Ten things on the 10th

So a lot of my time at the moment is being taken up by placement, so my ten things this month will be ten special moments :)

1. Talking rubbish to my mentor on the drive home from night shift, and finding out later she got home and was wondering what I'd been talking about and what I was laughing at! (yes I really don't need anyone else to have a fun conversation LOL)
2. I got to see the inside of a lung and a colon on the same day (via those very clever cameras on long bendy sticks, thank you nameless patients for letting the student come in too.).  Absolutely fascinating.
3. I've learned what to do in some emergencies (believe me, this is a source of great comfort for us student nurses who worry that they will miss something important and not know what to do!)
4. Seeing one of the staff shake a large bottle of milk of magnesium with the top not on properly (this has actually happened on quite a few of my placements, but still funny).
5. Seeing a chest drain inserted, and watching what happens next (genuinely, it is AMAZING the things that can be done when someone is unwell).
6. All the smiles and good wishes from wonderful patients who are really unwell, but are still cheering you on because you're a student and they want you to do well.  Very special people.
7. The honour of looking after patients in their final days - this is such a privilege, and a humbling part of being in this profession.
8. Being able to wave off the patients who got better and left us to go home :) such a sad feeling to say goodbye, but so very happy to see them get better :)
9. Being told that my manner of being a bit hyper and full of beans when I'm working cheered someone up :)
10. Last but by no means least - being slightly taken aback when an older chap told his neighbour 'I wouldn't kick her out of bed'.  Nice. But very very funny.

Can you tell I love my job :) happy days!

Ten things on the 10th is courtesy of Shimelle, who will be running a post today :) check it out at her blog here.

Gayle xx

They go up tiddly up up...!!

So I've actually managed to do quite a few tags lately (I have a pile of about 10 from the past week!) but I can't share most of them because they're either Christmas themed (I refuse to start posting Christmas just yet) or they're for someone that hasn't received them yet!  I did make this tag to share at The Scrappy Tree - really love this balloon stamp :) must think up a project to have on my wall somewhere!

I'm working on a project for Halloween so I'm hoping to get it finished soon. I want to decorate our front room for Halloween and it would make a nice addition I think :) watch this space!  I'm looking forward to us having a 'grown-up' Halloween party again this year; last year it was all us adults carving pumpkins and playing games - lots of fun!  No children in our family so we just indulged ourselves instead with spooky sweets and cupcakes :-D

My weekend ahead is to be devoted to critiquing a research study, quite interesting really but it's always hard to keep yourself out of the craft room isn't it ;)  Am counting the days til my next Stamp Attic visit for the Andy Skinner workshop!  15 days to go :)  Woot!  Such amazing techniques, I can't wait to learn a new one.

Just wanted to mention that tomorrow is World Cardmaking Day - I'm not much of a card maker but The Scrappy Tree is inviting people to share their cards over at the TST Facebook group, so if you've got one to share or are looking for some card inspiration, call in there tomorrow :)

Have a great weekend!

Gayle xx

A few things...

Time for me to check in I think!  I have been AWOL for some time now what with holidays, study and placements, but I have been spending a little bit of time in the craft room so have a few things to share :) This is my most recent tag at The Scrappy Tree:-

 ...and these are my last two projects at the Stamp Attic, here...

 ...and here...

My mojo has been lacking a bit lately (those 12 hr shifts are killing me off!) but following a friend's advice I went into the scrappy room Friday night and just had a play, which was lovely fun :) At some point I should share some holiday photos, we did spend three weeks away!

I have been back and forth trying to write a blog post for some weeks now based on a prompt from a class, but for some reason it just wasn't flowing and it's stopped me posting(!) so I've abandoned that particular post for now, and thought I'd move forward with something else so at least I had something more recent up on my blog LOL

Halloween is fast approaching with the first day of October tomorrow, and although autumn isn't something we really celebrate in the UK, I love the US take on fall - pumpkins and cinnamon galore!  I brought some canned pumpkin back with me from our trip, so I'm looking forward to baking something pumpkin-flavoured very soon, perhaps for my next visit to The Stamp Attic for an Andy Skinner workshop in a couple of weeks :) happy days!  Really looking forward to that class, he has some amazing techniques.

On the subject of pumpkins, one of my favourite things about visiting the US around autumn is the very lovely Pumpkin Spice soya latte!  I was able to buy some of the Via sachets to bring back with me so I could enjoy it for a little longer at home, because up until now Starbucks didn't do Pumpkin Spice in the UK - until now!  They are starting it from Monday so you can bet I will be making a visit there very soon; am even more excited about this than I usually am about the red cups coming at Christmas LOL

And that's me for the moment!  I am on placement right now and learning so much, but no good for anything when I get home from a shift, but I need to fit in that scrappy time somewhere, so bear with me ;)

Happy scrapping

Gayle xxx

Happy 1st anniversary my love!

Wishing my husband a very happy first wedding anniversary, this time last year we were going out of our minds(!) but it was a wonderful day, a wonderful time and we've been so lucky to revisit some of the places and experiences one year later to remember that time fondly.

Love you babya! x

Wednesday waffle

At last at last I feel like things are getting back to normal :) I'm not sick, I don't feel rubbish and tired, I'm not on antibiotics, I'm not on placement, my assignment has been submitted....aaaaaah (big sigh of relief!)

And so this week I will be able to get some crafting done, which is awesome cos my stash of projects from my big burst of mojo is on the verge of running out :-O  Co-codamol and infections do that to you LOL

I was Beagle-sitting last week so ended up taking some photos to send to their (and my!) parents because they were missing them LOL

 (there are actually four but the other one was under a blanket in his bed and didn't want to pose)

And midweek we decided to have a BBQ because the weather was warm, but of course it didn't last long and the rain came in... but we didn't care so we finished our BBQ sat under the canopy on the swing seat LOL

We felt very British sat out having our BBQ in the rain LOL

So today I had some very happy mail indeed, how awesome is this!  Diana at The Scrappy Tree makes the most amazing mini-albums and this one here is now all mine :) so happy!  Can't wait to take some photos on our next holiday to put in it :)

Also my lovely friend Joyce sent me some orange cream sherbet dip from the US - I've never seen anything like it here before but I am sure my family will enjoy it :) now I just have to decide which of the serving suggestions to try!

So I'm posting on Friday at The Stamp Attic, but I'll have to post my sneak peek on Friday ;) don't want to give it away too soon!  I will have something to share at The Scrappy Tree too ;)

But for now I'm off to bed, ready for a workshop on ECG's tomorrow morning!  Spent today doing some revision on the heart in preparation so fingers crossed :)

Gayle xx

A picture-plenty blog post!

Oh blah!  Been so busy lately I have been posting elsewhere and not here.... oops!!

Anyhoo! In the past two weeks I have been posting at The Stamp Attic here and here :-

...and at The Scrappy Tree here and here:-

 ...mostly with tags (as is my wont) but also with something a bit different too :)

 The last piece above was from a workshop with Hels Sheridan at The Stamp Attic and as I've described all the projects above in their respective blog posts I just wanted to add some photos here of the workshop itself :)

Everyone hard at work

Coffee and all the pieces before they came together

Mum working hard

Mum's inky fingers! She couldn't get them clean LOL (horrors!)

We had a brilliant time :) Stopped for coffee with Wendy and Colin from The Stamp Attic afterwards and had a thoroughly good natter :) fab!  Can't wait to go again.

Sadly, this weekend I am working away at the assignment I have due on Monday, so I hope you're having a great weekend and getting some crafting in on my behalf  :) have a good one!

Gayle xx

Ten things on the 10th

Today my ten things on the 10th is going to be a quicky list about my favourite favourite crafty things at the moment! Been working long shifts for placement and fighting off an evil ear infection so been a little distracted (!!) but sat in my craft room right now this seemed the most obvious choice :-D  simply can't think about making something without having these sat out on my craft mat :)

1. Picket fence Distress Ink
2. Water spray
3. Manila tags
4. Glossy Accents
5. Ink blender pads
6. Cogs and gears
7. Black posca pen
8. Script stamp
9. Inks inks inks (distress inks and stains and archival)
10. Gold stickles

Don't forget to visit Shimelle, the originator of ten things on the 10th, for her list for today :) 

I've able to keep up with a bit of scrapping thankfully (keeps me sane!) and have posted at The Scrappy Tree today:-

and at The Stamp Attic:-

Would love your comments if you make it over there :) 

I am off to The Stamp Attic for a class with the fabby Hels Sheridan next weekend and absolutely cannot wait :) already making plans as to which cake to make for lovely Wendy and co :-D  apparently I am known in certain circles as 'the cake lady' lol lol lol

Thanks for visiting!  Onwards and upwards people, here's to another week!

Gayle xx