Paper Obsession

Those life lessons keep coming..

I had a bit of catching up to do, but now I have a couple of pages to share from my Learn Something New book..

So here's Friday's page:

Along with the hidden journaling card:

We are currently remodelling our kitchen - on a minuscule budget! Rather than hauling out and replacing all the units, as we originally planned, we are simply moving things around and adding home-made base units and recycled worktops to fill in the gaps. I rather like the original wall cupboards - they are REAL wood, painted an antique cream (or is it decades-old white.. we're not sure), and they go right up to the ceiling. It would have been so sad to replace them with 'foiled laminate' wall units with no character whatsoever!

And here's yesterday's page, documenting our afternoon trip to the beach:

It was SUCH fun playing on the seashore with the boys splashing around, drawing faces in the sand, collecting seaweed and generally getting wet.

Memories of that lovely afternoon prompted me to muse about how much happier I am when Gareth's home on the weekends. We get to do things together as a family. And that is my lesson for today.. page to follow!

A near miss.. and a direct hit

Harry's first day back at Nursery yesterday went pretty well, although apparently one of the teachers shushed him during circle time, which he was a little upset over. He was trying to tell everyone about our summer camping trip but I suspect it was someone else's turn to talk. Oh well, he'll learn!

In the afternoon, we met up with my friend Jo and her little girl Rosie in Eastbourne. After a nice cup of tea and a cake in the shoe/toy shop/cafe, we walked over to Gildredge Park. The playground was teeming with mums and kids enjoying the sunshine.. and the last shreds of summer. Charlie spent about 20 minutes on one of those stand-up roundabout things, gently turning round and round. Preoccupied with Harry, I left him to it.. big mistake - and one of my learning points for the day.

We were about to leave when Charlie wandered over to me. 'Aren't you feeling dizzy after all that spinning?' I asked. 'I don't feel very well,' he replied in a small voice. I crouched down to give him a hug, at which point he threw up over my shoulder. Bleargh!!! Thankfully Jo was on hand with a bottle of water and copious wipes, and was even so kind as to clean the mess out of my hair.. not a nice job as you can imagine!

Lesson learned... Don't let Charlie spin on roundabouts - unless there's a good friend on hand to deal with the consequences.

As if that wasn't enough, we returned to the car to find we'd notched up a parking bill of £4.40.. for two-and-a-bit hours - ouch! And I could have parked up the road for nothing. Another lesson learned... The Enterprise car park is a last resort.. park on the street next time!

On the way home, I don't think my mind was fully on the road ahead as I had a bit of a near-miss involving a reversing car and a bus. I'll spare you the details.. suffice to say I drove very carefully the rest of the way home.. and we arrived unscathed (stinking of sick, yes, but unharmed). Third lesson learned... When driving, ensure brain is fully engaged at all times.

And on to the page... I actually used Shimelle's 'Print & Cut Challenges' to help me decide how to tackle it.. and picked out 'Go with lots of labels!'

The labels were stamped with Stampin' Up! 'Frames With A Flourish'.

The letter stickers are Making Memories 'Tiny Alphas' and the letter stamps are by Studio G.

The felt leaf is SU!'s 'Stitched Felt - Sweet Pea'.

Thanks for your visit!

Sarah x

Equilibrium restored..?

The boys bounded in this morning at 6:45am after a blissful night's sleep. Lucky them.. I could have done with another hour myself..

At least it meant we were up and ready, with time to spare, for Harry's first day back to Nursery. He settled in brilliantly, busying himself with the toy cars and giving Charlie and me a cheery goodbye wave.

With just Charlie in the house this morning, the place is SO much more peaceful.. and I'm feeling more on an even keel than I did yesterday. I've photographed my work so far.. and here it is:

This is the inside front cover - it's a calendar for the first half of the month:

My title page explains what I hope to learn this month (although I fear it'll take a lot more than a month to learn some of these lessons..)

Maybe I should explain my frazzled thinking when I wrote this on 31st August..

• When Charlie starts his new school, I will need to drop him off at 8:40am, then somehow sprint to Nursery - with Harry in the buggy - to drop him off at 8:45am. It's about a ten minute walk.. uphill. Hence the need to be in two places at once.

• I think sometimes I let my heart rule my head.. and undervalue what I do.. and have made umpteen other little mistakes in my quest to make crafting a business as well as a hobby. A subject for another blog post, perhaps..

• I need to learn how to work SMART - I guess being out of the workplace for 4 and a half years means I'm a bit out of practice. I get flustered and stressed when I have lots to deal with all at once.. and I'd really like to get better at this.

• I really dislike cooking. I used to enjoy it when I was just cooking for myself and Gareth. But since having the boys, it's become a great big CHORE! I think their fussy tastes have really dented my confidence and enthusiasm in the kitchen. I need to try and get it back somehow!

• And finally.. I really admire my fellow bloggers who have regular blog features and who manage to write intriguing blog posts filled with crafty goodness. I aspire to be this organised!! Again, it's all down to time management..

Phew! Where did that come from?!!

On to my page for 1st September..

I'm not entirely pleased with it.. it's a bit of a mess to be honest, but perhaps that accurately reflects my headspace last night!

The stamps I used were from the Baroque Motifs stamp set by Stampin' Up! If you're interested in buying any SU! products, or finding out a little more about SU!, I'd be delighted to welcome you over at my other blog Seaside Stampers. As I mentioned previously, I'm offering FREE shipping on all orders within the UK for the month of September.

Right.. I'm off to enjoy some quality time with Charlie.

Have a lovely day!

Sarah x

Cupcakes and Crises

So... First of September.. A big day in so many ways (well at least two).. Did I learn something new? Indeed I did.. but photos of crafty efforts will have to wait til tomorrow.

Here is what I learned..

• Stampin' Up!'s Last Chance List was published today.. this long-awaited, much-speculated-about list (amongst the SU Demo community, if not the rest of the population) reveals all the stamp sets and other products from the current Idea Book & Catalogue that will be retiring at the end of September. 

• Sneak Previews of the brand-new Idea Book & Catalogue (released 1st October) revealed a MASSIVELY improved (IMHO), gorgeous book stuffed to the brim with delicious new products.. along with revamped, fresh Colour Collections. 

• I'm going to need a second mortgage to afford everything I want from said new Idea Book & Catalogue. Eeek.

• We appear to be having an Indian Summer.. hooray! Today was glorious.. unlike the vast majority of August. The boys played at camping in the garden, loading up the Cozy Coupe car with wheelbarrow (acting as roof-rack) and plying me for drinks and food for their trip. Cute!

• Baking cakes with the boys, while fun and undoubtedly A Great Experience for both them and me, can be extremely messy and frustrating. If I had a pound for every time I told Harry to get his fingers out of the bowl I'd be able to afford half my Wish List (see above..).

• And finally... I've been unaccountably out of sorts today. I think the pressures of September are weighing heavily on me. I have a really busy month ahead.. Harry starts back at Nursery tomorrow, Charlie starts Reception on 27th Sept (aaaaages away), I have a variety of card-making classes, workshops and events planned. It's all feeling a bit WAAAAHHHH!!!! Well, it's either all that or it's my hormones.. I might just be fine tomorrow.

Piccies of my opening pages coming tomorrow.. time for SLEEP!

Getting ready to Learn Something New

I've been beavering away at my mini-book for Learn Something New.. just four days to go! Rather than having to 'reinvent the wheel' each day, as I attempted last year, I decided to make things easier by binding the book and stick in papers on each page. Eeeek! I'm hoping I don't regret what I've done so far - but my challenge is going to be 'Don't Stress - Just Go With It!'

The papers are all from the Stampin' Up! Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack.. so many gorgeous patterns!

I printed my dates on to white cardstock then punched each one out with a Stampin' Up! Oval punch. I also punched out a load of Scalloped Ovals in coordinating colours and stuck the first few dates to scalloped ovals (after inking the ovals first). I've done the first week's labels (you didn't think I'd have sat there and done all thirty did you..?).

Next job - gather up/make embellishments and journaling spots. Yummy! :o)

I'm Learning Something New.. Are You?

One week to go until Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day starts again.. I had a darned good go at it last year but it was not always easy making a complete page every day! So this year I'm trying to get organised. So far I have:

• Decided on my page size
• Decided on my colour scheme
• Cut my chipboard covers to the correct size (no mean feat for my poor little brain it seems)
• Punched holes in covers and pages with Bind-It-All, also correctly (surely a miracle?)
  
• Started decorating said covers.

I can't quite decide whether to go further and start making up at least some pages according to last year's sketches just to make the whole process easier. Does that take the fun out of it? I just know September is going to be frantically busy so I'll probably need to keep this project simple and do-able if I I'm to have any hope of keeping up.

So here's where I am so far...

• Pages - 6x6"
• Colour scheme - mid-brown, hot pink, turquoise and pale pink...

or in Stampin' Up! speak... Close to Cocoa, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise and Pretty in Pink (don't these names sound so much lovelier?)

(the photo doesn't do these colours justice, obviously!)

I've also added in a couple of Hambly printed acetate pages for extra prettiness.

• Covers - 6 1/2 x 6 1/4" with two of the corners rounded.

Here's my front cover:

 

The stamps are all by Stampin' Up!, namely

• All A Flutter (the butterfly)
• Vintage Vogue (the flowers and vines)
• Very Vintage Stampin' Around Wheel (the background, stamped in Versamark)
• Just Perfect (alphabet stamps - 'something')
• Frames With A Flourish (the frame around 'Sept 2010')

The chipboard letters for 'Learn' are also by Stampin' Up! (they are called 'On Board Loads of Letters') - I inked them with 'Pretty In Pink' ink, then coated them in Crystal Effects (SU's equivalent of Glossy Accents).

{Interested in owning any of these lovely stamps? If so, why not pop over to my SU! blog, Seaside Stampers, where you'll find full details of a special September offer. I'd be delighted to help you!}

South Wales adventures

Last week we stayed with my parents in south Wales.. here's a few highlights of our week.

Monday.. we took advantage of the sunshine and headed to Barry Island.. recently made famous by Gavin & Stacey, of course..

   

Wednesday... Harry's 3rd birthday...

..Ogmore beach.. rock-pooling..

...Splashing in the sea.. (isn't this photo dreamy..? I just love the colours! Thanks Dad)

Thursday... Porthcawl promenade..

(been playing with the LOMO effect on Dumpr.. thanks Sian for your post on this!)

 
..the boys idolise their Grampy..

...Harry takes to his new bike..

..a rare family photo!

Now to get scrapping some of these...

A Stash Giveaway.. a Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop.. and a Special Offer!

Today I have three bits of news which I hope will be of interest to you.

1. I'm giving away some lovely stash!

2. Stampin' Up! have a fantastic Special Offer starting on Sunday 1st August which, if you're into stamping, is well worth a look.

3. To celebrate this promotion, there's going to be a Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop, starting at my other blog Seaside Stampers on Sunday morning.

So, what would you like to know about first?!

The stash giveaway, right? OK... here's what's up for grabs:

Bo Bunny 'Love Shack' double-sided papers, Super-sized alpha stickers and Combo stickers - 13 papers and 2 sticker sheets

K & Co Brenda Walton 12x12 Citrus Neapolitan Scrap Pad To Go - some sheets used but loads left!

Three wooden flower stamps.. and one wooden handbag & shoes stamp

Dovecraft 12x12 Designer Paper Pack - Wild Blossom by Kate Knight - one or two sheets used

Dovecraft 12x12 Designer Paper Pack - Winter Wonderland - one or two sheets used

Papermania 12x12 acetate sheets - Secret Garden - just the Owls and Flowers sheets

Depending on the number of entrants, I may split the goodies between two or three winners. I will also be adding a few bits & pieces such as ribbons, buttons etc.

Fancy your chances? Here's what to do.

• First, please go and check out my other blog for more details of Stampin' Up!'s August special offer.

• Second, come and join me and my SU! friends on Sunday for the Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop! You'll get to find out about how Two-Step Stampin' stamp sets can be used to great effect on your layouts. Leave a comment at each stop on the Hop - and then return to this post and let me know you're entering the giveaway!

• For an extra chance of winning, simply become a follower of Seaside Stampers.

The closing date for entering the giveaway is 10pm on Sunday 8th August.

So please leave a comment on this post - from Sunday onwards - to enter the draw.

I hope you'll be able to join us on Sunday.. I know there'll be lots of inspiring pages to enjoy, and it would be wonderful to see you over there on the Stampin' Up side!

Sarah xx

Here's where I'm at...

As you may know, it's been almost three months since I took the plunge and became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It's been quite a steep learning curve.. And yet, in these last few months I do feel I've begun to achieve something.

On Friday 11th June I held my first monthly card-making class at Community Wise, Eastbourne, for the benefit of just two ladies. I fretted all week in the run-up to that class - but I got through it.. and my ladies enjoyed some creative me-time while producing two pretty hand-stamped cards. 

The following week I gave a stamping workshop to a group of ladies who attend a monthly scrapbooking club in Hailsham. I was a little petrified at first - but my hostess and the other ladies were so chilled out and friendly, the evening was great fun.. and also a success in terms of orders!

I held my second monthly card-making class on Friday 9th July - this time at home. It was attended by three ladies this time - well that's a 50% increase on June's numbers! It was the right decision to hold the classes at home - I felt so much more relaxed, and I hope my guests did too. The ladies each made two stunning cards and had lots of fun in the process. :o)

Meanwhile, September is shaping up to be a pretty hectic month. I'll be doing another card-making class, giving another stamping workshop and also holding an Open House event.

To add to the general chaos, Charlie starts school in Reception class and Harry will be doing five sessions a week at Nursery. The logistical challenge involved in getting each child into his respective school within a ten-minute window - all before 9am - is going to be taxing to say the least! (And that's assuming they will both go happily into class without tears or fuss.. eeek!)

{Charlie getting to grips with box-making.. a natural talent!}

I'll be back tomorrow with news of a scrapping blog-hop, a fantastic SU! promotion... and maybe even a big stash giveaway?!!

Fancy a quick nose round my other blog..? Pop over to Seaside Stampers to see a few more of my SU! creations.. I'd be delighted to see you over there!

Thanks for reading..

Sarah xx

fantastic persoanilsed cards-r-us

Last week I was browsing the Netmums Coffee House arts & crafts forum and came across a request:

Anyone make fantastic persoanilsed cards?? (sic)

The lady wanted a special card for her other half's 30th birthday so, feeling public-spirited, I said I'd be happy to help. She then got back to me with some frighteningly specific requirements. She wanted 'something like a bloke on a black and red motor bike', and went on to say her OH's 'fave bike is the Honda CBR 600 RR'.

Right then.. I panicked for a minute and wondered what I'd got myself into. Racking my brains, I just couldn't recall any 'blokes on motorbikes' stamps, stickers or even (shudder) peel-offs in my stash. What to do? Admit defeat? Or find a piccie on the tinterweb and add text and such?

To my relief, it was remarkably easy to find a suitable (in fact, perfect) picture.. and the rest came together quite painlessly too!

I made the silver corners with a Diamond Plate Cuttlebug embossing folder. Inside the card, I added an insert which read 'You're not quite over the hill yet'. Ho ho! 

I just hope my customer and her birthday boy like it.. haven't heard back from her yet. Will let you know!

ETA: She liked the card.. and so did her man.. so I'm happy!