How long has it been.................

My, I didn't realise I had been away from blogging for so long. Things have been bit hectic in our house. Each of us has been ill. Hubby started it all off, with the flu/cold like bug that knocked him for six. I followed shortly after and was ill leading up to xmas, then early hours of Boxing Day DS went down with the sickness bug. This has made him very poorly. Today has been the first day over the xmas holidays that we have felt anything like normal. As you can imagine not much of my Xmas Journal has been done, but I have been printing off each day religiously and intend to complete it in the new year.

To try and cheer ourselves up we went to the cinema Friday afternoon to see 'The Golden Compass' it is a lovely film and would recommend it.

Today I have been stamping some of my 'Sugar Nellies' ready to colour. This is about as much as I have been able to muster. I was so looking forward to having some crafting time this xmas holiday, but it just hasn't happened. At least everyone seems to now be over the worst in this household so I can look forward to more crafting in 2008 I hope. Hope everyone had a good xmas. X

A bit behind.........

I am a bit behind with my Xmas Journal, actually way way behind. Here is day 2 'All about the weather'. I printed a snowflake from http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/ onto acetate and placed it over my journaling. Papers are BG Figgy Pudding. The Journaling reads:-

OH, THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS……….

Winter weather should be cold, frosty and even snow occasionally.
I can remember as a child having a good sprinkling of snow at least
three of four times during the winter. Every year we would be able
to make a snowman, throw snowballs and have a wale of a time
making snow angles. These days we hardly see it at. These things I
enjoyed as a child are sadly not enjoyed by my own son, who is 9
years old and only made a snowman twice!

Weather today, is wet, dull & dreary.

Must now get on with the other pages........................

Sorry,

Havn't kept up with my Xmas Journal. Monday I was given the news at work, that they where making me redundant. Finish date is 30th March. Had a suspision that this would happen, and was half expecting it, but it has still come as a shock. Coming to terms with it now, bit aprehensive to what the future will bring, but hopefully I will have more time to craft than what I have had these last few years. I will be bouncing back soon, and will catch up on my journal. I keep looking at all the lovley things you are creating. Love them all. X

Been busy today.....

making my Xmas Journal. Decided to use a 8x8 BIA chipboard cover and pages. I have covered the chipboard with BG Dasher paper. A few sheets that where left over from last year, but I have bought some of the lovely BG Figgy Pudding to use for the pages inside. I started the cover earlier in the week but finished it off today. I am going to keep my pages very simple I think because I know I am going to struggle to keep up with all the journaling. December is always busy for us, what with present buying, xmas parties, school christmas activities etc that I struggle to remember all the good things that Xmas brings. I am hoping that my journal will help me reflect on Xmas and focus me on the important things.

Didn't realise..............

How long I have been away. Life has been throwing a few challenges out at me. I have been having a pretty bad time at work. I am currently going through a re-assessment for a reduced number of jobs. We had two weeks to complete a form detailing your achievements, this form is then submitted and then you just have to wait for them to make their decision. I will know my fate on Monday (3rd Dec). Will I have a job or will I be surplus to requirements and leave the company end of March! My mood has been very up and down, like a roller coaster ride.

On top of this we have been decorating! The kitchen refit was started back in June and has only just been completed today, with the fitting of the floor covering. We have also decorated the living room and had a new carpet fitted in there as well. Now these are complete I may be able to do some more crafting. I have joined in Shimelle's 'Journal your Christmas' class. I saw so many lovely journals on people blogs last year, it inspired me to join in this year. Not sure I will be able to keep up and do a page for every day, but I am determined to have a great time. I will try my hardest to keep this blog up to date, hope you will stop by and have a peep now and again. X

26 Years..............

Today 26 years ago I married this guy. Wouldn't change a thing over that time. He is just the best. XX

No Time.........

No time this weekend for crafting. Busy Busy weekend we have had taken up with DS and his indoor bowls. Saturday morning is his indoor session at Beccles. Saturday afternoon taken up making things for the buffet table for the Summer outdoor presentation evening. Then today he had an Ozzie Pairs competition at Browston Hall. Poor old Mum has been taxi driver most of the weekend. Have had a good time though supporting DS in his sport. Hope to do some crafting during the week. Still have quite a few Xmas cards to make and time is running out!

More Christmas cards...

It has been a bit manic in our household. Monday I was at a funeral. My DH Great Aunt Betty. She was such a character, but had 94 good years. Rest in Peace Betty. With that and last night attending parents evening at my DS school I have had no time to share my newest card creations. Again they are very simple (but that is my style), again using Penny Black stickers, with red cardstock and papers from my 6x6 DCWV christmas printed paper pack. Four cards in less than an hour.....quite quick for me. Hope to share more with you soon. Have a great day whatever you are doing. X

Had some spare time...

So I made some cards. Normally on Thursday evenings I go to Linedance lessons. The lesson this week was cancelled at short notice so I made use of that time and made some quick Xmas cards. I used some Penny Black snowman stickers I bought last year in one of the sales. Grape coloured card and some beautiful grape glittered snowlakes on card, that I bought in Aspects, in the Mall, Norwich earlier in the week. Hoping to do some more crafting this weekend........

Busy day..............

But no crafting I am afraid. Have spent most of the weekend doing chores around the house and garden. Really please with what we have achieved. The garden is looking especially lovely. Wonder how long that will last........Hope to share some cards & scrapbooking soon.

Had one of those days.........

Today was a day I thought I would be able to take some time out and do some crafting. Last week at work has been so manic I was really looking forward to having this time to myself doing what I like best. I thought I would start some Christmas cards, but inspiration was not happening, I had some images stamped and already coloured, but do you think I could complete a card I was happy with. In the end all I made was this card. It is a Penny Black sticker, on cream card, with the blue from 6x6 K & Co, Tim Coffey Xmas pad, (which I must have had for a couple of years) and the green is from DCWV, 12x12 Christmas Glitter Pad. I have also punched out some snowflakes and added to the blue.

As I couldn't get on with the card making as I would have liked, I turned to scrapbooking. I haven't done much scrapbooking over the last few months, Card making seems to have taken first place these last few weeks. This was a disaster as well. I decided I would have a go at the September challenge set by the GO GO girls. The challenge was to use the Scrapagogo September kit and a produce a page using a sketch issued by them. September's kit was fabulous stash from Hedi Grace with lots of lovely pinks/purple colours. Now my house is full of males (even the dogs) so my first task was to find photographs suitable, the sketch had 4 photo's on it and I struggled straight away. I could only find one that I thought would be suitable. It was from our holiday in Florida last year. We went to Gatorland and our friend Terry, got picked out of the crowd to be part of one of the shows. He ended up holding a SNAKE! Anyway, do you think I could get this photo and papers to look anything remotely like the sketch, could I hell, so I just started to do my own thing. I was quite pleased and had already decided what the title was going to be, something I normally get stuck with. Being very pleased with myself I started to set out the title, using the Heidi Grace alphabet rub-on's that came with the kit. What a disaster that was, I am not a lover of rub -ons I have to admit, but these just drove me to despair. They did not come off when you rubbed them, but when I accidentally dropped one on the layout, IT STUCK! The title ended up so bad, I just had to cut it away and make some changes to the LO. Luckily I was able to cover up this disaster but I am not 100% happy with the end result. I am sure I can't be the only one that has days like this :-)

Busy day at work

Work is so mad at the moment.............absolutely shattered by the time I have got home, cooked tea, helped DS with homework. Popped into Smiths this morning and noticed Scrapbook Inspirations on the shelf and bought one. Going to colour in a couple of Magnolia images I have stamped then off to bed to read my mag.........

Day at home..

Well DS woke up this morning with a tempreture and bad headache. DH had been off work last week with a similar thing. Had to phone into work today to say I couldn't come in. Boss was OK about it but things there are not good there at the moment. There are cut backs galore, mainly in the staff area so I can see this is not going to do me any good in earning brownie points. Never mind. It is so difficult being a working mum. Being at home has given me some extra time this week to craft. I am normally a scrapbooker but I am into making cards at the moment. Todays creations are another Magnolia stamp, Tilda blowing hearts and two using the Bella stamps I ordered from First Class Crafts the other week, but hadn't got around to using yet. Better go and clear up all the mess I have made now!

I am on a Roll.............

I am having such a great time playing with my Magnolia stamps. Here is another card completed. Kitty over here http://kittyskrafty.blogspot.com/ is having a Blog Candy Giveaway to celebrate having 5000 hits on her blog. (Can't think I will ever get to that many) Kitty is such a talented crafter and runs First Class Crafts, a fabulous shop selling such lovely stamps and the service you get there is fab. Thanks Kitty for such lovely things. Anyway as I am one of the people who has helped get her to 5000 hits I thought I would enter her little competition. This is not something I do normally but thought I would have a go. Anyway, here is my effort. Must now go and do the household chores, then perhaps I will do some more Magnolia stamping.......... XX

Look at what I have made..........

At last I have found some time to craft. I am a lurker on the UKScrappers site and have been following the thread on Magnolia Stamps. I have gone completly mad on these, like a few other fellow crafters LOL. I own three at the moment, but last night I ordered some more...I now have about 10 on pre-order! Hope they arive soon. Anyway last night I managed to sit down and do some crafting here is my first card using these beautiful stamps. They are such a joy to use. I think there may be many more on there way..............watch this space!

Work gets in the way

Well been back at work for one week and boy has it been busy. Had no time to craft this week. I was hoping to do some cards today, but woke up with a bad head. Not in the mood to do much but mope about feeling sorry for myself. Lets hope I can get some crafting done soon..........

Busy, Busy, Busy

Ohhh, I am nearing the end of my two weeks away from work. I had so much I planned to do. We did finish off painting the Kitchen Bank Holiday Monday. This has been a project that has taken longer than it should have done really, Various things happening have set us back, and of course the Cricket gets in the way during the week-ends. Just a couple of more Sunday games left then it is finished for season. Then we should be able to lay the new floor and finish off the little details, and Kitchen will then be finished.

I had planned to do so much crafting, but not much being done at all. I have started my Shimelle class 'A picture is worth a thousand words', it is about our holiday this year spent in Portugal. I'm about half way through the project. I have to smile Shimelle in her examples says her books take aprox 4-5 hours to complete. I have spent 7 hours on mine already! I am such a slow scrapper. I have also signed up for this class //http://www.shimelle.com/classes/ It will take some for me to keep up with journaling everyday, but I am going to have a good go.

I have also been very naughty and ordered some Magnolia Stamps, from http://www.sillymonkeycrafts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=106_109 These are creating a storm at the moment on UKScrappers, and I just fell in love with them.

Well off now to have a tidy up in my craft room, you can't even see the desk! and hopefully have a play. Bye for now.

3rd Place...............

Well, The floodlit competition went ahead on Tuesday evening. Ryans team came third. Well done to them all. Here is a piture of Ryan in his 'Heard' shirt.


It Drizzled with rain most of the evening, and it felt like the middle of November temperature wise, but it was a good evening.

Yesterday I started doing my 'A picture is worth a thousands words' class by Shimelle. A little late I know..........but I was on holiday when the class started and this is the first time I have had available to make a start. Havn't done any today, as I have one of my headaches, and crafting is not good when I have one of them. Hopefully will finish tomorrow then share with you.......

Rain, Rain Go Away

My first day of my two week holiday and it hasn't stopped raining! Ryan was going to be playing floodlit cricket this evening over at the Vauxhall Mallards ground, Brundall. Mallards are hosting a week of cricket under floodights and Hales (Ryans Cricket team) where playing tonight against three other teams, with the final and 3rd/4th places being played tomorrow evening. Instead now, all the matches will be played tomorrow as 10 over matches. Pray the weather will be better!!

Havn't done much crafting today. I have two photo's of us on the rapid ride at Alton Towers, that I want to scrap. My MOJO has up and left so I have been looking through some scetches to try and find somthing that I think will work. Found one.......off now to look for some papers etc.