Paper Obsession

Hello campers... hi-de-hi!?

Pontins.  Camber Sands.  The Sun's Holidays for £9.50.  Never again....!

We really should have done our research.. I'm all for a little faded elegance, and generally I adore period architecture and vintage decor. But our 'apartment' was something else entirely. The apartment blocks gave the impression of one of those run-down blocks of flats such as you'd see on The Bill. Yes, we'd left our beloved home in sunny Eastbourne to stay in a one-bed council flat. Happy holidays!

nice paint job..

great views of the neighbours

ok, so this is 'budget'.

The boys didn't notice our dismay and had great fun exploring our new 'home' (which took about a minute). We decided to dine out since the kitchen really wasn't up to much. After a bit of searching round the site, we located the 'Sands Restaurant' and ordered our meals. 'So is this Leigh Delamere or Membury services?' I asked Gareth.

the boys enjoying a cultural experience

After tucking the boys into bed later on, we settled down onto our sofa-bed, each clinging to the edges to stop rolling into the middle, each trying to devise ways to cushion ourselves against the mattress springs. Then a party started in the room below.. and continued til 1.30am. Aaaaargh!!!!!!

Saturday morning arrived.. and so did a deluge of rain.. absolute cats and dogs! We considered abandoning the weekend and going home.. but that would be to admit defeat, so we soldiered on. We'd heard good things about Dymchurch, a few miles away, so off we went to explore. The rain had stopped by this time, so armed with buckets, spades, wind-break and towels, we trekked through the town to the beach. And discovered the beach was made of concrete. The tide was right in, the waves lapping against the brand-new sea defences with not a grain of sand to be seen.

'Beach re-opened for you to enjoy the summer at Dymchurch', says the sign. Oh, thanks.

OK, so it wasn't all bad.. the beach at Camber Sands was indeed huge and sandy. When we visited on Friday evening, the sea was about 3 miles away, it was freezing and blowing a gale. On a good day, though, I'm sure it would have been lovely.

You call this summer?

Saturday night was better - no parties below us, and sleeping on a pillow eased the bruising from the springs. We explored a gorgeous little town called Hythe, and climbed up the huge stone staircases of Bodiam Castle (my thighs are still in agony from the descent carrying Harry). The boys had lots of fun - and that's the main thing, right?!

 

Where's the castle?

If you got this far, thanks for enduring this tale with me! :o)

We'll look back on it all and laugh one day..

Birthday bling..

It was my mum-in-law's 60th birthday on Monday and for a while we had been trying to come up with some special gifts for her.

It just so happened that I recently 'met' online an Eastbourne lady who makes the most exquisite jewellery - her blog is called Lady In Pink Creations and is well worth a look. Browsing Jo's blog, I became really excited at the thought of asking her to make a special gift for the birthday lady! We decided on a necklace and earrings set incorporating Maureen's birthstone, rubies, along with freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals. Jo did a fantastic job - Maureen was thrilled with her gift and looked radiant in the stunning necklace and earrings!

My photo doesn't really do it justice but there's a better photo on Jo's blog here.

And here's the birthday card I made for Maureen...

The card was made with Stampin' Up! stamps, designer papers and punches; further details can be found on my Stampin' Up! blog, Seaside Stampers.

SALE! Everything must go!

OK, this list is not exhaustive and when I find more than a minute I might give my little Sale its own page.. or something. But anyway.. here goes.

I am not charging for P&P.

If you are interested in anything here, please email me with what you'd like on slpiggott73 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Payment is by Paypal - please mark as GIFT so I don't have to pay fees to Paypal! Prompt payment would be much appreciated.. I will get items in the post (First Class) as fast as humanly possible.

Tim Holtz Cling Mounted Stamps - Urban Tapestry
Sheet size: 7ins x 8.5ins (17.5cms x 21.25cms) approx.................. £17
(Barely used - in excellent condition)

Hero Arts Cling Stamps:
(All in immaculate condition {except some staining to CG101} and in original packaging)

CG100 Snowflake Circle.... £5 (cellophane packaging slightly torn)

CG101 Striped Circle..... £4.50

CG105 Silhouette Flower...... £5

CG102 Antique Brocade....... £5

Banana Frog Stamp Sets: (all in very good condition though some stamps may be stained)

Build-a-Bloom.... £6  (currently retailing at £10.99)

Retro Snowflake.... £6 (currently £10.99 but out of stock on the BF website)

Jeannie Shrimpton (large alphabet) .... £8 (retired)

It's All About Stars (large set) .... £10 (currently £15)

I will be adding various patterned paper collections and other bits and pieces next week.

Thanks for looking.. and please spread the word!!

Sarah x

Revealed: my double life

It's true.. I've been leading a bit of a double life for the past six weeks or so. But I can't keep it to myself any longer. It's time to let you in on what I've been up to (as if you've been wondering!!)

Before I build up the suspense too much, here it is (drumroll please):

I've become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Woooo-hoooooo!! Yes, I'm excited about it (although a little terrified at times, too).

So why have I been keeping it to myself? Well.. firstly, it was my month as Guest Designer on the Banana Frog blog this month - so I wanted to fulfil my commitment there before shouting my news from the rafters (not really fair on either Banana Frog or Stampin' Up!). Secondly, I had been active (albeit sporadically) on UKScrappers and they absolutely do not tolerate any talk of SU! on the forums.. or links to any blog on which it is clear you are a demonstrator. The reason for this is simply that SU! is not a sponsor of UKScrappers.. therefore SU! shall not be mentioned.. ever!

Anyway.. I don't want to get embroiled in the politics of all that! I'm really happy to be a Demonstrator.. the Stampin' Up! products are fantastic and I love using them. So far I've started up a monthly card-making class in Eastbourne and have done a home workshop for a lovely group of ladies who also loved the products. I have plans for further classes - scrapbooking as well as card-making.. there's just so much I want to do with this!

I have started a new blog just for my SU! creations.. if you're interested (or even just mildly curious), I'd be delighted if you came to visit - I'm at http://seasidestampers.blogspot.com.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm having a stash sale - I really do have WAY too much craft stuff that I'm simply not going to use (and - if I'm totally honest - there are SO MANY things I want to buy in the SU! catalogue).

It's getting late.. I'll try to post a list of what's up for grabs tomorrow.

By the way.. if you have time, please let me know what you know about/think about Stampin' Up! I'd love to hear your honest opinions or perceptions.

Pretty things..

1. Our little meadow at the back of the garden.

2. My new mugs from Waitrose (remind me so much of the wonderful spots and stripes in the new Cath Kidston catalogue.. but without the price tag)

3. OK, so they looked prettier before the boys got hold of them..

4. A bead and button necklace bought from a stall at the Community Wise Farmers' Market on Saturday.

5. Baby apples in our mini-orchard.. This tree is right next to my washing line so I can check on their progress each day as I hang out the washing.. they are so sweet!

I'm having a bit of a clear-out of craft stash... spread the word... there'll be lots of brilliant (and barely used) goodies up for sale as I make room for... well, other stash.. I know I'm being a little secretive about things but I'll let you know what I'm talking about in my next post..

Flying the flag...

 

On the way back from our toddler group this morning, I was explaining to Charlie all about the World Cup and how England needed to win this afternoon.. and I suggested he and Harry might like to make England flags to wave during the game.

Shortly after arriving home, Charlie found a drinking straw in the garden and disappeared into the house for a few minutes. He then emerged, proudly waving his new flag - a piece of a plastic subject divider with a red cross drawn in red Biro, sellotaped to the straw. Genius! He then very kindly made one for Harry so they could both wave them during the game..

COME ON ENGLAND!!!!

Catching up and sharing some creations

Happy Father's Day to my Dad... here's a sneaky peek at something which really should have dropped through your letterbox yesterday - SORRRYYYY!!! - it'll be there tomorrow :o]

Ooops.. it seems I've let a good two weeks elapse since my last post.. I've actually been really busy on a number of projects which I've had to keep under wraps for a while. I still can't explain myself completely - that'll have to wait until next week!

Meanwhile, here's something I can tell you - it's my second day as guest designer on the Banana Frog blog today and I'm sharing two projects, an altered mirror using the 'Hiya Chick!' stamp set, and a scrapbook page featuring my boys in the paddling pool along with 'Super Dreamy', 'Build a Daisy' and 'Pharmacy' stamp sets. {Eagle-eyed Gauche Alchemy fans will also spot one or two items from their Blue Streak Mixed Media Colour Kit!}

Apart from a bit of trouble with non-crackling PVA glue, I loved doing these projects - so thank you Beverley from Banana Frog for the opportunity and for the lovely stamp sets!

Finally, I hope you don't mind if I share one more layout which has been under wraps since March. This one has just appeared in Scrapbook Magazine in the Activity Pack section and features my little boys on the Dotto train in Eastbourne last summer - way before our plan to relocate here was even hatched!

The flourish frame underneath 'DOTTO' was a print-out from Shimelle's class 'Something from Almost Nothing'.

I'll be back next week with some news! Meanwhile, enjoy Father's Day and I hope the sun is shining for you.

Thanks for reading..

Sarah x

We're having an adventure!

Yesterday was a glorious day of sunshine here in Eastbourne. Gareth is off this week, as we have the builders in, and it's half term so the boys are home from nursery too. Seemed like a very good time to get out of the building site that is our house and go for a picnic.

Our back windows overlook the steep wooded slope that leads on to the South Downs.. it's a stunning and enticing view. Gathering up our supplies, sun cream and hats, we set off up the hill - somewhat off the main path - and soon came up against impenetrable undergrowth. Undeterred, we perched on the hillside and ate our picnic, admiring the view of the houses below us.

Sandwiches and crisps duly eaten, we tripped back down the hill and tried another route, this time along a picturesque path through the trees. The path started to descend, though, and we really wanted to get right to the top for the best views.. so again we ventured off-piste, following a tiny trail upwards through the woods and brambles.

OK for us grown-ups, but a little trickier for a 4-year-old and nearly-3-year-old to manage. The boys were brilliant though and saw the whole escapade as a tremendous adventure. Eventually we made it to the summit - scratched, dusty and nettle-stung but elated by our efforts! And the views were definitely worth it.

"We made it!!"
 

Some sort of cattle pond I believe..

Yes, it was a most excellent adventure.

(sorry about the Bill & Ted reference, couldn't resist it..)

Greetings from sunny Eastbourne!

Well, it's been ages.... about six weeks since my last post! So much has happened, it's hard to know where to start. In a nutshell...

After all the anguish and stress, our house-move went incredibly smoothly.. it was just exhilerating to arrive in Eastbourne and unlock the door to our lovely new home. We can see the South Downs from our garden and, although we can't quite see the sea, we can always hear seagulls overhead. It took the boys a good couple of weeks to realise that we live here now, not in London. They love it here - the garden is much bigger and more exciting than our old one, their grandparents and cousins live nearby, and we have the BEACH to play on!

Once frustrating thing was the lack of a working phone line and internet for the first few weeks. But I'm up and running again now, with my new craft room more-or-less open for business! Care to take a peek?

A bit more storage and desk space and I'll be satisfied! ;o)

Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, I've been working on some projects for the Banana Frog blog. As guest designer for June, I needed to create four projects with the stamp sets I was sent (Matryoshka Dolls, Hiya Chick and Build-a-Daisy). The first instalment will be on the blog on 1st June, with the second offering (still a work in progress) scheduled for 15th June.

Here's a sneaky peek - to see more gratuitous wrinkly hand shots, check out the Frog Blog on Tuesday!

Finally, if you're reading Mum - Happy Birthday! I hope you don't mind if I share the card I made for you, along with the gift box... have a lovely day!

The spotty paper is from a sheet of wrapping paper from a gorgeous little flower, gift and community art emporium near us called Eden. I could browse and buy in there every day!

That's all for now... time to pay a visit to my long-lost (and much-missed) blog pals... see you soon!!

We're on the move.. at last

Well, we've been through a hellish few weeks trying to get to the end of the house-moving process. It's been one set-back after another.. but at last today we exchanged contracts on our house purchase, with completion set for tomorrow.

It's been such a rocky ride I can't say with any certainty that we'll get to move in to our new place tomorrow.. the only sure thing is that we will be moving out from here! This could be my last post for a couple of weeks as it takes a while to get the phone line and broadband all set up (yes, I am going to go CRAZY! But at least I may get some scrapping done.. as and when I locate my essential bits and pieces.. on that subject, packing up brought home to me what an embarrassingly huge amount of stash I have!).

Today is my Dad's 60th birthday (Happy Birthday Dad!!!)... as part of his present I made a little mini-book called 'A little book of happiness'. It's filled with photos of Dad, Mum, Charlie and Harry during our holidays in Wales and their visits to us. It was fun to make and also busted a bit of stash!

Here is the front cover:

The papers are by Bo Bunny and the butterfly stickers by Papermania. The other alphas are assorted letter stickers and rub-ons.

Here's the inside front cover:

Well, that's it - my time is up.. got to finish packing and get to bed.. so apologies if I don't get around to see you for a while, my blog friends.. I'll catch up when I can!

Sarah x