Simple Recipe One

Over on UKS there is a new challenge called Simple Recipes which is "designed as a starting point to kick you off creating your layout". 

The first one had a colour palette of Hot Pink, Stormy Grey and Chocolate Brown.  You could then step it up a gear by using fabrics, lace or netting and two styles of alphabet.  We also had an optional sketch to work form (Optional? Well anyone who know me as a scrapper knows I love a sketch!!)

I dug through my old stash and found some Basic Grey Infuse which fitted the colours and then I grabbed a pile of photos waiting to be scrapped and liked the square one that I had printed off from my Hipstamatic snaps on my phone.  This was taken at a Maroon 5 concert last year.  I decided to record all the concerts I had seen in 2011 (and there were quite a few) and I managed to use the two alphas and also a bit of velvet ric rac.

The finished page - I assure you the page is straight in real life - it's my photography that is wonky!!

The journalling reads I so love going to see a live act.  In 2011 I saw Simple Minds, KT Tunstall, Band of Horses, The Script, Take That and the incredible Maroon 5!

You can join in with Simple Recipes on the 3rd Tuesday of every month over on UKScrappers :)

52 card challenge

I mentioned a while back and wanted to make some cards and sell them at work to raise funds for charity.  The 52 card challenge over on UKS seemed like a good idea to help build up some more stock.  This week I caught up on the first three challenges and added four more cards to the basket :)

The first was challenge was;

1. Theme = New (new beginnings, baby, home or simply using new stash - the choice is yours!)
2. Circles
3. Scallops

I used some new stash (well the last lot I bought for my recent lay out), some circles on the transparency and the spotty card and my scallop border punch.  I enjoyed this so much I made two cards!

Week 2 was "Primary, hand made embellishment and journalling spot".  For this I had nearly finished the card and then realised I needed a handmade embellishment!  I wanted to use some of my mountain of blossoms so as my sewing machine was on the desk I played around and stiched them together, adding a button and some bakers twine to finish off.

The theme for Week 3 was "bunting, banners, pennants and flags". I dug through my kits until I found some with bunting in and threw this card together :)

I've just noticed all these cards seem to have the same pattern of a line across the middle and a flower/rosette on the left.  Not sure how that's happened!! Thanks to Natty for a great challenge.  Check out her blog here for more amazing cards.

TFL

A new recipe a week...

I set myself a little challenge last week to put some life back into our meals.  We seem to have got in a rut of eating the same old stuff although we have a whole cupboard full of cook books (with two new ones added at Christmas), watch loads of cookery programmes and subscribe to the BBC Good Food magazine!

I decided I would try one new dish a week for meal times.  Last week's was not a success (hence I didn't blog about this then!) but this week was a different matter.  I tried my hand at toad in the hole, not just any toad in the hole but Jamie Oliver's toad in the hole.  Now I have never eaten this dish before but oh boy! have I been missing out!  It was so yummy and perfect comfort food for a Friday evening.  Even Josh had some and he has to be the fussiest eater in the house!

The gravy was a little vinegary due to the balsamic vinegar and I have since found another recipe of Jamie's for a deconstructed version in my new Christmas book below which has an apple and onion gravy so will be trying that one next :)  The above picture is Jamie's I hasten to add not mine - I will remember to take a picture next week!

I have also felt in the mood for baking this year so will be trying more recipes particularly from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.  Yesterday I tackled the lemon loaf and took it into work today and it went down extremely well.  Not sure I can commit to one baking session a week but I'll give it a go!

Would love to hear from anyone else who has recipes to recommend.  Off to look for something to try this week....

More 4x6 photo love

I'm trying desperately to catch up with the last pages from the 4x6 Photo Love challenge before getting into new ones in 2012.  Here I have completed June's and August's with 6 and 8 photos respectively. The June one is a DLO from our trip to Diggerland a couple of years ago when we had a trip to Northumberland. I have shamelessly copied Shimelle's embellishment ideas with the bakers twine - when something works why change it? lol!

The August page was more challenging with is actually being a three sided lay out. I chose some photos from a day's sledging in 2010 on Alex's Birthday. It was such a fun morning and perfect winter weather. I have now stitched the page protectors together as Shimelle recommended and it is really a unique page in my album :)

The back page...

The inside page...

The finished page from the front

Today I have caught up on the 52 card challenge so back tomorrow with some lovely cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

10 things on the 10th

I noticed a lot of bloggers documenting their favourite lay outs of 2011 so thought I would pinch this idea for my 10 things on the 10th.  Here is a little run through for you...

My first "6x4 Photo Love" layout for Shimelle's challenge in 2011

Capturing Josh's faves at 10 (which reminds me I still haven't done Alex's!)

Just love the bright colours on this one - sometimes a paper just goes so 

well with what your child is wearing lol!!

I had to pick a page made with the gorgeous Crate Paper Restoration...

Thanks to Rachael Elliott for the idea of punched circles to make a scalloped border :)

Love this page...

I had a thing for squares late in 2011!  The patchwork look was a perfect back drop for 

this cute photo of Alex...

See, more squares! 

My favourite lay out from the classes at Sarah's Cards retreat in March...

Another one for the Florida album...

Thanks for looking at these pages again with me :) If you want to see more of 10 things on the 10th then hop over to Shimelle's blog to check them out.  I look forward to seeing your lists today.

Julia

WOYWW

Firstly a Happy New Year to whoever is reading. May 2012 be a healthy and happy one.

We have already moved on from Christmas in this house with hubby's birthday yesterday. Here he is enjoying his birthday tapas on Monday with Alex who is next with her birthday on Monday!




A quick post this week and a definitely messy desk. Working on one of the 4x6 photo love challenges from August last year. I have done two sides but just trying to complete the third.  Also working towards the stash busting I have committed to by using an old kit from December 2009.



On the left is also the Simple Recipes prompt from UKS this week which I am planning to tackle soon nad scattered around a whole host of embellies from which I need to choose something to finish my page!
If you want to check out more desks please pop over to The Stamping Ground for a look around. 


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Location:Doeford Close,Warrington,United Kingdom