Pencillines is live tonight with a fantastic sketch and layout from the UK queen of digi, Kate Hadfield. Gotta love Kate's work and her beautiful layout on the site tonight is no exception. I just love busy layouts so it was perfect for me and I had these cheeky photo's of Rubie on his birthday here just begging to be scrapped... ;-) Look at that tongue poking out in concentration! Lol! He's a babe, is he not?

We're off to see the little rascal very soon, and enjoy a few days of fun in the sun with him, his Mum and Dad, meemee, and all our other loved one's living on the island.

Our work here is nowhere near finished, but we're getting there and I'm feeling less stressed about it all.

Can anyone recommend a good book to take with me - Carlos always lets me buy a new book at the airport - it's one of my little holiday treats, but I haven't had time to look anything up, so have no idea what to look for.... pls leave me a comment if you can think of anything? Nothing too girly. A proper story, and something that'll keep me gripped? I'm hoping for a good few hours on the sunbed cold drink beside me, and book in hand ;-)

Have a great week folks! Speak soon

lotsa love

jk xx

Very excited...

.... as I'm back joining the girls on Pencillines again this week. I had a ball with my layout for Sunday night - I was sent a great sketch and layout - from one of the queens of scrapping, so I had to give it a really good go, andI'm pretty happy with the final result. Lucky for me I love her stuff to bits and the layout was right up my street, so much fun to do - and I had some cute cute pics to work with too :-)

Here's a quick Sneaky Peek :-)Feeling a tad down about the fact I've got behind with all my other stuff, though. I was so enjoying joining in with Emily's and Ali's challenges, and of course the a-z book inspired by the multitalented Pam, but after my holiday I should be able to crack on and hopefully catch up.

Right - off to sort out our holiday clothes now .... Jazz just phoned and said it's roasting today, and to let me know that Ruth has now moved into her new apartment with two pools, a pool bar and lush gardens, so looking forward to seeing that, and also we'll be meeting her fella for the first time. Oh, and Rufus - I haven't forgotten I owe you a birthday cocktail girlie!!

See ya in Waikiki's eh, gang?
I'll be the one with the one wearing Sunnies - and a Smile!

Yes - I'm ok...

Hi all

Thanks to everyone who's been in contact. I'm ok, really. Sorry I haven't been around, but i've been mega busy and something had to go, and unfortunately it was the blog and my surf time :-(

We've had a few problems here; like the tiler deciding to walk off the job halfway through (Grrr..... W*nker!), the laminate estimate being waaaay higher than we'd anticipated forcing us to cast around, work going crazy; everything that could go wrong with the decorating doing so, like discovering a lovely hole in the kitchen ceiling when the electrician came, and a stain I just cannot paint over... and various other disasters on the domestic front.

On the plus side, Carl has now heard that there may be a settlement soon on the money he is owed - although I am STILL waiting for payment for magazine commissions done back in December and January.... to be paid for work published months ago is surely not too much to ask, is it?

Anyway - if all goes according to plan, we'll be jetting off to the Canaries Carnival in a few days....Mind you - I haven't packed a thing yet, so I don't know if any cases will be going with us... Carlos said if the worst comes to the worst, we'll just have to slob around in our Pirate Outfits all week... now there's a thought eh? :-)

So, i'll leave you now with a pic of the little tyke we'll be visitng next week... and remember - when life throws you lemons..... make lemonade... ;-)

So.... show and tell time.

The favour I talked about earlier was to the
Pencilline's team, who asked if I fancied stepping in for Kimmy for a couple of weeks while she's away enjoying herself on holiday.

'Course I said I'd be delighted :-) and this is the layout I produced from the amazing sketch by Michelle Grant; one of Australia's top scrapping artists.



I actually had a hard time wrestling with PSE4 trying to work out how to get all my sized and B+W converted prints onto one sheet for printing (yeah, I know YOU can all do it!) but once I had the idea for the layout nothing was going to stop me getting there.... Anyway, it's my boy of course, with all his many beloved guitars, looking every inch the star... and a quote from Kurt Cobain, of Nirvana, whom he currently loves.

There's some awesome work over there as usual girls, why not pop over and check it out when you have a spare few minutes of drooling time.

Got a snippet...

...of something I wanna show you, but I won't be able to til later.

Well, I guess I can show the snippet... I just can't show the whole thing right now. I'm sort of doing a favour here, and it involves scrapping, so i've had a little break from my decorating :-) but as it's so long since I've had anything to share craft wise, I'm impatient to break it out... still, not long now, and then I can.

So here it is:

I'll be back later with the real thing, and you can let me know what you think...

Did my break rob me of my Mojo? Or just give it a much needed rest... and it somehow managed to get back in the nick of time to save me...? Lol!

Class page at Carolinez Craftz!

As part of Carolinez fabby DT, it's my turn to produce a class page today. My kit was kinda romantic/lovey dovey; so I made a love page - of sorts! It's cute, simple, quick and fun... just what you want for a saturday morning project.

Come join us here Saturday 10th Feb!! : -)

I really love these torn effect pin wheel flowers. I've used them on a few things now and they look great no matter what papers you use. Lovely way to use up scraps, and you can stick a variety of bits and bobs in to make the centres. I've used buttons here, but micro beads look nice, coiled pipe cleaners, big brads, stickles, or anything really.

I'm also getting braver with my 'stitches' stamps, and learning not to care when they go wonky :-)

Yay... and Yay!

oh, how easily my little life can go from down to up in a blink of an eye... !

Two hours ago I was almost in tears... sick of painting, getting nowhere fast, and pining for my scraproom bigtime... ten minutes ago; after finally finishing the job, I started running my bath, and sat down at the PC for a quick flick through while I waited. Carl came home with goodies - one of those Thai dinner packs, and wine, and a lovely smile for me... coz he's had good news, and then an Msn convo with a buddy brought a smile on my own chops! She was asking about my mojo... did I have any left? and I thought no... but then I thought yeah - course I do... and I've got all day off tomorrow to find it!

The kitchen's about finished. Carlos can put everything back tomorrow, and I'll just play in my room. If I can find my desk, I'll be ok...

Happy days are here again!

Ah.....So fickle, some people....! ;-)

PENCILLINES JANUARY GALLERY WINNER

Just noticed the PL girls have posted the january gallery winner up if anyone wants to check it out - FAB layout....! Just wish I had time to have a go at it myself...Grrrrr!

Paper, glue and scissors

Paper, glue and scissors.... how I used to love those words... but not anymore.

All they remind me of now is decorating - and I've just about had enough of that lately :-(
I barely manage a few minutes a day in here, to check my emails, swiftly surf a bit, speed read a few blogs, and maybe glance over my own comments, before it's back to the house to pick up a paint brush or hang a strip of wallpaper.... Yes, I know I'll be glad when it's all done, but i'm absolutely fed up right now. And feeling very grumpy indeed.

We've had workmen who promised to turn up and haven't, others who said they couldn't and did. Just about everything that might go wrong, doing just that... and i'm still in a terrible mess and no end in sight. I want it finished now... it's driving me mad scratching about in boxes in the dining room trying to find things I need in the kitchen. The mess is everywhere... and I now have upstairs as bad as downstairs, as all the fitting have had to be taken down in the bathroom, in preparation for the tiler who may come today... or not.

I've got things to do!! Scrapping things!! Fun things!! Stash to play with, kits to open!! books to finish and challenges to complete.. and.....and ..... I just want to chilll!!!!!

ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Lol! I feel better for that! Ha! Might come back and do it again later!
:-)

I knew it would happen...

...one day.

That I would lose someone I truly cared for, that is....

Of course in my line of work, it is to be expected. People come to us at the end of their lives, often sick, usually frail and always in need of love and care. And this we give.

And sometimes it seems we give too much. Even though we should have learned not to, because we know from past experience that it only leads to heartbreak. And although I did know... somehow it happened again, and so I sit here now sobbing my heart out over the loss of a wonderful friend.... One of my ladies.... My favourite one.

It was completely unexpected. Only last week she had us all in pleats of laughter as she decided to take over the craft club, and show us all how to crochet. Regular readers might remember my post about the very same thing.... and about how much fun we had, and how much Gwen enjoyed being the star and the teacher for the week. Gwen giggled and joked the whole way through.... but that was Gwen all over. She was a lovely, funny, courageous lady who though old and not in the best health, never lost her faith, never lost her sense of humour - or her wild taste in garish socks!

She loved craft club, but joined in with everything. She'd have a go at whatever I was offering and often amused me with her stage whispers about those who moaned about being bored... but never took part in all the activities organised for them.

It was Gwen who made the wonderful collage that I posted on here, and Gwen who encouraged everyone to try things they'd never done before. She was a character, and my friend, and I'll miss our times together so much. I can't believe she's gone.

Just recently, some friends of hers decided to marry. Finding love late, they fought the opposition of their families to have a civil blessing at the home. Gwen was their bridesmaid. On her mirror today I spied a photo of her taken that day... her pretty smile, the twinkle in her eye and she winked at them while raising her champagne glass....

Only rarely do people like Gwen come into our lives. Perhaps some people never have someone like her, ever. I'm so lucky to have had her for a while.

God bless you Mrs Algar. And your socks. I'll miss you.
jk xxxx

Well, I'm completely exhausted and sick to death of this decorating lark... today I've painted several doors, the skirting board, and other bits of paintwork, and also the kitchen ceiling which is heavily artexed and was a complete pig to do. The flaming stuff kept sort of melting with the wet emulsion but I had to go over and over it as it has a horrible swirly pattern that just didn't want to be painted! I'm not a happy bunny tonight I can tell you.

There'll be no let up this week either as I have to get the second coat on tomorrow, and then it's papering and finally emulsioning the walls. I hate the colour I've bought btw - and have to go begging to B&Q tomorrow to see if they'll let me change it... idiot that I am, I've lost the reciept... Trust me!

The electrician didn't turn up today either, so that's thrown us out, and I am still trying to make arrangements to get the floor and hall laminated in one hit.

I think it might be a busy weekend next weekend because as well as the floor people, somone's coming - at last - to tile the bathroom... and if Lemon's reading this she will NOT believe it's still waiting to be done!

Then....... then, I'm going to the sodding carnival (YAY!) and doing NOTHING for a week, except eat, drink ,and have a good time with my family!!!

Ahoy me hearties!!! We all have our outfits now except Ruth who's still faffing about deciding if she's a pirate with us or not... C'mon Rufus!!! Or I'll make you walk the plank!

Congratulations to Kate!

Kate shares her fantastic news on What Katie scrapped and shows off her first designs for the Lily Pad , who were so knocked out by her work they invited her on board as a designer!

Isn't it great to see talented people recognised and rewarded?

Well done Katie girl! The whole scrapping community's proud of you :-)

(I just lurve the doodled paper flowers... but it's all fab - almost makes me want to try digi!)

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Without taking any attention away from our own digi queen above ... i just want to leave you a link to my other digi scrapping hero - Jessica Bolton. If you like funky digi stuff, you'll love her work - see some stuff here

More shameless pimping!!!!!

Lol!!!

Here we go.....! Kate's made a fabby alphabet which she's offering for free here on her blog Be sure to check out her work while you're there - she's the most amazing digi scrapper and her layouts are so good it's not real.

Does it count as pimping if you are biggin up someone else...? Ahhh... whatever - this stuff you gotta see.