Final Challenges

I'm back with the final three challenges I completed for Shimelle's online crop.  I was hoping to do a few more but time ran away with me towards the end of the week!

Challenge 7 was to add a pocket to a page.  I found the photos and the memorabilia, which is pretty good for me, and came up with this:

Maddie outside the theatre after seeing her favourite show on her 16th birthday. Hopefully we'll go back in June for her 18th birthday.

Challenge 8 was to use a stamp and I had a set of stamps that had been lying about for ages:

I used one of the stamps to create my journalling blocks and the other was added to the washi tape at the top and bottom.

Challenge 9 was to pick an old challenge that you've been meaning to do and get it done.  I used this old starting point for my inspiration:

I love this picture of Maddie looking so cheeky!

And I managed to add lots of embellishments.

This weekend has been a good one.  It's was my niece's birthday yesterday and today has been all about scrapping.

I hope you've had a good weekend.
Jo xx

Two More!

I'm here to share another two layouts that I completed for Shimelle's online crop.

Challenge 5 was to take inspiration from a layout by Wilna Furstenberg.   I used a panoramic photo and tone on tone embellishments among other things:

Challenge 6 was to create a new project by changing something dramatic.  This time I headed over to Lorna's blog because I know there are a ton of layouts there that I just love.  Lorna is another person I'm lucky enough to crop with regularly and you would not believe how quickly she creates her layouts; I think I do enough faffing about for both of us!  She has a really cute son so lots of layouts for boys, I only have a girl so I took one of her layouts and changed it:

And I have to say I love it!

This layout makes Maddie seem so sporty when in fact this was the only day she went on her bike, ever!

So today is Wednesday and it feels like a Thursday so I'm not sure how I'm going to get through another two days in the office!

I hope your week isn't dragging too much
Jo xx

More Challenges

I'm back with another two layouts that I created while taking part in Shimelle's online crop this weekend.

Challenge 3 was to "mix it up", to try a style that you like but don't normally use.  I took my inspiration from Sandra aka Mrs Gotta Craft.  I am lucky enough to crop with Sandra at least 3 times a month and I really like her style.  If you sit too close to her you'll end up covered in paper dust from where she's tearing and filing and I thought I'd give it a go:

I'm really pleased with how it turned out and it still has the layering that I love so much.

Challenge 4 was to use yellow, grey and another colour of your choice.  I chose blue as it is my favourite colour, although I don't normally have much success scrapping with blue!

Another layout that I'm pleased with though and just look at that dirty face!

I'm going to try and do another layout tonight while I celebrate my car passing its MOT and get over the near death experience I had at work today when a full, four drawer, filing cabinet toppled over just millimetres from me!

I hope you have a good evening
Jo xx

A Challenging Weekend!

But in a nice way.  This weekend I joined in with Shimelle's online crop and I had so much fun.

I don't want to bombard you with layouts so I'll just do a couple at a time.  The first challenge was to take some inspiration from a layout by Jaime Warren, here's my take on it:

I used a photo of my brother Jon and sister Jess and created this layout, I used lots of gems scattered around the page and some mists.  A mixture of papers from a Studio Calico kit.

The next challenge was to use papers from three or more collections:

I thought these papers were perfect for the picture of my nephew Oliver and his cousin Ralph.  I used papers from 3 Bugs in a Rug, Basic Grey, American Crafts, Kaiser Craft and My Minds Eye!

I will be back tomorrow with some more layouts, I haven't finished all of the challenges but I will by the end of the week!

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Here's Hoping for a Good Friday!

Ever get that tingly feeling on the top of your head? You'll just be sitting there and then suddenly feel it?  Some people say it's someone from the other side letting you know they're there and it's something I believe and get comfort from. 

All day Tuesday I had that feeling on my head and knew it was probably my dad letting me know everything would be ok, I was worrying about a how I was going to pay a big bill that arrived the day before and I guessed it was dad's way of saying not to worry.  The next day a lovely old man came into my office to see me, I asked his name and it was the same as my dad's!  When he left he shook my hand, said God bless and told me he'd be back to see me the next day.  I took it as a sign, a good sign.  That night I won £530 at bingo, enough to pay my bill!  I couldn't wait to go to work the next day and see the old man again...........but he didn't come back!

Anyway, enough spooky tales.  I came to show you a layout I recently did from last month's Gotta Craft kit:

It's the gorgeous My Minds Eye Miss Caroline Collection, which I think are great.  I love anything with a natural, wood look and these papers are great to work with.  I reproduced the pre-printed embellishments in the bottom left corner in the top right corner and added a few butterflies here and there.

The photo shows my view when I'm cooking dinner in the evening.  Maddie and Alfie like to sit outside the kitchen door having a cuddle while I do all the work!

Today the weather men seem to have got it wrong.  I should listen to Paul's advice, he always says "if you want to know what the weather's doing then look out of the window"!  The forecast here was for a miserable day so, I planned ahead yesterday and we were going to have a PJ day today with films and popcorn.  Woke up to a blinding bright sun and it feels a bit naughty to stay indoors now!

I hope you all have an amazing long weekend.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

It's "Oh So British" But ...

... What about the weather here in the UK?!?!  One minute I was basking in the sun, even getting my cropped trousers out, the next I'm putting my fleecy jim jams on!  I got a sharp reminder this evening that it is only April here and not the middle of summer as I was led to believe last week!

Anyhoo, I only popped in to show you a layout!  Yes that's right, I have been doing a bit of scrapping :)  Now I love sketches, they are great when my mojo is on holiday, so it makes sense to join a sketch group.  Someone posts a sketch, we have a month to come up with a layout and then we have a couple of reveal days, where we show off our layouts, before the next sketch is posted.  Last month's sketch looked like this:

I loved it and embraced it and came up with this:

He's another thing I love and embrace :)  I got to use up lots of older stash that I decided I had to 'use or lose'.....yeah, right, as IF I'm going to get rid of stash!!!

This is one of my favourite photos of Alfie and the title is one of the songs I'm always singing to him.

I'm off to snuggle under a blankie with Maddie and watch some of our favourite programmes.  I hope everyone who has snow is staying safe.

Take care and thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Story Telling Sunday: Spring is a Laughing Matter!

It's the first Sunday of the month so that can mean only one thing................it's time to head to Sian's for Storytelling Sunday!

At this time of year I think of my dad lots, everywhere I look in the spring there is something that makes me think of him......and laugh!

I can remember many years ago he came home from work with a joke to tell us, the only trouble was he was laughing so much that he had trouble telling us the joke!  I thought I would share the joke with you today:

A man goes to a pet shop and buys a hamster, takes it home and lets it settle in.  The next day he wakes up and the hamster is dead! He returns to the pet shop and tells the manager what has happened.  The pet shop manager says "go home and boil the hamster in sugar and water because it will make a lovely jam". The man does this and then tastes the jam, it is so awful that he throws it out of the window.  The next morning the man looks out of the window and there are daffodils growing everywhere he threw the jam.  He returns to the pet shop and says to the manager "I made the jam and it tasted awful so I threw it in the garden, this morning there are daffodils growing in the garden everywhere I threw the jam!" The pet shop manager says "Don't be so silly, Sir, everyone knows........................

It's tulips from hamster jam!"  Boom boom!

Now it's not necessarily the joke that makes me laugh and I know it's a joke for people over a certain age because Maddie didn't get it.  It's remembering my dad doubled up with tears in his eyes barely able to talk as he tried to tell it, that is why I laugh when I see the daffodils and tulips growing in the spring :)

Now it's time for you to go and tell your story, visit Sian's blog and enjoy reading the other stories there.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend and are enjoying the sunshine
Jo xx