It's Thursday...I think

My head is so not on right today, have you ever had one of those days where things just wont go right no matter how hard you try? Well, today was one of those....or should i say, yesterday was. Thankfully it is past midnight and i have managed to get past the day intact, lol.

Made this card on Tuesday, it is for a challenge that Spyder set for Quirky Crafts Challenges so i just had to play along. I used freebie papers (I'm getting good at this - huh!) The purple brads are actually card candy which i am becoming totally addicted to using. Used some twinkling H2Os and some sakura glitter gel pens and actually I'm relatively happy with the outcome.

so why not pop over and visit Spyder, she has some really fab freebie digital stamps and she posts a new one every wednesday.

happy hopping

WOYWW 75

Wednesday again, were there any other days inbetween this week?

This is my relatively tidy workdesk. I liked the freebie papers that much i used them again for a 21st card. The other card is a work in progress. I'm not sure that i am happy with it, well with the gold peeloffs and the chalking on the flowers and leaves anyway...it might evolve over the next day or two.

To the left is a pile of freebie papers, some adhesive gems (which i am truly begining to adore) and my trusty trimmer - CM.

I really do have a lot of freebie papers that need to be used up, some are still in the magazines. I'm getting better at using them, it pleases me when i see them on a page layout or a card, but does anyone else find it hard to make that first cut. Once they are no longer intact I can hack away without a care, but that initial cut.....well, say no more.....

Last week I managed all the blogs again, I am starting to understand why people dont like word verification! Will try hard, but I'm not sure I'll make it round to everyone this week because I have a few things on.

Happy WOYWW everyone, and if you are new to the desk-showing mania please pop over to Julia's blog to find out why we are all addicted...

Marvellous Monday

It's Monday again, so must be time for another UKS weekly challenge.

I managed last weeks challenge by the skin of my teeth. I stayed up last night to finish the layout way into the wee small hours. Wont be doing that late again, teaching 8 year olds after that little sleep is not something i wish to revisit!

The theme was out and about. We live 20min from Bafa Lake, one of the most tranquil places I know. Luckily eveyone who visits wants to visit, so it would be rude not to oblige.....

The layout is of my 2 gorgeous nieces, taken last summer when my brother and his family were over. I miss them more than i can say, but photos and layouts help...

We used a sketch, the bling is on the flipflop flowers and the blue bead below the dragonfly is a Turkish Nazar. The nazar (evil eye) fends off evil spirits, it is a protection charm. It is customary to give as a gift to visitors, babies etc which is a custom I love about Turkey.

Big hello to my new followers: Carolann, Bonnie and Debz.

Hope you all have a marvellous monday....

pumpkin soup

I love autumn in Turkey because we get huge pumpkins in the local market. It is my favourite soup to make for winter. I have been asked by a couple of bloggers to post my recipe for pumpkin soup. So, here is how i make it:

ingredients:
1kg of pumpkin
2 onions
4-6 potatoes
veg stock cube
500ml milk
salt & pepper
butter

Peel and deseed the pumpkin then cut up remaining flesh into smallish chunks.
slice 2 onions into large chunks.
First fry up the onion in butter, then add the pumpkin chunks. On a low gas let the pumpkin sweat, stirring regularly for 20 min.
cut up 4-6 large potatoes into cubes and boil separately (as you would for mash potato).
Add the boiled potato to the pumpkin/onion mix
Boil 500ml water, dissolve the stock cube and pour into the mix
Add 500ml milk.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Bring mixture to just under the boil and simmer  for 30min. Beware, because there is milk dont let it actually start boiling. This will lead to disaster...believe me, I spent many a time cleaning overflow!

I tend to put the soup in a blender, but you dont have to. It freezes well so you can eat straight away or make it  and freeze it for a rainy day (when you cant be bothered to cook).

You could also add sweetcorn, carrot or lentil but i like it as it is.

When i visited WOYWWer artjen on wednesday, she had also posted a pumpkin soup recipie which is a bit different to mine. It tasted good ( i omitted the celery salt though - yack)! Incase you want to try a variation on the theme. Lets face it, there is always more pumpkin to be had!

Fantastic Friday

Well I managed to hop to all WOYWW blogs this week again. Very time consuming, but very very inspiring.

I wanted to say a big Hello to Kay and Jo, my new followers.

I have had a great day so far. Did a bit of housework, some washing followed by the last of the WOYWW hops. The sun is shining and it's about 21oC outside so a cuppa was in order and the mandatory cuddle with my dogs. They dont realise i sit out to have a cuppa in peace, they think i'm visiting them! lol!

Then..... i opened my email to find that my SIL had (as promised) sent me some photos of halloween. They were fab, but even better was the motorbike photos that she sent as well. I laughed so hard and ofcourse now I am wondering which paper to use because i just have to put them on a layout. Mum if you are reading this...the layout might be mine...not yours.

A peek of one of the photos I will be using. Layout to follow.....have a fabulous friday!

WOYWW 74

It's Wednesday again...yay!

So, what is on my table this week? Just now, a card that i am working on using freebie papers. Well i had to have a little tidy up so that i could do some more scrapping. I can make cards in a mess, but i tend not to like scrapping in chaos. Somehow chaos finds me after i finish the layout though (snicker).

This layout was completed at the weekend as part of the team challenge for UKS.  The topic was ...What would you do if you had an extra hour?... my layout tells how i would go and spend it with dad and his dogs. (that isnt me in the photo, it's a neighbour's child I think)

It is a tradition that i do a couple of pages for mums (surprise...NOT) christmas pressie. What is on the pages is generally the surprise, not the fact that she is going to receive them.

Last week i managed to visit all 148 WOYWWers, apart from vicky #125 who's link went back to Julia's (the gatekeeper of all things WOYWW). Which is where you need to visit if you want to join in with our blog hop. But beware...it's addictive! So pleased with myself, although i did lose 3 days to the blog hops. I think there were only a couple that didnt let me leave comments, but i did have a good peek. What a fantastic creative bunch you all are.

Well, I'll try to pop round to everyone again this week - time allowing.  Happy hopping.

Fat Tuesday

Well it is still Tuesday (in the UK).... This week I managed to lose 1/4lb. Not much I hear you say....but you didnt see what i ate. Everything i saw basically.....

My excuse???....... None!

Today we did a habit audit, and it turns out that i eat for comfort, I snack attack and low and behold...I eat because it is there to eat! ...DUH!.... I knew all of that, but it is surprising how much it hits home when it is in black and white (or in digital figures on the scale infront of you).

So, this week I am going to change my habits. I am going to log what i eat, weigh it and calculate my points. That way I might have a fighting chance of losing some next week, but actually deserving the reduction in weight this time.

Had some ladies over tonight making christmas cards. I really miss the crops and classes that i used to attend in the UK. It is so nice to have some like minded people to share a hobby with. We are going to try to get together every Tuesday evening until I go back for Christmas.

A big hello to my new followers Sherry and Rhonda.