I'm back...........

and hopefully this time to stay. This post is long, sorry!

It has been a long couple of months since i last blogged, so much for my new years resolution. Never quite know why i start them in the first place as i always get to the second week of January and they always end up out the window.

So were have i been? the answer is actually no where.

Daily life seems to be very busy at the moment, we have been through the process of choosing GCSE options with our eldest Son, now we are waiting to see if he gets the subjects he chose, also choosing a Junior School for our Daughter, which we got our first choice and then just normal day to day activities with the kids. Time just seems to be flying past right now.

As for crafting, well that's been lurking somewhere..

For the last few weeks or months even, i have been contemplating giving up the scrapping hobby as i just lost all enthusiasm and love for it. I felt like i had a huge weight on my shoulders that i wanted to get so much done, and never seemed to get anywhere. I am never happy with what i achieve and that's always after at least a week on each LO. In the past i have lost my mojo but never to this extent, i never stepped foot in my craft room, my desk laid empty, embellishments gathering dust, it was BAD!

I had serious thoughts about selling my belongings and finding something new to do. This hung around with me for a few weeks but before i hit the bullet i attended my local crop to see if i could surface this long lost mojo.

Crop was a blast, great to catch up with friends, but as ever i never actually achieved much (nothing unusual there, lol). Friends were very supportive and told me how silly i would be to just walk away from it all, i listened well, thought about it, but things still never materialised.

I then came back even more confused about what to do. I packed away my things and left it at that.

Couple of weeks passed, still no crafting being done, lots of face book games being played though. It was Mother's Day weekend, the kids were excited to be going out with Daddy on the Saturday to buy me a card and little pressie (we don't really celebrate Mother's Day, just keep it very simple). I got up on the Saturday morning and just happened to flick over to Create and Craft TV channel, and they were advertising pro-markers. I sat watching the hour long programme, thinking about some of the cards i have seen made using these pens and being in ore.

DH suggested to me that i go buy some as my Mother's Day present at the local Hobby Craft, i took the opportunity and went, with DD in tow. We had a lovely girlie day out, she too is a craft fanatic and had some pocket money to spend, which she did.

I must admit, i really enjoyed it. I stood there looking at the Martha Stewart punches thinking "why have i been so silly", what would i achieve giving everything up, not only my belongings but some of the wonderful friends i have made along the way. I stopped being stubborn and bought the pens, and of course a punch fell into the basket too :0).

The rest of the weekend was spent colouring and the rest is history. My mojo is alive once more, yeah!!!

So here are my new pens, i absolutely LOVE them.

So what come with new pens, yep that's right, new stamps. After hours of trawling the Internet i finally decided i loved the C.C Designs, Sugar Plums stamps so ordered a few to keep me busy, some i even got in a sale, guess they are last years designs, but i am not fussed.

So my new lovely stamps, and yes a couple more pens and magnolia paper.

So my new passion at the moment is to make cards. Scrap booking i hope will return one day, but for now, it's time for grown up colouring.

This has given me the perfect opportunity to use up all my old scraps of card stock and paper, and i do have a fair amount as you can see

I sat and sorted it all outI was ready to make the first card.

A good friend Kate very kindly sent me some stamped images to get me started and also whilst i waited for my stamps to arrive. I had a lovely selection of Magnolia's, Sarah Kay and Anya's, i had such fun testing out my pens.

I took the big step and decided to make my first proper card. I choose this Magnolia stamp purely as i had some paper i wanted to use from Pink Paislee. So my first "proper" attempt at colouring....................

I've now decided i "need" some Magnolia stamps, i bet DH didn't realise how expensive a hobby is making cards, lol.

So finally my first ever finished card......................

I really enjoyed making this card, the colouring was very relaxing. I am still very much a beginner but am totally looking forward to learning new techniques and of course continuing the growth of my pen collection. Just a mere 148 to collect, that will take some time, but i am soo glad to be creating again.

I am in the process of making some Easter cards for my DD & DS2 teachers for when they finish school on Wednesday for Easter break and plus a very important wedding card for my DS2 teacher who gets married on Thursday, so i will have a couple of more cards to share with you very soon.

I will of course not leave it soooo long to update my blog again, hopefully now i am creating i can upload as i go.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving comments, i really appreciate them

Regards

Sarah

xoxo