A disappointing few days……

Well,I should be at Anna's crop today.But sadly it has been cancelled.I haven’t managed one crop this month as Sue at Crafty Stash also cancelled hers.So I have lots of unfinished  projects packed away in my crop bag.I was hoping to get some work on my Chicago album done today.I always love this crop as there are some super talented ladies there.

How Anna's manages to pack so much into her life I have no idea.Go and checkout her blog.She is an amazing scrapper and must have so many deadlines to keep to,for all her design teams.I was on a few once  and I found it very stressful,so I won’t be repeating that again.Plus she is the only other Brit on Karen Russell's workshop with me.There is sooooo much reading and assignments to keep on top of,that even I am struggling and I don’t go out to do a proper job as well!!!

I have had a lovely few days staying in London with my Husband,who was working at an airshow.I spent it with one of his colleagues partner,eating at beautiful restaurants,shopping at Antropologie and stuffing myself with Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes.

The morning I arrived I received my latest assignment from Cheryl Johnsons class.It was to take pictures of people out and about on the streets,people you didn’t know.

So this would be a dream in London to complete.

I took hundreds,but unfortunately I only had my zoom kit lens with me.I was planning on buying a new Tamron lens that Karen Russell's recommended.I traipsed to all the camera shops in central London,but  it was out of stock everywhere.It was an overcast day and the kit lens struggled to take crisp photos.So I was disappointed with my results ,but you live and learn.(pack all your lens)

I think the lady I was with hadn’t met anyone like me before.She was flabbergasted as I snapped away at people and had conversations with men that made her blush!I went up to a man In antropologie who had the largest lens I have ever seen.I said to him “your just showing off with that.Can I hold it.”He replied that he was German and couldn’t understand me properly.But I got to hold it and it was so bloody heavy.She giggled afterwards that it would have made a great photo of me with this stranger with his humongous lens in my hand!!!!

So here are some of my disappointing photos of the day.

This was my favourite of the day.It was a shoot that was going on in Green Park.So I took a photo of the photographer,taking a photo.

I got to hold his lens ,and his was BIG as well.

Watch this space today.I am going to post some photos I took of a couple of shoots I arranged last week.

I’m off to eat my breakfast.Hubby nipped to Starbucks this morning to provide me with  breakfast in bed with a newspaper.Heaven

2 men in a shower!!!!

The bathroom is finally all plumbed in.My Son has named my Husband and Andy the plumber- The chuckle Brothers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure which one is Chris?

Both of the above are of course much better looking than this pair.

Andy certainly has the right accent as he’s from Doncaster.Poor thing.

And Chris did on our Wedding Day have a Chuckle Brother moustache  (and hair)

I left the two of them in the shower assembling the cubicle-“to me ,to you” and popped to my sisters and off to St Albans for a spot of  finishing touches shopping.

Armed with a pad and pencil I had to dash around my Sisters house as if was Ann Maurice,The House Doctor.

My Sister will admit she doesn’t have the eye for detail like I do.Or in other words the OCD or anal retentive gene that I have.Her house has just gone up for sale and she had two viewings within half an hour of me arriving.

She needs to sell it pretty fast,as she owes me a ton of money,plus interest.Poor old me has been having to go without.

Sometimes you just can’t see what's in front of you,and you need a fresh pair of eyes.So I am sure Dave is thrilled to now be repainting the spare room,waxing all the wood,and rubbing the staircase trim down.Among a few other jobs.

Last I heard they were on their way to Ikea to replace all the crappiest lampshades I have ever seen.

So I hope they will get a quick sale so they can start planning the interior of their new house just around the corner.Hang on let me rephrase that “ so that I can plan the interior!!!! Me and Andrea couldn’t be more different when it comes to decorating she’s Miss Beige and I LOVE colour and “stuff”.She spends three months trying to make a decision and then goes for what I told her in the first place!!!!Kitchen in point Andrea!

This building site is her new home.

I grabbed the opportunity to have a photo shoot with the girls.I even jumped on the trampoline,but my bladder wasn’t up to it.Unlike Tayas????

My Sister has kindly said the girls can come and live with me when I start Karen Russell's photography course in June.Sadly I had to decline the offer.My nerves wouldn’t be able to take it.

I put together a layout with some of the scraps left from the Crafty Stash crop kit.

I finally got around to the third crop layout by Tracie Hudson.I love how varied all the layouts have been from this kit.Plus I still have loads of stash left to play with.

                                  CAPTURE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          (home is where the heart is)

Spring is in the air

Well only inside my house.

You wouldn’t believe how beautiful this cherry blossom is.Its now covered in blossom.It seems that every time I go out of the room and return more has appeared. We couldn’t originally choose between the blossom or catkins.

I was worried about the height of the blossom.It reaches the ceiling in the kitchen!!!

My absolute favourites we bought are these double tulips and veronicas.

 

 

I can’t wait to see what the flowers are like at the market as the seasons change.

Maybe I will finally get my dream huge bunch of peonies.

 

 

 

Saturday saw me doing a spot of scrapping at the Crafty Stash crop.Tracie Hudson was our kit designer for the day.I have always loved the layouts I have made designed by her.

This first one is of my In Laws celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary.I added some of my own embellishments.Out came my trusty K & CO.They never let me down.

Its amazing how different this layout looks using the same kit.Of course this layout is tongue in cheek.My nephew certainly wasn’t giving me a smile.

I am looking forward to completing the third layout,it is different again.I am going to start giving layouts like this away.I have so many now and no one looks at them once they are in an album.

CAPTURE

Teddy that's rude!!!!

Sorry everyone

January 21st

I used up some some left over paper from my Crafty Stash Crop kit.None of us had wanted to cut up a sheet of paper with a Christmas tree on it. So I’d put it to one side for these photos.The title reads “tis the season to be merry”.

I used the collage photos I’d made on Picasa.Each one is numbered in the order I took the photos.As you may remember my Husband got a bit tipsy at Christmas and unbeknown to me,was pulling faces whilst I was snapping away.

I have a small journaling card that slots under the top right hand side photo.I lifted the photo with 3D tape.

I was expecting to go out today so I put on one of my favourite skirts.It has the most beautiful felt flowers and a sequinned underskirt

But it turned out I stayed at home,so I just scrapped and surfed the web instead.So I was a bit overdressed for a day at home.

I bought these ballet pumps the other day

I live in a pair of silver pumps I bought in Paris and I worry they won’t last much longer.So I was ecstatic to find these sequinned ones.I’m having to wear them in at the moment,they are a wee bit tight.They look much better on than they did on the shelf.They will hopefully add a bit of sparkle to some of my outfits this year.

CAPTURE

playmates

teddies

war paint

January 17th

I stayed in bed this morning until 12pm!!!

But I was busy on my laptop researching my holidays in the States.I am the most anal,organised person you could have the misfortune to meet.Along with my written lists I have labelled folders of web pages on my laptop.Both my trips will take lots of organising.I hate to miss out on anything when I travel.

I have been posting questions on travel sites and the American “two peas in a bucket”scrapbooking site.People are so helpful,and its best to talk to the people who know the area where you are going.

Luckily I am going to Chicago with another two very organised ladies. However they have informed me they like to pack on the heavy side.I am again the most organised packer.I travel so light I can fit my clothes in a hand luggage bag.I prefer to buy clothes in the States and keep all my luggage allowance for my purchases.I have been known to bring home curtain poles and Goose down quilts (Poor husband had to return the quilt on another trip!)

Are you a light packer or like my friends take everything but the kitchen sink?

I spent the day yesterday with the above mentioned ladies at Crafty Stash's crop at Tempsford.The crop kit was very similar to last months,so my album now looks like there is a bit of a theme going on.I must say I would not have bought the papers we used ,but I again love the layouts I created.

They are both of my nieces,I added a few embellishments of my own and added some hidden journaling under the 3D mounted photo above.

I started following the kit on the one below but ended up doing my own thing.I added some stash left over from some of my previous crop kits.

I am after some new bits for my scrapbook room.I bought these boxes for storing my stash in.

The bottom one will be handy for keeping my unfinished layouts in.

I wanted a AMM tote bag with a carousel on the bottom ,but I have been informed today that they have been discontinued.If anyone knows of any stores that still have any I would be very grateful.

I bought one of the cheaper papermania ones when I started.I thought scrapbooking would be a flash in the pan for me,but four years later I am still going strong.

How long have you be scrapbooking?

Capture

frost

snow

frost

snow

January 11th

Have any of you tried wordle yet.

Its a fab site that mixes up the words from your blog.I had a play and it came up with this for me.I would love to print a bright colourful one off for my new scrapbook room and frame it.

You can make one just from the words you want,as well,

Wouldn’t this make a great framed present.

My latest scrapping project.

I took this photo of Tasmin last Christmas.The outside border and some of the embellishments come from a sheet by Webster's.I bought them off Sue at Crafty Stash at the end of a crop.Its not like me to get my money out,but I couldn’t resist the sheet of very varied  sticker embellishments.I knew they would work a treat on lots of layouts.Some of them I have mounted onto card and used 3D foam to give them a bit of lift.

I use 3D foam on nearly every layout I do.I like my layouts to have a bit of depth to them.Which is a shame when they get put into an album as the effect often gets lost.

In my new scrapbook room I would like to have a wall which acts as a gallery for my layouts.Along with some cartoons my Dad  drew for my children.He included all of us in the cartoons,along with where we used to live.One was about the time we had a photo shoot at our old house for the magazine- 25 Beautiful Homes.

I even have a book of sketches he did,preparing his characters.In fact I could frame some of my Mums old pastel portraits(if I can find them?)

My parents were very talented artists.But interestingly my Dad could only draw imaginary people and my Mum had to draw real life.I always found Art extremely hard at school.I am too much of a perfectionists to feel my work is any good.

My teacher wrote on my school report 1980

“Karen is one of the most able girls in her year,but at the same time she is one of the most difficult to teach.She needs constant cajoling and pushing,and minute by minute reminders that she has talent and her work could be excellent.Grade A”

Nothings changed much since then?

I took this photo of my art room.Why do all art teachers have beards ???Even the lady ones?

In fact I just had a look through my old school reports.The lowest mark I ever got in all my years at secondary school was  in 1981 for Needlework B- !!!!!!

Bloody needlework (how Victorian)

I often think about that Mrs Davies.I bet I am the only person from that whole year who makes her own bloody curtains,cushions.knits,crochets and can generally “make “anything.

She wrote”Karen works quite well and has ability ,but she does not like to be corrected B- 81%.

81%!!!!!! The other people in my class couldn’t even thread a needle.Because of her comment I got called into to see the Headmaster.With bloody 81% in the exam!

It was all because I said I didn’t want  to put button holes on my “Granddad”shirt I was making.I just couldn’t be bothered to be frank and she knew it.

Why do people lie and say to kids “school days are the best days of your life.”They obviously didn’t go to school in a tough Stevenage comprehensive school,where even the teachers were scared of the kids.

Maybe I should scrapbook some of my blurry school photos?

December 5th

Well it was off to Crafty Stash’s Christmas crop.I HATE raffles but for once I had to buy some tickets.(Well it is Christmas )So everyone particularly Sue was thrilled when I got 2nd prize.LOL

We had two layouts for the day.At first glance the papers are really not my type.But I just LOVE the layout I came home with.

I used an original picture of my Mum as a little girl.The colours were just perfect for it.

I thought the picket fence for this one was calling out for a home or garden picture.So I used an old picture of my childhood home.

Then it was home to make my layout for JYC.

I designed the flaps to look like advent calendar doors.Inside are pictures of my dogs advent calendar and our Santa countdown stocking to Christmas.

Chocolate advent calendars are still important to my children,even at 22 & 19 years old……..

Its now official the tickets are booked for Chicago. Sandra,Hilary and I are all beside ourselves with excitement.But we have to be patient as its not till June next year.I am particularly excited as it will be their first time to Chicago and I get to show them all my favourite places.

My son wanted me to mention how PROUD I am of him and his football team Stotfold.Yesterday,thanks to Ryan they have reached the final stages of the FA Carlsberg Vase and they may get a chance to play at Wembley.Well I hate football and have rarely gone and watched my Son play ,but I did promise him when he was little.That I would go and watch him if he played at Wembley.But I was hoping to do it from the comfort of a sofa on the Telly.I have missed every goal he has ever scored,as boredom always sets in and I lose concentration.

He has always been an exceptional football player,and he even won a scholarship to a prestigious University in Texas to play for their team.But it proved impossible to get the approval he needed as he was considered to have played at too high a level to go. So his dreams were shattered and he’s now home with us playing for his local team.