Getting screwed....

Well, don't be disappointed, but this is probably NOT about what you may be thinking. Last night I couldn't sleep again, so decided to get on with my crafting. Whilst getting things out of my scrap cupboard - actually it's my wardrobe, but somehow the scrappy things have taken over, and in the meantime my clothes all look scrappy too, as they are bundled up into the smallest compartment to make space for the important things in life - I spotted an album, which I thought would be good for a few LOs. Took it out, and saw why I haven't used it - somebody (????) had taken out all of the page protectors. No problem - I found a pile, got my screwdriver and unscrewed the album. Spent the next ten minutes on my hands and knees, crawling over the floor with a little torch looking for the screw I had lost. Thankful to say I found it after kneeling on it. The screw did not get damaged, I'm not so sure about my knee. By then it was nearly 2 a.m., I have hardly slept all week, my finger-tip skills had dropped to an all time low, and my frustration tolerance level was sub-zero. Took the album, after clearing enough space on the table to put it there, fumbled the page protectors - why are they always so slippery? Why do they fall under the sofa when they drop off the table? Why are transparent page protectors so hard to see on the floor? Why do they attract dust better than swiffers? - onto the screws, and tried to get the top parts of the screws screwed back in. 2.30 a.m. and almost finished. Then I saw the pile of cardboard strips which should have been alternating with the page protectors. I refrained from screaming as it was in the middle of the night. Start all over again! Unscrew screws. Page protector. Cardboard strip. Page protector. Cardboard strip. Page strip. Cardboard protector....they just didn't all fit on the screws. Rootled in the draw and found some little tubes to lengthen the screws. Fumbled them into the album. Page protector. Cardboard strip. Page protector. Cardboard strip....up to ten of each. 3 a.m. and still trying to get screwed. Why didn't that last screw fit any more? 3.15 a.m. - DONE!! There's a title on the front of the album - *Happy Days* (that title is so sick it sucks!). But with the title at the front, the page protectors had the openings at the bottom. 3.30 a.m. Put the album back in my scrap-robe, under a large pile of other things. I can't even throw it away without having to get it unscrewed to separate paper and plastic for the dual system recycling bins. If I ever find it again, please remind me about sleepless nights, lost screws, bottoms up and a lot of frustration....

Grunge Album

The tab album is from Tim Holtz. Made lots of die-cuts from patterned grunge board (also T.H. Who else?). Used distress inks (T.H. again, he must make a fortune!) in weathered wood, brushed corduroy and broken china. Used some masks from a travel kit for the Eifel tower and words etc. Decorated it all with ribbons, fibres, buttons, pins, paper-clips, an old brooch, brads, flowers, keys, clocks, an old postcard, printed cardstock - from T.H., some tags, pieces of old passports, transfers of animals and angels, and lots of other bits and bobs from my treasure tins. The only problem is, that once I start rootling in those tins, I seem to get lost in another world! Was fun making the album anyway!

Does the CSI operate here?

Had a busy day yesterday clearing and tidying and doing this and that. Then I wanted to go to bed. Wanted to put on my nice, warm PJs. I looked under the pillow - the PJs were gone!!!I was shocked! Had a criminal removed them while I was busy cleaning? Shock and disbelief lamed my usually sharp-as-a-knife understanding. It's not that I haven't got any other PJs, but I like these ones because they are so warm and comfortable. Horror! Perhaps I had thrown them away while clearing up. A thorough search of the blue bin-bag did not reveal any grey and pink stripey PJs. I double locked the door to make sure that the thief could not escape. Looked in the drawers of the desk - no PJs. Looked in my stash boxes - no PJs. Looked in the basket with the clean washing - no PJs. Looked in the dirty washing box in case I had thrown them in there by mistake - still no PJs. Went to the big closet in the hall where I keep a lot of my stash - no PJs. And then, as I turned round, I saw the culprit in front of me, in the mirror. It was dressed in my PJs, a black fur waistcoat and black and white cow-spot socks ( a real fashion statement!) I had forgotten to get dressed. How lucky that I had decided against an afternoon walk along the Rhine.

Old friends re-found....

I DID IT!!!! I have managed to clear my desk. Thought I would need a bagger to get rid of all the rubble and archaeological remains which have heaped up on it since I last scrapped there. I pulled on my elbow-length rubber gloves, took an extra strong plastic bag in my left hand and started. Found lots of old friends hiding there. Some nice piccies of my last dog, Scruffy. The angel-wings which I bought to use on Xmas cards. Lots of buttons, brads, flowers, paper-clips, pieces of ribbon, Easter decorations (just in time!), 3 Labellos in different stages of going off, a dried out stamping pad, my camera which I have been looking for for at least half a year, embellishments galore, 3,70€ in small change, you name it, I found it. No, I did not put all those treasures into the bin-bag, but sorted them lovingly into the right boxes, which were, strangely enough, mostly empty. And I found 3 (yes, THREE) spiders, probably relations of Freddie and Frieda. One was already dessicating, the other two got flattened ready for the journey to the big web-in-the-sky for the re-union with their family and friends up there. Then I cleaned the floor. I got out my steam broom and steamed the floor hygienically clean, which was necessary after I had removed so many families of dust-bunnies. The floor now has the same pleasant beech-wood tone as the living room, I think I had forgotten that. The desk has been moved to a space near the door, where it is nicer to sit, but I will have to keep it tidy....and the storage units have been hidden in the corner next to the wardrobe, where the desk was before. Anyone casually going past the bedroom on the way to the bathroom will not be able to see into this corner which makes it predestinated for a good stash hideaway. And there was even enough space for my spare bums in the corner! I still have to sort and tidy some of the drawers in the storage units, but I think I have done enough for the time being. I wish you all a good start to the week, and hope that the weather will soon give us a break. But bad weather is at least wonderful for clearing up and scrapping.

*Daisy* in Kaiserswerth

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

*Daisy* has now reached us with wind and snow galore. Time to stay home and watch the snow from the warmth of my living room. Time to think about the homeless looking for somewhere to save themselves from freezing.

Girls rule....

Spent the last 2 days helping a friend move into her new Surgery where she is *setting up shop*. We bought mounds of things by IKEA, and much to my surprise, they even fitted into my Panda, thanks to B's skills in packing. Yesterday we were 4 *girls* at work, screwing, drilling, assembling, hanging things up, putting things away etc, was fun doing the work, enjoying each other's company and watching things progress from empty rooms through mounds of boxes and packages to the first *taking shape*. And R, one of the girls, had made us wonderful mini sandwiches with home-made bread for lunch, which we very much enjoyed, and there was coffee galore and sekt to wash it down, so the fun part didn't come too short. And although I am really scared of driving in bad weather, I managed the drive there and back with no mishaps, even had my head clear enough to enjoy the white sparkly boughs on the trees and hedges, and the glittery,icy sheen on the little roads round here....Sometimes B is right, I can do more than I think! And in the evening I managed to get my washing done. Not ususally hard, but the washing machine here is in the cellar and I live on the second floor, so have to run up and down three flights of stairs each time, so after washing and drying three machines - white, dark, and the things which are already ruined with other colours in the third one! - I was feeling fit. Fit to drop onto my sofa, with a glass of pro-secco and amarol, where I spent the rest of the evening watching Dr House (glad he is not my doctor!) and CSI Miami. Not my favourite programme either, but I LOVE the way Horatio looks out from under his eyelids!
This morning I got woken up by an ex-colleague, who could not understand why I was grumpy at being woken at 10 a.m. - hells bells, I am a retired lady of leisure, and entitled to stay in bed as long as I like, especially after screaming with laughter over Stephanie Plum's escapades and witty sayings half the night!
Now, although it is half past one, I am still sitting here in a long nightdress, that once had a pink floral pattern, and has now been reduced to soft, mottled tones of floor-mop grey, long wooly socks, sheepskin slippers (that smell like decaying sheep when I take them off), a knitted cap and my fleece dressing-gown. Look like Garfield dressed up as Scrooge, but as nobody knows it doesn't matter.
But now it's time for the good intentions. Going to get dressed in my housework outfit, tidy away all the scrappy things strewn through all rooms, and then start cleaning....this could take some time, so, till then - watch this space!

Soft and noiseless world....

Woke up this morning very late, no traffic noises, no planes, just quiet everywhere. Looked out of the window and found the answer - snow everywhere, sun shine and icy temperatures. Just added some photos taken at dusk, and one of the wood pigeons resting in *my* tree. It's just starting to snow again, looks beautiful, but I am glad I am viewing it from the comfort of my warm living room.