Feeling Fruity and I have been published!!!

...Is the latest challenge I have set over at Just Bex. Challenged the ladies to come up with a card, layout or tag featuring a piece of fruit.

Here is my example to set the creativity flowing, complete with sweet little strawberry charm. This layout is only 10 x 10 cms and will be going in Mia`s mini book of miscellaneous photos.




Ooh and got my copy of Papercraft Inspirations today and five of my cards have been featured in the quick cards section in the middle...yeah me...will post piccies tomorrow.
Thanks for looking xxx

Perfectly Passionate Pink Day

I have had a good crafty afternoon...after getting up at the crack of dawn...about 8am, did not even know that time existed on a Sunday morning...Even the birds were still asleep I think they said sod it to catching worms today! It`s been a long day, anyway had to go and buy a new iron this morning, mine was like one imported straight from toytown...advice do not buy the cheap and cheerful £6 Iron from Woolworths it`s pants. So I have done all my Washing, Ironing, Cleaning, attended a fundraising meeting for our local youth teams and created a layout a card and a tag...all for challenges set over on Just Bex.

The first is a layout, which I lifted. I love this creative imaginations paper so much and have used one 12 x 12 sheet to make all three projects today, hows that for using your scraps!!!

Mia in the pink train at the Fun Fair:

Card second and the challenge was to use an arrow...

And last but not least the challenge was to create a tag from your scraps:

I am off to tidy up my craft area...which no longer looks like it did a few posts down...do you know while I wasn`t looking little gremlins came in and made a terrible mess ;-)

Thanks for looking xxx

Give me an...E

...an E for Ella my little Cheerleader, watched her do her very first cheerleading performance today at a "Party in the Park" in Warrington town centre...Ahhh...so good to watch, unfortunately due to health and safety the girlies were only able to do the pom pom dances, no tumbling, caught this rather fetching shot of Ella before the performance though...

We were shopping in town just before the performance and she said to me Mum I have butterflies in my stomach, so I said don`t worry love I will take you in New Look and sort that out ;-)...Shopping...the therapy of all ailments!!!

Have also had a play about with some scraps and came up with these:

Thanks for looking xxx

Pink Productivity

Being surrounded by all my little pink details in my new coconut ice craft space is obviously having a pleasing productive effect on me as I have come up with this:








Which started life out as this





It is a little tin that was the gift packaging on a little watch phone charm that my Mum bought Tez...kept it to do something with, anyway was sorting through some stuff the other night and found Mia`s lock of hair from her first haircut, she loves it. The lock of hair has been in that money bag for three years, see I do get round to doing stuff eventually.
Special thanks to a special friend for the idea.

Ooh and get me I have been volunteering this afternoon in the Girl`s school library so I am officially a school Librarian...got to scan books and everything!!!

Craft Studio...

...Is almost finished...have a few more boxes of things to sort through and find homes for and planning on painting the walls at the weekend, thought me a nice pale pink just to co ordinate and pretty up a little, I love my new space so much, having all the furniture white really reflects the light to so I can see clearly ;-). No injuries to report tonight, I am off to craft, Mr Postie bought me some lubberly new craft stash yesterday and I didn`t even open it :-0

So here are some after piccies:

Here is the cause of my poorly finger...but it looks so pretty now!!!

I like the fact that I am able to display pages and projects on top of the bookcase.

My new desks...complete with page in progress!!!

Isn`t it pretty?

Thanks for looking

Expedit and Ouch...

...Had myself a little trip to IKEA last night, have been wanting to update all the furniture in my crafty space for about a year now and had a bit of a windfall at the weekend thanks to Father in Law...so got myself:

Two of these tables which measure 1 metre each and are a bargainliscious price of £14.99

One of these which measures just over 30 x 30 so is ideal for scrapbook paper

Some of these Magazine boxes

and one of these which is the heaviest bookcase in the entire universe!

So I bravely assembled the desks, drawers and boxes last night and left the bookcase until this morning...OMG...Now I am no stranger to flatpack and have been putting it together for years...never really struggled and NEVER injured myself...Firstly I hit my poor littl index finger whilst I was quite enthusiastically hammering ...ouchie...I hit with such force that I split my finger open and bled on my new shelves...I do believe I may loose my nail too, I finally stemmed the flow of blood, had a little sit down...coz I felt a little sick and finished assembling my bookshelf. Yeah me I thought when I finished, only I could not lift the blooming thing up, so had to go to work with it on the floor in the dining room looking like a giant 3D model of a games board.

Tez and I managed to lift it between us this evening and I have started to reorganised everything in my space but my finger still hurts and I can`t use it to type :-(

So this is what my craft space looked like before...

...during...

and I will have to post the after piccies tomorrow as I have not finished yet!

Wow the best weekend

Okay I have had just the best weekend On Saturday it was Padgate Walking day and the girls both walked with their school, its an old church tradition and there are several schools, churches and bands that march through the streets of our little village, onlookers stop and give the children money which the children then squander away at the fair.
So we went to the fair afterwards and the kids went on the rides...and we came home with three goldfish....hmmm...gonna have to google care of goldfish ;-) as they don`t look too happy but are very surprisingly all still alive; Fernando Torres, Nemo and Dory!!!
Here is a fab piccie of Mia on a train, can`t wait to scrap this colour co-ordinated or what!!!



Yesterday I went to Oswaldwhistle with Kirsty and her sweet little Eddy, for a visit to Dawns Studio...OMG this is every scrappers dream luscious papers and embellies everywhere and the most fantastic workshop area and while we were there we met the very beautiful and incredibly sweet Paula Pascaul who BTW loves football for the same reason as I ... Fit men in shorts...and got quite passionate about the Spanish game last night...Yeah Spain. We were very kindly invited back to Dawns for tea and a glass or two of wine so thank you Dawn for your hospitality. Only downside of the evening was getting back home at dark o clock and realising I had not ironed the kids uniforms for today URGGGGGGGG.
Also have this acetate hanging to share with you...from the sneeky peeky on Saturday, I lurve this piccie of my fit fella and I




Thanks for looking xxx

Sneaky Peek...!!!

OOOHHH................
This is a first for me...have never done a sneaky peek before!
When I went to Wigan yesterday Kirsty took me to her LCS and I purchased a few essentials...well a girl can never have too many papers to stroke can she!!! I was about to throw the packaging away from the gorgeous new Prima felt mattes, which are by the way scrum-didiliumscious, when she said you can use that card look at that lovely grid ... Okay Kirsty...challenge set and I used it...are you proud of me hun...only I can only show you all the back:-(
I took part in a Chipboard swap over on the Just Bex forum and we have to do before and after reveals...Not time to show the front yet...watch this space..............................



Thanks for looking xxx

Layouts to Share...and OMG....

I have been up since seven and believe me on a Saturday that is very out of character...I mean come on I am blogging already and it is only half eight...but have you seen the state of this...this is what I woke up to this morning after a crafty type marathon last night

Don`t worry its all tidy now!

These are the layouts I completed yeasterday, two at Kirsty`s and one when I got home.

Thanks for looking xxx

The best day EVER!!!

I have had quite simply the lovliest day, I have been scrapping with a new friend...a friend who scraps...and lives near me too woo hoo!!!

Not only does she create awesome scrapbook pages, mini books and loads of other cute and amazing stuff she is a mean photographer too...check this out, its me and I look GOOD

I have completed THREE layouts today...not bad for me and I love them all, will upload some piccies tomorrow when I have some nice daylight to take some photies...I`m not using the scanner anymore its pants I have decided.

If anyone has some suggestions for getting me organised too, or would like to come and organise my scrapbooks ;-)...I have so much stuff and its just simply all over the place at the moment, even my pages are scattered everywhere. I own a copy of the "organised and inspired scrapbooker" and it is lovely to look at the pictures but putting it all into practice is going to take months...if not years

I am going to leave you with my favourite photo Kirsty took of me today.

Thanks for making me look so good Kirsty xxx

Thanks for looking xxx

Frogs, Sheep and Edwin!!!

Been having a bit of a play with my watercolour pencils, couple of doodles and a stamp and have come up with these, not made cards for fun for a while but really enjoyed it...must do it some more rather than when I have a deadline!!!









Thanks for looking xxx

Fathers Day and Male Birthdays...

So with it being OH`s Birthday on Saturday and Fathers day on Sunday I have a total of eight MALE cards to make! Had a lovely evening though making five of them...only three to go

Here is OH`s Birthday card from me...his nickname for me is Bones...something to do with having nice cheekbones so made a fun card for him...oooh did I mention that he is going to be 30...had to add that on...wait til Saturday, I bought all the 30 decorations I could get my hands on today ;-)

This is OH`s Birthday card from the children which also ties in nicely with one of the challenges over at Just Bex

This is My Dad`s Fathers day card

This is My Dad`s Fathers day card from the children

And finally this is OH`s FAthers day card from the children an idea I pinched from the faberoonie Jo Kills topper designs in Papercraft Inspirations that I thought was just fabulous...I am all crafted out now though...

Sorry for wonky scans I am tired ;-)

Just have FIL`s, eldest Sons Dad`s and a commissioned Fathers Day Card to go...wish me luck

Thanks for looking xxx

Bargain of the Day and A Girlie Layout...

I got myself a little bargain today, I do like a bargain...I have had my eye on the Katie Quickutz alphabet ever since...well forever, I love it...I got one today...yay me...for an incredible price of £20 the RRP was £159.99...OMG, was so pleased I even sat and stuck all the foam onto each die, and a shim and then thought what the hell I may as well use it too so completed this page which is of Ella and I last Thursday in Liverpool...piccie courtesy of one very excited seven year old photographer named Mia...excited because I actually let her use my camera!
Used gorgeous K and Co papers...that I forgot I even had (oops)



Thanks for looking xxx

Sweet Strawberry...

Mia has a gorgeous little dress from H&M with strawberries all over it...I knew even before I bought it that I was going to scrap a picture of her in it, how lucky did I feel when we found a bag to match...purchased very kindly by Grandma, and although you can`t see them she also has strawberry bobbles and slides in her hair...talk about a co-ordinated child ;-)...that scrapping bug in me is always on alert!!!

This photo was taken on our shopping trip to Liverpool last week and is outside the new Disney Shop...saw the star lights and immediately thought "scrapbook page" I know I am sad!!!

The strawberries have both been handcut to match Mia`s bag, I have to admit to loving this page because it is all pink and girly.

Thanks for looking xxx

Blogs and

Okay not got anything crafty for you today, had a lovely day in town with my fella shopping, have a few layouts on the go but nothing finished yet...you will have to wait until tomorrow.
Some of you may know that I moderate on a fab challenge forum, there are challenges going on all the time and once you register you can take part in whatever challenges you want...visit here
One of my very talented team challengers has posted a beautiful, thoughtful journal gift idea that you can view here

And here are 10 facts that you may not know about me...I am going to tag 3 people...who are hopefully going to tag 3 more people and so on...these tags have to start somewhere huh...got the idea from Facebook...which I am totally addicted to so if you are on there add me as your friend ;-)

This or That Tag

Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla ice cream...Chocolate bar mmmm

Big Mac or Whopper: Big Mac, although they don`t seem so BIG anymore...more a medium Mac!!!

Coke or Pepsi : Neither YUK hate them both

Beer or Wine: Wine, preferably dry, white and chilled ;-)

Coffee or Tea: Coffee is part of my staple diet

Apple Juice or O.J.: OJ

Facebook or MySpace: Facebook

Summer or Winter: Summer

Windows or Mac: Windows

Cats or Dogs: Neither...they both poo in public

Okay I am tagging Lisa Kirsty and Anice

Have a good weekend everyone xxx

Liverpool and a Layout

Tez, the girlies and I went to Liverpool for a shop yeasterday, the new shopping centre is looking good but it seems that all the shops are moving into this and will possibly be leaving the high street. This has recently happened in Warrington with the opening of a brand spanking new "Golden Square" the retail units outside are mostly boarded up and the independant shops are losing trade as people tend to stay inside the shopping centre...Oooh ark at me ;-)

Anyway we had a lovely day, the sun was shining and we even managed to take some photos:

This is Mia "flying"...we were on the second floor of the new shopping centre which has glass panels rather than railings...how cool...made me feel ill though ;-)

Girlies in the high street...the best place to be ;-)

My guy and me...dig the shades!!!

Also had this photo scanned, from an album of my parents, this is my Nan in 1953 at Syon Park...she was blooming gorgeous.

Me and My Nan

Another layout that I completed last night;-)

This photo was taken sometime in the 80`s about 84, 85ish not sure of the exact date but it just sums up the relationship between me and my Nan. Lovely!!! Found it in one of my Parents albums and copied it, was hard matching with papers but I was determined to keep the picture in colour as my Nan was full of sunshine. Just look at that smile!!!

Miss you Nan, wish you could look at my scrapbook layouts because I know you would have loved them.

Thanks for looking xxx