Friday, January 30, 2009

you know what they say about the best laid plans....

Stuff doesn't always go the way you want it to, does it?

Sometime's when you think you've got it all cracked... when you're sure you're on top of everything... someone comes along and gives you a little nudge.

Or even a clumsy great elbow in the ribs.

And umm... you fall.

Well, the only thing to do if you fall I guess, is to get back up. Even if they push you off again later, you can try and deal with that when it happens. I got a bit of a knock last week, well, maybe more than a knock... a definite elbow... So my great plans to just ENJOY life now seem slightly wobbly, but positivity will have to be the key here, and i'm just going to concentrate on that. I can't really say more now, so best I leave it there.

My mojoholder LO from last night, #96: nearly a hundred....


And Sarah's sketch

More lifts on the mojo blog

I had wanted to share a funny email my dd sent me, the Mom's song - which I sent on to some of my friends because it's so brilliant and really really funny, and if you're a mum, or had a mum, or even know a mum... you'll want to see it. But being the gwap-head I am, I'm unable to work out how to do it... So, sorry about that. Pls let me know if you want me to send it on to you though.... As one of five myself, with four of my own, I loved it.... total genius!

I was tagged by the lovely and over-talented-in-all-departments-Paula, and just want to say i'll get to it when I have time darl. Paula's answers are side splitting but I'll need a while to think on this one. I might not even make the 64 she did. lol :-D

If (like me) you're hoping to shape up this year, you might like to record your progress in LO's, a chart, or a mini book / journal; and if you would, our fave digi doodling guru Kate Hadfield has just released the perfect kit for you - LOOK BELOW


All the clip/word art you need - check it out here as there are SALES too :-)

My own diet is going brilliantly btw. I lost 2 more pounds this week, making a loss of 6lb's in two weeks now. We're going out next weekend so I want to lose at least one pound by then so I've lost half a stone :-) Wish me luck. Apart from the weight I need lots of that right now. Lots.

Have a lovely weekend blog buddies
Love to all
jkxx

Monday, January 26, 2009

Enjoy!

My word for 2009... is enjoy.

Well.....No sense choosing a word like work.... or diet.... or achieve....is there? Alhough of course I do intend to do all of those things. The difference is this year, I hope to enjoy myself while doing them!

The themed post on IACW today was 'New Beginings' and I made this wallhanging as my contribution. Actually, I really enjoyed making it :-) I like altering, and while I accept I'll never be a frontrunner or any kind of expert in this art, I do like dabbling and playing and making pretty little things from bits of tat.



I jotted down some of my reasons for picking the word enjoy and if anyone's interested you can read them there. Tbh, I don't feel too great tonight, totally knackered, and I can't quite be bothered to replicate them here, right now!

Hugs, and thanks for dropping by
jkxxx

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Busy again today trying to get ahead. I feel like a dog forever chasing it's tail lately, which indicates that maybe it's time for something to go.

It was my turn to post on IACW today, and I thought i'd do a winter warmer recipe for a change. me and Carlo love this cheapie quick dish - give it a go if you're counting the cals... tastes terribly sinful but actually it's not.

From my IACW post:
There’s nothing like some good old stick to your ribs grub at this time of year.
This is a great speedy dish to whip up when you fancy some filling comfort food that won’t pile on the pounds. I usually serve it on it’s own with just a side salad for lunch, or team it with pesto chicken or pork chops for a hearty supper dish.

Serves 3-4.
Oven temp 200/6 ish
Ingredients:

Large baking potatoes (one each)
Good sized knob of butter (or low fat alternative)
Large tub of cottage cheese
Teaspoon of finely minced garlic or a squeeze of garlic paste
Tablespoon of low fat mayo
Pinch or two of salt (celery salt is good!)
Coarse ground black pepper
Couple of ounces of grated half fat cheese.

Optional:
Chilli flakes
Chopped chives
Crumbled crispy grilled bacon.

After scrubbing the skins, I cook my potatoes in the microwave first, (to save cooking time) before popping them onto an oven tray and crisping up the skin in a hot oven. You could of course, cook them conventionally if you prefer.

Once cooked, cut open the potatoes lengthways and scoop out the insides into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, cottage cheese, garlic, chives/chilli/ and half of the bacon, and mayo. Roughly mix the ingredients together and season to taste. Pile it all back into the empty skins. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of each potato, adding the rest of the crumbled bacon if you’re using it. Put them back into the oven to reheat until the cheese is all bubbly and melty.

Enjoy!
love jakey xx

Saturday, January 24, 2009

done it again....

whoops....! i've allowed the week to run away with me and done no blogging again. I'm hopeless.

Anyway, it's been a mixed week. On the plus side i've accomplished all my dt commitments (it was touch and go,lol) and got them posted where they're supposed to be - and on time! - so I feel pretty good about that :-) Also, my first week of dieting has gone well. I officially started on Monday, but I've been a bit careful since last Saturday, so I was chuffed to bits to discover i'd lost 3.5lbs when I weighed yesterday. The man of the house was not so pleased however... He felt he'd really tried and had done very well... until he stepped on the scales. Oh dear. He'd put on 2lbs! Sulking furiously, he declared them broken.

Well obviously.... ;-)

I had some sad news on Thursday. A cyber friend, Janice Nielson, passed away at just 60. I knew Janice from various forums and she was a very popular, very likeable person. Someone who was always interested in others and who just radiated love and warmth. She and her husband were both teachers and lived and taught on a Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. She left behind three children, her hubby and many many friends in the scrapbooking world. I'm so sad that she's no longer with us, but losing someone so suddenly like that does make you realise how important it is to live each day as if it were your last. None of us knows what's round the corner. My thoughts and prayers go to her family, who were her world.

Mojo went live last night with a lovely lift from a very talented girlie, Jaz.

After a fraught few hours when my scanner packed up, I finally managed to get it going and get my image into the bucket so Sarah could upload it with the others.

My LO - you've been warned!



And Sarah's sketch



Ok, off to town.
Hugs to all, stay safe, stay warm.
jkxxx

Monday, January 19, 2009

I'm getting there guys

Three steps forward, and two steps back as usual this week... But y'know you can get pretty far on baby steps if you persist... After all the talk about it, I only really started my diet today, although it was meant to start on the 5th..... but Jan's been pretty crap for me so far so I haven't really felt like it... however, I have a few things to look forward to now...! a few things booked up...! and that gives me a bit of motivation ;)

On the work front, i'm ploughing through my DT stuff :-) Ok... maybe not ploughing... but i'm keeping up - and with the pressure i've been under since the new year began, I think i'm doing ok.

I did this last night for January's contest on Magistical Memories and no, the DT are not allowed to win, I just wanted to play along coz it's a fun one!


The rules are that you make a LO using at least one piece of chipboard, and your title has to rhyme. Oh and you can win chippies too - so if you want to have a go what's stopping ya?

Anyway, I used this mag mem sea horse, painted him with 'ocean green' acrylic and blinged him up a bit with silver paint (dry brushed), some stickles and a jewel eye. And those fishies and weed are digi images printed onto acetate, and are from Kate's Fancy Fishies doodles from the lilypad.

In the real world I had me Da on the phone all choked up... no, not because the reds let another chance slip past them (bloody idiots! what are they at??) but to do with Liverpool all the same. You know they were the capitol of culture? well there was this programme on the telly... and he got all emotional, bless him. Daft old scouse... pining for his home town and the old days after all these years.... I don't know, what am I going to do with him...?

Anyways... enough.

more later
jkx

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I want one of these...

I want one of these.....

Just think what a nice place the world would be if it became our compulsory uniform.... :-D
And if you really want one you can get it here:

I loved making my sketches layouts this week - I love tamara's work but this one really inspired me.


I don't think i'd ever have used these less than perfect pics, but I'm so glad I did. Nice and jolly and summery...Can you tell i've had enough of winter and i'm pining for warm days and balmy nights..... sigh.

Roll on Summer
jkxx

Saturday, January 17, 2009

get your hand out of my pocket for the last time!!!!

The sodding tax man's struck again... Customs duty - on stuff that has been sent to me as a commercial sample if you don't mind!!! Am I seething..... ahm.... you bet!

For Christ's sake... I'm going to argue this one. I'll keep you posted. It's not product I've purchased... it's not stuff i've imported - it's items which have been given to me to work with - NO CHARGE.

Grr!

Ok, composure.... breathe...

I got my scraproom kit this week - no customs charge there for a change. Some of it I loved. The Sassafras Lass Hog Heaven especially... oh, those buttons! swoon....



The Making Memories I wasn't too sure of though. I'm not a huge fan of that shade of blue. It just didn't grab me. I resigned myself that it would go in the drawer... But then I wanted to scrap this pic - and flowery or not, it worked! It's the swirly look I think... it put me in the mind of flakes swirling and twirling down.

So at least some of it 's been used. It's a start.

Making Memories Chippies: Folk Stars

Have a great day folks - and hide that stash... eyes and ears everywhere!

Friday, January 16, 2009

time to scraplift?

As in... do I have time to scraplift...? Well no, not really, I don't.

TBH, I barely have time to fart anymore.

Not that I would fart... obviously. But it would be nice to have time to if I wanted to, iyswim.

This layout (love the zig zag bottom!) for the mojoholder blog was hurriedly put together today, in between a visit with my Dad, several lengthy phonecalls, and A Trying To Fix The PC Adventure with my technical friend.


Sarah's sketch
My scanned layout - This week we were lifting Sarah Klemish

Magistical Memories : potty people scallop plate


It seems the problem with the PC was an embarrassing one, one i'm almost reluctant to share with the blogging world.

I *cough* have dust.

Actually I have DUST.... DUST....DUST!

I have, to be precise - so much dust that my poor old PC was shutting itself down every five minutes in an attempt to preserve it's own life!

We pulled the machine out and Steve says... " hmm... looks a bit dusty..." And it did, there's no doubt.

So I brought the vac up and Steve hoovered round the case... and then he opened her up. OMG!

The fan was like totally blocked up almost... you've never seen such dust... Now - how did it get in there... and where did it come from???? Eh??

Fortunately Steve knows i'm not much of a housewife. He's been in my scrap room many many times... followed me through the house to get there... so he's seen things. He knows. And if he didn't know before - well, he sure as hell knows now, tee hee!

BUT. The good news is... since all the hoovering - there's been NO shutdowns... Yay! So, if you suddenly start shutting down with no warning, take a tip from me.
Get the hoover out. Works like a charm! All I need to find out now is, does it work with husbands.....? ;-)

Happy days guys... happy days :-)

Monday, January 12, 2009

What can you do with a Mullet...?

Um... a mullet's a fish right?

So how did it get to become synonymous with a dodgy half short/half long hair cut? Is it coz it hangs down the back like a flippy floppy fish tail?

I really don't get it.

I know all about Mullet's obviously.... Hell, my family ran one of the UK's most infamous Rock pubs for over 20 years! I've seen more than my share of mullets, tattoo's, motorbikes and mean MF'ers. I can spot a mullet at the bar blindfolded... and yet. I still don't know why they're called that. You can visit all the mullet websites on the net - and no one really seems to know. It's one of life's mysteries alright.... I really hope you don't all lose sleep tonight pondering.




So....My boy - all Mulleted up, NYEve, 2008.

Tbh... I quite like it :-)
So.. err... what does that say about ME? :-D

Adapted from Tamara's sketches, #78


Ok... enough deep stuff for one night.... maybe more tomorrow ;-)

Wanna win some FREE super digi scrappy stuff? Check out the challenges on Hodge Podge Art. This weeks challenge involves you scrapping YOUR word for 2009 and all you have to do to stand a chance of winning $$$ in gift certs from some fabby talented designers is link to your page. Get over and check it out :-)

jkxx

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Obviously, it's not funny.....

... but there are times when I feel my life takes on the proportions of a black comedy. On Friday, my Dad came round and it was clear he was not well. Fearing it was flu, I tried to get him to take a hot water bottle with him, and insisted he leave with a packet of ibuprofen to supplement his Lemsips if things got worse. Of course, they did. Yesterday morning I got a call from him, very distressed, asking for help because he felt so wretched. Now, Carlo and I have just got over this so I know how bad it is - but he has it worse as he also has tummy troubles, just to complicate matters further.

So, I'm up and down like a yo-yo to the village to look after him. Soups with ring pulls ( he hss no strength...) medicines, hot water bottles, juices and drinks... and lucozade, which made me really sad as that is what he always brought me when I was little and ill. I wasn't a very healthy child and seemed to be ill quite often, and i'd lay under my mum's red coat on the settee (only the red coat - never a blanket) and my Dad would come in with lucozade to make me better. I thought it might tempt him as i'm worried he won't drink enough and get dehydrated as if he's not poorly enough as it is, and sure enough his eyes lit up and he gulped a glassful down - I guess we all like a bit of fuss and attention when we're ill, however old we are.

Then i'm there this morning trying to cook him a breakfast after phoning him three times and getting no answer and convincing myself he's out cold on the floor....and Vinnie's ringing and ringing and ringing me up to pick him up as he stayed at a friends and didn't take a key... and I'm running to his neighbour to let her know he's ill, and ask her to keep an eye on him, and I go sprawling in the thawed ice and sloppy mud and skin all my elbow and knee sliding out of the car... yeah Gods! It's great to be middle aged eh?

And I just had to laugh because heaven knows it's not funny... but what else can you do?

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bringing back the MOJO!

Mojoholder's back!

After a slighly longer break than we'd originally intended due to illness and other family stuff, we're back - with a bang! My lovely friend Laura Godfrey has joined us on the team, so if you love Laura's work - and who doesn't? Then you can now see her take on the lifts every friday night on the mojo blog.

This week we lifted Becky Novacek and it's such a pretty page:


Sarah did us a fantastic sketch:


And here's my take on the layout:


Unfortunately, as is usual with scanned images you tend to lose some of the pretty details. I think Becky used tissue or mulberry paper behind her photo, but I wanted to use a sparkly transparent piece I had, as the picture is of Jenna on Christmas morning kissing her new dolly and her Mum said she loved ripping all the pretty papers up so was trying to get a feel of that :-) I scrunched the piece up to make lines and angles so the light would reflect off them better, and attached it with spray adhesive, scrunching it a bit onto the background. These photos show it a bit better.




We watched the final part of the Anne Frank series last night and I ended up in tears. I think I found it especially moving as we visited her house last year in Amsterdam, and could see it all in my head as I watched it. There was a chilling photograph taken from an upstairs window of an innocent mother with her 3 small kiddies being herded by 7 Gestapo with guns.... it's hard to forget an image like that. Having just read the boy in the striped pyjama's I think i'm feeling a bit sensitive to it all.

Time to read/watch something more cheerful I think, the weather's depressing enough!

Anyway - I have a heap of things to do so enough from me - have a lovely weekend all!
jk xx

Friday, January 09, 2009

Nappy News!

Regular readers of my blog will perhaps remember this post from last summer. It was where I shared the very sad news that my middle dd had lost her long awaited, and much longed for baby at just 12 weeks into the pregnancy.

She was devastated at the time, and we all felt so sad because she'd only just felt brave enough to tell people her happy news on her birthday... and the next day... all their dreams were gone.

Bravely, her and Dan decided to try again, and today - on Dan's birthday, I'm finally allowed to share the news they are once again expecting a nappy event, and after the scan today showed that all is well at 15 weeks, we can finally let a breath out and whisper congrats on their new pregnancy.

So...... I just wanted to say.....


Congrats Hayley on joining the Mummy to be club! And happy birthday to Dan - can't wait to see the scan pix guys!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Happy Birthday JWS

It would have been my sister's birthday today. And Elvis's - as she'd have reminded me. Of course, it still is. But she's not here for me to put my arms round her and fuss her, have a late night sesh with her, or go out on the razz and get into trouble with her. I took her some flowers after work. Kind of getting dark, and a bit eerie on my own, but I didn't want her to think i'd forgotten. I'll never forget. Never forget a minute of her. Never stop missing her or wishing things could have been different. Never understand why we never had time to say goodbye. Sleep tight JWS. Lay your hippy head down and rest. Love you always queen wah.

jk xx

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

How to do Hybrid

There still seems to be some confusions among the less experienced scrappers as to what exactly HYBRID scrapboking is. This is a post I wrote for It's a Creative World today offering some simple explanations and examples of how to do hybrid. Hybrid's fun, and with all the fantastic digital stuff out there on offer I hope my prompt here will persuade you to have a go if you've ever fancied it, but weren't sure how to begin. :-)

Hybrid Scrapbooking

Most scrapbookers these days have had a dabble into the world of digi. Some embrace it, buy and store hundreds of digital kits, papers and elements, and never look back at traditional paper supplies; while some decide ‘it’s too difficult’, ‘too time consuming to learn’, or just feel it’s not for them as they enjoy the tactile lumpy bumpy creative process involved in papercrafting far too much to ever give it up.

Some – like me, decide they want it all, and end up travelling the Hybrid route, taking digital elements and combining them with more traditional materials to make a page that’s a total cross between the two. And all hybrid layouts will vary depending on the techniques used but to be classed as hybrid there has to be at least one digital element, though in it’s simplest sense just adding printed journaling or a frame around a photo or digitally enhancing a photo, perhaps by altering the colour, would mean it could be classified as hybrid – and who among us haven’t used these techniques for years without even thinking about it!

My style of hybrid scrapping however, involves printing digital images out onto card or transparency, cutting them out and adding them to my pages just as I might a shop bought or hand made element. Sometimes I add glitter, or paint or brads or buttons, sometimes I cut two of the same image (or pieces of an image) and mount one atop the other on foam pads for extra dimension, or I might add some stitching – real or faux… really – the possibilities are endless! And it’s fun! You can size the images to whatever size you like and if you’re really clever….. (and I’m not!) You can persuade your CraftRobo to cut them out for you!

My images, sized, printed and ready to cut out. I’ve printed the kebab twice so I can ‘pop’ the mushrooms and tom!

Digi images iacw

My photo, with a fun digital frame added.

Donna and jon pickle iacw

The finished LO


All digital images used on this LO are by Kate Hadfield or Jacque Larsen and available from their store at the Lilypad

Here are a few useful address’s if you want to know more about the hybrid style of scrapping:

http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/what-is-hybrid-scrapbooking/

http://www.hybridtop50.com/

http://shutterfly.typepad.com/digiscrap/hybrid_scrapbooking/

http://www.madcropper.com/creating-hybrid-scrapbook-layouts/

There’s heaps of hybrid info out there – just google it!

xx Jakey xx

Monday, January 05, 2009

Yes - we have snow!!

Woke up this morning to a blanket of snow, which was lovely except I had to work! Brrr!!
It's very cold too! Course, the kids loved it!

Sollo taking aim!
Izzy and Mattie - and er, and bobby the blanket (of course ;-) )

Sollo, Iz and friends


Sketches by tamara - sketch no 77.


It was much more cosy cuddling up in the 'not so real' artic conditions of the garden centre last month!

More later
jk xxxx

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Happy Birthday to my Fandango!

It's my honey's birthday today so I wanna wish him a big happy birthday and give him a big kiss and hug!

We're not going out tonight - too skint, and anyway - I think we're about partied out. Donna and Jon have been round with the kiddlies and we've had chocolate fudge birthday cake, and later i'll cook surf and turf with all the trimmings - a proper man's meal on his birthday... and besides, tomorrow we're on the D.I.E.T. so we need to stock up ;-)

I'm back to work tomorrow also, and have to knuckle down to all my scrapping commitments so I imagine i'll be so busy I won't have time to pine for goodies.

I did a quickie hybrid LO using some scrummy stuff from Kate's store at the Lilypad - January's BYOC.

Doodly Strips

Polka Dotty Alpha
Button Bitties



It's bargain time at the Lilypad as they're celebrating their 2nd birthday and there are specials and discounts all month long! Check out the birthday calendar and stock up whilst it's all on offer!

Enjoy!
jkxxx

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Happy New Year!

Only just found time to get on here and wish you all the best of luck and love for the new year :-)

We had a brilliant new years eve despite a few little things - well, it wouldn't be our family without a drama of some sort lol!

My sister and bro in law came to stay on route to Cornwall from Liverpool where they'd been to visit Daave's fam. We all got dressed up and went to a party with friends, and then Sanna and Daave stayed for a couple of days before setting off to Exeter yesterday, and they're off home today.

Vin looking very Vains of Jenna at the party!


We had a few fireworks, but in the dark and confusion I forgot to set the camera for fireworks so the pictures are rubbish - how very me ;-)





On New Yrs day at dinner our crackers contained a set of 8 little numbered whistles and some music sheets, and the game was to each have a whistle and play a tune as a group, each coming in, as and when your number appeared.

Sounds a LOT easier than it was - but omg, did we have a laugh! We eventually managed to make a half decent effort of Jingle Bells which Daave filmed - but i'll kill him if it ends up on youtube! The trouble was, we only found the number stickers and conducting baton afterwards! Something tells me that with a little less bubbly, we might have found it all a bit easier... but i'm sure not half as much fun :-)


Vin has totally lost it here... but it was hysterical, honest!


I really haven't had time to do anything much craftwise - in fact - my cuttlebug hasn't even been opened yet! But I did throw a quick LO together last night - just to see if I remembered how to scrap!

Jazz, on the p'pick up at Toddington garden Centre a few weeks ago.

And that's about it. Enjoy the weekend!
hugs from me
jake xx
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