Pretty in Pink

Well this seems to have come around fast... I have been playing very nicely since the P.S I Love You challenge (of which I received 3rd Place for) and have done plenty of art journaling.  

The challenge over at Fantasy Stampers this fortnight is 'Pretty in Pink' and it took me forever to decide how to interpret this into a journal idea that I wanted to create.  I started off with flowers and a pretty quote by Alfred Tennyson - 'If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever' - the page would have been very pretty and very girly, and the more I thought about doing it, the more I knew that it wasn't me.  Don't get me wrong, I love pink as much as the next girl; but the whole pretty flowery thing just wasn't going to happen...

So after a rethink and some digging through Mum's stash of stamps, I had a brilliant idea - and hey presto...

Of course; it had to be fairies!!  I love how this one turned out, though it was very different to how I first imagined it... I played nicely with my new water colours to create the pink background and used white acrylic paint to create the circles that made up the bottom of the page.  

The stamp that runs across the bottom is an Indigo Bloom foliage stamp that I experimented with to get some depth to the page.


The fairy silhouettes are from Mum's stash and were a magazine freebie that she had lying around, and the Dovecraft alphabet letters are one of my original purchases.

I then played nicely with some Zendangling - using some of Mum's images as inspiration, to go across the top and tie everything together.  

So there we have it - my entry into Challenge #30 - Pretty in Pink over at Fantasy Stampers.  

I plan on getting some of my other creations on here shortly, I have just had a lot on these last few weeks, and am now back at work - so bare with me... 

Louby x

P.S. I Love You

Well, after a rather hectic week; plenty of drama at work, Toby's second needle at the vets, a flat out spin to sort out a new car after me and Daddy messed up with the MOT date and then insuring, taxing and collecting said new car, I have finally sat down to sort out my entry for the Fantasy Stampers challenge this fortnight.  

As I said in my last post, I did redo the art journaling page as I wasn't happy with the outcome of my first attempt.  So, here is my masterpiece :)

I am so happy with the outcome of this one! Even down to the background turning out better than the first attempt.  The quote is taken from the film P.S. I love you, and is one of my favorites from the entire film.  
The Santoro's Gorjuss Girl stamp; The Lost Heart, is one I borrowed from Mum's stash, and the scrabble tile LOVE stamp is one of my first buys.  It is a Dovecraft clear stamp that I figured would come in plenty handy.





So, here is my first try.  I am entering this into Challenge #29 - PS. I Love You over at Fantasy Stampers and I can't wait to hear your opinions!  


For anyone following my Instagram account, there is my second masterpiece - a Meat Loaf inspired piece that I am also very proud of.  Since both of these pieces I have a small stash of new things to play with - so look out for my next journal page :)

Louby x

Trying new things...

Well January disappeared in a flurry of snow didn't it!  I'm not really sure where the time went - though after sitting down and really thinking about it, I have actually done loads this 

I finally got around to sorting the pile of bits of paper out on my desk where I had scribbled down some ideas and parts of chapters for my book at work, and got them all typed up and in order.  There is now going on seventy pages of my second book.  I failed in my second attempt at the Insanity workout program, and have decided that February is the time to take up jogging!  There is definitely something needs doing because I swear I am just getting more and more lazy. And to top off that - I have an unhealthy addiction to Cadbury's Creme Eggs at the moment, so I really need to do something before all my clothes get too tight!

Anyway, the actual point to this blog post.  One of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to try new things.  If I attempt for one a month that is at least twelve new experiences this year.  That's the plan anyway.  So far I have done okay.  My main 'something new' for this month was trying a new skill.  For a while now I have wanted to have a go at getting involved in my Mommy's craft blog, and once even got as far as sketching out a design.  But when it came around to actually crafting, I never really found the motivation to get on with it.  So, a new idea from Mom, why not try Art Journaling?!  
Art journaling is a reasonably new skill in the art world that combines mixed media, wording and imagery to express feelings and artistic flare.  

After some thought, and plenty of research, I realised that this kind of art/craft is something that is much more up my street than the paper crafting side that mum is so good at.  So, I delved into her stash and borrowed some stamps, and had a go!

This was the result!  

Now I'm not gonna lie; it didn't turn out how I imagined it, and there are a lot of things that I wished I could change after I had done them.  But, for a first attempt, and without much guidance, I don't think it was bad!!

I did however redo it this morning ready to actually enter it into Mummy's craft challenge, as there was no way that this was good enough, not by anybody's standards, especially not my own!

So, keep an eye out for my entry to the challenge coming up in the next few days!!


Other than my leap into the journaling world, there are only really a couple of other things that I have done this month, one of which, after many months of persuasion from Tara, was going to the Handmade Burger Company for tea last night.  Which after all this time avoiding due to my disinterest in burgers, was actually really nice!  I would definitely recommend it and will be going back :)  Especially as they are redoing their Gluten free menu shortly, making it a great place for us to go for a meal out!!

I'm off for now, keep your eyes open for my challenge entry, and I hope for some comments on your opinions!!

Louby x

Jerry!

We bought a tree today!!  I got his idea in my head about getting a little tree to grow with us and to  look after.  At different points in our life I want to mark the little trunk to see how big it is... I know it's a silly idea - ad an even sillier one when people know my history of keeping things alive!  

It's not great!

But, I have Tara to help keep it alive, plus the advice from my Mommy... 

Anyway - meet Jerry - he is an Acer Palmatum 'Jerry Schwartz' hence his name :)

And yes, we did have our photo with it when I had planted it in it's new pot :)

So, here goes nothing - let's see if I can get him to the spring and see him get his pretty leaves!!

Oh, and this little guy says 'hi'

Back to work in the morning... back to reality!

Bye for now,
Louby x

Happy New Year

Well, today was the first day of 2015 - I hope everyone has started as they men to go on!!  Out with the old, in with the new and all that; made some New Year's Resolutions?!  

2014 has been a pretty amazing year for me, I really don't think that I can complain at all.  I began it with the Resolution to just be happy!  To live my life for me and to put myself first and keep smiling.  I started this year doing exactly that, I lived my life my way and I made sure that I went on plenty of adventures.  Then, despite my work life taking a little bit of a downer, I was lucky enough to find my girl all over again!!  I have always raved about Fate, but I think that Tara and I finding each other again and falling head over heals back in love with each other is proof that Destiny really does work miracles.  :)

I kept my New Year's Resolution right till the last day!!  I have not been happier than I am right now.  2015 is set to be a great year; I have a great job, a loving family, a beautiful girlfriend and kitten and of course the crack pot of a chocolate lab that is currently rolling around at the side of me!!  This year I haven't made Resolutions as such, I have just decided that I want to keep living my life to be happy.  My January plan is to get fit - I am going to start Insanity again and then as the weather slowly gets better I am going to start getting up early to walk the dog and then slowly work my way up to going jogging with him!  We'll see how long I manage to keep to that part eh?!  Other than that I want to keep having adventures, take too many photos and do some new things!  Take some risks and do a few things that scare me... It's all about new experiences this year!  I might even get around to doing that Skydive this summer!

Vernon has taken up residence on my new desk now that I have moved in with Tara.  His travels are up for the year, I am a little disappointed that he didn't get out much these last couple of months but once the weather turned bad and my money started to run thin, he didn't get to go very far.  To catch up on any of Vernon's adventures of 2014 all you have to do is check out my Instagram and look for the #vernonsadventure - there are over a hundred photos to browse through.

My book adventure went well too - I read over forty books in 2014 and am still going strong - I have decided to keep up the #mycrazyreadinghabits and not only keep updating my book covers, but to update some of the strange places that I end up reading in :)  I might even start up a hashtag for my writing too as I plan to do more this year - and to give myself a kick up the ass where my novels are concerned.  I need to get some more copies of the first one out into the world and get writing the second one as I kind of fizzled a bit where they were concerned after getting too many no's from agents.  But I have looked at it in a whole new light and realised that the no's are just the agents who don't love it.  None of them have said anything bad about my story or the way it was written, they just don't like it enough to represent it and I now realise that someone who is going to sell my story to a publisher and help me achieve my dream is going to have to love it just as much as I do!

Anyway, I think I am rambling a little now, so I am going to leave it here with a quote that I have heard quite a bit over the last few days.  I find it quite inspiring and I hope that I really can write myself an amazing story for this year!!  One more thing that I do plan to do is keep a journal/smash book for the year as my journal from this year failed miserably!  I just have to wait for the new Gorjuss journal to arrive in the post - until it does I may have to write on some cute writing paper to stick in!  

So, I hope that you have all written a great first page - remember to keep dreaming and live life to the fullest!  But most of all - stay happy!!

Happy New Year - love me and my little family!

All over...

Well guys and girls, that's it... all that build up, all that planning and all that money, and it's all over in three simple days!  Simple, yet great days though!!  

I have had an amazing Christmas this year!  Christmas Eve was spent getting merry with my family, playing games and eating buffet food!!  It even saw Mommy's first ever shot of Tequila - and judging by her reaction, her last ever shot of Tequila!  I'd put up the photo of her face but I think she'd actually kill me - and then bring me back tot clean up the mess!!

An early wake up call from my sister, bouncing on my bed on Christmas morning, started off the ultimate present opening spree... anyone would think I liked to read, take one look at my pile of new books to add to my 'to be read' pile and there is no doubt that my favourite hobby is reading!!!  I have nine new books in total!  And I have my Mommy, my Daddy, My Auntie, my Grandad and Vicky to thank for the new reading material!  
Bacon sarnies started the morning off before heading off to my Grandad's for family time :)  We had yet more presents and then the ultimate Christmas dinner!!!  Eight people, loads of pigs in blankets, too many sprouts and one kick ass bird!  Plus, Sammy made cheesecake... Yep you heard right; cheese in a cake - plus her baby mandalins!!! Lol.
The afternoon made headway for Tyler's new games, we played several rounds of the new version of Monopoly, Empire!  And I lost, drastically, every time; and I'm talking twice I didn't even have anything on the ground floor of my Empire, never mind building it up to take over the world!!! 

Christmas night, I ventured out onto the dark and lonely streets to go see my girl!  We opened our presents, of which there were plenty, and she got her telling off for being far too eager and buying her own DS earlier on in the month - as her amazing girlfriend had already bought her one for Christmas!!  That'll teach her to buy new things just before Santa is due to come!  It is safe to say that I have been spoiled rotten, and my presents, my advent calendar goodies and my girl's love shows that!  I'm not sure the DS lives up to everything as seen as she already has one - but it ha to be the thought that counted... right?!

The rest of Christmas day was spent playing games at home, and me and Mum ruled at Pictionary, despite Dad and Sammy's valiant attempt.  

Boxing day started much later, and involved me getting o bounce on Sammy's bed!!  I totally pulled the 'the sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we gotta play' card and nearly scared her half to death because i crept up on her!!  
We have had a much more chilled day today, less hectic - more turkey, loads more pigs and blankets and still too many sprouts!!!  This time, me and Mum finished it off with a festive chocolate yule log and Bailey's cream!!  Beautiful!!
Then we have watched Maleficent, at which I cried, again, we have started and nearly finished Mum's new jigsaw, we have watched Daddy's new John Bishop DVD and we have played some more games - including the tradition of Monopoly (Mum whitewashed us - no joke)

And to top it all off - it snowed!!!!!  Yes you heard it - it is about a foot deep in snow outside and still coming down strong!  I'd like to say that I am loving it, but there is a little part of me hoping it all disappears over night and waits till tomorrow night to do it again.  As tonight should be my last sleep at home, before I venture into the big wide world to move in with Tara.  It has been a long countdown and would be very annoying if I can't get my car off the drive way tomorrow!  SO, here's hoping!

To the closing of one door, and the opening of another - Merry Christmas xx

Christmas is almost upon us...

Just a quick one before bed...  Two more get up's for work... plenty of boxes left to pack and move... sort out the food shop for Christmas dinner... payday... finish up the Christmas present shopping with a day out with Sammy... sort the last of the stuff to move before Christmas sets in... then deal with the hustle bustle of Christmas :D  

I can't wait - it's so close now I can almost smell the turkey!!  
My girl has made an awesome advent calendar for me to help countdown the days... 
She's such a cutie - each cracker has a party hat, a joke a cute christmas sticker, and a handwritten clue for me to find a present for each day!  

I think she outdid herself on day one... the clue led me to the car, where there was a box with this beautiful Charlie Bear inside!!  To say my obsession with teddy bears is nearly as good as my obsession for books, I have never owned a Charlie Bear before, so he is extra special!  Tick Tock now has pride of  place on the bookshelf along with the books in their new home in the spare room!!

We totally bought a real tree... after the debate on how tall, and making sure it was fat enough - the challenge was fitting the little bugger in Tara's car! (A Daewoo Matiz for anyone who doesn't know) The man at the garden centre was very helpful, and after some discussion, it got put int he front eat with the seat laid back to make room for it :)  It was a squish - but we were in!! 
It looked good once it was decorated :)  With handmade baubles I might add!!  We had fun glittering and sticking to make our decorations!  And it even has a penguin on the top instead of an angel :)

We also had plenty of fun taking photographs with the lights!!  Call it sad, call it cute, we don't care - the photos that we ended up with looked really good!!

We got bundled up at the start of December for Lincoln's annual Christmas market and had a nice walk around in the freezing cold!!  We didn't buy much other than food and fudge, but we had a laugh and a lovely walk and a ride on the bus with Santa... Don't ask!!

In other news, I went to the Works Xmas Do at the beginning of December too - I'm not gonna lie - it wasn't the best night we've ever had - the food wasn't great and the woman doing the disco was just plain scary... but we had a good night - and to top it off.. I came home to a Kitten!  Yes, Tara has bought a kitten :)  He is incredibly fluffy, unbelievably cute and a little terror, and he has well and truely settled into the little family.  Meet Toby! 

Anyway, more soon - but for now, it's off to bed, as I still have to get up in the morning - unlike some of us *cough cough* Sammy!!  Who is hibernating for the next two days having finished before everyone else!!  Such a part timer - can't be bad!!

Night all,
Louby xx