Get Ready!

To scrap your day tomorrow!!! It's that day again already!! Over on Shimelles blog you can download the photo prompt here, today for ideas of photographing your world in colour and converting to black and white!

Interesting for me, as I will be setting off on hols tomorrow so I will get some fab shots! Very unusual! Join us and see how you get on! Wont be getting mine scrapped for a while though! Got some serious sunbathing to do!

P.S. Had some serious work done on my broken tooth at the dentist today, serious cost too!! Still frozen! Fortunately managed to save the tooth!

That holiday feeling!

I don't know why, but i always sleep well the night I finish school, except apparently I was coughing all night, so, in desperation, hubby got up and got me the Covonia and woke me up to take some!!!! How nice of him!
Been out early this morning to get my nails painted ready for my hols and have a nice relaxing pedicure, except I chose the wrong colour and my beautician, fab that she is, insisted on taking it all off again and painting it with another colour!

Just been out into town to have a sandwich lunch with DS2 to celebrate his SATs result yesterday, weel, most of them, his science result is unfortunately caught up in the cock up of marking there has been this year! Bought some strawberries and cream for tea, as they are getting to the end of their season. Been and bought a third Cath Kidston bag from tesco, for my sister too! Called for Barney's tablets at the vets, he has Addisons Disease, and then went to the new baby shop in town to see if she is interested in stocking my nappy cakes. She was very receptive, so will go and see her when I am back from my hols. There will be a break in posts on here, whilst I take a family holiday. Last time we went, I tried to carry on posting, but it became a bind and when you are on holiday, its no fun searching for an internet cafe or trying to schedule posts before you go away to appear on certain dates, as I found typing lots of posts ahead of schedule very time consuming! Looking forward to having a holiday this time, as have not had to put Barney in kennels as there will be relatives living in the house while we are away! I am a big softie where he is concerned!!! I ususally cry on the way home from the kennels, so this will be much better. So, appologies in advance for the sparadic posts, dont think I wont be crafting, because I will and there are lots of crafty things to look forward too.

I'm finished!! It's over Yay!!!

We broke up for summer today!!!!!! School is finally over for another year! Thank goodness! And what a year it has been! I finally gave in yesterday and went to the doctor with my back and he got me an appointment sorted with an osteopath who put me back together, so I have managed to go to work today for the last day of term. Made six of these mini albums last week for my TA's to say thanks and to encourage them to start scrapbooking! And i made six cards.

I could not blog yesterday as when I returned home I had to go and ice pack my back and then I had a hot bath and did my stretches!!! I am a good patient!!! Honestly! Ice is the thing that works! (and the pain killers!) Hopefully, with a bit of sun and a nice relaxing holiday I will be fighting fit.

Did some stash shopping bright and early this morning, saw details of a reduction on some papers I could not resist, which apparently have been dispatched already! Also sneaked some papers from Crafters Companion over on the Create and Craft channel for my Enveloper, so I can make more of my own envelopes! Was trying to get more Silicone glue, but it had sold out! like to stock up when it is free P&P. Really, really trying to resist buying some fabric at the moment! There is a limit to how much I can make!! My acrylic pieces arrived today from the Joanna Sheene website and I have a few unusual ideas for them coming up! Ordered them direct from her as she has no p&p on her site, but saw her demo them on Create and Craft. You can stamp on them with Stazon and then colour them or heat emboss them too! Will have a try! (Think I am suffering from overuse of the exclamation mark again, sorry.)

I am being constantly deafened by 'Mamma Mia' tracks at the moment as ds2 went to see it last week and is going to see it again he says it is fab! Funny how those songs are appealing to their generation when we grew up with them.

Got my scrummy 'Cath Kidston' Bag for life from Tesco yesterday. Well, I didn't, I got DS1 to get me one when he went for a sandwich! I just love it. In fact, I bought one for my sister too, but she might not get it as I love it so much! Lol! They are going to be a limited edition and there will be a gradual release of several different patterns. 50p from each bag goes to Marie Curie Cancer care too!

Do crafts monthly challenge

It is my turn to set the monthly challenge over on the do crafts scrapbook forum, but the site is down!!! So I am setting it on here! This months challenge is to use the following on your layout;

A die cut shape, (I used a bought one!)

Acetate (I used a pre-printed one)

Chipboard (I used blackboard)

One photograph

Rub ons,

An unusual embellishment, (I used a mirror)

Thanks for joining in! Here is my take on my own challenge, hot off the press! A die cut shape for my background from the Pink Paislee 'Office Lingo' line, An acetate piece cut from a Hambly ATC sheet, A Cosmo Cricket blackboard embellishment, Two Cosmo Cricket Rub ons, and a Heidi Swapp mirror embellishment that I have been wondering what to do with!!!!! The title is 'Look Who's grown' and features a photo of DS2 on his second birthday! He is now 14!!! Will add some hand journalling later in a white pen I think! Hope you enjoy it!! Have a go!

Mini postcard album

Here are the two mini postcard albums I made last week, using 'Tough {Miss} Fit Dream Street 12x12 Double-Sided Papers', which I cut into 10 little postcards and bound with my BIA, after adding other papers too. These would make great little notebooks to keep in your handbag when on a trip or holiday, so that you could record important details. I like them both! I am very tempted to take one with me on holiday soon when we go to Italy! I could record our activites and day trips every day! If I go that is, as my back is still killing me! I tried to do the ironing last friday and have been worse ever since! Moral of this story is don't do ironing!!! OH is doing the cleaning as we speak! I have never been so incapacitated! have just completed the Sunday Express General knowledge crossword with DS2 so all is not lost today. Have also managed to make some cards and gifts for my teaching assistants with little handcrafted gift tags too! better not post them yet in case they are reading this!!! You'll have to wait and see!

Have spent this morning lying with an ice pack on my back after getting OH to put some Neurofen cream on my spine, as a friend told me to alternate heat and cold. Feeling a bit better, but still think a trip to the docs tomorrow is advisable!!

It's my turn to set the monthly challeng over on the do-crafts forum, however, the site appears to be down today, so may have to post it on here instead!! off to have a think. Will report back later! TFLx
P.S. Lots of great sneak peeks of CHA in Chicago this week, over on Becks Fagg's blog here! Be sure to take a box of tissues the drooling over all the new Basic Grey, Sassafrass papers etc could get embarassing!!!

Vintage scrapbook

I just love this little book I have made with my BIA and some mountboard covers, covered in K&Co Bailey papers. The pages are all different sizes and made up of vintage cookery book pages and pieces of old maps and some journaling postcard tags. I love the randomness of it. A friend of mine said I have a very unique style yesterday and I had not really thought about it!! It made me laugh! We went to the Range together for a bit of stash shopping and I still have not been able to find creativity life magazine anywhere!!! Do crafts, if you want us to buy them, you must make them more accessible!!! There is something wrong with the marketing if we all can't find one!

I struggle to get Scrapbook magazine, so I decided to take out a subscription and found one that gives me a free Crafters Companion ulitmate board! I'm not saying I need one, but I can always find a use for one! I have the enveloper and a scoreboard, but not a box making board so this could be useful! I liked the idea in the new Creativity mag I got yesterday, with Christmas things on the cover, that used a whole sheet of the new Papermania acetate to make a see through box!! GOING TO HAVE A GO AT THAT!

Today I have to clear the craft room to make way for the summer holiday packing! I have only just ventured out of bed with my bad back, so I will be in a directing capacity only!!!! I will be sat very still, even on painkillers I'm still in agony! I see a trip to the docs coming on or I wont be going away on holiday!!!

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about my Sailboat yesterday! It is very popular!!! May have to make more!!

Sassafras Sail away......................

into Sassafrass heaven on this altered little sail boat!!! I made it yesterday, after having a flash of inspiration when i saw a little wooden boat for sale! It spoke to me and this is what I came up with!!!

Somehow, after having lost my scrapping mojo at the moment, I have found a passion for all things altered and upcycled!!! It was crying out for these yummy papers and has been coated with a pva mix to protect it from dust. I photographed it for my shop and now I want to keep it!!! This keeps happening to me! I want to keep everything I make!! This would look fab on a shelf in my scraproom next to my altered box I posted yesterday!! I can't believe how much I love these papers now!

I also made a few mini albums using some Dream Street papers journaling tags, combined with some Sei dill blossom papers. What a great size they are and because they are double sided make a fab notebook. This would be great to document a trip or something!

My back is severely hampering me today, not withstanding I am taking strong pain killers. End of term can't come soon enough. Been to the Range with a friend today, stocked up on some more BIA wires and chipboard sheets as well as envelopes and glue and string! I felt like an invalid! Have been making some mini albums as presents for the TA's at work, need to go and make some thankyou cards now! DS1 has finished sixth form for the summer now, DS2 is at Flamingo land for his end of term activity day, in the pouring rain!!! British summer! My sister left for France yesterday for the whole of the summer and I must say I was quite envious! Hoping to manage a trip to her house at some point. Will post some of the other projects I have mentioned over the next few days. Update!!! Just broke my tooth on something in a giant chocolate button!!!! Not my day today! TFLx

Finally found someone who is proud of their big bottom!

Sassafrass papers!!!!!!!! They are using that line in their advertising and I think its great! The edge of their papers is die cut in a shape which is very useful. When I first saw these papers I hated them! I thought they were too cutsie!!! Little deer and cute bunnies and owls! Now, having had a few in the Studio Calico kits, I think they're great! Never thought I would like the fawned of you paper and eneded up using it on my embellishment storage box that I see all the time! I also have put the free poster up that came in a kit!!! New CHA sneaks are here!!! Often, if you don't like the first side of the paper you love the other!!!

The final countdown!!!

.....to the school holidays next week! For me, I just have tomorrow morning and thta's my week finished, then I have Monday and Tuesday next week! Not had much time to craft this week, as there are a million and one jobs to do before the end of term!

Watched my niece graduate on the internet at tea time! What a wonderful idea! And congratulations to her!!!!

Hoping to do a bit of craft work in the next couple of days, although DS2 has his modern major exam tomorrow, so the afternoon is a bit of a write off!! Need to be thinking about making holiday lists really! And working out what needs to be washed and ironed before we go!

Managed to do my back in at tea time, just getting out of the office chair!! I have been struggling with a bad hip since the weekend, with a nerve nipping, but something just went!!! Hoping I can get out of bed in the morning!!

Posted a couple of items I sold in my shop, to America today. I need to make some more stock at some point! I like the idea that each item is a one off! It makes it more interesting for me!

Hopefully you can turn this, into this!
You just add photo's bits of journaling and some embellishments and you are good to go! A mini brag book for your handbag, about a great occasion!

A card challenge!

I set a card challenge over on the do-crafts forum, for people to make the card project of the week without buying any stash, as I added up the list of things you needed and it came to £179!! You can see the original here and here is my attempt!

I used American Crafts a la carte paper and the stamp was a do crafts stamp I had from a goody bag that I stamped and embossed with clear. I like the idea of this card and suggest you have a go, but remeber the template you print off is not to scale, or you'll end up with a small card!! By pulling the tag at the top, you reveal the greeting in the window.

Studio Calico sneak peeks are up for next months kit! Check out the homepage of the Studio Calico website and see what yummy goodies are to come! It's called confections and I will be away on holiday on release day so unless there are any left on my return, this could be the first time I get no add on kits at all!!!!! Unheard of!! If anyone fancies getting this kit as a one off, or signing up for a subscription leave a comment, as I have one friends and family voucher to e-mail to the first person who would like it! $10.00 off your first purchase has to be worth it!!! Join in the lovliness!!!!!

Anne 50!

Here are a few pictures, I promised to share with you, of the mini album I made for my sister in laws 50th birthday! I took the photographs from the family album that was at my father in laws house, and I scanned them all into my PC. I then ordered the copies online at photobox which was fab, as they were delivered the next day! The 6x6 album was a kit I had from QVC since Christmas, I bought it when I first thought of doing this project, after my other sister in law suggested it when she saw the one I made for my sisters 50th back in december! I covered each page in the album with Brenda Pinnick papers and decorated with her chipboard embellishments, from the 'Initially yours' set from QVC. Blue and green are her favourite colours.The photographs were all printed off the same size, which was good compared to the originals, but it has resulted in some blurred photo's if they have been blown up a lot! I sent the completed pages back to Germany with her younger sister to fill in the captions and journalling, as her handwriting is fab and also she knew who and where a lot of the pics were taken! It was interesting that my children could not recognise their own grand parents from these young photo's!! They have enjoyed looking at it too! especially the ones of their dad on the beach in his trunks making sandcastles! This is a classic one of all three children,with my husband wearing his first tie on elastic!!! And another classic of the 'Silver Cross Carriage!!!!' Needless to say she was delighted with our hard work and shed a tear or two!So, a belated happy birthday Anne! Glad you enjoyed your party!(A photo taken the morning after the night before!!!!!)

A big day

Yesterday was a big day as my mum was having a heart operation, that turned out to be unsuccessful. Today I brought her home from hospital, settled her in and have also been to my annual staff BBQ this afternoon. No time for any craft projects, but I can tell you I have had a stash delivery or two!!! My missing parcel arrived, with some yummy 'dream street' papers in it from a craft sale, which will make some fab mini books! Also my Studio Calico kit came and it's all gorgeous!!! Plus several add ons of course! And a project kit, and extra paper!Can't wait to get time to use that!!! Set a mini challenge over on the do crafts forum, to complete their 'card project of the week' using only stash you already own!!! This was inspired by adding up the cost of the items needed to make the card and it came to £179!!! I know we all have some equipment and the project is for an experienced crafter, but I was still amazed at how easy it is to accumulate 'must have' items!!! Having set the challenge to complete this card, as I had not seen one like it before! I may now struggle to do it myself!!! Time! I need to order two extra boxes please!!!

Had three sales this morning in my Etsy shop, as I made some summer special reductions across the shop, so must get them wrapped and posted!!! Put my Nappy cake in my shop too as an example of what people can order, but it would be made to order in a colour of choice.

Baby Reha has arrived next door yesterday, so my pink nappy cake will be on its way round when she comes out of hospital next week! Really enjoyed making it!

Nappy Cake step by step guide in pictures!

And that's all there is to it!!! Oh! Plus a lot of time!!!!! TFLx

Today is the day...

..that I have a go at making a nappy cake for my neighbour! Do you remember this post? Well I am going to have a go at making one today! I have all the things I need, I think, so I will log back in later, hopefully with a photo of my finished item!

UPDATE!!!!!!

My finished nappy cake! Just hope she does have a girl now! Will post some pics of it, under construction tomorrow!

P.S. Went to the post office to pick up my parcel (an old Monopoly board off ebay) and quizzed the man about my missing parcel!!! He said it was unlikely to be a missed parcel and that I should be pleased the system worked and it went back to the supplier! He then disappeared and came back with two parcels for me, despite the card not mentioning two! My ink cartridges had come as well. He then shame faced said well that just shows the system has not worked again! Can't get the staff!!!!! What is the world coming to!!!

Sneaks of new October Afternoon 'Hometown' line here! New Cosmo Cricket sneak peeks here!

I don't believe it!!

I have had a an email form Craft Obsessions, (no connection) to say a parcel had been returned to them, unclaimed from the sorting office!!!!! Me! unclaimed stash!!!! I cannot believe it! I have not had a red parcel card left from the Post office, to say I had a box outstanding!!!! How could I not miss stash I had ordered!!! I had to ask what it was I had outstanding!!!! Lol! I just don't know how it happened! I need a lie down! Anyway! Fortunately, it is been re-sent as we speak, so rest easy I have not missed out on a stash purchase!!! I think I need to take myself in hand if I am not keeping track of what I order, things are getting serious!!!
I was checking Kirsty Wiseman's blog out last night, as I often do, she has one cute little daughter and a cute teeny dog! She was saying she has a screen test for QVC as do-crafts are hoping to put a show on in September! Wow! That would have to be worth tuning in for! I just love Kirsty's work! I hope she gets passed!!! She always makes me smile!
I have, unsucessfully tried to locate the Creativity life magazine that has just come out! And apparently there is a goody box that goes with it, but not been able to locate either!!! Will have to try The Range tonight, as I have to go wait for DS2 to complete his dance class. He had a grade 5 tap exam on Saturday and now has a Grade 4 modern exam next week, so we are out of sync with classes and lifts, so i get to do 45mins regular retail therapy! Just have time to nip to the Range and do a trolley dash!! Lol!! See you later!

Eyelets and gromlets!

The other day I got my Big Bite delivered with extra gromlets, today I had a delivery of big eyelets, that I have been waiting to come back in stock at QVC. They look great! What is the difference between a gromlet and an eyelet???

These are the large eyelets that arrived today. You have to punch a hole first and then set the eyelet. The gromlet does not require a hole first and is just set straight into the fabric or paper. The big bite came with gromlets, now I have both! I have already used the Big bite this morning, to make an extra hole in DS2 belt on his new school trousers, no problem at all! Check out the ideas in the We R Memory Keepers gallery, for how to use them! TFLx

Scrap the day!

Here are my layouts for Shimelle's class for June. I used loads of photographs! There are five hidden tags with two photo's on each too! Look for the ribbon tags. This was a prompt to look up and down for this month. Some of it I found quite hard! I photographed my feet but did not include that in the end! I have a photo of my computer chair, looking down on the seat, since I spend so much time on here!! and took some photo's looking up at buildings. I had to go to the dentist that day, where I used to live 30 miles away, near my parents house, so I was able to record a journey which I make regularly and have done for years! I also recorded the church where we used to go and where we got married and the children were christened, as well as lots of landmarks as I approached my home town! Love how this turned out! Still having issue with some of the ink rubbing off some of the photo's. Can't decide if it's my new HP photo paper thats the prob or the compatable ink cartridge. ordered a different cartridge this time.

TFLx

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor.....

Here are some cards I have made from some vintage Snap cards, dating probably from the 1950's the colours are fresh and bright and I loved the character of them! I decided to make a set of cards that could be used for various occasions. I used Basic Grey Cupcake papers and some October afternoon papers, plus some others, to cover the Papermania card blanks. I also used some chipboard greetings that contrasted. as well as a few other embellishments. I matted eachcard on a toning paper to lift it from the background. The bright colours make them suitable for children, but the characters make them suitable for big kids too!

I have not done any crafting today, went to the school summer fayre, in the pouring rain and we are now in the middle of a thunder storm. Other than that it has just been food shopping! Got my online shop from Tesco, then been to Morrisons to get what Tesco didn't have!!! Had a lovely cup of tea and a Vanilla slice - very unusual for us, but delicious anyhow! TFLx

Monopoly mad!!!

I think I went Monopoly mad!!! Do you like this pen pot??