Whoo hooo!

Last night we had a meeting at work... it was thwarted with probs for me getting there. Firstly some kind soul posted on UKS that WH Smiths were stocking Scrapbook Trends and Card Trends magazines!!! OMG! So I had to nip over to Basildon before the work meeting. There were two little copies left... I also picked up SI. Which happened to be a very old issue... Don't you just hate it when that happens!??! (I obviously buy too many magazines!)
Then I set off to KFC, which I had no actual idea where it was, I thought it was on Festival Leisure park but alas after driving around, looking rather weird, making a call to Marion I found out it was somewhere else entirely. Yesterday was, as you can tell... one of those days! I then found KFC. Ordered a bucket of chick. Had a little KFC happiness and went off to work for our meeting. Chicken, magazine, pepsi max in tow.
I got to work to realise Nina wanted a different meal and I hadn't realised :( Sorry Nina! But then we had a blast of a meeting. Including Scottish dog chat :D

And we have some news to share! We are accepting design team applications for Marions gorgeous stamps!! You can find all the details here!

And then another little bit of good news, if you like blog candy... here!

I rushed home after the meeting and just made it to watch Shameless. Result. Things were not so bad ;)

I also just found this on Facebook... :) Me back in 1999. A long time ago. Check out the slimmer, more toned bingo wings!!


I did no crafting though. I am seriously going to try today. I have a mini canvas I want to make up. So i'm off now. Back later!

:)

I'm so pleased that it's not just me. Not just me who finds juggling jobs, mum duty, wifey duty and every other hat I wear almost impossible. Life gets pretty dull when all you're doing is dealing with peeps moaning and problems each and everyday. It's nice to hear that i'm not on my own :)

And tonight, after work meeting... I have this to look forward to. :D Happy times.

Hmmmpff!

Ben has found he loves drawing... mainly scribbles but he loves to have cats drawn for him and then he sings (or maybe shouts!) the batcat theme tune. Very, very sweet...!

Ok. Rant alert.

You know those days when you think you're going to achieve lots and actually you achieve very little? Yesterday was one of them. I spent the whole day doing little tasks, none of which amounted to much and tbh I am tired of trying!!
I seem to be either working out of the house or working in the house! The house work seems never ending, the washing pile keeps growing and i'm sure the ironing pile is breeding, no sooner is done than another huge pile has mounted up. I hoover and two minutes later it looks like the house hasn't seen a hoover since 2001! ;)
And why is it, that I am supposed to know everything??!! Maybe I should take that one as a compliment... :P
Well, I tried yesterday, however very little got done. Today has been much the same. Upstairs desperately needs cleaning and blitzing. not so easily done with two pairs of small hands 'helping'. Yes, we all know that 'helping', actually is hindering. I may try later in the hope that they may not wreck their bedrooms too much. That actually it will be a fruitful exercise in cleaning and tidying.

I managed a little scrapping last night, although I was pretty disappointed by a mini album I had brought. I will post once it's all finished... but you know when you open something and the quality is pretty cruddy? It was that moment right then. Cruddy product. It just leaves you so uninspired. So I set about covering it and snipping paper. I will share tomoz...

Rant over. Happy days today... maybe :grrr:

Good times.

Firstly... alittle paper goodness for you. I did more last night but cannot share just yet... this however I can!

Doesn't it seem weird scrapping snow pictures, when it's been pretty sunny here lately. This pic was taken back in February of Emily totally enjoying the snow...! On the first real snow day she experience... when I think the majority of England came to a stand still. Kev was off work for two days and we enjoyed alot of snow :D

I used the cute invisibles that we have coming into the shop!! And the a mirror I got from Ally, which was on sale :) I doodled alittle round the pictures and stamped on the cute little mint button with my new Martha Stewart stamps (I just need the inks now!)

I got up extra early this morning to order my Studio Calico kit and got all add ons. I just needed them all! I just cannot wait until they arrive now but am still surrounded by last months as it only arrived 6 days ago. This months looks simply delicious though! :) Oh, it made me very happy at 5am this morning, while both kiddos and Kev were snoring and snoozing... I was sat at my work space ordering my kits incase they sold out! Luckily I grabbed what I wanted and then a few bits from the shop. This kit is just the best tho. The little touches make me very happy (like the kit packed by little card). Well, just the few weeks wait now until it arrives in the red little postie van.

A little goodness before work...

I made these babies this morning, while Kev took Ben out to get a parcel and Emily sorted chipboard letters on my bed... trying to spell out 'ShemClem', which is the name of one of her imaginary friends (the other is 'P') and they both live along way away) :D


These two LO's I made on Thursday night, while watching Hells Kitchen (Ade to win!!)... I used my sparkly MM letters I got from Ally (and I need more!) Along with my Studio Calico kit.

And a little scrap fx chipboard. I love the trees and apples!

It turned into this... I also got to use my Cosmo stamps... I love the woodgrain one, which I use all the time... but the little 'hooty' owl sneaked on too. :)

Then I did this one with my Sarah's Cards kit. I'm not a flower person but I have been ordering the blooms and buttons and embellies with the kit. I do love how layered this is. I used nearly every single flower I had in kit... and alot of the buttons. And a fair bit of 3d foam and glossy to hold it all together.

And my fave punch in the whole wide world... which I think we may hve coming into the shop... *whoo hoo*.

One Word.

Severance.

Tonight.

BBC 1.

Danny.

Dyer.

Happiness.

i *heart* paper

Each night in our house the same thing happens. I eat supper with Kev. I then squirrel off upstairs to my *new* scrap space and sit on my cool bright pink swivelley chair and snip up paper... I love this time of the day. It's me time. It's relaxing and I get to do my most favouritest hobby in the whole wide world... although it has taken over my life (not that its a bad thing).

Yesterday I was extra excited with the arrival of TWO kits! and I had already printed out a whole heap of piccies, I was good to go.

And so I did these LO's. Just two. (too much tv watching me thinks!) The first was with my Sarahs cards kit. I'm not normally at all a purple/lilac person. (I went through a whole purple stage when I was 18 and never want to go back!) but this kit was gorgeous. Plus I love thick MME papers, they always feel like watercolour paper. :)

So I used my new jouno'ing stamps from Ally Pally... and scrapped a moment from yesterday. When Emily announced my bum was like a big squidgey pillow. Thanks! Just what I need to hear :D

Then this one with my Studio Calico kit!! Hooray for Studio Calico. It is truly yummy this month. I am now eagerly awaiting Tuesday and release day... I think I need it all, although am never sure until I see the full contents and picks. Sneaks are good but never do!

I used some cute naked pics. I know that these times will soon be gone, although do boys ever stop getting naked?? Or being comfortable with flashing their bits?? I used a huge helping of Cosmo. They are so damn hot right now. I say this ever time I post, I feel. But I love 'em. I used a bit of the box and tore and glimmer the ends/sides with wheatfields (my fave colour if you were just gonna get one!) With the bulkiness of cardboard it meant I could hide a pull out pic (you pull the big 'B') and it reveals another pic. I used a past Studio Calico stamp (love 'em all!) I am really loving stamping atm. ;)

Wednesday is also a fabby tv night. The Apprentice at 9pm on itv, Desperate Housewives at 10pm on 4 followed by Shameless, which I have to say is growing on me. I actually cried last night. Some how I have grown a little crush on this guy here:

Oh. My. Freakin. God.

And then I saw the trailer for the film Shifty. It looks pretty cool. And of course any good film needs alittle eye candy... (ok, so he looks abit spooky here. But in the film trailer he looks pretty hot. Rough. hot. You know. *sigh*)

So yesterday I had a pretty good day. And Emily's parents evening went well... as we knew it would. She is now well and truly ready for school. When did my baby grow up?

And now i'm waiting for my pro markers. Yes, I bit the bullet and ordered some. Just kicking myself that I didn't get them at the show... then I could've used them by now! And into my basket slipped some of the kaiser babushka range... and those cute little animals... and more bots! So if they turn up today... I can play with those pens tonight or even when Ben is napping... if i'm lucky. and sometimes. just sometimes Em nods off on Thursday afternoon which will mean peace and quiet and craftyness. Fingers crossed.

Tomorrow i'm in the shop ... hoping that some of the weenie basic grey stamps have come in?!! And preping for my class on Sunday. It's my third family tree class, which I love teaching. It's all abit freestyle and mixed up. And I am busy preping my journo'ing class... which is gonna be a good one.

Now... off to stalk the postie!

Yay for postmen!

After having a few wobbles, thinking this is the kit that won't show... here it is!! It came today just as we were eating lunch... and rather like buses two kits showed up at once :)

Now I have my Studio Calico and my Sarah's Cards kit to play with :D Which is pretty good as i've been on alittle photo printing spree this morning. I so far have printed up a good 20 sheets and still have alot more I wanna do...

I am still thinking about the best way to organise my scrap space. I want Kev to put up my steel hanging bar above the work top, so I can sort out all my little nick nacky bits and hang ribbon too. I have three canvases to decorate (how I have no idea) and to hang above then. I am planning on sorting all my scraps into clear boxes too. Maybe even chucking some out *gasp* yes, you heard me right. Chucking stuff out!! I still have a heap of stuff to take upstairs, this is what I have planned to sort out tonight... :) These huge bags full of albums and bits. Then I only have a few more shelves to move... it seems never ending!

And while my kit arrived, this little one was enjoying a little light lunch of toast and tomatos and apple! And inbetween bringing in pockets full of sand :)

Hullo! Good times :)

Well, after a hectic last week... and weekend. I'm back.. Ally was busy. I have a whole heap of photos to share (including the unisex loos Marion and Adrienne were extremley offended by!) but alas, had no time to put them on the pootie yet... will add when I have a mo.

Brought my weight in stamps, which is a bloomin' lot. Laughed too much and walked up too many stairs... I think about a 100 to our hotel room! (ok, slight exageration but it was alot) Scrapped very little, as all i've seen the past week is boxes ;) but now my mojo is well and truly back! I am planning on organising my June classes for you all, including my journo'ing one where you will need your tissues and waterproof mascara.

Here though, are my two little takes on the twiddley challenge... here I loved this challenge as cards are really inspiring me right now! *yes, you did hear that right*



I love using acetate and especially stamping on it! It is just so easy and looks fab. I used a few of the new stamps i'd brought over the weekend... and glimmer mist on the bird (in turquoise) and then on the cherry card, I painted the cherry and then glossy accented the deep red cherries to add a glossy shine. I love all acetate cards! Even when they're written in, they still look cool, I just need someone extra special to send them too now :)

And lastly... I had a very old friend add me on facebook yesterday. It made me smile. I'm not sure why we lost touch. It just happened. It made me smile seeing their name pop up in my inbox. Good times.

P.S. Still waiting for my Studio Calico... *grrr* I hate waiting. But to make myself happier I ordered some pro markers. I wish I had got them at Ally. Hey ho. They should be here tomorrow!!! :D

P.P.S Happy birthday to me, today I turn 29. Bit of a weird day as Kevy is at work til gone 9pm tonight and the kiddos and me are home alone. But the weather is beautiful and I plan on just relaxing and breezing into year 29... My life is pretty cool and happy right now. I have alot planned for year twenty nine.

P.P.P.S I'm also still waiting for my Sarah's cards kit too. *taps fingers patiently* Waiting is not my thing.

A little bit of Kaiser goodness...and more!

This one, which is a bit of a mix of patternes and card and not my normal stuff... The picture says it all.

I love cosmo. As I always say :D I just love it sooooooo much. The colours, the patterns... I just *heart* it!

This cute mini can be used for boys as well as girls... it appears quiet girlie but with the right papers, it's suitable for anyone!

Do you know how much I love robots? Do you know how much i'm loving using heaps of piccies on one LO?? Well Lots!!! I hand stitched the sentiment running along the bottom of both pages... I love stitching too :) I added coiled wire around the letters and cut out lots of cogs and a couple of robots. Teamed with one cute boy = a beauty of a LO :D

I used my cricut for the title! *gasp* yes, that machine thats been gathering dust since last year... I must use it more!! Lots of cutting on this LO, lots of paint, ribbon, pearls and a cute title... design and cut on SCAL. If you have a cricut this software is amazing!! Esp. with all the two peas fonts!

Well i'm busy rearranging my scrap area and so am v. busy... and of course busy with Ally Pally too :) If any of you are going, come and say hello!!!

Busy (again)

The sun was out again today and so Ben has spent the majority of the time in the garden. Flinging sand, digging dirt, stacking stones and generally being a boy! We did stop for a haircut though, i'm hoping he doesn't look toooo butchered. What do you do with a two year old that won't sit still at all?

Emily flopped in the chair and on the DS as soon as she got in from school ... She is obsessed with animal crossing right now, not sure she knows how to play it but enjoys just wandering around on there.

Last night I did this... Not sure I like it at all, alittle too plain. Alittle too 'not-me'...

But I love the photo... and those thickers don't look quiet as garish on the yellow card. Did you know i'm loving yellow right now???

So I watched the apprentice last night. OMG! Both teams sucked. I was hoping the girls would fail. The team leaders attitude was soooo poor!!! The boys were just totally clueless but did think the sandwich selling in the street was a good idea, I think that swung it for me. Although the whole 'olympic' food idea was so wrong. Not at all sad any of them went though, they were all pretty dire this week. I spent the whole night talking at the tv. Telling them you don't wear a toga to a canape party... ;)

And desperate housewives was ok. Kinda abit of a disappointment really. I thought it'd be alittle better this week. They sure are dragging out the whole Dave saga.

Tonight is the inbetweeners on E4 and the mentalist :D I am looking forward to both. Another night sat infront of the tv scrapping (heavenly)... :)

Just a little bit more.

Just two more LO's to share with you that I made last night while plonked in front of the tv watching CSI. Although I must say, it actually wasn't my thing last night. Bit too weird. Bit too much of the new guy and although I like him. I just would've liked more of the others too.

I am getting into stamping onto LO. Like not just a little either. A whole lot. It's just so easy and I have so many, that even if I used one a day for the next five or so years, I don't think i'd use the same stamp twice.

This one I took inspo from Nina's reduce, reuse and recycle LO. I am not a lover of tearing. In fact it fills my heart with dread. Tear and paper do not mix. But I loved the whole tearing of a circle. I loved the stamping around it (ha, ha yes Marion I know this was your idea!) Then it went abit freestyle. I love journalling on strips. I love my ali e stamps. I love cosmo (as you know), I love american crafts (who doesn't?) I love that shoe lace glittery ribbon that will be coming to Ally Pally with us...! *yay* And I wish I had more of those cute yellow thickers. I love yellow. It's reminding me of how gorgeous this summer is going to be. And on the whole I love this LO too. Alittle wild piccies of me. Back when I had shorter hair, was like 5 dress sizes smaller and drank pints *gasp* and painted my nails silver *why?*.

And I still have so much to do. But i'm indulging myself in my own projects and happiness. I am enjoying the little free time I have and of course the sunshine :)