Total Witch

Yesterday I was a complete COW! Yes indeedy, with deadlines looming, piles of ironing and a house that needs to be cleaned I was HORRID. Have to be nice today since it is of course Fathers Day.

We have been invited to a Pirate Party next weekend to meet the neighbours - we went shopping for fancy dress yesterday which was a hoot. The shop in the middle of Edinburgh was run by a bunch of "very pierced" individuals. It was good fun and Alan who hates dressing up finally got into the swing of things and was picking out stuff to accessorise his outfit ha ha!!

Hopefully I can get some pics and post them next week.

It's a lovely day here in Edinburgh and we are only 2 mins from the sea so we are hoping to go on a boat ride this afternoon.

Techno Geek

Sometimes I wonder about myself. Now I work from home most of the time I am surrounded by technology, I have 4 email accounts, 3 types of instant messenger, I text using my iPhone (dratted Apple just brought out another version - gee thanks!!), and I have just signed up for Twitter (go on try it).I think I am definitely a geek, but I just LOVE technology.

Thanks to that Kirsty Wiseman woman, I am now hankering after a digital SLR too, so I am scouring ebay for second hand bargains, I really want to learn more about taking photos.

So what else have I been up to? Just had another project published in Quick and Crafty using the fabulous downloads from Pink Petticoat. I always buy my patterned paper, but the super talented Liz, designs papers and "digital stamps" that are so funky and modern I decided to have a go at using them. I was really sceptical about it to be honest, I have a very simple colour inkjet printer, but the print outs looked really good. Anyway, pop along to her website and get downloading.

More Crafty Stash

UH-OH, I have discovered a new way to empty my bank account.............................beading!

Discovered not one but two beading shops close by and I am hooked. I love jewellry and have nearly finished my first necklace.

I went to a shop on Saturday, then discovered another on Monday. The only downside was that when I came out of the second shop I had a flippin' parking ticket - I WAS SOOOO Mad!

My hubby who is not very arty said "huh! well at least it is more exciting than card making ,beads are quite interesting" and admitted he might even cross the threshold of a bead shop.

I'll let you know.

Artstamps Scotland

Blimey I have been really busy with projects, my craft room looked like a bomb had hit it today so I tidied up and it looks much better.

Yesterday, feeling "starved" of an opportunity to shop for "real" i.e not from t'interweb, I decided to go to the Artstamps Scotland Show in Edinburgh. Quite frankly it was AWFUL (stand by for a Sam rant)

I paid £3.50 to get in and the quality of the exhibitors wasn't up to much. It was a great venue and not busy but most of the stands weren't well known or high quality. I felt this way the last time at the SECC show in Glasgow. I don't know why, we have some great stash shops in the UK but they very rarely venture North of the Border.As an avid crafter I get very angry when I see the "Low" end crafting retailers making up the bulk of the exhibitors. These people are very much the "pile it high, sell it cheap" type. They have no real interest in crafting, they don't have anyone demoing the products, they just want to make a fast buck and they put other shops out of business - and OK I am a craft snob, but there must be a better way to run these shows.

The shows are not cheap to attend so I really feel for our stash sellers, it costs a huge amount of money to have a stand, then there are travel and accomodation bills and (unbelievably) they do have to factor in a certain percentage for "shoplifters". Yes you might not like the fact that some of the retailers breathe down your neck at a show, but there are plenty of light fingered people out there. Times aren't easy for our craft shops at the best of times and the credit crunch is hitting us all, so we shall see how it all pans out.

All I can say is, I really hope that the shops that do the shows have a think about allocating a small part of their budget to attend a show North of The Border, we need you. Most of the feedback on UKS this weekend about the show was that it was very much below par, and I am certainly going to be in touch with the organisers!

A Couple of Quick Cards

OK these won't win any prizes, but here are a couple of cards I made over the weekend.....very similar layouts and simple to do. The 18th Card uses Berry Sweet Paper , new from K&Co and very scrummy their new papers are, the brad is Dovecraft ( I think)

I dragged out some old Junkitz paper for the moving house card. The font was cut using my Cricut, I managed to mangle a couple of letters getting them off the cutting mat so I scrunched them all a bit and inked them, it's great when a mistake can be made to work LOL!!!

Quite Chuffed

Well I have spent MONTHS doing every mag commission in a total panic for lack of inspiration basically because crafting time has been once or twice a month. This last week I have completed 3 commissions ON TIME and although they have been challenging, it has been really rewarding to finish them. I have realised that practice makes perfect, if you don't create on a regular basis then the mojo takes longer to find.

Today I have been working on a project for a mag doing mens cards............yuk!!! They are the worst to make for, but I reckon I have done it, I rose to the challenge.

I visited Flawless Designs in Stirling for the first time today, what bliss to visit a real shop, and my goodness it was worth a 40 min drive, packed to the rafters!! I'll be back there again I can tell you!!!

I also made two cards for friends, they won't win any awards but I'll post pics tomorrow.

Love Stampin' Up! ???

Stampin' Up! are holding a special 2 hour Stampin' Up! experience in Edinburgh on the 28th June, it's a chance to meet the SU! people and make a couple of cards. If you would like to come along, send me an email to sam.currie@btinternet.com and I will tell you alllll about it.

I've been a croppin'

Well I went to the Bo'ness crop on Sat evening and jolly good fun it was too. A really nice bunch of ladies we had a right laugh about an American word on a sheet of BG rubons. In the US it means "spirited" in the UK eeeeeeeeeeeeeeerm something rather less ahem shall we say "clean" than that, ha ha!!!

I did some digi scrapping which was fun, but the fruits of my labours are actually "pants" so whilst I was brushing up on techniques using digi templates I won't be showcasing them here LOL!

I am hoping to get along to another crop this Saturday (husband permitting) I need some more crafting buddies up here.

Finished off some cards for Crafts Beautiful, the editor will probably pass out cos they will actually be almost on time this month.

Bad Blogger

Cor Blimey how bad have I been, haven't blogged in aaages.

OK so I have been working on some mag projects, and tomorrow I am going to my first Scottish crop. I am taking my laptop to do some Digi Scrapping - yey! No doubt I will be heckled as I will be without, paper, inks etc. Actually knowing me, I will spend most of my time gabbing and eating snacks.

Just watching a great programme on Peggy Lee on BBC4, since my maiden name was Lea, and my Auntie was called Peggy, I am related to Peggy Lea (OK TOTALLY tenuous link there)

Got a great new column in Quick and Crafty mag coming up soon, focusing on blogs , so I am going to spend even more time blog-hopping.

Still in a Guddle

Guddle, I learned this week, is Scottish for "total tip/in a mess" so now I am speakin' da lingo up here I can affirm that our "hoose" (more lingo) is still in a guddle.

I was nearly there with my craft room but a lot of Alex's junk got shoved in there last night as we are building him a new wardrobe tonight. On that point, we spent a fortune in IKEA last weekend and I found out that they are having a 21% off sale today cos they are celebrating 21 years in the UK......................talk about bad timing!

I have started back at work - Working from home or WFM as I like to call it. I have also found out that I know have a "portfolio career" - with my day job and my crafty design work I have kinda 2 jobs hence the term "portfolio career", sounds pretty darn groovy to me!

Much of my time has been spent trying to get rid of a certain smell in our the utility room. No-one but I can smell it . I have a very sensitive nose, borne no doubt out of years of ceaseless poking it into other peoples business LOL! Put it this way, the last owners had cats who I think must have been incontinent, I think there was a serious "widdle fest" going on in that room prior to the move "aaaaahhh knock yourself our kitty kats we ain't staying...."

I have also been a little bit obessessed with Delia's new book "How to Cheat...." It's brill. I have searched and searched every electrical shop in Edinburgh for a Kenwood mini chopper, finally got one on line. So last night I made Shepherds pie using M&S tinned lamb and Aunt Bessies frozen mashed potato. I must admit I didn't hold out much hope for it. It looked like (and smelled like) dog food with small frisbees on top. BUT it was gorgeous!! Even Alan, who HATES shepherds pie, thought it was very tasty..............I am such a domestic goddess ha ha.

Right off to pick Alex up from school, Scottish kids "don't do Friday afternoons" so Mummy is copping for it this afternoon. Harvey Nicks will have to wait for another week ha ha!!

My New Craft Room

Right, Alex is at school, Alan is at work and now I can get down to the business of finally sorting out my new craft room yey!!

I had a TOTAL TANTRUM last night, there were 16 boxes of Alan's stuff in my room and no room to move so I flipped out big styleee. Bit childish really, but since my new office is actually going to be my "real" place of work as well as my crafting room, I need it sorting today since I am back "at work" tomorrow.

So as soon as it looks presentable I will be posting new pics!

We're In!!!

Cor blimey we have finally made it, after months of waiting and keeping fingers crossed, we are finally in our lovely new home. It's brill, I am knackered,but happy.

We got the keys at 10am on Wednesday, the vans arrived at 1pm and there was just enough space to park them - phew!!

The guys finally finished unpacking at 1pm yesterday, we still have a ridiculous amount of stuff to unpack, one of the bedrooms is ram jam full of boxes and I want to get rid of lots of stuff have even more of a de-clutter! After 10 years of marriage I have realised what a hoarder Alan is!

Tempers were a little on the short side last night, Alan spent most of the afternoon bringing EVEN MORE stuff back from the flat (2 car loads) , honestly, he said "it'll only take me an hour", yeah right!!! He then tried to plumb in the washing machine, but the guy at B&Q gave him the wrong connection, in the misdt of his temper tantrum (very rare for him to lose his temper - unlike me!) Alex spilt milk all over Alan's Blackberry. Oh dear!! You know the saying, "no point crying over spilt milk?" It definitely applied last night.

Well my office/craft room is "getting there", there are about 15 boxes of Alan's rubbish from his old office in here GRRRRRRRRRRRRR I am so mad about that, but he has promised to go through them and sort it out for me, currently the room is like an obstacle course and I have given my beloved Expedit shelving to Alex for his room. I have a feeling I shall be shopping for more Expedit VERY soon.

Alex is settling in well at his new school, he lost his 2nd tooth yesterday, so the tooth fairy made a visit. I sat next to him this morning and said "are you happy with your new house and school? Isn't it nice that we are all together again?" He looked at me with his big blue eyes and said "Hmm, yes Mum errrr can I have chewing gum when I am eighteen?"....................kids eh?


Right, gotta go, I have more boxes to unpack..................................

THE BIG DAY!!

It's finally here, today is the day we move into our lovely new home. I cannae wait !

We'll be busy bees all day and probably for the rest of this week, it's very exciting. Got a bit of packing to do from the flat too, so I think we will be to-ing and fro-ing between the house and the flat. I am just in panic mode, I hope there will be a space to park the removal vans outside the house - eeek!!!

Wish us luck!

Great Weekend

Well we decided to go for a bracing walk at Yellowcraig Beach yesterday, yep, whilst the UK is being snowed on, the Curries go to the beach doh! Yesterday morning Alex and Alan were throwing snowballs at each other on the walk to get the Sunday newspapers, by the afternoon we were on a gorgeous beach in the sunshine. OK so it was FREEZING and very windy but it looked nice, I have no idea why I am gripping Alex's head like that??!!!

I also found a wee gift shop, and bought these lovelies for my office/craft room...

When the Going Gets Tough................

The Tough go shopping!! YEEE HAAA! Well the going hasn't really been tough at all, but I have been shopping in Edinburgh today, I don't need an excuse.

The shops are gorgeous, my fave is White Stuff on George St and they had a SALE on- yippety deeeee!!!!

Anyway hubby is on his way home so all the evidence has been stashed into the wardrobe. Now I am going to be working from home I needed to purchase some work clothes (jeans!) hee heee, I am so bad!

Off out into Edinburgh tonight for din-dins, just got to choose my outfit "this? Darling I've had it for years......!!!" yeah right

Just to Prove....

Just to prove I do actually do some cardmaking I thought I would post a few pics of some of my latest stuff. These cards appeard in Crafts Beautiful last month and were made using Stampin' Up! Products, hope you like.

A Funny Old Day...

Crikey, I am here, in Bonnie Scotland, hoots Mon! We are in the flat, all of our stuff is safely stored to come up here next week.

We had several hours of frantic activity by the removal men, then cleaning and a 4 hour drive up to Edinburgh. Our house felt VERY different once all of our "stuff" had gone - in fact it didn't feel like home any more. We are in transition but in the end, home is where the 3 of us are, and right now, home is right here.

Tin Opener?

Quick tip, when your hubby has been clearing out the garage before moving, make sure you haven't packed the bottle opener...............and the tin opener, doh!

Lots of cleaning to do but no rooms are totally empty yet except my craft room. Boy this all feels VERY weird

The Evidence...............

Here's what remains of my craft room............

It's alllll empty, a big removal man took it all away in a container today. At one point my see through plastic box with all my blank cards in was being loaded sideways into the container and was hanging open. ARGGGGHH! I had to look away - the guys labelled my craft boxes as "Art Work" so they obviously have taste. Mind you I don't think they had seen anything like it before even though I had boxed a lot up myself it took them aaaages.

I think I am going to be suffering from Craft Materials separation syndrome for the next week- any advice? (or will you just be telling me I am hopeless saddo??)

The packing continues tomorrow.........................

Packing Up....

A year ago, I finally got my perfect craft room. I had been in an unplastered grotty room for 4 years and after some hard work I got my room how I liked it, it was my haven, my own special place and I LOVED it. Now we are on the move, leaving our lovely house after 6 years, lots of hard work on the whole house, a house we thought we would be in for 20 years or more and on Wednesday we move out. It's a move that was agonised over, it took us ages to decide to move to Edinburgh and we have sold Mum and Dads house, the place I have called home for 40 years. Now they are gone and we have sold our "dream home" in Cheshire, it's time for the Currie's to go. My craft room is almost packed and will be relocated North of the border. So it will soon be a final goodbye to this house and a big hello to our new home and new life.............I sure am going to miss all my pals here, the school Alex has been to and my workplace. Wish us luck and I look forward to creating a lot more crafty stuff in my new craft room. Stay tuned, I will take lots of pics of the new room once I am settled!!!