OOPS!

Looks like I've been AWOL again! So what's happened since my last visit to this dear blog...

Madison started walking & now has a very pretty pair of purple shoes, with 3 little hearts on the bottom! How clever of her to put her feet like this for my photo! Especially as she fell asleep like that! LOL

Madison now has 10 teeth however I don't think any of them apart from the bottom two at the front have come through in the order they should!
Kyle has just turned the grand old age of 9!!!I was very proud of him because his birthday was on Remembrance Sunday this year and as a cub scout, he took part in the Remembrance Parade in Crewe!

Every year, I take a photo of him holding up his fingers to show his age, only one more year of doing it though or the socks & shoes will have to come off! Above is a rare photo of him & below is a normal photo of him - well, you know what boys are like!
I've finally seen a Rheumatologist and as usual, consultants don't like giving a proper diagnosis so I was told it's 'Highly Likely' that I have ME/CFS as well as the Fibromyalgia :( So now I'm waiting for physio & occupational therapy appointments as well as a trip to the Chronic Fatigue Service.

And Andy is putting up with us all - bless him!!!

As far as crafting goes, I've been plodding on with a Crochet Bag, knitting scarves, scrapping in real life & digitally, making cards for birthdays where I can - oh no, I better get on with the dreaded C******** cards too lol - and I've signed up for an Art Journal Circle Journal on UKS, which starts in Jan 2012.

Speaking of UKS, I hosted my first solo challenge on there in October - here are my 2 example LOs - using a different size photo, halloween colours & a stamp thats never used!

I was interviewed by Lisa Griffin, a fairly new DT member in ScrapaGoGo Land - the interview was posted on Kyle's birthday - you can read it here if you want to know more about my scrapping history!

The Chinese Whispers CJ in GoGo Land has come to an end but never fear, I will still make use of my kits - I've signed up for 2 more!!! These are the 10 LOs I've created over the course of this first CJ. Chinese Whispers are the best type of CJ's - I love being able to use my stash for a LO that I get to keep! LOL

Thanks for stopping by :)
x

Haircut 101

Upon seeing the fabulous paper from My Minds Eye 'Stella & Rose - Hattie, Happy' collection in my April GoGo kit, which just begged to be cut into & decoupaged and then seeing this LO from Sheena Rowlands, I just had to get the scissors out!

The photo was of me, taken at the grand old age of 5! It was a school photo taken on a Monday after I had decided to cut my hair on the Saturday afternoon! Yep! You read that right! I was cutting chunks of my hair off and putting it into an old shoe box while pretending that each bit of hair was an 'ingredient' in my recipe for tea. My mum was hanging out the washing and helping me with suggestions of another vegetable to put in, completely unaware that I had a pair of scissors in my hand! I can still remember her face when she looked in the box and then at me! Hence the rather short fringe and flicked hair, it was the best the hairdresser could do to tidy up my hair! lol

And of course, while the kit was out, I completed this LO too - photos of Mickey & Costa as kittens, chillin' in one of their usual spaces - Costa in the sun while Mickey was often to be found in a box! Bless him!

Pinch Punch

The 1st of August 2011 can only mean 1 thing... my BFF Suzy is celebrating her eldest son turning 18!!! Happy Birthday Nick :) & Happy Birth-day of Nick to Suzy & Simon :)

However the 1st of the month also means its ScrapaGoGo Chinese Whispers CJ time - it was a bit of a rush this month but I'm still pleased with this LO using the June kit - based on a LO sent to me along the Chinese Whispers line and the title is similar to this LO from Sarah Youde. The journalling reads 'After a fall off his bike, Kyle only had hugs for Lumpy - my teddy! Of course, he was only on loan! He always is!!!'

A Boy & His/My Teddy

And a couple of close-ups because I'm trying out taking close-ups!!! LOLAs I typed this, I realized I haven't blogged any Circle Journal LOs since March's! Oops! So without further ado...

Gone (using ScrapaGoGo May kit)

The Masks (using the April GoGo kit)

Another of my recent LOs was of Madison's first smile - caught on camera on Day 2!!! I used more of the lovely Cosmo Cricket Pixielicious range I love so much!

First Smile

Do you like my 3D butterfly? I know it doesn't take much, but I am rather impressed with it!
I punched it out of the purple spotted acetate, which I then used as a mask for the Wild Honey Distress Ink before securing the acetate butterfly on with variegated thread from WRMK Sew Easy range.

GoGo Chinese Whispers - 2 for the price of 1 !!!

Regular readers may remember I'm part of a Chinese Whispers Circle Journal over in ScrapaGoGo land... I completely forgot to blog my LO at the beginning of April so now you have 2 to look at...

Just the 2 of Us - using March's kit, is of Andy & I on my favourite bridge, Luzerne, Switzerland in July 2007 - we were smirking slightly as I was balancing the camera & trying to take the photo AND not drop it in the water!!!


and

Catching Butterflies - using February's kit - Madison in mid-snoore/snooze!!!

WOYWW 99 or rather What WAS on my desk on Wednesday!

Another one of those weeks means that WOYWW is a Wednesday photo of my desk but posting on Friday! WOYWW 99 already - I can't believe how quick Wednesday came round - must be to do with all the bank holidays at the moment, it really throws me - I can never remember what day it is!!!

I'm working on a LO using the April ScrapaGoGo kit - this was one of those kits that I took one look at the preview and thought NOOOOOOOOOOO - its so not me!!! But when I saw some of the LOs created by the Design Team it soon made me change my mind!

After all, the initial reason for signing up for a monthly kit was to push me out of my comfort zone and this kit certainly fits the brief!!!

Looking at this photo has made me realize that I've been working in a very small space and everything is starting to encroach on my workspace! Must be time for a tidy up again!!!

But that won't be happening until after the Royal Wedding!!!

Chinese Whispers CJ - Feb

I know, 2 posts in one weekend! What the heck is going on!!! LOL

Thought it was about time I uploaded the LO I created for the Chinese Whispers CJ I'm taking part in over at GoGoLand - this was 'lifted' from a LO sent to me on 1st February - I used January ScrapaGoGo kit as the colours were just perfect, I felt, for this photo of Kyle sitting upon a stone lion, telling it to Giddy Up!!! This was in May 2004, when he was 18 months old.


So cute!

Scrapology February Challenge

Finally!

Nothing like last minute again!!!

As soon as I saw this challenge on Scrapology using punches & a sketch, I knew I just had to take part - a perfect excuse (not that I need one really!) to use some of the fabulous Martha Stewart & EK Success punches I have. But as usual, I was completing other projects & the life of a little one doesn't always allow for lots of scrapping time, so before I knew it, the deadline of... today (eek!) was looming large!

But I've done it...

I love this photo of my little man with an early smile, but I ALWAYS look at it and see those Scratch Mitts - that would never stay on! I used to say they were the bain of my life!!!

And what I have I just noticed as I've uploaded it here - my first spelling mistake on a LO title! Oops!!! But I think I'll leave it like that and write a note on the back to find again in future years - maybe by another generation!

Quick LOs

Hullo - I'm still here... and STILL waiting for baby to arrive... if Mother Nature still hasn't taken over before Tuesday, then I'll be going in to be induced! Come on Little Lady - everyone is getting impatient, especially ME!!!!!

I've managed to do several LOs though in the past week or two while I've been waiting and I'm now down to doing LOs with kits and/or instructions so I can complete them quickly - just in case!!!

So firstly, Hello Mr Dragonfly - I was quite happily scrapping when I heard Gizmo behind me and a very LOUD buzzing noise... turned out she had caught this beautiful dragonfly. Andy managed to rescue it and the camera came out rapido to get some photos as it recovered from its ordeal. I don't think I've ever seen a dragonfly soooooooo close before so I was really happy to get some decent shots of it. Then I just had to wait for my September ScrapaGoGo kit to arrive as I knew the contents of the kit would be perfect for these photos. With the addition of some pre-made ribbon dragonflies from BF Suzy, the LO was complete...

I also had another perfect photo for the same kit - Andy & I went to the 'official' opening of Rare Aquatics in Crewe and I had to take a photo of this pleco Jo had in a tank. I was gobsmacked at the size of the fish, probably about 8 or 9 inches in length and those teeth!!!

I managed to take part in the UKS weekly challenge this week - to scrap an obsession or guilty pleasure - well, as I don't wear matching socks anymore and was proudly wearing my new Little Missmatched socks that day, I set to work basing it on a sketch from the Bo Bunny blog - this turned out to be a very BRIGHT LO!!!
And finally today I did this Tasty LO - one of the quickies! This LO was courtesy of my fabulous teamie on UKS, MJ who put this class kit together for a DLO and gave it to us at our retreat back in June. I only wanted to do a SLO so also based it on a LO that another fabulous teamie Katy created from the same kit, here. Thank you ladies for the inspiration! Photo is of Kyle when he was approximately 10 months old - just enjoying a quick snack!!! There was a very soggy end to that french bread by the time he'd finished munching on it!!!

There is something else crafty I've created but I can't show it yet as it is for a certain Godmum to be!!! Be patient Suzy - I'm not!!! tee hee!

Maybe on my next blog post I'll finally be able to introduce you to the Little Lady!

An excuse???

Does this count as an excuse for not doing the washing? Hope so, cos its my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Mickey sleeps in the strangest of places! He particularly likes sleeping on paper!
Have niece Emily and nephew Joe with me today. Took them and Kyle to see How To Train Your Dragon today in 3D - first time I've seen a film in 3D, it is good but the film was better - if you've been thinking about going to see it, then stop thinking and go! You'll enjoy it!

Had a very creative day yesterday - what, again? I hear you cry - yup! I'm using up my GoGo kits or at least trying to! Not all my own Mojo at use, a few lifts but credit is given!

First, a mini book (from October 2008 kit) called Concentration - with pics of Kyle concentrating on writing a story and playing the Wii! Painted the back of each chipboard page and used similar papers that Nicola on the GoGo DT used and kept the journalling very short & sweet!Then before the remnants of the kit were 'filed' away, I created 2 layouts

"Rocky"
Rocky is my wolf in the spirit world who looks after me, my family and my home. I bought this picture about 20 years ago after seeing it in a shop, going home then having to go out again to get it! But I only found out about Rocky being my wolf about 4 years ago!

And lastly "Priceless" - my first LO about my dear nephew Dylan - this photo was taken just before his 1st birthday! He's now 2 1/2!

Posing!

Some more creativeness and another blog post - 2 in a week, whatever next!

Firstly my LO 'Just Posing' created for March Week 5 Challenge over on UKS. Used Cosmo Cricket Snorkel range - only to realize that this is now the second LO of Kyle after a bath using the same range - oops, oh well, it just lends itself so well to Bathtimes!

Just Stalking The Dog is a LO about something Kyle did on a regular basis once he learnt to crawl. Luckily the dogs (only Sam showing in the photos) were very good with him and would do a gently growl or move away, which of course, meant that Kyle would carry on chasing them!
I used the March GoGo kit and heavily lifted this LO from one of the DT members, Angie, using Bella Blvd Superstud paper and Sassafrass Amplify papers & letters. I'm a sucker for papers that I can cut something out of - its very therapeutic!

Also using my GoGo kit I completed the project kit of BoBunny Arrow Mini Book - all about Kyle and his posing!So for the 3rd month running, I have made an extremely heavy dent in my GoGo Kits IN THE SAME MONTH - only embellishments left really and some cardstock but plenty of use out of the stamps! Wonder if I can manage it for a 4th month or even all the year!? Hmmmm.....

Monster Post Alert!

OK - I admit it... I'm not very good at keeping my blog up to date but I think I can be ever so slightly forgiven due to the pregnancy sickness! Now 15 weeks pregnant, only 25 to go!!! Had a 2 week break of sickness but it came back this week but thankfully it hasn't been as bad as last month!

Have managed to get my creative streak back into gear though and throughly used up my February ScrapaGoGo kit on the next 3 LOs and a cute mini book - I don't think I've ever (in the 2 years of subscribing) ever used up a kit so quickly!

This was Kyle enjoying his 'Valentine' biscuit in Feb 2009 and as the title shows, he wasn't sharing!!!

Should really have this LO in my section of Photos I Love - photo of DH taken on our first trip to Disneyland Paris. Created the background circle/scalloped edging by hand and used Fired Brick Distress Ink for the scallops.

Created this LO about how the two men in my life get on so well with each other. Did this LO for the March Week 3 Challenge over on UKS.

Then on UKS it became time for my team The Indecisives to set a challenge - being an indecisive bunch, we actually set 3 challenges. I wasn't well enough to get my LO completed before the challenge went live, but I've finally completed it today...

This was for our Challenge No. 2 - where we had to scrap our favourite holiday, using colours of the flag of the country, 1 or 3 photos, use Stamping as a technique (see the stars!), follow a sketch (created by my talented teamie Katy Fox) and use a form of journalling that we haven't used before - as you can see my Dymo machine got used - only had it about 6-7 months without using it, so this seems like an ideal time.

Remember the mini book I created using the Feb GoGo kit, I selected just a few of my favourite and sometimes funny photos to do a mini book just about us as we are now (before Bump arrives!) Here are a few pages from it...

I cut up my GoGo box into 3x4" pages, used some acetate pages and some tags and ended up with a 24 page mini book. Can't take full credit for this little book though - I saw the idea a while back on Kevin & Amanda's blog here to create a mini book using scraps!

On top of those LOs and mini book, I've been doing some circle journals as well. Only a tease of a photo to show you though, can't have the recipient knowing too much about their CJ before they get it back!

This is using the ScrapaGoGo kit for March using a mix of the Sassafras Lass Amplify range and the fabulous GoGo designed stamps.

Now I will try not to leave it so long til my next post - Honest! I'll Try!!!

Ally

x

And the news is...

I have another Layout to share with you - quite a lot of pink in it and those that know me will know that this is very much outside my comfort zone! But everything on this Layout is from the February 2009 ScrapaGoGo kit and as I haven't used it yet, I thought I better get on with it!

This layout was created a few days ago but I wanted to show it to my close friend Suzy in person before I uploaded it here, UKScrappers, or GoGoLand. I would have shared it yesterday but I left it at Suzy's house complete with my Dec09 GoGo Kit - not good, I had withdrawal symptoms from my kit!!!

Met up with Suzy & her hubby Simon this morning in Sandbach for a relaxing breakfast of Eggs Benedict & Coffee. Suzy came back to my house while Simon did the shopping - she has him well trained! Fortunately he brought my yellow box back so here is my layout!




And a close up of the Journalling for the news...