Well here is my very late offering for this month's design team kit from Simply Create...sorry it took so long and all that....

I started with a blank canvasboard and added some dressmaking pattern using ModPodge(don't worry about the creases and crinkles too much, it just adds to the texture of the background) and then coloured it in green and blue paint....

I was going to cut the bunting flags(Glitz-Afternoon Muse Banner) from the 12x12 out individually until I realised that if I cut out just that bit of it fitted perfectly onto the canvas and I love the way the paper blends in with the painted background..I did cut round the bottom row and crumpled them a bit tho for a bit more of a layered look....

I used various stamps from the DT set of Lost and Found(Union Square 'Perfect') and a couple of Stampin Up rollers which I like as you don't get the whole image just bits of it to add interest to the background....I also splattered some Stampin Up All Purpose Ink in Frost White using a paintbrush...

I made various flowers which were duly crumpled and inked using cardstock and added buttons and ribbon and pearls for the centres and hand drew the stalks and leaves...I almost forgot I did the very bottom of the canvas with Ranger Distress Crackle Paint in Antique Linen and then added some more lovely shimmery ink from Stampin Up for some added shine..

I cut out the word SUMMER using Tim Holtz Vintage Market Die and added a few little drops of shimmer ink to that to...

Thanks for looking and have a great summer everyone...I have enjoyed my roll on the Design Team very much - it has definitely given me a little more confidence in myself....

Kirsti xxxx

PINTEREST....

Just a quickie to let you know about this site called Pinterest that Sonja pointed me in the direction of a couple of months ago but I couldn't quite get to grips with...well I have now and it's fab...great for storing all those things you see online and don't want to forget about!!! Go check it out...I am sure you will become as addicted as me, Sonja and quite possible even Julie...lol....


Kirsti xxx

TAKE THAT AND A SPOT OF GEOCACHING....

Hello again...well I just thot I would show you a 'few' photos of what I have been up to the last week or two...On Wednesday 8th June I went to see Take That in Manchester with my very good friend Liz and her mum Gill and her sister Jane...

We had a fabulous time despite the fact that it practically rained non-stop from when we got of the plane til we got up on the Thursday morning for our shopping day...

The boys and all the pitch fans must have been soaked to the skin cos I know we were by the time we walked back to our apartment...

Ooooh Howard....mmmmmh...

No this is Lizzie...hehee...that's Howard above!!!

We had a ball shopping the next day at the Arndale centre which was just a few minutes away from the City Warehouse Apartments where we were staying...lovely apartments and we even got upgraded to the penthouse...lol... I would definitely recommend them...very cheap too...

This is us being very silly trying on the headwear in Primark...not laughed so much like that for ages...there is something magical about laughing at silly things with friends...thank you girls for a lovely few days away from home...was fab...

GEOCACHING!!!

Today we decided we would try our first geocache...I have seen quite a few people I know talking about it on Facebook and had been thinking about giving it a go but to be honest the kids behaviour lately has meant that I haven't wanted to be around them very often but today since Ellie and Libby had 'finally' tidied their rooms we decided to give it a go....

We picked a Bennachie trail and got a wee bit lost and in the end we didn't find the cache but no worries the kids weren't too disappointed and they seemed to enjoy the lovely long walk around Bennachie with no-one grumbling that they were tired or had a stitch...lol...better luck next time...

Unfortunately we had a little mishap on the way home and ended up with a puncture and I would like to thank the two guys who were in front of us and obviously saw what happened and reversed back to help...took quite a while to get the spare tyre out of it's hiding place under the car and I don't think I could have managed that myself so THANK YOU VERY MUCH from all of us...

So that's another weekend over...judo done, tea scoffed and now away to get the kids in of the trampoline for bed...'just wait for the 'another 10 minutes pleeeeease'....

Oh I almost forgot the other good news this weekend is that Strathburn P7s won the Insch Football Tournament yesterday....well done boys!!!

WELL HELLO THERE....

Sorry I know I said I would be a better Blogger this month and I have failed miserably....the reason being is that I have been busy doing a few fairs and trying to keep up with all the kids activities....

Anyhoos...Allan and I managed to get a weekend away together and decided to go to Edinburgh...I love Edinburgh..it feels like my 'spiritual home' as Allan put it...must be something to do with being born there...it's my favourite city ever...

We stayed at Malmaison in Leith courtesy of Allan's work(20 year service award...I also got a gorgeous silver Links of London bracelet as he didn't want anything out of the corporate brochure!)

Enjoying dinner in the Brasserie...lovely it was too....


Being silly with the camera...Allan's atmospheric shot of the crane....



I like like this one a little better...heehee...

The castle....

The Walter Scott Monument...It's a long time since I have been to the top...I think the last time would have been with my good friend Mandy when she came to visit...eeek...THAT was a LONG time ago....I think that's the last time I was at the top of Bennachie as well...ooops...going to remedy that this summer!!!

SPORTS DAY TODAY....

My proud little Niamh with her 1st - 2nd and 3rd badges....you should have seen her do the monkey crawl...won by a mile...lol...no photos of the bigger kids yet but should have some next week once Pete emails them to me(he has a MUCH better camera than me)....

Well that's the news for now...if you want to see any crafty photos you can look here on my Facebook page...I think this is why I haven't been doing blogging lately as I seem to just be uploading to there....

Will catch up next week...am of to Manchester tomorrow to see Take That...excited.com....will be back sometime on Friday and then of to Glasgow on Saturday to watch Morgan play Celtic...so next week I should be a little quieter and will be catching up with my Father's Day orders, etc...

Have a great week everyone....xx