Inspiration

Do you know, I can't remember the last time I did some scrapbooking - my crafty time is very limited nowadays, in fact I don't know where I found the time for PfP before I resigned, so it's been a long long time since I got any scrapbooking done. I still have a barely started album of our Ibiza 2008 trip.

But I have the perfect inspiration for a page, just need to get my head around how to do the picture justice. Now this wasn't taken with any fancy camera, in fact I was lying on my back in the sun - turned over and spotted my 2 girls actually playing nicely together for a change and just clicked with my Blackberry and this was the result...

I didn't faff around in Photoshop with it or anything either, just used the "old" tool in ACDSee to give it the sepia effect.

So, does anyone have any suggestions? I'd love to hear how you would scrap this picture - and I might even give away a wee prize for the suggestion I use.

On another note - this is day 30, so I can pretty much say I've stopped smoking for a month woohoo. I have to say I have had a pretty stressful day with one thing and another and have been very tempted to go out and have a fag, but I was good and got some chewing gum instead.

In all honesty giving up smoking with these Champix tablets has been far easier than I ever thought possible. I've smoked for 21 years, and tried every stop smoking aid from NRT patches to electronic cigarettes to hypnosis and nothing worked, so for those of you who have given me such support and encouragement on here I want to say thankyou

Emily & Aidan

I have a couple of things to share with you that I did before I went on holiday, as you know, I have a very good friend who lives in Ibiza, her daughter Emily had her birthday the week before we went out there and her son Aidan celebrated his 9th birthday on the day we left Ibiza so I had to be all organised and have their cards made ahead of time.

 For some reason I managed to take a pic of Aidan's card, but not Emily's....

Image: Scooter Boy from Sugar Nellie, coloured with promarkers

Kraft card and green paper from Stampin' Up, Kraft patterned papers from Simply Create, greeting is from Penny Black and fibres from stash

I was also asked to make 3 wee gift boxes for a customer...

I cheated and used some Craftword Cards Easy Peasy box blanks from Simply Create, and decorated them with core'dinations card (punched using various MS punches) Tonic butterflies, Card candy, punched retro flowers and dotty flowers from craftwork cards.

I finally managed to get back in the swing of crafting - yup it took a wee while lol. But there's nothing I can share with you just yet, but watch this space and all will be revealed soon...

More Pics and Blog Candy results

Well, as promised I'm back with some more Ibiza pics - thanks for all the lovely comments I got about the girls yesterday, and yes - Faith (the wee blondie) has a very expressive face and likes to make all sorts of funny faces.

So, now it's time to draw the winner of my blog candy - I've added some bits and bobs seeing as I now have well over 500 followers and very nearly 50,000 hits. I'd like to thank all of you who come and visit me and leave such lovely comments, it really is appreciated.

Drum roll please.......

The winning entry is number 193 which is Alizabethy at Just Card Making Crazy - congratulations Alizabethy, please email me wiccababe (at) btopenworld (dot) com as soon as possible and I'll get your goodies off in the post (might have to split it into 2 parcels because of the weight!.

If in the unlikely event Alizabethy doesn't contact me before noon on Sunday 22nd August, I will re-draw the candy.

Thankyou once again to everyone who entered

Ibiza Rocks!

I'm back!

we had a fab holiday in Ibiza, am all tanned and still smoke-free. The journey home was a bit hellish, but we're home and I'm nearly caught up with all the washing, and the sun is even shining in the NE of Scotland so it can't be bad.

Thought I'd show off one or two of my favourite holiday pics today and I'll be back again tomorrow with one or two more and the winner of my candy which ended today at midday.

Blogaversary Candy

This candy is now closed!

Well it's my 2nd Blogaversary coming up soon on the 11th August, and I'll be celebrating it while on holiday in Ibiza, I've also noticed that I've passed 40,000 hits and over 400 followers so I thought it was about time I offered up some candy as a thankyou to everyone who follows, comments and just has a nosey at my blog, I really appreciate it.

I'll keep it simple, all I ask is that you link my candy on your own blog (sorry only blog owners can enter)- either in your sidebar or on a post, including the pic below. And leave your details in Mr Linky. I will then draw a random winner when I come back from my holidays - which should hopefully be on Monday the 16th August. Closing date for entries is noon (GMT) on Monday 16th August.


If my hits pass 50,000 I will add some more freebies to the goodies for the winner .

So what can you win? well, I've picked out some of my favourite brands

ok here's your list of goodies...

Kindly donated to me by Simon at Letraset, Rubber Stamping Set 1 and Rubber Stamping Set 2 - each contain 10 specially selected Promarkers and a fineliner pen. Set 1 contains pastels, and set 2 contains bolder hues. For those of you who don't know... I designed the artwork for the packaging of both those sets.

Sugar Nellie stamp - Scattering Love (Elisabeth Bell)

Sugar Nellie stamp - Curtsy (Diane Duda)

Sugar Nellie stamp -A Boys Best Friend (Home Grown)

Sugar Nellie stamp -Peek A Bunny (Elisabeth Bell)

Kaisercraft 6x6 paper pad - Gypsy Sisters (includes 2 glitter paper sheets, 2 flocked sheets, 2 spot varnish sheets and 4 sheets of diecuts)
Wild Rose Studios 6x6 paper pad - In Love with Japan
Wild Rose Studios 6x6 paper pad - Spring Fling

Bo Bunny - 6 sheets of cardstock stickers: Thankful Hearts, Harvest Spice Wordstrip, Love Me Tender, Fright Night Border, 2 Hot 4 U and Special Delivery

Wags n Whiskers - Easter Blessings Stamp
Wags n Whiskers - Bedtime Story

Papermania, Henbury Lane wooden stamp
Papermania, Henbury Lane steel butterfly stencil
Papermania sticker sheets
Papermania pack of 6 metallic pencils

And an organza bag full of assorted flowers, charms and beads

1 more sleep

Just one more sleepie and we'll be off on our hols. Today has been the usual rushing around with last minute stuff - final packing of the cases, and would you believe that I actually have the 2 cases for 4 of us coming in at under 20kg each!!

Also had to make a wee detour to my BFF Pamela's Hoose today as it's Emma's 2nd birthday tomorrow and they're all off to Blair Drummond Safari Park for the day tomorrow. So the birthday girl was having a great time and last I heard she had conked out at teatime.

So, I think we're all ready to go, Graham's out at the moment to fill the car up with diesel and check the tyre pressures etc, then away dow to The Bay in Stonehaven for supper - if you don't know, this is THE best fish and chip shop in the whole world!

I just need to dye my hair - can't have Rachel seeing all my grey hair you know lol. Rachel is my good chum who lives in Ibiza, all 3 of her kids were born there - Emily turned 14 the other week, Aidan is 9 the day we leave and Ana will be 16 later this year. Rachel and I "met" online via our support website - Extra Special Parents, and it was great to finally meet her for real 2 years ago and I'm just so excited to see her again.

Anyway, better get on - am really looking forward to my haddock supper. And yes, my stopping smoking is going great - nearly at the end of Day 12 and coping fine.

Remember to enter my candy here if you haven't already.

I've no idea if I'll get time online while we're away, so just in case - see ya next week

Blog Candy Additions

Well this is the tail end of Day 10 of no smoking - woke up this morning and coughed my lungs up, so I assume that must be doing me some good :S

But in general I'm feeling good - am constantly thrilled that things are tasting different to me, and the better sense of smell is a bit of a double-edged sword lol

Today was a bit of a busy one - drove out to Banchory this afternoon sso my sister-in-law could cut mine and the girls' hair. Tell me something, why is it that you don't realise how many grey hairs you have until you sit under the blaring lights and in front of that huge mirror at the hair salon. I am so going to have to dye my hair more regularly. 

Well I have lists of things to do before we go on holiday on Saturday - and I've even ordered my Tesco shopping for the day after we get home lol Am off tomorrow morning to get my legs and eyebrows waxed and am treating myself to a pedicure while I'm at it. Then it's off to pick Graham up from the heliport - weather permitting. Mum is watching the kids for me while I go and get hairless :) so no doubt I will come home to the house being a bombsite, then she's taking Pepsi home with her. Pepsi has her holidays at my mum and dad's house, and if last time was anything to go by she'll be thoroughly ruined.

I hadn't forgotten to tell you about the blog candy additions - if you haven't already entered then here is the link to enter. I noticed that I have 494 followers and just over 47,250 hits so..... if I get 500 followers before the closing date I'll add some rubber stamps to the stash and if I reach 50,000 hits I'll through in some 12x12 paper pads and whatever else I might have lying around.

Day 8

Sorry for the delay in posting - I don't know where the time goes, I haven't got any crafting done, my days seem to consist of washing, cooking and cleaning and not a lot else at the moment.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a couple of every day pics with you. As you know it was Pepsi's birthday on Friday, so here's a pic of her when we got her and some pics of her on her birthday...

God only knows what she'd found to chew, but she always manages to find something.

Here's a pic of some of the koi in the pond coming up to eat...

And this last one is for my other half's benefit - we finally got the fence and gates done and he hasn't seen them cos he's offshore. So Graham, this is what they look like....

yes, Pepsi had to sneak into the photo lol

Well, it's coming to the end of day 8 of my stop smoking campaign, I haven't been tempted - in fact it's been far easier than I thought it would be. In saying that, I'm not repulsed by the idea of having a cigarette, so I still have to be careful. I've bought plenty of gum and have various little tricks to take my mind off it when the cravings hit, but I'm getting there and I'm actually quite chuffed with myself.

Graham's been taking the Champix tablets while he's been offshore and I think this his 3rd day without a fag too - so I'm so chuffed with both of us. And will start putting the money we're saving away in the holiday bank account.

On another note, is anyone out there interested in being on one of the coolest design team's around? Well get yourself over to Simply Create and have a go at entering Jacqui's design team call. Simply Create is just fabulous - it's also a favourite haunt of local craft royalty - Oor Kath :) If you are ever in the North East of Scotland - you really need to give Jacqui a visit, I can guarantee you won't be disappoined (although you'll probably leave a lot poorer lol)

And if you haven't already entered - remember to enter my 2nd Blogaversary Candy celebration.