Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wet Wet Wednesday

I was going to go into town today, I was hoping to get some photos today instead I've stayed and stayed dry. The weather has been very damp to say the least.
Still I've enjoyed the freedom on not having to 'do' if you see what I mean.
I had brunch about 10.45 (because at that stage I was still going into town) and the rain started. so scrapping became the order of the day
I finished a page I started last night, this one was a class from the Cybercrop on UKScrappers set by one of my teamies Jemma (JimJams). It looks complicated but once you start it becomes very easy to follow. I just did a single page for now, but I may change it to a double later.
Christmas 2011

and another class from the cybercrop this one by Ifa and she mentions how Sian's story telling Sunday helped her realise how to put your story down, by the way it Story Telling Sunday this Sunday, so if you have a story to tell why not join in just write your story on your blog then link it to Sian's blog so we can all read it.
I digress so here is my page. This story I told back in August this year but didn't get around to doing a page with it so this was the perfect opportunity
Love is New

I've been struggling to get a minibook done too but that will have to wait for another day now.

On these dark morning when I first get up I don't like a bright light shining until I am properly awake, so I have had a series of white Christmas lights, in the hallway, for a few years now but they never seem to last long enough. my latest ones I picked up at the sale a few months ago and have stuck them in a vase with artificial flower. This evening as I looked at them I realise they would make a super As Seen photo for today. Also good practice for the coming festive season



Today I am grateful for not having to go out and especially for feeling so much better, nearly back to my normal self

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Catching up Tuesday

Sunday Morning
My cold has hit with a vengeance, went up to church because I was supposed to be doing the multimedia. Got very angry about something, but I think mainly because I really didn't feel well enough to be there. Luckily someone came who could take over so I came home before the service started. Spent most of the day in my chair either sleeping or trying to watch the TV (No picture)

Monday
Not much better, couldn't breath through my nose most of the night and felt really heavy headed. Why can't we be like Worzel Gummidge and change our heads
(well I have just digressed into watching an episode of Worzel and his heads

Tuesday
Feeling far better today, done some scrapping even though it's only digitally and I went out for a bit. Walked down to ASDA (still no pictures)
but I do have some layouts to share.

Chocolate Heaven

Daddy Story Time

Today I am grateful for feeling so much better.


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Saturday Satisfaction

Good Evening Blog Friends I've been scrapping away but have only completed one paper page and one digital, goodness it is a long while since I've done a digi page, March was the month I decided that I had toooooo many patterned paper and must use them up so have been doing paper pages ever since.
Today started with the call of the seagull, so grabbing my camera I went to photograph it and the other birds but of course as usual they are camera shy and I didn't manage to get them, but I did get this beautiful sun shining through the tree at the end of the lane



The first class of the day for the UKScrappers CC was one involving paint, a good excuse to get messy, but in actual fact I didn't get the paint anywhere but where I wanted it.
I made a start and then left it to go into town, I knew that PaperChase should have some new Washi/Paper tape in and I really wanted to get some.
I not only got the pack I knew about, but they had these two Christmas ones as well. I now have quite a nice little collection



Here is the paint involved layout which took me far longer than I imagined it would but I am pleased with it now it is done.

Where will your dreams take you

and the digi one done for Scrapdolly's challenge
and here is what I came up with using one of the photo's I took this morning
A Winter's Day (Digi)

My As Seen for today just has to be another of the photos I took first thing this morning


I know now why I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately, I have developed a cold, but as usual my body fights it for some time and all I know usually is that I don't feel right. Still it's not bad at the moment just an inconvenience, lets hope it stays that way.

today I thank the Lord for the beauty of the Morning



Friday, October 26, 2012

I Love Cybercrops

I didn't feel all that bright yesterday so didn't get round to blogging at all, didn't even take a photograph for my As Seen. Still I am feeling a lot better today, though still not exactly right but nothing I can pinpoint.
I have been scrapping today though as the Cybercrop started on UKScrappers and I have done two of the classes

The first one I did 6x6 so that I could do another page for the boys Grandpop album
Grandpop and his Glass of Beer
I also finished off a page I tried to do yesterday but couldn't get very far with
Family Together

the last class I did for today was another layout but this time I did 12x12 using these lovely photos of Rufus that his Great Uncle took, wish I could take such great photos of a very active boy.
Portrait of a Boy

My as seen today is my tea I had a meal at my friend's place after the bible study, so only wanted a light tea. Mackerel and mushrooms on toast, it was delicious and all the better for having bought a fillet instead of a whole fish, because there were no bones at all.




Today I am grateful to my friend for encouraging me to go to the bible study.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Tidy up Wednesday

Every two months or so we decide that we just have to have a good cull of all the things we collect for the sale on a Thursday. Today was that day and boy did we have a cull, mainly I must admit it was books, though I might be wrong. At one stage we were surrounded by boxes and boxes and boxes of books but managed to get it down to about 30 boxes. We now have a huge pile of stuff to go to another charity. Luckily we have a chap come each week and take what we can't sell off our hands and distribute it to Shaw Trust shops in and around the Swindon area.

So my As Seen for today is me surrounded by boxes



this photo gives a better idea of the amount of boxes there are and this was when we were about half way through.


Of course having done all this work today it does mean that we have already got the tables set up for tomorrow so a much easier start to the day.

I'm off to our local crop tonight so hopefully will have at least two more pages of the boys Grandpop book done and will try and upload them and post them here tonight

today I am so grateful that I have my energy levels back I really needed them with all that work.
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It is now 10:38 and I am about to put my one page that I did tonight here. I seemed to take a long while fiddling with bits and couldn't get it right at all at first, which was surprising as I used a sketch from Unscripted Sketches which should have made it a lot quicker to do. Still it is another one done and the album is beginning to fill up nicely.

Bodhran Player

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tuesday Triumph

I feel so much better today, more energy and no where near as tired. I actually saw both time team programmes right through and scrapped at the same time.

I started the day late and thought it would all go pear shaped but it panned out beautifully. I met up with a friend this morning for a coffee in town. I did spend a few pennies, but only a few just some buttons, ribbon, fancy stick pins and a couple of small canvases to do another hanging like the one I did here

But what I did forget to do was take any photo for my as seen, that is two days that I have missed and I don't think I can fake it again. Normal service will resume as soon as possible.

I do like iplayer, I missed New Tricks yesterday, but I've just caught up with it on my computer

The pages I scrapped while watching Time Team are two more for my grandsons' Grandpop album, I am really enjoying this and can't think why I was so unable to get started on it.

Dress Smartly

Stitching Pictures

Today I am grateful for more energy and less tiredness
for managing to only spend a few pennies in town
and for the album that is going great guns

Monday, October 22, 2012

Mondays

Mondays are washing days
Mondays are weekly challenge days
Mondays are a day to stay in
Mondays are a day to catch up on things

Today being Monday I did get the washing done, but too damp to put outside so that means radiators covered in damp clothes, airing cupboard full and probably ironing will have to be done as nothing can blow in the wind

I did get the weekly challenge done, quite a simple challenge this week Birthday theme 2 photos and buttons/brads/eyelets
It encouraged me to scrap these two photos from Danny's 5th birthday, a handful of children in a very small space = Chaos
A recipe 4 Chaos

I did stay in, in fact I fell asleep in my chair again trying to watch Time Team, needless to say I didn't see much of it.

I didn't really catch up on things either but I did do 3 more pages for the boys' album
Tasty
A beard to tickle you with
Swingball

today I am grateful for not having to go out
for getting on with the album and for being able to have a snooze in the afternoon

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Church, Lazy Sunday afternoon, scrapping

I was doing the multimedia today at church, Praise the Lord all went smoothly with that. We had a dedication of one of the young children, an African family and lots and lots of visitor that had come from far and wide.
The service was lovely and the baby was good. They were having a meal after the service and that's when chaos reigned so noisy and rather disorganised but they seemed to be enjoying it. I was just grateful to get away, I could have stayed but I had a meal cooking and would be nearly ready for me when I got home.

I don't know why I have been feeling so tired lately but I fell asleep in the chair after my dinner and didn't really come round properly till 4ish. Still feel fine now so have been scrapping.

Helen has asked me to do a small album of some of the photos of her dad, John, for the boys to realise that they did have another grandfather. Apparently Danny is beginning to wonder why there is Grandma and Granddad but only Nana. I thought I could do some simple 6x6 pages and shouldn't take too long. Mmm simple yes, time well it's taken about 2 hours to sort out the photos do the title page and two others so not that quick
I'm using the Noir et Chic paper pad Black & Cream on a black card background and adding just a pop of colour to each page with some ribbon or embellishment.

Grandpop

Grandpop & Mummy

Little Family

I'm really pleased with how they are looking and I hope that Helen likes them too. She does read my blog so hopefully Helen when you see this you will let me know if this is what you had in mind.

Today's As Seen has to be baby Jaeden in Paster Paul's arms



Today I am grateful to the Lord for the multimedia going well without a hitch for being able to worship even though I had to concentrate on what I was doing.
For a lovely chicken dinner when I got home and for being able to rest.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Nature's balm

Feeling rather low again today, and needing to go to ASDA, what better way to lift my spirits than to take a walk down the back lane. It never fails and never lets me down.
Before I had even got into the lane proper I found the fungi covered in droplets from the damp day. Webs galore but this one amazed me I wonder what sort of spider weaves these can you see the little hole. The Squirrel very obligingly let me take his photo before scampering away up the tree. People walking their dogs, stopping to say good morning, and all around nature doing what it does best just being special.
To crown all this I went into the bedroom at just the right moment to see the pink sky, so turning off my dinner and grabbing my camera I capture this amazing sunset. It is particularly amazing because I can't usually see sunsets from where I live, sunrises yes and beautiful ones but I've never seen the sun light up the sky so far across.
So today's As Seen is a collage of all these things



I've not done any scrapping today I sat and watch TV all evening. I expect normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Today I am grateful to the Lord for blessing me with the beauty around me. For showing me this Sunset and the promise it holds

What's on your Fridge

Over at Counterfeit Kit challenge blog there is a really nice fridge magnet arrangement and she is asking "Why can't my fridge look like that, please tell your fridge looks lived in too. So here is my fridge/freezer doors. Truly lived in and covered from top to nearly tail
DSCF0443

So come on my blog friends confess how does your fridge door fare?

Friday, October 19, 2012

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Today has been a mixed day, I woke before 6.30 no trouble at all though it was still dark out. Why can't I wake as easily on a Thursday when I need to get up sharply at 6.30?
I had a photo printed, one of my wedding photos and I was eager to scrap it. I planned to do one of the Pre CC challenges on UKScrappers, a class set by Cal. quite a simple design but one that I could put my own stamp on.
I managed to use the peacock feathers on this page too, I'm so pleased about that as really don't like to be beaten with challenges.
Gifts Galore
I love the fact that I can now look back on this and see what we had as wedding gifts, and it amused me that there was shoe polish amongst them, so that had to be incorporated in the journalling.
DSCF0433
and here for the record is the famous or should that be infamous peacock feathers
DSCF0432

Yesterday evening I did this page, quite a simple one but quite please with the way it turned out. Again it was a challenge from the Pre CC another Technique one to use negative punch/dye cut
I cut the title on Robo and used the negative and the positive here
Hiya Pig

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I forgot to take a photo for my As Seen yesterday so here is a stock photo but in line with the morning's activity



Today in town I thought it would be a good idea to take this photo as this area is part of the redesigning of Swindon Town. This used to be a smelly underpass which was useful to get from one side of the road to the other but had to be negotiated at a pace as it stank of urine.



I had a successful shopping expedition getting the card stock I needed and adding another dye cut nesting set to my collection and also strangely another pad of 6x6 papers popped into my basket, I wonder how that happened ;)



well as you can see they were irresistible

I also managed to meet up with Neil and had a nice cup of Caffe Caramelle in Costas



Today I am grateful for not feeling tired and for a good day despite the weather.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Scrapping and Related Things

Evening fellow bloggers. I have had a fairly lazy day, seem to be so tired lately, but I have been scrapping.
We have cybercrop coming up on UKScrappers starting on the 26th October but as a warm up to the main event we have been given little challenges and classes. One of the challenges named The Time Traveller's Wife was to look back on previous cybercrop classes and update the one of your choice. I chose one that involved getting messy.
inking and spritzing a 12x12 piece of white card and using that as the base for my page. Another page for my Florida holiday album done and dusted (or should that be misted)

Water Fun

did you notice the little dotty pattern on the cs that was done with the bottom of a plastic box that originally held little biscuits I love finding textures that I can use in this way.

I've been having a little play with that peacock feather paper and I think I have found a way to use some of it.
I cut one of the shapes out cut down each feathery bit and ruffled them up a bit, Stickled the purple centre and added a gem


Now to find a suitable subject to use it on.

Why oh why can I never keep my desk tidy for more than a short while. To do the above page today I had to clear a space on my cutting mat to enable me to scrap at all this was accomplished, not by putting things away but by pushing things away.



Tut Tut very silly and not a good way to work but when and idea is brewing I just have to go with it and to stop and tidy up would have stopped the flow. Well that's my excuse any way.

Today I am grateful for a comfy chair in which to fall asleep while trying to watch TV
for having lots of lovely photos still to do pages with
and for finding a way to use the awkward papers. (well one of them)

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

As Seen catch up and a Layout

Well I think I am just about catching up with myself after two busy weekends away. I did take photos for my 'As seen' during my days away though I don't seemed to have taken any today.

Friday's just had to be the thunderous hail storm that made so much noise on the conservatory roof, it was not long after we had all arrived and we hadn't started scrapping which was just as well the noise was so bad.



Saturday there was a beautiful rose pink sky at 6 o'clock in the evening a promise of a nice day on Sunday?



Sunday we woke to a heavy mist which made all the spiders webs sparkle with dew



the promise the evening before was fulfilled and we had quite a nice day weather wise and were able to take group photos outside.



the white patches on Lynne & my jumper is where the sunlight had caught them.

Monday saw us beavering away packing all our stash and making the house tidy again. All done and we were ready for the off by just before 10 good going.

My as seen just had to be my wall hanging because I was so pleased with it.



I did another page for my wedding album today to cover the weekly challenge on UKScrappers. The criteria was to do a double layout using a sketch provided, because of the Great British Bake off that had to be the theme of our pages and the rest was made up of washi tape or ribbon and to incorporate numbers. I thought that it would be good to record the fact that our 3 tier wedding cake was made with love, the rich fruit cake being made by John's Mum and the icing and decorations by a friend of my parents. Isn't it nice when things become special because of who has made them.
I did it as a 6x6 double layout for the challenge then mounted that onto a 12x12 white card stitching around the edges and adding a black flourish to 2 of the corners.
3 Tiers made with love SLO

for the lack of anything outside I have resorted to one of my cats for my picture for today My adorable boy Rudi


Today I am grateful for a relaxing day even though I don't feel to well

Monday, October 15, 2012

A busy weekend scrapping

A very quick post to let you know I am still around, have been away for the weekend with no WiFi so not able to post. Still trying to catch up with sleep so just posting my pages I completed over the 3 days
I managed 4 layouts and a Mini book also a lovely wall hanging

This first LO is inspired by this one of Sian's

here is my version
there's nothing like a Day of Family Fun

The Minibook was a challenge from the previous weekend set by eClaire from UKScrappers
it's a double tri-fold construction, Claire had done hers as a heritage one and I thought it would be such a lovely idea to do mine of my parents
Winnie & George front cover
Inside

The wall hanging took quite a while to do but I really enjoyed it and am inspired to do more. I've hung it in my lounge (taking down one of my cat pictures so I would like to do the other one to hang along side it.
Wall hanging

here are the other three pages
The Bodhran Man

Yummy Rice Cake

Lunch @ Mosaic Cafe

I did take photos each day and will upload my As Seen tomorrow
in the meantime I am grateful to Alli for taking me it is so much easier to travel by car than to travel by train with a heavy load.
A place for me to put the pictures of layouts I have done that I am pleased with, to put in the poems I write and to add snippets of things that have caught my eye