Chelle & Elsie

This has to be one of my favourite photos! The only thing I wished I could've done was able to avoid the shadow behind mum and baby! I didn't put this up along with Elsies' gift basket [see February archive] purely as Chelle hadn't seen the photo. Anyways, we were at her younger sister's 21st on Friday evening and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! I thought that would be an ideal time to present this photo to her!

I probably should have put this photo as 1 of the 2 favourite images on my portfolio for my PWL photography course! We had to do a self portrait [which I am no good being in front of the camera!] plus enter 2 of our favourite photos plus 2 photos that were our rubbishy ones - you know the sort - the images looked okay on the LCD or EVF of your camera but once on compy - total RUBBISH LOL!!

The gifts

Teachers Easter Gifts

Wow! what can I say? It's been another hectic week again and I don't know where the time has got to!

My week started off on Monday with going into Edinburgh to do some shopping for a new arrival. I had heard that one of our teachers had a wee baby boy last Saturday - Congratulations to Michelle Kersh and her partner David and their new 'star' in their lives. It's another nappy cake gift that I have yet to put together - I just need to find out when would be the best time to either hand it in after the Easter hols or whether to wait and present it to Michelle when she will most likely to pop to school and bring the little 'un.

I've also signed up for Cheryls "Painting with Light" photography course to get a better understanding and use of my camera. I've also signed up with Monika to join her cyber party for Stampin' Up stamps too - too many yummy things to choose from and I am toiling to really choose something that I want/can afford NOW! You crafty minded people out there will understand I am sure LOL!

Tuesday I was invited for a coffee get together with one of my chums Suzanne and a group of other girlies so that was fab. Kirsteen gave me a lift in her cool 'pimp my ride' car [with an

enormous speaker in the boot] and dropped me off at school as I had my volunteer shift that afternoon.

Wednesday I spent the morning trying to clear my computer desk as I have been so busy I haven't had the time and everything just piles up on top and clutter drives me nuts sometimes! Eventually moved on to organising my shelving unit where I keep my Sizzix, Big Shot, Sidekick and all my alphabets and shape dies and various other craft related stuff. I then got side-tracked later on in the evening with making these little Easter gifts for the teachers - inspired from the ideas in the Stampin' up catalogue.

Thursdays are my usual slot until 10.30 am in school as a volunteer and this morning's schedule had been changed as the local schools were taking part in the rugby festival. The field itself is cold even in the summer time due to it being so large. It was absolutely freezing cold and very windy. So at the moment I am surprised I can type this up as I am only just beginning to thaw out LOL!!

I have no idea what we are doing tomorrow in the daytime as it is the 1st day of the school holidays - hopefully just chilling as we are off to a party Friday evening - yay!

New Lanark

Being a parent volunteer at the school, I helped escort pupils and teachers on Thursday on an excursion to New Lanark which is a fab place to go to! If you live in Scotland or visit, please take the time to visit New Lanark as it is fascinating indeed! It is all about the mills and how Robert Owen pioneered and changed the way of life for workers/families and child slave labour and set up the world's very 1st creche and nursery. Here is what some of the 'blurb' says from the leaflet:

Over 200 years ago the impressive sandstone cotton mills of New Lanark were
built by an enterprising Scot, David Dale, in a dramatic gorge in Southern
Scotland, close to the famous Falls of Clyde. Soon the village became known all
over the world under the enlightened management of Dale’s son-in-law, the social
pioneer, Robert Owen. In an age of cruel mill managers and ‘dark, satanic mills’
he provided decent homes, fair wages, free health care and a new education
system for villagers, which included the first nursery school in the world.
Today, as you wander around the village and surrounding Wildlife Reserve, it is
easy to imagine how people lived and worked in Owen’s day.

Please see this link for more information if you wish: http://www.newlanark.org/attractions.shtml

Parents Evening

Jings - it's been of those very busy and hectic weeks! I was very busy last weekend at work and then I had to work on Monday evening pulling information about waiting lists etc. In addition, I've also been busy prepping for our 'Parents Night' at school. Being a member of the parent council and also me being the clerk to the PC, makes life a little interesting! A small amount of the PC had to prepare our notice board to inform parents/carers of what we have been doing since the group got together last June. Some of us volunteered to be available at both the parents evenings to let parents/carers aware of who some of us are and also to distribute questionnaires that I also had to prepare on behalf of the PC. My appointments for parents evening for both my kids were on the later session running on the Wednesday evening and my 1st appointment was running over 1 hour later than scheduled! She was running so late that the teachers for my son's appointment which was the last of the evening came looking for me LOL! Anyways, it was all good news thankfully!

Mother's Day Lillies

Sorry folks! I've not posted recently only due to the fact that I have been so busy at home and at work!

Anyways - on Mother's Day [now over a week ago] my eldest daughter presented me with these lillies and a box of chocs for Mother's Day. The chocs are long gone but the lillies are still in bloom and OH MY GOODNESS what a perfume that comes off them - absolutely beautiful! [heh heh heh you can tell I don't receive or buy flowers very often]. Even now they are giving off a lovely scent that greets you whenever you enter the house even though the flowers are in the living room.

Altered items - simple gift ideas

Here are a couple of items I've previously altered to make into simple gift ideas. The little jars I purchased from Ikea - works out at 50p a jar [not including the embellishments]. A few die cuts and adhesive later, they can turn a plain jar into a well presented gift for the recipient!

Another idea also which is a follow-on from another gift [see previous Mother's day post]. I also altered a plain notebook with papers to match the gift jar lid with a handcrafted card included. These were a birthday gift last May for my friend Denise Morgan, whom I went to high school with - hiya Denise! [waves]

Happy Mothering Sunday 2008!

Well, today in the UK it's Mother's Day - so "Happy Mother's Day" to all you mums out there!

This year Alwynne and I went shopping yesterday for little bits and pieces for her Granny's pampering kit for Mother's Day. It's got the usual "Dove" beauty products, anti-bac hand gel, a pack of anti-bac hand wipes, factor 15 lip balm, a mini box of "Celebrations" chocolates, a handbag size bottle of perfume and finally a Dean Martin CD!

Last year's Mother's Day gift

Just a brief display of what I did for my mum-in-law last year - the altered empty coffee jar filled with Ferrero Rocher sweets. The little book is actually a 'maze album' origami style with floral images on alternate pages with a poem running through the album completing the empty pages. - needless to say she was delighted with her gift!

Nappy or Diaper Cake

Yay - I remembered to photograph my 2nd nappy (diaper) cake commission! The last time I made one which was a gift, I forgot to take a photograph of it for my portfolio. It was 2 tiers tall with various bits and pieces - not quite as elaborate as this commission. My chum was well happy with it and we both agreed that it's gonna be a shame for the item to be unwrapped and spoiled so to speak! Here's hoping the mum-to-be enjoys it!

It's hard to believe there are a few items discreetly hidden inside the cake. You can see right away that there are: soothers; Winnie the Pooh hairbrush and comb set; W the P Bottle as the 'topper'; little baby socks rolled up on the base of the cake; bibs - there are actually 6 in total!; at the back there is a baby ramer sponge. Hidden away inside are: Johnson's baby talc; Johnson's baby shampoo, Johnson's baby nappy cream; Johnson's baby bath; 4 x baby food pots and finally anti-bac hand gel.