Double Trouble!

Last weekend saw me at the first crop of the year and I have to say I was very productive, well for me anyway!

I decided to have a crack at the weekly challenge over on UKScrappers and it was a great challenge to kick start my creativity for 2014.  We had to use this sketch:

We also had to include paints or misting and lots of journalling.  Here's what I came up with:

This is one of my favourite photos of Maddie and Alfie.  It was taken in 2010 and they were leaning on the gate saying goodbye to me as I went away for the very first weekend without them.

I can't say it was a fantastic weekend because I was so worried about the pair of them but I needn't have been because they were fine and had a great time!

How have you kick started your crafting for 2014?

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Quickest Story Ever Scrapped!

I realise that my blog has been woefully neglected this year and there's been hardly any scrapping on display, hopefully that will change!

Last week I had a go at the weekly challenge over at UKScrappers.  The prompt was to use sewing on a layout, real or fake, to use a die cut or do some fussy cutting and to take inspiration from this sketch:

I actually managed to get my layout done on Thursday at the crop, yes I actually did manage to do some real, live scrapping at the crop!

I added the title last night but didn't really have any journalling.  I have lots of layouts of Alfie telling the story of where he came from and how lucky I was to have him, I needed a new tale.

I let him out the garden while I had a think about what story I could tell.  It was nearly midnight and he didn't allow me any thinking time.  He managed to get into my neighbour's garden and get out the other end into the alley!  I didn't know whether to follow him or head him off at the front of the house!  I was in a panic, I was shouting, it was raining and then he came bounding back to me with a massive bone in his mouth!

And I had the journalling for my layout!

What's the quickest you've ever got a story in to an album?

Thanks for stopping by
Jo x

Weekly Challenge

Today it's my turn to set the weekly challenge over at UKScrappers. I really do enjoy setting the challenges and coming up with example layouts.
For my challenge I've used this sketch:




As well as using the sketch the challenge is to use a stamped image, buttons and ribbon or trim. Here are my examples:



I love this photo of the painted beach huts me and Paul saw on a walk in February.


My friend Sarah at bingo showing an uncanny resemblance to a young Blanche from Coronation Street. She has a Blanche bingo dobber!


Maddie outside the BBC Television Studios when we went to watch Pointless being recorded.

I hope my challenge inspires you to scrap.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Naptime Cuddles

Last week I did a layout for the weekly challenge over at UK Scrappers.
Part of the challenge was to use this sketch:

To use five of something and to use new stash.  As part of my New Year's Resolution was to use a kit as soon as it arrived this challenge was great for me.  My brand new Studio Calico kit had just arrived and I couldn't wait to cut into it to create this:

I'll often walk into the room and find these two snuggled up like this :)

I used these cute little velum arrows for my five things.
We are currently in the middle of a terrific hail storm so I'm going to snuggle on the sofa and watch a film with Maddie.
I hope you've had a great weekend.
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

And Now For Something Completely Different!

All of this year Shimelle has been running a class/challenge over on UKScrappers called And Now For Something Completely Different.  On the 10th of the month she posts a list of materials and on the 20th of the month she posts a list of instructions along with photos of the different stages.  I was very late to the party and only just got round to joining in.

I had a look at the list of contents, which you can find here.  I liked what I saw so thought I would join in this time.  The instructions were put up here but this month they were just a little bit different, there were no photos! This made me want to join in even more because I love a blind challenge :)

This is how my layout has turned out:

I used papers from Authentique, Dear Lizzy and Echo Park along with some Thickers, gems and twine. The photos are of Maddie on her 18th birthday and I just love the expressions on her face in these photos.

Today is the big reveal for everyone who took part this month so I have no idea what everyone else has come up with for their layouts, I really can't wait to see them.

I don't know how this layout compares to the others but I really am pleased with it:

I will enjoy looking at all the other layouts later on today.

Thank you for stopping by
Jo xx

A Dreary Day

Today is dark, foggy and downright dreary!  I love when the weather is like this but only if I don't have to venture outdoors, I love to snuggle :)

I had a great weekend because I managed to spend a day in London with Paul on Saturday.  I haven't seen him for a month so it was lovely to spend a few hours with him.  On Sunday I scrapped and I really enjoyed myself.

The weekly challenge over at UKScrappers had a baking theme so I thought it was perfect for my pictures from Frieda's.  Part of the challenge was to use this sketch which was great because I had a lot of pictures to scrap!  The other elements to use were washi tape (not that I need an excuse to use washi tape!) and numbers.

The dreary weather has no consideration for the fact I have layouts to photograph, I guess I'll have to get used to that over the coming months. Maybe I need to get a daylight bulb for my lamp.

Tonight I plan to snuggle on the sofa with my new hobby, I'll be sharing that soon :)

I hope life is being kind to you
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Another Great Weekend

This has been such a lovely, great weekend for me.  It started off with my monthly crop and, as I missed the last couple, it was great to catch up with all the girls.  I managed to be quite productive and get a couple of layouts done.

One of the layouts was for the monthly challenge over at UK Scrappers, the challenge was to use this sketch:

I love sketches, they're great if your mojo has done a runner!  I used the Fancy Pants Be You collection and came up with this:

I think the papers are perfect for this picture of my beautiful niece, Elsie.

After the crop I went to bingo where I was lucky enough to win £15, then a coffee (strange prize!) and then £320.  I went home to celebrate with Maddie and found out I'd won £460 on the lottery.  Having been a single parent for 13 years I can't tell you how grateful I am for this bit of luck, it certainly takes the pressure off of Christmas!

I hope that you've had a great weekend and have blessings to count too.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Got My Mojo Back

I think the two month break must have done me some good because my scrapping mojo has come back with a vengeance!

Last week I actually took part in the weekly challenge over at UKScrappers!  The challenge was to have a Beatles song title on the layout, to use black and white, to have four or more lines of journalling and to include some circles.

I decided to hunt out a black and white photo because I'm not a big fan of black and white on a layout, I like lots of colour.  I found this old black and white picture of me aged five!

It was taken at my infant school and although 35 years have passed since it was taken I remember that the outfit I was wearing was bottle green, I remember my first teacher's name, remember how she reminded me of the wicked witch of the west from The Wizard or Oz and remember how I didn't like her much.  The photo reminded me of how I used to try and escape from school every lunch break and how I just wanted to be at home.  So many memories from one old black and white photo that I didn't even know I had until I went hunting.

I scrapped the original photo and you can see how the middle of the picture has faded compared to the edges that were protected by the frame it was in.  I almost cut the edges off but I'm so glad I left them now.

I've got back into scrapping so much now that I've even started thinking about my Journal Your Christmas album!

I hope your week is going well
Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

WOYWW #145

Wow, I can't believe a week has passed already.  I haven't even had a chance to comment on last week's desks but I will, I promise.

A quick update on this week as it sort of ties in with my desk.  Paul came up on Monday which was lovely; we went to bingo but no winnings :( I had the day off work on Tuesday and we had a lovely day out and also got some bargains.  This was my bargain:

A new portable desk for my scrapping all for the great price of £3 :) It means that I don't have to always be tucked away in my bedroom, where my craft desk is, and can spend time with Maddie.  The height adjusts and the top tilts, so I can sit on the sofa or one of the dining table chairs.  I'm a very happy bunny.

I couldn't wait to use it so got cracking with a layout as soon as I got home:

The weekly challenge this week over at UKScrappers was to use three or more photos, to use paints and mists, and to doodle ~ the doodling had to be more than just a fake row of stitches.

My doodling was some music notes.

Head over to Julia's to see what everyone else has got on their desks, that's what I'm about to do!

I hope your week is going well
Jo xx

My Holiday's Almost Over

I've had such a lovely time off work and I'm really not forward to going back to work tomorrow :(

On Friday I met up with friends for coffee and then, because the weather was so gorgeous, I decided to cut the grass.  Two lessons learnt: Doing the jobs you least like can sometimes be the most rewarding and If the blade on the lawnmower isn't sharp is there really any point in cutting the grass!

Yesterday didn't turn out as I had planned.  Paul went to work on Friday, parked in his usual place and then got clamped.  In fact five of his colleagues also got clamped yet the clamping company say the signs have been up for ages, doesn't sound like it.  Anyway, they've towed his car away and the man I was talking to couldn't understand why we weren't going to pay £370 to get the car released when the car only cost £130!  I love a cause, a fight and helping others so I'm going to contact all the other companies on the industrial estate he was parked on to see how many, in total, got caught out.  I have a couple of witnesses to say the signs were only put up the day the clamps were put on so I'm going to try and find a few more.........I'll keep you posted.  The lesson learnt: Private clamping rules and regulations are fascinating.

Today I managed to cut my pages for my Learn Something New Every Day album:

I've decided to go for autumnal colours and I'm hoping to decorate the cover and the first couple of pages tonight.

I also managed to get the Starting Point layout done today, not the new one posted yesterday but the one from a few weeks ago.  It's a challenge I really love and, if you're stuck for time, it can make a layout come together really quickly:

Now I'm off to sort out more parking stuff and then have dinner with my mum.

Hope you've all had a good weekend
Jo xx

Treading Water

That's how this week has felt.  Every day at work I feel like I've been treading water and only just managing to keep my head above it.  Never mind, the weekend arrived quicker than expected and I had no plans.  It has been great to have the time just to sit and scrap, yes I have missed Paul but he's on his way to Scotland for the Military Tattoo and I'm hoping he'll bring me back a bit of shortbread :)

So here's what I've been scrapping this weekend.  First up is the Weekly Challenge over at UKScrappers.  The challenge was to scrap a different size than usual and I have to admit that was way out of my comfort zone, I loved it though.  We also had to use pink or blue, journalling and old stash:

I love this picture of Maddie taken outside a restaurant almost at the foot of Portland Bill.

Inspired by Sian I got my Slice out and was delighted to find a flower on one of the cards that matched the printed flowers on the paper perfectly.

The second layout I did was for the House Challenge on UKS.  There was a sketch to follow and we had to use mixed alphabets and fonts:

Another great picture of Maddie on the same holiday in Weymouth.  I used the papers from July's Gotta Craft kit.

And I raided my vast selection of Thickers for the title.

I've asked Maddie to go through the photo albums to pick my next picture to scrap, so far she is refusing!  Never mind, I might try and find one of her pulling a funny face and scrap that just to annoy her :)

I hope you've all had a great weekend.
Jo xx

Explore

Well, I've signed up for another Shimelle class.  I always do because they are fun, good value for money, with no pressure and you can keep going back to the forum for reference.  All the class notes in one place is good for me because I can be one for putting something somewhere safe and never finding it again :)

The class is called Explore and, although I haven't had time to fully read the prompts, I knew there was a self portrait involved.  So, I woke up this morning and thought I would take said portrait.  Yes I know, stupid time of the day to do it when I'm trying to get Maddie out of the door for school and me out of the door for work but I thought it's the one time of the day when my make up is on and my hair is brushed and not being torn out of me head as it can be during the day when I'm dealing with, shall we say, awkward clients :)

So here's the first attempt:

Now I thought the picture of me was ok but then I noticed how dirty the mirror was.  So with the dog jumping up and getting excited and Maddie complaining we were going to be late I did the only thing I thought necessary at the time.........I cleaned the mirror:

Much better I think.  I shall read the rest of the prompts tonight and see what else I can do, I hope none of the other prompts will involve me doing housework!

I also have a layout to share.  I did this at the weekend for the House Challenge on UKScrappers.  We had to use a sketch and a juddery or not too good a photo:

Now I love this photo of Maddie, I love the look on her face and her bunches but I'd always dismissed it as "no good for scrapping" because of the awful shadowing on it.  I'm so pleased this challenge came up and I knew immediately the photo I would use.

She was sitting on the back of a horse and cart that travels between Brewers Quay and Weymouth and she thought it was great.  I used the papers and embellishments from this months Gotta Craft kit, absolutely gorgeous.

Right, off to do dinner and read my prompts.

Thanks for stopping by
Jo xx

Busy Doing.......Nothing!

I can't believe that it been two weeks since I last blogged! Unfortunately I can't even put it down to being a social butterfly and having lots on because, when I look back, I haven't really done anything.  Time just seems to be flying by so quickly and I'm really not a fan of that :)

I did do something yesterday, I went to visit an old friend, a very dear old friend and we had such laughs.  Catching up over coffee with her and another old friend was a great way to spend the day.  I did a layout of the three of us ages ago using a photo taken back in our youth, seems like only yesterday.

Today I had a fun, crafty day and came up with this layout for the weekly challenge over on UKScrappers.  The challenge was: something old, I used the flowers, something new, the papers were new from the Sarah's Cards kit I got yesterday, something borrowed, I used the sketch from page 103 of the Page Maps book and something blue, the paper.

I love this picture of me and Maddie taken at the foot of Portland Bill in June 2002.

Every day, even though she's 17 now, she'll come and give me a cuddle and tell me I'm her best friend and I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Typing this post has made me realise just how much I've missed blogging and I definitely won't be leaving it so long next time.

Hope you've had a good weekend.
Jo x

Another Busy Monday

Back to work today but I had such a wonderful weekend with Paul and Pippy.  On Saturday we managed to find Paul a bargain deerstalker, he absolutely loves hats!

He certainly looks the part and he is a huge Sherlock fan.

Saturday gave us the "Supermoon" it was the closest the moon had been to earth since 1992 and it meant it was 40% larger and 30% brighter, I forced Paul to come to the beach with me to see it and he certainly wasn't disappointed: 

It was mesmerizing to say the least. 

And I was pleased to work out how to take night pictures on the camera!

Today I have set the weekly challenge over on UKScrappers.  Here's my example layout: 

As it's my second time of setting a challenge I asked for 2 photos to be used.  Also no cutting into a nice new sheet of 12 x 12, only scraps are allowed, which is good for stash busting.

I've really got back into using my stamps and this is one of my favourites: 

Spring is in the air and so is talk of street parties for the Royal Wedding so I thought bunting was appropriate for the last element of the challenge: 

Alfie is so cheeky jumping in my bed, if I sit on the sofa he tries to sit on my lap but, when we got him from the rescue centre he was half the size he was because he had been starved.  Not only was he starved of food but also of human company so we forgive him anything.  We're used to him jumping in our beds, we're used to him climbing over us on the sofa and we're used to every meal coming with a side order of dog hair but we wouldn't have it any other way :)

Happy Monday

Jo x

A Scrappy Weekend

I have spent almost the whole weekend scrapping and it's been great after such a busy week at work.  I went to a crop yesterday. I love crop weeks because no matter how bad things are getting you know you're going to get together with the girls at the weekend and chat, giggle, eat, drink, be merry and maybe, just maybe, scrap a little :)

I managed 2 and a half layouts at the crop yesterday so I'm very pleased with myself.  The layouts I'm showing you today though are ones that I completed today just in the nick of time for the Weekly and House Challenges over on UKScrappers (nothing like leaving it to the very last minute!).

The Weekly Challenge was to use at least 3 patterned papers, use multiple photos and use a border punch:

I did a really simple layout using some lovely pictures of Maddie on her first holiday in La Baule when she was just over a year old.  I have been going to La Baule and Le Pouliguen with my family since I was about 3 and we all think it is the greatest place on earth.  It has such a special place in our hearts especially since our dad died because he loved it there so very much.  When Maddie was born I couldn't wait to take her there, it's such a shame because we haven't been back for about 10 years :( 

I used my lovely flower stamp for the first time, I could  sit and cut these flowers out all day and I think they look great on bright colours.

The House Challenge was to use the sketch provided and fabric or fibres: 

More holiday snaps of Maddie, this time in Weymouth.  We went away with my nan and grandad and had a fantastic time, Maddie loved playing on the beach and going in the sea, she would hate it now because her laptop or Blackberry would get wet and sandy! 

I used the gorgeous papers from this months GottaCraft Kit and, as I was cutting it fine, I used fibres to sew this pattern on the bottom of the layout.

Now I have to tidy my craft stuff and get ready for work tomorrow, Mondays come way too quickly!  At least it's half term so I get a little lie in and there's less traffic on the road.

Tonight I hope to dream of La Baule and, if you've never been, you should definitely go!

Hope you've had a great weekend

Jo xx

I've Been Creative!

I've been taking full advantage of my lovely craft area and have managed lots of scrapping this weekend, it's been great.

I managed this layout for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers.  The challenge was to scrap baby, human, new things, use earth tones, include stars and the word who in the title.  I even managed to do some stash busting and use papers from my scrap bagP:

I drew a face on a box once and Maddie decided to put her head in the box and poke her hair out of the top!  The funny thing about this photo is that when people are looking through my photo album and come to this picture they always rub their hand over it because they think there's something stuck on it rather than a picture of Maddie with a box on her head.  I love making rosettes and normally score them every centimetre, this time I scored them every half a centimetre so they wouldn't be so bulky.  There's a bit of hidden journalling behind the photo because I really wanted to keep the layout nice and simple.

Today I also made my first ever batch of shortbread.  My friend got me a recipe calender for Christmas and I said I would cook the recipe for the month every month.  I cut it very fine this month and didn't even get a photo to share on here because it all disappeared so quickly!

Hope you've had a good weekend.

Jo xx