It's Me, Sarah

This and That

Well firstly I apologise for being a bad blogger!  I can't believe that it has been so long but it has been a busy couple of weeks.

Ben and Charlotte have been prancing around the house singing songs from their upcoming school play :)  I can't wait!  It is Charlotte's first proper play and it will be lovely to see them both up on stage together.

I have been busy scrapping :)  Last weekend was the Exeter crop and Mum and I love to go there.  The girls are all sooooo lovely and it was so great to see everyone because we have had quite a long break since the last one, I think it is about 6 months!!  We spent most of the day chatting (like you do!) but I had taken supplies with me to make the cutest little ATC album.  I saw the instructions by Jane Dean in Papercraft Inspirations , this album is gorgeous and so enjoyable to make.

As we do each Christmas at the Exeter crop (and this was our Christmas crop) we all made a Christmas card to take along as inspiration for everyone else.  I made a pop up card with papers from the English Paper Co.

I also took instructions from the Bad Girls Kits Christmas Workshop to make Tina Sue's beautiful christmas tree but by the time I got the cone base to look right is was time to go home.  I definitely want to finish this though because it is so nice.  I haven't had chance yet because I have been getting things ready for this weekend's Crop n' Craft workshop.

I am so excited about travelling up to Tracie's tomorrow and finally getting to meet Anna.  The workshop is going to be brilliant.  Here is a sneak peak of my class.

I have been busy crocheting flowers for everyone to use for my class.  I also made the cutest little pin cushions as a way to include a needle in the kit for the stitching part of the class.  The hearts are only just over an inch in size.

So, I am off to get ready to take that drive to Barnstaple tomorrow.  It may sound silly, it's not that far!  But, I don't like driving!!!

Scrapping for England

I wish I could!  Wouldn't that be great to have an English scrapbooking team lol.  We should start our own olympics!

I have been scrapping though, trying to get some of my Mojoholder layouts done in advance.  I have made good progress so I am feeling nice and cheerful now.

I have got the Exeter crop with the infamous Scrappybunny this weekend so I am really looking forward to that.  I must get some stuff organised for that as I do not want to leave it until the last minute!  The last couple of crops I have been to I have left packing my bag until the morning of the crop for various reasons and I end up chucking loads of stuff in that doesn't match and having a hard time doing any layouts.

Me and the kids went to Mum's on Friday for our tea as Mark was duty and the kids got spoiled (which is a Nanny's perogative!).  One of the things Mum bought for them was a spinning light thing each that they hold.  They absolutely love them (in fact they already need new batteries!).

My Hairspray DVD arrived yesterday morning so I am very excited about that but I am trying to save it so that I can watch it at the weekend - I don't know if I can be that strong!  Must........not..........watch..........!!!!

I was really happy last week to be chosen as LOTW on UK Scrappers, it cheered me up when I was having a bit of a rough week!  I also had a layout on the Catwalk over at Sistv a couple of weeks ago - exciting stuff.

Oh and don't forget this:

Challenge #11

This weeks All About Eve  challenge is 'Love Your Body' and that was a hard one to do!  I am really pleased with the result and I am sure it is a layout I will love in years to come.  Pop over and see what the rest of the design team have done, the inspiration is amazing.

I am so excited that Hairspray is going to be released on DVD at the end of the week, in fact I have pre-ordered it from Amazon so hopefully it will be arriving on my doormat on the day of the release (19th November!).  I can't wait to watch it again, I have been listening to the soundtrack since I saw it at the cinema so I am sure I will be annoying Mark (who hasn't seen it) by singing along to everything.

I was looking at my favourite bookmarks on my computer the other day and I found THIS one which has been in my bookmarks for quite a few years.  I love this girls art, so cartoony and bright - just amazing.  Here is an example.

I am staying in today to wait for our Virgin+ box to be delivered.  I hope it installs well as I have heard about people having trouble with it.  I can't wait to get it though - as long as it works.

Plymouth Crop

On Friday I was poorly :(  I don't really know what it was, probably just a bug but it was horrible!  I went to bed really early and that seemed to do the trick, I was feeling much better on Saturday morning.

I was so glad to be feeling better because it was the Plymouth crop and I was really looking forward to it.  I had to get up on Saturday and sort out my stuff to take to the crop which meant that I wasn't organised (I had planned to get it done on Friday) and I just took loads with me! 

So I waved goodbye to Mark and the kids as he went out to take Charlotte to ballet class and Mum and I went to the crop.  It was great to see everyone again and lovely that Mum could come this time too - we had a brilliant day just chatting and scrapping.

I gave in and bought one of the Creative Memories layout frames whilst I was there - I just love it so much; I love how the layout is attached by magnets and you can change it over so easily.  I also invested in the photo organisation box because my photos are so unorganised and basically just - well, everywhere!

I actually managed to complete two layouts at the crop which is a miracle.  The first one was based on Pencil Lines Sketch #57.

The second one uses some lovely Three Bugs in a Rug papers that I have been wanting to put to good use!

I got home from the crop in time to sit down with Mark and watch the X-Factor, he had cooked tea for me but as my stomach was still a bit iffy I didn't eat any - ooops.

Today I have been trying to catch up with a bit of DT work and the kids had a birthday party to go to.  They had great fun and came home clutching their party bags and blowing whistles in my ear.  They were a bit high on party food too I think.

Too Absolutely Small

I have been wanting to do this Charlie and Lola inspired layout for ages, I am so pleased with how it has turned out! The journaling in the top left corner is EXACTLY how Charlotte talks so it is going to be a great memory and of course we all love Charlie and Lola in this house - isn't it the best!!

The window was made from card backed with acetate and mounted on 3d foam over the photo of the sky (with a couple of cardstock clouds for good measure). I made the curtain out of a fabric remnant and put eyelets across the top to make them go on the wire 'curtain pole'. I made a little beaded tie back. The book on the 'floor' is an actual mini book with some journaling inside.

I had a fab parcel in the post the other day from Anna, thank you Anna I love it (especially the little acrylic stamp!).

We all went up to Plymouth Hoe last night to watch the bonfire and fireworks display. It was really good, but I tend to get bored after about 20 minutes. The kids loved the fireworks but the one and a half hour wait for them to start didn't go down too well as you can see by this photo. Along with the rain, the wait and not being allowed to go on everything at the fair they were feeling hard done by! I wish I had the chance to watch such great fireworks and have a stick of candy floss after bed time when I was little. It was worth it in the end though.