feeling a little down

We all have times when we just don’t feel on top of the world and that’s how I’ve been for a few days. So in an effort to get myself out of it I had a look at one of the classes I’ve bought from Jessica Sprague and had a play. The idea was to soften the photo using various layers in photoshop and then add a texture which I got from here.

free class

I’m loving the new classes over on uks especially Shimelle’s one. I’ve had that ribbon for ages and not known what to do with it so glad it’s finally been used.

a little card

some masking, stamping and embossing, who would have thought this little card would take me all afternoon to do!

circles

Another prompt from the Just One Sketch class here was to change our sketch to circles. I’ve tried to do this by punching circles out of my squares which gave me a good place to add embellishments!

simple living

Life has been spent very much indoors over the last week, I thought the snow would never go.

It was very cold and bleak.

Not being able, or wanting to go to the shops much and wanting to use some very ripe bananas, I made this cake from a recipe found here. I wasn’t too sure at first but it’s grown on me and was very nice with custard for a pudding.

I also managed to finish this cross stitch which I’ve had on the go for about two years,it will probably be another two years before I frame it!

So that has been my week, sewing, cooking, reading and watching a series of House, a simple life but I love it.

10things

It’s the 10th of the month again and time to join in Shimelle’s 10 things on the 10th. As it’s been very cold and snowy here we’ve not been able to go out on our usual walks, so I decided to pick 10 photos showing why I like living here and also to remind me spring is just around the corner!

1.I must start with the snow, it can still be fun to go for a snowy walk, or so I keep telling myself.

 

2.

Sometime it’s better to stay in the warm!

 

3.

another bleak day but can still enjoy watching the waves

 

4.

a walk round the harbour is always a pleasure

 

5.

and the beach huts always make me smile.

 

6.

I love walking by the sea, it always lifts my spirits

 

7.

we have lots of firework displays over the beach

 

 

8.

Folk Week brings a different feel to the place.

 

9.

and kite festivals

 

10.

best of all, family time on the beach

this was brought to you as part of Shimelle's 10THINGS on the 10th, to see more posts go to http://www.shimelle.com/

I miss

the LOAD prompt today was - i miss and I decided to focus on the fact I never knew my Grandad. I feel I missed out quite a lot being the youngest in the family, I never really knew any of my relatives very well.

I’m enjoying combining prompts with the Just One Sketch class here, I’ve used the monochrome idea for this one. I‘m loving all the prompts, just need to find time to do them all. The beauty of this class is that I can see me using the ideas on lots of layouts in the future.

dreams

Today I combined the prompt from the LOAD class with one from Miss Smith’s sketch class here. The idea was to stretch your sketch so I made my blocks of paper bigger to fill the page.

day 4–LOAD

The prompt for today was about change and my layout, following on from my story is really about change in a good way. We look back over our lives sometimes with sadness, where have all the years gone, those early years with our husband, starting a little family, such happy times. Time moves on and we enter a new stage,  back to being a couple again, but our children are still there and hopefully grandchildren too giving us more memories to record with love.

story time

The housework is done, the washing on and dinner in the oven, time to sit down and relax with a coffee. A little figure looks up from his cars and trots over to his pile of books, sorting through them he brings his favourite over to me “mummy read” he says and sighing I put down my cup and pick him up.

 

Over thirty years later my son is expected for the weekend and I am on a mission. Cupboards are opened and searched, boxes emptied, I’m sure it’s here somewhere I would never have thrown it away. I look on the internet to try and get a replacement and see it there for £25 to £50, a ridiculous price.

My husband, who wants to find it as much as me decides it’s time to go in the loft, it must be in there somewhere. He climbs in and searches, with me making encouraging noises on the ladder,

“try that one, mind your head, are you ok?!”

Box after box is opened and discarded, no it’s not in there and I descend the ladder feeling quite tearful. Suddenly there is a cheer from above and down the ladder comes my hero, he has found it.

 

Saturday arrives and so do my visitors, one little bundle in particular needs lots of cuddles and kisses. My son goes into the bedroom and there waiting for him is an old favourite, Tootles the Taxi, a bit battered and neglected but all that is now going to change.

 

It’s your turn David, look after the little book it has such happy memories.

This story is brought to you as part of Sian’s Storytelling Sunday, if you would like to join in or read more stories then visit Sian’s blog here

a layout a day

the prompt for yesterday was then and now and as I wanted to include a layout about mum in my album it was ideal. Looking at her in that photo taken so many years ago I wonder what her dreams were. I bet she didn’t think she’d still be going strong with 3 daughters, 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren to keep her young.

On a slightly different note, am I the only one who finds webster’s pages papers so hard to use? I got them in a Sarah’s Cards kit recently and don’t really know what to do with them.

day 2

In the LOAD class today we had to use a favourite photo. I love the one of Ian and Evalina but also wanted to show him with David over 30yrs ago.

January

my photo collage for January using a free template from http://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/.

January was a mixed month with some nice sunny walks, a visit to Tottenham Hotspur, some craft and a new recipe. Most importantly we had a lovely few days with our little granddaughter and big son!

a layout a day in February

Some of you might remember I won a class from Shimelle, LOAD, a layout a day by Lain Ehmann. The first prompt was about meals and as I’m trying to make an album about our family I searched through the photos to find early ones of the children at mealtimes. I already feel like I’m going to love this class and look forward to telling our story.