Scrapbook sunday

Good evening

Here is my update of the mini book I am creating for the "A day in the life of ..." challenge over on the RWS site HERE

I created a mixed media cover for my book, my book measures 6in square

I used lots of gesso and glimmer mists on this project to bring a new lease of life to embellishments I have been harbouring in my stash for a looooooong time

You can't really see the glimmer in these photos but the colours are pretty accurate

I made twelve tags to tuck inside the inner pockets, these will each depict the date for each event I choose to go into my little book

And twelve journalling cards, these are the fronts, they will be further embellished once I come to journal each event

And the back of each journalling card resembles a postcard with plenty of space for the all important journalling ( these were computer generated)

So each page inside the book resembles this now, they are all different colours and patterns but they all have a tag for the date, a journalling card and a photo mat

Today I have been working on little mats with the month which will go on each right hand page below the photo mat, I used stamps lent to me by Margaret - thankyou xxx, I lost light before photographing them this evening so will share them next time I blog this book

How are all my fellow challengees getting along with their books ?

Love and journalled bliss

Tracey

xxx

Saturday Catch up

Good evening

Well it's been a mixed bag this week, lots of highs and a low

The low being that my youngest has had his most recent results back from his consultant, it does indeed look like he is a Coeliac, this is slightly different to gluten intolerance, as Coeliac disease is actually an auto immune disease.

We still have to take him to a specialist unit  ( Sheffield) and he will have to undertake further tests before all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed,  we have been instructed not to change his diet until he has had the next batch of tests.

AJ took it all in his stride, he only seemed a little perturbed at the Sheffield bit ( Sheffield didn't seem that bad last time I visited ), but once he was reassured that he would indeed come home and he wouldn't be going alone he seemed ok, he ended the conversation with "what's for pudding mum?" - nothing new there then !

So that leads me into a little ask

Have any of my lovely blog friends got some fabulous recipes ( tried and tested if possible please) or links to sites that have, I need to get practising and perfecting

I am currently madly collecting sites for both help and advice, also recipes etc, but it is all going to be a learning curve and I know this is not rare so I am sure there are some of my lovely readers with help and information

So, there was an initial wobble (and a few tears)  after receiving the news,

but

a big mummy hug - thanks mum, 

lots of positive stories - thanks Pat B and Carole L

and lots of kind words from friends and family

all made a massive difference, thankyou everyone

So apologies for being a little distracted this week

I knew my mind was on other things when I was going for my bus the other day.

 I had a letter to post and had passed the letter box by a couple of hundred yards when I realised the letter in my hand really did need to go in the little red box today

Rather than turn round and walk back ( admitting to the lady behind me and the guy over the road that I had indeed lost my marbles and had blatantly walked past the letter box with letter firmly in hand), I actually reached inside my bag ( with free hand), stopped and pretended to read a text, pondered the details of the very important ( non-existent) text and then slowly turned around and began walking back towards the post box

I very casually ( still engrossed in non existent text) deposited said forgotten letter in box, before nonchalantly turning back to the direction I was originally intended

Was I fooling anyone with my shenanigans ?

I doubt it very much

I doubt either party were even aware of my existence let alone my discomfort at suddenly realising I had become as forgetful as one of my grandparents, one of my grandparents who regularly walked into a room before scratching their head ( or chin in my grandad's case) before exclaiming "now what was I looking for"

And why is it that once you return to your starting place you remember what it was you were looking for but had you stopped in the room you were heading and tried to remember it would never come to you ?

Love and lost marbles
Tracey
xxx

Happy Unbirthday Kate

Today we celebrated an 'unbirthday' at the shop

One of my lovely friends and one of my very first class members recently celebrated a milestone birthday

As we were on holiday and the shop was closed on the actual day of Kate's birthday,  we decided to have a belated impromptu mini celebration

I created a card in a box in Kate's favourite colours for the occasion

So, happy 'unbirthday' Kate, hope you had a lovely day

Here's to your next milestone birthday Kate and hoping we are still scrapbooking together xxx

Love and milestones

Tracey 

xxx

Tinsel and Turkey tuesday

One of my good intentions last year was to make one christmas card a week

I started off well

I made four in January

I made no more until December !!!

As the kids would say - epic fail !

I have the same good intentions for this year, 

Neil has promised to make me do forfeits if I slip

Unfortunately I already have one forfeit as I missed the first week

Well, even if I make just five cards this year it will be better than last year

So watch this space - if no christmas cards appear on a tuesday you can rest assured Neil will be rubbing his hands ( insert evil laugh here !)

Love and holly leaves

Tracey

xxx

Happiness is like jam ...

Good evening

Tonight I have a little project to share which I have seen around pinterest and various other crafting sites and one which was recently reminded to me by my good friend Carole.

Carole made herself a happiness jar and I thought it would be a lovely idea for me and the girls at the shop to join in and make our very own happiness jars

I made a matching little notebook - the idea of the jars, is to write down all the good things that happen throughout your year on a little slip of paper, on new years eve after a year of collecting these little notes, you remove them from your jar, all the little prompts reminding you of all the things that made you smile

So I made the notebook so I always have a slip of paper to note down my happy thoughts

I added a favourite quote to the lid of my jar - I used a medium sized Kilner jar

And another quote to the front which I thought was particularly apt as the jar is of the jam variety !

And this is the back

And finally my matching little notebook

Who else is joining Carole and I with happy jars ?

Love and happy thoughts

Tracey

xxx

Scrapbook sunday

One of the brand new challenges over on the SHOP site is the 

A day in the life of ...... challenge, you can find all the details in this post HERE

I have been busy prepping my book for the challenge

It is a monthly challenge to run through the whole of 2014, with a page dedicated to one day in each month

Therefore here are my 12 pages all folded, attached together, inked and ready to go

I used a 12in x 12in paper pad by K and Co, I inked all the edges with Tim Holtz distress ink in Walnut Stain

Here is how each page is folded to create a pocket on each side

You basically take a 12 in x 12in piece of paper, fold in half horizontally, define the crease

Fold top edge down to meet bottom fold, define the crease

Fold in half vertically and define the crease, open back out

Fold left bottom mountain fold and tuck inside so all bottom edges are in line - creating a triangular shaped tuck inside the bottom fold

I am going to be making my covers and some inserts for each page this coming week, so check back next sunday for the completed scrapbook, which will be ready to start entering each of my chosen days for each month

Love and folds

Tracey 

xxx

Saturday catch up

Good evening 

I used to use my blog for documenting all the small things as well as the more momentous happenings in my day to day life

Somehow the smaller things ended up getting less and less and then they disappeared ( not from my life I hasten to add - just from my blog)

The blog became just a portal for my crafty happenings

And that's a shame ( especially with a memory as shoddy as mine)

So, as of today I will be doing a regular catch up on a saturday of the little moments that have made up my week

So aside from work, and family and all the usual humdrum housework etc I have completed a jigsaw puzzle

I used to do lots of puzzles when I was younger and had forgotten just how relaxing they are (well until you realise you have been sat in the same position for an hour and you have a stiff neck along with a cramp because you have been sat cross-legged and motionless for longer than when you were five years old at primary school !)

This one was given to me by my lovely friend Nicki - thanks hon and is by Gibsons, it is called I love London and is a design by Mike Jupp. There are so many little comical happenings in this scene that it is hard not to chuckle when you are putting pieces in their place.

I have also read this book this week

It was a freebie on the iTunes 12 days of gifts app over christmas

I am not generally one for romances ( not of the literary type - wink wink), but after a slow start and a couple of moments thinking "what on earth am I doing reading this twaddle", I actually ended up wondering ( and caring I might add) what was going to happen to Lily and then desperate to find out what decision she made in the end. So, Paige Toon and her pleasant little modern day romantic novel became a lovely light reading interlude between my usual thriller or autobiography choices.

And before I bid you goodnight and begin a little crafting project I have in my head, I have a crafting project to share from just before christmas

I use the term "crafting" loosely

Here is the key to our car, which disintegrated just before christmas

And as luck would have it, here is the spare key which disintegrated in exactly the same week - seriously not a fun or happy coincidence

Now I have no idea whether any of you have had the misfortune of breaking your ignition keys but we have never had this happen before

Apparently they can not be repaired at a normal key cutting service as they have special magic chips in

And as we all know ( or we do know) those special magic chips have within their powers the ability to make normal, sensible people momentarily lose their ability to close their mouths, I kid you not!

Let me explain as succinctly as possible

Key breaks

Key owner goes to get key fixed

Key owner is informed it will be £140

£140 !!!!!!!!!

And that is £140 ... PER KEY !!!!

Key owner stands gaping, mouth open, jaw almost on floor

Key owner laughs gently and slightly nervously - "you must be kidding" she exclaims

Nope they were not kidding

Key owner did not stay to hear past "well we need a special machine, it has a special chip in it yadda yadda yadda"

So........

Neil decided to resort to our best friend

Mr Google 

Mr Google who is generally honest, reliable, cheap and always there when you need him

Mr Goggle informed us we needed Sugru

So, here is what I did with the keys, the one on the left is Neil's  - awwwwww

And the one on the right is the spare one that his mum keeps

And was my bill anywhere near the £280 I would have had to pay at either the dealership or the specialist key place ?

Nope !!! It cost us a measly £12 and I had so much fun doing it.

And both keys are fully functioning - go me !!!

Love and rubber

Tracey 

xxx

Box in a card

Tonight I have another box in a card to share

This one was a commission for a girl who found me on facebook, so pleased to make this for her, especially after hearing the story behind her wanting a special one

I used premium quality pearlescent cardstock for the base and matting and layering

The papers are Melissa Frances

The blossoms are Prima

I used a Tim Holtz die for the numbers and punches by Stampin Up and Woodware

I am loving these box cards, so many variations possible and they can be altered to suit any occasion.

I have lots of plans for some crafting this weekend, so watch out for jam jars, notebooks, christmas cards and whatever else takes my fancy

Love and milestones

Tracey 

xxx 

Altered canvas

Good evening

Tonight I have something a little different

I haven't created a canvas for a while but the urge took me when I received a blank one from Margaret this week - thankyou Margaret xxx

I started out with a layer of gesso

Followed by doilies, lace, masking tape and tissue paper for texture

I painted, inked, spritzed and sprayed to add colour and depth

I rummaged for metal embellishments, little odds and ends and of course a photo befitting of all this work and effort

I love all the layering and inky, messy, paintiness that makes a project such as this a little of a gamble

Did it pay off ?

Love and  inky fingers

Tracey

xxx

Anniversary wishes

The internet gremlins were playing mischievous tricks on me yesterday

I blogged dad's birthday card, checked it, published it and checked it again and then it disappeared before morning, so,  apologies, dad's card was really for the day before and this post was really meant for yesterday, and if you have receive multiple updates in your readers, I apologise, wasn't me - honest !

So, this is the card I made for mum and dad's wedding anniversary which occurred yesterday

Pam J if you are reading this, this is the card I started and didn't finish, do you like how it turned out with the flowers and hearts ?

Obviously it did actually get finished and mum and dad loved it so all is good

“Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse. Millions of tiny moments that create your love story.”

Love and wedded bliss

Tracey 

XXX

Happy birthday dad

As dad said today "age is just a number" 

He doesn't really get why we all celebrate becoming another year older

I like to think I am celebrating having him as my dad

So ... happy birthday dad - love you xxx

Age is how we determine how valuable you are

Jane Elliot

Love and birthday candles

Tracey 

xxx

Christmas catch up

Happy New Year

Just like every other crafter in the country, Christmas came and went in a blur.

 Hours disappeared in the blink of an eye, 

mince pies and a little tot or two of rum fuelled my crafting sessions, 

cards were made, gifts were wrapped

chocolates were scoffed

and all the other usual stuff got done too - eventually !

But I apologise, I was having far too much fun to blog it

So here is a little catch up of some of the cards I created this year

I made many, many more but for varying reasons they didn't get photographed, mainly bad light, and the fact that I was last minute dot com as always

Anyway, onwards and upwards

No resolutions from me this year as I totally suck at keeping them

But

I do have goals ( not of the "22 silly men in nylon shorts chasing a football kind of way")

The kind that might encourage me to actually finish a project or two

More to come on that subject in later posts

Love and good intentions

Tracey

xxx

Shop sale

Just a quick reminder to my customers - today is sale day at the shop

We have lots of bargains on the table

ALL patterned papers are half price for one day only

All remaining stock has 20% off including all dies, embossing folders, tools and embellishments

This will be the ONLY sale I will be holding this year so grab those bargains whilst you can

See you there

 xxx

December daily

Most years I put together a little book to store our christmas memories in

This year I have altered a plain Kraft notebook

I have used Bo Bunny patterned papers, die cuts for the year and a little ribbon and lace

Circle squash book

Tonight I have an unusual little project to share, a circular squash book type project

The pages were made from lining paper ( thankyou Margaret - who shared hers with me)

They were spritzed with glimmer mists and stamped with gold acrylic paint ( again thankyou Margaret) and Stampin' Up inks, once they were dry and folded and assembled together, I added glitter to the edges

Then I fashioned covers from card and patterned paper, adding snowflakes and fibres to finish

I think this unusual little book lends itself more to an ornament than a little book.

A little personal note tonight, thankyou to all those who have asked about AJ

My regular class members and friends know he has been undergoing some examinations and tests, he hasn't been well for a while and is underweight and tired 

It turns out he is iron deficient ( being treated with tablets currently) and initial tests have also shown he may be gluten intolerent / coeliac. We have had to take him for further blood tests - poor kid is going to resemble a pin cushion at this rate and if the most current blood test also comes back positive he will have to undergo an exploration with a camera, we are hoping with all our might that the next set of results comes back negative, but I would just like to thank everyone who has been asking after him and offering their support, it means the world - thankyou xxx

Christmas commission

I was asked last week to create a special card for a little boy's first christmas, the criteria being that is was cute, decoupaged and had the colour lime green as well as his name

Tick tick tick tick, all criteria met

The card base is an 8in x 8in scalloped design, the papers are Bo Bunny, the santa etc are by Nitwits and the name was computer generated.

Get well soon

I made this for Neil to give to a colleague/friend

The recipient has just been diagnosed with a serious illness and Neil wanted to let him know we are thinking of him

I went with rich chocolate shades of brown, layered onto an 8in x 8in scalloped card base and lots of lovely layers with the Fleur de Lis set of dies from Spellbinders.

Scrapbooking

I was recently asked to create a trio of scrapbooking layouts for a customer as a gift for her friend

I was given a selection of photos and free reign to use whatever colours etc I liked

In each case I used the photos as inspiration 

I really enjoyed creating these pages and it has reignited my passion for scrapbooking, which I rarely have time to do for myself 

Note to self - get out those photos of my gorgeous three kids and SCRAPBOOK them !

Saturday Workshop

Good evening, just a quick stop by this evening to remind you I am holding this workshop on saturday - this saturday 30th November

10 am to 3pm ish

I managed to get hold of just a couple more frames so I have just two spaces extra if anyone is interested

The price of the class is £20 and includes all you need to alter the frame and to create all the little decorations inside

Please telephone the shop to reserve your place

01472 359158

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, tra la la la la, la la la la

Yesterday saw me stepping into Bonnie's shoes just for the day, due to prior arrangements Bonnie was unable to teach the monthly die cutting class.

The shop is currently in full Christmas mode so I promised two more cards towards the steadily growing yuletide supplies.

We performed a special cut and and emboss technique on this first card

And some lush traditional colours on this second card

It was a lovely day, we had some new faces to the class too.

Thankyou to everyone for their patience, I hope I lived up to the high standard Bonnie has set !

Also thankyou to my regular lovely ladies who always stay back after class to help me clean up, I really do always appreciate your help - thankyou xxx

This marks the last die cutting class for this year as December's class falls too near to christmas, but the class will resume as normal in January.

Happy Birthday baby girl

Twenty years ago today I was cradling a tiny little bundle all in white

Our first child

Our daughter

Twenty years ago today I was the proudest mum ever

Today I am still the proudest mum ever

Amy you are so beautiful both inside and out

You are kind and generous, forgiving, understanding, clever, thoughtful and the most perfect daughter we could wish for xxx

Here is the card I made for Amy

This is an 8in square scalloped base, altered to create an easel card

Papers are by Tilda

Today has been a hard day for me, it is the first year in twenty years that I have not been able to wish happy birthday in person, nor have I been able to hug my daughter on her birthday, but I honestly couldn't be prouder of the little girl who has grown and developed into an individual, unafraid of blazing her own trail and daring to be different.

Happy birthday Amy

Love always

xxx