I love it

When you get the chance to finally scrap some photos that you have been wanting to do for ages. The lovely cute Fay dressed up in my scarf whilst we went for a walk along the Edinburgh Canal. Had great fun creating this page it ended up being completely different from the intended start and I am glad as I love the way it has turned out. In addition I finished a card for the iron chef comp for this week, cutting out naughts and crosses.

Monday Blues

What is it with me? Why do I let others influence the way I feel about MY scrapping? *bangs head against the wall*

On a lighter note the Murder Mystery at the Pad was a huge success. Thanks to the wonderful cast of Ria, Annette, Yizz, Shirleen, Katie, Lyzzy and Rudi! Thanks girls you were more than I could have hoped for. I'll be booking you for future engagements.

Daring Card Challenge

Thanks again to the Daring Card Challenge blog for their challenge this morning. This weeks theme was use an item from your kitchen. After the panic subsided I went to the kitchen for a wee scrounge about. What does my spanish kitchen contain that I can use in a card?? The answer was staring me in the face on my shelf. Wooden tooth picks!!

So the poor little toothpicks got themselves painted with krylon pen (and my fingers too, there is a song there somewhere...Goldfingaaaaaaahr) I may have to find more uses for these little gems on more cards later in the week.

Here is the result along with an extra close up of the stamped image.

Iron Chef Round two

Finished my projects for round 2 of Iron Chef at Scrappers Haven. Somehow managed to do 4 projects which was not my intention at all. Two 12x12 layouts, a card and a wall hanging. This week we had to use two types of paint on each creation. Here is the card I made which will double up as birthday card for my friend Dot later this year.

I also entered my berries layout and a layout I did about Sappho using watercolours to create a soft striped background.

Today I need to finish writing the plot for the murder mystery on the Pad, I am loving all the avatars the girls are picking for their characters, they are all making such an effort and it is going to be mad fun, I just hope I can keep them all in check because I have a feeling some of them are going to be naughty!

If I can get my bum shifted from in front of this laptop I might get my Circle journal finished for posting as well as my christmas ATC's, but then there is the cardmakers challenge due out in the next hour which may divert me. I keep procrastinating especially with a layout I have planned in my head about the town I am living in - the reason....I need to move my printer from upstairs down to the dining table where I have my laptop and craft robo sitting at the moment and I just cannot be arsed, I have visions of falling down the marble staircase and landing on my derriere.

New day

Went to school this morning for my Spanish lesson. Feeling a lot better today than the self pity party I have been having over the past couple of days. Thanks to everyone who have sent me messages and support it is very much appreciated, I am NEVER weepy like this and it was frightening for me, I am blaming my hormones as I feel 100% more like me today.

Anyway I went to the park after school and took some photos in the rain. First photo is of an ancient fountain in the Plaza, it remains there even though they have built a new one. I love it, I love all the moss growing over it etc. Isn't this rose just gorgeous! It is so delicate and I love "raindrops on roses" lol had to get a Sound of Music reference in there. I can't believe it is still warm enough for the hibiscus to bloom. Mine at home is red but this is a lovely delicate shade.

Singing the blues

Another day here and the second day I have been feeling really weepy. I thought at first it was connected with the kitten we thought we had saved (yes another one) outside in the street. We all thought it was caught up in the engine of a car and it kept crying. It moved out after 3 days into the car behind. Kate and I sneaked out and gave it and its mum some food. This morning when we left to go to the shops it was lying in the road outside our neighbours house, dead. It had been run over. It was only about 8 weeks old and street cats here don't have a long life but I keep thinking about it and crying. Maybe its the fact that all our visitors have gone now and subconsiously I am feeling homesick. I really don't know. In fact I am sitting crying as I type this. Kate has been really sweet and giving me extra cuddles, need to shake these blues off.

Hid myself upstairs to work on projects for the next Iron Chef round. This week the challenge is to use two types on paint on everything Here is the layout that I made. I am having a crisis of faith in my scrapping at the moment. Maybe its because I have not scrapped in months due to the move here. The only reason I got into the next round of the Chef comp was because not all the chefs due to take part uploaded their items. Why do I need this justification in my scrapping.? I have always scrapped for myself and no-one else and never needed anyone elses approval or glowing compliments in the gallery, but feeling so fragile at the moment about it all. Its probably just my hormones going mental like they do now and again, I am sure normal service will resume as soon as possible. It had better, I don't like weepy me!

It's oh so quiet

The house seems very quiet now that the last of our visitors have gone home. No more visitors planned for this year (will probably change lol) The boys Calum (5) and Rory (3) made the house so lively that it is eerily quiet. Looking forward to having more time to scrap, especially all the photos I took of the boys! Created a layout for this weeks speshal challenge (link on the side bar). The challenge was friends would/wouldn't

Recently I have been experimenting with new techniques and ideas instead of going with my usual style. I am loving the process, some layouts maybe hit or miss but I accept that as part of the challenge. I love the simplicity of this one (although it took me time to create) the photo does not do it justice.

We are still having an ongoing battle with ants in the house, made worse by little hands dropping crumbs everywhere. Spent most of last week sweeping but the little buggers still come out in their droves! Will try and get some ant bait this week, apparantly an ant in contact with it takes something back to the nest and kills them all. I dread coming downstairs in the morning I have to look everywhere to see if there are any around. grrrrrrrr

Real or Imaginary

Made a card for the Daring Card blog challenge. Their first challenge is friends, I did a very tongue in cheek card using my favourite "I am someone's imaginary friend" stamp. The card is completely different from my normal inky style lol.

Good luck to the Daring Card bloggers I wish all the best and look forward to popping in and taking part in the challenges.

Iron Chef

Thanks to Anam I have signed up to take part in a competition on Scrappers Haven called Iron Chef. The idea is that you are given an ingredient each week and you can make as many items as you wish, upload them and them cross your fingers. This is the first scrapping competition I have entered since the Block on UKS last year and I am very nervous. Anyway the first ingredient was buttons so I made three things, a card, a pendant and a layout.

The pendant was made with 4 metal buttons and various inks embossing powders etc.


For the layout I made my own 2 inch and i inch buttons from a circle punch and my eyelet setter. As well as adding some real buttons.

Card made with stampendous stamp and lots of red buttons!

Will have to wait till Sunday till I know if I get through to the next round..fingers and toes crossed then!

Heating up

I love to make pendants using TH alcohol inks as shown to me at Scrapaganza this year. However the trouble is the inks completely change colour when you heat them. This makes for some very happy accidents but I wanted more control of the colours so I created a heated colour chart. (yes I know I have way too much time on my hands).

I have a small canvas that i have started to have a wee play with using the same techniques as my CJ cover. sneak peak of stage one below. Just sitting waiting for the glue to dry. Will probably need to move onto another project.

Yesterday's card making class went really well they all liked the halloween card which is just as bleeding well considering it took me 10 hours to get it made between craft robo malfunctions and cotton buds blocking printer heads. (If anyone knows how 2 mysterious cotton buds made their way into my printer please let me know)

Today is a national holiday in Spain so I have no school this morning. I feel like a little skiver :) It is strange but our house has no visitors today!! Only Kate and I and the cats, until saturday night when my friends and their too gorgeous boys under the age of 5 appear for a week, I am sure it will be manic! Can't wait for them to arrive though, they have been friends for over 10 years and I love them dearly. Let's see if I say the same after a week of too small yins!

inky fingers

If anyone has top tips on getting alcoholic inks off your nails.....hmm as I type that I think maybe i should try nail polish remover.

Been busy today making the covers of my latest CJ. Mine is an art doll theme and I cannot wait to see all the entries. Had a go at using a technique I saw in Simply Stamping issue 6 using masking tape and alcoholic inks. It gave me exactly the finish I wanted.

I only have to complete my inside pages now. It might even be posted on time!

Creativity

oh I love having time to create things and having spent so much time cleaning and organising my craft room I really appreciate the time I used as it is making my life easier. This morning I decided to have a bash at the new Speshal challenge set by my buddies :) I was thinking I really wanted to journal a lot on this page and that it would fill the whole page....so I did!

I then made some onion and rocket soup for us all for lunch...yum and then it was time for layout number two.

Ginger, Debs and Jen on the beach at Wigwam Bam March 2005. Managed to have the guts to cut up 3 pages of my new gypsy Basic Grey paper. What is wrong with me.

Happy burfday Helen

Happy burfday to my friend Helen who is the grand old age of 30 today.

She loved the mini book I made for her...see above. We headed off to the market today and I managed to get some purple crocheted slippers..I know they sound revolting but trust me they are cute and will keep my tootsies nice and warm on our marble floors in the winter.

A relaxing long lunch in Alhaurin and now it is siesta time.

I have loved having so many friends and visitors since we arrived in Spain. I think for Kate it has been good to keep that link with home. Being online now at home and having Skype back makes the difference too.

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

Got picked up from the top of our street and this is the view from the top of the town.

Had a lovely lunch out with Kate and friends. We sat in the shade under a tree in the terrace of a lovely restaurant only 5 mins by car from us. I had the yummies dates wrapped in crispy bacon for starters and then grilled sole for main course and homemade chilled rice pudding for desert. I was so full I was ready to burst.
Kate and Grant share a bottle of white wine and she claims that it was gorgeous so if you ever see a bottle like this, it comes recommended!

Finally, came home intending for a siesta but got distracted by the laptop. ( Now there is a surprise) Managed to get off my but and go up to the craft room to do an effing challenge layout. The theme was "He said" and as the only man in the house Alfie had to rise to the challenge.