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.

It did of course rain

because I put the washing out and then went out. It probably did dry whilst I was out because the weather was beautiful until 5 minutes before I left to come home and then it poured so yet again I came home to soggy washing. I consoled myself by doing another layout. This time it is for the Merly Impressions monthly challenge. Again, I have used some old stash, Chapter One by Kaiser.

The sketch is by the talented 'scrappeuse' Emilie Chamel. Hopefully I'm in time for this one!

Here is my version featuring Michael (in the middle) and his 2 closest buddies. The journalling strips come from the bottom strip of one of the papers.

Washing on the line

Having just washed the three loads of washing that were hanging on the line for 3 days sopping from the pouring rain I am contemplating putting them back on the line as the sun is now out. The cynic in my head is screaming "no" as it is bound to rain again but the optimist in me is wavering. I'll decide when I've posted this latest for The Creative Sketches may challenge for which I am just in time. Another birthday photo. I'm not sure whether I've mistakenly altered something on my camera that is giving them a blue hue or whether it is simply that I have used very blue papers but the latest layouts do look very blue and far more blue than irl. Ah well it'll do!!!!

Sarah's Cards sketch challenge

Well, I'm obviously in sketch mode although I don't know when this challenge finishes as there is no date on the blog. I could be very late but at least it got me scrapping.(What else is a girl to do when her hubby is working?) Still on Michael's 21st photos these two are of him and his best friend. I have used Pink Paislee Fetching papers which I have had for ages so I'm feeling very virtuous at using old stash.

Right off to polish my halo before going out.
ETA I was too late but never mind-that'sll teach me to get on with things.

Title done.

Speaks for itself really doesn't it? Another layout, this time sticking more closely to the brief over on the blog detailed in the post below.

Thanks to Niki..

for setting up this. having spent a day with my pal yesterday I was still in crafting mode last night and came across this blog. It was just the thing I needed to get my scrapbooking mojo going and so produced 3 layouts, one of which still needs a title. Here are the 2 I completed. I didn't quite follow the instructions as I felt the gorgeous MME papers speak for themselves.

This first one is of my gorgeous niece, a very rare photo of the two of us.
This one is of me asking forgiveness from my son on his 21st when I presented him with a cake in public. He hates being the centre of attention but I couldn't let his 21st go without a cake could I? And it was only a coffee cake -his fave. He did forgive me-lol.
I'm sure there will be more 21st photos to come as I took quite a few ( err quite a lot actually).