HS:MS...Leaves

Today's prompt is...

"Expanded, usually green organs borne by the stem of a plant. Show us leaves."

Here are my leaves...not green!

HS:MS..show off Sunday

On HS:MS today, the prompt is "SOS", which I'm fairly sure means "show off Sunday" . A chance to show off our most prized shots, either because of the photo, or the object in the photo, or because of a special occasion when you took the pic, or anything like that I think. I chose my photo because I was simply playing with my new camera in the sun, and really enjoying the different effects that I was getting.

I had great fun playing...doing these when the sun was if fact shining; horray! would rather like a bit more of this stuff. Anyway, I've seen much better of these types of shots, but as I said, I had fun! Thought I'd post two, as they go together, and I couldn't decide which one I prefer...

It's been a long time...again

Well, again, it has been such a long time since I blogged. I have a few ideas up my sleeve (thanks ruth!) so thought I'd try and get back into things here.

I'll post a longer update soon, but for now, I wanted to post something for Her Space; My space which is a really cool blog for daily photo "challenges". I'm really enjoying photography, especially since I bought a "delicious" new camera a few weeks back. I've been itching for one of these for years, and am delighted with it.

Today's challenge is Saturday Portrait Shots (I think it is anyway...I'm not too sure what SPS stands for, but in the past they don't seem to be Self portraits particularly). So, here is a pic that I took of my friends little boy...so cute...



I'm really excited about posting more photos for Her Space; My space. I've been browsing the site for a long while now, and hadn't really had enough bravery to post! So, here we go!!!

I'll post with a better update and possible plans soon...I promise :)

"Daring card makers" dare of the week...

So, a friend of mine suggested I get involved in some of the card making blogs, and that this weeks dare on the "Daring card makers" blog, was a nice place to start. These weeks dare, is;

"This weeks little extra doesn't have to be for any specific occasion but you do have to follow a reciepe. Two buttons, one ribbon and a 'spoonful' of flowers.....! Put all the ingredients together and bake in a craft room until complete !"

So here is my effort...


Sideways again I'm afraid. So frustrating!!!

time to catch up...

I sort of feel it's now or never. The longer I leave it to update my blog, the less I feel like doing it! So, having had a few life changing experiences, made some big decisions, and made a few cards, I thought I really must get back into using my blog.

Looking at my last post, it was the 12th of September last time I posted. A lot had happened since then. I had a fairly big operation at the end of September, to treat my endometriosis, which all in all was fairly successful. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they were able to take all of it out, either that or it has come back very quickly indeed. I did have a period of time where my pain was dramatically reduced, and even now it is not any where near as bad as before, but I am experiencing a noticeable increase in the pain. Also, after my op, I unfortunately left the hospital with a malfunctioning bladder. It meant that I had to have some "artificial drainage" inserted, a silicone tube that goes from the inside of my bladder, and comes out of my tummy, below my tummy button. It's got a little valve at the end, which makes loo visits "different"!! Things are going ok on that front, but I'm learning a lot about patience.

Anyway, the other main thing that has happened, is that I made the big decision to leave university. With the complications after my surgery, I was 9 weeks late going back to uni in the Autumn, and then before Christmas came down with a stomach bug, and after Christmas got pneumonia. My course will cease to exist in 2009, and it was not going to be possible for me to get things done in time at the current rate that I'm going. It also looks like I'm going to be having more surgery sometime soon-ish, so it seems that the time had come to admit defeat. It was just too much, and I needed to make the decision to concentrate on my health. I'm sure it's been the right decision, but it has been hard never-the-less.

Anyway, here are a few cards that I have made over the last few months. I haven't done much at all, and I know that I've still got a lot to learn in the card making world, but here goes :) ....





(don't know why they are on their sides, I changed them on my hard drive, and they still come out like this...any ideas?)

A really good friend of mine had a baby last week, which really lifted my spirits. I went to visit on Tuesday, which I was really pleased about, and was able to see how well mum and baby are both doing with my own eyes. The little boy is ever so cute, and seems to be adjusting to life on the outside very well indeed, which in turns helps his mum and dad adjust to having a new member of the family! All very exciting, and I'm so delighted for them all :) Going to do another short separate post above, because I made a card for mothering Sunday, for my mum, and decided to do an online "dare"...

Long time no post...

Hello,

Very sorry for my long absence, life has been full of ups and downs.

Not long until I go for my operation now; I'm getting pretty nervous. I went to a pre-op appointment today, and came away feeling a bit despondent, and that bit more nervous :( Ah well, I'm really really looking forward to it all being over and done with.

Today is the 2nd Birthday of my house mate :) Yes, you heard me right! He is the little boy of the family that I lodge with, my very good friends. I was ridiculously excited, and very happy to be able to share the day with him. Yesterday, I spent what felt like all day making his cake. It went from bad to worse, and these days I have very little energy as I am constantly in a lot of pain. There came a point when I was ready to throw the whole lot in the bin, the point where I had three bowls of bright pink icing (not what I was intending!), two huge cakes cut in to lots of different sized and shaped pieces, melted marshmallow all over the table top, and a postman Pat van splattered with raw cake mix, and red food colouring.

Well, after a fair bit of encouragement, two extra trips to the shops for red colouring (one by me and one by cath), the well known hairdryer technique to dry the painted on red colouring, and an early morning (normally find it very difficult to get out of bed before 10 due to so many drowsy-making meds!) to get the rest of it decorated, this is what we ended up with.....


Ok, its not perfect...I came to realise at one point that I am not actually a professional cake maker/decorator, and it didn't need to be perfect. Dan loved it, so I was really happy. His mummy and daddy liked it too, and so did all the other children and parents at toddler group at Church.

This is what it looks like now;


Success!

Photos of Sheffield...

I decided that I really need to push myself to get out. Having spent a number of days without leaving the flat, I needed some motivation to get past that pain barrier! (Also, having gained 2 1/2 stone, some exercise would be good).

So, with the adrenaline from a good friend of mine winning £1000 on an on-line Pepsi competition, I looked for one for me to join! I found a competition run by The Times asking for photos that best represent Summer in our UK cities. Admittedly, in Sheffield, I thought that the only acceptable entry would be of overflowing rivers, ruined houses, and sewage on the roads from the awful floods. I'm very thankful that I wasn't directly affected, although I know of plenty that were. Instead, today, the sun was shining, and I got myself out and about, and took these. Please bear in mind that this competition is for amateur photographers, and as I haven't yet got my head round my "new" ancient (and I now discover "faulty") SLR camera, these are taken with my trusty "handbag digital"!!

Summer flowers surrounding The Peace Gardens, with the Sheffield Town Hall, Macdonald Hotel, Winter Gardens and the Millennium galleries behind.

City folk eating their lunch in The Peace Gardens with children playing in the fountain. Sheffield Town Hall and The Winter Gardens in the background.

Sheffield's children having fun playing in the water fountain in front of The Town Hall.

A Wedding takes place in front of the Winter Gardens in Sheffield, while city-goers picnic on the grass in The Peace Gardens.

Sheffield's children having fun playing in the water fountain in front of The Town Hall.

Ok, I know they aren't great, and they are all very much the same, but you are asked to enter 5 photos, and I didn't have the energy to go looking for other places to take photos, so just changed what I saw, to take different picks, if that makes sense?! Anyway, the prize is a two day photography course in London, suitable for beginners, so I'd be delighted (if not flabbergasted!!) if I won...although the dates for the course would have be long enough after my op that I'd actually be able to go!...hmmmm....!!!! All very unlikely, but I've enjoyed it :)