Sarah Youde

The Scrapbook Magazine Issue 45

It's out!  I was thrilled to be asked to create a cover layout for this issue, I think it looks really nice.

 

I don't normally scrap with orange very much but I don't know why because I really enjoyed making this layout and the Making Memories papers are, of course, gorgeous paired with the Hero Arts Heart Winged Butterfly stamp that I adore!  I think I have a sketch and a layout in this issue also but I don't have a copy yet so I am not certain about that. 

I have been really busy for the last couple of weeks, Mark has re-painted the front door and decorated the bedroom which in turn meant that I have been doing a lot of cleaning and sorting out.  Geoff has laid our hallway floor and that also looks great, it's such a relief that I don't have to worry too much about the kids getting their shoes off in our tiny vestibule before messing up the carpet, now we can walk right through to the kitchen and sort out the mess later - bliss.  I have also sorted out every cupboard and drawer in the house and am feeling quite smug at my organisational prowess!

I have been doing a bit of cross stitch again which is lovely to get back into and I have some great plans for getting that sewing machine stitching something other than paper again!  I have been looking on the internet at the Bernina Aurora 440QE sewing machine computer, it is a dream machine but the £1,395 price puts it right out of my league unfortunately - my sister Carol has one (or one very similar), you can really go off people can't you? 

I still have to finish knitting Sack Boy (from Little Big Planet) for Ben and Charlotte, they were supposed to be in their stockings at Christmas but they are still unfinished in my knitting bag, althouth I have almost finished the first one.  Oh well, now the house is sorted out again I may sit down and get some of the things done that I want to.

Ben and Charlotte had a play at school this week and it was brilliant.  The play was retelling the Easter story but was called The Sonflower.  Ben told me that he was a sunflower in the play and I knew that Charlotte was in the choir however, Ben failed to tell me he was The Sonflower!  He was amazing and Charlotte's was singing at the top of her voice with such joy on her face that I was almost in tears watching them both despite being sat on a child sized seat in a packed hall with a (very heavy) Amy wriggling around on my lap.  It was the best school production I have been to and I didn't even take my camera!!  It started straight from dropping the kids off in the morning and it is so manic getting them out of the house for school I didn't even think about picking up the camera - gutted!

8 Today and The Stig Revealed!

I can't believe that my little Ben is 8 today!  He has wondered off to bed after a really lovely birthday, he says it was the best birthday ever!  Here he is, my wonderful little boy who is now, well, not so little!  He is 8 - I can hardly believe it.

 

and here is the card I made for him because he absolutely loves Top Gear and what could be better than finding out that he is The Stig (for a day anyway!).

I found a picture of The Stig using Google Images and then printed it and attached it to the card with a brad with a photo of Ben underneath it so that the Stig's helmet could be swivelled to reveal Ben as The Stig - he was really pleased with it.  The Doodlebug alphabet stickers were perfect for the title the Happy Birthday is stamped with a little Hero Arts stamp and embossed with white American Crafts Zing embossing powder which is brilliant for detailed or small images.  The 8" x 8" card is from Papermania, they are great quality and it is the biggest card I have ever made!

We have been extremely busy in the house this week.  Mark is on leave for a couple of weeks and we want to get a wooden floor laid in the Hall (almost finished thanks to Geoff), paint the hall, paint and re-furnish the front door and decorate the bedroom.  I don't know if it is all going to be done but we are trying!  We have bought some gorgeous new bedding, bedside lamps and a little chandelier for the bedroom - all duck egg blue and cream.  We have also got a lovely green paint for the hallway - I am very excited. 

However, I have crop all day on Sunday which I am definitely going to (after all it IS Mother's Day) and then I have a week to do an awful lot of sorting, this house REALLY needs to be reorganised.  I have always know exactly where everything is in my home, I am 'Mrs Organised' but since we adopted Amy I just haven't had the time, three kids are a lot more work than two!!  So next week, feeling refreshed from my crop I am going to set to work - I can't wait for the result but I am dreading the doing!!

Oh, Where To Start?

It's been one of those months, lots of nothing going on and it is all taking up my time.  I haven't really felt in the blogging mood as all the crafting I have done is design team work and can't be shared.  My camera has been firmly zipped in it's case so there haven't been any photo shoots.  I seem to have so much to do that I don't know where to start and now I have even more to do so I need to get my a** in gear on Monday and start to sort through the 'to do' list!

Did you watch Tim Holtz on QVC's craft day last week?  I loved it and, of course, had to order his TSV which was brilliant, the book is great.  I have to admit when it arrived in the post the book "A Compendium of Curiosities' was much smaller than I had anticipated but that does not detract from the content. The book is jam packed with information, technique tutorials and fabulous photographs - did I say that I loved it.  I can't wait to sort all my other 'stuff' out and have a play in the craft room.

Issue 44 of The Scrapbook Magazine is out and the cover features a layout that I created for them.  I was a little scared of the brief which required me to create a layout with purple in it to match the masthead.  Purple is a colour I always find difficult to scrap with and I didn't have many papers in that colour either.  I was pleased with the resulting layout though - you can't see on the image but the purple vellum down the left hand side of the photo is layered and punched with the Martha Stewart Doily Lace border punch and it looks so pretty.

I don't have an article in this issue but there are some great ones so it really is worth picking the magazine up if you see it.

Talking of Martha Stewart punches have you seen the new embossed button punch - I can think of so many ways to use this!  Mine is on the way, I couldn't resist it.

We went into town yesterday and I bought some clothes for Amy, but my favourite item had to be a gorgeous little denim skirt with Hello Kitty on the pocket.  Charlotte was quite jealous when she saw it, I may have to go in and see if they have it in her size too.  Mark bought me a new Emma Bridgewater pen and a moleskin notebook with squared paper (for all those layout sketches!).

I can't wait to start scribbling!