Looking back at 2009

Such a lot has happened over the last 12 months, I've joined my beloved Passion for Promarkers DT, been a Guest DT at DigiStamp Boutique, done some design work for Letraset, been asked to teach a Promarker class and I'd also like to think my card-making has improved. Although sadly I haven't had any time at all for scrapbooking - hopefully that'll change in 2010.
And on the non-crafty front Extra Special Parents gained registered charity status way back at the beginning of 2009. Willow started school, Faith started playgroup and Scott's age is now in double figures. Graham moved to another rig and is far happier now than he was on the last one.
So I got this fab idea from our Local Celebrity Kath who  thought it would be fun to show her favourite cards from every month of 2009, so I think I'll do the same....

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Looking back at them all together now though, I think they look a bit samey - I think maybe I need to diversify a little in 2010.

The Mini Photo Studio

A few of you were asking about the mini photo studio I mentioned yesterday that my Graham bought for my xmas, so I tried it out today and took a couple of pics to show you. I don't know where Graham bought mine from, but I will ask him. But I do know that the likes of Amazon have them at very reasonable prices.

The whole thing folds down into a satchel type carry bag for easy portability, and the pockets on the front house the tripod and a couple of floodlights (I only took one out for the pics) It comes with 4 backgrounds - red, blue, black and white. And the white sides and top diffuse the light to stop glare.

 I've taken pics of the two cards I made yesterday and they seem to have come out pretty well. I didn't use the lamps, just the overhead flourescent light in the kitchen and natural daylight (haha) from the kitchen window.

Well, I'd better get on, I'm halfway through preparing tomorrow's post. I've pinched a fab idea from Kath - the other day she posted pics of her favourite cards from every month of 2009 and I though it was a super idea. I'd also love to see you all doing the same - its actually quite interesting to look back over the last years photo's and see how things have changed.

On a roll...

Don't want to tempt fate or anything - but I seem to be on a bit of a roll. Decided to have a go at doing a couple of cards this afternoon and they came together surprisingly well.
Fair enough for one of them I used a sketch - my DT card for the 5th Jan at PfP, and raspberry is not normally my colour either, but I was quite chuffed at how it turned out.  Obviously I can't show you it yet, but I can tell you that I'm loving making easel cards.
The other card was a sample to take to Simply Create for my ProMarker class on the 16th of Jan. Jacqui tells me the class is sold out already - wow! Now I really am worried. Its one thing being able to colour in, its quite another thing to show other people how to do it. So if anyone has any advice, hints or tips then they'll all be gratefully received. 
Now I just need to give one of xmas pressies a try.... Graham got me this super duper mini photo studio thingy - it consists of a collapsible tent, backgrounds, lights and a tripod and all comes in this neat little satchel. But I'll have to leave that until the kids are in bed - I want to avoid sticky little fingers touching it or pinching bits.
I'm now at the point where I'm counting down the hours until the kids go back to school - even they keep asking when school's open again, they must be as fed up of me as I am of them lol

So what has everyone got planned for Hogmanay then?  

Telly and ProMarker Class

hasn't the telly this xmas been shocking?? I'm still waiting to watch something decent.
I sky plussed the Royle Family special on xmas day and the Top Gear special last night but apart from that I haven't seen anything worth watching at all.
Even the kids couldn't find anything decent for them to watch - we've seen Madagascar 2 and Meet the Robinsons a few times on the movie channels and other than that they've pretty much watched what they watch the rest of the year - spongebob and playhouse disney.


And new year doesn't look to be any better - I was quite chuffed to see that Still Game is on at Hogmanay, but on reading the blurb it turns out its an old one - where they get stuck in a lift and remember past Hogmanays. Looks like an early night for me then.


Anyway, that's enough moaning for today. I feel a lot better today after taking the xmas tree down yesterday. I've left the rest of the decorations up for now, but the tree was really bugging me. I have a wee tesco delivery coming today (assuming the delivery driver doesn't crash into the side of the house because of the sheet ice. Just need to top up the fridge and freezer to keep us going til 2010.
My God - can you really believe its 10 years since we all celebrated the millenium?? I must be getting old lol Well I will be soon - I'll be 37 on the 27th January, ever closer to 40.


I've also nearly completed my first ever New Year's Resolution (fingers crossed). I'm not in the habit of making New year's Resolutions really because I just have zero will-power. So I made it easy on myself this year and promised myself that I would blog every day of 2009. And I've managed it so far - just got another 3 days to go and I'll have done it woohoo.


oh gosh, I nearly forgot....
for all you local-ish ladies, if you are interested in using ProMarkers then I'm doing a class at Simply Create on Saturday the 16th January. It's a technique based class and there are limited places, so if you're interested then email Jacqui to book your place asap. Don't worry if you don't have any or many ProMarkers, I'll be aiming the class at having limited colours plus Jacqui stocks ProMarkers so you can use your xmas money - I know its burning a hole in your pockets lol

Does anyone else....

want to take all their decorations down? or is it just me?
see once xmas day is done and dusted, I just want to get back to normal - I want all the decs down and normality to return.

Been down to Argos this afternoon for storage boxes for the girls bits and pieces - fab set of 6 boxes, 3 pink and 3 purple. And if I take down the xmas tree I can shove the boxes in that space.

In fact, I'm gonna have to go and do it now! 

My Living Room is like Hamley's

Ugh- I've reserved some storage boxes at Argos - the mess in the living room is driving me nuts! Willow got a load of Littlest Pet Shop stuff and Faith got loads of FisherPrice Little People so there are wee things everywhere and they're driving me loopy.
This is where my xmas spirit gets up and goes, now that the big day has been and gone I just want to get all the decorations down and get back to normal. Hogmanay doesn't hold any pull for me - my kids will be in bed, the telly is crap and I certainly won't be going out anywhere.


God, I sound a right miserable git eh? lol


so, what did everyone get from Santa??

All over for another year

Yup, that's it all over for another year again. It's been complete pandemonium and I'm knackered, but it's been a good day.
The girls were soooooooooooo excited this year, Faith flaked out about 9-ish last night, Willow went at half 11 and Scott was still on the go at half 12, but eventually they all were sleeping and the man in red arrived with 3 huge sacks of parcels.


There were loads of ooooooooohhs, aaaaaaaaaaaahhss and eeeeeeeeeeeeks this morning as wrapping paper was flung in all directions. So the kids are highly delighted with everything they got.


I just bought a 2 kilo turkey crown this year, so didn't have to bung it in the oven until 12 so I got to take my time this morning and enjoy it all for a change.


Mum and dad arrived at 1.30pm, lunch was at 2pm - which they tell me was fabulous, then they washed and dried my dishes for me and left again at 4pm. So the kids have been playing with all their new things all afternoon, they were far too stuffed with xmas dinner and sweeties to want tea which suits me lol


Pepsi has been careering round the house trying to grab as much wrapping paper and gold foil as she can, but we've managed to keep the chocolates and sweets away from her.


So here's some pics from today, opening pressies...... 

Note Faith's bum hanging out of her jammies lol

Faith with her new baby doll

  

Willow with her Sleeping Beauty costume from Nana and Granda 

Pepsi cuddling up to my dad 

 

Faith & Willow in their new jammies, (thats choccie coins Willow is oohing at)

Think I'll make myself a cup of tea, crack open some chocolates and curl up in front of the box
hope, you all had a super day too, and hope santa got everything you wished for

Merry Xmas

I would like to wish all my blogging buddies and teamies, and everyone else who pops on here now and again 

A

VERY MERRY XMAS

and I hope that Santa is good to you all and you get everything you wish for.

I hope you're all organised, I've got the dishes, crockery, crystal glasses all out and ready to go tomorrow. The soup's on. Can't sort the dining table out until after the kids have had their tea tonight. oh nooooooooooooooooo
I haven't done the blooming crackers!! better go lol  

Nooooooooooooooooooo, its melting

all our lovely snow has started melting, am so disappointed.
Graham trudged through the snow at 8 this morning to the train station to catch a train to the other side of the city, to be told that his flight won't be until 6pm tonight, so he's not a happy bunny. The heliport is teaming with men and women who got bumped yesterday.

My tesco shopping arrived this morning and the first thing the guy said to me was "sorry, you don't have any gren milk or cream because they have just burst all over your shopping" ARGH!!! so you can imagine the rather choice words
There were quite a few crappy substitutes that he's been sent back with, but at least I have everything for xmas dinner (apart from milk and cream)
I also ordered a couple of arctic rolls for the kids - when did they get so small??? I definitely remember them being a lot bigger than that when I was a kid
Anyway, better get on with damage limitation - the kids are trying to wreck the place and I'm trying to minimise the impact lol
Hope you're all well, and organised for the big day  - are you just too excited yet? 

So it snowed....

I'm in a much better humour than I thought I'd be today - we have huge amounts of snow and I'm keeping everything crossed that Graham won't get to the heliport tomorrow morning.
All flights out of the heliport have been bumped today, so they now have a backlog to clear before they can do any new flights tomorrow.

 There is actually a pond under there somewhere!!

 The emergency services are now telling us NOT to travel at all up here, and for those who are working in the city to leave work early and go home. Aberdeen, according to the radio is completely clogged up with snow and abandoned vehicles.
I'm going nowhere, just hope Tesco make it out tomorrow with my turkey - but am not holding my breath, more snow forecast tonight and tomorrow and the best bit is we're expecting minus 13 degrees tonight! 

The very last

As promised, I'm back with the last 3 xmas cards for this year. I was asked by one of the ladies who come to help me with Willow to make cards for her 2 sons and her nephew. She tells me her boys loved them, they were so chuffed and so was she.

After being so inspired by the easel card that we made at Judy's class at Simply Create at the beginning of December I decided to make some more.

 Images are all Santa's from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers as always. I also added papermania glitterflock to his beard and trim, glamour dust to the snow and sakura clear glaze pen to his belt, boots and Rudolph's nose (you'll see this better in the close up at the bottom)

cardstock is all core'dinations, panels embossed with cuttlebug snowflake folder, patterned paper is Daisy & Dandelion. Ribbon is from Hobbycraft, Martha Stewart and Dovecraft snowflake punches were used with glitter paper. Hobbycrafts adhesive gems. Hero Arts greetings

Here's the close-up...

 So finally, that's the xmas cards all done and dusted and out the door - thank goodness. Lots of people still ended up with bought cards and I'm sorry - but with 3 kids, 2 cats, a dog, a man who is away 2 weeks out of 5, self-employment, a charity to run, well I kinda ran out of time lol

Now I just need to pick up some vouchers for my dad's xmas, take something back to exchange it at Toys R Us, finish the other 5 crackers and I think I'm sorted (fingers crossed) Have been back into my Tesco grocery order umpteen times because I keep remembering things I'll need, and it gets delivered on Wednesday.

Speak to you tomorrow, but be warned - I might not be in the best of humours, its Graham's last day at home.

Pepsi Update - 20 and a half weeks

Gosh, that's been a quick week!
Well we've had our first snow this winter, about 3 inches fell and is lying. Its gone all cruchy with the drop in temperature last night.


But Pepsi loves it!!
I wasn't sure how she would take to the snow. I know the cavalier my mum had when I was a teenager was none too impressed with the white stuff. But Pepsi has great fun in the snow, she loves it more than the kids do. She careers round the garden at about 100mph, then does her snowplow impression with her nose.
I didn't manage to catch her tearing round the garden with the camera, but I did manage to capture this wee clip of her. Sorry about the sound, it was pretty windy yesterday afternoon.





Thank you for all the good wishes you sent for Kizzy, she's definitely on the mend now - she's not limping nearly as badly. Unfortunately though Faith decided she wanted a dose of Kizzy's medication, and the sneaky little madam managed to swipe the syringe of medicine while I was trying to grab the cat. But a call to NHS24 confirmed that it was a tiny dose, and it wouldn't be toxic. Thank goodness - I really need eyes in the back of my head with Faith around

The Final 2

I promise, this is the last 2 xmas cards I made. I do still have to show you the 3 I made for a customer (will keep them til Monday) but tomorrow is Pepsi Update day.

These 2 easel cards are for 2 local fabulous ladies, they'll know who they are when they get them, if they haven't already arrived.

 The image is Snowflake from Sugar Nellie, coloured with promarkers, Caramel, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Walnut, Peach, Blush, Pastel yellow and Mustard.

Cardstock is all Core'dinations, embossed panel is the cuttlebug snowflakes folder

Greeting is Hero Arts, the ribbon is from a chocolate box I got a couple of xmas's ago and half-pearls from Kaiserkraft. 

 Image is Snowflake from Sugar Nellie again, coloured with promarkers: Blush, Caramel & Walnut, Marsh Green and Olive Green, Ruby & Burgundy

Cardstock is Papermania and core'dinations, paper is Fancy Pants, snowflakes are cut with Martha Stewart snowflake punch and covered in  glamour dust, greeting is Hero Arts, half pearls are Kaiserkraft and ribbon is from my stash.