Top o' Haystacks

We had a fabulous trip to the Lake District in October and here is one of the first layouts. This was taken at the top of Haystacks. I used a technique I always admired from Anne Parry, when Scrapbook Inspirations was around. She used to "extend" a photo by painting the rest of the background in.  I attempted this with my Twinkling H2Os.

Materials used: paper: Basic Grey and Green Label; fabric leaves: Prima; tree cut from Hello Fall paper; letters American Crafts Thickers; paint Twinkling H2Os.

Father Christmas

The Daring Cardmakers' thoughts have turned to Christmas - aargh!
This week's challenge is Father Christmas, with the chance to win an Echo Park paper pad from Crafty Emma's Store.

My card has a bit of texture going on from the felt poinsettia and the embossing. The Santas are decoupaged and the chipboard greeting is by BasicGrey.

1950's Pin-Ups

Sunday Postcard Art has a great challenge today, celebrating 1950's pin-ups. My pin-up is a glamorous air stewardess.

Keep on Running

A warm welcome to visitors from UK Scrapsmack. Over 60 of you yesterday! Today's layout doesn't feature any heat embossing, thank goodness. Supplies: acetate overlay - Fancy Pants; snowflakes - K&Co; rub-ons - BasicGrey; letters American Crafts and Papermania. Fabric hearts: Craft Planet.

Miniature Tiger

I haven't done much scrapbooking this year, apart from an album I made for a friend. I was inspired to produce a layout about my cat Molly as she set off on a hunting expedition but came back five minutes later.

Paper: Basic Grey, Hambly. Embellishments: Laura Ashley and others. Letters American Crafts Thickers.

Signs of Spring

There were a few signs of spring this morning when the sun was shining and I could smell the heady smell of hyacinths in the garden. Now it's raining!

Saturday Surprise's challenge was to create something celebrating signs of spring.

My card uses Basic Grey Periphery paper and stamps by Cavallini (they are the most superb stamps I have ever used). Word rub-ons by Making Memories. The eggs are highlighted with Glossy Accents, although you can't see that in the photo.

Blue and Yellow

Arty Girlz latest challenge "blue and yellow" brought back happy memories and reminded me of the blue and yellow bedroom I had in Newbury a few years ago. The sun streamed in and it reminded me of Provence (why I have no idea, as I've never been there!).

My blue and yellow card features paper by Basic Grey, stamps by Stampington, Cuttlebug embossing folder and brads by Laura Ashley.

Quote

Finally found time for the Saturday Surprise challenge, which this week is Quote.
I used paper and rub-ons by Basic Grey, scroll stamp by Stampington, vellum quote and brads by K&Co.

Forever Autumn

Forever Autumn is the theme over at Daring Cardmakers. I used paper by BasicGrey, felt by Fancy Pants and stamps by Stampin' Up! for the pumpkins and acorns, highlighted with Diamond Glaze.

A bit of scrapping

Looking at my recent postings you might think the "Scrap" in the blog's title is a bit of a misnomer because I only seem to create cards. Well, I finally got round to doing some scrapping at the weekend - first time for weeks. I was beginning to think I'd lost my mojo (whatever that is). And I haven't even bought any stash for a while.
Both the pictures were taken at a weird angle so apologies for that, but you get the general idea.
Picnic in the Park recalls a day in July when we went to Kenwood House to see the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Proms in the Park. It had been raining that day but we were very lucky - the rain held off for the concert. One thing that was a bit of a letdown was the preordered picnic from Carluccio's. Not so good. Next year I will take my own!
Supplies: paper - BasicGrey; felt - Fancy Pants; picnic stickers - K&Co; journalling spot - Collage Press; rub-on letters - Making Memories; tag - Twelveby12.

Second layout is from my recent 3 night stay in a caravan in Torbay with my mum (Giz). Suppies: paper and die cuts - BasicGrey; buttons - Craftime; letters - HOTP.

Buttons

Layers of Color has an interersting challenge: to use buttons in our art projects.

I created a card suitable for a man using a button stamp that came free with Craft Stamper a while ago with teal Staz On, a flourish rub-on by BasicGrey and some buttons and a transparency. Vinyl letters are by American Crafts.

Recycle!

The latest challenge at DCM is to make a card that uses scraps from shop-bought cards, to recycle elements. "We want you to have a look at old shop bought greetings cards, wrapping paper or gift bags which you have received in the past and recycle any elements to make a card of your own."
I recycle a padded heart (centre of the card), mounting it on Rouge de Garance paper and adding a BasicGrey Two Scoops swirl highlighted with glitter.

My Favourite Place


Over at UKS, the monthly team challenge is for a layout on the theme of my favourite place that uses stitching. My entry shows us at one of our favourite places, Epping Forest. I wetted and sanded the edges of the main photo, used textured paint (Anita's) on the chipboard letters (EK Success) and flowers, and added gold paint on top (Adirondack acrylic dabber). I sprinkled some glitter while it was wet. The paper is by Fancy Pants and the overlay by Autumn Leaves. Envelope pocket: Studio K.

Oh My!

Two scrapbook layouts today. In the Sunday Times yesterday my mouth was drooling at a picture of Eggs Benedict, one of my favourite dishes of all time. I resolved to laminate it and use it in a LO. And here it is.

The paper is by Rouge de Garance and Stampington. Chipboard letters by EK Success (painted and sprinkled with glitter). Paper frills and heart brads by Doodlebug. Harvest pins by Fancy Pants.

The latest weekly challenge over at UKS calls for a photo of self, journalling, ribbons and a bloom. I used a picture of me at the top of Vesuvius, the volcano which spewed a lethal sulphuric cloud into the air which hung over, and eventually choked, the people of Pompeii (not a lava river, as people often mistakenly think).

Supplies: patterned paper and letter stickers by BasicGrey; chipboard letters by DCWV; various ribbons and blooms. Journalling spot: Collage Press.

The late bird drops the worm (presumably)

Ho hum. Well, I just finished a lay out for Vanessa's challenge at the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog; was about to upload it and realised I am about five hours too late. That'll teach me not to check. Anyway, the challenge was to use a sketch, and it was a nice one (I don't always like sketches) so I used a picture of my niece and nephew with the title "Together." Patterned paper and journalling spot by College Press; chipboard letters by Making Memories. Plus lots of acrylic paint (you should see the state of my hands!).

Here are a few other layouts created recently, just to show I don't just make cards.
I have always loved poppies. Amazingly evocative flowers and how poignant the way they spring up on barren land around battlefields. So I was thrilled to find a poem which does poppies justice. I just had to scrap it. The poem is called Poppies by Attilio Bertolucci. I used the transparent cover of a notepad from Sainsburys, some red velvet ribbon and cut out some poppies from paper by Bo Bunny.
Finally here's what we did on Easter Monday. We walked through Epping Forest - very muddy - to have lunch at The Owl. I've called it "Walk like a Penguin," because when I observed that J didn't have any mud on his jeans, and I did, he said: "Well, it's because you walk like a penguin."

Patterned paper is Two Scoops by Basic Grey; black chipboard letters by Cosmo Cricket with a Holy Cow rub-on used over the top; journalling spot by College Press.

More acrylic paint was used in this layout, celebrating my love of swimming (though I'm not very good and probably don't swim like a penguin). I used Stampin' Up French Flair stamp to create the swirls in the corner. Flower and letters by DCWV; plastic embellishments by Crafts FunFair. Chipboard frame and fun sticker by Anker International.

Children's games

I had fun creating this layout about the games I played when I was a child. Children nowadays lose out because they're kept indoors all day and get driven to school. Why I do not know: the number of child murders and abductions has more or less stayed the same since the 60's. Paedophilia is more openly discussed and known about, whereas a few years ago paedeophiles stalked children from the innocent offices of cubs, brownies, the church and so on.

When I was a kid we went out all day to play. We only came back at tea-time. And what fun we had. Going to the fields behind our houses picking bluebells. Creating a den in the undergrowth at Harewood House and looking for murders in the Spy Club. Picking blackberries or beech nuts. Creating a play, usually "the ghost in the noon day sun", with the theatre's "curtains" suspended from the clothes line in the garden. Driving up and down in Henry, the formidable go-kart my dad built for me. And having fights with the kids from "the enemy end" at the bottom of the road. Oh, and skipping. Long hours spent skipping. Must have been wonderfully fit.

Supplies: pp - BasicGrey Two Scoops; Stampington. Wings rub-on: Hambly; letters - Papermania; chipboard arrow: Stampin' Up; kitten - Lakeland.

Pretty Pastels

Pretty Pastels is the theme for the extra from DCM. I used Basic Grey's Two Scoops as the backing paper and several die cuts edged with glitter. It's a quick and easy card as I'm a bit short on time this week.