Scrummy Stash Cafe challenge

This is the first time I've taken part in one of the challenges on the Scrummy Stash cafe blog but have been lurking on there for months and love what they do.

The challenge this week is "to use those scraps"

So use those scraps I did, all pp is left over from a few previous layouts and is from Kay and co Hannah. I've also used stickers from papermania and basic grey buttons. The stitched swirls are supposed to represent the flames in the fire LOL.

Photo is of Jim trying out his new bed I had just made. No mean feat for someone who is useless with the sewing machine LOL..

Alfie Bear update

So Alfie Bear went back to see the eye specialist this week and good news no sign of any inflammation since we started reducing the eye drops. Now for the big step NO EYE drops for 6 weeks and then back again so paws crossed. Poor little chap will never have any sight in that eye but it would be good if he didn't have to lose anything else.



This photo shows his blind eye....

Actually poor little chap be blowed he's been a complete pain in the bum this week. His latest trick is to go foraging in the kitchen bin, so Sunday he pulled out the chicken carcass that I had just cooked for them, now I never put it in the kitchen bin so why oh why did I this time!!! just hope there are no serious repercussions. Yesterday he was playing with Jim indoors and actually peed up the lounge door I couldn't believe it, he's never done that before, I was so cross with him I chucked him outside!!! after about 15 minutes (well it was very cold and I can't stay cross with him for long) I called him, NO Alfie so I called and called still no Alfie by which time i was getting worried so put on some shoes and started searching for him, eventually I found him in the front garden up the corner tucked away in the brambles with a clematis vine wrapped round his neck and he was well and truly stuck and throttling himself in an attempt to get free.

This dog should come with a health warning was he bothered, not in the least once I had freed him he ran off playing with Jim...

ho hum Alfie Bear 1 Me 0 LOL

Thursday is scrap day

Dawn and I are back into the swing of scrapping on Thursday's. I got off to a very slow start as I had nothing prepared, unlike someone else but finally managed to do this. Not sure if it's finished as I want to add more but have a feeling it is best left as it is LOL. Thursday is the best day of the week, we have such a lovely relaxing day!!!



Photo is of two of our greys Lucky and Sandy taken at Easter when we had the snow. Eric took the photo on his mobile so not the best quality but I thought it was such a good photo I would use it anyway.

Not feeling so great again today but have loads of chores to do, funny I felt better yesterday when it was scrapping day LOL..

Woe is me!

I've had a bit of a cold for a few days nothing earth shattering but enough to flare up my joints and make me HURT!!! so I cancelled my plans for today, ignored my "To do" list and had a play instead LOL.

Have just finished this layout for the UKS weekly challenge



Use the sketch
Use 10of something
Use outdoor photo's
Use autumnal colours

Now I always struggle using sketches and anything with more than one photo I find quite hard so I'm quite pleased with how this turned out. The photo isn't great and it's much IRL. I used up lots of scraps of pp to make the background papers and meant to use 10 but d'oh forgot! so ended up using 10 gems on the flowers...

Papermaze Crop

Had a lovely relaxing day at the crop on Saturday, such a friendly bunch of girls that go and lots of chatting and eating cake takes places and a little bit of scrapping.

Wendy who runs the Papermaze blog for Vanessa and does a lot of the DT stuff as well had put together the most gorgeous DLO for the class kit. I didn't do it at crop as I had one prepared but am really looking forward to it. I adore Wendy's style of work and always love everything she does.

I did manage one layout LOL.



The is the Rocky dog, my first ever dog of my own, ahh I see you notice he's not a greyhound LOL he was a Tibetan spaniel and totally eccentric but I loved him and he was Rulu's daddy. He's been gone for two years now and I still miss my little man. The photo has been my screen saver on the PC for a couple of years and everyday I look at it and smile remembering how he loved to scamper around the picnic site at Claydon. So it finally pentrated my brain that I should scrap it. LOL.

My DLO that I entered for the Papermaze competition "Ben's perfect day" was picked as the winner, can you believe that, I was well and truly chuffed.

Scrap and Chill

Every Thursday Dawn and me try to get together and scrap!!!! it's the best day of the week as we get to do what we love and chill out. Now normally I prepare something so I kind of know what I want to do etc but I just haven't had any free time this week and so had barely printed off the photo's when Dawn arrived. I'm not good at scrapping on the fly but knew I wanted to do the UKS weekly challenge. As it happens it's turned out OK LOL.



I love the concentration on Ben's face in the first photo and how pleased is he with the finished cakes LOL course his hair got very sticky when he stuck his head right in the bowl to lick it out.


Went to physio yesterday and now have 95 degree bend and have been discharged woohoo !! of course I still have to continue with the exercises yuck but at least no more going to physio...

Off to Otley crop Saturday.

Design Collective CJ

Back in October last year I joined a CJ circle set up by Heather on the then Design Collective. I decided on a theme of "Passions", be it serious or funny and the fist posting took place on October 31st 2007. Each month I then completed an entry into one of the circle members CJ and posted on until eventually my own CJ came back to me at the end of July. It was an experience I really enjoyed despite being so apprehensive in the beginning, as I was just about to have my replacement wrist joint removed and wasn't sure how quickly I would be back crafting but I managed to do each entry and post on time. The last one was just days before I headed off to hospital again this time for my new knee LOL.

So finally having been on my "to do" lists for weeks and weeks I have taken the time to photograph the entries.

Front cover



My own entry was all about the horror greyhounds suffer in the name of entertainment but also included a CD with photo's of all my hounds past and present.




Nina's entry on her job and American Native Indians.



Jennie's entry on Words, language and her love of dancing.




Diane's entry on Life.



Gwyneth's entry on Culture & Heritage.



Carol's entry on her sons Ice Hockey team.




Heather's entry on Flowers.



Sharon's entry on her love of Chocolate.



Jane's entry on her passion for cooking.




The photo's really don't do the CJ justice, as so many pages have little tags and flaps to pull out and look at. It is so beautiful and I will treasure it always.

So to all my fellow DC circle journal members I thank you all!!!

Alfie Bear gets a bath!

Well with the glorious weather we've been having we decided to make the most of it and clean Alfie up. We always wash the dogs outside as a) we don't have a bath and trust me they wouldn't fit into the shower and b) they have a better footing on the grass. So we use watering cans with warm water. Alfie wasn't to sure about it all but Ben thought it was good fun!







Apart from cleaning Alfie Bear up I finally went to Stowwmarket town with Vikki and Ben. Ben held my hand all the way round and even helped me up the steps, very sweet but made me feel about 100 years old LOL and of course we then came home and had our now tradditional weekend picnic in the garden. I'm hoping Ben will go off this when it turns wet and cold!

Sunday Dawn and I set off to Hintlesham to the scrapbooking fair. I had made a list and pretty much stuck to it buying supplies for Christmas cards, some bazzil stitchz templates and card stock. Did bag a bargain with the Bazzill stitchzin book!

And today I have finally taken the photo's of my DC CJ and will get them sorted and post this week. Didn't take long hey !!!

Busy Bee

Fridays is always the day I tackle the paper mountain and this week there is loads, car insurance renewals, house and contents renewals and so on and so on I dread it all week so this morning I was determined to get straight on with it but did I heck Oh no I got side tracked in the kitchen and baked bread, fruit cake and veggie stew for tea. So now I really do have to sit down and get on with it LOL... well I may have to tidy my desk a bit first what a mess!!!

Scrapped with Dawn yesterday and did the class kit from Bramford crop that Ang designed. Another beautiful layout and the papers are gorgeous, not what I would have picked myself but I love the layout. Ang you are a very very talented girl!



The title was made on the craft robo and triple embossed with UTEE and looks fantastic if I say so myself LOL...

Going to attempt a short trip to Stowmarket tomorrow for the first time since May wooohoo!! and Sunday off to the scrapbooking fair at Hintlesham.

Malteser Tray Bake Receipe

Had a few requests for the recipe so here it is!

INGREDIENTS

100g butter

200g milk chocolate

3 tablespoons golden syrup

225g finely crushed digestive biscuits

225g maltesers

METHOD

Melt together the butter, chocolate and syrup then add the crushed biscuits and the maltesers. Mix together quickly then pour into a lined swiss roll tin and chill til set. For a special occasion drizzle with some melted white chocolate.

NOW DON'T ALL GO COMPLAINING HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU'LL PUT ON, BE WARNED IT IS VERY VERY SCRUMMY LOL.

Have finally crossed two chores off my "to do" list, spent several hours yesterday going through hundreds of photo's on Eric's mobile (yes he has loas of memory in it) of the hounds on their walks. Most of the photo's whilst lovely are a bit blurred as they are on the move but I found a couple of pearls.

Today I have been changing photo's in frames (getting rid of DD's husband etc) and putting one of my favourite layouts in a decoupage frame. It's taken all morning but I'm really pleased HE is now totally eradicated, trouble is I seem to have several frames left over which now of course need filling but as we still haven't put any pictures up in the study maybe I'll speak nicely to Mr T. We have been here 5 years next week but for the first two years we hardly unpacked due to the huge amount of work that needed doing, still that does leave three years in which I could have got round to doing it but either I can't make a decision or Mr T isn't in the mood for picture hanging LOL

NEXT WEEK FOR SURE!

Bramford Crop

Had a fab day on Saturday at Bramford crop run by Janina. Ang does the class kit which was again fantastic, I haven't made it up yet as I was working on this double layout. I chose the papers because I felt they reflected the colours of late September but although it does look better in real life, I do feel the photo's are a tad swamped. The layout is based on a sketch by Zarah a guest designer for Papermaze and I'm thinking of entering it into the competition.



My malteser tray bake went down well but I ate way to much of it myself LOL. Bought a gorgeous new album, Ang always brings such beautiful things to buy and will be at Hintlesham on Sunday selling her wares.

Yesterday was a complete wash out literally, it didn't stop raining all day so Eric and the boys trip to the Copdock bike show was abandoned! Kind of finished of a rubbish week, here's hoping to a better week.