It's not often....

I get excited, but an email from Waterstones this afternoon made me hot foot it to their website and place a preorder, for this book....

The eagerly awaited 4th novel in the bestselling Conqueror series, continuing the life and adventures of the mighty Khan dynasty. Genghis Khan is dead, but his legend and his legacy live on. His son Ogedai has built a white city on a great plain and made a capital for the new nation. Now the armies have gathered to see which of Genghis' sons has the strength to be khan. The Mongol empire has been at peace for two years, but whoever survives will face the formidable might of their great enemy, China's Song dynasty. The great leader Tsubodai sweeps into the west: through Russia, over the Carpathian mountains and into Hungary. The Templar knights have been broken and there is no king or army to stop him reaching France. But at the moment of Tsubodai's greatest triumph, as his furthest scouts reach the northern mountains of Italy, Tsubodai must make a decision that will change the course of history forever.

Roll on the 2nd September when it's published!  Sorry, did I mention I'm a tad excited!

Sometimes things just take over….

I realised the other day that I hadn’t blogged for a while. Quite a while in fact, coming from someone who used to blog virtually every day.    I blog when I craft, take photo’s or have moments to share. 

The reason I haven’t blogged this time is down to these…

….yep, my current obsession, running.  My way of getting fit before I turn 40.  I run three times a week and it leaves me shattered in a good way.  The feeling of tired legs is something I am becoming addicted to.  I’m even getting twitchy legs when I don’t go for a run.  Who’d have thought it.

All this running and thinking about running has left me little free time for crafting.  That doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any at all, as the smell of rotten eggs in my house will testify to that fact.  I’m in the process of making some silver jewellery and tonight I have oxidised a piece, hence the smell. 

I’m waiting on a CJ at the moment, and have a box containing four months worth of kits from the Scrapbook Kit Club that need my attention.  That lot should get me scrapping again and give me something to share with you.

Until then…..thanks for stopping by!

It Worries Me….

This weekend was Chris’ birthday, a stark reminder to me that I’ll be 40 in six months time, and it worries me that I’ll be fat, forty and not as fit as I could be.  I have six months to change that, starting now.

Three months ago Chris & I talked about me taking up running, with him coaching me. He’s been quite a serious runner in the past so is something of an expert in these matters. Apparently if I want to avoid injury it’s not just a case of pop on your trainers, open the door and go.  There is all this warm up and warm down business as well.   Well, with one thing and another – or rather a stream of nasty colds and chesty coughs, I haven’t been able to start.     Well, it started on Sunday with my first run along the local canal.  I did better than I expected, but OMG do I ache.  Did I mention how much pain I am in?! I ache like I have never ached in my life!  I used to go to a gym three to four times a week, but it never made me ache this much.  It really is a full body workout and I’m looking forward to my next run.  If nothing else I’m intrigued as to how well I’ll be able to walk afterwards! LOL.

So, as any scrapbooker does, I have created a layout to record my worries about turning 40 with a nice shot of my trainers, so that whatever happens I’ll remember the moment.  Hope you like it. 

Thanks for stopping by.

A beautiful day….

Another layout for my Book Of Me, this one has been held back as it was created using SBK’s Beautiful Day kit which is now available.

This is me when I was three, off on a country walk, jam sandwich in hand and grazed knee on display.  It serves a reminder that kids used to, shock gasp horror – play outside!  Nooooo…. yeah.  You remember it too! LOL.

The websters pages journaling cards made great butterflies but I think i am in danger of having a butterfly obsession.  I even have a butterfly notepad from Paperchase on my desk now  *shakes head* 

There are more details and a how to on the SBK site if you want to have a crack at the LO.

Thanks for stopping by!

All sewn up….

As I’ve embarked on two new projects,  a Book of Me and A Week In The Life, I’ve been waiting to afford a couple of new albums especially for them.  Having ordered them last night I was gobsmacked to have them turn up this afternoon.

I’ve gone with my 12x12 American Crafts for both project as I have loads (numbering over 100) of AC page protectors of various sizes. 

Firstly this one for my BoM….

And a Leaf coloured corduroy album for A Week In The Life, which I have now decorated……

 

I love the Maya Road chipboard and couldn’t resist using it.  I’ve used the April scrapagogo kit with some Adornit stickers and JBS bingo card. 

Got to dash now but thanks for stopping by!

Five Folksy Favourites…

With the weather turning decidedly dull here in East Yorkshire this morning it just feels like a day to snuggle up, drink tea and go online shopping.  As I’m doing that I thought I’d share with you five Folksy favourites.

Merino wool from  Babylonglegs.

Butterfly pot with spoon from Julia Smith Ceramics

Little purple ninja from Lilley’s, because he made me smile.

Wouldn’t this chair, from Free Range Designs, make story telling in the garden a little special.

A glass bowl from KJDesigns.  I just love this.

That’s it from me for now.  Thanks for stopping by!

Que sera sera…..

 

It’s that time of the month again.  It comes round so quickly…..

This months CJ is “Lyrics”.  Most people I would imagine have songs that mean something to them, but I’m not one of those people so I had to really think about this one.  There are songs from various points in my life that define my life at the time but no one song jumps out.  I didn’t think that there was a song that had lyrics that would mean anything special to me.  I sat chatting to Chris about what I should use and we always end up telling each other that we don’t even have an “our tune”.

Then it struck me.  We had a civil wedding ceremony and had loads of fun choosing the music for it.  Most of our choices came form the “Music to watch by girls go by” CD’s. If you don’t have them, imagine Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield and you get the idea.

Obviously I got there in the end, and it was with Que Sera Sera.  The song that Chris & I chose to leave our wedding ceremony to.  After all the futures not ours to see, que sera sera…… 

FB Status….

I don’t  know about you but Facebook has kinda crept up on me, meaning that over the last six months the days have become shorter as a result. Know that feeling? LOL.

I decided, it has to be said after a mooch around Effer Dares, to create a page to record it for my Book of Me.  And this is the result.  I thought the madness of Sassafras suited it really well.  Unusually for me I have printed out my journaling for this one with status updates copied directly, with the time stamp, from FB.

The journaling  on the right reads -

“ Facebook has crept up on me. Its responsible for too many lost hours.  Hours for one, I could have been scrapping.  We could have a tidy house.  We could have a fully stocked cupboard.

No longer content with playing FarmVille, there is PetVille, Mafia Wars and Vampire Wars. …and I even do status updates.”

Thanks for stopping by!  (I’m off for my lunch now – and not facebook! LOL)

Swap places…?

I know I would.  With a belly full of her favourite food, a nice snooze catching some rays…oh what I would do to have swapped places this afternoon.  Ok, so maybe I wouldn’t have wanted the fish, or the audience, but you get my point. 

This is one of the rescued seal pups at Scarborough Sea Life Centre where we visited this afternoon.

Money diversions…..

I had my name down on the list to attend GoGo Getaway in March 2011.  I know that that sounds a long way off, but in GoGo terms it isn’t.  Last week however I changed my mind and gave up my place, which has now gone to the fabulous Yvonne who is in my current circle journal.  So, funds are being diverted to other things now which I am really excited about.

If you are a regular on my blog, you’ll know that I have a love for jewellery and have recently gone back to making some again.  It’s only been simple beaded items, but I want to expand on that.    And here is the first element of extending that to making my own silver jewellery! 

 

I wanted some chunky beads to go with some some beautiful lampwork beads I have yet to do anything with.  I have searched lots of bead suppliers trying to find something that is “just right” but so far have drawn a blank, which  led me to making my own.  These two are my first attempt.  Lets call them an experiment…LOL.  I certainly need more practice and now have a place booked on a course to help me with realising this goal.   The course isn’t until next month but if it goes OK I’ll share my creations from it with you.

More money diversion goes to Art from the Heart.  After attending a Fabby Dabby Weekend in January, which led to me having a stab at making my own art journal, I’ve booked on to one of Dyan’s Beginners Art Journal weekends in July.  I am soooo excited about that I can’t tell you just how much, I simply don’t have the words. 

Right, after all that waffle I’m off to read some mags, get a hot drink and ignore the housework.  I have the lurgy starting again.  At this rate 2010 is my Year of the Cold. Sheesh.

Don't tell anyone….

but I've been sneaking in some crafty time and some crafty shopping! There are a bucket load of goodies winging their way to me, breaking my stash diet, but ho-hum, I'm sure I'll get over it. Oh look, I'm over it...LOL.

So, what have I treated myself to.... firstly some Maya Road chipboard goodies.

Birds with cages. I first used some of these at GoGoGetaway last October and loved them. I just think Maya Road chipboard is fabulous and no craft drawer/box/wardrobe should be without some. But hey, that’s just me.

And some mini houses......

 

...and last but not least a keychain set. I saw a version of this recently although I forget where and loved it. I feel a photo shoot with the kids coming for this one. If it stops raining that is!

Then there is just a little bit of October Afternoon. Fly A Kite and Thrift Shop. Greedy I know, but I just love the muted tones that OA papers come in. I find them so useable, that is after a lot of stroking and ooohhing and ahhhing. We really are an odd bunch aren't we?!

Enough of my stash shopping for now so I'll end with a very sneak peek of a new layout I've been working on for an upcoming kit from SBK. So sneaky even Erica and Szilvia haven't seen it yet, but I couldn't resist.

Have a Happy Easter whatever you're up to and thanks for stopping by!

Fancy winning £50 of stash...?

The Scrapbook Kit Club are running a competition with a fabulous prize. What do you have to do? Easy, create a layout, mini book or a card using any of the Paperfellow printables and upload it to the gallery by the 2nd May 2010!

A set of Cherry Blossom designs is currently free to download here

And here's the prize!

Free downloads and a chance to win all that yummy stash.....what are you still doing here?!

*Festival*

You saw the sneak peeks, now here they are in full, my designs for the the SBK Club Festival kit which is now available for purchase.

In addition to the kit I’ve used a couple of buttons from my stash and some SBK “Fusion Patch" flowers. The flowers are just a fabulous quality – really thick paper, which meant they didn’t tear when I used them. I hate think paper flowers, I just don’t have the patience for them. Maybe I’m just too rough!

You can find more designs by the design team here.

Birthday {blog} bash!

Firstly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBEKAH, whose blog bash this is.

Secondly, WELCOME to my blog if it’s your first visit, and welcome back if it’s not. Hope you’ve enjoyed your blog hop so far!

I sat and thought for ages about what I could do for you. As I’m a card maker and a jewellery maker I thought about doing something there, but most of us have made a card at some point and if you don’t already make jewellery sharing a project with you could prove hard on your pocket if you wanted to have a go. So, instead after much pondering I went with a 12x12 layout. Highly original huh!

There is a birthday theme to it though. Well, sort of. That photo, it’s me when I was a mere ten weeks old. Feel free to go “"awwwww” at this point, or as I did “wow, a face only a Mother would love!” LOL.

I love a distressed look, and thought it suited the age of the photo (which is a copy not the original) so having chosen the papers I set about inking and curling the edges.

The cream 7Gypsies paper was screwed up and sprayed with a small amount of glimmer mist. Once dry it was flattened out and then I went over the crease mounds with distress ink using an inking tool. A little spritz of water to wash the ink and then a quick dab with a cloth, and it’s ready to add to your page.

The flowers are just small lollipop ones made from scraps. I used 1.5”, 1” and 5/8th’s” punches. The edges have been inked and then glued together with good ole glossy accents. The centres have been done with small beads. I added glossy accents then dropped some beads on, once dried I added a second layer so that they pop out a bit.

The leaves were hand drawn, in my case using a fine sharpie pen, and the cut out. I wasn’t precise when doing this at all, either in the drawing or cutting.

Once everything was suitably shabby I stuck all the paper to the cardstock background and then, in pencil, drew where I wanted my “vine” to go for the leaves and flowers. Following that line, and again I wasn’t accurate (I’m far too impatient) I went along the line with a paper piercer and then stitched the vine/stalk on.

Now the fun part, adding the flowers and leaves along it’s length with glossy accents. I tend to keep going until it feels right. You may want more or less.

Then it’s just the addition of a few butterflies with beaded bodies and you’re done.

If you do do a layout based on mine, or using any of the techniques please let me know. Leave me comment as I’d love to come and see it.

Supply list:

• glossy accents
• black pen (I used a sharpie)
• Distress Ink (a brown one) & Inking tool
• Bazzill Cardstock
• Patterned paper: 7Gypsies –Karma, Staastburgh & Requiem ; Basic Grey – Garden Party & Waffles; Giraphic 45 – Domestic Goddess.
• Tim Holtz frame & ticket
• Embroidery thread or scrappers floss in dark green
• Small beads
• Date stamp
• Circle punches
• Butterfly punch (Martha Stewart in my case)
• Border punch
• Paper piercer
• Lace

Thanks for stopping by and joining in Rebekah’s birthday {blog} bash! Your next stop is to the very talented Nicola Booth, so go get yourself a nice fresh cuppa and enjoy the journey.

If you want to go back to Rebekah’s blog you can click here .

A little test

I’ve decided to give Windows Live Writer a go as I get soooo frustrated with blogger when I’m trying to do posts that contain more than four lines, and God forbid a couple of photo’s!

So, this is me, testing it out with a little ramble and a stock photo of some flowers for Mothers Day tomorrow.

Now I just need to figure out how to upload it. Probably did that if you are reading this, and then if I can add a blog so that I can do it for The Mill Pond as well.