FREEBIES: Valentine Issue OUT NOW!

I have finally finished the next issue, and not a moment too soon! As much as I loved our Santa, it was starting to get a wee bit embarassing seeing his smiling face every day.

Just like the first issue, I didn't have time to add anywhere near as much content as I had hoped to. It's not for want of contributors either. I couldn't have wished for a better response following it's launch, and I apologise to the many of you that didn't make it in this time round...you will all get a mention soon, I promise.

To enter just
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on julietk's blog
DEADLINE: 14th Feb

I hope you enjoy browsing the Valentine issue. When you do, please remember it's still only little old me producing the mag, and it's no mean feat I can tell you! I have had lots of encouragement from my friends in the group though, and in particular JulietK who pulled out all the stops this time and donated a real-life freebie! You really must try and win these...aren't they adorable?!

Well, that's me done for today. I'm off to catch up on some serious crafting!

Knitting Needle Conversion Chart

Here's a gadget no dedicated crafter can live without:



How many times have you googled 'conversion chart'? I know I have many times. Maybe you already have one bookmarked in your favourites? Well now you can convert your patterns from the comfort of your own Blog, and your visitors can bookmark YOU!

What really matters...

In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take,
The relationships we were scared to have,
And the decisions we waited too long to make.

There comes a time when you realise who matters,
Who doesn’t,
Who never did,
And who always will.

So don't worry about the people from the past,
There’s a reason they didn't make it to your future,
Only think about the people in your life that matter now.

Because we are not here that long,
And we're a long time gone.


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Thank you for sending me this Bollinger. It means a lot.

Our Craft Shop's Blog Brooch

To celebrate the move to our brand new group, I have designed this Blog Brooch so everyone can find us. Help yourself to your free Brooch, and help our sellers grow!

Copy this code where you want your Brooch to go:

<A href='http://ourcraftshops.com'><IMG src='http://ourcraftshops.com/GROUPIMAGES/OCSbrooch.png' border=0></A>

Thank you!

NEW GROUP OPENS: 1st January 2009

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Merry Christmas everyone!

Have you opened today's window yet? Hope you like it! At least now you know why I haven't been keeping up with my posts.

I had the crazy idea of launching the mag a few days ago, and I haven't slept since. So this is about as much as I can type at 2am, when I still have pressies to wrap. No doubt vanity will take over and I shall edit this post at the weekend...when I wake up!

Just one more thing before I disappear under a pile of wrapping paper:

THANK YOU!!!


To everyone who copied the Advent Calendar 2008 this year a great, big THANK YOU! Not just from me, but from all the contributors who have loved having you visit their blogs too!



A Bit Tattered Art
A Crafting Journey
Allys Space
Benedict Sin
Coxabey
Debscraft
Doodles and Scraps of Me
Enfys
Happy reflections
Inky Things
Inspirational
JulietK
Knitting Kudzu
Ladybird Ladybird Paige
Maggiepatch
Mandi's Mad Musings
mimicup
Miroslave2007
Mrs Beee
Rachel B's World
Scrapping the Night Away
Sommerwood
Truly Scrumptious
Vicki Canning

If you would like to join in the fun in 2009 then get your copy of the free mag and get writing!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Claire x

WOW, what a week!

...and it isn't over yet!

DD made her Promise to Rainbows at their Bollywood bash yesterday,and she's just lost her second tooth this week! So I'm a poor Fairy, but a happy Fairy nonetheless.

I made a promise too, and so much more that I couldn't possibly tell you on here!!!! And then of course, I'm opening that first window tonight!

Are you as excited as I am? I very much doubt that unless your butterflies have machine guns like mine!

That probably has a lot to do with the fact that, while you're sitting there waiting patiently, I am running around like an insect with a blue bottom trying to get the damn thing finished!

Why, oh why do I do it to myself?

Better crack on...


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Dear Santa,

Thank you so much for giving me exactly what I wanted this year. It's the best present ever!

As you can imagine, I was absolutely over the moon when you agreed to let me use your picture in our Craft Shop Advent Calendar 2008, and the kids were convinced it must be the real Santa emailing me if I was dancing like that!

I'll be sure to leave an extra large brandy out on the 24th...I think you're gonna need it with all these visitors!

Love Claire x

PS. would it be too cheeky to ask for a Craft Robo too?

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This year, Santa Curtis can be found at The Avenues Mall in Jacksonville, Fla. or online HERE. If you are anywhere near Jacksonville this Christmas, be sure to give him a BIG HUG from me!

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There's still room at the Inn!

This year, because it's a bit special, I have tried to fill our Advent Calendar with projects donated by my crafting friends. I still have a few empty windows to fill though (and too many of my own projects in it for my liking), so if you would like to be my friend and donate a Christmas craft project please get in touch.

In return, I'll send you lots of lovely traffic!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

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Our Craft Shop's Advent Calendar 2008

Drum roll please...

It gives me great pleasure to present to you today my latest snaggable offering:

Enjoy it from the comfort of your own Blog!

Yes, it's an Advent Calendar, and it's full of the best online craft freebies I could find (and obtain permission to link to) and it's yours for the taking. If you don't know how just follow these instructions:

1. click the 'customise' link at the top of your blog
2. click 'Add a Gadget'
3. select HTML/Javascript-type gadget
4. give it a title and copy the Calendar code into the box
5. Click Save and you're finished!

TOP TIP!
highlight the code
hit CTRL + C together to copy
then CTRL + V to paste

This year, because this Calendar is a bit special, I have tried to include projects from all my craft-selling friends, so please help them grow by adding this Calendar to your blog and telling ALL your friends!


And remember...no peeking!


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Santa Curtis can be found at The Avenues Mall in Jacksonville, Fla. or online HERE. If you live anywhere near Jacksonville and bump into our Santa, be sure to give him a BIG HUG from me!

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Is he coming already..?

snag
<a href="http://secretcorridor.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://secretcorridor.co.uk/IMAGES/secretcorridordotcom001.png" border="0" /></a>

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Just a thought...

Pass it on...
Inspire your readers with a different thought each time they visit.
Copy this code where you want your card to go:

<IFRAME src="http://www.secretcorridor.co.uk/snags/thoughts/snag.html" width=100 height=90 margin=0 padding=0 scrolling=no frameborder=0 style="overflow:hidden;">Sorry your browser does not support frames</IFRAME>

(c) Claire Butler, 2008

The perfect move...

The Knight's Move

(c) Claire Butler, 2008

Help yourself to a copy:
Yes I did make this game all by myself, yes it does work, and yes you
can add it to your own webspace if you want to. Cos I'm like that!

<IFRAME src="http://www.secretcorridor.co.uk/snags/knights/snag.html" style='overflow:hidden;' width=400 height=415 frameborder=0 scrolling=no>Sorry your browser does not support frames</IFRAME>

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Time to move on...

There I was trying to work out if this is the end of an era or merely the beginning, when I realised I would never know that until I started moving forward.

That's when I decided if I can't prove it to him I'll prove it to the rest of the world instead. Except I haven't a clue what I want to prove yet!

So I figured this is as good a place as any to find out, and you've all been nagging me for long enough anyway, so why not start the marble rolling with a blog.

Peg Solitaire

(c) Claire Butler, 2008

And here's what I've managed to dig up so far...the total sum of all my creativity wrapped up in a nice little game of solitaire. Quite appropriate don't you think?

copy the code:

Yes I did make this game all by myself, yes it does work, and yes you
can add it to your own webspace if you want to. Cos I'm like that!

<IFRAME src="http://www.secretcorridor.co.uk/snags/solitaire/snag.html?5&6" width=310 height=330 frameborder=0 scrolling=no>Sorry your browser does not support frames</IFRAME>

OK, I suppose I should acknowledge if it wasn't for him writing the loop that stopped me going loopy this game would never have made it out of my head. It did only take him 5 minutes to write though, so that's all the credit he's getting.

The important thing is, in those 5 minutes he didn't just do me a favour, he showed me where I was going wrong, and I am grateful. That little bit of code has served me well too so watch this space, cos' there's plenty more where this came from!

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