March?

With it snowing again today, I thought I would make a page using photos I took back on the first of March this year.  I don't think there will be this much snow this time, but as I look out of the window the flakes are pouring down as I type.❄❆❄

I subscribed to a class by Shimelle called 'Clear the Desk' with the aim of using up lots of my stash.  This layout follows class one and is the second layout in the series.  I made up a kit and have so far made two layouts from it.  The aim is to use the kit including scraps to make as many layouts as possible.

The blue background paper is so old I have no idea what it is, wood board paper is by Docrafts and many of the embellishments are from the Starshine range by Shimelle.

I added a few stamps and a Thickers glitter title to finish off the page.  I have completed my Christmas pages, so will post these in the upcoming days.

Snow Day

It's been a long winter, and this page reminds me of the start of it.

We had rare heavy snow back in early December that led to a couple of Snow Days off school.

The papers are by Basic Grey and Snow and Cocoa by Crate paper.  I like the pink and blue together for a snowy page. 

I found an old Martha Stewart snowflake punch to make embellishments, along with a few irridescent sequins.  Wonder if winter is over, now we are in March.

Good intentions...

So far have led to nothing when it comes to sorting out the house, although I have done a bit of gardening, and some scrapbooking, so it's not all bad.

Harry is busy this week in school most days as the teachers are running revision classes, meaning I have to get up early to drop him off, so maybe tomorrow I will get some sorting out done.

Some scrapbooking to share: this month's challenge on UKS is weather related, so I made a page using a pair of photos that have been floating around in my 'to scrap' pile for ages; so long in fact, I can't remember when I took them!

The papers are from the £2.99 TKMaxx set bought last week, and the title is die cut with a Sizzlit die I have had for an age! Simple page, but the photos are no longer in the pile.

The sun is shining...

at last, and the weather forecast for the week is good.

And I'm posting a snowy layout!  I'm very late uploading this weekly challenge from UKS, which was to use a photo out of season, paint, an odd number of photos and white space.

Well, I managed it all except the white space, I'm just no good at it :)

As Kev is out tonight with work we'll have to wait until tomorrow to fire up the barbie.

Snow Shots

Got up early as the snow was already starting to melt, it is still fairly deep. Harry has been out twice on his toboggan, once with us, and with his cousins too.

I managed to get a few good photos, take a look at this slide show....

This scrapbooking design created with Smilebox

It's snowing!

The first this year, and a decent amount too. I hope it stays put until the morning so i can go out and get some photos.

Something for {almost} nothing

I have signed up to another of Shimelles classes, a bargain this one at only a tenner, with the objective of making serious inroads into my stash mountain (before i go to the NEC and replenish it that is!!!)

The first prompt was to use metal on a page, and in the spirit of the whole thing I also used ancient stash (mostly around 4 years old and more!!) to make the page. I have no idea what i was saving these little square frames for, but her they are at last used!! I am pleased with how the title turned out, the circular frames were just big enough for the negative to the Rat a Tat Sizzix alpha to fit into, I added some Glossy Accents over the top for a home made title. The smaller letters are just stamped with Stazon, and more Glossy Accents over the top.

Today's prompt is about using paper scraps (I have a few of these, and they could do with rifling through so i can actually close the drawer where i keep them!!!

Have a good weekend all.

How busy?......

how can it be that a day can be so crowded with activities, while the one after it has nothing pending?

I worked a full day today which involved a 35 mile round trip, we had a family visit to the dentist, then a preparation service at church for Harry's upcoming confirmation, then choir practice, so about 10 minutes ago i finally sat down with a cup of coffee to relax about 14 hours after i started this morning... i don't know how i had the stamina to keep this up full time :D

And the calendar for tomorrow is empty. But alas not for Kevin this week, his school had the dreaded call, and OFSTED are in on Thursday and Friday. Not sure how late he'll be up tonight and tomorrow, but i do find myself asking (and have done every time a school I've worked in is inspected)

Do the inspections work?

Do they tell schools/LAs anything they didn't already know?

Are they worth all the cash spent on them?

Are they worth all the stress they cause?

I know what i think, just wish the gov't would knock them on the head, the country does need to save a few quid after all!

Today's page ... we are getting to the end now... features photos i took in the heavy snowfall last week, and talks about how late i always am taking down my decorations.

I made my own background papers with die cut snowflakes and swirls loosely stuck to the page, then sprayed with cosmic shimmer mist in blue (a Christmas pressie) then silver. The die cut masks are removed and hey presto a bespoke paper. Messy, but worth it for the unique look it gives.

I added some bling gemstones to make the swirls, and a lot of glitter glue... well how often do we get proper snow like this! Talking of which snow is forecast here tonight... no sign of it yet though :)

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It's blinking freezing here, i have the heating on, and am sitting in my coat to blog this. Kids are all back at school today, the secondary school was closed yesterday as they have to go outside on a sloping site every hour to move from building to building at lesson change, but they have managed to get it open today. Harry, much to his disgust has been in school the whole time as his Primary school never closes!!! No snow day for Kev either as his headteacher is from Canada and she just laughs when she sees the snow here :)

We had loads of snow on Tuesday night, our kids have never seen so much, and i have taken (a few!) photos! I think the locals must have thought i was crazy on Tuesday night as it was still snowing, and i was outside the front of the house with a tripod to take a photo of the house (above) as my tree was still up then.

I also managed to get this nighttime shot of the garden with a tripod, it was amazingly light as the snow reflected the light onto the clouds, which reflected it back.

I have still got to finish my JYC, am up to the 2nd Jan, with 4 more days to go. I'll post my New Year page tomorrow.

Stay warm everyone.

A Contrasting post..

I thought after the previous post about the warm weather that i hadn't posted any LOs for a while, so here is one i did last weekend using photos of Katie taken in February. What a difference 3 months makes. I played with the masks ( a snowflake one this time) to make part of the backing paper, although you can't see much of it on the LO. I re-used a sketch i liked earlier in the year, but for the life of me i can't remember where i got the sketch from.

I used Core'dinations Gemstones cardstock, Amy Butler Lotus papers, flowers and journalling spot (loving these now i've started hacking into them!) Brenda Pinnick ribbon, K&Co small letters, BG choc chip alphabet.

And i have finally given in and bought some of Tim Holtz masks after seeing a fab LO here on UKS today... so once these arrive i hope to do a bit more messy crafting.

Finally work phoned me today as the doctors note i had got is wrong, apparently i need one for ALL over the holiday too _ mine misses out the first week (as i've never been off this long i didn't know), so i have to see the doc again to sort this out. WHY has this small thing caused me so much stress??? i have been feeling on edge again all day because of it. A new haircut tomorrow might calm me down a bit (love my sister being a brilliant hairdresser!!! )

A snowy 8x8

As promised here is another of the pages i made at the end of last week. This one was very quick and easy, made the photo motage in PSE, used DCWV cardstock and some old dovecraft snowflake stash i'd bought for making cards a couple of years ago, and not got around to using. The embossed snowflakes are from one of the new Sizzix plastic embossing folders. I cut one out added some bling and used this in the top corner. The orange title was a total fluke.... Again i was sorting/rifling through old stash and found some American Crafts metal monograms, one i had used one of these to start the title, a scrap of orange cardstock finished the job.

Not too bad a day today... felt very low this morning, but have given the main bathroom a major clean (how we all didn't come down with some hideous disease i don't know!) so i feel like i have achieved something.

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...!

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.