THURSDAY POST apologies for the whinging at the beginning and 2 layouts

Morning all, well it's been one of those weeks, you know the ones that sneak up on you and attack you without you realising, yesterday was a hard day, just one of those days.  I've worked a huge amount of hours this week which means I'm mentally in 'work' zone all the time, good food eating has gone for a walkabout, I've forgotten why I'm doing it.  I feel a bit low because things aren't really going in the right direction, too much work, no play, February has a hard month because its dark and cold but finally March greets us with a bit of spring sunshine this morning.  The house is a state, the ironing pile is growing by the minute, the potential planned outing with hubby tonight was attempted too late (long story) which means no 'date night', (so hairdressers instead for me and said 11 year old), hubby had a health scare earlier in the week, people off to sunny climates on their jollies should make me go yay but instead because of the way I found out I felt a bit low (another long story won't bore you), a wedding invite which should make me good "yay" made me go "ooh" as it clashes with last school day for said 11 year old at primary school.  So like I said one of those weeks and why post this miserableness this morning, because you tend to only ever see my positives and sometimes its good to share that life isn't always roses sometimes it has the thorns as well.  So this could officially be my whinging Thursday post - but don't expect it to become a weekly post because it won't, far too many things that we should be grateful for.  So out of this sombre mood should be a more positive outlook growing as we speak.

Anyway enough of my whining I just wanted to put down where I'm currently at, so I can see how far I've come from it.  I'll be fine for tomorrows post will just have to dig deeper than normal!

So as not to leave you with all negatives I'll leave you with a layout or two, photos from our evening at the RSC last year when we went to see Macbeth.  The statue being of Lady Macbeth

Up close used some die cut labels with the journalling on.

And obviously the handstitching

Then a layout that in all honesty I'm not that fussed about (it was one of those hard work pages) I think I chose the wrong background papers and almost abandoned it until I spotted the red ric rac which gave it the finishing touch to the point where I went 'that'll do!'

Ric-rac up close

 Right I apologise for the whinging at the beginning of this post, I promise normal service will resume shortly (it had better...)

GOOD MORNING ALL ON A TUESDAY

Good morning, yes I know unheard of a Tuesday post from me, I've got 15 minutes before I have to leave the house so better make this count hadn't I.  Why post, you may ask when I'm obviously pushed for time, worked a 13 hour day yesterday, not fun for anyone and so no creativity happened at my desk last night.  However, an early night and I'm feeling almost human today.  So thought I'd pop along and say hello and hope everyone is managing the week OK.

So here is a layout I did recently documenting a trip to Fountains Abbey this was the working grinding wheel that you could try to create flour, needless to say it was hard work and actually required hubby to get it going because said 11 year old could not manage it on his own bless him.  Makes you think about how difficult making a loaf of bread used to be!

Up close, using up those scrabble letters, I'm almost at the point where are that is left are unusable consonants so I can see me dragging the paint out and painting the remaining letters at least that way they might actually get used!

Also managed to use up some old metal brads I had and used some stitching (as usual to the layout), overall quite pleased with this one.

Over the weekend I was mighty busy doing an impossible challenge (what's new there), bought a children's board book on Friday, started dismantling and painting on Saturday, completed its transformation on Monday.  And might I say I was really pleased with the look of the book once completed will share when I get chance, so instead of layouts I did a full blown mini book instead LOL!

SUSIE I FOUND IT actually BECKY ON UKS DID PLUS A LAYOUT LOL

Morning all, well it's a beautiful blue skies morning here in Yorkshire, not sure how long it will last, on Friday I posted a layout that used a Shimelle sketch, using bordered papers and Susie asked if I could locate the post for her as she fancied giving it a go.  Despite spending some time searching I couldn't find it for the life of me, so I put a plea out on UK Scrappers and Becky replied giving me the link, so a big thank you to Becky!!!!

The link is here http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1301/scrapbooking-sketch-of-the-week/  it's a fabulous sketch and really useful for all those gorgeous bordered papers, in fact Susie, you might have set me off on another task doing some more of these because I really did like the layout.

Talking of which here's another one to share (unfortunately not using that sketch LOL)

Quite a subtle one for me, I liked using up some of my older embellishments, I've had these metal tags forever, they were the Papermania box of tags, I removed the string tag, added a couple of metal brads and a 'happy' sticker that I'd mounted on co-ordinating green.

 And another at the bottom of the page, it's a great way of using up old stickers and things that you've had in your stash supply forever!

SHARING THE LOVE...

Quick post from me, just wanted to let you know that Ann of Flutterby Crafter fame is having a blog giveaway as she's having a sort of her craft room so thought I'd spread the word, Ann's blog is great and she often does altered art pieces as well as cards etc which are gorgeous!  Head over to see what I mean, - this is her link http://flutterbycrafter.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-giveaway.html

Hope you're all have a great Saturday - ruglet is on so I'm heading to craft now (well in a minute anyway)

Layout to share seen as I have so many at the minute, this little guy is a stoat at Center Parcs having the most fun ever running all over the place and we all loved him!

Up close you can see faux stitching as well as the real deal

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY

Good morning my beautiful Rockettes how are you this morning?  I know Friday - what's that all about - time to step back, look back, clock the positives, don't think you have any then dig deep because they are there I promise!

First up for me - I'm alive - I know that sounds mad and no before you go jumping to conclusions I'm great I just think sometimes it's far too easy to take for granted being alive - don't you think it's awesome.  To interact with others, to see a member of your family or a friendly face, chat on the phone with someone, whatever it is, it is only possible because we are all alive.

I'm also grateful for my eye sight even though it's pretty poor without these glasses, I love being able to enjoy the world around me for all it's beauty, a blue sky, a cluster of purple crocuses, a photo of snowdrops, a smile from my hubby, seeing my son laughing, all awesome and beautiful moments captured through my eyes.

Talking of said 11 year old - one of his classic verbal statements had me rolling with laughter yesterday - another massive grateful, I picked him up from school and he was chatting about a school friend who had been given her homework early, I asked why and he said "because she's going sky diving".  Mmm I think perhaps she's gone to one of those indoor things with the blowers, but then I thought well they don't normally get homework until Friday so why has she got it so early, I was mighty confused so I said "Are you sure about that, because it would only be a day away to do one of those experience days and I'm not convinced that she's old enough" he said "no Mum I'm sure because Miss said so, she said that my school friend was skiving, you know sky diving"  "Skiving" I said - "doesn't mean she's gone sky diving" laughed til I cried - love it!

Onwards with the list - grateful for the Doctor, I like no nonsense doctors, where you say this is the problem - checks me out, concludes he knows what's what - provides recommended medication - phew, sometimes I just keep going when it's easier to stop and get things sorted.  So big grateful for straight forward advice - now that I can handle!

Crafting at night having time to chill and relax at my table of an evening and scrapbook, such fun and I'm loving every minute of it.

Grateful for the neighbours finally removing a fairly horrendous hedge at the back of the house, mind it looks mighty odd now, but thinking that the extra light is nice, that I can live with.

Grateful for MTV unplugged - a 30 minutes set of 30 Seconds to Mars who do an awesome version of U2's Streets Have No Name track as well as their awesome tracks in an acoustic set.

Grateful for my beautiful and amazing blogging friends, I love to read about where you are with your crafts and life's adventures and to see a post this week by Sarah of my Linkin Park CJ (Click this to see what I'm talking about) out there - wow is all I can say - awesome stuff can't wait to get it back to see it in all it's glory!

So there you go my main gratefuls for this week, if you fancy joining in - write yourself a blog entry and come back and link up so we can come and visit and see how your weeks been!

Before I go - another layout to share (as I have quite a few to share as you know from yesterday's post LOL).  This one is my sister doing the gladiator challenge at Center Parcs last year - yes she is that mad!  I loved the fact she was wearing pink!

Up close the journalling has a ripped paper concertina behind it to set it off.

So there you go Rocking post for this week Mr Linky below hope you all have a beautiful and blessed weekend

this may be getting a little silly and DARCY'S 52 WORDS - GROWTH

Morning all - how are you this morning - Yes I know a thursday post from me - what's going on with the world.

Well my question is do you think this is getting a bit silly?

What is it I hear you cry - that is the pile of scrapbook layouts that I've done since the beginning of this month - I kid you not!  I spent yesterday evening moving them into albums (and rearranging them again as I insist on doing them in chronological order - I know I know completely insane).  Anyway hubby asked how many I'd done recently because he knew I'd not long since done this job at a weekend taking 4 hours, so to be sat doing it again so soon he was curious, gulp 39 layouts in the month so far - let's say it raised an eyebrow!  Does anyone else scrap at this speed or is it just me LOL - we're running out of photos from day trips out!

Anyway seen as I have so many of these to share, here's one I prepared earlier, its difficult to see on this page, but Shimelle did a layout recently where she took a page with a gorgeous outer border, and cut it into four pieces, trimming slightly so you could see the background paper, and moved the outer borders to the middle swapping around the paper as it were.  This works really well with pages with a border that have that 'almost done' feeling to them which make you run in the opposite direction because you want to scrapbook and not just stick photos to paper.  I found the technique worked with papers that didn't have that border feeling to them just as well. The photo is of said 11 year old and niece feeding the cygnets at Center Parcs

 Up close, these little gems are stickers matted onto card stock and scraps of paper.

And finally... Darcy's 52 words - growth

It didn't matter what I did to this page it did not want to be photographed, usually it's red pages that I fight with but this one is so dark but shiny it was a nightmare to photograph, nevertheless I've shared the rest of the pages with you - it would seem a shame not to share this one.  

The title on this one isn't as strong as some I've done but I like it nevertheless. 

Hope you are having a great Thursday - see you back here tomorrow for Rocking your World posts - ooh must remember the classic line said 11 year old came out with yesterday - completely genius I tell you.  

DARCY'S 52 WORDS - GRATITUDE

I must say this is one of my favourites, the original image has been changed quite considerably but I still like the feel of it, apparently I quite like grey pages with a splash of turquoise thrown in for good measure - who'd have thought it!  A tattooed lady as always! 

Being a weekly blogger of all things that Rock My World this page was fun to do and not at all difficult! 

I have almost finished this challenge but have spent the last month thoroughly immersed in scrapbooking and I usually find that when I'm scrapbooking I can't do art journaling and vice versa - which is weird isn't it!  Really must get back into the art journaling though - particularly when I need to download thoughts - it's a great way of working through things in my mind.  

I can't believe it's Wednesday already - where are the weeks going - hope you're all having a great week!