Basic Grey!!

The new ranges from Basic Grey arrived yesterday. Out of all the products I stock Basic Grey are my firm favourites, these four new ranges did not disappoint. I was like a kid in a candy store oohing and ahhing. I'm a bit of a fibre freak and the fibres for these ranges are just so lush! We had received a huge stack of pre-orders so was packing until 10pm last night; as I had started work at 8am yesterday morning it was 14 hours of solid work - boy am I feeling it today!! I have developed a bad back which has been playing me up all week, today my wrist is also in agony and I suffered the paper cut to beat all paper cuts, right under my right index finger! It went deep man!! That hurt I gotta tell you! BUT, as it was a Basic Grey paper that did the deed I can forgive!

For Heavens Sake!!

There I was, sitting in the garden enjoying looking at the birds in the trees - there are many that visits regularly and I am getting to know them individually which is so cool. There was a brief interlude between rain clouds and the sun was actually shining, so I made the most of it. I even spied a woodpecker, which is the first time ever I have seen one outside Denmark!! Quite amazing that it found its way into London (not that it had journeyed from Denmark of course, but it is normally native to woodland and not a city bird)! It was pecking on a branch like mad, trying to attract a partner perhaps. After a few of it's very distinctive, and loud, cries it unfortunately flew away. Quite uplifted my spirits seeing it though.

So there I sat basking in the wonderment of seeing the woodpecker - picture the moment if you can. My eyes casually wandered to the left, and there they were!! Couldn't get away from them! My neighbours tiny Y-fronts! Now I am sorry but if you hang out your husbands' smalls surely you would keep them below fence level and not fly them like the proverbial flag for all to see??? This washing line is hoisted up on a tall pole so that it hangs about 15 foot in the air - high enough for the entire neighbourhood to see several pairs of dark blue y-fronts and sometimes a pair of US stars and stripes boxers!! NASTY!!!

This is not an isolated incidence you understand, it has been going on for months and months, YEARS! Come rain or shine, winter or summer, there they are!! Now this guy is almost 70 and I am very sorry but I have no wish to see where he packs his meat and teo veg! I get on with them really well but this really IS taking it too far and is an extreme invasion into my peace of mind! It's giving me nightmares!! Brrrrrrrrrrr..................

You have to see it to really appreciate how ghastly it is! Imagine having a summer BBQ and enjoying a friendly conversations with your chums Your eyes gaze slightly to the left and THERE THEY ALWAYS ARE!!! There's just no getting away from them. In my dreams I am chased by several pairs of navy y-fronts and a pair of US stars and stripes boxers!!

Valentines Day

Not written for a few days but really all I have been doing is work, work and work! It's been incredibly busy since the start of 2007 - long may it lasts!

My girls (Aimee 10 and Amber 8) really enjoyed the snow whilst it was here (one day!), I took a few pictures of them in the snow and will have to get my scrapping hat on again soon to capture these rare moments. Shame it was on a working day or I would have taken the girls sledging. I have a sledge that sits unused in the shed! I remember my childhood days in Denmark where we would go sledging, ice skating, build snowmen and igloos all throughout the winter months! We used to wade to school thigh-high in snow! These days global warming have well and truly put paid to all the masses snow in Denmark, it's a crying shame!

And so it is almost Valentines Day. Not sure if I agree with celebrating this day although the sentiment is OK. Show someone you love them - shouldn't you do that every day? Does a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates from your guy make up for a year of sitting on the sofa issuing commands? Not speaking from experience here but I know many women with a bloke like that! It's nice for the teenagers of course who could send a card to someone they secretly fancy. When I had my other shop I always got lots of Valentines cards through the door from secret admirers. I must admit that I secretly enjoyed that. I of course imagined they were from dark, tall, handsome hunky strangers - on reflection they were probably from a bunch of spotty teenage boys having a laugh!

Anyways, I have been having a bit of a relaxing Sunday morning (slap my wrist!) and made some Valentines cards for the site. Here are some of them.

Circle Journals

I'm in two circle journals at the mo, one on my own site with my lovely members, and one with other retailers - we are all UKS sponsors. This weekend I managed to get no less that three entries done for the Charmed Craft Talk circle. No I wasn't late! I had been sent the CJ's early and as I felt in a creative mood this weekend I did them all.

Here's my etry into one, theme for this jounal is "Garden Flowers".

Second one is themed "Friends". Papers used are from the Basic Grey Blush range (love, love, love) I used BG Magnetic Snaps for the closure of the book. Here's a collection of pictures from that LO.

Finally here is the third layout; theme "What makes me smile".

I enjoy the circle journals. Mini layouts are so much fun.

To Frank or not to Frank

How I have pondered, researched then pondered again - Smart stamp, franking or just plain old trips to the post office. I employ someone to take the orders to the post office each day but realised that by using either Smart stamp or Franking, plus Post Office pick-up, I could save about a £1000 a year!!

So, after much deliberation I decided to be frank and frank! I've just set the machine up and in the process lost £20! So make that a saving of £980!! Of course I have to buy special ink and labels for the machine, both are outrageously expensive, so that makes it a saving of .... no, I don't even want to think about it! I've done it and that's it! First collection is due next Monday but the pick-up guy Lee, a sweet man with luverly rosie cheeks, came along today thinking he was starting the pick-up now! Give me a chance to get organised why don't you!!

Anyways, it's quite exciting in a nerdy sort of way, but also a bit scary. I am now relying on a piece of machinery to get the orders out! If it breaks down it means trips to the Post Office again. Don't even go there! Wish me luck!!!

Second Post!

I'm motoring now!! Just wanted to tell you about a couple of pesky neighbourhood squirrels. I have this long plastic bird feed thingie that you fill and hang on a tree. I have been amazed how quickly the nuts have disappeared and felt good that I was obviously feeding a whole flock of birds!! How wrong was I! Happened to look out of the window and saw two squirrels doing some quite amazing acrobatics to get the nuts. Kept my eye on them and in one afternoon they polished off a whole tube! Clearly it had been them and not the birds who had been feasting!!

I didn't feel too kindly towards the furry little critters as they had already polished off all my tubs of crocuses - keep an eye on that, they dig them out and eat the bulbs!! Thus I pondered and pondered on how to beat them in the nuts war!

I have a rose that winds down in an arch. Well I removed all the thorns in certain places so that a bird could hop towards the feeder. It was a labour of love let me tell you! Surely the squirrels couldn't get to them now? I watched the frustrated nut stealing attempts from afar and am happy to report that they didn't manage to get a single nut! YEAH!! The birds now eat the nuts and the squirrels make do with the all spring flower bulbs in the neighbourhood.

Incidentally we all have peanut trees growing in the gardens! Wont have any spring flowers but at least we will have home grown peanuts for Christmas! Ce la vie!

OK I've started!!

I've thought about creating one of these bloggie things for a while now, and here I am. My inane musings will probably not benefit anybody but what the heck! Truth be told I haven't really got anything interesting going on in my life, my time is solely taken up with the business, so there's going to be a lot of ramblings over rather mundane things. It's rather like publishing a diary isn't it? I will have to remember to leave out anything too personal!!!

Already I am rather stumped for what to write! I hope the juices flow more freely in future or this is going to be a very short blog!! Talk about falling down at the first hurdle!! I guess it's also knowing that people are going to read what you say so you kinda moderate what you say. I shall have to learn to be as uninhibited on here as I would be in a normal conversation. This is like talking to myself and I'm pretty good at that in everyday life! Is talking to oneself a sign of madness? If so the Easter bunny should come knocking very soon!!

I have a feeling this is going to be highly addictive! Forget about being a mum and business woman, just sit down and blog the day away! The family can surely look after themselves, and the business can run itself! Neither really need me - do they? It wont harm anybody if I just sit here and talk to myself - will it?

Ta ta for right now. I'll be back!