Thank You from the bottom of my heart...

Hello

This year marks a very important time in the world's history and at the Tower of London there are some fabulous poppies that have been commissioned to both commemorate the 100 years since the start of the First World War and raise money for our wounded soldiers of modern times.  To play a part in this commemmoration, and to celebrate what would have been my dear FIL's 100th year, as well as our 25th Anniversary, I bought one for Hubby.

(Photos courtesy of Hels Sheridan)

Well, I wanted to let Mr Hettie know I had bought one but couldn't figure a way of telling him.  I have also planned a trip to London for which he does not, as yet, know the purpose.  It is to go and see this for ourselves.  So this is what I have done...

I love how the paint has slightly bubbled on the top of the right one.  It gives great texture.

After asking a few close friends if they had any poppy dies or stamps I went on a certain well known auction site and bought the Sheena Douglass Poppies.  Paint fusion to the rescue.  No idea where I bought the hearts from, possibly from a little Playground outing last year with Miss Di and Scrappy Mo!  Well, this makes a nice change from something silver!

The number on the tag is the number of our poppy.  When the poppy arrives with us I suspect it will be placed on FIL's grave.  He was too young for the First World War but he was involved in the Second World War.

Thanks for calling by.  

Lest we forget.

 

Hettie

Friday Funny

Two Aussie  builders (Patrick and Peter) are seated either side of a table in a rough pub when a well-dressed man enters, orders a beer and sits on a stool at the bar. The two builders start to speculate about the occupation of the suit. Pat: - I reckon he's an accountant. Peter: - No way - he's a stockbroker. Pat: - He ain't no stockbroker!  A stockbroker wouldn't come in here! The argument repeats itself for some time until the volume of beer gets the better of Pat and he makes for the toilet. On entering the toilet he sees that the suit is standing at a urinal. Curiosity and the several beers get the better of the builder. Pat: - 'Scuse me.. No offence meant, but me and me mate were wondering what you do for a living? Suit: - No offence taken! I'm a Logical Scientist by profession. Pat: - Oh! What's that then? Suit: - I'll try to explain by example... Do you have a goldfish at home? Pat: - Err... Mmm . Well yeah, I do as it happens! Suit: - Well, it's logical to follow that you keep it in a bowl or in a pond. Which is it? Pat: - It's in a pond! Suit: - Well then it's reasonable to suppose that you have a large garden. Pat - As it happens, yes I have got a big garden! Suit: - Well then it's logical to assume that in this town if you have a large garden then you have a large house? Pat: - As it happens I've got a five-bedroom house...built it myself! Suit: - Well given that you've built a five-bedroom house it is logical to assume that you haven't built it just for yourself and that you are quite probably married? Pat: - Yes I am married, I live with my wife and five children. Suit: - Well then it is logical to assume that you are sexually active with your wife on a regular basis? Pat:- Yep! Five or six nights a week! Suit: - Well then it is logical to suggest that you do not masturbate very often? Pat: - Me? Never. Suit: - Well there you are!  That's logical science at work! Pat: - How's that then? Suit: - Well from finding out that you had a goldfish, I've told you about your sex life! Pat: - I see! That's pretty impressive...thanks mate! Both leave the toilet and Pat returns to his mate. Peter: - I see the suit was in there. Did you ask him what he does? Pat - Yep! He's a logical scientist! Peter: - What's that then? Pat: - I'll try and explain. Do you have a goldfish? Peter: -  Nope. Pat: - Well then, you're a w***er.

Rudolph Day ...

Hello there!

Wahoo!  It is Rudolph Day again.  Only two more after this one until the Big One!!

As I usually do I am playing along with Stamping for Pleasure's Rudolph Day Challenge!  This Angel stamp was bought for me by my Bloggin' Friend from over the water when she visited last year.  I just love it.  And surprisingly this is it's first outing this year.  I stamped it with Versamark and then embossed it with some silver.  However, this time I stamped it onto a linen effect Papermania cardstock and I just love the effect you get.  It looks like it has been stitched.  The Merry Christmas is my ole' favourite Penny Black stamp and a little bit of Czech ribbon between the two before mounting it onto some silver cardstock.

And to prove I made more than one, here they are in a group together.  Some of them have slightly different silver cardstock (not that you can really see it on this photo) as I was using some from the Snippets basket.  

I will ask my friend what make the stamp was, as there is no label on it and will edit this post if I can find out.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Special Pink card for a Special Pink Lady...

Hello there!

I am hoping to creep back into the Playground without drawing attention to myself.  Do you think I will be noticed?  I have been missing in action due to generally being busy and life does get in the way doesn't it?

I thought I would share the card I made for someone who is known to the Snippets Playground for liking pink.  This looks more lilac on the photos but IRL it is more pinky.  

I tried out a new (to me) technique and introduced myself to my brayer which I was given a little while ago by the recipient of this card.  So two NBUS things for me.  The video is HERE if you want a go.  It involves glossy card stock (I used good ole Tim Holtz stuff), brayer, distress inks and cling film.  Once the background was made I then stamped on it using my Lavinia Stamps and TH Archival inks..

Here is a close up of the ribbon with a bell and angel wings.  These bells are so cute and I could not resist buying them.  First time out of the packet for these little ones.

I am joining in with the Snippets Playground (black thread...neeed more!), my Mate Darnell's NBUS challenge as well as the Lavinia Stamps blog which is asking you to use some ribbon!  Yeay!

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Friday Funny

This is good

Students at a local school were assigned to read 2 books, 'Titanic' and 'My Life' by Bill Clinton.

One student turned in the following book report, with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories!

His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report.

Titanic: Cost - $29.99
Clinton : Cost - $29.99


Titanic: Over 3 hours to read
Clinton : Over 3 hours to read


Titanic: The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.
Clinton : The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.


Titanic: Jack is a starving artist.
Clinton : Bill is a bullshit artist.


Titanic: In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar.
Clinton : Ditto for Bill
Titanic: During the ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined.
Clinton : Ditto for Monica.


Titanic: Jack teaches Rose to spit.
Clinton : Let's not go there.


Titanic: Rose gets to keep her jewelry.
Clinton : Monica is forced to return her gifts.


Titanic: Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life.
Clinton : Clinton doesn't remember anything.


Titanic: Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen.
Clinton : Monica.. Ooh, let's not go there, either.


Titanic: Jack surrenders to an icy death.
Clinton : Bill goes home to Hillary - basically the same thing

Been sewing again!

Hello there

Thank you all for your kind comments to my post yesterday. I was working on trying to put a few deterrents around the coop and run so hopefully the B..... will get the message and leave my Girls alone.  I can report that all the Girls came out to see me this morning, but they don't stay out if either myself or Hubby are not around.

Now to share something which I hadn't realised until the other day I hadn't posted.  I thought I better do so soon or else it will be totally out of season!

I sometimes find myself spending too long on Pinterest but sometimes I do get to do something I found there.  Like this top...

I found the pattern HERE and downloaded it and printed it out.  It was kinda like a jigsaw having to join all the dots to make the pattern.  Then I remembered this seersucker fabric I bought a looooong time ago to back a quilt, but when I ordered it I didn't realise it was "knobbly" so it wasn't going to work.  So I dug it out and made it up into a top.  I even made my own bias binding....again using a howto on Pinterest HERE!

Here is a little more of the photo with my patio in view.  That seat is a double seater and Hubby an I like to sit on there whilst we let my Girls out to roam the patio.  As a result I cannot put weedkiller on the patio as the Girls like to pick at the greenery.  Any excuse ey?

Well, as both the fabric, pattern and bias binding are all NBUS I am joining in with my mate Darnell in her NBUS Challenge.

Thanks for popping over.

Hugs

Hettie

My Poor Hilda...

Hi there

Sorry I haven't been around much today.  I went out to see to my Girls this morning to find a buzzard had murdered my lovely Hilda.  The Girls have not ventured out of the coop much today and are very nervous of any noise around them.  The buzzard has been seen around and I have been like a nervous wreck.  Such a sad day for us all.

RIP Hilda.  Her time with us was way too short and she was just coming out of her shell and jumping on our laps.  So sad.

Hettie

Friday Funny

The Zoo Keeper

A bloke starts his new job at the zoo and is given three tasks.

First is to clear the exotic fish pool of weeds. As he does this a huge fish jumps out and bites him.

To show who is boss, he beats it to death with a spade.

Realizing his employer won't be best pleased he disposes of the fish by feeding it to the lions, as lions will eat anything.

Moving on to the second job of clearing out the Chimp house, he is attacked by the chimps who pelt him with coconuts.

He swipes at two chimps with a spade killing them both..What can he do?

Feed them to the lions, he says to himself, because lions eat anything... He hurls the corpses into the lion enclosure.

He moves on to the last job which is to collect honey from the South American Bees. As soon as he starts he is attacked by the bees.He grabs the spade and smashes the bees to a pulp.  By now he knows what to do and shovels them into the lions cage because lions eat anything.

 Later that day a new lion arrives at the zoo.

He wanders up to another lion and says "What's the food like here?"

The lion says: "Absolutely brilliant, today we had Fish and Chimps with Mushy Bees

I KNOW, I KNOW, ....... BUT YOU'RE STILLGOING TO LAUGH, I CAN TELL....

Happy 1st Birthday...

Hello there

Autumn is definitely knocking on the back door of summer right now isn't it!  It was our first dance class of the season last night and one of the ladies brought damsons for anyone that wanted any.  I see a jam making session in the next day or two for yours truly.

Right onto today's offering to you.  One of my work colleagues asked me to make a 1st Birthday Card for a friend's daughter.  Now anyone who knows me will know that I am not really geared up for small person's cards but nevertheless I decided to rise to the challenge with this... 

I took my teddy stamp and kinda altered it.  I stamped the balloons section several times and cut them out, having coloured them with Copics.  The centre one I embossed with some WOW sparkly snow embossing powder as I realised the pink number wasn't going to show on the pink balloon! Doh!

I tied the balloons with some Maya Road string and twirlied them where teddy was holding them.  The background paper is some Boofle paper and I stamped it with a NBUS Stampin Up stamp and some Versamark ink.  The bunting was made out of the paper in the pack with the title and details of the Boofle pack.  Well, it seemed a shame to waste it.  Punched using a SU punch.

I had a little extra so used it inside too.

And here is the little envelope.  Another teddy stamp and coloured with watercolour pencils.  I learnt not to use Copics on the envelope the hard way once.  Never again!

The mother of the little girl who's birthday it was has told my friend that this is a "keeper" and will go in the album she is doing for her.  I feel quite chuffed at this!

Right, there are Snippets abound and NBUS of the stamp so I am taking this to the Snippets Playground and over to my Mate Darnell's.

Thanks for calling by.  Nearly the weekend!  I have a Saturday of playing and scrapbooking with my friend, so need to think about what I shall be making!

Hettie

Wedding Card

Hello there!

Gosh that weekend went quick and what a beautiful weekend, weatherwise, too!  I hope this sunshine keeps up, though I do despair of the watering.  It eats into crafting time!

Today I wanted to share a card which I made for one of my work colleagues to give to a friend who was getting married in Greece.  All I got told was that it needed to include turquoise.   So out came my faithfuls...Tonic and Memory Box...

I had to cut into my last piece of my pearlised turquoise card to make this, as well as use up any Snippet I could in order to keep as much of the uncut I could.  Must find more as it was rather nice and I have no idea where I picked it up from either.  This first pic looks a bit too bluey but I was having difficulty with the lighting.

Ahh!  This is better and shows you all the layers.  The Congratulations embelly is ancient and because that was gold I decided to make the butterfly and cord gold too (didn't have the cord in silver).  I just love how the vellum worked to soften the background but allowed the background to peek through.  Those little hearts are ancient too!

Here is the verse on the inside flap, stamped in Archival with another butterfly.

And on the other side.  No idea why there is a yellow tinge...it was brown!   If you want to know what makes these stamps are please let me know.

And lastly the envelope which I printed using a Hero Arts stamp.  One of my old faithful stamps with the hearts on the wings.  

My colleague loved it and so did the Bride I understand.  

I am sharing this with the Snippets Playground...must use Snippets, as well as the Butterfly Challenge...sentiment and butterfly...as well as Darnell's 2nd NBUS - Option 4...the sentiment pack was still unopened despite the age!

Thanks for calling by.  See you over by the chicken run as they need cleaning out!  Miss Di is poorly so someone's gotta do it!  Hopefully my Mate Sandra will help me.

Hettie

Friday Funny

CAN YOU GET MARRIED IN HEAVEN ? On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident.  The couple find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven.  While waiting, they begin to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven ?  When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, 'I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,' and he leaves.  The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple are still waiting. As they waited, they discussed that if they were allowed to get married in Heaven, what was the eternal aspect of it all. 'What if it doesn't work ?' they wondered, 'Are we stuck together forever ?'  After yet another month, St. Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled.  'Yes,' he informs the couple, 'you can get married in Heaven.' 'Great!' said the couple, 'But  we were just wondering, what if things don't work out ? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven ?' St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. 'What's wrong ?' asked the frightened couple. 'OH, COME ON !', St. Peter shouted, 'It took me three months to find a priest up here ! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a Lawyer ? !'

Scrapbook Tuesday and Tea on Tuesday...Tea stands for Tardy inTerneT!

Good Evening

It is still Tuesday so I am still going to share a cuppa with you as I show you my layout I have created.  It would have been up last Tuesday but we were having issues with Internet in these parts all last week hence my lack of layout and visiting.

Anyhoo, onto this week.  The layout I am sharing with you and my friends over at Elizabeth and Bleubeard's Tea on Tuesday is quite unique for me in that it shows a layout of something I have made.  Let me show you what I mean...

So here I am on a layout which features my dress which I made earlier this year and wore to the Summer Lunch at the end of June.  Isn't that background paper by MME just wonderful!  It was too nice to cover or cut so I used it as it was and just added things to it, like the banners on the top right, two of them are made using the Snippets of fabric left over from my dress.  I also used some of the pearlised turquoise card which I only have snippets left.  I don't know what I will do when it is all gone.  The title is cut from a TH die, the stitching drawn on and stamped using my new Paperartsy stamp set which I bought recently using a voucher I received for my Birthday from a VIP.  It was THIS set I bought and I love it!  It was a difficult choice to make and I am sure I will go back for more similar themed stamps later.

The cup this morning is one of my chicken cups filled with Glengettie which I am sure I have shared with you before.  I nearly bought another one the other day, but it was the smaller sized version, no point really.  If you are going to have a cup of tea make it a large one!

 

The little bobbin card was made using a stamp bought, along with the scissor one, in a gorgeous shop called Makery in Bath.  The button was one of the stamps in the set.

 

You can see I was having fun with my sewing machine and some varigated  thread around the edge of the layout, which I had distressed using a TH distressing tool.

These little cards were made using the stamps from the set, stamped with Memento and then inked with Pumice Stone.  A little embroidery thread and some pins.

Aren't these hooks just gorgeous? I can see a lot of use of this stamp set, hence my choosing it.  

I was asked recently about journalling and how I include it on layouts.  This is a prime example of how I can rabbit on without it taking up the whole of the page.  This card is tucked behind the photo on the left hand side.  It doesn't need to be on show on the front of the page but I wanted to include it as it reminds me what make the pattern was and the fabric.

Right, I am now finally off to join Elizabeth and Bleubeard with Tea on Tuesday...it is still Tuesday...Just.  I spoke too soon about the internet.  This post has taken two restarts on the internet hub and about two hours to load up!!!  I am also taking this down to the Snippets Playground to show my Buddies.

Hettie

I Wanna Share a Story...

Hello There.

I want to share a little funny story which is true and happened yesterday.

It was a beautiful sunny day here at Hettie Towers and so I decided to strip the Girls' coop out, scrub it clean, spray it down, leave it to air and then refill with nice fresh fluffy bedding.  Whilst I was doing the housework I let my Girls out to play as luckily they do not wander too far out of sight from me and Mr Hettie.

Now picture the scene if you will...There I was having stripped the coop completely, no floor, no perches and no bunks.  I had sprayed the inside of the bunk and all the removable bits and what do you suppose happened next?

All of the Girls are happily munching through the grass that Mr Hettie had just strimmed, eating snails and generally having a good time, as chickens do...except one.  Always has to be one!  Mrs A in fact!!!

Mrs A suddenly comes into the run and starts making a racket, crouching down and squawking in a way I have not heard before in a fashion that I can only describe as when ladies are needing a wee badly.  She even had crossed eyes!  You guessed it...she wanted to lay her egg. 

Now as I have mentioned, I had stripped the coop, sprayed the coop, scrubbed the coop and rinsed down the coop allowing it to dry and she basically let me know she wasn't happy.  So I reassembled one end of the coop (minus bedding) and shut the lid that end in order that she could do the biz. As she went inside she gave me what can only be described as "a look"!  I left her for a wee while to let her be alone.  She came out some time later feeling much relieved.  

Well, I put a comment on the real Mrs A's blog to this effect and a short while later I received an email with two photos attached.  When I opened the email I roared with laughter and just had to share them with you.  So enjoy!

 Hope you find this funny!

Hettie