Tuesday 8 November 2011

New layouts

So I finally got down to some scrapping over the weekend! I did some crafting with Tiegan which is always fun as she's actually pretty good when she accepts that everythign doesn't have to be perfect!

This first layout is a photo that I've wanted to scrap for ages, and I used papers that I've been holding onto for ages, not wanting to cut into them for some reason!! The papers are Websters and I've also used a Prima mask, a prima vine, and of course the obligatory mists & distress ink; The photograph is of my brother and nephew with my new baby neice when she was just a day old. The look of wonder in Daniel's little face is just lovely.


The next is a layout using an old kit from Sarah's Cards - I thought I would try a different style, with cleaner lines & less inking & distressing. I really dont like how it turned out!!! I guess its a lesson learnt, but its  another layout for the album & another memory captured!




See? Not one of my best at all!!! But its good to be scrapping again, I still havent solved the storage issue or whether to scrap upstairs or downstairs so I'm kind of doing both!!

Thanks for popping by xxx

Friday 4 November 2011

51 sleeps... really?

Is it really only 51 sleeps till Christmas? Where on earth has this year gone?!!

I'm feeling very envious of all the ladies off on the Sarah's Cards retreat this weekend.... I soooo enjoyed myself in March, but I promised the girls a firework party this weekend... ho hum! Still, I consoled myself by ordering some lovely stash online, cant wait till my pizza boxes arrive!

I ve been finding lots of craftign time lately, and seem to have several projects on the go, so very little completed as yet; a holiday mini-book, a christmas wreath, some paper shoes, 3 circle journals, a layout that is taking forever with tons of fussy cutting, but I'm loving it... so lots to share soon.

A few bits I can share now; the photographs are really bad for some reason?

The first is an old layout I did for SBM of Maddy in the snow last year; love these prima blooms, yummy!

This one is another old LO for SBM, I was provided with these papers, and decided to amke a collage of photographs of a holiday in Kefalonia;

And finally a birthday card I made for Mum using an older kit from Sarah's Cards, as you can tell, I'm really not a cardmaker!!!




Well thats it for me, I'm off to buy fireworks and yummy food for tomorrow night and a well deserved bottle of red, it is the end of the week afterall! happy bonfire night all xxx

Thursday 20 October 2011

Long time no blog.............

Wow its been ages.... I haven't blogged, haven't scrapped or been on any online forums for soooo long.

Its for good reasons though mostly, life has kind of taken over again & the girls and I are happy and settled in our "new" life. We've finally moved on & put the past behind us & been able to forget all the horrible things that the last year threw at us. The past rears its ugly head now & then but we are able to stamp on it when it does!!

So I've now started to get back into my scrapping, I've done a few layouts & am halfway through a minibook about our holiday... so I will post some pictures later this week, but I thought I would summarise the last few months with some iPhone photos;

Tiegan in her high heeled boots; she really is a diva in the making!!

The girls on the way to our holiday.... are we nearly there yet?!!!

 Oh dear Tigs had an accident running around with a yoghurt drink in her hand.... oops!

 Maddy joined a football team, team shot after the first match - yes she is the only girl!!!

 I got my tattoo done finally ! Ouch - 4 hours of hurt!

 I celebrated 5 months with my Mr M - he buys me my favourite pink roses every month to celebrate ... sweet eh?!
 I took the girls to see their first pop concert; Katy Perry at the o2;




So its been a busy few months, yes I plan to try to blog more, and now things are settled I plan to craft more.... here I face a dilemma; do I leave my craft things upstairs in the spare room... this means I dont so as much as I am there on my own while Mr M & the girls are downstairs.... or do I move it all into the corner of the dining room which will mean I do a lot more, but will then be moaning that the hosue looks untidy?!!! hmmm!

Thanks for dropping by, have a fab day xxxx

Friday 5 August 2011

One sleep to go .....

Just one sleep left then we're off on our holidays!! Woop woop!!
For the first time in over 20 years, I'm not having a holiday abroad... we are off to Woolacombe Bay tomorrow & the forecast for next week looks awful!!!

I'm not stressing about it, there are lots of lovely things to see and do and I sooooo need a break from work & the mundane things at home.

I've scrapped lots lately - I had planned to submit an entry into the design team call at Sarah's Cards, but I didnt quite have everything ready by the deadline so never mind. I need to photograph my layouts & share them; this is one I've done;

The stamped title hasn't photographed very well, its an Ali Edwards phrase - "loving life with you by my side." Papers are all Prima Pastiche collection, yummy scrummy!!!

This is my Mr M, the reason I've been taking a back seat from my scrapping, blogging & forums etc. I'm happy, the girls are happy & life is generally pretty good just now. A week of girliness in Devon may have him running for the hills though!!! We'll see!

So I may be back this evening with more layouts to share or it may be after a rainsoaked holiday in Devon!!

Thanks for popping by! xxx

Thursday 21 July 2011

You Two .....

How many ways can a Mother love their children? How can you possibly ever describe how much you love your children? Its not possible is it?

You two:

Are my world...

Tiggy; you are;

A total poser!


Very short tempered;



Have your own (strange) sense of style!


Look beautiful when you laugh;


And when you smile, your eyes sparkle;



I love you more than words could possibly say;


Madison, you are;
Football crazy!


Such a brave little girl after you had your tonsils out;


Grandad's girl!


Addicted to taking your picture on my iPhone! Such a crazy chick!


Give me a lump in my throat when I look at your pretty little face & dimples;


Are just soooo cute!



I love you more than words could possibly say;


If I had to choose between loving you and breathing, I would use my last breath to tell you that I love you...
Love you both always
Mama xxx

Monday 18 July 2011

Manic Monday

Where do the weekends go?!

It seems five minutes ago that I was excited about it being Friday & now here we are at the start of another week!!!

The July kit from Sarah's Cards came on Saturday & I am a very happy scrapper... lots of lush girly papers & embellies that I cant wait to start playing with!

A couple of bits I havent shared yet; the first is my name badge from the retreat earlier this year;

loads of Websters on here, I just love their papers as there is so much to cut into ... yummy!

Here is a LO I did for Scrapbook magazine, the theme was scrapping punk style;


It was quite a challenge as its totally out of my comfort zone, I enjoyed making a mess with the pink acrylic paint though!!!

Now I have something quite exciting to share... my Mum (Scrappyjan you may know her as) has been selected for the DT for Scrapgirlz, an American site for digital scrappers and her kits are now on sale on the site!!

Here's a peek at the first couple;

Scrummy arent they? Take a look at Mum's new blog to see her work, she's very clever! http://scrappyjanstudio.blogspot.com/

If I manage a who LO with the lush July kit I will be back to share tomorrow :)

Happy Monday everyone!
xxx

Monday 11 July 2011

About time....

Another long  gap inbetween posts.... life has been crazily hectic! My baby girls turned 6! Where has that time gone? Plus the never ending birthday parties & things going on at weekends has meant I've had no time to scrap or blog, or actually do anything!!!

I will upload a couple of LO's later, but for now I wanted to share a cute pic & their friend ready to go the the ugly bug ball at school .... how cute are they?!!


I seem to be having trouble with blogger lately, I am unable to comment as me on other blogs, I come up as anonymous! Very frustrating!!!

Hope to post more later, have a fab week! xxx

Monday 6 June 2011

I'm back!!!

Wow - I have been totally lost without my laptop - it froze on me totally & so it had to go to laptop hospital to be fixed!!! But I'm back now without very much to share actually as I haven't done much scrapping at all lately.

I took a week off with the girls over half term & we've had lots of lovely days out which have provided me with loads of good scrapping fotos so watch this space!

Isn't it lovely when someone does something really kind for absolutely no reason other than they are a genuinely kind person. In my last post I posted a layout with some cogs that I had handcut from chipboard. As you can imagine, it took forever, so imagine how touched I was when I received an envelope full of them that Virginia had kindly sent to me after reading my blogpost. Virginia, thankyou, that was such a kind thought and I was really touched, I shall certainly make very good use of them! xxxx

A couple of nice fotos from the week just gone;


How cute are these plaits?!
This next one is of Tigs - she insists on choosing her own clothes now, often she gets it right - the other day really wasn't one of her most stylish.... but she insisted it was "funky"

Finally a foto that captures the fun the girls had on the rides at Southend.... it really wont be long before they're begging me to take them to Thorpe Park!

Thats it for today, need to photograph some layouts so that I can share them!
Have a good day!
xxx

Sunday 15 May 2011

This might be a long one!!

Wow I cant believe its been so long since I blogged! Life taking over and all that... but here I am with LOADS to share!!!
Its been a long few weeks with ups & downs but the Ralph girls always bounce back!!

Ok so here's what I have to share;
- some layouts; finally!!!
- some cute pics
- the story of our family circle journal craft club!!!

So layouts first.....

This is one I've wanted to do for ages; 2 very special people no longer with us & missed every single day...., this layout took me days & days!!!


 not a great photo for some reason, a couple of closeups;




And another layout; this is using the lush new BoBunny papers;

I just love this photo of Tig, she looks so naturally happy :) and love all the bits on these papers that I can chop into!!! Pretty colours too!!! I added some Prima lace, prima flower & some A line flowers sprayed with teal mica mist.

Couple of close ups:



 a third layout....


I'm really pleased with this one.... it took ages!!! I used Tim Holtz masks, lots of mists, made the cogs from cardboard (using the masks as a template); I inked them with Rangers distress inks... I did try to use UTEE but think my embossing pad must be a bit dry as when I heated the UTEE with my heat gun it blew all over the kitchen worktop & melted there instead of on the cogs!!!

I think I will be using these papers a lot...Bobunny timepiece.... LUSH!!!!!
 
couple more closeups:







So many layouts!!! Well for me 3 is a lot!!!

Here are a couple of cute pics Ive taken lately;

3 little girls very excited and tired after an afternoon crafting!!!


Maddy is an odd child.... she found some of my old pop socks.... yes i have some i'm afraid!!! |& wore them as stockings on the trampoline!!! Not sure if I think this is horrid or cute but funny all the same!!!

Finally we started a family circle journal yesterday Mads, Tigs, Mum, my gorgeous niece Alisha & I.... but its more than a CJ... its a family saturday crop... a time for the girls to spend time together... a time for me to craft with mum (a massive rarity!!!) and a time for Alisha to have some girly time away from her two stinky (just kidding boys :) I love you both!!! ) brothers !!!

We made our covers & the girls did their front pages..... I really did have the best time & hope the girls did too! Here's our efforts...


Mum's as always was fab but I think Tiggy might pose some competition as she get older... check this out... she did this on her own & she is FIVE!!!!


Cool eh?

It was Alisha's first attempt at scrapping & I think she loved it!!! Bring on more family crafting!!!

There you have it.... told you this was a long one....

Hope you've had a fab weekend
C xxxx