Another year over...

It's that time of year again.
Starting to look ahead, make changes, feeling more positive.
Do you have a resolutions?
I'm not very good at sticking to them but I do have a few ideas that I'd like to carry out throughout the year.
1) the classic - lose some weight. Of course I can't do much in the way of exercise but hopefully with a change of diet I'll be able to get some of it off.
2) 30 bags for 30 days. (Or something like that...) I've read about this in a couple of places. The idea is you pick 30 'places' in your home that need sorting out. Not 30 consecutive days, just 1 day per thing/place. I haven't got 30 places yet, but I know the chest of drawers in my bedroom and the top of my wardrobe certainly need going through! I'm hoping I'll finish the year slightly more organised than I'm starting it!
3) Project life. Sort of. I do my own version throughout the year, following on from Shimelle's Doc 2012. But I came up with the idea to do it for my past.I need a way to get all these daft memories from my childhood out. I'm fed up of living in the past so much and I'm hoping if I write everything down it will get it out and I can focus on the future a bit more. (As unknown as mine is!).

I think, ultimately, I'm looking for a way for this new year to be a more positive one. This last year has just been eurgh. One bug after another, barely leaving the house. I need to find a way for this year to be more focused on happier thoughts and less on all the things I may or may not be missing out on.
Here's to letting go of negativity! Hope your new year is a happy, healthy one xxx

A Phoenix for my friends

Oh wow the light here today is terrible! Hope you can see him though, maybe I'll take another photo tomorrow...!

October week 1

I hated Studio Calicos September kit - Central Park. I mean I *hated* it. I wasn't looking forward to it in the slightest. Then it arrived and I discovered the joy of the reverse sides of the PPs. Wonderful. As a result I ended up making one of my favourite layouts from this year (which also happens to be number 97 if anyone else is keeping count!)
Also, this is my attempt at oct week 1 UKs challenge - use a Beatle song title, at least 4 lines of journalling (hidden), circles & B&W. Full points for Crafty Magpies! TFL!xx

Ellie and me!

A whole lot of combining going on with this layout. When I realised I'd missed making the Magpie sketch for August I figured I'd better do that. Then I thought I'd combine it with this (well, last now) weeks challenge on UKS. All the while I was trying to sort out my new shelves...yeah, very much a case of - ooh, this'll work well on it...tidy tidy... Ooh, and this! ...so on so forth. As a result I didn't get full points as I forgot it needed to be a photo of a place (genius!) but I did remember the circles and the silver so hurrah! Another layout done for mums/my baby book :)
Hard to see but I've misted the background with shimmer, silver and two shades of blue/green. It's a lot bluer in life too. Really should start taking proper photos instead of relying on the iPad!
Thank you for the lovely sketch Stacey!xx

Needing an organisational hat

So, after finally reaching breaking point with my desk, I found a shelf unit that I could use on the back of it to help organise my bits. I showed dad and he said he had an old bookcase, in pieces, in the loft that he could re-fit out for nothing. The next day, ta daa! New shelves for my craft bits. Now I just need some boxes/baskets to put things into...(side note - isn't my dad great!?)

Magpie July sketch

This (well, last) month it was Stacey's turn to set the Magpie sketch challenge. Such a lovely sketch and a nice change to have a try at a double pager - been a while! I altered it a little. Another couple of layouts for my original I.O.W album - really should finish one project before starting the next!
TFL!xx

Long time no post

I wish I could say it was because I've been busy doing something fabulous or jetting round the world or what have you. But no. I've just been tired. Very very tired.
I did, however, have my hair done the other day. Highlights and lowlights. Originally I was going to have a full colour if brunette then highlights but we all forgot about the allergy test! Might have worked out better this way though as the lowlights were used as an 'experiment' to see how well they matched my natural colour and how they covered the red. Ticks all round!
I'm waffling again aren't I?...here, have a photo and tell me what you think?

Bring on the British summer

Sometimes there are good sides to all the rain, I've been able to get a lot more done than I did when the sun was out! Partly because it was too hot, which knocked me out. Partly because who wants to be stuck indoors when it's sunny out?! Luckily (!) this isn't a problem I have to face often...

So, once again I'm attempting to kill some kits. Currently I'm trying to use up as much as possible while finishing off my Doc 2010 (!) album.
Top left layout was for Oct using this past Febs SC kit. I made the layout following a sketch from Magpie teamie Debbie. Great sketch! The other two layouts are for November. The 'hello snow' one was an attempt to use clashing colours. It did not work. Some of it was alright but the background sheet and a red layer were too bright, so out came the white acrylic! Sorted!
Just started the pocket pages this morning. People wonder why I get shots like my firework one printed. I agree, in the great scheme of things it's not a great shot...but this is exactly why I wanted it printed. So I could stick 'boom' on it. Ha! Looks fab! (well, I think so lol)

Crafty Magpies Sketch Challenge

Okay, here's my sketch! You may recognise it as I lifted this layout, from Nicole Samuels http://nicolesamuels.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/boardwalk-giveaway/, last August.
You can see how I adapted it to fit my larger photo instead of a smaller one plus 3 little ones to the right. (by a wonderful coincidence it also works for this weeks UKS challenge - photo of friends, embellishment cluster, metal, pp as background paper and one of the techniques, I did embossing...I did make it this week btw!...)

Anyhoo, back to my sketch.
*My photo is 9x6, so I adhered it to the paper and extended it, with a light pencil line, by 4" and 1" to make it a 10x10 square.
* For the chevrons I used four different sheets of paper and cut one 1/2 inch strip from each (I think I ended up using 2 strips from each pp).
*This is where the photos I added at the bottom will, hopefully, come in handy!! First, divide the 4x10 'box' above the photo into 3 (roughly 3 1/4") and then take a strip of pp and start working out what angle you would like your chevron to be. When you've decided draw a light pencil line on the strip where the edge of the 'box' is, so you know where the angle is (hopefully you can see this!). Once snipped, add glue and stick down.
I find it's easier to stick each piece as you go as it can get a bit confusing otherwise!
*Just carry on following the above method to fill the first box and then the second and third. It's a lot easier to fill each box rather than do one strip across all three, as you have something to line it up against. Oh, and I also found it a bit easier if I left a slight gap between each strip.
* once the chevron is complete I added a 1x6 strip of PP next to the photo, then a 12 inch strip of punched glitter paper (ribbon or twine works well too!) to overlap the bottom of the chevron as mine always looks a bit rough lol. Then add the title, an embellishment cluster, journalling and some pretty butterflies...or, you know, whatever you like lol
Ok, I think that's it. Oh wow I hope it made sense! I really hope you all try the paper piecing for the chevrons, but I'll understand if you don't...eventually...lol

This could be interesting...

I haven't done a blog post from my laptop in ages - it's all changed! Ooh, kind of weird...(and apparently I've become very reliant on iPad automatically putting in capital letters after full stops. Oops.)

So, what have I been up to? Not a lot really. Managed to complete A Week in the Life (somehow). I think because I kept it super simple - I'll try and get a photo of it soon now I have the photos back. 

Also, yesterday I met the gorgeous Miss Holly -

Isn't she beautiful?! This was taken as we were leaving - Natalie's girlies of course only taking an interest once the baby was about to not be there anymore. About 30 seconds after this photo was taken Holly's big brother, Owen, barged his way in to make sure that everything was ok with his sister and making sure no-one was stealing her toy, bless! I think that protective big brother gene is well and truly present!
I absolutely love spending time with my friends and their, frankly, gorgeous children (looks and personalities). Wish I had the energy to do it more often, though it does make days like this much more precious.
My lesson for the day? All the names of the characters on Dora the Explorer. Please don't tell Penny that I've forgotten most of them already...eek!
Fingers crossed this posts alright!
xxx

Weekly challenges a-go-go

Finally able to update some challenges - why do I keep forgetting to put them on here? I took the photos!
On the photo below -
top left, wk 1 - use the sketch & make us smile (avoided the 'use lots of buttons' no no, lots?! No no.)
Top right wk 2 - animal photo & several papers (completely forgot the nursery rhyme title until it was finished, and I made it on the Sunday (last day to count it) so didn't have time to try another...oops)
Bottom left wk 5 - full points this time! Use sketch, paper, bunting or stamping/inking (I inked the alphas to make them stand out more) and 'scrap a first'. Well, I'm hoping it'll count - its the 'first' page of my 2011 album! Tell me if it doesn't!
I combined the challenge with our team mojo jar prompt - for April I'd originally picked out 'scrap a sequence of photos' (eg baking a cake) but, while I took photos of baking last week, they won't get developed until May (this week!) so I picked out a new prompt to quickly fit in for April - Emma's 'scrap a layout without photos'. At first I didn't have a clue, then I remembered I needed to make a title page for last years album and ta-dah!
Oh, and the final photo? Umm, cos he's cute! Of course!

A week in the life

Anyone else doing this? It starts next week. I wasn't sure I whether I was going to or not but when I realised the mini book Karen taught us (the crafty magpies) on our team fun night last week had 8 pages/pockets I decided this would be perfect.
I think if I had kids/a life I might go all out like Ali Edwards (and others) do but as it is I think a little 8 page 'booklet' works well for me.
It's such a simple base I'm surprised I'd never come across it before (Karen is the queen of mini books!). Just 1 sheet of 12x12 some scissors, a ruler and some DST et voila!
Had fun decorating it a bit but must keep my hands off it now! So tempted to stamp it or add embellies and this is where I've gone wrong in the past - added too much before the event and had no fun, wishing I could change it, when I come to filling it in. So it's now tied up with a piece of ribbon until next Monday! Yes it is. *nods*
What I did allow myself to do was stick some paper strips on the bottoms (to cover up my apparent dodgy measuring - I swear I used a ruler but for some reason it didn't match up...hmm...), used some old Studio Calico rub ons that I bought on sale last year and tried out my shiny new SC days stamp on the back cover - love how it looks! Might repeat it on the front cover, but will wait until I've finished and see how it looks.
I cut out cards for the pockets too - turns out 2.5 x 3.5 which is good and the means I can journal on one side then cut up a 5x7 collage into four for the photos I'll stick on the backs. (well that's the plan anyway!) Really must try and remember that Weds and Thurs are a bit narrower though, when choosing photos, thanks to the DST holding the pockets shut at the edge.
It's kind of fun having this ready and waiting though - makes you wonder what it's going to be filled up with? Will I have an adventure? Will I have a stay at home week? Will there be visitors? Will anything major happen in the country/globe?
(It's an odd thing to think that the last time this was done was the week after Andres Brevik's vile attack last summer and this years starts the week after the trial for his crimes began. Oh how I hope justice is served.)

Ok, that's enough rambling on for one day. Need to carry on with my 2010 album otherwise my plans to finish before the summer will be scuppered!

Oops

You know, I swear I started this year saying (in my head at least) that I'll be blogging more than my record (200+ in 2010). Something tells me I might not make it. What's been taking up my time? Well...

* I discovered a yummy sprout recipe using, what appears to be, the last 6 sprouts in town. Typical. Something to look forward to in the autumn though.
* lamenting the weather and the unlikelyhood that we'll be going to the bluebell wood this year. I'll have to do with the ones in the garden. Pretty, but not quite the same.
* catching up on quite a bit of reading, lots of sleepless nights can actually come in handy.
* finally making some more layouts for my 2010 album, which shall be finished by the summer. Oh yes.
* a crafty magpie team fun night. Karen taught us a lovely little mini book which I shall be using as a base for 'a week in the life' next week (totally more about the journalling than the photos this year. Esp as I still haven't put any actual journalling with last years photos yet. Really should do something about that.)
* finding it curious that the little bottles of wine that I could happily get 3 glasses out of (that I rarely drink anyway!) are marked as 'single serve' on the shelves. How big are peoples wine glasses?
* rediscovering a love of pesto and basil. Good times.
* painting my nails pastels for spring.
* discovering a love of green smoothies but finding it interesting that mine actually come out green, unlike many others I've seen on blogs/instagram. Too much green added? Couldn't taste it...
*realising if I bullet point my life it seems more full than I thought it was. Huh.

Hope your April is less showery than ours xx
#drip drip drop little April showers...#

Monthly Magpie Sketch

First up - no, I didn't use the Paper Moon kit for this but I did use an SC add on from Febs kit so it's still good.
Ok, each month my crafty team set a sketch for us to create a layout from. This month was Emma and let me say - I *love* this sketch!!! I've been wanting to make a multi photo layout like this for a while but never found the right inspiration so this was fab!
Of course, another layout about my boys. Helped that they were the only subject/theme i had on hand that I could cut into small photos (wasn't in the mood to faff around printing out new pics!). End result? I love it! I altered the sketch a 'smidge' just because I didn't feel it was balanced (there were only 2 die cut 'squares' on the lines instead of 3) but other than that and the butterflies I think it's pretty much the same. Ooh do you like my twine for the lines? Repurposed packaging from a crafty templates order last month - always love a bit of recycling!
TFL!xx
(posted twice as last one went weird and seemed to vanish? I'll delete if it reappears!)

And on to the next

Lawn party is finished! Fun because I realised, while making the other layout, that it was last Aprils kit. Feels good that it's finished before this Aprils kit arrives!
I'm skipping May 2010s kit for the moment as I've reached a bit of an impasse with it. Not sure why as its a lovely kit. Maybe because, with what I have made with it, there are tons of scraps in the kit bag? Hmm. Anyway, I'll pass on Singing in the Rain for a moment and move onto Paper Moon.
I made one of my favourite layouts last year with this kit, but some of it's boy to the max. Maybe some layouts about the cats? Something to think about tonight when I, once again, can't sleep...
This one will take a bit more work than Lawn Party though as there's a heck of a lot more left!

Mwa ha haa

The kit killer is back! I have officially run out of kit space. Seriously. I was already stacking them against the trolley I keep all my papers/kits in and now I don't even have room there. And now it's countdown to the next kits arrival. Oops.
So, what to scrap so I can use them up? I was wondering when mum asked me if I was ever going to finish the baby album I started making for her when I started scrapping. Finish?! Yeah, turns out I put photos in PPs but forgot to actually make the pages...huh.
So I went through the album, cringing at some of the pages I made (who wouldn't over their first pages?!). Some of them are bearable but some of them?! My goodness! Take the one I've uploaded here - candidate number 1 for a remake! So, kit killing of Lawn Party has begun and so has my journey of finishing/fixing my baby album. Always love a new project plan! (p.s love that doily and butterfly exclusive papers that were in Lawn Party - so cute!)
Oh, and just so it's clear, the original that I took apart is the one at the bottom^-^

Altered book

Finally made a start on my altered book for the Studio Calico class 'Happy Little Moments'.
I didn't really have a selection of 'happy little moments' photos on hand but I do seem to have acquired a rather large collection of pics of Taz that I don't really know what to do with...so voila, book of Taz!
(I already have a book about Pip so it works out!)
I decided to use one of my old SC kits, Field Guide, plus some extra bits and bobs that I have hanging around. Like how the cover's turned out, now just to start filling in the pages...

And another

Here's my layout for March's Magpie sketch set by Vanessa. I tweaked it a bit as I used it in my 8x8 Isle of Wight album so needed it adjusted for smaller size ( I removed a photo and a journalling square). It also helped as I used my mojo prompt for the month, a new one from Patty to do a layout other than 12x12 and only one photo. I'll be honest, it was my second mojo prompt as I picked one out that was to make a mini book on a favourite pet (from Claire?) which is what made up my mind on my subject for Studio Calico's 'Happy Little Moments' mini book class. I can't really do much about it until I get a hardback book to alter so thought I'd better pick out another prompt!
Hope all the mums are having lovely days xx

Card making

I knew I was saving all those paper scraps for a reason!
Finally managed to find the inspiration to make mums mothers day card - cutting it fine, yes, but at least I finished it before tomorrow!
Also, those scraps came from a Studio Calico kit - really need to get back to killing those as I am officially out of room...oops! It's all these add ons, I keep waiting for awful stamps so I'm not tempted but every month there they are. Sigh. Have I mentioned I have no willpower?! I think I might be able to manage it this month but I haven't seen any DT sneaks yet so goodness knows what I'll have bought by the 28th!?...seriously, no willpower!!!

Golly gosh

My baby boy is all grown up! Ahh Taz... How could we think he was just a kitten when he strolled into our lives last October?!
He's going through a growth spurt, I think. Suddenly his little stubby legs and tail are looking all long and lean...sob, they grown up so fast! He still loves his mummy cuddles though! I wish I could figure out why he refuses to jump on *my* lap though...he's even jumped on strangers (to him!) laps and fallen asleep, what did I do?! Sigh... He will love me!!!