12th Birthday party at Zorb Football

Well I think he had a good time at his joint party with one of his rugby friends. I spent most of the time laughing every time they tried to kick a football in these giant zorb balls!!

I have a great scrapbook page idea to make with my photos too featuring lots of circles!

Happy New Year - 2018 in review

Raising a glass of bubbles to you all and wishing you much happiness for the year ahead.

It has been a year full of adventures and narrowing it down to just a few photos a month to summarise 2018 was quite the challenge.

 

What a year of memories, looking forward to seeing what 2019 brings. 

Merry Christmas all x

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas from my family to yours. Enjoy the festivities xx

My little scrum half in action

I'm a Sunday morning rugby mum with both of my sons now playing for their local club OG's. Today saw our U12s including my son face the first round of Middlesex games to determine what league we will be in next year when the progress to youth rugby from minis.

I took my Canon down to the game to grab some shots of the boys in action as I often do but this is the first time I've seen close up just how serious my youngest takes his rugby. Quite amusing to see given he's the joker of the family and almost always has a smile on his face... Not so much when the game is on!

They played two fantastic games winning both with conceding any trys so it was back to smiles all round once the game was over! Now to find scrapbook papers or design something mixed media style to go with some of these photos.

Horticultural show

One of my fave September events has to be the local horticultural show. I've been entering with the kids for many a year now and actively involved on the committee side for the last 3 or 4.

Both my sons did well again this year with an array of certificates between them and I was rather chuffed both my cooking apples from my tree in the garden and my succulent cupcakes won me first prize.

Time to start researching what I can create to grb the judges attention next year!

Edinburgh Wedding Pics

One of my fave photos from this year taken of hubby and I at our good friends wedding. My hair was just a few weeks post charity headshave and yet I still felt super feminine and rather chuffed my dress pattern and hubbies tie coordinated so well!

Silly selfie the gorgeous bride, Ellie and I - we were sober honest, fab weekend away with beautiful people

Holiday Selfies so far

Few of my fave photos from our Fuertaventura holiday so far - just wish hubby was with us..next year for sure we will tie our A/L together!! Plenty suncream on my bald head that's for sure!

Awesome rugby tour

Back from an amazing weekend away with my boys on rugby tour with their local OGs team and we could not have asked for better weather down on the south west coast.

The U11s had a great tour even if my youngest ended up with a cracking knock to the face (of which he is very proud!). I tried to take lots of photos but in the end the adrenaline of the games got away with me and I just watched. Sometimes I think as scrapbookers we are so keen to capture that perfect shot that on occasions such as these we need to remind ourselves to step out from behind the camera and enjoy the moment.

Great memories and a team photo of our U11s

The U13s whilst not formally part of the tour matches did get to play a couple of games both of which they won but my eldest having sustained a minor injury in training on day two had to be content to support his teammates from the sidelines and watch his brother play.

Date night with hubby

The boys are at their grandads for a couple of days Easter break including tonight which means a rare night out with hubby.

He's wanted to see this film for ages so finally we can go. Think I'm past the back row smooching though!

It's Marvell so I'm sure it'll be fab! 

Proud as punch!

Could not be more proud of my boys today and admit to shedding a tear or two (wish their Grandma and Grandad could have seen them). Both boys achieved personal bests in the junior handicap race this month, Robert knocking a further 8 seconds off his time and on Jamie's third race he managed to knock off 53 seconds off his time to be most improved and win the monthly trophy. 

Throwback Thursday

My maternal nan and I just a few months before she passed away. I miss chatting with my nan lots, she was so wise and always had time for tea and a chat and to work out with me whatever was on my mind. She would be proud of me continuing my studies I know so I post this Throwback Thursday post on the day of my second mock exam with fingers crossed she is watching over me.

Missing Mum and getting through the firsts...

Today would have been my mums 67th birthday. It is our first birthday without her and I feel a little lost. I can't get to her resting place today to place flowers but I will go over the weekend, this is what I would have done if she were still here so I will not allow myself to feel guilty about this. I do wish I could talk to her, have a hug, just spend a while longer in her company but it was not to be .I always saw mum on or around her birthday and always tried to grab a photo with her if she'd allow (she hated having her photo taken).  We still have firsts to go through, first special days without her that are even harder to cope with than the regular days where your grief is manageable.

We got through the first mothers day without her though many, many tears were shed this day, and more recently the kids and I got through Easter with no Grandma to hide the eggs and arrange the Easter hunt for us, followed by a roast lamb dinner.  My sister and  I spent Easter Sunday together this year and made what I hope will be a new tradition with our children together, hunting for eggs in her garden.  We did also did Easter crafting which they all enjoyed and of course I have many photographs. This is one of my favourites of my Jamie and I used this on a sketch challenge last weekend whilst away the ATDML retreat.

I had made up several kits with photos thrown in for the weekend to make the most of my time and used one and the sketch to create this page.

A little masking and inking, some spritzing, paper layering, washi tape, chipboard hearts and a rub-on for the title.  I don't suppose they will continue to be as interested in crafting as they grow up and sports become a bigger focus for them both but I will enjoy it whilst I can. They love looking through their scrapbook albums and recalling memories from their past and having lost two grandparents in just 8 short weeks it is more important than ever for me to preserve these special moments for them.

Miss you mum, hope you have a G&T in heaven. I shall raise a glass to you tonight xx

Throwback Thursday - Royal Wedding 1981

Me (10) - bunny girl (how I wish my legs still looked like that!)

My brother (7) - Scarecrow (complained he was itchy all day!)

My sister (4) - cutest hula girl ever!

My mum was pretty damn creative with her home made costumes she would dec us out in, these being just an example of one occasion. She made all those pompoms my sister is wearing from tissue paper, and she made the grass skirt, my bunny ears and bow tie and the tray was repurposed for the day. Not sure my dad ever wore the t-shirt again she adapted for my brothers costume though!. 

Whenever I wonder where my creativity comes from, I don't have to look very far. Just wish she was still with me x

Miss my mum

Running man

After a year of watching his brother run Jamie finally turned 8 last month and was old enough to join the local running club too. Last Saturday saw his first time trial, a race held monthly over a 2.25km distance where runners are encourage to improve on their time each month. He was so excited to be racing and even borrowed his brothers spare club running top! For his longest ever run without stopping (though he admits he walked a tiny bit) he ran 12:47.

For someone so young waiting another month before he can "compete" again is too long but he does have 4 weeks of training in the meantime to look forward to!

Creating with triangles

I have wanted to create another layout incorporating triangles for a while now and it is a great way to use photos that might not be all that wonderful and need cropping down. This was a fairly quick page to pull together using a 2" square punch to select a number of photos and then cutting some of these in half on the diagonal. I made a template from a piece of black card that covered half the punch and then turning it upside down helps to gage what parts of the photo will be seen. I then made up the other half of the square with a further triangle of patterned paper (punching a 2" square and cutting in half again). 

The title was cut on my silhouette (from the silhouette library) but you could easily replace with a hand-cut title or use of letter stickers.

Paper used on this page are Kaisercraft Mix & Match available HERE from A Trip Down Memory Lane and this page along with others can be found in the March Design team gallery HERE for ATDML which will be added to throughout the month by the Design Team.

Happy crafting!

Throwback Thursday - In memory of Bernard Freeman

Not throwing back too far today - just to May 2013 and a photo of my youngest Jamie fishing with his grandad, my father-in-law who passed away earlier this month. My son adores this photo and the memories that go with it. So glad he got to have to make them xx

Such sadness so soon :(

I was devastated to lose my fun loving happy father-in-law this weekend after he sadly passed away. My husband has lost a much loved and respected father and my children have lost another grandparent not 8 weeks after losing my mum.

Life seems to be very cruel right now but I cling to memories of good times, hold my head up high and soldier on. This gent would not want it any other way xx
Night night Bernard, breathe easy now x

House full of poorly peeps

Not much to update with as I have been mostly nursing a poorly household these last few days as a tummy bug took hold of all three of my children. Ok so I know my eldest is 18 but she still counts as one of my children!

Poor Jamie came down with it on his 8th birthday so that was pretty much a wash out on the day although we did manage to celebrate over the weekend with a family meal out. It was the first such event where mum would have been with us and a few tears were shed at a birthday card that was missing her name :(

Robert had another good cross country run on Saturday and whilst the individual results have not been announced the under 17 boys team from his running club were placed first which was great news for the club. He has been doing so well lately and his time at the monthly handicap just keeps getting better and better - he makes me so proud.

So soppy valentines weekend approaches and I will spend the day doing something I love running my ScrapMates crop, that is if I ever get my instructions typed up which is somewhat impeded by a certain kitten hogging my lap! He's too cute to move though!

Back blogging and some January crafting

Back in the land of blogging after a tough start to the year with Mum's funeral on the 20th and then her ashes burial on the 24th. I am slowly adjusting to life without her and each day does get easier but the pain of grief when it does hit me is overwhelming.  The children have been wonderful healers giving my plenty of hugs but plenty of time alone too if I need it.

I have found myself looking through lots of older photographs too and printed several off for the memory boards we had at the funeral. It was lovely seeing these prompt memories from family and friends and made me realise I need to get these memories into my Scrapbook albums. Several of my layouts for the February gallery for ATDML have older photos used on them but January I finally scrapped one of my favourite photos from 2014 of young Jamie and his "fake scared" photo from Go Ape. 

(He wasn't at all scared but totally fearless and was faking this face for my camera!)

Having moved my craft room indoors (I had a good clear out) I found several bits and pieces I had forgotten about including these wooden scrabble letters and wooden epic word. I also added some foliage from a faux Christmas tree which I picked up several years ago to use in my December Daily album. Feels good to get them on a page!

Papers used are from My Home Garden collection available HERE on ATDML.

December ATDML Gallery

Finally finished off my December gallery items for A Trip Down Memory Lane Design team. I am only about 3 weeks late which can be forgiven I hope!

I used some of the kit in my December Daily album which I had been working on last month. I carried on taking photos through to the big day and need to print those off in suitable sizes to finish off the last 6/7 days of the month. I will share those next week but have to print off my journaling cards first (and with no operating printer at home at the moment that's a bit of a bind).

Last week at my crop I managed to finish off a page I had started (well I had all the elements in a bag) and create another page.  The first one is of my daughter and I taken on her 18th birthday whilst out shopping. It was a selfie taken on a day where we both had our first buritto - yummy! Should have taken more photos of the food this day!!

I used a combination of Websters Pages (the background) and Kaisercraft (the strip elements) for this page.

The next page was a crazy photo on another day out with Ellie when we decided to get a new Christmas tree as she was not fond of my skinny pop-up one we'd been using for the last few years (because of space) so we ventured out. I loved this real wreath and ended up buying it for our front door and hanging my Christmas banner on it.  A nice fresh pine smell in our porch lingered for the month and almost made up for the artificial tree we ended up buying which was still tonnes better than our pop up one (which I will display in the porch next year when I clear it out!