Number 4 Privet Drive

Well hello there, how are you today?

I've been off work this week for half term and my goodness has it been a busy one, I've cleaned the house from top to bottom, sorted through my wardrobe (and H's) 8 bags of clothes later... we've crafted, baked, carved pumpkins. Then I launched the new Crafty Alchemy website and some new felt packs (you can check them out here), on top of that I'm preparing for The Best Little Network Christmas Market in a couple of weeks.... I think I need another week off to recover :)

I've been slightly hampered by a rather fetching pair of wrist splints which I now have to wear as I've been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - oh what fun! 

I've got another layout from our Summer break to St Albans today, as I'm sure you know, we went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, and the picture on this layout was kind of a "must take" photo, the very famous Number 4 Privet Drive....

The Dursley's weren't home, just in case you were wondering :) We realised after we'd left that we hadn't had our photo taken next to the Privet Drive road sign - Fail! 

I bet Petunia Dursley wouldn't be too happy about the the shabby chic wallpaper patterned paper that I used for the background.

I also added a random scattering of sequins (anyone who has ever added a random scattering of sequins will know that I really sat there positioning every sequin then gluing them down one by one).

Well that's all from me for today, H and I have decided to watch a Harry Potter film this afternoon (no surprise there then) then I'll probably be working on Crafty Alchemy things until the wee small hours, I just don't seem to be able to stop, I'm absolutely loving it, I've got so many things planned for next year that I don't know if I can fit it all in yet, but no worries, there's always 2016 :D

Have a lovely afternoon.

Claire xx

An Amazing Adventure

Well hello there, how are you today? The sun has disappeared here today and it's raining so H and I have an afternoon of crafting and DVD watching planned, good times!

It's all been about family this week, it's the one week of the year we're all off together no work for me and Hubs and no school for H, it was lovely to spend some time together. We also went away for a couple of days, it's been 5 years since we last had a holiday, how it's been that long I really don't know.

So Monday we set off on a 4 and a half hour drive to St Albans in Hertfordshire where we were staying in a 600 year old haunted hotel that used to be a coach house. 

But it was the next day that totally rocked, DD had been so excited about this from the moment I told her and I have to admit I was pretty darn excited myself. We spent the Tuesday here...

Yep, the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, Oh my goodness it was so amazing, there aren't really words to describe it, it's definitely a must for every Harry Potter fan.

We took so many photos (335 to be exact, not including photos on our phones).  I can guarantee you'll be seeing a fair few Harry Potter scrapbook pages from H and I, I may even do a whole album, there's certainly enough photos. So grab a cup of tea and a slice of cake and sit back and enjoy all 335 of my photos....Just kidding, There's only 11 in this post.

Here's H stood at the gates into Hogwarts...

The props from the films were fantastic...

This is Slughorn's Potions classroom... look at all the bottles, there's hundreds!

H and I at the Ministry of Magic...

The Hogwarts Bridge...

Me outside Ollivander's in Diagon Alley (getting photo bombed by H)

Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes, we loved the huge Fred/George Weasley in the window

Now I actually cried a little when we went into this room, there really were no words at all for this....

And this next photo just sums it up for me...

H grinning from ear to ear. 

It was a truly fantastic day, H loved it, I loved it and even Hubs secretly enjoyed it, I heard him on the phone to a friend saying it was brilliant, until I looked over and he added "if you like Harry Potter that is, the girls loved it" Although I think his highlight was bumping in to Peter Crouch in the petrol station at the services on the way home, he even had a chat and got a photo, which is on his phone.

We came home on Wednesday and I spent most of the afternoon unpacking and trying to figure out how it's possible that 3 people go away for 2 days and nights and manage to generate 5 piles of washing, I guess it's one of life's unsolved mysteries.

Well I suppose I should go and empty the washing machine again, and if I don't order the photos of our trip today I think H may fall out with me as she's desperate to start scrapping them. 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a lovely day.

Claire xx