test post from my mobile

Right then. I am posting this from my new mobile just to see if it works.

Twice in One Week

Well the new modem certainly seems to have cured the problem of the broadband kicking in and out although the poor old computer is still running a touch on the slow side.

I have managed to delete most of the elements I didnt want from the blog - thanks Karen but I still have the picture on the header that wont move.  Never mind once I have a pic ready for the header I shall address that problem again.  Just need to get my head round the idea of incorpoating my own photo and I shall be away.

A double layout to share this time another one from my recent retreat and another one from my DD's friends 18th.  pictures are of DD and her two friends who all got ready in our house, DD and the birthday girl, DD on her own and the whole crowd of girls who travelled to the party in style in a pink limo.  Papers are from yet another lovely Gottacraft kit - Glitz Hoopla and the lovely swirlies are thanks to my lovely friend Lesley who cut them on her cricut for me.

Well one more day at work for me then its the weekend.  Yipee might evn have a little meet up this weekend with my crafty friend Audrey and then the rest of the weekend is devoted to tidying up and making up kits for the Easter 12 hour crop with the frozen northerners.  I am so looking forward to that and having a couple of days with Heather followed by my first visit of the year to the caravan in Beadnell. Absolute bliss

More Lochouse Layouts

Hello again.  Well today I received a new modem from the lovely people at Virgin so fingers crossed this means I will have broadband all the time.  The lovely man I spoke to thinks it was the age of my old modem that was causing my problems.  I really hope tings ar sorted out now as it is just so frustrating not being able to get online as and when I want

I have some more layouts from my fab weekend at Lochouse to show you.

Okay first up a DL of my DS Fraser.  A couple of years ago when in Beadnell he was persuaded by Scott and some of his friends to don a wetsuit for the first time and take a leap of faith off the little harbour at Beadnell.  Not such a very big thing for the lads who were brought up doing this but a huge jump for my very nervous boy.  I was anxious to capture this on film but the speed at which he jumped meant that in one pic I managed to cut his head off.  This gave us endless amusement hence the title of the DL

The photos look slightly wonky in the photo but the are straight in real life.  I used a kit from Sarah's cards which I bought in their sale which I think was Pink Paislee Bayberry cottage.  I stiched he swirl and the rosettes were courtesy of my lovely friend Heather who had bought the Tim Holtz die.  We had quite a laugh as you need a lot of glue and have to keep your finger on the rosette for a while to stop it pinging back up


I really like the colours of the papers which perfectly matched the shorts Fraser wore over his wet suit

Finally for today I will leave you with another layout of one of my cousins kids.  This time it is the camera shy William who unlike his show off sister Eve tends to hide when you get the camera out.  This piccie was taken on the beach at Beadnell

Oh did mean to say does anyone know how I can get rid of the bits on my background which say picture deleted.  I want to give my blog a makeover but havent got the faintest clue how to go about it.  I really would like to use my own photos for the header .  Any help much appreciated.

Fabarama Weekend at Lochouse

Okay okay I knowI have failed to update again.  My computer at home stil fails to play nicely and I annot access my blog at work.  Tonight it is playing for a change so I thought I would take advantage

I am just back from my second weekend away with the Frozen Northerners from UKS.  It was a fantastic weekend and started well on Thursday night when I picked my teamie Dee up at Prestwick Airport.  She had come all the way from Donegal to join us. 

After the horrible month I have had with threats of redundancy at work the weekend was just what the Doctor ordered.

Good compnay, good food, good wine and plenty of scrapping and laughter.

I managed to do 13 layouts (although one still needs a title) and a CJ entry so I was well pleased.  I also managed a wee bit of knitting but I wll show you that another time

Here are three of the layouts I did

My daughter's friend Lynne had her 18th Party last weekend and the first layout is Fiona showing off her bargain diamonte false eyelashed she got from poundland.  I printed the photo in black and white which I think gives a better effect.  Papers are Echo Park For the Record from the last lovely Gottacraft kit

The second one also uses papers from the same kit and is again a photo of Fiona taken before she left for the party.  Thanks to Heather for putting the sketch up for our team on UKS.  What I love about this kit is the completely different look to both of these layouts.

 I wont bore you with all my layouts at once but I will leave you with this one of my son Fraser.  In 2008 he went to the Scottish International Scouting Jamouree at Blair Atholl.  As part of the Jamboree you had to play host to a foreign Scout for a week after the Jambouree.  Fraser befriended Alex at the camp and brough him home.  He lives in Gibraltar although his Mum was originally from Scotland.  He was a joy to have with us and these photos were taken just before we left to take him back to the airport to go home.

Fraser is quite camera shy but Alex started larking about and was pretending to kiss Fraser.  Thanks again to Heather for the "wee man" on the layout.  She was cutting one out ready for a layout of her boys when I pinched it and painted it for my own layout.  Papers are Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage. Thanks to both Heather and Lesley for the use of their punches.  That's what I love about scrapping with friends - its such a great opportunity to have a shot of these things.

Well I will be back soon with some more layouts.  My mobile is due for an upgrade later this month and I am looking for one I can use to blog with.  Any recommendations would be welcomed.

Finally - Dee I will post some photos soon of Spike the Wonder Cat - just for you.

Newbie Mini Book Swap

I have just taken part in my first swap on UKS.  It was a minibook/album swap organised by Vicky.

I had to make a mini book for Hazel (Zaraandmax) and she had to make one for me.

My brief for the one for Hazel was that it was to be 8 x 8 and be in speia tones as she wanted to use this for piccies of her dogs.  She emailed me a piccie of her doggies and wanted this on the front cover.  I found it quite a challenge trying to make up blank pages with spaces for journalling etc without knowing what photos were going to be used.  I included some hidden journalling spaces on pull out tags and behind tabs.  I think Hazel liked it and I hope she posts piccies of it on her own blog once it is filled with piccies.

My brief for Hazel was for a shabby chic book and the one she sent me is beautiful.  I have just realised I haven't photographed it yet so will get piccies taken and post on here shortly.  I think I am going to use mine either to hold photos of my forthcoming retreat with the girls from the Kaleida crops crop in Uddingston or possibly as a design/ideas book for when I move house.

A day's cropping

Had a lovely day yesterday at the crop in Uddingston.  I had missed the January one as I wasn't well and the December one was cancelled due to the heavy snow so it was fab to catch up with everyone.

Picked up Audrey and Sally so we got to have a good chat in the car on the way there and back.

We are all getting quite excited now about the retreat which Muriel and Mhairi (they organise the crop) are running at the beginning of March,  Its in Lower Largo in Fife and the Hotel looks lovely and overlooks the sea - bliss.  You know how much I love to be by the sea.

I only managed to do two layouts as I had one of those days where nothing came together and none of my photos seemed to match any of my papers.

It was my fault for not being as organised as usual and matching phiotos to papers in advance.  I also managed to leave my collection of sketches behind and that just made me realise how much I have come to rely on sketches for kick starting a layout.  I don't always follow the sketch but it does at least give a starting point

The first layout is of my cousins wee girl - Eve - doesn't she look cute and innocent - NOT.  Truth is she is a little devil - well a loveable devil really.

The second one is of my daughter Fion and her Grandpa.  We were down in Beadnell for Easter and I snapped them both sitting on this old bench following our customary walk on the beach.  Cannot believe that was almost five years ago.  Doesn't time fly!

Lost Girls CJ

I just realised that I had never blogged by very first CJ which I took part in whilst I was a member of the Lost Girls.

My theme was My Happy Place.  The first pic is my front cover

The next pic is my own dlo. My Happy Place is in and around Beadnell in Northumberland where my parents have a caravan and where I have been holidaying since I was a toddler.  I just love the peace and the rugged beauty of the place and in my introduction I narrated that it has been a real place of healing for me in the last five years whilst I recovered from the shock of my 20 year marriage falling apart.  There is just something about being by the sea in a fairly quiet but natural environment that never fails to lift my spirits



The following pics are the fab layouts done by my former teamies who took part in the CJ - all of them are absolutely excellent