Sizergh Castle

This bank holiday has been a bit of a wash out up here in the North West - lots of rain and cold wind!  So what better to do than some clearing out of cupboards, book shelves and desks (in both kids rooms) and a little scrapbooking?  At least I have a sense of achievement!

So on Saturday I completed the challenge  #1 in the UKScrappers Summer Scrapbooking Challenge which was to "Lets get started with a sketch"...

As per usual the two photos I wanted to use were portrait and landscape (I never seem to think about this when taking the pictures!) so I cut them both down so they would work with the sketch.  

I'm on a mission to use up my Gossamer Blue kits so carried on scrapping with the same kit as my last few pages...

Once again I've used embellishments from my own stash as the kit ones were pretty much all gone...

Plus some gorgeous new flair from A flair for buttons and some bits from my "For goodness sake use me up" pile...

Back soon with the final page from this kit.  Hope you've had a lovely bank holiday weekend wherever you are and that the weather has been kinder to you!

More Florida pages...

I've finished my second UKS Summer Scrapbooking challenge.  This time number 5 - Use a sketch and typography.

Sticking with the same Gossamer Blue kit as my last page I chose to scrap about our villa in Florida.  I didn't have any PL cards to use for the typography element which meant me heading over to Pinterest (My nemisis! I really don't go on it as it's such a time stealer!) and finding some free printables to download.  I couldn't believe how many were out there!  I found some great ones from Plant Your Story that fitted with both the theme and the colour scheme.

I added a lot of my own embellishments as I seem to have decimated the kit of these!  Plus some stars and some clear, patterned ribbon from my "Must use it up" dish.

I made the facing page to co-ordinate from the same kit and completed my Sketchy Scrappers July challenge.  The sketch was set by Karen this month and was based on a project life type spread...

 I decided to flip the page to use some portrait photos from our "pool days" at the house - we needed one every few days just to recover from the park days which were fun filled, action packed and very tiring!

I do love scrapping out of order. These photos are 6 years old but it's great to scrap them now as it brings back all the memories too.  

Still struggling with a virus and very bad cough so no day out for us today which probably means more scrapping for me :)  The UKS Summer Challenge is open until 30th September if you want to take part.

The Playlist

Sheena set the sketch for June with a little extra challenge to use flowers. 

I kept my embellishments simple and encorporated flowers on the patter paper instead. Around the outside I have written a list of songs from one of Alex's playlists that we listened to on a drive to one of her International meetings in deepest, darkest Cheshire. 

I also combined my challenges on this one and completed number 7 on the UKS Summer Challenges list - scrap the everyday.  My first of the challenges done.

I used a Gossamer Blue kit with some sequins, sprays and a flair badge from my own stash. 

Have you been joining in the Summer Challenge?  If so how many have you done so far?

One photo and twenty words

A sunny Summer's afternoon at the races.  Two winners, great company, prosecco, Tom Jones and you, of course, always you x

I'm linking up with Abi today at Creating Paper Dreams for her meme - one photo and twenty words.  Choose a photo and describe it in 20 word.  What will you post?

Summertime Scavenger Hunt round up - The Conwy edition

Rinda has asked us to link up and share our scavenger hunt photos so I thought I'd run through the few I got at Conwy recently where we went for a long weekend with 8 other families.

#4 A group of tourists. These were all sat along the quay wall either eating lunch (and trying to keep it from the seagulls) or ice creams. It looks very dark and cloudy (not helped by the filter I used) but boy was it warm!

#6 An urban street scene - the Main Street in Conwy

#5 a rack of postcards. Taken outside the smallest house in Britain. 

#9 a bakery - and it was just as pretty inside too

We had to delay arriving as I had my interview on the Friday so on the Thursday we headed off to Alderley Edge and enjoyed the sunshine where I got #7 A rural landscape

I need to check how many I have left but it feels like I'm half way there! Looking forward to two weeks off when I should be able to tick more off the list but first I have 5 days left to work in my current job - wish me luck!

Sketchy Scrappers Challenge - May

Loved the sketch in May set by Jessie and set about using up some more of my SJ Crafts kit  - so sad she is closing just as I have discovered her kits.

This time I did a page and a bit :)  The left hand page  is based on the sketch with photos of me as a Brownie when we attended our Tawny Owl's wedding as the guard of honour!

I added some sequins from my own stash and played with my new pot of embossing paste for the first time (dd loved it so much she has stolen some for her Art GCSE work!) This paste isfrom Wndy Vecchi in white.  Jessie also set the added challenge of using a song title so I pinched some words from the song we open each meeting with...

The right hand page holds a couple more pics from the day together with a glassine bag in which I have pt my Big Brownie Birthday badges that I have earned this year for being a Brownie leader and helping organise a couple of events for the girls in our village.  I have also added a Brownie tab that fell off someone's uniform!

In the pocket there is also a tab with lots of journalling about how I find myself volunteering for Guiding 40 years after these photos were taken and how I love it!

Thanks for stopping by.  This kit is all used up now so on to using up my Gossamer Blue kits and catching up on sketches and the UKS Summer challenge.  What scrapping challenges are you taking part in this summer?

UKS July Challenge

The July challenge on UKS was to use a sketch. Sorry I can't post it from my iPad but it here if you want to use it

http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=348008

I wanted to use up the last of my SJ crafts kit and grabbed a last photo from Christmas 2013 that I had not yet scrapped. I like the fact I have scrapped Christmas using pastels - it's quite refreshing!

I added some washy tape from my stash, some letter stickers and some crystals and enamel dots along with a spatter of Mr Hueys. I'm really not sure about the journaling as it seems to have gone a bit north!  I'll live with it for a bit and see how I feel :)

This is my first attempt to blog from my iPad and it's OK but it's not got all the features on the app that there are on the PC.  If anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

Come and have a cup of tea...

Hello.  Hi.  Come on in!

Forget the tea or coffee I have a nice bottle of a Prosecco chilling in the fridge!  Why you ask? We'll tonight I am celebrating a new job and the fact I handed my resignation in today. If you were sharing a glass of fizz with me you'd probably comment that I was in a similar position last year and you would be right but the job I took then was not for me and I am really excited about this new position. I'm also excited that I only have two weeks to work and then two weeks off :). I would tell you how I was looking forward to visiting my parents, especially my Mum who I have not seen since her heart by-pass operation, and spending time chilling at home and taking the kids on days out (while they still want to) 

I would ask you what plans you had for the summer? I would tell you we have already enjoyed a lovely weekend away in a North Wales with 8 families ( and numerous dogs and children!), that Josh is currently ways enjoying scout camp and that Alex heads off to Germany on her first international trip with Guiding to visit a massive scout and guide jamboree next week. 

At this point it would be time for crusty ciabatta and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip (to help soak up the prosecco!) 

I would ask you what you have been up to craft wise and be enthralled by your creativity. I would let you know I am pleased that I have two weeks off so I can "catch up" on the 52 card challenge and some more scrapbook pages. But we would laugh together as we realised there was no such thing as "caught up" in the scrapbooking world. 

I would let you know on the quiet how proud I am of my daughter for completing her Duke of Edinburgh Silver and that I secretly hope she'll take me to the Palace as she hopes to complete her Gold next year!

I would ask if you were partaking in Rinda's Photography Scavenger hunt this Summer and how many you had found? I would let you know I'm doing quite well but you'd have to read my blog update later this weekend to see! I would tell you how I am loving it for the third year running and that is making me take different photos than normally. I think I would like to put them all in one album and I would ask you if you knew anywhere in the UK that stocked WeRMermory keepers Instagram albums?

But by this point we would have been a fair way through the bottle and it would be time to part until next month. I'm so glad I was able to share my good news with you and I look forward to hearing yours. If you want to join in for a cup of tea (or any other beverage) then link up with Abi at Creating Paper Dreams. 

Until next month... Cheers!