SNOW SNOW AND MORE SNOW!!!

I decided to take a visit back to the UK, to catch up with friends, family and more important shopping.
I could not believe how cold it was, must be getting soft in my old age, though it was nice watching the snow fall from indoors, so I thought I had better take a few photos to show you, it did look magical.

Please!!! Please!!! take me with you.

This weekend I am off back to England to see Family and friends and also to do some Christmas shopping, just in the middle of packing my pooch Albie thinks he is coming back with me, well he is adorable and who would not want to take him (please)

Xmas Crafting - Advent Calendar

My take on the Advent Calender made from matchboxes, not yet finished.

Finally - some Crafting!!!

Beautiful Sunset!!!

We have had such  wonderful weather for November, It has been another gorgeous day here and tonight took this photo of the sun  setting, the sky was so bright and could not believe how red it was, here is a photo to show you.

Golly Gosh It's November already!!!

Where has August, September and October gone. I am such a bad blogger not updating my blog.It has been such a hot summer and now the weather is much, much cooler, hopefully spend more time crafting.

I thought I would put some piccies on my blog, photos I have taken over the last couple of weeks and not had time to post, I must try harder to update my blog, but unfortunatley life sometimes gets in the way.

July Crafting.

Not really been doing too much crafting as the weather is so hot and humid. Only managing to do a couple of Layouts a week and that is including the weekly challenge.

This is the Layout I did for week 1 July Challenge on UKS,

the challenge was set by the team The Lay(ab)outs, great team name.

The challenge was in honour of the team name to do a LO of someone or

something relaxing, The photo is of yet again another one of my dogs,

also to use the sketch provided which I loved and will use again.

Also it is the 7th month so put 7 elements on your LO, I used 7 different

patterned papers on mine, and some sewing or stamping.

As I prefer to sew than stamp I have handsewn circles on the LO.

Week 2 July challenge, set by

Wonky aka Jo.

The challenge was to use bright papers, I used my most recent papers I got from Sarahs cards.

Film or TV title I chose the film title sleepers, its a great film and worth watching,

also to put buttons and flowers on your LO, the flowers I cut from the patterned paper and placed a few buttons in the centre of the flowers.

Sorry it's another photo of my dogs again, but they are so photogenic.

Cool in the Pool.

Well the Weather here is certainly not getting any cooler, and the only way to keep cool is in the pool.
The photo is of me and my pup Albie, he likes to stand on the top step of the pool but, not go any further.
He prefers to relax more on his own sun bed, or even have an ice cream or too. It's such a hard life being a dog.

                                           

My Beautiful Niece.

This is my adorable Niece Ruby Anne,  of course I am biased but she is so lovely and always smiling.
She is six months old on the photo and sitting in her high chair for the very first time, waiting of course for dinner to be served.

A little bit of Scrapping

Week 1 Challenge June for UKS, set by the Norty Crew Team.

The challenge was to use bold bright colours,put something silvery on your LO and use a title from an Elvis Song, I chose Relax .

The Photo is of one of my adorable Dogs, Albie relaxing on his sun bed by our swimming pool. 

This Layout is week 2 challenge set by the Craftaholics, which is my team on UKS.

Our challenge was to scrap about someone you care about or care for, of course I care

so dearly for my boys, use someting old, new,borowed or blue, journal on you layout so I included a small poem that reads.

Animals are Loyal,

Loving and Obedient.

Caring and Affectionate.

Gorgeous as can be.

Animals are Friends,

Best Friends to me.

Always standing by you,

As willing as can be.

Always underestimated,

But still they exist.

Nothig will hurt them more,

Than hatred and mistrust.

Always there to talk to,

Although they don't reply.

You see it in their eyes,

And know that they'll stand by.

The photo is of my two Cavaliers, Albie and Travis having a tumble and play.

Week 3 June challenge on UKS set by the Scrapgoddesses Team.

Loved this weeks challenge, like using circles on my Layouts and any excuse to have a play on my

Cricut, it is so easy one touch of the button on the machine and you have a perfect circle.

The challenge was to use circles on the LO, some bling, in the title.

2 of something used my beautiful prima flowers of which was sent to me from one of my Friends on UKS, 

Muchas Gracias Mi Amiga Honora, your the best.

Also you had to choose a quote from a Shakespeare play, this I found the most difficult bit, but once I found his quote I knew I had the perfect photo.

The photo is of my dearly beloved Charlie who suddenly passed away in August 2008,

LOVE YOU CHARLIE,

GOD BLESS YOU.

XXX

This is Week 4 June Challenge set by Scrappcats.

The challenge was to use the colour swatch provided, which was blues and greens, use texture on your LO, so I used dew drops on the flowers, also you had to include an interactive moving element, the tag in the middle with flowers on pulls out to reveal journalling.

The photo is of  one of the beautiful fountains in Nice on the

Cote D'Azure.

HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!!

The weather has warmed up nicely over the last few days here in Spain, it feels like someone has turned up the heat, last few mornings at 9am it has been 34c by midday 12am 40c and it is only June. 

Cruising the Mediterranean

My journey started on the 18th May where I flew from Alicante to Palma, Majorca to catch the boat I would be cruising on.
I was to meet my Brother,Sister-in-law, Niece and her Family for a weeks crusing to celebrate my Brothers 40th Birthday. The Holiday did not get off to a very good start, I arrived in Palma mid morning but, had received a call from my Brother in England that their flight had been cancelled. I was so upset for all of them as this cruise had been planned for over a year and all of a sudden it had come to an end. I then received another phone call 30 min later they had managed to get a flight from another Airport and airline, there the journey started for them.  The boat was not sailing out of Palma till 11.30pm but, seeing that they had started their journey at 3am in the morning it was going to be a long day for all of them. All I could do now was to wait to see if they made it.

Finally they arrived in Palma, Majorca and got to the boat at 10.30pm it was such a long day for them as they had their 1 year old Daughter, Ruby and it was her first time she had been on a plane. It was so good to see them all and they had arrived safely.

Albie is Poorly!!!!!

My adorable cavalier, Albie this weekend has been very very, poorly, over the weekend he kept being sick and crying, after a visit to the vets, we found out that he had grass seeds in his right ear, so he had to be sedated to have them removed.  He is a bit sleepy still, but now eating and drinking.

Cyber Crop Alert!!!!

Great news, UKS have announced there is going to be one, the weekend of 23rd April until 25th April.
The theme this time is Monopoly  the board game, a game I used to play many a time as a child and still love

playing the game now.  You register for the cyber crop and your are placed in a team, I'm in team Cars.  The idea of the weekend is to have fun, enjoy scrapping and make use of all that lovely stash we have sitting looking pretty in our craft rooms. We was set a pre crop challenge, this is my pre crop challenge.

 

The weekend kicked off the Friday evening with classes and challenges, hope you enjoy looking at my Layouts from my weekend of scrapping fun.

This was a class by designer:  Sarah Palmer, the technique was using paint  & alpha stickers.

This Layout is a photo of my beloved Charlie, who is no longer with us.

This Class was by designer Angie Woolfall, in this class you had to freehand cut the frames, took me a little bit out of my comfort zone as I am used to using my cricut machine now, the photo is of me taken with a European owl, he was so gorgeous and so gentle.

This class was by designer: Sarah Youde, really enjoyed doing this one as I love sewing on my Layouts.

The photos are of my puppy Albie who adores ripping and tearing paper, so he has been banned from my scraproom.  

Class Designer: Beckie Dreyer, this class was to use glimmer mists or something similar, I have had a couple of these bottles in my craft room for a long time, never knowing what to do with them, so really enjoyed this class,I sprayed with the glimmer mist over a stencil to produce this background effect, I think it looks great and so pleased with it.  The photo is of me in my garden with my 2 boys, Albie and Travis.  

These Layouts are challenges from the weekend, first challenge to inclued some kind of vine on your LO, my second challenge of the weekend was to include, metal, sewing &  something that moves, made this spinner to reveal journalling.

Shopping for Crafting goodies!!!

On my recent trip to England  in March, I thought I would catch up on some Craft shopping, well I had a fantastic time looking at all the new goodies.  I had timed my little trip just right and with two large craft shows to enjoy, Harrogate paper show and NEC Birmingham, and all in the space of a week. I was like a dog with two tails.   

Brook Collection - Cratepaper

Martha Stewart punches

Spring Time in England

On my recent trip back to England I returned to where I lived for many years, the beautiful village of Poulton le Fylde in Lancashire.  I recall the church yard in spring time being a fountain of colour with the many different colours of crocuses.

Sarah's Card Retreat LO's

As soon as I got back from my exciting weekend in Warrington, YES you hear me right Warrington, well I did spend a fantastic weekend with some very lovely and talented crafters. At the retreat we did 6 great classes over the weekend and I loved everyone of the classes.

Sarah's Card Retreat - March 2010

What a fab time I had at Sarah's retreat, I had waited so long for this weekend and the time had come, off I went to Warrington for a weekend of paper stroking, playing,eating and chatting. I had only met a few people from other retreats but, was looking forward to meeting new friends I had only chatted to on UKS.

It kicked off on the Friday afternoon, Sarah and Lianne looked exhausted and so they should have, they had done a fantastic job, setting up the shop in the cropping room, and preparing the whole weekend so we all could play and enjoy ourselves.

I hope you enjoy the photos from the retreat, I met so many wonderful ladies and especially one Susy from Bali, we had only spoken on line before the retreat and it was so nice to be in her company, she was great to be around though she did nearly talk me to death (only joking Susy - love you lots).

I also met some other Ladies who I will not forget and am looking forward to meeting them again, Gwynetth, Susie, Sam  who I had the pleasure of sharing a cropping table with,thanks for your lovely friendship.

Sarah & Lianne

The Cropping room

Susy & Me

(Im the good looking one on the right)

Gwneth & Tracy

(dont they make a lovely couple)

Susie aka Mrs Rudy

Susy "yes talking again"

Karen - Gotta have it (more shopping)