December 2011

I was determined to get a post in for December 2011 meaning I have managed to blog once per month since I began in September.  I know this isn't brilliant but it's a start and I do fully intend to blog a little more often next year if I possibly can. 

Anyway I have been busy scrapping over this nice long Christmas break.  The firm I work for closes down for 2 weeks which in some ways is lovely but we do have to take the time out of our own holiday  This doesn't really seem fair to me as I like to travel during the year but run out of days off far too quickly!  These layouts are quite random, going back to 1984 and coming up to this year.  My DH has been scanning our pre-digital photos onto the computer for me and I just can't get enough of the old ones.

That's us in 1984 - fresh faced and fancy free!

Amazing Alcatraz back in September this year.  I wonder if I always stand on that side of him?!

My darling little 15 year old?!

Another oldie from the 80's.

I caught this photo of DD when she was little, nursing Tiny Tears on her ELC chair perched on her bed!  We always say it must have been madness!!  She laughed at the photo so hard she has put it on her Facebook page to confirm what her friends already think!!

The adorable houses in Alamo Square, San Francisco.  Shame the sun was in the wrong place after we'd made the effort to get there.  I think I should spend some time getting to know my camera better to see if I could have taken more impressive photos in the circumstances. 

Wishing you all a very Happy Scrappy New Year!

I Scrapped!

The weekend before last I was lucky enough to have a whole long weekend to scrap with good friends from my crop.  We have an annual trip to the seaside and get up to all sorts of fun and silliness and I even came away with some layouts, which is always a bonus!  All of the following are in some way scraplifts but I realised after I had printed out the originals that I had no idea of tracking where I had got them from, so I cannot give credit where credit is due.  Having now realised the error of my ways I realise I need to keep a note of this information in the future so please forgive me if you recognise any of the work and I promise to do better in future!

 First up I was pleased to be able to use multiple photos here as I took so many on our cable car trip.  The papers used here were a mystery kit of Lily Bee Harvest Market papers and some embellishments supplied by Gaye, who organises our retreat.  It was incredible to see how many different ways the same products were used by everyone.  I loved adding the slightly altered yummy Amy Tan felt camera to my layout.

 

 

 

This is an almost copy of somebody's layout (so sorry I don't know who to credit!).  The layout did the rounds with several other people using it to do a layout of their own too, so thank you whoever you are.  The paper strips cut to look like ribbon were such a great idea.  I promise to credit it if I come across the original again, which I have been searching around for with no luck as yet.

Leaves cut from Elizabeth Park Twig (love that range) and misting done with October Afternoon Sprinklers.  I have decided they are my favourite misters as they are the easiest to use with no messy drips or dribbles - great colour range available too.  The photos are really quite old of the children and not great quality but I am so happy to get them into my album.

Now this one I do know was from a Nichol Magouirk video over at Two Peas.  I loved the idea of doing multiple photos from my daughter's first six months.  They are all pre-digital so cropping the size meant I could cut out all of the unwanted bits from the photos.  I am so going to do another similar one of my son.

 

 

October 2011 Holiday

I haven't been around to craft or blog for a bit as I've been busy visiting the US with my DH.  I'm attending a fun retreat with some of my scrapbooking friends in a few weeks time so I need to get some projects sorted and I'm going to be spoilt for choice with what photos to use.  In the meantime here is just a tiny selection of the photos I took and I leave it to you to guess some of the places we visited during our wonderful holiday!

Starting here

Beyond cute!  My personal holiday highlight!

LOTS of this!

And ending here!

SOME OF MY RECENT LAYOUTS

Today I thought I would share some of my very latest layouts.  I am finding my way around the blogging world at the moment so not quite sure how this will turn out.  I think I need to perfect photographing my layouts but here I am just aiming to successfully upload some images to my blog! 

Yes this is where I would rather be - behind the camera not in front!  This one was taken in the lift at the spa hotel I went to with my daughter Amy for her 18th birthday girlie treat.

An old photograph of me in my dancing days circa 1972.  I didn't think I was that happy with this layout when I finished it and yet looking at it now I am quite pleased with it after all.  Notice that even then I was happier to hide my face from the camera (I am second in from the right)!

Another old photograph, this time of my husband, around about the 1960's.  I loved the carefree delight captured in this photo and scrapped it in my favourite colours so I am pleased with the outcome.  After creating a 50th birthday album for him I have got a pile of photos from his younger days just waiting to be scrapped.  His parents were very prolific photographers and I wish my parents had been the same.  Sadly I can remember the film in their camera would last from holiday to holiday so photos of my childhood are few and far between!

I have lots of photos of my husband's 50th birthday celebrations with our oldest  friends at The Belfry in Birmingham in June this year, so I am glad to have made a start on them.  I was particularly pleased with the little file folders I cut on my Cricut and then I downloaded this free 'old typewriter' font from here that I really love and am sure I will be using again. http://www.dafont.com/old-typewriter.font

So I have managed to upload some photos but not without issues - I have found it very hard to move things around and so it has taken me an age.  I am hoping to become a bit more proficient at it otherwise I fear I will be put off.

Today I have been working from home which was nice because I was able to meet up with Michelanne at lunchtime for a coffee as she was taking her dear little Jimmy to have his vaccinations - I hope they didn't hurt him too much MA.  It would be such a shame to have him upset as he is such a happy little soul.

Tomorrow I think I am going to be making some apple pies as the lawn is littered with apples so I will have a lovely autumny floury time in the kitchen.

First Ever Post

Anyone who knows me will understand why it has taken me so long to decide on how I want my blog to look and to actually start blogging.   At the moment I particularly enjoy scrapbooking and crochet with a little bit of sewing thrown in for good measure.  Having said that I love any sort of craft so my favourites list changes continually as I also enjoy knitting, photography, jewellery making, baking and even furniture renovation.  I am into home decor and am always pursuing lovely things to bring into my home, although my husband would just call it shopping!  I would like to share my interests with you and hope you like what you see.  Thank you for visiting and please do come back soon.