Birds and bees...the real thing!

Some eye candy for you to look at. The birds are still packed into their home, not exactly a des res but mummy and daddy look after them well. They will be ready to fly from the nest soon - amazing how quick they grow!
Some flowers from Sam's bouquet, aren't they gorgeous...and who can spot the flower with the bee?

That's it for my blogging today, Thanks for dropping by...xxx

What have I been doing today?

Well apart from trying to decide what to take with me to Spain I decided I needed a little me time.... I made some Row Houses and some Jewellery pieces for my daughter and her friend.
China and her friends love these pendants so I decided to make China a new one, and she has nagged me to take one for her friend Jess (bet you can't work out which one belongs to Jess lol)

This 1st Row House has a PW image on it, grungeboard, musical peel offs and prima flowers. I also used my Rangers White Inkssential pen which I absolutely love.

This second image has an Artchix girl on it, grungeboard and a few embellishments.


The final 2 pics have the word Friends embossed with Cosmic shimmer powders, Inka images and tibetan charms as embellishments.
Now I really,really should get back to sorting and packing....what to take, what to leave - this is a total nightmare. What would you HAVE to take with you if you were going to be away for 6 weeks? Any help gratefully received xxxx

Birds are growing

 

Well the blackbird babies are nearly a week old now. Mummy and daddy are busy looking after their babies, back and forth to the nest. Amazing how 4 babies can fit in this little pot and then to have mummy sitting on them too....what a squeeze.
I shall show more pics as they grow....watch this space!


This 2nd picture was taken this evening, mummy is back sitting on the nest...can you see the little baby beak at the front of the pot? There are 3 other babies in here apart from this one, told you it was a tight fit.... mummy is really calm and doesn't mind her photo being taken, you could say she is a model bird...

Mermaid crosses the sea

 

You may recall if you visit my blog often that I was part of a Mermaid in a Box Swap over on Paper Whimsy. I am delighted to say that this is the gorgeous Mermaid I received -she is called LoraLee and she came to me from Paula Dion
Don't you just love her rinky-dinky bag and hat; look closely at the glass pebbles in the bottom of the shadow box, see too the seaweed made from fibres....she has been put together beautifully. THANK YOU PAULA!!!!

The World - Lin's RR ALtered Book theme

 

 

Here is the next book that I have worked on for the I.C.E. ALTERED BOOK GROUP.
This book belongs to Lin Collette and her theme was "The World" how we see it.
So mine spread is for the song Black and White....hope she likes it xxx

I am busy doing some Row Houses at the moment and working in a couple of decos, I will photograph and post pictures later.

Expectant mum

 

 

Thought I would share these delightful pictures with you...my friend Sam saw this bird nesting right outside her patio doors of her kitchen. The mum has laid her eggs here and is content to sit and incubate them with the family going about their daily rituals. She stayed there as I took these photos and I hope that I am around when the eggs hatch to take photos of the babies...
Happy 4th July to all my American friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON

This gorgeous man is my eldest son Dwain, today is his birthday and he is 26!!
Sadly Dwain and I have been estranged for over a year now but as a mum he is in my thoughts EVERY DAY.
Imagine my surprise and TOTAL JOY!!!! when I picked up the phone as it rang and it was his voice on the other end. I have walked around in a joyful stupor for most of the day I am so HAPPY that we are talking again. I do love him dearly, things have been tough but he is a fantastic man and has such a wonderful network of friends that he has done really well.
This post has to be my HAPPIEST post ever and I want to shout from the rooftops about my happiness...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DWAIN I LOVE YOU....

Football and all it's Magic

Boys in the team

Jazz gets his trophy with dad looking on...

So football has played a big part in my weekend.
On Friday it was the Croydon Juniors Presentation evening. Our boys collected their league winners trophys and in addition to that they received the "Team of the Year" award....fantastic.
Stuart received a totally wonderful surprise, he received the Manager's Manager of the Year award and was totally blown away by it....unbelievable.
So to all the boys, the manager and Marcus the coach CONGRATULATIONS
And then just when you think it can't get any better it does....Spain won the Euro 2008 Championships.
I am so amazed that a team I backed from the start did it with such style and wonderful football. Fantastico!!! Germany were shown how to play passing football and the BEST team throughout the whole tournament won....Yipee!!!!

CCSWAPS Yahoo Group - The Written Word

 

Over on CCSWAPS we had to make 9 for 10 ATC'S with the theme "The Written Word" Being a scaredy cat when it comes to stamping I jumped in and created these ATC's. I mad 5 of the blue theme and 5 of the Red theme all identical. I used Tim Holtz distress inks and then an Eiffel Tower stamp and the words come into the ATC's via the French dictionary pieces I tore and stuck on the background.
I used cosmic shimmer embossing powders on both sets of ATC's.
The red ones are embellished with prima flowers and the blue with ribbon and bling... Thanks for looking xxx

Paper Whimsy House

So the football has reached an hiatus, I have had a little time to create and decided today to try something new...
How much fun did I have? the most! Okay it was a fiddly job and it had a few trial and errors but I got there in the end, made this litte house for China to try and let her see that PW images are not scary! She sees the images and thinks of "The Others" they tend to freak her out. But, and I mean but...she loved it, even the images so we have a first!!!!
I used lots of different embellishments on this rusty keys, stamps, rub ons, flowers etc. A lot of the stuff was actually from my PW stash, they do other bits apart from images so I thought I would create with mainly their gorgeous stuff (for want of a better word!)

 

 

 

 

China's Prom

So the day of the prom arrives fake tan applied, nails done, hair done and then the magical moment, seeing my baby all grown up in her dress...I can't believe she is only 15 and looking so mature!

 

China was so giggly in the garden having photos taken with her bf Jess...love her in this it is so China...

 

China and her brother Jazz who turned up to witness his sister all done up; he actually didn't like the dress when it was on the hanger but he loved his little sister in it, thought she looked "hench"...

 

China and her gf's Jess, Bianca and Charlie...don't they all look so beautiful? And the picture below is of China and her beautiful friend Danielle.....

 

Paulette Insall 2nd Canvas

This was my second canvas, after all the layering this is my finished result. I confess that I feel proud that I have achieved an end result with these canvases, I learnt a lot and feel sure that I will use what I have learnt in future art.
I can't wait to do Paulette's next class which is a "Faces" class starting on the
30th June....watch this space lol.
Click on title for a link to Paulette's blog. Thanks for dropping by

Paulette Insall Canvas Class

I signed up to do a background canvas class online and these are the results of the 1st canvas I did
{click on title of this post to be taken to Paulette's blog}



Week 1 we had to decide on our color scheme, so i chose a yellow ochre. We then had to stick on images.


The next layer was done.

and another

and this was my finished canvas.

RR BOOK 2nd Spread for Chris

 

Bit of time on my hands today so I worked on the 2nd spread for Chris's book.

RR BOOK - BIRDLAND

 
Working in Chris's book at the moment, her theme is Birdland. Here is the 1st spread I have completed. The colors don't look too vibrant in this picture but they are and the cosmic shimmer on the embosssing powder doesn't really look to good here either. Any way thought I would share with you

Fairy in a jar

 

 

So this past week I have once again felt like I have been disconnected from the world; my internet connection has been intermittent and really, really slow or not available at all, so frustrating.
I had a great time last Saturday. Stuart and Jazz were in France on a football tournament and China was at her friend's house all weekend. So on Saturday Lorraine and I went to the Craft Barn in Lingfield. It was a day for demonstrations and I had a wonderful time, it was so nice to see various products demonstrated. I don't know about you but I see a new product and have to have it and then forget how to use it....at the Craft Barn I learnt how to use some of the products I have for the best results. Spent a lot of money but hey ho a girl can't go to a craft supplier without buying now can she???!
The pictures above were made for precious little Rhosie, her school is having a Summer Fete and she had to take in a jar filled with goodies or decorated, I have wanted to make a fairy in a jar for a while so it was the perfect opportunity. She was fascinated as to where I got the fairy dust, oh to be 5 again!
Apart from this I have been doing Paulette Insall's on line class and this Monday will see the instructions for the last lesson and then I will share what I have been creating with you all.
Finished my Mermaid in a box after adding some minor embellishments and I will found out later today who I have to ship my one to in the swap. Tomorrow I will send of my Row Houses to Kathy for her to swap out. My "Diamonds are a girls best friend" house got chosen for the Paper Whimsy Art of the Week so I was really chuffed!
My thoughts have been over the pond this past week after seeing all the horrendous weather conditions over there, my heart goes out to all those in the Mid West who have had such awful flooding. What with the snow that has fallen over there and the fires it has not really been a good year, hope you are all safe xx
Got to work on a an altered book for Chris, it has a bird theme and to complete a second canvas so I shall get busy. So glad to be back on line and able to share with all my friends what I have been up to hugs to you all