In A Strop !!!!!

I love this photo, it's just so typical of Louis. I tend to always scrap the perfect family photos, everyone smiling, but Louis is such a stroppy pants at times, about time the real him was scrapped !!! : )

We've had such a lovely day. They've played so well together and I printed off some pictures for them to colour in the garden. I gave them each a clipboard folder so they had something to hold their pictures in place and something to lean on.

Louis dropped his all over the kitchen floor which resulted in this mega girlie strop. He tore all the pages up and sulked.

Ade got a new camera yesterday and happened to be practising and caught this perfect shot of stroppy pants. The first photo to be printed off the new camera.

I adore the colours of this photo and knew instantly that the bright and colourful 'Dreamstreet' papers had to be used. Perfect match !! I lifted a couple of flowery ideas that I've seen Kathy and also Nicky Noo use, thought I'd give them a whirl. I love the way Kathy layers her flowers so high. Really do like that effect and then Nicky recently made these flowers simply by cutting circles and screwing up. I added my journaling to theses flowers too.....thanks girls xx

Back in the box

I spent some time in my Nan's old cardboard box again this morning. Sorting through the photos. It really is like an old treasure chest, finding something new each time.
I found these two photos, they don't really look anything special, not even in good focus, but they suddenly bought back so many memories and feelings visiting my grandparents when they moved to Swansea.
We all really enjoyed going down to the mumbles...the rock pooling and sea shell hunting. These had to be the next photos that I scrapped from Nanny's photo box xx

Papers are saffa frass and tags from a scrapagogo kit. xx

Another JB challenge

Slowly getting through them. I've made this card using Leigh's challenge on Just Bex. It's a sketch challenge.

xx

Todays offering.....

Decided to play with this photo of Hollie today. It was taken on Mother's Day last year in Florida whilst we were in Epcot. A day full of really happy memories : )

This was a combination of Scenic Routes Loveland collection and Fancy Pants Simplicty. I love both collections, the colours are so me. I love the Fancy Pants transparancies and had fun cutting this 12x12 up xx

My latest buy

It's a beer bucket AND it's pink !!!!

I love it, it's just so cool. I found it one of those bargain shops that has anything and everything. I was with Julie yesterday and we went into this shop together. We are both scrap-a-holics so have a good understanding when we shop together. What she doesn't find I do and likewise. So I bought this one in pink and julie bought one in blue. Can you see the bottle opener chained to the handle? : ) just needs a bottle of bud to make it perfect !!!

Naturally this then inspired me to rearrange my desk yesterday afternoon. I am fortunate to have a very large corner desk in my studio and just love this little corner now. I have a 2 heart shaped journal baskets, a bigger one for my Love Elsie stickers and embellishments, my 3 tier cake stand for inks at the bottom a foam alphabet stamp set in the middle and various pushy stamps at the top. Then I've also top my 'Mimi' totes to the side......perfection : ) oooohhhh I love my hobbie xx

ps....the latest Love Elsie book (Recipe Box) arrived today.....mmmmmmmmmm is all I can say right now : ) xx

Scrappy Happy...

That's how I have been this week : ) You know you have times when you struggle and just feel that horrid block and there's times like now....all I can think about is photos, stash and LO's. So when I do get chance to get stuck in, it just happens. Love it !!!!

This LO above is my Mummy and Daddy back in '74 : ) It was inspired by a challenge over on Just Bex a couple of weeks ago. Had to make a card or LO with holes. I bought this bazzil cardstock at the Make it show back in January, but still hadn't had the need to use it and the same for the lace card stock which came from a Scrapagogo kit a couple of months ago with the yellow card, flowers, buttons and tag.

The LO above is a beautiful photo of my Nan (holding my aunt). I love this photo, my nan was so beautiful. I've written on the tag at the back my memories of how she smelt...this clean kind of cosmetic type smell and she had the softest skin I have ever known.

The tag is just an old tag that I kept off something and stamped scenic rout flowers on and the word 'beautiful', creating the title 'Simply Beautiful' which hasn't been captured so well in the photo xx

More Center Parcs ....

I finished these at the beginning of the week. I had fun with my latest kit from littleredscraphouse working with more of our center parc piccies. xx

Center Parcs LO's ... Mummy Said....

I've made this LO using the cosmo cricket 8x8 paper pad from the 'Get Happy' collection. These pads are so easy to use. I love them !!

http://sassycrafts.co.uk/item_528/Cosmo-Cricket--Get-Happy-8x8-pad.htm

Perfect bank holiday weekend so far

I am loving this bank holiday weekend. I've managed to get so much done.

I started by blizting both kids rooms yesterday morning and then we spent the afternoon at Chessington World of Adventures. We stayed mainly in the zoo area and just enjoyed the afternoon as the weather was so nice. We did finish by taking Louis on the vampire roller coaster for the first time. Last year he cried as he wasn't tall enough, but yesterday he just reached the line to be able to ride (110cm) YAY !!! He then started having doubts whilst queing. He decided to ride anyway, I sat next to him and held his little hand throughout the ride. He screamed the whole time ''mummy I don't like it, I want to get off''', at the end he said ''I'm never going on that again!!'' oh dear!! He usually loves all the big rides and loves the coasters in legoland. He said it hurt him being thrown about in his seat. We've decided to leave that ride until he's abit bigger. Poor Louis !!
Anyway, back to our weekend. Ade and myself had a eurovison night...what aload of nonsence eh?!! Ade made my fave 'cheese pudding' mmmmm scrummy!!

This morning I had latte in bed whilst reading my scrapbook magazine and then delved into my latest kits.
I was disappointed to start with that both of my kits had the some of the same papers.
( http://www.littleredscrapbook.com/)
(http://www.scrapagogo.co.uk/index.php?p=1)
but actually I quite like it. I feel like I have 1 huge kit and have been even more scissor happy than usual. Plus all the bits and pieces that come with them all coordinate nicely. I made the LO below 'louis' Hat' and this one at the top here 'Stick or twist'.

I've also managed to blizt the kids bathroon and now have a lamb roast in the oven whilst Ade is working in the ensuite upstairs. The kids are playing nicely and they have also scrapped a LO each this morning.

And I've treated us to a new dvd this week. I was telling the kids about 'The Neverending Story' on the way to school on Thursday and decided to go home and find it online....it arrived yesterday : ) so that's planned for after dinner.

So all in all a lovely weekend : ) and we still have tomorrow to go too.....hip horray for bank holidays xx

Louis' Hat

I'm quite pleased that my kiddies are growing up to be rather creative. I love their enthusiasm for making and love to see what they make. Our first morning in Center Parcs they were up at 6am whith their paper and pens at the dinner table, quiet and content (thankfully).

Louis came into us later on and Said

''Look Mummy, Hollie has made me a hat''. We couldn't help but laugh at him. ''Louis what do you look like???''

xx

A Special One

I'm really pleased with this one. I've been playing with this piccie for a couple of days, changing the papers ect, you know how it is. I'm trying to catch up on the Just Bex forum with the challenges that I missed last week and there is one where you need to make a card or LO with the word 'Special' featured. So this got me started yesterday on this LO. A photo and a title, just needed the rest.
Decided to be a good mum last night and had a mini crop with the kids. I printed off a photo each for them and put together a little kit, so the 3 of us scrapped in the living room for an hour. It was really fun : ) I took in my pack of Saffa Frass papers with a couple of bits of matching ribbons and buttons and ....hey presto....this was suddenly born.
The photo is my preschool group when I was 4. I've written on the back all the names that I can remember in correct order. I'm quite amazed, I left the village when I was 13 and could not remember just 4 names, still knew all the others : ) xx

Nunu Toolies sketch challenge

I found Kazan's blog Nunu Toolies (http://nunutoolies.blogspot.com/) whilst nosing over on Sue's blog. It's great and has fab challenges.

I need to make a special friend a 'thank you' card this week so have worked with the sketch on Kazan's blog. And here is my card : )

The patterned paper and ribbon are from Fancy Pants xx

Finally finished Mum's Jornal set

It's Mum's birthday on Thursday. Nicky Noo set a competition on the Just Bex craft forum some time ago to make one of these jornal sets.....perfect for Mum's birthday I thought. I started it a while ago and really pleased that it's all done now.

The idea is that the box is filled with lots of questions like...where were your family holidays when you were a little girl and what did you do? How where and when did you meet Dad? Tell me about your wedding day, who was there, where it was and Mum, why did you choose bright turquoise for your bridesmaids? There's so much I want to find out and this way I get the book back and not only do I get to keep my Mum's story, but Hollie will get to have it one day and then she can pass it on too. Mum can just take a little question out of the box as and when she chooses and write about it in the book. I'm really pleased with it and made a matching card too.

Thanks for the idea Nicky Noo. All papers are from Fancy pants xx

We're back !!!

We are back after a week at Center Parcs. We had such a lovely few days, but now feel like I need a holiday. Now the kids are getting older, the bike rides and walks are getting longer and the nights out later : ) We tried short tennis with the kids and crazy golf too this time and managed to go swimming a couple of times too...busy...busy...busy.

Our villa was lovely this time. There's a piccie from the back of where we were at the top. That was taken from our patio doors. We had constant visitors from ducks who fed from our hand,a swan, squirrels, rabbits and a deer once too : ) the jacuzzi was rather cool aswell.

On our way home we stopped over with my lovely friend Nicky. Love her to bits !!! She's just the loveliest person ever and it helps obvioulsy that we adore scrapping too. The families all hit it off and it makes visits so very easy.

When I got home, my scrapagogo kits was waiting...yay !!!! mmmmm rather scrummy!!!

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to play, I've been shoulder high in work since getting back, but did put this LO together of Louis yesterday in super fast time. Just love the piccie xx

Just Bex - Challenge Week

This is a LO from the challenge set by Est 'Papermania'. You have to use 3 lots of patterned paper. I've used some bits from last months Scrapagogo kit and the red is Gin x I think.

I love this photo and have been playing for a couple of weeks with it now, rearranging on different papers. The older lady is my Oma (great grandma) with her children. My Nanny is the oldest child. xx

Just Bex Challenge weekend

Yay !!!! I love these weekends.

(http://justbex.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=15)

The 1st challenge is from Sarah. It's worth a visit just to view her cards, simply stunning!!

The challenge is 'My Favourite things' and Sarah's are ...chipboard, buttons, ribbons, tags and flowers or stars. The card has to include all the items.

I've made this card for my cousin and his family. They had their second baby on Tuesday, little Harry. Although he hasn't been doing too well unfortunately : ( He's on the mend though and they've been told they need to stay in until next Friday. Poor things xx

Papers by the way are from Dream street and my tag is from My Minds Eye. xx

Kathy's Waffle....

....is one of my fave blogs to visit(http://kathybsworlduk.blogspot.com/)

Love it...so colourful, fun and full of inspiration, defo worth a visit.

Kathys celebrating her 40,000 visitor to her blog !! and has given a template to play with. I really enjoy templates these days. and came up with this card today using the fabby cogsmo papers : ) xx

Men's Cards

This week Emma (Sassy Crafts) : http://www.sassycrafts.co.uk/

has asked for some mens cards

....oooohhh we all hate those (mmmm now do I mean we hate men or men's cards?????) Well, some luverly cosmo cricket pads landed on my doorstep this week and I've been dying to play.I love these pads. So easy to use, all the little jornaling bits inside are fab. I have a head swimming full of ideas for LO's now : )

This weeks DCM challenge

This weeks DCM challenge goes as so:

AD-dicted-I want you to browse the tv and magazines for advertisments and use them as inspiration. It might be the format, the colours, the products, the slogan - whatever floats your boat. Remember you can do this anytime, any place, anywhere as long as you link it to this blog in the usual way!

Boy, has this one had my brain working over the weekend. I eventually found this ad in one of Ade's home mags. and made this card this morning. I sanded the edges of the 'Little Yellow Bicycle' card stock and doodled around the edges.
View the fab challenges here :
http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/
xx

and one more

It really has been a crafty day. The last card I've made is for our little friend Jack. He's 9 tomorrow. Don't really enjoy making boys cards, but it'll do xx

Sue's Challenge ....

Sue set a sketch challenge on the 'Just Bex' forum on Friday. The challenge was to also add a charm to the card. I ended up making two. Quite enjoyed this one !! xx

A crafty day today....

I have managed to craft most of the day today : ) Louis has been at a birthday bash and Hollie has a friend over. I'm seeing my Nan again tomorrow and she was going to go and buy a 'thank you' card for the hospital where Bamps was. I said I would make her some and she could choose what she wants. I've made some very plain basic ones (to match the order of service that I made for the funeral) and I made these 3 too. The last one was the recent 'Dcm' challenge, I made another and changed it slightly. Hope she likes them. xx

Nanny's Poem

I made this little poem mini book for my Nanny last night. It's Bamps' funeral today. Feeling really nervous. I wanted to make something for Nanny and thought this little poem seamed perfect. They've both been the perfect grandparents. My little sister and I have the best memories as children with them. We are so lucky to have them xx

(Papers and tags by October Afternoon)