Ballet Beautiful

Yesterday was Celyn's first ever ballet recital. Vewwy excitin' for doting parents! It really was great to see our girl taking part in the performance in front of everyone, despite her shyness, and also fab to see how much she has learnt since beginning at Easter, and all the little dances and exercises they do in class. When I say 'shyness'...she really dislikes 'performing' in front of anybody, us included. Anyway, I got some really cute shots of it all (although the light in the hall was awful). I love this one of Husband holding Celyn...wish I'd got his whole head in, but never mind...I love it anyway.

I can't wait to scrap all of these pics...well, except in this heat all I want to do is blob on the sofa. I've got so much to do at the moment and I have the motivation of THE laziest sloth in the whole sloth kingdom. I need to stop being such a sluggard and get myself invigorated but *Chrissie whines* it's soooooo hot. Best thing about this weather though is that my washing dries on the line in half an hour flat and my tumble drier is having a summer holiday. Happiness (happiness with respect to the electricity bill, indeed). I love hanging out washing on the line. There's just something so joyous and satisfactory about it...especially white sheets. White sheets flapping in the breeze while I walk between them and peg up the smalls. Am I crazy? Am I the only woman who thinks this way?

Anyway...ballet piccies...knock yourselves out. They're so cute!

1. I personally love the little girl holding up her leg - too funny!
2. Kaaaa-jaaaa goo, goo, goo...
3. Concentrating on the teacher
4. I love this shot...one of the mums asked me to take some pics of her daughter too
5. Getting her ballet shoes on

It's Mine, Mine...All Mine!

Slurp.

Look what's arrived chez moi! Lovely Prisca Jockovic sent me my very own, personal, signed copy of her new book Scrap Embellissments (Scrap Embellishments...no kidding, really, that's what it translates as...) and I am just in a delight.

So, apart from the excitement of getting something so lovely for free... and signed (did I mention it was signed?), I would say this book is by far one of the best on the market. And I genuinely don't think it matters whether you speak French or not (although I feel the publisher should rip the hand off of anyone who offers an English translation). There are over 100 beautiful (and I mean BEEEE-U-TIFUL) layouts and other projects in this book, which are inspiration enough without being able to read the text. Prisca is a master of the art form of scrapbooking; and her work certainly does warrant the term 'art form'. Another thing I like about her is that there is nothing of the diva about her. I can't be doing with divas. She is just sweet and humble.

The book is split into sections covering how to create your own embellishments and then how to use them on pages. There is also a workbook section at the back, in black and white, giving step-by-step instructions on how to create using different media and also more detailed information about products on the market.

Also, the book is a really nice size and uses great quality paper and printing. All for 15 Euros, which is about a tenner. Blummin' bargain.

And my one's signed. Did I mention that?

Productive day...

I made the Teaching Assistant's paper bag book this afternoon whilst Daughter was at school (same photos more or less; different papers). A productive scrapping day...most unlike me. I must be sickening for something.

The whole book is now added to the slide gallery to the right along with the Teacher's one. Papers are Chatterbox.

Lovely afternoon playing with paper and glue.

And then...

Celyn went to her friend Melody's house after school to play/have tea. I went to pick her up at the appointed time to find that she had (playfully) tipped juice all over Melody, who was sitting on the sofa at the time. Dirty Melody, dirty sofa covers *Chrissie stands there feeling mortally embarrassed* Well...I apologise profusely and then sat and chatted with Melody's mum...at which point Melody comes halfway down the stairs to inform us that Celyn has now piddled on the floor. *Pass me the smelling salts* I go upstairs and try to ask Celyn about the 'incident' but she is hiding in Melody's bedroom and on being (nicely but firmly) extracted from said bedroom she proceeds to have a full on, scream at such a pitch only dogs could hear her, hyperventilating, out of control, total and utter hissy fit tantrum. With Melody's mum and Melody looking on. *Chrissie starts fantasising about purchasing a one-way ticket to the Seychelles and lying on a white-sand beach with a book in one hand and a drink in the other*.

Hey ho.

She's okay now but I think I may take up yoga. Oommmmmmm....

It's amazing what you can do with a...

...paper bag. Or two.

Presents for teachers at the end of term, and cheap as chips! I'm going to be making another for the class assistant too (bless 'em all, and all who sail in 'em). When I was putting this together at the South Wales Crop last Saturday, one of the croppers who is also a primary teacher was most put out and kept whining, "Oooooh, ooooh...I wish I was Celyn's teacher. All I ever get is own-brand smellies!" LOL

I have put the full (wacking great 3 whole pages plus back and front cover - LOL) album on a slide gallery to the right. There are also a couple of tags that slot inside but I haven't posted those. All the kids' names have been smudged out, if you're wondering why there are dirty great black blobs all over it. Papers are a mix of SEI and K&Co by the way.

And hey, Susie-Woo...you've got something to read at lunchtime now (my Scrappers Unlimited team member, Sue, tells me that reading my blog is part of her lunchtime routine and is disappointed if I haven't updated! LOL)

A miracle of modern times!

I went to two crops and (hold on to your big white M&S knickers) ...I ACTUALLY scrapped! C'est vrai!!! Last Friday evening (a humid and balmy affair) was the Swansea Crop (full to bursting) and I actually started off a paper bag book I'm making for Daughter's teacher as an end of school year pressie. I admit I didn't get very far with it because I was running around like the proverbial fly with an indigo posterior, teaching a class and what not.

And...while I'm on the subject...this (up there...there...up the top) was my class. Well...actually this was my class as completed by the fabby Nattie Grant who did such a scrummy job of it (FAB photo) that I asked if I could blog her layout as well as my original. I loves hers (said in an accent not unlike Linz Davis' *insert cheesy grin and start muttering liiii-laaaac to yourself*) Plus the photo of mine (there...there...to the right) is poop. I am liking that doodling malarky though. I'm just playing and experimenting at the mo, but finding I'm doing it all over the place, if you'll pardon the whatsit. Zoe is, by the way, the daughter of some of my friends in Reading. She is a delightful girl and is just a pleasure to be around...always smiling.

Anyhoo...Swansea Crop was all fab and wonderful and Anne and I managed not to get mugged returning the tables we'd borrowed back to their rightful home (phew!) so then the next morning I was off up to Newport for The South Wales Crop (only a couple off being full...which is a bit wow seeing as it's a summer month and people are orf on their holidays and such like and full for us down there means 40 scrappers). Although I was treasurer that day (BIG job...literally 2 hours later you sit down and then you've got to coordinate all your bits of paper and receipts and so on), I just thought blow this for a game of soldiers, and I pressed on with my paper bag book and finished the bare bones of it by the end of the day.

I'm damn marvellous I tell you.

Piccies of said paper bag book and some other bits and bobs coming up. And we'll be right back after this break. Don't go flicking channels now!

And on a lighter note...

I am very grateful to Kate in York (on UK Scrappers) who posted this link today and also Maggie in Scotland, as they gave me the best laugh of my whole week. Tooooooooooo funny.

Click! Click! Seriously...click!

The Secret World of Scrapbooking and then Scrapbooking Lady Strikes Again

A year ago today...

...evil visited London. And I quote Ken Livingstone who spoke so poignantly about it from Singapore where he was taking part in Britain's successful Olympic bid:

"I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith - it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder" (see the full speech).

I was born in London and lived there for my early years. Both my parents were born and raised in London. 3 of my grandparents were born in London and all 4 of them lived there most if not all of their lives. Many other members of my family and ancestors have these connections to this city. I have visited it a thousand times. And so I will be thinking of the victims of the bombings during the 2 minutes silence at midday.

But acts such as these are more than just geography. And most of us are simply ordinary, nice people going about our ordinary lives. But that's the point isn't it? Don't live in fear. Be just a little kinder to one another. Be grateful for, and use, our freedom to move around and think and choose as we wish. Make Britain and any other place we visit a pleasant place to be by our actions and show those who take part in any way in this evil that they WILL NEVER WIN.

Gosh...July must be 'political month' for me. Wonder what else I can get talking about... :-D

A friend of mine is writing a book at the moment (Butterfly Lullaby) which includes photos as part of the story. She asked if she could use Celyn and another of her daughter's schoolmates as models for the book. Mmmm...let me see...the chance to dress my daughter up in girly-girly clothes so she looks really cute and then take photos??? Naaaah. Not up my alley at all, that one. Bwaahaaahaa.

She also asked to use my Mum as there is a Great Grandmother Fairy character at the end of the book (and she loves my Mum's hair...she always wears it up in a French bun and it's still thick and lovely, despite being 84 this month).

So we set up a studio in my home and she snapped the pictures she needed and I snapped pictures too. And I completely love this photo I took. The lovely relationship between Celyn and my Mum is there for all to see and I'm sure in years to come this shot will be a treasure for us all.

I also took these pics of the girls as buzzy buzzy bees. Awwwwww.

England

I knew as soon as it went into extra time that it would end in penalties and I couldn't bear to watch them, so I left. I mean, for pity's sake, I could barely bear to watch them in the Germany Argentina game a few days before, so England taking penalties...no, no, no...not happening. I also knew, as chips are chips, penalties mean we lose. So I couldn't bear to watch it...just got in my car and drove home. Julia and I had been teaching Colour for Design at Crafty-Ness and I'd been watching the game on Vanessa's little TV she has upstairs. Never mind. It's only a game. Sad though.

But something else has been on my mind and I've been thinking about this for two days now...whether to blog it. However I just need to get this off my chest.

In one way I am relieved the football is over. Why? Because I am so completely and utterly fed up of my country being maligned wherever I go. And those who do it laughably seem to think it's perfectly okay for them to do so. I have had people chat to me in my local supermarket and then, upon hearing my accent, say "Oh I'd better not let my friends catch me talking to you...I'll be in trouble." All said in jest...but it had an element of truth behind it and left me feeling fairly stunned. I've had people ranting on about their English neighbours putting up Crosses of St. George (putting up their own country's flag...what are they thinking?). I've been in a school where the half-hour video they've shown for Welsh lesson was an historical account of how the medieval English laws were "stupid" whereas the Welsh ones were much more sensible and fair. I've had to listen to people blatantly going out of their way to support any team in the football (replace this word with rugby or any other sport you care to mention) who might have a good chance of beating England. I've had to listen to the local news programme talk about a soldier who was "forced" ("forced!!!" I ask you!!) to watch England with the other English squaddies he was stationed with (he wasn't forced by the way...but why use such emotive language? Husband and I were laughing our heads off at the news item...how completely ridiculous to even use such a word!). I've walked behind 9 and 10 year old boys chatting who've been ecstatic because another country has beaten England (why, at 9 years old do they hate England so much?). I've heard of teenager (a friend of a friend at church) who has "EnglandIsCrap" as her email address, and can give no good reason as to why she hates the country so much. And when I turned on the radio on the way home from Crafty-Ness on Saturday to see if, indeed, the penalties had panned out as I had expected, the first thing I heard was a Scottish listener on the phone to the Radio 1 DJ, completely jumping for joy because England had been beaten. I turned it off in disgust...not because I was upset about England losing but because everyone seemed to think that her whooping with joy was okay. That was okay to air, because it was only England after all. But...what if these people were talking about Jews? Or blacks? Everyone would throw their hands up in horror. The video in the school would never have been made, let alone shown in lessons. Law courts might even be involved.

And it has the effect of making me feel either (a) paranoid that people are always thinking such things and when someone is rude or unkind or thoughtless that it is, in fact, to do with my nationality, or (b) more and more and more patriotic because one's back is up (which then intensifies the anti-English feeling and so it goes on).

It's racism and I hate it. Whoever does it to whom.

Right. Done moaning.

Oh...and who do I want to win now? France (vous m'avez entendu, les francaises? LOL)

Addendum...

My friend in Reading rang yesterday evening with a, "Guess what Iiiiiiiii've got in my hand?". Mr Welch had duly popped the remains of the album (RIP) round to their house. Well, she went through each layout's condition and it seems that only 2 or 3 of the pages are little bit crumpled and that's all, a couple have lost part of their titles (chipboard or pieces of card cut out and stuck on etc.) so no biggie...easy to redo...and the rest seem fine (praise be all things AMM). But the album is completely wrecked, bent out of shape, and very obviously run over. So it's all just great really...albums can easily be replaced.

I don't think he restored my faith in human nature, as I have never lost it! I still have this overriding belief that the bigger majority of humans are actually fairly nice, decent people for the most part ('that time of the month' and 'I'm having a terrible day' days aside). It's just like at school - the small minority who are bad, naughty, nasty little buggars get all the attention and make it horrible for everyone else in the class.

I thought it would make a good story for the papers too but, way more importantly, I also wanted Mr Welch's address to thank him with various things of loveliness, but when I asked him he wouldn't give it me, and my friend asked 3 times as well. He wouldn't cough up with her either and said to Judith, "No no...I know why she wants it and it's fine. I don't want a reward. I just hope someone does something nice for me sometime. That's how it works." So I can't give him anything at all...not even a card...and I can't publish the story without him being involved really eh? Shaun (Judith's husband) said that I have to create a layout now all about this story (which is hilarious...I think he's got the scrapping bug without actually doing it! LOL).

I know I could easily track my hero down (Burghfield Village is small and I've got his phone number), but Husband and Mother both say that then I'm not respecting his wishes. True...but I feel so bad not to thank him properly.

Suggestions on a postcard please, addressed to Confused of Cymru....

So, do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that my album has been FOUND! As I was dropping Celyn off at nursery school this morning, her teacher came up to me and said, "Have you lost one of your scrapbooking photo albums in Reading?" Of course I was immediately bowled over by how she knew that and, more to the point, why she knew that. It turns out that a fella had found the album and seen Celyn's school name on her uniform and had rung the school (clever chap). My first thought was 'Thank goodness I called her Celyn and not some name like Amy or Hannah or any other number of names that are pretty common in any school.' Anyway, I left the playground whooping like a girly and went straight home to ring my hero. He was quite befuddled as to how my album had ended up in Burghfield Village when I live in Wales, but I soon explained my stooooooopidity with the car roof, ya-di-ya-di-ya. Burghfield Village, by the way, is about 3 miles from Burghfield Common where I was staying, so it clung on to the roof of the car for some way.

The bad news is that my album, it appears, was run over several times by various vehicles (I have visions of lorries smashing over it...*cringe*) and the pages were scattered all over the place and the album is completely unusable apparently. He said every page is damaged in some way. This rather dampened my joy, but hey...I've got the photos and the original work, so I can put most of it back together again.

My Burghfield friends are coming down here to visit in a couple of weeks anyway, so I shall see the damage myself then, although Judith's going to ring and give me a page by page breakdown when he drops the album off to her. Ah well...worse things happen at sea. And my faith in human nature is as strong as ever. He got out of his car and gathered up all of the pages, and then took the time to track me down because "I have little ones too and know how precious these memories are." Bless. Really I mean it...bless.

And the irony of the story. The man's name is Mr Welch (Welch...Welsh...geddit, geddit?).

Come ON!!!!

So how gorgeous was that goal against Ecuador then EH, EH, EH? It was Beckham bending it with complete brilliance and I think my whole neighbourhood heard my yelling through the open window and my mum laughing at my exuberance!

Come on England!!!!

Julia and I spent Friday and Saturday in Reading, so we could teach the Colour for Design seminar there. It was fun, as always, for me to be home and especially at the moment, as there are Cross of St. George flags everywhere.

I did a really really really dim, stupid thing though. We always stay with my friends (thanks Pines!) who live in Burghfield Common, just outside Reading. Saturday morning we go out to the car with our various paraphernalia, including my lovely blue All My Memories album, which has the class layouts for Colour for Design in it, as well as my girly-girl's A-Z album layouts (Z is for Zoo, C is for Chocolate Cake, etc.) and all of my latest layouts too. So, we got to the seminar, greeted everyone, and I started teaching the first class, which is a mini-book and not a page. And then I got on to the first layout - This Face. Mmmm...where's my album? Where did I put it. Tsk..it must be in the car. Julia trots out to the car park. No album. So we called the Pines..."Sorry...I've left my album over there and I need it." "Er...no...it's not here". "No it's got to be...it's not here." "No...no...*looking, looking* no...it's definitely not here. Are you sure it's not in the car?" Look in the car again - not there. And then the awful realisation hits. I'd put it on the roof of the car while I was loading the crate/suitcase/bag into the car. And then we drove off. It was on the roof. *Cue sick feeling*.

So. If anyone reading this lives in the Reading area and you know someone who knows someone who found a 'photo album' lying by the side of the road....

Colour for Design

So Julia and I are in the throes of the Colour for Design seminars, where we teach not only scrapbooking but also how good designers use colour and how we can use colour to create better pages. Gosh that sounds pompous! But these seminars are real learning days. They're fun to teach and we've really appreciated and learnt stuff even in putting the seminar together.

Last Saturday we were in Caerphilly, at the Crafty-Ness premises. And man alive it was HOT. Us ladies are supposed to 'glow'...but I'm telling ya, it was sweat and there's no two ways about it!
It was a lick your finger and chalk one up to smugness though, as my friend Nell (and her mum Sue, pictured here) came. Nell. Nell who was my bridesmaid. Nell who is now 5 months with child. Nell who last New Year's mocked me mercilessly for scrapbooking and fell about laughing every time I said the word 'crop'. And there she was, blue paint on her finger, making clay embellies. She'll be buying an Art Bin before you know it.

THIS Saturday we're in Reading with the same seminar. And I had a wild "NO!!!" experience this week when talking to one of the delegates. Anne and Tracey have booked to attend, and they both live in Basingstoke. I grew up in Basingstoke (age 5 to 10...which isn't that long, but a significant chunk of my childhood in my memory) so of course, when talking to Tracey, I mentioned this. "Whereabouts did you live then?" asks she. "Oh, just off the Winchester Road, on Packenham Road" replies I. "You're KIDDING!" says she. "I grew up on Packenham Road". Turns out she lived almost opposite me, and (we think, we're sure) her sister was in my class in junior school. We started rattling off friends we played with and we shared knowing most of them. She EVEN mentioned the Monkey Tree which was a FABULOUS tree that grew in a woods just behind her house which was excellent for climbing and swinging on and doing flips over one of the branches. How small a world is that then? So she's bringing any photos she can muster of her childhood and I am too.

Husband of course mocked me. He thinks it's not such an amazing thing and I overreact. *Him mocking me*..."Did you live in a house?!! WE lived in a house!!! Did you have a cat?!! No!! WE had a cat!!" Husband, of course, has no soul.

The next Colour for Design seminar after the Reading one is back in Caerphilly again on 1 July, and then at Crafty Pastimes on 22 July. Inbetween all of this we've got a South Wales Crop and The Swansea Crop as well.

It's all good!

Ooo Ooo Ooooooooooooo!

Look what I'm getting, look what I'm getting *Chrissie's bits start jiggling where she's jumping from one foot to the other doing a happy dance*

Prisca Jockovic is one of my favourite scrapbookers. She's French, and, partly due to the fact that I speak French, I am buddy with her (Coucou Prisca *Chrissie ondule!*) and she (bless her little French chaussettes de coton) is sending me her brand spanking new book. Which, to be fair, is

GORGEOUSNESS ON A STICK!!!!

I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so haaaaa-ppyyyyyy! Tee hee heeeeeeee, hee heeeeeeee!

Merci bien Prisca!!! Grosses biz!

Scrappedy-doo-daaaaaaa, Scrappedy-aaaaaay...

My oh my, what a wonderful day!

In our home we have an evening a week which we call Family Night, where we take time to be together. We pray, sing a song (Celyn always wants to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!), have a little lesson (could be on something in the scriptures or could be on floating and sinking *she says, thinking about one memorable evening and lots of water all over the place - LOL*) and then we play a game. Well yesterday for Family Night, Celyn decided she wanted Mummy to teach her scrapbooking. So Husband dove into the garage and pulled out his scrapbook he started about 4 years ago and I sat with Celyn and we all scrapbooked together. All of us. The whole fam-lee. It was so coooooooool!

So this is Danny's page (he held it up and counted, "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9...NINE pictures on there!" He has concerns that I only scrapbook one photo at a time on the whole - LOL).

And this is Celyn's. I did most of the cutting (she pushed the blade across the trimmer a few times but the anal person in me just couldn't bear for it to be wonky, so I set up the cut!) but she glued everything down, including the extraneous pink stripy paper that doesn't quite match but she wanted to put on the left there "because it's pink Mummy!" and she knew we had to use pink and yellow paper because of her dress in the photo.

She chose the title and the journaling sentence (which I wrote out in pencil and she traced over the top). And she wrote her name at the bottom...she gets phonetic i and y mixed up because her name is Welsh and y in Welsh is always pronounced 'Ih' (if you know what I mean). Hence she wrote an i!

And I thought I'd upload the page I had started the evening before (just for me, not for a class, just for ME!) where I was playing about with my new Heidi Swapp pencils (won them at Bonanza!).

So ain't we the Scrappy Family on the Happy Families pack of cards eh? Eh?

It's all good!

What will I do with my Wednesday evenings?

Desperate Housewives Wednesday has finished for the summer...and probably most of the autumn as well (seeing as the series never starts here the same time as it does in the States). And what a STUNNER of an ending too. Back to back soapy slathering bliss...two whole hours of action packed, funny (oh I howled when Lynette was shouting at that woman (no spoilers) in the restaurant...she's so fab!!), tense, emotional, twisty-turny drama. Completely worth staying up till 1am to watch (and I may watch those 2 episodes all over again on Channel 4 next week just to get another fix!) What a fab show. I shall miss it...*sigh*

Still sorting all the stuff for the Caerphilly Scrappers Unlimited seminars on Saturday. Nearly there. Husband is going to help me do all the final bits and bobs tomorrow (he volunteered!). He received his results for his degree today too...a 2:1. Good job Mr Willicombe! He da bomb!

And we are sporting a rather large England flag in our bedroom window (which overlooks the front of the house) as of today, to cheer on the lads...which is no small thing when you live in the middle of Welsh Wales I can tell you (heh heh). The England flag is received with much thanks from the lovely lovely Linz at Crafty Pastimes. That Linz is such a thoughtful girly (something I've noticed about her). She knew how hard (well, nigh on impossible) it was for me to get a Cross of St. George living here and sent me one in with my ribbon order for Saturday. I did ask in one of the larger supermarkets if they had any flags and the shop assistants just sort of laughed at me. Ho hum.

Anyway...2-0 over Trinidad tonight...and I was only able to catch the first half (including the near miss where Terry just managed to kick the ball out of our goal in time ...eeek!) and of COURSE they score both goals in the second half. Blimmin' typical.

So...nothing much along the scrapping vein in my blog today. Just lots of telly really! LOL

Oh Scwidgmfffffraaaapoooooooo craaaaasssssshhhhiiii*!@!

I've been printing off the handout for the Colour for Design seminars, which kick off this Saturday at Crafty-Ness in Caerphilly. The handout is actually not, as the name conjures up, one flimsy page of cursory information, but a fabulous (IMHO) 12 page booklet that it's taken me hours to write. And. I am telling you. If the printer takes 2, 3 or 4 sheets through all in one go one more time (which, I strenuously add, have already been printed on the other side with text and pictures galore, eating up my ink like a ravenous wolverine meaning I have to reprint the soddin' lot), I swear...I SWEAR...I shall throw it out of the window and be done with it. That'll learn it.

Damn silly stupid damn printer damn thing.

Witterings...

Anyone that knows me knows that I like a good laugh. And this entry in my mate Debbie's blog today made me howl.

And this Torn link in Jools' blog on Wednesday made me laugh out loud (as they LOLingly say).

And one of my scrapping buds, Chris, describing the rest of the residents on her holiday in Cyprus as "the cast from Cocoon" made me gurgle the drink I was in the middle of downing.

Nothing like a good laugh eh?

I am just a little bit perturbed though...my barometer in my bathroom that I watch like a hawk has dipped. About 2cm. Edging its way towards 'Rain'. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... this weather is so divine. I just can't be going back to cloudy grey. Make it stop. Positive thinking. Everyone will the pressure to rise again!

Scrappin' on the patio...

This is the layout (finally) that I put together last week when I taught my friend to scrapbook sitting on her patio (with the coleslaw, the bubbles and the happy children...you remember). I just wanted to add the journaling and the word to the left of the photo.

Papers are Daisy D's, and the background is the white sheet from the Basic Grey Blitzen range. 'Sweet Memories' is a Scenic Route rub-on (loves them, I do), and the 'Happy' letters are Provo Craft. Photo by me (I love my camera).

And...praise be all things hayfever...Husband is strimming our back garden (which was in all fairness, completely un-cuttable for weeks because we have a bog instead of a lawn. We're indispute with the builders about it at the mo'...but this was it 2 weeks ago...and it hadn't rained for days when I took these pics).

Oh the happy hum of the strimmer. Oh the not so happy sound of husband muttering...

There is sunshine in my soul today...

I've been busy this week and been a quasi-pseudo blogger. Repent, repent, repent. In my defence, husband has had his final performance for his music degree (he had to choose six pieces of music that showed off his various skills on the guitar...both electric and acoustic...and then put together a band to accompany him, although the examiners only really look at his playing). He was cacking himself, to put it politely, but he's good and I'm sure he's done well. He did the music from that advert...the one with the coloured balls bouncing around San Francisco...as one of his pieces. It was really lovely hearing him practice it around the house. Anyway, he's finished now and I've suddenly got a husband/father/general dogsbody (did I say that? Did I say that?) again.


Saturday is the South Wales Crop and Sue Bailey and I are teaching techniques and ideas we picked up at Bonanza. This is my version of one of my classes. Different papers, different everything really except the flappy bit at the bottom (the two squares open to reveal more space for photos and journaling). This layout is all about the many moods of Celyn, and we love her "whatever" that mood is. Eeeeeeeven when she's whiiiiiiiiiining.

The 'LOVE' bit is a sort of (but not really) steal from the famous Green Peace Love Art by Robert Indiana. I printed my chosen font out hoooooooge and then cut it out in black cardstock. Patterned paper is Melissa Frances and the ribbon is delicious and I want its babies (but I don't know what it is...May Arts probably). I've got a little Making Memories sticky jewel on the brad too, which is rather shiny-shiny (and therefore gorgeous).

Celyn and I were in that lovely garden of her friend yesterday after school, and they played in the paddling pool till they were (a) very cold and (b) prunes. Summer...it's just happiness.
Look at that girl posing though. She reminds me of a 1940s model. I'm a scrapping mum and I've unleashed a monster...a kid who is becoming very proficient in front of the camera!

Ooo ooo...big news is that Gloucester 2 retreat is FULL and it's not till the beginning of November!! And there's a growing reserve list too! We've got some great classes lined up because The Scrappers Unlimited design team is just fab! Fiona is published in this month's edition of The Scrapbook Magazine, and Julia and Rachel's work has both been requested by a magazine too, so they'll be in future editions.

It's all good!

And (no spoilers) but who saw Desperate Housewives on E4 last night? How dark was that?!! Poor Lynette. Poor Bree. (Great telly though!!!)

In an attempt to avoid being a donkey's bottom...

...and because it's Saturday and the Post Office is now closed...and because the third-place winner of both challenges lives in Swansea...and because I'm dozy and forgot to bring the prizes with me to the crop last night...I'm off over to Kim's house this afternoon with scrapping stash.

Zu...I'm saving yours till you're back from your trip
Fi and Debbie...I'm bringing yours to the South Wales Crop next Saturday
Gill...Monday (I promise!)

The first Swansea Crop was really really fab. There were several new people to meet and get to know which is always a pleasure, and then lots of faces I know and love there too. It's all just happiness really. But in all the madness I forgot to (a) bring my camera and (b) get Susie-Woo to take a photo with her camera. Ruh-roh Shaggy.

And I think Sian's outdoing herself now with this here weather. Right. Off out.

Busy, busy, busy...

...doing South Wales Crop admin, Swansea Crop admin, Gloucester 2 retreat admin (you get the picture). Big wide bum from sitting in front of the pooter all day...

But here's a cartoon I came across that made me laugh out loud.

Later, bloggy peeps.

What a happy day...

...*wink* thanks Sian Lloyd. Looks like she sorted the weather then. See where you get if you complain!

We had the most lovely day today. My girly-girl and I went over to her friend Melody's house (and I've become mates with her friend's mum, Sharon). Well poor Sharon wrote me a desperate email a couple of days ago, in the throes of the half-term holidays (and I quote):

"So far I have brushed invisible Celyn's hair. We have played hide and seek with invisible Celyn and also played in the sand pit. Help!!!!!"

So we arranged an in-the-flesh visit of the real Celyn for Melody to play with! LOL

And, yippee skippee, they've got a patio, patio furniture (with parasol) AND a lovely garden, all to go with this here sun-shiney weather. We sat out at lunchtime eating jacket potatoes, with salad and the most delicious homemade coleslaw. It was all just decadent happiness! Celyn and Melody played all day in a happy, happy manner, and then when Sharon and I started snapping some great shots of the kids with her fabby (better than mine) camera, I nipped home and grabbed my scrapping stuff and I happily taught her how to scrapbook. Outside. In the sunshine. Under the parasol. While the kids blew bubbles and did far-too-much-paint-swirly-paintings. Aaaah me.

Does life get any better?

The layout we did will be blogged tomorrow by the way.

Unfortunately, upon our departure Melody has now returned to asking Invisible Celyn if she would like some juice. Might just have to go over again sometime soon....WHAT a shame (heh heh).

Bank Holiday Challenge Winners

Well, again a tough one!

*In a Queen Elizabeth voice* My mother and I would like to thank all of you who entered the Scrappers Unlimited Bank Holiday Challenge. I name this ship:


'Converse' by Zuleika Greenham in Althorne (Essex)

Zuleika just loves these Converse shoes...she says she has a pair for every occasion! And I loved her layout!


'Giggle' by Fiona Griffiths in Newport (S Wales)

One of my Scrappers Unlimited team members, Fi, wins second place. I thought the rich blues and the sweet photo of her son Rhys (now a strapping young buck at university!) were just gorgeous! Her inspiration was the little stripy blue top he has on (which she still has - any mum out there will get that one!)

'Water Babe' by Kim Morgans, Swansea







Kim drew her inspiration from her daughter's swimming costume, and copied the pattern and colours exactly using cardstock. The white flower (that appears on the swimsuit) was drawn and cut out by hand (wow!)

Seriously, I would like to thank everyone who takes part in these challenges. It's really fun receiving all your entries.

Prizes for this (and the last one...I'm rubbish at going to the Post Office, but *that woman in Father Ted voice* I will, I will, I will, I will, I will) ...prizes will go out THIS WEEK!!! Or I'm a donkey's bottom.

I'm having a word with the authorities!!!

I have been walking around my house quite frequently lately just refusing to put the heating on. "It's practically summer. Why would we need the heating on!?" I am thinking. And yet...I've been walking around just a bit chilly. Cold toes. Two layers of clothes. Being quite happy to be cooking over the lit hob. You get the picture? And I keep finding my mum under her duvet watching TV instead of on top of it... mmmmm.... So. This morning I turned the heating on. And, damn it, I'M NOT HAPPY. This ridiculous, cirrostratus, precipitating, hypothermia-inducing weather has GOT TO STOP.

So you can smirk Sian, but I'm writing a stiff letter of official complaint love, and you'd better do something about it! *Chrissie starts jumping up and down, fists clenched* I want sunshine and I want it NOW!

First Swansea Crop...

...on Friday, and this is the class layout I've just finished. We are completely FULL (yey!) and there are several people coming who've done no/very little scrapping, and then several people coming who are fabby at scrapbooking. Hitting the middle ground is a trick and a half!

I love these photos of Celyn (got to love my Nikon D50!). The journaling (cut off - hurrumph) reads: "Going to Bristol Zoo - just me and Celyn - was such a happy day. It was warm and sunny. the animals were exciting to see. And the grounds were really beautiful. We lazed on the grass by this flower bed for ages, and Celyn wasn't bored or whiny or fidgety. It was just happiness."

The scan's rubbish (but my camera battery's dodo-esque at the mo' - however I will put a better pic up once I've charged it and taken a photo rather than a scan).

Right. Off out with Celyn-Welyn to buy her a doctor's outfit (she was taking my pulse and shining a light in my mouth this morning - chortle, chortle).

You can always tell...

...when people are out doing fun stuff of the bank holiday ilk, as blogging and UKSing and looking at Scrappers Unlimited websiting goes all to bo-diddly squat. But that's okay because the sun is beaming like a three year old who just discovered the word 'bum' and that's just as it should be.

And I finished my last project for the Colour for Design seminars yesterday but I can't show you (arrgh) cos it's secret and I'd have to kill you. Bwaaahaaahaa. Well...actually, cos it's for the seminar and it's like publishing before it's officially published for ze customers, quoi. But here's a BIT of it (about 1/8!). I am very happy with it although I ripped it apart 2 or 3 times before I finally pulled it altogether in 20 minutes flat (isn't that always the way?). The pre-work was necessary to the 20 minutes...but it was excruciatingly annoying at the time.

I shall show the whole thing once the first seminar is over :-D

Need to make the famlee some dinner now before they all slip into a coma...or (worse) start eating junk.

PS. I've had some challenge layouts in already...hope you're all busy scrapping!

Bank Holiday Challenge Time Agaaaaain...

Well, I thought I'd give you fine peeps much more notice for the Bank Holiday Challenge this time (anyone would think you had other things to do apart from scrapbook your life away - chuh!)

Soooooo...

Ya reeeeeh-deeeee?

The challenge is...

Take an item of clothing from your house (yours, a family member's, something that no-one's laying claim to but kicks around in the back of your wardrobe), and use it as inspiration for a page. You could re-create the pattern, use the colour combinations on the clothing, or particular shapes and colours mixed together. OR you can use the actual item itself to form part of the page. OR you can scrap about the item of clothing itself (if there's a story to be told in them there hills). As Blind Date Graham would say, "The choice is yoooooours."

The layout can be about anything you like subject-wise (unless you decide to actually scrap about the clothing itself). And the clothing can be any item...tops, skirts, trousers, shoes, hats, belt-buckles - heck, even an old pair of knickers, I don't care!

The layout has to be emailed to me, Chrissie@ScrappersUnlimited.co.uk, by MIDDAY, TUESDAY 30th MAY. And again there is a prize (scrumptiousness) and, more importantly, the head-expanding glory of it all when you win!

Any questions, just yell...well...ask politely actually :-D

Whistle while you work...

...which means I shall be puckering up and blowing, if you'll pardon the expression, right through June and July then! I have something on every single weekend for 2 months. Bloooooooomin' heckaroonie. So...

Friday 2 June - Swansea Crop (first ever...need to make my class layout)

Sat 10 June - South Wales Crop in Newport (and Susie Woo and I are teaching, as we are the Bonanza Babes...need to make my class layout)

Friday 16 June - maybe the next Swansea Crop...or *

Sat 17 June - Colour for Design Seminar at Crafty-Ness, Caerphilly (need to finish one project, and start last layout)

Sat 24 June - Colour for Design Seminar in Reading

Friday 30 June * - maybe the next Swansea Crop if 17 June isn't right for everyone

Sat 1 July - Seminar again, but location not released yet...hush hush

Sat 8 July - South Wales Crop in Newport (at which I am doing nuffink...well...apart from organising it I mean)

Sat 22 July - Colour for Design Seminar at Crafty Pastimes in Stonehouse, Glos

Pass me the smelling salts...I think I'm going to have a funny turn. Danny is so supportive though...love him.

I swung by the hall for our new crop on Saturday and took some piccies...here's my girly-girl showing everybody the wonder that is our hall! She also has ballet in here and you can see the bars on the walls for them to do whatever it is ballet dancers do at the bar. No doubt we'll outgrow this hall within a year and have to shift...but I'm really happy with it for now. I think we've only got space for one or two more people for the 2 June as it's filled up within a couple of days. I just am so excited for that crop!

Must go and scrap now though....

Oh and at the risk of being a total anorak...here's just a teeny tiny piccie of my new (leatherette seated) car (silly grin).

We've pulled off the heist...

Ever since we picked up our new car we've felt like the garage is going to spot that they got a bum deal in part exchanging our old car for this thing of beauty. When we drove off in it, we felt like we'd just pulled off a heist, and as we went straight to the closest petrol station to fill it up and therefore had to drive back past the trade centre to get home, we honestly half expected them to be standing at the side of the road, flagging us down. At least 3 days in a row after that, Danny came home and asked if the garage had called demanding we bring it back.

But it's now Saturday and so it looks like we've pulled it off! Phew! Having said that, they never once even turned our previous car's engine on, let alone look under the bonnet.

Our new car is so fabulous. Did I mention the seats are leather? Weeeeeeell...leatherette (LOL!!!). It's really really cool to drive, the air conditioning works, it has a 5 CD changer, two sun-rooves, and I can change stuff on the stereo with the control by the steering wheel. And if any robbers are reading this blog, there are at least 10 cars in my immediate neighbourhood which are much, much, much nicer than mine....

Crop Crop Crop!!!

I am so excited because fi-hi-hinally I have pulled my proverbial finger out and sorted a venue for a crop in the Swansea area. Hoo-hah!!

Ahem. Little ripple on the drums please. The first Scrappers Unlimited Swansea Crop will take place on Friday, 2 June 2006 from 6.30 to 10pm (late night cropping, cos it's a Friday and we live on the edge), at Tir Coed Village Hall, Penllergaer, Swansea. Fiver to get in, three squid for the class (as taught by me, myself and I for the first one). Scrapping. Munchies. FAAAAB hall (new, clean, lots of light). Raffle. Stuff to buy. Lots of girls chatting. Bliss.

We already have 13 definites and another 2 or 3 possibles who will be attending. And I. Can't. Wait!

Chavs

I had a run in with a chav today. I was trying to turn my car round after picking up Celyn from school (her school is in a cul-de-sac...Victorians didn't think about such things as cars when they built schools...such lack of vision, don'tchafink?). Anyway, it was proving a nightmare because people kept walking behind the car (it's got its reverse lights on and it's obviously horizontal in the road... but there you go - sigh). Anyway, fiiiiiiinally there was a space and I reversed the last foot I needed to get back, so I could do the 3 point turn, when I heard someone bang their fist on the back of the car. This lady (despite the fact that I'd been moving) had walked behind the car. Well, of course I was mortified. My head spun round immediately to apologise, but I was greeted with a string of obscenities worthy of a late night Channel 4 drama, many of which were of the four letter variety and starting with an alarming array of different letters.

Well, I just don't do people treating me like that, so I turned back and carried on moving the car round. She then came and banged on my window. "Wind your window down!! Wind your window down!!" she was yelling, peroxide blond hair flying about and a plethora of gold earrings jingling. Will I heck as like, I thought, imagining a fist leaving a sovereign ring indentation in my face. I did concede to lower it about 4 inches however. For my trouble (tsk!) I received another torrent of swear words, from which I couldn't get a word in edgewise (I don't think she even drew breath for about 6 sentences).

All this abuse, with swarms of children now flooding out of school all around her, and Celyn sat in the back of the car, looking on in (quite honestly) horror. We just don't ever talk to each other in such a way in our home, and she'd never seen the like of it. We even have a rule that Eastenders (etc.) is not watched if Celyn's up because we don't think the way they talk to each other in that (and all the other) soap(s) is appropriate for a 3 year old to be watching.

Anyhoo, as the chavette walked away I calmly said, "I'm sorry but I don't respond to people who shout and swear at me." She just carried on screeching as she walked off and Celyn said, "Mummy, that lady didn't listen to you" and then "and she didn't say sorry".

It really made me feel sad that people are so aggressive. A member of the Scrappers Unlimited team had a similar thing happen to them last week, except he opened her car door and it was a bloke, which must have been even more intimidating. She was completely shaken up for days after.

Ah well. I had a big hug off of Celyn when we got home "because that lady wasn't very nice to you". I'll turn the car round before I park tomorrow I think!

Sneak Peek { I'm being naughty! }

I feel naughty. This layout is actually a class project for the upcoming Colour for Design seminars we're teaching at Crafty-Ness' studios on 17 June (half the places gone already and we only released details yesterday!!!) and in Reading on 24 June (only 7 seats left on that one too). I shouldn't be posting it really, but I'm just pleased with it, so I thought, "Oh, what the heckaroonie." It's got some soppy journaling too, so click on the image and please dab your eyes in an emotional manner (mwaahaahaa).

It's all based on a well known company's advertising colours...and if anyone can name that tune, I'll send them a kit (with a few other bits and bobs).

Of course I could post one of Julia's luuuuuuuush classes too...with Sassafrass Lass papers...but no, no...I must restrain myself. Got. To. Be. Goooooood!!!