Growing Up

The weekly challenge on UKScrappers this week was set by the Butterfly Bonanza's, they challenged us to:

Design your own sketch based on packaging, a film poster or a book cover ~ 10 points ~ yes

Include something transforming ~ 10 points ~ yes (my eldest nephew as he grows up)

Use spring colours ~ 5 points ~ yes (my garden's only got orange and green in it ATM)

Use something gold ~ 5 points ~ yes (pen for the swirls and brads)

I found this film poster on the net and did the following sketch from it

I then found some photos of my eldest nephew as he was growing up, printed the latest one so it would almost fill one side and went with that for my theme. The journalling tells of some of the many things I just love about him ~ his sense of humour, his caring nature, his dimples .....

I'm planning on doing a LO of his sister now and will do one of his younger brother once he's a little more grown up as he's only just turned one.

Thanks for looking

Take care, love and hugs

Sarah C xoxoxo

The Big Switch On

If you can call it that. Sorry Ely, but it is still very tame compared to the likes of Chatteris which is a smaller town only 20 minutes away. But it's what Ely have and people certainly turn out in their droves for it. Or was it to see singing brother and sister act 'Same Difference' (last year's X-Factor) or fellow X-Factor contestant 80-year-old Cyril Grant?

I went with my Mum, brother-in-law-to-be, eldest nephew and niece. My nephew was so pleased when he realised that Warwick Davis (Willow, Star Wars, Harry Potter and last year's Celebrity Scissorhands) was there and was so desperate to see him on stage. This was impossible as some of those with wheelchairs and pushchairs thought it was their given right to push through to get nearer the front.

Here's where I get on my soapbox, so I'll appologise now. WHAT gives these people the right to shout "wheelchair/pushchair coming through!" and expect the sea of people to part so they can move to the front? In my humble opinion, they should have done what we should have done and got there earlier. What about those who are naturally short due to age or genes? I saw young children desperate for a peek at those on stage and they couldn't see a thing. What would have happened if the adults with them had shouted "small child coming through!"? Not a lot I expect apart from sighs, tuts and people standing so firm that you'd think they were superglued to the floor. Aaaaaaaargh. Sorry, but it just makes me so mad.

Anyway, on a lighter note, The Churches in Ely colaborated and put on a real-life Advent complete with a donkey and camels to give us all something different. Thank you for making such an effort. it was much appreciated.

Once we'd seen that and eaten, we made our way to the stage area which as I've said earlier was heaving with people. But we could hear what was going on and were there with everyone else. At the end, Same Difference and Warwick were signing autographs in one of the offices behind the stage. Yep, we were asked? begged? erm.............. well ................... asked in a way that we could NOT refuse by my nephew that he wanted Warwick's autograph and was it ok if we went over. Hmmm.................. 70 minutes later and we were still about half an hour away from the door. Crazy isn't the word and I found out that several people had jumped a barrier and pushed to the front earlier. All of a sudden one of the officials came out and asked if anyone was there just for Warwick's autograph and not for his and Same Difference. My nephews face lit up and he said "YES", so we were queue jumped and went straight in. Both my sets of camera batteries died just before that, so it was a case of phone camera only, but they have the photos and autographs and that's all they were worried about. To see the look on their faces (his especially) was worth waiting in a long, cold queue for and I'd do it all again if I had to. Just don't tell him that or he'll take me up on it one day!!!! LOL

Photographs of the switch on are on my photoblog. The one's of Warwick aren't as they may be subject to copyright and also have my niece and nephew in, so I'd best not show those. Yes, he was really there and yes, we really did queue for that long.

Would I do it all again? Tough question. I would if someone I liked was there. I'd ignore the rest of the procedings to stand at the front of the crowd right at the beginning and not move, then I'd have someone on the side ready to get near the front of the autograph queue for me to join once I got through the crowd. "BIGGEST FAN COMING THROUGH"!!!!!!!

Thanks for coming to visit.

Take care. Love and hugs

1st Design Team Submission

I'm guessing that by now you are aware that I'm on the design team for Crafty Muse. Their challenge this week is to create something using the colour purple. This was so hard for me considering purple's my favourite colour!!! LOL

So, what did I do?

Using images from Crafty Muse, I made this card with Millie Rose Dots which I watercoloured using my bush markers. I covered some card in purple star paper and tied some ribbon on the left. I stuck Angelique and the sentiment (made using WordArt) before adding some diamond Stickles to Angelique, the sentiment, the ribbon and the stars.

I thought this card might make a perfect invitation for a little girl's party.

My second offering is this using sitting down Angelique.

Here's how I made it:

I took a piece of mountboard and cut it large enough to fit a notepad, pen and clip onto. I covered it in the same star paper as the card and inked the edges. I mixed blue, red and white acrylic paint to get the right shade and covered the front of the notebook. Sitting down Angelique was printed onto SafMat and put on the bottom then the notepad was stuck using wet glue. I punched holes in the mountboard using my crop-a-dile to thread ribbon through to add detail to the pad, to hold the pen and to be able hang it all up. The clip at the bottom is stuck using hot glue and can hold vouchers, extra notes and more. This could also have magnets stuck on the back (instead of the ribbon) for putting on a fridge and using as a shopping list/voucher centre.

Thanks for looking.

Take care,
Love and hugs

I've Finished My Christmas Crafting

I never thought I'd say I've finished my Christmas crafting, but I have, so I can. My nephew is Arsenal mad and Niece is High School Musical mad, so I've made them cards, fridge magnets and door plaques. Hope they like them.

Here's my first attempt at a star card (I think that's what they're called) with it's box

Just so I can give Lou another mention, here's the last 2 curvy cards I made

That's my crafting and probably blogging finished until Boxing Day. Off this afternoon to deliver a couple of cards and presents, then hopefully a relaxing evening before the big day. I'll be spending Christmas Day at Mum's and coming home Boxing Day - hopefully with new crafting goodies if Santa's been listening to me!

I hope you all have a very merry and safe Christmas

xxx