End of 2008 - And a Happy New Year!

Another Year nearly over.
Time really does go by so quickly - it is kind of frightening!
So I thought I would end 2008 with a blog and a bit of a Bex ramble.
First up some crafting from today.
First up a Template challenge for the forum. Very simple for all of those who may have a sore head tomorrow :) Second up a challenge I completed earlier in the week for Papertake Weekly

Third up a clipboard for Katie at work to go with the planner featured below.

And now onto the Bex ramble .........

So much has happened in the last few years that has knocked me sideways.

I have finally found a career that I really love and that is a good starting point - although in 2009 I plan to focus on other things a bit more to get the balance right!

2009 for me - well I have made quite a diary of things I need to address and deal with. I won't bore you all with my personal life but suffice to say that I have a really clear head right now of what I want to acheive this year and where my priorities should be placed.

I am going to make this a really good year for me. (And of course Maisie!)

So I will leave you all with many good wishes for the year ahead, I hope it brings you everything you want from life right now.

I do plan to be around more this year in blogland ........... but as usual we shall see :)

Love n Hugs for the best things that 2009 can bring you all

Love Bex xxxxxx

A Little bit achieved

Well I cannot believe that it is Christmas next week. I really do need to get a wriggle on if I am going to get everything done in time. I guess I wouldn't be Bex if I was organised though :)
So this is what I made at the weekend for one of my team at work. I have a second almost finished and then I want to make one for me as well!
Using the trusty Bind It All I have made a planner to get us all organised.
I haven't over embellished it as it has to survive in a manic environment for a year. Thanks to Outlook I have printed out a full year Diary section.

And the ever important weekly planner section. We have crazy reporting dates at work as our Financial Year starts Mid / End of Feb and we never get to grips with what week / Period we are in. So handy little section with each week detailed for us to keep up to date and know where we are when we go into meetings etc! And only 2 pages a week of things to do - yeah right!

And then a blank Notes section for all the other things like doodling and playing Hangman

I have printed all the sections off ready to bind and decorate for Sarah, so off I go to get the second one finished.

And then I may get round to Christmas Cards ........ I think I only need about another 20.

As I said earlier - Christmas is ages away yet ...........

Love n Hugs

Bex

A few more Christmas cards done.

Lots more to go though if I am to achieve cards for all my team at work. Hence why only very striaghtforward cards from me for now :)I am also trying to work through various challenges whilst I craft - although it is quite slow as I am cheating and making a few of each. Needs must!

The one above is for a challenge set by Lisa over at JB forum. The challenge is to use old papers and add some bling. Well Figgy Pudding are still gorgeous to work with but in the current market at over a year old they are almost prehistoric. Oh and the bling is stickles glitter glue.

The next is combining another JB Challenge to include a tree! I have based it on a sketch I found over at Papertake Weekly Challenge Blog. A lovely sketch - thanks girls!

Right I better crack on as LOADS more to make before the 25th. :)

Love n Hugs

Bex x

I'm Back!

Crikey it is a long time since I blogged! Busy Busy Busy this end with work and work and erm work! Still loving it though :)

OK so I am off this weekend and it is time I got organised for Christmas as i have done NOTHING yet.

So today I am doing a few cards to get me in the mood for some altering later maybe.

First up is a card for a challenge over at the JB Forum. A nice simple challenge which suits me - to use a stamped image.

Next one is a challenge just set which is to make a Christmas card using traditional red and green. Hav to say I am loving the BG Wassail papers - not loving that Dad has gone away with the decent camera though :( Hey Ho my photography is so naff that I doubt there would be much improvement anyway .

Right off to make some more as I am having fun
Love N Hugs to all
Bex xx

Slow Progress!!

Crikey I am really struggling with the wooden bits I bought home from work I can tell you.

I am sure a five year old would do far better than I am doing!

Anyway, just in case anyone is reading and can't wait to see what I am achieving then here you go :)

Please don't judge me on this work (It is done to market to kids if that is any excuse - PMSL - I am about to get some new Bex stash out and make something in my own style!!

Oh and I am still staring vacantly at the fun foam - I really think you need to be under the age of 10 to "get it" :)

Love N Hugs.

Bex (No reputation left - that is if I had one to start with!)

Lovely Weekend - and look what I have to make! :)

Well I have had a really lovely few days ........ bliss in fact.

I had a nice couple of days really deep cleaning and sorting out my room ready for organised crafting rather than crafting in chaos.

My Aunt and Uncle have taken quite a bit of stuff for their Grandchildren to use - fabby.

Yesterday I had a nice day out in France with friends - and OMG did I eat (and drink!).

7 courses later and I officially have a pot belly - GREAT!

Today I popped into work (Hobbycraft for anyone who doesn't know) and I need to start thinking about some new displays.

Lets say that the following stuff is all fabulous in its own right for kids etc but I am not sure I will enjoy working with it! I am such a crafting snob :)

SO firstly the wooden stuff ready to decorate - quite cute, but not sure I am a painter and will do it justice!

Then the make your own mache decorations ............

The dreaded Fun Foam :)And these are actually REALLY cute and I am loving them lots! Totally sweet FF stamps - lets see if I can turn these babies into cute Xmas cards!With the matching papers ...............And then of course it wouldn't be Christmas without a few ready made embellishments! :)

I will report ack with progress............. and any ideas anyone has for fab displays with any of the above do feel free to share - I have plans mapped out but you may be on a better wavelength than me!

Right off to get the acrylic paint out.

Love n Hugs

Bex

On Holiday - Take 2!

Well if anyone is wondering what happened to creative Bex last week - I got called back into work and holiday was postponed.
Good news though - I am now off until Wednesday next week - YAY!!!!
So instead of crafting I thought I would start with crafty shopping - it would be rude not to I am sure you will all agree :)
So yesterday I went to Scrapgenie as I needed to bulk buy some papers etc for the charity crop / class day I am doing soon.
It made me feel quite sad in a way going to the warehouse and seeing so much stock being sold at silly prices. The good thing is I got LOADS of Daisy D Papers to put into packs and sell at the craft day and the money will all go to charity, so a positive.
And of course I got a few bits and pieces for myself - some lovely collection packs cos a girl can never have too many!
Today I have been having a major sort out of my room. We have guests all weekend and there is no way my room is fit for them so having a nice time sorting and cleaning!
Nearly done and then I will be crafting - well crafting trying to keep it tidy still which will be a test for me!
Right I will stop rambling and get on with it.


I'll leave you with a very simple card (Photographed nice and wonky as usual).

It is another challenge ticked of from the JB Forum - to use Ric Rac.
Cute snowman stamp though (a whole 85p it was!) and I am loving the matching glittery papers - all imaginisce.
Love Bex x

2 posts in 1 Day!

Well I never - Bex posting twice in one day! Tis usually once in two months recently!
Anyway, as I have been off work today I thought I would join in with the most fantastic sketch site - 2Sketches4U. Of course I didn't realise that after wanting to join in for weeks that the sketch would be so flippin hard! Trust me you need to visit this site and see the huge amount of talent that is just bursting at the seams.
So here is my little entry. I hope to join in with the extra sketch at some point as it really does look easier!
Then back to the JB Forum and we have been talking about the new Papermania Papers so I thought I would give them a road test. Yep I do like them! (Shame about my photography skills but it is very loudy and grey here!)
So thumbs up for the Xmas paper pack from Papermania from me (Did I really just say that?!)
Love n Hugs
Bex xxxxx

On Holiday!

I am now off work for a week and home alone which is fabby - Hopefully I can get lots of jobs done and enjoy some me time crafting.

Didn't start off too well as I ended up in work all day Saturday tying off some loose ends.
Then yesterday I slept till 1.30! What a lazy Bex. I obviously needed it but I did set my alarm for nice and early this morning in case the trend continued :)

So what first then? I have SO many challenges on the forum I can play with and there are loads of other challenges on line so once the craft room is tidied I intend on really getting lots done.

I have completed a few and will share a couple now - more later when camera is charged up!

Both are challenges from the JB Forum

Nicky set a recipe challenge to use 1 Ribbon, 2 Circles and 3 buttons. So a simple effort from me to get me back into the swing of things!

Sue set a challenge to use circles and whilst my nestabilities were out I thought I would sort of cheat and do a very similar card for that challenge. (And my personal challenge of using up some of the 6x6 pads that have been untouched in ages! So BG Figgy Pudding was first out of the drawer!)I posted recently on the forum about the amount of stuff I have here and this week i really plan on having a good clear out and seeing how much stash I can actually use. Do not fear though, I have enough to craft full time for a year at least so I am not in danger of running out!

Will report back laters with more x

Love Bex

Crikey!

I cannot believe it has been SO long since I last blogged.
Time really does fly past so quickly at the moment.
So Summer has come and gone - or did it ever come?
I have been busy with work and still loving every minute of it.
Little Maisie has been having lots of fun with walks along the beach and eating far too many sausages at all the BBQs we have had.
Crafting has taken a back seat the last couple of months but I am determined to get back to it on a regular basis - I have missed it!

So next week I am off work, home alone and going to have a lovely week crafting with Maisie.
I will hopefully check back very soon, but having seen how long I have been missing I thought I should say Hi!

Love n Hugs to all
Bex

Been Playing ........

Well a little bit anyway!

It is so hard without my PC as I can't access any photos to print - and I had them all saved in a folder ready to play with as well. Oh well, it will be fixed and back soon.

So in the meantime I am faffing around doing what I can.

Nicky challenged us to cardlift the following card over at Just Bex Forum

And here is my rather simple effort! But I is simple :)

I did start out with 6 squares but not sure what happened really!

And a very simple Layout using the K&Co Range for work. I don't often use ready made embellishments and tbh I was bored using them so gave up and left it "Minimal".

I am now going to see what pictures I can find on Dads PC to print - and whether I can get his nasty inkjet printer to actually print them!

Love N Hugs

Bex

Father's Day

Well here in old Blighty it is Father's Day so I thought I should at least dust off some new papers that are actually old now as they have been unloved and abandoned for so many weeks.

So here is a card for Dad - not wonky as it looks - no camera and scanner doesn't like 3D!

As for me, I am planning on a couple of days of crafting ahead to make up for a very slack few months.

I have so many projects and challenges to do, along with loads of stuff I need to make to put up displays in store - so if all goes to plan there will be more creations ahead.

Oh, there will be a break though when Dad returns from his camping trip as it is such a glorius day here it would be rude not to take him for a beer down in Old Leigh as a Father's Day treat.

Hope you all have a happy Sunny Sunday.

I'm off to get out the new purchases made the last couple of months ......... Cosmo Cricket, BG, Lace Tapes ....... OOHHHH YUMMY!

Love Bex x

Harry ............

Introducing my latest "Star" for scrapping! This is the gorgeous Harry who is my best mates little boy - and I cannot wait to meet him when he flies in from Australia in October!
So until then you better get used to this little man as I am going to make an album all about him for his mummy to use at his 18th birthday :)


This really isn't my normal scrapping style and I really don't like it - but I had HUGELY limited stash as it is for work and only allowed to use certain things. Guess it is a good job that Harry is so flippin cute!


I have actually been doing quite a few challenges and stuff the last week or so - and OMG I have major PC issues - If this blog ever goes up it has taken me about a week to load the images up!
I am off to defrag the PC, and rerun full virus checks on this and other PC in the house as something is MEGA wrong somewhere!

Right so on to the next wee card.
This was a template challenge set over at Just Bex forum.
It has been so great - members have been setting challenges and they have all been fab! Must do that more often!
So a very simple card from me again as I have limited supplies I can use as it is for one fixture at work .............



And this one I think i can stretch to fit the "use 3 patterned papers" challenge!
Again simple cos I is simple!

And I have a few more to upload but I am losing the will to live with this darned PC so will be back in small doses to get them uploaded!

Apart from my PC issues all is well with Bex. Life is in fact pretty darned good - heightened even more last night watching the footie with the lads and gaining great satisfaction that Chelsea have no silverware this season :)

Only shame is that it went to Man U not liverpool, but I can live with that for now!

Love n Hugs all
Love Bex xx

A Quick Catch Up!

Ooh ages again since I blogged - busy Bex!

So what have I been up to .........

Well I had a lovely 4 days in Prague - I really would recommend Prague to anyone.
It is such a beautiful city - the buildings are so impressive and it is really weird to see such different styles of architecture sitting right next door to each other - you really can see the 4 styles throughout the city.
Other highlithgts of Prague - the food. It was just fantastic - I pigged out big time. We didn;t have one bad meal, we ate heaps and it was all so cheap.
And of course the beer - if you hunt out the right bars it is mega cheap and there is nothing more I like than a bit of people watching with a pint :)

So then I got back from hols and back to work.
Good news folks - I am now Deputy Store Manager at work - OMG how on earth can Hobbycraft let me loose in one of their stores? I mean I though they were flying close to the wind when they gave me my previous job :) So little crafter Bex is over the moon and looking forward to taking the store to even better levels than we are at now. (See I can be a bit business like :))

And of course there is the forum that I have neglected terribly these last couple of months in my quest for Hobbycraft world domination :)
Luckily I have some fantastic forum members who are hosting their own big challenge week - I mean just how cool is that!
So OK I have worked all weekend so only completed one so far but OMG did you know you can make gift bags from an envelope?
Yes Mister - a genuine normal flippin envelope = I am well impressed - thanks to Sarah.
Oh and for the record it is 3D with little side flaps and everything - bad pic this end!
If you want the link for instructions tis here - you will have to register but we don't bite!
Very simple tutorial available

So here is a simple effort from me

Hope all reading are well

Love n Hugs
Bex

FAFFING!!!!!

Is all I have done today!
I got up late - 10.30 - lazy Bex :)

I have an interview to prep for and have a HUGE list of examples etc to go through but instead today I have .......

Done all my washing
Tidied my bedroom
Poop Scooped the garden (nice!)
Pottered around watching kids TV
Spent 2 hours cooking a nice dinner
Had a really long soak in the bath and nearly covered upstairs in bubbles cos I got a bit carried away with the jacuzzi feature!
Erm watched the Footie - Liverpool let me down so now NOT impressed .........

AND STILL the prep pack is sitting here staring at me!
So OK how on earth does silly crafter Bex come up with examples of commercial awareness & analytical thinking & Dealing with change etc ...... oh and absorb and remember a huge amount of financial figures ..............
Oh and on top of that I am still trying to work out what time i need to leave home to do the DREADED journey to Gatwick Airport for 11am! At the moment I am thinking around 7am although at this rate it may be earlier to allow me time for a coffee and time to answer these bloomin questions!!!

Crikey - I am such a disorganised little wotsit!
Anyway, I am avoiding the difficult questions that I have to answer in order to look like a fantastic manager so off I go in search of some long words to put down :)

Or shall I just sleep on it and get up earlier than stupid o clock?
Thanks for all your comments - tis nice to know I am still visited! Ooh that sounds a bit spooky eh?!

Love Bex

Bex Reporting in!

Well hello to anyone who actually still comes back to read this neglected place!

Quick update for you all from the land of Bex.

Craft Update - I actually have made quite a lot the last week or so and in typical Bex style didn't bother to photograph it before giving it away! I had a few bits to make for my boss who was leaving on Friday and only finished them late Thursday night - you will just have to trust me that they were OK :)

Work Update - Not sure where to start! Still love work, still very busy - I have worked all weekend and am now starting to count down the days to my first holiday hours taken in 6 months! I have an interview on Wednesday for a job so keep fingers crossed - I won't say anything that will jinx anything cos I am weird like that! Hopefully some news will be shared soon!

HOLIDAY UPDATE - OK I am now a little bit excited! I am off to Prague with my Dad on the 30th and I am now getting that holiday vibe! It is only for 4 days but I am SO looking forward to it. I live at home at the moment so of course see my Dad loads - but 4 days away together will be just lovely. And of course I have researched Prague and seen the beautiful scenery .......... and the fact they have low priced lager ......... and beads ........... it will be fun!
I just hope that my step mum doesn't have 4 nights of my dog barking as I have never left her overnight before! I have a vision of the cats being kicked out and Maisie finally being top dog on/in their bed just so Sheila gets a good nights kip!

Right OK that is a brief update from me :)
Honest - to be a better blogger is on my list - it is just not anywhere near the top of stuff I have going on right now!

Hope anyone reading this is well and happy
As always love N Hugs
Love Bex xxxxxx (And Maisie!)

Has it really been a month!

Oh My Goodness - I cannot believe it has been a month since I blogged.
All those good intentions to blog straight out of the window then!

Anyway, just a quick check in to say I am still alive - just :)
Work has been really busy but good fun as always. I have actually done so much crafting for stuff for the store displays - but it is always dark when I finish and I take them into work the next day so no pics - silly Bex.
Of course I don't expect anyone to believe me - although you could pop into work and see I am telling the truth!

Right so not a lot else new in bex world I don't think.
I have a long list of cards and things to make and as I am sitting here in Brand new PJ's and dressing gown I may just stay in them all day and chill out.
In fact that sounds like a very good idea.

Hope you are all well and I will be report back whenever I can be bothered xxxxx

Love Bex

Just Bex Challenge Prizes

Well the Big Challenge week at the Just Bex Forum is now over and people are frantically sorting out the votes for their favourites.
So for those that took part these are the prizes ready to be dished out at the results evening .....
For those who didn't take part we will be holding another one very soon so why not pop along and join in the fun?
Making Memories SB Kit

Studio K Accordian Kit Amy Butler Chipboard AlphabetMaking Memories Blooms (I Lurve these!)Papermania Chipboard AlphabetPM Spring Brads 1Making Memories Sweets - B&W FlowersMaking Memories Sweets - Red HeartsK&Co Glitter AlphaK&Co - 6x6 Paper PadMaking Memories Pebble Brads (Love these too!)K&Co Bubble Dome stickersMaking memories Chipboard AlphabetPM Spring Brads 2 Imaginisce Bird StampRed Button CollectionOrange & Green Ribbons & Primas

MM Flower Brads

MM Antique Brads

Black Button Collection

And that is it for now! Winners and prized to be announced soon :)

Love Bex