Rod's birthday card

This is the card I made for Rod from the front.

I used Funky Hands Word Books CD which gave me the letter pages for a book type card and all that needed to be done was cut the page out and trim to size.

I then used my cropodile to punch the holes and finish off each hole with a metal protector.

I decorated each of the 3 pages with a mixture of die cut images from a Hunky Dory sheet and 2 lots of mini DIY embellishments. I was tempted to make more of a feature of the letters by printing another of each and decoupaging them but decided against this in the end.

The card was finished by choosing a mixture of green ribbons and wool and tying the book pages together. I then made a flower from 2 different shades and sizes of brown petals and a pearl in the middle.

New Twitter Account

I set up my new Twitter account this morning.

It is @WritingasLia

As I have absolutely nothing going on in my head at the moment, there won't be much going on there!

Harry's Card

With the birth imminent, and no real inspiration to mention, I was starting to feel a bit desperate about this card. I had even chosen a sheet of pictures so that I could make a quick card if necessary.

Anyway, the last couple of days have been cooler, so I took a break from my reading and went through some CDs looking for inspiration. I then found the template for a pram on an AnnaMarieDesigns CD. I printed it off and cut out the pram from an A5 size cream card. I then cut the template into different sections and covered the base with a patterned paper and the hood with blue card.

I then used some of the cream card to punch out a lace border and stuck this across the middle. I then tackled the wheels. I decided to cut the inner and the outer from black card, then use a silver pen to draw on the spokes. The centres are silver card candi.

I found some flower ribbon to decorate the hood. I think the flowers are too big really and wish I had smaller flowers. I used faux blue pearls for the centres. I made a small blue ribbon for further decoration.

The pram handle was made from black card. The final touch was the verse which has been mounted onto blue card and outlined with blue glitter, and the small teddy.

A card fit for Harry? I think so!

Bottles & booties

bibs & more

a new little

someone

to love

and adore!

Dreaming Lia

I will be closing my DreamingLia account in a while. I am sorry that it is short notice and even more sorry that I didn't tell the people I adore on here.

My account has just got too unwieldy. I have always felt that if people are wanting to follow me then the least I should do is follow them back. I now have a great many Russians who follow me and also I have started to get a lot of Middle Eastern followers. I don't understand their tweets and I'm sure the majority don't understand mine!!

There are probably less than 200 people that I interact with, and it frustrates me that the only way I can see what they write is to hashtag or search for them by user name. I think it would be better for me to have a few days break and then start a new account that will be strictly poets and storytellers.

If anybody wants me, I will still be on my other account, @Ali_Edmunds , although I don't write much there, and just tend to post what amuses, interests or enchants me.

I will be back!!

My Teddy

This is a poem I wrote about my best friend when I was growing up, and about my worries for his future. It accompanies the recording made for Audioboo.

My Teddy

He was given to me on the day I was born

Loved so much, he's now ragged and worn

When learning to walk, I'd sit on his face

Until rested, and then off I would race

I made stories up where he was the hero

So brave and fierce, but always so gentle

That I wanted to marry a man like Ted

Instead of the monster I eventually wed

I'd cry on him, make him soggy with tears

And for a while, I could forget my fears

Teddy was special, a growling Ted

Until the day he was bashed on my head

By a jealous fiend, my little brother

So Ted was operated on by mother

Who then knitted a cardie to cover his scar

Which he still wears today...oh Teddy you are

So special to me

And what will happen when I die?

Will you go to Teddy Heaven in the sky?

No collector's piece despite your age

I can't bear you ending up in the garbage

So to save myself from endless worry

Wherever I go, you'll go with me!

AE

This is me and Ted being held by my paternal grandfather, a very, very sweet man who was diagnosed with dementia when I was very young. He adored me as I was his first "real" grandchild. My grandmother is also shown, with an aunt, uncle and cousin.

Here we are again, this time with Mum on the right.

And finally...here is the fiendish brother, with me behind the chair. Also shown are Penny and Pippa, our wire haired fox terriers. Poor Ted never did growl again.

My House

This was inspired by a #ThePush prompt when I had too much to say in 140 characters, and I recorded an audioboo instead. I have also included  a photo of the house which I forgot at the time I made the recording.

I grew up in a house that was designed for us. It was always special. I felt safe there and loved every brick and tile, every nook and cranny.

I sat on windowsills and dreamed as I gazed across open fields, of a loving husband and children of my own. My wedding reception was even held in the garden. I went into labour there and it was my eldest son's first home before we moved abroad. It was the house I ran to when my marriage broke up.

I left a part of me there when we moved out.

I dream of winning the lottery so I can buy the house back again.

Freedom

Here are the words to the poem I wrote earlier this morning and made an audioboo of.

In my head, in my dreams, there is so much I want to do. Somehow, I've made my comfortable home a safe prison for myself. And at the moment I can't/won't break free.

But please don't think I'm unhappy. I'm not!!

There's a part of me
that wants to be free
To have the courage
to not be discouraged
from opening the door
and releasing the core
of worry and doubt
And finding out
what it's like to sing
There are ocean to swim
and mountains to climb
now I have the time
Instead I sit at home
spending time alone
with dozens of books
which give me a look
at all that I'm missing
And I dream as I'm knitting
of opening the door
and walking before
I change my mind
AE