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

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!

Today marks the starts of the Year of the Tiger for the Chinese.

So Happy New Year to everyone.

I am a dragon.Its official.

What do you mean you knew it?

Well what are you?Anymore old dragons out there?If you’re not sure check here.

Dragons(1964) Their artistic side is strong, and Dragons enjoy being creative and innovative. They get along with others, but will always be the dominating force.(MOI?)

Well of course as you all know, it’s Valentines Day today as well.If my Husband bought me some of these he knows divorce would be imminent.

I HATE red roses and anything cliqued.I usually get nothing as he knows I’d moan he’d spent money.

But today we decided to take a day off from the house and  spend it in London.

We explored Columbia flower market which was awesome.I have so many pictures I may have to share them with you over the week.

We bought the most amazing flowers.But it was a very hard decision and took me hours to choose.We plumped for veronicas,tulips,cherry blossom and an orchid.Much better than tacky red roses.I will take some pics as they all open over the week.

I loved the selection of shops there and saw so much to buy,I didn’t buy anything as I couldn’t narrow it down.So we will be definitely be going back again.

There were some real characters there,but none more colourful than this charismatic man.

Can you believe these are straight out of the camera.His clothes were really this bright.He had on yellow trousers as well.

A quick stop at my favourite shop on the Planet.I had to pop in there as I am helping to design the interior of a hairdressers.

This would always be my first stop for inspiration.

 

 

Then it was lunch at our favourite restaurant.It’s so popular that the queue is always up the road.

People had joined it who didn’t have a clue what it served.Very Funny and very English.

They only serve steak and chips.

That’s the menu!

 

 

                                                                     CAPTURE

(my Valentine)

February 11th.

I have recently found this ladies blog.Larissa works on lots of design teams but I found her here on Anna Bowkis pencil lines blog.

I LOVE her bright eclectic style.It gave me inspiration to revert  back to my favourite,colourful style.So using  this weeks pencil lines sketch I put a film on the TV,pulled on my Uggs and scrapped next to the aga to beat this cold snap.

Lisa Day had provided the sketch

This was my interpretation.

I had been wanting to scrap these photos for a year.This time last year I was chilling out around a pool in Thailand.I had met this amazing masseur on  a previous holiday in 2004

I have never meet anyone as good at reflexology or Thai massage as he is.I had treatments everyday with him the first time I went.He gave me a reflexology stick as a present  the day I left.When the tsunami hit we were so worried for his safety.But everyone at the hotel were safe and it just suffered damage to the gardens.

When we returned last year I paced the grounds looking for him.All the girls were there but I couldn’t see him .Then I spotted him and I must say it bought  a tear to my eye.He is such a lovely,gentle natured man.

My massage with him was as heavenly as I had remembered.But sadly his expertise has been his down fall.He is the most in demand masseur the hotel has.From the moment he appears he is booked .He now suffers from sever pain in his back and shoulder.He was having to have injections into his shoulder to control the pain.So I felt I couldn’t put my pleasure above his pain.

We took these pictures of him and I told him I would make a  layout to tell the World how fantastic he is.

CAPTURE

(love)

(W.A.L.K.I.E.S)

(W.A.L.K.I.E.S)

(jealousy)

February 9th

Chris had asked me what I was up to today?I had nothing planned and expected to get some chores and then serious scrapbooking done.

But I received a call from my old friend Trish would I accompany her to her friend Amanda's for a talk on Uganda at 10am????

I never like to say no,so I had very little time to get ready and ran upstairs to dress (yes,I was still in my PJs,sitting down to breakfast)

I thought I’d wear something from my new purchases.One of my 3 brooches and a multi coloured scarf.

At least these fit when you are getting on the large side!!!

So off we went.It turned out I had met Amanda several times over the years.Trish,Amanda and their many acquaintances come from a different world to the world most of the UK inhabit.

Its weird how my friends think I am privileged as I live in,to them,a large house.Then I have friends ,like Trish who live in bigger houses than me and then she has friends that live in even bigger houses than her and so on.I wonder when you feel like you have reached the “top”,maybe never.Its fair to say that the house we arrived at was stunning.

Amanda's youngest children are away at boarding school and she felt a mid life crisis coming on and that she wanted to make a difference.So she ended up for 5 weeks in Hoima,Uganda.

Today's occasion was a fund raising lunch with a talk from Amanda about her time helping at a school in Hoima.

Believe me her time there was as far removed from her very comfortable life here in the UK as you could get.She is hoping to start a fund  to help the children of the school.

I know myself how heart breaking it can be visiting places  like this in Africa and knowing that something as simple as a pencil can bring such joy.

We visited a school in Khayelitsha township,Cape Town South Africa during our last trip.

We took pens,pencils,sweets and bubbles.But when we arrived the numbers of the children in each class shocked us.Our supplies were grossly inadequate.Everyone especially the children were very grateful,but we felt dreadful .Especially when all the children sang to thank us.We had to control ourselves not to cry.

Amanda had the same experience,she often had over 100 children in a class to teach.She had gone there expecting to assist a teacher ,but was given the task of being the sole teacher,of which she has no experience.She coped admirably.Even though she had only taken 6 footballs for the school and had to manage over 100 children in a PE lesson!!!

The Headmaster of  Duhaga Boys school

She also visited the Mustard Seed Orphanage which you can read about here from this young girls amazing heart warming experience.

It was a lovely day for me and a great change from what I was expecting to get up to today.I met some lovely people,got to nose around a beautiful home and put my camera to work on some of the stunning pieces of sculpture Amanda had in her beautiful garden.

CAPTURE

tranquillity

Trish

Orchard-pear

Orchard –apple

woman

Swing

new friends

February 8th

I am in a little bit of shock!!!!!!

Look who commented on my last post.

Only bloody Karen Russell….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t stop smiling.Funny how little things like that mean so much.

I hope it not someone playing a trick on me…

PS..The plumber hasn’t turned up.There goes my Birthday surprise for Chris of a ginger,bubble bath with heart candles chocolate,wine and the famous little red bell!

He has been so looking forward to having a bath in there.Despite the fact the heated floors not turned on yet and the neighbours can see in.

February 7th

It has been so dark  here for days.Yesterday was a day of thick fog.I couldn’t see how I was going to get any photos taken.I had an assignment  for Develop on Fridays.I wanted to complete about influences.You had to think about whose style influences you

It was very interesting the tutor likes soft art/photos,whereas I LOVE bright,colourful eclectic photos.art/scrap layouts.I have always torn out pages and saved websites by the score of things that really inspire me.

I am currently loving Larissa's amazing eclectic scrapbooking style.Its my nirvana.I have died and gone to heaven.Here is a link to her blog.

When it comes to photos I like pictures of people that capture there true being.As I always say I LOVE Karen Russell's style of pictures.Everyday moments captured beautifully.For the assignment I had to capture the style I admired.So it had to be hers.

But I thought this would be impossible.I have a daughter away at University and a 22 year old son who is now sick of having his photos taken.

I wanted to capture children.Oh I wish to have my time again with my children,but armed with a digital camera.But all of a sudden my weekend was filled with children.My nephews came over to wish my Husband a Happy Birthday,plus it is theirs next week

They are not comfortable around a camera,but I just kept clicking away.The light was very bad but I managed to get 88 pictures well light and in focus.

Chris’ Birthday candle!!!!!

 

Jamie was sent to sit outside on a “time out”.

I sneaked around the corner.

I love what I captured.Just what I had been looking for.

A bit of character.

And by the way these pictures are of two different boys.They are identical twins.When I showed them the pictures they couldn’t tell who was who!!!

Imagine that.

We narrowed it down to a scratch on one of their faces to identify them.

Then on Sunday my plumber arrived( a day late)with his son in tow.(Don’t ask about the bathrooms!! )

We do have a working set of taps now and he assures me he will be back tomorrow to do a bit more in our ensuite.

We’ll see.

Anyway I took the opportunity to take some pictures of his son Bradley playing with Teddy.

Lots of tug of war.

One exhausted dog.He fell asleep in mid play.Ahh Bless him.

The next assignment is about capturing unexpected light.I have a tunnel opposite our house in mind.But its been too dark and muddy to go and explore.So fingers crossed for next weekend.

I made myself do a spot of scrapbooking today.I wasn’t in the mood,due to a migraine,but I made myself.

I deserved a rest I’d just ironed 6 loads of washing.But boy did I enjoy myself.I watched the classic film Ryan's Daughter.It is still the most amazing film.They really don’t make them like that anymore.I’ve kept it for Tamsin to watch as its a film that stays with you forever.

I’d just like to say a huge WELL DONE to my daughter Tasmin.She passed all her 1st set of University exams with flying colours.She even surprised herself.So well done Tasmin keep it up.

CAPTURE
Happy Birthday

Valentine