Hand Crafted Memories

Over on the Scrap Addicts Blog I am the last guest designer for this month. There has been a series of layouts posted this month based on the theme of large photos. My 'go to' photo size is the standard 6x4"but I also favour 3x4" for layouts with multiple photos.  When I do use larger photos I like them to be at a stage in my scrapbook that shows a change in topic or location, almost like a new chapter. I chose a very large photo 8 x 10 for this layout, with a large image like this all of the decorating can be lined up on one side but to make everything link up I like to overlap onto the photo. I had the layout all planned in my mind but by the time I finished it I had taken it apart and then put together again three times! It was almost finished and i dropped glue onto the photo, so I had another photo printed and when I stuck it down the torch and arm had been cropped off the image. So third time lucky getting the photo right. Playing the America theme I pai...

I cant believe how long it is since I posted. Ive had so many busy weekends helping friends celebrate big birthdays, along with that I had a brief unplanned stay in hospital. With all this going on time has just flown by. I went to a workshop in March of this year and while there I spied a piece of the most gorgeous acetate and somehow it jumped into my bag. When I got it home I had no idea how to use it, so it sat around for a while. Then over the National Scrapbooking weekend there was a sketch challenge that made me think of the acetate again. Once I decided the keep the acetate as the main background and then back it with some yellow cardstock it came together quite quickly.

Over the last few years sources one of my favourite sources of inspiration and a 'go to' for getting your creativity going again has become Pinterest. I think I use it almost as much as google. I recently saw this layout and knew I wanted to lift it. Here is the result     I loved its simplicity and I was able to use a photo that is almost 30 years old. See those scrabble type tiles, Ive had them years and was happy I could use some on here.

I cant believe its almost a month since the Scrap Stars retreat. Time is flying by so quickly and I haven't posted to layouts. My first class was to focus on a technique. We took 5 photos and cut progressively smaller squares that rotated form each of five duplicate photos. It reminded me of the Iris folding that I used to do years ago. It seems like an old fashioned technique now but this gave it an update

I have had quite a productive few weeks on the scrapbooking front, there is nothing like a retreat followed closely by national Scrapbooking Day and a few challenges that get your creativity going. I mentioned previously that I was going to Scrapstars and as usual it didn't fail to deliver, it was great to meet up and catch up with everybody. Tracee Provis was one of the teachers, she is such fun and this was one of the layouts she taught.  I loved the fun colours and it was a great opportunity for me to scrap a photo from 37 years ago and my first girls holiday to Jersey. It was also my best friends birthday this week and a milestone birthday deserves a special card. She loves cakes, her garden and bling, luckily I got all of them onto her card.  

Yesterday was National Scrapbooking Day and I actually scrapbooked all day. I had a olvey day with my friends chatting, eating cake and drinking coffee and all of produced a multitude of layouts.I have spent today finishing them off and tidying them up. The one of the challenges over on UK Scrap Addicts was to scraplift a layout. The design team had taken part in a scrap whispers challenge and it is always interesting to see a layout change and then change back as it progresses. This was the layout I created for this challenge which was made from the leftovers of my friend Adeles layout that she made when I visited her last week. She passed me her bag and challenged em to make a layout from the left overs. I then passed it on to my friend Caroline and challenged her to make a layout from my leftovers.

Well I cant believe that two weeks ago it was the Scrapstars retreat again, a great deal of fun was had by all and some lovely layouts were produced by everybody. As usual Caroline set us a pre-retreat layout challenge. This year it was 'irrational fear' we had to scrap about something that we are frightenend of. It didnt take me a second to come up with the theme, my fear is heights. They dont just make me nervous they actually scare me rigid! This was my layout for the challlenge, in 1992 we went to Toronto as I have always wanted to see Niagara falls. While in Toronto we went up the CN tower and had breakfast in the 360 degree restaurant. I coped with this really well and loved the views over the city as the clouds cleared. We then went up to the viewing deck and as the lift doors opened I spied the glass floor, well that was it game over. I flew to the back of the lift and spread myself along the back wall, there was no way I was coming out. I was so scared I couldnt mov...

I cant believe that its three weeks since I posted. Not by choice I might say I have just been busy and it just slipped my mind. I have had the last couple of weeks off work and made the most of my 'down time'. I have just had a new kitchen and Oh my what a mess it made throughout the house, I nopw have everything back in place and have cleaned from top to bottom. I had a great day our in York with friends and then last weekend was Scrapstars retreat. We had great fun and we made some great layouts. This one was started by me for the sketch challenge on the Saturday evening I never got it finished but have enjoyed this long weekend to put the finishing touches to it. I loved the colours on these papers so sunny and fun. They were given to us along with the sketch to enter into a prize draw.

I recently attended a full day workshop taught by Paige Taylor Evans , it was a lovely day and I came home with 4 layouts that are still waiting for photos. Before we went to the workshop they had set a challenge for us, a layout that had to include stitching and hearts. Flamingos are everywhere so I used some of my treasured flamingo paper to make this layout. 

Ooops Im a bit late posting this week, the saga of the kitchen continues and has taken all my attention. The whole of my downstairs is a no - go zone so I have been trapped in my craft room.......dont worry I coped with some guilt free scrapbooking. Over on UK Scrap Addicts they have been running a series highlighting how their design team add multiple photos to a layout. It is interesting to see everybodys take on the challenge. I bought this paper a couple of weeks ago and knew I wanted to add a few photos highlighting my trip to America. To get all the pictures on there I reduced them to 2 inch squares and managed to add 7 on there . The title is a lovely sticker from Globe Gallery, its is a vinyl sticker, and is one of the accessories for the globes. Personally I loved the stickers but not the globes, at £4 its a bit pricey for a title but I Ioved the text and the touch of luxury and it fitted perfectly onto the layout.

Usually before a retreat there is a challenge to get you in the mood for all the fun. One of the previous Scrapstars retreat challenges was to create a layout based on a movie title. Well with all the movies that have ever been released the field was wide open. I chose the use my photos from a Nile trip that I did over 15 years ago and of course the title was Jewel of the Nile.

Oh what a week, I'm really not lucky. My new kitchen was delivered but one cupboard was missing. It hadn't been bought or paid for and will arrive in 7 - 10 days. This wasn't discovered until after the old kitchen had been removed. So now I have no cooking or tea making facilities, I'm already tired of sandwiches. I am trying my very best to focus on the end result. This has given me the chance to search out more of the layouts I have taught at Scrapstars. This was 201 5 and another interactive layout.   The large photo in the centre lifts up to reveal a series of 'steps' for adding more photos and journalling spots. It was difficult to get a good picture  but I think you will get it from these two.     The cuts have to be very neat and specific for it to work and I was happy to see all the ladies managed it. It is funny to watch everybod y thinking they can 't do it and being very nervous about making the interactive layouts ,then suddenly the...

Over the last few week Ive been preparing my layouts ready to teach at Scrapstars . I have been delighted to teach at this retreat for the last 4 years and have been overwhelmed with the response to the layouts that I have taught. My classes are ready, I only have the instructions for the second class to write. It will also be lovely to see the other teachers. Tracee Provis is returning, she is such fun and makes me laugh all weekend. I will also be meeting Morag Cutts , I love her style so will enjoy these classes. Caroline is also teaching a class this year, as my main crafting buddy I always love the layouts she makes with me. The first layout I ever taught at the retreat was this one and I think it is still one of my favourite layouts. The following year I taught this one  and this one. All the ladies made the vine based on this tutorial that I did in 2013, doesn't time fly. I will post the layouts Ive taught since then over the coming weeks, come back for more .

I've had quite a busy week. I have to empty all of my kitchen cupboards ready for a new kitchen, so once again my house is upside down. To make room for moving everything out of the way I decided to finally put away all of the layouts that I finished but just hadn't got into albums. It took me a couple of hours and I have promised myself that I will put them away as I finish them from now on. This one I made at my friend Carolines I get together with a group of lovely ladies regularly. on this occasion we hired a room for a weekend at a hotel and spent three days crafting, lots of laughter and pages are always on the agenda. This  page was from a My  Minds Eye kit Caroline had got for us all, the colours were perfect for this photo taken many years ago in Sri Lanka. Its unusual for me to use such a bold background but I really like how this one turned out.  ,

Well it is a long time since I posted but I have finally given in to the pressure from various sources that I need to keep the blog going. A number of things caused my absence. A change in job that has made many demands on my time and leaked into my private time greatly. This impacted my mojo and we all know when that goes it can take some time to regain. I also decided to redecorate and have some work done at the house, why does changing one room spill over to every room in the house? This then takes almost 12 months to get back to where it should have been. Throughout all of this I did spit and spat at my crafts and attended some classes and retreats to keep my hand in. I also continued to teach at Scrapstars and am delighted to have been asked to teach again in April this year. So I now have a pile of finished layouts that need to be put into albums, as I go through them I will post them to keep everybody up to date.......if anybody is still out there! I was invited to Irela...

Oh no a disaster has befallen in my craft room, my Big Shot has died. I am bereft. Seriously, it has been making the most awful noises for a while but carried on working fine. Then on Sunday it just seized up and no amount of tlc or pleading would fix it. Thankfully hobby craft have a good deal on at the moment and as I signed up to their newsletter got another 15% off. It made the loss easier. So here is the card that broke the Big Shots back.  This weeks Winter Wonderland challenge was to use two ribbons. thankfully I had just finished making this card, and my card box is filling up quite nicely now.

I enjoy creating cards for boys but it is often difficult to find good stamps that would suit a teenage boy, that was until last weekend when I visited my favourite shop The Craft Box, they had these gorgeous Woodware stamps and of course I just snapped them up. Perfect for my four nephews. I enjoyed an afternoon of colouring in front of the television on Sunday, something I am planning to do again this weekend. I'm entering these card into the Winter Wonderland challenge this week which aptly enough is boys will be boys.

I have seen some lovely bendi cards and wanted to have a go at making one. Ive also had some of the lovely images from Lili of the Valley recent Christmas stamps release sitting on my desk. Today I manged to find some crafting time and killed two birds with one stone. I was quite pleased with how the card came out  but think I need to practise a little bit more.I so enjoyed this little crafting session, if I can get all my jobs dome early tomorrow I may reward myself with a bit more craft room time.

Last weekend I spent 3 days with my friends Caroline and Lesley. We had a great time just crafting and chatting and swapping ideas. There are never enough weekends spent doing this but I know we will do it again. I am in full on Christmas gifts and cards mode, last weekend we all decided to make a project and share with the others how to make it. I'll share more of that later,  but when I got home I was so inspired I just wanted to carry on. I recently got my pre order of goodies from the new Stampin Up Christmas catalogue and there is a great stamp set that I've used loads already. I decided to use them to make some decoration tags for giving wine as a present.   I love how they turned out. I'm adding these to the Winter Wonderland Challenge. This month its anything goes.

This weeks Winter Wonderland Challenge has the title of On the Move, so either the image should depict movement or include a moving element on the card. This challenge was right up my street, I love pop up cards and trying to have moving parts on my scrapbook pages. I have taught a few scrapbook classes where the pages open to reveal little surprises. I have wanted to make a swing card for some time and was considering buying on of the many dies that are on the market at the moment. I then came across t his tutorial and it is surprising how easy it is to make your own.I love how it came together. This was the card I came up with