'DO NOT TUMBLE DRY'.....what the &*$% ?!?

But first, lets set the scene....think 'the 1970's' - more specifically think 1970's kitchen tiles...

...conjure up if you will, an image not dissimilar to this:



You might (if you are posh..lol!) recognise this as the delightful print on the uniform of a particularly upmarket (with excellent customer service) supermarket.

I recall the time when I first clapped eyes on it about six years ago, and thought...'oh no, how 1970's kitchen tiles...and bleh!' However, over time I found that this uniform brought with it significant advantages - namely, you could bung it in the washing machine followed by a quick tumble...this sometimes being very useful when one has forgotten to put things in the dryer the night before and needs it dry fast - and you could happily leave a weeks supply in the tumbler, taking them out only when needed and not a crease or even a tiny wrinkle would be in sight...yay! This is MY kind of clothing - maybe the retro look aint so bad!

But, earlier this year came the big announcement that we are being brought up to date (I will reserve judgement on that one), and a new uniform was on its way. We saw piccies in the Chronicle and then on posters and leaflets, and I think many of us were still in two minds about how keen we were, but then we had the big 'try on' session and suddenly we came round. Oh yes, this is lovely and fresh, and SO much nicer - despite needing sizes ranging from 14 to 18 for the different garments...whats that all about?!? Oh yes, remember what the physio said...you are a funny shape Sue! Mmmmm.....

Anyway, it would be all systems go in July...then this was put back and we had to contain our excitement until September, but of course I find myself absent from the launch still being incapacitated. No worries however, as my trusty boss Lesley said that not only would she bring my new uniform round to me, but she would have it washed pressed and hanging on hangers, all ready for my return (as Alison is my witness!)......erm...

Does this look like washed pressed and on hangers to you???



Tut...you just cant get the staff these days! lol!

Anyway, thats by the by as the real shocker was yet to come - delivered with great relish in a telephone call by our Barb. She calls up and goes all round the houses with the news from her holiday, her decorating and her new curtains, and her fall off the sofa (how many had you had???) leaving her on crutches too - when she slipped the bombshell into the conversation - the new uniform CANNOT BE TUMBLE DRIED! The implication being of course that it WILL need showing the iron every week, and if there was anything to give me a relapse that was it! I did not believe her - I thought she knows what Im like and that Barb is such a minx, I bet she's spent all day thinking this one up - but no, I ripped open a packet and there it was....



Someones having a laugh surely!!!! I mean its polycotton - whats not tumblerable (that IS a real word in this house) about polycotton???

Well Im sorry, but Im just not having it.....so in you go....



...and round and round you go....



...and if you dont behave yourself......four shirts, size 22 please Lesley - washed pressed and hanging on hangers!!!

Happy thoughts, Sue x

Hi honeys...Im back!

...from the darkness of my sofa! lol!

As promised (or maybe threatened?!) in my previous post, Alma and I have been working with our freebie papers from the latest issue of Scrapbook Magazine in our efforts to get ourselves in print once again!

Well I am done, and with the half a dozen bits of A4 size paper including some embellie elements. I have made no less than 4 cards, 3 scrap pages (including one hanging one), a gift tag, a tag album, a calendar and two notebooks - one for my Christmas card list, the other for gifts. Close ups are shown in my slide-show below, but here are my group pics:

Here is a piccie of a tag that is missing from the slide show...for some reason photobucket wouldnt upload it? Its my sisters triplets...yes triplets!



Alma has made even more pieces than that...WOW...Im sure they will be featuring on her lovely blog soon!

Anyway, I dare them not to give us a little mention after all our efforts! Such fun...but then they were lovely papers, which does make a nice change for freebies!

Hip news: a quiet week this week but next week I have physio, an MRI and acupuncture...kill or cure eh!

Special sparkle delivery this week for Valerie for her appointment, and for our Lesleys pooch Charlie - get well soon buddy!

Sue x

The wait is over....

...although Im thinking my keeping you in suspense overnight might have 'bigged up' the tale somewhat lol!

It is always such a treat to see your work in print, and Ive been lucky enough to experience this once or twice in the past. This week my Scrapbook Magazine arrived on the mat and was the first thing I flicked through with my morning (or probably afternoon thinking about it) cuppa...and wow...there was the little card I made for a friends grandaughter a few months back...



What a lovely start to the day...but it got even better! Next to my little project, I spotted a lovely scrap page sent in by my wonderful forum friend Alma...



A double treat then...and I gather we will get some free stash for our efforts, so cool!

So uplifted by seeing our names in print was I, I thought maybe we should do this 'sending projects in to mags' thing more often (potentially more free stash!) -and I have challenged Alma to make as many things as we can with the freebie papers that came with this issue, and send in photos. The papers are particularly nice - Bo Bunny festive ones, and after a bit of a mojo drought, they have really quite inspired me. So much so, so far I have made 3 cards, 2 small scrap pages and 2 notebooks using my freebie papers, with plenty left over for more bits and bobs. I will make a little slide show when I am done. Alma is going to join me...anyone else care to join in?

Anyway, there you are...thats my claim to fame this week, was it worth the wait?!? lol!

The weekend is upon us again and I wish you all a good one!
Hugs & sparkles, Sue x

I've been published!!!

But more about that tomorrow...

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

Happy Christmas!!!

Oh dont...I cant be doing with the festive nightmare beginning in the shops around now (one plus point to not being IN shops just now!).....but a week or so ago, good old QVC offered us an Anna Griffin Christmas card kit as a TSV...so what could I do? I thought a kit, where you just have to slap bits and bobs onto cards, would be just the ticket for me at the moment given my limited ability to do very much. So, if you can bear it, take a looky at my slide show below where you will see what Ive made up so far - the kit is lovely, but I did add some of my own bling and sparkles and used gold and silver card for layering....enjoy! lol!

Hip-wise...not much change sadly. I cant remember where I was at when I last posted, but Ive had my appointment at the rheumy, and I now have an appointment booked for an MRI scan - that is for the end of the month which is pretty amazing really! Hopefully that will tell them where to jab me with steroids to end the pain - Im getting the feeling that its not going to bugger off on its own, although I do live in hope that I will wake up one morning and everything will be back to normal....whatever that is! No physio this week as my lady Michelle is away on a course, but the pummelling will resume next Monday...yay...not! Meanwhile I continue to stagger around the place (and not a drop of the hard stuff has passed my lips!), tripping up the stick at regular intervals, and still having to take the stairs one by one - what a drag when you want, no NEED, to dash up there to stroke some pretty paper!!!

Tomorrow is our Tesco delivery day once again...I wonder if I will be able to beat Dad to the bag containing the mini-cookies, the Pringles, fresh cream donuts...and whatever other illicit goodies I chucked in the basket while he wasnt looking lol!

Anyway, I will leave you with my sparkles and wish you a good week ahead!

Sue x

Crafting leave - week 3...and counting...sigh!

Hello blog hoppers, I do hope this post finds you all well! Lee, I hear that you have not been so well, so oodles of hugs and sparkles coming your way my lovely, I do hope you feel better very soon xxx

Can I just say...my bum dont half hurt!!! Ive had a sneezing fit, and while coughing now sends electric shocks to my shin and ankle (?), sneezing hurts me bum! I have just administered some extra strong meds in an attempt to counter-act the last couple of days....so if I go off waffling at a tangent please forgive me!

Its all action stations here as I was lucky to have my rheumy appointment brought forward from October to yesterday...yay! Lots of pulling about occurred, and the consultant agreed with the physio that it is bulging discs causing all the pain and not my hip. Bulging...what a word...and that just about sounds right! She has ordered me an MRI scan which will identify if a steroid jab will help...only the scan could be 4-6 weeks away! Worse still, if a jab is recommended, that will be done by the pain clinic to whom I have also been referred, but I gather the waiting list for this runs into months...WHAT???? However, evidently the physio will work to un-bulge my discs so hopefully relief will come sooner rather than later...please please please! The rheumy does think its going to be a bit of a long job though as this is such an acute flare up and will take time to settle...I can only say sorry again to my office chicks!

Today was physio, and whilst I can feel a difference while she is working her magic...I do rather pay for it later, and today has been very difficult - I think I can only take so much pulling about and this week Ive reached my limit already! And I have excercises to do too...good grief!!! Docs tomorrow...then hopefully some rest!

Anyhoo...its not all bums and bulging discs. I have managed a few minutes here and there in the emporium and have made a sort of collage..just to play around with some dies, stamps...a bit of stitching and wotnot, and this is what Ive come up with...



and a few close ups...







I even have a bell tower lol!


I quite like it..it was just a bit of nonsense as I couldnt settle into some proper scrapping, but my sister loves it and is angling to pinch it...mmm...maybe!

The weather has been pretty crappy hasnt it! Not that Im bothered much what the weather is doing, but those drizzly dark days were a bit much to take, especially along with my Dads constant diet of war documentaries on the tv...sigh! Im sure my recuperation would go along much smoother with a dose of Only Fools and Horses rather than Hitler, but hey ho...I do not have the power over the remote!

In the few sunny moments that we have had, Ive enjoyed stepping into the garden to breath in some fresh air and soak up the peace and quiet. I took a few piccies around the garden - firstly my lovely sunflowers given to me by our Lesley...



and of course the close up...



Pretty eh! I also got a snap of the grapes...if only we made wine, we have oodles of the things!



And finally a hello from my little madams Bubbles and Daisy...





There you are, thats me for now - still being a miserable old moo! lol!

I do hope that you are all fairing better! Thank you as always for popping by!
Sue xxx