Onwards and Upwards!

Welcome to my post for Jennifer's Onwards and Upwards Blog Hop!


 If you comment on all of the posts as you travel round the blog hop and then return to Jennifer's to let her know that you've completed it then you are in with the chance to win this amazing prize:

 Glitz Designs Colour Me Happy and Simple Stories 24/7, worth over £25!  All entries must be received by Monday 13th May at 10:59 pm BST.

Now Jennifer's word of the year is PROGRESS and that got me to thinking about how I have progressed with my scrapping.

I started scrapping in November 2004.  I was inspired to scrap by a page I'd seen in a card making magazine.  I remember the layout so clearly, it was a girl's birthday party at a bowling alley and the cardstock was red, which went really well with the bright colours of the bowling balls.  I wanted to try but didn't have a clue where to start so I cut paper and got my glue and photos and gradually started to build a unhealthy large amount of albums.

My pages now are full of patterned papers.


Wow I even use patterned paper for the background, something we didn't do 9 years ago!

I love masks and mists.


Sometimes I love to fill the whole page.


And I definitely like to see lots of journalling in my own handwriting...now!


It wasn't always like that though and even now I find myself wishing my layouts could look as good as some of the layouts I see when I'm blog reading.  When I see really great layouts I like to look back on the creators work, I go back to their first blog post to see how they have progressed since starting, it can be a great learning tool.

Now, I didn't have a blog when I first started but I have been stupid brave and had a little dig around in my albums.  Although I don't scrap in order I do file my layouts in order so it's a good job I have a fantastic memory and know that this is my first ever layout:


A double page of Maddie's first day at nursery and very heavily inspired by the first layout I had seen in that mag.

This layout is the first ever challenge I took part in over on UKScrappers:


I think I've progressed a bit over the years don't you? :)

Your next stop on the hop is with Jenny.

If you lose your way then here's a list of all of the blogs:
Jennifer
Rinda
Meghann
Louise
Lisa-Jane
Julie
Jo S
ME
Jenny
Jacky
Fay
Daphne
Abi
Jennifer

Good luck and thank you for stopping by
Jo xx

Frosty Festivities Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my little corner of blogland.  This weekend Jennifer, over at Jennifer's Jumbles, is hosting a blog hop, the Frosty Festivities no less!  Jennifer has a fantastic prize on offer and all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning, starting at Jennifer's, is comment on all of the blogs you visit returning to Jennifer's to let her know you've done it.  The prize is items from the Basic Grey Aspen Frost and Carta Bella Winter Fun ranges.

Now it will be no surprise to the people that know me to find out that I absolutely love the winter.  Mother Nature plays out her final, fantastic symphony of the year in autumn.  She shows us how amazing everything around us can look when it has a splash of gorgeous reds and oranges and then it's almost like the lights of nature are switched off.  That's when it's our turn to brighten the place up with Christmas decorations and lights!

When I was younger and living at home there used to be a train station at the end of the road.  In the winter, when the wind was blowing and the rain was falling, I used to sit in my room, cozy and warm, watching the commuters rushing home after work. I loved being indoors with the rain beating down, I felt so relaxed, safe and happy and I think that's where my love of winter stemmed from.

When the snow fell we would grab our sledges and head for the hills, returning later in the day wet through and freezing cold.  Now I love to be walking in the park with the dogs in the snow. I love how the sounds are muffled and I sometimes feel like I'm the only person on the planet.  Like a big kid there is nothing I love more than to be the first person to leave footprints in freshly fallen snow!

I always rush home from work during the winter months to shut my front door on the world, light the fire and do some crafting.  Although I scrap all year round I always feel most creative, with all of my hobbies, during the winter months.  It's probably because I don't feel guilty in the winter for sitting in all day and knitting, sewing, painting or scrapping.  In the summer months I know my mum would be mortified if she found out I stayed indoors when the sun was out, in fact she calls me every day just to check!

Winter for me is all about Christmas and coziness, hats, scarfs and gloves, walking in wellies and enjoying eggnog lattes and mulled wine! I never see it as a dreary month with drab colours.  What do you love most about winter?
Thank you for visiting Buckingham's Palace, your next stop is with another Jo and if you've got a little bit lost along the way here is the full list of all the fantastic people joining in:
Jennifer
Abi
Daphne
Jacky
Jemma
Jenny
ME :)
Jo S
Julie
Kirsty
Lisa-Jane
Lizzie
Louise
Mel
Rinda
Sarah
Sian
Jennifer
I hope you all have fun hopping and enjoy your weekend.
Jo x

Come and Bop to the Hop

Hello and welCome to my little Corner of blog land, I’d love for you to have a little look around my world  here at BuCkingham’s Palace.

You should have joined me from Meghann’s blog but, if you’re not following the blog hop in order, there are links to all of the blogs taking part at the bottom of this post.

Each lovely blog along this hop has a letter for you to Collect.  Once you’ve got them all, and have reaChed the end of the hop, you can email Jennifer the phrase you’ve Collected.  All entries must be reCeived by Monday 2^nd July at 11:59 BST, all the Correct answers will be put into a draw to win a gorgeous prize paCkage of October Afternoon 9 to 5 and Studio Calico Take Note items worth over £25!!!

Now the theme for this is:

Organisation

Something that I’m good and something that I'm bad at! 

In my working life I’ve had to organise thousands of people on tours and get them all to stiCk to the itinenary: not a problem. 

In my home life there is a lot of organisation for me to do beCause I have my teenage daughter here but my
partner lives 106 miles away: not a problem!

In my Crafting life I have a plaCe for everything and everything in its plaCe. Although to an outsider it may look like organised Chaos I can lay my hands on exaCtly what I need when I need it: not a problem.  So why don’t I ever get as much done as I want?  Here’s the reason why:

I spend far too muCh time proCrastinating and thinking about the things I want to do rather than getting them done.  Then everything is done just before the deadline hits, whiCh, if I'm honest, I quite enjoy beCause I love working under pressure!

So no matter how organised you are, you can still end up:

Today, for once, I am totally organised.  This blog post is done on time and I'm more or less up to date with everything.  It's my daughter Maddie's 18th birthday tomorrow and all her presents are bought and wrapped!  Tonight we will be having a girlie night before celebrating tomorrow!


I hope you’ve managed to C the letter hidden in this post :).

Your next stop along the hop is Abi and below you will find a list of all of the blogs taking part.

Jennifer - http://jennifersjumbles.blogspot.co.uk/

Clair - http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk/

Leanne http://littlelifeofscrap.blogspot.co.uk/

Louise http://scrapbook-me.blogspot.co.uk/

Rinda http://gallorganico.blogspot.co.uk/

Kirsty http://www.journalofcuriousthings.co.uk/

Jo S. http://curlyscrapbooker.blogspot.co.uk/

Daphne http://dapfniedesign.wordpress.com/

Meghann http://meghannslittlecorner.blogspot.co.uk/

Jo B. http://buckinghamspalace.blogspot.co.uk/

Abi http://creatingpaperdreams.blogspot.co.uk/

Lea http://finallyscrappin.blogspot.co.uk/

Lisa-Jane http://comeinsidemycrazyhead.blogspot.co.uk


Thank you for coming to visit and have a great weekend joining in all of the fun at Jennifer's.

Jo xx