More layouts!

The layout below is one I have scraplifted from the Sarah's Cards DT leaflet which came with the kit I used. I've been doing a lot of single photo layouts recently which is quite unusual for me as I normally like to put at least two photos on a layout! This one shows Hugh and Ben on Widemouth beach back in August last year. They dug the widest hole I have ever seen them dig on the beach! It was quite deep too and attracted youngsters from all over!

I scraplifted this layout, but can't remember where from! The photos were taken at work at Halloween - I think I posted them on the blog, so you have probably already seen them. I have had the cat and spider stickers for ages so decided to use them. I stuck them onto some scrap card and then cut them out. This gave them a bit more body and I was able to layer them up more easily.

Another Layout from a sketch!

Whilst I was away at the Retreat I also took part in the sketch challenge which Anna set. As the founder of Pencillines Anna came up with a great sketch and as regular readers of my blog will know, I love to base a layout on a sketch!

 I used loads of bits and pieces from my May Sarah's Cards kit and was really pleased with the layout I came up with. I hand stitched the top of the layout, which took ages! I finally finished it at 11pm on the Saturday - I was determined to do it before I went to bed! The photos were taken of my nieces a couple of years ago when we went to the park on Hugh's birthday. We had gone for a stroll to walk down the large dinner and when we arrived the icecream van was there - well, the children wanted one so what could we do!

Olivia, the big sister, is so neat and managed to eat hers getting no icecream on her face or clothes. OK, so Emily is younger, but she is such the opposite of Olivia. She was absolutely covered! They are still like it at 7 and (nearly) 4!

I am loving the Prima pearls and can't get enough of them. Nearly every layout I am doing at the moment has them on somewhere!

Anna's first class

At the Retreat I did both classes led by Anna. The first class on the Saturday morning was a layout using a sketch as the basis. How did you guess that I would have done this one? Would the fact that it was based on a sketch be a bit of a giveaway lol! Anyway, Anna gave us a picture of the sketch and then explained how to build up from the sketch and do more than just the basics.

We used Nikki Sivils Flaming Butterfly range of papers and ended up with this ...

I love how layered the layout has become from just being a flat sketch and I am trying to do this more now in my own layouts. (Bit cross about the journalling as I spelt the name of the gardens wrong, but if I tried to change it, it would make a mess!).

Had a lovely time on my birthday yesterday - Hugh gave me a Big Shot which I had been hankering after! Also a load of embossing folders. Ben gave me a lovely handbag and Penny the Alice in Wonderland DVD and some shower gel and body lotion. I had quite a few other lovely presents too, but need to get the camera out and get snapping! Celebrating again tomorrow with my extended family, which I am really looking forward to.

MJM Layout

As promised, I will now share with you the layout I did at the Retreat with MJM (Michelle Jackson-Mogford). This layout was created using Glitz papers and loads of distressing! We distressed edges, we ripped, we inked and we stamped.

We made flowers by distressing circles of paper and sticking a button in the middle.

We stuck hessian onto our layout and rubbed rub-ons onto acetate and then cut them out and stuck them on (great for these butterflies as it really gave them depth).

This is some of the stamping and also another rub on and some Stickles in the little flowers. You can also see a couple more acetate/rub-on butterflies in the background too.

And here is the completed layout ...

Thoroughly enjoyed making this layout. Although I do do some distressing I have never done so much in one layout!

We are off out bowling tonight as it is my birthday, followed by a meal at Frankie and Benny's - yum! Back with another post soon to show you my lovely birthday presents.

Another layout !

So, I said that I would share the layouts and mini books I made at the Scrapping Angels Retreat and here is my first one.

The class was with Tracie Hudson and we used beautiful American Crafts products. There was lots of cutting out from the paper, which I always enjoy! The idea was to make an interactive lyaout and the rose on the right hand side is only stuck at the top so that you can lift the leaves up and ....

The photo opens up to display more photos and/or journalling. I did a little bit of journalling, but basically let the photos tell the story. I cut out some more of the roses and placed them around the photos. I am really pleased with the finished effect. Turning the photos of my sister's wedding to black and white made this layout really effective. I thoroughly enjoyed using the sewing machine too, to make the outside border - great fun! (Much better than sewing clothes in my eyes!)

Next time I shall show you the layout I made with MJM. Thanks for looking!

A freshen up and an excellent weekend

I have tweaked my blog a bit - hope you like it - not much different, but I think it is a little easier to read.

I have spent the weekend here

attending this

run by

Anna Bowkis

I attended 6 classes over two days and scrapped from 9am Saturday to 4.30pm Sunday with only a short break for sleep and food!

I had a wonderful class with MJM (Michelle Jackson-Mogford) where I created a very distressed layout! All layouts will be photographed at the weekend and appear over the next few weeks.

I made some good friends, including Emma, Solance of SparkleDreams, Tina, Sandie, Emma and oh, so many others whose names now escape me!

I did both of Anna's classes, where we made a layout and a mini book. The mini book needs embellishing and photos putting into it, so that is an ongoing project!

Another ongoing project is the flag book I made with Sandie Vincent. This was such a fun class and I really enjoyed it. I shall definitely be making more of these - once I have finished the class one off!

 And lastly I did two classes with Tracie Hudson - a love themed layout (used photos from my sister's wedding and am really pleased with this one) and a beautiful book using Prima products - lots of work to do on that one to finish it off!

There was plenty of stash shopping available courtesy of 3 Jolly Scrappers, Kim and Jo. These two brave ladies are doing a tandem parachute jump for Help for Heroes in September - I wish them loads of luck :)

We finished the day with a raffle in aid of MS and also to raise money for a hospice which one of our Scrapping Angels attended during her last days on earth in May. She is a true Angel now - RIP Catherine.

Sadly, this was the last Scrapping Angels Retreat - I have had such fun the past two years and will miss this event, but hopefully keep in touch with the lovely friends I have made. Thank you so much Anna (and your helper Sue Deacon) for all the hard work you put in to make this such a successful and wonderful event.

Anna and Sue