Blog!!! What's a Blog????

Wow!!!

5 months and 2 days since I last blogged - has it really been that long?

I am shocked that I have missing in action for that long!

I have been crafting, just not scrapping.

I have a pile of photos getting higher and higher

BUT

I can proudly announce that I scrapped!!

Yep, I did it it, two pages.

OK, pick yourself back up off the floor and take a look...

My beautiful girl on Prom Night this year.

If you see her, tell she is beautiful because of course she doesn't believe Mum!!!

My layout follows Susan's sketch over at Me and Mine

Here it is...

Why don't you join in yourself?

Thank you Sue for encouraging me to unblog myself!

(I had to sit and think about how to do it!)

So, did I enjoy scrapping again?

I did, it was a refreshing change and maybe that pile of photos will start going down again!!!

Guess What??????

I've only gone and done it!!!

Yep, I've scrapped!!!!!

Using the lovely summery and colourful 

Echo Park #selfie Collection Kit

from 

Wearcrafts,

today, for the first time in almost 4 months I have actually scrapped
and created two layouts!

The first is based on Sue's Sketch Challenge

Quite loosely based I might add...

...and chronicles my parents' first ever selfie!

The second, a sketch set by Gemma over on Sketch Scrappers, a Facebook group that I have been a member of for a while but haven't joined in with for such a long time...

I love how bright this layout is. It tells a different story!

So there we have it, I have scrapped!!!

Hunting Hungary

So for the past two years I have played along with Maria's

Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt

and this year is no exception.

On holiday in Budapest with list in hand, 

I managed 18 out of the 21 listed and so 2 are from the substitute list with just one proper fail!

Here goes...

1. A bouquet of flowers

Beautifully handmade ceramics bunch of flowers found outside a fabulous shop

2. An ornate door knocker

(FAIL)

3. A person walking a dog (or other animal)

Couldn't resist this street vendor walking his wooden dog!

4. People playing a board game or card game

Although we had walked past a park where two kids were playing giant chess, my brain failed to register its significance!

(FAIL)

5. Architectural columns

6. A metal bridge

Can't get more metal than the Szabadsag Hid (Liberty Bridge)

7. A turtle

I thought this one would be the needle in a haystack so imagine my surprise when this little fella swam to the top of the pond in the Japanese Garden on Margaret Island...

...and then...

...my inner happy yelp when I spotted this little lot sunbathing!

8. Someone "plugged in" to social media 

DD won't thank me for putting this picture up!

9. A tent

Maybe cheating slightly but the listed didn't say the tent had to be erected!

10. A college or university

Budapest Science College

11. A cellular tower or television satellite dish

12. A public restroom, bathroom, or toilet

Oh how I got some weird looks taking this photo!

13. A merry-go-round or carousel

In the loose sense of the word "carousel"

14. A traffic signal

15. A flag pole with at least three flags on it

On the front of one of the many river boats that cruise up and down the Danube

16. A panoramic view, taken while standing someplace high in the air

A beautiful view from high up at the Citadel

17. At least two people wearing matching outfits or uniforms

It was great to catch these guys doing their "thing" up at the National Museum

18. An overloaded truck, car, bicycle or other vehicle

I was going to use this as my overloaded vehicle but didn't think I'd get away with that one!

19. A ticket booth

The ornate hall looking toward the ticket booth at the Szechenyi Baths

20. A natural body of water

The River Danube

21. A photograph of you with a sign reading "2015 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt". Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.

So I failed on 3 but only got two subs...

Alternative A: People eating outside

Just had to use this one of hubby acting the fool!

Alternative B: Someone holding an umbrella

Lucky for me, we had one half hour rain downpour in 7 days when I captured this fab brolly.

Not a bad collection of pics to start me off this year.

As always I will do my "home hunt" too and will be back to share those at the end of the hunt.

Back For Good?

I know!

How bad have I been?

18th February, that's nearly 5 months without a blog post.

We've been going through some tough times here in the BlogIt House

and craftiness has taken a back seat.

My first bit of creativity in a long while came today whilst tidying and trying to make sense of all my craft stuff. A box of half used alphas.

The last few months have found me pinning lots of quotes and ideas and today,  instead of sitting and thinking about it I actually did it, I made something!!!!

No, it's not the best but it's colourful and it has meaning.

We're not through it yet and the light at the end of the tunnel is still elusive but we will get through.

So, as the Take That song goes, I am Back For Good however sporadic that may be!

Want to be in OUR GANG?

Fancy something to look forward to?

A little break before the Christmas onslaught?

Then why not join the fourth 

Scrapz Retreat

where anything goes.

Crab Apple Crafts, after their retreat in July, will no longer

be running crafty weekend breaks

BUT

I am!!!

Forest Hills Best Western Hotel in Frodsham, Cheshire

      has great food, 

great customer service and great facilities.

Above all they want US back there in November

to create havoc, noise and fun!!

The aim of the weekend, November 6th to 8th, is to

scrap, card make, crochet, book fold, in fact do whatever you like as long as you have fun!

There are no hard and fast rules however the challenges will be set around scrapping

and there are prizes to be had!

So, what's included....

• 2 night's accommodation 
• Friday - 3 course dinner
• Saturday - breakfast, 2 course lunch, 3 course dinner
• Sunday, breakfast, 3 course lunch
• Tea, coffee, juice, water, biscuits
• Free wifi
• Full use of pool, sauna etc

The cost....

Sharing £200

Single room occupancy £240

Optional Sunday night rate £60 to include DBB

If you are interested in joining us please send me a message and I can

let you have payment details.

I require a £50 non refundable deposit to secure your place.

Swapsies!!!!

I recently took part in my first ever SWAP!

Arranged by the lovely Sian from High in the Sky

I was given 6 addresses to send 6 postcards to arrive on around

Valentine's Day.

I forgot to take photographs of the ones I sent but I can show

you the ones I received.

The first was this one from Lizzy Hill and although it is of one of my favourite cities 

it actually came from somewhere I have never been, Oz!!

Oh how I would love to travel around that wonderful country some day soon.

Thank you Lizzie, I could feel the sunny warmth as I read your card.

Another Liz was next and again a sunny send from Texas.

Having travelled Route 66 a few years ago we ventured into Texas for a day or too and boy\was it HOT! Oh to be back there during these cold UK days.

Liz, you brought back some lovely memories and I hope you continue to enjoy that new life.

Now the next one was very personal. 

Katie had seen my "Recycling Books" blog post

and how lovely of her to send a card to tie in with that.

Thank you Katie

And how can you not smile when you get this next one in the post.

Sonja, thank you for reminding me that the days are getting longer 

and Spring is just around the corner.

The fifth and final (so far) to arrive was from Karen.

She writes of her love of canals to explore the UK.

This one is not far from me and I've often walked along along it when visiting my sister in Shropshire.

Karen, thank you for sharing one of your loves with me.

I am not sure what happened to No.6 maybe still floating around in Postie's bag somewhere!

Thank you Sian for organising the swap.

The arrival of postcards from faraway made me smile during a hard week.

How Would You Use Yours?

Challenge #2 over at the Counterfeit Kit Blog is already here 

which means we are very nearly halfway through February already.

I'm not sure if I'm coming or going lately but one thing I know is that I need

get more scrapping done.

Time just disappears doesn't it? Or is it just me?

Anyway, I'm babbling on and I'm supposed to be showing you how I've used a date stamp in an interesting way.

Hmm, I can honestly tell you I was stuck on this one and really did not have a clue

so I pulled out my kit added some stamps and just went for it.

Sometimes it's just the easiest way!!!

I used stamps and pads that I've never used before to add days of the week and months all over the page
before printing onto my new found friend (10 sheets of self adhesive paper for a £!)
to create my title.
I added a few sequins and embellishment to finish off.

So, how will you use yours???

A Crop Works Wonders

Up until yesterday I had made only one lonely layout this year.

Yesterday at the crop changed all that.

Armed with a bag of goodies from Jen @ Wear Crafts

I got stuck in and, although I created less than usual, I was very happy with the two finished

layouts that came home with me.

Just look at the gorgeous Simple Stories Collection ...

... I was working with.

How can anyone not like this?

Jen has the FULL collection, go on, I dare you!

Here are my first two layouts...

The first I wanted to be happy and colourful.

A photo take of me and jimjams on our jaunts to Derby last year ready to sup a very

tasty cocktail or two...

and the second a thoughtful photo of The Child taken at Easter last year.

The stamp a Tim Holtz which just cried out to be used on this layout.

I hope to start scrapping more again this month.

How about you, are stuck in a rut, can't get going?

My tip would be to just take one kit and work with it - pretend you have nothing else.

Let me know if it works!

And don't forget the February Kit "Snow Fun" is (I think)

just about still available.

Forgeries on the Fourth

The February reveal on the 1st of the month 

saw me promising I would be back with my

Forgeries on the Fourth today.

I was quite taken aback by how many of you lovely forgers said

you were looking forward to it

so thank you!!!

Firstly, remember the map paper from the kit?

This paper was probably my favourite part of the kit if I'm honest and I really wanted to get my forgery very close to the original.

I took to my cutting machine and got to work...

I applied Ferro Metal Effect Colour using a palette knife to create that raised effect through my homemade stencil.

I really am quite pleased with how it came out.

________________________________

Next was the alpha paper.

I had just received a new set of dies through the post and need to try them out.

I haven't stuck them down on the photo but you get the picture right?

Spare random alphas that you know will never get used would also work.

_________________________________

To create the ephemera I used paper scraps, punches, a printer and some pro markers.

I found some images on the internet, printed them out and coloured them in

while the rest just used punches from my stash

_________________________________

The flowers!!!

I just don't do flowers however I thought I would give them a go....

Here I used dies but really didn't like the outcome

 So I punched a few hearts, curled them and stuck them together

before adding a gem in the middle.

 Still not great but better I think.

Anyway, those are my Forgeries on the Fourth

thanks for stopping by,

what will you forge for your kit?