HELLO SUMMER

Good Afternoon lovely people, another double page spread to share today, this one is said 15 year old at Trefriw Woollen Mill.  We did the self guided tour backwards (don't ask), and ended up in the Weaver's Cottage, the lady in there was sat spinning on a wheel and there was so much to look at.  She encouraged us to have a go at each of the weaving looms, from the basic peg loom all the way up to a full blown weaving loom with moving heddles, foot peddles etc! 

We were in the cottage ages and thoroughly enjoyed chatting to the lady who had so much information about spinning and weaving that she was happy to chat to us about. 

Needless to say by the time we left said 15 year old really really wanted a loom - preferably the giant room sized one; what we ended up with was a peg loom but enjoyable nonetheless. 

LOVE - SWALLOW FALLS

Good morning, I hope Wednesday is treating you well. 

I've a double page layout to share this morning, I sometimes find that I have a mix of photographs that I can't choose between but were all taken pretty much at the same time - I can see you are all nodding on this one. 

An easy way to include lots of these photos without it being an album all the same is to do a double page layout, which is what I've done with a mix of photographs from Swallow Falls in Wales. 

We made our way down the steps thinking that would lead to the best photographs, thankfully we explored once we got back up the steps and although the view of the water and the sound was amazing at the bottom, the iconic image of the falls was actually fairly easy to get to and near the top!  So we took photos in both areas, some of each other and a few selfies!

Here is the layout when it's in its double page format! 

Hope you are having a happy scrapping day!

CHATSWORTH DOUBLE PAGE AND SOME COGS

Morning all, well I'm relieved to see blogger dashboard back to normal this morning.  It was driving me insane having to guess who might have posted since I last looked, but all is calm with the world again. 

Tis Thursday - crikey blimey o'trousers how did that happen! 

I thought I'd share a couple of things this morning, first up a double page layout from our now annual trip to Chatsworth Country Fayre last summer, it's always an amazing day out. 

Up close you can see said 13 year old checking out the Police Tractor (which made us giggle).

And the dancing JCB diggers as well as the mounted horse games which are always amazing to watch!

Then the final installment in the stay at home journal, the theme for this was rust, cogs and wheels.  So that's what I did, I found a tutorial to create a rust effect with paint and had a great time.  I tend to take these themes literally which is quite funny when I look back at them.  It really has been a fabulous journal to take part in too.  Sadly we are waving goodbye to Collaborart at the moment, it has been much fun, you never know it might get resurrected in the future.

 

Hope Thursday is treating you well.  Happy Scrapping 

MORE LAYOUTS FROM THE INFAMOUS BLOG FOLDER

Good morning, well some more layouts from my blog folder, I must have been going through a blue/green double page phase at the time LOL!

Documenting the rapids at Center Parcs

And up close, I wanted to get as many photos on as possible.

Which I think I was quite successful at

What do you think?

GARDENS OF ALNWICK

Good morning to you all, well Monday mornings arrive all too quickly these days don't they!  I'm sure they speed up these weekends, I really do.  We did have a lovely weekend though which is a bonus.  Anyway I'm still emptying that blog folder so thought I'd share this double page layout created after we went to Alnwick Gardens last year.

 Up close you can see a bit more of the hand stitched detail on the layout

and the rainbow photo and the water photo taken 'through' an amazing water feature there by hubby!

I'm loving all the chevrons that are about at the minute so 'made' these myself, there must be an easier way of making them than the way I'm doing them, but I do like the effect of them on a layout!

Hope your Monday flies by.

FEBRUARY ALREADY????

Good morning 1 February - I mean really what on earth is that all about, hopefully you'll be noticing the days drawing out but we could really do without the crazy weather we are currently suffering.  I'm off to the theatre again today - should be fun, thought I'd share another layout with you (I know well there's a surprise).

This is a double page layout that I did following a holiday we had, we had this fabulous view from the bedroom window but arrived with crazy snow still on the ground, it documents the same view from the beginning of the week compared with the end of the week!

I was using up some old papers that I'd got with the tall spindly flowers on and added additional flower elements to the page as embellishments.

Up close you can see the journal block

 And the title!

 Have a fabulous day!

WEAR CRAFTS LAYOUTS USING GRAPHIC 45 FRENCH COUNTRY

Just before Christmas I received a package from the lovely Jen at Wear Crafts containing some beautiful papers to play with.  Today I'm going to share with you a layout I did with some of these gorgeous Graphic 45 French Country papers she sent, if you fancy getting hold of some of these pop over to Jen's website (button on my right side bar).

Now first up is a double page layout that I did using these papers, I'd not seen them before and at first I was a little daunted by the heavy flowery type patterns but with them being double sided I soon discovered that you can use them to make great layouts that don't necessarily appear 'flowery'

As can be seen here in the double page layout of a day trip to Conisbrough Castle.  I used a combination of the papers, added some black punched cardstock strips, a handstamped title and some simple journalling and it was done.

 Up close you can see the detail a bit better

I also loved the fleur-de-lys on the papers, and that's what steered me towards these particular photos!

I hope you like, I'll be sharing another layout using these papers tomorrow - so don't forget to pop back. Hope you have a fabulous Saturday!

THURSDAY POST AS I CRAWL TOWARDS THE WEEKEND...

How fast has your week gone?  Because mines gone very very slowly and I don't like it!  The heat at the beginning of the week certainly didn't help matters and it's set to return so the office will warm up again grrrrrr.  Anyway I digress let's see what I've got to share today.

A double page layout from our first visit to Ludlow Castle, we were fortunate to end up there when they had a battle group visiting so there were plenty of props to try on!

Up close you can see that the layout is very simple and the only embellishments I added were the pennants of bunting along the top of the page. 

I really enjoyed creating the layout - and managing to get in plenty of photos!  And yes that is said 12 year old in chain mail and yes I said it was very very heavy.

WOYWW AND THE FINISHED LAYOUT...

Wow Wednesday already - how crazy is that - blink of an eye and it's here again, feelings like my Rocking Your World Friday post - crazy I tell you crazy! 

Anyway you're not here to listen to me drivel on about the fog or the rain, or how great little man's parents evening was last night.  You don't need to know that work is mad, the house is going to rack and ruin and I've no idea what we're having for tea what you do need to know is what is on my desk this morning so here it is in all it's glory - it's looking relatively tidy after my mass Saturday morning tidy up I was down to 2inches of space something had to give! 

It's covered in my work in progress journal page (top left) 

A few cards I'm attempting to finish (centre front) I'm not a card maker so no laughing

A 12 x 12 layout for the weekly challenge on UK Scrappers top centre) - based on white space (not good at things like this) 

Top right hand side are some prepared loose journal pages and slightly to the left of those are a stack (5 in total) mini books that I'm working on!  This was how I left the table late last night.

For those of you who popped along last week - hello to you all!  Here is the layout that I was working on last week now completed entitled Pencils.

and a bit closer 

Yes I really did drag my family to the pencil museum - it was a strange day - but on a positive it made a great layout! 

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday!

MONDAY EVENING MADNESS

Good evening, so I went to work nice and early (about 8 ish) had a short twenty minute break in the middle of the day (mad dash to town to help my lovely lil bro) then worked through til 6, mad dash home ravenously ate tea, then sat down with more work which I finished a few moments ago - meaning I've done a ridiculous amount of work hours today - so I'm off to craft for an hour before I collapse in a heap, but thought I'd post a quick post to all you lovely people.  At a weekend I religiously look for new blog updates and there are so very very few of them and then on a Monday when I'm up to my eyes in work there are loads of blog postings that I struggle to catch up with because I'm back in work mode - grrrr!  Anyway thought I'd join in with a quick post (this is quick honest)

A double page layout documenting my niece's 11th birthday! 

 and a bit closer you get to see the detail, from the punched hearts, to the stamping, the hand stamped journaling and the funky title

 and the other page with the now almost compulsory stitching on it! 

 Like a said a very quick post - hope you're all having a great Monday and that it's not been quite as fraught as mine - now where's that paint I feel the need to journal!

A FABULOUS SKETCH

I love blogland and the camaraderie of it all and I also love how sometimes you come across something and for the life of you you can't workout how you found it you're so glad you did - this can be said for the Scrapology blog  which had a fabulous January sketch challenge that I fell in love with - and it was a double page layout to boot!  I love sketches, when you need a boost to your inspiration a basic layout can lead to some great crafting - so this is what I did last night and checking on the blog this morning - I haven't missed the window for the challenge!  Phew!  

I'm really pleased with the finished results and it means the four photos of us on the beach haven't been split up into different layouts but combined to show the 'whole' visit!  

 The pages up close - I changed the circle for a heart and of course it's stitching! 

 I'm not sure said 10 year old was really grasping the idea of skimming stones - more like throwing rocks! 

I made an error on the stamping at the end of embracing life - I put the exclamation mark on it's side which just made me seem very special - but being a true Virgoan this would have driven me insane, so I hand cut some hearts and placed them next to the statement and went round them with a black pen - twice to make it look intentional!  I am a great believer that anything can be recovered if you set your mind to it!

So here's to discovering new blogs - thank you Scrapology for a fabulous design - can't wait to see the February challenge!  Off to post my link - hope everyone's having a great Wednesday - it is Wednesday isn't it?  Apparently it was Wednesday yesterday too (see previous post) - sorry - don't know whether I'm wishing my life away, whether I can blame my cold or whether I'm just losing the plot! 

STRANGE WEEKEND AND SOME CRAFTING

Well there it goes in the blink of an eye - literally blink and miss it - I think I did!  It's been busy - we had dudhi and basa for tea last night (see my weightloss blog for more info), we've been to the Craft Box at Elsecar on mass - Mum, sister, brother, hubby and little one - spent money boooooo - bought craft stuff hurrayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!  Saw the lovely Gill - big waves to Gill - she's an angel - if we found something we didn't know what it was for Gill could answer us, if we wanted something and couldn't find it Gill was there - all was good! 

Saw Richard III at the Lyceum yesterday - done by the same actors as last weekends Comedy of Errors - where Comedy of Errors was slapstick Richard III was gory - with entrails, squirting blood, chainsaws, drills - I kid you not with a slightly queasy niece on our hands it was touch and go as to whether we got to the end LOL - but it was good - I did prefer the slapstick of last week - but they were both spectacular productions!  

Anyway I'm guessing you've not just wandered along here to listen to my Sunday evening ramblings?  Or perhaps you have? So thought I'd provide you with a bit of crafting!  

This layout is another double page spread using the amazingly gorgeous DCWV set DH bought me for Christmas, we were all wearing black bar for my Mum who wore pink!  

 Then the close ups - forgive the garlic bread board at the back leftovers from trying to get the double page to behave itself LOL

 I used stamps, and stickers and die cuts and hand cutting and black cardstock and all was good! 

 Sometimes it's in the detail wouldn't you say?  This stamp was a freebie from the front of the Craft Stamper a while ago - designed by Dyan and it's just fabulous I mean absolutely gorgeous it has to be my most used stamp that I have - it's just so versatile! 

Hope everyone is having a grand Sunday evening!  

A BIT OF MID WEEK CRAFTING

Actually can you call Thursday mid-week - I suppose really Wednesday would be mid-week but I didn't get round to doing this post then!

So thought I'd share the Kelburn Castle layout that I've done, I know I've shared the pictures before this is to prove that they do get converted into layouts LOL!  I loved this castle - it was awesome and made for a great layout - double page of couse! 

 Used some whimsical papers - mermaids and unicorns on them from my giant K & Company stack!  Stamped title which I then coloured in (it's just the outline) and then lots and lots of photos, found a few old embellishments to play with and all is good!

I'll be back in the morning to let you know what was Rocking my Week!

CALM AND SERENE VERSUS GRUMPY AND MISERABLE

I did the background a while ago and decided to use two very different images. Sometimes I seem to spend my life grumpy and miserable - aspiring to have happier, calmer more serene times! So here is my page to capture that. I'm not naturally grumpy or miserable so when I'm feeling like this things aren't great, just recently it's been other peoples decisions that affect me or will affect me if they follow their decisions that have led to my frustrations. Now I know what everyone will say - someone else's decision is theirs to make and I'll have to deal with it - but that just doesn't wash and leaves me feeling grumpy and miserable. I had a whole week feeling like this but now I'm just enjoying today, I'll worry about tomorrow when I get there.

I love the colours on the pages and the Tim Holtz stamp just finished it off lovely! Once again I found myself tattooing the female - this is becoming obsessive!

I was going to put some Dame Edna glasses on the old man but then thought better of it! I didn't feel happy or amusing - I just felt grumpy - so I left him just the way he was!

MATRIX INSPIRED ART JOURNAL PAGE

When the Matrix film first came out we loved it with a passion (still do really) we were so amazed at the cinematography that we insisted on going to the pictures several times to see it. We loved the hidden depths of the film the little bits that made you think twice, the correlation to Alice in Wonderland was also something that really appealed! So the red pill or blue pill question in the film resembling the Eat Me Drink Me scenario in Alice in Wonderland is a favourite scene! Sometimes the option to go back to the place where you don't know the full picture would surely be a simpler option (albeit blinkered) the pill that takes you into a new area of revelation is surely one to test you - even though with it, it brings new knowledge - so here's my page documenting the same!

I was fortunate (via dear husbands film mags) to find a picture of Morpheus sat on the formidable armchair when he gives Neo the choice, with a little discrete painting I managed to omit the writing that adorned part of the chair! I then used a female character from another film (Watchmen) to balance the double page spread. Some serious paintwork, silver pen and journaling quotes from the film and the relevance to my life made the page complete!


Close up of second page

Well what an awesome 24 hours, last night I went to see Pink at the Sheffield arena, with my hubby, my 9 year old son, my 10 year old niece (her first gig) and my awesome sister. We had good seats and the gig was absolutely amazing! A 2 hour stage set with various costume changes, dancing, acrobatics and live singing! The stage set was for her funhouse tour and therefore resembled an old fashioned fair. We were all on a high when we came out (and I wasn't too deaf for a change (used to Rock concerts which mean seriously ringing ears post gig).

Then today we went to Chatsworth to walk around the gardens and see the 'Beyond Limits' sculptures before they go at the end of the weekend. The day has been awesome, it was fantastic to be outside looking at art, enjoying natures colours at this time of year, spending some much needed quality time together. We all enjoyed the exploring and the weather stayed dry for us! Not been home long, but can't see it being a late night as we're all absolutely shattered!

ALL THINGS VAMPIRE!

Well here's a double page I did one evening when my sister was over, we had a great evening art journaling and chatting. We had tea and whiled away a great evening with a couple of glasses of wine thrown in for good measure! However, the demon wine has a lot to answer for when it comes to journaling - it makes me write waffle! I did this double page and then I read it back the following morning to find an immense amount of rhubarb written on the page. It took two days to fathom out how to recover it!

Thankfull I did manage it - I managed to change what I'd written to look like a quote from the woman on the page! Phew! Told my other half to never allow me to do journaling post wine LOL!

I've tattooed the picture again - this is getting to be quite a habit! I love all things vampire so the mirror in the picture seemed quite apt!

Had a great scrapbooking class last night at my local shop, but was asked if I was back "on form" - not sure to be honest, maybe I'm a little quieter at the moment but got a lot rattling through my brain so maybe I'm slightly more contemplative and less loud?