Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Tis all prepared!

Yes folks I have some how managed to prepare my JYC album this year.  I can't quite believe it myself.  I signed up for JYC in 2009, but did not make it past day 8.  Last year I didn't even attempt it but this year I really wanted to give it another go.  I fell in love with the Christmas kit on Shimelle's blog and ordered it. So after spending the money I really wanted to do something with it. By squeezing in a few crafty moments here and there I have got it done.






I have never pre-made pages in an album before, but I'm hoping by getting these done I can simply add the journalling, a few replenishments and it will get done.  I have a note book at the ready, and plan to scribble my notes each day and then work on the pages as and when I can fit them in. 




 I've gone for 6x6 this time and hope this will be a manageable size.  I'm also only going to go up to New Years Day - a page for most days with Christmas Day etc maybe will be two pages.  Sometimes there will be photos - sometimes not.  So that's the plan - watch this space as I hope I will be able to manage to blog a few completed pages here and there!




I can hardly comprehend we are nearly at the 1st!  Since my last post, I'm feeling a lot better.  I managed to get on top of most Christmas things and have all my lists and plans in place which always helps me feel better.


Bring on the Christmas madness!

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Fading energy

Some weeks you feel full of get of and go and others you just seem to fade.  This week my energy cells are low and my to do list seems never ending.  Christmas now seems to be hurtling towards me and yet I have little enthusiasm  to engage with its reality.  I do have periods like this and I know that I can get through them - yet whilst in it, I do feel like I'm wading through very sludgy mud. The low light levels at this time of year play havoc with my mood, so please bear with me!


I did feel a spark of Christmas cheer whilst in convent garden this weekend and admired their decorations.






I don't think I have ever seem baubles of this size!




My plan in the next few days is to start my JYC album - I have the paper and album - just need the energy.

Saturday, 12 November 2011

The sound of silence?

There is a strange sound in our house this weekend - silence!  Both the girls are away.  The oldest has gone on a PGL (outdoor activities) weekend with the school and the youngest is on her first brownie weekend.  Not sure I would enjoy it every weekend but it does make a pleasant change to able to be conduct a conversation with hubby and actually finish it in one go!  We are away to London later today to meet brother in law and partner and some of partners french family(who speak little English and we speak little French!) for dinner and then theatre which should be fun.


Anyway I dropped in to share a layout I did the other evening.  When I first started my blog you may remember that I used to post my "Monday memories" - it was the photo from the calender that sits on my desk which changes every Monday.  Whilst I haven't posted a "Monday memory" for a while, I obviously still turn the calendar every week. So when these photos turned up, I decided that I wanted to scrap them.  So I did.




This is my hubby and youngest taking a step back in time. We took a trip to the national trust village of Laycock, which has been used some of the Harry Potter films and also where Cranford is filmed.  In the house, one of the rooms was set up as a little studio with clothes and props.  So they both dressed up and Frederick my brother in laws super talented partner took the photos.


I really like this page - its the first one I've done for a long time not using a sketch as inspiration.  I also did it really quickly.  Once I had decided the placement of the patterned paper and photos, I just stuck them down and then let the rest evolve.  Normally I place everything and then take a long time to commit to actually sticking - sometimes even leaving for a couple of days.  However more recently, I have being better at just sticking it down - its only patterned paper after all.  What is important is getting the memory recorded.


Hope you all have a great weekend whatever you are doing!

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Am I allowed to mention the C word yet?

As it is now November, I think I can post about Christmas?  Well anyway if you can't bear to consider it until at least the first of December please look away now.

Some years I make my Christmas cards, some years I don't.  As always it depends on time. I don't stress and am quite happy to buy if I don't manage to get them done. This year I hadn't really given them much thought and then the very talented Mary Anne posted some Christmas printables on her blog - here and here.  Anyway I thought why not and over the weekend I produced these;



As they are simple in design and construction, I managed to make nearly 30 in only a few hours. 

If you not ever visited Mary Anne's blog do take a look as there is a lot to inspire you and she is very generous with her ideas. 

Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Firework Fantastic!

For the last few years we have spent Bonfire night with my brother-in-law and his partner Fred.  They live opposite a park which puts on a fantastic display to music and this year was no exception.  Having not taken any photos at previous years, I thought that I would try out the firework setting on my camera.  Well I say I, but in the end hubby took the photos as he is taller than me.  Anyway its a sort of point and hope process but here are a few of my favourites;





I love fireworks so I'm glad I now got these photos to scrap.

Perhaps I'll some find inspiration in here; 


I did a little happy dance when this popped through the letterbox on Monday. It is packed full of layouts - all different styles - lots to get the mojo moving.  Well done to all those involved.  Having now seen the first one in the flesh, I think a subscription is in order.

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Game On!

After enjoying a lovely Sunday lunch at Simon and Fred's (my brother in law and partner), Louisa decided we should play checkers. However rather than use a traditional game board, she decided that bigger was better.  Much more fun to use the checked rug for the board and cocktail umbrellas for the pieces! (you gotta love her style) It was Daddy against Louisa but we all gathered round to watch and give advice when needed.  Good old fashioned Sunday afternoon fun!





This story was bought to you as part of "Story Telling Sunday".  Click here to enjoy some more stories.


Have a lovely Sunday!

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Using paper bags

A few weeks ago Sian From High in the Sky kindly offered her readers some paper bags and I look advantage of her offer. She also gave instructions for how to construct an album from said paper bags.  So over the half term I gathered my supplies and photos and created my own album.  Its of our holiday in Devon that my youngest and I (along with my Mum and Dad) took at the beginning of the summer holidays.




I made the covers from some chipboard and used 6 bags in total.






I left the paper bags open and added pages which can be pulled out - as you can see below.






This is the first mini book I have made for ages and really enjoyed it - the process of making and then filling up the pages.  So a big thank you Sian for the paper bags.


PS just a quick update on the phone situation - it did arrive on Tuesday as promised however I did not get a phone call to explain what had gone wrong.  You win some, you lose some!  And the oldest is very pleased with her new phone, so someone is happy.

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

A litte rant and some more 2011 album pages

Sorry but I need to indulge in a little rant today - not something I normally do here but some things need to be said.  Yesterday I was expecting a delivery of a new mobile phone for my eldest daughter.  I waited and waited and then at 4.20 got a text to say they had called but there was no-one in!!  Well as you can imagine I was a little surprised at such news as I had been in all day!  Anyway then ensued many conversations with many people, who could not help me until 5.30 I eventually got someone who did! Sadly by this time it was too late to get my phone delivered so it should arrive today.  What makes me so cross about the whole episode is that at every turn, no-one wanted to take responsibility for the problem - "oh its not my job/department".  To me good customer service is about someone listening to my issue and then doing everything they can do to sort it out - not passing me from pillar to post having to explain the problem yet again.  In fairness the final man I spoke to did just that but by this time I had steam coming out of my ears!!  Too often these days when you phone a call centre, they have not been trained to deal with problems that are not on their "script"!   In my book if you take a call from a customer with a problem you should take ownership and sort it out.  Anyway rant over now.  I am sat here waiting for the phone and also a call from the delivery company to explain what went wrong yesterday - call me cynical but I don't hold out much hope for either!  I'll keep you posted.


So lets move from the negative to the positive.  I had a great time at the crop on Saturday.  Thank you for those that offered advice - you were right - everyone was lovely and friendly and very willing to lend out anything I'd forgotten.  It was fantastic to meet people that love scrapping like I do and totally "get" it!  There were two ladies new to scrapping - a mother and daughter and I think by the end of the day they were totally hooked.   


Anyway in between the chatting I managed to complete my February pages from my 2011 album, so I was pleased.  I think what I enjoyed the most was not being interrupted to have to feed children/find things/empty washing machines - you know the normal stuff that goes on at home!







Its going to be a monthly affair and whilst I can't make the November date, I will be able to go in January. I can't wait.

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