Even Busier!

Hello!

Everything is on hold at the mo, due to me and my chap very unexpectedly* moving house in a couple of months.

*We weren't even looking to move, until my father-in-law mentioned a house that had gone on the market a few doors down from him (nice sized corner plot brimming with birds, bats, squirrels and foxes . . . and if I have anything to do with it, hedgehogs one day!)

Cue us both going slightly weak at the knees upon seeing it.

And that my friends, is how things snowball to suddenly finding yourself sorting through 16 years-worth of junk!

Seriously . . .  who needs 37 laundry detergent balls?

Busy!

After ignoring the issue for waaay too long, I admit it's time for a much needed facelift . . . 

for those of you nodding your head in complete agreement, I hasten to add I'm referring to my Ann Ross Design website.  *tut

I'll be updating things over the next few weeks so please bear with me.

Here's a sneaky peek at the new design theme .  . .

I'll also continue to plough through my work 'to do' list. (Problem being for every one thing I cross off, another 23 appear).

This is on top of my daily gluten dodging regime that sees me having to make all my own food from scratch due to regular gluten free processed food causing me so much grief. Yay for me and my dysfunctional gut.

Then there's housework to ignore, cats to pamper, coffee mornings to attend, books to read, nephews to teach bad magic tricks to, craft classes to squeeze in and birdwatching to enjoy when I get the chance. BTW even they rejected my last grain-free bread attempt . . . a telling clue as to what I'm working with re: my kitchen skills.

Know I've joked about it in the past, but seriously; Where can a gal buy a decent second-hand cloning machine 'round these parts?

Onwards!

Why hellooooo!

 

 

 

Never sure who, if anyone, reads my blog and really don't know what to waffle on about at times, but I guess a general update is acceptable.

 

 

1.  I'm feeling better than I have done in years since becoming a gluten dodger.

 

2. Based on this recovery from chronic illness symptoms, I launched a new website to support and inform other gluten-related disorder sufferers.  It's called www.glutendodgers.com (Do pop over and have a sceggy woo if you ever get the chance!)

 

3. My 2 cats continue to systematically destroy the front room carpet.

 

4. I've started my Christmas shopping. However any sense of smugness didn't last long when I realised I'd bought a load of tat and still have no real ideas for presents.

 

5. My first paper engineering idea was published by Egmont UK Ltd, Here's a link if you want to check it out.  Read it Build it Space

 

6. I think I need new glasses.

 

7. I've just started 3 new design projects this week. Still undecided if I'm a glutton for punishment or trying to make up for lost time.

 

8. I REALLY need to defrost my freezer.

 

9. It's officially lunchtime.

 

10. I'm still trying to perfect grain free baking . . . .

 

 

Huzzah for my Limp Bizkit recipe.

 

 

 

 

Until next time, LLAP

 

 

 

 



Not feeling so thpppppppt anymore.

Greetings!

For the benefit of anyone who may find the following of interest; (Hi Mum!) 

Sorry for the meagre blog offerings of late. After umpteen years of icky health, unwittingly caused by food of all things, last year my symptoms grew so severe I couldn’t even sit at my computer.  Thankfully, I sussed it out and after putting myself on a spectacularly decent diet that finally agrees with me  . . . . . . . . piff-paff-poof, my ailments have miraculously disappeared.

Nice try gluten, but you’ll have to do better than THAT to wipe me out!! 

Although to be fair your effort was highly commendable.

 

Yes, yes, I'm blogging about my business cards . . .

Here's my first batch of free hand-outs, fresh from the cutting mat, the idea for which plucked from the deepest recesses of my head at some ungodly hour yesterday morning, because woe betide that pesky little light bulb might switch on at 3.00 in the afternoon. *rolls bloodshot eyes*

 



and here's the back . . .

 

 

 

Now I just need to send them to some lovely business-mad folks.

(Avoiding Wastepaperbinland if possible!!)

 

 

 

Finally, I couldn't complete this blog without a shout out to my illustrious wee

 helper, Millie Moo. Here she is having a well-deserved rest after running off with my

mini heart die cutter approximately 53 times during the manufacturing process.

 

 

Sleep, my little klepto, sleep. For tomorrow is another day to

 torment and burglarize your overly fatigued owner . . .

 

x

 

 

Scribble Rage

Let this artwork serve as a warning to unsuspecting adults everywhere.

 

When little kids are drawing, suddenly and quite without warning, their crayon-holding-hand may fail to synchronize with their brain, causing even the most painstakingly drawn picture to end up a crayola-based puke-fest.

 

 

 

 

At this point, there is a very real danger the young artist may unleash

the magnificent strop monster from deep within.

 

I strongly recommend you refrain from guffawing, snorting or even stifling

a smile by feigning a yawn. This simply adds fuel to a strop monster's fiery rage.

 

 

 

 

 

(Trust me).

IT'S ALLIIIIVVVE!!

Well, that's my new site up and running.  Do let me know if I've managed to incorporate any ridiculous blunders during my quest to earn my web-building brownie badge.

 

Couldn't resist sharing an image of the mug-fest going on in my office at the moment.

Irrefutable evidence of the unrelenting slog it took to launch my little site. No, no, it's not irrefutable evidence I've simply allowed slovenly grottiness into my otherwise

stepford wife-esque routine.

 

So many mugs I had to employ my largest cutting mat as a multi-cup coaster.

 

 

 

My actual (unused/inadequate) coaster.

 

 

 

I nearly added a gaussian blur so you could immerse yourself in my current experience of vision.

 

Right, I'm off to the shops to buy some new eyeballs and in all honesty, I now want to know if there really IS a web-building brownie badge?

 

 



My Friend, Photoshop.

Seeing as this internet thing seems to have taken off (at long last), I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and develop my very own website - still under construction and nothing fancy! 'Tis merely a modest crumb of cybery goodness, where my various design shenanigans shall be squished together for all to see, judge and dismiss with a pfffft!, probably.

 

Annoyingly, to accompany one's webby presence, these days, it would appear you can't go wrong with a decent profile image to slap on your various pages and stuff.

 

Problem being, a decent pic of myself has been somewhat elusive over the years.

 

 

 

Undeterred, this was the end result: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, for your delectation (maybe), please to be comparing it with: THE TRUTH . . .

 

 

 

Thankfully, I cropped out the washing basket, pile of old

receipts, chocolate wrapper and empty milk glass - so no one will

ever know the true extent of the cunning maskery involved here.

 

 

 

 

Um.

 

 

Blast from the Past? NOT ‘ARF!

As a young ‘un, I was lucky enough to spend a most enjoyable 3½  years being brought up in the astonishingly brilliant country of New Zealand. 

So, imagine my glee whilst touring Ye Olde Beer Shoppes of York yesterday, when my merry little band of revellers had lunchtime noms at The Gourmet Burger, that just so happens to be owned by 3 Kiwis who know quite a bit about making food taste, um . . . . tasty.

Then, imagine my (thankfully inward) squeal when I found L&P* listed on the drinks menu.

 

 "Eeeep"

 

*definitive NZ soda pop; last supped by myself in July 1986 and desperately missed ever since (along with Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, Moro Bars, Raro, Rashuns, Milo and Mello Yello).

After this brief encounter, I thankfully remembered we now have a thingumijig called the Internet at our relish-infused fingertips, so I decided to do some L&P-based Googling.

Finally, imagine my lump-in-throat moment upon finding this awesome-if-you-spent-any-childhood-Summers-in-New Zealand advert, which basically sums up my down-under upbringing in 46 seconds flat.

 Click here to see it

 

 

. . . . and that is the story of how a lovely wee walk around the historic city of York led me so far down Memory Lane, I needed a map and a compass, and a man who knew how to use a map and a compass, to get me back again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS. I also found this site:

www.sanza.co.uk

 Darn you Google. Darn you to heck.

 

 

 

 

The Reason for my Blog Blockage . . .

. . . . blame this floofy little critter right here!

 

 

Millie about to have her 17th catnap of the morning.

 

 

She adopted me last week, and I can hardly remember to feed myself, never mind run a freelance design venture and keep on top of thatpicturecardsite.com

 

Normal business will resume as soon as she becomes less demanding, adorable and fails to make me snort when I chortle at her too much.

 

 

Derp.

 

 



Happy Mother's Day

This is the only Mum-themed design I've come up with to date.

 

One or two of you may be able to relate to it nonetheless?!

 

 

 

 

Hope you aren't too shattered from all that pampering!

 

(I also hope your home-made Mother's Day cards aren't too laden with ill-fixed glitter).

 

Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my Mum for being so gosh-darned amazing, as well as my cat for the thoughtful gift of a plant pot shaped like a teacup.

 

(Yes, yes, I said cat.  Don't judge me)

 

 

 

 



The Jam Aisle; A Cautionary Tale.

During my last supermarket spree, I found myself wandering down the jam aisle, where I quite absent-mindedly plonked a pot of plum preserve into my typically wayward trolley.

 

Back home, upon putting said jar away, that annoying little voice in my head piped up –

you know the one - the domestic goddess in us all who convinces you to buy

things like candied peel (WTFlip?) and bake on a Sunday afternoon just because

it's cold outside.

 

 

I usually manage to repress her quite successfully.  Today, I failed.

 

 Upshot being, I'm now the proud owner of a batch of scones

because . . . .
 

 

 

  

:D  

 

 

Now, happily stuffed with still-warm, freshly-made, fluffy-jammy goodness;

I can honestly say, hand on heart . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

  

Gaviscon is a wonderful thing.


 

 

 

 

 

Hello Mr Snowdrop

For the first time this year, I've just enjoyed a lunchtime cuppa outside. Yay!

 

Between sups, I noticed a brave little solitary Snowdrop had fought it's way through the dirty chaos that is my garden.  For those of you with 'meh' floating round your thought bubbles, such a sight is a big deal when you're as green-fingered as a zebra.

 

 

During my leisurely stroll I also noticed, like my fabric softener, today smells of Spring - and so it won't be long until we're all knee-deep in daffodils and lambs and stuff. 

 

Now back inside, as I write my random witterings and look out on this bright,
sunny day, I'm reminded of all the things we can look forward to in the weeks and months to come:

 

The incredible spectacle of birds, beasts and blooms bursting back into life.
A Cadbury's Double Decker Easter Egg (with mug).
Britain slowly sliding into those long, hot, lazy days of Summer. Finger's x'd.

 

And perhaps more importantly, as I gaze through the glass in this brilliant light, I'm also reminded of the fact I haven't cleaned my windows since Christmas.

 

 

 

Hopefully tomorrow will be duller.

 

When Inspiration Strikes

I came up with this artwork last year.

My chap had just turned 40.

He also has allergies.

That is all.

 

go to thatpicturecardsite.com

MY. FIRST. BLOG. EVER.

Hello!

Hope you like don't hate the new picturecardsite . . .

and what better way to celebrate its arrival than
by throwing a kick-bottom launch party for one.


Pffft. of course I'm not really sad enough to mark the occasion alone!!!!

 

 I invited the cat too.


 

 

So what if he turned up late and left early.

 

 

 

 

go to thatpicturecardsite.com