Sam I Broke My Blog Again !

2008-04-20T02:44:00.000-07:00

Morning all, I hope you're well,
I'm feeling a bit better today but DH has it now. DD was out at a sleep over so I the whole of the table to my self I managed to take over the kitchen to, the LO has took me three days off and on to finish. I messed up a bit when I as sticking bits down and stuck the top bit on the bottom but I managed to save it in the end.

Well I have a ton of ironing to do today and the kids are back at school tomorrow, so I better go and get on with things

Take care all and thanks for looking.

2008-04-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

Morning all, I hope you are well,

I am not feeling to good, I have had a cold for a few days but had tried not to let it bother me but now it has caught up with me, I have a ton of baking to do today as well, and food shopping

I started to scrap last night but nothing would fit so I left it and had an earlyish night(still coudnt sleep though) after having a good week I had a bump and felt down a bit but I'm trying to get back on track.

I had an idea to do a doodle page but it ended up as a complete disaster luckily I didn't stick the photos down (they were used on yesterdays LO ) but there were a few good little doodles on there so I was thinking of doing the doodles like I do most of my stamping on little panels, the octopus is the first one, I have done now I have to figure out what photos to use it on a LO there is a cat panel somewhere but DD is colouring it in.
That all from me today, I am planning on doing another hybrid LO I'm not sure we will see how it goes

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Morning all,
I have not been up to much usual stuff, DD is revising, DS is sucked in to his computer he is doing clan stuff, he runs a clan its a sort of collective of computer game junkies of all ages who join forces to dominate other clans in battles in the realms of computer games. DH will no doubt be tinkering with computer parts and calling me every two minutes when he needs help as he still (and never will) have full use of his arm.

The Lo I have put up is one using buttons is part of a challenge on Carolinez craftsz forumz, I seem to be using a lot of my old hoarded stash recently, the paper I used was from a lucky dip selection I bought ages ago, I quite liked the lucky dip idea as there were some lovely papers there that I would never have bought my self but were fun to use the down side is there is always a few sheets that I just cant bring myself to use ( like spotty paper).For the scallops I traced round a piece of scalloped paper and then cut out with a craft knife, it could be done by drawing round a penny. I seem to have used a lot of buttons recently I am running out of nice ones I am hoping to strike lucky like I did last year and find some on the junk stall in our town center, its not really a junk stall its a kiosk that can be rented out buy organizations to raise money. I don't get down town much but I always have a nosey around to see if they have any scrap worthy bits.

The LO is in celebration of DDs love of reading, the other day she proclaimed she would die without books, that was after a discussion about books being more gory that films as in childrens books they sleigh each other and rip rib cages open and things like that but if it was to be made in to a film then the rating would be an 18, on that revelation I said they should tell children that to encourage them to read but then you would get someone wanting to ban books. At that then ensued another conversation on how she would write her own books and then be imprisoned with other authors for writing and then the uprising and well I hope you get the drift the point is she loves to read.

Here are two more little owls DS has claimed the first one so I get one of these and the other is a little gift for my mum, who has spent a couple of weeks de cluttering her front room so I am sending her some new clutter to go in it. I have done the eyes differently on these two although I think they are beginning to look a bit menacing, the penguin is slowly wining me over.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-15T03:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well

DS's hospital appointment went well, we where told they can move the tooth from out of his pallet he has to loose one tooth to make way for it but its worth it as the tooth to be moved is his canine and it will make him more symmetrical, I think he will miss having just one canine as his party trick is to do this sort of smile which exposes the one canine making him look like a troll, a family resemblance he gets from his dads side of the family.LOL

Today I have to normal house work to do although I have already done tones so later I may get to play, though I'm not sure what I'm up to. I have joined a swap that will be featured in the coming weeks on a spoonful of sprinkles so I need to get my thinking cap on for that and scout out what embellishments I need to get.

I made this BIA laced boxed as a gift for my mum I found the lacing a bit fiddly, I am making an owl to go in it and a few other bits and pieces, I made a cloth box for my MIL for mothers day(I didn't get time to photograph it ) and it took less time to make than the BIA box. I was thinking that as fathers day is not far of the box made with bear mats would be a good gift box. I probably wont make one as DH and my Dad as they are not big drinkers but I did see some bear mats on ebay with football teams on them.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-13T03:10:00.001-07:00

Morning all,
I started a BIA laced box last night and what a pain it was to lace I have a few finishing touches to add then I will share. DS has a hospital appointment today just to see what they are going to do about the tooth they exposed in the pallet of is mouth, they intend to pull it back to where it should be with a brace. DD has karate to so busy day for us all one good thing is as DD and her friend rebuilt the karate web page they are getting a few lessons for free.
This LO was just a fun thing, random was the aim and it is different to what I usually do, but I enjoyed it, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, I have a problem with wonky but I just let it go and it was fine(in the end). The photos are from when the children helped use cut back the conifers in the back garden, now they are both teenagers they are not so keen to help in the garden I was wondering weather all teenagers develop an intolerance to sun light.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all. How are you?

DH was out yesterdays taking his mum and sister to visit relatives in Leeds and Pontifract. So it meant I could play all day(in between doing washing and stuff) I made this little tri frame thing inspired by a trypich on Sarah's blog and my favorite artist Patric Woodroffe ( who has also made and painted some similar screens) I was doing a sketch somewhere in between the two which sidetracked to the idea for the frame.

The frame was easy enough took a bit of time to cut the arches and doors but it was sizing the photos in photo shop that took ages as I asked it very nicely to resize the three photos to a set size and it just did what it wanted in the end I did get round it using reverse psychology and telling it didn't actually want photos four inches wide, that worked wonders but it seem to take up so much time.
And here is Mr Penguin with his new eyes, I decided to leave his beak as I think it's cute being a bit crooked.

Take care all and thanks for looking.

2008-04-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all I hope you are well,

I have not been up to much today food shopping more washing and one LO, I think I was burnt out from yesterday, Terrie( who has a fantastic blog) asked how I fit so much in I have no idea, it was nice to have a really good day, one of the reasons for my not blogging was things where not good for me, but for now they are better so I will try and make the most of it while I can.

Thanks for your votes on Owl V Penguin, seeing as the penguin is way out in the lead I will have to finish him, I am not to sure where to put his eyes but I'm sure I will work it out, I put a new photo up when he is done. The little birds don't take long to make at all I hand stitched mine and it took about half an hour, if I dug the sewing machine out they would be done in a flash which is why I don't get the machine out because it would be like that star trek episode with the fluffy ball things that multiply out of control.
The LO for today is titled pudding as it is our pet name for DD, the photo is one of the ones found in the rediscovered photo album. I have said it before on this blog I am allergic to spots and also a bit intolerant to stripes to I find them quite hard to use but for two reasons I will often force my self to use them, one is get out my rut and reason two is as I often but set of collections of papers if I don't use the spots and stripes eventually they will be the only papers I have left and another reason(beginning to sound like the Monty Python Spanish inquisition sketch is this) is if I do have piles of spotty and stripy papers DH will say I have tons of papers and I shouldn't buy any more. Any way I traced round chipboard letters for the title letters and had to stop myself from edging them or doodling on them.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well,

Thank for all you comments by the way, it's lovely to receive feed back.

I had a busy day yesterday crafting and non crafting, on the non crafty front I emptied the trailer of my MIL garden waste into recycling bags that had been there since last year, cleaned the bathroom and got rid of the old shower curtain as it was getting manky, the bathroom looks new again, I would like to know the secret to putting silicone sealant on so it doesn't come of, last time we where the great unwashed(OK thats a lie we just couldn't have showers) for a few days so the whole lot was dry and it is lifting again. Other than that I still did the normal cook dinner shout at kids and all other normal stuff.

On the crafty front I made this Owl from this tutorial on another of the blogs I regularly visit(Check out this post to for a semi scrap related thing). There is no template but its not hard to work out my first attempt ended up as a penguin( which I didn't finish but there is a photo for you to see),my owls is a bit dumpy, I think I will end up making more of these little creatures I seem to have gone owl mad recently.

Also prompted buy Sarah on Carolinez Craftz Forumz right down right at the bottom of all posts there is a book of me thread and I have decided to take the plunge and have a go, I haven't done many me pages and the thought is quite daunting but I have started and thats the first hurdle (I hated hurdles at school by the way, something to keep in mind for my book)

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all I hope you are well,
Yesterday I found a photo album I though was lost, it had photos of DD when she was a baby we don't have many photos of DS as a baby we didn't have a camera then, looking a the photos it bought back tons of memories both good and bad, there is a photo of DD's first Christmas which is lovely but we where burgled just before Christmas that year and we had tons of trouble when we lived in that house it was in a really rough area, it was a shame as it was only a handful of people that ruined it for most of the residents, the whole area is now boarded up waiting for demolition. But any how it means more photos to scrap.

The LO is finished at last what a pain it was it started out with a paisly paper on it but it felt wrong so I changed that and went for SEI paper which I have had since I started scrapping properly and as I said yesterday hand cut away the background so my chosen backing card showed through but the making thing easy for myself is not an option.The titling was from die cuts I hadn't used for ages and I was thinking of offering them as a swap but once again hoarding stuff pays off. And yes we did fill and inflatable dingy with water and use it as a paddling pool for the kids it worked well and it lasted longer than any shop bought pool we had bought.

I'm not to sure what I am going to do next I have a few things in mind the canvas, another birds house and definenatly another little bird(by the way I am redoing my nani birds as the double sided tape I use has unstuck so glue it will have to be.) and then I have a ton of photos to scrap.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

Morning all,
I have not been up to much a bit of house work and today I have some maintenance to do in the kitchen and more house work I am trying to forget about the ironing.

I was doing a LO last night and was really struggling with it in the end I took a different take on it but that involves tons of cutting with a craft knife so it is still not finished, I have noticed I have been using up some of my old stash recently so thats a good thing.

What am I sharing today, well it is a simple little project inspired by the printed packing tape on the left using the brown licky stick tape on the right I used stazon ink (which I seem to be using alot recently but I only have four colours two proper ones although the white is a bit clagy even if I reink it, I bought reink refills and used them on two of my old ink pads.)...
and some foam stamps I have had for ages they had not seen the light of day for ages any way they created the decoration for the hurricane lamp shown below. The tape is stuck on the out side and I have had a candle lit in side and if you stick to the safety rules of using candles it is fine but saying that we have candles mainly just for show.The stazon soaks through the tape to give it a transparency which it effective whether or not the candle is lit. I still have to find time to play with other inks and paints it could be good for other arty projects but I don't think the tape is acid free so no good for scrapping LOs then.
Tacke care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-08T04:29:00.001-07:00

Hi all, how are you all?
I have been up earlyish for a holiday week, I have already done a bit of house work tons more to do DH let the cat on the bed and he was muddy, the cat not DH, so I have had to wash the covers.

I am catching up on blogging projects now as this Warkworth castle one in the LO I was working on last night, It is the first of a few from that visit but I doubt they will be themed with the same papers. The title was printed and had cut and some of the elements where hand sewn on.

This is the mini book I made as a prototype, I did take plastic covers of as they where almost like food bag in quality. Thanks for the comments about laminating, I was told laminating was out of the question as one resident has found a way to self harm with it, I don't think the project will get off the ground as PC and H&S seems to be getting in the way. Back to the mini book it was really thrown together for the purpose of trying out the cover idea but it is still cute any way and it also addresses the fact that I haven't put anything of my cat Gizzmo on for ages.

I have got to go now and get some more housework done.

Take care all, don't work to hard and thanks for looking.

2008-04-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

Morning all, I hope you are well.

What have I been up to? Well I have made a mini book as a prototype for a book to take in to a special home for adults with special learning needs I suppose it wold be good for a show and tell at school so the children can pass it around and not get the pages grubby, the idea was wipe clean pages but not to big and still pretty but the page protectors I have where cheep and it looks a bit naff but then you never know how something is going to unless you try it, I will share that tomorrow, I may still just take the covers off and leave the book naked.

I intend to do a canvas after seeing this (scroll down just after the lovley stash) gorgeous one on Sarah's blog be careful you will get lost on Sarah's blog as she has so may fab projects on there I spent ages on there the other day. I was waiting for ideas to form as what to do for the canvas but I think I'm going to jump in and see what happens as just recently that has worked well for me.

This LO is of DS at Preston park butterfly world and one again he is reluctantly posing(poor thing). The swirl it ordinary chip board which had been heat embossed using black powder the flower was coloured in with a black permanent marker, the rest is quite simple but I grudged all the other elements up with an ink pad. The elements themselves are stamped (I have a pile of stamps waiting to be cleaned) I used unmounted stamps for these but instead of buying the cling on stuff to stick them to blocks I use glue stick I am lucky and have quite a few acrylic blocks thanks to my dad having lots of off cuts but if you stick the stamps on a bit before you use them they shouldn't slip.

Take care and thanks for looking

2008-04-06T03:18:00.000-07:00

Morning all (only just still morning)

This is something I have been playing with inspired by a video of someone inking up cuttlebug embossing folders, I have a big shot and when I got it it has some plain plastic folders in (never quite new what they where for) so using that with a metal embossing stencil an piece of flat rubber (actually for opening jars with but I am told you can buy the proper stuff in sheets for the wizard) and the big shot I did these, I inked it with stazon just dabbing the ink pad onto the stencil till it was evenly covered then add the paper then the rubber on top close the top of the plastic folder and run through the big shot, it was a bit fiddly getting it all together I could have done with another pair of hands. These need trimming but I couldn't wait to share. Some stencils are thicker than others so I had to add and remove card as spacers for some, I think the bird one will look great on a card

I managed to get the old photos of DH so now I have more photos to scrap some where scrapped in my fist book which was a photo album that I stuck A4 Lo into, it was my sort of learning book so I am looking forward to scrapping them properly.

This LO is the hybrid LO I was going on about the other day the title was normal font but I had to cut and paste and resize it which I was worried would pixelate but it turned out OK, the printed elements where just a selection from different free kits I have down loaded over time, it was fun doing this although it took over the whole kitchen as I had all my stash out looking for bits to go with the LO but it was worth it as I found stash I had forgotten about. The photo on this Lo is of DS and that is not a smile its a half scowl and moments after this photo was taken he hid in a cupboard to get away. I know I'm such a bad parent!
Take care and thanks for looking

2008-04-05T03:15:00.000-07:00

Morning all I hope you are well,

What have I been up to well I got very carried away with a hybrid LO and didn't realize it was very late and I still had to tidy up all the stash I had got out which had spread to the whole of the kitchen but as it the weekend I had a bit of a sleep in I will share that tomorrow. I have a mixing bowl of fiddly bits to sort out from three days of scrapping, then I may be able to scrap some more. Oh and I have the washing and a bit of house work to do to.

This is the LO I scrap lifted from this which is from Jazzy1972 blog, I really enjoyed doing this it just flew together it was nice to be free with it, It is another LO justifying the need for impulse buying as the metal enameled buttons I bought nearly two years ago. The journaling reeds

First play along and smile nicely...
getting ready use a simple distraction...
then when the photographer is least expecting it, switch to ESCAPE MODE!

I think this is the best of the three using the same set of photos and don't worry tomorrows LO has a different photo on.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

Morning all hope you're well,
I had a pretty uneventful day yesterday no drama and no fussing I did scrap though I undertook scraplift which I will put up tomorrow, now I don't often scrap lift the one I did before tomorrows one ended up having no resemblance to the LO I scraplifted from other that it was about 12x12 in size and had a photo on, so thats what I have been up to. Was I just waffling on there sorry bout that.

The LO I have put up is the one I was going on about yesterday using one of the photos from yesterday LO(tomorrow uses the same to but the LO is totally different) it uses Basic Grey papers this is the one I forgot to finish the cutting out and stuck it down I had to carefully cut the little bit while on the LO, the charms are part from a PM gift set and the little dangler that says happiness is from a piece of jewelry from avon.
I have great plans but weather the end product will turn out great I don't know, I have and idea for a hybrid LO, no I'm not going to cross a LO with the fridge to make it really cool (sorry bad joke) it may take some time and DDs sanity may be threatened by my lack of photoshop knowledge but I will have a go.

Thats all for now.

Take care, TFL

Near Disaster LOs

2008-04-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

I had a close encounter of a chav kind yesterday when I was out doing the papers two chavs ran of with the trolley in hind site I should of just let them go with it, rang my distributer and not had to deliver the last fifty or so papers but I went after them and got the trolley back, it was really no problem because they just dropped the trolley pulled a stupid face and and said a stupid insult about DD and when I told DD she said how it that and insult(so it really wasn't an insult then.). I ended getting home a bit peed off and because of the unnecessary exorcise (It's against my religion to run) I ended up all chesty and was coughing and spluttering all over the place, I'm fine now , looking back it's a bit funny but it could have turned out with a different outcome, rant over back to the scrapping. This LO is using some photos I quickly took of DD I didn't have much time to set anything on the camera as she has a camera sensing unit built in, the last photo of DD I took she was hiding behind the laptop, DD tells everyone she is violently allergic to cameras you point a camera at her she gets violent. I am doing a few LO with these photos but in different styles, This LO is a bit of a disaster it needs more doing to it but the layer of embossing powders had started to chip off so I had to leave well alone, it's sort of my fault as I heat embossed on ready dressed chipboard and because is it smooth there is nothing for the coating to hold on to I should have roughed it up with a emery board but I also wanted the colour to still show through proving that you cant have you cake and eat it, The wide ribbon has been stamped using staz on to sort of match DDs t-shirt. I may still have a careful fiddle with the LO to see if I can save it. The next one is better but that also nearly ended in disaster to

Stay tuned for the next episode of LOs gone wrong.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

Afternoon all, I am running late today as I have papers to deliver, I have now taken over from the kids as DD has been ill a lot recently and DS doesn't like doing them as he was attacked twice, I don't mind as it gets me out it counts as exorcise. DH is back from the hospital and is pot free but they still cant tell what damage was done when he fell but he has a lump on his arm that was not there before he fell but he didn't see a consultant only the nurse.

This is the LO of the cos-play meeting DD and DS had a few weeks back, cos-play is where fans of manga(Japanese comics) and amime(Japanese cartoons) got dressed as the characters, this one was held in boarders so it was a bit of a sales event for them to, they held a drawing competition which DD was gutted as she didn't know and she is really good at drawing manga characters, a costume competition and a knowledge quiz won by one of DD and DSs friends he one a Nintendo DS thingy(so now he has two)

The background paper(which you can hardly see I will see if I can put up a sample) is printed from a CD that came with a book of patterens, some are copywrite free and others are personal use only, the text was printed of from a digi kit I downloaded for free, the kit is called kimono but I have had it so long I don't know where I got it but it has lovely papers and some Momiji / Kokeshi style dolls for some of the embellishments.
I have also put up a photo of DD in her costume, which I made, the trousers are hakama which are flared pleated outer trouser used much like an overcoat usually worn over karate trousers, the top is sort of kataginu(a sleeveless jacket with exaggerated shoulders) although the last incarnation of the jacket did have arms.

I did find the pattern I printed of it was one of the copy write free ones.I have squished it really small but all least you can see what is is like.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-04-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

DS is not well at the mo and DD was kicked in th knee at karate she is fine really but just a bit sore.

Another of my while I was not bloggin discoveries is design sponge which is a great site not only on the arty side but for the sneak peeks of peoples houses, I don't know why I love looking at other peoples houses, well I do know why I think it because I am nosy, my mum used to tell me I would go into peoples bathroom cabinets when I was a kid so that must be it

I am just sharing a link to theses cute little papercraft birds, They are called nani birds and there are many designs that you can print off, I cant find the link to blank one that you can customized yourself, I have orders for these for presents for teachers also there is a link in his site somewhere for a speaker dog to, DD suggested I could do something similar for a cartoon cat she draws

This LO is one using one of my impulse buys pizzazil (sorry if the spelling is wrong) when I got home I hated the orange card stock (I have it in brown to) and had got it out before to try to use
it but just couldn't get any inspiration for it, the photos on the LO are of my children when thy went on to a life boat when their grandfathers ashed where scattered at sea.

Take care all and thanks for looking.

2008-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well. I am a bit disappointed as I will not be able to go to our local(not to local for me) crop on April 12th as DH has already made arrangements, I know there is one nearer but I'm not sure where, I haven't been to a crop for ages I am missing people who understand my need to scrap. Moan over back to the bloogin.

I spent most of yesterday evening cutting peoples hair (my family's and they let me do it just in case you think I go around attacking people with scissors at random) so I didn't get to play but I did go blog hopping and looked at lots of lovely blogs which are truly inspirational.

I am playing about with different ways of laying out the post of the blog but what gets published and what is in the preview are two different things. I will probably have to keep fiddling about with it till it goes right
Today I am putting up photos of a bind it all book I did for a holiday we had to Cornwall, I was going to a big book( well paperbag sized) of the whole holiday but it got started and turned in to a UFO so I decided to break it up in to smaller chunks this book is for our visit to St Michaels mount.

I used the tag sheet from Basic Grey paper pack as a template for most of the different tags and an envelope template to and then went to town with various punches stamps and ribbons.

It didn't quite have the impact I was aiming for but it worked out alright in the end and in playing about I found a few things that might work well on larger LOs

I still may do a series of 12x12 pages of the holiday that is when I can ninja the CD of DH to print them out its funny because about a year ago (probably when I first started the doomed paper bag book) I didn't think I could do the holiday in large format but now I want to take more time and go through it all so we have a popper log of what we did.

Thanks for looking and take care all.

2008-03-30T04:18:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon, I seem to have lost an hour as the clocks went forward last night and I am behind on everything, so what am I doing while I should be washing and ironing? I'm writing my blog.

Well the bird house is finally finished and is on the wall in my porch for all to see, every time I go past it I have to grin, as I said before it was bigger than I envisaged but its fun, I will be making more but I fancy some petite ones.

I may be back later to blog again

Take care all and thanks for looking.

2008-03-28T16:00:00.001-07:00

I started making a bird house yesterday, an ornamental one with paper, it has turned out to be on the big side, I will make a smaller one now I sort of Know what I am doing, I will finish gigantor, I will tell every one its a prototype(which it is), I have the roof to finish and all the decoratoins to add I'm looking forward to sharing the finished product. I still will put it on my wall for all to look at.

This LO was part of a challenge to use only stuff from the scrap box. I think this is where I realized the little tag thing was out of control and really should stop, I don't like the title at all I may have to fix that at some point, I have decided to use this photo again for a LO (no surprise as I reuse photos all the time.) It sort of gets lost on the LO.

This is the card made for my Mums birthday It took ages cutting out the little squares but it was worth it in the end. Not all my own thinking though It was inspired by a card I saw on a blog but I cant find the links now.

Take care and thanks for looking.

2008-03-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Good day to all, well good other than the wind and the rain which I don't really mind but if I don't have to go out but I do have to go out.

In my not blogging moments I also discovered a few nice design blogs one of my favorite at the mo is Print & pattren it has caused be obsessed with kitschy seventy style pattern and little birds(I have just bought some little bird die cuts of Carolinz Craftz kitz I cant wait to use them.). It is also why have bought a book of patterns that came with a CD so I can print of patterns to use for scrapping. The colours seemed to be much brighter in th seventies I don't think DH will let me paint the kitchen orange.

The LO I have put up was one using an old photo, (I must bribe the kids so I can have new photos of them) it is another LO with lots of little bits sticking out all over the place and with stamped bits, I feel that rut getting deeper and deeper.

This is a bind it all project, the covers are the little plastic gift cards you can pick up at the supermarket, I worked out the the mini book cost less than 20p to make as the cards where free the pages where from one 12x12 sheet from a kit from the pound shop and the binding was only four hoops long and the stickers and ribbons where free with a mag, the only problem is that I have no eastery photos to go in it but it still looks cute. I found in my hoards of stash some nice pink gift cards that I picked up ages ago so I may do something similar with those.

2008-03-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hi all hope you are well,

while have been not blogging I have discovered Etsy it a bit like Ebay but better, you don't bid on things as its sort of an arty coop there are a lot of lovely things on there but also there is inspiration to be found for crafty projects, I have bought a few things from some of the shops which I will share in a few posts time

The photos I have put up today are of a paperbag book I made for this years Christmas photos. The bags were from IKEA and all the embellishments where made from Christmas cards also from IKEA.I did a lot of stamping on this book it was great to experiment with stamping on the patterned card and also I used a stamp I had bought and left in the cupboard for ages it was a sort of rotating date stamp thingy but with family orientated slogans on, not bad for a pound and just proof that sometimes impulse buys do pay off eventually.
The bags came in different sizes so I decided to use this to my advantage the big one making the wrap around cover and staggered the pages, the clasp was taken of an envelope template, and if you read yesterdays post you will see what I mean about little tags sticking out all over the place I am certainly getting my moneys worth out of those dies and out of that birdie stamp.
Novel tips time no1- instead of buying a stamping mat use the back of a mouse mat It worked great for me. no2- if you are not confident stamping stamp other card and cut it out then stick it on your project that way if you make a mistake you haven't ruined you work.(but you probably knew that already.)
I hope you like, take care all and thanks for looking.

2008-03-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well, Its been a while but I'm back blogging again, I sort of revamped the blog I hope you like it its not fancy but its nice.

A few things have been happening in my real life I will catch up on some in the next few posts. DH ended up back in hospital thanks to the marvelous cleaning regime in McDonald's, he now has his arm in a pot as he slipped on a wet floor and banged his already bad arm against a urinal, not good as we had to ferry a car load of kids back home from a cos play thing (I have a LO on it and will explain in a few posts time) before he could go to A and E.

Things for the future are DD laving High school and the prom and DS goes to the university for a summer school its a sleep over thing for a week, I wonder if DH and I can get DD to sleep over at someones house for a week now that wold be great, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves.

This LO is one using an old photo of DD I just loved the papers i seem to be doing a thing with lots of little tags sticking out all over the place a lot I think I will have to make an effort to do something else or this will be a new rut for me to be stuck in.

These two are Christmas LO done for a challenge on Carolinez Craftz form, it was to do a Christmas LO without Christmas paper, the photos where not that great as I had only just got the camera and it was not set right so I made the photos small to hide the graininess. I am getting better with my now camera now I love it and to my surprise I use it on manual all the time and I'm getting half decent photos from it.

2008-01-30T05:40:00.000-08:00

Hi all I am still here and I amstill scrapping,I am hoping to revamap this blog in the next fw days, I am waiting for either Sam to let me on the laptop withphoto shop on or DH to put photo shop in this one I am using now I have a bout two matbe thre LOs to show off, a paperbag book and some other bits and pices. Take care for now I hope to be back soon.

2008-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I hope you are well

I had a busy day yesterday as DS had the prep work done for his braces, he has strait teeth already but one tooth has gone astray and is embedded in his pallet, to get at it to try to put it in its place they had to cut a hole in the roof of the mouth then take some bone away and then sew a bandage over to keep it from healing back up, the bandage should drop out in up to a fortnight then they can start work on next bit of the treatment. He did really well he was a bit ratty when he woke up (just like his dad is all the time) but he has been fine since the only thing is we have had to find him mushy foods to eat as it is a bit awkward to eat lumpy stuff.

I have a LO to put up, Yay, its nice to be scrapping again. After doing lots of LOs with only one photo I knew I had to do something different, I dug out some old rotadraw disks for the big dino and the little ones are stencils I have had kicking around for ages, I was gong to throw them away I'm glad I didn't now, I will have to use this as an example when DH wants me to down size my stash.

Take care and thanks for looking

2008-01-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

Hi all I hope you are not suffering from hang overs today and again Happy new year.

As promised I have up loaded my latest LO, it is the first LO I have done for ages and it had to be saved twice the first time was when my cat gave me a birthday present of muddy foot prints on the photos and the second was when I doodled and then decided I didn't like the doodles, I don't have any photo editing software installed on the lap top I am using so I am unable to crop it, I at last have use of the faster laptop but it has tons of glitches on it that need ironing out as of yet I have been unable to load stuff on to my mp3 player, I was wondering if a sled hammer would help. I also cant find my trusty spellchecker so bear with me on the spelling front, I'll do my best

We have had a lazy holiday period and I am itching to get back in to some sort of routine, DH is still in a lot of pain from his op it doesn't help people backing cars into him while was on a walkway in a car park pushing him on to a toddler in a pushchair, then the following confrontation ending up in DH not getting hurt but the driver of the car getting splatted. It must be idiots that see a crutch and a sling and think it will be a walkover to pick on him but then the tables are turned, as it was in the first car park confrontation as some one in another car park before Christmas threatened to wrap the crutch around DH's neck, DH's reaction was to walk up to the guy and give him the crutch and say I would like to see you try and with that the other guy retired to his car put up all his windows and from the safety of his car made rude finger gestures and insults involving the words mad and the "c" word.

Well thats enough rambling for today. Take care all and thanks for looking.

2007-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

I know it's late (12.49) and early in some places but happy new year I hope you all have a good one!

I have scraped so as soon as I get the hang of my new camera i will post up my efforts.

Bye for now take care all and stay safe

2007-12-22T07:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and best wishes for the new year.

Things have been very hectic the last few weeks I have hardly any time to do anything crafty.

DH had his op on the 17th of December so he is still recovering form that, DD has had a non stop chest infection for over a month, DS is having and day surgery in the new year as part of his dental treatment and I am running around trying to get everything done and failing I have also invited my MIL and SIL for Christmas dinner as if I needed any more stress but at least we now have a fully functioning oven.

As soon as possible I will be scrapping again I have to I have just acquired lots of new stash some of it has to be wrapped up for Christmas. I also have a new sewing machine now so I have plans for that and I intend to sew next years Christmas presents plus I have a number of clothes to sew and adjust, DD gets hoodies but to get the right length in arms she has to buy the larger size so I have to take a few of those in and also as I have lost tons of weight I have a few things of my own to adjust.

Enough rabbiting on for now I have to get back to the grindstone,

Take care all and best wishes And I hope to be blogging again properly in the new year.

2007-11-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I hope you are well. Things are still mad here, DS has some drastic dental work to be done at the hospital and DH has now got an appointment for an operation on his arm to even up the bones and fuse the wrist to give the arm more support, the date for that is 17th of December so its going to be an interesting Christmas this year. He has to get over a chest infection first, it's all go here . DD has also decided she wants to goto Karate two extra days a week she may have to rethink that one as she has coursework and mock exams to do.

On the craft front I have been struggling with Christmas card making my heart is not really in it but after a few false starts I have made one, I am not even going to work out how many more to make, I think some people will get bought cards this year it's a shame as I like to put the effort into making cards to make things a bit special.

Thank you for looking and take care all.

2007-11-04T07:51:00.001-08:00

Hi all, I hope you are well, I have another course of antibiotics and they seem to be working a the mo so fingers crossed I will be OK for a bit.
DD was awarded her orange belt in Tang soo do karate, she was chuffed as because she was grading with three adult males they where stopped for not shouting loud enough as Sam was drowning out there shouts when it should be the other way around.
The Lo I have posted is another of DD I was hoping to do some LO using more that one photo as I seem to have slipped into a rut of just using one but I have to fight to use the lap top as DD s has course work for GCSE's to do. I will get some printed of soon also I have not made one Christmas card yet I am so behind so I will have to get going. As for the LO I posted it started as a scraplift but end up far away from the lifted item and then I felt I added to much on it I was thinking of add more to go in the other direction and have it heavy in embellishments.

2007-10-26T02:57:00.001-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well, things are not to bad here I'm still feeling a bit under the weather but never mind there is scrapping to be done.

I have lot of photos to put up today, this was the last CJ in the current round, I'm sad that its nearly finished so I made this one the most fiddly, I love the final outcome but now I don't want to send it of.
This was inspired by a little fathers day mini book on two peas but the final piece looks totally different.
The theme for the CJ was colours, I chose Christmas colour as Christmas is my fave time of the year and as it gets nearer I start get happy fuzzy feelings of excitement.
All the tags are cut out using the empty sheet of tags for a template also I used tags made with the big shot, I know is a terrible pun but you could say that this entriy is tagtastic.

I have had a mega good idea for an autumn mini book that I will share just as soon as it gets going all I can say I will be using laminating pockets which will be fun as I don't have a laminator so I will be ironing them and that all I'm saying for now, TFL and take care all.

2007-10-16T04:02:00.000-07:00

Hello all people in blog land, I hope you are well. I have some work to do later, I have already made samurai trousers(Hakama, they are just the coolest I am going to convert the pattern for PJs) I have the jacket to make yet and I have to cut the pattern out for DDs friend jacket luckily her Nana is a whiz with the sewing machine and will sew hers for her.

Here is the other LO using the same photo as the last LO, this LO is not acid free as I used normal graph paper and the medical bits from Ste's stay in hospital recently, again I have left the journaling as it will be something soppy, in the photo DH looks so sad to me, I know he is fed up of waiting to fixed and not being able to work.

Take care all.

2007-10-15T01:15:00.001-07:00

Good morning, how are you today? Things are not to bad here, I have another tooth problem growing I will have to ring the dentist again and see if they can fit me in but the tooth problem is probably been inflamed due to having a cold. On the subject of colds as females call them but when a man has a cold it becomes man flu, hospitals seem to be aware of this as when DH was sent home from hospital with pain killers the brand name for the paracetamol was Manadol. I have heard the the hospitals give a prescription for housework to the girls, well thats what we end up doing when we are ill.

The LO I have posted today is another of my DH and is one of two using the same photo but giving both LO different treatments. I have left the journaling off for now as it will be something a bit soppy and personal to do with the situation with his accident. I found that when you don't have a circle template big enough you don't need to go and buy one I just dug out a dinner plate I got stuck with the rust coloured ring and had to measure it and draw the curve by hand I just about got away with it. I have few finishing touches on the other LO so I will post that one in a day or two.

Take care and thanks for looking.

Spot The Difference

2007-10-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

Good morning, the weather is lovely today and I have managed to get washing on the line
again to save putting it in the dryer and consuming massive amounts of electricity.

I hated the flowers on the last LO I had posted so I decided to rip them of and do something different and here it is, it was a quick fix but I prefer it to the flowers.

Just a quick one from me today. Take care all and thanks for looking.

2007-10-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning all, I hope you are all well. DH over did things yesterday and suffered last night and still is feeling pants. I have found some time to do some scrapping last night and as Sam was not at the table I could spread out the only thing is I still have to tidy away a pile of stash.

The LO I have put up today is one of DH, I hardly ever get photos of DH but at the mo I have two I am working on this LO is using a photo took while he was trying to escape the other one photo is one I was allowed to take, I will have to get my thinking cap on to decide how to scrap it.

I have to go now I have to deliver papers as a favor to DS as he is going canoing after school. Thanks for looking and take care.

2007-10-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well, I'm still running about to doctor and hospital appointments with DH, he had some bad news about his knee, the op he had has not been successful and he may need a false knee joint but we will cross that bridge when we get there.
The photos I have put up today are for a CJ entry, the CJ is titled a pinch of this a dash of that and is about food, I decide I would use some of those free recipe card you sometimes get through the door, once again my camera is playing up again so the photos are not great.
Take care all and thanks for looking

Proud

2007-10-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are all well, life is still getting in the way but I have done a bit of scrapping. This LO is one that was threating to become a UFO (un finished object) so I made a rule that it had to be finished today, this layout has had so many changes of papers in the end I decided to choose opposites and finally dug out some old stash that had been banished to box and had not seen the light of day for nearly a year, also the the photo was taken at the folk law festival but I didn't keep a log of what I taking photos of so I can't remember which country they were representing, I thought they looked proud to be who they are and to represent their country.

I am being rushed to get of the lap top by Sam as she is sharing it with me, so take care for now and thanks for looking.

2007-09-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope your well.

I'm still very busy, life is defiantly still getting in the way, I have papers to deliver to help the kids with their round as Andy was lucky to get on the after school canoe lessons, it's his second week this week but he loved it the only thing is he is a bit to tall and broad and needs a longer paddle, Sam is a bit jealous to she would love canoing.

The LO I have put up today is Life support = MP3, on the photo you can not see but she has her MP3 on. The little birds are from a bargain stamp I found it has three birds with flowers dotted about but I just trimmed the birds down and used them on their own. The felt flower I made by using a stencil cutting out and then sewing the detail with embroidery thread .

Thanks for looking, take care all.

2007-09-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hi all I'm still here, life is still hectic Ste had his operation last Monday and is doing well although he is in a lot of pain, I'm better than I was when I last posted but still not on tip top form.

I am putting up the latest CJ entries that I have finished this one was on childhood memories, as I did not have any photos of my childhood I had to improvise, the LO was inspired by Shimelle who did a mini book using the photos as the pages. and then adding the other elements on top, I have to say I'm a bit worried as it is totally different from the other entries which are all stunning.
I am also scrapping as well, last night I was working on a LO and at ten to ten inspiration was just pouring out of me unfortunately I had to pack away so I hope to continue scrapping early today, with the aid of and easy cook meal.

In the chaos of last week we had tons of quick meals and make dos so it was nice the other day to cook properly, as Sam had gone mad on soups I made a chili soup (it tasted like chili con carne) and used half as a pasta sauce and the rest for soup the following day, I find my self craving that soup now but this time I will add kidney beans in to.

Take care all, and thanks for looking.

2007-09-14T05:34:00.001-07:00

How are you things are still mad here. DH has and operation on Monday and I have a kidney infection thats making me feel pants. I have managed to scrap a bit and I have some new ideas I'm keen to try out if I have the time. This LO I used free papers from a magazine I find them a bit shiny (and difficult to take photos of without glare) I took my time doing this one even though it is another quite simple LO.
Take care every one and thanks for looking.

Hi There Stranger!

2007-09-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all, how are you? Things have been a bit difficult round our house for a bit we all have been down, every now and then something pops up to test us, we just have to get on with things.

It was Andy's Birthday on Friday, he was fourteen but we still made a cake based on Warhammer theme, Sam helped decorate the cake and bought a hat for Andy from Hong Kong it was a hat based on his favorite character from the manga/anime.

We have had some good news Sam has won tickets to see Fish, the ex Marillion front man in Edinburgh this week, I am hoping every thing will be OK and she can go we still have to figure out how we will get there, we will cross that bridge when we get there as we don't know any of the details yet. hope it works out Sam deserves a break both the kids have had to go without a lot lately and they have coped with very little fuss, I am proud of both of them.

The CJ I have been working on is apt as the last few weeks have been a stress on the family but reminds me how important to work together to sort things out.

TFL

2007-08-19T04:14:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon we have all slept in today so I am behind on all the things I need to do, I have a mountain of ironing to and Sam is waiting to go on the lap top. Later I have a LO to do that is threatening to to turn in to a UFO, I have a lovely photo to scrap but I stated it before the one I have put up today but it didn't seem to work out.

I was thinking the other day as my memory is rubbish I should keep some sort of diary if not for every day as I don't need to be reminded about things like washing up and cleaning the bathroom but for when we have day trips and special occasions.

The LO I have put up today is not completely acid free, I used sticky notes from ASDA and a lot of machine sewing, I'm not the neatest on the machine but it the little mishaps added to the quirkiness. This LO was a pain to do as well it changed a number of times as it did not seem to go in the end I plumped for the sewing.

TFL

2007-08-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

How are you today? I hope you are well, I am helping the kids with their papers today and then I have a bit of house work to, at some point I will have to fight Sam for a go on the lap top, that's why I am quickly blogging.

The two photos are of the mini book I have been working on, I went scallop mad on this using a circle template to make different size scallops the book was based on the free gift that came with SI last month I used it as a template the quality of the gift was not very good but it created lots of inspiration. The hearts and flowers used on the tops of the page were from a light shade that I picked up in the sale at ASDA a while ago.

TFL

I Have Not Vanished Of The Face Of The Earth!

2007-08-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Hi all I hope you are all well! Things have been a bit hectic, Sam's PC blew up so she has been camped out in front of my lap top most of the time, we managed to have a run out just local we went blackberry picking we ended up with a bout 8lb of black berries, we shared them with relatives as Ste's mum can't get out to pick them herself.

I am working on a little book at the mo I should have it finished tonight so I will share.

The photo I have posted today is one from Butterfly World, I was lucky to get some good shots that day and my usually troublesome point and shoot behaved well.

TC

Meerkat

2007-08-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning how are you, all is well here I am helping the kids with their papers today so I will be tired out early today.

Today I have put up a LO of meerkats, the photo was taken at Butterfly world at Preston park just up the road from where I live. The journaling reads "These meerkats at Butterfly world are cute but we felt like letting them free as their pen was so small and the meerkats looked sad." The title was hand drawn, I wrote on the back in reverse and then cut out the title, the first attempt I forgot to reverse the "a" so had redo it but it was not as painful as the snap happy or tulip titles.

Snap Happy

2007-08-07T03:40:00.001-07:00

Good day! how are you ? I'm a bit stressed, having a teenage girl is very good for making stress but it all sorted now and I have my nice daughter back and not the daughter of the devil.

I finally got that problem LO done, the basis of it is very simple but making the title was a pain in the end I opted for the using chipboard as template title I will be glad when i can buy some different lettering either stickers or different fonts of chipboard, I know that Tim Holtz is bringing out some fab fonts in chipboard.

Cable Car

2007-08-05T02:21:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Yesterday didn't seem to go right, every thing I did sort of went wrong, I woke to find the a wet bundle of clothes in the dryer and I know I had started them off at night, they had gone all musty so I had to rewash them to. Scrapping wise it went a bit wrong to, I had two LO on the go and they should have been finished as the where quite simple LOs but one the title didn't work so now I have to turn the card stock over to redo it all and the other LO is the on I have put up today, this LO was fiddly to stick and went a bit wonky(though the photo makes it look worse) I do like this LO but it was the frustration of trying to get it all strait that took some of the joy out of it. The photo was on took by Sam on her trip to a theme park it will be interesting to see how she scraps hers.
TCFN

Weaving For A CJ

2007-08-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

Good morning I hope you are well today. The sun is shining and there is a bit of a breeze so we are going to make the most of it and have a run out to Preston park so hopefully we can get some nice photos to scrap.

The photos I am putting up today are for a CJ entry on techniques, at first I thought it would be a hard one but with a flash of inspiration it was done, I could of chosen doodling but weaving it was and I enjoyed doing this one. Sam said that we will have give suggestions to the people who have it last as the the techniques will be running out.

Pucca Love

2007-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope you are well. I got spamed the other day someone leaving comments and links to advertising so now I am modding comments, I like to have feedback on what I am doing and I will put up all genuine comments good and bad but I don't do advertising (not unless I get paid for it). Coincidentally Spam is what my dad calls my DD but then he is a bit mad apparently it runs in the family.

I finally put up the shelves in Sam's room it looks a lot better now she has put things away all she has to do now is muck out her wardrobes.

The LO I have put up today is made with one of the unwanted things from her room it was the packaging from a gift she was given at Christmas the packaging was thick board so the page is a bit chunky, it came with a little envelope to send the gift it turned out useful, I have not used any patterned paper a true magpie moment and saving on stash. Somewhere amongst my stash there is a cute little Pucca bag that would have been great for this LO but I could not find it I know it will turn up now I have finished this LO.

2007-07-30T03:10:00.001-07:00

Good morning, I hope all is well! I am stuck in again waiting for a CJ to arrive, I am hoping it is just a delay due to the postal strike and not that the CJ has gone missing.

I have made another mini canvas this one is defiantly going on the wall, unfortunately now he has lost control the printer DH is now hogging all the tools in the house I don't know why as I do most of the DIY anyway, he has until I find the picture hooks to give up the hammer or else. I haven't figured out the or else yet but I'm working on it.

I think technology is against me the camera is really being difficult and now the laptop is refusing to put spaces in properly I have to go back over the whole lot and add the spaces, the key must be sticky. One good thing is that the Lap top has the printer software in so now I can print text so I may get the LO finished that I have had planed for a bit, I don't like leaving LOs half done they could turn in to UFOs if I'm not careful.

Take care all

2007-07-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

I was going to say good morning but its nearly one now so good afternoon. I have got a bit carried away on UKS forum and I am supposed to be ironing anyway.

The weather did hold up yesterday I took some lovely shots of the parade they need a bit of work cropping and things but they will be scrappable, the camera decided to play up again and didn't want to take photos through the screen again, DH took some photos to but he doesn't think like me and the shots he took were long shots, I like the details in the clothing and faces.

I managed to print off photos direct from a memory pen, poor DH, I will have to find other uses for him now I have cut out the middle man and hogger of the printer.

The Lo I have put up today is another simple one, I had never cut out bits of a photos before but the background didn't fit in with the patterned paper The journaling was printed out, my hand writing is not that neat. I have lots of journaling ready to be printed out for other LOs hopefully I will get to work on them later.

TCFN

Just For Fun

2007-07-28T02:41:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I hope your well today. I hope to take some photos today as the Billingham Istedford starts today and there is usually a parade but the weather seems to be against us, dark clouds are covering my house as I type.

I have put up a LO I made last night , it's really a bit of fun, DH took some photos of Sam without her knowing and some where quite funny in the one I scrapped she a has a goofy hyper look on her face, when I showed her the photo she came up with the title, which is not a lie she did have coffee through a straw and it did make her more hyper than coffee normally does. The methods I used were a mix of different stamps and using chipboard letters as templates and then doodling the details on top.
TCFN

Yippee

2007-07-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all, how are you today? I'm in a good mood as the postie bought me a package today, which I was expecting to be a CJ, I squeezed it first and thought "that's a bit thin" but when I opened it there were two car stickers and CD then it dawned on me that all the compulsive filling in every competition and free draw form on the Planet Rock web site had paid off, the CD I have won is Ozzy Ozbourne's new album, now I'm not the greatest Ozzy fan I quite like some of the earlier Black Sabbath stuff but giving it a listen it is not bad if you like your rock music.

Back to the scrapping I have put up another page from the Cornwall paper bag book I am working on and I have been working on the journaling for the mini book, I am now waiting for the printer software to be loaded on tho my lap top so I can print it off directly rather than loading it on to a memory pen then going to DH and asking for him to load it on to the other lap top so he can print it, he gets really huffy if I interrupt his quality time with the internet, if I could just cut out the middle man it would be a lot easier.

And on another point I have noticed that I have stopped titling posts again, I will try harder in future.

2007-07-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

I had really crafty idea the other day, I was complaining that as DH an I compramise on the decor of our house that it was very, well plain and all the colours are neutral, unfortunately cash is a bit short so I can't just go out and by new ornaments and pictures so now the prototype stage is done I have a job to make new pictures.
The idea is canvases made from card stock the uses are tremendous, the name tags that where made are for door plates, Sam made one to hers is the second one on the Sam photo( Sam chose to use mount board for hers but it didn't stick to well so normal card stock is best), another use is just a free standing, you could put photos on them, make cut outs, I was thinking of making one with transparencys, doodle on them, I will be putting tons of these on my walls.
TKFN

2007-07-24T10:51:00.001-07:00

I have been experimenting, the top photo is the before and the bottom the after, the big bird is one stamped and the smaller is hand painted, I'm not sure which method to use but I intend to put them with the box I painted up that was in an earlier post (that has turned into a UFO). I have had these little birds for ages they cost ten pence( I wish I bought more now), the whole lot came as a mobile. I am still working on the idea of how to use them the pattern was inspired by the free gift that came with SI magazine. I might age them a bit before using them.

As for other things I am doing non craft related I have joined a role play forum, I am way out of my depth, Sam said "you should have a go" but seeing as the other members are kids I think I may scare them, they can all spell better than I can, and my imagination is a bit old and rusty.

Another thing I am up to is looking at my stash and thinking its getting out of hand I need better storage and more stash I had resisted looking at the new ranges form all the suppliers but I gave in and had a peek at Tim Holtz (not Tom Holt the author) he has some very lovely chipboard I daren't look at any more my wish list for stash is massive.
TKFN

2007-07-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, I have just wrestled the lap top from my DD who is still PC less and reluctant to give up the screen of interestingness and is now hovering waiting for me to finish.
The camera with a change of batteries now will take photos with the screen on but the photos are still pants. The photo I have put up is one I decided to do with minimal patterned paper as quite a few of the recent LO have been very pattern heavy, in a way its one of the "out of my rut" LOs that I sometimes do to try to keep things fresh.
I have to go now, not only do I have a CJ to post and to take DS to the dentist for molds to made of his mouth for the orthodontist but DD is prodding me in a big hint that she needs the company of the internet to function normally.
TCFN

2007-07-22T11:02:00.001-07:00

Hi how is everyone today? I still have problems with my tooth although it's a bit better, the old camera is not to well either it is now refusing to take photos if you have the screen on, I dread the day it dies completely, I will have to endure DH over protective glances of his dear camera, he always says it's for both of us to use then hovers around somewhere in the background if I am using it, putting me off.
I have put up the inside of the front cover of the Cornwall book I am working on the photo is not brill I think I will have to start using DH's camera after all.
I am working on a 12x12 LO I cant wait to get back to it as its nearly finished it just needs a little finishing touch and it's done, I will share when it's done.
TFL

2007-07-20T01:15:00.001-07:00

I hope you are all well today, I had a rough couple of days due to tooth ache, the dentist has put me on antibiotics, I am just waiting for them to start working. Yesterday I was cameraless as Sam went on a trip the flamingo land theme park and zoo, she managed to get some nice photos which she intends to scrap in the summer holidays.

I have finally started to work on the holiday mini book I did plump for the paperbag book in the end I have typed out the start of the jornaling it is the most I have ever written for a LO or mini book and that is only the pro log.
TCFN

2007-07-17T01:14:00.001-07:00

I started on my mini book last night, well I printed off the photos and made some notes, I haven't quite decided if it's going to be a paperbag book yet I am getting a bit low on card stock so I may be pushed that way. This book I have decided to do a lot more journaling as the holiday was in 2002 and the kids have forgotten bits of it. I am finding that I am drawn to writing more on LOs, I had always been a bit stumped as what to write now I'm beginning to think more about the journaling as the point of scrapping is saving memories and you may have memories of a time connected to a photo that are just as important as the photo itself.

The photo I have put up is of one of my UFOs I was one about the other day I used some of the leftovers of the BG paper I was tempted to make it very chunky but in the end I left it flat as with the thistles LO the large pattern means and extra embellishments would get lost.Just two more UFOS to go, I'll have to get my thinking cap on.

Cheating

2007-07-16T01:31:00.000-07:00

I completed this LO last night it was a bit to easy and didn't take long at all, the fiddly bit was cutting the paper. In a way it felt like cheating but sometimes its nice to make a quick LO. I couldn't put anything else on it as the paper is very pattern heavy and this LO didn't seem to suit journaling.
With the completion of this LO my 12x12 album is now full(50 LOs) I could add more pages but it's very fat already I was thinking of buying a new album ,that will have to wait until our cash flow gets better.
This week is the last week of school so I am hoping DH and myself will be able to have a run out some ware before we are bombarded with calls of "I'm board" from the kids, some how they don't get the motto "your only board because you haven't found anything to do."

Finishing Off UFOs

2007-07-15T02:28:00.001-07:00

No, I have not been fighting little green aliens, I have just finished an un finished object. This LO had been in a zip bag for months all the patterned paper was cut and I had already tried three different titles that didn't go and yesterday I made a lovely title but that didn't go either then I didn't like the embellishments so I remade them in red card stock and prized the title stickers of and reused them, this LO has been a pain in the neck but in the end it's has turned out fine.

I do have another LO that is a UFO but that was one scraplifted without a photo and I still don't have a photo that's right for it, that's why I don't do LO without photos, other UFOs include the box I posted up a couple of weeks ago and wine bottle gift tube that is all covered but it needs the embellishments on, it is being used to store my flowers in at the mo, I need to find a better way to store my flowers as I have to pour the whole lot in to a big cooking bowl to find the ones I want. I am going to see if I can finish all these things in the next week or so.

As for now we are getting ready to visit my MIL we are having dinner there so it will be the usual force feeding but she is a great cook so we won't be complaining.

Wild Cat

2007-07-14T04:19:00.001-07:00

Hi every one, I hope you are well today, the last few days have been good I have managed to get lots done, the other day I finally finished painting the kitchen after it being half painted for months while we sorted out the leak from the bathroom and made sure that this time the sealant had worked properly.

On the scrapping front I have done well to, I finished a double LO last night I have posted these up today. I had made a sketch a while a go but as the LO went along the plan changed. The paper is blond moments, it was from a kit I received when I first started scrapping but I didn't like the patterned pages much, with all the orange elements I doodled round the edges to define them as they where very flat. The journaling reads "Wild cat not! This cat is quite happy to be cradled like a baby and is daft as a brush."
The photos used for the LOs are DH photos that he took with the good camera (I am still using the old camera most of the time and it still eats batteries and I still have to work on every photo in photo shop to make them look decent). On the photos the reflection of the grass and clover really makes Gizzmo's eyes look the deepest of greens.

TCFN

Happy One Hundredth Post

2007-07-13T04:01:00.000-07:00

Times flies it seams like only yesterday when I submitted my first post.

Thank you Margaret for your comment it nice to know someone visits my blog, I was very lucky with the text for the Miffy LO as it was the same as a packet of chipboard letters I bought in a children's craft department. I have used them quite a bit as templates I was getting worried that I had used them on to many LOs.

As for what I'm up to, I am in the middle of a LO, it's taking a bit longer because I have been cutting all the lettering but hand (like I usually do) I am looking forward (now the printer is fixed) to using more printed media on the LOs again, I have so many ideas on the go, there is just not enough scrapping hours in the day!

TCFN

2007-07-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

I did warn in yesterdays post that I may be doing some pages based on childhood things this is a 12x12 LO but I am thinking of doing a mini book of memories I have been writing down some memories and after reading a thread on UKs I think I will give it a go. This page is about one of the first books I remember, I think I may have to take a trip to the loft to find my fave books to scrap, at the moment I have photos of a wind up toy and a Golly dolly, the Golly dolly LO will have a lot of journaling explaining about my Golly Marcie as at the time you could not by dark skin dolls but I wanted a dolly that was like some of my friends.

DD pc is broken a the mo so I have had the pleasure of her company as she has been using the lap top the run her forum. All I can hear is touch typing it's quite off putting especially as I can't touch type to save my life, I can type quite fast but I have to look at the keys. She manages to multi task running the forum and answering hundreds of MSN massages and seeing as DD and all her friends are stark raving bonkers there is a lot of random laughter and comments. I do get the odd cup of tea or coffee to, so thats a bonus.

CJ Die Cut Delights

2007-07-11T04:05:00.001-07:00

I have had trouble getting photos but now I have new ink cartridges and some photos from a mail order co which even with postage worked out cheaper than asda and I got a 8x6 print as well. I also have sketches for a few LO based on childhood memories to go with photos of toys.
Today I have put up photos of the CJ entry for die cut delights my aim for this page was to show different ways of dies so a button is not just a button it has become a ribbon slide or a photo corner.

2007-07-07T10:28:00.001-07:00

The Lo I have posted today is one made of my mother in law, I caught her in mid sentence telling my nephew James to stop taking photos of her, I like people talking when I photograph them, in Ste mum case talking is what she is famous for but I find the photos are more natural than posed ones, yes you do have to take many shots to get a few nice ones but some times you catch an expression that captures your models personality. This LO was going to be a very light piece but the paper just seemed right for Ste's mum as her favorite colour is green.
The title is made by drawing round chipboard, first with a clicky pencil (remembering if you are drawing on the back of the paper the letter needs to be backwards) then on the backing letters I used a thick marker that does not show through to the front of the paper and cutting around the outside of that line, then stick the smaller letter on to the last. It leaves a nice even out line and is very effective in contrasting colours.

2007-07-03T10:25:00.001-07:00

The next few days are going to to be a bit hectic I have a very long dentist appointment on Wednesday and Thursday is school prize night, Sam has two awards (the swat she is) and Andy is part of the year nine art display. The reason Andy has not got prizes is not that he not cleaver they are both even on that front but Andy has terrible hand writing he can write neat if he is given time but you don't get time in lessons and exams and also if you have a lot in your head you need to write down if spend to long writing neatly you forget what you wanted to put.All that a side I don't think I will get much time to scrap.

This is another LO done in bits and pieces in between dyeing and styling Sam's hair (only for the curls to be washed out by the rain), keeping Sam company on her way to marshal arts, then going to keep her company on the way back and other things that are really annoying that get in the way of me scrapping. The pink title and brads are coloured in with nail varnish, its a very expensive virgin vie iridescent it has shades of pink,purple and green but scrapping is worth it, again I have been pulling apart fabric flowers, the vase is getting a bit bare DH thinks the cat is chewing them up all the flowers.
TFL

2007-06-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

Well I'm still here its been a funny sort of week lots of distractions but I have scraped a bit. I'm running out of photos so I will have to get some ordered.The LO I have posted today is of the cob webs that where in my house, rather than put lots of flowers on I used lots of patterned papers, I had a few mishaps on this page I had to reposition one of the panels, when using double sided tape thats a bit difficult also when I read the journaling I thought I found a mistake only to find it was right first so I had to remove the letter I put in the correction pen for fountain pens worked on the fine liner I used so that was a bit of luck.

Ste is having his pre op test today so it could be any time now for his op on his knee, its all getting to us a bit I think he just wants to get it over and done with.

Take care all.

Hello Mojo

2007-06-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well I got it back, I don't think it was really gone it was probably just hiding, after not scrapping properly for a few days I was a bit uninspired but after messing about with a stencil and different fine liners I found my mojo again and I am now scrapping in my dreams again to. It's my first girlyish LO in some time it was nice to use pink again, I was hoping to do a full on flowery LO but this is how it wanted to be (may be on the next one) if I put anything else on it would be to overloaded.

Temper, Tantrums And Tears!

2007-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well its been nightmare of a day, I was all packed for the crop but every one felt grotty so I didn't go, the idea was to finish the CJ entry while I was there so I had to do it at home, I had asked Sam to print out the quote for me but she did not print it in best quality and it was a bit of an effort for her to do again so I went of it for a bit, in the end I got it printed on the main printer after pointing out that usually if I ask Ste to go on it he snaps at me. Rant over! I have calmed down a bit now (still fell put out a bit and I'm not cooking dinner) and I have finished it.

It was the hardest so far, the idea changed so many times and the challenge was to get both pages to go together The word life was hand drawn and cut, I designed the font for it. I had been meaning to do a completely black and white page for some time the temptation is to add a bit of colour.

Fixed Links

2007-06-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

I still haven't done any scrapping I had a school talent night to got to last night which was great, I throughly enjoyed it. Today I will be packing my stash for a crop tomorrow, I hope to get the CJ entry done there, I have been struggling with it I have the quote but its tying in the whole lot with images.

I have fixed my links, I didn't know they where broken until Sam told me, I have some more links I want to add later.

More Dizzy Spells

2007-06-19T06:05:00.001-07:00

Well its taken long enough but its finished (I think) its not the best I've ever done, its been done in stops and starts between helping a very dizzy Sam type her homework, freezing Andy quilts (his Astmah is bad at the mo) and a lot of other life stuff including dizzy spells of my own. I hope to go to a crop this weekend so I may be more productive then. As for tonight I have to go get money for school trips, order books for Sam's prize night and do more typing for Sam and dinner and lots of other horrible things that get in the way of scrapping.
Another thing on my mind is Ste has been told (as we expected) that he needs an op on his knee and it will be sooner rather that later, I will worry about that when it comes.

Dizzy Spells

2007-06-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all, it been a slow couple of days on the scrapping front, life has got in the way again, Sam was diagnosed with labyrinthitis, now Andy has it and I am still having dizzy spells. I am still working on the LO from the other day, on Sprinkles the mid week morsel was very good and has given heat gun a rare outing with the inspiration from that it will be staying out more(increasing the clutter in my craft space) I will have to get that LO finished I have other projects on the go, before they turn into UFOs.

Fake Crocs

2007-06-13T07:10:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of my fake crocs and if propper crocs are as comfy I want to wear crocks for the rest of my days, I found theese on our market at four pound a pair, Sam has some, she got the last orange pair they are great .I am a bit annoyed though I looked on the web in the UK they are thirty pound but in the USA they are thirty dollars which is almost half the price well as with converses I think we will be only havening fake ones. No my feet are not dirty, I have socks on!

On the scrapping front I have just received another CJ today this one belongs to Rachel and it is so gorgeous I hope I can do justice to it, the title is paper and prose I am looking for inspirational quotes, I have found lots of good quotes now I have to narrow it down to just one.

Here are two quotes I liked,
By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who
thinks he's wrong.-Charles Wadsworth

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win,
you're still a rat.-Lily Tomlin

At Last

2007-06-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

At last it is done, the cover for my scrapbook, I have enjoyed making it but I have missed scrapping.The ribbons are sewn in with the patchwork and the buttons and other embellishments added before it was quilted. The image below is the close up of the flower detail, the beaded button in the middle is the one I was saying about in an earlier post, it took over three hours to bead it, but worth it in the end.

This photo is of the side and the fastening showing the big eyelets and the photo below that is another flower, also on this cover I have used a coin and some charms. The binding turned out fab I was not sure how to do binding properly in the past I had tried but it looked naff. This was my first ever quilted project even thogh it might not been seen as proper quilting I think the arty treatment is in keeping with the use for it, as for quilting I may have another try but this time do a more traditional quilt.

Saturday Scrapday

2007-06-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

After a few days of making my cover for my scrapbook I had not thought of what I might do on the pages I started the other day, I decided I would do some today and thought that I might get scrappers block but it was the opposite within minuets the ideas where flowing and the idea I had the other day was refined see I was telling you about letting ideas form, its all in the subconscious. I had been doing some really fussy LOs with lots of different media so I decided just to make this one paper and card only I have stamped on it though, I would like to get my hands on some bigger clear stamps with swirls and things like that so I can stamp directly on to the LO as scary as it seems I am determined one day to find the courage.

As for the cover I have nearly finished the embellishments on the cover, I have some beading to do, the beads I have do not fit over my needle so I am threading them on to a needle threader then thread one on to the thread then thread the needle then sew the bead in place then unthread the needle and repeat the whole thing all over again, I have already beaded a button with over one hundred beads. Then I have to make the inside layer which is not complicated, quilt it and then the binding, I'm not very good at binding but I've been on a forum and got some advice that I think will help make a big difference.

Sneaky Peek

2007-06-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have been lap top less for a couple of days nothing drastic just a clean up of the hard drive and an unclog of all the insides it is now running a lot quicker. I have been working on the quilted scrapbook cover for the last couple of days I have put up a sneaky peek but although the bits and pieces are laid out on it they may change, I did want to do one with light colours but the lack of resources decided on this colour scheme at least any dirty won't show as much.I am hopeing to scrap later it depends on how late we do food shopping.

Short For Time

2007-06-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I was complaining about having no resources now I have resources I am short on time, amongst the things I have on the go are the two LOs I started yesterday, the box thing from the other day and now the quilted cover for my scrapbook. I have had to put it away for the night or I will make a mistake on it but I am excited as I have so many Ideas for it. I'm a bit tired now, I delivered over 200 free local news papers it is actually the kids round but as there money is keeping us afloat I did them a favor it gets me out and helps me keep fit so I can eat more chocolate.

Yey I Have Photos Again!

2007-06-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about my day I went to the library, I had an overdue book but for some reason there was not a fine to pay I also got out two patchwork books to use for inspiration, I resisted the urge to buy stash and fat quarters in Boyes, I left a prescription in the chemist and was told it would be ready in twenty minutes I returned half an hour later and then had to wait twenty minuets more. Moan over, on to the good stuff...

Hooray my photos arrived today so I have just chosen cardstock and papers and laid the photos out in sort of a first draft just to see the balance, it is going to go across two 12x12s, the card stock is two different colours, it won't technicly be a double LO but they will go together in the album. I am just having a rest now and allowing ideas to form I might visit some patchwork sites it may influence one side of the pages as there are five photos on it although there is no need for all of the details to show, the other page has only two photos.

Last night I did not have any photos printed of due to our printer playing up so yesterday I digi scraped, I can't remember what the kit is but I know it was a free one, I love the ribbon with brads I may use the same effect on a real world LO. I am hoping that the photos I ordered will come today as there is a sequence of photos to go with the one I scraped and I have an idea for a LO using them.(Can you tell I wrote that last bit before the frist bits?)I have also found lots of other free digi kits try this and this on these two fab blogs.

My Trip To The Loft

2007-06-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today I made that trip to the loft that I had been putting off for some time, I found the sewing patterns that I was looking for, they are a bit eighty's style I cringed at some of the things and the colours used back then but I may be able to do something with them, there where some seventies patterns in as well I will post another day. In one of the boxes was some fabric but none of it matched so its no use for patchworking there where two white cotton(with love hearts on) home made curtains that have lots of material on so they may find their way in to a project some day soon.

Speeking of projects I have just started the project that I have posted photos of, I am not sure what I am doing yet but I have made a start, the box which is a plywood container that Xmas decorations came in from the pound shop (Thanks to my MIL for saving it for me) the inside was a bit stained I have started to coat it with a couple of layers of acrylic paint, it's still wet in the photo, I was thinking of using scrap papers on it or even fabric I haven't decided yet. I was thinking emerald green and cobalt blue for the colour scheme.

Another project I want to do is to make a patchwork/quilted cover for my scrapbook I will have to get my thinking cap on for that one I have so much I want to do but no resources its very frustrating, I am thinking of asking on freecycle for material scraps but its getting DH to give me a lift to pick stuff up.

Sleepin' The day Away (I Wish)

2007-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday is ironing day so that what I've been up to today, I may scrap after dinner, I'm running out of photos. The photo below is the one I was working on last night most of our photos of Gizzmo are of him asleep I have decided I like clear stamps but I do need more practice with them, the titles are stamped and the journaling box the edges are stamped ant then I joined them together using a rule and fineliner I think it works well so there may be more journaling in the future

Messy Desk

2007-06-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have no finished work finished at the mo so I have put up a photo of my scrapping space what you can't see is my stash conveniently to the right I scrap on the dining table so most of the time I have to put everything away but as I was I the middle of this project I left it all out last night. The other photo is the lino from Sam's floor I posted about yesterday I have just had a flash of inspiration I may trace some elements of the pattern to use on a LO.

war Hammer

2007-06-01T10:16:00.001-07:00

I have not been able to scrap for a few days I promised Andy that I would help him paint his war hammer figures, we only managed to complete the one below but Sam is now helping him too, they are so tiny and fiddly they take ages but it is quite relaxing painting them you forget the time if you are not careful, the other thing I have done is took up Sam's carpet as the radiator leeks in her room it was going a bit musty, first we went out to buy some knives to cut up the carpet only to find a brand new set in the cupboard when we got back, then it was a job finding her floor amongst her junk in the midst of it all I found a piece of paper with I love mum written all over it, that was big pick me up, underneath the carpet and underlay there was a lino Sam said it would look great on scrap book paper unfortunately its all in bits and riped we had to find lots of rugs to hide most of her floor, I will get a photo of the lino to put up on my next post.

Printer Probs

2007-05-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-28T03:35:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-23T13:37:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

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

2007-05-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-05-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-05-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-05-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

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.