Update ...

Well, I have been crafting but I can't show you what I have made yet because it's all DT work. Not too long to wait now though, because the 2 DTs that I've been preparing for The Happy Scrappers & my own challenge blog The Craft Trilogy [which launches 1st July] are nearly due!

Back on 15th June I celebrated yet another birthday, I am not big on my own birthdays really, but I wa thrilled to bits to log into Facebook that day to see that an online friend Alison Paterson, had created a digital scrapbooking page for me. I loved it so much that I thought I would share it with you. I don't think Alison has a blog so I can't link to her!

Oh my gosh ....

I'm so excited, I have just set up my own craft challenge blog called 

The Cupboard Trilogy

I've selected a great Design Team [DT] & we are all on track for the launch on 1st July. I say a DT, but technically the team is split into 3 groups .. Cardmaking, Scrapbooking & Digi Scrapping, so hopefully there will be something for everyone!

There will be a prize each month for the over all winner, then there will be a 'DT Top Pix' badge awarded to each of the sections, chosen by the appropriate Design Team to post on your own blog!

I am looking for sponsers of the blog at the moment & looking for each of the genres of design, so if your looking in & you can supply a prize for Cardmakers, Scrapbookers or Digi Scrappers, please contact me on my profile page, I would be most appreciative!

I will update here nearer the time of the launch, I have my birthday to get through first, 52 this year, where on earth does the time go??!

Have a great day

~ Jane ~

It's The 1st Saturday Of The Month ....

Which means The Happy Scrappers have set a new challenge, this month the theme is

The Great Outdoors

Here is my DT Layout

The photos are of my grandson playing in the garden, he is a whopping 14 years old now soit was lovely scrapping these photos, I remember this little photo shoot like it was yesterday!

I wanted to keep the LO quite simple & fun, so I used blocks of cardstock in black, lime green,orange & blue. The paper used {which I cut to pieces} is from one of Fancy Pants older collections called "On a Whimsey"  The butterfly & trail were hand cut from one of the papers & stick to the page at varying depths, to add some extra detail, I cut up another sheet to use as quote blocks between the photographs. I have added little extra's like the little bird & teh word 'memories' which is on a piece of acetate & added a little doodling around the butterfly trail!

Altogether, it was a quick, but effective LO with the paper piecing technique keeping the feel of it a bit rustic & childlike to suit the mood of the photos!

My Top Tip ~ When adding embellishments, glue them down at differing heights, this adds extra interest to your LO. There are lots of glue items on the market to allow you to do this including 'sticky dots' double sided foam tape etc. My personal favourite is Pinflair Gel Glue because it dries clear & is silicon without the odour!

~ Thank you for visting my blog ~

Simple Card.....

I made this card to post to a lady in The Cupboard Trilogy, The Craft Cupboard Show & Tell group

I have used papers from my stash box, so don't remember the makes. The green check paper I die cut & prefered to use the negative, allowing the pretty embossed paper behind to show through. The stamps are Magnolia's -singing Tilda & the musical notes stamp was in one of my recent Scrapagogo kits. I then simply added ribbon, flowers - rose was from my own stash the calla lillies were purchased from Wild Orchids Craft & some stickles glue!

****

I would like to enter this to the following challenges:
Oldie But A Goodie ~ Ribbons are more then 6mths old
Creative Card Crew ~ Add Dimension
Divas by Design ~ Anything Goes
Crafts & Me ~ Add a Ribbon
Party Time Tuesdays ~ Anything Goes
LEJ Designs ~ Ribbons Galore

Hotshot Crafts ~ Die Cuts ~ I have used a die cut negative

Thank you for visiting my blog

Jane xx

The Happy Scrappers blog goes live ...

I am thrilled to announce that the latest scrapbook challenge blog is now live.
It is called called The Happy Scrappers & I am on the Design Team. This challenge blog is for scrapbookers of all abilities to take part in a monthly challenge, the DT that have been chosen are all at different levels of experience so that there is something for everyone. So, if you have often thought about scrapbooking but didn't really know how to start, this is the perfect opportunity. If your more experienced, then your also welcome, one of our DT members Carol likes to use digital scrapbooking, so there really is a great variety! You will find that the LO's/Pages produced are varied, so hopefully you will find something that inspires you to play along too.
This months Challenge is "Anything Goes"

This means that you choose the theme of your LO this time, please see my LO below, you can view all the DT LO's over on the blog.

We would be delighted if you would advertise The Happy Scrappers challenge blog on your own blogs, facebook pages, groups & forums, to help us get the word out into the craft world.

Please join in with the fun & maybe you will be our first Monthly Challenge Winner & wear the badge.

There are no prizes for these challenges, but we hope to wet your appetite & wake up your mojo. Challenges are also a great way to get more visitors to your blogs too!

This is the very first time I have scrapbooked any photos of my newest grandaughter Yasmin, so wanted to keep it as a simple LO

I chose to back my page with a sheet of cardstock weight patterned paper, because it already had that pretty top corner ~ MME Follow Your Heart/"Bee Happy" Be You.

I then cut a wide strip of the same patterned paper, using the reverse pattern, I glued some narrow pink trim down the length of this strip, to give it an edge & texture before glueing to the 12x12 page.

I then cut smaller pieces in different patterns & shades to start building up the layers, placing them where I am sure I wanted them before glueing them down.

I decided not to mat & layer my photograph this time, instead I simply glued it on of of the paper layers. Like a lot of designer scrapbook paper on the market, there was a very pretty & coordinating strip of pattern at the bottom of the sheet that we would trim off. I chose to use this on my page, it's the narrow strip of floral paper, which I tied a bow of 'bakers twine' too before gluing in place,  this tiny strip of paper worked well on the page because it contained a hint of orange, which tied in nicely allowing me to use orange on the little 'American Crafts' embellishment.

My next step was to place a title, in this case I have simply chosen the baby's name 'Yasmin'

Finally, I chose some cardstock stickers with appropriate wording & placed on the page along with a couple of smokey coloured gem stones to finish the page!

I hope you like it & I broken down the page enough to help you if your just starting out on your scrapbooking journey ....

I look for ward to seeing your scrapbook pages soon, remember to leave me a comment so that I can come & view what you make

My Tip ~ Remember to always use an acid & lignin free glue on photographs or they will deteriorate over time!

Thank you for visiting my blog

~*~ Jane ~*~

A month of blog prompts from DoCrafts for Creativity members ...

Never under estimate DoCrafts, I did for a long time by wrongly thinking they were a bit of a 'one trick pony' but how wrong could I be. Recently I joined the Creativity Club because I could see that DoCrafts was emerging & moving forward. Anyway, Emma who is the Creativity Club manager has set up a whole month of 'blog prompts' that will run for the entire month of May. I am running a day late (nothing new there lol) in starting, so will need to post 2 today, the 1st prompt is

"5 Reasons why should you craft?"

These are the reasons that I love to craft

(1) I use it as a therapy because I suffer with daily pain & fatique, it helps to occupy my mind, this in turn takes the focus away from what is going on in my body!

(2) I love to blog & write about what I have made. Why? because it's like having a portfolio of my makes & I also get a buzz when someone comments. I don't expect all glory, I do take constructive critism as long as it is done for the right reasons & not just to be nasty!

(3) Crafting & sharing online reaches out to people, I have made so many lovely people through my crafting by blogging, forums, groups etc. Some of these people I have gone on to meet up with in real life, by joining craft clubs while others I stay in contact with regularly online!

(4) I am by default quite a shy person, not always able to express myself eloquently. However, through crafting & showing what I create, those barriers break down. My style says a lot about who I am, people talk to me & visa versa about my ideas, how I used a certain product etc.
It has given me a new found confidence. So much so, that I now own & run 3 online & successful craft groups!

(5) I simply enjoy what I do, I don't always like the end product, but I always enjoy making it.

 For me that is what crafting is all about, enjoying what you do, it doesn't matter if your not particularly talented true crafters don't judge, they just encourage!

Thanks for reading my blog :)

~*~ Jane ~*~

Quick card made for ...

Stella's monthly sketch challenge over on The Craft Cupboard Show & Tell facebook group.

I have used papers that came free with a magazine, paper lace, card candie. I purchased the rubber stamp for the image & greeting sticker from a fellow member of The Craft Cupboard. I chose to use water colou pencils to colour the image, because I wanted a softer effect.
You can keep up with the goings on in my facebook groups & take part in challenges over on
The Cupboard Trilogy blog

Thank you for stopping by my blog

~X~

The Hat ...

This page was created using the March Essentially GoGo kit, as soon as I saw the papers & colours that this was the photograph that I would use. The photo is of my grandson Mason at 2 years old when taken last May, during the first onset of what turned out to be hot & sunny.
He loved his new sun hat & wore it from dawn until dusk.
I think it really suits him & his cheeky personality!

Everything on the page was included in the kit, except the paper lace that was in a ScrapaGoGo kit way back. The thickers were a stone colour & didn't stand out against the page very well, so I coloured them using promarkers to pick up the green from his T-shirt. Have you spotted the cute bumble bee charm & the sweet tiny bird?

* Jane *

I have been given ....

The Liebster award, by the lovely Karen from Karen Louise Crafts 

Which must mean that my poor neglected blog has been noticed, thank you Karen

 The origins of the Liebster Blog award are somewhat unclear but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany, "Liebster" meaning favorite or dearest, to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award the recipient must then pass it on to 5 more blogs of note. So  I am really flattered to have been awarded it, thanks again Karen.

The honour of accepting this award is traditionally done in the following way:
1. Show thanks to the blogger who awarded it to you, by linking back to thier blog.
2. Choose 5 blogs with less than 200 followers &let them know about your nomination by leaving a comment on thier blog & follow them if you don't already.
3. Post the award on your blog!
So, here are the names of the blogs that I believe are deserving of the award.
I hope that you will visit too!

Debs

Erin 

Lesley 
Shaz 
Tracy 
Once again, thank you Karen this award means a lot to me :) x

There's a New Challenge Blog .....

I am very excited to learn about this impending challenge blog in particular, because it's for all of us Scrapbookers! I know that there scrapbooking challenges out there in blogland, but a lot of them are in based in other countries or are based on sketches. I am not knocking any other challenge sites out there, they are all fantastic, but I am loving that this one is based right here in the UK.

It is going to be a monthly challenge & called The Happy Scrappers The 1st challenge will go live on 5th May 2012. There will be no prizes up for grabs, but oddles of inspiration from the Design Team, fellow scrapbookers & their blogs.

I will be there to join in the fun, will you join us too?!