Hi We have arrived!

Been a long time hasnt it? Yes it definately has, too long but time passes so quickly and this year has just shot past!

Our trip over went well, managed to fly in an A380 which was very swish and big, love flying anyway and this was no exception at all, beautiful and amazing. Clem has been over in Perth for three months already and has managed to find us a rental nearer to Perth city this time and is in it already so that makes things a lot easier. Plus its in an area that we have always wanted to live in as the High School is brilliant and the rental is in the catchment area so that good as well.

Jack has started in Year 11 and so far so good. Managed to finish his GCSE exams in the UK before we left and we are now just waiting for the results due in August sometime. Some of those results will go towards his work here in Perth. So far so good in the settling down stakes with him, misses all his friends back in the UK of course but thats only to be expected but at least there is skype and MSN to chat with them regularly.

We went and retrieved Bella the dog and Cassie Cat from the quarantine station at Byford, they do a tremendous job there but we were very disappointed in Bella as her coat was completely matted underneath and under her armpits she had licked herself raw and was bleeding too. And her ears, well she looked like they had been affro'd, honestly never seen so many knots in her in all my life so the first thing we had to do was wash her and give her a snip snip session to get off all the knots. I felt really sorry for her. Cassie Cat was fine, think her time there did her the world of good as she had a little box to snuggle up in and a tower to climb so think she was ok, no knots on her at all. Its great to have them back again and definately makes this house a home now.





A week ago, we had a new addition to the family, baby Matthew John, a little brother for Harrison, and proud parents Claire and Peter. After all she went through with having to have a caesar with Harrison, this time she managed a natural delivery so we are very proud of her indeed. Will put up a photo of Matthew on this page so you can all see what a cutie he is. So this time I made it just in time, arriving to see baby Matthew come along so I have absolutely thrilled about it.

No cards this time but some photos instead, catch ya later on. Wont be so long away next time promise.

NEW CARD

Just a quick card to see you through.
Hope your all feeling well and looking forward to Easter.

Love
Di

MY CAT AND DOG

Do you have pets? Well we have two, Cassie the Cat and Bella the Dog, both fortunately get on very well together. Cassie is about 8 years old now and Bella is about 4 years old but out of the two of them I would say that Cassie rules the roost! Honestly some of the things she gets up to are hilarious, and yes, they are both coming back to Perth with us as they are part of our family.

Cassie sleeps on a sort of hammock style radiator swing cover where she lols away the hours of most days unless the sun is shining then she might venture outside for 5 mins but thats her lot, not really an outside cat, too skitzy, jumpy and frightened of her own shadow, comes from a bad start in life before I had her.

Just recently she has taken to sleeping quite soundly then very suddenly jumping up about 6 ft in the air, landing on the dog who lays below her, scaring the begeebers out of Bella then landing somewhere else about 20 ft away, its hilarious to see. Once she landed on my chest while I was sitting on the sofa, no warning, just jumping in the air landing and scram quickly out of the way! I'd love to know what is going on in her head to make her do things like this, as she gets older she seems to be doing it more and more, and it seems the sounder the sleep the more likely she is to jump uncontrollably!

The animals mean the world to me and they are all booked up to go back to Perth in June, a week before we go back. Jack and I are now flying out on the 27th June and Clem is flying out on the 17th April. So its all hands on deck, sorting out more boxes, sorting out if there is anything else we can get rid of in the books department as we seem to have accummulated quite a few over the years and you cant or dont really need all of them do you.

So next time yo see your cat sleeping have a thought to my Bella jumping in the air and making us laugh uncontrollably, she is such a lovely thing.

MY NEW CUTTLEBUG

About November last year I went to a craft exhibition and bought myself a Cuttlebug Machine that was on offer. Now I have been hankering after one of these for ages since one of my friends over in Perth had one and I tried it out and just loved it! So having one finally is the best thing so I am overloading on Cuttlebug backgrounds for a while longer but oh I love it.

The cards shown are some I made back in December with some Stampin Up stamps, Lovely as a Tree which is one of my favourites. Hope you like them.

Well, we have some great news, hubbie has been offered his old job back in Perth so he now has a great job to go to which is absolutely the best news ever! So now we have to change all the flight details for Clem and myself as he will be going back first now and me following later on with Jack but its worth all the effort just to know he has a job to go to plus its with his old buddie so what could be better!

When we know the new dates I will let you all know.

Bye for now
Di

BACK AT LAST!

After a break of some months I finally managed to get around to updating my blog! Sorry I have been away for so long but you know how it gets. I was making a few cards but not taking photos of them, havent quite become used to this house we are in, its a very dark living room so to take pictures of cards requires a light as a backdrop somewhere and its just not set up for it. So with a little improvisation I took some pictures with an angle poise lamp standing to one side of the table. Now my only problem is the shakes, yes the Essential Tremor has become really bad and I cant hold the camera still now so I have had to resort to putting it on a mini tripod on the table, what a lot of fuss just to take a few pictures, never mind!

The first photo is of some cards I made last month, love the colours and the stamp is a Rachel Greig Stamp which I just love using as it gives such a crisp image.

The second image is of me and my grandaughter Rosie, isn't she just the prettiest thing you have ever seen! Well, yes I am biased but she is lovely and along with her two brothers Alfie and Spencer they just make my heart melt like any Grandmothers would. I am very proud of them.

I have some news, we are returning to Australia again, yes I know, ping pong ping pong but this time it has taken a few things for us to realise just how much we miss Perth and can't wait to get back. Thats half the reason I went back in October to see if I liked it as just a place to visit or to live permanently. Naturally we are starting all over again and having to sort out all our stuff and being a bit harder on throwing out old stuff this time. Don't know about you but we or perhaps my other half is a bit of a hoarder, love him to bits, but he is an Electronics Engineer and collects things for "use one day" so we end up with endless bits and pieces of pcb boards and the like hanging around, oh not mentioning the cables! He does make me laugh though cos 9 times out of 10 we do use it eventually its just that I hate holding onto too much stuff and like things put away. My favourite saying is "Dont put it down put it away", falls on deaf ears in this house though!

Of course I can't please everyone and that upsets me more than anything, I am leaving my son Paul his wife Alex and my three absolutely gorgeous grandkids behind but they are all really settled here, Alex has a big family here in Rugby so they are well taken care of in that department. My daughter Claire is thrilled to bits of course and as she is now expecting her second child around the 4th August she is pleased she will have her Mum around to help with this one and Harrison. So I have a lot to look forward to, one new grandchild to come, seeing Harrison again and my daughter Claire and her husband Peter, plus all my friends who have stayed in contact and you know who you are, Elizabeth, Cathy, Gillian, Claire P, Judy, it will be great getting back to crafting with my mates again and to some lovely weather.

I am going back on 13th June and have managed to get on an Qantas A380 so really looking forward to it! I LOVE flying anyway, just the thrill of being up in the clouds gives me a big grin so I am thoroughly looking forward to the trip on the new plane.

I have stopped doing Stampin Up here in the UK as I just wasn't getting anywhere and couldn't put my heart and soul into it. Had a few customers which was ok, but the UK just hasnt embraced Stampin Up as I had expected. Over here we have to compete with Create and Craft TV and QVC which sells craft stuff at brilliant prices. The Catalogue is about half the size of the Australian one, so it really doesnt give a great variety to choose from. Not sure, but I might start Stampin Up back in Perth when I am settled as I thoroughly enjoyed the teaching aspect of the workshops, so I might start it up again but not too sure at the moment.

Anyway, thats your lot for one day, phew worn my brain out!! lol

Chat again soon.

TRIP TO PERTH W.A.

I have just come back from spending 4 weeks with my daughter and son in law in Perth Western Australia and their son Harrison. My grandson was 1 year old while I was there and also they had him christened too so they had a couple celebration which was lovely. I met some of their friends who are also parents with toddlers now so many little ones running around, some walking and some crawling. Harry is in the throws of learning to crawl but prefers standing on his feet or pulling himself up to the coffee table height, such a cutie I tell you.

One daughter and I are truly shopped out, being on my own back in the UK for the past year I had forgotten what its like to go out with female company shopping again. Look, I love my hubbie but a shopper he isn't and as soon as it gets tough he starts to yawn which in turn just gets me annoyed and I think he isn't interested! So having a female around again was doubly brilliant, looking at all the clothes, giving Harry a snack or having lunch out was a real treat for me and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

We had a lovely day out in the Kings Park which is set high on a hill and overlooks the Swan River and Perth City itself, a mindblowing view it is too. The Kings Park Wildflower Festival had just been on which I missed but the flowers are still there so we had a long walk around the gardens area looking and taking photos for my scrapbooking pages. Harry was so good, we had something to eat out and sat on some seats just staring at the most beautiful view of the Swan River, marvelous. There were so many people out in the lunch time either jogging or walking, it was great to see all the people there and the park being used.

These pictures are a sweeping view of Perth from left to right along the Swan River.

More pictures next time..........

August is a pretty heavy month for me. I have my own birthday and I was 55 on the 15th, crikey where has time flown! My hubbies is 23rd, my Daughter in Law and her son/my Grandson are both the 20th and we then have two other anniversaries too. So I have been busily making cards for everyone and a few extras too.

I am just getting back into the swing of making things again after a lapse in creativity. I don't know where it went but it went, gone, bye bye, not around here for ages and ages, strange how it happens like that and not even looking at other peoples websites could give me the creativity, even though they were fabulous. Not even Splitcoast Stampers could help me so I must have been in a bad way hey! Well I am back, perhaps not into cards so much, been missing my scrapbooking so thought I might have a go at that once again especially the digital scrapbooking which I was addicted too! So for the last time for a while here is a card I made.

I have finally found a bit of enthusiasm and managed to make a few cards for rellies and friends. They have turned out really well and I even had a bash at making Christmas Cards, yes I know its early but I wanted to get a head start on them and get going while the energy is there too! Making the cards is the easy bit I then forget about taking photos of them and also which goods I have used for what which is dreadful of me. I should keep a written list by me for such things but that would be far too organised for me!

These were made with yellow and blue paper, and the stamp set is Stampin'Up! Heartfelt Thanks which is a Hostess Gift if you spend more than £150.00 of goods. Its a great set and one of my favourites and gets pulled out quite often when I am making cards.