Journal pages

For a change here are some journal pages. Can you spot the one where I express my feelings about burglars?

New uses for page protectors and how just a few minute becomes hours...

The latest prompt was all about looking at page protectors in a new way. Great for me as I had recently invested in a new D ring album and 12x12 divided protectors to scrap our travels in Spain last summer. Last night I organised the alum into places - each with a 12 x 12 protector and several of the photo pages which can hold up to 6 photos. I put in memorabilia etc and now I feel the I can start to scrap this trip as I was finding it really daunting. I wanted to show some pics from our stop at Warwick Racecourse on way to Portsmouth but did not thinks pics needed a LO and I only had 3... So I cut the protector in half and started to play adding the class staples of metal, brads and ribbon. I like the finished effect and I feel a whole new world of possibilities is opening up. Plus it takes my mind of break in. Only problem is that at 7pm I told Lens Guy I just had to finish one thing and I would be a few minutes. Several hours later...

Friday challenge lo and I hate burglars!!!!

Here are pics and more details of Shimelle's friday challenge. Had intended to spend today doing lots more but evil bxxxxxxx burglars broke into our house whilst we were sleeping last night and stole lots of stuff. Today not a good day. Will explain techniques etc tomorrow when more time. I want my ipod, daughter's laptop etc back. I suppose no-one was hurt but still....

More ribbon and metal - Rule 3 Smile whatever the weather

Back to that mini book - the acrylic is really challenging me as I am trying to find ways to respond to Shimelle's class prompts and get the album to work. Everything I read in the past suggested this type of album had to be planned like a military operation and when I am in my happy crafting place planning and organising is the last thing I want to do. Far to much planning, organising and forward thinking at work. Crafting is my spontaneous response. I had found two pics of Lens Guy and me taken about a year apart. One was taken on the ferry to spain last summer when it was hot, the sun was setting and there was that romantic glow to the whole thing. The other was taken the year before on a very wet and dreach day on Lake Windemere. We had paid to go on the ferry trip down the lake and we were determined to sit outside whatever the weather. We were absolutely soaked through but still had that feeling of closeness and romance. Therefore Rule 3 is... Smile whatever the weather.
The pics below show a bit more detail. The circular ribbon mounts I made the other day by wrapping and sticking ribbon onto chipboard. The heart came from the DCWV Hippie Chic set. The ribbon was found in eldest daughter's stash box and I used metal staples to gather it. This was a way to still keep that translucent feel to the page on both sides. The border came about as the other side of page was my paper scraps border so the ideal solution was to use the scraps of ribbon left over from embellishments. I roughly sewed the ribbons to the back of the orange ribbon and stuck down. The paper was another scrap and I just tore and teased the edges a little more.

Ribbon prompts

I did find a little time to make a shimelle rose and gather some more ribbon for a layout. But it didn't seem right for the mini book so created a 12x12 page. I also played with ribbon winding it round pieces of chipboard and creating ribbon flowers. The lilac rose was made by gathering a short length and sewing it in and moving on. It's unique as I don't think I could make it again exactly the same. Not sure what I will use it for yet. The green/blue embellishments will probably feature on the mini book somewhere. Absolutely exhausted tonight and no energy for anything but an early night. Perhaps tomorrow I can start gathering and working on the cardstock scraps...

My first homemade gathered ribbon and the best laid plans

Above is my first gathered ribbon and yes I did iron it which made it much easier to make. I tried pinning it but the pleats would not stay and I pricked my fingers - should know that Shimelle's instructions would be easiest! Youngest daughter went to party on Saturday and I bought her a new dress and jacket for the occasion as I sensed that the outfit she had originally planned was not making her happy. The ribbon should compliment the ruffles on the dress but I sense I need to make more. I am so glad that I do not have to go through that awful 14-16 phase again. I did lol when we bought her outfit as I had a similar outfit in the 80's. I had a red ra-ra skirt and with my jacket I just rolled the sleeves up - they weren't artfully stitched. As I began reminiscing about where I had worn skirt she just rolled her eyes and gave me that pitying look that only teenage girls can give their mothers. If you want to know I seem to remember it featured heavily in my first year at Edinburgh Uni but was teamed with a blue tank top. Still think 80's fashion was pretty awful. Don't get me started on the come back of shoulder pads...! The photo of the shoes is because her big sister gave her these and she had been practicing her walk all week but came home with muddy shoes and aching feet and the comment that they had been outside most of time as boys were playing touch rugby. I had today off work so I was mentally planning a few LOs for the class and some quality time with Lens Guy but as usual the 'best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley' (if you ever have to teach "Of Mice and Men" that Burn's phrase will be seared in your memory, trust me). Unfortunately  mum was taken into hospital last night - she is going to be okay and will get home tomorrow but obviously I need to visit her this afternoon and evening so my precious time vanishing. Will have to work out how we get her home from hospital tomorrow when we both working...same old, same old.

Gardening and the other side of Shimelle's acrylic pages

More of a productive day than I thought it would be today.
(1) The other side of Shimelle's pages. I managed to work out the correct size of paper etc to cover the other side of the front cover and luckily I still had some scrap flowers so was able to place these over the ones of front cover and disguise glue dots. In the spirit of the class I decided to use up a pile of blue gems and metal stars as the centre of the flowers and to hide glue dot on butterfly. The heading "Rules of Life"  was printed out from computer. I used the UK scrappers font of the week - Kilogram and then outlined the text in green pen to highlight more. I gave into my inner child and used a tea bag to turn the white printer paper into something  that matched the papers better. The second page is very simple and the journalling reads "Rule 1, Life is not a dress rehearsal". It is my favourite picture of my dad. The photo is at that angle because it is then hidden when the front cover is over that page. I decided I had to tear the photoedges as wel and then ran a blue pen along the edge which ran a little and I like that effect. There are no other embellishments on the page as the paper is so bright and dad was a no frills kind of person. The other side of that page is a page of journalling about my dad and how much I miss him, but also how I treasure all my memories of him and will always Celebrate my Life!

(2) On Friday I was lured by Lidl's cheap plant and bought three clematis - I have a weakness for all types of climbing plants that will cover the huge expanse of fencing - a snip at £3.59 each. Having purchased some compost Lens Guy and dug some holes and planted them. In other words he dug the holes and I planted the plants. Must be cheap plants as not one label telling what type of clematis they are. Going by the packaging pink, blue and and purple! We then  foolishly began to start picking up builder's rubble and stones. Three wheelbarrows later we had made little impression and our enthusiasm was waning... I have decided that as we can't afford to build a retaining wall at one side of garden to prevent neighbour's garden sliding into our garden the rocks will have to do.

Hole punch background paper and prompt 2 completed plus junque journal page

For prompt 2 which asked you to use up scraps I went to my trusty bags of scraps. As I did not have that much time I roughly snipped triangles for a bunting style border and homemade flower. I also had bits of pink card scraps which I  punched with a Martha Stewart lace punch and inked over the top and this all went into the mix. The sneaky peep yesterday changed as I did not feel it was all working. I found a piece of very in your face pink corrugated card and toned it down with white acrylic to make it softer. The journaling is written on another scrap I had and the scalloped piece is the cut off from a card I was making. The reason I had been avoiding the acrylic album was the planning it needs and now I am having to try and deal with that. It does not suit my messy slap dash approach.

I have been playing with the contents of my hole punch. I covered a piece of card in pva and then threw them on top. I then pasted more down with a 50/50 water pva mix that I had added some pigment powder too. I then dusted powder on top and swirled around. I like this and hope that I can use this somewhere in this album for Shimelle's class.

I have also being playing around with creating a junque journal following a comment from Jane and her helpful links. I have a cheap as chips staples notebook and I then pasted in some black and white sheets of plants and excess flowers and bits from this layout. I used Shimelle's celebrate life words and stuck it all down with the watery pigment pva mix. There was a bit of journalling about what was used which ran in the mix. So will need to go back and fix that later.

Want to spend time on second prompt but other obligations...Rules of life

All day I have been wanting to work on the second prompt for the class but had other things to do. Making two mother's day cards for starters (nothing like leaving it to the last minute). I did eventually get them made but my mind was on other things. The idea of using scraps or little bits and pieces was bouncing round my head so one card had lots of flowers punched out of scraps. I used my Martha Stewart flower punch and then I discovered all the little circles inside my hole punch...
You can see the card is still working that metal theme - I still had lots of brads scattered over my desk. Across the way is a peek at part of my page for second prompt but it is not finished yet. You can see a very random scrap flower which was a leftover from the bunting idea at page border.I have decided that each page is going to follow the "Rules of life". Rule 2 is Keep calm and carry on no matter what life throws at you. Rule 1 comes from my Dad. He told me this many times before he died. "Remember life is not a dress rehearsal, live every minute like you mean it." I still try and do that xxx

First prompt from class - use up old metal stash

Once I read the prompt I rooted around my stuff and found quite a bit of metal... as you can see. I also found a Papermania acrylic album I had bought ages ago and never knew what to with. It's so small - only 16 cm square so I am not sure how I will get on limiting myself to that size.
Quite a metal brad and eyelet collection came to light plus bits and pieces of stuff including the other butterfly clip from old shoes. It was suggested we used up a paper set too so I am using an 8 x 8 cardstock pad from DCWV called Hippie Chic which is very vibrant!!! I loved it at time I bought it and then was a little afraid to use such an in your face set of paper. But it does seem quite spring like and I do have some alphabet and stickers too in that range.

I think the bracelet has to be my worst idea ever. I found it in my box of random bits and bobs and decided I could make it into a delicate "Life" word. It was hellish to do and then I struggled to stick it to page. I did manage to hook it round the brads and Lens Guy's lent his fingers to hold bits on the page. The journalling describes the fact that spring has sprung and the page is for Shimelle's class. I went over the white card back with oil pastels and smudged with my fingers. I think I used 18 brads and 2 eyelets on page, plus punched flowers, butterfly paper, metal shoe embellishment and that bracelet... which I also had to paint a deeper purple with acrylic paint as it did not stand out. The white painty effect on butterfly paper  looks okay but was a result of my first attempt at sticking down word life going horribly wrong...

The finished page with a sheet of DCWV Hippy Chic cardstock behind which will be another page. Note sure what is going there yet... Close up of that pesky word and the most brads I have ever used on a layout.

Shimelle's new class

Just got in from work - hellish day but cheered up when my first prompt for Shimelle's new class appeared in my in box. So I am going to Celebrate Life and use up all my lurking supplies. Will keep you posted.
Thinking about work today I was well prepared and even had a lunch of homemade soup, cupcake and banana all ready. However with the usual brain drain that follows a wednesday morning I trooped down to the canteen for a baked potato and fruit salad. Only remembered soup as I was heading home... suppose tomorrow is taken care of.

Attempts at being a domestic goddess and cupcakes.

If you think the finished article looks impressive that's okay but don't think I am much good at this stuff - read on and look at pics below to see my chaotic attempts at domesticity. If you have been dipping in and out of this blog you will have come to appreciate that I am not really your domestic goddess type. Life is just too short for all that stuff. I am lucky as Lens Guy is pretty nifty when it comes to domestic engineering - although he has a very scientific and organised approach to this. In fact youngest daughter and I are almost afraid to touch the dishwasher now in case we load it the wrong way. Apparently there is a wrong way and right way to load a dishwasher. Anyway back to almost goddess like moment. Today I was inspired to make chicken stock, homemade soup, tonight's dinner and enough to freeze for another day plus cupcakes. The reason I am blogging this is that it is not my usual mode of operation - usually I am in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible but today I was in the mood to cook and like all my projects I never quite know when to stop... I know most people are fans of cupcakes but sometimes it all seems a bit time-consuming and fiddly to me. Today I was in the zone and made some apple and raisin cupcakes with yogurt topping. I did make a mess as you can see... and at one point it was just this gloopy mess in the bowl and I was convinced it wouldn't work. They did rise and come out of oven and I even decorated them and put on pretty plates.