Ally Pally and Friends

  I've just had a really enjoyable weekend away.  It started early on Saturday morning when I got on the train at 8.10am heading down to London, it was a chilly morning with frost on the car as we set off to the station, but fortunately the train was nice and warm.  I arrived at Euston station and found the train to Watford Junction, heading back the way I had just come!  However, it was quicker to go to London first than try to stop off on the way down.  

I was met at the station by my crafting friend TraceyR and her husband and we headed to their home.

Tracey at her front door.

The welcome message on the fridge door.

 After lunch Tracey took me a short walk to the school where she works, I've blurred out the details just in case you thought your eyes were going funny!

We also took a trip to the local shopping centre where Tracey's daughter works and had a little retail therapy.  Then it was time to get ready to go out for dinner at a local pub.


When I walked in the door, I was gobsmacked to see another of my crafting friends, Karen and her husband Jeremy!  I knew they were meeting us at the craft show the next day, but had no idea that between them they had cooked up this surprise for me.  It was so nice to get to spend a bit more time together.  We had a really nice meal and all went back to Tracey and Sunjeev's house and chatted till late.


Next morning we met Karen and Jeremy at the station and set off for Alexandra Palace, let's just say that we didn't get there by the most direct route but we did get there lol!  It is a really impressive building, if a little sad and crumbling round the edges, although inside it looks quite grand.  

Jeremy, Karen and Tracey outside Ally Pally

Inside Alexandra Palace

 

 

 

 

 

On the phone

Tracey phoned Di who had already been at the show for some time.

Here is Di, looking for me and Tracey

Once Di found us, we all went for something to eat then started looking round the stalls.

We had a good look round and then we started to shop :)

Here is my haul of stash, I was hugely impressed by Dyan Reaveley's art journal demo and bought some of her translucent Acrylic paint and ink sprays.  A few stamps that caught my eye, some ink pads and some Cut & Dry foam.


Tracey kindly travelled back to Euston station with me where I caught the 4.25 train and I was home by about 8.45pm.  Having a day off work today to recover and catch up with the chores.  


Huge thanks to Tracey and her family for their generous hospitality, particularly to Kat who gave up her bed for me, and to Karen and Jeremy for the lovely surprise.  It was great to finally meet Di and thanks to Tony (and Sanya) for keeping her company.


Despite the long train journey's I feel refreshed by my weekend away and I may just have found my paper crafting mojo again!

Patchwork quilt and a cat!

Over at Inspiration Lane there was a challenge to choose something from the 'Pottery Barn' and base a layout on the item.  I chose this beautiful heritage log-cabin quilt and below is my layout, which includes a photo of us with our friends from California when they visited us in Scotland.

I've used this photo of Jenny the cat before, but no apologies for that, taken a few months before she died, it was the last time she really looked well enough for photographs.  The kit is Alter Me by Joyful Heart Designs, the stitching I've also used before and comes from 'Neutrality' from DSD by Athena.  This layout is for a numbers challenge at Inspiration Lane, where a certain number of papers, elements, photos etc are specified.

At last a blog post!

You may have noticed that something strange has happened to my blog...I've had to revert back to the Classic  MinimaTemplate because all the new Blogger Templates are picking up on a photobucket background that has been withdrawn, leaving me with photobucket tiles all over my blog!  I've removed the background from my 'gadget' list but it presists in the new templates.  Anyone who has any ideas as to how I can 'clean up'?

I have not been completely idle since my last post on the 4th September, work is very busy just now and I am still without my paper crafting supplies as we await our very good, but very busy joiner/carpenter who will make the storage and work area for me.  So it's all digital creations again.

These two layouts are made using the You & Me (will always be) Kit which is on sale at Inspiration Lane Boutique for only $0.48!

Crafty Birthday Cards

I thought I'd show you all my lovely crafty birthday cards from my friends at the Bubbly Funk Birthday Club and a crafty card each from my sister and my SIL.

I'd also like to thank Net (Caique Mama) for these lovely gifts, which I won for guessing how many eggs she had used in her baking that week.