And some more cards!

Even more snowman cards!

Two in one day...

posts that is, here are some of the Snowman cards that I have made, loved this decoupage set, have to say!

Yes they are slightly different!!!!

One of my fav's!

Have to have lots of him flying thats what makes him the snowman!

Doesn't he look daper!

Mmmmmmm I smell muffins.......

Had a baking session last night and the whole house was full of christmassy smells, from marzipan muffins to mincemeat muffins, note the xmas feel, im getting into the spirit already, thansk to the huge amounts of xmas songs being played on the radio at the mo! Who can fail to fall into the christmas spirit. Am disappointed though as last year I had a lovely recipe for mincemeat muffins and can i find it anywhere this year, the one I used last night isnt as nice, so might have to turn the house upside down till I find it I feel!

Will photograph them in a sec to make your mouths water!!!! Karen(one of my teamies over on UKS) has sent me a yummy scrummy recipe for jam doughnut muffins, will be trying that one out later this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the recipe for mincemeat muffins if you want to have a go! I always add loads more mincemeat, but thats my personal taste!

Mincemeat Sultana Muffins
Makes 11-12 standard size
10oz (280g) plain flour
2 teaspoons (10ml) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) salt
3oz (85g) caster sugar ( use golden caster, for fairly dark coloured muffins)
1 egg
8fl oz (240ml) milk
12oz (350g) ready-made mincemeat
3oz (85g) butter, melted 3oz (85g) sultanas
Icing sugar for dusting the tops, optional

Prepare muffin tins (either grease or line with paper cases). Preheat oven to 190-200C or Gas Mark 5-6.

In a large bowl, sift together: flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar.

In a separate bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk, mincemeat and oil/melted butter.

Pour all of liquid ingredients into dry mixture. Stir until just combined, adding the sultanas in the final few strokes. The batter will be lumpy but no dry flour will be visible. Do not overstir.

Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 20=25 minutes until tops are lightly browned and spring back when pressed gently. Allow muffins to cool for several minutes to make removal easier. Sieve icing sugar over the top.

Eat and enjoy!

Another year older...

at 9.50pm tonight Ill be another year older, Ive had some lovely pressies including some flowers from my very good friend Em, yellow and orange roses, mmmm and they smell lovely too!

Im now the proud owner of a new pair of boots, a lovely new necklace from my beautiful baby girl (she will always be my baby no matter how old she is), some lovely new ribbons as my stock has dwindled beyond belief, a lovely rubber stamp that isnt a cute bear or rabbit or penny black! and a very annoying satnav, I hate those voices on them! useful, but annoying!

I also have a lovely cake with butterflys on too, so im very lucky today! Anyway off to get myself dressed and ready to go to my nan's and give her, her cards and pressies as its her birthday too!

Here is my yummy scrummy birthday cake!

UKS CYBER CROP

The cc has started over on UKS, I don't think there has been much hype over this one, normally there is loads of excitment about them, but I haven't felt that this year, maybe Im too busy with other things to notice!

This was the first class that I completed last night - twister and shout, lots of rolling paper and trying to get it to stick, but I enjoyed it!

This was the first challenge that I did 'We're off to see the wizard' all about a journey you have taken, may want to take etc, we took a ride in a helicopter when we were in Florida, what a way to travel!

Here is the second class called over the rainbow, I liked this one as I wasnt quite sure how to scrap this pic that we took in Florida but now it has all come together.

Not sure whether I will get much more done this weekend as there are lots of other things to do, like get another year old tomorrow!!!!! You never know I might even get treated to lunch out!

I passed!!!!

Im in total shock at the moment, I have passed my Numeracy Skills Tests for QTS, I passed my Literacy and ICT during half term, which was fab, but I was soooooooo worried about the maths one, maths has to be my worst subject and I hardly have had time to revise!

I walked into the test centre and was about 1/2 hour early, I said to the lady at the desk, 'Im here to fail my maths QTS test' she looked at me and laughed, my reply was...'no, Im deadly serious, Im going to fail!'

Anyway they let me jump the queue of driving test takers and put me straight on to computer No7 - seven has now become my lucky number!!! I panicked and stressed all the way through the first 6/7 mental maths questions but finally got into the swing of them, (did help that the last few were easy, even by my standards!)

Then the normal q's which you had a reasonable time to go through and work out, Im so glad I revised percentages and a bit of data handling the night before as loads came up on those, I did spend lots of time playing around with those answers to make sure that they were right though!

Anyway, I came out convinced that because the mental maths was terrible, I had failed, she had my print out right there, on the side and wouldnt let me look until I had collected all my stuff my locker (you even have to take your watch off incase it has some kind of supery dupery computer in it to give you the answers!!!!) I just pulled everything out quick and chucked it on the floor beside me and went back over and said, 'ok everything sorted!' and there was this huge pile of coat, bag and umbrella just dumped in the middle of the floor and me thinking 'GIVE ME IT NOW!!!'

I opened up the paper and it said 'Dear Joanne, Congratulations you have passed your Numeracy Skills Test' My goodness my jaw dropped about 2 meters (which is impossible for those of you that have me me as im a shortarse!) Anyway I ran like crazy out of the test centre in case they had the worong person! No one is making me take that again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyhow here are some cards I have made for my bro's anniversary and his birthday, they arent fab but heyho!

Here is the card that I made for Rob's birthday, thanks Claire Im still using those little robot stamps!!!

Here is my latest project, stamping on candles, Im loving this, Ive made this one for Charleys teacher, for xmas and it cost a whole £1.39 including a glass base to stand it on, bargain in my opinion!!!! Have more to do now though!

Bad, bad, bad Blogger

Gosh when I look at last years posts and see how many there were I begin to realise how busy my life has gotten. Last week was half term, we did very little which is always the best way I feel. Lots of lunches out and a swimming trip made it an interesting week. I did no work for uni which now makes me worry because I really should have and over the weekend whilst I could have worked I chose to scrapbook!

I really do have my priorities sorted dont i! Well I have lessons to plan for tomorrow, but I can't get my head around them at all, prob best if I just leave them tonight and get on with the brignht and early in the morning!

Not much to tell really, I have ordered lots of new cropper hopper storage and some other stuff too to keep all my old scrapagogo kits in that are partially or not even used, I need to have a complete blitz at them and start using them, but as we secret stash strokers know, it isnt easy cutting into a lush sheet of paper, or use one of thos yummy prima petaloos!

I have signed up for the cybercrop over on UKS but doubt Ill get much done, inbetween lesson planning and evaluations its also my birthday that weekend, and yes I know everyone of my birthday pressies from my hubby and mum and not one is a scrappy one!!!!!! NOT ON!!!!

Some piccies at last!

My little monkey, would she give me a serious pic on the first day of school, nope of course not! But if she had I would have worried!!!

Been a month!

Can't believe how long its been since I blogged, well I guess I can, knowing how busy I have been the last few weeks! Charlotte is loving school, Steve has a nasty tummy bug (here is hoping that I dont get it!) adn me, well Im busy with lesson planing, lesson planning, lesson planning and marking! I ahve never had so little time in my life!

Have done very little crafting, an album for my mother in law for her birthday at the beginning of the month is about all I have had time for, oh and some decoupage ready for xmas cards, but still need to pop them onto some cards! The world keeps turning, and I keep getting bogged down, but is it fun.

Yesterday was a bit of light relief, we fed the ducks, took some wax crayons and paper to the park and did some rubbings, I dont think Charley has ever done that before, she seemed to enjoy it! Then we topped it off with lunch in the pub, not sure why I do this as its always sooooooo dissapointing, its never as good as a home cooked lunch and always costs a fortune, ah well never mind eh!

So this week is busier than normal, no uni today, an extra day in work, parents evening that I have to stay for tomorrow night, and thursday and friday uni for me and a pirate party for charley, we had to make a treasure box this week for it, not funny, I still have splashes of pink paint around my kitchen - NEVER AGAIN! Will have to post some pics at some point soon, esp as I havent even put any USA ones up yet!

As promised some pics of the mini book, this is the one that I made for steves mum I think! I also made one for Steve for his birthday! So actually thats 2 mini books this month so far! If you look carefully you may even see some of the florida pics I took on holiday!

v

Second week of teaching and my baby is all grown up!

Well my second week went far better than my first and Im hoping that this week is going to be even better, Im being observed on wednesday, so that should be interesting!!!!!! I only hope i dont do too badly!

My bubba is all grown up now, she has started school and looks so grown up!!!! Photos to follow and I cant find the lead for my camera - nothing changes does it!

Ive had a productive day today, manage to get a whole lesson planned and half of another, Im trying to make my lessons a bit more interactive so have planned some simple games into my maths lesson as Im finding them a littlle bit dry at the moment!!!!!

Anyhow, as you prob all know charley is still into dummies and at 4 its just not funny anymore! So we have told her, no more during the day, every morning she has to put them in the dum bag and they are hidden, its working so far! So next saturday the dummy fairies will be visiting us, on saturday morning we will be popping them all into a pretty bag and just before we go to bed we will hang them on the tree in the garden (please pray it doesnt rain!!!!!) then in the morning they will be gone and the fairies will distribute them to all the babies and maybe leave a little gift! Bless!!!!

A whole week...

of being a GTP student and I have survived. In this week I have been told how HARD it will be, how i will never have time to be a FRIEND, how my family will be lucky if I get 10 minutes will be lucky. So... Ive asked my mum to be my cleaner, have decided that ironing will only be done if absolutely necessary (and am hoping if I leave it out the cleaner will do a bit too!) and that I will only change the beds during school holidays! LOL, that will save me about 2.5 hours a week!

I have been teacher this week too, for a whole horrible afternoon, and it went completely wrong, maybe I have chosen the wrong career!!!!!!!!!!!!

No crafting this week although I did treat myself to some new christmassy bits and I am a bit tempted to order some of the snowman papers and embellies too as the snowman is soooo cute I cant resist!

Lovin it. lovin it, lovin it!

Thats how I am at work at the mo! That could be cos Im no longer teacher in charge, and all Im doing all day is observing other teachers and chatting with children and keeping them on track!

Thats all set to change in about 2 weeks time when I HAVE to start real teaching! LOL! Im working in Year 2 which is a bit of a step up from nursery, but its great fun!

So today Charleys teacher is visiting, a 'home visit' as they call it, basically its an excuse to come and nose round your house, so I havent done loads of cleaning, or tidying, I like the 'this is what we are like, this is how you find us!' kind of attitude. Ive been on so many home visits where you can just smell the cleaning products that have been used to disinfect every surface and make you feel like a good parent, even if its the first time the house has seen a duster in 6 weeks! But that is not my house today, my house comes with 6 weeks of dust, the crumbs of toast on the kitchen floor from breakfast and the washing machine, dishwasher and tumbler running at great noise, cos thats what always happens on a friday morning! Only benefit today is that I get more time to do it all! Hooray, hope I get that second load of washing on before the visit is over!!!!

Learn Something New Every Day

Ok, so today I started Shimelles class LSNED, yes, yes, yes, ok I started it last year and didnt really get round to doing it, so Im making a promise to myself that I will this year! So today, I learnt, that being a mummy is flippin hard work, but I wouldnt have it any other way!

It was the last day of the school hols for me, not for charley mind she still has 2 weeks to go before she starts school!

I treated myself to 3 new tops, well I am going to be a trainee teacher, so I have to look smart, well thats my excuse and Im sticking to it, so there!

Ok, so new term, new challenges, new things, I have the new clothes, challenges, well charley starting school is a big challenge and starting my GTP is a heck of challenge, so there we go, but besides that I have also joined a new team on UKS, the Bitty Blossoms, unfortunatly my Fruitloops have disbanded, leaving just a couple of us chatters on there so I decided a new team mught be what I need to get back my scrapping mojo! We shall see!!!!!

Well off to read some more and do more prep work for my course, am I fed up with maths and science yet, ermmmmmmmmmmmmmm wellllllllllllllllllllll YES!!!!!!

Back!!!

Well its been ages since I blogged, thats cos I was preparing for my Florida holiday where I got to cuddle mickey mouse, stay up very late, and eat loads of yummy foods! Esp the fudge from Busch Gardens, highly recommended - the maple walnut is to die for.

We Im back with lots of new scrapping stuff which I lovingly look at each day but do not dare to cut into as I cant decide what to use first! Michaels was fabby, spent a near fortune in there on prima flowers - well it would have been if I hadnt of had 40% off vouchers! Joann's was even better as all the cricuts carts were on $39.99, although a few did slip into my cart as I was wandering around walmart too! and at $30.00 they were even better value! SO apart from cricut I have lots of Mickey/universal/seaworld stuff too having spet $118.34 in Mouse Memories, well worth a visit and a lovely man in there too! - thank you for my roll of sellotape, it came in very useful at the airport! Don't ask questions, just trust me!

Anyhow so home I am and between us we took over 2500 photos and several video tapes too! We had a fantastic helicopter ride over the disney parks, and a fabulous apartment. So all in all wasn't too bad. Charley found it hard to adjust to the time zone difference and that caused a few problems but we ironed them out and at the end of the 2 weeks none of us wanted to go home! We wish we were still there, Id be ok in the scrapping shops at least!

Wil load some pics tomorrow, Im just too tired now!

16 days!

Thats all, till we fly out, im sooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait for my holiday! Am in the process of deciding which scrappy shop to hit first!

As for home, nothing much is going on, just the norm, work, work, work and started the studing for my new course in september, I must be mad!!!!!!!1 Another flaming course, will I ever give up studying?

Have several crafty projects that I need to start but dont seem to have the mojo, I need to make some pressies for Charleys preschoool teachers but havent a clue what to do, answers on a postcard to.... lol! I made post it notebooks last year, sticker holding pots and notecards, now completely stuck, might decorate some bags and make pamper bags, trouble is there are so many flippin staff it costs a fortune, may just make some for charley's fav teachers, aothough that may not work either cos then Ill feel guilty that I havent given everyone something!

Can I take my bed with me...

to work that is, I feel that I have lived there this week, and certainly done more than my fair share of hours!!! Monday was staff meeting which seemed to go on forever discussing sports day and was imo a waste of time, then tuesday was a meeting for the new FS unit, which went on till after six, fortunatly I had Charley with me so I got to leave a bit early! Tonight is the FSU parent meeting so thats why I feel that I need to take my bed with me!

Tomorrow is sports day for both charley and my school, bad clash but IM off to Charleys in the morning and will have to catch up on our school one in the afternoon!

Not done any crafting and feeling a bit guilty at the moment too as I bought myself a cuttlebug the other week and havent even used it yet! I know I have a my cricut, but I still have loads of dies and embossing folders, so really should get on and have a play. Anyhow work is calling!

Another album!

Here is the album that I made for Emma after her wedding I wanted to get something made for when she returned from Honeymoon and I managed it, she was sooooo pleased with it, and so was I.

A card!

I made this one for another challenge on CSSR but never uploaded that either, it was to use blue and brown together. Im quite pleased with this card its certain not a colour combination I would use normally, as I hate brown!!!

Been busy

Ok, so life hasnt been that easy for me recently and I have managed to do some crafting, mainly in the form of albums for everyone except me of course! This album is of steves friend, which I made him for his 50th birthday!

These are just some of the pages I have done 20 layouts in total, so am well pleased with myself, they are a bit simple but then they are for a bloke so you dont want loads of flowers everywhere do you!

Long time!

The last few weeks have gone by in a whirlwind, i can't beleive that we are past the middle of June. I cant explain a lot of whats been going on, its better that way, but things are fairly tough at the moment.

Ive done very little crafting, very little of anything, I did make fathers day cards, but, didnt photograph them as I wasnt proud of them, my heart wasnt in them this year due to unforseen circumstance, I know that the next few weeks are going to be hard work for me, so dont expect I will be blogging that much and for those of you who have me on your contacts for facebook, i will be deactivating my account in the next week, reasons best left unsaid!

Life seems to be taking unbelieveable twists and turns for me, and Im not sure where I m heading at the moment, hopefully next time I come on here I might have some answers!

Havent blogged in a week!

Life has kind of taken over again, so much to do all the time, there is 7 weeks till we visit the states and I can't wait. Spent most of this week in and out of the house, have loads of school work that I should be doing but just dont get the time to do, got to start discplining myself and get in with it as come september I dont have any excuses for not doing it all. Im beginning to wonder if going back to studying is the right thing!

I have managed to get a mini book done for MIL as she is now in hospital and the ongoing saga with my nan and grandad is still going on. SS have told mum and dad that if grandad doesnt go home soon they will drop his case and it will have to be restarted whenever he does decide to go home, so they are taking him back wednesday for a couple of days and for a ss assessment. Its sooo hard because after 60 years of marriage they dont want to be apart but we cant see nan ever being able to go home, maybe a nursing home, but the chances if them then staying together is slim. Cruel world we live in isnt it. Nans 3 weeks in the rehab unit is up this week so we will wait the outcome of the case conference and see what happens!

Will upload my mini book, I did it for the CSSR challenge last week, be chic, which was to use the range in anyway to create anything, but seeing as i didnt get it uploaded I didnt link to their blog, i wasnt in with a chance of winning any prizes! I did it the other week for the brown and blue challenge, I still have the card here should try and upload it at some point I guess!

Yesterday we were supposed to be going to Basingstoke to see the kite festival, but decided that the weather was naff so stayed at home, we did end up in basingstoke however but at the bear factory!!!!!!!!!!! Why is it that you go in there and spend so much on a t shirt for a bear than you do on one for yourself in Primark!

So this week holds: inset day for charley tomorrow - shes in preschool, not school, why do they need inset days! a maths day where i get to teach all of foundation stage and KS1 -Im not a teacher yet!!!!!! A maths meeting on wednesday evening at 6.30pm, not a very helpful time for a mummy! I have to pop to woking wednesday night too to get some books that i won on ebay for my teaching course, friday my mates over for pizza and a bottle! So the week is pretty packed and Ive pormised to see another friend too this week, not sure how im going to fit it all in!!!!

I also have 2 60th birthday cards to prepare for sunday, when we are off to a meal to celebrate Steve's best mates birthday oh and his brothers twins birthday! It never stops does it!!!!!!!!!!

Mini book!

Here is a little mini book that I made of our trip to Frimley Lodge the other week when it was bright and sunny, we had a lovely time!

Bank Holiday Loveliness

Just the thought of not being at work is super fab at the moment, I love my job dearly, but I love the holidays best! This weekend was no exception! Today we went of to West Wittering and spent some lovely time in the sunshine (yes I am lobster red, even thought I had suncream on!)

We had a lovely little picnic when we arrived before going anywhere near the beach, seeing as sand and food really do not mix! Charley decided to make herself a little monster roll!

Then later in the afternoon we moved onto Hayling Island where we had the most yummiest fish and chips I have ever had, even Charlottes plate was clean at the end of it!

We arrived at the beach and managed to set up in a spot about 3 meters away from Charlottes friend from preschooll how spooky! So they were both sorted for friends for the afternoon!

Anyhow after several hours play and lots of sunshine to boot, we moved down the coast and had a fabby time at the little funfair, by the way if you ever go on the flume ride there, do it last and dont sit at the back, I survived the whole ride getting just mildly wet till we were sat waiting to get off and other boat banged into the back of us and then I didnt just get soaked, I was mega soaked!!!!!!!!!!

My little monkey on the dragon roller coaster! She insisted on going on this ride on her own! Bless her!

So what does today hold in store for us? Well for me lots of cun cream, long sleeved t-shirts and a donkey derby! Yes our local village in Sandhurst still holds this every year, so to follow tradition thats where we are heading today! Donkey pics to follow!

Baby!

Well no Im not really having one but I am getting a baby cricut! I have decided to trade in old robbie robo for a cuttlebug, Robbie and I havent got on very well since I bought him and so Im looking to ditch him for a more idiot friendly machine, Im also not crafting in the same place as I used to so the fact its all logged up to the study pc doesnt help me in the spare room! Ive got one from the market place in UKS and Im more than happy the lady is even parting with her George cartridge! much to her dislike! So if anyone wants a robo let me know im going to pop him on the marketplace over the weekend, comes complete with disks and handbooks and in the original box, no reciept though, havent a clue where that went! Offers welcome!

Anyhow am off to a wedding tomorrow which reminds me I really must go make that card! Have a good evening folks!

revamped glasses!

Will basically just my old frames with new lenses, I spent hours trailing round shops yesterday to find new glasses and have decided to stick with what I have and just relense them. Ive been having probs with my eyes all last week, mainly due to my cold I feel and when I had them tested it was one eye that was worse. Anyhow as my head isnt very wide I usually have to have teens glasses and normally this isnt an issues, specsavers does me proud every time, not this year though!!!!!!!! They are all them horrible rectangular lenses I hate so gave up and retreated back to asda (the cheapest for reglazing!) and ordered them.

What a hassle!

Havent done any crafting, Ive started reading up ready for my GTP and bought myself a few files this weekend, apart from that theres nothing exciting going on in our household, so will leave blogging for today and come back when there is something more exciting go on!

WOW! I did it...

I got on the GTP course at Reading Uni, my dream has always been to teach and now its going to be reality, Ive been an unqualified teacher for the past 2 terms, so its exciting to think that in a years time I will be qualified.

Its also very scary as Im leaving the comfort and safety of the job I love to take on a huge amount of work, but it will be worth it in the long run! Maybe I could have picked a better year to start it in rather than next academic year as there is sooo much going on, mums 60th, m&d's ruby wedding, gramps 90th birthday, but heyho I cant pick and choose when to start can I

Of course the biggest milestone in my baby's life is happening next academic year too - she starts school in september! I have a meeting at the school to find out the nitty gritty details of start dates/times on monday and of course , how much the uniform is going to cost me!!!!!! Everything these days has to have the flippin school logo on it which inflats the price by about £5 so when you need to buy 4/5 of everything as you dont want to wash every day it all adds up!

New promarker blog!

A new challenge blog has been launched - Passion for ProMarkers. I will be watching this new blog with interest for inspiration as I have finally discovered promarkers a few weeks ago! They are offering some ProMarker blog candy to celebrate their launch! How fab!

Cosmo Cricket Photo Cube

I made this photocube ages ago and never posted it, so here it is, its made using only the elements of the Cosmo cricket tsv. This little cube usually takes pride of place on the coffee table in the lounge! Its covered ith pics of our time in brussells in 2007, we so love Brussells!

Gina's Christmas fortnight!

Over on DC Gina has set and xmas fortnight challenge where we create a present/card for xmas in order to beat the christmas rush, I have not made cards in the whole time the project has run and dont intend to start anytime soon, I have stuck to pressies including this little shopping list clipboard. The boards are from a QVC kit and the papers are basic grey Sultry, one of my girly favs! hope you like it, I have made this for my mum as she loves her little lists for shopping!

Here is the front:

Flip it over and here is the back!

Ok so I was wrong...

I did do some scrapping yesterday, but I havent photographed it yet, so cant show you as the light isnt good at the moment, I dug out the cosmo cricket tsv and made myself a little round book of our day at Frimley Lodge Park last month, its quite cute.

Ive promised Emily I will make her a little chicken cube for her desk at work as she is sooo sad they have gone, but I havent got my pics printed yet so will have to sort that one out for her, bless!!!!!!!

Been a crappy day, I managed to break the little knob for my electric mirrors this afternoon and its gonna cost £101 just for the part, stuff that, Im just gonna have to stick my hand out the window and make them move, Im not paying that for a silly little stick of plastic!

Was lovely and sunny today though and we ordered the dollars for our states holiday, how cool its just under 11 weeks away and then I will rubbing paws with the great Mickey himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Yippppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I also intend to do some serious scrapbook shopping so am only taking out bare essential clothing so there is lots of room in the suitcase on the way home for all my treats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right Im off work to do!