Save me from Space Age Cars!

We currently have a hire car while our car is at the garage being fixed following the prang and it is a nightmare. This weekend is the first time I have driven it and I can see why Tim has been complaining about it all week. It is a Voltzwagen Passat, diesel estate, which in itself is fine, but it has all sorts of buttons and gizmos and doesn't even have a proper key. In order to get the car to start you have to insert the gadget (for want of a better word) into the slot in the dashboard while you have pressed the break and clutch all the way down to the floor, forget either of those and it wont start. Even wierder is the handbrake which is push button and supposedly has automatic release when you get the clutch and accelerator correct. This is amazingly tricky to do and is very strange when you are used to the normal lever style of handbrake. You can end up revving the car and not going anywhere or stalling it really easily. It also doesn't always engage which is a bit alarming as you can expect to take your foot of the brake and remain stationary and the car rolls forwards. AARGH! All in all I will be very very glad to get our car back again.

We have had a good weekend at home with shopping yesterday when it wasn't wet and did the housework enabling us to be nice and free to play today. I have made the most of my time with Alex and we have played all sorts of games, he has been crafting with me again and his drawing is no longer just lines across the page on the backswipe from hitting the desk but more deliberate drawing on the page (and the desk beneath!). He is a little off colour still, being more in need of company and cuddles than normal, but we have still had a lovely time together and I do enjoy the cuddles. He is very tired though as he isn't sleeping enough during either the night or day despite our best efforts.

Today I have had a lovely time crafting, in between looking after Alex, and I have made 12 more Christmas cards (running total of 44) as well as this card for my student Kerry who goes on Maternity leave at the beginning of December. She doesn't know whether she is having a boy or a girl and so I used the blocking technique to put both colours on the background of the card and then stamped little teddies onto butterscotch brayered background paper and coloured their tummies and ears using gold mica powder. To finish the card off I made a buggy out of a circle and added the edging in gold, buttons for wheels and stamped the word Baby in different colours. I will take it into work tomorrow for everyone to sign it.

I also had time to make a few ATCs today as well. This is a set of three which I am going to call Floral Music as the background is stippled with dark pinky red and yellow and then music is stamped in butterscotch over the top. Each card is then finished differently. The first one uses Simple Expressions Floral 5 stamps, with the flower in the background and the words in the foreground in darker red. The second one used Hero Arts real leaves coloured in autumnal colours and other leaf stamps for around the edge and the final one used a transfer of a rose, a dragonfly brad and an eyelet in the corner (set using my crop-a-dile) with funky thread. I am really pleased with this set and it is nice to have some available for swapping with my forum friends. More soon.

Love,

Caro

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