Thursday 20 December 2007

Trust in your pencil.

This will explain it all.



On this blog (http://printpattern.blogspot.com/) which is delicious btw) I saw this book. It made me fall in love with drawing and just doodling all over again. On alot of my past LO's i've doodled words, piccies and my dots. I guess it is one of the ONLY things I learnt at school and I used. Thank you Mr.Elliott for teaching me to love art and realise we are able to suceed with abit of practise. He was an inspirational teacher for me because at home, no one had an artistic bone in there body. And it wasn't for the want of trying either. My mum used to try to do creative stuff and often used to end up in rather a 'bodge'; apart from her sewing cause she was a mean sew-er. She tried knitting (even with a machine) which failed... and heaps of other stuff. None of which she was much good at. But sewing. I can sew but not in any way as good as her or her mother. Anyhow, i've gone off the point. Mr. Elliott. He was fantastic. A rather large happy man, rather like a ginger Santa Claus, excpet maybe not so old. And he was always emphasizing during my design and technology lessons that we had to practise. We must have gone over colouring pencils, shading and pencil sketches a million or even a trillion times. But you know what, after all this practise I really could see how much better I had got. The whole project that my GCSE rested on got me an A, which I was seriously proud of and so was he. I remember results day, him being there and actually shaking my hand and telling me he knew all along I could do it. The GCSE didn't really confirm how I could do this, it was him. That moment, he confirmed that I was ok, not a 'bodge' at this and so I guess scrapping for me is all about preserving my memories AND putting that piece of me in there somewhere. I had lost this, until I saw this book on that fabby blog...



So i've begun to draw out this title. It's the one that inspires me most from those few cute pics. Retro, curly script. Cute little piccie. And in a yummy chocolate brown and orange.
Which brings me round to trust your pencil.
I've had a few peeps ask me about doodling, doing a class... doing it at crop. It's hard to teach. How do you teach someone to draw? Seems to me like asking how long is a piece of string... But i've just had this eureka moment. It's simple. Trust your pencil. Yes, thats it.
If you're copying this type or that picture or whatever, look at what you're copying and not at what you're drawing. Trust that your pencil is doing it for you. (and I don't mean never look at the paper, we've all had a go at those exercises when we end up with our eyes on our nose or completely out of the face) Keep it simple. Break it down and most of all practise and ENJOY it.

And I know this isn't finished I will post a finshed pic later on... It's a work in progress.
I saw this around on a few blogs (I got it here http://scrappingandnewfs.blogspot.com/) and it looked like fun... so here goes:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper – I adore wrapping!
2. Real tree or Artificial? I love real trees but it's impractical with two small kiddos..
3. When do you put up the tree? Normally the first but it was much later this year.
4. When do you take the tree down? Always by 12th Night, probably before.
5. Do you like eggnog? No thanks.
6. Favourite gift received as a child? Hmmm... a ticket to see Jason Donovan when I was about 11, hidden in a box of roses.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No
8. Hardest person to buy for? No one really... We're all pretty easy to buy for.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Emily
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? Brooklyn Beckhams diary (a fictional book) WHY? Need I say more???
11. Mail or email Christmas card? Mail
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Home Alone
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Hmmm depends on how organised I am, this year it was October.
14. Have you ever recycled/regifted a Christmas present? No
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything!
16. Favorite Christmas song? I like most of them... fave atm is Rockin' around the Christmas tree
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel but at home, if that makes sense.
18. Can you name Santa's reindeer? No, not without a scrapping ribbon with their names printed on.
19. Do you have an Angel on top of the tree or a star? Neither, a great big purple peacock.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Day
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shoppers!
22. Best thing about Christmas? Alcohol comsumption... time off and just lazing around and seeing peeps we haven't all year.

So if you like the look of this, cut and paste and add it to your blog. x

Wednesday 19 December 2007

It isn't me...

... it does go so well with the photograph and I loved the papers, just I feel I can't 'flow' with them...









I'm still wading through stash here. I was working on some DT entries but you know I just lost my mojo with these papers. I love them individually to look at but not for me to scrap with. Does that make sense??
So I scrapped totally out of my box and used 3d foam and the closest thing to flowers i'd use... (blooms just don't so it for me at all, when I use them it looks like someone has sneezed flowers over my page) and made a teenie weenie dent in my button collection.

Tuesday 18 December 2007

Same Difference.

This made me giggle. I put Ben to bed on Satruday night and Emily was watching the X-factor on tv with Kev. (Isn't it terrible when you're learning the alphabet with her and the first ting your DD thinks is X is for X-factor??!) Anyhow, so I came down after i'd put Ben up and found Emily dancing round like this. Socks on her hands, bead-y necklace round her head and the toy drum lid hung round her neck. I had to get a pic. She most definately likes cheese like her mum.


Kev, however wasn't SO impressed.

Journal your Christmas.

So, it's FAR from finished. I have completed revised my scrapping technique. I have made pages and left room for photographs, which I find near on impossible BUT time is of the essence to get this journal finished. AND I had so much catching up to do...

I still love the 'old' Queen and CO felt. It's so much thicker than the new stuff they have brought out, so much more robust and yummy!



I have found a use for all those little chipboard letters in my QVC kit that I got nearly a year ago (!) I know... And with this paper I just love them.



Hmmm. Not sure about this one.



I have to fill in my times but I have been proud of how much 'old' stash i've been using. I had the Christmas papers (ok I brought 3 more sheets on Sunday but thats it) and I've just rummaged around for embellies and yummy-ness to add to it. I've used a heap of stuff but stuff I wouldn't of otherwise used on anything else.



I LOVE lists! (and fake stiching too!)



Hmm. Not sure on this one either.



YUM. Scenic route chipboard letters, glossy and shiny goodness!



Cute.



I think this maybe my favourite page so far. I love the pink Christmas tree paper. I think this is my ALL TIME fave Christmas paper i've EVER seen. And I love creative imaginations stuff. It's so useable.



This page took me the longest to complete and not because I din't like the prompt, just because I actually finished this one AND it isn't my true style but I am SOOO in love with this bird and stitching just looks so cute on LO's. And the brown feather just had to go with the bird and so I used the least of my fave of the papers I had and suddenly, as I was sat watching dragons den (lol) finishing it off I realised I did in fact really like the paper now I had put some goodies on it. And I can say I found this on very theraputic.





So. This is my journal up until now. (Nina you will be pleased i've gotten on)

Monday 17 December 2007

So on my daily scout around blogs...

... I found this and it really made me think about 2008.

It was posted by Leslie (http://oranginadreams.wordpress.com/) who is Michelle's (www.scrapcouture.typepad.com) cool sister.

“There are two ways…
of spreading the light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton
I have always loved this quote. And today I realized that I’m the mirror.
And. That. Sucks.
But it’s true. I wish more than anything that I could be inspiring instead of inspired. I can’t come up with any good ideas on my own. I’m reflecting the light when I scrap lift other peoples ideas. I’m reflecting the light when I look at a magazine and decide I want to wear a certain item of clothing. I’m reflecting the light when all my decorating ideas come from magazines. I’m reflecting the light when I knit something exactly like it is in picture. Nowhere in my life am I the candle.
I’m having a bad day. I was trying to make Christmas cards, but I only made one. ONE! I couldn’t come up with any ideas. Well, I came up with some ideas, but they weren’t mine.
We decorated our tree last night, but we only had about 10 ornaments, so I made some today. And they’re pretty. Everything I make is pretty.
I remember a few years ago, I read an article on Christina Aguilera in Rolling Stone. It was all about how she was changing her image (this was before the whole Xtina thing). She was getting piercings and what not. She was at a meeting with someone to pick out the cover for her new cd. Someone says to her, “What about this picture. You look very pretty.” And she says, “I hate pretty. F*ck the pretty.” That’s how I feel. Does that make sense? I want to be edgy and artistic and funky, but somehow I warp it and it becomes sensible and pretty.
That’s me. Sensible. I’m the Gap when I want to be Urban Outfitters. Or Anthropologie. There isn’t any edge to me. Not my clothes, not my hair, not my furniture, not my bedding. Not my scrapbooks. I’m so unoriginal!
I bet you Edith Wharton never had to question if she was the mirror. But I guess we need mirrors in this world just as much as we need candles, right?


And so it has got me thinking. Am I just the mirror too? Have I gone through 2007 just being a mirror and reflecting all i've seen. I can honestly say that some of my scrapbooking has. Alot of my ideas have been altered slightly, changed to what I like but they maybe haven't been 100% orginal. I have not lifted for the whole of 2007 though, so I guess i've not whole-y been a mirror??? So this is my resolution for 2008, alittle before time but i'm ready to commit. To be myself, to inspire people to feel free to love their own style, their own ideas and for me to be me. For me not to be that mirror all the time.

And if Leslie is Gap, I most definately am something like primark.

Friday 14 December 2007

The Crazy Ones.



Blurry cause he's just too crazy.



And this one needs no excuse to be crazy.


And I saw this today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvn_Ied9t4M Go watch it and feel alittle crazy.

And http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk&feature=related this makes my hair stand on end. How amazing is this? I cannot imagine how life was for black American's at this time. And so, Do something crazy today and make a difference.

Wednesday 12 December 2007

Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...



Someone is excited...



Someone else is too...



Decorating needs alot of concentration...



me!



I love these shiny disco ball kinda ones!



My fave's that are not making it onto the tree this year...BOO!

It's the latest that i've put our tree up for years. Normally without fail, on the 1st of December our tree would always go up. I'd have heaps of new decorations to put on our small tree and it would be ladden with goodies. This year it's gone up today, on the 12th and you know what it still doesn't feel one bit like Christmas.

Emily could not contain her excitement when she saw the battered Christmas tree box carried into the lounge! The baubles and tinsel and lights just made her run around in excitement and so we decorated the tree this morning. Stopped for a quick lunch break and then continued to add baubles and sparkly things and all the little Crimbo momentos you collect from over the years. In our decorations box we have baubles from when my mum's mother and father got married and had their tree. I have stuff which my sisters made at school and stuff that I made at school too. It's kind of a whole sentimental thing our Christmas tree. It's ladden with memories from Christmases years and years ago stretching right back to before I was even born.

This year we have not really put many of our glass baubles on ~ Emily wants to swing them and twist them and stroke them (especially our velvet baubles) and Ben... I think it's out of his reach but I can never be TOO sure. And my, Christmas trees are SO inviting for little hands! I'm a little sad cause I have this great set off bright huge glass bauble which are my absolute favourite find from two Christmases ago and they just hang so well and look so pretty but they are glass and I know that if they get on the tree somehow someone will break one/all of them and it's just too risky with two sets of hands stroking our tree.

Now I just have the whole of my wrapping to do. And of course my Christmas journal, which I haven't even begun yet ~ apart from the front cover and back cover. I guess maybe tonight I will really make a good start on it. Kev is out, taking our nephew to see West Ham play and so I shall be able to whip the kiddos to bed on time and craft...

p.s. And honestly I didn't dress my two to match the tree ~ honest!

Monday 10 December 2007

The Weekend.

Saturday: We braved town and I tried to do some Crimbo shopping. Kiddos, Kevy and Crimbo shopping do not mix. In the end I got three little things and we came home. Everyone was tired and fed up. I do only have a few more bits to get though but even so would've liked to have gotten them this weekend just gone rather than having to brave town again!
I still need to get:
Ben - little bits.
Jill - half to get
Steve - voucher
Kev still has a fair bit to get and of course I still need to wrap all our gifts up and post some ~ I have to get a wriggle on with it all, it's just finding the time and the inclination to be bothered to.

Sunday:
I spent the whole day at Sugar and Spice at Nina's crop. I just love it there. It has a nice vibe about it all. I didn't buy anything! (yes!) apart from Kev's gift (we have agreed to go handmade this year, much to his digust!) and I made a flag book and started and finished Kev's gift. I am seriously impressed with it. I have looked at it again, just now and it does look super girlie ~ I may have to rethink it all but it's just the cutest thing i've made in a long time.
I also came home to two kiddos with fevers. So today we have two sick kiddos and luckily Emily still has her sense of humour... kinda and Ben is not a total grump but even so I hate having sick kids.

Friday 7 December 2007

Nostalgia.

Last night I wasted nearly the whole time on facebook. I'm addicted but in fits and starts. Sometimes I don't go on at all, sometimes i'm on there the whole time. It's a strange place really because surely we should all be looking forward, yet when you're there you just look back. So i've seen many old school friends on there. Noticed NOTHING changes back home in the little village where I grew up. Noticed that all that happens is people get older, definately no wiser and still are doing the same old things.
Then by chance I stumbled across a boy I used to nanny for - who is now a young man. I had already added his two brothers and sister but he had not long joined. He was such a little sweet thing when I looked after him. He was amazingly cute. How weird is it when you find out that this 6/7 year old boy has grown and likes Scrubs...??? We used to sit and watch pokemon and digimon together! I took him to see the first Harry Potter film and he cried he was so scared. OMG, when did he grow up?! It is so great to see how successful he is but it does make me feel OLD.

p.s. Did anyone see Jonothan Ross a few weeks ago when Russell Brand was on?? :) I laughed so much and shared it with my sister last night. How can anyone have a mouse live in their hair???

Thursday 6 December 2007

Right now.


I saw this yesterday on Karen Russells blog. It's me too. Right now I have SO much going on in my little head. And to top it all we have Christmas to contend with, which is always stressful. I'm going to be super organised and DO lists for everything ~ AND more importantly complete all the things on the lists. (And to remember : Delegation always helps)

Wednesday 5 December 2007

I've been tagged by Joanna (http://joannabags.blogspot.com/) So here are my 7 random facts.....

1. I hate waiting ... :)
2. This year is the first year in, I don't know how long that we haven't had our Crimbo tree up on the first.
3. I have so many Crimbo gifts still to get...
4. Ben is obssessed with changing channel on the topfield box ~ it's driving me potty!
5. We still have to decide what we are doing at Christmas.
6. I still have that never ending 'to-do' list.
7. I am loving the book I made at Shimelle's class!

Waiting.


Waiting. I'm a person who hates waiting. I like things done right now. You know. I make the decsion and then I want it all sorted. So when you're looking for a job it's no good if you're not able to be paitient.

I have emailed two places today with my CV. I guess that atm working is really awkward, as we have major childcare issues... and so IF I see a job thats suitable I kinda wanna know if i'm likely to get it or not. NOT, we'll be in touch within THREE weeks. Three weeks is just TOO long. So now i'm waiting and waiting truly sucks.

Sunday 2 December 2007

Whoot hoo!!!

Well. Ok. Calm down. Seriously. Ok, ok, ok!


I did a 'real~life' Shimelle class and it was WONDERFUL. I cannot tell you how good a time I actually had the best time. AND I came home with the cutest bind-it-all'd gate folded album. A huge thank you to Ann and Shimelle who ~ made room for me and found me a kit. A huge thanks to the ladies (Shaulean, Tara, Allison and Justine!) I sat and scrapped with!! (and ate with, nattered with and laughed with) You cracked me up.


I hear you calling 'photos, photos, photos!!' Ok, I need to load them up on my laptop... OK, my book isn't finished. the idea is each day you add in some journalling about something you have loved about that day ~ using your photos. I am just gonna journal my heart out. I just need a quiet evening to sit and write... and of course embellish more and maybe add some more ink and paint and oooohh everything!




p.s. Shimelle's cupcakes are as scrummy as they look.

Thursday 29 November 2007

{Kiss Me}


Another LO... completed at the Wickford crop last night, despite all the chatting and nattering and setting the world to rights.

It's not my choice of paper really but I do love them. I guess getting a kit does make you scrap outside your box. And sometimes I really enjoy just taking a small box off to crop and using JUST whats inside. And thats what I did. Well, ok the felt wasn't in the box and neither was the blue flower trim... and I need to add some journalling somewhere on here too...




Smile :)

Thank heavens for people who care.

I am so excited. Yesterday I noticed a thread on UKS about a crop in Enfield... which is about an hour away. AND Shimelle is there doing her live + love everyday class. Now, it was a long shot... A very long one because it's running on Saturday. It's 10am - 10pm. I know Shimelle has not long moved house and you know I definately know how stressful that is (I have moved 5 official times and 3 un-official times) And even more so when you hoard stuff like I do... :)
So... I pm'd Ann, who is organising the crop in Enfield and begged her to let me come. (http://www.enfieldscrapmates.blogspot.com/) So she said she had a space for me but no Shimelle kit... :(
Bravely, this morning I emailed Shimelle and asked her if she would have a kit... And I was brave... she is a celeb! LOL. And so I think that she is going to see if she can find me a kit... And so now i'm checking my emails every five seconds for any news on Saturday.

p.s. Feeling incredibly good as I helped a desperate person get a Wii today. If you are desperate too http://www.shopto.net/ are selling them in bundles... so far every afternoon for the past three days. And Good Luck!

Wednesday 28 November 2007

On the subject of babies...


... this is what I made last night. The spotty little bubba was Emily on the morning she was born and had just had her first bath. Kevy was so proud of her and really nervous about holding her. Isn't it weird now how we just hold newborns with ease? He used to be in the hospital getting me to pass her to him as he didn't dare lift her out that see-through little cot... The two snoozers are of course Ben and Kev, weird huh, how Kev is wearing the same shirt in each pic ~ nearly two years apart...?! I'm not into flowers but this one just spoke to me and I love its ragged frayed look.
Now ~ A huge congratulations to Michelle for actually managing to read yesterdays mamoth post. Well done girlie! And secondly thank you for sharing your little bubbas stories with me. Isn't it weird how we all have the same admiration for pregnant mothers who give birth minus an epidural. Yes, I did with Ben but it was NOT by choice. Believe me I begged. I was too late but hey, it actually wasn't that bad. I did go somewhere else, totally at the end. I do remember the midwife asking me to open my eyes and look at her and me hollering back 'what difference will that make, it'll still hurt!' And telling her I would rip to shreds as I was giving birth too quickly. I didn't. I was fine and now feeling very nostalgic, like Michelle that Ben is my last baby and he isn't a baby any more. So Michelle thank you! x

Tuesday 27 November 2007

1 in 4 women... (in advance this is a TMI post!)and long,scroll for scrapping goodness below!)

... are left alone in hospital to give birth. I heard this today on the news. It's pretty scary. I guess there were points during my pregnancy with Ben that I felt 'abandoned' by health care But because I had already had a baby I guess I managed and knew about more than I would've if it had been my first.
With Emily I was under lots of health authorities, I fell preg in 2003/4 and worked in Cambridge and had all antenatal care up to 32 weeks there. My midwife was practical and did things by the book. I then went on maternity leave back to our home (I only spent weekends in our house because I was a live-in nanny up until then) and I had a bunch of midwives in Derbyshire and I was under a Staffordshire hospital (Burton on Trent Queens). My main midwife was Anne and she was LOVELY. You know when you connect with someone? She was one of those women. And the others were all fabby too... I cannot say how much they made my pregnancy go from some hugely scary experience with high bp and reduced movements to some, still scary but wonderful experience. And when I gave birth to Emily, the midwife Andrea was amazing. She was a mum herself and told me all about her girls and helped me along. I'm not the type that wants a midwife there constantly wiping my brow and all of the whale music stuff. It's my pain, I have to deal with it... (and an epidural will help :))
Once I had Emily, apart from one pretty ferocious midwife they were all SUPER lovely. And I totally can say the amount of NHS care I had then was amazing. I could not fault it at all. With Ben it was a different kettle of fish.
I bled early on and I had countless trips to hospital and countless tears shed over this much wanted bubba, I cannot say any care was bad here. It was great after a few mis-guided starts but my midwife was pretty unhelpful. Half way through my pregnancy she went to work on the delivery suite and so I had a new midwife, who was IMHO (and other women's in the waiting room) rough! ~ No such thing as an epidural here either!!! The whole part of this did daunt me and took the magic out of this pregnancy.
Ben measured big for his dates and I had extra scans (and worry!) and had to wait an eternity for appointments. I had lots of aliments and felt pretty rough and seemed to be going through it all alone! At one of my last antenatal appointments I saw two new midwifes who were on cover from my new midwife and they were lovely. I guess they explained everything that she hadn't and I felt alittle more reassured.
I told them about my 'pains' which I knew was on and off labour (not braxton hicks) for nearly 3 weeks and she said ' you won't make 40 weeks! ' I was happy at that, With this one I had truly had enough. Although I suppose having a toddler to contend with as well doesn't help!
At 38 weeks I went in for a growth scan and was told he was already 8lbs at least and sent home. This was the Monday. Tuesday, I had awful pains all day... those who have had a baby know those pains that you have when you know this is it. And at midnight on Tue/Wed my waters broke in bed everywhere. The familar 'pop' and 'gush' then flood... I pushed Kev out of bed, grabbed towels, cleaned up and called the hospital. I had to go in ~ even though my pains weren't bad right then and see the midwife. So at 1am my MIL and FIL were called around, Kev went and fetched them (as neither drive) and we went off to hospital.
This is when I really felt 'un-heard'. My midwife met me, examined me. Told me she did not think my waters had broke etc... She told me to go home ~ I felt as if she was accusing me of lying about my waters breaking!!! And so I went home. We had a scan booked for tomorrow to actually see the extent of my water loss (if any ~ as she put it! GRR) and so that was that.
Wednesday ~ I had a scan and the sonographer said there was 'suficient' water but they do replenish themselves... and sent my upto the labour ward. I went up, waited an age and was not even let in ~ I was told to go home I was ok. Despite now being in quiet alot of pain. Seens as I knew my own body (luck it was my 2nd bubba!) I went with Kev to tescos and we did an enormous shop, knowing this baby was coming. I seriously now think I must've been hillarious waddling round tescos clutching the trolley in labour. I know how bad the pains were then on and off, that trolley was my lifeline to stand up. When I got home my MIL and SIL were both there watching Emily and once i'd settled down the pains sub-sided to dull aches and nothing more than i'd had for the pass months on end. I had a bath, put Emily to bed and Kev and I had haddock for tea (weird at all the stuff you remember!?)
At 11:30pm I woke with the worse pains i've had in my life. I was truly in agony. This was labour. LOL. At just gone midnight I sent Kev to get his mum and dad (again!) and I managed to get my stuff together slowly and mid pains which were now just one on top of the other. Continually coming. I remember standing in the dining room hanging onto the little cubby-shelf under the stairs panting and praying it would end right now, I wasn't ready. I'm sure all women in the throws of labour would do any deal with God to make it stop. My MIL came in and said 'ooooh, yes she'll have that baby tonight...' :)
So off we went to the hospital. Me swearing at Kev to go over the road humps slowly or this baby would pop out and me panting and grabbing onto the car door handle tightly. I remember in the hospital carpark me hardly knowing how I was going to walk across to the actual doors and get inside, and then nearly crying when there was no handle to grip onto in the lift.
On the labour ward we saw the same midwife as the previous night who joked, as I stood oblivious to life around me, gripping the hospital walls, go to the end room when that cdontraction ends. It didn't but somehow I hobbled down to the furthest room and get inside. She asked me for a 'sample' which I could not do for fear of Ben actually being born right then. And somehow Kev managed to get me in my night shirt and get me on the bed.
At this time it was 2am when the midwife came back in and saw me. I remember her examining me tummy and telling me off for pushing! 'Are you pushing??!! Stop pushing!' and then she examined me properly and said 'oh, ok push...' So much for continuity of care and knowing your patients. Not once did she ask me how I was... Or i'd of told her, ok I did say 'of course i'm bloody pushing!'
The gas and air tap had blood all over it and she had to clean it before I could use it. She was called away a few times while I was there with Kev. She handed Kev a wet flannel and asked him to 'mop' me and rub my back. I just snarled 'don't even touch me' I guess looking back now, when did she try and know me? Luckily Kev did and stayed well away, lol.
Ben was born at 2:35am all healthy and well. He breastfed straight away and I felt happy. I was rather promptly booted to the wards and Kev sent home but my baby was healthy and happy.
I had no support with further breast feeding at all, which upset me an awful lot. I did express when I went home and fed him what I could from the bottle. When I talked to my midwife about it, she told me she had too many appointments that day to help me and to try myself... or carry on what I was doing now.I had a toddler and a new baby and I just wanted help. I guess maybe it wasn't entirely her fault but I can quiet see how women are left during labour.
My labour with Ben, or rather my antenatal care with Ben was VERY poor in my eyes, however with women being totally left in labour... My GOD! this is bad. Something needs to be done right now because pregnancy and birth are magical, precious times that should be remembered with a semi-fondness (not entirely tho, with all that pain!) and with women not getting adequate care I can't see how these times can be. All I can wish is that there are more women like Anne, Andrea and Tanya who do support women and promote their wishes to have happy, healthy pregnancies and births and beyond.

Maybe she's back from her holiday...









...my mojo, that is.

I created these two pages last night, using my stash that I got last week from Scrappy-do's (you can find her web addy on my links) And I was pretty pleased yesterday when Jo (Mrs. Scrappy~do!) pm'd me on UKS and asked if she could add my blog to her site...YAY! ! I just love ~ love, elsie!!! I find it SO usable. Especially all the little stickers and then of course papers are just super amazing.



So I made these two LO's. The first is of me when I was a bubba... I guess I loved patta~cake! I think that the first piccie looks so much like my little bubba, Kev disagrees (as always)! I just had to laugh at how dated the whole piccies look now, Velour sofas, highly patterned carpets, flock wallpaper... The only thing that has narked me though are those vinyl thickers (!) they have this greasy adhesive on the back that has left a snail trail at the bottom of the LO ~ BOO to grosse adhesive.


The second is a blurry piccie of Emily. I just love it though. It was taken at Easter at Southend and just captures how excited she was to ride countless mini rides with her cousin Aidan. I added more doodling around the cut out boxes in a white sakura pen and added heaps of SEI brads ~ I love the cute weenie black stars (and secretly glad I found a use for those yellow ones!) but sad I used my last heidi swapp letter "e's" ~ why, oh why are there NEVER enough e's in any alpha pack???

Monday 26 November 2007

Crop.


Yesterday was crop day and it started with alittle, well no, a huge problem... Les who opens the hall did not turn up! We stood there for a good 15 minutes waiting and I just had THAT feeling. So I drove home to find the number, leaving poor Jane in the cold and busting for the loo! Well, the lady at the council seemed to be haivng an 'off-day' (to put it politely) and so we waiting til nearly a quarter to eleven to get the hall open... We were waiting from 9:25am! GRR!
It wasn't Les' fault though, he hadn't been told I was hiring it at all. I have his moby number now so no problem there and I will arrange it all so there is no confusion. Sorry ladies for being stood in the cold for so long!!

We had a new girl Carlie and the usual suspect, mainly we all chatted. I managed to get a little book made but not alot. We all sang happy birthday to Dee... we ate cake. We laughed and then it just went so quickly it was home time. (after talk of Brad Pitt scurring over Sarah, lol)

Friday 23 November 2007

As if I need any more...



.... mini books, that is. I made these last night while I watched 'i'm a celeb'. They are ALL gifts though, so i'm glad I won't have to find them homes. I have to admit too I love the K&Co Christmas papers this year. I'm not a Christmas paper kinda girl but I really am looking for reasons to use these ~ I reccomend anyone getting them they are SUPER.

And then I got this today. I only ordered it yesterday (after looking at it longily for a while) I got it from http://www.scrappydos.co.uk/ and it was only £3.25... !!!! Yes, you read that right. A complete bargain for new stash, of course the matching papers had to fall into my shopping cart too but I can say how impressed I was with Jo's service at Scrappy dos. I will be using them again. She even threw in a Craft life mag too! So I have sat with Ben clambering all over me and Emily kissing me and peeked at it. The interview with Kirsty Wiseman made me fall in love with scrapping all over again and brought a tear to my eye. I loved it. She totally spoke from MY heart all the things I think about scrapping. And the 'swapping spit' part made me giggle ~ I haven't heard that since I was a teenager!



And this BOY, Bam Palmer who presents this with Jack has made me so proud. I am stood, right now listening to him and laughing. I do remember my nannying days with him, his wicked sense of humour and taking him for haircuts in Claygate. Nothing has altered, except now he sounds more like a man. Thank you James aka Bam for making me laugh at your 'whoooop ass' joke.



And if you want to listen to this fabby boy, then tune in on Friday between 2-4pm on Fridays.

1:11am

I meant to tell this little tale yesterday but I forgot. So anyhow, here it is.

At 1:11am on Wednesday night I hear Emily hollering out for me. No build up of hearing her shuffling around ~ just one almighty shout for me. So, as you do when you have more than one child, I leapt out of bed and dashed across to her room.
M: Whats the matter, baby? Did you have a bad dream?
E: I'm cold, I neeeeeeed the blankie.
M: !!!

So I covered her over and went back to bed. Luckily she didn't wake Ben. But when did my 3 year old daughter need help re-covering herself in the middle of the night???

Thursday 22 November 2007

I want these SO much!


Dear Santa,
I have been a good girl all year long and for Christmas I would love to receive these cute little owl stamps... Pretty, pretty please.
Love,
Me xxx
p.s. SiStv are OUT of stock ~ boo...

Wednesday 21 November 2007

I have to confess...


... I am obsessed with mini books/albums/projects. Look at these and these are just the few I have gathered in a 5 minute scout around. Imagine if I actually looked?!! And whats more obsessional is they are mainly all EMPTY. I hardly ever get round to filling them with goodness, I get round to putting them away and making another. I must have, if I searched around, well over 70 mini books. Easily. So now, this Christmas i'm spread the goodness and filling a mini album for my nearest and dearest.
I handed one over to my sister, for her to fill for her friend this Christmas because she had 'oooh -ed and ahhh-ed' over one I had made for Jill (my sis). Thats one down and possible 69+ to go...
Obsessions. Whats yours?

Monday 19 November 2007

Play dates...

Today, Emily and I BOTH had friends to come over and 'play'. Yes, Nina popped over with Eli (who is a year older than Emily) and they played. Emily was totally over the moon when I told her this morning she would have a friend over to play, she even made orange pumpkin jellies for her and wrapped her a little something for her belated birthday in gold tissue paper. AS soon as they pulled up Emily stood at the door shouting 'happy birthday Eli' and waving the present like mad... I guess i'm dumb tho, I constantly FORGET to take photographs of all these sweet little things she does at just three. I guess when she is four or five or six she won't do them any more, she won't want to 'do' cute. I should cherish the cute-ness now.

This week I plan to photograph her quirks and cute-ness. Thats my task.

And lunch with Nina was fab. We chatted for an age and set the whole world to rights. It's so nice to just catch up. And I do love that girl.

Crop on the 25th!



This is the cute little album we will be making at crop on the 25th! It's a cute little scalloped acetate album with patterned paper (varies in each kit), sequins, gems, stiching and fibres... I printed my photographs onto white bazzill so the whole album isn't too 'shiny' and I think the effect is pretty good. I also printed them in black and white ~ I wanted to add to the icy, snowy, winter feel (and my piccie colours were just ALL over the place!)

So it's a kinda 'no rules' crop. You get your kit (if you want one) and then you do what you want with it! I used the MM magnetic alphs stamps (which i'll bring along and I also have some large foam stamps that would work well with ink/paint too).

You will need some kind of permanent pen (like a slick writer or a sharpie) and a staz on ink pad, a needle with a sharp point but a fairly big eye to get the embroidery thread through and then adhesives/scissors ~ the usual crop stuff... And any projects you may be working on, any fab stash finds you may have had etc... OOOOhh and we LOVE seeing your albums...!

Sorry the piccies is a bit naff but at nearly midnight, the light isn't in my favour...

Friday 16 November 2007

Lists.

I do love a good list. And mine seem to be growing.

To do:

1. Sort out Quays wages!
2. Finish ironing Kev's work shirts...
3. Finish DT project.
4. Pack up for crop.
5. Cook a roast chicken.
6. Find some socks ~ my feet are freezing, it's far to cold here today!
7. Make the album for my crop and upload it with a contents and equipt. list.
8. Food shopping.
9. Crimbo shopping and ordering online stuff...
10. Decide what we are actually doing this Crimbo.
11. Call my sister.
12. Call Steve and Kate.
13. Tidy all my scrapping stuff.
14. Clean the lounge.
15. Find my small corner rounder ~ hmmm how can you loose that???!

And I keep adding to this list. The good news is though, things are being done ~ but slowly. I know though that tomorrow we will probably go over to MIL's and then nothing really is achieved during the day; which means today I HAVE to be productive. So instead of chatting on MSN, adding new blog entries, checking everyone elses blogs and UKS and SiStv. I oughta be doing some chores...

Thursday 15 November 2007

Challenges.

The theme was Spring...







These two pieces were a HUGE challenge for me and i'm still not happy with them. I guess I never will be because the colours just aren't my 'bag'. But these two pieces DID confirm my place on Fidgeons Crafts DT! YAY! So today I got my first 'real' assignment and I can say i'm SO happy about it. Really excited. I guess again, they aren't things I would choose personally but it's a cool job to have. Being paid to produce a LO. It has made me feel that my scrapping is 'worthy'. And not that it matters if it is or not. I scrap for me (well, up until now I did) I scrapped for me, my family and just because I love anything arty and crafty. All that mattered before now was that the work I produced made me happy and said all the things I wanted it to say ~ and not just in words. Now I guess being on a paid DT has made me re-evaluate what I create and how it is put together.

I find writing insturctions hard because i'm a throw it all on the page kinda scrapper. Thats me. Just stick the photo down and then wonder what else is going on the page. I don't know if thats 'normal' but thats how I go about it.

I guess tho, seeing peeps at crops and classes I have taught. I don't teach it that way really but then I guess when we begin we aren't as confident with our scrapping choices on LO's are we? I see peeps at crops playing around with all their page elements. Is that how I should do it? I must do this in my head subconciously OR just stick and hope for the best (LOL, thats more like it).

So working on this DT has made me seriously think about how I scrap and how to get that onto paper. Thats the hard bit. The actual typing down HOW I did it, IN what order and WHAT I used. Maybe it's something that comes with time ~ just like my scrapping did?


On another note: I've been fairly productive today. I have got a few jobs done which have been needed to be done for a while. But then I have a busy two weekends ahead of me.

I have:

1. Nipped to the shop (which when you have 2 kids under 5yrs it's never 'nipping') and picked up a few bits that we needed.
2. Ironed a GIANORMOUS piled of clothes. Which is not all finished but it did make a huge dent in it (and I hate ironing).
3. Paid three bills (we all hate doing this but have too, it's one of those jobs).
4. Sorted out who is going to provide my liability insurance.
Now I still have to:
1. Call a few peeps who I have been neglecting ~ Steve and Kate.
2. Do my DT stuff and get it sent off.
3. Finish the ironing and put it away (tiresome!) OK, I just did that now...)
4. Complain that I still haven't been paid from the Quays!
5. Feed the kids their lunch...
6. Confirm hall booking.
7. Print piccies for MIL.
8. Do crop kit.
9. I'm sure there's more... you know it's one of those lists that as you cross stuff off you add much, much more. hmmm.

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Crop - 25th Nov...

... The kit will be a scalloped acetate album (thank you Marion @ Sugar and Spice for doing these for me... www.sugarandspicecrafts.co.uk) and I will post piccies over the weekend of the finished article! I will be using 2"x3" photographs (again! I'm sure they are my fave size.) and lots of ribbon and textures rather than lots of patterned papers/cardstock. (and i'm sure it'll make a cool Crimbo gift).

See you all there ladies!

Motivation at an all time low...

Yes, I well and truly have lost all motivation I have. I sat last night and tried to scrap. I managed a short piece of journalling on acetate... and tbh it doesn't look that good either ~ that was 2 hours work. So I guess I have mis-placed my mojo again. It happens just before crop, always. And the answer lies in paint, I think. Painting is my mojo salvation. Getting messy really does usually bring it back. I need it. I have heaps of stuff I have to do and deadlines to meet. Hmmm.

I do have goodness to post tho... stuff I did over the weekend and haven't had a chance to post.



A mini album i'm working on, which is gonna be filled with camera phone piccies... so not great but documenting a weird/fun/wild time in my life. And I know the pics will be of a poor quality but they mean something more to me than perfect piccies... if you get me?!

I used the piccie already but I love it so much ... so tried this with it. Kinda wish I altered the title... but hey.

So this was inspired by last weeks post. My 1973 year...1998. So I made this little frivolous LO to mark it.