Bugs and germs!

I don't know which ones they are or where they are from but I just feel so blinking rough! I am aching and tired and sneezy and coughy and just generally yuk!! I came home from work at dinner and have spent the day curled up in from of my lovely warm log fire.

No scrapping for me, I'm afraid, till I feel a bit better. Hopefully if I get a decent night's sleep tonight I may feel a bit more human.

I certainly won't be partying the night away tomorrow night. We'll probably just nip up to the local to see the New Year in and then come home.

Anyway if I don't get back before tomorrow night I'm wishing you all the very best for a great night tomorrow, what ever you have planned, and a healthy and prosperous new year!

Bathroom bargains!

Well, we didn't manage to get to B&Q yesterday as I felt a bit weary and cold so we stayed in and did nothing instead. However we did get there first thing this morning and managed to save a fortune. We have decided to keep our bath as it is an old enamelled one and you just can't get them like that any more (not in our price range anyway), plus the toilets is fairly new so we just needed a new sink. All bathroom stuff is 1/2 price plus 15% off at B&Q. That includes the taps and everything. Although the taps weren't cheap at least John didn't cry in pain as he paid for them!

We didn't get any tiles as I haven't got the picture in my head yet of how I want it. I am going to wander through some bathroom sites over the next couple of days and try and find something which jumps out at me. I'm having the laminate flooring taken up and cushioned vinyl put down again as I've never really taken to the laminate and am slowly removing it all from the house! There's plenty to do before we get to that stage anyway, with the ceiling and walls all needing attention, but with John having plenty of time on his hands in the New Year at least it won't take as long as it might have.

I'm cooking a goose for tea. I must admit I have never had one before and it may be an unmitigated disaster but we shall see. I have taken advice from Nigella so fingers crossed. I think John is going to do his famous creamed leeks as well so Thomas and I will fight over them instead.

I managed to do a couple of layouts yesterday. Not for the Christmas Journal but the real 12 x 12 size! I must admit it felt a bit odd!

The first one is of Rhianna. She really does have an amazing voice. So sweet and pure. God knows where she gets it from as it is definitely not from me or her mother. I may sing with great gusto, especially hymns, but it is just so much out of tune!

This is Samhara and the biggest present this year. Her face was a real picture when she realised it was for her. She was good enough to control her excitement long enough for us to get a photo.

Anyway, off to check the goose. Have a lovely day everyone!

Happy Boxing Day.

Well, it took a while to get here but seemed to be over and done with very quickly! We had a smashing day even if it was rather noisy and busy. The girls got far too much as usual and even I was lucky enough to get some gorgeous pressies!

Today is my rest day after all the Christmas preparations. Other than a few bits of housework I have done nothing. John and Thomas have been to football at Lancaster and with William up inhis room it has been lovely and peaceful. I have done some scrapping and caught up with all the Grey's Anatomys I had on sky+. Perfect!

Tomorrow I am working for a few hours and then John and I are going to B&Q to look at their bathroom ranges and see if we can find any bargains!

I've uploaded some more of my journal. There are just a couple of pages still to do. My album is not standing up well to all the embellishments though. It is no where near closing so I am going to have to come up with a plan for it when I have finished. I have not decided yet whether to finish now, at the end of Christmas or continue on a bit longer though I am tempted to continue till New Years Day. Anyway feel free to let me know what you think!









Anyway for now....happy scrapping!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Here's hoping you all have a peaceful, joyous and happy Christmas.

Sleepless night!

Yes, not much sleep for me last night. Don't know why really, perhaps I am just getting excited about Christmas! Or it could have been John sniffing, snorting and coughing next to me!!! Anyway I gave up in the end and got up. I think I may just have chance to do a page in my journal before I head off for work!

I hope you have all slept better than me and have a fun day getting your last bits finished off or relaxing with a good Christmas movie if you are all ready! I started soaking my turkey last night 'a la Nigella' and apart from a few bits I think I am done.

I've found out that there's no midnight mass at our church this year so we will either go to another village or attend the 6pm mass and then meet up with friends for a drink.

Anyway whatever you are doing today....have a lovely time!

Christmas Journal continued!

I've just found a few minutes to upload the next lot of my Christmas Journal pages. If I don't do it now it may be a while before they see the light of day!

December 15th was the boy's Prize night so I used that as the theme for the day.

My favourite carol!

Letters to Santa!

My tree before we brought it in the house. It was full of snow and frost! The journalling is under the photograph.

The decorations at Cambridge....gorgeous!

Christmas past. I just need to get the journalling done on this one.

My birthday! I took a photo of some of the cards I had received.

Choosing the presents!

I hope they give you a bit of inspiration and an insight into the Woodhead Christmas!

Not long now!!

Only 3 days left before Christmas and I hope you are all on track with your plans. I am not doing too badly after a shaky start which nearly sent everything haywire! Then having to take just under a week out to go University visiting, it could have all fallen apart but thankfully I think I am ok. There will always be the last minute dash, of course, to find or buy the one thing I've forgotten.

The Uni visits went well. We had a busy few days but it was great fun, though a bit nerve wracking for the boys. Thomas has heard from Plymouth already and although they can't offer him a place on the course he wanted, they have said they want to offer him a place on another one. He was a bit disappointed- to say the least-but we have had a talk about it and he is much happier. He has had a good read up on the course they want to offer him and he can still get into teaching at the end of it.So he will put that down as his insurance choice with Cumbria as his first choice.

We have not heard from Cambridge yet but I really couldn't cope with a letter from there before Christmas especially if it contains the word 'unfortunately'! It either has to be a 'yes' or have the decency not to arrive before the new year.

My Christmas journal is progressing well and I am only a couple of pages out which isn't bad at all. I have used the prompts in my own way but if something special has happened on that day then I have gone with that instead and used the prompt on a different day. That is the way which suits me best.




I've added these so that you can see the first seven days of layouts. As I said the prompts are not always used on the days suggested. On day 6 there is a large flap which lifts up for the journalling and more photos. Hopefully I will upload the others before Christmas if time allows.

Off to sort my turkey out now. It needs to defrost so I can soak it for a couple of days in one of Nigella's concoctions. I cooked the 'spiced ham' (which we are having today) and 'rocky mountain road' which is a scrummy biscuit, marshmallow and chocolate munchie!

I received this in an email and thought it would cheer some of you up!!!

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce
toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the
pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed
Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were
about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out,
Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the
toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of
rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all
the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally
dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces
all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice
had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door,
yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas
tree.
The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a
lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to
stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas
tree.....

I am plodding on happily with my Christmas Journal and am managing to stay on track. A couple of the ones I have yet to do are already planned in my head and that goes a long way to becoming the finished article........!!

Day 3's prompt was about Christmas cards. I've used one of the cards I've made as part of the layout and all the journalling is inside.

Day 5 was all about the traditions around the count down to Christmas. My layout is all about the boys' advent calendars. I just have to finish the journalling tag now.

Bye for now and happy crafting!

A different Christmas poem.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the garden to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Grandfather died in France ' on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gran always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of Burma
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his pack,
The red, white, and blue of a Union Jack.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a trench with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbour no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Please remember all our Armed Services men and women who may be away from their families and loved ones at this special time. And let us never forget those who have given their lives so we can celebrate in freedom.

It's a cold start to the month!

Yes, it's definitely looking like it's winter. It seems so many years since we had a cold, harsh winter but I feel we really need them. The freezing cold helps get rid of all the bugs and germs which linger around and often kills off a lot of the 'nasties' which we can manage with out. We had our first snowfall on Monday night and today has been freezing. It is a bit lethal out on the pavements although most of the roads are clear in our area. However it is looking like there is going to be a massive snow fall overnight so I am keeping my fingers crossed! I could do with some decent 'snow' pictures to scrap!

I have signed up for Shimelle's 'Journal your Christmas' this year. It is something I have been meaning to do for a few years but have never got round to it. As this is really the boys last Christmas at home I thought it was about time I knuckled down and got on with it. Shimelle sends you prompts and tips everyday to help you create a layout and put down on paper what that day / theme actually means to you. The first prompt was the manifesto for the journal but I have kept a separate part for that so I have a space for December 1st. I do have a couple of ideas but am waiting to see if Shimelle uses them on other days first.

The prompt for December 2nd was 'Weather' and as I said earlier we had our first snowfall for years so that was an easy one to do!

I am using a Heidi Swapp 9 x 9 album so I have a decent sized page to work with. I have journaled my thoughts about Christmas weather and added a couple of photos in a pocket. The snowflake is a chipboard one covered with white Bazzill and with a few sparkly gems added. I am allowing myself a set period of time each night to complete the page so there won't be time to be too fiddley with things! Overall I am happy with how this one has turned out. I will try and keep you updated more regularly with my progress!

On the university front things have moved on a pace. William has had offers from Leeds, Lancaster, Durham and Warwick and we are off to Cambridge next week for an interview at Emmanuel. Thomas has been to Ambleside and has received an offer from them so that is really good news. He liked it a lot and I think it will suit him as it is small and cosy but they have a good reputation for turning out good teachers. But as he said...it's not Plymouth! Never mind we will just have to keep our fingers crossed for both their interviews and hope they do well in them.

Well, off to do some scrapping now. See you later!

Another week nearer Christmas!

Yes, the days are rushing by quicker than ever! I have managed to buy some presents so am not totally behind with everything but I do need to get my finger out and get a bit more organised. I have so many things to do, and so many events coming up in the next few weeks I have had to draw up a couple of planners and stick them to the fridge and then everyone can write on what is happening when! That may go some way to helping me out a bit!

Parents night was great, you will be pleased to know! Both the boys got glowing reports and it was a pleasure to be parents for once. Between the five of them we have had some disastrous parent's evenings through the years. A couple have even left traumatic scars in my subconscious! Thomas is working hard and should get the grades he needs to get into Uni and William is continuing to baffle everyone with his abilities and thought processes. He baffled me years ago so I just nod with a (hopefully) understanding look on my face when he talks about anything college related. Thomas was overjoyed to get an interview at Marjon in Plymouth (his first choice) on Dec 10th. Hopefully this will not clash with Cambridge or John and I will have to toss a coin to see who takes who where!!

On the scrapping front I have been managing to keep going with the 'old' photos. This is one of my Dad with Daniel.


He was so pleased to have another grandson and was more than happy to spend ages, when he had time, just sitting and cuddling him. I love scrapping photos of my Dad as it seems to bring him a bit closer to me every time. Unfortunately I haven't many more of him left to do......so I may just do them all again! :)

We didn't get any Hallowe'en photos of the family this year but I managed to find these two photos from long, long ago. That was when I had legs which I didn't mind showing occasionally!

A few of the girl's from the road decided to have a bit of a 'witches night in' and felt we should dress appropriately. As we didn't have any outfits we had to make use of the odd bin liner or two!! Still, from what I remember we had a good time, though the clothes weren't up to much by the end of the night!

A layout with a new photograph, which I scrapped yesterday, is this one of our Adam. The photo was taken by Laura, one of his friends, and I absolutely love it.

We can rarely get Adam to have his picture taken, except when he is 'with drink', so it is lovely to see one of him looking so handsome. I sometimes have to pinch myself to realise that these gorgeous grown up people, I am scrapping photos of, are my babies! God, I must be old!!!

Anyway thanks for reading and I will be back soon.

Grandad Charlie.

I may not have posted for a couple of weeks but don't worry, I have not been idle! I'm still making good headway with scrapping old photographs and managed to get 10 double layouts done and quite a few single ones. One of my favourites this month is one of my paternal grandfather. My sister had this very old photograph and you could hardly see anything of the actual detail so I sent it off to Giselle at www.fixyourphotos.co.uk and she waved her magic wand and here he is in all his glory!


He really was a bit of a dapper young man on that day but we can only think it must have been for his wedding or something equally important as they were not the richest of people at all. So it is a bit intriguing what the occasion was! Unfortunately he is no longer around to ask. I have gone for a bit of a vintage look with the layout, leaving my edges rough and tearing and rolling the paper. I have used one of MM metal alphabets for the word CHARLIE. I must admit I really love this photograph and am pleased that I have achieved everything I wanted in the layout.

Everyday life is rushing along at it's usual speed. On the university front William has had offers from Leeds and Lancaster but he is still waiting to hear if he is going to get an interview at Cambridge. (We are still living with fingers crossed.) Thomas has an interview next Wednesday at Cumbria so we are off up there for the day. I am hoping to get to Lakeland to get some bits but may not have time. We also have parents evening coming up next week so that will give us a chance to chat to Thomas' teachers and get the low down on whether or not he is likely to get the entry requirements needed. He certainly has been doing a bit more work but maybe it's me but I think he is capable of more.

With Christmas coming up the calendar is getting rather full with one thing and another. We have a couple of festive outings planned in already and more to book. I am starting a new role within the company in the New Year. It is a full time joba bit of a promotion, so will mean a bit of a shake up in family life! I'm looking forward to it though as it seems to be something I can really get my teeth in to. I have just about closed the shop now as I don't have a great deal of stock left and it was becoming a bit of a bind with everything else going on. However if there is anything you want just give me a shout and I will sort out a good price for you.

To keep me crafting during the run up to Christmas I have signed up for Shimelle's 'Journal Your Christmas'. Prompts sent each day will hopefully make me look at my time in more depth and get it down on paper. I love Christmas and the whole run up to it but it always goes so fast. I'm hoping to savour it, and everyone around, a bit more this year.

Anyway bye for now....back soon.

A busy time.

Just a quick update from our busy lives at the moment. We have just got back home from a quick trip to Plymouth. Thomas wanted to go and have a look at Marjon Uni down there and I must admit it was just up his street. They specialise in teacher training along with sport. He will be able to do his course and also have plenty of sporting facilities to use. They have squash and badminton courts, swimming pool, fitness suite and lots of other indoor and out door facilities. They have a hockey team and club as well which will suit him down to the ground! he would not be far from the sea and the weather was really hot and sunny. So much better than the winter chills we have up here.

The accomodation was better than expected. There are 'halls', many of which are being refurbished and rebuilt, and 'the village' where four or five students share a house. The staff were very friendly and the uni itself has a great reputation for student support. We were all pleased with it and it was well worth the visit. Thomas now needs to get his UCAS form completed and then hopefully get an offer.

The shop has been really busy over the past week since I re-opened it. I have very little stock left, well compared to what I used to have, and once this next week is over I will be closing for good. I really can't wait as I really don't have the patience to be bothered anymore and there are so many other things taking over in my life at the moment. I especially can't be bothered with customers who send me irate emails when I don't immediately answer their first one. (The fact I am away or have a life does not seem to occur to them) Stock levels are not correct but I do my best to send out great value parcels. With 60% off they are getting a bargain to start with and then because of this they order more stuff so the parcel is heavier which in turn sends the postage up. So not only am I sending bargain parcels out I am also subsidising the postage charge. I must be a fool!!

I have to say though, I do have some fantastic customers. They are the ones who have bought from me over the years and my heart always lifts when I see their name on the site. New customers as well who appreciate what a fantastic deal they are getting. I do so enjoy their imput. Still it will soon be time to shut the doors for good. I am hoping to sell the rest of my stock in bulk. So if you are a craft club or similar who want a great deal just let me know. The weight of the stock will not be light as I have lots of papers left but I'm sure we can come to some arrangement.

Anyway I'm off to be a good housewife and do some cleaning today. I have a busy week ahead and Thomas has his driving theory test on Tuesday as well. We have been answering questions all weekend as we drove up and down the motorway! It certainly tested our knowledge as well.

So bye for now and I'll be back soon.

I can't believe I have missed a month!

Where does the time go? I am sure there are less than 24 hours in the day at the moment as I never seem to get everything done. So sorry for the lack of postings.....again!

So what happened in September? The boys went back to college and seem to have settled in ok. Thomas has decided he wants to go to uni now and has chosen to visit an open day at Plymouth! For someone who didn't want to move far from home it's a weird choice. Anyway as he is a bit of a 'surfer dude' he should fit right in. I can't see much work getting done though with him so near the waves. Still, he will be too far away for me to nag!

William's UCAS form has gone in with Emanuel College at Cambridge being his first choice. We now have to wait and hope he gets an interview. These are usually around the end of November / beginning of December so all our fingers and toes are crossed!

At last Adam has moved into an apartment in Manchester. He has been wanting this for sooo long and I am pleased he has finally done it. It's a lovely place as well, very near the centre and with wood floors, big windows and private secure parking. He actually told me not to ring after 7pm one evening as he and Joelle were having some friends round for dinner! How cool is that?? I knew he would grow up eventually.



John and I have just got back from a few days on our Andy's boat. He has it moored at the marina in Alcudia. There were 8 of us there together and we had the greatest time. I don't think we stopped laughing from the time we got on the plane at Manchester to getting off again 5 days later. And the food.....oh....and the drinking....ohhhhh, that seemed to be all we did. I could not do it for long but it was a fantastic break. We took the boat out every day and although the weather was not the best it certainly did not spoil a minute of it. Garth was our master barbecue 'er out at sea and did a cracking job. Everyone else helped out with the rest of the spread and then we all laid around eating and drinking. John has decided he could quite happily be a deck hand when he retires. Me?.......I am hoping that lottery win will come soon and then I can buy my own boat!

Anyway it is back to reality now and I was at the gym as soon as I could to get back on track. I could feel the excess bacardi seeping out of my pores as I pounded the treadmill.

Bye for now.

And it's back to the eighties!

Yes, back to the 1980s. I have been continuing with my mission the scrap some of my old photos of the elder children. I have had great fun today with a couple of cute photos.

I know it's not quite Christmas yet but that is the fun of scrapping...you can do layouts from all seasons anytime! I love this picture of the three of them and it clearly brings back the feelings of that day. They had never seen such an enormous Santa before and Daniel especially was so excited. It was the first Christmas that he had a real idea what was going on so it made it all the more exciting for everyone.

I love this photo of Kim. I think she looks just gorgeous. She had loads of freckles on her nose and cheeks that summer but they don't show too well on the old photo. It was taken in 1986 when we were on holiday at Pontin's with my mum and dad. We had a smashing time even though we made the usual trips to the medical centre with one or other of the boys!

Some great news as well this week.....Thomas finally gained his science GCSE after having to resit it this year. He was just sooo relieved as it means he can continue with his plans to teach. They only have just over a week left before they are back at college for the final year. Goodness knows what we will be up to this time next year!

Bye for now!

Results Day!

After waiting all summer the day finally arrived for us to go into college to get Williams AS results. They needed to be good ones so he has a chance of getting into Cambridge next year. Needless to say he did not disappoint! All straight A grades with barely a mark dropped in . How can anyone get 100% in two Physics exams and two maths exams? It's a scary thought! I hope Cambridge are suitably impressed anyway!

I've been taking my mind off the worry with quite a bit of scrapping. Nearly all the holiday photos are scrapped now which is great.
Here is a double layout with the photos from the ferry we went on over to the Isle of Mull. It has been years since I went on a ferry and I was really excited. I had forgotten just how big they really were!. I would love to live on a small island somewhere. Just think how peaceful and remote that would be. Mull was gorgeous and I could quite happily move there!

Our Janet and David have just bought a house down in Basingstoke. They are moving in there this weekend. Thankfully it is not a full time move but more like a second home so she can be nearer Sarah and Jacob without having to stay at Sarah's house. She does envy me having Kim and the girls living so close so I am pleased she can finally spend a bit more time with her daughter and grandson. I think they are busy cleaning it all this weekend ready for the furniture arriving on Monday. I am sure they will soon be settled in and it will feel like home for them.

Janet and I spent a cosy girly afternnon last week curled up on the settee watching Sarah and Paul's wedding dvd. What a stunning production. They have made an amazing job of it, with the whole of the day captured. However they never seemed to be getting in the way and were really unobtrusive. So that proves how good they were. I would love Kim to have something like that for her wedding.....when ever it happens.

Anyway off to put the kettle on and watch a bit of Olympics!

Busy, busy, busy!

As you can imagine it's been a busy week for me since the sale started. I have spent every waking hour packing orders and making two daily post office trips. There is still plenty of stock left but a massive hole has been made in it, thankfully. So bob along and have a browse. You may find just what you need!

So with all the stock and order packing I have had no time for scrapping which is a bit of a disaster but I have been imagining all the spare time I will have once the shop is finally closed.

It seems a bit of a shame that so many good shops are closing at the moment. There are various reasons for this but a lot of it is due the economic climate......there just isn't the money about in a lot of cases and what money people have is needed for other things. A further reason is that some people just want something for nothing and the biggest gripe of many retailers I am in contact with, is people asking for free postage. There is no such thing as free postage unless it is a special offer. I don't believe any business can afford to cover the cost of postage such as it is at the moment. A customer buying one sheet of 12 x 12 paper immediately sends the postage band up to 'parcel' along with the appropriate charges. If someone is offering permanent free postage then it is added into their prices somewhere down the line. So don't be fooled!

Anyway off my soapbox for the moment! Hopefully I will have some scrapping to show you soon! :)

1,2,3,4,5.......

I have counted so many things recently! I hate stock take but they are a necessary evil of the business. Anyway not for much longer! I have decided to close the shop and concentrate on other things. So we have a massive 50% clearance sale on at the moment. Yes, everything is 50% off so get on down there and clear some of this stock for me...........pleeeeeeeeease!

Balamory and the piper.

How good am I ? Posting three times in three days! That is definitely a record, I think.

Despite our Janet (we do such a lot of nattering!) coming round this afternoon I have managed to start scrapping some of our holiday photos ( in between doing commissioned work as well) and it was great fun to do this bright and cheerful double layout about our trip to Balamory!




We had a lovely day on the Isle of Mull. The hot and sunny weather and the whole cheerful atmosphere of the place made it joy to visit. The place is actually a town called Tobermory but the many children running round laughing and shouting would just not have believed you. They were quick and eager to pick out the houses of their favourite characters from the BBC tv program. Unfortunately as some of the houses were up a VERY steep hill there was no way my beta blockers would let me get up there to take all the photos I wanted but we had plenty to see anyhow.

Under the large photograph on the layout is a pocket tag which holds a map of 'Balamory' and my journalling about the visit.

Our drive down to Oban on the Wednesday was made even better by the still sunny weather and with the windows open it was easy to hear the first strains of the pipes. We both wondered who could be playing them out in the middle of no where. As we went round a bend we saw this lone piper with Loch Garry in the background along with some stunning scenery.

It was too good a photo opportunity to miss! He was very friendly and just continued playing while I got the best shot possible. On the layout I stayed with the colours in his kilt... red, black and blue. I also managed to find a few plaid buttons which finished it all off perfectly. The tag under the photograph holds my journalling.

So all in all a scrappy nattery day........perfect.

See, I said I would be back soon!

I thought I had better post again or July is going to pass by completely as a very quiet month from me!

A couple of things you may be interested in...firstly I am no longer going to be taking classes at Craft Range at Burnley. I am quite happy about this as a few of the classes have been cancelled this year due to lack of support. I'm not sure why this is because we have also had some cracking classes as well. There were a couple of times that I had turned down retreat work or demos because I was booked at Craft Range and then the class was called off. It's a bit disappointing as well as being no good from a money aspect. I think the shop attracts more cardmakers than scrapbookers as we were going to do a Thursday scrapbooking class once a month as well and that never came off either.

They did open a shop in Barden Mill recently but that just didn't take off at all so the staff have now transfered to the main shop so they will obviously want to pay their own staff rather than an outsider, which you can well understand. Claire mentioned on the phone that 'she didn't want to fall out with me about it' which I found a bit odd. I don't know if she thought I only ever did classes at Craft Range and would be upset about it!

Anyway they are all lovely people and I wish them all the best in the future. I hope they manage to ride out the down turn in crafting which seems to be starting to hit at the moment. There are so many shops closing at the moment and I know of a few more who are heading the same way.

Secondly once I have sorted out my stock levels in the shop I will be having a massive clearance sale but until then I am listing lots of things on ebay at silly prices so make sure you grab yourselves a bargain! Check out woody530_0 and watch for more and more items to be added!

Back soon!

Now then where did July go?

So much for my good intentions in July! What with crops and classes and holidays it just flew past!

Helen and I took the shop up to the Leeds Paper Doll's weekend retreat in Cumbria and I have to say we had a really fun time and the ladies were great! They managed to bag some amazing bargains from the shop and I also showed them how to make a cute mini book in the afternoon class. Thanks ladies for a lovely day...oh and I mustn't forget those scrummy yummy cakes. How could I forget them? Amazing!

Whilst doing other classes and projects this month I have at least managed to find a bit of time for my own scrapping. I thought you would like to see my latest mini book. This is one for the boys...my stars! I decided to go with the black and white theme and had great fun with these Rusty Pickle papers. They are so versatile.





There are lots of different flaps and tags with hidden photos and messages throughout the book.



One of the things I really like about these papers is that they are so easy to add colour to. So if I get bored with the black & white theme I can just sit down with my pens and have a 'colouring in' evening. Then I would have a totally different looking mini book.

If you fancy having a go at one of these I have a few kits available with most of what you would need to complete one. These include chipboard covers, 6 12 x 12 papers, 2 12 x 12 Bazzill sheets, 2 large black card tags, 1 large black card arrow, 2 small white tags. Price: £8.50 inc postage & packing.

You can bind it with either book rings, ribbon or even a Bind-it-all. This is one of those projects that you really enjoy adding your own bits to. I love the chunkiness of it.I only have a few left from my class as they sold so well that I doubt they will hang about long so just add a comment with your email addy and I will send you a paypal invoice.

That's all for now but I will be back soon...I promise!

Yes, I hang my head in shame!

I know, I know, it's been ages since I posted but June just seems to have run away with me. There seems to have been so much to do I've hardly had time to scrap never mind post on here. Anyway my big sis has emailed me and said to get up to date so I suppose I had better do as I'm told!

So what's been happening in June? Well, Helen and I went to Scrap-a-ganza as you know. We had a really fun time and as I said before I picked up some great ideas. The problem is I haven't had time to put them into practice yet! But I am hoping to find a bit of time soon.

John and I went down to his cousin Bill's 50th birthday in Gloucester at the beginning of the month. It was wonderful to meet up with the Howgego side of the family again. It seems ages since we were together but we had great fun catching up on all the gossip. We stayed at pub right next to the village green and the view was just so 'English'. I just had to get some photos and scrap it.


It wasn't just the scene it was the whole atmosphere and everything. The sun was beating down, despite a few clouds, children and parents were attending a school fete at the other end of the village and it was all so peaceful apart from the sound of ball hitting willow. Amazing! On the layout the large photo in the centre opens up for my usual hidden photos and journaling!

Last weekend we went up to Wasdale in the Lakes for a couple of days camping to try out the new addition. I have to admit it stood up very well to the elements. Although we had some really hot weather we also had some heavy, heavy rain and very gusty winds. But the SunnCamp 600 took it all in it's stride and we were kept nicely warm and dry. Even John had to admit that it was a good idea to get the bigger size as it gave up plenty of room to sit about when we had to stay inside.
The site we stayed at was first class and I can really recommend it. The showers and toilets were spotlessly clean all the time...I don't know how they managed it....and the pitches were plenty big enough and fairly level! There were two local hostelries within crawling distance which made it just perfect for John and as usual we were not alone for long as other campers joined us and we spent a good few hours exchanging camping stories. That's what I love about camping. Campers are a very friendly bunch as a rule.

On the Monday we had a trip to Hardknot Pass to visit the ruins of a Roman Encampment. You know John and his love of all things old and falling to bits. (Please, please no comments about his wife!) I hate that blessed mountain with a passion and it always seems to be me who is driving! Luckily the encampment is only about half way up so the terror was not as drawn out as usual!

Further down the road is the Eskdale to Ravenglass railway. We decided to have a ride down to the coast, on one of their little steam trains, and have some lunch. As we were going down we met up with 'Thomas' going the other way. Well maybe not him exactly but ten years ago our Thomas would have been over the moon and would have taken some convincing that it was not the real thing. We were so pleased that on our return journey it was this all time favourite who was pulling the coaches. I just had to record that event!


Well time to go I think! I will sign off now as my arm is giving me some jip. I was back at the Doctors on Friday and have now got another lot of painkillers. :( I can see this injection getting nearer and nearer but I think I will give acupuncture a try first!

I promise I will be back later this week to update you further.

Happy scrapping.
XXX

Home again safely!

Yes, I am back. Hurray!! After an amazing 5 days in Holland I am now back home and am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight. I always think that is one of the best things about coming home....your own bed!

Anyway it was a really creative and inspiring time and I will fill you all in about it over the next few days. I have got some great ideas for projects and spent Monday trawling through the Scrapbookmate warehouse finding exciting goodies for some stunning kits. So watch this space.....and the website!

See you later!

It's tenting time again!

Yes, we had the tent out at the in-laws over the weekend to check it's condition after the boys have used it the past couple of times. (well it was John really as I was pretty useless with my one arm!) Anyway He wasn't too happy with it so off we went to buy another one. You never have to talk my husband into buying a tent...he loves them! Now the plan was to downsize a bit as there is probably just going to be the two of us from now on. However I had a lot of trouble with this concept and we came away with one slightly bigger! It only has two bedrooms but has a bigger living space so we can have a bit more comfort in our old age! We are off to the Lakes in a couple of weeks to give it a try out, then we may manage another quick weekend before our hols in July.

I've managed to sort my kit out for UKS with time to spare and I have sent it off to Theresa so that is one less thing to worry about. I've only managed a couple of layouts recently as my arm is just too sore to be bothered with and the medication I am on just knocks me out!





As you can see they are both fairly simple ones which I feel goes well with the photos. The ribbon is actually straight but looks a bit sqwiffy on the first picture.

Anyway off to Holland on Friday with Helen. I really do hope my arms starts to improve as although I am definitely going, I may not be able to do much once I am there! Still I will just have to soak up the creative atmosphere.

Oh by the way, keep your eye on the shop website as I am having a massive sale starting around the end of July. I know you lot won't want to miss a bargain. If you want me to let you know when it starts just sign up as a customer and you will get an email about it all.

Bye for now!