LOAD Lainie :)

I am mega mega excited to share this with you..... I was asked to be a 'guest star' for October LOAD.

This time around as I may have said before, it is not being ran by Lain Ehmann herself but instead Leslie and Lynette have done a fantastic job of setting up daily prompts for all 150 of us to do something different for everyday in October.

Lain hasn't stopped doing LOAD but due to the commitments of True scrap she couldn't offer both this year, instead these 2 lovely ladies stepped up to the mark and took this huge task on for themselves.... and how thankful am I to them for that!

I have found these prompts as inspirational and ass kicking as any of Lain's LOADS and I've done a few :), they have had me thinking in new ways and most of all producing lots of pages that I am really happy with, i am a few behind at the moment due to Elsie being poorly for a week and having the kids home for half term but I will finish and upload them all eventually for you to see.....

So tomorrow is the 30th October, nearly at the end of the journey and it also brings MY DAY!

My challenge and my pages as inspiration for all of those lovely LOAD ladies.... im very excited but also nervous that it wont be up to scratch with all the other fabulous ideas that we have seen this month, I guess only time will tell.... and also being at the end means not as many people will see it, as LOAD ladies always dwindle towards the end as life gets in the way and people get left behind... as i have. 

Wanna see what my challenge for these girls is???

So this is the page I started with..... its a picture of Elsie from our family photo shoot back early this year. I originally did this for a layering prompt when I was signed up to a Jen Jockisch class through Studio Calico, altho it was all my own design. 

I definitely learnt a lot through that so if you struggle with layers its one to think about!

My challenge to the girls then is not to scrap lift this page of mine but instead to scrap lift their own work from over the month of LOAD, or before if they fancy.

as inspiration for them I also included a page that i made based on this one of mine:

As you will see each one contains a Heidi Swapp file folder, one of my favourite scrapping things EVER! but I have used them in different ways.... the first I cut in half I used one half as the main background (zebra stripe) and cut the second half, in half again and flipped it so that I had an extra layer (the pink layer) and the other half, I moved out slightly and had it as an extra layer under the Heidi Swapp Journal card (adore)..... in this second one I used it as it was meant to be used... a file flip out folder!

I decorated the front with lots of layered embellishments and a photo of my eldest son and his friend whilst they were away at school camp. 

This then opens to reveal a LOT of journalling about the story behind the picture and more photos. 

see here:

This is very different to the original but follows some of the same basic design structures. 

for example: the photo is matted, the file folder is the main background, under the photo there are a line of embellishment, the "boys" title and the tickets.

I hope this also makes the ladies look at their own pages in  a new way, we don't have to follow everyone else to get good ideas, we can recycle our own ideas to make new ones.... if you like a certain aspect of something use it over and over again in different ways, its going to work for you if you like it!

Thanks for dropping by today, I'll let you know how it goes! :)

Also if you decide to take on this challenge for yourself please link it up so I can take a look!!!!

take care, see you soon xxxxxx

hooray for tuesday!

WHOOP WHOOP!

today was Tuesday!, I had a day to myself for the first time in 10 days and it was heaven.

I wasted no time in getting into my craft room and to Carole's disapproval I had started my challenge by the time she joined me.

Im so pleased as i managed to complete 2.5 pages today and have a couple more from days past to show you too.... grab a cuppa this could take a while :)

This is day 19 of LOAD which was to scraplift someone from the LOAD flickr gallery. 

I chose to lift Lytia1 and this is her page.

It also incorporates Carole's daily challenge which was to have a patchwork heart on the page, i think she wanted something bigger!??!?! but I had to do it my way (not sure I can do any other way)

Im very pleased with the end result tho, and love this picture that my cousin took of the suspension bridge at night, my favourite thing in Bristol at night :)

This one is for day 20 of LOAD and the challenge for this day was to use washi tape.

Its the only piece of patterned anything on this very minimal page, another which Carole isn't keen on :) but I LOVE it :)

I think it really focuses on the photos, and also the title.... I had to add some colour didn't I lol

It also incorporates Carole's challenge to use white paper and have everything in a strip across the page...well almost.

LOAD 21 - something which has been hard to overcome..... I chose to do the easiest things for this challenge, which is a photo of my tattoo which I had done to remember my Nan. Not that I will ever ever forget her, but it keeps her with me at all times... she will forever be the wise old bird on my shoulder guiding me through life!

the title My Way recognises that this is how I chose to deal with my Nan's passing, it has helped me and always will i think.

I also added in Carole's challenge which was to use circle segments :)

LOAD 22 was to use a photo which had the back of people in it... I take loads of those kind of pictures, is that creepy?!?!?!? I find they tend to be more natural!

This one is of Lola and aunty Maxine, on the beach at Bude when we visited for Chris and Stephs wedding.... it was a very windy day :)

The lollipop flowers came from a Carole challenge which i am now up to date with :) and the butterflies were Carole's idea also, it definitely wouldn't be Tuesday if we didn't scrap together and have a  laugh.... today was no different after she almost made me spit lemonade over my layouts when she made me laugh!

I will miss it next tuesday when we are both busy so roll on the 7th November :)

multi tasking!

Ive not been too good at this lately, hence the lack of pages I've created, and I'm behind on both of my challenges.... but right now , at this very minute I am multi tasking, cooking dinner and blogging.. life as a woman eh!!!

just popped on to show you a page i managed to do this afternoon whilst hubby had elsie downstairs for an hour:

so the 2 challenges for this one were: 

1: use 4 tags on a page

2: scrap a sporting event

ummm....... 1.5 out of 2 isn't bad is it???

Ok so ballet technically isn't sport but it works for me :)

the 4 tags thing really had me thinking, i tried a lot of different things before settling on this idea, and once again it was thanks to Carole that I got here at all!

(the last page I tried working 4 tags into was BAD)

once I started it didn't take long to finish and I'm actually liking the result but the run up was long and hard!

I like that I could make Lola hold hands with herself in the photos and i like that it gives it a staggered effect rather than have them all in a straight line. 

let me know what you think?!?!?!

thanks for looking  xxxxxx

oh buttons!

116 buttons to be more precise!!!

after the initial shock of the challenge Carole set me, I got to work pinning button ideas.... I came across a hung picture of an 'E' made from pearly buttons and fell in love. However I didnt want to do an E, I wanted to do something for all of us, then the title popped into my head and i knew which letter i had to buttonise!

wanna see?!?!?!?

Doing this was very (weirdly) relaxing.... Im quite proud of myself as I didn't us any templates, I just laid the buttons out until they worked for me, and then i stuck them. 

I think it could use something else in the bottom right hand corner but I'm not sure what as I don't wanna take away anything from the 'U'...any suggestions?!?!?!

Before I go I just wanna say a big thanks to Carole who has been setting me challenges for over a week now, they have inspired me massively and i have done things this week that I would never have even thought of even attempting.... thank you Carole xxxxxxx

see you soon xxxx

feeling better!

So our sick house is back on the mend.... little Elsie moo has been throw up free for a couple of days now so things are looking up.

she still couldn't go to Zoe's today as they have to go 48 hours without sickness before they are allowed back so I'm really looking forward to Tuesday now, as I'm sure she is too!!

As you can imagine i haven't done much crafting over the past few days, but I have squeezed a couple of pages in whilst Elsie has slept and on an evening.

Im still going with October LOAD, even if i am a couple of days behind, and I'm also up to date with Carole's challenges too, so all in all I'm not doing too badly.

Im also very excited as Ive spoken to the chap from the house that we have rented out for retreat next month and he has assured me that all will be fine.... cant wait now, it has seems to be forever away for months and now its only 3 weeks until we go!!! Cant wait :)

So heres my last couple of pages, would love to know what you think??

This one was for day 7 of Carole's challenges and day 15 of LOAD.

It combines a grid layout from Carole and frames challenge from LOAD. 

I quite like it, it does look almost exactly like the pinterest page that Carole gave me

find that here

The pics are of Elsie in the garden back in June when Paul gave me an early birthday present, my new camera lens, obviously i had to try it out and Elsie was a willing subject. It wasn't until I had printed the photos and was looking at them carefully when I noticed all of her different faces!

It also appears I'm loving red and yellow at the moment :)

This page was day 8 of Carole's challenges and day 16 for LOAD

It incorporates the hand drawn and cut title that Carole asked for plus layers for LOAD.... I really enjoyed painting, layering up the colours, overlapping the designs to make this page pop... Paul thinks it looks like a comic book page?????

Hand drawing and cutting out a title of my own took me back to the first days of scrapping. When I started this addictive craft 8 or 9 years ago, we didn't have the selection of things we have now, there werent many alphabets, or embellishments, lots of things were hand made so this was very old school effect for me, one that I didn't find too difficult :)

I also chose to draw on some stars, they are my signature doodle, stars along with hearts, and as i wanted some more on the I thought I would just doodle them.

The design o the page follows quite closely to this one on Pinterest, as it is the one that Carole pinned for me to look at. 

Guess what tho..... I also learned how to use my sewing machine!!!! :)

If you look really closely you will see my dodgy, but not out of place sewing around the photo, I have Carole to thank for making me get it out and helping me to load up the bobbin (very exciting stuff) and she also helped me via Skype to get started.... quite difficult when you aren't in the room!!!

So now its set up on my craft table with everything else so that I can make good use of it, Im wondering why I didn't try to do this earlier! expect sewing on many more pages to come lol

thanks for coming by today.

see you soon xxxxxx

NOT a crafting Tuesday :(

I have a poorly baby girl.... Elsie has been throwing up since Sunday and its not nice, for her or me...

my washing basket is taking over my kitchen, you can imagine all the extra washing we have.. she is upset a lot and not eating or drinking properly, which cant be nice for her and is worrying me... and she just wants cuddles a lot which means I don't get a lot else done all day. not that I mind baby snuggles on the sofa :)

Today is normally my Carole craft day but as Elsie is sick she cant go to the childminders so she is joining us.... Im hoping to get a little bit of me time whilst she gets some sleep, fingers crossed for me please :)

I will show you what I have managed to do these past couple of days tho:

This page incorporates 2 challenges in 1... at the moment i don't have time to do each separately so this works for me.

The LOAD prompt was from day 14 and was to use a black and white photo...easy :)

The other challenge was Caroles and not so easy as she wanted me to sew on my page!

I must admit I quite liked doing this, the page itself and the sewing... I guess when times are hard and stressful at home its nice to do something that takes you away form it all and sewing is one of those therapeutic things! 

I have made the photo into a pocket, and behind I have hidden a tag with a note from school attached to it. the note from school says how well he is doing in his maths and how he managed to finish his work, plus extra and help others in one maths lesson. A proud mummy moment for me :)

This page practically made itself! it came together so effortlessly i was really happy with it.

This is just a page from Caroles challenges.

She insists that she will make me love christmas! I don't hate christmas but I just don't scrap it often, I already have a ton to do a this busy time of year so finding time is bad enough. 

So her challenge was to make a christmas page.... in OCTOBER!

I managed to find a christmas photo in my photobox stash... and all of these xmas papers came out of my scrap bag so I guess it was meant to be, and if im really honest I really enjoyed doing it, it didnt take long and i think it is effective. 

my fave parts are the '1' card, the snowman and the bauble banner.

right, Elsie needs me...she wants to draw

Ill see you soon xxxxxx

love a crop day....

so yesterday was crop day.... the one day a month where I am surrounded by people as crazy as I am... 

Ladies who love paper like I do, who oooh and ahhh over pretty things and sparkly stuff!!

I love it :)

I took my first set of class kits along, they went ok...... I have a few left if anybody wants one?? they cost £6 and I've titled it summer in autumn as they are bright summer colours with lots of layers and enough space for whichever photos you want to scrap.

message me if you are interested x

anyways, I managed to do a couple of my own pages yesterday, its great to be able to share my time helping others who are less confident with their scrapping abilities (even when they have no need to be) but I also love having the time to do my own stuff too.... its win win situation for me :)

I completed 2 pages both for Carole's challenge and i have managed to link them too my LOAD challenges too so that was a bonus for me... so currently i am up to date, except I haven't done todays page yet, but theres still time lol.

So here is the first page:

the next in line for Carole's challenge... she gave me a CARD! it had a pretty frilly heart on it and was done in lovely pastel colours, it was very girly and pretty (sooo not me) and i had instructions to use pastel colours on mine, I was allowed to leave out the frills, thankfully!

please see the original here

I loved the stacked heart, I had some A4 paper packs which I haven't looked at in years but I decided to use these today to layer up... I then chose a patterned 12x12 that i thought I would NEVER use and trimmed that down before mounting it on kraft. 

then I found the photo.... it looked a bit bulky and straight as it was so I chose to use my heart edger straight onto the photo, I think it works well :)

Then I tied in my LOAD challenge which was to add a cluster on the page.... I did this in the top section, which started with the scalloped circle and grew as I found more pieces that I wanted to add on.... im not sure if the white space is too much or if it needs anything else, but its done!

This second page that I completed was another based on Carole's Saturday challenge for me, 

find it here

As always with challenges i pick out the bits that appeal to me and make it work with my style of scrapping.... this was particularly difficult for me as I've done misted backgrounds before and its looked horrendous and ended up in the bin.... so this made it tie nicely in with the missed LOAd challenge i didn't do from day 11..... this was to revisit something that you were rubbish at and try again... I guess I had to!

As you can see it went wrong AGAIN!

I used a Dylusions mask to make the rough diamond shapes in the middle, but I remembered to cover the top and the right hand side, but completely forgot to cover up the left... hence the green edge to my page.... I would normally have thrown it in the bin, but instead decided i would keep it and make it work... I chose to add another stencil on the top and instead of spraying this part I rubbed through some black Stayz on ink to reinforce the pattern on the edge, I hope it makes it look like the green was there on purpose, had i not have told you otherwise :)

Once again (weirdly) I chose my photograph after I had done anything else so I think I was super lucky to have this pic of elsie that works perfectly with the green, and with the black zebra like edging , I then sifted through my stash to find bits to add on.... again its quite simple but what would be the point in all the misting if I covered it all up???

TIP OF THE DAY

I was asked at crop how I add embellishments on.... which oddly is something I seem to struggle with myself! or maybe I'm over it?!?!?!

My solution to this.... when I am looking for things to add on to make a cluster, or to add some interest to a page I always follow these steps:

1: go through my embellishment bag and pull out everything in a coordinating colour to my page.

2: apply some to the page, add in clusters to work out what works where... you never know unless you try, so try it all!

3: take away the stuff that really doesn't work, theres no point adding it on just for adding it on sake, you can save it for another project!

4: stick down what works for you, add in some extra words, I love this... do as much as you feel happy with :)

If you refer back to the first page of Elsie sleeping you will see I have a bottle cap, a bow and a butterfly, none of these things really go together if you think about it, but they all fit well within the layout itself.

Always remember that nothing you do in scrapbooking is wrong! if you like it then its right.... personal preference has a lot to do with scrapbooks, something I love you might hate, and something I hate you might fall in love with, you will never make everyone happy with what you do so be sure to make the person that counts happy.... and that is yourself!

Thanks for dropping in today.... hope to see you soon xxxxx