August Blog Hop

Welcome to another Banana Frog blog hop. As us froglets have been busy with the summer hols this month is theme free so I thought I'd share some stamping that I did that couldn't be simpler but I am so happy with the effect.

Once again I dug out my absolute favourite, fail safe, BF stamp set, Fireworks.

I simply stamped them in the corners of my layout and embossed them in clear embossing powder. I then built the rest of my layout around this detail.
I added clusters of embellishments near the stamping to really highlight and draw attention to it.
And that's it! Your next stop on the hop is the ever so talented Jo Firth Young. And don't forget to leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning a set of stamps xxx

A Saturday How To....

Hey blogland, hope you're enjoying this bank holiday weekend? I'm having a lazy one, I have a cold so this weekend I plan to cosy up with the GP for company and a spot of craftiness at some point and not much else! Hopefully I will be feeling better by monday as we have a trip to the local race circuit planned. Anyway, I did promise you a how to post....

For this layout I used a photo from the wedding and papers from Crate's Portrait collection.

First I cut out the corresponding month from the calendar paper...unfortunately the one I needed was right in the middle but nevermind!!
I then used a chipboard heart as a template and drew around it on the back of some red paper.
Using the filmstrip sticker from the sticker sheet, I cut tiny scraps of paper and popped one behind each negative space.
Next I assembled the layout on a white background using all the elements I prepared above and layering with some patterned papers.
This may take a little patience, but cut out a flower detail from one of the papers...this is a great way to make embellishments that coordinate perfectly with your paper collection.
Add this to your page, layering with a couple of journalling stickers.
I then added the title, a rub on and a couple of little embellishments.
For a bit of texture I used a stitching template to punch and hand stitch a design. If you don't have a template simply draw a design on the back and punch at regular intervals.
And that's it!
Really hope you like it....if you use any of the ideas or techniques make sure you leave me a link as I would love to see xxx

See No, Hear No, Speak No!

This is another of the layouts I did for the DT application. This is a fun boyish one, a photo I took of my nephew and two cousins, they were sat in the stairs cos we had a houseful and had run out of seats, and they decided to tease me by swapping places every time I looked away! Long story short, this layout title popped into my head so I had to get a photo of them! Typical scrapbooker!!

I used a mixture of OA and Jillibean Soup.

The final layout I did for the application was a class instruction so I will do a 'how to' post soon.

TFL xxx

A Mini Success

Here's another of the layouts I did for a DT application. I was so pleased with this page, it was a bit of an unusual one for me but one that has lead me to using mini photos more often. It's a wedding one but for my album. I used Echo Park 'For The Record'

I also used some paint mists and stamps from Banana Frog's 'Butterflies and Swirls' and some Thickers for the title.

Hope you like xx

Shimelle Challenges: 3 is The Magic Number

Managed to squeeze in one last challenge before the deadline tonight.

This one is for the wedding album and the challenge was to use 3 elements. I chose three circles with cupcake detail.

I used the scrappiest of scraps for this one!

TFL xx

Shimelle Challenges: Stickery Challenge

And finally....

This challenge was to use stickers from 2 or more different collections. I dug out some OA Thrift Shop border stickers and some others from a manufacturer I can't remember that I had in a kit ages ago.

There is a bit of a story with this photo, hence the title. The picture is from my Great Uncle George and Great Aunty Ann's wedding in the very early 60's. My Grampy, Dad and Aunty Sue are all in the picture but unfortunately my Nan couldn't be there as she was in hospital in London having (what was then) pioneering surgery to close a hole in her heart. I am lucky enough to have a tin full of letters that different people wrote to my Nan while she was there including a letter that my then 11 or 12 year old aunty wrote telling her all about the wedding and a telegram that Aunty Ann and Uncle George sent from the airport on their way to Dublin for their honeymoon. I have included copies of both in the pocket.

When I started this layout I really wasn't sure about it but as I added more it seemed to really come together and I am really pleased with it now!

TFL xx

PS Scroll down to see the other posts I have written today x

Shimelle Challenges: Colour Story

And another one....

This one uses all the scraps of red, white and aqua I could find! These challenges have been great for stashbusting!
Don't forget to scroll down to see my 'From the heart' and 'Half Page' layouts xxx

Shimelle Challenges: Half Page

No, you're not seeing things...I am posting again. You'll probably be fed up of me by the time I post all of these challenge layouts!

This one is the half page challenge and I promise you that this layout takes up no more than 6x12 of it's 12x12 background!
It's a mixture of Crate Paper Toybox, 5&Dime by OA and Echo Park For The Record, along with some various embellies that I've had for ages.

TFL xx

Shimelle Challenges: From The Heart

Still trying to get through the Shimelle challenges before the prize deadline tomorrow.

This one was to use 'I love' or 'I (heart)' as the title. I used a photo we took from the big screen at the Take That concert and the journalling documents how awesome the sight of that many flashes going off was.
A bit of a grungey, experimental kind of layout but I like it!

TFL xx

Layer Cake

If you follow me on twitter, you'll know that I spent some time last weekend working on a non-scrappy but, never the less, creative project. It was my friend's birthday and I wanted to make a special cake for her. I had a look on Pinterest for ideas and when I found this idea I just knew I had to make it. I had seen brightly coloured layer cakes before but I needed something more grown up (and with a more appetising look!). So this is what I made......

It was topped with white chocolate frosting and white chocolate dipped strawberries......

Which were glittery (obvs).....

And inside were 5 layers of pink cake. The effect was really cool and I have to say it went down really well. The reaction when I cut it made several people come running to see what had happened and someone said they thought a man must have popped up from the middle of it!!

As you can imagine, there wasn't much left!!!

TFL xxx

ETA I started with a normal batch of cake mix, then added a little pink colouring, then filled a tin, then added a little more pink, filled another tin...and so on. I used paste colour, the kind you use to colour fondant icing, the liquid stuff you get in the supermarket is too natural these days and doesn't give a strong enough colour!

ETA (again) Emma, I tried to leave you a comment but couldn't! I got the paste colour from eBay but you can get it in the cake shop in Kingswood although last time I went the colours were a little thin on the ground! Good luck with your attempt xx

Better Luck Next Time

Last week I had one of the nicest DT rejections I've ever had!! The let down email was so lovely and left me feeling like now wasn't my time but it didn't mean I never had a chance, and the designers that did get picked were so worthy of the places, I couldn't feel down about it. Subsequently I now have some layouts to share with you!

This one is of my neice Kerrie on her 22nd birthday....hence the title....and was done with scraps of Girls Paperie.
I managed to cram on quite a few techniques....sequin waste stencilling, punching, liquid pearls, a handmade embellishment, my trademark bunting, handcutting....the list goes on.

Back soon with more xx

Shimelle Challenges: Grid It Up

For this challenge I decided to use a grid of photos. Luckily I already had this collage of 9 photos from the wedding already printed.

xxx

Shimelle Challenges: Starting Point

Another Shimelle challenge. This time the challenge was to start from this point......
And build the layout from there. My layout was unseasonally festive but I was pleased with myself for using up some old stash.

I thought the starting point gave an effect a bit like a christmas present!

xxx

Scroll down for the Signature Accent challenge

Shimelle Challenges: Signature Accent

As I had quite a busy weekend I didn't have time to join in with Shimelle's weekend of challenges. Today I found myself with a free afternoon and evening so I thought I'd have a go at catching up with some of them.

This one was for the 'Signature Accent' challenge. This one involved using an element that you might use frequently so I chose bunting. I killed two birds with one stone for this one as I needed a card for a friend who had just moved house.
Back in a bit with more xxx

BTW have you seen the giveaway Kirsty has on her blog? It's such a cool idea I couldn't resist joining in...go and have a look!

Lush

Last Friday my sis and my nephews girlfriend came over for a bit of a crafty/girly day, we did a spot of baking, flicked through the latest copies of Mollie Makes and rounded the day off with a yummy roast. After my nephew got back and whisked his girlfriend off, my sis and I headed up to my craft room for an impromptu scrapping session. We picked a random sketch from the Sketches2Scrapbook app and I did this layout.......

The papers are from the MME Lush collection which ordinarily are a bit pricey but they were a bargain in the Sarahs Cards sale so I treated myself to a few sheets. I have to say they do feel like really good quality papers and are probably worth spending a little more on. I also threw in some woodgrain paper from Crate to break it up a bit and make it a little less pink!!

The photo is from our trip to see Take That and I think the funky patterns compliment our spotty and stripy tops (we did not plan our outfits beforehand!!!!)

TFL xxx

Happy Birthday

By the time you read this post I will be at my friends 25th birthday BBQ and would have given her this card.....
If you want to know how I made it, pop over to the BananaFrog Blog and look at my Project of the Day. TFL xx

Happy Birthday Jenny xxxx

Challenge Time

Last night I found myself finally with some time to scrap, not that I have been busy with horrible things this week, quite the opposite in fact. This week has totally made up for the fact that I am not going away anywhere this year, thanks to a couple of bits of crappy news (not to mention the state of our country) it could have been an awful week but thanks to my friends and family it has been a week of fun, laughs, lots of food, many wedding films, baking, coffee, crafty time and relaxation.

Anyway, back to the scrapping, I decided to have a bash at the challenge that lovely Rachel set on the Sarah's Cards blog. The challenge was to use 5 different patterned papers on one layout. I thought I'd take the opportunity to do another wedding layout. The title came from a line from 'Songbird' which is what Em walked down the aisle to.
I cut this detail from an October Afternoon 5&Dime paper......

And used 2 Girls Paperie and another 5&Dime to make these strips and paper bow. Then a final sheet of GP to mount the photos.

A little detail in the corner......

I have lots more layouts to share with you. Back soon xxx

Simple But Effective

Still plodding on with the wedding album. It's becoming more apparent that simplicity is the key to this project. Both of these layouts came together really quickly but look really effective and when I plan to do at least 30 layouts, that's got to be a good idea!

Firstly, I absolutely had to document the flowers, Emma did them herself and what a stunning job she did, they really did look amazing and everyone commented. I love this picture of her finishing the ribbons with Jasmine, her new neice, on the morning of the wedding. I didn't even cut a single piece of paper for this layout, just took scraps and used them exactly as they were.
Then, I wanted to document the process of getting ready and I loved this pic of Sarah, Emma's SIL, doing her make up. Because there was quite a lot going on in the photo I thought it best to keep the colour scheme and pattern simple. It was a great opportunity to use up some of the muslin flowers I made ages ago.

I'm hoping to really crack on with this album over the summer, I think I'm about a third of the way through. Watch this space for more soon.

xx

Document 2011 July: The Rest

So I promised the rest of my July pages and here they are.....

The pocket page has quite a bit in this month. My Take That ticket (obvs), the results sheets from my QTS tests (which are only there cos they say pass!!), a picture that one of the kids in school did for me and a business card from the restaurant we went to for a retirement do.
July seemed like a really busy month, I could've probably filled these twice over! First we celebrated Sarah's birthday a little late and I caught up with friends I hadn't seen for ages. Did I mention I went to see Take That?? Then birthday drinks for my twin cousins. I've actually just realised that these were three consecutive days so maybe it wasn't as busy as it seemed!!

On the other side.....a retirement do with everyone from school, I'm so pleased I get invited even though I'm not staff, we always have such a laugh!! My boys returned from their cruise and I was sooo pleased to see them. And finally at the end of the month, Hannah and Greg's wedding party which was AWESOME!!

Lots has happened already that will be appearing on my August pages....this album is gonna be finished before I know it!!

TFL xxx

Just A Card!

So last week I mentioned that I had a secret email about an engagement party. Well, as soon as I got it I got stuck straight into making a card....not an engagement card you'll notice...just a card (I didn't wanna jinx it!!)
I used some SU stamps that I've had for ages (flourish, 'bliss' and the lil bird) but not had much excuse to use, and was pleased with the result.

As it happens I didn't end up giving them this card because as soon as I heard they got engaged in Paris I remembered I had some stickers with the Eiffel Tower on (typical scrapbooker thinking!!) so I made another, which I forgot to photograph!! They did get this one tho, just from somebody else!

Congrats Jenny and Lee xxxx

Document 2011 July: The Focus Page

This month I was pretty pleased with my doc 2011 focus page so I thought it deserved a post all of it's own, with close up shots and everything!

It was clear from day 1 (well day 2 technically) of July that my focus page would be for the month would be my trip to see Take That. We had the tickets for months and I was very excited about my fourth trip to see the boys as well as my first ever trip to Wembley Stadium. I actually commited the ultimate scrapbooking crime of forgetting to charge my camera batteries but luckily Clare and Jenny didn't forget and took some wicked photos which they very kindly shared with me! There were so many cool photos that I couldn't choose just one so I went for mini ones.
I think I cheated somewhat by using a sheet from Sassafras starters, a lot of the work was done for me, infact the only other papers I used were a tiny bit to mount the photos and the barcode strip from the background sheet.

I used the stamp that came in my SC kit and some pink shimmer mist to create some texture and cut some flowers from an SC Fabrip using my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die.

Love those dotty orange Thickers!

And the (now obligatory it seems) detail in the top corner!! I think you are gonna see a bit more of me using mini photos in future layouts!

Back soon with the rest! xx

ETA I've just realised how dark the photos are...sorry!!

A Little Something for a Little Someone (or two!)

Apologies for my lack of posting lately. It's not been lack of time or crafty things to show you that kept me away but I have been keeping a secret from a friend that I know reads my blog (hi Jen xx) so I thought it safer to keep quiet on tinternet for a few days!! It was a weird coincidence that I posted the layout last week about keeping a proposal secret from a friend because almost as soon as I blogged it a very similar thing happened again! I got a top secret email inviting me to an engagement party and I had to keep my mouth shut (if you know me you'll know how tough that is!!!) Anyway, the party has happened now and yet another of my closest friends has a new bit of bling on her left hand!! I am destined to scrap wedding albums forever more!!!

So now to share some craftiness. The newest bride to be had asked me to make a couple of books for friends who were having/had new babies to give as gifts, so while I was excitedly waiting for news of the engagement, I had something to keep me busy. The baby that was already born was a boy but they still don't know the flavour of the one yet to be born so I decided that good papers to go with would be Sunshine Broadcast by Sassafras as they had lovely soft colours and were pretty enough for babies without being too girly or boyish.

I did both books more or less the same, the main difference was obviously the fact that I had photos for one but not the other!

The pictures are from the one that I didn't have photos for.....
We did manage to get a copy of the scan picture......

These pieces of paper are blu tacked in so they can be removed and used as templates for the photos once the baby has arrived.

It was quite tricky trying to keep it as neutral as possible, heart shapes seemed like a good way to go!

I decided to make paper rolls from the off cuts left from covering the pages.....

Space for the parents to do a little bit of journalling.....

I absolutely love these papers!

And I always see baby projects as the perfect excuse to use this lovely little stamp!!

I really hope the recipients are pleased with them!!

I have a couple of other crafty projects lined up for this summer, a little bigger this time, which I can't wait to get on with....watch this space!!

TFL xxx

ETA: I used the 6x6 papers so that the patterns were mini! I got the 'Wee Bundle' from Sarahs Cards....they seem to be the only place in the UK that stock it!