As Promised....

Well I've kept my promise and photographed the layout I completed at the crop on Saturday. I used my craft robo to cut the pieces for the snowman; the second time I've used my machine in two weeks which is good for me, poor Robbie Robo had been feeling rather unloved! I used a digital template again for the placement of photos and had it printed at Asda, but cut it up at the crop as it was too white. I'm really pleased with the overall effect and hope to do more paper piecing projects soon.

Manic Weekend

Boy, was it manic!

Friday Adam and I treated ourselves to a concert at Birmingham Symphony hall for a performance of Handel's Messiah which has to be one of the most inspiring and beautiful pieces of music ever written. As it was a classical concert, no-one was allowed to leave mid performance and true to form, I needed the loo about 20 mins in! I whispered my panic to Ad and got prodded in the back by a woman telling me to be quiet! How embarrassing!! The concert itself was fabulous, did my best not to sing along!

Saturday Was my monthly crop where a fab time was had as usual. I was one of Dawn's (see photo) minions helping to serve a full Christmas dinner which was yummy but I'm not looking forward to getting weighed tomorrow! I even managed to complete a layout but it's too dark to photo it properly tonight. Will do so tomorrow, I promise!

Sunday We were back at Symphony hall! This time as our youngest was taking part in a huge Christmas concert put on by children from schools in our area. I must say when they all sing together, it's quite moving, they sound wonderful. There was also the youth theatre, orchestra, electric violin, jazz, ballet and modern dance groups taking part.

Just catching up.

Ok,I know I've gone quiet again, (sorry Kevin!), but I've been super busy (again lol).
Last week was particularly hectic and the week to come promises more of the same - oh well! Consequently, I don't have anything crafty to post,cos I haven't done any!! I'm hoping to do a LO this afternoon that I've had the kit for for a while so watch this space!

A Quick One

I've been so busy this week that although I've downloaded Shimelle's prompts, I haven't had time to read them, let alone use them as inspiration for a blog post! Must, must get organised. I do, however have a LO to show that I did last month but never got around to photographing. Do you see a theme here? lol! My eldest daughter had been invited to a party by her boyfriend's family and in true teenage style started getting ready hours before she was being picked up. Consequently, she was ready really early so we decided to have an impromptu photo-shoot while she waited (as you do!). These photos were the result. We pretended she was on America's Next Top Model doing the 'fierce' poses that Tyra Banks from the show loves. The middle photo lifts up to reveal my journalling.

A first attempt at hybrid

Been missing in action again! I seem to have been super busy the last few days but can't see a lot for it iykwim.

It was our monthly crop on Saturday and as I missed the last one due to my surgery, I was DETERMINED to go this time! As usual, more chatting than actual scrapping went on and as I am a champion talker and an extremely slow scrapper that equated to one LO and one paper flower completed in 6 hours! This is the LO I made using photos I took when we went to the park a couple of weeks ago. It's the first time I've made a collage of photos using a template downloaded from creating keepsakes. I used paint shop pro which I'm rubbish at! I got so frustrated with it but am at least pleased with the end result. I've learned that it's much easier to print one 10 x 8 photo than have to crop lots to make a collage so I suppose I'll just have to practice using a graphics program lol. Oh well, more late nights for me then!

On my soap box!

Education has been the theme of the day today. I'm not a teacher or student you understand, although I do have three children who are still in the 'system'. No, but for the past 12 years I've been a Parent Governor at my local Primary School and today I had what was meant to be a quick meeting to set the targets of our new Head Teacher. Well, we ended up discussing something I feel very strongly about; the way our Government only sees a child succeeding if they are good at maths and English. Ok, these subjects are vitally important but what about those children who are gifted in other ways, say in Drama or Art? Are they not worth anything? Why can't excellence in other subjects count as success? After all, we are supposed to be giving our kids the confidence to make their own way in the world, to find learning so exciting that they continue it all their life. If we constantly knock our kids self-esteem because they don't fit the stereotype, how many more kids will spend their lives on benefits because they have the mentality that they're no good at anything and who wants them anyway? It's time things changed!!!!

Wednesday's Top Five

Today's prompt from Shimelle's class was about favourites. My brain has gone into meltdown reading so many of my classmates' blogs that I think it's going to be a simple list of my favourite places on the web.

1. UK scrappers where I find inspiration and talk to other crafty people.
2. Facebook Only recently joined but already spending too much time there!
3. Miss Bimbo My girls love this site and I love doing the games for them!
4. Slimming World Simply the best weight loss programme out there. No fads, no calorie counting, just real food for real people and a system that works for life.
5. Anso's Blog Just love her style!
   

Spending time together

That's something we don't do enough of as a family. We seem to rush around from one day to another 'doing our own thing'. I suppose as the kids grow up this will become more and more the case so moments we do spend together become all the more precious. A couple of Sundays ago me, Ad and our two youngest girls went to our local park to take Autumn photos and just generally spend time together. We had an absolute blast! The girls could run and play without fear and as parents, we could just chill and enjoy the scenery. But do you know the shameful part? Our youngest who is nine, couldn't remember having ever gone to that part of the park! She's only familiar with the playground. So I'm sorry sweetheart, we'll try to make up for it and visit more often.

How weird was that?

I wrote yesterday's post BEFORE getting Shimelle's prompt - honest I did! And yet, what she asked us to do was exactly what I'd already done, namely, write our goals for the coming three weeks of the class - how weird was that?!!

A long time no write!

Ok, so I know it's been over a year since my last post and I know I can't claim to have had nothing to say it's just that 'life' has gotten in the way! I'm hoping, however, for all that to change as I've signed up to Shimelle's class 'Blogging for Scrapbookers'. The class starts today and I'm eagerly awaiting the first prompt. So expect (or not lol) for this blog to be:

• Updated regularly
  
• Prettyfied (ok I know it's not a word, but you know what I mean!)
• Interesting (hopefully!)
• A showcase for my inconsistent attempts at being crafty.

Here's to my new blog!!