What were we talking about?

I didn't get any projects done. I've been busy. Really, actually, truly busy.

But I found the camera.

We go to Broadditch Farm shop every year to take photos.
Here's the 2009 batch for your viewing pleasure. (It's pretty obvious which ones I've run thru PSE isn't it!)

They're kinda cute. But I'm kinda biased.

Confessions of a Serial Project Beginner

I have a problem. I'm not alone in this problem; if nothing else I know it's hereditary.

I start a lot of projects. You don't have to know me particularly well to see that. If you do know me, you'll know that my brain seems to resemble a badly decaying rubberband ball, with bits snapping and pinging off with no warning.

I don't finish very many projects, and certainly not in a timely fashion. I suspect you don't have to know me at all to see that- if you just look at me you can see I have done a nice job with my make-up and then left my hair to be a bird's nest.

I spent several hours cleaning our main bathroom yesterday, right down to scrubbing the carpet. But I've left a lot of crap sitting in the hallway.

So let's have a look at the damage for the year, keeping it solely in the crafting vein (because if I start adding in cooking projects, fitness projects, etc, we'll never get done. Also I will get depressed);

2 scrapbook classes- bare bones started, not touched since

1 scrapbook class- nothing. Haven't done a thing.

2 scrapbook classes- nearly done. One is missing like 2 things, the other a few photos.

1 scrapbook class- ongoing project, 10 or so LO's done.

Scotland trip album- 2 pages done.

So what do I do? I sign up for another one. I won't say which one right now, partly because I want to take the next week and finish up something. Anything. I want one less pile of stuff in my office. As we head into the holiday season (which includes Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas) (this one is great, I have to say. I love the idea that you pay once and you're in for good. That alone takes off so much of the pressure and guilt!).

So watch this space, because there will be new projects posted soon. Especially if I find where my camera has wandered off to. I meant to look for it, but I got distracted...

Mojo Regained?

Probably not. I mean, I hope so, but I'm not overly optimistic. As of late my energy has been rechanneled into baking, with any leftover energy being used to not eat all of what I've just baked. But this evening I shut myself into the office with the hopes of finishing a page that's been on my desk for almost 2 weeks.

Tra-la! (If it's being annoying and won't let you see it bigger, it's also been added to my Flickr photostream)

It's very loosely (and I do mean loosely) based on a sketch from Shimelle's site

I also included a bit of pink ribbon (ok, rick-rack) so it's elegible for a giveaway over at Candy Shoppe Designs. Have a look at the prize-

I'm not a pink pink pink person, but Daughter is, and it goes without saying I do have the odd photo of her to scrap. Also I can see huge scope for crafty projects with some of these bits. So fingers crossed!

When I flopped down at my desk this evening I was greeted by this little guy:

It would seem the K'nex have been brought out from under the bed. I have to say, I particularly like how he did the legs and feet. And the "lake" was a nice touch. This evening's art project was making puppets out of toilet paper tubes. The Little Boy saves every tube in this house, I swear. Along with bits of packaging he likes, pieces of string, and occasionally things pilfered from my office. I've given up trying to make sense of it and have resigned myself to wading in every couple of days to get the laundry and feed the fish.

Good lord I'm glad to have that layout done. I hate when things lay around like that, I completely lose the will to finish the project. I think I'm going to go celebrate with a Bailey's and a couple of those cookies I've been ignoring all day.

Supplies used: paper- Basic Grey "Sophie". alphas- Doodlebug, American Crafts, and... um, Target. journaling block, tab- Making Memories. stickers from Doodlebug. everything else- from the back of the cupboard, where things live in brand-free harmony.

Geek...

...is the new black, apparently. So I'm set for the season I guess.

Actually, this is the title of a new challenge over at Candy Shoppe Designs (see button on the side). I know there are about a million challenge blogs these days, but this one is particularly special; I do some guest desgining for them! Here is my take on the geek challenge... the hardest part was finding something plaid, checkered, or argyle that I actually like. Turns out I have loads of checkered stuff, much of which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. (Oh, and you know, as I'm typing I just remembered a really fab piece of argyle paper from Rusty Pickle. Perhaps I'll have 2 entries!)

So where's my argyle on this layout? The punched flowers. It's the first outing for my new trio of flower punches, and yes, mama's pleased with her purchase. I trekked up to Alexandra Palace a couple Saturdays ago for the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show... aaaand brought home a big bag full of stuff. Not near as much as I could have and wanted to, but still enough. Among my favourite finds? Tim Holtz's filmstrips and some new Fancy Pants journaling notebooks. Highly delicious. I managed to hold off on BG's Junebug collection, only because it's too new and the price is still too high for me. Very controlled, don't you think?

My husband didn't.

supplies used- paper from Creative Memories, Rhonna Farrer, KI Memories. gaffer tape from 7 Gypsies. barndoor from Piggy Tales. letters and brads from stock.