FINAL INCHY CHALLENGE

It's our final inchy challenge over at inchy blog this week as I've decided to close the blog - not an easy decision but I think it needs fresh legs. My choice of word for our final one is BLUE. Here's my inchy :

On a brighter note - my hubby and I went out with some friends to Winchester last evening for a skate around the ice rink and then some dinner. I'm not a very confident skater but I did enjoy it - and enjoyed watching those who can skate whizz by me! I'm just so grateful I didn't fall over!

White Glitter and Christmas Markets

This is a card I did for some of my Christmas cards last year and I really enjoyed doing it so thought I'd do some more this year - I'm also putting it in for the theme of White Glitter over at Gingersnap Creations

I met my friend Karen today (Missy K) and we went for lunch in Wincester and had a good old natter and put the world to rights. Its also the time of year when the Christmas Market is held at Winchester Cathedral and they also have an ice rink. We will be enjoying the delights of the Ice Rink on Monday evening - gulp!

Check out Erika's fab blog candy she's offering - you'll find it here

INCHY BLOG CHRISTMAS TAG SWAP

Here are the tags for our last ever inchy swap on inchy challenge blog - we had a gorgeous and varied selection of Christmas Tags all sporting an inchy.

BRRRR - COLD

Our challenge word this week on inchy blog is Cold - couldn't be anything else this week here in the UK. I hope you are all coping ok with the bad weather. Global warming - got to love it! lol!

Here's my inchy for the challenge - only one more week to go on the blog before it closes - although it may be taken up by a few of the other ladies - I wish them luck - it will be nice to play along and not have to do the thinking!

WINTER ANGELS

Whilst blog hopping this week I came across a gorgeous Winter banner and was inspired to make my own. The theme at Wednesday Stamper this week is Angels and my little angels on the banner fit the bill.

You can download the banner with the kind permission of Inka - you'll find her blog here

SNOW DAY

My son was so pleased this morning when he woke up to snow and could have a snow day off college. They're never too old! Here are some snowy pictures of Hampshire:

This is the Christmas Tree in our back garden - when we moved in 4 years ago it was tiny - but now look at it - it looks so pretty.

This morning I helped out at our village pub to put up the Christmas Decorations - there was a real festive atmosphere and we all stayed much longer than we should have - this is the pub with the snow on it - the thatch also looks very pretty at this time of year.

...and another

Meredith Scraps is also holding a Christmas card challenge - as she's in Australia though she doesn't want any snow cards! Here's a present card - inspired by Kristina Werner again.

MORE CHRISTMAS CARDS

I came across a new challenge blog today - called Christmas Cards All Year Round - their challenge was to do cards with the word Santa or a picture of Santa on - and if you do 5 you get entered into a monthly draw. I looked through the cards I've done recently and indeed had 7 with Santa on them - I've had to use my camera to photograph them as the scanner isn't working very well:

INCHY BLOG - GIVING

I have decided that its time to give up the inchy challenge blog that I run - its been going for over two years and I've met some great cyber friends and real friends. The blog will run its last challenge on 20th December and there will be a farewell prize being offered.

The challenge this week in the meantime is Giving - and here's mine:

Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year but this year it is more poignant as its my first year without my mum who died in May. Its also the first year my daughter Emma has been away from home as she is at Uni - so only one chocolate for me to put in the Advent Calender this year - and I've had my orders that I can't put the Christmas tree up until she comes home to help. A year of changes in our household.

I've been inspired by Kristina Werner to make some Christmas cards - you'll find her here I've not been crafting and have got rid of a lot of my craft stuff but I just couldn't bear to part with the Christmas stamps and papers and Kristina helped me find my mojo - I love having her on in the background - it makes crafting less lonely. She does a countdown of cards for Christmas and I've followed her 2009 and 2010 one this year and made similar cards - I'll try and show a few per day. I've also used my own handwriting on the blue card - inspired by Kristina - I don't think it turned out too bad.

The Robin card can be entered into the Saturday Surprise challenge - their theme is home for the holidays and the Take a Word challenge - their word is Home.

DEVOTION

The challenge over at inchy challenge blog this week is Devotion.

Here's mine

And these are some pictures of our new cat Oscar settling in very well - Tegan is definitely devoted to him.

Who says cats and dogs have to be enemies?

Meet OSCAR

We have a new addition to the family - Oscar - my husband isn't really a cat man but I've found out after 25 years (today I should add) that he can't really refuse me anything. Aren't I lucky - so for my silver wedding present I got Oscar the cat - a three year old from Cat's Protection. I lost my Felix in May after 17 years and he left a big gap.

Although I have two other cats they are just not people cats but I could see that Oscar and I were going to be great pals. He's settled in very well so far and taking all of my brood in his stride. He doesn't look too stressed does he?

INCHY CHALLENGE - WAVE

Our word for this week over at inchy challenge blog is Wave - I've done a wave of the hand. If you'd like to play along you'll find us here

Its a busy week ahead in our household as my daughter goes off to Uni next Saturday - all the way up to Aberystwyth which is a 5 hour drive from us here in Hampshire. She's going up to study Equine Studies and this weekend we drove her horse Figaro up as he's going to be studying with her! At least if she gets homesick she can go and give him a big hug. I must admit I'm not looking forward to the goodbyes - I cry at the slightest thing and I know I'll be wreck.

I have a new cat coming to live with us tomorrow - his name is Oscar and he's a three year old black and white - I've missed my old Felix who died in May and although I have two other cats they are very aloof so I'm hoping Oscar will be more of a people cat - he's come from Cat Protection and I hope he settles in ok with all my brood. He will give me something to focus on with Emma going!

Its my Silver Wedding Anniversary tomorrow - we've been celebrating since August with one thing another but tomorrow is the actual date. Don't 25 years go so quick!

INCHY BLOG - DAINTY

Inchy blog's word for this week is Dainty. I found this image and thought it suited. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else makes of the word. You can find us here if you'd like to join in.

I'M BACK AND SO IS INCHY CHALLENGE BLOG

I'm back from a wonderful holiday in Kefalonia, Greece as part of our 25th Wedding Anniversary celebrations - this was the view from our pool - isn't it gorgeous!

We received a wonderful Welsh Lovespoon from Emma and Christopher as a present.

In case you are not familiar with Lovespoons, the custom and carving of Welsh Lovespoons originated in Wales hundreds of years ago. The young man would carve the spoon in the hope that his loved one would accept it. If the girl accepted - it showed her interest and is the origin of our word "spooning" Various symbols would be included - a chain would mean togetherness, a dragon for protection, a heart for love, a diamond for good luck etc.

I've also started up inchy challenge blog again with a brand new set of challenges each week which is going to be WORDS. This week's word is Touch - here's my inchy - the image was part of a Moo I was sent by Pauline and I loved the way she'd presented it so I adapted it somewhat to become an inchy and added a few more bits and pieces. If you'd like to join in with our challenges you'll find us here

Apple picking time

My apple trees have shown an abundance of fruit this year - I'm not sure whether its to do with the lovely hot weather we had in June which made them think we were going to have a summer (what a joke!) or the fact that I pruned them last year after some expert instruction. Whatever the reason - they are showing lovely big juicy apples. Its coming up to my favourite time of year - when the house is going to smell of baking, chutney making - cider and anything else I can think of to pickle or preserve.

One of my favourite books for apples is called The Apple Source Book by Sue Clifford & Angela King, which is a wealth of information for everything to do with apples. I never realised how many varieties they are- sadly I don't know what make my apples are - I have one cooking apple tree which I presume is bramleys and two eating apple trees.

As well as loads of information about apples it also gives recipes and this is their Dorset Apple Cake - scrummy! As requested - here's the recipe - and it is yummy - even hubby says so and he doesn't like cake!

8 oz flour

2 oz butter

2 oz lard

1lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped

4 oz sugar ( I used demerara)

1 egg

2 teaspoons baking powder

a little milk

mix all ingredients and bake in a greased and base lined cake tin ( I used a spring loaded and didn't line it and it was fine) about 8 in across and 1 1.2 in deep for 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 180C, 350F gas mark 4

Sorry for all the imperial - I still don't use grams! But can convert if you need me to

Greece and other things....

I'm off on holiday to Greece next week as part of my 25th Wedding Anniversary celebrations - and can't wait to relax in the pool with an ouzo, just to see some sun will be nice as its pouring down here in Hampshire today.



I managed to get a bit of time to do some crafting and was inspired by a piece Francesca sent me when she joined in with my inchy challenge blog swap. I had a look at some challenge sites and noticed that Wednesday Stamper are asking for a stitched piece and this one fits the bill. I've used various stamps, Cherry Pie - Tim Holtz - can't remember where I got the flourish one from.

TMTA are also asking us to use script this week - my background script is a Tim Holtz stamp.

W X Y AND Z!

Oops- I've been neglecting my old blog - we've now finished our A-Z on the inchy challenge blog - here's mine to finish the set:

I will be starting a new challenge in September - something a little bit different.

A busy month ahead of us for August with celebrations for our 25th Wedding Anniversary (which is actually 21st Sept) our daughter going away to Uni, off to Greece for a holiday all of us at the end of August and my son off to College.

My daughter has been doing an equine touch course in the New Forest for the past few days and it was a great opportunity for me to take the dogs down to play in the Forest - its so peaceful down there but such a shock when you get back into civilisation and on the motorway.

Here are some pictures of Tegan now 9 months and Tara - 11 years.

I love the way the camera has managed to catch Tegan's tail going nineteen to the dozen.

I've also got something else in the pipeline which is in its early stages at the moment -

What do you think of my posie or tussie-mussie?