Some interesting bits

A few weeks ago I purchased some "interesting bits" from Julie Kirk - you can read about them here and find them in her etsy shop here.  Mine were on a yellow and green theme.  So anyway the other day I pulled them out and decided to make a layout.

The only things on the layout that are not from the kit are the alpha's on the title, the tag to the right of the photo, the stamped grid and ink splashes!  The photo has been in the "to scrap" pile for some time.  It is from a visit my children made with my brother in law and partner to the Roald Dahl museum, which I have blogged about before.

There are still loads of the kit left for me to create some more "interesting bits"

A visit to see the Queen.

Well not quite but we did visit Buckingham Palace last September and this page forms part of my 2011 album.  

I went with my parents and the oldest one and we had a great day. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend a visit.  You get a great audio which is very informative without being boring and my daughter enjoyed the children's one too.  Although you are given a timed slot, once you are inside you can go at your own pace and are not rushed along.  You are not able to take photos inside, but are free to take shots outside.  Kate's Wedding dress was also on display - one of the reasons we wanted to visit - which was simply beautiful.  However we could not get over how tiny her waist was!   All in all it was a great day out and afterwards we met up with my brother-in-law and his partner for a late lunch.

My other September page was completed some time ago, and records the start of new schools for three members of the household.  You can read about that here.

I'm currently working on my November pages - just the divided protector pages to do.  Then December and then I'm finished!

A favourite photo

They always say if you need something doing, ask a busy person!  Well that's me at the moment and I'd rather you didn't ask, as I not sure I could possibly squeeze anything else in.  Fortunately it has not all been work and I have managed to include playing with paper!

This is one of my favourite photos of my youngest, taken in 2010 on her sisters birthday.  This layout was inspired by the layout on the front of the latest issue of Scrap365;

I'm considering putting this in a box frame - very brave of me as I usually don't like displaying my own work.  Next time we go to ikea I'm going to look at their frames to see if any are suitable.  I have a very similar photo of the oldest one so I could put them together.

This layout came together very quickly as last week I had a major sort out of all my stash.  All my paper and cardstock is now sorted by colour and everthing else has been sorted by type and labelled.  I realised that although I had very good storage, I was not using it effectively!  So now when I scrap, I can select everything very easily, meaning I am actually creating rather than trying to find something!  It has certainly worked as over the two days I created four layouts which is a world record for me!

How's your week going?  Mine - not quite entirely as planned.  Friday whilst out enjoying my day off with friends, my computer at work decided to give up the ghost.  Totally!  Not to be left out, my computer at home I use for work also decided to join in.  Fortunately both have been to computer A&E and now are working but it has meant I have had to swop all my work days around and venture up to London twice this week instead of the normal once.  In the great scheme of things not a great disaster but I am a little creature of habit and feel all about when my normal routine is not followed. 

However on Sunday I did manage a little creativty and pushed on with my 2011 album - is she still not finished I hear you cry!  Well almost.   Here are my October pages;

The final page is based on one of Shimelle's page sketches - here

Which also links to challenge 9 on her scrapping weekend - to use an old challenge as inspiration!

So I am reaching the home straight now - only November and December to go! 

Hello, Hello, Hello

Since we last spoke we have enjoyed a week away at Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest.  It was cold, with sleet one day but we had a lovely time - lots of swimming and fresh air.

Friends visited and a great time was had by all playing in the garden and then splashing in the hot tub.

And the girls and I enjoyed catching up with friends at Cliveden - our local national trust house.  The bluebells were out and were looking lovely.

And on Saturday I had a day to myself at Ally Pally spending my birthday money on lots of lovely new crafty things to play with.  In between all this I have eaten far too much chocolate (thankfully it is all gone now!), read 3 books and generally chilled out.   I feel like my black cloud has well and truly lifted and my mojo is rising! 

I hope to be back later in the week with some show and tell and hopefully will have managed to have joined in some of the challenges that have been happening over at Shimelles place this weekend.