SLYMI wk 5

The crazy hair pictures were perfect for this and with this week being black and white I managed to use the October Afternoon papers from my October Gogo kit. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with paper that had newsprint all over it but some of the adverts fitted well on this LO as they're a bit crazy too. I've also used up some more of the coloured alphas from July's kit. My ribbons were a JBP (Just Because Present) from my Mum who happened to see them in her local haberdasher/craft shop!! Thanks Mum :)

Crazy Hair Day

Today Milnes Primary had a crazy hair day. Luckily for Samuel he didn't get his hair cut last week so still had some to spike up. He looks like he's put a finger in a socket!!

Sun Rise

We had an absolutely gorgeous sun rise this morning. Really pink. It's a shame you can't see how windy it was. It was blowing a gale.

Rodrick Rules

It's here at last the book Samuel has been waiting for. He's starting it tonight so 'Samuel Blink' will have to wait a day or two to be continued!! He read the first book on the sleeper on the way to London!!

Samuel's Album

When I first started scrapping in 2006 I decided to do an album of Samuel's first year. Now after choosing about a dozen or so photos you wouldn't think it would take too long to finish. Well here we are 3 years later and I'm only up to May!!! My New Years resolution was to finish his album so this weekend I did 5 LOs. I know I've never doen so many in a onener before. Thank heavens for Page Maps!!

The Mom Song!!

To all parents!!! If you get chance watch this it's a must. It tends to stick but keep watching

Burns Night

It's the 250th birthday of Robbie Burns and the haggis was out tonight. Samuel also had to learn a Burn's poem so we picked one with 4 verses and not 20!!





A Mothers Lament for her Dying Son

Fate gave the word, the arrow sped,
And pierc'd my darling's heart;
And with him all the joys are fled
Life can to me impart.

By cruel hands the sapling drops,
In dust dishonour'd laid:
So fell the pride of all my hopes,
My age's future shade.

The mother-linnet in the brake
Bewails her ravish'd young;
So I, for my lost darling's sake,
Lament the live day long.

Death, oft I've fear'd thy fatal blow,
Now, fond, I bare my breast,
Oh, do thou kindly lay me low
With him I love, at rest!

Bird of Paradise

SLYMI week 4. Bird of Paradise. Ruth took this picture last July when we were at Cesar Manrique's house in Lanzarote. It will now be the first page in my Holiday journal.

SLYMI week 4

One of my favourite things this week.....sketches!!

SCRAP FROM THE SKETCH
Just a few times over the year, our challenge will involve a sketch and this week is one of those!

The sketch is attached here...and all you have to do is use it as the inspiration for your layout! Your layout can be on any topic, any size, any colour...but use this sketch as your starting point. You can turn it, flip it, piece it back together or leave it just as it is...whatever you fancy!

The Island

Having fnished the fantastic "Book Thief" I'm now about to start The Island by Victoria Hislop. Hopefully it will be as good a read.

On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more. Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga -- Greece's former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip...

Heart of the Sea

SLYMI week 3 was to use chipboard in any way shape or form. I've use a chipboard heart that came in a Scrapagogo kit way back when!! It's covered in lovely Kelly Pannachi paper from this months Gogo kit.

Hobbies

My new UKS team the Rik Rak Ravers have set a challenge to scrap your hobbies. Here's mine. Photographing war graves (when they tell me how many are left to find), cross stitch and scrapping. (And occasionally knitting scarves!!)

Posing!!

Seeing as how he's so camera shy!!! I had to sneak a picture of Samuel........not!!!

The pebble is one that Samuel found and took home as it looks like a heart.

Cullen Beach

A short trip to Cullen was called for this afternoon seeing as Samuel isn't old enough to go to see Defiance at the pictures!!

The beach was quite busy with dog walkers and folk fishing. Samuel and I managed to get some good pictures and had a nice time. Some of the rock formations are amazing to look at. All those years of sea and bad weather!!

Shame the dog couldn't behave himself!!

Picture of me waiting for "Daivid Bailey" to finish taking thousands of photos (OK 12!!!!)

Shimelles New Class

The lovely Shimelle has started a new class and it's free!!! The details can be found here...http://www.shimelle.com/classes/404/a-free-mini-class-to-say-thank-you/

Since starting her classes I've been trying to take better pictures. Some have come out Ok so far!!!!

12th Birthday

It's hard to believe that Samuel is 12 already. As he's having a joint party with his friend next month we took him bowling yesterday, just the 3 of us. There was definitely some fixing going on as my score seemed to be getting lower everytime I went to get a drink!!!!

Back home Samuel and John cooked tea (they think they're masterchef now) and then it was time for cake. (Chocolate Fudge cake, Samuel's favourite). I'm going to have to buy more candle holders next year and a bigger cake!!

SLYMI wk 3

Here it is...... back another day with a LO.....hopefully :)

Week Three...Scrap with chipboard!Your page can be about anything you fancy, just dig into your chipboard stash and put something to work! If you're scrapping digitally, use the equivalent in pixels -- those pieces that look like they are popped up off the page. Your chipboard can be letters, accents, or handcut to be whatever you like! Leave it plain, paint it, sand it, emboss it, layer it...just put your chipboard to work!My page is in the gallery here. I mixed some pieces I still had from my very first chipboard purchase (clearly I was saving it because I thought they wouldn't make any more?! Don't worry...they are still making plenty. Let's use it!) along with a brand new set of chipboard letters I just bought the other day! I always find if I mix a bit of the new with a bit of the old, the old stuff isn't noticed...of course now I've gone and told you so you'll probably all be laughing at all my old stash now!

The Book Thief

When I first saw the title I thought it probably wouldn't be my "Thing" but after reading the back I realised it was right up my street. I'm only half way through at the moment but it's a great read. Here's a little bit about it if you don't know already.........

The book thief is the alter-ego of a nine-year-old girl called Liesel, whose life history is narrated by none other than the Grim Reaper himself. Now Liesel has both the misfortune to be raised alongside the burgeoning Nazi state in Germany and the good fortune to be sheltered from it by a vehemently anti-Fascist family, the Hubermanns.

It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is "The Gravedigger's Handbook", left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her foster father, learns to read. Soon, she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

However, all this changes when her father's long-forgotten wartime promise comes to fruition and a desperate Jew lands in their basement. Unwittingly, Liesel finds herself thrust into the front line against the all-too-real hatred of the Nazi state.

The Book Thief has been on the New York Times Children's Best Seller list for over 21 weeks

Slorach Wood

This weeks breath of fresh air didn't take us too far from home. There are loads of walks through the local woods so we thought we'd check out Slorach Woods which is a stones throw from our house. There are two routes but we only found that out when we passed the sign on our way back!! Next week we'll try them again!!

SLYMI wk 2

This weeks use of stars was just the job for this LO. I've used the Sep 08 Scrapagogo kit and scraplifted Eileens happiness LO.

Bath Time

Poor Mossy has had a rough few months with losing his hair and going bald in places. Unfortunately one side affect is that he 'Stinks'!! John sorted that today by giving him a bath (with my Treseme shampoo!!!). He smells much better now :)

Journal Your Christmas

Scrap Like You Mean It week 2

I'm hoping to get this done this weekend while the boys are out :)

This week's challenge:
Scrap with hearts or stars!

Your page can be any size, any subject, any colour, but we want to see what you can do with hearts or stars or both! Maybe one big heart or even a star shaped page...or dozens of tiny hearts or stars. Stamp them, punch them, draw them, paint them, find them in your patterned papers....whatever you fancy!

Happy scrapping! And remember to spread the word about this week's challenge -- have you told your teamies or messaged your scrapping friends to check out Scrap Like You Mean It?

Scrap Like You Mean It

Shimelle has another weekly challenge going over on UKS. As it's weekly I'm hoping to be able to keep up with it this year.
This weeks challenge is to scrap your favourite colour/s. Mine changes all the time and at the moment I like browns and greens. Next week it might be pink again!!! I've done a LO of Samuel in the leaves last weekend.

WEEK ONE :: SCRAP IN YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR!

Sure, we could challenge you to scrap your resolutions this week but Scrap Like You Mean It is about having FUN, so we're going to start with something a bit more light-hearted! Your page can be any theme at all -- you just need to pull out the papers and embellishments in your stash that are YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR and get them on a layout!

Make your page any time this week and upload it to the gallery. (I'll come back and edit this post with the updated gallery info ASAP!) As a BONUS for week one, everyone who posts their favourite colour layout before midnight next Wednesday night will be entered into a prize drawing to win a pizza box prize package filled with scrapping goodies!

Photograph your route

On one of the prompts in Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas the guest photographer said to photograph your route when you go for a walk/go to work etc. Here's my attempt for today.

Nelson's Tower

After 20 odd years of driving past Nelson's Tower in Forres I thought it was about time I went to see it. The walk isn't too bad and had it not been raining would have been lovely. Unfortunately the view from the top was misty so any hopeful photos went out the window.
We'll go back in the summer as the museum will be open then.

John had fun burying Samuel in the leaves (before it rained!) and as you can see Samuel seemed to enjoy being buried!!!!!

A little bit of info for you......................
Nelson’s Tower, situated on the top of Cluny Hill, Forres, was built as a memorial to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1806. After his victory over Napoleon’s fleet at Cape Trafalgar in Spain, 21st October 1805, Nelson became a national hero. Nelson was killed during the battle and various memorials were set up around the country, including Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London and Nelson’s Monument on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh. In 1806, the community of Forres began building its own memorial tower to Nelson on Cluny Hill. Designed as a ‘monument to departed heroism’, it was paid for through subscription which was organised by prominent members of the community. Approximately £610 was raised from 269 subscribers. On the 26th August 1806, James Brodie of Brodie laid the foundation, as part of a ceremony attended by all the prominent inhabitants of Forres and the surrounding district. Coins and a parchment scroll were placed under the foundation stone, and after a speech and a prayer, the Forres Volunteers fired three volleys in the air and the procession returned to Forres for a celebration at Maclean’s Inn on the High Street. The tower was not actually completed until six years later, and was officially opened on the seventh anniversary of Nelson’s victory.

Baby Boy Card

One of the ladies on my UKS team, the Rik Rak Ravers had a little boy called Drake on 29 December 08. I thought I would have a stab at making a card with these bear heads I got from e-bay!! Turned out OK.

UKS challenge

I spent a lovely afternoon doing the weekly challenge over on UKS. After reading all the questions and getting an equal amount of letters I had to go with Option E.

Use Neutral colours - Black & White
Use a day to day photo - A recent walk at Brodie Castle
Use one of 5 techniques - I chose stamping
Use stickers/rub-ons or a pp embelishment - I used alpha stickers.

I used sketch No 11 from Pencil Lines.

Sarah's Challenge prompt 15

This prompt is about Christmas....what else? I've decided to do a LO about our family Christmas fairy.

Christmas Day Dreams As its fastly approaching the holiday season I would like you to indulge in some day dreaming and remember past Christmases. How about remembering a Christmas were you got that very special present that your mind always casts back to. How about remembering something really unusual to your usual routine, something unexpected or a funny incident. How about remembering a family tradition from when you were young and try and relive it this year for something different. Think about any of those past traditions that you have now incorporated into your own present day family traditions. This weekI would like you to create a LO that represents one of those memories. Happy Christmas

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone.

Millbuies

Yesterday was the perfect day for a walk around Millbuies. As you can see from the pictures it seems to have it's own weather system. Sunny on one side and snowy on the other. It was still very cold and by the time we got back to the car my hands had frozen completely!! Even stealing John's fleecy gloves didn't help.

The loch is still frozen solid and despite the throwing of stones by quite a few children it didn't crack. You could hear people throwing things on the ice from the other end of the loch and it's quite an eerie sound.