First Bath

Now when I first saw the new colour challenge at SCRAPFriends I really wasn't sure that I was ready to go 'wintery' but then I realised that with orange being one of the colours I could still find bits and bobs that are knocking around on my desk....well I say knocking around...I am a place for everything and everything in it's place kind of a crafter....so what I do is pull out a 'kit' and use that until I get bored and then it all gets put away or thrown in the bin!!

Anyway, I am digressing, here is my layout of DGS' first bath using the yummy colour palette that is decidedly not wintery! LOL

and some close ups :)

Lots of little bits from Simple Stories, American Crafts. The little dots are made from some stuff called Crystal Lacquer that I had given to DD#2 but she isn't doing much crafting so I pinched them back! Talking of things retrieved from DD#2 I had also given her a load of embossing powders that I no longer used....or so I thought! Check out my forged 'buzz words' all shiny and bendy (???) I even dip dyed some of them :)

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

We Heart Sunshine

It's been a while since I played along with SCRAPfriends or at least it feels like it!!!

It is a place that is always jam packed with inspiration (not least from me old mate Lizzy) so not only have I used this month's sketch but also the wonderful tutorial from Sanna......what an amazing talent she has!!!

So here it is....for those of you who are FB friends you will know that this Instagram was such a hit my DDs and I all had this as a profile picture....I still do!!

I cut a hexagon stencil on the Silhouette and dusted off my Distress Ink Pads!!! 

Elle Studio Snippets, Prima resin flower and MME stamps. The black mini hexagons are a Balzer Designs stencl

Ali Edwards + Silhouette = match made in heaven :)

Maya Road ribbon slider and the Cricut got a look in on this lo!!!

Here is the lovely sketch:




Thanks so much for popping in today,

Ali x 

Together on a sunny winter's day (we don't get many of them to the pound!!)

There's another super, well I say super, no it is super, but also daunting sketch over at ScrapFriends! I ended up creating something that is so unlike my normal style i.e. the page is pretty full (for me!)

I wish that I had some smaller photos so that I could have shrunk it all down, but hey ho, it's all about having fun, and I had plenty of fun making this one :0)

Sanna Lippert has done a brilliant video tutorial on typewriter background paper. I couldn't force myself to do a whole page but I did do a little bit and cut it into arrows :0)

handmade paper and Color Shined Color Magic paper

Lovely Stash Panache button and Fancy Pants arrow

Scraptastic Kit Club arrow stamp and I know it's getting boring but I do so love my MME love stamp!!

MME sticker and Studio Calico wood veneer

I warn you now. I found a pack of photos of this particular day in Burnham last winter, and I have been scrapping them left, right and centre!!

Here is the sketch...give it a go and see where it takes you:

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

p.s. I am bursting to tell you my secret but I have got to hold it in for a little bit longer.....suffice to say I am busy working with some beautiful stuff and getting to know some lovely people :0)

Friendly Love

Hello, hello!!

I had a couple of spare hours today and was desperate to play along with ScrapFriends' latest sketch (they are, quite simply, the best!)and I also spotted The Studio Challenge's latest challenge was to use masks......brilliant!

So without further ado, here is my take with a photo of DGD and her bestie as Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder at her Tangled themed birthday party :0)

I love this sketch...sigh

washi tape, texture paste, a mask and the Silhouette....plus Heidi Swap Color Shine (definitely my new fave!) stamp is MME

papers are Simple Stories Vintage Bliss, the button is an old Pink Paislee one

and here is the sensational sketch:



go and have a play with either or both challenges :0)

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

7/100 'I'm Reviewing the Situation'

Another beaut of a sketch at the fabulous ScrapFriends.....oh how I love them :0)

Another lo for DGS' scrapbook and an homage to his great great grandfather who starred in Oliver!.....hence the title :0)

This little man fills my heart with pure joy. I am so lucky to have him living with me in these early weeks. Our bond is getting stronger and stronger.....and best of all???? He thinks I sing like an angel!!! For those with a more discerning musical ear it is like a cross between a yowling cat and fingernails on a blackboard but both my Grandies think I am a marvel when I belt out a show tune or two :0)

More loveliness from my CKC kit

stamp is Scraptastic Kit Club, button is American Crafts (v old) Journal card was cut on my Silhouette and matted onto PP Portfolio paper and typed on! Arrow is painted SC wood veneer

chevrons were cut on Silhouette, more painted SC wood veneers. The rubber love tag is soooo old, it feels great to finally be able to use it!!

I really enjoyed creating this layout. Lots of fiddling with bits and bobs :0)

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

1/100 ....my new challenge! 'Favourite Moment'

I keep banging on about spending less and trying to use up stuff before I buy more and then I got a comment on one of my posts from Lisa at color me scrappy telling me that she is in the middle of a challenge.....create 100 layouts before you can buy anything else.....I love a challenge...so here goes!!

I am super excited to have found the time to play with my CKC kit and also my favourite of all sketch challenge blogs ScrapFriends :0)))

I am desperately trying to play catch up with DGD's yearly album so that I can start doing both grandchildren's albums consecutively ...... love that I get to do boy and girl pages now :0))

Here is the layout for January. We went away for my Mum's 70th birthday....she had lots of help with cards, presents and candles ;0)

Elle Studio tag, OA stickers, Scraptastic Kit Club stamps. The splatters are diluted Liquid Pearls...an experiment that worked ;0)

more OA stickers

more Elle Studio and a Maya Road stamp

here is the lovely sketch:

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

p.s. I should just point out that a small order has been made prior to this being posted although not yet delivered ;0) no more now....maybe!! LOL

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

Today is Your Day

Another FAB-U-LOUS challenge over at ScrapFriends :0)

This time I am playing along with their colour challenge.......and it's a good 'un!!

I have had this old photo of me, DH and DD#2 hanging around since I brought it down from the loft to repurpose the frame...I know it was taken on one of my birthdays...I think around 1993...hence the hair...both DH and me!!!

Papers are scraps :0) Background stamp is Kaisercraft

Check out the fabulous texture rub ons from Christy Tomlinson...yummy!

Lovely flair badge from Stash Panache :0)

So the challenge is:




and I used this week's sketch from Let's Get Sketchy



go and have a play here

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

'Back in Time'

Oooh I have to say that ScrapFriends is still my absolute favourite for Sketch Inspiration and this one is no exception!!

This page is the very last one for my Welsh Album....it does seem like forever ago...and to be honest I had forgotten that there was still one to do!!

Anywho, the photo was taken on a very rainy day in the Mumbles. What a gloriously beautiful little town with Victorian touches everywhere... I loved it, even in the rain!

A corny title I know but hey ho! I cut the letters on the Silhouette (not done that before, a cornucopia of fonts to choose from but I wanted mine to be simple) as well as the 'mask'

Tag with TH stamp, transparency die cut on Grand Calibur form Glitz, tin letter from back in the day!

clock stamp is super old, Studio Calico veneer and Pink Paislee ephemera, MME brad

Here is the fabulous sketch that inspired my layout:

I shall definitely do this one again and try doing the paper piecing!!

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

Because of you 'My Sun Will Always Shine'

Hello,

another She Art canvas today :0) This was has been created for DD#1 and is very much 'her colours'!!

All her life she has chosen hot pink as her colour of choice. She is about to move into her new house and has been choosing soft furnishings and paint colours and her master bedroom is going to be.......white....with teal, aqua and hot pink bedding!!!

So, this is for her to go in her new room...she hasn't seen it yet so I have no idea if she will like it!!

Starting at the top and working down.....

thank you Eila for the idea of putting beads into the paste :0)

I brought a bird in as there are birds on her new bedding

lyrics taken from the song she is named after

and here she is in full :0)

Another long and narrow canvas....lovely on the wall but rubbish for photographing!! LOL

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x 

'Shine On'

Yippee!! Another sketch is up at ScrapFriends :0)

I am so grateful to my bonzer mate Lizzy Hill (one of the DT) for introducing me to this site...it is the best!!

I'm not going to have many 12 x 12's in Project Wales so the ones that I am going to include are all coming from my own cobbled together kit. I love Studio Calico but I don't subscribe to their kits so I found papers and embellies that were similar to this month's kit. It will give the pages in this album a relaxed, cohesive look without having to pay staggering postage costs!!

There are soooo many photos of our beloved Basil (this holiday was for his benefit!)  this one was taken on the gloriously deserted Whiteford Beach.

papers are: Tim Holtz, Studio Calico, Pink Paislee and a smidge of Webster's Pages (yes, Lizzy you read right!) Ali Edwards stamp and brush converted to Silhouette file..easy peasy! Kaisercraft paint...my new fave. Die cut chipboard hearts using TH die. Washi tape from Etsy.

Here is the genius sketch that I just adore:



I interpreted the 'rip' by layering up a torn bit of calico.

Thanks for popping in today,

Ali x