Actually did some scrapbooking...

Went to Junes scrapbooking crop and made 4 layouts!!
Really enjoyed it as well and made me realise how much i have missed it.

LAYOUT 1:

Whilst on a trip to the park accidentally captured this shot of Alfie, it sums him up perfectly. Always running and  carrying cars (sometimes trains instead.)

LAYOUT 2:

This time captured Charlie climbing through a tunnel, got quite frightened by how grown up he looks and makes me realise his teenage years are upon us.

LAYOUT 3:

Alfie has started to smile as soon as he sees a camera and managed to capture this gorgeous shot of him.

LAYOUT 4:

(this last one still needs a camera adding to the journalling spot)

We have all recently had to have passport photos taken and Charlie managed to make his look fantastic, Tim looks like a mugshot and mine...well, enough said.

Has inspired to get some more made.

Oh my gosh...

..where did all those followers come from...WOW...Thank you for following me, I love reading your comments and blogs :)

Saturday was Scrapbooking crop day (http://quirkybootscrop.blogspot.com/) for me and Katie, with Stamping Up demo this time by a very talented lady who made all the techniques look so easy. we all did a fun make and take plus another scrummy lunch.

Really enjoyed it until poor Katie cut her thumb quite badly on her knife :(

 Here are my results from the day:

This first one was such a cheap layout to make.

Stickers from Poundland.

Sticky laminate 29p from Hobbycraft and cut using Sizzix "Oh boy" alpha.

Close-up of title:

It's about time this lady featured in a layout.

She recently brought her latest batch of photos round and I straight away fell in love with these 2 photos:

As she is very girly I wanted to make it pretty and pink (very different to my usual layouts). A lot of paper cutting on this one.

Close-up of title:

Really love the results.

I did another layout but took it apart as photo had been printed on plain paper and wanted it on photo paper. Sorry Katie after lecturing you not to take yours apart, but yours looks great as it is :)

First Crop...

Katie and I attended our first official scrapbooking crop today.

It was fun with lots of friendly crafters, yummy treats to eat and the tastiest leek soup for dinner...

..the bonus being...

...we actually managed to get some layouts completed (added title at home).

First one has lots of collage pieces:

{Background is Charlie and Lola board game, boys cut out from Ladybird book}

{gamecards}

{title has been stamped using white acrylic paint}

For second one I wanted to keep photos main focus:

Title cut using Tim Holtz vintage market (same font on background paper.)

Thanks for looking, can't wait for next month a stamping up demonstrater is coming.

It didn't turn out too bad in the end...

This layout came about after a disaster!!!

I put together my first mini album in 2006, trouble is circumstances have changed since then and I wanted to take out 2 photos...BUT...it didn't go as easy as planned...so..

Plan A: re create the album 

Plan B: put the pages into a layout 

Plan B won.

Alot of the layout is the pages exactly as they appeared in the album:

This layout follows no rules and is very busy for the eye, in fact looks like I emptied my collage box onto a page of pva, but it fulfilled my aim so it's a keeper:)

Word LOVE is stamped and handcut letters from shrink plastic.

Word JOY is another handcut then embossed shrink plastic creation.

(won't ever try this technique again as embossing powder and shrink plastic gets VERY hot and sticks to skin when slips from tweezers OUCH, OUCH, OUCH)

Flocked stars (wish knew where brought these...).

If you stuck this post to the end, Well done :)

Been playing with techniques.

These photos were in a mini album (thats another blog post ) and decided it was about time I gave them a 12x12 layout.

They are my (mostest) favourite photos of Charlie.

WHEN: 2004, aged 3years.

WHY: Had previously taken some photos of Charlie pulling his "kissy face" but the background was awful so decided to retake them...

...didn't turn out exactly as hoped.

He was so cheeky, with his dirty cute face, apple in hand and bouncing on his mini trampoline :)

The first one was an attempt at Kissy Face but he was trying not to laugh.

Close up of detail and title:

The patterned paper was cut using a template (Thank you Ros).

---------------------------------------------------

TECHNIQUE 1:

Making the Star:

Gather your supplies-

2 different styles of star punches, cardstock.

Punch the smaller star first.

-if not using a Fiskars punch turn your punch upside down-

Line up the smaller star inside the shape.

Punch out and...voila...

...a star.

TECHNIQUE 2:

Making a curved border:

Use a clear border stamp. 

(Using scrap paper I drew round plate and used this pencil line as template)

Press it hard onto block as you curve it into the shape wanted.

...voila...

...the finished border.

Thanks for looking :)

An (older) layout...

This layout was made when Alfie was poorly.

I took these photos while he was cuddling in his blanky (normally only for bedtimes but made an exception for poorly times :) and watching CARS.

He was so engrossed didn't even notice the camera:

:wanted it to be colourful and bright:

(If you are CARS fan (or like myself had to become one:) you will recognize the leaning tower of tyres from Luigis yard)

:Cars accent & Background taken from a cars sticker album which Charlie was clearing out, all the pages are backgrounds from the film...knew that would be useful...

:Chipboard letters are Making Memories with Thickers accents:

:Paper strips are Cosmo cricket & Basic Grey:

Thanks for looking: )

Chicken soup challenge time...

Another challenge has been posted at Chicken soup. This time it's a Glee poster.

http://mojoschickensoup.blogspot.com/2010/07/recipe-5.html

Me and Charlie once started to watch one of the episodes, granted it was part way through, but we weren't bitten by the GLEE bug.

Well here is my take:

It shows Alfie getting measured for his first pair of proper shoes.

Small pictures show all the important details, from price ticket to him walking in the park in them :)

Charlie stood next to us photographing every move, felt sorry for the poor lad serving but was pleased when got home.

This layout had brown cardstock for the background so have changed it for more colourful but still not sure :( This could be a layout that gets redone or altered before long.

We're having a VERY busy weekend.

...got my 7 year old nephew staying with us until tomorrow so have taken lots of photos all ready to feature in layouts in the near future or maybe a mini album :)

...Alfie got new shoes because he is walking now, and actually went for a walk outside :)

...have managed to crochet some flowers (3/20 attempts isn't bad LOL :)

Well, i'm exhausted but happy and off to catch up on emails...

Enjoy your weekend :)

My gorgeous nephews and an Oh No!!

I thought it was about time I featured my gorgeous nephews in their own layouts, so here goes:

This  is Daniel and at 3 years old he is a master of the STEP game on Wii fit. It is amazing to watch as he follows the actions on the screen in time and rarely misses.

These actually show him on another game flying like a bird and his expression is priceless:

Here is Declan and not only is he a great boy but also an amazing artist. He sends Charlie lots of his artwork and we keep it all. On our last visit I managed to capture him in action.

The characters in the drawing are him and Charlie as shown by the letters on their chests:

And the Oh No!

I wanted some buttons for the top layout but as I lifted the lid this happened...

...I was left holding the top half of the jar and the buttons went everywhere!

The jar is very thick and didn't have any cracks so not sure why it happened.

Might be on the lookout for plastic storage.

Layout Challenge

This one really got me thinking outside my "usual" scrapping style and I loved both challenge and result.

Very arty aka:messy.

Here is the inspiration:

The result:

Took inspiration from bold grungy image with bright yellow background, large white title and the smaller writing at the bottom:

...Firstly, scrunch sheet tissue paper,

...spread glue onto background paper, on top place tissue paper in messy, random way,

...Use edge of scrap card to spread splodge of white paint over background,

...squeeze small splats of paint over the top,

...add photo,

...add title (used wrong side (plain side) of letters)

...print words "i am a computer addict" repeatedly onto paper and cut into strip,

...trim this and rip edges the place underneath photo,

...add brackets to focus on laptop,

.........

As wanted grungy effect photo I changed to black and white with slight yellow tinge then cropped.

Thanks for looking.

A layout...and a before/after...

This layout was inspired by an advert in a town & country magazine:

...Charlie has written the quote:

...any man can be a Father,

it takes someone special to be a DAD...

...have made the embellishments down the left hand side to match pattern on the paper:just handcut, doodled, matching colour brad added - voila...

What a difference a haircut makes:

Actually let him leave the fringe long. It will look even better when washed and not so windswept.

I know i'm bias but he is one handsome boy :)

Another layout challenge...

This time the challenge is from an inspiration site:

 

How cool is this album cover:

...even better I had just printed some mini photos and knew how I would use them:

This layout was made using scraps.

Paper strips are Basic Grey.

QK Moxie (grand & mini).

Spots punched using Charlies school uniform colours.

He made the dough at school and brought it home to be baked...how nervous was I???...what if I burnt it...well turned out great...he cut it into slices and buttered it all by himself...we ALL tasted it...it was delicious...and we wanted more :)

Thanks for looking :)

A sketch Challenge

This challenge was set by Quirky Crafts.

I have just discovered this friendly group of crafters, all started by a local lady :)

The sketch:

The result:

(apologizes for poor photo)

Instead of flowers I have used shapes and pictures which link to the layout and the single "flower" has been moved up the circle to fit better with the photo.

..Basic Grey (cupcakes) paper..

..Making Memories number strip..

..2008 Duplo Catalogue (knew kept it for a reason :)..

..QK Chick-A-Dee alphabet..

..Handcut digger shapes..

The duplo Baby Walker he's sitting in is one of few items left over from Charlie days and that's because a friend had borrowed it. At 10+ years it's still as good as new.

He mainly uses it in 2 ways:

1) Take out the bricks...stand in it...hold the handle tight..rock backwards and forwards very fast until walker moves...if fall out just get up and start again...

2) Take out bricks...sit in it...wait to be pushed around the floor VERY fast...

VERY rarely is it used for walking...

Thanks for looking :)

Layout from the weekend...

This is a scraplift of Fun in the Sun by Emma Bryan, which features in Scrapbook Magazine (issue 47) Scraplift Challenge:

...i'm not into the banner craze which is going round at the minute, so I changed mine into pizzas by cutting triangle shapes and curling the straight edge. Instead of sunshine I made a heart. Clouds have become pizza linked embellishments. Used blue button to match background paper, the others link to a cheese and tomato pizza.

Materials used:

Flair designs: Pizza paper.

Journalling page: Fancy Pants.

Yellow letters: Thickers.

buttons.

Story:

We treated Charlie to pick tea, after good work. Alfie had his pizza chopped up and in his highchair. BUT if you leave a slice unattended and get yourself a drink...your brother will eat it.

Before/After...

No mini album in this post...

This is an older layout...I was never 100% happy with it, always felt it needed a little "something" to pull it all together:

..so added some butterflies across the page..

..they have been punched from patterned paper to keep them soft and the focus on the (sweet) photo..

I am really pleased with the outcome and feel it is now finished.

Thanks for looking : )

On a scrapping roll....

Well this is my 3rd and final layout from the weekend... yes, 3 in one weekend!!!

I find my best scrapping comes from when I get stressed and it's something I can't fix.

This layout uses my most favourite piece of paper ever (the red crowns)...

*Photo edges were rubbed with versamark pad and embossed using white powder. It DID scrunch part of the photo but as going for distressed look didn't mind.

*Family stickers are from a sheet I have had forever.

*Family figures are QK gingerbread men.

*Title: Sizzix Broadway Melody.

The title was the hardest part of the layout.

I had planned for it go where I put the embellishment panel...

...instead it ended up at the edge.

This was because when stamping the embellishment panel I didn't realise I had stamped the edge of the background cardstock...

...and after trying it in different positions, hadn't thought of here and that's where it looked best (in my opinion, feel free to have a different one.