It's raining, It's pouring

If you took a look outside right now, you would be forgiven for assuming we are in the middle of winter not the middle of August. It's pouring down with rain, it's cold and it's just miserable and depressing. Since we are all still sick outside wasn't really an option but Lukas at least has gotten over the I want to just lay here and do nothing stage. So we got out the craft collection I bought to amuse him in the summer holidays. We started with Sand Art, then we tried our hands at Wind Chime Making and after Lukas decided that I would look better with green fingers (literally lol) he decided that was enough crafting for the day. So he moved onto playing the playstation and I chatted with Nan and made vague attempts to get some work done on the computer. I just can't seem to find the motivation to create layouts today partly because my hands are really bad today and I can't seem to get warm but mostly because I just can't concentrate. I did some shopping at Sweet Shoppe Designs this morning and usually that is great motivation to scrap because I can't wait to play with it, but obviously not today. Lately it's been hard to find the time to scrap now I have the time but not the motivation ironic huh lol. I know that I have really sucked at updating this lately and it's not that I don't have a lot to write about, I do I just don't have time to write it, or I do have time but not the motivation like today. Nan is going to hospital to have the plaster off on Tuesday, but I think they will end up replastering it so things probably won't be much different than they are now but I am still keeping my fingers crossed. I keep hoping that I will wake up one morning and things will be back to normal, no-one will be sick, no-one will need constant care I would be content if that was only for an hour or two at the moment. It's not that I don't want to take care of Nan or Lukas it's just that I am so tired out by everything. I can't remember the last day where I slept soundly without half listening out to make sure no-one needs me, or going to sleep with my mobile phone in my hand incase nan calls for something. I guess more than anything I miss what I consider normal. It's really hard for me to step up and be the full time carer, mummy, wife, ct member, and everything else I am expected to be when I feel so ill and all I really want to is crawl into my bed and stay there lol. *sigh* i'm such a moaner lately, sorry I just needed to vent. I am going to have to go back to real life in a bit, this has taken a lot longer than I was anticipating. But while I am here I suppose I should show you the layouts I have managed to get done so far this month.

This first one was created for a Cookie Decorating Challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits:Layered template (Cookie Decorating 101, 30th July 2008) by Kay Miller, Bead Factory Green and Bead Factory Blue by Micheline Martin, Fizzy Grape Slushie by Lauren Grier and Zoe Pearn, Family Photos and Frames and Paper Cutters 4x12 by Chrissy W and Glitter Styles by Megan Farrows (Flergs).

Enabling: Fizzy Grape Slushie by Lauren Grier and Zoe Pearn available here, Family Photos and Frames and Paper Cutter 4x12 by Chrissy W available here and here. Bead Factory Green and Bead Factory Blue are now retired, Glitter styles were a previous freebie on Megan Farrows (Flergs) blog but you can see her full range of them here and all the Cookie decorating details including the download link can be found here.

This second one was for a Scrap With The Sugarbabes challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Launchpads, Template 102, Collection 21) by Bree Clarkson and The Land Of Nod by Dani Mogstad. Fonts are DJB Nicole and DJB TracyL both by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: Time isn’t something I am ever very specific about. I don’t wear a watch, and I rarely look at clocks but the moment in time I will never forget is 9:28am on the 3rd August 2002. That was the moment I stopped being just Crystal and became so much more. I became your mummy. I remember how disappointed I was that you were a boy not a girl like they had told me. I remember telling the doctor that you couldn’t be a boy you had a purple bedroom and a wardrobe full of dresses. I remember feeling like my lungs were going to explode as I held my breath waiting for you to finally cry. I remember telling the doctors to make sure they spelt your name right.I’m sorry that I didn’t hold you for the few seconds that they offered me before they whisked you to the special care baby unit, I was just so mixed up and unsure of what I was feeling, I was tired and in a lot of pain from where the doctors had been pressing on my stomach. I went to sleep before even seeing you. When I woke the 1st thing on my mind was you, and even though it took a while for my 1st look at you when it came, I was utterly overwhelmed by my feelings. It was truly love at first sight and there’s nothing that feels anything like it in the world!

Enabling: Collection 21 by Bree Clarkson available here, Land Of Nod by Dani Mogstad available here, DJB Nicole and DJB TracyL by Darcy Baldwin available here.

This third one was created for an Inspiration challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs and is also my current desktop wallpaper lol.

Credits: Layered template (Double Template 30, Side A) by Andrea Gold, A Pocket Full Of Posies by Penny Springmann (slightly recoloured), Save The Date Brushes by Darcy Baldwin and 2008 Calendar Template English Radmila Littledeer. Font is DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin.

Enabling: A Pocket Full Posies by Penny Springmann available here, Save The Date Brushes and DJB Nicole by Darcy Baldwin available here and here and 2008 Calendar Templates by Radmilla Littledeer available here. I can't seem to find Double Template 30 by Andrea Gold in the store.

These last 2 were created with Chrissy's latest template set - Get 'Em Scrapped, a set of two 2 page templates. I am the first to admit two page templates are not my style, I rarely do multi photo layouts so I wasn't really looking forward to using these, but I have to admit after using them I am kind of eating my words. They are a really well designed set and they were definately not that difficult to scrap with everything just seemed to click into place, the hardest part was choosing the photos lol. I will hold my hands up and admit they were even quite fun to use. They are definately worth a try if you have a lot of photos you need to get scrapped even if 2 pagers aren't your usual style of scrapping, you will probably be pleasantly surprised just like I was.

I used one of them for A Recipe challenge at Sweet Shoppe Designs.
Credits: Layered template (Get 'Em Scrapped, Template 2) by Chrissy W and First Bell by Lauren Grier and Amanda Heimann. Fonts are DJB Nicole and DJB Chalk It Up by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: Ever since the day you started school, you have loved it. But there is one part of school you look forward to for the whole year - The summer fete. You love the games, you love the sounds, you love all the noise and bright colours. The stalls and the events may change every year but your excitement only seems to increase more with every year. This year you tried everything they had to offer from cake decorating, to bouncy horse racing, from javelin throwing, to playing on the playground equipment. But your favourite parts had to be buying the fireman’s helmet from the stall for 50p and getting the chance to sit in the driving seat of a “mini car”.

Enabling: Get 'Em Scrapped by Chrissy W available here and First Bell by Lauren Grier and Amanda Heimann available here and DJB Nicole available here. DJB Chalk It Up by Darcy Baldwin is found in the Home Room Collaboration at The Digi Chick here.

The second one I used to scrap some of the many photos I took when it snowed in April.
Credits: Layered template (Get 'Em Scrapped, Template 1) by Chrissy W, Let It Snow by Angela and Emily Powers (Two Sisters Designs) and Midnight Magic by Michaela Ferkul (Microferk Designs). Font is DJB Erika by Darcy Baldwin.

Journalling reads: It starts with a mad dash around the house looking for warm clothes. Then we move onto bundling on those clothes in enough layers that it’s hard to move. It takes a while but finally the fun can begin. We can make the 1st prints in the fresh white snow. We can taste the snow for the very 1st time. We can jump on the snow covered trampoline. Throw snowballs, and make snowbaby’s. We can make our own snowstorn by just shaking the tree. We can lay in the snow and make snow angels. We can run and we can play without feeling the mind numbing cold of the weather. We can forget about everything except just enjoying the moment and the memories we are making. *sigh* I wish we could have a snow day every day of the week.

Enabling: Get 'Em Scrapped by Chrissy W available here and Midnight Magic by Michaela Ferkul (Microferk Designs) available here. Let It Snow by Angela and Emily Powers (Two Sisters Designs) is now retired and DJB Erika doesn't seem to have been uploaded at Sweet Shoppe Designs yet.

I am hoping I will feel more motivated tomorrow and be able to come back and blog some of the stuff I have to tell you. If I don't make it back don't worry, you know it's nothing major I am just busy if you want anything urgently you can always email me and i'll be back when I can.