Out With The Old....

So 2014 has gone by in a flash and I like to think that for most of it

I stuck to my "One Little Word"

although the last 6-8 weeks have been so manic

that I fell of the edge.

Next year (that'll be tomorrow) I will not put as much

pressure on myself to blog everyday as I know it

just won't happen so I will here as and when I need to be.

Tomorrow is also Counterfeit Kit reveal day

and I haven't even put my kit together yet!

Here's what I did yesterday though...

Two of my least favourite hobbies all in one day.

Two hobbies I used to love but now feel like a chore.

I have another birthday very soon, The Child's 16th so I don't think I can

get out of that one!!

Well, I do hope to be around a little more often than I have been lately

and I hope you'll pop in every now and again to see what I've been up to.

Until then, whatever you are doing tonight, take care, stay safe and

Happy New Year

Christmas Kit @ Wearcrafts Part Two

Woohoo! I remembered this time!

Here I am back with two more layouts from the sold out Christmas kit

from Jen at Wearcrafts.

Virginia has also been playing with this kit so hop on over to see her

layouts too.

I love this photo from Christmas last year and must remember to take a nice photo again this year

when the hoards descend on Boxing Day!

This photo always makes me chuckle.

The Child hated Santa with a passion so much so that she screamed the place down

every time we got close. What she didn't know was this particular Santa was her Daddy

and yes she still screamed the place down!!!!

Thank you for following me and my blog this year, 

wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

xoxoxox

Christmas Kit @ Wearcrafts Part One

Where are these days melting away to?

I blinked at it was Saturday and a day late with my Wearcrafts post.

Apologies to Alpha Leader Jen and Virginia

for letting the side down.

Anyway the kit was lovely, yes, was, all gone I'm afraid!

You have to be quick to grab these £5 kits!

Here is my first layout...

...a little incomplete as I need a title adding just about that tab right there on the left!

Probably taken about 10 years ago now, so where do the years go? Never mind the days!!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with more...

All Good Things...

...come to an end and here I am with my second and final layout for
The Memory Nest.
The sketch from Crystal is a s follows...

My layout is also about how all good things come to an end

and the line of shoes drying out in the Madagascar sunshine

was the perfect way to tell that story.

Since arriving home from Madagascar there have been approximately 50 deaths 

in the capital due to the Plague, as if they haven't got enough to deal with!

Thank you Leslie and team over at the Memory Nest for having me on board for December.
Happy Christmas to you all!!!

Quick Cards

Just a few 10 minute cards that I created for my part in the 

Special Month of Crafting for December's Counterfeit Kit.

We don't really do Christmas cards in our family so I took on the birthdays.

Considering I started as a card maker, I have really gone off making cards, what about you?

Did you start as a card maker and move to scrapbooking or have you always been a scrapbooker first and foremost?

Cards!!!

Cards to me tend to just get in the way of all my other craft loves

at the minute but over on the Counterfeit Kit Blog

we are having a Card Month where each Master Forger

will take turns to create a Card Kit and then (hopefully)

inspire you to play along.

Today is my turn and I've been given "birthday cards".

Why not hop over to the CKCB Blog to see my kit and then pop back tomorrow for some

inspiration on "quick to make" birthday cards.

I have a 50th and a 16th birthday coming up within the month

so I'm off on a Pinterest Spree to

see what I can find...

...any ideas greatly appreciated!

342!

That is how behind I am on commenting in MyFeedly!!!

I have come to the conclusion that I just will not catch up with that amount

and therefore please accept my big apology if I do not comment on anything before December 1st.

I have wiped you all out and hope you understand but I will, starting now, restart my commenting

and hopping.

Today brings me up to date with my

November 12 Pledges Kit Layouts

from

Wearcrafts

I have also had the great pleasure of playing with the December Kit but if I show you those

Jennifer will have my guts for garters!!!!

So, here are my last two layouts from the November Kit...

...the first is a layout of The Child from nearly 16 years ago (yikes!)
A bonny little lass who is nearly 16 and still just as beautiful.

This one is of my Nanna who made a little gap in this world for The Child nearly 16 years ago!
I would love to know why she would say Crinny 'Eck
I have never heard anyone say it since.
If you know the saying, make my day and let me know.

Right, I'm off to get  those Christmas presses wrapped and under the tree - are you ready for Christmas?

Improve!!!!

Yes I certainly need to do that!

The November pledge over at Wearcrafts is

"to improve"

Well, I for one certainly need to do that as I was supposed to be showing you a layout yesterday!

Better late than never I suppose.

The papers in this kit speak for themselves and don't really need a lot of anything else.

Can you spot me in this photo from 40 years ago? (ouch, that hurts!)

I wish somebody would transport me back to those carefree days.

I think the kits are sold out but Jen has put some others together if you want to go over and take a look.
I have two more to show you tomorrow...

Advent

Every year in our house we have homemade advent calendars.

Every year The Child makes me something wonderful and this year I came home from my weekend retreat to this...

I tricked her this year by giving her the smallest advent I could find but she knows me too well

and didn't take the bait!

The Child's advent started out like this...

and she was more than delighted when she came home from school yesterday

to find this...

Oh how I'm going to struggle next year to come up with something different!

Do you make or buy?

Well.....

...did you notice there is no kit reveal today?

CKCB, as we know you are all busy, has taken a different

angle this month and we will be helping you 

out with a Year of Cards.

I will be here on the 4th to show you my card kit

and then the following day to show you some ideas on how to use that kit

to make birthday cards.

Today however, I am guesting over at The Memory Nest.

I love Leslie's blog and will often join in with the challenges (time allowing)

so I was delighted to win  and be chosen to guest this month.

The sketch with a twist (to use stamping on your background)

made me think of drink splats and I had the perfect photo to tell my story.

"I’ve always been a “red” fan but over the last year

it just hasn’t agreed with me. It could be the tablets

or something else but whatever it is, I am glad

as I know we were drinking far too much

of the bottled stuff!"

Now I was always a red wine drinker and would share a bottle with Him nearly every night.

Recently though the red stuff hasn't agreed with me and just a small glass

leaves me feeling YUK.

Sitting watching a beautiful sunset in Madagascar, I enjoyed a very small glass

but don't think I've touched a glass since.

3 months!!!! Now that's a record!!!

I'll be back on the 8th to reveal my second layout created for

The Memory Nest Guest Spot.

16 Days!!!!!!

Well haven't I been rubbish at blogging lately!!!

16 days since my last post - oh dear I have let it slip haven't I!?

To be honest I haven't had time to scrap as in between the craft fair and retreat planning

there has been crochet too!!!
(that went wrong so no pics to show!)

Here is how the stall looked last weekend, 

took a few book orders and sold plenty of small items,

hopefully the next one will be better.

Anyway, the release of the November 12 Pledges Kit from 

Wearcrafts

jigged me up and shook me about and got me back into scrapping.

I love the kit this month, with its gorgeous papers from a 

Prima Collection - Pixie Glen

and a price tag of just £5

I have created 4 layouts.

Want to see?

Here's the first one I created....

I have let the paper do the talking in this layout and just added a few subtle stamps around the background that tie in with my layout.

The journalling is hidden as it's personal and hopefully
when she looks back at this in years to come she will understand how true it is.

These kits fly off the shelves so be quick to grab one if you fancy a play!

Anyway, I am currently enjoying my second retreat with a bunch of wonderful ladies

(although sad to say I am missing a few)

and lots of good fun and laughter and way too much food!

December is a calling and luckily I finished The Child's Advent Calendar

ready to give her on Monday morning.

I will blog about that next week....

Door-Mant No More

Do you see what I did there?

I love scrapbooking and blogging but sometimes, as we all know, other things get in the way.

I haven't been away from my craft desk, I've been doing other things.

Book folding and creating lots of things to sell at the Crafts Fairs that are coming up as we approach Christmas

have taken over my scrap room so it was lovely to create a layout for the

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #2: Decorative Doors

The challenge is to use this

Pinterest Board

for inspiration and to create a layout using the chosen pin.

I was inspired by...

  photo credit

to create the following layout of me and him enjoying some leisurely time in Barcelona earlier this year.

Can you see how the door inspired me?

Which door will you choose?

Are you still singing along to Shaky?

My Last ME!

Here I am with my last layout as part of the fab DT over at Challenge YOURself.

Despite my one faux pas where I failed to include myself of the layout, I have loved being part of the team. Thank you Lynn for allowing me to join and the rest of you talented girls for making the team.

So, here it is, the sketch to flow for this month's challenge

and here is my loose take on it (and look, there is a picture of ME!)

Why not join in? Even though I won't be on the DT, I hope to still play along after all, that is how so many pictures of me have ended up on my layouts in recent months!

Wearcrafts - Be Noble Part 3

Here I am again with another layout created using the £5 October Kit from

Wearcrafts

The Echo Park, Family Reunion Collection is perfect for those family photos 

and most of you have probably seen this photo before.

There are a few photos that I will scrap more than once and this is one of those.

It was taken nearly two years ago now (oh my!)

I think there are a couple of kits left to be had so why not indulge yourself and grab
yourself a bargain.

Jen and Virginia have also been playing with this kit - it's amazing how
different we all are don't you think?

I will be back in a couple of days with another layout using this kit.
I love it when so much can be done with one cheap as chips kit!

Wearcrafts - Be Noble Part 2

Today I'm back with a second layout from the 

October 12 Pledges Kit 

released last Friday by

Wearcrafts.

It's a £5 kit from the Echo Park Family Reunion Collection.

I love the Autumnal Colours and even did a bit of fussy cutting (so unlike me!)

Jen and Virginia have also been creating with this kit so why not have a look at their blogs too!?

The theme for the kit is "Be Noble" 

and Jen has created some lovely layouts using some fabulous quotes.

My second page came together quite quickly and although I haven't used the quotes
(erm, I forgot about those!)
I have enjoyed playing (and cutting) with this kit.

I think maybe another 2 or even 3 layouts will be produced - check back in a couple of days
to see how many layouts you can create from such a cheap kit.
£5, that's it!!!

Wearcrafts - Be Noble Part 1

Friday saw the release of the new 

October Scrapbook Kit - Twelve Pledges 'Be Noble'

It's a cute kit from the Echo Park Family Reunion Collection

and once again at just £5 from Wearcrafts you'd be getting yourself a real bargain.

I loved the paper with all the little frames and, although I don't do fussy cutting, 

I think Jen will be proud of me!!!

I cut a few of the same frames out to make them bigger to fit my photographs

as you can see below.

This layout is a lesson to The Child - do not tell your Mum that you are bored because she will always find you something to do!!!

(Excuse the picture quality)

Jen and Virginia have also been playing with this kit,
I wonder how they've used theirs.

I'll have a few more to share in the coming days so why not pop back to see me?

Corked

No!!! Not my bottle of wine, my kit!!!

Here we are in November 

(I suppose I'll need to be thinking about Christmas soon!)

One thing is for sure,

I really need to make a start on The Child's advent calendar.

Have you done much planning yet?

Binty is our Guest Designer for the month of November 

and I'm sure (if you've hopped from the start) you've already given her a warm welcome.

Susanne was the stop before me today so I'm sure you will already have seen some amazing kits from her and the rest of the team before me.

Our "chosen one" this month is from Scrapbook and Cards.

You can find all the details HERE

I'm happy to have a kit back this month that I can break down into single pictures 

(lots of them!)

and here it is, the kit broken down, so you can see all the lovely items in all their glory...

The "real" contents on the left..................my forgery on the right

I didn't want too much in my kit this month so there are 4 patterned papers I have left out
although I may add them at a later date!

I die cut my alphas from cork mats bought from Ikea.
I know the "real" ones are burlap
but I love the way the cork ones have turned out.

I will hopefully remember to use stamps
as and when I need them

I may try to forge this

and this

OK, so the "real" shapes are burlap, my forgeries are cork

I will add more tags when required

And the final photo (thankfully!) my full kit...

"Corked"

Thank you for stopping by today, I do hope you play along this month.
The team love to see your creations.

Angela is your next stop today and don't forget to go right to the end - well you can't miss Leslie's magic blue box can you!?

Binty:  http://scrappingpluv.blogspot.com

Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.co.uk

Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca

Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Lesley: http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk

Angela: http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk

Lynnette: http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com