Struggling Writers discussion
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Chat (Up Until 5/4/2013)
Morning all! Trish - sorry you're having a rubbish time of it. Sarah is right about the home made gifts - we are skint with a capital S this year since we're trying to do up a house (another story) and I already have mendiants on my list of things to make. They take no time at all and look pretty nifty in a nice cellophane bag with some ribbon on!Sarah - I just answered your question on title vs story post. I'm still not happy with The Shield Bearer's Daughter. :(
Thank fudge its Friday - though I'm off to the UK for a week of work next week. Good news though - next Fri is our end of year bash. The theme this year is "Stars in Their Eyes." I'm going as Cheryl Cole in that military style outfit she wore. I ordered it from ebay for about £15 - bargain. Its waiting for me at mums... I just hope it fits, otherwise it'll be some concoction of rubbishness from the charity shops!!
ShazzyLouLou wrote: "Morning all! Trish - sorry you're having a rubbish time of it. Sarah is right about the home made gifts - we are skint with a capital S this year since we're trying to do up a house (another stor..."Yep they do look the part and are dead easy to make, fudge too, and caramels or you could make chutney that's easy to do or lemon, orange or lime curds dead simple and if you decorate the tops of the jars with little covers in gingham, how about making toilet roll holders - I have a cow in the downstairs loo I'll photograph it and you can see how its made if you like!
@ Trisha There are lots of things you can do Trisha for a minimum outlay - like decorating plant pots with mosaics, buying the ready to paint and decorate tissue boxes in wood, and jewellery boxes and trays you need to visit your local craft shop. Hell when I was 13 I made berets in crochet and sold them - its easy to crochet much easier than knitting, grows quicker too! Make necklaces from bead kits buy cheap jumpers from the thrift shop and brighten them up with sequins and beads, make your own stuffed toys out of old scraps of material.
I love crocheting - my nan taught me. Mum tried to teach me knitting but I never got past knitting a very holey scarf for a doll stage! Crocheting is great and so easy to do. And you're right, it does "grow" quicker - which is probably why I like it!Here's my Godson on his pram blanket I made when he was born
ShazzyLouLou wrote: "I love crocheting - my nan taught me. Mum tried to teach me knitting but I never got past knitting a very holey scarf for a doll stage! Crocheting is great and so easy to do. And you're right, i..."Cute I started off with my Nan making blankets and then launched myself into berets which look really cool but don't take a great deal of time or wool to make, you could make a set with a scarf and beret with 200g of wool and do the fringeing!!
@ Trisha She taught me how to make rag rugs and readi cut rugs too that would be something you could start after Christmas ready for next Christmas Trisha all you need are old clothes which you cut up into pieces some hessian and a rug pegger/ latch hook. The kits can be expensive so that would be something you would make for you at home and they never wear out. There must be numerous books around to show you how and what about the American standby quilting? If you don't have a machine it can be done by hand too!
Go on line and investigate I took photos of the cow if you want to see them let me have your email address and I'll send some links and the photos to you.
Ps I replied to your book titles!
http://www.ehow.com/how_6563581_simpl...Here you are Trisha and ShazzyLouLou rag rugs are fun to make colourful and great for recycling your old clothes!
My gran and I made pegged rag rugs so far I have only found instructions for braided and crochet rag rugs.
http://www.waste-invaders.co.uk/image...Here you go these are the types of rugs we made and trust me these rugs never wear out! you can stick them in the washing machine when they get dirty great for in front of the back door or the hearth in fact anywhere in the house! Now which of your relatives wouldn't be enthralled at a gift like that!
http://www.makings.co.uk/www.makings....This one gives you really good clear instructions on how to make the rugs, have fun on lonely winters nights keeps your knees warm too!
http://www.ehow.com/how_6740382_make-...This explains how to make the lap loom though I don't remember ever using one of these with my Gran! But handyto know about if you need to use one.
http://spoonful.com/christmas/last-mi...And here are 40 last minute craft ideas for gifts for Christmas - There are some simple low cost ideas to personalise your made with love and care gifts.
Smile Trisha, we all understand being skint and not wanting to disappoint you relies by turning up empty handed at Xmas!
Thank you for ur advice I do make hand made things but very few like hand made gifts so I need to buy stuff for the buttheadsI can knit and all that nifty stuff
Home sweet home. I have decided that wild camping is not for me. When we arrived at the site in Wales we were greeted by a man who used string as a belt to keep his trousers up and who wore a thread bare hat. He explained that we would have to park up and carry all our stuff down endless steps into the woods. My partner ensured and we had most of the house with us.
Of course there was no electricity and we would need to buy wood for the fire. The showers and toilets were not useable unless desperate.All was dirty and cold.
We erected two tents and one large one to put our gear in. Then we decided to light a fire but by this time it was dark. My partner had though of everything except torch's, we had one that worked. Finally after us searching the woods for branches we managed to light a fire.
Exhausted, we ventured up to the house, which doubled as a pub to get a drink. We were the only customers in fact there were no other campers. My partner casualy my partner mentioned the need for batries. 'Oh I think I might be able to help you there, I will just have a look round,' said the barman, the guy with the string keeping his trousers up. The way he said it we thought he was very kindly going to dig out some old ones. 'That will be five pounds.' We quickly moved on to the next pub in the nearest town.
Later that night in the pitch black we found going for a wee very difficult and definately breached health and safety.
The next day we had been told to be up at the house by ten. My son, his girlfriend and my partner don't like rushing. At seven minutes to ten my charming son said, 'mum don't you think you should go up and tell them we are on our way?' They hadn't started eating at that point. I ran up to house and found it locked and empty. Ran back to tents and told them the news and then raced back up. The tramps newzealand, ex-teacher wife had said if we are not there by 10 that we wouldn't be going. When I arrived she was there so I said i would just tell the others. 'Well if they are not here now then we won t be going you are already 15 mins late, (I bit my tongue). Luckily, I bumped into my tribe coming out of the toilets.
Down by the rive she bossed us about and gave us instructions. 'The heaviest, must go at the back,' she said and looking at my sons girlfriend said 'that would' be you, she was quite upset.
The first part of the journey down the river was lovely. Then we stopped to eat the packed lunch provided, all of which was out of date. My son bit into his sandwhich and nearly choked on the long grey hair that caught down his throat. All our lunches in the river we set off again. Partner and I looked round son and girlfriend were missing. They were having a huge arguement. We parked up, watched and waited. Finally, it ended and they went floating by us as though nothing had happened. The ex-school teacher had said that we had to be at a certain spot by 3 if we weren't there it would cost us more money. Of course we were now very late and all had to paddle like mad.
Well the day went from bad to worst ending in me and my son having an argument. At least it didn't rain but for me wild camping is out, from now on I shall insist on hetels. Sorry for moaning folks but it will take me weeks to get over this one. Still it is great to be home.
Of course there was no electricity and we would need to buy wood for the fire. The showers and toilets were not useable unless desperate.All was dirty and cold.
We erected two tents and one large one to put our gear in. Then we decided to light a fire but by this time it was dark. My partner had though of everything except torch's, we had one that worked. Finally after us searching the woods for branches we managed to light a fire.
Exhausted, we ventured up to the house, which doubled as a pub to get a drink. We were the only customers in fact there were no other campers. My partner casualy my partner mentioned the need for batries. 'Oh I think I might be able to help you there, I will just have a look round,' said the barman, the guy with the string keeping his trousers up. The way he said it we thought he was very kindly going to dig out some old ones. 'That will be five pounds.' We quickly moved on to the next pub in the nearest town.
Later that night in the pitch black we found going for a wee very difficult and definately breached health and safety.
The next day we had been told to be up at the house by ten. My son, his girlfriend and my partner don't like rushing. At seven minutes to ten my charming son said, 'mum don't you think you should go up and tell them we are on our way?' They hadn't started eating at that point. I ran up to house and found it locked and empty. Ran back to tents and told them the news and then raced back up. The tramps newzealand, ex-teacher wife had said if we are not there by 10 that we wouldn't be going. When I arrived she was there so I said i would just tell the others. 'Well if they are not here now then we won t be going you are already 15 mins late, (I bit my tongue). Luckily, I bumped into my tribe coming out of the toilets.
Down by the rive she bossed us about and gave us instructions. 'The heaviest, must go at the back,' she said and looking at my sons girlfriend said 'that would' be you, she was quite upset.
The first part of the journey down the river was lovely. Then we stopped to eat the packed lunch provided, all of which was out of date. My son bit into his sandwhich and nearly choked on the long grey hair that caught down his throat. All our lunches in the river we set off again. Partner and I looked round son and girlfriend were missing. They were having a huge arguement. We parked up, watched and waited. Finally, it ended and they went floating by us as though nothing had happened. The ex-school teacher had said that we had to be at a certain spot by 3 if we weren't there it would cost us more money. Of course we were now very late and all had to paddle like mad.
Well the day went from bad to worst ending in me and my son having an argument. At least it didn't rain but for me wild camping is out, from now on I shall insist on hetels. Sorry for moaning folks but it will take me weeks to get over this one. Still it is great to be home.
Sorry about bad spelling and dropped letters ect but I am shattered.
Tarian wrote: "Home sweet home. I have decided that wild camping is not for me. When we arrived at the site in Wales we were greeted by a man who used string as a belt to keep his trousers up and who wore a threa..."Lol So Compo is alive and well and living in the back of beyond somewhere in deepest darkest wales is he and there was the rest of the world thinking he'd died- or maybe you met his ghost?
Like I said camping sauvage is not for me either caravan yes but other than that give me hotels any day!
You put your feet up and have a nice glass of wine to warm your cockles in front of the television! Home comforts are what we need at our time of life.
Trisha wrote: "Thank you for ur advice I do make hand made things but very few like hand made gifts so I need to buy stuff for the buttheadsI can knit and all that nifty stuff"
They'd get what they were given if they were my relatives they could either like it or lump it! Home made doesn't mean inferior hand made chocolates are blooming expensive and definitely a luxury! Just don't tell them you were the one that made them print some stickers off from a choclatier!
Oh I would much rather have hand made things:) Much more meaning in that than something generic. I tried to make candles one year...which might be why I still have a bag of lumpy and misshapen candles in the cupboard.
Alexandra wrote: "Oh I would much rather have hand made things:) Much more meaning in that than something generic. I tried to make candles one year...which might be why I still have a bag of lumpy and misshapen cand..."Soap is another one to try, I never tried candle making I tried glass painting, I was totally crap at it and eventually gave my expensive box of paints away to someone that would use them efficiently.
How 'home made' stuff looks depends on your level of skill and attention to detail, my gran also taught me how to make roses from crepe paper that look real! You have to buy top quality crepe paper or the effect will be ruined before you start!
Go for a walk in the woods and take several large bags with you - fir cones, chestnut, conkers, acorns nice dried leaves in all different hues, lichen dried fern seed heads. Painted them silver,gold and copper spray paint and use them to make table decorations in glass dishes with a piece of the stuff florists use, you may have to wire the ferns with florists wire. fill in the gaps with holly and juniper and make ribbon poinsettias using florists ribbon and sticky tape and wire, or cheat and by silk ones.
You have bought the dish so basically its only half home made!
Sarah wrote: "Tarian wrote: "Home sweet home. I have decided that wild camping is not for me. When we arrived at the site in Wales we were greeted by a man who used string as a belt to keep his trousers up and w..."
Thanks, Sarha Compo definately exists. My son is here and is being really annoying I have already made tea and breakfast and now he is winding me up trying to get me to make another cup of tea.
Its luxury for me from now on. I shall put some of the photoes on my facebook. I will go with the caravan but thats it my partner will have to sell his seven tents. I might let him keep one for camping in the South of France.
Thanks, Sarha Compo definately exists. My son is here and is being really annoying I have already made tea and breakfast and now he is winding me up trying to get me to make another cup of tea.
Its luxury for me from now on. I shall put some of the photoes on my facebook. I will go with the caravan but thats it my partner will have to sell his seven tents. I might let him keep one for camping in the South of France.
Tarian wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Tarian wrote: "Home sweet home. I have decided that wild camping is not for me. When we arrived at the site in Wales we were greeted by a man who used string as a belt to keep his tro..."Noo the south of France is definitely a hotel-mind mega expensive I think! No when we go on holiday we hire a cottage/chateau/farmhouse - if you go through Gites de France they aren't expensive about 300 Euros for a week for a well equipped cottage for 4/6 people including dishwasher and washing machine.
We hired a farmhouse one year with a baby grand and all the tableware was porcelain and the only glasses we could find were crystal! We hired half a chateau in the middle of a vineyard one year for a week! Speaking some French is adviseable though not a requirement for renting!
We are going to the Bordeaux/Charente Maritime area next year for at least a week, 2 if I can drag Alain away from his garden and mother!
Darkangel wrote: "Morning all, I am back :o)"Morning, Are you all better now? It's a horrible virus, though mine wasn't half as bad as Jo's I put that down to the Goji Berries and Alain hasn't caught it at all - distance and Goji!
I found a gite for next year, Sophie loves it - it comes with swimming pool, sleeps 7 people with all home comforts in the middle of a vineyard who make Armagnac, only 1km from riding stables sounds like heaven to me!
Morning, I am better but not completely better. That does sounds like heaven.
Darkangel wrote: "Morning, I am better but not completely better. That does sounds like heaven."
Get yourself some Goji berry, or accacia berry or acerola berry or pomegranate tablets all of them are full of vitamin C and are anti-oxidants which means they fight the bugs fighting your immune system.
They can't hurt, Goji and acerola are know to aid eye health, and goji regulates sugar (diabetes) and can help lose weight, that I have yet to see but my general all round resistance seems to be picking up.
All I have to do now is persuade Alain, Sophie was 'yay I don't care if it's in the middle of a farm its got a pool!' At the end of June its 500 Euros per week, but if 2 families went it would make it just 250 each - now that's not expensive at all and all linen and towels are provided, beds are made all you have to do is fill the fridge get the wine, beer and armagnac light the barbecue and enjoy!
LOl and of course stables near by! Bless
I have been rugging this weekend - I started a rag rug for Sophie, I have to get her a latch tool today, we went to get one yesterday but the only shop that was open didn't have any of those!I even got my trusty rug out of mothballs and did some. Lol I've been doing it for 9 years and I'm only about a 10th completed, it's 100% Wool and I'm allergic to it so I can only work on it for short periods at a time - okay 8 years in between is a long period but it was packed in a bag under the stairs out of sight.
It's out now and I intend finishing it for the house! I finished the Christmas tablecloth which won't get used again this year as we are going to Jo's!
Now I must quickly prepare the chicken and mushroom sauce for the girls lunch!
Darkangel wrote: "LOl and of course stables near by! Bless"Yes but her riding teacher said she is very timid since she fell off she's lost her confidence! Though she asked to do a competition next Sunday not the obstacles you jump over just the ones you go round!
Darkangel wrote: "Got any picks of the table cloth?"No, but I can take some later, its Christmas roses, misltoe and holly with blue ribbons in a wreath and there are three wreaths plus a group of poisettia's in each corner and holly leaves too! So the colour combination is cream, greans, reds and a lovely briliant royal blue.
Darkangel wrote: "And is she doing it?"Yes she put her name down for it so that's riding Saturday and Sunday this week!
Maybe it will help with her confidence the more she rides.
morning girls!I've done the formatting, woop woop!
now, darkangel can i send you the formatted version for the last round of punctuatuion? I sent the stories to Kenechi and she asked if someone else could check for misspellings.
sorry for not being online much, been pretty busy.
Sarah, you have email, by the way; have heard bac from Keith?
Hi eva, No problem send it over to me.
Hi everyone, sorry i haven't been here so much but as you know I had a couple of days at the campsite from hell. I also had too much red wine this weekend, which I am going to give up. Thanks to Eva and you all i now have the lovely Emme to edit my book. What a relief.
I am excited today because I bought a setee off ebay for £51 the only problem its in London so partner will have to pick it up. I hope it all gets sorted before Christmas.
Darkangel, one of my best friends is into horses, I love them too. Both her daughters have their own liveries and do training. Tarian which as you know is my pen name, is a beautiful male horse that my friends daughter bought but he had behavioural issues and threw her off she ended up sending him away to be trained but she has never quite got her confidence back with him even though she has ridden far more difficult horses for others. I think sometimes its just the wrong horse.
Any way, I have to go out now. I hope you are all well and thanks again for all your help.
I am excited today because I bought a setee off ebay for £51 the only problem its in London so partner will have to pick it up. I hope it all gets sorted before Christmas.
Darkangel, one of my best friends is into horses, I love them too. Both her daughters have their own liveries and do training. Tarian which as you know is my pen name, is a beautiful male horse that my friends daughter bought but he had behavioural issues and threw her off she ended up sending him away to be trained but she has never quite got her confidence back with him even though she has ridden far more difficult horses for others. I think sometimes its just the wrong horse.
Any way, I have to go out now. I hope you are all well and thanks again for all your help.
Eva wrote: "morning girls!I've done the formatting, woop woop!
now, darkangel can i send you the formatted version for the last round of punctuatuion? I sent the stories to Kenechi and she asked if someone el..."
No not for a while, I haven't asked him about the new anthology yet. Have I had all the stories?
Darkangel wrote: "Maybe it will help with her confidence the more she rides."Yes I think so too. I am going to order your surprise tonight from Amazon - I figured it would be better if you had one with an English plug in the end. Do you have any special delivery instructions? ie a place to leave the parcel on security or a neighbour? I'll need your address please too - I have mislaid it-caution blonde at work!
Tarian wrote: "Hi everyone, sorry i haven't been here so much but as you know I had a couple of days at the campsite from hell. I also had too much red wine this weekend, which I am going to give up. Thanks to Ev..."That's okay it was my daughter Sophie that fell off the horse because someone had not checked the saddle was tightened up under the girth-it slipped Sophie fell off and now she is wary of falling off again.
And as for the red wine buy a better quality wine you will naturally drink less (price will see to that) and better quality doesn't give you the raging headache the cheap stuff does!
@ Sarah why are you buying me gifts? CHeck your email.
Darkangel wrote: "@ Sarah why are you buying me gifts? CHeck your email."Thanks got that oh I finished chapter 38 too and the gift is to say thank you for proof reading for me, my way of saying thank you.
Darkangel wrote: "Morning Trisha,"Morning Trisha,
Lol giving you ideas for rag rugs made my sophie want to try one. I have spent all weekend cutting up old clothes!
Thank you, and you are welcome.Now I am proof reading the anthology - I get to have all the fun ;o) woohoo
Darkangel wrote: "Thank you, and you are welcome.Now I am proof reading the anthology - I get to have all the fun ;o) woohoo"
I'll give you chance to finish all those before sending chapter 38 through then.
Ok no problem. Should be finished tomorrow, you know me ;o)
Darkangel wrote: "Ok no problem. Should be finished tomorrow, you know me ;o)"Yep, and in the meantime I'll carry on with chapter 39.
Sarah wrote: "Tarian wrote: "Hi everyone, sorry i haven't been here so much but as you know I had a couple of days at the campsite from hell. I also had too much red wine this weekend, which I am going to give u..."
Sorry Sarah, I hope Sophie is not hurt and finds the confidence to go back on. I guess it helps to unravel what went wrong or what spooked horse. A big learning curve but character building.
You know you mentioned the rag rugs my gran used to have some and showed me how to make them with a special tool. I really enjoyed it, kept me quiet for ages. Thanks for the memory.
Red wine, I love red wine but sometimes I have a difficult relationship with it. We were all at the BierKeller in Bristol cellerbrating my sons return home from afghan with all his friends. They don't really cell wine only beer, which I don't like. The wine tasted like a mixture of cherryade and paint stripper.The things we go through for our kids.
Sorry Sarah, I hope Sophie is not hurt and finds the confidence to go back on. I guess it helps to unravel what went wrong or what spooked horse. A big learning curve but character building.
You know you mentioned the rag rugs my gran used to have some and showed me how to make them with a special tool. I really enjoyed it, kept me quiet for ages. Thanks for the memory.
Red wine, I love red wine but sometimes I have a difficult relationship with it. We were all at the BierKeller in Bristol cellerbrating my sons return home from afghan with all his friends. They don't really cell wine only beer, which I don't like. The wine tasted like a mixture of cherryade and paint stripper.The things we go through for our kids.
Tarian wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Tarian wrote: "Hi everyone, sorry i haven't been here so much but as you know I had a couple of days at the campsite from hell. I also had too much red wine this weekend, which I am g..."Yep that'll be the problem cheap wine sold at extortionate prices! Ask for blossom hill red - A Californian red which is (or was) quite nice, and not to expensive and if you ask often enough the bars you frequent will listen especially if you ask for a glass of tap water if they don't have it!
Thanks Tarian it was a few weeks back but it dented her courage I'm afraid hence the reason I think its good she asked to be part of the competition and why despite it being near Christmas and the finances are alway strained at this time I said yes - like I always say the adults wait until after Christmas for their presents if necessary as long as the children have theirs, and Sophie is already at the head of the list with the pre-Christmas gift of the riding lessons and inscription into the pony club! We bought Hugo a rocking horse and various games and puzzles and a small guitar for Leon just need to find a spiderman dressing up outfit for him and thats Leon finished apart from Chocolates. Sophie will manage with what she has now apart from one more surprise 2012 Barbie!
I'm too soft for my own good! I will send Chris's kids money I can transfer that into Gemma's account direct. Just bits for Herve's 3 children, Alain, Herve and Joanne are easy Alain and Herve need new Chasse trousers desperately they are all holy! Jo needs new jeans hers are all holy too and the children will get a small token gift - I have a cd case and a dvd of the last Harry Potter film parts one and two for Anthony, Aurore is having Avon make up and a jumper or dress from noz and a pair of noz earings. Manouche (her name is Manon really) but we all call her Manouche has a diary and note pad and photo frame and I will get her a dress or trousers or something. Then I have chocolates and a little gift for the two children of our friends Jose rendered the house as a gift Alain bought the rendering but it saved him almost 2000 Euros so the least I can do is buy the girls a gift!
I put a few links on for the rugs, do you know that now people want these rugs so badly they are willing to pay people to make them for them - yuppies probably who want to appear eco-friendly! Make them pay well is what I say if you know how to make them you can literally name your price, and get rid of all your old clothes in the bargain!
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Struggling Writers
Books mentioned in this topic
Faking Grace (other topics)Faking Grace (other topics)
Naked Heat (other topics)
In The Devil's Own Words, Catedral Cronicles (other topics)
Hey Hun gifts for your kids are the most important, if you don't have the money to splash around why not give home made gifts, like I said make Barbie clothes if you have little girls in the list. Make cookies and put them in inexpensive jars - you could decorate the jars with decoupage and finish the top with a piece of material cut with pinking shears if you have them. Make your own chocolates I saved last years advent calendar - and Sophie is going to make chocolates using that to give to her nephews.Mendiants are easy to make all you need are nuts and raisins and chocolate spoon a disc shape of liquid chocolate onto greaseproof paper then arrange nuts and raising on top and leave to set put them into cellophane bags and tie a pretty ribbon on and a decoupage picture cut from christmas wrapping paper or last years old cards and you have a lovely inexpensive gift.
And if your relatives turn their noses up they are inconsiderate and uncaring.