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!