National Trust Passports - documented :)

A couple of pages to share that I made a couple of weeks ago.  The first one is from a pile of square photos I got printed at Sticky 9 which I am slowly making my way through.

 

Using my 1st Like For Ever kit I came up with this.  I enjoyed the stitching and need to some more of that.  Also used up some old brads and stars on this one.  This captures the moment Alex got her last stamp in her NT passport meaning she had visited 30 different properties!

Josh was a few stamps behind as he was a late starter lol!  But eventually on my birthday last year he visited his 30th property too.  So after I'd scrapped Alex I felt it only fair to do one for him although I had no pic of him holding his passport.  I did however have a series of photos I'd taken trying to get just one good one of the two of them (it's so hard these days!!).  I used a sketch from the Sketchy Scrappers challenge group...

And a Like For Ever kit...

And if you're not sure what the hell I'm talking about here are the passports - old and new...

And several stamps inside...

I think the next 30 are going to be more challenging to find as we have exhausted most of the ones within an hour of here and my parents!

More pages from my retreat...

Whilst away on my retreat at Dukes Farm I caught up on a couple of Sketchy Scrappers challenges using these sketches...

Firstly "Prom Prep" using the Twenty Sixteen Like For Ever kit.  I'd been saving my kits up and had a great time breaking into each one to make my pages!  I added a few embellies from my stash (including the banner which hangs much better in real life!) and some lovely die cuts from Gemma that were a gift that weekend plus a PL card she gave me :)

Next up was this sketch which I found a bit daunting at first but then found a couple of photos in my (ever growing) pile that I wanted to put together and the rest was easy...

I used the same kit, even the tissue paper that wrapped it to mat the photos, and added a flair badge and another crate paper banner from my stash. I also tried the Inkie Quill packaging technique for the first time on this page which came out quite well.  If you're not sure what that is then you can check out this video for the details...

 

The journaling reads... So proud; of your dedication to Scouting & Girlguiding; of you both being young volunteers; of the awards you have achieved...

Still a couple of pages left to share from the weekend and plenty more kit to use up yet!

Sketchy Scrapper pages

So last week I was struck down with the lurgy which meant a "swimmy" head, sore throat and the sneezes.  I didn't have much to post for Me on a Monday but I did manage to find some scrapping time on Saturday afternoon to cheer myself up!

I finished off this layout first which I started at a crop in November by adding the stitching.  I used the Sketchy Scrappers sketch but definitely only for inspiration rather than following to the letter, which is my usual slant.

I've used some papers from those gifted to me by my daughter to record some of the games we have been playing this year...

Next up was this sketch which had me stumped for a while.  I swapped the wash of paint behind for some embossing paste through a heart stencil...

And used some remaining MME papers to scrap Alex and Josh at my cousins' wedding in 2013. They both looked so grown up and smart.  There was a real differnce in height back then but now Josh has caught her up!

Thanks for looking and leaving a comment - I do love to read them.  My scrapping time has been dwindling lately with so much going on so I'm hoping to get some done once the holidays start (which for me is 24th December!).  I think my new years resolution (not that I usually make any!) will be to plan in more crafty time.  How about you?

Sketchy scrapper challenges - all caught up!

So over the wet and dreary bank holiday weekend (well Sunday and Monday) I managed to scrap a little and catch up on the Sketchy Scrapper challenges.  They have all been made with the My Minds Eye Cut and Paste collection which was a bargain find in TK Maxx and some added bits from my own stash.  The first was May's sketch...

And I made Snow much fun.  A fab picture of Alex on her 11th birthday tobogganing at the local park.  Not totally in love with this page but glad I got it scrapped :)...

Next up my favourite layout of late using July's sketch...

We were away in the Lakes for our wedding anniversary earlier this year and we walked another Wainwright - Black Crag.  It was a pleasant sunny day for most of the walk but when we got to the very top it was blowing a gale. I had to don my bobble hat and Tony was squinting against the wind as it was drying his contact lenses!  I nearly had my phone blown out of my hand taking this selfie! Black Crag...

Lastly this was August's sketch...

This sketch was perfect to document a walk along the canal with lots of photos- we've done about three now along the Bridgewater and I'm determined to walk it all but this day we didn't quite get it right and ended up walking the Leeds Liverpool canal up to the point it met the Bridgewater!  It was still a pleasant walk even so.  Not the Bridgewater Canal...

Sketchy scrapper pages

I have a couple of pages to share with you today using Sketchy Scrappers sketches...

The first is the sketch I chose for June and although it looks simple it has produced some fabulous pages by the ladies in the SS group.

I used some papers I picked up in TK Maxx and scrapped a picture from Blackpool tower last year and the Brownie sleep over we had...

The second sketch was from back in April and set by Jessie ...

I struggled with this sketch; I think it was tucking the photo behind some papers, so once I ignored that it worked out fine!  

When tidying my craft room the other day I found a pile of leftovers mostly from this sheet of paper and a matching frame.

So I just set about piling them and layering them all together added a few other embellishments and came up with this...

One of my favourite photos of me and my Dad scrapped at last!

Sketchy Scrappers - Jan sketch

I had a lovely time at The Haslington crop and was quite productive!  I was trying to catch up on Sketchy Scrapper sketches as I am woefully behind! 

This was January's sketch...

And after some deliberation I realised I could use it to capture something that is very current in our family - The yellow car game. I used some MME papers from TK Maxx and lots of embellies from my stash to make this...

Does anyone else play this game or is it just our mad family?!  Back soon with another page once I've thought of a title!

Sketchy Scrappers NSD challenge

I was keen to join in all the challenges set by the Sketchy Scrappers on NSD but had to get creative as I didn't have much spare time to do them. So I combined the colour challenge below...

With one of the sketch challenges...

And came up with this using some MME papers from a a kit I picked up in TK Maxx - got to love a bargain!

Just added a few stickers and embellishments from my own stash. 

NSD Sketchy Scrappers challenge

The first challenge in the Sketchy Scrappers blog was a bingo challenge:

I chose the right hand column with old stash, stamps and 2 different alphas. I sorted through my stash for anything green, greay and peachy orange to go with the last scraps from an old kit. I ended up using three alphas and stamped some hearts and the date. 

The journaling says "After 20 years we still posted the same song on Facebook when asked to share a song from the 90s." 

The song was Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish. 

I really need to blog lots this weekend as have loads more pages to share!

Meadow Barn Pages

2 weekends ago I spent a fantastic weekend away at a barn in Herefordshire with a lovely group of crafting ladies.  We drank tea and ate cake, we had tea cooked for us by two lovely husbands, we chatted and crafted, we did a little Voice watching, we drank wine and we laughed until we cried!

It was a weekend that was good for the soul.  And good for my albums too as I managed 6 layouts and 3 cards over the weekend plus a framed gift a friend asked me to make.

Here are a few of the pages...(and I promise they are all straight in real life!)

First is Strawberry Tea.

I made a kit from anything pink I had in my stash and I love the result,  The Good Times tab behind the papers holds the journalling which describes how I was the main organiser for Strawberry Tea in Josh's last year at Primary School.  This is an annual event by the school and all the mums back strawberry cakes, the choir sings, there are a few readings by the children and parents and grandparents come to watch, drink tea and eat cake.  We raise a lovely amount of money for Breast Cancer Care and have fun doing it!  Alex was on an inset day from high school so joined in the fun too!

Melissani cave - This next one was made from a Gossamer blue kit and a sketch set by Gemma for our Sketchy Scrappers FB group.  I used a lovely, but rare, photo of all 4 of us on holiday in Kefalonia last year.  This was the sketch;

My Guys - The photo was taken in the early eve when the light was perfect outside the Millenium Centre while we were on a break in Cardiff. I love this picture so much.  It's such a great photo even thought they are all looking in different directions!  

This was also from a Gossamer Blue kit and I managed to kill 2 kits whilst I was away!  I need to keep up the momentum as I would dearly love to subscribe again but need to use the old stuff up first (insert determined smiley!)

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment,  I'll share the rest of my pages as soon as possible.

Final page share from last year!

I promised to come back a few weeks back (eek!) and share another page.  Well, I am later than planned (that darn thing called life getting in the way again!) but I found not one but 3 pages I made before the close of 2014 that I still haven't blogged.

First up is Reunited, using up the rest of my home made kit...

The journalling reads "After more than 20 years we were finally all in the same place for a family photo at City Road having spent the day celebrating Dad's 85th".  A family rift meant one of my brothers lost touch with the family for over 18 years,  It was a lovely day when we were all back together again.

Next, something unusual for me - a page without a sketch as a starting point!  I looked at the scraps I had left in one of my Gossamer Blue kits and moved them around to see what I could create.  I love this photo of A&J.  Alex is teaching her brother how to do a selfie and the expressions on their faces are priceless.

Finally a sketch challenge using even more scraps from the same kit!  Jess set this challenge on the Sketchy Scrappers FB group for January and it was great to use the leftovers for.  I'd seen a page Mercy Tiara had made detailing all her cats nicknames.  I can't find the specific process video but you can check out Tracy's work here on You Tube and she has hundreds of fab videos to watch :)

Anyway, I took this idea and made a page about one of our cats, Bruce, now 18 months old he has been given several nick names by us all!

Thanks for looking and leaving comments.  I do love to hear what people think and your feedback always make my day.

Some pages to share

As I've been a bit remiss with my blogging I thought I'd best share some of the pages I made last month...

This is the island of Spinalonga made famous in Victoria Hislop's novel The Island (If you've not read it I can't recommend it highly enough).   I'd put together a kit for myself with mostly Amy Tangerine "yes please" plus some embellishments of my own to use up.  The sketch was the one I'd set for our sketch challenge group...

 I assure you this page is straight in real life!  

To go with the page I put together 3 pocket pages with photos from the island itself and an information leaflet plus our tour tickets.  I have yet to add journalling which I am still thinking about as I found the place very moving.

The other page I have to share is also a sketchy scrappers page using up a Gossamer Blue kit

This was the sketch set by Gemma...

And this is what I came up with adding a few extra bits from my own stash.  The photos are of Josh on the same holiday enjoying the spheres on the water in the water park we visited...

Back soon with more pages to share.  Thanks for stopping by.

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.