Merly Crop

Phew what a busy last few weeks, what with working extra hours and getting ready for my craft fayre at Countesthorpe College on 12/11/11 which went very well, I dont seem to have had time to do any paper crafting.

Anyway last saturday was the bi monthly crop run by Merly Impressions www.merlyimpressions.co.uk  held near Bedford.  What a lovely day, the kit was made up of the new Kaisercraft Collection called Madame Boutique beautiful vintage papers of brown turquoise and green.  The kit also included the new Kaisercraft Botanicals Stamp and some bakers twine and there were lots of lovely goodies on sale.

Chrissy had kindly done us some instructions for a couple of layouts and here are my attempts :-

The first one is titled "Me" which was great as its very rare that I scrap any pictures of me on my own.

The second one is titled Daughters and the photo is of my three rebels taken a couple of christmas' ago.

I printed both my photos in sepia as I thought they went better with the papers.










The challenge given to us before the crop was to make a name badge as it is a new crop and Chrissy thought it would be a good way for us to get to know one another.  There was a good selection of badges and I was so pleased to have been voted the winner and was awarded with a lovely Kaisercraft 25 drawer chest to make up.

Here is my badge, I used a die cut shape and covered with patterned paper, a smaller shape covered with a matching patterned paper, Molly Blooms stamp coloured with copics and highlighted with Glossy Accents.  Finished off with punched flowers with a gem in the centre and then glossy accents applied.

Scrapaholix Crop

This weekend was the monthly Scrapaholix crop at Birstall, the kit this time was made up of papers from the "Simple Stories Generation Collection" and consisted of
1 x Always & Forever
1 x Home Sweet Home
4 x cordinating plain cardstock (2 x lemon, 1 x dark brown & 1 x burgandy)
a doily cut on a die cutting machine and a chalk inkpad

I made two layouts from the kit, the 1st one using a sketch from one of Novembers Page Maps www.pagemaps.com

 this was actually a 8.5 x 11 size but I altered it to a 12x12

My 2nd layout is based on this weeks sketch over at Sketchabilities

http://sketchabilities.blogspot.com/2011/10/sketch-58-design-team-reveal.html

 

Hope you like them, I look forward to reading your comments

Molly Bloom Workshop at Sir Stampalot

What a terrific day I had yesterday, went to my first ever workshop at Sir Stampalot in Peterborough www.sirstampalot.co.uk,

It was a Molly Blooms day with Clare Rowland (creator of the Molly Bloom range of stamps)
http://mollybloomdesigns.blogspot.com/

Had a wonderful day, everyone was friendly and we did two terrific cards :-

The first one was done on an easel (new idea not done before) and we used the scarecrow, pumpkin and sign stamps, all coloured in with copics and embellished with a Doohicky Cutting Die Fence and woodware punched tiny leaves.  Button and ribbon to finish.  Isn't it adorable.

The second one was a pop out scene card, we covered the base card using Magnolia papers, stamps used were Molly Blooms - Fireplace, Sweet Dreams Molly, Molly in Dungarees and sentiment "The stockings were hanging ....", the holly is a Magnolia stamp, all coloured with copics.



The bunting was cut using a Doohicky die and the ribbon border was cut using the new Woodware Cartridge system. 

I also spent lots of money stocking up on the Molly Bloom stamps and of course I had to have the woodware cartridge system as it cuts so lovely and was so easy to use.

Family Addition

What an exciting but hectic week with the highlight being a new addition to the family. Hence the reason for not getting any crafting done. Brandy arrived on Monday 24th October 2011, Boxer puppy aged 6 weeks, she is so cute and already becoming the boss of the house

Brandy aged 6 weeks

She's settled in really well and so I have managed to do a little crafting today.

My Daughter's best friend has just had a new baby so I needed to get a congratulations card done ready for visiting
I've based it on this weeks sketch from http://www.sweetsketchwednesday.blogspot.com/

Patterned paper from Craft Creations, Die cut Teddy and Banner, ribbon and gems from
my stash.

Monthly Crop

Yesterday was our montly crop at Church, this time I decided to use papers from Bo Bunny's Timepiece Collection (purchased from Crafts U Love www.craftsulove.co.uk

Here are two sample layouts that I did as inspiration for my ladies :

In the first one I used a paint dabber (snow cap) for the stamped image in the corners, I thought it gave a nice texture, rosettes done using Tim Holtz Sizzix die and I made some paper beads and amalgamated them with seed beeds, 4 generation family photograph.

In the second one I used my Tim Holtz Time mask and spritzed using a copper colour
Martha Stewart border punch and ribbon effect made from paper strip and machine stitched down the centre.  Picture is of me with my 3 girlies

Papers were lovely to work with and I've still got plenty left.

Staying Awake for Charity

This weekend I did a 24hr craft-a-thon at Church, from 6pm on Friday evening until 6pm on Saturday evening raising money for Aigburth House which is a Methodist Homes Association residential home for the elderly in Leicester, they are building a new wing especially for Altzimer sufferers.  As I had already done a full day at work I was actually awake for 39 hours.  Good nights sleep last night but feeling very tired today.  Think it will have to be an early night again tonight as back to work tomorrow.  We had great fun doing it and I did 4 scrapbook layouts as well as some cards and raised lots of money for the cause.

The theme this week over at "Less is More" is Hearts and must be a one layer card
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/10/week-36.html
Funnily enough only last weekend I purchased a new stamp from Indigo Blue which was ideal

The image is called
"Love Is" very appropriate
I thought.  Inked with
momento chalk pads
in various
shades of blue
The love stamp is one
i've had for a long time
dont know the make.
I then masked and spritzed
the image with
tattered angels glimmer mist
dazzling diamonds

Close up view of the image


Hope you like it, comments much
appreciated.

Crafting Weekend

What a fabulous weekend, I went with my Mum and Sister on a crafting weekend away, we booked a beautiful cottage in Lincolnshire, packed all our craft stuff in the car and off we went, Friday to Monday spent scrapping and cardmaking with no interruptions, what bliss.

Here's one of my completed cards, the background was done using Alchol Inks and then image (Crafty Individuals) stamped with black versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. Sentiment from Stampin Up and ribbons and gems from my stash.

I'm going to enter this in the following :-
Less Is More - this weeks theme is colour and they've chosen colour of your eyes and as mine are blue thought this fitted perfectly
http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/2011/10/week-35.html

Make It Monday - anything goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/

More pictures of my finished work from the weekend to follow