Manufacturers websites list updated

I've included a few previously missed and a few new manufacturers releasing at CHA this year. It's now a very looooooong list! Scroll down the sidebar on here to view it.

If you know of any more scrapbooking site (paper scrapbooking please, there are specialised sites for digi scrapbooking) just drop me a link to the site and I will add to my list.

Thanks and nite nite :)

Is this what scrapping heaven looks like?

Okay I have lots of news to update my blog with but am a little busy right now, BUT I just have to share this new store that has opened in the US - I stumbled across the link on 2peas.

*drool* it is so lush. I wish the owner every business success, she deserves it after putting so much thought and consideration into creating such a stunningly beautiful place to scrap shop.

Scrapping heaven?

Heidi Grace papers *drool*

If you haven't discovered Heidi Grace papers then you are missing out! I've managed to pick up a few sheets in the past from here and there (at shows mainly) and they are a beautiful quality and such lovely designs too. I especially like the speciality papers. They cost more but the embossing, flocking and glittering details add such an extra dimension they are worth it.

Anyhow, Angela over at Angel Crafts very kindly took pity on my plea and ordered in a selection - Heidi's Hearts (see my post below for the sneak peek or have a wander on over to the Collectively Yours blog to see the whole page), Heidi's Cute Cakes and my utter favourite, Urban Acres Boulevard. I just love the colours - turquoise (dark and light), plum, greens and pink verging on lilac. Turquoise is Chiara's favourite colour so I tend to grab whatever I can find. I couldn't wait to use these papers and I created my class for The Design Collective this week with them. Here is a peek for you.

#58 at Collectively Yours

Our challenge this week was to celebrate fathers or other special man in our lives.

I chose to do a page with my Father in Law. He is a wonderful man and a wonderful Grandad and I loved doing this page featuring him with Mia.

I used the wonderful Heidi Grace Hearts range from Angel Crafts and, having seen other people do stamped journaling, was inspired to get out my old pixie alphabet stamps again. Oh and also some more of the gorgeous supersized Fancy Pants chipboard. Love that stuff!

My sneak peek is here but you can see the whole page and the other uploads over on the Collectively-Yours blog.

Hooked on Britain's Got Talent!

Just loved watching the audition shows! I've laughed, cried and cringed my through You Tube, as I only caught some of the nights on tv.

The best ones for me are the ones where the act walks on stage and you can see the judges (Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan) think 'what the heck?!'

Lots of links coming up here as there are so many of these clips worth watching. I've linked to the ones I think were fabulous and fabulously entertaining, but if you don't mind the cringe factor you need to check out some of the others (piano playing pig, line dancing dogs, nervous knife thrower, stripping breakdancer, oh yes along with the great and the good were some, erm, not so good :D)

Well worth watching, especially if you are a Simon Cowell fan ;)

Bar Men - shaking it all out with the cocktails

Crew 82 - beat box talent, incredible!

Tony - more than good, sensational! I defy you not to cry

Kit Kat Dolls - sexcellent! and worth while just to see Simon's stunned face and being at a loss for words!

Connie - this child has an amazing voice - if you closed your eyes you would not believe it came from a 6 year old. More tissues needed

Dominic - just blew everyone's breath away. Stunning version of a classic and without any musical backing too.

Combat Breakers - break dance group from the Midlands (yeah!) so confident, energetic and entertaining

Craig - wait for it, baton twirling in a white sparkly spandex suit. See the judges faces turn from disbelief to awe. Totally entertaining and a standing ovation from the audience

Damon and Bubbles - yep a monkey doing an impersonation of Michael Jackson. Side splittingly funny!

Paul - WOW another disbelief to awe moment. And more tissues. Just. Stunning. This man has got to stop selling mobile phones and start singing for a living.

MD Productions - polished, professional, energetic and truly entertaining

Scott - taking breakdancing from the bedroom to the theatre. Fabulous moves, entertaining and a truly likeable looking lad

Bessie - last but certainly not least! an incredibly talented and polished performance from this eleven year old

For my mind, we need a Royal Variety Performance that features them all, not just the winner!

Dentist update

My girls were very good.

Mia saw a lady, she was a bit taken aback as she was wearing islamic dress with her head (but not face) covered - we live in a rural village and Mia only sees people from other cultures really if we are out shopping or on the tv, or through school work. However she really put Mia at ease and within moments Mia was in the chair with her mouth wide open for her tegs to be counted. Incredibles bravery sticker reward!

Chiara was then really upset as she hadn't liked the male doctor from before and was getting all glowering and stroppy. We got called upstairs (again) and yeah, it was another lady! A very pretty lady who was so lovely and obviously well used to dealing with children. She talked to Chiara about what would happen next time (tooth out) gave her a trial run with the mask that will fit over her nose for the gas, talked about apple pie and Tracey Beaker and then gave her a Dora sticker.

*phew*

I just have to ring the other dental practice as I have now had the referral letter come through.

Dare 57

This week's theme over at Collectively Yours was for us to add hidden journaling to our pages. I struggled with this big time. I'm not a big fan personally of hidden journaling, mind saying that it can come in handy sometimes. Oh and the comment over on the blog about always forgetting to leave space for the journaling - well that is me down to a tee!

I got some sweet piccies of Josh playing with one of our cats a couple of weeks ago. Our family cats are a big part of our family life and I really haven't scrapbooked about them anywhere near as much as I should have. Mainly because I get really pants pictures when I try to photograph them. They are British Blue shorthair, though Polo (the brother) is easier to photo as he is blue and white, Molly is really hard to get a well defined shot as she is pure blue. The carpet was a mess too when I took the photo - thank heavens for photo editing software. I wish it was so easy to clean up the house in real life :D

My sneak peek is here. I used Dream Street papers and Fancy Pants chipboard. The journaling is hidden on a tag which is camouflaged by the 'purrfect' part of the title.



Not a lot else to report, I am feeling pretty down which is why I am being quiet everywhere. Unfortunately I am really struggling to motivate myself to do anything and the stress of being behind with so many things in my life isn't helping. I have to buckle down big time this week.

Oh and I have to take the girls to the dentist tomorrow (today) which isn't helping. I have a big dental phobia. Have tried very hard not to pass this on, anyway, got us into a different dental practice (nhs) and, having met the dentist last week now I know why they have spaces. I explained about my phobia on the phone, also that Mia has a real phobia with doctors and dentists. Anyway the dentist has got a real short fuse and wouldn't even entertain trying to coax Mia into the chair and he was very short with me too, the kids were back in the waiting room with my Mum by this time. I was crying and shaking and he was pretty harsh. It's not helped as I have a really bad involuntary gag reflex. I have to have three fillings and one extraction (way back in the wisdom tooth area). Actually given I haven't been to the dentist in 10 years I was surprised that I didn't need more work! He has referred me to another practice as I am sure I won't be able to cope with them tugging about right back there unless I am put under. Tomorrow night is to take Mia to see if a lady dentist will be any better for her and also Chiara has to go back for another look and to talk about what will happen with her as she has to have an extraction too. I am so sad for her. She has an abcess and he wants to take the tooth out. Is this standard practice? I don't know. But Chiara has an incredibly low pain threshold so that will be a tough call for us both when she actually has the work done.

Apologies and latest dare

Sorry not been blogging, not really been doing much of anything to be honest as have been in a bit of down place in my mind recently. Nothing in particular (but certainly not helped this week by the constant bickering between Josh and Chiara they drive me beserk!).

Apologies to both Yizz and Joanna who are STILL waiting for boxes from me. Actually got my bum into gear with them today only to discover the village post office has eventually closed. It was attached to the village shop which closed several weeks ago, but the post office side had been kept going a while longer. So I must trot off to Belper or some such place that HAS got a post office - will combine with my trip to take Josh to a party (they are going to Water World at Stoke so he will have a blast there, he loves going swimming!).

I'm behind with quite a few things at the moment (more apologies); I have even tidied my scrap room (well, sort of) in an effort to find my mojo from the bottom of whichever pile of stash it was hiding. I am hoping I haven't thrown it away in the bin inadvertently :D

Anyhow I have forced myself the last couple of weeks to do the UK dares over on the Collectively Yours blog. I am so pleased that I am involved with this great team of girls - it really gives me the push to actually achieve at least one scrapping project each week! This week was to use felt - so actually this week was not much of a hardship cos I love felt! I used some really ratty photos that I had printed out an age ago. They are from Chiara's Brownie Promise night this time last year. Awful lighting, camera which can't cope with awful lighting, children who didn't stay still and a myriad of limbs straying into the corner of photos (hence lots of overlapping of piccies and strategic placement of rubons!). This is my sneak peek ... to see the full page pop on over to the blog. And trust me - the blue shape is NOT really a carrot. It is the 'i' taken from the Brownie logo! Erm, just realised I haven't sold it too well have I? I actually quite like it and, to be honest, I really need to push myself to use more of these 'normal' snapshot type photos which I have hundreds of (and I am sure I am not alone) so not only do I challenge you to use felt (as per the dare) but also would love to see how anyone else scraps these not so perfect photos.