing.

Our next crop will be the end of January. We put it to the vote and it will be a workshop so I'm going to have to get my thinking cap on and come up with something equally fun and exciting. I do have something up my sleeve so watch this space!

Right...I've some finishing touches to put to Pierce's 70 cards (yes...I'm still doing them!) and hopefully he can take them into the office in the morning. The Thorntonhall Christmas Fair is this Sunday (6th) and since I have very little stock this will be an extremely busy week.

Hope you've had a great weekend. Catch ya later x

There's no place like home, there's no place like home...

Any guesses for the title? Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz...that's how I feel at this exact moment. It is howling a gale outside and I'm surprised the house is still standing. I wish I had some red ruby shoes to click and wish myself away from the wind and rain!!

Apart from the weather I have been busy as a bee with family stuff and trying to get these 70 cards finished for Pierce. I'm so behind and they need to be done for Friday hence my lack of posting. I thought it would only take me a couple of days to colour them...yeah, as long as I didn't have to cook, clean, iron, take the dogs out etc!!! I had a date with my friend Jean today but unfortunately I had to cancel last night as I've still so much to do (Sorry Jean). And on top of the cards there's our village craft fair which is the first Sunday of December which I didn't realize was just over a week away and I don't have anything to sell at it!!! So I guess I won't be stepping out the door much till then.

On a positive note Country Lane in Langley BC have taken possession of Nikki & Friends and Sandy (part owner) says they're getting great reviews woot woot!!! Also Nikki is going to be in Papercraft Essentials out at the end of this month which is any day now {biiiiiig grin}. Country Lane used to be 2 minutes from my sister Tracey in White Rock but is now in a triangle between Tracey, Shelly and my mom so when I'm home I can go from one to the other though guess where I spend the longest???!!! Sandy and Bob moved to bigger premises about a year or so ago and I think I've only managed into the new store once. They've got a fantastic selection and I do tend to leave with a lighter purse! One day I'll time a visit when I can take one of their classes :0

AND...I've got our monthly crop this Saturday and I can't wait...it's been ages since we've got together as we didn't have a crop in October. I've got a pretty fab make and take (if I do say so myself lol) with another possible and then everyone can do their own thing. December might be a bit tricky to have a crop as everyone will be busy with Christmas so will probably skip to January for the next one. I have a full house...8 including myself and I'm sure there will be plenty of chat and laughter as we go. I'll post the m & t after the crop....don't want to give anything away before hand.

Anywho...I'd better get going...these cards aren't getting made by themselves. Hope you have a good day despite the weather.

Thanks for stopping by....catch ya later x

Sorry I haven't been about...I've been too busy putting the finishing touches to my Ark!!! What is this weather like??? Torrential rain...gale force winds...at least we're slightly better off than poor Cumbria. I was looking at an aerial view of the floods in the paper this morning....it's unbelievable that rain can cause such destruction. Those poor people will be out of their homes for months and months and my heart goes out to the family of the police officer who lost his life trying to guide people to safety.

Yesterday was a non crafting day...didn't even step foot into my workroom! The day before was a different matter...I sat and colored 35 snowmen and 4 sets of 3 snowballs with only 31 more to go for Pierce's office Christmas cards! I'd already cut and assembled the base card for the snowmen weeks ago and stamped out the snowmen (cuttlebugged and embossed)...I've only the sentiment to add and type up the inserts on the computer. The snowballs are another story...I'll be another day or two colouring those babies!! Why do I give him time consuming cards to choose from??? Next year will be different....I hope lol.

Nikki is doing well...I've had a couple of orders on my blog which thrilled me to no end...you'd think I'd won the lottery lol. I also sent an order to Country Lane in Langley BC who have had enquiries about Nikki. They're about 20 minutes from Precious Memories...my big sis is delivering the stamps this weekend ... Thanks Trace :- )

Here is another Ruby ...

There is a story behind the ladybug that has popped up in a couple of the Ruby images and the name of my blog/company Ladybug Crafts Ink.

My Grandpa Tom (my mom's dad) took ill in Oct 1996 and I rushed home to be with my family. On one of the days before he was moved to pallitive care there were 5 ladybugs on the wall above his bed which we took to symbolize his 5 grandchildren. My sister Tracey had been in the hospital gift shop and bought each of us (me, my mom, my sister Shelly, cousin Colette and herself) a sunflower magnet with a little ladybug on it. Sadly Grandpa died October 16th and a week later we had the reading of his will in his apartment. After the will was read we were looking through his photo albums and such when Tracey called us into his bedroom and there on the wall were 2 ladybugs...Grandma (who died in 1966) and Grandpa!! Now I know you're probably reading this thinking...that girl's lost it big time!!!.. but it gave us great comfort after Grandpa died whenever we saw a ladybug. And how many ladybugs do you see in October??? Now my Grandpa loved to travel and can I tell you that he has been to visit when we've been in Portugal, Florida, Dubai (yes Dubai!!!!), Troon and when Nicole was working on the farms in Australia this time last year he visited her every day for about 2 weeks!!

I don't remember my Grandma at all...I was only 2 and a bit when she died but her name was Ruby and when I was dreaming up a new image I wanted to call her Ruby...and I think the name suits her perfectly. Also if I had of had another girl I wanted to call her Ruby...unfortunately I didn't but I did get a dog and called her Ruby instead LOL!!

When I started stamping almost 9 years ago and wanted to call myself something Ladybug Crafts was the obvious choice. And when I seriously thought about doing it as a business Ladybug Crafts Ink fit pefectly :- )

That's all for today...writing all that about my Grandpa brought back a lot of good memories and stories which got me a bit teary...just in time for more rain!!

Catch ya later x

Cutie Patootie

Here's a short haired version of Ruby....too cute!! I love her pixie 'do :-)

It kinda reminds me of my hair when I was about 1 lol.

I really like the easel card and decided I had to do another...with some slight changes. I've seen some easel cards and they have quite a lot on them...even the bottom bit is really decorated. Sometimes less is more but you never know what I might do on the next one lol.

I'm having my first night out in ages with my friends Pauline and Karen tonight. We're going for a bite to eat at Cafe Gandolphi. I have been extremely anti-social over the past few months and have a lot of catching up to do with a lot of my friends. I'm meeting my friend Jean next week (I think..it's on the calendar so I won't forget!) in Princes Square at Fantoosh. They make the best chilli pate and I have it whenever we go there.

I'd better get Pierce's dinner going...he's dining on his own tonight. Nicole and Ben went up North today to spend some time with his parents. He had been away longer than Nicole...2 1/2 years in total and Robbie and Moira only saw him at Pierce's 50th and briefly over that weekend so it will be nice for them to catch up. Steven's working and Ryan is going out with his friends for dinner so it will be just Pierce, Ruby & Rocky...oh, and the football LOL.

Catch ya later x

This is going to be a quick post as I want to get to bed before 11 (fat chance!) and I still have to take the dogs for their last walk.

I've got another cutie for you...I {heart} this one (like the last 2 lol) Ruby has got the prettiest face :-) And again a dream to colour. I think she's almost fairytaleish (new word!) and very dreamy.

Speaking of dreamy, I've got 12 minutes to post this, take the dogs out, war paint off and into my bed!!

Catch ya later x

It's a girl...

...well 25 years ago today there was...happy birthday Nicole!

Everything was pretty civilised until Nic decided we should balance cupcakes on our heads!



Oops!

Then the fun began...

I can't remember the last time I had a food fight...OMG...it was sooooooo funny. We laughed so hard we ended up crying LOL.

Catch ya later x

ps Those cupcakes were amazing :-)