How Long????????????

How long has it been since I posted on here? Ages!!!! Lots has been going on - the only bit of crafting I have been doing though has been a scrapbook for a friend's Wedding - that kept me busy and I didn't even remember to take pictures of it before I gave it away. A bit silly of me.


As well as crafting though - I have also been learning to be a Chocolatier and have joined Chocolate Craft At Home - a chocolate company offering chocolate parties - not only do you get to see and taste yummy chocolates but I also do a chocolate demonstration and show you how to make your own chocolates. I've set up a separate blog to record my chocolate endeavours so if you love chocolate - pop over and see what I'm up to. I'll be adding yummy chocolate recipes and, if you're in the Andover Hampshire area give me a shout if you fancy a party.



Here's a picture to give you an idea. Yummy! www.fionawhitehead.blogspot.com if you fancy having a peek!

MATCHBOX SWAP ANYONE????

I fancy doing a matchbox swap and have looked around in blogland but a lot of them seem to be monthly swaps and to begin with I'd just like to do one - so anyone want to join in with me???

Make one matchbox and we'll swap with one partner

The theme is BIRDS as its spring and easter is almost upon us.

Leave your name if you'd like to join in - cut off date for signing up will be 8th April.

WOYWW #96

I have lots and lots of goodies - after bemoaning the fact that I haven't had new stash in ages I treated myself to some goodies from Emma's Paperie - don't know what it is about this blog and shop but it always inspires me to buy buy buy. Here's the lovely box I received yesterday - all wrapped up in beautiful tissue paper - it was like an early birthday for next month!

Here's a close-up of the papers - can't wait to get my hands on them.

If this lot doesn't inspire me to get scrapbooking again I don't know what will. My daughter is 21 next year, my son is 18 - and I'll be 50 - three excuses for some new scrapbooks!

Check out Julia's blog here to see what everyone else is up to.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

Its the first of the month today and I'm going to be giving away a piece of Magickdiva art to one of my followers. My first problem though is how do I find out their blog addresses? Can anyone help? When I click on their name it says I need to sign in or belong to the group. Help!

I've been chuckling away today listening to Radio 2 where they've been playing an April Fools joke with the alternative Ken Bruce - quite amusing. Its hubby's 50th Birthday today - and he loved the Family album I made him - simple things - not hubby you understand!

I've had some lovely post today. This gorgeous bookmark was from a bookmark swap I hosted on UK Stampers. Mine was from Zoe and you check out her blog here . Thanks so much Zoe - I love love it.

I also received some lovely tags from the Craftymess tag swap - its so nice to receive lovely post.

I also wanted to thank everyone for their help with the rubber stamp sticky problem - a quick wipe with a damp cloth did the trick.

WOYWW#95

Wow - another week gone and I haven't done any blogging! That was a quick week - not one picture of my desk today but three!

My husband is 50 ! on Friday - 1st April and I decided last minute to do one of these FAMILY chipboard albums for him - here it is in its early stages:

And then Oscar had to come and see what I was doing!

Check out Julia's blog to see what everyone else is up to this week. Happy WOYWWing!

WOYWW #94 HELP PLEASE!

Well it's Wednesday again - and time for a trip round Julia's followers of desks! Sounds mad but its addictive!



Here's my desk this week: There are my inchies for the UK Stampers inchy swap - this month we're doing Australia and Oceana. My inchies depict the Sidney Opera House (why wouldn't I pick that lol!) on top of Ayers Rock surrounded by the words Waltzing Matilda - I know a bit of a cliche song!

On the left there are some Tim Holtz stamps -and I need some advice please - the stamps have lost their stickiness - how do I get it back? They keep falling off my blocks.

PS - do you know what DH said to me the other day - "you're desk is a mess" he just doesn't get it does he?

HAPPY DAY, SAD DAY

Its always a mixed day for me today- its my son's 17th Birthday today - but its also the anniversary of the day my sister Jackie died - 12 years ago this year. She was 46 and left behind 2 girls age 17 and 19 - their dad had died 3 years previously. Life eh!

On to this week's bit of crafting - I'm hosting a Bookmark Swap over at UK Stampers - if you'd like to join in the cut off date for entries is this Friday. Wednesday Stamper wants us to use pens or pencils in our art work this week - I've once again turned to my trust Cherry Pie art stamps - I always seem to find what I need amongst these stamps. I've turned it into a bookmark so will be using it for my swap. Fun with ATC's is a new ATC blog I've found and their challenge this week is puzzles - as my bookmark is ATC sized and has a puzzle it will also fit in with their challenge.

TMTA this week is just like my mood today - blue. Here's my ATC - this song sprang to mind as soon as I saw the word Blue - I can't even remember who sang it - the bird is double layered with feathers attached to his tail. Its a Stampin Up stamp. (ps - had to go and find out who sang it and thanks to youtube found out it was Neil Diamond - now I can't get the song out of my head - hope it doesn't do the same to you!)

Don't forget I'm also hosting an altered Matchbox Swap on here if you'd like to join in.

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY ! SLAINTE

Happy St Patrick's Day to all of you - Irish or not. Its still a great excuse to celebrate a Feast Day. Both my parents were Irish - born in Dublin as are two of my siblings - but I was born in England, and consider Wales my country - mad! This is the first year I won't be sending my mum a St Patrick's Day card - but I'm sure she's having a grand time up there with all the relatives.

WOYWW#93

Wednesday again and that means WOYWW. I found this cute stamp when I was rummaging through my stamp box - I don't think I've used it much but she looks lovely - not sure where I got it from - but I think she definitely deserves an outing - she's all dressed up and no-where to go - I'm just deciding what to do with her.

I received an award today from Gerri - I found her blog via the Gingersnaps challenge the other day and had a nose around - I'm so pleased to now receive this from her. Thank you so much Gerri - its so nice to know that people come and read my blurb and like what I do - it gives you a warm feeling all over doesn't it!

TUESDAY'S THOUGHTS

Another nice sunny day here in Hampshire after a misty morning - I actually got out in the garden and did some pruning and tidying yesterday- there is so much to do in my garden that it can be a bit daunting even starting but I was on a bit of a roll. Then I had to sit and have a cuppa and a read!!

This week's challenge over at TMTA is Feel Like a Queen. I have chosen to do Mozart's Queen of the Night from the Magic Flute - A role I sang 3 years ago. Never again.....not my favourite role in Opera. The image is taken from a card I received from Welsh National Opera advertising their forthcoming season and I kept it hoping it would come in handy for some crafting. As the colours are so rich and jewel like I'm also entering it in the Gingersnap Creations where one of the challenges is Jewel Colours plus gold.

The challenge over at Less is more is one layer off the page. I got a bit confused with the rules here cuase I thought they always had to be one layer - but this week's definitely is one layer - lots of white space and off the page. I find I have to be so strict with myself not to go adding more and more - its really difficult. I found this great stamp set by Stampin Up at the back of my cupboard and thought it would suit the off the page rule quite well. White cards don't show up well on my scanner - its hard to see where it all starts and finishes. Any hints on how to scan it properly would be very welcome.

MAGICAL MONDAY

Magical really because the sun is still shining here in Hampshire - it was a glorious weekend - hubby and son went to Cardiff to the Rugby to watch Wales Win - contraversial but still a win - I lazed about at the Celtic Manor - a hotel dear to our hearts as its where we were married 25 years ago.

On Sunday we took our son for a trip down Memory Lane paying a visit to the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagan's - if you've never been its well worth a trip - when my children were small and we lived just a few miles away from the Museum I used to have a season ticket and we spent many a day there having a picnic. There are over 40 original buildings from across Wales re-erected in 100 acres, from a Celtic Village, to a church, from shops to a toll house. This picture of 6 terrace houses were taken from near Merthyr Tydfil and each house is decorated in a different period - ranging from 1805 up to 1985. The difference as you visit each house is quite humbling - and it shows you how much "stuff" we fill our homes with today.

From there we moved on to the Roman Baths and Museum at Caerleon - Chris is studying Classical History at A level and wants to specialise in Roman Warfare - what he will do with it I have no idea but its where his heart lies. Caerleon was known as the Roman Fortress of Isca and there are the remains of the baths and an amphitheatre which could seat the whole legion, up to 6,000 spectators. Much of the remains are now buried under the houses which are built here but there is still lots to see.

On to some crafting - the challenge over at Wednesday stamper last week was to use a letter in your art work and at least one rubber stamp - I'm still on my mission to cover cheese boxes - and am thinking of doing a range of Capital Cities - so with this in mind my next box represented Paris. The rubber stamp by Cherry Pie Art Stamps - I should have shares! - is a painting by Leonardo entitled La Belle Ferronierre house in the Louvre - I decided Mona gets too much of an airing sometimes. She is supposed to be the wife or daughter of an Ironmonger (Ferroniere) and is reputed to be the mistress to Francois I - see, art and a history lesson! There is also a Tim Holtz stamp of the Eiffel Tower and the letter is a stamp by Stampin Up. The inchy is one I received in a swap - I loved its colours.

I hope the sun is shining for you where ever you are.

Talking Tea.......

On my blog travels again today - I came across Kimmie's blog and her Tuesday Tea brigade - what a lovely idea. So I thought I would join in with some of my own tea. I love to make herbal teas and this one is a raspberry leaf, marigold and lady's mantle tea. Its nearly the end of the batch as I need it to be summer to collect all the ingredients. Its a great tea for women's monthly problems as well as tasting good.

Here's what the tea looks like in its raw state - the colours are very pretty.

As its loose leaf tea it deserves to be made in a proper pot with a plunger. Do you like the cups? They are actually coffee cups, with a little story behind them - last May I lost my darling mum and it was my job to sort out all her things - I'm sure you understand. She was a great collector of fine bone china but hidden in a cupboard still in their box were these two cups - not her style at all but I loved them - they have pride of place on my dresser and they are lovely to drink out of. I'm sure she'd be happy I'm using them and tea was her favourite drink.

Welsh Cake Recipe........and an illusion

It's my daughter's 20th Birthday today - 20 - when did that happen? Its also her first one away from home ever. I was a bit tearful this morning - soppy old moma! Its a lovely sunny day here in Hampshire and it was a lovely sunny day in Wales when she was born - in fact she's always had sunny days on her birthday - she has such a sunny disposition, takes after me you know! lol! This is her on her 13th Birthday with her horse Figaro behind her - she still has him.





And this was her on her 18th.




Anyway - I digress - my post this morning is to provide you with the much requested recipe for Welsh Cakes or Teissen Cymraeg as they are also known:

Sorry its all in lbs and ounces but I'm not a metric girl!

8oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp mixed spice
2oz butter or margarine
2oz lard
3 oz caster sugar
2oz currants (soak them in cold tea to plump them up)
1 egg, beaten
2-3 tablespoons milk

Sift flour baking powder and spice then add butter and fat and rub in. Add sugar and fruit. Beat 1 egg and mix in - add just enough milk to form a soft dough - turn out and cut into rounds about 1/4" thick. Cook on a heavy pan or griddle over a medium heat turning as necessary until cooked inside and out about 4 mins each side. Sprinkle with caster sugar if liked - best eaten on the day of being made.

You can also do Teisen Dinca - Apple Welsh Cakes:

Make up dough as above but add 6oz grated cooking apples (granny smiths in US) before adding egg. This makes a wet dough so you may not need as much milk.

Let me know if you have a go and what you think of them x

The theme over at SPA this week is Illusion - this had me stumped so I did a bit of googling and found some fabulous images. This one was one of my favourite - I have no idea who it is by so can't credit them. Isn't it gorgeous? There was another lovely one I found with birds and a tree.



I'm not a great free hand drawer but thought I'd give it a go - I think my lady's face is slight too thin. I think she looks like one of those old fashioned harsh teachers. Lol! I enjoyed this chance to do something completely different for me.

FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYWOMEN!......

I've gone all Roman - I found a great little book in Oxfam the other day with a view to using for altering - it was a 1963 edition of a travel guide around Rome. It was a bit of a shock seeing the pictures of Rome in 1963 compared to my memories of it two years ago - there's a lot to be said for the introduction of cars - and the way nowadays its hard to see a city in its glory without it being suffocated by cars.

So onto my altered cheese box - I used the large face stamp that had been looking at me all week - this is another Cherry Pie Art Stamp - and checking Marina's website I noticed the lady was called Julia - so for me she is Julia Caesar - Caesar's daughter. I found a picture of a basillica which I have used on the front - I can just imagine her walking around this 2000 years ago. There is also a Julia Basillica - what luck!

Maybe my next cheese box should be Paris - I could work my way around the cities - but goodness think how fat I'll get eating all that cheese! Any donations of cheese boxes kindly received lol!

Here's a sneak preview also of my inchies for the Continents inchy swap over at UK Stampers - yes its Asia -how did you guess?

WOYWW #92

Just realised I've done no blogging since last week - where did that week go? Might be something to do with the nice weather cold but sunny and too nice to be indoors. I have been doing a bit of baking though - here are some yummy welsh cakes!



And here's what's on my desk this week - I'm going to alter some more of these cheese boxes - I also found another book for altering in Oxfam book shop yesterday - its an old Rome travel journal with some great pictures in it - I'm looking forward to having a play - also on my desk are some Asian inchies needing to be finished off for the UK Stampers continents inchy swap. Those stamps from last week are still there - I haven't used them yet - might see if I can incorporate them in the altered boxes. Pop along to Julia's blog to see all the other participants of WOYWW!

I'm chuffed to see my Bohemian Rhapsody made the sampler at Wednesday Stamper - woohoo!

OWOH

I was lucky enough to win a prize from OWOH - Kay from Toodles and Binks sent out some runner up prizes and look what I received today- just when I've been saying I have no new things to play with. Thanks so much Kay - couldn't have come at a better time and I love the images and the little cupcake charm.

Thank you - two little words - don't take up a lot of time to write - never heard whether my OWOH recipients received theirs.

WOYWW #91/WEDNESDAY STAMPER

Last week I was bemoaning the fact that I haven't bought any new stash for ages - nearly a year if not more - so today I thought I would go through my rubber and see what stamps I have that I've never used - it will feel like having something new - so my challenge to myself today is to do something with the above set - not maybe all together at the same time. To see what's on the other girls' desks check out Julias blog.

Wednesday Stamper has the challenging theme of Bohemia this week - at first glance I thought this wasn't for me but it stayed with me and I ended up doing two pieces:

The first is a nod to Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody - do you get it? In case you don't there's the original also.

The second is my interpretation of Carmen - the queen of Boho if ever there were one!

And speaking of Mezzo Sopranos - (do you like the link?) I'm listening to Joyce DiDonato at the moment - a fab mezzo I've only just found - if you like this type of singing check her out on you tube - she does a great duet with Renee Fleming from Cosi Fan Tutte - Ah Guarda La Sorella - I found her cause I'm learning this duet myself for an upcoming concert. What are you all listening to at the moment? I found a new group called Hem yesterday on Rebecca Sower's blog - she had done a playlist for us for music to listen to in the rain and I liked this group so much I went straight on to Amazon and bought a copy - a hard copy mind - not a download - I still like to have the CD in my hands!