Medieval Knight

Catapult

Jousting Knight with his favour for a Lady

Owl from the Falconry display

I think this is a Peregrine Falcon

I belong to this little forum, The Craft Diner, and there are not many of us who post on there, which is a shame really as its a friendly little site and much could be made of it I think.

On Tuesday it was hacked and we were unable to get into the site. We thought that maybe this was the death knoll but Simon of x3 Internet Solutions came to the rescue and fixed the problem.

My question is....... what sort of saddo has to do this sort of thing? What vicarious pleasure do they get from it? And as for sending viruses to peoples computers. They can't see what they have done can they? So how are they getting pleasure from it? Very sad individuals in my opinion.

To quote Voctor Meldrew 'I don't beeelieeeve it'

We need an external door for the new toilet/shower room that Richard is building and we wanted one to match the door on the shop. Richard didn't think he had the skills to hang it himself so we needed one that was already fitted into the frame. So we got a Wickes brochure, found the one we wanted, selected the size, the finish of the handle, the side the hinges were to hang etc etc.

In the brochure it says order through the web, but the one we wanted wasn't on the web, so back to the brochure and there is an phone number to place an order. When I phone I am told I can't order it over the phone I have to go into a Wickes store.

On the 8th August we went to Wickes in Eastbourne, and after a good 20 minutes of staff faffing around we get the order placed and pay for it. It will be delivered in 2 weeks - which is up this weekend.

We have not heard a word so we go into Wickes this afternoon and after a bit more waiting around they decide that the order has never been placed with their supplier. They will order it now but it will be another 2 weeks for delivery.

The girl at the checkout kept our receipt and gave a photo copy back. I said I wanted the original. She said you can't have it - we need it as proof of payment. Well why can't you have the photo copy and give me the original. We aren't allowed to do that.

By now we are getting more than a little steamed up. I insist on the original receipt. We have paid £410.09 and I am not having a photo copy as proof of payment. She says no. So we cancel the order.

We walk out of the shop and go to Bexhill where they couldn't be more helpful and efficient and assure us that the order has been placed.

So girls unless he is telling the truth you will have to whistle whilst sitting on the loo. Which reminds me we had best get that ordered too. ^_~

Well work has begun, and is progressing nicely on the new toilet/shower room or cludgie as it is affectionately known by some. I think this is a northern word for an outside toilet but not many people seem to know it.

When Richard built the crop shop for me 4 years ago we were unable to build a toilet as we shared a cesspit with next door and it would have meant digging across his ground to lay the pipes and breaking into the cesspit. Henry is very accomodating but this seemed rather cheeky. Consequently if the girls at the crops and classes needed to attend the call of nature they had to brave the elements to come down to the house. Earlier this year Southern Water laid a sewer along the lane and we now have our very own sewage system. Envious aren't you? So now he can lay the pipes down through our garden and into the manhole.

We aimed to have it completed by Christmas but the way things are going it could finished well be before that. So we have been visiting Bathroom shops for inspiration. Goodness what a choice there is. I have to keep reminding myself that this is basically an outside loo and not get carried away with all of these gorgeous fittings. You can spend a fortune just on a shower head.

Most people know about the Cricut. In case you don't (and I apologise if I am teaching my grandmother to suck eggs) it is a portable electronic die cutting machine. There are 3 types available - the original Cricut mostly called 'The Bug' , the Cricut Create, the latest model, and the larger Cricut Expression.



The idea is that you put a cartridge in a slot on the front of the machine, type in your title or the shape that you want from the cartridge, load the paper or cardstock and just press the cut button. And hey presto - a perfect title or shape in seconds. There are well over 80 different cartridges and although they are not cheap you do get a lot of different choices on a cartridge.



The Expression will cut from 0.25 inches to 23.5 inches depending on the size of the mat you put in the machine. It will cut portrait and landscape and doesn't have to be connected to a computer. It comes with 2 cartridges, Plantain Schoolbook which is a font, and Accent Essentials which is a shape cartridge.



The Bug is the smaller machine with not so many features, but the cartridges can be used in all machines, and will cut from 1 inch to 5.5 inches high and 11.5 inches long. This one comes with the George font cartridge and at the moment has the Design Studio programme included in the package. So if you just want a basic machine this is good value.



The latest is the Cricut Create. the same size as the Bug but has more features like portrait mode so that you can cut tall letters, and Auto Fill mode if you want to mass produce images, Flip function to make opposing images, and Centre Point function. This one comes with the Don Juan font cartridge.



These little machines are ideal for both scrapbookers and cardmakers alike. My favourite cartridges are Storybook, Accent Essentials and Base Camp. These are the first ones I turn to and I really must look seriously at broadening my ideas base.



As money is tight at the best of times, let alone with all the current financial problems, (have you noticed that they talk in billions of pounds losses now and no longer in millions?)we have decided that if anyone would like a machine then they can pay in up to 4 instalments and we will send the machine upon receipt of the last payment. This applies to any item, and if you need something that we don't have in stock we can get it for you.



This is the Cricut Create machine:

Last Saturday and Sunday were crop days. We were reduced in numbers due to holidays but we were still able to have a good laugh. I am always over-awed by the talent of these girls. Such diverse styles and subjects but the ideas, colour and innovation has to be seen to be appreciated.



I only managed 3 layouts this weekend. I seem to be getting slower as I get older.



This is one of my efforts. This was a line marker that we spotted at a local auction about 3 years ago. Richard thought it would make a good garden ornament. The auctioneer thought he wouldn't get rid of it as no-one would have any use for it, so we managed to get it for £5 and we took a lot of ribbing from the auctioneer who asked if we had tennis courts or maybe a helipad. It has sat in the garden for the last three yearsand gone rather rusty so Richard decided to clean it up with a wire brush and put some Hammerite paint on it. He was very proud of the finished article so I thought I would scrap it. Not literally of course.