I have always loved paper.

*LONG POST ALERT*


I have always loved paper. It started from, well ok. I don't know when but I always have. Maybe it's because as a kid we never had much. We actually never wanted for much either. We lived in a small, weenie, weenie village (which has since grown to a huge size...) and we either played outside all day long or I was inside drawing, making with flour glue and cutting. In fact pretty much like Emily is now. As soon as Ben goes up for his nap she asks to 'do making'. :)


Anyhow. Maybe thats why I love paper so. I'm pretty sure it's where my love affair started. I was never one to be bored when it was rainy. I loved it. It was a perfect excuse to lock myself in my bedroom and draw.


And then along came these:

These are little books full of teenage angst dating and dilemas. Oh my. They really do make me giggle, blush and justwant to cringe in a corner. You know, it's weird the whole take a teenager has on the world and the peeps around them. They are full to the brim with notes, piccies and little bits i'd collected that we used to call 'justice'... huh??? Don't ask!

These books are to special to me. They are semi-scrapbooks of my former self, someone whom i'm sure none of you would even recognise and I know I don't even know if i'd recognise myself either. It just has really made me realise how potentially special my scrapbooks will be to Emily and Ben; but only if I scrap all of those photographs which aren't perfect and the memories which aren't perfect too. The tears, tantrums and trials of todderlerdom and beyond. It's important. It really is them.

So I guess it's opened my eyes to scrapping me alittle more, not just for them and their kids (Emily just loves hearing about 'Grannie' (my mum) and me telling her stories) but for me too. For my sanity and for how I actually am. And I don't just mean the fluffy stuff either. I mean everything. Warts and all. It's all me. I am after all only human (I know alot of you think otherwise *ha ha*) And i'd really like to be able to include these little books full of my life in there somewhere... it's just how. How to fit over 7 books of little memories and little snippets into a scrapbook LO or mini book... hmmmm. I'm thinking hard on that one.

But I started a cool little book. Remember 'fake' wood patterned wallpaper?? Yes? I'm sure you do. Well, when we lived at Babbington Road ~ the whole of our lounge was covered in it (and i'm pretty sure we had this whole fishing net thing going on too on the ceilling) ... So yesterday I get the cutest little kit from SoML (www.story-kits.conm/store) and it has the cutest sheet of woodgrain contact paper in. Honestly. It looked as if it was just right there from our lounge wall in the 80's. I love it :) And the 7gypsies journo it came with is just super perfect too. I started to work on it. I guess part of me just would quiet happily forget the first seven years of my life. But it made me strong and so I feel it's time to bare all and get it down on paper ~ free therapy ;) 'Cept not tonight as i'm working :( and Kevy is off to see Ben Folds and Nannie is babysitting... which worries me because she has never ever put the kids to bed before. Not once. Not ever and I know they will be fine (except everyone has had sleepless nights cause we have this terrible cold and temp that is going about) but you know how we worry. And boy, do I worry.

P.S. If you got to the end of this post well done on you! Give yourself a gold star/smiley face/sweetie... God, I can natter :P

So. I tried to tidy my stash.

Last night, while watching Mary Queen of Shops (of course! what else would you watch on a Monday night???) I sat and riffled though the stash pile that has been occupying our dining room table. It seems to be breeding ~ not that it's a bad thing, I mean you can never have too many supplies... right?

So. I guess its kinda tidy. I have bagged up all my scraps and non 12"x12" sheets, boxed my whole 12"x12" sheets, boxed all my stamps, boxed my embellies and bagged all my alphas. I even have a box now for adhesives... I just know it will never stay this way and in any case, how do you scrap and stay tidy?! I seriously need some suitable space saving scrapping storage. Like now.

And the plan today is to absolutely blitz the bookshelves that 'supposedly' hold my stash, so as it can all find a nice home...........






................... Also I need to tackle a huge amount of ironing, washing, cleaning and general naff chores.

p.s. Congrats to Nina's sister and family who have welcomed their new bubba :)

Rah! For headaches.

I have a heap of stuff to do this week, I cannot believe it will be Friday tomorrow and i've hardly scratched the surface... And then today, of all days I have the biggest killer of headaches going and I have soooo much to do. Ibruprofen at the ready ...

I did manage to break into my studio calico today with the help of a fabby new challenge blog http://guttergirlz.blogspot.com/ which just had the most apt quote for me... I just had to use it. I also am not hell~bent on acid free... be free is my motto an so think i'm gonna love the prompts on this blog :)

But how adorable is the new October Afternoon 'Detours' range??? I just love the cute deer and trees. I used the maya road chipboard tree and super UHTEE'd it and then stamped it within an inch of it's life with my wood grain stamp :) The actual 'tree' part has lighter green flowers stamped on too ~ but the piccie just ain't so good! And the pin 'ohhh' I just love pins ~ so old and antique-y looking, esp. with that cute rubbed brass flower. YUM. I just love this LO. And you also can't really see that my sewing machine really was used on this LO lots too! Lots of straight stitch, zig zag and oodles of thread ;)

I have 'scrappy' work tomorrow...! Yay! And I have every intention to take my camera to have a good o'wander around and take some beautiful piccies.

This will make you laugh.

On Saturday, between work and the madness of the past few days... we went into town and bought Emily some face paints :) Of course as soon as we got home, she needed her face painting and chose a clown (then a cat, then perfect peter ????!) she became a clown with whiskers) Also she had a buddy to join in this little face painting session.....

And this is a little sneaky~peek of one of the classes I will be running at Sugar and Spice! I just am loving the whole new fancypants ranges atm :) And with this LO I am officially reviving sponge painting :lol:

*Recovery*

I worked all weekend. From Friday through til yesterday (although... scrapping classes aren't really work, are they??!) So today is my recovery, four mornings getting up at some un-godly hour aren't me. *Yawn* ... boy am I tired!

But even though, I could possibly fall asleep anywhere today ~ I am all inspired and feeling creative! I feel all ready to make, make and make some more :) I just have some really cool ideas for LO's, mini books and just 'stuff'. So I am busy thinking them through in my head and working out the best possible way to get everything done so I can go make....

And seens as I forgot my camera yesterday (and (I call myself a scrapbooker!) I have no pics of the actual day ~ but Nina and Marion do!!! So go and peek at their blogs :)

Tee~hee~hee!

Today I had sooo much fun. You know I made things (beautiful new class things).... I saw scrummy stash all day and I spent the whole day with two fantastic ladies :) I am just so happy with my new job.

So we talked classes and talked about new ideas. We talked about a monthly kit for the shop and I am sooooo happy :) I cannot tell you how much this whole job is not actually like a job. So watch this space (and here : http://www.sugarandspicecrafts.blogspot.com/ and here: http://www.sugarandspicecrafts.co.uk/) and maybe get our newsletter if you fancy a fabby class...

Tomorrow i'm back to reality of London Care, split shifts and chaos. I am kinda really looking forward to it but partly sad that now, this job means alot less to me... Hey~ho. I'm sure it will be ok.

Well, more piccies soon... I'm working on a cute Hambly overlay book using the fan-tab-u-lous 'Berry sweet' range; don'tcha just love it???

Boo!

I'm here again... I haven't much to share as last night I was working hard (ok, ok, while I watched the apprentice) creating a little DT project for my demo day in August. Can I tell you how much I love the cosmo cricket blackboard... :) Honestly this stuff is sooo good quality and looks fab naked (I can hear you all giggling now) or covered up... no getting covered in ink as you ink the edges (although I know some of us crafters love getting covered in ink).


So last night, all I did was measure, snip and stick paper. Kev kindly turned to me as I had been working for over 3 hours snipping and such and asked: " Don't you ever get fed up of it? "... *gasp*!!! Fed up of paper??? NEVER! :)



The anticipation is also building for tomorrow... Yes tomorrow I start my new little job with Sugar and Spice. I can't wait. My head is full of ideas and good stuff. Infact any more stuff in there will send me into a melt down and my brain to mush. I have sooo much to do too but I do thrive on being semi~stressed, very busy and occupied. So today I have a heap of jobs to complete. Right now... I'm on top of everything and slowly the jobs are being knocked off.



Also on Monday !!! I have an exciting *full* on day with Sugar and Spice doing a few workshops with Lance from Rusty Pickle and Scrapgenie... ;)



P.s. Emily can write her own name :) Clever lil' thing!

Whoooo hooo!

*Good news alert*

Yes, I have had quiet alot of good news lately, hence why i've been alittle AWOL with this blog...

Firstly I was emailed by Teresa from Fidgeons Crafts (http://www.fidgeonscrafts.co.uk/) to go up and do two days demo~ing in August! Yay! Which of course I said yes too :) So currently i'm rolling around in Cosmo Cricket and Tinkering Ink and totally enjoying coming up with lots of fabby projects for that weekend :)

Secondly ... and probably most unexpectedly and totally fabby is that I went into Sugar and Spice (http://www.sugarandspicecrafts.co.uk/) and Marion asked me if I wanted a job there! Hooooooray! :) Of course I said yes *and did a huge happy dance* ~ the shop is so yummy and welcoming :) So I start this Friday.

So I am totally imersed in crafty projects, cutting paper and loving cardstock. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be given a chance to go for it and enjoy my hobby, these two fabby ladies have given me the chance to make my hobby part of my job. I won't be giving up London Care just yet... but who knows what the future holds?

Of course, with all this 'my love of lists' just got mega long... I have 16 tasks already and none of these are housework/mummy related. But I just am loving the fact i'm so busy :)

I also have downloaded this (http://www.craftedge.co.uk/) software for my expression. Honestly, buy it! It's the best and yesterday I cut some fabby fonts from my lappy. And I have also been told you can create your own designs in inkscape *whoooosh* hear that bit of technology fly over my head??! I may try, when I have more time...

And I have been 'making' lots too... Lots of LO's a few mini projects... heaps...

This one I did a while ago but forgot to upload. The piccie I used is an oldie (from 1981 *hears gasps*) and it was my first birthday :) The whole'wood' look just reminds me of back then, when we had that hideous fake wood wallpaper (yes, really!).

A simple mini of one gorgeous boys love of pocoyo.... Using one complete sheet of patterned paper and then a few scraps (and those lurverly hambly atc overlays!)

This piccie screamed out for lilac and purple paper... A random LO documenting my product love!

Mirrors on LO's are so cool. Stamping on mirrors works well too :)

And check out all the cool co'ordinations cardstock I used to cover those gorgeous chipboard stars....

Oh I just love love love this paper range ;)

And this last LO is just specially dedicated to Shaulean... She really is so fabby! And the colour of this LO really reflects her personality ~ bright, bubbly and super fantastic :)