Almost a whole month!!!!

Yup it's been almost a month since I last blogged! But I have got a good excuse... honest! My Dad has been pretty poorly and it's kind of thrown everything upside down what with hospital visiting etc. It's been a rough month and we've been on a real rollercoaster of emotions with no sign of it ending soon. So blogging had to go on the back burner while I struggled to keep up with shop orders etc. Actually it went on the back burner along with scrapping! I have had no time to do anything other than the essentials such as blog challenges and crop classes!


So am looking forward to some scrapping time real soon! I have 2 friends coming over tomorrow evening for a craft night and I can't wait! I have 3 projects on the go and am hoping to get at least one of them finished!!!

A few layouts that I've manged to complete over the past weeks.....

I used Piggy Tales Ba Ba Black Sheep papers for this layout. This is a new company for me and I just love the quality of the papers and the little barn doors are oh so cute! Layout of my late cat Jasper... he used to snuggle up all the time with his paws all curled up over his face... sooo cute!

I used our April kit for this layout! It's of my friend Gillian taken at Cullercoats bay on a VERY cold day!!!

Another using the April kit! Photo taken by Anita Mundt and I used some of the new Collage Press stamps which I just adore!

And finally.... an altered photo frame for the blog challenge! Covered with Sassafras Lass Pocket Full of Rosies papers (loving these new collections!)

And a bit of detail!!!

Right that's me for tonight! I'm off to bed as another busy day looms!

Maria x

Still around.....

but running round like a headless chicken! Sorry i haven't updated for a bit, life is just very, very busy at the mo.... which is good! However I would really like some time just to take stock and have a bit of me time. I'm not the best at juggling a huge amount of......er well....stuff for want of a better word and tend to find that certain things slip... like this blog!!!!!

Lots of great stuff happening on the work front so am happy just to plod along working my way through projects, organising kits and other stuff ;-) But you'll all have to bear with me on the blogging front..... will get sorted... one of these days!!!!

Will leave you with a few layouts that I've done over the past week or so....

This is a layout for next months crop class. Don't worry.... not giving anything away... the ladies have all seen it so they know the type of photo to bring along! We're concentrating on decorating chipboard so loads of painting, stamping and inking in this class!

Did this one for a UKS challenge. Love these new papers fom American Crafts.... love of texture, foiling and embossing....scrummy!

Last weeks SSC challenge was to use foam! So I dug my sheets of funky foam and cut some flowers using the big kick!

Right best make a move... have a cj entry to finish, mag article to finish (more of those gorgeous AC papers ;-)) and new kit to organise!

Oh... but before I leave.... had a fab, fab girly day out with my gorgeous friend Gillian the other week.... we shopped, we lunched and generally had a blast! It was freezing cold so what was sensible thing to do? Oh yes.... we headed down to the beach (it was snowing at one point!!!) and had a good old play and lark about with the camera! I have stacks of gorgeous photos that will be featuring in layouts very soon!

Oh and one more thing!!!! Our new scrap kit will be ready to ship next week... it's a stunner and jammed packed full with new CHA releases....will post a sneaky peek at the weekend!

Til then folks!

Maria x

Thank the Lord it's saturday!!!!

Yes it's definately been not the best of weeks. But it's at a close and next week will be great! That's my positive thinking! Thursday was our chance to say goodbye to Anne at her funeral. I have never ever been to a funeral that was such a moving celebration of someones life and it was very emotional.... Anne was a true inspiration to all who met her and she clearly had a massive impact on all around judging by the huge attendance of the service. We, the SSC design team, are running (haha!!!) ahem well maybe walking the race for life in her honour. All the proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research and the shop will have some very special kits for sale (with an amazing guest designer ;))in June with proceeds going to the charity. The shop will also be hloding other fundraising events nearer the time. I want to raise £500 so if you have a wee bit to spare please, please, please do pop over to my fundraising page!!!!

Ok the blog challenge is live and this week Vanessa challenges us to Button It!!! I have a huge button fetish going on at the mo so this challenge was right up my street! My mojo even made a fleeting appearance for this layout!

I used elements from the Chalk Garden kit (only 2 left!!!) and a whole stack of buttons to create a wave effect. I also combined this with the weekly challenge on UKS to clock up some extra points for my team!

This is the final layout from Stitches and shows me at 2 years old blowing out my birthday candles! I just adore the look of pure concentration on my face!!!!! I used Daisy Bucket papers, Hero Arts stamps and lots of chipboard which was either covered in patterned paper or painted!

Have a couple of projects to play with this morning so will pop back tomorrow with some pics of those! Am having a well deserved night out tonight so will let my hair down and have a bit of fun!

Til tomorrow

Maria x

Still alive.....

Just having a really busy and rather trying week! Mojo has gone walkies which is not good when I have a stack of projects to complete! Sooo.... if you see/find my mojo... please send him home as I am missing him!!!!

Oooh and before I forget (brain is sooo not working right at the mo!!!!) Thank you sooo much to Looby and Vanessa for their awards.... they made me smile!

Will leave you with a layout from stitches as I don't really have anything new to share :-(

Ok this was a really difficult layout to do... haven't really scrapped any of our wedding pics. Couldn't quite bring myself to journal on it yet! It's coming up to the 2nd anniversary of Danny's death and if anyone had told me 20 months ago where I would be now I simply just would not have believed them! Time IS a greater healer but as the layout says, we always have our memories. Life moves on.....

Hopefully I'll find time to blog soon and will definately post more pics from stitches! I have some lovely photos of the stand that just need a wee bit of tweeking!

Til the next time!

Maria x

Sad times...

Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Had some very sad news that left me not wanting to rave about what a fab time I've been having of late. One of lovely ladies that attended our local crop finally lost her long and brave battle against cancer on wednesday. She was a total inspiration to all who had the privelege of meeting her and she will be very missed. My thoughts are with her family at this very sad time.


Not really got much else to say so will leave you with some more pics of the layouts from the Stampbox stand.

Using Collage Press Margot papers (love em!) and a mixture of Hero Arts and Autumn Leaves Stamps. The flowers have been cut using a sizzix/ellison die... can't remember which!

French Twist papers, bitty blossoms, corduroy brads and Hero Arts journaling stamp. Oh and yes! that is me... when I was a bit thinner than I am now!!!!!!

My Minds Eye Confetti papers and Autumn Leaves stamps. One of the rare occasions when Ziggy posed for the camera!

Til tomorrow and a new bog challenge!

Maria x

Catching up

I've had a day of catching up after our jaunt down to Birmingham! Shop orders to pack and post and general admin stuff. As promised here are some of the layouts that I made for the Stampbox stand....

I used Daisy Bucket papers, Hero Art stamps (loving these!!!), Bazzill in stichez, ribbon and some bazzill blossoms.

Ok this has got to be one of my favourite layouts! Lots of grungy inking and Collage Press Grayson Hall papers!

Felix doing one his poses (he just loves the camera... unlike Ziggy!) I used a combination of Daisy Bucket and Grayson Hall papers, ribbons and rick rack, a whole heap of buttons (Autumn Leaves Whirligig) and of course some zig zag stitching using the Bazzill in Stitches programme.

Finally for tonight... more Daisy Bucket and a layout of my very gorgeous niece Louisa! Note the NUFC shirt... she is such a footie fan and a damn fine goalie too!!!!

I have a stack of projects on my desk to get through over the next couple of days.... so am looking forward to some serious scrapping time! Will show some more layouts tomorrow and some show pics!

Off to bed now!

Maria x

How tired????

Yup I'm pretty tired at the mo! Have had a whirlwind time at Stitches and a nightmare journey home! Three days of looking at gorgeous new products, selecting products for future kits and meeting gorgeous people has left me totally shattered! I have had THE best time!

Our journey home was a complete nightmare! We left at 4pm and hit all the rush hour traffic! My poor sis was shattered before she started driving! And then... oh yes... freezing fog! All the way home until we reached South Shields! The journey took 5 hours.

So I'm home... not unpacked but with glass of wine in hand!

The show was fab... my layouts seemed to go down well! Well lots of peeps taking pics of them (very strange feeling!!) and a whole heap of great contacts and possible future projects!

I'll update fully tomorrow when I've had some sleep but will leave you with a pic of Alan (Stampbox), Joey (Bazzill Basics) and myself!

Til tomorrow

Maria x