Ready, Steady................Scrap!

Oh at last, the chance to finally scrap and use up some of my lovely new Christmas stash, that and the long awaited stash parcel from the US which I ordered in November and went awol until yesterday when big monkey (my hero) finally managed to track it down to a little unused post office in the small end of nowhere where it had slept for 3 weeks!! (But that is  a whole other story!!) 

Oooh I thought, here I go................but no, I spent most of the day defrosting the freezer which decided to get all frosty the snowman on me, and as my head was filled with ideas and cutting dies I forgot to turn the thing off to start with so of course it took 3 times as long! Doh!

It was 5 o'clock when I finally did get in the zone and it was bliss! Just like sinking into a warm bath or under a snuggly duvet! Heaven! I had loads of ideas all jotted down in my little notebook - I didn't know where to start! I finally got stuck in on another of our Hever Castle photos that has sat patiently waiting (for the lost US parcel of goodies) and for the Winter transparency that I had ordered. It all coordinated beautifully with  my new BG Granola papers (thanks Grannywen)

That was it - the juices were flowing, as were the embossing powders as the heat gun emerged after months in the cupboard! I managed to complete two pages and start another two! I was having a whale of a time with wassail and granola and bo bunny brads. Poor old big monkey watched his Christmas dvd on the island that was now the sofa as my stash rapidly expanded across the lounge floor.

Today I have finally made it back in the zone, again not until 5pm though, as we had to battle our way round the supermarket. What is going on? The world and his wife were there, and it's not like they are not open tomorrow? Is there a new impending siege that am unaware of due to having my head in the zone? Enough! I am now off to scrap. Ready, steady...........................

Reflections on a year

Here's a little mini book that I made for big monkey's mum for Christmas. All the pages are a download kit available from the Lilypad, and added to a Basic Grey chipboard book. I'm not very good with mini books - I like the space allowed on a 12 x 12 page, but I am quite pleased how this turned out.  

Quicky update

I have spent the last hour or so poodling round t'internet catching up on everyones blogs - how on earth do you guys find the time to scrap over the festive season? Some truely fabby pages ladies, hopefully I can add my own soon.

We had a fantastic double Christmas, one with Grannywen in Verwood and a second with the clan Monkey inlaws on Christmas day. Presents galore and lots and lots of lovely stash I am itching to use - most importantly a Cuttlebug all for me which is in the zone glinting and winking at me right now!

Small monkey's little head was set to explode - I am not sure he could take it all in, all those pressies. That and a trip to a real panto in which Big Monkey got dragged up on stage - how hilarious - shame I couldn't take any pics.  Am back at work on nights again but sadly unable to scrap whilst there at the mo, so can't wait for next week when I shall submerge myself in new goodies and thoroughly attack all my Christmas piccies. Oh - and I might even grab a bargain or two in the online stash sales!

Enjoy the cold!

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I hope you all had a great Christmas? Have had no time to scrap or blog, so just wanted to share another of these fab films with you as the cold weather sets in and before I add any more updates. Take care!

Merry Christmas!

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It's beginning to feel...................

......a lot like Christmas!

Finally!

The pressies are all wrapped and I can now sit down with a glass of wine and relax, the festivities start here.

I went for a float this afternoon, 2 hours of warm cosy bliss and was hoping to feel all rejuvenated and full of inspiration this evening. Sadly due to the non-arrival of a cheeky last minute pizza box from the states, all my projects are on hold, and as I am going away for Crimble I may not even get to blog again?

 If so, my lovely readers, thank you for joining me in the Zone, your lovely comments and a very Merry Christmas to you! Sarah xx

Dear Santa

Ooooh not long now!

No more work for a week, last minute shopping and wrapping and trying to hide things from the monkeys, I'm getting really excited now!

I've been stuck on this layout for days, mainly because I have been at work, but also I'm not really happy with it. I didn't take the photos and am a bit disappointed with them - small monkeys face was a picture whilst talking to Santa, and we really thought the elf photographer had captured his  expressions. Sadly she seems to have been lying on the floor at the time ( too much elf juice? ) and has missed them by being at the wrong angle. This was the best of the bunch though, and I guess it has nearly  captured the moment when things are still magical at 5! 

Tinsel time!

I can't believe it's only 12 days to Christmas.

I expect many of you are busy trimming your tree this weekend, enjoy, it's one of my favourite rituals in the run up to the big day.

 We did ours last weekend - a full clan monkey affair, and most enjoyable it was too. I took lots of photos but I am waiting to see if Santa brings me some BG Wassail papers to scrap them on??

Today the weather is foul, not at all festive and I have to go to work - boo! Wherever you are, at home in bed ill or busy finishing your shopping, I hope you have a good weekend!

It's been an odd day today. Work was not fun at all - not that it often is, but it got very serious and emotional for me and I couldn't wait to get home for a quick squeeze before big monkey went off to work for one of his rare night shifts! 

What to do to get over it?  

Why, scrap of course!

Finished yesterdays half made layout and completed two more - I will show you them over the next few nights! The second in our Husky adventure depicts a rare sight - big monkey showing almost as much interest in an animal as I do! It was fantastic when the beast howled with his pack and put out his paw to him - and I do mean the husky, although it could have just as easily been my big monkey? 

( I did manage to photograph the muddy pawprint on big monkey's jeans amidst my squeals of laughter!!)  It seems I'm not the only one who can talk to the animals???

Miffed that I never managed to photograph any decent Autumnal pictures this year I have more than made up for it this weekend with some lovely winter scenes. This is one of them and I am quite pleased with both the photo and my layout. I hope you like them too?

Top Dogs!

Oh! So much to scrap, so little time. I have only managed one and a half layouts this evening as I was interrupted by the season finale to Spooks!

I'm not sure what was more exciting - Spooks or the furry friends from this layout. 

As I said we went to Hever Castle yesterday and had a fab family day out. We were lured by the promise of Santa and a husky ride. Sadly small monkey was 3 years too young to be allowed to go on the husky ride - can't see why, but we made the most of petting and stroking them, and watched as they pulled the other lucky visitors. Small monkey was fascinated, and I just wanted to take them all home.

Star!

I forgot to mention in my haste to blog last night - 2 other fabulousnesses from Friday,

1. I managed to do something that I rarely do -I won something!!! Not any old thing, but some of Katie Hadfield's fabulous digital downloads no less. Watch this blog for some use very soon, am almost too excited to use them!!

2. Small monkey had some homework the other week - to make/decorate a star. Yours truely was drafted in and managed to cut out this unexciting star from silver card. Small monkey was then armed with glitter glue and coloured christmassy confetti and encouraged to stick stick stick!! 10 sticky minutes later he finished both sides and the object was left to dry.  (which took about 4 days as the globs of glue were soooo thick!)

How chuffed were we when it was announced at school that his star was the best in class??? Very, doesn't cut it! He won a medal and a goody bag with some stickers in it. As soon as we reclaim the star it will be coming to a layout near you!! 

Frosty n Fantastic!

Small Monkey drew this picture of me on my very frosty little car window this morning! I returned the favour with a much more flattering smiley face of him? I think my 'o' open mouth was at how cold and white my lovely little red car looked ?

I haven't blogged since last week - where does the time go? Work ended on a high with some great news on Friday and then we travelled to the country nest for a weekend of activity. On Saturday we collected small monkey from the inlaws and made haste for the school fair. Several tombolas and a visit to Father Christmas later we emerged hungry but satisfied and headed off to hunt for a Christmas tree and some decorations. Have you noticed that everywhere is advertising great price drops at the moment - well there must have been some real early birds catching those worms!!? As tea time approached we finally made it home with bags of goodies and a tree and set to the trimming. Cue some very blurry photos!

Today we got up and had a lovely day out at Hever Castle. It was beautifully cold and frosty (hence the car window) but perfect for some wintery photos. The castle and grounds were stunning and we met some lovely furry friends, Father Christmas had even followed us there to make sure small monkey was behaving - sadly there were no slots left to visit him, but we ran into him as he headed towards the grotto and managed a quick chat with him! We did manage to sit in the toadstool house and write him a letter.

With all these lovely adventures, I have had no time to scrap anything yet, and have just returned to the city for work tomorrow - boo! Check back tomorrow and I am sure there will be some goodies to share. 

December 2008

Ok, so I'm back with you - in December, countdown to Christmas and scrapping the relevant stuff.

December wouldn't be the same without a trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Big Monkey and I went on Monday, and as usual it was freezing so of course we had to stop for a yummy steak bap/German sausage hot dog and some luvverly Gluwien - mmm should have had 2 or 3!!

Anyway, just for a change this year we actually managed to go on the wheel rather than just photograph it. We had the obligatory cheesy photo taken before we got on and climbed aboard. As we went quite late there weren't many people, (so no queue) and we had to wait a while at the top whilst others filled the pods. Wow! Great view if a little murky co's it had started to rain. But I merrily snapped away as we rolled round. I ran out of batteries half way round but it didn't matter. We got off, pleased we had bothered and happy to have had a pod to ourselves without paying VIP prices! I actually quite liked the cheesy photo, we both looked quite normal for a change, no squinting or funny faces, so I swallowed the ridiculous cost and bought the damn thing. I knew I would scrap it and the four postcards and bookmark that came with it - all with our cheesy grins included. The large one of the wheel is my effort though, better than last years I think.

A thoroughly enjoyable start to December!!!

Thinking warm thoughts.......

 With this weeks cold weather most of you are thinking ahead to Christmas, and yes, I know we are in the countdown because 'The Zone' has crept off it's table and has crept rapidly across the lounge floor, which is now covered in santas and snowmen and the cards that I have already made. But I had a funny old set of night shifts and caught up with some more pics that were left over from the summer. (I hope you enjoyed my brief flit into the panto spirit?)

It all got a bit busy towards the end of the week and I have currently have two layouts lying half finished on the table and one on the kitchen worktop! Not the best place, but then I'm not that good at venturing into the kitchen to cook anyway? The mojo kind of burnt itself out and I have been blog surfing some really great blogs to try to boost it, unfortunately now I have to go back to work so I don't know when I will next get to create anything? We have a busy weekend ahead, with the school fair, shopping for decorations and trimming the tree - loads of photo opps I'm sure, I just need a few more hours each day to scrap them!

Let us entertain you!

The Monkey Players are proud to present...........Credit Crunch Panto!

A tale of night duties and fairy dust,  sleep deprivation and good souls and of course lashings of chocolate!

Starring :

Big Monkey as The Reindeer King

Sarah Monkey as Art the Elf

Fopsy Monkey as the pantomime Dame

Small Monkey as The Sheriff

Tiny Monkey as Santa's Little Helper

and

Miss Monkey as Glitterfairy

Credits to:

 Miss K Hadfield for her designs.

The Commissioner's paper, photocopier and Time

Big Monkey for titles.

 

Feel free to enjoy!

xx

Farewell my summer love

So far so good, it's been quiet at work so I have had a bit of a scrapping frenzy and caught up on some of our summer holiday pics. It's seems quite strange scrapping in the cold and the dark in the wee hours when summer seems so long ago. The memories didn't warm me up though - had to rely on a cup of tea and a chocolate Freddo for that. 

I feel like scrapping some winter pics but don't have any new ones of the monkeys just yet, so am rummaging back through iphoto to see what I have missed out on from this year before we get to next year and a whole new set of adventures. I have been naughty though and been online shopping at a fab American store and ordered some goodies - why do they have so much more choice than we do, and half the price generally too?? Oops, now I feel guilty - it's a good job I got paid lots of overtime last month, sadly won't be in the paypacket til next month. I'd better glue my paypal account up until January, and keep scrapping to clear some space for all this new stash!!

In need of festive cheer!!

As soon as I saw these gorgeous digital designs by Katie Hadfield I just knew that I would use them somewhere. Now I don't do digital scrapping - I love the cutting and glueing far too much and I am also a techno nerd - I wouldn't know where to start with a digi page, so I had to resort to the good old printer and scissors technique!!

 Apart from cutting out all the characters and letters this is probably the quickest layout I've done in a long time and I love it! My monkeys in true festive spirit - doing what they do best - dressing up in silly hats for me and my camera, while we were shopping for crimbo decs!!!

Gotta love em!!

Scary Monsters!

Ahh - not the best weekend, a few old demons came out of the woodwork and raised their ugly heads. After one fun filled day of stash and Christmas dec window shopping, a bottle of wine and it all went down the pan! ( The wine was yummy though)

Onwards and upwards, here we are again at the start of another set of night shifts and I am hoping that the cold weather, (and boy is it cold out there), will keep the work gremlins indoors so I don't get called out! I have a couple of half finished layouts to complete and a whole new one about to materialise in front of my eyes.

The fun family day out didn't happen - it has been postponed until the 6th, so you will have to check back to see what capers the monkeys get up to next!

Winter Wonderland

Another week draws to a close and the weekend is here - hurrah!!!

It's going to be cold, very cold and our woolly hats are at the ready, although we may not make it out anywhere too exciting to play in them. 

The fair in the park is open from today and we will be sure to end up visiting it again, but probably one evening next week. There is nothing more Christmassy than a glass of mulled wine watching all those clever people who can ice skate!!

I for one intend to settle down quietly this evening, in the warm with a  bottle of wine and my  feet up, watching all the catch up tv that I have missed this week and sketching little ideas in my notebook ready to scrap next week!!!

Living in the fast lane

Sometimes life just seems to whizz by you like a fast car, that certainly seems the way at the moment. I don't know where the time is going, but it's nearly time for another week of nights and hopefully lots of scrapping. This week has flown by, and leaving work tonight and seeing all the lights on along Oxford Street it has dawned on me that is also nearly Christmas and I haven't bought or organised a thing yet. Don't know where to start if I'm honest! 

Although we have the weekend off, I really fancy a family day out somewhere, so the Christmas shopping will have to wait another week or so. I have some little woolly hats that came with some smoothies and I can't wait to scrap them -  I have plans for them, but you will have to wait and see. 

Sunshine and love

Due to the lack of any sunshine just recently I got all nostalgic for the summer and the fun we had on our holidays. I must have been feeling all loved up too as I have scrapped a couple of layouts just recently that have been about big monkey and how wonderful he is? He never says much about them but I think he is quite chuffed, especially when he sees himself grinning back from my computer screen. 

He finds all this scrapping business a bit bemusing, and while he will happily follow me round the craft shops oooohing and aaahing with me when I find something exciting, he really only goes along to see what the other scrappers look like to see if they too behave like I do and sparkle with excess glitter 365 days of the year?Bless him, I do love him!!!

Pet vegetables??

Don't ask me where this one came from - I had some very odd dreams in the night!!

Continuing the pet names theme though - as  small monkey is nicknamed spud, (don't ask why) and what with him and his dad being so alike (2 peas in a pod) and both being carrot tops I am well on my way to my five a day. All I need is a banana and an apple in my lunchbox and I am there!!

This layout is my substitute autumn page, ( think Harvest Festival) as I never found those lovely golden trees to photograph. I did receive a lovely new cutting die in the post today though - see the 2 peas, and just had to try it out somewhere.

 The photo is of the monkeys larking about on a slide at the end of the summer, but don't believe for a moment that either of them was the least bit quiet and sleepy for long! That would really be a strange dream?

Pet names

We all have pet names for those we love, my monkeys are no exception. Sometimes the sources of those names are unexplainable, but if you have looked at my pages you will probably understand the reason for my lovely Orange-U-Tang's name.

Sometimes we do not always let our pets know how much we appreciate and love them. We do not always thank them for their patience and understanding, or tell them how much we miss them when they are not there.

 Sometimes they need a special page just for them, reams of journalling is not required, and a simple title will convey a little of what you feel for them.

Cute little bears!

Just time to make a few more before the new Martin Shaw drama starts tonight. Check out Jane Dean's blog for some yummy pics of him in costume!

Don't speak too soon.....?

As my days off draw to a close I finally managed to go and float - check out the London Float Centre if you want to give it a go.                       (It's fabulous!! ) That and a good catch-up with an old chum over a glass of wine and today there was no stopping me. I'm not entirely convinced my mojo has returned, but it is certainly spluttering slowly back to life. 

Just in time for a weekend back at work? Typical!

I have finally managed to scrap another page for big Monkeys' racing day - something I have been struggling with for weeks, and have also made a batch of Christmas cards. I know most of you probably made yours weeks ago, but November is about right in my hectic schedule!

No responses for Autumnal trees - does that mean they have all gone??

All the leaves are brown

Is it Autumn or is it Winter?

Can anyone help me please?

 Last time I had a weekend free I headed off to Dorset, camera in my sticky mitt, determined to take oodles of lovely photos of Autumnal trees begging to be scrapped.

 Could I find any? Not that weekend, everything was still gloriously green!!! 

This weekend the trees were waiting for me, glorious golds and oranges, ambers and browns - beautiful! Sadly, the weather was not camera friendly, although I did consider some rainy atmospheric shots along the M3 yesterday. Not really what I had in mind for an Autumn page, certainly not that picturesque either.

The weather then turned foul and was a real winter hit with cold and torrential rain, although today is again quite sunny and mellow - I even ventured out to wash my car and it is gleaming as the sun sets this evening.

Does anyone know where I could go to take some photos before all the trees are bare? 

Answers in the comments box please?

Waterlogged?

Look at the weather!!!

We drove back from a lovely weekend in Bournemouth today, did I say drove, sorry I meant to say hoverplaned!  The rain was so heavy and there was so much water on the road that we felt as if we were underwater at times.  We did manage to get home safely in the end, via parents evening, at which small monkey got a glowing report. (We were very proud of him). But still the rain is pouring and I am glad that I don't have to go to work in it in the morning. I am going to stay indoors in the warm and either finish making my Christmas cards or scrap, scrap, scrap to my hearts content.

Bonfire Night

We've just got back from watching the fireworks on the common. The finale was quite good but the general display was a bit disappointing. Luckily we didn't have far to go. As usual I took loads of photos, but only a handful of them came out and I have been quite ruthless in deleting them. If you have been to a display this week I hope you enjoyed it.

Grumbly Monkey!

The week of nights ended in a frenzy, as always seems to be the way, and I am exhausted! Finishing late on Monday always has a knock on effect, but I consoled myself that after visiting my local 'Do-Crafts' stockist, I would spend my day off devouring the new Creativity magazines that came out at the weekend.

I have been all over South London this morning, big monkey in tow - (grumbling co's it was raining but after being bribed, and with a McD's breakfast in his tummy a wee bit happier), but could we find a copy anywhere? They were either sold out or hadn't been delivered yet? How disappointed am I? - I didn't even buy any stash!!! How unimpressed was the monkey?

Usually I go for a 'float' to recover my senses and my mojo, once a month is generally enough, but I may have to book a double session this time round? You will find me in a warm, dark tank, dreaming of new layouts to make.............

Rewind

No time to scrap tonight, but I did see loads of leftover ghouls from yesterday still roaming the streets of London, so I thought I would share our Halloween pics from last year - when work didn't interfere with our fun!

If you look down to the slideshow - assuming you haven't already, you will find a little wizard lurking amongst the magic, and some funny pumpkin heads too I think. 

Please feel free to leave comments - about anything you see here - I see my counter is going up but I don't know what any of you think???

PDQ ( Pretty darn quick!! )

PDQ papers are fab! I bought some eons ago because the colour mixes on them were beautiful and I thought they would inspire me. I didn't realise at the time what PDQ stood for!

So with a slowly returning mojo, I turned to my online photo cache to see what magic I could invoke.

 You'll know what I mean if I say too many photos, too little time?

As much as I enjoy photography, my passion vastly outgrows my ability to scrap, and I am often faced with the daunting task of which photos are actually to be used on the final layouts - there are just far too many to choose from!

That's why these papers are a godsend. I decided to scrap these shots with no idea about what to actually  do with them, but PDQ papers made it so darn easy! Another night duty, another layout. Enjoy.

Pumpkin 2008

 I didn't get much help with carving the pumpkin - in fact this is the only photo of me doing it. All the others were of funny faces being pulled, with me carving in the background? It managed to ward off something though, as I have had no ghoulish encounters so far this evening!!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween came early to the zone this year. Unable to go tick or treating with the little monkey tonight meant we had to improvise. Yesterday the boys managed to hollow out a pumpkin, and it was promptly delivered to me to be carved. No spanish galleon this year either, time was against us so we settled for a cheeky bat instead. Once carved we dressed the little one in his spooky costume and headed out to the back garden for some fun with sparklers. Must be witchcraft in the air co's my previously lacking mojo returned and I managed to produce both of these layouts during the night! The boys are off to a party this evening, but I am sure I will see my fair share of ghouls and cretins during my night shift. I can't wait??!

Learner driver!

Meanwhile, as I fumble round a cold keyboard in my nocturnal 12 x 12 and rub-on free desert, my monkeys are off playing and having fun even if it was rather chilly!

Brighton today! Funfair on the pier no less? Sadly I have only been supplied with 4 photos of the event, as my biggest monkey has not got a camera glued to his paw quite as much as I would have liked, but these will be scrapped - work allowing, in the next few nights. Just you wait and see. Just co's I wasn't there doesn't mean I can't share in the fun somehow?

Winter Wonderland

Snow! In October?

Ok, I know it's not unheard of, but lets face it - snow and London don't really mix do they?

I couldn't believe it when I went to work last night and all the cars and even some of the roads were covered in snow. It was only raining when I left my house to get the bus, and that's only 6 miles away???

The last proper snow I saw was on a visit to Prague last year, and boy was that cold! I may upload my whole Prague album at some point. It's the first one I ever completed and am really pleased with it.

Meanwhile night duty is not going well.........no call-outs so far, but lots of requests for non glittery statements and really dull stuff. Not the kind of paperwork I was looking forward to this week!!!

New stash!

Stash!

It's lovely when a pizza box arrives and it's full to the brim of scrapping goodies. Normally by the time it arrives I have forgotten what I've ordered, so it's nearly as exciting as opening a Christmas stocking to fine out what's inside.

A box arrived last week, and to be honest I haven't really looked inside it yet apart from the cursory item check when it arrived. I'm hoping that when I rummage further during the wee hours of the night tonight, I will be filled with some creative inspiration - something which seems to be lacking from my life at the moment. It must be because of the crazy hours I have worked recently in my very serious and non creative job, that all my fun and glitter has gone into hibernation? Fingers crossed.

Half term already?

I can't believe that it's half term already!

Not that it will mean anything to me - it's my week of night shifts again, so while my boys will be trying to entertain themselves I will be fast asleep!

This layout was from our last day out, before new school term and the onslaught of cold weather and rain. The sun was shining and winter seemed a long way away.

I am sure there will be some ice cream involved somewhere this week, but it won't be as enjoyable as this one was!!?