Friday 31 December 2010

My top ten favourite 2010 creations

Thought I would join in with everyone and show my list of my favourite creations from this year:-

Birdcage card


Glimmer mist box - side view

Father in laws birthday card
Dads  birthday card
Christmas Table Decoration - there are a lot less chocolates in there now!!!
Friends birthday card
Cousins Get Well card
Moms birthday card
Card made for a punch design team company - I didnt win :(
My lovely suitcase
 funny how they are all cards or boxes - not a layout in sight!

Thanks for looking and being with me throughout 2010 - its been a great year creatively - I didnt realise just how much stuff I have made until I had to choose this top ten! - although 2010 has ended on a sad note for me I am sure 2011 will be a happy and healthy one.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for looking and commenting on my posts - I really appreciate it :)

Thursday 30 December 2010

Another finished project

As I said yesterday I have actually been quite busy finishing off projects that I started a while ago - here is another one I have just completed this afternoon whilst the children have been watching lego clips on You Tube:
The bits and pieces were already prepared (I bought those four cute quickutz pirate dies for a £1 each at the Hobbycrafts show in November) and the coins were cut from patterned paper and covered with glossy accents - because I had to leave them overnight to dry was the reason why this layout got put away and not looked at again for a few weeks!  All I had to do was journal, stick down and add the charms and string.  I also found the metal letters tucked away in a drawer - have had those for years and cant remember who manufactured them but am pleased that I have finally used them!

Also here is my take on Tims Christmas tag no. 1:
The fence is cut out on my craft robo using a template I got from UKScrappers.  The tag, house, reindeer, embossing folder, ticket and stamp are all Tims - some are mine, some I got from Julie and Jackie at the last crop - thanks girls.  The Christmas tree is handcut and wasn't supposed to be on there but I had an accident with wild plum alcohol ink which is why that is strategically placed there and my reindeer is facing outwards and not inwards which is usually my style.  Also don't you just love that smoke from bent metal - that's definately going to be appearing on a lot more of stuff now!  Thanks for the inspiration Tim!

Thanks for looking :)

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Happy New Year

Sorry I havent been blogging much recently - not really been in a chatty mood.  I have, however, been in a crafty mood and have actually made quite a lot of stuff over the past couple of weeks - here is just a quick snippet as there are far too many things to put in one blog post:

Have finally completed my distress ink box cover:

and I have also made rather a large pile of tags - these will be used as quick thank you notes or just general notecards whenever the need arises:

For the tag on the left I have used mustard seed, wild honey and rusty hinge distress inks, lavinia stamps (see my new tree and fairy stamps there!) and for the tag on the right I have used worn lipstick, victorian velvet and dusty concord distress inks, scintillating silver perfect pearls, pitch black, raisin and cranberry adirondack inks, lavinia stamps, personal impressions stamp and a Tim Holtz stamp.  The charms I have just bought in the sale from Hobbycrafts.

I would just like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and I hope its a great year for everyone - thank you all so much for following and reading my blog - it means a lot to me.

Thanks for looking :)

Saturday 18 December 2010

A Sad Time

I lost a dear friend on 9th December.  Had known Cathy for about 25 years and during this time we went to literally hundreds of concerts, cinema screenings, pub quizzes and yoga sessions, not to mention numerous nights outs with the girls.  The funeral was yesterday - it was a lovely tribute to a lovely person.  The music was very touching - Over the Rainbow (I think by Eva Cassidy), Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones and a Jimi Hendrix song - all very Cathy. 


Bye Cathy - I miss you.

Sunday 28 November 2010

Some me time

Have had a busy couple of weeks organising our school Christmas Fayre (which is this Friday 3rd December) and my sons birthday on 7th plus the usual Christmas rush so I spent yesterday taking a bit of time out and doing having some me time.  I got out loads of lovely crafty goodies on my dining room table and had a lovely play.

I made this card purely for the challenge over at http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ and their challenge this week is a card with a tag on it:
Lots of lovely Tim goodies on this one!

And then this inspired me to make another tag card using one of the tags I designed for my class at my crop last week, so this card is for my In Laws:

can't show you my Mom and Dads card yet as my Dad reads my blog!!

I was also really chuffed to read that I have been given another blog award - this time from the lovely Lyn (aka Spyder) who has a fabulous blog here: http://spyder-spyderscorner.blogspot.com/ 

Thank you so much Lyn - I need to pass this award onto 7 others however I dont think I will get chance to in the next few days due to our imminent Christmas Fayre and then my son having two birthday parties over the weekend - but I will be back on soon and list my blogs.

If you are reading here via WOYWW sorry I havent really played along this past couple of weeks and I probably wont for the next couple either but I will be back soon!

Thanks for looking. 

Wednesday 17 November 2010

WOYWW 76

Just a quick post from me as I am just about to go out on my school run and then meet a friend straight after for coffee and cake! it's all go here! - here is my desk this week:
and it has basically looked like this all week - I have been busy preparing for my class on Sunday which I am teaching at my crop (in fact I spent six hours yesterday cutting out tags, bags and flowers! and there is still more to do!) - so my dining room table has lots of clutter on it but all in bags so not really worth showing.  It will also need to be all tidied up today as I am hosting the Parents Association meeting here tonight too.

If you want to join in the fun and show everyone your workspace and current projects then pop on over to Julias.  I know my desk is still only showing my current lot of half finished projects but hey ho they will get finished eventually!

Thanks for looking :)

Saturday 13 November 2010

Crop class

Have been busy this week preparing for our next Crop class - have chosen to do a bunch of tags (as they are always useful this time of year arent they!) and a lovely little gift bag.  We will be decorating up 5 tags using different techniques and styles on each:


Next crop is on Sunday 21st November - we are already fairly full though so if you want to join us please email me via the What Housework link on the right to reserve your space and let me know if you would like to do the class.

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 10 November 2010

WOYWW 75

Well I failed miserably last week and only got around to about 7 desks - sorry about that!  Had a great time at the NEC though both working and spending!

Not much has changed on my desk this week as I havent done much but as my Dad is always saying to me that I never really show you the rest of my room I thought I would show you one of the other walls in my craft room:
No less than six of those A4 folders contain unmounted stamps and all of the A5 binders piled up at the side have stamps in too - my other half thinks I have a problem but I am sure you will all be on my side! in fact one folder is missing from there and is still down on the dining room table!  The bookcase has my ribbons on the top shelf, buttons, promarkers and crepe paper on the second shelf, sizzix machine (missing at the moment as I have a workshop this morning so its ready to be packed into the car downstairs) and punches on the next shelf, Xbox steering wheel (hardly ever used now so I really should fill that shelf up with craft goodies instead!) and the last shelf I actually let OH use - see he has a whole drawer and a shelf to himself in here - how kind am I!!  Next to my stamp folder are just magazines etc. and on that wall shelf I keep padded envelopes, loads of bind it all wires for workshops and watercolour pencils and other colouring media in the basket, oh and in that half decorated shoe box I have kept all my 40th Birthday cards - one day I might even finish decorating it!  Thats it - needs a bit of a tidy up doesnt it!

To join in the fun of looking at others workspaces and latest pieces of art pop on over to Julias.
Will hopefully get around to more of you in the next few days!  Thanks for looking :)

Monday 8 November 2010

Phew what a week!

Had a very busy few days - shopping at the NEC on Thursday (yes I bought loads!), again shopping at the NEC on Friday (and yes I bought a bit more!) and housework, then working at the NEC on Saturday and Sunday - so I havent had much chance to join in with WOYWW although last night I did make a couple of quick tags:


isnt that fairy washing line just the cutest!  The fairy on the left tag is actually riding on a snail - need to redo this one and stamp her in black I think!

Anyway thats it from me today - just a very short and quick post as I now have my Parents Association hat on and am busy starting to organise the Christmas Fayre this afternoon and also finish preparing for a workshop that I am running on Wednesday morning.  However I would like to say a great big thank you to Wipso and Debs H for following me - it means so much to know that people like to come and read my ramblings and see what I am up to - thank you.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

WOYWW 74

A big thank you to Karen for following me - hope you enjoy your visits!  Today is Whats on your Workdesk Wednesday if you would like to play along please pop over to Julias.

There is not much happening on my desk at the moment as we have just had a long weekend away during the half term and yesterday was spent preparing for a workshop I am running next week.


The lid for my distress ink box is still unfinished and the rest is just clutter that I haven't put away yet!

If you are coming along to Hobbycrafts at the NEC this Saturday and Sunday please come along to the Crafty Devils stand and say hello to me - I will demonstrating the big shot there.  I will be going along to do a bit of shopping tomorrow, even though I really need nothing! but I am sure I will find something that I can't be without!

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 27 October 2010

It's Wednesday!

Well this is what my dining room table looks like this morning!

Those black keys are big heavy metal ones - a bargain at £2.99 from Homebase and yes you spy a new sizzix alpha, tissue tape, tiny attacher and Magnolia magazine there (thought I deserved a little treat!).  The orange box now houses all my distress inks - I made it yesterday - the piece on the top will actually be attached on like a lid so that I can transport them easily to and from a crop etc as they kept falling out of my Whittards tea box!  At the back you can spy the Bind It All (used to make the aforementioned box), a bag of Christmas cards I am working on (all the same design as the ones I am making in my November workshops) and the little PaperArtsy house which I am hoping to work on a bit more today.  Morag came round to scrap for while last night hence me playing at the table and leaving it like this just in case I do get chance to play today! but as both children are going to my Mom and Dads and OH is working from home I might just cave in and do some housework!!  We shall see!!

So who is going to Hobbycrafts at the NEC next week then?  I am very excited (as always!) to be going to shop on the Thursday but I found out yesterday that I will also be helping out on the Crafty Devils stand demonstrating the Big Shot so if you are visiting on the Saturday and/or Sunday come along and say hello!  Hopefully I might get to meet a few of you at last!

I managed to get around to 103 desks last week - here's hoping that I do at least the same amount this week too!  Have a fab week everyone.

Thanks for looking and if you want to join in with the noseying around of workspaces pop over to Julias.

Friday 22 October 2010

Pumpkin's Done!

edited to add the random number generated for my blog candy was 9 who is Morti - congratulations!!!! 
Finally......
This has been weeks in the making!  First painted bright orange, then colour washed, then glimmered, then stamped with spider/halloween stamps.  I took this to the crop on Sunday to finish off as I had precut, embossed and inked all of the leaves (using a new Nestability Leaf die set!) but then remembered that I had a Tim Holtz mask of a spiders web so, of course, that then had to be used, so home it came still unfinished!  When I opened the mask I realised that you are meant to spray black (or whatever colour you want) through the mask to create a cobweb the colour of your paper, with the black being the background to the cobweb.  This meant that using it on the pumpkin would make it an orange cobweb with a black splodge surrounding it which clearly wouldn't work, so as I couldn't be doing with using the mask negative (far too many small fiddly pieces) I just held the main web mask in place (it wouldn't stick to the pumpkin) and lightly put on a slighter darker orange outline, giving me a pumpkin orange cobweb (hope this all makes sense as, after all this faffing, you can't really see the masked webs on the photo!).  Pumpkin is then just finished off with a tag (stamps borrowed from Morag so not sure of the make), painted green stem, the teeth were painted with a Pearl dabber and then I added two white cobwebs (these were a pain as I had to sew three pieces of the netting together).  This is then finished off with two Quickutz spiders with bling for eyes.

Here is a close up of the small cobweb:

Am not sure whether I like those tendrilly bits or not so these havent been stuck down just carefully placed!  Sorry for poor quality of photos but my desk sheet is smaller than the pumpkin!  The pumpkin will now have pride of place in my porch.

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 20 October 2010

WOYWW 72

Sorry I didn't join in the fun and games last week - knew I would be too busy to visit desks so took a week off - but I so did miss you guys!  Hopefully this week I can get around to most of you - here's hoping!

Still not much happening on my desk as I have been scrapping either at my crop or dining room table and also sewing - as you can see from the picture I have finished the fabulous Witches Britches bag!!


Have retaken this picture so that you can actually see the proper colours of the bag!  If you want to join in the fun pop over to Julias.  Also I am giving away some blog candy on the post below - please pop a comment on that post (the comments are at the top of the post) if you would like a chance to win it.  Will be round to visit you soon....

Thanks for looking :)

Thursday 14 October 2010

Blog Candy

First of all a big thank you to Gez and Lena for following me - welcome aboard!  Not much to show for myself this week as I have been busy working on some projects but they are all still works in progress - so just to show that I am still here (as I haven't joined in WOYWW this week either as I know I won't have time to pop by many desks and my desk is - erm - well just covered in the same WIP's that it has been for the past couple of weeks!) - so I thought I would give away some blog candy.


If you would like to win this - it's a pack of Prima Papillon Butterflies (#543839) then please leave me a comment at the top of this post - I will then randomly pick the winner on Friday 22nd October.

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 6 October 2010

WOYWW 70

Hello everyone!  I am here again to show off my desk for the WOYWW travels - if you want to join in the fun pop over to Julia's and play along with us (I must warn you though it's very addictive!).  I managed about 70 desks last week - thought I would manage more but then I did spend two full days at Artisan - had a fabulous time (see piccy below) and would just like to say another big hello to everyone I met there on the day.  I did seven classes and enjoyed every single one of them - I came home all inspired but then we threw a little party for Benjamin on the evening (he is 6 next week) so couldn't get crafting until Sunday - when it poured down so I just had to stay in really didn't I!  I did manage a bit of crafting - mainly painting (see other picture below) but I was also reading a really good book so spent a few hours finishing that off too.  All in all a rather fun packed weekend!

Here are the goodies I treated myself to at Artisan (I so wasn't going to spend any money but then we all knew that that wouldn't last really didn't we!!)

Those three packs of stamps at the front only cost £3.55 each!  bargain - just had to have them, got some more metal and the tools, some purple texture paint, some inca gold paint and some precious metal colour from Paperartsy - not used the precious metal colour yet but Morag has some so I thought I ought to get some too - don't want to miss out do I!  That little birdcage is just the cutest little thing - can't wait to make it up and I also got some Deko Ice and a metallic alcohol ink from the Altered Element.  Mushroom and Sewing stamps just couldn't be walked passed without a squeal of delight and a quick purchase - the only thing I have used out of all this at the moment is the purple paint (got up a 5.15am on Sunday morning to play with that!) and the inca gold - fabulous stuff.

And here is what is on my proper workdesk this fine day:
The pirate ship has been repainted as I didnt like it's original colour, the suitcases have finally been painted too!!  obviously they haven't been finished but you can't have everything!  will be changing the straps on the blue one it's just all a bit experimental at the moment but the inca gold paint is on the black case and I think that that will go on the blue one too - just need to tone down the blue first.  Those cute little witches boots have just been sewn up this morning (today being Tuesday), they are made out of calico and I am just waiting for them to dry and then will put another coat on them and then tomorrow (being Wednesday) should hopefully finish the cutest little handbag you have ever seen!  Will post pictures later this week but this is going to be my "October" bag all ready for Halloween.

Thanks for looking - am off to spy on every else's desks now!  Oh and I am no further forward with the house or the mail box just yet but then you didn't really think that I would be did you???

Sunday 3 October 2010

I've won an award

Thank you so much Ohhh Snap for this One Lovely Blog award



The conditions of me receiving this is to pass the award onto 15 other lovely blogs.  At first I thought this would be a real challenge as most of the blogs I follow I don't really know the authors personally, however, last Thursday morning, I had been visiting a lot of blogs via Julia's WOYWW and have realised that since following this for about 12 weeks now I have made lots of new friends.  These are people who I haven't yet met but feel that I know (in an online way), and not only that but I also have a wealth of fabulous blogs to choose from - as it came to crunch time and typing up this list I found that I actually had far more than 15 (in fact nearer double!!!).  So, without further ado, here are a few of the people who not only inspire me with their lovely blogs but are people that I now consider my friends (albeit virtual ones!) and I would like to pass this award onto them - the same conditions apply though and to accept the award you need to pass it on to 15 other lovely blogs too!

So, in no particular order:

Chrissie - check out the tutorials and her wonderful stepper cards
Elizabeth - fabulous tutorials - check out the rusting technique one
Gez - brilliant art journals here
Helen - check out her fabulous tags
Helen S - go see her altered items
Joey - check out her cards
Linda - great tags and she's met Tim too you know!
Mary Anne - lots of yummy projects here
Mummylade - lovely cards
Neet - check out her domino book!
Pam - look for the cupcakes!
Sarah - fabulous bling and glittered creations
Sarah - lots of lovely ATCs
She - Great grunge
Spyder - check out her fabulous free digi's

I have just spent the last two days having a wonderful time at Artisan - did loads of classes (seven in all) and am very inspired and have a refound love for my paints now, hopefully today I will spend some time in my craftroom as the weather is rubbish here - will post more on Artisan later.  Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 29 September 2010

WOYWW 69

Yet another week has flown by!  Not much on my desk at the moment as I have been spreading myself all about the house with lots of clutter on my dining room table and beside the settee - however I spent Tuesday afternoon tidying it all away (well most of it) and haven't crafted since so this is my, unusually, tidy desk!

The house and mailbox I have had for ages and have only just gotten around to covering them (this was done last week) - mailbox is covered with old book pages and the house with music sheets with some bazzill cardstock inside, coloured with distress inks and then put through a Tim Holtz embossing folder.  The tags have been moved from the table downstairs to here now but obviously haven't been used yet!  The mushrooms are a new little treat from Hobbycraft - well it was their first birthday!  Pumpkin is still in the same state it was in last week and that is still, hangs head in shame, on the dining room table!

If you want to confess to the state of your workspace this week pop over to Julias and join the fun and games!  Kate, I reckon I am a 2 or 3 this week as you can actually see the desk!

Is anyone else going to Artisan this Friday or Saturday?  Bernice we will no doubt see you there as we are there all day Friday (doing 4 classes) and all day Saturday (doing 3 classes) - I am telling myself that I will not be spending any money as its Hobbycrafts at the NEC soon but I am sure that will all change when I see the shops there!

Thanks for looking everyone :)

Monday 27 September 2010

Magnolia Card

Here is the card I have just made this weekend for my Sister-in-law - am well ahead of myself here as her birthday isn't until the 9th October!

Can't remember what promarkers were used as the main image was coloured in a while ago, as were the mushrooms, but the tree branches and leaves are done with Terracotta, Burnt Orange, Moss and Gold.  The stamps are Berry Tilda, Old Stand, Spring Tree and Goblin Fungi.  Papers are We R Memory Keepers - their Grandma's Kitchen range.  Flowers are handmade using the same papers and leaves are punched out with gold and green bazzill and then white bazzill which was inked with rusty hinge distress ink.  Bazzill cardstock is inked with Rusty Hinge distress ink too and all edges are inked with Tea Dye.  Letters are old Cosmo Cricket ones gessoed, painted with brown ink and then covered with orange stickles so are nice and sparkly.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
http://www.justmagnolia.blogspot.com/ - sketch
http://www.stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ - fall colours
http://www.stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.com/ - seasons change
http://www.delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/ - make it sparkle
http://www.cinspirations.blogspot.com/ - 2 or more stamped images
http://www.promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com/ - make your own flowers.

Thanks for looking :)

Sunday 26 September 2010

October Class layout

What a busy weekend - spent yesterday catching up with jobs around the house, and as I had to get my car MOT'd I had to have a quick peek in Hobbycraft (as you do) as it was their 1st birthday celebrations - such fun!  Then today we have been to the "Fun in the Park" day at Tudor Grange Park and also been and had a pub lunch in Solihull - very nice. 

I have also been having fun creating the class layout for our next crop on Sunday 17th October:

The class kit includes some fabulous My Minds Eye glitter cardstock and diecuts from their Lost and Found range.  The layout is then complimented with crepe paper and some Tim Holtz tattered flowers.

Have also been busy covering lots of the chipboard bits and pieces that I have been collecting for ages and not using!  They just need finishing off now so I will showcase those later this week.

So is anyone going to Artisan this week then?  Morag and I are going on both the Friday and Saturday so let me know if you are going so we can say hello!
Thanks for looking.

Friday 24 September 2010

Christmas Cards

A big welcome to Shelbert and Andrea - thank you for following me! 

I have been busy making two cards for a workshop in November - one is traditional using a resist technique and the other is a cute one using Martha Stewart punches.  Apologies if the picture quality isn't good, the weather is not good today and I am working on my laptop - hopefully I can get some better ones done in a few days time but I just wanted to upload these today.

Traditional using a resist technique

Cute using Martha Stewart punches
Both cards will be made during the one workshop - details are at http://www.whathousework.co.uk/

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 22 September 2010

WOYWW 68

Not much happening on my desk today but this is on my dining room table:

Just need to paint the stalk, distress and decorate it now!  The tags are just soaking up the adirondack colour wash I used (can't waste anything me!) so I don't know what I will use those for yet.

But also I have a confession which is:

These are the bags I took to my crop on Sunday (didn't do a thing whilst there!) and they are still here in my dining room, am now rather ashamed of my laziness and am going to put them away!  That big bag of white in the background is a load of tulle I bought whilst on holiday for 50p!  bargain eh!  and no, I didn't take that to the crop but it's there because I made the Christmas house in my dining room (post is below for those that are interested in what I did with the dog house last week!).

Thanks for following me Bernice, it was nice to catch up with you on Sunday - have you seen I have put a countdown thing to our date with Tim on my blog? (I don't like it so might have to write my own when I get 5 mins!).

Thanks for looking - if you want to come and join in the fun at seeing a group of tidy/messy desks then pop over to Julias.

Monday 20 September 2010

How cute is this?

Firstly can I say a big thank you to Secret Scrapbooker for following me!  It's lovely to know someone is interested in my ramblings on and artwork.

Secondly - how cute is this???
House front
House back
House roof
This is going to be my table decoration for the centre of my Christmas Day table - am very pleased with it.  If you are interested I will be teaching a class on this on Wednesday 8th December from 10.00am - 1.00pm (cost is £15) where you can make one of these adorable houses for yourself - unfortunately the chocolates aren't included I'm afraid.  Am hoping to fill the house with little gifts for everyone who comes to lunch at my house on Christmas Day (so far that's me then!!).

If you are interested in any of the workshops that Morag and I have put together then please visit us at http://www.whathousework.co.uk/.  I have also been busy these past few days making some cards so will post back with those later in the week.

Thanks for looking :)

Wednesday 15 September 2010

WOYWW 67

Well I have to say that my mojo is back!  finally! I am also such a happy bunny as I managed to get a ticket to the ArtsyCrafts class in February so I will finally have a class with Lin and Leandra (wanted to for ages but can't afford the weekend one just yet!) and then a class with Tim himself.  Have done a few classes with him before and enjoyed every one so I am so excited to be on another - have no idea how I will manage without popping with excitement before February!! what with that and Artisan in a couple of weeks - it's all go here!

Anyway here is my desk on Tuesday:

Here is the clutter on the floor next to my desk:

and here is my dining room table:

I have to confess that my dining room table was actually tidy on Monday but Morag popped round on the night to have a scrap so I didn't tidy up at midnight when we finished and have been out all day today (today being Tuesday) so haven't had chance to tidy up, well that's my excuse anyway and I am sticking to it!

If you want to join in the fun and have a peek at lots of other desks around the world visit Julias.

Thanks for looking :)

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Card for Mom

This card is for my lovely Mom who's birthday is it today:

Papers, alphabet letters and chipboard are all Prima from our lovely kit, which still has loads left in it - enough to make at least another 3 cards if not 4!!  Stamp is Non Sequitor, brown bazzill cardstock and I think Frayed Burlap distress ink.  There are still a couple of kits left if anyone is interested - details are here http://whathousework.co.uk/kit.aspx.

I based this on the sketch here:  http://www.sweetstopsketches.blogspot.com/ so I would like to enter it into their challenge and also to the http://www.stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.com/ challenge which is shabby or vintage.

Thanks for looking - off to Nandos now for the birthday celebrations!

Monday 13 September 2010

Got mine!

Just booked my ticket to ArtsyCrafts next February so I will be doing a class with Tim Holtz (this will be my fourth class with him - he is just so much fun and a great teacher!) and also with Leandra and Lin.

How excited am I!!!!

Cant wait - please let me know if you are going to the class too - I am on the Friday one at 10.30am.

Whoo hoooo

Sunday 12 September 2010

I have finally done a layout!

Can I just say a big hello to Ohhh Snap and Julia who have kindly started to follow my blog although I am going to waffle on big time now so I hope you don't regret it!

This is actually the fourth layout that I have done for myself this year, I kid you not!  I did two layouts in February - both Disney ones and then a pirate layout in April (probably because I had just bought some pirate stamps rather than the scrapbooking side of it!).  Apart from a couple of class layouts I have prepared this year that is it!  That is how bad I have had scrappers block, anyway I have ignored it and got on with other projects knowing that I will return to it in the end.  I had scrappers block once before, a few years ago now, and I struggled so much and tried so hard that I almost gave up scrapping altogether.  But today I got the urge to make a layout - so make a layout I did!  here it is:

And it's a double layout too!  Actually I have to confess that it's not really my style but I think the reason I have been struggling so much is that I have wanted to get these Disney photos scrapped for so long now and I haven't known what to do with them.  What is it with Disney that you go and have a fabulous time and then you wander around the shops and you just have to buy some scrapping papers - how do Disney do that?  so wish I could bottle it and bring it home to use!!  Anyway you buy the papers - you know you do - we all do! and then you get home and you look at them and you just wonder "Why??".  The papers are so not me and they are so hard to use.  And don't get me started on the photos - you go on a ten day holiday and come back with about 5000 photos - how does that happen?  Anyway I really wanted to scrap these photos - I love them but they were so difficult.  Then I came across this website http://allisonrdavis.blogspot.com/ and she talks you through sketches.  It's a known fact that I am rubbish at sketches - firstly I never understood them for years, honestly I didn't, now I kind of get them but find it very difficult to break away from the sketch and make the layout my own - but I am going to try, I really am.

Anyway back to this sketch, I apologise for the poor photo - the layout is actually white and inked around the edges with mustard seed.  Other than that I have used a Disney patterned paper (so not me) and some stickers (again so not me although I have a drawerful) and a couple of nestie shapes (so me) and some ink through sequin waste (so me) and I have completed this layout.  I have managed to do eight difficult photos in one go and now only have about three left to do plus some beach photos from that holiday sixteen months ago - see I am getting there!

If you managed to keep going this far - thanks for reading!