abu dhabideen

Reworking the scrapbooking mojo. I've got loads of random photos that I just need to scrap, and this shot of the beech in Aberdeen (northern Scotland) was just perfect for a summery layout.

The title was based on an advertising poster that was around the town a few years ago (when I lived there), it makes the town sound exotic and tropical.

construct

Another scrapbook page after a couple of years....

Its a reflection of my life and living conditions (because of work my husband who is my best friend) and I live apart. It is a tale of how you just make the most of what you have and the time we have together.

live the life you love

I'm just not able to fulfil my ideas quite how I plan them right now, a lot of things that are ok, but not great, but I'm trying to work through it, I enjoy creating even if things aren't going perfectly for me.

patterned paper: Ameican Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan, Simple Stories Snap

thickers: American Crafts

letter stickers: doodlebug design

banner: American Crafts Dear Lizzy

old embellishments

peek-a-boo

I’m really trying hard to make this layers thing work for me, but I’m not always happy with it, I tried making this one look a bit less flat which I’m liking, but really this layout needs a bit more detail to be really finished.

My Minds Eye Bloom & Grow patterned papers and embellishment sheet
Studio Calico woodveneers
American Crafts glitter tape

this is love

Using up the remains of an old class kit, mixing up MME laundry line with a scrap of Bloom & Grown and some more recent supplies.

My Minds Eye Laundry Line and Bloom & Grow papers
American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm papers
American Crafts glitter ribbon and buttons
Prima paper flowers
Papermania gemstones
American Crafts Dear Lizzy splendid thickers
Trimcraft resin roses

pixel people

This layout just really didn’t turn out how I wanted… never mind

My Minds Eye Bloom & Grow patterned papers and embellishement sheet
American Crafts glitter ribbon & buttons
Studio Calico Wood Veneer
Dovecraft doilies
Project Life Kraft journalling card
Promarker - Metallic Gold

blushing bride

I love the B side of @mymindseyeinc papers, they’re always so useable and I used to hoard them, but now in my mindset of stashbusting I’m not holding on to anything no matter how pretty, it shall be used, and I shall enjoy using it. So upon finding these (now four year old) Bloom & Grow papers I decided that they were perfect to scrap this photo of my wedding, as you can see I wasn’t exactly the blushing bride :P

My Minds Eye Bloom & Grow ‘Grow’ patterned papers
Lawn Fawn Sunny Skies stamps
Doodlebug Design gems
Doilies from Dovecraft
Project Life journalling card
Jillibean Soup letter stickers
Lily Bee Design sticker
Promarkers - Apple Cider, Saffron, Honeycomb, Pastel Green, Heatwave, Tequila Sunrise

millenium falcon croissant

Sometimes no matter how hard you try you’re just not perfectly happy with what you make… Today was one of those days…

Patterned Papers: American Crafts My Girl
Buttons: American Crafts
Twine: Doodlebug Designs
Letter stickers: American Crafts and unknown
Washi: unknown
Project Life Blush journalling card
Dies: lawn Fawn hearts

kiss

A super quick page thanks to the Project Life journalling cards. I wasn’t feeling it, so this page helped somewhat…

Patterned paper: American Crafts My Girl, DCWV Nana’s Nursery, My Minds Eye Winter Wonderland
Project Life Blush and Baby Boy
Embellishments: ribbon, Studio Calico wood veneers, American Crafts Thickers Splendid

love

An older photo, but I realised I hadn’t posted a how to, not much of a how to really as I don’t have step by step photos, but worth a mention that this is just a sheet of 8.5 x 11” with the word love printed in the palest grey in my chosen font then covered over with any tiny embellishment I could get to fit, kinda cute really

drawsome

@scrappyjedi certainly inspired my creativity on this layout, as I’m trying to replicate aspects of her fun style and informal relaxed layouts. I have to say I love the splash of pink in this layout, the colours are very bold for me, but I was so excited about picking up the @amcrafts @amytangerine sketchbook pad that I picked up two! :[ There is a certain amount of older stash in there too so I can be proud.

Patterned Papers: American Crafts Amy Tangerine Sketchbook, and snippets of Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm, WRMK Urban Window
Embellishments: Buttons - American Crafts, Brads - Crate Paper, metal tag - American Crafts
Stickers: American Crafts, Doodlebug Designs, My Minds Eye

blast from the past

Sometimes a layout comes together in a way totally different to what you were aiming for, and the shear quantity of pink on this layout of A is a case in point.

It’s a tale all about a ‘Mint Feast’ ice cream that he had at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, it was a blast from the past for us both, I don’t think I’d seen one in at least 10 years, and on that cold, blustery, drizzling day we enjoyed those ice creams as much as we had done the same ones in our childhood.

Papers: Basic Grey, American Crafts
Embellishments: Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Doodlebug
Stickers: Basic Grey, Doodlebug, American Crafts (thickers), October Afternoon
Ribbon: DCWV

silly numpty

I’m definitely in a place where I’m happy to stick stuff down onto layouts that I’ve been hoarding for years, like the doodlebug heart button (too precious to use for 8 years), and the Bazzill ribbon flower (saved for best since 2009).

I’m also glad to be using up stash so that I can actually justify buying more rather than it just getting lost in the piles. I know my layouts are no works of art, but I find the process very relaxing and a polar opposite of my work.

This is a generic layout, from the Northern Ireland album, but features how silly A and I are….

Papers: Basic Grey, Simple Stories Sn@p, Papermill, unknown (green vellum)
Embellishments: Doodlebug, Bazzill Basics Paper, Papermania
Stickers: Basic Grey, October Afternoon
Other: Memory Box dies, Martha Stewart punch

homeward bound

I’m still working through the photos from our trip around Northern Ireland, and I’m still merrily working with the two kits I made up.

It was such a good idea to mix together stash I would never have thought of combining. I’ve never subscribed to a kit, but if I ever run out of stash (yeah right) I would definitely go down the kit route.

Papers: Basic Grey, American Crafts
Embellishments: Doodlebug, Simple Stories Sn@p 4x6 pad
Stickers: American Crafts (thickers), Jillibean Soup, Basic Grey
Ribbon: Maya Road
Other: Martha Stewart punches

capture

I had started making up another kit based around the Lemonade collection from Basic Grey, but I fell ill when I was last at home with my stash and only put a few things together. Wanting a change from the earth tones though, I grabbed the bits I’d put together and worked up this page, featuring A with his head chopped off and just a few of our many cameras.

Papers: Basic Grey, Dear Lizzy for American Crafts, Simple Stories Sn@p, (unknown on the handmade paper), Papermill
Embellishments: October Afternoon, Pebbles, Papermania, We R Memory Keppers, unbranded
Stickers: Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket
Ribbon: Amy Tangerine for American Crafts
Other: Memory Box dies, Martha Stewart punches, Rock Candy Distress Stickles

wild & free

I’m working with the kit I made still, and I’m really amazed at how stuff I would never have thought is going together really well. This page has papers from both autumn and Christmas collections, as well as embellishments from a baby line! It all works though with this picture of the Antrim coast.

Papers: Lily Bee Design, Crate Paper, Flair Design, Simple Stories Sn@p
Embellishments: Maya Road, Bazzill Basics Paper, Craftwork Cards, Tim Holtz, American Crafts, Papermania, We R Memory Keepers, Doodlebug, unknown
Ribbon: American Crafts
Stickers: Crate Paper, Kaisercraft
Other: Martha Stewart Punches

don't look down

Another using that kit I made up, and again it’s a hodgepodge of all ages of my stash.

Not the greatest photo, I didn’t have more than half a second to focus and take and no chance of a reshoot with the queue of people behind me, but it does give a little of the vertiginous feeling of the rope bridge.

Papers: Fancy Pants, Crate Paper, Best Creations
Embellishments: American Crafts, Kaisercraft, Studio Calico, Doodlebug, We R Memory Keepers, Prima, Tim Holtz
Stickers: October Afternoon, Making Memories
Other: Martha Stewart punches

december daily day 2

I’ve had a crazy few days beeping really busy at work and with no spare time to think, craft or sometimes even eat I got out of the rhythm of blogging. I’m going to try and get back into the swing of things again by sharing the facing page of Day 1 of my December Daily, pictures of A opening his advent calendar (the gloves because its cold in the university on a weekend).

Patterned papers: Kaisercraft, Simple Stories Sn@p
Die cuts: Kaisercraft
Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Kaisercraft

december daily day 1

I had managed to prepare some of the bare bones of my December Daily 2012 back in November I think, but not having access to a way to get my photos printed meant that much of the album building actually got done between Christmas and New Year.

I had endeavoured to keep notes each day about what I had done, how I had felt and I have to say that in all I found this system worked really well for me. I think that this is the system I will continue into this year.

December 1st this year fell on a Saturday, so the album starts out in festive spirits with a shopping trip to White City and a fun band that was playing outside really put me in the Christmas mood.

Patterned papers: Kaisercraft, Simple Stories Sn@p
Tag: Kaisercraft
Stickers: Kaisercraft, My Minds Eye, Cosmo Cricket

december daily 2012

Front cover of my 2012 December Daily I’m finally at the point where I am just finishing this off and adding the final finishing touches…. I used a sn@p album with an assortment of the page protectors. In general I used Kaisercraft’s ‘Mint Twist’ collection, with a few extras from elsewhere. I found though that I was disappointed in this collection though, I will have to think more carefully what I want in my stash for this year. Patterned paper, die cut, pearls: Kaisercraft Letter stickers: Lily Bee