Di Hickman sketch #4

Yet another card from a sketch!! I keep following all these links and finding more great sites! This one is from Di Hickman's blog and is for card sketch June #4.: Thought I might make a start on Christmas cards seeing as the conversation on the Pad turned to Christmas cards today - yes we know it's only June but some of the girls were doing Christmas projects for magazine articles. For this card I used my beloved DCWV cardstock again (much prefer it to Bazzill!) and Doodlebug papers. I also got to use my Fiskars Shape cutter for the first time in about 2 years and it cut the circle brilliantly! Wording was done with Scrapworks Rubz - don't know what I'm going to do when I eventually run out of these and then card was finished off with a Dovecraft brad, Doodlebug ric-rac and red staples (Ebay!) Hoping tomorrow to have a go at the DCM challenge and also Caardvarks challenge as long as Jess naps properly during the day!

CPS #19

Can't believe I've never come across the CPS blog before this week! I suppose it's because I've been mostly scrapping rather than cardmaking but now I'm finding it easier to find the time to make cards. Totally love the challenges over on CPS and can see I'll be making a few return visits. Anyway this is my card for CPS #19 : Used DCWV cardstock which I embossed using one of the Fiskars Shapeboss embossing plates. Papers were from a very old Provocraft Crafter's Block. The sentiment was stamped using MoBe Hero of Fools stamps and of course I had to use my new sewing machine (although it went a bit wonky at the top (just pretend you haven't noticed that bit!).

Got a cold again....

...and feeling pretty yucky. Would be OK if I could sleep it off but Jess has it too and isn't slepping too well and I've been spending a bit of time running errands for my next-door neighbour who has her ankle in a cast after falling down the stairs and breaking it. She's had two ops already on it and if it doesn't improve could be having another one next week. My sewing machine came yesterday and it is fabulous!! It is a third of the weight that my old one was and does 40 stitches. It is so easy to use and I love it! Have managed to make a couple of cards for the Sketch this cards blog :

This was for sketch #16 - used DCWV cardstock, MAMBI papers, a Rebecca Sower flower sticker and one of the Studio G stamps.

This is for sketch #18 - used some old pink card I bought yonks ago, KI Memories paper, corrugated card came from a Lidl Christmas craft pack, MAMBI monograms and some pink ribbon. Had to cheat to do the scalloped bit as I don't have a corner rounder that would do the job so had to use a circle punch to make circles and then arrange them on the card.

My gorgeous girlie!

A few more photos for you - all taken yesterday:

Jess now holds her head up all the time and her back is getting straighter too.

She discovered yesterday that she has hands and spent ages holding her arms up and staring at them. Will have to try and grab the camera later if she does it again!

Look what I'm getting tomorrow!!!!!!

Yep - a brand new Brother sewing machine!!! I was going to get the cheap Lidl one but have read a few poor reviews on it so decided against but then the gorgeous OH (hello sweetie!) went trawling around the internet and found a really good deal on this one so has ordered it and said it can be for my birthday (which, incidentally, isn't until November!) -who's a very lucky girl?!?!?!

Sketch this card #17

As promised here's my card for the Sketch this card #17 :

Made using DCWV cardstock (love it!), DCWV papers and some plain blue old paper of unknown origin.

The circle was made by using a Banana Frog stamp from the Flowery Thoughts set stamped on to cardtock with Versamark and then hand sewing the beads on the stamped image before cutting it all out and inking the edges. The "dazzle" stamp was from the KI Memories Verbology Birthday set. All other sewing was done using my Granny's old New Home sewing machine that weighs an absolute ton. I am hoping to rectify that this week though as Lidl has their sewing machines in from Thursday at just £39.99 so if I can find one it will be mine!

100th post!!!

And just to celebrate here's a couple of recent pics (last week) of Jess! I know she doesn't look too happy in the first one but she did a lovely big burp straight after that was taken and was definitely happier after that!!! She's wearing a gorgeous tie-dyed sleepsuit that Clare made and she looks really cute in - well we think so!!

Will be back later to post the latest creation - a card made using one of the Sketch this sketches.

Sketch this #19

WOW!!! Another LO - my stash doesn't know what's hit it!LOL!

This one was done using the sketch this #19 sketch. Used Chatterbox papers which have been left unused and unloved in my stash for so long, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, Autumn Leaves pogs, white brads and a bit of sewing seeing as my machine decided to work today!!!

Another LO!!!

On a roll now!!! This LO was done using sketch #18 on the sketch this blog. Used KI Memories papers, a MAMBI monogram, Around the Block brad (dinosaur), some odd brads and ribbon.

Totally loving these sketches and will be starting my next one later (children permitting!)

Sketch this

I only came across Janelle Richmond's Sketch this blog the other day and have been feeling really inspired. I tend to check out blogs of all the UK girls I know and tend to shy away from most inspiration-type and all the US and celeb blogs but glad I found this one.

Today while Jess slept (YAY!!!) I scrapped this LO using sketch #18 and really enjoyed myself. Can now see me going back through all the past sketches and giving them a go along with checking out the card sketches too.

Used DCWV cardstock, K&CO McKenna papers, MAMBI alpha stickers, a Banana Frog stamp and a few Primas.

Visitors

Had visitors on Sunday - OH's Dad and Gran (who isn't looking bad for a 94 year old!) so didn't manage to get any scrapping done then. Did manage to do some today though - one whole layout!!!! Woo-hoo!

This is Jess with my brother when she was 6 days old. I used DCWV cardstock, Rob and Bob papers and MAMBI Chester glitter stickers. The title was done with Scrapworks Rubz (one of the best alphabet rub-ons in my opinion) and then I used my Lil Davis Love Affair stamps. (Loving this being able to use pink and flowery things game!!!)

Had a bit of a nightmare day today to start with! I managed to drop my mobile phone in to my pint glass of squash and had to wait for OH to come home to find an old phone I could put my SIM card in. Luckily we found my old Nokia phone but I'm having a laugh trying to remember how to use it - I want my Samsung back!

Not only did I manage to dunk my phone but I also knocked a whole pot of artificial sweeteners out of the cupboard when I went to get the coffee out.! They ended up all over the floor and the worktop and , as I found out a few minutes later, in Jamie's Weetabix with warm milk as he said it tasted foul! Hoping that tomorrow I have a better day!

A resolution.....

Today I spent ages looking through all the stash I've accumulated and there is a fair bit of it! Now a lot of it isn't what you would call "in fashion" but I've decided that instead of getting rid of it or selling it off on Ebay I'm going to be daring and use it (apart from the really awful holographic stuff that the kids can have!). I'm sick of hearing that Basic Grey is wonderful or that doodling should be on your layouts - I'm just going to use the stuff I want to, scrap in my own style and make layouts that fit in with me and not everyone else! To get me started in this I found my Hot Off The Press book "Artsy Collage" with these cute baby designs and first made a card and then a layout:

Pale green cardstock - punched a square hole in the corner and used PSX alpha stamps and a Studio G stamp with lavender Pearl-ex brushed over. The toy images were from the HOTP book, cut out and mounted on the card with foam. Thin black pen used to draw outline around the card and punched hole and then Primas added with clear beads stuck in centre.

The photos on this layout were mounted on DCWV paper from the spring Stack and a baby paper form the HOTP book. More images were cut out and mounted with foam. Title from SEI stickers and then Lil Davis and Studio G stamps used for accents. Thin black outline drawn all around layout.

Off to have a look through the rest of my stash now!!!

Cards

Well I managed to make a Father's Day card for Dad last night and it went off in the post this morning. Used the DCWV 8" x 8" cardstock, SEI papers, MAMBI monograms and Hero Arts stamp along with MM alphabet stickers and some brads and ribbon. Have been enjoying making a few cards again and while they may not be the most fancy or prettiest cards I quite like them: This one was DCWV papers a Lakeland stamp and KI Memories stamp. You'll have to excuse the dirty marks from the scanner! This one was made using Rob n Bob paper, a MM foam stamp with pearl-ex, Technique Tuesday straight and narrow stamps and a KI Memories stamp. I seem to have a bit of a "thing" for pink and orange as a combo at the moment!!

Last but not least this was DCWV papers (yet again!) and a Woodware stamp with Scrapworks Rubz letters and some odd ribbon and buttons.

None of these 3 cards were made for anything specific so they'll be sitting in my card box until I need to use them. In the meantime I think I may have to go and make some more.

Oh, in case anyone was wondering Jess seems a lot better today but still incredibly sleepy. I have had a couple of smiles from her and she is feeding Ok so I'm happy. Well, I will be as long as she sleeps tonight!

Good news though - had been waiting for the postie to bring Neil's Father's Day present for a while now and it eventually turned up this morning! YAY! Can't tell you what it is though as he'll probably read this seeing as he now looks at my blog and I haven't told the kids either. Well, can kids keep secrets?!?

One of those days

Dr's appointment this morning which entailed my post-natal check-up, smear test, coil fitting, Jess's 8 week review and then her first lot of injections! Between her check and injections we sat in the waiting room and she fell asleep while I cuddled her (having got stressed out when the Dr measured her length). She was still asleep when we were called in to see the nurse so she had her jabs while asleep but woke up to scream and then settled back down quite quickly. Walked home and then fed her and she went to sleep so decided to put her in the car and go to Asda as she always sleeps well in the car seat. Got all the shopping done and back home again without her waking up and she slept more when we got home then woke about an hour later and screamed the house down - she doesn't normally cry much at all. Checked her legs and her right thigh was bright red and puffy and she screamed if I touched it. Tried to feed her but she didn't want to know and ended up going back to sleep again and slept through picking the boys up from school, coming home and then for another hour after that - in all she went about five and a half hours without feeding properly. Thankfully she's just had a really good feed and is now in bed after eventually smiling at us this evening. I can now relax a bit as she seems more settled now. Anyway at the Dr's check she weighed in at 12lb 13 oz and is now 60.5cm long!!!! Must go and make a Father's Day card now. In Asda I bought one for OH, one for my step-Dad, one for OH's Dad and one for OH's step-Dad but forgot my Dad!! DOH!!!!! Will be back and post some piccies tomorrow. Hoping to have a quiet day at home with Jess and get some crafting done along with watching tonight's Grey's Anatomy.

FInally a few more photos

Jess enjoying her bath and looking at me.

The boys put Jess's hat on her head and she looks less than impressed!

Jess was asleep on the bean bag with her ankles crossed and her feet looked so cute I couldn't help but grab the camera!

8.20pm..........

Yep! That's the time my little star went to sleep last night and then woke up for feeds at 12.30 and 5.00 before getting up at 7! Luckily when she feeds at night she goes straight back in her cot and settles really quickly on her own which is a bonus. She's started sucking her fingers/thumbs/knuckles when she can so looks like she's going to be a thumb-sucker in the future. We have a feeling that she may be left-handed though as it's always her left hand she tries to suck - Jamie was exactly the same, always going for his left-hand and turned out left-handed. Managed to make another card last night and brought back my decorative scissors from the big scrapyard!: Have loads of ideas for more cards so think I may be making a few more over the coming weeks. Forgot how much I enjoyed making them and how easy they are to stop and start especially when you're busy with a little one! Considering I said I'd never be a rubber-stamper I now have a fair few and they're all brilliant for cards. Current faves are the Hampton Arts Studio G range or the KI memories clear ones though - must have a long play with them soon.

Been weighed....

.....did I say she'd pass 12lbs this time? How right was I? My guess this morning was 12lbs 3oz but she's actually 12lbs 9oz! Oh meant to mention that she had the longest sleep in 7 weeks last night - 10.00pm until 2.45am!!! Who's a clever girl?!?! :)

While Jess slept....

.......I scrapped!!!

Used the K&Co Classic McKenna papers (which OH thinks look like something your grandmother would make into curtains!!) and actually used Heidi Swapp chipboard. Think this is the first chipboard I've used!

Hoping to do some cardmaking later - I did sort out the card and paper I wanted to use yesterday but that was as far as I got.

Also need to be ready to go out with Jess sometime between 1 and 3 this afternoon to the drop-in baby clinic as I want to get her weighed. She was just over 11lbs last time so I think she may pass 12 this time!

More photos

Thought this was quite a cute pic of Jess staring at me over Neil's shoulder! Bless her!

Just managed to capture the end of a smile!

Just love this photo!

Quiet day.....

as my little angel has slept so much!!! And what constructive things did I do with my time? Washing? Housework??? Shopping????? No - I took all my stamps out of their packets or off their wooden blocks and put them all in CD cases and then put them in a CD rack on my desk. Then I went online at Maplin! (a site usually frequented by my OH for all glorious things electronic) and ordered another 5 CD racks in anticipation of any stamps I may buy in the future!!!My only dilemma is what to do with the Banana Frog stamps as I love their packaging but they do look so out of place when everything else is neatly stacked in the rack. Jess has been in bed since 9! so I'm expecting her to wake up between 11 and 12 for another feed but , just for once, it would be nice if she could prove me wrong. She tends to wake up every 2-3 hours at night but settles back down again fairly quickly for which I'm eternally grateful. We tried to capture her smiling on video today but as soon as she saw the camera she was more interested in that then looking at Daddy who makes her smile. We're going to give it another go tomorrow with me holding the camera from a distance and using the zoom. Off to sort out some scrapping now while I have the chance.,

Proof that I've made stuff.....

here are the pics.....

Fairly simple cards I know but at least I've made them!LOL!

Also finished this LO of Jess which I'm still not sure about and will probably have to change at some point:

Have another photo sat on my desk at the moment waiting to scrap so hoping I'll get another LO done this weekend.

So far this year I have completed 16 layouts and made 15 cards. Really need to up the tally!

A sleeping baby.....

.....makes a happy Mummy!

You'll have to forgive me for the dress up around her thighs and the tights that are a wee bit too long!

Had a really great evening with Jess yesterday. She was in a fab mood as she slept really well in the afternoon so for about half an hour all she did was smile at her Daddy and start making little excited gasps which were just so cute. I did thnk about grabbing the camera but I was so busy watching her I never got around to it!

Anyway here's a couple more photos: