Template-phobic .....

Ok, I hold my hand up in the past I've been a bit (yes Julie) a bit negative about templates and when my crafting friends, Julie & Bev have mentioned about getting templates or books with things that you pop out and stick together, I've always made an excuse.


So at our last visit to the NEC Craft Show in November, Julie got a template for a "Owl" which I turned my nose up at, but she made some up, filled them with jellybeans, and gave them to our kids ofr Christmas, my son really loved it, so much so, that he stayed on the fireplace till last week, it just goes to show what different papers, extra embellishments can do to a project (unfortunately didn't take a photo of it).




Well, this weeks "project" was a template bag, a bit like an exploding box, purchased by Bev, testing by Julie, made by all three of us. I love it, so much so that I've asked Bev if I can borrow the template to make some more up.



Reading the instructions, it wasn't particular clear what to do, but Julie did a "dummy" run and explained what was meant to be done.



I'm so please with how its turned out, I hope you like it




I used Bazzill cardstock, Basic Grey Ambrosia 6x6 paper pad, 7Gypsies 97% complete sticker "Friend" and various embellishments from my craft box.

The bag when closed - I've closed the bag with a Basic Grey magnetic snap, but finding it hard to open and close, so going to change it to velco.


Overhead view when open.

This lovely stamps was one purchased by Julie recently.

These stickers are so right ...

I will be giving it to one of my friends for her birthday, I just need to find a template for a box now ......

Two of my layouts that I recently did.

No. 1 - Time to Relax - Scrapagogo January 2009 - This is a fantastic kit as usual from Scrapagogo, the design is a scraplift from Lisa Bond who is one of the design team members for Scrapagogo.

Story behind photo - James and his cousin Lawrence after a busy day relaxing in front of the telly so ingrossed in watching "Wallace & Gromit" their were sitting in a similar position and with their fingers in their mouths - There is a 7 year age gap between the two cousin but they get on really well, and enjoys each others company.



I have used the Myra Road Calender turn - A day to remember - when I first saw this wasn't sure what to do with it, but think it works really well on the layout.


Used on the stamps, that were designed by my friend Sam (SammyB) to compliment this kit.

No. 2 - Hang on - this was a class layout that I did at my Solihull Crop - the design was by Morag Cutts, who has loads of work published in Scrapbook Magazine and produces some amazing layouts. There's laying and stitching which she love to include on her layouts. Not sure what the paper are, but the colours are lovely.

Hello - Hope you are well

A few of my layouts I did over the weekend (17th and 18th Jan) at my local crops, let me explain had planned go to the Belaboo crop on Saturday 17 at Fairfield Village Hall, which was great had a laugh and a wonderful lunch and managed to complete 4 layouts, also cut out some lovely owls using the Quikcutz die, will have to do a LO with it soon before I lose it.

No 1. Chestnuts Roast on an Open Fire - This pages is using Bellaboo January 2009 kit, I just love these colours and the whole kit worked so well together. The papers are Crate paper incls. die-cuts, Maya Road "ghost" flowers - which I have never used before but just love them. I added some Autumn Leaves buttons, and did some stitches - again just loving the idea of adding stitches to my LO.

The story behind the photo - Over the Christmas holiday, we spent a few days with my MIL at her cottage in Derbyshire and she has a open fire, apparently when my Hubby was younger he used to roast chestnuts with his Dad, so never one to miss a photo opportunity, we had the family shots of us doing the same, must admit that I wasn't keen on the idea of eating them but they were lovely.

I didn't have photos of my first attempt - because they literately went up in smoke - thought I know best - and completely ignore Hubby advice that they only need a few seconds, not 5 mins - but I got the idea in the end - LOL









Close up of the "ghost" flowers







Close up of my stitching



No 2 - Play - Using Scrapagogo January 09 Kit - Another great kit - I'm so pleased that my crafting friend Sam - who is now on the Scrapagogo design team - showed me her kits prior to me subscribing - I just love the papers, patterns, embellishments that they put together, have been subscribing for 6 months now and have not been disappointed yet.


I just left this LO quite plain, concentrating on the photos.


Journalling - James just loves going to the park area when we are on holiday and he just loved the swing - not very good photos, but they do jog the memory.










No. 3 - Soccer Star - Photo taken of James and one of his football coaches, after getting two throphies at his last football training session. James just love football, he will never be the next David Beckham, but he does try his best and he just loves it. They get a standard thropy for finishing the course and then his team won the league- which was an added bonus.



Journalling - "Don't forget its not about being the BEST, but about being the BEST you can be, and the BEST that you can be in to be YOU"



This saying was given to my by my friend Julie, who has a wonderful little book, that she jots sayings, quotes, ideas in etc - will have to get myself on.









No 4 - In the Garden - Scrapagogo Nov 08 Kit - This kit was called "A Walk in the Woods" but when I saw the hedgehog papers, embellishments etc I had to root out this photo taken sometime in 2002 when I lived in Preston and we used to have a regular night time visitor - the food at the front of the photos is special "hedgehog" food from the petshop.






Now onto Sunday crop - this was an extra one, well I was meant to be attending a meeting Nr Bristol, but when I thought about it, they were only going to cover what had been said previously so decided to give it a miss and attented my "regular" crop instead, where I managed to do 5 LO.

Ann & Caroline from Skrapz.co.uk brought their shop over and even thought I'm meant to be on a stash diet I still got more.



No 5 - O'Christmas Tree - Basic Grey Mellow Collection Pack, BG Mellow Ribbon, BG Mellow Buttons - I titled this one because I took the photo on Christmas morning about 6.30am in my back garden, I've not enhanced, changed or done anything to the photo, the sky was really that colour - I think its amazing.






(SORRY FOR EXTRA PHOTO - DON'T KNOW HOW TO DELETE IT)

No. 6 - Ice Eyes - Bellaboo November 08 Kit - what can I say another brilliant kit from Bellaboo.

The story behind the LO - James got a new bike for his birthday, and went for a ride with his Dad, I was walking and meeting them up later, anyway when we got together, the frost and cold and settled on James eyelashes.

No 6 - Not Family - Best Friends - Scrapagogo kit again - this time using mainly January 09 kit with a piece of Dec 08 kit.

Story behind the LO - Thse are 3 of my best friends who all live in Preston, we were at my friends 40th party and this is one of the many photos taken over the years of us together - I must admit - I love these girls - I know that I can rely on them no matter what - anyway must stop being so slushy and get on with it.

This lable was done with the Nestabilities - Lable 1 Collection - which are just brill.

Even though they are not family, they are very dear to me.

Have you noticed the stitching around the LO, get the hang of using it more and more.

The other I will upload later - thanks for looking and please feel free to leave a comment.

Basic Grey Calender 2009

Apologies again for the quality of the photos, but at least I've got them on.

This calender kit was a project that my friends, Julie, Bev & I did over the past 2 weeks. Julie and Bev are girls that I met at a local card making class about 3 years ago, we have since progressed and stop going to the classes, but we still meet up every Wednesday to do some crafting and if we can manage it we do some craft shopping.


Me and Julie have been complete bitten by the "Scrapbooking Bug", and are trying to get Bev more involved, so we got her this kit has part of her Christmas present, and said that we would complete it on the days we meet, and so far it worked. I think she has 2 pages to finish - which is a major achievement.


















































































I've not added all the photo has I need to label the others, but I hope you like it so far..

Virgin Vie Leadership Seminar - Jan 09

What a great 2 days this was, great company, loads of laughs but most of all alot of inspiration to move my business forward in 2009. A great night was had by all.

This photo has been choosen as the main one on the Virgin Vie at Home web page - so fame at last - LOL.



As you can see from the photo we are all different ages, sizes and colour but we all work with a fantastic company, selling fantastic products - you too can join in on the fun.

Welcome to 2009 - January update

Well I'm back, so much for my saying that I will do a daily blog

Well my Christmas was good, had a lovely time with family, a lot of food, a lot of drink and just chilling. I did manage to do a fair amount of walking, which I really enjoyed and took some great photos. But I think in my keeness to become the next "David Bailey" I messed arround with my controls and some of photos have come out white - so I'll have to read the manual to see what I've done wrong.

Well since the new year I managed to attended 3 crop sessions, can you believe it 3 and it only the 11th.

1st one was on Sunday 4th in Solihull -I class this one as my main crop - I managed to complete 5 Journal your Christmas LOs as well as the Class one - all I will upload later.

2nd one was on Thursday 8th in the evening in Bromgroves - run by Liberty from Bellaboo.co.uk, managed to do some cards and start a LO even though I'd forgotten all my tools - so thanks ladies for the loan of yours.



3rd one was on Saturday 10th in Shropshire - run by Ann & Caroline of Skrapz.co.uk - I try to go to this each month, even though its one hours drive I enjoy meeting the girls and having a laugh. Again managed to do some cards and complete 3 LOs as well as having some lovely Fish & Chips for lunch.

So to my LOs are BIRTHDAY BOY - used a lovely kit from Bellaboo.co.uk (January 2009 kit) - the photos was taken on 31 December which is my sons birthday and I love the colours in the kit - the papers are CRATE PAPER - Prudence Collection, Die-Cuts from the same range, I did some stitching, distressing and inking of the papers





I also used a BUZZ & BLOOM Die Cut Shape - Bird which I got from Skrapz.co.uk,
which I inked.






River View at Bakewell, the kit was from Bellaboo.co.uk, this time is was the November 2008 Kit which has just been sitting there waiting for me to use, again some great papers and embellishments is this kit. the scallop shape was made using a template from "Colour my World" from Skrapz.co.uk



Cardstock - Bazzill

Patterned Papers - Autumn Leaves - Manhatten Collection

Die-Cut Stickesr - Autumn Leaves - Manhattan Collection

Trim







I titled this "GAME ON" this was a photo taken on Christmas Eve (this is the day my son gets his Christmas presents) of him playing his new Ninetendo DS, I think if this was the only present he had got, he would have been pleased.


Carstock- Bazzill
Paper, Buttons, Die-cut - Basic Grey - Obsure
Stamps - Gel-a-tin - Trees







And finally a quick LO called "a snowy day" This photos were taken on Monday 5th, the last day of the Christmas break, so the kids in the street could play without fear of being told off - or told that it was wet play and that they can't go out - it was great fun


Papers - My Mind's Eye
Thickers





As well as the above I have also managed to finish my Basic Grey Calender and will take photos and upload later.