6ichthusfish

Scrapbook weekend with Shimelle Challenge 11...

I have just finished challenge 11.  Here is my LO 'TwinTime'...

... and a close-up...

Here's Shimelle's challenge for number 11...

 "This challenge may be easy, but you need to follow it carefully. Choose two patterned papers with contrasting designs – things that are obviously very different. Chevron and doodles, hearts and stripes, sunshines and polka dots… just make sure they are very different types of patterns. Then use them to create the background of your page: two-thirds one pattern, one-third the other pattern."

I chose stripes for my 2/3rds and blue checks for my 1/3rd.  I scraplifted Shimelle's LO (see below) and added hand stitching.  In the photos of my LO, the pink looks very 'peachy-red' which it isn't. What can you do without natural light at 10pm?  Never mind.  the photo of our twins when they were 11 back in  2006 now has a place in the album and their close relationship won't be forgotten :)

I have another LO I've been working on, so we'll see how my time goes for that one.

Learning to Drive (twin style)...

In 2010, big son passed his test, (first time) at 17.  We were so proud.  Husb had taught him in his own little red Daewoo, called 'The Diddler' because of it's size.  Here's a post from May 2010 when I first took him out for a practice drive.  We bought the Diddler off big son to help him have spending money for the Thailand Adventure he had last Summer, so the Diddler belongs to everyone now.  Anyway, the twins turned 17 in January and it was the plan for Husb to teach them too.  Last weekend was the time.  Here they are posing together with their 'L- Plates'...

We drove them to a quiet road and they put on their plates...

T-g went first...

She was beaming and so pleased to be starting to learn driving...

There was lots of talk about the controls and mirrors etc...

Finally, she was off and driving!  On the photo below she was overtaking some parked cars (not driving up the wrong side of the road!!)

Then it was Chef's turn...

Here he is, driving for the first time too...

So far they have had three lessons in the car and one at the kitchen table. Chef is concentrating... it was serious stuff...!

Just for anyone who doesn't know, Husb was a driving Instructor in the past :)   He has the patience of a Saint and as an ex-teacher too, he explains stuff really well.  Love him and am so thankful x.

 

Been Scrapbooking at the Pretty Paper Party.....!

I feel like a late comer to the Pretty Paper Party, hosted by Shimelle  but made this LO a few days ago and haven't had a moment to photograph and upload it   I made it for prompt 4 all about using dots and stripes. I loved this challenge  and have never used so much dotty pp on a LO. These photos were from our 16 yo twins' 5th Birthday party. Big brother, Roman,  and little brother 'Smurf' were dressed up too. It was a special day for everyone, back in the year 2000.

There's a stripy strip and I made the embellishment with the big white 5 on it by embossing stripes into the yellow card stock with my Cuttlebug and wood-grain embossing folder. This reminded me of how much I love the textured look of embossed patterns.

There was lots of journaling so I added a tag behind the LO...

It's not my usual thing to scrap older photos, but I am so pleased this special day will remembered and in the album.  Maybe I'll scrap more older photos.  We'll see.  Here's one last close-up...

Feels good to be creative again :)

Still exploring...with a postcard...!

Today's prompt in a paraphrased nutshell (as I see it)...

 "Choose the one moment that stands out to you as your most adventurous, whatever it may be...and then just write about that adventure [on a postcard] until you run out of space... then you’re done. If you like the idea [which I do] address it, stamp it and post it to yourself."

So, I rummaged in the drawer for some postcards (we've got a pile, everything from old, recieved and newish).  I chose this one which I got around the time I had my adventure (1990... seriously!)  It's of knitting...

 

I wrote about the backpacking trip I took in summer 1990.  It was the summer that I took a gap year from doing my BEd at Uni.  I went with a friend called Steve who ran the local Creative Writing group that I attended during that aformentioned gap year.  We flew to Yugoslavia and spent time in Turkey and Greece.  I made an old-fashioned scrapbook when I got home, with tickets, postcards and photos jumbled together.  I think it's in the garage somewhere.  Anyway... I think that was my most adventurous time.  Obviously having the 4 teenagers that i have now is an adventure all of it's own.  So was baby twins and a two year old...that was a crazy adventure too.  Then a newborn aswell as twin two year olds and a very bright 4 year old... pretty adventuresome time in my life.  thinking back now, the year after I went to Dubrovnik in particular, it was on the news in a war zone.  I also remember a highlight of the trip was Athens.   L-o-v-e Greece.  Would like to go back.  Something to think about.  This was 21 years ago and was just months before I met my Husb.

 

ds took some snaps of me posting the postcard (N.B. i was thinking about how big my butt was going to look in my housework leggings when he took this! Hence the expression on my face)...

 

 
OK then.  I will be adding the postcard to my explore Playbook/file when it gets here.  I may print off the photo of me posting it.  I prefer the out of focus one above to the butt shot ;]

Loving the class :)

They are 16!

Our twins are 16. They are so grown up.  I couldn't be prouder of them. 

 

 We had a meal with Nanny, Grandad and the three cousins.  Nanny brought out her speciality Birthday cakes and we sang Happy Birthday.

 

For their Birthday they had lovely gifts and money from family far and wide and some days out are planned later in the year, but the most special moment was when Chef gave T-g a phone that he'd got with his own money.  It's got Android and can go on the internet and can do allsorts of whizzy things (except make tea).  It's the white version of his own phone that he got himself in black.  He was more excited to give her this present than about anything else.   This is so typical of him. 

They are a close pair, especially around their birthday when they refer to each other as 'my twin'.  Just lovely to capture a Birthday 'twins' moment as he showed her all the features of her phone.

 

Here's an old photo taken in 2000, when they had a Fancy Dress 5th Birthday party.  Tg was a Fairy Princess and Chef a Policeman.  Big bro Roman (7) was a clown and Smurf (3) was a ladybird (with a homemade costume I made from one leg of a pair of my black leggings and some fluffy red fabric and black felt dots) he was very cute. 

 

They all had a big, special party when they turned 5.  Seems like 5 minutes ago.  Love these old memories (because the reality was pretty hectic and busy with only 4 years between all four of them).

Making Christmas Cards with Middle son...

When Roman was a paper-boy he started the tradition of making his own cards for the people on his newspaper delivery round. Now Chef makes Christmas cards for all the people on his round. That's 55 homes to be precise.  We worked together and enjoyed the one-on-one time.

 

 

 Here's the second batch of cards he made...

 

Great to use my Craft Room for crafting together.  Here's a post about him making cards in 2009 and one abot the whole lot of us making cards in 2008.  Suppose it's a bit of a tradition :)

Tiger-girl painted Rudolph again this year for the game 'Stick the Nose on Rudolph' that she organises for the younger girls at the Girls Brigade Christmas Party.

 

It went down really well and one of the Leaders asked if she could keep the poster & foam noses to use with her class of school children.  Yep, T-g was pleased.

It's starting to look very Christmassy around here...

Husb likes to put the tree up in the first week-end of December so we've been living with it for over a week now.  We're back to our old faithful artificial tree again this year, having had a real one last year for the first time in almost 20 years.  When I was a child my Mum always handed-out the tree decorations and now that's my job too...

 

Another tradition when I was growing up was my Dad always putting the Angel on the top of the decorated tree... which of course is Husb's job now.

 
We have started a tradition of our own though.  About 4 Christmasses ago we decided to buy each child a special tree decoration every year which will build up into their own collection of tree ornaments.  It's so that when they leave home and start having their own trees, they'll be able to hang up all the special decorations which they got each year and tell their spouses/partners/children/friends all about getting them from Husb and I  (if that makes sense).  They close their eyes and are handed their special bauble...

 

They like it anyway :)

There's also a bit of posing by the finished tree which goes on (brings out the kissy side of some folks!)...

 

I also used to love to lie on the floor  under the tree and look up at all the lights and decorations.  Now, my chids like to do that too...

 

Since we decorated the tree, Smurf had a few days away in Wales and came home having won a cute raffle prize... 4 little Elves which spell 'N-O-E-L'...

 

There was a lot of knitting went into them and they've been posed in all sorts of strange & wonderful ways!!  Also, notice the Advent Calendar on the wall which I made on a Scrap Revolution scrapbooking weekend away with my sis-in-law last year.  Last year we made our own, large home-school project 'London Landmarks' Advent Calendar which went in the bin in the Summer.  Lovely to look back.

Big son turns 18 ....

Last week our big son turned 18.  

 

The festivities were spread out over a coupla weeks, beginning with a trip to the huge shopping centre to buy him a new suit, shoes, shirt ensemble for his Birthday (and the upcoming Uni interviews).   He enjoyed spending time with just Husb and I especially the coffee break...

 

Then the week-end before his Birthday, we had my folks and bro' staying and we went out for a meal.  At the restaurant he opened the signet ring from my folks...

 

There was a giant cookie with candles after the meal...

 

The photos I took in the restaurant were not that great but we had a group shot at home (used the timer and ran to be in the photo)...

 

Great to capture our four looking so grown-up...

 

After the photos we sat down to watch an old video that my Dad had made of big son's 5th Birthday Party.  look on the TV below and you can just about see the tiger-suit I'd made him and his face painted like a tiger (as the party had been a fancy dress party with all his Reception Class attending).  It was great to watch, especially seeing how everyone had all changed so much...

 

Then, between this celebratory week-end and his actual Birthday, he passed his driving test (first attempt).  So proud.  Here he is as a brand-new-1-hour-old driver, bringing his car onto the drive.  Notice how Chef is sitting in the front seat with him!

 

His actual Birthday began with pressies and cards and plenty of paper with the queen's face on.  Then he decided to go for a coffee with Chef in town.  On his return he rang his car insurance to tell them he's passed his test and turned 18 (he's not one to hang about!)  I snapped a pic of him on the phone...

 

He had College in the afternoon and then a shift in the shop (he works part-time in the corner shop) but Husb did take him to the Pub for a pint later.  Well, the celebrations carried on this week-end with a visit to Husb's sister and family.  We had a meal then went to see Roald Dahl's  'Matilda' at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford.  My niece also has a Birthday around now so 'Matilda' was a special treat for all ages.  It was really brilliant and we all enjoyed it.  Back at their house, we sang 'Happy Birthday' and Nanny had made a special Birthday cake for big son, complete with sparklers...

 

 

Then he had some pressies... cuff-links and a special watch.

 

Yep... he's all grown-up...

 

Love you, B. xxxx

 

Scrapbooking the past...

Usually I scrapbook the present.  Scrapbooking an old photo from the year 2000 was challenging.  This was pre-digital.  So it's a real photo.  Taken with real film.  There are no copies.  Yep, there was some (self-inflicted) pressure involved.  But I'm glad I did it.

Sadly my Papa is no longer with us.  Gran has white hair.  The children no longer wear home-knitted cardigans and we live in another city.  Scrapbooking the past has been an interesting experience.

Here's a close-up...

 

German Christmas market...

Every year we like to visit the Birmingham German Market; it's a tradition.  Well, I was looking back to the photos and blog entry from last year, 2008  & could not believe how similar our visit was this year.  I suppose that's the joy of a tradition.  The main difference was that instead of saying my usual "no" to the overpriced sweets (like I usually do)... this year I let the chids choose a big jar to fill up from all the bottled sweets lining the shelves.  There was some serious joy involved & we have my Gran in Scotland to thank for the Christmas spends.  Love you Gran x

There was some consultations went on as to what to choose...

The shop assistant had to go to & fro to all the jars...

Yep, they were like kids in a candy store!

[and I liked being a "yes" Mum.]

We went in 2007 (before I blogged) and here's a few pics from back then...

Love looking back at traditions   :)