UKS Weekly Challenge - August Week 4

I loved the challenge this week as it was simple and fitted in with some photos I'd been thinking of scrapping.  The challenge was;

Scrap about friends or a weekend away - 10 Points
Use an envelope or glassine bag for hidden journaling - 10 Points
Creative lettering - 10 Points

I chose photos of friends from our weekend away last year so ticked both boxes there. I didn't have a glassine bag or envelope so tucked my journaling in a file folder. I think I also have the same book that Scrappy Pat mentions in her challenge so I used Easy Peasy font to add some journaling around the title.

This was ones of the last Sarah's Cards kits I received with gorgeous papers from Cosmo Cricket called Tea for Two. Very apt really as the photos are of us all having tea and breakfast in The  Elephant Cafe where J K Rowling wrote most of Harry Potter.


Thanks for your comments as always I love reading them :) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Summertime Potography Scavenger Hunt - 11. An animal in a zoo, aquarium, nature preserve, etc.

OK,  I'll get this out there now.  This is not my best photography work!  I went to a local park, Walton Gardens,  that has a mini zoo last month to meet a friend so took these while I had the chance as I may not see another mammal, fish or bird behind bars before 21st September!  Anyways - this was the pygmy goat...


This was my favourite - rabbits and chickens happily sharing the same space :) ...


This is the star of the zoo - Bobo the donkey. He even has his own facebook page but sadly today he was feeling very unsociable!

So another item off the list but not my best.  I'm on the look out to see if I can catch something else in this category but it's doubtful! As ever you can check out more about the hunt on Rinda's blog.

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Number 10 - A bench that is outside...

Another find from the scavenger hunt and an update on my list (to keep me on track if nothing else!)  You still have until 21st September to find all the items and don't to forget to share your finds with Rinda on her round up posts :)

So this is number 10 - A bench that is outside...

This one was outside reception where we were staying in Koutouloufari, Crete.  I kept walking past thinking "I must snap that".  Eventually, on the last evening, before we got our transfer to the airport, I did!

And here it is with a little decoration :)

And here is my remaining list (including some I have found but not blogged yet):
1.   Open air market
2.   Theater for performing arts (not a movie theater)
3.   City Hall, Capitol or other similar civic building
4.   Airplane
5.   A sunset
6.   Someone or something taking a nap
7.   A sign that is intentionally or unintentionally funny
8.   A tower
9.   A photo with someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn't belong
10.  A bench that is outside
11.  An animal in a zoo, aquarium, nature preserve, etc.
12.  A cloud in the shape of something (please specify what you see)
13.  A fence
14.  A stained glass object or a mosaic
15.  A fire truck or police car
16.  A windmill 
17.  Candle(s)
18.  Your local pub/bar, coffee house or tea shop
19.  A fisherman
20. A dinosaur
21.  A photograph of you with an artistic tool or craft supply (you cannot substitute for this item)
Bonus/substitute items.  If you find any of the above items too difficult, feel free to substitute either (or both) of these items.  You can substitute up to two items, but you cannot substitute Item #21:
A person wearing an outfit (or item of clothing) that symbolizes your country
A sundial

2013 summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt - The Carfest Edition

The Saturday before we came away we had a fabulous day out at Carfest North. Carfest is the brain child of Chris Evans and raises money for Children In Need through a car festival with music!  I bought the tickets months before, the day they went on sale - just as well as they sold out that weekend.  I'm also a bit of a petrol head on the quiet so I was looking forward to all the Aston Martins, old F1 cars and Ferraris :). It was also an excellent opportunity to grab some photos for the Scavenger Hunt. 

This was the Black Hawk helicopter doing some incredible manoeuvers;

Whereas this is my plane for the hunt - 4 An airplane.  A Vulcan Bomber t be precise.  Incredibly loud when flying low over your head and quite intimidating, especially when it's bomb doors opened.

So the day was full of hill sprints by lots of cars, air displays (see above lol!) and lots of other stalls and activities.  The cars came out in groups of 7 but were preceeded by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (well, a replica, anyway) owned by Chris Evans.  Here he is driving her round the track....

Continuing on the celebrity theme this was one of Chris' ferraris driven by Paul Hollywood of The Great British Bake Off...You'll have to take my word he's behind the wheel unless you can zoom in!

Back to the hunt.  I've already posted about 9. A photo with someone or something that is clearly out of place or doesn't belong but thought this shed on wheels also fitted the bill!!!

These lampshades hung from a tree caught my eye in the family section where you could make pom poms or dress up...

One of my darling daughter modelling a fetching pair of sunglasses!!!  Her other pair are lime green...

This one on the portaloos caught my eye for 7.   A sign that is intentionally or unintentionally funny.  

Back to our day and this is the prodigal son trying out the Army for a career move...

The evening was rounded off by a great concert...Rockaoke (basically karaoke with a band.  Oh and about 20,000 people watching you!!!), Noasis (an Oasis tribute band), Deacon Blue and The Feeling.  We headed down the front for the last band and the kids were singing along with the best of them.  They absolutely nailed Video Killed the Radio Star - even better than the orginal!  I can't seem to paste it here but search it on You Tube, I highly recommend it :)

So that brings me to my final find. 5.   A sunset Not just any sunset though, a festival sunset with fairy lights and tents :)

So that was our fantastic day at Car Fest - what great things have you been up to this Summer?  If you want to see more fabulous finds then head over to Rind's blog at Gallo Organico.

UKS Weely Challenge - August Week 3

This weeks challenge was really simple and ideal for me;
Use the sketch - yes. Got to love a sketch, it's what I nearly always start with.
Use scraps - yes again, I have lots of half used kits so I carried on with bits left from my Fancy Pants; Be You kit
Scrap about a holiday - why yes again! Having just returned from Crete I have a ton of pics to choose from!

My writing turned out a little wonky but it's just about OK! I've also been watching lots of videos on You Tube from "mercytiara" and decided to try her style of outlining papers instead of inking them. It's not as easy as she makes it look but I do like it. If you want to check her out then visit her blog at http://mercytiara.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
Off to see if I can squeeze in another page before my bank holiday weekend comes to a close!
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The Olympic Torch - Sketchy Scrappers July challenge

July's sketch was a lovely one for using up scraps of paper.  I turned to one of my more recent Sarahs Cards kits and grabbed a photo of Alex and one of the Olympic Torch's that had been sat on my desk for ages waiting to be scrapped. It's not the best picture but was taken at one of her Guide meetings.  One of the runners lived in our village and brought the torch into all the Guiding and Scout units over a few weeks as he has been a Scout leader for over 40 years.

And after a very short amount of time this is what I came up with...

The papers are Fancy Pants - Be You and I stitched the circle at the back and added a wood veneer camera and a stamp from my own stash.  

2013 summertime photography scavenger hunt - Cretan dinosaurs!

Think this is a bit of a cop out but I'm going with it anyway! I realised yesterday that the cuddly toy Josh brought on holiday with him was his cherished dinosaur "Diny". Diny has been around since Josh's birth and is one of his most treasured stuffed toys. Here is enjoying his last day by the pool...




On Sunday we went to the local beach and the kids started drawing in the sand. Without any prompting from me (honest!) Josh drew a dinosaur. Well I couldn't miss an opportunity for the scavenger hunt so here he is...





I will keep my eyes out for some other dinosuars in the next few weeks... the thing about the scavenger hunt is you find things when you are least expecting them :)

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2013 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt - Cretan windmills

I didn't think I would spot any windmills for the hunt. That was until I arrived in Crete! The first two I spotted in a tiny outdoor museum to village life. I didn't really stay to look round though a it was all in Greek!!







The next one was in the harbour wall at Elounda before we caught the boat to Spinalonga (a place I have long wanted to visit after reading Victoria Hislop's The Island - and it didn't disappoint)



Back soon with some more finds from Crete :)

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Another one bites the dust...

Determined to rattle through my half used kits (so I can treat myself to new ones, of course!!!) I found my Sassafrass - Serendipity kit. There wasn't enough to make a page but I had an album in need of decoration and some new hexagon dies to christen. So.... I made this

There were a few embellishments left which have now joined other odd ones in a bowl on my desk and will be used on some cards as I desperately need a card making session soon to catch up on the 52 card challenge.

Thanks for stopping by :)

The Local

The June sketch for my Sketchy Scrappers group was picked by my good self and I had three photos in mind when I choose it to remember our last lunch on holiday in Parga last summer. 

I used a Sarah's cards kit (but can't remember which one!) that had bright colours that reflected the colours in the photos and the holiday feeling.  I also stitched a couple of circles with my sewing machine. 

Thank heavens for trip advisor so I could look up the name of the local taverna! The journalising reads; happiness is when... The local taverna is a little gem. This was our last lunch at the Perivoli. Thanks for stopping by.

Summertime photography scavenger hunt 2013... Not!

So, trying to find a cloud shaped like something for the 2013 scavenger hunt is proving elusive when the skies are like this every day...




However I did find a cactus shaped like something! Can you see a swan?




Off to seek more items later :).

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2013 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt - The Candle

Today I am linking up to Rinda's blog where there are a host of posts from the 2013 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt.

I took these photos a while back on Josh's birthday and was reading a few blogs that evening when I saw that Fiona had posted similar photos as it was also her son's birthday the same day.  Now I've shared a room twice with Fiona at our scrapbook retreat each year at Meadow Barn and inbetween, through the power of blog land, I find out we have more and more in common!

Anyway, on to my scavenger hunt find for number 17 - Candle(s).

We only bought a small cake as there was no party this year, just one mate round for tea.  I didn't have 12 candles however the candle I used has been going a while in this family as the bottom turns and plays "Happy Birthday" and the pack came with several different colours to use so today it was blue for a boy!

And here he is tucking into chocolate cake and strawberries - yum!

After tea we also had another candle on the table.  The children both had naming ceremonies and as part of this we gave theme each a candle to light every year on their birthdays.  Whilst it's lit we think about the promises we made in how we would bring them up and show them the world around them.  So the candle below is now nearly 12 years old and although it looks new the inside has burnt down quite away!


So those are my candles.  If you would like to see other people's photos from the Scavenger hunt then head on over to Gallo Organic where Rinda will tell you all about it.  It's not too late to join in!