A lovely week in Norfolk.

We have just spent a lovely and hot week in Norfolk. We have visited this area for the past 10 years and I love it. It was a place that my hubby and his family came to each summer when he was young and I 1st visited when we booked a surprise visit for my Nana 80th. I was addiment that I wasn't going to fall into the 'trap' of re-visiting the same place, year in, year out. but it has ended up with me always booking it and really enjoying myself.

It would be dream to own an holiday home here, but we can't afford it, so we will have to make do with our regular visits.

So here are a few of the many photos I took over the week. Has you can see I've been exploring how to make collages with picasa, and has I couldn't get an internet connection with my laptop then I had to do something , so some of my photos have been collaged.

The next thing is how to get more that one college attached per post - LOL

Anyway, photos show various views around the town, and I've added extra photos at the end.

A selection of the views around the town

Each day we had the beach to ourselves.

A fantastic sunset on Friday Evening

The moon taken abut 10 minutes after the sunset.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Layout Updated

These are just a few of the layouts I did over the last few weeks.

Road Kill - October Afternoon - Road Map - I know it's a odd title, but I think it appropriate. My MIL pick up her new car the week before this photo was taken in April, and on the drive to Norfolk, in her words "she felt a bump", and when we stopped for a picnic this is what she found

Lost Keys - October Afternoon - Road Map - James aged about 2, the photos looks likes hes looking for his keys, before he set off.

New Specs - Scrapagogo July 09 kit.

I recently found some old photos, pre-digital of a trip to the Zoo that me and DH did before we was married, so the photos are not the best of quality, with no close-ups, and none with me and DH on, but I wanted to documented them.

In one of my moments, I got a ton of American Craft mini albums from QVC, I think there was about 18 in the box, did manage to sell some but still got aload left, not too keen on the cover so decided to over it up.

Before

After

Inside the album

And finally for now, I wanted to do something different, and when I got some plain beermats at one of my recent crops, and produced this little mini album, of our trip to Weston-Super-Mare.

Thanks for stopping by ....

A Day at the Zoo

Well after last weeks disappointment with making arrangements to go out with kids, I went with Julie and her girls to Twycross Zoo, and we had a fantastic day. The girls and James got on really well. They had met once before but only for about 1/2 hour, so spending the whole day together and getting on was great.

I ended up taking 321 photos mainly of the mereacats, which I just loved, so much that Millie had to keep dragging me away, when ever I went near them.

I just love Lions, but was disappointed that the enclosure that they were in, gave very limited view, and the two viewing windows where really dirty, so this photos was taken with my zoom lens on full capacity.

and of course watching the gorillas, chimps and other types of monkeys were so funny.

We had a great time, has you can see from the smiles.

So just a few of the photos taken on the day, so look out for some appearing on my future layouts.

Thanks for stopping by ....

Canal Walk & Weston

On Sunday, we had a lovely day out in Birmingham, and we ended up walking by the canal. It always amazes me when we go for a walk here, because some of the areas are just lovely and you could be in the countryside, instead of being in the middle of a city.

Then on Wednesday, I made my first trip on my own to the nearest seaside from Birmingham, so me and James packed the car and off we went to Weston Super Mare, it tooks us 2 hours. I've was brought up in Preston, were Blackpool is only 20mins away, and where we would go on a regular basic, I've been know to pop over to Blackpool just to walk on the sea front for the afternoon, or even St Annes, so going to the seaside from Birmingham was a big thing for me. Don't get me wrong I've go twice or sometimes 3 times year to Norfolk, but that a family thing.

Originally, I was going with a friend, one of the mums from school and her kids, we set a date and other mums decided that they wanted to come, so in the end there should have been 6 families going. Then it was a case of who was driving, as two of the families didn't drive, and who was picking up who. By Monday night, the families with no cars hadn't got back to me, one family wasn't coming because she was having car problems, and the person I had arranged to go with, wanted to change the date from Tuesday to Wednesday, which we did. Then by Tuesday night, she was not answering the phone, either text of land-line, I was so mad, so it left just one other family going. I will not be making plans to go anywhere with her again, and people wonder why I do alot of things on my own.

So off we went and we had a great day, the weather was pants, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.

Must go now, my August ScrapaGoGo kit has arrived need to have a play.

Thanks for dropping by.

More Layouts & Cards

Just a few of the Layouts that I've done over the past week.

This 1st one is one from the Weekend Crop run by Solhiull Craft Club, this was designed my Morag, I'd arrived late for the class so completed it at home, and realised that I needed to do some extra stamping, so will have to finish off when I'm next their.

Over on the Scrapagogo Clubhouse, they are always encouraging you to use up your old kits, so this is using the May 2009 kit. The photos were taken in May on my visit to Chatsworth. The "construction" is amazing, it a big metal thing, that opens up like a flower, in stages to reveal the "golden" centre.

Trying to use up my July 09 kit, Liberty has made 9 LO with hers, so need to see how many I can do with mine before the next kit arrive, think I'm upto 5 at the moment.

Photo of James, after me taking one to many photos.

When I was having one of my de-cluttering phases the other day, I came across some old photos. These are ones of James - with his Dad glasses on and reading his book. He did it himeself, but obviously had to get camera to re-stage it. They bring back great memories. Papers are MME - Bloom & Grow Collection

How to some cards, I'm doing two wedding in the next couple of weeks, so I made these two cards really quickly. Used a ready made papermania topper pack and my new Nestabilities Die - Label 4.

Then using Scrapagogo August 08 Kit, made a friend this "New Home" card.

And finally for now, going on holiday soon and because space is limited, and I need to take some craft things to do, I got this toiletry bag from M&S, it was about £5.00 or so. I've filled it with stampped images, die-cut shapes, and my water colouring pens and pencils so that I can make some card toppers, and I even got some Christmas images done, so should be a little head this year.

Well that all for today.

Thanks for stopping by...

De-Cluttering ....

I've decided to declutter, which is really hard for me, so on looking through some boxes I came across some old photo albums, of me and Jon before we got married, and James when we lived in Preston.

Photos are not great but they have brought back alot of memories, so here the first one using October Afternoon - Road Map Collection. This layout is the quickest I've done, which took me less than an hour, which is un-heard from me.

I used this stamp from the "Forest Friends" Collection from Stampin' Up.

I also found some photos of our first holiday in Cornwall, which I've decided to put into a mini-book. Not sure how many pages it will end up with, so I will be binding it later.

Here are 7 - 8" x 8" pages that I've made so far, using K&Co. Wild Saffron Collection. I need to find out the names of the places that we took the photos at, so no journalling as yet.

I even found some "buzz & bloom" flower shapes that I got ages ago from Skrapz.co.uk that I coloured with felt-tip pens, which works really well.

Don't forget that I'm starting a "Stamper 6" Club - see info. below. Just need 3 more to join.

Must get back to de-cluttering now ... and see what else I can find.

Thanks for stopping by .....

10% off and Stampin' Up Club 6

Calling all Ladies you love great product.

As a new Stampin' Up Demonstrator I would like to offer you 10% discount off any order place with me before 5pm 20th August. All orders have a charge of 5% of the total sales to cover P&P costs.

As a Stampin' Up Demonstrator I've been asked if I would run a "Virtual Party". This is how it works.

I've already got one person interested, so just need 5 more.

Each month every member will spend £25 (+p&p) which will add up to a total spend of £150 each month, this is equivalent to a virtual party which earns a Level 1 hostess stamp set plus £15 of SU goodies from the catalogue.

Each month a different member will take a turn at being hostess and will received that months P&P free. Once you have joined the club I will send you a free SU catalogue (worth £4.95) to everyone who signs up for this offer so that you can see all the beautiful stamp sets and goodies you will be able to choose from before your first order.

I am looking to start this club in September, if you are interested in joining in or require further information please email me at jackie.ashton1@btinternet.com

* * *

It was originally going to be for £20 per month, but by only 6 people joining it will not enable the amount to qualify for the hostess benefits. If I get more to sign up I will still run it for 6 months, and the monthly commitment will be reduced, eg 10 sign up, then it will be £15.oo (+P&P) each month.

So basically its has follows:

* 6 people join

* each person commits to spend minimum of £25 (+ P&P)

* each month one of the 6 is the hostess and will get free P&P on her order for that month, plus the benefit of the hostess level 1 set and benefits. This can increase depending on the sales each month, but is guaranteed to be at least £150.

* payment by paypal.

So if you are interested please contact me.

Cosmo Cricket has arrived ....

.... and its lush ...

Look what my lovely postie just left for me. The new Crafting kits from Cosmo Cricket all the way from USA.

I've not orders anything from the USA for along time, preferring to use the UKS Sponsors instead, but when blog hopping last week I came across these, they are due in the UK at the end of August / September, but I order from the Cosmo Site on 29th and they came today. I was really surprised that I could order from them direct.

Will be sharing the papers with Julie, she will just have to get the stickers and journalling sheet to add to them.

I'm hoping to go to Ally Pally in September with the Bromsgrove crop girls, so if they have arrived in the UK by then can pick her some up then.

Tara a bit (found myself saying this the other day to some friends - its a brummy saying - I think I need a Lancashire visit to get me back to speaking properly - LOL)