Busy busy busy!!!

OMG I just don't know where the time goes - I seem to be running all the time, but over the weekend I made 4 batches of cupcakes on Saturday for parties, and they are best served with toppers made from scraps and coffee stirer sticks from Ikea....

I had a stack of cards to make on Friday night, so I sat down and made the following cards. The one below is a Sympathy Card I made for a friend, as she has a lot of her plate at the moment and wanted to help out a little.... Flower image is glossy and cut from the new Melissa Francis papers. This one was one of 12 cards that I made up kits for as I was helping another friend with a 10th Birthday party for her daughter. The 10 girls all made name garlands in pink and white and made this card - don'tcha love the Cricut, it cut all the pretty bits!! LOL

One of the two cards I made for the Birthday girl and the one that should be below but has dropped to the end and I can't seem to move it is one that for Caoimhe to give her best friend Megan!

We are off to a confirmation on Thurday and this is the card I made, the card is missing a silver cross charm, that I know I have, but cannot put my hand on it, and this makes me cross (no pun intended!!)

Below is the bold card that would not move for me. Will spend the rest of the evening editing photos of the party and sorting out my other images. Like I said, busy busy busy, but the ironing is done, uniforms ready and dinner dishes cleaned up - just a cuppa and a sit for a moment before the next jobs need to be done. Nite all!!

The secret to happiness - Balance!

I just wanted to pop in and write a short note to say that I have discovered at 40+ years what makes me happy....

My family, my kids, my husband, my friends, my photography, my crafts - these are the things that when they all work in unison with each other, make me tick, make me get up with a smile on my face and go to bed satisfied that each element has been given its time.

There has not been a time in my life that I have felt so balanced, so satisfied, and that has to do with the time that I have carved out for myself to feed the need to create.

Wow - not sure where that came from, but there ya go!!

Millie's Book & Presidentail visits - Wow!!

OK - I owe Millie's mum a big APOLOGY.... This book has been sitting on my desk for ages, first I had no chipboard, then I had no BIA wires large enough, then I had to wait for Anna Marie's shop to get more cardstock, then I needed photo paper, so it went on and on and on..... Finally I finished it, and added more blank pages at the back for her to put in the updated photos as I take them.

Millie's sisters (3 of them!) wrote her a little note when she was born and painted pictures for her so I cut them out and added them to the book.









On Tuesday our Persident Mary McAleese visited my daughters school. The school was prepared with new paint, polished floors and scrubbed girls! The little ones waited for her outside and waved flags on her arrival.... Inside she visited 2 class rooms and then spoke to the bigger girls in the hall. Wow, she was a lovely woman and kept the girls attention and spoke to them like any mom would. I asked and was allowed to photograph her visit to the school.

Our Camera Club's B&W Panel for the IPF National Competition came 6th and one of the judges judged my Surfer in the Mist photo 49 out of 60 points. Not bad! It's the long weekend here, off work on Monday and planning an assult on the clothes stored in the attic! Feels good to be getting into it and hopefully by tomorrow morning the bulk of it will be recycled and I may be able to find everything!

Have a great weekend....

Can finally show you the goodies....

Last weekend was the UK Scrappers Cyber Crop, most years I clear my diary, join in all weekend and let the DH and kids fend for themeselves. This year I just had no free time to do this so had to just join in the pre-crop stuff that was not time restricted. So below is what I made with the Mystery Kit that I love getting. You don't know what you are buying, it's put together for the team and we all have the same papers and embellishments to play with. Here is what I made with it....

The Garland was made using a 2" scallop punch, each circle cut in half and made into a cone. I used the scallop square punch for the leaves and cut it in 4 and then trimmed it to make them look like leaves.
This is the LO that I made with the kit. I tried to be a bit more graphic and recessed the circles and dropped them down with foam pads. Photo was one taken last summer in Italy the day before the BIG accident. I came 3rd in the group for this submission, no prize for 3rd but delighted to have been near the top.

Below is my submission for the pre-crop LO challenge. The criteria was 4 colours and 2 techniques, so I made this LO of an old photo of my mum and her sister and I love it and delighted how it turned out. Used my Tim Holtz crackle glaze on the frame and the papers are from October Afternoon Thrift Shop collection that I got from the same shop I got the mystery kit from. Craft Emporium
I cut the small scalloped circles from the PP and sewed them on the strip of PP and the handmade roses.

No prizes for the Pre-crop challange either, but I loved making the LO's. Here is a link to the classes if you want to have a look and it might be good if you are having a mental blank or your Mojo has gone for a walk....( you might have to be a member to look, but it's a fab site to be a member of!).

Have a great week - TTFN Michelle

Busy but it's under wraps for the moment....

Have been really productive this week - 2 layouts, one I like and the other is just not my style, but I had to force myself to finish it as it's for the UK Scrappers Cyber Crop this weekend. I can't share the whole thing but will treat to you a sneakie peek of one item I did make with the Mystery Kit.

My other news is huge!! (well for me it is!). I entered my first monthly competition in the camera club and I won the first place for my Intermediate group. This great news came on top of having one of my photos selected as one of the best 10 images for the club and put forward to a National Competition! I was walking on air for days afterwards... Here is the photo that won an the one that just missed out (the fence) on being placed by 1 point. So feeling the pressure to come up with something good for our Elements theme next week.... Any ideas, all ideas welcome..... Oh Pants - Blogger not playing nice, and images won't load....

Well have to go - lot's to do and head wrecked with all that's happening at moment.. Never a dull moment.

OH! By the way - the little baby may be coming out of hospital today... Yah, she has been thru them mill, had an Ecoli infection then got Rota virus, so let's hope she starts to put on a few pounts as she is nearly 1 month old and not back to her birth weight yet! Thanks for your kind words and lovely comments. she really needed them,

TTFN....

OK who stole my mojo!!??!!??

Not sure what has happened, but have had very little interest in making and creating. Had the kids off for two weeks and by the time they went to bed, I was shattered and not feeling in the mood to be creative. The above card was one of a bunch I made for the teachers to say Thank you for all the care they give my DD and was given with a little box of chocolate for Easter.
My friend's daughter was 13 and I got a very quick moment with her (2 or 3 mins to be exact!) and snapped a few photos of her to make the moment and threw together this frame for her.
This little beauty has a really long story - but the short version is that she is only 2 weeks old, is really suffering and is sick in hospital. The poor little mite has had a really bad start so far, but she is coming thru it and she was in my thoughts the other night as I put together this painted cavas for her the other night and gave it to Lisa her foster mum - if you have a spare moment, send a little prayer her way as she could do with a little bit of help!
Some little snap-shots of my family, above my little kitchen helper who is chopping the mushrooms for soup, which she would never eat, but loves to help, completely dressed for the job!! Below is the little madam with a ponytail (struggling to find another word for it! LOL!) on the top of her head, and her face tells the story that she was not happy, and it only lasted for the photo moment. OMG she is sooooo strong willed and no was was she letting me do anything with her hair. God help us when she gets older!!
I had some fab news - Oh I was so happy and proud. I did blog that I had joined a camera club and I found it hard to make friends, just sat and watched and then jumped in my car and went home. Anway, they had asked for submissions for a panel of photos for the club to submit to the IFP National Competition and one of my photos was selected!! Yah!! It's a big compliment for me and I am thrilled as I've only joined and in the Intermediate group.

Ta ta for Now!!!

X Factor - Entertainment...

Caoimhe and her friend Megan got tickets for the X Factor from us for Christmas. Last Tuesday night was the night and boy it was cold, sleet and snow was falling and the girls were all dolled up in their John and Edward T-shirts. When we got to the O2, they dragged me to the merchandise stand and got foam fingers and posters of Jedward.

Great show, lots of fireworks - great songs, just like watching it on TV only better....


Very hard to get decent photos when you are 3 rows from the back and hiding your camera, and trying to get good photos of those two muppets who don't stand still!!





OMG she has just the most beautiful voice!
I soooo fancy Olly - his dancing is just FAB!
Joe only came on towards the end - but what a big finish!!


The Finale!



Great night - was not convinced before I went, but it was fab!