Happy Birthday Son

Today my little boy is 14, well not so little now has he is constantly reminding me that he's now officially taller than me.

Happy Birthday Son, love you loads and wishing all the very best for the future.

Mum & Dad

Happy Birthday to me

Today is my birthday, and has you read this I will have opened most of the Birthday presents and cards, and enjoy having some family time with Jon & James.

A quick photo of me - what about that scarf eh! I made this in the Summer, looks complicated but it not, just straight knitting - which is all I can manage to be honest.

So I'll end this post with this ...

and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and I hope Santa brings you all that you want.

xxx

Twisted Card Sketches DT Team

I've just been asked to go on the Twisted Card Sketches Design Team. As you know I'm already on the DT for layouts, but decided to submit for the card sketch team as well.

You can see the details here

This was my submission.

I'm so looking forward to this challenge, and I hope that you will follow me and join in.

Twisted Sketches are taking a break over the next two weeks and we will be back with some great sketches and inspiration for you all.

Scrap365 Sketch

I came across this sketch challenge on the Scrap365 blog here and thought I would play along.

So here is my take on the sketch. I used October Afternoon - Sidewalk Collection; Studio Calico - mini month stamp; Mr Huey Mist -Piglet; Kraft Tag - WH Smith; Bakers Twine; Punches - Fiskars Borders; Tim Holtz ink - vintage photo.

Thanks for everyone who has sent me their congratulations about my win, it is very much appreciated.

Twisted Sketches - No. 132 - Glitter

You can find this weeks sketch here, and here is my layout.

I've used one of the many photos taken of James over the Summer.

I do hope that you can join in with the challenge, and I love to see what you product.

Thanks for stopping by.

OMG ....

Take a look at this layout ...

yahh.... I was chosen as one of the runners up for Scrapbooker of the Year 2011 run by Scrapbook Magazine. I was and I still am blown away.

I found out when I was away in November with my Scrappy mates, what a great time to receive such good news, I was really chuffed I wanted to tell the world, but couldn't until after the 12th December when the magazine goes on sale.

I did add some hidden journalling behind the photo - basically just saying how I felt and what it means to me.

A few days after acknowledging my thanks, I received my 1st box of goodies. Still waiting on Box 2, which is a daylight magnetifing lens, and also Scrapbook Max (digital) to come.

This is one of the layouts that I entered, not OTT which is not my style, just one that I liked and had various technique on.

I will be featuring in an issue next year in the 'Introducing the Design Team Member', and I will be able to share some sneaks with you in the new year.

Thanks to the girls at Toad Hall for making receiving the news special, especially H for her lovely PR work - lol.

Wrap up Warm ...

Even the bull is wrapped up warm ... Lol x

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The nutcracker

Just went to see the Birmingham Royal Ballet perform The Nutcracker - what an amazing performance. My first time seeing a ballet and I truly hope it won't be my last.




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Shimelle 4x6 love

I've not done every month of these and I was curious as to how she was going to incorporation 11 photos onto one layouts. Well technically its a double but it still counts as one layout using a 6x12 photo protector in the middle.

So here is my take on the sketch. I used photos from my recent scrappy weekend in Shropshire, with October Afternoon - Sidewalk Collection.

A quick shop on how it will look in my album. One of Shimelle suggestions was to add embellishments that allows your eyes to flows across the 2 pages, which I did so starting at the top left - into the middle - then on the bottom right.

Thanks for stopping by ... don't forget all comments regretfully received.

Journal Your Christmas v December Daily

Happy December everyone, only 24 days to the big day - yahhhh!!! For the past 3 years I done Shimelles Journal your Christmas (JYC) and loved it, all of the years I was still finishing off in January/February, but they did get finished.

Dilemma 1 - Journal Your Christmas or December Daily?

This year I've purchased Ali Edwards December Daily Kit from Studio Calico and seeing what Ali has done over the past years made me think why not do the DD for a change. But then I think no, I'm used to JYC and love Shimelle's prompts and instructions. So have decided that this year I will try and do a combination of them both, but with Shimelle being the main inspiration, as I'm used to her way of instructions.

Dilemma 1 - sorted.

So here are a few of my base pages, I did the date tags a few weeks ago here.

Using the Studio Calico kit I set about cutting and sticking. I've not used any border punches (ahhhh !!!) mainly because I wanted my pages to be constructed before the end of November, but have inked all the edges. I took the advice from one of Shimelle recent classes about getting a few sheets of paper and cutting them into block and sticking but really not knowing what photo etc will be going on that page. Fab idea, which works for me.

Dilemma 2 - What colour card stock to use! Did I want the same colour throughout or a combination.

Sorted: A combination of kraft, green, white, vanilla, red.

I've even used my Cuttlebug Christmas Folders on a few of the pages.

within the kit was some overlays - I'm never quite sure what to do with these, but some DD examples I've seen have used them as a sort of page divided,

The green envelope is from KI Memories (stash), x-cut tree punch. Added the date tags on the overlay.

I doubt that I will be adding photos each day, or writing masses of journalling, but the pages I've done so far, can either have photos, journalling or a simple saying added. I'm trying my best not to be so overwhelmed with it all and just enjoy it!

I will try my best to keep on track and add regular updates throughout the month.

Twisted Sketches - No. 130 - Flowers

This weeks sketch is up here with the twist this week being flowers.

Heres my layout

I Hand-stitched the Studio Calico - Ampersand Mask

Please pop over the the Twisted Sketch site and have a go, I'd love to see what you come up with.

Santa Sack from October Afternoon

Over on the October Afternoon (OA) blog, they had/have a Santa Sack Sale, information here. So has I just loooove OA I know I just had to have one, and has most you know what I have Julie also needs - lol.

The idea was to get one box a week for the 4 weeks that it was running, but lack of funds on my part only allowed me to purchase 1 box. Well it arrived, last week and I received a letter from ParcelForce informing me that because of the weight of the parcel that I need to make an excess payment before they would delivery it. So even though it was great value it just bumped the cost of postage up for both of us, which did put a damper on things, but only till I opened my box - WOW - I just love it all.

25 sheets of 12x12 papers - some older, a few newer one - 5 & Dime, Rocket Age, Boarding Pass, SideWalk, but all of it yummy.

8x8 paper pack - arrived at the right time to use for my JYC Album.

Word & Label stickers, journalling cards, alpha stickers.

Buttons, chipboard, rub-ons, flash cards, Rocket Age miscellany. It also included a Chipboard Mini Album from the 'Modern Homemaker' collection which I forgot to photograph.

It just amazing how much is in each box, and the value for money was great.

Now all I need is to find a little space in my room for it to go - lol.

Toad Hall Scrapping

So last weekend whilst I was with some of my scrapping pals, I managed to get my Doc 2011 October pages done, and start on my November pages, and a few layouts as well as Sam & Sheena teaching me how to crochet.

Here are my layouts, I will upload my Doc pages later.

I had this idea to make a layout of the layout that won 1st prize at Sarah's Cards Retreat earlier this month. I decided to use the same papers that I had used for the original layout, and also include some the same elements.

This one is to go in my album with the ones about my road trip to Ally Pally in September, and it meeting Shimelle and SJ for Cupcake in the Park, after the show had finished. And yes the cupcakes tasted as good as they looked.

Funny Faces - taken at the Sarah Card's Retreat when me and Julie were messing around.

Products: October Afternoon - Sidewalk Collection, American Craft - Thickers,

Scarecrow Weekend

My 1st visit to the Belboroughton Scareecrow weekend, even though it rained I did manage to get some decent photos.

Products Used: American Craft - Nightfall collection, KI Memories Die Cut Calendar sheet.

Studio Calico - Month Stamp, embossed with Apricot Zing Embossing Powder

Apologies for the poor quality, took them this morning and not the best.

Twisted Sketches Card DT Call

Twisted Sketches are looking for some new talent to join the Card DT Team. More information here.

If you enjoy making cards, why don't you give it a go.

Toad Hall Weekend

Apologies again for a photo heavy post

I've just spent a fantastic scrapping weekend in Shropshire with the girls from the Skrapz crop. I love spending time with fellow crafter and I had a really enjoyable weekend.

My weekend started off with lunch in Much Wenlock with Sam,

we had lunch in a tiny but very traditional pub, had a walk around the town and some shopping,

then we set off to officially start our weekend.

We was greeted with these,

and the room all set up ready for us.

My room shared with Sam

The lovely Deb baked these FAB-U-LOUS cupcakes, and yes they tasted as good as they looked.

Like last year we hired outside caterers, for the weekend, such a fab idea and worth every penny.

Friday night was Curry Night

Cropping the night away

mini snap - Sam has a great camera that produces these mini Polaroids.

Our little attempt of getting some different looking photo from our photoshoot.

It was nice to spend time with both Sam and Sheena who I don't see as often has I would like, something that hopefully will be changed next year.

I want to give a big thanks to Sam for taking over the organisation of our weekend away, and the girls for making it special, looking forward to seeing you at the crops, our if not same time, same place next year.

I will upload what I did over the weekend soon.