first layout in ages ....

but I have had to work really hard at it and I am not that pleased with it!


I knew I wanted to use this Fancy pants transparency as soon as I saw it in the kit yesterday and the photos seemed ideal at first thought - but after I had cut them up realised that they were purple & green whilst the transparency was reds, blues and greens - so a whole different colour palate. I stuck with the colours in the photos in the end and used some K & Company paper. I had a lovely green die cut swirl I wanted to use - but it was the wrong shade of green so looked silly, I tried a black one and that looked silly too, so ended up stamping one out and heat embossing it and the cutting out the fiddly shape - twice.


Its true practice makes perfect as it has been a while since I have scrapped and I was so rusty. This did not come together easily - everything was a struggle. I had better not leave another one so long as it is only a couple of weeks before I go away on the scrapbooking retreat and if I have forgotten how to do it - I will look I right plonker.

15th May photos

These were technically taken last night but as I am in catch up mode and I am so pleased with them - I am using them!

We went and did a quick geocache at Moreton Corbett Castle GC16ZVW at Shawbury - where Prince William has just done his helicopter flying training. I have been there many times with the children but Steven hasn't so he was intrigued by the old ruins. Such a shame they were allowed to rot. But there was a picture of a 19th Century engraving showing that the rot had already started then - it did not have a roof but all the walls were intact.


The cache was easy to find but tracky to get to as there were loads of nettles and as Steven had his shorts on - I had to do the deed. Luckily there were plenty of dock leaves around to make me better!
I may even have a scrapbook layout to show later as I started one yesterday, with the lovely transparency in yesterdays Gogo kit, just can't think what title to use yet.

Right I have calmed down a bit now...

so will try and catch up on some photos.

Monday 12th May photo is this

Steven & I went Geo caching to Snailbeach - to do the puzzle cache around the lead mine there (Snailbeach Lead Mine GCQ9A2 ). Thelma - a fellow Shropshire Lass lives there and so does Pat - who wanted to know more about geocaching - I think she may be hooked now! We we made a nice little group wandering around the site. We found all 6 clues and the final cache. We left a Taz travel bug which I had found earlier in the day, when I had gone out geocaching by myself. Afterwards we went to Pat' s house - about 100 yards away from the cache and spent the rest of the evening chatting - Pat's husband Matt is a real entertainer - and admiring the view - it was a really lovely way to spend a beautiful summers evening.
Tuesday 13th May photos is this - my new toy!
I bought this on Tuesday- its a remote for my Nikon DSLR camera. I do like my new Panasonic camera but still like to use my DSLR sometimes and want to be in some of the photos of the geocache finds - but the self timer is a bit dangerous as Thelma and I have found out over the rocks on The Stiperstones!

I could not get it to work - so I rang Jessops up and said I think you have sold me a faulty one - the chap asked me if I had set my camera to remote settings - oops - I had not - so after I had fathomed out how to do this it worked fine. Trouble is - its very small - just hope I don't loose it.

Today's photos for Wednesday 14th May are these - my lovely yellow box of loveliness which has just arrived. I do like these monthly kits - though I must admit I don't use them very much - I have set myself a challenge to use them more often when I start scrapping again after this marathon photo organisation thing. Stacy Julian calls it photo Freedom - at the moment it does not feel like it - I am drowning under mountains of photos - but hopefully when I am organised and not broke after all these photo sleeves I have had to buy - I should enjoy the photo freedom she describes and have tons of photos to scrap - so therefore plenty of opportunity to use up all my kits.

Just to prove I am not exagerating here is my photo mountain - 3 weeks in and still more albums on shelves to add as well.

AAGGHHHHH!!!!!

First of all no laptop and then no Internet!!

We came back Monday evening from a lovely evening walk with friends and the Internet was completely dead. Tried again Tuesday morning - still dead - so contacted AOL and they said they were doing maintenance on the line - it was out all day. Got up this morning - now Wednesday and still no Internet - so contacted AOL again and they said the maintenance was finished so I should be able to connect - I could not! As my router was not an AOL one he could not help me any further until I put the AOL approved one on - this I have done and can get online on this main computer but not on any of the laptops - steam is coming out of my head I am so mad. I would change to BT but they have download limits and Liam downloads so much stuff he would have exceeded that in one night so I am stuck with AOL unfortunately and now will have to pay for my computer man to come out and fix it.

I had really hoped to post my daily photos each day throughout May but I can't now. Will try and catch up with the last few days that have been missed.

11th May photos more geocaching - sorry if this is getting boring - scrapping will resume shortly!

Despite it being a gorgeous day today we could only do one quick geocache today as Steven had to stay in all day glued to the telly for a big football match today - gawd I hate football. I did some more sorting out photos, but have run out of 6x4 sleeves and need a few 4x4 for old photos so I can feel another order to Arrow file coming on!

Anyway we trotted off to Haugmond Abbey (Haughmond Abbey Survives To Fight Another Day GC1A1Q6) this evening to find the cache there. The last 3 people have been unable to find it, but the owner checked yesterday and confirmed it was still there. I could not find it - but eagle eyed Steven did! he is much better at this lark than me. He was determined not to leave until he had found it. Excellent cache, when eventually found.
The Abbey was closed but we were able to get this nice photo of the ruins and also found this quaint little stone house in the woods - have no idea what is is for as they was no info next to it. But it clearly was very old.

Afterwards we went to for tea at Nandos - had lovely chicken, chips and coleslaw - very tasty. We dragged Liam along as he had not left his bedroom for 3 days, teenage boys are far too addicted to their computers these days. Though I am sure I would be worrying about him if he was off out & about and I did not know where he was! Anyway I bribed him with the promise of a meal out, he was very miffed that we had to geocache first - I had neglected to tell him that bit until we were in the car - so he sat and sulked and would not help us look at all - but did cheer up after he had been fed.

10th May photos - baking days!

Well not very exciting photos today - but delicious to eat! The top photos are fruit scones and their was another batch still in the oven when I took this photo - the recipe is very generous. The cake is a sticky apricot & almond cake and it is gorgeous. Anyway these should keep the troops happy for a few days!

I am having a home day today - loads of washing, ironing, cleaning, weekly shop and baking.

I really want to be sorting out my photos, but too much housewife stuff to do. Perhaps tomorrow?

9th May photo - more geocaching

Todays photo shows another day out geocaching with Thelma. We went back to the Stiperstones and found 2 more - 1 at Cranberry Rock and the other at Nipstone. No travel bugs at either sadly.

Thelma & Molly

Our heads are nearly cut off because we used the self timer on the camera!

Again stupid faces because we were not sure if the self timer was working! Not our best shots!