Scraagogo Retreat Mini Book

I've finally got around to taking photos of my mini book I put together on my holiday over Easter. I used a Prima Chipboard Album that I won at a recent crop. and the front has been embellished using Grungebroad, (another good find whilst tidying my room) distress inks and jenni bowlin mini alphas.

I even made a little mini book to add extra photos of the shop

The last page is about the Fire Alarm going off ... luckily it was a false alarm.

Hope you like it.

A Busy Sunday

I love to scrap, I love paper, buttons, embellishments, punches, stamps , OK just about everything that goes into being creative.

So Why, oh why can't I think of titles for my layouts, I just keep on coming up with the same thing, so consequently I have scrapped this weekend and some of the layouts don't have a title, but hey I'm OK with that. Who says that a layout needs a title? why can't you just produce a layout without a title and be done. So unless I can come up with a title for these before they go into my albums, then they will be left has they are.

This weekend was the CyberCrop over on UKS, I didn't join in the fun, but did download a few of the layouts to do at my leisure.

This layout is based on Class designs by Sarah Youde for the Cybercrop, using Scrapagogo April 2010 kit, one of my crafting objectives is to learn to knit properly, I can knit scraves, as long as they are only knit one, purl one - LOL, but anything out of this 'safety net' I just can't do. I would love to go to a knitting class or something along those lines and learn how to do it. Who knows maybe this will be a new learning techique for this year.

This is a sketch challenge from Sarah Cards, again using Scrapagogo April 2010 kit.

This photo was taken by Sue at the Retreat, and you know that felling you get when you are really happy or excited and all you want to do is 'Scream' well that just summed up what I felt like that weekend.

Scrapagogo March 2010 Kit

And I still on my quest to use up my older stash, so out came the cardstock, you know the one that you save because its lovely. I found this Bazzill Dotted Swiss Scalloped Cardstock recently, actually got about 20 sheets of it in various colours, so will be using it up over the coming weeks.

This layout with me and James at Botanical Gardens last week and using the lovely Crate Paper - Brook Collection, with an added Prima flower and bird/branch chipboard from American Craft (something I had for a while - but Rachel reminded me of them when I read her blog)

This is using my lovely Kraft paper, which I'm running out off, but being on 'another' serious stash diet, I won't be getting anymore for a while, and using the lovely October Afternoon Thrift Shop, with some chipboard from Cosmo Cricket - Earth Love

Thanks for stopping by, back later with my GoGo Retreat Mini Book.

Lake Side Views

Facing James school is a small park with a lake, which occasionally I have a walk round, well today these are a few shots that I took.

cute eh!

Then going back to the car I notice this....

A Heron in the brook

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Catch Up ...

I'm still tying to catch up with this blog from the past few weeks. So I'll start with a trip to the theatre on 12th with Julie, her mum and Izzy. We went to see Les Miserables at the Hippodrome in Birmingham. I've not been to the theatre in Birmingham before so it was another 1st. It starred Gareth Gates in one of the lead roles, and he did a great job, I was surprised on how well he sung the range of songs and I had a fab night and look forward to going again.

Then after the receipt of my Scrapagogo April Kit, I managed to produced this layout at my crop on Sunday. I had an blocked ear last week and it sent everything mufferly, so being in a large room and everyone talking was making me feel really dis-orientated, so I didn't produce has much as I normally do.

These photo were taken with my mobile.

Then with me going on holiday and my internet connection going down, Julie was very kind enough to get me the new October Afternoon Collections from ATDML, so I used the 'Fly the Kite' Collection for this layout, of me and Jon in Sheringham.

And then last night whilst the football was on, I was tiding my craft room and got side-lined and produced this one. The title is what James said when he saw the photo, and has I'm not good at thinking of titles I decided to use his quote.

The chipboard alpha are Basic Grey ones that I found last week when I emptying boxes and bags, whilst tidying my craft room. Still got loads of things in their but I can know see what I've got. Did find about 6 - 12x12 albums, 4 8x8 albums, papers, embellishments, chipboard shapes, some I'm going to try and sell at my local crops others I've got ideas to put them to good use.

Will be back with some more crafty things soon.

Enjoy the sunshine.

Today we enjoyed the sun

James was off school today on Teacher Training, after he only went back on Monday, but on a Wednesday they only do half a day, or should i say they finish at 2.30pm so I pursume it much be better for the teachers to have this day off instead of another, anyway, we went to the Botanical Gardens for a mini photoshoot, I took my tripod so that I could be on some of the photos with him as well. We ended up spending about 2.5 hours just walking around and enjoying the beauty of the gardens.

Around the grounds, the peacocks where out, but not on display, but he did stay quite a while posing for me whilst I took loads of photos.

James and me, just relaxing and posing, something we both like to do - LOL. Look at the bottom middle photo, hes about 2 inches or so shorter than me and hes only 12 (aaaahhhhh !!!!!)

Then when we got home, I decided that the car needed cleaning, well I really wanted to take some photos of James cleaning it, and he obliged.

I'll be back some with some layouts that I did at my crop on Sunday.

Sorry if the photos are small, but you get the idea.

Back later

xxx

Great Give Away

Over on Tracie Hudson blog is is giving away a RAK, see photo.






All you have to do is pop over to Tracie Blog , leave and comment and post a link to your blog.



Good luck.

Kreative Blogger Award

I was given this award from Kat (UKS Teamie )and it requires me to list 7 creative things that I've done and pass on ...

1. I found a craft (scrapbooking) that I truly love and wish I found it sooner.

2. I wish that I could knit and produce a wearable items, not just scarfs.

3. I love going to crops/workshops/retreats to meet other like minded people and learn new techniques.

4. I love to take photos.

5. I'm learning to crochet, not very successfully, but I keep practicing.

6. I'm learning new crafty everyday.

7. My son has learnt about the importance of taking loads of photos to get 'the one' for my layouts, but still have to get my Hubby used to the idea.

and I would like to pass it onto Debs and Liberty ...

Easter Holidays

We had a great week in Sheringham, Norfolk, not far from Cormer. Its a place that we visit at least twice a year and when we first came here for Nana 80th, I was determined not to be tied into the 'family holiday at the same place mode' but to be completely honest it has been me who loves coming back here, year after year. And if we could afford it we would definitely buy a property down there. Anyway some snaps of my week. Beki had put on her blog about 'why go abroad' and I totally agree with her, England does have some great places to visit, admittedly the weather is not guaranteed, but when it sunny it just stunning.

walking towards Cormer, it great to be able to walk along the beach, a long way but very enjoyable.

The weather was great, not warm enough for swimming, but good enough to have a quick paddle was just fine.

I've always been fascinated with Steam trains, and they have a a local line which always draws a large crowd to see it pull into the station and set off.

Then of course, a lovely sunset, looking at this you could have been on a tropical island not over looking the North Sea.

I had a trip to Blakeney Point to see the Seals, I ended up going on my own, Jon & James didn't fancy it this time, and if I don't do things on my own, I don't go, so I had a lovely morning seal watching, and having a walk along the point.

Jon doesn't like his photos being taken so I had pre-worn Jon that I needed some photos, has I've not got many. So he reluctantly agree to a few posed ones and I managed to take a lot of ones when hes not looking direct at the camera.

This one was taken by James, he's getting alot better at taking photos, which I'm pleased with.

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No Internet and Retreat Catch-up

Oh No, my broadband crazed, just had I wanted to do an update on my Retreat. I must be using it too much eh - LOL. Anyway, several phone calls to India, they can only come and fix it after my holidays. So this is a big catch up - which will be done over the next few days

Follow on from Scrapagogo Retreat - everytime I’ve been on one of these I say that it can’t get any better, but they do ‘tweek’ it and it does. the shop was simply amazing, I kept going back and saying “I’m just passing through’ each time getting some more to add to my stash, and I complete blame Sam, who was producing was amazing layout with a few bits and pieces from the shop and I had to have them.

I was with some amazing ladies on my tables, 7 of them from the Crops I attend, and Erica from Leeds - she sat up next to Sam and Sheena, but came along with us and she took this picture for us.

taken by me

taken by Charlotte

We had so much fun, that we have planned to repeat it all again next year, and a few of us are coming back in October, with the possibility of us all travelling down in a minibus, something that I will have to look into over the next few months.

So I did take some of my purchases from the Retreat with me to Sheringham to hopefully complete some layouts, and get a start on my minibook of the Retreat, the cottage that we stay in only has 4 channels, so not a lot to watch at night, so I was able to produce 6 layouts and my mini book (photo to follow) - a first for me finishing it in the first month of coming back.

One of Sam’s ‘things’ is to cut things out of patterned papers, Jillibean Soup has a sheet that has bird houses/beach huts - can’t quite decide what they are, but they are great cut out and added to your layouts. As is American Craft - Dear Lizzy Collection.

I feel really pleased with myself because I’ve managed to used really all of the papers, and having just a small amount of stash to work with has made me not want to save it, why do we always save paper because it ‘nice’.

This is a layout that I've been meaning to complete for ages, of DS and his Grandma baking at Christmas, James was very intend on reading the instructions to Grandma to make sure that she was doing it right, (little did he know then that it was not the actual instructions to bake bread - LOL)

Another one, photos taken last year on our way to Norfolk, because James can get car sick I sit in the back, which results in me falling asleep along the way, and everytime I wake up this is what I say.

Cosmo Cricket - Joy Ride

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