Hair today gone tomorrow....

She did it...Ella went for the chop, I honestly thought she would change her mind but she sat on the chair today and let my friend at her with the hairdressing scissors...15 inches of hair chopped!!!

Look...

She has gone from this:

To this:

Look how grown up she looks, aw my lil girlie.

I couldn't watch though as her hair was being cut, she has always had long hair and I am sad its gone but she looks gorgeous and she loves it, she has straightened it put it up had it down and is quite literally driving me mad now, and its uncanny how like me she looks now too

It`s the Weekend

...Oh yes...and I am ready...bring it on!!!

Off out tonight for a meal with a very good friend then we are going on to watch a band some friends of mine are in...hmm does that make me a groupie!!! Really looking forward to letting my hair down...although having it cut tomorrow so not sure how much of it I will be able to let down after that!!!

Ella has finally decided to have her hair cut too...A silent cheer from me, she has thick, curly, unmanageable hair and its a pain to look after and manage, she can`t brush it properly herself because its too long...currently she can sit on it...but I am also a little sad as her hair is beautiful and I love it long. Photos will be posted, this is an important scrapping moment!!!

Mia is having hers cut but just a trim she loves her long hair.

Just a quick blog as I have to take the girlies to cheer leading now then book tonight's table!!!

Have a great weekend everyone xxxx

Happy little me...

...Parents evening tonight for Mia and Ella and then Jack too...dum dum dum dum dum!!!

All good, Ella is in her final year at Primary school so has to sit the Sats tests in May and she is working well above her age groups requirements, Miss Hunt, her teacher did say that Ella was a very sociable child and will chat and get along with everyone...hmmm wonder where she gets that from!!!

Mia is under the Senco co-ordinator and although she finds school a struggle she is putting a hundred per cent effort into everything and her teacher said that Mia will get through life with her personality and eyelash fluttering technique...hmm something familiar there too!!!!

And then up to the High school for Jacks last ever parents evening...god that makes me feel old but not as old as having to fill in his application form for his national insurance card...meaning he can go out and get a job!!! So I had to meet with all of Jacks subject teachers to discuss the impending GCSE`s...hes working on target and is also described as a lovely polite sociable child too...he must get that from me!!!

So I am happy my little cherubs are all doing well at school...they now want to know what their treats for doing so well are going to be...this could be expensive!!!

Pancake Tuesday Twitterings...

Happy Pancake Day everyone!

I don`t like pancakes but spent almost an hour in the kitchen tonight making them for the kids...after three false starts that ended up a rubbery smouldering mass in the bin...I am blaming the new frying pan... because once I got into the flow of it my pancakes were quote "the fittest pancakes ever" I did however refrain from tossing...last time I did that we got one stuck to the ceiling, the kids have never let me forget that either!

Can a Pancake be fit...according to Ella yes so I am happy...I did cheat and buy the ready made mix that you just add milk to and shake...and yep I spent about half an hour cleaning the kitchen afterwards because I tried to shake the bottle with no lid on...I am blaming the fact I am tired!!!

After I had de-pancaked the kitchen I spent the rest of the evening lesson planning, and have come up with these pink projects.

Water coloured these Tilda`s today whilst I was teaching, god I love water colouring so much at the moment...such a stress relief.



And this layout is the scrapbook page I am teaching tomorrow...Pull the little tabs at the side of the photo and two more photos "pop" out from behind the main image, taken of Mia and I last summer.

Of now to tidy up the pink mess on my desk!!!

Back to Work!!!

With a bang after two days off last week and the weekend it was a bit of a shock to the system especially getting up at 6.30am to get the kids sorted for school too and it probably didn`t help that I sat up half the night watching Skins on my Ipod...which I still love.

I taught an embroidery class today that went really well, I met some lovely new students and they all managed to complete the sample piece too.

Had a really good phone call today with my Line Manager and apparently the provisional funding that is currently in place at the college has been secured for September so I will still be teaching for the college and will be running some courses throughout the summer too. Have also been offered another job with the local Hospice in Warrington, apparently they have had a purpose built Art and craft studio constructed and they want a team of tutors to run permanent classes, and I have been selected to be on the team, So that is my free Friday afternoons gone but I am really excited about this opportunity.

Made this little card last night and thought I would share, I love this colour combo at the moment.



Off to plan another five thousand classes and plough my way through a dozen rainforest's of paperwork, accompanied by a small (okay maybe medium) glass of wine!!!

Sensational Sunday...

...Just realised that title sounds like I have some overwhelming, breathtaking news to tell you....

...sorry, I haven`t I have just had a really nice chilled out day stamping and water colouring and playing with my cricut, so nice to make a mess without the pressure of actually making something, I have had to come on the PC though because I cant move at my desk, need to put maybe a few things away before I can make anything else.

So trawled round the challenge sites this morning to pick up a bit of inspiration, I actually hate it when I have nothing to plan or prepare and find I hit a bit of a crafters block...after gathering all my crafty challenge information... I came up with this...which combines two challenges...a sketch over on Magnolia v`s Stampavie obviously I have used my brand new Tilda, isn't she pwetty!!!and a colour challenge over on Basic Grey, choice of three and I chose pink and green, Basic Grey products used, the flourish and journalling stamps...job done...Mia`s birthday card, how organised am I her birthday is not until the middle of March, now I just need to remember not to put it in a "safe place"

Hey look a decent photo too, the light has been pretty good here today, lovely for crafting and I think the sun even came out for a little while, windy as hell though and me walking to the shop in a mini Ra Ra skirt was more fun for others than it was for me I think...and yes I do remember Ra Ra skirts the first time round before anyone asks!!!

Half Term Mayhem!!!

Wow another week has passed without a whitter or a whinge on the little old blog...where does the time go...I have been busy honest, I have not been slacking or slobbing during half term, far from it, had to work honest...

...Monday was a College fun day and I got roped into helping out at that, Tuesday I got up at stupid o clock to go down to the NEC for the annual craft trade show...jesus do you know how much they charge for a slice of chocolate cake in the NEC...£3.50!!!

You could buy a bloody cake for that in Asda!!!

Wednesday I was teaching at Edwin Allen, Thursday I had to go to Manchester...okay I didn`t have to go but I wanted to go to the Apple store to buy me an Ipod and we don`t have one in Warrington...and while I was there I had to visit Primark and a pair of shoes fell into my basket, now these are not just any shoes they are turquoise beautiful heels...I dont usually do heels...having four kids totally wrecked my back and it usually hurts like hell if I wear anything higher than about 2mm...but these had to come home with me and I wore them last night on a girly night out and my back is only groaning very slightly today!!! Oooh and did you hear me I gots me an ipod....and I love it...love it love it!!! Have been umming and ahhing over which one to get for a couple of weeks but the touch came very highly recommended so I touched it and fell in lurve...its now sat next to me in the very gorgeous pink leather case that I got today...for the bargain price of £10...see fluttering eyelashes still works sometimes...and I have the entire series one of Skins downloaded and ready to watch...again because I loved it...and several thousand songs to listen to at the touch of the screen!!!

Have also been busy working on a magazine commission for Papercraft Inspirations and planning my five new courses that all start next week...half term, the kids have been off for a week and I have hardly seen them. made up for it today though and am now polishing my Mother of the year medal as I bought a gorgeous new baby blue frying pan, pancake mix, lemon juice and various sauces to make them scrummy pancakes on Tuesday...I actually hate pancakes and I always forget and rush out at the last minute to get the stuff on Shrove Tuesday...so they are now busy planning how many they are going to eat and what toppings they will have...aw bless...so easily pleased!!!

Have a couple of crafty things to share...

Layout of Mia, photo taken when she entered the talent contest at my local pub over Christmas last year.

Card featuring my gorgeous new Edwin Stamp

and...shock...horror...I have been sewing...I have an embroidery course starting on Monday and this is what my students will be making, obviously they will embroider their own name!!!

and a close up to prove I really can sew Mum!!!

Off now to touch my Ipod!!!

Weekend Workout!!!

Yeah right...spent a lot of the weekend asleep...went to bed at 7.30pm on Friday night with a headache and for the first time in about ten years I slept for about 12 hours, woke Saturday morning still with a headache!!!

And it has lingered most of the weekend, eased a bit this afternoon after a lie down but its back again, will have to go and get my eyes tested this week I think. I had my first lie in today too for about three weeks, lazily snoozed until about 9 and it was total bliss.

Been having a life laundry today too...god the kids looked scared this morning when I said those fateful words "I am doing your bedrooms today" took me most of the day too, god they really had some crap stored in their rooms which now look twice the size they were...filled about six bin bags so they are upstairs now frantically trying to work out what I have chucked out and what precious childhood memory they can make me feel guilty with no doubt...I always feel better when I have cleared stuff out, cleanses the soul I think!!!

Mia raided my new card on Thursday night and disappeared upstairs saying "do not come into my bedroom" about half an hour later she came downstairs with this little masterpiece

So I promised I would blog it, she made me laugh and nearly cry when she explained it all to me:

Pink Card (from my stash!!!) because that's my favourite colour

The feather because I like tickling her

and a close up because this made me laugh so much...

The dress on the hanger because I love shopping and always buy lots of new clothes...not sure where she got that idea from!!!

The brushes because I am always messing with my hair!!!

Kids!!!

Finally got around to turning my water coloured oriental doll into a card:

And for the first time in ages I have completed this weeks DCM challenge "feeling green"...sorted out my paper scraps yesterday...I know I have sorted out far too much this weekend and really need to hit the shops next week...and found these papers which I used with my water coloured dude:

Off now to bed I think...sleep sounds good!!!

It cant be....

....Only Wednesday!!!

Only bloody Wednesday...I am not sure about this working every day malarkey and then working from home in the evenings too...I am turning into a sad workaholic....but I suppose it beats the alcoholic I plan to be at the weekend!!! Got a completely free weekend...no nights out, no day trips, no holidays to cold parts of the country...I am going to reacquaint myself with the Saturday and Sunday morning lie in and fall in love with my quilt all over again...not that I fell out of love with it we just haven't spent enough time together lately!!!

Been in a funny mood today too...couldn't sleep last night, hopefully that is a one off as the insomnia seems to be under control at the moment, was awake at four and finally gave in and got up at five, did all the washing...how sad is that, made myself a pot of coffee and sat watercolouring my new stamps for an hour before I rounded up the rabble....I mean woke the children, although Mia appeared downstairs at half five this morning looking slightly worse for wear...sent her straight back to bed...Me and kids that early without a carefully prescribed dose of caffeine do not compliment each other!!!

So funny mood all day...not funny ha ha but funny peculiar...feeling a bit overworked I think, need some chill out time and some time to sort out stuff in the house...thought I had the whole week off next week with the kids and was looking forward to that but it turns out I have to work a couple of days and then the week after I have lots of new courses starting for the college...Arggggggghhhhhhhhhhh...not that I am complaining really, sounds like it though, I really love my job and meeting new students and the money comes in very handy when I fancy a new pair of shoes!!!

Was teaching today...My Calendar club...no that's not some sort of arty calendar with naked photos...its a scrapbooking keepsake of the year, So today's lesson was February...the month of St Valentine and Lurve...those who know me well know that I am not the slushy, mushy romantic type so My layout was of Mia Cos I love her...

This is a layout I taught last week and finally took the photo of it tonight...No Mia is not following in my wino footsteps, this was the glass of wine that we left for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve and the photo was totally posed!!!

Not the best picture in the world but a layout I recently completed of Ella and my Dad, photo was taken on Boxing Day and is of Ella trying to teach "Grandad" how to use a Nintendo DS...of course him being the gadget freak he is...that`s where I get it from...he went out the next day and bought himself a black DS lite!!!

And these are my new stamps that I bought from the GMEX on Sunday, that I sat and watercoloured at stupid o clock this morning!!!

Will leave you with this pic of Ella taken this afternoon after school...note uniform off and leisure suit on, feet up on the couch and remote controls within easy reach...Kids!!!

Word of the day!!!

Erudite...characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly!!!

What a fabulous word, I am going to use this word as much as possible, I have not come across a word that rolls so well off the tongue since discombobulated...I love learning new words and think its fabulous when you come across one you have never heard of before.

Another word for today is bloody knackered...well technically that is two but I am so you will have to let me off, I had a fabulous jewellery making class this morning and then stayed late in work to prepare some classes, but it does mean I can leave early tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to bribe Jack to collect the girls from school for me meaning I can come home and put my feet up for a few hours...ahhh...bliss.

I thought I had pictures of a couple of layouts and cards to share but I have not taken the photos yet...I honestly thought I had but obviously having one of those moments!!!

Sending special thoughts out today to a couple of people, one in hospital having some treatment and one going into hospital tomorrow...love and best wishes to you both.

Off now to tidy up the mess on my desk because those bloody craft fairies are still boycotting my house!!!

Why is it?

The only trouble with having busy weekends like the last two I have had is nothing gets done in the house and I spent the best part of two hours today just Ironing....god how boring is that why don`t clothing manufacturers invent clothes that are non iron and actually mean it...I bought "non iron" school shirts for my kids but if I didn`t iron them they would most certainly look like little tramps and I would quite possibly be ashamed beyond belief...why is it that my kids need a clean uniform every day...yes every single day and not one of them has mastered the art of getting the ironing board out...hmmm maybe a few lessons will be in order over half term!!!

Had a great class today, was the last one in a six week block and I have really enjoyed teaching this particular group of ladies...and Gent, although we spend most of the class laughing and joking so it really does not feel like work. Is a bit sad that I will not be teaching this class after half term but I have been requested at another centre teaching Embroidery so I am looking forward to that.

Am off now to have a play with my new stamps, little oriental ladies that you can see here so very cute I couldn`t resist them. Can see an evening of water colouring!!!

Been around the ...Country!!!!

Wow did not realise how long it has been since I blogged...about two weeks, if I have any readers left I am sorry I have not bored you with my wittering and ramblings about everyday life. It has been a funny few weeks...ups and downs, tears and laughter wont bore you with all the details but things have been a bit hectic.

Had the weekend in Blackpool last week, I think that Blackpool, Fleetwood and Morecombe are just about returning to normal...several areas had to be cordoned off to prevent us from causing mayhem, although plenty of that went on I can tell you I spent most of the weekend with tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing so much, we had an absolute ball and here are some pics as I even managed to brave the gale force winds and a very sprightly Jack Russel to actually get down onto the beach.

Spent a couple of hours at Windmill crafts very aptly named because it is right opposite the most beautiful windmill. Met the very lovely Melanie Heaton who was demonstrating in the shop, fabulous chalk inks and I must get my hands on a glass cutting mat too as they are immense, far better that a self healing!

So after the merriment of last weekend...the early mornings, the cooked breakfasts in the hotel and lunches in the pub, the vast quantities of alcohol that were forced down my neck...honest ;-) You would have thought I would have had a quiet one this weekend...Nope!!!

Spent the day in Liverpool yesterday shopping with my new teenager, Harry turned 13 last Monday and had birthday money burning a hole in his tracky pants...so we gets on the train and heads to Scouse city to spend spend spend...then today I had to get up again a silly o clock to get my crafty backside to the Gmex...now known as Manchester Central...why do these places have to change their names...everyone knows it as the Gmex!!! Was the Stitch and creative crafts show and headed there to again spend spend spend...god my poor credit card this

weekend is quite literally groaning every time I insert it into a machine...also managed to get some photos of the town hall and surrounding area as the sun was so bright and lovely...until the battery died in my camera anyhow!!!

I am actually getting a little concerned at the amount of photographs I am taking lately...of buildings and scenery...and the fact that I am applying the rule of thirds to most of my photographs too!!! I know I am sad although I don't think I need to get out more, I really think a nice quiet lazy weekend is in order next week...followed by a week off work...a whole week off yes...I love working for a college!!!

Off now to gaze lovingly at my new stamps and caress my gorgeous new beads!!!