Gotta Lotta Bottle?

This weekend was DS1's birthday bash, which means a big BBQ & has done for the last 9 years or so! As the guys are older now, it does tend to mean copious amounts of alcoholic beverages! LOL. We somehow managed to stretch the festivities over two days this year (hence a lack of crafting ... & blogging too!)
So this yummy li'l Cogsmo number is the layout for Friday's class ... I love when I get a chance to scrap my recent photos straight away. Check out the pull out journaling to the right of the photo collage ... & I don't know whether the picture picks it up but most of the blackboard shapes there have been coloured with Inktense pencils (more vibrant than watercolours). Lots of soft inked edges again - Has to be my absolute fave technique I guess! LOL
The best bit of living in the UK has to be the easy access to real ales - my guys are only too happy to drink them, just so I can have the labels ... aren't they just too good to me? Seriously tho' real ale artwork is the best free scrapping ephemera ever (the bottle caps too - & the guys do their best not to scratch them or bend them as they open up!) so look out for some of that coming up soon.
I've been neglecting the blog a li'l bit of late ... it went kind of pear shaped mid-may & posting became kinda sporadic. Thing is, I love having a blog & sharing stuff with you guys ... & I have soooooo many things still to blog about! So this is the month that I'm gonna make a real effort to post EVERY DAY! & If I can do it for a month (or the 19 days that remain!), then I guess that makes it a habit & I can keep it up permanently. All the comments you guys make on my posts make it so worthwhile - so keep 'em coming & I promise I'll post more often! Deal?

Let's Go Green!

I had a li'l bit of exciting news while I was away - the Arty Girlz, Crissie & Julie, have selected me as their guest designer for the ongoing recycling challenge over on their blog. You can join in this challenge at any time - just click the banner for full deets!!
... & check out the 'guest designer' blinkie on the right (scroll down to just below my DT places) - way cool huh??

Bad Blogger

Forgive me readers for I have sinned ... It's been 11 days since I last blogged! I've been struggling a bit to keep up with all that life throws at me this last couple of weeks - I've barely scrapped, which makes me VERY crabby; household appliances are dying left, right & centre; marital relationships have been a tad strained to say the least ... & it's half term, which means I have both Fish & DH at home ... We are working simultaneously on the house & garden this week - major works are underway & the second skip arrived this morning.
Apologies to those who are expecting DT work from me - I'll be playing catch up at the weekend (again!!!) but from next week I expect normality to reign once more.
I had a li'l play with my alphas & the lush Bo Bunny Ella papers for today's class - see you there ladies!!

Reminder: The Way Of The Scrapbooker Starts Today!!

My new class starts over at MCC later today but it's not too late to join the fun! All the deets are here (scroll down to the 3rd class)! The classroom will open at 8pm (BST) - so long as you are paid up, you'll receive an e-mail with the classroom keycode - & that's about all there is to it!
This li'l album is part journal, part scrapbook - designed especially to go where you do & with refillable space for you to add notes, sketches etc on the move ... No kit to buy - you can use your own stash - but a full supply list is included for reference. You'll even get a full PDF of quotes, especially adapted by me, ready to print off at home. All that for $15 (so if you live in the UK, it's an absolute steal!!!)
Can't wait to see you all there!

Mega Catch Up Friday!!

Oooooh! I don't plan on doing this too often! LOL.
Major e-mail issues have been taking up my time this week - leaving precious little time left for blogging ... & the result is mega catch up Friday! LOL. Anyway, I've set up a new g mail account for the store (have to say I do love google's ever-expanding free services! LOL) & all is getting back to normal! If you have my contact deets stored, please update your contact list now!! You can use either the e-mail in my blogger profile or the deets on the webstore ... any others that you might have are not working right now & I will probably phase them out now anyway!!
I have a whole bunch of projects to share right now ... check out the posts below!!

More Cogsmo!!

Cosmo Cricket's new Cogsmo range is fabulous for making birthday cards ... & doubly fabulous for boys!! I made this li'l bunch of cards while at MILs & have a ton of other ideas too!!
You'll find individual images in my gallery, HERE!

Sorry Di!!

This is the card that I should have e-mailed over to Di Hickman for this week's sketch. I'm having major issues with my e-mail (so much so that I've set up new webmail accounts) & what with going up to look after MIL this week, I didn't get it there ... which sucks as I really kinda like this one! Lotsa MR ribbons & stuff ... and more of those Urban Rhapsody papers!

Winged Things

This is the front cover of a li'l Maya Road mini book I've been working on. In fact, it's pretty much all Maya Road goodies. We're hoping to become a stockist over at the webstore - just awaiting confirmation on that one really.
I made it for the NSD/MR challenge over at 2 peas - the 2 winners will have theirs displayed at CHA - what a thrill! & there's $100 of MR goodies thrown in too ... so it's all good! LOL
In the meantime, if you'd like to see the rest of the Album ... it's over on my gallery, right here.

Playtime!

I'd wanted to blog this while at MILs but I'm a total ditz & left my camera cables at home! LOL. So this is the layout we'll be doing this afternoon!! Gotta love Cogsmo!!!

DT Call at Crop 'Til You Drop

Yup! the new DT Call is up now!! Check it out here

Fab's April Christmas Cards

I actually made these cards a couple of weeks ago for Fab's challenge - but

I've been such a bad blogger of late that I hadn't got them posted. Anyway, you might remember I had been posting a lot of stuff made with Luxe Designs ... & these cards were made with some of the scraps. Certainly not your traditional crimbo cards but I do like to do something a li'l bit different. The papers, rubs & ribbons are all Luxe, gems & sentiment stamp by A Muse, Sizzix tree die & SU! snowflake punch.
There's still a bunch of A Muse goodies on sale at 75% off - check 'em out before they are gone!
& I haven't forgotten about posting my scraproom pics - the week has just got away from me a bit. I'm having a bit of a break next week ... so I'm hoping to catch up a bit then too!

CHALLENGES, COMPETITIONS & MORE FREE STUFF!!

Bit of a catch up post here - soooooo many ways to win right now!! So let's get right to it:

Crop 'Til You Drop Monthly Challenge. This month we want to see felt &/or fabric on your projects. So why not whip up a quick card, layout, altered item ... or whatever! & we positively encourage multi challenge projects, so do feel free to combine with any other challenges that you usually enter. We also are more than happy to receive multiple entries - the more projects you enter the greater your chances to win!! Need stash to get you started? Check out the webstore for felt & fabric stash!!

It's Good To Be Green - Allie Gower over at Croppinsville USA has a fabulous green giveaway up for grabs ... in a recycled box!! All you have to do is pop on over to the blog & leave a comment about your own green efforts ... & don't forget to say I sent you over! LOL. Be quick - you only have until Wed 7th May (that's tomorrow! Yikes!!)

I have a li'l RAK of my own here too! As you'll know from my previous post, I've been working on that li'l scrapping haven of mine. Can you imagine just how much stash I've rediscovered?? Anyway, the deal is that I'm gonna RAK some of that stash to you guys as it'll take me several lifetimes to use it all (& I'm a bit of a monkey for buying new stuff! LOL). All you have to do is post a li'l comment telling me your best storage tip (cuz I still have loads of stash to house!!) & I'll enter all the comments into a draw (on May 22nd - my Daddy's birthday!) Send your friends over & I'll do an extra draw for those people too - 1 entry for each person that mentions you in their post.

So good luck ... & go win stuff!!

What I did for NSD weekend

I had planned a creative weekend to celebrate National Scrapbook Day this year (last year you might remember a fire at the store just a couple of days before completely scuppered all our plans) but when it came to it I changed my mind at the last minute. Just shy of 6 months after moving out of the store and into my new, compact scrapping space at home, I seem to have outgrown it. So my mission for the weekend is to re-organise.
We have a long weekend in the UK - a bank holiday Monday, which means DH is here to tackle those all-important power tool tasks. I don't touch power tools but that's another story!!!
These are the 'before' photos & I know that I'm lucky to have a space of my own but it's not quite working out for me ... The table in front of the window catches the sun in the afternoons (which means I'm practically blinded on all but the greyest of days) & I can't put much at the back as it's always falling down on to the window sill - especially at night when I close the curtains. There's also a lot of wasted space, inaccessible areas & the whole thing is just a bit too cramped!
The bookshelves & those big blue storage boxes work quite well, except that they are partially blocked by the table. Some of those boxes (the ones with acrylic paints & card blanks) are quite heavy. Sometimes I'll make do with what is already out rather than lifting them all out- and if I do get them out, I don't often put the stuff away again, so that's even more clutter to deal with!
Just look at all that wasted space in the 3rd photo! That is the back of the wardrobes that divide our bedroom from my scrap space - we have toyed with many ways of using that space, but nothing really works. You can't hang anything weighty on them & there's a limit to how high you can stack things up - definitely requires a new solution!
I have a huge closet, which essentially is a li'l room over the stairs. I have lots of shelving in there & the only issue again is access - the drawer unit close to the doorway makes it really difficult to get to the stash inside (we took the closet door off to gain space there). This is where I store all my cardstock, papers, alterables & some of my tools, so I have to get in there quite a lot. So that's a quick way to suck all the pleasure out of starting a new project - & the reason why I don't alter as much as I'd like to ... Sooooo much wasted time just trying to get to things! LOL.
That last photo ... That's the mess under my table - also hard to get at as there's only just enough space between the table & the back of those wardrobes for me to sit (tiny, svelte skinny thing, I am not!!) I had one of those blue boxes full of metal embellishments under there that I know I haven't touched in months ... kinda forgot it was there really! Yep! time for a serious change.
So this last couple of days, I have been measuring, moving stuff, repurposing household finds & finding lots of li'l jobs for DH. I'm nearly ready to share, there's just a few more bits to finish off Monday. I guess it'll never be actually finished as every time there's something new added, the storage needs change a li'l bit ... but at least it's gonna be workable.
So pop back soon to see the end result!

Today Is Turning Out Just Fabulous!

I had a rather productive day yesterday & didn't get to bed until 3 am (again!!), so I really didn't want to get up this morning. Doesn't sound like a good start? Read on ...
I eventually dragged my but out of bed when the parcel guy came with a delivery - that always means yummy stuff arriving from the US. Today's offering? A fabby box of product from C&T Publishing. I treated myself to a couple of idea books (partly to see what's already been done) plus board blocks in a couple of sizes, an indie file box & a 10x10 board book - Lush, Lush, Lush.
I left this layout on the table downstairs last night - entered it into the Truly Trendy competition at Scrapscene. Obviously the trend I picked is 'birds'. I wasn't sure about it last night but this morning I love it. I have a big problem cutting into a sheet of gorgeous paper - not wanting to cover it up - so I collaged my fave bits from 2 papers & yep! this morning I like the result ... maybe my judgement is a li'l bit impaired after midnight!! I used K&Co Mira - gorgeous stuff & one of the most inexpensive ranges right now. So this is what my ladies will be making tomorrow.
So then I get on to my e-mails ... first one I opened is from Allie Gower, offering me a DT place at Croppinsville USA. This is a brand new venture, so I'm thrilled to get in right at the beginning. Can't wait to get started!!
The store/webstore opens in a couple of weeks but there's lots a-happenin' over on the blog - including a big green giveaway right now!!
My late night sees me right up to date with all my DT work etc - and it's 1st May - 2 bank holidays to look forward to this month & DH has a week off (I think) around the second bank holiday. That means family time. So yeah! Today is a good day!

You Called?

I don't remember where I saw it (as I spend far too much time blog-hopping) but several people have been talking lately about bringing back old fashioned calling cards ... more than that, handmade ones. Well that seemed like a bandwagon I could happily jump on - so here's the first batch.
I made these as my DT entry for Di's sketch this week (April #5), using scraps left over from some of my recent Luxe Designs makes. Which also gave me the chance to break out the li'l icon stamps DH bought me about 4 years ago (yep! never used them before!!) & the brand new Spica glitter pen that Auntie Jane included with the goodies she brought me over from the US (gonna have to get me the whole set!!)
Really easy to make - just measure against a credit card for size. My cardstock is double sided, so I've just printed my deets on the PC & stuck them to the back - all that's left to do is to laminate them & hand them out!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes ...

Well I'm all over My Creative Classroom today! LOL. I have uploaded not one - but FOUR classes to the site today - and check out the news bulletin for May 23rd (scroll down the home page - before you log in). Yep! It's all about me just now! LOL

All my classes are enrollable now & I have a bunch more coming very soon - it's all exciting stuff!!

So have a lookie at ...
'Family Mini Book' - Starting May 12th
The Way Of The Scrapbooker - Starting May 19th
Totally Top Hats - Starting May 26th (see the cool piccie at the top right?)
Let's Kit Together: Love - Starting May 19th (I'm re-running this popular class!)

And talking about changes - we have re-branded the forum to better reflect the direction we are taking - pop over & take a look ... & if you aren't already a member why not register with us now - we'd love some new friends to chat to - the more the merrier!

It's All About Family ...

My MIL has to go into hospital soon, so I made this li'l album for her to take in - if we can't be with her in person ... etc. I'm also gonna be offering this as a class over at My Creative Classroom - deets should be up by Monday!!
And on the subject of family - gotta tell you about the challenge on Fab's blog (OK - he's not family but if you could choose your big brother, he'd be mine - LOVE that man! LOL) It's a Christmas card challenge & although started back in February, I guess it's OK to jump right in!! On the 25th of each month, the next month's challenge starts - you can either make 1 card each month or a number equal to the month (so 4 in april, 5 for may etc) - fabulous idea!!!

How Much Do I Love Auntie Jane????

The answer is LOOOOOOADS! LOL. Auntie Jane (better known as EJ across the pond) paid one of her flying visits yesterday and brought me this HUGE bunch of goodies! OMG - there is just soooooo much stuff here: a pinpoint glue pen & crafter's workshop template, vintage glass glitter (I've been wanting this since I first read Lisa Pace's blog an absolute AGE ago), Dream Street papers & chipboard covers (why these haven't been on my 'must have' list is beyond me!) Teresa Collins die cut sheets - designed to be used with the BIA (which I bought at Christmas & still haven't used!), KI Memories, Luxe & Prima Paintables (I always loved colouring in! LOL), Ranger Crackle Paints (I keep thinking about getting these for the store - I have played & I will be getting them in!!), TONS of velvet ric rac from the Art Bar (which we don't have over here!!), Hambly overlays - love these too! The cutest li'l pirate paper (perfect for my li'l pirate - and some cards!) & a couple of US mags - i look forward to these every time Auntie Jane comes over! Oh & a Spica clear pen - love this & will deffo put more on my list!!
So far I've only played with the Spica pen, crackle paint & the LUXE as I'm deep in one of those DT submissions again (didn't get the last couple - or believe me, you'd have heard about it! LOL). The plus point to keep making submissions is I have a ton of cool projects to add to my online classes - vast amounts of write ups to do this weekend & I should have my new classes for May listed by Monday - so watch this space for deets.
I'm very honest in my DT submissions (which isn't necessarily a good thing) as I'm not only looking for another manufacturer DT place but also this will determine the future brands stocked in the webstore & the product that I use for my online classes - I'm looking to tie everything together (much as Lisa Pace's kits & classes are heavily based upon Maya Road). Is that wrong?
Anyway - I LOVE YOU Auntie Jane - and your visits are just too short!

Stuff to share ...

Well I'm getting around a bit this week! First, here's my DT card (more of that yummy MM 5th Avenue stash!) for this week's sketch over at Di Hickman's fabby blog. If you've not been over before you really are missing out ... Di has a regular RAK on fridays & has recently started a series of 'GREEN' tutorials - the first two are about making scrapping storage at a fraction of the price.
While you are there, why not grab this week's sketch and have a go - we'd love to see what you do with it!
Next up - you might see my webstore popping up in new places this week - we are sponsoring both the weekly challenge at 'My Time to Craft' challenge blog & sponsoring a prize for the weekend's events at UKS. We have donated some of our yummy ribbon packs for these events - different selections for each one, so why not do both & double your chances to win. And even if you don't win - why not pop on over to the webshop & treat yourself!!

There'll be some exciting news in the next week or two over at the store blog (just as soon as I catch up with my DT work) & the only clue I'm giving is .... DT!!! (sssshhhhhh! don't tell - it's a secret.)

A Brush With The Law!

This is the layout for tomorrow's class - lots of handcutting & penwork (cuz I know how much they love it ... NOT!!!)Excuse the pants photo - had to use the flash as it's getting late now (OK ... it's 2 am - so I guess it IS late! LOL)Supplies are mainly Making Memories 5th Avenue - with a couple of odd brads & some textured cardstock thrown in.

Winter to spring in just 1 day!

I thought it about time I had a go at one of those 'white space' layouts - so this is my layout for Pearl's bingo challenge at Sisterhood of Scrap. All supplies are Luxe Designs, with the exception of the bingo card, which was a free download for which Pearl gave a link - a good idea to pop on over & bookmark it - you never know when you'll need one! LOL
I've posted too late to take part in the draw - but thought I'd share anyway!

Nearly Forgot!!

I have been really bad at blogging my DT cards for Di Hickman's weekly card sketches (sorry Di!) so I'm gonna try much harder in future! LOL. This is my take on this week's sketch - be sure to pop over & see what the rest of the sketch girls created this week - some fabby stuff there.
I've been playing with my new Luxe Designs stash .... & Bazzill mini ric rac - love this stuff!

30-Something

It's a bit of a running joke in my house that DH has to think really hard to remember how old he is (he's a bit of a ditz). As it's his birthday today, I made this card for him! LOL. For what it's worth, I happen to know that he's actually 34 (yep! I bagged me a toy boy!!)

You might be recognising those papers as Upsy Daisy ones - using a few scraps I had left from the 'pass the parcel' layout - colorbox fluid chalk ink in lime pastel goes really well with these papers & makes a change from Chestnut Roan (which I use a lot!!)

Gonna keep it short today - I have 'dyslexic keyboard syndrome' - which usually means I'm tired!! Should have a layout to share tomorrow

Tote-Ally Cool!!

Is this the yummiest rolling tote or what???? I had my eye on it for a li'l while but it didn't really take long to give in! LOL. Black & Pink - gotta have it then! Sadly it doesn't look like I'm gonna get to Scrap-a-Ganza (I absolutely refuse to pay an £85 penalty for single occupancy & none of my scrappy buds can do it!) so I might have to wait a bit to show it off properly!
Here's the features:
Large main compartment holds hundreds of 12x12 papers, albums, etc. and features a large zippered mesh pocket, elastic pen loops, cell phone pocket and PDA/camera pocket. Includes a padded laptop case with handles. Telescoping handle with button release and durable reinforced wheels.

It's all lined in pink w/black polka dots - I'm in heaven! LOL. I'm waiting on the tote (the one with the carousel base) now but think I might be forced to get the matching shoulder bag too - would be rude not to really! LOL

It's a Mystery!!

Last month I accepted the mystery envelope challenge at Sisterhood Of Scrap. The rules are this: you receive a C5 envelope with some supplies, to which you can add cardstock but keep other product to a minimum. Produce a layout on any theme. And this is the result.
I had some tiny scraps left over, so I made a card as well (as I'm sure I might have mentioned how I hate waste! LOL)
All I have added is ...
Layout: Blue & Orange cardstock, stamps, ink & acrylic paint. everything else was supplied & I handcut some of the embellies: check out the first letter of my subtitle at the bottom - I layered the sticker waste from the 'beautiful day' sticker on to cardstock, the flower sticker and leaves cut from one of the papers, used a foam stamp to make a template to cut the 'U', which has inked & faux stitched edges & is then mounted on foam tape for depth. Really easy to do but adds a bit of interest I think.
Card: Blue cardstock (Bazzill I think) a button, some micro dot gems & sentiment stamp (both A Muse). The flowers were punched from scraps - I read somewhere this morning that paper punches are 'out' now: Guess what??? I DON'T CARE!!! i USE MINE A LOT & i WILL KEEP DOING SO! Rounded the corners of the scraps & card base, layered them - a bit of faux stitching (I use the HOTP stitching template cuz I'm lazy!) - curled the small flower petals (after doodling the edges) & stuck it all down - dead easy!

From One Chick To Another

and here's another li'l card I made at mums yesterday - this one's for Deanne's 'follow the leader' challenge at SOS. It's a scraplift of her layout but I thought it would make a great card. The card blank is one of a stack of deckle edge ones I have from making the order of service from Fish's naming ceremony (4 years ago!!!) - maybe I should revive the deckle edge trend?? More Upsy Daisy papers - did I mention how much I love them??? LOL.
Deffo gonna have to get them for the store - I couldn't find them in the UK at all! The stamp is by A Muse.
More birds coming I think - strange really, I like the look of birds but totally freak if one flies anywhere near me. My folks had an avery when I was in my teens (until just a year or so ago) & I thought they birds were the most annoying creatures ever! Fish would get in there with them tho' & squeal with delight at all these budgies flying around his head - I guess time will tell as to whether we have mentally scarred that child for life! Wonder if they took any photos??

Watch The Birdie!

As promised, here's a couple of pics from my recent obsession with Upsy Daisy Designs. Totally love this range - check out the names of the papers - so cool! LOL. Aaaaaanyway - I made the doodlebug house cuz I've been wanting to do one for such a long time! The papers were perfect for this kinda 'spring's-gotta-get-here-soon' theme. The chicks came from a pack of 12 different coloured ones that I picked up for Easter projects (& mislaid until a couple of weeks ago!)and I made the li'l nest from some raffia - note to self: Mod Podge is not great for sticking raffia! LOL. Inked it up a bit to create some depth too. I'm really pleased with how it all turned out - and yes, I did 'wallpaper' inside before assembling the house! There are more photos in my gallery including a couple of close ups here.

Next up is this cute li'l card I made today over at my mum's. A few of us are getting together on alternate mondays - they are doing some iris folding, teabag folding & decopage & I'm just pottering on a few bits. It's great to get some time out of the house where I'm not teaching!
I really struggled with this card & then I switched to square & it all fell into place. I used some scraps left over from the 'Tweet' projects along with some rub ons (also Upsy Daisy) for the sentiment. The 'TWEET' is actually cut from the barcode strip - I hate waste! LOL. I have plans for other bits of the strips too - the li'l birds are repeated there and the other paper names (harmony, serenity et al) are definitely useable. Check out my Pass The Parcel layout - the li'l cupcakes in the letter centres are handcut from the barcode strip too! (it's not too late to join in that challenge either!)
I have others to share but need to get better light - will take photos in the morning!

I'm Official!!

So I finally took the plunge & created an online resume. I have been threatening to do so for a LOOOOOOONG time now! I used the programme recommended by Susan on Sisterhood of Scrap. - yep! it's another google one! Basically, it's a web page template - you choose the layout & theme ... then google does all the work for you. So all you have to do is type in the text, pretty much the same as blogger. Clever huh?
It took me hours - mostly as I'm a bit hazy on dates and since my last PC's blue screen death I don't have any of the info to hand - lots of searching hard copies and web pages then! I'm so glad it's done though - shouldn't be too hard to keep it updated.
So if you are feeling curious, go here to read all about me!!

Gonna share some projects tomorrow - or is that today? LOL

Just An Ordinary Day

My turn to set the challenge at Journaling Junkie this week - and a fab chance to play with the sponsor goodies sent to me from Cosmo Cricket. I found the papers a bit scary to start with - mostly as they were from the 'Be Good' range, which does smack of Christmas ... and I'm soooo over scrapping Christmas in April! LOL (although for magazine work I will be working on Christmas in August again - Oh dear!)
Anyway, Cosmo were seriously generous with product & I nearly fainted when I saw the stash! There's sooooo much left I'm gonna be doing some more with it soon! To do our sponsor justice, I created a layout using only the product sent, with the exception of rub-ons, ink, acrylic paint & basic tools. So the Cosmo products are patterned papers (around 7 different patterns there - i like 'busy'); Chipboard alphabuttons; 'Be Good' trims; Alphabutton Fashions (die cut letters that fit the chipboard ones perfectly - how easy is that???) There's a couple of interesting features here too (well I think so):

• The tabs on the sides of the photos are the waste from the centres of the 'D' (one chipboard and one from the die cuts). Just paint, ink, doodle or add ribbon accents. I keep all the 'petal' shape waste too and use to create faux flowers, raindrops etc.
  
• The 'die cut border' to the left is actually a hand cut strip from one of the patterned papers - it had a gorgeous scalloped pattern just shouting out to be cut an used as an accent! I inked the cut edge, layered the ric rac over the opposite edge (it will stick with a glue stick!) and the li'l faux brads are the waste from the button holes on the alphabuttons - just paint with acrylic for a fabby li'l embellishment!
• The lace fan is a wide piece of lace, folded in half and gathered on a small piece of ribbon. Attach with glue dots and add an embellished chipboard button to the centre.
  

We didn't stock this range in the webstore but do have some Cosmo coming soon - I love that this DT lark gives me the opportunity to try new things - many of our new stocks, class kits and the projects I offer at MCC (some fabby new ones to be added soon!) are a result of that - so it's all good! LOL

So check out the challenge (you can read the journaling on our layouts there too!) & if you join in, be sure to hook me up in the comments & I'll come by to see!

Pass The Parcel ... And Win A Prize!!

I was thrilled to be asked back to Sisterhood of Scrap this week to set a challenge for the week-long blog crop to celebrate their first anniversary. And today's the day!!
Even better, I'm applying for a DT place at Upsy Daisy Designs & these papers were just perfect for the layout I had in mind. I don't usually divulge the DT places I apply for (in case I don't get them!!) but I love these papers sooooo much that I really wanted to share - and you can expect to see a few more pieces cropping up in the next few days!

Anyway, with Fish's (DS4) birthday party still firmly in my mind, my challenge is based on the traditional party game Pass the Parcel. I know I loved this when I was a child (hey! I might even have an adult version for my 40th birthday bash in August!) and the li'l ones we had with us for Fish's birthday did too (we played twice with 2 ten-layer parcels each time! LOL) & cuz I love to see the li'l ones have fun we had a li'l surprise in every layer - oh! there were NO losers at this party!!

So the challenge is: Create a layout that has at least FIVE layers

You have a whole week to get it done (April 19th) & Don't forget to hook me up in the comments so I can come see. The sisters will be checking our blogs at the end of the week to draw their winners too.
Wanna know what the prize is? Check out the sister's blog for all the deets - and to see the rest of the challenge links - there's still time to enter all of them - the first one closes on Monday!!

Good luck - now go win prizes! LOL

Still Not Sharing ... But Check Out This!

The clue's in the title! LOL. So I'm still working on a few top secret projects & too pushed for time to post the regular stuff Buuuuuut ... you gotta check out the blog crop at Sisterhood of Scrap that's on all week. Looooads of prizes up for grabs & a fair amount of fun - & all to celebrate the Sisters' first anniversary.
So ... Happy Anniversary girls (((((HUGS)))))

Oh! and pop by her on the 12th to see my challenge for the Sisters' Blog Crop!

The Places You'll Go ...

Just a quick heads up for the ladies in my scrapping class tomorrow afternoon. This is the layout we'll be doing.
I bought these papers for the store on a total whim - DS4 loves the Dr Seuss books, so I couldn't resist. EK Success has now discontinued them I think, so I might not be able to get the others in - I guess we'll have to make the most of the ones I do have! LOL.
I do have a 'Green Eggs & Ham' layout to share but it hasn't been published on the journaling junkie blog yet - so I guess I'll have to wait! LOL
Also have a bunch of cards n stuff but right now I have some new goodies to play with - just arrived from Upsy Daisy Designs in Canada - you seriously need to check these out - LUSH OR WHAT??? I really, really want a place on their DT so I guess I better go be creative! LOL

Boyz 2 Men

I've not been overly creative of late - apart from a couple of noteable exceptions that I'm not allowed to share for months. So I thought I'd share this layout from our last ever Wednesday night class. I'm loving the new fold it bows template from HOTP right now - designed by the fabulous SNJ (the only freelance Brit designer there!) AND my latest can't-live-without product: Bazzill ric rac. This is a mini ric rac & I'll have it available in the online store within a couple of days! Fab stuff in loads of colours & lightweight enough that it sticks successfully with a glue stick!
My plan for the rest of this week is to update the webshop with the new stock and add a whole bunch more not-to-be-missed clearance goodies (at 75% off RRP); get ahead on my DT stuff and finish off the projects for my next round of classes at MCC. So lots to do as always! LOL

Whoot!!

Just caught a comment on a previous post! I am the highlighted artist of the week on Robin's blog! (YAY!!)
Pop on over to see what it's all about ... and if you'd like to be featured there yourself, you can e-mail Robin & maybe it will be your turn soon ... such fun! LOL
Thanks Robin - you brightened up my day!

Rebuilding My Life!!

My entire life was stored on my PC ... & noooooo it wasn't backed up. I now have a new 'puter but until I know whether the hard drive from the old one can be recovered, I have no idea whether I'm starting over.
All my passwords, sketches etc for DT work, Class schedules, photos etc are stored there ... so if you are waiting for work from me, replies to e-mails etc ... there could be a delay until normal service is restored!
Wish me luck!!

Missed Deadline!!

This first card is the one I made for Di Hickman's Card Sketch Team this week (March #2) - but I forgot to e-mail it over on time (I am an idiot!!). I loved this sketch so I made a couple of others too! Having a bit of a run on St. Patrick's Day Cards! LOL. I bought these rub ons 3 years ago & hadn't touched them, so it was about time - I still have a few left, so I'll be using them for some good luck cards I think.
The papers, shamrock ribbon and card blanks were all from a HOTP Personal Shopper for CardMakers kit (Feb 07) - currently on sale in the shop for just £6.99 (RRP 17.50). There's a bargain or two to be had over there! LOL.
You could also try your hand at winning one this week - We are sponsoring the challenge over at Arty Girlz and have a March Kit up for grabs. I'm gonna try & get around to comment on every entry - but if I miss you out please don't hate me!! I'm making lots of DT stuff right now but it's all a bit secret squirrel. I really want to get ahead on some deadlines so if I'm AWOL from blogland again for a while - that'll be why!! LOL
I have a busy family week coming up too - Dad visiting next week before he returns to Bulgaria, DS4's birthday on Monday (St. Patrick's Day) & his party the next week on Easter Monday. So lots to do!!

This Girl Gets Around A Bit!!

If you subscribe to Becky Fleck's PageMaps newsletter, you'll already have seen this card. My first for Becky, making me an official 'friend of PageMaps'. How cool is that???
Some of the details are lost in the smaller pic - but if you click on it to enlarge, you can see the ribbon detail & BG white rub ons - gotta say I love this card!!
Pop on over & visit her site to sign up for the newsletter, download current & past maps or just to drool over all the yummy stuff that this month's friends have provided. You'll find the card maps here.

Next up is March #1 card sketch for Di Hickman's weekly challenge. There's a new sketch every Wednesday, so if you aren't already taking part - why not make this the week that you join in. Di has recently added a few new features to her blog: Friday Freebies; Theme Thursdays and Tutorial Tuesdays as well as the sketches, loooooads of inspiration, reviews and more. There's a newsletter you can sign up for too!

Finally, last Saturday's Journaling Junkie challenge, set by 'Celeb' scrapper Janna Wilson to stash your journaling. This is my fave pic of DS1 (which he hates! LOL) taken when he was 17 - can you believe that was 5 YEARS AGO????
Loved doing this page & it's a mish mash of new & old: Lace cardstock that Auntie Jane brought back from the US on her last visit (I'm gonna have this in the webshop soon!), an odd sheet of BG that's about a million years old (probably 3 or 4! LOL), Fancy Pants Fashion Sense felt (currently 25% off!), Maya Road clear ribbon (luuuuurve the birds trend - I shall keep it going well after it's no longer de rigeur!) & a 'goth' stamp set I recently acquired. I outlined the solid gaps between the letters on the lace cardstock, it's subtle but makes it 'pop' I think! If you want to know about the hidden journaling, it's all here.

That's me done for today. I'm working on a few bits for online classes at MCC so I should have some more to share next week.

Go Me!!

Remember this shadow box I made a few weeks back for Journaling Junkie? Well ... I e-mailed the manufacturer, C&T Publishing, to thank them for providing the box (they sponsored JJ in February) & gave them the link in case they wanted to take a look. Anyway, I got this great e-mail a week later asking if they could use it on their website! Ummmmmm, let me think! LOL - so obviously I said yes & it should be up in about a week.
But the reason I've been sitting on this is that's not my big news. The big news is that C&T also asked if I'd be interested in taking a place on their DT. Just like that - I didn't apply for a place (there's no call out to my knowledge) - just do I want one????? It took me maybe 5 whole seconds to accept! LOL. I couldn't make the announcement until all the paperwork (non-disclosure etc) was complete & I'd been given the go ahead.
So that's it - my first manufacturer DT position, where I get to work with actual prototypes months before they are available in the US (& months more before they'll get here I guess! LOL) So I might not have much to share until late June - but I know you're gonna love it!