THE BABY LAYOUTS....

......for my niece's album, that is. You may remember I mentioned that mum and dad had brought my niece's baby pics with them, so I have been scanning and printing in my spare moments..and even got a few LOs completed over the weekend.


I used this 'Starting Point' from SHIMELLE

 

and came up with this

and then, using this sketch from SKETCHABILITIES

came up with this one

I have left the journalling blank once again, but will be able to fill it in soon, as the Birthday Girl is having a pre-birthday, post-exam break here in just a couple of weeks time....beds are going to be in short supply here by the end of the month!

Thank you all for your supportive messages after STORYTELLING SUNDAY... as SIAN commented, 'what a wonderful bunch of people scrapbookers are'...to that I add bloggers too!

Thanks for dropping by!

take care of you

Alison xx

COVER TO COVER -Prompt 2

You will  notice that I am already running a day behind with this class!


The 'homework' for Prompt 2 

1.Have a look at the photos and ‘get rid’ of anything you really don’t want to keep. This means different things to different people: if you shoot sixteen of the same shot to get one you like, you might want to delete the other fifteen and keep the winner. But you might be quite happy to keep all sixteen if the sheer number of images doesn’t phase you (or your hard drive) in the slightest.


I went through the folders of pictures I've taken so far this year. I already keep my photographs in folders, by year and then separated into months. I also have folders for individual projects,like the album I'm doing for my niece's Birthday, minis I've made etc.

I discovered that I've taken 500 photographs this year, but by the time I had deleted those which were 'excess', I had whittled that down to 220!

2.From the remaining photos from 2012, what have you printed? Assuming you’re happy with the prints, you can ignore those images for right now. Let’s look at what you have not printed. Make a new folder so you can grab anything you want to print. Err on the side of printing a bit too many rather than not enough (don’t worry about the price right now - we can edit it down later if needed). Go through all unprinted photos from 2012 and drop

anything you can ever imagine wanting to print into that new ‘to print’ folder.

I actually ended up doing the opposite of what was suggested by Shimelle, and made a new folder for my 'already scrapped' pics for every month...it means when I go into that month, I can see immediately what pics I still have to work with. This works for me, because I still intend printing my own pics.
When I open each month now, my folder looks like this

It will definately be helpful, if I do this each time I make a layout- then I know exactly what stories are left to scrap. The funny thing is that I do  this when I'm working on individual albums...I have no idea why it hasn't occurred to me to do so with my chronological albums!

 3.Sign in with the photo printer of your choice and upload all those images to your account.

Sorry Shimelle, this just isn't going to happen for me......apart from the fact that I actually am quite happy printing my own pics, the mail between Spain and the rest of the world is a bit unreliable, to say the least.

I'll leave you with a couple of Layouts  I managed to get done for NSD....both were for challenges over at SCRAP FRIENDZY.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

TWO NEW LAYOUTS....

...inspired by SHIMELLE'S ONLINE CROP from this past weekend but, in one case used for another THREE challenges...I think that might be a record for me!


Shimelle's Challenge #11


Using two different types of pattern....I used a paper with spots and a  paper with diamonds and triangles....

The journalling reads:

We couldn't believe the storm we woke up to, the morning we were due to travel from E.K. to Newcastle. On the ten min. taxi ride to the train station, we encountered fallen trees, flying dustbins and other assorted debris..and then discovered that the trains to Glasgow weren't running. One brave taxi driver agreed to take us into the city...where we soon discovered ALL trains (and most other forms of transport) were cancelled in and out of Scotland. MANY cups of tea and coffee later, we eventually got a train at 4pm that afternoon to Carlisle, and had to get the Newcastle train from there. 

The LO also qualifies for the challenge over at ANOTHER FREAKIN' SCRAPPY CHALLENGE  using  the topic 'storms' or 'Spring' and using this sketch

  

As I used the PICCADILLY line of papers from BASIC GREY, it also qualifies for SUSANNE'S IN GOOD COMPANY CHALLENGE  and, finally, it met the criteria for a 'flower' challenge over at SCRAP FRIENDZY!

SHIMELLE'S CHALLENGE #5

Sorry the pic is at a dreadful angle...and the photos themselves aren't great quality, but I've resorted to copying  some of my niece's pics from FB ..if I don't , I might never get this album done- I hate waiting for other people to send pictures!

I rotated the original 90 degrees....used 4 pics instead of one panoramic one..kept the pale background and the butterflies.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Shimelle's Online Crop

In case you hadn't heard, SHIMELLE is having an Online Crop, over at  her BLOG. I have managed to complete three challenges since last night....but you don't want to see what my scrappy area looks like right at this moment!


CHALLENGE #1

and here's what I came up with

I rotated the sketch and worked horizontally, but kept to the positioning of most of the elements....instead of circles, I went with stars..but I think you can still see the inspiration pic in there (somewhere!!)

CHALLENGE #2

Create a page using 3 or more Paper Collections

Another one for my niece's album

The PPs are all PRIMA (MELODY Collection), 

AC  Thickers for the Alphas

MME Fine & Dandy packaging for the Journalling Spot

Washi Tape from Paperchase... embellishments a mix of Prima  and AC....ribbon from my stash. 

CHALLENGE #4

Use Grey, Yellow and another colour

Another page done for the 18th Birthday!

I think you can see I chose blue as the other colour! The background paper IS yellow, though doesn't look it in this pic.

Am off to do a bit of blog reading now, to see if any of you have been joining in!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx 

Glitter Girl to the Rescue

I have to confess that I haven't been doing much more than having a cursory glance at Shimelle's 'GLITTER GIRL' posts, and certainly haven't taken the time to watch the accompanying videos...last week however, she talked of scrapping photos from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Apart from being shocked..then depressed!....that she was treating them as 'vintage' photographs, I knew this was one video I should watch, as I've been trying to work out the best way to re-do my old photo albums.

These are the albums that house my pictures of my teenage years, college and early working years...not to mention both Stuart and Kirsty's early years. I didn't start scrapping 'properly' until 2003. By that time Kirsty was almost 14, and we had been without Stuart for almost ten years. Kirsty's photos all got scrapped 'properly' for her 18th and 21st Birthdays, but I knew that I wanted to do something with Stuart's pics,  Up until now I just haven't been able to bring myself to take the albums apart....which I was going to have to do (either that or scan everything, and then I never feel the photos are a sharp)) as all these photos were pre-digital. 

However, as I watched Shimelle's video, I got some inspiration on how to treat these 'vintage' photos..and decided I was going to start  properly documenting Stuart's life at the weekend.

One of the problems I couldn't get my head round, was that I had done the good old cropping around the original (!) pictures with 'fancy' shaped scissors..and although Shimelle didn't cover this aspect, I decided that it was time to'just do it'.  I ended up (using the same scissors!) cutting the pictures off the original page, and came up with this

Shimelle had advised to use cream-based papers for these older photos, and for old Polaroids. The first shots taken in hospital, by the nursing staff, were Polaroids...so taking her advice,  this page 

was transformed into

I'm happy with the way both LOs have turned out, but am happier still that I've actively (my OLW!) started to get Stuart's story told...thanks Shimelle!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Finished....and Started!

The finished project is DD's NYC album, for her Birthday next week. I scrapped the last few pages yesterday

and finished the cover today!

Now all that's left is to wrap it up and take it to Barcelona with me on Sunday! I do like to see a project finished.

That being finished, I was able to think about my next project...my JYC album! I'm going with a modern American Crafts 8x8 again. I have most of my papers and cardstock picked out, but am waiting for the last of them to arrive....I'll take a pic when it's all here.

I have, however made my date tags

I used my Silhouette to cut out the scalloped circles, hand cut  the numbers from grunge-board, primed them with white paint and used Stickles to cover them  ....and I have to say I don't like them at all!  It's unlikely though that I'll change them, due to time constraints.

Thanks to you all for your encouragement about the Varifocals! I'm still trying to find the right part of the lens when using the laptop...my head is constantly on the move!

I'm off to Barcelona on Sunday, to spend a few days with DD. Before I left last time, I discovered the scrapbook store which DD had assured me existed, but couldn't find again(!), so I intend having a mooch around there, as well as trying to get a bit of Christmas shopping done....mainly for DD herself, as the rest has been done online. I also hope to find something to wear with black trousers, over the Christmas period!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

And we're off again!

Yes, I managed to our local(ish!) Shopping Centre on Wednesday and got the new ink cartridge I needed to get on with DD's album. Between then and now, I've got quite a few pages completed and am definately 'on the home run'.


The only thing is that I'm about to have to go and remove all evidence of it, as I'm off to pick DD up from the bus later this afternoon! She has decided to come home for the weekend, which would be lovely, were it not for the texts I've received this morning telling me she has a nasty cold....in fact 'man flu' she says! I am SO not a good nurse...in fact I get downright crotchety if either she or DH are poorly and expect looking after. I'm one of those people who would rather just go to bed and be left well alone if I'm not well..and therefore expect my nearest and dearest to be the same!

Anyway, I just wanted to share a couple of the LOs I made. This one is made with MY MIND"S EYE papers,as was required by Susanne's  IN GOOD COMPANY CHALLENGE  over at 'Snaps and Snippets'

This one was for a  scraplift challenge over at SCRAPFRIENDZY

Well...am off to get rid of the evidence. Have a lovely weekend.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Would you believe it?!

I have been going great guns with DD's NYC album (which I need to have finished by the end of next week, to take to Barcelona for her Birthday)...but tonight, as I printed off another batch of pics, the dreaded message about needing new ink came up and, yes, the last three on the sheet were no good whatsoever! So I have come to a halt, till I get to the shops to get a new cartridge.


Now I know I should jump onto another project (prepping my JYC for instance), but I have discovered that I only seem to be able to work on one thing at a time...and have to see one through before starting another. I shall now be in a state of panic until Wednesday, which is the first time I'm going to be able to get to the only shop I know that sells said cartridges!


 I know I have plenty of time to finish it, but  it seems that the older I get, the more I doubt my capabilities ( in many areas of my life, not just in this case) and feel a need to get things 'finished'...just 'in case' the sky falls down and stops me!


Anyway, I shall now clear away my scrappy supplies and try to put it out of my head till I can actually do something about it....though it has just occurred to me that I have still to decorate the outside of the album...YAY! I can stop panicking and do that tomorrow- no need for the printer for THAT !


These are a couple of LOs I got around  to photographing today

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Ten on the Tenth

Last month at this time, KIRSTY over at CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER set herself a challenge of ten things to do between then and now. She also invited any of her readers who wished to do so, to join in. 

I like a bit of a challenge, so decided to play along...and here is how I got on;

1. PHOTO CHALLENGE....AUTUMN

A typical Autumn morning, with mist hanging over the valley.

2. COLOUR CHALLENGE.....I used purple, green and cream (but don't remember where I got it from...sorry!)

3. STITCHING CHALLENGE

4. SKETCH CHALLENGE...the sketch came from SCRAP FRIENDZY and was by Valerie Salmon

5. Use a found object on a page...the black trim is one of the 'ties' from a pair of jogging bottoms I was throwing out

6. SCRAPLIFT CHALLENGE...I scraplifted this LO by the lovely CHERYL over at  SCRAP FRIENDZY

7. PAINT CHALLENGE

8. STORY CHALLENGE

9.ABOUT ME CHALLENGE

10. INTERNET CHALLENGE.... the 'dots and stripes' prompt from SHIMELLE'S PRETTY PAPER PARTY  

Thanks for the challenges Kirsty!

If you go over to Shimelle's blog, you will find more lists and/or pictures of 'TEN ON THE TENTH'

Thanks for dropping by!

take care of you

Alison xx 

Pretty Paper and Happy Mail!

I'm still working my way through the Prompts for SHIMELLE'S PRETTY PAPER PARTY. 


PROMPT#7.....Mixing Patterns

PROMPT#13...Going 3Dimensional

I used SHIMELLE'S 'STARTING POINT' for this week..... raised the scalloped circles, added some twine and used 'Popdots' behind the words.

As you can see I'm still working on DD's NYC album, which I'm hoping to have finished by her Birthday at the end of the month....then I can get on to JYC!!!!

I received this in the mail yesterday, from the lovely JO over at SUGAR AND SCRAP, as part of her commitment to 52 WEEKS OF MAIL  ....thanks JO, it was a lovely surprise and much appreciated!

I haven't made the commitment to send a piece of mail every week, but I am trying to do so.

I'm hoping to have a scrappy weekend...what about you?

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Stage Three-Part2......

or,as my blog-friend MEL says 'using those papers  Shimelle made me cut up'!

I have three LOs left to do from this exercise...maybe this week will see them done!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

In Good Company......

........is the name of a great challenge I found, when I dropped in on SUSANNE over at her blog 'SNAPS AND SNIPPETS'. 


Here's the gist of it.


'...for the next several weeks, I’m going to spend time with some of the various manufacturers’ products that I have buried in my scrapbooking stash – company by company, week by week.'


She then goes on to invite her blog readers to play along.....if you pop over to her blog you will  get the full details.


This sounded like something new and a bit different...'I'm up for this' thought I, and off I went to search through the stash.


There was only one little major problem......Susanne's manufacturer of choice this week, was COSMO CRICKET, and I haven't bought any of that for ages (imagine a very sad face here).  I knew it would have to  be in the VERY OLD stash file...in fact I had convinced myself that I had none at all (now the face is sad and grumpy...I really wanted to play!). After the second rummage through, there - right at the back - was a sheet of CC 'Get Happy'!

As you can see, I was very lucky in that it was lots of strips, which I was able to chop up (and do some happy dancing while I was at it) and produce this

I am actually indebted to Susanne, as it jump-started the album I want to  do for DD's Christmas, of the photographs she and her friends took in NYC last December, while they were there celebrating DD's 21st. I felt the paper had just the 'urban' feel/look I wanted for some of the pics!

Needless to say, as I had no CC embellishments, I had to make my own...and the 'OH BOY!' phrase worked perfectly as the title!

I then went on to do the first page, now having an idea of how I want the album to look...

I used sketch #269 from SCRAPBOOK CHALLENGES  for this page.

So my thanks go to Susanne...not just for a 'new' challenge, but for getting me started on the album!...why don't you pop over and play along?

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

P.S. Lost all of 0.2 of a lb yesterday...but given my stressful weekend expected worse, so was happy...back on the bandwagon though!