Beach Boy Layout

I'm working on a top secret project at the moment... Paul's 40th birthday present.. Seeing as I made an album for his sisters 40th a few years ago I couldn't let the occasion go without doing something for him... I have to say it's been the hardest task I have ever had to do I think and what I mean by that is trying to keep this a total secret from him and sneaking around behind his back to do it!!

I am a dreadful liar apparently I have an very expressive face...I have had to go around for the past 8 months lying to him as to what I have made when he's gone off for a boys day out or when I am sneaking stuff out to go to a crop... my main problem is he actually takes an interest in what I do and that makes it so much harder!

He's almost caught me out about a handful of times now from coming home early to surprise me whilst I had everything laid out on my desk to most recently nagging at me to open a parcel from his mum which had photos for the album... I have another 10 months before it's got to be done so I dread to think what other lies are going to come out of my mouth... I just feel this is turning into quite a little monster all these little lies and I have no clue whether he's onto me or not!

Anyway I'm going to secretly start adding the LO's to my blog to share with the blog world... here is the first one of him in his younger years looking like the Milky bar kid LOL!

Bo Bunny Edgy Mini 50th Album

This little project has taken me on and off nearly 2 months to make it was for my very special crafty aunt’s 50th birthday, I wanted to do something special for her big birthday and knew she would appreciate something crafty seeing as it’s all her fault for getting me into this habbit in the first place LOL!

I’ve been quite stressed out trying to get it complete as it had been a busy few months for me outside of my crafty bubble and I’ve not had loads of time to play. Plus it came to a point a week before her birthday I had 4 pages to do and I had lost my mojo and was stuck on some of the photos and what I was going to do with them.

I was up until nearly 12pm the night before I had to send it doing the last 2 pages and all the finishing touches to get it complete… In all honesty I’m still not happy with it but I had to tell myself that it was complete and not to do any more because I would probably spoil it!

I struggled to get photos from some years of her life a lot of the younger years photos I had were so small I was unable to use them and finding an up-to-date photo of her without sunglasses on is an almost impossibility!

I was very nervous about giving it to her and seeing what her reaction would be, I was due to be there for her big day but Paul's nan took a turn for the worst and we had to make a spur of the moment decision to either use the last weeks holiday on going to see my aunt for her birthday or going to see his poorly nan... I was of course upset to miss my aunts 50th but we made the right decision in the end and I even managed to pop over to see her 2 weeks before her day so it kinda made up for missing out on her birthday.

Her birthday was on 20th September so she's had it for a few weeks now and she apparently broke down in tears when she opened it and it's been passed around the whole family to see it and they have all come back to me with lovely comments, she even sent me a card to say thank you and said It is something that sheI will always treasure and that she would leave it to me in her Will.. LOL so I think it's safe to say that through all the stressing and worrying it's gone down rather well!

So it feels like a weight has been lifted and all I need to do now is tidy up from the mess I left behind in my craft room, I must have a pile 5 feet high of stuff I pulled out to use that needs to go back in it’s place

Uncles Are Special...

I don’t seem to be making much at the moment, never seems enough time in the week to set aside to craft, life is a bit hectic recently again. Then when I do get the chance to play I just don’t know what to do, I end up pushing paper around on the desk or even worst tidying up my craft room!


Anyway here’s another layout I did a few weeks ago when I had found my mojo and literally smoke was coming out of my fingers with all the layouts I was making! I wanted to play with my crackle glaze that I’ve had for a while but not really done anything with it. Not sure if you can make it out but I used it on the chipboard letters.

My poor uncle is going through such a hard time of it at the moment, he was rushed into hospital with a mass of blood clots in his lungs a few months back, he was told he shouldn’t have lived to tell the tale and it was only because he is so fit that he pulled through. I found out this week that he has another mass of clots in his leg this time, it’s a huge worry… I just wish he would get well soon and get his life back to normal as they have been through so much this past year and a half.

Supplies

Papers/Cardstock: Crumb Cake 12x12 cardstock – Crumb Cake, New My Minds Eye 12x12 paper, Dusty Durango Cardstock
Dies: Dragonfly Alphabet - Quickutz
Other: Alphabet Chipboard – Heidi Grace, Dusty Durango Ink – Stampin Up, Crackle Glaze, Bobble ribbon – CTM, Scalloped border Punch – Stampin Up, White Pen

Class of 1981 Layout

Here’s another quick layout I did the other week, I keep looking at it and wanting to add more but I don’t want to take away from the lovely stitched paper!


I’ve had this Prima 12x12 paper since April Ally Pally last year I think, bought it because I fell in love with it when I saw their range of stitched Mulberry paper, I keep pulling it out giving it a little stroke and then not knowing how to use it so putting it back in the ‘not to be cut’ box of 12x12 papers LOL!

I also love the Prima’s fabric flowers, with all the pearls and the sequins that sparkle… far too nice to pop on a card and give away LOL!

This is me in 1981 I’m the one on at the front on the left with the white cardigan and pink dress (Of course it had to be a pink dress!!)

Supplies
Papers/Cardstock: Prima Art Stitched 12x12
Chipboard: Alphabet – Heidi Grace, Swirl – From Artbase
Other: Fabric Flower - Prima, Glamour Dust

Summer Days Layout

I’ve been quite busy scrapbooking over the past few months when I have been able to get the time.

This is a LO I did when I went to Shirley’s Crop back in May for National Scrapbooking Day, been meaning to take photos of all the LO’s but just not got round to it!

When I got to crops normally I take stacks of everything with me and then spend ages flicking through papers and photos trying to decide what to use. But a few weeks ago I actually started planning my Lo’s.. just sat down pulled out papers I wanted to use and picked out sketches and photos and put them aside so that when I had the time to scrapbook I was knocking them out… never thought to plan them before but it really worked for me so I’m trying to keep that up!

It’s funny as when I was at the crop some of the American ladies thought this was a photo of my daughter, I had to explain that it was me when I was younger and they couldn’t get over it!!

Supplies
Papers/Cardstock: Bo Bunny, Bazzill Swiss Dots, Stampin Up Chocolate Chip
Stamps: Just A Note - Maya Road,
Other: Alphabet – Bo Bunny Stickers, Prima Swirl Bling, Basic Grey Pearl Flowers

It's been a while!

OMG can't believe it's been such a long time since I last blogged.... 2009 was a crappy year and this year has been a rather stressful one and I haven't had a huge amount of 'me' time to walk into my craft room let alone actually sit and my desk and play!

I'm sure no one comes here any more to my little blog as I've been away so long and my cards and pages aren't very good but they say writing it down all helps you move on so deep breath....

To cut a very long story short, mum fell ill last July and got progressively worse and was diagnosed with cancer of the womb in October but we had to wait until January for her operation (good old NHS) it was horrible to watch your mum get so sick and not be able to really do anything to ease the pain.

Anyway she had her operation in January and is gradually getting there but it's a long process getting her back on her feet, she's been told it could take up to a year to fuly recover and she's itching to get back to work but the docotrs still say she needs more time to rest

Thankfully she got the all clear in Feburary and no further treatment is needed so we hope that the nasty C word never comes back knocking on her door. But she's now started to file for divorce which is another story in itself and feel this is going to be another stressful time for us all.

We lost Paul's grandfather to cancer in February and my uncle has been in and out of hospital over the past 6 months after having both legs, toes and ankles broken and re-set. He's actually just been rushed into hospital again today with suspected DVT in the lung which is worrying...
Just feel worn out with all the stress and worry for the past year... I'd just like to get back to plodding along with a quiet life!!

Anyway I had a little craftime today and pulled out all my scrapbooking stuff that has been mounting up in my little room, my lack of mojo hasn't stopped me buying the odd few bits but just haven't been able to do anything with it, just have had no inspiration

Enough of my waffle LOL here's my LO with the lovely Bo Bunny stash that I bought last year that I simply love because I love snowflakes and also the colours on this paper go so well with the SU colours !!!

So hopefully I'll be back to scrapping and blogging now as I need to use up all my lovely stash!!

Brother Or Sister?

Well I was hoping to have some crafting time this weekend but it didn't work out like that in the end. I've set myself a goal of trying to do at least one layout a week using a sketch online, I know that sounds like not much of a goal but at the moment there is so much stuff going on and so much stress that it's my way of having a bit of time out for me.

I did however manage to squeeze in a couple of hours to complete my goal. This layout is loosely inspired but the sketch on Lime Tart blog.

Papers: My Minds Eye, I have had hold of these papers since Ally Pally in April, I’ve them aside for when I got my scrapbooking mojo back as I just didn’t want to use them on anyone else!
Alphabet: Sizzix Boss-o Inks: Stampin’ Up Pixie Pink & Baja Breeze (Love these two colours together!)

Too High Up

Well I was really busy yesterday in my craft room and I managed to find my scrapbooking mojo again after a few months off. I was inspired by the sketch from My Sketch World, here's my take on the sketch.

I fell in love with this paper when I saw it, now I have to admit that am not normally a yellow sort of person, but I have to say that I am slightly warming it it and I think it looks fab with the pink!! I used my new Martha Stewart border punch to decorate the pink patterned paper, I have loved this punch for a while now!

Papers are Wild Raspberry by K& Co, flowers are cut using the Hello Kitty Dasies Sizzix die.. I love this die and what makes it so much better is that the Hello Kitty dies are pink... they look sooo pretty sitting on the shelf... yes I know I am sad!! The Alphabet is Curvey by Sizzix and I've used Stampin Up Pink Passion ink around some of the edges and for the journalling!

So pleased to be scrapbooking again!!

My Mojo's Back!

Sorry I haven't been about for a while I've had a pretty stressful few months .... my mum was g rushed into hospital and at the moment we are still waiting on results to see if she needs an operation, so all pretty stressful still.

Then my home PC just stopped working, I've been told by my new IT expert LOL that my hard drive has gone... which is really stressful as I had nothing backed up so I think I have lost everything... I am more upset about the possibility that I have lost all my photos and pictures of my cards I have made for the past 5 years :(

Anyway I haven't felt up to doing much card making as I have spent a lot of my 'spare time' rushing around for others as useal putting others first before myself and I am worn out.

The good news is that I've managed to aquire a lap top which is a start in the right directon I have been lost without a computer at home!

I've had a quiet crafty day today which is the first time I have sat down to make anything in a long while, I've even managed to start my scrapbook off again.... So hopefully my mojo is back for good!!!

Sharron's Album

Well it's been a while since I last posted... just been a busy girl with no time to craft :(

I thought I would post the last of the pages to Sharron's Album so that I can move on... Sharron has said it was the best present she's ever had... which is quite a statement to make... I still look at the photos and think I could have done this better or if only I could have had a bit more time I would have done....

I have so much I want to do now that I have my craft time back.... just need to find the time to actually sit at my craft desk which at the moment looks like a bomb has done off... I seriously need a good tidy up and re-organising before I get to play... I need a little crafty fairy to clear up after me LOL!!

More Of Sharron's Album

Afew more pages from the album....

The Winning Waiting For Santa LO

Here's my LO for a scrapbooking competition I entered a few weeks back... the theme was 'Celebration'... this page is what got me scrapbooking again after 9 months of not being able to do a layout!!

What is really scary is how I pulled out all my christmas stuff just to do this page, I love christmas but on a beautiful sunny May afternoon... there was me thinking christmas & snow lol!!

This is me aged 3... when I looked cute.. lol oh how things changed!

Background paper is Basic Grey and the lettering is doodlebug.

I was really shocked to see that I had actually won the competition with this... never expected that... very excited and given me that kick up the bum I needed to start on my albums again!!

Grandad's Special Little Girl - LO

Well I think the title says it all lol... a little tribute to my very special grandad, who's no longer with us any more and boy do I miss him :(

I've been wanting to do this Double Layout for a while and seeing as my scrapbooking mojo took over last weekend I thought it was a perfect time to get this done with a sketch from our forum.

I was his only grandaughter and he treated me like a little princess, we had a very special bond.

The two songs that he used to sing to me as a child were 'When you wish upon a star' and 'Grandad' the Clive Dunn one... lol makes me think of him every time I hear those songs!

Thanks for looking!

1St Trip To Jersey LO

Well here is my first scrapbook LO in about 9 months... I had totally lost my mojo but we have a competition on our forum which started my scrapbooking mojo and I have managed to make 5 LO's this weekend!!

I can't show you the one for the competition yet but I'll share the others with you soon!

This LO is of my first trip to Jersey to see my grandparents at Les Quennevais Park aged about one!. I used a sketch that had been set on the forum too which I found really helpful too! The flowers came from Sarahs Cards her Aunty Sarah's Bloomers are fantastic value for money!

Barney's First LO

As promised a few days ago here is a piccie of my 1 year old cat Barney... he's quite a character now! I'm collecting stuff for his scrapbook album... I seem to do more collecting than actual scrapbooking (oops!)

Anyway I did this LO using a challenge on UK Scrappers a few months ago, so not really a current LO but I thought it would be nice to post it here in hope that it'll give me the kick up the bum I need to do more LO's...

Paper & alphabet stickers are by DCWV their cat stack, the little mice are using the cuttlebug cat die.