From Paintaholic to Scrapaholic!

LEAP into FAITH - February Challenge at Scrap Our Stash -.My GD Project

2012-02-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

My LEAP into FAITH Book.

I’ve been promising myself I would document my Christian journey and Confirmation and finally had the inspiration to do it when Kathy over at Scrap Our Stash asked me to be Guest Designer for February. Our word this month (as it’s leap year) is to create something around the word LEAP. I had saved a little advertising booklet, (I save them all as they make the basis for great mini books.)

This one was from a Garden Centre and was a perfect A5 size. I measured, cut and covered a sheet of cardboard to wrap around the booklet, making sure I made it ¼ “ bigger all round. I used the Basic Grey Indian Summer papers as I love their rich colours and detailed patterns. I used the die-cut stickers from the pack to arrange a small scene on white gloss paper ( a cut off from printing a photo) I fussy cut around the edge of the scene then backed it with black paper and cut around that too. I cut a heart from some corrugated card and coloured it with Dylusions spray ink in worn leather. I arranged the die-cut words LEAP and FAITH onto some black gloss card, cut them and stuck on the front page together with the other words. All the letters were from the diecut sticker sheet with the pack. I used a piece of handmade embroidered tissue to decorate the fold. A piece of wide ribbon was sandwiched between the front cover pages. The inside pages of the book were then covered with a selection of papers which echoed the colours in the front paper. The photo shows myself and others after our Confirmation Ceremony, I'm on the far right.

I painted the watercolour picture on the front of my confirmation invitation. I shall enjoy adding all my documents and shall be writing about my journey on some of the pages adding tags and pockets.

I hope you like it and gain some inspiration for your own project.

Smile Please - CSI Challenge # 5

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

The colours this month at CIS are so vivid and versatile. See them HERE for yourself. I chose a photo of a Christmas family get together where we wanted to be altogether with My Mom and her 4 Children, 8 Grandchildren and the four new Great-Grandchildren who had all been born during the previous 18 months.

It was hilarious trying to get them to sit with Mom and smile, as soon as we thought they were ok one of them would either get down and runaway or start crying which set the others off. In the end my son joined his Nan on the sofa with his daughter and his great nephew on his lap while Mom held on to the other two. Their faces made the picture!

I chose to spray misting inks to make the red pepper colour onto the background paper from WRMK white out collection. The aubergine is from Papermania colour coordinates and the patterned papers from Christmas backgound papers. For my testimony I journalled around the perimeter, telling the hidden story behind the photo, about a slice of life, setting the scene with banner flags. I used face and hidden as my inspirational words.
For my evidence I used a frame around my photo which I die cut from my border die and decorated with die cut holly leaves, the photo had photo corners, I created a border along the bottom of my LO with small christmas trees which were also the tiles for my title. I cut the circles for my banner with my small circle punch from holly leaf paper and used bakers twine in aubergine and red. The larger christmas tree I cut from another photograph along with the small parcels at the bottom. The santa/reindeer stamp was inked with aubergine/eggplant colour TH Distress ink.
I know it's a busy page but to me it says HAPPY CHRISTMAS. Hope you like it and thank you for any sweet thoughts you leave. xxx

Blossoming - CIS Challenge #4

2012-02-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Challenge at CSI here, is asking for you to look at your photo and write down your thoughts. Look for something unexpected and ask questions about it along with following the other clues. This is my second LO for CIS this week as when I was looking at photos to choose I liked this one too and as they're sisters I don't like doing for one and not the other. Plus I had all the colours handy too. lol The background papers, flourish and pearls reflect Faith's personality and choices as she adores little flower sprigs especially roses in mute colours.

My testimony - Curious, unexpected written reflections on a hidden tag, framed journaling, in steps.

IW- Wonder, Sense, Change

My Evidence - Photo - reflective acetate, framed, rhinestone brads
,Chipboard flourish sprayed with silver Mica and decorated with rhinestones and pearl string.
Shiny ribbon on extra journaling tag.
I also added a little sock hanger to my dress form to make it into a question mark which I coloured and sprayed with pearl accents, then added white adirondac ink and a shiny heart. The ribbon tie is a bit I cut from the tulle tucked under the photo.

I really enjoyed making this LO and my hidden journaling reads
"When I look at you, curiosity overtakes. What will you be like in 5 yrs? You are so sensible and always get on with things. Will you always be "the doer". You've always been your big sister's slave and her best friend, will you find your own niche when she goes to Uni? I can see how you're blossoming and I'm so very proud to be your Nan" xx. I chose to hide this as Faith is a quiet girl and hates the limelight, unlike her big sister!
Hope you like it and thank you for any sweet comments you leave, I really love reading them.xx

In Your Eyes -Colour, Story,Inspiration Challenge # 4

2012-02-02T02:24:00.000-08:00

The Challenge at CSI here, is asking for you to look at your photo and write down your thoughts. Look for something unexpected and ask questions about it along with following the other clues.

My testimony - Something unexpected, written reflections, framed journaling and formatted in steps.

IW- Wonder, Change.

My Evidence - Photo - reflective acetate, framed, glossy accents and rhinestone brads,the braiding and glimmer flakes on birdcage, shiny ribbon and shiny flower with rhinestone brad centre.

My journaling reads: "I look into your eyes and wonder. I see no reflection of the years of pain you've endured. You have always seen the positive in life. There is no sadness that the 15 operations to your foot have been in vain. You are one of the most courageous people I know, never showing your doubts or fears, always smiling, laughing, caring and ready to help anyone. Now you're stepping into woman hood I know you'll welcome what lies ahead. You'll accept the trials and embrace the opportunities that life brings you. You are beautiful on the outside but your inner beauty shines through your eyes. I'm so proud that you're my granddaughter." The papers I used were all from stock, I know the lined paper is from Stampington, white, black and teals from Papermania but the light teal background paper I can't remember. The birdcage and the coloured flowers are flocked onto the paper, I added black stitched flowers using my embroidery setting on my sewing machine.

You can see more details here, it's on until the 5th February why don't you try and solve the last of the January Challenges.

Thank you for looking and any sweet comments you leave.

What a Day!!!!

2012-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

This was to be the start of a new month without any mishaps or emergencies!!! Yeeah who am I kidding!!

My poor DGD Faith, the middle one, was rushed to hospital this morning after collapsing unconscious at home. She's had a bad tummy upset since yesterday but this morning wasn't any better. She had a rash on her face and a temperature and the paramedics came in record time. They revived her and took her straight to A&E. I can't tell you how much I prayed today. NO, thankfully she hasn't got meningitis but a nasty contagious tummy bug. She's now sipping 10 mil of water every 10 mins and eating mashed up banana. Hopefully she'll be back home soon. She has to have the week off school, much to her disgust, and her Mum can't go to work either.
Hubby had his results yesterday, of tests to find out why he's lost so much weight (3 stone) and feeling so weak. Well he's clear of the big C and the Parkinson's hasn't got much worse so they've upped his drugs to see if that helps him I've been having my blood tested too, monitoring my rhumatoid arthritis as it's flared up again. I had a phone call this morning to say my white cell count was very low so I have to have another test tomorrow. Ah well it could have been a much worse day couldn't it?

Angel Tag - Scrap Our Stash Jan Challenge for NEW.

2012-01-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is a double tag I made for a New Year’s Message to a dear friend. I'm entering it for the NEW Challenge at Scrap Our Stash. It's made from white card folded into a 6 x 3 in double tag. The papers, from a cheap but pretty pack of coloured tissues from a local pound shop, I cut diagonally to fit the card. I made the angel by drawing around a stencil of a Christmas angel onto the tissue paper, cut 2. Use double side tape to attach it to a plastic straw, (firm sort) cut to size, sandwiching the straw between the 2 angels. I wound ribbon cord at the top of the angel, twisted it across the front and glued it at the base. A computer printed angel quote finished it off.

The reverse side was built up the same with another angel quote added. The same corded ribbon finished the tag with some pearl beads threaded through the same hole.

Thank you for looking.

Believe in 2012 - OUAS Challenge 15 Hello 2012/Goodbye 2011

2012-01-30T06:39:00.000-08:00

Over at Once Upon A Sketch, the challenge for Jan 2012 was to review the year 2011 or look forward to 2012 and record your thoughts using Nadia‘s sketch. My LO is called Believe in 2012 because that’s what I want to do, believe I can achieve!

This photo of myself was taken in August last year, to use on my blog and is the only close up I’ve shown in the last few years as I’ve hated seeing myself. Some of my journaling is hidden, tucked behind the tag above my photos, to the left of the photo. It explains that my life was not very enjoyable until I took up writing my blog and entering challenges. I now believe that I deserve to enjoy something in life and I’ve begun to believe I can achieve results which I am proud of; not always but I’m getting there.

The little wooden frame held mini coat hangers, which I inked with THDistress ink in Denim blue and mahogany and cut my photo up to sit in the compartments. That’s how I see myself usually, distorted and not very pretty. .

I made the little flags by curling half a cocktail stick around the pre glued paper flag. Again I inked the edges
with the inks.
Hope you like it and thank you for any sweet comments you leave me.

GROW - CSI Case study #3

2012-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

Here is my entry for Case file 3. at Colour, Stories, Inspiration. Case file #4 is now up here ready for you to solve.

I've been working on and off on this for the last 2 weeks and I'm sure I've lost some hair in the process. I found the colours hard mostly due to the wrong rgb codes being inserted, by moi, into my colour strips. I didn't realise what I'd done until I came to upload it 3 days ago!! Had to change so much on it I hate it now. I'm not even sure I have the colours right anymore!! I mounted the photo onto a circular patterned paper which I stitched to the backing paper with gold coloured thread. There is extra journaling under the patterned paper which I tucked under the l/h side of the photo which has details of the location of the photo etc.

My journaling is under the patterned paper on the circular tags, fastened with gold brads. I also used see thru ribbon in lilac on the torn strip,a gold doily and masked doily with spray paint in lilac..
Journaling reads "You were such a tiny thing when you were born, only 5lb in weight and you fitted in your Dad's hand. Now you're 5 months old and you can still sit in your Dad's hand. You're such a determined child we know you will GROW into a beauty"

I drew my inspiration from the word growth and from the teacup and saucer theme as it looks like my granddaughter Daisy is sitting in her Dad's hand like a teacup in a saucer. Hope you like a small part of it somewhere..................

House of Angels - Challenges at Scrap for Help and Happy Daze for NEW work

2012-01-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone this is a little house from Happy Daze which I bought before Christmas. I actually bought 4 of these to decorate and give to various people as gifts but I had one for myself too. The others are still in the box waiting to be done for birthday presents!!!

I took inspiration for this from an article by Katy Fox in the Craft Stamper Mag but I cant remember which one. I received a wonderful tag at Christmas from a bloggy friend Val whose work you can see here. I wanted to preserve this beautiful tag so I incorporated it into my House of Angels.

I glued tiny mirror tiles, bought from a pound shop, behind the large angel, with various other paper off cuts lining the other shelves. The other angels are cut from scrap papers and vellums; the large angel has a dolly peg head and body sandwiched between 2 angel bodies with a small circular collar and halo attached with D/S tape.

The Angel quotes were printed out and backed with the same handmade paper I used to make the padded heart. I glued the heart to a ribbon reel which gave the right depth for the effect I wanted to achieve.

Hope you like it, I’m entering it for the Challenge at Happy Daze to create something NEW and the current challenge at Scrap for Help again for something NEW but with recycled materials which are the dolly peg angel, my little angels and my heart which was made from scraps of hand made paper and a ribbon reel.
Thank you for any comments you leave for me.

White with one Challenge Jan 2012.

2012-01-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Over at White with One this month the challenge is to use white with lime and buttons on your page. This snap of Daisy at 3 months was ideal to go with the lime colour of spring.

I used a butterfly stamp which has a button in the centre. My journaling is hidden, tucked behind the tag to the left of the photo. Hope you like it and thank you for any sweet comments you leave me.

More photos for the challenge!

2012-01-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

Still playing catch up with this so here goes with days 13,14,15,16,and 17.

This is my crafting bag which I wouldn't be without.

I had these books for Christmas, I don't read paperbacks anymore as they send me to sleep. I can recommend all of these.

I've never been happier than when I'm on a beach paddling in the water. That's Daisy and her Dad in the sea.

Took this at sunrise from my front door; it's a cold and frosty morning!!

Water star in my washing up bowl today!!

Scrap for Help - New Year Challenge - Angel in a bottle! and Featured Member. for December

2012-01-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Over at Scrap for Help I have been a featured member for my December LO of the Nativity. Thank you so much all those who voted for me. Really appreciate all the comments I had. This month's challenge is all about New things.
Hope you like my little bottle with the angel inside. Sorry about the photos but it's deep Winter here and the light is awful. My Angel in a bottle was made as a New Year present for a good friend and was inspired by the little angels I had made for my House of Angels and my Angel tags (To come in other challenges) I used an empty food colouring bottle, washed, dried and the metal ring cut from the neck.

The lid was covered in glue, sprinkled with Arctic Lake Ultra thick embossing crystals from Creative Expressions and left to dry. I poured a little Mod Podge glue into the bottle and swished it around letting it run up one side of the bottle. Before it dried I poured more crystals into the bottle to stick to the glue.

Cut 2 angels from white embossed tissue paper, (make sure they’re back to back) approx 1 ½ ins high, for my bottle. Measure a length of a white plastic straw to reach the top of your crystals in the bottom of the bottle and up to the top of your bottle. Using D/S tape glue the angels back to back at the bottom of your straw so they’re sandwiched between it. Wind some white ribbon cord from Papermania around the top of the straw for decoration. Measure and Cut 2 circles the same from the neck of the bottle and pierce a hole in the middle. Glue together and place this on top of the straw, Place the whole thing into the bottle, folding the the Angel in at the neck, it will then open out into the wider part.

Top off with the ribbon cord and ribbon around the neck and add the cap. I also made a base to stand it on by covering a ribbon spool with the same white tissue paper and adding ribbon pearls.

Add a computer printed Angel quote on a label.
Other ideas would be to make a little Christening gift, a Wedding keepsake with a ring or Valentine Heart which I’ve also got ready to do.

Thank you for looking and any sweet love you leave. xx

A Photo a day Challenge!

2012-01-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

I'm playing catch up with this as I've been feeling so ill lately.
I'm starting with Day 11 and will try and catch up!My bedroom and craft space in the Winter. In the Summer I can use the Conservatory too.
Day 12 Close up. From my garden last summer.

Believe! -You are the Gift that made all my Dreams come true! - OUAS Challenge Happy New Year

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Over at Once Upon a Sketch the current challenge is to journal about the New Year. What are your thoughts, hopes or wishes.

My journalling is hidden under the second heart which is hidden under the top heart. I tied the hearts to the flourish so you can twist them round to reveal the title and the journalling which reads:-
“Seeing in the New Year” A time to look forward!
When my children were young I would kiss their sleepy faces at 12 O’clock.
I had so many hopes and dreams for them for their future! I’d sit by their beds and just gaze at them in wonder!"

The photo was actually taken while we were on holiday in Ostend, Belgium in 1973. We took the children to a nightclub and they were so excited to be out so late. In Belgium the law was more relaxed about children being there but it wasn't a seedy place. Lol. I had great fun making this LO but it took a long time for the inspiration to hit. Just about made it for the deadline again! Hope you like it and thank you in advance for any sweet comments you leave me. I love them all. xxx

OK let's comPROMISE! - Challenge at BITW.

2012-01-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Over at Bird is the Word the current challenge word is PROMISE. I'm not sure whether I even like this LO now but you know what it's like. It starts off what you picture in your head, then morphs into something completely different!!! I'm posting it anyway as I've used some of my best paper from the Basic Grey, Indian Summer collection for it.
I used a paper doily cut in 2, which had been sprayed with Dylusions inks and buttons from a box of Papermania buttons from Christmas stock. The paper roses were from some handmade paper.
I love these photos of Abi and Faith from 2004, they are from a little series I took with my manual SLR camera and I still love the photos it produces. It's too heavy for me now.

I used cream embroidery thread to make the trails up the sides then threaded bakers twine through the stitches. I added bakers twine to the buttons knotted on top. I do hope someone!!! likes it and thank you for looking and leaving any comments, I need the encouragement right now!!!

Chaotic Times -Scrapbook Challenge No 1 at (CSI - Colour, Story, Inspiration).

2012-01-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

There’s a challenge at the new scrapbook challenge site CIS where you have to use the colour combo stated and build up a page around a series of clues and inspirational elements. Click here for more information. Why don’t you give it a go.

My page was inspired by the word “Chaos” in the challenge. This photo of me with my grdrs in 2000 made me remember how chaotic life had become after they were born. I looked after them regularly while their Mom worked and those days, were chaotic!!! I found a pack from Scrapbook Magazine issued with the 2011 March Issue as a freebie. (Please don’t quote me on that as I’m not certain of the month.) I loved the colours and the ladybirds on the patterned paper and decided to use it on my LO. It reminded me of the chaos of Spring with all the insects scurrying about in our garden.
The photo was ok but I didn’t like the garden umbrella pole which cut the photo in half. I made an umbrella from the grey paper and made it a feature by rolling paper underneath to make it stand out. The quote was from the freebie pack too.
Other elements I added
1. Pine, the fencing in the photo.
2. Repeat stamp background, a circle stamp made by stamping with a wine cork with TH Distress Ink in Forest Moss. This gave a lovely broken circle which I kept light as there was already plenty of pattern. I also introduced another patterned paper by adding lines in the required colours, of varying thickness, on a piece of graph paper. (seen below the photo) I really enjoyed doing this!! How sad is that?!!!!
3. Lacy element, with paper buttons and borders. I stamped and embossed a lace stamp from my stock with the same ink as above and clear embossing powder. A little of the tan colour crept onto my paper during this process???? which I thought was great so I cut my circles for the buttons to incorporate the extra colour.(Bottom rt.) I also used my lacy border punch at the top and bottom of my LO.
4. I used journaling on my

5. tags, which also
6. rhymed and
7. numbered them.
I must admit that while I found the papers easily, arranging them, adding the rhyming journaling and pulling it all together without it looking too jumbled was a real challenge!! I’m not sure whether I’ve done it but I hope people will look at it and smile at my words which say….”Tag 1. Chaotic was my life when you were both so small, I lived in dread that you would climb up somewhere and fall.” Tag 2. You had the knack of knowing what would invoke my alarm. While I was looking after you I would hate for you to come to any harm! Tag 3. The only way I could watch you both was to sit you on my knee. Then hug and tickle you, ‘til you both cried out with glee!!
Well that’s all folks, hope you like it and thank you for any sweet comments you leave for me. xxx

I'm a Design Team Member for Feb at Scrap Your Stash!

2012-01-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have been invited to be a Guest Designer at Scrap Your Stash for February's Challenge. Yay and a happy dance. I don't know what I'm doing yet though, No pressure there eh!!! lol

New Year - New Start! Simon Saya and Happy Daze Challenges!

2012-01-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone well I've spent NY with a 3 day migraine!!
It started well with some card making and journal pages then the pain struck. Ugh. Nothing to do but take the pills and wait it out. I managed a couple of short sessions blog hopping but this is my first real session.
Here's my youngest DGD Daisy on Christmas Eve. You can see the excitement building can't you.

It's Daisy's 8th Birthday next week and I made her birthday card plus a little book to write a story in. I'm entering them for the Simon Says challenge to use something new and the Happy Daze Challenge which also want something new used.

She loves writing stories about fairies and about horses. I've bought her lots of crafting goodies for her birthday too which I hope she'll enjoy using.

The papers and matching embellies are from a range by Papermania which I picked up in the craft sale last week.
I will probably be doing some crafting with her the next time I go so at least I know she'll have some supplies to use.

Hope you like them and thank you for looking. xx

The Nativity - 2011 - OUAS, SFH and SYS Challenges

2011-12-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas is over but this is the first chance I've had to write a post for a while. Family illness has loomed large this year, Mom has shingles since 23rd December, hubby not well at all and me just flagging with all the stress and strains.

The picture is of the Nativity I made for the Sunday School kiddies at my church. It is from the December Prima Nagazine in the UK, using toilet roll tubes, a cardboard box and some scrap stash. I used material scraps and paper to make the figures, finishing of with paper crowns and material headdresses held on with old scrunchies my grand kiddies have left here. The picture was taken before the kiddies demolished, sorry I mean decorated them, by adding faces and jewels to the kings' crowns.!! I took extra stash into the Sunday School so they could make their own and take them home if they wanted. I couldn't take a good photo once it was in the church as the lighting isn't very good. It did take pride of place on the Christmas table though.

That was all I was going to post yesterday, then I read Nadia's post over at Just My Scrappin World, about HOPE, and her words were so beautiful, she inspired me to do more! Using Nadia's sketch at OUAS I produced this LO. I based it on Kraft paper to represent the plain and lowly place where Jesus was born and used some printed tissue in red and gold for the Christmas Colours.

Out of all the traditions we have on Christmas Day, going to Church and celebrating the Birth of Christ is what I love.

I've hidden my journaling behind the tag but it reads like this....We open our presents on Christmas morning; after breakfast, the meat goes in the oven, veggies prepared and at 10.15 I go to Church. I love this service as we usually take in any unusual presents to show and the sermon is always a happy one, full of HOPE for the year ahead. I know that whatever happens, my strength is renewed by the love and support I receive from everyone there.

I made the Christmas roses from the kitchen roll paper I had used to mop up spray paints from making my Wedding Guest Book in a previous post.
I'm entering this for the Challenges at Once Upon A Sketch, Scrap For Help and Scrap Your Stash.Thank you everyone for looking and for your continued support and I wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. xx

A Lovely Day - A Sikh Wedding and a Ring!

2011-12-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

I had a much needed break yesterday, attending my nephew's Wedding in Leicester. It was quite a day physically and emotionally, as my nephew is my brother's youngest son, by his first wife, who died 25yrs ago. She and my brother were sadly missed but would have been extremely proud of all of their children. It was lovely to see them all supporting the Groom, as he married his Sikh bride. The Sikh Wedding is quite something to experience, their hospitality is second to none and the colours are beautiful. The Bride was gorgeous and the Groom looked very handsome. They asked me to make them a Guest Book which is in my Mixing Media Blog (see the sidebar)and had some supplies which I didn't use for that, so made them a book about the story of the Wedding Ring.

A few months ago I received an advertisement from a leading car maker in the form of a book inside this four cornered envelope. I painted them all red, embellished them and decorated the envelope to match.

Thank you all for your kind words of support for me and my family, I read and appreciate them all, my Bloggy friends and crafting are keeping me sane. Thank you for looking and any sweet words you leave for me.

I've been away too long!!

2011-12-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone I've not been Blogging much lately. A mix of working on projects for Christmas and looking after my hubby and not being 100% myself.
My husband has been for an MRI scan on his brain today and goes for another on his abdomen on Monday. He has Parkinson's Disease and early onset Dementia which at 69 has been hard to deal with. Now he's suddenly started to lose weight and doesn't look like the man I knew. It's been very hard living day to day with him as he's had really bad mood swings and drinking a lot, which hasn't helped. We wont have any results until mid-January as the clinic is on a Monday and the next 2 are Bank Holidays in the UK so we just have to carry on and get through Christmas.
I shall try and post some of the projects I've been doing but entering challenges has had to take a back seat for a while. Take care and please add us to your prayers at this difficult time.

I'm a winner at Scrap for Help.

2011-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

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I'm woo hooing and jumping for joy as I've won the first prize on SFH for this page!!

Bastelmania: Paint Party Friday Week # 38

2011-12-02T03:19:00.000-08:00

Bastelmania: Paint Party Friday Week # 38

Been making cards!

2011-12-02T03:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a preview of some of the cards I've made with the Papermania Christmas Pack this year. Each year my Mom sends a card with £5 in it, to all her Great Grand Children (19 altogether) and I make the cards for her. I've made 18 so far!! The ages of the GGC range from 15mths - 16 yrs so I have to do a variety.

I've also been making tags and tag cards which I've posted on my other Blog Mixing Media. I would love a visit and your comments on my work over there too.

I'm helping out in Shropshire, 'til the weekend looking after my DGD Daisy for my hard working DD & DSIL. Daisy's been busy making her Mum's Christmas Present with me, which I can't reveal yet but it came to me while helping her, what my favourite thing about December is.

Now I can't wait to get home and scrap about it for the December challenge at Once Upon A Sketch. Thanks for looking and any sweet words you want to share. I do love and appreciate them all. xx

The Ribbon Girls Giveaway!!

2011-11-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

http://ribbongirls.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-reindeer-giveaway.html
The Ribbon girls are giving away a cute little flat pack Reindeer for you to decorate. Closes on 4th December so there's time to get on over and see it.

TRUST - Bird is the Word Challenge for November

2011-11-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

I had just the photo for the TRUST Challenge at BITW but had such a problem printing it on my printer. After 4 attempts I realised my paper was the fault not the printer. Although it was photo paper it was some old stock and didn't want to play. Having left them on my craft table overnight (to let my hair regrow) lol I saw that the faces were still visible even though the background was blurred and used them to give the effect of a movie film with my good print as the main focus. The background is from a previous sketch challenge which I didn't get to finish but it went well with the photo colours.

The poem under the tag is one I made up four years ago in my pre-blogging days for this LO. Daisy learned to dive in five days on holiday with her Dad.. Everything on this page was hand cut and made from scraps of this and that.

Recycled Cycle - WW1 and SFH Nov Challenges!

2011-11-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

This page evolved from being for 1 challenge to another and then another!! I just couldn't make ny mind up, consequently it's been sitting on my table for 3 weeks half finished!! I decided to go for the White with One Challenge this month which is all about brights and flowers and the Scrap for Help which is about recycled and Christmas.

I've hidden my journalling behind a train ticket stub which reads:- Daisy loves her "grown up" recycled cycle. My Mom saw it in a council collection pile and rescued it. Granddad cleaned it up and put new handle grips and brakes on it. I finished it off with some sparkly tinsel and a new pink helmet. All in time for Santa to take it and deliver for Christmas.
The flowers are all hand made from scrap paper and punched hearts, the old train ticket and the stamped dress form were rubbed with worn lipstick Distress ink on a sponge, the tag titling from 2 old alpha sheets. The background was rubbed with an light pink ink pad that's barely got any colour then over stamped lightly with a Brilliance ink pad. This is petal shaped, in rocket red and formed flowers shapes over the old white card rescued from the back of my filing cabinet and cut down to a 10x10 size. The framing papers are from Stampin Up stock. I hope you like it and thank you for looking and any sweet comments you leave.

Giveaway at Once Upon A Sketch!!

2011-11-22T05:17:00.000-08:00

Follow this link for a Giveaway at OUAS.

This is what is being offered. You've got to be in it to win it!

My DAD - Lest We Forget

2011-11-22T04:49:00.000-08:00

It is 30 yrs today since my Dad died so I thought I'd show this LO today, from my Family album, in Remembrance of him. He was lucky enough to survive the war and died age 66 from lung cancer. I miss him still so much. The photo here was taken in front of the Basilica in Rome; the postcard, with the same view, was one he sent to Mom after he'd pasted some lampooned pics from the Italian newspaper onto it. The elephant, made from black card, signifies the felt elephant he made for me while he was in hospital in Italy recovering from Dysentery.

I used some Basic Grey October Afternoon paper, and made all the little poppies from a punch. The medal was a copy of Dad's medal made from dyed ribbon and black card. Hidden journalling is behind the Memories to Share tag on the right.
Thank you for looking and any sweet words you leave me.

I Just Love Being a GIRL! - Once Upon A Sketch November Challenge-2

2011-11-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone there's another challenge over at OUAS to use Nadia Cannizzo's sketch to tell why you love being a Woman. Here is my LO which just fell together in a couple of hours.

The papers are all old stock, the patterned one I know is Basic Grey October Afternoon,just love it. The flowers are handmade from book text coloured with inks and gesso mixed, the centres are some I handmade from Sculpy clay and stamped with a stamp from the Papermania oriental collection. Dress form from Wendy Vecchi and tree stamp from Nitwit collections.

The extra journalling on my Tags reads as follows: TITLE TAG 1- "I just LOVE being a GIRL!^
TAG 2- "I maybe a Grandma now but I've always loved being FEMALE! The Domestic life; caring for my family has always been paramount to me. Fashion and fast cars have never bothered me."
TAG 3- "I've always been contented to make my own clothes, grow and cook my own food, but I LOVE PINK! Now I'm a Grandma I'm enjoying passing on my skills to my 3 Granddaughters."
TAG 4 - Thesaurus definition of WOMAN: n.sl.bird,bride,(old use)dame, (old use) damsel, daughter, dowager, female, GIRL, GIRLFRIEND, HOUSEWIFE, LASS, LADY, MAIDEN, WIFE, MOTHER.

Thank you so much for looking and any sweet words you leave me, I love them all and it spurs me on to keep crafting when I know others find my work pleasing to them.

Woo Hoo I've been featured at Scrap for Help!

2011-11-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Remember this LO. It's way past my bedtime but had to tell about my surprise when I opened my emails today. I entered this LO in the Scrap for Help Challenge, in September and I have been chosen as one of their top 5 featured members. I've tried to put their logo on my blog but I've failed miserably atm. Will have another try when I'm not so tired. I've had a busy week with health and personal problems and I've been doing lots and lots of Christmas crafting too. Will reveal all very soon. Thanks for looking and any comments, I really do love and appreciate them all.

Wall hanging with quote - 2 missed challenges!!

2011-10-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

I started this Wall Hanging at the beginning of the month in response to one Challenge for creating a Wall Hanging and another Challenge for using Quotes. I wrote down all the links and what I had to do for them. Before I could finish it I had a bad spell, feeling unwell, couldn't craft and lost my list. I have no idea where it is so I can't enter the challenges but thought I would post it here anyway now it's finished. I used a rescued chipboard door hanger and coloured it with TH Distress stain in sepia photo.

From the Papermania Tweet stamp set I created the birds using the same ink onto card and softened the images with water. The nest inside the hole was angel fibre on card and coloured with the stain along the torn edges.

The quote is a stamp from Creative Expressions, Artistic stamper set. I pierced a hole under the roof apex and used a brad to attach a plastic hanger from a pair of socks to create a wall hanger. Finally the roof gable was added from card coloured with the ink, a button covered the brass brad, some organza ribbon tied around the quote and 3 buttons added to the trim.

Hope you like it, I really enjoyed doing it and I think I'll make some more with a Christmas Theme for my next Craft Fair in November.

Thank you for looking and any words you may leave me. I love them all and really love to know you've visited. xx

More views from my Mini tag book!

2011-10-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

I've really been feeling down over my aches and pains again this week. A flare up of the rhumatoid arthritis in my hands and elbows plus a bad cold left me feeling too rough to craft much. Sorry for not replying to posts, I will get around to it soon I hope.

Here's some more pages from the tag book I did.This is the first part (one of three) the quote reads " Angels don't worry about you they believe in you!

I didn't colour the image like in the Craft Stamper article, just outlined a little and emphasised the eyes.

Hope you like them and thanks for looking and leaving me any lovely comments. They do lift my spirits. xxx

Stampotique Challenge - Mini Angels Quotes Tag Book!

2011-10-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I've been feeling a bit down the last few days and decided to take a break from doing craft and finish sorting craft instead. Over at Stampotique Originals http://stampotiquedesignerschallenge.blogspot.coml using any stamps the challenge this week is to make a tag which was just about all I could cope with just now. Of course it ended up as a mini book instead of a tag!! It started as an A5 white folded card, misted on both sides with Dylusions spray inks in Pillar Box Red and Vanilla Custard over a Creative Expressions Mask of Trees and Angels. I cut the card into 3 tags and left the folds intact, just nipping the corners and adding holes.

I found some angel quotes which I stamped with a Studio G Alpha Set and the free stamp by Sarah Lawrence in the Craft Stamper mag this month from Crafty Notions here which I love!! I must get more of these!! These were stamped with TH Distress inks in Aged Mahogany and Rusty Hinge. On the last page above I cut some angels from the paper towel I'd mopped up with and glued 2 of the corners I'd cut off from the tag top to make their wings. I added a little sparkle glue to these as it's nearly Christmas!! I've shown you the first and last pages here but there are 12 altogether!! Will show some more tomorrow in another post.

Abi - The Colour Room #79 and Creative Scrappers Sketch #177

2011-10-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone I have combined 2 challenges here using the colour palette from the Colour Rooms Challenge #79 here and the sketch from the Creative Scrappers # 177 here. Abi, my DGD had a dressing up session with her friend and captured this photo which has been on her FB page for ages. I just loved these colours which tied in with the Colour Room Challenge this week.

I'm not sure I have done a good job here but I did enjoy adding the bling!!

I did make 3 flowers but decided to add the birdies instead. Hope you like it and thank you for leaving me your sweet comments. I really do love them all. xx

Lessology Challenge #3 - The Doggy Bag!

2011-10-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

The challenge at LESSology this week is to create something from a doggy bag.

I didn't have a kraft paper bag but I did have a Flour bag which I'd just emptied after making some Carrot Cake Muffins!

I painted the bag with cream and mocha acrylic paint, made a base with orange s/b paper to strengthen it and cut some orange paper strips decorated with daisy punch and patterned paper to go around base and top of the bag.

I added handles in raffia, recycled from a flower posy, paper carrots on the bag and small ones on the muffins. I added a plastic bag inside for the cakes, tied with more raffia. Hey presto, a nice little gift for my daughter who also loves Carrot Cake!
Hope you like it and thank you for looking and leaving me some sweet words.

I edited this post to state that raffia was recycled. Jeanie g

U R Unique - ScrapFIT: Workout #53 - The Journalling Goes Round & Round

2011-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

My DGD Daisy showing off her crocheted outfit by her GGM. Daisy chose the colours and asked for a jacket, Mom made the hat and bag too as a surprise.

I journalled all around the cut out photos to add the interest and focus on the outfit. I thought it would be just right for the ScrapFIT challenge.

Thank you for looking and leaving me any sweet comments.

Laugh! - October Once upon a Sketch Challenge and SFH Challenge

2011-10-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

I've had an enforced couple of hours sitting in my bedroom this morning while my carpets and suite are being cleaned. I finished Faith's Trinket box and Card for her birthday next month, don't want to show it here in case she sees it. While these luscious papers were out (they're from the Ella Blue collection by GCD Design Studios) don't you just love them, I decided to do an LO for the Once upon a sketch October Challenge which also fitted in with the Scrap for Help October Challenge too. You have to use the sketch and also journal about 2 events that have happened in a week and MUST journal at least 1 sentence for each event for OUAS. Not a problem for me, you can't shut me up most of the time. LOL. The photo is my DGD Daisy,age 7, I love this photo and have a copy framed in my lounge. This fits the children theme for SFH.

I hid my journalling about Daisy on the reverse of a Teresa Collins Journal-It girl label which I tucked behind this gorgeous Kraft card die cut patterned heart from a pack of Christmas ornament hangers..

I hid my other event journalling inside a a card embellished with two stamped keys. It reads....I've been having a craft clear out this week and found this lovely fairy; just the right colour for my layout about Daisy!

I made the title from some Artoz cord on a reel, shaping it with some mod podge glue and sticking straight onto the page. The flowers were made from coordinating plain papers by Dovecraft (Lisa Bourne) to which I added some pearls and thin wire.

My recycled elements are the circle of white and silver spots is an old tag from a present and the fairy is from a previous Christmas card I made and never sent.
This last photo shows the hearts, 10 per pack for £1.99 and some plywood angels, 6 per pack, same price, from our local craft store.Great value I thought!!
Thank you so much for looking and any comments you may leave, I really treasure every one. xx

Taking Time out!

2011-10-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone I've been taking time out this week to try and put my house in some sort of order. With all the hospital and hospice visiting over the last few months, I've been putting things off, like tidying drawers and cupboards, sorting craft stuff and proper cleaning of the cooker etc. I was supposed to be going on holiday today with my friend, all booked and paid for but with so much going on at home.... I've given my place to another friend. Hope they have a lovely time. I am just not well enough to enjoy it at the moment and couldn't even contemplate packing. Mom is still grieving badly over my brother, hubby is getting worse and so is my BIL so altogether we're a right bunch. I've quite enjoyed putting my house in order today and I've now got to re-organise my crafting supplies ready for the Xmas rush. I love the build up to the whole season but hate all the hype on tv and in the shops. Buy this, buy that. When you're on a fixed pension it's not possible. I shall be making my pressies this yr, all courtesy of my craft stock!
The photo is of my brother and I, the next one to scrap.

LESSology Trinket Box Challenge

2011-10-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

I altered this

and turned it into this

It's still a WIP as it's going to hold my DGD's Birthday Card and present and then will be her Trinket Box.

I'm linking it to the LESSology site but I may have missed the deadline. Thank you for looking, hope you like it.

In the Frame- Front cover!

2011-09-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Before I put away the papers I'd used for the latest CCG Challenge I decided to make a Front page for the Scrapbook I'm doing for my brother. It's not quite finished, I need to put name and dates etc but thought I'd show it before I do that. Thank you for looking and for your lovely comments!
Truly appreciated every one of them. xx

Scrap for Help - Cherry Blossom!I

2011-09-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

I started to scrap this ages ago and just finished it off. Hope I'm in time! The theme for this challenge this month is Spring which is upside down for me as we're just going into Autumn/Fall. The photo is the cherry blossom on the tree in our allotment last Spring, the words are my own.

I used a recycled kraft holder which had earrings on it, for the photo frame and a pink paper clip from a pack of handmade papers, a used record card which I cut out the cherry blossom shape and wrote on the reverse, and the twine around the photo is from a necklace which was broken. I also used a broken piece of chipboard scroll as a stencil to make the pink borders, and also the flowers were from a scrap piece of 12x12 Papermania blossoms paper. I cut out the circles using dinner and tea plates for my template.

Hope you like it and thank you for looking and commenting. I love all of them.

Spring - White with One Challenge!I

2011-09-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd have a go at this month's WW1 Challenge which is to journal on a photo and the 1 colour is pink. I took some photos in the Spring, of the gorgeous blossoms on our trees at the allotment. I enjoyed working with just 1 colour with the white, it took me right out of my comfort zone!!

I made the paper flowers resemble the buds on the blossoms using thickish paper and squidging the flowers into a ball with the palm of my hand, after glueing them together.

I opened my photo in Paint and added text and also added the word Spring in white die cut card.

Hope you like it and thank you for looking.

Dream! - CCG 210

2011-09-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

I made another page this afternoon using what I had left from my other layout for the CCG challenge. It's been very theraputic to use the photos I have of Pete and scrap them while I look back at our past. Hope you like it and as always thank you folks for looking.

Always a Free Spirit! - CCG 210

2011-09-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

A new Challenge over at CCG and the book theme comes to a close. This week we had a photo of another bookshelf with different colours and the Designers Challenge is to include papers which depict one of the patterns in the photo. I'd been looking through photos of my brother who died recently and found this cutie from when he was about 8mths old. The colours in the photo matched the colours in the challenge. Hope you like it and thank you so much for looking.

Memories of .......just being silly!

2011-09-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Another page for the girl's album of the day Abi tried to cheer Faith up by lying on her!! It did the trick as that was the first time she'd smiled. I was going to enter this into a challenge but decided not to.

I've been chosen.......by CCG for Challenge 207!!T

2011-09-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

The lovely Design Team over at Colour Combos Galore have put my layout as a Gallery Favourite again this week!! I'm really enjoying these weekly challenges using 4 colours and an inspiration photo. You also get a song-traack to work by themed around the colours. Very clever eh!

Tick, Tock, it's past 12 o'clock!! - I'm Featured Member on CCG 209

2011-09-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to be invited as Featured Member for Challenge 209 this week. It's been a sad time as my DB passed away after a 2 year fight against cancer. Crafting helps me take my mind off my worries and upsets so I accepted the Challenge. Bright tangerine colours, grey and dark teal matched my moods exactly, as I celebrated his life one minute and was sad and upset the next. The Designers Challenge is to include photos of single people/objects as in the inspiration photo.

The colours screamed Panto land and the photgraph reminded me of the photos I had for Mom's Surprise 90th Birthday Party when we dressed her chair and gave her a crown. I chose to frame the photos in the contrasting grey and teal shades as the photos had the orange colours in them.

The clock came from a leaflet and with the fingers set at 5 past 12, I was inspired to hint at the "Cinderella losing her slipper" idea, for the title. I made the shoe by drawing freehand and cutting out in the lightened grey paper adding the orange pearls to match the tiara in the photo of Mom.

The dolls head is perched on the shelf of patterned paper as the bust is, in the inspiration photo with the ribbon and organza bow echoing the fabric of the chair in my photo. The paper strips behind the photos were all chosen for their colour and pattern, with ribbon being wrapped around the middle one and strips of the contrasting teal threaded through.

The flower was hand-drawn and cut from 3 of the 4 coloured papers with an orange brad in the centre

Background papers from Colourbok 12x12 Pad called Sweet Bloom.
Other patterned papers from Stampin up, Papermania
Grey paper from Dovecraft - Leigh Bourne Paper Pack.
Silver White paint was used to lighten the grey paper and also to cover the checks on the background paper.I used a Coral Letraset Marker pen to colour Mom's dress to the correct colour.
Dolls head from Altered Elements.
Orange ribbon, brad in flower and organza strips from my stock.
Self adhesive Pearls from Papermania.
Sliver grey lettering from Papermania.
Daisy punch by X Cut

Pearls of Wisdom!

2011-09-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Over at CCG the Challenge this month is all about books and this weeks inspiration photo of a rose in a teacup with pearls cascading around the saucer, was a good one. It inspired me to set up my own still life with a flower I had picked from my garden and a photo of my 5 yr old DGD Abi, writing in her grown up exercise book for the first time. I've always loved the photo and this was the perfect opportunity to use it in the challenge. I used this still life to then inspire my layout, using the 4 colours in this week's challenge, I printed off the rose in the vase and the books and cut them out, then zoomed in on the rose and printed 2 copies so I could collage them onto the LO. I also cut Abi out from her b/ground as it clashed with the rest of the colours.

The b/ground paper is from a Papermania stack, the doily from the Victorian collection at Paper Cellar (6 x 6) which had pearls on it. I used the tutorial at CCG done by Designer Susan Stringfellow, as inspiration and sewed my pink pearls onto the lilac ribbon to edge the doily. I layed my string of pearls (purchased as a Christmas decoration) onto the BG paper and sprayed with pearlescent mica spray then arranged the real pearls interweaving the masked pearl strand. I had the body form from a free download from the Craft Stamper Mag, cut it out on black card which was also masked and sprayed with the mica.

The 3 butterflies were from DO Crafts. I used lilac embroidery thread to add embroidery to some of the BG paper circles.

The title came to me first when I found the photo, and was the most difficult and last thing to do!! In the end I die cut the letters from lilac shiny cardstock and arranged them in a semicircle to follow the doily shape. Thank you for looking and I hope you like it and leave me a message to know you've been.

Mini Book for Abi!

2011-09-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's my DGD Abi's 16th Birthday soon and I wanted to do something special for her to keep! I saw this mini book in the Craft Stamper this month and they have a template for a dress dummy for you to copy from. I combined the 2 in this little book for her. The most troublesome part was doing all the eyelets with my Crop a dile!! Lining up all the holes was hard. If anyone has any useful tips I would be eternally grateful.There was a lot more work in it than I first thought and has taken me the best part of 3 days to do. (In between visiting my brother in the Hospice, he's very poorly now!!!)

This is the back page and inside the pages are made from envelopes, all decorated and inside the envelopes are postcards which I decorated on both sides too. I'll try and put them into a slideshow as there are another 12 pages to show altogether. I don't think blogger will let me do that in one post.

Thanks for looking and hope it inspires you to make one too!

Made Gallery Favourite at CCG Blog!!

2011-09-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it I made the gallery fave again on the CCG 207 challenge. Needless to say I'm dead chuffed!!

Every Picture Tells a Story-CCG Challenge 207

2011-09-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

The Challenge this week reminded me of the day I took these photos of my DGDs. I took inspiration of the CCG photo for the idea of the piles of books stacked on the shelves.
I drew some books in black ink, directly onto the background, which was my white colour, making more drawn books in the colours of the combo plus more ink drawn ones. I cut these out and added them to the LO with ds foam tape, adding movement by stacking them lopsidedly. The doily was sprayed with Dylusions spray inks to get the right colour and pages were added from an old english/russian dictionary I bought for a £1. I filled the pages of some mini books too, adding a title to the largest one. I had loads of fun with this, you can see the challenge at http://colorcombosgalore.ning.com/photo/207-every-picture-tells-a-story.
Thank you so much for looking and leaving me your words.

My Time Travel Journal!

2011-08-29T04:32:00.000-07:00

The top picture is the view I have from the front room window atm. I'm house and cat sitting for my daughter whose gone away. It's not very warm today but this was captured last night before the sun disappeared.
I started this page in response to the Stampotique Challenge to alter a journal page 2 weeks ago!! I say started, as I missed the deadline to submit my page, (story of my life lately). I don't have any of their stamps yet, (will soon be remedied) but this challenge let you use any stamps. I bought the pack of memorabilia from The Train Museum in York while I was visiting in December, which contained lots of cards and tickets and also this cute little Rules Book. Just crying out to be altered!!! Yes my thoughts exactly. I've been really busy collecting bits and pieces to put in it and sort out some sort of order but scrapped this page to start me off. The quote at the bottom is from the Dylusions downloads. Other stamps from the collection I have. Hope you like it and thank you so much for looking,

CCG Challenge 206 - A Night to Remember!

2011-08-28T03:57:00.000-07:00

There's a new challenge at the CCG site and I couldn't resist entering! This one was to use very soft shades of white, grey and black with a piece of wood, a shelf, caps titling, stripes, and a transparent element, phew some challenge!! The photo for inspiration was a bit uninspiring at first but the more I looked at it the more I was hooked. I'm staying at my daughters in Wellington, looking after the fish (8) and cats (2) while she's on holiday with her family so my supplies were limited.
I ventured down into the local small market yesterday and couldn't believe my luck!! I found this amazing haberdashery stall selling bundles of ribbon offcuts for 50 pence!! They also sold embroidery thread for 20p a skein and had just the colours I was looking for.
I had bought a roll of canvas to work on for another project and after ruining the only 2 pieces of SB paper I had bought with me I tried the canvas. What a joy it was to discover this. I managed to do a fairly decent woodgrain effect,raiding my daughter's acrylic paints, taking inspiration from the piece of driftwood in the CCG photo, and soon filled my LO with other bits and pieces. The feathers were a lovely soft white like the colour of the settee in the CCG photo and the threads wrapped around my twig represented the wood element. I twisted them around to echo the balloon strings in my photo and finished off with transparent beads I found in Daisy's stash. I mounted my transparent title onto a piece of card leftover from making the shelf which the wood sits on, and finished it off with brads painted in white acrylic paint (they were brass before). The shelf represents my striped element as does the titling.
I had such fun working on this LO hope you like it and thank you soo much for looking.

CCG Challenge 205 - Tied to my Heart!

2011-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hi my 2 eldest DGD's actually in a nice pose. A very rare event I can tell you! I've entered this LO in the CCG Challenge over on their site. I joined this site to try and improve on my colour combinations and I've really enjoyed this one. The teal colour hasn't shown up very well on the feathers, but otherwise I hope I've got it right. Thanks for looking and hope you like it.

Top Drawer Babe - LGS Challenge No #26

2011-08-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Phew Scraped in by the skin of my teeth for this challenge at the Lets Get Shabby Blog. I love their style and I've entered a couple in the past so decided to do this one with the only old and battered photo of me as a baby.

The challenge is to use toile and ticking in the LO. I chose the photo and got the title, they were the easy parts. Toile was a bit tricky as I wanted to keep to a rather austere style to go with the photo and the story behind it. I found this toile ribbon and made a flower with it, then used an old button for the centre, from my Mother-in-law's sewing box. The ticking, I thought would be easier but I started with some old pyjama material and made a pillow of it, which didn't look right. After going through my whole stock of material and paper I finally came up with this LO. I used the black card over the framed paper to make the photo pop more. It looked too black and the background paper too clean and fresh so I distressed them both to blend in better. I've actually photographed it before I've stuck it down as the light was fading and the deadline was getting closer.

This is another page for my Ancestors Book.

Hope you like it and thank you for looking.

I've been chosen!!!

2011-08-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone I'm so pleased, MY CHIN LO has been chosen as Gallery favourite (one of three) for today, from all the LO's submitted for Challenge 204 at Colour Combos Galore. You can checkout the other winners at http://colorcombosgalore.ning.com/

My Chin - 204

2011-08-16T13:20:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone hope you enjoy looking at this send up page of myself! I noticed that the one feature of my face that hasn't changed is the Chin! I did this LO to enter in the CCG Challenge 204 at Colour Combos. I used Stampin up papers for the grid structure and these cutie kats from KatselKrafts, to add to the fun. I had a lot of fun doing this page. Thank you for looking and leaving your links.

My Dad - All Man!

2011-08-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

I picked up this sheet of 12x12 at the Craft Fair on Saturday and found just the photos to use on it for my Heritage Scrapbook. I'm hoping to enter this for a challenge on the Scrap for Help blog for their Fathers Day challenge. The paper is Sea Glass weathered wood from K and Co. The title plaque is made up of recycled items and the stamps used are from Katzelkraft for the clock face and the rest from a travel set from my stash. I was going to enter it into the challenge at Colour Combos Galore #203 too but I missed the deadline.

Hope you like it and thank you for looking, you make my day with your comments.

Off to the National Motorcycle Museum today!

2011-08-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a day off and taking some friends to a craft event at the Nat Motorcycle Museum today at the NEC, nr Birmingham. No idea what it will be like but we can look can't we. Better not spend too much though or I'll def need a new house.. He he.

Another page I did all these a couple of weeks ago in one afternoon!!! Thaks for looking and leaving me a comment. xxx

More journal pages!

2011-08-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

On the first page I used one of Dyan's Downloads and made a body and hands by tracing around some chipboard shapes onto patterned paper. I added arms and legs and cut out some boots and hair to finish my bouncy self. Hope you like it.

The second page just morphed from a spill of orange liquid ink into the chaos you see. I'm trying to tidy my neglected craft stash into some sort of order this week. My home life is in chaos with hubby getting worse by the day and every time I've made something lately I've just shoved everything into the boxes without sorting it. I suddenly realised it was taking me longer to find stuff than it did to make it so it was time for a BLITZ. Hope you can see Kate's influence as I'm lovin her DVD's.

Thank you for looking and I'd love to hear from you too, so I can look at your work. Love and hugz xx

Where's me Onkles?

2011-08-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ah wuz on this train terday, goin to Wolver'ampton,
Sittin there moindin me own bizness,
When ah looks doowon, an me onkles ad gone!

Ah thowt, well ah'm in a roit mess!

Got me legs an feet but were's me onkles??

Stuck on this train ah must look a soit
Ow am I gerrin ome ternoit?

Ow did it appen, they woz ere befowa?
Ah'm allus restin em but they just want mower!

Just 'cos it's ot ah caw rest all day
When ah foinds em later ah'll mek em pay!

Avin ter waddle an shuffle ai much fun
Wen ah gerrof this train at Wolverampton!!

Jean Green Seot 2007

If you read "Dylan's Blog" you'll see why I posted this rhyme.

My new journal pages.

2011-08-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone who looks at this post. This is a new art journal I've started "All About Me" which will hold my history, childhood memories and present day thoughts in no particular order of presentation here. I did put this page as no 1 then proceeded to do the back pages! How daft is that??? I've also added some in the middle so I'm thinking it will be naturally divided into 3 sections which will form the whole book. The Journal is A4 bound which I'm going to cover with a technique used by Kate Crane in the Craft Stamper of using Art Canvas on a roll. It looks just what I would like to use for the cover. Now I need to psyche myself up and go to brave the shops in town to buy it!!! I hate town these days, too hot and crowded with busy people!! Not for me but needs must. Failing that I'll have to research if I can buy it on-line, I think. My friendly mail man is getting used to me thrusting a bleary eyed hand, out of the kitchen window at 7 am in the morning to receive the latest purchase.

We've just had a welcome morning of rain in the Midlands, which has not even been enough to soak through the top layer of soil in the allotment. Could do with a good 3 days of it to swell the potatoes, beans, etc but we have to be grateful for what we've had.

It came home to me this week just what a mess we'd be in if the allotment was our only source of fresh fruit and veg. We've been neglecting it a bit due to health and family problems, and as we can only use watering cans to water the plants, which is exhausting and time consuming, the plants have suffered over the last 2 week's lack of rain. The outer leaves on many of the green crops have turned white, the potatoes are tiny, and the poor brassicas have been decimated by hungry birds, leaving quite architectural shaped stems which look like skeleton umbrellas. How would we survive without our store of veg in the freezer and the local supermarket to pop down to?? After watching the footage coming from some parts of Africa it makes me realise how lucky we are here in the West, so I've made another donation to the fund for Save the Children.

My husband has started to lose his sight this week, ascehmic neuroma the doctor said. It may be part of something else which he's being tested for atm. Years of alcohol abuse are finally catching up with him and he's a bear to live with!!! Art and Journalling is my escape! Wow this is a long post, have a gold star for those who got to the end. lol Thank you and I really appreciate you looking.

Sunflowers!

2011-07-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

I've been absent again for a while working on a crafting exhibition and workshop event at the Community Centre so here are some photos of my sunflowers this year. Will try and post some images of the journal pages and scrapbook pages I've been doing later in the week. Thank you for looking and leave me a comment if you like sunflowers too.

"High in the Picos" - Watercolour and Pastel Painting

2011-07-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I have done for my brother. I started it to give him for his 63rd Birthday at the end of February. Just after he was in and out of hospital with infections I couldn't concentrate to finish it but now he looks a lot better and is out of hospital and back home with Mom. It's not brilliant but he liked it.

I went to the village in the painting for a weeks holiday, painting and sketching, high up in the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. I just shut my eyes and I'm back there, wonderful place.

Archer Daisy!

2011-07-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my little granddaughter practising with her new Bow and Arrow she bought on holiday. The paper is from WRMK and I made the bow and arrow from cocktail sticks. I knew the paper would be just right for this photo. Hope you like it and thank you for looking.

The finished page - using Kate's new DVD.s

2011-07-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished page using Kate's new DVD's. I enjoyed making this, just started a new journal which I will keep for Kate's practice works.

First page using Kate Crane's DVD's which are brilliant!!

2011-07-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

The first thing I've done for weeks, using Kate Crane's new DVD's. Hope I've done her justice. The DVD's are really great and take you through art journalling from the very beginning. I've picked up so many wonderful tips from them. The page is ready for journalling which I'll post over the weekend.

It worked!!!

2011-06-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

For anyone out there whose been having trouble with posting comments try changing to Google Chrome and setting it as your browser. It has worked for me. I know, I'm not happy being forced to use the new browser just to stay in touch but as my friend Heather pointed out, it's free!!

Bastelmania: Sunny Monday and Sommer of Colour.....#links#links#links

2011-06-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Bastelmania: Sunny Monday and Sommer of Colour.....#links#links#links

This is the only way I can speak to you Val, I tried commenting on my own blog and on yours but NO blogger wont let me. What is going on? I love all the work you've been doing Val, the goodies you sent me are being put to good use by me and the ladies at my craft club, they loved them. Thanks once again for them, I'll post some work hopefully very soon.

Posting comments problems?

2011-06-20T03:27:00.000-07:00

I have been having problems for several weeks now trying to comment on other blog posts. Each time I'm asked to log in again, but then the comment box is empty when I go back to the blog I'm looking at. After several attempts I just gave up. Sorry folks I want to leave you a message about your lovley work, blogger is stopping me.

Is anyone else having this problem??? Got to go now and get ready for another hospital visit.

My absence explained!

2011-06-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

Haven't been around to post as I haven't produced anything artistic for weeks now. Our family and my personal illness continues, leaving me little time or inclination to craft. I did go away with my daughter and her family last week to Devon, and it rained!!! I'm hoping the change of scenery did me good anyway.

My brother had a critical period in May, in his fight with cancer and it was a miracle he pulled through it. He's still in hospital and is now waiting for a bed in a hospice, as he's too weak to go back to live with Mom atm. What with visiting him, and my own treatment at the hospital I seem to spend half my life up there. The other half is spent looking after Mom and my brother in law whose 87 and blind who both have osteoporosis like me.

OK moan over. lol! Sorry for boring you all.
On the bright side my granddaughter, Daisy Dower, age 7, has been chosen as a winner in a children's painting exhibition and has her picture of an orange cat in the Saatchi online gallery and in London. http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/schools/education_room.php. The BBC local tv have been in contact too, to do a report about her on the local TV. The fame has not gone to her head yet!! lol.

Belated Happy Easter Greetings to All!

2011-04-27T05:23:00.001-07:00

Belated Easter greetings to all. We've been away
for Easter so sorry it's late. It was strange, not going to church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday but I still prayed and celebrated on my own. A friend of mine, knowing the bad time we've been having lately, invited me and hubby to a week in Spain staying at their villa with them. I really dithered about going as my brother was in hospital with yet another infection (poor thing, from all the chemo he's having) this meant Mom was on her own, also brother in law was poorly. My hubby is in the early stages of dementia too and I worried about coping with him on the plane etc. Well everyone said we must go, it would be ok just for a week so we left the day after Mum's trip on the Orient Express!! Here's a photo of Mom being serenaded on the trip which I hope to scrap sometime!!!! She really enjoyed it and it was nice to be able to sit and chat with her and my sisters and not be interrupted.

The Hiccup continues................

2011-04-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a while I'm afraid, with personal and Family illness.

Very sad today as my dear sister in law passed away after 5 months of the doctors telling her she had a chest infection!! Last Monday they finally diagnosed throat and lung cancer and by Wednesday told her son she had asbestosis too and was crtically ill.

We've been visiting and ferrying family from Scotland to visit (a 100mile round trip) all week. I'm so sad, she was a good friend to me as well as a dear family member.

Hope to be posting again soon.

Had a slight Hiccup there!!

2011-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

My body had a bad hiccup last week as a result of all the anti bios I was taking. My legs just wouldn't stop turning to jelly every time I did more than just walk from bedroom to bathroom. I was worried as I had to do a workshop on Tuesday which I didn't want to cancel so had an enforced few days doing ZILCH. The meds gave me problems I wont go into here, suffice to say I was only comfortable standing or lying on my side!!!! The joys of getting old. I hate it!!!! I shall spend the weekend tidying my craft boxes after Tuesday and sorting other work out to post on here so until then Byee.

Have a great weekend all those who can and my thoughts and prayers are with all the poor people all over the world who are suffering because of the quakes, tsunami's and uprisings.

My Mojo's gone!!!

2011-02-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

I have had a bad tooth for a week and just when I have lots of family cards and 3 challenges to scrapbook for I have no energy. It's coming out tomorrow so I'm hoping I'll be up to scratch soon.

Love Song CT Challenge

2011-02-24T04:17:00.000-08:00

Love letters straight from your heart, keep us so near while apart, I memorise every line, and I kiss the name that you sign!! by Kitty Lester. I used to play this when my hubby was away working abroad as letters were our only way of communiacting, except for a 5 minute phone call on a Sunday morning. Now he's retired, at home.... 24/7!!!!!

The Ring - Let's Get Shabby Challenge

2011-02-20T02:05:00.000-08:00

I don't have many photos of my Wedding Day as the album was severely damaged in a flood. These faded b/w images are all I have left. The rings, my wedding ring and engagement ring were stolen during a burglary in 1982, so the pictures of them are especially precious. I had taken them off after breaking my wrist as the plaster had caused my fingers to swell. We were burgled just before I was to have them enlarged a little. I chose a monchromatic page to bring the faded photos forward. Hope you like it, I'm late with it again. Thank you for looking, it makes me extra happy if can leave me your thoughts too.

Mom's 90th Card

2011-02-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

We've had such a busy week this week culminating with Mom's actual birthday yesterday. We had the big party on Saturday which I'm going to scrap some photos of eventually.

I can finally post the card I made in such a rush in the end. Had a mental block for a few days as I wanted to do a special card but ended up with paper,paints,stamps etc covering my table and a bin full of rejects. I had to settle on this one which she said was lovely but I think it's not very good at all.

I used a wooden block fuschia stamp and rollered my brayer over my rainbow stamp pad and lightly rolled it onto the stamp. I used this faint image as my background on a 8x8 scalloped edge card in the top r/h corner. I then cleaned the stamp and applied the stamp to the rainbow pad making sure the leaves were blue/green and the flowers red/yellow. I stamped onto spare card 3 times using my watercolour brush pen to pull colour from the edges into the images, then dried cut these out. I arranged them overlapping the background using foam d/s tape. I had some papermania fairy stamps too and stamped them with the same pad, cut them out and arranged. Oh I nearly forgot the little stars and dust addedto some of them too. I used my broderie anglais punch to cut a bordered strip and stuck the papermania paper ribbon in the centre. The lettering was from my Christmas diecuts and a stamp from an Art Journey set.

Hope you like it and thank you so much for looking and leaving me a your comments. I love having others opinions and then I can go look at your blogs too.xx

Abi's journal page no 3!!

2011-02-07T14:12:00.001-08:00

This is the last page inspirational page I did in Abi's journal, she's got the rest to do herself. I used a gold stamp pad on this one which went well with the purple page background. Sorry about the flash flare, only just noticed it. Thank you to everyone for looking.xx

February Calendar Page added!!!

2011-02-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well I've finally done my Feb page for Kate's Calendar challenge. You can see it in the slideshow on the right of this blog. I made this one by painting and stamping on the background, washing it over with water then stamping again. I made the squares by using my pink lipstick Distress ink pad straight onto the page. The letterings were stamped over page text then torn out and the edges brushed with a black inkpad. I used a black pen to draw a broken line along the r/h and bottom sides of the squares to make stand out and also did some penwork around the stamped birds and hearts. Hope you like it. Thankyou so much for looking. xx

Sunshine after the storm!!!

2011-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a bad day here, the boiler broke down and it's going to cost big money to replace, then the manager of the club we'd booked, to hold Mom's 90th in next Saturday, phoned to say he'd somehow double-booked and we couldn't have the room we'd paid for. I just cried most of the afternoon. Anyway we've managed to find a church hall in Marston Green, not what we would have chosen but........ Now we have to phone or write to the 150 guests to tell them. Rest??? what's that??? lol We have a new boiler coming on Monday so I hope it stays this warm til then.

Today I woke dreading what I had to do, getting my money back from this horrible man and phoning everyone up, then the post man came and brightened my day completely. I had a lovley parcel of crafting goodies which are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much Val for everything, they will be used I promise you.xxx

Now I must finish my feb calendar page .................

Can't Sleep!!

2011-01-31T20:44:00.001-08:00

It.4.50am and I can't sleep so I thought I'd show another page from Abi's Journal , it didn't photograph very well with the light colours too light and the darks too dark. You'll have to bear with me as I'm still not used to this new camera. I'm waiting for paint to dry on my Calendar page for February. I'm a bit late with it as I've been struggling to cope with normal days?? What is a NORMAL day??? These days I feel so ABNORMAL at times. I should be sleeping as I've a busy day with the Craft Club first session this year at 10am - 12noon then a friend is bringing her new baby boy to see me, for lunch and a chat. I'll try to get another couple of hours now so Byeee and thank you for looking.

Art Journey Challenge 5# 2011

2011-01-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is No 1.
Hi all this is the card I made with art journey stamps that I should have uploaded before. zzzzzzz Are you still with me?? lol

I used the background and image stamps and my versamark pad to stamp onto white card. After dusting with leaf green embossing powder and setting with my heat gun, I sprayed the background card only with copper shimmer spray, blotting fairly quickly to retain the pattern. I stamped the text "joy" onto the background then stamped the text "you make life sweet" along one edge. I cropped the stamped image and mounted onto a square of the background after rounding the corners and inking the edges with an illuminations pad in copper. I cut a strip of beige card and taped chiffon ribbon in the centre then mounted this onto green patterned and then onto beige papers as shown inking the edges too. After adding the stamped image on top I made a beaded pin which I placed above the image then added small brads in copper to the four corners of the beige card. I made 2 more cards in a similar fashion but I used photo corners on photo 2 instead of brads. I'll post these separately.

Hope you enjoy looking and I'm entering No 1 for the Art Journey challenge no 5#.

Embossing???!!!!

2011-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

It’s my Mom’s 90th very soon and I wanted to make her a very special card.
I’ve made her quite a few over the years and couldn’t think what to do.
Then I saw the Art Journey Challenge to use embossing powder in the background.
Great I thought, I haven’t used embossing powders for ages so I dug them out and made a start.
That’s when it all went wrong!!!!!

My versa mark met stamp ok and then I sprinkled the powder!! On the stamp????!!!!

A quick wash and I started again, this time on the card………….in the wrong place!!!!!!!!

Undaunted I thought third time lucky………………………..

Wrong!!!!!!
More like unlucky………………..

I’d stamped a button stamp onto card, 6 of them, embossed and cut them all out. Went to heat my new stamped image and lost all my buttons, …………on the floor which by now was sparkling beautifully at me.

As I went to pick them up I walked out my slippers ‘cos they were sticking to the floor!!!!!! Tripped over the slippers and banged my head on the table......

This is my Ode to Embossing!!

Now I like to make flowers or even a posy, my card making skills I think are quite rosy!

Scrap-booking, stamping and using ink, are all skills I’ve nearly mastered, I think……………………………….............

But this powder has got me beat!!

It’s in my hair and on my feet!!

Mom’s card is now on hold until I’ve recovered and don’t feel so old.

The challenge at Art Journey?????????

This is what I salvaged, do you think any of them are worth submitting?

I don’t. lol

Just added some pages from Abi's Art Journal!

2011-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

I don't have the energy to do much atm so I've sat and put together Abi's Journal. This was going to be a Christmas pressie but got delayed, buried under card making, writing, posting and generally manic Christmassy things. She had seen my book by Ruth Rae called layered, tattered and stitched and begged me to make her something like it. I took inspiration from the front cover art work to make her front cover. I looked up some free art and photography quotes and used them on the pages. I made a pocket to store the rest for her to use. Here's one of the pages I've decorated ready for journalling, hoping to give her some inspiration. At 15 she's suddenly become apprehensive about her art, "in case she spoils the page" I'm hoping this book will unlock her inhibitions!! I've added a slideshow of the covers and some of the unadorned pages.

I would love to hear your comments on this before I give it to her. I'll add more pages as I do them. Thanks for looking, really appreciate it. xx

A fFunny Day!

2011-01-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

I had to be up at the crack of dawn today!! Well that's what it felt like, at 6.15. I had a mammogram booked for 7.45am at the mobile unit a few streets away, Ughh. I rose, showered and dressed with my eyes shut then went to seek toast tea and pills. I opened the front door at 7.30 to a white freezing world. Thje car was completely covered in white icy frost and the windscreen was frozen solid. I had a choice of trying to scrapethe ice off everywhere, thereby risking frostbite in my sausage fingers or sticking gloved hand in pocket, and walking with my stick in left hand.

Boy!!!! I wont do that again.

It's been awhile since I actually walked anywhere further than the post box, and as I had been feeling so bad I thought the walk would do me good.

When I got back home I felt sympathy for the Innuits I can tell you. Then I had a nice surprise, my fav craft store, Melbicks, sent me a reward voucher for £65! Naturally I had to go this afternoon and see if there was anything I needed in the sale they had. Funny it seemed to be spent very quickly. lol Cheered me up no end though. I'll try and list what I got later.

WenlockAbbey - Shabby Chic Challenge 19 - Architecture!

2011-01-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm More shabby than chic I fear!! I took my inspiration for this challenge from the colours and the arches in the original photo. You can see more images in my slideshow.

Just got in with the skin of my teeth on this challenge as it closes tomorrow. Not sure I've done a good job but my fingers are still not working properly following the steroid injection on Monday. I've got 3 numb sausages on my right hand!!!

Thank you for looking. xx

Bomb Proof!!

2011-01-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Just introducing my new Lumix Panasonic to everyone. Hope it lives up to it's name as with my buttery fingers I will probably be testing it to the limit!!! Have to read up about it now and get used to it.

I've entered this for the TYPOGRAPHY challenge over on Creative Type. Love their quirky challenges.

Had a steroid injection today in my hand for the arthritis. Extreemely painful but I was a very brave girl, well that's what the doc said. Think he needs some glasses!!

New Christmas Edgy Album slideshow added!

2011-01-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

I've just added a new slideshow of an album I made last year of all my favourite Christmas Cards which I was saving. It put them all together and reminds me of traditions from my childhood. Took ages to do, now I need a rest and a cuppa!!!!

Click on the button in the bottom r/h corner of the slideshow to view each page. Click on the info button, top right of the screen and you'll read more about each page.

Hope you like it and thank you for looking. xxjeanie g

Having a good day despite feeling C**P!

2011-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my financial luck today!

First I had a chq for cards sold at the local tourist information centre, then my neighbour came round and bought 2 of my framed original paintings from me. The two biggest ones in the photo no 9 & no 5, which was taken when they were in my exhibition at the Bear Steps gallery in Shrewsbury in 2008.

She had a good price, (tbh two for less than the original price for one), but she likes my work and she's a good neighbour so what the heck. I'd rather she had them than carry on sitting on the top of my wardrobe gathering dust!

I woke feeling really c**p at 6am today and this has bucked me up no end. Just got to get the results of my bloods and the CT scan!!

NEW CAMERA!!!!!

2011-01-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'm over the moon my new camera has finally arrived!! I've had a bomb proof one this time as I keep breaking them!! This is a Lumix which is waterproof, freeze-proof, heat proof and shatterproof. The hinged battery door has a double locking shutter and the lens is integral so I can't drop it while taking a photo and trash the lens either. Walking disaster that's me!! You know what it's like if you have arthritis in your hands. I just seem to let go of things without realising!! Hope it lives up to the advertising hype. I'll be posting with it as soon as I've finished Mums 90th Birthday Party invites. I only have 75 to do. Up to 42 now so more than half finished. Be good and take care. Thanks for dropping by.

2011 - JANUARY'S CALENDAR PAGE!

2011-01-01T04:36:00.000-08:00

I'VE JOINED THE 2011 CALENDAR CHALLENGE OVER ON THE kATHRYN WHEEL BLOG AND THIS IS JANUARY'S PAGE. I USED PATTERNED PAPER FOR THIS ONE, DECORATED WITH PENS AND STRING. THE FLOWER IS HANDMADE FROM PAPER TOO!! THANKS FOR LOOKING.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-12-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

HOPE YOUR YEAR IS A GOOD ONE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY.

Belated Christmas Greetings!!

2010-12-30T02:52:00.000-08:00

I've got flu and haven't been up to blogging this week! Hope your Christmas/Holiday season was special. We had a fairly quiet one, church for me, then I cooked lunch for 6 but my middle grandaughter Faith had flu and spent her day in bed|!! Poor thing, she had a new dress to show me too. Hopefully I'll be better for New Year and we can have a nice meal out together. My new camera will also hopefully arrive soon, this will make it much easier for me to take pics of my work and upload them. Can't wait!!

45 years!!!

2010-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a lovely weekend visiting friends in Pickering, Yorkshire. It's our 45th Wedding Anniversary, this weekend, so we took the train to York on Friday. They've had sooo much snow. We visited the really quaint village of Helmsley on Saturday, followed by scrummy meal at the "Fox & Hounds" in Dalby Forest. I had partridge, very Christmassy, it was delicious. Today we drove into York and spent a very interesting morning at the Railway Museum followed by lunch then took the train back to Brum this afternoon. Brill weekend.

The Creative Type: December Guest Designer

2010-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the post to view my submission for the "All I want for Christmas...." challenge. The Creative Type: December Guest Designer

I really enjoyed putting this LO together which harks back to the 1950's style when I was growing up and still believed in Santa!!!!

I want a new camera as the one I'm using atm is being held together with rubber bands and isn't very good. Hope Santa's listening!!!!!!

Scrapbooked Calendar - 2011 for Bosworth Community CentreCalendar

2010-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

I made this 8x8 1/2" Calendar for Bosworth Drive Community Centre, Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, where I host a small craft club every 2 weeks. They had ideas of getting it printed and posting out for Christmas but as they didn't ask me until NOV to do it it was too late. I've somehow missed out April's page which I have on my camera but cannot retrieve it onto the pc?? Anyone got any ideas how to do it? Thanks for looking.

Soo much to do, soo little time!!!

2010-12-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to make Christmas cards for the Craft Club tomorrow, for the exercise class for Wednesday, plus practice an easel card to demo tomoz. I managed to grab a few pics of the hoar frost on the cobwebs in the garden before they were melted by the rising sun. The sparrows were very indignant as they have been feasting on the sunflower heads I put on the garden seat and I interrupted them. I came in and thawed out and just settled down to work and what does hubby do?? He came back from the allotment with 2 bags of potatoes and a sack full of onions which had to be sorted and the bad ones thrown out. Many of the potatoes were ok but some were going soft after being frozen at the bottom of the bags. Now I'm in panic mode as I've spent the day cooking, de-skinning, mashing chipping and freezing. Why am I here???? Good question. Byeeee.

Oh dear what have I done!

2010-12-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

I couldn't sleep last night and started messing about with my blog, experimenting with different layouts etc, Biiig mistake!!!! 2 hours later I realised I couldn't reverse it once I'd done it! My blog has changed forever so if anyone has any useful tips on how I can improve it please feel free to leave me a comment. Thanks for taking the time to look and please come back soon.