Technical Photography Course

Having just recently completed CJ's "PWL III" [painting with light] course, I have now enrolled myself to the TechPro course which starts on 4th July. It runs for 4 weeks and is more intense compared to the PWL course. It really means I have to get into more depth and understanding about the functionality of the camera, understanding histograms etc and software so it will be more challenging for those who have enrolled.

I just wished I could afford to upgrade to a Canon DLSR which is around £800 - £1000 with 1 or 2 lenses if I am lucky! Ho hum, if I can get to grips with my bridge camera, I am sure eventually I will aim for the Canon!

Sugar Coated Roses

Nah - just joking! ;o) Today is the last day of term and the kids broke up for summer hols :o) Today I received a gorgeous bunch of roses from the primary 3 kids whose class I help out and also a lovely hand crafted thank you card! I took a few shots of the roses before they start to perish and also sprayed some cold water on them which gave them a 'sugar coating' effect!

Cards commission

Just some cards I made up on Monday for a commission!

Yay - it's almost end of term!

What a fabulously very quick year this has been! I've obviously been kept very busy as I haven't truly noticed how quickly time has flown by until now LOL. I've uploaded a few photos of the 'thank you' cards and gifts I created for 5 teachers.

BUT I apologise about the quality of the images - I was up to 5 am this morning wanting to get them completed so that we could give them to the teachers today so needless to say, some of the images are PANTS cos I shot them at 4.30 am and it was a case of snapping to record them. I am absolutely knackered LOL!

End of Term Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I made only 2 of these gifts for 2 teachers:- 1 for a teacher I help out at school and the other for 1 of my eldest daughter's high school teachers who is moving on to a new job. They consisted of a coffee mug, chocolate truffles, cappuccino sachets and completed with a little maze album made from 1 x sheet of 12"x12"cardstock in addition to separate outer covers. The album was filled with inspirational quotes for teachers.

Teacher Pamper Packs:

Contents of the 'pamper packs' I made for 3 teachers. They consisted of: a coffee mug with spoon; cappuccino sachets; chocolate truffles; Radox shower gel and roll-on anti-perspirant; nail file; massage sponge; chocolate facial mud mask; hand wipes; face wipes; vaseline; nivea moisturising cream and again, each basket contained a maze album full of teacher quotes - more or less same quotes but different designs of albums.

Pamper packs all wrapped up:

2 out of 4 of the thank you notelet designs. Materials/tools used: Stamping Up stamp and scallop punch, Bazzill cardstock and Top Line Creations ribbon + basic cardstock:
A couple more thank you notelets + gift tags:

4 out of the 5 designs of the maze albums:

A couple of sample pages of the maze albums:

Meeting up with old friends

Linda aged around 16: Me aged 16:
Linda and I: Pauline, Linda and I:

Well, it was like going back to when I was in high school LOL!! Early on in the year, I bumped into Pauline, an old chum from high school days - it was the 1st time really since we left school! We swapped tel nos but a few months along the line, neither of us got in touch. I have just been extremely busy of late so eventually got in touch with Pauline - we were on the phone for well over an hour and Pauline invited me to her daughter's 21st. It seems surreal to be my age and have a child of 21 yrs - it is difficult enough to come to terms with having a daughter who will be 16 soon and will be going into 5th year after the summer hols! Anyways through various other channels, I managed to get in touch with another of the girls from high school days whom I had bumped into once since leaving school. So we both attended the 21st.

Both Pauline and Linda haven't changed. Just a wee bit older - much like myself LOL!

Wedding Card to Match Horse Shoe

Ali's wee photo shoot

Last week was my last week for my photography course and as usual, my time has been whittling away very fast. I asked if she would mind posing for me. Got my background all ready using black fabric. Diffused the camera flash with some tissue paper so that it wouldn't give off a harsh effect. I must be going wrong somewhere - Alwynne would only pose if I paid her LOL!

A Horse Shoe Wedding Token

The completed horse shoe:

Diamonte and bead details:

Work in progress:

Yes that is indeed a geniune horse shoe from the farriers! This was a commission on behalf of a friend's friend. I must admit to toiling a little in sourcing the brand new, never used horse shoe! It's been a true labour of love creating this wedding token. However, I would have been delighted to receive something as real and genuine like this on my wedding day but we didn't have the crafters, tools and materials then as we have available nowadays!

Father's day

Just a quick hand printed and blocked stamped background card also using Sizzix alphabet dies to cut out 'dad'. [scraplifted from Scrapdolly's blog]

Gill's 40th Birthday

Gill and blackened background:

Original photo of Gill and balloons:

Gill's mum Marion and friend Abbie:

In the hummer limo:

Gill's birthday card I made her:

It's been a funny year last year and this year regarding 40th birthdays! It's been a regular things these 40th birthday parties or just a good mix of people joining up for an evening of good humour, company and a wee swally. Saturday I joined my very good friend Gill Colgan et al for a fun filled evening. We all met at her her house which was inundated with us girlies for a celebratory drink. Off for a Chinese meal in Port Seton. After this took place, our pink hummer 15 seater limo arrived! What an absolute hoot we all had! Gill was very overcome as she hadn't had a clue we had done this for her. After the limo, we landed in her dad's pub in Haddington then back in Tranent.

At the last event Gill, some of the same girls and I got together was another good one. Gill and I are lovers of soul and northern soul music and dancing to those tunes and shuffling to 'Uptown Festival' is our party pieces. So at that event, Gill and I got up to northern soul then a wee while later, shuffled to Uptown Festival. Gill felt a 'snap' effect in her leg and that was her incapacitated for the evening. Heck that was Gill incapacitated for a good few weeks including her 40th b'day bash with her leg encased in plaster. Poor Gill had torn her achilles tendon - if anyone was to have this to happen to - should've been me - really overweight and totally unfit. But it was Gill it happened to - no more party pieces for us two!!

For a while, I was kinda dreading my 40th which will be next year only cos I am getting old[aren't we all eh? LOL] I was convinced I wasn't wanting to make a big thing of it but seeing as I have had so much fun along with other people enjoying 40th birthdays, I have changed my mind for my 40th birthday. Wee Hels is having a 40th birthday party next year - yee haw! :o)

16th Birthday

Just a wee card I made for my eldest daughter's chum whose party it was on the same evening my yummy mummy night was on! oh to be 16 again LOL!

Yummy Mummy night

Been soooo busy so thought I would update a little here!

I went to a "Yummy Mummy Evening" last night with the girls. What a fun faberoonie filled evening we all had. We set off in the limo with red carpet treatment when we left Suz's house and then once we arrived at Party Planet, red carpet treatment again! A bouncy castle was put up for us, we danced on the stage, did the catwalk got make up treatment. My make-up treatment was a bit scary to say the least - Alice Cooper eat yer heart out LOL!!