It's Me, Sarah

Some Favourite Layouts from 2008

Here are some of my favourite layouts done in 2008.  I couldn't really get it to be any less than this and I know I have some others that are out for publication that I love :)

I have been busy scrapping today but I stopped in time to make Gumbo for tea.  I haven't made it for ages but it was the perfect meal to use up the last of the Turkey and Gammon - it was delicious!

He left pawprints on our hearts

Christmas  hasn't been so good this year.

Merry Christmas

More Cards for Christmas

I just love these October Afternoon papers and they were great for Christmas cards this year - I love the little sliding snowman too, he was a little stamp by imaginisce and I have used him loads this christmas. on these cards I have coloured him with copics and pencils.

This little frame was one of the classes that I taught the Mum's down the school and they really loved it - if you want instructions I have uploaded the class notes here.

These cards look so much better in real life, they are really simple but very effective. The images I have used on them are by Kate Hadfield at The Lilypad (Just print and cut!).

This gift card holder is just brilliant, I am not being big headed I saw the idea to create the card slot on Jennifer McGuire's fantastic blog,  and I love it!  I only found her blog recently and I am becoming a bit of a stalker (I get really disappointed when she hasn't updated it!).

And finally, this is a little booklet I made to show the ladies at the school how to create folders for notes and receipts.  Actually, most of them made this as a gift voucher holder :)

We had a lovely evening yesterday.  My nephews went out for a drink with Mark during the day and then they all came back to sample my Chicken Tikka Masala (thanks Jamie Oliver) before we were descended on by my sister and brother-in-law and Mum and Geoff - it was a really nice get together.

Well the kids are sat watching 'The Santa Clause' and Mark is still recovering from a few too many Christmas drinks last night!  I am going to join them on the sofa now before I go and get all the final things sorted out for tomorrow :)

2008 Christmas Tree and some cards

I really enjoyed putting the tree up this year - here is a photo of it :)

Mark has been out and about today with Charlotte and Amy.  I had a day with Ben at home but he was a bit of a pain because Mark had confiscated his DS this morning and he didn't really know what to do with himself!!  Bless him, he spent about an hour pretending to be a dog for some reason!!!  I had to throw things for him to catch and pet him when he brought them back.  He was even walking around in circles on all four before collapsing at my feet in pretend sleep - do you think he is alright?  I am not sure.

Here are a couple of cards I have made for Christmas this year:

I have only just discovered Pink Petticoat and I love it!!!

I am sat here on the sofa laughing at my brother and sister-in-law making fools of themselves on the wii fit!!

Yes, I am still here!

You know what it is like around Christmas, I have just been very busy.

This is just a quick post because I wanted to try out my new look blog :)  I will get back to blogging regularly soon - I promise :)

Here are some digi layouts that I did for the current issue of The Scrapbook Magazine, I do love doing digi layouts!

We are nearly ready for Christmas and I can't wait.  I have taken a photo of the tree, I will upload it tomorrow, it looks really pretty this year :)

Trying to be a domestic goddess a la Nigella...

...but it is not working.

I so want everything to be all nice and organised and to be on top of EVERYTHING if you know what I mean and I just don't seem to be able to get there.

Never mind.  I have had a big scrapbooking commission (for TV!) and I am getting near the end of that, but have also had a few different bits of magazine work to do so that is taking up a lot of my time at the moment.  The kitchen is looking like a bomb site because that is where I have to scrapbook and having so much to do lately means I have turned into a very messy scrapper!  I am usually quite tidy when I scrap, putting things away as I go but have a look at what happened today:

and then Mark took Ben and Charlotte to their after school sports club and it got worse.... Amy wanted to join in!

When she got bored (because I wouldn't let her play with any of MY stuff!) she got down, promptly went and found Charlotte's DS and sat on the sofa with her baby!!

Another thing that I have been doing is helping Lisa at U-Handbag put together a pattern she created for sale.  Don't get me wrong, I had nothing to do with the design of this (I know nothing about making bags!) but I can use the appropriate software to draw the patterns, layout the instruction sheet and provide Lisa with a ready made pattern that she can sell on.  You really should go and look at the bag she has created for her first pattern - it is adorable.  Of course all the supplies can be bought from her online shop here :)

I was practicing Ben's lines for the school play with him earlier as he is doing some narration and he knows it all so I was really pleased, we need to work on clarity now though!  Charlotte says that she is a 'welcome dancer' and gave me a little preview - it was adorable!

So anyway, back to domesic goddess-ness!  I was feeling pretty down at all the mess in the kitchen so I decided to cheer myself up and make myself feel more Nigella-like and I started making tea.  It was actually Jamie Olivers Beef and Ale stew which I have made before and it is gorgeous, to top it all off I made some brownies, here is the proof:

and very nice it all was too.  The brownies went down a treat.  In fact I have just polished off the last three with a cup of tea - the kids are not going to be amused tomorrow when there are none left.  Never mind they only take ten minutes to put together (if that!) so I will make them some more tomorrow :)

I promise to post some scrapping related pictures soon, I just need to take a few photo's of things when I get a minute.  I have been doing some lovely projects at my weekly class at the school and the ladies are loving it all so that is good.  I am going to the craft shop first thing in the morning to collect some more goodies for Thursday's class.