Together

Last week's challenge on UKS was to use the colour scheme purple and turquoise, use butterflies and to use a photograph of yourself.

We had some lovely photographs taken on one of the formal nights on our cruise last year - I am actually surprised that they came out so well as they were using one of the main entrances to the theatre as a studio, so it was very public, I was very self conscious and I was laughing so much. 

I used Basic Grey Wisteria and took inspiration from this week's Scrapbook Starting Points on Shimelle's blog.

Other supplies used -

Woodware scalloped punch
Martha Stewart PATP set and butterfly punches
Self adhesive pearls - Hobby House
Bazill cardstock

Polegate Carnival - Scrapology January Challenge

This month the scraplift challenge over on Scrapology is T for texture and there is a great sketch for a double page layout to use -

I found some old photographs from June 1991 when my St John Ambulance Brigade unit entered the local carnival.

The papers are Doodlebug and the title was cut on the Sizzix using Santa's Workshop 12" die.  The journalling block was cut using Spellbinder Nestabilities.  The butterflies were a download from Swirlydoos forum which I printed onto SU Whisper White and then covered with rock crystal distress Stickles after I had handcut them.  The swirls are a MFT die cut on the BigKick.  The stamp used round the edge of the cardstock is from Hot Off the Press.

The left hand side of the layout -

The right hand side of the layout -

Close up of the butterflies and flowers -

The journalling block -

There is still time to enter the scraplift challenge as it doesn't close until 5th February - there is a lovely prize on offer from Cardinal Colours

With Love Teddy

I have made this easel card for various different challenges.

I used Penny Black 'Looking at you' and 'The Teddy Effect' stamps, the heart paper is from Craft Creations.

The large hearts were cut using Sizzix nesting dies

The teddy was coloured using Promarkers

The 'With Love' sentiment is Papermania and the oval punches are Stampin'Up

I am entering the card into the following challenges -

Scrapology January card challenge - Say it with Ribbons and Love Is

Penny Black and more @ allsorts - Love and Hearts

Penny Black Saturday Challenge week 185 - Crafty Bargains - I got the Promarkers used on the teddy for half price

Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge - Blue & Pink

This month's Ribbon Girl blog colour challenge is blue & pink, I used one of my new Lili of the Valley stamps.

I used scraps from my box of leftovers from kits and other projects - I think the patterned papers are Echo Park and Fancy Pants.  The sentiment is also from Lili of the Valley.  I think their fairy images are adorable and I can see me making a few more purchases very soon.

I coloured the stamped image with Promarkers and highlighted her wings with Stickles.

Nautical Night - 4x6 photo love (August)

I didn't get to do the August page at the time so have finally completed it and pleased to say that I have totally done this year long project.  I am very good at starting projects and not seeing them through to the end, so I was determined to complete this one.  You can find Shimelle's idea for putting 8 photos on a layout here

I used photographs from our cruise last year to Iceland - one of the themed nights is a Nautical Night, so we joined in and dressed up as pirates, we had a lot of fun and it was a shame  more people didn't join in - thankfully all of the staff were dressed up so we didn't look totally stupid.

The front page with the top page closed -

The front page with the top page open

The front page

The front of the top page

And the back of the top page

I used October Afternoon 'Seaside' papers, alphabet and journalling stickers.  The borders were punched with a SU scalloped border punch.  All I have left to do now is stitch the two page protectors together.

Cruising the Caledonian Canal - 4x6 photo love (December)

Well I am feeling very virtuous at the moment as over the weekend I did the final page for Shimelle's 4x6 photo love and also did the page that I didn't complete at the time for August (I will share that in another blog post).

I loved how Shimelle manged to get 12 photographs on a single layout but didn't want something so bulky in my album, so I put photographs on both sides of the cardstock and instead of having the pages dangling by string, I left a half inch gap at the top of each page so that they could all be attached together.

I used photographs from the Scottish cruise that we did in 2008 - I have so many photographs and it was nice to be able to use so many on one layout.

I used a Sarah's Cards kit which contained Cosmo Cricket 'Social Club'.  The title was done with two different AC Thickers and the border punch and butterflies are Martha Stewart punches.

Happy New Year card

I ran out of Christmas cards this year so quickly made some New Year cards to send out instead as I knew with the Christmas posting schedule and extra bank holidays they probably wouldn't arrive until the end of December.

I used this sweet image from Penny Black T for transparent set - Best Day Ever

I kept it quick and easy by stamping directly onto the card and colouring in with Promarkers.

A close up of the image -

January's Monthly Make

At the end of last year I pledged to do a monthly make via The Felt Fairy's blog.  So far so good I completed this month's make over a week ago (I suspect some months it will be a very last minute affair LOL!!)

For this month's make I made this sweet felt Christmas decoration from a kit by Perdita Chamberlain.  Perdita taught this as a make and take at the Cardinal Colours Seaside retreat last September and kindly let me have a kit as I couldn't do the class.  You can Perdita's beautiful felt work on her facebook page here.

And a close up of the holly leaves -

Captain's Night

The weekly challenge last week on UKS was to use old and new stash on your layout and to include bling.

I used Basic Grey 'Porcelain' - one of the many collection packs that I am hoarding, for my old stash.  My new stash was the PATP set that I used on the plain cardstock and I also used my new Promarkers to colour the clear bling to pink to match the layout.

The title was cut on the Big Kick using Sizzix 'Naturally Serif' and the butterflies were punched using Martha Stewart punches.  The photograph is of my dear niece Milly and her grandparents (my Mum and Dad) on their Round UK cruise that they did in 2010.

Flying cats

I have made one card to fit two challenges this weekend - firstly the challenge at Penny Black Saturday Challenge is Anything Goes and week two of the 52 cards challenge is to use primary colours, a journalling spot and a handmade embellishment - well I managed two out of the three as I didn't make an embellishment.

I used Echo Park 'Little Boy' paper and a Sassafrass journalling sticker that I found in my odds & sods drawer.  The fun image is by Penny Black and I coloured it using Promarkers.

Both of the sentiments are Hero Arts.

A close up of the stamped image -

80! January House Challenge

For the first time I did a UKS House Challenge at the last crop.  It was a very simple challenge to start off the new year and was to just use this sketch.

And this is my take on the sketch using Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice.

The photographs are from my father-in-law 80th birthday party last year.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Case It

A bit of a rushed card as I suddenly realised this morning that I hadn't made my card for this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  The challenge this week was a Case-It one and to take inspiration from this lovely card from Beth -

This is what I did using Echo Park 'Little Boy' and an image that I had pre-watercoloured some time ago.

The bunting and sentiment stickers are also Echo Park and were leftovers from a scrapbooking class.

A close up of the image -

52 week card challenge - Week 1

Mystik Nat on UKS is running a 52 week cardmaking challenge - details can be found on her blog Kool Kitty Musings each Monday.  Last week's prompts were new, circle, scallops.

I need to top up my for sale box of cards and as I had no baby cards left after my last fundraiser I got on and made a couple of baby cards.  I limited myself to using only paper and card from my scraps boxes - they are ridiculously full at the moment.  The sweet hedgie baby is by Penny Black and I borrowed it from ScrappySarah at a crop last year.  The papers are a mixture of Paper Trunk, Fancy Pants and Prima.

Sentiment stamps - Personal Impressions
Oval punches - Stampin' up
Butterfly punch - EK Success

Tree of Light

Hopefully I have started the new year as I mean to go on as I did the weekly challenge and my first ever house challenge at the crop this last weekend.

The criteria for the weekly challenge was to use old stash (no problems there as I am drowning under a huge pile of old patterned papers), to doodle and feature circles.  I used a page maps sketch and some Basic Grey from the Oh Baby, Sultry and Lily Kate ranges.

The circles were punched using a CM double circle punch and were then doodled around.  The photograph is from 2007, so from my been waiting forever to be scrapped pile LOL!!  I volunteer with a local charity Children with Cancer Fund and when our local Co-operative had us as their Christmas charity I was asked to go along to represent the charity at the official light turning on ceremony by the Mayor of Polegate.  That's me in the purple top and just sheer coincidence that my top colour matched the baubles on the tree.

Little Musing 'Likes' Print

Last year SJ from Little Musings was making these lovely Likes Prints so I decided to order one for my god-daughter who was going to be 21 and I needed a special present for her.

I must apologise for the not great photograph -I just remembered that I hadn't photographed it just as I was wrapping it up - by then it was dark and I had to take the picture under artificial light conditions.

My niece loved it and it certainly was great for a unique gift!!  Thank you SJ!!

Quick and Easy Thank you cards

Another project from last year - some very quick and easy cards that I made to say thank you for my birthday presents

I stamped directly onto the card blank using a Nellie Snellen stamp, then coloured in the images with Derwent watercolour pencils.  The sentiment is Personal Impressions.

Zoe's Just Believe Class

I am still catching up blogging about projects that I completed last year.  This is a lovely class that we did with Zoe Pierson at last year's Cardinal Colours Seaside Retreat.

I love the soft and subtle colours and of course the lovely butterflies!!

My Favourite layouts of 2011

Just thought I would do a little look back through my albums and pick out my favourite layouts from the year.

The beautiful canvas which was Anita's class at the Cardinal Colour's retreat

Done for a challenge for the ATDML cybercrop held back in June

Another layout for the ATDML cybercrop, love that I was able to put so much journalling on one page

Another one of Anita's lovely classes

And yet another of Anita's classes - so many of her class layouts are my favourites!!

A class by Rachael Elliott at Sarah's Cards retreat back in March

Done for SJ's Take one thing challenge

Done for the Scrapology June Challenge M is for Machine Stitching, which I won!!!!!!!

Done for the Scrapology August Challenge R is for ribbons

I am looking forward to hopefully another productive year - if you share your fave layouts of 2011 please share your link with me so that I can take a peek.