A Trio of Birthday's..

apologies for lack of blogging, i've been busy with birthday's and catching up with family & friends.
Last week saw my godson's brother turn 7, my nephew turn 12 and my sister-in-law hit her last birthday in her 30's!

Jack was on holiday in France for his, so I caught up with him & family on Friday. Bradley had a birthday the day before he flew to Florida and Nicki will celebrate her's with Mick & Min whilst on holiday.

In between birthdays I caught up with friends for belated birthday wishes, which was lovely.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you all.

As always my cards were themed... Brad's is a skaterboy!, Jack's is a Game boy and Nicki's is a chatterbox! ( she does love the telephone!)....

Fun, Flicks & Friendship.....

just about sums up my weekend....2 trips to the cinema, a party and spending some long overdue time with some friends... as most of you are aware work has consumed my life since Christmas, but hopefully there seems to be some reprieve on the horizon and I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel!.. hooray!

This weekend saw my friend Chris celebrate her birthday, I haven't seen too much of her since the new year. I had hoped to take her for lunch last week, but alas i had the day off but she didn't, I'm sure we will make up for it at a later date. She did have friends over for drinks & nibbles Saturday. I popped in for a couple of hours and it was lovely to see everyone. For the lady that has everything, she it quite challenging to buy for!... so I put together a " Girls Night In" box, with some lovely Liz Claiborne PJ's, a couple of chick flick DVD's, a bottle of rose wine & a big bar of yummy Galaxy cookie crumble chocolate! (think Galaxy with oreos!)... for a relaxing night in (she doesn't get many of those!).. so Belated Birthday Wishes my dear friend.... Txx

40 birthday wishes to my fab friend!...

Today is one of my oldest friends, Karen, 40th Birthday!....

Happy Birthday my dear have a truly fabulous day.

Karen & ! have been friends since playschool days...

We spent the day together Monday, for lunch and a catch-up, due to my nightmare working schedule we hadn't seen each other since before my trip to New York.

Along with a Cath Kidston bag filled with treats I put together this book in place of a card......

Have a fantabulous birthday.... and here's to another 40 fab years!

hugs Tx

39 Birthday wishes for a Fab Friend!

Today is my "best" friends birthday... she is 6 days younger than me and has tremendous joy in those 6 days when I am a year older than her!... well today she caught me up so just wanted to wish her a fab day.

We normally travel on the train together to work, but due to the fantastic RMT who are striking again today we couldn't.

When I sat down to make her card I couldn't decide on which Bella suited us so I put together a few!

Huggabella... because she always knows when a hug is needed (nearly always 'virtual' when I'm having a pants day at work!)

sweetabellas... as she always knows what to do through life's ups & downs, and carry's sweets in her bag for the train into work just for that reason!

bookabella.. she always reads the last page and never tells you the ending!... she has to read the end so that she knows it's a happy before she starts!
Peekaboobella... as she will tell you if your bum looks big in it!... the best person to take on a shopping frenzy!and finally...

daydreamabella... two reasons... she's the one person that i can share all my hopes & dreams with and that my friend has the most over imagination in the world and can make me howl with laughter on what day dream she takes herself off to during the course of any given day... and usually relays to me and the carriage each morning...

so a big thankyou for making my day so much brighter... we may be in our last year of our 30's but i still feel 15 when we're together.. Happy Birthday my mad fab friend!

bellarific friday

as you all know i'm a huge fan of bellas!...so was very excited to see a new challenge over at stampingbella...bellarific friday which gets posted on monday & closed on friday!....this weeks challenge is this:

i need to say that these colours are very out of my comfort zone, but i've risen to the challenge it's my friends birthday this week so i've made this card: kept the design very simple as the colours are quite striking............ as bella is accompanied by a cupcake i think the gin & tonic cupcakes will be being made.. ( she is a bit of a g&t girl!!) ... off now to finish watching mad men... oh to live in new york in the 50's/60's how glamorous!....hugs Tx

Bellas work collection!

This week over on Cupcake Craft Challenge was the challenge to alter something... i like a bit of altering! ... what started with me altering an old mint tin to store my ipod in resulted in a little collection of necessities for my journey to work! helped along with the fabulous Bella collection and Be Merry papers from Minds Eye. I loved these papers at christmas and have used them here....

So my work collection consists of :~

Y Coffee cup

Y Ipod holder

Y Notebook

Y Bookmark

Talking of journey to work, this weeks book to eat has been Second Chance by Jane Green. I read misgiving reviews about this book, but was hooked from the first page, ...anyone who has searched friends reunited (or other sites) looking for the people that you shared your youth with will enjoy this book, 4 friends reunited by tragedy sharing the 20 years since school....this book is so much more then chick lit...i loved it.

I am so lucky still to have my school friends as a major feature in my life, and would be lost without them, they are so much more to me than friends they are truly the family that i chose myself! love & hugs Tx

nappy wishes.........

another card from me ! .... this one is a little gift card which I am going to add to some cookies that i'm baking as a little gift for the mum-to-be. It fits in lovely with the fab sketch challenge on Cupcake Craft Challenge this week. I only discovered this site last week and i'm loving it...nothing to do with cupcakes of course!!..... the weather today has been miserable, it hasn't stopped raining today ...so i've stayed in and scrapped!...

bags of baby wishes..........

this week sees a colleague leave to have a baby... so i've made her a card, as you can see she is having a girl which is due in 2 weeks!.... coincidentally "A Spoonful of Sugar's" challenge this week is Baby themed..so i'm going to post this there....thanks for looking...

Card Ingredients are:

YPaper : Heidi Grace

YStamps : StampinBella

YRibbon from stash!

OAP....

Tomorrow is my aunts 60th birthday...so she officially enters the world of the OAP!..here are her card and cake that i made her....she had a little bash on saturday which was lovely, it great to catch up with some friends & family that I hadn't seen for a while....happy birthday auntie! xx

lots of thanks

a very quick post for me as i am running out the door to do gramps's shopping and then on to spend some time with friends. "News"...I won a prize!!!!...i entered the Friday Sketchers challenge and have won a prize...i'm so shocked...i'm really flattered and surprised to have been chosen...so thank you to Claudia and her team for choosing me.....

i've got some thankyou bits to take to my friends as they do lots of nice little things for me...of course I can't give alcohol & flowers without a little accompaniment from Bella's fella ...

birthday bella & prezzies !

very quick post as I am running out the door to work....it's my Sister in laws birthday so happy birthday Nicki.....here's her card. I hope that she has a fab day...they are all off to Florida tomorrow.....haven't been about much this week as life is a bit mad at the moment and i'm a bit stressed...will pop back tonight. Hugs Tx

Happy Birthday Mum...

Today my mum is 65!....so happy birthday mum.....here is a little card that i've made her..with Bella's & Bling to help!.I have had quite a rocky relationship with my mum over the years, but since we lost nan and we have Gramps to care for we have found some level ground, of which i'm thankful....so I hope she has a lovely day....she is having a party on saturday....here is he card....I found a template and cut this by hand, i'm really pleased with it......love & hugs Tx (Please click on images for better viewing)

scrapping in the city

been playing with some new stamps today....as a couple of the challenge blogs ( Cute Card Thursday & Arty Girlz) have the theme of travel this week I have tried to incorporate that too!....as everyone knows I Love New York!....so here it is!.can you guess the inspiration! ha ha..I've used the skyline stamp from Rubber Romance and i've adapted the Bella Bridesmaids .. my tickets are booked for the movie, i'm going with the girls so i'm now working on a little goodie bag for the evening...currently trying to perfect 'cosmo' cupcakes!!!.watch this space.....

A quarter of.......

Just a short post...i've been experimenting with a new stamp from Stampingbella...loved the simplicity of it....and with these papers from SEI...it just makes me think of the sweet shop with Tom thumb pips and tootie fruties!...mmmmmm......

what a beautiful day....was a bit fed up with my own company today so as i was up early for gramps, I took myself off to london for the day..because I travel there everyday for work I forget what a fab city it is!...got the tube to Tower hill, walked across tower bridge and along the south bank until the london eye...went to 'Banksey's' exhibition at waterloo which was fab!...took some great photo's of the river which I hope to scrap soon...I sat an listened to a 'busker' who was playing the cello which was amazing...had a great morning....hope everyone is having a lovely BH monday

Hugs

Tx

Baby Cakes.........

Some weeks ago I made my first Nappy Cake for my friend at work....I really enjoyed it and themed it with the decoration in the nursery!....... i've finally got some photo's printed and scrapped it!....i handcut the BABY title and embellished with some fab stamps i got from Stampingbella, including a Nappy Cake!........and 'big' nappy pins!.....I used melissa frances papers and cardstock. I also used whispers pens for the first time for colouring instead of pencils, which I loved!

babies, bellas, & books..........................

blimey a week since i posted!....my friend had her baby last week, (the one who i made the nappy cake for) Jack finally arrived on Monday 14th March weighing a whopping 10lb 2oz!!!...wow first baby and a home birth.....mum & baby fine....so here is the card that i've made for them. I'm so loving my nappy pin stamp!....Stamps from Stampingbella, Papers, Heidi Grace....work has been busy this week and a little stressful, Gramps hasn't been too good, he has really swollen & sore feet so he's finding getting about difficult which frustrates him and makes him a bit cranky at times!!!!!.............my friend Lucy has finally set a date for her wedding, she is getting married in Mexico next March. Don't think that I can go as I have a 2 weddings to do stuff for during that time, (including cakes) and it's hard to plan that advance with Gramps. My friend is getting married in Cumbria in June and I haven't agreed to go to that yet!!....To BIG Congratulations, Love & Luck to you both xxxx

Fell over a fantastic blog this week which had the most amazing Bella card on. Here it is....how fab is that...what an inspiration....also read a great book this week whilst on the train to work, Acting Up by Melissa Nathan i've loved all of her's this was the first one published, she lost her battle with breast cancer last year which makes reading her books even more poignant.As most of you know I LOVE Pride & Prejudice and this is it in the 2000's!..all of her books follow the follow of one of JA's books....now reading The Stepmother, which is a follow on from The Godmother!.

Hoping to see Made of Honour this week, with the scrummy Dr McDreamey (Patrick Dempsey)...

post back later. Tx

the easter bunny is leaving LOTS of Goodies!.

well I'm very excited now.......not only have I just seen the trailer for the Sex & The City movie but have also been introduced to this.....the delicious Patrick Dempsey (aka Dr McDreamy (Thursday 10pm C5))..........looks like i will be booking lots of tickets at the flicks.....those of you who know me well, know that I am a HUGE S&tC fan, not only for my love of shoes, handbags & NY...but also that i believe that everyone has a 'Big' in their life............so was very cautious about the movie as the series was so fantastic. BUT having watched the trailer (posted on the side bar) i am incredibly excited, I know that I will need to take a shoe full of tissues as I've already blubbed at the trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!! how sad am i!........

Bella Birthday Hugs

Today is my very special friend Chrissy's birthday.....so just sending big hugs & love....Here is her card and gift card as I have booked to take her to see the Jersey Boys in London ~ new musical which follows the life of Frankie Valli...Oh what a night.....she is having a little gathering at her place on Saturday so will see her then....Happy Birthday. xxx..... as you can see i have cut up my very special Heidi Grace papers (reluctantly i may add!).....this weekends challenge is to construct a Nappy cake! & baby journal jar for friend at work who is leaving to have a baby.

girls in the city!

Hello everyone.....no baking today....tiring week of long hours at work, emotional gramps and not a lot of sleep so short post today.....here is my friends birthday card that I made this week..... She's my oldest friend... 34 years (scary) and I can't imagine my life without her......( 38 this week (ha ha!) which she spent in Centre Parks with her Boys. so hope she had a lovely time.....Hugs Tx

Happy Thanksgiving.....................

Evening everyone.... "Happy Thanksgiving".....well as you all know I am off to New York at the weekend so thought I would share a couple of things with you...these are my Gift cards that I made the girls for our trip. They contain Starbucks Gift Cards with $10 dollars on ...not exactly Breakfast at Tiffany's!. But lots of lattes in our pockets.

Had a busy week with work, we had the Wonder Room party on Tuesday night which was headlined by Stevie Wonder (no pun intended!)...lots of celebrities and I was able to touch the Chanel No5 diamond necklace as worn by Nicole Kidman in the advert......yours exclusively for £495,000! absolutely stunning......off now to think about packing!

Tx...missed my train buddy this week as she is in Cuba.....how cold is she going to be when she comes home!!!