Using up old kits..

Well what a productive weekend - 10 layouts! Thats got to be a record even by my standards. To be honest this was quite easy. I was on a mission to use up old kits so everything was in one place for me although i added a few non kit bits here and there. Before the weekend, my wheeled tote was busting with kits and now they fit in there more than comfortably and about 4 kits are totally finished.
These first 4 lo's are a mix of kits. These are all recent photos. I think it helped having a new scrapbooking subject (Emily) when using these old papers.
This lo is for my mums album - them mucking around at the park xmas eve!

This next two lo's are my brother and his wife.

Both used the same kit but different pp's

Not so sure about this next lo - its more the alphas that bother me but its a lovely photo so i thought I would leaveit!

This lo uses a fancy pants overlay. I think it worked quite well.

This final lo is a photo shoot that my sister did it was quite good fun.

Thanks for reading. Thats it for this month! x

Using up old stash....

Over the last week or so i have been trying to clear out my craft room and re-home any "unloved stash" I have a big box of paper and bag full of stickers and embellies for re-homing. I was pretty ruthless (for me) and actually cleared out stuff that I have kept previously.
It was acutally really motivating, It was an opportunity to look through what i had and some of it I had forgotten about of course and then re-pack it all into some sort of order. I went from having about 6 papermania totes (hand ones that hold like 100-200pp each), 1 box, and 2 wheeled totes to having, 1 wheeled tote with my kits in, 1 box of organised pp by supplier, a cropper hopper with card in and then lots of other stuff packed into the other tote thus making the room more tidy - and most of the smaller totes put away.
Next my mission was to actually use some of the older stuff, with all the new CHA releases shortly I figured that if I didn't use some of the older stuff I may as well bin it!!! Anyway, I thought I would dig out an old gogo kit - so I did, I started my sub in August 2007 so i pulled out the left overs from the sept 07 kit. There were about 4 sheets of pp, some card and other bits. I ended up making 4 lo's and used all bar one piece of pp which is earmarked for a project and a few bits of card.
Here are my efforts.
This is my last "bump pic" as I am waiting to go through to theatre to have her and then one of hte first photos of Emily.

This is a lo of my brothers wedding in vegas back in April.

These next 2 lo's are for my mums album.

Again this is a wedding one to go in my mums album.

I did use quite a bit of this kit at the time but I think sometimes you get bored using something over and over, whereas, I now have a couple of different albums on the go and my new scrapbooking subject, Emily so its not like all the pages are next to each other in one album and I think this works better for me.

So thats now one kit used up and a little space made in that tote.....I am working on the Oct 2007 kit now and hoping to use that up so I will let you know what I make soon...

Interpreting a sketch - sarahs cards challenge

I do like a sketch to work from. I find sketches quite inspiring and think they can be quite flexible if you get a good one. Quite often I will start a piece by looking at a sketch and then go off and do my own thing.
This sketch below is the sketch challenge for sarahscards this month. Once I got started I decided I quite liked the sketch so i wondered if I could use it a few different times to see what i came up with. In the end, I made 5 lo's. These are for a couple of different albums but to be honest I do not think they look too "samey" and if they all ended up in one album it would probably be ok.
So thanks for the sketch and below are my lo's.
This was my first lo's which is also liked to one of the other challenges - The theme was a fav season so i chose spring. I have used the MME bloom and grow pp's for this lo. I always think of spring as the growing of me life, lambs, flowers etc. This photo is quite appropriate as I am pregnant here and have my own bump growing.

This second lo was made using the gogokit this month. I have used two photos but you can see that it is loosley based on the sketch which was the main inspiration. Its a photo taken in Dec with my sister and my daughter.

This lo is for an album I am doing for my mum. The pic was taken last June outside their new home in Spain. I have used bella bvd papers.

I adore this photo - mainly as I love her dress! I have used little shoebox pp's and Emily is on her daddys shawl in this photo - 35 years after it was made and as good as new.

For this last lo I have used the new honey & (something i can't remember) papers. I was not quite so pleased with this one but it still follows the sketch.

So this was my scrapping last week 5 lo's one sketch. Thanks to Sarahs cards for a great sketch and for posting up the challenge.

More lo's from since last time i posted

Well here are some layouts that I have made over the course of the last week. I have only just had chance to upload them.
This first lo has been made using - my little shoebox papers, I seem to be quite a fan of these papers now - quite amazing after having them for so long and never using them. These pictures were taken when my friend met Emily for the first time its quite funny that when i printed the first photo, I noted that both Emily and Oscar were not very happy being held unless by their mummy so that made the title quite appropriate!
The second lo has been made using Bo Bunny snowy serenade papers. This was Emily's first experience of the snow. She didn't seem to like that much either! The photos are from 18th December and I love the snowy views in the backgrounds of the photos.

This is the snowman that Iain made. I thought he did a fantastic job on it. The papers here are fancy pants - can't remember the name of the range but its their most recent snowy range from 2009.

This next lo has been made using the bo bunny flutterbutter papers. I loved this range and have had them a while but never had that perfect photo. When I found these photos I thought they would go quite well. These are Emily's 2 second cousins...more photos to follow with the groups of us from when we met up in December.

Another lo using my favourite BG Indian Summer papers. This was a night out with some friends in November.

This final lo is one that I did today it was inspired by this blog - A fellow teamie on Uks Sarah - who's fantastic work is here drew my attention to the blog and I thought that it was a sketch I had to use! I have used my little shoebox and bella bvd "home" range on this lo along with a few random bits and pieces.

I have noted that I am becoming even more obsessed with Owls and they are creeping into my lo's too now! So cute tho - how can I help it!

Thanks for reading...until next time x

The cot, snow and some more lo's..

Good evening,
Well another day at home due to the snow! Over the last couple of days I have been making Emily's room look more like a nursey so I finally got around to making up the cot finally. I put her in it this evening for a while and she seemed to really enjoy being in there, I think she likes the space as she kept stretching her arms out- she does this in the crib and basket but finds the edge of those quite quickly! I am pleased that the room is looking better and think the cot looks nice made up.
Well, we have been stuck at home all week due to the snow, Its snow on snow on snow out there and we must have about 6inches of the stuff now its driving me nuts. It might look pretty but there comes a point when enough is enough. This is a view from our bedroom window.

The only good thing about being stuck at home is that I have had plenty of time to do scrapbooking, cleaning, even the washing and ironing is all up to date...and of course sort the nursery!

This first LO is made using basic gret indian summer papers, Ithink this lo has come together really well. These are some photos taken at my sisters last month where the dog and Emily met i was a bit worried how it would go but Taali was very gentle it was quite sweet.

This second lo is one i sketched out and planned a while back but only just got around to scrapping it. These are the MME beloved papers and perfect for the photos. Sadly this picture doesn't really do the lo justic it looks much better in the flesh! These photos were taken when Emily was about an hour old, Iain was still wearing his sterile clothes.

I decided to do the 2010 scrap weekly challenge. I started the scrap like you mean it last year but gave up after about 8 prompts as I ended up in hospital and with all the pregnancy illness it was some months before i did any scrapbooking again. I started doing the SLYMIin 8.5x11 so i thought i would start this one in the same size. I am just going to do the promts that I like the look of. This week the promts were to use a photo of me, papers I had been saving and something about the years plans so here it is - the lovely Prima my mommy and me papers i was saving these until I had Emily so I thought its about time I put them to good use. I have scraped a little about it being a different start to the year being on maternity leave, then wanting to loose weight and looking forward to my sisters wedding in March.

This final lo is a scraplift insired by of the gogo kit dt gallery lo's. The photo was perfect so i didn't have to think about this one too much.

Right thats all for now, hoping to get out tomorrow and Iain is home so doubt I will get around to doing any scrapbooking tomorrow.

Thanks for reading

Elaine x

Hairbands and crafting!

Another busy day today, not only have I done lots of housework, washing and cooked a proper meal for dinner, we have had some crafting time again too!
Before I talk about that, look at this picture - I ordered this headband a couple of weeks ago and thought that it hadn't come but found the envelope on the side upside down so i had missed it. It was made to measure and luckily fits her really well. I think it looks quite cute..so I ordered another one!!!! This next lo is a kind of scraplift of this http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=199923&cat=fav I have had this lo on my favs for ages so glad to have finally been able to do something with it. These are my little shoebox papers.

This next lo was the weekly challenge on uks this week. I have used an olf gogo kit for this one I cannot remember the names of the actual papers.

Also managed some more of the jyc too. Upto 19 now so getting there. Still pleased with my progress on it.

Well thats all for today, not sure what tomorrow will bring there is still too much snow here to go out i think. Our hill where we live is the worst if i didn't have that to travel on then i might make it somewhere. It REALLY bugs me that they don't grit it ever - not an A or a B road but bloody dangerous!

Thanks for reading x

Snow & Challenges

Hello this was the view from our back window today. We woke up to an inch of snow and it was continuing to snow. It looks very pretty but is a nightmare living at the top of a steep hill where they don't grit - especially now i have the baby it looks like i will be home for days as I don't drive in the snow and I don't think my pram would be safe in the snow.
I have managed to do a couple of lo's over the last couple of days. This first one is my review of the last decade which was inspired by the first promt of the 52 in 10 challenge. I was quite pleased with how this one turned out.

The second lo was inspired by the sarahs cards Dec sketch and I have used my little shoebox papers. This is Emily in her new nest. She quite enjoys playing in there.

Today i had a bit of a sort out in Emily's room - its not finished but i made a start. My first job was to clear the cot so she could go in there whilst i continued with the room. She ended up asleep and this photo ws quite cute. I know I said i cleared the cot but before she fell asleep her & I were playing with these toys honest! I want to make the cot up with her bedding soon for naps in the day if we are upstairs. I think i need to get it all washed tomo then it will be ready.

Right Emily is waking so I had better go...until next time....Hugs x

Some Lo's and 2010 Plans

Well I haven't yet left the house this year so I am pleased to say that I have been spending some time at home and inbetween housework, tidying and looking after Emily, I have managed to do a couple of lo's. I planned these lo's last week so it was quite easy to put them together.
The first lo has been made using the fancy pants girl dancer range. I loved this range but was not sure if i would have much use for it as the rubons and stickers i thought would be more useful for older girl lo's, anyway that did not stop me buying the papers etc in the sales and the theme of this lo fitted well. When the x-factor was on, Emily would love watching the lights and the music and I took these photos of her and Iain dancing to Queen's - we will rock you. A perfect theme for the lo!
In December I took Emily to the zoo with my friend and her two children. I really wanted Emily to see the grotto as I thought she would enjoy the lights. She ended up sleeping through the entire 5 hour trip and I also tried waking her up twice, once when we were in the grotto and again when we were by the elephants. She was having none of it but I wanted to scrapbook the memory anyway! For this lo i have used the sassafrass bungle papers and also a prima animal bash. I am pleased with the result especially as I have managed to put papers together and use them from two suppliers without the help of my gogo kit!

This lo is based on the twister sisters sketch 29. I have not done the twice but i really liked the sketch so wanted to use it anyway. This was the first photo ever taken on Emily so another one to document. I have used October afternoon ducks in a row papers.

Well, quite a productive day I thought. I have not done anymore of the journal your christmas as I am waiting for the photos - they will be ready in the morning so i will get them then hopefully - as long as their machine has not broken like last time! Then I should be able to continue with that.

I have decided to take on some other projects for 2010 too as I have enjoyed the promts on the JYC. I have decided to do the 52 in 10 challenge which is a weekly lo by scrapdolly - link on my blog. Also the 2010 weekly challenge. I have the promts for both so again i need the photos which i will hopefully sort our later and then i will be able to have a go at these two lo's this week too. It will be nice to finally use some of the patterned papers that I collected last year and used very few of!

Lastly....the diet starts tomorrow....that is not a stash diet (yet) but the weight loss diet....I need to be a reasonable size and to have shed my pregnancy weight and some before March when my sister gets married.....wish me luck!

Thanks for reading x

Christmas, Sales & JYC

Hello and happy new year. I have tried to catch up before but had trouble uploading photos to blogger but have managed to do it today.
First of all, we had a lovely Christmas. Emily was totally spoilt and here are just a few of her presents - the ones she opened at home - or rather we did on her behalf! As you can see she found the whole thing quite tiring and fell asleep before we could take her photo!
Here are all of her Christmas presents, after we got back from visiting everyone, i grouped them all together and took a photo so she knows how spoilt she was at some point in the future! There were quite a few clothes but these are quite hard to see in the photo.

Then we had to hit the sales - as obviously she didn't get enough for xmas! I must admit, I was quite disappointed with the sales. We got some nice things in Next on the retail park on Boxing day but the shops were really poor. I was very disappointed with the Debenhams Sale - they advertised "upto 50% off" yet I don't think I found anything 50% off most things were 20% off and as you can buy things that price on their special offer days I didn't think this was very good. The best shops for the Sales were Matalan and Boots. I got 4 outfits from Matalan for £17.50 and in Boots they had some half price toys. Here is a picture of the few bits she got in the sales.

Since being back home (busy week between xmas and new year) but I have managed to do some more of the JYC over the last 2 days. I am using the promts but amending them to suit the First Christmas theme. I am pleased with how the album is coming along so far.

Here are pages 9 - 11. I did page 10 as a double as I wanted to include the peppa pig paper that we wrapped Emily's presents in.

Here is 12 - 16. Included is a photo of my brother, sister and I when we were little so hopefully Emily will have a laugh at that picture in years to come! I was pleased with how no 13 worked out. The promt was around xmas carol or song and I was originally going to do something on fairy tale in new york which is my fav. Then I remembered the toy that sings "jingle bells" and how she loves it. She moves her head and feet to the music so i had to include this here instead.

Well I am now upto promt 16 of the jyc but whilst I am behind, I do not mind because I am really enjoying putting this book together. I have just uploaded and ordered 300 photos from Tesco which will be ready to collect on Monday so really looking forward to getting those scrapped.

I think I am going to add more photos to my blog for 2010 as I take so many. It will then be more of a record of what we have been upto too.

Thanks for reading and happy new year - i hope 2010 brings you all your dreams x