Goodbye 2006. Hello 2007!

As I write this the final minutes of 2006 are on their way into the past and a new year is almost upon us. And I've just had time to complete one last LO before the clock strikes twelve, using a bazzill and goodies subscription of yummy goodies that landed on my doorstep last week. I'm really pleased with it, but I seem to have fallen into my 'signature' style once again!

So much has happened this year, we've had good times and a few bad times as well, but it's certainly been happy for me. I'm going to use today's UKS blog prompt to remember a few times.

What has made 2006 for you!??! What has made you smile, cry, laugh, reflect and what have you learned?

So what made 2006 for me. Blimey. I'm not sure. Maybe I better answer the other questions first! Things that made me smile were celebrating my son's first birthday in February, our second wedding anniversary in August and our first family holiday in October. I cried about getting moved offices in April, although that worked out really well for me after all, and also a few times over our disaster new kitchen and electrics from hell. I've learned so much, this time last year I'd never even heard of scrapbooking and now look at me! I've also learned so much in my job now I'm working in a much better environment with more responsibility. I think we've been quite lucky really, and I hope 2007 proves to go as well as this year has.

See you next year, and Happy New Year, hope you all have a wonderful 2007!

Christmas past...

... or should that be Christmas has passed, been and gone, and the mayhem is finally settling. We had a lovely time being with our families and we've all been so lucky with the presents we received. Harry was so much more into it this year than last Christmas, he was only 10 months then. This time round, at 22 months, he just loved opening his presents - and everyone else's too! He's turning into such a cheeky chappy, and a lovely little boy. We're going to turn his cot into a little bed for him this weekend, I can't believe this has come round so fast, he really is growing up in the blink of an eye.

But back to Christmas! I think my mum must have been surfing UKS and chatting up the lovely sponsors as she somehow found her way to a site that sells cases for the Tag-a-long and a Craft Mates caddy. I didn't ask for anything crafty for Christmas, so I'm so chuffed that not only did I get something craft-related but that I also got something really useful and nice.

Harry was spoilt rotten again, no, make that ruined! He got quite a few books (he loves books), toys and clothes, but I think if he could string a sentence together he would tell you his favourite present was a portable DVD player so he can watch some films in the car. We said we would only get him a couple of presents this year, but we saw this last minute and it was too good a bargain to miss. He's recently started watching a bit of television, he loved Monsters Inc on Christmas Day, and as we make frequent car journeys of up to an hour or more we thought he'd like this better than staring out of the window!

Here's a photo of him opening it on Christmas morning.

Anyway, I've been back at work for two days now, although I've not been feeling so good. I hope it's just a bug, it's nothing serious, just an annoying cough that keeps making me feel sick and very tired. Hopefully it will pass soon. Got another long weekend, although we have no plans other than to pop into town and check out the sales, spend the vouchers we got for Christmas, etc.

Anyway, hope you all have a good one. Happy New Year!

Back again

Hi all, hope everyone had a good weekend. I've been a busy bee. Friday night was my company Christmas do and my colleagues and myself had a great time dancing until 3am! You wouldn't believe how quiet those two are at work, but boy can they really let their hair down! Then yesterday was the December Leeds crop, which I was one hour late to having gone to bed so late the night before, or should that be that morning! A hangover seemed to help though as I finally got my design team Christmas LO done after being stuck on it for well over a week and another LO using one of the huge pile of Harry's younger baby pictures.

So it was quite a productive day really. Then today we've stayed home and put up the Christmas tree - I've even wrapped a few presents to go under it.

I must say I'm not really in the Christmas mood yet, it still seems a tad early and having no money in December is no fun either. I also have to work right up until Christmas Eve, well the Thursday, and then it's back straight after Boxing Day. It will happen though, and I'm sure this Christmas is going to be great once I can relax and enjoy it.

Bye for now :)

Another present down!

I managed to tick one more Christmas present off my ever-growing list last night thanks to a challenge on UKS. The challenge was to complete a Clippykit item and as I had bought several cosmetic bags, two handbags and an umbrella - some for Christmas presents - I was only too happy to join in. After all, I thought it would give me the kick I needed to get them done. But with so much going on and so much to do I've only got one done so far! Oh well, it's a start isn't it?! I just have to get more of a move on with the others!

I've also made a lovely handbag charm from a little charm, an old bracelet and some extra beads and wire. I'm quite pleased with it, especially as it's my first attempt. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow when it's light.

In other news I have been having a clear out this week and have either given away, recycled or thrown out a few things, everything from furniture to boxes. The old sofas have gone too so we can continue redecorating the kitchen now, although we're still waiting for some last bits to be delivered and later fitted. At least there's light at the end of the tunnel now though! I hope anyway!

Tomorrow we're going to my mum and stepdad's to put up their Christmas trees and also have some Christmas pictures of Harry done as well as a few family portraits. They're both photographers, which is handy! It's been so long since we all had a photo taken together so I can't wait, especially as I know they'll be lovely.

Right, I'm off again. See you soon.

Long weekend ahead...

... and boy do I need it! Just taking a couple of days leave from work to catch up on some tidying, Christmas shopping and, of course, scrapping. Although at the moment I have more things I want to do than I can actually fit into the next two days when my son will be in nursery! I'm going to have to fit a hair cut in there too as my hair has got far too long and straggly again!

Anyway, I finished my latest CJ Beautiful Planet last night. I really enjoyed this one, it's not often I get to do lovely landscape pictures, other than the couple in my holiday album I mean. I did my entry on Dominican Republic, where dh and me spent our honeymoon two years ago. And here it is (but no peeking if you are in my CJ team!)

Next up is the Kraft Stop design team kits I received last week and then I must test out the scrummy papers, chipboard and primas my postman brought me this morning from Little Cottage Crafts. I loved the paper layering class in last weekend's CC, and I'd love to experiment a bit more with that technique.

Right, best go catch some zzzzz, busy day tomorrow!

I survived the cyber crop!

It's just a shame none of my stash did though, well, not intact anyway! Lol! But I had a fantastic time and I got loads done, so much more than last time when I was still new to scrapping and a bit slower than I am now. The classes were fab, really inspriring and they certainly got me thinking outside the box and trying new techniques, which I'm so thankful for. Oh, and my house won again, bonus! Here's some of my favourite projects.

There's talk of starting up a new crop in my area especially for classes and I really hope it gets off the ground as I've only ever done classes online and I'd love to do more in real life. I feel I still have so much to learn. But in the meantime there's all the challenges and the Christmas presents I have to make and they are certainly getting me doing something a little different. Plus I get to see the look on people's faces when they open them and realise I made it especially for them :)

Got to go complete a CJ, it's already a day late because I forgot about it in all the excitement of the CC! Seeya later :)

You won't be seeing me...

... for a few days, well at least until the UKS cyber crop has finished on Sunday night! Lol! That's why I'm still up, I've been making sure I've got everything I need to hand and that I'm all organised and ready to kick off tomorrow evening. I think I'm just about there now.

I did get a bit distracted earlier and altered this notebook as a stocking filler for my friend (hope she's not looking!) It's a scraplift of the one done by Jane in this month's Scrapbook Inspirations. I've got a couple more to do and this has given me the push to have a go and I'm quite pleased with it :)

Right, that's me done for the night, I am shattered and no doubt Harry will have me up early AGAIN tomorrow. Groan. Night night all, and have a great weekend whatever you are up to :)

Christmas is coming...

...so my 'to do' list has grown again somewhat to include all the gifts I have to make/scrap/alter before this time next month (where does the time go?!). I'm hoping to get most of my presents shopping done in the next week - now pay day is looming at long last - and then once the cyber crop is finished it will be down to some serious business. I did make a bit more headway tonight though and altered this tin for my Granddad. I can't remember buying it, but it's the perfect size for a pack of playing cards and it will protect them from little hands too!

Last day at work tomorrow before the weekend, hurrah! Really looking forward to the cyber crop now. I've never done any real live classes, so I have to rely on cyber ones to learn new tricks and techniques. And they never fail.

Night all :)

Just a quickie (!)

Layout I mean! Well, I started it last night. I was meant to be following an old UKS cyber crop class in preparation for this weekend's event, but about half way though I decided it wasn't going well and used the bits I'd cut up to make this one instead. I'm quite pleased with it. I'd wanted to use a large circle on a LO for a while after seeing so many lovely examples, so this is it. Hope you like :)

That's all I have to say really, I'm feeling too tired to be chatty tonight so I'm off to bed already. Nighty night all.

Countdown to cyber crop time!

Yes, it's that time of year again. No, not Christmas! The UKS cyber crop of course! The theme this time is Harry Potter, which isn't so much my cup of tea, but I'm sure the classes and challenges will be even better than last time. I've decided to be much more organised this time and print off not only a timetable, but also a class supplies list so I can make sure I have everything ready before we start. I've also taken someone's great advice to place everything I'll need for each class in a separate zip-seal 12x12 bag, so it's to hand when I need it.

Now all I have to do is convince Gareth to take Harry out for the weekend and I'll be away!

I loved today's blog prompt so I'm going to give it a bash:

What’s your handbag like? What makes a ‘perfect’ handbag? What do you carry in your handbag? What's in it right now? Do you ever have ‘handbag envy’?

It depends on which handbag we're talking about. My work handbag is red cordroy at the moment, because it matches my new winter coat. It's full of rubbish at the moment because I rarely tidy it out. There's my reporter's notebook in there, my diary and contacts books, an A to Z, my wallet, phone and keys, body spray, hair brush and compact and lots of scrap pieces of paper and receipts that I really should have thrown away by now.

My weekend handbag is a gorgeous turquoise and white shoulder bag by Roxy, with white polka dot hearts all over it and a white strap. I loved it as soon as I clapped eyes on it in TK Max a while ago and I couldn't believe my luck when I saw it had been reduced to £7 in the sale. Because it's smaller it doesn't get as messy as my work bag, there's just room for my wallet, phone, a set of keys and a compact.

I love handbags. Most women have a passion for shoes, but mine is for handbags. I'm not sure what makes a perfect handbag, one that's pretty, girly, and easy to carry I guess! I'm quite easily pleased when it comes to handbags!

Actually no, saying that I think I'm quite fussy about my handbags. It's not often I spot one I really like enough to buy, or see someone's and think "I really need that one!" although it has been known to happen once or twice! And being one of three sisters, there's always their wardrobes to ransack!

Seeya!

Finished! Ta da!

Well it wasn't meant to take this long - a whole week in fact - but it's finished at last and I'm so pleased with it. In case you're wondering, I'm talking about my holiday album, made using Ali Edward's sketch for wwwpencillines.com. It took some doing (which is why I haven't been on here much this week) and at times I could have thrown it across the room and cried (like when I stuck the title on the back cover instead of the front by mistake) but I'm glad I stuck it out because now I have a complete, colourful memento of our first family holiday.

It feels great to have completed my album and the finished product has reminded why I got into scrapbooking in the first place. I almost lost my way earlier this week when one of my LOs wasn't published in a scrapbooking magazine as promised (although I've since been assured it will be appearing soon) and I was feeling generally down and not like scrapping at all. But I carried on and I'm feeling much better now. Good job really because I MUST start on this little list of Christmas presents I have to make before December 25!

Thanks for looking :)

What a weekend!

Well it's been a busy old weekend. Friday was quiet, well it was until my little sister came to stay for the weekend lol! We spent all night getting ready for the crop the next day, packing our stash and printing out pictures to scrap. The crop was a busy one this month and everyone had fun as always. Plus I actually managed to get some work done and made a great start on my holiday album using Ali Edward's brilliant sketch from www.pencillines.com.


To date I've got 5 double pages done, so there's just 5 left to do as well as the cover and an introduction page. I started off quite slowly, and soon picked up speed, but I wish I had got more done as I'm acting up as news editor this week at work, which means harder work and longer hours, leaving less time to scrap on an evening. I'll get there though, I'm determined to finish this project as I'm enjoying it and it's looking great and I've promised myself I won't get bored of this one and let it slide!
I'm not going to post pictures yet as I want to post them all together once it's finished.

Today's UKS blog prompt is a good one: "Where do you find your inspiration? Especially when going through a dry spell? Do you remember a specific moment when a light bulb went on "click" and you knew you had to get home to scrap?! What common day objects do you now view with a scrappers eye?"

Well, I find my inspiration in the strangest of places sometimes. Just tonight we were looking for a film to watch when a trailer for a film called Pretty Persuasion inspired me. The ad was black and had gorgeous pink and white text and swirls. Most of the time, especially when I'm suffering from scrapper's block, I find inspiration in scrapping books (Elsie Flannigan's book is amazing for inspiration), magazines and online, whether it be a LO, a sketch or an ad. Every so often I will get an idea in my head for a LO and I'll be itching to get home and scrap it. That happened with my Things I Love LO (which I previously posted) and I was thrilled it came together on paper so well from my own original idea. I have the start of an idea in my mind for a holiday LO, combining hot blues and reds with a girly theme, which I can't wait to get started on. That idea came to me just as I was drifting to sleep one night and luckily I remembered it the next morning (I should have put it down on paper just in case!). I view so many common day objects with a scrapper's eye. I could be walking round the supermarket and my dh will see a biscuit tin but I will see a fab tin for altering and scrapping to my own style! He thinks I'm nuts, I think I'm inventive!

Right, well that's me for today, I'm off to get another page done and get an early night to prepare for a long week ahead. Catch you soon, I hope!

Challenged

Tonight I have been busy taking the UKS November week two challenge, which is all about diamonds It certainly got me thinking and I had a few ideas about what I would like to do. At first I thought I'd do another Harry page and call it Diamond Geezer, but while I was looking through the picture files I found one of our wedding photos of me, wearing my dress that was covered in diamantes and beads, and all my sparkly jewellery, and i decided to scrap that instead. Anyway, here is the finished result (please excuse the wonky strips, they are straight really!)



I'm so glad it's the weekend for me now, and boy do I need it, this week has been long and I feel as if I've been burning the candle at both ends (well I have really! Working and scrapping is tiring!) But Saturday is the monthly Leeds crop, which I'm really looking forward to as always, and then I must relax Sunday as I'm taking over the newsdesk again at work next week, which means really long hours and lots of stress for peanuts more than I'm getting now, but I guess it's worth it for the experience at least!

Anyway, if you see me on here tomorrow uploading LOs, kick me off and tell me to get my Robox packed!

Byeeee for now :)

Scrap the ads!

When I saw the challenge set by kellyg on her blog, to scraplift an advert design for ki memories, I just had to oblige for two reasons; the advert is lovely and reallly got me thinking and also it is a portrait shape, which is something I've been meaning to try for a little while now. So far I've only scrapped on square cardstock. And I must say I really enjoyed it. It was a nice little introduction to portrait style and I'm really pleased with the results, achieved with some of the yummy papers brought back from Florida by my mum.
The LO is of Harry on holiday last month and how he loves to play on the slide. And below that is the original ad.



Anyway, so what else is new? I received my next CJ today, called Beautiful Planet. It's just stunning and I'm quite looking forward to getting on with this one sooner rather than later using some of our holiday snaps.

On the shopping front I stumbled across a pack of 50 small brown envelopes, which will be perfect for making a minilope. It's hard to describe but it looks absolutely lovely. So that's another one for my massive to do list!

Laters!

Lush, lush, lush!

That's the only way to describe my Lisa Bearnson All About Me kit that arrived today from the US. Absolutely, gorgeously lush! It's an 8x8 album and keepsake box with page protectors and bags upon bags of embelishments and alphabets. It cost only about £17 in Sterling ($15 for the kit and about another $15 delivery). And the best thing is that for each kit bought a donation is made to a breast cancer charity. I love mine so much I've just gone back to the site and ordered one as a Christmas present for my sister, who is fast getting into scrapping. I think she'll love having such a lovely kit that she can put together using the templates provided and I'm sure it will give her as much inspiration as it's already given to me.

I popped down to my local Book Depot today, or more commonly known as The Works, and picked up a lovely rose-coloured album and kit for £4.99. I also found some more lovely stickers, which will be great for scrapbooking and the occasional card I make too. I also bought the cutest reindeer soft toy in the Gap Outlet store, which will make a perfect present for my friend's new baby due early next month. Gosh I can't believe I have started my Christmas shopping so early this year. (I bet you lot have got all yours' done already haven't you?!)

One last thing before I go and watch the fab The Amazing Mrs Pritchard. A UKS blog prompt, which sparked a few thoughts. So my fascinating family history snippet of information is that I'm almost directly related to Dick Turpin the highway man! Honestly, my mum has researched our family history quite far back and it turns out a direct family member married his brother. If I could go back in time I would ask more questions to my Nana. She died seven years ago and I was too young to think to ask her about her family and about her life. I don't have a family history scrapbook, I leave that side of things to my mum, but I think I might be more interested in it all when I'm a little older. For now I have enough to do catching up with scrapping the here and now!

Bye for now :)

Another close call

You think I would be good at meeting deadlines, being a journalist and all, but sometimes I'm just useless. I had to make myself sit down on Friday evening to complete this latest CJ in time for posting today. But I sat down, and a few ideas came into my head and I did it, and I was really pleased with it, which hasn't been the case with some of the CJ LOs I've done in the last couple of months. Maybe it's because I wouldn't have chosen the theme myself or that I always leave it to the last minute to do and feel rushed. Anyway, this one I like so much I'm going to re-create the LHS of the LO for myself. Yes, that's right, I'm going to scraplift myself. Or, at least, that little job will get added to the long list of things I need to get done like my You Think You Know Me project and Christmas presents to name just a couple!

Anyway, I really wanted to share this LO, so if you are in my CJ group look away now. You have been warned!
P.S. Sorry for the poor picture, taking it at an angle was the only way I could avoid flash spots!




I don't know about you but I'm really feeling the cold, dark nights getting to me now. I just seem to be so sluggish and not so upbeat. I hate being cold and driving home in the dark. I'm sure I'll snap out of it soon though, and in the meantime I'm sure scrapping and playing with my new stash will cheer me up - once I find room for it all that is!

Another day, another CJ

I just remembered today my current CJ is due for posting on Monday, and you guessed it, I hadn't even started yet! Maybe it's the holiday and everything else that's been going on, or maybe it's that I seem to be suffering from scrapper's block when it comes to CJ LOs lately, but I just wasn't forward to getting started on it.
Anyway, it's coming together a lot better than I thought it would and I'm really pleased it with it so far. I haven't got much left to do either, just print and stick down the photos, add a tag with some hidden journalling and scatter a few blossoms to finish. That's the plan anyway! I wonder how mine is coming along. But then that's the best thing about creating a CJ, the surprise at the end! I probably shouldn't, but I'll post a picture of my latest CJ LO when I'm done on Sunday - it won't be tomorrow as we're all going to my Mum's fireworks party. I can't wait, last year was so much fun, although Harry slept through most of it somehow. This year I'll definitely be taking the camera for some fun sparkler shots!
Right, better go catch some zzzzzs!

WOW!

That's my favourite word today. Wow! Not only is it a new word my son has learnt to say (and he says it in such an adorable way) but it was also my reaction to the two huge carrier bags of stash my mum brought back from Florida for me. I sent her with a little wish list to give her ideas for when buying me a present, and instead she just bought the whole lot! I think she quite enjoyed it though, well it is shopping after all! Here is a picture of everything I received stacked on my desk.

I am in awe! I haven't scrapped in almost a fortnight because of the holiday, but this has reallly got my creative juices flowing. I can't wait to try it all out, although I'm still at the admiring and stroking stage for the time being!

So what else is new? Not much, I've finally got sat down at my desk tonight and have almost finished one of the PDSA Clippykit cosmetic bags, which will be one of my middle sister's Christmas presents. It wasn't really top of my priority list, I still have Shimelle's project to finish and I want to make a start on my holiday album too, but as they just arrived in the post this morning and are so lovely I couldn't help myself! I'll post a picture as soon as it's done.

Better get back to it. Chow for now!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you had a good night all you Trick or Treat-ers, and that the rest of you didn't suffer too many little hoodlums! It was very quiet round here this year, we have loads of mini Mars and Twix bars left, which is not good news for my expanding waist!



Anyway, I just wanted to post a piccie of this year's pumpkin effort. I try to do one each year to place in the window, although this was a bit last minute and went a bit wrong. I don't think it looks too bad though, even if his teeth are chipped and the whole thing is being held together with cocktail sticks! Lol!

From Spain to rain

Well I'm back from sunnier climes - scorching temperatures in fact - to raining old England. And now I've got over the 2am flight and not knowing what time it was because of the clocks going back I'm finally checking into my blog again.
We had a lovely time, mostly, although poor Harry wasn't too keen on Mallorca. He whined almost non stop. I don't know if it was the heat, being in a strange place or just boredom but he wasn't a happy bunny. Still, we managed to get some nice pictures of the three of us during the week, which I can't wait to scrap. Here are a couple of my favourites:

I hardly managed to get any scrapping done on holiday. I'd planned to scrap on the balcony while Harry slept at night but there was no light out there and by the time Harry did finally go to sleep each evening I was ready for bed too. So I'm way behind with my You Think You Know Me project now, I've got happy, sad and now confused done, but hopefully once I'm back at my desk later this week I should be able to get on with the others quite quickly. I'd like to get it finished as it's not very often I complete a project, most of mine are on-going like my Book of Me, or albums or Harry. Although I need to do one on our holiday too now!

Right, better get back to work, that is what I'm being paid for after all! See you all soon. :)