Are you joining us?

I feel oh so privileged to have been asked to contribute to Shimelle's inspiration party this weekend, as part of the pre-class fun. She's asked many, many talented scrappers and crafters to join the fun, and now we'd like you to join us too, for a weekend of "challenges with a chance to win a prize, free downloads for both digital and paper scrapbookers, new projects, tutorials, bargains and some surprises along the way." Read all about it HERE!

New class ahoy!

My favourite time of year - a new online class at Shimelle.com! Shimelle's classes are always highly enjoyable, and this one looks like no exception. It's all about taking the stress out of scrapbooking, and this definitely rings true for me. Go take a look at her blog, if you haven't been there already (though I'm guessing most of my readers probably know me from that site anyway, so I'm preaching to the converted as it were!).

Still, worth a pop, and at about £15 (depending on exchange rate) well worth it in comparison to some of the more expensive classes around at the mo. Maybe see you in there?

And this one....

...was on page 70 of this month's Scrapbook Inspirations, in the Readers' Gallery section. This is my second layout that's been published in that section (I think!). The other was this:

which was in the June issue. Two very different styles, I'm sure you'll agree! I don't think I've settled on a style as yet, I am still definitely in the experimental stage. How about you? Do you have a style that you seem to scrapbook in? Do tell ;)

I'm famous(ish)!!

Go see - My layout featured on the Scrapbook Inspirations blog here. I recently completed their Ready Steady Scrap challenge, and they've featured my layout on their blog. How chuffed am I?
Really quite :)


I guess since they've published it on the web, I'm ok to publish it here. The bit I particularly liked making for this layout? It's a toss-up between the hand-cut picket fence and the owl peeking out of the layered hole in the tree! No journaling as such, but I think the title says it all.

Challenges galore!

Under extreme duress from Janice, I am posting again this month! Personally I think that she is desperate for me to reach my 100th blog post, so that I'll have another giveaway.

Anyhoo. Back to the challenges. Shimelle has just posted a photography challenge involving water on her blog here. I had a go, and pulled a rather fetching little snippet (snappet?) out of the vaults. So, strictly speaking, it's an old photo, but it fulfills the brief quite nicely I feel. I pumped up the contrast to really highlight the flowing white water.


Not only that, but Julie Kirk and Kirsty Neale have set a delightful challenge on their joint blog Copy and Paste. It involves secrets. Now, I am AMAZING at keeping secrets. The feeling when you realise that someone trusts you enough to tell you what weighs heavy on their mind -my mind boggles with the honour. Consequently, I don't much like gossip, which is surely a good thing for a secret-keeper? Despite that, I'll happily share one in the name of creativity.

Font by me, photo mask by Rhonna Farrer.

It's probably a very common feeling for many women, we probably don't give ourselves enough credit for the things we do in our home life and work life. I desperately tried to think of a lovely juicy giggly secret to share with you all, and perhaps this one will open the floodgates to a whole host of them. Watch this space!

So go on, tell me a secret. I promise I won't tell a soul. x

Blog candy link

Blog candy! Not mine for a change. Go here for a chance to win the above goodies!

Look what I found on my macro setting!

That title isn't strictly true. I'd found them before I got the camera out, but it gave me a chance to play around with the macro setting, which I have only just discovered after owning the camera for well over a year. Manual? Me? Pah. I laugh in the face of such sensibilities.
Though perhaps I should read it, 'cause I'm fairly sure I managed accidentally to get a picture with actual BOKEH on it:

and if I'd realised that was possible with my cheapish digicamera, I might have planned the snap better. Still, I'll include a prettier one of the DD, just in the vain hope of prompting some "aw, she's cute after all" type comments.

SO back to the caterpillars. They're apparently Gooseberry Sawfly, and I seem to remember it happening last year, with me just thinking it was slugs/snails. It also explains why I've had no fruit this year - apparently it knackers my chances of getting fruit next year. There were loads of the little blighters, and if I'd have realised what they were, I'd have squished them, instead of putting them gently in the grass a long way off, thinking "Ah, don't kill the potential butterflies". At least now I know what to look for, so roll on 2011, I might actually get some gooseberries.

How long since?

Blimey. I think this is the longest gap between posts in my blog's short history! Suffice to say, I've been busy doing worky-type stuff with the people at my placement (see last post), gardening, woodwork and general vocational fun. Current project involves helping the trainees all make a personalised clock out of wood and printed images. All good!

So, in my little craft world, I've been watching Shimelle's Month of Colour which is rapidly nearing its end. The challenges have come thick and fast, and I've been biding my time and thinking which ones to attempt, mainly because I have very little spare time at the moment. I had a go at Kirsty Neale's guest spot challenge last night, after being inspired by her pants (that is not as dodgy as it sounds, I promise. Check out her guest post here, and you'll see some fabulous customised vest/pyjama pants sets). So here is my card, inspired by the fab colour/graphic combo on one of her creations.


I'm definitely not a pink/green girl, but I think this looks pretty funky. I reckon I'm also going to have to get myself a few square envelopes, as this may well be my choice of shape for cards in future.



Another little project I've been working on is these little menu magnets for my fridge. Every week, I make a list of what food to cook, in order to reduce waste and to keep me sane! It usually ends up on a tatty bit of paper stuck to the fridge, and then in the bin at the end of the week.



I thought I could make a set of reuseable labels, and got these natty little magnets to hold them. I had some resin vegetables that I'd been saving for a recipe book project, but I thought they'd look good on this instead. The lettering is some plain American Crafts Thickers in chipboard, and I haven't yet decided whether to paint them. I might just matt varnish them instead... whaddya reckon?



(For those that are in the know, I'm now aware that canneloni actually two 'l's. And I'm still trying to get another two magnets for Fri and Sat - wish me luck, as I bought them over a year ago)

Lastly, my blog-buddy Trees has reached the grand total of 100 posts on her creative blog, and is giving away a generous bundle of gorgeous goodies. She's firmly convinced that only 3 people read her blog, and it's most definitely a shame if this is the case. Feel free to cruise by her blog here and leave your mark. Though if anyone else except me wins, I shall hunt them down and nick the bundle off them ;)

More twitter posts scrapped

So, what have I been doing with myself the last week or so? I've been busy playing with some fabric and ribbons, and recovering a cheap looking journal ready for my work placement next week.


I'm off to spend 6 months working part-time with adults with learning disabilities in a local vocational rehabilitation-type place. I'm so excited, they do some arty-crafty type stuff, as well as running a cafe and garden centre there. I'm hoping that my meagre ideas will also play a part in helping them to become self-funding. I have to say, I've found a lot of inspiration for stuff on this blog - It's a Creative World. There're a lot of regular contributors, and the variety of posts is fantastic.

Besides that, I've been adding to my Cathy Zielske album, as seen below.

Some of the images are stock ones, free from here, others I've replaced with patterned paper.

I didn't have any appropriate pictures in my "library", and I have too many other things to do to be setting up photo shoots for this little album.

For future reincanations of this idea, I might actually take an appropriately linked snap at the same time.

In a completely unrelated post, I got a lovely FREE box of nibbly goodies through the post today, courtesy of www.graze.com. I have also got a code for anyone else to get their first box free and the second box half price - YT6XNN7 is said promo code if you fancy trying it out. I intend to cancel after my second box, but in the meantime, I'm loving the gorgeous fresh pineapple, milkshake mix and cashews I got this morning. Not only that, the sturdy card box it came is is the perfect size for either converting into a mini album, or perhaps for posting delicate birthday card type things - double bargain!

I'm definitely becoming more adventurous in my creativity, I'm hoping I'll be brave enough to post some more stuff here soon :)

Everyone can write a little

Yes that's right! Cathy Zielske's new class on Big Picture Scrapbooking involves micro-journaling a la Twitter or Facebook updates. And it rocks! It's one of the most satisfying albums I've made, because it's quick, personal and could be endlessly repeated or reinvented. It's a little more expensive than other classes I've taken, so I waited right up until the last minute to join. I've enjoyed it all thus far - Cathy has a very good sense of humour and this has definitely added more value and interest to the class!


I made the album from scratch, as I didn't have the funds for a gorgeous American Crafts 6x6 Ring binder. I aimed to make something a bit like a Bind-it-all Cover it, since I wanted the same effect as the ring binders. And even though I say so myself, I think I did a pretty good job! I've been saving this Tinkering Ink paper for so long, the most expensive paper I have in my stash, and it suits the purpose perfectly.


The inside covers and the paper for the title page are also from the same pad. It's got some cracking contrasts in it! I love the rich chocolate in combination with the reds and blues.

It's such a simple concept but so effective (well, it is Cathy Zielske after all, the Queen of Simple Scrapbooking!)

There are many more posts just ready to be dropped into the template, but it's just a case of finding the appropriate photos to go with them. It has the potential to build up quickly, and I like that sort of thing.

What's your current project, and do you twitter? My username is SBLove_crafts, if you're on there, drop by and let me know!
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