Christmas Wishes

 

 

Just look at these beautiful Christmas cards made for me by the most amazingly talented bunch of scrapbookers ever. 

 

I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to every single Scrapbag for your support and friendship throughout 2012.  I really love running Scrapbags as I consider every member a dear friend, and really enjoy each month's gathering. It really is no chore preparing the crops and retreats for such a fantastic group of women, and I am sooooo  looking forward to scrapping with you all in 2013.

 

Merry Christmas and a happy, scrappy new year

xxx

Christmas catch-up

We had our Christmas 12 hour crop at the weekend and it was a really fab day filled with friendship, crafting,  fun and games, and, of course,  .................

 

I owe a huge thank you to the very talented and lovely  Sara Young for designing our class kit, a beautiful double layout using Carta Bella papers, also to Margaret for cutting out all of the metal swirls and sharing her promarkers.  

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Beth for bringing along the quizzes, Pauline for shopping and everyone for your very kind and generous gifts.

 

Merry Christmas 

 

xx

 

Rockin' Robin

This is what I wish I'd called this LO, our November class LO using the lovely Crate Paper.

 

Wasn't he cute?

 

 

Next month is our whopper 12 hour Christmas Crop which includes fun games, supper and a fabby DOUBLE layout designed by our very own lovely Sara Young using Carta Bella Beautiful Moments paper.

 

If you'd like to come and play please drop me a line.

 

In the meantime

 

Happy Scrapping!

 

 

For Sam......

............. a quick catch up of Scrapbags news

We've had two crops since my last post which means two layouts to show.

Here's September's LO whoich is a scraplift of  ‘Get the Details’ in August 2012’s edition of Scrapbooks etc Magazine.  I used the Fancy Pants Country Boutique papers for this page - I absolutley love the colours  and the sewing machine made it's second appearance. This time we had success.

 

 

 

From scary technique to scary papers as last week we used Graphic 45 papers to make this school themed layout.  I've cut the photo for obvious reasons.

 

 

Next month we'll be hand sewing on Crate Paper Little Boy Blue, and in December we have a fabulous DOUBLE LAYOUT using the gorgeous Carta Bella Beautiful Moments papers from our guest designer, Sara Young.

 

Please drop me a line if you'd like to come and play, and please remember everyone is welcome to stop by for a coffee chat and looksee (even Sam). 

Happy Scrapping

xx





Finally ......

... I have receovered from the Scrapbags Summer 2012 Retreat, which for some reason I found absolutely exhausting.  We scrapped all weekend long with only brief periods of respite during which we took on board only the calories needed to see us through the next few hours.  It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it, and boy, can the Scrapbags do it!

Here we all were on the Saturday evening before going into dinner.

 

As usual we had the Ready Steady Scrap Challenge whereby entrants make layouts using only the contents of the 2Way Kit.  It always amazes me how so many different pages are created from the same limited materials.

 

Here's Sheila's winning layout

 

 

A slideshow of some of the other entries is up on the right hand side of this page, but for some unknown reason, I seem to have lost some of the photos.  Sorry girls - I'll add them in if/when I find them

 

We also had a sketch challenge where we had to make a layout based on a sketch.

 

Here's Chris' winner with the sketch from lets capture these sketches

 

 

 

 

Finally we had a recipe challenge - we had to choose a line of three elements from a grid to include in our layout.  Of course I had to show off and include all nine, but then I did have lots of time to contemplate this in advance.

 

Here's my offering - VERY busy for me. It has distressing,sewing, embossing, buttons, a brad, a ribbon, paint, liquid pearls, and a flower.

 

 

 

Chris won this challenge too with this entry

 

 

Thank you Sue for the challenge ideas - they went down very well, except perhaps the Paper Chase Challenge.  The Scrapbags decided this one was far too hard, even though most of tha papers were from Scrapbag class kits.  Marina won this one, but to be honest, the competition wasn't great.

 

Another retreat over  :(  and another to look forward to :)  We'll be heading back to the Bobsleigh on 12th April for our Spring 2013 retreat - woo hoo - so watch out Bovingdon.

 

Happy Scrapping

x

 

 

 

Stripped bare....

 

Not me - the cabin.  Scrapbags are off to Theobalds Park in the morning for our Summer Retreat so I have had to pack everything up and load it into the car, and now my cabin is quite bare and forlorn.Not for long though as I'll be unpacking it all again on Sunday evening.

Just time for a quick catch up with Scrapbags class layouts.  Here is August's offering using Prima Almanac papers and a pic of yours truly.

 

 

We have  just two classes this weekend, but I have compensated with a few challenges with some fab prizes.  The Friday Freebie is a quick & simple LO designed to kick-start our mojos, getting us actually scrapping.

 

 

The retreat kit includes StampinUp Pocketful of Posies papers and coordinating cardstock.  I used StampinUp stamps and punches to make the embossed flowers, dug out  my meltpot to make the UTEE flower centres, and followed a Sketchabilities sketch to make this layout:

 

 

 

 

 

From the remaining papers I made this layout which involved LOTS of sewing:

 

 

 

 

And this patterned paper was perfect for the Dancing Queens. I just added lots of stickles and glossy accents:

 

 

 

And I still have two more sheets of paper, ribbons and embellies left in my kit so my challenge this weekend is to actually finish up the whole kit.

 

 

Happy Scrapping

xx

As promised.............

......... pics of the inside of Scrapbags HQ

Ikea - obviously.   I have all sorts of things stashed in the big baskets including Scrapbags cups, polybags and crop kit materials. The smaller baskets contain photos,  chipboard, ribbons, bling, and other larger embellishments.  The cubes are also a nice size to take CM page refills, kits waiting to be completed (Scrap Angels & Merly Impressions), magazines and files etc.  At last my sewing machine has escaped its box in the airing cupboard!

Of course a certain young lady has her own desk and a basket for all her stash.

The idea is that she doesn't need to 'borrow' my stash, but it remains to be seen how successful this is.

I've used some sweet strawberry pegs and a length of string to make a temporary layout display.

Yet more Ikea - DH has cut some shelves for the lower half of a Trofast unit to take some RUBs containg alphabets, 12x12 chipboard, and paper collections.  I have messy stuff like inks, stamps, spare adhesives, paints, embossing powders and heat gun and melt pot in the Trofast trays.

After looking at a variety of desks and work tops I settled for a £10 piece of white contiboard from Wickes as we could cut it to fit and replace it cheaply if it doesn't wear well. It's also wide enough to fit on a couple of Cropper Hopper paper storage racks.  The shelves are made from left over sections of cabin, but some of the jars are Ikea.

On the left of the desk I have another Expedit unit to house my cutting equipment.

The upper cubes house my sizzlits, the large basket has my sizzix dies and the small ones have my punches, and there's room on top for my MM trimmer, Slice and laptop.

So there you have the complete tour.

Happy Scrapping

x

Time for a catch up.....

Here we are,  two and half weeks into the school holidays already, and not one thing crossed off of my to do list.  What with watching bits if the olympics and playing in my cabin I really haven't seen much of the summer, such as it is, so far.

I'm now more or less fully settled in and getting organised. I haven't taken the promised photos of the inside yet as every time I think I'm getting there Scrapbags comes along and I have to pack everything up and decamp for the day.  talking of which, here's the layout from last month's crop.

When I saw these wood effect papers by My Mind's Eye, they said just one thing to me .  

Tomorrow we have our annual mid-week crop.  I can only manage to fit in one during the summer break, but it's always a treat to have an extra day scrapping with friends.  We'll be using Crate Paper Random papers to make this LO which I created a couple of weeks ago while away at a very good friend's GORGEOUS home in Norfolk.

The colours aren't quite so alarming in real life, honestly, as the light was going when I photographed it.



I've also managed to design purchase and bag up class kits for our August, September, October and November crops as well as two classes for the forthcoming retreat.  Not bad, eh?  Pics to follow in due course.

Well, I'd better go and ice the cupcakes for tomorrow's crop - raspberry and elderflower...... mmmm.......

Happy Scrapping

xx

Long time no blog.....

But I do have a very good excuse – well 3 actually.  Both of my children had operations within 2 weeks in different hospitals in different towns. I know – 18 years with no major problems and then both at once. It must be something to do with being the offspring of a bus engineer. Anyway – both are on the mend and apart from loads of follow up and physio appointments life is getting back to normal, but with one HUGE improvement.

Which brings me on to the third reason I’ve been busy.  I’ve finally emptied my car boot and vacated the kitchen table. I am proud to announce the opening of Scrapbags HQ…

Isn’t it GORGEOUS??  I still cannot really believe it’s mine, and can’t decide whether I’m luckier to have such a lovely space all to myself or to have such a wonderful,  generous and clever husband.  Mind you he didn’t do it all himself – it took the TWO OF US just a week from delivery to fully painted, furnished and moved in.  Not bad, eh?  Mind you I still haven’t fully unpacked or sorted all my papers etc – I’m too busy creating.

I finished this LO for our 12 hour crop very quickly  in my lovely calm, creative cabin.

I found a tutorial for these chevrons on Julia Stainton's blog.

Well, I'm off down the garden to work on July's layout, and you never know, I might actually catch up on the mountain of photos waiting to be scrapped.

Happy scrapping
xx

May's Marching on...

and before we know it it will be the 31st when I am expecting my most exciting delivery....no not one of those.....my LOG CABIN!!!!!!! Although this will be THE EVENT OF THE YEAR, if not the decade, for me I am trying to be sensible, honest.

Here is a layout of another pretty important recent event for me - my graduation after years of study, and the first milestone along the long journey to teaching. This is also my first attempt at entering a blog challenhe,  Check out MerlyImpressions April Challenge.

I've used small squares Making Memories patterned papers, Bazzill and StampinUp stamps to make layered flowers.  This month's class kit will enable you to make one of the two layouts - the choice is yours.

So, I'm off to survey the big patch of newly-cleared garden which will soon be my new domain. I'll see many of you next week at the crop, and hope to catch up with all the Scrapbags soon.

Happy Scrapping
xx

April Showers

Although I'm getting fed up with all this rain it is the perfect excuse to stay in and scrap, or in my case, stay in and think about scrapping.  Here's April's class layout.

It's a little different to my normal effort and was worried that the Scrapbags might not like it too much, but it seemed to go down well.  

Bye for now
x

Mummy's Ladies

Anna struggles to say Scrapbags, so calls our group "Mummy's Ladies", and here are some of us at our Spring Retreat last month.

I love this LO using the papers from the retreat kit, but sadly cannot claim the design as it is a scraplift.  Good old Pinterest.

I've been on a mission to use up the papers and have also managed these two LOs - sorry girls, it had to be done!

The first is another scraplift, of Stacey Cohen's So Happy Together in March's Creating Keepsakes magazine.

And the second is inspired by Wendy McKee's Family in April's Scrap 365 Magazine. 

I have added 3 sheets of cardstock, a few brads and some buttons, but the papers are going a lonnnnng way.  I still have a whole sheet of paper left over for which I have a plan (my own design this time), and then I can start the Lo for our Summer retreat kit.  The papers are here already and are DIVINE!!!!!

It's out April crop next week (21st) and i can promise a fab day out with tons of chat, cake, coffee & inspiration, just no scones!!!

What a wonderful weekend!

The sun shone on Scrapbags (aka SCOFFbags) for a wonderful weekend of scrapping, chatting, laughing and not a little eating during our Spring 2012 Retreat.

We were very well looked after by the lovely staff of the Bobsleigh Hotel in Bovingdon - some might say too well looked after .........

Now, I could put up the VERY candid photos that ensued as we tucked into these scrumptious clotted cream scones, but I'm not going to............yet!  Be warned!!!!

Here we are enjoying the first of many coffee and lunch breaks taken in the glorious sunshine.

 

We did scrap in between the meal breaks (honest) from dawn to well past dusk

Here's our first class LO which involved lots of sewing

This class involved distressing cardboard and painting

You can see the Ready Steady Scrap Challenge entries in the slideshow above, but here are the winners with their layouts.

Don't ask!

As usual the weekend wwas not long enough, and I have promised a week-long retreat.  I just  haven't said when (it's going to be a looooonnnnnng time).

Only 5 months to wait for our next retreat. Yippe!!!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope that everyone is having a lovely day being spoiled and pampered, and that you are recovering from a great day's scrapping yesterday, or looking forward to a wonderful weekend scrapping to come, or both!

Here's yesterday's LO, a femine page for Mother's Day weekend, using the last of our Alla Prima papers

I've used a photo of my mother for our retreat 2-Way Kit next weekend, it's a direct copy of a  StampinUp deisgn shown in their summer catalogue

Thank you to Chris for supplying the lovely StampinUp supplies. There's plenty more in the kit pack, enough for at least 2 more layouts and I'm soooo looking forward to seeing what everyone does with them - I'll upload a slideshow to share.

So, enjoy your day ladies and I'll see you all very soon, some of you in just 5 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Scrapping

June

x

Wow What a Whopper!!!

 Yesterday the Scrapbags came out in force and convened on Hertford Heath for our February crop, and all I can say is WOW and THANKYOU for your support.  We haven't had that may croppers for some time. I would like to think it was in response to my wonderful kit designs (yeah right!)

I just lurrrrve these Echo Park Victorian garden papers.  Aren't they yummy?

I must admit that the biggest attraction yesterday was the MARVELLOUS Merly Impressions.  Chrissy Paul and Merly kindly brought along their gorgeous goodies for us to drool over, and boy, did we!!!

Our next crop is on 17th March, just a week before our Spring retreat so I am anticipating that we'll be a tad quieter.  If you'd like to come and play please drop me a line - scrapbags@ntlworld.com.  You will be very welcome.

Happy Scrapping

xx 

Snow Day

Anna's school is closed so I have no option but to stay home and scrap a little and catch up on a few tasks - like updating this blog.

I cannot believe it's February already, and I haven't even posted January's layout showing Anna with the puppies (sadly not ours).

Would you believe she used to be frightened of dogs? And now she adores her Somer & Dipper. Not only did I get to use photos from a CD of images given to us for Christmas, but I also used my fabby present from the lovely Sheila and Jan, a Sizzix stamp & die set which I know will be appearing on a lot of my layouts.

I've spent the morning working on February class kit using Echo Park Victoria Garden papers (photos later), and also bagging up Friday Freebie kits for our Spring Retreat.  Just need to finalise the 2 way kit and we'll be all ready for our first weekend at Bovingdon.

Gotta love snow days!!

Happy scrapping
xx