Her Space My Space...Angel

Here is my Little Angel...




My Girls and Harry belong to a cheer leading group and they are called "The Angels" This was at one of their performances in the summer where Mia and Harry both got thrown through the air whilst my heart was in my mouth!!!

Mia happily went off this morning with her little suitcase and so far there has been no phone call tonight to rescue her from the forest, it is very quiet without her though!!!

Although sliding up to school this morning with her case on wheels and all the other paraphernalia she insisted she needed was no easy task due to the ice, I must remember not to wear my cowboy boots again in such extreme weather conditions, took all the strength in the world not to slide on my backside this morning!!!

Just finished this card and managed to combine three challenges in one!

Over on the Penny Black blog the challenge is to make a card using no patterned paper...ooh I like to stroke my papers and I love using them on cards so this was a challenge for me, had to resort to embossing with a Cuttle bug folder just to add a bit of interest. The sketch is based on this weeks over on Friday Sketchers and on Stamp Something the challenge is to create something using black...

...and here is my card...

The Suitcase is Packed...

...and she is ready to go!!!

My Little baby girl is going away tomorrow with the school for a whole night away, no goodnight kisses for me tomorrow night from Mia, she is off to Delamere forest, not literally staying in the forest but at an outdoor education centre, they do have indoor accommodation there obviously, and her little pink (well it couldn`t be any other colour could it) suitcase is packed, with pink pyjamas, a pink tracksuit, pink towel...can you see a pattern emerging here!!!

So I have to take her to school in the morning with her pulling her little pink suitcase on wheels driving me quite possibly mad going up and down the kerbs, running over my toes and battering me with her wellies which have to be in a separate named carrier but attached to the suitcase...Jesus how much time do these teachers think us working mums have...honestly!!! A sleeping bag and a completely disposable packed lunch...!!!

Only to return on Wednesday afternoon with half of it missing and the other half quite possibly caked in a large proportion of mud from Delamere forest...does my washing machine deserve this cruel torture!!!

Anyway I am teaching tomorrow at Edwin Allen and as promised I did design the other acetate card for the workshop, and quite sneakily it also fits in with this weeks dare over on DCM

"We`re Dreaming of a white Christmas...with a touch of pink"

Also can share this layout with you which is my Design Team Layout for this weeks sketch on Beary Box Blog and also happens to be the layout I will be teaching at Edwin Allen on Wednesday...I am getting good at this multi tasking!!!

Just have to leave you with this picture...Harry had the day off school today, he was also poorly yesterday and managed to be "far to ill" to attend school today...Harry is never ill, however the little boy with the huge appetite ate nothing yesterday and looked like an extra from night of the living dead this morning so I reluctantly allowed him to stay in bed...By 11.30 he was eating toast and when at Grandad`s this afternoon while I was teaching he managed to stuff his face with a plate of stew and also managed a very healthy portion of Spaghetti Bolognase this evening!!! Kids...needless to say he will be returning to school tomorrow!!!

Yucky Day!!!

I am officially ill!!!

It must be official because I went to bed this afternoon even though I didn`t get up until 11am, and I rarely admit defeat and go to bed when I am ill, at first I thought I was suffering from a little too much alcohol last night, had a few of my girlie friends round for food and drinks, but I felt terrible, all achy and cold to the bone so snuggled up in bed and slept!!! I think Ella and I just spent too long in the cold in Manchester yesterday. Feel a bit better now but still have that horrible flu ache, hope it is just a 24 hour thing as I have the busiest week this week!!!

Got a card to share with you, one of my workshop cards for Tuesday, I am teaching a Christmas Card acetate workshop, the other card is still in progress...well to be honest I haven`t started it yet was planning on doing that this afternoon but all the best laid plans!!! I am going to try and get that designed tonight.

This is my SOS for Her space My Space, taken yesterday in Manchester...just look at the architecture on that building absolutely stunning...I really need to get out more it can`t be normal to stand in the freezing cold taking photographs of buildings!!!

Off now to design my other card hope my mojo is awake!!!

Cold Continental Christmas!!!

Hit the streets of Manchester today with my lil Girlie Ella, she had birthday money burning a hole in the pocket of her funky new jeans and wanted to put it into the tills at Primark and fill her wardrobe. We visited the Christmas Markets first, and even though it was freezing cold it was such a great Christmassy atmosphere, with continental delights from all over the world, we sampled olives...well I did Ella wrinkled her nose in disgust, cheeses mmm the lime green pesto cheese was delicious, chocolates, fudge and mini dutch pancakes...oooh taste bud sensation...so many yummy tastes from around the world.

Then we hit the shops and Ella spent her pennies eventually after waiting in the queue in Primark for forty five minutes, god it was rammed and I had to get quite shirty with a bloke trying to push in front of us, Ella was splitting her sides as I told him exactly where the back of the queue was...he wasn`t best pleased but tough luck mate you got to wait your turn like the rest of us.

Oooh and I am so happy too, I have wanted a cream fur jacket since I saw one in Debenhams for £60, and I got one out of the kids section of Primark for £10...aged 13, some woman gave me a filthy look while I was trying it on so I just said that I loved buying kids clothes for myself because you don`t pay any VAT...she stomped off in disgust!!! I hate animosity and its not my fault I am a skinny little shit...its in my genes...(size 8 jeans lol)

So took loads of Pictures today, when my hand hadn`t frozen solid to my camera!!!

Girlies waiting in the freezing cold for the train

Ella and her Chocolate and Marshmallow Kebab

Yummy gingerbread treats

Chocolate Heaven

Mini Scrummy Dutch Pancakes...mmmmmmmm

Santa's Grotto in the Arndale...have you seen the size of those Balls!!!

Messing about in the Pound shop...My kids love the pound shop and I have at last found a hat to match my boots!!!

Look at the pretty lights

Off now to defrost my toes and kiss my radiators!!!

Her Space My Space SPS

Took this photograph of Ella this morning in the freezing fog at the train station on the way to Manchester to spend her birthday money...still can`t believe she is 11...I love the look on her face excited at the thought of hitting Primark!!!

Her Space My Space...Rain

I have not took part in this for a few days but the photo prompt today over at her space my space is Rain...I hate rain not because it gets me wet and I can never find an umbrella when I need one even though I have about six of them but because I have naturally curly hair that I hate...inherited from the milkman I think as my mum`s is straight and my Dad is bald!!!

It has to be attacked with my GHD`s every single morning for at least ten minutes or I would hugely embarrass my girls when dropping them off at school looking like a very pale Diana Ross in the middle of a chain reaction!!!

So back on subject...rain...this is Wolverhampton through a rain soaked Virgin Train window.

Dancing Angels and Cupcakes

Grab a coffee and make yourself comfortable I have a feeling this is going to be a long one!!!

My kids make me laugh so much sometimes...Mia comes home tonight and say`s Mummy I am an Angel...now my kids are well behaved to a point but I wouldn`t call them angels so I replied no you`re not you can be a bit naughty sometimes...

No she says In the Christmas Play I am an angel in the "Timity Screen".........................!!!!

Mummy: "What...."

Mia: "The Timity Screen"

Mummy: "You Mean the Nativity Scene"

Mia: "That`s what I said The Timity Screen"

Mummy then very insensitively rolls around the floor, tears streaming from her eyes with laughter and makes Mia say it over and over...she still can`t say Nativity Scene and its so going to be a title for a scrapbook page!!!

The girls also had their Christmas Disco tonight at school...yes I know we are still in November but hey they had a "summer clothes day" at school last week so nothing surprises me anymore, and for the first time ever I was so totally organised, I had bought Mia a new outfit, eventually, why are there so many trampy clothes around for seven year olds, whatever happened to keeping our children children!!! I hate seeing little girls dressed up as teenagers...it is one of my pet hates I think it looks disgusting...oooh hark at me...so lovely new outfit from the Pumpkin Patch, oh my God I could buy everything in there, I love it. Ella had a new outfit for her birthday yesterday so was wearing that and I even plaited their hair last night so it would be all curly tonight...I know I need to get out more but just look how gorgeous my girlie's looked...

When they got home Mia insisted on having a Disco in the Dining room and made up dances for me and her to perform to "Cherry Chapstick" and "So What"...I don`t need a personal trainer when I have my own little Angel...I was exhausted and she was so full of energy saying come on Mummy as Mummy was collapsed on the sofa!!! Guess who has not been on the Wii tonight!!!

and finally...phew I can hear you say, I have been working on a card and a layout for the last few days...been a bit mojo less so it took a while, plus I wanted to stitch on the scrapbook page and could not find a needle in my house...bloody crafter with no needle whatever next!!!

So this is my layout, picture is of Mia about two years ago and is in the gardens of Chester Zoo, I got a new stamp set by Hero Arts this week and one of the sayings is "See the flowers Smiling" just thought it fitted this picture perfectly:

And finally this is a card I have made for a friends birthday, managed to combine Four...yes Four Challenges into this one card!!!

The fabulous Sketch is from Papertake Weekly challenges, and is such a great sketch to work from I will definitely be using it again. Over on Cupcake Craft the challenge is to use sweets or treats on your card, so I got out my gorgeous lil cupcake stamp I have had forever and stamped, water coloured then embossed it with liquid applique, how cool does that cream look. Over on DutchDare, a site I recently found, the challenge is to use three flowers on your card and finally on Secret Crafter the challenge is to decoupage, which I have done to the lil cupcake....wow I am exhausted now!!!

I love taking part in these challenges at the moment, great if you find yourself mojo less like me and there are always plenty of gorgeous creations by the design team members to lush over too.

I am off now to recover from the intense workout by Mia Motivator!!!

Eleven Years...

...ago my little baby girl was born, weighing a little tiny 6 pounds and 9 ounces...so small and cute with loads of black curly hair...now she is nearly as tall as me has a mouth almost as big as mine and an attitude that I am sure I never had...honest!!! Little did I imagine when cuddling her or ironing her beautiful little frilly dresses that she would give me half as much trouble as she does...hmm if this is what she is like as a pre-teen I think I will be leaving home when she becomes a fully fledged teenager.

So Happy Birthday sweetheart, glad you liked all your presents and stuffed your face with High School Musical Birthday cake...she insisted on eating Troys face!!!!

Funnily enough over on Her Space My Space the photo prompt today is birthday...and unusually for me I have not took a single photograph today...shock...I know call myself a photographer/scrapper but when she was opening her presents this morning before school it was about 6.30am and all I could think about was coffee...I am such a terrible mother...but we are going on a girlie shopping day on Saturday so will take lots of photos then...promise!!!

So will leave you with this photo of Ella...taken on Saturday and she looks exactly the same tonight!!!

Off now to look through some very cute baby photos!!!

Happy Birthday Birthday Girl xxx

Beary Box Challenge 4

Completed this layout as design team member for the Beary Box Challenge Blog over the weekend and it has just gone live, check out the blog for the layout sketch and the other designers fabulous work, prizes are up for grabs too!!!

These pictures are of Mia from 2006, she looks so young and small, they grow up too fast!!! Check out her fringe which took forever to grow out!!!

Where has the day gone today!!!

Well I had to have a lie in this morning until about 11am so I think half the day disappeared, I hate getting up late but as I went out last night I needed to recharge my batteries, and sleep off the hangover that I woke up with at 6.30am!!!

Had a really good night out though, went out with a really good friend into town to one of those all you can eat buffet restaurants...mmm Chinese food, I think I ate my body weight in spring rolls, prawn toast and crispy duck...ooh and squid mmmmmm!!! Then we went into town and drank and danced the rest of the night away...the only downside of the night out was having to pay to get into pubs...whats that all about...and having three different stamps on my hand in permanent ink that is still slightly visible today!!!

So I ploughed through Mount Everest in Ironing this afternoon...well it was Snowdonia really, I hate ironing soooooo much if I won the lottery I would pay a really fit bloke to come and iron for me while I watched...and probably told him how to do it!!!

And I braved the Arctic conditions in my new coat to fetch supplies.....How cold has it been this weekend I really think winter has hit us full force this weekend, although we have been spared the snow in Warrington!!!

Managed to complete another challenge card this afternoon, found this Magnolia Vs Stampavie challenge site...I love magnolia stamps and would love the full set of Tilda's...hey when I win the lottery I will fly to Sweden and collect the lot!!!

The challenge was called Get the feeling and had to feature texture on your card, I have used core-dinations card which already has a lovely texture and embossed fluffy bits and "snow" with liquid applique.

Off to peruse the take away menus, I am too tired to cook!!!

Challenge Me!!!

I have been creating a couple of cards this afternoon, its too cold to go outside and I have the heating on high...sod the expense, and hot chocolate in hand, makes a change from a glass of wine!!!

So the first card I have created is using my gorgeous girly Penny Black stamp, I bought her last year and I still love her this year, I have embossed the "fluffy bits" with liquid applique. This fits in nicely with the Funky Christmas challenge on the Penny Black challenge blog I stumbled across this week.

And the next card I have made combines three challenges in one, sometimes that just happens!!!

The sketch is taken from the sketch Saturday blog, The latest dare over on Daring Cardmakers is Cafe Chic...featuring coffee on your card and I have found a lovely Basic Grey challenge site and this weeks challenge is to use embossing on your card, along with a Basic Grey product, so I have used some scrummy paper and embossed the liquid applique.

Really enjoyed making these cards too, and working to the challenges!!!

Off now to find more challenge sites!!!

Super Saturday

The weekend is finally here...after five days of wishing its here....Yipeeeeeeeeee!!!

Got a layout and a couple of cards to share, worked on these last night and its lovely and bright, ideal for taking photos!!!

Beautiful bloom layout of Mia using gorgeous papers that I got at the NEC last week, yep I did stroke them before I cut into them:!!!

I got this cute stamp at the NEC last week, couldn`t resist him.

This is a Christmas card for a certain special little guy

This is the card for Ella`s birthday next week.

Off now to starve myself...going to an all you can eat Chinese restaurant tonight with one of my friends and then into town afterwards for a good old fashioned pub crawl...Party time!!!

Her Space My Space...France

Bit of a tongue in cheek take on today`s photo prompt which is France....Here is my little baby girl with a Frog!!!

Bring on the Weekend!!!

Really Bring it on, I am so ready for a weekend...I have had the busiest couple of weeks and it seems like I haven`t had a moment to myself to just sit and chill out!!!

As a family we have so much going on at the moment, I have just started a new job that has involved so much planning and paperwork, the girls are gearing up at school for their Christmas fayre and have a "themed day" almost every day, where they have to dress up or take something into school, Ella`s 11th birthday is next Tuesday, Mia is going away the week after next with school, the washing, ironing and housework still have to be done and I am running round like a headless chicken every day so it seems!!! So I bought one of those big dry wipe boards yesterday....the ones with the calender on, managed to hang it straight too on the kitchen wall and every day for the rest of November is filled with one thing or another...apart from tomorrow and Sunday...bliss!!! Two whole days with absolutely nothing to do...well apart from the washing etc etc!!!

I am so going to try and catch up with some crafting, I have lots of ideas that are just that at the moment...swimming around my head, I have lots of new stash I bought from the NEC that I have not even looked at yet, papers that need stroking, I also have Photo challenges to catch up on, so I am planning a whole weekend of just that crafting and taking photos.

I had to attend parents evening for Harry last night and was pleasantly surprised, Harry is a typical teenage boy at home...but at school apparently Harry is a highly intelligent boy who works to the best of his abilities and applies knowledge in a constructive and creative manner...the only negatives I heard all night, after seeing fourteen different teachers, was that he talked too much in lessons and will chat with anyone...hmmm wonder where he gets that from!!! Treat for Harry for doing so well....drum lessons...OMG I am so going to regret that!!!

So I promise some crafty posts over the next few days, I have Christmas cards to make, a certain special little girls birthday card to make, a couple of crafty Christmas ideas floating around and plenty of scrapbook layouts to create!!!

Off now to eat my family size bar of Galaxy...mmmm...and enjoy a couple of glasses of wine!!!