Blog candy!

http://spiralwhisper.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-previews-comp.html

They've got previews on of some new stamps - they are gorgeous!

Go and look - you know you want to....

Second helping!

As promised/threatened whichever you prefer.... see its Bloggers fault because he wouldn't accept another photo on my last post. I'm sure there's some clever way to do it, Caique Momma aint clever at techie stuff though! ;)) Hmm methinks you may have gathered that by now though.

So a second edition for you. Now as I'm sure you ALL know and if you don't where have you been??? Its New Years Eve. 2009 is almost upon us yipes! Well we're off to a ball tonight, black tie do. Oo'er Missus! Still its nice to get the old gladrags on now and again. So I'd thought about what to wear and thought yeah black! Then I realised it has a theme... 'Red or Dead' so I was going to be Dead obviously...

So I nipped to Meadowhell yesterday to see if there was any red dresses about at barginacious prices... and there wasn't. Well not what I wanted anyway. I tried one on and to say it was low cut... well you would almost need a brazilian to wear it! Yes THAT low!!! Now when I was donkeys years younger and slimmer I might have done but now? NEVER! despite the assistant going 'Oooo that's lovely that is' I think she was referring to my navel.... So the idea of that dress went out of the window. The others I saw were really expensive no way was I paying loads for a red dress I'd likely not get much wear out of (don't I sound mean??!!) So off we went for a mooch round. All of a sudden I get a stabbing feeling in my neck... I turned and saw these little beauties...




'you babies are MINE!!!' and as you can see now they are. It was a quick tottter round the shop as I've not had heels that high for ages. I'm sure my feet will kill me tonight but it WILL BE WORTH IT! Yes it will.... honest.... So in preparation I've shaved (only my legs and underarms remember I didn't get THAT dress ;)) put a little fake tan on my legs and amazingly its streak free and even! Plus as I was thinking while shaving, like you do, I remembered that ages ago I did buy a red dress! Its a Ghost one I got in a sale and have worn once. So I had a delve in the wardrobe and its the same colour as my shoes! So tonight Bloggettes I'm going to be RED!

Prisma treat!

Yoohoo Bloggettes - I'm not lost nor buried under a pile of mince pies - thankfully they'd all sold! So I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and are now choccie free?! I am... no one bought me any... I bought my OM a HUGE box of Ferrero Rochers. I've only managed to pry one off him! Perhaps that's just as well really though thinking about it. I think now they race straight to my waist and stay there!

So my picture treats for you today... are you on the edge of your seats? I hope so and if you aren't please hitch your bottoms forward! I'm trying to build a little excitement here you know!

Firstly my Prismas, now for some reason I decided to sort them all into shade order. As soon as I'd got them all out I wondered why I was doing it! When I'd eventually done it I was pleased (in an anal kind of way). Though they aren't as I'd actually wanted them. If I'd done that the colours would have overlapped the layers kind of thing. Thing is they're done and this is how they're stopping - well for now anyway!

The next one is a mad (well for me) card for my friend for New Year - she has LOADS of parrots, so I thought I'd feature some on a card for her. I don't normally do such 'busy' cards and when I do I have to make myself stop or they look even messier than this! I do hope she likes it.
Lastly in this section (more to come as blogger didn't want any more photos) is a few photos of the card I made for OM at Christmas. I say it truly is a Christmas card as he got it after at around 12.30am Christmas day morning, or late on Christmas Eve whichever you prefer! It came minus envelope too - it was bulky and I couldn't be bothered to make a box for it! He understands this now, you know no envelope, or you don't seal it and don't write on it! Then squeal 'don't crease that' when you did use one. Now you're all going to say you don't do any of that aren't you? Do I believe you though?.... I'll get back to you on that!

Now as you can see - because if you're reading this its obvious that you can ;)) Its a gatefold flap down pop out kind of card - now I know thats a mouthfull of a name but it kind of describes it rather well I thought. I've done quite a few of these and they're rather nice - different but still easy.

I likes easy!

So till later loyal Bloggettes - I hope you're still awake....

Yahoo! All the cakes are done!

Hiya Bloggettes! Another treat (well that's perhaps over egging things!) A few little photos from me again. This is finally the last of my Christmas baking orders! Yahooo! Perhaps I may now have time to do something of my own? Mind you if I see another mince pie... well it won't be pretty! Darn things - I don't even like them! So the first photo is a few of said blighters... they do look rather nice - shame they taste awful..

Now these aren't so bad - Almond Macaroons, really sticky when you spill the filling all over your baking tins! I suppose the moral of that story is don't drip it everywhere! Once baked it positively welds to the tins.... makes washing up a joy!
Even yummier now - Coconut Tarts! I love them slightly warm from the oven! I say warm as if you heat them while they're really hot the jam burns like hell - hot jam also sticks really really well onto skin! Unfortunately there wasn't a spare one! I have quantities down to a fine art and make them exactly in dozens - pah! Still I do manage to look as if I've eaten dozens of them!!! ;0))
Now the last of my Christmas cakes - I have to say I'm rather pleased with these - the cakes smell fantastic - wonder if its anything to do with the Cognac and Ameretto they've been bathed in? It must be because I don't like Christmas cake either. Shame they smell so nice too. Never mind there's plenty of other stuff I like. Which is a pity as I'd love to get some weight off... Perhaps if I sew my mouth shut... Just remembered I can't sew!
Well the cakes are covered in fondant icing and them adorned with fondant snowflakes which I dusted with clear lustre powder so they're all shimmery, honest they are it just doesn't seem to show up in the photo.
The cakes are now nestled in boxes and decorated with big bows and ribbons. It really makes them look nice.

So Bloggettes I do hope you've not nodded off, if you have you'll have a nice imprint of your keyboard on your forehead...

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my OM's Christmas card finished. For some reason I decided to make it like a tag book. One day I'll fathom out why I decide to do things so bloody complicated when I have a serious lack of time...

But hey I've always been like it - can't see me changing now!

As promised!

Well here we are as promised - my OM's birthday card. He's a rather cute little lizard dontcha think? (the card NOT my OM) Part of an Inkadinkadoo set I bought on holiday. I had to buy it - they were 75% off so it would have been rude not to - wouldn't it? Well that's my take on it anyway.

So what has Caique Momma been up to today? Well not as much as she should have been! But hey I'm tired that's my excuse anyway. So to make myself feel better and after collecting the Big L's watch from the jewellers (funny how he forgot to mention it wanted paying for!!!) I nipped off to the Craft Box at Elsecar Heritage Centre. Well it was their Christmas sale and they always have really fabby bargains... and well it would have been rude not to...wouldn't it? Well the therapy was just what I needed regardless.

A gal always needs more stamps doesn't she? Just in case any of you are unsure the answer to that question is YES SHE DOES ;o))

Phew!

Howdy Bloggettes!

Fear not I've not been abducted by aliens! Hey who said 'shame'!! Been a manic manic week here - no change there then eh? Its always really busy at market just before Christmas - people seem to go into a buying frenzy, I mean what exactly do they do with all those mince pies???

So a treat (OK so its only photos but hang with me here folks ;o)) of just a couple of things.

Firstly I suddenly realised that I was rather short of cards for us to send! So I came up with a quick design which can be used with various stamps, I then rattled out about 20 very similar ones. I won't bore you with pictures of them all.... unless you want to see them? No OK - let me know if you do!



As I said this week has been crazy - if I ever see another mince pie I may scream! I seem to have made millions of them! I'll have to make more as I sold them all! However I thought a photo of mince pies might be a tad boring, so here is a little pic of some of my fairy cakes, these all sold too! No cake for Caique Momma today!



I also had an order for a Diabetic Christmas Cake - my friend who is diabetic just eats 'normal' cake but this is an all singing dancing cake! Still it looked incredibly boring as it was neither iced nor marzipanned. So I titivated the box up with a mahooosive gold bow. It did make it look a trifle better. Then the customer dropped it..... fortunately it was after she'd paid for it! I then made some running repairs to the box. Strangely the cake was intact! Rather worrying but then its a fruit cake and they are quite 'sturdy'!




Finally just for self indulgence a couple of pictures of my babies! One of their favourite things to climb on - the cutlery rack from the dishwasher! They like it full of cutlery.... then they can chuck it on the floor - a good game as then I have to wash it again and they can splash in the bowl given half a chance.



So Bloggettes I do hope you're still awake - back to bore you soon!

Oh its OM's birthday today, I made his card (today) I'll take a photo later.

Wow Blog candy

http://charmedcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/12/mega-mega-mega-christmas-blog-candy.html

Mahoosive amount of candy up for grabs here!

Here I am!

Hey Bloggettes here I am! Not lost as I'm sure you thought... I do hope you've missed me... ~waits patiently for affirmative answers...~ Right we'll skip over that then! So where has Caique Momma been? She has been on her holidays! Yippeee! So where has she been? Florida! A favourite place of mine - the sun, the shops.... and well is there anything else? Well there were plenty of shops but not as much sun as I'd have liked! Typical eh? Travel thousands of miles and its not boiling! Still it was lovely and the therapy was excellent - I might have to post a pic of my stash.... muahahahaha! Yup it will be a total gloat post I'm afraid Bloggettes. Well it was the 'Black Friday' sales and it would have been rude not to wouldn't it? I mean the American economy is in a bad way. My OM said I didn't have to single handedly get it back on its feet!

Hey a girls got to help though...

So a few piccies to tied you over, some of my stash (sorry!), and a few general ones of the holidays. I've made a pile of cards since I've got back but I've not taken any photos of those yet - I'll treat you to some of those later!

So as you can see I hardly bought any craft stuff at all... ~rolls eyes~

This was taken at Fort DeSoto Park - down near St Petes Beach.
This was taken from The Pier at St Petersburg, well its just a big building on a pier really...

A sunset - Florida has some really spectacular ones, if you like them I have about 90 different ones I could show you... Oh this will be enough then... ;o))

Here you are Margy - just for you!

Coffee morning done and dusted!

Hey Bloggettes! Did you think I'd forgotten you? As if! Well the Coffee Morning is over! Done AND dusted! Phew! I do have to say though it was a success! We raised almost £1,000 for the Air Ambulance, so I'm pretty chuffed to say the least ;))) I don't reckon I want to do another one though, or if I do I'll not decide to arrange it with only a couple of weeks notice. I therefore must be offically bonkers! I mean I wrapped over 160 prizes for the tombola - that's me who hates wrapping a few things up at Christmas!! Plus some of them were really really stupid shapes too. I mean how do you wrap hexagonal bird feeders? or baskets? or balls? That's an item by the way NOT what i was thinking! Still all done now.

So a few photos for you Bloggettes, some said tombola, cake stall and the crowds! lol that last bit makes it sound much bigger than it was but hey remember two's company and three's a crowd!

Wheeee - flyin'!

Well that's what it feels like anyway, not in the usual sense you know as in wings flapping, soaring high above the earth.... more like the 'Eeeeps! why on earth did I agree to do so many things in such a short space of time' kind of flying, perhaps flapping might have been a better choice of word! I (rashly) agreed to host a coffee morning in aid of my charity - the Air Ambulance. Oh I have a charity because I'm Captain at the golf club this year - more busy-ness there. Anyway me being me I've still got masses to do, mainly being a mountain of thing I need to wrap for a tombola.... any takers?

So no pics to show you today loyal Blogettes - I was going to but the battery on my camera is flat! So next time!

OK - who's got the sellotape?

Busy busy!

Hi readers - what a manky grey dreary day it is too! Is it ever going to stop being wet? Hopefully...

Still its been a tad busy here at CM Towers. It was craft class last night so I managed to crack on and get some more Christmas cards done. All while yapping away and scoffing jaffa cakes! How good is that. Of course the jaffa cakes were eaten whole, purely so no chocolate got on the cards! hahaha! You do believe me don't you? Of course would CM fib to you....

So here are a few pics of some of the cards. You'll notice my little parrot again. I've discovered that by different colouring I can make him into different parrots! How cool! I just need High Hopes to make a cocokatoo now!

A treat!

Yay Bloggettes never fear Caique-Momma is here!

Hmm I bet you're all uber relieved to hear that! Well what's been happening in CM Towers? Well let me begin - I bet you can't wait! Saturday me and Mr CM went to a dance, food was pretty crappy to be honest but the singers they had was fab! So much so my feet were killing me when I got home, on account of dancing and I was wearing my comfiest going out high heels. So a good night there then.

Yesterday I had therapy, retail therapy! Of the craft kind. After a couple of stamps and a few papers (because I hardly have any you understand) I felt much better.

Plus Madam Postie brought me long awaited parrot stamps from Canada. Actually I did think they were coming by carrier pigeon but they're here and I love them!

So here are a couple of Christmas cards using one of them. I wonder how many Christmas cards actually feature parrots?....

So here they are - enjoy!

Hey Bloggettes! Have you missed me? The answer to that that question by the way is YES! ;)) So I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats for the latest events at Caique-Momma Towers. Right get ready and I'll begin... hey wake up at the back already! So in this lovely chilly well CM (Caique-Momma stay with me folks) has been a busy gal. Loads of baking, card making and other fun playing bits and bobs. More of that later. The girls have been to see nasty Mr Vet for a pedicure. Harry who is usually the more reserved of the two was a good girl, she came of of the carry box a treat! Laid on her back and had her nails done and blew the Vet lovely kisses. Tinker who is usually the hooligan and VERY forward refused to come out of the box! After two attempts, both times Harry came out instead, he eventually got his gal! Well yes she laid nicely in his hand and also made the LOUDEST crying scared baby noises you have ever heard come out of such a little parrot! It worked though because the Vet relaxed slightly.... only a tiny tiny but.... it was enough the little bugger managed to get a sneaky bite in and laughed! As a way of an apology she did blow him a rather nice kiss after! CM managed an embarassed snigger too, I mean I hate having my feet touched too so I can sympathise with her.

So what else - well an especially long meeting, not with Mr Er and Ahh though. Another one which involved 3 pages of doodling from me. A sign of it dragging on far too long!

So a few picture 'treats' for you now. Gosh I know how to spoil you! Just a couple of Christmas cards.

Hi loyal Blogettes! Another treat for you (well I think so). Some of you, well OK one, might have wondered where I got the blog name from, what on earth is a Caique I hear you all cry! And how on earth do you say such a weird name! Well a Caique is a type of parrot, I have two of the little blighters. Mine are yellow Thighed Caiques. Why? well because their thighs are yellow I guess! So behold the babies Harry and Tinker. Tinker is the one stood by the utensil holder, she was actually waiting to empty it. Its a really good game apparently, remove all tools from jar them throw them on the floor! Oh and don't forget to laugh and go 'Ooooo' while you're doing it. It adds to the excitment you know. Plus its lets Momma (me) know that you're doing it so Momma comes and tells you off and plays games. I call it trying to stop her doing it she thinks its a game. While this is going on Harry watches and then sees the opportunity to go and do something else naughty! Oh and Harry is a girl too. We thought harry was a him and picked Harry, but then we found out him was a her but she could say Harry by then so Harry she stayed. Harriet on Sundays or when she's naughty - that'll be most of the time then.

So enjoy my babies - I do have more pictures of them if you like - about a 1000 or so and heaps of video too! ;))

Stuff and well stuff

Well here I am loyal Blogettes, gee I hope someone is reading this! Still if no one is I've had a little blogging practice, which I surely need! Hopefully this time my pictures will appear where I want them not where Blogger thinks they should be! Working on that theory I reckon Blogger must be male! I mean otherwise they would go in the right spot - wouldn't they?

So a busy day here at Caique-Momma towers. As well as actually making stuff - like it says in the title people - I've also been baking again. I'm doing an evening selling market tomorrow so I got to bake. All for the ladies of the Womens Institute! And boy are some of them scary! And funny too I mean I just pee my pants with laughter as they come and scrutinise the cakes and then say 'how much???!!! I could make it cheaper myself' Well I smile and think 'yes go and do that then DEAR' They always come back and buy some so I don't know why we have to go through the same rigmarole each time. probably makes them feel better somehow I suppose.

Enough of my whinging - now this is what I made today (please put the photos on Mr Blogger!)







As you can see (fingers crossed) its a Christmas planner, which is a laugh really as I NEVER plan anything! I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal ~checks yes am wearing pants~ I was kind of sprawled on the couch watching X Factor and the idea somehow came into my head. So off I trotted, well crawled really, remember I had been sprawled and a trot never ever follows a sprawl. So I rooted for my mountboard got cutting and away I went. I only did one real stupid thing, which of course I will strenously deny if asked later ;)) I put the dam BIA wires in the wrong way so my book wouldn't close! So I made another discovery then, if you prise them off carefully, and that's the operative word Bloggettes you can re-use your wires! So a result there lol

My OM even complimented me on it and he didn't notice that there is one teeny tiny kink in the wire. Believe me he is the first, no second to spot any hint of wonkyness in my work. I usually spot it but then ignore it if its not a sale piece!

So Bloggettes - love how I say it in the plural! It might be Bloggette in the singular or would that be Bloggee I wonder? Whatever I do hope you've not nodded off and gone face down on your keyboard. I mean how long would it take for qertyuiop to fade off your forehead?

The news!

Well my news - (just in case anyone's reading this!).

Awhile ago I entered a competition for doodling and I made the DT. So all those hours spent doodling in meetings paid off! Thats the same meetings where I count the 'ers and ahs', I can doodle pages in those I can tell you. I say its better than me dropping face down on the table snoring! A good one was when my pen ran out and I asked to borrow one so I could carry on doodling!

Anyway I'm rambling - I've been contacted and some of my doodles are going to be made inot stamps!!! How blimmin' fantastic is that!

I shall be immortalised in rubber/polymer/silicon or whatever it is they make clear stamps out of! ;)))

I'm feeling just a little tad chuffed with myself.

So as a treat I shall subject you to another photo! Now the photo was meant to be here but its up there! Anyway.....

Oh my!

I have just had the MOST exciting news!!!

Will hopefully reveal all soon.....;)))

I will keep you in suspenders fellow Blogettes!

I love my camera!

Well not in the biblical sense you understand! Its really easy to use which is vital for me! I also wanted a viewfiinder as well as a screen. I find it hard to see the screen when its bright mainly I think due to my glasses. Still got one now. Oh its got a feature that recognises smiles! If you set it it won't take a photo until the subject is smiling! How cool is that? So armed with that and my new 'studio' I set about and photgraphed some cards. As brilliant as this camera is it hasn't automatically transformed me into David Bailey, must check where that feature on it is. ;))

Perhaps I sound mention what sort it is now I've sung its praises ~blushes~ its a Sony Cybershot, not I really must think of a name for it.... hmm is camera a boy or a girl? Well seeing as its behaving quite well it obviously must be a girl... hmmm any ideas for a name for her?

While you're perusing that earth shattering subject I'll show you a few photos (well I hope I do anyway!)

So here you have a little selection of cards - I only need make about another 1000 and I'll be good to go! Only kidding thank goodness! Now the bottom one is actually red glitter for the berries not random red splodges! I'm quite liking my Magnolia Father Christmas, I can see him being used a lot in the future.

So my Bloggette fans ~rolls eyes~ you will now be fast asleep over your keyboards!

Night night!

Well RIP good old Fuji camera :(( Well it is now wretched thing refuses to switch on even! So figuring out that a repair will be more than its worth I'm now the owner of a new camera! Which has more features than you can poke a stick at - apprantly. I never was any good with sticks myself. I need to get the book out I suppose and see what I can fathom out. But whats really peeving is that now most cameras DON'T come with an XD card or whatever they are! Fortunatley I can either take the card out of my dead camera ~ooh a bit like a transplant!~ or I have a new one we bought in the USA.

Right off to read the camera book..... boring.....

Yo fellow Blogettes!

Hopefully (fingers crossed) above me ~crosses fingers harder~ shkjfjkf kgkgkpdfskiugn ~ uncrosses fingers bloody hard to type with them crossed!~are a few photographs of where I've been today. Today Net has been to Woollaton Park in Nottingham! Lovely! It was sunny and quite warm which makes a big change. I was there to play golf and even better I won! the only Lady playing in a field on men! HAH! How big did I grin? You guessed it pretty darn big I can tell you ;))

We had a meal after which also meant I didn't have to do any cooking at all - we even had breakfast there too.

Woollaton Park is lovely - you play in a deer park - how fab is that! Though at this time of the year its the 'rut' when boy deers are looking for L U R V E! Woe betide anyone who gets too near the girlie deers! The stags will chase you off. And boy do some of them have some mahoosive antlers! 8-( Would be a real shock to your system. But beautiful animals even if they are a teeny bit ~okay alot~ stinky!