Starting Point - Cherry Blossom

I was thrilled to see that Shimelle had shared another Starting Point on her blog.  I was just in the mood this week to make something out of the blue, not related to any projects or deadlines, and this gave me the nudge I needed.  I had some aqua and pink papers on the table so I grabbed a couple of photos that I thought might go and had a play.

This was my Starting Point using the My Mind's Eye "Pretty" collection.

And this is what I ended up with.  

I'm really happy with it which makes a change for me!  I used some of that wonderful ribbon trim that I've had in my stash for a while.  Its a tricky colour that doesn't mix well with so many other shades of pink but I love it here and it adds a lovely bit of texture.  I mounted the photos onto the reverse of the packaging in the collection pack - every little helps!

The gorgeous tree in the photos is actually at the front of Louis' school and it makes a wonderful backdrop to the Easter Parade photos.  I know that when the blossom is out on the tree, Summer isn't too far away.

It was really pale this year and so I used some paler pink paper and some of my tiniest punches to make some blossoms to scatter across the page.  This pale pink was a perfect match for my favourite canvas Thickers for the title too.  I couldn't resist adding a bit of bling to some of the blossoms for added texture and interest.

I wonder how many of you are now singing Kayleigh by Marillion....? ;-)

Bye for now
xx

Well Hello Sun!

So yesterday morning we were strawberry picking in the rain (a VERY poor harvest this year) but by the afternoon we were feeling a tad warm.  Today the sun is properly out and I hear rumours of this lasting 4 days.  We shall see.

In celebration of the brief sunny interlude, I have a rather bright layout to share!  I used Shimelle's Starting Point and may actually get this uploaded in the same week it was offered which is a rarity at the moment.  Yet another Pembrokeshire layout featuring Louis, this time telling how he is so desperate to get in the water that he ends up going in with his clothes on for a "paddle" and before we know it he is wet through from head to toe.  How can you resist though when he clearly makes him so happy.

The papers and chipboard are Cosmo Cricket Salt Air, the ribbon is American Crafts and the Playtime rubber charm is October Afternoon Sidewalks.  The gems are Papermania and Louis has asked me to inform you that the ones used as bubbles on the fish was his idea.  Taught him well I have, as Yoda would say.

This is one of nearly 5 layouts I completed at the Artful Angels crop on Saturday so you can expect a flurry of posts in the next couple of weeks.  It was wonderful to be back scrapping, I feel I have been lacking time and motivation recently but a mad Pinning session had me eager to get back to my scissors and glue - huzzah!

Bye for now
xx

Another Starting Point

Shimelle is back with her sketches and starting points and they do give me a wonderful place to start from.  Of course though, they are no guarantee of success though as you can see from the layout here.  I was at a crop on Saturday and it was the first time that I have felt like I didn't want to scrap, maybe because of the amount of work I did in the previous couple of weeks.  I had planned my pages before I went but even so I found myself floundering at every decision, cutting the wrong parts of papers, dropping things on the floor time after time, even kicking over a whole cup of precious tea.  I had such a headache by the afternoon that I called time slightly early, but not before I had attempted the current Starting Point.

I love the papers and the picture but the layout has no dimension, doesn't sit easily on the eye and is probably too chaotic.  Today I tried to fix it but quickly got to the point that I felt I was fighting a lost cause and I should just move on to something else (like planning a small young lady's 3rd birthday and trip to Peppa Pig World).  In the last few months I have been spending SO much time reading craft magazines and blogs, talking to other crafters, browsing in craft shops, watching craft on TV, decorating my craft room, and also lots of creating too, but I think I overdosed.  I think I need a few days away from my scissors - shock horror!

Bye for now
x

Time for ice-cream!

Its hot.  Its cold.  Its hot again.  Now it's cold.  What on earth is going on with this weather?!  I seem to be in keeping with the current climate though as in the last week I have scrapped 3 winter layouts and 2 summer ones!  Several of them were part of my S J Crafts DT submission which I will be sharing after the weekend.  I hadn't put away the scraps though and so I used them on a couple of other layouts including this one for Shimelle's Starting Point last week.  I've had these 3 photos in a poly bag ready to scrap for some time but just couldn't get the placement right.  We don't have many properly sunny days when we are on holiday in Wales but this one just about counted and so we all celebrated with ice-cream.  I had a Cornetto (how sophisticated), L had a push up Calippo thingy, and B had something chocolatey and messy and not at all sophisticated!

The new green paper from the DT kit (MME 12-days-of-christmas) was edged with one of my go-to punches, the Fiskars Apron Lace border punch.  The rest is all older stash from here and there including some AC Dear Lizzy paper and ribbon, Papermania buttons and brads and a bingo ticket from the pound shop.  It was good to use up some older stuff and I don't feel too bad about buying new stash if I can mix it up and use up some older stuff too.

After a lovely sunny day here it has started to get quite cold this evening and looking at these photos is making me want to pull a blanket around myself!  I hope the weather is to your liking, wherever you are.

Bye for now xx