Fizz Pop Bang Blog

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:49:00.002Z

Thanks everyone for hanging in there while a had quite a long blogging break! Will be back shortly with some crochet and Christmas decoration shenanigans!

XxX

2011-07-22T16:01:00.001+01:00

Sunshine broadcast collection giveaway on Lilibeestudio!!

It's Sunshine Broadcast Giveaway time on LilibeeStudio today!You have until july 31 to play and win Sassafras Sunshine broadcast six 12 / 12 double sided papers , sweet treat stickers, journal tag stickers, flag banners stickers , alpha stickers , new Die Cut Foldies and other surprise goodies!!

Pop over to LilibeeStudio to find out how to play along!

XxX

Taking A Little Time

2011-07-13T13:55:00.000+01:00

I'm finding the daily pace of life a tad busy at the moment, there's a few reasons, bigger house = more house work : ( , a garden rather than just grass = weeding and tiding, two young boys = constant running around like a mentalist, and work on my handmade Christmas has begun! Blogger has also been putting me off blogging too with it's stupid picture uploading. I've been thinking about using Flickr more for blogging, and just using one photo per post to try and make it less time consuming, for now at least. So for now blogging will be a bit intermittent as I try and find the right balance. I have put a link to Facebook on my side bar for those of you that may be interested, and I often upload my photos onto Flickr.

The Wishing Tree at Nunnington Hall

In other news, Dylan turned three in June and Leon has just celebrated his first Birthday. Dylan will be starting Nursery school in September at the local primary school, which we are all very excited about. We had a quick visit and play time there yesterday which he loved. We've also been on quite a few days out, you can see the photos on Flickr if you wish!

Well, thanks for stopping by!

XxX

May...Where Did You Go?

2011-05-31T20:47:00.000+01:00

Well, May has been a very busy, but enjoyable month. We've been settling into our new home, Tony's had some time off work, I've had my 32nd birthday, some happy mail from my friend in Canada and the kids have been poorly. It's been crazy, but mostly fun.

I was kindly given some money for my birthday from some of my family, so I put it to good use and bought a Family National Trust Membership Card for us all. We've already had our moneys worth out of it and we've only had it for three and a half weeks.


Leon on a swing at Beningbrough Hall


It's either this, or the naughty step. The stocks Aldborough.

Newby Hall

Newby Hall has the nicest gardens, but isn't a National Trust site.

Nostell Priory


A surprise birthday card and gift from my friend in Canada

So that's May in a nut shell. There are more photos on Flickr, for those of you that like all the pics, like I do. If you do go over to Flickr, you'll also see I've been busy with a couple of ReStyle projects that I haven't blogged yet. I'll hopefully get round to that this week.

I'll try not to leave it so long till the next time! : )

XxX

We're In...

2011-05-02T21:09:00.003+01:00

but out most of the time because the weather has been absolutely spectacular over the past couple of weeks. Two bank holiday weekends in a row with super weather are something to behold! So we've been having a bbq here and there, going for walks and exploring our new town and surrounding villages. There are some lovely walks to go on, especially near the river and canal.

Leon took his first couple of steps without holding on to anything this weekend. : )

The River Ure

Dylan

Windswept Dylan

The canal

Leon eating his crisps


Tony and Dylan miles ahead

The house move itself went fairly well. We had a few problems on the day though, the van we hired broke down. Thankfully our friends had a relative with a pick-up truck we could borrow, so all was well in the end. Thank you Simon and Emma, you saved the day! Most of the unpacking is done, it's just my craft area that needs sorting now. I'll be back soon with some more pics (i forgot to take my camera when we went for a walk into town). There's a beautiful little green grocers shop in the town centre. I'm so happy we moved here, I feel like I'm on holiday at the moment.

See you soon!
XxX

Moving House!

2011-04-09T14:44:00.000+01:00

Hello! Just the other week, our landlord let us know that he unfortunately has to sell the house we live in. So at the moment we are up to our eyeballs in paper work and packing. We have found somewhere new to live and are just waiting for the application to go through. Fingers crossed we should be moving into our new home on the 22nd. I'm actually really excited about it! We're moving further into the countryside, which is just my thing. So I'll be taking a couple of weeks off from blogging, just until we get sorted.

See you soon, and I hope everyone has a lovely Easter break!

XxX

A Little Bit Of Sass!

2011-04-01T15:21:00.002+01:00

Here's a layout I'd like to share with you, that I made for the Sassafras March blog challenge, which had to include the technique of Blocking. Not the same as crochet blocking, it just means to create a square or rectangular shape on your layout using photos and/or paper. The photo on this page is of Dylan this time last year, I can't believe how much he's grown up.

All of the items used to create this layout (except the thread and foam pads) are from Sassafras. You can see the list of papers on my Flickr account.

Also I just wanted to say a big thank you to my new followers and my old ones actually, thanks for coming here to read my rambles! It does mean an awful lot to me, having you all here. :)

Oh and just one more thing, you may have noticed that I've been messing about with my blog design and fonts. I'd really appreciate some feedback on it please. Is it loading up quick enough for your liking and is the new font clear enough to read? Please let me know if it's causing problems.

Thanks again!

XxX

Kyla Mod Stroller Blanket

2011-03-23T10:00:00.002Z

I've been quite busy doing a lot of crochet these past couple of weeks. I've made a blanket for Leon, for when he goes into his own bedroom. The pattern is from Baby Blueprint Crochet by Robyn Chachula. This has been one of my most challenging crochet projects so far. I found it quite difficult to get the tension right on some of the lattice stitch blocks. I have a habit of making my chains quite loose, this is useful for foundation chains, but not so good for part of a stitch pattern. I'm hoping that a bit of blocking might help. I did consider frogging it, just so I could redo those small blocks, but my craft time is limited at the moment and I've got too many other projects waiting in the wings. I'm quite happy to just move on and learn from my mistakes! Really, I am! :) I used Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton Aran for this, that I already had in my stash. I bought quite a bit of it in a sale a while back for £0.99 & £1.99 a ball, bargain! It's discontinued now though, which is a shame because it's so lovely and soft .

Sorry about this photo, it's a bit crappy!

I used colours that I thought would match the colour scheme I've chosen for his room. I've also snagged another bargain, which was this gorgeous fabric that I'm going to use for his bed quilt. I've chosen a theme that's not too babyish so that it will last a good while.

I'll let you know if the blocking works!

XxX

Project Re-Style - Yoga Waistband skirt

2011-03-22T10:00:00.004Z

Here's my first attempt at sewing jersey fabric, and what a performance I've had with my sewing machine. It's been skipping stitches and all sorts of stuff. I had to walk away from it for a few days and then come back to it with a clear head. Now it seems ok! Maybe it was my tension that needed adjusting and not the sewing machines? I made this skirt with a blue maternity top and a slightly short vest. I've always had a problem with vests being too short after a couple of washes (I'm nearly 5'8") and have just recently discovered that if I buy tops for tall people I don't have this problem. Genius!!! Anyway, back to the ReStyle. So I cut off the straps and the frill edging from around the top and straightened up the edge a bit, where it was shaped for boobs. Then I cut the brown vest in half, and used the bottom half of the vest. I turned the skirt inside out and left the vest the right way around. I hope you're still with me here. Then I made a loose row of stitches around the top of the blue part and gathered it together, until it was the same width as the brown piece. Then I pinned the two cut edges of both pieces together so that the original hem of the brown vest became the bottom of the yoga waist band and sewed them together using zig zag stitch. Now the skirt has an adjustable yoga waist band. There's a couple of good tutorials on the internet for this as well if you fancied making one.

Before

After

It looks better on than off! :)

Thanks for popping in again!

XxX

Thank You!

2011-03-21T16:11:00.000Z

Just recently I did a little swap with my blog friend Julie from Canada. Who's a super fantastic card maker and a talented scrapbooker! I made some little crochet hearts for Julie and some hair clips for her two beautiful girls. And Julie sent me some lovely handmade flowers some alphabet stickers and paper pieces from Rose Moka. Be sure to pop over to Julie's blog and say Hi!, there's some great inspiration there.

Thanks once again Julie. I love happy mail, I'm looking forward to some more swapping in the future! :)

XxX

Project ReStyle - Accidentally Felted Jumper

2011-02-25T20:59:00.000Z

Hello! I never really know what to say at the start of a blog post... Anyway, here we go! :) I'm on a bit of a make do and mend mission this year. For a number of reasons really, like trying to be more aware of waste, trying not to spend money if we don't really need to, to save money for our wedding, and I get to do more projects but with free stuff! It's a win win situation really. A few people have inspired me into doing this, Claire, Elsie, Emily, Kara, Rachel. There's some great inspiration on all of these blogs.

My first project was with an accidentally felted jumper of Dylan's. He wasn't too bothered when I shrunk it, he only wore it twice because it was too itchy. So that was a plus, he's quite touchy about his clothes and such. I've used too pieces from the hood to patch a pair of his holey jeans and two larger pieces to make him a pencil case. I haven't had chance to take a photo of the jeans yet, as he wanted to wear them straight away and now they're in the wash. But here's a photo of the pencil case. He was really pleased with it, and so was I. I feel the need to make one for myself now.

I'm also working on another mini album at the moment, here's a sneaky peek of it.

I started this before Christmas but got side tracked with finishing off gifts and cards! I'm very easily distracted! In fact I've got quite a few projects on the go at the moment. So I'd better get off the internet and get some work done!

See you soon!

XxX

Valentines Mini Album

2011-02-13T07:22:00.000Z

Good morning all! Here's a little mini album I made this week, using some of my supplies from a new scrapbooking kit club that I've subscribed to called Quirky Kits. I have used some of my own stash too, I like to mix things up a bit. I also used some journaling cards from Elle's studio, that I won on her blog a couple of weeks ago. :)

You can find more photos of this album on Flickr

Quirky Kit-Cute Things Make Me Smile

Journaling Tags From Elle's Studio

Most of the papers used in this album are Sassafras Paper crush which came in my kit, but I also used some of their Count Me In and Cherry Delicious papers and a mixture of Sassafras Sweet Treats and Blossoms stickers. The heart shaped album is from Maya Road.

Happy Valentines Day For Monday! Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

XxX

Trying To Be More Organized

2011-01-31T10:09:00.000Z

Good Morning!

I've got a few photos to share with you, of a project I'm working on at the moment and it's not crochet! I'm making a craft planner to try and organize my time a little better. I was inspired to make it by one of Lilibee's lovely classes and a planner kit, that I wish I'd bought when it was out! The folder is upcycled, it was a guide to money for new parents, given to me by my midwife.

To decorate the planner I used papers and embellishments from Sassafras-Sunshine Lollipop, Prima-Rebellious, American Crafts-Craft Fair and Blue Skies, Cosmo Cricket-Nutmeg. I've also used Red Velvet Art Paper Dolls, embroidery patterns and some black and white colouring book illustrations which came free with the RVA Small Craft Class that I took last year.

To make the page tabs, I downloaded and printed off some free fonts from dafont.com, onto printable acetate. Since taking this photo I have changed it a little bit and double up on the months, because the planner was filling up too fast and it only had dividers in it!

More to come soon!

XxX

My First Blog Award

2011-01-30T08:10:00.000Z

I've noticed a few new faces here, so thank you all very much for reading my blog. I can't explain how much it means to me when I see someone has left me a comment or has started following my blog.

The other day I received my first blog award from Jo, thank you so much! It came as a total surprise. I have decided though not to post these awards on my side bar. I will however tell you seven facts about myself, because there are a couple of things I've nearly mentioned before but then just not been able to.

1. I'm a fair weather person and get quite depressed if there's no sunshine, although I do really love it when it snows.

2. I was hit by a car when I was 11 years old and it's left me too nervous to drive.

3. I can touch my nose with my tongue. My party trick!

4. My dad took his own life on 14th December 1999. I've never mentioned it on my blog before because I still find it hard to talk about. And I like to keep my blog a happy place, so I'll probably never mention it again.

5. Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom is actually one of my favourite programmes, not just something I have to watch because Dylan likes it! :)

6. I've got just about every set of pencils that Derwent have ever released, and I like to keep all the pencils inside in rainbow order. Dylan also has this habit and he's only 2 1/2!

7. I've got a terrible memory and have to write lists for everything. And then hope I can remember where I've put the list!

So, now you all know I'm a bit crazy!

XxX

Crochet Dinosaur Hat

2011-01-09T21:15:00.007Z

Crochet Dinosaur Hat
Originally uploaded by FizzPopBang

Hi here's a free pattern I've made to share with you. It's for a dinosaur hat that I made for Dylan. He's 2 1/2 years old, but he's quite large for his age. I made the hat fairly big though, so I think it would fit a child up to the age of about 5. You could adjust the size of the hat by using a different weight yarn or size crochet hook. You could also make more or less of the increase rows to change the width and adjust the length by changing how many none increasing rounds you make. Hope that makes sense? This is my first time at writing a pattern, so there may be mistakes in it, if there are, feel free to correct them in the comments section. :)

The hat is made in continuous rounds, do not join the rounds, mark the first stitch of each round to make it easier to keep count. When making a colour change do not break off the yarn, leave it attached and carry the colour not in use on the wrong side of the hat until it's needed again. Crochet through both loops through out the pattern. This pattern is written in US terms.

st = stitch

sts = stitches

ch = chain

sc = single crochet (UK double crochet)

hdc = half double crochet (UK half treble crochet)

hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 together (decrease) (UK half treble 2 together)

hdc3tog = half double crochet 3 together (decrease) (UK half treble 3 together)

Hat - Make 1 (I used Green and Blue Woolcraft Acrylic New Fashion DK and a size 5mm hook)

Round 1 - Make a magic ring for 6sc using green = 6sts

Round 2 - 2sc in each st = 12sts

Round 3 - 2sc in next st, 1sc in next st, 6x = 18sts

Round 4 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 6x = 24sts change to blue

Round 5 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, 6x = 30sts

Round 6 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 6x = 36sts

Round 7 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, 6x = 42sts change to green

Round 8 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts, 6x = 48sts

Round 9 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts, 6x = 54sts

Round 10 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts, 6x = 60sts change to blue

Round 11 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts, 6x = 66sts

Round 12 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts, 6x = 72sts

Round 13 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 11 sts, 6x = 78sts change to green

Round 14 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 12sts, 6x = 84sts (continue to change colour at the end of each 3rd row)

Round 15-34 - Sc in each st around = 84sts

Earflaps - Make 2, 1 on each side. Green Yarn

Hold the hat with the rim facing upwards right side facing out. Keep the colour change area to the back. Mark the centre of the front of the hat with a safety pin, count 17 stitches around to the side pull the yarn through and attach with a slip knot.

Row 1 - Ch 2 hdc 13 = 13 sts

Row 2 - Ch 2 turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next 9 sts, hdc2tog = 11sts

Row 3 - Ch 2 turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next 7 sts, hdc2tog = 9sts

Row 4 - Ch 2 turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next 5 sts, hdc2tog = 7sts

Row 5 - Ch 2 turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next 3 sts, hdc2tog = 5sts

Row 6 - Ch 2 turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next st, hdc2tog = 3sts

Row 7 - Ch 2 turn hdc3tog = 1st

Sc evenly around the edge of the hat and earflaps starting from the back of the hat.

Braids - Make 2

Take about 60cm of yarn in green and blue, I used 3 of each colour. Use a large yarn needle and draw the yarn through the point of the earflap. Now braid together. Leave about 8cm at the bottom unbraided, knot to make the tassel.

Horns - Make 4, green

Round 1 - Make a magic ring with 4 sc

Round 2 - 2sc in next st, sc in next st, 2x = 6sts

Round 3 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2x = 8sts

Round 4 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 3sts, 2x = 10sts

Round 5 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2x = 12sts

Round 6 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, 2x = 14sts

Round 7 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts, 2x = 16sts

Round 8 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts, 2x = 18sts

Round 9 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts, 2x = 20sts

Round 10 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts, 2x = 22sts

Round 11 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts, 2x = 24sts

Round 12 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 11 sts, 2x = 26sts

Fasten off leaving a long end for sewing.

Stuff lightly with polyfill and stitch to the hat.

Eyes - Make 2, white

Round 1 - Magic ring with 6sc = 6sts

Round 2 - 2sc in st = 12sts

Round 3 - 2sc in next st, sc in next st, 6x = 18st

Round 4 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 6x = 24sts

Round 5 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, 6x = 30sts

Round 6 - 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 6x = 36sts

Fasten off leave a long tail for sewing to hat.

Eye - Make 2, black

Round 1 - Magic ring with 6sc = 6sts

Round 2 - 2sc in each st around = 12sts

Fasten off leaving a long end, stitch to the white of the eye. I stitched mine on wonky for a googly eyed dinosaur! :) Stitch the completed eyes on to the hat.

Teeth - Make 4, white

Round 1 - Magic ring or 3scs = 3sts

Round 2 - 2scs in each st = 6sts

Round 3 - sc in each st = 6sts

Round 4 sc in each st = 6sts

Fasten off leave a long end for sewing, stitch to front edge of hat.

And your done! Enjoy!

There are more photos of this hat on my Flickr account if you'd like to see them.

PS. I am happy for you to sell items made from this pattern but please do not claim the original pattern as your own. If you post photos of the hat you have made on your blog/website, please link back to this page.

Added - This hat measures approx 20 inches circumference.

Many Thanks.

XxX

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:20:00.000Z

Image from weheartit.com

Thank you for following my blog during 2010. Best wishes to all of you for 2011.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T09:15:00.001Z

Merry Christmas!
Originally uploaded by FizzPopBang

Be Inspired

2010-11-09T11:45:00.001Z

Hi, thanks to everyone who sent Birthday wishes to Tony! We had a lovely weekend.

I've just been having a hop around the internet looking at pretty Christmassy things and came across this gorgeous free E-zine, that's right I said FREE! I still can't get over that, because it is so good. If you haven't seen it yet, then you really should go have a look. Now all I need to do is learn how to magic up some time!

Abracadabra more time for crafter....

Inspire co

Oh, no that didn't seem work. Ah well!

XxX

Remember Remember

2010-11-05T17:53:00.002Z

The 5th of November is Bonfire Night in the UK. We're just staying in and watching the local display from our bedroom window. It's a bit too loud for the boys to go to a display, at their age. It's also Tony's Birthday this weekend, so we've invited a couple of friends over to help us celebrate.

Image from weheartit.com

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

Have a good weekend, whatever you're up to!

XxX

Mr Tubs In His New Top

2010-10-13T21:32:00.001+01:00

Here's the little top I made for Leon. I used this pattern for the base of the item, but made it with short sleeved because he's a bit of a sleeve chewer and the yarn sheds a bit. I didn't want him to start coughing up blue fur balls! I also gave it a collar instead of a hood, so now it's more of a polo shirt than a hoodie!

I used King Cole Merino Blend 4ply that my Grandma gave to me, and a 3.5mm hook. I should have straightened it up a bit for the photo, it's not really as wonky as it looks here. :)

My little monkey snuggled up with his.

This is a photo of Leon a couple of weeks ago being cheeky.

Your eyes are like pies, they're telling me lies! ;)

See ya later!

XxX

Musical Interlude!

2010-10-10T08:47:00.001+01:00

Hi! It's been pretty hectic around here recently. Leon's a bit of an awkward customer at times, he cries a lot more than Dylan ever did. It's all been a bit of a shock to the system, but we are getting used to his loud voice, gradually! :)

I have got a little top to share with you that I've crocheted for Leon recently, I'll have to try take some pics of it later. And whilst making it, I discovered that wool gives me dermatitis on my hands. Ouch! I haven't managed to do anything from the classes I've taken, but they're all go at your own pace classes, so I can go back to them later when I've got more time.

We're going to Ripon to visit my sister Clare and her family today, so I'm looking forward to that. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

For now here's song I like at the moment.

See you soon!

Rachel XxX

Hen Night and Wedding!

2010-09-07T13:48:00.000+01:00

My sisters hen night was a blast we had a great time out in Harrogate. Lots of food, too much drink and plenty of laughs! Here's a few snap shots from the night.

From left to right; Clare (the bride, my Sister), Deborah (my Sister), Karen (my Mum), Me.

We all had to dress as cow girls, that's why we're all dressed in checked shirts, just in case you were wondering! One of the girls had a water pistol with her that she filled with shots. It was very funny! Here's Deborah taking one for the girls! :)

Clare and Johnny were maried on Friday, it was a beautiful day. Every body had a really great time. The weather was gorgeous too, which was very lucky. They look so happy together, I'm so glad Clare has found someone that makes her happy.

Dylan and Jessica (Clare's daughter)

Dylan had a wonderful time at the reception, all the next day he kept saying "Party Mummy, Party Mummy".

XxX

Thank you!

2010-09-07T12:55:00.001+01:00

Thank you Leo for my lovely prize, I'm looking forward to wearing it on my winter coat.

Leo is a very busy crafty lady she has an Etsy shop where she sells brooches, paper garlands , cute craft kits and lots of other lovely handmade goodness. Leonora also owns crafty templates were you can sign up for template subscriptions, online classes and even by a Quirky Kit or two!

I also received this book from my Mum a week or so ago. Thank you Mum!

XxX

Indie Girl Class With Lilibee

2010-08-28T16:29:00.002+01:00

I'm also taking another lovely online class by Lilibee. It's a pop up book tutorial using Sassafras Indie Girl, it's very beautiful. You can find out more details about the class here or here. Please always remember to support the artist, without them where would we find our inspiration?

Thank You

XxX

Slow Progress

2010-08-27T21:27:00.000+01:00

I'm still making my mini album, It's taking a little longer than planned to complete. Leon is a little bit clingy at the moment so he spends most of the day snuggling up on me, which is really lovely. If only I had another pair of hands! :) Here's what I've done so far.

I get tears in my eyes when I look at this picture of Tony holding Leon! It was such a special moment.

I love the look of rub ons used on photos, it's one of my new favourite things!

On to other matters, my sister Clare is getting married next week. It's her hen night tomorrow, we're going out for Tapas and then the rest of the girls are going out clubbing. I'm not going clubbing though because I need to get home for Leon. I'm really looking forward to it, I love Tapas.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

XxX

Small Craft

2010-08-27T20:41:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited, I've signed up for a class taught by Elsie and Rachel. I've been wanting to do one of their classes for ages now but due to a number of reasons (mainly money, or lack of it) haven't been able to. Tony has bought me this as part of my Christmas present (Thank you Tony!) I can't wait for it to start, I love making things for my little guys. You can sign up for the class here or here.

XxX

Hello!

2010-08-18T20:53:00.000+01:00

Thanks for hanging in there and waiting for my next post! It's crazy with two kids, I really don't know how my Mum managed with eight, and I take my hat off to those of you that manage to hold down a job as well! I'm not complaining though, I love being at home with my crazy kids, the hugs, the playing and the crafting of course.

Here are a few snap shots from today! The light was good so I thought I should make the most of it, I'm a bit of a fair weather blogger.

I think they might have a secret handshake already!

And now onto the crafting I've started making a mini album this week with Leon's first photos. I'll show you more of that later this week, when it's finished. I used some of my new Indie Girl stash, it's a gorgeous collection.

Indie Girl for my Indie Boy!

I've also been doing a spot of crochet as well, I've made a little poncho for my friends daughter. I used the Summer Garden Granny Square and the Granny Blanket Edging pattern from Attic24, and Patons 100% Cotton DK. I had loads of fun making this, it's a bit wonky here and there, but I can live with wonky!

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

XxX

Mix and Mend

2010-07-30T07:22:00.002+01:00

This is one of my favourite Sassafras collections, not only is it gorgeous, but it has been designed by one of my Scrapbooking heroes Michelle Clement. I just love her style!

To see more of this collection and be in with a chance to win it, pop on over to the Sassafras blog! And when you've done that, why not spread some love over at Michelles place.

Have a great weekend all!

XxX

New Sassafras Embellishements

2010-07-30T07:03:00.001+01:00

Vintage Brooches - I need These!


Paper Blooms, Entwined Blooms, In Stitch Blossoms

Be sure to take a look at all the new Sassafras Releases!

Take Care! XxX

Where's The Time Gone?

2010-07-24T13:53:00.000+01:00

Ferris Bueller was right when he said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So at the moment, I'm trying to have a good look around! I'm really enjoying myself at the moment with my boys. Leon is a little angel, he hardly ever cries (touch wood!). I've been really surprised by Dylan, I thought Leons arival might set him back a little bit, but the opposite has happened. He seems to have grown up so much in the last couple of weeks.

I'd also like to share this cute crochet pattern with you that I found on the web. I made this for Dylans new bedroom. He's got a thing about rainbows, just like me! :) I created it using Rico Creative Cotton and a 4mm hook.

Thanks for all the congratulations that have been left on my blog and also on Facebook. It is heart warming to now tht people have taking the time to read my blog.

Back Soon!

XxX

StudioCalico Giveaway at Lilibeestudio

2010-07-24T11:10:00.000+01:00

Lilibee is having another great giveaway over at LilibeeStudio. Post about the giveaway on your blog and link it to the comments section over at LilibeeStudio blog for you chance to win!

XxX

Bundle of Blue!

2010-07-09T20:59:00.000+01:00

Leon Elijah was born on 6th July 2010 by cesarean section, weighing 8lb 10oz. We're both back at home and doing well. He's the absolute double of his brother! Dylan has been so good with him, he keeps stroking his hair and giving him his favourite toy to cuddle.

I'm going to go and enjoy some cuddles!

XxX

Still Hanging In There!

2010-06-29T20:25:00.001+01:00

Hello! All is well here, just getting fed up of the back ache and the heat! Just a week to go now! I'm so nervous this time around. Mainly because Dylan has well and truly hit his terrible two's, I just hope the new arrival doesn't make him worse!

When he's good, he's very very good, but when he's bad, he's horrid! :)

I'm having a break from scrapbooking at the moment, because sitting at my desk sets my back off! But once we've had the baby and got into the swing of things, I'll be back at it again. All my crafting recently has taken place either on the sofa or laying on my bed.

A few months ago Tony bought me this very cute book, so I've been putting it to good use! All the bibs have been made using upcycled t-shirts and are backed with terry nappies. I bought terry nappies for Dylan but after using them for one day, I decided it wasn't really for me! So they've been sat in a box in the loft ever since. I new they'd come in handy one day!

Most of the embroidery patterns were from the book, but it inspired me to do a couple of my own too. The anchor and the boat are my own designs. I also drew my own bib template, because the one in the book was for a Velcro fastening bib. I don't like bib's with Velcro fasteners, as they catch on clothes and after they've been in the wash a few times the Velcro starts to fail. Because the fabric that I embroidered was jersey material, I used a light weight interfacing on the reverse to stop it stretching out of shape as I stitched into it.

Ahoy there me hearties!

Thanks for popping in!

Rachel XxX

Happy Birthday Little Monster

2010-06-14T08:27:00.000+01:00

My little monster is 2 today!

We've got a day of painting and playdough planned.

You may have noticed my blog posting has slowed down somewhat! I'm trying to make the most of Dylan's nap times now by resting myself.

And there's also a lot of this in our house at the moment!

Notice the fan in craft corner... I've been struggling with the summer heat and swollen feet! Oh well, only 3 weeks to go.

Thanks for visiting, hope you're all enjoying the football.

XxX

New Bag!

2010-06-03T13:52:00.001+01:00

I've finished my ginormous beach bag! Woo hoo! I followed the pattern on Lucy's lovely blog, although I made it slightly larger than the original pattern. I used Patons Sorbet Yarn, Vanilla, Rose Water, Nectarine, Limone, Lime, Ice and Violet Cream. Unfortunately this yarn has been discontinued, but you can still get it from here, as long as I haven't got to it first! ;)

Mmm! Lovely summery rainbow stripes!

I hope the weather is nice for you today, wherever you may be. See you soon!

XxX

Nesting and Resting

2010-05-31T07:28:00.000+01:00

Hi! Just a quick post to say hello to everyone. I've been missing from blogland because I've been very busy getting things ready for our new baby. Such as, organizing baby clothes into piles of neutral, blue and age range. Looking at how small they all are, washing them, sniffing them, rubbing them on my cheek. Organizing them some more. You get the idea! :)

The heat the other weekend really knocked me for six, I'm glad it's cooled back down again. I'd like it to stay that way until this baby arrives. Only 5 weeks left now until it's arrival!!! It's gone so fast! I'm starting to feel a little nervous now.

Dylan helped me to make a little den in the garden, to help shade us both from the sun, he's very helpful.

I'll be back later in the week to show you my latest creation. I was going to make this bag, but I couldn't find a pattern for it, and because I'm feeling very lazy at the moment, I couldn't be bothered to work it out for myself.

See you later!

XxX

Yay! Another Project Completed!

2010-05-18T15:30:00.000+01:00

I decided just before Christmas that I'd like to have a go at making a crochet blanket. I've only done a couple of crochet projects before this, like flowers and wrist warmers and felt like I should be brave and try something a bit bigger! I'm so pleased with how it turned out! It has taken rather a long time to complete, because I tend to have quite a few projects on the go at once! The pattern was really easy to follow and the yarn is so beautiful and soft. I used Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton Aran (it was on sale here).

Here the blanket is relaxing on Dylan's new bed!

And here's a lovely close up shot! :)

Thanks for dropping in!

XxX

Ta Daaa!

2010-05-12T11:51:00.001+01:00

The bedroom is finished! I'm so pleased with it, I wish it was my bedroom! It still needs a few pictures and things here and there, but it's lovely all the same. Dylan thinks it's great, he's enjoying sleeping in his new little bed, instead of the cot. The bed does have a bed guard on it, but it doesn't look pretty enough to be in the photo's! The bunting on the ceiling was bought from here, I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it!

Also this week, I turned 31! We all had a lovely day of shopping, I've also done quite a bit online too!!! I'm just waiting for it to arrive now.... lots of lovely yarn! I've also bought myself a new pair of flip flops on Ebay. I used to own a pair of these a few years ago, I couldn't believe my luck when I found them for sale. Brand new, with tags and in my size!!! I've bought the yarn so I can make a matching bag. :)

See you soon!

XxX

Circus Tent 3D Frame

2010-05-07T12:07:00.001+01:00

Morning! I've finished the altered frame I mentioned in my last post. I had loads of fun making this, I hope you all like it. I used loads of different Sassafras for this, it includes, Nerdy Bird, Apple Jack, Bungle Jungle and Happy Place. Sassafras is definitely my fave brand, if you hadn't already guessed! ;) I wish I'd taken the photo's before I put the glass frame over really. I had a right job on trying to take the photos without getting a reflection off the glass. And all the time I was trying to take these photos Dylan was running a toy tractor up and down my leg! If anybody's got any tips on how to avoid getting my reflection in the photos, I'd be really grateful.

All being well Dylan's bedroom should be finished this weekend. I'll be really glad when it is because the house is upside down right now and it's driving me crazy!

Hope you all have a fab weekend!

XxX

Thank You Kelly!

2010-05-04T13:50:00.001+01:00

I received my prize today that I won on Kelly's lovely blog. The goodies are lovely! I'm going to save the Cath Kidston dusters in my sewing box, if I have a baby girl I'll make some bibs with them. If I have a boy I'll do the dusting with them! :) I can't wait to use the Hello Kitty memo pad, I'll use some of it on a layout that's for sure.

The decorating is coming along slowly but surely, everything takes twice as long with Dylan here! Bless him!

See you all soon!

XxX

Lilibee Studio Giveaway

2010-04-29T11:33:00.001+01:00

Make sure you check out the Lilibee Studio Blog, there's a great giveaway. You can win the Apple Jack stash required to make the new One Week One Project. I'm going to start on that this weekend I hope!

We're in the middle of decorating the front bedroom at the moment, this will be Dylan's new room. We bought some gorgeous things for his bedroom last weekend from Ikea, curtains , bed set and a blanket similar to Iggle Piggle's. I've also bought some Apple Jack stash because I'm going to make some altered frames for Dylan's bed room, so watch this space!

There's also a layout I'd like to share with you as well today, It's Create 10 Project 9. I've skipped 8 and 10 for now, I'm in a frenzy of nesting at the moment! The prompt for this layout was to use more than one photo on the page. I've used photos of Dylan chatting to Auntie Clare's rabbits.

I used papers from Sassafras Sunshine Lollipop and Prima Marketing My Mommy and Me. I've embellished the page with Prima My Mommy and Me Rub Ons, wooden ladybirds, Japanese deco tape, ribbon and hand stitching. The alphas are all American Crafts Thickers.

Thanks for stopping by!

XxX

Create 10 Project 7

2010-04-24T10:16:00.001+01:00

Good Morning! Here's my layout for Create 10 Project 7. The prompt for this class was to include a handprint on the page. I chose to use one of Dylan's rather than my own, I thought it would be a nice thing to look back on in few years! He didn't reckon much to me painting on his hand, he hates having dirty hands! I also asked him to draw a picture for me that morning to include on the page.

Papers used;Sassafras, Anthem. Cosmo Cricket, The Boyfriend. Basic Grey, Lime Rickey.

Alphas; Sassafras, American Crafts Thickers and others.

Embellishments; Sassafras stickers and paper whimsies. Die cut flowers.

Also don't forget to check out LilibeeStudio where you'll find a new One Week One Project tutorial. It's a lovely colourful mini album using the new Sassafras Apple Jack line. I'll be starting that project next week, when I've completed the rest of my Create 10 Layouts! I'm trying not to burn myself out! :)

Have a great weekend!

XxX

Baby Update

2010-04-22T16:14:00.000+01:00

Just a very short one today. I've been for my appointment at the hospital today, which was my 28 week check up and booking in appointment for the Cesarean. Aaagghhh! It all seems very real now! We're booked in for the 6th July, only 11 weeks to go.

I haven't got any scrapbooking to share with you today. I had to have a rest evening last night, after a day full of Dylan's terrible 2's tantrums.

Thanks for visiting!

XxX

Create 10 Project 6 and No News Is Good News!

2010-04-21T08:27:00.000+01:00

Hello! I haven't heard back from the hospital with regards to my blood tests. They said if I hadn't heard from them by yesterday, I was in the clear. Thank goodness! So I can stop worrying about that now. I do have another hospital appointment tomorrow, when I'll find out the date for the C-Section. I keep getting butterflies thinking about it. It seems really weird that we'll have a definite date for the birth of our baby, and not just a rough idea like last time.

I've also completed the layout for Create 10 project 6. The class was about decorating plain chipboard. I used clouds as suggested in the class. Although I didn't use there templates because I've run out of ink in my printer, so I just drew my own. I covered one of the clouds with a page from a baby names book that has Dylan's name and meaning on it, the other one is felt. I used paper from Prima Marketing - My Mommy and Me, Sassafras - Sunshine Lollipop, Sweet Marmalade Wee Bundle, Nerdy Bird. I used a mixture of alphabet stickers, I didn't have any plain ones to decorate.

Have a lovely day, see you tomorrow!

XxX

Create 10 Project 5

2010-04-20T10:33:00.000+01:00

Good Morning! Firstly, thank you to every body that has commented on my blog, it makes me so happy and makes my blogging meaningful. Here's my layout for Create 10 Project Number 5. I felt a little bit out of my comfort zone with this, because I'm not that good at writing or journaling. I always have and always will be a pictures person. ;) I used papers from Sassafras Sunshine Lollipop and Cherry Delicious Wee Bundle, Prima Marketing My Mommy and Me and K and Company Berry Sweet. The felt camera was part of the Create 10 class. The Title is Random Day and is about what I did yesterday, not a lot and the weather was poo!

The weather is lovely this morning, so I'm going to go out for a walk (waddle) with Dylan.

See you later!

XxX

Create 10 Project 4

2010-04-19T12:56:00.000+01:00

Hi! Very short and sweet today! I just thought I'd share my layout for project 4. I've used Cosmo Cricket Early Bird and The Boyfriend papers. The T-Shirt template is from the Create 10 class and also the rosette flower. Instead of using fabric to make the flower I used paper, because I didn't have anything that matched!

Thanks for looking!

XxX

Lovely Weekend!

2010-04-18T13:52:00.000+01:00

Ooh! This weather's nice! I honestly feel like a different person when the sun is shining. I love it. We had a lovely day yesterday at my sisters house. We went there for the afternoon and had lunch sat outside. Johnny her boyfriend had made some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert, they were gorgeous. I took a million photos of Dylan playing outside. I'm sure one day he'll get fed up of me chasing him around with a camera. Lol Clare's got a couple of pet rabbits and she let them run around on the lawn. Dylan had a great time chatting to them, although I'm not sure they chatted back. ;)

"ello babbit, what ya doing?"

I've also managed to get my 3rd Create 10 project finished as well this weekend. The class was great it gave instructions on how to make a memo board, which I will use in the future. I used the principles from the class to alter a chipboard frame, that I've had sitting in my draw for 2 years! I used Cosmo Cricket Material Girl and Girl Friday papers to decorate the chipoard frame, buttons and dress form with. The alphabet stickers are also Cosmo Cricket.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

XxX

Create 10 Project 2

2010-04-16T18:29:00.000+01:00

Hello! Just a quickie today to share my second layout for Create 10 with crafty templates. I decided not to use the template provided but to use the same technique using kites instead. I'm really quite pleased with the result.

On the down side today I've been sat in the hospital all morning having a glucose tolerance test, to check for gestational diabetes. I get the results back on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed for me pleased, I don't know what I'll do if they say I can't eat chocolate anymore!

XxX

Create 10 Project 1

2010-04-15T09:15:00.000+01:00

Good Morning!

Just thought I'd share this layout with you. I'm taking part in another class at the moment, called Create 10. It's 10 projects over 10 days and is available over at Crafty Templates. I thought it was a snip at only £5. There's lots of great ideas for using your scrap stash more efficiently, and I'm all for that! Yesterdays class was making flowers from ribbon, making paper bunting, and how to make your own masks for glimmer mists. And that was just part 1 of 10! And to top it all off they're doing a prize draw for each project that's completed. :)

I'd also like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Kelly, I won a lovely giveaway on her blog!

That's all for today! XxX

Happy Easter Monday!

2010-04-05T08:04:00.001+01:00

I hope everybody has had a lovely weekend? Most of my weekend has been spent like this, we've all been full of cold. We're starting to feel much better now though, thank goodness!

I've also finished another mini album this weekend. I've been having great fun following the tutorials over at LilibeeStudio. Last weeks tutorial involved painting. I used to paint for a hobby but I haven't done any for a very long time, so it felt good to get reacquainted with my paint brushes! I also did a bit of doodling in this album which I really enjoyed.

To make the folder I used the packaging that some of my recent scrapbooking stash arrived in! The papers are a mixture of Sassafras-Monstrosity, Cosmo Cricket-The Boyfriend and some from Bam Pop. I wish Bam Pop would bring out a new line of paper, I love their products!

Thanks for visiting!

Rachel XxX

Recent Burst of Creativity!

2010-03-22T19:45:00.000Z

Just recently I've had a new burst of life. I've been feeling quite crafty, it's wonderful. I'm not sure how long it'll last though, so I'm doing as much as I can, while I can! :) I've been having great fun following Lilibees One Week One Project. I've made an album for my summer photos and a Wedding album for my sister, using the tutorial from One Week One Project Part 3.

I've also made a mini album using some of my new Sassafras stash that I received for Mothers Day. I dug out some old photos of my first holiday abroad to Spain, I was 6 years old. Because I have Womble tendencies I like to get the most out of my stash. I used a small circle punch and some Papermania clear domed stickers to make some epoxy stickers with my Sassafras paper. The wave effect in the first picture of mosaic was created using the waste in between the banners on the Flag Banners sticker sheet. My favourite embellishments are the felt ones (even if I do say so myself!). The felt flower was hand cut and stitched. To make the rainbow I used a Sizzix Sizzlits Hello Kitty Rainbow Die, cut the felt out in various colours, stuck the different pieces to a sheet of double sided sticky tape stuff, stacked the layers and then stitched beads on for the eyes. It was a fiddly task but well worth it. :)

These albums can all be viewed in more detail on my Flickr photostream if you're interested.

Thanks for dropping in!

Rachel XxX

My Little Sister Is Married!

2010-03-22T11:53:00.000Z

Congratulations to Deborah and Jimi!

Deborah and her beautiful Bridesmaids.

Deborah looked absolutely beautiful. Every time I look at her wedding photos I well up! It was a really special day, and the sun was shining, every thing about it was perfect. We had a little bit of trouble trying to keep Dylan amused during the ceremony, he's got a very loud voice!!!

Here he is, trying to escape whilst the photos were being taken.

My little munchkin has just woken from his nap! I'll be back later today with a scrapbooking post.

Rachel XxX

Weekend Rewind

2010-03-15T08:12:00.000Z

The weekend started off perfectly with some happy mail, I won the prize on the Lilibee Studio Blog. Full of Hambly goodness, two Sassafras Clear Stamp Sets and a lovely handmade card. Thank you Leila! There's another giveaway being held on Leila's blog at the moment, don't miss it!

Mothers Day was very nice indeed! Tony made a gorgeous breakfast, homemade croissants, apricot jam, ham, cheese and a nice cup of tea. Mmmm! Then we made picnic and made our way to Bolton Abbey where we spent the day it was really lovely.

Dylan tucking in to his cheese feast!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! :)

Mothers Day Came Early

2010-03-05T14:42:00.000Z

Yippee! Dylan and Tony bought me a lovely gift for Mothers Day and it arrived this morning. I've been wanting to get my hands on this ever since I first saw it on the Sassafras blog. I've been checking the online scrapbooking shops nearly every day to see if they had it in and finally one of them did! I love it so much! And thank you Tony XxX (I know you'll read this later).

I've also been for a scan today. I did go for a 20wk scan last week, but our baby was being awkward and wouldn't get into the right position to have it's spine checked. So we had to go back today for another look. Everything looks good! So I'm on top of the world today. I've been suffering really badly with anxiety during this pregnancy, but I'm feeling much better now I've seen the scan today.

I tried to take a photo of Dylan this morning whilst photographing my new stash, but he hid under my bump. I had no idea it was this big already! :)

I've also finished my project from Lilibee Studio. Instead of making a recipe card book, I made it into a book about the words Dylan has learnt recently. I thought it would help us to remember all the funny things he says.

Lilibee 2nd One Week One Project

2010-02-27T08:53:00.000Z

I'm a little bit behind with the second One Week One Project, so I haven't got any photo's of that to share! But here's a link to the tutorial and giveaway on Leila's blog.

2010-02-20T20:18:00.000Z

I just thought I'd pop in and show you a mini album I made last week. The project is available here on Lilibee's blog. The project was meant to be put together using the Sassafras Bungle Jungle collection, but I didn't have any so I used Sassafras Me Likey instead. I also improvised with the stamping as well. Instead of using a stamp to create the patterned paper in the mini album I used a piece of punchinella as a mask and then dabbed over the top with an ink pad.

If you're interested, more of this album can be seen over on Flickr or at Lilibee Studio.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! XxX

Proof Reading!

2010-01-30T09:14:00.000Z

I really must learn the art of proof reading. I read through yesterday's post twice before I published it, and it still has a mistake in it! Tony shouted down the stairs to me this morning about it.

Tony- "Rache you need to read through your blog."

Me- "Why, what's wrong with it?"

Tony- "You've missed a word out or something."

Me- "oh poo (or something similar), I read through that twice last night!"

So from now on, I think I will ask my extra pair of eyes to double check what I've written, before it's published. ;)

And now for some family news! My sister sprung it upon us last weekend, that she is getting married on the 19th March THIS YEAR!!! I'm so excited for her! They've been talking about getting married for quite some time and they thought they might as well just get on and book it. It's just going to be a small wedding party. She asked if I would make the invitations for her, I said of course I would. Deborah will be wearing an ivory wedding dress with a creamy gold sash and Jimi will be wearing a brown suit. So I came up with this for the invites.

The wording has been stamped and embossed. I used a Versamark Ink pad and Comic Shimmer Embossing Powder. I haven't done that much embossing before and I was really pleased with the result.

Thank You!

2010-01-29T19:28:00.000Z

Thanks to everybody who left comments on my last post. I read all my comments as they arrive and I really appreciate them all. All is well in the baby department. I'm not sleeping very well though, but you can't have everything I suppose.

I thought I'd share a few layouts with today. I've finally managed to take photo's of them today, in the 30 minutes of sunshine we had. Woo hoo! Roll on spring! I get fed up at this time of year when it's grey every day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fizzpopbang/

Thanks for visiting!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T08:35:00.000Z

Firstly, thank you to everyone that has read my blog this year. I'm hoping to spend a little bit more time blogging in 2010, but we'll have to see what happens!

Anyway, I've got some exciting news.... I'm 3 months pregnant! The morning of New Years Eve was spent in hospital having a dating scan. It was the best New Years Eve I've ever had. I've been feeling so anxious about this pregnancy, so I was thrilled to see our baby's heart beating. I've had a couple of early miscarriages before Dylan was born, so it feels great to be out of the danger zone!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-18T16:04:00.001Z

This year I took it upon myself to make all the decorations for our Christmas tree. Mainly for the reason that all our decorations are glass and we've got an 18 month old son, nuff said!!! I tried to use things I already had in the house, so no more money needed to be spent, I nearly managed. The colour theme is mainly red and white but there is a little bit of green thrown in there too.

These button stars are my favourite. The ribbon is slightly skew whiff on this one, but I can't tell from where I'm sat on the sofa! So I'm not going to get worked up about it!

These snowflakes were cut out using a Sizzix Sizzlit die and the Sizzix Sidekick machine. I found the felt circles very tricky to sew on the sewing machine. It won't be something I'm going to do again for a very long time!

To save a bit of time I made the decision to sew this bobble trim on wonky from the start. I figured it was better to start off wonky from the outset than to try and do it straight and then mess it up! :)

I made these decorations using the Maya Road Supernova chipboard set. To speed things up a bit I chose to cover them in white card instead of painting them. The paper in the star is sandwiched between the layers. I used my lovely Crop-A-Dile to punch the holes out for stringing them together. That has been one of my best purchases ever, I don't know how I ever managed without it!

Instead of buying a shop bought Advent Calendar this year (or ever), I made my own version and hung it from the tree. I bought these bags from Hooray Design on Etsy and stamped all the numbers on from 1 to 24, on the front of the bags. I used a set of Bam Pop acrylic number stamps. I love Bam Pop, but that's another story! To prevent any ink from bleeding through to the reverse of the bag, I placed a piece of card in the bags before stamping. Then I placed a chocolate coin inside each of the bags and a chocolate Father Christmas in number 24. I can't believe how good Dylan has been with the tree, considering it's covered in chocolate!
Next year I'm going to make a new star for the tree, I think it deserves a better one, than the 5 minute rush job I made this year. I can't decide what to do though, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be very happy to hear them.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Secret Santa Swap

2009-12-06T17:42:00.000Z

I was absolutely thrilled to receive some happy mail on December 1st from Victoria. It's my first swap, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was super duper pleased with all the Christmassy things I received. My favourite item had to be the jazzy Christmas socks followed very closely by the Santa salt and pepper pots, so cute! There were also some great craft items for me to get creative with over the Christmas period. Some glittery felt, a felt reindeer to stitch together and a 3d letter R to alter. Once again thank you so much Victoria you made my day.

Also that day I managed to wrap and post the Secret Santa Swap present to marryannlucy, it was so much fun putting it all together. I'm trying to do a completely hand made Christmas this year, so most of the items were hand made by me. I hope there all ok, I get quite nervous about making things for other people!

I can't wait to take part in another swap, it's so much fun!!! Thank you so much Victoria and Kelly for organising the Secret Santa Swap. I hope there's another one next year!

Oct 1st Challenge-The Studio

2009-11-05T13:24:00.001Z

Oct 1st Challenge-The Studio
Originally uploaded by FizzPopBang

I was made up this morning to discover that I'd won the October 1st challenge over at The Studio. This is only the 5th 12x12 layout that I've created, so I was ecstatic to find out I'd won a prize for it.

This month they are holding a Charity Extravaganza for charity:water , starting at 7pm (GMT) on Friday 13th November that will last for 48 hours. There will be games, challenges, special guests and prizes. Even if you can't take part a small donation would always be appreciated!

Big Owl Eyes Mini Album

2009-09-21T20:19:00.000+01:00

I made this mini album shortly after my sons first birthday, to celebrate his first year! I didn't want to make a traditional baby album, so this is what i came up with.

I used a mixture of chipboard letters the large ones are from Maya Road. The album contains papers from Papermania and Sassafras Lass Pocket Full of Rosies

I've entered this mini album into a competition to win a mini album at The Studio. Check out their blog for monthly challenges and giveaways, to help keep you inspired. I would have posted a little bit more about this album, but blogger wasn't uploading my pictures very well and I'm lacking in patience today! :-)

Leeds Festival (in the rain)

2009-09-04T19:52:00.000+01:00

Woo Hoo!!! I finally made it to Leeds Festival after years of talking about going. It rained nearly all day Friday and was as windy as hell, but the company and the music was amazing. At one point my lips had actually turned purple from the cold, my friends suggested i had a good walk around to warm back up. This seemed to help for about 10 mins. But then The Prodigy came on and i danced around like an idiot for an hour and everything seemed better again ;-).

Me and Deborah (my sister)

10 minutes of sunshine

My sister Clare looked after Dylan on Friday and turned him into a fairy princess. He looks so cute (even if I do say so myself)!

My Fairy Prince!

The toilets (poo-tardis) weren't too clever. They'd kindly put hand sanitizer in the portaloos, but unfortunately some of the lids had broken on the containers. One of the dispensers I looked at had tab ends, ash, and a drowned beetle floating in it. My personal hygiene felt violated by the end of the weekend, but it's all part of the fun!

10p a cup!

Deborah and Jimi

Deborah and Tony at the top of the Booster!

The highlight of my weekend was, without a doubt Kings of Leon. I absolutely love them! Big time!

Tony and I

2009-08-22T20:33:00.000+01:00

Check Out Prima Product Picks!

Prima Product Picks!
Ready for something FUN?
Something REALLY, REALLY Fun?
Prima has chosen some of their very favorite products, and put them together in a fantastic little ensemble below...what we want to do is to introduce you to a few of them...and, THEN, get you involved!

Prima Product Picks Include:
Fleur Danseur: These vintage flowers are absolutely stunning with the gem centers!
Pebbles: Patterned pebbles are perfect for a flower center or as an embellishment on your project.
Say It In Pearls Butterfly Swirl: These are totally feminine and precious! These swirls can be applied to almost ANY medium!
Holiday Lights Pearl Vine: Lovely vines filled with peach-colored pearl beads.
Gypsy Petals: Layers of yummy fabric with lightly singed edges and a gorgeous center.
Fleur Danseur:Sweet flowers made with fancy fabrics and complete centers.
Baroque Blooms: like large flowers? These are perfect for a fab focal point or an altered project!
Say It In Pearls: These centers will add class and elegance to any project!
Romani Flowers: These gorgeous flowers include a combination of beautiful fabric and pearls!
Trellis Roses: Sweet roses that look freshly picked!
Felt Stems: Just add flowers for a fabulous look!

Run on over to the Prima blog to check out the projects made using Prima Product Picks and also for your chance to win.

Cute Deer Pouch

2009-07-17T10:22:00.000+01:00

This is one of my most recent makes. I'm very proud of this, it's the first time I've used a zipper foot on my sewing machine (or should i say Anna's sewing machine, that she has very kindly lent to me). I purchased the cute deer fabric from here or here and used a reclaimed cushion cover for the lining. I followed this tutorial, I thought it was the easiest one to follow. It's a great little pouch, I keep my lipsil, keys, mobile and perfume in it so that I don't have to rummage around in the bottom of my handbag for them. :)

2009-07-13T13:53:00.000+01:00

Woo Hoo! My first post, how exciting. This blog is mainly to share my creativity. Feel free to scraplift. Here's a small introduction to me.

10 Things I Love

1. Dylan, Tony and everyone else in my family

2. Sassafras Lass

3. Peacocks (birds, not the shop!)

4. Anything and everything crafty

5. Chocolate

6. Cosmo Cricket

7. Rainbows + boxes of well organized pencil crayons

8. Anything Kawaii :D

9. Music

10. Glitter