Rocking My World Friday

Hello Rockers & Rockettes, I'm loving that there are more people joining Virginia's reflection on the week as the year goes on. Here's hoping there will be many more - it really does make you catch a glimpse of the sparkle when you really don't think there is any silver lining in sight.I really thought I was going to have trouble finding some positives this week. There's some poopy stuff happening to people I love and I hate not being able to help them. And amongst other things Ruby had a chest infection all week and it feels like we are playing pass the lurgy with the damn thing. Craig and I both woke up with raw throats again yesterday, today we both have banging headaches as well. I've been just hoping and hoping for a teeny hint of Spring weather on the horizon so we can get all the doors and windows of the house open and give it a good old fashioned airing.

However, looking back, we did have one nice sunny day this week which allowed for me to inspect my table garden. Yep this is the only greenery we have in our yard, we did try and make some planters and pop in some veg and heather... but the mutts decided we had gifted them their own personal toilets... and everything in there pretty soon went to plant Heaven. So this is my little area in the yard. And after a bit of weeding and pulling off of dry and slimy bits, behold how green and not dead my plants are. I'm so chuffed - green fingered I most definitely am not!
The next positive this week was receiving an early birthday card... from Yorkshire Tea!

I've no doubt they send them to everyone but it did make me chuckle. I'm always being told off about my tea addiction, this was just further evidence!

And that's also been lovely this week, receiving unexpected cards and gifts through the post. I haven't opened any so I can't share yet but thank you. You know who you are.

Talking of Happy Post, remember One World One Heart? Well I was lucky enough to win some prizes along the way and they have been arriving over the past week or so.

This bookmark came from Becky, I love it - I usually use whatever comes to hand as a bookmark - receipts, leaves, car parking tickets... see how swish I'll look with my reading now! And stars are my very favourite shape too - it's just gorgeous.

This canvas board, oh how I was chuffed to bits to win this! I had laughed when I saw it on Polinka's OWOH post as it reminded me of the early days of dating Craig - we met online you see. So when I got the email saying I had won.. well I couldn't believe it. It's so tactile and even more gorgeous in real life.
It's also got me wanting to search out canvas boards, why haven't I seen these before? So much less cumbersome than canvases! So much more potential.

And then we come to Deb's Mojo hanging! Ah Deb - she is so crazeeeee I tell you! Visit her blog at your own peril!
Devvie is wanting this, I've told her it's coming down the stu-stu-studio. Deb has recommended I keep it only until it needs dusting... and then graciously hand it over to Devvie. I likes her thinking!

I have two more coming all the way from America! Thank you everyone, I love them all and will treasure them. I did so enjoy taking part in OWOH and have discovered some amazing blogs through it. One of them is Connie's blog. She is hardcore baby! She plays with molten pewter and even had some blow up in her face this week - eek! Craig does not approve of my associating with people who play with molten pewter and use power tools - he doesn't like the look I get on my face... but I have told him, with my accident prone destructive personality, even I know better. Admire from afar with this one - much to his relief. Connie sent me one of her lucky froggies! How lovely is that? He is so titchy tiny but so detailed! Thank you Connie!

As I sit here typing I can just sniff the aroma of cheese scones - Craig and Devvie are baking up a storm in the kitchen. Oh - and I lost 5lb this week! Wicked! I stuck to my plan all week and as and when I could I jumped on the Wii Fit. Mainly the balance games as want to still be able to move the following day but it seems to have worked! Do you know what? All in all I've had same pretty damn fabulous stuff happen this week!

What's Rocked Your Week? Come on - why not join us?

Thanks for stopping by :)

Rocking My World Friday & Friday Fab Five :)

Look, look! I'm only a couple of minutes into Saturday morning as I start typing this - you are all probably still asleep, tucked up in your jammies... or for the dirty stop outs amongst you, maybe still partying on down DUDE! (Yeah, I don't get out much!) So for those reasons I am claiming that technically - it's still Friday.

Click the piccy to join in :)

How has your week been? Mine has been pretty good I have to say.

Top of my grateful list, Craig. The romantic fool that he is. We don't usually 'do' Valentines - maybe a card if we remember but usually we'll just share a box of chocs and he'll buy the girls a Valentines each which they love...

www.spookyland.com

Thought no more of it when he said on Monday not to bother bringing him some lunch to work, he was far to busy and was just going to work through...and I might as well have my lunch at home before I went down for my afternoon in the stu-stu-studio. OK, fair enough.

Imagine my surprise when I go bustling in, yell a hello through his office door as I head down the hall to my sanctuary (yes, it's that already) and stop short when I spy a full picnic spread across my desk! His face was a picture! As was mine because my tum was full of the early lunch I'd had an hour previously... the lunch he had told me to have! He said it was the only way he could think of my not getting suspicious... It was lovely though and so out of the blue! He'd also bought me a new mobly as I have managed to kill another one! I don't even know how this time, no pickling or drowning were had at my hands at all!

...and of course I managed to join him in partaking of the lovely picnic - it was fabulous! We've decided if we can't have date nights till the girls are older, maybe we should have regular date lunches instead.

Next up is receiving a couple of books to review through the post. One of them has been on my wishlist for an AGE - Pride & Prejudice and Zombies... the other is the follow on: Dreadfully Ever After. I don't know why the lovely Quirk man decided to be bestow such treasures upon my blog but I'm not complaining. Prepare to have more zombie love thrust upon you in the shape of a couple of reviews very soon. Am looking at them now and grinning madly. Mmmmm books! Mmmmm, ZOMBIE books. Mmmmmm, now I have to go watch Pride & Prejudice for the first time ever just so I know the original story, sort of. What? No I can't just read the original book and yes it does have to be the Colin Firth version. NO, it has nothing to do with my newly acquired Mr Firth crush. Though he is a bit of totty indeedy! Woohoo!

Rocking my World also this week is finding my groove thang when down the stu-stu-studio. It has to be said I was wandering around in there feeling a bit lost the first couple of days. But now, I'm in, getting the paints splashed everywhere on a couple of canvases (one is my OWOH giveaway and the other is a present, a very late present) and while they are set aside with each layer drying I am catching up on my classes. I can see how it's going to be, I can envision in my head how it's going to work now and I'm H.A.P.P.Y! Messy at first, clean stuff inbetween, messy at the end to dry over night! Yeah baby, yeah! I can see me doing this all day, every day. We'll see what happens when all the girls are at full time school. Maybe I'll have to go work for someone else, maybe we can get by like we are now... I can but try... and I'm lucky, so very lucky to be supported, nay - pushed by Craig.

Lastly... Half Term. DUM DUMDUM DUM DUMMMMM. I am both looking forward to this week and dreading it at the same time. I love having the girls home. I love not having to get up at "what the HELL?" O'clock. I am not going to love a week away from the unit. I am not going to love the inevitable squabbling and shouting (they are at that age!) Thinking cap on for cheap entertainment and hoping that the weather is nice for them.

And now my creatively thinking Friday Fab Five. This week I've been enjoying...

1. Grungy grafitti painting on canvas - will show and tell soon.

Piccie nabbed from here

2. Using my fabby Christmas present from Gail while catching up on classes :)

Piccie nabbed from here.

3. Reading this...

4. ...which means playing with this...
5. Researching Art Dolls. My next obsession, I can just feel it! Didn't include piccies as didn't want to go nabbing anyone's work without permission. Blame the OWOH tour and Donna. Inspiration overload! Google "Art Dolls" in the images section. Wowza!

Fancy playing along? Get thy buttocks over to Virginia's for Rocking Friday and to Maggi's for Friday Fab Five.

Oh, and I know it's now properly Saturday... but I went to bed. Hey, I tried!

Carmen x

And The Winners Are....

It's over! I loved, loved, loved One World, One Heart and have met some amazing people, seen some fantastic blogs and am brimful of inspiration and ideas! I want to say a big thank you to everyone who stopped by and to everyone who participated.

But on to my winners, I used Random.org, transferring all the names over to Word and numbering them. After removing the duplicate posts and people returning to say hello or who didn't have a blog, it ended up being 178 entries.

So, drumroll please...

My official giveaway, the book Warm Fuzzies, is going to Caz who is in England :)

My unofficial giveaway, the grungy canvas, is going to Beckie in America :)

Am pleased as punch to see that Lisa, the organiser of OWOH was teasing us with saying it was the final one. Well... it was... but only because she has something just as fabulous if not more so (could that even be possible?) up her sleeve. The first annual Our World, Our Art!

I really do recommend you pop on over there and read all about it. If you want to play - you have a year to get ready! See you there?

Carmen x

One World One Heart 2011

Giveaway closed - winners drawn and contacted :)

Hello and welcome to my humble blog both new visitors and much loved oldies alike.

This is my first time participating in OWOH and I'm sad to see it will be the last one too.

For those of you that maybe don't know what One World One Heart is this is how Lisa the organiser of this fab event describes it...

One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy.

So! My name is Carmen, I'm 34 at the end of this month and I'm gradually learning to call myself an artiste. On my little blog you'll find waffling, lots of waffling, I can't do short posts... well - I can but they don't look right so I generally just waffle and hope I haven't bored people to tears. Wafflings usually are about things I've made, courses I'm taking, books I'm reading and then feel the need to foist my opinion on you about... and the odd slobbery drool soaked post on Alice Cooper. No apologies for those.

Om nom nom nom!

*ahem* Where were we? Oh yes, I love to play at altering things, I dabble in jewellery making and papercraft... anything really, my gaze is always being caught by another fabulous branch of the creative tree. I've come by the name 'The Duck Lady' can't think why... ...but I'm finding my real love is drawing and painting. Though I still count myself as on a learning curve - but then aren't we all right up until we pop our clogs? I believe so. I have been told my style is grungy and I'm happy with that - I can't really deny it. I love to incorporate things like zombies, Alice... oh and Bette Davis *love her* into my creations. Occasionally Carmen Miranda pops up too - well, she is my namesake after all .

The dream is to one day make a living out of creating stuff from the rambling things in my head... Just spend all day, every day doing that... Actually the biggest thrill would just be someone genuinely wanting something that I had made - to be willing to fork over pennies that they had worked and slaved for to buy something that I had made. How amazing would that be? Pretty cool. That's the dream.

So my little gift to one of you, as a thank you for stopping by and letting me talk about myself... well.. the prize was going to be a grungy graffiti style canvas but I have been a bit under the weather this month and haven't managed much creating at all. SO I've come up with a cunning plan. The official gift is this book from my bookshelf - don't worry - it's still brand new. (Who else is guilty of that? So many gorgeous inspiring books, so little time!...) I don't know about you but I'm addicted to books. Especially art & craft books and books about spooky things. Well, you might not all appreciate a book about zombies or vampires or ghosties and ghoulies but most of you would probably like a new arty crafty book to play with, am I right? So pop your name below to be in with a chance of winning this brand new beauty - Warm Fuzzies by Betz White. However... I am also holding an unofficial giveaway which will be a graffiti grungy style canvas - roughly A4ish in size maybe a wee bit bigger which I will get cracking on making as soon as I feel better. It will be mixed media and contain lots of paint methinks. It will be something to do with inspiration and getting your mojo on - that sort of thing. If you would like to be in with the chance of winning that - also let me know in the comments.

So to recap (told you there was waffling) if you would like to enter just the official book giveaway or if you would like your name put in for the unofficial canvas or both... let me know in the comments. My only stipulation is that you must be a blogger to enter. It's a really easy stipulation. This is after all an event for bloggers. But that's the only condition. I will post internationally.

The giveaway will end 5pm UK time on February 17th and winners will be announced and contacted shortly after so please make sure I am able to make contact through your comment whether it be that your name links back to your blog or that you leave an email address/twitter id. If I can't make contact I will redraw a winner. Just so you know. It would also be nice just so I can return the visit.

So thank you again for stopping by and I hope to come and meet lots of you over the next few days :)

Rocking My World Friday & Friday Fab 5

Look into my eyes - it is Friday. It is Friday. I am not late. It is Fridaaaaay!

Hello again everybody, it's that time of the week when I join Virginia in sifting out the caca to find the gold nuggets in my week... Um, yeah - that mental image leaves a lot to be desired. Sorry 'bout that!

So this week I am thankful for feeling better in myself. Less coughing and no being sick this weekend. In fact I'm only really coughing now when the temperature drops of an evening and am left feeling like I have a bad cold so all in all 100% better than last week. Whatever it was - good riddance!

Next up is my girls both getting a trip to London's theatre land last week - I should have mentioned it in last weeks post but wasn't really with it. Phoebe was given a trip to see Lion King with her school. A bunch of kids got it as a reward for excellence in various subjects - all they have to do to 'repay' the trip is start up a school newspaper and become the writers, editors etc which she is loving. She is still raving about the trip now. Then on the same day it so happened my sister managed to get a hold of a bunch of tickets to see Wicked. I was invited but typically was ill, absolutely gutted as would love to see that one - but Devvie went and was blown away. She too is still raving about it. Phoebe was all for telling the school coach to drop her off at the theatre that Wicked was showing in once they had finished watching Lion King but decided she would be to tired. I can just see her trying to convince the teachers to just drop her off in London on her own as she had another show to see.

Getting to finally play in my stu-stu-studio. Yes after two weeks of it gathering dust I got back down there this week and finished tidying and started playing. I'm on a catch up wagon now but by March I reckon I will be back on top of things and able to be doing what I want, start my PIF pressies and generally make a mess.

One World , One Heart. I haven't been doing much the past few weeks except slob around watching CBeebies with Ruby, sleep, moan about being ill (I'm such a rubbish sick person) and spend half hour here and there reading the OWOH posts. Oh wow, so much inspiration. My 'to try' list is overflowing and have met some lovely, friendly people already.

Finally - Rocking My World this week is Love. Yes, love online. The blossoming relationship of two souls destined to be together, having met through this wonderful Blogland - a tale to melt the most hardened of hearts...
My Hetty is being wooed! By Henry no less. Henry lives with Bernie and he sent Hetty her first valentine, setting her hose all a quiver!

I shall be most miffed if she gets more valentines than me!

So what Rocked Your World this week? Be sure to drop by Virginia's and play along.

Next up I'm joining in with Maggi's Friday Night Fab Five where she lists 5 things, usually along a theme that she is finding fab that particular week. Here we go, mine is televisual viewing that I'm loving at the mo. I'm not one for hogging the TV, everyone else pretty much watches whatever tripe (oh, and it is tripe) that they want so when I find a show I want to see - woe betide anyone that dares utter a protest.

1. Being Human! Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaah! It's back!
Mitchell the vampire, Nina and George the werewolf lovers and Annie the ghost all share a house together. Loving this series - Sunday nights definitely just got better, especially with the frequent shots of George's yummy bare bum!

2. The Big C.
I was unsure of this one... the adverts made it look funny but I was unsure what could possibly be funny about the subject matter. Bit close to home. However I've watched the first two episodes and am hooked. It's in turns funny and heart wrenching.

Cathy has found out she has cancer which she (as yet) hasn't told her family about. It's incurable and she has decided now that she knows she's going to die... she's going to live. Her son is so funny, he screams like a girl! Really one to watch - Thursday night!

3. Marchlands
A five part drama about three different families living in the same haunted house over different time frames. If I recall correctly it's the 60's, the 80's and near enough present day. It's getting progressively creepier each episode. One of the best dramas I've seen in a long time! Also Thursday nights - good telly on Thursday.

4. Holby City
My Dad got me hooked on Holby when I moved back in with him years ago after splitting with my ex. Now he doesn't watch it so I can't even discuss it with him - flaming cheek! Weird thing is I have no time for Casualty which Holby is the spin off from. Love all the drama, intrigue and blood and gore... would poop myself if I ever had to go into hospital for anything major after watching this though! This is my Tuesday telly fix.

5. I haven't actually got a number five - how bad is that for my first time joining in? Thinking about it... number five is that there is usually at least one documentary or true to life drama a week that I love to watch. The last being Hattie which was about Hattie Jaques. It was really quite sad. I love trivia and Craig's always rolling is eyes when out of the blue I offer up a useless bit of information but pretty much the rest of the time wander around knowing nothing about what's actually going on in the world . It's my documentary and real life drama addiction.

That's me this week - how have you been? Thanks for stopping by!

Twilight Bracelet & WOYWW

I finally managed to access some of the bits I made at Christmas - Craig managed to get my old PC working so I can now get my photos off there.

This was for my Twilight mad friend - I made her two Christmas pressies because her birthday present ended up in the bin. (It was supposed to be a cute baby doll, it looked like a steaming black poo!) I tried to make the book look aged but am still not sure if I went to far - I liked the effect personally.

Front of the book...

Inside...

And the bracelet...

There be wolves, and apples and chess pieces and crystal hearts and what have you thar me hearties... (not sure why I'm slipping into pirate speech to talk about vampires but there you go!) I also made a bracelet for another Twi-hard friend - It was similar but I try to make them all different and thus unique *she nods sagely while adjusting her artistes beret* Forgot to take a picture of that one though!

I did also try to source a couple of wooden wolf beads - for the non Twilight nutters amongst you, Jacob the furry fanged one gives Bella the whingey, whiny fang wannabe a charm bracelet with a wooden wolf on. Then the cold, sparkly fanged one gets in a jealous strop and puts a crystal heart charm on there thus staking (see what I did there?) his claim on the miserable wench. BUT they were getting to be ridiculous prices - nearly £20 a pop for ONE so I had to settle for the charms I used... am still grumpy about that though. However they seemed to go down well at Christmas.

Finally I managed to get down to my stu-stu-studio this week. I laugh in the face of my cough... and then cough some more! Good news is though, that I have now officially finished tidying and actually had a play in there today! So as a kind of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday... on Thursday... and showing my whole room because there is still not much on my desk... or my shelves... I present to you my stu-stu-studio!

Say hello to Fred :P

In some ways I can't believe all this fitted in my little corner in the dining room. In other ways it looks so empty! Still, I can have fun filling it up eh?

That's me done... thanks for stopping by :)

Rocking My World Friday

Did I miss one? I think I did didn't I?

Happy Friday everyone :)

Rocking my world this week, here we go...

Starting to feel human again. Today is the first day in a couple of weeks that I have woken up and known what day it is, where I am and managed to get up without fearing I would fall down the stairs, not scared the bejuzus out of the kids with my crazy bleary eyed appearance.

I'm not going to lie to you people. I have never, ever felt as ill as I have this month - I'm quite lucky in that usually I get away with a few bad colds a year and mainly just have to put up with varying degrees of aches and pains in my back. I've been scared this month. Really scared. My doctor has been a giant waste of space - so much so I'm thinking of changing. I've literally lost days - Craig says I just slept and couldn't be roused. I've coughed and coughed and coughed - you know that coughing where you think if I don't stop soon I am literally going to die of lack of oxygen? Imagine that almost non-stop for 2 and a half weeks. I've been ravenous but not able to keep proper food down only sweet stuff so have been living on sugary tea and swiss rolls. I'm gagging for some proper food - I'm losing weight too but I think that's all the coughing giving my stomach and side muscles a work out - certainly feels like it. I've only been managing 5 or 10 minutes at a time on the computer before feeling ill or headachey... have been gutted that I am now so behind on my online class. It's the first time I was able to join one from the beginning and am now in the same position as always. Bringing up the rear! *sigh* But today I have actually looked at my sketch books and maybe tonight I'll have a play.

Amidst the doom and gloom I am SO thankful for Craig. He's been a star. Looked after me, came home early when possible to take Ruby to school or pick her up, cooked, cleaned just done everything. He's been amazing. In fact I've been a bit grumpy at just how well he's managing everything! Can't win can he? But I don't know what I'd have done without him.

I am so thankful for Night Nurse without which I would be even more zombified than I was. And also for antibiotics, bronchial balsam, headache tablets... you get the picture. It's so easy to imagine how people long ago died of stuff like this without all the medicinal advances - how scary it must have been.

My girls - they've been stars. Making me tea, helping with dinners... I'm also appreciating them so much more today as I got such a sad email last night. One of the little boys we have been sending packages too via Post Pals died of his condition this week, he was so young. It just makes you appreciate what you have so much more. I have been a bit overly cuddly with Ruby today and she's getting a bit fed up of me. I'm so lucky to have 3 healthy girls, I should remember that more often when they are bickering.

The One World One Heart event. I'm getting around it slowly, slowly. So many inspiring bloggers out there. My wishlist is bulging with books of new things I want to try and my blog roll is growing with new blogs I must go back and have a proper look at... art dolls in particular are calling me, telling me I need to have a dabble. The event is on till the 17th and it's the final one so if you haven't already why not check it out and maybe even join in? Every blog is offering prizes too - my giveaway post is here. It's open to anyone who blogs :)

I'm sorry it's such an uppy downy Rocking week this week but in it's way it's still thankful. What Rocked Your World this week? Why not pop along to Virginia's and join in with us? Thanks as always for stopping by :)