Got The Friday Feeling

I'm off work for the rest of the week and I'm so excited.  Maddie is 16 tomorrow and I've got a lovely surprise for her.  Paul and Pippy are arriving tomorrow night and I can't wait.  It's payday so I'll be visiting some craft shops and generally just chilling and crafting and enjoying the sun.

This weekend I had a go at the Twisted Sketches challenge #55.  Had great fun because I love sketches, the twist was flags and here's my interpretation:

lots of bunting and lots spare, I cut too many but it's always fun on a layout.

The letters were stamped and then cut out, an idea I saw on Shimelle's blog the other day so all credit to her.

Can't wait for the next sketch now! x

The Heat Is On

It has been a fantastic, sunny and relaxing weekend and I've enjoyed it so much.  I even managed to get some layouts done!

I finally cut into my April Sarah's Cards Kit and did this page of my great niece:

I love all of the different butterflies

I also did a layout using the Gotta Craft crop kit

Paul came up with the title, he said the photo reminded him of someone making snow angels

Today I had a surprise invitation to a BBQ at my sister's where I had a great water fight with the kids, I was probably the biggest kid of all but who cares, life's for living and laughing.  The day ended with the kids getting dressed up and putting on a show:

Only two days at work this week and then five days off, I really can't wait to spend some time at home scrapping and maybe slipping in some craft shopping too! x

Congratulations

To my sister Jemma and my brother Jon, you did it!

On Sunday they made it to the finish line of the London to Brighton bike ride.

It was Jemma's first time and she was elated.

Jon's done it before so he was more reflective.

I'm very proud of them both x

We're Going On A.....

....no not a bear hunt, an elephant hunt!  Me and Maddie had a fantastic day in London looking for elephants, we walked for miles, had a picnic and a laugh and here's our favourites to share with you now:

Bobby was Maddie's favourite and the one she knew she HAD to see before we'd even started!

I had to find the Monopoly one especially for my friend Queenie:

We searched for Sherlock Holmes for Paul:

Not hard to find really because it was on Baker Street but a hell of a long walk.

I was thrilled to find Daisy as it's my favourite flower

From a distance this looked boring and just blue and white.  When we saw the polar bear we thought it was amazing.

It was very nearly tea time when we found Fish & Chips!

The cow we spotted was highly amusing!

Maddie has always been obsessed by ships in bottles so there was no way we could go to London and not see this, absolutely amazing.

We had a great time but I ache all over now, we walked for miles and I'm looking forward to a soak in the bath! xx

The Girl Done Good

I can't believe that Maddie had her last day at high school today, the time has just flown.  When she left primary school she wasn't given a place at high school, not just no place at the schools of my choice but no place at any school, and it was a battle right up until the last minute.  I got a phone call at 13:30 on a Monday afternoon to say that a place had become available for her at a school I wanted and she could start on the same day as all the other kids.  The start date was the very next day at 10:00, what a rush it was to get all the uniform and everything she needed in time to start!  She walked in alone on her first day because nobody from her old school was going to her new one and I was so proud of her.  I am still so very proud of her, she's done so well and made some lovely friends.  Enjoy the next couple of months Mads cos it all starts again with 6th Form in September!

Terrible pictures but that's what happens when the sun won't play ball and shine where  you want it too!

Just to humiliate her even more, here's a layout I did of pictures we'd taken the day before she had all of her hair chopped off:

Look at the face she's pulling LOL

Every day she makes me smile and every day we laugh together x

Bacon and Cheese

Maddie picked today's title and it's very bizarre because she likes neither bacon or cheese!

It's been another busy week but a great weekend.  In keeping with the football theme that is everywhere at the moment the weekend kicked off on Friday with my niece's 1st birthday:

I love these birthday cake sparklers.  My sister made the cake, she's so clever when it comes to cake decorating but Maddie couldn't look at it because there was a clown on it!

Yesterday I spent the whole day in excellent company at my monthly crop where I managed to get two, yes two layouts done despite sitting next to Sandra!

I met Hamish a few years ago when I was on holiday, oops I mean working, in Scotland.  He was poorly the day I went to see him but he still managed to pull off a nice pose.

I would love to know what my little nephew was thinking about while he was lying on the grass, he started there for ages just looking at a blade of grass he was holding.

Today I went to a couple of car boot sales with Clare, we didn't find any bargains but it was nice to walk around in the sunshine.  This afternoon I sorted out all of my stash and I'm hoping to maybe get started on a layout tonight, we shall see.

Maddie's feeling shy today but she assured me she was smiling behind her hands.

Have a great week one and all x

Arrrgggghhhh

I am starting to hate Tuesday, and that doesn't include the fact that I spent all day thinking it was Wednesday! Last Tuesday I had lots of plans to craft, thought all my time was my own once work was over and then Alfie goes and catches a bird in the garden.  He seems to have multiple personalities that include: being a dolphin and liking his tongue tickled, being a baby and liking lots of cuddles, being a hunter and catching a squirrel and now he's added a cat to his repertoire by catching a bird.

Anyhoo that was last week and this is tonight's problem: When I got my new job I phoned to change the direct debit on my house insurance, they couldn't do the day I wanted but we got it sorted in the end.  The month passed and they took the money out on the wrong day when the account was empty.  Got them to give the money back and then paid it to them a few days later.  The following month it comes out on the wrong date again so I'm stuck on the phone for ages and then they assure me it won't happen again.  They were right, this month the money didn't come out at all! I called them and it's because they've cancelled the policy due to non-payment even though they've confirmed I have paid.  I shall have answers in 48 hours but in the meantime I've had to take out a new policy!

On to nicer things. Here's a layout I did of Maddie and my niece.  Just looking at the picture makes me laugh because it's captured the proper belly giggles they were having:

I used a crop kit from Gotta Craft

Just look at them laughing

And the brads were perfect

Yesterday I got some bargain inner cushions for only 97p each so I'm hoping to start making the covers at the weekend.  I have also finished one sock and started the next, just haven't had time to take a photo yet.  Also thought I'd tell you what a cheek my brother's got, he came to bingo last night, sat in MY seat and won £46!

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

I have had a fantastic few days in the sun but I'm pleased it's a bit cooler today.

I had the day off on Friday and met up with my friend, Lynne, in Hampton Court.  We had a lovely walk through Bushy Park and then went for lunch by the river:

I've always wanted to eat here but never have:

We got a table right on the river:

And watched the boats:

I even managed to get Maddie out in the sunshine!

After lunch we went for a walk round the shops and ended up in my favourite quilt shop.  They had a lovely bargain pack of fabrics in red and some of the material had cherries on.....made for me.  I didn't get it though, don't know why, I think the heat must have got to my brain!

After the shops we sat in the shade in Bushy Park so that Lynne could look through my scrap books.  Maddie had a drink that turned her tongue the same shade as the blue on her t-shirt, very co-ordinated!

I went shopping in Dorking with my friend Clare on Saturday:

She'll probably hate me for posting this photo of her but I think she looks so nice in it.  We ended up doing one of our favourite things:

Having cream tea with proper clotted cream no less!

I told Clare about the lovely material I'd seen yesterday and although we looked in the quilt shop at Dorking nothing matched up to it.  So she raced me over to Hampton Court to get the material but, despite having my fingers crossed the entire journey, it was sold when I got there so I got this:

Mainly yellows and not reds but I still got my cherries. I wanted the material to make some cushions, inspired totally by Rachel when I was reading her blog the other day.  Clare saw a cup cake cushion that she loved but they'd run out of the kits, they were very helpful and said they make her one up.  As soon as it's ready I'll be going over and getting her started on her new hobby!

I've still been managing to steal a few minutes in between working, housework and grass cutting to do some work on my socks:

They'll be ready by the winter :o) and I did manage to get a couple of pages done in a Circle Journal.

Today is going to be a lazy day of scrapping, knitting, reading and getting ready for going back to work tomorrow!  Good luck to Maddie for her exams this week, it'll all be over soon x

Rain, Rain Go Away

The rain doesn't really bother me, I like the rain but I hate how it makes the weeds grow and the dog muddy!

Alfie is not in my good books tonight because he managed to catch a pigeon in the garden.  It sat there for ages with its sad little face looking at me but, after a bit of recovery time, it soared off into the tree tops............very lucky escape considering the insane number of cats we have round here.

I had a fabby weekend with Paul doing what we wanted, when we wanted.  We had lunch at a fantastic French restaurant and then a steak dinner, we went to a craft shop and then I got this:

I spent a large whack of my bingo winnings on it but I figured it was something to keep and look back on and remember my one time win!

It's so lovely, just need to learn how to use all the features on it now.  I did do boring things like pay some bills and of course Maddie had a treat.

Being away at the weekend didn't leave much time for crafting, I did do a bit of knitting:

And when I got home I managed a layout:

The girls at my crop had set a 3 layout challenge for the weekend and although I love a challenge I could only manage one.  I used a crop kit that I got from Sandra at Gotta Craft.

Flowers and buttons as usual!

And I just had to use this title for the photo of my nephews racing around the garden.

There was so much I wanted to do tonight but the dog changed my plans and he just can't understand why I'm mad at him......stoopid boy! x