It's been a while...

but I was lured by the Merly challenge, the theme of which, this month, is blue. so here is my offering and I so enjoyed doing this. I have taken inspiration from Emilie-again and thrown in some fabric to echo Mary's  dress. Frantage and dew drops added to  the look I wanted. It was a pleasure to finally use some Technique Tuesday stamps that I have had for many years and never had out of the packet before. A gold embossed frame around the page with the addition of some blue sparkle embossing powder and some very carefully placed splashes of pink, blue and gold inks completed the page.

The photographs were taken of paintings in Dublin. there were 3 of the them placed next to each other and although they were not named it was obvious they were representative of Jesus, Mary and Judas. It turned out that we were right. A fabulously modern interpretation of the 3 biblical characters.

Challenges

The first layout is for My Creative Sketches October sketch challenge  and the photo is of a a structure outside Berkeley library at Trinity University in Dublin. I love anything that is an unusual shape. this looks from afar like a bit metal ball but close up you can see that it is actually cut into and is a mix of metal and wooden structures

The second layout is for week 20 of Niki's 52 week sketches. Not sure it looks anything like hers but it was inspired by it. Another thing we love to photograph is a view through a window or arch as we have here in one of Oxford's colleges.
Aren't we lucky to have so much history and so much beautiful architecture?

This doesn't look straight does it? It is tho'.

Merly Impressions challenge

Totally inspired by Emilie's ability to use stamps on her layouts I decided to have a go in order to participate in this month's Merly challenge. All but one of the matt papers are stamped using Kaisercraft stamps.

The photo is of a bridge that was rumoured to have been built with no screws or bolts but stood due to the mathematical proportions of the woodwork. Hence the nickname it was given. It's real name is not The Mathematical Bridge but simply The Wooden Bridge and yes it was built using nuts and bolts.

Booby crop 2

I started this at the booby Crop last weekend and had to put it away as I couldn't get going with it. I finished it the next day at home. I love the wrought iron outside one of the Cambridge colleges.

≈

Booby crop

I had a lovely day at the Booby crop with my pal Michele on Saturday. We both managed to get a lot done which makes a change from paper shuffling. 
I managed 4 layouts and another is on it's way.
This one is for Niki's challenge:

I love the way my husband has managed to get the lamp central in front of Kings college Oxford on this one.

The same uni but from a different angle.

Last but not least dear Molly Malone in Dublin with her barrow. This is a lift of one of Natalie's layouts on Sarah's Cards blog.

One of the things I was most pleased about is that apart from one sheet of paper everything is from my own stash of paper which is gradually diminishing. It will take a while but I'm getting there.
Sorry about the poor quality of the photos-not sure what is going on with my camera. John Lewis say it's going to the camera heaven but I think that's a marketing ploy cos my camera is not that old. They maintain that one should change their camera every couple of years-hmmm not so sure!!
Thanks for looking.

University Challenge

I can remember very vividly having to sit and watch University challenge when I was little. It was one of the highlights of my parents' television viewing! I can still hear Bamber Gascoigne's voice as he announced each team. We visited Trinity College, Dublin this summer and as we approached all I  could hear was Bamber's voice announcing the name of Dublin's fine university.

This memory merited a layout so when the Merly challenge happened to be based on Television what else could I do?

Sunday crop

Not having done any scrapping for a while due to the mess I call a scrap room,  I was quite chuffed to finish layout number 2 from the crop at the weekend. It is based on Niki's sketch number 16. Another photo of my youngest playing the guitar.

Phew

Not sure about this new look blogger dashboard but heh let's see what happens. Finally I have done some scrapping. it feels like ages since I have had time to do anything for myself after what seems like an age of a full household of various offspring.
Anyway today was crop day so I produced 11/2 layouts and here is the finished one.Another of Niki's instructions from her weekly pages. Number 17 this time.

Off to finish the other one now.

At last....

I have had some play time. I decided to do two challenges. First of all number 12 of Niki's 52 layouts using MME Indie Chic and two photos from long ago featuring 2 generations of cousins with my grandparents taking centre stage in the bottom of the 2 photos.The second layout is something I've been wanting to try for a long time now and the My Creative Sketches challenge gave me the opportunity to do this. I've been inspired by Emilie Chamel whose workshops I'm lucky enough to be going to with my pal-soooo looking forward to being shown how to do this properly. The idea is a stamp only layout and I have used Kaisercraft stamps for the blocks from Merly Impressions. Although grungy and black I wanted to keep it fairly simple with no embellishments. Love this photo of Michael on his 21st.

9/52

So week 9 of Niki's sketches and here is a photo of my niece. I've not put any journalling on it yet as I need to ask her about the picture which is on her Facebook page. I've used MME papers (at last) which I've had for a while so chuffed to be using them.
So week 9 of Niki's sketches and here is a photo of my niece. I've not put any journalling on it yet as I need to ask her about the picture which is on her Facebook page. I've used MME papers (at last) which I've had them for a while so chuffed to be using them.

my creative sketches challenge

Not sure how I forgot to upload this or even that I had done it. I was looking for the photo that I had in mind to participate in this challenge when I came across the layout that I did for it a while back. Oh dear my memory is failing me-it must be an age thing.

Anyhow here it is -another photo from the surprise 21st pizza lunch.

52.7 I think

I think this is the 7th layout of the 52 that Niki is setting for us. Anyway it is a photo of my son with his life-long friend. they have known each other since they were a few weeks old. When they were little the two families would always celebrate the children's birthdays at Pizza Express so for their 21st we decided to return. It was a surprise that neither of them cottoned on about until the very last moment and even then just thought it was a coincidence that both families just happened to be in the same place at the same time despite the pink and blue 21st balloons!!!

True love

I have used Carta Bella again to frame the story of the love between my parents. Theirs was a very obvious true love and it does make me happy to think about it.

I've used this photo before but as there are 4 grandchildren's albums to fill this will be for one or other of them. I used the list of words going down the side as they are so apt for one or other of my parents.

Lifted

Another old photo layout of my parents. I have lifted one of Rachael's (with permission) and turned it on it's side.
I have used Carta Bella papers.

Win win win

To celebrate her new-look on her blog www.ingvildbolme.com is giving all this stash away to someone. Of course I'm hoping that someone is me. You never know. though it could be you so get over there and see what you have to do to be a winner.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park 2

Dotted round the YSP are rabbits. Not real rabbits although there are probably plenty of those too. Huge gigantic enormous rabbits such as the two below.

Don't think I could have chosen a better title for this one as we approached it from behind.

Just as you think there is nothing left to see, this Gormley stands atop a tree stump. Well it was hardly a stump as you can see but you get my drift.

(tee hee-more old stash been used here).

Y.S.P

Last weekend we went to the Yorkshire Sculpture park to see the Miro exhibition. By the time we had done the 2 hour tour of the grounds (very interesting-shame the earth was sodden) there was little time left to see the Miro so we had a quick look and left. We have been several times before but the sculptures in the grounds never cease to amaze.

These papers are some French ones I've had for a while. Love the colours and they seemed to fit well with the photos.

The matching page

is here. Same make of papers and same people on the same holiday with the addition of my uncle.

While the cat's away..

the mouse is playing. Here is Niki's 52 Layouts challenge for week 6. The papers are some I picked up in France ages ago (yay -old stash being used) and the photo is an old one of mum and dad with mum's sister when they were doing a tour of the Med in 1969. My uncle who is missing must have been taking the photo. I love the way mum and my aunt are sleeping in the same position!

mum

Over on Wendy Mckee's blog (of which I have been a stalker for quite some time) I spotted a gorgeous framed project using the Papermaze may kit. When I realised I had a very similar paper a layout was born. It helped that I have a similar flower punch and a similar alphabet. My aunt gave me these photo proofs of my mum in her younger days. With Wendy's permission(-thanks Wendy) here is the layout.

52 layouts

Here is the layout for week 5 of Niki's series. Nearly finished this Prima collection-just 1 piece left. lol. Here are mum and dad in their youth. Again I'm not sure what the occasion was but looks pretty formal to me. (Don'tcha just love hand cutting?)

A book that is not a book

I am taking part in a 5x7 page swap. I did this page for She ages ago but forgot to take a photo of it. Fortunately She sent me one so here it is. Her theme was vintage.

It's my blog...

... and I'll cry if I want to. What do you do when having a shitty time? Immerse yourself in some sort of crafting. so here is my version, which admittedly is the same as the original, of Rachael Elliot's layout for the Trip Down Memory Lane cyber crop. Not sure if all the hand cutting has made me feel any better but it, at least, kept me busy.
The photo is of my maternal grandparents. Unfortunately I don't know when it was taken.

playday

I had a lovely day today scrapping at Michele's house. she has got some mojo back so hopefully will post the fruits of her labour soon. Meanwhile, I managed to get 3 layouts done.

This first one is for the latest My Creative Sketches challenge.

The next 2 are both from the A Trip Down Memory Lane cyber crop. I really enjoyed doing this first one as punching round a circle is something I haven't done before. Great technique and worked really well. I shall be doing that again.
I seem to be going for blue and yellow at the moment. Here's another one with the same colour scheme but totally different papers and class.

52 layouts

Thanks to Niki again for this weeks challenge here. Here is my effort for this using 2 pictures of Mike and his baby best friend Lauren on holiday aged 1. I used scraps of Prima for this and some wash tape that came in a kit yonks ago. It was only when I was looking at Nicki's for placement of the title that I realised I could use the same one she had used. Complete coincidence but obviously meant to be.

Crafty Individuals challenge

The theme for the CI challenge this time is Summer Ball so what better than to use the beautiful stamp CI 346. Here she is encased in her own world (the jar) surrounded by fluttering butterflies (CI347), dancing amongst the flowers (CI 206) whilst the ball goes on inside the grand hall. She should have her dance card with suitors listed but can't find it in her tiny bag (CI 335) so she dances all alone fanning herself (thanks to a shrunk plastic CI 335) outside on a balmy evening.

(Suspended by invisible nylon from the lid she really does dance when the jar moves).

It is my friends birthday next week so instead of a birthday card I am giving her this-we always try to make a special card for each other so I reckon this will count. I hope she likes it.

I have used the bigger flowers from the same plate to cover the lid so that a lonesome butterfly can settle there.
The flowers and butterflies have been stamped on papers from CI summer and spring paper pads.

Glitz

I have been waiting to blog this layout of my niece Sarah in Mexico but was waiting for permission as it is a class taught by Lou at Sarah's Cards Retreat. I used Glitz Hoolahoop papers which I love for their vibrancy. It is a little different to Lou's as I didn't have all the materials required but I still like it.

Awwww

Before my mum died she was sort of guardian for my niece and nephew so the bond between them was very special. She and my niece especially were very close-both artistic and creative, they had a lot in common and adored each other. I think this photo of them taken a few years ago shows the bond between them and their affection for each other.This second layout is of Sarah again with hubby and younger son. I Don't think Sarah could wish for a better uncle. He loves her like she is his own and does so much for her. It is the only photo of them and I think he was actually secretly chuffed when she ran over to him for a photo.

Flick...

What do you do when your spray won't spray? Answer = you flick so that's what I did on this layout of my 3 boys who, you will know if you read my ramblings, comprise of my 2 and Mike's best friend who calls me 'mummy 2'. So here they are watching the match on Mike's birthday.This second layout has been inspired (aka lifted almost but not quite exactly) by Tracie's on Sarah's blog. (Unfortunately there is no email to contact Tracie so if she sees this and wants me to take it off I will-just let me know). I love the simplicity yet vibrancy of her layout and wanted to replicate it so here we are. the papers are from Sarah's Cards. It is showing the highlight of Mike's birthday being his present from son no. 3.

Yet more

Still in the mood, I have done another couple of layouts (as well as several loads of washing, cleaning of floors and other such boring household duties). More MME with some musical note paper by Echo Park. One of Mike's obsessions (oops I mean hobbies) is music so it seemed fitting to use this paper. I have obsessed over this photo of him which for some reason I absolutely love tho' I'm not sure why. It is completely out of focus, has a load of unwanted background and really is telling no story. However it seems to shout out how grown up he looks (to me) even tho' we can't see his face. Anyway that is why I have used the same photo so many times on these two layouts which again will form a double spread.
hmm not sure why the 2 on the right look blurred (aka more blurred) they don't irl. Must be reflection. This half is from a sketch at Papermaze.

I love......

going to the monthly crop. There are only a few of us that go regularly and sometimes fewer than few! However, we are so comfortable that even when we are mojo-less it doesn't matter. We can say what we like and do what what we like even if sometimes that means doing nothing or just reading or chatting. Love love love it.

I digress. Today at the crop I produced very little but said I would blog anyway so here they are. Yet more layouts of Mikes 21st. Thank goodness he is 21 as I don't know what I'd scrap at the moment otherwise.

The first one is based on a sketch and uses yet more of the gorgeous MME papers.
The second one also uses MME as they will sit side by side in the album. In some ways it is hard to use these papers as what can you do with such gorgeous designs that are simply too beautiful to cut into. It is just a matter (sorry) of matt and layer!!!!!!!! with a bit of stamping here and there.

Quintessentially English

I have finally completed another 9 piece jigsaw for a swap. The theme this time was the Jubilee, obviously. So here is my offering. It seemed fitting to use stamps by an English company-IndigoBlu.
I must get round to reading the manual for my camera. For some reason I have inadvertently changed a setting I think because I can't get the colours right but you'll get the idea. It is better irl.Just got some 5x7 pages to do now and that's my swaps done.

Sarah's Cards sketch challenge

I thought that, as I was off work feeling yuk today, I would just sit and slob. So I did and produced this layout for the sketch challenge over on Sarah's Cards blog. For something so simple it seemed to take a long time to put together. However, It did use up some more old Scenic Route stash that's been lying in the box for a couple of years.Son no. 2 totally oblivious to the camera.

2 1/2 years ago

I bought some Scenic Route papers with the intention of doing a layout I'd seen in one of the magazines (by Michelle St. Clair). I never got round to doing it until last night. So glad to be using old stash!!!!!!!

I've used the same photo as in one of the layouts below so that there is one for each of my boys.