JournalSwap

Is it just me or do swaps always seem easy when you sign up?  I'm full of enthusiasm and ideas but as the swap starts my perfectionism takes over and I find it difficult to even get started. 

After months of being on the naughty step - due to late posting - I am finally up to date and starting to enjoy this journal swap. 

Here are my pages from the last three months.  I used the ink, stencil and stamp backgrounds left over from the Dylusion cards shown on my last post.  The borders are hand drawn with posca pens.

Karin is my favourite Stampotique stamp because she has such a forced smile on her face.

The one on the right reminds me of me hiding away at home taking a year off work.  At the moment I just want to carry on having a nice quiet easy life.  Unfortunately, I'm too young to retire so I've had to stop relaxing and start looking for a nice new bill paying job!  Wish me luck... 

Twinkie is another favourite stamp as he looks like he is dancing very badly - like someones dad at a wedding.

Have a lovely day. Anne x 

ArtFromTheHeart

Last week I spent a few days in Yorkshire visiting my family.  I also fitted in two workshops with the lovely Dyan and got very inky, messy and Dylusional!

At the first workshop we made lots of lovely inkly backgrounds and then played with Dyan's stamps to make quirky cards.

Now you have to understand that I was having far too much fun socialising and stuff so I only made two cards; but I did take home lots of stamped images to make up the other four cards. 

 

I love this adverture saying and it is far too true of me some days, especially when I get behind the wheel of a car!  The frog image looks so cute peeping out from behind things.

 

I love Dyan's saying stamps so I treated myself to a set and then had to go back for the second - good job my hubby is not reading this LOL!  I need to get a job to finance my continued stash buying despite the fact that I already have enough to last a lifetime and beyond...

Have a lovely day.

Anne x

MyNewNoteBook

First a proud mum request :-D  It's my son Mike's birthday today and he has challenged himself to get his eBook in the Amazon top 100 today. Here is the UK link to the eBook please click the link even if you don't buy the book. More details and the US Amazon link can be found on Mike's web site

Now back to crafting.  I was reading Kate Crane's blog and decided to try making my own version of her inky little book.  I made a few pages but they just didn't work for me - too green! 

Instead I made my book with scrapbook papers, stamps and rub-ons.  I used fours sheets of scrapbook paper cut into 6"x4" pieces.  I dug out my beautiful, but much neglected, sewing machine and in no time at all had this lovely little book.

I cut two of the 6"x4" pages into three to form the pockets.  Sewed along what would be the top side of each pocket and then placed two pieces together and sewed round attaching the pockets to six of the pages.  I didn't use any glue.  The pages are a bit rough round the edges and the stitching is wobbly and just cut off at the ends to keep it from looking too neat.

I stamped randomly with a selection of stamps including Tim Holtz, Dylusions and Club Scrap.  The papers are from American Crafts and Lily Bee.  I used an old partially used sheet of 7 Gypsies rub ons to add a bit of extra detail to the pages.

 Here are the finished pages.  Click on the photo for a closer look.

This photo is close up showing some of the stamping.  I will add more and some doodling as I go along.

Finally here is my favourite page.

I plan to use the book to record three nice memories of each day, along with a bit of doodling and a few photos.

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the Olympics.  I'm going to see the Basketball on Wednesday and I'm really excited :-D

I watched a brilliant video from Shimelle that was included in her Cover to Cover class.  I originally bought it separately from TrueScrap1.  Several of the layouts are inspired by Shimelle's blog and classes.

I started with 9 older patterend papers from American Crafts and K&Co

Adding in three partial sheets from the same collections.

 

A selection of letter stickers from American Crafts, LilyB, October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket.

 A few stickers and embelishments.

I cut up all the full sheets of patterned papers; using the ideas from Shimelle's class.  I have some big boxes, 12" wide strips and samller boxes.  The layouts will give you an idea of the type of dimensions I used.  If I did it again, for my scrap style, I would like more 12" strips. 

Here it is all cut up and for some unknown reason it makes me so much happier than the full sheets!  Possibly because I like using up scraps and used to love making scrap quilts.

 Here are the B sides.

The first pages I made where of photos from an owl evening.  I had been meaning to make this page for ages but didn't know what papers to use.  The photos are not great quality and hubby had acidentally put his camera on the 'majic' setting - which seems to make everything orange.  However, It was a great evening so I wanted to include the photos in my scrapbook.  The first makes me laugh as hubby is licking his lips as if he wants to eat the owl!  This was an amazing evening that I would recommend to anyone who likes birds.  The owls are suprisingly light and one flew to our arm and we held others.

Here is the co-ordinating page.  The evening was a gift for my birthday last year, taken just before my birthday this year.  As explained above my hair was not that orange!

This is the starting point for the next layout.

And the finished version.  No idea where or when this photo was taken.  I've written about how hubby loved and kept his 'tash' for 25 years and how much I hated it!

Here is an old photo of my grandma and her friend.  I think it would have been taken at Blackpool.  It makes me laugh as here she is on the motorbike but she never ever wore trousers and if you look closely she even has a skirt on in the photo. 
A note of caution doillies tend to tear so you have to commit quickly when you add letters stickers.

This next one is just a starting point so far.  I also have three card starting points using the same background card and flower paper.  The patterned papers seemed to be wider than the StampinUp card and when I tried to shave off a tiny bit my trimmer just chewed it up.  So I've cut it up and will share the cards when I finish them.

Still loads of pieces left.  Not sure yet if I will keep going or add them to my rather bare scrap box.

Yesterday we braved the rain and went to see the Olympic Torch.  We had planned to go to Newtown but decided that we were not brave enough to cope with The Wanted's teenage fans.  It is nice to note that the man (Jim)  who we saw carry the torch has done a lot for children's sport over the last 50 years.  Our photos are rubbish but it was a great atmosphere and fun to be there.  Later we went shopping in Lichfield. 
Have a lovely day. x

Inspiration From Glitter Girl And Your Story Matters

I seem to have been missing in action again, except 'inaction' would probably be more appropriate.  Here is a layout inspired by the Two Peas in a Bucket Glitter girl video on using stickers.  It's a great way to use up stickers that you don't really like - for me it's cloud shaped stickers and also group photos that are not great mainly because people don't like having their photo taken.  I had to sneekly take some photos from a distance while they were not looking.

 Here is a close up of one of the sticker blocks. 

I used October Afternoon papers from Sidewalks and the background is from Family Homemaker.  Most of the stickers are from the Sidewalks Collection.  I used American Craft thickers and the title is inpired by the 'Your Story Matters' class.  The background is too busy to add journalling, so I added a bit to the boxes and will do a co-ordinating page with more writing.

And finally this is the view from my front door at about 10am today.  I was going to make the photo brighter but it really was this bad.  You can see the rain falling from the gutters to the right of the photo.  The sky went gray and we had horizontal, vertical and diagonal rain.  It was worse than this, with rain coming vertically off the side of the car, but I had to wait for the window cleaner to move as he was taking a photo too.  It was so bad that I had two window cleaners and the postman all sheltering in my home for a while.  No gardening today, so the bush I am chopping down lives to see another day.  It's been quite sunny this afternoon - no wonder we Brit's talk about the weather a lot!

Hope you had a lovely day.  Anne x

More Journal Swap Pages

Hi, here are my latest journal swap pages.

The birds are just so funny.  They came from a Halloween set that I just couldn't resist (even though it was February at the time!)  The leaves are from my favourite Dylusions set, the grass is PaperArtsy and all the rest are Inkadinkado.

I used Dylusion spray inks for the background with an iridescent glimmer mist through a flower stencil on top.  I also stamped a butterfly over the background, but it's difficult to see as I used pink ink on the pink background areas, purple on purple etc.  The leaves and birds are stamped in black on scraps of scrapbook paper and then paper pieced.  I used my memories black ink that I have had since I started stamping in 1998 and it's still my most used stamp pad.

I made a simpler version of the bird page using scrapbook green paper as the background and colouring the leaves with pro markers.  They made fun birthday cards.

Anne x

LOAD 512

I signed up for LOAD (layout a day) May 2012.  Last time I only made about 4 pages as I had a really busy month.  Yet again it's fallen on a busy month so I will see how it goes.  This is my first page - all about me - and shows photos from 2006 when I was on my way out for a night out with the MBA crowd.  The small title 'Learn Discover Grow' is very apt for everything I learnt and experienced during the time I studied for my Masters Degree.

The page is based on a Shimelle.com layout.  The journalling is on the light brown stripes.  Not the best balanced page but I didn't want to cover up all the sayings on the background paper.  The papers are mainly Simple Stories with Making Memories flowers and brads.

I've also finished another two journal pages so will share them on Wednesday when they have reached their destination.

In case you are wondering the shield is for hubby's car winning the concurs competition (overall winner for the sixth time) at the annual sunbeam alpine owners club yearly get together.

Have a lovely day.  Anne x

Deco Swap

I used to like making tiny things, then I discovered scrapbooking and now feel at more home making 12 x 12 scrapbook pages.  Trouble is now tiny things are difficult! 

The pages below were made for a deco swap on the theme of summertime and are both just 4 x 4 inches in size.  The top one is coloured with copic and pro markers and has 4 layers of decoupage.  The decoupage just shows as a thicker black line on the scans below.  The black dot in the sky is just on the scan - I hope!

The beach huts were watercoloured using aqua markers.  On both pages the deck chairs are paper pieced and raised on 3D foam.

All the stamps are from Hobby Art.  With the exception of the sun they are all from the same rubber stamp sheet.

I hope you are having a lovely Easter.  Anne x

Journal Swap

I made the pages below for the first round of a journal swap.  The flowers and leaves are paper pieced.  The flowers are made with a rose scrapbook paper and the leaves from a painted background I made. 

Stamps: Dylusions, Stampotique and Hero Arts

Paint/Ink: Dylusions, Golden, Ranger and Stampin Up markers

It took a while to get started as I couldn't be as messy and carefree as usual.  Also I found it difficult to get a background card that didn't go all bobbly when wet.  I ended up taking pages from a 7 Gypsies journal.  Overall I'm pleased with them and will be sorry to see them go.

I need to get a move on as my next swap is due to be with the recipient on 6 April - good job I have an idea.  Now I just need to get off this pc and get started.

Hope you are having a lovely week.

Anne x

Better Late Than Never

Here are a few other layouts that I don't think I have shared on my blog.

This is my favourite photo of when I was little.  I must have been distracted by the camera and missed my mouth!  No idea what I was trying to eat.  The papers are from an old We Are Memory Keepers kit from QVC and are more pastel in real life.  The Sketch is from a Page Maps book.

Not sure where this sketch came from, though I remember turning it on it's side.  The papers are 12" x 2" and I added the fancy border as it seemed a bit plain without.  This was our cabin on the Cruise Ship Aurora.  Papers are from my scrap basket.

This layout came from a Shimelle Starting Point.  I have loads of paper so I'm not sure why I decided to use two papers I don't like much (they came from a bargain random mixed box) I used the A and B sides of each piece for the squares.  The papers and stickers are from Cosmo Cricket and I really like the finished layout.  These photos are of everyone watching the band playing at the start of our cruise.

This layout is based on a class in Shimelle's fab Hitchhickers Guide to Scrapbooking Class.  Great way of using up scraps of pretty paper.  Whilst on our Cruise we visited St Petersburg.  You can't tell from the photos but it threw it down.

The classroom and bedroom at the Crab Apple Crafts Retreat in November.  I think this is another Shimelle layout.  Papers from the February Scrapagogo kit.

This photo looks like I am protecting the guilty by blurring their faces :-D  but in reality it is the just the camera flash refusing to turn off.  I think this is another layout from the fab Hitchhikers class at Two Peas in a Bucket.  Check out their video classes as many are free.  Papers are from Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer range and the stickers are from October Afternoon.

Last one.  This needs some heartfelt journaling which I think I may hide on the back.

Have a lovely day.  Anne x

Another Starting Point

Below is an older one of Shimelle's Starting Points.

This is my version.  Very pretty girly pink papers that reminds me of when I used to quilt.  The papers are all from Authentique with Tim Holtz and My Minds Eye letters.  I fussy cut the flowers from a sheet of paper.

For my birthday we had afternoon tea in Stratford followed by a mooch around the shops.  There was so much cake that I couldn't eat it all, which was just as well as there is a limit to how far Weight Watchers points will stretch.  Must be working as tee shirt is now too big and when I first saw this photo I thought 'who stole the mellons'!  Not sure I should write that on my layout just in case it is saved for future generations. LOL!

Gosh two blog posts in one day.  Think I need to lie down in a darkened room to recover :-D

Love Anne x

Shimelle's Starting Point

I was really pleased to see Shimelle had a new starting point.  Even though I usually use completely different papers starting points just seem easier for me than sketches.

Here is Shimelle's starting point and below is my layout.  I may make it again using a square photo on the left.

I thought I would stuggle with journaling on such a big area, but in the end I wished I had a little more space.  Sorry about the rubbish photo but the inside of our house always seems dark even with bright sunshine outside.

Anyone know who made the background papers?  I bought the only two sheets in the shop and got a bit happy with a friend's punch on the B sides so the green, yellow and patterned papers are just scraps.

I hope you had a lovely relaxing weekend. Anne x

Deco Swap

I joined a deco swap thinking I could do some messy inky journal type pages.  Then I got the themes.  I was expecting vague themes like 'happy' or 'flowers' but instead got 'a stamped background with a flower in the middle inking the edges for a vintage look' and another theme is oriental!  Yikes not inky mess grungy then!

Took a while to do these but I am very happy with how they turned out.

Next theme is a bit easier but my oriental stamps haven't seen ink for years so the third one will be difficult.

I have been mainly doing pages for round robins so I can't share my pages until the books are back with their owners.  I have also done some scrapbook pages which I will share in the next few days.

Have a lovely weekend. Anne x

Flag Card

I adapted a paper strip idea I saw in a magazine to make a flag card.  It's a great way to use up scraps of scrapbook paper.

Use one inch strips for the blue area and half inch strips for the cream.  I drew a rough pattern of the blue cross on the card so that I could make sure the other strips went underneath to cover up the loose ends.  Trim round the edges at the end.  The triangles are slightly bigger than the half inch strips.  All pieces have been edged with vintage photo distress ink.

Anne x

Proud Mum Moment

Here is another scrapbook layout.  This is about my son who had his book published recently.  Blagman was his nickname when he was a student.

I used Simple Stories school type paper.

Have a lovely day, Anne x

Lovely Memories

Each year we grow the same varieties of tomatoes my grandad grew.  The home grown tomato smell brings back lovely memories of my time spent on his allotment when I was little.  I wish I had a photo of him in his huge green greenhouse made out of old window frames. 

Below is a page I made about my memories.  The smudge bottom right is a fingerprint.  Apologies for the variable lighting on the photo.

What smell(s) evokes memories for you? 

The smell of moth balls and cigars remind me of working in a bank and the smell of moth balls and BO remind me of an office job!  Nicer smells include baking smells that remind me of my lovely gran.  Burning smells remind me of our garage as Paul is often welding in there.  Once you get thinking it's amazing what memories smells evoke.

Just off out for lunch.  Have a lovely day.  Anne x

Time ATCs

I had fun making some ATCs for a Time themed swap.  I used the new Portobello Road papers and stamps and have a serious crush on the 12 x 12 scrapbook - shame it's not a ring binder.

Stamps and 6 x 6 paper pad from Papermania

Time to relax stamp from Papertrey Ink

Chicken or Egg?

Here is another page from my inky 7 Gypsies journal.  I took the plunge and drew the chicks freehand.

Image by Deviant Scrap

Gelly roll glaze pens

Dylusions ink sprays

Crafter's Workshop stencil

I am trying to use up some of my ever increasing stash.  This week I have made 2 journal pages and 4 ATCs but have also acquired 5 sheets of 12 x 12 card and two sheets of patterned paper - I think I am a lost cause!

I am learning to play the keyboard and my current song is 'air on a g string'.  I'm trying to be good and do more practice this week.  It's hard as there are 101 other things I would prefer to spend my time on.  I need to borrow a nagging parent for an hour each day to make me practice ;-)  Not so bad once I start playing; but the first step is as hard as getting out of bed...

Have a lovely week, Anne x