Pink Petticoat Projects

This free picture collage customized with Smilebox

Back last year Liz Armstrong owner of Pink Petticoat had a design team call, it was the first one for her company, and I decided to have a bash, as I am a huge fan and have almost every product she designs anyway. I was not successful in my attempts, however it's all experience and I had some very nice feedback from Liz and it encouraged me to use many of the lovely downloads that I have purchased from Liz over the years having been a PP stashaholic (my laptop overfloweth....)

All papers and images used are PP.

Till some time soon......................

Belinda x

Some cards

Well although it's not two posts in one day they are consecutive so I am improving, well jury is out but............. Here are a few of my friends and families cards made in the last couple of months. I have been out of the habit of taking piccies of my projects with me not blogging as I should have but I have taken lots of pictures of other things, so my photography skills are hopefully getting better as a result.

I had an email from the lovely Kirsty Wiseman a few days ago to let me know she has showcased a project a did a while ago for my friend Sam's wedding. It involved the use of a product called Safmat, made by Letraset. It is a brilliant product, a vinyl type A4 printable surface that you can print at home with digital images, photos, fonts and sentiments then you cut it up peel of the backing and adhere it to almost any surface and it is virtually clear. I am on my second pack and it's really good value too! Check out Kirsty's post here and give Safmat a go if you love to personalise gifts and don't like lining up your alpha stamps it was made for you!!

Yesterday was not the weather we were promised, but while we have the wind around, I guess we have to take what we can get as long as it's not ra*ning (can't say the real word it tempts fate!!). Olivia broke up from school and had her last day until nearly the end of April on Thursday, so we headed for the new Aquarium in Bristol, and it was very good but very expensive!! We went by bus (which she loves and I don't!), now don't get me wrong I'm fine when I'm on the bus it's just that we were passed by approx 2 1/2 million buses while we waited but not the one we needed. After more than an hour waiting at the bus stop opposite where we got off, I decided to check the website on my IPhone only to find that although we got off at the bottom of the hill when we came into Bristol, the route back was totally different and the bus picked up a half mile away at the top of the hill. Arrgghhhhh!! A jog to the top with me carrying a weighty 4 yr old, was good for the diet but I looked purple as I got there and then another 45mins for the bus to finally arrive, we then hit the rush hour and crawled through traffic. After leaving the Aquarium at 3:30 we got home at 6:30 for what would have taken me 15mins in the car! And they wonder why cities are congested with cars???!! Just as well we both had a lovely time and I had a stash of Jaffa Cakes to keep madam going!

Will pop back with some Aquarium photos and all the Mother's day makes!

Belinda x

New Beginnings

Well lets just say that life got in the way of my blogging since urmmgh last time, and draw a line in the sand, and start again shall we?

I arrive here with a new and fresher outlook, almost at my weight loss target 2 1/2 stone lighter, thank you slimming World. I'm happier with me and ready for the next chapter!

Sam my son will be turning 18 later this month ALevel exams round the corner and Olivia who is now 4 1/2 is happily ensconced in her new little school, where she currently attends 3 days a week and is loving every moment of it. Her food issues are improving her friendships are many, she not only loves playing with all the boys now but relishes joining in with the lovely little girls in her class too. We are so very pleased to have made the move with her to this lovely school, it has been wonderful to see her bloom since she arrived there last November, we are very proud parents and with her continuing her education there from September in reception we look forward to happy school days for the foreseeable future.

I will be posting again later to pop on some of the crafty projects that have kept me busy over the time since I was last here, and to share a few pics of the beautiful weddings and portraits we have been lucky to have had the pleasure of taking too. New additions to our friends lives and our family some beautiful little people. A couple of friends with happy additions due very soon so some projects I would like to share as they take shape. New tools I have fallen in love with, and some great bargains that I have found too that I really want to share..............!

if you are still reading I admire your fortitude! as Arnie would say 'I'll be back'......................

Belinda x


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

............AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!

I am pretty sure the only person reading this post will be my Mum (you can always trust your Mum to stick with you!!), but I won't apologise for my lack of an appearance here as it's probably better to just see what's been happening in my world since.............last time!!

The above photos are from our friends Wedding that took place on a sunny February day at a beautiful Manor House in Castle Combe. N and I were official Photographers for the proceedings which was both nerve racking and fun at the same time. I am still a little learner when it comes to ISO's and F Stops and have a long way to go in that department, but I got some lovely shots that I was pretty proud of. The top shot of the beautiful Bride (Vikki) and Groom (Andrew) was one of mine and the lower one was one of N's of the gorgeous little flower girls, which I love!

This wedding was followed 3 weeks later by another friends, that again we were Photographing. This one was also a complete joy to be a part of although at times a bit of a challenge for the shots! The wedding was early March an absolutely glorious day with the weather (not great for taking photos though!) The day started for us and our cameras at about 7am (groan!) with the wedding taking place at the Roman Baths in Bath at 8:30am (yep you read it right 8:30). Followed by a fry-up in the famous Pump Rooms, followed by a river cruise on 'The Penny Lane' back to the Baths for Canapes, Dinner (amazing!!) and live band (accompanied by the Bride for one song!) and DJ in the elegant surroundings of the Roman Baths buildings. It was soooooooo rock'n'roll!!! Pictures to follow my Aperture application is playing up a bit so will add these as soon as my techs-pert (that's N) gets back tomorrow!

In other news........I joined Slimming World, the chocolate that goes along with the crafting had finally begun to protrude from my every juncture, so..........there was next to no choice!! It is going fairly well I am 10 and a half pounds lighter and determined to increase this!

Perhaps enough for now (eh Mum!!)

Belinda x

A quick review of 2009

Gosh! It has been far too long, no excuses................., just me being pretty rubbish with the plate wiggling!

Where has this year gone? Are there really 24hours in every day? Does time actually move faster as we get older?

This cold snap has brought such pretty scenes, and it was lovely to have snow on the ground on Christmas Day, sooooo pretty! Here are a few snaps of the rear of our house when the snow was fresh and new last week. We are very fortunate in that we are quite elevated, and there are some large trees behind the house and some very pretty woodlands. The sledging that takes place there when we are fortunate enough to have a snow flurry, is such fun. It becomes a mecca for '

snow fun'!

What I've been up to!

Well with no Mac to make uploading easy, my images stayed on my camera, but have now found their way into IPhoto and so here goes: the first card was for a friend, Shamsi (meaning sunshine) the DP is Stampin up, Penny Black Flower Sticker, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, MS Edge Punch.

2nd Card: Congrats card for my Son Sam for his GCSE success. Monkey Stamps CC Designs, coloured with Pro Markers, DP DCWV retro stack.

3rd An ATC Card made for a swap, I have been joining the swaps on BubblyFunk for the last couple of months, ATC's are very new to me. I've had some lovely ones come back. This is a Digi-stamp and I have to admit to loving these at the moment, they are instant crafting, which sometimes for me makes this hobby more possible!! She is from The Digi Stamp Boutique and she's called Marissa. I coloured her with water colour pencils a touch of stickles. For the main card I used some of Livvy's play sand (thanks babe!) and used sponged on distress ink (faded jeans) for the sky. THe shell was a 'firework' stamp from a Banana Frog set and I used a CM journalling pen to extend some of the circle lines to make a little shell. Added some small beads onto the water and voila!

4th and last one for now (more later, see I do make things!!) a card made for a neighbour's new home Owls from CC Designs (love these!) A NEW HOME made using my Karen Foster Snap stamps (these are my best ever purchase) the rest of the sentiment is by Elzybells.

I have been creating a poster today to advertise some Seasonal Classes that I will be running here in Bristol. It looks great on my screen, but when I attempt to print it then it's horrid, what was I saying about loving Macs????? Am of to try to sort it out, here's hoping.

Belinda

A Dead Mac

What is the worst thing that can happen to you? You are lucky enough to own a lovely little Macbook, white, shiny and all around fun to use. Now I wasn't always a fan, but I became converted to the Mac-side with a little time and patience and will never again return to the Microsoft - side! Anyway one evening you are playing oops I mean working on the said lovely white machine balanced elegantly on the arm of your leather armchair, when the magnetic catch gives way on the cabinet door above you bashes the top of said beautiful white workhorse, and also takes the large cup of lovely earl grey over carpet and splashy liquid into lovely shiny white machine! Aaaaarrrrggghhhhhhh!!!!!!

She is no more, she served me so well, I miss her dreadfully, I truly did love her in a needy sort of a way! The Mac repair man said we would need to replace her logic board to possibly get her to work again, but we called it, she had suffered enough!

Thank heaven for our House policy, and I now have a replacement, a Mac but not white & shiny, but matt silver. In time I will hopefully love her as much as my little shiny white one, I am warming to her already!

I am just so pleased that I am back live again!!!

Did do some Digi Stamp purchasing (used the IMac) and made this card with one of them.

Belinda x