Happy Halloween!

I am not a fan of Halloween! But this year Joe and Jess are going to a sleepover including some trick or treating. We had a hell of a time (ho ho) getting them costumes today, most places were sold out and Matalan want £25-£40 for a decent one - thats why they had so many in stock. Anyway we managed it in the end.

I've just been practising Jessica's hair and make up in case she didnt like the big hair, but she loves it and is flouncing around the house diva like lol . This photo is of her with the practice hair and make up. will take more photos of them both when they are in full costume

Quick Update

I haven't fallen of the planet really. Had a lovely but busy weekend, the kids were at Butlins with their dad, so Jason and I did the usual, lots of socialising, we had lunch out on Sunday and met up with loads of mates and generally had a lovely boozy time of it! We even had chinese snacks (from the chinese over the road) in the pub! (nice landlords, let us do that from time to time)

I woke on Monday to no hangover which was a minor miracle, then got the news that Jessica had a bug and they were on their way home. Poor Jess she was sick 4 times on the journey home, so I spent all afternoon nursing her, trying to get fluids into her and sitting with her as she was a bit clingy.

Tuesday I awoke to feeling like I had a head cold, Jess spent all day in her jammies and we did nothing. Jess fully recovered by Wednesday, me worse. Today I feel on the road to recovery, I have just left the house for the first time since Sunday (I have been so bored cooped up!) to walk the dog, but thats about finished me off! I also have no appetite but am trying to stick to my diet which means I have to eat a certain amount, I know it sounds like madness but since I upped my food intake, the weight has really shifted!

No crafting (well a very small little amount) but nothing finished so nothing to show you! This week must have been my most unproductive since I started scrapping proper in March! I miss it, I desperately want to do it, but I am too knackered!!! I HATE my low immune system.

Strange pic but its of one of the fields that we walk the dog in, they are building on these fields very soon and we will miss them, poor Bruno is used to being let off the lead daily and he will be most put out when this place goes! Just after this pic was taken it hammered down and we got very wet!

The SHAME of it!

Jason got his brand new Hyundai i20 today, after about 15 weeks of it being on order, and a few delays.

He was very excited when he got home at 7.30 and so we all dutifly put our shoes on and went to have a look. All of us bar Jason were in our pj's. Jason asked if we wanted a trip round the block in it, so off we went in our PJ's!!!! I was praying we wouldn't break down lol

On the way back I had a go, which involved me walking in the street to get in the drivers side in my pj's lol (no-one was about!)

I like it, it looks impressive, but I don't like the handbrake (I couldn't move it!) 1st gear felt stiff and in Jasons old car it had a massive digital speedometer, which was much better. Just a case of getting used to it I think! It wasnt until we pulled up on the drive that I realised that it was the first time I had ever driven in the dark!

Have done absolutely nothing crafty today, have spent all day moping the kitchen floor, or it seems like it. Kids, playing out, rain and my kitchen floor DO NOT mix! I said to Jess "Please try not to get your boots too muddy" she could not have come back in more covered in mud!

Sparked Out

Did this today for the challenge at http://www.twistedsketches.com/ not a fantastic photo, it looks a bit blurry and dull as its impossible to get outside with all the rain. The twist was to use ink (easy peasy) I took it a little too literally and managed to smudge red ink over the white cardstock - not best pleased!


I've had no power for 2.5 hours, just me, everyone else in the street is fine :( the flaming trip switch had gone, and nothing was convincing it to 'trip' back, then after about 20 trillionty goes it worked - hurrah! the house was starting to get cold, and I was haveing visions of having to spend all night batch cooking the contents of the freezer!

Kids break up today for half term and Jess doesn't go back til the Tuesday 2 weeks following - half bloody term its supposed to be not bloody christmas! At least it means lots of lovely lie-ins.

Loadsa Scrap

Been scrapping a lot of late, think its because my scrap area is well organised (it wont last!)

Yesterday I completed this one of Jess, I've had this photo of her for 6 weeks and have been dying to scrap it, so here it is, such a gorgeous photo of her, this was done using my October Scarlet Lime kit, aren't the little velvet rub on photo corners gorgeous?



Today I did this Layout for Butterfly Crafts Challenge 21, which was to scrap something that changed your life, never joined in there before, but my scrappy buddies Claire and Fay made the design team recently, so I had a look in and thought I would have a go! Again I used the Scarlet Lime Oct kit for this.

All set for christmas

Settle down! I am NOT all set for christmas, in fact I am burying my head in that sand about that particular holiday.

However with a cute photo of Bruno all done up like a dogs dinner, I had to scrap it so here it is, this is my fav lo in WEEKS. I know I shouldn't chuckle at my own jokes, but check out the little journaling strip under the word 'christmas' This LO was done based on the latest sketch at 52 weeks.

I lost a bit of sleep last night, I have had words with my ex's wife. On the whole we get on very well but I have felt increasingly nagged by her over the last couple of years, she texts me a LOT and has to be involved in everything (think control freak) This weekend I snapped and told Mark to tell her to back off, shes not long has a baby and since then has been unbearable with the texts and expecting far too much from Joe and Jess, I understand, in fact I am so bloody understanding, I have always stood up for her when the kids moan etc and can really see it from her point of view, so when in an email mark asked me to see it from her point of view, steam came out of my ears, I can't see it from her pov any more strongly, but really if she has issues with the kids, raise them with her husband not me, if Jason were to text Mark everytime he had and issue, Mark would soon get fed up of it!

Anyway I am Sooooo looking forward to her picking the kids up on Friday afternoon, that is going to be fun!

Last night was the finale of Harpers Island, it was FANTASTIC, but it was a one off programme, so thats it now, I will miss it! And I was right all along about the killer!

A crafty day

Had a good clear out of my craft space today, bought that little fold away table as I needed a bit more surface space, and its working really well, I am all compact and everything has a space again!

Of course once it was done I was eager to get scrapping, my new Scarlet Lime kit arrived yesterday morning, so I dug in and made the below. Only took that photo yesterday night!

And whilst shopping in the range for my table I couldn't resist this little christmas bow tie for Bruno. I am going to get him a little hat too and and he will feature on our crimbo cards this year! Doesn't he look dapper??

Of course dress-ups were just too tempting for Jessica, and poor Bruno lost his masculinity a bit here! Poor dog, luckily he doesn't care a bit, just loves the attention!

Another card and a parcel

I love parcels I do, they make me happy. This one arrived before 7.30am this morning and was waiting for me in the porch. Its full of thickers that were reduced in price (quite nicely reduced too!) and I couldn't resist. There was one full price pack missing though, so I hope they respond to my email soon and sort it out. Here they are in all their lovely thickeryness. I like white ones as you can colour them any colour to match!

Busy morning, I have cleaned, ironed and made this card. Its for my sister who recently moved into a house from her little flat. We are going visiting tommorrow, so I thought I would make her this - I don't promise cards anymore as I find it a chore if people expect them.

And a little message to my daughters school - we parents can do maths! They charge 20p a day for a piece of fruit. On Fridays they have LOADS left over so they sell the parents bags of fruit for 50p a bag. Last week I bought a bag of pears, that were not anywhere near past their best (and yummy they were too) in the bag were 10 pears. Thats 5p a pear. So this week I am buying loads and will make a 75% reduction on what they want to charge daily!!! And whilst we are at it daughters school - 6 texts a day? really? is that really really necessary? You are doing my head in!

Tra la la

A Layout and a Card

It was a toss up this morning, a mound of ironing or crafting. Crafting won and by 9.15 I was sat and ready to start. I was doing a bit of blog hopping and saw a fantastic Layout on this blog http://aliscrap23.blogspot.com/2009/09/ch-ch-ch-changes.html I thought I would have a go at a scraplift (something I have never done before fully) So heres my take:

In real life I really like it, but its not looking well photographed which is a shame. I didn't feel much sense of satisfaction copying it so I changed some elements. There are parts of this LO that I really like and will be using again.

This afternoon I was a little bored so I sat down and played and made this card. Not made a card for ages and ages and I am quite pleased with it, god knows who I will give it to, might have to wait for Valentines day as thats not a sentiment I would give a mate!!!

Now I have to go and clear up my scrappy mess and think about tea, oh and get the kids in, I made them promise that they would come in if it started to rain, its been raining for 10 mins and no sight of them!

And the mound of ironing sits silently mocking me.....

Woohoo

After what seems like (and has actually been) ages, my two Layouts have made it in print for Scrapbook Inspirations magazine. Here they are in the magazine, although I am sure most of you have it at home by now anyway (UK) but indulge me in being a bit excited, I have 2 more LO's going in, in the next 2 issues, but after this I won't mention it again lol.





Had a quiet morning and after a bit of extremely boring housework that I have been putting off for ages (sorting out the underwear basket) I sat down to make. I've deviated from my style for a while and although I like what I have done, its not really been me at my best. Today I went back to white space (I love you white space) and made this:



The glasses were cut on my pal CR, took me a while to find a suitable gsd file, but I found it on this site: http://www.scrapmag.info/crafty/index.php its french but its pretty self explanatory

I know I've said it before, but I am going to try to stop hankering over all these lovely messy over embellished Layouts that see, and then want to re-create. I can't over embellish, I prefer to mess with paper and that is that. For today anyway lol. Embrace the clean and simple.