Finding Your Crafting Way

I promised Jane a blog post as a few weeks back she graciously wrote a blog post for me on finding your crafting mojo , this was the crafting version of throwing a gauntlet down but instead it would be scissors  As I've had a lot of time on my hands recently I thought I'd better follow the advice on Jane's blog post. 

1. Planning What You want to do.

I think once you've established your crafting project then you can get planning with what you need to do , the first time I did was establish as to what crafting goodies I had in the house . I opened magazines abundant about the place and sorted them out , I then decided upon a small project and it was all systems go . Planning has also included writing this blog post ~ coughs I'm about 2 weeks late but I don't think Jane has noticed , you'll not tell her will you now ?! You could get yourself a notebook and write down any ideas you might have so then you've a point of reference when your crafting mojo goes awol.

2. Recycle and reuse 

Recycle and reuse what you've got , how many times do you get a present that's wrapped in some sort of ribbon / lace and thought that's pretty . You'll be amazed when you start looking around what you can reuse even the pretty insides of envelopes can be a crafting inspiration.

3 .Beginning to craft 

If you've never crafting before in your life and haven't a clue where to start then buying a magazine like Quick cards is a good start as they'll cope with free gifts that can help you start your craft stash . Trust me once you start crafting you'll soon amass a crafting stash and you might even find that people start giving you things and of course there are always the competitions you can enter . Start off simply and build up your skills gracefully , using prefolded cards can help you as once you know what your dealing with you can have a go yourself.

4 .Seeking Inspiration 

As mentioned in point 1 planning is a good way to helping you were your inspiration as is Pinterest also getting out with your camera is another way of getting inpisired . Inspirational ideas can hit you at any point so do keep a look out !! 

5. The Finished Article 

I used a kit that came with my craft magazine and it was really easy and knowing that I could take my time with it even though it was a relatively simple kit really boosted my confidence. I made the card and I even tweeted out a picture to the magazine the kit had come with.

 

I've joined with a linky called "Shopping our  stash "

"shopping our stash "

Coping When Structure Goes Out The Window

Coping when structure goes out the window is very hard and that's what I've been having to deal with over the past few weeks work wise . I'll not go into reasons but for my self who needs the structure it's been a little disconcerting. I've had to try and implement my own structure and this has included making Chutney for the first time , washing the car , and taking myself to the NEC Uk Photograghy show . 

Going places on my own is very daunting I do have to say and this is where I have to be brave and plan to within an inch of my life , I have to know that I'm going to get there . The NEC is a huge place and previously I had been there in the car with my husband for various shows . This is where I looked on the internet and asked my friends on Twitter , I checked and tripled checked , it was then I booked my train tickets standard going out with seats reserved . Coming back I booked first class for a £5 upgrade as I knew the crowds coming back would freak me and I really could not be doing with the hustle and bustle.

The need to prepare physically comes with with the social anxiety side , I'm not sure about anyone else but sometimes I play out scenarios in my head that never comes to fruition , I tell my brain that this is a time space thief that is not welcome.

I have and this is completely essential have events planned ahead in order to function although this may completely alien to someone in my shoes again it comes down to preparing myself socially , mentally and physically.  

1. I set myself self small achievable goals in order to face my fears.

2. Excercise I'm getting on my bicycle and walking more , this where point 1 comes in for me .

3. Keep talking I know this might sound counter intuitive but I talk to lots of people about how I'm feeling , how I might feel and what happened when I did something . There are all many of talking therapies including CBT now when I tried CBT it didn't work for me but what worked instead was finding out about the therapy myself and working through it. 

4. Healthy eating I'm doing my very best to make sure I eat healthily and combine this with excercise so far I've lost half a stone slow and steady gets the cake . I'm really not sure I can throw myself into any slimming groups , I'd rather gather up a bit of everything .

5. Treat yourself once in a while and one of my favourite places to treat myself in Derby is the Cathedral tea rooms and it really is a hidden gem and when I went there on Friday it looked like my secret was out.

Why Do Cats Live High Places ?

Why do cats love high places?

As a friend of the felines, you will have observed them making their way up frighteningly-tall trees, bookcases and cabinets, on multiple occasions. But what’s with the love of heights? We share a few reasons for cats’ daredevil behaviour in this post:

Dominance

For cats, height serves a purpose. It’s not for the purrrfectview – oh no. Cats associate height with dominance. If you’ve got more than one cat, you’ll notice it’s the most dominant cat who wants to get the highest point available – there’s a pet hierarchy in every home, so it will always be the cheekiest chappy who is first to the top of the tower.

Observation

As cats are observational by nature, being high up allows them to cast an eye over their territory. It also allows them to make eye contact with the people in their home, giving them a greater sense of security and to feel accepted there.

Cats also feel that they’re in some way camouflaged because they are higher up and therefore, is a great place for them to practise their hunting skills and scan the ground for morsels of food.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a genetic explanation of why our cats look for elevated places to perch. In a high place, such as a shelf, our furry friends feel safe, as they are out of reach of potential claws and other threats. Cats will also retreat to a grand placeto relieve any anxiety they’re feeling in terms of noise, other animals or other things that they might be worried about.

Warmth

We all know that hot air rises. Well, so do cats, so they often get higher up to keep warm. This is why cats love radiators so much, as that fur just isn’t doing the trick in winter. This shouldn’t be dangerous for your pet, as long as they are wise enough to move when they get too hot!  

 

 

 

Entertainment

Oh, and then there’s the sheer fun element. Cats love climbing to high places for the entertainment-value. As they have loadsof energy to burn off each day and often get bored, climbing is a fabulous way for them to expel some calories.

Climbing is also good for their claws, their ability to balanceand their musculoskeletal system. 

If you worry about your cat being so high up in your home, you can get carpeted shelves that are in easy-reach or buy them a cat tower, which will also serve as an exercise activity.Always ensure you have cat insurance to cover your pets in the event of an accident.

This is a guest post collaboration 

Social Photography A Means For Change

Some of the best moments to photo are what we might ignore on our trips to the shops etc , we often ignore what is around us it becomes second nature . I love exploring my local surrounding I don't think of myself as restricted just because I don't drive. With photography you can capture your adventures as you endlessly explore , photography allow you to revisit your memories and to capture new ones .Photograghy can be a social experience or a solidarity one but when I'm on my own capturing my minds eye I don't feel alone I feel immsered in my surroundings.

Photography wise I'll use everything from a Nikon D5300 , Panasonic Tz40 , IPhone 6 

 

This picture was taken on my IPhone 6

and now luckily I've acquired a new camera which very luckily I won and that camera is the Sony HX90 – the world’s smallest digital camera including a 30x optical zoom lens developed by Sony along with the legendary ZEISS®, a clear retractable OLED Viewfinder, WIFI & NFC to share your images directly to your phone and other features to extend full-scale shooting capabilities. The perfect camera to inspire you to get out there and document the world too.   

Taken with a Sony HX90

At the Uk photography at the NEC I got talking to a partially sighted technology YouTuber and his attitude to life was inspiring he vlogged and to hell with any negative comments he got , occasionally he turned the question around . I talked about how my photography and blogging is helping me in terms of my mental health and axiety and I was listened to. I also got to meet a very cool travel Youtuber a very energetic young man called Louis Cole who is a travel photographer and vlogs as well , we talked at great length and it was very humbling for me to be accepted for who I am ! And again Louis was another YouTuber who ignored the comments he got on his tube channel and I think that speaks volumes for other situations in life. 

What I Would Do With A Lottoz Win

I dream of Canada.


The other day it was the 150th birthday of Canada ! I just can't think about Canada without going to sing the  national anthems of

"Oh Canada !"

I have only been to Canada once and that was on my honeymoon ~ many moons again costs on fingers ~ 20 years ago. For our honeymoon we had a dramatic start the plane engines caught fire and the control tower noticed there was smoke before we took off , so we had to escape the plane down the emergency chutes with loads of fire engines waiting. We spent our honeymoon nigh instead in Brighton as we were put up in a hotel till another plane was ready., luckily the next day we flew off without a hitch ! we went out to explore Toronto as soon as we got there so we didn't miss out on anytime exploring such a fantastic city.


I really loved Toronto it is such a vibrant city I would dearly love to go back especially if I was lucky enough to win some money at the moment perhaps on the Euro Millions on Lottoz is a website for those than are over 18 , there you can bet on lotteries from all around the world at  a click of a button . From the Euromillions with has currently a jackpot of 100 million euros to the Mega Millions win the USA which has a current jackpot of $145.All available money is going to the teen as he is going to university soon. And of course I would make sure the teen didn't go without a little treat or 2 !

I love travel and going to different places but I have only been to Canada once and that visit has really stuck in my mind , one of the other places we went to in Canada was Niagara Falls so I would combine a visit to Toronto again. Canada does really get to your heart and soul and I think I would love to go round the same time I did last time which would be around my wedding anniversary.Canada is amazing at anytime of year but to see the beautiful carpet tapestry of colour in the Autumnal trees it really is a sight to behold.

Which country would you love to go back to ?


What would you do with a lottery win  ?


I know that after university my son would really like a car as he has passed his test but as he is going to university there is no need for one as everything is on campus.

Or perhaps some improvements to the garden I know for instance my husband is itching to put some artificial grass down just so he doesn't have to mow the lawn.

Remember to use Lottery sites such as Lottoz are consecrate of their gaming responsibly they've safeguards in place such as age verification and they may check this again any any given point and remember you must be over 18 to use this service .


This is a Collaboration post