What a Scrappy Life

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Tuesday 21 June 2011

Operation over

now the long road to recovery.

Well I survived the operation, and now home starting my road to recovery.

Whilst in hoposital I have been able to write a mini diary on my iphone (Yah! to iphone), and I even managed to take some photos (always a scrapbooker eh!!!) which need to be downloaded from my phone and uploaded at a later date.

Reading back I amazed how I felt that evening of the op, I was able to text everyone and tell them that the op had gone well and thank them for there best wishes, but that was certainly the morphine kicking in. But boy I have had some times where I've not been able to brush my hair let alone text anyone - more on that later.

So just a short post to thank everyone who reads my blog for their best wishes, and I hope over the next week or so I will be able to upload some photos and get back to scrapbooking.

Thanks again you best wishes are gratefully received.



Thursday 16 June 2011

Studio Calico - Paper Moon

has arrived, this month I did get alot of stash, I will be convelencing over the coming weeks, and hoping that this lovely box of goodies will keep occupied.


So the box arrived and I dived in .... after counting 13 bags and one small bag, along with 2 packs of page protectors. I opened my 9 bags, and this is what was enclosed. Yes 9, which I'm hoping will help me with my recovery - LOL. I have made room in the craft room for it all, and selling some things on Ebay and at my local crop enabled me to go mad.

I just have to say, I just L.O.V.E. these kits, LOVE them, the co-ordinating is great, the fact that you get at least 2 separate alphas with each kit, the little cards that always make me smile from the person who has packed the kit.

So in the small bag, was my SMASH! book and tags, date stamp, two of the new head for the Sew Easy Tool, and some sentimental word stamps.


So the classic kit consist of this


with a hand stitched tag by Amy Tangerine, I wonder how many she actual made? talk about a labour of love - lol.



Add-on 1 - 'Star Dust' : This is the kit that I wanted, mainly for the 'chicken wire' stamp - its about 4"x6" - looking forward to using it. There's more SMASH! October Afternoon Rocket Age, Girl Paperie


Add-on 2 - 'Ray Gun' : This was a 'why not get' kit - love the kit but not so sure that the 'ray gun' stamp, but I will challenge myself to use it some how.


Add-on 3 -'Countdown' : Again, another 'Must have' especially for the 'film strip' stamp - love the borders from Pink Paislee's 'Hometown Summer' range, and the Kraft folders from Jillibean Soup


Add-on 4 - 'Space Cowboy' : Papers from October Afternoon, Crate Paper Co., lovely alphas from Sassrafass, more SMASH!


Two cute vintage mini envelopes


Isn't this dog stamp cute ! another stamp that I'm not sure how I'll use it, so it will be a challenge for me.


Looking forward to cutting into this kit, and seeing how many layouts I can do.

Thanks for stopping by ...


Wednesday 15 June 2011

Tim Holtz Box

By the time you read this I'll be on my way to hospital, but I wanted to share you this project that I did for my friends daughter birthday, which i today , Its a Tim Holtz configuration box which is today (15th), I did one for her Mum has a thank you a few months ago (sorry forgot to take photos) and she loved it so much that I decided to make one for her.

Now I was being completely lazy when I start this and just couldn't be bothered cutting out all the papers to fit the small boxes or even cover the outside of the box, So I stamped the outside of the box, and misted the inside, which I think has worked really well.




I added the '10' domino to represent her age, and the 'owl' is from a necklace from Primark.


I found this cat fridge magnet in a Charity shop, I added some distress ink around the edges, has it looked 'too much' in the normal state.


The Maya Road Bingo tiles '15' and '6' for her birthday.



Her initials, small bottle filled with tiny stones, TH stamps 'limited edition'


Found this little bottle of 'fairy dust' on holiday next to the checkout - its amazing what you can find when you queueing up, which was just the right size, the pink flower was again from a bracelet from Primark,



I hope she likes it, when I showed her Mom, she hugged me and said that she felt like crying ... which I took as a compliment ... well I hope it was LOL.

Thanks for stopping by, come back tomorrow to see my lovely stash from Studio Calico that arrived this week and waiting for me to get better to cut into it.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Scrapagogo "Blue Print to Go' June 2011 Sketch

Over at on the Scrapgogo blog they have put this months 'Blue Print to Go' sketch,



and here is my take on it, changed again by using one photo, and left the 3 details off on the right of the sketch.

Photo of James with is 100% Attendance and Punctuality Award for Year 8.

Products used: Studio Calico - May 2011 kit : Cardstock - Stampin' Up; Papers - October Afternoon - Rocket Age, 5 & Dime; Nesties - Star, SC (cooped up); Punches - EK Success, Stampin' Up; Stickers - Basic Grey (100%), Crate Paper - Toy Box; Alpha - Jillibean Soup; Stamp - Pink Paislees; Mist - Mr Huey White, Classic Calico;


Thanks for stopping by ...

Monday 13 June 2011

A Crafty Weekend

I have spent this weekend, trying to get things sorted before I go into hospital, but I then decided that I'd rather be crafting instead - LOL. So here what I managed to do.

This one I did the other week, I really quick one using Twisted Sketch No. 101.



I took these photos of James at Licky Hill recently on the rope swing


This sketch is from the Sassfrass Lass blog, the challenge was to use 90% of their own products, which I did, but not brave enough to put it on their site, but I'm happy on how it has turned out.


Right now onto the weekend ones, the first is loosely based on a layout that Julie had done. The photos are of James taken 'illegally' ... let me explain - well you know the rule of not taking photos of your child swimming, or doing an activity that has over children in the frame- which I think is abit OTT, I really wanted to record the progress that James has made in Swimming and even though the photos are not 100% I just needed to document his achievement. So with my iphone on silence and in between playing solitaire (I was really watching him - honest) and counting his lengths, I was able to take these.

I'm super proud of James, he has such determination when he want to achieve something, anyway last week he did 80 lengths of the swimming pool non-stop - which I think is over 1 mile, well he did stop just to ask me how many more lengths he had to do.



I have used the SC May kit stamp, embossed in White Zing, then I went over and stamped 'bubbles' from a set from PaperArtsy and embossed in Clear Zing.



I

Then on Friday I got a new punch, I know another one, from Stampin' Up, its this cute owl punch so I sat down and made a few cards.

I also used a stamp set from Banana frog, called Background - that has the tree bark on and stamped onto orange card.




A close-up of the Owl.



Thanks again for stopping by ...

Sunday 12 June 2011

Again , Yah to sketches

This year I've really taken to using sketches with my layouts, sometimes I just do exactly what the sketch says, other times I use it just as a starting point.

Anyway on shimelle blog she did a post titled 'From Sketch to Scrapbook Page', which I loved, so I watched her tutorial and decided to give it a go, well after I had purchased some new Nestabilities - going off the track - I swear I should really stop blog hopping because when I see new products, or items that people are using, I just HAVE to get them, so hence new Nesties and a new border punch as used by Shimelle - LOL. I've used new nesties on this layout and the border punch on my layout here.

And this is my version of her sketch/layout. The photo of James looking all grown up and a teenager, complete with shades and pouch.

Products used : Cardstock - Stampin' Up; Paper - October Afternoon (OA) - Rocket Age; Small Pinkie Nesties; Punches - Stampin' Up; Studio Calico Wood Veneer Hearts & Star Rub-on; Tim Holtz Mini Gear Die; Stickers - OA, Bo Bunny (Mama-razzi), 7Gypsies; Jenni Bowlin journaling card; Alphas, AC Thickers, OA Mini Market;






Bye for now,



Twisted Sketch No. 105 - Summer

This weeks Twisted Sketch is this and the twist is 'Summer'



And this is my take, using Studio Calico May 2011 Kit

Produces Used: Cardstock - Stampin' Up, Papers, SC, Fancy Pants; Punches - EL Success, Fiskar, Martha Stewart; Stamping' Up scallop circles; Stamps - SC; AC Zing embossing powder; Mist - Mr Huey Schoolhouse, Classic Calico; Peddle - Toothpick flags, Fancy Pants Filter Paper; Alphas,-AC Thickers, SC/Basic Grey.

I took the photo this week, of the strawberries that we are growing in my garden. Again I deviated from the original sketch by using 2 photos, and angulared my papers.


I used my Martha Stewart punch to add some detail.

When I got these toothpick flags 'embellishments' with my Studio Calico Kit , I wondered how to use them on a page, but I saw someone had anchored them down with a little stitch, which really works.


I used the monthly stamp, and embossed with Zing Embossing Powder, I only use the stamp upto '6' to represent the month that the photo was taken.


This might be the last one for a while from me, because I will be out of action for a couple of weeks.


Thanks for stopping by ...


Wednesday 8 June 2011

Can she fix it ...

Oh Yes I can. Right in my endeavour to get my craft room sorted, I made a trip to Ikea and got this set of drawers, and wanting to prove to myself that I could put the drawers up without Jon's help, here me in action.

Right - start off my reading instruction and wonder, what the hell am I doing - lol (NB red drawers on settee - had previously put up a filing cabinet for James - last two drawers to take upstairs).


Trying to figure out which pieces fix what ???


Next slot-in the sides - hoping that they fit.


Add the top



Next put the drawer together,


Nothings complete without a little bit of hammering.


All complete ...


Yah !!! its complete ... and now fitted nicely in my room.


And also last week, I finally got my iMac ... which looks lovely in my room ...


I hope to be able to take some photos over the weekend of my room, not completely finished but alot better than it has been over the past months.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Saturday 4 June 2011

Twisted Sketch No. 104 - Result

Another sketch layouts from Twisted Sketch.

This is the sketch



and heres my take on it, Used 3 small photos instead of the 2 shown on the sketch.

Product used: Cardstock - Stampin' Up; Paper - Studio Calico - StateFair (blue), Echo Park - Dots & Stripe (red); Alphas - American Craft Thickers, October Afternoon Mini Market; Maya Road Bingo Tiles; Punches - EK Sucess, Stampin' Up; Stickers - Studio Calico, October Afternoon, Crate Paper.




I've used these tiles to represent - date of photo (17 April (4)), 13 as James age at the time.



A close up of the photo showing how much James is concentrating on what he is doing



James has problems with his cordination, so each step that he makes in mastering this skill is well worth recording. The journalling read " After months of practice, its great to see James has finally mastered his 'hand-to-eye' cordination. A good result and another step in the right direction.

Thanks for stopping by, comments are most welcome

Wednesday 1 June 2011

I'm on a roll ...

with scrapping, maybe it with sorting my stash out and having more space to see what items I have, I am still and I think will always be 'sorting out my craft room' so after a few hours throwing things out and moving around, I throught it was time to stop and do some crafting, So as well as the two previous posts (Twisted Sketches 103 & Shimelle Sketch) I did these.

This is using one of my many different page protectors from WRMK that I got earlier this year, apologies for the glare, but they are a great way to use loads of photos on one page. The page can hold 16 - 3"x3" and 2 - 6" x 12".

Products used Studio Calico (SC) Kit, March 2011 : Cardstock - Stampin' Up (SU); Papers - SC Design, My Minds Eye (MME) Stella & Rose; Alphas - American Craft (AC) Thickers;




Beach Fun - Jon & James - play fighting on our holiday in April.

Products used: Studio Calico April 2011 kit. Cardstock - SU; Paper - Cosmo Cricket (CC) - Upcycle; Alpha - Pink Paislee, October Afternoon; Punches - Fiskar; Mist - Mr Huey White & Calico; Embossing Powder - Mustard; Stamps - SC Design.




I started this at my last Solihull Crop, Sue C had given me the photo on the day.

Products used - Studio Calico April 2011 kit, Cardstock - SU Kraft; Maya Road Chipboard, Rub-on - SC; Tim Holtz mini rosette die; Alphas - AC - Thickers; Embossing Powder - Mustard, Aqua; Punches - Martha Stewart, SU;


Thats all for now, thanks for stopping by ...