Hello!

How are you? I do hope you are well and tucked up safe at home. I thought I would pop by today with some virtual hugs and to check in with you all.

I feel I ‘up and left’ abruptly and I didn’t give any warning about suspending ordering on the website. I apologise for that, especially as I had started a sale and extended the discount code.

Last Saturday I was feeling optimistic and hopeful. That I could ‘carry on as normal’ through this weird and crazy time. But then, as the weekend continued, we watched the news and maybe I read too much on social media.

My optimism dwindled and the reality of it all came flooding in. From Monday I would be doing home learning with The Beans. I would be responsible for making sure that a form of education continued. That they both continue to progress with their speech. AND on top of that, I have a home to keep in check, meals to prepare & cleaning to keep on top of.

I talked it all through with hubby and with the uncertainty of his work, people scaling back on non-essentials and not wanting to risk bringing the virus home on going out when we don’t really need to, we took the decision to suspend orders on the website on Monday morning.

We had a feeling that the news that evening would be a ‘lockdown’. To only leave the house for essential shopping. We were right and since posting my last few orders (thank you) and buying a few essential items from the supermarket, we haven’t left our property.

So here I am, almost a week into not leaving the house & garden and having survived a week of home learning! As much as it has been a joy to have my boys home, to spend time seeing how much they have learn’t since they started school. It’s been stressful and exhausting! But they have thrived on the 1-2 learning environment, I’ve seen so much progress in such a short time with their speech and we’ve even done some fun tasks like drawing & painting, pizza making & junk model making!

I had envisioned that I would just go back to my once working on a night once they are in bed and continue with daily creating, blogging & working on new designs. Oh how wrong I was! This week I have simply been too tired once I have got them tucked up and settled and just collapsed in a heap on the sofa or in bed!

I am hoping that as we all adjust to the new routine, I will find the energy to do more of what I love and sharing it with you 🙂

Like today, I have spent most of the day Spring cleaning my studio space, organising and I actually sat down to make the card I am sharing with you. It’s funny how you come across things to put aside to use at a later date.

I came across an ink blended piece of card I had stamped with Background Blocks Graffiti Texture. Part of it had not stamped well, so I had put it aside to use for a different purpose. Like most times, these get ‘buried’ and forgotten about. Until today when I came across it and decided to die cut the largest loopy flower from Designer Dies Kindness Blooms.

I was even inspired to play along with a card challenge! I used the current sketch over at CAS Colours & Sketches seen HERE and below.

The website will be back once some form of ‘normality’ resumes in the UK and we are no longer in a lockdown situation. You never know, I might even have a shiny new website to reopen with and a bunch of new products ready and waiting! I will however have a discount code & a sale on. So there is something to look forward to!

Sorry for such a LONG post. I didn’t think I had that much to say! I do hope you are all well, safe and finding things to keep yourself busy. I will do my best to check in & share more creativity this week.

Take Care & Crafty Hugs