Scrapping weekend for me!

UKS scrappers had a cybercrop weekend. I had intended to spend the whole weekend from Fri evening to Sunday teatime scrapping but my plans were sabotaged.
I started late on Fri evening and the LO below that was supposed to take 1 hr took me all evening and all Sat morning, there was a lot of stitching which I really enjoyed but I felt I was so slow!!
Then Sat lunchtime some of out family arrived and stayed for lunch and part of the afternnon, so managed this Santa's lettter on Saturday, I did watch Strictly in the evening and then a drama about Corrie!!

This morning was church so I got up early and chose to do this challenge LO. Santa's coming to town which had to have a photo of Santa or opening presents on Christmas morning and to use the colours red,black and white. I have to thank a scrapping friend Shirley as I reused her last year's Christmas card for part of this LO!!

I had really good intentions to crop pm but another family arrived for lunch and stayed the afternoon!

Now I am playing catch up with my Dec journal and burnt my candle for last 3 days!!

Finally started my Dec daily journal

DAY 1
I finally started my Dec journal but my style with help from Ali Edwards templates. I wonder if I will remember to burn my candle every day and not to burn beyond the dayLOL!!
Day 1 was my church friend Margaret's funeral but it didn't take place as her family were unable to get to the town due to the heavy snowfalls. 30cms fell on 1st Dec and the temps were below zero!
2nd Dec shows the collage of snow photos below I took on this day

Early snow and car problems!

This is our 3rd day of snow on the SE coast. We couldn't get our cats outside last night or early this morning.

It was -4C and we had had 30cms of snow in some places, too deep for our cats

After Peter had made a small path to some bushes and enticed them, they followed him down the garden!

No cars moved today except 4 wheels drives, no schools were open and all the families were at home. A day to stay warm and safe and chill out!!

I decided to start a December daily 2010 journal using Ali Edwards templates and did Day 1 and 2 which I will upload tomorrow. I also want to do Scrapology sketch this month so hoping to get my scrapping mojo back!!

What does Chilling out mean?

Well we are back from memorial service of a dear friend, the weather has prevented it being a funerel service and a cremation today and I have just caught DH and our cats chilling out, they really do not do cold and snow (all three of them) and we are having to literally to throw them out TWICE a day...not DH you will be pleased to know!!!

Snow on the South east coast

Just had to show you these 2 photos taken 2 days apart from our patio door. This snow doesn't look as though it is going away for a while and it is only the first day of December!

What am I doing...well should be scrapping but just chillin out in front of the TV this pm LOL!!

A New bedroom

What have I been up to this past 2 weeks? Well definitely not scrapping!
We bought a new bed in September which we planned to have delivered today, so the past 2 weeks have been preparing the room for this bed.
We got rid of our old bed, and carpet, then painted the white walls a fudge colour which looks very different and has a warm feel to the room. A new carpet was then laid last week and finally I hung new curtainsat the weekend.
So many of you asked for photos so here is a collage of the different stages in getting to today.
We still have a throw and cushions to buy then we just have to try and keep this room tidy!!

Our Dizzy Dot Retreat Nov 2010

Here we all are, the fabulous Dizzy Dots including dear Susie who lives in bali and was with us in spirit and on MSN during the weekend xxx

Meadow Barn, a beautifully converted 16th C barn which was ours for the weekend

Part of the enormous kitchen with me posing!!

A bird's eye view from the gallery of our cropping table and Em and I

Another view from the gallery, early morning as I have on my dressing gown!

Waiting to do our Secret Santa after Strictly Come Dancing and before X Factor!!

Julia and I messing around!

The last morning we woke to a heavy frost and the sun rising behind the mistletoe trees

Our Cruise 16th - 30th Oct 2010

Our ship the Norwegian Gem in the cruise terminal, Venice

Early morning cuppa on our balacony

A day at sea, sunbathing, reading, eating and drinking!

With new friends in Naplion

Mealtime

Santorini on our anniversary day

Our Anniversary meal and cake from NCL

Friends Ginny and Peter from Ontario, Canada

With friends Thadd and Joyce from Florida, USA on the last night

Xanthe's Christening Sept 2010

Perdita, Xanthe and Nanny

Xanthe with Mummy and Daddy

Xanthe in her lovely Christening dress

A lovely family day

Cardinal Colours Seaside Retreat Sept 2010

Cutting the cake into 40 pieces!

In class with friends Tara and Carol

The red wine flowed! Cheers!

Anita's make and take between classes and cropping. I made a great phone charm!

Coffe break between classes at the Chatworth Hotel

Here are Carol and I in another class

Night time cropping with the other ladies on the retreat

The view from my bedroom, the sun rising behind Eastbourne pier

Sitting in the quaint lift of the Chatsworth Hotel

The retreat girls on the last day.

What a wonderful weekend we had, thank you to Jill and and all her friends and family.

I'm Back!!

Well I am finally back blogging after a 21/2month break!
What have I been up to during this time, well I will try and tell you all!

16th Sept saw me at a fab Seaside retreat run by Cardinal Colours and celebrating my birthday too! There is going to be another retreat next year and my birthday weekend again!!
I returned home and then had our sixth grandchild Xanthe's Christening and immediately afterwards went down with flu and was poorly for 2 weeks. I recovered in time for our holiday

16th Oct we flew to Venice and spent 2 fabulous weeks cruising from Venice around the Aegean coast the frist week, returning to venice for a day at port and then back to visit the greek islands and celebrate our actual Silver Wedding anniversary on the island of Santorini on 26th October.

7th Nov a week later we had a wonderful church blessing and then a lunch with 64 friends and family

12th Nov 4 days later I was in the car and travelling with another teamie Karen to our first team retreat (we are called the Dizzy Dots on UKS) in a fantastic 16th Century converted barn nr Monmouth and Hereford.

I'll be back with a few photos of all these events soon!

August Class LO

I have finally finished this LO from the August class before going in 2 days time to September's class!!Some interesting techniques were learnt, rolling edges of a paer and making these paper flowers. I certainly had to step out of my comfort zone for this class ! The papers we used were from http://www.mylittleshoebox.com/ - In Blooms
Thank you Anita McDonald for making it so enjoyable each month and designing something different and original xx Go and look at her blog link now!

Weekly Challenge August week 5

This week's challenge gave us 3 options. I chose option 1
Mono LO for 10 pts, 3 photos or more pts, a stamped image 5pts, journalling round the edges 5pts.
This was another holiday photo from last September when we paid our respects at Ground Zero. 2 photos were taken from the viewing area in the world trade centre which has been beautifully restored after 9/11. The larger photo is an image of the New World trade Centre towers when they are finally built. There is a lot of controversy over these buildings and the first tower has only got to floor 3 when we were there. A very moving few hours

Badge made!

I am getting excited now! Have just made my seaside theme name badge for the Seaside Retreat at Eastbourne next weekend (17th Sept). Cardinal Colours are running it with fab classes and make and takes all weekend'

Another Weekly Challenge

Where has August gone LOL!! I cannot even say the weather was so fab I didn't stay indoors or that we have been on holiday!
Anyway I have finally done another weekly challenge for Week 4 on UKS. We had to use old stash. show something new and use circles in any way.
My stash was Scrapagog September 2008! [I used MME Garden Party Lush Blooms papers with CGD Letter stickers Brown Glitter and Nicklin Designs Brown Scrapbook scroll ]Other bits were found in old stash!
The photo was 2 years ago when Peter and I marshalled for an inter church LOAF walk on May Bank holiday Mon, somwthing very new for us!
Using circles is pretty obvious on one of the papers and one paper cut in a scalloped circle by hand and inked using Dew Drop VersaMagic Jumbo Java, bought at Cardinal Colours where I crop
I am disappointed with my title a) I should have spelt it as Lollipop but now notice the 'y'! and b) do not like how I placed lollipop and once placed could not remove the word so there it stays :(

2nd Xanthe LO

Used the same kit as last time. I should be able to make 4 LO's from this kit? It is basic Grey's Olivia Page kit, the first I have ever used, the only criticism I would have is they are all much the same and a bit like painting with numbers!!

My first Xanthe LO

How could I have forgotten to show you this LO in June which I did at a lovely friends crop I went to. It also had a fab shop and I bought this kit which will make 4 LO's, so hope to do another LO of Xanthe today at my usual monthly crop I go to at Cardinal colours,