Newbie Mini Book Swap

I have just taken part in my first swap on UKS.  It was a minibook/album swap organised by Vicky.

I had to make a mini book for Hazel (Zaraandmax) and she had to make one for me.

My brief for the one for Hazel was that it was to be 8 x 8 and be in speia tones as she wanted to use this for piccies of her dogs.  She emailed me a piccie of her doggies and wanted this on the front cover.  I found it quite a challenge trying to make up blank pages with spaces for journalling etc without knowing what photos were going to be used.  I included some hidden journalling spaces on pull out tags and behind tabs.  I think Hazel liked it and I hope she posts piccies of it on her own blog once it is filled with piccies.

My brief for Hazel was for a shabby chic book and the one she sent me is beautiful.  I have just realised I haven't photographed it yet so will get piccies taken and post on here shortly.  I think I am going to use mine either to hold photos of my forthcoming retreat with the girls from the Kaleida crops crop in Uddingston or possibly as a design/ideas book for when I move house.

A day's cropping

Had a lovely day yesterday at the crop in Uddingston.  I had missed the January one as I wasn't well and the December one was cancelled due to the heavy snow so it was fab to catch up with everyone.

Picked up Audrey and Sally so we got to have a good chat in the car on the way there and back.

We are all getting quite excited now about the retreat which Muriel and Mhairi (they organise the crop) are running at the beginning of March,  Its in Lower Largo in Fife and the Hotel looks lovely and overlooks the sea - bliss.  You know how much I love to be by the sea.

I only managed to do two layouts as I had one of those days where nothing came together and none of my photos seemed to match any of my papers.

It was my fault for not being as organised as usual and matching phiotos to papers in advance.  I also managed to leave my collection of sketches behind and that just made me realise how much I have come to rely on sketches for kick starting a layout.  I don't always follow the sketch but it does at least give a starting point

The first layout is of my cousins wee girl - Eve - doesn't she look cute and innocent - NOT.  Truth is she is a little devil - well a loveable devil really.

The second one is of my daughter Fion and her Grandpa.  We were down in Beadnell for Easter and I snapped them both sitting on this old bench following our customary walk on the beach.  Cannot believe that was almost five years ago.  Doesn't time fly!

Lost Girls CJ

I just realised that I had never blogged by very first CJ which I took part in whilst I was a member of the Lost Girls.

My theme was My Happy Place.  The first pic is my front cover

The next pic is my own dlo. My Happy Place is in and around Beadnell in Northumberland where my parents have a caravan and where I have been holidaying since I was a toddler.  I just love the peace and the rugged beauty of the place and in my introduction I narrated that it has been a real place of healing for me in the last five years whilst I recovered from the shock of my 20 year marriage falling apart.  There is just something about being by the sea in a fairly quiet but natural environment that never fails to lift my spirits



The following pics are the fab layouts done by my former teamies who took part in the CJ - all of them are absolutely excellent



Mojo Busters CJ

I have joined a new CJ on UKS and I must say the people taking part are turning out to be the nicest bunch of people you could meet.  We are only at first posting but already we seemed to have gelled together and are having so much fun.

My subject for this one is Vintage Chic and I have struggled to translate what was in my head onto the page (as usual!).

The front cover is not exactly as I would have liked it but I have some charms and other bits and pieces to add but think it would probably be better to add these once it comes back home.

In the meantime I will leave you with a piccie of my front cover, layout and sign in pages.

I am looking forward to seeing everyones take on this subject and must thank Dan99 because I had this old Tim Holtz stamp I wanted to use but it just didnt look right when I stamped it up and then I spotted Dan had used it on his blog and I contacted him and he had used promarkers to colour it in.  I didnt have the colours Dan did and wanted a paleish effect so I am pleased with it but it just isnt a patch on his.

Some of the Weekend's Layouts

Here are a couple of the layouts from my weekend away.

The first one is using the Gottacraft January Kit with Jenni Bowling papers and is of Fraser "watering" his sister in the bath with a red watering can.  I thought the papers were perfect for the picture.

The second one is using an old Sarah's cards kit - Pink Paislee Bayberry cottage which I got in their sale in November.  My parents have a caravan in Beadnell in Northumberland and one of our rituals was that everythime we passed the border the kids wanted to stop in the layby by the Scotland sign to have their pictures taken.  I thought this kit was perfect for the photos as the purple paper has what looks to me like stylised thistles on it.

The third layout is of my son Fraser sitting in a large wicker chair at his Gran's - everytime they went to visit one or other of the cousins always wanted to sit in this chair to have their photo taken.  I sued the Echo Park In the summertime papers for this as I thought the bright colours matched his bright simle and his tee shirt





And the last one for now is a piccie of Fraser and Fiona playing in the snow - for this one I used the December Gottacraft kit which was Echo Park papers and again which I thought were just perfect for this picture

Fantabulistic Weekend

Hello there bloggers and blog readers.  I am just back from a fantabulistic (yes I know its not a real word but so what) weekend at the lovely Heather's in the North East of England.  I stayed with her and Keith and her lovely boys and went to the Frozen North crop where - yes she did - she held a whip over me till I actually scrapped - well no she didnt actually but after not having scrapped for ages once I got started I couldnt seem to stop. 

I will photograph my layouts this week and upload cos the light was not good and now its pitch dark here but I did get a piccy of the one for this week's challenge on UKS. 

I used the gorgeous Crate papers Bliss collection which my lovely lovely Secret Santa on the Rik Rak Ravers team gave me for Crimbo - I just lurve them to bits.  The colours were perfect for this piccie of my daugheter Fiona when she was just a little girl looking at herself in the mirror at Center Parcs - this was obviously a sign of things to come cos she spends most of her time these days gazing and pouting in the mirror.

I got some fab RUBs at the market in Tynemouth this morning - total bargain and then Keith was good enough to drive us to see the Tynemouth Priory so that I could take some piccies.  He really is a fab source of knowledge of the local area and I was fascinated by the stories he told.  I am looking forward to going back in the summer to get a walk on the beach at Cullercoats - it was too cold today to stop and go for a walk.

Anyone who knows me knows my love of the seaside and the North East of England.

Anyways back to earth with a bump now and back to work tomorrow but I have a weekend in February to look forward to when I can return the hospitality and Heather is coming to Scotland for a weekend - yay!! Roll on the good times

Cropping this weekend

Well I am in the middle of packing up my crop bag.  I'm off to Holystone to stay with my friend Heather and to go to the Holystone crop for the weekend.  I was meant to go and stay with her for the December one but the blooming snow saw to that little plan.  I am so looking forward to it as I havent been to the crop there since October and I missed my local crop last month as I wasnt well and the December one of that was also snowed off.

Although I have been crafting it has been mini books, cards and CJs.  The last time I made a layout was the beginning of Decembe - I am almost thinking I have forgotten how to scrap.  No doubt I will get something done this weekend as Heather is also my team leader on UKS and will no doubt beat me with a big stick if I dont get any points this month - only kidding you know I loves you really.

I will leave you with a little recipe tag book my UKS team is doing as a wee swap.  Each of us has been sent a book of tags with covers to decorate and we have to put a recipe on each side and send them to Heather who will make them into sets and re-distribute so that we all have a complete set each.

Here is my attempt at decorating my covers and my recipe tags.