Wiiiiiiiiiiiiii

My SIL bought a Wii a few weeks ago. Evie sat and watched us get to grips with it and decided that she'd like to have a go at bowling. The only problem was that because she'd watched us playing tennis, she thought you had to hit the ball rather than bowl it. She still managed to get s strike though (with help from Mummy!)

Papers are from Studio Calico 'Fortune Cookie' kit. Machine stitching to create a frame, handwritten journaling plus a stamped title with a variety of brads, stitches and gems to make the dots on the 'i'. There's some punched border strips and 'Slice' cut scallops in a mix of sizes, finished off with a single cross stitch. They've started including a tiny, cute card in with the kit, telling you who packed it: I've cut this to use for journaling. It was too nice not to use!

You just love, love, love being outside.

2/3/09: added some photos to give a better impression of what this layout actually looks like!

*Seriously poor scan alert!

I went stash shopping last week at Sarah's Cards. Apart from my monthly kit, I haven't bought or chosen any supplies for nearly a year so I felt like it was time when I spotted some new goodies. Think I may have fallen in love with 'My Little Shoebox': their designs are very cute and as a founder member of the tiny alphas fanclub, I adore the new ones from them - such bright colours!

I've used some new papers from My Little Shoebox and Pebbles Inc, new tiny letters from My Little Shoebox, puffy thickers and loads of sewing on this layout about how Evie loves being outside.

I've re-discovered my love of glossy accents: the hearts and owl are actually raised off the page and covered in GA (the bad scan doesn't reflect how shiny and like the puffy Thickers they look).

I had an urge to do some sewing yesterday, so I sewed all around the photo mount area and also created a frame for the layout too. I chose the woven running stitch to try to match the pattern that the Fiskar's Apron Lace border punch makes which I've used on different strips of the paper which are layered up.

Journaling reads: You just love, love, love being outside. Just digging in the ground and playing with water.


I think I might try and get a better picture when it's light again!

Project 365 - week seven...

I've been struggling with this recently. I think it's a combination of dull days, ill children and feeling tired. I've been just about managing to take shots but fallen behind with uploading and sharing. So here are last week's photographs:

No 43. Single red rose.

44. A heart made by bending pages of a book. I think I got lucky with the effect! No post-production - just cropped and straightened.

45. Candles on our Valentine's dining table.

46. I bought Graeme this game, 'Carcassonne', for Christmas and we're pretty hooked.

47. Evie, concentrating on her painting.

48. Oliver has become really interested in toys recently and loves grabbing things (very kinaesthetic like his Daddy!). This is him making one of his toys spin around.

49. Part of a fountain in the Trafford Centre.

New circle journal...

A few of the 'Bumps and Babes' group on UKS have decided to do an 'all my own photos' circle journal group. The idea being that we send out a selection of pictures that will be used on the pages in the book. I've decided that my cj will be about the relationship between Evie and Oliver in the first six months of his life. So far, I've managed to make the book covers and sign in pages.

Here's some piccies of the album covers which I'm going to count as my layout for this week as it's the only creative thing I have managed.

'Big Sister, Little Brother'

I've used ribbon, buttons and stitches on the cover which I've never tried before. To protect it, I covered it all in about three layers of mod podge, trying to avoid the ribbon. It gave the photo a muted colour which I quite like.

The back cover (more ribbon and staples)

I've also enjoyed dipping into my stash and using up all sorts of things that I've had for a while. It feels good to be using things up :)

Bumps and Babes...

I had a lovely time yesterday, meeting up with some online friends from the Bumps and Babes group on UKScrappers.

I did take a few pictures but I forgot about my camera until after Jen had left so I didn't get any of her and Sam :(

The little ones didn't manage to coordinate their naps so they weren't all awake at the same time for a photocall (how inconsiderate!).

This is Chloe...

who belongs to Trina, who is cuddling Oliver...

These three are Rach's: Charlotte...

Cameron...

and three week old Caitlin (not broody, not broody, not broody!)...
Thanks for a lovely time girls :D

Quick Valentine's project

I'm all organised with my Valentine's gifts for Graeme. Just a few little things but I know he'll like them. I haven't got any suitable wrapping paper in the house so I thought I'd have a go at making some of my own and also combine it with the Love challenge on the Banana Frog blog.

I love the look of brown paper for wrapping presents so I took a roll and with Evie's help, I stamped the word love across it using two different shades of pink ink. The stamps are Banana Frog Teen lower case.



All the packages are held together with coordinating ribbon which holds a matching heart shape tag which was cut freehand and stamped to create a shadow effect and inked around the edge.


We also made a quick card from Evie for her Daddy:


beautifully signed inside :)

Project 365 - week six...

Snowdrops in the snow, snow covered mountains in the Lake District (taken through the car window whilst driving up to Scotland), the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, tree fern in the glasshouse at the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow, Evie sucking up spaghetti, homemade seeded loaf and Oliver (no more photos Mummy!).

Thanks for looking x

Getting stronger everyday...

A quick layout using some pictures of Oliver from the weekend. He's now getting up into that trying to crawl position and I love watching him raise his head up and peer around him.


I had a dig around in my paper drawer and found some Love Elsie papers which were cut free-hand and also using my Slice. The yellow Thickers were the first set I ever got - I'm still hoarding them! Lots of Jenni Bowlin labels for the journaling which is a bit scrawly. I need to find something even finer than the AC fine slick writers as the nibs aren't thin enough for me. Suggestions welcome!

We went to Glasgow at the weekend to visit friends. Took a few pictures, some for my POTD but some just because:


I could just eat them all up :D xxx

couple of layouts to share...

This first layout is one I did last week for a 'use grey' challenge on the SC forum. I didn't manage to finish it in time but it did make me use a different coloured-card for a change. It also qualified for using things from 3 or more of the kits.

It's all about Evie and her advent calendars - every morning she would ask 'What number is it today?'


Evie and Oliver both went for a sleep at the same time this afternoon so I got a chance to scrap these photos. I've used stash that I've had for a couple of years: some MME and Jenni Bowlin papers and a few different alphas.I made little books to hold the journaling - they actually are 'open' in real life but the scan doesn't show this (too dark for photos too). It's all about Evie and her love of reading and also lists some of her favourite books. Think I'm getting into these quickie layouts: this one was forty minutes from start to finish :)
(please excuse the blue mark from the scanner)


Thanks for looking and as ever, thank you for all of your lovely comments: I really appreciate them :)

Project 365 - week five...

A tulip, cake-making (decoration courtesy of Evie), Una's orchid, Charlie dog, Evie in the snow, bright, blue sky after the snow, gate post of the cemetery over the road.

puzzled

Here's my week 5 layout (yes Trina, I'm keeping up!). I've decided that I need to stop faffing around and actually get more things down on paper. This one was a quickie: an hour from start to finish. One thing that speeds me up is not worrying about super straight lines - I just handcut all these pieces.


Supplies are from the Studio Calico January kit plus some of their alpha and border stamps.

Journaling reads: You've always enjoyed puzzles, particularly jigsaws. I love watching you figure out what you need to do to solve it. Right now, you know that you start with the edges and look for matching colours.

Thanks for looking :)

Snow day

When I was growing up in Scarborough, it wasn't unusual to have very snowy winters. Since moving over to Manchester, I've hardly seen any proper snow. This winter has been totally different though. It is sooooo pretty outside right now. Evie and I trekked into town this morning on foot: I'm far too nervous to take the car out after a near-miss a couple of weeks ago on black ice. We stopped off in the park for a little play...

Before tea, we went out into the garden to build a snowman. Evie thinks that snow tastes good!!


She makes me laugh.