Grab it day tomorrow!

You would have to be seriously strong willed to resist some of the July ScrapaGoGo add-on's....

The project kit this month is aptly named 'Travelling Circus' and features the most glorious chipboard album by Glitz, along with "to die for" co-ordinating transparencies and the prettiest gold alpha by GCD.

I always prefer to keep to a theme when making a mini-book as I think it tends to flow better, so this one is based around, yes you guessed it, Olivia's surprise 18th party!

The images are taken on my belated birthday present to me, using my new Instax mini 50 camera which produces credit card size images. I have to say that they are 100% better than the old instant polaroid quality and each image has a slightly lomographic (bit like hipstamatic) feel to them.

Another add-on favourite of mine this month (and not because I designed them!) are the bespoke cards.

So what will you grab this month?

1st for the album!

Following on from an earlier post, which featured the surprised faces of Liv, my first layout using the new STUNNING July kit from ScrapaGoGo, features the same photos!

Although I haven't counted, there must be at least 500 images to choose from, so an album dedicated to the celebrations might just be in order!

I think the layout is fairly self explanatory and uses both the main kit 'Create', G2P and items from the add-on 'Show Time' which has the loveliest wooden alpha from Pink Paislee.... seriously this is one delicious add-on!

And we're off!

Probably (or definitely) the best kit in the world... and it's here!

Fun of the Fair features a stunning selection of co-ordinating papers from no less than six manufacturers including GCD, SC, Pink Paislee, Sassfrass, Echo Park and Fancy Pants!

So if your appetite is whet, hop over to the ScrapaGoGo site and grab one quick before they're gone!

Surprise, surprise...

A few more piccy's to share with you... Liv just arriving and realising that she knows these random people dressed in odd costumes....

And then, bless, some of my favourites.. the realisation is setting in!

And then suitably attired!

The pink flamingo is my sister-in-law... cool costume!

And then we have one of our four "tweedle-dums" or were they "tweedle-dees" - it's so hard to tell LOL, along with two of our Mad Hatters, aka Ella, Caitlin and Bethan xxx

The stunning flamingo's were courtesy of my sister-in-law who is a theatre designer - can you tell. One sadly flopped in the rain, but the other survived and is happily gracing our dining room!

Think I have enough photos to grace at least four albums!

Can you guess what the theme was?

So although Saturday seemed to take forever to arrive, once 2.15pm struck and Liv appeared, the weekend flew by - and what a weekend it was!

The weather didn't totally hold off, but to be fair, after a massive downpour at about 3pm, we then had sunshine and no more showers - yippee!!!

We don't usually walk around Rushton dressed like this, but when a monumental birthday like an 18th comes along, you've gotta do something a bit special!

Notice the cat, aka Grub (bit of a Camberwick Green theme going on - Cuthbert, Dibble (now departed) and Grub) who happily follows you everywhere.... 'a dog in drag'

In the words of Rolf Harris "can you tell what it is yet?" - I mean the theme of the party....

Hopefully this photo may well give it away if you're struggling to identify from the odd ball characters in the photo above!

I have rook loads of the tags still, so if anyone can find a use for them, leave me a comment or PM me over on the ScrapaGoGo CH, and I'll send you a quantity (string not included!)

Someone has just turned 18

Last Wednesday a certainly young lady turned 18... hence why I have been a bit absent from blogging...

She had a surprise birthday party this weekend, more about this later in the week!

So, I thought I would share the card I made for her 18th with you!

It was something I rustled up a couple of weekends ago... "rustle" is not normally something I do, but it was finished in about 45mins!

I always think I have a rather boring life... but maybe not?

Over on Shimelle's blog today she's suggesting that on the 10th of each month you blog about ten things.....

I read it at the un-godly hour of 6.10am today and haven't re-sitied until just now!

Once I sat down and thought about it, I realised that my oh so boring life really isn't...

One - I'm still on my first glass of Rose... need I say more?

Two - The number of cutest kittens currently running around my house... no need to bore you with more photos!

Three - Those three little words that Harvey and I tell each other every day xxx (sorry for the sloppy sentiment - he's away sailing in Minorca!)

Four - The time I was first woken up this morning as a frantic Lulu searched for her kittens, who were happily sleeping in my craft room there is a small gap in the door that only they can get through!)

Five - The number of DVD's I have purchased in Morrison's tonight to watch over the weekend - I was after chick flicks but ended up buying 127 hours to watch tonight!

Six - The time I aim to get home from work each day, rarely does this happen, but when it does BOUNS xxx

Seven - The time I have to leave home in a morning to beat the rush hour traffic and get into work without feeling flustered!

Eight - Eight weeks today and we will be "glamping" in the Lake District in a yurt - I can't wait!

Nine - The number of lives that Toupee is going to need - so far apart from being completely deaf, he has had a gamy eye, run over the hob, not long after it had been on to boil the kettle and last night I found him tangled in the strap of one of my suit carriers by his neck!

Ten - It's only because today is 10th of June that I'm writing this blog post!

PS - glass of Rose now drank!

Due to arrive any day now....

Although I'm not one for gadgets, I am eagerly awaiting a camera that I decided to treat myself to with some of my birthday spending money!

The Fuji Instax 50 gives you instant images in a polaroid style mount but in a funky skinny size.... What could be better? Polaroid images the size of a moo card.

WARNING: There may be some serious overuse of this camera and its pictures in the foreseeable future!

Cheery layouts for a sad day!

There is a bit of a standing joke at work about me always keeping a couple of days holiday back in case I have to go to a funeral - morbid you might think, but it's something that's important to me!

Anyway, today was sadly one such funeral! A lovely local ex jockey sadly died last week, so today I have paid my respects and shared in the memories... he had the most infectious raspy laugh and for that I shall remember, along with his green round necked sweatshirt!

RIP Mr Paul Russell xxx

I wonder how I'll be remembered?

So to leave me smiling instead of sad, I thought I'd share some of my recent ScrapaGoGo layouts...

'Warning Love Bug' uses the gorgeous wood grained paper from Crate and although there is no red in the photo, the cutest ladybird pieces were perfect with the woodland themed image and so the introduction of red as an accent colour.

My second cheery layout has a predominant red theme and remembers our trip to Florida last year.

On the day we went to the Magic Kingdom, we all wore spotty red dresses and myself, Nina and Caitlin all co-ordinated our underwear too!

Before we left our villa, we flashed our pants at the camera... need I say more!

With a plethora of alphas in the June kit, I used a combination of them, along with the hybrids and rub-ons to create the longest title I think I've ever done on a layout!