Printer Probs

I went to print off on our printer but the light cyan will not unclog so until we can get some refills I am going to look at how much it is to print at the photo shop so hopefully I will have photos to scrap if not I may have to do other crafty stuff in stead, I have orders for cakes to but they take forever in my very nearly dead oven.

Not crafted today Ste and I have been up the hospital for a MRI on his knee, he is a bit upset because they where supposed to do both but they only did one so now he has to wait, he sees it as more time that he is on the sick and knows it will be harder to get back in to work but its going to be at least a year any way, I suppose he is just worried about every thing, he's not the only one. I will be zombie Dawn again in the morning at least I can sleep in as its half term.

My Planet Rocks

I spent a couple of hours cleaning the kitchen then I cooked dinner and its back to square one but it is going to have to wait I need a rest and a touch of scrap therapy seeing as Andy is hogging the TV as his PC is being fixed, I was watching extreme makeover home edition as its on all day, I have had a few sobs and house envy.
The LOs I have put up today are for a CJ the theme is what adds colour and texture to your life. I have dedicated this to my favorite radio station and music it was quite difficult as rock music is a more masculine thing but I think it turned out great, the journaling on the bottom LO is on the inside of the tag which is secured with a magnetic catch. The CDs are made with the clear blanks you get with a multi pack I just backed them with the patterned paper.

Prototype

Well its the weekend again not a lot goes on at the weekends other than washing and ironing the kids went to a dudgeons and dragons meeting I don't know how it works but their role play apparently went way off track.

Yesterday after I posted I decided to experiment with making layered flowers with patterned paper, the photos I have put up are of my prototypes, the patterned papers are not properly matched they are just to show the effect the first photo is of ones that turned out the best the back flower is the rough prototype of the right hand flower.
The below photo is of the flowers that need more work the bottom left flower looks more like a lemon. I have aged these quite a lot to exaggerate the layers

Gift

I have been a bit busy the last few days but I still have done a bit of scrapping I managed to get hold of some prints from my mother in laws 70th birthday do and thought I would do a little book of my niece for her. She has cataracts so I had to make elements of the book stand out so she see them as well as making it pleasing for others to look at.
The back page of the book is A4 with the other pages descending in size. I have noticed that when I do these types of book I work differently to when I do 12x12 LOs, I stick the main element down first and work on the finishing touches after, the 12x12 I tend to plan everything first before sticking it down. Another thing with gift books is anything loose I found should be tethered to avoid loosing little cards as I have found on a book I made for a pupil who was leaving they wouldn't want to loose cards with messages on from from all their class mates.

I still have a bit of journaling to do, Sam suggested that I leave it blank for Ste's mun to write her own thoughts in.

Museum Fun

Well we did have a run out today the weather was overcast but it cheered up later we went Hartlepool museum, it's not that big but it's one of my favorite museums I took loads of photos so I can see some will end up on scrap pages, after we popped in to a house ware shop to look at the lovely things, I was very good and only spent £1.40 and 95p of that was on a stocking filler for Xmas and finally we had a walk on the beach we didn't go far as Ste's knee is right up like a balloon but he has been upset that he can't do as much so he was determined to have go, he did want to help me the last few days delivering papers but he is not up to it but telling him is a different story he went in to a huff although he admitted later it was not a good idea as even driving hurts.
Today I have posted a photo of a cute little pair of shoes from the museum with the hook used for doing them up I may have to do another shoe LO, my mum is not that old but she did tell me once that she used to have hook to do up her shoes may be she has been twenty one for to many years.

CJ

I have just received Kathy's CJ it is lovely the cover has batik panels on, I'm am beginning to think my cover was a bit plain but it was my first and I wasn't sure what to expect, the inside is just as yum I had to think hard what to do in the end I have decided as the title of the CJ is the colours of our lives rather than a colour I picked the thing that stops my life from being gray which is rock music, rock music itself is quite a masculine thing so I have to pretty it up a bit I will just have to get thinking (which is not easy for us blonds.)No photos today I have been busy delivering more papers today luckily they did not sent enough so I was a bit short and had to come home early (what a shame) I am really tired now and don't feel like doing much. I am hoping to have a run out tomorrow it probably won't be far but it will be nice to get out and get some photos for scrapping.

Blackmail

I have been helping the kids with their paper round this week they only do the mid week free paper but it has leaflets in as well and because it is a bank holiday on Monday there was nine different size leaflets and booklets, they were dropped of on Monday with a note saying there would be at least three more lots with the papers, I have done half of what was there and the kids can do the rest.
Sam has volunteered to do dinner again tonight the other day we had bacon and leek pasta bake unfortunately the bacon was to salty but it still was nice and wee also had tuna and sweetcorn melt, today she is cooking potato and stirfry veg rosti with something we havent figured out what we are having with it yet.
The photo I have put up today is a 12x12 LO of my son who does not like his photo taken one bit, I had to blackmail him and tell him I need photos of him so when he and Sam have put me in to an old peoples home and don't visit me any more I will have photos to remind me what they look like, it worked but this photo catches him moaning.

Recon

A few post ago I was commenting on how Sam was up for making some clothes but after seeing the post on Shimelle's blog about reconstructing clothes she is up for that in a big way especially as she will not have to spend money on fabric and also she has lots of clothes that are clingy in the arms or the neck is to tight, mens T-shirts are to baggy she even complains that girls t-shirts are misshaped so Saturday was taken up with the first round of recon the first thing to get the chop was a sweatshirt that the neck was tight and the sleeves where clingy, another t-shirt that had arms swapped and she wants to put a hood on it that is not finished yet and the item that I put up today which is a mens t-shirt the neck cut to a V, eyelets inserted as well as a piece of the arm fabric also the sleeves of another shirt where put in they had to be made thinner and lastly I improved the fit by taking off some of the sides it looks better on but Sam is doing GCSE maths coursework so I don't want to disturb her, may be later I will get a chance to put up a better photo.
I have not had a chance to scrap this weekend I hope to print of some new photos so then I will get scrapping.

Back To Scrapping

Well after the patchworking over the last few days I was getting withdrawal symptoms from scrapping so last night I managed to get this mini book done using a 12x12 card stock for the pages folded and cut it was a bit like a rubics puzzle trying to figure out how to fold it so the pages would open up right there was lots of opportunity for hidden flaps and extending pages but because I didn't have enough photos I stuck them all down.
Its not quite finished jet a bit of journaling and doodling is needed as some of the pages need a bit more attention. The paper(card) is actually from a kit from the pound shop its a bit shiny but it came in handy, I buy these things and they sit there for ages until the right project comes along.
I have a couple of ideas using the same mini books one a bit more grown up and one of my niece, it will give me the opportunity to something cute and girly, that means another visit to the printer hogger I wonder if I can get the good camera of him at the same time!

Patchwork (Getting Bigger)

Sam has announced that she would like to try making some clothes and all my patterns are in the loft so it looks like I will be taking a trip in to the loft some time soon. By Sam saying she wants to make some clothes it means that she will start them off and then get me to finish them when she looses interest, I will keep you posted.

I am still getting over the cold I had the other day but now every one in the house is coming down with it and me being the evil mum that I am I have made the kids go to school. One thing I can say is the cold has cured my not sleeping problem for a bit.

I hope to scrap today, now that I have finished another patchwork cover for Sam's big pillow it is much the same as the little one it I made the other day, the stitching in it is not that good it wandered about all over the place I have to admit I was rushing it a bit the next one will be better.

More Patchwork

This is my second attempt at patch work, the strip approach has definatly worked although I have learned to cut the pieces as I go as I cut them all before hand and did not take of seam allowance so had to trim bits off I haven't stitched over this one and I only backed it in scraps as I had trouble with the material fraying and my machine didn't want to zig zag on this fabric it kept knotting up, most of the samples I have are a different material so I should not have the same problem with them. Sam has claimed this cushion and has put an order in for a much bigger one in black, white and orange.

The Joy Of Skip Diving

I never would have thought I would be singing the praises of my Dad teaching my brother the art skip diving in the past they have pulled out of skips Mechano, Hornby train track and possibly a train,bits of wood my brothers bed (he is over seven foot tall and this bed added with the one he had made a bed long enough to sleep in they still had to buy padding to extend the mattress) and fabric samples, although the patterns are not great if I decide patch work is not for me I have not wasted any money. I had forgotten about the box of bits but it has solved my need to try patch working, yesterday I had a go at making a square with squares, although it has gone a bit out of line it has been a learning exercise as I found that I need to make a deeper seam and try a different arrangement of strips to hides imperfections in the making up. This is how my first try turned out I still have to make it in to a cushion cover.

Alice Band

I'm not feeling to well again as well as havening little sleep I have caught a cold to so just a short entry for today.

My crafty effort for the day is the knitted Alice band that Sam is modeling I had to dig deep and blackmail her to get this photo, this one I have made a bit loose but being knitted its perfect, I never thought of knitting an Alice band before.Sam like this one because its random in the way the ribs are not even.

Knitting

On the crafty front I am knitting a toad stool "why?" you may ask "Because I can!" I will say, well actually I'm making it up as I go along so if it turns out I will share but I am not a very fast knitter and if life gets in the way it may take longer .

Saturday is sleep in day it amazing how just another hour and a half can make you feel a part of the human race may be a few hours more and I will look human to.

The LO from today is my first 12x12 page of me still no journaling but on this page I have stamped with acrylic paint on a plastic page protector I would like to do more with transparencys with stamping, printouts of the computer and with transparency pens but for now I am pleased with the out come of this page. I have also used a mix of makes of papers to.

Me Zombie (and a photo of a dog)

Seeing as I have not got any crafty photos to put up I thought I would put up a photo of a dog dressed up as Darth Vader, some ware I have a photo of a dog(possibly the same dog) dressed up as Yoda. I do have some mini books to share but I will have to see if I can get the good camera of the camera hogger to get some good photos.

I still have not had a proper sleep and Ste has not visited the hospital yet but I think we are beginning to succeed in convincing him to go.

I am scrapping today though as about one in the morning I had a flash of inspiration so I will be able to a 12x12 page of me. I also have an urge to make a quilted item at fist I think I will start small maybe a cushion cover but that may have to wait I keep looking at our spare quilt covers but if I use them then we are bound to get guest or something and need them but on the other hand if I'm rubbish at quilting then I would not have wasted any money. I think I,m talking my self round on this one.

Sorry No Photos.

I'm very tired today I couldn't get to sleep until gone three in the morning and Ste was still awake and in a lot of pain he helped me with the papers yesterday (which he should not have) and his knee has given out completely he can hardly walk, the hospital that he went to for physiotherapy for his shoulder gave him some crutches and told him to the emergency department but he doesn't like waiting and we are having trouble nagging him to go. No photos (sorry) today I don't fell very crafty today either may be tomorrow will be better.

Regrets

I have been looking around the house for things that I can get crafty with, not having much luck, instead I keep remembering things I got rid of and now regret, things like buttons, any material, curtains from the sixties, ribbons, lace and cross stitch stuff I didn't know about scrap booking then and if I did I would have found places for them to live rather that getting rid of them as an anti clutter exorcise (Hoarding is in my blood I have to keep on top of things) the next place to look is the loft it's a bit of pain squeezing through the little gap and digging through boxes of dusty junk covered in insulation that makes your hands itch I think I'll wait a bit.

The images that I have put up are of my little project inspired by Shimelle's blog, on the blog it is a sweet little sewing case but my version is to hold my mobile phone and the bits that came with it so I now have an excuse not to use the phone I don't like the mobile phone much, its great for an emergency like if I bought to much stash (fat chance the moths ate all my money) and I could not carry it all home then I can call "Dads Taxi" and get a lift but it is really annoying when I have been out for ten minuets and Ste calls for no reason and I'm stood there in the middle of the shop talking to my hand, back to the craft thing, I'm not the neatest of sewers but this has a nice natural feel about it.

Dormant Artist

Yesterday I realized that I am a dormant artist (don't worry I'm not going to explode) I did A-level art but I had to get a proper job so had to give up any further studies and so stopped doing it, for a while I have been doing scrap booking but I am starting the realize that I need to do more, some time soon I may find the means to do other creative projects (the means meaning money we are a bit short of it at the mo)

Anyone who regularly visits my blog (Thank you) may notice that it had been changing a bit over the last few days well one reason is I started to fiddle with it and yes I broke it but it was fixed easily but I decided that the background was making it hard to read the text so I found out how to change the background, I may change it again I can't decide what background to choose.

Todays LO is another dinosaur but also in keeping with the out of my rut thing, I have used dotty paper and do you know what? I am allergic to it, I came over all funny but its all right now I have got over it, it was not that bad after all and I will use dots and spots again.

I Dream Of Kitchens

I was thinking about kitchens the other day, one day we will have a new kitchen as the one we have is from the house we lived in before and has only after six and a half years just been put up on the walls and we are still waiting to paint the rest of the walls (although the whole lot needs gutting and plastering) but we had to wait until a leek had to be fixed first. Back to the kitchen I was thinking what I would like, I need two kitchens, one an IKEA kitchen the on with the draws that have little cuby holes in the draws so every thing has its place and comes with custom designed canisters to keep food in so you can grab what you need out of draw rather than rooting around in a cupboard and knocking everything out smashing plates that are on the counter below the other kitchen is an old fashioned one with dressers and sideboards to store things in with a pantry for the food, a range to cook on and the work surface would be a big and I mean big table to spread out on to. The longer I dream about what kitchen to have the harder it will be to decide what way to go!
Today I have put up photos of a bag I have made from the offcut of a curtain I took up I had been meaning to take them up for about six month but just never got round to it and every now and then Ste would say "You have to get round to doing it." but it wasn't his nagging that made me do it, it was Shimelle as She made a bag and loaded it on her blog. This has got me thinking, I make most of my pillows and things but they are plain and funtional so why dont I make arty cozy things so now I what's missing I can do something about it the only thing is I have so many ideas and so little time.

Tiz Me

The photos I have put up today are for a CJ that I have been working on, the second page has a fan on it I have wanted to do a fan design for while as I was doing this I have figured out how to do an open ended version of this so I will covert it for a 12x12 some time soon.The fan as you open it drags the next piece with it so there are no gaps and all the pieces are kept in place.When I have mastered the template for the open end fan I will share.

Again not a lot happening and again I have been doing washing and ironing the only difference today I made a mess while I was scrapping and now I have to tidy up or I just leave it all out, go pester the printer hogger and print of a photo of my niece to scrap it will make a change doing a real girly page as I have done a few dinosaur LOs over the last week.

Gabby

This is a digi LO I have done I still have text to put on but I am not happy with one with text yet I will post when its done.

Not a lot is going on today washing and ironing in between surfing the web even though the forums are a bit quiet as its national scrap booking day every one must be out at crop I am very envious. The only scrapping I have done is of the digi kind i didn't feel like putting everything away after me.

Flat Cakes

If I turn my oven up the highest it goes is sort of cooks stuff but not very fast, I don't think I will risk it as it may be OK for a cake but any thing else may give the whole household food poisoning so it things done on the hob or nuked stuff (microwaved as us responsible adults call it).

I'm a bit busy working on a CJ at the mo I had always shied away from me pages but this gives me ideas for a book of me, the pages I am doing are very bright and should be called "ow my eyes" but the are defiantly not in my rut.

The pair of ATCs I am putting up today is probably not a pair they are on the same theme but one is called "tattoo" the other "do doodle" I think they are a bit simple still cute though

Camera Fustration

Ste had a go at cutting the hedge today and grimaced all the time he is now complaining of being tired and his had has gone blue again he is upset because he says its not fair that I have to do every thing I would rather he rest and gets better quicker.

I have posted about my camera before well it seems to be getting worse the Lo I have put up today should be more blueish I have tweaked it a bit but the colours are still not right.

Share The Love

Ste tried to fix my oven today, that envolved spraying WD-40 on the fan to see if it would free it up we can here the motor going but the fan is not spinning Ste concluded that the bearing had gone. So I did triple chili, I cooked it early so I would have more scrapping time but it back fired as Andy stayed after school and they have papers to do the only other option is to sacrifice our family sat at the table time and let the kids eat in there rooms for a change (which they often ask to do, their computers are an important part of their family it seems).

Today I have put up an image of a little project inspired by Shimelle's blog (see link list) it didn't take long and I can use it for LO on scrap pages to. I used fleece in stead of felt but it still looks great.

ATC

Ste has had a visit from the occupational therapist to see if there is any thing they can do to make the things he does in the house any easer they are building a new banister on the bottom of the stairs and are sending a book to see if there is any gadgets of use in the kitchen, it has been over a year that he has been waiting for some help its only because the solicitor has pushed for some.

Todays pair of ATCs are titled "&" using winnies walls paper and stickers and using Tim Holtz distress inks.