Our family grows

I'm still wading my way through my brother's wedding photos from Italy in September last year! I love this photo of him and his new wife with my parents. It was such an idyllic place! The sketch I used is from Paper Secrets:

I used the My Minds Eye 'Follow your Heart' collection of papers, elements and twine. 

I am also entering this layout into the challenge over on Colorful Creations, which was to scrap 'the off season', and challenge #11 at Scrap-Friendzy which was to use yellow, layering and use ink/paint (I inked all of the edges of paper and elements).

Cute card Thursday - final week!

It's been great fun being the Guest Designer on CCT this month - lots of great themes and challenges. This week the theme is Easter! This was a toughie for me as I don't normally send Easter cards - so therefore I had NO images!! I trawled the internet and found this cute FREE digital stamp on Little Musings and made a gift bag for my daughter's teachers.

Hope to see you over the - the prize this week is a FAB 7 dig's from Bugaboo Stamps :-)

Let's Get Sketchy challenge #4!

This week's sketch comes from sketch and design team member Jenessa. 

Here is my take on the challenge:

To see more fantastic pages and inspiration, head on over to the Let's Get Sketchy site. Hope to see you over there joining in the fun! :-)

I am also entering this layout into challenge #5 at Scrap-Friendzy - dressing up.

Play ball!

As you know - I'm a big fan of the Boys Rule sketches. Here is the latest challenge:

I used Echo Park's 'Dots & stripes Metropolitan' collection, added my usual twine and stitching (I can't seem to create a layout without them!!) and stamped the stars onto more of the EP papers (woohoo! trying something new!)
Here is my layout:

I am also entering this layout into a challenge over on Scrap-Friendzy which was to use big & small things on a layout (I used big/small photos, stars, circles and banner flags).
Have a great weekend :-)

Cute card Thursday - week 4

This week's challenge over at Cute Card Thursday is 'Anything Goes'. As it was Mother's Day over in the UK last Sunday I decided to make a Mother's Day card.

I used My Mind's Eye 6x6 papers and added a cute crocheted flower. Hope you will join in with us this week. See you over there! :-)

Flip flops!!!

It is Teacher Appreciation week at my daughter's school this week (they never had those in the UK!!) and their theme is 'Spa week'. I made handmade flowers for her to take into school on Monday and today's 'treat' for the teachers was chocolates and gourmet foods!!! I decided to make a 'flip flop' box to hold the chocolates - nothing like challenging myself!!! Here is how they came out:

I thought they looked pretty cute! I used Echo Park's Dots & Stripes: Metropolitan collection of papers and an SVG file from svgshop.com.

Hope they like them :-)

The photographer & the photographed!

I've loved playing about with some older Jillibean Soup papers today! Their current sketch challenge was perfect:

I used photographs from out family holiday in 2008 when we all went to Disneyland Florida! Both children LOVED taking so many pictures!!! (My worst nightmare! LOL!) 

I am also entering this layout into this week's fabulous friday challenge over at Frosted Designs - create a project that includes wings! (I love the butterflies on this page, which I cut out of a piece of the Blossom Soup patterned paper). This also fits perfectly with challenge #8 at Scrap-Friendzy which was to scrap a place you have been.

KennyK Impromptu card challenge - Let's Get sketchy

There is an impromptu card challenge sponsored by the talented Kenny K over on Let's Get Sketchy!  I am not sure how many of you have ever heard of Kenny K or used his stamps but they are AWESOME!  He is one of my favorite digital stamp designers.  So for all you card makers, here is a challenge for you.  Please create a card using a Kenny K stamp.  You may purchase one from his site or use one of his freebies. Make sure you tell them we sent you!  For all of you who complete this challenge you will receive TWO tickets for our grand prize drawing! Remember for each challenge you complete during the month of March you get a ticket towards the grand prize which is being sponsored byWeScrap Kit Club. As always, you can't win if you don't play!

Grand Prize

Here is the card I made for the challenge:

For more great inspiration head on over to Let's Get Sketchy and see what the other DT have been up to! Hope to see you there :-)

My Minds Eye - On the bright side!

The current sketch challenge (#33) over on the My Minds Eye blog is:

I used the 'On the bright side' collection and made this layout:

It was also inspired by a challenge over on Scrap-Friendzy which was to use this Dr Seuss picture as inspiration:

along with a flower. I used the colors as inspiration and made my own flower using some of the patterned paper from this collection.
This photograph was taken just before my daughter started school!

With Love!

Over on Doodlebug's blog, they have a sketch challenge for both layouts and cards. I have already created my layout (see Pink earrings! below), and now this is my card.

Here is the sketch I had to work with:

 And here is my card:

I cut out the hearts from patterned paper to make the banner and used a rub-on word for the sentiment.

:-)

Let's Get Sketchy challenge #3!

It's time for another great challenge over at Let's Get Sketchy! This week's sketch comes from design team member Tabitha. 

Here is my layout:

Head on over the the site to see more of the fantastic DT creations. Hope to see you join in this week :-)

Scrap Friends DT call

A new challenge blog I have found is having a DT call! One of the requirements of applying is to use this photo as inspiration for a project:

I created a scrapbook page:

I'm still trying to finish the pages from my brother's wedding in Italy last September!!

If you want to find out more details about the DT call or even apply yourself, head over to the Scrap Friends blog, here.

Pink earrings!

I just love this Doodlebug 'sweet cakes' collection - perfect for my little girl! I used the Doodlebug sketch for March:

 And here is my layout! 

I am also entering this layout into the Scrap-Friendzy challenge #2 for March - use a color word in the title.

We are family

These photo's were taken in 2007 at a family wedding - this is the cousins all together!!! 
I used the sketch from Grand Diva's Creative corner, along with a number of different collections of papers from Bella Blvd.
Here is the sketch:

 And here is my take on it! 

I rotated the sketch 1/4 turn to the right.

It's all in the smile!

I just love these photo's of my daughter - she is SUCH a poser! They fitted perfectly with MME's 'On the bright side' papers. I used the March sketch challenge from Rochelle's blog (which is also the Guest designers's sketch challenge over on Colorful Creations!!!)

 I rotated the sketch 1/4 turn to the right.

Cute card Thursday - week 3

Hi everyone. Sorry I am late posting this - not feeling the best this week and I seem to have my days completely mixed up!!! Anyway, Cute Card Thursday is 4 years old this week, so the theme for this week's challenge was birthday/celebration. I used one of the Shape EZ templates for my treat box (the take out box) and made a matching card and tag. It is a friend's daughter's birthday this weekend so I thought this was perfect. I used Meljen's Designs 'Party Penguin' for both the card and label, colored with prismacolor pencils, and Echo Park's 'A walk in the park' paper collection.
Hope you like it :-)

Hope to see you over there this week :-0

The boys!

I have again combined a number of different challenges for this layout, but they all worked well together.

The first challenge is over on Boys Rule Scrapbook Kits, which was to use this sketch:

I liked the idea of using Kraft papers which tied in perfectly with the challenge at Frosted Designs.

Also, with it being Dr Seuss' birthday this month and there being lots of challenges about Dr Seuss I thought the quote fitted perfectly too (I'm not a big one for journalling so this was perfect for me!):

Today is gone. Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one.

Everyday, from here to there,

Funny things are everywhere.

                                               - Dr Seuss

This also fits with the Bonus #2 challenge over on Scrap-Friendzy - which was to be inspired by Dr Seuss (use a book/quote).

Here is my layout:

Buddies American Diner

This is a collection of photos taken at an 'American Diner' in the UK - now we live here - we realize it's not quite the same!!!
I have used this month's sketch (#1) from The Paper Bakery Kit Club:

I used a challenge from Scrap-Friendzy for the color combo (Dr Seuss inspired March #3 - obvious black & white) and the Echo Park 'Happy Days' collection of papers and embellishments.
Here is what I came up with:

Hope you like it :-)

Let's Get Sketchy Challenge #2!

What a fantastic first week we had over at Let's Get Sketchy - so many AWESOME entries - thank you to all of you who participated. Well - it's the start of another week and a brand new sketch!

Here is your sketch for this week:

This is my example layout - please check out the site for more fab DT examples and the challenge rules.

Hope to see you over there! :-)

You conquered The Bridge!

So - I have just joined the scrapbook kit club My Creative scrapbook -  I just couldn't resist! They have some fantastic kits each month with lots of new products. Each month I get a FAB parcel in the post with the 'Creative' scrapbook kit - these papers and embellishments seem to be a little brighter and more in-keeping with the products I like. This month it was the "Paradise' collection from Little Yellow Bicycle! I must admit - I LOVE IT! Lots of fun coordinating papers, die cuts, embellishments, ribbons, twine, buttons and flowers! I was in heaven :-)
So I decided I would complete the sketch challenge on their blog - My Creative Sketches. The kit was just perfect for this! Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

I am also entering this into the challenge over on Scrap-Friendzy - use at least 10 different things on your layout. I have used card stock, chipboard, buttons, brads, twine, faux logs, rub-ons, letter stickers, pop dots & embroidery floss.

New glasses!

As you may know - my son has just started wearing glasses - apparently he couldn't see properly for months but he didn't tell us!! Anyway - this layout was inspired by the inspirational photo over on the Imaginisce blog:

I loved the color combo in this picture and decided to use the 'Geek is chic' and 'Happy camper' lines from Imaginisce. Then as you all know - I REALLY struggle to complete layouts these days without a sketch! I looked through my diary (where I keep all of my challenge sketches) and chose the fantastic sketch from Artful Delights (I thought this worked perfectly with my photo and papers):

Here is my layout:

Cute Card Thursday - week 2

So this is my second week as Guest Designer for Cute Card Thursday. This week was a sketch challenge - check out the blog for the sketch.

Here is my card:

I used a cute image (called 'teddy bear picking flowers') from The Paper Shelter and colored it using my prismacolor pencils. The papers are from My Minds Eye 'Blink of an eye' collection.

Hope to see you over on CCT! Have a great day :-)

Bo Bunny & Scrapbook Steals

So when I saw the color inspiration challenge over on Bo Bunny - I knew the papers I wanted - the 'Popsicle' collection! However, I didn't bank on them taking so long to arrive when I ordered them online! The challenge ends in about 20 minutes, and I only received them this morning! Phew - this was a quick layout, but I am pleased with the end result! Here is the color inspiration picture from Bo Bunny:

I paired this with another great sketch from Scrapbook Steals:

Here is my layout:

Who's the fairest of them all??!!

This has got to be one of my favorite layouts that I have mad recently! I was inspired by the challenge over on Scrap-friendzy to use a rhyme in my title and journalling - for some reason this rhyme just popped into my head - and I knew the perfect picture that I had to go with it. Believe it or not - my daughter has only just turned 4 years old in this photo - I think we may have problems with her in later years!! Lol! 
I used the fantastic sketch from the Sampler Kit club:

And also played along with the Tic Tac Toe game on The Paper Variety (I used the bottom row which was  include stitching, create a layout and include a die cut).
This also tied in with the challenge over on Colorful Creations which was to use the color white + 1 other color.
Here is my layout:

Here is a close up of the stitching:

I enjoyed these challenges so much and am so pleased with the end result. Thanks everyone :-)

Scrapbook Steals (MCM #74) & Frosted Designs

I seem to be making an awful lot of cards lately!!! Really not like me, but there are so many birthdays coming up, Mother's Day (March 14th in the UK!) and being Guest Designer at CCT! Here is a card I have made for my brother's 40th birthday later this month (WOW he's getting old!!). I used the following sketch from Scrapbook Steals...

...and here is my card (luckily he doesn't look at my blog, so I am safe that he won't spot it until it arrives in the mail!)

Outside reads "Age is just a number", inside it reads "Shame yours is just SO BIG!"

I am also entering this card into the Fabulous Friday Challenge over on Frosted Designs, which was to use numbers on your card/layout/project.

Pagemaps sketch & LGS game!

The current sketch challenge on the Pagemaps blog is to use this sketch:

I paired this challenge up with my DT example for one of the games over on Let's Get Sketchy which was to use this color combo as inspiration:

Here is my take on the challenges:

I used Crate Paper's 'Neighbourhood Collection'.