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.