Tux

Not wanting to show favouritism towards Millie the Puppy, todays layout is of Tux, our 2 year old cat. The photos were taken last year in the garden and the layout was inspired by Candice Greenway's gorgeous animal layouts.

I used papers from My Mind's Eye Coastal Collection. The photo of the layout doesn't do the papers justice as they are really beautiful and very glittery ... oh and I've had them unused for at least 3 years. The only embelishments I used were a sticker from a packet of 7Gypsies 97% Complete Stickers and a small round chipboard accent from  Prima.  

I'm Sticking With You

Today's layout is of my puppy Millie. She just loves to chew on a stick and I snapped these photos last month when she was doing just that.

I used Simple Stories Year.o.Graphy paper and apart from adding a few stickers down the side from a packet of 7Gypsies 97% Complete Stickers , some very old re-coloured K & Co Title Stickers, a scalloped circle punched from another sheet of Simple Stories paper  and journalling on a transparency I added nothing else. These Simple Stories papers don't need lots of embelishing and are too nice to cover up.

Scrapology

In a previous post I hinted about a new challenge blog that I am now part of called

"SCRAPOLOGY"

A couple of my friends Lynn and Linda decided to start a new challenge blog and so last month Scrapology was born and I was invited to be a member of the design team. The idea of the blog is that each month the design team will choose a scrapbook layout by an inspirational scrapbooker and the team will then create their own layouts inspired by that original page. The design team's layouts will be posted on the Scrapology blog together with a sketch and readers of the blog can create their own layouts which if they want can be posted on the blog. There will be prizes and from time to time blog candy up for grabs.

I was on holiday and not able to join in with the first challenge 'A is for Apertures' in August but you can see it here.

Just this week the second challenge layout 'S is for Stitching' went live.

I used a photo of our kitten 'Tux' and a variety of papers from several manufacturers. The challenge was all about stitching and I did both hand and machine stitching on my layout.

The original layout was this amazing layout from Alison.



And here is the sketch.



Please do pop along to Scrapology and check out all the other design team layouts as well as readers layouts and if you have a go yourself you may be the luck winner of this prize kindly donated by Cardinal Colours.

Finally some scrapbooking

After several weeks of doing nothing creative I found time to go to my monthly crop yesterday and completed three layouts.

The first was a layout of our kitten, Tuxie (Tuxedo). The layout tells the story of how last weekend he made an escape bid and disappeared for 26 hours. Until now he has been a house cat so it was a very worrying time and we were so relived when on Monday morning he came back none the worse for wear.



I used Quite Contrary papers from My Minds Eye, Cardstock from Bazzill, a scrap of ribbon, Heidi Swapp bling and letter stickers from BasicGrey. The layout was based on a layout by Candice Greenaway - I love her pet layouts.

The photo on the next layout was only taken a week or so ago and was of Lara in the garden.



I used more Quite Contrary papers from My Minds Eye, Cardstock from Bazzill, Ribbon, brads, American Crafts Flair adhesive badge, a glitter cut from Fancy Pants, letters stickers from BasicGrey and Provo Craft and a butterfly cut with my new punch from Tonic Studios.

The final layout is of a lemur who kindly posed for me last summer at Exmoor Zoo.



I used even more Quite Contrary paper (love that line) as well as some BasicGrey Black Tie papers, Cardstock from Bazzill, Prima Flowers, brads, stamped swirls and letter stickers from Provo Craft. I had to resort back to hand cutting the title because I forgot to take any chipboard letters with me to the crop.

Baby Elephant - Ahhhhhhh!

I finally got around to finishing the remaining layout that I started at the crop a couple of weeks ago. Its of the baby elephant that Lara and I saw when we visited Whipsnade Zoo with the school last month. I used papers from the Quite Contrary line by My Minds Eye, Chipboard trees from Maya Road, Letter Stickers from BasicGrey, some ribbon, a few eyelets, a bit of twine and a brad. The elephant embelishment in the bottom right corner was simply clip art that I printed onto patterned paper and then gave it a bit of shine with some glossy accents.

A weekend of Scrapbooking

Last weekend I spent my time in the company of a group of wonderful friends who all share a love of crafting. We stayed at Debden House in Essex and scrapbooked and made cards all weekend long and had a really lovely time.

I managed to put together quite a few layouts which I will hopefully post over the next week or so.

For this first layout of Christopher I used a photo I took last year as part of the 365 'A photo a Day' project. I altered the photo in PSE to black and white and spot coloured one of his eyes. I used papers from October Afternoon and Sandy Lion Rouge De Garance, a few buttons and quote was partly printed on a transparency and then completed with lettering cut on the Cricut.

This next layout is of Lara. The photo was taken last summer at my Aunt and Uncles 60th wedding anniversary celebrations. I used papers from Rouge De Garance and Websters Pages, Flutter Vine and Chipboard accent from Prima, Rub Ons from MME, Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, lace, trim, ribbon and self adhesive pearls.

Here's a closeup of the chipboard accent with the rub on title.

The next layout is of Tux. I used the same Rouge De Garance patterned paper that I used on the layout of Christopher, Bazzill cardstock, a mixture of BasicGrey stickers and Cricut lettering (flocked with Doodlebug crushed velvet flocking) for the title, dymo tape journalling, brads and some metal paw print embelishments that I have had in my stash for yonks. The cat embelishment was cut using the 'Animal Kingdom' Cricut cartridge and was coloured with promarkers.

Here's a closeup of that cat embelishment.

The last layout I have to show you today is of Steven. The photo was taken last October at Wells-next-the-Sea. The patterned papers are from BasicGrey and JennyBowlin. The title lettering was from American Crafts and the journalling was created using DIY dry rub off decal paper from Crafty Computer Paper.

Be back soon with some more of my layouts - just as soon as I finish the journalling on them. LOL

I am such a bad, bad blogger! I've been regularly posting photos to my photo blog but have neglected this blog. But for the first time this year I have something crafty to show you. I went to the monthly crop today at Stamp Addicts. It was the first time I had been able to go since November and was the first time I had scrapbooked since then too. I managed to complete three layouts despite accidentally leaving a lot of the necessary stash at home.

The first layout used photos of some rather cute little marmosets taken a couple of years ago at Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park at Chard in Somerset. I used BasicGrey papers. The title lettering (cut on the Craft Robo) has a soft feel to it as I've coated with Doodlebug Crushed Velvet Flock.

The photos on the next layout were taken at Abbotsbury Children's Farm, Dorset. I used Scenic Route and BasicGrey papers. The word 'Pony' in the title is very glossy IRL. I used chipboard letters which were inked, stamped with a slightly different colour and then coated in Diamond Glaze.

The last layout I put together is of Lara's fascination with a clam which we found on the beach at Westward Ho!, Devon last summer. I used Fancy Pants papers. The swirls are Doodlebug Designs 'Stick With It' stickers which I've coated with their sugar coating glitter. The title lettering (cut on the Craft Robo) is also coated in the same glitter so the layout is quite sparkly IRL.

Before I go, a quick reminder to UK fans that Lost Season 6 starts next Friday, 5th February on Sky One and Sky HD at 9pm. Its going to be the last season - OMG what will we do when it finishes!!!!

Last night Mojo Holder challenged visitors to scraplift a LO by May Marix Marte. I used a photo taken a few years ago at Colchester Zoo and some just as old BasicGrey papers. Here's May's LO followed by mine.

Overdue update

Gosh it's been a long time since I updated my blog! I think the reason why I've not updated it is because (a) nothing very exciting has happened for me to tell you about although (b) I've been quite busy with mundane routine stuff.

Since I last blogged there have been 4 (yes 4!) new challenges on Mojo Holder.

Challenge #51 was to lift a LO by Becky Fleck. I'm a big fan of Becky's Pagemaps (I'm eagerly waiting to get my hands on a copy of her new book!) so was looking forward to doing this scraplift, but have to admit that I really struggled with it. Anyway here is Becky's LO, and here is mine featuring a swan from the Swannery at Abbotsbury, Dorset.

Challenge #52 was a lift of a LO by UK scrapper Hebe. I loved doing this LO despite all the 'white space' which really isn't my thing. Here's the two LOs - I used a photo of Lara that I took last summer and have been itching to use.

Mojo Challenge #53 saw us lifting another ukscrapper called Nattieg. Her LO was gorgeous. I used a photo of Steven taken enjoying a chocolate egg at Easter.

And finally Mojo challenge #54 was to lift a LO by famous scrapper, Ali Edwards. Ali's LO was great but has to be the hardest LO I have had to try and scraplift so far. The LO was very simple but boy did I struggle with my version! I used photos of Lara's 5th birthday.

Please do pop along to the Mojo Holder site if you have a moment. We've had a few new girls join the team in recent months and as well as seeing everyone's LO on the site you can also see a sketch of each LO to help you if you want to have a go yourself . There are also prizes from time to time for LOs posted in our readers gallery. We love to see what you've done.

Back To Life - Back To Reality

Returning home from a holiday is never fun but bringing the sunshine home with us certainly made it easier. We had glorious weather most of the time we were away, whereas back home I've been told the weather was pretty grim ......... until that is yesterday! Today has been gorgeous - hot, sunny and just what summer should be like. We even had a BBQ earlier. Only about the third or fourth we've managed this summer. I really hope this lovely weather lasts, at least until the children go back to school.

We popped out this afternoon to get the last of the 'back to school' gear - two pairs of new football boots. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to get a size 3 pair of boots for Steven - I think every other size 3 child had gotten there before us and bought them all! Anyway, all three children are now fully kitted out. With them all starting new schools this year it's meant lots to buy.

I've started going through the holiday photos. Amongst the hundreds I took there are several that are priceless and I'm already planning in my head LOs using them. There were lots of 'firsts' during the holiday - Lara's first ride on a bus, Steven's first proper 'swim' in the sea (he only learnt to swim last month), first time seeing a meteor shower (we watched the Perseid meteor shower on the night of Wayne's birthday - didn't get any photos but may download some form the web for a LO about it). So many memories.

Whilst I was away, there were three new scraplift challenges on Mojo Holder plus a class page by Kylie . I managed to get my challenge LOs done before I went away so these were posted along with the other girls LOs. This was my #24 challenge lift of a LO by UKScrapper Mei Lye

This was my #25 challenge lift of a LO by the extremely talented Jlyne Hanback.

And this was last weeks #26 challenge lift of a LO by the infamous Elsie Flannigan.

Please pop along to Mojo Holder to see all the LOs from the DT.

This week is going to be manic! The children have trips to the dentist and haircuts planned. I have to catch up on all the council work I've gotten behind on whilst being away, and I've LOs to get done for Mojo Holder and a couple of other projects (hush hush at the moment). Then there are school trousers to shorten and name tapes to sew into clothes plus the mountain of post-holiday laundry to get through! Hmmmmmmmm........ I think I'll need another holiday, so if any of you are planning on going away (preferably somewhere hot and sunny) and had have room in your suitcase for me, just let me know!