Calender Girl

Well May was my Birthday month, so I thought I would take the opportunity to scrap the month and what I got up to, plus I really wanted to use the calender page from the Urban Lily Urban Cut collection - so here it is!
"May 2007" and the arrows are plain chipboard coloured with red ink.
The journalling is onto plain white paper in Word using Lucida Calligraphy font. The paper blocks were coloured with chalks.
The pictures and the journalling tell the story!!
By the way my birthday was the 21st!!!!
TFL
Jayne x

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Use Acetate e.t.c

This weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge was from Kel:-

Kel says- Okay, this week I would like you to use some acetate, vellum, plasma or anything else remotely 'see-through' on your card. That's it!

So I made this! I killed two birds with one stone, because it is my Aunts birthday on Sunday and I had already decided to use the decoupage Kimono lady from Paper Nation, but had no plans to use acetate.
So the challenge prompted me to do that!

I printed the Happy Birthday (it is complete but I photographed it at an angle, just to prove it was acetate!!!) with my computer using Algerian font in Word.
I then decoupaged the lady and folded a little cut out fan that comes with her.

That's my card - and I have my Aunts party to go to tomorrow - I hopes she likes it!!
TFL
Jayne xx

Daring Cardmakers - WOW my prizes

The reason I haven't had time to do the Daring Cardmakers challenges for the last couple of weeks is because I have had so many surprises droping through the door!!!
I was picked out from a draw from one of the challenges and ever since I have had lovely packages dropping through the letterbox.
So a huge thank you to Lythan, Gillian (with a package all the way from Australia), Lynne, Rhi and Kathy for this:-
You have made my day (or several days!).
Will be back with this weeks challenge later!

Jayne x

Lots of New Stock, Photography Course and Daring Cardmakers!

Well where has the time gone!
To start I was really chuffed to be picked out of the draw for the week before lasts Daring Cardmakers Challenge and won a prize! If you haven't popped over already then I suggest you do so, it's fantastic motivation to get some cardmaking done!

Second thing is that lots of new stock has arrived - we are busy uploading some fantastic new things and I think we have negiotiated some good deals to pass on to you! So take a look here, but there is much more to come.

And finally I have been attempting my assignments for Cheryl Johnson's photography course, last week was disappointing because we had to take a picture of a silhouette and ideally some sun would have been nice, but what happened? It rained all week!!! So I was disappointed with my attempt.
But I did scrap the self portrait I had to do for the introduction for the course, and here it is:-

More news tomorrow!
Jayne xx

Butterfly Card

This weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge was to make a card incorporting wings - the card could be any colour and for any subject, just as long as wings are included!
So I made a butterfly!! With the help of my Craft Robo of course. My GSD file can be found here plus some brief instructions. Hope they are useful.
For this example I used MAMBI Juniper, double sided paper for the wings - the body is the other side of the paper. The paper was put on green card.
Thank you for the challenge - motivated me to make another Robo template too!!
TFL
Jayne xx

George - Life's a Tea Party!

Well I promised I was going to introduce you to George and the UK Scrappers Cybercrop provided the perfect inspiration.
This was a digi layout using a template from the class - getting ready for a tea party. The template was designed by Katie. It was fantastic to use and she even provided full instructions. So for someone new to digi - she made it non-scary and actually really good fun.
I pinched the paper and embellishments from the freebie kit from Scrap Girls and quite pleased with the result.
Still a lot to learn though!

Watch out for more George stories coming soon!!!

Jayne xx

Tasty Template

Well I survived the Cybercrop, but really struggled to keep up and managed 120 points, well it was my first proper cybercrop - I tried! My team the Spades seem to have done well and look like coming (I will call it close) second to the Clubs, so well done fellow Spades (and sorry I didn't do more), but I really had good fun, (even though there were a few moments of stress and shouting at the computer!!)
I will post more of my class/challenge attempts over the next couple of days.




Anyway had a chance to complete this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge. This weeks challenge was to follow a template - and well here is mine!
I had a bit of a greeny turquoise phase today! The card was covered in green paper and then I tore a co-ordinating patterened paper and placed on the bottom section.
The orange is fake ribbon, it's actually paper made to look like grosgrain - well thought I would give it a go.
The butterfly is cut from some scraps of Crafty Bitz scrapbooking paper and the frame is a slide mount covered with the patterned paper, the blue ribbon behind is real!
The message is a stamp on some covered cardstock.

TFL and thank you for the template.
Jayne xx

Busy. busy, busy! and now a Cybercrop!

Well just when you thought life couldn't get any busier - they start the cybercrop on UKScrappers! This year is Alice in Wonderland themed - I will post my tea party recipe cards tomorrow - but today ....

I made this!

This was for class 7 by Maria.

We had to use scraps. I used three co-ordinating scraps of Crafty Bitz 12" x 12" paper. I didn't want to waste the flowers so cut them to frame the photo.

The George lettering was cut using the Craft Robo and mounted onto scrap squares put on card.

A little paw charm finishes off the page!

So back to the Cybercrop - speak to you tomorrow - need to do the Daring Cardmakers challenge to!!!!!

I Am Still Around

Just busy at the moment uploading lots of new stock for the shop!!! Lots of papers from Daisy D's, We R Memory Keepers and the stunning Urban Lily - with a few die-cuts, chipboard and ribbons thrown in!

I forgot to show you my little decoupage ATC - it's an Easter Bonnet made for the pre-cybercrop challenge on UK Scrappers!

Sent off my recipe cards today too for the Spades Teaparty Titbit recipe card swap - so I am earger to see what comes back and I hope they like mine - I will post the pictures when the swaps are over.

Will be back soon - need more hours in the day!

Jayne xx

Portugal Calling!

My challenge for yesterday was to make a card for my mum to give to her portuguese next door neighbour for her 80th birthday. Well I was a little bit stuck for a portuguese theme (with only a suggestion of a Cockrell!) and so posted a message on UK Scrappers for advice! I had already decided there was going to be a flower and so one idea was to make a pot in Portuguese flag colours and another was to say Happy Birthday in Portuguese - so guess what - I did both and here it is!TTFN
Jayne xx

Water Lily and Thank You Jo!

Well I know I say it every week but this was sooo hard! This weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge was to create a card inspired by a work of art!! i just wasn't sure what to do. I used the links on the Daring Cardmakers website for inspiration and went down the impressionism route and Monet's Water Lily collection stood out, mainly because I had some beautiful lilies in my pond last summer and this is a photo of one of them.
I thought I would be brave and try something different and so using the photo I sketched my own lily, I coloured it in using a combination of paints and chalks with an added teeny weeny bit of gold glitter pen in the centre.

The lily "painting" was on hammered card which I then mounted onto some torn green paper. The card was finished with a band of sheer ribbon.

I am really not sure about the result - but it's something different! But I am definitely no Monet!!!

Sticking with Daring Cardmakers - last weeks challenge was to create a card using only one colour and below was Jo's - she didn't seem to be entirely happy with it, even though it looked absolutely gorgeous - so I made a comment on her blog saying "You can send it to me if you don't want it - he he!!!!"

Well look what arrived in the post yesterday morning!!!!



I liked it on the computer screen but in reality it is even more beautiful, Jo your attention to detail is amazing, you cannot see all the layering in the picture or feel the different textures of the paper, flowers, ribbon, brads, and button and my favourite touch has got to be the cheeky smiling faces on the butterflies! Thank you Jo you really made my day - it is a fabulous card and I am really chuffed that you sent it to me.




Anyway I am off now to recover from a day in the garden and to possibly eat some chocolate! What a glorious day though I hope it's like it again tomorrow.

All the best.
Jayne xx

I've Got the Blues!!

I've got the blues!! - well no I haven't, how could I with the gorgeous sunny day we have had today - the blues refers to my card for this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge. The idea was to make a card, any card BUT we were only allowed to use one colour!!!
Gosh, yet again this was hard!!!!
My theme (eventually) was blue, mainly because I had some blue AMM rick rack I wanted to use.
The card is a small Kanban blue pearlescent card, I put a dark blue mat on top and then using, yes my Robi I cut out my pretend "Prima" flowers - I will put the GSD file on the website here. The file is to print on 13cm x 9cm paper, because that is the size of the metallic blue paper I had - its from a pack of scraps I picked up from Hobbycraft a couple of years ago.
The sentiment "A message for you" is a See D stamp from my limited personal rubber stamp range - and yes, it was stamped with blue ink!
So I think that's it - thanks for looking once again.
Jayne xx

Sponsoring UK Scrappers

Well finally done it - we are now sponsoring UK Scrappers! I have been browsing or lurking! around the forums for over a year now and been really impressed with the inspiration and encouragement on offer - so really proud to be sponsoring this amazing organisation.

On another note we have been uploading a few extra things and a few more to go! Today we uploaded some Flair Designs papers, they are lovely and an example are these photorealistic roses. One great thing about Flair Designs is that they put layout ideas on the back of every paper - just "Flip-it!"

Also uploaded are some more of the absolutely fabulous AMM (All My Memories) range albums, these albums have the look and feel of leather, they have 20 page protectors already inside and are album to hold upto 80 pages in total. The detail and quality is fantastic - you have to see them to believe them!!

Anyway off to think of a card I can make for Daring Cardmakers - monochrome.......

Jayne xx

Well I Made My Design Collective Folder!

I finally got round to making my Design Collective folder to keep all of the PDF files for the classes - getting excited now!!

Well here's how I made it:- firstly I painted a Morrisons A4 ringbinder with emulsion! Dulux natural wicker to be precise, used to decorate my bathroom!!! It required a staggering 4 coats applied with a mini roller. I then printed the Design Collective logo and mounted it on mirri card, this was then framed with orange adhesive ribbon on card.T he orange ribbon was also used down the side to hide where the paint hadn't taken in the creases. To finish I applied several flowers and butterflies from Crafty Bitz Botanics flat glitter stickers. Now to mod podge!!!

Off to work on this weeks Speshal dare - getting behind now!!

Jayne xx

Double The Trouble!

Well this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge was to design a card to celebrate the arrival of a multiple birth - I chose twins. They suggest that if you keep the card long enough you are bound to come across someone who will have a multiple birth - this will probably terrify my friends wondering who it will be!!!!
The card is made using Crafty Bitz Gingham Pram Block Paper - I know some people frown upon cutting up 12" x 12" paper for cardmaking - but I think this paper fits the bill!!!
Firstly I gatefolded an A4 piece of card and trimmed down the height by about 5cm. I roughly cut out the teddy bear heads from the paper put them on card to strengthen and cut out accurately.
Using two sections of the paper I decorated the two front panels of the card and with 3D foam centred the teddies onto it. To trim the edges I used white thick white fibre.
For the inside I printed the phrases onto printer transparency - using wordart in Microsoft word and the font Maiandra GD. I attached the transparency with four square gunmetal coloured brads. The centrepiece is the pram from the Crafty Bitz paper cut out and mounted onto silver mirri card.


Well thank you for looking - speak to you later, off to have lunch and to ponder which friend will have the multiple birth - I have spare paper left if there is more than one - he, he!!!

Jayne xx

Mad Max - Again!

Well I am definitely going to owe Max again!! I have just entered this photo taken on Sunday into the UK Scrappers March Photo Competition.

Fingers crossed! This puppy absolutely fits into the competition theme of something mad!!!

More update tomorrow.

Been on-call this week so busy bee but now finished - so the weekend to look forward to - first though - sleep!

Jayne xx

Max is Speshal!

Well I teased you yesterday and here he is! Max the puppy!! We spent Sunday with Max who belongs to Andrew's mum.

We played football, we played ball and we were wowed by Max's tricks picked up at Puppy training.

I wasn't going to do a Speshal dare just yet, because I wanted to pick up confidence in my scrapbooking from the Design Collective, but when I saw the dare here, to theme a scrapbook page on an interview with.... and seeing Dolly's take with the Fiki monster I just had to have a go!! I have my own tabby tiger monster cat, but after spending the day with Max it had to be him!

I will introduce you to George the cat at a later stage.

My Speshal Dare was made using MAMBI Snapdragon cardstock from the Chester range. I haven't really used any embellishments because the paper is just so gorgeously busy and vibrant, so I just cut around a few of the flowers and used them as a frame.

I think the question and answer session sum up Max - not sure what he would think though.

Because of the reward of a carrot for the Donkeys below, I am probably now in debt to Max for putting him on the blog!

What treat do you think he should be allowed?

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING!!
Jayne xx

Look Who's Going to be Blogged Tomorrow!

This is MAX the puppy - find out more about him tomorrow........

Flower Shopping

Today was flower shopping day in preparation for tomorrow. Mummy P is having this gorgeous pink hydrangea in a pot. I am not entirely sure about keeping hydrangeas indoors, I have always known them as outdoor plants.
My grandmother had a huge plant that had to be 6ft wide and 6ft tall and that is not an exaggeration!! The heads were beautiful and because of the soil some were blue, some were pink and some were a mixture!! Very unusual.

But anyway, it seems to be all the rage to move hydrangeas into the house - I will keep you updated on how it fairs.


Mummy D is getting a bunch of flowers, I am probably not supposed to say!! - but Andrew said that his mum is not good with plants you need to keep alive!!! (Jayne now in BIG trouble!!!!) We searched the length and breath of Hereford and couldn't seem to find anything suitable. But as ususal Markie Sparks (Marks and Spencers to non Herefordians) came to the rescue. with this gem. The picture doesn't do the flowers justice but the whites and then the contrast of the purple - is stunning. I am not sure the names of all the flowers, but there are different textures which really adds to the bouquet - fingers crossed she will like them.

Well during all this flower shopping I fell for a couple of things too! How could I resist this striking Clivia?? We bought one for Mummy P about 3 years ago, for Mothers Day - that one is still going strong. They flower best when they are pot bound, strange! But they flourish when they are literally bursting out of their pot. You feel guilty about neglecting them and itch to repot, but apparently that is the worse thing to do - and you wouldn't want to miss out on their fantastic blooms!!


I also picked up a cute little Bellis - it is really sweet and looks like a pompom! Again it is difficult to show it off to its best in the picture. I have used it to replace a primrose, in one of my outside pots. The primrose was mysteriously decapitated?? Not sure how, but I am suspicious about the neighbours cat - it wouldn't have been my George of course!!!

So I think that is us ladies well and truly spoilt for this weekend - there is even talk of a trip to Thorntons in the morning to pick up some chocolates too - can it get any better, he he!!!!!

After all that shopping we decided to go for a walk to make the most of the glorious sunshine - I can't believe it's going to snow??? We went to see the Donkey's and Shetland Pony and Andrew had snuck a carrot in his pocket, but unfortunately they were at the other end of the field and didn't seem interested in saying hello.
We apparently (life according to Andrew) had to take a carrot to thank them for letting me take pictures last week and putting one on the blog!!! Must be some kind of equity thing!!!Well they missed out today.

Well I think thats it for now.
Thank you for the lovely comments on yesterdays DCM dare - they are appreciated.

Love Jayne xxx

Oh! Baby I Tried!

Well this was quite hard! Today's Daring Cardmakers challenge is here.
I got Andrew to pick my items - he is definitely not crafty - well not in the sense we mean - he, he!!
I was gentle on myself and only gave him 10 options in a cup and he was allowed to pick 4.

He picked:

• Colorbox Petal Point Fluid Chalks.
• Design Runner
• Rubber Stamps
• Stickers

Well I was dreading the rubber stamps (why did I include them!!), as my personal collection is quite limited. I decided on a baby theme, mainly because I have rubber stamps in that theme!
I used SeeD's clear baby stamps - I haven't even got an acrylic block in my stash so had to use the plastic case! I arranged the "washing line", baby bottle and small nappy pin on the lid, inked with a black petal point and stamped onto an ivory pearlescent card blank.
I then spent what seemed to be ages, trying to colour in the images with the point of the petal point inks - don't look too closely or you will see the overspill!!
My Design Runner then came to the fore, using the "Oh! Baby" text and the large nappy pin images from the Starter Disc.
The card was finished off using butterfly stickers, I think from Papermania.

Quite hard and using some new techniques - so thank you Daring Cardmakers.
Speak to you soon!
Jayne xx