Like For Ever Retreat Class

I was asked to teach at the first Like For Ever retreat, and you know what its like when you are asked, and it always seems like a fab idea and I got really excited, then the panic set in and I thought OMG! am I good enough? can I do a layout that others would like to copy?, yes I've taught at our charity crops before, but that with people I know and at my own crop, so even though I was nervous at the time, it didn't feel me with panic.  But I soon settled down and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

I wasn't given a brief to work from and basically I could do whatever I wanted (within reason), so I choose to do a 12x12 page and an accompanying project life divided page protector.


I decided that I wanted to use some of the many photographs I had from my holiday last year to Central Park, NY.

The paper are from Pebbles Jen Hadfeld - Everyday Collection (here), and embellishments from Crate Paper - Maggie Holmes - Shine Collection.

and a few close up of the 12x12 page.

I also decided to use Becky Higgins Page Protector - Design P, which have 4x4 pockets and randomly added photos of our 'Day in the Park'.

I used a mixture of photo sizes for the inserts, as well as having a few of the pockets with no photos.

I designed and cut this  out on my silhouette cameo for each of the delegates.  Well I actually designed a  2nd version,  as I couldn't decide which one l like best the other said 'A Day at the Park'.

I tried to add some variety to some of the insert, so for this one, I made a pocket for one of the inserts and added a tag, as well as some hand stitching around 2 edges.

This one I just some of the chipboard shapes and stitched around the edges.

A combination of the chipboard shapes and gold foam stickers.

Then as an added bonus I did the reverse of the page protector.

The class is simple in design, but I do hope that the delegate enjoy putting it all together, and like me get some of the many photographs that we take of one event.

I will be back shortly with some photographs of the weekend and hopefully if I manage to finish any layouts I will upload those as well.

Happy scrapping x

Destination USA

At the end of February, we had a girlie weekend to celebrate Morag's 50th birthday, this is the 2nd layout I did, its a scrap lift of one that Julie did for her Hey Little Magpie blogpost (here).

(Julies original layout)

I used a selection of papers from my travel stash, The 12x12 is from a pack from Simple Stories last year called Stars & Stripes here and the rest are just papers that where in my box.

Then I basically went though my stash and found similar items that I could use.

These are cut from the cut apart sheet in the 6x6 pad from MME - Hello World! collection.  

The gold 'adventure' is from a Heidi Swapp collection.

As well as the puffy sticker; the puffy camera sticker is from MAMBI - here

I'm loving these mini alphas and have got a selection of them, they are  great to added to my layouts - these one are Jillibean Soup (here)

I cut the 'Good Times' from a steel die from Technique Tuesday, using kraft cardstock and backed it with paper from a 6x6 pad from MME - Hello World!; the flair badge is from Flair for buttons and great online store that has a large away of flair badges for every different occasion.  The gold and black chervons are from Crate Paper - Journey - puffy sticker sheet and the plane washi tape is from Hey Little Magpie (here)

Thanks for shipping by,

Morag is 50

Today is my lovely friend, Morag 50th birthday and a few weeks ago we all got together to help her celebrate her upcoming birthday.

We had planned a few surprises for the weekend, but first we made a very early start and travel to Coventry, to attend a workshop by Finnebair, at Daisy Jewels and Craft in Coventry.  A lovely little store that is tucked away on an industrial estate, but is packed with loads of lovely goodies.  The class started at 9.30 and was jammed packed with techniques and we all got messy and really enjoyed ourselves.

The contents of the kit

Here Barbara getting a closer look at one of the many techniques we were shown today.

me adding some finishing touches to the front cover

Then amongst all the painting and messiness we surprised Morag with a birthday, she was shocked.

And then before you know it, the workshop had come to an end and just time for a quick group photo with Finnibair before we headed over the Tamworth for lunch

This is my finish front cover - I'm really pleased with it.  Something completely different to how I normally scrap.

We enjoyed a meal then onto the next stage of the weekend.  Opening presents at Barbara's

First up was her album, we had all produced a few pages to add to it.

Noticed the box of tissues - proving it not just me who gets emotional.

Julie had done her an amazing boxed framed photos, of our visit to NY last year, it was completely stunning and again Morag was emotional.

Sue and Barbara did it again a lovely handmade quilt, we all loved it.

We did a few party games which were hysterical, 

Then before the night was over we gave her her cake, made by Jean, Barbara sister - isn't it just amazing - the camera is make from chocolate cake and the base is lemon.

She even put a photographs of us all in NY on the back - genius idea.

Then on Sunday it was time to get our scrap on, and the girls did a layout I'd done my blog post at Hey Little Magpie in December (here).  I used Amy Tangerine Finders Keepers collection and a photo of us standing in Brooklyn.

We had a good selection of cakes for our coffee break,

Then it was time for Julie to teach us her layout, she made for the weekend

Isn't it fab, different cut out words and backed with patterned papers, with a small photo of our view from the top of the Rockafellar Centre.

I didn't do this one, but will be doing it over the next few weeks.  I will do a blogpost next week of the layout I did instead.

Half way thought this layout, we stopped for lunch, M&S Roast Christmas, new potatoes and salad.

We ended the weekend with 2 completed layouts, a full on workshop and loads of happy memories.

I will end this post wishing my lovely friend, Morag a very Happy Birthday, I'm so glad that you enjoyed your weekend with us and I wish you all the very best for years and years to come.

Much love xxx

Thanks for stopping by x

HLM February 2016 Blogpost

Hi everyone, my blogpost for this month is now live over on the Hey Little Magpie blog .

This month I did 3 different sized layouts using the lovely collection from Pebbles by Jen Hadfield - Everyday, and it truly is an everyday collection.

The full blogpost can be found here


Thanks for stopping by,

New and Old - Shimelle Challenge

I not always able to complete challenges on time, I tend to over think them and then miss the deadline to enter, but for some reason this one came together really quickly, I already had the photographs printed but hadn't chosen the papers or even had an idea of how I wanted it to look.

My decluttering of my room is still a 'work in progress' with quite frankly not much progress happening, but I'm trying to do a bag/box/packet at a time, and this is where I found a kit from 2013 that I purchased from Studio Calico, which had some lovely products in and I was deciding if I would use it or get rid of it.  So I was able to rescue some of the products to use of this layout.    I've done a list at the end of all the products I've used and their approximate year.

Road Trip - Bristol Bound

Photos taken by James when we where going down to Bristol last year for a few days

I used the Studio Calico (SC) as a background and choose two patterned papers from the new Shimelle - Starshine collection - Kelper (blue stars) and Juno (red design)   I bordered punched the blue star paper.  I them looked though my box of older paper and found the star one from I think it was Amy Tangerine's first collection called 'Sketchbook' and Amy Tangerines - Plue One collection 'camera' paper - which I trimmed a row of camera off.

I then found some embellishments from Kaisercraft - Check in collection - not sure what year these are from but I would guess around 2013.

Within the SC kit was some alpha stickers, which I used as my main title, and added a sub-title with alphabet stickers from Shimelle first collection.

I added heart embellishments from Pink Fresh Studio (2015),  The aqua paper here is from Pink Paislee - Memorandum 6x6 pad (2015)

In my box of word phases, I found some from Cosmo Cricket (2011), the gold puffy stickers are from Paperchase.

I finished the layouts off with some wood veneer star, enamel dots and black ink splats.

Papers

Background paper - Studio Calico exclusive paper - 2013 (in a kit)

Red paper - Shimelle- Starshine 2016

Blue stars - Shimelle - Starshine 2016

Star paper - Amy Tangerine - Sketchbook

Camera paper - Amy Tangerine - Plue One

Embelishments

Camera, printed journalling card - Kaisercraft

Wood veneer banner - Studio Cailico (in a kit 2013)

Wood venner hearts - Pink Fresh Studio 2015

Wood veneer stars - Studio Calico 2013

Enamel dots - 2015

Glitter Alpha Stickers - Pink Paislee - 2013 (in a kit)

mini word text - Cosmo Cricket 2011

Sub-tite - Shimelle collection 2015

Black mist - Heidi Swapp 2015

I'll be back in a few days with one of my February 2016 DT layouts.

Thanks for stopping by… 

Jame's18th Birthday Party

Hi all, well I mentioned that James has now turned 18 and he has just had his party.  Which was so much fun.  Just for now I've added a few of the photo from the photo booth we hired, which was very popular.

me and the birthday boy

the girls - so much fun when we eventually figures out where to look

then we decided to dress up as well.

me and my cousin 

another one with the girls and Millie

Once again I would ilk to thank everyone who wished him well and for all his lovely presents, we all feel very blessed to have you all as friends and its heart warming to know that we have friends who helped us celebrate his birthday.

Thanks for stopping by ...