Two Days in a Row ..............

Well who would have thought it. Back with a vengence - blogging two days in a row.  Just a short post today with another two of the layouts from my scrapping weekend with UKS friends in Moffat last weekend.  I so wish I could have one of those weekends once a month - it would be a great stress buster and a great stash buster too!!!!!!!1  Despite all the chatting, eating and drinking I did manage eight layouts so I was pleased.  I also took advantage of Heather having her Big Shot there and cut a pile of chipboards swirlies and some grungepaper Tim Holtz tattered florals.  The only thing with them is I am not sure if ink will cover the grungepaper completely - any advice on that point would be gratefully received.

So the layouts

The first one is Where did you get that hat - anyone who knows me knows I do not do cutting out or measuring - well for this one I very bravely cut into a gorgeous sheet of crate paper restoration and cut out the flowers for this layout - I have discovered that spritzing, scrunching, leaving to dry and inking the edges covers up a multitude of sins where bad cutting out is concerned so now I am on the look out for specific papers where I can cut the elements out. Who would have thought it.

Well for some reason I can't seem to upload the other two layouts so I might need to do a separate post.  Hmm need a bit of technical help methinks

Aha, seem to have cracked it.  The second layout is using the fab Glitz designs kit from Sandra at Gottacraft.  This is my favourite kit so far.  I love the bright green along with the black and white.  Photo is of my daughter Fiona (posing as usual) and I converted the pic to black and white as I thought it looked better with the papers.  I can see me using every last scrap of this kit.

Ooops - where did the time go to ....................

I really can't believe just how long it is since I updated this poor neglected blog.  Such a lot has happened since July.  Mainly that my poor old laptop has given up the ghost and I have been without internet access at home for ages.  While I save up (slowly) for a new one by fab BIL has put helped me sort out an old desktop computer and so for now I am up and running - albeit with a computer which looks as if Noah might have had it in the ark!!!!

I have finally begun to scrap a bit more frequently firstly due to continuing to attend the lovely crop near home at Uddingston and also thanks to finding a lovely new crop which is fairly near to my parents caravan in Beadnell.  I had been chatting online at UKS to Heather who organises the crop at Holystone and in the summer she asked when I was coming to join them wilst I was at the caravan.  The first month I thought she was just being polite and didnt take her up on the offer but when she asked me again in August I decided to take the plunge and join them.  I have attended a few crops down there since then and am just back from a lovely weekend at a Farmhouse near Moffat where we had an excellent DIY retreat.

I have also joined the Rik Rak Ravers team on UKS as quite a few of them go to the crop at Holystone and am enjoying taking part in the weekly challenges set on UKS.

I have also at last cleared out my craft room so that I will have the space to scrap at home, all of which means I have at long last managed to fill up my first album.

I will leave you for now with a few of the layouts I did at the scrapping weekend and I promise to try and update on a more regular basis.

Cropping Today

As our regular crop is having a summer break for July and August my friend Audrey suggested that we have a mini summer crop in East Kilbride.  We did this today and although there were only five of us a good time was had by all.  There was much chatting, tea drinking and cake eating interspersed with some crafting!

Miraculously I managed three layouts.  The first two were using the fab Cosmo cricket delovely papers from this month's Gotta Craft kit - the lovely butterfly was from last month's Dabble kit.

The third layout was using some old stash from the DCVW set of drawers from QVC a couple of years ago.  I cut out some of my own bunting to decorate this and am rather pleased with the results.

I have signed up for Shimelle's new class Love your Pictures, Love your pages which starts on Monday so I am looking forward to that over the next four weeks.

First Layout in a long time

Firstly, how excited was I a week past  Monday when I signed in to UK Scrappers and found out that Mary Anne had chosen my heart shaped wreath for one of the blog bits on the front page.

I had a lovely heart shaped piece of the card from the pizza box left over from the middle of this and decided - waste not want not so used it on a layout of my daughter when she was very young.  I am pleased with the way it has turned out.   I used My Minds Eye Pretty Please papers which was the very first kit I received from Cleo Crafts and the papers remain one of my favourites. I just love the colours and have replaced the papers as I have used them.  I used a pink paint dabber and tumbled glass distress ink on the cardboard and sewed a wee heart using a bazill in stitches template.  I painted one of the silk flowers with some pearly paint and made the tissue paper flower using some tissue paper I picked up in M & S last week.

Received  my very first monthly kit from Sandra at Gottacraft this weekend - Cosmo Cricket Delovely - am looking forward to getting this as the colours look so bright and zingy, just need to find the right photo to do it justice.

Look What I made today

I was at my monthly crop today and had ecided I was going to make a heart shaped wreath for my bedroom wall.

Yvette on UK Scrappers had kindly pointed me in the direction of hers made as as part of the Monopoly Cyber Crop.  I managed to get a hold of the Papermania Rose Garden papers I had been looking for and decided that although I didnt have the kit I would have a go at making my own.

I made mine bigger than the cyber crop one and used for the base a heart cut out of  pizza box.    I ripped off most of the top layer of paper to reveal the corrugated card and swiped some pink paint over it with a baby wipe.   I cut out hearts and flowers using die cuts and cutting round some chipbard shapes as templates.  I fashioned a couple of roses made using paper punches and some lollipop flowers.  I layered a couple of pink felt butterflies and glued and made some antanae from twisted wire.

All in all Im quite pleased with it although I might tweak it a bit before I thread on ribbon and hang it up in my Cath Kidston inspired bedroom.

Look What little beauty arrived in the Post for me today

What a lovely treat when I got in from work today - this gorgeous little mermaid stamp and fabulous handmade card arrived in the post for me from Leann.  It was her blog candy which I was lucky enough to win this week. Yay!! I love mermaids and all things to do with the sea so she is perfect for me.

I will need to have a play with her this weekend and see what I can come up with.  I love the way Leann has coloured her up and I am assuming she has used some of these new copic or promarkers which everyone is raving about - if these are the results I might just need to give them a go.

You should go take a look at Leann's blog as she is an incredibly talented lady.

Well another not very inspiring day in Northumberland so good excuse to carry on crafting.  Have now started putting together the mini book for my nephew's 18th using those gorgeous Bo Bunny Mama Razzi papers from my Cleo Crafts kit.  Need to wait till I get home to scan some photos and gather up some embellishments for the things he is interested in.

Have also started on my Printers Tray.  I have decided not to tamper with the wood finish as I rather like it so have been busy today cutting down some papers to fit in the various sections.  I used Bo Bunny again this time from the Paradise Lost (I think) collection.  I also used used photos I had taken of lobster pots, the sand and some rocks on the beach.  I will not be able to finish this until I get back home although I have made some roses out of some wee scraps of the paper.  Unfortunately the weather hasnt quite been dry enough to have collecting shells trip to the beach so I will need to wait for that.  I am also looking to order a couple of wee glass bottles with cork stoppers which I can fill with some sand.

Typical Bank Holiday Weather

It's just typical isn't it.  Last weekend was a scorcher and this weekend, the Bank Holiday it's gone all rainy.  Never mind.  I'm in my favourite place anyway rain or not.  I am having a few chill out days with my Mum and Dad.  Brought a couple of books to read and some bits and pieces of my crafting kit.  I am hoping to start a mini book for my nephew's 18th Birthday using my new Cleo Craft kit which this month is Bo Bunny's Mamarazzi which I absolutely love.  I also brought my dabble kit from Gottacraft with me which is full of yummy vintage style embellishments  - almost too good to use.



I have also bought one of the 7 gypsies printers trays and am hoping to alter that for my bathroom at home using beach style papers and embellishments.  I will post pics of that one in my next post

Have a good Bank Holiday weekend whatever you are doing.

I Lurve the AA

Well this is going to be the weekend that never was.  Set off with my daughter bright and early this morning for Newcastle to get back a car from my ex partner and to then have the weekend at the caravan in Beadnell with my parents so that my Mum could drive one car back for me and was merrily driving down the M74 quite happily when all of a sudden - bang - ooops pulled onto the hard shoulder, couldn't see anything wrong so phoned the AA.  Turns out my offside suspension springy thingy went pop - fairly fatal.  Had to be towed by home by the AA man  - who incidentally was a bit of a hottie.  Now facing a nice repair bill and am carless for the moment.  Oh well just have to stay home and do a bit of crafting. And as for the other car - will have to wait for an other opportunity to drag its sorry ass back home. Ah well such is life I guess. No pics today - wonder if I should have taken one of the AA man with my phone - could have made a layout from that!!

Diet Watch - Week 1

Well I survived the first week on my Slimming World diet.  I managed quite well although I did find it all a bit confusing.  I had my weigh in tonight and I was delighted to have lost 6.5 lbs.  That's a good start and has encouraged me to go on. 

I got my daughter to take photos on me on her phone as I intend to chart this no doubt long journey in mini book form.  I warn you they are not a pretty sight!!  I think I will have similar pictures taken every other month or so so that I can hopefully see what progress I am making.

Funny how when she takes pcics of herself and her pals they turn out fine but these are blurry but maybe thats for the best as they are pretty horrendous.

Well now that I have got started my next move is to get some exercise in so I think I will start out gently with some walking for the first week  and then see how I go from there.  Really need to build up my fitness level and I am sure it will help with the weight loss.

Hopefully I will get a crafty post in this week as I was really not in the mood to do much last week. 

And on an update to my last post more upset it would seem that it was the murdered boys friend who was at the same show who has been arrested for his murder. Another upsetting day round here.

Sad news in our Town this week

We have had sad news in our Town this week.  A 16 year boy was murdered in a wooded area near our home.  He was in the same school year as my daughter who had known him since he was five.  No one seems to know what happened other than that his body was found at 7pm on Thursday evening and it would appear that he had his throat cut.  My daughter and her pals are all devasted and the kids have all been leaving, cards, flowers and balloons at the edge of the woods.  He was a quiet, popular boy who didnt seem to have any enemies.  What a world we live in these days.

Enough is enough

Okay I have finally decided that enough is enough on the "overweight" front.  I have bitten the bullet ( and not before time) and joined a local Slimming World class.  I am utterly disgusted at how much weight I have put on in the last five years or so and even though these have been diffucult years including the break down of a long standing marriage and also of a new relationship its time to stop making excuses, get off my very fat bum and do something about it.  I decided to give Slimming World a go as my friend Janice is doing this and achieving good results.  I thought if I posted publicly I would feel more inclined to carry through with it.  I think I will make a mini book/journal to follow my journey and hopefully that will help spur me on.

With that in mind I have had a photo of myself taken tonight.  I dont think it is fit for scaring any blog readers so I will keep it to myself for now.

Hopefully I will get out and about and get a bit more exercise and then keep my hands busy with a bit of crafting which will hopefully stop me constantly nibbling.

Wish me luck - I have a heck of a long way to go!!!!!!!!!!

Monthly Crop

Was at my monthly crop yesterday.  Had a great day with some scrapping and a lot of laughs.  Just what I needed after the recent traumas of life.  Worked on my team and my newbie CJs and got the layouts almost done,  Just a few wee tweaks and they will be done and I will post the pics on here.

Just after I started going to the crop they went off for a retreat they had organised themselves.  It was too near the time for me to go so I was delighted when they decided to have another one next March.  I put my name down to go on this one so I will have to try and put a few pennies away each month.

Having a bit of a chill out today today then off to make the Sunday roast - honey glazed gammhon today which has taken over as my daughter's new favourite.

No crafty pics today as my poor camera seems to have died a death.  Am now on the lookout for a replacement if anyone has any recommendations but have a nice pic of some daffodils which are so cheerful for spring.

Back again - sorry Alana!!

Sorry I have been AWOL again.  Life as usual getting in the way.  My Dad isnt keeping very well at the moment and we are waiting for some test results to see what is going on.

I had joined a newbie CJ on UKS just before my Dad had a funny turn and of course I had to do a 300 mile round trip to try and bring a car back from Newcastle.

All this meant I got a bit behind with organising my CJ and I am grateful to Rebekah the host and my fellow CJers for their patience as I was a bit late with the posting of the Newbie one.  It went in the post finally the other day so I hope Jellibean (Cal) gets it soon.

I chose the theme of Hollywood Icons for my CJ and for my own entry chose to base this on Audrey Hepburn as both my daughter and I admire her for her style, elegance and poise.  My entry turned out to be much more simple than I would normally do but I am pleased with it.  I only hope everyone else doesnt think its too minimal.  I am really looking forward to seeing how others interpret my theme and to working on their CJs.

I am off to my local crop on Saturday and hope to get my entry for Crafty72 (Lynn) CJ done.  I have an idea of what I am going to do so hopefully it will turn out okay.

Blooming Cameras!!!

I had meant to blog this post a couple of days ago but my camera is not playing ball.  It had been set to print some pics using the pictbridge setting and is now stuck and refuses to upload using the USB cable.  I just remembered this morning that I had bought my Parents the same camera as me (thought it would be easier if they had any probs with it) and so round to theirs I went and put my card in their camera and managed to upload my pics to my laptop.

What have I been up to this week then - well at long last and way behind schedule I caught up with my Mini Book of 2010 which Jane at UKS started in the Inspirations and Challenges Section.  Here is my cover and my layouts for Jan, Feb and March.

I am off to a small family wedding today - my cousin and his fiancee and getting married after being together for around 10 years and after the birth of three children,  It is just a small affair in the local Registry office and then back to the house for champagne and nibbles.  It should be a good day though and hopefully my camera will play ball and I can get some piccies.

Easter Hols

Just back today from a very relaxing few days away at my parents caravan which is in Beadnell, a pretty quiet wee village in Northumberland.  Weather was actually pretty good condsidering the forecast.  Had plenty of quiet walks on the beach and a chance to recharge my batteries, just what was needed.  Back to reality with a bump tonight though.  Never mind.  Will try my best to get a bit of crafting done.  Did take some stuff with me but its my parents caravan and with both of them, myself and my 16 year old daughter there was really not enough space to get much crafting done.  Did finish the cover for my first CJ though which I am joining in with on UKS. 

The paper is a Bo Bunny basics paper which I really loved the colour of, I matched it up with some brown card onto which I stitched a flourish using one of the Bazill In Stiches templates.  I used a dymo to create the title on some coredinations green card which I then sanded - the photo does not show this up to its best. The green trim was from the first Gottacraft Dabble kit and matched the paper perfectly.  The brown chipboard frame was from the latest Cleo Crafts monthly kit.  I need to do my rules page, my sign in page and a double layout and then its pretty much ready to go.  I am struggling a bit with the rules as this is my first one and I really dont know what to say.  I gather I need to make tags of some sort for the sign in page but again I'm not quite sure what size to use as I dont know what information needs to go on these.  I am also unsure as to whether there should be a sort of introduction page to say why you chose the theme of the CJ.  Never mind I'm sure I will get the hang of it eventually.   I hope so cos I have also joined in a newbie CJ on UKS - in for a penny in for a pound.

Okay I am shamed into this by my so called online friends!!!!  Alana has challenged Sandra and I to blog once a week (hmmm we will see) and Sandra has promised to nag me into submission in the tidying of my craft pit (sorry room).  Sneaky Sandra slipped in a blog post while I was at work - how below the belt is that - only kidding Sandra.

Not much crafty going on here at the moment due to all the extra working I am doing as we reach the end of the financial year at work.  I am so looking forward to having a break for Easter when I am off to my parents caravan which is at Beadnell in Northumberland for a few days.  I love that area, I have been going there for over 40 years and it really is my wee bit of paradise.  Fingers crossed for some decent weather although it is not looking likely as we are a bit snowboard here.

I habve just taken  part in my first swap on UKS with my team which I joined recently, the All new lost girls - so far I haven't earned any points for them but have enjoyed chatting with them.  The swap is to decorate and fill a Cooks matchbox with embellishments.  I had to post to Daphne whose favoutite colours are green and purple so I tried to theme the contents and the decoration.

I received my matchbox from Alison, it was beautifully decorated and filled with lots of "little treasures".

 I also joined in time to join in a circle journal which will be starting in April.  This will be my first time of joining in a circle journal and I am so looking forward to it.  My theme is to be "My Happy Place" and from this post I bet you can guess where mine is.  I have cut board for the front covers and am playing around with some card and patterned papers.  I will post once I have decided what I am doing finally.

I also got some  more wool and have started to knit a short sleeved one button cardi - I have just started this but will post a picture once I have done a bit more. I will take it to the caravan with me and hopefully get a bit done there.

Went to the crop  yesterday and had a great time.  They really are such a friendly bunch.  I didnt get much done but did make a Mothers Day card and box for my Mum for next weekend.  I  used paper and card from the March Cleo Crafts kit - Prima flights of fancy - Im afraid my camera doesnt do it justice.  The base of the card is Coconut cream Coredinations stamped all over with a flourish stamp layered up with gorgeous cream prima paper with writing on, Rouge Coredinations card and a strip of lovely meshy ribbony stuff which also came in the kit.  The flower is made from circles of tissue paper which I inked with distress ink as it was too pale, scrunched up, opened up again and layered up and joined with a brad.  I then separated out the layers and coloured the edges with a watermelon paint dabber.  The word Mum was cut with a sissix alphabet, embossed with a cuttlebug embossing folder and then sanded lightly to show the core colour.

Box  is made from corrugated brown card also coloured with the same paint dabber and another tissue paper flower.  I may add some ribbon to finish it off.

I also covered a cook's matchbox for a matchbox embellishment swap Im joining in with my team but I wont post that just now in case the recipient sees it.

Im off to the newsagents this morning for the latest issue of Craft Stamper mag so that I can read the final part of Kate Crane's  (the Kathryn Wheel) masterclass on art journalling.   I have made a cover for my art journal and cut the pages but I'm not happy with the cover and may start it all again.

Hello everyone.  We have had snow here again this week.  Completely sick of it and hope we do't get it for the long spell we had last time round  Really suffering now with being fed up of winter and so looking forward to the first signs of Spring arriving,

I have decided to join in with a small challenge on UKS organised by JaneH.  Its making a mini book of 2010 with a double layout for each month.  Typically I didnt notice this until recently so I'm well behind already.  Had a look at Shimelle's Document 2010 but didnt think I could gather up enough photos and bits and pieces each month to justify that.  Have decided not to buy any new stash for this one so will see if I can use up some of the every increasing stash mountain.  So far I have only made the front cover which I have put on here but it's a start.  Will try to get January and February pages done this coming week.

I have been wanting to do some art journalling for a while now but didn't really know where to sart.  I picked up a copy of this month's Craft Stamper last Saturday and Kate Crane (The Kathryn Wheel) whose blog I love had part 2 of a masterclass in Art journalling. I was so impressed with the article which was about making your pages I ordered a back copy of last months so that I could read Part one which was all about making your cover and your actual pages.  Hopefully I can make a start on that soon.   I have most of the things already apart from gel medium and watercolour paper which I got this weekend from a localish art shop.  Will post the results when I get going.  I have one or two ideas but we will see how these turn out.

Knitting

Well here's the result of my first pair of wrist warmers.  Very very easy to knit and I've knitted a few pairs so far for friends.  Love the wool which is Sirdar Crofter chuncky very easy to knit with.  Am going to knit a cowl/neck warmer thingy next.

I was finishing these off at work today when one of our surveyors decided he would like a pair for going out surveying as they would keep his hands warm whilst allowing him to complete his paperwork and take his samples.  So looks like I will have to get some plain black wool and do some more - luckily they dont take long at all to knit.

Thanks everyone for the comments on the start of my mini book - comments mean so much to us all I think.

Websters Pages Mini book

Here is a couple of pics of a mini book I started making at the crop last week using the Websters pages Natures Storybook papers from a Cleo Crafts monthly kit.  The cover is based on one of the mini book covers on UK Scrappers.  Its not finished yet and I dont know what photos I will put in it but it is shaping up quite nicely.

I am still way way behind with my 52 in 10 pages from Scrapdollys challenge - Im not going to give up though or put myself under any stress to keep up - as long as I get it together in the end.

I have quite a few crafty projects running round my head so I just need to make myself some time to get going with these.

I am loving knitting at the moment and have been knitting some fingerless gloves for myself and friends at work.  Im using Sirdar crofty chunky which knits up quickly and easily.  I plan to make a neck warmer as well and will photograph it for the blog when I am finished.

Poor neglected blog

Okay so Im not doing too well at the blogging lark.  I promise to try harder.  I am off to a local crop tomorrow.  I have not been at a crop for ages and have never met any of the ladies who go to this one.  I have spoken twice on the phone and a couple of times by private message on UK scrappers to Audrey who goes regularly to this crop and who has kindly offered me a lift tomorrow so I do not have to arrive on my own

The only problem now is what do I pack and what do I do?  I have drawn a complete blank on the inspiration front.#

I have half of the bits and pieces ready to do a three in one album desk calendar thing that Julie Kirk (nabview on UKS) kindly shared and I have started Karen (Scrapdolly o UKS) 52 in 10 album.

I just feel so disorganised and need some very simple and quick ideas to kick start the mojo.

Will be back soon I promise - not that anyone will probably notice anyway

52 in 10

Well I am back to update my sadly neglected blog.  So much for signing up for Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers as things happened in my life which pushed both blogging and crafting to the back burner

Anyway its a new year and a new start for crafting so I have signed up to Scrapdolly's 52 in 10 project - when I work out how to do it I will upload her logo from her blog to mine

I have downloaded the first prompt so am off to have a think about that and to decide finally what size of album to do

Will be back soon

Suzy xx