MIA, Las Vegas, 2 years, Beads

Happy Monday!!!

Sorry for being MIA for a few weeks now!!! I just lost my mojo for a little while and really did not feel like doing any crafting at all. Maybe it has something to do with the state of my craft room!!! I really do need to get more organised and do something about the mess!

DH and I went on a short break together to Las Vegas the other weekend, which was lots of fun. However I can't really tell you much about that!! as you all know What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!!! LOL. We did go and see a show Zumanity, but I am not going to mention anything about it, you just have to go and see it for yourself!!! LOL

Today is quite a monumental day for our household, 2 years today we moved into our house and 2 days before that we flew across the Atlantic with the rest of our belongings packed into 12 suitcases while all our household good took a 6 week trip on a freight ship across the Pond and so began the start our new life in America!!! It has been one hell of a journey, and even now we are still getting over our massive move and settling in. I am hoping that this next year will be a lot easier than the last 2 years and that we can start to really enjoy life.

Another reason that I might not have done any scrap booking or card making is I came across another addicting hobby!!!!!

I was a at a local coffee shop the other day and noticed that they had a bead shop next door. So I made the fatal mistake of just popping in for a little look. Well I am sure you all know what happened next!!!! Maybe its something o do with being a Gemini, flitting from one hobby to the next!!! LOL anyway, I was just browsing and Yes I got sucked in and ended up spending a couple of hours making jewellery!!! So I now have a new stash of beautiful beads and findings and have already made a number of bracelets and earrings!!!!

Here are just a few of them LOL.

This set of earrings and bracelet are the first pair that I made at the local bead shop. I used swarovski crystals and a number of other semi precious stones.

Thanks for looking everyone. I would love to hear about any of your other hobbies that you do apart from scrapping or card making.

Chicago and Happy Mail

Hi Bloggers, sorry for not blogging in the last few days. We have been on a little family trip and went to Milwaukee and then onto Chicago. We had a blast in Chicago and really enjoyed visiting the city. I even managed to get myself another pair of Crocs!!!!! I think thats 7 pairs now!!! LOL This pic is one of the many I took from Sears Tower. We visited quite a few museums whilst in Chicago and my feet are still recovering from all the walking we did and my waistline in recovering from all the eating I did.

First I want to show you the blog candy that I received from Danielle, you can read all about it in this post. Danielle made me a gorgeous handmade gift, card, stamped some images for me and also sent me some other little bits and bobs. Thank you so much Danielle I really appreciate all the effort you put into it. Now I have to find some spare time to make my handmade gift!!!!

I also received my prize from Scrapbook.com for allowing them to publish my lollipop flower tutorial ont heir website. What a package: 25 sheets of DP, DCWV scrapbook kit stack, bazzill mono mini album, 2 packs jolees, piggy tales chipboard letters, American crafts rub ons, gift box studio set, technique Tuesday clear stamps and some Teresa Collins score it sheets. How lucky am I.

Sorry for such a long post LOL, OK I have got to dash as my son is not too well and is off school today, put it this way I am so glad I have a decent carpet cleaner!!!!

Maybe I will get a chance to blog again later. Take care and have a great day.

Sketch Saturday #44, Penny Black Saturday #42

Hi All

I managed to combine to challenges with this card; Penny Black Saturday Challenge #42 Think Spring so I chose this PB stamp with the daffodils and tulips, (my tulips that I planted in the autumn are just starting to pop through the ground, I can't wait for them to flower, sadly I couldn't plant tulips as the deer would eat them) and the sketch I used for this card came from Sketch Saturday - Sketch #44 . I coloured the image with my watercolour pencils. DP is a DCWV stack pack. Flowers are punched and added stickles for a bit of bling.

Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments.

Double Dutch Challenge

Happy Friday everyone, I have to go and do the weekly shop later on this afternoon, so thought I would do a quick card this morning!

For this card I have used sketch #14 from Double Dutch Challenges it was a really easy sketch to follow as it gave the dimensions to use, so all in all it came together pretty quickly. The image used is a swap I received from Linda (Thanks), I popped him up and sat him on ribbon that I bought from Michaels the other day for only 50 cents!!! for a whole spool!!! The ovals I cut with my cricut and just had to add some bling!!!

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

Happy Mail

Wow did I receive happy mail or what!Another blogger, Linda over at Linda's crafty creations and I decided to swap some images, she sent me some the other day and I could not believe her generosity and then today I received some more in the post Just look at all these!!! can you believe how generous Linda is!!!!! I have never received so many swaps in all my life!!!!! there were so many that I couldn't get them all in the picture. Linda thank you so very much.

I also received an email today from Scrapbook com thanking me for posting a link to my Lollipop Flower Tutorial and if it would be OK for them to publish my tutorial in their articles section on scrapbook com, of course I said yes, in fact I was thrilled that they asked!!!! they asked me to send my details and that they would get a prize box in the mail to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How cool is that!!!!

WANTED

Hi

I wanted to share a layout I did a couple of months ago but wasn't able to share at it was at the LSS that I used to design for, I have now got it back so can share it with you. The only problem is I have forgotten what products I used so can't tell you!!!! The photo was taken in a store at Disney Land, Paris,in 1998!!!!! I think that this has to be one of the oldest photos I have scrapped, which just goes to show how behind I am with my scrapping!!!!

Thanks for looking and for all the lovely comments.

Claudia over at Pretty Pressings is giving away some fantastic blog candy. Her blog is so inspirational and I wish I had half her talent! Go check it out.

Disney

Hi

More Disney layouts, yes I know I keep saying it, I will one day get this album done!!!!! I am trying to keep the layouts simple so that they get done faster!!!!

Thanks for looking

Mothers Day

Hi

Well I think I have been MIA long enough!!!! Life got in the way, I have been ill for almost a week with an awful cold verging on flu, I had terrible earache that kept me up for a few nights and to be honest my mojo went walk about for a little while too LOL. But I am back now!!! and feeling much better

It will be Mothers Day in the England on Sunday 22 March, so I managed to get my cards done on Sunday and posted them on Monday. I kept these really simple as I was in a rush to get them done. The House Mouse images are a wish rak sent to me by a very kind lady on SCS. For some reason this photo is really washed out but I can't redo them now as they are on their way across the Atlantic!!!!

Thanks for looking and whatever the weather have a great day.

Recipe: DP is paper studio, alphas cut out with my sizzix using sizzlits - Noveaux, hearts punched with MS punch, ribbon, prima blossom, coloured image using watercolour pencils.

Lollipop Flower Tutorial

This is my 1st tutorial so please be gentle with me!!!!!! LOL

Lollipop Flower Tutorial

Draw 4 or 5 circles (up to you how many, I did 4 for this tutorial) in ascending size. You can skip this step and the next if you can cut out circles free hand.

Roughly cut them out, (they do not have to be perfect). Erase any pencil mark you have left from drawing them.
Put a pencil into the centre of the circle (this is used as a guide).


Scrunch the circle card stock up around the pencil,the scrunchier (is that a word) the better.



Unfold the petal and repeat this process for all 4 or 5 petals.


Take some snow writer (as seen in the pic) or anything similar.



and apply it to the outer edge of the scrunched petal, you could try inking the edge for another different effect. Do this to all the petals and leave them to dry.

Layer the circles on top of one another in ascending order and use a piercing tool or similar tool to make a hole in the centre of the flower petals.

Insert a brad into the hole.

There you are, one Lollipop flower

The thing I like about these flowers, is the fact that you can just use scraps of cardstock and you can make them as big as you want LOL, they virtually cost nothing, which in todays climate is a really good thing, this means more money to spend on other craft essentials LOL. Thanks for Looking.

I was so excited to be asked by scrapbook.com to submit this article to their tutorials and was sent some nice scrapbooking supplies for my efforts, you can find it on this link.

http://www.scrapbook.com/articles.php?mode=doc&id=38363&tid=217

Blog Candy

Hi there everyone!
So I was wondering over to Danielles blog and she has won some blog candy - but with a really fun twist!! She won a homemade "gift" by being one of the first 5 people to leave a comment under the post, so now I'll see who my first 5 are! The first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice! For you. (There is a possibility it will be a purchased item instead of homemade, or both).
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations sorry only open to US and Canada - dut to the fact that I am offering as this is 5 lots of blog candy, I will however be offering candy to international aswell in a couple of months time:-
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done sometime this year (I will want to get it done ASAP so it will probably be in the next month or so).
4. You have no clue what it's going to be.
5. The catch? Oh, the catch is you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog (then come here and post, I will check your blog *wink*). The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a handmade gift by me. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! SO ...................who will be the first 5 people????
1. Jennifer Hodge
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you see your name on the top 5 please email me your address so I can get your candy out!

Snow Tasty

While I type this it continues to snow!!!!! So much for thinking that spring was just around the corner!!!! We went from being able to see grass for the 1st time in about 4 months to it all being covered back up again!!! I guess that is Wisconsin for you!

Anyway we decided not to do anything today, we are all just doing our own thing and for me that means scrapping, crafting and making a mess LOL.

Anyway, I decided to have a break from doing Disney Layouts. I just finished this layout, which is a scraplift of my Winter Wonderland layout, I guess it is unusual colours for a snow layout, but I think it kind of works!!!!

On my winter wonderland layout I used a Large Prima flower, because I didn't have any and didn't even know if they came in red I had a go at making one myself. Well I guessed I saved myself a few pennies as these are so easy to make. I will try and post a tutorial for you if I get time today.

Supplies used: Thickers alpha stickers, prima flowers, hand made flower, brads, ribbon, bazzill chipboard snowflakes, glitter. MM tag, michaels rhinestones.

Another layout for my Disney album, I am getting there slowly LOL.

When we were on holiday it was my birthday, so before we left I arranged to have breakfast with Pooh bear and friends. Much to my sons embarrassment!!!LOL they enjoyed it all the same and it was a fun day.

I am not too sure if I have finished this layout, I may add a title, any suggestions, anyway I thought I would upload it. Thanks for looking and for your comments.

Disney

I am slowly finishing my Disney Album from our holiday to Disney, Florida in 2006 !!!!!!! My goal is to get it done by the end of this year LOL. I am sure I said that last year too!

Today I would like to share one of the many layouts from our holiday. I am finding it hard going to get inspired to do layouts for this album now, having done so many. However while browsing for inspiration I was inspired by a layout by Ginger Williams on scrapbook com her fantastic layout can be seen here.

Thanks for looking

Summer Time

Happy Friday everyone, I am supposed to be doing housework and generally tidying up!!!!!LOL I have done some housework but just thought I would take a few minutes out to blog!!! and share a layout with you. It is also my youngest sons birthday on Saturday so I have to make him a card, a card for hubby (seeing as its valentines day) and a card for my friend Lucy (sorry if its late - I am not sure if it will get to the UK on time now).

This is another layout using the papers from We R Memory Keepers - White Out Collection,I just love these papers for doing summer layouts, they are so bright and fun.

Thanks for looking and for all your lovely comments, they really do make my day:-)

Supplies used We R Memory Keepers - White Out Collection, - Frenzy - Layered Chipboard Journaling and papers, bazzill card stock, prima flowers, brads

This is the 2nd of 5 layouts I have recently done. I have never used transparencies on a layout before so wasn't really sure how to make it work! and not sure if it does. I have also just noticed I put the wrong date on this!!!!! I must have been getting tired!!! so will have to change that!!!! This is straight in real life, I think I must have slightly moved the lace before taking a pic!!!!

Papers used are from Paper Studio

Thanks for Looking

Chillin

On Saturday my friend came round and we cropped from 2 til 7 and had a lot of fun. I managed to get 5 layouts done in total, which was good going for me as I normally take a few hours on just one layout!!! (I am a slow scrapper). After all the snow melting I thought I would do a fun summer layout, roll on summer!!!! Here is the 1st of 5 that I did.

For this layout I used We R Memory Keepers - White Out Collection - Frenzy - Layered Chipboard Journaling and papers, bazzill cardstock, prima flowers, brads

Thanks for looking

Managed to do some crafting today inbetween doing the housework! For this Tilda I coloured her in using H2Os and IRL she does look like she is wearing a sparkly dress but I can't seem to get that to show up on this photo.

No Crafting :-(

I have been a little busy with college work so I haven't managed to do any crafting in the last few days apart from stamping some Magnolias for the swap I have joined on SCS.
Anyway so not to leave you with something to look at here is a short video of our dogs that I took the other day. The darker Lab is Murphy who we flew over from England when we moved here, he is 3 years old. The other lab is Milly who is 1 years old and is American LOL

Happy Birthday

I think I am safe to post this!!! !It was Jenny's birthday last weeka and I made and sent her this card. She should have received it by now.

The image is a Penny Black Stamp that I stamped, coloured with watercoloured pencils and cut out with scalloped circle nestabiliteis and layered onto pink card.. Happy Birthday stamp is studion G that I stamped directly onto the ribbon. DP ??????? The sketch I used for this card is from Taylors Cupcake Challenge last week (see previous post).

Thanks for looking.