Bright light, bright light!!

Knitting_Nora

:hello:Hi MSE-verse

And a specific wave to Freeby (birthday girl of the week) - I'm fine, ta for asking. I've been lurking elsewhere on the forums, but I'm back now.

Should warn all readers that this post is turning into War and Peace - grab a cuppa and a biccie before you wade in!! See you on the other side....

Yesterday was a busy day, which started with a trip to Birmingham for the Christmas and Art craft shows at the NEC. I was massively restrained, and actually came away with money still in my purse (and my bank account!).

I did have a spend - though I had my MSE hat on and managed to get a huge deal on some glass art pens which I desperately needed. Managed to get £67 worth of gear for £30 which is just brilliant as I wasn't sure how I was going to afford what I needed without seriously eating into any profit margin on my work.

On that, can't remember whether I've mentioned previously, but I've got a stall at a small event in early December. It's actually a favour for a friend, but it's good experience for me as I've not had a stall in years - plus it's a chance to get rid of older stock as I've changed my style quite a lot recently with a mind to setting up my own little shop on Facebook to start with. It'll be mainly painted glass to start, but I'll be adding a few knitted bits as I go along.

That's actually my big project for January - something that I've always wanted to do, but have never really had the courage. Don't worry, I'll shout once it's up!

In the meantime, here are some pics of some of my Christmas pieces (apologies for the size of the pics!):





What else? Well, did my first real shop since payday - exciting times now I'm all MSE.....so exciting that I forgot my bloomin' list!! Didn't do too badly all in - only forgot eggs and the orange squash.

It was an expensive shop (£85!:eek:) but almost half of that was on one-offs that I'll never need to buy again (for example, I needed a flash drive for storing some pics etc).

Much of the rest was either fresh, frozen or store cupboard (...or chocolate...so, medication...;)). I've deliberately bought things to use up the random things I have in the cupboards and freezer - and to help me turn it all into some more frozen meals, as I'm loving having some easy meals ready - and it's already a big help at the end of the month.

If I've worked this out right, despite having guests up this week and next, I should just need milk and bread (and eggs and squash) over the rest of the month...well, plus chocolate obviously!

Another £8ish was on an enormous box of coca cola - I'm officially giving up the myth that I'm giving up the stuff as it costs me a bomb every month, and my spending diary shows that this is my "gateway" product to the local village shop. Once in there, I rarely just buy what I went in for - so something had to be done. In doing it this way, I've already saved myself well over the £8 I spent today.

Perhaps most impressively, I didn't buy any toiletries or cleaning products (kitchen towel doesn't count...plus it was Tesco value), and all of my veg is now Tesco value unless the packs were so large as to be wasteful for me on my own. Honestly, I have no idea why I wasn't buying value veg before - a potato is a potato, surely?

And for the rest of the day I have been hibernating at home - more knitting done, finances checked (yes, I'm obsessed too!), lurked around MSE and took an afternoon snooze - lovely.


On a general money note, I've had a few nice successes which I thought I would share:

• after a work trip to the USA earlier in the year, I had a little pile of random small notes and coins which I've never got round to doing anything about. Did a bit of research and came across "cash4coins" who are now sending me a cheque for £13.62;
• sold three ebay items for a total of £14.83; and
• have somehow acquired £17.42 so far in my beanie mug (which is where my 'coins for credit card' savings are collected.

Current ebay listings end tomorrow evening and current bids stand at a total of £21.41 so far - with a few items that have watchers but no bids...so keep your fingers crossed!

Also have some more clothes to put on ebay in the morning.

And my mother arrives on Monday (the first of the two guests this month). I'm very lucky to have a wonderful mum....even though apparently, at 36, I'm "not too old to get a clip round the ear"....so I'm looking forward to having her up for a few days.

We've been skill-swapping for a few months now - I'm teaching her to have more fun with cooking, and she's teaching me not to be scared of the sewing machine....some hysterical times (good and bad) all round!

Righto, off to lurk some more - and to get on with a cross stitch a friend has asked me to do on her behalf...bless those husbands who understand wives that craft...but not really the crafts they actually do!:)

Still awake after all this waffle? Good grief - impressive stamina!

Nora.

scubaangel

Those glass pieces are gorgeous Nora!

Glad you're still feeling upbeat about things too, can't wait for the link to your fb shop page either.

boultdj

Out of lurkdom to say lovely glass work.

ZTD

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

In the meantime, here are some pics of some of my Christmas pieces (apologies for the size of the pics!):

They're good. Especially the blurry holly one.

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

What else? Well, did my first real shop since payday - exciting times now I'm all MSE.....so exciting that I forgot my bloomin' list!! Didn't do too badly all in - only forgot eggs and the orange squash.

It's not what you forgot that counts as much as what you bought that wasn't on the list...

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

I've deliberately bought things to use up the random things I have in the cupboards and freezer - and to help me turn it all into some more frozen meals, as I'm loving having some easy meals ready - and it's already a big help at the end of the month.

That's a good idea. "Leveraging the Cupboard Squatters"...

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Another £8ish was on an enormous box of coca cola - I'm officially giving up the myth that I'm giving up the stuff as it costs me a bomb every month, and my spending diary shows that this is my "gateway" product to the local village shop. Once in there, I rarely just buy what I went in for - so something had to be done. In doing it this way, I've already saved myself well over the £8 I spent today.

Why do you drink so much of it?

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Perhaps most impressively, I didn't buy any toiletries or cleaning products (kitchen towel doesn't count...plus it was Tesco value), and all of my veg is now Tesco value unless the packs were so large as to be wasteful for me on my own. Honestly, I have no idea why I wasn't buying value veg before - a potato is a potato, surely?

I've found the best quality "basics" to be the Sainsbury's stuff. They also tell you exactly what makes it "basics" such as "Peas - all different shapes and sizes".

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Current ebay listings end tomorrow evening and current bids stand at a total of £21.41 so far - with a few items that have watchers but no bids...so keep your fingers crossed!

You'll have to do a "bid you bugggers" dance tomorrow...

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

And my mother arrives on Monday (the first of the two guests this month). I'm very lucky to have a wonderful mum....even though apparently, at 36, I'm "not too old to get a clip round the ear"....so I'm looking forward to having her up for a few days.

You're never too old for that.

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Righto, off to lurk some more -

Don't lurk! Contribute!

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

Still awake after all this waffle? Good grief - impressive stamina!

I know...

Knitting_Nora

ZTD wrote: »

They're good. Especially the blurry holly one.

Thanks...sorry about the blurring...you aren't drunk! Was in a hurry the day I took the pics, and haven't updated with a better one!

It's not what you forgot that counts as much as what you bought that wasn't on the list...

Oh, you know me well! two galaxy chocolate bars on a deal, and a baguette. Not too bad really.

Why do you drink so much of it?

Purely because I like it. I go through phases where, like now, and alongside water, it's a mainstay - but then I go through months where I drink almost none of it. I've learned not to bother with substitutes though - waste of money!

I've found the best quality "basics" to be the Sainsbury's stuff. They also tell you exactly what makes it "basics" such as "Peas - all different shapes and sizes".

Thanks for the tip.

freebyfifty

Hey you,

Your glass painting is gorgeous. You are very clever, is the outline freehand or stencil? I'm jealous, I wish I could do something like that.

I love to cross-stitch and have so many half started projects in my sewing bag in the cupboard. My trouble is that I can't wait to get to the next one and then the next one ............
Not done any for ages, think I might dig them out of the cupboard (lovingly named the glory hole) and see what's there.

See what you've started now and I'm also craving coke and chocolate and it's only 10 to 8 in the morning!!!!!!!!!!

xxxx

Knitting_Nora

:wave:Morning Freeby

Thank you (and everyone else for that matter) for the lovely comments *blushes*.

The outline on all these ones has been done freehand, but over a design (shhhh, don't tell - it's all down to tracing! ).

I always tell people that if you can trace, then you can paint glass - even had a bit of a class here a couple of weeks ago so that friends could test the theory, and have a play without having to spend out on supplies.

Freestyle painting is reserved for things like Christmas baubles which are to toad to pop a design under. It's a lot more effort - which could explain why I have a box of blank baubles sitting over there.....:think:

But with the pens I've just picked up, it should be a lot easier to work on the more challenging glass....and I'll be having a play myself over the next week, so will post pics of the results.

I'm doing a few cross-stitch sets for Christmas presents, but truth be told, though I like the results, it takes a little long for me. My sister does these enormous pictures which are just stunning - but they take sooooo long!:)

I know what you mean about half done projects though - I'm the same with all the knitting, cross-stitch, glass etc. which has to be done before Christmas. So I decided to 'schedule' it all in - I've assigned various projects to various weeks, and even though I have to be flexible (for example, I need help with the cardigan which I'd scheduled to complete this week - so simply swapped it out for one of next week's projects), it removed all stress over the workload. Wonderful!

And I'm having galaxy counters for brekkie right now. Want one? *offers bag*....was going for a coke to wash it down, but think I'll go and stick the kettle on instead. Cuppa?

Nora.x

freebyfifty

Knitting_Nora wrote: »

And I'm having galaxy counters for brekkie right now. Want one? *offers bag*....was going for a coke to wash it down, but think I'll go and stick the kettle on instead. Cuppa?

Ohhhhhh you're too late with your galaxy counters, I have coffee and Th0rt0ns chocolates. Next time get here earlier :)

freebyfifty

In the interests of being polite I should really offer you a Th0rt0ns.

D'ya want a Cappuccino or a Ganache Au Marc De Champagne? *shoves box knitty's way* Don't you dare take a Diplomat or a Alpini

Knitting_Nora

Ummm, thanks... *timidly reaches for a choccie and hopes to hell it isn't a Diplomat or an Alpini*.