Don't stop me now!

Now I've got scrapping again there's just no stopping me lol! Even though I have umpteen other projects on the go (including knitting and sewing - I just completed a mei tai, otherwise known as a baby carrier/sling) I keep coming back to my lovely photos and patterned paper. I'm loving taking such sweet photos of Alex. He's such a happy smiley baby and always willing to pose for the camera - unlike Harry, who at four years old just isn't interested in co-operating any more!

The photos on the layout above were taken this Friday evening when we gave Alex some potato wedges as a finger food meal, and he demolished most of them like he had been doing it forever. He does love his food!

I'm almost ashamed to say it, but in three years of scrapping this is my first Christmas-themed layout. The typical red and green coloured papers just never took my fancy, or my hurried photos of Christmas morning just never got my inspiration flowing when it came to sitting down and turning them into a LO. These photos are of course different and finally, with help from a Page Map (and Rachel for lending me her tools, thanks hun!) I have scrapped them. It's a simple layout, because I wanted to keep the attention on the photos of Harry and Alex in their Christmas outfits. I'm also pleased with the fact it's a double layout, which is very rare from me.

There are now less than 3 weeks until the great GoGoGetaway and I really can't wait to find out what's in store - the sneak preview of the classes look fab. Just need to get printing lots more photos now!

Natalie x

Should I have done that?!

In preparation for the great GoGoGetaway in less than 4 weeks time (OMG, eek I'm so excited!) I have been printing off my favourite photos, matching cardstock, patterned papers, alphabets and embellies and putting together some kits ready to scrap into LOs while I'm there.

I was doing really well and had made several kits, and then today I was itching to do some scrapping. So with the boys in bed early I sat down and completed one. Ooops. Never mind. I still have time to replace it and more, and in the meantime I have the above LO to add to Alex's first album.

The pictures were taken early last month, just after Alex had mastered sitting unaided at not even five months (my clever boy!). It was a lovely afternoon so out we went into the garden and I snapped these of him sitting on the lawn. The t-shirt he was wearing (a gift when he was born) matches the vibrant Sassafrass Lass papers, and as soon as I saw them I thought of this photo. And although I was a bit nervous scrapping such bright colours, and although it took forever to position all my pieces in a way I was happy with, I'm really happy with the finished result. I *whispers* feel like I might even have found my mojo again, hurrah!

Natalie x

Second gear, gaining speed steadily!

Alex is almost six months old and is finally starting to go to bed earlier on an evening, which means I finally have a little more time to myself and, of course, to scrap. Hurrah!

So I now have a few layouts to share, scrapped over the last month or so (I told you I'm only getting there, lol!).

The above layout is of a favourite photo of my husband and baby son, scrapped using some lovely embellies my mum brought me back from Florida, with matching papers. I just need to finish it with a little machine stitching around the border (must do that soon!)

This next layout I did a few weeks back, and then misplaced. I looked everywhere for it, but couldn't trace it, then today it mysteriously turned up in the place I left it and had looked a thousand times. Very strange. Lots of cutting, stitching and glittering on this one. :)


This was completed at a crop last month. It was a scraplift but I'm not too sure it works here. Ho hum.


I scrapped this layout last week after admiring the cartoon hen on the front of a book my son got with a chocolate Easter egg and copying it using patterned paper. I finally used up some old stash too (well I didn't have much choice seeing as I haven't bought anything new in about six months now, gasp!)


And finally, this was scrapped with my good friend Rachel's help (thank you hun!) for the Scrapagogo GoGoGetaway challenge to scrap a layout about yourself. The required colours (green, orange and yellow) are not my favourites at all, and I was dreading using them, but actually I kinda like it. :)


So that's me, back on the scrabooking wagon at last - long may that last! Now all I need to do is find time to blog, and I'm laughing!

Natalie x x x

Slowly but surely...

... I am returning to scrapping, hurrah!

Since the birth of Alex almost three months ago (yes, three months, I know, where has the time gone?!) I haven't had a minute to myself, so scrapping has been off the menu. Until now. Thanks to a fab afternoon and evening spent with my lovely friends Erika and Rachel (hello!), and a not-too-fussy Alex being happy to sit and play, I managed to get not one but two layouts done. Ok, so the second still needs a little machine stitching around the edges and across the pleated paper, but I'll get there eventually!

Baby toes:


Getting into the sling of things:





Alex is doing great, he loves to feed, hates to sleep, but is generally a happy and content baby. And his constant smiling, giggling and gurgling is so infectious. He is piling on weight too, having gone from 6lb 3oz at birth up to 11lb 8oz at 8 weeks, and he is climbing up the charts and outgrowing all his clothes far too fast. Who wants to guess what he will weigh this week at 12 weeks?

Here are a couple of photos to get all broody over!







Sadly scrapping is now temporarily off the menu again as I have 150 funeral Order of Services to make in the next 48 hours for the funeral of my husband's lovely grandmother (any volunteers?!) and then I need to make a bundle of christening invitations for Alex's baptism in April (why do I take these things on by myself?!). But then I'll be back as I have so many lovely pictures of my boys that I want to scrap - and soon.

Natalie x

Introducing...

... Alexander Edward, born 11/11/08 at 10.15am, weighing 6lb 3oz.

(Pictured here at 17 days old.)

I went overdue again and made it to 41 weeks, same as with Harry, and this time my labour was really fast once it got going - we almost didn't make it to the hospital in time!

Apologies for not updating before now, life with a newborn and almost four-year-old is pretty hectic! Alex is so easy, he feeds, he sleeps and he poos, that's about it for now, and it's usually pretty easy to work out what he's after, and he's a good sleeper. Harry is at that challenging age and I can't take my eyes off him for a second or he's climbing on this, colouring on that. He loves being a big brother though and is constantly kissing and hugging poor Alex!

As for me I'm feeling great, so much better for not having drugs in labour (once it was over anyway!) and we came home the same afternoon. Now I'm trying to keep our routine as normal as possible for Harry and Alex is fitting in just nicely.

I love being a mummy to a newborn again, I'm so lucky. Although Alex has already changed so much - make him stop!

Natalie x

1 month and couting!

Only one month (and one day) to go until my due date, I can't believe how fast the time is flying. I can't wait to meet my baby and to hopefully put an end to all my pelvic pain and discomfort, but I have really come to love my bump again. It's the last bump I'll have and I'll miss it. So I thought I better get a couple more photos to remember it by. This is a picture of me wearing a lovely new Isabella Oliver top I decided to treat myself to during a recent sale (and I'm so pleased I did, it's truly gorgeous and I feel so nice in it) and I've used some Photoshop trickery to make the colours 'pop' a little. I had no idea how to scrap it, but looking at LOs online containing the colour blue I found this lovely colour combination worked really well, and, with a bit of hand cutting here and ribbon threading there, this is what happened.



I had meant to scrap about the highs and lows of this pregnancy, with hidden journaling, but somehow it just didn't seem to fit here so I'll have to do that another time. Still, I'm really pleased with this one.

I just need to convince my mum to do a professional photo shoot with me soon so I have a better range of flattering photos to keep and that are good enough to frame.

Back soon.

Natalie x

Scraps and crops

Ok, I didn't get time to pop on and show you the stash I bought at the Harrogate Papercrafts show, but really there wasn't that much. I was a bit disappointed as even my favourite stalls were stocking the same stuff as last time, and there were no new releases. I still managed to get a few bargains, but nothing really exciting. I think a trip to Ally Pally is in order next year - will have to save up for that one though!


On Saturday we had our first little Paper Chasers crop in Leeds and it was lovely. I even managed to sit and complete this double LO, although it did take me all day as I was tired and just couldn't get going to start with. Anyway, it's about the new nursery (which is finally complete, hurrah!) and will go in the pregnancy album I'm trying to keep up with. I'm 35 weeks now so better get a move on really!


I'm not sure how much more scrapping I'll get done before the new baby is born now as I'm working from home during the day and then am too tired on an evening to even think about getting anything out and started. Hopefully once I go on maternity leave in a fortnight I might have a burst of energy and can set my mind to it - once I'm done nesting and have got the house in order that is!

Bye for now. :)

Natalie x

Nursery projects... and a warm welcome

I promised I would be back soon with photos of the projects I've finished for the baby's nursery, using my new sewing machine. The cushion covers were put together really quickly. The cot bumper took a little longer, but was simply a case of covering a plain white Ikea one with fabric I bought to co-ordinate with the rest of the neutral decor (yes, we know the sex but I just prefer these colours!). I have a matching 12x12 scrapbook and can't wait to get started on scrapping pictures of our new bundle.

Now the nursery wardrobe has finally arrived I'm hoping we can get it finished in the next few days. In the meantime, here's a quick sneaky peek.

Last, but by no means least, a warm welcome to anyone visiting from the pages of Scrapbook Inspirations magazine. I'm delighted to have my blog featured in the 'Blogs we love' section this month. I haven't seen my copy yet - I can't wait though!

I'll probably be back tomorrow after a little jaunt to the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza in Harrogate for a few scrapbooking goodies - it's well worth a visit if anyone's in the area.

Catch you soon.

x

Branching out

This final layout (see my posts below) was created using our first family photo in, well, a long time, and also marks the last official picture of the three of us as we count down to becoming a foursome. I have thrown together a whole bunch of stuff to complete this, but my favourite has to be the 'family' button I picked up in Walmart while on holiday in Florida last year. I'm so glad to have finally found the perfect use for it.

I'd like to buy some 12x12 and 8x8 frames and hang some of my favourite layouts on the walls of our new home - and I think this one must go up.

Right, dessert and bed I think. I have some photos to share of the cushions and cot bumper I have made for the baby's nursery, and hopefully photos of the finished nursery very soon, so I promise to come back soon. :)

x

Babies, babies, babies!

I have been trying (and failing miserably) to keep up with my pregnancy album and also catch up on scrapping Harry's young baby photos before this little one arrives. I was getting there slowly, although I've developed a pregnancy-related condition called SPD, which makes sitting and scrapping quite painful after a short while. This means I haven't done as much scrapping recently as I would have liked.

But here's what I've done so far:

I've also used the yummy new Crate Paper range to spruce up this bargain basement baby keepsake box I picked up in TKMaxx for about £6 (including a baby foot/hand casting kit - bargain!). It was a bit grubby and plain, but I soon sorted that out. I already have my scan photos, CD and DVD in there and can't wait to fill it full of cute little baby things like I have with Harry's keepsake box.

And finally, here a few of Harry's baby layouts, which I made using a Crate Paper boy-themed kit.

Ok, I'm now off to create another new post as I have one final layout to showcase and it's not letting me upload any more photos to this one! Be right back. :)

x

Introducing... our baby!

Well, not exactly! We had a 4D scan and got to see what our unborn baby looks like, a lot like Harry I think! It was so amazing, we saw the umbilical cord, thumb sucking and even hair in 2D mode, and then facial features up close and a smile too in 4D mode.

Here are a couple of pictures and I'll see if I can work out how to post the video clips.

I can't believe this baby will be here in our arms in about eight weeks, yikes!

Right, back in a while to upload my recent pregnancy and baby layouts as I've got a bit behind, sorry!

x

A couple more...

Just popping on to upload a couple more LOs.

This one's a scraplift I did a week or so ago. The pictures were taken of me by my friend Rachel (thanks Rachel) on the Leeds Paper Dolls weekend crop in Cumbria. And I finally used the lovely new Blue Awning papers too.

And this one's another scraplift of a LO in Scrapbook Trends magazine. My dh took the pictures of our son while visiting the park a couple of weeks ago, and the subject is his new-found voice and all the questions he asks now he can talk really well. I can't believe how fast he's growing up, sob!

Got to go, back soon!

Natalie xxx

Paris and scrapping frenzy!

We are back in the UK after five wonderful but totally exhausting days staying in Paris with an old school friend. It was scorching hot every day (and night!) and we spent most of it walking, round Paris, round parks, round zoos and round Euro Disney. Harry loved it and we all had a great time.

Despite only getting back in the late hours of Wednesday, I have already completed a mini album of our trip. It's a 6x6 acrylic album full of photos, journalling and mementoes such as tickets and receipts - it's the first time I've scrapped onto acrylic and I have decided I really like it and want to do some larger LOs now.

Anyway, here it is. Sorry about the poor photo quality but it's almost dark, I couldn't find the DSLR and if I don't upload these now I'll never get round to doing it!

So what else is new? Not much really. Baby is now very active and enjoying kicking poor mummy quite hard frequently. Harry is talking really fluently and we just can't shut him up! Not that we would want to of course! But I just can't believe the progress he has made in just a couple of months. We took him to see Wall.E today having seen the trailer at Euro Disney - it was his first cinema outing and he behaved really well, so we'll have to try and go a few more times before the baby is born and the three of us become four - scary thought! And only about 14 weeks to go, eeeeeek! I really must get caught up on the rest of my scrapping, oh, and get the nursery decorated. So much to do, so little time!

Natalie x x x