Will it get better?

After another bad end to the week at work, i find myself wondering if i will ever settle into working in another school. I do know it takes time to find your feet in a new job, but at times i find myself doubting whether i can do it at all....but i just need to keep paying the mortgage, and poor old Kev has to put up with me being miserable. Maybe this time next week i'll feel better.

I found it hard to even get into crafting today, i felt so fed up, but after a shopping trip (not more stash?) i finally made some things:

1. Pressies for mothers day, not posting these yet as my MIL looks at my blog!

2. A scrapbook page following the mother theme, meeting the SLYMI challenge for the week, to use a punch. Kim sent me this photo about 18 months ago, and it's one of the few of me as a baby, i love my Mum in the photo, she's only 18, and looks so glamorous! I used the lovely Coredinations gemstones cardstock, like Bazzil bling and totally lovely!

3. Some cards using some old stash from the first Exhall crop.

I also got to play with my lovely new Prima stamps, only prob is i still haven't tracked down an acrylic block big enough for the huge swirl in the kit, so i need to keep shopping!

So crafting today has made me forget how awful work can be and sort of kept me sane, roll on Easter :(

Cheeky Children

This is the second page i made on Sunday, I used 2 photos i took as part of one of Cheryl's photography courses last year, and am really pleased with the LO. The original was far more suited to a girl, with lots of flowers etc, but a little tweak, and it made the perfect page for Harry. Instead of flowers i made my own version of the redcurrants by hand cutting lovely embossed grungeboard, inking it, and gluing into a little pile next to a Sizzix cut flourish. I added glossy accents and it was done!

Hannah has also started the same photography course this week, i bought it for her as part of her birthday pressie so she can get to grips with the very expensive camera i bought her the Christmas before last. She has uploaded her self portrait, and is already making very cheeky comments about me on the forum... Scrapbookers use lots of abbreviations for things; DS being darling son, OH other half etc. Hannah has decided to refer to me as UM..... Ugly Mum :o!!!!!!!!!!

Cheeky sprog, wait till she needs a model for her assignments, I may be temporarily unavailable!

Happy 17th birthday Hannah

Out for pizza tonight by request of the birthday girl... where did my life go when i wasn't looking!!!!

Crop today!!!

Had a lovely end to half term today with the Exhall crop. Sharon prepared a lovely class, lots of distressing to the LOs, and i got 2 pages made! The first one here took the longest, i'm really happy with the torn and stitched effect on the right, i can see me using this on a LO again. As ever i had to leave room for my journalling, done in the form of a letter for a change. Photo is an old one of Katie taken on Benone Strand in N Ireland.

Papers are Basic Grey, and i would not have made the distressed flower at the bottom, or used a doiley, so have picked up some new ideas (again) today. For me, this is why it's great to scrapbook with others, although i didn't get much chatting done today, it was lovely to see everyone elses takes on the class.
Am hoping to go to a Stamping Up party (like Tupperware, but for crafters!!) on Thursday, Kev doesn't know yet, but as it's my normal Cov crop night, he won't expect me to be in!!!

I'll upload the second page i did today later in the week.

Hope i survive the day tomorrow... only 7 weeks to Easter :)

Murderous migriane

After a migraine that lasted over 2 days, at last tonight i felt like doing more than curling up on the sofa with a blanket over my head. I completed my LO for Shimelles SLYMI challenge for this week, which was to cut up a photo. As i had already chopped a copy of this one up for Hannah mini album, it seemed an ideal candidate for the 12x12 challenge. i used the lovely Nonsense papers that arrived earlier in the week, and i got at a bargain price. Apparantly QVC have changed their minds about the price, and added an extra fiver since i ordered, so this earl;y bird really did catch the worm!

Also managed to finish my planning for school next week tonight, as i have a full day crop to attend tomorrow, so i needed to get this done today. Sadly, due to the migraine, the house is a tip, and no chance of it being tidied tomorrow. I wonder if Hannah will do some clearing in the week ready for her party next weekend?

I won't hold my breath...!

Acrylic Album

Well at last i've tackled this album that i picked up on last clicks from QVC. I've based it around pictures i have taken of Hannah as she's so vain she was quite keen to pose for the photography courses i was on last year, hence all these pictures of her!


To make the album a little easier i used all one type of paper (old stash again) Amy Butler Sola collection as it is double sided being able to see the back of the paper isn't a problem.

The only thing i found tricky was the adhesive, the kit supplied sheets of stick, but even using this i could see the adhesive in parts, the flowers are decorative and they cover this up! I also used an old set of word stamps throughout the book. i just hope she likes it!

Still to find her a suitable birthday pressie, she's after a black leather skirt, but when we searched for this on eBay some very STRANGE garments popped up!!!!!! Enough said!

Clearing Stash

I'm ashamed to admit that lots of new stash has arrived at my house this week.... and i am at a loss where to put it all. Yesterday i was sorting through some stuff in the kitchen when i found a bag of bits of paper left over form the last crop i attended, too much to chuck away, but what to do with it? As another crop looms on Sunday, with the prospect of more stuff to bring home i got rid of it in the only way possible, by making some cards.

It's funny, as the papers would probably not have been my first choice, but as they are part of the same set (Basic Grey Ambrosia) they were really easy to make cards with. I managed to make some 'other' style cards which were sadly lacking from my box of home-made cards when i went to fish one out earlier this week. And as cards they will end up eventually leaving the house, making a little more room in the kitchen.

I really do need to make a few more pages this week, to try and justify my purchases, i have these acetate mini books, but no inspiration for them yet...Hannah was going to be the subject of one, but as i made her a whole mini book last year for her 16th, i'm not sure what to do with them. Maybe a look through the photos of her last year will help!

A Vintage page

I made this page using a copy of a photo Kathleen (my MIL) gave me ages ago in response to the SLYMI challenge on UK Scrappers 'scrap an old photo'.

I decided not to go down the usual vintage route, and instead went for the new stack of Green papers i bought at the Hinkley show on Sunday. I seem to be a bit obsessed with bling at the mo too, and have added lots of mini stones (Anitas new ones, fab price!) to the flowers. I also found a lovely stamp with various size buttons on it, these are lovely cut out as embellishments for the pages.The only other thing i need to add is the date, but as Kathleen reads my blog i'm sure i'll get an e-mail about this soon!!

Am going to make some cards today, (shock!) Dad is still in hospital, and i took him my last general type card, so i know i need to make some more for my little box, in case i need them. Never get time to make them at the last minute. At the moment there are no kids in the house, Hannah and Katie have both gone out to friends, and Harry had a sleep over at Maxs last night, a foreshadowing of things to come methinks!

Looking forward to watching the crafty king of grunge on QVC today (Tim Holtz) and maybe getting a bit of inspirations for some of my alcohol inks.

Must get off this computer or i'll get nothing done today at all.

Harry the artist

On friday night i bought Harry a very inexpensive art kit from Aldi, he spent most of the night drawing pictures, these were given to me on Saturday morning. As all of them were from Dr Who i decided to make a LO using scanned copies. He still likes to dress up when he can, but now Woolies has closed i'm not sure where to get dressing up clothes from.

Had a nice couple of hours at Hinkleys craft fair yesterday, not too much scrapbooking stuff, but enough for me to spend a few quid! Hope to get plenty of scrapping done this week, and maybe take a few photos too!

Woooohoooo!

It's half term! I know for a lot of you scrappers out there with kids in school this thought might fill you with dread, but for us teachers it's time to consider things other than work!

I have seriously fallen off the stash -diet wagon in the last few days, i blame t'internet! It's so easy to just browse and click, and it really doesn't help when other crafters lead me into the world of temptation!

So i am currently awaiting a few deliveries from QVC, i ordered these acrylic albums to make something unusual for Hannah's upcoming birthday, not arrived yet, but am looking forward to playing with them. These could be justified as they were reduced in price, but the next kit of papers was just me giving into patterned paper lurve.

These WRMK papers looked so lovely and were SUCH a good price that resistance was futile! I just hope they arrive in good time for me to play during the holidays.

I won't mention the Thickers winging their way here as Kev is reading this over my shoulder!!!! Maybe they are my Valentines pressie!!!

Poor Dad

Well, on the third attempt, Dad has had one of his knee joints replaced this afternoon. He had it done under epidural anaesthetic, which staggered me, as i said to him' orthopaedic surgery is like DIY SOS for the body!' It took an hour and three quarters of hammering and banging, and him awake throughout it all.

I took Mum to visit him tonight, and he was in a lot of pain, so much so that i had a sympathy type response, and nearly passed out!! Anything even remotely linked to pain seems to send my blood pressure plummeting. I had to sit on a low chair, it would have been hideously embarrassing if i had fainted!

Had a really good day at school, i really think i am starting to get on top of many of my groups at last, year 10 are still an issue, but i had some great support today from the deputy head. Can i see the light at the end of the tunnel?

Half term from Friday, so looking forward to some crafting. Spent last night making party invitations for Hannahs 17th (20 of them at the house... i must be mad!) and am going to have a go at a transparent acrylic mini album next week.

Remember Summer 2008?

I know, there is still snow on the ground, and thinking back...... did we actually have a summer last year?.... but as i was searching through my photos to scrap i found these of Harry in the sea last year at Weymouth, and you can see it is definitely summer!!

Completed this LO for a challenge on the Do-Crafts site, only forgot one element (using a punch) but i used these fab Crate papers and embellishments i bought from Stampeezee as a kit last year. I'd forgotten how lovely they are, and they really do make this page. The colour is brighter in real life, proper lime, the photo makes it look a little washed out.

So, no matter how fed up we might be with the cold, frost and snow (Katie says she's bored of the snow already!) Summer is never too far away!

New LO

Used a sketch as part of this weeks UKS challenge for this LO. I rarely use sketches. but am really pleased with how this one has turned out. I will def use it again! I like the way it makes the most of standard 6x4 photographs, and includes space for my journalling.

Scrapped some of yesterdays photos, used the B&W ones for this page.

Yet more snow...

Very excited as a couple of my photos of the kids playing in the snow have been published in my local paper!!! See the entry below for the photos. Harry will be especially pleased, as his class are trying to get something in the paper as part of a topic on the News.

As we had more snowfall overnight, the girls and I are off again. i took more photos in the local country park, but concentrated on the park itself this time. As i walked about in a quiet area of the park ahead of me a fox crossed my path. The shot is not too sharp, as it was a long way off, but I'm so pleased to have snapped it at all! (and my new lens has been fantastic!)

So here are some of the photos i took of the park itself, some converted to Black and White for a change. Even the robin behaved itself, letting me catch some picture postcard shots of him!

Wintery Day

I got up this morning after warning of heavy snow last night to a disappointing 4 or 5 inches. So we got the children up and ready for school, just as i was leaving Hannah received a text message from a friend that Newman was closed, so only Harry had to go in today! he wasn't too happy with that!

Luckily i had brought home a bit of work (a bag full of marking!) so after i had done this i went out tobogganing with the girls. It gave me a chance to try out my new lens, and to play about with the camera, as the last time i went out on a snowy day the shots were disappointingly grey.

I Am really pleased with the shots i took, only a little fiddling was needed in photoshop, but the whites are really white, and the colours shine!

Katie fell off the toboggan once, and even i had a go with the girls! The country park was lovely as it was so quiet, only a few people walking there with their dogs. As we were out so early, we had the place to our selves almost! Hannah said she likes this about snow days, you have to get up anyway to go to school, so you don't lie in bed at home, but go out in the snow instead! I think she may be almost an adult!

Hope to scrap these pictures (of course!) soon.

Captain Conehead

I promised a while back to post a pic of our kitten (cat now really) with the cone she had to wear after her being spayed a couple of weeks ago.

Aside.... At the time Harry asked why the kitten needed a spade, when she could dig with her claws! :)

So here she is poor thing, i am going to scrap this photo today, as the challenge for this week on UKS is to use a photo with an animal in it, perfect!

A few hours later.....

Here is the LO i've made, as i used the conversation Harry had about her, it will go into his scrapbook. The colour choice is unusual for me, but as part of the UKS challenge i had to use red, black or gold, so i decided to use all 3!!! The laser cut floral papers are gorgeous, a set i got from QVC a couple of weeks ago, and have been hoarding!