S J Crafts August Challenge - a Teal Album

You know when you get an idea in your head and it is such a great idea that you just HAVE to do it?  But then you realise the logistics of completing the task in time alongside other last minute projects, and of course normal daily life, are not actually that favourable... but you decide to do it anyway?  Yep, that happened here!  I wanted to make something special for Louis's teacher because she really "got him" and he has really blossomed in her care.  I wanted to say a bigger thank you to her than my normal end of year projects so I decided to make her an album that she could use for her honeymoon photos and ephemera, or even her favourite moments from her wedding, which I knew to have a teal colour scheme.  Sarah's S J Crafts challenge for August was to make something holiday / travel related and to use something old and something new.  So with a week to go before the end of term I set about it..... ahem.....

I used an Ikea album with a snowflake on the front but I don't think its obviously a Christmas album.  I added some bling and ribbon and a butterfly because I used butterflies through the album too.  The chipboard butterfly shape that I used here is about 4 years old... gulp!

I secured some ribbon inside the covers concealed by patterned paper in order to hold the book closed.

Management pointed out that she might not know what to do with the book so I added this little note into a pocket for the inside front cover.  Basically it says "This book is for YOUR story" and explains that she should cover up / tear out anything she wants to so that they can display and record their memories in any way they would like to remember their special time.  Apparently this made the teacher cry because she was so touched!

I wanted something really special for the first page so I used the last scrap of my precious rose ribbon which was a perfect match for her teal colour scheme.

I used papers from the last 5 years and from various manufacturers and collections - it felt good to make a dent in my stash!  Very old alongside very new here!

I tried to echo the papers across each double page and used similar styles throughout the album for continuity as well as using similar gems and shapes and the butterfly motif.

I also added some Project Life cards for a bit of variety and to give her somewhere to add her journalling. These are the newest things that I used because I treated myself to the Jade kit a few weeks ago.   Please excuse the blob on the camera lens - it is not something on the book!!

I also created a few pages without patterned paper, just by stamping all over the page to give her lots of room to add her own touches and photos etc.

These stamps are all from Hero Arts - Stamp Your Story and are a perfect choice for layering and repeating.  I made sure to spread these pages throughout the album for variety.

Here is another "something new" from the S J Crafts Challenge - a new stencil!  The spotty one is new (a couple of days!) and the floral one is old (about 3 years and never been out of the packet...)

The pages in this album are approx 9x9 which is an awkward size when you are trying to do double pages with one piece of 12x12!  This page design using thirds worked really well to get the most out of the papers.

I also spread some bunting throughout the album.  I think it's a really pretty addition especially when it's popped up with foam tape for dimension.

I love this printed leaf effect stamp from the Hero Arts set.

I made a couple of pages with pockets for more journalling / additional photos / leaflets and memorabilia etc.  You can also see the border punch that I used throughout the album for continuity.

For this page I used Distress Ink (Broken China) dabbed through a doily and then used the doily on the facing page.  The book is pre-bound so you don't get a second chance to get things right but it is probably my least favourite layout.

Here is an example of the "thirds" page design flipped on its side.  I think this teal paper from LilyBee's Memorandum is my favourite pattern in the entire album.

This is the centre of the album using up lots of scraps for the banner across the top.  The envelopes can be used for holding whatever, but they also create another pocket behind them too.

When I've done photo-less albums before, I've put in blank photo mounts for people to add their standard sized photos in specific places.  These days though with the ability to take photos on phones, create collages and crop and play around more, there needs to be more flexibility with photo sizes.

With that in mind, I deliberately kept this album free of specific photo spots so that they can add in whatever they want, wherever they want - it is their album for their story after all.

More banners and butterflies and doilies.

More pockets using some PL cards, that border punch, some grey spotted washi tape to reinforce the edges.  Those spiral paper clips were a random purchase from a supermarket!  It's worth keeping your eyes open in all sorts of places for fab touches these days.

Another sponged page and another envelope for bits and bobs.

More bunting - perfect for any sort of celebration I think!

I inked all the edges with the Broken China Distress Ink and I love the way it brings all the pieces together.

It also helps to link the stamped pages to the ones that used patterned papers by adding another element of continuity.

I love these little fold over cards from Project Life - not something I would use on one of my normal pages probably but they are ideal here.

I would love to see this book when it is finished and full of special moments.  I really hope they enjoy looking back on it in years to come and also enjoy the process of creating a memory book of their own special story.

Finally the back pages with a spot for summing up and another little envelope full of labels and cards for them to add in her own time when and where she / they like.

So now its over to you to make something holiday or travel related for the challenge at S J Crafts!  Because it is the summer holidays you have until September 6th to enter your project.

I'm just back from holidays myself and looking forward to getting some of our wonderful memories scrapped.  I shall be around to lots of blogs to say hi again really soon.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 256

I do keep meaning to post more than my desk for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday but I still haven't properly recovered from the last few months and got back into a routine yet.  I did spend Saturday crafting in a good cause though at a 12 hour charity crop for Naomi House children's hospice and you can see one of the layouts I made after my desk shot.

And here it is...

 Points to note: I was finishing up some DT work (partially hidden under the letter stickers) because I didn't like it, it didn't seem finished.  I added some twine with some tacky glue and I like it more now.  I had actually put it away as finished, hence my AC album being out but every time I went to post up the photo to the DT blog I found I was holding back because it didn't seem quite right!

Anyhoo, its done now and will be up on the blog soon but it needs to dry and be photographed - which in itself is a conundrum with this incessant weather.  I usually take my pictures outside in the day time but I just haven't been home when it hasn't been raining!

There is an empty pint glass there but it wasn't full of beer - I take a soluble vitamin thingy every day mixed with another medicine that I have to take and together they taste quite nice and get me to drink more water so its a win win - except that it makes my wee fluorescent yellow which can be quite alarming the first time you notice ;-)

At the back of the table are two boxes of embellishments that I have recently been travelling with.  The Jo Malone candle box hasn't been unpacked since the retreat a fortnight ago and the clear box is everything I've been using on my Devon album.  If I don't have time or energy to gather together stuff for other layouts, I grab that box, my bag of papers and my album and I'm good to go.  It already has all the page protectors in with the photos appropriately spaced so I can pick it up and put it down and return to it as and when.

This was one of the 5 or so layouts that I completed on Saturday.

All the supplies are October Afternoon, some very old, some not quite so.  The divided page protectors are American Crafts and come in various sizes so much easier to play with in short bursts than a regular 12x12.

Gosh it feels like a long time since we first visited Featherdown Farm's Aller Farm and therefore a long time since I started this album.  I think I've broken the back of it now though... if I could just resist trying to use EVERY SINGLE picture of a cow then I would have finished by now...

Right, I'm off for another session at the gym and then I can come back and relax and peruse the other desks knowing I have done a good thing for myself - it really really helps my depression (more on that in another post).  If I can still use my arms afterwards I might even leave a comment or two so please do stick the kettle on ;-)

Bye for now

xx

WOYWW 253

Rushing in briefly to join in with WOYWW.  As you may have read last week we were putting our house on the market that day.  It sold in the first viewing!  We've since been rushing around to find a house for us and I can tell you that there is a real shortage!  People are fighting over viewing appointments - its a crazy time.  Add to that the school holidays, Miss Bella's 5th birthday and associated party, a trip to Wales, a craft retreat in the Cotswolds and now a poorly husband and you can see why my desk is not in use again this week.  I even rushed to take the picture and didn't check it hence the dodgy angle.

Because I haven't had much chance to prepare for the retreat and I can't spread loads of stuff out because our buyers are coming several times in the next couple of days, I am just grabbing large collections and a big bundle of photos and hoping for the best!  I can't train with the children off school either but I did reward myself with my previous hard work by purchasing the Project Life Jade kit to use with some of the camping photos from last year.  It doesn't go exactly with the Echo Park Happy Camper collection you can see just above it but it goes well enough that I think I can make it work.  Check back next week to see if it worked!  I've also got loads of DT stuff outstanding too but luckily the team is a bit bigger now so our projects can be spread out a bit and Sarah is wonderful at appreciating that life sometimes doesn't allow for crafting, no matter how much we would like it too!

Right, another play date beckons but at least the weather is dry enough for them to get out in the garden (at the moment!!)

This post is brought to you by the wonders of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Bye for now
xx

It will be fine...

Its been a little while since I shared any of the layouts from Shimelle's Return to the Collection class and I still have a couple more to go.  Here I used a Papermania kraft sheet for the background and more of the Echo Park For The Record collection.  I also misted a little in the corners and did some painting and stamping to add detail and layering. 

 

I promised that I would explain the background to this unexpected holiday and this layout really does that so this will be the first page in the Kos section of the album.   I can't remember where this photo was taken so I used it as a reason to scrap the backstory a little. 

On the journaling block, in case you can't read it, I've written what we were thinking at the time.  We hadn't expected to be on holiday at all because I should have been about 6-7 months pregnant at the time.  We had lost our first baby at 5 months a few weeks before this and I had been in and out of hospital and we'd been through tests and the funeral and were still waiting on the results of the tests while we were away that would determine if we could go ahead with trying for another baby. 

We decided to take a last minute booking and have some much needed R&R time together but we couldn't really forget for more than a few minutes.  I drank water at a fertility fountain, we tried to get healing vibes from the Esclipion, anything and everything to try and get us back on the road to being parents as quickly as we could.  We ate lots, chilled out watching England win the Ashes and relaxed as much as we could but I ended up getting tonsillitis and laryngitis! 

We had a lovely time though and when we got back we received the news that we were clear to try for another baby and thankfully we got pregnant again straight away.  I wish I could have told myself that the results would be good and we would have our family before long.  I wish I could have told myself that it would all be fine.

 

Bye for now

xx

WOYWW 248

Do you know that I laughed so much at my scrapbooking retreat over the weekend that my tummy still hurts?! We had a wonderful time and I'll be sharing some pictures very soon.  

I've not been able to get into my craft room for any actual crafting since then so my desk is basically a half unpacked crop bag!  Sarah brought my order for 4 new American Crafts albums so I can file that stack of layouts that I completed even though I nearly forgot to pack any photos!  I keep a not of the layouts before I file them so I know which ones need putting on the blog so that's what I'd been doing here having just photographed them in the garden... in the dry... in the sun!!!

The layout on the right there was finished a few seconds before I left on Friday morning and so that one needed photographing too.  This one was for the S J Papercrafts challenge for March which involved us all using a set of photographs as inspiration.  If you fancy a challenge thn pop over and see what inspires you from the pictures too.  There is also another prize on offer this month from another WOYWW-er, the lovely Annie.  Personally I was inspired to use the colours and textures from the pictures to create this windy beach layout using Crate Paper's Pier collection. Louis was just over a year old in this picture from his first beach trip in Newport, Pembrokeshire. Even then we knew he'd love it more and more as he got older and he certainly has! 

It was great fun to rifle through my stash and find old bits and bobs like the sandy coloured flowers, veneer birds and green ric rac to accentuate my theme along with the woody tones of the papers.

When I saw the inspiration photos I immediately thought of this collection and once I had got the papers out I realised they were perfect for scrapping about this rainy weather we've been having here since Christmas.  I ended up using this collection a lot over the weekend for various photos of drizzly walks and windswept beaches.

I guess I really need to finish putting all the rest of the stuff away *sigh*... But first I'll grab a cuppa and have a peruse around all the other desks that link up on a Wednesday for the biggest creative gathering of the week.  Please do join in - its easy, free and very enjoyable and you're sure to receive a warm welcome from our host Julia.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 243

Good morning, good yawning!  It's Wednesday again - time for a snoop around some creative spaces.

I'm scrapping my way out of another crash (depressive low) probably caused by being ill for a few weeks and all the birthday celebrations being over.  Last week I felt so bad that I couldn't even craft and Sunday was spent on the sofa.  This week however it is all change!  I made 2 layouts on Monday and I have another in the offing.  They are all  as a result of Shimelle's class "Return to the Collection" and I am using an old Echo Park collection called For The Record 2.  You can see one of the layouts on the pile in the middle and the next one on the black mat ready to go.

If you look carefully you can see a red word near the pencil case - heart, my word for the year.  I need to get someone to take a pic of me holding the word (which I die-cut on my Silhouette) and then that picture will form part of my One Little Word project.  I'm hoping to get that done before I lose the die-cut under a pile of art sediment! ;-)

This is the first of the layouts from the class.  I'm using an old set of photos from a holiday in Greece, so old in fact that they have the negatives stored with them!

I thought the blue and white colour scheme was very apt for photos of Greece with all the blue seas and the blue and white houses etc.

Nissyross is an island just off Kos in Greece that most people visit because of the volcano.  It's not dormant (I wrote the journalling before checking my facts - rookie error!) but it is not erupting (obviously) and you can walk into the caldera if you are brave enough.  It is hot and you have to wear proper shoes and be careful where you walk but it was an amazing experience.

I've just realised that there is a black gem missing from the flower on the right so I shall rectify that but that was not the only mistake.  Can you spot it?

How about with the following picture?

Yes, that's right, in my fuggy headspace I cut too much off of the ledger paper for the inside so I had to break it up and cover the joins to make it fit!  Thank goodness I have a lot of 12x12 cardstock in colours I don't use so that I can make a patchwork on it!

I think, in the trade, that is known as a partial scrapectomy ;-)

This post is brought to you by the letters WOYWW with the lovely Julia.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 215

Something a little bit different from me on this gloriously hot Wednesday.  My workspace has been outside in my garden making bag charms to give to Miss Bella's preschool teachers when she leaves next week (sob!)

I sit with the cushion under my knees and my legs in the sun (this picture wasn't taken at the right time) to try and get some colour on them.  I have my earphones in and a cup of tea and I am more than happy for as long as I can get away with.

I am a very inexperienced beader but I like being able to do something outside that will be a suitable gift in place of another box of chocolates or bottle of wine.  Of course I have no idea what to do for Louis's male teacher!

The children only have a few more days at school and we have great plans for the summer holidays.  I keep refusing to do housework on the basis that it is too hot and the clouds will be back soon enough but it looks set to continue and I don't think I can put it off any longer.  It would be great to be able to sleep during the day (our downstairs is fairly cool but our upstairs is hideously hot because of the bungalow roof) and then get some housework done at night but there is the slight problem of childcare then.  Not much chance of me sleeping with all the plans the children have for us in the next few weeks but I hope at least we will get lots of crafting done together.  I hope your plans include some crafting too!

This post is brought to you by the wonders of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 213 (really!)

Good morning, good yawning!  I know we always go on about how it can't be Wednesday again so soon but seriously?!  Both Smalls went up to their new schools yesterday because it is nearly the end of the school year.  THAT makes me nervous because it means we are over half way through the year already and I have only just put away my Winter coat!

Not much time spent at my desk this week, which won't help my mental state, but the sun certainly will so that's okay.  Although it ran away and hid again yesterday so I did some colouring with my girl and then almost finished another page for my Devon album.

Last Wednesday I mentioned that I was taking some photos of my niece and her baby boy.  I was rather pleased with several of the pictures, despite not being anything of a photographer really, and I will share some of the better ones in another post but I can't resist showing you this one.  Beaulieu makes such a wonderful backdrop.

Right oh, cuppa and a Slimming World cereal bar and then I will be around.  Don't forget to link up with Julia to see the rest of the desks around the world and find out more about What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Bye for now
xx

She makes cards...

Well at least she does sometimes...  I've made about 8 in the last couple of weeks and barely remembered to photograph any of them!  They were all a bit.. erm.. last minute!

I made 4 very similar cards for my Dad, my husband, my step-Dad and my Father-In-Law.  2 were in a dark green and 2 were in orange but all in this sort of steampunky feel.  The papers are Chronology by Papermania and the dies are by Tim Holtz.  I do still have one of the green ones so I will endeavour to get that photographed and posted up.  I thought I had taken a pic of it already but I can't find it.  Maybe its with my gym card that I haven't seen since last Wednesday or my large bright pink purse that I haven't seen since Thursday...

This card was for Louis at the start of the month.  I was really ill with another cyst the day before we went on holiday which was the day I had planned to make the card.  I asked him if he wanted a special Mummy card (which he would have to wait until we got home for), or one from a shop and he wanted to wait.

As it happened, this was a great choice as this sticker from Echo Park was perfect!  You might remember from this post that we stayed at Lower Roduish Farm for his birthday.  They played in the field of sheep with  a walnut tree at the top and a tyre swing!  The children collected lots of bits of wool from the fences so I used this to make some sheep and Louis was in hysterics when he saw the card!  "You've used REAL wool from REAL sheep!"  Of course, then he opened the card and realised I had stuck it all on upside down and he laughed even more!  Not very professional....

In other news, I have finally joined Twitter!  If you are a tweety sort of person then you can find me @paperheartcraft

Bye for now
xx

Adventures in Exmoor

Warning - photo heavy post!

It seems like months ago since we came back from Lower Roduish Farm in Exmoor.  Of course its only been a week but the sun that shone for us all the time we were there has been sadly lacking since we came back and it feels more like Autumn than summer.

So, our adventures at this years Featherdown Farm location were just as wonderful as last year's in South Devon.  The tents were closer together but there was not such a hike between the showers and the tents and the children could play quite happily in the fields with the sheep right in front of us.

There was a bigger mix of animals here too.  Obviously there was the sheep, and let me tell you that sheep with lambs are incredibly noisy!  We ended up having little conversations with them because we listened to them for so long that we thought we could identify words!

They have a few cows there and this wonderful beast - Marcus the Bull.  He "works" for one month of the year having fun with his girls.  Its a tough life... ;-)

They have 3 larger pigs and then a little brood of piglets turned up in the afternoon.  The children absolutely loved throwing in all our food scraps for them.

It was Louis's 7th birthday while we were away so he had a few presents in our tent.

We were able to eat breakfast outside every morning.  Bella and I certainly enjoyed our fresh eggs from the 2 chickens we looked after for the week.  We are both big fans of "tappy eggs"!

The birthday boy chose to spend some change in the amusements at Minehead.

He ate LOADS the whole time we were away.  No more children's portions for this growing lad - yikes!

We walked up on the moors and looked for deer and The Beast.

The children were taught to groom ponies.

We had a delicious stew cooked in a cauldron.

Louis's birthday treat was to go pony trekking.  Can you believe they just let us walk off with two children and two ponies!  We expected someone to come with us but they told us the route and off we went.  They absolutely loved it and can't wait to go again.

We looked after 2 guinea pigs for the week.  This little one is Eilish.

I'm not a fan of these animals but I really fell in love with them and probably held them as much as the children!  One of the other children on the farm wanted to have a pet show so we all got our guinea pigs out and paraded them around and he judged a winner!  It was hysterical!

We were able to have camp fires and toast marshmallows on long sticks.  The close proximity of the tents meant that the adults could put the little ones down and then chat around the fire with a bottle or two of local cider.  Perfect.

We visited several beaches.  This one is Porlock and the stones were all huge and very rounded which made walking on them pretty fun!

Its a pretty little area with some really quaint houses and a tiny harbour.

Basically we had a ball just being together without work / school / coursework / housework etc.

Even though the tide was pretty much out, the children managed to catch 21 crabs in about 25 minutes!

 We hunted for fossils on Doniford beach.  There were quite a few set into large rocks on the beach.

You literally can't go more than a few feet without finding one.

 

We brought a few home for our bathroom collection but had to leave behind some truly beautiful and large ones too.

The kids had a great time on the farm with the huge walnut tree and the rope and tyre swing.  They played for ages with the friends they met, just romping around the field but where we could still see them.

Our other guinea pig was called Podge and she was the winner in the parade!  She got a carrot for her prize from the little boy - bless!  I have to admit that I rather fell for this soft little bundle.

I think our favourite thing was the little stream that ran through the field that they played in.  It was shallow enough that they could paddle happily with their wellies or crocs but flowing enough that they could race daisies and dried sheep poo along it!

It was wonderful.  All of it.  The relative peace (other than the wildlife!), the fresh air, the sun, the s-l-o-w way of life, the cream teas, the campfires, the Pimms, and generally just being together without the normal every day stresses.  Coming soon to a scrapbook near you ;-)

Happy days!

Bye for now

xx