Jar of life

It's a reminder to stop & smell the roses once in a while and take a good look at the tree.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in Front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about
2" in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full?

They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full.

The class responded with a unanimous, 'YES'!

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the desk and proceeded to pour their entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car, etc.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff in your life."

"If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner and dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, and fix the disposal."

"Take care of the rocks first, the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you That no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."


Just thought I would let you know I'm still here, Just dealing with life is taking all of my time at the moment, Thank you all for missing me & enquiring after me & mine, we are all okay.

Extra Extra

Extra! Extra! Stampin’ Up! hostesses get extra hostess rewards 1 June-31 July, in addition to the already fantastic hostess benefits! 

From 1 June-31 July, Stampin’ Up! hostesses can earn an EXTRA £20 to use toward Stampin’ Up! products of their choice when they host a workshop totaling £250 or more in product sales!
This extra benefit is in addition to the standard hostess benefits they receive when they host a workshop.

Workshop total product sales (before shipping and handling)	Free Stampin’ Up! merchandise		Extra, Extra hostess rewards	Free Stampin’ Up! merchandise with Extra, Extra hostess rewards
£250 - £299	£25	+	£20	£45
£300 - £349	£35	+	£20	£55
£350 - £399	£40	+	£20	£60
£400 - £449	£45	+	£20	£65
£450 - £499	£50	+	£20	£70
£500 - £549*	£60	+	£20	£80

* The Extra, Extra Hostess Rewards apply to all workshops above £250; to see hostess benefits for workshops totaling £550 and above, visit the Hostess Benefits web page.

These hostess rewards are only one benefit of hosting a workshop. When you host a workshop, you also get to spend time with friends and family, as well as learn exciting new crafting techniques and project ideas from your personal stamping expert.

Contact me today to book your workshop or catalogue party to qualify for this promotion.

Having a catch up day

Last night was my Stampers 10 group & it turned into a loud evening of lovelieness, It is a really lovely group who all get on together, after all for most this is their 3rd stampers 10.
They chatted & laughed all evening & we only managed to make one card which is the same card as we made on Monday in the stampers 6 / 7 group. We decided to leave the second card until next time.
I was so wide awake when they all left last night that I sat up playing a stupidly addictive game on Facebook until 1.15 this morning, fortunately I'm not working now until next week so I have been playing catch up today on all of the tidying up from last night, the house is now clean, all the washing is done, just the drying & ironing to go & the craft room to tidy & hoover.
With all that finished before lunch I have spent the afternoon editing photo's & catching up on my bog posts.


I thought that I would share with you a couple of cards that didn't make the selection for our next event, they were for Sundays event but that has now been re-scheduled.

To Make this card I've used
Cardstock
Whisper White
Pacific Point
Pumpkin Pie
Designer Series Paper Stack ~ Brights
Tools
Big Shot
Top Note Die
Scallop Circle punch
5 Petal flower punch
Scallop Border punch
1/2" Circle punch
1 3/8" Circle punch
Paper piercing tool
Ink
Rich Razzleberry
Pacific Point
Stamps
Circle Circus
Curvy Verses

Close Up of the card front

This card uses
Cardstock
Regal Rose
Daffodil Delight
Very Vanilla
Designer Series paper stack ~ Brights
Ink
Daffodil delight
Regal Rose 
Old Olive
Rose Red
Tools
Scallop Circle punch
1 3/8" Circle punch
1 1/4" Circle punch
Scoring board or Bone folder
Stamp a ma jig
Stamps
Something to Celebrate
Baby Blossoms
Fine Flourish


Well I think thats me now up to date so I'm off to sort out the animals & the dinner before finally reaquianting myself with the sofa for only the second time this week.

Pure craziness

Love it or Hate it?

Well in the Crazy world that we live in the Danish authorities have taken the choice away from the Danish people & have taken it upon themselves to ban Marmite. 
And why have they banned it?
Supposedly because it has too many vitamins !! See I told you it was crazy.


Here's the article I read.

Marmite has been a divisive product since its invention in 1902. It was a German scientist who discovered that the waste product from beer production – brewer’s yeast cells – could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. But the dark paste was truly embraced and adopted by the Brits who have loved it, hated it, and confused foreigners with it for more than 100 years.

News broke earlier this week that the spread had been banned in Denmarkbecause it breaks food laws passed in 2004, governing the sale of products fortified with added vitamins. Marmite is enriched with Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid. But the Danes believe that it is better for us to get our vitamins from fruit and veg. So Marmite now joins Vegemite, Horlicks, Ovaltine and Farley’s Rusks – all relegated to contraband in Denmark.

So widespread was the breakfast-spread furor that the Deputy Head of the Nutrition Division in the Danish Embassy in London felt obliged to step forth and issue a statement on the matter. The statement explained that “Neither Marmite nor Vegemite and similar products have been banned by the Danish Food And Veterinary Administration.” However, “fortified foods with added vitamins, minerals or other substances can not be marketed in Denmark unless approved by Danish food authorities.” So while the statement clarified that Marmite had not been banned, as such, it by no means silenced the debate.

• It ‘defies common sense.’ One of the many good things about Marmite is that it “instils the virtues of thrift,” mused columnist Tom Clark, in the Guardian. Not only is it made from a waste-product, but its taste is so strong that we use the spread sparingly. “And whereas Bovril, the closest thing to a rival, is gut-wrenchingly rendered from cow carcasses, Marmite is and always has been vegetarian.” Clark wanted to know — What’s not to like? Ok, so perhaps it might be better to get your vitamins through a carefully balanced mix of fruit and veg, “but no sane regulator of diets for pasty, podgy Europeans ought to make the best the enemy of the good.”

• Ex-pats fearful for culinary future. The Daily Mail reported on the Britons living in Denmark who are now “fearful for their culinary future.” “What am I supposed to put on my toast now?” asked British advertising executive Colin Smith, who has lived there for six years. “I still have a bit left in the cupboard, but it’s not going to last long.” As the Mail reported, he and others fear they will have to subscribe to “a black-market trade in the sticky brown stuff, smuggled in from nearby Sweden or Germany where it is still legal.” According to the paper, the ban highlights “the absurdity of the EU” which states that it is a legal product, but which has no authority over nation states about what can and cannot be sold.

• ‘They don’t like it because it’s foreign.’ Lyndsay Jensen, a Yorkshire-born graphic designer in Copenhagen, told the Guardian: “They don’t like it because it’s foreign. But if they want to take my Marmite off me, they’ll have to wrench it from my cold dead hands.”

• Why aren’t cigarettes illegal too? “How the Marmite-y have fallen,” quipped Moata on Blog Idle at New Zealand’s Stuff magazine. Moata went on to point out the interesting fact that cigarettes are not illegal in Denmark, but Marmite is. “You have to be 18 to buy them, but smokes are legal in Denmark. Oh, but that’s right, nicotine and arsenic aren’t vitamins, are they?” Moata suggested that the Danish authorities should allow a special dispensation for those people, “like me, who are committed to a diet completely devoid of vitamins, to each vitamin-fortified food. For if I live on bottles of Coke Zero and potato chips then surely this might balance out the dangerously high levels of vitamins present in Marmite?”

• Denmark’s hypocrisy. As the Telegraph reported, Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, who represents Burton-upon-Trent, said that she had urged Marmite manufacturer Unilever to submit an application for Marmite to be approved in Denmark, adding: “Marmite lovers should be able to enjoy their favourite spread wherever they are in the EU.” The temporary ban has triggered calls by Marmite fans for a boycott of Danish goods. On a more serious note, it has also prompted Reprieve, a charity defending the human rights of death row prisoners, to urge the Danish authorities to shift its focus from the savoury spread to the actions of a Danish pharmaceutical company, which provides lethal injection drugs to America. Reprieve investigator Maya Foa said: “It seems incredible that the Danish government is capable of banning a harmless spread, but not of taking real action to stop a Danish firm’s drugs being used to deliberately kill people.” Although, as the Embassy’s statement explained, Marmite has not been banned in Denmark, it has not been authorised, whereas the production of lethal injection drugs has.

Personally I Love it

Is it really only Tuesday?

Yesterday felt like it went on forever, well for a whole 17 hours in fact & most of those were spent on my feet, I finally sat down at 11.45pm last night & for anyone that knows me I don't do late nights very well.
My day started at 5.19 yesterday morning when the alarm clock didn't go off, Problem number one Paul was being picked up for a week of working away at 5.30.
6.30 am The alarm does go off for me to get up, To make an exam breakfast for Abi & to get ready for work myself. Abi had the last of her three English exams, despite making breakfast & smoothies & sandwiches & wash everything up I managed to leave in time to walk to work. When I arrived at work there was no lighting in the locker room, I couldn't find a thing. 
8.45 I went up to my floor & my boss was having Hysterics, she went into her office & when she turned the light on she got dive bombed by a pigeon, Nobody was available to catch it as they were all trying to sort the electrical fault, the rest of the day ran fairly smoothly despite spending a lot of it on my own.
When I got home I found a pile of clothes that should have been in Paul's bag....Oooop's
Very quick dinner & lay up for my new stampers 6/7.
Fortunately that went without a hitch, 11.45pm I finally reacquainted myself with the sofa.


One of tonights cards was a shameless case of a card my Upline Michelle had made, Can you spot the differences?
Michelles card

My Card

Did you spot the main difference?

My Flower

Michelle's Flower

Yes I used different flowers.
To make this card I used.
Cardstock
Cherry Cobbler
Tangerine Tango
Wild Wasabi
Very Vanilla
Inks
Peach Parfait ( Tangerine tango was too bright for this project )
Cherry Cobbler
Wild Wasabi
Stamps
Baby Blossoms
Sincere Salutations
Tools
Boho Blossoms Punch
5 petal flower punch
Fancy Flower Extra Large punch
Piercing tool
Mat Pack
Big Shot
Perfect Polka dots embossing Folder
Little leaves Sizzlit die
Extra Large oval punch
Pretties
Brad ( Any colour as its not seen )
Shimmer mist made from shimmer paint


The second card we made is also using The baby Blossoms set

This card Uses

Cardstock

Chocolate Chip

Pumpkin Pie

Daffodil delight

Very Vanilla

Ink

Wild Wasabi

Daffodil Delight

Pumpkin Pie

Versamark

Soft Suede

Stamps

Basic Phrases

Baby Blossoms

Sense of time

Fine Flourish

Tools

Big shot

Top note die

Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

Stamp a ma jig

Heat embossing tool

Sponge Daubers

Pretties

Rhinestone Brads

White embossing Powder 

A cased card from the new Mini

One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a demonstrator is where do you constantly get your inspiration from?
Well the truth is anywhere I see colour, like catalogues of bedding & paint samples. gardening catalogues as Mother nature does a pretty good job of putting on a pleasing display of colours & the most simple of all is type the name of your stamp set & the words Stampin' Up into google & then click on the images search button on the left hand side & Voila a whole host of inspiring projects using any given stamp set or product.
This card is shamelessly cased from the new mini catalogue, It is not a direct copy, just a starting point.

This card uses
Cardstock
Sahara Sand
Whisper White
Rose Red
DSP paper stack ~ Brights
Watercolour paper
Stamps
Baby blossoms
Four frames
Tools
Elegant Bouquet embossing folder
Big Shot
Decorative label punch extra Large
Aqua Painter
Sponge Dauber
Inks
Basic Grey ( Waterproof )
Tempting Turquoise
Stampin Write pens in assorted colours
Pretties
3mm taffeta ribbon Very vanilla




Any of the above Stampin' Up products can be ordered from me as an Independent Stampin' Up demonstrator.

Watch out theres a thief about

As both Paul & I worked yesterday both Abi & Paul met me in the city & we went to Pizza Express for dinner with our Weightwatchers vouchers.
Neither Abi or I could finish our pizza so we had the leftovers as take out. We were only home for about an hour before we went out again to Eaton Park for the grand finale of NNF11 ( The Norfolk & Norwich festival )
This year it wasn't so much a Circus as a High wire / acrobatic act with a story by a group called the Wired Aerial Theatre

As The World Tipped
A Wired Aerial Theatre Production 
Written and Directed by Nigel Jamieson 


A real life disaster movie performed live in the night sky!


This ambitious and extraordinary piece of aerial theatre tells a powerful tale of ecological crisis. Combining dramatic film and visuals with breath-taking aerial performance, As The World Tipped confronts one of the most pressing issues for the planet with spectacle, humour and emotion.

At the Secretariat of the Copenhagen Climate Change conference, harassed staff fail to notice as the world around them, literally and metaphorically, slides toward disaster. Suspended above the audience in the night sky, the performers struggle to control their increasingly precarious world as they do battle with the effects of drastic environmental catastrophe.

Written and directed by Nigel Jamieson, one of the worlds leading creators of outdoor spectacle (Sydney Olympics, Liverpool Capital of Culture), As The World Tipped has been created with the pioneering team from Wired Aerial Theatre.


The show features film footage kindly supplied by Yann Arthus-Bertrand from his film about climate change, Home and by Gideon Mendel from his films about the floods in Pakistan and Australia.


It was amazing & very thought provoking, If you get a chance to see the show then I would Highly recommend it.
Again I digress, back to the pizza leftovers, We never got to eat them as someone got there first.

Sassy not only managed to get the box off the top of the coffee machine, where for some unknown reason Abi thought it would be safe but he managed to open the box, take the pizza out & jump down onto the floor & eat the lot.

I just thought I would share with you my definition of a cat burglar.

We all say it !!!

We all say it
Where does the time go?
Just this last week I have been pondering all of the changes in my life since Abi was born sixteen years ago.
Here's just a few My Dad died, I separated from my Husband, I got divorced, Both of my Children started school & one finished school & 6th form & College, Then went away to University, I moved house 150 miles away, I re-trained, I got married, I became a Stampin' Up demo, We moved house again, Eldest left home & went to University, I had my dog put to sleep, I lost both my MIL & FIL, Became step mum to 3 children ( Now adults ) I became Grandma to 9 grandchildren, I got of my Children to the age of 16+ without a criminal record & Finally somewhere along the way I gained about 4.5 stone in weight. To date I have now lost 34lb's thanks to Weightwatchers & the support of my family & friends.


When I was pondering all of the above I realised that its no wonder that I am going grey.


Well enough about me & onto what this post is really about one of the above mentioned Grandchildren turns 6 today & yet again I wonder how time flies so quickly. 
Harveylicious is a typical boy & into all things monsterish so what better set to use for his card than Make a monster.

This card uses the Stampin' Up set called Make a monster which I love as you can make every monster different as there are so many stamps in this set. Everything else used on this card is from my own stash.

I did manage to tick a couple of jobs off my list.

Since Yesterday I did manage to tick off a couple of jobs on my list, no doubt I will add a couple more jobs to the list by the end of the day.
I managed to make Harvey's birthday card & get that in the post, I managed to make some samples using product from the new mini catalogue and also prepare my Stampers 6/7 kits ready for Monday night, so all in all a good day.
I'm sat here writing this post 7 editing pictures of the cards I've made & realised I got a little carried away as this card doesn't fit into any of the above categories.

To make this card I've used
Stamps
All a flutter
En francais
Bella Toille
Cheers & Wishes
Inks
Pacific Point
Pumpkin Pie
Crumb Cake
Daffodil delight
Cardstock

Pacific Point

Pumpkin Pie

Crumb Cake

Daffodil delight

Very Vanilla

DSP paper stack in Brights

Pretties

Silver Brads

Pumpkin Pie striped Grosgrain

Tools

Big Shot

Scallop oval punch

Oval punch

Paper piercing tool

Mat Pack

Elegant Bouquet embossing Folder.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the above products to make this project then please contact me.