Scrapping Tonight

Well today has been preparing kits for classes. I have a class for the crop on Sunday, and I am using Chloes Closet, and I am designing a 2 classes for a UK forum cyber crop. Really looking forward to that. It will be based on Cathy Zielske's clean and simple approach to design. I am finishing off my layout and coaster tonight to email across and then I can upload the class kit.

Today annoucements were made for The Best of British 2006 contest and I am absolutley over the moon to be among 11 other girls who were winners!!!!. Some very talented scrappers and good friends amongst the winners are, Correna, Scrapdolly, Anam, Jaq and Kimmy who was one of the winners of the New Scrapbooker catergory. Congratulations girls, its an honour to be amongst such great talent!

Tomorrow afternoon Kirsty and Ellie arrive, and we are having party Tea!! Lots of scrummy nibbly bits to whet all appetites,a and the I am sure Kirsty and I will squeeze a bit of creativity in!
Todays POTD means nothing much, except this is one of my favourite books and I recently went and saw the film which I equally enjoyed, although I love the book first! I adore Asian culture, interior, design, food, everything. Having lived in Hong Kong for 4 years I have a real love for the asian culture. Unfortunalty I never made Japan, but one day I will.

I am now on my fast until 8am tomorrow morning when I am off to the Dr's for a blood test, to see if I have type 2 diabetes. I hate having my blood taken I am so squeamish!

Short and sweet today, but not signing off until I mention Kirsty's new Cafe Press site with a well cool T Shirt design and lots of other bits and pieces to spend you money on!. All proceeds will be going to Muscular Dystrophy.

Nite blogettes
Anna x

Or is it, I should say. Yesterday was the first day of spring and it was snowing this morning!!!!We have been promised more spring like temperatures for the weekend, crazy isnt it?
Blogger wasn't playing last night, bad blogger! And I had so much to say. Can't remember any of it now, typical isn't it!
Here is my first page of my A-Z Book of Me (BOM), inspired by Kirsty's challenge and Kimmy's A-Z BOM. Really enjoyed working on this new size 81/2" x 11", even though it probaly took me twice as long! I did want to do some journaling, but my white sharpie pen is not working on black bazzill card stock, not much good is that? So hence no writing on my LO. I still like it though had a lot of fun making the flower (inspired by ScrapDolly) and handstitching the stem and leaf.
Received my Amazon delivery yesterday, along with a new book for me, "Pockets, Pullouts and Hiding Places".WOW this book is stunning, and I cannot wait to start reading it properly and having ago at some of the gorgeous techniques. Jenni Bowlin and Tin Holtz are just 2 of the contributors so it's got to be good!
I have buckets of work to do and deadlines. A masterclass to do for Papercraft Essentials, some amazing stuff for Creative Scrapbooking (received some of the goodies today), I have a crop on Sunday and need to prepare my class, Kirsty and Ellie arrive Friday and Sue hopefully will be arriving on Saturday. So a busy funpacked week!.
I am also awaiting a very exciting and important package form China. As well, The Best of British annoucements are being made at Olympia on Sunday, so cant wait to hear the results!
I am now going to plod on packing orders and starting my projects for the magazines. I have Peter still working form home during the day and working nights, so I have to look like I do actually work!! Mind I did 1 1/2 hours of housework this morning, yikes!

And Finally my thoughts and prayers are with a very dear friend and colleague today, lots of love girls

Hugs
Anna x

It was my beloved's birthday , he was 37 today!!, and we have been together just over 10 years. He still has the first ever birthday present I bought him, and it still has pride of place in our house, mmm that should have really been my POTD shouldn't!? Instead here is a layout I did a while ago, thats is pending publication I believe!
Unfortunately, the girls presents have still not arrived and Peter got my present last week, an XBox 360!, well boys will be boys. So I feel like he has been cheated as he actually had nothing to open. Hopefully tomorrow Amazon will deliver after me waiting for over 3 weeks!!!!
I am finishing a LO for my BOM, thanks to Kirsty's slap around the cheeks she gave me for not scrapping myself! I will upload tomorrow. I actually can't believe I have been faffing with this 81/2" x 11" Lo for over a day now, and there was me thinking , "this will be quick?" who was I kidding.

That's me done for tonight, just a quick drop by, and I will blog again tomorrow morning with my creation, mwahahahah
hugs
Anna x

I am not a good blogger at the weekend, this is because I am being mum, wife, and Anna (that's when I sneak some scrapping in !)
So this weekend was ballet, then we were supposed to go to chicken Little, BUT we missed both shows, oops, but all was not lost as we borrowed a DVD from Nana and had the cinema at home!Sunday was feed the ducks, park , visit Grandad, and a surprise drop off at the FunFair!!! Phew did this little treat make up for no cinema this weekend.
The Fair will be on next weekend as well, so I am going to take the Wiseman's there for some southern fun!
Also finished this layout of my Lilly. A really important layout as I had all these feelings inside that I had to put down on paper, well scrap really so this was the result. Ok so not the most amazing LO but the journaling is what this is all about:

As you approach your 3rd birthday,
I look at you, and my baby is no longer.
You are now a little girl,
with independence, full of life, love and laughter.
Wherever you go your smile lights up a thousand faces
There is something about you Lilly,
and I can't put my finger on it,
but it's beautiful. I love our little chats.
The way you hold my hand,
the stories you tell me when I am feeling low.
Lilly my star, keep on shining
Love Mummy xxxxx

I have a layout planned for Izzy as well as some important journaling I need to get down.
Have also started my BOM!!! Thanks to Kirsty (go see her challenge). I am doing an 81/2" x 11!, a first for me, but I love it!!!, sneaky peek of the planning stage.

What have you all been up to? Cropping, family time, Kirsty'challenge, spill the beans and let me know, I need to know cos I am nosey, hehehehe

nighty night
Anna
xxxx

I am so proud of my little girl., she is only 5 and this is her first LO. Used freebie papers from a magazine, I cut she stuck!!!! Creative Scrapbooking are doing a kids special for their September issue so I am going to send to Jennie and see if they will publish it in their kids gallery.
I have nothing much more to add, mainly due to some bad news I have just received, a fellow scrapbooker/cardmaker , who I have just had the pleasure of getting to know ; her husband has passed away today. I am devastated for her. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family darling.

Big hugs to all of you
Anna xx

OMG I have done it, have farted about trying to work out how to record, load and allow you girls to listen, and I have only gone and done it!!!!!
Really chuffed and all set for next weekend.
In the meantime my classes have gone up at Bonanza and I am so excited. I am doing 3 classes on Friday and 3 classes on Saturday, so go check out the site and get yourselves booked. Can't wait to meet you all.
Today Lilly and I went for a walk around the fields that back onto our house, went and saw the ducks at the pond, but they were not playing and didn't want our bread, poor Lilly was gutted and called them grumpy ducks!!!!
I was a good domestic goddess today and cooked a scrummy beef bourginion with a bottle of red wine, oops, but the girls are sleeping well!!!
So listen to my first ever podcast, excuse the cheesiness of it, some reason I decided to say ciao, I never say ciao!

Let me know what you think about the podcast and get those questions in girls, Oh, and have you done your challenge that Kirsty has set for all us girls, globally!!!

The Z and the D oh and the R have done it, so you must do it too, there must be about 100 girls that have now scrapped, doodled and primaed themselves all for , for what, i am not quite sure, but you will feel liberated and good for doing it.

night night, and a big hello to all the girls overseas, its so cool having bloggers from OZ, USA and now Singapore, its fab!!

Anna xx

my first podcast

What a frantic day it has been, I was in a phone meeting with Jo (Creative Scrapbooking) for the best part of 1hour 1/2, and so worth it. We have some fab articles and projects in the pipeline, I am so excited about them. Studio day to confirm in April, where the girls will be part of it!! Saying no more you will just have to wait for the issue to come out! But boy is it going to be worth it.
Waiting on a couple of more emails with regards to projects as well with another magazine, so a very busy day today.
I actually finished a layout and a matching coaster which I am really pleased with "Sweet Smile". Using lots of fabric, machine and hand stitching, Junkitz girl papers and Basic Grey Oh Baby Girl monograms. I love this range of papers, cant wait to scrap a LO with them.

Today , has actually been a tough one for our family, in fact a very emotional week or so.
Peters father passed away a year ago today, and all our emotions have been frayed and strained. Peter is definitely showing the signs of hurt and anger, and this has been the case with us all. It has been a hard week for me to keep in close contact with very close friends as we have all needed some space. As well as the sadness that has been with us, the jubilations of lots of things happening in my career, has meant a real roller coaster of emotions, as my dear neighbor found out this morning as I landed on her doorstep with a tear stained face, and 1 dressed Izzy. But you know, when she saw me later that day, she summed it all up. The operation, today and then the news I received last week, has been a tough emotional ride, and she is so right!!!
I will be glad to see this week out the way, so we can try and piece our family together, and I can stop smiling with joy one minute and crying the next, LOL
So back to life, back to reality........... And tomorrow is another day, another day in the life of a scrapping mum!

hugs to all
Anna xxx

PS: excuse the quality of LO, just cant photograph white!

I know, I really shouldn't, but Kirsty and I treated ourselves to webcams from eBay, £9.98 delivered!!!!.
Today we have spent an hour playing , what a laugh, I have also been messing with webcam snaps!Insteadd of scrapping,scary really.
So I have treated you to a snap of me on the phone to Kirsty and 1 of me now!!!, yes that's me warts and all, in my PJ's and shawl, cos its bloomin cold in here!!!
Dead chuffed with these little beauties I have had made up. 31/2" square coasters in wood. This is one I did earlier and I love them, another addiction. They can be purchased on the site as well.
I am going to scrap tomorrow. I have a gorgeous LO waiting to be designed. I am using lots of scrummy fabrics and my machine.
Had a great chat on the phone to Karen tonight, although she complained about my blog becoming to scrap orientated!!!, sorryHunn:(, but scrapping is part of my life.
Had another phonecall today, and I am really excited, can't say much now, until everything is confirmed but I am over the moon!!!
I am in meetings tomorrow with Creative Scrapbooking about some great projects I want to do, so can't wait for that. So much is happening at the moment, I barely have time to scoff a ripple these days!!

hugs
anna x

Another weekend over, another week nearer to my back corset coming off, hurray!!We got through the weekend, visiting completed, shopping done, and a little bit of scrapping also.
Using some BumbleBee Crafts stock at last!. I pulled out my beloved white bazzill cardstock and used some Chloes Closet papers, prima flowers (oodles of),wholy cow rubon and brads. And thanks to Kirsty I did some more hand doodling, and I am loving it!!!
How are you all getting on with the Jaffa Queens challenge? Do have a go. Kirsty has listened to me whining on long enough about not scrapping myself so she challenged me late Thursday night, and now she is challenging you, yes you, so get yourself over to Kirsty's blog, and do it!!!! You know you want to, mwahahahha
Posted a very important package yesterday, of which I will announce the news the weekend of the 26th March as it will be official by then, along with a lot of talented ladies I am sure!
I am waiting on 5 deliveries still, I am gutted.

- Bazzill cardstock
- Amazon (with a sneaky book for me)
- Lakeland
- Junkitz

Knowing my luck they will all turn up tomorrow. Oh well Lillly has no Margaret for 3 weeks so I will get her unpacking boxes with me.
Blimey nearly forgot to mention some good buys today! Kirsty are you listening to this?? I saw a sign, yes a handpainted wooden sign with gingham ribbon tied on the wire to hang up, and it read "POTTING SHED" I had to buy it, LOL, and it only cost me £5.00. So it is going on the door of my packing room tomorrow. Also I have some gorgeous blank 4"square coaster blanks for you girls. Ok so they will not be Keisha originals but they will still be gorgeous. So check out my blog tomorrow as I will pop some piccies on. I am so excited about these babies.

I think that's about it, so tell me, what have you all been up to and have youhadd any impulse buys!!
Hugs
Anna xxxx

Kirsty challenged me, and I raised to the challenge, so thanks Kirsty.
Now girls get yourself over to the jaffa queens blog as she is making this an international challenge to scrap a BOM page, stash is up for grabs!!!

What a day it has been for me. Started the morning at the doctors and it looks highly possible that I have diabetes 2, so in a couple of weeks I am having a fasting test done, no food or drink the night before form 10pm and then a bright and early appt at 8am for my test!!!. Lets hope we get to the bottom of this. Get home and am greeted to a large box from the states. It was an enormous box filled to the brim of stash from the girls on the scrappad, I am overwhelmed by their generosity!! And yes I will get a piccie done.
received an email today that dreams are made off, but am not sure how public I am allowed to make it so I will wait for a few more weeks when I know the official announcement is made, all I do know is of 9 very talented ladies that received the same email as me , so we are truly made up today!! (5 of those were scrap pad girls!!!!!)
I have a busy weekend ahead of me, with a bday party for Izzy to go to, visiting my dad, ballet, memorial lunch on Sunday, and the usual weekend stuff. Need to desperately clear my desk as well, last nights challenge left it in a right mess!!!
Have a fabby weekend, will see you all tomorrow
hugs
Anna xxxx

Yes this week has been a reality check, I have packed orders, placed orders, got no scrapping done, and picked izzy up from the bus stop, so it sure is , back to reality.
We had parents evening this evening, and we are the proudest parents standing at the moment. Our girl is doing good!!!!!
So being a blogger and a scrapper, I tried to have a photo session prior to this evening to add to my blog, no can do, she sulked, she blurred and she sulked some more!!!!, bless! Lilly on the other hand did her rendition of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White rolled in one!
But, Angel Kisses are on their way, here's a sneaky peek, and Fairy Cakes are cut, so here's another sneaky peak. Now, to see if I want to package in gorgeous, little cute metal tins or not!!So tell me crafters, do you want cute metal tin packaging or boring plastic bags? Do you want packaging or do you want delicate , beautiful embellishments!? I need to know, because I cannot make decisions.
Well only a week to go before Kirsty will surely be announced as one of the many talented girls out there, that she is one of our Best of British. I have my money on Lushie, Kirsty, Jennie and our very own Rude Issues/ Jo. I would so love to see these girls get in, of course I would love me too, but somehow cannot see that happening!
And finally:
DO NOT FORGET to post your questions for Kirsty or/and me for our podcast in a couple of weeks!
hugs blogettes
Anna x

I have finally completed my mini tin book class on The Big Picture by Stacey Julian.
I actually didn't enjoy it after all, not that the idea wasn't good, it's me, I don't like scrapping about me, it doesn't feel right, silly I know, but I struggle. But it's done, and I will probaly keep embellishing over time.
I am going to get some scrapping done today. Have a LO planned in my head, and I want to get cracking. Still have more "Fairy Cakes" to cut out and then I will do some "me " stuff!
I have just been out in the car, naughty I know and its pissing down with rain!, but peter didn't get my post done has promised and someone had to get scrappers their stash out, or they would have had to wait until Friday!! Cant see that happening can you?

That's it so far today blogettes, but don't forget to get posting you questions for me or Kirsty or even both of us if you want. See yesterday posts for more details!
hugs
Anna x

Quick post before tonight. Go get yourself over to Cathy's blog and download the podcast. Find yourself 24 minutes and listen to Cathy Z and Donna D have a ball!!.
Now the reason I ask you to listen as the very talented Ms Wiseman aka wanna_scrap? Is coming over to mine at the end of March, probaly the weekend of mother's day, and we will be doing a Q and A pod cast, just like our goddesses of Scrap, Z and D!!
So girls get your questions in for me and Kirsty. Leave your questions here or by email, ask us anything and we endeavor to answer them all, well tbh, I don't expect us to get more than 2!!!, no honest girls get those questions to us and we promise to give you a podcast that you will not forget!!!!!

And had a ball!!!!The kids loved it, we were with wonderful friends old and new. It was bloomin freezing but no snow.Lilly took her binocular's!!! and I let Izzy have my old Nikon digital to play with and she took some mean shots!
Had bacon butties for lunch at Dr.Ben's and met Mrs Ben and the cute Bronwen, Nana's for coffee and biccies. Tomorrow is lunch at Nana's, so a great family weekend is being had, and I am loving it!!!!

Hope you are all having a fabby weekend blogettes
hugs
Anna xxxx
pppssssssssssssttttttt.... Angel Kisses and Fairy Cakes are on there way!!!! Watch this space for sneaky peaks!

I have spent the last couple of days being Mum. This has included playing snap with a bunch of advertising postcards of which there is not 1 identical card, of course I lost every hand!!!
then came out the "dollies" Now you are talking, but this kinda got risque as Ken was always naked and the 6 or 7 barbie looking dollies rode bareback on a horse clad in bikini's!!!!The innocence of kids eh!! What fun we had. Infact I had loads of fun, no deadlines as I had completed them all, orders packed so Peter can post on Monday, and my About Me tin in the "processing" stage. So all in all a fab couple of days.
Now tomorrow it gets better as I have decided to get out of the village and head 45 mins out of town!!! We are heading to Linton Zoo and boy am I excited. Batteries are charged for those all important photo's and I am ready to hit my bed for a goods night rest.
So I leave you with a sneak peak into my mini tin book, my all time favorite flowers, white Lily's, and "dollies" sunbathing!!
Have a fab weekend, hope you have loads of family time, and I will get my mini tin book finished and up on my blog over the weekend, I promise, with loads of animal shots I am sure!
hugs
Anna xx

And that's not the McDonald's type. I am loving having creative time, playing ,creating and experimenting.

I am loving White,
I am loving my sewing machine,
I am loving altered photoframes
I am loving Lilly
I am loving Izzy
I am loving life!!!

I discovered my curves today, and not the body type, lost those a long time ago, nope the photoshop type, don't even ask where I have been but I sorta knew where they were but a tad apprehensive as to what would happened if I clicked, well now I know thanks to Ms Tara Whitney and this post!!! She is an angel of photography, I want to be her, and live near those beautiful beaches, boy I miss Long Sands!
Now another thing, why do my white layouts turn out looking like they have been in a room of tobacco? Or washed with the darks!! They all need a scoop of Daz on them!! Tara if you are reading this, please help me (as if ey!)
Ok the funniest thing happened today. As I was busily being creative with a picture frame ( 3 for 99p at wilko's)and mumbling to myself " I am going to put you in this" and Lilly merrily playing on the computer, she replies " Mummy, I wont fit in that, I am too big!!" Boy do I love the things kids say, she made me laugh so much, until I explained to her, I wasn't going to put "her" in the picture frame, but a photo!!, Bless. So today's blog has been bombarded with my new photoshop frames and Lilly, oh and Lillys lunch, I was playing with blurred background and stuff (cant think of the technical word at the moment)

Bumble Bee Crafts went live today, along with next months scrumptious Just Junkitz Kit "Shabby". Girls you have to get one of these they surely are to die for, I love this line of papers by Theresa Collins, and I have already reserved mine!!
Also popped a few lines in the sale section, KI Memories, Junkitz and embellishments of all sorts.

Decided that I am going to have to give Scrap a Ganza the elbow, cannot really afford it, so am going to just have to get all the gossip from the girls when they return, but saying that I may change my mind by tomorrow night, I am so bloomin indecisive, aaarrgggg.

Now I wanted to finish my Big Picture free class download tonight, but looks like it wont get done till tomorrow now, I have my scrummy little metal tin just waiting to be filled and altered, so that I am sure will be tomorrow's picture.
night blogettes!
Hugs
Anna x

Wow this is my 100th post!!!!
Looks like me and Amsterdam my not meet after all. It looks like it is going to cost more than I had hoped. Still waiting on some replies but I need to get to Newcastle and back, then form Amsterdam to the venue and back, as well as stash money and the cost of the actual flight and weekend. But all is not quite lost yet.
Had a play with my sewing machine today, and am in love!!!Did a layout of some of the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of meeting through scrapping last year. Now if I have met you, and there are plenty out there and you are not on my layout its because I haven't got a piccie, so please email me one so I can do another side to this page. I use BG Sublime and loads of stitching, had great fun, and am sure another lo is going to be done with my trusty machine in no time at all.

Catch you later, as I may make another post tonight, as its my 100th!!, Ok so that will make it post 101, but you know what I mean.
hugs
Anna x

PS: Just want to say Hi to Maria!!! Will email you later, so get designing and submitting!!

Yes I am actually off to Amsterdam to Scrap a Ganza, I am literally bursting at the seams, I cannot wait. And can you believe it I am going with Karen!!!! She says she has lost her mojo, because I am no longer up in Newcastle to get her crafty arse into gear, so I happened to mention what was happening the weekend I would have been arriving for my hospital apointment, and that a sit, she is convinced and we are going!!! The only problem is I have no passport, so I have to sort this out pronto. Will be sorting flights and classes tomorrow

I actually cannot think of anything else to say at the moment, so until tomorrow blogettes!!!

hugs
Anna xxx

edited to say: if you are going to scrapaganza let me know would love to meet up with as many people as poss!!!

I am absolutely covered in gold leaf!!!. I have been working on a project for Paper Craft Essentials on gilding (check out issue 10) and I am absolutely smothered in tiny specks of gold leaf.
Had loads of fun playing with an altered picture frame which I adore and have just completed a layout, this is the picture I used, my wedding ring, engagement ring and eternity ring. Tried the arty shot, hope it has worked.
We all went to see my Dad today, and he was in really high spirits , bless him, looking awfully underweight so will be contacting the manger tomorrow and have a chat with her. I understand he is on one of his hunger strikes!!!, barely eats a mouthful of food a day. It annoying and frustrating at the moment as I cannot drive so I only see him at the weekends, I cant keep my beady eye on him.
Have got my sewing machine out of its box but still haven't had time to play, I am gutted, hopefully mid week I will get to have a whiz with it!
Kirsty should be back in Wigan tonight so looking forward to talking to her again. I have missed her terribly, having been in hospital for a week and then Kirsty going to her mum's its been about 2 weeks since we last spoke on the phone!!!!, we talk about 2 - 3 times a day!!! Withdrawal symptoms or what!! Hopefully she got the well earned rest she deserved.

Ok girls if any of you haven't already heard, or read my earlier posts, a dear cyber friend of ours, Lemon, husband passed away last week. Debbie is raising money for Lemon and her daughter, Raena, if you can spare any money please please pop over to Debbie's blog for further details.

Hope you all had a fab weekend and held your dear ones close
hugs
Anna xx

Today was my first day out!!! Yeah. Peter was working from home so I begged him to take me out. Lilly was poorly today so she didn't go to Margaret and the 3 of us headed into Huntingdon. We had lunch out, did a few errands and then headed to Dunelm Mill where I purchased my new toy!!! A sewing machine!!!!. I am so chuffed, I am going to get it set up tomorrow an play to my hearts content. I have bought oodles of embroidery threads, sewing threads, ric rac and stuff to have a good play. Of course I am sure it will all be played on my infamous white Bazzill, just can't get enough of the stuff!. Oh and also bought a faux leather photo album for £3.99 that I am going to do a sorta scrap album with. Its an idea I saw in a US mag at Kirsty's and have been dying to get started on it. Will divulge more later!
I posted out my ATC's today so hopefully they will be landing on doorsteps tomorrow and Monday.
Also got a pay cheque today so that was good and hence my spend on the sewing machine * still grinning like a Cheshire cat*.
So this weekend I am going to crack on with my mini tin book, play with my sewing machine and do some projects that have to get in the post Monday.
Hope you all had a fab Friday and for those at crops this weekend , I am dead jealous as I had to cancel mine, have a good one.
Hugs blogettes
Anna xxx

But it never settled, so dreams of white lawns, snowman and that perfect snowy photo, of little girls wrapped up with hats, scarves and gloves was not to be! Instead I started and finished my ATC's for The Lounge. Kept away from the usual grunge and did Basic Grey Lollipop Shoppe (loads of scraps to use up!) and used the monogram of each of the participants. They will get posted tomorrow as Peter is off and can take me to the post office.
The other big news for me today was I had my staples out!!! Yeah all 15 staples have been removed, and I have a nice red line up my back with ickle holes, or so I am told. Going to have of get Peter to take a piccie so I can see, LOL. Don't worry it will not be my POTD!!!

Tomorrow I am going to start the weekend challenge I set on The Lounge, to take the Stacey Julian free class on a mini tin book "About Me", also finish up some projects for 2 magazines!!
I am also going to start my wish list of stash must haves, courtesy of the girls at The Scrap Pad, what an amazing bunch of girls you are and I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Will take lots of photo's when I have my grubby little mits on all my goodies.

So what do you creative bunch of blogettes have in store this weekend? I would love to know
Hugs
Anna xxxxx

And a little bit of that, has been the nature of today. I have decided I have to have Hang 10 and Urban Couture NOW!!! And the gorge Japanese rubons, I am a far east freak, love the food, the countries (having lived in Hong Kong for 4 years), interiors ,you name it, I love everything Japanese and Chinese. These papers will kick me into doing an album of my time away, or will it. Will stacks of Basic Grey sit in the corner of my scrap room, to be admired and licked!? Most probally, LOL.
Anyways I played again with my Rhonna Farrer brushes, and did some manipulating in Picture It 9 as well. Thanks Kelly for your comments. Still have so much to learn, but I am enjoying tinkering at the moment. A good way to learn I think. This photo, I know has its faults. Grubby mouth complete with a chocolate dribble. But this is my Lilly, complete with a malteser in her mouth, and I love it. Anam, reminded me today that real photo's do matter, and we shouldn't "airbrush" everything to make that perfect photo, so I decided that I love this photo and everything it stands for is Lilly!!!!
Some very sad news today, an online friend, who I had the great pleasure of meeting last year at Bonanza, lost her husband today suddenly, my thoughts are with you tonight L and R. Anam made a good point, to hold all our loved ones close, and its funny, although I couldn't put my finger on what I felt today, the love I feel for my girls and Peter was very much at the top, and all my family, like everyday, had a very special hug.
Before you go to bed tonight, hug someone close to you and tell them you love them

Anna xxx

Today Izzy returned from school armed with the usual piles of notices for parents, along with the monthly newsletter. Like all us Mums, I glanced through, checked on any stuff I need to remember, and there in black and white was my baby's name!!!!. My Izzy, all 5 years of her received an Honors Award this term for excellent behavior, kindness and politeness to her class friends and school!!!! I am gushing all over, I am so so proud of her!!!!


I have had another inspirational day! Received my Rhonna Farrer brushes in my email box and haven't stopped playing, look above and you will see my new blog header with my new brushes and my attempt at an arty shot of Izzy! So I have made myself a new blog header, fart arsed around with another photo of izzy, and then completed another layout, of Izzy, in white, surprise surprise. I told you I was having a white chapter! Love this layout too. Using my classic white bazzill cardstock, AMM papers and Carolee Creation papers. A making memories silver frame, KI Memories plastic bits (think they call them gloo!), flower diecuts and junkitz brads. Photo was turned black and white and mildly manipulated in Picture It 9 (thanks SueBaru)

Been working hard trying to put some life back into The Lounge, sent out a mass email and have had a little move around, clear out and added some new sections. Hopefully the small changes are for the good and the members will enjoy!

Have another layout I want to do tonight, but must finished my text for an editorial, also I want to get stuck into a project I have for PaperCraft Essentials (formally know as Craft Essentials) to start.
Lots I am eagerly awaiting for, March is going to be a big month for me. Its the annoucement of The Best of British winners, and also another fingers crossed moment for me. I am also hoping to have all the loose ends tied for Scrapping Angels (yes honest!!!), as well as loads of birthdays to contend with and the 1st anniversary of my FIL passing away. So a month of mixed feelings ahead of us.
I have another dilemma, nothing huge, but I need to decide whether I 1. Can afford and 2. Need to go to Scrapaganza. There are lots of friends new and old going who I would love to meet again and for the first time, I just cant make my mind up, also the other dilemma is I have a hospital appointment on the Monday 21/05 and scrapaganza is 19-21/05. So do I go for 2 days only or not at all, oh decisions decisions, help me out here girls!

So how has your day panned out and any proud moments to share with me?

hugs blogettes
Anna xx

OMG I am in love with white Bazzill cardstock!!!! Where have I been all this time? Ok so I did a couple of Lilly Layouts a while back, but I am so loving this new feel to my scrapping. Totally inspired by Keisha. I have another layout sat here waiting to be titafated and glued!!!!
I am definitely on a white splurge at the moment.
This layout is of Izzy on Saturday, I had a play with my camera, nothing fancy yet, I am very much in the learning stages still. Used BG Lollipop, and Bazzill white card stock, a bit of stamping and inked the edges with one of the Bazzinks! Oh and a BG Wholy Cow rub on in the corner (the bar code!). Struggled with photographing white, even when playing with the shutter speed and stuff. The title is "Who's that Girl ?", I know it's not to clear in the photo and you cant see my ' between the "o" and the "s", but it is there, honest!

Got an email from Donna Wild today, and she is going to do a banner for me to see, for Scrapping Angels, I love what Jenrigg did, I just want to see another option. I hope Kirsty doesn't mind me plodding on, I know she is so snowed under with work, and my mind is racing with ideas. I , of course will not finalize anything without her giving it the OK!
Auzzie scrappers sure do rock! I have been surfing the otherside of the pond a fair bit today and am loving the Auzzie scrappers style. My fav at the moment is Donna's style. She is really loving us UK girls style as well, so beware the Auzzie will be at a blog near you!!

Spent a bit of time trying to boost the interest in members at The Lounge today. Hopefully that will work, as it will be such a shame to retire my baby yet, but then again I cannot waste many more months working on it if she is going to sink at the end of the day!
I am feeling truly inspired today which is a good thing, as I am like a rollercoaster, up and down, round and round.

I got the most gorgeous handmade card from my little Lilly today, that she made at Margaret her child minder. I was so chuffed as it was a get well card, and she did all the stamping herself!!

Decided today to ask a question, nothing sinister, nothing difficult, just to find out what rocks your scrapping boat!

what's your favorite 3 paper lines/companies?


Basic Grey Haute Couture ( and I haven't even seen it!)
Foofala ( need to get my hands on more)
Sassafras Tickled Pink ( cant wait to get cracking on a layout with this)


Have a good night blogettes
hugs
Anna xxx

We have had a family weekend. Watching DVD's, me dosing in front of the TV, visiting my Dad, and eventually finishing a project for Creative Scrapbooking. I have overdone things this weekend, so am sore and tired, all that bathroom cleaning and hoovering didnt agree with me!
From Tuesday I have a carer in 4 days a week, for 1 hour in the morning to help me get the girls ready, as I am really not fit enough to tackle them on my own on a morning!!!!
Have taken a few photo's this weekend as well. The first is off Lilly enjoying the sunshine on Saturday. She is such a cutie isnt she? This is one of the girlie Drake's waiting for a crumb from Lilly. Got some fab photo's of the ducks and swans, and the cascade of them swimming towards us, it was actually quite intimidating!!!!

So enjoy a few piccies of the girls and hopefully I will get scrapping again this week. Played with the one of Izzy in picture it 9, but am not happy with it, there was too much shadow, so will have another play tomorrow, may just leave it in colour !!!
I have a few magazine bits to do but I am itching to scrap, have some ideas up my sleeve I want to try!!!

Hope you all had a fabby weekend, and thanks to jenrigg, the scrapping angels have a fancy new header, which I will be forwarding to you Paul, so don't fret I knows you are a busy boy at the mo.
Trying to revamp The Lounge in the next month or so, and in the meantime I have started an ad inspiration challenge, so do pop over and have a go!

catch you later blogettes

anna xx

PS: make me jealous, did any of you make the NEC this weekend? and did you see our Kirky?

Yeah, I am home at last, complete with no dignity, LOL, and a corset that unfortunately does not rival Madonna's. Cannot pick up my girls for 6 months, no rally driving for 6 weeks, no exercise for 3 months!!!!! So guess me and my laptop are going to become very good friends!!!!!
Thanks for checking in blogettes!
Nothing really to report, but I hear some Russian computer twats hacked my computer again!!!!!gggrrrr. So poor rena has had to practically start from scratch I gather, so a BIG HUGE thanks goes out to you Hun.
To be honest I am now having mega thoughts about whether this forum lark is worth keeping along with the business. The forum has cost me a fair bit this last 6 months with hackers and such with no returns!!
With so many companies out there selling scrap goods I really cant keep up, and I would love to dedicate more time to my writing and work for the magazines.
Kirsty has done so well for herself I am truly proud and blessed to have such a talented friend, praying she will send me some of her mojo now I am back at home!!! Is there no ends to that girls talent?
Oh I wanna be Kirsty, mwahahahahahah
Thanks to all the lovely posts on the scrap pad asking after me, I am sure there are the same lubberly posts at the lounge I just cant access.
Peter wont let me into my office, I am going to try and let him realize that for a speedy recovery I need my scrap room to make me feel better!!
I hope you have all had a fabby 10 days, I hear a Big congrats to Boo is in order as she has become Nana Boo, Kirsty has now turned 35!!!! And has more talent then you can shake a sheet of urban couture at!As well as becoming a DT for Art from the Heart, and a big player for pratical publishing, all well deserved as well
I may give you a treat and get peter to take a piccie of me and my corset. Then you can come up with some fab designs on how I can decorate it

hugs all, its darn good to be back
Anna xxxx

yes i am blogging from my hospital bed , but it is so slow

Ok this is it, my last blogging day for at least a week, as I am off to Newcastle at the crack of dawn to be admitted to the Freeman hospital for my back operation on Thursday.
Now please don't stop visiting me, or I will plummet in the rankings!!!!! Which I already seem to be doing!!!!, ok only joking, please give me something to read for when I get back to my computer.
Let me know any juicy gossip, also need to know about the homegrown TKO competition that Amber Jane, Kirsty and Frenchie are in the final, so need to know which talented UK girl has won!!! And please don't feel you cant send me a share of your prize, (ok well it works everytime for Kirsty !LOL), only kidding girls.
What else is going on the next week?Well you get the just, just leave me lots of posts to read, mwahahahha
Well still have to finish a couple of deadlines, got to pack suitcases for the girls for Nana's and me!
Blimey nearly forgot to mention my gorgeous tag CJ made it home to me today and it is stunning, I am so chuffed I got it before I went away, also a scrummy package form Shirl with goodies for hospital and the girls. I have had lots of lovely posts on the Scrap Pad and The Lounge wishing me well which has really cheered me up as I have been a tad glum these past few weeks.
Also managed to get all orders out today as well as Kirsty birthday pressie, although not the easiest to wrap! Have you ever tried to wrap an artbin? (wink wink), ok so it may not be an artbin but I really hope she likes it, probaly has one knowing Kirsty as she has everything!!! a scrapper could want and more, mwahahahahha
Deadlines will be completed tonight and will make their merry way up to Newcastle were someone will post for me
So I think that's it, send lots of good vibes to me, as I am so nervous to be honest, I don't think my friends and family really know how scared I am, silly I know but I am. First op and all that, away from my girls as well, makes a mummy very sad. Ok enough self pity from me,
have a fab week blogettes and keep me posted!!!!

hugs
Anna xxxx

ps: darn blogger wont let me upload images so will try again later!

Do you like my pearly K ? I think she is fab, its for my secret project, secret because I cannot spill the beans yet until about April to be more precise, but here's a taster. Inspired by my hubby's grass routes, London, and the Pearly Kings and Queens. Used loads of white buttons and some pearly beads.

I have just heard that Scrapbook Magic has folded. I am absolutely devastated and can't really believe it. The most dreadful thing is my dear friend , Jakey, ( hope I can call you a friend babe?) was the editor for issue 1 and had put her heart and soul into that mag. Unfortunately I only managed to get my grubby mits on a couple of copies, so never really got to see much of it, but I know for one with the talents of Jakey, Clare, Frenchie and Karen on the team it must have been a corker!. Unfortunatly now, people are trying to guess who will next hit the rubbish heap. This is such an awful shame and I wish people could start asking themselves , why are magazines folding? And what do we want from our craft magazines?, could we actually be the problem? Ok so don't all shout at me at once, but as someone who regular contributes to several craft magazines and watched 2 magazines I contributed too fail, it does make me think. I hope we as the consumer let our magazine editors really know what we want to see and read in our favorite scrap book magazines!

Ok off my soap box now, LOL.
So with only days to go until my op, I am fighting to get deadlines finished, and have had to disappoint the girls at The Lounge as I am unable to finish my ATC's before I go into hospital, so will do them when I come home. Will be a great lil project to get my creative juices flowing again.
I have loads to do tomorrow, pack bags for me and the girls, (they are staying at Nana's), sort out flight details, pack my inspiration in magazines, notepad and pen!, post orders and Kirky's Artbin for her birthday (wink), and visit Dad to remind him I wont be back in for a good week or so.

I am so desperate to scrap, aka Keisha, but have no time, roll on recovery period!

Hugs blogettes
Anna xx

PS: Happy burpday for yesterday Correna xxx

by this woman's talent, thank you anam for pointing me to her blog. I am writing an editorial on blogs and asked some of my forum buddies to tell me whose blogs they read and this name came up a few times, Keisha, and I am in awe of her stuff, it is so me, I love her decor, her scrapping style and she lives in China!!!, I too lived in China and Hong Kong and its so freaking me out, and sending me down memory lane.
I have just finished 1 of 4 projects by just looking at her work, blogging is good for the creative soul, yes that's my motto for today!!!

Postie came today laden with 6 magazines!! So chuffed, they are all getting packed in my suitcase for my hospital trip next week, ok, I did have a wee peep in one, and the preview for their next issue just happens to be one of my projects, so I am dead chuffed.

Just found out that my tag CJ is on it's way home to me, thank you so much Loungers, I am really chuffed and cannot wait to get it in my wee mitts!
Am busily finishing an altered CD and CD envelope project for a magazine, which I am really enjoying. I then have another 4 page editorial and projects on gilding to complete and a secret project to finish by Monday. Must also crack on with my 6 ATC's before I head up North for the dreaded op!

So what have has inspired you today? I have definatley been inspired by Keisha , she is now my new guru!!

Hugs blogettes
Anna xx

Ok I know I have been negleting my blogger duties for the past few days, whatcha gonna do about it?, not come by and read me I guess *cry*. To be honest I have had very little to say; my week so far in a nutshell :

hair cuts on Tuesday
baths on Wednesday
no internet access Tuesday or Wednesday ggrrr
deadlines to complete
orders packed Thursday

so all in all a pretty boring week so far! So come on then spill the beans what have you blogettes been up too, it sure has got to be a hell of a lot more exciting than my week!
Lilly has playgroup soon, then I am coming home to make cards for a couple of friends birthdays (they know who they are;) ), then off to pick the girls up and then a flying visit to Dad.
I am on some new tablets to try and sort out my sleep pattern and stuff. All it has done is have me zombied until at least 11.30am every morning, so tonight I am going to take them much earlier so I am not useless until midday tomorrow!
These 2 piccies are a layout and a canvas I did with the Scrapping Angels kit from the sunday crop
hugs bloggetes
Anna x