Late night scrapping!!!

Makes you poorly... fact!

Last night I decided to scrap and managed 2 whole LOs in one evening... hhhhhmmmmmm, so how come I only manage to do the same in a whole day at the crop?!?!?! must be Jen and Helen's bad influences. Anyhoo, I went to bed feeling a ok but woke up with a sore throat which as the day has gone on has been joined by ear ache, stinging eyes and a stiff neck!!! Oh joy!!!

It was my turn to take Oliver to gymnastics tonight, but I just couldn't face sitting on a school gym bench for an hour listening to all the kids, and trying to stop Harry from throwing himself into the sponge pit. So off Rob has gone, bless him. Oliver asked today if he would be as good as Spellbound when he is 8 if he keeps going to gymnastics. Well.... if he masters the head stand, and stays up in a handstand for more than 1.5 seconds then I'm sure there's a chance.... lol!!!

Anyway, enough waffle... all this typing is hurting my throat ;)

Here are the LOs.

This one uses the Lily Bee Hello sunshine range and a little piece of American Craft (the orange spotty paper). Lots of layering of bits and pieces, a couple of punched borders, an old Hambly overlay, a bit of machine stitching and the good old dymo.

After playing around in Photoshop I created an aged look with my photos. I prefer this finish as the colours in the original photos were really bright and in your face. The backing paper is from Cosmo Material Girl range, and the rest are October Afternoon Thrift Shop. I used a sheet of acetate to create a see through window between the backing paper and the Kraft.... I really like this, although getting a good photo of it isn't easy. The flower embellishment was made by twisting a strip of paper around and stapling it into place on a circle base. A couple more coiled strips were added to underline to photos... have to say, I really like how it turned out. I really need to buy a poky tool though... punching through card and acetate to sew round the pp really hurt :(

Right off to go and change thing 3 into his pjs, and I might even have to get in mine too.

Walking on sunshine, splashing in puddles!

Well what a gorgeous week we've had here. Rob has had a week off work and the sun has shined all week. And today it is raining, just so that he doesn't feel bad about going back to work tomorrow... how thoughtful.

This week we have spent a lot of time over in the little park across from our house with another childminder and her children. It's great because we can walk over with all the play vehicles/blanket/parasol etc and we are pretty much set up for the afternoon. And we are just a dash across the road for any toilet needs (although to be honest the boys prefer the novelty of peeing in the bushes).

Drew really loves playing with the big kids, and on this day Harry was being a lovely big brother and pushed him round the park in his fire engine.

On Thursday we went to Chester Zoo for the day. We took Freya with us too, and I have to say all kids were amazingly well behaved. Considering how hot it was, it could have easily gone the other way. Of course a trip to the zoo wouldn't be complete without photos on the shiny backed Garratt elephant ;)
Last Sunday was Warrington crop day... I only got two LOs done, but I was pleased with both of them so that's all that matters. One is for an upcoming challenge over at the Sarahscards blog, but here is a little preview.

This one is to record the fact that Drew, who is a complete mummy's boy, absolutely adores Grandad.He will only go to myself or Grandad... much to the annoyance of Mama, and I just loved these photos taken over the Easter weekend. The papers are October Afternoon Thrift Shop, which I am so loving right now. I think this is a range that could be used for so many different topics.... it's just yummy! I had a moment of weakness in the shop too and bought this fabulous EK Success border punch. It punches and embosses, and it is small and compact so stores really easily. There are so many new punches in at the moment... I'm fearing a falling out with Rob over how many I NEED... lol!!!

This was perhaps the fastest LO I have ever done... ever!!! Mainly because th photos are on an A4 sheet and I just didn't want to cut them up. I loved all of these pics and I really like the new templates I have found on Windows 7... so all I added was 3 sheets of coordinating papers, et voila... done!!!

I can also share with you the 3 LOs I did using the May kit. Not my usual colours/patterns, but I do love the 2 LOs I am keeping, and the wedding one was given to the bride and she loves it... so all is good.

Yesterday I went to Argos to buy new rechargeable batteries for my DSLR, and came out with.... a water play table and a couple of bags of play sand! I can't be the only one who does this kind of thing.... Rob just expects it now when I go to get anything, he doesn't really say much he just shakes his head or rolls his eyes. Even he has to admit though that this was a fab buy for £20. Drew stood at it all afternoon and loves it. He was top to toe wet but only whinged when we had to drag him away from it for his tea. After his bath he kept trying to escape back into the garden for more playtime... it seems we have another outdoorsy child, none of mine really like to be indoors much. Of course the water play was enjoyed by Things 1 and 2 also... although Bear is not one for getting his clothes wet.... as the neighbours will be able to testify with the noise he made after getting full on splashed by Dink!!!

So that brings us back to today... raining and miserable... a perfect day for housework.... Yeah right!!! Today I plan to play with paper, and scrap some of the photos from yesterday!

Missing in action... again *rolls eyes*

No more apologies... life gets in the way and blogging has to go on a back burner... hey ho! So what's been going on in the Stevenson household since I last blogged? Well life has been pretty much the same old... school, looked after children, Beavers, gymnastics... you get the idea. We have has some good weather though so we have spent a lot of time outside which is always a good thing.

Drew is almost walking... he can stand unaided (when the mood takes him), and I think it will be only a matter of time before he is off.... and then boy will I know it!!! I had a scare with him on Thursday when he started to choke. I did the whole patting on the back thing but it didn't work and he ended up going blue, passing out and stopped breathing. Emergency first aid training kicked in and after a couple of hard slaps on the back a screw came flying out!!! yes a screw!!! He'd been playing under the dining chairs and had somehow got a screw out and obviously though it looked tasty!!! Very scary, but all turned out ok.

I've been doing bits and bobs on the crafting front. I'm getting quite into wool again, and have a couple of projects under way... not sure how they are going to turn out yet, but we'll keep going with them and hope for the best!

I've done a bit of scrapping too... Here are some Sarah's cards May kit sneak peeks. Not my usual colours for scrapping with, but a very pretty and delicate kit.

I also got to play with the gorgeous Jillibeans New England 'Clam Chowder' papers... so up my street and a lot of fun to use.

And don't forget to play along with the challenges over at the Sarahscards blog. This month the challenge is to use paint on a LO. There are some fab examples from the DT.

This is my LO, and is probably the first LO I have done with no patterned paper in, well... ages!!! I really like how it turned out. I created the splatters by squirting paint dabbers with a water mister, then stamping them down on to the card. VERY messy, but great fun... and the kids like doing it too. I also used the dabbers on acrylic stamps for the title and the whirly circle embellishments.

Have a go and leave a link to your work... you may win a prize and as they say, you've got to be in it to win it!

Swimming babies.

This morning we took the boys swimming. It was the first time Drew had been, and to be honest only about he 4th time Harry has been. We went to the pool at my gym, which is soooooo nice and warm. Harry was a bit unsure at first and did the whole clinging like a limpet thing, but as time went on he was happy to start kicking about and 'swim like a shark'. Drew LOVED it from the moment he got in. The only downside for him was that me being a bad mummy left his swim nappy at home, so he went swimming in an ordinary pampers!!! I swear to god it weighed the same as he did when we got out the pool...lol!!!The bonus of going to a private pool was that we could take photos... ok so they're not the best, but at least we have a record of Drew's first time in the water... we didn't get the opportunity with Harry because of all the over the top rules about taking photos in public places. I'm all for child protection, but seriously the world has gone a little mad... you can't even take pics of your own child in a library now!!!

Today has been another beautiful weather day, and this afternoon has been spent in the garden. Rob dug out dome trees that had been killed by the snow, Oliver collected snails, worms and bugs *ick*, Harry picked a dandewion for me *awwwwwww* and Drewpot discovered the playhouse. So 3 dirty but happy children... don't you just love sunny weather?

I've been going to the gym most nights, and I feel so much better for doing so... even though you can't tell any difference yet. Just how is that fair that you tell as soon as you gain weight and can gain so easily, but to shift it takes an age and you have to lose loads before you can tell!!! Any way, I'm not giving up... already the programme I have been given is getting easier to do, so that has to be a good thing right?

I've not been doing much scrapping lately. I finished this LO that was started at the crop a couple of weeks ago. It's one of those things that had to be recorded before it was forgotten... Pegward Cullen... the £1 peg bought by Oliver from a mini industry sale at school!

I got a lovely parcel from Sarahscards this week with these papers, alphas, stickers, sprouts, bazzill half edges and tape in... sooooo excited to play with these and have already done one LO... here's a sneak peak of the first LO, but keep an eye out on the Sarahscards blog to see what I do with them. Don't forget that there are monthly challenges to play along with, and you can win a voucher to spend at the shop... free stash has to be good thing, so why not play along and leave a link to your work :)

Righty ho... it was just a quick one... I need to get back to my book, which has just got to a very good bit... you'll never guess what it's about???

Vampires of course... lol. I'm so loving the Sookie Stackhouse series... I just wish I had an Eric in my life *sigh*

Busy busy busy!!!

Well it's all systems go in this house at the moment and we never seem to have a spare minute!!! Oliver has joined Beavers, which he is loving... no pics yet as he won't have his photo taken until he has been invested into the colony and gets his woggle!!! This will happen after the Easter hols, so I think there will be a LO coming soon.

We have started to potty train Harry. Or should I say TRY and potty train Harry!!! It's early days but it's not going well. He is just so stubborn and there is nothing we can use to bribe him. I'm not giving in this time though... he's not going back into nappies during the day... seriously it's just wrong trying to squeeze a child of his size into a nappy.... lol! So lots of wet patches and a mountain of wet undies... any tips for success would be gratefully received.

Drew pot has started to pull him self up at the furniture which he thinks is very clever. He's still a little whinger, but he is also very funny at times, so with that and being extremely cute, things are getting slowly better with him.

I've joined the gym.... last night was the first time I went, and OMG I can feel it today. Tonight I have a personal trainer session so I am expecting to really hurt tomorrow. This is it this time... I'm not going down the fad diet route anymore. I'm big and that's that, so I just plan now to try and do the best with what I've got... I have to say I actually enjoy going to the gym, so maybe this will be the first hobby I have that doesn't involve me sitting on my bum!!!

A few LOs to share. These were from the March Sarahscards kit. Not papers I would have bought myself, but they were lovely to use. I really like the bold floral patterns, and think that they work well even with the boy LOs. On this LO I used scraps of card to make the same flowers from another sheet of patterned paper, but bigger. I loved the design but the printed design was just too small for what I wanted... I think this works well.

I have to say I am really staring to like working with the smaller size for my BOM too.... although I doubt I'll go over to this size totally.

I printed my favourite piece of music, The Meadow by Alexandre Desplat (yes it's from New Moon), onto patterned paper to form the basis of the LO. I love this LO.... although it doesn't fit in a page protector!!! I really should think these things through before I start!On Saturday we went to the Build a Bear factory at the Trafford Centre. The idea was that Harry could choose a bear who would become his potty training friend. He named the Bear Brian, after Grandad, and chose an outfit, shoes and pjs for him.... Brian also wears big bear pants!!! I think it is helping a bit, as Harry does like to sit Brian on the potty, but not as much as he likes putting his pjs on and taking him to bed.... lol!

I did this LO of Harry and Brian at the Warrington crop on Sunday... not a productive day for me... but what's new there. I only got this and about 3/4 of another LO done. I would like to say I have someone to blame, but I think in truth I have only myself to blame... I talk too much and faff even more! Oh well... crops aren't supposed to be all work and no play are they ;) I also succumbed to the Woodware tab punch. I needed it, I had to have it.... it's now mine, and I love it very much. If there is ever a punch you will use all the time this is it.... love love love it! (Rachael Elliott... your fault, again...lol).

Right ho, another brief update... I will be back over the Easter weekend... probably in an attempt to put off getting my EYFS profiles and planning up to date!

Have a great bank holiday weekend and don't eat too much chocolate!!!