Not such a good Blogger but I found my MOJO

...twas lurking in the bottom of a drawer next to a pile of scrapbooking papers, a book and some very dusty chalks...have put it back in its rightful place and created some clay critters tonight. I have not worked with clay for a while and it made a nice change, used the air dry stuff so have to wait for it all to dry out then I am going to paint them, so far have created a little frog, a bunny obviously for easter and a turtle...I am going to teach this next week too as clay is such fun...will post the piccies of my little critters tomorrow or Thursday when they are adorned with beautiful colour.

Not really completed much else, I am working on a mini acetate book, scrapped a couple of pages and made some jewellery, none of which I have photographed yet as the weather has been just terribl so getting a decent picture is out of the question...I must catch up with all the challenges especially 365 as I am about 10 days behind on that...there is always the weekend!!!

Ooh I did start sorting my scrapbooks out the other day, I am planning on a scrapbook for each year...hope that works out...so have put all the pages in their corresponding scrapbooks, that took me some time I can tell you. I did not realise I had so many pages completed, I did however find a couple of pages that I am going to RE scrap as they look pretty basic.

Found out also yesterday after big fat panic that I don`t have to complete my self assessment until May because I only became self employed in June last year...nobody told me this until I had spent an hour going through paperwork and online...in the end phoned the helpline...arghhh...I could have spent that hour scrapping.

Hope everyone is well and not flooded too badly, we have had respite from the downpours today but it has been extra cold. xxx

365 Prompt 14

Wow fourteen prompts already that is totally amazing...not so much the amount but the fact that I am keeping up with them!

Todays prompt:

"Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”
Bette Davis

So this was just totally relevant to me today and the timing was so uncanny, Monday is my day off work and I spent this morning taking photographs of my jewellery and uploading some designs into a shop...see link on the right...I have wanted to sell my jewellery for a while now but have never really done anything about it...So I have improved my work by taking a big step...for me anyway.

DCM Friday Dare...Me and my shadow!!!

The Friday Dare over on DCM was titled me and my shadow...this is what Jane had to say:





I want you to create not just one but TWO cards ! But wait........there's more ! I want both cards to contain the same embellishments and papers, ribbons etc- but arranged in a different way for a different occasion....the only thing being different is the wording....I'll let you have different wording ! (How nice of me eh?) I'm well aware this is a really hard challenge, and that I have thrown everyone into 2008 off the deep end....but go on- give it a go - I DARE YOU !





This Dare gave me some trouble let me tell you, I have already discarded two cards because I thought they were just pants...Luckily for me I found some scrummy Basic Grey Blush at the bottom of my stash and came up with these two cards:

Card one..for a new baby girl:

and Card two...a thank you:

Her Space My Space...CD

I have seriously downsized my CD collection since getting an ipod, here are some of the ones that are downstairs.

Open For Business!!!

My Shop is open for business...I have spent the morning taking photographs and listing some pieces...hopefully I will be able to retire by next weekend, any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks for looking xx

365 Prompt 12

I know I have done these the wrong way round but I did not get the chance to take part in yesterdays prompt so I am playing catch up...on my new laptop whilst lying in bed...bliss!!!

Savor life's tiny delights---a crackling fire, a glorious sunset, a hug from a child, a walk with a friend, a cup of soup, a kiss behind the ear.

John Anthony
What little thing brings comfort to your day?

Well I like the little things, all those small but meaningful things that make life far more pleasant...Nescafe skinny cappachino for instance, this is pure heaven in a mug...if you like that type of thing...My i pod too, I don`t drive so I have to get the bus everywhere and listening to teenagers whittering about who has slept with who and pensioners discussing their health is not my thing so when I get on the bus I escape into my little musical world. I love that when I drop Mia off at her classroom door in the morning she has to kiss me, then walk into the classroom, them walk back to me for a hug and to tell me that she loves me...Simple things...the fact that when I am in the bath one of the kids will come in and perch on the toilet seat for a chat about stuff...this morning it was a discussion about heaven and hell!!! I love it that my other half will tell me I look beautiful at least once a day even if I feel like pooh, and he will phone me at 2.15pm every day...when he is on his break. I love the fact that these things are in the world...Chocolate hob nobs, Pinot Grigio, Mobile phones, Cowboy boots, Jane Norman Handbags and Burberry Weekend perfume...These are my simple things that make my life pleasant...and this prompt has provided me with even more ideas for layouts...

365 Prompt 13

"When in doubt, take a bath."
Mae West

Well I am sorry but I am not putting a photo up of me in the bath although I have seen some very tasteful shots of feet perched on the edge of the bath.

However I do prefer a bath to a shower, not that we have a shower but I like to soak in the bath with nice bubbles and candles lit, a bit of music and even a chilled glas of Pinot...mmm.

The kids all love the bath too and we have the usual plastic beakers and ducks that always join them in the bath. We all have a bath every morning and can all be in and out within fifteen minutes...talking of baths I bought the most gorgeous bath sheet yesterday from Tesco of all places...it was only £8 and it is so soft....

OOohhhhh I have just remembered too how much I used to love bathing the kids when they were tiny wriggly babies, I used to bath them before their last night time feed and then just enjoy smelling their little soft heads while they were feeding, mmm Johnsons babies, all my babies were johnsons babies...I so love these prompts and all the memories they evoke. Thats anothe couple of scrapbook pages planned!!!

Has anybody seen...

My Mojo...



It has disappeared, I last saw it last night, when I was working on a banana scrapbook page but now I fear it has left the building, I only hope that it returns soon as the Pencil Lines sketch is up soon. I have been desparately trying to complete the DCM friday challenge but have had to walk away and leave it on my desk as it was seriously giving me some jip...If anybody finds it or has one going spare could you please forward it to me...



Other news ...I have a brand spanking new shiny sleek and sexy laptop, I can surf where ever I want while OH or kids are on the main PC

Hope everyone has had a great weekend xxxx

I have a shop!!!

Well it is a virtual one and I have not listed anything for sale yet but I will be doing over the weekend...I was asked today by a couple of different people about whether or not I sold my Jewelery and so far I have only sold the odd piece, not really done it seriously. One of my goals for the year was to sell it more often so I have decided to start online, and to give some to a close friend on Monday to take into work, she wants some and has ordered a couple of one off pieces and she works in an office full of women so hopefully I will have made my Millions by next weekend and will be able to retire on all the profits!!!

My new shop is here and will be filled with lots of bling over the next few days.

Thanks for looking and if you are after a particular piece contact me and I will see what I can come up with.

365 Prompt 11

Families are like fudge…mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
Anonymous

A little bit of journalling from me today, and I am so going to use this on a scrapbook layout
Okay I am a little nuts...well totally mad sometimes, I certainly feel like I am going crazy but then living with four kids I suppose I am bound to be bordering on insanity...don`t get me wrong I love my kids to bits, they keep me young and the conversations we have are sometimes a little odd. We like to have fun together, I love playing with them on the Nintendo Wii, beating them at Top Trumps, singing along with them to High School Musical and watching trashy American kids shows with them, I am even a fan of the Simpsons...But I am supposed to be an adult, I am a teacher, I have to pay bills and I really have to get round to sorting out my self assessment by 31st Jan or apparantly I am going to be fined £100 plus interest...so the adverts keep telling me. But I want to wear my hair in pigtails with pink ribbons, I want to sing along to my Ipod on the bus and not get funny looks, I want to carry a bright pink handbag and blow bubbles from bubble gum, I want to splash in puddles when it is raining, but I have to do the ironing, cook the tea, remember to buy milk from the shop and go to work five days a week...but I want to remember how good it feels to act a bit nuts, perhaps if a few more of us were a little bit nuts the world would be more fun.

Her Space My Space...Cold!!!

Okay so this picture may have been taken at the sea side, but when we spent a a weekend in Abergele in June we probably picked the worst weekend, weather wise, to go away. This was in Ryhl on a Sunday and there were Gale force winds this day and we just spent the whole day freezing and spending loads of money in the amusement arcades just to warm up...We couldn`t leave without letting the kids have a quick go on some of the rides at the funfair though...

Her Space My Space...

Okay this is a blatant cheat...but being the crafty little devil I am and being in such a good mood after my "gone bananas" photo shoot...see below, I could not resist adding this...I PROMISE a real photo next time ;)

365 Prompt 10

The eyes are the window of the soul
English Proverb
You cannot hide your true feelings through your eyes, they speak a thousand words. Take note!



So another Banana photo shoot piccie...Mia has bright eyes when she is excited or happy, they really sparkle almost to the point of watering. I love seeing her this happy, when she is happy she makes me happy...I challenge you to look at this photo and not smile.





You would not believe how many ideas I have for scrapbooking pages now that I know I am not only going to love creating but also love looking back on, I love scrapbooking those little moments as well as big events and have a weekend of scrapping planned now. Big Thanks to Anna for all the inspiration xxx

365 Prompt 9

Did not get round to doing this yesterday but here is my 365 Prompt 9

Take time every day to do something ridiculous.
Philipa Walker

Mia was eating a banana tonight and I thought what a great prompt for a scrapbook page ...gone bananas...I certainly have! I have the piccies sorted...title sorted, just have to find some scrummy yellow papers. So a little banana photo shoot followed and I can`t believe she agreed to let me put a banana skin on her head, we shared one of those completely hysterical moments where we were laughing so much. Who would have thought that eating a banana would be so much fun.

Cheers...

I found a new site whilst browsing the blogs and they set challenges on a Monday. This weeks challenge is to create a card to say thank you, so I found my Winobella...purchased months ago and still unused ...oops...and added a "cheers" sentiment...Been at those papers again, isn`t it amazing what you can create with just a couple of sheets of paper.

DCM Midweek

This weeks Midweek is to create a card using a crafty christmas gift...alas I did not receive any crafty gifts for Christmas...Jane Norman vouchers and perfume were top of my list this year!!!

So I have slightly cheated...and used my bargain January sale stamp that I did buy with some Christmas money so like I said I only slightly cheated!!!

You will also notice that I am keeping within the same colour scheme as my latest layouts too...well while the papers were out it seemed a shame to waste them!!!

365 Layouts

Okay so I missed out prompt 7 so as promised here it is:




Choose a photo from week 1 and use your goals list for your journalling, add a favourite quote and create a layout...I cheated a bit and chose two photographs and completed two layouts, only because I have been so inspired.



Layout 1 is my Goals for 2008 along with a piccie of me and the quote " live life to the fullest"





Layout 2 is my favourite photograph which is Mia in the bag...I also added the quote "a day without laughter is a day wasted" and the same quote as above "live life to the fullest".
I used the same papers for each layout because I am loving this colour scheme at the moment.

365 Prompt 8

Okay I know I missed one out but it is in progress, my scrapbook page for prompt 7 will be posted as soon as I have completed it which will hopefully be 2night!

“The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!”
Coco Chanel

Well this has got me thinking as my favourite colour in the whole world is pink...But I never wear pink, I favour turquoise, light or dark...most of my tops at the moment are this colour, that and green...green...yuck. My Nan always used to say to me you would look lovely in Green becasue it will complement your hair (which is auburn) As a child I hated green...As a teenager I found it truely revolting as this was my school uniform colour, including green shirt and green socks...erghhhhh.

I left school in 1992 and it took me until last year...15 years...to purchase something green to wear, see my header picture, my favourite Green Rara skirt!

So according to this quote the best colour in the world is Green, although I am still convinced it is pink ;)

Bling Bling!!!

Her space my space photo prompt today is "Bling"

So I have added a Christmas Bling Piccy...funny the room seems really empty and big now all the deccies are down.

A Layout, a Bow. a Paperclip and a Post it Pad...

Was what I created yesterday.

Had a fabulous picture of Mia and wanted to try something a bit different so came up with this:

Which is my first entry in the 31 in 31 scrapbook challenge which you can read about here

Have wanted to make a post it holder ever since I first saw them so created this complete with matching chipboard paper clip:

And saw a fab tutorial on SCS for one of these present bows and had to have a go:

Look at my Bargains

Went to Asda and picked these up in the sale.





The photo Frames are all ready to be altered and were a bargainaliscious price of 25p each and the little tin, which I am planning on turning into an album in a tin, had a little jewellery set in that Ella treated herself to out of her Christmas spends, was an incredible 88p...for a necklace, two rings and the tin!!!
Will put piccies up of transformations as soon as they are done.

HS MS Photo

The photo prompt for today is "fold"

Funninly enough I had just finished the ironing and had nipped on the pc to check out what the prompt was ...and my ironing was all neatly folded on the table...how lucky was that?

Here is my "fold" picture

Creative Saturday Evening!!!

I had myself quite a creative evening last night, made this little calendar using my new bind it all, I had seen one on Beates blog and knew that I wanted to

I also used Beates Sketch again (because it was such a good one) and made this card for my sister in law, who celebrates her birthday tomorrow...Happy Birthday Marie.





PS...Thanks Beate for all the inspiration xxxx

Her Space My Space...Favourite Photo

This is my favourite photo in the whole world, My other half and our youngest in the garden last year, caught just at the right moment...Beautiful

365 Challenge day 6

Prompt 6
Hold out your hands to feel the luxury of the sunbeams.
Helen Keller
Our hands tell us alot about the person we are, our occupations, age and life.
What do your hands say about you. Take note

Hands are pretty fantastic and last year I completed this layout about how much my hands meant to me, hope this inspires you.

DCM New and Beates Sketch Challenges

Managed to make a new baby card tonight for a friend of mine who is expecting a baby girl in a few weeks...combining the DCM New challenge and the sketch callenge on Beate`s Blog

Paper and cardstock is making memories, bloom is a big gerbera I tok apart, prima flowers, cuttlebug embossing folder and hippie chick alphabet, Autumn leaves circle stamp.

Mini Acetate Album

I gotmyself a bind it all just before Christmas and while I was off work I had a bit of a chance to play. I have been wanting to make an acetate album for a while so came up with this little one with piccies of the kids on Christmas Eve. The phots ate mounted on chipboard and separate pages to the acetate which I have stamped on with my gorgeous new Autumn Leaves stamps.

365 Challenge Prompt 5

Prompt 5

"I am beautiful no matter what they say"
Christine Aguilera

Lets get up close and personal.
How do you feel about the person you are, inside and out?

Well this fits in very nicely with todays Her Space My Space photo prompt:

Self Portrait

So this is my Self Portrait:...Well I cheated a little and got Ella to take this!!! Mia and I having a mess about, It doesn`t matter what you look like on the outside you have to be beautiful inside. I like to have fun with my kids let my hair down, what is left of it, and just be silly sometimes.

Sillyness is good! It takes far less muscles to be happy than it does to be sad and if you are happy the people around you tend to be happy too...That is how I see myself...a happy person, I may not be the most beautiful of people on the outside but I like to think I am beautiful inside!

365 Challenge Prompt 4

"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are"
Mary Jean Irion

So a normal day for me is pretty mundane, get up, go to work, come home go to bed...that sort of thing, but this got me thinking a bit, I want my kids to know what it is like being a working mum and just how much I can achieve during the day when they are with me and then whilst they are not. So I thought when they go back to school next week I would journal a full day...from the arguements over breakfast to the school run and so on...then I may even get round to scrapping this with piccies too.

Can`t believe how much thinking this challenge is facilitating.

I love Sheep!!!

Well not the real thing... apart from with roasties and mince sauce!!! But I do collect sheep themed items, For my photo a day I thought I would share one of my little "sheepies" with you...this one has a nodding head!!! I can definately see a scrapbook page about this collection!

Her Space My Space...

The photo prompt over at her space my space today is "Perfume". I do not have a huge collection but my favourite at the moment is Curious by Britney Spears.
Here is my (small) collection of perfume:

Her Space My Space...

...is back Yippee I love these challenges

Here is my photo for today

White

365 Challenge Day 3

Prompt 3
"Life is too short and too amazing to spend time worring about imperfection "
Ali Edwards


Grab your camera and click, dont worry about the imperfections! Use todays quote for both your photo and journalling prompt.

Okay I cheated slightly and got Jack to take the photo...before I had all my hair chopped off...which I may be regretting a teensy weensy bit but hey...Life is too short to worry about imperfection!!!

My Journalling I am going to save for my notebook as it is a bit personal but very significant for today...one word to sum it up..."Relieved"

Photo A Day

Okay it is day three on my photo a day challenge...I can`t believe that I have kept this up!!!

This is a piccie of Mia "creating" taken this evening...Crafting in the blood!!!

365 challenge prompt 2

Prompt 2

"I´m gonna make a change,
For once in my life
It´s gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right
I'm starting with the man in the mirror"

Micheal Jackson

Grab your notebook at some point today and journal your feelings, or with just one word that sums up the day for you!

One word to sum up how I am feeling today

"Content"

365 Days Challenge

Wow!
you can check this out here


Welcome to our 365 Day journey, a journey into our life's for a whole year.

Prompt 1
"A day without laughter is a day wasted" - Charles Chaplain
Lets start the year with laughter...



Okay Mia always manages to make me laugh no matter how bad I feel...here is a piccie of her that makes me smile: She is actually sat in the bag that we bought our Nintendo Wii home in!!!



Journaling Prompt 1
I want you to write a list of Goals for 2008, nothing to unachievable, just a list of maybe 10 things you would like to do this year. If you want to go into more detail, why not try writing a Mission Statement, Stacey Julian has a free download here as an example. Use your note book to write your 10 Goals

Okay having to think about this one ...

1. As previously mentioned I want to take a photo a day
2. I want to complete at least 1 Layout a week
3. I want to complete at least 1 card a week
4. I want to set up my own Jewellery making Business
5. I want to learn how to say NO and not feel guilty
6. I want to spend more time with my children
7. I want to see my work published
8. I don`t want to struggle with journalling and titles
9. I want to move house
10. I want to look back in 365 days and have achieved everything off this list

Wow that was harder than I thought, will get these jotted down now in my notebook.

Photo A Day

I wanted to share one of my favourite items with you...I bought this about 2 years ago because I take the bus everywhere but hate listening to other peoples conversations...when I put this on I can escape into my own little music world. The playlist at the moment contains Kate Nash, Mark Ronson, Timberland, Band of Horses and My Chemical Romance but is constantly changing.

Daring Card Makers Challenge

This is the first card I have made this year, based on the latest challenge over on the Daring card makers blog
Made a change from making Christmas cards although ironically the paper I have used is one of the K and Co Christmas ones!!!

Pencil Lines sketch

I have not completed one of these sketches for such a long time and while I have been off work, over Christmas, I have caught up with some of my scrapbooking and thought I would have a go at this sketch.

I love pictures of the children whilst they are asleep, they look so angelic don`t you think!!!

Cardstock is all double sided and by K and Co, prima blooms, cuttlebug alphabet, ribbon and ric rac.

Happy New Year

Has anyone made any New Years Resolutions and more importantly have you stuck to them...
I am planning on taking at least one photo a day throughout the year...that way I can do more scrapbooking and document the year in photos.
Here is my little picture for today, have seen this idea a few times and thought it was really sweet, I am going to take one of all four kids when they are all here at the same time, they seem to have a better social life than me at the moment.

Little toes....


If you have similar pictures link them so I can have a look xxx