Christmas Eve

I can't believe we are here already.

Presents wrapped, tinsel on the tree and my family at home with me. What more could a girl ask for?

I wanted to share one of my favourite photos of Ayla with you.

I couldnt have done this without the lessons that I learnt on Cheryl Johnson's 12 Days of Christmas photography course. I got a free place, and have loved doing the assignments and seeing what everyone else has done. I am still working through them because we have been in and out of hospital this month, but hopefully it will help me take better photos over the festive season.

And obviously I'll have to make them into layouts, that may or may not require me to spend some christmas money on new stash....LOL! Hopefully though there will be more time for crafting in the new year....I have lots of photos that i want to start putting into her album for her.

I hope you all have a safe and twinkling bright christmas and a happy new year

12 Days of Christmas

Well, it's December 1st today.

I can't believe that we got this far. Ayla had her first night sleep in her new cot last night. She looks teeny tiny in it, but i think she liked it better than her moses basket. I think it was better as she could see everything around her. The moses basket is a little too solid for her liking, lol.

It is the first day of the photography course Cheryl Johnson is running. 12 days of christmas. Hopefully by the end of this course I will be taking better photos and will have some that i am happy with of my little bundle of fun.

Welcome to Karen my latest follower, I hope you enjoy the blog. Hopefully I will be better at updating now that we are out of hospital again.

a halloween photo

Well, Ayla's first Halloween went well. All the cousins came over to visit in their outfits. Ayla made a special appearance in her little orange suit. Of course by the time i got to take this photo her cousins had worn her out and she was falling asleep in my arms.

I was so excited to be in UK for halloween this year, and it met all my expectations! I love all the different holidays in Autumn and Winter.

cant wait til tomorrow

Another weekend gone by in a flash, but I am really looking forward to Halloween. This is the first time I have been in UK for it since 2006.

I cant wait to see all my nieces and nephews in their costumes rather than just get photos after the fact. Ofcourse, I also cant wait to dress Ayla in her little costume. More on that tomorrow!

Kerem flies in for a visit tomorrow hopefully so that will make it even more special.

Welcome to my new followers Marjo and Pauline and Old Geezer, sorry it has taken me so long to say Hi!

woyww 125

It's Wednesday, I'm at home (Tuesday night) and I've got some pages to share.

Can you tell I'm pleased to be joining in the fun again at the crafting 'place to be': Julia's bloghop a place where we share what we are working on.

I have been a bit monopolised by DD but getting a moment to scrap some of her first photos was a real treat when we were at Rachel House, one of the CHAS facilities in Kinross.

Hope you like the pages, and I hope to get a peek at what everyone else is working on too.

2 months old today

Well I never thought that we would get here, but I'm so glad that she is going strong.

We have had our challenges, but for today we are at home.

Out on day pass

well, it is 8 weeks and we have been in and out of the hospital for almost 7 weeks. I cant tell you how grateful I am that we have had such fabulous support - from family, friends, the hospital...everyone involved in fact!

Since Wednesday we have been trying a couple of hours out of the hospital room. I have had snatches of time to do things like email, blog and organise Ayla's clothes. She has had such lovely gifts, but i am afraid of not getting to them in time before she outgrows them. I tend just to use the same things over and over in the hospital.

well, short post for now to make sure it posts. Forgive me for not responding to everyones lovely comments. I only get onto blogger when i get a moment at home...and there are not many...lol. But from the bottom of my heart ...thank you for your support.

our precious little ayla angel

 Our precious little girl. Born Thursday 18 Aug 2011 at 8.01am

thank you all for your lovely thoughts and comments

still in neonatal, but i wanted to share her with you all
xx

woyww 115

Well, I'm not here....I'm there....in hospital....hopefully in the delivery ward by the time you all visit.

So, no crafty cards to view...no half worked layouts to peek at, but hopefully a little bundle of joy will be here later today. You can rest assured that i will be posting a photo or two as soon as i can, but it might take me a bit of time to get round to everyone's desks this week. I'm pretty sure you will all forgive me the delay.

To see some more craft related sites, pop over to Julia's blog and have a hop around some of the other desks just waiting there to greet you.

have a wonderful wednesday!

Teased on Tuesday

Well, here I still am....still waiting....

This morning I had a few twinges, and I was sooooooo excited thinking that this was little button about to make her way into the world....but, NO! Everything settled back down again and here she sits - biding her time (a lot more patiently than her parents are).

My sister in law gave me some Clary Sage essential oil, which i have been applying every night but I think I'm going to give her it back today as it obviously hasn't worked its miracle yet!

So, on my last day of being pregnant looking back i can honestly say that i have loved every moment of it. I have more enjoyed the latter months when i could feel her move inside, but since the first scan when all i could see was a little dot I have been falling in love with her piece by piece. I think we are so lucky to have this private time with our child, I feel so privileged that i have been able to carry to term.

I am sure that tomorrow is not exactly going to be a walk in the park, but I'm looking forward to it all the same.

Lastly, just a quick thank you to everyone who has left supportive messages over the last months, they have truly been appreciated.

monday madness ... 5 days over

I'm 5 days overdue now.....and to be honest I'm just bursting to see her.

Poor Kerem is a bit stir crazy, he is not used to an hour to himself never mind a whole week - ha! I have sent him out to meet up with his best man for some lunch and a bit of a blether. He keeps asking if she is coming any time soon....like I have any idea! But, I just smile sweetly and say that she is in charge for a little while.

At least I know that on Wednesday I will be in hospital, so not very much longer to wait and i am loving every minute of being pregnant.

WOYWW 114

My Due Date....and assorted pressies that my wonderful friends have given me!

Well obviously my due date isnt on my desk, rather my desk calendar! And as for the pressies, they are all in my bag for the hospital, but i had to show this cutie!
So, what is on my desk today? Not much crafting unforunately as DH is now here with me and I am trying to spend as much quality time with him as I can before the birth. It also means that I am OK for her arrival when ever she decides from now.

This is a page that i started last weekend, still havent finished but like it all the same so thought that i would share. Sorry about the quality but it is in the page protector with all the other bits that are meant to be on the page by now!

This post is short and sweet, but to see much more interesting desks pop over to Julia's desk to see what we all do with that stash under our desk.

Daddy's here....YAY!

He's sleeping just now, catching up from an overnight flight, but at least he was with me at the last trace of the baby's heart this morning.

I can't believe how much more settled I am knowing that he is here until the birth now. I knew I would be upset if he missed it, but I didn't think I would be so relieved to see him. Even though things are up in the air with the baby's health, everything just feels better now.

I think he was surprised at how big the bump is, even though people keep telling me how 'neat' I am, I dont think he was prepared for the bump LOL!

Tomorrow is officially my Due Date, but to be honest she can come when ever she wants now that Daddy is here.

Countdown

I am on a countdown to so many things at the moment I hardly know where to start.

Counting down to Kerem arriving on Tuesday morning.....
Counting down to my due date on Wednesday.....
Counting down to my induction date a week on Wednesday....
Counting down til I get back to my own house in Turkey....

The best and worst of all though, is counting down to the birth of my daughter and not knowing what will happen next. Wishing for so much and fearful of even more.

I have been keeping myself very busy over the last few months, but it is harder to distract myself just now. I have been a little down, and I really dont like it! I'm not prone to wallowing in self pity or the blues so I have decided enough is enough!

I am going to go baby shopping today and buy a couple of things for the baby. Everything that I have for her at the moment has come from friends and family. I think that there should be at least one thing from her mother, should she survive it will be the first thing that she wears!

WOYWW 113

Well, I'm hoping that this is a less worrying wednesday than last week. I got my post all written up on the Tuesday and then spent most of last Wednesday in hospital. Hopefully that won't happen again this week and I'm hoping that little ms button nose will stay where she was put last week.....i.e. head down!


At the weekend I did manage to start a couple of pages at my local crop. They are still on my workdesk, but I've not got round to tweeking just yet!

We were having a Tim experience. We got to use lots of his dies and alcohol inks. The dies were cool, of course now I want them ALL....but the AIs were my favourite thing that we got to play with.

I quickly realised what I had been doing wrong (no blending solution) so I'm looking forward to getting back to my stash in Turkey with my new purchases so that I can have a proper play next time.

Hope you share your workspace with us over at Julia's blog.

have a great wednesday

39 weeks and counting

Well last wednesday was a day spent in hospital getting a breech baby turned the right way round. I can't say it was an enjoyable experience, but it wasn't painful and it was a success!

I'm hoping now that I will be able to have a natural birth, but you know what...if it all goes pear shaped I'm OK with a section as long as it lets her survive.

Up until the weekend I have been having lots of tightenings, but they have settled down a little now. I'm scheduled to be induced at 1 week overdue which is the 17th Aug, so that is kind of what i am counting down to. Hopefully when ever she makes an appearance, Kerem will be here by then.

WOYWW 112

A scrapbook page and a couple of cards are sitting on my desk at the moment. It is getting a bit more difficult to craft now that there is a sizeable bump in the way, but I'm determined....LOL. It just takes me longer as the pauses in between grow ever more frequent.

The cards were quickie makes from Kanban, the LO was MME papers, MS border punch & doily heart punch, card candy and xcut butterfly punch.

I'm off to a workshop on saturday where we are going to focus on Tim Holtz products. I am so excited about this because I love his stuff, but can never seem to bring it all together. Hopefully Karen will set me right, and probably bust my bank balance in the process when i realise that i can't live without...A..B..C....from his range. Still, that's the price we all pay...isn't it!

If you are wondering what WOYWW is all about, join Julia in her internation bloghop and see if we can tempt you to join in.

Babysitting the boys and a bit of papercrafting

My BFF asked if I would watch her 3 boys this weekend overnight. I have to say that I was dreading the overnight part, as I'm 38 weeks and not that comfortable any more.

It was so much fun, and really nice to catch up with the boys again. The overnight bit wasn't half as bad as I had imagined it could be.

I used to have the 3 boys for a full weekend, twice a year, when i was living in UK. Now I feel that I hardly see them other than christmas. So on Saturday night we spent a couple of hours watching craft TV of all things, and playing with a die cutting machine. Normally the boys don't do 'CRAFT' but watching the die cutter in process seemed more like engineering to them so caught their attention.

Isn't it funny how we all see the same thing in completely different ways.

WOYWW 111 and some stamping

It's Wednesday again, although it is kind of my Monday as this is the first day back to work for me - but hey 3 days later and it's my weekend again so all is good.

Managed some playtime last week. Was stamping butterflies and reindeer. The butterflies are from a set of 3 Woodware stamps i got at the SECC fair back in March but i had fun experimenting with gel pens; promarkers and stickles to see what kind of results i could get. To be honest the stickles I prefer using over precoloured sections to highlight, or as little snowflake dabs. They didn't give good enough coverage to be used on their own.

I was also having some problems with my memento ink - it didnt give great coverage on block areas  (as all the white bits on the reindeer shows), it was OK as outlines for the butterflies.

So what have you been playing with, join us over on Julia's blog to see what we have all been doing.

have a great wednesday

Some birthday LOs

Well after doing virtually no crafting last week I am proud to say that i managed a double layout for mum. She didnt say anything last week, but i know that she loves getting new pages - especially as she has just bought a new album for the grandchildren.

My SIL was chuffed when i gave her the LO that i did for my youngest nephew. She had keepsakes for the other 3, so now she does for Thomas too.

Might even try to finish off some Christmas in July cards this weekend as i have nothing organised.

will let you know how i get on...

Hope everyone has a great weekend, despite this rotten weather

WOYWW 110

I'm not really sure where last week went. Ok so, let me think..... Tues shopping in Falkirk with mum, Mon coffee with a mate, sun swimming with my BFF, sat babysitting, fri/thur/wed working. Ah, so that is what happened.....

Isn't it strange how a whole week can be reduced to a couple of sentences. Well, back to today and this is what is on my workdesk. If you hadnt' already guessed, no crafting got done really so my workdesk is EXACTLY the same as last week. How SAD is that! I had great plans, but they all kind of went pear shaped. I dont have any excuse other than not being focused.

Still, today i can focus on the other fab desks that you will find over at Julia's blog. Hopefully they will inspire me to get cracking and crafting...

Happy Wednesday.

WOYWW 109

It's here again...wednesday. My first day of work so this will be a short post because i forgot to write it last night.

This is my desk today. It has lots of lovely Papermania christmas stuff on it. Check out the white and black christmas ribbon. Not my normal choice but they looked so fab i had to have them.
The pack was put together by Karen at my local craft shop as a bargain for the Blooming Tea Party she held for Marie Curie on friday. Papers, vellums, stickers etc.

I dont normally do Christmas in July, but couldnt help myself with those lovely papers. Hopefully i will have a stash by the time posting deadlines come around this year.

Well if you want to see more desks pop over to Julia's blog.

Happy Wednesday

couple of baby cards

One of the girls that i work with has just had a baby girl so i was making these cards for me and mum.

swiss dots card stock and LOTV babies cute squares, some anitas gems and some left over plastic flower string that i had lying around.

Then i thought I might as well make a boy one for my box as i had some left over bits of decoupage. I dont really like decoupage that much, but thought I should use all my leftovers up.

At our local craft shop they were selling the new papermania packs cheap. The promotion was on the christmas carol linen paper range and some vellum, then i just had to buy the coordinating ribbon. So working on some christmas cards just now - more so that i can play with my new stash than a deep desire to get an early start on christmas!

Also, happy 4th of July to my American friends.

to be or not to be....prepared for a crop

Well, I organised my photos, pulled out some papers that went together, separated some of the embellishments and headed down for the crop yesterday.

I got a whopping 3 whole pages finished, and  start on another couple too. Definately a record for me, normally i spend half the morning just looking through my papers.

I also tried to use sketches for all 3 LOs. The first was for the weekly challenge on UKS the other 2 i just drew up a sketch myself. It seemed to work for me: sketches and some pre-crop prep!

DCWV Mango frost pp; papermania rikrak; anitas gems; stickles; sizzix lettering

DCWV paper, DCWV mango frost for the scalloped strip; papermania buttons; card candy, tesco foam letters

WRMK papers, Tesco foam letters, papermania minialpha fun green

I am well chuffed with my output level, but sitting across from Barbara who got 7 LOs done means that i could probably do better still. I had fun though, and that is the main thing.

WOYWW 108

Another week gone in a haze...and another desk. Just one of the many on Julia's blog. This time, my poor mum has given up her computer desk so that i have a proper chair to sit on and more than a postage stamp to work on, lol!

OK so there is not much on it, apart from a WIP but there is more stash this week than I've had the last couple of months to play with. That pleases me.....I'm sure you all understand why....

Got a couple of cards done this week and a layout. Trying to get all my birthday cards made in advance so that I have a stash ready for what ever happens in the next few months. It is so nice to have finally finished snagging and handed the house keys over to the letting agent. Now I dont have any guilt hanging over me stopping me playing with my stash.

I am ahead of the game in organising myself for the crop on saturday....so i will report back and let you know if i am any more productive or whether I will just chat and procrastinate anyway - Ha!

100 posts!

Wow, I can hardly believe that i actually reached double figures, now I am writing my 100th post!

Todays thought: Do you cut or not?

Reading some of the blogs of my craft buddies, it would appear that unlike me they have no hesitation about cutting into a full 12x12 sheet of patterned paper. And you know what....their pages are all the better for it.

I on the other hand struggle with making that first snip. Ofcourse, once the courage is plucked all bets are off and it doesnt matter if i need a small piece or a bigger section, a circle or a star shape...anything is allowed because it is already cut into.

So how do you go about galvanising for that first snip?

Do you work out the price of the sheet? Does it depreciate with age or does that make it more precious?
Do you balance compromising the full sheet with buying another newer one?

What works for you?

up for a challenge

I am not well known for being organised when it comes to crafting, but reading Julia's post her comment about crops and how her friend has a productive session due to her pre-crop preparation, I figured why not give it a try. Normally I am well impressed if i come away from a crop with a whole page finished. I'm ecstatic if i get a start on a second page!

So next Saturday is Kaledia-krop and I have set myself the challenge of:

1. preparing photos (shouldnt be too difficult as i just had 150 printed off last week)
2. preparing papers (a tad more difficult, I'm a nightmare at matching papers to photos)
3. preparing embellishments (think i might just take my entire stash, which isnt a lot in UK)

Basically, i will try to be as organised as i can be and see how many pages i can produce at the crop. I'll let you know how I get on.

WOYWW 107

I've been MIA for a few weeks, but hopefully back on track now. I did still have a bit of a snoop at all things crafty on Julia's lovely blog to keep my hand in.

This week i have been making a couple of cards and a couple of layouts, but as you can see my stash is limited as is my useable work area.

Oh for my desk in Turkey. I think that is why  i'm not crafting so much. I have a little camping stool to go with the little sidetable, which is not very comfy at 33 weeks preggers, but it is better than kneeling (I'm finding it harder to get up now, lol).

So not much going on other than some stamping and I am still trying to get to grips with my promarkers.

is it cheating?

Do you use premade scrapbook pages?

I bought a few packs from TKMaxx when i came home in April to build up my stash of scrapbooking papers. Whilst choosing i found a couple of packs which were premade and all you had to do was add photos. I bought 3 different packs: 2 summery and 1 easter themed.

My mum loves getting new pages for her albums, and i had gone through a bit of a dry spell so i thought that this would be an easy way of starting again.

I guess it also means that there is at least some variety in the look, as my latter pages all have that same formula look to them.

But, my question is ... is it cheating???

how do all my pages end up looking the same?

Another week passes by in a blur, but Monday seems to be my day to catch up on all things crafty. Probably because i have the house to myself so i feel that i can lounge about and do what i want. 

On UKS this week the blog bits talk about 'clean and simple'.  I do like this style but i have noticed that over the last few months my layouts all sort of look the same, probably because this is the style I default to when inspiration deserts me.

In an attempt to vary my layouts I thought i would have a look at Shimelle's sketch of the week but as i have just printed off 150 photos, none of which are bigger than 4x6, the sketch didnt work for me this time. Not to be defeated though, i read down to her post about her early years album where she takes you through one of her albums which documents her childhood. What I found interesting was that not only were there pages made recently but there were pages from her earlier scrapbooking years. I didnt find the same layout/style/look in any of the pages that she displayed.

I think one of my problems is that i pick up a lovely patterned paper and feel the need to use it as the whole sheet. This ofcourse limits the position and sometimes the number of photos you can use. As i looked back through Shimelle's layouts she seemed to have used plain backgrounds, then blocks of the patterned paper as accents or highlights. Think i might try this approach, and ofcourse use some of her previous sketches as a starting point.

time for a catch up

I can't believe it has been so long since i blogged.

Well, the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur...Kerem left for home again last week as Mum returned from her Canadian holiday, there was work and babysitting and trying to clean the house....but now it is back to reality. I am enjoying working part time at Simone's salon. I have even got my head around some of the beauty treatments and products. Although getting used to being back at work has been tiring to say the least. I suppose it might have something to do with starting work in my 3rd trimester!

The scan last week went well. I cant believe that i am 32 weeks now! Kerem and I were in the new Larbert hospital for this scan and on our way out we bumped into one of my cousins. I think the last time we saw each other was at my Dad's funeral....9 years ago. It was nice to get back in touch, and I went round to visit at the weekend and met her kids, who are very grown up now from what i remember.

When we were out at the shops her youngest asked if i was staying for dinner, I said that i wasn't and that i would head home after the shops. Ofcourse, that was a little chat just between the 2 of us. So, when we all got back to the house and she turned to ask if i was going home now I think my cousin almost feinted....aghast that her daughter could be so rude! I thought it was hilarious, but then i was privvy to the first part of the conversation - which i hastily repeated so the wee one wouldnt get into trouble. Lets face it, it was an honest question on her part anyway. I wouldnt have been offended with or without the first part of the conversation.

It is so refreshing to see children's curiosity and honesty.

I am planning on doing a wee bit more babysitting of my youngest nephew this week hopefully, and hoping for more photos. I am hoping to get some crafting done this week, especially because I have a few birthdays coming up and ofcourse the photos need scrapping. Although I checked the local Morrisons, and it is going to be 20p per print. Anyone know of cheaper options?

All work and no play....

makes me grumpy!

Today should be a crafty blog day, but I have been so busy with the house trying to get it into a state of readiness for letting that i have had limited time to play with my crafty stuff. All i have managed to achieve this week is punching out some Martha Stewart butterflies. That is also the main reason for my lack of blogging in general.

I also wanted to thank the ladies that left me such lovely messages last week on my post. It really does help when i read your comments, so thank you.

After meeting with a new letting agent, they have advised that rentals are going better as unfurnished. So, with that in mind we have decided to gut the house. So far we have taken rubbish/old furniture to the skip; got the council to do a special uplift and arranged for some of the better items to be taken away by one of the charities.

Needless to say, I want to try to get the house finished this week. Then there is the painting. Why is it that everything you look at, the more you look at it, needs painted?!?

I have to say that my family and my best pal have been a great support. It is actually quite difficult clearing a loft at 6 months pregnant! It is impossible to do it on your own! And the extra hands where the painting comes in ....well, that helps too.

I have a midwife appointment today, so i figure that is a good excuse to go visit all the WOYWW desks to get at least a little crafty fix!

Hope you all have a wonderful wednesday.

another day another scan

Thursday I had another ultrasound to check the baby's heart. That was the first scan since finding out that the baby had Edwards Syndrome, Trisomy 18. It was mainly to check for heart defects. Thankfully the consultant couldn't find any problems, although he was careful to remind me that this condition means that issues can still come up.

Seemingly about 60% of pregnancies dont make it to full term. Of those that do most babies don't survive past a week.

The first decision i need to make is whether to have a planned caesarean or try for normal birth. He said that if I try for a normal birth and they monitor the baby's heartbeat they will more than likely end up doing an emergency section as the baby will more than likely go into distress. I want a normal birth, but I get the feeling that there is nothing normal about this situation.

The second decision that I need to think about is how I want to proceed after the birth it the baby survives. Do I let the pediatricians care for the baby? Or do I keep baby with me and maximise the time we would have together? I think this is a no win situation. I imagine that i will feel guilty with which ever option i choose. So far I have chosen both options thousands of times and then changed my mind again....

So for now, I am praying with all my heart that we just get some time with the baby, however we choose to proceed.

WOYWW 100

It is officially wednesday, although it feels strangely like a very late Tuesday night, so I guess it is OK to post about what is happening on my workdesk.

Well, nothing is happening on my desk - cos it's in Turkey and I am in UK. However, i have been spending far too much time down at Karen's Crafted Creations. Apart from all the crafty gossip we have been catching up on, I have also been catching up on some birthday cards. Caught by the skin of my teeth I might add!

Although i don't have all my stash or my tools with me, i have managed admirably to beg, borrow and blag everything i have needed this past week from my crafty mentor. She also has 2 gorgeous chocolate labradoodles which take residence in the craft zone at the weekend.

I managed to get to a craft show this saturday and picked up a couple of things like the craft mat that is on the desk at the moment. I tried to heat emboss my last one to disasterous results.  The other bits and bobs came from Karen - the do craft grab bag which i have to say i have got my money's worth out of already. Don't you love it when that happens! You buy it, you use it, you know that you have saved money with it and still you get to play with new stash. Totally cool!

If you are wondering why i am ranting on about desks etc then pop over to Julia's blog to find all the answers.

Hope everyone has a crafty wonderful wednesday

It's not so much a chore as a challenge...and a godsend

I am now over half way through my JYC album. It is under my skin now...challenging me to get it finished!

One of my friends suggested that it should be enjoyable rather than a chore. She is so right, but I do actually find that the more i sit and go through the pages of journalling the more I enjoy it. I'm not stressing about making it a photo album anymore. The whole point was to journal Christmas afterall!

Also, I am remembering to enjoy my pregnancy, regardless of the worry. When i was journalling in December we didnt know the problems that the baby was going to face, and my notes are so much more positive than i have felt in so long. So, for the next day or two I might try to finish off the project because it is such a positive influence. Who knew a WIP could be so inspiring after being left for so long!

WOYWW 98

It's Wednesday again so let's have a look at Julia's blog to see what everyone has been working on this week.

This is my last WOYWW Turkish desk for a while. I'm heading home to UK for a few months so i have been trying desperately to finish some of my WIPs. The main one is my JYC album, others include some of the heritage photos and baby photos for my mum's albums.

Here is my desk, and a peek at one of the pages on it.  It is a little tidier (honest) than normal because in true Turkish fashion, when time is at a premium we start a project. I have 3 days left here, so DH decided that the time was right to paint the ENTIRE HOUSE. I know....but honestly, I've kind of given up arguing. Like putting a fireplace in 5 days before christmas, it will work out somehow. Some things might go undone, but hey it's only a house. (DH doesnt include my sanity as something that should be effected by such things lol).

Next week my desk will be a kitchen table at Mums, and in a few months it will be my normal desk just in a room with different coloured paint.

So join in the fun, and let us have a peek at your desk.

JYC back on track

Well, after dropping by a few of the participants that managed to finish their JYC album - Pauline and Mel

I was motivated to give my album another go. Mel's words hit the mark when she said that she might not love every page but she loved the project. I think that might have been what was holding me back. Kind of like the photo intimidation that i spoke about on this page .

So here are a few more of my JYC pages:

taking time to look at these pages, it reminds me that the project was to journal, not just make pretty pages.

Hopefully there will still be more to come, and one day i might get to let everyone know that i have indeed finished the project. 

Big hello to my new followers - pauline and mel.

I'm trying to keep posting as much craft related stuff as i can on the blog, but a few everyday stories might pop up now and then.

what happened to JYC 2010?

Well.......i think my mojo deserted it. I did my journalling every day of the Journal Your Christmas course, but somehow the layouts never seemed to appear. Infact, to date I have still only achieved about 20% of the project.

Woeful, isnt it! As i have just finished the re-run of Shimelle's Blogging For Scrapbookers course it has got me thinking that i should maybe revisit my work in progress from her JYC course.

Ofcourse next year, I might not commit to doing a layout for everyday, but only do a layout for those days that i feel has something worthy of a layout. Or i might decide that i want to have a christmas day photo every year for my big album. Who knows...

For now, It's back to the craft room to try to salvage my mini album. Wish me luck (and inspiration).

baby layout - mine all mine

Well, I took the bull by the horns last night. I pulled together some of the papers & cardstock that i thought worked together and started the layout.

I used this weekly sketch by Shimelle to produce this layout. I'm normally a lot more clean & simple in my layouts, but i love the cluttered/embellished look that some layouts have. It's just that i normally need a bit of a push in the right direction to achieve that look for one of my layouts.

There is a bit of reflection on the photo because the sun is shining through the window at the moment, but you get the general idea.

This was the photo that i wanted to do justice, I'm relatively happy with the layout and I'm even happier that it is actually going to stay in one of my very own albums (as opposed to being snaffled by mum). Most of the paper that i finally used all came out of my offcuts box, apart from the strip of flying storks. The main sheet, I think is about 5 years old, but it reminded me of the swirls on the blue blanket that Thomas is sleeping in.

Hope everyone is having a stressfree saturday.

have you ever been intimidated by a photo?

I am struggling at the moment to complete this weeks challenge on UKS. WHY?????? Because I'm a bit scared that I don't do the photo justice.

Sounds crazy doesn't it, but it happens to me quite often. Although, I have to admit mostly with heritage photos. Yesterday I scoured my stash looking for that perfect paper to use with the baby photo.  I have some lovely baby sheets too! However, they either make the blanket look dirty, or the pages look dirty against the photo, or they are not babyish enough..... OR.....OR.....OR.....

Does that even make sense?? I'm reading as a type, thinking 'What on earth are you blethering about????' .... but the fact remains....I have lost my MOJO. Maybe i should offer some blog candy of my own as a reward if anyone finds it and sends it back to me.

I can't even decide on usng a sketch because I need to find papers that I am happy with, as well as a sketch for inspiration. Well, back to the drawing board...wish me luck

Thursdays Thoughts

I am still hopping back and forth over to the Blogging for Scrapbooker forum, so i thought i would revisit one of the latter prompts from the course.

• Seeing much more craft stuff because i can view blogger again. Ofcourse, now i want to be spending more time making craft stuff because i have all this inspiration to hand.
• Hearing good news from other people, it helps lift the spirits. Joy is joyful whenever you hear of it, whoever it belongs to. Never be afraid to share happy thoughts with others, no matter what they are going through. You never  know, it might be the only piece of good news they get that day.
• Smelling my covent garden shower gel that i have just started using again. I dont know why i ever stop because i love it.
• Tasting mature scottish cheddar - one of our friends brought a 2k pack for us at the weekend. How fab was that!
• Thinking that we have met the nicest people, online and in real life. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

Those are my thoughts for today, and i hope you are having a Terrific Thursday where ever you are.

Also, a big hello to my new follower Lizzie.

WOYWW 97

I'm finally able to join in with the best blog hop in town! Join Julia to have a look at what all the fuss is about, and you too can share your craft space with the rest of us.

Today I am working on 2 layouts. Both were for UKS weekly challenge but I'm woefully behind on last weeks so it will just count as a page for mum as opposed to any points.

I have been raiding my stash since i got back to Turkey - cos I cant go out and buy new stock. It is amazing at what I have found in my cardstock boxes, sheets I had completely forgotten about. Some are as old as the hills, lol.

I read someone's blog the other day where she was making room for a new baby and throwing out all the unused & forgotten stash. I just couldnt do that! Partly because i cant replace it but also because whenever I look at the sheets I remember why i bought them. Now i just need a photo and a reason to use them.

what do you have lurking in your stash? Would you share with us and let us peek?

I'm back....and i'm addicted to craft blogs...

It's Monday and it's a wonderful day here. Not least because the very clever man at VPNUK managed to get me back and hopping all over blogger. I have no idea how he did it, and didn't ask incase he thought i might understand his answer. Ha!

I can't tell you how much i have missed being able to link in with my crafty buds. Now I have permission (literally) to spend all afternoon/evening and tomorrow hopping over to my favourite craft blogs.

Hello to my new followers: Dawn and Beverly. I would have said hello earlier but all i could see was dashboard saying i had extra followers, not who you were.

For those readers who have visited me from Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers course, I am winging my way back through the forum to visit you all.

Hoping also to manage some time to do this week's UKS team challenge. I have just the photo in mind....

Ofcourse i am even more pleased because i took this photo of my gorgeous nephew when he was 2 weeks old. Hopefully i will be posting a Layout starring this photo later on in the week.

I hope everyone is having a marvellous Monday.

blogging vs scrapping ... why do i bother????

It is Day 15 of Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers course. I have managed to keep up with most of the prompts, but this one really got me thinking.

I love comments, but that isn't why I blog. I love looking at scrapbook pages but that isn't why I scrapbook.

I think with both activities, it is the sense of creativity and recording of personal history. Both have pros and cons to how they achieve those goals, but never the less i get a kick out of both activities. I honestly never imagined that I would find such an addictive hobby/activity in my adult life. I never actually knew i had such an addictive personality, but i am truly hooked.

It has been a godsend whilst living abroad to be able to link in with other like minded crafters/bloggers. It has kept me occupied when the weather is bad and i've run out of craft mags to read. In the latter part it has kept me sane through a tough period in my life. Likewise, scrapping has kept me up to my ears in sticky, inky goodness which has given me a creative outlet on boring days and simply an 'out' when i needed to not be in my own head.

Hopefully I will look back at this post and nod my head in years to come, but even if I don't I will continue to blog and scrapbook for my own little piece of mind.

Monday and another UKS layout

It's Monday again. How did that happen? Not really sure where last week went, but i know what happened to last week's UKS challenge....I finished it by the skin of my teeth.

Just before taking mum out to a very nice restaurant for mothers day, i finished this layout for her

The only problem was after using the glimmer mist to make the background, and wiping it off the mask, both hands turned the corresponding shade of blue/green. No problem, I thought, wet wipe to the rescue. Eh...NO CHANCE....it took 3 wet wipes and washing my hand with liquid soap before i resorted to a scrubbing with good old fairy liquid and a scouring pad. Even now my nail beds are a lighter shade of green.

Note to self......wear rubber gloves next time.

Thankfully, mum liked her mothers day gift. Infact she tactfully asked if she was getting a corresponding page with the other 3 photos from that day. My reply...... yes but without the glimmer mist!

today

Today Shimelle's prompt asked us to think about patterns. I tend to post when i have time, but Wednesdays were exciting because i used to post about what was on my workdesk (WOYWW). That is until i couldnt see Julia's blog because it is on blogger which is blocked here. I am thinking of following Cath's advice and using a VPN so that i can get my craft fix again.

Anyway, back to the prompt: find a pattern. The suggestion I liked is to post every week about the 5 senses, so here is my take on it...

I am listening to the bird song from my patio, I love that there are so many different birds around the site.
I can see the sun peeking through the rainclouds which are hovering over the bay, I know it is going to rain but it wont last the sun will come out tomorrow.
I cant smell much of the flowers just now, or the grass after the rain because I have hayfever ...due to all the lovely flowers lol, and cant remember what my nose was used for other than running over the past week.
It wont last the week, but for now i can still taste that lovely cheddar cheese that i brought back from Scotland.

I am thankful for my friends and family who help me to be strong.
I feel safe, with my husband beside me we can deal with anything that comes our way.

Hope everyone has a lovely Thursday

the trick to facepainting...NOT

Harder than it looks!

Trying to keep my nephew and niece entertained a couple of weeks ago, I thought they might like their face painted.

Ofcourse I started with Mia first, but after about 10 seconds into the white undercoat she started getting bored and fidgety.  As only 3 year olds can do! As a result, my nice design went completely out the window as i struggled to get any semblance of kitten-like-look. However, she was happy that her face was painted and she knew it was meant to be a kitten. I think it looks more like a gremlin - but hey I obviously dont have the imagination of a child.

I was going to give up, but Jack wanted his face painted anyway. Well, at least i got a whole minute for his green undercoat and fangs, but then once more the game was abandoned. A couple more colours - because they seem to enjoy having different colours on and low and behold a monster (in more than one sense) appears.

No doubt i will try again, maybe with sweets for staying-still-bribes next time.

my prayer warrior

One of my best friends has a circle of friends that support each other with a prayer when needed. Thankfully, although we are continents apart and havent seen each other for 6 years, I am in her circle. When she heard my news she asked her 'prayer warriors' (her phrase) for a special little prayer.

I can't tell you how much support i have had from my friends in recent weeks, and now that includes women that i dont even know. I have had everything sent to me from hugs, uplifting words and poems to links for sources of information and support organisations that may be of help.

I knew that pregnancy could be a somewhat stressful journey, but now i know that i am not alone.

Although I am not being particularly gracious in my prayers just now, i know that ultimately it is God's decision as to whether i get to meet my unborn baby or not. I just hope he cuts me some slack. I also hope he listens to my prayer warrior and her friends and grants me some time.

So to everyone who has sent me thoughts and prayers - thank you.

british summer time

well the clocks sprung forward into Spring this morning.

Did I remember when the alarm went off? NO, of course not. It was when my laptop clock was signalling dinner time that it became all-important!

Just now time isnt really meaning that much to me, I am still trying to get my head around the amnio results. I have decided to progress with the pregnancy though, so i feel that this is a small but significant step in moving on with our lives.

Thanks to everyone who sent messages of support. They are much appreciated. Not sure how much i will be blogging/crafting at the moment so forgive the sporadic nature of the updates.

the day my world came crashing down

That would be today.

We got the diagnosis of Edwards Syndrome - Trisomy 18, for the baby. It is a devastating piece of news, even though we knew that there were some problems we couldnt help but hope everything would be OK.

It is a genetic disorder common (1 in 1800) in pregnancy, although unlike Down's Syndrome the prognosis is 'not compatible with life'.

As it stands, we dont know if the baby will survive until the birth, or how long after the birth. I can only pray that we get some time to cuddle at least.

6 months and still going with my blog

I signed up for a blogging workshop by Shimelle in Sept 2010. 6 months later and i am totally surprised at how much i have managed to learn about blogland.

Shimelle is running another session which suits me totally because i joined well after the course was finished and tried to plough my way through the prompts, but i find it much easier when they are sent to your email on a daily basis. That way the blog is well kept and it doesnt overload you trying to do too much at the one time.

hopefully there should be some more crafty stuff on the blog in the following weeks.

baby thomas - my new nephew

I have managed to do some pages here at the crop last night. This one is my favourite photo of Thomas, and for the moment my mum's favourite layout (but that changes like quicksilver). Luckily it meets the UKS weekly challenge of lots of white space and a bit of bling.

The next one shows photos of us the first time we saw Thomas. He was only 2 days old. It was so lovely to have a cuddle with him. I'm quite lucky to have seen him a lot over the past 2 weeks, i can hardly even believe that 2 weeks have passed at all.



This page is coming back with me so that i remember just how cute he was as a new born.