Year 1 Scrapbook Pages

A little while ago I put a wish on UK Scrappers for any old stash that the members had finished with as I take my Son's art class on a Thursday morning. I was totally overwhelmed by the kindess from so many ladies who sent me the most amazing papers, cardstock and embellishments for my project....so much in fact that what was to be a project for 1 class ended up being for both year 1 classes! And what's more, Mrs Fuller is going to repeat it with her next class in the new school year :)

The children all had their photo taken and printed in school, then they got to choose a backing paper, a mount for the photo, some ribbon, and loads of embellishments all to tell the story about themselves. I think they all did a superb job, and you never know, a few may even take up our hobby!!!

Here are just a small selection of layouts the children did of themselves, which were then turned into calendars for their parents.

I've been looking through my photos to find the couple of layouts I created for my LSS as they wanted to do 2 Christmas kits, but I must have forgotten to take photos :( They were created with the beautiful SEI Christmas papers and lots of embellies. I hope that the girls at the crop enjoyed them.

This layout was created using Prima papers, stamps and chipboard swirls covered with a large helping of distress paint :) Very dimensional and textural. The large flower was cut from the patterned papers, inked, curled and layered. I think it works.

Flights are booked!

Yes, finally, flights are booked for the 7th January. One way tickets for all of us, and Mark will have to come back in Feb to (hopefully) finalise the house and ship his tools out! Can you believe that we have over a container's worth of stuff?! Mark would tell you that most of it will be my art and scrapping supplies lol and between you and me he's not wrong! (Well he's got his tools and I've got mine!)

The kids are really excited now as they know that it is finally happening and are counting down the last couple of weeks of school.

So it's full steam ahead here with packing and clearing...wish me luck.

No Christmas Tree :(

I have been formally told that in no uncertain terms that I will NOT be purchasing a Christmas Tree this year :( Bah-humbug I say, although the miserable buggar does have a point about "wasting" £25+ at a time when we are counting every penny and meant to be packing for our holiday to Oz...but how will I feel without my beautiful glass ornaments to ooh and aah over, no flashing twinkling coloured lights that sparkle in the dark, no angel to watch over us during the festive period :( Oh, how sad is all that?

So technically its not snowing but I just love this tag that was made for me!

I've just finished the last of the swaps I got carried away with joining to and am now awaiting the goodies in return for my efforts. 30 different cake recipes should make a neat little book for my kitchen :)

October UK Art Raffle

I found some me time today and created this fun enterpretation of "The Dark" which I am really pleased with :) Here's hoping the recipient will feel the same way when the draw takes place at the end of this month.

And then I crashed......

...back to reality and have the biggest hangover head :( Me and Mark tried to blot out the pain and upset of being let down last night as our house buyer has pulled out; and as I sit here at 6am typing with tears rolling down my cheeks again, I realise that it didn't work.

I would just like to know what the hell me or Mark ever did in our previous life to deserve this constant kicking in the guts we always seem to get when we endeavour to acheive anything for ourselves. I am not a bad person, neither is Mark. We are not perfect either. Just a normal couple trying to do something for our kids' future. We don't want to be millionaires or rule the world, so why is this life journey so damned hard?


And I've just broken my promise not to pour my heart out on here, but I couldn't help it. Sorry.

SOLD!!

Yep - you heard me - WE'VE SOLD THE HOUSE!!!!!!!! WOOOO HOOOO!!!!!

Can you tell I'm happy/excited?!

We've acccepted a formal offer on our house with solicitors to be instructed next week which means that we will be in AUSTRALIA by the 12th to stamp the visas! What's more, our friends Lorraine and Darren in Adelaide said we can pitch up at their house from the 8th of Jan until we get ourselves settled! Lot's of exclamation marks but hey - we are so happy!!!!!!!!!

Stressed...

and I have a burning desire to write it all down here and share with you but not just yet - I don't want to tempt fate. Instead I am off to get my contribution to Flo's UK Art Raffle created - I NEED TO GET MESSY TO DE-STRESS!!!

House Guests

We've been chook sitting for my dear friend Sarah whilst she's been on hols with her family. Martha and Mabel are very at home in my garden and although they've been waking me in the mornings I am going to miss them when they go home in the next day or 2.

I've just about caught up with the last 6 weeks of the school holidays - I've been even more un organised and am looking forward to getting back into the school routine to retain some structure!

Stamporama frazzled!

Just got five minutes to say what a fantastic day I've had demonstrating for Paul and Helen of Inspirecraft at Stevenage today. I met lots of fab people and shared some of my work....the acrylic book was a big hit with everyone! I will promise to take photos of it and all my layouts that were on the stand and upload them later this week.

Scrapbooksisters are launching their next Special Edition kit tomorrow which Morag Cutts and I designed. It's using Heidi Grace products and was lovely to work with. Remember they only release a limited number so if you want it then don't forget!

Me and my kids are off for the next couple of days to stay with our dear friends in deepest Essex...Whoo-Hoo!!!!!

MIA

Sorry it's been ages since my last post but I really haven't had too much to share. However I have created this layout for Scrapbooksisters which reminded me of patchwork! I will upload a couple of closeups when I can, but it is a very 3D layout....all cut by hand exept the leaves (sizzix die) I was so pleased how my snail turned out! I completed the look with tonnes of stickles and a snail trail :)

Monday is Faerychores day *Bleugh*

So I haven't got time to play :( Here's another couple of pieces I made for Scrapbook Sisters a while back now - just used loads of different techniques and my fave quote stamps.

Look what popped up this morning...

Let's just hope it won't take too long before I'm posting the next board photo :D

The sneaky Harrison popped his head up in the dining room which I didn't notice when I took this today!

Our first viewing is on Sunday morning so full steam ahead on the faerychores front - it will all be worth it in the end.

So long since last post!

I didn't realise how fast time flies...it's JUNE for goodness sake! How'd that happen??? 6 months gone already of 2008.

House goes on the market this week...HIPs geezer comes tomorrow to sort out the energy efficiency of the house then Tuesday is estate agent photos day *eek* everything is gonna be shoved in the garage and sheds. So today is finishing the decorating in the dining room, tidying the garden as its dry and rediscovering my kitchen worksurfaces!

I have also been sorting through my pics and found a couple of projects I haven't put online so here you go :)

A day with Lance Anderson

I am soo excited as I am booked in to spend a day with Lance Anderson of Rusty Pickle fame next month! Check out Altered Treasures HERE to book your place - this one is too good to miss as I've had a sneak peek at the projects - seriously I recommend EVERYONE to book the day off work for a large helping of pickle !

AUSTRALIA HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!

Well, at last we got the news that we've been waiting over a year for - we have been granted our permanent residency visas for Australia! We have to validate our passports by 12th Januay 2009 so basically we will be out there by the end of this year *Whooppee*

The house needs to go on the market in the next couple of weeks - just as soon as I transform my craft room back to a dining room. I will still be able to have some art time - it just means that faerychores are to be my priority til this place sells. So keep your fingers crossed for me - I really don't do H*#$ew&%k very well!!

The lovely Scrapbook Sisters have put my latest project up on their blog HERE It's just as well Julie is a dab hand with the camera cos I forgot to take photos myself *eek*.

are you with us?

are you with us?
Originally uploaded by shimelle

Yes Miss - ready to play. Julie

UKScrappers Oscars CyberCrop Weekend

It's cybercrop weekend on UKScrappers and although I can't play for all of it I have been indulging in the precrop chatter and challenges and am especially looking forward to Shimelle's challenge Scrap a day for 12 months. Basically we have been asked to create a book that will be used to record the 25th of the month, from tomorrow for the next 12 months. I think this journey will be an interesting one, especially as we should have emigrated by this time next year :) So the camera is coming to bed with me tonight, ready for the first photo of tomorrow which will be the time on the alarm clock!

Altered Tin

My first Sculpey creation...mosaic randomness on the lid of a tin - techniques include using border moulds from Lisa Pavelka, clay leafing foils, perfect pearls and clay from ALTERED TREASURES Have a look at the Lisa Pavelka website - very inspiring and Diz at AT has all her goodies to recreate these pieces :) Watch this space for more clay creations.

New Blog Header

What do you think?? I created the new header last weekend - playing with lots of my favourite things...distress inks, chipboard, glimmer mist, course pumice gel and Sculpey (thanks Diz x) beads, charms and other bits of bling :) Well, I call it art anyhow!

Julie at Scrapbook Sisters has been busy uploading pictures of the Monthly kit on their website. The kit has sold out but you can see some of mine and Morag Cutts' work HERE

Kids are slowly driving me round the twist and I still have another fortnight of the holidays to go - all suggestions for keeping a sane head will be gladly received!

Here are 2 layouts created with Bizous PDQ papers from Altered Treasures they are almost done so the odd tweak and embellishment once your photo is in place and voila - finished! Hmmm, I shouldn't speak French though...England are 1-0 down against France now at half time in the football. Let's hope that they can pull it back.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter

We woke up to a blanket of snow and 3 excited children - so much so that they forgot it was Easter!!!

A couple of photos to share.

Inky fingers how to....

I've been asked by a couple of gals on UKScrappers how I created the background for the layout below and thought this was the best place to put the info. So here goes...

I made a template from a circle of greaseproof paper that I have folded into half, and half and half again (remember how we used to make paper snoflakes when we were kids?) then I used my cropodile and fiskers mini punch to make lots of different size holes in it randomly. The greaseproof paper is like tracing paper and allows you to see where you are placing your template which is ideal when using on a scrapping page.

Take a piece of Cut n Dry foam and your distress inks..dab onto the pad and gently brush across the template keep it in postition so it doesn't smudge. Use this template around the layout as you wish :)

To give extra dimension I inked all edges of the circles which help to make the layout "pop". I hope this has been of use to you.

Inky Fingers :)

My fave pasttime playing with my distress inks....and used them on a layout here of my Mum and Grandad, 2 very special people in my life who definitely make my world go round xxx

Colours used are freyed burlap and dusty concord and a sheet of the new PRIMA PAPER from Altered Treasures

Monday

I've just uploaded this layout on UKS and thought I will put it here too....I really need to sort out a Flikr or photobucket slide show thingy, for all these. I am sure I will get round to it one day!

All the papers and extras are from Altered Treasures As you know I am not a girly-girl but these papers lend themselves so well to a bit of grunge, don't you think?!

Scrapbook Sisters first Kit released!

And there are a couple left - 1ST KIT

I wouldn't say it if I didn't think it, but this is totally crammed with goodness and value. And for my first co-designed kit with Morag Cutts I think we did well. I love the fact that the 2 of us can have the same kit and yet come up with totally different ideas.

As it's online now a sneak look at what I did with the 2 8x8 chipboard squares :D

Noteworthyness...

Well I have been doing a couple of layouts with the new Making Memories Noteworthy paper range - love these papers...very usable.

I have craft club tonight so hoping to get some more done - I am really enjoying my scrapping atm.

MM Garden Party Papers...mmmm

I love the fresh spring feel to this new line of papers and was very lucky to stumble on these 2 old pictures of Rhiannon which are perfect. Everything to make these layouts is from the wonderful Altered Treasures.

I am in full scrapping mode at the moment, although I have so many other jobs that need doing around the house...mainly listing on eBay *arhh* it takes sooo long to do but as Mark says we either sell it or dump it - either way its gotta go!!!

Phrase for Today

I received this in the post today from Diz *heart* along with some wonderful scrapping goodies. I have been flapping about alot this week (It must have come across on the phone!) so now I have this in a prime spot to remind myself to breathe once in a while! Thanks hun xx

cock a DOODLE DO!!!

This is a piccy of me and my bruv, Gary at my Mum and Dad's - I took it so because we were messing about Gary actually smiled instead of making his usual stoopid faces (yes he still hasn't grown out of that one!) I wanted to show it was Christmas but not make a Christmassy layout; Does that make sense?? Well the 4 strips are from BasicGrey Dasher papers....the cutoff strips to be presise, so just rubbish lol. The rest was just a lot of squiggles and doodles with my Sakura gel pen. And yes, it is a true 12x12 in the flesh...my camera angles bent it outta shape - hmmmm.

I have finally finished my entry for Cara's CJ that I have been in over on UKS I hope she likes it! I found it hard to be the last in her book as all the other girls previous to me had done such a great job. Here it is - a mix of BG Sublime&Confused papers and tags...lots of fave stamps (Paperartsy, Stampers Anonymous, Hampton Art) All with lots of sayings/phrases on. Then I stamped the image of the woman on acetate in white Stazon and finally stamped here again on a tag in black with the words "Wise Words, Wise Woman." I like it :)

My last EVER cake order!

YAY - I've just finished my last ever cake order...it's not the most interesting of cakes I have ever created (to say the least!) but it's done. It's also the end of "my" money so no more guilt-free squandering for me either, but I don't care. I will be listing all my equipment on ebay next week to hopefully boost the Aussie funds.

Just trying to add a piccy of a layout I created with scraps left over from the Scrapbook Sisters Monthly kit.

It worked!!! It's a piccy of my Grandad and Josh taken on the Woolwoch ferry some 6 years ago now. Hidden journalling says about the 78 year age gap between them. I love the fact that my Grandad is such a big part of my childrens' lives as he is such a special person to me. He is 88 tomorrow. Love you Grandad xxx