Wednesday 30 March 2011

Central Park #2

Today I have the remainder of my DT work for Cocoa Daisy this month.
I can honestly say, I have had so much fun with this kit.

A page showing my birthday cards from the children that they made me.
I adore the jenni Bowlin paint I used on this.



One of this months add ons comes with a whole roll of this American Crafts Rose ribbon. Beautiful : )



I love the inside of Louis' card. Over to the left he's drawn me and him all smiley and on the right (with the glasses) are Ade and Hollie being miserable : )



Ade took a series of photos of when I opened Louis' card and Louis reading and telling me everything about it.
Each Cocoa Daisy kit comes wrapped with co ordinating tissue paper. I've used modge podge on this page to stick some of it down. Left to dy and then gesso'd over the top. Lefto to dry again and then added some paints and mists.





It's our last footy match this weekend following our first season as a team. I've made this for their coach/manager from the boys as a thank you. He is such a lovely man. He's so patient with the boys, so encouraging, someone you are so happy for your son to have as a role model in their life. I hope he knows how much we as parents all think of him. He doesn't get paid for doing this and has a young family himself (and he looks lovely in a pair of shorts too). he he he...
I've taken some lovely photos of the boys during this season and dedicated one page per child. Each child was given a piece of card to write a message on and write their name which has been stuck along side the photo.



And my Mother's Day card for my Mummy this weekend.





So that's it. Central Park, Aprils Cocoa Daisy Kit. I recommend : )

Ade and I are going to see Taylor Swift at the O2 in London tonight. I feel rather excited. I love her. I'm hoping for a romantic evening : ) We could pretend it's a date. LOL

Nothing much else to tell today. Hollie had all her hair cut off last night. A short layered bob and looks lovely. We had to dash straight off to footy last night so I haven't had chance to take a photo yet.
I'm off for a quick cuppa with a friend in a bit and I've started making my first ATC's and love them. We are doing a swap at Cocoa Daisy. I think I might make myself some to keep. They are so much fun.
Oh and we watched 'District 9' last night. Oddly wierd but good.

So that's me for Wednesday.
Thank you for stopping by, I love reading your comments : )
xxx

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Central Park #1

That's the name of this months (April) new Cocoa Daisy Kit. Think fresh, greens, flowers, butterflies, think Spring and that's what you've got in this months kit.
Yum Yum.
Take a look here. The addons are beautiful again this month.
It goes on sale on the 1st. But if you subscribe you can grab earlier before they go out of stock.

Here's a page I made with this kit.
A self portrait taken on my birthday last week. We were doing our usual thing of getting organised and the kids and me waiting in the car ready for Ade. We always end up waiting for him. I get annoyed sometimes about this and threaten that if ever we were to split, I'm going to invoice him for all my lost time. He will owe me ALOT!!!!



See isn't this a pretty kit?!!
The green journal thing is a rub-on from Studio Calico. I decided to rub-on to white card to use it in one go.



And I just adore these little flags. They are so cute. Both the rub-on and the flags are in the 'Greengap' addon.



And this Jenni Bowlin 3x3'' Butterfly Stamp is my fave. I love it!! It's part of the main kit and can also be bought on it's own here.
I've used gesso on my stamp for this LO. I love that when it's dry it feels very raised to touch. I love that texture on my page.



And some cards made using the kit too.
The Basic Grey paper and the green sheer ribbon are in the main kit.



You just can't go wrong with butterflies.



So there you are, the first glimpses of my April kit.
I'm really enjoying using all these fresh colours, feels so right how the days are longer and milder and the trees are coming into blossom.

Thank you for stopping by : )

Monday 28 March 2011

Got the Bug!!

Hello,

I've got the scrap bug pretty bad right now.
You know when you eat, sleep and just think scrap all the time. That's me right now.
I did manage to sneak in some scrappy time over the weekend. I even finally filed away all my 2010 pages into one album. I need more albums, they are bulging badly. The year ones are fine but I also have separate albums for each of the kids and one for me. These are over flowing now. Plus I still need a 2011 album.

So here's a new page.
Inspired by the Pencil Lines Sketch.



We had Red Nose Day in the UK this month. Raising lots of money for Africa and some UK charities. And having lots of fun whilst doing it.



Louis and his friend dressed as Mario and Luigi to go to school.
I'm so pleased that Louis wanted to make an effort and dress up, so many of the kids of his age find it embarresing already. I find this so sad at his age. I like seeing them having fun.



And over on the Papermaze blog, I have a couple of picture frames I tarted up recently.





I have a big work deadline for today, so I need to get cracking with that really.
I spend far too much time on here,
See you later x

Saturday 26 March 2011

I Don't Understand????

So, tell me. It's now 11.30pm. I've been tired all day. Since after lunch I've lulled about and have had no energy, but so why at this hour am I wide awake and could carry on playing in my studio all night long???
I just doesn't make sense.
I've pottered all evening in here. I have a new hanging for my fave stamps, so I've sorted that. I've had a general tidy. Listened to music, drank pepsi, eaten some milka, filed my 52 week project to date, made my Sketchy Thursdays DT page for next week and photographed the 5 pages that I've made since Thursday night : ) I'm on a roll at the mo.

Here's one of my new pages that I've made.
I joined in with Julie's challenge blog ' These are a few of my favourite things'.
I took some photos that I love a few weeks ago when I made Red Velvet Cupcakes. I love that red. And seeing as I love baking so much, these were perfect for this.
(click photo to enlarge)



I used Fancy Pants 'Beach Babe' for this page. The colours were perfect and I love this kind of animated feel it's given to the lay out.



By doodling around everything very roughly in black pen, it's helped everything stand out so much better.



It's not only the baking that I enjoy, it's the baking shopping too. I bought myself a little birthday present last week. 3 new baking bowls. They are beautiful, they stack inside one another and are in pastels and so heavy. I love a good weight to my bowls.



The kettle boiled a few minutes ago, so I'm off to have a cuppa with Ade before bed. Our clocks change tonight, so we loose an hour : (
Thankfully we have nothing major planned though tomorrow. Some bananas that have seen greener days, so I'm thinking a banana cake of some sorts, maybe a walk and dinner out. Love easy days : )

Enjoy the rest of your weekend xxx

Friday 25 March 2011

I'm Over the Moon

Oh yes I am : )

I received the most beautiful box of goodies from Fancy Pants last night. I say last night, it was just before 6pm. Thankfully dinner was done so I could nicely lay everything out to admire. Birthday and Christmas x10 all rolled into one, I'm telling you.

So the first collection I picked out to play with would have been my least fave if I had have been asked. 'To the Moon'. But this page came together on the lounge floor in super quick time.

(click photos to enlarge)



So the way to make a quick page, lisa style.
Grab papers and embellishments, put to one side.
Print photos.
Splatter paints and inks and mists, leave to dry and go do something else.
In my case last night, I sorted the kids for bed.
Come back to the page after having had time away and now have the ideas in my head.
Lay it out and stick into place. Et voila!!!!
Easy peasy.



I'm loving all the journal embellishments in these collections. The ooze quality. Lovely to use. And the rub-ons are fab. Very easy to use. I've just used my thumb nail to stick them down, they come off so easily and together. I can't stand using rub-ons that split and don't come off properly.



And here's my little man licking the bowl after making Red Velvet Cupcakes. He knows you see, if he helps bake, he gets to lick the bowl. Not silly my boy.



So I'm a happy bunny, lots of beautiful stash to play with and the sun is shining and it's nearly weekend. So much joy : )
Thankfully the sniffles have almost gone, I can't believe how tired it's made me feel this week though. I've been struggling to get up in the mornings which is so unlike me.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.
I must get back on track with everything next week, I've got so behind with blog reading this week. I've really missed my early morning starts.
Have a fun one and thanks for stopping by xxx

Tuesday 22 March 2011

My ATC Tray



I've been dying to show you this, I've been waiting for it to be posted on the Papermaze blog. My ATC tray.

I bought this 7 Gypsies Letterblock Printer Tray last year.
I had so many ideas when it arrived. I covered it in one of my favourite paper collections, Crate, Restoration. It really is a favourite of mine, but then I just felt stumped. It just didn't feel right and wasn't right for my hallway where I wanted it to hang. So sadly, it's been sat on a shelf unfinished and waiting for the inspiration to hit.

So when my Papermaze delivery arrived, now 4 months since starting the tray, I knew instantly that I had found the right collection for me and my tray.
My Minds Eye - Stella and Rose, I thank you.



After all this time, in one evening, this was made.
The mixture of blues, greens and yellows in this collection are just beautiful. I love them.
The papers have been cut to size, inked up and stuck down in place. I did leave a tiny amount of the Crate Restoration in (you may have already clocked it), the colours were a good match for this project.





I've used a few of the heart topped pins on this tray. I love using these on my projects. Here you can see that I've added 3 white buttons. I've stuck 3 blue buttons on top which have had embroidery thread added to them. Once stuck in place I've threaded a pin through. This was abit fiddley, but it's a nice touch.





Thanks for stopping by : )

Monday 21 March 2011

The Story of the 'Sick Bowl'

Good Morning,

As my regular blog readers know, Louis gives me many a story to scrap. Today is no exception.
So for my 'Studio' DT page this week, I have scrapped the story of 'The Sick Bowl'.
Does every family have a sick bowl?
This below was ours. A light weight, melamine bowl. Easy to clean : )
That was until I knocked it down from the top of the cupboard a couple of weeks ago and it shattered. Dropping things from a height onto a tiled floor, isn't good!

(click photo to enlarge)


Louis came into the kitchen, knelt down to the pieces and was devastated.
''Oh no, I loved this sick bowl''. .... ''all the memories''
I had to keep this story. Who else would feel sad at a sick bowl breaking???



I used a piece of MME paper from my Cocoa Daisy Kit along with the corrigated Jillibean alphas. The red paint is Claudine Helmuth. I love the feel of this paint and love how it smooths on so nicely with the side of a credit card. Love this technique. And a water colour black pencil has been used LOTS.



Here is this weeks sketch that inspired me. If it inspires you too, visit the Studio and link up your page : )



I'm fighting off a cold right now. The sore throat started Friday and has now thankfully gone, just left feeling tired, achey and abit 'snotty'.
(love that word!!!!!)
And by the way, for my non UK friends who commented yesterday, the X Factor is the UK's Simon Cowell version of American Idol. Hope that makes more sense now.

Tons to do now. Lots of work and a brand spanking new Cocoa Daisy Kit landed on Friday and hasn't been given the attention it deserves yet. ooohhhh and I forgot to mention the 4 add-ons that came with it too : ) : ) : )
So much to play with and so so many ideas. I need a whole week to scrap, if only!!

Have a happy Monday.
Lots of love xxxx

Sunday 20 March 2011

36 and X Factor Live

So, yesterday I turned 36. Yikes!!!!
Ade surprised me with a trip to the London O2 to see X Factor Live with the kids.
It was the first time the kids have ever been to anything like this.



We were really excited : )



We have access to the VIP lounge and a suite (box) through people Ade knows at work, so it made the whole trip very easy. A free VIP parking space right outside the O2, a separate entrance to go in too.



Before it all started.



Mine and Hollie's fave of the night was Cher Lloyd, we love her.



And Louis', followed by all the screaming young girls in the crowd, One Direction.



Although Louis does really like Wagner too : )






And we all loved Matt.



After a fab day, I came home to find the card on my doormat and had to share. It made me giggle lots : )



Thank you for all the sweet birthday messages yesterday. I had a fabby day xxx

Thursday 17 March 2011

Cutesy Sayings



Here is this weeks Sketchy Thursdays Sketch. I love the endless possibilities with this one.
I flipped mine on it's side to make this page below.



We saw my sis and her family on Sunday. We adore our 2yr old neice. I think it helps that our 2 and my sister's other 2 are older now, so Millie's cuteness stands out even more. I can't believe how her speach has come along since we last saw them on Jan 30th. She's really stringing sentences together now. I just love how instead of 'I like' she now says 'My Like'.....or quite often 'My no like'. How Cute!!!!



And she really did like the choccie cake and ice cream in the restaurant
on Sunday : ) Thinking about it, it's funny really. You allow a 2yr old to do this and find it cute, but as soon as they get abit older you tell them off : )
I do confess to licking my plate at home though if I have a lamb roast with mint sauce.


On my page I've used mostly Fancy Pants 'Love Birds'. The base paper and lots of the stickers from this collection too. So pretty : )
I've also used quite a few of the SRM Stickers as they are sponsoring us for this sketch and we all kindly received a big pack.
I've been putting together a 12x12 album for my sis as a prezzie. She loves scrapboking but doesn't do it. So this page can go in there.



If you love this sketch as much as I do, play along with us at Sketchy Thursdays here. We always love to see your pages and a random winner is picked for a prize each week.

Don't forget, there's still just one day left to enter for the Sketchy Thurdays April Guest DT. Here

And the DT submission also closes tomorrow. See here. Give it a go, you've nothing to loose.

I would really like to congratulate my lovely friends Anna and Sue who made this years Pencil lines DT.
I'm so so proud : ) I love these girls so much. We are Cocoa Daisy sisters and hang out there and chat and laugh every day. It's amazing how close you become.
Well done ladies xx

Wow, long blog post from me today, better get back to work.
BTW..Anne, yes I recommend that gesso. £4.99 is a bargain and it's good stuff too. I wish I had bought more of those mini canvases now. We'll have to have coffee again soon and go art shopping : )

Have a good day lovely scrappers, thanks for stopping by. I always appreciate it.
Love xxxxx