Christmas cheer!

My interpretion of a Christmas tree pictured Wendy made last year.  I had lots of fun cutting out the circles and stamping things one of our lovely crafty mornings.  Then I brought all the bits home arranged them and stuck them down.  It took a lot of coats of paint and tissue stuck on to make the background but that meant I could add some silver glitter as well :) 

After a couple of days I put the picture into a frame.  Trade secret!  I used the back from picture frames that were going to be thrown out as a canvas, up cycling Kirsty Allsopp would be proud of!

I liked it so much I made another one for my mum! This time on paper rather than painting for days!

Happy Holidays!

Check out my Christmas cards!  Which one will you get?!

I actually started them a while ago testing Wendy's new die cut machine and stamping away with her lovely stampin' up stamps.  Then I came home and cut up all my work and sat in front of the tv one night and stuck stuff down.  I have decided that I can't really do slick and stylish so have decided to stick to what I like, layers and using stuff up. So my cards are made from paper scraps, random bits from a basket of Christmas stuff and lots of free paper that came with the magazines I read while William was in hospital! 

Wendy the sequins were a fab idea they look great in real life :) 

A complete LSNED book!

I finished!  One of my new skills was using Instagram and I had some of my pictures printed for my mini book, they arrived this week and I was able to finish my pages.  

I am pleased with how it has turned out, and I really enjoyed both the reflection of the project and making something using only the materials in my project box.  It really helped to have less stuff to play with and to concentrate on finding my style.

These are my favourite pages from the last section of the book: 

LSNED catching up!

My third week of learn something new was much busier and ended up being a week of note taking and then making pages later on.  Actually this has been good as I have been able to pinpoint some smaller lessons and focus on just one picture or story.  

One really nice thing about this project is that my book helps me to see more what is my style of scrapbooking.  Quite simple, titles are important, I like some embellishments but not too much. 

Some of my favourite pages this week :

More Sunday skills :)

This week I decided I would try a mixed media / art journaling type page for my LSNED book.  I was really pleased with the result, especially finding a successful way to use the masks that I have, as I don't seem to be able to use them with mists!

I like the tag too that uses text from my plundered pages from Julie Kirk's etsy shop.  I liked the textures, and after years of thinking that I couldn't do art because I can't draw, I feel like I produced something quite cool :) 

Sunday skills!

Inspired by Shimelle's top tips my sunday skill to learn was scrapbooking quickly and efficiently instead of spending ages fiddling about with the tiny details.  I gathered some supplies and tried to work quickly in stages, I cut the papers and photos  to size, made the embellishments, went off to organise the children and break up a fight (!) and then came back and placed it all and stuck it down before I could change my mind.

I was really pleased with the result and feel like I have developed a new skill :) 

So then I was on a roll and made a back to school card for my colleagues in record time!

I was particularly pleased with the t and e that I had to make from other letters - who knew a c and a 7 would work so well?!

Now all I have to do is print some pictures for my LSNED mini book which is coming on nicely despite having post its instead of photos!

Merci beaucoup!

Yesterday's LSNED prompt was about gratitude and it made me think about this little notebook I made as a gratitude journey earlier in the summer and then wrote in about 3 times and left on the side!

I did some teaching yesterday for the first time this year, I am doing basic French at Madeleine's school for the year 6 children and it was such good fun.  I had forgotten how much I love being in the classroom and this bit of volunteer teaching will be a real tonic for me this year.  The children were really enthusiastic and said Merci at the end of the session!  Today I have relearnt how much I love to teach my subject and how at home I feel in the classroom. I am grateful to have a job I really love that I am good at :)

Although my page for this lesson isn't done yet I have started by stamping lots of mercis over the paper ready for my journaling.

Learn Something New Every Day

This class is turning out to be a really good way for me to think about and appreciate the everyday :) 

I am also trying to scrap as simply as possible doing a little every day.  I cut 6x6 pages for each day from a selection of papers and have printed some journaling cards and tags as well so I can write up my reflections each day and assemble the pages with post it notes for my photos that I will print later in a batch. 

I just have to work out how to shrink my images so I can post them in the class!

A plus tard!

Learn something new every day!

How exciting!  I have won a place on Shimelle Laine's workshop Learn Something New Every Day :) thank you Julie Kirk at Notes on paper for such a fab opportunity.  I am really looking forward to starting my grown up gap year with a new focus for my crafty activities and taking part in more online activities / forums as there is so much great talent and inspiration out there.

I am also going to have a go at my month in numbers a feature on Julie's blog. Watch this space.  What with the big pile of summer pictures, a smashbook project and some card making I might not have time for my little bit of teaching and organising Paul's business!

At last some pictures printed!

I finally got round to sending off pictures to be printed and so I have something to scrap!  I have printed some favourites and lots from the summer to keep me busy as my gap year gets underway in September.  

First I have had this vintage map of New York paper for ages and wanted to use my favourite picture from our anniversary trip to New York in 2011.  I have also managed to get my hands on some of those fab crate paper slide frames and tried something I had seen on Pinterest framing part of a picture but leaving the interesting side part. I really like the result and also used a tag I made with paint, masks and spray ink ages ago that has been waiting for a project.  Some stickers and words from my sticker stash and it was complete, I like that it has a sticker from my very fist scrapbook kit from Ria's shop from 2005! 

Then I was on a roll so I started on the pictures from our trip to Dorset, we had such a lovely few days with my friend from uni and it was fab to catch up and see the beautiful part of the world that she now lives in. The drive from Bridport to Abbotsbury was the most stunning drive since we were in New Zealand it is a shame I had to drive and couldn't take pictures!

So this layout is my boy trying surfing on a British beach!  I based it on a sketch by Ronda Palazzari for MME and I really enjoyed doing something a bit different, this was also a good chance to use some beach / surf themed paper and rub ones by Kaisercraft that I used for a project last year.  The ink splashes and enamel dots work well and I like using things instead of just hoarding them!!

I am also proud of my embossed chipboard letters even if the title is a bit wonky!

Some summer scrapping!

Inspired by a visit from my friend Ria who started me scrapbooking in 2005 (!) I have finished two projects today!  

The first is an idea I had ages ago and since I made this I have seen loads on Pinterest and I really did think of it myself!!  I also made a picture for my sister in law in the same way but never photographed it.    I punched lots of flowers using my new stampin up blossom punch trying to keep in a basic colour theme of pink / cream / teal.  Then I layered them in a heart shape over white card stock misted with kesiarts pshitt spray ink (I LOVE the name it is so onomatopaeic - say it with a French accent and pronounce the p!).  I mounted the photo with 3D foam to give it depth.  It also makes a lovely picture of the children stand out.

I bought some big die cut initials in a craft shop near my in-laws in the spring and then stashed them!  Madeleine and I have been discussing the layout of fairy tales and she is fascinated by the convention of having a large letter at the start of a page or story so I thought I'd use her letter to make a fairy tale name sign for her which evolved into a 12x12 page!  It was also a good way to use up some random letter stickers.  I balanced the title with a photo in a Polaroid frame and a cluster of embellishments including the buttons from a white stuff top!  I wanted to record what is so cool about her at the moment and my journaling borders the patterned paper, a nice change from a tag!

Hoping to have more time to scrap now I am on my gap year!

Smash book Paris 2013

My first attempt at smashing!  I took a smash book to Paris with me on the school trip, I had already altered the covers and took some tape and pockets.  I wrote my journal each day while I was in Paris and left room for the photos,  it was then a pretty quick job to finish the book once I was home. I printed small photos and attached them with adhesive and washi tape.  I also added postcards, tickets and leaflets from our trip.

I enjoyed combining the holiday journal and mini book, I am going to try and do a 30 day smash challenge I have found on Pinterest once I start my gap year!

Family photo!

Every so often we try and take a whole family photo, setting the timer and assembling everyone while Paul rushes in to be in the photo.  It is always hilarious and this session at Nanny and Grandad's birthday party was no exception.  We ended up with about 10 pictures and I chose these 3 as they show how the session gradually descends into chaos. This time it was William who couldn't sit still and  had to be scooped up by various people and ended up doing his finger point dance.

I have used my quirky kit, the paper is from kesiarts and has a really nice texture.  I added some pieces of the other patterned papers as well as a my minds eye journaling card in a glassine envelope and a jigsaw piece that was originally a tag from my new handbag! I added washi tape at the last minute but I not sure if I like it!

Hoping to finish my Paris smash book tonight!  I will post that soon :) 

New quirky kit!

So I thought I ought to get started with my new kit instead of leaving it in the cupboard and stroking the paper every so often!  I have realised I have lots of paper and instead of using it carefully and saving all the scraps I need to use it in big pieces and try things like ripping it and not just cutting carefully with a guillotine!

So I tore the patterned paper I chose, made a sort of Polaroid frame for one of my pictures and picked out a cluster of embellishments from my overflowing stash of pretty things!  I used my new stamps to stamp tiny butterflies on the tag and a pile of sequins attached with glossy accents.

I am very pleased with how the page turned out,the ink was brushed on to the edges with a sponge and then flicked on to give spatters which work well with the dots.  A nice colour combo that works well with these very green photos. 

Birthday cards

William turned three and the girls made him birthday cards.  They are boy crazy by my minds eye papers and stickers.  The silver letters didn't have quite enough vowels and Hs but I managed to cobble together the letters I need.

I like the way the planet looks in the end and the different depths of paper, Madeleine's card is very cool with her writing and the stickers, there is a little strip of paper inside the card and a lovely message she wrote.  It was really cute to see her reading the messages in the cards to William on his birthday.

Mini me!

I was scrapping some pictures from our camping weekend (I intend to make a mini alum sometime soon!) and my daughter wanted to join in, we found some pictures of her from a previous holiday and some stickers.  Then off she went, the layout, colours and labels are all her own work.  I am very proud of my little me and hope we carry on making things together :) 

My page is a similar design to several recent pages perhaps I need new inspiration?!

Dressing up

I found this picture on my iPad, I new I had been scrapping in may!  

I like these photo strip pictures they come from an app on the iPad and I can print them different sizes.  I wanted to try more layering in this page and although the photos are important the journaling and titles are also essential parts of the story.  I like the colours and the enamel dots which are such fun to play with! 

I am in France this week with my school and am trying out a smash book journal, I have brought some bits and will post next week how it turned out when I have added photos.

What's happening this week?

Inspired by Pinterest I bought a very cheap plastic multi frame (it has to be plastic to withstand the pen and the chaos of our house!)

Using scraps of left over paper I made a background for each day and placed them behind the glass, you can write on the glass with a whiteboard pen and then rub it off as things happen.

I will organise our family!  It's big test will be next week when I am away with school :) 

Woolly jumpers!

A few weeks ago I spent a very happy evening with my friend Wendy painting and playing with ink!  I made this background and have been waiting for the time and photo to use it.  This picture is from January this year and shows the children with their toys woolly jumpers from Nanny.  They are really cool and the children love them.  We asked for them so that Sam the stoma puppet had a top that covered his Mr Burp and nanny made one for Oliver too so Madeleine wouldn't feel left out. 

I like the texture of this page and the outlining with my journaling pen which gives it a bit more depth.

Check out my new coat!

I was trying out 4x6 paper and I love the colours and smile in this picture from Easter. I used my latest Quirky Kit and tried out some paint splashes and sewing.

I was really pleased with my decorated journal tag too, I recently rediscovered brads since I finally have a tool to poke holes in the paper! The Polaroid shape is on lots of things I see on Pinterest and I like the way these frames work especially with paper instead of pictures.

Croptastic Saturday!

Spent a lovely morning at a local crop with a fab class by Lisa Saunders, lots of fun with ink and paint and some great ideas for using patterned papers. I was inspired and came home and did two more layouts using similar techniques.

I have been using bits from my quirky kit but having mixed it up with other papers it's a bit of a hodge podge.

I was particularly pleased to have scrapped my perruque pop photo, these old photos just sit in boxes never being looked at which is a shame. It was such a fab weekend and I love how this picture brings back great memories.

Sisters selfies

My sister and I have taken loads of these 'selfie' pictures over the years holding the camera up and doing cheesy grins! This is from our sister in law's hen night and for once our outfits coordinated so it needed to be scrapped :)

I used some of my new Quirky kit and some bits from my embellishment basket! There is all sorts in there and once I had decided on the colours I wanted to use there seemed to be lots that worked for this layout.

I like the different textures on the page, I am starting to be a bit more messy and make my pages less about the paper and have more depth, it is fun to experiment and as I make more pages I am more confident about trying new things.

Back to school this week so scrapping will be competing for time with lesson planning and marking! Roll on the summer :)

Easter fun

We spent Easter with my cousin and her family in Devon, the children had a wonderful time playing with their older cousins and Madeleine just seems more grown up after her weekend sleepover! On Sunday the Easter bunny had hidden eggs in the garden and the children loved hunting for them, it was lovely to watch Thomas help William look for his Easter eggs. Once they had found them all came the hard bit dividing the eggs up, as 21 didn't divide by 4 they had 5 each and then did a quiz for the daddies to see who won the last egg :)

I had fun making the eggs for this page, it was a great way to use up scraps of paper I have been keeping 'for something'.

Today I am ... 2

Wlliam's list of questions scrapped with a picture from our lunch where he answered them. The writing is Madeleine who asked the questions and wrote down his answers beautifully. I love the way she has spelt pyjamas.

The pinwheel really spins too!

Same old pictures

I am loving playing with these old photos and made my brother a birthday card with a photo of us as children. This was also a good way to use up some scraps of paper I had left from previous projects.

Orange and brown isn't a combination I'd normally go for but it works here :)

Home alone scrapping

I have been at home on my own with the children for a few days which gives me quiet evenings to play with paper. Sunday night I did these two layouts of my little boy, I intended to use his list of questions from Saturday lunch but forgot so I need to do a third layout in this series!

It was made much easier by my having sorted my paper out by theme and I used a sketch I found on Pinterest.

Monday I had a fun time with my crafty friend Wendy stealing her idea for paper covered pegs to pin artwork in William's room. They look great and I will take a pic when I remember and he is awake!

Today I am ...

Inspired by a page from http://mymindseye.typepad.com/ by Tina Walker I decided to try using washi tape to make a background for this layout. At lunch we had been asking each other about our favourite things and I got Madeleine to answer her questions for the page. I love that I have her spelling as well as her answers!

I was experimenting with embellishments too, piling things up (well a little bit) and trying to use more in one place, I will keep trying!

This was also really easy to do with everyone around, not too messy and I could pick it up and stop to referee fighting every so often.

Mothers Day

I found this lovely picture of me and my mum in a box of pictures and wanted to use it for Mother's Day. I liked the mini layout card I made so much I made a 12 x 12 version for myself! It was nice to work with a single picture and I have had lots of fun making embellishments with spray ink and glossy accents.

The papers started off neutral but then I found this valentine paper that I hadn't used and it fitted perfectly.

It was also good to take some time to think about how fab my mum is and all that she does for us. We really couldn't manage without her help and my children LOVE spending time with her.

The 12 x 12 version was inspired by the one little word blog where the current word is always. I immediately thought of my mum who is quite simple always there when I need her.