Happy Birthday Dad

How quickly time passes - can't believe this was two years ago - but what a happy memory....

It was so perfect that we had this day - a proud one for him- and the cutting of the fuchsia didn't survive !!!!!!!!

All behind like a cat's tail

The time has flown by so fast since we had a new addition to our family.I must admit I've been a tad engrossed in settling him,but he's lovely and a part of the family already...
I haven't been sitting around idly though (honest) I can show you some of the layouts I made for the April gallery for A Trip Down Memory Lane.We were given Studio Calico to work with. I used a little collie stamp I found for the pawprints and the dog at the bottom on this one....

                                                  A very old pic of me !

                    My eldest in his beloved onesie (when he's not stealing my slanket!)

                                  A collection of photos from this year so far...

and here's a photo of little Sandro and Archie- they are best buddies now :-)

Picking my Precious



The first Sunday of each month is Storytelling Sunday over on  Sian's blog, From High in the Sky, where we tell a story about something that is precious to us.
This is not technically an old precious but some of my precious things through the years have to have been my dogs. They have all held very special places in my heart right from the very first Sheltie I had when I was 16 -Sally,up to our present boy Archie....

So anyway,the story goes,we had two girls,mum and daughter together back in 2008/9 ,sadly the mum died and we got Archie- then shortly after  we lost the daughter and Archie was left on his own. I really wanted to get another dog,but things took a turn in our lives and time was taken up with my Dad becoming really ill very swiftly and he lost a battle with cancer. I wasn't in the right place in my head to take on another dog as there was much to do with house selling and clearing and all the stuff that has to be done at a time like that.....
Moving on to a few weeks ago - I heard that there was a little boy Sheltie whose owner was looking for a new home for her 16 month old boy due to unfortunate circumstances in her life. After numerous phone calls and emails,photographs and three visits at each other's houses with said dog, he joined our family yesterday........ Himself said he hasn't seen me so smiley in a long time! 
So here he is - little Sandro - welcome to our home little man - we love you lots already ..

and it turns out that he and Archie have the same Dad - so they are half brothers !

The Musketeers' first Challenge

Today is the launch of the first ever challenge over at the Crafting Musketeers Challenge Blog. The subject for the challenge this month is 'Anything Goes' literally - so any products  you choose can be used. The winning entry will receive a fab prize which has been generously donated by Carley from Creata 

Pretty nifty prize isn't it ? 

 I am one of the DesignTeam members - here is my project-a card using Indigo Blu stamps and a Tonic Studios flower punch for the smaller flowers,all stamped with Tim Holtz's Picked Raspberry Distress Ink 

Have fun if you enter and good luck :-)

March ATDML DT

My first layouts as an official member of A Trip Down Memory Lane's design team went up in their March gallery recently. Wel were given a range of Glitz papers to work with..
I wanted to try and do a kind of all white type one with one of the photos of the castle in Germany, but it didn't quite work,so I slipped some of the Glitz black and white hexagon paper underneath,I went a bit mad with some gold spritz too!

The next one was another snowy one, I made a couple of rosettes with a Tim Holtz die and added some buttons

Complete opposite this time with a layout of our youngest's graduation at the end of last summer...warmer colours this time 

another warmer one - our tea for two layout

- I used some little wooden embellishments on this one 

The last one had a bit of stamping on and just a simple photo of himself and me 

These were beautiful papers to work with,I really enjoyed using them.

                Thanks for popping by as always 

At last....

                        It feels a bit like spring!......

Retreating for the weekend

Last weekend was spent away at the wonderful Stoke By Nayland Golf Hotel meeting up with friends old and new for 3 days of scrappy happy crafty fun.
I missed my friend Jane who was unable to come this time but managed to drag my son's girlfriend along kicking and screaming ;-)  ... luckily she had a wonderful time and wants to come again! First up was a stop along the way to checking in to see the sign that always means the start of the weekend for me- the lovely fire......

Catching up with friends

Doing a bit of scrapping - Graphic45 again!

and a bit of card making too

This is one of the classes - Katherine Sutton's 

Having fun in class 

Making beautiful flowers taught by Karen Moss

and I got to teach a make and take too !!! 

Lots of people have asked so I'm going to try and do a tutorial for this as once you do it -it really is not that hard,and it's a lovely card/envelope for a special occasion -or just for something different. it's not my design initially -It's been around for a while on the internet,-but it's fun to do...

So - just a few snippets from the weekend, roll on the next one !