She's So Sweet...

There's not enough hours in a day, or days in a week to do everything at the moment! I haven't read anyone else's blog for a week now - I think I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. Still, some busy and full days do have their wonderful moments...

On Saturday, I got a visit from my grandchildren. Alistair is HUGE! He's one bonny baby, and that's for sure! Liy is sweeter than ever, and as she left to go home she said to me...

"I love Nonna's house"

"Why's that?" I asked

"Because you live there" was the wonderful reply I got. How sweet and adorable is that?

I wanted to scrapbook the moment - but couldn't find the right photograph. Still, I did find a pile of photographs that I wanted to scrapbook anyway, and found in that pile a really lovely photo of Lily when we visited Romsey World Of Water. I'm not entirely happy with the layout - but I think this is because I'm just itching to do another mini album (I have 2 ideas in my head)... I decided to use a lot of blue and green instead of girly-pink for this layout...

I used a background paper from the Mariposa range... then chucked a whole load of other stuff at it - one of the new papers I had as well as leftovers from My Minds Eye, some Papermania, a bit of Prima, a lot of cosmic shimmer, a splash of bling and pearls, lace, bits off of old flower arrangments and some stickles. Oh, and a little bit of sewing :)

In The Summer Of '64

Actually, this layout is called "Hugs On The Beach"... and I love this photograph of my parents so much! It was taken (I think) at Lulworth, before 1966 (I know this because it was before my parents were married – no wedding rings) and I think it may have been around 64-65-ish. They always have been a very lovey-dovey couple, and it's nice to look back on photographs and see that they were in love from the very start... so sweet! For this layout, I first cut a circle out (using pattern-edge scissors – scallop edged) of 'imaginisce' “Now and Forever” collection (Roman Columns). I edged the circle with burgundy pigment ink, then quickly sprayed onto the edges Ink Potion no.9, holding the paper up and letting the ink run in rivulets over the paper. Next I used a blending tool which had been used with brown ink and blended over the whole paper, edges first and then over the surface so that where the Ink Potion had run, it would pick up some of the ink. Next, I sprayed with 'Ancient Copper' Cosmic Shimmer Mist from a distance of about 12-18 inches or so (outside!). When dry, I pricked out another circle about an inch in from he edge. I folded some almost-sheer scrap ribbon in half and gathered this lightly as I sewed it onto the card stock using the pricked-out inner circle as a guide to where it should go. “Sonnets” (Creative Imaginations) was the next choice – using this as my 12”x12” backing paper (cut into a scalloped circle) and also to mat and layer the choice of photograph. For the photograph and layering I roughed the edges with a scissor blade and used the burgundy ink on the edges too. Burgundy thread was used to circle the photograph, to help pull in the black and white photograph to the colour scheme. This same thread was also used to create some swirls (seems to be quite my trademark now *lol*) from the edging of the photograph, that I decided to offset from the centre towards the right of the layout. Liquid Pearls in “Gold Pearl” was used on every scallop round the edging of both scalloped circles (ever started to do something you wish you hadn't? *lol* It took ages!). Next came the hardest part for me... leaving the Liquid Pearls to dry properly without poking them every few minutes! Now for the absolute favourite part of scrapbooking for me (apart from finding old photographs and finishing a layout)... Stash Diving!!! Brads, Prima flowers, Creative Imaginations chipboard pieces, a lot of bits'n'bobs I got from “Feathers-n-Favours”, and just 'stuff' I've had cut out and floating around for ages. The hardest part here was sewing on the little ribbon roses, but I managed it in the end without tearing or ripping the cardstock. More Liquid Pearls to add a few extra flourishes here and there, and all's finished :)

Grandbaby I Have Yet To Meet...

I am so excited at the thought of becoming a Grannie again... I planned this layout in my head... but then decided to just start poking around in my stash and see what appealed to me most. The process was very relaxed - I just 'let it flow' and the layout almost created itself :) I know it's very samey-samey... but it's my 'style' and how I do a layout *lol* I decided that rather than the original idea of using monochromatic scheme - possibly black and white - I would let the scan photo stand on it's own, and use muted tones around it instead... I chose creams, greys, and a soft lilac-ey sort of colour as well as white. I started off with a blank cream 12x12 sheet, and embossed with white my favourite stamps - the poem "Love Is Not..." and a "Wonderful" definition stamp. I only used black inking on this layout, as I wanted it to stay quite 'pure' looking - and softened looking too. Of course, lots of stitching was used (grey, cream, and white threads), as well as sticky pearls from DoCrafts and also Papermania. The tiny silver/pearl roses are handmade, and the butterflies, bows, and other flowers were a bargain at a £1 craft supply shop.
I can't wait to meet my new grandbaby in January :)

Nice Niece

I came from a small family - just my brother and I... and my husband only has one brother (who has never married or had children), so I have just one niece - and she is such a beauty!
I created this layout quite a few weeks ago and couldn't decide whether I wanted to add lettering to it or not. For now, i'm leaving it as it is.
I have no idea what the background paper is, and all the flowers are made by myself. Of course, stitching appears as usual - but not as much as in previous recent layouts. I loved using liquid pearls - I quite often forget I have them, and making the dragonfly bodies and centres of the flowers was so easy with the liquid - even if I do find it difficult not to poke and prod to see how much they're drying :) I also used spray glimmers on the papers before making the flowers.