Looking For A Christmas Idea?

I stumbled across this bag tutorial a few weeks ago.  It is perfect to make for a christmas gift.  I'm planning to try making one this week so I will let you know what it turns out like.

Punky Scraps Blog Hop

I am super excited to be part of the newly formed Punky Scraps design team.

To promote the start of the challenges on 10th December we are having a blog hop this weekend with a super duper prize.

Punky Scraps is starting it off and then after that the running order is

Punky Scraps Blog  
Camilla 
Nina
TIffany
Kerry - YOU ARE HERE and your next stop is Kat below
Kat
Jo
Marianne
Jodi
Hayley
Winnie
Natalie

We are supposed to be showing you our favourite layout.  I've struggled a little bit with this because I have two favourites at the moment so I'm showing you them both.

A little bit about me:

I live in Yorkshire, England.  I have been scrapping for about six years since my youngest son was born.  I also have three older children (1 girl and 2 boys), a husband, two dogs and a cat.  I love working from sketches and have a recently found love of glimmer mist.  I'm still working on techniques though.

Getting The Mop Chopped

My youngest has been growing his hair.  Mainly I think because my eldest son has had his quite long for a long time. Eldest had his cut a couple of weeks ago so the youngest has been nagging to get his done.  He is petrified of the clippers at the barbers which might be another reason he has been growing it.  So he had to have it all done with the scissors.  The lady was really good with him and he even agreed to a little bit of time with her using the shaver around the back. 

This is the mop before

and this is after

Now if only he could get his glasses to stay on his nose we would be sorted.

Skywatch

A phone shot of some misty trees last friday

Closing Down Sale

I made the decision at the weekend to close my online shop - The Craft Garden

I have made some grab bags up of the bags of flowers I had left in stock.  They are priced at £4 (plus p&p of £1) and you are getting 10 bags of prima flowers in each bag.

The grab bags are here and the remaining other stock is here

A Little Package

A little package turned up.  It is from Sweetwater, who used to be my absolute favourite scrapbook line with their gorgeous designs.  They have moved over into fabrics now and this little project package contains fabrics, numbers and string. I'll show you what I have made (per their instructions) in a few days time.

Skywatch

Another shot taken with my phone so rather out of focus.  I love the silhouettes at the top of the hill.

Those Pesky Travelling Scarves

I'm totally up to date on the travelling scarves (like a scrapbook CJ or round robin but with knitting). 

Unfortunately mine got stuck at the first hurdle when the person I sent it to went missing in action and then when they did re emerge and said they had posted it it never turned up with the next person.  I'm not happy but hey ho c'est la vie.  I have started again and sent it to the next person down the line missing out the unreliable one so hopefully I should have something to show for it at the end of the round.

I also joined the next one which is a cable scarf but not enough people are signed up yet so it won't be starting just yet.  I think I will just buy a big ball of aran and send it round with it.  If you fancy it and are on Ravelry and also in europe then you are very welcome.  Infact if you are a knitter and not on Ravelry why not?  It is a massive resource for all things knitting and crocheting related.  I don't know what I would do without it.

There is also another swap thingy which I am part of and that is a bunting swap.  We each knit 4 pieces of bunting for the other participants in their chosen yarn/size and we then get 4 each in return.  We should get 24 triangles back so enough to make a nice length of bunting.  I have asked for mine to be in blues and browns so I can put it in the boys room as it is still lacking something and looks quite plain.

This is another scarf I have started just for me.  It is called the Ruffle Fluff scarf and is fun, mindless knitting once you get past the ruffles which again are fun.

I do have a finished traveling woman but I have no idea how to photograph it at the moment so that will have to follow shortly.

Have You Seen Him?

Mr scrapping mojo is taking an extended vacation for now. I need to make a call to the tropical beach he is sunning himself on soon because I am excited to say I have been accepted onto a new design team. I'll fill you in on more info when the official post is published on their blog.

Seriously though, I have been very busy with other things and haven't had the time to think too much about scrapping. I have a kit sat on my kitchen table right now with ideas running through my head and two photos sat with it from our holiday in October. I'm waiting for the first prompt for the design team and then I will get to work.

The weight loss took a nosedive when an old ankle injury from last year flared up whilst I was doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I managed 4 days of level one but the pain became too much. A new injury in my shins seems to have happened and although it is ok to walk on I am getting what I can only describe as a burning pain at the front and side of my lower leg. Trip to the doctor I think for some advice.

Skywatch

Taken with my phone so a bit on the blurry side.

Skywatch

Taken last friday from a local park with the view over a disused industrial area which is waiting for redevelopment and one of the local graveyards.  It was so quiet and peaceful.

Knitting Update

Drum roll please......I have TWO finishes.

First up is a pair of mittens for my youngest

and second is the mammoth project which was a union jack cushion by Debbie Bliss and made me decide I am NEVER doing stranded/instarsia or whatever the hell it is called, again!!

and this is some yarn I dyed for a knit a long project called Anna I am starting soon.  Here is the link on ravelry if you are over there.

Shaming Myself Big Time

I need to do this so please bear with me or alternatively click the red cross to not.

I need to shame myself into losing some weight.

This is the printout from the scales in town last week.  I bought a smartcard that tracks and prints each weighing session so I can keep a track on the same scales.

16 stones is a hefty amount of poundage and it NEEDS to go. 

My plan is to make use of the exercise DVDs I have and go on longer dog walks than normal.  I am going to have to cut down on portion sizes.  Last week I got the cookery books out and planned our meals for the week ahead to try and cut down on excess spends.  It was so much easier having an idea what we were having rather than convenience processed crap out of the freezer.  This week I am going to look for some healthier versions.

I will post another printout on 1st December and we will see whether I have stuck to it.