Getting out of my comfort zone

gilligansyle

savingholmes wrote: »

hi Gill

Have you looked at the special occasions board - they have lots of suggestions for low cost presents - that would also work at craft fairs

Last year I made flannel reindeers, flannel cupcakes, sock cup cakes, pots of gold and all sorts, snowman soup..... Check it out...

Snowman soup???

will have a better look at that board later, I've done quite well with my little cards and tags and calendars.
I do low cost presents for family, but as they tend to be soaps or cakes, choccies etc. can't do them at craft fairs because of all the health and safety stuff. I need to dig my sewing machine out from under the stairs and really do some more 'crafty' stuff.

I mainly do local school stuff rather than proper craft fairs and I started doing little cards because of all the children wandering round with a pound coin looking for something to buy. So I have little cards they can give their Mum, and some easy peasy key rings. I tend to have a lot of stuff but little value to any of it. May take the whole thing a bit more seriously next year and find things that are cheap to make and have a decent profit.
Made £30 yesterday, have got lots of little cards left, so friend who works in the school is going to take them off me and see if she can sell them. Have all the cards for family done, and some I can give to neighbours and customers in the pub (cheap and cheerful)

Today I planned to blitz the carpets as DS is at work, but BIL borrowed carpet cleaner because they had had an accident, so will make do with a decent hoovering and do cleaning next week.

Will do some ironing - its getting to be a mountain again!
Chili in slow cooker
Think about cleaning oven - only think mind.
Wrap Mum's birthday presents - make them look better than they are.
Order itunes vouchers on Quidco

Won £22 on the bingo -didn't realise I'd done it until this morning. I had won £3 yesterday, but didn't realise and played some of it. Put in my 20 and withdrew 22, so was a bit confused when I saw a cash balance of £22. It won't let me take it out yet either, so have to resist going on site until later when the 24 hours is up.

Will find some rubbish to watch on the telly, or maybe find a DVD.

gilligansyle

Had a bit of a quiet day in yesterday, once I'd done the flylady stuff. Just needed to stop and take stock as today is probably going to be a mad one.

Working on 2 jobs today and somehow have got to get some delivering done and get to see Mum.

Have chilli in freezer from slow cooker - recipe courtesy of tomtombeanie very stingy on the mince.

food for most of the week sorted, need to get some chicken for curry but thats all and still have around £20 in purse.
Counted one of the change pots and there is £40 in it, also have £50 in Christmas pot, so won't have to use grocery money for Christmas food.:j

Have looked at original stuff from CCCS when DFD was 2018, and that was a bit scary as I am 60 the following year. This was always going to change when the mortgage arrears were cleared. So have had a little look at stuff and after I have paid Provi tonight, total debt will be under £4k, so there is no reason why that shouldn't be very doable in a year assuming I get a proper job, not all this part time malarkey.

Waiting for Wednesday and bank charges news.

savingholmes

Hi Gill - Snowman soup - is hot chocolate, chocolate drops and mini marshmallows in a fancy bag and ribbon! Definitely worth a look - they suggest labels too! I did some last year with a mug - Debenhams sell that sort of thing for at least a fiver - but they are really cheap to make....

gilligansyle

Ok, I get the snowman soup thing now. Have had a look at some of the other ideas. Really clever. I have lots of cellophane stuff, so may have a go, only 1 more fayre to do though. Will definitely look at proper craft fairs in the new year.
Worked all day yesterday, no fun getting in and out of car in driving rain. Felt like never getting dry.

Bingo winnings hit account this morning so have decided to pay off Provi. Had already paid normal payment of £140 so have done the rest on card.

Washed sons debit card at some point over the weekend. Have just found it in the washing machine. He's not happy. Of course its my fault that he left it in his shirt pocket. it'll stop him spending for a while anyway. Although he's moaning that he's only got £400 to last the next 2 weeks I wish I had his problems!

No winnings on bingo this morning and farmville playing up too! All my settings on computer have disappeared overnight.

Plans for today:-
Already done -
[STRIKE]Bingo
online banking
clicks
scratchies[/STRIKE]

To do -
Blitz dining room
Shift furniture in dining room
Fix - with help - dining room table
( a theme developing here)
Get quotes for fixing wall on outrigger and slates on outrigger
Charge up iPod
go to gym

Also need to find paperwork to send to herbie21

savingholmes

glad you found some ideas you liked

gilligansyle

Don't know what happened yesterday - it got away from me.

List of things to do
Blitz dining room - not done
Shift furniture in dining room not done
Fix - with help - dining room table not done
( a theme developing here)
[STRIKE] Get quotes for fixing wall on outrigger and slates on outrigger[/STRIKE]
Charge up iPod
go to gym

My excuse is that I was on the phone and saw the bottom of the curtains :eek: so they had to go in the wash, then was looking for spares and found other spares so did bedroom curtains too.
House feels better now, only I know about it.

Couldn't bring myself to watch the football - far too stressful - ah well thats life I suppose. Better luck at weekend.

Good news with DS debit card it still works so he can pay me back the £60 he borrowed when he thought it was broke.

No work today, have done clicks and stuff, no wins on bingo. Need to find something to buy on moneybackmadness so I can reach payout.

Still waiting for vouchers from ipsos.

It's horrible out so think will do stints of ironing in between crafty stuff. Spent money on ebay but will provide cheap and cheerful pressies for a while.

Can use up gift bag things, back to special occasions board. May do some soap type stuff? Need ideas for Mum, diabetic, non drinker

gilligansyle

Yay - Ebay stuff arrived, so have some cup cake stuff and some florist cellophane, just to see how I get on.

Bad news on the dining room table, it needs professionally repairing. Asked friend who used to be a cabinet maker and he said he wouldn't dare touch it as the table is valuable. Its the only decent piece of furniture I've got and I got quite upset at the thought of not having it. Daft, as we only use it at Christmas and Easter, but as it was mum and dads I think its the sentimental stuff that bothered me.

Was surprised about value of table, so may ask Mum if she will lend me the money to have it fixed and then may sell it - but Mum might object. In which case she can have it back!

No bingo winnings today, and TBH the whole not working thing started to get to me. Have been offered the chance to go to Spain as a volunteer for 6 - 10 weeks. Would love the chance to have a real think about future, but need to get debts paid off, or at least accounted for.

A bottle of wine is calling me- on offer of course

Edit: Yippee! Just went onto BB and have won a tenner!!

gilligansyle

Have been a busy bee today, now I wish I had a Christmas fayre to go to so I can sell my stuff. Will ring friend who works in school later, she may just take them in for me, for a contribution to school funds.

I have made 10 snowman soups
5 santa kisses
5 snowman kisses
flannel reindeer
flannel cupcakes

Am going to have a go at the socks made to look like a pint of Guiness, got some plastic pint glasses from Asda, there may be a bit of a knack to folding the socks!

If I can find the lead for the camera, I'll take a few pictures and put them up. Also need to borrow a printer off someone!

savingholmes

gilligansyle wrote: »

I have made 10 snowman soups
5 santa kisses
5 snowman kisses
flannel reindeer
flannel cupcakes

Am going to have a go at the socks made to look like a pint of Guiness, got some plastic pint glasses from Asda, there may be a bit of a knack to folding the socks!

If I can find the lead for the camera, I'll take a few pictures and put them up. Also need to borrow a printer off someone!

Way to go you!:T Glad you found some ideas you liked... :jNot come across santas or snowman kisses - any chance you can explain.

Thanks

mooomin

Any chance of links to snowman soup etc?