Small furry animals

Had fun with my camera today - I know I was supposed to be helping keep an eye on the children - but hey!!

Some of them - like the llamas you didn't want to get too close to - nasty yellow teeth and I think they can spit at you! The emu didn't much like having his photo taken either - but the meercat mother and her babies were just so cute - and posed to perfection. But my favourite animals were the racoons I think - handsome little critters.

My only disappointment was i didn't catch any of the peacocks with their tails on display.

End of Term

Its the last week of term this week so its all systems go with the school trips. I volunteered myself as a parent helper for the trip to the Black Isle Wildlife Park with primary one, two and three. Luckily the weather was kind to us and the sun shone all day - managed to get Callum to stand still long enough to get a few photos - but for most of the time he was racing around with his friends.

Blog Candy

The very talented Jo (aka Madhattermillie) is giving away some blog candy - go have a look here.

Teachers presents.

Its that time of year again - the last week of term starts tomorrow. I don't really agree with buying teachers presents at the end of the year - isn't that what they get paid for??? We never used to do it when we were at school.

Last year I made them something for the first time - little metal buckets decorated and filled with sweeties. This year it was done on a shoestring budget. The wooden notepad holders were out of WHSmiths and reduced to 49 pence each and the notebooks ate the 10 pence value ones from Asda!! The only other things I used was one 1/2 inch Bind It All wire, a sheet of pink Bazzill and some scraps of Making Memories Noteworthy papers and flowers from an old GoGo kit and a bit of pink ribbon. Used Paper Salon sentiment stamp and a tree and bird stamp by Pink Paislee.

Hope they like them.

Garden visitors!

Decided it was about time we knocked the front and back gardens into shape before we move - and it seemed like every plant pot I picked up had about half a dozen snails attatched to it. Not my favourite of creatures so unfortunately for them they were launched over the fence onto the grass (and I do believe some of them may have landed in next doors garden!) Popped insode for a cuppa only to find Sam and Callum collecting up all these snails and putting them back into the garden so they would be safe!!! It was so funny seeing the boys then picking the snails up and taking them round into the park - talking to them as they went!!

Gottacraft cards

here are a few cards I made last night using scraps from this months Gottacraft "Dutch Girl" kit - very quick and easy to do but I am quite pleased with how they have turned out.

Sketch challenge by Karen Moss

Think this is my final challenge LO as they have to be uploaded to the GoGo Clubhouse by midday tomorrow.

This challenge was to use the sketch and to use Doodlebug products - I used Doodlebug Rusty Gate paper and a couple of Doodlebug Bon Bon buttons. The title was cut from Curly Girlie alpha and the journalling spot was from a fabby set of Lil Davies ones I have just bought.

Photos show Sam at Spynie Loch in April on our visit to the bird hide at Spynie Loch.

Tagged

Help - I've been tagged by my S.A.D. teamie Kirsti - must admit I don't usually respond to these sort of things - but there's always a first time!

What was happening 10 years ago: Sam would have been just turned one so I would have been back to work with the DWP after my maternity leave. We were still posted at Chivenor in North Devon and loving it.

5 things to do today: Had an appointment to view a house this morning, take Sam on the beach clean at Spey Bay, finish another GoGo Getaway sketch challenge, do some washing and make a couple of cards.

Snacks I like: Shouldn't really - but I love chocolate. Apart from that it has to be a toasted muffin.

What would I do if I was a millionire: I would buy us our very first family home - in fact you could buy a whole street up here for that!!!

Places I have lived: We probably haven't moved as many times as some even though Andy is (but only until Tuesday) in the RAF. Have lived all our married life close to the sea and have loved each place so much we haven't wanted to leave - Haverfordwest, Barnstaple and Elgin. Before I got married I lived in Knighton, Powys.

Now I have to tag 5 friends - who will I pick on????
Sarah
Erika
Mandi
Yorkshire Tea Jenny
Annette

That was fun!

My little eco warrior!!

Sam has always been quite interested in enviromental issues but after watching an episode of Springwatch he decided he wanted to help in a beach clean. They have beach cleans every month up around the coast here and there happened to be one today down at Spey Bay. Armed with gloves, a bin bag and a litter picker each off we went down the beach. We found lots of rope and plastic that had come off fishing boats, plenty of beer cans and even someones knickers!! We managed to fill 2 bin bags and then drag a heavy pile of old rope back up the beach - so we feel like we have done our bit. Its a shame that other visitors to our beautiful beaches don't feel the same way.

We kept our eyes open for the Moray Firth dolphins but didn't spot any - although the evening before a Minke whale had been spotted in the Firth. We were lucky enough to see an Osprey though which made up for the lack of dolphins.

Donnas sketch challenge

Another GoGo Getaway challenge - this time set by Donna. For this one we got extra points for using Chatterbox papers - and I love these Bontanico ones. Added some turquoise ribbon and ric rac, Doodlebug and Scrapagogo stamps and my fabby SU scalloped circle punch.

Photos are of Callum down at the sea front at Gardenstown just waiting for a big wave to come over the wall and get him!!

Jennies sketch challenge

This is my take on the sketch challenge from the GoGo Getaway - this one had to include blooms to earn extra points.

More cards

Was on a roll yesterday and made 6 cards from the bits I have left of the Uptown Downtown Greetings kit from Scrapagogo.

It started off by making a get well soon card for Ray who has been in hospital this week - hope you are feeling better soon.

Have decided that I really need to make a supply of cards for all occasions instead of making them at the last minute like I usually do!!

Remember

Off to charge up my camera batteries.

Scrap your day

Its that day again tomorrow - the 25th!

Thought I had better play catch up and finish last months pages - showing our Discovery Club trip to Culbin Forest for a spot of pond dipping.

Weekly challenge

This weeks challenge over on UKS was to do a LO on the theme of cities, to use the sketch provided and to use some patterned paper and ribbon. I used this months Scrapagogo kit for this LO of Sam taken while we were having a look around Cambridge back in October 2006. You never know if he works hard enough in school......

GoGo sketch challenge

Here is my interpretation on Helens sketch in which we gained extra points for using Dream Street papers. I bought these Birdie Bits papers a while ago on a whim after not quite getting my hands on the Gottacraft kit - but then they have just sat in the box doing nothing.

The bright colours of the papers went well with the photo - which is of a trip to Landmark back in September last year for Callums 7th birthday.

June Scrapagogo kit

Arrived in all its lovely yellowness at the end of last week but I really did wonder what I would do with the orange Sassafras Lass paper as its way too bright for me! I lifted Helen M's LO from the Create booklet when I had found this photo of Callum from last year. We had gone for a walk through Culbin Forest and as all small boys do - if you see a tree stump you have to climb on it and jump off!! Luckily his T shirt matched the paper!!!

I also made a quick card following the tutorial over on Scrap Paper Scissors - making cards is a fab way of using up some scraps.

Dynomite

This was the name of Jane Deans class at the GoGo Getaway at the beginning of the month. It used Paper Trunk 1972 papers which I would have never chosen myself and we contructed a very clever LO that looked as though it was a single LO - but actually folded out into a triple LO.

I filled my Lo with photos from a recent visit to the Tyrebagger Sculpture Trail near Aberdeen last month.

Bit of a squeeze to get it in the album though!!

Lost In Thought

Finally broke into this months Scrapagogo kit - the colours are perfect for boy pages. I love the stamp - think I will be using him quite a bit (must hunt out some London pics to use him with)

Added a large red bloom onto which I stuck the acrylic heart from the G2P - I had stamped a design onto the heart with stazon to make it stand out a bit. Tied some ribbon throught the middle and then stuck a Fancy Pants pin throught the know. The only other thing I added was some Banana Frog journalling and alpha stamps.

Photos are of Callum down on findhorn beach one very chilly January afternoon.

Karate kid

Managed to get my hands on the new karate Sugar Nellie stamp this afternoon from Funky Kits - and had to play straight away. Sam is going to his pals 11th birthday party tomorrow so needed to make a card quick. Its a bit simple but Sam loves it - lets hope James does too.

Forever Friends

Have been using up my scrummy Gottacraft kit and finished another 12x12 LO (I have started doing more LOs in this size although I much prefer 8.5x11)

This LO was for the page prompt challenge over on Carolinez Craftz and this weeks prompt was to use some chipbords birds (that carolines sells in her shop.) I covered mine in Cosmo Cricket Dutch Girl papers and raised him up slightly with little foam squares. Everything came from the same kit except for the Autumn Leaves sentiment stamp and the ric rac.

Photo is of Sam and Callum sitting on a stone wheel up on the top of Froggatt Edge in the Peak District last October.

Sports Day - again!!

Totally forgot until Sam reminded me as we left the house this morning that it was his sports day today! Had a lovely morning drinking tea and chatting with Sarah - was good to catch up - maybe we should make it a regular Friday thing??

Took a few pics of Sam (between the showers) during sports day - he finished feeling very chuffed with himself as he came 2nd in one race and also got 2 thirds.

Birthday card

here is the card I made for Sam yesterday - he asked me to make him one using one of the boy Sugar Nellie stamps - he wanted the rockstar one but I don't have him - yet!! Used some scraps of Kelly Pannaci paper and a Stamping Up punch and sentiment stamp. He loved it.

Photo Shoot

I think my boys are probably sick and tired of having the camera pointed at them - but had the mark the occasion of Sam's birthday with a mini photo shoot just before we left for school.

We also had the annual school concert in the evening - so shirts and ties back on - and some more photos to show how well they scrub up!!