Sometimes it’s the simple things……

I know in my last post I complained (a little) about my life flying by at the moment, and there is a “good” reason for it.  But as I posted that last entry on my blog I realised that I miss blogging. In amongst all the day to day chaos I try and find five minutes to blog hop.  I don’t leave comments most of the time as I just hop on to the next blog having read, made a note of something interesting and added a new blog to my huge list of blogs to read and check back on.  See, I haven’t completely abandoned blogland, just my blog.

After all that it got me thinking about the simple pleasures in life, and I have decided to start a new feature on my blog, “Simple Things”. Imaginative title don’t you think?! LOL.  I dare say I won’t be the first to do it either, but hey,  I’d love it if you joined in with me.  If you do, leave a comment and I’ll drop by your blog to find out what it is that brightens your day.  I’m going to attempt to do this once a fortnight – I know in my heart of hearts weekly is just too much at the moment.

Without further a-do, here are my simple pleasures at this point in time.

My latest pair of shoes.  In my mind, foot perfection. I love to just look at them, I just wish it would stop raining so I can wear them more.

And my hardest working pair of shoes, my running shoes.  Yep, I’ve started running again. In a fashion anyway, but I’m getting there.  No marathons just yet.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and a link to your blog if you decide to share your simple pleasures with me. I hope you do.

what happened?

Ahhh, life is just flying by way too fast at the moment, and I don’t seem to have two minutes to myself.  Last weekend was Rosie’s birthday and her chosen day out was to a chocolate factory! She’s been watching Willy Wonka. A lot. So, here she is loaded up into the car, complete with sunglasses, Princess tiara, birthday badge and pink monster.  Well, you have to don’t you.  Off we headed to Cadbury World.  I did explain it wasn’t going to be quite the same as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (the Tim Burton version), but big PHEW, she loved it..and all that pink princess birthdayness got us tons of extra chocolate as well.  Go girl!  See, I knew there was a reason why we had kids.

Outside of that, here’s a few more Moleskines…..

I dare you to lose a red one in your bag!

Right then, it’s a quick love you and leave you. Again. Tons to do and the sooner I do it, the sooner I’ll get my life back and be able to create something other than chaos.  Ahhh, it’s good to dream.  Until next time..byeeee.

have you seen.....

what's over on the top right hand side of my blog.....?

I just couldn't contain myself any longer.  This is where all those moleskines are going.  Over the next couple of weeks I'll share peeks of what else will be "in store".

slowly slowly…

I’d like it to go a little faster but as they say, all good things come to those who wait.  Hmmm, guess I’ll just have to get over this waiting lark then.

Oh – I tweet now.  Come follow me (and the moleskines) @sprinkleimagine

the Moon….

This weekend I am spending my time “pratting around” at Art from the Heart, but extra special time as it on a workshop with Dina Wakley – Sun, Moon and Stars.  Today was the turn of moon and rather than babble on about it, here’s a few shots of my journal in progress.

One of my tags featuring what has to be my current favourite stamp.

Backgrounds drying off.

And my almost finished journal. I just adore it.  I will be making more like this.  It’s been so much fun.  Yesterday we did our Sun journal and tomorrow its the turn of the Stars… I’ll share those with you next time.

As always, Thanks for stopping by.

sshhhhhhh

It’s been a bit quiet around here.  Well, I say that, what I mean is on here,  my blog. Abandoned would be a good way to put it I guess. As for me I’ve been so busy it’s stooopid.  My art journal calendar is sitting on my desk crying out for me to worked in. Yes I’m afraid to report that I am behind not just with updating it but with having pages ready to update.  Arrrgh.

I have to come clean and say that I doubt that that is going to change much in the next week or so either. There are lots of top secret plans going on and fingers crossed I’ll be able to share more with you before May is out. 

On the plus side for me I will have some crafty time next weekend as I’m off to Art from the Heart for a three day workshop with Dina Wakley.  Dina posted some sneak peeks on her blog a few days ago and it looks good.  I missed the workshops she did last year so was thrilled to bits to get a place this time around.  I’ll even remember to take a camera with me as well, so I’ll post photo’s as soon as I get chance.

And the poor service award goes to.....

Virgin Media!!!!!

Due to poor connectivity recently from our ISP we have decided to move our broadband service.  I'm sure if you've done this you'll know what a right royal pain in the ass it is, but tonight Virgin Media's live chat representative have scrapped the bottom of the barrel for customer service.  Not the biskit barrel obviously as all things are sweet there, but the customer service and dodgy website barrel.

Whilst on "live chat" with "Emma", our questions were not answered, we were told to ring a free number that isn't free...and is closed, and cut off without a chance to ask anything else. To put it politely there is not a cat in hells chance that they will be getting our business.  I just don't get why it's so bloody hard to get customer service right.

I am sorry to rant on my blog.  It's something I don't normally do, but I am sooo angry.  It's the little things that make life big, and it's the little things that make a difference.  Well done Virgin for getting it so wrong.

So, who gets your poor service award then?

Bit of a crafting void

I seem to have had little enthusiasm for crafting recently, even my art journals have fallen by the wayside especially in the last week.  I am still keeping up my AJ calendar but haven’t taken photo’s of it for this months pages.  Shame on me I know. LOL.

The kids however have been crafty and this is what they made me for Mother’s Day.  I will openly admit that I had a tear in my eye when I opened them up, even when Rosie was fit to burst and couldn’t help but present me with her turtle on the Saturday. 

In a hope to get back into the crafty grove I have cracked open the March Scrapagogo kit today to make this pocket journal (just as the April one is being sent on it’s way…oops).

    I’m not altogether sure what it will be used for yet, but every page has a pocket and a tag of some sort so lots of room to add things to it.  To make it I’ve used to two sheets of double sided paper, dst and tissue tape.  I call that a stash buster. 

Well, that’s all my craftiness for the moment.  Hopefully I’ll get back in the groove again soon.  In the meantime I hope it sunny where you are and you’re able to make the most of it. TTFN!

another journal

 

I recently spent yet another fabulous weekend at Art from the Heart, this time creating an Altered Book Journal.   Since then I’ve slowly been building my pages.  Not sure why but I have decided that I want to get every page ready to journal on and then I’ll write in it.

The weekend was full of tips and ideas, as you would expect from Dyan, on ways in which to make your journal more interesting with lots of hidden pockets, tags, trims, drawers and places to tuck stuff away. 

As yet I haven’t done anything with the cover and am undecided if I want to do anything with it. 

Here are a few of the pages that are ready…..

              

        

Thanks for stopping by!

bathing suit beauty

Planning a holiday comes with it’s frustrations and worries when it’s the first time the smallest people in your house will be going abroad, and you plan on taking them on a long flight.  It will be fine I’m sure it will.  There is no reason that it wouldn’t be.  In the meantime I create this page in my A4 journal to put some of those thoughts down on.

You can just about see how this page has been constructed.  Firstly I stamped the whole page in black with a sassafrass alphabet, the covered it with several layers of paint, the last being the gorgeous mustard Dylusions paint. 

I’ve then added scraps of patterned papers to lift and bring a more vibrant colour into play on the page, then topped it off with some Tim Holtz film strip. Problem is I am so pleased with how it’s turned out I haven’t written on it yet!

in preparation

I always like to have a few pages ready to journal on and these two are in my mini journal.  I started them whilst at my crop on Saturday and sat and finished them this afternoon.  Can you tell I was thinking about the pile of pancakes I need to make while finishing the first one? 

Dream a little dream…

 

A couple of weeks ago I won a set of Tim Holtz stamps from Linda and being frugal, have stamped the images on the back of the scrapbooking paper I’m recycling from my old wedding layouts.   He does almost fill this page in my mini moleskine though! Didn’t leave a huge amount of room for my journalling.

I’ve used dylusions paints, and here you can see circles of interference paint plus a little spray of perfect pearls.  The stitches are doodled, and I couldn’t resist doing some more on the page below along with some doodled flowers. 

Image from tumblefish studio

As March rolls around…

 

At least we have a feel of spring in the air today. Actual blue sky, I can see blue sky. Oh how that gladdens my heart after weeks of grey dull clouds.

 

You’ll notice the end of March is missing as I’m doing a week by week journal it’s still being worked on along with the first few days of April. 

I was doing so well by being ahead but last night I realised I’d got no further than the background for my second lot of March pages. Eek.  I’m spending some time getting back on track today though.  It’s been so easy doing this challenge so far due to me being so far ahead.  I must keep going! I must!

Artful Journal

As some of you know I attended a workshop at Art from the Heart with Tim Holtz last week, so it’s probably about time I shared some pictures with you of the journal we made.

 

Such a lot went into the covers. Art parts, sticky back canvas, die cut grunge board, kraft resist papers, distress stains, grunge blocks, alpha-parts and a small pile of idea-ology. I will be doing this again.

I have decided to keep my book as “a place for art”, somewhere to put ATC’s or little pieces of art I create.  I’m bad for not creating just because I can. Things have to have a place to go afterwards, or a use.  I don’t allow myself to just play as much as perhaps I should.  So this will be a journal full of "just because”.   There are lots of pocket pages to add in ATC’s and tags.

                    

And finally the back, with the date in alpha-parts and yet more idea-ology.

The kit we had was truly amazing with so much product in it and more than enough to keep this little journal going for a wee while yet.

Sadly I was a complete numpty and left my camera at home, but I have been sent some photo’s from some of the lovely ladies that were also at the workshop, so I have those, along with Dyan’s fabulously designed ticket to serve as a reminder of the afternoon.

I love it when

creativity strikes, or as the case may be at the moment, scrappy mojo hits!  As you know I’m re-scrapping my wedding photo’s and have ordered a pile of cardstock and a new album to keep them in when they are done. 

Last night I couldn’t wait for the new cardstock to arrive so I started this LO featuring some of my closest friends and based it on a sheet of kraft cardstock, but it didn’t look right, so I hunted through all my cardstock until I found a sheet that it did suit. Phew. This morning I finally found the CD with our wedding photo’s on and printed out a smaller version of the black & white shot.  ta-dahhhhh, all finished now.

I am really pleased with this one, another HUGE improvement of the original layout.  And Sarah – I am completely re-scrapping them, not scrapping them again.  The old papers are lying on the floor waiting to be used for scrap and stamping on.