Snug and Cosy

Okay guys I feel I should be looking for my flimsy black dress, loads of sparkles and that perfect pair of heels, but due to my particular situation I am feeling more in the need of comfort and warmth so for my Fashion Forward inspired by Clair and Katherine I have chosen more of a practical and somewhat more comfy attire

Lazy Days by specialglimmers featuring TopShop

Items in this set:
Basic Striped L/S Tee, $15
TENNIS Lace Up Canvas Plimsole, $30
Obey Sequin Star Grey Scarf : PDP, $25
Ankle Leggings, $24
Paige Delaney Sitemodel

I hope as we get nearer to that special time, my feelings will change. Are you raring to hit the town and paint it red or more like me and retire curled up on the sofa waiting for the clock to chime 12

Big apology

Hi fellow bloggers, please do not think I am ignoring you, but I have been ill all over the Christmas period with bronchitis so I have either been in bed or near it. I sound like a chipmunk on helium. Anyway I am still doing my Journal Your Christmas plus all my current challenges, so when I am back on top form and haunting your bloggs again, plus as soon as I am sorted I will be bombarding you with posts if you let me and don't mind.

Anyway hope everyone has had a fantastic Christmas and father Christmas has left all the secret little surprises we all want. I received a sewing machine of my Gary and cant Waite till I can have a play.

JYC 09 Catch up

Here are my pages for the first 5 days of Journal Your Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their will be a lot more pages to follow !

The Midas touch

The choice for my Fashion Forward this week inspired by Clair and Katherine came about because I was on a girls night out in one of my old haunts on Saturday. Before going out I got my hair done at the hairdressers as a treat to myself. Then I thought what should I wear? should I wear sparkle, glitter, or my usual the old faith full black dress. I decided on the black dress glam med up a bit with jewels. Upon arrival I could not tell you what the fashion was as their was a selection, jewels, glitter, gold, silver and colour. So I have chosen gold as this is what I would of loved to wear in my make believe world. If I had the bank balance, the venue, and more to the point the figure. Well here's dreaming.

A touch of sparkle by specialglimmers featuring Chinese Laundry shoes

Items in this set:
Herve Leger Sequined bandage dress, $2,070
Chinese Laundry Willy - Gold shimmery, $60
JUICY COUTURE designer handbags gold leather and rhinestone crown...
LA Colors Shimmering Loose Eyeshadow :: Shimmer / Glitter :: Eyes ::..., $1.99
Zara Home - To Organise - Disa Navidad Box, 9,95 EUR

Need more hours in the day

Do you ever feel that you need more hours in the day. At this precise moment in time I do it is nearly Christmas already and I still have so much to do. I have lists for everything I could not function without them. I am getting through them but their is still so much to complete. How are you all getting on? tell me what you use to keep track of your festive preparations. I have completed my atc swap for the girls over at Craftswap. I used the Whiff of Joy stamps which I absolutely love, go and have a look they have a 20% sale on at the moment. I coloured with my copic markers another favourite of mine.

Friendship and Fun

What could be better than a whole day and I mean 10am-10pm of laughter, food, friendship and a bit of crafting. This is what happened for me and a load of my crafting buddies from UKS we have an all day crop twice a year and it is so much fun, we have such a laugh. Do you recognise the reindeer above? it is my very very good friend Clair from Obstinate Pursuit (sorry Clair could not resist) . We take part in challenges and I won a prize yippee, I will upload my LO and my lovely prize which was a Christmas album a bit later. Thanks girls I had a fab day it was exhausting but well worth it.

Purple Lightning

Purple lightning by specialglimmers featuring Forever21

Items in this set:
Forever21 top, $23
Aldoshoes.com sandals, $125
GUESS? tote bag, 175 GBP
Stephen Webster ring, $510
TopShop brooch, 15 GBP

The choice for my Fashion Forward inspired by Clair and Katherine is somewhat of a strange one, don't get me wrong not because of the colour but the colour choice. Purple for the simple reason I never thought of myself as a purple girl, pink yes but purple? So to tell you how it came about. I went on a meal to a Chinese with a bunch of my close friends. Once sitting round the table one friend commented on the fact I was wearing a purple top. I said I know not like me . I thought about this comment until I returned home. Once back home I looked through my wardrobe and could not believe it. I had so much, not just a little but loads I could of opened a shop. Their was knit wear, blouses, tops, necklaces,ear rings, bags, shoes and even a ring. So thinking about it I never thought of myself as purple more of a pink girl, but I could be wrong. Have you ever thought of a colour that is not you, to only find that it is ? or is that just me.

Advent time

I know traditionally that Advent started on Sunday, but Advent has started for me today. The reason for this is my Gary went out this morning while I was busy trying to finish my assignment and bought me a Cadbury's advent calendar full of little chocolates to be opened every day. So it is official Christmas starts from today.


I have completed my Manifesto which is my intentions for my Christmas journal, and the things I am hoping to complete by 6th January 2010, oh that's scary its nearly 2010 for my Journal Your Christmas which started today with Shimelle - but i WILL photograph it before i go to bed and will add it on here in the morning.

I have also been playing about with my white balance on my camera, sounds weird write but not really it is day 1 of Cheryl's online photograph course over at Feelgood Photos., and that was the first challenge.

Anyway whatever you are all doing today have fun !

My Mark

The challenge over at Its all about me is talking about marks and what they say about you. This one was hard for me, as I have had the odd knock from when I was a kid. Like falling off a roundabout when a load of older boys got on after me and decided to go really fast, and you guessed it I fell off. Or when I was late for school one morning when it had been snowing, and you guessed it, when I got to the door I just could not stop and went flying half way down the corridor before coming to a stop very abruptly with a very hard wall and a similarly hard head mistress. Who gave me detention for running on the school grounds, and sent me to the nurse to get fixed up. but apart from that nothing to write home about. So I thought about the only mark that means anything o me and that is the one you can not see. The marks that are now in my brain caused by the illness, but that is fine that is not a problem they are what make me me.

P1070218, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

I won

Just had to tell you this, I won yes me. I attend a scrapbook crop where we all meet in a local church hall once a month. I have not been able to attend for ages so it was good to see all the girls and have a good chat. At the end of the month it is a bit special we are set a challenge given papers and a title and then left to our own devices. Then at the end of the day everyone votes on the layout they like the most and I won. I was asked to choose a parcel out of two and I chose the biggest. To my delight it was a little red scrap bag and I love it is is so cute. Thanks girls I had a fantastic day!

This is the layout that enabled me to own this gorgeous bag, see what you think!

The papers that were supplied were paintables which I coloured with my trusty copic markers which I just love and the embellishments and jewels were from my mounting stash.

New Photography Workshop

It is nearly that time again, Christmas will be here before we know it. I love taking photographs of the whole holiday, but must confess I am somewhat of a novice, so I was lucky enough to be one of the 100 to take part in

Cheryl's

Days of Christmas Photography workshop, and I am so looking forward to it. Our first task to do is take a Christmas self portrait so that reminds me, where did I put that Santa hat and tinsel !!

I have not had chance to complete this yet, but as soon as I do I will upload the photograph. Wish me luck!

All that glistens is not gold

This week I have decided to do my first Fashion Forward which is inspired by the lovely Clair and Katherine it is inspired by another new love silver. I used to be a gold girl, I had the necklace the bracelet earrings you name it, but after my last birthday when I received a gorgeous silver necklace my tastes have changed. Don't get me wrong I still love gold but their is also a special place in my heart now for silver.

A Touch of Glamour by specialglimmers featuring Jimmy Choo sandals

Items in this set:
Yarnie by Shin Choi dress, 155 GBP
Jimmy Choo sandals, $795
Heavenlytreasures.com earrings, $2,995
Gucci watch, $970
TopShop bracelet, 15 GBP

This is a selection of some of the challenges from last week end over at UKS. I had a fantastic time, and thought I would share what I have done so far. Their is still a lot of classes I wish to complete and will upload them when they are done.

toto

Now to what I have been doing all week end, I have joined in with the Cyber Scrapbook crop over at UKS It is a challenge that lasts over the whole week end starting on the Friday night and finishing on the Sunday night, we are given a timetable then put into teams and given challenges and classes to complete. I managed to complete 9 Lay outs and a few other bits and bobs I did this to try and defuzz my head so I can concentrate more on my studying. I became part of the TOTO team can you guess we had a theme of the Yellow Brick Road.

toto, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

(GO Toto's ). I wish to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who helped me especially Ruth who kept us all under control. I had a fab time, and will definitely be joining in with the next one. I am now defuzzed and I will upload photographs as soon as I can. Have a happy Monday everyone and thanks for popping by.

Crafting and cake is there anything better?

Well my Internet has been not playing again and I have so much to tell you first of all, I had my usual Friday afternoon at my best est friend ever Clair's, I took her some cup cakes to Cheer her up as she was feeling really under the weather and let me tell you, just the look of them was scrummy.

DSC_0534, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

So during coffee and cake, we decided our papers for Journal Your Christmas, so we should be sorted now famous last words. So it was a very productive day, and I am looking forward to next week.

DSC_0545, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

I Just Can't Live Without?

P1070131, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

This months challenge over at Its all about me involves including the phrase "I just cant live without" I had no problems whatsoever with this one, as it has to be my laptop as my Gary would say, it is probably joined to my hip and all my friends live in it lol. The paper is my trusted card stock Bazzill, the journaling blocks are making memories, and the gorgeous black beaded flower is from my very talented friend Clair over at Obstinate Pursuit who will shortly be selling these on line just watch this space.

P1070132, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

October CSF Challenge

October Craftswap challenge involves a

This sketch was ideal for a page I wanted to do to remember my brothers dog Hamish who we sadly lost in September of this year. The papers I have used are gorgeous and from Little Yellow Bicycle , plus I got to use for the first time my nestabilities die they are fab.

Craft Swap Forum September Challenge

CSF September Challenge 1, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

CSF September 2, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

Better later than never,due to not having use of my camera I have been unable to take pictures, so here it is my entrance for the Craftswap September Challenge which is set every month by the lovely Lesley. Her challenge was 3 x 3 that is 3 of anything so here is mine.

Yay I am so happy today, because I have found my camera charger so I can now upload all my pictures of completed scrapbook layouts and cards for challenges, better late than never that's what I say, and just in time for the new class at Shimelle

Halloween (also spelled Halloween) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints, but is today largely a secular celebration. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

How do you celebrate Halloween? I love seeing all the children dressed in their costumes young and the old and watching scary movies.

At Craftswap we do a swap every year where we send two people special cards 1 which is a trick and one which is a treat. I have used a which digital stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil and have coloured it in with promarkers. The atc's are for the same forum, we send 12 atc's to 1 person and once they receive them all they sort them out and we then get 12 different ones back. I have not had the swaps yet but once I receive mine I will post a photo.

New Shimelle Class

Today, thanks to my good friend Clair I have signed up to Shimelle new class which I just had to do. It starts in November, and runs all the way through the month with an added bonus of a book of a whole year of prompts and ideas, just what I need. It is called Blogging for scrapbookers. I thought it might help me organise my thoughts a bit better and keep me on track.

Pigeon Holed

Do you ever feel as if you have been pigeon holed ? This is the first challenge in October at Its all about me This took a lot of thinking by myself, as I feel quite strongly about this reference, because this is exactly how I feel. For my layout I have said I am not a statistic I am a person. How many of us feel like that? I am sure there is loads of you out their not just me. For my journaling I have hid it behind my photograph so if anyone wants to see it they have to remove the tag which says:

I am not a statistic, since being diagnosed as being disabled after my diagnosis of M.S in 2008. I have thought more about life and me in general and have come to the conclusion that despite being classed as disabled I am still a person who has feelings, emotions and loves life.

Fantastic 40th Birthday Present

I am not that happy today as I have completed 2 scrapbook challenges for Craft swap Forum . A challenge forum I have been involved with for a couple of years now, but unfortunately I have not been able to upload the photographs of the LO's, my own stupid fault. I have lost my charger. So I am now unable to charge my camera up, so as soon as I find it I will upload them. I am not disheartened too much as have a look at the picture above it is my fantastic, gorgeous, so pretty, amazing, 4oth Birthday Present, do you think I like it ? off my lovely talented crafty friend, she made it for me. If you would like to see more of her work , go have a look at her blog you will love it Obstinate Pursuit

What colour are you?

What colour are you?, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

The second challenge from Its all about me is what colour are you? I thought to myself this is write up my street, but upon sitting down and actually thinking about this challenge. I realised something, I did not know. I have always said I love pink, and it is my colour but after doing some research on the Internet at Colour Wheel Pro I have realised Yellow is more my colour as I am always optimistic nothing really gets me down and yellow is the colour of sunshine and associated with joy, happiness and intellect. This weeks challenge also has a twist to it and the layout that you design is to be a scrap lift from one of the very talented design team members, so I have chosen Mette blog as I love her take on life, and all her layouts are so full of energy. The lace papers I have chosen are from Creative Imaginations the unusual ribbon flowers are from Pink paislee Captivating and the other flowers are as usual from my favourite online ribbon shop Angel Crafts

What colour are you?, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

If I live to 100

P1020760, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

P1020761, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

Today to save myself from going mad with my last course essay, I have done the challenge from a lovely new blog, go on, go and have a look you will love it. This lovely new blog it is called Its all about me
All About Me is a blog dedicated to scrapping yourself, a subject which I am sure all fellow scrapbookers find difficult.The first challenge was to Scrap with the sentence "If I live to be 100...". Due to my internet being a Little temperamental this challenge is late, but I enjoyed it so much that I just had to share it with you.

P1020759, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

The gorgeous flowers, and ribbon are from a monthly ribbon kit from Angel Crafts. The lovely papers and orange butterfly are from the September monthly kit by Scrap a Go Go .

26th September

Do you know the saying red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning sailors warning. I don't know if this is just a saying but I always remember it. Well at our caravan Gary and I both sit watching the sunset most nights but tonight the sky was exceptional so for my Shimelle's classLearn Something New Every Day I learned that September has some amazing skies, as on this particular night the sky was gorgeous so pink and beauteaful with the added benefit of knowing that tomorrow is going to be a lovely day.

21st September

I spend a lot of time on Face Book probably more than I should, but it has been frustrating tonight, as it has took me all night to actually get on and post a comment. So my page for Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day is The Internet needs patience especially Face Book.

19th September

Tonight I had a meal wiith some good friends that I get together with often, we had so much fun and we laughed so much that for my Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day I learned that laughter and friends are good for you.

18th september

Friday I always go to my good friend Clair's. Where we craft together, drink coffee and basically put the tensions of life behind us. I went there a bit stressed but after a few coffees everything was right with the world again. So for my Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day I have learned that everything is good again after time with a good friend and a good cup of coffee.

17th September

Today I have been trying to get ready for my last essay for my Psychology Degree and as time goes on I am tying myself into knots. That is until I had my tutorial with my tutor this evening. She put me straight on a few things and gave me a few pointers in the right direction , so now I feel a bit more confident. So my learning for today for Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day is I feel better after just a telephone call.

8th September

Today for my Shimelle's classLearn Something New Every Day I have decided I hate shopping. I have been everywhere today looking for a dress. As usual I have not been able to find one. Why is it when I don't want one they are everywhere, but everytime I need one for a special occasion they are no where in sight.

22nd September

Yay I am up to date. Well almost in words at least but that's a start isn't it? So for today for my Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day I have learned that I need more time. I know we all say this, but I realy do. I have decided today that things just conspire against me, so what I am going to do from now on is just blogg everyday what I want to say and what I have learned and post my pages as soon as I can.

September 7th

I am in the process of doing my last Essay for my present course before I start level 2 in October for the the Uni so today I learnt for Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day that a phone call from my tutor makes me feel 100 times better.

September 4th

My books arrived today for my Psychology course from the Open University. I am starting level 2 in October. I looked at all the books after unpacking them and laying them on the floor. Then self doubt kicked in. I have never had much confidence in my ability which is silly and I lack donfidence in these situation. I know this is silly, but the question was could I do it? could I pass?. well the answer to that is I just don't know. Just watch this space!. So my page for Shimelle's classLearn Something New Every Day is being surrounded by all the books and being nervous of the future.

Just had to tell you all at blogg world about this one particular charity that my brother is trying to raise funds for, it is called Claire-House where they desperately need help to raise money to keep the hospice running. My brother has helped them in the past by dressing up as father christmas at christmas time., but this year he has decided he wanted to do more, and he thinks he has come up with an original and fun idea to help them raise much needed funds. He has bought an MG wreck from Ebay, and himself and a selected few are going to restore it to its former glory, then not content with that they are going to drive it from the Arctic to Africa so starts the The MG Challenge.

20th September

For my Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day I have come to the conclusion that I like time on my own or with good friends, but that I appreciate the times more when me and Gary are alone.

September 2nd

Today is day 2 for the Shimelle's class, Learn Something New Every Day and day 2 of our trip to our caravan in Wales. We have been up all night as usual with the rain and the wind. In the morning on inspection of outside, our awning was still standing but five others were destroyed. They were not the lucky ones but thank God we were. Mother nature can definately be fearce.

September 2nd, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

Front Cover

Hi all nothing can upset me today as it is my 40th Birthday and my partner Gary has arranged a special surprise for me. I just know we will be leaving at 2:30pm and going for a meal tonight apart from that I know nothing. Even my printer giving up on me will not phase me, so all I can post at the moment until it is fixed is my cover for my book for Learn Something New Every Day.

Front Cover, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

September 1st

Today is my first page for the Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day . We had been up all night with the rain and the wind, but by the time we took Susie our pet King Charles for a walk it had calmed down a lot and it was lovely to blow the cobwebs away. So it only goes to show it is true what they say, you can have fun even even when things make it difficult.

September 1st, originally uploaded by craftandstash.

16th September

Today I had my monthly visit to Walton Hospital where I have my treatment once a month. Well to cut a long story short I was meant to have a few tests as usual, then have my treatment but things did not go smoothly. I was meant to leave about 2.30pm and I ended up leaving at 5.45pm so I learned today for Shimelle's class for Learn Something New Every Day patience is not easy.

15th September

It is half way through Shimelle's class Learn Something New Every Day and I have decided I am not going to give myself a hard time if I have not done my pages. I know I can still do them because I am keeping a note book with everything that I learned for every day, and my feelings all jotted down so thank you Shimelle great idea.