Decisions

Its been another busy day, started off with a long wait in a Post Office queue to Tax my car, then went to my Brothers and took the boys for a walk up the road to a bed shop for Mum and Dad to buy a matress. We had a giggle when Max asked the man if he slept there in the beds!! Then we came back and I did some scrapping, followed by an hour in front of the telly. Did you watch Let's Dance? Keith and Paddy had me in tears it was soooo funny and what is it with all these male comedians with such womanly legs? Worrying.

Two more of my 365 photos and we should be up to date:
23.2: Spent an evening with all my lovely Body Shop girls so I took a photo of the logo on this towel Jen gave me.
24.2: Gary the Snail that sits on my shelf!

We should now be up to date and I'll bring you another weeks worth on Wednesday.

So tomorrow I plan to go to Paperchase, energy permitting, all I have to decide is Bristol or Bath? Or maybe I should make the choices a little clearer, Patisserie Valerie or Thorntons Cafe??? What would you do?

B x

Something to Sink Your Teeth Into

Evenin all, had a very busy morning today. I did my mornings volunteering. I loved it, had such a good time but boy did it wear me out. It felt good though as it has been soooo long since I've done any work. It did make me feel even more sad though that I didn't make the course because it just comfirmed that it is so what I want to do.

On a more positive note I had an email today to say that I have had a LO accepted for the weddings/fathers gallery in SI so was pleased about that.

Here is a little 365 catch up, I'm gonna do them a couple at a time cos a few require explanations!!

19.2: Scrapping
20.2: I went out for lunch with Mum, we had our main courses and then I popped to the loo, when I got back she said she had something for me that she'd forgotten to give me and produced from her bag the impressions I'd had taken at the dentist for my inlay that the nurse had given her 3 days before!! Can't believe she remembered it then!! Of course it was a great photo op!

21.2: Jakey trying to eat a donut without licking his lips!

22.2: Made my fabric flowers

The problem with wearing myself out this morning is that I had to rest this afternoon and therefore am now wide awake!! Maybe I'll see if I can get into a good book.

Night xx

Down in the Mouth

Ok, well today has not been a great day. I found out this morning that I didn't get into uni and to say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I know its not the end of the world and it probably wasn't meant to be but I was so excited about getting on with my life again that it felt like a right kick in the teeth (although I shouldn't say that cos teeth are a sore subject too!!!)

The one great thing about today was it made me realise what lovely people I have around me, I had so many lovely texts and phone calls, and my best friend even left work early to come and take me out for cake! Even my lovely cyber friends have had me close to tears with their sweet messages so particular thanks to the GoGo girls and the lovely Helen.

But now I'm not gonna dwell on it, as my good friend Jenny would say SUMO Shut Up and Move On! So eventually after the tears had dried I took myself to the craft room, watched Mistresses on iPlayer and made these.....

Some sweet little journalling blocks with some scraps from my GoGo kit. It was quite theraputic and I felt a lot more relaxed after doing this.

I also bought myself a little happy!! It wasn't my fault, it was Julie Kirk's. I check out her super funky blog regularly and she had posted about these fabulous quirky kits which just make me smile, and lets face it if they make me smile today they have to be worth buying (especially when they are only £4!) I went for the cupcake option but the russian dolls are so cute too, can't wait til it arrives.

I also have to tell you about the ongoing saga of the Stampin Up parcel. When I returned from another mammoth dentist appt on tuesday I was really excited to hear that it had arrived, I was then gutted to discover that it was less than half of the order and mine wasn't part of it. After chasing the rep then waiting for her to chase up the distribution centre in Germany it turns out there was a technical hitch and they are trying to sort it asap. They were very apologetic but what a bummer!! I want my stash!

I think I've chatted enough for this evening. Ironically I had organised to do my first mornings voluntary work at my old Primary School tomorrow so after a little agonising I decided I should carry on, I'll need the experience for when I do get a place, so I think a good nights sleep is in order if I am going to spend a morning with 30 4 year olds!

Night

B xxxx

ps I haven't forgotten its 365 time, I'll share tomorrow!

Still Waiting

Evening all, just a quickie post to catch you up with my fabric flowers from the weekend....Cute huh? Also bought these really cute Jillibeans Journalling sprout (such a cute name!) from Indigo Mill...

Still no sign of the Stampin Up parcel, fingers crossed for tomorrow. Will give me something nice to look forward to after the dentist.

Have put a load of stuff for sale in the UKS market place so hopefully will have some extra money for stash soon!! Want to buy some more Thickers before the sale at Creative Craft World finishes on saturday!

Night xxx

M.I.A

My mojo seems to have gone AWOL this weekend, it's been ever present for a while so I'm really missing it. I've felt like scrapping and had the time but couldn't seem to get into it. I did spend an hour or two this weekend making some fabric flowers which I am dead pleased with and will upload some piccies but that is about all. I'm hoping that in a day or two my HUGE Stampin Up parcel will arrive (between Mum and I and our freebies it should be £250 worth of stuff!) and get the juices flowing again.

I wanted to take this opportunity though to Thank you all for checking out my little blog, I've had so many hits, from a few countries and some lovely comments which are so great to read. Keep them coming, I love to know the bits that really catch your attention so that I can build on them. Oooh you can tell its the Oscars tonight, I've come over all Kate Winslet!!

I spent a lovely quiet afternoon with Mum today. We watched Meet Me In St Louis, I love old films and absolutley adore musicals, (much to everyones amusement,) and I've wanted to watch this one for a long time. It didn't dissapoint, so sweet, I often think the world would be a better place if we sang more often!! I think that sounds like a title for a LO (maybe thats my mojo coming back!!)

I was really excited to find a shop online last night that was already stocking Issue 3 of Creativity Life Mag so hopefully by tuesday I will be seeing myself and Clare in print, Yay!! Only problem was the minimum order value on the site was £10 so I had to buy 5 copies but I'm sure I'll get rid of them, (maybe if I sign them, haha!)

So tomorrow I plan to stay in, in the vain hope that my goodies will arrive, knowing my luck they won't but hopefully I will get scrapping again.

Will be back tomorrow with some pictures for you.

Night xx

Challenging

I'm on a roll tonight. Have just completed this LO for the sketch on the OA blog....

I used the rainboots paper from the Daydream collection. I condensed the sketch down a bit as I have a need for white space! I made some fabric flowers which I love and you must be impressed that I have done machine and hand stitching on one layout!

Fingers crossed, I love prizes xx

Dreaming

I've been working this evening on a layout for the challenge on the Dreamgirls blog which I only discovered last night. The challenge was to produce a LO with 80% American Crafts products...

I used AC Amplified papers cos I just adore the colours. It also gave me a chance to use one of the little embellies I made a while ago.The other required elements were a heart which I added with my bejeweller.....

And a flourish/swirl.

Am quite pleased so off now to post a link on the DG blog.

B xx

Krafty

Had a lovely afternoon scrapping with Mum, Clare and Jackie today. This is what I did......

I used loads of scraps and a piece of my new addiction, Kraft Cardstock. I wanted to make it a loud and clashy as I could, to highlight the unfashionable theme. I was pleased with the title too as my Dad loves The Kinks and it is a play on one of their song titles. I'm so glad shell suits went out of fashion!!

Night

B xx

365

Its that time of the week again where I update you with my 365 photos. Some good ones this week.....
12.2: Cupcakes made by my Auntie Julie on her birthday

13.2: Spent the day scrapping

14.2: Mollie on her birthday bike (how cute???)

15.2: Every sunday I can't believe its time to rip another page off the calendar!

16.2: Matt and his twin!

17.2: Martyn showing off his birthday present.

18.2: I just loved how Coco ate her biscuit with two hands, so sweet.

I've had a really busy week so the photos have come quite easily. Have scrapping plans for tomorrow including another sketch from the OA blog.

Night xx

A Little Sketchy

These photos of Max have had me stumped for as long as I can remember, I took them before I started Scrapbooking and they've always been in my 'ready to scrap' album but I have never found the right inspiration for them, until now. I used more of my November GoGo kit and am really pleased that I have managed to make this LO so different from the others I have done with it so far.I used my fave Puffy Thickers. The nicest smelling stash you can buy!!! (Sniff some they smell of new armbands!!)

I've been a busy bunny today cos I've also done this layout using the sketch on the OctoberAfternoon blog.

This was a great challenge as I always love working with OA papers. I especially love the colour combination of the blue with the orange which also picks out the colour of my coat and the snowmans carrot nose!!!

Hope you like

B xxx

OUCH

Just a quickie, I've had a rather traumatic time at the dentist today (again) so I haven't scrapped but just had to point out that today the full launch of the new October Afternoon collections is happening so get over to their blog and check it out. Will be a while before we can buy it so you may find this to be torture!! Just assure yourself its not as bad torture as being starving but not being able to chew because you've had dental work on both sides of your mouth!!

B xx

Three Times in Two Days

After I made my craft room look so beautiful and neat I just had to sit and scrap. I decided I wanted to use more of the GoGo kit so went off in search of inspiration, I found it in the form of the very talented Laura from the GoGo DT at her fab blog which I frequent often. She very kindly allowed me to scraplift this layout which I just loved. I think this layout uses the kit to its full potential so had to give it a try. So here is my attempt....

The journalling reads, Everytime I look at these photos I cry with laughter, they are so sweet. One minute they were smiling sweetly, the next crying their eyes out. The last photo is my favourite as they look like they are comforting each other.

I've been dying to use these photos for ages as they were soooooo cute and the brown and pink of these papers went really well with the outfits the babies are wearing. As you can see mine is quite different to Laura's as I had to adapt it to fit in three photos, but I'm really pleased with it.

Thanks Laura for the inspiration and advice.

TFL xx

Aladdins Cave

All the Gogo girls seem to be blogging their craft spaces at the moment so as I had an hour to spare I thought I'd give it a tidy and follow suit.
This is where my die cutting machines (manual and digital) live, my BIA, punches, paper trimmers and scraps box.
The compulsory cake stand houses my embossing powders and glitter glues.
Acrylic paints, flowers, alcohol inks, drawers full of rubber stamps and stationary.
Boxes of fabric, back issues of magazines and other bits and pieces.Drawers full of photos, unit which holds albums, papers, embellishments and a lovely clear space for GoGo kits to come!On the shelves above my desk I keep all the bits I use most, YPM ribbon bag, Big Bite, staples, a cd rack filled with cases of acrylic stamps and my bejeweller.

And finally a desk big enough for Mum and I to work at.

Not as impressive as some but I like it!

TFL xx

Flockin' Hell

I've had a busy couple of days so this morning I am in bed with Hollyoaks on the telly and my laptop so I can update my lovely followers in blogland! I spent Friday scrapping, did another LO with my GoGo kit....

I also did the final 2 layouts for Mollies birthday album. It was her birthday yesterday and Steve and Vick were over the moon with her album, it made it totally worth all the hard work.

Yesterday was Scrapaholix at Kim's. For some reason I just didn't click with the kit at all. So I just faffed about all day! I did do two layouts but wasn't over the moon about either. Part of the kit was flocking powder which I just couldn't bring myself to touch, the stuff is just too messy and puts my teeth on edge!

Finally I promised Connie that I would upload this......

I should get up sometime today!!!

B xx

GoGo Go

Right, time for a bit of a mammoth post! Last night we had a Stampin Up party, none of us had been to one before so we thought we'd give it a go and boy, was it worth it. There were 20 of us so it was a little chaotic but we managed to do £779 sales (the demonstrators highest ever party!) so were lucky enough to get £112 of free shopping and choose 3 free sets of stamps. Have to wait a little while for it to come but its exciting to look forward to.

So its time to catch you up with another week of my 365, I've been looking at some fantastic ones by other people this week so am feeling a little inferior, but am trying to reassure myself that this is purely documentry and not a photography project because for all the lessons I've had on the subject, I am still an accidental photographer. Hopefully this project will give me practice and I will improve.

6.2: I Baked Cupcakes

7.2: Molly
8.2: I told you todays would make you laugh!

9.2: Our posh new back doors

10.2: The Bear Factory Bunny we bought for Mollie's first birthday

11.2: Kim enjoying our Stampin Up Party

I've taken the plunge and subscribed to the Scrapagogo monthly kits, I figured it would be a great creative challenge to scrap with materials put together by somebody else. I bought a one off kit from last November to start me off as my first kit won't arrive for a month.

I absolutely love it already, the beauty of it is that everything coordinates but its not all from one company so you can put togther loads of layouts but they don't all look the same. By mixing and matching the different elements you can create some really different looks. I just couldn't wait to get stuck in so here are two layouts I've done with it so far....

When Jon and Phil turned up at Bottelino's in matching pink floral shirts, Jon wanted to die but Phil wound him up the whole time trying to hold his hand!!
This cloud paper was just perfect more snow pics from last week. I enjoying really mixing the different bits and pieces and making a really ecclectic look.

On the non-crafty side have had a good day too, I had an appointment with my OT today which was supposed to be my second to last with her but she said as I am now coping so well she is going to leave the last one open ended for me if I need it, this is really good news and I feel like I've come on so far from when I started the trial.

Secondly I finally submitted my application for uni today, I had real butterflies for a few hours after I'd done it, it's for real now, not just talking about it. On the downside I just can't imagine not having all this time to craft................

Night

B xx

Especially For You

Ok so I've been doing all this secret work that I can't show you so I thought it was time I did something I could. Have worked this evening on two layouts, one of which I can show you....

I just couldn't wait to get scrapping my snow photos, they were delayed by the snow so today I finally got a chance to use them. The colours in this were an easy choice cos of my funky wellies. I kept it quite simple really, the title does most of the work.... don't you just love Thickers and Basic Grey letters?

Here is a layout I did a little while ago and forgot to photograph. It was quite an experimental one for me.....I played about with stamping with acrylic paint which I quite enjoyed and I think it looks ok. This photo was from a professional shoot I had a few years ago.

The next one is a practice layout for my sketch collection layout, I wanted to get the feel for it before I did the real thing. I'm actually quite pleased with this one so at least I have a fall back option. It is totally different colours and photos from my real one....

And finally I did promise you a sneak from yesterday....

Hope you like them all. I'm off to relax now as I have a headache coming.

TFL xx