Sunday Scrapping

I managed to complete two LO's on Sunday afternoon after I decided that I really had enough of the housework and gardening this weekend.  One is for the Chinese Whispers group so I can't show you it in full but here is a little sneak:

This is the other LO:

This design is taken from a LO created by Jen.  I've had a look on her blog and I can't find her LO; I think it was one created for Sarah's Cards Monthly kits.

I also managed this afternoon while sat in the garden to read through some of the prompts from Shimelle's Cover to Cover online course that is currently being run.  I have always kept my albums in chronological order and just never thought to store them any other way.  I must admit I am very surprised how many people don't store they LO's this way.  This has helped greatly with this class as I have skipped huge sections as I already stored my LO's like Shimelle was suggesting.  

I ordered a couple of new albums and put in my LO's for Freya for Volume 2 of 2010 and both volumes for 2011.  I also have looked where the gaps are in Freya's albums for these years and put the page protectors in place with relevant photos.  I had already done these for previous years for Freya and all of Liam's albums already had lists made for what LO's I wanted to make.  I must be psychic!

As well as albums for Liam and Freya I also have the Document 2010 and 2011 plus this years project life.  There are 3 other wip albums; our European holiday last year, my Brothers wedding also from last year and Thomas' first year album.  Then I have JYC 2010 & 2011 plus a Learn Something New Everyday album from 2010 (didn't have time to do one last year).  These are as close to an upgrade albums I have and to be honest there really are no other big events to put in separate albums.

One thing I don't have however, is an album about me.  Just hate having my photo taken in fact I have only ever scrapped 1 LO about me alone and that was this year at the retreat.  Think I may have to scrap some more and buy an album to store them in!

TFL x

Day Three Of The Crafty Spa Weekend (Sunday)

Another 2 classes today.  First up was Through The Window by Natalie Grant:

I just loved this LO so much that I made a boy version this evening:

The final class was Flying The Flag by Rachel Ward:

In total I produced 9 LO's, a decorative peg and two sweetie boxes:

All with thanks to these lovely talented ladies:

Day Two Of The Crafty Spa Weekend (Saturday)

Well yesterday started with another great nights sleep until my neighbours had a little tiff in the corridor at 2.30am which lasted over an hour.  By the end I think everybody in our corridor had come to conclusion that a young lady's room card key didn't work and her slightly jolly (alcohol added) friends might like to go to reception to tell someone. Why it took them over an hour I don't know!  Anyway, I am really thinking now that I NEED a new bed or I move in to a hotel full time.

Sorry for the poor photos of Fridays LO's but that was down to the mobile.  I took my DSLR today and managed to get a few more but sadly with no daylight.


I am LOVING this retreat and have met some lovely lovely ladies.  How Sarah and Lianne managed to match up 4 strangers and sit them on a table and find they just click is truly amazing!  Thanks ladies, this has made for a fantastic funny weekend.  I really have not laughed so much for such a long time and considering we were strangers 36 hours ago it is unbelievable how well we have got on.  I really hope I can have the experience of other retreats in the future.


These were yesterday's LO's:

The first LO just needs a zipper rosette added which I will try to have a go at finishing today.  I also need to photo my sketch challenge as it had been handed in for judging, not that I stand a chance when I looked at all the other lovely LO's made by the other attendees.

There was also a little make and take tag from Friday evening:

Now on to Saturday's activities which consisted of 3 classes. First up was Against The Grain which was taught by Vanessa Stokoe.

After lunch was Fancy Flora by Jen Naulls:

Followed quickly by Krafty Adventures by Lou Stevenson:

After dinner it was time to collect my card making class supplies from Tracy Gough.  It was now 8.30 and to be honest I couldn't face another class.  However, a couple more take and makes filled the evening:

A lovely little magnetic peg and two sweet filled packages....wonder if these will make two little ones happy when I get home!

After a team quiz (sadly we didn't win but a 12/20 was quite impressive in our books) the next challenge was set by Sarah.  An altered canvas made using your scraps from the retreat classes.  This is Cherry's entry.....words are not really needed but oh did we laugh!

Finished off with a little hooky in bed.  Fantastic day all round x

Day One Of The Crafty Spa Weekend (Friday)

I have now had a lovely evening last night in front of the tv with some peace and quiet for hooky & me time.  


I love my kids to bits but the last few years have been hell for us as a family.  Their Father has not been part of their lives for the past 18 months and as sad as it is to say, it is for the best and even at 8 & 9 they both can clearly see that.  My health has not been good, too many ops, too many complications with on going health issues, too much of everything that is not nice.  

I sit here waiting to see later this month hospital specialists for Freya to see if she has rheumatoid arthritis, that last thing I would wish her to have at 8 years old.  But family history may take over and if we have to deal with it we will. Liam has not had an easy ride health wise either.

Sadly the stress of all that has gone on has taken its toll on all three of us.  However, I have today woken up so refreshed words just cannot describe how I feel.  I needed me time, time without Mom, Mom, Mom 20 hours a day (Liam only sleeps 3 to 4 hours a night, every night), time without work, stress, household chores.

Time for me.


This is my hooky progress from last night; 2 new stripes and 4 new rows completed.

After a little coffee break I went off to the Spa.

  

Well the two spa treatments have also worked wonders, I managed to fall asleep for over an hour after the massage(!) and I registered for Sarah's Cards Retreat around 4pm and restricted myself to a few minutes look round the shop.  Ok, about 30 but who is counting.  Been very restrained and not made many purchases yet but the fact I have 1 crutch and 1 suitcase is going to have a huge bearing on what I can buy as I need to get it home on the train.

Dinner was fantastic and soon after the first class began which for me was Tactile Memories by Claire Wheatley made using My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2, Blush collection and a range of unusual items and textures to create this tactile page:

I just need to add a zipper flower and some pins when I get home as I left my cotton and needle at home and the zipper flower was a little tricky and felt it was best to leave until I got home and not stress out over it.

Sorry the pictures are really small but they were taken on my mobile as I had left my camera in my room and there is ALOT of very wet PVA on this LO and needs to be left over night to dry.

I also completed a LO for the sketch challenge where I used some of my new purchases:

Plus a make and take LO:

I'll photograph the LO's properly tomorrow and put bigger pics up on this post. I'll also introduce you to three lovely ladies who I am sharing a crop table with.

Its now gone midnight and my happy relaxed head is hitting the pillow.

Let the Crafty Spa Weekend Begin!

I left home at 6am and boarded a train here:

Stourbridge Junction Train Station

Got off the train here:

I then went to work (boo!!!)

I then went here to board a train:

and got off the train here:

I got in a taxi to here:

The spa treatments are booked, in fact one has already happened.  Another two booked for tomorrow and one for Monday.

Tonight is tv and hooky time after a little dinner.

Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday is scrappy time!!!!

Let the rest and relaxation begin.....

Bromsgrove Cropaganza

Earlier this month Bromsgrove Crop held their annual March Cropaganza with 3 classes taught by Kirsty Wiseman.  I was reminded at the weekend by Jackie that I hadn't shared my makes.  Kirsty taught 3 classes; 1 double LO, a canvas project and a wooden bird decoration.  I haven't finished the wooden bird yet but here are the double LO and canvas:

I also made this LO:

Will see you over the weekend with some yummy cookies!  Recipe is written I just need to make some so you can have photos!

Solihull Crop

As I said in my last post I went to Solihull Crop for the first time this Month.  I really enjoyed myself and managed to get ahead with the Document 2011 by starting the first 2 pages for March.  They are finished apart from the photo of my Birthday cake.

As you can see, lots of eating out which is really not going to help with the weight loss this month :0(

I also took part in the class that Morag designed and this is my page 'It's Spring':

Meeting Daddy

Just a quick post to show you some photos of the bunnies.  They will be 5 weeks old tomorrow.  Here they are meeting their Daddy Snowball.

Try as hard as I might I just could not get all three looking at the camera.  At the moment we think they are boys and Liam and Freya have named them Tommy & Albert.  This is Tommy:

And this is Albert:

We tell them apart by their weight at present but Albert is quickly catching Tommy up, so how we will differentiate them soon I really don't know.

Must dash as I have the Bromsgrove Cropaganza tomorrow and the lovely Kirsty Wiseman will be teaching.  Got to go pack those scrap supplies plus sort out something to wear as Kirsty will be taking some photos.  Can't wait!

Twelve Days

It has been twelve days since my last post and so much has gone on and the time has just flown by.  There has been a big change in my life lately and I may be tempting fate but......things may finally be on the up.  Really don't want to tempt fate so can't really say exactly what yet but it is for the good and things are going really well.  I'm happy and the kids are happy.  Anyway enough said but if you are friends on facebook you probably know what I'm talking about.

Having a relaxing hour this morning on my own.  To be honest I really should be tackling the ever increasing mound of ironing but blogging is much much more fun.  As I am off to the hospital for an MRI in an hour I think I deserve a little bit of 'nice' time.

Not really had much time for scrapping apart from over the weekend when I completed 6, yes 6 LO's.  All Halloween based:

All made with American Crafts Boo papers which I brought then promptly went & found some Halloween papers in my stash!  Just typical but they will be put to use as I have some 'Witches School' photos to scrap from Shugborough Hall.

I also went to the NEC Hobby Crafts the beginning of the month.  Very disappinted with what I saw.  Went for pretty paper & thickers and to be honest apart from some Echo Park (Christmas Papers) and older ones there was nothing there at all.  Very short on thickers.  To be honest it was aimed at card makers more than scrappers, but I should have known better than to expect pretty paper.  Lots and lots of spell binders, buttons, ribbons, glittery 'stuff' and punches.  None of which I wanted or needed.  So I came home empty handed; didn't buy a thing!  


However........I did attend a brilliant workshop with Shimelle where we made this:

My garland is still in pieces as I need to finish a couple of the tags off and I am gong to add some more so I can make it longer.  It really was a fun packed couple of hours with new techniques and lovely easy fabric flowers that are so effective, yet so simple (Freya came home and made one on her own, they are so easy!).

The entire class was done with Freya sat on my lap as the budding 'scrapper' had to have a go!

Would love to say thank you to the lovely Fiskerettes for organising this class and to Shimelle for the experience - well worth it.

May struggle to complete my current scrap busting challenge - I now have 40 LO's to complete in 20 days - 2 a day?????  Two LO's every day is a challenge at the best of times especially during the week and the fact I am trying to squeeze extra hours in at work to enable me to have time off over Christmas is not going to help.  I am going to try my best and I must try to get in front by the end of this weekend as I am at some point in the next couple of weeks dismantling my craft unit to move back upstairs where it belongs - something that needs to be done before Christmas.  Nearly at the stage now of lining paper going up in my scrap space and then paint.  Can't afford the flooring this side of Christmas so it will have to wait but in order to seat all the guests; a definite 10, possible 13 for Christmas the expedit & desk needs to go out of my lounge.  To be honest I am going to miss having it in the lounge as I have been able to just sit, scrap and watch tv/kids which has resulted in more scrapping time.  If I have to shut myself away upstairs I know my scrapping time will be reduced and be limited to when the kids have gone to bed; sadly they are still at the age where all hell breaks loose if they are not constantly watched.  But as they, say needs must.

Enjoy your day, be it a chilly one and I hope not to be absent for so long next time.