The Love Your Selfie Giveaway (Because It's Nearly Valentine's Day)

I've been tidying again. I had no other choice (and if you've seen my quick video on IG, you'll understand). I've covered two tables with stuff I haven't put away and I've moved onto the floor. I made an entire layout yesterday while sitting cross legged on the carpet. That would be the very same carpet I am just about to attack with some Vanish Stain remover: bits of it are blue which most definitely weren't before I started. But I'm getting too old for the cross legged thing; and if I cover the floor with paper, I have nowhere left to go. So - novel idea - I'm putting it all away. And I'm looking at what's left and realising that I have plenty to pass on to someone who could make good use of it

Scrapbooking mug from this post not included; but I'm told by The House of Little E that they can be bought from supermug.co.uk

So, I thought I'd do a Valentine's Giveaway. It's called the Love Your Selfie Giveaway because I'm not going to beat myself up over the mess I've made, and you're not going to beat yourself up if you leave me a comment even though you've got quite a collection of supplies already. A fresh injection of something new can be very inspiring! 

With that in mind, I'm putting together an envelope of mostly Life Pages cards and embellishments (the picture shows a little bit of what I've gathered up) and offering it to you. Leave me a comment telling me your favourite embellishment (so I can personalise your package) and I'll draw a name. I'm happy to post internationally and I'll be keeping the giveaway open for the next week. Oh, and if you are more of a scrapbooker than a pocket pager - don't hold back. I use these cards

- as a layered stack to go behind photos on a page. Gather a few in your hand and staple them through the middle. Don't try to glue them together: it's the staple that leaves the edges loose and gives the dimensional effect.

- as a base for the front of a card

- as a pocket for memorabilia on a layout. Stitch round three sides and leave the top open

- as pre prepared journaling. Take a big card and write the story while it's in your head and then set it aside until you feel inspired to make the page

- as gift tags, with a hole punched in the top and a length of lovely ribbon

Love Your Selfie! Giveaway open for a week. Everyone welcome.

The World Needs More Letters !

Today I'm thinking back (or thinking again, no: actually thinking still) about that Pile Of Postcards Exchange. I know I said I was going to put the cards I received in an album, or a scrapbook, or file them away somewhere pretty: I just can't bear to do it yet! They're all out on display where I see them every day in our kitchen.

I have a couple of the cards I sent out too; and I look at those and imagine them arriving across the world. I had thought long and hard about what I wanted to send

Prize Pack from Arbee cards

It had to be local, so that meant something with a hint of the "Norn Irn" (as we tend to say round here when we mean our very own Northern Ireland), mixed with something High In The Sky-ish. Arbee Cards definitely fitted! 

"We love all things vintage, retro and quirky"

Rachel says on her website. So I bought a stack. And then Rachel and I got talking and I went back and pored over some of the other lovely cards and bits and pieces she makes; and she told me that she was a big fan of snail mail, and I told her about the Postcard Exchange and how I was hoping to do another one, and we decided to do a giveaway. 

Everything here is in the Prize Pack

The pictures you can see here are all part of the very generous prize pack Arbee Cards are offering today.

I enjoyed sending a little bit of my "Norn Irn" out into the world with the swap. For years, you know, honestly, most of us kept our heads down here when the world came calling. But times have changed, changed a great deal, and we're proud, now, to say - here we are! Come and visit us! We have lots for you to see, lots of interesting characters for you to find out about. And Rachel loves to shout about them on her cards too

She makes the most of wise words from our local heroes - from Van Morrison to the engineer Lord Kelvin to CS Lewis.

Did you know CS Lewis was born here? There's a little blue plaque I pass sometimes: it marks the spot, on a block of flats which stands where he arrived in the world. Come to tea and I could show you the door knocker everyone says was the inspiration for Aslan!

Over the past few years, as I've had the pleasure of meeting up with blogging friends personally, I've been able to show them little bits of my Northern Ireland. Next visitor, we're going to the Market to say hello to Rachel from Arbee and talk to her about the pleasures of proper post.

But first I'd like to thank her for her generosity today and invite everyone to join the draw for a big pack of her gorgeous stationery. I'd love everyone who took part in the swap to say hi today, and everyone who'd be interested in swapping again, and everyone who simply loves the sound of proper post dropping through the letter box. All you have to do is leave your name - like this: "I'm -  and I love snail mail"

The draw will be open for a week and I'll post the prize pack anywhere in the world. Good luck!

Arbee Cards can be found on their website here, Etsy Shop and Facebook and they have a stall at St. George's Market Belfast every Saturday morning.

Disclosure: Everything I received from Arbee is in the Prize Pack. I paid for all of my cards myself and I'm linking up with Rachel simply because I love her local products and her enthusiasm for proper post.

Keep Calm

We're taking a deep breath here today; and trying to stay calm ahead of a week of birthdays. We are celebrating a 40th and an 80th in the family, within days of each other. That's pretty special. There is a lot of cake baking, present shaking and photo taking planned..

With grateful thanks to Carmen wh sent me this poster many months ago, but hasn't yet seen it framed

..but of course that means little time for layout making. I pass this poster every time I make my way upstairs to create. It's on our third floor landing, and even though the slogan isn't so new anymore, I'll never tire of its urging me up the final flight of stairs to my desk.

But I've been thinking...that slogan. Fancy thinking of a new one? There are lots of examples floating round Pinterest - do you have a favourite? It can be silly or sensible, as daft as you like (Keep Calm and Cut Cabbages, for example. Now that's daft, but I like it). I'll offer a suitably patriotic prize for the one I like the most..

Have a wonderful Sunday. We are off to party..

House Party Blog Hop

Welcome! Welcome! And, as we like to say round here, Come on, on, on in. We've been waiting for you to get here. I'm guessing that tearing yourself away from some of the other houses has been hard! Did you have a good time at Lizzie's? Yes? I'm not surprised! Or maybe you're starting here with me? I thought you looked in need of refreshment! Grab a drink and let me explain.

Our Party Queen Rinda certainly knows how to have a good time. And the thing about Rinda is that she always gives me the feeling that she knew me before she knew me, if you see what I mean. When she suggested the House Party and volunteered to send us all supplies to make a little altered house, she said she had the perfect collection of bits for me. And she was right. She generously sent red card, grey card, bits about books, bits that I loved and so I was able to make this:

How did she know that when I lived in a little house just like it, I was working in the library? We loved that house, hole in the roof, no central heating and all. Look, here it is:

Red brick and reading: two of my favourite things. Thank you Rinda! It's nearly time for you to leave High In The Sky now, I know,  but before you go, I've got a giveaway. After all, all the best parties need gifts. Leave a comment, simply say hello, or really get your feet under the table and start following me and I'll draw a name from a hat to receive a package of book related scrap goodies (oh,and a few house-y bits too). International entries welcome. The more, the merrier! And then I'll have to wave you off and send you on your way to Mel's. Have a good time..and if you get lost on the way, or if you would like to stop by and thank the hostess with the most-est do call on Rinda now, won't you?

A Little Housekeeping And a Giveaway

I can hardly believe it: I've been blogging for very nearly 4 months; and I'm coming up to my 60th post. So, I thought it might be time for a little housekeeping. I've freshened up the colours for spring; and I've been working to fill my sidebar with good places to go. I thought I would add some tags, too. Are they a good thing, do you think? Do you ever use them to find out what has been happening on a blog in the past?

Actually, I'm full of questions today. Tagging has made me think about the different kinds of posts I've been doing- ones with layouts, ones with silly stories, nostalgic ones, funny ones- and I would really, really like to know which you enjoy. So, I've come up with a Spring Cleaning Giveaway. If you leave me a comment telling me what you would like to see less of, more of, or none of, I'll put your name in a hat (yes, you've guessed whose hat, if I can prise it off his furry little head ) and draw a winner to receive a copy of:

Blogging For Bliss. International entries are welcome- and, please, if you read but you think commenting isn't really your thing: Blow your cover. Just this once! Say hello. Tell me what you think. You've got until midnight on Saturday.