Been too busy to post!

Sorry everyone, I've been neglecting this blog and visiting other people's blogs in favour of crafting my little butt off! What have I been crafting? Well, I'm still working on my Twelve layouts, as well, I had two Stampin' Up! group meeting this week in which we swap cards so I had to come up with two different designs and then make a total of 25 cards over 2 days. ('Cus you know I tend to do these things last minute!) What else ... LOAD has started (see blinkie in my side bar to find out what that is) and I am actually caught up. In fact, I'm sort of ahead of the game ... keep reading to have that one explained!

Here are quick pictures about my most recent layouts. For more detailed info please visit my Flickr Gallery. Thanks. Oh and to those of you who don't give a you-know-what about my scrapping ... I will endeavour to do better about taking regular life pictures and posting them too. I was looking through my January pictures and  was appalled at how few I had taken of life last month! Pathetic!!!

But I'm digressing ... back to the layout pictures ...

This was done using a sketch from Studio Calico (see below).

In my "to be sorted/scrapped" basket are a stack of team photos of both Marley and Paige (although, mostly Marley!) so this is me trying to get them scrapped!

This was also inspired by the Studio Calico sketch below but since this one actually used some Studio Calico products, this was the one I submitted to their Sunday Sketch challenge. (By the way, I just have to add that I actually WON a Studio Calico Sunday Sketch challenge for this layout. Yay me!) 

Aren't the apples so cute?

Next we have this one.

This one was a bit of a slog for me. I spent about 3 days fiddling with it but now I am pretty happy with it. Please check out the details on my Flickr Gallery - there are some subtle ones that you can't see from this picture. 

In Twelve Stacey encourages us to celebrate the every day things and I decided it was time for a layout about LC's blanket - Dee-tee. It's been such a part of her and we are slowly asking her to give it up. I wanted to have something for her to look back on when she's older so she can remember the love she had for her blanket.

Journalling reads: 

"Ah, Christine and her “Dee-tee” …

It’s a gorgeous cream coloured (when it’s clean!), satin backed, furry blanket. My dear friend Shalan gave it to her at birth and for the first few months it just sort of hung out in her crib. We started to encourage her to cuddle it at nap times and bed time – especially when we realized that she wasn’t going to take a soother. She’s the only one of our kids to suck her thumb! And oh, how she loves that thumb!!

When she started talking we realized she called her little blanket, her “dee-tee” and ever since, the name has stuck. She had to take Dee-tee everywhere! It’s been to Maui (and thrown up on – but that’s another story), to the PNE, to visit Santa, to the Fire Hall and to Granny Camp. Now she only gets Dee-tee at nap time and bed time. All other times of the day it lives above the fridge in the kitchen so there is no “sneaking a thumb suck” in the middle of the day."

And now for my LOAD212 layouts.

Day One's prompt was "You've got good taste" with the suggestion of scrapping a favourite restaurant, recipe or other food related memory. While going through my pictures I came across the Guinness is Good For You postcard (picked up in Ireland back in the late 90's)  and remembered the St. Patrick's Day feast I made last year. So, my totally simple, totally fast layout was done before I knew it. So fast in fact that I had time to scrap another very important food memory ...

... my Mum's shortbread recipe. This one took a bit longer but not much.

All in all, Day One was a huge success!

Onto Day Two and the prompt of "Favourite Photo".

During my sort of the aforementioned basket, I'd come across this picture of me and Marley from 2004. It has always been one of my favourite pictures of myself so I knew it would be perfect for this prompt. The layout took awhile though and I've realized I've forgotten a title. But it's done for now ... a title can be added later, right?

Why do I love this picture? I'll be honest, it's because I love how young and thin and happy I look. 

Life with one kid was SO easy!!! (comparatively!)

 I was running, I had been playing Ultimate. I had a great haircut. 

Sigh.

Anyway, there you have it . I have to put the kids to bed and then I will try and get some pictures up on my other blog showing off my cards but no promises!

Talk to you later.