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Just An Other Day In Paradise 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM (12 years ago)

 

Saturday was baking day for Lilly and I. A planned morning of cooking delights, Devils Food Cake, Choux Buns...oh yummy, paradise. But paradise is hard to achieve, believe me, especially in this house.

My little chef and I did really well...cake mixed and in the oven and the choux pastry mixed, warm and in the piping bag all ready to go. It was all going so well. I was confidently explaining we had to use the piping bag to get the choux in nice shapes for the buns and then when they were cooked, we could fill them with cream. Looking back I must have sounded like Jamie Oliver on a really bad day. But my commentary came to an abrupt end as the piping bag exploded.

Truly, it did and it left in it's wake two really silly looking people wearing warm choux pastry!! You would never believe how far that stuff goes, it should have been entered in the long jump and the high jump at the Olympics!! Two gold medals for sure, not sure what National Anthem they would have played at the award giving though, lol.

It didn't even taste good, I know... I tried to lick my fingers and it was horrible. If it had been the cake mix then Lilly would have gladly licked it up...but this...was yuck, so no volunteers there. I lie, Charlie was extremely keen on helping. His tongue was everywhere trying to grab as much as he could before I chased him back to his bed. It really proved to me that dog would eat anything no matter how bad.

Needless to say it took an age to clear up and in the process we almost forgot the cake. But I remembered in time and an other major disaster was averted. All was well until I decided that as we were not having Choux Buns we would go to town and really dress the cake up. A little difficult without an icing bag but you know me...talented, imaginative etc. I know, but at least the imaginative bit is true.

As chocolate is a favourite, we had to include some melted chocolate into the finery of this soon to be wonderful cake. It didn't take long and everything was assembled and the chocolate melted. A certain young lady was now only interested in bowl licking, the finer points of getting it on the cake were no longer of any interest what so ever to her. I calmly explained that we needed to put some of the chocolate on the cake before she started licking.

But never fear..Super Grandma is here! A few sweeps with my palette knife, a couple of flourishes and hey presto...it would be done. In my dreams!!

It was at that point my mother rang. Her phone had been out of order all week and she was celebrating by calling me every couple of hours to tell me it was working again. Not really what I needed at that moment, but when mum calls it's really not easy to hang up quickly. But on this morning I did. It was the loud crash from the kitchen that told me that I really, really needed to hang up NOW!

Well, the dog looked guilty and the kid looked guilty.....and both stood in a mess of chocolate. Thank goodness the bowl was plastic!! The kitchen looked like it needed a hose down and the two culprits were not a lot cleaner. It's at times like this that  temperament shows....if your bad tempered you yell loud and long.... if you good natured you ask calmly what has happened. I chose a middle road, I yelled loud and long at the dog and asked Lilly what had happened. I won't bore you with the blame game dodging that ensued, but I will assure you that no dog or child were injured in the making of the mess, or afterwards.

Perhaps I should have stuck to Friday as our baking day....could be Saturdays are just unlucky. No, I didn't take any photographs of this chaos. In the midst of true chaos the camera never appears....I don't want that ruined as well!!

See you all at the end of the week with an other update and gift. Have fun and take a tip stay away from the baking!!

Photoshop Fun and An Other Oops Moment 19 Oct 2012 4:31 AM (12 years ago)

After yet an other busy day, full of elderly ladies, four year olds and too much driving, I rushed in and after grabbing a cup of tea I checked my emails. My head was still going at a thousand miles an hour, stuffed with too many thoughts...yep, I was in overload again. I felt like I was hovering about 6 inches above the ground and was still waiting for touch down.

I noticed that my lovely hubby had sent me an email telling me he had done some of the chores before going to work. What a sweetie!!! This deserved a thank you...so I sent him an email telling him how great he had been and thanks. But, me being me I didn't stop there. I told him a little about my day and that I had bought Charlie (the dog) yet an other new dog bed, but I wasn't sure if Charlie liked it as it was chasing around the room (as if hubby cared at that moment in time, lol).

I was really surprised to get an email back asking me if it was "a real one". What a real dog's bed? What did he think I had bought him a Puppy playhouse? I read it twice and couldn't make any sense of it. I must have missed something in his first email. So I checked his and then my answering email.

And yes...I had done it again. Here's what I had sent to him:

"I got the dog an other dog and he is chasing it around the dinning room at the moment in his usual insane manner. Could mean he likes it..or it could be he's trying to hide it, lol."

Missed out the little word bed and almost gave him a heart attack!! Poor long suffering man thought I had brought home an other waif or stray. I need to slow down and take more care!!

Okay, now something sensible and I'll try to keep the typos to a minimum here, lol.

One of the hardest things I've done recently was trying to remember all the twists and turns of Photoshop CS2 and as if that wasn't enough I tried to take in CS6 too. It took time and a lot of my hair! I am so glad that I was alone whilst I struggled to do the simplest of things. Scream? Me? Of course I did, very loudly and without restraint. But you know me.....never give up, just smack the keyboard, thump the screen and hang in there. My attempts resulted in frustration, disasters and believe me, some really hilarious results, but I can now say that Photoshop and I have become friends again. Well, at least until my next "how do you do that" moment.

I did find a positive in my battle to tame the pesky software, it made me think what I really wanted to design and what was my style. I have to admit that I'm still searching to redefine my style, it's definitely a "work in progress". But from little acorns great oaks grow, so I'm hoping that a "me style" will develop as I work. If it doesn't then I'll just enjoy the journey of working with Photoshop and see what inspiration comes along.

One of my efforts whilst playing was a flower. I made the flower and took great care that I started by making quality control a high priority. I hope I succeeded!!!

Anyway....I have decided to share my little doodle flower with any of you lovely people that feel you could use it. I have included a brush with the flower to make it just a little more versatile. I hope someone can find them a home.

You can download them from two places:

by clicking on the preview above (4shared)  or here (Dropbox).

They should both be direct downloads...should, but your talking about a woman who can't write an email without inflicting panic, lol.

Any problems with the links please let me know, again it's my first attempt for so long...I hope I haven't screwed them up!!

Have a great day and take care! See you soon.

 

Miss Lilly's Charming Little Mouth 15 Oct 2012 5:47 AM (12 years ago)

Time has past so quick in the last three years, not just for me but for the lovely Miss Lilly too. She has grown into quite the little lady, not only has she started school but she has also become an expert in the art of conversation. That girl loves nothing better than a good chat, so much so that if she could type she would have her own blog. But be warned...don't tell her your secrets!! Just let's say "her lips are not sealed", in fact they are like an open  tap everything flows out!
Believe me Lilly has caused a few red faces with her innocent chatter. Do you remember the doll Chatty Kathy? Okay, I can hear you all saying.....before your time, but believe me I swear Lilly shares some of that dolls genes!! So as soon as I hear her say the words "Grandma, do you know...", my ears start flapping and she has my undivided attention. I know I shouldn't listen but the temptation is to much, you never know what delights she may impart, lol. She is a real font of information...never underestimate a child when your having a conversation....they may look disinterested, but it's just a clever ploy. Really, their ears are like sonar and despite that innocent look they are filing it all away incase it's useful at a future date.
But be warned it's a double edged sword that can come back to bite you. There are certain signs that you should go into alarm mode, like when a little voice joins the conversation with the phrase "Grandma said...".
Red alert, red alert!! My gagging hand twitches, I brace myself to pounce ...... too late.... "Grandma said that if you had any sense then you wouldn't have done that" Aaah!! She has done it again!!!
I swear instead of all those fancy listening gadgets James Bond should just positioned a seemingly cute and innocent 4 year old to play sweetly next to the target. Better results and so much cheaper!!
On reflection I think a good Christmas present for Lilly would be a nice warm scarf...one that sits cosily around the neck and mouth region....well, more around the mouth than the neck really. I think I need to start knitting.
That's all for today folks but check back on Thursday when I'll have an other post and a little gift for you all. See you then.

Back in the Blogging World and Feeling Continental 12 Oct 2012 1:36 AM (12 years ago)

Just when you thought Cen's Loft was gone and finished....and you were safe....it's back. I finally remembered how to do a blog post. How sad is that? It's amazing how quickly we forget skills if we don't use them.... is that a me thing, or worse still, is it an age thing? It'll take me a while to get back in the swing but bear with me in my struggle and hopefully we will have some fun as well as screams on the journey.

I have to admit that if remembering how to post on Blogger was a challenge, then my wonderful idea of trying to update Cen's Loft was a task too far. As usual it seemed such a good idea...at the time. I had some wonderful design thoughts that would result in a stunning blog makeover, tasteful, elegant and chic. No, stop laughing....my idea was chic, honestly it was. Ideas however are one thing, putting them into practice is a whole different kettle of fish, as I was to find out. I got everything organised and ready. I very thoroughly checked and double checked what I was going to do, a bit like a pre-rocket launch. All systems ready to go........fire!!!

To be truthfully I was right and I was pretty stunned when I saw what I had done but not quite in the way I had intended to be. Let's just say I ended up being really grateful that Blogger had the facility to let me back up my template before the attempt! The restore of the old template was performed faster than fast by a very panic stricken and red faced me. It wasn't just a matter of tweaking things to make it work. It was so bad that even if I tipped my head sideways and screwed up my eyes and sort of squinted at it...it still didn't look like a blog page. More like a Picasso on a bad day.

It was then I realised blog design never would be one of my talents and actually I was more a blog wrecker.  So, feeling rather stupid I once again I gave up and put my return to blogging on the back burner.

All was not lost though, not long afterwards my luck changed and I won a blog template and installation from the lovely Louise of Louise Franks Blog Designs. Cen's Loft had a reprieve and was saved from my strange and wonderful methods of blog design. I left that it in Louise's capable hands to work her magic.

The template I picked was called Parisian. I am after all just across the channel from France and I visit there quite often, so I could almost be French.....alright I know I'm pushing it. But now I feel updated and very continental and "tres" chic!

Ok, I admit that I got rid of my cycle a few years ago and my hair is shorter than in the header...but I'm still continental, truly I am, plus I'm working really hard on the chic bit too. I can almost feel the wind in my hair as I freewheel downhill on my cycle with my feet off the pedals, mm...that might not be so chic, but it is so me...or should I say how I would like me to be, lol.

Well, that's all for today but for those that are interested I intend to blog more often than I used to about life and me, but I will still have a weekly post with a freebie of some description for those who are interested to adding to their collection.

Remember if you want a great choice in premade blog templates or a custom makeover then check out Louise Franks Blog Designs

Take care and see you all soon.

Sweet and Pretty...Not me!! 30 Sep 2009 10:28 AM (15 years ago)

Over the weekend I was still snuffling and coughing like I was at least 100!! The difference to Friday was that I wasn't  like one little pig..I was like all three little pigs and the wolf too!! I was doing the snuffling and snorting of the little pigs like there was three of me...plus I was huffing and puffing like I was going to blow the house down!!

I tried Vick, Olbus Oil, steaming with menthol crystals.....sipping hot chai with honey, ginger and lemon...and so much more!! The result was zilch. By Monday I had well and truly got a wheeze and I felt like I was drowning. The only thing to do was to call the doctor.  I tried to breath and talk at the same time, not something I normally struggle with, lol.  All the huffing and puffing must have made me sound like an elderly frail lady and he told me I needed to come in so he could check me out. When I got there he took a listen ....with a very cold stethoscope.....and prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection. I hope these work, if not they'll need to put me down. I'm a hazard to the healthy!!

Today I'm still feeling rough but don't want to spend too much time lying in bed in case it makes my chest worse....hopefully tomorrow will bring results. Good ones that is!!

Enough of my woes...I need to say thank you for two lovely awards that were passed to me last week. I have been dreadful the last few months in keeping up with these and passing them on. For my past sins, I apologise. I have turned over a new leaf and will deal with these promptly in future, promise!!

Swapna at Crafts and Cooking passed me this extremely chic, very Parissien looking award. It is gorgeous, thank you! I love Crafts and Cooking, the recipes make my mouth water every time I visit...which is most days. Drop by and see for yourself.

 

The rules are

1. Add the logo to your blog
2. Link to the person who passed on the award
3. Nominate blogs of your choice
4. Leave a message on the nominee blogs

I pass the award on it these favourite blogs:

Digi Vickie's Word Art

Beettle's Memories 'n Ramblings

Linda's Lot

Chris at Bling_Kin_Eck

 

The second award was passed to me by the lovely Jackie (Shinade) at The Painted Veil. Her blog is full of colour as she shares the results of her wonderful photography, plus she is such a lovely lady. It's well worth a visit!!

I pass this award some more special blogs:

Will Oaks Studio

Kim's Scrappin'

PJ's Prose

From a Little Yellow House In England

My Gypsy Goods

And finally before I go a small gift, a mini kit. All I can say about it is; it's simple, bright and I think quite pretty. So Enjoy!!

You can download Sweet and Simple here

I have had so many problems uploading to 4shared this last few months that the download is via Media Fire. I am so sick of spending 20 or 30 attempts

 

Take care and see you soon.

Overlay Painting Tutorial 25 Sep 2009 7:39 AM (15 years ago)

 

Okay..before I start...if you hear a loud snuffling and snorting..it's me. I sound like a pig searching for truffles, sniff, snort, sniff. I have a cold and sore throat, plus it doesn't help that my nose is glowing a very luminous red!! Too many tissues!! So imagine a pig with a clowns nose and you've got me in one!!

I nearly forgot to mention the cough..a sort of raw hacking noise.....that will not be suppressed..as my DH has found out. Other details I won't describe, I don't want to put you off completely!!

 

Anyway, on to business. Paint!!!!

I thought I'd share a little a tip about using overlays in a short tutorial. Not only can you stack overlays to make your background papers, you can also add extra layers and stick a little paint on them. If you play with the blending modes, then you can have some real fun. I use Photoshop CS2 but you can apply the principle in most software packages.

In the tutorial I will keep things simple but you'll get the basic idea and then it's up to you to experiment!! I haven't tried to be subtle with the blending modes, I've just tried to make it simple...the finer points are up to you!!

The overlay that I used  is included in the download with a PDF of the tutorial. You can use the overlay for Commercial or Personal use. If you already use this technic...I apologise....ignore me!! Lol!

Right let's get going.

1. Open up a new file 12x12, 300dpi, transparent and fill it with the colour of your choice.

I used a brown colour for my base layer bc7d5c, but feel free to use any you want. (I renamed this layer colour)

2. Now open the overlay file that came with the tutorial, jsch_pattern_example.png

3. With the overlay file as the active one, hold down the Shift Key and drag it into your new file with the colour.

(Holding down the Shift key will make sure that the overlay is central when it has been moved.)

4. When you've done this, change the blending mode of the overlay layer to: Overlay, 78%.

5. Now for the start of the fun part. Make new layer above the overlay.

(You can do this by Layer>New or by clicking the small icon, second from the right at the bottom of the Layers palette).

Rename the new layer to Paint 1

6. With the Paint 1 as the active one, select the paint brush you want to use. I choose a soft round brush, size 800. This size just covers the flower like centre of the pattern on the overlay.

The quick way to get the brush ready is select the brush icon in the left tool bar. Then change the size in the top tool bar by click the down arrow next to the brush shape.

 

Choose a soft brush from the drop down list and then at the top change the px size to 800.

This is what your top tool bar should look like when you've done.

7. We need to pick the colour we want the brush to paint with. I choose a bright turquoise blue, 5accd6. Again it's a matter of choice.

Make sure that the new layer is still your active on and then we can start to paint.

Hold the brush over the middle of the flower like shape and click once.

Continue doing this until you have all the shapes you want covered. (You can use different colours over each shape, but for now I'm just using this one to keep it simple.)

 

When you have finished painting the shapes and your happy with it, turn of the Paint 1 layer by clicking the little eye on the left of the layer. We can turn it on later when we've done the next stage.

8. Make an other new layer above Paint 1, exactly as we did before and rename it Paint 2.

We'll use the same soft round brush but we need to change the size of the brush so that it just covers the centre of the flower shape.

To change the size make sure you still have the paintbrush icon selected and then in the top tool bar click the down arrow next to the brush shape and change the brush size to 150px. (You can also change the brush size by pressing the ] key to make it larger or the [ key to make it smaller.)

We also need to change the colour. I have used a green, 3ed895.

We're ready to paint . So line up your brush and click once on centre of the first flower shape.

Continue doing this until you have covered all the centres of the shapes. Again you can change colour for each one if you want. If stuck to this one colour.

9. When you have complete all click on the Paint 1 layer to make it active again. Change the blending mode to Overlay, 90%.

10. Click on the Paint 2 layer and change the blending layer to Colour Burn, 64%.

(Okay, this is not very subtle but the subtle bit is for you to do later!Lol.)

This is what you should have.

I have kept the tutorial to the basics, but you can add texture to the painted layers via the Layers Style Palette, change the blending modes, use different shaped brushes...the list is endless!! Just play and experiment!! But most of all have fun.

You can download the tutorial in PDF format with the overlay here

Have a great weekend!!

Should the Photograph Be Bigger? 16 Sep 2009 3:50 PM (15 years ago)

Autumn has arrived in my neck of the world. The last of our flowers are wilting and the sunshine is starting to loose it's warmth. I have to admit it wasn't a particularly warm summer here in England anyway, but now in the morning and evening there is a decided nip in the air. Soon the leaves will turn and the descent towards Winter will have started in earnest. The wonderful colours of Autumn will be my compensation for the colder days to come.

One of my last garden blooms

About now most of us find we have stacks of photographs from summer piling up to add to our album pages. With this backlog in mind, I had some of my layouts printed to clear my PC for the new ones to come. I was proudly showing them to one of my friends when a chance remark made me stop and examine my pages more closely. It made me think...yes, I do occasionally indulge in thought, lol.

Irene doesn't scrapbook herself, but she was really interested to take look at mine. Imagine my surprise to hear her ask why scrapbook pages gave so little prominence to the actual photograph!!

Being artistic and crafty herself, she's looked before at scrapbooking on the Internet but decided that she preferred her photos as they come. Whilst she agreed many of the layouts she had seen were beautiful and extremely artistic, she did feel that they were more a showcase for the persons skills or artistic expression than for photographs.

Okay, by now she had my FULL attention!! What..she thought I was not giving centre stage to the lovely Lilly in my pages!!!

As an illustration of what she meant, she mentioned pages with one small photo with cluster/s behind or around it, the rest of the page using lots of white space. I have to admit, I for one, love these sorts of pages. I tried to explain that those really can have a dramatic impact because of the space the eye was led to the photo and made it the star.

She was not convinced!! Rubbish..was her loud rely!!! It merely meant in years to come when fashion and fads had moved on, people would peer at our pages and wonder why we had made the gorgeous photograph so small and left so much blank space.

I have to admit, by now my feathers were extremely ruffled. Then the realisation of how she saw things started to dawn. I stepped back and thought about what she had said...she was in some ways right. Some of my pages didn't have journaling and the photo was a very small part of the overall layout. At first glance they do appear to be more artist expression pieces than memory pages for the future. Eeek!! What have I done!!

It raised the question in my mind should the photograph be bigger or more prominent on our pages? I know that we all have our own style but if you look around many, not all, layouts don't give prominence to the photo or journaling. Often they tell us more about the scrapper and their skills than they do about the person or event in the photograph. Many...like me...are guilty of no journaling at all on some pages, to note the event, date or person.

Bettina sent me this beautiful page of her granddaughter Lili and perhaps she has got the right idea...photo prominent at a good size, plus an indication of who and when. The fun wordart conveys the emotion behind it. I love it, for me it ticks all the boxes!! A great example of an album page with loads of style.

Credits: Lilly's Quilt Freebie Cens Stuff, Wordart by Bethanie

No the example below of one of my pages is just the opposite!! Loads of fun but not good!! No name or date just a sentiment that I felt about the lovely lady in the layout....oops!! Rethink needed!!

Credits: Cens Stuff, Kite by SammyD at Scrappin Digi Kreations 

 

The next layout was for my brothers 50th birthday album this summer. It' s got names and dates plus it says in the park, but I should have put where the park was perhaps and little journaling. I should also have put the names in the top picture in the order the people appear on the photo!! It would help!! I know who they are and where but others won't, so perhaps a few more facts on this heritage one.

(Yes, the child standing up on the swing is me!! The boy is my brother and the dark haired girl is my youngest aunt.)

 

But that still left me begging the questions.....

Should the elements and white space play a less prominent part in our pages? Should the photograph and journaling be the stars? Have we lost the plot on this and we can't see the wood for the trees? Are we more concerned with showing off our own skills than preserving the memories? I am guilty of at least some of the above!!

So many questions..so little answers!! This needs some more thought!!

As a family historian I can imagine the frustration of future generations at the lack of journaling and questioning why we choose to utilise the space the way we did. But....the albums will pass on something else to them as well, they'll let people see the scrapbooking style and fashions over a period in time. They'll show the talent and skill of the person who made the album and illustrate the technics available at the time. So, perhaps our album pages will end up conveying  different or incomplete information about us and our memories but they will still be marvelous records to pass on.

That chance remark has certainly made me think and look at my layouts differently. I've looked and reexamined what I'm doing and why. I'm not saying I'll change the way I do everything but I certainly will think more about how I preserve my memories.

What are your thoughts on this? Should the photograph be bigger or the journaling always present?

Check back tomorrow I have a little something for you!! Until then take care have fun!!

Photoshop Tutorial 10 Sep 2009 2:21 PM (15 years ago)

I thought it was about time that I did an other tutorial as it's been a while since the last one. Layouts can look really good with the text wrapping partly around your photograph or an object and it’s actually not so hard to do. This tutorial will walk you through it hopefully in an easy to understand way.

My text in the tutorial was done really quickly ...and yes...it could have done with a tidy up!! But the principle on how to do it is here and I know you will all be a lot more tidy than I was, lol!!

So let's get started.I'm going to show you on a basic background with a photo. It makes it simpler for you to see what I'm doing.

 

1. Open the background and photo you want to use on your layout. Position the photo where you want it and then we are ready to start the tutorial.

2. Select the Rectangle Tool from your side tool bar.

 

Make sure that you have the Paths icon selected in the top tool bar and the Add to Path icon too.

3. With the photo layer as the active layer drag out a rectangle to include all or  part of the photo plus the area that you want the text to appear in. Have a look at mine below to understand what I mean. The rectangle I have drawn covers part of the photo and part of the background.

4. With the rectangle tool still selected we need to make a change in the top tool bar. Click the Subtract from Path icon, this means that we can now take the photo part out of the selection we just made.

Now drag out a rectangle to cover the area of the photo that is inside the rectangle. I always include a little of the background too as I like a small border around the photo with no text.

5. Select the Type Tool from the side tool bar.

Pick the font, size and colour you want to use for your journaling  then click in the top left of the rectangle, where you want the text to start. Type in your text and it will fit around your photo.

When you’ve finished and have the text how you want it, press the Move Tool to get rid of the Type Tool and then press CTRL+H. This will hide the path and you will see the finished result.

Have fun!!

If you want to download the tutorial as a PDF File you can find it here.

Cake Heaven 4 Sep 2009 2:27 AM (15 years ago)

This week I have been in cake heaven.....and muffin heaven....and oh yes in pudding delight. My taste buds have been working overtime and my house has been full of gorgeous aromas, pleasantly scenting the air and making everyone's mouth water.

How this wonder came about is all due to a new book that I agreed to view and review as part of BloggerAid. When the book arrived I have to admit that I was a little nervous. Savories and pastries are normally my forte and in the past I have been known to have a few little teeny disasters with cakes. Ask my family, they will agree, well perhaps not about the teeny bit!!

So, imagine my delight when I discovered a book with triple tested recipes for success every time. That's what the cover said..and it was true. The recipes worked perfectly even for me, with my cake curse!!

The name of this wonder book?

The Australian Women's Weekly Mix - Cakes, Muffins, Biscuits and Puddings, published by ACP Books (ISBN9781863968690).

From the beautifully illustrated cover your led through clear and easy to follow recipes, studded with extra hints and tips. There's a great conversions table at the back so that the recipes make sense and are accurate, no matter where you live or what measures you are used to. So often I spot and mark "must try" recipes and end up having to approximate on the measurements...not a good thing to do if you want the best results. Here it couldn't be simpler.

Imagine my relief when I discovered the section that gives advice on how to achieve success with the different sort of recipes in the book. Just what I needed, they must have had me in mind when they wrote this bit. Reading it made me understand where previously I may have gone wrong and not got the expected results. For example...Did you know that the quicker you mix in the liquid to the dry ingredients when making scones, the lighter your scones? I for one was not aware that it would make much difference...but I tried it and it does!!

An other godsend is the glossary at the back. It can be confusing when ingredients are known as something else in the country you live in, but this clever section explains exactly what they are clearly, concisely. I had several "ah, that's what it is" moments on reading it but ended up with everything crystal clear and understanding exactly what it was I needed.

The book offers a huge choice in recipes, from classics and well known favourites, to chic cafe-style recipes too. It certainly made my choice of which to try difficult, they all looked so delicious. A further bonus was that the recipes were not laden with fat and sugar, which can often be a problem with dessert recipes. An other bonus is the inclusion of some gluten free and dairy free recipes, ideal if you have problem with either of those as my daughter does.

I eventually singled out five of the recipes...I know...five!!! Well, I had to make sure they worked. The small fact that there was tasting afterwards had of course nothing to do with the large number I opted for..as if!! I made the five items over two days and I can honestly say they all went down a storm with my family and I thoroughly enjoyed making them. No stress just read, prepare and then do just what it said....that simply.

I picked out the Spicy Scone recipe from the first section..and yes, I added the liquid in quickly as the tip said..so they were wonderfully light and fruity with a beautiful cinnamon flavour. A pure delight with butter.

 

 

The next one that caught my eye was the berry and yogurt muffins. The preparation was simple and the recipe appears to be a healthy one with rolled oats, yogurt and berries. Delicious and healthy, what more could you ask. Perfect!!

The carrot and banana cake in the cake section sounded an ideal combination, so I gave this one a try too. It was easy to put together and then just pop in the oven and leave it to work it's magic as it cooked. The cream cheese frosting gave a wonderful contrasting taste that made a perfect balance and helped this stand out from your average carrot cake. I have to admit that I added a little grated chocolate to the top , that's just my thing but promise it's the only thing I changed. The results were pleasant light, I've had problems with my carrot cakes being heavy in the past..but it was just that, a problem of the past. This time it turned out terrifically. A definite must bake again..

 

I completed my selection with crunchy muesli cookies and coffee and pecan puddings with a caramel sauce...mm the sauce was to die for.  All uncomplicated to make and brilliant results. No one was more surprised than me that my success rate was 100%. Truthfully it was, despite my natural cake making handicap.

Perhaps it appears that I got a little engrossed in the baking this week.....I did. This book was a pleasure to read and use and it's one that I know I will return to again and again. With 400 pages in total I still have lots of recipes to try and so much more enjoyment to come!

What's more I discovered that Australian Women's Weekly do a series of books covering most recipe areas. So, now I know what will be on my Christmas list, a few of the others. If they are only half as interesting and successful as this one then they will be a welcome addition to my bookcase.

Now, all this food talk has made me hungry, so I'm off to find something to eat and maybe take an other peek at what else I can bake. Have a great day and why not drop by and checkout BloggerAid, it's a wonderful cause and great fun too. Go have a look and see what you think.

Spider Alert!! 1 Sep 2009 1:27 PM (15 years ago)

Last night I was well and truly traumatised!! There were spiders everywhere I turned. Okay, I'm exaggerating just a little, but there were several..all in one day!! I'm not a coward...honest, I'm not...except when spiders are around. I don't know what it is about them but they make my skin crawl. 

I found two in the hall during the morning and I thought that was bad, but at bedtime...it got worse..much worse!! My DH went to bed earlier than I did, I was finishing some work on my PC and needed to get it completed last night.

Eventually with my work completed, I climbed into bed and snuggled down feeling nicely relaxed. I was looking forward to reading the next section of my book before I went to sleep. An hour quickly passed as I lost myself in the story and I felt like it was time for lights out. So, down went the book and the pillows got a good shuffle to get me comfy.

As I lay back to check they were right...I saw it!! Up there poised above my head, staring straight at me and smiling (I swear it was)... .was a spider. Quite a big spider!!!

God, it could drop on me at any second. Should I move or should I jump out of bed? Would it drop on me if I jumped? Believe me it was like 20 questions zooming through my head.I thought of nudging my DH but then thought that may not be such a great idea. There was nothing else for it...I would have to deal with it myself!!

This needed careful manoeuvring, I didn't want that nasty hairy spider on me!!! Aaah, just the thought made me come out in goose bumps!! I crept out of bed..keeping low...well I sort of slithered out hugging the mattress and onto the floor. Whew, at least I wasn't in it's drop path any more...now down to action!!

I grabbed one of the cushions from the bed (there are loads..way too many) and climbed back on to the bottom of the bed. Now all I had to do was knock it off the ceiling with the cushion and over towards the window. Steady girl, don't panic!!! I wobbled on the mattress, it's a memory foam one, wonderful to sleep on but not so great for standing on. I pulled the cushion back like I was about to do a golf swing on the ceiling and whoosh...impact!! Spider gone from the ceiling...magic! I checked that wasn't near the bed and then climbed back in, making sure I left the cushion I had used far, far away form the bed.

Needless to say I needed to read some more as I was not feeling quite so relaxed now. But, if I just read a few more pages, then sleep.

All was well...at least it was until an other spider crawled over the pillow next to me and yes...it was doing that staring again!!!! In fact this one was waving Hi.

Oh, ah...no...scream...HELP!! HELP!!HELP..it's going to get me!!!

So okay, that's what husbands are for isn't it? I had tried with the other one but this one was a sneaky guy and he took me unawares..and he was so close. I mean screaming was a natural reaction...right? Now, I have to tell you, my DH is wonderful...long suffering, but wonderful. That is...except when he's woken up in the middle of the night by a screaming lunatic who is totally incoherent, but with very powerful lungs.

Moving slowly....admittedly with an angry glare, at me not the spider.... he removed the offending monster. Muttering a few choice words, which I won't repeat... he put a pillow over his head and went back sleep. Me? I was awake for sometime waiting to see if any more "visitors" with eight legs were going to drop in or creep out on me. But finally.....sleep came and peace returned.

Now I've shared my horror story, I'll behave and get down to scrap talk!!

Have  a look at the elements that I made to go with the Lilly's Quilt Paper Pack. These too were inspired by the quilt. I hope that someone out there can put them to good use.

You can download the Lilly's Quilt Elements here

I'm busy trying out some recipes in a terrific new book that I've got. It's all cake, muffins, biscuits, cakes and puddings recipes..and they are gorgeous. In my next post I'll let you know how I got on and share the results with you...well, not really share as I'm the one that gets to eat them...you only get to see them, lol!!

Take care and have a great evening!!

When Life Keeps Bowling You Out...Get a Bat and Hit Back!! 30 Aug 2009 8:38 AM (15 years ago)

The last two weeks have flown by, filled with family commitments and crisis, hopefully life has started to level out and peace will return to the Schutrup's household. Even if it is just for a while!! So bear with me whilst I bring you up to date on Lilly...if you prefer not...then scroll down for today's gift from me to you.

 

The good news is Lilly's scalded foot appears to be slowly getting better, but I was really shocked when I first saw it. I could not believe that water from a tap could inflict such an awful injury, my heart went out to the poor little mite and the pain she must have had to endure. How I wished that it could have been me instead of her, but it turns out that she is much braver than I could ever have been in that situation. It's a warning to us all on how accidents are only a second away and a child moves fast in even a second!!

Having said that she has been so brave and we haven't seen many tears, even when the dressings were being changed. The hardest part for her appears to be seeing the burn. When the dressings are changed her face screws up and she says "Oh no!". When she has her time each day with the dressing off then she sits happily...as long as the area is blocked from her view...so entertainment is required!! It's then that her favourite quilt comes in handy...it works perfectly to block her view. (It was this same quilt that inspired the papers and elements that I have made into a two part download for you all.)

Lilly's also lucky that she has such a down-to-earth mum. Charlotte has been brilliant and even although it cost here dearly, she has smiled as she dealt with Lilly's dressings and taken great pains to distract her as much as possible. That doesn't mean that the panic didn't set in when it first happened!!

Looking back over the last year life has been quite eventful for me...not all good. But I have this stubborn (or stupid?) streak and I refuse to be bowled out. When life throws me or mine hard balls....I get a bat and hit back....even harder!! It may not always be a good thing, but I just hang in there and wait for the chaos to stop. Mind you .....it can take a while, so patience and stamina are need on this one!!!

After all nothing lasts for ever, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad...there is one thing that you can be sure of, everything has a start and an end. My husband says I have the tenacity of a bulldog...I grit my teeth and hold on tight..no matter which way the bronco bucks. That's only because I know eventually it will stop doing it...hopefully before it knocks my teeth out!!!

I use this principle in so many areas of my life..take the dentist....yep you can take mine for one, I am terrified on every visit!!! But before I go in, I tell myself "Hey, it's only 30mins....then it it's over". Saying "It's for my own good" doesn't work for me but a time limit does....I told you I was strange, lol!!

When I had my children I used the same principle. There I was in labour, feeling not so brave...ouch it hurt!! Where was that nurse with the meds? To keep myself calm and hanging in there I firmly told myself "This will only last a few hours...then it stops and think of moment when you can say hello to your own little stranger!!". It worked, but I have to admit that I kept wondering if it would stop soon..I'm really not very brave at all!! Eventually...it did!

Knowing that something has a beginning and an end really helps me hang on when the going gets tough, or if I am just feeling out and out plain scared of a situation!! I might not be sure when the end of it will come, but the comfort is that I know that somewhere down the line what ever it is will stop...hopefully the sooner the better!!

And if all else fails..... grab the bat and keep hitting the balls back with all you've got!! Lol!!

Before I give you the download link for today's gift, I want to say a big thank you to all of you, my friends, who leave comments on my posts, they are very much appreciated.

And finally.......the Lilly's Quilt Papers!! There are 12 in the set, 3 plain papers and 9 patterned with dots, checks and some cute stripes. The elements to match them will be my download on Tuesday..so drop back and collect them too.

If you want to download them you'll find them here.

Have a great day and see you Tuesday!!

Inspiration 17 Aug 2009 3:52 PM (15 years ago)

I am inspired!! So many things I have seen recently have been catalysts for the creative flow, not least this wonderful page by Kim over at Kim's Scrappin'.  She chose a wonderful Kit, and used a Miss Lilly photo. The results are breath taking....checkout the little bird on Lilly's shoulder. Thank you so much Kim for this beautiful page!!!!!

Now tell me...who wouldn't be inspired by this?

Credits: In the Forest by Carena's Design,

Word Art also in the kit (Kim just added the word Magic)

This post was going to be longer but I am sorry to say that Lilly has been in the wars and I need to get organised as I am almost certain to be making a trip to Oxford in the morning to see how things are going. I'm clearing the decks tonight of tomorrows scheduled work to free up some time.

Yesterday Lilly scalded her foot and I am glad to say that although it is nasty, it could have been worse. It meant another trip to hospital and a very large dressing on her little blistered foot. Her mum says that at the moment she is swinging between trying to hobble on it and wanting picked up. Her poor mum and dad were devastated that they had not seen it coming...but accidents happen even when we're careful. Kids are just so fast!!

So the rest of this post will have to wait until later this week....sorry!!

Have a great day tomorrow and see you soon.

Catch Up Time 13 Aug 2009 12:46 PM (15 years ago)

Hi all...the prodigal returns!! I bet you thought I was on the missing persons list, it's been a week and no postings. Life has kept me jumping the last 7 days with never a dull moment. So first I'll fill you in a little on my week..and then a gift!!,

The Theme Park trip on Friday went well but I am still struggling to get the photos off my old camera..it's holding on to them and won't let me download them!! I need to have an other wrestling match with it tomorrow and see if it will finally relinquish it's hold.

It was Lilly's first time at a park like this and she loved the kiddie rides..too much so...she didn't want to get off. I was of course overprotective and made a wonderful sight on the children's rides in the backseat...Lilly naturally was driving, lol. My children thought it was hilarious...an 19month old in the front and grandma in the back. I have to admit it was a tight squeeze and it raised a few eyebrows...but I did it!! Mind you I don't think I need have bothered as the little lady in question was squealing with glee. It was definitely her kind of thing.

Lilly and her parents stayed until Monday evening, so the weekend was full to overflowing with events, but it was all great fun. On Saturday we went to the street market in Lymington and browsed. There were eight of us and we kept loosing each other, but eventually we reunited in time to eat. I love markets they have such a wide variety of goodies on sale and the atmosphere is brilliant.

I told you that I was putting together some bookcases with doors...well here they are. This was taken last Thursday before the company arrived. Tuesday I finished filling them with books and they look so much better, but I thought I'd let you have a peek. I still need to get the mirrors and pictures up in the rest of the room and find the accent touches, like changing the lamp shades, cushions, new curtains...need I go on? But it gives you an idea of what I've been up to. I'll post some more photos as it progresses.

 

 

The sun shone on Sunday and the lovely Lilly threw her clothes away and so we spent the day covering her in sun cream. Good job it was water proof for every time we put it on...she headed for the paddling pool!! Typical! But we all enjoy the day and the sun was beautiful, warmth...how I love it.

However, when Tuesday dawned, it was work as usual for me, time to pay the price and catchup on the backlog. But I can honestly say it was worth it. It's taken me three days of hard slog but I'm back to the point that by the weekend ....I'll be ready for the next round of chaos!!! Lol!

Now, my gift for you. I hope there is something for everyone, designers, scrappers, Photoshop lovers, whatever ....or that's my hope. It's just some simple folded or curled papers, but they can be used in so many different ways. Each piece is quite large, that way it expands the range of things you can use them for. They're large enough to use as mats in you work, or scaled down they can be used for embellishments...your choice.

If you design there's a grayscale pack to download...if not then there is a separate pack of coloured examples to add to your pages. Or grab them both!!! I hope you have fun playing with them and adding your own personal touches to make them your own.

You can download the grayscale pack here

You can download the sample papers here

Well, time for me to go. Take care and have a great evening/day!!

 

Nearly Done!!! 6 Aug 2009 10:14 AM (15 years ago)

I'm nearly done my living room!! The paint and paper are finished and the cracks are sealed. I can't believe that the chaos is almost at an end. Living in a clutter is not my idea of fun at the best of ties...but this was awful, it just took so long with constant interruptions which were unfortunately unavoidable.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I had finished painting and stood back and took a long look. I had decided that I wanted to go for neutral in the decor so I could dress it up with accent colours that contracted with the dark blue of our sofas. But with I looked at it with very little furniture in and all that wall... it looked.....well.....nondescript!! Bland, washed out and plain. But it's moving on....the new carpet went in...yes, neutral again, but at least a bit darker....and it started to show some promise. Not a lot, but a little.

It went a stage further today, it was bookcase building day. I have so many books and so little space, so bookcases with doors were called for. I needed the doors because I hate how dusty books can get just sitting about on shelves. I have to admit with them in place it's starting to come together...but it still needs some colour!!!! But I do feel a little stirring of pride with how it's staring to look, perhaps all the hard work will be worth it in the long run. A few more days and it will be ready to show you all!!

For now though...it's going on hold...again!!! Lilly, Charlotte and Ali are arriving any minute and tomorrow we are all taking Lilly to Paulton's Park for the day. Chris, Cheryl and Kevin are coming too so it will be busy!! A real family day out, so please...no more rain!!!! It's been arranged for ages and not something I wanted to put off...so it's down tools again.

The latest news on my mum, is great. She's recovering well now from the flu and subsequent chest infection, but she is still not up to a day trip out. That's just too ambitious!! We'll all visit her on Saturday, or should I say invade her, lol.

I hope that next week I will get back to normal (what me normal!!) and settle down into my usual routine. The last few weeks have been too chaotic and disorganised for my liking, but they have had variety, lol.

Now my gift for you before I rush off.

If you like overlays then this one is one of my favourites. It's a torn paper one that is ideal for vintage or grunge papers. There are actually two overlays in the download, slightly different tones in each. They're quite large files but well worth a look. Have fun with them and layer, change blending modes, colour...anything that takes you fancy!! Just play and see what you come up with. I always find that the more I play the better the results....perhaps that's why I take so long making things...I play too much!!! Lol!

If you don't use overlays then there's some example papers that you can snag and use. The overlays are for personal or commercial use, the papers are personal use only.

Here's one of the overlays.

You can download the Overlays here

And here's the example papers.

You can download the Papers here

Have a wonderful day tomorrow and think of me at the theme park!! Hopefully if the rain stays off I'll have lots of pictures too. Till next time...be good!!

Split Bent Frame Tutorial 31 Jul 2009 1:26 PM (15 years ago)

 

As promised I have knocked together a tutorial for the Split Bent Frame....it's quite long......so I have added a link for you to download it as a PDF file to use if you prefer.   I just hope you can understand it!! Lol! You'll find the link at the bottom of the post.

First....an update on the my mum. Unfortunately she developed a chest infection in the middle of the week and needed antibiotics and some steroids..but the good news is..she is starting to feel better today!!! Hurray!!!

The latest on the decorating is that I've finished the ceiling, gloss and put up a lining paper on our awful walls, so that I can paint them. Now, I just need to paint the paper and then I can get some new carpet down!!!!! All this in one week and with DH laid up with a bad back. I am really pleased that what looked like a disaster week has turned out so much more productive than I thought. It just goes to show, you never know what you can achieve...mind you it does help if you don't sleep, lol!!

Now for the tutorial!!

I use Photoshop CS2  but I am sure you can adapt it for your own software. It is quite a long tutorial and I hope that I explain it clearly, forgive me if I don’t!!

You can use it for personal or commercial use..just don't claim it as your own!!

So let’s get started!

1. Open the photograph that you want to use. Check the image size and do any cropping you want to make before we start. (I had mine at 300dpi, 9 inches x 5 inches. You can always scale it down after it’s framed, but it‘s easier to work on at this size).

2. Now open a new file 3600 x 3600, 300dpi, RGB color, Transparent and move your photograph into the new file.

3. To split the photo we need to make a template. We’re going to split the photo into 3 pieces, you could make this 2 or 4...it’s up to you, but for now we will do three bits.

Select the Rectangle Tool and make sure your colours are the default black and white. (If they’re not then press D to reset them.)

Before you draw out the rectangle, check in the top tool bar that you have selected the first icon in the group of three, the shape layer icon.

4. Check the width of your photograph, we need to draw out a rectangle over one third of the photograph. As my photo is 9 inches wide mine needs to be 3 inches wide and the height of the photo.

So starting at the left end of the photo drag out a black rectangle over a third of it. This is what it mine looks like.

And this is what your layers palette should like, showing your photo layer and a shape layer.

5. We have the first part of the template now we need to duplicate this layer twice to give us the three pieces of our template.

There are several ways you can do this, my favourite way is to make sure that the shape layer is the active layer and then right click on the layer and pick Duplicate layer from the fly out menu. 

At this point I always rename the layers for easy recognition.
So I would start at the bottom of the black shape layers that will form our template and rename  them as left, middle and right . That way I can find them quickly.

6. Now we need to position the rectangles over the photo. At the moment they are in a stack and we need them to cover the whole photo before we can use them to cut it up.

Select the right rectangle (Shape 1 copy)  and holding down the shift key move it over to the right into the middle of the photo. (Holding down the shift key whilst you drag will make sure that the layer stays inline with the other layers as you drag it).

Now select the middle rectangle (Shape 1 copy 2) and drag it to the right end of the photo. You should now have covered the whole photo with these three layer and it will no longer be visible.

7. With the left rectangle layer active right click, and pick Rasterize from the drop down menu.
(You’ll notice that this changes how the layer looks in the layer palette and you now only have one black rectangle showing.)

Repeat this for the other two rectangle layers.

8. Click on the left rectangle layer to make it active, and then hold down the CRTL key and click the layer icon this will give you marching ants around the shape.

With the marching ants still active click on the original photo layer to make that layer active.
Now press CTRL +J.
This will promote the left part of the photo only onto a new layer of it’s own without altering the original photo.
Repeat this for the other two rectangles (middle and right) so that you have three new layers each with a part of your photo.

You should now have 7 layers: 3 rectangle template layers, 3 photo layers and the original photo layer. 

Click the eye on the original photo layer to make it invisible.

This is how your layers palette should look. (Note I have renamed my layers for easy recognition)

You don’t need the black rectangles for the moment, so click the eye icon on each of their layers to make them invisible.

9. You now have your photo cut into three bits. Move the three pieces slightly apart as I have done so that you have a small gap between each piece. We need a little space for the white border we will add later.

10. Now we need to add a drop shadow to each of the photo pieces.

Double click on the left photo layer to open up the layers style palette.

Select Drop Shadow at the top of the list on the left hand side.

Above are the settings I used:
Multiply, black, opacity 75%, distance 27, spread 0, size 38.

Then click OK.

Use these settings and apply the drop shadow to the other two photo piece layers.

11. Now for the fun part!! To be able to distort and warp the photo corners and keep the shadows realistic we need to separate the shadow from the photo piece.

To do this click the left photo piece layer to make it active.

Now right click on the little down arrow head, on the far right of the layer.

This will give you a drop down menu, choose Create Layer.

You will get a message saying that some effects cannot be reproduced…just click OK.

This splits any layers styles that you have used for a layer and puts each one on it’s own individual layer.

The drop shadow will now be on it’s own layer so we can play and distort the photo piece and the shadow will stay unchanged.

You now have an extra layer with the drop shadow for the photo piece. You need to do this for the other two photo piece layers to separate their drop shadows too.
So repeat section 11 for each of the photo layers.

12. The next thing we need to do is warp the photo corners to make them look curled.

Click on the left photo layer and from the top tool bar select Edit>Transform>Warp.

This will give you a grid around the left photo piece. Drag the bottom left corner up and to the left slightly to make the corner appear curled.

Next move to the top left corner and drag it up and to the right slightly to curl it too. Have a play with this, you can bend them anyway you want, you don’t have to do exactly as I do..it’s your choice.

When you have finished click the tick in the top tool bar to accept.

Repeat this with the other two photo pieces to curl and warp one or more of their corners.

13. Finally we need to add a white border to the photo pieces to finish them. It’s easier to merge the photo pieces and do this in one for all the photo pieces.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on each of the three photo layers to make them all active. Then press CTRL + E to merge them to form one layer.

Click on the icon in the merged layer and you will get the marching ants around the photo pieces.

14. Make a new layer just above the merged photo pieces layer and click on the new layer to make this the active layer.

Now in the top tool bar select Edit> Stroke and use the settings below, then click OK..

This will give you a new layer above the photo pieces with a white border. This is your photo edge.

You can now merge the three drop shadow layers, photo layers and white border and transfer to your layout.

Or you can save the template, shadows and white border as a psd file to use again!!!

TIP

The beauty of keeping the drop shadows separate is you can still change them to blend with any back ground you add by changing the Opacity of their layers.

So if you find the shadow too harsh for a light background then just lower the opacity or change the blend mode of this layer.

But don’t take my word for it…have a play!!

If you want to download the tutorial in PDF you'll find it here

 

It's Those Swine Again Causing Chaos!!! 27 Jul 2009 4:55 AM (15 years ago)

 

 As promised The Split and Bent Frame...but first

 First the latest happenings in my world. Yesterday the decorating stopped....totally!! No, I didn't change my mind and decide that bare stripped walls were the "in vogue" look, but my mum has caught swine flu. Early this morning we got a call from her saying she was sick and as she has a chest problem and some heart valve problems it's quite worrying that she has got it. It meant that yesterday we had to arrange Tamiflu, antiviral medication for her and check that she had everything she needed. So, waiting in line for the medication (that took an hour!) then getting her water, juice, paracetamol, fruit, soup and making sure mum was comfortable...all took time.

I have to admit that I wasn't at all impressed with the system that has been set up to collect the Tamiflu...it takes for ever. My DH thought that I was going to get really cross with the lady who was dealing with us as she seemed really aggrieved that they had been set up as a collection point and kept complaining about how much extra work it was causing. I have to admit that I was a bit miffed with her, but I managed to stay cool.... if perhaps a little abrupt, which isn't like me at all. However, when I finally got the medication from her I made the right noises of sympathy and smoothed it over. There is no point in getting cross it just makes everyone feel bad. So, I made my peace with her.

My Mum didn't want me to go in.... just leave things on the doorstep...as if I would!!! If I'm going to get it then I can just as easily get it a crowded supermarket getting her shopping. I had to check she was OK and comfortable myself or I would only have worried and felt bad. It's frustrating that we can only wait now and hope she doesn't get any complications. I'm an organiser who likes to do things and I hate it when I have no control over a situation like this one!!!!! I organised her to the extreme...made sure she had inhalers, paracetamol, water..that she understood the tablets and that the phone was set up next to the bed..and so on!!! My DH thought I would never stop!! I have to admit that even I cringed when out of habit I leaned over to kiss her goodbye and only just stopped myself...that would have been silly!!

Having done all that it was late in the day before I got back and just way too late to start decorating. I will see what the morning brings and I will fit it in as I have time. Until then, my what a pretty mess I have made of the room, lol!! But needs must when the devil drives. It will be even more appreciated when it's eventually finished, lol!!

I said I had a gift for you today, and I have. It's the bent, clipped shadow frame I used in my layout of Lilly. The download is a psd file and png files plus some simple instructions on how to use it easily.

The psd is in three layers: the drop shadow layer, the template to cut the photo to shape and the white borders. the png files are the same as the above. It's easy to use, open the photo you want use and the frame files. Move them all into a new file 300dpi, 12x12.  The move the photo until you have it in the position you want and use a clipping mask to finish it and you got it!! Sound complicated? Not a bit just read the instructions that come with it and it's a breeze.

For those of you who requested a tutorial on how to make one from scratch....I will write one and post it at the end of the week for you to give it a go.

You can download the frame here

Well, I need to run now and check on my mum and my cat's not looking very well either today, need to have a closer look at him too.

Have a great day and have fun!!

All Stuck Up 25 Jul 2009 4:01 PM (15 years ago)

The past two days I have busy stripping. Yes, you heard me stripping!! I have been giving it all I've got and stripped to the bare bones....my sitting room that is. It's decorating for me I'm afraid and it's a LONG job!! The sitting room has wallpaper on as the walls are old and not in such great shape (a bit like me). It is a truly hideous job. The wallpaper needs to be wet before it will relinquish it's grip on the wall..but...when it's wet it's sticky and gunky and sticks to everything else....me included!!

I worked really hard to get one clear, taking great care with the plastic sheeting to keep all the wet soggy paper bits together...but I hadn't banked on a visit from a whirlwind.. Charlie!! He got loose and shot into the sitting room and yes of course, he was so pleased to see me. I mean I had been missing for all of 2 hours. He flew over and spun around before retreating quickly at my yells. I could see that look that said "Okay...what did I do this time?" on his face. He looked indignantly at me and turned tail!

As he shot back out and into the dinning room he took wet bits of paper stuck to his paws, tail and anything else it could stick to. He really spread it around the room on his way out. Grrrr!!! He didn't stop there either, I could follow his trail down the hall and back to his bed.

But, I was soon back at work and collecting more of the yucky paper on my plastic sheet. Things were not going to badly...until the phone rang. I decided I would ignore it and call whoever it was back....but..yes, Charlie again!! He decided that he should bark and howl to let me know that I was needed on the phone. Not only that but the caller hung up and then redialed!!!! So, second time I thought it was just easier to answer it. I rushed out and into the next room and grabbed the phone only to turn around and see that someone had covered the hall again with lots of the wet nasty paper!!!

Who could have done that? "Hold on a moment can you?" I asked the caller and I filled my lungs and yelled "CHARLIE!". I was more than a little surprised when he jumped innocently out of his bed. It couldn't have been him...mmm.....so who was it? Being totally stupid it took me a minute to workout the culprit......me. Okay, I should have thought that my Crocs would have paper stuck to them and I really should have noticed that I was walking around with about 3 inches of it stuck to the bottoms.

So, after I had finished on the phone (and apologised to Charlie) I decided to call it a day and start again tomorrow. I think the paste fumes must have addled my brain and enough is enough for today!!

Before I started decorating I posted quite a lot of photographs of Lilly in an album on Facebook and I've started to make some layouts using them for an other album. Lilly is great to follow around and photograph...she doesn't mind a bit. In fact she has got so used to it she must think that all Grandma's come complete with cameras!! Nature, flowers and animals this little lady loves and she can never resist a pretty flower as her pictures show.

In the layout below I used a paper from a kit I've made called By the Pond and some flowers, butterflies and ivy from an other called In the Garden. I have to admit that I made them with Lilly in mind. I had great fun splitting up, bending and warping the frame too. I just love doing these.

Have a look and see if what you think. Yet an other new style I tried out!!

Spot the little frog at the bottom right of the paper...I love him!!

 

Lilly really does have a passion for flowers...show her a bloom and the hand goes out and the nose goes down. She can't resist a sniff to see if they smell as good as they look. No flower is safe from little Miss Nosey!!

 

"mmm....quite nice"

"This one is looking at me"

"I know your there Grandma!"

 

These I took with one of her great Grandma's (my mum) hats on and plus lot of chocolate spread around her mouth!!! Charlotte loved these but would have preferred them without the chocolate, lol! But I say "au natural", so here she is "warts and all"...so to speak. Good enough for Ascot!!

 

"I can be shy"

 

"Well..who'd have thought my dear!!"

 

That's me for tonight...it's so late now, but I'll be back on Monday with a little gift for you...that is if I don't get stuck to the floor!!

Have a great weekend and stay safe.

Little Bits of Magic 21 Jul 2009 1:43 PM (15 years ago)

In this world changes come at us fast and furious, sometimes they can be overwhelming. But despite the pace and uncertainty, there are so many small things in my live that ground me and make me feel that despite the pace....life is wonderful!!! They may be small and trivial but they really can change how I feel.

Small everyday miracles can lift me from the humdrum and exhaustion of the daily grind and make me think "Boy, life is good". I never cease to wonder at how the insignificant can make me feel so much better...so look around..the world is full of ordinary, mundane daily delights!!

Have you ever watched the dawn come up, with it's gorgeous colours and fantastic light? The first pink glow that radiates slowly across the horizon as the light gradually blossoms into a cascade of colours. As the light gets stronger it floods the landscape making everything look new and bright...full of promise. It's a sight that fills me with calm and warmth...no matter what the new day brings.

One of the simplest delights for me is climbing into a freshly changed bed and feeling the crisp, clean feel of the bed linen and the fresh, clean scent that lingers after washing...it's such bliss!! I snuggle down feeling pampered and spoilt...even though it was me that changed it earlier...it's just that feeling of freshness and comfort that I love.

Candles always fill me with wonder..no, I'm not simple minded...just in awe of the hypnotic feeling from staring into that soft flickering flame. It makes the shadows dance and the room looks so totally different, with deep dark pools hiding the corners. Now that is relaxing...the magic of the flame!

The smell of fresh coffee, baking bread, birdsong...they all are really trivial things that assault my senses and make me feel that life is good. They all work as wonderful pick-me-ups to my jaded senses, waking them up and sending glorious messages to my brain.

How many things can you think of that do the same for you? I'm sure that the list is endless, so think about what does it for you and indulge yourself just a little!! Let's face it they are not costly, you don't have to travel miles, they are there on our doorsteps....our own little bits of daily magic!!

Now, as I promised I have a little set of elements to add to the Everyone Kit. I hope you like them. Tale a look and see what you think.

Your can download them here

Have a wonderful evening and remember to watch out for your own little bits of magic!!

Inspiration and Fear 17 Jul 2009 11:10 AM (15 years ago)

After the worries and laughter of an other busy week in life's calendar I often like to ground myself by taking a look at the garden. Life amongst the flowers goes on regardless of the ups and downs, nature rolls on uninterrupted. It's amazing how a garden can bring feelings of calm into the chaos. I love to check and see what changes have happened...which flowers are out...which have wilted away. It's full of inspiration and gives me back that sense of reality. The reassurance that life and nature go on, a never ending cycle, no matter what....good or bad.

The good news today is that our two swine flu ladies are much better. It's a nasty little virus but for most of us it's seems to be like a bad bout of seasonal flu.

I think the media hype has made us all fearful that something awful will happen if we catch it. It is horrible, but then again all flu types are something to avoid. Even so, I have to admit it made my poor heart jump when I knew it was in the family....that panic feeling was not far away. I had to change gear quickly back into sensible mode before I accelerated and changed up into panic!! I always was excitable!! It's amazing how deep breaths and sensible thinking work...if not give yourself a virtual slap on the wrist and a good talking too, lol! There's no need to panic...yet!

There is such a thing as knowing too much, or perhaps I mean knowing more than we need to know. We can end up feeling like we're watching water flood over a plain and seeing it slowly coming towards us with no way out.....I think the swine flu issue is one of these. Plus we always fear the unknown...well, I do. It's a bit like waiting to go into labour with your first baby...you know what will happen but not how it will feel. So we always imagine the worst.

So how do you get the balance right between information and planting the seeds of terror in peoples minds? That's the hard one, perhaps situations like this always cause panic? I have to admit that I don't know the answer...what I do know is it's not nice but most people have nothing to feel terrified about. It like everything else...will pass and life for most of us will continue on little changed.

Okay, enough of my homegrown philosophy, lol!! Below you'll find the download link for the rest of the Everyone Papers. I have left this one as one download and not split it, I hope that works for everyone...any problems let me know. If you missed Part 1, then scroll down to yesterdays post and collect them.

You can download the rest of the papers here

Have a wonderful weekend and check back for the Elements to complete the kit!!

Where Will I Start? 16 Jul 2009 12:52 PM (15 years ago)

This is a long one...hopefully you'll indulge me!

This week has been a whirlpool of events, full of surprises and a few shocks thrown in for good measure. But all in all...it's been manic busy!! A bit like living in a washing machine on the spin cycle.

Sunday was a family lunch as my Aunt is visiting from Scotland. She's my mum's youngest sister and is only three years older than me. It was lovely to have everyone around the table and the chatting went on for hours afterwards with all the catching up we had to do. I cooked like I was feeding the 5,000 and then some and then I chattered on like I was the 5,000. When I get in full swing I really am a motor mouth, lol.The bad part of the day was that DH's bad back started again and the poor man was so uncomfortable even with the pain tablets. He looked like he was 100, he was so bent up. Plus my youngest son was going on holiday early Monday morning so there was lots of packing to do on that front, I didn't want him forgetting his shorts and socks again!! All in all...a busy, busy day.

Monday was a shock day....Charlotte was diagnosed as having swine flu. She felt so rough and she had no energy at all...just pains and aches and a high temperature...all the non-fun things in life. Then the thoughts start running to "Will Ali and Lilly get it?"...so far they are both okay. Lilly did have a temperature on Tuesday but she seems fine at the moment, so fingers crossed they escape it.

But...in the evening my mum called to say my Aunt had been taken sick.....and yes it looked like swine flu...aah!! She had a high temperature, headache, vomiting...need I go on. She too had taken to her bed.

Tuesday dawned and there were two sick ladies in the family, both spent the day in bed feeling pretty rough and DH was still doubled up with the bad back. But life continues and things have to get done...work waits for no man...or woman come to that.

Wednesday was much of the same, plus I had started re-grouting the bathroom. I always was a glutton for punishment with a whacky sense of timing! I spent most of the time scrapping out grout and sealant with a large hooked thing...don't know what it's called, but it hurts if you stab it in your fingers!! By evening I was a heap on the sofa...no energy and just longing for my bed. I didn't even get my Entrecard drops done...not enough energy left. The good news was that my aunt was feeling better after a second day in bed. A really positive note to end the day on.

Today, Thursday, Charlotte saw the doctor as the swine flu has really irritated her neuroglical problems, plus she needed some more B12 shots and some iron. She is really in the wars!! But ...her swine flu does seem to be getting slowly better...so there was some good news on that front.

The highlight of the day was Lunch with my mum and two of her sisters and their husbands...it was hilarious!!! We went to the pub restaurant that my eldest son and DIL run in Milford. It was not their lucky day as our seriously strange but lovely family descended on the place, lol! The conversations ranged from debates over childhood days, to some rather riskque items!! But I can honestly say that I have not laughed so much for a long time....in fact I almost choked several times listening to these ladies chatter. Crossed conversations and threads added to the Mad Hatters Tea Party feel...it was tremendous and had a wonderfully excentric feel to the whole event. We Brits do excentric so well lol!!

So...that's my week so far in brief!! We're not the healthiest family at the moment.....but we really are funny when we get together...trust me...it's true!!

Now, on the design front I have been working on a kit that I thought I would share earlier in the week...before life carried me away!

I wanted a kit that could be used for males or females...so no ribbons and bows or pretty flowers in this one! I really find layouts with men and boys are so challenge to find the right papers and elements. The tendancy is to design darker kits for men and often they don't fit with my taste. Plus I wanted it to be a kit that would work for everyone...hence the name.

I'm not sure if it worked but have a look at the papers and see what you think. There preview shows 10 of the 12 papers included. I have split the download over two days, today and tomorrow, as the files are so large.

 

If you like them you can download the first of the papers in two downloads

here and here 

(Sorry it's so large I had to break it up!)

See you tomorrow with the second part of the papers.

Now I'm off to get my feet up. I think I've earned a break for a few hours, lol!

Photos Everywhere 10 Jul 2009 1:53 PM (15 years ago)

It's been too long since I last sat down for a serious scrapping session..the result is a huge stock pile of photographs waiting to be added to the albums. So, I gave myself a shake and got stuck in.

One of the age I made was inspired by Sammy D's July Element Challenge over at Scrappin Digi Kreations. She has a kite as the element and I just had to have it for one of Lilly's pages.

Here's the page I made.

 

I love it...but then I am so biased, lol!!! I made it into a quick page if anyone would like it. I couldn't include the kite though as that is Sammy D's...but if you would like it drop by SDK and check out the July Element Challenge you can download it there.

 

You can download the quick page here

 

On the subject of layouts...Linda sent me a copy of a gorgeous page she had made using My Little Garden. Linda's layout and quick pages are always beautiful and this one is no exception...it's so cute!! Thanks for sharing it Linda!! Drop by Linda's Lot and checkout some of the terrific freebies that she makes as well as her admire her awesome layouts!!

Credits: My Little Garden by Cens Stuff

 

And finally before I go...the June edition of the AFX Files is out...yes..I know it's July!! Lol! But seriously don't miss out on the wonderful tutorials and the beautiful gifts for your scrapbook pages. I've got a little tut in there myself, an other little tip really rather than a full blown tutorial...short and sweet!!

Click on the image to go to the AFX blog and download it.

 

Happy reading!! Have a great weekend and see you soon.

 

Frustration!! 7 Jul 2009 3:10 PM (15 years ago)

Have you every had one of those days/weeks. If so you'll understand where I'm coming from. I am surprised that I am not bald...I have been pulling my hair out today and the last few days, with my emails!!!! I send them and they show sent...but....they don't arrive at their destination. So my question is...which cookie monster is chomping my emails? I know it's out there just gobbling them up so show yourself and explain.

To make it worse, I tried to leave comments on several blogs today and now Blogger has joined the ban on me. It just comes up with an error code and won't post the comment. Of course it only does it after I have typed my comment...sometimes I just hate technology,lol!!

Tell me, am I suddenly persona non grata, or literally "an unwelcome person"? What did I do....or perhaps it's something I said? I have been wracking my brains for some recent misdemeanour, like shouting at my PC (yes, I have been know to do it), but I can't think of a thing.

Even Charlie is not having anything to do with me today. I committed the cardinal sin...I fed Tigger first!! Now, he'll not eat his food...how dare I feed that pesky cat before him!! So for the rest of the day I am going to keep a low profile before I get anything else wrong. Perhaps if I grovel a bit to Charlie he'll relent and at least stop looking at me with such a reproachful glare.

The good news, well for me anyway, is that I bought some new pens and had a doodle. Pens are funny things..not all doodle well, these are really great to play with. So I decided to share some of them with you. They can be used as plain doodles or you can dress them up a bit. I've included a ladybug, an ant, a butterfly, a snail and a caterpillar. The drop shadows are just for the preview.There is a basic doodle and a dressed up one of each. Personal and Commercial Use are both OK.  Enjoy!

You can download the Doodle Bugs here

Move it!! 1 Jul 2009 2:31 PM (15 years ago)

What is it about breaks that makes you so tired afterwards? I think it must be all that relaxing..it makes it harder to shift back into top gear and start speeding up again. Anyway, to add to it, we have got some sun!! Really...sun, warm, hot, bright sun!!

It's not often that we get it hot here in UK, but it has been hot this week and I love it. But it is so tempting to just put off work and enjoy it. I know I shouldn't...but the little devil in me says "Oh go on, just for a while". I can almost feel the little horns poking out but still I sit a while or wander around the garden and check the flowers. I'm bad!! But....the solution is at hand...it is due to rain tomorrow and the temperature will drop...so it will be no more excuses and back to work. I mean who likes wandering around in the rain? Well, actually....I do!! But..I won't!!

I mentioned that I had visited Bruges again this trip and spent an other lovely day wandering around it's old streets and canals. It's not called the Venice of the North for nothing, it is full of bridges and calming water, with some superb buildings. Take a look.

The Rosary Dock (Rozenhoedkaal) and the Belfry.

The squares are full of cafes with menus in English, Flemish and French, really tourist friendly.

What more could you want than shops full of Belgian chocolates and lace?

For the romantic there is the opportunity to ride around the town in a horse drawn carriage...at a price!!

Okay, you have suffered my holiday snaps and now I have something for you. Just a small gift to add to the My Little Garden Kit, an alpha. I don't do many alphas but I made this one to use myself and so I thought I would share it with the rest of the kit. It has upper and lower case letters, plus 3 letter frames that you can use with the capital letters if you want...I did..

You can download the Alpha here

 

Have a great day/evening and I hope that the sun is shining on you where ever you are.

Travel Trip Update 29 Jun 2009 2:01 PM (15 years ago)

Our trip through the tunnel was a good one and on arrival in France we decided to drive just over the border and visit the Belgian coast as the base for our break. We live near the sea and so we've never normally stayed in seaside places when we go away, but this time we thought "seaside".

We opted for De Panne, just over the French border and a seaside resort. It turned out to be an interesting town, full of contradictions. The buildings along the wide white beach were mostly blocks of holiday flats..a bit like Spain..going for volume, but the streets behind it reminded me of Blackpool without the funfair!! The whole town was like that...almost like different places depending on which streets you walked...a real mix, but fun exploring. Market place, shopping boutiques, seaside stuff, you name it they seem to have it all in this one small town.

One of the interesting things about Belgium is they have two languages, French and Flemish. It just depends what area of the country you are in as to which language people speak. As De Panne is a holiday town a lot of the people speak both, plus English and a few speak German. It is lovely to just sit and listen to people around you and hear so many different languages and dialects all in the one place. You really feel like your watching the world go by...or at least listening to it!!

The beach was lovely, wide white and clean. So, after checking into our hotel we decided to take a stroll. The tide was out and a large sand bar was available as a second promenade and even although it was early evening, we walked for miles, taking in the peace and fresh air. What a beautiful sight, seeing the sun reflected on the sea and watch the light get less and less as the sun slipped silently away.

Our hotel, the Hotel Royal, is a family run hotel. The owner/manager is a lovely, friendly young lady who took over running the place on her father's death. She is the fourth generation of her family to run it...and she is doing a wonderful job. The rooms have all mode cons, but atmosphere of the place is of a gentler less frantic time. I could imagine the hotel in the 1920's, 40's and 50's, full of respectable Belgian's drinking coffee in the "tea room", or sedately eating breakfast in the dinning room.

We were on the second floor and had a balcony which I was slightly scared of...it was VERY narrow and it was a long way down....I hate heights!! I did sit on it but I preferred the ground floor terrace..coward that I am. I went out to grab a quick photo or two and then scuttled back in!! It did appeal to some though as when we came back in on Saturday afternoon, we found two young men were sitting on our balcony enjoying a drink and the sun. It seems they came through the emergency exit that leads on to it and thought they would just stay and enjoy the view. DH explained the balcony came with our room and they moved on...to find an other unoccupied balcony I expect, lol!!

The only thing I did missed was a kettle in the room, but in Belgium it seems that people prefer to promenade and visit the terraces and plentiful cafes where they can watch the world go by as they sip. I have to admit we did a fair bit of watching the world go by ourselves but we had a multitude of bottles of water for those dry moments in our room. Perhaps the Belgians are also shrewd enough to know that if you have no kettle they can sell you the coffee...or perhaps they feel that good coffee can't be made in your room...who knows.

We only ate breakfast at the hotel and then we had fun picking places to snack or eat dinner in. Being a seaside town, fish and shell fish were on the menu everywhere. Mussels were the big thing, done to various recipes....some with lots of garlic...yummy!!The sea front promenade has space for cycles and carts of all sizes not to mention the scores of people who appeared at the weekend for what turned out to be a holiday weekend locally.

As our break was short we didn't want to spend all the time driving but we did spend Friday walking around Bruges to visit some of our favourite places. The temperature was around 30 degrees in the morning and very hot for wandering around, so we sat in the shade in a park and watched the water flow by when the going got too over powering. What is it about water that is so soothing?

 

But by afternoon, when we were driving back to De Panne the rain arrived and cleared the air, leaving a newly washed feel to everything.

Saturday morning brought the sun back after a misty start and again the temperature soared to the high 20's. Saturday was a special day for the town, a Braderie, and so there was a street market, brass bands and all the shops had 30% off..a sale!! We walked and jostled in the crowds and then ate and walked some more on the sand bar. The day flew by and soon that sun was setting again and I was yawning wide!! Tired but happy I fell into my bed.

Sunday morning we ate our fill on the standard continental breakfast, fruit salad, rolls, French bread, cheese, ham, jams, croissants, jam, juice...you get the picture..I'm a pig!! Feeling a little over stuffed, we headed for the patisserie and after buying some of our favourite breads set of back into France and the tunnel under the sea. Mind you, it still takes three and a half hours to get home after we get to Dover, so it was afternoon before we rolled up at our front door.

I felt tired and refreshed at the same time...have you ever felt like that...or is it just me? Strange as usual!!

Well, I'm off now but I'll be back tomorrow with a little goodie for you all and some more pictures. Take care until then.

Crazy Cats 26 Jun 2009 9:00 AM (15 years ago)

Today's post is about cats, crazy cats or crazy owners..depending how you look at it. I've got a cat myself, plain old black and white, nothing fancy but cute. I am certainly looking at him in a different light after receiving an email from my friend Su yesterday.

The email was about having your cat painted...you heard right...your cat painted!! Some of the colourful creations cost up to $15,000 and the worst part is they need to be done every 3 months as the cat's fur grows out. Imagine up to $60,000 a year for a colourful cat!! I complain about the basics...and I can just picture my DH face if I told him I had had the cat painted, lol...especially at that price.

Have at look at some of the pictures she sent in the email. What do you think? Can you think of some fantastic design for your moggy?

Goldfish Cat 

Skunk Cats?

Scary Skeleton Cats

Tartan Cat

Femme Fatal Cat

Okay enough of cats...on to the last part of this weeks kit, My Little Garden.

You can download the last part of My Little Garden, Day 5 here

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!!