2 posts in one day - whatever next?

Wanted to show you my altered clock which I did today (I used paint and stuff and got all messy). I love it but the bloody mechanism doesn't work (which I am not best pleased about cos the damn thing was expensive!).

Will email the company I got it from at the NEC, in the meantime it will have to just look pretty. Which is a shame as it's purpose is to stop me scrapping for 8 hrs before I realise the time....

On the plus side Mum liked her album :D.

Off to eat lasagne and easter eggs.* Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

(*not on the same plate, obviously).

A few days off (yay!)

First time off work since Xmas, and am doing not a lot (which is in fact the point). After a mammoth scrapping session yesterday I finally completed my Mum's b'day pressie - an 8x8 album of their Egypt holiday last year. Only 14 LOs but those of you who know how slowly I scrap will understand the sense of achievement!

Also decided to have a little play with my new tote I bought at the show. Seeing as R, P and I all now have identical bags, I felt it wise to personalise it before we head of to SAG. (I know it's 3 months yet, but if I don't do these things when the mood takes me they never get done). Here is said creation - mearly a bit of felt and some beads but as I don't sew it took me about an hour!


Oh, and Ruth, I have a confession....

Ellison had a sale....


I spent £35 and broke my stash diet big time....(((hangs head in shame))). In my defense they had dies for £2.50!!!!!!!!!! Who has that much willpower???

Shopping!

Wasn't feeling too well yesterday but determined to go to the NEC, I finally got there at 1pm..

Not as much scrapbooking stuff as I would have liked, but still managed to come away with a decent haul of stuff. Especially glad to get hold of the new BG 'Archaic' and am looking forward to making my altered clock for my scraproom! Not been doing lot of scrapping lately, which probably accounts for the very lax blogging too.! Have now booked my classes for S-A-G and getting very excited now (despite the somewhat trying nature of the whole process - they seriously need some better web designers).

All loved up

Gus took me out for Valentine's last night, he had a lovely hotel room (they upgraded us to a Suite!) and a very pleasant meal. It was lovely to be able to get all dressed up, I so rarely get to wear a dress and heels! Here we are looking happy (if a little tired - blimey I need something for those eye-bags!!!).

Tonight I finished another Disney page - will this album ever be finished????

A challenge from Alix

Alix and I went to the garden centre (where there is also a Hobbycraft) today, and she MADE me buy this MM Ruby paper kit between us. Alix challenged me to create a LO with the kit before the end of the day - so here it is (love a challenge me!). Am actually really chuffed with it, and proves to me that I really should buy kits cos I am rubbish at matching embellies but can do lovely LOs when it is all done for me!

Hope you like it Alix! xxx

Would also appear I have been tagged by Em.

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 Years Ago: I was 22, doing a MA in History of Ceramic Design.

Things on my to-do list today: Scrap.

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire: Buy a NY brownstone, a luxury suite at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, and a private jet - and retire!

3 of my bad habits: nibbling my quicks when I am nervous; speaking my mind even when not appropriate; talking over people.

3 places I have lived: Birmingham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Malvern.

5 jobs that I have had: Library Asst, Police Analyst, Web Developer, New Media Co-ordinator, Adcopy Controller.

5 Things people don't know about me: 1) I am terrified of wasps; 2) In 2004 I was Young Education Marketer of the Year; 3) Following a deeply scary '80s perm I had the nickname Mrs Mangle for a while; 4) My dream is to go into space; 5) My favourite film of all time is Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rebecca'.

I'll tag - Amy, Alix and Ruth x

Free stash!!!

Got home from work today to find an unexpected parcel! Even more exciting, when I opened it up it is full of lovely stash!!! I won a Scrapbook Magazine Giveaway for loads of Christmas stash (OK timing not great (Xmas in Feb!), but on the plus side it is all stuff I will use). Am a bit cross with Mr Postie though, who screwed the packet up to get it in the letterbox, so the paper and cardstock will only be good for scraps. Grrrr.

Thought you might like to see the Valentine's card I made for the Gusmeister too :). He is presently in the good books as he has booked a meal and overnight stay in a hotel for Valentine's Day - isn't he a sweetie! Love u Gusmeister xxx

My Cj is home :)

My lovely Nutters Team CJ has come home and am sooooo chuffed with it! Everyone did a lovely page, around the theme of my birth year - and here they are:

My page

Suzy B's page

Lisa's page

Amy's page (Gus approves!)

Alix's Page

Emma's page

Mell's Page

Roo's Page

Gem's Page

Thank you all so much x

CJ'ing

If you're in my Disney CJ you might want to LOOK AWAY NOW! For everyone else, here's what I have been mostly doing this week. I loved doing the HSM one but took ages to do all those doodles!!!

Aw, cute bunny

Done some more pages for my bunny album. Just one empty page now, am short of a topic. Sure something will come to me (probably in the middle of the night as usual!).

Sweeney Todd a tad disappointing. Beautifully filmed (quite Burton-esque) but I didn't think much of Sondheim's songs and it couldn't seem to decide if it was a black comedy or a tragedy.... But Johnny was gorgeous as ever, so who cares frankly!

Stash!!!

Don't you just love it when stash arrives??? Not one, but two lots of loveliness arrived on my doorstep this morning. I saw these papers at Alix's recently and HAD to have them! And the stamps were on sale so they crept into my basket too..... Yummy aren't they? And it was all within budget so didn't break the old stash diet ;).

The Hambly Rub On's are a RAK from the lovely Cleo Evans who has been RAKing things on her bloggie all week. Isn't she a sweetie? Lush aren't they!

Also here is my recent LO for the Florida album (still not finished) , which am well chuffed with :).

In other news, SuzyB has given me an Excellent Blog Award! LOL! Bless ya and your warped sense of humour Suze.

Am passing this on to my pals Alix, Ruth and Paula whose blogs I lurk around regularly :).

Worked out how to do links - did you see that? (((Feels all clever, even though the process consists of clicking one button......))) ;)

Sweeney Todd later tonight, can't wait for that!!! Johnny Depp, serial murder and singing - film perfection!

Finished it!

My xmas mini book that is! Here it is! Cute ain't it? Used my Kelly Panacci papers and embellies, and some random other bits and bobs. Snowflake on the cover was rescued from an xmas card from my Mum (I am sure purchased with recycling in mind - bless her).

Quick (???) mini book

Whoever said mini books are quick is a big fat liar. Has anyone actually ever done one of these in an hour??? Really??? Am now printing off piccies which I had to make really really small.
Printing is taking sooooooooooooooo long I have time to blog, (and probably write a small novella).

Achievements today = one page which is only 4.5 x 3.75 inches!!!On the plus side it is my Xmas book - yes I have actually started it while it is still winter. Once it actually looks like something resembling anything will post some piccies.

Snot monster

Urrrgggghhhh, I feel like poo. My head is full of snot, I can't breathe, my nose is bright red......and I feel sorry for myself. The Gusmeister is as sympathetic as ever - i.e. basically wishes I would stop moaning and asking him for cups of tea.

So am moaning on my blog instead. So there.

Yet more LO's

Well had a super fun day at the crop yesterday (((waves to crop buddies))) but as usual got nothing done (although it was noted that productivity increased significantly following Alix's departure!). I did complete this 6x6 Clematis LO and almost finished the Chester Zoo one, which got done and dusted after I got home. Am well on target for my 52 LOs, but didn't get any done for my Florida album.
Will admit to going stash shopping yesterday - all Paula's fault for pointing out that they had half price cardstock at the local shop. I needed some foam pads and a glue runner so of course could not resist looking at the bargains. Didn't break the diet though as I sold £13 of unwanted stash at the crop, and only spent £10 in the sale, so still have the halo intact (unlike some other people I know - I'm keeping my eye on you Ruthie).

Talked to the Gusmeister this morning and there is a slim chance we will get to Florida again this year! Yippeeeeee. Now all I need to do is nag him until he gives in.

Another Florida LO

Am determined that I will finish this album this year! My goals for 2008 are: scrap 52 LOs in a year, complete my Disney and Dyson albums :D.

Also here is my Mickey Memories mini book - made with stickers that Alix got me for xmas. Am doing a LO for each year I have been to Disney with space for future visits.

Am too tired to think of anything remotely interesting to write, so that's it from me.

SAD Diet

Well, have been making good use of the SAD (Stash Addicted Dieters!) challenges on UKS this week to complete some LOs for my book of my dear departed bunny Dyson. Nearly finished this album now - 3 more LOs should do it. And one week into the stash diet, still haven't spent any pennies on stash (where did I put that halo...).

Oh, and if you haven't seen Enchanted then you should. Is most amusing.

A Christmas Layout

My Christmas LO done and dusted already. Will be a mini book to follow at some point. Thank u Alix for the Merry Christmas which ended up here as my title.

Dare I say.....STASH DIET (aaarrggghhhhh)

OK I have done a very silly thing and signed up for the UKS stash diet. Here are my rules:

• I have a budget for non-essentials of only £5 per month, all other spends I must earn;
• I can buy essentials as and when I need them (not counted in budget) - these are: adhesives, mats for robo and sizzix, blades for trimmer and knife, printer inks, photo paper (am tempted to add 'anything by BG' but i'll be good...). Crops also excluded from budget;
• I will continue my sub to Scrapmagic but when it ends will either not have a sub or will look for one under £10 a month;
• I will only buy one papercrafting mag each month;
• I can earn extra stash money by doing LOs using stash I already have:--£2 per 12x12 LO-£1 for smaller LOs-£3 for a mini book - £2 for a CJ entry;
• I can earn £2 for every pound in weight I lose BUT can't have any of it until I have lost 5 pounds;
• Any money from selling unwanted stash goes back into the stash fund;
• I get a bonus £5 if I earn more than 150 points for my team in a single month;
• I will make lists of LOs I want to complete and only buy stash needed for these, not randomly buy nice stuff with no purpose in mind;
• I can only do one swap at a time. Postage for RAKs and PIFs is excluded from budget;
• I can have extra spends for the NEC of £50 BUT only if I stick to the diet between now and the show in March.

Mmmmmm, want to take bets on how long I manage to stick to this?

Such a very Merry Christmas!

Am back from Norfolk where we had a wonderful, fabulous Christmas holiday. Walks on the beach, and scrummy pub lunches. Christmas Day it took us three hours open our pressies! I got a new Lumix digicam as my main pressie but Gus really spoiled me with lots of other pressies including a beautiful Radley frame with pics of us and Leo in it, a Nightmare Before Xmas calendar, some little lights for the bath, HSM2 CD, and a divine little birdcage for my scraproom. I also got HSM2 and Hairspray DVD from Gus' parents, a Papermania storage case and shimmer chalks from Gramps and DKNY Be Delicious from my bro. Gus was pleased with his telescope and especially with his chilli hamper and Leo got lots of toys and yummy treats.

Also got a fabulous stuffed stocking from my secret santa on UKS, which was filled with wonderful goodies. Thank you santa. And from my wonderful advent santa I got Chip Chatter Gellies which I have been lusting after for ages and ages! Yay all around for Christmas.