Sunday, February 13, 2011

Getting my scrap on (and loving it!)



Had a lovely day today at Rachel's fab new house, not only getting a special guided tour of all it's cuteness (seriously Rachel, please come and make my house look even 1% as nice as you have made yours and I will love you forever!), but also scrapping. And I'm delighted to report I not only got three layouts done, but three layouts I really really like. Yay me!


This one was made using photos taking with Pocketbooth, a fab iPhone 4 app that I love and use so much to snap passport-style photos of me and the kids. And of course I couldn't resist using my cute new Martha Stewart butterfly punch too.


The butterfly punch also came into play with this, my second layout (not that I need to tell you that, it's pretty obvious lol!). This one was made using my fab new Studio Calico kit, which I recently subscribed to after seeing so many fab layouts made using them, and was my first attempt at using an ink spray - I think I might be in love, I'm so pleased with how it turned out, using more butterflies as masks.


The colours look a bit strange on this one, as I used an Instagram (another fab iPhone app - a bit like Facebook, but just photos) filter thanks to a lack of daylight after finishing it, but you get the idea. This was made using mainly my Studio Calico kit, and without any sketches, inspiration or thinking, I just put it together. I must have been on a roll as that rarely happens. And I love it. And apparently so does Instagram as I had almost 20 likes in an hour (I don't have many followers so that was a bit unprecedented - maybe it got featured on the 'popular' page, I hope so but shame I missed it if it was). Anyway, I shall post a better daylight photo asap.

In other news, we got a new addition to our family yesterday. A hamster called Sooty - aptly called because he is all black, except for a hint of brown in his whiskers and a white stripe down his chest and tummy. He's quite cute but very strong and mischievous. Oh I meant to say, he is Harry's birthday present, or one of. We only went to our local garden centre for a fence panel, to replace another one broken in the recent strong winds, and came back with Sooty after Harry begged for him and said he really wanted his own pet. And of course I melted!


As well as my lovely new Studio Calico kit, I also collected from the local Royal Mail office a certain little Valentine's present for hubby - an Amazon Kindle. He'd wanted one for Christmas but with me out of work all his spare money was going to supporting me and helping to pay bills, which made me sad, especially considering the fab birthday gift he got me last year (car CD player). So now I'm back in work and we are much more comfortably off, this was my way of saying 'thank you' and 'I love you' all in one. We exchanged gifts last night over a lovely dinner at home, and he was like a cheshire cat! I'm quite impressed, it really is like reading actual text on paper. And he is addicted already!


Got to go, this week is my most important last week of training and we have a big test tomorrow, plus we are taking our first real live calls on Tuesday, eeeeeeeeek! So I better get some last revision done and get an early night. I'll let you know how I get on, wish me luck please!

xXx

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Falling behind and catching up... sorta!

Working full time again is leaving me absolutely no time for crafting and/or blogging. Rubbish. But the good news is that once I 'graduate' from training, I'll be starting my chosen shifts, which will leave me a couple of days free during the week. One of which will be a Wednesday, every week. So soon there'll be no excuse for not taking part in Tami's Amis WIP Wednesday every week.

And talking of WIP Wednesday, here it is again, so soon! My photos are lame, but here goes nothing.

This was after just a couple of hours, it's much longer now!
I started the famous Owls pattern from Ravelry a couple of weeks ago having admired it from afar for about 18 months. I love how it's turning out, and how quickly the body knit up, but my oh my the sleeves are taking forever and are leaving me very bored. I must keep going though as soon it will be too warm to wear it and I really want to wear it this winter.

First sleeve done, finally!


I've also just been and bought the wool to make another baby boy's V-neck vest top, this time for my sister and my little nephew who is due to be born in only a few weeks time. Yikes. Where has the time gone?!

What else have I been up to? Not much really. I've either been working or trying to make up some quality time with the boys. We had an action packed Saturday last, which saw us all getting a long-overdue haircut each, visiting family, lunching and seeing Tangled at the cinema (which totally rocked, I absolutely loved it!). I also spent a couple of hours knitting in the company of this gorgeous little fella...


Such a lovely, beautiful baby. But blink, and very soon he'll look like my baby...


Gosh, he's looking so grown up!

Right, better get some sleep, I'm hating these early, dark mornings, and late nights don't help!

Chow for now.

N

xXx