Bilbo & Gingers Story, aka Grump cat & happy cat.

Two years & a bit ago
(Gosh i cant belive it's been so long) in April we noticed a skinny long haired cat in the garden a pretty thing Tortie coloured. But it always ran away when anyone went near. I tried Meowing to it ( i'm great at cat talk) But it would only stop look and then runn off. As the days went on we heard our neighbours compain a cat was getting in their house and eatting thier cats food. (well do you blame it)

Then on a hot day i saw the cat again so decided to use a trick i used when working with an injured fox i called Hazel.(I shall tell you about her another time) I went down the garden Meowing gently (the cat shot off under the trees at the back of the garden) then sitting down with a bowl of strawberries and cream. I started meditating,...... um ....well it's kind of finding something with your mind and lowering all defences like becoming one with the thing you are consentrating on. (I'm not a religious nut I just belive in a balance) After 5/10 minutes i new the cat was behind me, and not scared she then climbed on to my lap purring/meowing and head butting me and tried to eat the Strawberries and cream. My Parants came down and she hissed at them when they got to close. I lead her down the the house and she drank 3 bowls of Watered down milk.

Saddly the rest of the family came down and the kids scarred her off, But once they went she was back. I put up posters and spoke to the vets,
But no one ever claimed her so we are now her legal owners,
The vet thinks she was an abandoned Christmas Present.









As for a name we called her Bilbo Baggins as she loves to sleep in or on bags! She is a posh cat.



She has a routen & has to play at 1/4 to 6 in the morning when we get up or is in a strop all day.


Though sometimes as you see when she scares herself and runs away then comes back to play again later..

She has helped the family through some tough times. and is a great lap warmer.

Then........
Last year we had a visitor, A young feral Ginger cat who came in the garden. Being very hungry we fed him, but he was shy and hid. Just Like Bilbo did. Day by day he became bolder, until he would wait outside the door for us.




The problem was he cant meow and only hisses with teeth beared, ear flat, looking very evil. I know he does not mean it and i happy Stroke him with no problems, But my mum was terriffied that he would sratch or bite her (she has bad leg viens) and said he should be put down, I said NO to that.

So over the last few months not only have i worked with Ginger But with the family as well.

Little Ginger we belive is Bilbo's Brother,

In the winter we nearly lost him to the cold he just laid down on the open ground as if he had given in, But with me prodding and meowing at him i got im behind the tree's and on a blanket, He made it but it was touch and go.

He's better now, he lost nearly all his body weight over winter and is now only just getting it back. I hope to have more photos soon. He's a good little cat no trouble at all and now my mum can stroke him with out worrying. He even is trying to meow though it's just a squeek, it's getting better and the hissing is getting less.

It just goes to show. You cant judge a book from it's cover.

Take care everyone and happy crafting

Latest card.

Hi everyone, How's it going?


Todays card i did whilst Cleaning my bed room up. To make this card i used:

Penny black teddy stamps
Nestibilities dies
Cuttle bug embossing folders
Sticky ribbon
Gem stones
Prom markers for colouring
Golds stickers


I decoparged thetwo teddy Images to get a sence of depth. I was going to do it to the little teddy in the corner byt raised the number instead.

I hope to have some more made soon, take care and happy cradfting.

Hi everyone, i hope your all well.

This is my first card using my own design stamp, I also used Netsibilities,light blue ribbon, silver markers,cuttlebug embosing folder, gemstones, silver stickers, and pro markers.

I have been cleaning up my cards and sorting through all of the craft bits i have that i would like to sell at a local indoor sale or craft sale.I CANT BELIVE HOW MUCH STUFF I HAVE!

cough!...... So far i have:

• Over 70 handmade cards.
• 200 handmade bookmarks with another lot on the way.
• 6 childrens sun catchers
• 30 Key rings in differnert stages of production.
• 6 bookatrick cards
• Mulitible posters
• Multilbe colour in pages.
• 40 Pin badges

And i'm sure i've got other things around here.

I need to find a place to sell someof this stuff before i drown in it. Does anyone else have the same problem?

I'm hoping to arrange a sale day in Theale in the next few months, so i will have to see what happens.

Hope everyone takes care and happy crafting to you all.

YAAAAYYYY I got my stamp made!

Hi everyone,

I have to be one of the happyist people on the plant right now.

My little Badger characters have been made in to a stamp. I say Charaters as the image can be male or female depending on the colours used.

Sorry about the poor photo i hope it's ok for giving an idea of the shape of the stamp.

As you can just about see the images from this stamp are crisp, clear with no gaps, what i call a topnotch job. I will have to get some tack &peal stuff to stick it to the clear block thingy, but right now im just so happy.

But how did you do it, i hear you ponder wellll.......

I made a request for a custom stamp through The English stamp company (go see there website at www.englishstamp.com )So i have them to thank for this wonderful creation.

Being my first try at something like this i was full of daft questions and not sure what to do. The company gave me amazing qualiy of customer service and helped all the way the stamp was made in amazing time and sent in super fast time. Though they are a little pricey you do get a great quality product from them, so it is worth sending that little bit extra. So a big thanks to them for all there help.

I wish everyone the happyist of weeks take care and happy crafting.

Eeeeeppppp! Dreams might come true

Oh my..... cough,, gosh...crumbs!

Hi'ya world,

Have i had an intresting day! .........Well ..... work was it's normal daft situations.....but then...... Fern and Braken might be coming soon as stamps.......well a stamp...... One design so far.

I approched a company over making a stamp they said yes. The company has been extremly helpful and friendly, Just the sort of thing a novice like me needs, and i should recive something in the post soon.
Now i'm still reading the companies Angel pollicy they have to see where i stand so this could only be a test run sort of it kind of thing. Also it's coasting me over £10 to do, But i dont mind this,
I just had to tell you as i'm so happy. Roll on postman.
Take care everyone and happy crafting

The madness continues...

Hi everyone,

Hope it's all sunny and nice where you are, Well after Fridays bad luck i thought i would be safe.... dream on! This morning I was doing my weekend bike ride of a few miles with plans for another one in the afternoon. When low and behold i got my first big puncher on my new bike (a few months old) This resulted in a two mile walk pushing the bike up hill on a flat all the way (muttering dark things about broken glass and Burbrus bushes).

Now i know i wanted exersise but not like that! so i came home rather fed up. I now am going to have to see if i can get Keflon inertubes (stuff army use) for the bike so will have the bike out of action for a nother few weeks. Bother! Why do i bother dieting..... I supose the irony is that my mum brought me a puncher kit on Sataday & i forgot to pack it.

Any way on to crafting which cheered me up a tad.

First off i made two more Pillow boxes using the same materials as before. But using differernt colours and sayings.

I love my nestibilities Butterfly. I must go and get some vellums to use it on and then i can use both sets and build them up.

I am finding the boxes much easier to make now and have worked out the best wieght of card to use with them. I have some very heavy assitate which i might have a try on.

Then I made a card using Little clairs Flower stamp I brought in Birmingham and my new nestibilities die cuts. I love the stamp, It's very versatile. I might decoparge it up later. Just to give it some extra umph.

Well till next time i hope everyone takes care and happy crafting to all of you.

Pillow box test plus the show

Hi everyone, Hope you all well and having lots of crafty fun.

As for me weel what can i say.......
Yestarday i was very honoured to go to The Birmingham NEC with my best mate Sarah (see fluffs creations blogg,) and her husband Jon (he finds it intresting to.) This was my 2'nd time there & I still felt over welmed by the stalls and people. Pheweee so many thing to buy and see you almost need 2 days to break it up with. Penny Black Stamps, Miles of Ribbons, Inks and glitters, Die cuts, lights... and so much more. .. oh and this year you got a £9.99 cookey book with the guide only for £3.00. Very nice book to.

Alot of the stalls had sold out of stock on the first day so we had to hunt hard, but even then did not complete out lists. I spent lots which i enjoyed doing. I loved seeing all the cards that were made with all the differernt dies, card, & stamps, so insperational.

The only downer for me was that i became a tad ill half way through, My ears and stomac started giving me grief. But i held on..... The train journey back did not help as the motion seemed to make me feel worse. By the time we got back to Reading i was all but ready to chuck I had a 2 min warning (my body does funny things) But held on, I knew i could not get on a train to Theale without problems, so luckly my Mum came & picked me up from the station. I felt bad & guilty as Sarah and Jon stayed with me to make sure i got home ok, (I was having mussel spasams and shakes at this point) Which ment that they were delayed in getting home.(Sarah and Jon are the best people in the world)
Though i offered a lift they declined, mind you i spend the car journey home emptying my stomac in to several bags. It's something to do with my stomac and ears and head so like having a migrane plus extras.

Today so far i have taken tablets of all types to settle my stomac and head though i still feel rubish and shakey.
Anyway...
On one of the stalls they were selling all sorts of templates one was for a pillow box. so i thought yay thats wha i want. I have just had a quick go and this was the result......


I used Nestibilites hearts and butterfly with Cuttle bug boarder stip on mixed card stock and gold stickers. The butterflies wings were colored in Promarkers. That i got from the show.



It my first try so any feed back would be appricated. Cheers.

I have also been making key ring parts for an online game called the endless forest. I had the idea to try it after doing the previous ones.

They are for the players Lemon and Walter. I plan to do more of these soon.

Take care all and happy crafting.

New member of the family (but not mine personly)

I has to show a photo of my cousins new baby called Jessica-Holly.....My Cousin has loved those names for years and always promised that if she had girls those would be the names.... then evil showed it's dark face... the loss of two inocents by those names happened..... My cousin was told them names were not appropiate now and she should think of others.

My cousin had two boys one after the other one called Oliver the other Jacob, then a couple of months ago she was pleased with a little girl who came round today.
Here she is
















and boy can she scream!! opera singer or what!!
Bilbo ran and hid and has only just settled down, I'm no good with babies so kept out the way.
I hope to get some cards done soon, take care and happy Crafting.

Crafters be aware Please read i know it's long.

Please be aware that not all stamp companies make stamps for us crafters to us on cards to sell. See below email from me to Whippersnappers people.

Me:
Hi,I hope you are well, I have just read your Copyright rules and wondered would you consider "hiring" the images for card sales? Which i understand from reading the US copyright laws can be done. Many Thanks

Them:
Unfortunately, our artists count on the royalty payments that their images receive and do not wish to pursue this avenue. It is also not a good business move for WSD due to the number of images that we produce.
WSD

Me: (standing up for the honest crafters)
Many thanks for the quick reply, It's very appricated. May i be so bold to ask how will you be able to run this company selling images that can't be sold to make people happy. I agree that people shoud not stamp and image then sell those that is wrong and does effect the stamp making industry, but cards with the image on?????? People rarely make any profit on handmade cards and it is seen as a hobby and not a buissness in most cases. At shool or craft fairs most people only cover the cost of making the cards. nothing more. I & many others make and give cards to people and never ask for money, people though tend to give something because of their honest nature, you do a good job you deserve something back attitude. so it's not always possible to not be paid. A large amount of stamp creaters and makers use the Angel policey which gives the customer, artist and seller freedom sell and promote the work, without major legal issues. People have/will now openly refuse to buy the amazing stamps that your company makes and copying will incress, i fear you may have shot yourself in the foot because of this, This makes me very sad. Are there any plans or guidnece for people who have brought your stamps and now dont know what to do. No one wants to break laws, but many people did buy the products with intent to sell to people. Many Thanks

Them:
Dear Nikola,
This is always hard to explain to people because they do not get the answers that they would like to hear.
Most companies use their own in-house artists and own their art. That is why they are Angel Companies. We do not. Our artists are known within many other industries such as illustration, stationery, paper & party products and photography which is all licensed. Some even work directly through agents. The only income they make is the royalty they receive from the images that are sold. In fact, we just found several UK internet companies literally stamping our images and selling them to the end consumer in mass production. The few truly ruin other opportunities for others.
If you were putting your time and efforts into producing a product to support your family, wouldn't you be upset that others are profiting and you are receiving nothing? The profit that you may be making is small but multiply that by thousands who are selling it and the numbers grow significantly. That is why copyright law is so important. We would do everything to protect your rights if you were designing/working for us.
This policy has been in place with our company for over 10 years and will not change. If copyright law is broken we could easily lose the artists that are designing for us and then everyone loses - both the company & the stamping community.
The majority of our customers respect our company's policies and the artists that work so hard to these wonderful designs. Our Angel Policy has always been noted on our website along with the copyright on all wooden stamps. Customers should be checking into every company's copyright law prior to producing product for resale.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Lisa Bryson
Vice President
Whipper Snapper Design

me:
Hi, That does make good sence for the stamped and copied images, but for handmade cards it's confussing. I think that is why so many people are unsure of this sort of situation. I respect the reasons as an illistrator & photographer myself and know how the copyright rules (in uk & a little of US) are so sadly abused they never seem to get inforced to bad people with out costs. It is such a shame that there are abusers of the system. To help others understand this, would you mind if i put your below explain in one of my bloggs, so that people are clear on the reasons. That way everyone should be happy. Many thanks for your help, I wish you all the best for the future.

Them:
Dear Nikola,
Any reproduction for profit is where the legalities arise. Royalty artists receive a certain percentage of profit from the product that their artwork is used on.
Customers do not see the impact this plays in the big picture. They see a few extra dollars in their pockets to buy more stamps - unfortunately, the artist sees nothing. It would be like me taking a B & W image from your blog which you drew and making it into a rubber stamp and profiting from it. Can you image someone taking one of your images, making it into a card and selling it for profit? There will always be those who will buck the system and "get away" with it. WSD respects the work of all artists and feel each should get the credit and income they deserve when under contract.
Lisa Bryson.

I decided not to reply as i think this is as far as it needs to go.

So there you have it if you use certain compaines (this is only one of many) stamps who are not doing the angel policy you can be in breach of Copyright and tecnically be sued/fined if caught. Some stamps are not ment to have there images sold which makes me wonder..... Why make the stamps in the first place??? And why are these artists only getting royalties? There are other ways to earn through art

If unsure what the polices are with a company please check with them before your buy.
Take care everyone, and happy legal crafting.