Just tagging along.

15:24 Karen 3 Comments


I love the prompts from the Chicken Soup challenge blog and this week's one was no exception. The prompt was all frills and flounces and yesterday I decided to make a set of tags in response to it.


They are just normal mailing tags and were 75p for 5 (fortunately I had one left over from another tag making session). I punched out various strips of paper in three different colours, along with strips of white Swiss Dot Bazzill and layered them along the bottom of the tags for my frilly effect. Once the photos had been added I then embellished them with punched circles, hearts, butterflies and letter stickers.


There you are tags finished and the whole project took me less than an hour (not including my procrastinating over which photos to use).

LSNED pages from the 24th - realising that he is now really good on his cello.


and 25th. I find any excuse to go and visit these lovely chicks. They are the most beautiful black/purple/gray colour and are called Tom and Jackie and yes they are both girls!


and this little beauty.


Reasons to be cheerful:

1. The previously mentioned projects were well received :)

2. My new lounge is now a beautiful shade of Wedgwood blue - photos to follow.

3. All invoices are completely up to date.

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That Friday Feeling..

21:51 Karen 1 Comments

It wasn't just any old Friday but a super Friday. I got to have lunch with my man, chill out with him for a while, walk Kiera, snatch 30 minutes shut eye in my lovely cosy bed, finish off some craft projects and plan a couple more in my head. So all in all I have really enjoyed this afternoon and evening.

Here is my page for LSNED from yesterday.


Lovely, lovely felt brooch


that could easily be made into a little something for a card or how about making the brooch and then fastening it to a card as a little extra present?

Reasons to be cheerful:-

1. Fridays.

2. Loving the projects I have made for a guest design team spot.

3. Random acts of kindness - how many shops will say, when you haven't put enough money in your pocket for your purchases, "I trust you to bring it in next time"?

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A Day For Surprises

17:09 Karen 4 Comments


It has been a very long day so far and it is way from being over. It all started at 6:20 when it was pointed out to me, by my man, that I was 20 minutes late getting up. Then I had to contend with my girl finishing off her boy's birthday cake. This involved me whipping cream to put in the middle, making chocolate frosting and generally helping. We then had his presents to wrap and I had to get her off to his house, all before 8:15!

You have to admit her chocolate cake with pink meringue pigs is rather cute.

The cake should really have been finished yesterday, but they went out clubbing! Not on a college night I hear you all shout as you throw your hands up in horror. Because they never go out to clubs and because I am always moaning that she studies too hard I relented and said ok just this once. So, it was gone midnight when her dad picked her up and therefore far too late for cake finishing.

For my LSNED page on the 21st I took a photo of my lovely bath just before I climbed in!


And for the 22nd a beautiful cobweb covered in dew that was on the school gate as I went in.


I have spent today, with 2 classes of Y5/6 children at Layer Marney Tower for a Tudor day. I was really skeptical about going but was very pleasantly surprised. The building is spectacular, the tour was so informative and the people talking to the children about Tudor clothing and artifacts were so knowledgeable and pitched their talks perfectly for the children.

Today I bring you these! - Gorgeous or what?


Reasons to be cheerful:-

1. Dinner is in the oven, blog is written, crafting is waiting!

2. Layer Marney Tower was a revelation.

3. Even just a very quick cuppa with your best friend is better than no cuppa at all.


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The dirty washing is taking over the house!

21:48 Karen 6 Comments



On Sunday, the pile of washing was getting ready to take over the house BUT I am sticking to my guns and refusing to tackle it. Why, you may ask - well it all started a couple of weeks ago when my girl wanted an item of clothing that hadn't been washed. She considered that it had been in the washing basket too long and should have been washed already. The discussion became heated when I said that she was fully capable of using the washing machine. Silly girl replied "I have been out all week, when could I have done any washing?" As any parent would do I pointed out that perhaps she should stay in and do her washing. Her reply was to tell me to shut up. That was the moment when she waved goodbye to any possibility of me ever doing any washing for her again - so I put up with the huge washing pile. Unfortunately, her dad hates it and has now taken to doing her washing - the pile had gone and clean washing was on the line when I got home from work today! I only hope she appreciates what a good dad he is. When she saw the washing on the line she did point out that she had at least one good parent :) I am assured that this was in jest.


He has taken the week off work to decorate the new half of the lounge. Although it is a small room it will take all week because of the thorough preparation he has to do. Yes he is a perfectionist - I joke that's the reason he married me but he will say that I am the exception to the rule!


Crochet flower gorgeousness from here


loads of free crochet flower patterns from here.

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. A long hot bath.

2. Wandering around town window shopping this afternoon.

3. Giggly girls


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The Mouse Will Play!

22:31 Karen 3 Comments



There is an old saying 'While the cat's away, the mouse will play', and I have spent the whole weekend playing. I have mostly played with paper and glue but have done a little digi for my LSNED.

So my boy has been away for a 'boy's weekend' to the Goodwood Revival and I have missed him but made the best of it.


My girl has been out most of the weekend too so this must be what it will be like when she goes traveling next year.

I was just giggling to myself about the mouse playing because mouse used to be his pet name for me when we first were an item. He said I was small and cute like a mouse - I dread to think what he would call me now, his little hippo maybe!

My LSNED page from Friday


and one from yesterday


and look at these cushions.


There is a video on this website showing how to make the felt flowers and the organza flowers - this involves fire so may appeal to the men in your life!

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. My man is due home in about 2 hours xxx.

2. My girl is home and safely tucked up in bed.

3. I have a cup of hot chocolate, my bed and a good book waiting for me to finish this blog post.

Have a absolutely wonderful week.


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Afternoons Off

17:23 Karen 6 Comments

I don't work on Friday afternoons, well I don't work at school. I claim that I do housework on Friday afternoons but sometimes I go to bed for a couple of hours if I have burnt the candle at both ends, if I am going to a crop the following day I try to get photos sorted and page kits packed. Maybe, like last week, I will go to a friends for lunch but today I decided to go for a long walk with Kiera.



I have to say that after this afternoon I doubt that I would ever willingly give up my afternoon off. We were out walking for over an hour and the sunshine was glorious, the sky blue and dappled with clouds,


the hay was baled in the fields,


the farmer was ploughing the fields


and the scenery was spectacular.


My LSNED page shows my beautiful purple bruise from yesterday. I was sitting at the back of the hall during singing practice and got up quickly to leave, resulting in my tripping over the bench in front and falling in front of the whole of KS2. The 30 handwriting books that I was writing up ready for a lesson next week, shot out of my hands and hit a little boy, nearly decapitating the poor little fellow! I had to stifle a giggle at that.


When I looked at my leg a few minutes later this beauty of a bruise was beginning to develop.

Have you ever made Fimo embellishments for your pages and cards? No, neither have I but after seeing these I may well give it a go next weekend when I have a little more time. I just love the flowers, I could see them as earrings or badges too.


Reasons to be cheerful:

1. It's the weekend.

2. Long walks in the sunshine.

3. Sending photos to Tesco.com and being able to pick them up an hour later.
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Early to bed early to rise.

19:34 Karen 4 Comments



Just a quick post today as I really should have an early night because David is certain to wake me when he leaves at 5 am tomorrow!

My LSNED page for yesterday


Also I thought I had exhausted my butterfly finds but found this one and thought how lovely it would look made with pretty scrapbook papers.

Oh, I forgot to say a big thank you to Denise who awarded me this.

I am going to pass it on to Sue and Deb.


Reasons to be cheerful:

1. Baked apples for the girls tea went down very well.

2. I have finished the ironing I needed to do for David's weekend away.

3. Visiting my best bud after work to show her my amazing bruise thanks to my clumsiness.

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Losing track of the time.

20:14 Karen 4 Comments

As often happens with me, I intended to blog when I had done a little bit of scrapping, yesterday, but a little bit of scrapping turned into a lot and then it was bedtime and just too late. I wanted to make a page for this weeks Chicken Soup Recipe.

So my scrapping from yesterday is also a butterfly crafting suggestion to go with all the others I have featured on here. This time it is a very simple one of my own. I made this page using this digi kit, resized the butterflies, printed them and cut them out.


The little butterflies were resized to 1.25 inches and the larger ones to 2.5 inches.


I punched hearts out from pages of a novel I had read, not really enjoyed so was going to take to the charity shop. I inked the edges and stapled the small butterflies to the hearts. I then stuck a piece of ribbon to the page as the base for my bunting and stuck the hearts onto this with foam pads and there you are a simple but effective butterfly bunting.


My LSNED page from Monday was of my satisfyingly full fridge


and yesterday's one was about how I never learn that I will always get cross and frustrated when my table is covered with stuff and I cannot find something I put down seconds before.


Reasons to be cheerful:

1. A very interesting and insightful talk on Autism after school.

2. The prospect of a whole weekend of scrapping because my man is going on his annual boy's weekend away.

3. Sitting here and listening to him play his cello and realising that he is a much better player than he gives himself credit for.

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It's the simple things.

21:10 Karen 2 Comments


I was reflecting this evening on the simple things that make me happy and decided that I am easy to please. I don't envy people who have flash cars or lots of clothes. If I had lots of money I would probably go for a newer version of my Peugeot 206 which I absolutely love, more than any of the sports cars I had when I was younger. If I had lots of money I wouldn't buy fancy clothes, I might upgrade from ASDA and Tesco to BHS and M&S but no more than that. If I had lots of money I wouldn't change our little cottage for a bigger house, it is our dream home.

I have everything I need and so small things make a difference. I love unexpected kisses from my man. The little gifts that my girlie sometimes brings me for no reason. Time spent with friends. Our little family. A long hot bath. Time to myself. I love my job (most of the time). So I feel I am extremely lucky. One of the small things that makes me extremely happy is when the ASDA delivery man delivers my groceries and my fridge and freezer are full once more. I really don't know why but I get extreme pleasure from full cupboards and fridge :o}

My page from yesterday was about rediscovering my faith. Not my photo but one I snaffled from the internet.


On the theme of simple things I bring you these little butterflies - very simple but very effective.
Reasons to be cheerful:

1. Accepting what you have and not crying for the moon.

2. I loved being back with my Rainbow pack - what a lovely bunch of girls we have.

3. The prospect of a long hot bath and an early night.
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It's getting better, Growing stronger, Better day by day.

21:29 Karen 4 Comments


If you can remember that song by the Mammas & the Pappas, then you are older than you would care to admit - I certainly am. What you may ask is getting better. Well it is a bit of a long story but I have been going to the same church for the past 17 years and something happened in January which made me question my faith. I have been struggling for the past few months but for some reason, I really don't know why, whilst I was at church this evening something clicked and I feel that I am 'getting it' once more. I am not an 'in your face' Christian but wanted, for my own peace of mind, to document my journey back to where I really like to be.

My LSNED page for yesterday featured the beautiful and squidgy Nathan.


When we decided to have a baby, it took a couple of years and a couple of miscarriages before we got our beautiful girl and I soooooo wanted a girl. I would not entertain the thought that I might have a boy - to the extent that we didn't even have a boy's name and were arguing about it going down to theater. I had an elective c-section and before she was born the doctor asked me what I wanted, I said a girl and when she was born he said for a joke 'It's a boy'. Now the extent of my longing for a girl came to the fore as my first thought was not - is he healthy, but oh no I will have to go through this again! I was so relieved when I realised my baby was a beautiful girl.


So I have always loved little girls but after meeting Nathan concede that maybe boys are just as cute.

Look at these gorgeous butterflies. They are made of tin but I am sure you could get a similar effect with mirror card. I am going to try with my Rainbow pack and see what they can make.


Not my usual up beat post - normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. I am glad I made the effort to go to church, when it would have been so easy to stay at home.

2. A day doing paperwork means that I can spend the evenings working on paper projects that I must get a start on.

3. Sunny days and warm evenings.

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Getting me some Nathan love!

18:01 Karen 3 Comments



Well, I knew he was going to be there, waiting for me to cuddle him but I never realised just how gorgeous and cute and squidgy he was. I am talking about Nathan - Mel's latest addition to her lovely little family. How can someone so small and only 3 weeks old completely steel your heart away? I spent time cuddling and stroking him and he made such beautiful little cooing noises.


How much scrapping did I do - not as much as I had hoped. I took along the bits and pieces to make a mock up for my class next month and really didn't get as much done as I had hoped. Today I made many components for the project that I didn't like but fortunately many that I did. If I get David's invoices typed up tomorrow and the downstairs cleaned and tidied I can justify spending some time tomorrow afternoon fine tuning my trial and maybe make my real one.

My LSNED page for yesterday features the gorgeous dessert I had at Pat's. This along with a main course of mushroom pasta and sauce was an absolutely delicious way to end a school week that hadn't run as smoothly as I had hoped.


Just look at these little fabric butterflies - they are meant to be made into a mobile but I can see them with beads sewn along their middles and adorning some project, or sewn to a hair band for your fav girlie - what do you see them on?


Reasons to be cheerful:

1. Getting to cuddle Nathan and smell his sweet baby smell.

2. Chatting and scrapping at the little crop - always good.

3. Looking forward to X Factor on tv tonight.


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