Hand Crafted Memories

This is the second post of the day. I absolutely adore this weather, I lived in the Middle East for 15 years and loved knowing it was going to be sunny. Most of my free time would find me at the pool swimming and enjoying the sun (with sun protection of course). It's probably the thing I've missed most since I came back. Not this weekend I got my sun lounger out for the first time in 3 years. I am sensible and only sit out with lots of protection on for short periods of time. In between I came in to have a go at this weeks Stamp with us challenge. It's a sketch this week, I actually had three attempts, the first two I felt were a little predictable and then my final idea came to me when I was admiring the first rose that has flowered this year. Products used were Stampin Up: Stamp sets - Happy Every thing, A Rose is a Rose, Roses in Winter Ink pads - Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Aways Artichoke Card stock - Whisper White, Apricot Appeal The base card was from

I've finally caught up with my challenges, I've been working away from home a couple of days a week and it seriously puts me behind with everything. I've now managed to complete most things and I'm ready for the new challenges. This page is for Pencil lines sketch 136. I'm struggling a bit at the moment because I have 2 nephews who are no longer 'kids', they are becoming teenagers and they are so into music, mobile phones and x box 360. It's no longer right to use powder blue for them. I've been looking for some teenage boy type papers but it's difficult. I really like the core'dinations card stock and it adds just the right amount of grunge to this teenagers page. Right now Im ready for the next round of challenges.

I was an avid card maker before I discovered scrapbooking. I was lucky enough to make and sell cards in a local craft shop and in a florists, unfortunately they are both no longer in business and I ended up with box after box of cards. I think this was the first page I ever made. It's just a pine cone but I took this photo on a ski trip to Andorra, this was when I realised I hate the snow and I hate skiing. The biggest problem was there wasn't enough snow to make the skiing worth it and I was hopeless anyway. I totally scrap lifted the page from the hero arts website and used everything that was just lying around. I hand cut some of the embellishments and used some free papers from a magazine, those horrible shiny papers where the ink rubs off if you get the smallest amount of glue on it. As much as I loved the page, I knew it looked rough. Today I put all this right and gave the page a makeover I've used my beloved Bazzil cardstock and good quality background papers. I am

Here is last weeks go at the Pencil Lines challenge based on sketch 135, I really love this page in real life it's so bright and fun. These pictures are over 10 years old and this gorgeous little boy is now a teenager that has a black belt in karate, who would have thought? I've had the little wooden trains for ages, waiting for the right project. So I painted them with acrylic paint and edged the sides with black to make them 'pop'. Love, love, love this page.

I've managed to catch up with one page for the pencil lines challenge,this one is challenge 134. Now I'm only 2 pages behind. I ordered some photos from Photobox so I should have plenty of supplies to prompt my creativity.

This weeks challenge on Stamp with Us is a recipe challenge, the ingredients are: 1 x Patterned paper, 2 x Ribbons, 1 x Flower, 1 x Button. Here is the card I made The products I used were: Stampin Up Cardstock - Whisper White, Old Olive Double sided paper - summer picnic (both sides) Stamps - Oval All Inkpad - Old Olive Ribbon - Bashful Blue Punches - Scallop circle, 13/8", 11/4" & 11/4" Stampin Write marker - Old Olive Other products from stash Blue button green ribbon brown inkpad

I'm loving this gorgeous weather and spent yesterday scrapbooking in my garden. I recently bought a kit from Sarah's cards . I haven't really bought kits before, but I loved this one and the booklet with ideas was excellent. I used the kit and copied these two layouts from the booklet. It was lovely to sit in the sun and scrap without thinking about it. I'm behind with my pencil lines challenges so today I'm going to try and catch up with them, I also want to make a card for this weeks Stamp with Us challenge, looks like the ironing and housework are going to be saved for another day, again!

I can't believe it, I made the fab five again over on the Stamp with Us blog. I feel very flattered that I've managed this twice now in only 6 ( I think) challenges. Got a few pages to catch up on but the weather is sooo gorgeous I'm going to tidy the garden first. I went to a Craftwork Cards workshop yesterday where we made cards with the new Kraft, Richie & Suzie papers, they really are gorgeous. I only made three of the possible four but I'm really happy with them. Here are my three, not my ideas they were Julie's . The owls are just too cute.

I was doing a bit of blog hopping today during my lunch and as always checked out the fabulous Julie Hickey's blog, where I saw the lovely bird boxes that she made for Sonya and Sue. I'd seen these a little while ago on Nichole's blog and was waiting for an occasion to make one. I also have bought Basic Grey's gorgeous Sugar papers and was dying to use them. Today I decided why can't you make combine the two and make one just because. I came home and did just that. Here it is: I know it's a bird box but I didn't have a bird so I've made it a butterfly house instead. It was so quick and easy I used some of my Stampin Up papers to make another one I then realised it fulfills the criteria for this weeks colour challenge on Stamp with Us . I love them both so I'm hanging one in my kitchen and one in my craft room, of course. Paper - Stampin Up summer picnic Cardstock Stampin Up - real red Ribbon - Stampin Up whiper white grosgrain Butterfly was one of

Here we are with this weeks Stamp with us challenge. This week was a colour challenge, I'm afraid the photo doesn't do the colours justice, it really is a bright card. with this card. Stampin up products used were: Cardstock - Winter White, Real Red Double sided paper - Summer Picnic Stamps - Roses in winter, fresh cuts, mixed Bouquet Inkpads - Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie Punches - Oval & scallop Oval Non Stampin up products used: Punch - Wodware flower Ribbon - scrap from stash

Here are some more cards that were made using the oriental stamps from Craftwork Cards , I'm not surprised these stamps have now gone to limited stock. P&P is only £1.95 at the moment so it's a great time to buy. I'm looking forward to going to the next workshop so I can get my hands on some of the Richie & Suzie papers I NEEED them.

At last I've had my ears syringed, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was last time. Admittedly that was about 20 years ago but it left a lasting impression. This time they put a little probe in my ear that was attached to a machine and this passed the water into my ear with a bit of a vibration. It wasn't at all uncomfortable and just sounded like bubbles in my ear. Everything is so loud now. Part of the problem is my ear canals are very small, the nurse even had to go and find a piece for the thing they look in your ear with, that was for a child. It's a pity the rest of my body isn't like that! Here is this weeks entry for the pencil lines challenge 133. Since the bedroom flooded in January I have been methodically peeling the photos out of all of my albums that got damp. So far I think only one is very damaged, unfortunately it's one of the Kenya albums. It's been quite a job so far and I'm only half way through, but was has happened is that I

This weeks challenge on Daring Cardmakers was 'Old Mac Donald had a farm and on that farm he had some...' Well I guess he had some cows and hens. The stamp is a favourite of mine from Penny Black, Happy Birthday is an Anita's stamp, the image was coloured with Copic pens and the papers were scraps from my box of bits, I think they were Basic Grey, Stampin Up and Fancy Pants. The border was made using the lace apron punch from Fiskars.

I don't seem to have been able to catch up this week, I've had a sore ear so have been feeling a bit miserable. I'm getting them syringed on Tuesday , I hate that but if it's going to stop me feeling so deaf I'll put up with it. I missed the stamp with us challenge this I've finished the pencil lines challenge. I've had this picture for ages but never got round to scrapping it, I picked up this paper recently and wen I saw the sketch the two seemed to be perfect. I've spent the weekend so far catching up with my housework and sorting out the garden. I have every intention of spending tomorrow in my craft room. I've also got my scrapbooking class at the Craft Box in Elsecar a perfect way to round off the weekend.