Yippeee Yooooooooooooooo ! I've been tagged !!

YAY !!!!!!!!! I've seen them on EVERYBODY'S (and I mean everybody's Blog)...... but I've never been tagged with one .... up until my mate Roz tagged me wiv it .....

It may not seem much to the average-normal-streetwise person ... but I was feeling a little neglected ....... nay ........... if I'm honest .......... and I'm gonna be right honest here ................ I was feeling paranoid !!!!!

Anyway, less of my nutty ramblings ........... I've got one now .......... so if you haven't got one

Na na na na na !!!!!!!!!!!!! Only kidding !!!!!!!! So, have YOU got one ?? If not, please post here and I promise that I will come and tag you - you have my word. I couldn't live with myself knowing that you are going through the same feelings that I WAS going through until I got my pink Rocking Girl Blogger badge.

Roz - you're the bestest bloggy mate EVA !!!!!!!!!! Love, hugs 'n' snogs to all my bloggy friends - you gals (and guys if you're reading) are the best !!!!

Rock on !

School Holidays - yippeee yooooooo !!!!!!!!!

Well, its the start of the school holidays ... and I've managed to get a couple of layouts done using the fabulous sarahscards monthly kit. I've also used up some 'bits and pieces' to try and get the mountain of stash down - yeah yeah !!!
Holidays
We were hoping that if the house sold quickly (our buyers have a family problem and we've not heard from them for 3 weeks - so i'm flapping) then we would hop on a flight to Canada ... and go and see as many of my Canadian scrapping pals as possible. Anyway, we've put the house back on the market (just in case it has definitely fallen through) and I'm doing a 'drop in' club at school instead.
I know I know .. glutton for punishment ... but it will help the new Year 11's to catch up with coursework and/or get some one on one help if they need it. I'm running the club on a Tuesday and Wednesday morning 9am-12 ... so fingers crossed that someone turns up to it !!!
Scotland
Aaron will be going up to Scotland with my mum at some point. I had tried to put her off driving and hinted at her to get the train instead .. .but she's insistent that she's driving. Driving in a car with my mother is like driving with Lewis Hamilton around a GP track ... the last time I was in a car with her she was doing 90mph ... and then she tells me off when I go over 30mph in a 40mph zone - I can't win .... Anyway, I hate him going with my mum for their yearly 'jolly' to Scotland. The house is too quiet ... and I miss his company dreadfully. I suppose I just hate letting go of him - but he's mine and I lubs him .... will see what happens anyway ... yer never know, the trip 'might' get cancelled.
Cricket
Aaron's cricket team won their first tournament on Sunday. It was an all-day affair, and there were 8 teams altogether in the tournament. He was absolutely buzzing as he managed to 'stump' out (????) two players, and his first 'four' .... not sure what it all means, but he's well chuffed about it all !!!! YAY !!!!!!!!!!
Sorting Out
I have too many clothes .... I don't just mean I have too many ... I mean, i now have nowhere else to put them. Why have I got about 100 t-shirts ?? When will I wear them ? Why do I hoard the ones I don't wear ..... Why have I got about 40 jackets, when at least half of them are too small, and even if I do 'slim' into them ... will I wear them ? No. So its all going. Over these holidays, I am determined to 'downsize' my clothes. I might just keep one or two for 'old times sake' .... but honestly, the rest are going to the charity shop ... I promise !!

I hope everyone going on their jolly holly's have a fab, safe time. xx

School Reports & SAT Results

*blows nose*

I've just got Aarons Year 6 school report and SATs results.

I am just so very proud of him that I want to shout it out from the roof tops !!!

English - Level 5
Maths - Level 5
Science - Level 4A (with a note that he was 1 mark off a Level 5)

He's such a quiet, shy boy who lives in the shadow of his gobby mother. He enjoys life to the full and crams in as many sports as possible - yet still manages to do all his homework and extension work - AND often does more research without complaining.

The comments that his teacher and Head have put in his report have reduced me to tears and I am a jibbering wreck.

I am such a proud mum tonight, and i'm filled with that much love that I think I am going to explode !!!

Layout (above)

The Nooby Boobie (my team on UKS) challenge for July. We had to scrap an achievement using more than one photograph, more than three patterned papers AND had to have a song title as the title.

Cyber Classes

I was asked to produce a Cyber Crop class for Scrapstars using a fab Angel Crafts kit. The kit contained amongst a lot of things, the fab Cosmo Cricket Dutch Girl papers.

The two layouts above and the ATC are three of the things I designed, and I STILL have heaps of the kit left.

Stamping Up

I'm sitting on tenterhooks waiting for the new Fall 2007 Stampin Up catalogue to be launched on their website..... its being launched at Noon ... but I haven't got a clue which time zone !!!

Will provide you with a link once its 'live' !!!

Actually got some crafting done - yay !!

Aaron was out at an all day Paintballing party today, so I had a whole day to myself to craft ! YAY !!!

The card above (for sarah from sarahscards) was made using Stampin Up Very Punny set, Paperamia alphabet set (dontcha just love how cheap they are) BG Lollipop Shoppe (they have just GOT to bring it back), fabby ribbons from Little Silver Hat ... and a couple of Lil Davies heart pins.

Also managed to get a stack of other cards made and 3 layouts. One of my pupils brought in some photographs from a wedding she attended in Pakistan and they were just begging to be scrapped with Rhonna Farrer papers .. HOWEVER .. i've had to keep the layouts pretty plain, because i'm not sure how 'embellished' her mum wants the pages - hence why I've only made up 3 for now until I get a better idea.

Can't wait for tomorrow, as I'll be attending the Warrington Crop and will get even more crafting done ... well inbetween the Costco cookies and pastries .. oh, and pizza hut at lunch time !!

Catcha soon - take care out there xxxxxxxxxxx

Oooops - I forgot my poor blog !!

Thank you to everyone for nagging me to update my Blog !!

Well, I've got heaps of news !

Firstly - we've sold our house - yippee !!! The 'For Sale' sign went up on the Friday, we received a phone call from the Estate Agents on Saturday. The viewers came round on Sunday and they put an offer in on Monday. The buyers Surveyor came round today - so hopefully it will just be a couple of weeks until its done and dusted.

Secondly - I have a new job. Its on top of my normal job, but its an extra 8.5 hours on top which will run through all the holidays as well. The job is basically a Transition Mentor for Key Stage 4 kids - which means that I will be helping selected cohorts through their GCSE exams, and then help them to select specific college/training courses etc.,. It also means that I will be able to follow these cohorts/young adults for a year after leaving school.

For me personally, it means that I can stick with my 'special kids' and not have the stress of worrying what they're up to without me !!

Will add some crafting work shortly !

RIP Denise

My friend Sue from 'home' phoned me on Wednesday night to inform me that yet another of my friends had passed away.

Denise was an alcoholic and had been for years. She was 38 and left two young children of 12 and 7.

In our single days, there used to be about 6 of us who would meet up on a Wednesday, go for a drink and then land at Sue's house and have a take-away. Our weekends would be spent drinking and nightclubbing.

However, once we were all married and/or had our children, we just kept up our Wednesday night 'dates'. Over time though, it was obvious that Denise had a problem. I won't go into details, this isn't the place, and I'm not sure I won't word it right, but I need to get things off my chest. Denise lost a great job, a wonderful husband who tried for years to help her, she lost her home and then she eventually lost her kids. Surely at some point, something would have 'registered' with her that something was wrong??? Surely something more could have been done. As friends we tried to talk to her about it, and she confessed that she knew she had a problem, but that it was under control. Eventually, she would just get nasty if you mentioned it.

The last time I remember seeing her, she looked like a tramp and stank of booze.

I wish to god I had given her a good shake then and tried to make her see sense. Even after being hospitalised on many occasions - she still carried on.

I just can't find a rhyme or reason to it .... I wish I had an answer.

I know now that she is at peace and rid of this wretched illness.

Love to you and yours xx

I've been tagged .... again !!!!

..... by Bev ... so ........ 7 things about me ..... hmmmmmmmmm

1. I always try to see the funny side of things, which can often lead me into trouble.

One of my best mates 'Little Sue' had a fab budgie called Eric. He died. She told me. I was devastated for her because I knew how much Eric meant to her ... what did I do ? laugh .... I think it must be a nervous thing.

Its like when someone tells you bad news .. what do we say "nooooo you're kidding/joking/lying' ... I mean why do we say it ?? We know they're not kidding/joking/lyin ... but still we say it ...... mad or wot ???

2. I hate hate hate those green rubbery things ..... no no no not rubber washing up glovey things ...... what are they called ..erm ... erm ... advocados .. jeez they're 'orrible. They're green and rubber and gross - yeuch yeuch.

3. I appeared on daytime television 3 times. *shuts gob* *says no more*

4. I go to church - only occasionally, but I do go.

5. I talk a lot !!!!!!! Now, who never knew that ????? PML !!

6. I once stole a bus. *says no more*

7. I am a twin.

8..... this is a bonus one ......... I haven't got a clue who I am gonna tag .. but I'll come back and let ya know !

Check out my Guestbook!

What Year Do You Belong In ????

You Belong in 1993

With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

More UKS Cybercrop details ....

This is the challenge class that I was asked to design. I made two 'teapots' for the challenge - as you can see, one was painted, and the 'flowerpot' was decorated with blossoms and flowers ... and hundreds of brads !!

Hope you like ! xx

More News .....

I was asked by Rebecca at Rebeccas Scrapbooking Stash to do some altering work for her. These are two of the projects I made.

If the pictures come out ok, then the top photographs will show the altered cigar box made with yummy Dream Street papers, lil david hardware and blossoms .... and the purse underneath was made using Tim Holtz alcohol inks and stazon stamping. I'm going to use the purse to hold Prima's in and clip it to my tote !

I really enjoyed making these projects .. and Aaron has already claimed the cigar box for his teacher when he leaves school in July - although he's requested that it gets stuffed with chocolates .... one had to bite one's tongue to stop myself from telling him to 'get stuffed' !!!

UKS Cybercrop Weekend Win

UKS Cybercrop weekend was last week. I was very fortunate to be in the Clubs team ... and what a team we were, as we went on to win the competition !!! Go girls !!!

Anyway, I also amazingly won one of the Mystery Kit challenges along with three other very talented crafters, and this is what I made. For info (and my cousin Gill xx who reads my blog) you can only use whatever is in the kit and nothing else.

Its called Scrapology and its based on the game of Monopoly. Instead of buying the normal streets, you buy UKS sponsors shops and instead of buying the Utility companies, you can buy UKS forums !! There is a Community Chest and Chance ... and instead of getting sent to Jail you get sent to the Kitchen to do some housework !!

Hope you like the photographs.

Holiday - yay !!!!

YAY !!! Broke up for the holidays on Friday - yippeee yay !!!

I really need this rest - so much has been happening in school. We've had ongoing racial disputes with pupils for a while now, but more recently the tension has been mounting and mounting. There have been fights nearly every day and I was first on the scene to one particular nasty fight and ended up getting a couple of kicks and a punch trying to separate it. Not nice.

Anyway, I've been joining in with the Cyber Crop weekend on Scrapstars this weekend. I only found the site on Friday courtesy of Angela @ Angel Crafts, and I have been really warmly received. Their Cyber Crop has been going on all week and runs into next week again, but the climax was this weekend. The layout above is one of the digi-projects that I took part in - but used stash instead. I don't know what it is about digi-scrapping, but I can't do it, and I just don't think I could get my ahead around not being able to sniff and stroke my stash !!!

Well, I'll be heading to Mums at the end of the week. Aaron is at football from Monday to Wednesday, so I reckon Stewart and I could get some serious cleaning done ! I'll just play it by ear and go with the flow tho ....

Stamping Up !

YAY !!! My first lot of Stamping Up stamps arrived yesterday from Canada. These two first sets I've managed to get are sets that I've been after for some time. Paris in Spring and Alphabet Soup. The cards above are three of the cards I've made today whilst I've been having a play.

I've got another two sets coming any day now .... and I'm therefore busy stalking the postman !!

There's a whisper that SU are coming to the UK in 2008, which will be fab news. They don't only sell stamps and rollerstamps, but also cardstock, amazing ink pads, patterned papers and heaps of embellishments - all of which co-ordinate with each other. Cardstock to match inkpads - I mean how cool is that !!!

Why oh why can't we get British manufacturers to do the same thing :(

Angel Crafts Design Team work

Mad busy ... but ......

This is a commissioned canvas I have done for a colleague at work.

Used: Scenic route papers, maya road chipboard flourishes, AC ribbons from little silver hat and heidi swapp alphas.

Will follow this post with some DT 'offerings' ...........

Sunday 11th March

(This is the layout I mention below where you can't really see the 3-d effect)

Not a lot to report really. I've been busy making more cards for school - Mothers Day and more Birthday cards - don't know why my cards are suddenly starting to sell so well, but i'm not complaining !!

Did a nice layout during the week, but sadly you can't see all the stand-out flowers on them or the doodling. I seriously need to think about buying a decent camera, but other 'needed' things keep being 'needed' :(

Anyway, i've got a mad couple of weeks coming up at school - loads going on. Kids need to take their ROAs home tomorrow (Record of Achievements) and I need to double check that everything is inside them that should be so that their parents can read them and comment upon them at Parents Evening.

Tuesday is Interform, where the whole Year group competes against each class - In two years my class has only won one category - the boys hockey !!

Parents evening on Wednesday (can't wait as I really need to have serious talks with some parents and I am going to be brutally honest instead of trying to keep the discussion about their child 'positive') . There's a limit to how many times a child can get away with saying "Shurrup ya gay or Shurrup ya slag" without me wanting to turn em over and slap their backsides.

I believe that the positive approach with kids does work, and I also believe that inclusion works. However, as is always the case, there are the exceptions to the rule. I seem to have all the 'exceptions' in my class tho !! Sometimes the heavy handed approach works better (and I don't mean physically), but it has to come from both school AND the parents. What's the point of phoning home and having parents come into school when the same child goes home, walks up to their room and starts playing on their playstations, listening to their Ipods and watching TV via their DVDs ......

If I were ever called into Aaron's school - then I'm afraid all he'd be left with in his bedroom would be a mattress and covers .. and a book. End of. We used to get the threat of the ruler at school and/or cane depending on the severity of the punishment and at home, I used to have the threat of my mothers wooden scholl. Neither did me any harm, and I do feel that it gave me a good grounding.

Grrrrrrrr - sorry, just needed to let off steam there ....

I digress, Thursday will be getting the school ready for Red Nose Day which will be on Friday. We have male teachers being waxed, female teachers 'colouring' their hair for the day, some forms are having PJ parties ... and one Key Stage Manager is going to be dunked and savagely attacked by soft tomatoes - gross !!!

Anyway, inbetween all this, I hope to have some free evenings to be able to relax by crafting. I would hate to think how high my BP would be if I didn't have this wonderful activity to help me relax.

Hope you all have a fabulous week xxxxxxxxx

Back ... sorry for the delay

Above is the fab Calendar Book we made with Emily Adams using the equally fab Rock Star Imagination Gin-X papers that Emily designed - cool or wot !!!!! You get heaps on the chipboard sheets so well worth buying !

Above are the fab tags we made with Tim Holtz - if you would like the instructions of each technique used, please feel free to email me.

Away with the Fairies Retreat

Wow - i've been so busy this week its been unbelievable ... anyway ... the Away with the Fairies Retreat.

OMG - it was fab ......

Arrived Friday in Oxford and went to a local shopping mall to do some shopping (obviosuly) !!! The hotel was only 10 mins away, but there had been an accident, and it took us over an hour to get to the hotel .... We had to sign in at 7pm and then instructed to go straight to class ... well it was only a class by the incredible Emily Adams from Imagination Gin-X .... OMG she was fabulous. So easy to talk to and get along with ... i think she thought we were all mad .. but anyway, here's a video on HER blog ... with us lot on it ... we're the last table she came to ..

Here (look for Teaching at Away with the Fairies)

Guess who else was there ..... Tim !!!!!!!!!!! OMG he was standing in front of me ... and I tried to play it cool, but I was actually physically shaking. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak .. nothing ... then I pulled myself together ... got a photo took with him, and got on with Emily's class. I'd been looking at their new papers from CHA and thinking I could do a fab journal with the Rock Star ones .. and lo and behold the class was with the Rock Star papers - freaky or wot !

Saturday morning came ... and my first class was with Tim Holtz ... we made the most beautiful necklace made using a watch fob, diamond crown and silver wings, oh and the inside is a miniature collage (below)...... The second class was all about techniques using the new Adirondak Acrylic Paint Dabbers/Daubers .... wow ..... wow ... wow.... He really teaches in such a laid back manner .. and nothing is too much trouble ... anyway, above is the tag book we made using the techniques Tim taught us.

I'll upload class 3 tomorrow ............ phew !

I'm Away .......

with the fairies .... at the Away with the Fairies retreat - back on Monday ....

Oh, and did I mention I get to meet 'Sir Tim' ??? Boy, I can't wait.

Catch ya soon one an all xxxxxxxxxxx