more wedding

Clive's nephew got married in the summer and I managed to catch this photo of the bride and groom with Michael having a good time. It looks like they are singing along to Bruce as this is their normal Bruce stance.
I saw this layout whilst blog surfing and knew I wanted to lift it-the colours cry out to me-adding some die cuts around the photo itself.

weird and wonderful

So, you know I love weird and wonderful arty things and what better than this great ape or the reflection of a car wheel in a puddle, both begging to be photographed.

Not so weird but most definitely wonderful is a rare lunch with No.1 son.

Cropping.

Yesterday was our girly crop day and we all managed to produce something. Here's mine:
I've mentioned before that whenever we go away and wherever we go, we always come across a wedding. Marbella was no exception and here is the wedding car.

The ideal thing about cut files is that you can use all the scraps that you have left over from whole sheets and thats what I did here for this photo of Steven. Yes, another photo of Steven, primarily because Michael won't let me take pictures of him.

The last one is of Whitstable-again. It was so lovely to see children crabbing in October when you think we should be huddled up by a cosy fire. I even managed to use some dies that I never thought I would.

My hommage

...to Paris. As a francophile who once lived there and feels strong ties to this beautiful city of light, I knew I had to pay homage in some small way. What else but to create something and write a little bit about my feelings.
I'd had the chipboard tower for about 15 years and never used it despite taking photos of the eiffel tower every timeI'm in Paris. I'd obviously been saving it for some unknown reason that suddenly became clear after the events of last week. I am so used to hearing about daily bombings and terrorist attempts but when it happens in Europe so close to home it is shocking in the true sense of the word. 

....and finally

the last round from the retreat. this is a picture of the road leading to the university campus. the autumnal colours in the bright sunshine were beautiful:

      

Change of subject. Steven and Sarah..again. Just how many did I take?

Well not as many as I took just of Sarah obviously.

I just loved the colours in this piece of Wirksworth art and when you've got papers that match so perfectly what's a girl to do but scrap?

 So there you have it. My creations from the latest retreat. Although I can only see 16 and know I did 17 so where the last one is is anyone's guess. Probably behind me heh Michele? 

 Next time everything I've done since then, when I get the bug, I get the bug.

....and round 3

I thought I'd better put a few more on than just 3 otherwise this will take forever. Yes, it was a very productive retreat for all of us. Not wanting to subscribe to a regular kit, I had decided for the retreat, that I would look at various kits and then I bought the items from stores in UK. Much cheaper way of doing things I'm afraid. So first up is a photo of Steven and me on our way from Canterbury to Whitstable on the bus. What an experience.. Over-reliant on my car, I had no idea what to ask for. Back in my public transport days I'd ask for a 25p ticket or 'two stops please'. I now have no idea what to do. These days you can get a return and there appears to be one price. Who knew? Back in the day you could smoke on the upper deck-not these days (thank goodness). I've never known what difference a set of stairs make to one's health. Anyway here we are, a selfie on the bus:

It was a beautiful day, just right for sitting by the sea 

and day dreaming. Well Steven did anyway. I just took the opportunity to take photos of him:

Eventually even Steven had to admit that it was too hot to wear his beloved coat:

Round 4 next time. Yes, there are more to come. Just how many photos can you take?!!!!!

...and round 2.

Just before the sky clouded over and submerged the house in a veil of darkness I managed to take some photos of a few more of the layouts I did over the weekend.
Steven and Sarah are always silly when they get together. Not sure whether I did this for him or for her- you lose track after a while!

Having said that, Steven can be very silly even when he is not with Sarah. Not sure why he felt the need to balance a teaspoon on his nose but he did. I lifted this from Hey Little Magpie blog as I loved the papers.

At the beginning of the year the Crafty Gals all did a sewing workshop together in Poynton-remember the Paris bags I made? At the retreat one of the girls was about to throw out the remnants of a sticker sheet with lots of sewing words. I couldn't let her do that so used them on this layout. Here we all are showing our bags:

I love this photo that a cousin took of me and Steven at a recent family wedding. Speaks for itself really.

thats all for now. Back with more soon. TFL

and we are off-round 1

I spent last weekend with a group of girlies at a retreat in Frodsham. It was great-great food, great company, great chat.
I thought I'd better split the products of the weekend into several posts to avoid a picture heavy loooooooong post. So first up are the challenges we were set. This first one had to use a white piece of card, the camera and the two pins as well as a gold polka-dot straw which you can just see tucked behind the photo and the camera. The photo is one of many of Son no.2 and my niece. I have had to scrap them all twice- one for each album.

This next one was also a challenge. We had to use the mannequin die cuts. It seemed very fitting to use them on a layout of Sarah.

 The third layout was also a challenge. This was a sketch challenge made by some of the girls being blindfolded and sticking various elements to a board making up a sketch. Clever idea but difficult sketch to follow. I rotated it and used a photo of a steel water ball taken at the Art and Architecture Festival at Wirksworth.

Will load some more in the next couple of days.

good morning.

Every time I come down the stairs I am greeted by Jemima  perched on the arm of the couch looking at me from the lounge. It never ceases to make me smile. Today a visitor told me how lovely it was to catch sight of her and I agree. I saw the kit at Event City and knew straight away that she had to be mine even though I really have no affinity or bond to geese and actually don't like most birds very much at all. She didn't take me long to make-blanket stitch learned in primary school, and I'm so pleased I gave into temptation.

with permission

from Veera I lifted this layout from her blog. It is one of my 'go-to' places when lacking in inspiration. I love her clean style that is so soft and feminine. I could probably lift every layout that she produces. They are so lovely. Do go and visit.
The photo was taken on the Thursday evening that was preview night of Scrap Version. It seems a long time ago now but it was so exciting, as a first timer, to see the sign.

what do you get....

when you mix PP bella rouge with cedar lane, hello sunshine, a pinch of simple stories, BG prism, Studio Calico and a sheet of Bazzill CS? Answer = a couple of very C&S layouts.

Same ranges-different looks. Hope you likey.

well hello blog..

and how are you? You poor neglected blog. Well you are not alone. My poor neglected craft room is also feeling unloved. Rest assured you are still loved but my mind has been invaded by the dreaded work pressures. However today I decided I would finish this layout inspired by one I saw last April at VS. I have used French company Carabelle stamps and Neocolors. 
I love this layout as well as my gorgeous niece who, lets face it, could have been the inspiration for the stamp. Non?

and another

Still on the subject of Michael's graduation and still with the same range of paper. I don't seem to have made a dent in the pile yet.

A proud mummy moment.

So, when..

.....I'm on a roll,  I'm on a roll. Here is layout number 2 for the same challenge as below using the same collection as below from the same shop as below and the same subject matter as below. I think you get the idea.

It is, of course, straight and the photos are, of course, straight too. I have added a raised one which has made them look like they are not but they are. 
I have also used a Stamping Up punch on this so that justifies it's purchase!!!! :-) I will sleep more easily now!

Kaisercraft challenge

...is here and looks like this:

Couldn't quite get circles to look right with such an 'angular' photo-is that even a word???? So, I left them out and mine looks like this:

I've used one of Kaisercraft's latest collections  A Touch of Gold' available here.

The good ol' days

Over on Facebook  Julia posted her first layout with a challenge to us all-show and tell. So I got my first scrapbook out and had a look. Oh dear. I am blushing but if it's good enough for us to see the first pages of other people then we have to be prepared to show our own. Whether or not they are prepared for what is about to be shown is another matter. 
I could change my pages and start again but I'm not going to. After all, in twenty years time trends will have changed again and I'm sure I will look back and be slightly embarrassed by today's creations.
So here we go: My very first layout of son no.1 who was just the cutest baby I'd ever seen.

Don't you love how we used to cut our photos into shapes and then matt them? We all did it. He seemed so tiny-he was tiny -in our big bed.


Then of course, we had the double page layout that was a must. How times have changed.

More shaped photos. Cardstock was the main ingredient. Oh and punches galore. just look at the balloon punch used to echo the balloons that the monkey on his wall was holding. I made the monkey and balloons from felt because there were monkeys climbing the wallpaper of Michael's room. Michael never had a dummy as comfort but he did have a brown monkey (a subject of another scrapbook layout) for years. I say 'did have' but actually the monkey still sits in his bedroom 20+ years later. (How many years?)


Finally, we have K&Co paper. Oh how I loved this paper, soft, muted lilac with flowers and butterflies. So feminine, so not right for a boy but when he is with his best friend who is a girl.... I think I got away with using it.

Another degree.

Last week we celebrated Michael's graduation. Here are a few of the photos I took. There are many more that his father took and I'm sure they will be the subject of forthcoming layouts. Meanwhile it has taken me a year to use the frame paper I bought for a class during ATDML's cyber crop 2014. Better late than never.

more old stash

 Again, I saw these papers  and just had to have them. No project in mind but knew I would find something. So, in my quest to use everything up before buying anything else-impossible-I found a picture of me with lips that matched the colour of the tulips and with some inspiration from I know not where now,  another layout was born.

Celebrate

Celebrate what?-I hear you ask. Celebrate using old stash and old photos with old layout sketches or inspiration. Feels soooooooo good. So, first up are the last photos from Steven's graduation last year-just in time because Michael's are not far behind.
One for me and one for him-gotta use them all up.

At the time of getting these papers I absolutely loved them-still do but they are not very boyish. As most of my photos are male orientated they will have to do though as it could well be another year before I get some mojo.

ma boyz

I was looking for a photo of both my boys to go with this project. Never sure which comes first- the chicken or the egg aka the photo or the project. I realised that it's been a while because the only recent one I could find was taken last summer. I guess the camera goes away when the sun is hiding-that would be most of the year then in this wet country. Being the impatient person I am, I didn't want to leave the project without a photograph so had to use this one taken in Leamington. 

The papers and stickers are a Kaisercraft range to which I added a couple of Tim Holtz embellishments.

happy happy happy

It doesn't take a lot really. Using old stash and scrapping photographs of stunning paintings.  Simples. Did these two over the last couple of days. Pottered about and left them on the table. Kept coming and going, adding and subtracting. Finished.

This first one I lifted and blogged with permission from a finish scrapbooker, Veera,  whose style is clean and simple. She uses lots of white space yet lots of clusters too. Her colours are mainly pastel and summery and quite frankly deliciously ice-creamy. Go visit her.

This next one is straight irl-it just looks wonky!! the sequins idea also comes from Veera.

Remember......

Alexis? The guy from Carabelle? The one who I'm slightly in awe of? Well, here we are at Version Scrap at the end of one of the workshops. Don't know how the person who took this photo managed to get such a horrendous picture of me but it'll have to do 'cos although, she took two, the other one was worse. I decided it had to be scrapped in his fashion so did this at our crop along with the other girls. Looking forward to seeing their versions.

Credit to carabelle dt.

A good idea

Well, it seemed it at the time. Michele and I bought a Kaisercraft box each with the idea of keeping our PL cards in it once decorated. Of course we didn't take into account that once the lid was on the PL cards wouldn't fit in comfortably. Anyone, I made and decorated mine with the new intention of giving it, as a present, to a friend who makes her own jewellery. I think it will serve her better as a 'bits 'n bobs box' than it will me. 
This is the top which slides on and off:

to reveal the inside:

Hope she likes it.

last but by no means least

My favourite of them all. So much so that it is hanging, framed in my hall. I love everything about it-from the process to the colours I chose and of course the guy who devised it-(you may remember I'm just a tad infatuated). So here is the second of the two Carabelle classes I did.

Again, lots of inky, messy, painty, time consuming work. Look out for my own version coming soon.

third

The third class was very interesting to do as it entailed alcohol inking a piece of acrylic to make the blue background and then alcohol inking shapes to represent the buildings and  drawing the windows and doors in with a posca pen. The sun at the top was done by blowing alcohol ink.We then had to  stamp the squiggly houses on cardstock and intricately cut them out before sticking them on a piece of white 12x12 making sure to position them so that they looked as though they were sitting on the buildings on the acrylic that was to be placed over the top. We then drew various lines etc to highlight them but on the acrylic not the card if that make sense. We also did some stamping on craft which was placed on the front of the acrylic to give it all some dimension. This was a very interesting, intricate layout to do but I enjoyed it primarily because it is perhaps not something I would have got the chance to do elsewhere. 

Last one next time.