Charity Crop Sneak Peak

Just sharing a sneak of the layout I will be teaching at Solihull next month.  You can find out more details here 

There are a few spaces left, so if you fancy a day of crafting and help support a good cause, please contact Morag on cropkat@gmail.com.

Layouts from The Forge - Pt. 2

These are my final layouts that I managed to complete whilst away.  I was very relaxed and didn't stress about how many I had done or was doing, but I did take enough stash to complete loads more, but the remaining pages kits will be handy for my future crops.

So using one of the new collection from Treesea Collins - Daily Stories - I did this double page a 12x12 and a pocket page.  I used photos from our first visit to The Forge and that fact that I wanted to get a serious photo but at each attempt it was just not happening.

Used Amy Tangerine - Plus One- Stamp set and stamped on cork.

I'm getting into the habit of using this pocket page format of adding more photos to my pages,  than just leaving them on my computer - I also think it helps to tell a fuller story.

I got some new wood veneer shape from Absolute Scraps which is run by Debbie at the Moxley crop, I call them wood veneer but they are a lot thinner, but there are some great designs and at a reasonable price.

 James on his Wii - using Crate Paper - Boys Rules Collection - the 'Boys will be Boys' phase is a die, which I borrowed from Kay.

Thanks for stopping by.

Layouts from The Forge - Pt. 1

Here are few of the layouts I did whilst away at the Forge earlier this month.


Platform 9 3/4 - another one for my Harry Potter album - James at Kings Cross Station

My Boy - Crate Paper - Boys Rules Collection.

16 - using Crate Paper - Party Time.   I'd got James some sparkle numbers for his birthday cake.

I'm not really a balloon person but I do love this embellishment that came with the collection, and of course I love the Amy Tangerine - Plus One - camera stamp.

I will be back soon with a few other I completed.

Teaching at the Forge - April 2014

Whilst at the Forge Barbara had asked me to show her how to do this layout.

I had taken the idea from this layout that I found on Pintrest -  I've got loads of lovely layouts pinned and I really need to either scrap life or use them has a starting point.

 I struck with the basic placement of papers etc, but I think I made it my own, and each of the pages that the girls did was all different but  staying with the same colour theme and paper placement.

I didn't get a photograph of my actual teaching the layout, but I did manage to get this great shot of all the finished ones.

Barbara - used a photo of her grandsons

Sue - used 3 small photos of her and her husband on their recent holiday.

Sue - to add a photo

Sheena - used a photo of one of her sons and nephew

Kay - used photo of her 3 sons

Sam - used a photo of one of her stepdaughter.

It gave me some practice for my class I'll be teaching next month, and I'm so glad that they enjoyed putting the layout together.

A Weekend with the Girls - The Forge - April 2014

I've just returned from a lovely weekend away in Derbyshire with my crafting buddies.  I've been organising weekend getaways for us for a few years now and we have such a laugh it always sad when the weekend comes to an end but it gives us some fantastic memories and something to look forward to when we do it all again, later in the year.

Here are a few of the photos I took over the weekend and will be back shortly with the layouts I did.

I don't know how Julie manages to pack the car so well, each time we go we really do try to not take as much stash … but has you can see its an epic fail.

We meet in Ashbourne and had lunch. 

The town was decorated in red, white & blue bunting - has the local Army regiment had returned to the town early in the week from their final tour of Afganistan.

Then we drove the 10 minutes to the cottage - this is the lovely spacious room before we underloaded the cars.

and early morning before we started to craft again.  Yes, two of us where quilting … and the burning question is 'Do I need to take up quilting?" 

We had several lovely meals.

Sue made this delicious Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

And of course being crafters we needed a few group shots.

Sheena had crochet each of us a mustach - brilliant

But the greatest laugh of the weekend was trying to get a decent signal on our mobiles, each of us spent a large amount of the weekend walking around the outside of the building at various stages trying our best to get a signal.

It was good to spend a couple of day with my buddies

and this was the view looking over the fields.


I had a fab time has I always do whenever I meet up with those girls, and I'm planning the next one already for later in the year.

Charity Crop - Solihull

Want to come and join us for a fun day out whilst doing a good deed?

The day kicks off at 10am. There are 2 layout classes as well as fun and games during the day.
A  fabulous buffet lunch, cake, refreshments, more cake and a raffle.

Sounds great eh?

Find out more and how to book by emailing Morag : cropkat@gmail.com or call the number shown on the poster. 

All proceeds are going to the COB Foundation who help so many people throughout the UK.

* * *

This is being organised by my friends Morag and Nicky who run the Solihull crop and they have asked Julie and I to design the classes (ahhhh !!!!) no, seriously, we are really pleased and grateful to be asked and we are looking forward to it and hopefully before Easter I will be able to share some sneaks of the layouts we've done.

I hope you can come along and have some fun and make some money for this small but important charity.

10 years in Birmingham

Well today marks 10 years since we officially moved to Birmingham.  I say officially, because my husband had been working in Birmingham for at least 2 years prior to us actually moving.

At the time of moving down and for quite a few years after I never thought I would have settled down, but settled down I have.

A lot has changed for us all in these last 10 years, but the best things is seeing James grow from a happy, cheeky little boy of 6

Into a lovely, handsome but still cheeky young man ...

who's getting ready to embark on his next stage of his life, going to College.

I still think as Preston as 'home' but have made Birmingham my 2nd home.  I'm fortunate enough to be able to visit Preston a couple of times a year, so I'm able to return to my roots, albeit for a short while, and recharge my batteries with my friends and some familiar surroundings.

 I have made some very good friends since I moved to Birmingham, and without these friends the journey to this stage in my life would have been so hard.  They have become part of my life, who have taken to me and allowed me to share part of their lives by being a friend, I want to thank them all for that, from the bottom of my heart.

I was talking to a friend, and mentioned that I didn't think I'd changed over the years, to which she said 'you have, well you have to me' …. I'm taking that in a good way - lol x  So I was thinking about her statement, and yes I have changed .. and I hope I've changed for the better.

I've let go of a lot of things, that would bother me, but now I feel why bother,  its not worth the hassle.  Now this could be an age thing or a complete change of environment, but yes, in this respect I've change.

I took up crafting, which is the biggest change in my life, and I truly love how much it has help me grow, starting off with card making and now scrapbooking and project life, this has been a life saver in more ways than one., and through crafting I have made some great friends.

I have lost two very important people in my life over the past few years, ones that I will miss daily and so wish that they could see James growing up.  Fortunately he remembers them as fondly and with love and we often talk about them and he can re-call events of his meeting with them with laughter and amazing detail and clarity.  I'm so glad that he remembers them.

I had a major operation 3 years ago, one that was needed perhaps 2 years prior to me actually having it  done, but one that when done, has given me my life back, and got me, to be me again.  It is true that you don't know how ill you are, until you start to feel better, and boy! is this true, and they say hindsight is a good thing.

But throughout it all, my total rock, has been my husband, Jon

(a rare photo of me and Jon has he's not keen on having is photo taken)

he is my anchor and he definitely keeps me grounded, and I love him, for loving me, for loving our son, and for making my life possible.

Marriage is not easy, and if anyone tells you it is, then they are lying, we have been together now for over 20 years,  and the both of us have had some major life changing events as a couple and as individuals, but one things that has not changed, is our love for each other.  Being married to this wonderful man is so worth it, I could never image my life without my husband and my son, no matter what heartache we endure we have each other and I have my boys.

The past 10 years have definitely flown by, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the coming years have for us as a family.

Thanks for reading my rambling.

Project Life - February 2014

Here are my February pages.



Back again at the Moxley crop: doctors visit; winter rose in my garden; crafting with friends.

Girls night out in the City; The morning after; 1st snow of the year; cinema visit; trying a new receipt in my slow cooker.

The receipt got a thrombus up from James.

Treated myself to Breakfast at Sainsbury's whilst waiting for my car to have it MOT and catching up with 2pea videos; 

6.30am call to pick Jon up after he had a puncture and couldn't fit it; 

exploding egg - apparently you can't reheat a boiled egg in the microwave; 

cinema visit; 

watch Sir Tom Finney funeral via the Internet - live from Preston (his services was in the Church me and Jon got married in).

Went to see the Ware Horse theatre production at the cinema - a very different experience, and one I'd do again.

NEC Trade show with Juile - to choose kit for an upcoming charity crop;

Snowdrops have finally arrived;

Visit to Ikea with James and then lunch at Pizza Hut;

Cinema visit;

James on the Wii.

Photoshoot with James;

Spending a few hours with my neighbour and her kids, started with Claire reversing into my front wall - apparently she didn't see it - lol x It's only been their for over 10 years.

 Thanks for stopping by….

Project Life - January 2014

Yeah!! I finished my Project Life  pages for January and February.

This year  I've decided to do the pages very minimal, so not a lot of embellishments, or should I say not a lot of thought about the embellishments like I did last year.  I have a few pots on my desk and I just dip into them and use what to had, I don't see a great need to find 'that perfect' embellishment to go with each card.  So some of page inserts might only have washi tape on others might have a button, clip, stamp.

I did start the year saying that I wouldn't include extra pages - but this has already failed - with my February pages - but I'm ok with that.

So here are my January pages

My first crop of the year at Moxley - a new crop for me - but one I will be attending as often as I can.
Lunch date with James before he went back to school.

Jon birthday;  Lunch with Juile; blue skies in the City: Hyacinth; theatre trip to see the Snowman with the School; starting back on our walks; James opening his bank account.

My 2nd visit to the Moxley crop; my wood veneer obsession; 

guest designer for a blog;

baking cupcakes;

The final week of January I spent, visiting the Doctors, Dentist and Hospital.

These are my January pages, very simply embellished but they are done and in the album.

My February pages will be up in a few days time.

Thanks for visiting.