"Inspired by Sophie" - S J Crafts May Challenge

I'm really enjoying designing for Sarah's challenges at S J Crafts every month.  I love the way the challenges are changing each month because there is so much inspiration this way.  I also really love seeing how everyone else interprets the challenge too and I'm always amazed at how different our designs are.  

This month we've gone for a bingo card grid and the idea is that you can draw a line through any three elements to use - vertical, horizontal or diagonal but not going around corners.  You could take a chance and make a stab with a pin to start you off or choose something that tickles your fancy.

For my design this month, I went with the row across the middle.  Can you spot the three elements?

The layout is about my niece, who you may already know is also my Personal Trainer.  I can't really put into words what she has done for me recently but as I mentioned in a previous post, she has literally given me my life back.  As well as boosting my epically failing confidence and energy levels and dragging me out of the depression that had engulfed me.  Of course we have a long way to go but we know we are heading in the right direction.  She is definitely helping me live with my One Little Word (Heart).

I used papers from the Crate Paper Boyz Rule collection to bring out the orange of that scary looking gym equipment.  It goes really well with the slightly retro style (both the gym and the papers!)  Plus we have so many comedy moments together as we are both clumsy and a bit incident prone so the comic book bunting and stickers were a great match too.

 You can see all three elements from the bingo card here - the star printed vellum as part of the messy stack, the blue circular paperclip on the tag and the "Inspired" stamping.

And here again for another example - I'd accidentally torn the vellum so I made a feature of it, I stamped a notebook border near the tape and then added the orange star brad (given to me by a friend on the retreat the other week.)

So now its over to you!  Choose a line, any line, and see where it takes you.  Link up to the challenge on the S J Crafts blog sometime in the next month and you could be one of the featured projects!  We'd love to see what you are inspired to make.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 249

What have we here then?  Not much in the way of crafting I can tell you.  We are considering putting our house on the market and the potential move may involve me losing my precious studio.  What will I do?!  I want to scratch myself at the mere thought of not having my own place to craft.  I guess I need to start getting rid of stuff...

Here is this week's offering if you've come for a browse around the desks with WOYWW courtesy of Julia at the Stamping Ground.  

Evidence of some sorting out is pretty much all that's available this week.  We got rid of a load of videos but I had an inkling in the back of my addled mind that someone somewhere had a brilliant use for the empty cases.  I think it might have been something to do with cling stamps.  A brief peruse of Pinterest and Youtube yielded nothing so maybe I imagined it.

In the middle there is very very old evidence of a former crafting life.  I used to like drawing as a teen.  Nothing out of my own head, all copied and all cartoon style, but I obviously liked them enough to cut them out and keep them.  I also found some early poetry that I had penned - phew lots of teen angst there!

I almost didn't join in this week as I didn't manage to get around anyone last week and I sincerely apologise for that.  My littlest great nephew was a poorly boy and in hospital for a few days and it threw things out a bit and then my puter decided to have a funny five minutes which seemed to effect it from then on.  It is mostly sorted now apart from the screen looks a bit different in Chrome but I can live with that... *twitch*

So, regular WOYWW-ers - any idea who or where I might have seen someone doing something clever with storage using video cases?  Do let me know if you can think of anyone!

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

Hello Sailor

It's a corny title, yes?  We finally had a little bit of sun here at Crazy Towers so I finally managed to photograph the projects that I've completed so far from Shimelle's class - Return to the Collection.  This is the layout from video 2 but still using photos from Kos and Echo Park's For The Record 2.

These photos were taken on a boat trip while we were in Kos which involved fishing and a brief stop at a cute beach for lunch.

This was a great push for me to have a go at stamping and then half covering it up to add dimension with layers.  I'm definitely going to try this again.  

There are lots more to come but for now I must prepare to go to the Strictly Come Dancing live tour!!  So excited!!!

Bye for now

xx

WOYWW 224

My desk has been a hive of activity this week and it feels good!  I went to a crop on Saturday and worked on my Devon 2012 album notching up another few back to back pages.  On Monday I was all geared up to receive some Christmassy stash for 6 on 6th but it hasn't arrived (as of Tuesday night) so I seized the Christmas spirit anyway and started creating a Festive Planner.  I've made covers and dividers and I am just computing the inside pages so that I can make a start on organising this busy occasion.  With November set aside for NaNoWriMo and my OCD side telling me I have to be ready before December, this means I need to have all my Christmas presents bought and wrapped before the end of October!

I'm using the last few precious pages of My Mind's Eye "I Believe" from my Christmas Journal a couple of years ago.  My intention is that my planner can be refilled each year so I wanted to use really special papers on it that I will always love.  You can see some of the things I have been using to make it in the RUB at the top right.

I've set it aside for the moment while I work on a card for one of Louis's classmates.  I'm really enjoying playing with my Promarkers again and thanks to you lovely lot (and in particular Kate) I managed to purchase a few more (including the limited Edition Autumn and Winter collection) and they are on their way as we speak.  I hope the cheeky birthday chappy likes his cheeky monkey card.

Well that's all from me on this wet and windy "What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday".  Don't forget to share your workspace too - because sharing is caring.

Bye for now

xx

WOYWW 223

Get set for a shocking pictre of my desk.  Not because it is messy, oh no, it is not for a change, but because I am still desperately waiting a replacement for my poorly camera lens.  Still stuck on full zoom and making life very difficult  to take pictures of anything bigger than 6 inches.  I took these shots by balancing the camera on my head to give it some stability and stop some of the blur (not wholly successful as you can see...) because of the DARKNESS so early in the day already!

I had a major tidy up on Saturday and put away loads and loads of things that were scattered across the floor and every other conceivable surface.  I thought it would help my extremely fragile mental health but I ended up spending all of Sunday in bed almost catatonic.  Actually getting on with some crafting has helped me though and I am gradually pulling out of it again. I think I was just exhausted by the constant battle against depression to be honest and all the things I have to do just to keep my head above water with it.

Anyhoo, this was part of my therapy...

....Stamping and colouring some Christmassy images for the 6 on the 6th series at S J Crafts.

Might have to have a little outing to get some more Promarkers this week.  I feel the need for some seasonal colours.  What colours wouldn't you be without at Christmas?

Of course I am sharing my studio / craft space / workroom / whatever as part of What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday and you can join in easily too.  Might see you there :-)

Bye for now
xx