Its Arrived

I wasn't sure if my Stampin' Up order would arrive yesterday or today. I was so happy to see it arrived yesterday. Yes you can see a sneak peak of 2 1/2 of the new stamp sets. I can not wait to start playing ... BUT ... I will not play until I have tidied. These will remain in the box until I have tidied my studio. Not only does this give me incentive but also a deadline. I have a friends birthday in a week or so and need to use the big shot dies that I have purchased, to make her gift. I am also involved in a swap which needs to be done and posted by the end of this month. It is a Stampin Up only swap and I want to use the new stamps and papers I got.
It will also mean that get the lounge room floor back again. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have taken over the lounge room because the studio is too messy. Can you see where I sit, on the floor, in amongst the mess there. Believe it or not, I pretty much know where everything is as well. Chaotic organisation I call it.

This mess takes up 2/3rds the available space in the lounge, which means I have not been able to exercise to my favourite DVDs lately. I really need to get back into that. My weight has become stagnant (at least I am not putting on). Even with the help of the gastric band, I realise that my body must exercise in order to shed the rest of my weight. Today is Friday, I have a weekend to tidy ... question is, will I do it.

Keychain

Thanks to my friend at work, I now have a new addiction ... keychains. They are small and quick and I have a great time, finally using some of the many charms that I have. Here are another two I have completed recently.

Besides my friends request, I had already started on the below creation. It gave me the basis for the "theme" so to speak I suppose. My camera phone is great but not when it comes to really close, macro shots. I tried to get the "This I Hope" up close because I have wrapped clock wire around it. The wire is very fine and glints in the light. It show up more in the larger picture and the close up. You will see a bronze sheen to the left of the words.

I have also been having fun lately with moulds. The face on here is one of them and I have also used the wire on the square the face is sitting on. I just love it. Not sure what I am going to do with this. I haven't finished off the back yet as I am not sure if I want it as a stand alone, or a feature in a bigger picture.

Last week I ordered from the latest Stampin Up Mini Catalogue (great being a demonstrator - you get to buy a month earlier than the release date). Hopefully it will be waiting for me when I get home today. So excited to have a little play. There is so much new stuff. I already know one of the first things I will make but I can't tell because it is for a friends birthday.

Inspiration

The other day, a friend of mine went onto Ebay for the first time. She was looking for a specific charm to go on a bracelet, when she happened across all the craft charms. She found some little spanners and thought they were gorgeous. I mentioned I had some at home that I have had for years but never used. Long, boring story short, I found myself making a key chain for her man.

I have used Tim Holtz items the most. The coloured square is actually a scrabble tile (C I think) all decorated. I have actually been inspired by this now and having fun creating other things similar to it.

Would you also believe that the photo's below were taken on my phone!!! I can't believe how good the quality is, and how close the phone can get to take the photo. It is a Sony Ericson Xperia. The only downfall in the camera is that it doesn't zoom.

Oh and this is Napoleon, back for a one day visit. It was a couple of weeks ago. He was watching me as I was packing up some of my craft. I can't say that he was fully "resting" his head on the box, because he would have slipped off. He stayed like this for quite a while though. Funny little fella.

Time Flies

The last few weeks I have been busy in lethargic sort of way. If that makes sense. I have had inspiration to do things but then never do them. Of course my studio is in dire need of a tidy (I sound like a broken record), and the floor in lounge room is covered in craft stuff because there is no work space in the studio. Due to the floor being covered, I am unable to try out my new yoga DVD. I need a personal maid, but then I would hate to have someone come in and organise my craft because then I would not find anything. So the end result is mess and a blind eye. Hopefully I can muster up some energy this coming weekend.

Last Wednesday was a very interesting day. Within the first 30 minutes of waking, I realised that the universe was doing everything in it's power to keep me at home. Let me tell you in point form:

1. Woke up after a bad nights sleep with a bad back ache. Contemplated having the day off because the thought of sitting all day did not appeal. Have no leave left and can't afford a day without pay, so took some pain killers and got ready for work.
2. Mum had already left to go baby sit, which meant putting the dogs out and locking the house up. Bo decided she was going to hide in the smallest, furthest place, in the hopes I would not reach her. If she could melt into the floor, I am sure she would have. After laying on the floor I finally managed to get her and put her out.
3. Went to the fridge for my water bottle. It wasn't there. Where is my bottle. Two minutes of searching and I remember it is already with my bag.
4. Pick up my bag, my book, my bottle and sunglasses. Where is my book, I wonder. Five minutes looking all over the house for my book and I remember it is under my arm!
5. Bo starts barking at nothing outside.
6. I go out the front door, yelling at Bo to be quiet, when I suddenly realise I left my keys inside ... the door is now locked.
7. Remembered I had accidentally left the keys in my scooter the night before (spare house keys on them - yeah, real safe).
8. Had to get into the garage though. It is a double door garage and the bolt was stuck fast. At 6:30am I was pushing and pulling on door, dragging the bolt across the concrete in order to get a small space to squeeze through.
9. Got the keys, but the garage door would not budge it was going no where, which gave the dogs full access to the street.
10. Got back inside, brought the dogs in. Phoned mum, she would be home in 2 hours. Messaged work to tell them I would be late.
11. By the time mum got home my back was worse (thanks to the garage) and I had a migraine. You guessed it, I didn't go anywhere.

Consequently I worked yesterday (a public holiday) to make up for the time I lost last week.

On Sunday I went to the beach with the family. It is the first time I have swum at the beach in years. Can't remember the last time. It was like coming home to your favourite comfy chair.

I love being under water, hate the fact that I can't breath under water. There were some good waves (not for surfing though) that had you standing on the sand one minute and then bobbing the next. Some felt like a roller coaster ride as you came over the peak and suddenly dropped.

There were lots of kids around, and with that comes lots of noise. It was so peaceful to hold my breath, float face down on the surface of the water, let the waves rock me, and escape to the quietness of the sea. Got lots of water in my ears, and had to kick my legs every now and then so that life guards didn't think I had drowned, but thoroughly loved it. Eyes closed, bobbing up and down, head under water, peaceful contentment. I should have been a mermaid.

The beach was also hosting a Sculpture display. Huge sculptures were all over the place. I will show you some photo's later. I actually would like to go back at sundown and get them in a better light with not so many crowds.

I have also been doing some creating. I do have photo's with me that I can put up but they are in my phone and it is not connecting to the computer at the moment, so I guess this means you need to wait.

Oh I am also hooked on the Twilight Series. I have been putting off reading them, but then the first movie showed on TV and I was hooked. I have since borrowed a friends books and am reading them now. I am so inlove with the idea of Edward Cullen. He is perfect for me, despite that he is a vampire. Get rid of the vampire side of him and I would take him in a heart beat, even if it does mean cradle snatching! LOL Can't wait to see how it all ends.