Sketchy Thursday fave....again! :0)

I'm on a roll..................and coming to an abrupt stop!

Thrilled to bits to see that I was a fave again with sketchy thursday (see link) but I am having to stop for a while as my craft room is having an overhaul, yay!

http://sketchythursdays.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-0721-winner-and-faves.html

Went to Ikea yesterday to get another desk and another storage unit and then persuaded Del to fill the holes in the walls last night, he did do it but not without a moan :D

So today I have been repainting the walls in my cowboy fashion, Del would have a fit but by the time he gets home it will all be done and dusted, lol, and now I wait for my darling old man to work his magic with MDF!

I am hoping that since all the shelves are off the walls and my paper is stacked in the craft room and spare room, along with tons of other stuff (where has it all come from? My room is not the biggest in the world!) he will FINALLY get round to making the 12 x 12 storage wall unit that he has been promising to do for 6 weeks!!!!! DD #2 has also been 'encouraging' him to get a move on as she is having my 12 x 12 storage tower on wheels for her craft room once I have my beautiful replacement. If it has as much love poured into it as the drawing did I shall be truly blessed :0)

I am satisfying my crafting need with a 6 x 12 chipboard album DD#1 got me for my birthday last year, I am really looking foward to it as have never worked on this size before! I shall post photos when it's all done. In the mean time have a lovely week and see you when I see you!

Ali x

and last but not least.....Inspired Blueprints #77

Oh how I love this blog! The sketches, the DT's fantastic contributions, the gallery, need I go on? They are the friendliest, warmest bunch of people :0)

Here is this week's little lovely:



and here is the sandpit queen making porridge:

Papers are October Afternoon and embellishments primarily Crate Paper.

Ooops, I have just realised that I haven't written the date on the sticker! Should read: June 2011.

Thanks for looking
Ali x

Sketchy Thursdays 7.21

When I first looked at this sketch I thought it wasn't going to be my thing, then I saw what the DT had done and I couldn't wait to get started!



I wanted to use photos from the same moment so had to go back in time to a photo shoot we did for my Mum's birthday in 2010. She has always wanted a photo of all her kids, so we all got together one Sunday and took a load of photos of everyone in various combos and filled a multi aperture frame. It was so fab that I ended up making 5, one for each family home :0) Anyway, these ones of GD  and DD#1 were originally rejected so decided to make use of them!

Papers and stickers are Crate Paper 'Emma's Shoppe' the stamps are Maya Road

Thanks for looking

Ali x

Sketchabilities #51

Hi all

had some scrapping time this morning, thought I would leave the hoover to have a sleep in :0) and found this lovely sketch.



My layout is of GD and her friend at a family barbecue. The sequence of photos is:

1. GD: 'let me put your shoe on'
2. Friend runs away with only one shoe on.
3. Friend's Daddy takes the other shoe from GD, GD is sad as she wanted to put the shoe on her!

All sorts here! Papers are October Afternoon 'Fly a Kite' and '5 & Dime', chipboard butterfly GCD Studios and coloured with 'Faded Jeans' Distress Ink. Maya Road ribbon slider, K and Co chipboard heart, Prima pebble and stickers are a variety of October Afternoon.

Thanks for looking
Ali x

Woo hoo!!

I am so excited to have been a fave at Sketchy Thursdays with 'Life Laundry' and Top 3 at Frosted Designs with the layout of Sue, this layout was also listed on Practical Scrappers - Fabulous Finds.

Super eh? I shall soon have the blinkies to prove it! Thank you so much everyone :0)

Ali x

Sketches in Thyme Thursday Takes #52

Hi all,

I am posting two challenges for Sketches in Thyme today but only because I don't know where the week has gone!

 

Simple but super sketch :0) This photo is of my Mum and girls. It's very rare these days for my Mum to have a photo with her granddaughters, since GD's arrival the focus has very much (and rightly) been on her! So I was delighted that this one came out so well................wish I could say the same for the pictures of the layouts! Why so blurred??????

Paper and journal spot are Webster's Pages, Prima flowers and Martha Stewart Deep Edge punch.

Thanks for looking
Ali x

Sketches in Thyme Open Challenge

Hello everyone,

this week's challenge is to do whatever you fancy as long as you use a sketch. So, having found PageMaps I spent ages deciding on a sketch, in the end I chose this one, primarily because the photo was the right size and orientation! There are some beauties :0)



This is an old photo of DD#2 that has been waiting to be scrapped since being ripped out of a frame to make way for a newer model! I think it's from her 22nd birthday..........but maybe not, lol.

The papers are American Crafts and the embellishments are Crate Paper. The journalling reads: A was always desperate for glasses. She would cry when told her eyes were perfect! Now she has loads of pairs to choose from.

It has always been a bone of contention between DD#2 and me, she thinks she looks better with glasses and insists she can not see without them and I prefer au naturel and know that her prescription is minimal :0)
Whatever, she is beautiful.

Thanks for looking
Ali

Pencil Lines Sketch #246

Hello and a happy Monday!

I wasn't going to do anything today but then I saw that Pencil Lines had published another great sketch and how could I resist????

This photo is of my Mum and Dad, brothers (both younger :0}) and me! Taken on Father's Day at a family lunch that my youngest brother hosts every year - don't be impressed it's the ONLY thing he does!!!

I started off following the sketch verbatim but removed the largest rectangle of paper because it looked to busy for my taste. I try, I really do, to cram layouts with all sorts as seen on so many brilliant pieces of work, but somehow when it comes to the crunch I just prefer lots of white!

Papers and embellishments are all Anna Griffin Willow (just loving my new stash!) The border punch is Martha Stewart.

Thanks for looking :0)
Ali x

Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge - Quotes

Hi all,

had a proper Sunday today, went for a walk, cooked a roast and then made cold chicken and stuffing sandwiches and flapjacks for tea in front of the telly. First one in years! The reason? DD#1 phoned this morning to say GD was poorly and they had been up most of the night and her chap had now gone to work, so could GD come for a walk with us to give her a bit of a break.

So we went for our walk and played in the park and then I thought why not have GD for the day? On hearing I was cooking a roast DD#1 decided she would come too :0) They have gone home now so I am back in my craft room waiting for Sir Alan Sugar to tell me who is Apprentice is! I think it should be Tom or Helen, bet this means nothing to you if you're not in the UK, hahahah!!

Back to the task in hand, my layout, it is an old photo of my best friend Sue. She is going to be 50 (yikes!) in February and has asked me to scrap her life as a present. So you will see a lot of her over the next few months :0)

This photo was taken when she was 2 and I adore it, check out her doll's pram, if only they had kept it :0) The challenge was to include a quote and as I chose vintage, elegant papers I wanted something a bit quirky so I went for ......Dr Seuss!!

'Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.' Love it!

Papers and pin wheel are Anna Griffin 'Willow' Ribbon is American Crafts and stamp is a random one I found in my folder!

Thanks so much for looking
Ali x

Inspired Blueprints Sketch # 76

Hooray Blueprints is back!
I have used this blog for a long time to get ideas and inspiration for layouts but have never uploaded anything. Now that I have discovered the joy of sharing my passion with other like minded people I thought I would play along with their newest and most welcome sketch :0)



My take on it is a layout of my god-daughter. Every year I scrap her birthday so that when she is 21 I will have a whole album to give her! This is of last year's birthday (I am always a year behind, lol) The photo isn't that sharp but I am reliant on her Mum's photography :0)

I have used Anna Griffin 'Cecile' papers, journal spot and sticker. The border punch is Martha Stewart and the 6 is American Crafts Thickers.

Thanks for looking.
Ali x

Sketchy Thursdays 7.14 Challenge

Hi all,

I loved this sketch, so simple and clean. I thought the DT's take on it was amazing - so many different ideas!

I have had the photo for my layout knocking about since Father's Day, it isn't brilliant, but for me it brings back happy memories. My Mum and Dad wanted a 'lovely' photo with their kids, what they got was my brother's messing about, GD deciding she wanted to part of it and then not looking at the camera and my Dad shutting his eyes! As you can see, there is a lot of genuine laughter and that makes this a classic family photo in my eyes :)

Paper is American Crafts Dear Lizzy, the hearts are a Spellbinders die, the clothes on the washing line have been cut out of the paper, the rolled flower was made by me and the bird stamps are also Dear Lizzy. The pegs on the photo is one peg that I halved and wrapped wire round to give the illusion of a whole peg.

Thanks so much for looking, have a happy day
Ali x

Pencil Lines Sketch 245

So last one for today, phew!

The DT layouts on this website are probably my favourites, every single one is stunning!

My layout is of me and my darling GD at the Discovery Centre in Braintree, on a very cold day in June (bloomin' English summers!). We went for a dog walk and picnic with DD#2, Jack and Basil and chose chocolate chip cookies to have for pudding. As GD was eating she got covered in chocolate, including her teeth. I thought it would be funny to do the same but instead of laughing when I smiled she asked 'What you doing Mamma?' in a very perplexed way, lol!!

Papers are October Afternoon 'Cherry Hill' as is the journalling spot. The letters are Basic Grey and the flowers are old Prima ones.

Thanks for looking,
Ali x

Sketches in Thyme Thursday Takes #51

Hello again!

Sketches in Thyme is another phenomenal site for ideas and inspiration. I think it's great that there are people out there who share their talent and encourage the likes of me to get cracking with their scrapping! I have never been so up to date with my layouts :0)

This time I have used a photo of my DD#1 and my cousin, taken in June, can you believe? Where is the sun? I am sure I am suffering from SAD!!! Anyway, I digress!

Both girls became first time mothers within 2 months of each other and both are teachers - one lives in the city and one in the country, but they try and get together as often as possible. GD and little cousin (their daughters) are the best of friends and so are their Mummies!

The papers are Echo Park 'For the Record', the felt flowers are Heidi Swapp, Tim Holtz ticket and Fiskars flower punches.

Thanks for looking,
Ali x

Sketch Along Tuesdays Sketch #19 Challenge

Hi all

I loved this sketch - I do seem to be drawn to circles! This is my first time playing along with the Frosted Designs girls and I love what the Design Team has done :0)

My layout is of my darling girlies. I used Pink Paislee Daily Junque papers and on one of them was a list of all the things you 'should be', it reminded me of all the times I have 'instructed' my girls over the years. Having said that, the one thing I have always wanted them to be, is their beautiful selves.

I believe that children should be given the chance to discover themselves, so don't hush them when they get over excited, don't force them to undertake activities, just encourage and guide them gently and always, always surround them in love and you too will have children who grow up to be wonderful people :0)

I spritzed white Bazill cardstock with purple mica powder. The paper is all Daily Junque from Pink Paislee. The glitter circles are Stickles, Basic Grey letters, American Crafts Dear Lizzy resin flower brad and the journalling stamp is from Abi Crafts.

Thanks for looking
Ali x

Posts a Plenty!

I shall be uploading four different posts today. Three of them relate to different challenges and it's just easier to do it that way!

After finishing the layout of DH and GD at Dedham I had loads of bits left over. Normally they would get thrown away or stuffed into the scraps drawer never to see the light again until I have a clear out and then throw them away!!!!!

I haven't got many cards left in my stash as my Mum and her friend took a load off my hands :0) I also need to upload more to the shop but as that has gone very quiet it's a bit out of sight out of mind!

So here is what I made with the rest of the Crate Paper Season stuff:

Martha Stewart Butterfly punch, Spellbinders Scalloped Circle die and Fiskars Circle Journalling stamp

Nellie Snellen scalloped circles, the tag is an old quickutz die and the stamp is TPC Sentiments

Stamp is Fiskars Thank You set. The scalloped circle die is from Nellie Snellen and good old Bakers Twine Brown Sugar

I can not take the credit for this design it was the wonderful Danielle Flanders who had the original idea - thank you for the constant inspiration ;) stamp is Anna Griffin, black spotty paper is My Mind's Eye (I think!) the stamp is again from the Fiskars Thanks set

I love, love, love kraft cardstock, it has to be one of my favourites for cards. Hope you like them too!
Ali x

Sketchy Thursdays August GDT Challenge

Hi all

as you know I have recently stepped into the world of layout challenges and I am relishing every moment of it!
It has rekindled my passion for the 12 x 12! I have been primarily making mini books and GD's 8 x 8 albums recently and had forgotten how 12 x 12's are actually my first love :0)

This challenge was great for me, not just because of the design but also because we had to use red, orange and/or yellow, these are colours that I am not normally drawn to, but having worked with them I may have to rethink (although, please note they are muted versions!) We also had to scrap a summer topic and use a journalling spot.

You will see from the photos I have chosen, the sun was shining weakly, but then this is England! For me, this is what an English summer is all about, being in the great outdoors with a picnic, just chilling with some of those I love....perfection!

Please click on the image of my layout as it looks really grainy but the enlarged version is a lot clearer!

Papers, rub on and chipboard embellishments are Crate Paper 'Seasons', the ribbon is American Crafts 'Dear Lizzy' and the flower journalling spot was cut with Cricut 'Storybook', the letters were cut with 'George'

Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Ali x

Tasha

We received sad news yesterday, my Mum and Dad's lovely old labrador had been put to sleep as she was so poorly.
We have looked after Tasha many times and she was an important part of our family. She was the most placid and gentle dog, and even when Basil, as a puppy, would jump all over and nip her face(!) she never once got cross. Here is the layout that I created this afternoon. It isn't meant to look as funerial as it does, I chose monochrome because of her colouring.
Sweet dreams girlie x

Ali x

The Scrappiest challenge Sketch 127

Ok so when I said no more blogging this week..............! I then stumbled across another fantastic inspiration site, I can't believe what I have been missing out on for all this time. I have got a lot of making up to do!!

Here is their sketch



and here is what I did with a photo of my Mum and Dad

Papers are Cosmo Cricket Material Girl, the May circle has been cut from my  Silhouette, the chunky chipboard heart is from Melody Ross and covered in paper.

I really need to find a better way of taking photos as they always look a bt washed out, lol.
Have a great weekend - this is me done for the week, seriously!
Ali x

Sketchy Thursday 7.7 Challenge

Oh I am so into this :0)

It's only been 24 hours since I found this site and I have been desperate to see the new sketch!



Here is my take on it.

Echo Park 'Life is Good'; Crate Paper chipboard flower; Basic Grey buttons; Bakers Twine 'Cotton Candy'; American Crafts 'Remarks' letters coloured with ProMarker 'Mustard'

GD and Little Cousin at 2nd birthday party, little cuties.

A couple of other layouts I did last night (when I should have been sleeping!)

Crate Paper 'Restoration' papers and chipboard; flat backed pearls; Heidi Swapp butterfly

This photo of DD#2 was taken at Nellie's birthday party too.

Lastly, one of Dan and Tones taken on Father's Day. I love this photo as Tony is 6' 5" and a car mechaninc and Dan is 5' 6", a newly trained teacher having given up a career in law. They couldn't be more different, but as the saying goes, opposites attract and they really are the best of mates.

Echo Park 'For the Record' papers and stickers.

I think that's me done for this week (not scrapping, just blogging!) it's a GD day tomorrow and we are off to the zoo - I am praying for sun!!

Have a great weekend.
Ali x

I have been a happy scrapper

Hi all

after taking the photos of the mini book (see previous post) I thought I might try and be really organised and take photos of my recent layouts!

I am trying to get into a system - leaving them on my easel until they have been pictured and then filing them away in the appropriate album.

These are all of recent photos so I feel as though I am getting back on track!

I have discovered a fabulous blog; http://www.sketchythursdays.blogspot.com/ it is jam packed with wonderful ideas and beautiful layouts. The second of my layouts has been inspired by their recent sketch 6.30. Although a double layout I have used the left hand side only and condensed it somewhat as this was an 8 x 8 page. Only two more layouts to go and I will have completed the sixthth 8 x 8 book of Ruby's life to date (as well as the numerous 12 x 12 ones!) :0)

This is an 8 x 8 layout using October Afternoon 'Thrift Shop' and American Crafts 'City Park' and 'Dear Lizzy' stamps. The stamp at the top is Pink Paislee 'Daily Junque'

October Afternoon 'Thrift Shop' on this 8 x 8 layout. Punched flowers and the hand stamp is Pink Paislee 'Daily Junque' 

I'm not sure why but the photos on the layouts are coming out blurred, not that it matters as I am sure you are more interested in the layout itself!

This double layout uses Webster's Pages 'Trendsetter'

The layouts here use Cosmo Cricket's 'Joyride' (love, love these muted colours)

American Crafts 'City Park' papers, the felt flower is from them too. The little glass dome things are Prima pebbles - so sweet, one of them is a rain drop (falling out of the cloud!)

Love this! Cosmo Cricket 'Material Girl'. The photo does not do this lo justice. Felt flowers are K and Co.

Off to make toad in the hole now! Del has been really busy cleaning out the gutters, so then had to clean the conservatory and then as the pressure washer was out decided to clean the top deck - think he deserves a fave dinner :0)

Take care
Ali x

Mini Album - So nice in Nice

Hi all,

I am not normally this organised at scrapping holiday photos but having heard someone say that scrapbooking should NOT be about embellished pages but more about journalling your memories I thought I would create a mini book of our long weekend in Nice last month. I have to admit I usually don't write what I want and more what will fit into the space! This mini was lovely to do, sometimes I would fill a whole page with writing and the more I wrote the more I remembered :0)

I haven't taken photos of every page but you will get the idea. I wanted it to be all different layers with tabs. I have added maps and tickets rather than have them in pockets, and I am really pleased with the result.

All the papers throughout this album are My Mind's Eye 'So Sophie'. I made the flowers using the papers and strips of felt.

Hope you like it

Ali x