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.

Cybercrop Sunday

It has been a productive and unrushed CC Sunday. The first few cybercrops, Joanne and I tried to do everything and I got all stressed up trying to upload photos for both of us. Now I photgraph my work rather than use the scanner which is quicker, also there are more mini book and altered items classes, which don't appeal to me so there is less temptation to rush and try and do it all.

Today I've done four layouts with photos from our Egypt holiday and using my Scarlet Lime kits again:






Nick is home and pain free and fairly mobile. My activities will however be curtailed this week as he will be at home and expecting me to be back to have lunch with him. Fingers crossed for a quick recovery.

Next job is to get ready for the crop next Saturday and I will probably put together the April page of Shimelle's scrap your day class for the cybercrop.

Cybercrop Saturday

And it has been very quiet once we dropped Nick off to the hospital and Elizabeth's friend was picked up. We visited the Guide Dogs for the Blind book sale and I bought about 30 books, one of which I read this afternoon.

My calendar arrived yesterday as hoped, thanks to lorraine for taking in my parcel. So I just need to add photos from yesterday to the April pages of the calendar. Other than that I've only done one layout and one card from the cybercrop. Those that I was hoping to do didn't appeal to me but I have another set of instructions which I have printed off to do tomorrow morning.


Tomorrow will be busy with the St George's Day scout parade, Fiona is carrying a banner and Matthew is accompanying another banner. Matthew was asked to read at the service but he declined, just as well as there was a practice today.

Tomorrow is now today

And I really want the MM calendar today not tomorrow. I can ring Kars in 15 minutes so they can track my delivery. Fingers crossed.

First Egypt layout

My photos arrived this morning from Truprint, envelope was torn but photos were still in good condition.


This is a pre-crop challenge for the UkScrappers cybercrop which starts tomorrow. The challenge was to use a specific Pagemaps sketch. I also used the Scarlet Lime March kit with papers and cardstock stickers from Making Memories. The black chipboard is from Cosmo Cricket

Getting ready for the Oscars

Friday evening sees the start of the Ukscrappers Cybercrop of the theme of the Oscars. The organising team seem to have taken on board comments from earlier cybercrops and one of the changes is fewer kits. For the mystery kit you can either buy a kit or make up your own. I used some of the products from this month's scarlet lime kit for my "Comedy Kings" themed layout.

In preparation for Friday night I want to get the sketch challenge done and at the moment I'm planning on doing one of my Egpyt photos with the April Scarlet Lime kit which is Making Memories 5th Avenue. Not that my Egypt photos have arrived yet which I ordered from truprint on Monday. At the moment Truprint are doing 4p a print for 4 by 6 prints which is much cheaper than printing at home.

The other class I'm definitely doing is Shimelle's photos a day calendar. I have ordered the calendar and I'm hoping it will be delivered tomorrow. The reason being once I'm behind I never quite catch up and lose enthusiasm.

And if you'd like to join in the cybercrop go to http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=220 If you haven't registered on UKS before, that will be the first point of call, then click on the register button in the cybercrop area and you will be allocated to a team, then go to the bingo thread and choose 12 words and e-mail them off. Then enjoy.

Bad blogger

Veronica is getting bored of not seeing anything new on the blog, so these will have to suffice for the next two weeks!!! It's nice to know someone reads the blog.

This layout was for Elizabeth's friend whose 10th birthday it was in March. I used the Love Elsie kit I won from Scrapdreamie. I have a similar layout in progress for Elizabeth. I sanded the embossed cardstock to reveal the white core.

An old layout which needed 10 minutes of journalling.

Scrap room kit from October afternoon. Scenic Route chipboard letter, Making memories journalling die cut which I'm enjoying using regularly.

I did this layout at last Saturday's crop. I had found the scrap of green and pink patterned paper on my desk and the rest followed. Thank you to Lorraine for the funky foam flower centre and button

I think this was a pencil lines sketch from two months ago.

See everyone in two weeks time.

Buzzted?

Need inspiration pop over to scrapdreamie

Sneaky

This is a geocache container use by the Jersey Royals, very sneaky.

I found it

At Saturday's crop I was bemoaning the second page of a two page layout that I couldn't find. I lifted up my huge craft mat to dust and lo and behold I'd put the page under there to stick some bits down. So you can see my Portelet Common page above.


Another productive and sociable crop on Saturday. I did two one page layouts and two 8" pages for my Christmas journal. I misaligned a rub on and had left my adhesive eraser at home (one good thing from the Paris show!!!). The rub on came off beautifully.




I liked yesterdays pencillines.com sketch and can see that it would make a great title page for a holiday album (such as Egypt I wonder). I changed the 18 photos to 3 and used some Daisy D which isn't my cup of tea combined with some Basic Grey.