Suger Mice and all things nice.

Although I am definitely not a Royalist, even I have to say that the Royal Wedding was simply beautiful.  So with celebrations in mind and  this weeks recipe at the Chicken Soup blog, I created a super cute celebratory card.

For a change, I used  subtle pastel colours that complemented the Kraft background paper. The cute mice stamp is from the Lilli of the Valley range which again was coloured with Promarker Pens and a little stickles for the icing sugar.  Faux stiching was added to the edge and a string bunting.

I will be in celebratory mood for a few days longer as I prepare three different types of cupcakes for my darling Son's 16th Birthday............I knew I shouldn't of started the diet this week!

Cute Card

A quickie post today showing one of my latest stamps.  It's from a Swedish company called  Bildmalarna Rubber Stamps who exhibitioned at Alexander Palace earlier this month.

Cute aren't they?  I made a card with the stamp, coloured with Promarkers and a little Stickles bling.  The paper is from the Cosmo Cricket range Pixilicious.

Live life

My little boy is growing up fast into a bright, sensitive, humorous young man.  He is on the brink of his 16th Birthday, important exams and big decisions and I wanted to commemorate this time in his life.

I wouldn't of normally chosen this floral Websters paper for a boy layout but the sentiment seemed to fit with the occasion.  I added a hand cut decoupage boarder, handmade rosette topped with a wooden cherry button. 

I still had the other half of a die cut  label I cut for my previous layout and had liked the way It looked, edged in white pen and placed on the edge of the photo so did the same with this page.



I know that all mums are proud of their children but I am especially proud because from an early age he was diagnosed with a speech and communication disorder that left a bleak picture of his future.  To be truthfull we as parents were doubtfull that he would get good, if any GCSE grades.  But the last few years he has found a new found interest in his option subjects at school with support from aspiring teachers, good friends and his family his future now exceeds his and our expectations that he is now staying on at school to do his A Levels.

Don't get me wrong, all I ever wanted for him was to be successful in his chosen career (to which he still doesn't have a clue to what he wants to do, possibly History based though) and to be a happy and confident adult. 

This past year his confidence has grown in the realisation that if he works hard, good results will come of it.    Hopefully a good life awaits him....

Colour Me Beautiful

.........as I was saying the other day,  I love bright, clashing colours, so here's a list of my favourites:

• Pink and red
• Red and turquoise
• Green and blue
• Orange and pink
• Pink and green.

So there you are, not every one's cup of tea but it sure is mine.  These colours aren't just for layouts either.......I actually wear these colours......together! 

To celebrate all things colourful I made a layout using patterned paper from the Glitz range for the background and then pieces of my favourite most colourful scraps.  I rummaged through my bit box and came up with a cut out 'Joy' washing up liquid bottle, a felt flower and squashed bottle top.  

Seeing all these patterns and colours together really makes my heart skip with joy.   Sigh.....clashing heaven.

Your late....

If you are reading this on Friday then you are not late at all....unless it's next Friday or the Friday after that......Yes, it's new recipe time over on the Chicken Soup blog.  Inspiration being cogs this week.  Here is my interpretation (if you look very closely you can see some teeny, tiny cog type watch bits and bobs).  The papers and White Rabbit card are from 7 Gypsies.  Playing card from inside a cracker!

So hop on over (get it?....rabbit....hop....oh never mind) and be inspired.

Li'l Monkey

Well I have started my list of things to do in these Easter Holidays and I feel very chuffed with myself.

• Garden shrubs butchered
• Windows washed
• Son's bedroom decorated
• New stash played with

Not bad considering it's only Wednesday, though I did get some help from my lovely hubby.

But I look forward to the school holidays mostly because I have more time to play with my stash and do something creative.  This layout has been in my thoughts for a while, the photo is one I found while looking through old photos at my mums earlier this year.  One of the Monkey's is fake while, two are real.....it wouldn't be allowed now (and rightly so) but it must of been de-rigour of the British seaside in the seventies as I have seen and heard about similar photo's.  One such photo can be seen here on the lovely Sian's Blog.

As usual I have used bright colours, some even clash but I like clashing colours.  I think it works.  I hope I spelt the shortening of Little OK, let me know if I haven't but as usual I ran out of letters....t's this time. 

I will be back with more clashing colours soon.

Groovy Chicks and Blue Skies

YAHOO!, It's the weekend and the start of the half term......you obviously can't tell that it's been a loooooong week.  Working in school certainly doesn't get any easier or less hectic and after the drama of my darling son Rob deciding to change his A level options at the last minute....and then changing his mind back to the original plan, I could certainly do with some down time.

      

So to start of this glorious day, here is my list of lovely things giving me joy at the moment:

• Fat, luscious spring blossoms.
• My new lacy blue pumps.

• Dusting the bike down ready to feel the wind in my hair.
• Coffee and Walnut cupcakes made from a recipe from this gorgeous book.

• Visiting The Big Scrapbooking and Stamping Show at Alexander Palace.
• Seeing my son revise (without nagging)
• Choosing paint for decorating

• Knowing that I now have the Easter half term break.

Just to add to the whole joyous occasion of this post, here is a happy memory layout of a night where myself and a friend were invited to a colleagues wedding where they had a photo booth.

Oh the fun we had.  We even managed a 'normal' photo....well only one.

I had fun with Cosmic Shimmer sprays, crackle glaze and perfect pearls applied to chipboard butterflies and frames.  The title originated from the photo booths company name, Groovy Booth.

There is a lot of blue on here today, it must be the blue skies that has inspired me.

I've moved!

Well hello there.  No I haven't moved home but some of you observant readers may of seen that a few of my recent photos show the view of the back garden from up stairs.  Over a year of persuading hubby that there is room in his office for all my craft gear, desk and me  and still room for him, he agreed to let me in.  

I don't think he was quite prepared for the sort out of his apparently 'essential' stuff that he has accumulated over the years.  We had to recycle A LOT of magazines, thow away A LOT of rubbish (rubbish in my eyes), shift everything around and buy new bookcases.  In return I promised not to talk to him too much when he is trying to work and only listen to my wide varied collection of music on earphones.....well sometimes.

It's tight to say the least but it is better than having a very untidy desk in the living room for all and sundry to see.  So I have an untidy desk upstairs instead.....

I don't think he quite likes the pinkness of my area but as I told him.....too bad.  He also had an issue with my Perfect Peals powders drifting all over his workspace and computer...whoops.

Generally we get on OK, he is a bit precious over his stuff (and I'm a bit clumsy) but I just ignore him when I nearly rip his Ariel for his aircraft radio out of it's connection because it trails over my route to my desk.  Hope you enjoy the photo's of my desk mid crafting and of my craft storage.  Please ignore the messy bit (esp. hubby's record collection to which we don't have a record player for but apparently they could be valuable....to somebody) but as I say, it's very cosy! 

I hope you enjoyed having a peek at my crafty room.  If your anything like me I am increadably nosey when it comes to craft areas or rooms.

Thanks to all those that answered my question from my last post 'What are your crafting essentials?'  It seems like tea, chocolate and music is pretty high on most of your lists.  There where some kind comments about my mug and cat as well.  The mug I got at the Imperial War Museum and the cat from Artbox near Covent Garden.  He's solar powered so now the sun is out more he his waving furiously at me now.....hello cat.  Writing this I realised he doesn't have a name......any thoughts?   

Favourites

Favourite crafting essentials

• A decent size mug
• A pretty mug
• Strong tea
• Galaxy bubbles chocolate
• My lucky cat waving at me.

What's your essentials?

Need some inspiration to add to the mix?  Then take a look  here over on the Chicken Soup blog.

Hello 2011

Yes I'm a little late greeting in the year.....well the layout is anyway.  I have had the idea in my head since these photos were taken to do a layout about our tradition to have a walk on New Years Day.  It is always the same walk, a bridleway called the Hertfordshire Way.  We only do a little of it as it actually links up into a very large circle of approx. 25 Km.  In the summer we sometimes cycle it but you do have a rather large hill to negotiate.  It is a pretty walk past farmers fields, hedgerows and woodland....and the local dump!  But the dump is only a very small bit. 

It was a lovely winters day this year with a layer of snow and bright blue sunny skies.  I just love those aircraft vapour trails.  It made me wonder where they were going to.  Hubby can identify which plane is which just by the direction and time (it's his job to know such stuff).  Apparently the planes that are really high up are on long-haul trips.

I hit upon the great idea of using up all my random numbers by painting them all with Gesso and then inking them.  I was a bit stuck as to where to put the journalling (unless I have a lot to say I don't think about where the journalling will go until it's nearly finished). 

So five months into 2011 and it's only just beginning to warm up, about time too.