Saturday 29 May 2010

12 Week Scan




It was fantastic to see our baby for the first time yesterday, I really am pregnant! As we watched on the monitor and caught our first sight of our very little bean I burst in to tears, it was very overwhelming (in a good way!!) We were able to see the wriggling legs, waving arms and even a hand with the fingers on, and an occasional jump and turn of the head to face us. I could have stayed there all day apart from the fact after all of that time having my bladder pushed and prodded I was rather uncomfortable! I then had MORE blood tests (I'm turning into a pin cushion at the mo!) I just hope the results come back ok.
Of course I scanned the photo of the baby into the computer as soon as I got home and when I have a spare hour or two will make a layout.

Butterfly Circle Card Using Punches. | It's All Fiddle Fart

Butterfly Circle Card Using Punches. | It's All Fiddle Fart

Friday 28 May 2010

An Award ....



Well blow me down.... an award? What on earth is all this about? An Award? We didnt even know such things existed but we feel very proud to have been awarded one - and such fun too!

Claire said that rules are attached and who are we to break them? Here they are:-

1 Express gratitude to the blogger who bestowed the award unto you... Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts - CLAIRE (cheque is in the post)!

2 Display the picture on your blog proudly - please see lovely photo above (so proud - sniff sniff!)

3 Be nice and provide a link to the person who gave it to you.
Happy to....
http://curlylockspicsandpieces.blogspot.com/
(Claire's (very messy) craft room)

4 Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth, or switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie.
You'll have to guess which way round we answered!

OK - here goes:
1. We are both great auntie’s (outrageous at our age/s)

2. Mel (and hubby) have decided to have another baby 8 and a half years after their first (outrageous)

3. Our families have recently gotten into geo-caching and we have made our loved ones put their whole arms into large, dark, creepy crevices and spider-webs because we’re too scared. (outrageous)

4. Mel hates strawberries (truly outrageous)!

5. Our great-great grandparents were in Newgate Prison in 1881 for selling stolen goods (they were caught selling to a policeman – duh)! (OUTRAGEOUS)

6. We both used to be heavily into dance, gymnastics and youth theatre. A few years ago (at the age of 30+) Lou went back to “adult gymnastics” (which sounds wrong in itself) and almost broke her neck attempting an unaided back-flip. (outrageous)!

7. We both keep houses that could be show-homes! (the most outrageous)!!

5 Nominate seven creative writers who might be into doing this and Post links to the seven blogs you nominate and let the owners of those blogs know:-

Congratulations to the following wonderful bloggers who make work life so much more interesting everyday!

http://angela-angelsblog.blogspot.com/
http://craftysusy.blogspot.com/
http://youngandcrafty.blogspot.com/
http://happypapercrafter.blogspot.com/
http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/
http://fruitofmyscraps.blogspot.com/
http://acraftingjourney.blogspot.com/

Can I also mention Darcy - cos we love her's too (but I know she has already received the coveted award)!
http://art-and-sole.blogspot.com/

Have a fabulous bank holiday weekend!

Mel & Lou

Wednesday 26 May 2010

Ancestral Layouts



I've had a couple of evenings free this week while waiting for the family to convene to watch the final episode of "Lost". We might get round to it by Friday and in the meantime I have to "shush" anyone who mentions it at work!

Perhaps these free evenings have been a bonus because I have managed to put together two LO's about my ancestors. The first is of my great grandparents Charlie & May Wooding (nee Spavins). They were born in 1889 in Bedfordshire and married in 1911. The photos were taken on their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1961 and although I wasn't there to celebrate (cos I wasn't born yet) I just love the photos.
Everyone who knew them tells me what great characters they were and I am building up a lovely collection of stories and memories for my family tree.
As you will see in the main photo - my g-grandmother is trying to pour from a closed-top bottle, whilst g-grandad's hand is a blur trying to stop her!




I have used K&Co Ancestry paper, K&Co ephemera, jigsaw pieces, Cosmic shimmer mist, TH grunge board elements and Distress inks (obviously)! I have also made up some more handmade roses in gold for the occasion.

One of my favourite elements is the bunting. I have seen this design on a few LO's now and thought it looked great - it gives a real celebratory feeling to the page.



I wish I had known my g-grandparents - I think we would have had a lot of fun!





My second layout is of my grandad who in 1940 went off to fight in the war. The photo is of him as a young man in uniform looking very proud and handsome.



He always said that my grandmother (Kitty) saved his life whilst he was away. On recieving one of her much loved letters, he took himself away from the other troops to read. While he was sitting in his tank, a bomb fell in the spot where he had been sitting with his friends. He helped bury those soliders who were killed in the crater made by the bomb.





I have used vintage typing paper, Tim Holtz mask, rub-on, stamps, Distress ink, buttons and Ephermera by K&Co on this design which was inspired by a LO in Scrapbook Magazine (I have forgotten who by).

Monday 24 May 2010

What a Mess!!!



As I mentioned briefly last week, I thought it would be a really good idea to use some fake tan on my lily-white legs - just in case I decided to get them out at the weekend.
What a disaster! The spray on, non rub, instant dry, non streaky stuff made my legs look patchy, streaky and slightly orange! Not the best look for shorts! So, I ended up in long trousers all weekend in the 25 degree heat!

I have a feeling that the Vintage Photo Distress Ink would have done a much better job - especially when using the blending tool - at least my legs would then match my fingers!!
I have sent the attached photo to Tim to enter his "how do you distress" competition to suggest this idea - I wonder if the next ink will be called "Fake Tan"?

Friday 21 May 2010

Floral Friday!

Floral Friday is here again!




What a long week its been (at "paid for work") I'm so glad the weather looks good for the weekend for a change! I've bought the self tan so that my legs dont look too transparent - just in case they come out!

We are looking at trying the new GPS device that I bought on Ebay for geocaching. So far it looks really, really tekkie and I have no idea how to follow it but I hope all will become clear! I had a go at lunchtime today because I know there are some caches to find around the lake where I work - but even after half an hour walking the device said I was still 1.83 miles away - back to the handbook I think!

I've been making more cards than flowers this week, but did have time to have a go at some roses from a tutorial I had seen on a blog somewhere. They are pretty simple to make (if a bit fiddly) and the family immediately recognised them as roses - so that's a bonus!



Charity "Fathers Day" Cards





This week I've started making cards. OK - they're not EXACTLY Fathers Day cards but they are more on the masculine side than I normally make - thanks to Lord Holtz!





I always find making cards for men really difficult but this time - it was a breeze! A few Distress Inks, rubber stamps and some TH masks and off I crafted.




My daughter, Casey, is raising money for a school exchange trip that she is taking place during the summer of 2011. Lucky kid gets to go to Tanzania for almost month to work and play- straight after her GCSE's!



The problem is that it is costing the group £60K. Within the £60K will be funds for the Tanzanians to come here too - and they will be flying over late in June 2010.
We have taken part in loads of activities to raise money so far but it seems that the cake and card sales do pretty well, so every opportunity - we make cards to sell for £1.00.

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Sisters layout

My new layout is of Lou and I on holiday in Beddgelert North Wales when we were children. We have lots of memories of the time spent there, and have recently been back with our own families. It's even more lovely than we remembered!



My favourite part of this layout is the flower, made with grunge board, beautiful October afternoon paper and a button in the centre. I have curled the petals to make a more 3D look and I love it!

Geocaching

As the weather at the weekend was so lovely, we decided we had to go geocaching and found two caches close by to try. I've been meaning to make 'calling cards' to leave at each site for a while, so before we set off on our walks, we nipped to the local garden centre (which happens to have a craft shop in it!)to buy orange card and embossing powder.
Our team name for the geocaching is 'The Giant Pumpkins' so my son and I made our cards using a pumpkin stamp which we embossed using my new heat gun. They are very simple but I'm pleased with them.
We found both caches that day, and was able to leave a calling card in each, fantastic!

Friday 14 May 2010

Floral Friday



I wanted to make flowers - so I've had a go at what some people call "Yo-yo's". I'm not a very good seamstress but think these turned out okay. I used material that I collected from a wedding favour and buttons from a charity shop.



Looking back through my old magazines I came across a tutorial on how to make bluebells. Okay my paper isnt quite the right colour but I'm pleased with the result. Another flower to add to my repotoire!



This purple one is made out of circles cut with a punch. I added a felt stamen and a little inking - again - more care to be taken next time but it was good to play!



Onto my new fabric stash - I couldn't believe it when I went looking for pinking shears and the cheapest were £17.00!!!! I decided to do without (for a bit) so just cut circles from this suade, added a button, sliced into the circle at intervals and added a bit of glitter glue. Voila - homemade fabric flowers to add to the collection!



I found a tutorial for these little paper florals on a blog - they are so sweet although a little fiddly. I cant seems to get the "petals" close enough together yet but I think practice will eventually pay off!




And here are some happy looking flowers growing in my garden - they've even survived this week's frost!


I had to use a few of my new floral ideas for a LO - this one is of my Dad, sister and I in about 1976. I'll add it to my Ancestry album!


It was good to have a little play - now I'm off to look for more floral ideas ......

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Workdesk Wednesday 12 May



This week my desk is under a pile of fabric. I quite fancy the idea of making my own embellishments / flowers out of materials but found it quite difficult to find anywhere with decent scraps. I ended up finding upholstery fabric at a small haberdashery but the colours are all quite dark. Now they are in front of me I'm not sure where to start!



I have also had a "brainwave". After buying some new frames for my wedding photos I thought I'd have a go at altering the old ones (which I hate). BTW - 13 year of married life today - not bad eh?
I painted with acrylic paint, crackle glazed and then distress inked. I really dont know what to make of the result at the moment - maybe I need to add something else....



Last but not least, I have made another bookmark / tag or two for up and coming birthday's. My yacht was cut out of grungepaper, painted and crackled and placed on a stamped backgroud of nautical type stamps. My friend is a boat fanatic and used to be in the Navy. He's quite poorly at the moment and its his birthday next week so I hope this will cheer him up a bit!

Right! What to do with this fabric......



Monday 10 May 2010

Don't mess with me - I have back up!!!!!

I have to have a little brag - my two kiddiwinks (14 & 10 - see photo) were graded for their orange belts yesterday and passed with flying colours - and they've only been training for 8 months. I'm so proud!
What with Casey's A* in Science coursework - I couldnt be more pleased.


We had an interesting weekend. Saturday's awful weather put me in a bad mood to start with, but what with the first crop just one day away, Mel and I concentrated on what on earth to take.
Every time I walked past the box in my room I found myself adding something extra (just in case)!
We left the kids at home so we could have a schmoooze around a haberdashery store for some scraps of material - found a few little bits that I hope to make into some flower embellishments and yo-yo's at some point.

Also found another little craft shop that we didnt know existed and managed to pick up some more Grungeboard Elements - this time in Harlequin along with some TH papers for 40p per sheet. Bargain! All of which went into "the box"!

Mel has asked me to be at the birth of her baby which is due in December - I dont normally look forward to Christmas so much! I can't wait until my niece of nephew gets here - but I have to remember that his/her Dad might want a look-in too!!!
Mel has started looking at the Mammas & Pappa's catalogue - I can see this is going to be tres expensive!

Anyway - our very first crop!
Everyone really did take EVERYTHING and I was very impressed with all the travel gear that they had. There must have been about 10 or 11 of us and we all had a table each - so plenty of space. In fact, I only took up half of my table but Mel managed to fill hers and half of the floor space too.

Mel & I worked on a minibook / card for our parents 40th wedding anniversary which looks pretty good - I think they'll be happy with it. We used photos from their wedding.


I managed to complete two other layouts before 4pm - one of my grandparents which tells the story of how they had known each other from the age of 5 at junior school, married during the war (My grandad being sent to war not 24 hours after the wedding) and then how my grandmother suffered in later life with senile dementia. She was eventally placed in a care home but my grandad became so poorly because he missed her so much. The authority place him in the same home - with adjoining rooms. His only wish in old age was to be with his childhood sweetheart. I called the page "Only Forever" after a 1940's Bing Crosby song and it features several photos taken throughout their lives together. The final photo is one of my favourites even though Nanna looks poorly and bruised after a fall. Grandad is smiling at her with absolute adoration. It brings a tear to my eye.



My second layout is of Casey - almost 11 years ago. We bought her two bunnies for her 4th birthday - just before her brother, Daniel, was born. She looks so cute sitting there with Charcoal. I added a handmade felt flower that I sewed with embroidery thread. I'm a terrible seamstress - but this is not too bad!!





By the way - the wheat -free Cloud cake with fresh cream and chocolate that was served at the crop was AMAZING!!!!!!

Wednesday 5 May 2010

Wednesday Workdesk / Wicked Weekend





I have two desks - one boring one at my place of work (for which I get paid) and then my really important one at home that houses all my "stuff" which my pay pays for!

My craft desk isn't too messy at the moment although I'm glad I look down onto my desk rather than what is in bags and boxes underneath it!!!
My desk is situated where our old bathroom used to be so I decided to give the area a purpose. I think it turned out quite well - its better than my dining room which is where I used to work. It would be nice to have a door so I could enclose the mess but at least no one sees it unless I want then to! I did think of installing a curtain underneath the desk to block out the view of the drawers but havent gotten round to it yet.

This weekend Mel & I will be working on a fortieth wedding anniversary gift for our parents. I ordered the Beyond the Page "40" MDF album from Merly Impressions in Bedford so we are ready to "pretty it up". I have also printed some of their wedding photos out to put in the card/album but need to find some suitable quotes and sentiments to add.

We are off to our very first crop on Sunday with UKScrappers and we are very excited and a little bit nervous! What on earth do we need to take with us? More like what should we leave behind? I hope they will be a friendly bunch!
I'll let you know!

Lou