Back in November...

I had an amazing weekend away at Toad Hall with my scrapbooking buddies back in November... so much has happened since, what with Christmas and 2013 round the corner!

Over the festive period I was looking at my latest album and realised I hadn't blogged any of the layouts I created whilst away - tut, tut!

This layout documents the trip back in June to see the Jubilee Flotilla - I bought the charm from Next for £10.00 knowing it was for this layout, so this could possibly be my most expensive layout to date! Actually, along with the Prima distresser that Jackie got for myself, Sheena and her, I'm certain it is! On this special occasion it was worthwhile!

This layout developed when Eileen and I were experimenting with wax to create backgrounds - it made me smile as it scared Eileen somewhat - my theory is anything goes!

This layout wasn't actually created on that weekend - 6 layouts was my limit, along with finishing a mini book from a class I had recently done. I love the randomness, especially the acetate TV from Glitz - why would you have a TV floating on your background... because you can!

I still adore the Tim Holtz acrylic charms and this layout was created on the Sunday night, using a mixing of Glitz and Prima.

Playing with embossing powders directly onto card stock - great when its not your house you're making the mess in - this was a scraplift from Kerstie, one of the ScrapaGoGo delegates...

Gotta love the squiggle word still!

Ah, one of my Mum and Dad - definitely the best photo of my Mum EVER!

Thanks for looking - off to scrap for a bit - the first time this holiday!

A long and cold weekend...

Gotta love work... I have to use up all my holiday's by the end of December so last week I took Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off!

Wednesday consisted of a doctors appointment, then to Comet where I bought a Dyson at a right bargain (just sad for all those employees who are going to be without jobs!) The day had gone before you could blink and I had little to show for it.

Thursday was spent at the Trafford Centre, where Harvey and I started and finished our Christmas shopping - a mean feat when you have 50 on your list (and that's excluding the girls!)

So because we couldn't get enough of Manchester, we were back again on Friday to watch MIKA. This was the 4th time I'd seen him, (as I saw him a V Fest a couple of years ago) and the 3rd time Nina would see him...

Each time we've started queuing at some crazy time, in order to get a front row position and Friday was no exception!

We were 10th, 11th and 12th in the queue, and sat in the cold for a good few hours. Coincidentally no's 1 and 2 arrived at 9am, having seen him in London the night before!

So Harvey wasn't gonna queue and went off to find a bar, looking rather glam in his wet weather gear. OMG did it rain and blow a gale!

The concert was AMAZING - in true MIKA style he rocked!

Yesterday was spent at the Frankfurt Christmas market in Birmingham. We caught the train from Telford to New Street... Nina and I wanted to get there went dusk was setting in and the crowds had gathered! Harvey on the other hand wanted to get there at 10am in broad daylight and no crowds...

Guess who won!

Nina fell in love with her hot chocolate mug and has drunk three cups of tea in it today, not to mention one last night as well - and this is a girl who hardly ever has a hot drink!

Harvey was also happy at this point with his large German beer!

Back to work tomorrow, but not before we hit Ironbridge for curry and drinks to celebrate our friend's daughters 21st...

Happy Birthday George xxx

The cure for a hangover...?

Apart from a 'hair of the dog' perhaps the best cure for a hangover is looking over the photos from the crazy twilight themed party from last night!

And so it started with Caitlin opening her pressie - a new white laptop named Trina!

Every girl needs a new dress for their party!

Back from the cinema and the first chance we got to see the cake!

Mum you did us proud... you're best cake to date by far!

Everyone wore black, red and white... Harvey's Dad even colour co-ordinated his socks...

Me and Bethan, Caitlin's best friend... your help has been invaluable - thank-you xxx

Sing song on the mini-bus coach on the way to the restaurant...

I slept on the way home!

One of many photos... Harvey and his angels xxx

Still early in the night!

Sisters... ahh!

Behind bars... the restaurant in Ironbridge is the old police station and we were in the cells!

Twilight themed table dressing...

The only way I could focus... close one eye!

Cousins behind bars...

Friends behind bars...

Apparently this was our romantic behind bars photo - I thought it looked more like Caitlin's checking to see if I still have a pulse!

I went straight to bed, but drinking games ensued till 4.30am!

The rules were told to me this morning and I didn't understand them sober!

Poor Cakey - they kept making it land on her!

And another casualty...

Art, who fell asleep on the floor, got face painted and woke up still in his clothes!

Glad to discover no-one was sick! Yippee!!!

Off to bed, X Factor and I'm a Celebrity then SLEEP xxx

GoGo Classes

Can't believe a week has already flown by since the ScrapaGoGo getaway... and we had a blast as usual!

The delegates participate in 7 classes.... for each class they can choose from three, so in total 21 classes are designed and taught! Image trying to sort out that little lot! Janice and Lorraine are dab hands at it now and so it runs like clockwork...

I taught four classes, the first one was on Friday evening and was called Anatomy Antics...

We used a selection of papers to create the layout and skeleton, and along with the cute little bone charm and antique medical bookplate paper, each delegate created a layout with a biological feel.

My next class was on Saturday afternoon, so I had time for both a lie-in and some scrapping! I raided the shop (or what was left of it!) to create a layout using some stunning Prima papers and embellishments.

The Key to Success focused on stamping key charms into texture paste to leave an impression. An amount of patience was necessary but the end results were stunning...

The third and fourth classes were my personal favourites...

My Fair Lady was the last class on Saturday night. Each delegate got a cute little hat stamp and embossed onto acetate using embossing powders.

This class used such pretty papers from Pink Paislee and I had such a sweet photo of Nina to use, taken at Ironbridge Gorge museum in the dressing up room!

My last class on Sunday morning was called Waxed Lyrical

The delegates got wax-tastic and anything and everything got waxed using wax beads - they give a vintage feel to layouts and create stunning backgrounds which look like expensive papers but simply use cardstock.

I love this technique and will be definitely using it on future layouts, maybe as soon as next weekend!

I've been playing...

With the October ScrapaGoGo kit and it's stunning!

Perfect for the cold and darker nights, it brings warmth with its rich vibrant colours...

Having fallen head over heels for the Amy Tan herringbone patterned paper (well you would, wouldn't you?) I simply had no choice but to use it for the background of this layout!

An impromptu walk in January, where we dressed up (Nina's stipulation, not mine!) and took with us a giant bubble blowing wand, made for some great wintery images.

Opting for my favourite occupation - cutting the most intricate of paper elements was combined with my latest fad -  hand written calligraphy to form an artistic element rather than simply journalling. I'm much happier with this than writing on a finished layout, only to decide I had 'spoilt' it and wishing I could turn back time....

Off to have a play with photoshop, suddenly learnt loads of things last night on it and I need to practise, aka remember if I know what I'm doing!