Hand Crafted Memories

At 11PM last night I reached 20,000 hits on my blog,wow! I never thought anybody would have been that interested in what I had to write. My craft room looks like I've had burglars its in a right old state. All this crafting with the Spellbinders and Candi is causing such a mess. I need to clear down ready to start again. Its a good job its not Gordon Ramsey's kitchen he'd have a good old strop over it. A couple of weeks ago I saw a book mark on somebody blog (can't remember who) it had a link to the instructions. I was so intrigued with it in a quieter moment I had a go, and here it is. If you've fancy having a go here are the instructions.

What about this gorgeous weather? I love it when its like this, however, here in the UK we have to enjoy it while we've got it because it never lasts. I had a weekend with nothing planned but to come up with some projects for Craftwork Cards . They have just entered into a cross promotional partnership with Spellbinders and as part of the Craftwork Cards design team I received a box packed with candi and some nestabilities dies. So this weekend was dedicated to bouts of gardening interspersed with candi/spellbinders activity.Because I don't know how much I can divulge, here is a sneaky peek, this little work of art took me hours to complete, but I was quite pleased with the end result.I'll show the completed project once I get the go ahead. I also wanted to post this scrapbook page, regular visitors will know how much I enjoy working with sketch or page maps, whatever you call them.  One of my current favourites is the Project 12 series over on Scrapbook and Cards Today ...

If you love a good sale you have to go over to Craftwork Cards and grab some bargains, I was straight on there to get me some goodies and super quick delivery. While your mooching over there just nip onto their blog as well, why what's happening? They are having 28 days of giveaways! Something for everyone. This week I was asked to make a card for a friend, she wanted a dog on it so here goes:   I have just cleared down my craft room after last weeks cybercrop, it won't stay like that for long I've got a weekend planned of playing with the box of goodies and spellbinders that arrived from Craftwork Cards this week. I've even done my housework so that I can just play, roll on the weekend!

It looks like I'm running out of steam now, the sixth class on the A Trip Down Memory Lane Cybercrop was a mini book. I'm kind of in this frame of mind at the moment as the whole Smash Book idea is intriguing me. I want to make my own though but have been a bit overwhelmed at starting it. I have bought a Paperchase book to start but one where I can force the wires open and add in my own pages or envelopes etc. This class has got me all inspired and ready to give it a go. I haven't decided what to add into this little book, I' thinking I may disassemble it and add it to my 'Smash ' book. Here are the pages ready for smashing.

Work has somehow got in the way of my Cybercrop work. Up until last year I always said I couldn't retire because I wouldn't know what to do to fill my day. Turning 50 changed that train of thought and now I look forward to retirement, mind you with the help of the government I may never reach retirement age. It was moved from 60 to 65 and now they are going to extend it, hasn't David Cameron thought about us scrapbookers? I dashed in from work and had a quite bite to eat then up to my craft room to finish Class number 3. Again a lot of cutting out but well worth it. I have had the background paper and this photo for a number of years but couldn't work out how to do the page without making it too orange. The sun ray cut out was perfect for toning the whole thing down.

Yes I'm still catching up with classes and challenges so I am posting as I finish and photograph. I've loved the layouts that I have made but this one is my favourite so far I think. This was my Sarah's cards kit Off the Record from April, I didn't like the kit a little too bright for me and it has sat on my shelf while I decide what to do. I did take it down and look occasionally , but it just didn't speak to me. That was until I saw class 10 on the A Trip Down Memory Lane Cybercrop. This class was based on making your own flower embellishments, as usual I spent ages cutting out the roses from the paper. I seem to have done quite a bit of that recently, I don't make things easy for myself.     Edited to add : I've just realised there isn't a title on this page, I must have been too excited to post it. I'll add it to my to do list.

Saturdays Challenge 4 over at A Trip Down Memory Lane was to use a sketch. I seem to have made a few cards during this cybercrop, which has been really handy to replenish my depleting stock. One of the boys at work is leaving in a couple of weeks, so I used the sketch to make his leaving card. This was the sketch   and here is the card I made

Another class completed and photographed, class 8 over at A Trip Down Memory Lane was for a home decor frame. I loved the idea but I don't have anywhere to put it. I decided to use the idea and make a card for my friend ready for when she has her baby daughter. I really enjoyed making this and hope it is still eligible. I couldn't quite work out where to get the template from so I decided to go with the tag shape again.

I know I'm not posting in order but the layout challenges need me to collect photos, so although they are 'miostly' done I don't want to post until the photos have been added. This class was to make some cards, perfect for me I need to stock up the supplies we use at work. This year we have three expectant parents, although we don't know what they are having I felt to have a selection meant we would be prepared. Here are the cards I made for the class

It feels like ages since I've been this productive with my crafting, the cybercrop over on A Trip Down Memory Lane  has some great challenges and classes, I want to have a go at all of them. I know time won't allow me to but I'm enjoying having a go. Class 4 was a mini book,as soon as I saw it I thought about the Penny Black 12 days of Christmas stamps. It didn't take me long to come up with this  I'll colour the images in later, a good project to practice with my new Promarkers.

I have finally stuck down the photos I picked up to complete the A trip Down Memory Lane 's  Cybercrop Class 2 page, class 10 has just been posted so I've got some catching up to do. I have a good excuse I went for a spa day yesterday with my friend, although we didn't do much swimming and steaming. We ended up sitting chatting drinking coffee and getting some treatments. I chose a St Tropez tan, I came out of the booth looking a bit green, today when I look at my skin I look very dark, a little too dark for my liking. It was a great day but I now look at the great classes and challenges that were posted yesterday and I'm struggling to pick which ones to complete I want to do them all! Here is the page from Class 2:

I know my third post today, never been done before. I've been busy making projects for the A Trip Down Memory Lane Cybercrop. I have a few projects, cards and pages finished but until I get some decent light I can't photograph them. Challenge number 3 was to share the love, and show projects created with stash bought from ATDML. It didn't even have to be a newly created project. A while ago I made this page using the cut outs from the Ooh La La For Her Collection by My Minds Eye. I loved this page of cut outs and really wanted them to be the focus of the page. Here is the page I made:

Two posts before 10 AM, what's going on? At last all the intricate cutting out is finished,so the layout can be posted. This was the first class posted yesterday on the A Trip Down Memory Lane cybercrop. I already had these papers and photos chosen, I just couldn't decide on the layout. Thank you ATDML, I can now say job done! The project features an interactive element, the centre panel folds out for more photos, the blue squares on the left and right of my layout are for the journaling to be added later. This is the 'book' opened out. Another piece of good news I won Kath's draw for the fabulous notebook punch she was giving away, yes I can feel this is going to be a good weekend. I pinched this photo from Kath's blog I hope she doesn't mind

There's a cybercrop going on over at A Trip Down Memory Lane , as usual I need to get the photos printed, but I've madeto get the first two pages ready.  One thing I can post is the first challenge, which was to Tag it. Make something with a tag or tags as the theme. I made this little card, I've had this stamp sitting on my counter for a few months since I bought it. Today it finally got inked.  I have a spa day planned for today but I intend to take part in as many of the classes as I can fit in. I love cybercrops for stash busting, and I am happy to report that I have bought nothing I will ber using everything from my stash. Excuse me a moment while I polish my halo.

Following on from yesterdays post, I have been in my element with the gorgeous Sweet Meadows project of the month from Craftwork Cards . This must be one of the easiest projects for me to work with, it is just beautiful. The quality of the papers has to be felt to be believed and the embossed papers are sooo pretty. Here is another card from this kit:

I so love this months Project of the Month from Craftwork Cards . Sweet Meadows is absolutely beautiful. I received my package yesterday and immedialty fell in love with this colour combination. Beautiful pinks and greens, don't get me started on the embossed flowers on some of the papers.Such a bargain at £15. I'm also waiting for another package to arrive, Craftwork Cards and Spellbinders have become mutual partners. What does this mean, well a fabulous box of Spellbinders goodies arrived at the Craftwork Cards offices, they have been shared out amongst the design team and we now are challenged with creating with the dies and the fabulous Craftwork Cards Candi.I can't wait to get my package. Here is the first card I made from the Sweet Meadows papers:      

This months stretch your sketch challenge over at two peas in a bucket has really challenged me. I'm not too fond of huge photos on a layout or photos that aren't straight. Actually I just like things to 'line up' but isn't that the idea of the sketch, its a starting point just there purely for inspiration. I knew I wanted to use some more of my Happy Together kit from Sarah's Cards , I love the colours, I also knew which photos I wanted to use. I spent a couple of hours creating the layout. My heart sank I hated it. Two days later i took it all to pieces and in 30 minutes came up with one I liked much better. It reminded me of something I once read when I was card making, the author of the article gave the readers permission to 'dislike some of their own work. Here is the 'challenging' sketch  and here is the layout I like I've completed a few pages this week so I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. I also received this months Project of ...

As a child nothing gave me more pleasure than a colouring book and some coloured pencils. I would spend hours with my tongue wedged firmly in the corner of my mouth, trying to keep the colour in those thick bold black lines. I've rediscovered that Joy with Copics and Promarkers. Originally it was Copics all the way, I love the soft brush tip and found the Promarkers a little hard. Last weekend I went to The Craft Box for a Molly Blooms workshop, I hadn't taken my pens so had to use the Promarkers put out for the class, a bit of practice and hey presto! The other thing that helped, Copics are now £2+ a pen, Promarkers if you shop around £1.50, my purse is doing the talking now! Here are some of the great projects we made:  and here are some of my practice pieces, all ready for adding to cards. These were coloured with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers. The next workshop is scheduled for the 3rd July, so if you fancy learning how to get the same effect and make some lovel...

The 30th May saw Shimelle Laine's next challenge for using 5, 4 x 6 photos on a layout, this is one of four, monthly free classes over on two peas in a bucket . We've now moved onto 2 page spreads. I have been trying to use holiday photos for these classes but this layout reminded me of my brothers football team photos. I spent ages trying to find papers that would complement all of the them colours that he had played in. Then I thought about turning all the photos black and white. In the end I just went with pastel colours, even though the shirts were bright. I think its OK though.   This weekend sees my friend and I on another of our kitchen table retreats. I'm so looking forward to spending the whole weekend scrap booking, this time I have a pile of photos ready to add to the pages.

Sometimes there just isn't another gift to give other than money, but its embarrassing and looks so 'clinical' just passed over in an envelope like some seedy transaction is taking place. Years ago friends of ours were getting married and planning to emigrate to America, so while we were in New York we bought them some Macy's vouchers. The sales assistant wrapped the vouchers in delicate tissue paper and then put them in a lovely white box with the Macy's logo embossed on the top. I am going back almost 20 years but I was so impressed with this box, it has stayed in my mind. Today when my friend at work asked me if I knew where she could get a silk envelope or something a bit special to give somebody money as a wedding present. I knew she was thinking the same as me and I told her I'd make her a box. This is what I came up with, I used lovely starlight silver ice white card , a really good weight and it has a lovely shine to it, very luxurious.

Another fantastic sketch for Project 12 over on Scrapbook and Cards Today , I know its the 1st June, I'm only a day late posting it. Here was the sketch for May this time I've gone a bit off course and instead of using my travel photos I've used pictures of the dogs my brother has owned. I love how the sketch lent itself to these pictures Why the cream square on the left? It's for Robin to do the journalling, I wonder how long it will take him? I went to the Craft Box to try and get some doggy papers but there was only the blue background one here. When you get good customer service it deserves a round of applause, and a mention. I asked Gill if there was and dog themed papers when I arrived, even though she was busy tidying, organising and serving she still combed the whole shop looking for something for me. I mean she went through EVERYTHING, as you can see the blue worked fine. I still have some more photos that I need to scrap and my last words to her were if you fi...