I love saturday mornings!

It's when I grab a little time for me, chill out, put some music on, slap on a face mask (believe me I need it this morning) and do a little blog updating!!!!
The past couple of weeks have passed in whirl of activity and it's been great fun!
Got a fair bit of scrapping done and lots of teaching which is cool cos I love it!
Samm set the challenge on the shop blog a couple of weeks ago to scrap your favourite song/band/album... well at the moment I just can't stop singing Bubbly by Colbie Caillat! Love this tune... along with a fair few others... loving my music just now!

I used Happy Place papers by Sassafras... these are my favvo papers at the moment and have carved up sheets and sheets of the stuff!!! Lots of layouts in progress... none finished.. ho hum!

Last weekend we had the very first all day workshop thingy! It was fab! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day and I think all the ladies did too! I taught 3 classes so it was pretty full on... 2 layouts and a mini book. We had heaps of yummy food thanks to Gillian, her Mum Pat and Margaret... so a HUGE thank you to them!

This was the first class (excuse the rotten pic... there is no light at the mo and everything looks pants!).... using the delicious Daisy Bucket In The Meadow papers! So so easy to work with and a gorgeous texture! There's a little hidden mini book to hold all our hopes for the coming year.


Next up was a bright and cheerful quick layout class using MME Just Dreamy 2 Dazzling papers.... they really are a Dream to work with....well they would be... everything that MME produces is totally gorgeous!


And finally the mini book class using the yummy Crate Lemon Grass!!! I've made my book for times when my mojo just disappears out of the window... it's full of sketches, inspiration blogs that kind of thing!
I do have some spare class kits available and will upload them to the shop tomorrow :-)

So onto this weekends blog challenge... it was mine and an evil one at that!!! No patterned paper allowed!!!! I love my papers so this one really was a challenge!
Gillian took this photo last weekend of the moody sea at Seaton Sluice and it was SCREAMING to be scrapped! I used Collage Press stamps, prima crystal swirls, some lace and chipboard letters... very simple but I think it works well!
Also found this layout when hunting through my pics.... I did this a while back at one of the crops when I actually found a wee bit of time to get some scrapping done!


I used one of my old Studio Calico kits that are actually new as I just don't have the time to play these days....
Well that's all my news for this morning!!!
I start working as a nurse again next week and am really looking forward to it! It will be strange after so long so hoping that it will go well!
Lots of other exciting stuff happening too... just gotta find those extra hours in the day!
Til next time
Maria x

For Jakkii! ;-)

Ok, Ok, Ok! I know that I'm a crappy blogger! There just doesn't seem enough hours in the day at the mo to fit everything in! I will try harder... promise!
Ok so what's been happening in Maria's world since the last post? Heaps and heaps!
Aside from the usual crop classes and mag work I have had the bestest time ever teaching at the fabulous Scrapajack retreat down in Bromsgrove! Jakkii and Debbie sure can organise a mean retreat! Oh they just happen to be the nicest people that you could ever ever meet! I loves them!!!
Bookings for the Stratford Retreat in May are happening now! Sooo... if you fancy a fabulous few days away from it all with heaps and heaps of scrapping and laughing thrown in go visit here and book up... you will not be disappointed :-)
So onto the stories! Well the journey down to Bromsgrove was a complete nightmare! Managed to get stuck in the biggest traffic jam. There had a been a terrible accident on the M1 which closed the motorway totally. I set off at 11.30am and eventually arrived at the hotel at 8.30pm!!! Car overheated and I was a complete wreck LOL! But... I arrived safely which is more than can be said of the poor people killed in the crash so thank god for that! Motorways terrify me!
We all had a pre-retreat challenge... to make a badge that wasn't a badge and I came up with this lil baby!


A pinny!!! Don't worry Deb and Jak... yours will be made soon ;-). There were some amazing creations... but unfortunately I didn't take any pics! Yup the camera sat on the table the whole retreat without being used once!

This is my retreat class! It seemed to go down ok... well no-one walked out which is always a good sign LOL! The classes were all amazing! I had the pleasure of taking Rachel Millington's and Tracie Hudson's fabulous classes and thoroughly enjoyed them. Just wish I had managed to squeeze in the others....
I met the most amazing people over the few days... it was really good to put faces to avatars LOL! I shared a room with the lovely Sue (owner of the delicious Crafty Stash) and also spent a small fortune buying illicit stash... hehehe... came home with lots of gorgeous goodies!
I can honestly say that I have not laughed so much for bloody ages! My face is still hurting... so thank you everyone for making me feel sooo welcome! And speshal thanks to Sarah for sending me a zillion crochet links... hopefully the willy warmer disaster will be a thing of the past!!! Gonna make a start on a hat just as soon as I can get my hands on some more wool :-)
I had a great journey home with no mishaps (or so I had thought) and spent yesterday catching up on sleep!
All was well until I went to use my business bank card today... and it wasn't there! It would seem that when I had stopped at the services on the way home some "kind person" broke into my car and nicked them! Only realised today and thankfully nothing is missing from the account...phew! Its just a pain as it takes 10 bloody days for a new card... grrrrr!
So to the two ladies who stole the cards.... yup I know who you are! If I ever see you again (I remember what you looked like!) I will gouge your eyes out with my pokey tool and make an altered art project with them... be warned ;-)
And onto to lighter things.... :-)
It was my go for the blog class and this is what I came up with...... using up your scraps!

This is a pic of my lil sis circa 1975! She was not amused that I had scrapped this pic but hey ho.... hehehe! And I made a card from scraps too...

Keep checking the blog each weekend for more challenges and classes!
Right and with that long post out the way I'm off to finish this wine!!!!
Til next time..
Maria x

Been busy creating heaps and heaps of stuff! Love it when my mojo returns and I just can't get the ideas down on paper quick enough!!!! My classes for the rest of the year are almost all done and its a big relief! Just a few blog challenges to do layouts for and I'm almost organised!
I can't believe that the Scrapajack retreat is nearly here! Next week!!! I'm so looking forward to it but a bit nervous at the same time!


This was my layout for last weekends blog challenge.... me about 7 years old... check out the collar!!!!! I have scrapped the same school photo of my sis for this weekends class.... she'll kill me... hehehe! So tune in saturday morning for a class on using up your scraps :-)
Today I've been playing with some of the new Crate paper.... I love it! Scrapped for the very first time a photo of my Mam... which was much tougher than I expected and spent about an hour in floods of tears! Its for this weekends crop class so will pop a pic up on sunday!
Right I'm off to chop into more Crate... Lemon Grass this time... delicious!
Maria x

Busy, busy, busy....

but it's all good stuff! Had a busy couple weeks with a new crop and magazine work and classes to sort for a one day workshop! Feels like my feet haven't touched the ground for ages. Had Mark up to stay for a fun few days and my head is still trying to recover from all the wine that was consumed.... the man is a bad influence!!!!

This is my layout for the SSC blog challenge.... posted by Rachael, it's a fab one! All about edges... rolled ones, distressed ones, scalloped ones... you get the picture! Karen got me this little Russian doll for my birthday (amongst other gorgeous goodies!) and I love her.
This weekend is Morpeth crop and I'm teaching a UTEE class! It's ages since I played with the stuff and had huge fun putting together a layout for this. Managed to warp my cutting mat again so thats 3 I've now ruined!!! MUST remember to take mat off desk when using the heat gun! Here's a little peek of the layout...

We're using some of the gorgeous new papers from MME... glittery and varnished and totally delicious! No prizes for guessing that the layout is about me with journalling like that!!!
Right on that note... instead of dreaming I need to finish a magazine article that need's to be in the post tomorrow.... better get my skates on!
Til next time
Maria x

Still around....

I'm still here! Just been as busy as anything. Lots of scrapping and card making been going on but nothing to share.... but i can give you a couple of sneaky peeks of my class for the Scrapajack retreat....

rumour has it there are a couple of places on this fabby retreat up for grabs so go check it out.... would love to see you there!

Last weekend I had the total pleasure of having Samm up to stay! We had a blast and am really looking forward to her next visit! Although next time we'll have to schedule in some more sleep time... hehehe. Still recovering!

I'm having few days off.... yes i know my last post said the same thing! But to be honest those were my last days off.... seriously! I have been working non stop! Talking of work... I am now back in the world of nursing.... well bank nursing! So's I can work it around everything else. Hoping to start in the next couple of weeks and can't wait! So back to my time off... I have a friend travelling up from Manchester today.... so excited about this! Eeeeks! Will pop back on sunday to share some gossip... when i shall be one year older! I hit the grand old age of 41 on saturday! Where did this last year go?

Right must fly as have stacks to do today.... til next time

Maria x

A bit of R&R....

over the bank holiday weekend :-) I'm having a couple of days all to me this weekend. This happens very rarely at the moment as I always seem to have stuff that has to be sorted RIGHT NOW!!!! But I'm starting to pick up colds and snuffles which is a definate sign to recharge the batteries! I've had a busy old week... sorting out the new kit, finishing off some mag work, organising a new crop and craft event (more of that in a later post!!!), planning my retreat classes for Scrapajack... oh sooo much is happening! Which is good... don't get me wrong... I love having so much to do but a little me time is also good!

This is my layout for Samm's fab sketch challenge over on the shop blog this weekend. It's one of those sketches that immediately cries out to be transferred into a layout! The photo was taken by Anita at the Baltic art gallery.

Anyhow... just a quick post today! I have a sunday lunch to finish preparing!

Til next time

Maria x

Surely not!!!

It can't be 2 weeks since I last blogged... can it??? Where on earth does the time go? The past 2 weeks have been packed full of errr... well stuff! I don't seem to have had 2 minutes to myself never mind a day off!
Our little cyber crop on the shop blog seemed to go down a treat and we are already planning the next one. The entries were amazing and we had a really tough time choosing winners... but winners we chose and they're on the blog now! Along with this weeks class ;) A little wackiness from myself!!!

The class this week looks at making cloud masques to create a sky and paper pleating (so much easier than ribbon ;-) ) You can find the destructions here!

Last weekend was our crop. Now I love the crop and meeting up with everyone but BOY the preparation is hard work! So why, I ask myself, am I setting up another one? Probably because I'm a glutton for punishment and hard work!!! Anyhow, the ladies at the crop this month got down and messy with paint and had a ball! We made homemade stamps from anything we could lay our hands on and created some fabby background effects.

This month we played with MME Just Dreamy Daydream papers... I do have a couple of kits left here ;) Oooh and talking of kits.... our August kit is almost ready to go! A bit late this month but worth the wait ;)

I've another busy week ahead. Lots of layouts to finish, a magazine project to put the finishing touches to and a very special class to complete! I've been asked to teach at the Autumn Scrapajack retreat and am just finalising what, I hope, will be a fab class for the ladies attending. I think that there are still a few day delegate place available so why not pop over and book yourself a place! Go on.... you deserve it!!!!!

Right I had best get some work done!
Til next time
Maria x

Scrapping Sunday!

So are you playing along? Our classes and challenges at the Scrummy Stash Cafe Blog are almost done with just 2 more to go live!

I have to confess that I haven't got much done!!! But am hoping to do a couple this afternoon. I have so many projects on the go at the moment that it is just not funny. Here are my contributions to the weekend...

This is my challenge layout... I used Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie collection, some prima bling, chipboard, brads, buttons and flowers. The photos for both the layouts were taken my Anita.

And this is my class layout... instructions and supplies can be found here! Right I'm off to scrap a little....

Til next time

Maria x

Where does the time go?

I've been so busy over the past 2 weeks catching on lots of bits and pieces! This week I've spent the time putting the finishing touches to this weekends mini cyber crop over on the shop blog. I am sooo excited about this! We have some fab classes and challenges for everyone over the next 3 days!

Here's a little peek at my class ;) It's on sunday morning so I'll have to make sure that I drag my butt out bed in time for it to go live!!!

Aside from catching up on projects and assignments etc I've been trying to keep up with my daily walks! There are some lovely walks in my area... I forget how lucky I am to live so close to the sea, countryside and city! When walking the other day I came upon this piece of art!!! I have NEVER noticed it before.... don't know how! I've walked past it about 50 times and it isn't exactly little (about 10 feet tall!)

The spoon is one of 3 sculptures in the fields surrounding us. Amazing... isn't it? It has "eat for England" engraved on it!

Til next time

Maria x

A productive week...

Well apart from feeling rather icky for the first half I've had a busy old week. Last sunday was the race for life. Angie and I power walked and Vanessa ran! Next year I hope to run at least some of the way!!! Anyhow we had a fab time. The atmosphere was amazing and the rain held off which is quite suprising considering that is the north of england and it's July!

Angie and I treated ourselves to a lovely meal after the race and I undid all my good dieting practices by having a chocolate pudding! It had to be done! So this week I'll be back on the diet with new resolve and still a fair few pounds to shift!

Our new kit went on sale this week :-) I love this kit... I love anything 3 bugs as I find it so easy to work with be it scrapbooking or cardmaking! Have you seen their new summer CHA releases? Oooh delicious!!! Lots of gorgeous stash being launched at the moment. I love the new Crate lines and MME have hit the jackpot with their new lines... they are just divine. I love My Minds Eye... their papers are classic and won't date.


Anyhow here's a couple of bits that i've made using our July kit.

I'm having a good old scrapping weekend and first half of week to get up to date with projects and assignments! It feels like ages since I had this much time to scrap and play and I'm loving it!!! My scraproom is due a HUGE sort out and I'm going to spend a couple of days being ruthless! Anything not likely to be used is going up for sale! I honestly think that even if I scrapped solid til Christmas I would still have too much! And on that note... I'm off to hang my washing out (whilst it's not raining!!!) and get scrapping!

Til next time

Maria x

What a week!

Its been one of those weeks... you know the ones... lots of things have gone wrong but interspersed with a couple of goodies!!!!

Ok yesterday was a day and a half.... managed to get me some nasty spyware on both computers! So spent all day trying to sort them out. Got the laptop sorted but unfortunately the PC seems to be dead in the water so to speak! Mind you I have lots of tips on how to revive said PC so am going to pucker up and try and give it the kiss of life over the weekend. Failing that its off to PC world for some intensive care!!!! On the plus side yesterday my photos from anita plopped through the letterbox... will share some of my faves in a mo ;-)

On to disaster number two yesterday... my car has been fixed! Great I hear you say... well not so great when you are faced with a £670 bill :-(. Especially when very, very skint! So have made the monumental decision to go back to nursing! Not full time mind you... I'm going to do some bank nursing :-) How scary?... esp after so long away from it! But... the pay is good and i can do hours to suit around the shop!

Ok so here are some of my favourite pics taken by Anita!

All coming to a layout near you very soon!!!!

Dad isn't too well again... had a trip to A&E this morning but thankfully they let him go home! He was dreading another hospital stay! Fingers crossed that he'll improve quickly... they say that kids are such a worry but I think that parents are too!

On a lighter note... July's kit is almost ready to go! Just waiting for some gorgeous buttons and then it will be all done. Will pop a sneaky peek up in the next couple of day along with some layouts that I've been working on!

Til next time!

Maria x

Getting organised!

I have spent the last 3 days sorting out shop stock and moving it all into new storage. I am now converted to the really useful way of storing!!! The 35l XL boxes hold 12x12 papers beautifully so all kits are neatly stored in these little gems and they can be stacked on top of each other! This has freed up so much space! I am no longer falling over boxes when trying to get to my desk!!!!


Next task is to sort out my personal stash mountain... this, I think, will be a mammoth task! I need to clear out and declutter... so next week will see me rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in LOL! Am planning to sell lots on ebay ;-).
This morning another challenge has gone live on the SSC blog. It was Angies turn to set the challenge this week and she chose a summer theme. However, looking out of the window this morning I think that was wishful thinking. Summer has disappeared! Its cold and raining. Ah well... at least I'll be able to scrap without wishing I was outside :-) I'll leave you with my sample for the challenge.

The photo was taken by Anita... love it! I used our June kit (so dreamy!) and added some Collage Press stamps plus Doodlebug alpha stickers which I am officially addicted to!!!!

Til next time

Maria x

Lots of things happening....

to keep me occupied and not blogging! Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!!
Have been having a busy week on the old crafting front... nothing I can share unfortunately as they are mag and DT work...but here's a little sneak of this weekends blog challenge layout.

I've been playing with our June kit for this and loving the soft and dreamy colours in it. Normally I'm a bright colours girl but these gentle colours are making my mojo go into overdrive!!!

Other news.... well its now day 10 of my healthy eating/diet! Won't go as far as saying the weight is just dropping off me (cos it ain't!!!) but I'm feeling sooo much better and have loads of energy! Along with the food thing I've been out walking daily... mainly with Kim and little bobby. He is such a character!!! And Kim's company ain't that bad either. Been clocking up plenty miles in prep for the race for life. There's no way I'm fit enough to run it but am planning a brisk walk over the 5k and that will be good enough for me!

My crocheting is coming along a treat! When Anita was over she taught me the basics as I have always wanted to learn... me being left handed does not help! But fellow leftie Anita got me crocheting circles.... ok my first attempt was not good.....

This was meant to be a circle!!!!!!!! Think my tension was a bit tight!

Tension much better on this one! I even added a lil frilly edge!!!
Next I wanted to do squares... so I bought myself this little book off Amazon. It was only £4.99 and has instructions for left handers....

And before I knew it I had mastered the granny square and working in rows!!!!




So... me being me... wanted to 'do a project'!!! So I picked what looked like the easiest thing in the book... a bottle holder! I know.... what an earth would you want a bottle warmer for! But hey! I'm playing....just wait til you see lil baby....................

I think it wasn't supposed to look like this!!!! Everytime I look at it I giggle... cos I think it looks like a giant willy warmer!!!! So maybe I need to just practice a bit more! On the plus side... I did make this little flower!

It's not quite perfect.... but I am thrilled with it!

Right on that note.... I'm off to finish another project!

See you later

Maria x

Life is a rollercoaster.....la la la

Wow! So long since I have blogged and so much has happened! Dad is now home and doing ok-ish...still not right but getting there. He was in hospital for almost 6 weeks poor thing and was sooo happy to get home and in his comfy armchair with his pipe and sky sports!!!!

Scrapping and work stuff has had to take a back seat to all the family problems which isn't ideal but that's how it is. Family and friends come first with me... always have and always will! I work to live, pay bills etc and not the other way round! I have missed a couple of deadlines which I just hate doing but luckily this was met with understanding so I now need to get caught up on projects!


Last week was a strange old week... I heard the horrific news that one of my closest and dearest friends is very ill.... words just cannot describe how i feel about this so I am not even going try! Life throws all sorts of stuff our way and you just have to try and deal with it in the best way you can. It just puzzles me why the worst things happen to the nicest of people. Sooo not fair.


I have also had a lovely house guest to stay! Anita was over in the uk doing some photography shoots and I had the pleasure of her company for a few days. It was not without mishap... but anyone who knows me will know that is just "normal" in my life!!!!


On the first day my car decided that it needed a little "rest time" and promptly filled with smoke causing Anita and I to exit very quickly!!!! 2 hours later my little car was hooked up to the back of an AA van and towed to Dads with the very serious diagnosis of Cylinder Head Gasket Gone!
So we were stranded without car and had to rely on public transport. HOW EXPENSIVE ARE BUSES THESE DAYS!!!! No wonder people drive! In the end I ended up hiring a car for a few days so we could get out and about. Anyhow enough complaining... this week I am in positive mode (been getting re-aquainted with the secret ;-)!!!) Sooo check out this amazing photo that Anita took of me....




I just love it! we had a blast and anita took heaps of photos that i just can't wait to see!!!!

I honestly don't think that i have eaten so much over a 6 day period! Mind you... not that I was complaining.... although I am now as my shorts are, shall we say, very snug!!!! Healthy eating for me this week!

I haven't had much time for scrapping over the last couple of months but I'll leave you with some recent layouts!

This was for the UK Scrappers homepage class.... love this pic of Ziggy! He looks soooo naughty!

A layout using our may kit and a pencil lines sketch (sorry can't remember what number!)

And finally this one for the layers challenge on the shop blog! I LOVE this photo of my great gran (or old gran as we used to call her!) She looks like a proper biker granny! I used our Out and About kit (Fresh into the clearance section ;-)) and tore the edges and added some ink to achieve that distressed grungy look that is all about at the mo... not sure if its me or not but had to give it a go!

Right I'm off to finish up sorting this months kit.... and its a yummy one!

Maria x

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