School Sports Day

This week has seen the school practising for Sports Day. So yesterday, off we went on the buses to Batelco's Sports Centre. The class was divided in four teams, Red, Green, Yellow and Blue. With me in charge of the green team, Neomi with the blues, Amy with the yellows and Grace with the reds.

The kids, Grace, Amy and Neomi ready and waiting for the bus.

The green team with Claudette.

Last Friday's efforts

Apologies to those who follow my blog, despite saying I would try and update the Palace noticeboard a bit more regularly, I haven't been able to do so. At least last weekend I managed to get some cards done for upcoming birthdays. Two for male friends based in Saudi whose birthdays are in the second week of March. Got them posted on Sunday, and have my fingers crossed that the cards arrive on time. The post to Saudi is a bit slow just now, something that isn't unusual.

Used the same tie template, from Papercraft Essentials Issue 37, for both cards just used different colours, which give each card a totally different look. For Bill's card used stripes of backing paper from Printable Heaven's Dots, Spots and Polka Dots selection. Again went to Printable Heaven for Mike's card and their Stripes selection.

Bill Mike

Got a bit confused when my friend, Annie's birthday is, and got her card done. At least I am ahead there. Confusion arose as Annie's birthday is a couple of days after her and Mike's anniversary, but for some reason I had got it into my head that it was just after Mike's birthday. For Annie's card I used an iris folding template from Cardmaking & Papercraft Issue 61 and followed the instructions for the card and used papers from K & Company's Brenda Walton's 6x6 Scrapbook Designer Papers.

Sorted - well almost

I am slowly getting the class resources into some kind of order that I can work. We had a week off last week and unlike the rest of the Nursery staff I didn't get a break from the school work. Spent most of the week sorting out and thinning out the stuff that was in the class. Still have a few bits still to do but I am beginning to see a wee chink of light at the end of the tunnel. At least now I can see my dining room table and the floor surrounding it!!!!!!!!!!

So glad as I need to use my dining room table on Thursday night. Doing a mini Burns Supper for the neighbours, Rod, John and Barbara, Jim and Ellen [Billy's boss and his wife] and Hughie [who Billy took over from when he retired and is out to do a wee job].

Hopefully now that Burns Night is passed and the majority of the class stuff is done, I will be able to get to making some cards and regularly updating the Palace Noticeboard which I have been seriously neglecting recently.

Burns Night

Burns Night is passed, and yes I managed to get all the placecards, menus, songbooks and thank you cards done.

The Menu and Songbook

The Thank You Card

For the card, I used my Auld Lang Syne and Robbie Burns stamps and followed a blue theme, with various shades of blue card for the matting. The cards were sent to our guest speakers, George Jack, who gave the Immortal Memory address, Alan Sword, who did the Toast to the Lassies and Carol Melrose doing the Reply fae the Lassies. There was also a card to the Hotel and the band for the night.

There was the usual photo call for the committee and guests.

The Committee

Billy and me

We had a great night, with 180 sitting down to the meal, being served by waiters and waitresses dressed in black kilts complete with a mock sporran, black jacket and tartan ties. We kicked off the meal with a bowl of Cock-a-leekie soup. Next course was haggis [flown in from Bonnie Scotland], neeps and tatties. This was followed by beef tenderloin with a mushroom sauce and seasonal veggies. The meal was rounded off with a yummy lemon tart with caramel ice-cream.

I only one more job to do for Burns Night. Have to sort out the photos to put on the Callies Website [in the works].

After a fairly easy first week back at work, it was really in at the deep end. This week there were no days off and a full compliment of kids. Am still trying to sort through the stuff that the last teacher had, into a system that I can work.

On top of all that have been up to the eyes with the preparations for the Cally Society's Burns Night on next Friday. This week has included a committee meeting and a tasting of the menu and wines, as well as getting the placecards, menus and new Cally Songbook done. This part of the preparations are well under way, with the menus all printed and just have to be put together and the songbook is in the process of being printed off. The some of the placecards are printed, but can't them finished until all the names are in, so can see it ending up being a last minute job.

Despite all this I have managed to get a few cards done this week, 4 birthdays and a civil partnership. Three of the four birthday cards were using backing papers and toppers from CraftyJak's Backgrounds & more cd. The 4th one used DCWV's The All Dressed Up Matstack for the background, a piece of black cardstock cut to fit through 'Bosskut's' Journaling Ribbon Slide with a silver peel-off coloured black.

The Civil Partnership card, the first one I have ever had to make, I used peel offs which were stuck onto clear acetate and coloured with Sakura glaze pens and then cut our before being stuck onto card stock and finished off with a peel-off.

New Year and January News

Our Social Calendar has been fairly busy since getting back from Christmas in Fraserburgh. It kicked off with bringing in the New Year at the British Club bash.

Us just after the Bells

New Year Balloons

Despite getting home in the wee small hours, had to be up again and raring to go for 11.00am on New Year's Day. It is the annual Scotland -v- England football match in Awali. This year's match was tinged with a bit of sadness. We were missing the Scotland's team long time manager, who passed away in October last year. The match was started off with a minute's silence in John Kerr's memory. It was a good match, evenly balanced but the final score was Scotland nil, England one.

Minute Silence

The Scotland Team

Presentation to the winning team

The next couple of days was getting up to date with all the Cally Society stuff, especially for our forthcoming event - Burns Night on the 23rd of January. As well as getting ready for starting my new job as a nursery teacher.

I like this working lark, this week worked Sunday and Monday, off Tuesday and Wednesday for religious holidays and back to work on Thursday then off for the weekend. Only wish every week is going to be like this!!!!!!!!

Only crafting that has been done since the New Year is the Order of Service for John's Memorial Service on Friday.

Now those are done, I need to get down to getting some cards done for the January birthdays.

December's Goings On

The Palace Noticeboard has been very bare for the last month. Not because nothing has been happening, but I just didn't seem to get a minute to myself. Know that things have quietened down a bit thought I better let you all know that I am still in the land of the living.

Thought a quick update of what has been happening at the Palace was in order. Where to start? Well just before I left Bahrain to head to a chilly north east corner of Scotland we handed over a cheque for BD500 to ThinkPinkBahrain.

Billy and Me with the cheque

Me with Doreen from Think Pink Bahrain

Left Bahrain on the 9th of December and headed home to Scotland from Christmas, needless to say I was frozen but it was great to breathe the fresh air at home. The first week at home was running about like a headless chicken getting all the christmas shopping done, before Billy arrived home a week later than me. He hates christmas shopping so much that if I left it up to him he would be doing it at 5pm on Christmas Eve.

Billy was no sooner home when we had to took a quick trip down to Edinburgh to visit, the family down there. We let the train take the strain and had a great couple of days in Old Reekie. Dropped by the German Christmas Market and sampled some Gluehwein, which certainly heating us up on a cold and windy day. On the Thursday morning that we left for Edinburgh the washing machine and dishwasher packed in. However by the 23rd we had the new dishwasher and washing machine installed. Breathed a sigh of relief as I didn't want to spend Christmas and Boxing Day in the sink washing up.

Between coming home from Edinburgh and Christmas managed to squeeze in a few visits to catch up with friends.

Christmas Eve on then upon us and it was into Hell's Kitchen for me, getting everything ready for lunch on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. All the hard work on Christmas Eve proved well worth it as everyone enjoy their lunch on both days. Had the 3 kids, my mam and dad, Billy's dad and my dad's sister - my favourite aunt - Moira.

The day after Boxing Day was tidying up and packing day as Billy and I were leaving to head back to Bahrain on the Sunday. What a trip back that was!!!!! Our flight was delayed in Aberdeen which meant that we missed our connecting flight to Bahrain. As a result had an overnight stay in Amsterdam of KLM. Continued our journey back to Bahrain on the Monday and arriving back in the house just after 1.00am on Tuesday morning.

New Year and January news to follow!!!!

Mam's Birthday

My final family birthday card is for this year is my Mam's, two days before Christmas. Needed to get it done before I fly home for Christmas on Tuesday and won't have any cardmaking stuff with me.

The image and backing sheet are from a fellow imag-e-nationer, Jade Woodward. Mounted the image of the young girl on the same backing paper and gold pearlescent card. Printed the sentiment off, and used the classic rectangle nestabilities to cut it out, then mounted it on the same gold cardstock, the mat cut using the scalloped rectangle nesabilities. Finishing the card off with cream organza ribbon.

Silver Wedding Celebrations

Billy and I celebrated our Silver Wedding Anniversary in October but due to work commitments we didn't have the celebration party till the middle of November. We had a great night surrounded by family and friends, about 90 in total.

We did say to everyone that rather than giving us a present, that they put in a donation to Think Pink Bahrain and as a result we raised BD500 (almost ₤900). We also arranged for a photographer to come along from Bahrain This Month, one of the monthly magazines in Bahrain to take some photos, some of which have appeared in the December edition of the magazine.

Will, Me & Billy

The Neighbours

John, Fran, Rod and Barbara

Mel, Trish, Denise, Betty, Barney, Allan, Davie, Nigel, Jim and Barry

Ally, Debbie, Alison, Will, Me and Billy

Tuesday's efforts

Haven't made cards for ages, so settled down this morning to get a couple of outstanding orders done.

This one is for a 60th birthday for a guy who is very much into vintage cars and Harley Davidsons. Printed off a photo of an vintage card and mounted it on red and black cardstock. Used the same red and black card for the sentiment. Under the car put the Harley Davidson slogan - 'It's not the destination, it's the journey'.

The second card a female on this time. Used Bo Bunny cardstock 'Cosmic snowdrop' to the backing and mats and Bo Bunny's Cosmic Poppy for the flower - Bosskut Large Daisy - and finished off the flower and mat with dewdrop gem stones. The sentiment was silver peeloff coloured with a green peeloff marker pen.

Canasta Morning & Pot Luck Lunch

There have been a few birthdays on the Palace calendar. Not all had a celebration but one that did was my friend, Pam, who reached 60. Her canasta playing buddies organised a surprise canasta morning followed by lunch for her. We all gathered at Mel's and were all adorned with party hats when Pam walked. Had a great morning playing canasta and rounded the day off with a pot luck lunch, with all of us bringing along something.

Some of the gang

Pam and Rose looking at her pressie

Happy St Andrews Day

Where do I begin, what a hectic few weeks this has been and as a result the Palace Noticeboard has been quite neglected.

Well today is St Andrews Day, a special day for us Scots, as it our patron saint's day. Not only is St Andrew the patron saint of Scotland, but he is also the patron saint of Russia and Greece. Although in Scotland there doesn't seem to be a lot done to celebrate St Andrews Day, for Scottish expats it is a day of celebrations. This year our celebrations were held on Thursday night with the Awali Callies holding their annual St Andrews Night Ball. So out come the kilts and posh frocks. Have to say I think Billy and I scrub up well, mind you I am a wee bit biased!!!!

The Awali Callies' Committee.

Andy Doherty, Me, Brian Tierney, Alistair Woods, Debbie Macleod, Jamie Bowden (British Ambassador to Bahrain), Sarah Bowden, Alistair Macleod, Nancy Shepherd and Billy.

For me, the preparations for the ball are quite hectic as being Secretary of the Callies, one of my jobs was to make the placecards, menus and seating plan lists done.

Not only that I had to the thank you cards to the guest speaker, John Rutherford, who gave the toast to St Andrews, the Glencraig Scottish Dance Band providing the music for the dancing. I have to say thanks to Jak, for the thistle image and backing paper.

I think John Rutherford summed up how many expats, not only scots but any nationality, feel about their heritage by finishing up his speech before toasting St Andrew with the chorus from the song 'Caledonia'

Let me tell you that I love you

And I think about you all the time

Caledonia you’re calling me, now I’m goin’ home

But if I should become a stranger

Know that it would make me more than sad

Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had.

Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Val.

With this tag I have to give 7 interesting facts about me. And pass the tag on to 7 more people, so here it goes:

1. My four favourite people in the world are, my darling husband of 25 years and my three wonderful works in progress, Tara, Sarah and Will.

2. Was born an expat brat. Boy does it cause hassle when I have to renew my passport.

3. Glad I was born a girl as my Dad always says that if I had been a boy I would have been called Basil.

4. Am Secretary of the Awali Callies, well someone needs to get the guys in order.

5. Am petrified of snakes.

6. My favourite places to eat are Trader Vics in Bahrain and think I would have to say Simpsons in Aberdeen.

7. Don't mind doing the supermarket shopping, but hate having to put it away.

Phew that was a struggle, now for the next struggle, tagging 7 blogs. Well here goes.

1. Louise's Asylum - well she did start this thing

2. Liz'sWeeScotchCorner

3. The Cazz Bar

4. Jak's Kitchen - she is such an inspiration

5. Cullen Crafts - close to home

6. Anne Marie

and finally

7. PeeJay

Cuttlebug Challenge

As I had a few bits left over from the card that I made using sheets from Funky Birthday Prints by Printable Heaven and seeing the Cuttlebug Challenge 6 which I thought I would put a card into into the challenge. So thought I would kill two birds with one stone so to speak, as I had to do a 60th birthday card for one of my canasta playing girlfriends, who happens happens to be the same person as my reflexologist friend had asked me to do a card for earlier in the week.

Anyone with a sweet tooth

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth and fancy a wee bit of candy, nip over to Funky Fairy Inspirations corner shop for a bit.

The Last Of This Week's Cardmaking

After getting the family and friend's cards done for November settled down to get the cards I had been asked to do done. These first two are for one of my canasta playing friends daughter and son-in-law's birthdays. For the daughter's card used various sheets from Funky Birthday Prints by Printable Heaven and used the Boss Kut Large 50's Flower, Medium Flower and Diva Flowers dies for embellishments.

For her son-in-law's card followed the instructions on how to fold shirts and used matching papers for the backing - unfortunately I can't remember the name of the paper range.

The last two are for my reflexologist friend who has two girlfriends with birthdays this month, one being a 60th birthday. Went back to K&Company Designer Paper set by Amy Butler called Sola. On the square card, first of all cut a square of the designer paper just slightly smaller than the card. On top of that matted another square, slightly smaller again. Then cut four squares which I embossed with the D'vine Swirl embossing folder, then another four smaller squares again. Then topped it off with the Large 50's Flower from Boss Kuts.

For the final card, the 60th birthday one, matted on a C6 card base a rectangle which is slightly smaller that the card base. Then cut 7 strips which I embossed using the D'vine Swirl embossing folder which I stuck down in an offset pattern. Torn a strip of co-ordinating paper and then used a dotted line to give the impression of stitching. The embellishment from was from a flower set from Accessorize. And finished it off with the sentiment - Here's to the 39th anniversary of your 21st birthday'.

November's Family & Friends

Can't believe November is here already and ahead of me a busy month. Spent the last few days getting the cards done for November, so that I can spend some time with Will who is arriving on Friday for a fortnight. While he is here, we have the party to celebrate Billy and my silver wedding and his birthday. Then we finish off the month with the St Andrews Night Ball.

November is one of my busy month for birthdays and anniversaries, 5 birthdays including mine and 1 wedding anniversary all in the space of 8 days.

We kick off with Will's birthday and on the same day it is Kelly Ann's birthday, Sarah best buddy. Will's one, was a difficult one to come up with a theme for, until I saw the image of the Singapore Sling. All I did was matted the image on red and cream card and mounted on brown card stock and printed off the sentiments on cream card and matted it on the same red card as the image.

For Kelly Ann, used a Paper Nation Kimono Lady decoupage sheet and mounted it on chinese/japanese style wrapping paper and used the scalloped oval nestability to cut out the sentiment which I had printed out.

Then 5 days later then next on my card list is my mum and dad's wedding anniversary. Now looking at the card colours, I should maybe keep it for next year for their golden wedding anniversary. Used an image which I have used before which I call 'Lovers Kiss', matted it on the same brown cardstock that I used for Will's card. I embossed a piece of coffee coloured pearlescent card and use the bosskuts tag ties for the sentiment and finished it off with a cream ribbon bow.

On the same day as mum and dad's wedding anniversary, is Shona's birthday, a long time family friend.

The final one, 3 days after mum and dad's anniversary, it is Sarah's birthday. As Sarah loves shopping thought the image fitted the bill. The backing paper is from contemporary christmas range from Printable Heaven. Finished it off by printing off the sentiment and then used the oval and scalloped oval to the topper. Finally finished it off with a peel off saying which I coloured in pink.

My First Craft Fair

As I said a few posts ago, I was helping a friend out at her stall at a local craft fair and she allowed me to sell some of my cards on the stalls. So on Saturday morning off I toddled to the fair with my stock of cards. After a really busy day on the stall selling my friend's goods and selling a few of my cards, I came home shattered. Didn't realise how much I sold till I got home and counted up my takings. I made just over £100, so was well chuffed with myself.