Defying Logic

Pretty Paper Party - Stamping

2011-11-15T18:34:00.002Z

It has been a while but this is a layout I created in response to the stamping prompt at Pretty Paper Party. I really enjoyed looking through my stamps to find the perfect text and images to go with these photos, and it was great to deliberately try and find ones I hadn't used before!

To see my other posts on this topic search the tag Pretty Paper Party :D

Busy Busy Busy!

2011-11-08T20:31:00.003Z

I can't believe how quickly ten days have passed! I knew I would be busy after half term but things have been even mroe manic than expected.

As a result I haven't had any time to work on my Pretty Paper Party Prompts but am looking forward to a scrapping session at my mum's with her and two of her friends tomorrow night.

I haven't been compeltely bereft of scrapping though, oh no! At the weekend we took ourselves up to the Midlands, stopping at Kenilworth Castle on the Saturday, and spending a fantastic 8 hours (!!) at the NEC for the Hobbycrafts and Crafts for Christmas show.

We stayed overnight at a B&B in Solihull to enable us to have an early start on the Sunday morning. Dad and Carl dropped us off in the disabled parking area, and with mum settled into her wheelchair we arrived inside just after the opening time of 9.30. Our early start meant we were able to get booked on 3 make and takes: glass painting, Sizzix and Wow embossing.

We had a wonderful time, and it was even better because Carl and my dad went happily off to the National Motorcycle Museum for the day, meaning no-one to curb our spending!

We didn't leave the show until after 5pm, and we still hadn't managed to see everything. Finally arriving home after 9 O'Clock, we certainly slept well that night :D

Pretty Paper Party - Stash Diving Part 3

2011-10-29T09:53:00.002Z

On Thursday at my mum's I once again took my original stash diving 'kit' with me and came up with this Layout:

Although initially my plan was to scrap as many Libbi photos as possible, I have been getting so much done within the class that I'm also making great headway into my New York photos from the summer!

To see more posts related to this class search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :D

Pretty Paper Party Day 9

2011-10-28T16:01:00.003Z

Prompt 9 was all about using Kraft cardstock and one other. In one of Shimelle's examples she had used orange as her accent colour, and this seemed perfect to go with my photos, as in my top there were coral colours which could be seen as orange from a distance! I also had plenty of orange scraps from scrapping my wedding over the last couple of years :D

I wanted this page to show the various shots of the Empire State Building taken from Top of the Rock at 30 Rock (Rockerfella Center), and I also thought it was about time I included myself in a LO from the party! The butterflies were from a Martha Stewart punch that I borrowed from my mum, but may need to purchase for myself, and the journaling block was from a Jeni Bowlin booklet (as were the journaling
stickers).

To see other posts relating to this class search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :D

Pretty Paper Party Day 8

2011-10-28T15:52:00.004Z

Prompt 8 was all about taking 2 colours and adding a neutral (white, cream, grey or kraft). I just bought this wonderful My LIttle Shoebox paper, so it was perfect for this theme. I chose the yellow as one colour, with pink as the accent from the little birds. Althuogh the other little birds were almost a kraft colour the kraft cardstock I had seemed the wrong shade to work with this paper, so I went with grey instead, adding a little grey in amongst the embellishment blocks. Most of the paper strips and circular shapes are pink, so I added a bit more yellow through the title stickers (two styles of American Crafts Thickers) and the little birds, from the Dear Lizzy range.

To see other posts related to this class search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :D

Pretty Paper Party - Day 7

2011-10-26T18:24:00.003Z

Prompt 7 at the party was all about different ways to mix patterns. You could mix within a collection, using similar shapes and patterns, or by finding another collection that was a natural match. I decided to use a variety of floral patterns, mostly from My Mind's Eye but then liked the colour match from the Dear Lizzy manuscript paper as well! I then paired this with some chipboard embellishments from that same collection.

Once again I am back to scrapping photos for Libbi's album, so pink is a key colour :D

To find more posts related to this class search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party - Stash Diving part 2

2011-10-23T16:17:00.002Z

Yesterday (Saturday) my dad came round to help Carl in the garden so I took the opportunity to teach my mum the principles of stash diving. She loved it and managed to produce 3 layouts in under two hours.

At the same time I made another 4 layouts from my 'kit' and started to put another one together, choosing the papers and starting the cutting.

Here are the 4 other layouts I produced:

The blank space on this one was left so I can ask Joshua exactly why he loves the Hiro book more than the others!

This is another one for Josh's album. Although he has many more layouts than Libbi, it is still severely lacking!

These last two layouts were the start of my New York album from our trip this summer.

To see more posts related to this class search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party Day 5

2011-10-23T16:11:00.002Z

Friday's prompt was all about edges - in this LO I used a combination of border punches, tore some pieces of paper and used a lot of Distress Ink! I also used the idea of making a sewn edge mini book to hold additional photos.

To see more of my posts related to this class search the tag Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party Day 4

2011-10-20T18:24:00.003Z

Last night I finally got caught up with all the other day's prompts so when I got home from work I was able to crack on with the enw one. Today it was all about mixing spots and stripes - it turns out I definitely have a big thing going on for yellow at the moment, along with several other bright colours - I guess that comes from having such smiley nieces and nephews to scrap :D

To see my other posts related to this class search the tag Pretty Paper Party :D

Pretty Paper Party Day 3

2011-10-20T18:16:00.003Z

On Day 3 Shimelle shared with us a prompt, all about concentrating page elements together, and a limited edition video that taught us how to carry out "Stash Diving" in order to get the most from our supplies, and to stop us from being afraid to cut our favourite pretty papers. It also taught us the mantra "Use it while you love it!"

I decided to dive right in with the idea and selected papers from the brown/yellow/teal/red colour palette. It wasn't the palette I was originally going to go for but I found I didn't have a great deal of grey to go with my yellow and teal.

The first picture shows my papers before they were cut, and the second is after I had chopped them all up, according to Shimelle's instructions:

As the video suggests, I started big, making a double layout first. I scraplifted the placement of papers from Shimelle's own layout on the video as I am never totally confident on the positioning over a double. However, with the completely different colour scheme, embellishments and subject it looks completely different!

I am looking forward to seeing how much more I can make from this pile, and will definitely use this method again.

To see more of my posts related to this class search my tags for Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party Day 2

2011-10-19T17:54:00.003Z

Yesterday was day 2 of Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party class and the prompt was all about using a patterned paper as a background sheet instead of plain cardstock. I immediately went to my American Crafts A La Carte box as I knew there would be lots of suitable prints in there. I then looked through my scraps and chose a couple of papers from the Dear Lizzie range, which I love! Again I was trying to choose photos of Libbi, and I am loving yellow right now so this had to be my background. I then decided on the green as it matched the colour of Oscar's T-shirt exactly. Finally I added a pink and white flower print, as well as using the opposite side which was the same pink in a block colour.

I finished up the principle of using my stash while I love it by adding embellishments from a giant K&co box that I got at Costco about 2 years ago! I had been saving the 3D butterflies and flowers but decided they would work well on this layout - I am really pleased I used them.

To see all my posts for this class, search for the tag Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party Day 1

2011-10-18T18:04:00.002Z

Party Ring Princess

So today our challenge was to use strips of paper and I started by digging out my scraps drawer. I already knew which photo I wanted to use, as I am aiming to get lots of layouts of Libbi completed, as well as a couple of Joshua.

The colours of the crown and the party ring biscuit led me straight to the pinks and yellows. It turned out I had much more in the way of pink, so I used the yellow for the base card (American Crafts) and the accent features. I also decided to use American Crafts princess stamps to create embellishments, and added punched circles from the bright pink spotty Bo Bunny paper (luckily it was double sided so I could use the plain and the spotty!).

I am off out again tonight, so tomorrow I will do today's prompt alongside the new one. Really enjoying having the opportunity to scrap in the early evening - thanks Shimelle!

To see my other blog posts for this class, search the tag Pretty Paper Party :)

Pretty Paper Party Day 1 Ice Breaker

2011-10-17T16:54:00.001Z

So today is the first day of the Pretty Paper Party and our first prompt was to take a photograph of our paper. I love paper pads, although I do mix and match from collections, so I decided to layer up lots of my paper pads for this photo. On top had to be my current favourite, Tim Holtz's Kraft stack :D

Find other posts from this class by searching the tag "Pretty Paper Party".

Sketch by Shimelle - Layout 2

2011-10-16T18:17:00.002Z

I really liked this week's sketch from http://www.shimelle.com/ so I used it twice! This layout shows photos from Father's Day earlier this year.

I have also started a layout from the "Starting Point" at Shimelle's website for this week but it isn't quite finished.

Tomorrow is the first day of Pretty Paper Party, so I'm really looking forward to that too!

Find the original sketch here: http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1261/scrapbooking-sketch-of-the-week/

Sketch by Shimelle - Layout 1

2011-10-16T18:07:00.003Z

I realised recently that I have only got 2 or 3 completed layouts of Libbi. She suffers from being the youngest of my nieces and nephews, each of whom have progressively less in their albums! As such I decided to use this sketch to start to rectify that. I also used some of my gorgeous Tim Holtz stamps for the first time.

Find the original sketch here: http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1261/scrapbooking-sketch-of-the-week/

Pretty Paper Party

2011-10-12T19:19:00.001Z

So I've signed up for another class at www.shimelle.com. This one is all about pretty papers and, seeing as these are some of my favourite things in the world of scrapbooking, it was very hard to resist!

With half term coming up only 5 days after the class begins, there is no reason for me not to keep up :D

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company

2011-06-01T19:46:00.002Z

Another food related layout! We had a great time at Bubba Gamp, Universal Orlando City Walk last year: the theming was amazing (a table tennis paddle for the drinks menu!) and I was even able to buy their official 3D scrapbook accents. I have used American Crafts cardstock, DCWV (and other) papers, plus a selection of stamps to create the border.

Yum...

2011-06-01T19:42:00.002Z

This Layout shows the cake we were given at Chef Mickeys, Disney's Contemporary Resort on the last day of our trip last year (2010). It was delicious! There are a variety of papers, the transparent frame came from QVC UK, and a Jenni Bowlin journaling spot. Borders are punched with EK Success punches.

So Close

2011-05-25T20:07:00.002Z

My nephews are absolutley adorable, and they are also best friends. Complete opposites in looks, they are both little monkeys!

I found this range from My Minds Eye when I was in Florida last summer. I was lucky enough to find two Scrapbook stores in Orlando/Kissimmee that I hadn't explored before, plus one in Fort Lauderdale. Other products include Doddlebug paper frills, American Crafts Thickers, and My Little Bicycle mini alphabet.

Spring at Howletts

2011-05-25T20:04:00.002Z

Another photo from Howletts Zoo, this time showing me, my mum, Sophie and Libbi. I was going for a circular theme, using Crate Paper products, American Crafts 'Dear Lizzie' thickers, and that cute camera stamp.

Libbi + Food = Gone!

2011-05-25T19:59:00.002Z

This is a layout that I still have to add journaling to. It uses Die Cuts With a View papers, plus a variety of trims, ribbons, stamps and brads.

Photo is of Libbi last summer at Howletts Zoo.

Scrapbook Layout - Framed challenge

2011-03-24T20:18:00.003Z

Eclipse Movie Countdown Official Teaser Poster

2010-01-07T22:28:00.001Z

JYC - Day 13

2009-12-13T09:46:00.004Z

Yes, I have missed out Day 12! It was about Christmas past and I want to think a little more about exactly what I want to document for that - my mum has some great photos but they are all in a box in the loft, not scanned in or anything!

So, Day 13 is about Christmas songs- an easy subject for me. As a member of RaTS Revellers I know a whole host of traditional, alongside extremely unusual, Christmas songs! However, since becoming a teacher I am not able to devote the time to the Christmas season of concerts (especially not with panto rehearsals at the same time).

Every year, one of my scrapping friends sends a group of us (the Sinners) a Christmas parcel. Inside is a Christmas card, some form of confectionary, and a CD, especially chosen for the season. In the past we have had Alan Titchmarsh, Harry Potter inspired wizardry, and this year it was a Star Wars Christmas. But it all began with The Hoff. It is so cheesey and, at times, cringeworthy, that it's a must-listen for me every Christmas. Unfortunately, my husband isn't quite such a big fan. He didn't remind me that it wasn't playing as we put up our decorations this year - shock, horror! So today, I must rectify this, by listening to at least part of it. We wish you.......a merry Christmas...

JYC - Day 11

2009-12-13T09:30:00.002Z

Today's prompt was about our Christmas tree. I included a photo of the tree this year, as well as 4 additional photos of special ornaments. If you look closely, you can see that the last little picture shows one of our cats, Terk, in the tree! Luckily his brother, J.D., is a little better behaved.
The journalling about the meaning of each ornament is on the tag behind the main picture.

JYC - Day 10

2009-12-13T09:28:00.002Z

This is day 10 and it was about wrapping paper. I followed the basic structure of the quick guide today but then decided to put my journalling on the back of the tag:

JYC - Day 9

2009-12-13T09:26:00.002Z

Today's prompt was all about traditions. I wrote about our breakfast tradition on the main part of the page but have included hidden journalling about other traditions from the past and present.

JYC - Day 8 - complete

2009-12-13T09:23:00.002Z

This is the page I made using the photos I took on December 8th.

JYC Day 6 - complete

2009-12-13T09:21:00.002Z

This is the completed page with journalling :-)

JYC - Day 8 part 2

2009-12-09T17:44:00.000Z

A couple more photos taken on the 8th:

JYC - Day 8

2009-12-09T17:33:00.000Z

Dayy 8 was all about photographing the things around that I can see that suggest Christmas. I live very near to our High Street, so I took my camera for a walk when I got home from work. Something I have noticed this year is that there are very few Christmas displays. Many shops have been replaced by pawn shops, and others are empty. Interestingly, they used to leave the lights on overnight, so they were still lit on my drive to work (also in the dark at this time of year!) but sadly this year they are off in the mornings. I guess it must be an economy drive. To compensate for the lack of Christmas atmosphere outside, I took some photographs in our flat as well!

JYC - Day 7

2009-12-09T17:30:00.001Z

I love this page - it came together really easily! I added a To Do list in the pocket, along with a recipe for a dessert we're making for Boxing Day - one of the things on my list is to buy the ingredients! The journaling on the front of the pocket explains that this year all the Christmas presents were bought for other people by the end of November :)

JYC - Day 6

2009-12-09T17:28:00.000Z

I haven't totally completed this page - I printed my journalling at work, so need to attach it and add a little more embellishment - the basics are there, though!

JYC - Day 5

2009-12-09T17:26:00.000Z

So, this is my entry for December 5th - it was about advent calendars and countdowns. I don't have an advent calendar this year, so I decided to journal about the way the Coca Cola advert is always the first thing that makes me feel truly Christmassy - it makes me realise that Christmas is nearly here!

JYC - day 4

2009-12-06T18:40:00.006Z

I'm playing a little catch up today - this is my entry on a perfect Christmas - this year I don't think will be perfectly organised, as I am being so forgetful! I didn't realise until Friday morning that it was our staff Christmas party, which I thought was the following Firday - oops!

Luckily I was feeling a lot better, although I had nearly no voice. In the end I had a really good time, sticking to the Cokes and J2Os, watching everyone else getting merry, lol.

Today we have put our decorations up, and I managed to get a few good pictures, including this one of JD in the Christmas tree box - he's doing what Sasha always used to do, bless him:

I have to say, part of me wanted to put aside doing the decorations until next week - I'm glad we didn't, now, as I'm finally starting to feel a bit more Christmassy.

Other pictures from today:

JYC - Day 3

2009-12-03T17:45:00.002Z

So this is the LHS of my double page. The journalling is about how I usually manage to get my Christmas cards written but never quite manage to send/hand all of them out! I also mentioned how I've written my Thank You cards for the wedding recently, so I'm looking forward to writing Christmas cards even less.

I chose to write a letter to my husbnad, as well, writing it on one of the spare aforementioned Thank You cards - I'm going to post it to him then, if he wants, he can keep it inside the journal. I also included a Christmas tree from a card that I have kept from a few years ago, and the envelope from a wedding card which I kept because of the "Fairytale" sticker.

JYC - Day 2

2009-12-02T20:31:00.003Z

OK, I've kept things fairly simple today- I cut a file folder using my Big Shot and used a couple of pre-made embellishments and ribbon to decorate. I saw the idea for the tin foil snowflake on one of the links but found it was harder in practise than it sounded! Still, I made it, so it has gone in.

This is the inside view of the file folder, with my journalling:

Journalling reads:
In theory I <3 snow...It looks beutiful like a painting. In reality I'm turning into my mum - I hate falling over and driving in it. There's not even anywhere I can easily get to to see lovely views!
But when compared to the typical grey, grizzly day we usually end up with...Well, I suppose I'm dreaming of a white christmas along with the best of 'em!
Today's weather: 10 degrees C, scattered showers.

Manifesto - the page!

2009-12-01T19:26:00.003Z

This is my manifesto translated into an actual page. I also completed my numbers for the pages this afternoon, although my nose is still a bit yucky! I decided on red circles with drawn on 'stitching', topped with a 'present' made of white paper squares and ribbon. The numbers were die cut using my Sizzix.

Journal Your Christmas - Front page

2009-12-01T19:23:00.003Z

So, this is the front page of my Journal - I mainly used acrylic paint and chipboard but I also added decorative snow which I've had in my stash for ages lol!

Journal Your Christmas - my manifesto

2009-12-01T08:16:00.005Z

Wow....September 2008....I didn't realise it had been that long!

So, in my last post I mentioned how we had booked our Disney wedding- and here we are, December 1st 2009, and we've been married for 3 and a half months.

I have joined Journal Your Christmas at http://www.shimelle.com/

- this is something that I've wanted to do for a couple of years but have never got round to signing up for. Our first prompt is to write our manifesto. As I am currently typing in bed on my work laptop, having sent in my cover work, feeling sorry formyself, I figured I would state it on my blog:

We'll start at the very beginning...it's a very good place to start! So why am I doing this? Because I'm mad? Because I finally have my mojo back? Because I want to make this Christmas special? To be honest, it's probably a combination of all these things. Over the last few years, December blurs into a tiring mess of work and social life, with very little "me" time inbetween. So this year, I promise myself at least 20 mintues a day to concentrate on my project. I also want to document my first Christmas as a married woman - how many more Christmasses will we spend as just the two of us before kids come along? But that's a question for another day. For now...on with the show!

Follow The Diva

2008-09-13T22:04:00.001Z

Follow The Diva
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I know - it's been about 2 months!! But we went away for a bit and did several day trips (thanks to the Clubcard vouchers!) and I got out of th habit of scrapping and blogging.

We've also booked our Disney wedding for next summer, so have been very busy researching and booking and paying deposits etc.

This is a LO I did at the end of July for Scrapbook Sisters using Making Memories Noteworthy 2 range. I have a couple of other LOs still to post, and a crop next week, so I should become a bit better again in the near future.

Thanks for bearing with me :-)

Fairy Footie

2008-07-31T07:00:00.001Z

Fairy Footie
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I love these pictures of Amelia - she's wearing the dress we bought her for the wedding, when she was tiny and didn't show signs of growing very much, lol! It was only £8 from Woolworths, so we always said she could have i for dressing up if she had a growth spurt. Although she's still tiny compared with other kids of her age, she now fits the dress perfectly so we let her wear it. She LOVED the magic wand, and kept telling everyone it was her fairy dress with a magic wand, bless!

Anyway, the LO uses the original Making Memories Noteworthy range, Prima flowers, a Creative Imaginations journalling block, Dovecraft stamp, and random rik rak and brads.

Today I will probably need to pop to my mum's as her new PC was delivered by Dell and I need to put her photos etc from the laptop onto my external hard drive :-)

Pure Happiness

2008-07-29T08:39:00.001Z

Pure Happiness
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This is a LO I did at the Scrapbook Sisters class on Thursday: it's mum's regular class but she had a work do, so I went instead! It was inspired by one of the samples that used circles, which I then adapted into my own design. It uses Basic Grey Boxer papers, and I added Prima flowers, a 7 Gypsies stamp, and American Crafts Thickers letters.

Our shopping yesterday was a let down as we got to Rochester and found the fabric shop had closed. It must have been fairly recent as lots of the other shop owners thought it was still open! Anyway, we had a cold drink sat outside, which was nice, then went back to mum and dad's, where the kids were able to play in their nappies to keep cool!

I have no firm plans for today, although I need to go to the bank, and the bottle bank. Should really start some work as Carl is off for the two weeks after this, and it will be really dull for him if I have to keep doing work!

Online Dinner Party!

2008-07-28T10:12:00.001Z

Happy Being Wet
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This LO is from the 'Main Course' class on Carolinez Craftz Forumz last night, as we had an online dinner party :-D The class was designed by Jayne, from the DT, and it was great fun!

We've had a nice weekend, very relaxing for me yesterday while Carl went to golf, and on Saturday we spent the afternoon/evening at Bluewater. We did some shopping in the sales (and spent very little!), then had a meal at Tottsies, with BOGOF main meals thanks to American Express, then finished up watching The Dark Knight at the cinema. The film is amazing, and we would recommend it to any adults...not sure how it got a 12A rating as I found it quite scary in parts...it's definitely not a film for kids ;-)

Hugs

2008-07-25T07:47:00.001Z

Hugs
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I had a great time at the class last night - it was very hot so only got one LO done but plan to do more with the kit during today; we used Basic Grey Boxer papers.

This is a LO I did a while ago (actually at the last shop crop!) and it is of Carl and Millie at Capstone Park.

Acrylic book back page

2008-07-24T10:22:00.001Z

Acrylic book back page
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

And finally we have arrived at the back page!

I've spent the last two days doing some LOs for the Scrapbook Sisters Design Team but this afternoon I will get something done for me - then I will have more to post on my blog!

I also just got a huge order from Photobox so I will have plenty of subjects to choose from over the next few weeks :D-

As always, if you want to see the detail of this, or any of the other pages, please click the photo to take you to my Flickr gallery.

Acrylic book page 7

2008-07-23T06:50:00.001Z

Acrylic book page 7
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Good morning, it is finally the holidays :-D

Here's hoping that I will have plenty of opportunities to be crafty and creative over the next six weeks, and will have lots more to put on my blog :D

Acrylic book page 6

2008-07-20T08:14:00.001Z

Acrylic book page 6
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Good morning! It's an early post today as we're off to see "Castle Under SIege" at Rochester Castle Gardens. It's a free music festival, with lots of very talented young people, including two pupils from my school, performing. Hopefully the weather will stay good as we're taking a picnic!

Anyway, here is page 6 of the mini book - hopefully I will soon be able to upload a new set of photos :-)

Acrylic book page 5

2008-07-19T19:49:00.001Z

Acrylic book page 5
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

OK, a quick second update!

We didn't make it into the final of the festival but I still think we did a pretty good job - it was three comedies that went through, so maybe that was what the adjudicator preferred?

Anyway, here is page 5 of the mini book, which means we're over halfway through!

Acrylic book page 4

2008-07-19T08:04:00.004Z

Acrylic book page 4
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Sorry there's been a couple of days' gap!

Have been very busy with the play, Parents' evenings etc. Anyway, here is page 4 of the book (yes, I know I'm stringing it out, but I can't get photos of new projects uploaded!) and the detail shot is on Flickr if you click the photo.

I might come back and upload page 5 later today, so keep checking in ;-)

We're also waiting to hear if we made it to the final tonight; if so we have to go and perform the play again - eek!

Acrylic book page 3

2008-07-15T16:34:00.001Z

Acrylic book page 3
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, I've had a very productive day - I decided I wanted to finish my research module before the end of the week as we don't know when we might get the new laptop. Anyway, I made a good start during period 1, then taught period 2. I worked solidly through periods 3, 4 and 5 - and finished it! 3700 words, phew. Feeling very pleased with myself.

So here, is page 3 of the mini book - as with yesterday, click on the photo to go to my Flickr gallery and see more detail :-)

Page 2

2008-07-14T17:47:00.001Z

IMG_0648
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Here is the second page of my acrylic book. I haven't got the disc to hand to upload the detail shots but if you click on the photo it will take you to my Flickr gallery where you can see the close up shots :-)

Work was quite hard going today - lots of the kids really seem to believe they finish for the summer on Friday, when they are actually in until the end of the day on Tuesday!

It's been a while...

2008-07-13T18:44:00.001Z

IMG_0645
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

... since I last posted. Mainly because we were burgled, and the b******s stole our laptop, my camera, the Wii, and a few other things.

We have a new front door, since they completely destroyed the old one, but I am determined they won't stop us living our lives. Felt very frightened to begin with, but since making this decision we've been able to move on somewhat.

I also have so many wonderful friends online, and I want to thank them all publicly for their support, as well as those who sent me wonderful scrapping goodies to cheer me up - today I got my mojo back after 2 weeks of not being able to touch my craft stuff.

So this is my acrylic mini book - I'll post some close ups and photos of the other pages over the next week - hope you like it :-)

Little Dude

2008-06-18T20:57:00.001Z

Little Dude
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Eek, sorry I've left another big gap!! I've just been so busy with work that I haven't had time to be creative in a scrapping sense. Mind you, I have completed one project for Scrapbook Sisters. I'm really enjoying doing some different things lately.
Anyway, this LO uses a Heidi Swapp mask and Ranger paints, alonside Fancy Pants papers. I used the bright blue and green to reflect the colours in Josh's outfit, and meant I could use flowers to represent summer while keeping it more masculine!

Bunny Love

2008-06-11T18:44:00.001Z

Bunny Love
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, half way through another week! It has been glorious sunshine here for the last few days but some clouds seem to be creeping in now. They are forecasting rain for the weekend, in which case I will have no excuse for not doing some more scrapping :-D Have been putting it off as I have a lot of work to do on my placement (much more paperwork than at my usual school) so have been slacking a bit on the hobbies side.
To counteract that, though, I am in a play. It's a new one-act play written by Neil Thorne, and it's being entered into the Duncan Rand Festival - the last time I did the festival it was my last year in the Youth section, ten years ago - eek!! It's really interesting, and for the first time I'm playing the older female character in the cast - starting to feel my age now, lol!
Anyway, onto today's layout: this is the second LO I made using the May Carolinez Craftz kit, and I put it together at Scrap Attack, a week and a half ago. I cut the paisley shape out and played around with other bits before I ended up with this, a result that I'm really pleased with.

Say Cheese

2008-06-08T13:12:00.001Z

Say Cheese
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

It has been another busy weekend and finally, today, the sun has come out!

Yesterday we went to Sophie's mum's new house for a tea party for Oscar. Poor little thing wasn't feeling 100% so it seems that Amelia started a tradition for being poorly at your first birthday party, lol!

Today we went out for a walk and took our bottles to the bottle bank - was lovely to get out and about for a bit, even if I did have to come home and write the theatre newsletter. But that's now as complete as it can be for now, and I'm going to go and play with my new DT kit in a minute.

This LO was based on a sketch from the old Carolinez Craftz blog, A Spoonful of Sprinkles. I used Two Scoops for the first time, and am really pleased with how it's come out. Yes, I did add tissue paper under the bottom photo, just for the hell of it!

So Sweet

2008-06-04T21:16:00.001Z

So Sweet
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Sorry I haven't blogged for a few days but I'm just getting used to my new routine! Been searching for inspiration to plan a Year 8 English top set scheme of work on films. Luckily I did get inspired and have some ideas to run past their normal teacher tomorrow!

I've also got a part in a one-act play written by a guy from RaTS, which is being entered into the Duncan Rand festival in July. The part isn't too big and it's only a one act play so it should keep me busy enough, but not too much so!

This LO is one I've been playing with for over a month but I'm pleased I ended up keeping it simple as I love the photo!

So Alike

2008-06-01T19:10:00.001Z

So Alike
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

The weather today hasn't been great, so aside from gonig shopping this morning we stayed in for most of the day. We did take mum and dad out for a meal this evening, though, to thank them for paying for Legoland.

This LO is all about Mark and Oscar. The photos were taken when Oscar was only a few months old but they are some of my favourites. I also got out my old Junkitz papers and finally used some of the boy range!

The Dickens Festival and Yo Sushi!

2008-05-31T15:47:00.001Z

Yo Sushi!
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

We have had a lovely day at the Dickens Festival, with glorious sunshine for the majority of the time. There were a few technical hiccups during the first of our performances, but these were ironed out by the second one. Not least for me was the shock of having a different backing track for As Long As He Needs Me to the one that I had rehearsed with!

Anyway, onto the layout. This is very bright as I wanted to reflect the colourful nature of both the bowls and food at Yo Sushi. The circle paper complemented the bowls perfectly, while the paisley shapes reminded me of fish! I also used blobs of glossy accents to simulate the domed lids of the bowls.

Pals

2008-05-29T18:07:00.001Z

Pals
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

So, we went to Legoland yesterday - despite the rain we still managed to have a good time. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to take many photos, due to the weather :-( However, I will post a couple when I get them uploaded.

This is a LO I did a while ago but realised I hadn't uploaded! I wanted to keep it simple so I used ribbon, chipboard, cardstock and a tiny bit of patterned paper. I glittered the title myself and then covered the flower with the patterned paper, sanding and then inking the edges.

Brown Eyed Gal

2008-05-25T10:03:00.001Z

Brown Eyed Gal
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, we are having a lazy day here, so hopefully that means I will get some scrapping time :-) I also need to pop into town to stock up on some more rechargeable batteries as we're off to Legoland on Wednesday - hoping for plenty of photo opportunities!

This LO was created using the May kit from Carolinez Craftz. It is full of turquise, pink, yellow and brown goodness by Heidi Swapp. Have wanted to scrap this photo for ages, and the colours and patterns from this kit seemed perfect.

Spectacles Case

2008-05-23T21:10:00.001Z

Spectacles Case 3
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Woohoo, it's half term!! Looking forward to a restful weekend, then a busier week :-)

This is a project I made using my leftovers from the NSD kit - it is a spectacles case which I covered with the papers, plus the flral ribbon and some flowers.

I now only have one more outstanding LO to share with you, so I'm hoping to get busy scrapping tomorrow. I also need to get a photo order in, but I'm not sure whether to wait until after we've been to Legoland on Wednesday. I think I'll probably do one before then, as I have a Scrap Attack night at Scrapbook Sisters on Friday and will need something to work with then.

But, again, WOOHOO, it's half term!

Hitchin' a Ride with Grandad

2008-05-21T18:53:00.001Z

Hitchin' a Ride with Grandad
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

And this was the last LO I made with the NSD kit. Not got much more to say today, except that I finished writing my Year 8 reports - woohoo!

Oh, and I wanted to say thanks to Debzzzzzzz for her posts (sorry if I spelled that wrong!) - it's lovely to read your comments :-)

One Little Head...

2008-05-19T17:20:00.001Z

One Little Head...
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I love this photo of Oscar - he's so lost in thought as he tucks into his jam sandwich...lol! I truly would love to know what he is thinking!
This was the third LO from my NSD kit and I didn't feel it needed a lot on the page as the photo is key. I'm impressed with myself for managing more in depth journalling, though.

Boyns Family - Florida Style

2008-05-17T15:36:00.001Z

Boyns Family - Florida Style
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This was the 2nd LO I completed with the NSD kit. The photo is of Mark, mum, dad and me in the Florida Everglades in 1997 - 11 years ago!!

Not got much else to say today, other than that my grandad is in hospital. He fell outside and his carer found him there this morning - it seems he might have been there all night. Today they've been working to warm him up, but he's broken his thigh bone, amongst other things. Just waiting to see what happens now. He recognised us all at the hospital but couldn't really say very much.

No. 3 and Year 11s are gone!

2008-05-14T18:54:00.001Z

No. 3
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

So today was the Year 11 leaving assembly. I didn't get to go as I'm now a Year 10 form tutor, which is a shame, but by all accounts it went well :-) It will be very strange not seeing my English group on a regular basis from now on. As some of you know, I really struggled when I first took them on in Year 10, but this year I have developed a very good relationship with them. I really hope they do well in their exams - they do deserve to, having tried so hard!

This LO was the first one I did using my NSD kit. It didn't take long to put together but I'm really pleased with how effective it looks. I also love this photo of my mum!

National Scrapbook Day the Results!

2008-05-10T18:51:00.001Z

National Scrapbook Day
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Just giving a quick preview of the projects I made with Caroline's NSD kit - will showcase them one at a time in the next few days :D

This kit was totally out of my comfort zone so I really enjoyed stretching myself and trying some new things - thanks Caroline!

It's been another gorgeous day here. Aside from completing another LO and the spectacles case project I went shopping with mum and dad this morning. I got two gorgeous dresses and a lovely top - my mum is such a bad influence!

Carl went off to the theatre just after 3 so I kept myself busy with the scrapping and then watched La Vie En Rose - which made me cry.

Tomboy at Heart

2008-05-09T20:31:00.001Z

Tomboy at Heart
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Phew, it sure has been hot and muggy here today! It was a struggle to manage even 15 minutes on the exercise bike and I promptly fell asleep on the sofa afterwards.

This was a LO for a challenge during the Cybercrop to use a sketch. I reversed the sketch and subsituted a photo for a home made embellishment, and I'm so pleased with the result.

Mini Movie Star

2008-05-07T20:40:00.001Z

Mini Movie Star
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Another beautiful day here - I even wore a skirt to work for the first time in 2008!! It was amazing how many people commented on the fact too, lol.

This LO was completed for a challenge during the UKS Cybercrop which involved using "glamour" or a similar word in the title of the LO. I substituted "Star" for glamour and then inlcuded "glamorous" in my journaling. The top two photos are a little bit blurred as Millie was running around like a mad thing at Heather and Ed's wedding! Have been wanting to scrap these pictures for about 6 months so I'm glad I finally got the impetus to do it.

Pixar on Parade and May Day

2008-05-06T20:16:00.002Z

Pixar on Parade
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

So, we had a glorious bank holiday weekend - who would have thought it?! I thought, in addition to my LO today, I'd post a couple of photos of us enjoying ourselves at Riverside yesterday. Well, not me, as I was behind the camera the whole time!

Meanwhile, this LO was the one class I did during the UKScrappers Cybercrop. It was all about using white space, so it automatically appealed to me. I got to use some of my new Maya Road stamps, as well as scrapping a few more parade photos!

Joy of Discovery

2008-05-04T17:48:00.001Z

Joy of Discovery
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Yay, the sun has been shining two days in a row!! Finally it feels like spring is definitely here and summer might actually be on its way.

On the down side, my friend's cat passed away and today I read an article about losing a cat in the paper. I hope this isn't an omen as Sasha's twitching seems worse today and she keeps disappearing to be on her own :-(

But, being upbeat, yesterday was National Scrapbooking Day and I had a lovely time using my NSD kit by Carolinez Craftz and participating in challenges on the forumz. This LO is actually not part of the day, but the result of the first week of step-by-step LOs. Each day, Paula posted part of the instructions and on Friday we had a completed LO. Well, I had a completed LO on Saturday morning when I stuck it all down lol! Really pleased with the result, especially as I finally used one of the gorgeous Rhonna Farrer Christmas papers.

Today Carl spent the whole morning at the theatre for the Dress Rehearsal of Dad's Army but we were out in the sunshine yesterday afternoon, playing football in mum's garden with Amelia. She even shouted out "Go Gills!", completely unprompted, though it didn't help their cause yesterday...

Tomorrow Rob, Row, Carl, me and the kids are going to Riverside for a picnic, so we'll keep our fingers crossed for nice weather again!

Fun in T' Garden - Where did the weather go?!

2008-04-30T20:43:00.002Z

Fun in T' Garden - closed
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, after another day where it started to pour with rain the moment I walked into the staffroom, I thought I would upload this LO as it features photos from the ONE sunny and warm day we had during the two week break!
This is my take on Jane Dean's class at Saturday's Scrapbook Sisters crop and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. To reveal the hidden photos you pull the tab at the side, and out they slide - it's a great way to include several larger photos without doing a double LO.
The fab papers are by Prima and I delved into my bargain pack of American Crafts Thickers to complete the title.
Here's hoping for a nicer day tomorrow!

Tiny Fingers

2008-04-29T19:44:00.002Z

Tiny Fingers
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This LO was created in response to a challenge on the Carolinez Craftz Forumz. As part of the "Use Your Stash" challenges we moved onto using buttons. I decided to mix buttons with brads to create a muted rainbow effect to go with this photo of Joshua holding Carl's hand. I also manipulated the photo slightly, blurring the edges and increasing the contrast to focus on the details of the fingers.

Today was a busy one at school, with four lessons to teach, plus preparation for my observations on Friday, and finally filming with some members of my form for our assembly next week. I'm now sat on my own (well, Sasha is curled up next to me!) listening to cheesy radio and enjoying a good old surf. Very relaxing :D

Dreamer

2008-04-28T18:05:00.001Z

Dreamer
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, I'm finally starting to feel back in the swing of things at work. I can't believe it is only three weeks until Year 11 leave though!!

I enjoyed playing at the Scrapbook Sisters crop on Saturday, then joining in with the UKScrappers Cybercrop on Sunday - definitely a creative weekend! I will showcase those LOs, including the one I did at the Jane Dean class, later in the week.

Meanwhile, this is a LO I created during the holidays using some leftovers from a MM class at Scrapbook Sisters (see earlier in my blog for other LOs). This photo was taken at Farming World, the day after Amelia's second birthday. It was very cold in the wind, but we still managed to have fun! Btw, I'm loving butterflies at the moment - I blame my friend Tracey, as she just had a butterfly themed wedding which looked beautiful!

Easter Cake and Scrap Your Day

2008-04-25T11:36:00.001Z

Easter Cake
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

So, today is the first day of Shimelle's new project, which I figured I would like to take part in. Unfortunately I developed a horrible stomach bug during the course of last night and am typing this from my bed! As such Carl took some extremely flattering photos of me this morning...I will be good and scrap the bad times too!

As I currently feel very hungry, amongst other things, it's possibly not the best time to post a LO about a cake but I am aware that I have been so busy this week that I haven't posted anything at all! Anyway, this LO features the Easter Gateau that I made this year (gateau was too long for the space I had for my title!) and I've used the new Basic Grey papers, alongside some Bazzill Bling and glittery chipboard. It is loosely based on a sketch from the April issue of Creating Keepsakes.

Sweet

2008-04-18T19:19:00.001Z

Sweet
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

It has been blimmin cold today! Started a LO but got so cold doing handcutting that I had to stop.

Currently watching The History Boys as I type this - quite good :-)

This LO uses the Prima papers, along with quite a few of the Maya Road buttons. I have to admit that I'm falling in love with just about everything Maya Road is producing lately!

Destination Relaxation

2008-04-17T20:53:00.001Z

Destination Relaxation
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

So, this is the second LO using the Crate Paper range. I've been meaning to scrap these photos for a while but never managed to find the ideal papers.

The photos show different views of Port Orleans French Quarter, where we stayed on our holiday in 2006, and where we will be staying for the wedding/honeymoon trip next year :-D

You might notice my increasing use of white pen lately - this is thanks to mum doing a class with Jane Dean, and inspiring me to go out and get the Pentel Hybrid, which writes so well on photographs.

I would highly recommend that everyone forgets the fear, takes the plunge, and begins to doodle all over their photos - it's great fun!

Just Perfect

2008-04-15T12:26:00.001Z

Just Perfect
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

OK, this is the first LO I did for the Design Team using the second set of papers. These are new by Crate Paper, and I would highly recommend the range to anyone who likes the look of layered, hand-cut elements, but doesn't have the patience to do the hand cutting. This is because the range comes with a whole page of push out die cut elements :-D

This morning, Julia came round and we went through my GTP file, cataloguing the evidence and working out what I need to focus on for next term. As a result I'm feeling really positive, as I always forget how much stuff I've already got! She's also told me I'm not to do anymore work apart from when I work with the Year 12s on Thursday - hmm, I think I can manage that!

The Very Least I Can Do

2008-04-14T13:07:00.001Z

The Very Least I Can Do
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I haven't posted anything on the blog for a week because I've mainly been working on projects for the Scrapbook Sisters Design Team. However, some of my LOs have gone onto their blog so I thought I'd put them up here.

I've also done another one for them today, and am looking forward to using photos from the last few days on my own LOs over the next week or so.

This LO uses photos from the Insight magazine which the WWF send me quarterly as I sponsor tigers. The journalling explains how some people tell me I should donate money towards human charities before giving to help animals. Well, apart from it being my business, and mine alone, I believe that humans got the tigers into this mess, so the very least I can do is support the WWF's efforts at making things better for them :-)

Typical British Summer and a Creative Day

2008-04-06T17:48:00.001Z

Typical British Summer
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, I've managed to be really creative today, and started (and finished!) a project for the Scrapbook Sisters Design Team. I'm especially pleased as I have almost all my patterned paper left, plus all the cardstock, so there's plenty of scope to complete a few LOs too :-D

As for today's LO, this is based on a sketch from Creating Keepsakes and was completed in response to a challenge from Carolinez Craftz Forumz to use up cardstock. I added free acrylic letters, MM rubons, and a Ranger paint dabber to my cardstock to complete the LO. The title word "summer" was cut using Sizzix Cherish font.

Tomorrow I'm off to Canterbury with Mum in the morning as she has next week off work. Will try not to spend any money, lol!

You-nique and School Holidays

2008-04-05T20:42:00.001Z

You-nique
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This LO uses a photo that I really love. Having the new camera really makes a difference to the quality of the photos that I'm able to take, and lots of people are noticing it.

I love the look on Amelia's face - it looks like she is weighing up all her choices but is in absolutely no hurry to make them!

I'm also feeling quite chilled and creative today as it is now the two week holidays. We've got some nice things planned, and today I completed the cardstock LO I started 2 weeks ago as I finally printed my journalling at mum's. I also stopped in at Scrapbook Sisters and picked up April's CK as they have now confirmed my sub will start with the May issue. While I was there I was also seduced by the Basic Grey Cupcake papers and some Inkadinkadoo stamps :-D

Finally, I had an email from the editor of The Scrapbook Magazine to say my LOs had arrived safely. These were for Issue 30 and were on a summer theme.

Baby Boys and Skills Tests

2008-04-03T20:44:00.001Z

Baby Boys
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

OK, first the skills tests part - yesterday I went down to Canterbury Christchurch College and took my skills tests. That was Literacy, Numeracy and ITC. I took them all on the same day in the hope I would pass them all first time and therefore wouldn't have to go back.

Luckily, I did! Feel very relieved to have got them out of the way, and now I can focus on things like my case studies of students and assignments.

This LO is another one I did at the Birthday Crop on Saturday. I've kept it very simple as I just wanted the photos to stand out. It's the second one of Joshua, although I'll need to get lots more photos if he's ever going to catch up with the number of LOs I've done of his sister!

And, on a final note, tomorrow is the last day of term - yay, I'm looking forward to the holidays :-D

Kids' Game

2008-04-01T20:08:00.001Z

Kids' Game
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I really enjoyed creating this LO as I loved the bright colours. I also had the opportunity to use my new All My Memories bird stamp :-D

The journalling is all about the fact that Amelia and Oscar are finally able to play (relatively) nicely together!

It has been great weather here today, in terms of being dry and having really warm sunshine - the only thing that spoilt it was the rather strong wind.

I don't really know why I'm writing about the weather - it's just that I always feel I don't write enough about things other than scrapping, so that's my attempt while my brain is addled from too much work!

Joshua

2008-03-31T17:48:00.003Z

Joshua
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

The first LO of my second nephew!

I used both sides of one Heidi Grace paper to complete thisLO, along with Bazzill cardstock, and blossoms from Prima and Papermania. I bought the little silver teddy at a bead shop in London and finished it all of with lots of doodling with a White Sakura pen.

Wasn't it kind of Rowena to wear a blue top so I could do such a wonderfully monochromatic LO?!

Joshua

2008-03-31T17:48:00.001Z

Joshua
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

China, World Showcase, and Olympia

2008-03-30T19:44:00.001Z

China, World Showcase
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

I had been wanting to scrap these photos for ages. The acrobats in China at Epcot's World Showcase were incredible and I was really pleased with the quality of picture that I managed to capture.

Unfortunately I simply couldn't find the right papers. Then one day, recently, I went into Scrapbook Sisters and they had these two red, black and gold papers, and I thought they would work perfectly.

I used the circle because I was reminded of the film Empire of the Sun and its logo. I then handcut the dragon from the black paper and cut round a section of the Chinese calligraphy. I added some brads in three corners, which I painted gold with acrylic paint, and then a chain and a pendant which was in a set that I got for Christmas.

All in all I'm pretty pleased with the finished product!

On a different note, I spent today at the Stitch and Craft show at Olympia with mum and dad. Carl enjoyed himself as he had some of his mates round for a gaming session, having gone to football yesterday while I was at the shop crop for Karen's birthday! Got some great bargains at the show, and we met Shimelle Laine and Anne Parry. It only turns out that, when mum and dad were first married, they lived across the road from Anne and her family! It really is a small world :D

Tentative Steps

2008-03-18T18:10:00.001Z

Tentative Steps
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Sorry for the big gap in posting! Have been a bit sidetracked with stuff for work lately, and then I was ill last week too.

This LO is the third that I did from the Scrapbook Sisters class, although I made it the following day!

I added in some Basic Grey swirl rubons, and mixed MM rubons with my own writing for the title. The ribbon inside the bookplate is by Papermania.

Thanks for looking :-)

Laid Back

2008-02-25T19:03:00.001Z

Laid Back
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This is another LO that I completed at the Spring Fling class at Scrapbook Sisters - I love these photos of me and Carl at Discovery Cove because we were just so relaxed! We even fell asleep laying there for a bit, it was a wonderful day :D

I fell in love with the set of journaling stamps that the girls had brought back so I feel I may have to buy them when they arrive in the shop!

Thanks for looking.

Grow - Discovery Cove

2008-02-24T21:22:00.001Z

Grow - Discovery Cove
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This is the first of 3 layouts created during (and after!) the Spring Fling class at Scrapbook Sisters. It uses the gorgeous new Making Memories papers and the photos show the beatiful surroundings of Discovery Cove (the bits not involving dolphins or water!).

Thanks for looking :-)

Tree

2008-02-16T09:37:00.001Z

Tree
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This was another Christmas LO that I created using the Christmas papers in a kit from Scrapbook Sisters.

I have to admit, this isn't our tree - this is mum and dad's! It's so big it has to go in the conservatory, but that then leaves plenty of room for presents. There are so many because we all went to mum and dad's on Christmas day, so there are four little families' worth in there!

Thanks for looking :-)

Oscar the Red Nosed Reindeer

2008-02-12T20:03:00.001Z

Oscar the Red Nosed Reindeer
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Well, this is now up on the wall in the shop so I figure it's OK to put it on my blog!

Had great fun with this LO, especially when it came to the title, part of which is handwritten.

The photo was one of those flukey ones, taken by holding the camera in the air, which comes out better than you could have hped for!

Thanks for looking :-)

Te Quiero

2008-02-07T18:49:00.001Z

Te Quiero
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This is a LO that seemed appropriate to do at this time of year! It uses Smitten papers, Heidi Swapp chipboard letters and Chipbard Chatter letters, and a K&Co journalin card. I wanted to add some real lace to this to compliment the lace detail on the papers but I made it at the crop, so I didn't have any to hand!

Thanks for looking :-)

Resolution One Month On

2008-02-04T18:48:00.001Z

Resolution One Month On
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

This is a LO to celebrate the fact that, one month on, I have stuck to my New Year's Resolution to use our exercise bike every day.

I love the MM Noteworthy range of papers - the colours and designs are gorgeous and the journaling pages are perfect for when I have a lot to say!

I've used Doodlebug and Love Elsie rubons for the title.

Thanks for looking :-)

Bubbles

2008-01-13T14:00:00.001Z

Bubbles
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

These photos were taken on Christmas Day - I bought Carl a bubble gun as a stocking filler as he loves to entertain Millie with the bubbles. We captured this on film as well, which I'm so pleased about as, although the photo highlights her gorgeous smile, it can't convey her infectious little giggle, bless her!

I used scraps of papers by SEI (Scrapbook Walls) and some from a QVC kit. The metal tags are by Making Memories and the buttons by Papermania. The large 'B' shape is traced around a piece of grungeboard, having inked it up I decided I had chosen the wrong colour and didn't want to use it!

Xylophone

2008-01-12T17:26:00.001Z

Xylophone
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

Mark and Sophie bought Amelia a xylophone for Christmas which she really enjoyed playing with. However, it is also rather noisy! Robin made a promise to Mark that he would be buying Oscar his first drum kit the following Christmas, lol.

At first I struggled with these photos - I wasn't sure whether I wanted to make them a typical Christmas LO with the appropriate papers etc. In the end I stuck to using a colour blocked approach, making the most of the white space and filling in the rest with ribbon and brads.

I completed this LO at the beginning of the week, across two evenings, and I really hope I'll be able to do that every week as it is much better than falling asleep in front of the TV!

I've also completed a LO today which I'll probably put on the blog tomorrow.

Foo Fighters LO

2008-01-06T20:59:00.001Z

Foo Fighters
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

When we went to see the Foo Fighters at the O2 Arena on Carl's birthday we didn't take any proper cameras in case they got confiscated. Consequently all the photos were taken on Carl's Sony Ericsson phone and were a bit blurry!

I still wanted to document the evening (which was fantastic!) and so I created this LO, incorporating the ticket and the wristband from the night.

I used scraps, which you might recognise from yesterday's post as matching the letters I made for Amelia's room! The chipboard is bu chipboard chatter and QVC.

Letters for Amelia's Room

2008-01-05T20:09:00.001Z

Letters for Amelia's Room
Originally uploaded by Scrap_Vamp

OK, so I never finished mum and dad's holiday diary! Suffice it to say they had a great time and got back safely. We also had a wonderful family Christmas, and I'll be posting my Christmas LOs as I do them (I hope!).

Meanwhile, these are the 11" chipboard letters that I decorated for Amelia's grown up girl bedroom. The colours are themed to those worn by Dora The Explorer but without being obviously so - hopefully she will want to keep them long after she has outgrown Dora!!

The past week in New Zealand

2007-11-25T17:54:00.000Z

Sorry it's been a week since I last updated! However, I have been hearing from mum and dad almost daily so have lots to tell you now.

Monday 19th November

A glass bottom boat was the setting for today's trip. They ate fish and chips "to die for" - apparently blue snapper is far tastier than cod! It was 72 degrees and mum got a bit burnt but she assures me she then bought some suncream - bit late for that, methinks!! The day was finished nicely with tea out on the deck which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Tuesday 20th November

Mum and dad woke up to clear blue skies and the day was spent at Rapaura Water Gardens and Coromandel Town. Breakfast was eaten al fresco in the same style as tea last night. The evening was spent at the Eco Sanctuary where they took part in the Glow Worm tour, complete with miners' lamps. It involved walking through the words and turning off the lamps when they reached the stream which was all lit up by the glow worms.

Wednesday 21st November

Today's entry on the itinerary says "Lord of the Rings and Waitomi caves". They got to see Hobbiton and apparently the little houses are all very cute. Dinner consisted of steak and chipcs which cost just £6!

Thursday 22nd November

This was the first day of a two night stay in Rotorua including a caving expedition in the morning. Mum described it as an "absolutely brill day" topped off by a very enjoyable evening with their hosts, where dad got tipsy "again" lol!!

Friday 23rd November

Mum and dad went to see the geysers today but I have very little info about them to give you! The only other comment is that mum has been walking so much, she is "like a little mountain goat". The mind boggles!

Saturday 24th November

Not had a detailed description of this day yet but I know the evening was spent at a Maori dinner show which was very good. I would know more except I had fallen asleep before mum phoned at 10.15 last night and as such can't recall a whole lot of the conversation due to not being with it - oops!

Well, I hope that keeps you all going for now - all I know is that I'm very jealous!

And on a final, actually crafty, note - I finished the large chipboard letters for Amelia's room today. Will get them photographed and post the pics up here asap :D

Foo Fighters and The Lion Man!

2007-11-18T17:07:00.000Z

Well, what a busy weekend the family have had.

It was Carl's birthday yesterday and I bought him tickets to see The Foo Fighters at the O2 Arena. We went last night, picking Mark and Sophie up at 5pm and getting there about 5.45. Firstly I was amazed at how much was in there!! We counted at least 2 clubs (complete with doormen), numerous bars and restaurants, the Tutankhamun exhibition and a massive cinema alongside the Arena itself. Inside the arena it wasn't as big as Madison Square Gardens but the top tier didn't half look steep! We had standing tickets and spent quite a while sitting on the cold stone floor inbetween the acts, and they had the air conditioning on the whole time which was a bit too much earlier in the evening.

The first support act were good, I think they were called Bradley Cole...not sure as they came on while I went to the toilet! Then Serj Tankian from System of a Down played and was fantastic live - I'm not a fan of System of a Down normally but he was great.

And finally the Foos came on! We were standing about halfway back and on the edge but soon discovered this was a mistake. Everyone kept crowding in front and alongside of us, and lots of people were arguing with the stewards who were trying to keep the aisle clear. There was very little that Sophie and I could see as all the really tall people kept pushing and standing right in front of us! About twenty minutes in we decided to go and stand near the back (we were also finding being covered in beer that was thrown was not particularly appealing!) and we could see far more. We also found this to be the perfect spot for when they came down and did their acoustic set - we were so close at that point!

All the tracks they played were fantastic, with the tracks from the new album sounding particularly fresh. Would definitely go and see them again but might go for close up seats next time!

Oh, and kudos for the special guests!!

Now onto mum and dad.

In my last update I told you that they had landed in New Zealand. On their first night mum learned a new expression. Apparently it is Australian and means you had a good meal - it is "Swizzle on the dizzle!"

Yesterday (their Sunday) they went to Zion Park, which is where the TV show The Lion Man is filmed. They saw Zion, the main lion who portrayed Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia and had a behind the scenes tour. Craig (the Lion Man himself!) stopped working on a digger to talk to them for a while and mum had her photo taken with him. The highlight of their visit was a 20 minute one-on-one with two 10-month old white lion cubs. Apparently there are lots of lovely photos and I can't wait to see them! Oh, and that day they also had fresh bread and butter pudding for breakfast, straight out of the oven lol.

Right, I've waffled on for far too long but talking of photos, as soon as we upload them from Carl's phone I will post any that are half decent here - I'm hoping to have a couple so I can do a LO!

Landed in New Zealand

2007-11-15T18:17:00.000Z

Had a text from mum to say that they had landed about 4.30, which means it is 4.30 in the morning over there! Wonder how the jet lag will work?!

They enjoyed their last few hours in San Francisco: mum was stuffed after eating half the largest slice of carrot cake in the world at the Cheesecake Factory, lol. They also loved the Christmas decorations in Macys and have photos of them - I believe mum may even feature in one of them, so that is the real miracle of Christmas!