ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY

Good morning, everyone hope you are all well and Friday greets you with a great deal of positives from the last 7 days because its

First up is reaching 100 followers, I've been at 99 for an absolute age now, but the other day it popped over the 100 and it made me smile!

Next up hubby for being my amazing rock, listening, support being a shoulder to cry on when things were difficult on Monday.  I'm now officially on garden leave as my job reaches the end and redundancy looms, but I'm hopeful things will take a new positive turn in the right direction, we will see what is to come in the following months.  After the initial shock (I thought I'd work my notice), I've decided it really was the kindest and easiest way to go, prolonging the agony would have become too much.  So a new chapter that is currently unwritten lies ahead.

My Mum for dropping everything and coming and seeing my Monday when things had gone pear shaped, very much appreciated.

Likewise, the fabulous Wednesday Whine girls for being themselves, rallying around and listening when things ended on Monday - thank you girls - you know who you are!

Scrapbooking for saving my sanity, I know I know you think I'm jesting but I'm not, being able to switch the brain off and create layouts of memories really is one of the greatest gifts that crafting provides.  I'm also on the verge of accepting I might need to get some more photos printed which is a rarity!

Said 13 year old for listening to the things he could do at Options evening and taking the process so seriously - he really is amazing.  Hearing teachers sing his praises really does make you grin from ear to ear!

Sunrises, evenings walks, chats with my cousin over the phone have also featured in my positives this week.  I hope yours has been truly blessed too.

I'll leave you with a layout and Mr Linky, if you fancy joining in blog about it, link up, comment and then we can come and visit!  Photo taken when we visited Llandudno last year, I almost opted for the bottom right photo only but the photo of my niece in mid yawn still makes me giggle so I couldn't help but scrap it too!

Mr Linky

ROCKING MY WORLD FRIDAY! AND USING UP THOSE ALTERABLES

Well it would appear I've been very much missing in action this week - the week has flown, primarily filled with work work and a bit more work and no where near enough crafting!  I mean what is that all about!  

Anyway let's get this grateful list together so I can start my Friday with a clear head and a happy heart! 

Number one has to be hubby this week - he's had to listen to so much whinging from me this week I tell you - not that's he's done anything wrong he just has to listen to me rant and he is such a good listener - so thanks hun - you're a star!   Promise normal wife will return as soon as things are sorted!

Number two is my son (well he's number one as well if you know what I mean) he's had SATS this week at school which I still think are a lot for a 9 year old to do but he's taken it in his stride got his head down and not complained once!

Number three - my Mum and my sister at slimming world this week made me laugh so much it was good to spend time with them - I've never seen two such relieved faces when they got off the scales knowing they'd lost some weight LMAO!

Number four - a day off - yes you heard it hear first I'm taking the day off and because hubby and son helped with mass clear up and food shop last night I actually haven't got anything I 'have' to do - so that surely means a bit of crafting!

Number five - my daily mantra - thank you for another day on earth to spend with family and friends - it's awesome! 

I could go on and on but this week I'm grateful for the people in my life, including my blog friends who keep me sane - completely and utterly sane! 

So here's to sharing a little bit of crafting!

What do you think of this?

This started shape as a papermania bare basics frame costing me £1.99 - I bought it last year, dismantled it (ie front from back - literally) painted it didn't like it and put it in the box of alterables! 

Finally dragged it back out of box and then went in search of some chipboard and some card or paper.  I didn't have any papers that I wanted to use as the background to the book so I thought - use something you don't like.  Now you'll be wondering why do I buy things I don't like - well I don't really what I do like buying is things in bulk I don't see the point in buying cardstock by the sheet when I can buy a 50 sheets which work out a lot cheaper on a sheet by sheet basis.  The problem that you have with this is that you end up with cardstock this colour

and in all honesty - wishy washy green doesn't do anything for me.  So here I am with frame in hand and some pale green card stock that I don't like.  I also have an absolute mass of photos taken in the Beyond Limits - Sotheby's sale at Chatsworth House last year - where loads of amazing pieces of artwork were displayed in the garden for all to admire and for some to consider purchasing (not us though - point click - ooh and aah over it and onto the next one)

So dearest hubby Craig cuts me some chipboard the same size as the frame just slightly wider and I set too cutting the cardstock to match.  Then for the paints.  And look what I ended up with I literally got a dry household paint brush and some acrylic paints and kept painted until I was happy with the effect.  I'm calling this my 'avatar' phase because no matter what happens the papers at the moment keep turning blue and purple!

After painting, I stamped a few (but the ink was taking forever to dry and Little Miss Impatient here couldn't be doing with that)

Then I grabbed some of the Die Cuts with A View - Garden Party papers that I'd bought for a bargain at the weekend and started to add bits of them to the pages, backed the photos in plain cardstock, little bit of type written journaling and it was starting to come together.

Got hubby to punch holes in the spine - one inch apart (and as the frame was 10 inches tall I ended up with 9 holes) threaded through some organza ribbon from the top - went straight down and then back up to create this gorgeous cross stitch effect and tied with a double bow! 

So here are the pages in all their details

Apologies for the ones with a juanty angle - back being mean to me this morning!

Here are some close ups of the paint effects!

So here you have it the finished book

and i love it, I love the way it feels, I love how many photos I got in it - I love the fact I'm using up what I've got and it's not costing me to go and buy more 'stash'!  So another alterable sorted.

So if you're joining me on this challenge of using things up - then let me know by leaving me a message and I'll come and find your blog.  Likewise if you're telling the world what's rocking your world this Friday - let me know! 

I've got loads of other things to show you including a pop up book, a scrapbook page, a double page layout and hopefully - fingers crossed they behave themselves - the KP nut tins!  They are my project for today!