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

Which means that a new challenge has launched over on The Happy Scrappers challenge blog. This months challenges prompt is Birthdays/Celebrations, the DT including myself produced some lovely Scrapbook Layouts as examples, so now I can show you the one that I made!

This photograph was taken almost a year ago now on my grandson Mason's 2nd birthday, & I can still almost hear my son Paul saying to him
"Blow like this Mason, blow your candles out"
The Elmo cake that my son made tasted really nice, even if I did have a surprise when I was handed a slice of Red & Blue coloured marble cake. Why does it always feel so odd when we eat anything coloured blue!?!

Although my LO looks like it is set in a frame it isn't, it's actually part of the paper! I wanted to create the look of a pin/notice board for my LO for a more casual look & think I managed it. It really was very simple to put together with just a few scraps from my 'oddments' box. The only thing that was taken from a new packet are the American Craft 'Thickers' which I used for the word Mason & the number 2. The little cupcake embellishment I made myself with some pieces cut from a scrap of patterned paper & built it up in 3 layers so hat it stands proud from the page. Other than that it's just more patterned paper. 

I am happy with the finished result....

Thank you for visiting today

~ Jane ~

Hey I gave it a try ...

Digi scrapping I mean, as you may or may not know already, I now have my own monthly challenge blog, that launched last Saturday called The Cupboard Trilogy 

Well, the challenges are for cardmakers, scrapbookers & digi scrappers, anyway, the card & scrap Design Teams produced not only fabulous cards & scrapbook LO's, but they decided to have a play with digi scrapping as well, to boost the DT input [because we only have 2 people in the dedicated digi team at the moment]

Anyway, they were making it look so easy that I thought "Hey, I'll give it a try too" so I did. Further down my blog page you can see my very 1st attempt, which is nice but very plain & simple.

Then I thought I would create a digi using the Colour Chart prompt, which is the theme for this months TCT challenge!

This is my 15yr old stepdaugher Daisy during her 1st professional photo shoot. She was pleased with the photos taken so much that at long last she is actually seeing for herself how pretty her beautiful red hair. Until this photo was taken she like many girls & women just wanted to dye it a different colour, I think now she is thinking differently!

It's still a very simple design, I haven't worked out how to get anymore technical at creating layers ect. but, in truth I am not sure I will bother,because although I am finding it a fun thing to do, for me personally it can never take the place of cardstock & glue :)

Thank you for visiting today, I really do appreciate it & I read all comments & try to visit your blog in return :)

~ Jane~

[we are still looking for digi scrappers to join the team, message below if interested]

A quickie birthday card .....

For a very special little boy, Logan my youngest Grandson just turned 2 yrs old. He is a real motorhead already & anything with an engine is fair game, especially if it happens to be his Daddy's fire engine or quad bike. If it doesn't have an engine then anything with wheels is a good substitute, he actually loves going cycling with his Mummy saying "hello" from his back seat to everyone that he passes by. Just like his own Daddy as a child, his social skills are very strong, he loves to pass the time chattering to anyone that will take a minute to listen to him :)

So, this is the card I made for him. 

The image, which I coloured using promarkers is a Sugar Nellie stamp called ' Little Farmer'  The cardstock & papers were just plucked from my 'can't throw that away' holder & 3 bits of card candy!

Thank you for visiting my blog

~ Jane ~

x

              Entered into the following challenges
  http://www.craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Anything Goes
 http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Anything Goes
   http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Polka Dots with a Birthday Theme      

                                                          

Today's The Day ....

The Cupboard Trilogy challenges went live today, you have 3 chances to win the lovely prize by entering with a card, scrapbook page or a digi scrapped page, maybe you would like to enter all 3!

There will be an overall winner who will win the prize offered & a 3 lucky people [1 for each genre] will get to win the DT Top Pix badge on thier blog!

So, please grab the badge from the challenge blog & help us spread the word & get crafting!

Here is the Scrapbook LO that I created to add to the Design Team projects. The photos are of my daughter in law, just after the birth of my grandaughter Yasmin. I decided not to add a title to the LO because I think the photographs speak for themselves .... Nothing is so deep as a Mother's Love!

 Thank you for visiting my blog today, please leave a comment & come back soon

~ Jane ~

Quick, Quick, Quick ....

Less than 24 hours now ....

Until the launch of The Cupboard Trilogy challenges & I am offering just one last chance to get a freebie aka as Blog Candy!

To get your hands on it simply follow the 3 simple steps

[1] Grab the TCT challenge blog Badge & display it on your own blog linking back here

[2] Post on your blog to announce tomorrows launch

[3] Leave a comment in the box below & become a follower!

Please Note: This candy expires at 11pm GMT Tonight

 

The Cupboard Trilogy challenge blog

The final blog Candy is this wonderful papercrafting kit

 *Thank you for playing along & good luck*

~ Jane ~

I took the plunge .....

And tried my hand at digi scrapping, I was curious to see if I could do it really. I don't think I would ever be very proficient at creating some of the beautiful digi scrapped pages that really look 3D, but it is kind of fun. It could never replace paper & glue for me, but I do feel it will have it's place in my crafting life, especially on the days when my health prevents me from indulging in my papercrafting.

So, here is my very 1st attempt

The photograph is my son & grandson on little Mason's 2nd birthday.

Don't you just love his Elmo cake, it tasted as good as it looked too even if I was suprised to see a slice of red & blue marbled sponge cake presented to me. It was really quite surreal eating red & blue cake that tasted of chocolate *laughs*

                                                              Thank you for dropping by

                                                                              ~ Jane ~

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