Ever wondered what to do with your leftover larger scraps of cardstock, well this is one simple way of making a fabulous mini scrapbook which will sit happily on your coffee table.

I had some leftover photos from last year which either weren't suitable for layouts or larger versions were used, I really didn't want to dispose of them though or just leave the photos in a plastic envelope, then I started looking at my leftover cardstock and I came up with this fabulous flap book, basically the pages are all 4 inches in diameter which means you can use up all those 6x4 photos and the scrapbook itself in this case is 9 pages in thickness, the bottom sheet is 12 inches in length and then with each page further up the pile the pages lose half an inch, it makes a lovely minibook and I feel a lot better knowing that I saved my photos from a life in the drawer. Just because I'm a scrapbooker doesn't mean that I'm Twee!!!!!!

Creating is good....

I seem to have been very creative this weekend and so I'm happy to share both this layout and also the minibook I made. Lets hope I can keep this up all half term and I might get through that pile of photos I have been amassing of late!

Getting in the way....

Yes life certainly is doingt its level best to come between me and a little computer/blogging time, I uploaded to my photoblog for the first time in a week today!

This photo of Abigail was from our Princess Portraits session and I've only just gotten round to editing it now. Mind you just in case any future clients are looking in, I'm still speeding through those ones, I did a turnaround of less than 24 hours last week for the school photographs, yes you know the ones, I would love to show you some of them but hey ho thats the way life goes when you're photographing other peoples children.

Paul is doing immensely well with the gardening and it looks like that 5 year plan to buy our first house may just come to fruition, how cool would that be, especially when you think we pay £65 in rent to the council every single week and see no return.

Anyway it's a bank holiday weekend and the children are off to stay with grandad Norman at around 2pm this afternoon, what will hubby and I do with ourselves, well we did try and book some cinema tickets but to be honest we couldn't agree on a movie at all so it looks like we'll have to revert to plan B, sadly plan B doesn't actually exist yet!!

Next week is crazy busy once again so if you don't hear from me for a while don't think the aliens have gotten me again (did I tell you about the time when they did???) I'm just crazily trying to co-ordinate the family, the businesses and occasional bouts of sleeping!

Mid week catch-up

Blimey, another week is flying over quicker than the speed of light and things really seem to be supersonic in the Charlton household.

Pauls gardening business is going really well and hopefully he'll be able to give up the hum-drum of Royal Mail before the end of the summer.

My business is still filling me with joy every day and I'm getting the chance to do things I have only dreamed of in the past.

Today I spent the afternoon in School photographing all the action in reception as they indulged in Creativity Fortnight, I then sprinted home, converted all the files and turned them into a 2 minute video cd which will be shown on a large white board at the closing exhibition.

I had to test the VCD and I have to say that it's the largest I've seen my photos, I've never tried it on the large TV but Abigail and Looby both wanted to see the slideshow and you know what I am in awe, I really felt proud of myself and the talent which I am lucky enough to possess.

It's just a shame I can't share it with you all because those children are all just super, I really had a ball and I can't wait for the week after half term to go into some of the older childrens classrooms and do the same kind of thing again.

Holy Maloley!

So yesterday we went off to Lightwater Valley Theme Park, it just so happened that they had a special discount weekend on so we all got in just about half price.

Anyway why am I telling you this? Well you see those little red arrows on that there photograph? Well those arrows are pointing at Mr Studley Rogers himself (thats my hubbys cybername for anyone who doesn't know!) and my darling little boy Iain, yes I know he's 10 already but Oi, Looby and Abigail were nearly crying and had to cover their eyes because they were so scared they were going to fall out, they were scared? I can't even imagine how Iain and Studley got through it all, especially Iain though, this is a child who has to have a lie down when he loses a tooth as it's so traumatic for him, this is a boy who cried for an entire evening because he forgot to save his pokemon game and had to go back to the beginning, up until now he has proudly worn his badge of Wuss along with the queen of the wusses, yes that would be me, well I'm still a Wuss but Iain has firmly had his club badge revoked.

I guess this means he'll be wanting to leave home next, Ho hum.....

Princess At Heart

Once I saw the results of the princess shoot yesterday I couldn't wait to get the photos scrapped and I had to start with this one, I've tried to maintain a whimsical feel to the whole layout and hopefully thats what I have managed to achieve!!

So Exciting

Oh My goodness I'm so excited, I recently came up with a new concept for my website and my photography, something which would make me stand out from the crowd, something I could offer which others weren't. Well today I am pleased to announce that Mandy Charlton Designs is now the proud home of the Princess portrait, click here to be transported to the site and veiw some of the gorgeous test shots I took with the girls.

Fancy a princess portrait for your little girl? Well you can contact me through the website and book yourself an occasion you and your little princess won't ever forget.