Spring is on its way!

Finally it seems that winter is over & Spring is on its way... I love this time of the year when we have the summer to look forward to. Doors & windows open, the children can play in the garden & lots of barbeques & family days out etc.... yessss!!!!

Its been a long week, Mads & Tigs were off from school last weel with a nasty sickess bug, I don't think I've washed as many sheets & towels etc in a long time! Now would also definitely be a good time to replace our cream carpets with wooden flooring.... yuk!!!!

All better now though & back at school, unfortunately Tigs is still having unsettled sleep as she keeps waking in the night with a nosebleed. A trip to the docs today should hopefully start getting it sorted. It means that we're all really tired and in desperate need of a holiday... luckily we're off in just over two weeks - woop woop!!!

I can now share the LO I made for Butterfly crafts March challenge;

The written challenge is up on the blog here, there's a great prize up for grabs from scrapagogo.

I selected to use orange, turquoise, scallopped edges, butterflies, bling & pins from the list of "ingredients".

Ive been playing with the Shimelle prompts too this week & will have a couple more layouts to upload tomorrow. I've also almost used up all of the February kit form Sarah's Cards, just looking forward to getting the March one now, especially as I ordered some add-ons.

Oh and some good news (kind of!) my BIL is home from the states at the end of next month.... I feel a shopping spree on two peas on its way!!!!!....

Have a good day x

Something out of nothing....

Well I'm almost up to date with all of the things that I had to do for DT challenges & layouts etc, still cant upload them as yet but watch this space!.....

So Ive now signed up to Shimelle's latest class - make something out of (almost) nothing. The first challenge is to blog why we have so much stash ... contrary to many others, I actually like the word stash! Its mine all mine and I really will NOT share it!

I think I have lots of stash that I bought when I first started scrapping that I really dont like anymore... the type of papers that I now look at & think urgh what am I going to use that for? This is dwindling now as the girls are starting to scrap and aren't nearly as fussy as me so they're happy to have some of my older patterned papers & die-cut shapes like shoes & handbags etc (really, what was I thinking?!!!)

Then I have what I call my lush stash - these are the patterned papers that I'm really frightened to cut into & the blooms & bling that I'm saving for even better fotos than those in the pile I have waiting to be scrapped. I'm really never going to be David Bailey, so the fotos aren't going to get that much better & if I didn't like the fotos, why have I printed them & put them in my "to scrap" pile?

So I have a huge drawer full of my favourite papers and boxes of bling & blooms that I just cant bear to use! I have sets of alphas that I dont want to use because a title might use up all of the "e"s for example & then I might not get another title form the set.

There ... thats honesty thats the secrets behind my stash, I may even upload a foto or two before the class starts, and so I am now going to organise my stash & tidy my craft space in readiness for the beginning of the classes tomorrow... anyone who wants to join in can  here ......

My next challenge to myself is to finish the last book in the Twilight saga that I started last night.... I am totally hooked on the books, despite not being something I would ever normally choose to read... I just decided to see what the fuss is all about & why they are so popular - they are fantastic!!!! Plus I have to admit to having the tiniest crush on Edward... not the Edward in the films, but the Edward in my imagination as I read the book before I watched Twilight.

Therein lies the struggle ... scrap or read? Well I think I shall tidy scrap stuff in prep for class prompts tomorrow & then read before bed!

Have a good evening x

Bad Blogger!!!

Okay so I know I'm a bad blogger as I haven't posted for ages but Ive been really busy working on projects that I can't share just yet.

This is just a quickie, check out the Prima site, they have a secret up their sleeve & a freebie giveaway; check it out here; here - looks exciting, and everyone knows I just love Prima LOL.

Where did February go? Its incredible that its March already, but the lovely thing is that we're starting to see the first little glimpses of Spring - being able to go out at lunchtime today without a coat was bliss!!!

Right off again now, I will post later when I have something interesting to share / say!

Claire x

Fab Weekend!!!

Wow what a great weekend! I had a couple of days off with my girls & went to see the Princess & the Frog - a really funny great disney film!

Someone thinks I have a beautiful heart - aaaw thanks Virginia :)

On Saturday I went to a crop with my Mum & had a really good time, with some great company, I guess that includes you Mum ;)

Managed to put together most of my circle journal & do a layout with some beautiful graphic 45 papers its here:

Just loved using these papers, they're very easy to cut into & are lovely weight.

Then I had some fantastic news - that I'd been chose for the Butterfly Crafts Design Team, I'm delighted, flattered & really excited about the challenges ahead!

So, as I said a fantabulous weekend.... back to work tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hope everyone got the cards, chocolates & flowers they were hoping for!

Mads & Tigs got a heart on a stick from "their boyfriend" Miller... they share a boyfriend at 4 !!!!

There may be trouble ahead.....

I've spent the last 3 nights finally cutting into my new stash, my latest LO is below:

Just loved doing this, Maddy was tickling my feet when I took these photos & they are just so natural & capture her sunny disposition... I guess this is why I scrap... to capture the tiny moments of my miracles' lives. & I don't just get to look at the fotos for five minutes, I get to create with them... & using papers & pens is just sooooo lovely!. Well, its monday tomorrow, short week for me as Ive taken holiday Thursday & Friday to enjoy half term with the girls.... bring on " the princess & the frog" !!!!

Have a good week everyone xxx

Is crying over a gift a good thing?!

Phew! MIL loved the album - fortunately the tears were happy ones not sad ones....
We all went out for a lovely greek meal and ate far too much... no change there then those of you who know me might say!

DH has "manflu" today and so my girls night out this evening may well need to be cancelled :(

My next target is to make DH an anniversary card and a valentine's day card (which are both the same day - think I could get away with one card like he usually does?!) Dare I cut into those scrummy prima papers that have just arrived? .... Hmmm I think not, not just yet!

I have two very tired little girls this week after a late night on Monday so they are having early nights which should, in theory, leave me lots of time to scrap - but I cant get motivated at the moment!!!!

I have 2 circle journals to finish as well as the cards to make, and all of my fotos taken since christmas to scrap, also have a LO to do for the 4 ways challenge for Scrapbook Magazine.... its a real tricky one too as the kits is nothing like my usual style, but pushing the boundaries is good I guess!

Will have a crack at the valentines card tonight & upload tomorrow!

Happy Wednesday! xxx

So little time so much to do!

Goodness me, January was a busy time & February is proving to be even busier!
I've been frantically working on an album for my MIL's 60th birthday - her birthday is today & its finally finished (at around 8pm last night!!!)
Once she has it I will upload some pics...

I'm feeling like an evil mother this morning, having subjected Mads & Tigs to typhoid & Hep A jabs in advance of our holiday to Egypt... hopefully it will all be forgotten by the time they come home from school!

I thought I would post a few older layouts today, now that Ive got the birthday album done I can get down to scrapping some of "my" stuff with the gorgeous papers & primas that BIL brought home for me fromt he States... watch this space!

This was taken of Mads on holiday in Spain - her sitting still is such a rarity it had to be scrapped!

I love this photo of Tigs & J - used the gorgeous November kit from Sarah's Cards

I'm out for a yummy Greek meal this evening - the girls are addicted to olives (strange I know!) so it  should go down well with them!

xxx