:: Pretty ::

Is there anybody out there...?

2011-07-05T20:05:00.000+01:00

Hello - I'm just popping in to say hello, I'm still alive, and I am sorry for abandoning my poor little blog.

I have every intention of either resurrecting this one, or even starting a new fresh one, very soon. In the meantime, there's a new post over at Banana Frog if you fancy popping over to see the first bit of scrapping I've done in weeks!

I need this book in my life...

2011-03-20T21:35:00.000Z

Firstly - apologies to my blog friends for not visiting recently - time is running away with me lately but I promise I'll be back round soon.

In the meantime, I have to show you this book, which I saw in a shop window this weekend and had to stop and photograph. It is wonderful! I may have to treat myself to it. The only problem currently is that I don't know how to knit. I can do a plain knit stitch (taught to me as a child, but I never got any further than that), and I can do a very slow and painstaking purl stitch - but if I can manage to find the time, I'm going to try and improve my skills through the wonder of YouTube videos (which is also how I taught myself to crochet - I love the internet!).

I had a lovely time at scrap club this weekend, and I made two pages (neither of which are going to win any awards, but hey ho - sometimes just getting the photos actually scrapped is enough). I haven't got around to photographing them yet, but I did manage to snap a picture of this little card this morning before I popped it in the post to my darling friend who squeezed out baby Noah last week. I snaffled a go on the butterfly punch (Martha Stewart) from my friend Elizabeth (thank you Elizabeth!), and I have to say it is as good as so many before me have said - I love it.

TT4N xxx

Finished Object (at last!) :: Enormo-Quilt

2011-03-13T16:47:00.000Z

At last! It's done and in situ - and I'm really pleased with the result. About half way through the actual quilting, I became really disheartened - it looked so wonky, was full of mistakes, and was taking forever; as well as the fact that wrestling with that much fabric under the sewing machine is pretty exhausting.

Now it's finished and in place, I don't really notice any of the mistakes, and I suppose the slight wonkiness in places adds to the handmade 'charm'. They say that you forget the pain of childbirth once it's over (can that possibly be true?!!) and I like to think the making of this quilt is a bit like that - I know I whinged about it when I was doing it and swore never again, but now I'm thinking I'd quite like another!

Now let me bore you with lots of photos:

I learned to make this in an online class I took last summer called Home Ec - I believe it's running again soon, so if you want to dabble in a bit of sewing but would like someone to hold your hand and tell you what to do, I can heartily recommend it.

P.S - if you've got a few minutes spare, go look at the lovely lovely lovely things here.

Winner!

2011-03-12T19:06:00.000Z

...and the winner of my little birthday giveaway is Joeski! Congratulations - random.org chose you!

Drop me an email Joeski with your address and let me know which design you like, and I'll get your little clutch in the post to you.

In other news, the enormo-quilt is finished at last. Photos to come!

Enormo-Quilt-In-Progress

2011-03-11T20:18:00.001Z

I've had a little break from the internet, and while I've been away I've been doing battle with the enormo-quilt. Battle is definately the right word; I haven't enjoyed making this one as much as I did the smaller one. It's just such a lot of wresting around with huge quantities of fabric, and it's hard work keeping it all rolled up so it fits under the sewing machine. As a result, it's a little 'rustic', and definately wonky in places, but then I suppose that's the beauty of handmade! I'll be pleased when it's finally finished and I'm sure I'm going to like the end result, but I think that will be enough huge quilt making for a while; although I might make another crib sized quilt next.

I've just finished quilting the top, and it's just the bias binding to attach now. Look - it's so pretty! Stripes!

I'm hoping to get this finished over the weekend, and then I'll have an FO to show.

I'm going to draw the winner for the birthday giveaway tomorrow too - watch this space!

Oh, and I was super pleased with the comments I received on my first Banana Frog DT project - thank you!

Banana Frog - Project of the Day

2011-03-05T08:30:00.004Z

It's my first Project of the Day over on the Banana Frog Blog today - go look, go see, and let me know what you think!

Banana Frog Blog Hop!

2011-02-28T09:00:00.003Z

Hellooooo! An extra special hello to you if you've found your way here via the Banana Frog Blog Hop.

I've been using the little heart from the Charming Prince set. I must confess to wondering what on earth I would do with this set when I received it, as I don't scrap children very often and it didn't strike me as being my style. But what I love about stamps is that you can take little elements of them and use them in different ways - for these little embellishments I used the heart shaped stamp, which is the perfect size.

Out came the shrink plastic (it always always reminds me of being little and me and my friends putting crisp packets into the oven to shrink and turn them into key rings! Anyone else?!) and I stamped the heart several times using Stazon. I coloured some of them in using permanent pens, and then it was shrinking time. I can never seem to get on with using a heat gun on shrink plastic - it all just blows away from me and gets curled up and stuck. The easy way is to plonk them on a baking tray and pop them into a hot oven; just a couple of minutes later they come out all nice and flat and shrunk.

These will get popped into my button tin ready to use on a layout or card.

Ready to jump to the next stop on the hop? Go visit Audrey's blog next!

Excuse me whilst I bask in my own glory...

2011-02-27T10:29:00.000Z

... but I am feeling rather pleased with myself!

I mentioned in my post the other day about my quilt making adventures - as usual I tend to dive right in and be a little ambitious about my projects. I am making a quilt for the bed, and of course it's going to be huge; I have sewn a large part of the top, bought batting and binding - but am awaiting delivery of some more white fabric to finish off the top before I can go any further. I really want it to be lovely, so I decided that I should practise the actual quilting on something a bit smaller first (this one measures approximately 40 by 40 inches). As I had a smaller bit of batting left over from last year, I decided to make a smaller practise quilt using some gorgeous Amy Butler fabric that I bought a while ago with no particular project in mind (but it was on sale! Sale! I can't resist a bargain!).

I am super pleased with the end result, and it actually came together pretty quickly - it was done inside a day. The bit that took forever was hand sewing the binding on. I have learned an important lesson: I need to practise machine sewing binding on, because there is absolutely no way I am going to be able to hand sew binding on a large bed quilt; my fingers will fall off!

Look at this lovely twill tape! £1 for a metre - bargain.

Perfect for a little label...

I am hoping that the large quilt comes together as well as this little one.

It's back to work for me tomorrow, so today holds lots of boring household chores, soup making for lunches, and I suppose I should really have a crack at the work I've managed to ignore all week. Honestly, I'm like a small child in the way that I put things off until the last minute.

Check back tomorrow to take part in the Banana Frog Blog Hop, and click here if you want to help me celebrate two years of blogging!

Birthday Giveaway

2011-02-25T13:28:00.000Z

via

It's hard to believe that I've been blogging here for two years now. You'll be pleased to hear that I'm going to spare you a gushy Oscar-style speech about how much I love all you dear readers. Instead, I'm just going to give you a birthday present.

Want to win one of my little bags? Leave me a comment, and I'll pick a winner on Friday 11th March. You can choose whichever design you like from the shop.

I hate it when giveaways require you to jump through hoops like blogging about it, visiting shops and picking your favourite items, blah blah blah - so none of that is required (although if you want to blog/tweet/link me up, that'd be great. The more the merrier). For the sake of my own vanity, it would be nice if you clicked on the "follow" button, but it's not a deal breaker. I'm just spreading the blogging love!

Good luck!

Spring at the Seaside

2011-02-24T22:33:00.002Z

This is where we went today....

After days of rain, today was bright and sunny, and as it is forecast to rain again tomorrow and all weekend, I thought I should make the most of it and get out and about. I even persuaded my friend Tony to come with me :-)

We are so lucky to live so close to the sea. I love it. What I would really love though is a beach hut - but at the prices they go for around here, I think I will have to wait for a lottery win!

Aren't they pretty? There was even one which had double glazing, and when we peeked through the windows there was bunting, picnic tables and all sorts of pretties. Sigh. The middle photograph above is surely destined to be my craft studio one day. So, so pretty; the perfect size, and best of all is the fact that right behind me while I took the photo is the beach - so I could craft with a view!

We stopped to look at a pillbox - the sort of thing you would just walk straight past as it looks like a stone box. There is a little plaque which reveals it's history as a WW2 defence against invasion.

A secret garden...?

The flowers are doing their best to remind us that spring is here, the summer is on it's way, and the cold gloomy days of winter will be soon gone. Hopefully!

And this is what I've been working on this afternoon - I hope to have a finished product to show you before too long - although I have spectacularly underestimated the amount of fabric needed, and I haven't even thought about buying batting for it yet. Still - it's a start.

WOYWW?

2011-02-23T10:55:00.001Z

Hello! If you're joining me having followed a link from Julia's blog, welcome and it's nice to see you. Let me know you've been here and I'll definately come and pay you a recipricol visit! If you don't know what I'm on about, go visit Julia and see what all the fuss is about.

I haven't joined in with this for a couple of weeks, and so this week I thought I'd show some photographs of my hideously messy craft room. I feel so silly saying that - I'm very very lucky indeed to have a space to dedicate to all my crafty mess, but it probably won't be the case forever and so I'm trying not to expand to fill the space too much! I'd like to point out that "the camera never lies" is most definately not true - it does lie! It lies to me about the size of my backside in photographs, and it also seems to lie about the size of this room, which looks huge!. It is definately not this big, but if you'd like to imagine that I live in a huge rambling home with acres of space... you carry on!

Oh dear. Let's start with the floor, shall we? Bubble wrap from wrapping up parcels; those annoying plastic bags that come off of Thickers and which never seem to go back on properly; bits of old paper; offcuts of interfacing; I even spy a Distress Ink pad there. Around the walls, you can see I have attractively piled up a load of boxes, and precariously balanced on top my sewing box and a bit of quilt batting. Nice - design led.

On the wall is my butterfly picture (which someone commented on the other day and was super impressed when I said that I made it - happy!), and a picture of old Penguin books, which is actually wrapping paper.

Behind the door - another terrifying area, where once more I have gone for the 'pile it all up' method of storage. My wheeled tote bag leans in the corner (I say lean, because it's lost one of the legs that props it up. This annoys me every single time I use it), a bag of punches, a fold up chair, a bag I made as a present but have not yet given, and, usefully, a pair of bunny ears. Don't ask me why - I don't know.

Ah. The shelves of dooooom. Having lots of shelves in a unit like this is lovely. But I am the sort of person (as you may have already guessed) who, given space, will fill it up and pile it up with all manner of junk, until there is no space left. I love the idea of minimilism, but I just can't do it. I particularly like the bottom left shelf, where as you can see, I am stashing old boxes and bits of cardboard. Let's focus on something nice instead, shall we? On the right you see Betty, the beautiful blue typewriter. Top left is where I keep my little easel and try to keep a recent layout propped up there.

The desk itself is another shameful area. At the far end is a big box of stamps, and playing with stamps is what I've been doing here (and hopefully I'll be posting the results soon - I'm super pleased with how it came out). The sewing machine is in use too, so that just gets shoved out of the way whilst I stamp.

No area has survived the carnage. This little bowl used to be super pretty and held just a few spools of embroidery thread in pretty colours. Now it has become a dumping ground for tape measures and bits of old paper.

But. I always think that a messy work area shows that at least you have been doing something. I see so many photos on blogs of beautiful spaces, gorgeously decorated and fabulously organised. They're beautiful, but I can't imagine being able to make anything in them. Like it or not, I'm the kind of person who likes to drag everything out when making, and very often I don't have a clear idea in my head of exactly what I will and won't be using. So I make mess. I can't help it!

I've been making lots of clutch bags which I'm pleased to say have sold better than I expected. They look so pretty when they're all lined up.

I'm pleased with my stamped efforts and have some ideas forming in my head for another project, which hopefully I'll be able to show you soon.

I'm feeling rather pleased with my blog makeover still - do you like it?

So all in all - I'm feeling back in the groove again!

Blog Makeover

2011-02-20T07:00:00.003Z

I do love a lazy day right at the start of the holidays, and so Saturday was perfect for sitting about too much and faffing about with the blog layout. I was getting bored and fancied a change. I didn't mean to do so much, but I got carried away with myself - I quite enjoy messing about on the computer. It's all ended up looking very girly indeed, perhaps a little too much - but spring is on it's way, and the bunting cheers the place up a bit!

I wouldn't dream of pretending that I know what I'm doing, but blogger makes it pretty easy to customise things. I recommend Yummy Lolly, who has a great tutorial on adding a favicon (that's the little heart on the tab at the top of your screen). It's also where I got the bunting image from - I messed around with turning that into a .png file so it could be layered transparently over the background.

via dafont.

I like this font, and am very happy that blogger decided to make it so easy to use in the template itself. If you want to use it elsewhere, you can download that one too from dafont.

All feedback and constructive critiscism gratefully received! What do you like? What don't you like? Too fussy or busy?

P.S :: I noticed that Saturday was my two year blog anniversary! Thank you for visiting me here, and allowing me to not feel like I'm talking just to myself ;-) How would we feel about a giveaway soonish to celebrate?

Plotting

2011-02-19T09:56:00.001Z

Half term at long last. I'm not going to bore you with tales of woe about not having achieved enough, not having created enough, not having blogged enough. I'm just going to say hello, I've missed you, I'm back, and I'm totally over the moon to have a bit of time at last to myself.

Yep - it's half term and I've got plans! Which definitely include this bad boy - a stack of 8 fqs from the delicious Fabric Rehab. I'm thinking about finally making up the half square quilt from last summers Home Ec class.

Anyway. Nice to be back - what are you plotting?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What's been going on round here...

2011-02-06T12:01:00.000Z

Well hello! Where did that week go?! In fact, where did that month go? Scrap club seemed to come round super quick this month, but that's certainly nothing to complain about - especially when you get delicious treats to aid the creative process...

I managed two layouts this month (as always, apologies for the photos. I really do need to invest some time in finding out about taking half decent photographs of layouts).

I love these little chipboard Jenni Bowlin butterflies. They look so pretty covered in paper, although they do take an age to file down to shape (quite therapeutic though, and I discovered that a Warhammer file is the perfect tool. Who knew?!).

I love these Thickers - they're all matt and lovely. There are a lot of 'o's in that title!

^ I love all the little bits and pieces you can use from the borders and packaging of Cosmo paper :0)

In other news, I happily sold a couple of the clutches I posted about last week, and so I'm on a mission to make more. Look at the pretty fabric that arrived in the post yesterday - it's gorgeous!

A couple of random bits and pieces:

I have just noticed that in a couple of weeks I will have been blogging here (sporadically at times, admittedly!) for TWO WHOLE YEARS. How'd that happen?!

I'm still loving Julie's Twitter class. Come and play! I'm being entertained by all sorts of nonsense on there - particularly the Queen, who updates me with what the DofE is doing and when it is gin o'clock. I'm not sure this is what the geeks had in mind when the internet was invented, but I think it's marvellous.

I can highly recommend Lorraine Pascale's recipe for Glam Mac & Cheese. Delicious (but definately not low calorie!).

I have been to see Black Swan, and loveloveloved it. Go see. It's bonkers.

Busy busy busy

2011-01-29T15:12:00.000Z

After the good work done with the paper stash, I'm moving on to the fabric. I have some beautiful fat quarters which are just the right size for making these little clutch bags.

Listed on Etsy (after all, there are only so many that I can use myself!).

Hoping to be back with the scrapping soon (I have a lovely pile of sale price Thickers to get stuck into) - but awaiting more photos...

What I did on Saturday...

2011-01-23T09:42:00.000Z

I scrapped. All day long. I dragged a load of stuff downstairs and sat on the floor and scrapped all day long. It was bliss, and it's been too long since I did that. I stopped only to visit a friend who is making the most beautiful handmade crackers and was trying to work out a way to cut them efficiently - and ended up convincing him that a Cricut was what he needed. And so one was duly ordered! Having never even seen one in real life myself, I'm looking forward to seeing it!

So here's what I made. I finished off the half finished layout about our trip to Westminster Abbey.

I am so in love with this alphabet. It's from 'Campfire' by October Afternoon, and I may well need another sheet of them!

This layout is yet another one with stamped and heat embossed letters for the title. I can't get enough of that at the moment - I love the shiny and the look it gives - even if the floor ends up covered in the backings from foam squares! The font is Budmo Jiggler by Banana Frog - thank you Viv for the borrow!

And finally... A very old photo I found lurking at the bottom of my scraps box. The paper is 'Circa 1934' from Cosmo Cricket - I lovelovelove this collection.

Phew - that was a bit photo heavy! Thanks for dropping by!

This weekend...

2011-01-22T09:39:00.000Z

... is going to be productive. I can feel it.

Last night I got my scrapping things out to start on a page, and ended up having a mass sort out and reorganisation. Very therapeutic! I think I am finally, finally, at the stage I've been trying to get to for over a year; the stash is small, and contains only things I actually want to use. I've managed to get rid of all (well, most) of the papers I'm never going to use. The embellishments that are ugly have gone. The letter stickers that are beyond even the most eclectic of mixed titles are consigned to the classroom to be used by small people. I even went through my box of paper scraps and chucked out anything that had been lurking in there for months and which was never, ever going to get used. Look - all rubbish:

My resolution is to use what I love, while I still love it. How many of us have bought papers that we love far too much to use, put them away, and get them out a few months later to discover that we can't remember why they were quite so special?

I bought some papers (the first in a very long time this week) - and I'm determined to use them rather than save them. It sounds easy, but the instinct to squirrel them away and save them for something special is strong! I made a start last night on this:

That's the first thing I want to finish today. Then I've got another page in my head that I want to scrap, and after that I want to do a little sewing. I'm determined to spend no more than half a day on actual proper boring work this weekend, and the rest of the time I'm going to spend doing exactly what I love - pottering about with paper and fabric. Bliss.

Have a lovely weekend everyone x

P.S - I'm very much enjoying playing with Twitter and Instagram at the moment. If you fancy playing along, please say hello! I'm @annieannie1 on both xox

WOYWW?

2011-01-19T06:30:00.000Z

It's been a while since I joined in WOYWW, but I'm glad to be back! I'm writing this on Tuesday evening and hopefully I'll be able to visit lots and lots of you on Wednesday evening. My favourite thing about blogging is 'meeting' so many creative and inspiring people and WOYWW is the perfect way to do it!

So. Before I start on the what, I'd better begin with the desk. I moved house back in November (again - I'm the queen of housemoving and I think I should actually write a book on how to pack and move efficiently!), and I must confess that when I viewed this little old cottage, the thing that sold it to me was the second bedroom. Which, of course, I have no intention of using as an actual bedroom. I mean - it has shelves! A built in desk! It could have been made for a crafter!

As usual, please excuse the poor photography. I'm without my camera at the moment, and relying on my phone. The sewing machine is permanently out now, which makes it much easier to do a little bit here and there, and then just shut the door and ignore the mess. I've seen loads of great posts about talking about organisation of supplies and seen lots of lovely photographs of beautiful shelves with pretty things - but as you can see, I've gone for more of the 'shove it all on and hope you can find it again' approach.

I thought I'd show you the poster which I've got up on the wall. It's actually wrapping paper, but it's far too lovely to use as wrapping paper; I got it in a rather fabulous second hand bookshop (three floors!) in Arundel.

Yes, it's upside down in real life too. I didn't mean it to be, but I decided I quite liked it like that!

So, that's the desk; what's been on it? First up, a layout:

All about our recent Ofsted inspection, and featuring yet another photo of that cat - this time 'helping' me to mark my maths books. Grrrr.

I've also been playing with fabric. I know lots of people have this book...

...and so do I. I actually really like it, it's second only to my lovely Lotta Jansdotter book. The projects are fairly simple and there are lots of pretty pictures (and you can never have too many pretty pictures!). The bestest thing is that it comes with the fabric pieces ready cut out (I hate cutting out!) to make the bag on the front cover. The only thing I changed was to add a lining - I'm a fusspot and don't like bags without linings!

I decided to make another one in the gorgeous London print fabric for an Australian friend who has been to visit recently. I'm going to send it to her in and hope it reminds her of England a little bit.

So WOYWW? The list is so huge now that I can't promise I'll get round everyone, but leave me a link in the comments and I promise I'll come a visiting!

xox

Another layout...

2011-01-17T19:17:00.000Z

I'm feeling the scrapbooking love again!

Here's a layout I started at scrap club on Saturday, and finished off on Sunday. Another one with a stamped title - I'm getting back into the stamping again, especially given the price of Thickers (outrageous - I like to buy two packets at a time to avoid the frustration of running out of a particular letter after one title) - two packets of Thickers was going to cost me a tenner! I simply can't justify that (especially after looking at the enormous box of half used packets of letter stickers which don't have any vowels left...), so I've decided that stamped titles are the way forwards.

Excuse the rubbish photo! Focus instead on the rather natty little easel I got for Christmas. Super simple page, but I finally used up that die cut paper that's been lurking in my stash since before last Christmas.

Are you a letter stickers person or a stamped titles person? And what can I do with all those half used packets of Thickers? There are only so many pages you can do with mixed lettering before it stops looking quirky and starts looking just... blah. I think I'm going to end up giving them to the children at school to play with - they'll love them!

Well. That went well, didn't it?!

2011-01-16T12:07:00.001Z

So much for my New Year resolution of getting blogging more regularly! I have a very good excuse though... just three days into the new school term, we got the dreaded phonecall to say that Ofsted were coming the following Monday - and so started several days of non stop work, stress and pressure. I honestly don't think I did anything at all except work and sleep for days on end - it was like being in a bubble away from the real world! There was certainly no time for anything crafty. I'm glad to say it's over now (and went well), and in many ways it was good to get it over and done with right at the start of the year. Now I can turn my attention back to blogging!

It was scrap club this weekend, and as usual I had a lovely time. I worked on my final pages for Document: 2010, and I'm almost there with this album. It's super fat and I'm pleased with it; it makes a lovely record of a very strange year! There are a few bits and pieces left to do (I want to do a front page for it, and also a final page which will be a sort of 'review of the year'), but it's nearly there - and as I said in a previous post I'm not sure I want to do anything like this in 2011 as it did rather take over from one off layouts. However - I have already heard whispers of all sorts of exciting sounding 2011 projects which I may find difficult to resist!

This was one of the layouts I made, and tells the story of a lovely and very lucky little bunny rabbit. Just before Christmas, my next door neighbour disappeared - I just assumed she was away for Christmas. No sign was seen of her, and I kept looking out of my upstairs window to see this little bunny in a hutch in the garden. I never saw anyone coming in to feed her, and I was getting increasingly worried. By New Years Eve, I had decided that I had to do something, so I jumped over the fence and found a very hungry little rabbit, with no water, no food, no bedding and a filthy dirty hutch. I bought food, gave her water, cleaned the hutch and filled it up with hay and straw, and she turned out to be a gorgeous little thing; very friendly, easy to handle, and obviously very grateful that someone had come to her rescue! I had posted on Facebook about her, and in a happy coincidence one of my very best friends mentioned that she had intended to get her daughter a bunny for her birthday in March. Well, it's nearly March, isn't it?! A few investigations with a different neighbour revealed that the girl next door wasn't coming back and didn't want the rabbit anymore - so she's gone to live with my friend. Where she has been named Cloud and is being very, very pampered and spoiled and living the life of riley. What a lucky bunny, huh?

I am still in love with stamped embossed letters for titles. Not as instant as Thickers, but I do like the effect.

I've missed loads and loads in the blogging world recently, so if I haven't paid you a visit for a long time I apologise - I'm on my way! Let me know if there is something especially exciting that I need to see though, won't you?

Today I'm refusing to work - so Sunday holds a little more scrapping, and cutting out the pieces for a bag I need to make as a present. The especially good news is that after being extremely good about stash shopping (for scrapping anyway, I can't claim to have been especially good about buying fabric!), I have discovered that I am in desperate need of 12x12 cardstock and some new Thickers. I'm off to investigate my favourite online shops now - and I can't be held responsible if a few other goodies fall into my basket, can I?!!

Oh, and I've been lured back into the world of Twitter after giving up on it about a year ago. I've added a little button in my sidebar, so if you are a twitterer, feel free to add me! I am also trying to put a 'retweet' button on the end of my blog posts, but without any joy. If anyone has managed to do this sucessfully and could explain how to do it, please let me know!

New Year Resolutions

2011-01-03T18:50:00.000Z

Happy 2011 to you! It's always a strange feeling, I think, the New Year. The build up to Christmas goes on for so long, that once it's over and the Christmas decorations are put away (as mine were today), everything looks a bit bare and you remember that it's still winter and it's still dark and cold. It's all a bit grim, but to be honest as much as I don't want to go back to work tomorrow, I think I've probably spent far too long sitting around being lazy, and it'll do me good to get back into some sort of routine. Spring will be here soon, and I can't wait - I've had enough of dark winter evenings now!

I've been making things on and off whilst I've been MIA. I did little snowflakes (heat embossed onto black card) to tie to my presents, and went a bit bonkers making paper snowflakes to hang along the ceiling.

I've not blogged in ages, and over the holidays I even thought about giving it up for good. It felt like a chore, and that's no fun. I think I just needed a break though because I've missed it, and so my first New Year Resolution is to give my little old blog a bit of TLC. Resoultion number two is to make a dent in my growing stash of fabric before it gets out of control, and number three is to finish the monster crochet blanket, and try some different things in crochet. I might even try and learn to knit (especially since I received a book on knitting cakes for Christmas!). This is the best picture I have which shows the blanket beast - it's getting pretty big!

Resolution four is to make 12x12 layouts again. I really enjoyed doing the Document 2010 album (I've still got December to do) but I think I'm going to give it a rest in 2011. It ended up that I hardly made any single layouts in 2010, and all the scrapping I did was in that one album. So in 2011, I'm going to take the time pressure off and just make single layouts rather than committing myself to one long project. I've given up on resolutions like 'get fit, lose weight' etc etc!

I'm getting started this week, and so layout number one of 2011 will be telling the story of this little cutie.

Promise to post it here as soon as it's done!

Christmas Guilt

2010-12-23T12:20:00.000Z

Happy Christmas Eve-Eve! It's frightening to think that, as I'm guilty of pretty much ignoring Christmas creeping up on us. I (just about) made it to the end of school term, and since then I've more or less hibernated. We have no snow here unlike much of the rest of the country (and that has been cold comfort to two sets of friends who were affected by the airport closures - one made it, one is now having an unexpected Christmas in England), but nevertheless I obviously needed to spend some time getting my energy back after a very busy and stressful past few months. It's been lovely, all this R+R, but now I'm realising that it's two days to Christmas, and I have a to-do list that spans several pages and includes all the usual (for me) stuff - I still have three Christmas presents to buy (although not main ones thank goodness) and one last trip to the supermarket to do. This includes shopping for a dinner tonight for a lovely girl who just happens to be a vegetarian. She's here for Christmas day, too. I've realised this morning that I've somehow made it to 2010 without ever cooking for a vegetarian - so I've added to that list now by beginning researching what on earth I can cook!

As usual, Journal Your Christmas has suffered. It always does, but I think this year is the worst yet for getting behind. Frustratingly, a lot of the pages I have actually done are things to do with the end of term at school, and as such I'm not able to post them here. Here are a few detail shots though which hopefully give a feel. I'm pretty pleased with the bits I've done. Lots more to do though! I'm keeping a little notepad with just a couple of words by each date, which helps to remind me when I do a catch up session - I usually end up doing three or four pages at a time.

I'm still behind, and the temptation to leave it and try again next year is definately there - it's the thought of how much I like my last two albums that is motivating me to get it finished. Once that's done, I need to finish up the Document:2010 album (I think it's just November and December to go). I need to have a think about whether I want to do a similar project next year. I absolutely love the finished item, but with limited time the downside is that keeping up with these ongoing projects takes up most of my time and doesn't leave a lot left over for other projects - there haven't been too many one off 12x12 pages completed in the past six months or so.

Are you ready for Christmas? I'm going to get working on that to-do list today, and know that by tomorrow lunchtime everything is done and dusted and it's time to just enjoy the Christmassy loveliness! This is a snap of the Christmas present I bought one of my best friends (she won't be reading this, so I'm safe to show you!) - it's a print of a papercutting, bought from here, and I think the sentiment is definately a good one for this time of year :0)

xox

JYC - December 3rd/4th

2010-12-04T19:36:00.000Z

No more snow here - just endless rain and grey skies. Boo. But perfect weather for staying inside and catching up on Journal Your Christmas (although the darkness does account for the very poor quality of the photos). 3rd December is all about cards - so as usual, I included one of the cards I've made to send, and journaled inside.

I rediscovered these rub ons, which I've had for ages, and never used because the first few times I tried them they wouldn't rub on. However, in the year and a half they've been sitting in a box, they seem to have come back to life, because now they work like a dream! Which is fab, because I love all the different fonts mixed up.

December 4th - the perfect Christmas - again, journaling is hidden inside the little card.

My favourite thing about my December albums of the past is all the little bits and pieces added in between the pages, so I've started doing that again. Extra photos back to back, and one of the gorgeous October Afternoon wildcards (which are so pretty, I can hardly bear to use them).

More pages to come!

I've also picked up my crochet again - although the monster blanket is never going to be finished this winter - perhaps it'll be done in time for Christmas 2011...

Journal Your Christmas - The Beginning

2010-12-02T15:17:00.000Z

This is my third year taking part in Journal Your Christmas, and the albums I've made are probably my most favourite things I've ever scrapbooked. I love them. They're fat and gorgeous and capture all sort of everyday little details that seem like nothing at the time, but are wonderful when you look back on them. It's amazing how things change from one year to the next, even though they don't necessarily seem different or interesting at the time.

I've got a bonus snow day off work today, so I have made a start.

December 1st - journaling is inside the envelope:

The arrival of the snow had to be included, so one page simply wasn't enough for the 1st! Here's the second:

December 2nd's prompt is all about the weather - and in previous years I've made pages about rain and pages about my wish for a snowy Christmas - so how fabulous to be able to make a page about snow this year!

I make a page for every day in December, but I don't necessarily manage to make a page a day - if you see what I mean. This is likely to be even more true this year, since I don't currently have the ability to print photos at home. I plan on printing a few at a time (I'm lucky enough to have a shop with a photo printer within walking distance) and adding to the album every two or three days. I usually end up very behind by about week three as life gradually takes over, but I've learned a few tricks over the past couple of years.

Firstly, I don't expect every page to be a masterpiece. I know that there have been pages which I havn't particularly liked, or which I think look rushed, but when they are within the album as a whole, you don't notice them - in fact, when I look back, I can't remember now which ones I rushed through and didn't like at the time. The content becomes more important. Secondly, I keep the stash I use very limited (otherwise I spend all my time sifting through stuff to find the piece of paper I want to use). In addition to my box of paper scraps and a couple of sets of alphabet stamps, this is about it:

Finally, the tiny bit of prep that I did in advance really, really helps. I cut all the pages to size (6x12) in advance, and they are ready in the page protectors. I also made the date labels, which means I can just grab the right date, rummage around in my little box of die cuts and Christmassy bits, layer them all up randomly and end up with a date/embellishment all in one. Easy.

So. I've started - now just to try and keep up! Are you taking part in either JYC/December Daily/your own version? Link me up - I love looking at what everyone else is doing at this time of year!

P.S - I've just had a lovely email to say my little old blog has been featured on a list of top 50 scrapbooking blogs by a US site called A Guide To Art Schools. What a nice surprise!

Guide to Art Schools

Top 50 Scrapbooking Blogs

Hello December.

2010-12-01T19:12:00.000Z

Hello there - how was 1st December for you?

December has brought me a shiny new laptop, which is lovely - except I can't get used to the keyboard and so typing anything is taking an age! December also brought with it snow - at last. I was tired of watching news reports of the rest of the country covered in snow, whilst we just had very cold wind and a bit of drizzle. But this morning - snow! I was hoping for a snow day off school, but we were open for business as usual. We had a lovely day really though - by 9.05am we were cutting out snowflakes and sticking them to the windows:

December also arrived with the perfect snowy accessories - huskies! Here to visit as part of another year group's topic, but how wonderfully perfect that they came on a snowy day and could sledge around the field and playground.

And of course, December also brings with it Journal Your Christmas. I am less prepared than I have been for any other year, but I'm going to just get stuck in anyway. I'm starting with the best of intentions regarding blogging my pages, but we'll see how it goes.

Day One is all about stating your intentions for the month - your December manifesto. I'm not sure exactly what mine is going to be, but I know it's something to do with not getting caught up in the madness. I want a peaceful, quiet Christmas. I'm feeling a bit jaded with all the adverts, the winding up of everyone into a frenzy of spending, shopping, buying, panicking. The pressure to have a perfect Christmas, not put a foot wrong (and of course, to ensure that, you must buy all this stuff). Bah. I'm going to try and stay outside of all that this year, if I can. I have got shopping to do, but I've made a few things to give, I've got a few more things to make at some point, and so I'm hoping not to be brainwashed into buying a load of old tat! We'll see.

What did December 1st bring for you?

Hello again!

2010-11-28T20:15:00.000Z

I am still without internet (sob!) but I'm borrowing a friend's this evening to send some emails, so I thought I'd pop in and say hello. I have missed blogland! I've still been reading lots of blogs on my phone, but commenting is such a pain that it takes all the fun out of it (which is why I haven't been commenting - sorry!).

I've been getting back into the groove and started making stuff again, so I've got lots to blog about once the internet is back up and running. In the meantime though, look out for my project on the Banana Frog Blog on 1st December. Here's a peek...

MIA

2010-11-07T16:48:00.000Z

Just popping in quickly to say hello! I'm having some time off from the online world - I have got A LOT going on in my real life world right now, and so I'm focussing on that. But - I hope to be back at the beginning of December, with lots of lovely Christmassy things to share.

In the meantime, if you post or spot anything that you think I need to see, please let me know by leaving me a comment or sending me an email. I do hate to miss out.

Love x

Classes

2010-10-25T11:55:00.000+01:00

Hello. Apologies for neglecting this little space. I'm back now!

I had a little happy outcome last night. I bought a dress on Ebay the other week that was lovely. But the dress's idea of a size 12 and my idea of a size 12 were not one and the same (and I'd much rather blame the dress than blame my behind!). So I relisted - and last night it sold with a £12 profit on what I had paid for it. Hooray!

So this morning I thought I would treat myself to the new Shimelle class - True Stories.

It's more of a writing and journaling class than it is a scrapbooking class, and having just received prompt one, I'm totally in love with it. I'm over just sticking pretty bits of paper and photos into my books. In the past three years of scrapbooking, the pages I love the most are the ones where I have actually written proper stuff. I want to do more of it. I'm no writer though, and as much as I have loved all the English classes I've taken at school, college and university, it's something I've always felt really self conscious about. It's time I got over it!

You might also have seen this class - 12 Days of Christmas.

I took this class last year, and loved it. I think it was this class that really broadened my horizons into making things other than scrapbooks. The pdf's are gorgeous, and the ideas are all "do-able" - I never felt overwhelmed and not good enough, and the ideas I picked up are ones I have used all year through - really a case of a class being for life, not just for Christmas! Kirsty and Julie are running the class again this year, and I was very pleased to see that past students get access again to the materials and blog. I'll definately be there, and I think you should, too. :-)

I love classes.

Want

2010-10-16T14:14:00.000+01:00

I love it when the latest Cath Kidston catalogue/magazine lands through my letterbox. I know there are lots of people in the world who are not a fan of her stuff, but I'm afraid I most definately am. I love it all, and want it all. Obviously, I particularly love all the sewing and crafty stuff, so, for no particular reason, here's what I'm currently coveting...

I love these new prints too:

There's a page in the magazine which gives instructions for making little tapestry patches, so last night in front of the telly, I had a go.

It obviously needs finishing off, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it was a nice little project for sitting on the sofa with. On a Friday night and all - rock and roll!

What are you coveting at the moment?

WOYWW? A Halloween Project?!!

2010-10-13T07:00:00.000+01:00

I don't do Halloween. I never have done. No particular reason why - I mean, I don't have anything against it or anything. It's just never been on my radar. So, it's particularly surprising to find a Halloween project this year.

Yesterday, my friend gave me a bag with these delights inside:

My task? To make ten Halloween sacks to hold pub quiz prizes. Said friend runs a quiz you see, and of course, you can't do a Halloween pub quiz without prizes held in special Halloween sacks, can you?

Prototype one is complete. I'm not entirely sure about it; I think the hessian material is a little bit see through, but it's a start and I shall take it round for a verdict and possible improvement suggesetions before I set up the production line. Sewing with hessian is a first for me, and it's not easy. It likes to unravel, and I have to overcast all the edges really carefully lest it all just fall to pieces before my eyes. And the gorgeous black printed fabric? That likes to jam in the machine if I don't hold it in exactly the right way. Grr. Sewing with something other than cotton is definately a learning curve!

It's nice to be able to put my fledgling skills to good use though, and hopefully they'll be well received.

Are you a Halloween type person? Have you got a spooky project on the go? Show! Pop over to Stamping Ground, link yourself up, and show us what's on your workdesk this Wednesday!

P.S - Posting the photos for this post has been a nightmare - but thankfully it turned out be Blogger, and not just me. I can highly recommend this site if you are ever having problems on t'interweb and are not sure whether it's you or them. It won't fix the problem, but somehow it makes you feel better to know that it's not something you are doing wrong!

New Fabric

2010-10-11T17:54:00.000+01:00

I didn't need it, but I wanted it. And it's only fat quarters, so they were not very expensive and although it's all a bit mad, it's not like I have to make a whole dress or something and actually wear this bonkers kind of fabric.

C-Word news: The JYC is ready to go (and I've even managed to do a little deal with my lovely friend which means I get the colour album I wanted by swapping my green one with her brown sugar one). I have started and made some good inroads into my Christmas present organising. And happyhappyhappy - I had a lovely email from Bev at Banana Frog to tell me she is sending me some lovely stamps to play with ready for my December slot on the blog. Can't wait!

Today's mini project is...

2010-10-10T13:28:00.000+01:00

...a little apple pin cushion. This makes me happy! I have wanted to make one of these since before I even had my sewing machine, and this weekend I gave in and bought the pattern and instructions from here.

I want to make lots, in all sorts of different fabrics and colours. I have no idea what I would do with them all, but I don't think that's going to stop me.

Belated

2010-10-09T17:30:00.000+01:00

Where did that week go then?

Here's the final layout I made at scrap club last week, and which I intended to post last weekend.

And for those who said they wanted to see the gore from the other layout... NO!

Back soon x

October Scrap Club Layouts

2010-10-03T21:53:00.000+01:00

I got lots done at Scrap Club this month - two 12 x 12s for my Document 2010 album, plus the divided page protector for the month of September. I also managed an extra 12 x 12 for my random album - and even used up a bright pink piece of dotted swiss card that I have been hoarding for months. Brave, huh? If I thought I was being industrious though, it's nothing compared to one lady there who managed (I think) sixteen pages. Sixteen! Her style is very different though (Creative Memories), and it's not for me. But when you have two small boys to look after and scrap the evidence of their growing up, I suppose you have to be focussed!

First page for the 2010 album - when I look at these photos now, it's hard to believe this was only a couple of weeks ago. Sunshine and blue skies - now, it's all wind and rain.

First side of the divided page. I don't seem to have taken that many photos during September, but the patterned paper hopefully distracts from that fact.

Second side - behold the beautiful typewriter writing!

I am going to spare you the full view of this page - purely because the photograph is not very pretty (think blood - nice). I've had this red alphabet for years, and I can't imagine why I've never thought of backing them with patterned paper before.

I'll save the last layout for another post - partly because the photo I took is rubbish, but mainly because Blogger is driving me mad with the new photo uploader. It's so slow! Anyone else having problems?

Introducing Betty

2010-10-02T17:04:00.000+01:00

My lovely friend Elizabeth brought a present to Scrap Club for me today... and I cannot tell you how happy it makes me!

This is Betty. Named because she is a "Blue Bird", but in a happy coincidence I learned that Elizabeth is known by her brother as Betty. So definately a Betty, and definately gorgeous.

Back in the day, I originally learned to type on a manual typewriter, with a piece of paper taped over the keyboard by the teacher so you couldn't see the keys. I detested learning to type, thought it a useless skill I would never ever use, and whinged and moaned my way through all the lessons. Now, I think it's probably the most useful thing I've ever learned to do. I had forgotten how different a manual typewriter is to a computer keyboard (and how natural it is to reach for the 'delete' key!), but oh is it satisfying to bash the keys and see the lovely print appear on the paper before you.

I had such a lovely time at Scrap Club today. For the first time in a long time, I motored through the layouts and managed three 12x12 and a divided page protector (with 12 6x4 sections). Even better, I'm actually pleased with what I created! I'll post the layouts tomorrow, but here's a sneak of the lovely typing!

Thank you Elizabeth - you've made my day! I hope you have a happy, happy birthday on Sunday!

Payday Treats

2010-10-01T08:02:00.000+01:00

What's the point of payday if you can't treat yourself to a little something?

Japanese Masking Tape from here.

Four Stories :: Vintage

2010-09-26T14:32:00.000+01:00

This weeks Four Stories topic over at Freckled Nest is "vintage". To me, vintage is just a fancier name for second hand! I do love a good charity shop or car boot sale - although I do think it's harder to find a true bargain in a charity shop now. I'm not squeamish about second hand, although I know some people don't like the idea of it. I love finding something pretty and old, and I like the idea that it had a life before it came to me. No stories as such from me this week, but instead I thought I'd just show you four things I love which you could call vintage, or you could just call second hand :-)

I call this my pew, although I think these things have another, proper name. The seat lifts up and it has lots of board games stashed inside.

My lovely pink clock with a very loud tick! Not strictly found by me, but found by a friend in a charity shop who knew I would love it. And I do.

Car boot sale finds.

Painting found in a very pretty tea shop. It's painted onto board and I keep meaning to frame it and find it a proper home, but it's spent months now propped up on the bookshelf like this.

What's the best thing you've found vintage/second hand?

Document 2010 :: August Pages

2010-09-24T18:11:00.000+01:00

A little late, but I finally did my Document August pages. Please excuse some of the slightly skewiff photography in this post!

A bit of a departure - I never use patterned paper as the background; I'm a strictly white or kraft cardstock person! This is ancient Laura Ashley paper. I quite like the busy busy busy look at the moment.

I love these little map stickers. I 'acquired' them from a friend (read: I oooohed and ahhhed about how lovely they were until said friend gave in and gave them to me) quite a while ago, but they are one of those things that I love so much I can't really bear to use them. But for pages about trips abroad - if I have a map sticker to go with it, it's just too perfect and I have to man up and use one.

The 4x6 sectioned pages - I'm still totally in love with these. They're so quick. You might notice that I have some new Cosmo Cricket tiny type alphas - they are appearing on everything at the moment.

Quelle surprise - more Cosmo tiny type! Super quick and simple page, made at gone midnight in front of a film. I end up with so many photos each month of that mad cat doing something stupid - so it was about time that I put a couple in the monthly album. I take so many photos every month, that I think the hardest thing about keeping this album up to date is choosing the photos and getting them printed. Putting it together is actually pretty quick, and just eight months in I love looking back at it already. In fact, I'm already thinking that I might do it again next year.

A Thrifty Journal Your Christmas

2010-09-22T13:38:00.001+01:00

I know - it's September. I'm not sure why I've started organising my JYC so early, but I have. Perhaps it's because I've been thinking about what Christmas presents I can make as opposed to buy this year. There's no way I can do an entirely handmade Christmas, but there are a few things I can do, definately. In fact, I've already made three things (smug, smug, smug!).

This will be my third year of JYC, and my first two Christmas albums are probably my most favourite things I've ever made. It's hard to keep up, and around the 19th or 20th of December I find I promise myself that I won't do this next year, but once it's done and dusted and I realise how much I love the finished product, I know I'll be there again next year.

The key to making it even vaguely do-able for me is preparation. The more I can get done in advance, the less there is to do as I go along, and the more likely it is that I will keep up. I also didn't want to have to buy a ton of stuff and spend a fortune. Here's what I have ready to go for JYC 2010:

I'm going with American Crafts 6x12 again. I've used this style of album every year so far, and I love it because it's so easy peasy. Not as overwhelming as a whole album of 12x12 to do, and easy to slice paper and card in half to fit. I used green cord the first year, red cord last year, and I wanted to do a different colour this year. But this brand new green cord album was going on Ebay for 99p plus £4 postage, and so green it is! I can't turn down a bargain like that (not when they're £17 plus postage to buy from the online shops!).

I went through my stash and pulled out all the paper that was Christmas themed or which the colour scheme would work. I sliced it to size and guess what? I don't need to buy any more Christmas paper! I'm so glad I did this, because I know I would have just bought myself a whole paper collection, and the unused stash pile would have grown even more.

All the smaller paper offcuts, and the leftover 4x6 Christmas mat pad I bought for making Christmas cards with have gone into a bag together. There is more than enough patterned paper here to see me through the whole of December.

I have a basket full of embellishments. These are all leftovers from the previous two years, and a lot of it is from a pack of K&Co Christmas die cuts that I bought two years ago - there was a heck of a lot of stuff in that pack! I'm not worried about things not being from the same range - I like the 'eclectic' look anyway, and I think it works especially well for JYC.

Something I've done every year for JYC is prepare all the date numbers in advance. Even though I use different colours and different bits and pieces for every number, by having them all in the same style I think it pulls the whole thing together just enough. It also really speeds the process up during the actual making.

Last year, I used a sheet of 12x12 (can't remember the make) which I cut up into squares and used:

The year before that I stamped the numbers and punched them out into circles:

This year, I punched scalloped squares from lots of different scraps of card and paper, and used up all the unloved and leftover numbers from sheets of letter stickers. I don't think it matters that the colours and styles are all different - the scalloped square is enough to give them all a common theme. They are all edged in silver stickles. That way, every page will have a bit of sparkle on, even when I can't be bothered to wait for the stickles to dry on those dark, cold December evenings when I'm desperately trying to stay vaguely up to date!

I have bought just two things specially for this. The first is totally unnecessary, but something I just couldn't resist: October Afternoon Very Merry Wildcards.

The second is October Afternoon again - Good Cheer journaling cards. The theory is that all I will have to do for each page is print a photo, grab a journaling card, choose a couple of embellishments from the basket and use some letter stickers (or stamps when I have more time - to eek out the alphas) for the title, and I'm done. That's the plan anyway!

Please don't hate me for mentioning Christmas so early!

Four Stories :: Swimming

2010-09-21T10:06:00.002+01:00

Four Stories is a group blog project via Freckled Nest. Every weekend, a new topic is announced, and participants blog four little stories related to it. Want to join in?

One: Learning

I don’t remember ever being afraid of the water, but I do remember struggling to learn to swim. I seem to have struggled with lots of practical things – I remember struggling to learn to ride a two wheeled bike, to learn to tie my shoelaces, to learn to tell the time – and I never did master the cartwheel! At primary school, we had an outdoor swimming pool which was vile – freezing cold, insects in the water, and tiles at the bottom which used to cut your feet. I can remember having to stand in a little tray of bleach at the bottom of the ladder, and climbing up and over the side to get in. We used to hide our swimming kits, and the teachers would go through the cloakrooms and dig them out of our hiding places. We hated it. Looking back, I think the teachers actually did too, and we never seemed to stay in there too long. They stopped using it at one point, and we were sent to the swimming pool in the nearby town for lessons. As a non swimmer I was in the baby pool (as were lots of others). When you could swim a length of the baby pool, you were allowed to move up into the shallow end of the big pool, and it dawned on me with horror one week that I was the last of my friends to be in the baby pool. I can still remember, as clear as anything, the feeling of standing at one end of that pool ready to swim across. I was so determined to swim – and swim I did. It wasn’t elegant, there wasn’t exactly any technique – it was more a case of thrashing my arms and legs wildly about at high speed, but oh! The joy when I reached the other side! Definitely a case of mind of matter, and an early lesson in what can be achieved if you really put your mind to it.

Two: Snorkelling

We went on our first holiday abroad when I was about 10 or 11. I actually don’t remember much about it, but I do remember my dad teaching me to snorkel. It seemed so exotic to actually be able to see the bottom of the sea, and watch the fish in bright colours. I loved swimming with flippers – not being a strong swimmer, they made me feel confident in the water, and I could swim for longer without getting tired. I started to go out snorkelling in the little bay on my own, while my family were on the beach. I swam around for ages, before bobbing up to look back at the beach. That’s when I realised I was much, much further out than I thought – the beach seemed to be miles and miles away (I’m sure it wasn’t, but it looked and felt like it), and I was almost out of the little bay. My stomach dropped, and I almost had a little panic, before I thankfully had the good sense to realise that wasn’t going to help. I knew that all I could do was start swimming – and so I did. I flippered my way all the way back to the beach, not taking much notice of my surroundings this time, just focussing on getting back to safety! It seemed to take a very long time, and I was very, very relieved to make it back to the beach. I can remember feeling a bit foolish, and certainly didn’t want to admit that I’d found myself out of my depth, so I didn’t confess, and instead nonchalantly settled down on the beach towel!

Three: Night Swimming

In my late teens, I spent all my time with my group of close friends, and really they were the only people I knew in the area I had moved to. Gradually, I got to know more people, and one summer evening we ended up in a caravan park – a friend’s mother had a sweet little caravan summer place right by the beach, and there seemed to be a large group of people there that evening, all different ages, people I knew, and people I had just met. I don’t remember it as a particularly raucous evening – instead relaxed and warm and friendly. I don’t know how it was first suggested, but there ended up with about six of us in the sea, in our underwear, in the dark. I can remember really clearly thinking how magical it was to have the moon shining on the water, and how even though the water was freezing cold, you soon forgot about it and warmed up. For someone who had only just moved near the sea, it was perfect, and I think that was one of the first times that I resolved never to live anywhere far from the coast. I love living at the seaside!

Four: Blind Melon Summer

Google tells me that I must have been fourteen or fifteen at the time, and it was the summer holidays. It was hot – and I was at the house of a school friend, Georgina. Her family lived in a big house and had a swimming pool – the height of luxury. That day, we were in and out of the pool all day long. I can remember that a by-pass was being built nearby, and as girls of that age there was a lot of interest in the builders! I don’t remember specifics, but the one thing I remember was this song which we loved and which we played again and again and again and again. I had forgotten all about it until it was used on a BBC trailer a few years ago, and I was instantly transported back to that time. Now, whenever I hear it, I remember that day and the fun we had. Isn’t it funny how songs do that to you?

~~~~~

I’m still off work with my attractive sounding dry socket – vile. It should improve soon, but the codeine I’m taking in the meantime really spaces me out and makes me feel sick, so I can’t really be at school (or do much else) at the moment. I’m trying to make the most of the couple of hours a day when I feel “with it” by doing a little bit of lesson planning. I suffer terribly with guilt when I’m off sick from work, and actually I hate being away and I can’t wait to get back – I feel so out of the loop and very aware that the world is carrying on without me! I can’t focus on scrapbooking or sewing or anything else like that, so Four Stories has been an ideal way of still blogging, still doing something vaguely creative, without actually having to get up off the sofa.

Caravan Cushions

2010-09-18T09:47:00.001+01:00

Quick cushions for the caravan I was talking about yesterday. They will go to their new owner later today; I just hope she likes them.

In other tooth related news, I'm still in a lot of pain on one side only, enough to wake me in the night when the painkillers wear off. Normal? I'm worried that it's the start of an infection. I'm blogging with a mouthful of saltwater which is what seems to be recommended!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chintzy Caravans

2010-09-17T09:56:00.000+01:00

via

I was totally unprepared for how much having my teeth out would take out of me. I had them done on Wednesday lunchtime, and spent most of the rest of the day asleep - to be expected though, as the anasthetic wore off. What I wasn't expecting was to be more of less the same all day Thursday - totally exhausted and having to sleep lots! I'm still dosed up on painkillers, and unable to eat anything much more than yoghurt and mashed potato. So much for all my plans for the things I was going to do while recuperating!

Anyway - enough of my moaning. I'm feeling a little bit brighter today and so I'm going to try and catch up with lots of blog reading.

via

I've been reading about typography and fonts via a lnk found at How About Orange (a blog I really, really like, by the way). Turns out, putting two spaces after a full stop is not a good look, and a throw back to the days of typewriters. I've tried to do one full space only in this blog post, so we'll see if it really does look any different. I do know that it is really, really, really hard to do - ingrained habits! I did learn to type on a typewriter, so perhaps my difficulty is down to that.

via

The caravan pictures are in honour of a friend of mine who has just bought her first ever caravan! She's going to be called Eileen after my friend's nan, and she is described as being chintzy and gorgeous with floral fabrics and pink velvet curtains! Sounds wonderful to me, and I think I'm going to have to get making something or other to grace the interior.

WOYWW - a huuuuuuge UFO

2010-09-15T09:49:00.000+01:00

Unfinished Object. And well, it's not really my desk, more the floor.

I bought all those little 4 inch squares of strawberry print fabric eons ago, when I was into handstitching hexagon patchwork. I did loads, and I still have it, and one day I will get around to finishing it. But the lure of the sewing machine means that the time it takes to do the handstitching makes me not want to do any, so one of the first things I did when I got the sewing machine (who I think is called Florence, by the way) was play with sewing little squares together. And they ended up as this. Oooh, I was pleased with myself... and then I put it away and didn't do anything else with it, because the very thought of trying to back it and actually quilt it was terrifying, and I didn't know where to start.

One of the projects in the Home Ec class I've been working my way through was a quilt. Rather than start another one, I thought I should really just finish this one off, and so I got stuck in. The batting was pinned, a sheet was cut up and used for the final layer, and I was very brave and starting just sewing. It's exciting seeing it work and come together, but in the finest tradition of anything I make, I can't go any further until I unpick one row and do it again - I've managed to get the backing fabric rucked up and I need to repin it lest I am forever annoyed by horrible wrinkles on the back.

But I am determined to finish it - even if the process is not made any easier by my willing helper.

Today is the day I have my wisdom teeth out, so I have plans to use my recuperation time over the next couple of days to try and get this finished. People keep telling me horror stories about how I will not feel like doing anything, but I'm NOT LISTENING.

Happy WOYWW! I'll be round to visit everyone once I'm back from the dentist!

Seaside Sunday

2010-09-12T14:38:00.003+01:00

I'm still alive, although as predicted September has not left much time for anything fun. I haven't been on the computer much, but I have been visiting lots of blogs via my phone, but it makes it difficult and long winded to leave comments - so sorry, bloggers! I am experimenting by trying to post this from my phone. I've seen a few blogs with phone posts recently, so I thought I'd give it a go. Fingers crossed it works!

Despite the recent lack of time, Ive managed to squeeze in a little crafty shopping. A very bad person tempted me by pointing out the free shipping at Papermaze (you know who you are!). I managed to get alphas and a few bits ready for Journal Your Christmas - organised, yes?! I also snagged an eBay bargain, and got an American Crafts 6 x 12 cord album for a fiver including the postage. All I need now is some Christmas papers and I'll be ready to go. I've recently discovered the joys of The Range, so I think I'll pop over there and see what I can pick up.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm trying to plan at least a few handmade presents. I bought some gorgeous (expensive though - bad girl) fabric and I have PLANS!

I've done too much typing, so I will leave you with a couple of pics from a walk this morning. We might not get many more nice days like this in 2010, but it does remind me how lucky we are to live by the sea.

Before I go, could I ask you a favour? This afternoon I have been explaining the world of blogging and extolling it's virtues to a very good friend of mine. I've helped him set up his first ever blog, and so if you have a couple of minutes to spare, please pop over to Rupert's Cottage and say hello. I know it would make his day!

Home Ec :: Pencil Case

2010-09-07T20:28:00.000+01:00

It's definately September - back to school, no time for craftiness, and dark earlier and earlier. I have a cold already, and the slow cooker is back in action. Bleurgh.

Blogging has taken a back seat, so please forgive me if I'm not around much over the next few weeks. Things are happening in the background - the Christmas cards are nearly done, I've made another skirt, and I have plans for starting on Christmas present making. There will be things to show soon!

While I'm here today though, I'm sharing my pencil case which I made for the Home Ec sewing class. Still going with that, at my own pace. Behold - lining!

WOYWW?

2010-09-01T08:21:00.000+01:00

Just a quick WOYWW from me today, as it's BACK TO SCHOOL (groan). I know I am lucky to get so many lovely holidays, but boy is it horrible when it's time to go back to reality!

Here's the desk. A bit of a mess! Hanging over the back of the chair is a skirt in progress - nearly finished, just the hem to do and a bit of bias binding to sew on - hopefully that will be finished soon.

The carnage on the desk itself is Christmas card making! The plan is to work out a prototype, and then power through the cards themselves on scrap club day this Saturday. My lovely new stamp arrived from Paperartsy, but it's much bigger than I thought it was, and it turns out to be unmounted and without any clingy stuff on the back. Because I'm too tight to buy the easymount stuff, I'm using ATG tape to stick it. The other problem is that I don't have an acrylic block big enough, so I'm using an old booklet thing - ever the bodger. The size of it means that I'm having to rethink the idea I had in my head - and I'm not sure if I like it at the moment. A bit more playing needed, I think.

At the bottom right of the picture, you'll see that I've also been playing with a bottle of copper spray ink. I've seen so many people using this stuff, and I finally succumbed and bought some - but I'm not sure what to do with it now! Any suggestions?

Hopefully I'll get round more WOYWW desks this week than I managed last week - although it might take a couple of days now I'm expected to actually work for a living...

Happy Wednesday!

2010-08-30T11:11:00.003+01:00

Crochet In A Day

2010-08-29T09:06:00.001+01:00

I'm the type of person who, generally speaking, if I say I am going to do it, I do it. And I tend to jump in with both feet.

I said I wanted to learn to crochet, so yesterday, I did. Once I had learned the basic stitches from the Knit Witch (and I'm still very confused about the UK/USA terminology), I glued myself in front of the Attic 24 blog and tried to turn those basic stitches into something more interesting.

Rather than just smugly say "I learned how to crochet!" and show you something fabulous, in the spirit of honesty I will share the (many) disasters along the way...

Ugh. The lurid pink nastiness. There was a lot of frustration in getting past this stage. See how sometimes I couldn't get past a single row without having to cut it off and start again?

Things got a lot better once I got a bigger hook and a colour which didn't give me such a blinding headache. I learned to do single crochet (I think that's what it's called).

Then I learned to do double crochet (although I think this might actually be called treble crochet in the UK - like I said, I'm confused!).

Then I started to get adventurous. I discovered that my biggest problem was accurate counting. Why can't I count stitches properly? How hard can it be?! This led to some 'interesting' results.

My rubbish counting meant that this was never going to be quite square. So I had another go.

And ended up with a pentagon! Ha!

Finally I managed these. There are issues - the corners are definately skewiff, and the tension leaves a bit to be desired. But promising, promising!

Oh, and how could I not show you my biggest accomplishment? My ambition and whole reason for deciding to teach myself to do this was because I wanted a ripple blanket. Like these:

Source

Well, it's a way off yet, but I'm starting to think it might be possible. Because (happy face, happy face) - I have this:

It's wonky, the stitch counting is wrong again, but my goodness, the general principle WORKS!

So - I now have another thing to add to my huge, out of control, list of projects. But yay!

Learning

2010-08-28T13:01:00.000+01:00

With the help of Jenny at Crafty Beast (thank you, Jenny!), this post from The Thrifty Mrs, and video tutorials from The Knit Witch, I have begun.

Last night, using a hideous pale pink ball of something or other and a 2mm crochet hook which I had knocking around from somewhere, I learned to do this:

The hook was a little bit small (and the pink was too hideous for words), so this morning I bought a 4mm hook and a cheapo ball of yarn in a much nicer green colour.

And realised that overnight, I have completely forgotten how to do it. Sigh.

I keep reminding myself that once upon a time I didn't know how to scrapbook, I didn't know how to sew, I didn't know how to cook, ride a bike, drive a car, swim... etc etc. It's just going to take a little perseverance!

Quick Little Make

2010-08-27T16:41:00.000+01:00

Needlecase tutorial from Freckled Nest.

Perfect little project to perk me up after far too long on the computer doing family tree research. I've been 'found' by my father's cousin, who has researched all the way back to the 1700s, on a branch of the tree I have done nothing with. Amazing stuff.

In other news, go check out Jenny's amazing blankets. Beautiful. I am going to learn to crochet. Oh yes I am - because I really really need a whole new craft in my life!

Panicking about Christmas in August is ridiculous...

2010-08-26T09:03:00.001+01:00

I have been grumpy these past couple of days. I'm starting to annoy myself. Maybe it's this incessant rain that's getting me down, maybe it's the fact that this time next week I will be back at school, or maybe it's just post holiday blues. Whatever - I've had enough of it and I need to snap out of it!

This time last year, I had almost finished my Christmas cards. I do love a proper handmade Christmas card. It's well documented that I find card making really difficult, so I worked out one simple design, stuck with it, and churned out a whole batch.

I've started seeing Christmas cards pop up on various blogs recently, and I've started to feel like it just wasn't going to happen this year for me and it would be shop bought for everyone. The grumpiness, the lack of inspiration, the feeling that I'm running out of time.

Then I got a grip, and reminded myself that it's August. August! Cards can still be made. I have scrap club in a couple of weeks, and I plan to spend a whole day churning them out. I've treated myself to a new stamp, and I'm going to work out a design that I can replicate without giving myself a breakdown, and they WILL be made!

Are you going to make your cards this year? Do you do one design and churn them out, or do you do lots of beautiful individual cards? Reassure me that I'm not too late!

Roman Holiday

2010-08-25T09:36:00.000+01:00

I'm back from Rome - what a beautiful, beautiful city. I have over 700 photos (not sure how that happened - I got a bit snap happy!) so I've got a lot of scrapping material to keep me busy for quite some time.

The Colosseum - awe inspiring, and particularly beautiful by night.

The blue dress made it!

The red dress made it too! This was at Circus Maximus, where the chariot racing used to happen in front of crowds of 250,000.

La Bocca Della Verita (The Mouth of Truth) - made famous by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday (which just so happens to be one of my favourite ever films, so I was very happy to see with my own eyes so many of the places I associate with it).

The orange flowers dress came to Rome too! This was at the Vatican City - what an amazing place. We spent a lot of time here and I still don't think we saw everything.

We even climbed the hundreds of steps right to the roof of St Peter's Basillica in the 42 degree heat. Well worth it for the wonderful views right across the city - this was looking down onto St Peter's Square.

Bellissimo!

Scrapping!

2010-08-19T08:31:00.001+01:00

Thank you for all your kind comments on my last post. I do wonder sometimes about posting so much sewing stuff on here at the moment, but hey, it's my blog and so you all get to look at whatever I'm up to at the moment, which right now is primarily sewing!

But I did get scrapping at the weekend, so here's just a few of the things I made. I really enjoyed getting out all the paper and stamps and glue, and making a horrendous mess everywhere. One day perhaps I will be able to make something without dragging out absolutely everything I own! Why oh why is that necessary? Having looked at a fair few WOYWW desks, I don't think it's just me! (I did manage to get round a fair few WOYWW's this week, but if I didn't make it to yours, big apologies - the list is so long now, and real life does have a habit of needing attention too!).

I love that WOYWW easel!

I must confess that this title was chosen purely because I wanted to use that gorgeous huge ampersand. Shallow? Moi?!

Not perfect by any means, but a technique that deserves some more time playing. Using a tutorial from the lovely Julie Kirk.

Having a little blog break while I jet off on a Roman Holiday for a few days (not looking like Audrey Hepburn, but wishing that I did!) - so see you all back here next week. I'm sure my blog reader will be bulging by then, so if you see or post anything interesting on t'interweb in the meantime, do me a big favour and let me know please?!!!!

Arriverderci, friends! xox

WOYWW? The Most Complicated Dress In The World... Ever.

2010-08-18T08:41:00.000+01:00

Here's my desk first thing this morning. As you can see, it's more sewing (although there was a lot of scrapping going on this past weekend - which I have photographed, but haven't got around to blogging yet - it will happen!).

If you look closely at the top left of the photo, you can see my Cath Kidston button tin. How I love that tin - it's so pretty, and I took all my buttons out of their packets and tipped them in so you can run your fingers through them. Not very practical when you want to actually find something, but pretty nonetheless.

That unnattractive square plastic pot you see in the middle of the picture has become my lifesaver these past couple of days. Top tip (which had never occurred to me, but which seems blindingly obvious) - keep a pot of some kind of your desk to drop your thread ends into as you go! Yes - obvious, but had never occurred to me. It does reduce the amount of thread that has to be hoovered up, and which the cat has a tendency to try and eat! And my goodness, that thread catcher has been getting a lot of use these past couple of days.

Mainly because of this:

I love this dress. I made one up a while ago - probably too ambitious for my first sewing project, but then I've always been one to jump in at the deep end and just see how it goes! I was quite pleased with it - but really, the neckline was a tad wonky and it started to bug me - really bug me. So I didn't wear it, and it just sat there, looking at me accusingly and making me feel guilty. I ignored it. I made another dress, in a different pattern. I started to feel more confident. I'll have another go at that Amy Butler pattern, thought I. So I did. And it was more successful this time around (basically because I took more care, and made sure I finished all the seams properly, and trimmed the threads carefully, and was generally just more accurate), and I ended up with this:

I'm very happy with it! That got me thinking - I did love the fabric I had used for the first, not so good, dress - I wonder if I can fix it?

So I sat and unpicked all around the neckline (those squared off corners are a nightmare to get straight without letting the seams get too bulky). It took an eternity - but I got there. I restitched it. Still not happy. I unpicked it again. Restitched it. Not happy. I did it a third time - and realised that it was never going to work. Mainly because every time I did it, the (already quite thin) fabric was getting thinner and more ragged and more and more difficult to sew. I was frustrated. I love the print, but this dress was now a write off. It was always going to bug me. So I actually went out and bought another metre of the same fabric to start the whole wretched thing again! It's turned into a personal battle - me vs. the dress!

So yesterday afternoon, I cut the pattern pieces out again. I sewed the outside sections together, and in between cooked dinner and did all the other things that need doing of an evening. I tried it on. Happy! The fit is good, the neckline is straight - hurrah! I cut out the pieces for the lining, thinking I'd whizz those up this morning, sew the lining to the exterior, and it should be all done by lunchtime. As I cut the lining, still wearing the exterior pieces, I glanced down, and saw, to my horror, that I had sewn the front panel back to front. Yep. Easily done, as the print is both sides, but the colours on the back are slightly less vivid and therefore do not match. The full horror dawned on me in comedy slow motion - not only had I sewn it on back to front, I had also done a lovely overcasting stitch all the way down both the seams holding it in place.

Which meant that I spent quite some time last night sitting with my seam ripper. Again.

Lesson learned - full concentration is an essential part of the process! So this morning I do battle once more. I've come this far, I'm absolutely determined to end up with something vaguely wearable from this.

Sorry for the long winded rant; I feel much better for having got that off my chest!

So - what's on your desk this sunny Wednesday? Pop over to Julia's blog Stamping Ground, and have a nosy at what everyone is up to.

Home Ec:: Project 3

2010-08-16T10:15:00.000+01:00

Project 3 of Home Ec was a simple tote bag. Now, this is something I can actually make with a reasonable degree of success - after all, we're talking a few straight lines which is something even I can master with enough practise! So, I decided to do a little adapting to the project and try something a bit more adventurous, and I ended up with this:

Don't be fooled into thinking the little band across the ruffle is clever. It is actually hiding a big MESS of stitching that I managed to create!

I've been playing along with the summer onlne crop this weekend too, although I've got bits and pieces I want to finish up today (so if you fancy entering a challenge or two, you've still got time - until 6am Tuesday to be precise!). Mega photo post coming this way tomorrow!

Document 2010 :: July

2010-08-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

It's only July, and already my Document 2010 album is bursting at the seams! I think it's going to end up being a bit squashed, but nevermind!

Here are my July pages (with a few bits from June which spilled over):

I love these sort of projects. When I was redecorating recently, I found and had a quick flick through my "Scrap Your Day" book from 2008-9, and I loved seeing all the photos of the little everyday things - amazing how many things have changed already from that time. Looking back on these albums in ten years time will make all the keeping up worthwhile!

Things To Do On A Rainy Day

2010-08-14T09:25:00.000+01:00

It certainly didn't feel like August yesterday. The view out of my window was mostly this:

But actually that was okay, because it meant the whole day inside making stuff, without that nagging I should really be outside making the most of the weather feeling.

I saw a recipe for fudge a couple of days ago on The Adventures of a Thrifty Mrs which looked too yummy to ignore, so I followed her inspiration and cooked up outrageously sweet and delicious Rainy Day Fudge. She was right about the stirring - I think I actually have an injury to my thumb from so much stirring! Go see her blog - it's lovely.

The fudge will go to a friend today for his birthday, but of course I had to try a piece first for quality control purposes, right? I can confirm that it is delicious, but you really can taste those calories!

I'm going to try and squeeze in a bit more scrapping today - I'm still playing along with the challenges on Shimelle.com this weekend. If you need a metaphorical kick up the backside with your scrapping, I highly recommend it!

Home Ec : Project 2 (oh and watch out... the paper's back out!)

2010-08-13T09:05:00.000+01:00

Thursday was the perfect crafty day. Nowhere to go, nothing else that needed doing (in fact, I HAD to stay in to wait for the BT engineer to arrive, so it was a totally guilt free day of pottering around with all my supplies).

Project 2 in Home Ec was a drawstring pouch; the technique lesson was making a casing for the drawstring. This was all quite straightforward until it came to slitting the opening for the ties to pull through - I managed to slit the ribbon, and also unravel the edge stitching. Which means the seam ripper was out yet again (honestly - will I ever make anything without getting that seam ripper out?!).

One of these would make a pretty, different kind of gift wrapping for a present. I'd like to have a go at making one in a slightly smaller size, too.

I also managed to make yet another tote bag for a friend's birthday - and of course, birthdays mean cards. My dislike of card making is well documented - it seems to me that I spend an eternity getting out everything I own, looking at every scrap of paper, every embellishment, every stamp set, wondering what to do, I make an awful great mess, then after a very, very long time, I end up with a tiny card which at best I'd consider okay. This is why I much prefer scrapbooking. I feel like I know what I'm doing with scrapping - I have a nice big 12x12 to work on, you have the colours of your photograph or an idea in your head of what you want to do with your page, you get the stuff out you need, you stick it down, and hey presto! A whole page! Much, much easier if you ask me!

Anyway - I had cards to make last night, and these were what I came up with. I was right about that Basic Grey paper you know - it really does give the other stuff a new lease of life.

There were some pretty old bits and pieces in my scraps box, and it reminded me that I need to sort that out soon. I take all my old scraps and sheets of letter stickers with no vowels left to school. I am the type of person who has three double drawers of "craft materials" in the classroom. Never underestimate the pleasure that can be gained by 8 year old girls from your old scraps of paper and some mismatching letter stickers that you are never going to touch again. They go crazy for it!

I am scrapping this weekend. I've been promising myself a couple of days to get all my stuff out and get some pages done for ages, and happily it just so happens that there is an online crop happening here, starting today. Hopefully I'll have some new pages to share very soon.

Happy Friday!

Home Ec - Project One

2010-08-12T07:50:00.000+01:00

I'm going to bore you all senseless over the next few weeks (if I manage to keep up, that is) by showing you all the projects I make for the Home Ec beginners sewing class.

Project One was cloth napkins with pretty edging. Rather than make a set of napkins, I used some fat quarters I had hanging around to make one large-ish piece. I have used these in the past for eating outside, picnics, barbeques that sort of thing - handy to cover up food with. It just looks prettier now that it's double sided with nice edging!

I battled the evil forces of ric rac, and in the end, I think I won. I won't bore you with the details of the many frustrations, but suffice to say that I was pleased that I figured out a way to make it work for me. The perfectionist in me wouldn't allow me to have uneven edging (that would never do!), so there was some wrangling, a lot of use of the seam ripper, and a few expletives. But I learned a few things, and that's the whole point, right?

Version 2 - WOYWW?

2010-08-11T09:08:00.000+01:00

I made another version of the pin cushion project, and I'm happy with the improvements I made. This one is about 4 inches square, and made from left over patchwork pieces. I took a little more care over my slip stitching so it's much neater, and I'm sure I am going to be using this lots.

Here's the desk today:

I spent the last couple of days in school getting my room all sorted, and I spent the weekend repainting the living room. This means that I am now free until at least Monday to throw myself into much nicer, craftier pursuits! The strawberry print and the red polka dot fabric will today be sewn together with white ric rac edging (oh yes they will!), and hopefully I'll have time to sew up another tote bag (the pieces I cut over a week ago are still sitting around unloved and unused), as well as start the next Home Ec project (which I do believe is a little drawstring pouch). I also want to unpack my new stash of fabric so that I can make plans for what it will become.

Never fear fellow scrappers - I've not forgotten my layouts! My new printer ink has arrived, and I was very bad and bought a pack of Basic Grey. Once upon a time I bought a lot of very patterned paper in all sorts of colours, but now I lust after this. It might seem plain and a little boring, but I think that mixed in with the paper I already have, it's going to give everything a new lease of life. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it over the weekend.

I'm hoping that the online crop taking place on Shimelle's blog this weekend will kickstart me and get me churning out those layouts - I'm looking forward to a very crafty few days.

Oh, and I'm catching up on blogs too - hoping to get round to as many WOYWW participants as I can tonight, as well as visiting my fellow Home Ec classmates. Show us what you've been up to!

From Small Beginnings...

2010-08-10T19:47:00.000+01:00

... hopefully come great things.

This is the first project from Home Ec - the sewing class for beginners which I'm taking part in at the moment.

I definately learned a few things making this - firstly, that straight line quilting like this is easy peasy, and a great way to use up scraps of fabric. Secondly, I learned that I would make it smaller next time (and I'm going to do another one to prove that it would be better that way). Thirdly, I learned that I need to sort out my slip stitching. I hate slip stitching. It seems to me that it ruins my beautiful machined seams. I'm off to youtube how to do it properly!

Well that looks much prettier!

2010-08-06T08:26:00.000+01:00

Last night I turned this:

...into this:

Prinatables found on Wild Olive, via How About Orange.

I also cut out a little stack of these tags (found via Skip To My Lou), ready for sewing projects.

Pretty!

WOYWW?

2010-08-04T15:31:00.000+01:00

Not my desk exactly, but the floor. Which usually doubles as my desk around here!

This is my fabric stash. I'm not sure how I managed to accumulate so much - although I should point out that a lot of it is just junk - tiny scraps, mostly unusuable. There's a whole LOT of felt in there, too.

Tonight's job is to sort through it all - get rid of whats not useful, see what is actually there - and then I can go through the supplies list for the Home Ec sewing class (see the little button in the top right hand corner of the page) and see what I've already got and what I still need. I've been promised a shopping trip on Saturday!

Today

2010-08-03T17:19:00.000+01:00

Today I have...

Sat with my computer and made and ordered an A4 photobook from Photobox with my many Glastonbury photos. Photobox were lying when they said this would take me 30 minutes. More like 5 hours. I have high hopes for this - it should be here about August 10th!

Finished off another tote bag and cut out the pieces for another one.

Cursed myself for losing the web address for the class I've signed up for (Home Ec - more about that soon).

Been thinking of pizza toppings after last night's great success with homemade pizza. Can you believe I've never made pizza before? Me neither! It's so easy! What toppings do you recommend?

Been out to look at the new bench all along the seafront opposite where I live. It's been loveit or hateit contraversial, but I am firmly on the "love it" side of the fence.

You can have your name and message engraved on a slat. I am trying to persuade Paul that this is a good thing to spend money on. He thinks it is a waste of money. At the moment, it's not clear who is going to win this argument.

It was lovely to see so many people out enjoying the sunshine. Looking at all the messages, sitting and taking in the view, or just climbing all over it. Fabulous.

Things I did not do today, that I should have done:

I did not phone BT to ask them why their supposed upgrade is so rubbish.
I did not look online for hotels in Rome.

Ah well. There is always tomorrow.

I did not make a birthday card for a friend (thankfully within hand delivering distance) whose birthday is today. Better get that one done now!

La Carta di Bella

2010-08-02T17:48:00.000+01:00

Just popping in to show this beautiful card made by my friend Fiona - card maker extraordinaire.

I had a lovely birthday weekend, and was totally surprised to find out we are going to Rome in a couple of weeks! I've always wanted to visit this city, and I'm very much looking forward to it - I've been pouring over the guide book in the past 24 hours and planning what to see and in what order.

After an unexpected bathroom decorating disaster (don't ask), I'm rewarding myself with the whole of tomorrow to myself, so hopefully something crafty to share very soon.

Back soon!

Out and About

2010-07-31T10:17:00.000+01:00

Week one of the holidays is over. Boo. It's gone so quickly, and really I've spent far too much time inside. I've done a lot of cleaning and sorting, and have a nice big box of stuff ready to car boot. I've played on the sewing machine and learned lots. I've caught up with lots of blogs I've missed reading recently. I've done a bit of cooking. But yesterday I decided it really was time I got out and about - so off I went.

First stop was the little fabric shop in the town. I had high hopes for this, but was very disappointed. They had a tiny selection of fabric, and I didn't like any of it. Everything they had seemed very overpriced to me, and the whole atmosphere just didn't appeal to me. They had quite a lot of wool (or yarn, as we are all supposed to call it now) so I suppose if I were a knitter I might have been more inspired. I bought nothing more than a packet of hook and eyes, which considering I went in there prepared to spend, was a bit of a let down. Hey ho. I'm just going to have to do another trip to Ikea to buy more fabric - I can't find anywhere else that has such a big selection at reasonable prices (unless you have any recommendations for online sites?).

Then I went to our local museum. I've never been before, and it's not exactly big, but it was sweet! They had Sindy dolls!

This was my favourite - skier Sindy!

They had a little display of school related stuff - and look! Letter stamps! Oh how I wanted to liberate them from their glass case and have a go with them.

A bit of local history for you - I live very close to the headquarters for The Body Shop, and this is where the first Body Shop was opened. So of course, the musuem had to have some of the original packaging. I love the handwritten style labels:

Sewing project of the day - another bag. Very easy, but very pleasing as I learnt two new things - firstly, a french seam, and secondly, how to use the overcasting stitch on my machine, so the inside side seams don't fray. I can see me using this a lot - it gives everything a much neater finish, and no overlocker in sight!

I sat in front of the athletics on the telly last night and cut out the pieces for three more bags like this - I was that pleased with the result!

No blogging for me tomorrow as I have got lots of nice things planned - but back here on Monday. Happy weekend!

A Couple of Cards

2010-07-30T11:30:00.000+01:00

Thank you for all your interesting comments on my last post - they certainly got me thinking! I can't change the world, but I can do my little tiny bit; just trying to be a bit more mindful of what I buy, how I spend my money, and resisting the 'buy it and chuck it' culture is the first step, non?

A little post to show you a couple of cards. This first one is for a friend who is moving house today - I'm popping round with chocolate brownies in a minute to sustain the troops, and this little card which is so not my usual style! I'm not sure how it happened - it's all a bit pink and girly!

I must admit that I didn't make this card today (although I don't think I've blogged it before, so we'll just pretend, shall we?). A dear friend of mine has just lost her mum, and I wanted to send her something to let her know I'm thinking of her.

Inside, I've tucked a copy of this poem - a bit cliched perhaps, but I do love it so.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Lessons in Dressmaking

2010-07-28T09:39:00.000+01:00

Firstly, I want to just say thank you for all your lovely comments on my last couple of posts - it astonishes me that there are still people out there reading after my long absence!

Here's what I was working on yesterday. I'm rather pleased with it.

I still need to hem it, and the side seams at the bust could do with a little bit of tweaking, but it's almost there. I used this pattern - please notice that it says EASY in the top right hand corner!

It did not feel particularly easy while trying to fathom out this particular diagram. I mean, really!

I am learning so much, so fast, every time I make anything. Important lessons learned so far include:

Take your time. Fudging something will just bug you forever more - it's better to go slowly and do it properly.

Next time I use this pattern, I will probably move the zip to the side (currently it is centre back). I'm learning that patterns and instructions can be altered if I don't like something.

The most important lesson I've learned is reinforcement of something I read about clothes buying in my bible, The Thrift Book. Because I'm rubbish at summarising, I'm just going to reproduce what the marvellous India Knight has to say about it.

How do we think it is possible for a new dress to cost £6? If the finished garment, including the store's mark up, costs £6, what do we think the person who made it was paid? What kind of conditions do we imagine they were working under? And how old do we think they were? Now, I like clothes and I like a bargain. But really, who could wear these clothes and feel good about it? (Answer: millions of punters. I find this insanely depressing).

Wearing these clothese is basically saying 'Yeah, I know, a broken, desperate eight-year-old girl who's paid 20p a week probably had a hand in the manufacturing of my dress, but never mind, because it was so cheap. Look, isn't it pretty?' Pretty isn't the word I'd use myself. I wonder what people who shop at these stores do on Red Nose Day, or other charity friendly occasions. Do they feel all sorry for the little foreign children and their shit lives, and dig deep?

That's my main objection. There are many others. One, it is the easiet thing in the world to buy clothes simply because they are cheap. We've all done it. The garment itself is adequate rather than fabulous; it's main merit is that it's a bargain. So we run around the store, scooping up armfuls of ridiculously cheap T-shirts - which will inevitably fall apart by the third wash - and think to ourselves 'Yes, but never mind about that, because it's so cheap that at that point I'll just throw it away and get another one'. Now, I don't know - maybe I'm in a minority on this one. But to me this is more decadent, more appalling, more completely morally bankrupt than the grotesquely rich women who buy couture, of which there are about 2,000 worldwide and only 200 who buy regularly, compared to the tens of millions who buy cheap trash with a clear conscience.

The world has finite resources. Human beings have the right not to slave away for 2p because some thick bint in London thinks she'll buy the cheap dress and chuck it when it breaks. I feel a rant coming on and you've probably got the gist, so I'll stop right there and move on. No, actually - one more thing. According to TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development), 900,000 tonnes of clothes and shoes are thrown away in the UK each year, of which only 200,000 tonnes are rescued for recycling. The rest goes to landfill.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

I'm sorry if reproducing that sounds a bit preachy. To be honest, when I first read this book nearly a year ago, this section on clothes made me feel a bit uncomfortable because I have been VERY guilty of charging around Primark and the like, with those exact thoughts about chucking it away when it breaks. But gradually, it's all been sinking in and now I don't think I'll ever be truly comfortable doing that again (which is not to say I don't love buying things, and not to say I don't love a bargain - just that I want to put a bit more thought into it).

There is no way that I am ever going to have an entirely handmade/homemade wardrobe. But the process of learning to make things has made me realise very fast that a dress for a tenner should really start your alarm bells ringing.

Lecture over. Sweetness and light returning tomorrow <3

Lists

2010-07-27T08:43:00.000+01:00

I am a list maker. I live by lists, and start to feel a little bit panicky if I don't have one on the go. I even carry around a special little notebook a lot of the time which is especially for lists, and I bought my current diary just because every week there is a page for list making. Naturally, I have made a list of things I want to acomplish during the summer holidays - it scares me how much of this is 'stuff to make'! I know that those weeks and weeks of summer which stretch into the distance at the moment, are going to disappear in no time - so here's the list, and let's see how much I can get done! It is ambitious to say the very least!

Sort out junk and get rid of it all at a car boot. (This will mean going into the garage. I may be some time...)

Paint the window frames white in two rooms. Boring, but will make a big difference.

Make curtains. I have an enormous bolt of fabric winging it's way to me as I type. (I am scared by this one - but am told it is very very easy. We'll see).

Tend to my poor neglected Etsy.

Make bags from the bonkers fabric I bought recently. When I was buying this (from Ikea - I'm obsessed with their fabric department) I got talking to a woman who was using this to make a wigwam. A wigwam! If I had a garden, I would definately make a wigwam. I have no reason at all to make such a thing, but I just think it would be rather wonderful.

Make more little fabric notebooks.

Make another apron (and make the ties a bit longer this time)

Learn how to do applique. I don't think I have the patience.

Make a stash of birthday cards, so I'm not always dragging all my scraps out at the last minute.

Finish the quilt - the top is done (in fact, it was started over a year ago, but let's not dwell on that) and now I need to do the boring (and slightly scary) bit with batting and what have you.

Do something with the half metre of batting I'm going to have left over.

Do some more work on the family tree - this has been going for a couple of years now, and I love doing it. I have messages from other researchers which I need to reply to (and which I feel guilty about ignoring).

Get up to date on my scrapping. My July pages are going to need doing very soon...

Make and order my photobook. I paid for one from Photobox while it was on a half price offer, and now I need to upload the photos and actually order it. I've never had one of this before, but I honestly can't face the idea of scrapping over 1000 photos from Glastonbury, so a photobook it is!

Blog. I am going to try and blog most days over the summer. I also need a little revamp. I can feel a new banner coming on!

Keep going with the making clothes. The main reason I wanted to learn to sew was to learn how to make clothes. It's going to take practice, although I'm the type of person who just launches in and has a go, and I've enjoyed the things I've made so far (even if they are a bit wonky in places!). I need to learn what on earth all this stuff means:

Make Christmas cards!!!!! 150 days to go until Christmas!! People in 'real life' would probably kill me for saying that, but I know most crafty minded people are most likely ahead of me on this one, and have probably already sorted out your designs and everything. Yes? No?

Summer

2010-07-26T09:39:00.000+01:00

I'm back! It's been a hectic few weeks, and I've ignored blogland, which means I have a lot to catch up on. I'm looking forward to visiting my favourite blogs again and seeing what you've all been up to!

Over the past few weeks, I have done some scrapping (not a lot, but I have done some - I am pleased to say I'm all up to date on Document 2010), but mostly I've been getting to grips with this little beauty:

I'm so lucky! A very, very, very lovely (early) birthday gift! I have wanted a proper grown up sewing machine for ages! Over the past few weeks, I've been on a very steep and enjoyable learning curve. I've made a few things, had a few disasters, and spent a lot of time examing the seams on my shop bought clothes and bags and working out how things are constructed. I've been to the library and taken out a lot of sewing books, and started bookmarking some websites and sewing blogs. I've made some bits and pieces already, and I have big summer plans for things I want to have a go at. Expect to see some of the things I've done already coming this way soon!

Never fear though - I'm still obsessed with pretty paper and glue too. I have a lot of pictures I want to get scrapped (and a photo book I want to make online - even I can't face the idea of scrapping over 1000 photos from one glorious weekend!) and (I shall whisper this bit) - Christmas cards. Yep - I think it's time to start!

So - hello again, I've got lots to show over the next few weeks, lots to catch up on, and here's hoping for a very crafty sort of summer :-)

Creativity Boot Camp Days 7 and 8

2010-06-13T19:00:00.001+01:00

Dashing in quickly to post these photos!

Day 7 word prompt was 'fly'. Not a perfect photo, but I was brave to get this close to a bumble bee!

Day 8 word prompt was ornamental. In my mind, something ornamental is something which you don't really need, but you like it because it's pretty. I'm not really one for traditional ornaments, but I do love this little framed house, which even I could not justify the purchase of. Other than the fact that it makes me happy!

P.S - I'm definately definately in the market for a new sewing machine. Hooray! But so much choice - what should I get? Any recommendations? Anything to avoid? I am definately a novice, so I don't want anything too complicated, but equally I don't want anything I'm going to outgrow in the near future. Budget is £2-300. Advice?

Creativity Boot Camp - Day Six

2010-06-11T22:17:00.000+01:00

As ever with these kind of projects, the further into the week it gets, the harder it gets to keep up. Super short post with today's word prompt - "fluid".

This is obviously very close up, although the prompt today encouraged us to do the opposite to what we usually do (which for me, would be to take pictures at more of a distance). I'm going to try to do that over the weekend, when I catch up with my missing day five prompt!

Creativity Boot Camp - Day Five

2010-06-10T20:09:00.000+01:00

I'm back, after a little internet problem induced absence! I didn't get to take my photos yesterday, but I'm not going to worry about it - I'm going to take them over the weekend when I have time, and hopefully better light, and when I can enjoy doing it rather than feeling behind and as if it's just another job for me to do.

Today's word prompt is "grow".

This is a bud on a hydrangea plants. I love hydrangeas - I love how they just grow without any effort from me (I'm not exactly green fingered!), and the flowers seem to go on and on. I love the colour of these little buds, and I'm sure it won't be any time at all before we have the great big blooms that I love so much. Summer is nearly here at last!

Creativity Boot Camp Day Three

2010-06-08T21:33:00.000+01:00

Just a very quick post from me today, because of very annoying broadband problems (technology, huh?!). But I really want to try and keep up with this in one form or another.

Today's word prompt was "multilayered". No photo opportunity came immediately to mind, and then I remembered seeing this idea somewhere. I can't remember where (it was someone's blog) so if it was you, thank you, and I'm sorry for not being able to credit you!

I whipped this little key ring up in ten minutes flat in front of the tv - easy peasy, and it has not even made a tiny dent in my button stash!

I'm not going to get round to many blogs today as I just can't face battling the internet connection any more (it's taken me four times as long to post this as it did to make the key ring and photograph it!), but hopefully I'll be back on track tomorrow.

Creativity Boot Camp - Day Two

2010-06-07T17:47:00.001+01:00

It's day two of Creativity Boot Camp. Today's prompt is to think about the term "artist" - do you consider yourself an artist? I certainly don't - to me, an artist is someone who can actually do something like paint, draw, or create something from scratch. No matter how much I would like to be able to do something like that, I can't - but I'm perfectly comfortable with that. I enjoy creating things, I enjoy playing with art supplies and pretty bits of paper and ink and so on - but an artist I am not. So even though the prompt is about seeing yourself as an artist, I'm happy enough with the fact that I don't!

The word prompt for today is picnic. I had no idea what my photograph for today was going to be, until I saw Vicki's ATC that she created. And so, I give you - my oldest bear.

He's a bit manky now, but then that's to be expected at his age! My dad gave me this bear when I was four years old, and I've had him ever since. He's the only thing I really have from when I was a child, and as you can see, he's been pretty well loved. He always reminds me of a beautiful, beautiful book called "The Velveteen Rabbit". Here's my favourite bit:

The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Lovely stuff. With luck, we should all end up being Real. Even if that does mean we are a bit shabby and loose in the joints!

Getting to know you / Creativity Boot Camp

2010-06-06T20:36:00.001+01:00

This week, I'm joining in with Getting to Know YOU Sunday over at Mannland 5.

If a person has a booger in their nose, and you can see it, do you tell them?

It's not a booger, it's a bogey. And no, I don't think I would. I would pretend I hadn't noticed, and save us both the embarassment.

What are you passionate about?

Chocolate. Mmmmm. Oh, and happiness. Everyone should strive to be happy, whatever that means for them. Especially if it means chocolate.

How long have you been blogging?

I've been reading other people's blogs for a long time, but started this one in February 2009 (and yes, I did have to go back and check!), so almost a year an a half, which seems unbelievable.

What is your favourite summer drink?

I know it's pretty boring to say Pimms, but I always feel like summer has arrived proper when I can sit in the sun with a Pimms and lemonade, with half a fruit salad floating about in it. I'm just as happy though with a nice cold bottle of beer. Or even a cup of tea (how very English).

What is your favourite type of music?

I have the most eclectic music taste of anyone I know. I lovelovelove all types of music (well, nearly all types).

Something I do before I go to bed is...

Put my face cream on. I am obssessed with anti ageing. I intend to do everything in my power to hold back the march of time!

My summer holiday plans are...

Take lots of photographs. Use the power of the internet to teach myself how to sew a bit better. Scrap. Try to make cards I like enough to send. Go to the beach. Car boot sales. Spend quality time with people I love. Relax.

My favourite, must have, can't live without beauty product is...

...that would be telling! I am pretty hooked on Regenerist at the moment. It does seem to be making a difference.

Remember I said I was going to play along with this?

Well, day one is here at last. I had intended to create layouts for this, but I realise already that it's just not going to be practical. I haven't had time today, and if I don't have time on a Sunday, I'm not going to find much time during the weekdays. So, instead, I'm going to take photos. I may do something with them at the end, I may not. But let's give it a whirl, shall we?!

Today's prompt word was ivory.

Ever the literal, this is an actual piece of ivory, the tip of a tusk, to be exact. Rather macabre, perhaps, and certainly not something you would buy nowadays (nor would you be able to, and quite rightly so). This was in my grandmother's house when she died in her late eighties, about ten years ago. It most probably is Victorian. She had all sorts of interesting bits and pieces tucked away in there (sword from a swordfish, anyone?), and this ended up finding it's way to me. I think it's fascinating, beautiful, and rather sad. It should, after all, have stayed on the elephant. I'll keep it forever, both as a reminder of my nan, and also because it's astonishing to think of the lengths people went to and the things they did in order to obtain something like this.

Pretty Inspired

2010-06-04T08:36:00.001+01:00

First things first - thanks to Ann for the title suggestion - I think it's great!

I posted the other day about my love of inspiration wires, and the fact that I can't really have one at the moment, so I'm going to make a virtual one here. I've no idea how often I will end up collecting things together, but we'll have a try! If you'd like to share what's inspiring you lately, whether it's a blog, a photo, a book, song or whatever - please do share!

So - here's the first ever 'Pretty Inspired'!

Murals in Philadelphia.

How sweet are these little embellishments? I know you are supposed to call them yarn, but they will always be balls of wool to me! Found here - lots of seriously fabulous layouts here.

Catalog Card Generator

From Kara. And what's more, she made it herself. I love it.

I love this layout. I think it's the handwriting that does it, and the fact that even with all that floral and lace, it stops short of being twee. From Curly Wiggles.

A combination of Orla Keily (*love*) and handwriting - fabulous. This rather fabulous blog post here is all about journaling more creatively - something I really want to try my hand at (once I get over myself and stop worry about my inability to draw anything!). If you look here, there's a whole list of posts from the same blog with tutorials.

Found here.

What would you have on your inspiration wire?

Way Back When...

2010-06-03T08:24:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, you can see a picture of something and you are instantly transported back in time.

I remember every tiny little detail of this house. The way the garage door rolls up and down. The little click that the blue front door makes when you open or close it. The feel of the tiles on the roof. Whatever happened to my house? I want it back!

What do you remember having when you were little?

With thanks to Freckled Nest for bringing unexpected happy memories to me this morning.

Coming this way soon - my virtual inspiration wire. Yay! I've gone blog crazy this past week :0)

WOYWWAC (or... 'The Joy of Blogging')

2010-06-02T06:49:00.001+01:00

Can you believe it's been a year since Julia at Stamping Ground started up What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? I certainly can't! And my, what a success it has been - what started as a few people showing what they were current working on, has now grown to over a hundred people each week posting pictures of their messy (or not) desks and workspaces, their current projects, and latest stash (there's even a blog button, which is rather snazzy, if I do say so myself). Although I don't always get to visit them all, there's nothing I like more than a good nosy around somebody else's desk!

To celebrate a year of nosing, the WOYWWAC ('anniversary challenge') was issued. Make something to adorn your workspace, featuring the WOYWW acronym. I did rather cop out by making a layout, but as it's currently propped up on the shelf next to where I do all my cutting and sticking (and as I don't have a permanent workspace at the moment), I'm going to say it counts!

So, from the beginning...

I started out stamping letters on to plain white 12x12 (smooth side up, to help with the stamping). I wish I could tell you that I carefully planned out the spacing of the letters so that it would fit nicely, but I can't. I just plonked them on, and hoped for the best.

See? I got my WOYWW in early! The idea is that to the unitiated, it looks like part of the random text background.

At the end of all that stamping, I had very inky fingers:

And a rather fabulous background:

Now for the fun part. Strips of patterned paper, edges inked, and stuck down so they all overlap.

For the pictures, I printed out some of my old blog banners. They are stuck on with foam pads to lift them up a bit.

Just a few embellishments:

Et voila! I've been meaning to make a layout about my little blog and all the people I have 'met' online who share my love of cutting and sticking for ages - and this was the perfect excuse.

Here's to another year of WOYWW! Happy anniversary Julia! I'm looking forward to nosing around at what everyone else has created for the anniversary challenge... Fancy a peek too? Pop over to Stamping Ground and follow the Mr Linky links underneath the WOYWW post for today!

The Missing Layout

2010-06-01T09:35:00.000+01:00

I know. I don't post for ages, and then you get a new post every day!

Here's the layout that was missing from yesterday's Document 2010 post (my friends don't mind being plastered all over the internet after all!). These photos were taken at the beginning of May, when I learned (well, tried to anyway) how to play the steel drums. Or pans, as I now know they are properly called. It was really good fun, and something I've wanted to try for ages. The title says it all, really!

You'd never know that title wouldn't fit in that gap, would you?! I think it looks okay - I'm a great believer in going with what you've got!

See you tomorrow for the WOYWW anniversary. I am possibly a little bit over excited at seeing what everyone has made for the big day!

Document 2010

2010-05-31T19:45:00.000+01:00

What better way is there to spend a cloudy Bank Holiday Monday than cutting and sticking all day long? I have had the house to myself all day, so I've had the radio on and I've just ploughed through layouts. Unfortunately, I started at the table, then spread onto the floor, and then all over the floor. Seriously. Even I'm too ashamed to take a photo of the chaos I've created, and all seen photos of my mess on this blog before!

So here we are on the last day of May, and I'm totally up to date with Document 2010. I am so loving making this album. I'm using a 12x12 American Crafts ring binder, and it's looking rather full already. This is going to be huge once it's finished! I'm a bit out of synch in posting the pages, so here are the ones that I don't think I've shared yet. Apologies for the dodgy photos - some of them were taken in the page protectors, hence the reflections.

A couple of pages from March:

April (with a bit of pixellating for other people's children):

May:

I really like using these pockets to store bits and pieces from the month. I've been making them really simple - just half a page of patterned paper stitched around the edge.

I'm so obsessed with making mini bunting at the moment!

There's one more layout to share from May; I'm just waiting for permission to post it from a friend, before I plaster their faces all over the internet!

An aside: I haven't bought any new stash in ages. In part this was a concious decision. I've really enjoyed working through my old stuff, and I'm working on the basis of 'use it or lose it'. I've given a load of old stuff away (and never imagined the joy that a load of half used alphabet stickers and off cuts of patterned paper would bring to a class of 8 and 9 year olds!) and I've discovered that I have really lovely stuff lurking around. I'm enjoying using it up!

P.S - I've finished my WOYWWAC too!

Inspiration Wires and Creativity Boot Camp

2010-05-30T12:19:00.000+01:00

This past couple of months, I didn't really make that much at all. Just recently, I've been feeling more 'my old self' again, and have started to really enjoy making things again. Scrapbook pages, cards, cakes (!). I may even dig out the sewing machine if I get time this week (although I suspect it's not working, which means spending a lot of boring time trying to get it going again. (I so want a decent sewing machine. Just without the price tag, please).

I want to encourage this newly found mojo, and yeseterday I was thinking about inspiration wires. If I had a dedicated craft room, I'd definately have an inspiration wire. Like this one:

Kara's inspiration wire. From here.

As I can't have one of those (yet), I was thinking about making a virtual one here on my bloggy. I see so many inspiring things as I wander aimlessly around the internet, but I don't share many of them here at the moment. Sometimes photos, sometimes quotes or thought provoking posts, sometimes layouts or cards which have caught my eye, or sometimes just a beautiful blog or site that I've stumbled across. So I thought what I might do is start to collect those things together, and make an occasional post with them all in. Mainly as a reference and way of collecting things for me, partly to show you, and partly because I like seeing what other people are loving too, and welll, sharing is nice, yes? If anyone can think of a snappy name for this, then please share...

In a happy, related conincidence, I found this today:

I am in. Have a look here. I think this could be fun. Plus, it's my most favourite price in the world - free!

Who takes the best photos?

2010-05-28T16:52:00.000+01:00

I'm not a photographer. I would like to be - I have huge admiration for people that can talk all the jargon and have different lenses and different settings, and DSLRs, and all that. But I have no idea what they're talking about. I'd like to be a proper photographer one day, I'd like to have a proper camera and get to grips with it and learn how to take proper, grown up photographs; but that day will have to wait. I have a suspiscion that it would be terribly expensive and another obsession for me, and I don't really need that right now. For the time being, I'm happy with my little point and click, and I will happily use the dodgiest, blurriest, badly lit photos going. In fact, I'm positively a fan of bad photos.

Recently discovered top tip (if you don't mind dodgy photos, that is): give your camera to a small child. The first advantage is obviously keeping the small child amused, but I have found that they take hundreds of photos, and of them, there will likely be some crackers. People will happily pose for a child, and when you eventually get the camera back... hey presto. Lots and lots of lovely photos.

I did this last weekend when I gave my camera to my eight year old neice. It was a beautiful sunny day (at her big brother's tenth birthday party), and was the first time in forever that my entire family was in the same place at once. I am so pleased with the photos she took! When I have lots of photos from the same day that I just want to get on the page, I'm a big fan of grids.

I'm so happy to be using summery colours again.

I don't tend to make many double page layouts, but with this many photos it's the only thing to do. I know many people don't like them in the ring binder albums (there's not really a way to avoid the gap in the middle), but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I really do prefer scrapping with photos that are very recent. I find it very, very difficult to go back to photos and events that are in the past - I like to do it while it's all still fresh in my mind. I know that there are some people who scrap chronologically, and end up 'behind'. I don't think I could do that. How about you? Do you scrap your photos straight away, or do you end up going back to things some time after the event?

It's a bank holiday weekend, and I have the week off too. Hurrah! Let's hope the weather is kind...

Jumping back in... (WOYWW)

2010-05-25T21:08:00.001+01:00

Poor, poor neglected blog. I could go on for ages about why it's been neglected, and how I kept meaning to get around to posting, but felt like I had nothing to post, and, and, and. But I think it's probably best to jump straight back in. I've missed you, blog land!

The last time I posted (and let's not look too closely at the date, please), I had just fallen head over heels in love with the Hipstamatic camera app on the iphone. Non iphone people - I make no apologies if all this talk of Hipstamatic makes you feel left out. I am very addicted. Since then, Shimelle posted all about scrapbooking with Hipstamatic photos and it prompted me to get around to posting my recent pages, which are all about the Hipstamatic love (Hipstamatic is a difficult, yet strangely satisfying word to type! I also keep getting Five Star stuck in my head...).

I'm no photography expert, and so I just adore the random setting for these - you shake the phone, and it selects a different lens, film and flash combination each time - which means you're never quite sure of what you're going to get, and leads to some lovely surprises when you look properly at the photos! These pages, where I just whacked the photos on the page all crooked and haphazard, are the result of me wandering around snap, snap, snapping. I like that it's a record of all the things I see every day, but which I would never normally bother taking a picture of.

I'm putting these pages into my "Document 2010" album. The sudden proliferation of all these retro style snaps needed some explanation though! I like the colours on this page - I've been making a concerted effort to use my nicest things up, not think too much about it, and just get on with it.

Apologies for the rubbish camera phone photos - my camera was last seen two days ago in the hands of a ten year old, so heaven knows where it is now or when it will come back to me!

Now - to catch up with everything I've missed! I'll try not to leave it so long next time...

Retro Style

2010-04-12T16:19:00.000+01:00

Like lots of other people, I have an iphone, and also like lots of other people, I adore it. But a major bugbear of mine is the terrible camera on it. Despite the fact that I usually have my little point and click camera in my handbag, there are lots of times when I either don't have it, or it's just more convenient to snap something on my phone. The iphone camera is just about okay, but as soon as you view those pictures in a large size, they don't really cut it.

Solution? Don't try and make them into nice, crisp, photos. Go retro!

I am totally, and utterly in love with the Hipstamatic camera app. Especially the fact that you can just shake it for a random setting. Which means lots of happy snapping, and lots of pretty surprises when you view the pictures.

If you have an iphone, I highly recommend it. If you don't have an iphone... well, you don't know what you're missing!

(I have done my Document 2010 March pages, but I'm waiting on a couple more photo prints - no printer ink left! As soon as they're finished, they will be uploaded).

A Layout At Last...

2010-03-28T18:03:00.000+01:00

After what seems like forever, I finally managed to make something yesterday. I used an old photo (note to self - charge the camera! Take more photos!) - but it's a good photo, and I've not scrapped it before. It's of me and one of my bestest friends in the world. The title comes from a rather fabulous song by Frank Turner, and I think it's rather appropriate.

I'm rather behind on the Something from Almost Nothing class - but enjoying the prompts nontheless and hoping that the message is sinking in subconsciously. I was very good at using stuff up on this layout - the paper is some that had serious hoarding potential, and I've had the butterflies and letter rub ons forever. Using all those Thickers on one layout did give me slight heart palpitations, but I did it anyway. I've also been saving that prima crystal swirl for 'something' - so it was very good of me to finally use it for something!

I've also been busy in the kitchen this weekend. I made three batches of a rocky road type thing which I'm going to take into work tomorrow, just because I thought everyone deserved it for being nearly at the end of another term. I've never known people get through cake and treats quite so quickly as they do at our school, so they should hopefully be popular! They're based on this recipe - but I've adapted it slightly. My top tips are - don't mix the maltesers in as the recipe says - press them into the base mixture just before it goes into the fridge, otherwise the chocolate melts off them and they end up naked! I also add marshmallow flumps, white chocolate drizzled over the top, and finish the whole thing off with hundreds and thousands for good measure. No calories at all - I promise!

2010-03-27T09:13:00.001Z

Something From Almost Nothing

2010-03-12T17:42:00.000Z

When I signed up to this class, I didn't really have a particular project in mind. I knew that I wanted some motivation to get scrapping and use up some of the stash that has been sitting there, unloved and unused, for a while. I thought I would perhaps learn some new techniques that I could put to use on layouts as I do them.

I wasn't expecting to be so inspired! There are some fabulous examples of pages on the class forum, and it's got me feeling like scrapping again. I ~~stole~~ ~~borrowed~~ was inspired by another scrapper and decided to make a little album of photos from 2009; all the little photos that are not enough to warrant their own layout, but that I love nonetheless. I went through the photos from last year (and the system of storing them on the computer month by month really helped with that) and picked out one from each month - and I intend to get them all scrapped by the end of the class!

Prompt one was all about using up the metal bits and bobs we all have lurking about. At first, I didn't think I had much, but once I went looking, I found all sorts! Here's my first page:

Yes, I know those letters are slightly wonky! These metal letters were a bargain buy at Ally Pally two years ago, and I remember now why I only ever used them once - they are a complete nightmare to stick down! Generous globs of glossy accents seems to be my only hope, but even then I suspect they might have to be re-done at some point.

I'm particularly pleased with the brad frame though. As someone who didn't think she had many brads, and someone who certainly doesn't use them very often, I was horrified to discover that this frame did not make much of a dent in my box of mixed up brads. But, it has given me lots of ideas as to how I can use them more often, so here's hoping that stash mountain starts reducing soon!

WOYWW

2010-03-10T22:16:00.000Z

Well, on my desk on Wednesday morning, anyway. And in my handbag all day, and finally delivered this evening.

The papers are a bit busy, the greeting is on the wonk, and there are all sorts of faults I could pick with it, but I actually think it's probably the card I'm most happy with that I've ever made. Perhaps I'm finally getting the hang of card making? Perhaps!

With apologies for the terrible photos taken in rubbish light!

Something From Almost Nothing

2010-03-08T21:08:00.000Z

So this is the class I've signed up for. Bad of me, of course, to spend money so frivalously (is that a word?), but I of course, I can justify it!

For a while now, I've been actively trying not to hoard stash so badly. I have been on a self imposed paper buying ban for quite a while (well, one or two pieces have sneaked through, but let's not dwell on that). I waffled on a few months ago in this post about how it actually makes me feel a little bit ill when I see people who have rooms full of stuff. When you think about how much it all costs, I can't help but find it a bit mad. I'm not giving up on shopping - oh no, that's half the fun of scrapping! But I am making a concerted effort to buy more selectively. No more the bulk packs of paper. No more the bargain packs of stamps which I will never use. I only want to have stuff that I actually like, and that I will actually want to use. I'm tired of stuff sitting and looking at me, and making me feel bad for not having used it.

So. The class. Here's the blurb:

Throughout this class we’ll be focusing on getting more from the stash we have already acquired, no matter what your personal product of choice may be. We’ll go through a range of products you already have on hand and put them to use in new ways. We’ll step away from just gluing or stitching on a button and build something new. Plus it’s not just buttons we’ll be moving from stash to completed pages; we’ll also put stickers, ribbons, transparencies, papers, page protectors, chipboard and other supplies to work too. You won’t need to have specific supplies to follow along: we’ll focus on what you do have and offer plenty of alternatives along the way.

So, you see - by buying the class, I'm actually saving money in the long run, because I won't hoard stuff that I don't use. Which is better. Makes perfect sense to me!

The first task in class is to review your stash. Armed with camera - here's what I found. Much, much reduced from what it was a few months ago.

The stamp "storage". As much as I admire the people who carefully stamp each image, laminate, and then store all their stamps beautifully (and clean, clean!) in binders; I'm not one of them.

I never use any of the stuff in this basket. And yet there's some pretty stuff in there, small pads of paper that I bought when I first started scrapping, some odd stickers and rub ons, and a lovely pad of K&Co paper flowers, which look lovely once they're made, but they're fiddly - and I'm lazy.

Random stuff I just pulled out. Remember, I never use any of this stuff. Madness.

All the 12x12 card and paper lives in these two CropperHopper things. They are fab - take up no room at all and keep the paper lovely and flat and no crumpled corners. But I absolutely refuse to have any more than two, as I know that I would just fill them up!

Look at this lovely storage solution - just bung it all on the shelf! All inks are shoved unceremoniously into this basket. There's at least three containers full of random little bits and bobs on there, too.

Another shelf - bind it all (which needs to be a bit more used really), with expensive and unused o-wires in three different sizes. They definately need to be used up!

My beautiful tote - I am SO glad I bought this, even if it was on a whim. I use the top section all the time, and I quite fancy gettng a second little bag just for storage.

The basket on the top is full of bits and bobs - all the things I like the most, and hence do at least try to use! There are some lurkers in that bag though - things I've bought but have not managed to use yet.

Inside the big bottom section of the tote is where I keep a big Artbin case full of letter stickers, and another big storage box full of scraps and half sheets of paper.

And that's it. Is it a lot still? Or do you think it's quite a meagre little collection really? I've lost the power to judge it rationally anymore! It's definately more under control now though than it once was.

Now, before you think I've gone all virtuous and goody two shoes on you all, I should tell you that I have been spending a bit of time looking at this:

I reckon that if I succeed in getting my unused and neglected stuff under control, then the nice bit comes of only buying the things you want to use. So a kit makes perfect sense, yes? Hmmm, I might need to do some more convincing yet!

Document 2010 :: February

2010-03-07T13:38:00.001Z

I haven't really made much at all recently, and despite the welcome sight of some sunshine at last, I haven't been feeling very much like making any pages at all. I think I'm running low on photos, which doesn't help. I need to get out and do something in the sunshine and take my camera with me!

I did manage to make my February pages for Document 2010.

First up, is the page with the pocket - bits and pieces from the month. A couple of them have bits of journaling stapled to them, and the envelope has got some journaling inside it too.

I am loving those Thickers.

I quite like how these divided pages look together inside the album. It does take quite a lot of time cutting everything to size for them, but you can keep them simple (and therefore quick!) and the overall effect still ends up pretty.

The main layout for this month. If you look closely at the picture of the rose, you can see the teeth marks where the cat ate one of the petals!

The journaling is about my valentines present. I always enjoy books by Nick Hornby. He's one of my favourite writers. Paul has taken note of this fact - a little too well. When the latest novel came out at the end of last year, I bought it in hardback. I very much enjoyed it (It's called: Juliet, Naked - in case you're wondering). I told Paul how much I enjoyed it. But he obviously only remembered the basic fact of 'Hornby=good'. So at Christmas time, when I received the book from my parents, Paul couldn't resist telling me how clever he had been to remember the details and tell my mum that it would make a good present! Oh, how we laughed - but he had obviously forgotten this event totally come Valentines - because he bought me yet another copy! Thankfully this time I have the receipt, so at least I have the pleasure to come of choosing a book for myself for free.

I love these little mirrored people - I got six of them in a pack for 99p from the wonderful bargain centre of one of the garden centres. Another four to use up, so they'll definately be appearing on something again soon!

I've signed up for this class, too; in the hope that it will get me motivated again. I'm looking forward to it - I usually really enjoy playing along with these things.

I need to catch up with my blog reading. But first - there's a load of ingredients in my cupboard which I think would make a very delicious cake. Diet: Monday. Again.

Break

2010-02-24T21:34:00.000Z

I'm having a little blogging break. I'm still popping in and visiting everyone else, but I'm taking a few days off posting.

Back soon, hopefully with something new to show you.

*Love*

Super Quick Little Post

2010-02-21T16:08:00.000Z

Quick and easy little paper flower made on a rainy afternoon following this tutorial found via One Pretty Thing. I highly recommend One Pretty Thing, especially the daily DIY posts, which are links to lots of gorgeous tutorials all over the web.

Oh, and happy (and very unexpected) news today from Banana Frog.

Happy Sunday!