Yet another inch of orange.

You know how it is when you get an idea in your head, and you just have to try it out. Well, this is my latest idea, as a result I've asked to be in two groups for May's Inchie Swap on UKS.

I do hope that they will travel OK. Think they'll be in a nice padded envelope to help protect them from post office handling.

365 #120

We seem to be having a losing battle in the lawn with these at the moment. Trouble is they are so beautiful when they go to seed I can't help but admire them.

365 #119

Something to sweeten the day!

365 #118

Another stack of fabric today. This time 4.5 inch felt squares - 71 of them, each a different colour. I don't need all the colours, but wanted one of each. Yes, I am greedy.

365 #117

A little stack of fabric squares. It's almost a shame to disturb them.

An inch of orange.

This inchie thing really is getting addictive. Orange is going to be the colour of the Inchie Swap over on UKS for May. The sign up thread hasn't even been posted yet, but a few of us have already made our. Here's half of my set. Just putting the finishing touches to the other half.

365 #116

We spent a couple of hours over at Burnby Hall Gardens today. I left Chris with the kids in the play area while I went for a walk. Of all the photo's I took though, this one is my favourite. Part of the climbing frame - for a brief second without a kid on it.

365 #115

Windmills. What kids can resist, especially when it's a present from Grandma.

Lots to see

Here we go, the finished pages for my contribution to Nicola's Circle Journal.

I have loved doing a collage page for this one, something I have not done for a very, very long time. In fact I was probably at college the last time I did one. All I have used is a circle punch and a pair of scissors to complete it - plus a drop of glossy accents.

A little close up of the flowers. These were hand drawn on to a scrap of paper, then cut out. A small dollop of glossy accent and a silver lined rocialle in the centre, and they were done. I used a pin to place them upright.

The background paper, from American Crafts, was my starting point for this one. I cut the background to size, then using a silver pen, gave all the clouds a silver lining. Sadly that doesn't show up on the photo.

In addition to the American Crafts patterned paper, I've used October Afternoon for the trees, plain green cardstock in two shades - one for the grass, one for the tree leaves; Making Memories Penny Lane papers and Title card, distress inks and mini alpha stickers. If you know the papers you'll now just how bright and cheerful this page looks in real life.

It's got me thinking of lots of other projects though. At the moment I'm in the planning stages for a fabric album and I may steal a few ideas from this to use in it. Ah, but that's for another day....

Thanks for looking!!

365 #114

Apples!

Some with teeth marks, some half eaten, all discarded. Rosie is having a marathon apple eating session today. She has yet to completely finish one but I've been finding them all over the place. This one was tucked on the radiator in the living room, but I have also found one in Chris' shoe.

365 #113

A little something to tuck in my bag. My gorillapod slr.

Dancing Queens CJ...

Today I have received Nicola's (ander06 on UKS), "I wish I knew then..." circle journal. As the next posting date is just a week away I decided I'd better get cracking with it. So I spent a couple of hours mulling over some ideas (that's extremely hard work for me) and had a rummage through my stash. The result is it's almost complete. So here is a sneak peek of my contribution to it.

365 #112

My new laptop - at last. Our old one has given up the ghost - it just won't charge, so we decided to buy a new one. This one is super sleek and black, but best of all it will read SDHC cards! Yay!!! It's amazing how much I have missed having a laptop, at least I can keep an eye on what the kids are up to again..... speaking of which....

365 #111

One of the many chores I need to do is sort out the kids toys. I've just had some RUB boxes delivered to help get everything organised, well, when I say everything...you can live in hope. This Squirrel game is a good example. It once had a little tree in the centre to pour the balls down so the squirrels could catch them. It once had hundreds of balls. Now, it's tree less, has one ball and has been abandoned.

Footie anyone?

Such a lovely sunny day - so why waste it indoors. Well, I didn't waste it, I scrapped. I did scrap outdoor photo's though in my defense.

This LO is of Jamie and Rosie playing football in the garden a couple of weeks ago. I've used the scrapagogo April Showers kit, along with a few bits from past kits, stash and of course my new threads, flairs and a journaling card.

TFL!

A touch of Shabby Chic....

Something that I have loved since subbing to Scrapagogo is being introduced to new companies. Shabby Chic is one of them, I just adore the journaling cards they produce and recently I decided to look them up on t'tinterweb. As a result I have found that they have a sister company - Blueberry Freckles, where they sell printable tags.

This little selection, at just 1 3/4" x 3 1/4" , will be available via Blueberry Freckles in the next week but as I was cunning and subscribed to the newsletter - they were free. While these have been printed onto white cardstock, but I'm wondering how they will look on some Kraft cardstock.

Why not give them a visit and sign up to the newsletter, hopefully the next time round there will be more freebies with it to print out.

365 #110

This morning I have had a cup of tea in my favourite mug. Being my favourite mug I thought it should make an entry somewhere along the line. It was part of a leaving present that was given to me years ago.

365 #109

The sun is shining and I've gone all Kim & Aggie! Sunday I treated myself (again...I do seem to do a lot of that don't I...) this time to a new mop! Whhhooooo, I hear you cry. LOL. Sad part is I couldn't wait to get home and give it a go on the bathroom floors. That was delayed though when I couldn't find the squeegee bit for the bucket, so ended up buying a new bucket as well.

Never let it be said that I don't know how to live.....

365 #108

"38 Skeins Embroidery Thread - assort. of colours."

My latest online shopping arrived today. Not bad for £3.99. That's it, I'm on a diet again now, no more stash shopping.

365 #107

Another wonder around the garden to see what I could see. Unfortunately I can't remember what this is. It's one of what felt like a million bulbs I planted last October. I didn't notice at the time of taking the photo that it had a visitor either.

What a lot of Flair!

Every so often I have a wonder around the QVC craft site and see if they have anything, after P&P that is worth ordering. I found these, American Craft Flairs...10 packets to be precise so this is just a selection of the ones that arrived today. I just love them. No idea what I'll use them on, but I'm sure a few will make their way on to birthday cards...that is when I can bring myself to part with them.

365 #106

A mundane day today, but no less stressful. For some reason, only known to himself, Jamie insists on running around the house screaming while I vacuum. As if the noise of the vacuum is some how not enough to give me a headache he has got to make sure I get one. Unfortunately the weather is warming up and Merrell is already shedding her fur, so I need to vacuum more often at the moment. Paracetamol anyone...?

I do have a hopeful side when it comes to all this extra vacuuming...that my current one will give up the ghost and be deemed unrepairable so I can have one of those nice ball ones Dyson now do. I do mention to Chris that I want one everytime I see the advert.

365 #105

This week is the first module for CJ's People Imagery course. After loving Painting with Light I just had to give this one a go. So, for today, may I present my final selection of photo's taken of Rosie. I've spent half the day trying to get them, then go through them (200 shots in all), so it seemed fitting that this was also my 365 photo.

365 #104

Over the weekend the radiator in the utility room developed a small hole, so we decided rather than calling out a plumber to change it, we'd do it ourselves. Many hours later after draining and flushing and a few sweet words - ta dah....one new radiator.

365 #103

We had a family gathering on Monday and the place where we met up had a circus skills session running. Chris took the opportunity to practice his juggling skills.

365 #102

The tomato seedlings are starting to grow at last!

365 #101

Don't you just love it when you get a stash delivery. Well today I've had two and one of them was this pack of American Crafts cardstock in earth tones.

365 #100

Although we've been out and about I left my camera at home as Jamie is getting a bit fed up with it. So for that reason this layout of Christmas 2008 is my photo of the day today.

I decided last Christmas that I would take part in Christmas rather than seeing it through the viewfinder which is what I had done in 2007, and now I have finally scrapped it.

365 #99

Some of you may be aware that I foolishly trusted Jamie with scissors the other day. The result - he had loads of fun cutting up pieces of paper....and his quilt cover! Today's photo is of his new quilt cover and woe betide him if this one comes to any harm. He's already grounded until he's 18 as a result of the last lot of damage done.

365 #98

Does life get anymore exciting than this...?! Really, does it?

I've taken a photograph of the iron today because I've just done a pile of ironing, and I don't do the ironing, so it is indeed something to record. It's not that "I don't do ironing" more that it's Chris' job to do it. I wash, he irons and I know I'm a lucky girl for it.

365 #97

Another wonder around the garden today so see what else is springing into life. This is our one and only tree which is now covered in small buds.

Apologies for the sun flare mid shot, but I still like the photo. Just shows what a sunny day it is here today.

365 #96

What a load of old ball bearings...!

One of our kitchen drawers decided it no longer needed its ball bearings and that we really should just be yanking it out if we wanted something in it. Yesterday I managed to get a replacement drawer, as the current ones can't be fixed - some stupid design runners in them, and this is now what we have left of the old one. Problem was, last night whilst putting the new one in, I managed to make all the ball bearings drop out of the bottom drawer, so now we need to replace that one as well.

365 #95

As the moon could be seen so clearly early this evening, I decided to I'd try a daytime shot to go with the evening shot.

TFL!

365 #94

A very girlie shopping trip and two new lipsticks from Clinique.

365 #93

I love having flowers in the house and its something that I never used to go without, but its a rare thing these days, so on Friday I picked up this lovely bouquet from M&S.

The inchie bug

After finishing off my first set of inchies yesterday, and having the need to make my Father-in-laws birthday card, I came up with this. The tree stamp is by crafty individuals and I knew I wanted to use it, so out came the distress inks and I turned it into a set of inchies. Each inchie has been mounted on foam and then all backed onto black cardstock and mounted on a pale grey card.

TFL!

365 #92

Although the day promised to be nice and sunny, it wasn't, but we still went as planned to Burnby Hall Gardens. The gardens have a huge lake housing the National Collection of Hardy Water Lilies. No lilies at the moment, but the fish were hungry.

365 #91

A little late for my photo for today, but as it's of the moon you can understand why.

I had to try out my other new toy, a Sigma 70-300mm lens, and after learning that Helen took her moon shot with this lens, well I had to give it a go. I have yet to play with the lenses macro function yet though.

Inchies

I decided that this year I was going to try more things, this now includes "inchies". One inch square art works. Well, that's the idea anyway, how close I come to that is a different matter. This set of 10 are for the UKS April Inchie Swap - Inchies in purple.

I've really enjoyed making these and will definitely have another go at some.