Fun Times at Monkey Puzzle :0)

Woohoo!! Two in two days and I've nearly finished a Christmas mini.......loving all this crafty time :0)

Today's effort is using the fantastic ScrapFriends sketch....love 'em!!

The photos (more bad but fun photos from my phone!!) were taken at the soft play place near us with DGD. In fact the one of us was taken by her :0)

Sorry for the weird colour again......roll on Summer!!!

I started with the ink splats: Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Inks and worked with my Scraptastic Kit Club kit for January :0)

American Crafts Thicker brackets, monkey cut on Cricut ....yeah I know NOT Silhouette!...but the arrow is ;) Stickers from Echo Park stamp is American Crafts

stamp is American Crafts, papes are Glitz Design and Echo Park

painted chipboard Vs, Echo Park letters and tab

and here is the sketch:

    delicious eh?


Thanks for popping in, off to finish my mini now :0)

Ali x

My baby is engaged to be married!

Dear all,

I am super excited to announce that DD#2 has accepted her chap's proposal so we are full steam ahead for a party on the 19th :0)

First port of crafting call: a planner! Got to have somewhere for all my lists.....I am a list junky!!!!

DD#1 and I went shopping today for party dresses, what a lovely day. I normally hate shopping but we had a great girlie day in town and then a relaxing lunch a deux - smashing :0)

The planner is a back to back bound book with a gatefold type cover. It's held closed with a rubber band - I have zillions of these thing as the postman binds my mail with them every day! Papers are Echo Park 'Life is Good' - thought it was appropriate :0)

The pages have all been scored at 7" so that there is a variation in length (banners have been attached to the short ones )  The pages flip up and lie flat when lifted as I have double scored at the top to allow for bulkiness (does this make sense?)

Looks like we will have around 50 people coming which is a nice number for a house party

My initial list - there will be plenty!

This is the invitation, I am loving the embossing made with the letterpress thing from Sizzix :0) I am feeling quite chuffed with myself as all invitations have been made and envelopes addressed within 24 hours of announcement!! Just need to buy the stamps and get them in the post!

Thanks so much for stopping by, have a great day!

Ali x

Echo Park 'For the Record' Projects

I have finished Grandmotherly duties early for today and I feel a bit giddy at having extra time to myself! So guess where I am??? That's right, tucked away in my little bit of heaven!!
I have now pretty much used up all the collection and I am feeling pretty pleased with myself - so much so that I think it would be justified to do a little crafty shopping this evening!

So before I start showing you what I did I think it is only fair to warn you that this is going to be a photo heavy post!

So here is what I have left of the collection:

Not bad eh? I am not at all worried about the letters...you always need letters, right? Not sure why I haven't used them!!! The scraps will now get thrown, I just wanted to keep them to show you!!

So first thing, I made another notelet holder only this time using envelopes as I didn't have any more small paper bags.

I gave the other one to my Mum today, who immediately said, as she always does, why don't you make some of these to sell? They would go down a storm...lol!!!

The next project is a little journal. I keep meaning to take a week of my life and record it for posterity so that is what this book will prompt me to do....I hope!

I was running out of paper by the time I came to do the cover so it has been paper  pieced . The cigar band  is a piece of the solid paper with a border over the top.

The hearts were cut on the Cricut and stuck back to back.

The first page is there to set the scene and from then on there is a page for each day.

I put in a final page after Sunday's so that there would be space to add any additional journalling.

So finally, I managed to squeeze a few cards out of the rest:

Super simple. a flower border stamped with Thyme brilliance ink and then 2 of the stickers.

Black stitching, bird sticker and a rolled flower The stamp is a Fiskars one , stamped onto  one of the solid  papers.

Solid colour paper punched with an EK Success border punch and then a black  'stitch' line. Bakers Twine is attached to the plane sticker and then tied to one of the phrase strips.

The balloon sticker is attached to a Nellie Snellen die and then a Teresa Collins stamp has been put onto another sticker.

So that's it for now :0), sorry for the rubbish photos, the weather is very grey today. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Ali x

Using up my Echo Park 'For the Record'

I was putting away my recent haul and as the new Echo Park goodies were being stashed I spotted the remaining sheets of the For the Record papers and stickers. Now I don't know about you but as soon as I get a new collection that is the one that I hone in on. As soon as I have done a couple of layouts, it gets put away for fear of all my layouts looking the same.......and that's where it stays.

So my challenge to myself is to use up a collection in it's entireity........can I do it? Well let's see!!

OK, so I did do 3 layouts previously using this collection and here is what I have been doing this weekend to use up the rest (still got quite a bit more to go!) I stumbled across this lovely blog
 http://wingsofabutterfly-vanessa.blogspot.com/2011/09/echo-park-projects-including-tutorial.html
searching for some inspiration. I have totally lifted the idea...I love it! Instead of seed packets I have made cards to go in the pockets. I shall probably give this to my Mum :0)

Before I go any further, apologies for the photos, unfortunately I have left it a bit late in the day :0(

I also made this card for the Frosted Designs card challenge but by the time I wrote this post the challenge had closed, lol!!!

I have used cardstock and a topper from Hunkydory a UK based company, thought I would give them a go and I am pleasantly surprised!! The flower is from iamroses.com, the hat pins were from ebay and the stamp is an old Hero Arts one from my stash.

I am hoping to get a chance to complete some layout challenges this week but life is a bit full on at the moment so we'll see :0) I am definitely going to do some more projects with the rest of the 'For the Record' collection and will post them soon. I think it will be pretty cool to see how much you can do with a handful of papers and a couple of sticker sheets!!

Thanks for stopping by

Ali x

Pencil Lines Sketch #251

Morning,

had a lovely day yesterday with DH, nice to have a little bit of time on our own every once in a while! I also found the time to spend a few hours in my craft room so had a catch up with some of the challenges I have missed whilst on holiday.

The first one is from Pencil Lines, I liked this one as it was clean and simple.



and here is my take with a photo of our little family gathering :0)

Papers are Echo Park Life is Good. Martha Stewart PATP round the mat and the little blue daisy chain. The sentiment was cut from the papers. The trim is from Michelle's Etsy store Little Red Barn - check her out as she has some real bargains! The corner flourish is from a Spellbinders Die.

Thanks for looking, will be back with more shortly!

Ali x

Sketchy Thursdays 8.11 Challenge

Love this sketch :0), well actually just love Sketchy Thursdays! They always make me want to do a layout - even if it now means scrabbling about to find a photo!!!

I was totally caught up in the land of crafting as my BF was (note the past tense) making a scrapbook for her Dad's 70th with a little assistance from me. Popped round yesterday for a cuppa and was given the half finished album and asked to complete it as her lo's looked 'poopy' and she didn't think she could fit it in with work and the fact that I am going on holiday just before his birthday!

I started a soon as I returned home and every time I cleared up I would look at the next batch of photos and think....just one more. At 3am I put the final page on the easel to dry!!

This layout is for me, of my DD's and my little cousins. just love seeing those girls together :0)

Here is the sketch:

Here is my take

Echo Park 'For the Record' Papers and Stickers, Prima E-line flowers, MS butterfly punch and Cricut 'Storybook' large flower.

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

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