Twisted Card Sketches - Shower

This weeks card sketch can be found here

and here is my take

Why not hop over to the site and join in, I'd love to see what you make.

Child's Play Challenge - Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to Child's Play Challenges first ever Blog Hop!! We're so excited to have you here, and hope you enjoy visiting the Design Team and seeing all the great inspiration they have to share with you! Our hop is based on a favorite book/toy/movie etc. Super fun, right?? We also have a fabulous gift for one lucky hopper, here's what you need to do to enter:

1-check out each blog along the hop and leave a comment

2-post about the hop on your blog

3-link your post on our special "Blog Hop" linky in the sidebar

4-BONUS!! create a layout based on any of the DTs inspiration items and post that link for a second entry!!

For my creation today, I chose to do a layout based on one our board games. Here's my inspiration photo:

And here's my layout.

I got this board game one Christmas a couple of years ago, called 'Destination' which is similar to Monopoly but you travel around Birmingham City Centre (where we live) in a taxi - going to your chosen destination, collection your taxi fares when you get there, and buying petrol at various points around the board. It's a game that we all enjoy.

Now, to make sure you're on the right track - If you came here from Karen W blog, then you're on the right track!! If not, be sure and start off at Tiffany's blog where you will be inspired by her favorite spring time toy, the soccer ball!

Your next stop, is the very talented Rita who is using 'Snow White" as her inspiration!!

Leave a link to your layout in my comments to be entered into a prize draw from me. One lucky winner will be selected at random. All entries to be in by 30 April 2012.

Happy hopping!!

It's arrived

After months of 'should I', 'shouldn't I' ... I finally took the plunge and got this ...

I just hope that I can make better use of it, unlike my baby Cricut I had a few years ago.

The lovely Barbara brought her's to our Solihull retreat in February and even thought I only did a couple of sheets I could see the potential having one myself.

At the moment, all the signs are looking good. I've not done too much with it, but have download a few files and cut them out.

You can see one on this pages, in the middle.

Like most new things it will take me a while to get use to it, but there are some great tutorials on-line and at Studio Calico, that I'm sure if I get stuck along the way I will be able to ask and get help. It definitely going to be a 'work in progress' machine.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Project Life - March 2012

Finally got around to finishing my March pages. This month I've not take photos each day, so my general pages have a mixture of dates, basically I fitted the photos where I could in the design.

Key points - getting a new car, the photos of J & J was in preparation for one of the retreat layouts later in the month, which I didn't use.

Having this lovely robin in the garden whilst I pottered, he even waited till I went to get my camera to take a photo - very obliging.

One of James's many check-up - all is well and he's getting so tall that the Doctor had to reach up to measure him - lol.

Lunch date in Solihull with Julie & Morag - to celebrate Morag's birthday.

A trip to Webbs, Garden Centre with Julie, we had a walk by the river and took some photos. Also got this fab mug. - It says 'I'd rather be scrapbooking' - so true.

My month started with a trip back to Preston, to spend a fab weekend with the girls - I really miss them but whenever we get together, we have such a laugh, and obviously way too much to drink, hence how lack of shopping on the Saturday.

5 of us went out for meal to an Italian, which ended with shots - can't even remember why they were called, but they went down a treat - lol, then we went to a friends wine bar, where we had far to many cocktails.

Then on Saturday, feeling very woozy we managed to get out for lunch, but no shopping trip to Liverpool has planned.

Then at the end of March was Sarah's Cards Retreat - what a fab weekend of crafting I had.

The journalling is all about the journey up, our room and how Julie rearranged it, and the food at the restaurant, especially the Sunday Lunch - yummy !

My class layouts, views around the crop rooms, and meeting Rachael Elliott again - lovely lady and so talented.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Cover by Cover

So, yes I've decided to take an-other on-line class with Shimelle. You can find her full class description here.

I scrapbook every week, and over this past year or so, I found that my albums don't have a continuity to them, they are in specific albums, but when you look at them they don't flow. So I'm hoping that this class will give me some direction in sorting them out.

I can hear you saying, 'you can do that yourself', why yes of course I can, but sometimes it just takes someone to say something, or do something and it just clicks and you find that 'light blub' moment and you think WOW I get it now, so I'm hoping this class gives me that 'light blub' moment that I need.

The class starts on 7th May, and I looking forward to seeing what it entails.

Just a few layouts

I seem to have a batch of layouts, that I've not blogged, for one reason or another they are either just waiting for that something (lol) or I've just not got around to taking the photo.

Anyway, here a couple that I've done over the past few weeks.

Thanks a Bunch - Really love how Morag has captured me when I opened my thank you card from the girls for organising our 1st Solihull retreat.

The only thing that I planned for our weekend away was a few group shot, so this was one of several that we did and a few more layouts to follow. So a simple layout.

Again a quick one, of me & Julie taken at our January crop.

I now need to sort out all my albums to make some sort of sense/order out of them, so thanks to Shimelle who must have been reading my mind - lol - because she has come up with the perfect on-line class here. I have tried over the years to keep things together but some of my albums have a mis-match of things in that really need some direction.

So again, another on-line class for me, just loving these at the moment.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Sketchbook Layouts

Over at Studio Calico this year, they have introduced month long workshop/classes and this month it one entitled 'Sketchbook 4' designed by one of the DT girls, Kelly Purkey. Each sketch is accompanied with various designers take on that particular sketch, giving you some great inspiration, and in most cases it gives you a completely different look to the original sketch.

Here are my take on the ones I've managed to do so far.

Used SC Feb 2012 kit. A few photos taken over the Easter holiday at Botanical Gardens.

Photo taken by Julie at our visit to Toad Hall in February. Used SC Jan 2012 kit.

I-Pod Love - used Amy Tangerine Sketchbook Collection, with some bits & pieces from Amy Tangerine Daybook Collection.

Why is - when you need to space thickers out - they stick down firmly, and other times when you want them to stick they don't - hence the lack of space between the two words.

I'm so trying to use up my bits and pieces on my layouts and not save them for 'best'.

I took these photos with my phone and even thought they are not perfect I wanted to record the fact that James loves to read. Used: SC March 2012 Kit

I punched a heart shape out of one of the papers, and backed it with another sheet, I also outlined stickers to given them more defination.

Thanks for stopping by, and please call back on Saturday to join in with a blog hop, and if I can work out to add a random generator to my blog hop post there will be a give away.

Twisted Sketch - Animal

This weeks sketch is up here

and here is my take

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you join in with this weeks sketch.

Ally Pally Goodies

So on Saturday I went to Ally Pally, after 2 trains, 2 tubes and a bus ride I arrived shortly before 10am, where I meet up with Julie & Morag, who had travelled by car from Birmingham.

We headed for the main Scrapbooking stall and the visited the others.

I was very strict with myself and didn't go mad getting everything in sight, really pleased with myself has I managed to come back home with money in my purse. There was one or two items that I wanted but they had sold out so will have to get off the net.

Some lovely postcard on Kraft - ideal to accompany my PL pages or even on a layout.

mini wood alphas (very cute !!), mini tickets, Tim Holtz alpha cards, charms

It's this just beautiful ...

Masks, nesties and a great speech bubble die set with a magnetic mat,

Stamps,

Just love this one

A few sheets of paper, smash pads, page protector, and a Echo Park - Note to Self Collection Pack.

Oh my! these mini charms are super, super cute - love em!

I've heard of this collection before 'Ruby Rock-It' but never seen the papers IRL, must admit I rather like them. Love this ticket one and the B-side has the same colours tickets but plain, so you can add your own message - fab idea. I will be looking out for these papers again.

Bargain Punches - £5.00 each

Super Bargain Card Packs - 5 packs for £10.00.

My final photo of the day

obviously not all mine - lol x

I'll be back soon with some layouts and more trivia xxx

Ally Pally

Well worth my early morning start to get here.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

By the sea

Just having a walk along the Norfolk coast.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Easter ...

Everybunny !

This is the card I did this year, plain and simple

Products used : Stampin' Up stamps & paper pack;

Hope you are all having a fab Easter and get loads of yummy chocolate eggs.

Best on the Web

I was contacted a few weeks ago saying that my blog would be a great feature for this.

here

Really great to think that my ramblings have been noticed far and wide.

Why not hop over and check out the other blogs featured this week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Twisted Sketch - Yellow

This week sketch is up here

and here is my take

Why not hop over and take part, I'd love to see what you come up with.

Sarah's Card Retreat - March 2012 - Part 2

Here are the 6 classes layouts that I did at the retreat and a few of the others I managed to complete.

All the class layouts are designed and taught by Sarah's Card Design Team.

No. 1 - designed by Tracey - who normally does cards, so this was great to see how she work as a scrapbooker.

No. 2 - Designed by Louise - now where do I start with the techniques for this layout, WOW! WOW! WOW! - when I got my head around all the measuring and cutting out, I found it very relaxing and love how the layout incorporated loads. Really want to do another one of these when the time allows.

No. 3 - designed by Ifa - loads of techniques of this page, misting, masks, doilies.

No. 4 - Designed by Claire - papers that I would never have looked at twice, but love how this layout has turned out. The window is made out of cardboard, distress ink and white paint - brill idea

As you may know, I don't like things that are too fiddlely, so I even amazed myself doing this in the class and actually using in on the layout.

No. 5 - designed by Helen - love how this came together, and learnt how to make a chevon pattern on the layout, under the photo is hidden journalling, another brilliant idea. Helen had designed this page so that it can be adjusted to fit any paper size A4, 12x12 8.5 x11. You basically work on the white card stock and then stick that onto your background sheet.

No. 6 - Designed by Jen - when I saw this layout my initial throught was 'No Way' was I going to sit here cutting out all that. But has you can see I did and loved it. This was the one that I wanted to finish off at home, as the photos I had taken didn't seem right.

So that it for the class layouts, Thanks girls for providing such great inspiration and hope to see you all again next year.

This next layout is the 'layout challenge' we were given a layout kit, and we could only use the paper that was in that kit - OMG - what a challenge - my mind went blank, and the initially layouts was so not like this one, the patterned paper was vertical, there was no stamping, different photo, actually several photos were chosen. Anyway after sleeping on it I came up with this one.

Then it was the sketch challenge, I've used a photo of James taken last year, and my new collection pack of papers from Simply Stories - Awesome collection.

This one was a quick on for a workshop I'm doing over at Two Peas. When I photographed this and looked at it on screen decided that the journalling tab wasn't right was will be change that.

Right folks, that all for now. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment, which are all much appreciated.