UKS Challenge

This weeks challenge for on UKScrappers was to do a shaped layout, not 12x12, use bright colours and something big!  This was my interpretation of the challenge..

I had a lot of fun playing around with this one and used paint, inked most of the edges, distressed, made my own little photo mat and did loads of fake stitches!  I do think that the coloured stitching takes almost as much time as my usual hand stitching which I generally do in front of the television so I think although I love it I will probably still mostly do hand or machine stitching. :)

I found the most brilliant idea on Heather Ruwe's Scrapbook Bakery Blog the other day.  She did 30 days of inspiration and I just love what she has done with those butterflies on day 16 to decorate her scrap room!  I think I will definitely be trying that some time because how relaxing and inspiring would it be to have gorgeous butterflies flying up your wall :)

Setchy Thursdays!

 I did the following layout for the sketch on the Sketchy Thursdays blog, unfortunately with all the time I had to waste in the hospital this week (so glad that s over!) and feeling sick I only finished it off late last night so did not have it done in time!  They had a sketch for a double layout this week, which makes a change so I enjoyed trying it.  I do prefer to do single layouts but I take so many photos that I do end up doing all sorts of doubles with loads of photos!

This is my layout for the sketch, I just love these photos of my youngest DS, he is watching TV so he can not take his eyes of the television as he is always so fixated on it, which is what the layout is about. 



I used My Minds Eye Star Bright papers and had lots of fun making some Little pins for the page after seeing it on the My ordinary life blog, I will definitely be making some more of them so I am going to have to find some interesting bead shapes to go on them! :)

I also just had to show you the totally fantastic prize I received from Nikki Sivils!  For National Scrapbooking Day they had the most amazing blog hop and I left a comment on Anna Bowkis' blog Scrapping Tonight and was lucky enough to get picked for the prize!   I was asked which paper line I would like and chose Victoria's Street as I love that one but don't own it and was expecting to just receive the papers.  Well this is what arrived yesterday...

The 12x12 papers as well as a 6x6 pad of all the papers and a gorgeous chipboard house mini album, sticker, bread(less) tags, little craft flags and two packs of very yummy buttons.  One set are corduroy buttons and the others are the burlap buttons which are just gorgeous!  Is that not a totally amazing giveaway!  I must say I was just dancing around the house after that was delivered :)  My fingers are just itching to get started with it :D

My first Blog Candy!

Well I have been a bit off colour recently so alas have not done much scrapbooking or crafting!

I did however have the energy to make a quick card using Nikki Sivils Willow Bee.  I absolutely adore this paper collection, it is just so bright and happy and perfect for the lovely weather we are currently having ;)

And speaking of lovely weather, the kids are really enjoying it and spending loads of time outdoors (bliss!).  Having said that we are still doing loads of running them around!  The current list of weekly activities is
Monday - free yay! (unless there is a cricket match)
Tuesday - Beavers
Wednesday - science club
Thursday - cricket
Friday - Dodge ball and swimming
Saturday - orienteering
Sunday - free yay again!
So that is the set routine and then there are the cricket matches which can be any day of the week, the school discos, the Beavers parades and the parties!  But you don't mind the running around so much when the sun is shining :)

Kieran is so proud of his cricket kit as he has just moved up to the under 11s team so they now need the full kit as they use the proper balls and you often find him out in the garden playing cricket in his kit.  I just love how huge the leg pads are on him and I have no idea why he is wearing his school shoes!

One more quick one of Christopher playing with his new bubble tube, isn't it amazing how bubbles can fascinate kids for so long!   If you look carefully he has a big scrape down the side of his face where he just 'fell' on his face!

Anyway as I have had such good luck recently with winning things I have decided to share a little bit of the wonderful RAK I received from Tracie Hudson.  It was a really amazing RAK and there were double papers so I am giving away some of the papers as well as some of the chipboard pieces and elements.

 So if your would like to win it then you need to:

1. Either be a follower or become a follower of my blog
2. Leave a comment
3. Post on your blog about the giveaway and link it back here

I will draw a winner on Sunday the 6th June.  Good luck! :D

Challenge layout and crochet!

This is my layout I did for our monthly challenge on my Twilight Addicts social group on UKS, the challenge was as follows:            

Use the theme of 'Love'

Use Ribbon

Use Flowers
Include 2 or more of the following colours - Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green.  

I saw these filled hearts a while ago, I think it was in Creating Keepsakes and have been wanting to try one!

 

I used the very yummy Scenic Route Sumner papers and then just made this quick card with a few of the left over papers.  I have decided that for every layout I do I will do a card at the same time using whatever papers I am doing the layout with. :)

I started trying to learn how to crochet a little while ago and my first attempts were really funny as they kept changing sizes and shapes!  Anyway I wanted to eventually make a blanket so I picked 2 easy squares and have started making a few of them.  I only have a small pile at the moment but it is steadily growing and I plan to just make a small little blanket with these and then once that practice run is done I will go and buy the colours I would like and make a large blanket like I wanted to.  Very sad  I know but I am very proud of myself! ;)

Addition to my sisters layout.

I did this layout to go with the 'Sisters' one I did a few weeks ago as it just wasn't complete without my younger sister and it was her wedding we were at! Unfortunately we didn't actually get a wedding photo with just the 3 of us, everything is so crazy at weddings we didn't even notice until afterwards, we could have smacked the photographer though as he should have made sure of it!


This is with the other one, excuse the different colours but the photos were taken on different days!



I started cleaning my scraproom yesterday but as I have a bug at the moment I gave up after a short while because I just felt too dreadful! I did however manage to at least get all the layouts that have been piling up put away...I am so bad at actually putting layouts in my albums and always let them build up for a few weeks.


There is a really fab giveaway on the Just love Scrappin blogspot. Samantha also has gorgeous work and an Etsy shop called Purple Pumpkin Crafts that just has the most yummy stuff in it here

Tfl!

Pencil Lines sketch 184 and other bits...

I am a very happy girl today because I was lucky enough to be the winner of the most awesome RAK given away on Life and times of a 12x12 addict. A Pencil Lines book and Cosmo Cricket Material Girl! Yummy!

Speaking of Pencil Lines I really enjoyed doing the Sketchy Thursdays challenge this week so decided I would like to do some more! I headed over to Pencil Lines (which I favourited ages ago but alas have just never had the time to do the challenges) to see their latest sketch. Immediately loved the sketch and the very talented design teams layouts made me very eager to go and try it myself so here is my layout.

We went to the theatre on Friday night for an awards evening for all the local talented kids ranging from Brass and Samba bands to choirs and choral speaking. There are some amazingly talented kids around, I was so impressed. Christopher got to take part doing their little show from the Talented Tinies so he got to dress like a clown again and got to ride there on a bus, he was so excited and so cute!


Just sharing a picture of what I have just eaten along with my cup of tea as it was just so delicious! It says it is a muffin but what it actually is is a vanilla cupcake with raspberry jam in the centre and then cream and raspberry jam on top. I have a serious weakness for cakes with jam and cream on, I often buy a large one from ASDA and finish the whole thing off to myself in 2 days!

This is the birthday card I made for one of the Ladies in my Twilight Addicts SG over on UKS that I forgot to put up. We do a little birthday club and take turns to send a birthday card from everyone to whoevers birthday it is, I got a totally gorgeous card for my birthday in March and then it was my turn to do the next one. I kept it quite simple and used a photo which I stuck down with re-positionable Herma so that the lady could use it for something else afterwards if she wanted.

I plan on spending a few hours sorting out my scrap room today and maybe once I have neatened it I will put some photos up!