Catching up

Here are a few layouts from the last two crops. The colours are a little poor but most of you have seen them in real life. The time for sax is a grey background but doesn't look like it. I must keep up and file these soon, as I reprinted the photos of Elizabeth playing her new sax because I had fogotten that I'd already scrapped them. Never mind I will file them a la Stacy Julian for use some time in the future.

I have added a blog list on Ching's recommendation which automatically tells you when the blog was last updated. Very clever and very useful

I'm back

Where from you may ask. For the last two weeks I've been focussing on finishing a quilt for a wedding gift for my best friend, Jean. The wedding was on Saturday at Hotel l'Horizon and I finished the quilt yesterday. I had it washed this morning to remove the markings and here it is. I need to add a label which is my job for tonight's Caesarea Quilters meeting and then wrap it and deliver it to Jean's home.

Today I've been working through my pile of piles and the desk is looking much clearer. I hav even photographed some layouts ready to show you tomorrow.

Blues Brothers

Today has been quite busy with an audition for the weakest link this morning and this afternoon Matthew practiced with the Beaulieu & De la Salle Big Band after school. They practiced with the Blues Brother tribute act who are appearing at the Fort on 29 November. Excitingly the Big Band has been asked to open the second half of the show with two numbers, one of which is Johnnie Be Good. A photo or two may appear in the JEP as a photographer came and took a few photos. Other forthcoming preformances include the Fete de Noue.

Shaker card

Time to make a quick card this afternoon from the Ustamp class. I didn't have any microbeads so used some fine glitter, hero arts stamp and my new scallop punch.

Caesarea Quilters are celebrating their 10th birthday tonight with a talk by visiting quilter Anya Townrow followed by drinks and nibbles. Elizabeth is coming with me as she was about 10 days old when the inaugural meeting was held. Joanne was also at the inaugural meeting and her idea for a name of Crapaud Quilters didn't receive much support for some reason!!

Another nice SU blog

I got some lovely SU goodies today. The stamps have been mounted and put back in their box whilst I tidy the office and catch up on my own bookkeeping. Another nice SU blog with a giveaway http://juliesjapes.blogspot.com/Julies Japes

Stampin Up

I've joined the Ustamp holiday class and am loving the Stampin up scalloped punch. I came across this card set on Gadget Monkey's webiste which is lovely and you can win it. Go to purely stamping blog

I have made a lovely waterfall album from the Ustamp class which I'm hoping Elizabeth will choose the photos for and I can add a picture by the weekend.

Christmas card with a little help from my friends

Feeling a little sorry for myself as I have a stinking cold which ruined our weekend. Not well enough to go to work today, I have done some sewing and started planning my contribution to next Monday evening's WI Christmas Crafts. No matter that I keep telling the organiser I don't make cards, I still get roped in. I took my first effort to Lorraine's this morning and the resulting card as redesigned by Lorraine, Jenny and Jean, is finished. I now need to stamp and emboss enough baubles and backgrounds for 15 ladies. One job off my list, just need to buy some red card next. Thank you ladies for your input the card is much nicer than my prototype.

SU scallop instructions

I know some are impatiently awaiting their SU scalloped punch. Here is a turning the corner tutorial http://www.kathysstampingniche.com/kathys_stamping_niche/2008/09/scallop-border-punch-tutorial.html

Yet another Egypt layout

Created from a sketch for the Scrapagogo 3rd birthday celebration. I completed a few more on holiday and will post those tomorrow.

last minute again

I have eventually managed to print about 100 of Nick's photos that he scanned from slides so I have photos to take with me on holiday and scrap. I know that sounds like sacrilege, but Nick isn't a morning person at the best of times. Even on holiday I'm up at least an hour or two before him. This is the third year I've taken some scrapbooking, the first year I finished my Peru album and this time I'm hoping to finish my Egypt album. I don't think there are many pages to finish so I will take the album with me.

ALL I need to do now is to make up some page kits. I always procrastinate and avoid what I should be doing, so at the moment I'm blogging and downloading games onto my ipod touch. If I actually did what I need to I would be less stressed and ready to go!!

See you soon.

I just couldn't resist

My new Threading Water punch arrived today from America, just as they're starting to come back into stock in UK stores. Anyone who has one and wants to know how to turn the corner should watch this video on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV4Z1xjHOPA


So I did a layout today using some Scarlet Lime kit and my new punch. The layout is very loosely based on a ScrapMaps sketch.

work in progress

There's a new sketches site being launched on 17 August. Can never have too many sketches. http://pinksketches.typepad.com/pink_sketches_blog/ or click the link in the bar on the right hand side.

Last night I decided to spend half an hour filing my six inch pile of layouts from the last six months / a year. Got myself into a right mess as to what went where, so have pulled all of the matching albums out to sort them out today and will need to order some more albums. This time I must label the albums.

I've also ordered some 3 up photo albums to sort my photos along the lines of Stacy Julian's system from Photo Freedom. Though a tidy floor might help so I can get to the photos , but that won't be today. Joanne has offered to look after my Cricut whilst we're away on holiday, which is very generous of her. I still need to try out the Sure Cuts a Lot software, but at least the office desk is almost clear, especially as my layouts are now in the lounge!!

A lady on 2peas, Toni, had one of these very elusive punches and offered it for sale. she very generously found another in Michaels or Joanns for me, so hopefully they will be here very soon. She even managed to post it on a Sunday as her local Post Office is open on a Sunday.


Post Offices in the US are few and far between we've found. In Orlando we only found one in Celebration and similarly in LA we only saw one in Venice Beach.

Jean's fiftieth birthday

Yesterday we spent much of the day celebrating Jean's birthday and also her engagement to John. This is a layout which pulls together a few of the pictures Elizabeth took to stop her from being bored.

Lego is also 50 this year. Here are the children joining in the celebrations

Page Maps sketch

The first challenge I've done from Willow Tree Crafts scrapathon is the Pagemaps sketch again using the Scarlet Lime kit for June. I wasn't keen on the die cut flowers but they make a statement.

I forgot to mention that yesterday's layout from the stuff on my desk was also a Page Maps sketch from Becky's book.

Scarlet Lime kit

Luckily I had my June Scarlet Lime kit out as the challenge was to use anything on your desk. Also lucky I'm not a tidy person either. :)

Imagine this layout with a photo

I was so tempted to add some of the yellow felt ribbon Jenny kindly bought us from Poundworld (plus GST) but I went for less is more and another Making Memories juornalling block.

I know I have a copy of the photo of Joanne which was printed in the JEP but I can't put my hand on it at the moment. So just use your imagination.

Saturday Scrapathon

Layout 10 and I've used the same felt letters and ribbon again. The sticker is from my June Scarlet Lime kit and I picked up the stitching detail and zigzagged around the patterned papers.








An early start to catch up on some of the 9 layouts and 2 challenges posted so far. This is my version of layout 8.

Scrapathon

The first layout from Willow Tree Crafts scrapathon. Not sure how much I'll get done as we have a big 50th birthday party (and engagament party) but don't tell anyone about the engagement as they only picked up the ring today. Juornalling will be done tomorrow as I don't want to get Elizabeth's place on the shooting leaderboard wrong.

Second layout - patterned paper and bobbly ribbon from June Scarlet Lime kit.

Last one for today

Having pulled all the layouts waiting to be put in albums out of the cupboard to find the two missing Egypt layouts, I realise that my next job is to put away layouts into labums, as the pile is about 4 inches thick.

Yes, another Egypt layout

One I started at Scrapagogo and all I needed to do today was add the journalling and add the flowers and buttons. I had made some blue flowers with a pinked edge but decided to go with the pinks from the velevty border paper.

If you like Making Memories, go to the blog today and enter their giveawyas for more Making Memories goodness. http://makingmemories.typepad.com/makingmemories/

All my Egypt layouts are now in an album. I have one double to finish a title and journalling and two single layouts that I know I've done but who knows where I put them. I now need to review the album and see what layouts I still need to do.

Two more I found in my crop bag

Fisrtly my layout using the Coredinations cardstock, Lorraine's cuttlebug embossing folders and some sand paper. Don't forget to bring what you've created with that magic cardstock to the September crop (date to be confirmed).

And another Egypt layout done at the crop, complete with journalling for once. Love the scalloped velvet ribbon. Once my craft room is tidied I definitely need to put my Egypt pages into their own album as I've probably done more layouts than I realise. I will probably take the rest of the photos and supplies on holiday with us to finish the album in the same year as the holiday!!

I do like the Making Memories journalling spots and it looks like they are back in stock at the suppliers so they may be in next week's delivery.

Still spring cleaning

School is out so Matthew and Elizabeth are doing some tidying of their room and they can then tell me what to tidy!! Today was my desk in my craft room, which I can now see!! However it was tidy a week ago so I don't hold out much hope for it staying clear.

Amongst the tidying I found another layout which I did at the last crop.

I also finished a layout from a class at Gogogetaway with photos from Gogogetaway. I ordered the photos from Photobox this time and they were here in two days. You can see the layout both open and closed.



we are heading to the cinema this morning to see Mamma Mia, which everyone is raving about. Matthew is watching something else with Doug and Lizzie is meeting Bronte. First stop is Spar for some cheap sweets bought with their pocket money.

Paper popsicles

The kit club Paper Popsicles is having a fresh start crop today to introduce the new Design Team members, including my friend, Ching. So her 8am challenge was a card with circles in a fishscale pattern, so here's mine:


And here's my layout for the second challenge - a summer themed layout.

Late spring clean

I enjoyed the crop last weekend. Nice to try out the Coredinations cardstock having read so much about it. Did I mention there's a small prize involved? Please bring your finished creation to the September crop and if you missed the crop, I have some cardstock left to share, drop me a line. Here is a link to the YouTube video to show what can be done with this magic cardstock. You can't bleach this cardstock, I tried and failed ;)

I have been starting a tidy of my workroom and can now see half of the carpet. I found two more layouts that I did at the Scrapagogo retreat. I must sort out an album for the Egypt layouts so that I don't duplicate any layouts. I've probably completed more than I realise. I know there is one more double layout in progress and one I completed at the crop. I haven't got to that bag yet in my tidying process!!

Where does the time go?

Since I last posted, we've had a a crop, been to London for the weekend and celebrated Elizabeth's birthday (this weekend).

I have had to admit that my digital camera has died and i have ordered a new camera from Amazon. Having decided I want a handbag sized camera but with a zoom, we headed into town. I sort of had this fixed idea that I wanted a Lumix and that I wasn't going to pay more than £180 - don't know where this figure came from. Guy in Fotosound didn't want me to buy the Lumix and wasn't going to budge on the £250 price. Sale lost there. Whilst M&E visited 101 toys, we popped into Jessops and the same camera was £230 - convinced that was a UK price, we treked to the camera shop in Colomberie - £220. Time for lunch and a trawl through Amazon. Yeah I got it for under my limit and it was despatched today.

Here are my gogogetaway challenge layouts plus one other I found on my desk. I will add photos to my other retreat layouts at this weekend's crop. the photos took two weeks to arrive from truprint so the initial enthusiasm to finish them has passed. however my new PictureMate has arrived and it's perfect and it's a Which bets buy which satisfies Nick.







See you on Saturday

An eggstra layout done

I wasn't sure about the BPS baker's dozen class, but I've now completed three of the layouts, having done the fourth this morning. I will need to mount the layout on some black card as the beige card is a bit out of kilter and rub out the pencil lines, but it's basically done. Update - it is now matted on black and looks (IMHO) even better.

Just one more and I'll be up to date.

Eggsiting class

I was catching up with a class at bigpicturescrapbooking today. I completed two out of the three layouts that have been handed out so far. The first layout took about 2 hours and the second layout about half an hour.



I enjoyed the crop today and I hope everyone enjoyed seeing what we'd produced at Gogogetaway. You can see what the shop and facilities were like by going to view the slideshow at http://www.feelgoodphotos.co.uk/gogogetaway/iframe.html You'll have to wait until almost the end for photos of Liz and me.

Really panicing now

First my camera has an error whilst we were away, which mysteriously disappeared yesterday, then I couldn't download all the photos from last week. Once I'd downloaded the photos via my printer, I started to print. Funny band on the photos so ran nozzle checks etc, now photos are printing out green. I guess my printer has come to the end of its useful life which is a shame as it has been well loved.

So in desperation I have uploaded some photos to Snapfish and have to keep my fingers crossed they arrive before Friday when I go to Gogogetaway. I would like to print off some of the photos Nick has scanned from his slides, but my computer didn't like the size of the files, so I moved to Nick's computer. I then discover part of the problem is Snapfish doesn't like TIFF files, so I've converted a couple to jpg and added them to the Snapfish order. i will attempt to do the ohters I want tonight.

Here are two layouts from last week's crop. I still need to finish the journalling on the Komombo layout. I had to change the title once I realised I had the name of the wrong temple. This was a layout from the new Pagemaps book.




Have started my May layout for Shimelle's monthly calendar class but am thwarted by my lack of printer.

Starting to panic

Two weeks until Gogogetaway and I've only just finished my badge and "passport". Saturday it's our crop, then it's half term and then I'm at work. How does everyone else fit everything? Perhaps I should focus on what I need to do and not spend an hour playing, decorating a bird house with my May Scarlet Lime kit



And I mustn't forget to take photos for our monthly project on Sunday.

Millennium mosaic

I finished the layout I started at class on Tuesday evening. I managed to take the photo of the completed panel yesterday. This is the first time all 18 panels have been on display together which is a real shame given all the work that went into them - 300,000 tiles, 24,000 put tiles on the panels. The layout is a sketch from the new page maps book which arrived earlier this week. Loved that I used the KI tiles which I've had for years and the black tiles are from joanns when we went to Florida. The tiles have letters stamped on the front but I turned them over and used rub on lettering.

I started this layout about 4 years ago but couldn't get hold of a picture of the finished panel so it has lain in a drawer. Fortunately I'd used herma so removed the photo from the original layout and started again.

Still a work in progress

I was very lucky and David did come around on Saturday so my new computer is almost fully functioning. I just need to download the Surecutsalot for my cricut and sort out my address book. At the moment I can't e-mail anyone unless I can remember the exact e-mail address, which is David, Joanne and Christine at the moment.

I thought I'd mention two sites I found yesterday. The first is Jennifer McGuire who writes for Creating Keepsakes. http://jennifermcguireink.com/ She has a great video on using the Cuttlebug embossing folders and I love the layout she did too with loads of little details. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to emboss a layout with Utee when it was almost finished. asking for trouble. Jennifer is a designer for Hero Arts and they have a great blog with regular giveaways :) http://heroarts.com/blogs/club

geocaching disappointment

A beautiful day. The children have been outside playing and organising a summer party with the neighbour's children. Quite funny to see them earnestly planning with a notepad in hand.

Here's yesterday's layout as promised:


So excited to be going to the Scrapgogo retreat, but a geocaching event in Jersey has also been organised for the same weekend so I won't be able to go. However I can look forward to some new caches being released whilst I'm away even though we won't be FTF.

My new computer

Thanks to Nick I have my new computer as my old one wasn't coping very well, I think it's memory was going. Also localdial has been having a few problems yesterday too. So at 6 o'clock this morning I couldn't get on the internet so I pulled out a file from last week's crop and completed a layout. I used some of the lovely felt brads Joanne bought me from Queen & Co. I had a threaded needle with red floss on my desk so I did a bit of stitching too. Unfortunately you'll have to wait for the reveal as my camera batteries are flat because I pinched a pair of batteries for my mouse.



I'm hoping my plea for help to my favourite brother will mean I'm soon fully functioning as I don't have my outlook address book atm and I can't e-mail anyone.

Wet bank holiday Monday

I have deleted the previous post due to spam I can't delete

So perfect for catching up with a few bits of admin and finishing off. We popped up to Les Ormes to see the new Pure Adventure facility and Elizabeth has chosen to do an assault course for her birthday and hopes Lucy will want to have her party the same day.

I have e-mailed my Becky Higgins sketch layout to C, a day late so probably a non starter. Here are the remainder of my layouts from Saturday.



This one uses one of the flowers from my scarlet lime kit with the purple flower that I made. I can see myself making a few more of the flowers.



I was really pleased with how my April pages came out. Thanks to joanne for the turquoise Queen & Co felt which filled a space beautifully.



All I did on this layout on Saturday was add the lettering stickers, this one has been part complete for months.



Another layout from the March crop which just need a title. This uses papers from the Love Elsie line which I won from Scrapdreamie. The only element of this range that I really like is their embossed cardstock which I've sanded to highlight the embossing.

NSD

We had a lovely National Scrapbooking Day crop today with instructions from Lorraine for a very clever card and a chance to try out some grungeboard. Veronica was doing a first home album and the gilded grungeboard lock and key were perfect for the album.

Joanne and I used the same sketch from triple the sketch and our layouts are as follows:



My layout uses more of my Scarlet Lime kit for March including the lovely oval stamp with the bird. Thanks to Joanne for letting me pinch some of her new Queen & Co felt ribbon for both this and Shimelles' calendar that I did today at the crop. More photos tomorrow.