looking on the bright side...

hi there one and all...sorry for the lack of blog action for the last couple of weeks...all is not bright and shiny in alixland atm...but i'm doing my best to look on the bright side of things...and as proof...i'm even sharing a quick page from my journal with you:

well i did say it was *bright*...i hope you've brought your shades!

... it was created in front of the telly using a Pitt Artist pen and some Neocolour II crayons with a waterbrush.  You can get brilliant colour and texture with these crayons on the lovely watercolour paper...but if like me...you're distracted...and using a nasty lamp to light your work...the colours can look a little odd by the following morning!  see that section where the bottle doesn't even look coloured????  very odd...but sometimes just getting a thought down and out of my head is enough...its doesn't always have to be *art* in and of itself for me :0)

as always, thanks for stopping by...even more thanks for leaving me an encouraging comment...and do bear with me...i will be back in full blogging stride again asap!

who did that???

i swear it wasn't me! lol and to hide my shame i've made the picture really small...if you want to see the true horror...just click the picture and i'm fairly confident it will get huge!

why is it whenever i'm crafting i end up working in the smallest possible area on my desk and collecting all sorts of crafting paraphernalia in stacks all around me..? it drives me nuts...and i can only imagine how it makes my hubby feel!! maybe that is why just pops in with raw carrots and quickly hops off again...either that or he's a rabbit! ;0)

what happened to 30 minute Thursday this week, eh?

sorry chaps...i just couldn't cope with the pc at all yesterday...i was emerging from a baaaaaad migraine...and had gone into the *post migraine haze*...all will hopefully be back on track for next week!

a quick update...

...hi all...i seem to be totally behind on my blogging...not to mention my housework ;)...so i'm just popping in with a quick update to say two things:

1. we have a winner ~ we've decided the caption competition winner is julia dunnit...because she made us giggle...and because hers was the only non~boob related comment!! lol
julia hon, could you leave me your addy in my uks pm box? and i'll have the little *booby prize* on its way to you!

2. i've added my latest bubbly scrumptious post...a real easy quick gift to make...even suitable for a man! check it out here :) and while you're there...do check out the other girls' projects...there is some amazing talent on this team!

ok...hope to be back later with goodies to share...ttfn!

bubbly scrumptious update...

just to let you know...if you didn't spot yesterday's post over on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog...its here...and its a an explosion of the gorgeous new Prima collection called *Reflections*...i have to say my favourite new collection for years!! :)

there are lots of extra photos and a tutorial for making the little frame in the middle there too...so see you there :)

bubbly scrumptious update...

...i hope you'll pop over to see my latest bubbly scrumptious projects...a love bird wall hanging and a rather unseasonal Christmas project!!

just click here! :)

and keep your suggestions for the caption competition coming...i am loving them!

ps...paula and ruth did both agree to me sharing this photo...i know...amazing!! lol

a quick share...

...ever stuck for stamping inspiration? check out this fabulous gallery of ideas!! its awesome!

wishing you...

...elf and 'appiness over the Christmas period and in the coming year...

you'll need your speakers on for this...but trust me....it'll get you in the Christmas party mood!!

hope you enjoyed it...hope you enjoyed the blog this year...and i hope you'll all join me...onwards and upwards in 2011!

alixxxxx

its a girl...

...can you spot the newest addition to our Christmas family portrait? a cute pink sock monkey girl with a bow in her *hair* :0) this is one of our cute traditions...to send overseas or long distance friends and family a silly snapshop in with the Christmas cards...and as you can see...his Nibs has already started turning our little lounge into santa's sparkly grotto!!

because you asked so nicely...

i had a few requests this week to see what i'd been creating with my BIA this week...and because you asked so nicely...here it is!
its a notebook for Shimelle's latest class...just somewhere to jot down my thoughts and ideas from her daily prompts...and hopefully one day get them translated onto LO's...but you know me by now...i don't like to rush these things! lol


i made a closure with some wired ribbon, and a ribbon slide i've had for the best part of forever...the ribbon is attached with the red tape i love on the outside of the back of the notebook {it doesn't show like a wet glue would}, but i used wet glue to attach the clip...i didn't want it falling off and getting lost down the back of someone's sofa when i'm out and about...



the title...like the pp i've used...is from an ancient K&Co. kit and i've simply added glossy accents for a little bit more oomph. the pages are all the plain coloured papers i had left over from my card making history...not acid free...but perfect to use up here...i am scribbling all over them anyway...so i didn't want anything too decorative :0)


**********************************************************************************


as a little bit of Halloween fun...i couldn't resist cutting a toothless grin out of this pumpkin to replace Uncle Alan at the dinner table as he couldn't make it this week!! lol he was quieter than normal ;0)


sorry alan...what with you being an orthodontist and all...i just couldn't resist it!!

happy halloween weekend everyone...

...i'm super behind on all my halloween crafting...but the chocolate lime cupcakes are done...and now i'm off to do my lantern...have fun!

wednesday chaos...

thanks for dropping by the craftroom for the wonderful wednesday madness that the darling Julia began all those months ago...as you can see...today i think i just might be due a tidy up!!

i do hope you like my attempt at an arty angle on the craftroom...and the fact that i've got my dorset knobs tin reflected in the laptop screen!! lol

awol...

...i've not had much time for blogging this week as i've been prepping an online class...if anyone wants to join in...its here!

see you over there!

alexa asked...

...but i'm afraid i can't make head nor tail of your question, hon...do you mean can you get this effect by stamping directly onto the frame? if so, totally! its really nice when heat embossed too...if that isn't the answer to your question...could you ask it again in words of one syllable or less for my daft brain, please!
:0)

arrrhhhhhrgggggh!!!!!

i don't know what happened here...i just spent over half an hour writing detaile instructions on my new patchwork~metal technique...but blogger clearly didn't like them...and its all gone :0(

if you'd like details...leave me a comment...and i just might regain the will to type them out again!!!

whizzzz...bang...pop...oooooh!!!

...in case you haven't guessed...i've been to a fireworks show...so you can expect some explosive type scrapping from me later in the week!

the show was actually a fireworks company competition...in the stunning grounds of Eastnor Castle...if you fancy popping along next year...check out all the details here :0) you've not seen a firework show until you've seen one with a Castle in the background!!

and just in case you're wondering...i don't actually drink pints of beer...uuuurrrgh...i was just holding it for a friend!! ;0)

Swinging for WOYWW!

its that time again folks...and for Julia and her gang's amusement...today i've decided to *swing* and show you the rest of the craftroom! i hope you enjoy the tour!

this is what i laughingly refer to as *the tidy bit*...here lives a selection of magazines i've been published in...a jumble of pp and cardstock which could do with re~labelling in the Cropper Hopper storage...a few pizza boxes full of half~used kits...and heaps of rubber and acrylic stamps :0) as you may notice...this often where i dump my crop bag!

for those of you who drop by regularly...you will be aware that i have an obsession with symmetry in my home...so of course, on either side of the bookcase...i have identical drawers! and of course, a chair...whose cushion i have very badly covered in that ditsy fabric i can't get enough of atm!!

finally...every room needs an entry/exit point, right? so...here is the back of my door...this is where i store *things i'm about to use*...some of them have been there for years! ;0)

so now i've embarrassed myself...i feel i must go and tidy up...but i'll hop on over to your place first...and then maybe take a bath...lol

{for anyone who still hasn't got into WOYWW...check out Julia her followers...here!}

introducing *pippi*

remember a while back {5 months ago actually} i mentioned that we had a new member in our family..? well at long last i finally got to meet her! :0)

her name is *pippi* and she is just adorable...but i will have to have a word with her about co~ordinating our outfits with the furniture for future photos!! lol
also, even tho i sometimes use a wheelchair and despite this *photographic evidence* i would like to point out that i do actually have *legs* ;0) but they are not as cute as hers!
*gotta love chubby baby legs, right?*

thanks to everyone who left comments about spelling mistakes, etc. on yesterday's post...it was really interesting to read how you all feel...and i'm confident in my choice to leave the errors...it makes the page more *me*, somehow!

ok, so i'm off to watch a scary movie with his nibs...if *the thing* doesn't get me...i'll be back tomorrow...hopefully having scrapped this photo!

is there anyone still out there..?

hi gang...apologies for the long and unexplained absence...boy did i miss you ;0) not to mention my lovely craftroom...but the good news is i'm back...and totally fired up to get crafting and scrapping again :0)

for the curious amongst you, you might like to know that life has been a little bit hard on me and mine for the last year really and i was totally in need of some time with my Mum to get a little bit looked after...a little bit indulged...and thoroughly put things back into perspective! nobody does that like a mum, right? :0)

****THANKS MUM...I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH...YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST****
{in fact you are so awesome, i know you won't mind me sharing this terrible picture of us both!! lol}

nothing restores the soul like a week at home...but being as mum is moving in a couple of weeks time to live really near me {hallelujah!}...this will have been my last trip to the bungalow we shared...and i will really miss it...i love what she's done to the house...but at the moment...i think the garden is just as beautiful as she is :0) just look at that lavendar border!

and who would not want to sit by that secret pond and contemplate the World around them?she made that wall/bench you know...you see...she is talented in so many ways...shame she can't take it with her really!!

and to top off a perfectly restorative break...we had a lovely day at the seaside too...with an ice~cream of course...because its rude not too at the beach, right? ;0)

so...enough of my waffle about my lovely break...huge thanks to all my family...especially Meg who did all the driving...and on to some crafting! i'm starting a class with Shimelle today...so i'll be back to share all the details about that asap!!

happy day all around...and thanks as always for dropping by! xx

WOYWW...?

welcome back all you WOYWWers!...and what do we have here this sunny wednesday morning?

*old faithful*

;0)

she might be old...and well used {not to mention a rather dodgy shade of my least favourite colour}...but she is strong and true...and hasn't let me down yet!

i feel a bit more of that favourite skirt taking new form today...and a new hem on my the duvet cover i made to take to Uni...too many years ago to mention!! lol

right...can't stop...i'm off to hop by your place now...and see what's on your workdesk...the whole lot can be found here if you'd like to join me :0)