Rocking My World Friday...

Hello Strangers :)

First up on my Rocking post this week has got to be a light at the end of the tunnel with my feeling unwell. I'm still extremely tired and still getting bouts of nausea but I have to say it's definitely easing. I'm also able to sit at a PC screen now without it swimming before my eyes. Thank you again for all the messages that have been keeping me company - very much appreciated.

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Last week Craig and I snuck off one lunchtime, once all the kids were at school, and went to the beach. We bought a bag of hot, heavily salted and vinegared chips and sat in the car watching the waves. Bliss. That's not the best bit though - in amongst the seagulls trying to mug us of our prized chippies (no chance) was the funniest crow, he had us entranced. He would stand on the beach and then chase the waves all the way back as they receded. As the tide started rolling back into the beach he would leg it up the sand, cawing and flapping his wings. As soon as the waves receded again, he'd turn and chase them back only to run cawing back again as the waves chased him. I was in fits of giggles. He played his game for ages. That's one of the reasons I love those birds - they just seem so playful! Wish I'd had a camera with me.

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Lovely weather. Barring one day when it was stupidly hot, it's been lovely. Sunshine and warm breezes. On our afternoon walk to nursery, Ruby and I have been spotting the signs of Spring. The horses have appeared back in the field we walk past, accompanied by hundreds of baby bunnies scampering around. Lots of robins, blue tits, butterflies, big fat furry bumble bees and shiny ladybirds in abundance. Ruby has been stroking the trees with their tightly wrapped buds that weren't so long ago were "nooked" (naked) and shaking the tree's that are full of blossom so that it snows over her. Walks to nursery are taking even longer now but it's so great to hear her naming daffodils and daisies by their proper names... who cares if we have to leave 20 minutes earlier to fit in all this and a trip to the park before school :)

Last Sunday also saw me spend the whole day just sitting in our back garden. Cold fruit juice to hand and one of my birthday books ready to be cracked open. We all spent a thoroughly lazy day doing precisely nothing. I read the entire book during the afternoon and later we all had a walk up the fields with the monsters wobbling along on their bikes... and Craig chasing them because they wouldn't let him have a go. I love days like that.

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Ah yes. Bernie the bunny. The newest member of our household. Craig and Devvie monster went unaccompanied to a bird show at the weekend. And came home with Bernie. This would be the same bird show that they went to and came home with Cooper the Piddly Pooper when he was a pup.

So. Now apart from the countless birds and stinky dog, we have a bunny too. They got round me saying Bernie is for Devvie's birthday in April. Hmmm.

Needless to say I am considering banning them from unaccompanied bird show visits in the future. And am also wondering what the reaction would be if I were to go to a craft show and come home with a cat? What do you reckon my chances are?

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I've been doing lots and lots of reading while I've been offline, really caught up on my pile of books that were looking at me forlornly. 'Course on the flipside that means I'm going to inundate you with reviews this week but hey, they've all been great books. Lots of zombies and arty stuff. Does you good sometimes to step back and immerse yourself in other stuff doesn't it? Even if the stepping back is enforced by not being able to go on your beloved PC.

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So how have you been? What have you been up to? If you fancy playing along with the Friday Rockettes then be sure to stop by Virginia's and link up ;)

Thanks you as always for stopping by.

Chunky Steampunk ATC

Very quick post from me today - again, please excuse typo's as am just looking at my keyboard to avoid the screen making me retch. (Charming!)

A while ago I signed up to a Chunky ATC swap on UKScrappers. As with everything at the moment I got disgracefully late with my ATC but my swappee was very gracious and patient. My recipient was Chris and she wanted hers to be in a Steampunk theme like Graphic 45 and she likes grunge. Well, I must admit I do like looking at pictures of Steampunk but I had absolutely no idea what the 'rules' were when actually making Steampunk items. However grunge, well... like a pig in muck with the grunge theme I am! So this is what I came up with...

As you can see, I sort of latched on to Victorian and cogs...

The image is from a beautiful Itkupilli collage sheet entitled Lost Beauties. She has been over stamped, texture pasted and painted to within an inch of her life.

The back - more texture past, stamping and paint.



The whole thing was then absolutely smothered in Glossy Accents - hence the terrible pictures. Should have taken them pre-glossing.

I fear she ended up more of a grungey Goth than Steampunk. I did like the end result and was a bit sad to send her off in the end. I'm always glad when I feel like that and just hope she was what Chris had hoped for.

My sender was Jill. For my theme I had asked for either a Mojo buddy or something to do with Ravens/crows. This is what Jill sent me...



Isn't he fab? I love all that metal embossing. It's very tactile.

So there we go - I'm slowly, slowly coming out of this icky fog I've been in. Slowly catching up on things. Hopefully I'll be posting more soon.

If you're still with me, thanks for hanging around and as always, for stopping by :)

Rocking My World Friday... AKA Gratuitous Show & Tell!

Firstly, thank you to the lovely people who have been emailing to see if I'm still alive. I am. Still a bit poorly and looking at the PC screen makes me want to hurl so am typing very quickly and looking solely at my keyboard right now... excuse any typo's please :) I have been to the doctors and there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I just may be a bit absent for a little while till I can read my screen again. I miss you all!

I have been reading, reading, reading while I've been absent so expect a flurry of reviews when I can manage it. (Oh, don't I make myself sound so frail? I'm such a terrible person to be around when I'm ill! Just want to hibernate.)

I have been wanting to do a thank you post for ages for all the lovely birthday presents I got at the end of February - if that kind of thing makes you glaze over you might want to leave right now. Seeing as my weeks offline have been spent with me huddled under a blanket on the sofa with my books, emerging to demand water, biscuits and sustenance and then disappearing again - I thought I could post my thank you's as a Rocking Post instead.

Here we go...

Firstly, my own Devvie monster altered this matchbox for me... the grasping hands might give a clue to who is residing inside...


... a very cute zombie finger puppet, that she's hand sewn herself :D Love the brains popping out of his head!

Next, and I think we might be having an invasion, this cute little zombie arrived from Carol. He's like the Japanese Kokeshi dolls (I hope I said that right Carol!) and Carol has just started dabbling in painting them. He's sitting on top of my desk now, keeping the UFO Devvie made when she was younger company :)
Then, these gorgeous pressies arrived from Gaily. I was so surprised as she really hasn't been well lately so it was a lovely feeling that she hasd been thinking of me. I just love this skull bracelet and had been admiring them on her Facebook page. I don't wear much jewellery but do like my bracelets. The skull heart now hangs in our living room and look - Hello Kitty has been Alice-ified! She knows me so well :D

Lastly of my beautiful hand made presents was this book from Virginia. I had signed up to do a Rock CJ which she is part of but had to pull out as am falling so behind in my arty crafty commitments. I had wanted to do my CJ based on a Rock Fairy Tale. So Virginia, being the amazing person she is, took the idea and ran with it. She based this book on a Brothers Grimm story because she knows I love them :) Look here to see how she made the book. It's really a sight to behold, my pictures don't do it justice, I'm so jealous of her painting and blending skills. She makes me want to buy a Bind-it-all again (and actually use it this time!)

Then there was my book haul! Ooh lovely books!

My sister went to the recent London Comic-con. Somehow in amidst her squealing excitement that she was going to meet Stan Lee and some of her favourite artists, she had the idea to order me this in the hope of getting it signed.

Unfortunately the artist didn't make it... and my Dad had beaten her to getting me the book by a year - he got it for my last birthday! Oops! I wasn't going to tell her but she spotted it on my shelves - so I'm instructed to re-sell it and put the money towards something else. I'm sure I can manage that.

She did however spot Simon Bisley plugging his new zombie graphic novel at the convention so I got that with a lovely birthday message on the cover. Yay!

My fabulous friend Lesley raided my wishlist and got me these. Both books I've wanted to read for absolutely ages.
Along with my pocket zombie, Devvie also surprised me with this book - another I have been really, really wanting to read... she was very naughty!

And finally my Dad got me this (as well as a Kindle cover and some journalling pens) - soooo happy with this one :D

Jo was also very naughty and gave me an Amazon voucher (my favourite currency - can only be spent on goodies!) which I'll be putting with the money Craig's Mum gave me and the money from when I sell my sisters book to bump up my art supplies... or maybe get the desktop easel I've had my eye on for a while :)

That just leaves me to say a huge thank you to everyone. I feel so lucky to have family and friends that just totally get me so well. That spoil me rotten and that stick around even when I disappear for a while.

Love you all a million squillion - and I hope to be back properly and caught up with you all soon.

Thanks for stopping by :)