I couldn't Help Myself

In the end I had to do it - I just couldn't help myself. I had to add the tiniest little white flowers to mimic the daisies in the photo and to add a bit of dimension to the otherwise flat stamping.



While I was at it I added a single flower at the title and then added the teeniest faux gems to the centre of the flowers. I guess sometimes I just can't leave well enough alone!

Sneaky Post

I am trying to be sneaky and quickly share this page before one of the kids catches me. If they do then they'll all be up here gettin into stuff and my craft room is surprisingly clean right now. I would like to say that EVERYTHING is neat, tidy and organised but come on let's get real - some stuff was just shoved away. As I shoved it I told myself I'd sort it out later - yeah right like that's really gonna happen - but I felt better for allowing myself to think it was.

Oh - back to the page. I managed to compile this page throughout yesterday because I cheated. I fell so in love with this paper when I bought it a while back that I had to create a 'blank' page. If anyone thinks you HAVE to have photos to do a page think again. If I am inspired by paper I imagine the kind of photo or theme I'd like and do it anyway. I had already layered up the patterned paper, the scallops and scalloped corner and loosely added the flower to the page. All it needed was the right photo and some embellishing.





I ran across the larger photo while I was cleaning my room, promptly grabbed this page (from where I had just shoved it), dropped the photo into place and felt the creativity start to flow.




Next came the title with some super quick alphabet stickers that were by Chatter Box and a dollar store bargain, and then I had to leave it there. Just before blogging last night I did the text on my computer and added it.



Finally just before heading off for the night I stamped the swirls and leaves, added the brads and cut the bracket (parenthesis? is too hard to spell) using my die cut machine. It was calling to me so I had to do it or I would never have gotten to sleep!

As usual I may tweak with it - like adding small white flowers to the sprays to mimic those in the top corner of the photo - or I may leave it just as it is. Whatever happens today is going to be far too busy to get back to it.

Why is it so Hard to Say NO!

Well Dave drove to Northampton and collected our youngest daughter today and within minutes of her arrival you knew she was in the house. She always brings along noise, mess and lots of fussing!

She usually brings along gifts too since we don't see her very often now. Dave got several bottles of a special brew released for Father's Day this year that was matured in oak smoked barrels. He had one bottle and loved it so she promptly went and cleared out the shelves of it and it's now all sitting in our kitchen. This was my 'gift' but I use the term lightly - read on.

Four lengths of lovely Cath Kidston fabric. I was given this with strict instructions to use it sparingly - she tells me this little lot cost £60 from John Lewis - obviously I will have to make it go as far as I can. I can see some 'oh so cute' little fabric bags with handmade cards or gift items in them.

I was just beginning to think how sweet she was when she showed me just how much bunting she needed sewing. Somehow she had managed to talk me into hosting a family BBQ here tomorrow. Usually I love to play hostess but anyone who's ever done it knows you spend several days cleaning, prepping and planning, don't sit down for 5 minutes all day so your guests want for nothing and then spend the next couple of days getting everything straight again. It's a lot of work and I get real tired easily these days. I knew there had to be a catch somewhere.

No surprise then that she didn't end up on the sewing machine finishing bunting - I did! How is it that I simply don't know how to use that little word 'NO' when it comes to the kids? I could understand it at 6 or 7 but at 26 and 28 come on! Not only did I end up doing this but I also agreed to babysit the grandkids overnight so the girls could go out clubbing. All this knowing full well I have a house full of guests tomorrow - a house mind you that the kids will wreck and that will need cleaning AGAIN tomorrow, cake to bake and frost and food to prepare - NOT to mention blasted bunting to be put up!

Ok, ok so I am being somewhat over dramatic maybe (maybe not). The truth is I rarely sew these days and I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed it though I wasn't about to let on to Jess.

She had used another Cath Kidston fabric (love this design) but so she could use it sparingly she had added two colours of cheaper gingham fabric. Could you imagine how delicious this bunting would be if you used ALL CK fabric? As soon as Vicky arrived she immediately asked what we were doing with the bunting when the BBQ was over. This would look super cute in Maddy's room and we all knew it. Oh dear - something tells me I could find myself sewing even more BUNTING!!!

Anyhow this was only the first strip of bunting and let me tell ya it goes pretty deep so there's a lot of work here. One down, one more to go. At least Jess ironed all the pieces before I stitched them to the tape. While I hate ironing I would actually have done this too. I love ironing new fabric and pressing a new seam for the first time - strange but very true.

Both the girls are on strict instructions to be here no later than 10 am tomorrow so I can get ALL hands on deck but we'll just see how that goes shall we.

Jess is staying over on Monday so we get to spend a mother/daughter day together. You better believe she's buying lunch after all this.

Well the kiddie winkies are asleep and I'm heading off to Bedfordshire myself. I just know SOME of us will get a lie in while SOME of us are gonna be sitting at the breakfast table at 6 am tomorrow morning. It's a good job I love my kids I tell ya.