Friday, 30 October 2009
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
A layout and some news!
This layout I created for the October old/new challenge at Scrapbook Express.
The old items I used are the old French postcard dated 1904, the lace and the card with the dwarf and the boots. The new items are the Graphic 45 papers, the Prima flower, the MM journaling card & bird and the buttons. (And in case you're wondering who's the girl in the photo....that's me in 1967!)
Also at Scrapbook Express I won the World Card Making Day-contest with the best card and won $ 20,- to spend in their online shop!
In September I created a layout for a challenge at Twisted Sketches and won!! I'll be their Guest Designer in December!!
And then some non-scrapbook related news: as of the beginning of October I'm a working mum again!! I found a job, very near by, where I can work during schoolhours and be at home as soon as the kids come home!!! And I love it!!! So, if I'm not behind my laptop as often as before that's the reason why!
Thanks for leaving a comment! Have a great evening and talk soon! xx Monique
The old items I used are the old French postcard dated 1904, the lace and the card with the dwarf and the boots. The new items are the Graphic 45 papers, the Prima flower, the MM journaling card & bird and the buttons. (And in case you're wondering who's the girl in the photo....that's me in 1967!)Also at Scrapbook Express I won the World Card Making Day-contest with the best card and won $ 20,- to spend in their online shop!
In September I created a layout for a challenge at Twisted Sketches and won!! I'll be their Guest Designer in December!!
And then some non-scrapbook related news: as of the beginning of October I'm a working mum again!! I found a job, very near by, where I can work during schoolhours and be at home as soon as the kids come home!!! And I love it!!! So, if I'm not behind my laptop as often as before that's the reason why!
Thanks for leaving a comment! Have a great evening and talk soon! xx Monique
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
England, last part
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Another day where we can shop till we drop! I love it. Today we're going to buy presents for my sis and her family because they are taking care of Jippie for us. The kids don't have to think too hard, they want to buy all the presents at the Disney store! So that's were we go, and to some other stores of course.... The rest of the day is about the same as the others; not much to tell there (swimming pool, MacDonalds, Borders, Starbucks, eating in this time).
I already showed you the Xmas decorations, but have you ever seen owls used as Christmas decoration? I hadn't!
Don't you just love English pubs? I do!!
Friday, 23 October 2009
Today is the last day of our vacation, tonight we will be on the ferry home again...
Patrick has the day off and after our breakfast we check out and leave for a drive through the country. This is the country where the Brönte sisters wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights... did you enjoy those books as much as I did?? When you're here you can almost see Heathcliff wandering over the moors.... Of course I want to visit Haworth where you can find their little house, but sadly there isn't enough time. Instead we visit Otley and that's very quaint and English too. See for yourself:
Around 2 p.m. we head for Hull where we arrive right on time. We even have a little time to spare and visit the town centre (not very long though). But then..... then came the check-in, that's what!! Patrick checked-in separately (for work related reasons) after dropping us (kids and me) off at the foot passenger check-in. Unfortunately it appears to be the check-in for the ferry to Rotterdam and we have to be on the ferry to Zeebrugge! And Patrick's gone and can't come back to bring us to the right place. So what do we do now?? It's too far to walk and there are no taxi's or anything. The lady at the check-in tells us she'll find someone to bring us to the other ferry and that we'll have to wait 5 minutes....after half an hour we're still waiting... this is not going to work! Then, bless me, a taxi arrives to unload passengers for this ferry and the driver is willing to take us to the right place for only 3 pounds! (I didn't have much more on me because I spent it all...couldn't use it here anyway). With only a few minutes to spare we arrive on time for our ferry.
The only excuse for this stupidity is that we haven't seen ONE sign telling us the destination of the ferries. And we weren't the only ones who were at the wrong place (at the right time), because after arriving at the right place lots of others did too.....
And that's that, the end of a wonderful week in the UK.....
The next post will be about scrapbooking again, because that's what this blog was supposed to be about...
Good night and talk soon! Monique xx
Another day where we can shop till we drop! I love it. Today we're going to buy presents for my sis and her family because they are taking care of Jippie for us. The kids don't have to think too hard, they want to buy all the presents at the Disney store! So that's were we go, and to some other stores of course.... The rest of the day is about the same as the others; not much to tell there (swimming pool, MacDonalds, Borders, Starbucks, eating in this time).
I already showed you the Xmas decorations, but have you ever seen owls used as Christmas decoration? I hadn't! Don't you just love English pubs? I do!!Friday, 23 October 2009
Today is the last day of our vacation, tonight we will be on the ferry home again...
Patrick has the day off and after our breakfast we check out and leave for a drive through the country. This is the country where the Brönte sisters wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights... did you enjoy those books as much as I did?? When you're here you can almost see Heathcliff wandering over the moors.... Of course I want to visit Haworth where you can find their little house, but sadly there isn't enough time. Instead we visit Otley and that's very quaint and English too. See for yourself:
Around 2 p.m. we head for Hull where we arrive right on time. We even have a little time to spare and visit the town centre (not very long though). But then..... then came the check-in, that's what!! Patrick checked-in separately (for work related reasons) after dropping us (kids and me) off at the foot passenger check-in. Unfortunately it appears to be the check-in for the ferry to Rotterdam and we have to be on the ferry to Zeebrugge! And Patrick's gone and can't come back to bring us to the right place. So what do we do now?? It's too far to walk and there are no taxi's or anything. The lady at the check-in tells us she'll find someone to bring us to the other ferry and that we'll have to wait 5 minutes....after half an hour we're still waiting... this is not going to work! Then, bless me, a taxi arrives to unload passengers for this ferry and the driver is willing to take us to the right place for only 3 pounds! (I didn't have much more on me because I spent it all...couldn't use it here anyway). With only a few minutes to spare we arrive on time for our ferry. The only excuse for this stupidity is that we haven't seen ONE sign telling us the destination of the ferries. And we weren't the only ones who were at the wrong place (at the right time), because after arriving at the right place lots of others did too.....And that's that, the end of a wonderful week in the UK.....
The next post will be about scrapbooking again, because that's what this blog was supposed to be about...
Good night and talk soon! Monique xx
Thursday, 22 October 2009
England, part 3
The morning is very much the same as the other ones....Patrick leaves around 8, we have a full English breakfast and afterwards walk around the centre, take a few pictures, visit the bookstore and have coffee (not in Starbucks but in Marks & Spencers this time). But today the afternoon is different, because Patrick has taken a few hours off!! We decide to go to York, a wonderful city....when the weather is fine! and of course that wasn't the case today!! It was raining cats and dogs!! But we went anyway.
After 1 hour strolling around and becomming soaking wet we had had enough and drove back to Leeds through the countryside.
This evening we had our dinner in a Turkish restaurant. I was the only one who didn't want to go, but afterwards I had to admit, it was a long time ago we had such a great meal!! It was the first evening even the kids ate the lot!
So much for now, have a wonderful evening and see you soon! xx Monique Wednesday, 21 October 2009
England, part 2
Monday, 19 October 2009
Although the kids and I have the whole week off, Patrick has to leave for work early, around 8 am. After a very English breakfast the kids and I stroll around Leeds city centre and find lots of wonderful shops!! Manon is delighted to find "Claire's" her favorite accessories shop where she buys some Halloween earrings (skeletons) and hair clips (red devil's horns). The next stop is the Disney Store!!! Yeah!! Even I love that store! Mats buys a "Woody" doll (from Toy Story), Timothy buys the whole "Mr Potato Head" family and Manon buys a pinguin from "Club Pinguin". Around the corner I find W.H.Smith where they sell scrapbook magazines and a little bit further down the road we find Starbucks, where I buy a white chocolate mocca coffee.
We return to the hotel for a much needed break (sore feet): swimming! I actually hate swimming, but what I think doesn't count so we swim for about an hour (and because the water is fairly warm it's not too bad....).
Because the kids get hungry we retreat to the room where we collect our coats and leave within 5 minutes for MacDonald! After some chips (or is it fries?) and a milkshake I get the kids to accompany me to Borders, the bookstore!! Here I buy some books (buy 1 get one half price) and leave quickly before I spend all my money....
As Patrick returns around 5.30 pm we make sure we're back at the hotel by then and as soon as he arrives we leave for a stroll around the centre again. We have dinner in a Spanish restaurant and watch the salsa dance lessons which are being tought downstairs (from where we sit we have a relatively good view of the dancers and it actually looks quite nice). We return to the hotel soon afterwards because the kids are very tired by now. As soon as we're back in the hotel the kids go to bed and I follow soon.
Around midnight we're given quite a fright!!! The fire alarm goes off!!! Manon and I jump out of bed and wake up the boys (not very easy). Patrick is nowhere to be seen and it turns out he's still working in the lounge with his colleagues. I get dressed (jeans and sweater) and we rush down the stairs (from the 8th floor). Timothy is dressed in his pyjamas and walks on one shoe, Manon is dressed half in pyjamas and half in jeans, no shoes but with her and Mats' cuddly animals and Mats is dressed in his pyjamas and I carry his shoes but as I have no coats at all we're freezing!!!! Luckily as soon as we're outside we find Patrick and his colleagues soon and they share their coats with us!! The fire brigade arrives within 3 minutes and Mats starts to like this adventure... LOL! Of course there appears to be nothing wrong and soon we can go back into the hotel.....where it takes ages before we fall asleep again.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Today is much the same as yesterday. During breakfast I propose to take the train to York but the kids don't want to, they'd rather stay in Leeds and do the same as yesterday. As that's fine with me we go shopping (see the Xmas decorations???) and swimming once more.
In the evening we have dinner in an Indian restaurant where Manon and I receive a flower "for the lovely ladies".... upon which Mats asks us totally astonished " why does that man call you "lelijke" (= ugly) ladies??? Don't you just love kids???? LOL!!
Although the kids and I have the whole week off, Patrick has to leave for work early, around 8 am. After a very English breakfast the kids and I stroll around Leeds city centre and find lots of wonderful shops!! Manon is delighted to find "Claire's" her favorite accessories shop where she buys some Halloween earrings (skeletons) and hair clips (red devil's horns). The next stop is the Disney Store!!! Yeah!! Even I love that store! Mats buys a "Woody" doll (from Toy Story), Timothy buys the whole "Mr Potato Head" family and Manon buys a pinguin from "Club Pinguin". Around the corner I find W.H.Smith where they sell scrapbook magazines and a little bit further down the road we find Starbucks, where I buy a white chocolate mocca coffee.
We return to the hotel for a much needed break (sore feet): swimming! I actually hate swimming, but what I think doesn't count so we swim for about an hour (and because the water is fairly warm it's not too bad....).
Because the kids get hungry we retreat to the room where we collect our coats and leave within 5 minutes for MacDonald! After some chips (or is it fries?) and a milkshake I get the kids to accompany me to Borders, the bookstore!! Here I buy some books (buy 1 get one half price) and leave quickly before I spend all my money....As Patrick returns around 5.30 pm we make sure we're back at the hotel by then and as soon as he arrives we leave for a stroll around the centre again. We have dinner in a Spanish restaurant and watch the salsa dance lessons which are being tought downstairs (from where we sit we have a relatively good view of the dancers and it actually looks quite nice). We return to the hotel soon afterwards because the kids are very tired by now. As soon as we're back in the hotel the kids go to bed and I follow soon.
Around midnight we're given quite a fright!!! The fire alarm goes off!!! Manon and I jump out of bed and wake up the boys (not very easy). Patrick is nowhere to be seen and it turns out he's still working in the lounge with his colleagues. I get dressed (jeans and sweater) and we rush down the stairs (from the 8th floor). Timothy is dressed in his pyjamas and walks on one shoe, Manon is dressed half in pyjamas and half in jeans, no shoes but with her and Mats' cuddly animals and Mats is dressed in his pyjamas and I carry his shoes but as I have no coats at all we're freezing!!!! Luckily as soon as we're outside we find Patrick and his colleagues soon and they share their coats with us!! The fire brigade arrives within 3 minutes and Mats starts to like this adventure... LOL! Of course there appears to be nothing wrong and soon we can go back into the hotel.....where it takes ages before we fall asleep again.Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Today is much the same as yesterday. During breakfast I propose to take the train to York but the kids don't want to, they'd rather stay in Leeds and do the same as yesterday. As that's fine with me we go shopping (see the Xmas decorations???) and swimming once more.
In the evening we have dinner in an Indian restaurant where Manon and I receive a flower "for the lovely ladies".... upon which Mats asks us totally astonished " why does that man call you "lelijke" (= ugly) ladies??? Don't you just love kids???? LOL!!
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Guess where we are??!!!
It all went so quickly I didn't even have the time to tell you!! You know Patrick works in England all the time, don't you? Well, as the fall holidays have started, that's where we (the kids & I) are too!!! It was a kind of surprise vacation and all decided rather quickly, but as of Sunday we're staying in Patrick's room (the suite!) in a Hilton Hotel in Leeds, swimming pool included (kids are happy!) and situated in the middle of the centre with all the shops (mummy happy!!).
Last Saturday we took the evening ferry from Rotterdam to Hull where we arrived around 8 a.m. a bit shaken because our cabin (Manon, Mats and mine) was at the very front of the ship where we went up & down a LOT!!!! Patrick and Timothy didn't have that problem though, their cabin being on a totally different part of the ship.....
When we arrived in Hull, we decided to drive to Bridlington where we walked around for an hour or so,
then on to Scarborough (where we just drove around) and took some pics
and then on to Whitby, where we stayed for several hours, walked all the way to the abbey and had our lunch:
Isn't Whitby beautiful? And do you see the old abbey there on the hill on the other side of the water??
That's where we went.... up, up, up the stairs and then we came to this:
Yorkshire is sooo very beautiful!!! The weather was perfect, sunshine all day long and because I just love England (the houses, the people, everything) I couldn't have been happier!
Around 5 pm we decided to go to the hotel where we arrived late due to traffic problems near York. As the kids were very tired (especially Manon because she just had a week away with her new school) we went straight to bed and that was the end of days 1 & 2....
Last Saturday we took the evening ferry from Rotterdam to Hull where we arrived around 8 a.m. a bit shaken because our cabin (Manon, Mats and mine) was at the very front of the ship where we went up & down a LOT!!!! Patrick and Timothy didn't have that problem though, their cabin being on a totally different part of the ship.....
When we arrived in Hull, we decided to drive to Bridlington where we walked around for an hour or so,
then on to Scarborough (where we just drove around) and took some pics and then on to Whitby, where we stayed for several hours, walked all the way to the abbey and had our lunch: Isn't Whitby beautiful? And do you see the old abbey there on the hill on the other side of the water?? That's where we went.... up, up, up the stairs and then we came to this: Yorkshire is sooo very beautiful!!! The weather was perfect, sunshine all day long and because I just love England (the houses, the people, everything) I couldn't have been happier!Around 5 pm we decided to go to the hotel where we arrived late due to traffic problems near York. As the kids were very tired (especially Manon because she just had a week away with her new school) we went straight to bed and that was the end of days 1 & 2....
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Just a quick post,
showing you my layout I created for sketch #51 from Little Shop of Sketches!
Used MME papers and created the background with a Heidi Swapp mask and an inking pad and then machine stitched the lot! Flowers from Prima, grungeboard swirl from Tim Holtz, "red with white dots flag" from the local supermarket, alfa stickers from Jenni Bowlin and red letters from Scrapworks, furthermore a button and bling.
And this is Tanya's sketch it's based upon:
TFL and see you soon! Monique
Used MME papers and created the background with a Heidi Swapp mask and an inking pad and then machine stitched the lot! Flowers from Prima, grungeboard swirl from Tim Holtz, "red with white dots flag" from the local supermarket, alfa stickers from Jenni Bowlin and red letters from Scrapworks, furthermore a button and bling.
And this is Tanya's sketch it's based upon:
TFL and see you soon! Monique
Sunday, 4 October 2009
New cards and blog candy at Susy's!
These are some cards I made this morning, again for SE:
While blog hopping I found this wonderful blog "scrap with Suzy" and she's giving away some Cosmo Cricket goodies!! and who wouldn't want that?!!
And here's an award I got from Romy, the most talented 16 year old scrapbooker I've ever seen!!! Thanks Romy, this means a lot!!
And now I'm supposed to give it to another scrapbooker, but I never know who to give it to... you're all so talented and I wouldn't want to offend anyone by not giving it. So I'm giving this to ALL of you!! (I know, it's the easy way out... next time I'll think of something else!)
TFL and see you soon! Monique
Saturday, 3 October 2009
and another card!
And this is another card I made for one of the WCMD's challenges over at Scrapbook Express. Used a stamped image (Whiff of Joy) I got from Stefanie, colored it in with my Copic Markers and used Fancy Pants pp, a 7Gypsies stamp, Prima flowers, some bling and a border sticker.
TFL!!
TFL!!
Friday, 2 October 2009
World Card Making Day!!
Did you receive Scrapbook Express' newsletter today??? Then you know they are celebrating World Card Making Day (WCMD) all weekend long!!! The fun starts today, Friday, October 2nd and ends Monday, October 5th. There will be lots of challenges and best of all ....PRIZES! Details about this holiday weekend can be found on the Scrapbook Express message board.
One of the rules is that members of the message board will post the challenges and because I am one of the members I will post one (or more) too! (if you sign up quickly you'll be a member too and will be able to post your own challenges....!)
Here's my first challenge!
Create a card using:
Here's my example:
I used both sides of 2 pieces of Imaginisce, Twitterpated, paper, stamped one of their images and colored it in and used my water threading punch. Furthermore I used a piece of twine, a button and some sticles.
Hope you'll like it!!! And now.... go visit the SE message board to find many more challenges and start creating!!
One of the rules is that members of the message board will post the challenges and because I am one of the members I will post one (or more) too! (if you sign up quickly you'll be a member too and will be able to post your own challenges....!)
Here's my first challenge!
Create a card using:
- both sides of 2 pieces of double sided paper;
- a borderpunch;
- a colored in stamped image.
Here's my example:
I used both sides of 2 pieces of Imaginisce, Twitterpated, paper, stamped one of their images and colored it in and used my water threading punch. Furthermore I used a piece of twine, a button and some sticles.
Hope you'll like it!!! And now.... go visit the SE message board to find many more challenges and start creating!!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Scrapbook Express and RAK
Scrapbook Express had a DT call and to apply you had to create a layout and card based on their sketch, an additional layout and card and an altered item and everything newly created!
This is what I made: the first layout and sketch are made with the provided sketch. Used Pink Paislee again.... (and still I have stuff left from the kit!).
And here the additional layout and card, using Jillibean Soup and BG Lemonade:
And then my altered item; I made a mini album from some coasters. Used products from Teresa Collins.
And then....... the drawing of the winner of my 10.000 th visitor RAK!!!!
Manon did the drawing and you won't believe who she draw (can you read the name??):
Yeah!!! Mieke congrats girl, the French vintage RAK is coming your way!!!!
And because this afternoon I was in a very good mood, I decided to draw a second winner for whom I have a little something too:
And the winner is: Eyeore/Stefanie Semple!!!! Congrats!!! Please email me your address and I'll send it asap!!
And for now thanks everyone for your support, hope to hear from you soon and GOOD NIGHT!!
This is what I made: the first layout and sketch are made with the provided sketch. Used Pink Paislee again.... (and still I have stuff left from the kit!).
And here the additional layout and card, using Jillibean Soup and BG Lemonade:And then my altered item; I made a mini album from some coasters. Used products from Teresa Collins.
And then....... the drawing of the winner of my 10.000 th visitor RAK!!!!Manon did the drawing and you won't believe who she draw (can you read the name??):
Yeah!!! Mieke congrats girl, the French vintage RAK is coming your way!!!!And because this afternoon I was in a very good mood, I decided to draw a second winner for whom I have a little something too:
And the winner is: Eyeore/Stefanie Semple!!!! Congrats!!! Please email me your address and I'll send it asap!!And for now thanks everyone for your support, hope to hear from you soon and GOOD NIGHT!!