What a weekend!

Well, what a week in fact. It's been a busy one to say the least.
Since I last posted my Ali Edwards book arrived and that has had me hooked. It is so useful and has helped me see matching and using patterned paper in a whole new light. I definitely feel much more confident already and I think I will refer back to it again and again (when I don't leave it in my desk drawer at work, doh!). I also received the next CJ in my group called Words of Wisdom. I haven't made a start on it yet though, although with so much to do and the UKS mini cyber crop starting on Wednesday I really should get it done in the next couple of days.
I've also been making a start on the 50 golden wedding party cards I have to make. I've sourced and bought the card required, ordered the blossoms and I just need the brads to match and I'm away. Oh, and the printer co-operating would be nice too!
I also made a beautiful card last night to congratulate dh's cousin on the birth of her second son this weekend. I'm so pleased with it but dizzy me forgot to take a photograph before I sent it on to her. Oh well, next time!
We had a great time on Friday enjoying leaving drinks for my two colleagues, who have both now left the office for pastures new. It will be very strange with just me and the new girl in the office tomorrow, not to mention very hard work and dare I say stressful. I'm sure I'll get to like her though, she sounds really nice.
Then we haven't done very much for the rest of the weekend because dh is ill, sort of. It started on Saturday morning when he cut himself - not too badly but it looked a lot worse than it actually was - and the sight of blood caused him to pass out and fall, hitting the bath and the floor quite hard. Then while he was unconscious he started shaking and his eyes were rolling back in his head. I was absolutely scared witless and ran off to phone an ambulance. He came round soon after but he was really unstable while the paramedics were with him. He didn't go to hospital but was advised to rest all weekend, hence ds and I staying in to nurse him better. I think he's fine today, he reckons he's not quite back to normal yet but he's eating great as usual and walking around and while I'm doting on him I'm sure he's just milking it for all it's worth - typical man! Doctor tomorrow for him though, just to be on the safe side.
So all in all, an eventful week. Got a long hard week ahead though with plenty to do at work and at home before dh's grandparents' golden wedding anniversary on Friday and dinner on Saturday.
Best go get some rest! Bye for now :)

Naughty postman

After posting my first CJ yesterday I was confident mine would be landing on the doorstep of one of my fellow team members and that another would be gracing my letter box too. But no. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Everyone in my team got their's but me! Ok, so now I sound like a child but I was so excited thinking about receiving it and I'm so disappointed I won't see it until at least tomorrow evening now, I'm very impatient sometimes I know but it's the way I am!

Oh well, I've been busy with work and also submitting layouts to the various scrapbooking magazines in a desperate attempt to see my work published one day. That would be a dream come true. So I best get back to it really.

Hopefully, Royal Mail permitting, I should have the new Ali Edwards book about scrapping with patterned paper winging its way to me very shortly. I'll be happy when this arrives as I seem to be stuck for ideas lately and the different parts of my latest layouts just don't seem to knit as well as they should. I'm definitely looking forward to leafing through this one and learning a few more tricks of the trade.

Bye for now :)

Finished at last!

I've had quite a productive day today - after having such a non-productive one yesterday - and I've managed to finish off my first CJ book ready for posting off tomorrow. I can't wait to receive the next one, although I have no idea what to scrap for it. It's called Words of Wisdom and I'm stumped at the moment. I can honestly say I can't think of any that I had repeatedly drummed into me by my nearest and dearest (or maybe I just didn't listen to them LOL!) Maybe I'll scrap the words of wisdom I want to tell my ds when he's a bit older. Either way I better get my thinking cap on quick smart!

I also picked up a few scrapping bargains in town earlier, including some acid-free journalling pens for £1, a rub on alpabet and tag set (also £1) and a paintbrush set (yep, you guessed it, it was £1!).

I also managed to sneak a lovely summery undies set into the basket while my dh was picking up some socks for ds (where do they all go? I swear three pairs go into the washing maching but just three odd socks come out!). The pattern on it is so lovely, I want to scrap it! I think I need to get out more, or stay in more, I'm not sure which! LOL!

It's a good job I've finished my CJ book. Today dh's grandparents approved the card sample I made earlier this week (see previous post), in fact they were really delighted with it (blushes!) and so I now have to make another 49 quite quickly. I just need to order a few bits and pieces, now I know they are happy with it, and then get cracking. I've also decided to make them a mini album and have their wedding album reprinted and presented into a nice new album. They actually said they would like to do that, so that's what I'll do, although I'll hand the existing one back too just as they left it - after all it's 50-years-old! There's also some of their favourite photos to get enlarged for their party and some photos of ds too to show their relatives and friends. So that little lot is going to keep me pretty busy! Luckily I have until September to get it all done- that's not that long though, time really does fly and it will be here before we know it!

Happy scrapping! :)

Need sleep, Zzzzzzz!

Only a quick hello as I'm shattered and in desperate need of my bed. That's thanks to ds who thought 5am would be a good time to annoy my sister (we were staying at my mum and sister's house) and get landed in with me. So, 18 hours later and I'm barely awake but have to finish a few odd jobs before I can finally hit the sack.

I completed a LO the other night, although I'm not entirely happy with it. I wanted to try stamping and doodling again, but although I like the different areas of my page they just don't seem to knit together too well. I seem to be struggling with using patterned paper at the moment, it scares me and a lot of the time I have no idea what to do with it to make it look great. My better work seems to be using mainly cardstock. I must take a class or two when I can find one in my part of the world.

I have a few nice ideas spinning round my head right now after snapping some great pics of my son and niece in the paddling pool yesterday and receiving two scrapbook magazines in the last two days, one with some gorgeous and totally delicious doodlebug summer papers. I want to get these colourful, summer pictures scrapped right away and I'm definitely inspired after reading my mags today.


Right, bed is calling. Catcha'll later!

Must stop slacking!

I meant to get a layout done tonight, or at least start one as I had a few ideas whizzing round my head. But my plans went out the window when our friends asked if they could come round. So a few hours and a few drinks later and I've done nothing, and now it's too late to start anything. Plus I'm zonked again and my eyes hurt so it's an early night for me.

No wonder I'm so tired, working full time, scrapping and being mum to "the most active child nursery has ever had" - their words, not mine! It was Harry's first parents' evening last night and he received a gleaming report. They also said he's the cheekiest chappy they have, who loves copying the older children and showing the younger ones how to play, and he's one of the best eaters they have - he must get that from his daddy! I have no idea where he gets his energy from though! Wish I had as much as he does sometimes! We also brought his progress file home to read about what he gets up to at nursery, and there's a great photo of him falling asleep in his chocolate cornflakes that's just crying out to be scrapped. It will have to go on my "to do" list first though and who knows if/when I'll get to it at this rate!

Hard work ahead!

Well after a very busy weekend, things are going to get even busier for me as I've been asked to produce the golden wedding anniversary party cards for my husband's grandparents - all 50 of them! I've never made a card before and I've never used a heritage theme either, which is what I'd like to do, so this will be a learning curve for me to say the least! I'm very lucky to have their lovely wedding album to use as they've lent it to me to get some reprints for the party - I feel a new scrapbook album coming on here too, if I can find time! Of course, I could just produce the cards digitally and whizz them through my printer, or even have them printed elsewhere, but where's the fun in that?!

Anyway, here's my first sample. I hope they like it, I think I do, well it's not bad for a first attempt is it? LOL!

On top of all that, I really must get some scrapping done, I haven't done a LO in more than a week and I miss it! It's just too blimmin' hot though - someone please tell my husband to buy a fan for my craft room, I can't keep the window open because I'm scared of the moths that fly in, some of them are like bats!!!

Off to hide from the bats, bye for now :)

Wow, wow, wow!!!

I have had such a lovely day. We went shopping this morning and I got some lovely coloured sewing machine threads and a new pair of precision scissors, plus a copy of the US mag Scrapbook Answers. Wow. That's all I can say. It is fab. It's full of gorgeous LOs in the modern style I love, and it gives you so many new ideas and ways to use things, and actually talks you through producing a great LO. It's definitely resparked my inspiration. It came with the free CD, which some people didn't get, so I'm very pleased and I can't wait to try some of the ideas out. I think I'll get it reserved every 6 weeks now so I don't miss it.

Then we spent the afternoon in the garden and mowed the lawn, trimmed the hedges and painted the fence, oh, and washed dh's car. So I am exhausted now! Harry was so well behaved and spent his time playing and exploring the garden. I'm so proud of him. He's growing up too fast though!



Then just now I found out I've been selected for the Kraft Stop design team! I am so thrilled and excited, I never thought I'd be chosen as all the other entries were so fab. I can't wait to get started already and find out what Lynn has in store for us!

So it's been a busy day really!

Bye for now :o)

Has anyone seen my mojo!

Well the lovely stash I've been ordering this week arrived, but in the words of Austin Powers I seem to have lost my mojo. I just can't get motivated or inspired to start a LO. Maybe it's the heat, or the fact I've been so stressed at work this week and feel really tired and run down again - I guess the last thing I should be doing is more work at my desk, even if it is scrapping! I think I will take it easy tonight, and start with a class or a scraplift tomorrow, to ease me back into the swing of things. And in the meantime I can always keep busy filling my lovely new drawers I got from WHSmiths today for £4.99 with stash. :)

ttfn :)

Spend, spend, spend...

... Well I wouldn't go that far, but hurrah it's that time of the month when I receive my work expenses and get to treat myself to a little bit of scrapbooking stash. As well as ordering lots of grosgrain and designer ribbons for swaps I'm taking part in, I've splashed out on a set of stamps (as I haven't done any stamping yet) a couple of ink pads to go with it, and some more chipboard shapes after realising the ones in my Heidi Swapp 567 set are so gorgeous! I can't wait for them to arrive and then I can get out my new heat gun and try that while I'm at it too LOL!

At the moment I'm busy finishing my first CJ and making a keepsake box for my friend, who just had her second daughter, Eve. I can't wait to meet her, I bet she's so tiny in comparison to my little lump, and her first daughter, who are both now almost 17 months old! I don't know where the time has gone!

Apart from that I'm not really getting much done at the moment as work is really busy as we're currently losing two of three reporters (yes, just me left!) and management is busy quibbling over what grade of replacements to employ in order to save a few more precious pennies, which means that promotion I had my sights on might not even exist this time next week (or in other words they want me to take on the extra responsibilities and work, but they don't want to pay me for it). Oh well. And then of course there's my beautiful son, who at 16 months leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes and keeps me very busy! I wouldn't have it any other way though! :)

Oops!

I didn't realise I hadn't posted on here for six days, I must have been busy! I guess I have I suppose. I've been busy completing the DLO for my first CJ, which is coming along really well now. In fact, I just need to make a few more adjustments and it's ready to go. Here's my entry:

I had tried to start it at the crop I went to on Saturday, but after cutting out the cardstock I was stuck. I wasn't happy with the size of the pictures I originally printed and I just didn't know what to do with it. But I sat down with it that night and loosely following a sketch using the same number of photos I ended up with this. I've even included a little hidden journalling to give the next contributer some interaction, as recommended by our host.

Well today is my husband's birthday so we're having pizza, yum. We went out for lunch yesterday to a lovely village pub that does the most delicious meals as his treat. I had my favourite as usual, carribean chicken made with cream, coconut, Malibu and pineapple, it's sinful! He's not too happy about being another year older (he's still only 25 though!) and the discovery that getting older means fewer presents, poor love!

Time off

Having a little break from scrapping tonight, it's just too warm. Plus I have Lost to catch up with on Channel Four - very important! So I'm just surfing the net on the laptop in front of the tv until it starts.

Just worked out today that there are still 40 days until my next week off work. A bit like lent really! I'm in need of a few days off to relax and catch up on my scrapping, but there are no free days I can take until then. They were all gone when I joined a few months back, I just got the few days that were left. I know I need a rest, just time to chill out at home on my own. I've had tonsillitis three times in six weeks because I'm so run down with work and my son, but no doubt I'll have had it another three times before my week off!

Oh well, no point moaning. I'm half way through my working week already and the two busiest days are behind me so here's looking to the weekend. Let's just hope the weather stays nice again.

Pit stop

Just popping on before bed to upload some photographs from yesterday's farm visit and of my True Colours CJ. The front cover is definitely growing on me now and I'm really pleased with the introduction page. I think I will really enjoy this project once it gets moving.

Today I drove by the craft shop I pass every day on my way home from work (when it's closed), and I keep meaning to call in on a Friday (my day off) for a nosy. But now I can't because it's being refurbished, except now there's hairdressing equipment in it! I am so disappointed, both for myself and because another independent craft retailer has bitten the dust. It's so sad.

Anyone else find that it's just too hot and sticky for scrapping at the moment? I can barely concentrate, which is no good as I have plenty to be getting on with.

Anyway, off for now, bye until next time!

Start of the circle

Well my 6x6 sarabook arrived yesterday so tonight I was finally able to get started on my first CJ. My theme is favourite colour - mine being turquoise. I've just about got the front cover and my introduction page done now, only the sign-in pages and my own double layout left to do before I send it off in three weeks time!

Well, I've had a lovely weekend. Friday Harry and I met up with some old friends of mine and their babies and toddlers and later that evening we discovered Harry's seventh tooth (well actually, it turns out it was his eighth because he'd been hiding one at the top too for a few days and we only spotted today!). Then yesterday we relaxed at home, watched England play in the World Cup quarter-final (don't even go there!) and had friends round for drinks and a movie (Tank Girl, such a great film, you have to see it if you haven't already). Today we took Harry to a nearby stately home farm to see the animals. It was so busy because it was Race For Life day too - I have so much respect for all the woman running it, it really is such a fantastic cause and I must get fit and sign up next year. The dedications on their backs make me cry. But Harry had a lovely time watching and feeding all the different animals and we got some great pictures for me to scrap later too - can't wait!

Anyway, bed for me now otherwise I'll never get up for work on time tomorrow. Catch you soon.