Another One...

Following on from yesterday's post, about how much I love the cute creations by Kay Miller, here is another card that I have made as part of my Creative Team assignments:

[Tropical Punch - Kay Miller (Kay Miller Designs), Key To The Executive Washroom - Darcy Baldwin (SSD)]

As soon as I spotted the bird in that kit I just knew I had to work with it. I mean, how cute is that bird? And there's a green version too! Check it out here :) I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next :)

Hybrid Card...

I've always really loved the designs/kits that Kay Miller creates. She used to design at SSD for a while and then left. I really missed working with her kits and was really pleased when I got a space on her Creative Team shortly after that. Last week I was doing some CT work for her and this is one of the cards I came up with:

[Supplies: Easy Breezy - Kay Miller (Kay Miller Designs)
Cupcaking - Eva Kipler (SSD)]

If you have never visited Kay Miller Designs, and you love cute stuff, you really should head over and take a little look :)

About The Punch...

Sorry I'm really short for time today, so this will only be a quick reply to a question I received yesterday about my punch post.

Samm left the following comment: "Wow, that *is* big! Can I ask - is it difficult to punch with?
The last big-ish punch I bought I have to pretty much jump off the floor to put my entire weight on it, just a bit tiring!"

...right, I have just put it to the test so I can give you a honest answer. It IS big so I really think you need both hands to hold it (although I'm sure you could do it one handed if you really wanted to!). I put both hands underneath the the punch and then both thumbs on top of it (using the thumbs to press down as such). I cut through pretty thick cardstock and it really was no trouble at all. I do know what you mean when you say some things you have to put your entire body weight into, but this really isn't like that. One simple press with both thumbs and it went through the cardstock easily. Hope that helps :)

The Biggest Punch Ever...?

Well, it probably isn't, but it's certainly the biggest craft punch I have seen. I thought the huge ones by Woodware were large, but this is just even more of a monster...

Meet my new square punch! I was trying to take a photo next to my scissors to show how gigantic it is...but I really don't think it looks that big at all in the photo. It's by Marvy Uchida and is called an "Extra Giga" punch. At least the name suggests how huge it is LOL!

I really love square punches so this will be a great addition to my collection. The cut out squares are a whole 6,3x6,3 cm! I can see myself using this lots both for photos and patterned paper on my layouts :) Definitely a worthwhile investment.

Got Started...

Well I've got started on the Shimelle class which feels really great :) It will take some time before I can complete the whole class, but I guess that doesn't really matter as long as I'm making progress. One step at a time.

[Supplies: Inspired By Sara - Bree Clarkson, Key To The Executive Washroom - Darcy Baldwin, Elftopia - Lliella Designs, Moonica & Friends - Lliella Designs, Pixieland - Lliella Designs, Grungy Edges 5 - Penny Springmann (all from SSD)]

Above is a layout using some great new kits at Sweet Shoppe Designs. My CT work for SSD is purely hybrid but of course we can do some digital scrapping outside the CT commitments if we want to.

Liberty - Thanks for the comments you left. I'm so sorry but as soon as I saw the comment from yesterday I realised I'd forgotten to answer your last comment. Cathy's class. Well, I'm in the same boat as you. I probably won't be able to work on the class straight from the start. Something that I thought a lot about when deciding whether to sign up or not. But I figured that since I'm pretty used to having to catch up on classes due to "bad timing" for me (like Shimelle's Xmas class which I can never do at the right time etc), and I always get them done in the end...well, I decided to go for it. So I hope that's the right decision for me. We'll see :)

Stress-free Scrapping Getting Stressy?...

Going back to July, while being in Sweden on holiday, I signed up for Shimelle's latest class "Stressfree Scrapbooking - Go To Press". I thought about it for a while, but I decided it was something I really wanted to sign up for. Why was it a more difficult choice than normal? Because I knew I'd spend most part of the class being abroad (ie no access to any craft supplies) and automatically starting at that point that we scrappers dread so much ---> being "behind".

The good news was of course that it's a class with downloadable prompts that you can save and work through at your own pace. So technically there's no such thing as "being behind". Yet you can't help getting that feeling anyway as you see prompt after prompt arriving in your e-mail box and the special forum getting more and more posts LOL!

And I'm a pretty stressy person. That is I stress about little things. When it comes to bigger things I tend to be more rational, take a step back and be able to keep my head cool & work out the best solutions etc. But little things can stress me a lot. Like being "behind" on a class. So I have a bit of a challenge ahead of me to say the least. Somehow not get stressed about catching up on a STRESS-FREE scrapbooking class LOL!

I'm kinda making this post as a promise to myself. To do the best I can not to get too stressed. To work through one prompt at a time, without looking at the pile of unread prompts and to try and find enjoyment rather than stress doing each page. Focusing on the page I'm doing now/next rather than the XX I have left to do. I did say TRY. And I will try LOL! But please feel free to give me some encouragement along the way if you have time to post a comment some time - I will really need it :) And check up on that I really finish the class!!

I'll also try and share the pages here with you of course.

Right, I'm off for a walk in the sunshine and then I will sit down and start reading through a prompt. :)

Beach Holiday...

I love scrapping photos when I come back off holiday. It just makes you smile seeing all the new photos and thinking about all the great new memories you have from it.

[Supplies: Layer It Labels - Anne deJong, Word Art 1 - Anne deJong, I Heart Friday Paper Pack - Amy Wolff, Doodley Border Frames - Jenna Desai, Are We There Yet? - Kate Hadfield, Going Places - Kate Hadfield, Great Outdoors - Kate Hadfield, Doodly Doo 2 - Melissa Bennett, Scribble Alpha - Melissa Bennett, Scrapping With Circles 3 - Natalie Braxton, Messed Through Stitching - Amy Martin, Simplicity Vol 1 - Angela Powers, Under My Umbrella - Angela Powers (all from The Lilypad)]

These photos were taken at the beach in Sweden about 3 weeks ago. It was so nice watching my little niece playing in the sand and the way she reacted when the waves reached her feet. Super cute!

Snow In August...

Well not really... Just snow in my crafting. LOL! If you're into doing little hybrid projects you should really check out Heather Roselli's great templates for boxes etc at the Sweet Shoppe Designs store. They are so easy to use and make great little projects.

[Supplies: DIY Printable Templates: Circle Top Box - Heather Roselli, Happy Feet - Krystal Hartley, Ziggle Designs (both from SSD)]

This little round top box only took 1 sheet of A4 printing and would be great stuffed with a little gift wrapped in tissue paper.

Rushed Off My Feet...

I SO intended to blog yesterday. Like, I really wanted to. But I was just running about all day and never got a chance to sit still for one moment. Today feels like it will be just the same so I have put blogging high up on my to-do list to make sure I prioritise it this morning. Yay! :) I felt really annoyed yesterday when I really wanted to blog and just totally ran out of time. Anyway...

Got some nice news yesterday when I lost 3,5 pounds at the weigh in! So pleased with that. I expected more like 1,5 or something. So that put a big smile on my face :)

[Supplies: Finishing Touches 3 - Karah Fredricks, Flossy Mess - Karah Fredricks, Funky Junky 5 (Old School) - Kate Hadfield, Rachel Young, Michelle Godin, Simplicity Vol 2 - Angela Powers
(all from The Lilypad)]

Yesterday I was working with some new kits that got released at the Lilypad this morning. Kate has a new collab out, the 5th in the "Funky Junky" series, which is really great. Also we have Karah Fredricks debut as a designer at the Lilypad. So lots of cool stuff to play with. The book doodles in Kate's kit instantly made me think of how much I love reading so that was the perfect subject for a layout. :)

Oh No "My" Cat Is Moving...

And no we don't have a cat. No matter how much I'd like one, we can't have one right now for several reasons. It's a neighbour's cat. (And don't worry about my title, I don't really consider him "mine" at all LOL!) But the cat is so sweet. And now the huge moving lorry has arrived. :(

He was like a little friend. We have to pass his house every time going to and from ours. He'd be there on his little doormat. And every time you walked past he would be there saying "hello" in his own little way. Sooooo soft and purry. I can't believe how sad I feel to see the moving lorry there this morning. I'm really going to miss him.

Goodbye sweet Trevor! We'll miss you. Loads!

Bon Voyage...

Why is there always so much to do when you return from a trip? LOL! I don't even want to look at the washing basket even though I managed to dry two loads outside yesterday. All these things to catch up on which becomes one huge to-do list. And even though it's only 3 weeks you feel so "lost" and "out of touch" with everything that it takes you days to catch up. Madness :)

Anyway I managed to get started on my Lilypad Creative Team work yesterday. So many new kits that had been uploaded to choose from that I hardly knew where to start. In the end I came up with this travel (appropriate!) themed layout:

[Supplies used: Layer It Labels - Anne deJong, Word Art 1 - Anne deJong, I Love Friday Elements Pack - Amy Wolff, I Heart Friday Paper Pack - Amy Wolff, Are We There Yet? - Kate Hadfield, Going Places - Kate Hadfield, Simplicity Vol 1 - Angela Powers, Under My Umbrella - Angela Powers (all from The Lilypad)]

Right I'm off to try and get some more things done before this day is gone too :)

I'm Back...

It might not have seem so on my blog, but we've been away on holiday and just got back. We had a great time driving to Sweden and back (plus staying there for 2 weeks) through mainland Europe. England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark and finally Sweden. And then back again. We worked out we'd been to 5 countries in one day - pretty cool! :)

4 days of driving is kinda tiring...so we're just trying to "recover" a bit now LOL! But it was a really, really great trip.

I have millions of CT assignments (well, maybe not quite LOL!) to catch up on so I better get some work done but hope to (have the energy to) be back tomorrow again :) See you later :)

Finally...

Ever since I got my iPod Touch back in December I have been on the look out for a case for it. It's kinda been a choice between colourful silicone sleeves or quite "boring" plain black leather type cases. I bought some really cheap silicone ones just to keep it protected for the time being but I have been on the lookout for a nice case ever since...

6 months went and still nothing that I really liked...

Then imagine my surprise when I run in to the perfect one by pure chance. Stopping off to do some shopping on the way down to Dover to take the ferry. And I find this...

The first picture shows the colour best I think. It's like a muted wine colour. Really pretty. Suede with stitched details. And I totally love the design. Makes me think of Rhonna Farrer's designs etc.

They only had one and it was reduced in price from £23 to £10. It was kinda meant to be. I spent some time trying to decide whether to buy it or not, but now I'm so pleased that I did :) Sometimes it's really worth waiting for that "perfect" thing rather than making do with something "okay"... :)

Another "Find"...

When I backed up my hard drive last week I came across a folder with some older layouts that I totally forgot to put on the blog. Most had indeed been put on a the blog, but a few hadn't and this is one of them...

I don't know when I made the layout... I do date them on the back but it's in an album by now and I really can't be bothered to go and hunt for it to be honest...but I'm guessing it's at least a year ago since I made it.

The photo is one my sister sent to me of her and her boyfriend getting ready to go to a wedding. I think it's a really nice photo and also quite special as she was pregnant with my niece when this was taken :)

Bookmarks...

A few weeks ago I was talking about my love for reading, which I have always had, and also my love for making bookmarks. Can you ever have too many bookmarks? Well, I guess you can :) But when you make them yourself it's just fun to swap about and use different ones etc.

[Supplies: Happy Camper - Dani Mogstad, MandaBean, Print It! - Darcy Baldwin (font) (both from SSD)]

The quote was one I found on the internet a long time ago and made a note of as I really liked it (and I really can't stand houses with very few or very small windows LOL!) So, sorry, but I have no idea where it's from or who said it.

Safari...

I love going to zoos and safari parks. Always have done. And this summer we have been to quite a few of them...in England, Germany and Denmark. My favourite? Hrm...tricky! Probably one of the ones abroad as it seems a bit more "special" then. :)

We're also planning to return to both Knowsley safari park and West Midlands safari park sometime this autumn. Can't wait :)

We've taken so many wild animal photos this year that I'm not even going to attempt counting them ...but we're easily talking high four figures. But I am definitely going to try to scrap a few of them. I'm particularly partial to big cats so I can see a lot of those layout coming up in the future :)

"When" Layout Class...

I designed this class as part of my on-line class work for A Trip Down Memory Lane. Please feel free to use these instructions to make your own layout. You are free to link to this page from any forum etc if you wish. Please do NOT copy this information and/or photos to use for your own classes/forums/webpages without permission.

Supplies needed:
Sassafras – Take A Chance
Sassafras – Love Letters
Sassafras – Say Timber
Sassafras – In Love
Sassafras chipboard stickers, Fur & Fabric Pal Around #25007
Sassafras chipboard stickers, Fawnd Of You #21127
Bazzill Kraft Cardstock
American Crafts – Thickers – Green, Prancer #42812
Corner Rounder

Also needed:
Glue (I use Herma removable)
Black journaling pen (Zig Millennium)
Charcoal Chalk Inkpad (optional)
Cuttlebug + “Tiny Bubbles” embossing folder (optional)

Start by cutting your Bazzill cardstock to size. I scrap in true A4 size, so I cut mine to 29,7x21 centimetres (cm). Please feel free to adapt to another layout size if you prefer. 8.5x11 or 12x12 would work great for this too.

Pick your photos. I have 3 photos at 10x6 cm (15x10 cm landscape photos that I have cut down to the required size).

Get the “Say Timber” paper and cut out the two tree trunks as indicated on the photo below.

Hand cut (they do NOT need to be perfect…and shouldn’t be) two ovals for the trees. One from the “Love Letters” paper and one from the “Take A Chance” paper. Ink the edges if you wish and emboss using your Cuttlebug.

You should now have these pieces to create your trees with.

Cut a piece from the “In Love” paper. The same size as your photos. 10x6 cm. Now decide in which order you want the photos and lay those out together with your journaling piece of paper on your desk so they form a rectangle. Use your corner rounder on the corners shown in the photo below.

…and then attach these parts to your layout.

Add your trees at the right side of your photo arrangement, letting one tree go over the edge of the layout (cut off any part that hangs over).

Write your journaling. Draw the outline around your photo arrangement. Two hand drawn lines that are meant to be closer together and further apart in different places. Go for a really lose hand drawn look.

Get your chipboard and cardstock stickers and create a little collage in the bottom left corner.

…and your layout is finished!

I hope you enjoyed my class! Wishing you lots of fun creating your own version!

Make Someone Smile...

Isn't it nice when you can make someone smile for no other reason than "just because"? :)

Take today and make someone smile. Just a little unexpected note to someone or a pretty card with a few words "just because"...

[Supplies: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful - MandaBean, Libby Weifenbach (available at SSD)]

This is a typical "just because" card. And who will not be happy to get an unexpected card? Not just one because it's your birthday or because it's Christmas. These are my most favourite type of cards and I think we all send them far too rarely. And yes, yes I know, of course, it all takes time and thought etc. Therefore it's so extra nice when we DO take the time and we DO show someone we care and are thinking of them :)

Back-Up Your Hard Drive...

When did you last back up your hard drive and, most importantly, your digital photos? I'm just doing mine as I type this. It's one of those things that are so easy to forget. Or to think "oh I'll do it tomorrow"... tomorrow comes and you think "oh I'll do it tomorrow". Right? Don't let it become too late - that's just a situation none of us wants to face.

So please, join me right now and back up your precious photos. Take 5 minutes and set that back-up going. Really, it's so worth it. Tomorrow might be too late!

...also you never know what you find once you start backing up. I was going through a folder on my hard drive with layouts in it and came across this one, which I must have made well over a year ago and which never made the blog for some reason.

SSD Assignments...Or Rather Not...

I have been really busy working on my SSD assignments the last few weeks. These all have to be hybrid as I'm on the hybrid part of their Creative Team. But above the required hybrid assignments I'm of course free to do whatever I want. So occasionally, when I find some extra time and have finished my required projects for the month, I find myself grabbing a kit and playing around with some digital scrapping.

This layout is such an example. A cute kit and a template that I couldn't resist, some photos sent to me from my niece's birthday...and I took some time out to play around a bit :)

[Supplies: Party Poppin' Fun - Lliella Designs, Inspired By Kellie - Bree Clarkson (both from SSD)]

Boy-ish Card...

Remember a few days ago when I was talking about liking the thought of having a few greeting cards spare ...for whenever you need them? Well this is another such card. Made with no-one particular in mind.

Firstly I spotted this cute dinosaur kit by Mindy Terasawa a few weeks ago. I really liked it but I was kinda like ...scrapping dinosaurs?! Not really something you do every day. So my thoughts then went to a general, probably boy-ish, birthday card and this is what I came up with:

[Supplies: Stomp - Mindy Terasawa, Stomp Stickers - Mindy Terasawa (Designer Digitals), Party Pop - Melissa Bennett (SSD)]