Meet Opal - Shimelle Challenge

I've been meaning to scrap this photo for years, literally.  It was from our Round The World trip, no prizes for guessing where!  It was actually at Steve Irwin's Zoo in Brisbane and we were really sad to have missed him by a couple of days (well that's what they said but he might not have actually been there for months!)

It was one of those magical experiences that you never forget,so soft and fluffy!  We had to hold Opal under her bottom because koalas have no rib cage so holding them under the arms like a baby to pick them up would crush their internal organs.  To pick them up from the floor you have to hold their hands and dangle them!

I was able to use some new supplies (Glitz Finnley from the S J Crafts sale) and some very old ones.  I've had those lime green Doodlebug letters since I started scrapping and the little koala button from even before that!  I threw in some new Project Life cards and some felt leaves and back gems - it feels great to use some really old stuff!

My travel album has kraft card stock on every page so as well as the background I used a couple of Tim Holtz die cuts from my ancient stash too.  

The page was inspired by this challenge from Shimelle using half page photos.  It's certainly larger than I normally scrap but not quite half a page.  

I've still got a few more to share but they will have to wait until later after I've travelled back from sunny Wales.  Yes it is sunny - it was supposed to rain hard all day here but it has been beautiful!

Bye for now
xx

It's Time

No, your eyes do not deceive you.  It is indeed a picture of me in labour.  Things were going so very well at this point but then of course things took a bit of a diversion.  However the cause of the misery at the time is now a strapping almost 7 year old and aside from a funny shaped ear, he has no lasting damage but I vowed not to go into hospital for a birth again!

This is one of the layouts I completed at our recent retreat.  I was inspired by this pin but I went with an A4 size to change things up a bit.  I've used the stunning Echo Park "For The Record 2 - Tailored" collection because the colours were so perfect.  

I added some flowers made from the Tim HoltzTattered Florals dies and layered them up with some buttons.  My favourite edge punch and some stickers from the collection were all that was needed to finish off.

I love the way the design turned out and I love these papers.  I officially hereby declare Echo Park as my favourite manufacturers because their collections are so gorgeous and yet oh so very very versatile with absolutely wonderful colours.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 142

Happy Wednesday creative people!  I wonder how many of you purchased a little "something something" from QVC yesterday?  It was wonderful to hear the words "Tim Holtz" and "the WOYWW blogs" in the same sentence on national TV - thanks Dyan Reaveley!

And oh, what a fine mess of piles my desk is today.

At the central rear of the desk is "art-sediment" left over from my 2 year old doing her own special form of scrapbooking.  This involves sticking old photos, picture side down, to the nasty papers you get in some magazines or snipping a thousand bits of said paper onto the floor and then picking up a couple and sticking them on top of any photos that were picture side up.  Other than that there are a few layouts that need completing, the beginnings of some DT work and then centre stage is some micropore tape that I have been experimenting with stamping onto.

Among the piles is a layout that I finished after the crop on Saturday.  I didn't have a sketch or an idea to start with and it was the end of the day and I couldn't seem to access my Pinterest so I used the grid again which is a great fall back.  I ADORE these Thrift Shop papers from October Afternoon.

The photo was taken by L when he was not quite 5 years old so I think he did a pretty good job!  I love that he captured both myself and B smiling in the sun.  He loves his girls and was so pleased with the way this came out.  I can't wait to show him the finished page.

I tried something new for me but probably very old hat to many, with this paper clip and button embellishment and I love how it turned out.  Expect to see that again for sure!

Lastly I must apologise to the three people that have nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award.  I have not forgotten, I have just been swamped with various things and I am trying to decide who to pass it on to.  I am over the moon and thrilled to have been nominated - its a great feeling to know that the random burblings are appreciated in some way by other people.  I would also like to thank Fiona, who's blog I have been reading for some time.  She passed me details of how to check if you have been Pinned on Pinterest, and guess what?  I have!  I was so pleased that I did a little clap.  It was during discussions about Pinning from the original blog and not just re-Pinning - its a bit of an issue at the moment but for me I'm just happy to be Pinned at all!  It's one Pin and it has only been re-Pinned twice but it was one of those things that was on my crafting bucket list.  Hurrah!  It cheered up an otherwise pants day as my boy has been diagnosed with asthma out of the blue.  He is one of the liveliest people you could ever meet and it was the last thing I expected but at least now the poor chap might stop coughing and get some sleep, and me too!

Bye for now
xx