BLESSED

So the scraping is still going well, thankfully the old mojo hasn't desserted me yet!!  This layout is for the week 4 challenge over at The Scrap Room Blog For this weeks challenge we had to place a verticle title, which is something I quite like and has cropped up on a few of my layouts over the last year.

I have been wanting to scrap some pics taken after my son's birth for ages.....just haven't as while he is the cutest thing on the planet I look like I was dragged through a bush backwards.....but strangely enough I have never been happier!!!  Anyhoo the papers are from Making Memories and came in a kit I got from The Scrap Room.  The title is done with American Crafts thickers.....I LOVE their thickers, they have soooo many types and colours there is always ones that go with a page!!!

I added a Prima gem stone flourish and some buttons and decided that apart from a little journal tab in the corner, the layout needed no extra bells and whistles as its the photos that I want people to see!!!  My baby boy is not a baby anymore but he still blesses our lives every day!!!!

A JUMP ON MOTHERS DAY

Ok so I have a memory about as useful as a chocolate teapot and every year I am always late getting my mum a card.  So this year I decided to get a wiggle on and make her a card in advance that way I have some hope of getting it to Australia on time!!!

The papers are from the paperbox, they have a lovely shimmer to them which doesn't show in the photo. I chose blue as this is my mums favourite colour. I based this card on a sketch for a forum challenge. I tore the strip that sits in the middle of the card and inked the edges in a lovely baby blue.  I punched some 3d butterflies using the fabby papermania punch.....LOVE that punch and a added a few pearls to them for a bit of bling.  I did some stitching around the edge of the card using some gorgeous organza ribbon

I stamped my sentiment in pale blue ink then embossed it with clear embossing powder and my card was complete.

Birthday Season Begins!!!

At a crop last year I made an easel card and loved it, but never got around to making another so this evening I tried my hand at another and was really pleased with it.  A few tweeks are required but all in all it came out grand....though I have to figure out how to take a proper piccie of it.

Tis birthday season in my family again so made this one to add to the birthday stash so I am ready for the rake of birthdays which are coming up.  I used my new greating farm stamps.  She is coloured in using Cocoa, Blossom and Rose Pink promarkers.  The papers are Basic Grey from the porcelain line.....LOVE this line its soooooo girlie.  I cut out the stamp and mounted her over some pink ribbon.  I added some gems and a simple Birthday sentiment to finish the card off.

PfP WEEK 35 - Girls Girls Girls

Its a while since I was making cards, think I had a card overload at Christmas.....however, I was itching to tinker so I toodled over to the Passion for Promarkers challenge blog to get myself motivated with some kind of challenge and as luck would have it, it was an ANY colour week....woo hoo, so it was looking good, the requirement was 'girls girls girls', and given 90% of my stamp collection is of the girlie variety I decided this was the challenge for me.

I was having a root thru my paper stash and came across my new Basic Grey Origins 6x6 pad and decided that I would use colours from this pad.  I love my Daisy stamp from the Sugar Nellie stamps so decided that I would use her.  I coloured her in using Cocoa, Yellow and Lemon promarkers as the predominant colours and cut her out using my new label nesties.  I mounted her on some chocolate cardstock, over my Basic Grey papers and then decided to stamp a simple sentiment and add some gems to finish the card off.....less is more with this card!!!

CHANGES

This is my newest layout which I did last night when I got home from my crop.  There are no photos just some articles from two newspapers to mark a big change ahead for me and my family.  My company announce on Tuesday morning.....via a powerpoint presentation I might add, that my job along with 195 others in Dublin was 'surplus to requirement', ie we can get your work done cheaper else where so sorry peeps but you are out on your ear!!!  I know its the way of the world these days but as we are still in a recession and jobs are thin on the ground I am not looking forward to joining the unemployment queue in the next few months!!!!

Anyhoo, I am a scrapper and this is an important milestone in my life so I decided a layout was required to mark this event.  Given that it is a dark subject, I decided a dark and dirty layout was required.  I picked some gorgeous Pink Paislee hallowean papers for the occasion and the sketch is based on the latest sketch challenge over at The Scrap Room Blog I used a fab Maya Road plastic circle overlay and then cut out and inked my papers.....suitably edged in black ink!!!  I added some gems, buttons and American Crafts thickers to finish the layout.

It is not my usual neat and clean layout but somehow it reflected my mood at the announcement!!!

FIRST CROP OF 2010

I attended my first crop of the year in Wexford town yesterday.  Been going to South East Crafters crops since it began last year and always have a great time.  Laura does a great class, we craft, we chat and we shop.....what better way to spend the day??

This month we were using various distressing techniques and made the fab layout above first.  We used GORGEOUS K and Company papers and I distressed the edges of both the paper and the card stock with my trusty nail file.  We then inked the edges with Tim Holtz distress inks and used some liquid pearls to make a flourish on the paper. We then added a circle and a border to which I added some fab cream lace I bought before I mounted my photo and added some pop up butterflies (how fab is that papermania punch !!!) To finish my layout I added some buttons from my stash and some American Craft thickers.  Tis another layout for my wedding album done.....Yippee!!!

For the second part of the class we made the card.  Again using K and Co papers which we distressed as well.....this time I tore the papers instead of using the file.  Again we inked the edges with Tim Holtz inks, added a cardstock border, complemented by more cream lace.  We stamped a tree image in brown chalk ink and finished the card off with some card candy and a stamped sentiment.  We also added another of them cute butterflies !!!!

AU NATUREL

In keeping with my resolution to do a scrapbook layout a week, I have been busy putting together my latest layout.  I did this layout based on a sketch over on The Scrap Room Blog , tis for the week 2 challenge.  As I am currently working towards finishing my wedding album I decided to use one of my wedding photos this week.  The photo is of myself and my little flower girl Erin, kinda chilling out against a tree in the park on the way to the church.

I fell in love with the papers which came as part of my doubleshots kit thanks to The Scrap Room , the scrapping kit club I belong to.  Tammy always puts together awesome kits and these papers from Upsy Daisy Designs are just GORGEOUS, the photo really soesn't do them justice.

I based the layout on the sketch, tore and inked some of my edges.....something I love to do.  I used one of my martha stewart punches to give a bit of detail to one of the edges as well and then threaded some ribbon thru it.  I added some fab lime green flowers and added a simple title.  So thats 2 layouts down and 50 more to go........wooo hoooo

FIRST LAYOUT OF 2010

Finally my mojo has returned and I have started scrapping again.....was beginning to seriously doubt my craftyness!!!  I was inspired by the week 1 challenge over at The Scrap Room this weeks challenge was to set some goals for the year.

I loved the idea and after a root through my paper stash I came across the gorgeous Jenni Bowlin papers and set about scrapping my first page of 2010.  I tore and inked my backing papers, then cut the die cut paper in half and wrote out my journaling.  I used a picture of me from our honeymoon in San Francisco (have very few pics of me, I am usually behind the camera!!!).  Added the tag, some black ribbon and some jenni bowlin buttons and was pretty happy with the result.....here is what I hope to achieve by the end of 2010

Learned- To be more patient

Changed- my attitude and outlook on life

Figured out- how to use my camera properly

Completed- a scrapbook layout a week, I have two beautiful children to scrap about!!!

Stopped- being neurotic everytime one of my children sneezes!!!

Started- to be a better domestic goddess.....

Acquired- some willpower when it comes to chocolate!!!

Given up- trying to be something I am not....need to just be who I am

Visited- the treadmill more often....tis for exercising NOT for hanging coats on!!!

Left behind- a few pounds and Size 14 jeans