Hand Crafted Memories

Here we are Wednesday night again, so its time for Kirsty's Cybercrop. I'm finding that the easiest thing for me to do is get some photos out before the evening and kind of pick some papers. When I do this I seem to just make the page. These photos were 4 x 6 landscape photos and I just cropped them to fit the page once I saw the sketch. This is the sketch and here is my page,I'm embarrassed to say these papers and photos have been hanging around for ages. Can you see the paper pricking around the circle? I don't think it's showing up too well.

I know it looks like I haven't done much lately but I have really. A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I had signed up for Cathy Zielske 's workshop over on Big Picture Classes . Me: the abridged version tells the story of a scrapbooker who's story never really gets told. Mine. It's so easy to follow,and includes video tutorials with fabulous handouts and prompts to get you thinking. It's not too late to sign up if you like the look of it. I'm also managing to keep up with it. I mentioned the pre class booklet here . the next steps were to start the A-Z journaling, this is going to go on thew whole time the class is running. Now I've picked my papers and album ans started to assemble the pages. I love that Cathy has given clear instructions of how to change the colours and fonts to suit your own personal style and papers. Here is the story so far  It's coming together nicely.

I almost forgot to post this. I recently bought some of Craftwork Cards lovely Ooh la la papers at the Harrogate show. They are so pretty and have some lovely co-ordinating bits to go with them. As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to make this picture. and a close up of the detail I just teamed it up with some glimmer mists, flowers and pearl pins. I love how it turned out.

I haven't made a card for a while, last week I bought a couple of new Penny Black stamps at the Harrogate show. Of course you have to give them a go don't you? I mean it would be rude not to. The Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week has a great sketch, what more inspiration do you need? New stamps and a lovely sketch.  and here is my take on this sketch

Last night was another great sketch from Kirsty for her Cybercrop. You get 2 hours to use eitherthe sketch or five products that she gives you, I usually have a go with the sketch, this was the one for this week. and here is my page

Studio Challenges have a great challenge this month. They are looking for birthday layouts that are a little bit different and not cheesy. I loved the page I did for my recent milestone birthday and think it fits perfectly with this challenge. To remind you here it is.

I did a bit of a smash and grab at the Harrogate Papercraft Extravaganza yesterday. It started with a breakfast workshop at 8:45, I like to start the day off with one of the workshops it puts me in a crafty frame of mind. I was on the Samuel Taylor class where we made this little beauty , and we got to keep the stamp! I was quite good I had a quick march round to look at all the goodies for sale, then went round again and made my purchases. I bought a stack of stuff from Craftwork Cards , naturally. You  have to see their ice cream parlour range, perfect gingham and polka dots in 12 x 12 papers. 12 yummy colours they are gorgeous. Also their Ooh la la 6 x6 papers are divine and they have some lovely co-ordinating billet. I bought a couple of Penny Black stamps that I will have to give a whirl this afternoon and two Martha Stewart punches. Not bad in 2 hours me thinks. I also bumped into Kirsty Wiseman , poor lady didn't get inside the door before everybody pounced on her, her M...

Did anybody take part in Kirsty's cybercrop on Wednesday? I had a go, this was the sketch and I managed to make this up in just over an hour. That's a record for me, it can take me an hour to pick my papers! It was lucky really I had the photos on my counter ready to scan them and had kind of thought about using red, white and blue with them. I also wanted to have a go at masking and misting. So it came together really quickly. Here's my page

August pages finished already! I can't believe that this project has only 4 more months to go. I have really enjoyed doing it. For page 1 I used the sketch from Kirsty's Cybercrop last Wednesday and for page 4 I used Pencil lines sketch 202 . It makes it easy to complete when you use a sketch for inspiration. I'm also finding it easy because I'm using the month papers from Karen Foster, they are old ones I've had hanging around for ages. The only problem I have is sorting out the photos I'm going to use! Did you do Kirsty's Cybercrop last night?

I made this card last week, but forgot to post it here. Silly me. Craftwork Cards have a sketch challenge going on at the moment. Here is the sketch and here is my card if you fancy having a go, all the details are here , as always there are fabulous Craftwork Cards goodies up for grabs. Is anybody up for a Cybercrop at 8PM tonight, Yes? Then head over here , you then have 2 hours to make it and send it to Kirsty. I managed last week but have a day of painting and decorating planned to day so may not have any strength left. I'm gonna try though.

I've made some more jewellery, I bought some beads and eye pins when I left the class at Jam Jar Beads on Sunday. I really liked the bracelet we made but blue and silver don't suite my red hair and pale skin, I'm more of an earthy/autumn person. Of course when you are completely inspired you just have to have another go. I came home and went through one of the drawers that I remember I hid some beads in and added them to the new ones and this is what I came up with. I love it!

I had a great day yesterday, I went to Jam Jar Beads and had a go at jewellery making. I do like the lovely costume jewellery that's around. I don't really wear it because I don't think I can carry it off but love it on other people. I decided to do this class with my friend so that I could make it for other people as presents. I loved the class and really like everything I've made, we made a necklace a bracelet and I made three pairs of earrings.  I've even ordered some wires and bits I just need to find somewhere for beads. Here is what I made in class. I'm now thinking of ways to add this new skill to my scrapbooking.

Today is a very disappointing day. In March of this year I booked to attend the Inspired retreat in October, I'd just come back from the February event which was fantastic. We have all been paying our money with the final installment on 1st September. Last night the news broke that it will not be happening, the hotel was cancelled back in June. You can imagine how annoyed everybody is today, me I'm just completely disappointed. Two reasons really the first that I was sooo looking forward to it, the second that nobody has communicated anything 'officially'. Fortunately the payments were being made through Scrap shed who immediately stopped and refunded the final payments made through them. Very impressive! Where oh where do I find another retreat? Hopefully UK Scrappers will have another cybercrop soon. I am so happy I signed up to the Cathy Zielske workshop now, I downloaded the pre class tag book and spent last night decorating it. I love it and have begun jotting do...

So this was something new, one of the girls asked me if I could make her some Eid cards, always up for a challenge I made 5 after she approved the first one. I decided to use different colours. I'm happy to say she loved them. Eid Mubarak, Hannah! Did anybody join in with Kirsty's cybercrop on Wednesday? Missed it? Don't worry she's planning another one on the coming Wednesday, put the date in your diary, it's a bit of Wednesday fun! Has anybody signed up for the Cathy Zielske course over on Big Picture Scrapbooking ? I like the idea that this has been inspired by the book an encyclopedia of an ordinary life . The course is called Me: the abridged version. I was completely captured by the concept and ordered the book. I'm sure many scrapbookers are like me and tell every body's story except their own. Why would we we're just ordinary aren't we? Yes we are and that's exactly what we should be talking about the normal, everyday. I can't wait...

I've not made many cards recently, mainly because I've got that many I could put WH Smiths out of business, so I've cut back and focused on my scrapbooking. This week I received an invitation to a 21st birthday party so needed an Acceptance card. God it made me feel old, I've known this girl since she was about 10. Acceptance cards are not the sort of thing you have in stock really are they? I made this one an felt I needed to go right back to basics, keeping it really simple. I am a scrap booker who likes to graphic look and I'm not frightened of white space, so here it is with a bit of bling added for glamour.