happy days

The eagle-eyed of my readers may have noticed a distinct lack of scrapbooking on this blog.  Now, there's not been a lot of blogging, I know, but even less scrapping.  There is a reason for this, and I've thought long and hard about sharing this, but it's part of me, and although it's not my story to tell, it is part of me and my story. 

So, here goes....  This is a transcription of the hidden journalling, behind the photo of my brother, my sister and me...

It's all letters and numbers

I started the day with a list of numbers.  You know, 6.40 alarm went off.

1 cup of tea

3 red lights

1 green light 

4 cups of fruit tea

You get the idea...

But, by the end of the day there were some new numbers.

1 word

6 letters

Cancer.

My brother has cancer.  He's had the op, and today found out that it's not the better seranoma we hoped for.  But the teratoma.  Which means two lots of chemotherapy.  But, that has it's own numbers.

2 doses of chemo

6 weeks

2% chance of recurrance.

He should be done by Christmas.

This was originally journalled on Tuesday October 26th 2010, inspired by the day's prompt on Shimelle's on-line class, True Stories.  And finally scrapped on 30th December 2010.

So, there you go.  Sorry to end the year on a bit of a downer.  But, his outlook is good.  He had his (hopefully) last lot of chemo yesterday, and, as a family we shall spend new year's eve together and say goodbye to the old year, and look forward.  To a happy and, above all, healthy new year.

To all of you who pop by my little blog, thank you for visiting, and here's to a happy, healthy 2011.

the owl series

My beloved owl bag.  If you've seen me in the last year or so, you're bound to have seen me with this bag.  

                                     

Now, I love a good handbag, I have a few it must be said.  But, I LOVE this bag.  It's just the right size and shape for most outings.  I bought it in the Animal shop in Newquay, when we were on holiday last year.

                                       

It has a special addition of two badges.  Phoebe bought me the night owl badge - not because I am one, far from it, just because she knows I love owls.  And the perfect badge, well that would be because I am, perfect that is, lol.

the owl series

 

A recent charity shop find, quickly sprayed white, and now living on a shelf in my living room.  I have to say that this was inspired by the wonderful Dottie Angel.  Pop and see her forsaken souls if you get a chance.  But, please don't blame me if you get serious thrift shop envy!

the owl series

I love a nice cup of tea or coffee or fruit tea or, indeed, hot chocolate.  And how better to drink it than from one of my owl mugs?

These are both from Paperchase, and hopefully this gorgeous mug will appear in my Christmas stocking...

the owl series

Back to the mini-series.  A card I whipped together for my 13 year old neice at the weekend - with an owl stamp.  So sorry, I have no idea where or when I got this stamp.  And I used my new owl tape to extra seal the envelope.

the owl series

Like many other crafters, bloggers and assorted people out there, I really like owls...  So, imagine when I popped into habitat today, and saw this...  owl... tape...  Owls and stationery in one cute bundle.  How could I resist?

Obviously it came home with me.  There was some gorgeous Christmas stuff in there too, so I'm sure to pop back if only to look at the lights.  You see, I neeeed more fairy lights.

It got me to thinking, I'll show you this, and then move onto to show some of my other owls

Large Pumpkin Alert!

 

As with most supermarkets, Tesco's have pumpkins in stock.  Today we bought a "large pumpkin" for carving, and pumpkin pie baking.  To show just how large this particular specimen is, I got Phoebe to take a photo of me holding it, in one hand...

 

And, to show I don't have giant hands,  here is the large pumpkin next to 50p, incidentally the cost of this "large" specimen, for comparison.

 

And to show I don't have a special "large" 50p, here it is with a ruler next to it.  It has a "large" diameter of 6 inches, or 15cm, in new money...

 

And, just in case my "large" pumpkin is feeling a little inferior...  Here is the "extra large" version I bought a couple of weeks ago...

 

Do you think a man may have labelled these?

Mwa-ha-ha-halloween

 

We do like a bit of decorating around here, and hallowe'en is one of our favourites, right behind Christmas.  We're not having a party this year, so that means it's all a little bit tasteful, and not too full on!  These few bits are in the living room, Luu and I did the house, a couple of years ago

 

It is decorated with some of the papers from Somerset Studio, some grungeboard swirls, pom pom trim, the bird is from some wrapping paper and Luu made the pumpkins from Fimo.

This year's additions are these words, from Hobbycraft.

Which have simply been painted, covered in patterned papers and a sticker added to the window.

I made this little picture by painting a deep frame black, and simply framing the corner of some patterned paper, and then adding the little dude who didn't quite fit.  

And, finally, another spooky little corner of our house...

 

One Day

For years, we've been saying we'll go to Clevedon - one day.

Last Saturday, that day came.  And we went.

October Crop

So, Saturday was the Bromsgrove Crop. And I actually had a plan of what I wanted to do, instead of turning up with loads of stuff, flicking through my photos, and then trying to put a page together with what I have in my trolley... I decided that I wanted to try some different technique type things - well, it was my plan, so it had my vague description...

But, first, I did this layout, following Deb's sketch



Now I've taken a picture, I can see that I still want to add some journalling, but someone at home has borrowed my "good white journalling pen". Again, the photo's not great, but it was taken on a dull February afternoon, and it captures Phoebe brilliantly, next to a cake stand full of her cakes. And, can you see that cluster? Could that be a "technique type thing"?

We then had a quick card making class, designed by Deb, but I don't have a photo of that - oops. But, it's a lovely masculine card, do pop over to her blog, if you get a chance...

Then onto my plan. Last week I came across this blog, and like her style, so, if you look you will see that I have blatantly "lifted" these...




I'm very happy with this, I like that the papers I happened to have in my trolley go so well with the colours in the photo. Want to see a close up of the technique?




Then came this layout, with bunting - that I can't believe that I haven't done before, as I have my fair share of bunting at home! It also has pinwheels on, that I had actuallly worked out how to do a couple of weeks ago, as my orchids currently have no flowers on, and I thought that pinwheels would brighten them up - really should take photo of that... Enough of the rambling - back to the story... The photo is one of my sister, brother and me, taken in the seventies, and the title should have been "smile please", to go with our fixed smiles. But I didn't have another "e".


So, that's my scrapbooking catch-up. Now all I need to do is put them into albums, and do some more scrapping!

September Evening Crop

Apart from the monthly Saturday Bromsgrove Crop, Helen and I also try and go to the Thursday night one. And in September I got these two layouts completed. That was after taking about an hour to catch up with everyone, and settle down.

I had finished these by about 9, and was going to start another one. But, decided to pack up slowly, and carry on chatting...

September Crop

The September crop at Bromsgrove was a long one, 11 till 11, with three classes by Morag Cutts. If you're a Bromsgrove cropper, or you hop around their blogs - you'll have already seen these - but these are mine...

Luu and her boyfriend, Joe, before she went to her Prom. Joe couldn't go, as it was a joint Prom with Luu's school, and the local boys' school, that Joe didn't go to. But he came to see her off, and that's a convoluted way of explaining why he isn't dressed up for Prom! But, look how his shirt matches the papers...



After the classes had finished, Helen and I challenged ourselves to do another layout using the leftovers from the class kit.



Luu and me, taken by Luu on a cable car in San Francisco. Not bad for leftovers?



And a close up of the cluster of embellishments, or "pile" as Helen calls it when she's playing up at the crop...




Then, I finished the day off with double page layout using photos taken at Disneyland, when we were in California.

Minnie is just about my favourite character - so, when I saw her I shrieked out loud, to Luu's embarrassment. I practically ran over to her, only to be politely told she was there for a private party... and could I move. Oh, well. Oh, and Mickey got into the photo, but he plays the supporting role, in my eyes.

The photos of Phoebe are really bad quality. But, just look at her face! That's why I scrapped them. It was the end of our day at Disneyland, and we were watching the awesome firework display, before a last ride then a long drive across LA, to our hotel.

May Crop in October?

Well, there hasn't been much scrapping on this blog lately, has there? To be honest there hasn't been much in real life, either. But that may just be changing...

So, for a little catch-up, here's my (paltry) contribution to my albums... Back in May, I did these layouts at the Bromsgrove Crop.

The first is of Mark and Phoebe crabbing at Bude, back in 2003.

Then, using a sketch provided by Deb, I did this layout. Again using an old photo. This time of Luu, taken in 1998, just after Phoebe was born. The story behind it is that she had got herself dressed that morning (to "help" me out) in her best black velvet dress. During the morning my Mom and Dad popped in, to see if I wanted anything from the supermarket, I can't remember if I did... But Luu decided to go with them, and when they got there, by chance there was a photographer. So, she had her photo taken, in her best dress, on a Saturday morning at Tesco's.
It's really not my normal style - whatever that is... But, sometimes it's good to go out of your comfort zone, and I think it works quite well with the style of the photo, and that pink velvet chair.


And, finally, a layout that was put together really quickly, of Phoebe on holiday in 2009. Much more my style...

San Francisco Farmer's Market

I'd read about the San Francisco Farmer's Market before we went to California, on the sfgirlbybay blog ( a good place to spend some time, by the way). So, it went onto my list of possible places to visit.

We went to the Saturday one, and were there by about 8.30, just in time for breakfast. A coffee and a cherry pastry for me - yumm.

Then Mark and Phoebe found us some delicious sausage-roll-type things to keep us going…

While I just sat and admired the view…

Then off we went, looking at, and smelling the lavender

And admiring the variety of shopping baskets…

Please, can I take this one home?

And, to round off our morning?

…a bag of strawberries.

Possibly the biggest strawberries I’ve ever seen.  But, hey, this is America…  And they were delicious