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

Alex - A Grid Layout

Wednesdays have become our new online crop day, and today was the best day yet!  There were four of us all scrapping and chatting away for a good few hours today and it was a lot of fun :)

Daphne was beavering away and completed a whole layout, Emma was a little preoccupied with poorly children, but still managed a little crafting, and the best news ever, Suzie managed to break her scrapping drought - after THREE years, yes, three whole years, and she didn't just do one layout, she did two!

My layout is based on one I saw on Pinterest and that I have fancied having a go at for ages:

I once again used my lovely Piccadilly papers, and a pair of compasses for all the circles, and my old sewing machine for the stitching.  Not sure what I'm doing wrong but I just don't seem to be able to get the tension right when sewing on paper, but the slightly uneven stitching kind of appeals to me ;)

Looking forward to next week's crop girls!

Carole x

Happy Mother's Day

Although we aren't seeing either my Mum nor my MIL on the actual day, I made a couple of cards and sent them off in good time ...

My Mum was due to come and spend a couple of days with me this week but unfortunately that has had to be cancelled, so she will have to wait a little bit longer for her pressie now ... but don't worry, I won't forget!

As Alex is working today, we spent the day together yesterday and she gave me her gift which I was delighted with, such a thoughtful gorgeous little box of bits and bobs that she knew I would love (and I do - thanks Lexie!)  Hayden bought me a cute little camera bag for my new camera which I also love, and allegedly, Phil is cooking dinner ...

Carole x

Male Birthday Card

Last week, my good friend Natalie's children both had birthdays.  Oliver turned 14, and being a boy the task was harder to begin with!  I had a little look on Pinterest, found a tutorial and made this card:

I loved how it turned out, so have already made my two Father's Day cards, but won't show those just yet!

For Amber, I couldn't contain my excitement to use my new Stampin' Up owl punch any longer!!!

It's not quite how I intended it to be due to my rotten stamping skills (!) so I had to add another strip of the pink wooden paper which I think is a bit much pink, but hey, Amber likes pink, so it's not all bad!

Carole x

Work the Camera

Wednesdays have become a bit of an online crop day for me - and I love it!  Today was no exception, although there were only two of us crafting together - thanks Emma for your company and encouragement!  I had no idea what I was going to scrap until I sat down in my Crafty Corner.  Then Emma suggested that we do the same sketch ... I didn't agree until I saw what she was suggesting, and I loved it!  It came from scrapbookchallenges.com which is a new website to me, and which I definitely need to check out, especially if the sketches are all as fab as this one!

Emma made her layout a double one as she had loads of photos, but I was surprised to find two pics that I could scrap together (I normally forget to order a couple from a sequence and instead just pick the best one and have to do single photo layouts all the time!)

 
Emma had also set me a challenge (actually, she sets me challenges ALL the time) so I thought that I had better do one of her challenges before she got cross with me!  This challenge was to use washi tape on my layout!  I only have a couple of rolls, but I duly incorporated it ... and I love it!  Might have to get some more!!!  It is quite subtle on here, but I don't mind that ;)  I used mainly Madame Royale papers by We R Memory Keepers, but the paper with clouds is not from that collection.  I also discovered that I don't really have any lilac/purple papers in my collection, but found some CS in the right colours.

Carole x