I went and ordered one!

After my last post and a comment from a reader with a recommendation, I did some research and went and ordered something which will hopefully help with my stamping.

It is a Memory Keepers Precision Press Plus bundle.

As well as the stamping plate it also comes with a typeset board and letters, numbers and some characters. Plus it has a clip for stenciling and a stencil and a few stamps too.  Amazon US didn't have it but it is coming via Amazon Global from the Netherlands and will hopefully be here in time for my birthday.

I really hope it helps! It has mostly excellent reviews but also has a few negative ones so I guess I will find out this coming week.

I have read a lot of reviews and got some good tips so I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.  It seems I am not the only one having problems with stamping.

Funny thing is the typeset and letters reminded me of a toy that was popular in my childhood.  A John Bull Printing set which had rubber letters and a typeset block.  Some things never change lol. I found an image on the internet, just as I remembered it. 

I just hope my arthritic fingers can deal with the smaller letters in the new set. Thankfully it comes with larger letters too as pictured below!

I got some bad news since my last post, my dear Grand daughter's husband has been very poorly in the hospital.  He had an infection in his brain which swelled and he was really ill.  He is on the road to recovery now but is still in hospital having rehab but this weekend he has been allowed to go home for a few hours each day and they are hoping next weekend he will be allowed to go home full time with home support coming in. He is only in his 30's and their son is only two and a bit.  It has been a frightening time for them all. He has lost a lot of his memory but some of it is coming back little by little and my grand daughter has well documented their life together so he has a lot of things to help him remember.

Will update both on the stamping and my grandson in law's progress soon.  Meanwhile any and all prayers will be appreciated for my grand daughter and her family.

'I hate meeces to pieces" to quote Jinks the Cat and 'what is it with me and stamping'?

Does any one remember Jinks the cat, a cartoon character?  Well, to quote him "I hate meecies to pieces!"

We had to do major construction repairs in our sunroom which dragged out due to our health issues.  Anyway, when the family announced they were coming a major tidy up ensued in there just incase son and grandson could manage some work in there (which they did.)

I had my wanna-be American dolls in there and when we started the work I covered them with a little doll's quilt my MIL had made so they didn't get sawdust etc. on them.  Well, those darned mice eventually must have sussed out that it would be a nice hidey hole to make a nest in!  And they ruined the two little cardigan's I had knitted for the dolls and a skirt I had made for one of them.  

I had to totally strip them, bathe and sanitise them and throw away the cardigans and skirt and wash the rest of the clothes and little quilt in a strong disinfectant and washing soap mixture.

So I have knitted one cardigan so far to replace the mouse eaten ones.

I just love the plastic studs, so easy to attach and so efficient too.

I also had to get a card finished and mailed and decided to try my hand at stamping once again.  I had previously successfully stamped the verse inside and the homemade stamp on the back of the card and added the bow, it was ready to go.

But! (that word again), I got a bit ambitious and wanted to do some stamping on the envelope then do another stamp inside the card to match the envelope.  Bad idea!  I ruined one envelope and binned it then on the second one I got some of the edge of the stamp on it too.  I wasn't going to throw away another though so it stayed as is! 

Then I tried to stamp the same flowers in the card and didn't press hard enough so some of the imprint was missing!  I knew I couldn't get the stamp back in the exact same place but I did come up with a plan to save the day.  I got one of my pens which was almost the same colour as the ink I used and I drew in the missing parts. Phew! So today the card is winging it's way across country.

But, what is it with me and stamping? Why can't I get it right?????

On the plus side, my husband has now sold a total of 10 books that we have been self publishing.  Never going to make a fortune but it is exciting that he is selling some.

Fallen limb from storm

We had a storm, it must have been Saturday or Sunday night.  There was quite a large limb fallen up by the mailbox on the gravel road  which we didn't see until I went to fetch the mail last night, Monday.

I tried to move some of the broken branches off the road.  Cars were able to get by and it was very hot last night so we left it until this morning to deal with it.

Poor husband isn't supposed to be doing anything heavy for another three weeks but he was able to use the pole saw too and between us we cut it up.  We rested whenever we had to, which was often, but we did it.  I was able to load the logs into the little trailer and tomorrow I will unload them in the woodshed in the cooler hours. This is me wielding the pole saw, in hot weather I cover up to keep both the sun and bugs off of me!

 

And here is a photo of my dear husband and I taken by DIL. It was taken in the evening to get good light but we were both pretty tired by then so not looking our best but a well composed photograph.

Happy 4th of July to any USA readers and hope the day is a great one for everyone!

Been and gone!

My goodness the family visit went by so quickly.  Unfortunately, as I expected it was extremely hot while they were here which limited outside time.  But they did get outside to shoot the pellet gun and rifle at the targets and they were all great shots!  DIL also took the children to a couple of outdoor swimming pools 2 afternoons for some outside time where they could keep cool. One of them had a Lazy River and diving boards so that was fun for them.

DIL is a professional photographer and all the following photos are hers, so much better than anything I would take.

I showed the oldest grand daughter how to knit when she was about 8 or so and she now makes some lovely things and does crochet too.  I showed her the basics and she has learned much more from watching Youtube tutorials and from a friend of her Mums who knits.  The youngest wanted to learn too this visit so I also showed her the basics of knitting and crocheting and she picked it up very quickly.  She will learn more from her sister too and no doubt Youtube. 

We went out for a couple of meals which was very nice, one was the locally owned burger shack where they cook everything to order and there is only outside seating and the other was also a family owned restaurant about 40 miles away and the food is always good.

The guys (son and grandson) did so many jobs while they were here with husband looking on really wishing he was still able to do it. They even got all the hard work in the sunroom done which leaves us with trimming it up which we will be able to do once my husband has fully recovered from his surgery.  They worked so hard and I felt so bad that they did while on their vacation but we are so grateful for their help.

The wasps were very active around the front door and I offered grandson the use of my wasp hat as he was in and out all the time fetching tools from the workshop, but he declined incase anyone took a photo of him wearing it lol.  After all he is a teenager now and couldn't risk his street cred.

I on the other hand have absolutely no street cred so here I am in my full glory wearing it!

Finally DIL was captured on camera by youngest grand daughter in the corn field. It is very rare to see photos of her, always the photographer, rarely the subject!

It was a wonderful 6 day visit  but in the blink of an eye it was over and they were on their way to visit son's Mum and her family and our other two grandson's and their mother for 6 days and then onto DIL's Mum and their family. What a trip, thousands of miles will be covered by the time they get home.

And I will leave you with a sweet photo of youngest grand daughter with our dog.  They have such a bond.