Birthday Meal, German Market, Winter Walk

Trying to catch up with my comings and goings over the past few weeks ...

So on the 11th December, me and my 'Huttie' girls went out for my Birthday meal at our local Chinese, and these are a few of the photos from that night.

me and Sarah

Sarah & Wendy

Then to my surprise the waiters started to sing "Happy Birthday to you" I started to look around the restaurant to see whos birthday it was, and they were heading in our directions and Wendy had made me a birthday cake and they had also got me some flowers.

I love these girls, and I feel blessed that I can count them as my friends.

Then the German Market was in town, so just a few snaps of the stalls.

On 20th we went for a walk along the Birmingham Canal and its the first time that I've ever seen a canal frozen, it was just amazing

Only managed to get a few photos, because I had to keep up with J&J who walk really quickly ... and kept moaning that I was flagging behind.

So that all for now. It's my Birthday tomorrow (24th) and there are loads of prezzies under the tree, and to my amazement I've not even been having a feel to try and figure out what in them. So I'll sign off for now and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Back in 2010

Snow time

Just wanted to blog these photos, just taken in our garden. We had an additional flurry of snow this afternoon and when Jon came home he wanted to build a snowman in the garden, so after a snowball fight, we ended with these.

Not a very big one but lots of fun to do.

What a great way to end a day and for Jon to start his Christmas break.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Where Does the time go ...

Exactly, where does all the time go, one minutes its September and I'm panicking about my Son starting Secondary school, the next minute its Christmas and I feel like I've slept through the past few months - LOL.

Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas has started, and I've only managed to do 3 pages so far. Cheryl Johnson 12 days of Christmas has started and finished and I've dabbled with my camera each day but not managed to get anything uploaded to the website yet, but have a couple of weeks to do that.

But on the plus side I've done all my Christmas shopping now, its wrapped and waiting to be delivered on Christmas Day, fortunately I've only got a small family to buy for, so all is done and dushed. I was really amazed when talking to Julie has to how many presents she buys - I swear I would knock that on the head ... but that just me - LOL

Right have finally attended my last crop of the year over at Solihull, where we had a Christmas buffet and I did some birthday cards and of course had a laugh ... but no scrapping. Needed to do some cards has I've a few birthdays this coming 2 weeks.

So last Wednesday (9th) me and Julie went over to Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull, to do some shopping and see what loveliness they have at their Paperchase store. And for the 1st time I got a "Red Cup". Over the past few years I could never got my head round the fascination of the "Red Cup" from Starbucks, after all its just coffee wasn't?

Well after checking out the UKS GoGo thread and AllyCat mentioning getting a red cup ornament, I mentioned to Julie about the ornament and has we where going to stop for a coffee anyway we decided on Starbucks and get a 'Red Cup". We just had a normal Latte each and then we saw the ornaments and Julie was very kind and got me one as part of the Christmas present. Well the ornaments were wrapped up in lovely tissue and came in a nice Christmas bag, which will definiately end up on a layout in the future.

Julie has already cut her bag up and made a layout ... she added to her JYC album as a extra page, so I will have to do the same. So here is my photo of my 1st ever photo of a "Red Cup"

Not great photos has I didn't take my camera and these were done on my mobile and bluetoothed to my Mac - I love this Mac, one of my best purchases so far, I'm even thinking of change the house PC next year to a Mac.

Anyway since then I've had 2 more and I tried the Toffee Nut Latte and boy I'm hooked and if the shop was nearer I would be going in everyday just for a Latte in a Red Cup - I so easily hooked - LOL

On Monday (14th) me and Julie were ment to be meeting our friend Bev, for lunch, but she had to re-schedule so we ended up shopping and then Julie had a surprise for me and took me to the Cinema. It was so funny because:

1. She wouldn't tell me where we were going.
2. Has I only drive to the places I know, I was completely lost and couldn't tell you where she was driving us too, but we ended up in Dudley.
3. When we entered the Cinemas she parked at the back of the building and then went on her own to get the tickets, and nowhere in the foyer was anything to tell me what was showing that day.
4. And she refused to tell me - LOL
5. Only found what was showing when the title appeared on screen - and what make me laugh that I'd never even heard of it.
6. Julie did remark she hoped I like it, and I think she enjoyed, me not knowing what was going on.
7. She even provided me was a tissue, OMG, what was I going to be watching that I needed a tissue for,

Well it was this

Which was filmed in Coventry and was very funny and at the end very touching, so yes I loved it, and the tissue came in handy - LOL

This was followed by lunch at ... McDonalds.

I had a great day and its somethings that I will try and do next year, and its something that I wouldn't have thought about going to the cinemas through the day. What a great surprise and very much appreciated. Thanks Julie xxx

Will be back soon up update my Birthday meal photos.

Thank for stopping by

Recent Layouts

Right as promised, the layouts done at the Exhall Green Christmas Crop and designed by Cleo Jarvis (Bellaboo)

This had alot, and I mean alot of detail, the tree shape was done using the chipboard tree below, and traced on to a sheets of Kraft cardstock, then the all of the back of the cardstock was covered to bits of patterned paper and lace, left to dry, then machined sewed all over, tree shape cut out, and heart shapes, adding some hand stitching here and there, and but together. The shape around the edge was done using a shaped cardstock and handstitched. Absolutely FAB-U-LOUS - as Craig Revel Halwood would say.

My Mind's Eye - I do believe that Cleo has a passion for cutting out details from patterened papers, which works really well. The white cardstock has various size circle printed on it using bottle cap, cutters and pearlesent ink.

This tree she designed herself and got them made up. Again loads of details, painted white, stamped on top with ink and pattern of your choice. heart shapes cut out from the kraft cardstock, beads, threads, etc, etc. On her original one she had but photos onto the back of Bottle tops, but I've not round to doing that yet - and I doubt it I will at this stage.

And this one is the only one I managed to do on Saturday at Bromsgrove - its a sketch challenge

October Afternoon - Report Card


added a journalling card behind the main sheets.

Rights that all for today, will have to finish sorting out my Journal Your Christmas 2009 album and get them photographed and uploaded.

Thanks again for stopping by...

Major Catch up ... I'm a Winner

I'm back, well I never really went away, just been extra busy.

Well I'll start with my 1st trip down to Wvyerstone - which is the base or the Scrapagogo crop, I went with Sheena and we had a wonderful day, but shock, horror - I forgot to take my Camera :( - so no pictures - I was so busy checking and rechecking the route and yes a bit panicky about the long drive down, I forgot to take my camera - but I did pack a big torch, my thick coat, a blanket my walking boots just in case - LOL.

Anyway it was a great day and we had a wonderful meal at the 3 horseshoes pub, which was very oldy worldy and the food was just brill.

We had booked to stay over a a Premier Inn so off we went and "Mrs SatNav" gaves us a guided tour of the local villages - not a good idea to do in the dark and when its raining anyway ended up stopping a taxi driver and asked for directions and 10 minutes later we arrived, just in time to watch I'm a Celebrity ... LOL. On the way back we where planning are route down for next year, keeping out eyes open hotels along the way and my task for the new year is to find any craft shops that open on a Sunday between Wyverstone and Coventry so that we can break the journey - well that will be our excuse.

Then the 29th was the Exhall Green Christmas Crop which we arrived back in Coventry for about 10ish, which was good going considering we stopped for a break and fill up with some petrol. As this was the Christmas Crop and the crops 1st years birthday Tracie & Claire had provided lunch, image how surprize when we had a full Christmas Dinner - which went down really well, and what with Cleo Jarvis bringing her shop - Bellaboo - and doing 3 great projects, it just rounded the weekend off, but I must admit my 4ish I was beginning to flag so we set off earlier.


So on the crafty front - I did a few cards at Julies last week, but wasn't really into it - forgot most of my things so had to finish off at home.


Using papers and cards from my Scrapagogo Greetings kits and Tilda stamps

Some simple boy cards - Elzebell boy stamp.


Saturday 5th - was The Bromsgrove Christmas Crop run by Liberty, Debs and Rachel. Liberty had also organised Cleo/Bellaboo to come over with her shop. Again another great day, but my day was spolit by my consent sneezing, the crop started a 11ish and I think I finally stopped sneezing about 4pm, it left me completely drained and at about 2pm I was even thinking of going home - but I struck it out. I started the day by taking Cold & Flu tablets, then I took a hayfever one, then I took some hayfever nasal spray but nothing worked, by the time I got home I felt awful and ended up in bed even before my son.

Anyway, the girls had organised a great day, Deb/Rachel had set some challenges, Liberty had provided a great buffet lunch and she had even organised Santa to make a special visit (her brother really - and he did a great job)


Santa & Deb - sorry not a good photo.

I'm a winner - yes little old me, won a challenge, I don't always entry challenges/competitions, because I never win and get so dissapointed when I put a lot of effort in and I feel that the same people always win, so image my surprise when I got home and opened an envelope with these in - I won the November Use it Up Challenge over on Scrapagogo Clubhouse. I hadn't even checked the Clubhouse site before then to see who had won. So I take back what I say about the same people always winning, and will be entering more often - LOL

Prize from Scrapagogo

Winning Layout - using November 2008 kit - Did you notice that I've spelt Swing wrong - anyway the orginial has been rectified now - LOL

Right will be back later with the layouts from Cleo class- when I get around to taking pics - LOL

Retreat layouts

OK, so I had a some spare time and managed to photography and uploads the layouts I did over the weekend at the Cronkhill Retreat. Really surprised on how much I managed to get done, but as well as these I did some 8x8 pages for the Journal Your Christmas album which starts on 1st December.

This is one from the Scrapagogo Retreat that was designed by SJ.

Cosmo Cricket - Nutmeg Collection

Cosmo Cricket - Nutmeg Collection

October Afternoon - Farm Fresh

October Afternoon - Report Card

This is for a Sketch Challenge over on Scrapagogo using Prima Marketing Papers

Scrapagogo November 2009 kit & Hybrids

Scrapagogo November 2009 Kit, Stamp & Hybrid

So at the moment that all I've done in the scrapping department, but hope to have some more to upload next week, after another 'scrappy' weekend.

Cronkhill Retreat

This last weekend I was away again at a Retreat, I was asked by Chelle, a friend of Sheena, who runs the Nuneaton crop to join her and a group of friends for a crafting weekend away. She had booked this lovely cottage in Shropshire.

So off we went, in total there should have been 9 of us, but one didn't make it due to illness. But what a fun time we had, late nights, laughing, eating, and of course scrapping all made the weekend so great.

The Cottage

View from one of the windows. The water you can see is a waterlogged field, not the river.

This was one of the bedroom - actually the one that me and Sheena shared.

A large spacious kitchen

A very large scrapping area

The gang sitting down for a meal.

We also had a few challenges over the weekend, one was to decorate a cupcake then we voted on the one we liked the best.

Then there was "Hunt for Bob" - which I only managed to find 4 times, but at least I found him eh!!!

Bob hinding behind the curtains ...

We also had "Bitchy Raffle", which was such fun and we all had a great laugh "stealing" each others raffle prizes - but we did all manage to get at least one prize each.

And if all that got too much we had a "roaring" log fire in the lounge where we could get away from it all and just relax and of course watch Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor and I'm a Celebrity .....

This was a weekend away that I was not sure what to expect, has it's not a kind of Retreat that I've been on before - but it was a complete different experience for me and one that I really enjoyed and look forward to going back again next year.

I've got loads of pics to upload, especially of our 'Supendity Day" on Sunday, were we all dressed up in a particular colour and spend the day just laughing, so please pop back and see what other fun we got up too.

I will try and upload them as soon as I get copies, but I'm away again this coming weekend, going with Sheena to the Scrapagogo Christmas Crop, staying over then going to the Exhall Green Christmas Workshop Crop on the Sunday, but between then and now need to get some housework sorted.

Thanks for stopping by ....

Update on Layouts - Use it Up Nos. 32 - 33

A few of my layouts that I've done over the past few weeks, but only got around to uploading. I'm counting a couple of these has my Use it up total, bringing it to 32. But I really think that I've done my 50 total because I've been doing loads of Christmas cards, and using up my old papers, I think I've done about 70 cards as far so definately over my mark.




No. 32 - This one of of me and James in our Garden - just messing around with my camera - Cosmo Cricket - Earth Love





No. 33 This is one I did at the Getaway - using the Lovely October Afternoon - Farm Fresh


Scrapagogo October 2009 kit



These last few shots are of toadstool that a friend and I found whilst on our daily walk, we finished the walk then got into the car and went back to take photos - I know, I know it defeats the object of getting some daily exercise but it was raining, and we did get some funny looks from cars passing of us trying to get as far down as possible on the ground without getting completely wet!




There were loads of these types and they are something that I've never seen before in real life only in books or photos that other people had taken, and one garden not only had these, but some that looked like upside down coconuts.

I have got a few more layouts to share with you, but I've not taken the photos yet, so please pop back and check them out over the weekend.