Aga Envy - Smash* Page

My second double page of my Smash book!  This one came together quite quickly :)  I have a thing for Agas.  Have done for ages.  I would love one, and it would totally suit my house but, who knows?!  They are jolly expensive ... maybe one day!

In other Smash news, my order of two further Smash books arrived yesterday, the red and the pink, but I'm now thinking that I might love the orange one even more.  Might have to get one of those too!  Actually, it's been quite a week for ordering new stash :)  Haven't had a big spend up for ages!  Now, when I get the chance to craft, I have trouble deciding between Smashing or scrapping ... and if I HAVE to make a card for a special occasion, well that just delays making the decision!!!

Carole x

Smash*

Carole's Happy Stuff

OK, I must admit that I have owned this Smash Book since Christmas when I received it from Suzie (thanks Suzie!)  It's not that I didn't want to start Smashing, it's more that I didn't quite know how to!  So, after much persuading by Suzie, I gave the whole idea a lot of thought (yes, Emma, I'm very good at thinking about what to do!!!).  I sat down and flicked through a whole heap of magazines and snipped out lots of bits that appealed to me for whatever reason.  I scoured the house for odds and ends that I have kept, and put all these bits into one place.

Then I realised what my problem was while flicking through the actual Smash book - some of the papers were way too busy for me and they were actually blocking me :(  So, I cut some kraft and graph paper and stuck them in over the offending papers - and at this point I must apologise to Smash fans who love those papers!  If all my pages had been kraft, graph, lined or plain, I think that I might have finished the whole book some time ago - this probably says a lot about me!!!

So, with a blank canvas, I created a title page:

I used more of my washi tape than I ever have on this page, and I love it!  I wasn't sure what to call it, and toyed with something involving the word inspiration but that isn't what I want my book to be all about, so I came up the word happy :)

My first pages turned out like this:

I sat in my Crafty Corner shuffling bits of paper for ages as it really does feel very different to scrapbooking, but eventually I got the glue out and stuck things down!  I felt that it all came together once I got the pen out and did some journalling and doodling :)

So, what do you think?  Any comments/suggestions gratefully received from this new Smashbooker (is that even a word?!)

Carole x

Hayden - A Grid Layout

I loved the grid layout that I did of Alex so much, that I just had to do it again but this time for Hayden (well, you have to treat your children fairly don't you?!)

I used some of my old trusty favourite Basic Grey Boxer papers for this one, and stars, and even dug out some of the beautiful glazed brads and popped them on, well, better to be looked at and loved on a page than in my storage basket!  It took me quite a while to realise this little bit of wisdom, and I'm working on it (although I do still like to keep my papers a little while before breaking into them!)

Carole x

Easter Bunnies

Firstly I must apologise for my lack of blogging recently, no excuses really, got quite a few bits and bobs that I could have shared but I've been a bit slack - sorry!

Anyway, my lovely friend Angela and I had lunch together last week and then we spent the afternoon crafting at my dining table.  Such a lovely afternoon!  For Angela it was a bit of a break in her crafting drought and she made a lovely couple of cards, and I did this layout:

I felt compelled to do an Easter layout, even though the picture wasn't necessarily taken at Easter!  I love the flower die cut paper, but I find them so difficult to use, so just went for it!  I'm never sure whether to just cover it up or to leave it so that you can see how pretty it is, so I went for a bit of both!  Our rabbits died five years ago now, and I definitely wouldn't want any more but they were much loved, especially Roly (the grey one in the picture, he was such a cutie and so gentle).

I have also been baking Easter treats, a traditional Simnel cake:

This has got to be one of my most favourite cakes (and actually the recipe that I used for my Christmas cake last year) largely down to the marzipan - I really really love marzipan!  And unlike a Christmas cake, I don't even have to pick the icing off!

Carole x