Stars...

in the making.

This pair make me laugh, half the time they're teasing and tormenting each other and then the other half of the time they're great friend and acting silly together.

They must've found a photo booth when we went to disney a couple of years ago and promptly got in and pulled all these funny faced photos. Such divas the pair of them they'll go far!

This is another of shimelle's sketches from her Love your pictures classes. I raided my odds and ends bin for all the paper strips.

Hope you are enjoying your week x

My family

I'm loving working with sketches at the moment, it takes some of the stress off me and helps me to scrap more photos quickly.

This one is Shimelles sketch from this week. I happened to have this large photo to hand (Paul's dad printed it off for me, he usually prints big pictures) Its of the kids, Paul and the dogs when they went for a walk round Bradgate park at Easter. It was a glorious day and they had loads of tales to tell me about climbing the rocks and what the dogs had been upto it made me smile and the quote from Cosmo crickets earth love collection just sums up what I feel about all of them.

Happy scrapping guys x

Because...

After reading Shimelle's post the other day and looking at her girl power layouts I rummaged through my photos and found this old one of me with my then fluffy blanket.
Funnily enough the day previous to that I had tidied up my blanket/ bedding box and found that old blanket (minus the fluff as I pulled that out) It makes me smile when I find things like that by accident. Laura's blanket was in there too and Ollie's pram blanket knitted by Paul's mum.... such lovely treasures to keep.

Lollipop lollipop

Just a quickie today... a layout of my youngest and his huge lolly that his dad got him in America last year. (Can you tell I wasn't there???) Its another of Shimelle's sketches and talking about Shimelle, go check out her post today as she is donating all class money from people signing up to classes today to the Because I am a girl campaign. They help children in poverty get back on their feet.
I've signed up for this one which one will you sign up for today?
Have a good day :) xx

April olw

 This layout today is for my April's one little word album. I spent an afternoon in the Easter holiday making up this oh so cute skirt from Clothkits Paul took the dogs and kids out walking and I had this very strange but wonderful bit of piece and quiet. I have to say that I am really proud of myself, my olw is "patience" something I'm working quite hard on keeping, especially with projects like this as they easily frustrate me if things start to go wrong.
Luckily my new sewing machine worked like magic and the pattern and instructions were really easy to follow so all stayed very peaceful and quiet!

Looks like my word will be a good for me this year.
Thanks for dropping by x

6x4 love

 I'm loving Shimelle's 6x4 love and Aprils sketch was fitting 4 photos onto a layout. I've used some from when Paul and the kids went over to America for Karen and Jonathans wedding. I think it was an emotional day for us all. They looked so gorgeous and handsome. They had a fab day and Paul kept me updated on facebook...

This is underneath the flap and a picture of all 3 of the kids together.
I just wish I could have been there too.

These boots..

I've scrapped a picture from last year. I love my wellington boots and wear them most times for dog walking and the like. I think they are rather pretty. This was taken on one of our autumn walks near our home. I loved walking through the leaves they were beautiful colours.
I've used paper oddments from my stash so I'm not sure what they are. The leaf stamp is a house mouse one and I've used the SU mister to add a little colour.
Thanks for dropping by x

Plum

 This weekend I've done this to my hair  (eek!)  Its plum, I love the colour, although I feel it might be a bit dark for me.

And I've made this layout using one of Shimelles recent sketches. My mum found out all these (and more) little photos of me and mum, dad, grandma, grandad and my Uncle Graham on holiday in Skegness many moons ago. I think I was about 2 years old. I love my spotty mop cap and very blonde hair! A big contrast to the above picture :) Isn't it funny all sitting behind that wind break, we still do that now on our holidays to Wales around the tent and then taken down and packed in the car for the beach. Some things never change.
Hope you've had a fun filled weekend, we called in at another garden centre today. It was a very nice one and I managed to snag myself a Macarons recipe book... looking forward to experimenting.

Blow

A trip out by the lake last week found us looking out over a sea of dandelion clocks!
Ollie immediately bent down and picked one and started huffing and blowing the seeds. They were a bit stuborn  at first but eventually they began to float away.
He absolutely delighted in picking more as we walked round blowing all the seeds into the air.
Have a good bank holiday xx

Waves in Wales

On our recent trip to Wales in February we stopped off in Cricieth for a play on the beach and ice cream after. (Because you do in Wales when we go no matter what the temperature is outside lol!)

Ollie was ready in his wellies to hit the waves for a paddle...well thats what he thought until mummy decided she needed black and white pictures of said waves rising over the top of said wellies!

Ollie exclaimed that the wave heading to him was rather large, Its ok Ollie go back a bit was my reply!

Picture captured!!!

I have used Shimelle' s 3 6x4 photo sketch for this layout.

I will learn.....

Our blogging prompt today from Shimelle was to think about blogging and scrapping for the future. As she says in her prompt we usually scrap the past or present, but rarely the future. She asked us to think about setting a goal, something to aim for and to record this in some way.
Right at this moment I feel I have many things to set goals for (I have numerous projects on the go and really could do with an extra day in the week!) I am trying to lose a bit of weight, trying to exercise (not succeeding although I am enjoying swimming everyweek) I want more family time, I have a skirt that I need to sew... and many more I'm sure you get the picture.
But right now, right this minute I want to learn how to use my camera, to be able to take good pictures and learn to be more creative, maybe even being able to to manipulate them with photoshop.
I have signed up to do a short course at college, just the basics and hopefully this will start after Easter.
I'm looking forward to meeting people in the same boat as me, just learning, I'm eager to pick up new tips, compare photos and share ideas.

So this is for Grandad.. I will learn and I will learn well :)

Scrapped

 I know this photo keeps on appearing on here but I have now finally scrapped it!
So this is the hot chocolate I had in Wales while DH,DDand both DS' had icecream :) As it was February I kinda thought it was a bit too chilly for icecream...but I made sure I tried ALL their icecreams just to make sure it tasted ok!
My blog post for Shimelle's class are a little mixed up as I joined a bit late so I think this might be prompt 2/3 as it is listed in my favourites and I've also added some hidden journaling on a tag behind the photo.

Here's a close up I have sprayed with a bit of cosmic shimmer but I didn't think about my computer on the floor as I turned and sprayed it onto the card....DOH...hence a sparkly edge on said laptop. It does look pretty though!
Anyways its Friday tomorrow and I'm looking forward to a busy weekend and hopefully lots of sunshine, although the weatherman has just told me its going to get colder again :( But wait!!! More reasons for me to have more hot chocolates! (Like I need an excuse???)
xxxx

Swallow falls

 Hello me dears! What a beautiful morning here :) Its very quiet too as DD is out at dance class and then her friends, DS 1 has just left for football and DH is at work....again! Me and Ollie have just had waffles (Ollie) and bagels with some philly (me) yum.
I have washing out on the line for the second time this year (unfortunately there is plenty more to wash too) and its looking as though it will be a super day for taking photos too :)
I managed an afternoon in the craft room yesterday and came up with this layout from our daytrip to Wales. I've been shifting papers round and round on it all week and actually its turned out nothing like what I first imagined.... but I like it and thats what matters.

I've stamped up my free spirit waltzing mouse stamp in versa mark ink and embossed it and then distressed it with distress ink. My swallow charm and ribbon is from Tim Holtz. I've added a bit of  bling too, the label is a creative expression sticker. Papers are from my stash box.

Don't forget to look at the moon this evening (I know I'm getting sadder in my old age!) But its going to look bigger tonight as its closer to the earth ;)
thanks for stopping by xxx

Puppy dog

Not sure where all the time is disappearing to at the moment.... and worse still my lovely husband keeps pinching my craft room!!! i think because I've tidied it up and made some space (for me!) he thinks its his again.

I made this last week, one afternoon before picking up the kids. Its my Bella when she was a puppy. I think it was the first night we had her at our house. She's so cute :)

I've used a few bits out of the Make and Create February true love kit- lace, pins, heart banner and the lacey flower.

I've put some journaling lines on and I'll pop that on later.

Thanks for stopping by xx

Big school

At the start of January this year my youngest started infant school. I can't believe where the time goes as it doesn't seem that long ago since I bought him home from hospital!
I've finally found some super embellishments to compliment my photo and theme for this layout. I got them in a kit from this lovely little shop here called "The make and create shop". Anna has some gorgeous little handmade embellishment kits, put together with love as you can tell when you recieve them , they are beautifully wrapped and the feb kit was divine!! Go take a peek :)
Ollie is absolutely loving school and now into his 2nd term. He loves his reading and enjoys playing his maths games...but not into writing just yet lol! I think thats a boy thing as neither is Jamie.
Off to make some tea x thanks for stopping by xx

Loveable rogues??

But of course :)
I thought my scrapbook mojo had gone a little astray, but I was pleased last night with this layout. These are my 3 and my sisters 2 kids all together having a "proper" photo session.
We bought mum and dad a voucher for their wedding anniversay for them and the kids to have their pics taken altogether... we had loads done and even me and Heather joined in too.
Love this one of the kids, but it took ages to get them looking nearly all the same way! Fun times!

heres a close up of them, how very cute lol!
Loving the butterfly and gems/pearls think they look very pretty. The stamped butterflies are from the parisian anthology set by pink paislee.
thanks for dropping by xx ttfn x

I heart icecream

A quick post to show my latest scrapbook page. Took these photos of Ollie when we went to disney. We had a relaxing afternoon by the pool before going back to the magic kingdom in the evening. The big 2 had found some friends so me Paul and Ollie sneaked across to the pool cafe and had a super yummy icecream :)
I think these photos just show how much he was enjoying it!

Us

 I've been looking through photos recently and found this one of me and Paul when we went to Disney in 2009. I think the kids must have taken it as we queued for the boat to take us to the magic kingdom. its not very often we get photos together its usually one or the other with the kids (very usually Paul) I'm the one  who holds the camera. I've done a 6" x 12" size as I have an empty album and want to start and fill it. Its also a small photo so I thought this size would be ideal.

Heres a close up around the photo. I've used some stamps from the parisian anthology collection (you may see a lot of these babies cos I really like them ) and I used my prima flowers that I've had for ages but I thought they looked quite nice :)
I really like this style of scrapping so I may make some more of these layouts.
Enjoy your weekend...the housework is beckoning me... again :(

Halloween.....

Disney style :)
Another layout using Kirsty's sketch this week. I loved it! I've used my lovely echo park papers and pretty much inked and distressed everything. The boo stamp is from waltzing mouse. Instead of adding flowers I added a ruffle of SU ribbon.
 While the kids were in Disney they had thechance to attend Mickey's halloween party! They all 3 got dressed up and held their treat bags open wide!!! (They brought some home for me too!)

And here's a little close up of the gorgeous lettering that comes in the paper pack :)

Snow mowing

This is my latest scrap page from Kirsty's Wednesday night online crop. We used a sketch provided by Emma (one of the online participants). this is my youngest playing out in the snow back in january. He was having great fun and when I asked him what he was upto he replied " I'm snow mowing".   :)