Paper Obsession

Those life lessons keep coming..

I had a bit of catching up to do, but now I have a couple of pages to share from my Learn Something New book..

So here's Friday's page:

Along with the hidden journaling card:

We are currently remodelling our kitchen - on a minuscule budget! Rather than hauling out and replacing all the units, as we originally planned, we are simply moving things around and adding home-made base units and recycled worktops to fill in the gaps. I rather like the original wall cupboards - they are REAL wood, painted an antique cream (or is it decades-old white.. we're not sure), and they go right up to the ceiling. It would have been so sad to replace them with 'foiled laminate' wall units with no character whatsoever!

And here's yesterday's page, documenting our afternoon trip to the beach:

It was SUCH fun playing on the seashore with the boys splashing around, drawing faces in the sand, collecting seaweed and generally getting wet.

Memories of that lovely afternoon prompted me to muse about how much happier I am when Gareth's home on the weekends. We get to do things together as a family. And that is my lesson for today.. page to follow!

Equilibrium restored..?

The boys bounded in this morning at 6:45am after a blissful night's sleep. Lucky them.. I could have done with another hour myself..

At least it meant we were up and ready, with time to spare, for Harry's first day back to Nursery. He settled in brilliantly, busying himself with the toy cars and giving Charlie and me a cheery goodbye wave.

With just Charlie in the house this morning, the place is SO much more peaceful.. and I'm feeling more on an even keel than I did yesterday. I've photographed my work so far.. and here it is:

This is the inside front cover - it's a calendar for the first half of the month:

My title page explains what I hope to learn this month (although I fear it'll take a lot more than a month to learn some of these lessons..)

Maybe I should explain my frazzled thinking when I wrote this on 31st August..

• When Charlie starts his new school, I will need to drop him off at 8:40am, then somehow sprint to Nursery - with Harry in the buggy - to drop him off at 8:45am. It's about a ten minute walk.. uphill. Hence the need to be in two places at once.

• I think sometimes I let my heart rule my head.. and undervalue what I do.. and have made umpteen other little mistakes in my quest to make crafting a business as well as a hobby. A subject for another blog post, perhaps..

• I need to learn how to work SMART - I guess being out of the workplace for 4 and a half years means I'm a bit out of practice. I get flustered and stressed when I have lots to deal with all at once.. and I'd really like to get better at this.

• I really dislike cooking. I used to enjoy it when I was just cooking for myself and Gareth. But since having the boys, it's become a great big CHORE! I think their fussy tastes have really dented my confidence and enthusiasm in the kitchen. I need to try and get it back somehow!

• And finally.. I really admire my fellow bloggers who have regular blog features and who manage to write intriguing blog posts filled with crafty goodness. I aspire to be this organised!! Again, it's all down to time management..

Phew! Where did that come from?!!

On to my page for 1st September..

I'm not entirely pleased with it.. it's a bit of a mess to be honest, but perhaps that accurately reflects my headspace last night!

The stamps I used were from the Baroque Motifs stamp set by Stampin' Up! If you're interested in buying any SU! products, or finding out a little more about SU!, I'd be delighted to welcome you over at my other blog Seaside Stampers. As I mentioned previously, I'm offering FREE shipping on all orders within the UK for the month of September.

Right.. I'm off to enjoy some quality time with Charlie.

Have a lovely day!

Sarah x

Getting ready to Learn Something New

I've been beavering away at my mini-book for Learn Something New.. just four days to go! Rather than having to 'reinvent the wheel' each day, as I attempted last year, I decided to make things easier by binding the book and stick in papers on each page. Eeeek! I'm hoping I don't regret what I've done so far - but my challenge is going to be 'Don't Stress - Just Go With It!'

The papers are all from the Stampin' Up! Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack.. so many gorgeous patterns!

I printed my dates on to white cardstock then punched each one out with a Stampin' Up! Oval punch. I also punched out a load of Scalloped Ovals in coordinating colours and stuck the first few dates to scalloped ovals (after inking the ovals first). I've done the first week's labels (you didn't think I'd have sat there and done all thirty did you..?).

Next job - gather up/make embellishments and journaling spots. Yummy! :o)

I'm Learning Something New.. Are You?

One week to go until Shimelle's Learn Something New Every Day starts again.. I had a darned good go at it last year but it was not always easy making a complete page every day! So this year I'm trying to get organised. So far I have:

• Decided on my page size
• Decided on my colour scheme
• Cut my chipboard covers to the correct size (no mean feat for my poor little brain it seems)
• Punched holes in covers and pages with Bind-It-All, also correctly (surely a miracle?)
  
• Started decorating said covers.

I can't quite decide whether to go further and start making up at least some pages according to last year's sketches just to make the whole process easier. Does that take the fun out of it? I just know September is going to be frantically busy so I'll probably need to keep this project simple and do-able if I I'm to have any hope of keeping up.

So here's where I am so far...

• Pages - 6x6"
• Colour scheme - mid-brown, hot pink, turquoise and pale pink...

or in Stampin' Up! speak... Close to Cocoa, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise and Pretty in Pink (don't these names sound so much lovelier?)

(the photo doesn't do these colours justice, obviously!)

I've also added in a couple of Hambly printed acetate pages for extra prettiness.

• Covers - 6 1/2 x 6 1/4" with two of the corners rounded.

Here's my front cover:

 

The stamps are all by Stampin' Up!, namely

• All A Flutter (the butterfly)
• Vintage Vogue (the flowers and vines)
• Very Vintage Stampin' Around Wheel (the background, stamped in Versamark)
• Just Perfect (alphabet stamps - 'something')
• Frames With A Flourish (the frame around 'Sept 2010')

The chipboard letters for 'Learn' are also by Stampin' Up! (they are called 'On Board Loads of Letters') - I inked them with 'Pretty In Pink' ink, then coated them in Crystal Effects (SU's equivalent of Glossy Accents).

{Interested in owning any of these lovely stamps? If so, why not pop over to my SU! blog, Seaside Stampers, where you'll find full details of a special September offer. I'd be delighted to help you!}

A Stash Giveaway.. a Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop.. and a Special Offer!

Today I have three bits of news which I hope will be of interest to you.

1. I'm giving away some lovely stash!

2. Stampin' Up! have a fantastic Special Offer starting on Sunday 1st August which, if you're into stamping, is well worth a look.

3. To celebrate this promotion, there's going to be a Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop, starting at my other blog Seaside Stampers on Sunday morning.

So, what would you like to know about first?!

The stash giveaway, right? OK... here's what's up for grabs:

Bo Bunny 'Love Shack' double-sided papers, Super-sized alpha stickers and Combo stickers - 13 papers and 2 sticker sheets

K & Co Brenda Walton 12x12 Citrus Neapolitan Scrap Pad To Go - some sheets used but loads left!

Three wooden flower stamps.. and one wooden handbag & shoes stamp

Dovecraft 12x12 Designer Paper Pack - Wild Blossom by Kate Knight - one or two sheets used

Dovecraft 12x12 Designer Paper Pack - Winter Wonderland - one or two sheets used

Papermania 12x12 acetate sheets - Secret Garden - just the Owls and Flowers sheets

Depending on the number of entrants, I may split the goodies between two or three winners. I will also be adding a few bits & pieces such as ribbons, buttons etc.

Fancy your chances? Here's what to do.

• First, please go and check out my other blog for more details of Stampin' Up!'s August special offer.

• Second, come and join me and my SU! friends on Sunday for the Scrappin' Stampin' Blog Hop! You'll get to find out about how Two-Step Stampin' stamp sets can be used to great effect on your layouts. Leave a comment at each stop on the Hop - and then return to this post and let me know you're entering the giveaway!

• For an extra chance of winning, simply become a follower of Seaside Stampers.

The closing date for entering the giveaway is 10pm on Sunday 8th August.

So please leave a comment on this post - from Sunday onwards - to enter the draw.

I hope you'll be able to join us on Sunday.. I know there'll be lots of inspiring pages to enjoy, and it would be wonderful to see you over there on the Stampin' Up side!

Sarah xx

Catching up and sharing some creations

Happy Father's Day to my Dad... here's a sneaky peek at something which really should have dropped through your letterbox yesterday - SORRRYYYY!!! - it'll be there tomorrow :o]

Ooops.. it seems I've let a good two weeks elapse since my last post.. I've actually been really busy on a number of projects which I've had to keep under wraps for a while. I still can't explain myself completely - that'll have to wait until next week!

Meanwhile, here's something I can tell you - it's my second day as guest designer on the Banana Frog blog today and I'm sharing two projects, an altered mirror using the 'Hiya Chick!' stamp set, and a scrapbook page featuring my boys in the paddling pool along with 'Super Dreamy', 'Build a Daisy' and 'Pharmacy' stamp sets. {Eagle-eyed Gauche Alchemy fans will also spot one or two items from their Blue Streak Mixed Media Colour Kit!}

Apart from a bit of trouble with non-crackling PVA glue, I loved doing these projects - so thank you Beverley from Banana Frog for the opportunity and for the lovely stamp sets!

Finally, I hope you don't mind if I share one more layout which has been under wraps since March. This one has just appeared in Scrapbook Magazine in the Activity Pack section and features my little boys on the Dotto train in Eastbourne last summer - way before our plan to relocate here was even hatched!

The flourish frame underneath 'DOTTO' was a print-out from Shimelle's class 'Something from Almost Nothing'.

I'll be back next week with some news! Meanwhile, enjoy Father's Day and I hope the sun is shining for you.

Thanks for reading..

Sarah x

Easter bunnies, a new baby card and crazy blog ideas

Our Easter day started with clouds and rain.. but as soon as the sun appeared I was in the garden surreptitously scattering little chocolate eggs amongst the flower-pots and in the borders. When all was set, out we went, the boys clutching their little Easter baskets, to see if the Easter bunnies had been.

Unfortunately, my scattering of choccie treats in the flower borders was not such a smart idea.. while retrieving an egg nestled in a clump of bluebells, Harry managed to trample heavily on a couple of newly-emerged Allium plants. Oh well... they'll be fine next year, when we're gone from this house!

(That yucky-looking brown thing is a wet leaf, not a slug.)

The boys were delighted with their spoils - six eggs for Charlie and five for Harry - and they have got through the day eating just three each. We didn't buy them any other Easter eggs and they didn't expect any more. Oh, how I wish it would stay that way!

We had a delicious Easter lunch - steak for Gareth and Charlie, Quorn escalopes for Harry and me - complete with roast potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, garlic mushrooms and mini corn-on-the-cobs. Yes, a slightly bizarre combination but it tasted good!

On a crafty note, here's a card I made yesterday for our friends, James and Kate, to celebrate the birth of their baby, Samuel:

The papers are from the 'Ducks in a Row' range by October Afternoon and the alpha stickers are Basic Grey's 'June Bug' letters.

It's so exciting to see that Shimelle has extended the 'Something From Almost Nothing' class with challenges continuing through April. It's been such fun seeing the amazing pages everyone has come up with - so many fresh new ideas to try.

I'm still thinking about the possibility of starting up a new challenge blog, based around finding new ways to use up old stash. I know there are already lots of challenge blogs out there, so I'm going to have to convince myself the crafting world needs another one before I plunge in there. A couple of virtually sleep-free nights have given me plenty of ideas.. this would not be just a challenge blog, I'd like to make it a bit more than that! Once I've turned these ideas into a coherent plan, I'll let you know what I'm thinking.. and then you can give me your honest opinion!

Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of your Easter weekend.. hope the sun shines where you are! :o)

Talking digital

I don't generally 'do' digital scrapbooking for two key reasons...

(a) I have way too much real stash to get through

(b) I've tried a couple of times and found it frustrating and difficult.

But this morning I was inspired to have another go.. by a beautiful hybrid card by Lucy Abrams, in which she used the brand-new digital kit by Michelle Underwood called 'It's the Little Things' (available on Two Peas).

I thought I'd share, not because I think it's amazing (it so isn't!) but I am a little bit proud of the progress I've made. And I actually enjoyed doing it, too! It's good fun being able to move papers and elements around, resizing them and turning them round - without fear of ruining a good sheet of patterned paper or using up letter stickers!

For this layout I used Michelle Underwood's kit and also a free kit of page templates by Jen Martakis, available on Two Peas now.

Evidently I still have a steep learning curve in front of me.. like how to put in drop shadows, for a start!

What I really want to do now is make hybrid cards (like Lucy does so incredibly well), and print bits of digi-kits to use on hybrid scrapbook layouts. Being able to resize journaling boxes and labels would be really handy, for example.

But do you know what I'd like to do even more? Design my own digital elements. I'd love to be able to do this! I'm really not sure where to start though.. I've had a tiny play around with Photoshop Elements but it wasn't entirely successful, shall we say. Maybe there's a better way, a piece of software that all the digital designers use... Any ideas?

What are your views on digi-scrapping? Is it the way forward.. or would you rather stick with paper and glue (mind the pun..)?

Carry on stash-busting!

Every night, Gareth and I lie down beside Harry and Charlie, holding their hands while the baby monitor plays five minutes of lullabies to send them peacefully to the Land of Nod. I must confess I love this part of the day.. I often find myself planning my next layout, or dreaming about ideas for starting a crafty business.. it's a productive time!

Tonight I found myself thinking about how Shimelle's class 'Something From Almost Nothing' is drawing to a close, and how lovely it would be to continue with the inspiration and the challenges to get using those old bits of stash.

I'd like to share some of my ideas and see what you think...

• The simplest idea would be to open a challenge thread on Shimelle's forum for members to post challenges - say once a month - and perhaps attach an example layout for inspiration. I loved how Shimelle found links to some incredible layouts on Two Peas In A Bucket for the buttons prompt. Maybe we could do that too, for extra inspiration!

• Another idea might be to start a new challenge blog, initially for SFAN participants and promoted through the SFAN forum, but there'd be no reason why others could then join in. Of course, the blog would promote Shimelle's class - her materials, free printables and video tutorials are absolutely top-notch and I'd recommend her class to anyone!!

• A different idea I had, but still related, would be to start a stash-swap challenge! Participants could put together a small kit of old stash, maybe based around a theme - say, several scraps of patterned paper, some brads, eyelets, stickers.. you get the picture! - and then swap them with someone else in the group. The challenge would be to create a layout or other project with whatever you've been given and post your project to the blog or forum.

I have a couple of other ideas swirling around in my head too, but I'll leave it at these three for now.. don't want to overwhelm you!

Any thoughts? Would you be interested in participating in any of the above, or have you had any other ideas? I look forward to hearing from you!

Buttons... I've used a few...

Thank you so much, ladies, for your kind words yesterday.. my Dad arrived home from hospital yesterday afternoon and sounded very chirpy on the phone.. my Mum, however, said she felt like 'an old rag' after what he'd put her through!

So, life can return to normal, more or less, which means I managed to do a quick layout last night, inspired by Shimelle's prompt on using up some buttons.

I've been meaning to scrapbook this 8x10 inch photo for ages, and tried to do something with patterned paper scraps last week, but no go. Buttons, on the other hand... a simple heart-shaped frame and white cardstock background... (almost) voila!!

I couldn't resist adding a couple of birdies, die-cut with space-dyed felt (from 21st Century Yarns), with feathers for wings (got these from a toy shop in the craft section) and Hero Arts black pearls.

The alphas are Basic Grey, from the 'Perhaps' and 'June Bug' collections. The journaling tag was inked with blue chalk ink round the edges and with purple and blue inks in the centre using sequin waste as a stencil. Loving this technique!!!

The photo was taken in February 2008; Harry was nearly 6 months old (and a little chubby, it has to be said!) and Charlie about 20 months old.

I've been having thoughts... and ideas... about 'Something About Almost Nothing', and the fact that it's nearly over (boo-hoo!!). I'll do a separate post on this a bit later.. I'd love to know what you think too, so please stay tuned!