About Me

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My name's Alison but for reasons too long to go into I'm known as Cockney Blonde or CB for short. I've been rubber stamping for several years but now spend most of my time either knitting or crocheting. However, with the advent of a New Year I have bitten the bullet and am tackling my usually hated pastime of sewing. I've even bought 'Sewing for Dummies' to guide me on my way. I've been with my hubby Dave for 24 years and between us we have 4 kids and 5 grandkids. We also have 2 cats and a dog, the latter features as my 'photo' image. I used to be able to blog daily but these days I struggle to blog weekly. Hopefully now we are settled into our new home in the country, I can get back to a daily (well almost) update from the room I now have to share with hubby. No more personal crafting space for me!!! Thanks to all the blogs and sites I follow for all your brilliant inspiration, and thank you to everyone who finds the time to comment on my blog.

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Just a quickie

Afternoon Bloggers. What a chilly miserable day it is here. Where is our summer??? I want to know NOW!!!

So now I've stamped my feet  foot I'll share with you this quickie card (pre-leg again) that I made for a lovely lady who had a birthday yesterday. Again a stencil with dreamweavers paste, a bit of bling, and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

Hope she liked it.

As for the leg. Well thankfully its not a DVT so our trip to China in 3 months should still be OK.

Back tomorrow with a fabby quick bag I knitted up at the hospital yesterday.

TTFN, x


Monday 30 July 2012

Remember that Cardi???


Evening Folks. Do you remember the cardi I made for my Grand-daughter earlier in the year in a beautiful deep coral bamboo type yarn, and how it only fitted where it touched. Well here is the bigger version. This time a much better fit.

This one is knitted in Robin 'Jelli Been' DK and is an acrylic/polyester blend. Beautifully soft. Anyway the little recipient was a very happy bunny when she saw it and travelled home in it.
Here is a close up of that intricate but easy peasy knitted edge and below a picture of it on my beautiful grand-daugher. She is a love and was being very caring of her Grandma  yesterday after I'd spent several hours at A & E with this blooming leg.


In a nutshell, the lower part of my leg keeps managing a lovely shade of Adirondack Eggplant. Not sure why. Had to attend the ward today and I need to go back in tomorrow for an ultrasound and maybe more investigations. In the meantime they are treating me for a possible DVT but are not convinced that this is what is wrong. Hey Ho!!!

On a positive note, our beautiful labrador seems to be improving although secretly I think she's after my crutches. She keeps giving them the 'eye'.

BTW my grand-daughter calls them my crunchies.....LOL
I could spend all day living on crunchies ...mmmmmm

TTFN, x

Saturday 28 July 2012

Home Alone....Again!


Happy Saturday everyone. The sun is shining here in Bradford again and I'm sharing a sunny card with you which I made, pre-leg, for a lovely crafting lady who had a birthday yesterday.

The flowers are a digi image which I coloured with copics, mounted onto some DP and added a twist of ribbon to finish.

Update on my labrador. The vet wasn't overly concerned, she thinks the fall has just aggravated her arthritis. However, I wasn't aware she had any arthritis to her hind legs. So we'll up her analgesia for a few days and see if that does the trick. As for the lump, I suspect its a haematoma (bruise) as its quite mobile.

Anyway, home alone again, but this time I have been left with a fantastic slave carer. My #2 Son is being a gem and I couldn't deny hubby a day off to go to the footie, especially as the other evening's trip out went awry when #2 Son came home poorly and hubby had to turn around and return home. So he's vacuumed, walked the dog and even provided lunch c/o the local buttie shop.

Enjoyed watching the Olympic swimming this morning, anyone else tuning in.

TTFN, x

Friday 27 July 2012

Such a Sweetie


Good Morning, a sunny day at last. The dullness has gone for now.

I'm sharing this cute little card which I have made (pre-leg) for the little girl next door. She has a birthday on Sunday. This is one of the digi images from the Funky Kits people. They are a dream to colour with your copics.

Hubby has just popped out to take our beautiful labrador to the vets. She has been struggling of late with her arthritis but a cocktail of anti-inflammatories and analgesia has been keeping her very comfortable. However, she still insists on climbing the stairs and unfortunately yesterday she managed to fall down a couple. So having monitored her overnight we noticed she was still limping this morning and a lump has appeared on her hind leg. So off to see the wonderful Sal who will, I'm sure, sort her out.

As I sit here writing my blog I can see a very sad looking labrador/greyhound cross who can't understand where big 'sis' has gone. Wait! Big 'sis' has been forgotten in preference of a bit of sun-bathing....so fickle...

Hope you all have a good day and I'll see you soon, x

Thursday 26 July 2012

Blog Candy Giveaway


Good Morning All. Still cloudy here in Bradford but at least its not raining.

Look at this fabby giveaway being offered by Linda over at
lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.co.uk

This is a new set of stamps which have been designed by the talented lady herself.
Click on the link in the sidebar to find out more and hop by her blog to be in for a chance of winning.

Not much to report here other than the clingfilm was redundant this morning thanks to a new waterproof dressing. Oh it was just divine to be able to put the leg into the water.....mmmm.

I'll be home alone again later while  hubby goes to an Olympic football match at Old Trafford. Fortunately our #2 Son is able to use a microwave under instruction and supervision so it will be a 'ping' tea tonight.

That's all for today. See you tomorrow, x


Wednesday 25 July 2012

Simple Stencilling

 Good Afternoon Folks. Not such a sunny day here today, in fact not sunny at all, just dull!

This is a card I made for a very special tea lady who had a birthday yesterday. This was one of the few I was putting together quickly before I went into hospital, so I used up an image I'd created from a stencil with dreamweavers paste and added a bit of bling....voila!

I hope she liked it and enjoyed her birthday.

Well, I survived yesterday OK. One little fall but fortunately landed on the sofa so no harm done.

This morning it was back to the clingfilm and then off to see the nurse to have my dressings removed. Mmm...still one hole not quite healed, hopefully it will do soon. Then off to the supermarket to stock up on food and a little treat - a bottle of wine. However, all was not to be....as we got out of the taxi at home hubby dropped the bag containing the wine.......the pavement smells good, lol.

So with not much else to report today I shall leave you to your crafting and I'll see you soon, x

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Home Alone


Good Morning and what a beautiful morning it is too. I was kicked out of bed at 5.45 this morning so that hubby could get me 'sorted' before he had to leave at 6.30 to take the train over to St. Helens to be with our Son today.

Here is my tray of goodies to keep me going until my pal Diane arrives to rescue me at lunchtime.
You can see the flask, top right, filled with hot coffee; mug ready to be filled with the steaming contents, and of course the jug of milk and dish with sugar. Then there is the banana and pear - healthy - and the not so healthy crisps and biccies. Finally a glass of water and painkillers just in case.

Also to hand are the telephones (landline and mobile), TV remote controls, Laptop, knitting, crochet and sewing....Oh, and my current book.

Of course by the time I've finished writing this I'll be ready for a snooze...........

TTFN, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Monday 23 July 2012


Hello Bloggers. I hope you are all enjoying some sunshine at last. It has been very pleasant here in West Yorkshire all over the weekend and continuing into today.

I thought I'd share this unusual card with you which I sent to a very dear friend. The technique was shown to me by Chrissie of Stampin Up. Its one of those cards that presents a whole host of potential problems but once you've mastered the folds you wonder what all the fuss was about.

I really enjoyed this workshop and actually managed to finish the card before the end, obviously it is another pre-leg card, lol.


So to give you a quick resume of the last couple of days. The clingfilm is still doing its job but not for much longer as dressings should be coming off on Wednesday and then I'll be able to soak the leg. The tubigrip will still need to be worn but at least that can be taken off for bathing.

Saturday I was fortunate to have a chauffeur for a few hours so it was off to the nail salon to get the talons back on and then a couple of hours at my #2 Son's Garden Centre for an Open Day.

Yesterday we popped to our local for a drink and were able to sit outside in the sun, and then today its been a trip to the Post Office. As you can see life is just one big adventure at the moment...

So to finish up its #1 Son's birthday today. Happy 30 - 1 J... Hubby and I Skyped him this morning from bed. Just for a laugh we put woolly hats on. Anyway no comment was passed until his girlfriend popped her head in to say hello and immediately said - why is your Mum wearing a hat??? Hilarious - he hadn't noticed.

That's all for now, x

Friday 20 July 2012

Friday's are for Resting with your leg up.....


Hello Bloggers. How are we all doing today? Have any of you managed to catch any sunshine yet? I don't just mean a smidgen here and there, as apparently summer is almost here....

Anyway some more cards to share with you, created pre-leg.

The top one was made utilising a stencil image I had filled with Dreamweavers paste. A ribbon here and there, a few gems and a flower, voila!

Next is another of my resist and spotlight cards. I do love those adirondack colours, cranberry and eggplant, together.


Finally a very quick resist card with a simple sentiment stamped on.

Tomorrow, all being well, we are hoping to pop up to my Son's Garden Centre for an Open Day and BBQ (I am whispering now in case the sun is listening). Not sure how they will manage with me in a wheelchair as the whole Centre is based on a steep hill. I may not be back in blogland til after the weekend so you will have to wait until that instalment.

Wishing you all a happy and hopefully sunny weekend, x

Thursday 19 July 2012

Supermarket Sweep...


Afternoon bloggers. Before I tell you about today's adventure let me share this card I sent recently for a friend's birthday. This is another one of those postcards from IKEA this time used in a gate-fold card.

Anyway, today we ventured to the Supermarket, hilarious. Apart from making me appreciate the plight of wheelchair users in negotiating pot-holes, kerbs and people!!! it also made me aware of how 'removed' from things you feel when sitting at that level.

Anyway hubby pushed me to the store and then we hooked up to a wheelchair trolley fitting it around my horizontal leg rest. After he had retrieved me from the middle of an aisle (he did a toilet dash...) we set off to get our goodies. I have to say chocolate featured heavily on this trip, lol. It was quite an art pushing this extended length of machinery around the aisles but he did really well and we rewarded ourselves with a ride home in a taxi followed swiftly by coffee and a cookie.

Oh, and before I forget, the clingfilm therapy was used again this morning. We are now 1 week into my confinement, 5 to go....

TTFN, x

Wednesday 18 July 2012

A Little Bit of Crochet and Tales from The Wheelchair


Afternoon Folks. So far, so good on my attempt to get back into daily blogging. Thought I'd share with you my first attempt at crocheting a poncho. I didn't have a pattern but after making 16 granny squares I used the template from my knitted poncho to work out how to connect them all together. All together not a bad attempt for a newbie. Can you spot the ruffled edging??? Should have taken a closer piccie.


And here's the recipient, our wee Scottish Grand-Daugher having fun chasing bubbles in her poncho.

So back to the wheelchair.....

Imagine, one passenger with poorly leg on leg-raise, one pusher, and 2 dogs.....

OK, you need more of a visual....Further imagine one dog being held on lead by person in chair and other dog with lead wrapped around opposite handle....

Getting a better picture now. Well we must have been a sight as we attracted quite a lot of interest in our stroll/push around the block especially when one dog decided to pull in one direction and the other dog in the opposite direction. On top of that add uneven paving, potholes......

Next time I think I will insist on a dedicated pusher and a separate dog handler. Anyway we had a giggle and I got some fresh air.

Oh, before I forget....had clingfilm time again this morning. I could get quite addicted to this stuff, lol.

Enjoy the little bit of sun that's trying to make an appearance.

TTFN, xxx

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Another Day, Another Piece of Clingfilm


Afternoon folks. Thought I'd share some cards with you which I made pre clingfilm days.....

The top one was a combination of resist and spotlight, the middle one some more resist with Stazon overstamping. Both for crafty girly birthdays.

This bottom one was for another very talented crafty lady, this time in an easel format. The upright image is part of a collection of square postcards from IKEA. Not sure if they still sell them but they are so adaptable.
Well, the clingfilm was out again today. A neighbour had offered to take us to a local mobility place to pick up a hire wheelchair with leg-rest and hubby thought it would be a good idea for me to go out for the ride. So we started our morning routine early so that the bath and of course clingfilm ritual could be performed. We're getting good at this now and hubby is even multi-tasking.....dropping soap in bath and knocking poorly leg at the same time!!!

So we are now the proud foster parents of a wheel-chair which we have tried out quite successfully, but more of that tomorrow. After all I don't want to use up all my tales in one blog outing.

So until tomorrow, TTFN, x

Monday 16 July 2012

G'Day All. Long time no blog. Well now I have no excuse as I am laid up for the next few weeks having had surgery on my knee. To say I am a little peeved that I can't drive or weight bear for 6 weeks is an understatement, but hey ho, there's worse things going on in the world.

Before I tell you about this little chap above let me wet your tastebuds with the follow.....

What else can you do with clingfilm???

I bought this little dog for my Grand-daughter to decopatch when we were away last month. Not a bad job she's done of it too. A little help from Grandma and a couple of eager Aunties who wanted to play but in the main Casey did a large proportion of it. She so loves making things and told my friend that when she stays at Grandma's she does 'creative stuff'. Bless! We haven't seen her now for about 5 weeks, but that's another story.

Anyway, back to the clingfilm......

Absolutely brilliant for wrapping around your leg so that you can get a bath, of sorts. My goodness I never thought having a bath could be so exhausting. I long for the day when I can get in and out unaided and soak for hours fully submerged beneath gloriously scented bubbles.

Thank goodness my hubby retired a few weeks ago as he has been an absolute godsend. Apart from not catching me when I lost my balance on the stairs..... Still that is getting easier and by the time I've finished using these crutches I will have the pertest boobies in the world. No boob job needed here, lol.

Right, off to sort some more piccies on this new computer so that I can indulge you in more delights.

TTFN, x