The Easter bunny is on it's way.

What a crazy day it's been today. I have hardly been in the house. I have just dropped Charlotte back at school as they are having a film evening at school, they had a choice of 5 films and she chose to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. They went in there pj's and took a cushion to sit on. She really is gaining more confidence and it's fantastic to see her going off doing things without me with her.

So we went to see Charlotte's teachers on Thursday and to say that we are proud parents is an understatement. Anyone that has been reading my blog or that knows Charlotte will know that she is very shy and lacks in confidence but just over the past couple of months she has really started to come out of her shell. As she lacked confidence so much the teachers couldn't really assess her and see what she was capable of doing, but now she is more willing they have moved her up 2 groups, she knows all her high frequency words (and is learning even more), is whizzing through the books, she is even trying to write sentences and stories. I'm so proud of her as this hasn't been easy for her. I have to say the school and the teachers have been so patient with her.
Not much is happening in the way of crafting apart from this quick card that I made for a friend of mine. She is going through a really tough time at the moment and thought this might cheer her up. It's quite sweet but there is still room for improvement, so I'm hoping to learn a few tips from Debs at the Bromsgrove crop this Saturday, were she will be teaching a class. Her cards are fab so will share the results next week.

I have to say that I am looking forward to Easter. We have booked tickets to go and see Nanny McPhee on Good Friday afternoon. In the morning we have to go and buy our hot cross buns (so Charlotte has told me).

I hope to share some layouts soon.

Cx

Twisted sketch #42

Twisted sketch #42 went live last night and here is my interpretation of this weeks sketch. The twist was flight. This photo was taken at Stratford Butterfly park taken a couple of years ago and have to say one of my favourites.



Go check out my other fellow twisted sisters layouts http://www.twistedsketches.com/.

We have parents evening tonight to see how Charlotte is getting on at school. Will let you know how we get on at a later date.

Anyway just a quick post for now.

Cx

The eyes have it

What a strange start to the week I am having. I have had Charlotte off school yesterday and today as she has had conjunctivitis and a cold (again). She is back to school tomorrow, I joked with Les last night saying there is NO way I could home school her she just wants to do stuff all the time and is SO demanding. So over the last few days we have read stories, coloured pictures, made a castle (not a real one) from a kit she got for Christmas, painted clay things that she had made a while ago, played on the computer, had a whole box of beads dropped on the floor, baked Easter cakes and she now has a wobbly tooth!!!. To say I'm tired is an understatement, how these teachers manage with 30 children in a class I don't know!

Here is the lady herself with her Easter cakes. They taste pretty good too. yum

I felt the need to be crafty on Saturday night so I created this layout. Love the pic of Charlotte and I together which was taken the other day at Broadway. I used the new Sassafras Lass papers, which are just lush. I decided this time not to buy the whole range just the papers I really really liked.

We have been looking into what we are going to do for a Summer break. Its so expensive to go abroad for a week in the summer holidays and to be honest I begrudge spending silly amounts of money and falling into the trap. So instead we have decided to take Charlotte to Disneyland, Paris for a few days and to say that she is excited is an understatement. We managed to get a really good deal getting 40% off plus the hotel is on the Disney park. Les and I went to Disney around 9 years ago when we started seeing one another and it was great fun, but to be able to take a child will be fab. Can't wait to see her little face when she see's some of her favourite characters.

Anyway enough of me gabbling on.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cx

I'm in love.......

with these Tilda stamps. I just can't get enough of them at the moment, I'm so enjoying painting the images with watercolours and then making cards. This one I made for my Mum for Mother's Day. I've said many times before I'm not much of a card-maker but enjoy having a go. Mum liked it anyway.

This one I made for my best friend Nat (so if you are reading this Nat look away now!!) Again a really simple card but really pretty.

A huge thank you to everyone (including my Magpie buddies) who have left comments on the previous post it is really appreciated.

Time is passing by so quickly today, time to collect Charlotte from school now.

Have a good weekend what ever you are doing.

Cx

Do you ever...................

look at a completed layout and think I'm not sure whether I really like it?. Well I have had those thoughts with this layout, the photo I really love, it's of Charlotte with my handbag when she was only 18 months old. Charlotte still loves bags now and I have lost a few of my old handbags to her!!. The new Crate Paper - Paper Doll range is lush but I just don't feel I have done it justice, what do you think??

I was lucky enough to win a copy of Anna Bowkis new sketch book on Sue Deacon's website last week. If you haven't got yourself a copy yet then go and order one, the book is bright, fresh and the layouts are just gorgeous really inspirational, which is what I need right now.

Right I'm off to start dinner.

Cx

Mother's Day and Towers!!

Happy Mother's Day to all you 'Mummy's' out there, especially to my Mum!!. So far my weekend has been lovely, we went to Solihull yesterday to do a little light shopping were my lovely hubby bought me a jumper from Republic as a Mother's Day treat. I also had some Birthday money left over so I treated myself to a nice shirt that I can wear in the Spring time (hopefully it won't be to much longer).

This morning I was treated to breakfast in bed, I received two lovely cards from Charlotte, one she had made from school and the other that Daddy had helped to pick. Les knows that I'm not really a flowery person (they die far to quickly for my liking) so he got me some Creme eggs, and an Easter egg without the packaging. Perfect. I just love to crack into an Easter egg and I think it tastes different some how, yeah I know I'm strange. :) After breakie we went over to Broadway tower we haven't been there for about 18 months and it's just nice to have a wander and to see the Vale of Evesham below us. The views are amazing.

The Tower!

I took this photo through the gate, looks like it has a frame round it, love it.

Wales is in the distance.

Me and my girly.

I have managed to complete my weekly challenge for the Crafty Magpies again. This week you had to use some old stash (mine was from over a year ago and it was scraps of paper literally), use fabric, and to make an embellishment. This photo I took nearly 9 years ago, it was the first trip Les and I went on as a couple!. If you click on the layout you will be able to see the Effel tower in the background. The light was just right for this photo and I still love to look at it, in actual fact I have blown it up and a copy now hangs in my dinning room. I think my Mum has a copy in her bedroom too.

My hand made flowers, very shabby not much chic to them!!. lol. Check out Beki Norman's blog as she creates the most gorgeous roses.

Anyway I'd better start to think about dinner.

Thanks for leaving me messages they really are appreciated.

Cx

Twisted sketch #40

The new Twisted sketch has gone up on the website http://www.twistedsketches.com/ and this is my take on the sketch, this weeks twist was to use staples. I really enjoyed doing this layout and loved the photos which were taken last year at the beach. I used lots of metal charms, twine and for once used some ribbon. The patterned papers are the new Cosmo Cricket which are just lush.

That's about all for now, I'm off to create a layout using the new Crate paper paper doll range. yum.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cx

Walk in the woods

Yesterday we went over to Worcester woods for a Sunday stroll. It was a glorious Spring day although it was cold in the shade, it was so nice to see the sun and a bright blue sky. Even though it had been dry for most of last week it was still very muddy in parts, I'm so glad I wore my wellies!.

Charlotte collecting sticks for the fire!!



My little smiley girl.



Came across these Catkins



Saw a little bunch of snowdrops, Spring is really in the air.



I created another layout 'just for me' last week. I used some of the new Cosmo Cricket papers which are just lush the colours are so vibrant. I spritzed the paper with Glimmer mists first and really liked the look it gave me. The photo of Charlotte was taken in 2007 watering a friends garden, I just love the concentration on her face.



A close up shot. Love the strawberry with the little face on it.



Thanks for stopping by.

Cx

Untidy crafter

I confess to not being the most tidiest of crafters, but just look at my kitchen table yesterday afternoon!!. So who do you think all this crafty stuff belongs too??? Answers on a postcard please.

So Les got back from Dubai late last night safe and sound. Today has been spent doing all the boring stuff like food shopping, but I have managed to have some time completing my layout for my weekly challenge so I can get some points for the Crafty Magpies. These photo's of Charlotte are a few years old now, taken when she was 18 months old on our first foreign holiday as a family. The start of our holiday in Madeira didn't go according to plan, the airline lost our luggage with all of Charlotte's clothes in, so we had to go to a local shop to buy her some souvenir t-shirts, she did look very cute in them even if they were a bit big for her!!.

Hope you are all having a good weekend

Thanks for stopping by.

Cx

World Book Day

Today is World Book Day at Charlotte's school, so the children had to dress in there favourite book characters. Charlotte chose Alice in Wonderland, and she looked fab. We had tears this morning because it was out of her routine but she dealt with it really well. If anybody asked me a year ago if she would of been settled in school and taking part in things I would of laughed at you, she has done so well. It might not sound much to other people but we know that she has achieved so much over the past few months. I can't tell you how proud I am of her. Just look at her here, I took a photo of her before I put her hair in a plait as there is head lice in her class at the moment.





All the Teachers and Teaching Assistants were all dressed in costumes too. The dinner ladies were also in t-shirts so I thought I would join in at the fun. No laughing you lot!!!!.



Not much in the way of scrapbooking is happening at the mo, Les is due back late tomorrow night now so I'm looking forward to seeing him and catching up with our news.

Righto I'm off now.

Cx

A layout for me!!

Last week I really wanted to create a layout just for me. Now I love following sketches and doing my Twisted sketches but I just needed to create a layout for me with out any restrictions. This is what I came up. The picture is of me and my brother when we were small, I was about 3 and Paul was around 7. This photo comes with a bit of story, the dress I was wearing was new and you can see the big white collar on the dress, well I was playing at my Mum's dressing table looking at my Mum's nail polish when I opened it and managed to spill red polish down the collar. Mum was not happy but was able to save the dress by taking the collar off the dress.

A close up of the detail.

Really enjoyed doing this and really must try and do this more often as it makes me happy.

Anyway I'd better get going as I've got to go into school soon.

Take care and thanks for all the comments on the previous posts they are appreciated.

Cx