A very rare occurrence

I was using my new punch/embossers and heard my button tower fall over. Only half was still on the top of my set of drawers the other half was no where to be seen. Perhaps it is still buried amongst all the stuff on my desk. So a search had to be made. No obvious sign of it, so, shock horror, I began to put things away, I managed to more or less clear the central area, still not button tower, it wasn't on the floor and I couldn't get to the window sill because of the drawer units but I did feel long it from under the table. No nothing. So eventually I decided to clear all the stuff off the top of the drawer units and lift them off the table. Low and behold the rest of the button tower had fallen into a flower pot, and of course I couldn't see that or feel it as things were.
Now I have put a large flat pack box behind the drawers so nothing else can fall down there and sorted out all that is put on top, still a lot of things but at least I know now what is and what isn't there.

Now for the very rare occurrence a work desk that has room for me to work what a novelty

Nature's Calendar - Ribes flowering red current

Scrapping again

I don't seem to have done so many layouts this month as usual and I have had a bad cold which has left me with an infection on my lung so perhaps that is why I haven't felt much like doing anything. Still today I am beginning to feel much better and have done two page.
This first one is for the class I'm doing at my neighbour's church, most of them are complete beginners so I wanted to do something that was simple to get them into it. also the papers are from freebies that come in Scrapbook Magazine every month which will be handy as there is such a variety and each person will have a good choice.

This next one is for the weekly challenge from UKScrappers
challenge criteria
including blue
Summer themed photo
journalling
a home made embellishment or real life bit of memorabilia

the frame for the picture of John's very 1st cross stitch I made cutting the shape on Robo and sticking several layers together.
I also stitched 'John' onto a piece of evenweave bookmark material.

Nature's Calendar - Lime tree blossom

Nature's Calendar - Daisy

A couple of years ago with my little point and shoot camera I got some really good photos of the underside of a daisy with the blue sky above, it was not so easy with the camera I have now as the lens is so much bigger and to take a super macro the whole thing was taller than the daisy so I admit to cheating and picking the daisy and holding it up a bit higher :D

Scraplift myself - Counterfeit Kit blog hop

Welcome to the blog hop at Counterfeit Kit challenges

this is a scraplift one of my older layout.
When I started scrapbooking I did it all by myself digitally, creating everything from scratch. I decided to go with A4 as that would be easiest to house as I could just use a ring binder and multipunched sleeves. I was still very new to the programme I use and didn't know much of what it could do so my pages were very simple.
This is the double page that I lifted.


Here is my brand new paper and glue version using my counterfeit kit which is mainly woodland themed

I took aspects of the original, stripy paper, corrugated corners tags etc. and revamped it completely
the tags are very thin copper sheet, cut in strips and put through a dimo machine.

I cut the raccoon from one of the cutouts, added it to a label and the little hearts are the swarf from cutting the punched border
The copper sheet and brads I added to my Kit

If you are doing the blog hop then here is the next step along the way over to Sue's place hope you are enjoying the ride
if you have arrived back at my blog from Angela's it should be Lesa next but hopefully Angela will see her mistake and rectify it soon

Nature's Calendar - Blue Star flower

Learning something new

Isn't it great when you learn something new. I have just found out that if I put target="new" after the.com" part of someone's blog I want people to navigate to, it will open in a new tag so that they are not directed away from mine. ie JimJams the line reads opening greater than bracket a href="http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/"target="new" and then the closing bit

Nature's Calendar - A ring of Daffodils

Displaying your layouts

How do you display your layouts? I've always laid them on the floor or at least a flat surface and pointed the camera down onto the page. Then in Paint ShopPro manipulated it so that it is squared up and level, and only the layout is showing, very time consuming so now trying to find an easier way. This one I put on a little easel that I have had since I used to do watercolours. I'm not sure that I like all the background showing though

This was taken in my conservatory come craft room where the light is best.

Nature's Calendar - Bumble bee

Shrove Tuesday on Friday

Did you remember to have pancakes on Strove Tuesday? I didn't and I missed having them.
Lunch time today I was wondering what to have when I saw the Jif Lemon bottle in the fridge and decided that today was pancake day.

First of all get your pan piping hot, I didn't use my usual one but decided to try doing them in my non stick, it worked and of course I needed hardly any oil

While the second pancake is cooking put lots of lemon juice onto the first

sprinkle with sugar

Roll up and enjoy

Counterfeit Kit challenge layout 8

When ever I try a new font on my layouts, I want to keep using it and this one is so useful, cut on Robo, because it give you two sets of letter for each, the outline and the inner solid, what one is it you ask Yearbook Outline
I used the outline for the first letters in the title here and the solid for the rest.


I love buttons, I love using them on my layouts but most of all I love buying new ones and of course this is where my favourite haberdashery shop comes in so useful. I was in there the other day and of course couldn't resist buying some more. I always buy odd numbers, well 99% of the time, but there will always be the odd occasion when an even number is better for instance the little bullet pearl buttons here will make good ties if I join two together with a cord in between.

how about you do you have something that you can't resist buying or using on your layouts?

Nature's Calendar - Golden light

The late evening sun shining on the bare tree giving it a golden glow

It's Thursday again, the sale at the church, the sun is shining so we'll be outside.
Lots of new things have come in this week, what can I find worth having myself?
I squirrel away so many little things some are for me and some for my grandsons. I wonder how much we will take.
We all love a bargain and we never charge much and it all goes towards a charitable need. We help our dear friend Jeremiah with the children he's adopted in Kenya you see.
Who loves books, well it would be easier to say, who doesn't love books, such fount of knowledge, such enjoyable reads. Here are my bargains picked up today.

I saw this and thought of my dear Son in Law, I'll put it away till the end of the year. Then parcel it up with pretty paper. Great I have started my Christmas shop.

Counterfeit Kit Challenge Layout No. 7

I am having so much fun with the Kit I made up for the Counterfeit Kit challenge this month I've managed 7 layouts with it so far and I still have plenty left
here is the latest one done for a scraplift challenge

Freebie

It has been quite a time since I have shared a kit with you so here is a little one that you may enjoy using. It is called Silent Film and can be downloaded here

Nature's Calendar - Blue flower

This little blue flower seeds itself every year in my gravel path, it is so pretty I don't want to loose it up so leave the small weeds there. I must try and find out what it is. This year there are several of them all the way down

They Couldn't Wait

They couldn't wait, sounds like a good title for a book, the tail of two cats perhaps.

Once upon a time there was a old woman, who had two cats for company, she didn't really dote on them, but they did rule the roost. Their wish was her command, well, cats are rather like that.
One think the old woman was adamant about, no cats in the bedroom at night, she liked to sleep in peace you see.
Awaking most mornings to demands from the other side of the door, she would get out of bed and make sure she had pulled the duvet back into place and smoothed it down before opening the door to the two cats, that way no cats hairs in the bed.
Today she forgot.

and of course the two cats made the most of it, their hairs are going to be all over the underside of the duvet.

Nature's Calendar - Magnolia

You've been framed

Over at Counterfeit Kit challenge Bethany has done a challenge to use frames in which ever way you like. So I decided to combine this with the weekly challenge on UKScrapper which was to use scrap stamp image bunting and two photos.

I used the negative bit of a chipboard cutout for the frame painting it copper, pleased with that part and the cut out photo with Ben stepping through the frame. but the rest of the layout is not really singing for me, still it does record that Ben walked on his first birthday even if it was only 3 or 4 steps

left hand -v- right hand

I wonder if they make cameras for left handed people?, I am left handed when it comes to writing, you know the sort of writing that requires a pen or a pencil, but I seem to use my right hand for most other things. I can't for instance use scissors in my left hand, (my mother could) I can not use the mouse in my left hand, my brain just won't send the right messages at all even when I used someone else's mouse that had been configured to work that way. So how can I take a photo of my right hand on my mouse - with great difficulty. First of all my sleeve kept getting in the way, then my finger would reach the button and hold the camera straight, I suppose it might have been ok if I had turned the camera up side down (didn't think to try that). As you can see I did eventually manage to get the shot.

Why should I want to take a photo of my hand on the mouse, well I was reading Amy's Blog and as you can see (if you click the link) she has taken a photo of her red shoes on her feet, I like that idea but I mustn't keep copying other people must I? so chose my hand instead.

Nature's Calendar - Pink trumpets

New Book to Read

Thank you Mel my book came this morning.
About three weeks ago Mel collected a pile of books that were printed for World Book Night, to give away. She offered to send 10 copies to people who left a comment on her blog. I love visiting her blog and was so pleased to be one of the 10 chosen. To day I have started to read it.
When I finish it I'll pass it on, not sure how or to who yet but it will be good to see how far it goes. There is an ID No. on the back page which can be registered on line. (which I tried to do but was told the session had expired and to try later, I'll have another go and see if it will work)

Nature's Calendar - Tree Buds

Nature's Calendar - Song Thrush

Not often I get a chance to photograph a thrush in clear view like this.

Nature's Calendar - Toad of Pond Lane

I have walked this lane so many times. I have seen this pond frequently but this is the first time I have seen life in it. The toads were courting and it was bubbling with activity.

Scrapping

Special
Craft
Really
Applying
Paper and
Photographs
Interestingly and
Neatly
Garnished

on the Counterfeit Kit challenge the new DT forgers have each been given a word to do an acrostic of their favourite things I like the idea so copied it and put in my own. How about you? 

Nature's Calendar - Blossom

Counterfeit Kit - Layout No.3 & 4

I am taking part in the Counterfeit Kit challenge and this is my 3rd layout from the kit I created

I didn't have a 'c' left in that chipboard alpha so had to improvise, I cut the top of the '5' and turned the bottom upside down, rather pleased with how it turned out, I had also lost the dots to the 'i' so used a couple of the stickers from the owl sticker sheet.
and here is the 4th the little file folder on this layout was made from JimJams instruction and holds some more of the photos that Danny took, most are unusable but fun to keep

Back home

I'm back in my own bungalow, in my own bed (snuggles) so hopefully back to scrapping properly and blogging my day more.
I didn't feel like doing anything after my miserable journey home yesterday, well the journey was perfect no delays not miss connection everything went smoothly, but I have come home with a streaming cold my nose wouldn't stop running, and I thought I would not have enough tissues to last.
Went to bed very early unheard of hour before 9.00 pm but at least I managed to clear my nose sufficiently to be able to sleep and feel much better this morning.

Sales at the church this morning so this is a quick post just to say I'M BACK oh and to post a photo of the canal at Skipton

Nature's Calendar - Pussy Willow

I love the silky smoothness

Nature's Calendar - Bulrushes

Nature's Calendar - Fungi and Moss

Nature's Calendar - Owl

Nature's Calendar - Mill Race Skipton

I'm so frustrated and sad

My laptop has died, it is completely dead, it won't speak to me or even look at me. What can I do? I am logged on on my daughters computer but I can't upload any photos here, well not at the moment, and I have taken so many today and would so like to share them. So I'm afraid I'll have to just use the pre scheduled Nature Calendar ones and hope that either someone can rescue my lappie or I can get a new one set up OK.

Well I have been blessed by a brilliant Son in Law he has managed to fix it, think it was probably the harddrive had got slightly dislodged.

Nature's Calendar - New Growth

Birthdays come in Threes

Well we have had a day of celebrations. My Daughter's 40th Birthday My youngest Grandson's 1st and Helen's Mother-in-Law Birthday (I'll not reveal the age :D)
The day has gone really well for us and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Danny did wonder why he wasn't getting presents but seem to accept that his turn would come, in the end.
To celebrate Ben has taken his first free steps too

I have been amazed how like his brother Ben is and have done a little picture of Ben today and Daniel at 15 months old, they are both wearing the same shirt, too which helps the comparison

I have taken lots of photos so they will be featuring in layout in the weeks to come. Mind you more than half of those I have taken are so full of Ben and Danny moving around that they are a blur and can't really be used.