Pancake House Layout

Hi everyone

So where did May go to? Sorry, it's been a while since I blogged anything here .... I seem to say that at the start of each blog post!

Around this time last year we went to Centerparcs for a long weekend and I've recently been scrapping some of the photos I took!

This layout is about our visit to the Pancake House on our last morning before our journey home.

They didn't just serve pancakes there were all sorts of yummy dishes to choose from. Miss H had chocolate brownies with ice cream. Yummy!

The papers and stickers are mainly from the Echo Park Capture Life collection with my current favourite cork thickers for my title. I added a fabric tag, a few enamel dots, chipboard arrows, buttons and brads to finish it off.

Hopefully we'll get to viist Centerparcs again soon as it was such a fun, family weekend!

Thanks for popping in today!

My Christmas 2013 Journal

Hi everyone

December and the build up to Christmas is always crazy busy in this house but it really is one of the most wonderful times of the year for me! 

I take a million photographs throughout the festive season - ok, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I do take a lot!

Each year I like to select a few favourites or the ones that tell a story or were taken at special events we have been to and get them into my albums.

This year I've decided to make a smaller book as well as some larger 12" x 12" layouts that will go into my main album.

Here is my first page in my book:

The page is 7" x 7" and I'm using an album I've had in my stash for a while now. 

The album is plain cream pages held together with a book ring. The front and back covers are thick chipboard which I will also decorate as I don't think lime green arrows are very festive!

For several years now I have loosely followed Shimelle Laine's Journal Your Christmas. This is a class which for a very reasonable initial cost gives you access every year so you can follow the daily prompts year after year if you wish.

For my Christmas book I'm using a variety of supplies , some older and some brand new. For this first page I used a sheet of Echo Park This n That Christmas matted onto red cardstock and added some Simple Stories December Documented papers and stickers, wood veneer stars, enamel dots and red gems to embellish.

Do you have a separate album/journal or book for recording December and Christmas? 

Have you started to scrap the season already or do you wait until January?

Happy December!

Sarah x

Six Cards on The 6th (October)

October's "Six on the 6th" went live on the S J Crafts blog earlier today here!

Did you know it's only 80 days until Christmas??!!

So, yes - it's definitely time to get started on those cards, if you haven't already. 

Even if you only join in with "Six on the 6th" for October, November and December you'll still have 18 cards all made and ready to send!

For my six cards this month I chose to use some Echo Park papers and stickers from the "Reflections Christmas" collection that I had won in an EP Facebook competition recently and teamed them up with a Glitz Designs "Hello December" 6" x 6" Pad. I started by taking some 12" x 12" sheets of Bazzill card in White, Stonehenge and Maraschino and cutting, scoring and folding them to make 5" square card blanks. 

I decided on a red/grey/white colour (with a tiny bit of green!) scheme for this month's six cards.

I made each card in a similar way, layering up the background papers (lightly inking the edges with grey ink) and adding doilies and stickers.

I love this red woodgrain paper from the Hello December pad.

I added wood veneer snowflakes, pearls and "splattered" a little white Mister Huey on some of the cards.

One of the Echo park sheets of papers was little vintage postcards and another was little bingo cards so I cut these up into small panels that I could use as embellishments.

On some of my cards I stamped a greeting and added twine to this one:

and a strip of red glitter tape to this one:

I made this one last and I think it's probably my favourite .... I like the simplicity of it!

Here's some detail/close ups for you:

So what are you waiting for??  

Grab some supplies and make your 6 cards!!

Even though the S J Crafts Design Team reveal their cards on the 6th of each month, you have all month (until 5th November) to link up your cards using the Linky tool at the bottom of this post. Each month you join in and link up also gives you another entry into the draw to win a box of crafty stash!!

Have you started your Christmas crafting yet?

WOYWW 202 ~ Piles!!

Hello ... so this was the state of my desk table earlier today!

Piles!

And Boxes!!

 

I still have the pile of unfinished layouts that I told you about last week on the top left corner. I've finished a couple of them but also added another to the pile!

 

I've been getting a few layouts planned ready for a crop this Saturday so you can see a pile of photos from my "to scrap" folder and two of my boxes of stash just balancing on the edge of the table.

 

I have two new Echo Park collections that I want to use - Bundle of Joy and the Sisters Mini pack. I've been choosing my papers, photos, embellishments and alphas and creating piles ready to put in 12 x 12 plastic bags to take to the crop. Watch out Lisa-Jane, I'm going to be organised this time!!

 

This post is for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. ... the weekly nosy at the desks of other crafty peeps!

 

Right I'm off to visit some more desks!

Tree Decorating!

Hello Sunday!

A very quick post from me today - whilst dinner is cooking - to show you another Christmas layout!

*Tree Decorating*

I used lots of pop dots to give some dimension!

It's tradition in this house that we all help to decorate the tree and H loves to carefully hang the decorations! I love the look of concentration on her face in these photos.

They're not the best photos but I think they capture the moment perfectly!

The papers and stickers are a mix of Simple Stories and This & That Christmas. The tag is Jenni Bowlin and I've used my gorgeous woodgrain thickers for the title. I added a few Jenni Bowlin red rhinestone stars scattered across the page to finish.

Very simple page!

Right, must go and check on that dinner!

Christmas Scrapping

Gosh, almost a month since I last posted on my little blog! I have been busy crafting. I've just not had time to take photos of my layouts and blog them!

So, last weekend I headed off to the Artful Angels Crop and spent a very enjoyable day scrapping some Christmas photos. Well, actually it was just a few hours! It was my birthday and I arrived late (after H had insisted on making me a birthday breakfast!) and left early as hubby and H wanted to take me out for a yummy cream tea!!

But, anyway I still managed a couple of pages at the crop.

I take a hundred million photographs at Christmas but hardly ever scrap them. I'm not sure why that is, but whilst looking through my albums a couple of weeks ago, I realised I had big gaps and a serious lack of Christmas layouts. I decided to fill those gaps and reduce the pile of photos!

For my first page I used a panel of Simple Stories paper, a border and  stickers from Echo Park This and That Christmas, Fancy Pants alphas, stickers and alphas from Studio Calico's Yearbook collection and a few gems. 

Sorry for the dreadful photo of this page! There is hardly any decent light at this time of year. 

These photos were taken last Christmas whilst we were waiting with H to see Santa. The approach to his grotto, where we had to queue was decorated as a beautiful Winter Wonderland. I still need to add some journalling to this layout in the space over on the right hand side!

A close up of the overlapped border stickers, alphas and gems! I also put gems in the centre of the snowflakes - I think you can see them better in the first picture!

For my next layout I wanted to record how H always leaves out drink and snacks for Santa for on Christmas Eve. This particular photo was taken a few years ago when we spent the holidays, staying with family.

This one was quite quick to do, a few strips of EP This & That paper (with the edges inked), green washi tape, a title created with an EP This & That "Christmas" sticker and black glitter thickers, a few buttons, green twine, a journalling card and I was done. Although I think I will add the year the photo was taken.

Do you have photos still to scrap from Christmas past? Or do you scrap them as soon as the festive season is over?

Before I go, don't forget to pop over to the S J Crafts Blog - the new challenge has just gone live and this month there's a prize of a £5 voucher to spend in the shop!

Thanks for stopping by xx

New Challenge at S J Crafts

Hello 

I hope your week is going well!

It's time for a new monthly challenge at S J Crafts and this time the theme is SCHOOL And/Or LEARNING

More details and Design Team samples are right here.

This was a fairly easy one for me. I wanted to make a layout featuring two photos taken 5 years apart. Both school photos. Both taken on my daughter's first day of a new school year. One when she started in Reception and the other taken just a couple of weeks ago!

She's hardly changed has she? Well, apart from the fringe is gone and she's a little taller! Note how her socks are falling down in both photos - her socks are forever "half asleep"!! 

Still aware of my stash busting promise I used up more scraps. I did use a whole sheet of blue bazzill cardstock for the background but I had a piece of white that was just the right size and I punched the scalloped border with my favourite Fiskars punch. The red gingham and the flower paper is Fancy Pants Childish Things and just about everything else is scraps of Note to Self papers and stickers. I rounded the corners with a punch similar to this one.

I hope you'll enter the challenge  - you have until 17th October!

You Can Sit Up!

I'm continuing with my stash busting and using up my paper scraps and half used sticker sheets.

Also, still working through the baby photos of H. This one was taken in 2004 on one of the first times that she sat up for more than a minute or two without support. Up until then she had been supported with a cushion or had fallen over within 20 seconds or so.

It is very similar to the "You Are One" layout I did last week, with lots of white space and a cluster to the top right of the page but as the pages will be away from each other in my album it doesn't matter to me that they are similar.

I used a full sheet of So Happy - criss cross paper for my background (which I flicked some red paint onto) and the blue chevron paper,  stickers and journal card are all from the same collection. The cute little clip on the jouranlling card is a SMASH flag clip. I used up some old Jenni Bowlin circle stickers that I've had for years and added a few more stickers from Little Bo Peep.  The title is a real mix of Studio Calico thickers, a Dear Lizzy word sticker and some tiny alphas. A few pearls and gems scattered around to finish off.

The journalling reads "This was one of the first times you sat up on your own, with no support for more than a minute or 2!! The photo was taken when you were 6 1/2 months old and I can remember just after it was taken you toppled over!!" 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Chasing Waves

Hi everyone, I hope you've had a lovely weekend - it's been a hot and sunny one down here on the south coast!

The new challenge went live over on the S J Crafts Blog a few days ago.

The theme this month is "Summer Time"!!

I chose to scrap some photos taken a few years ago on H's birthday when we were on the beach and she was having so much fun running in and out of the sea, chasing the waves!! I rarely use multiple photos on my layouts so using 4 made a nice change.

I used papers and stickers from Echo Park's collections - Paradise Beach and Hello Summer and Thickers letters for my title.

I used lots of foam dots to raise up some of the elements.

I'd love to see more scrapbook entries in the challenge so why not create a layout along the theme of summer time and upload it. There is a pack of mixed embellishments for one random winner!!

Beautiful Ballet Dancer

This is the layout I made at my All Day Crop at the weekend.

I only managed one complete layout the whole day and 2 more that need finishing off! 

But I do have an excuse for my lack of productivity as I was also running the shop and helping customers choose their purchases!

Anyway, onto the layout ....

From a very early age H loved music and it wasn't long after she had learned to walk and then run, that she would dance and twirl around the room. At 3 years old she started ballet lessons at a local dance school and loved it! Now she attends a different dance school and takes classes in ballet, tap and modern jazz. She still loves music, singing and dancing but I wanted to record in her album where it all began, almost 6 years ago!

The patterned paper is Echo Park So Happy Together criss cross and I've used This and That Graceful stickers, papers and chipboard flower to embellish. The alphas are Dear Lizzy Glitter thickers and the blue alpha stickers are Echo Park. I also added some pearls and pink washi tape. The journal spot is cut from paper with scalloped circle nestabilities.

Thanks for visiting today and I'd love it if you left a comment so I can come and visit you too!

Lovin' the Outdoors

I think you all know by now just how much I love Shimelle's Starting Points.

One day I will finish my layout in time to upload it to Shimelle's link list.

This layout is based on this  starting point.

The photo was taken earlier this year on our trip to Northern Ireland. On our way up to Portrush and Castlerock beach we stopped at a little picnic spot to enjoy the views and of course I had to get the camera out! I love how relaxed and happy Hannah looks in this photo as she enjoys the fresh air and sunshine!

I've used a real mix of supplies including some Echo Park This and That, MME label stickers, washi tape, brads and I have punched the pale pink ledger paper with my Notebook E K Success punch. The date is stamped with my Dear Lizzy roller date stamp.

Right, I just have time to go and tidy my craft desk before I need to make a start on the dinner! Thanks for stopping by and for all your lovely comments, I love reading them!

Posing and a Soiree!!

Where do the days and weeks go? I haven't had a chance to blog for a while ... busy with the shop and deadlines coming at me from all directions, and then it was the Jubilee weekend (more on that another time) and half term school hols but I'm grabbing a few minutes this evening to share this layout with you!

I started with this starting point by Shimelle and used mainly Echo Park's Paradise Beach collection. 

The photos were taken a couple of years ago at Salisbury Cathedral when H was in the mood for posing for photos (and believe me I made the most of it and took a zillion!!)

I used Smash calendar tape to add the date! I love these little tapes so much!

The little journalling card behind the title is also Echo Park Paradise Beach, as is the camera and the gorgeous sparkly pink letters are Dear Lizzy thickers

My page came together quite quickly, which is why I love Shimelle's Starting Points so much.

I'm also linking up tonight with Jennifer's Scrapbooking Soiree Link Party.

A great and fun idea to share layouts with other scrapbookers. Read all about it    here!

Thanks for popping in and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Biddys Layout!

I hope you have all had a wonderful long bank holiday weekend!

My daughter was in a show with her dance school on Sunday so our weekend was busy with last minute costume preparations, rehearsals on Saturday and then the actual show on Sunday afternoon but I did manage to squeeze in a little crafting.

I seem to have a pile of "half done" layouts which all just needed finishing off so over the weekend I settled down and got a couple of them finished. 

Last year, whilst in Northern Ireland visiting family, my hubby and I got a rare couple of days away on our own in Donegal whilst H enjoyed some quality time with Grandparents! On the way to Donegal we stopped at the famous Irish Pub, Biddys O' Barnes, nestled at the foot of the Blue Stack mountains. I adore old traditional pubs like "Biddys", with it's original flagstones still on the floor and roaring open fires!!

I used mainly Echo Park's Note to Self papers, alphas and stickers. The brown woodgrain paper is from MME's Miss Caroline collection and I added some brown tiny letter stickers and used my EK Success punch to create the notebook border edge. All the papers are inked with brushed corduroy distress ink.

A fairly simple page but right now I'm all about getting the photos into my albums and the memories written down! 

Note to me: Add the date to this layout!!

I'll be back soon to show you the other layout I got finished!

Thanks for stopping by!

Monthly Kit Launch!!

I can't believe this is my first blog post for November!! As a result of getting laryngitis and feeling rather poorly I haven't really felt up to blogging the last week or so but I am feeling much better now and happy to say I'm almost back to 100%.

I have been asked by lots of scrappers if I could sell kits in my shop that are affordable and available without subscribing. So, as I always like to try and help I have been busy selecting some lovely products to create the very first S J Crafts Monthly Kit which goes on sale here from today.

The kit is packed with Echo Park's gorgeous Times & Seasons Papers and matching stickers and alphabet, kraft bazzill cardstock, along with some Tim Holtz tickets, brads and ribbons, all for just £12.99!!



Other sides of papers and close up of stickers!



This is the layout I made with the kit, the only extra thing I added that's not included was some blue shimmer mist to the background and I inked the edges of the papers with distress ink.

Sorry about the flash reflection! I took the photo early this morning!

The kit is limited in numbers and available here.

** Kit now sold out ... watch out for our December Kit coming soon! **

Have a fabulous evening!