S....is for Splicing over at Scrapology this month...and the DT have all had fun cutting and slicing into photo's after being inspired by a super digital layout that was created by Miki Krueger. You can see more of her lovely work here

Here is my layout for the DT.....after binning my first 2 attempts ( I kid you not!!) I gave in and decided to cut a thin slice from several different photos all taken on the same evening at my sister's annual Halloween party ( which also doubles as a birthday party for our lovely Mum). We had a super fun evening with us all dressed up...we had everything from a zombie cheerleader, sugar skull zombies, a ghostly convict and Poison Ivy to a complete zombie family wedding, comprising of the bride and groom, Mother of the bride, 2 page boys and a flower girl!

I added some buttons, bling and a mix of doodlebug alpha stickers and some AC Thickers

Here is the original digital layout of Miki's that we scraplifted...

and this is the sketch that we followed.

As always there is a lovely prize that you could win, so why not pop over to the Scrapology blog and see what the rest of the lovely DT have created.....also we have our 2 new members who bring along digital and A4 designs to the mix. We would love to see you play along with us and look forward to seeing your designs....Good Luck everyone and thank you so much for visiting my blog
 xxx

Aug at Scrapology...S is for Shabby Chic

This month over at Scrapology we had the pleasure of lifting a beautiful page created by Sandrine Dawes, you can see her BLOG here 

  Here is my layout I created for the Scrapology dt this month....I used gorgeous papers by My Minds Eye and just added a few flat backed pearls and some vintage lace.
The photograph was taken recently at some stunning poppy fields a few miles away from home....truly a beautiful sight.

 

This is Sandrine's stunning original that we lifted.

If you pop over to the Scrapology blog you can see the rest of the design teams work, there are some truly beautiful variations of the page.

Once again there is a super prize on offer, this time kindly donated by Lynn and Linda . We would love to see you join in this months challenge.....get scrapping!

Warmest wishes Anita xxx

A little sneak of August....

Well its seems like its been an age since I have posted on here....not sure if anyone even looks at my blog....but I thought I would pop up a sneak of my August layout for the DT over at Scrapology....once again we have had fun playing and I am looking forward to the full reveal and start of the new challenge on Aug 1st.

Hasn't the weather been hard to cope with??? I know we shouldn't complain, because it IS lovely to actually have some proper summer weather, but boy oh boy it has come with avengence hasn't it. Don't get me wrong, I love blue skies and nice weather, but it has just been too extreme. The children have all broken up now for the summer holidays so hopefully this year there will be nice weather to allow them lots of lovely time for playing outside, hitting the beach, parks etc and just having fun. What are YOU looking forward to doing through the summer? TTFN xxxx

H is for Hand Stitching!

Over at Scrapology this month we have had the pleasure of lifting the work of Delaina Farr Burns, please do pop over and take a look at her blog, it's truly inspirational.
 We were challenged to use Hand Stitching on our pages....and, as always, had a sketch to work from. Here is my layout that I created for the DT this month.

I have been wanting to scrap this photo of my hubby and daughters for a while now and with these lovely papers by 'My Minds Eye' from their 'On The Bright Side' collection and some garden twine I created a layout that I am really happy with :)
I flipped the original sketch onto it side for my layout.

I took the photo on the beach at Camber Sands whilst on holiday there last year, we had a fair few giggles whilst trying to get them all in the air at the same time lol.
I had previously bought a natural cotton shower scrunchie, which I cut apart and inked slightly and then layered it under the photo and pennants.

I thought the garden twine was a good idea at the time....but it was an absolute devil to sew with as it kept ripping the paper....however it was worth it in the end and I do think that it worked well with the weathered wood look paper.

OOpps....sorry, I forgot to flip the sketch back round again.....but anyway, this is the sketch that we used and would like you to use if you decide to join in our challenge....which we hope you do.
And this is Delaina's beautiful layout that inspired this challenge in the first place....gorgeous isn't it!

So, if you would like to play along, you have until June the 5th to enter the challenge, using Hand Stitching on your page and bouncing off of the sketch above......we are all really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Why not pop over to Scrapology and see what the rest of the DT have created.....we have lots of layouts to look at :)
Warmest wishes Anita xx

One of a Kind....Linda's class

This was Linda's gorgeous class from the Autumn weekend crop at Cardinal Colours. You can see her lovely original layout and post here
We used beautiful papers from the My Minds Eye 'Sweetest Thing'- Bluebell Collection
 

 I just added a few little odd bits and bobs to finish it off. The photo is the last one I ever took of my darling Daddy, 2 days before he passed away :(. He was sat in the armchair trying to draw a bird bless him....he had always loved drawing and painting birds.
Although the layout looks a bit wonky, I promise you it IS straight in real life....HONEST!!

I really enjoyed making this page, even though it was really hard to scrap my Daddy...I miss him so very much :(.
Thank you Linda for a wonderful class page, its a beautiful design xx

Here Come The Babes

the Blossom Babes that is. We were mostly all team  mates in a team on UKS and have been together several years, unfortunately when things changed to social groups on UKS things drifted somewhat and it lost a lot of what we enjoyed it for so we moved away from there....but we still stayed together!! Along the way we have grown and we now have our special honourary Blossoms too :)
I am lucky enough to be able to call ALL of these lovely, special, kind hearted souls my friends. Every year we all get together for a crafting retreat in Essex in the beautiful setting of Debden House. Some of the girls I get to meet each month at our local crop or classes, but some of them we only get chance to get together with at Debden. We do however all keep in touch online. This is a photo taken at this years retreat, sadly we were missing 2 of our regulars, Jill and Gilly ( and girls, we really REALLY did miss you, it was not the same without you both there....roll on 2013!!!) When I saw the colours in the photo I knew it would be a good one to use with these lovely papers.

They are from the My Minds Eye Miss Caroline collection, such pretty patterns and colours aren't they. The bingo card was from a sheet of Simple Stories paper, the butterflies punched out with a Martha Stewart punch and the title is using AC Thickers.

I was totally inspired by an idea on a layout I saw well over a year ago by a fab scrapper called

Davinie Fiero

she used circles and squares together and I LOVED the effect.

Anyway, all that is left to say is that I just LOVE these girls....they are the best.....and I count myself very blessed to know them xxx

Sitting Pretty....(watch out its VERY photo heavy)

This is one of the layouts I made at Blossom Retreat weekend last month. The photos were taken last year on a day trip to our local small zoo, Drusillas. At the end of the zoo park they have a gift shop and inside they sell lots of branded products, but they seem to specialise in Thomas The Tank engine for the boys and Hello Kitty for the girlies. Outside there is a little ride on machine...that is **supposed** to be for little girlies....ahem...well I guess she is one of MY little girlies eh ;)
The smaller photo *should* have been on more of a tilted angle, but it stuck fast and I couldn't move it.

A variety of different letters used, some pretty buttons and best of all the 
length of lace is from my late dear Little Nanna's sewing box, so pleased
to have had chance to use some at last :)

So....anyway, today we also paid a visit to Drusillas, we haven't been for quite a while and as we have annual passes we thought we really should put them to good use. So, if you get bored easily then I suggest you run away now lol as there are a fair few pics. Starting with this little fella, he was totally chilled out under the heat lamp.

 

If only I had taken a shot of the whole slide....it was a curled up snake and was actually quite high with a rapid downwards spiral.....you should have heard the yelps as she came down lol

Two Tyred lol

This little bucket seat spun sooooo fast I thought she was going to fly out!!! Was so funny to see her try to walk after she got out though he!he!he! ( a taste of things to come when she has been out partying I guess lol)

This young otter was absolutely adorable.....not to mention vocal! He had a very high pitched squeal.

We have never seen flamingo eggs before and today we saw 3! Hopefully they  will safely hatch, although there was a little bit of a scrap going on over one of the nests....keep your fingers crossed.

This little guinea pig made me think of Barbara Windsor LOL, check out the little grin on its face.

We managed to get a good look at the servals today too, normally they are quite well hidden, but it was lovely to be so close today.

Awwww, this teeny little fella was soooo cute, but so sad looking bless him. Looks like a little ol man doesn't he lol.

We popped in the little sweetie shop in the play area for some nibbles and I saw this! I adore peanuts, but found out a few weeks ago ( after actually trying peanut butter for the first time) that peanut butter is no where near as nice as peanuts on their own. But I decided to try this peanut butter Twix....hmmmm, won't bother trying another one though....especially at £1.10 a pop!!!

                                                 Chloe tried out the white knuckle ride lol.

On the way back to the car park the girls went for a ride around the park on Thomas

See! They did have a good time :)

                                         The one with the loooooooonnnnnnnnnggggg legs!

and the one with the stumpy ones lol.xxx( just kidding Lauren, love you really!)

Chloe is normally VERY vocal ( ask ANYONE who knows her lol) and she never passes up the chance to have a go in the zoolympics phone box. You have to shout as LOUD as you can and see how many decibels you can reach....as you can see she did quite well.

So, this was our bank holiday monday ( well it was after I had come home from work!!)
What did YOU do? Whatever it was I hope you had a good time.

Warmest wishes
Anita xxxx

Dream Big!

Just a quick post tonight, feeling rather pants with a painful throat and earache :( This is a layout I made a month or so ago, using MME Lost and Found II papers. I really REALLY love the glittering on them and the elements that I cut from one of the sheets.One of my nephews making daisy chains on the grass bank next to Battle Abbey ( doesn't he look like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth lol)

Right, just going to take some pills and crash out on the settee for a bit I think. Hope you have a lovely weekend xxx

Every Day is a Special Occasion....

but some days are just a little more special than others.I made this layout for a class I have recently taught and used the beautiful papers by My Minds Eye from their Lost and Found II range called "Blush". so pretty and sparkly and just perfect to scrap this photo taken of us going out for Lauren's 16th Birthday meal.

I I hand cut a random wavy edge all around the base paper and backed the whole page onto a sheet of Bazill Bling. I gently inked the edges and then repeated the same on the photo mat ( although I did use large scallop scissors to cut the mat).

I used a Bon Bonnerie net to create the skirt and simply folded it up, cut a small slice in the paper to poke it through and fixed at the back of the layout. I then just finished off the waistband with a couple of mulberry roses and some pearls.

 

I cut the bunting and birds from another sheet of paper from the range and added some flat pearls on each lacy banner. I used strips of crystals to edge the photograph and then finished off the page using 2 delicate flourishes that were die cut using the beautiful Valerian Flourish by Memory Box

I hope you have better weather where you are than we are having here. The winds are horrendous and have created havoc in our back garden and the rain ( although much needed)just doesn't seem to stop for long does it. Oh well, never mind. Enjoy whats left of the weekend....I am just off to make bacon butties ;) Warmest wishes Anita xx

True Blue!

Hello there to anyone who might still drift along to my blog.
I thought I should upload this layout that I made at Cardinal Colours Spring weekend crop at the end of March.
I took the photo of Chloe on a visit to Sharnfold PYO last summer, we quite often visit down there throughout the year :)
In the play area they have some huge old tractor tyres that are set in the ground for the kids to clamber over, but Chloe was happier to just *chill out* on them.
I have used some My Minds Eye papers from the Stella Rose " Hattie" collection.

I printed out some butterflies that I downloaded from a fantastic forum called Swirlydoos ( you imply MUST visit! It is overflowing with awesome inspiration). I also used Stickles, Liquid Pearls and some bling to add a little sparkle to my page.


the beautiful filigree fan shape in the background was cut on the cricut expression using the Ornamental Iron II Cart....I am soooo TOTALLY in love with it!

Anyway, enough from me, I am off for an early night. Hoping for decent weather tomorrow morning so I can go and have stroll around the large local boot sale and see if I can bag a bargain.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Warmest wishes Anita xxx