Her Space My Space

Not took part in this photo challengefor such a long time and at the moment the girls are on holiday and the topic is an open Christmas themed one so thought I would add this little Photo of my little christmas trees.

Thanks for looking xx

And this is why I weigh half a stone more than I did last week!!!

I have drunk far too much of this...yummeee

Followed by a little of this over ice....more yummeee!!!


Had to have some of this for supper every night...well it is Christmas and although it smells like unwashed feet it tastes divine.

With some of these on the side...mmmmmmmmmmm


And far too many of these...OMG I will be dieting until next Christmas

Was a lovely Christmas day

We had a lovely day, kids didn`t even get up until after 8am, spent ages with them opening pressies then Mum and Dad came round with loads more pressies, went to the pub to catch up with family and friends, came home for dinner then went to in laws in the Evening. A proper family Christmas.

Just had to share this with you, Jack, who will be 15 next May wanted to wear a tie on Christmas Day!!!................a red tie and a black shirt and I must admit it looked pretty cool....God he is growing up and OMG do I feel old.



May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for visiting my blog this year, for the lovely comments you have left and to wish you all the best for 2008. xxx

Twas the night before Christmas...

...so I thought I would share this with you

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

And thought I would share these photos with you too of my little

ones anticipating the arrival of Santa.

Merry Christmas everyone

Look at this little Baby

I got myself one of these little baby`s today, had a bit of a play but not created anything yet, will be having a proper play over the holidays.

Black Christmas?

Yep this year I am having a black Christmas...black, silver and white that is, and thought I would share some piccies of my decs with you. I have gone a bit to town this year and have made up several floral displays as well as the tree.

Hair Today ...

Had all my hair cut off today...It wasn`t incredibly long a bit below my shoulders but it is now quite short and very funky looking...will post a piccie as soon as I have one.

I went to Liverpool, shopping yesterday...not Chrimbo shopping, just spent my christmas money, got a bit off the in laws and a bonus from work too!!! Anyway hit Pimark like a woman possessed and am now the proud owner of three new jumpers an new pair of skinny jeans, loads of nice new undies and a couple of necklaces...all for the bargain price of £30...I love Primark!

I have almost finished Christmas preparations, just got a couple of gifts to wrap and the food shop to do but that will have to wait as tomorrow I am taking my boys ice skating!!!

Hope everyone is not too streesed out by all the festive planning have a good Christmas everyone...xxxxx

It feels Like Christmas when...

You get to see your beautiful little one on a stage in the school nativity play.

Yep last Tuesday evening OH and I sat in the crowded and very warm school hall of dearest daughter Mia to watch the true meaning of Christmas...we even got to sing Away in a Manger...so here are the photies of Mia...who appeared as da da da da shepard number 2 and had the priveledge of not only wearing a tea towel on her head but also the "funny line" I`m Bored...I think you had to be there to appreciate the humour...But as always the true meaning of Christmas was successfully delivered to all.

I am a very very naughty girl...

...Although I have told Santa that I have been good!!!





It is nearly 3...yes 3 months since I last blogged...OMG!


I have no excuse other than I have been working, being a Mum, crafting and preparing for Christmas and...oh I happen to be one of the very few people in the country to have been able to get hold of a nintendo wii...





So here are a couple of layouts that I have done over the past few...months...I know...it sounds so bad...I have lots of stuff to share I just don`t have photos of it all but luckily I am off work now until the 3rd January so have plenty of time to update blog...hope you like the new look btw!




This is a page of me...not scrapped many of me in the past but I am going to be doing more as I have just found a photo album full of piccies of me as a baby...1, 2, 3, ...ahhhhhhhhh...So the title of this is "32" My age at the moment and the journalling is my favourite things right now. Papers are all by Papermania, they have really funked their range up.


This is of all four of my little cherubs!!! and was took when we went to the Maritime Museum in Liverpool in the summer holidays. Papers are all by K and Co, I am loving their new ranges.


This is of Mia and her blooming beautiful face...I am so lucky she is so willing and photogenic, I don`t need and excuse or an occasion to scrap her. Papers are all Rusty Pickle...yummmeeee.


...and here she is again...totally posed but still blooming beautiful...maybe I am a little biased but what the heck...Papers are all Periphery by the fantabulous Basic Grey

Some secret stuff...revealed

I am on the design team over at the just Bex forum and we got sent a huge stash of goodies to have a play with from our sponsors so now I can finally reveal what I have been working on over the past few weeks

The first project was a little album made using the 7gypsies napoli collection.

I am going to be organised next year and keep a journal of life in our house...special events, birthdays, days out, milestones etc so I have created this little journal from mountboard and the 7gypsies napoli collection. The book is held together with book rings so I can add more pages as I go along.

How sweet...

....are these...got the little tote for my new specs




You can buy similar items here

Made a Spectacle of myself!!!

Not literally...luckily...
but I have been suffering from awful headaches recently that have really interfered and affected with my day to day life...especially my crafting as you may have noticed!!!

Anyway went to get my eyes tested last week and I have to wear specs...so I chose the funkiest ones I could and this is me modelling them for an impromptu photo shoot by Mia...age 6


I have been busy crafty wise over the last few weeks but it is all design team projects I have been working on so I can`t share anything with you yet!!!

Watch this space for some cards, layouts and mini books over the next week or so!!!

Sorry for being a bad blogger...

...I do have a very good excuse though...

My PC has been VERY poorly sick!!!

Rams are poor, memory is bordering on dementia and I really need to update...Hopefully all will be resolved on Sunday, have been temorarily sorted but could go caput any minute!!!

So although I have lots of crafty pieces to show you I really don`t want to upload anything to the PC at the moment in case it goes BANG...tis such a shame because I have probably had the most productive week...have cards, layouts and jewellery to share but you will have to make do with my photography skills from last week ... uploaded these to PC then it decided to Die on me for a few days!!! Must have either been the sheer skill of my photography (which I doubt) or the pure beauty of my subjects!

Harry looking mega cool

Ella-Rose looking very beautiful

Pretty little Mia

God these kids are getting good at posing for Mummy`s scrapbook photographs!!!

This months Book List!!!

Not mentioned for a while about the good books I have read so I thought they deserved a whole post on their own.

I have read three books in the last month each of them a brilliant summer read...now I am no book critic but if I like what I read I either pass the book on to someone who I think will appreciate it (I never keep fiction books I would end up papering the walls with them I read that much) or tell people how good the book is...which is what I am gonna do now!

The first book I read was called Marshmallows for Breakfast...how cool is that title...it is written by Dorothy Koomson who also wrote my Best Friends Girl (which I read and loved and passed onto several people who loved it too)...A beautiful storyline...thirtysomething rents studio flat from single dad of two...she soon becomes involved in the childrens lives...as well as the dads and his ex-wife...fab book could not put this down...I have a copy if anyone is interested.

Second book was called Little Face written by Sophie Hannah...this is the first time I have read a book by this Author and I was impressed...delves into the intimacy of post natal depression and mental abuse in a sensitive but forthcoming manner...I was hooked from the first page.




And the final book I have read this month is Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden...now I was recommended this author by a work colleague and I was not disapointed. The story is of a special needs teacher and the children she has in her class, primarily a little girl called Venus who refuses to communicate in any way...beautiful story...I was that impressed I am currently reading another book by the same author.



If you have read any of these books and have read others that you think I may be interested in please let me know.

If anybody would like my copy of Marshmallows for Breakfast please leave a comment

Re scrapping!!!

Have you ever looked back on your scrap book pages and thought I could do so much better now...I did just that last week and tore apart several pages and came up with these...I have been scrapping for about 8 years and products have advanced so much since I first started...I look back on some of my first pages and literally cringe...but I am not going to wreck them all...honestly because I know it will be interesting to see how much I have progressed over the years in years to come...I am seriously going through an inking and doddling phase at the moment and I wonder in five years time if I will look back on some of my pages and cringe at those:)

This is Ella and Mia in 2005...fully colour co ordinating with those Basic grey Phoebe papers even then!!!

This is also the example I have used for a challenge I set over on just Bex...Tropical Turquoise and Pretty Pink.

This was originally a double page layout that was very bare...so condensed it...Mia in 2005...just look at that fringe;).

This is also an example for a challenge I set over on Just Bex titled word play...play around with a word, I changed unique into You-nique!

Last one...this is Ella also in 2005...I loved the top she was wearing so much, in fact I loved it that much I kept it!

Another example from a challenge I set on Just Bex...titled All stitched up...I finally got round to buying myself a pricking tool so I could hand stitch on my pages and cards...A lot slower than machine stitching but more precise.

Aren`t my girlies gorgeous!!!

It is Official

I like pink :)

What`s Your Color? Pink Wow, you're a true Diva , you are everything a girl wishes to become Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Studio S Template Challenge

I have been at those new Papermania Christmas papers...again...they are just so adorable and funky.

This card is based on a challenge sketch over at Studio S



Patterned paper is all Papermania, card is Bazzill, grosgrain ribbon is Dovecraft, holly is a QK die, button is Papermania, white doodled stitching and inking.

The lettering has been cut from the Cuttlebug Hippie chick alphabet using greyboard, painted with red acrylic paint, coated with Anitas 3D dimensional glaze and dipped in red ultrafine glitter...very messy but very effective:)

Sketch this Challenge 22

This little card is based on Sketch this challenge number 22 and I have gone for another Christmas card...I have never started making Christmas cards this early before at this rate I may even be organised this year!!!

Patterned paper and buttons are Papermania, card is Bazzill, stamp is a new Dovecraft unmounted and actually says"we wish you a merry christmas...", grosgrain ribbon is Dovecraft, embroidery thread, inking and doodled stitching to finish.

CPS 26

Finally managed to complete the CPS sketch 26...A new home card because I got hold of one of the new Cuttlebug house dies and I have been having a play with it...I have been at those basic grey papers agin too;)

Patterned Paper is all by Basic Grey, Cuttlebug House die, prima and silk bloom, grosgrain ribbon, ric rac, inking and doodling to finish.

Bead-a-Liscious

I have been having a play today with some gorgeous new beads I picked up in Hobbycraft. I bought a new top last week from Jane Norman and wanted some bodaliscious jewelery to set it off as it is quite plain but in a beautiful shade of turquoise.

So here is my latest jewelery design, I think I used about 100 jump rings!!! The whole basis of the design is jump rings.

I am really pleased with this design as I had it planned in my head and it turned out exactly as I wanted it to...how often does that happen! The picture is not that hot but it is getting dark will try to get some better ones in daylight tomorrow.

Sunday...The day of rest!!!

When I got up this morning I had every intention of not doing an awful lot today...Sunday after all is the day of rest!!!

Then I had this hairbrained idea of sorting out all my craft stuff as I have bought quite a bit of new stuff lately and finding homes for everything is getting impossible, plus it takes me ages to find anything and I have that..."I know I have got it but I am not sure where I put it" syndrome!

Anyway I started at 11.30 this morning and finally finished at 5.30pm...and I still have not done it all!!!

I think I am on a spending ban at the moment because I did find an awful lot of stuff that I had forgotton I had and some projects that are only half finished.

Anyway I have listed some of my bits on Ebay...thought that I may as well try and make a bit of money from all my hard work:)...may even make enough for some new bits!!!

I am off now for a rest...I am worn out...Day of rest!!!

Beate Weekend Sketch

Had my new papers out last night so made this little card using the latset weekend sketch over on Beate`s site

Patterned paper is by Papermaina, Stamp is by Studio G, grosgrain ribbon is by Dovecraft, holly and photo anchors are QK dies, button is Papermania, Inking and doddled stitching to finish.

Dolly Mama

I won this fabulous Dolly Mama stamp off ebay this week and just had to have a play with her so I have created a Christmas card to coincide with a challenge over on Bex`s forum titles button it...had to use buttons on a card, and the latest sketch over at Cartes Maniak

Dolly Mama Stamp, Papermania patterned paper, Dovecraft grosgrain ribbon, QK holly leaf, Studio G sentiment stamp, Papermani button, green embroidery thread and inking, hand and doddled stitching to finish.

Cartes Maniak card sketch

Just one more for today...think I have been on a bit of a roll...lets hope it lasts!!!
This card is using a card sketch from Cartes Maniak






Patterned Paper is all Basic Grey, big bloom from EauNaturelle, stamped sentiment is by Studio G, prima blooms, making memories brads, Papermania button, ribbon, lace and embroidery thread from local market, inking to finish.

Beate weekend Sketch Challenge

Another card from me this time for a little boy`s birthday using a fab card sketch by Beate which you can find here

Gave me an excuse to use my little card Cuttlebug die again...I love this little die it is so cute.

Patterned papers are all Making Memories, "Birthday" is a rub on, "BOY" has been cut with the Hippie Chick Cuttlebug alphabet, bit of inking and doodling to finish.

Great sketch Beate...thanks will definately use this one again.

Three cards and a layout

Been a busy little crafty bee today and have caught up with the challenges over at Just Bex

First was a Sue special scrapbook template, Piccies are of Mia last year

PP Basic Grey, Prima blooms, Bazzill cardstock and Buttons, machine stitching, embroidery thread, ribbon from stash, "5 "Hippie chick alphabet, journalling, doodling and inking to finish.

Second was set by Lis and titled "Touchy Feely" and had to incorporate something strokable...just about all of my paper stash fits into this category *winks*

New stamp *winks* by Penny Black, watercoloured with pencils, ribbon from stash, QK felt flowers, doodled stitching and inking to finish.

Third was set by Bex herself and was "Use something you haven`t used before"...Luckily I bought a new cuttlebug embossing folder on Friday *he he he*

PP Basic Grey, Prima bloom, chipboard accents from Pound Shop, gingham ribbon and clip Making Memories, bit of lace, hand drawn skull, hand stitching and inking to finish.

And the final one also set by Lis was titled "Sugar and Spice" and had to feature something edible...I went with the majority and used a cupcake

Patterned card blank and card by Papermania, cupcake QK die, chipboard accent from pound shop, gingham ribbon from Market, Prima bloom, "swirls" are Hippie chick Cuttlebug alphabet "S" doodled stitching and inking to finish.

Phew I am off for a Lie down now*winks*