Embellish your World

Cover to Cover

Well I definately fill the brief for this latest Shimelle Class I have signed up for. I have piles of layouts and several albums in need of sorting. As Shimelle puts it I need to put the "book" back in to Scrapbooking.

I am album #3 for my eldest who turns 16 this year and on albums #2 for both my boys, although that should probably be 4 and 3 each respectivly if I got around to filing my completed pages away. I also need a family album or too I think. With tales of our homes, and things we do together, holidays etc. I sure need to take more photos around the home that is for sure, may even help me put that in to some order too, who knows... so watch this space as I hopefully make the most of the course whilst juggling a very busy time at work, preparation for my forthcoming 15k night hike and of course the family, home and our every increasing pet hoard! I did sadly lose one of my hens today though having separated her from the others yesterday when I noticed she was very letharigic and off her food. Despite my best efforts she passed away over night and I have no idea why sadly. The others all look well but from gaining the new chicks on Friday and increasing our chicken total to 14 we are down to 13 now, 5 chicks (2 weeks old nearly) and 8 fully grown girls. Still plenty to keep me busy and a regular supply of eggs though.  Off to sleep now, it's late and I've work tomorrow, so see you all soon x

Snow good

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Over 6" of the white stuff fell from around 8pm Saturday night, throughout the night for us to awake to a world of white Sunday morning. Despite having been unwell with a high temperature, cough and cold Jamie was desperate to get out there (as was his super eager big brother) so we went for a little walk, wrapped up super warm and rewarded ourselves with hot chocolate to warm up after! Not the greatest photos (taken with my phone) as I was too scared to fall and break my good camera in the slippery conditions! Still, they make me smile and capture our little adventure out.

That hot chocolate, coupled with three course meal at Jamie's Italian restaurant in BlueWater on Friday lead to a small 1/2lb weightgain this week. I also missed a week of Boxercise but plan on getting back on track first thing tomorrow. (the food was soooo good though, highly recommend it!)

Halloween & Fireworks

Gonna let the photos do most of the talking on this blog post. First up Halloween combo following a fun party with Jamie's school friends who decorated their living room for a fun tea party then trick or treating (first year I have let them do it and they had a blast!) Check out my scary pirate hat/mask! Bargain at £3 in the sales on 31st!

Then this evening we enjoyed a bonfire, bbq and fireworks at the local cricket club, a show put on in association with the boys school, so all good at raising funds for them too. Nowhere near as chilly as a couple of years ago when we went and both boys being older enjoyed it much more. Ellie was just happy to have her hot chocolate with marshmallows, although today did mark quite an occasion when she gave up being a vegetarian after almost six years! Boy did she enjoy her two hot dogs!

Back to school and work tomorrow and the switching on of the Christmas lights @ Regent Street by Matt Cardle on Tuesday to look forward to!

Posh new Eglu

After battling red mite infestation in my lovely hen house that hubby and father-in-law had built I have bitten the bullet and decided, after a year of keeping hens and loving every minute, to invest in an Eglu. Not cheap by any means and I only purchased after much consideration and some unexpected money, but I have had my girls long enough now to know I will keep chickens for as long as I am able. This home for them is far more practical for egg collection, cleaning and hygiene, mainenance and much more. I was warned the girls may not lay for a few days after unsettling them by shifting their home but we have had eggs every day as usual since they moved. They happily leave and enter the run when allowed and take themselves up the ladder to roost each evening at dusk happy as can be. A good investment I feel!

As for me well I am not fairing as well having twisted my ankle whilst out walking on a debris laden path and am unable to run/cycle or indeed exercise other than swimming for 6 weeks! So my Couch to 5k is on hold til mid October now - not happy about that and I am assuming my weightloss rate which is slow enough as it is (another 1/2lb off this week) may slow even further. I will have to be super focused on what I am eating and drinking and hope the swimming is enough. It does however mean I get plenty of crafting time which is just as well with the new ATDML Thirsty Thursday's starting tomorrow as well as Shimelle's LSNED class. I have ordered some new Prima Printery papers from ATDML to make my project this year and am off to have a look through last years gallery to decide what format I may do this year.  I have also completed my layouts for the September Eclectic Keepsakes crop in Marks Tey, Colchester which I am teaching at a week on Saturday using these yummy papers - Lost & Found2 from My Minds Eye!

If you are interested in coming to the crop let me know as I believe there are a handful of places left available and it would be great to see you!

Cute or what?

 
Superman Bob and Mario Jay in their new fancy dress costumes yesterday, purchased with Tesco Clubcard vouchers! All set for a fancy dress birthday party they have been invited to today. Jamie loved his costume so much he slept in it last night, hat as well! I have had to rinse it out this morning and peg on the line to dry in time, and he is sat indoors in his underwear refusing to wear anything else until it is ready!! Should be fun getting him in his school uniform tomorrow!

Hubby has disappeared off to the Cotswolds today with the rest of his cricket team. Sadly due to injuring his calf muscle/possible tendon damage too he won't be playing but instead will be scoring, moral support and thoroughly miserable too more than likely. Ellie is out with friends so it's just me and my boys, a pile of laundry and a house in need of dust-busting! Trying to console myself with the promise of some crafting time when it's all done and we are back from the party. I have one of my class layouts for the forthcoming ATDML cybercrop to finish off and a tonne of cards to make for friends/colleagues. I'll leave you with one I made in the week for a colleague for her sister who had just given birth. It was based on this card by one of the very talented Papertrey designers illustrating the tiny tags die/stamp set which I absolutely love! 

 

Trent Park Sunday Strolling and layouts to share

As a half way through break from doing the household chores today, and to burn off some boy-steam, we ventured out to Trent Park in Middlesex today. Slightly blustery weather with a few threatening clouds but it held off for the few hours we were out and about enjoying some fresh air and kicking a ball.  I took my camera and mini tripod with me so I could get some more photography practice in following my course last week, and I used the timer to get a decent photo of the four of us (daughter was otherwise occupied with her friends today).

 
Barely a scratch visible on our eldest boy from his 12 foot fall off the climbing frame during the week which he had stood on the very top of in an attempt to hold the moon!! Seriously he should be covered in bruises with a busted nose and pair of black eyes if you could have seen the swelling Tuesday night, but the next day he looked like he had just walked into a wall, even with the missing tooth he also managed to knock out!! Bubblewrap anyone?!! He did hurt his back in the fall but that too seems fine now and we kept him at home for 48 hours observation before allowing him back to school.

So as I mentioned in yesterday's blog post I spent the day crafting in Marks Tey Saturday with the Eclectic Keepsakes girls. I loved Karen's class and added a suitable photo today to complete my page.

 

I also managed a commission layout for Issue 57 of The Scrapbook Magazine, here is a little peak at that which uses my new Papertry Block Alphabet stamps and die (love them!), not to mention my SU Boho Blossums stamp and punch.

 

So from this layout that took me several hours to complete because of the tri-coloured stamping, embossing and then layering I had going on, to a layout of my Jamie which took no more than 20 minutes, this including the handcutting of the leaves. Papers used here were those I bought at the Ally Pally show earlier this year and are by Little Yellow Bicycle.

 
The cork was a sticky back 12x12 sheet which I cut into a wave by hand - I think this is by Karen Foster but I can't be sure!

  

On top of all this crafting yesterday I also managed to design and print/embellish my birthday invites (still cannot believe I am 40 next month) and assist my friend Clare some more with her wedding invitations. A thoroughly productive weekend for someone who also lost her voice almost completely during it!! Maybe I should rest every now and then eh? Who knew?!

 

Sharing a Double Layout

I posted a sneak peak of this a week or so back - thought I would share the entire project which started out as a very modular layout and as always happens with me, it kinda evolved a little with some embellishment clusters. Loving the curly wire trick using floristry wire, looks neat don't you think?

 

 

The papers are by My Minds Eye and can be purchased from ATDML - I bought a 6x6 pad and have used loads!!

Not so great on my weightloss this week, put on for the first time in 8 weeks, but had a jolly good workout at the gym this evening and will not be deterred! And to think I had no Easter eggs either!!

A very sunny week

Well there is nothing like a little sunshine to cheer me up - not that I needed cheering up but I still feel much happier when the sun is in the sky and the days are warmer. We have certainly been blessed with some stunning weather these last few days (save for the thunderstorm last night!) and having had some time off with my kids has been great. 

We had an afternoon picnic, bike riding and then Rio at the cinema on Wednesday, and enjoyed another day at the coast with my mum on Thursday.

 

I lost another pound and a half this week taking my total weightloss in the last 10weeks to almost a stone (just a pesky 1/2lb to go!) I wish it was coming off a little quicker, especially with the hard work I am putting in down at the gym, but I mustn't grumble - it's about how I look and feel not what the scales say AND I have resisted the easter choccy temptations too, only having a very tiny choc egg and only because one of our hens lay it (or so my boys thought this morning!)

 

Jamie insisted on hugging them to say thank you! (and then trying to teach them to fly but we soon stopped that and the hens were fine!)  A bit of time spent in the garden today transplanting tomato and spinnach seeds, followed by a spot of cricket spectating for hubby this afternoon and all to soon another sunny day was over.

 

As for tomorrow well I am planning on getting creative in my craft room hopefully as I have a couple of ChickenSoup projects to complete including one for our Royal Wedding day recipe next Friday which I lOvE LoVE loVe!! Talking of which have you seen this weeks recipe? Love that one too, and just wish my layout image had come out better, the colours are a bit off so I will try and photograph again tomorrow and then but for now I shall be heading off to bed with a book. Hope you have all enjoyed your Easter x

 

JOL Day 5 - Love to Hate

A very quick update tonight to share my Joy of Love Day 5 image.
I've been teaching and scrapping all day so I need my bed now as I am pretty tired and don't to push myself too hard too soon after having been poorly for almost two weeks.  I will blog again tomorrow with images from my class and of cards made with the left overs but for now, here is my photo for today - the prompt being what I love to hate. The image is of my youngest, four years old next week, fast asleep in the middle of OUR bed and not his own - something that occurs way too often! I love to watch him sleep, so peaceful and calm in contrast to his usual manic/looney self, but I do hate that he always wakes up in the night and comes into us. He has been under the weather the last 24 hours so this evening I put him directly into our bed to save the trips up and down the stairs to his room if he happens to be poorly again. I turned it black and white and brightened the image a little in photoshop, otherwise as I took it which was once more NOT ON AUTO!! Yippee, happy dancing mum!!! Ok, I am worn out again now - off to bed I go!

 

oh and of course my image from yesterday's prompt (#4) which was What they wear and I was thrilled when my teenage daughter agreed to pose in her comfy pjs!

 

 

The Joy of Love Photography course

Started today, Feb 1st and it's not too late to join in on this free course.  Daily prompts in your inbox with some tips and tricks to get you taking better photographs, and did I mention it was free?!

today’s prompt was: what they DO.

I took snaps of hubby at his home computer, changed to B&W to minimise busy background and zoomed in for a close up of his hands on the keyboards (sporting a wedding band which states he is all mine!) Increased my camera ISO setting and took it off auto (SCAREY!) and played about with the settings to try and make the most of the poor indoor lighting.

 

I then turned around and saw my six year old Robert playing lego at the dinning table and couldn't resist taking a few of him also. Whilst I naturally ADORE the subject I'm a little disappointed in my photos which seem a bit orangey and despite messing with the setting a fair bit I couldn't alter this - any clues? Hopefully I can get some better photos as the course progresses, but again I didn't take these on auto so it is some improvement for me - after all, what is the point of having a decent slr camera and not learning to use it right?