Head in a book!

That's where I've been for the past week or so! Well technically I haven't as I've been reading on my phone, as I'm really into Fan fiction at the moment. I've found some really good reads over the past few weeks, but at the moment I'm hooked big time on a True Blood fanfic. Normally they are only a few chapters long so are a quick read when you have a few minutes spare... but this one is 96 chapters long and it is bloody brilliant!!! This and a visit to mum and dad's at the weekend has meant that scrapping time has been cut to, well... zero really!!!I did do this LO a couple of weekends ago which I was really happy with. The photo is one of my favourite of Dinky from the summer, so I kept the LO fairly simple. I was quite impressed that I used some really old stash though... who else forgets that they have a billion brads and eyelets hiding in that underneath cubby in their table tote??? I rediscovered mine, and used some to 'tick' the boxes on the stamp.

Right, this really is a super quick post as I have a book to get back to.... only 30 chapters to go then life will resume as normal... lol!!!

Happy afternoons...

At the moment I feel like a lady of leisure 3 afternoons a week! Once I drop Harry off at nursery, it's just me and Dinky, and he goes for an afternoon nap.... oh yeah!!! Now I *could* do some housework, but it would be foolhardy to run the risk of waking the baby wouldn't it? Well it's an excuse that works for me, so I'm sticking with it. Besides which I'm going to make the most of the next couple of months being quiet, as after Christmas every afternoon will be busy as I will be looking after another little boy. Actually a cutey little baby.... really looking forward to having a little baby in the house again, with the added benefit of being to hand them over at the end of the day :)

Not really done much to write about... but wanted to share this LO I did yesterday.

Drew has such strange eating habits. He'll eat his picnic dinners in a bizarre order, often taking a bit of something savoury, followed by something sweet and then back to savoury.... bleeuuuurrrggghhhh!!! On this day it was a combination of chocolate muffin and cheesy wotsits... how disgusting is that!

I used the Mica Mists again.... the obsession with misting everything in sight will end soon (I think), but for the moment, if it doesn't move, it gets misted! I used October Afternoon and Bella Blvd papers, cream and kraft card. And yes I used 'that' stamp again!!! I also used the cute little hand stamp that I bought a few years ago at the Harrogate show. No idea who it was by but I just knew I'd need it someday! The chocciness guaranteed label was saved from some food packaging ages ago and was just perfect for this LO.

To tie in with the orange and brown theme, I dipped the edge of some chipboard in orange paint and used it to stamp the stripes.

Right off to squeeze in a little more scrapping time before the school run.

Scrappy day

Today was the mini crop get together at mine. Jen, Lianne and Sarah all came to play today, and I think we were quite productive really... well I only got 2 LOs done so I guess I wasn't that productive!!!

I love having days where I don't have to be a mum. It makes me appreciate the kids more, and it makes Rob appreciate how hard it is being a sahm!

The first LO was a very simple one to do. I used candy red mica mist on the My Mind's Eye background paper, using a die cut shape as a mask. I used a scallop circle punch to create a kind of overlapped photo mat.... a great way to use up scraps, and quite effective. I used a couple of stamps I've had for years and never used... they came in Scarlet Lime kits, and have just been hidden away unused and unloved. The alpha stickers also came in a kit, and I can't believe I've had them for so long without using them. I borrowed Sarah's 3 in 1 butterfly punch and added staples for the butterfly bodies... love this punch and defo think I need to add that to my 'need' list!!!

The second LO (sorry for the rubbish photo) is of Harry on his first day at nursery. He has been so excited to go to 'big school' and wear his uniform, but looked a bit startled when we were in the cloak room finding his peg. I played around in photoshop to have just the peg picture in colour. I used a mix of old and new papers, most of which I have no idea what manufacturer they are by as the strips have been cut off. Not entirely sure I love this LO, but it records an important day in his life, so it will always be special because of that. I still have to scrap a photo of him in his uniform... which has come home in an 'unfit to get another day out of it' condition every afternoon!!!

Another big day, this time for Oliver. He moved up to juniors!!! How did that happen??? Of course he had to have his photo taken too... and not being used to be woken up and rushed to get dressed and have breakfast the light was 'too bright' when I dragged him out into the garden to have his photo taken!W eventually got a decent shot without the silly face!!! Now I just wish I could find the perfect pp that has school uniform blue in it!!!

Right off to tidy up all the stuff that is still all over the dining table... I think it could be a disaster waiting to happen if I left it out for the looked after children coming for breakfast tomorrow!!!

I need more money!!!

To buy all the gorgeous new stash that Sarahscards has coming in on an almost daily basis!!! We've had a couple of unexpected, hefty bills this month so I'm really having to be restrained on what I can buy. I did have a little shop the other day and a couple of bottles of the 'That Special Touch mica mists' fell into the basket. They are just so gorgeous and pretty... I really will be investing in the rest of the colours.Last night I had a play with the Teal and the Pewter, misting some Pink Paislee grid paper for my background. I used some random alpha stickers on a another piece grid paper from a different manufacturer, but not sure which. After misting this piece I carefully peeled off the stickers and outlined the title with black pen adding shadows too. The gorgeous coffee stain stamp got used again... now I've found it, I think it'll get used a lot! The pp is by Cosmo... a really old range with cogs and stuff on. I used an Autumn Leaves stamp on scraps of American Crafts Halloween spotty paper, added a new Jenni Bowlin boy ticket, before journaling and then getting busy with a stapler. I'm sure I probably say this about most of my LOs... but this one is my favourite in the new size. I think it's very me!
The black eye was the result of Oliver being thrown into Harry by his friend Adam!!! Sounds very dramatic, but anyone with boys will totally understand that they cannot simply play... they always end up play fighting!!! And they had been told so many times to stop/be careful etc etc, but of course it all ended in tears! But to his credit, not many tears... he only whimpered a bit, and it wasn't until he came in for his tea that I realised he actually had a black eye! I think he is secretly very pleased with his tough new look... it's certainly getting a few comments when we go out!

I can share a few more LOs with you now. These were done using the Sarahscards July kit. I had a bit of a panic when I first opened the box and saw all the swirls as it all screamed 'girly'. But once I got playing I actually had fun and was pleased with the results. This next group of LOs were created using the Fancy Pants Like Father Like Son range. The colours and patterns were lovely to work with, and even though it is like the title suggests aimed at the menfolk in your life, it can be used to create a more feminine feel... like I did on this LO by making the flowers. They are really easy to make and there is a tutorial up on the Sarahscards blog as to how I did it.
I also got to play with some American Crafts Zing embossing powder. I've had embossing powders before and they've been ok for cards, but I've never really like the results enough to use it on a LO. Until now! The quality of the Zing powders is brilliant. The colours are rich and vibrant, and it melts so easily and evenly leaving a perfect result every time. Check out the colours available.

This LO was created for a challenge on The Twilight Addicts forum on UKS. I worked out how to make these cute butterflies one night while watching the tv. It was kind of an accidental find... I was fiddling with a number 8 I had made to use on a LO, which I then decided I didn't like. I folded it up whilst watching something or other and when I had folded it all up, realised it looked like a butterfly! I wrote an illustrated tutorial for these too and this can also be seen over on the Sarahscards blog. I'd love to see how you use these butterflies on your work :)

Right I seriously need to go and get dressed!!! This blog update has taken an age!!! Why can't blogger be good and just upload photos to where you want them to go without having to do the mad rearranging thing?!?!?