First post, first post...

I am so excited, I have to share with you. I made my first post on Sarah's Cards blog.

This is what I made.

Still in pain, still posing as Napoleon...

First week of school and J had a tumble playing lunch time football. He collided with another boy who ran across. J tripped and landed on his shoulder. The school nurse phoned, "Mrs G, J has injured himself playing football. Can you come get him and take him to A&E ?". I picked J up, I thought he would be able to walk to hospital which is practically next door to school but he couldn't even make it to my car in the car park.

We arrived at A&E, J looking very pale. Fortunately we don't have to wait as children are seen immediately at this hospital (beats King's College hospital in London where stabbing and gun shots are the emergencies! ). They dose him up with painkillers, took an x-ray, proclaimed, "you have fractured your left clavicle!", slinged him up and sent us home.

He is still in some pain but the left is a blessing because he is right handed and will not miss out on school. He is gutted (NOT!) about having to take time off piano but his XBox trigger fingers on both hands are working in tip top condition! This afternoon he is going to work at a local charity shop for his community service...I hope he will be ok.

Cambridge Croppers Memories of Summer Sneaks

We are meeting again a Trumpington Pavillion this Saturday 1st of October. See you there at 10am.

So, were you the wiser ?

So, did you guess ? Could you read his expression ? He is not a very emotional boy.

This layout is dedicated to J for his recent exam successes. When I told a good friend of mine his results, she said,"Now, why is that not a surprise?". Maybe, but it was good to get the confirmation. Onwards to 8 more next summer.

I made this layout for Sarah's Cards September challenge. Hope you will take this opportunity to take part and win for yourself a gift voucher from the store.

Memorabilia

What do you do with them ? I don't mean the precious, historical ones but those tickets, leaflets, postcards and maps that you pick up on your travel ?

These are just some of the stuff I picked up from our last trip to Denmark. My boys and A are very good. They always save these things for me. I have a few drawers in my scrap room that are filling up.

I do use them, some times. Remember the Wembley layout ? I used a ticket on that. And I cut out the ladies and gents from a Versailles pamphlet. Whale Watching was inspired by Dolphin Fleet's leaflet and a lighthouse on a crisp packet.

I decided to make an accordian mini book using a tri-fold leaflet from the Eiffel tower.

I used the leaflet itself as the base of my minibook. I glued a 6x6 black cardstock cover to the front and back.

The cover was made by cutting a 12x12 cardstock into four. I glued two together to make the covers thicker. For the front, I cut out a window on one cardstock to accommodate the plastic cover from a Crate Paper button pack. I carefully removed the plastic cover from the card back of the button pack and used these to contain a small display for the title. I added these to the front cover before I sandwiched the two cardstocks together.

Now the book contains a running commentary of what we did in Paris as well as some of the other leaflets we picked up.

What have you done with your memorabilia ? I would love to see them. Add your projects below for a chance to win a kit from Cambridge Croppers workshop. You have until the end of the month to join in.

Embracing Technology

Even though I was a Computer Programmer, I am what you would call technophobe. Not anything to do with work, but more to do with gadgets in my personal life. I have a bog standard mobile phone, albeit with pretty pink blossom print and jewels. I try not to pick up the remote control, if I can help it. I avoid the Kitchen Aid unless I know I absolutely cannot beat those eggs for a cake ( though I avoid baking as much as I can ). Ok, some times I sneak a browse on A's iPad but only when we travelling because that is the only device around.

Now, don't get me wrong, I still prefer to read a real book! But I have "discovered" the Kindle. I am currently reading Conn Iggulden's Conqueror Series. I love that I can quickly purchase the next book in the series without having to wait till I am next in town.

Here's a layout I made about the books I read...with photos of some of the books. I have used loads of Crate Paper labels and cut out flowers from Crate's Potrait Collection.

I should make a technophobe layout too, shouldn't I ?

Back to School

They indulged me this morning. J has lost his big hairdo but the barber did ask, "when did you last come ?"

And H will not be in the youngest year in school anymore.

Photos from Denmark

We are back. Here are a few photos from our trip. We went to Copenhagen (though didn't make the trek to Little Mermaid ),

stopping off in Odense for Hans Christian Andersen house

Egeskove Castle

and Svendborg.

On the way, we had to cross this looooooong bridge, the Great Belt Bridge.

We also saw "Hamlet's" castle at Helsingor

Then we went to Billund for Lalandia water slides where the tunnel was 3 storeys high.

and the original Legoland.

And then it was time to come home. The free Wi-Fi at the airport meant an end to our five days without internet so J can get his fix and check his IGCSE results. Look at him. What do you think he saw ?

Hope you all had a great summer holiday. Are you ready for school ? We are...I am looking forward to Monday.