Happy Birthday to our Golden Girl xxx

20:36 Karen 8 Comments

This has been a big week with a lot of first times.

It was our Golden Girl's 19th Birthday on Monday and it was the first time in 19 birthdays that I didn't wake her by singing Happy Birthday. It was the first time in 19 years that I didn't make her birthday cake and for the first time I had to skype to see her open her presents from us.

BUT I wouldn't change a thing because our girl is living her dream, spending time with her boy and having such fun with her friends.

So here is a quick recap of her birthday as seen through her facebook photos.

A little, silly, additional present from us.

An afternoon on the beach with her boy

A fancy dress party with her friends.

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. That she has such a lovely boyfriend who made her day so very special.

2. She has such a vast and fun set of friends.

3. We are allowed to have a little insite into her world through her facebook page.

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Lessons Learnt

13:24 Karen 9 Comments

Taking classes is one of the things I really enjoy about crops and retreats. I love to be able to learn new techniques and ways of doing things that I can adapt for my own pages, so I really enjoyed all the 5 classes I took last weekend.

My first class was with Mel and used Prima Almanac - one of my absolute favourite paper ranges. It was a two page layout with lots of cutting and reassembling the papers. I chose to use photographs of our parents weddings for the first page, sadly we have both lost our father so I really cherish these photos.

I used a photograph of our wedding (shocking how young we look) for the second page.

Although they are not a double page they will sit very nicely side by side in my album.

The second class I took on Friday was taught by Debbie Jewell and involved lots of cutting and layering (right up my street) and making beautiful voile flowers to produce a really lovely page.

Again I used old black and white photos of when I was little in the 50's (now that really dates me)!

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. Ladies who come up with fabulous classes with innovative ways to use paper and glue.

2. Finding time this week to finish off two more of the classes from last weekend.

3. Having done all the jobs I need to do before Monday, after the St George's Day parade with the Rainbows, I can settle down to try and finish the final class I took. A double pager designed by the ultra talented Karen Cole.

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In Praise of Girlfriends (with apologies for the length of this post)

21:42 Karen 10 Comments

What an absolutely sublime weekend (only marred by the fact that my darling girl went back to Newcastle on Sunday).

I spent the weekend with Denise and Jane and lots of other lovely ladies at Stoke by Nayland Golf Club for the ATDML Spring retreat. When I arrived on Friday it was in full swing with a fabulous shop full of so many goodies that my pennies were trying to jump out of my purse before I had even found my cropping spot.

I also managed to spend time with the lovely Karen Cole, whose awesome class I took on Saturday.

Photos stolen from Denise's Facebook - shhhhhhh!

Over the weekend I took 5 classes and taught a make and take and two classes so was very, very busy. I managed to complete two of the pages from the classes and make a further three! I am so fortunate to live just over 15 minutes drive away from the Golf Club that I decided to commute to the retreat each day so that I was able to spend a little extra time with my girlie before she returned to Uni.

I love Pinterest and the quirky and thought provoking sayings that pop up on there and have a whole board of them. I decided that it was time to get some of them off that board and onto my pages so I started with this page.

Then made this one

The hearts and title were cut out from white card which was then layered onto pink paper

and finally this one.

Made using the mystery kit in our retreat goodie bags.

The finished classes were this one that I showed on Saturday but I have now added the title (another one with Pinterest inspired journaling).

and this really Zaney one taught by Debbie Jewell.

The photos were taken earlier in the month when Gracia and I spent a day in London for an appointment she had. We had decided to walk to the hospital from Liverpool Street Station and found a couple of eggs on the way. When we got to Covent Garden (to buy our Shrek tickets) there were a few more and we also found a couple at Liverpool Street Station. These photos epitomize Gracia's sense of humor and silliness.

The classes I taught were a mini book - boy and girl version

and this layout with the technique of making your own flower embellishments.

So that was my lovely weekend. Hope yours was just as much fun.

Will post later in the week when I finish the other three classes. Off to do some more now ;o)

Reasons to be cheerful:

1. After many years of choosing to live without them, discovering the joy of girlfriends.

2. A wonderful man who encourages me to go and do the things that make me happy.

3. 4 weeks with my girlie without a cross word and a safe journey for her and Josh back to Newcastle.

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Having fun with the girls.

18:24 Karen 7 Comments

Am spunding the weekend with friends old and new. Playing with paper and ink at the atdml retreat and I think I am in love with prima resist canvas and inks after taking mels class and making my absolute favouritist layout ever!

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