Not had a lot of time to play but snatched odd minutes to do these two tags.


My version of Tag 5, shame I only posess one suitable Santa face stamp! Lots of improvising here too, for the green tag, the numbers and the flower, oh, and I don't seem to have a holly stamp either!

So I've gone out of order, this is Tag 9. I do actually have the rosette die, but had to improvise the rest! Not sure I like the piece of tulle on there!

My version of Tag 3, used a SU punch for the bird, made the flower from gathered up ribbon, and had fun! Think the only TH product used here were the distress inks!













And Tag 4. Didn't have any of the fragments so used a metal embellie and alcohol inked it, then stamped stars in white Stazon, they don't show up too well, then glossy accents on top for dimension. The Santa face is stamped, coloured, hat and beard glittered then stuck on to a distress inked and stamped background! Again only TH distress inks used.

My poor neglected blog! I have been so busy making cards to raise money for my daughter, who is going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next February with her husband to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care, that I haven't had much time for anything else.
If any kind soul would like to donate to their cause the Just Giving site is
http://original.justgiving.com/rachel-andy-kilimanjaro-challenge

But I wanted to have a play with Tim Holtz techniques for Christmas tags, even though I do not have much of his stuff, and will have to improvise!




Here is my attempt for Day 1, I had to cut out my house by hand, and the tree, and made the wreath with small punched out holly leaves. There is some similarity to the original!













This is day two, didn't have a pinecone stamp so just used leaves, but did stamp with distress ink and then emboss with clear powder, which leaves it looking very shiny! Again, a different greetings stamp, and the bird is a Sissix die, scanned, then reduced in size, cut out and embossed with silver! Think it should have been a bit larger!


I now have very stained hands from the distress inks, but have enjoyed playing, and will have a go at day three!

Blue Brads Challenge

This is a digi lo I did for a challenge in Blue Brads house this weekend. We had to include blue brads somewhere! I love to look at garden ornaments, although I wouldn't give half of them room in my garden!

This week's challenge on UKS was to use a theme of education/learning, include 123/abc and use one of the primary colours. I believe the older generation have a lot to teach youngsters, just by being with them and talking to them!

This photo shows me and dgs1 learning together, how to assemble a new toy!

I know this isn't a perfect lo, but I have always wanted to try this sort of photo and lo. I still have a lot to learn! First thing is to take a photo suitable for this purpose!

Yesterday we tried to get hand and footprints from dgs3, he wasn't too impressed, we did get these of his feet and will try again for the hands another day! Luckily the paint didn't stain his skin!

More playing with digi in different styles, photos of dgs3 taken today!

Sleeping peacefully after a cuddle from Nana!

I suggested that he smiled for Grandpa, and this is the response I got!

I think I am a little "paper" scrapped out after the Create 10 classes, so have been having a play with digi, still experimenting, and came up with this lo. The elements are all taken from different freebie kits.

Apologies for the poor photo! My lo for July week 4 challenge on UKS, scrap in a different size, have done A4 for the second time ever, use ribbon, scraps and have visible journalling!

I've had a really good week for using up scraps, just wondering why my stash mountain doesn't look any smaller!

I have managed to complete three more of Create 10 classes.

This one was using more scraps of paper and experimenting with cutting out my own paper shapes, not brilliant! Also used a few more of those buttons! The photo is a tree sculpture at Winkworth Arboretum.

This class was all about using up those odd number stickers. As I tend to die cut most of my own letters and numbers I didn't have a vast collection, but quite like the effect. The numbers in the centre of the lo depict a special date, in this case dgs2's christening.

This class used up ribbon scraps and an old zip that was in my sewing stuff! The centre circle is ruffled ribbon. The small skull embellishment is a left over from dd1's Goth days!

I did have a little time to work on this digi lo over the weekend, again cutting out a photo which is of ddil and dgs2. Title doesn't show up too clearly on here, says Magical Mummy Moments!

Class 6 for Create 10, love the simplicity of this one! Chance to use lots of scraps of patterned paper and buttons and other bits and bobs!

This is the lo for the 5th class of Create 10, using up papers you love and hate, I have had the check paper for years and keep ignoring it! Also a good chance to use up lots of little bits and pieces!

This week's challenge on UKS had many parts to it, making your own background paper, I used paint and stamped with bubble wrap and silver ink, Dry embossing, the flowers on the pink cs, summer colours, stamping, the flowers and the butterfly, and some lace. So another lo completed for my dear sister!

Had another play while the engineer fixed my dishwasher, and came up with this, very similar to the other one but using a different photo! Not sure I have the effect of dgs2 sitting on the leaf quite right!

Up early this morning so decided to have a play with digi! Tried cutting out a photo from the background and quite pleased with the effect!

Class 3 of Create 10, using up lots of scraps to make the layered flowers, and some of those little buttons too! They were time consuming to make, but look good! I also liked the torn edges with scraps of paper underneath. The only thing I don't like is the white cardstock I used, would look better in a colour.

Class 4. This made me dig out those fibres, have a huge box of them! As I did this page A4 I had to put part of the tree under the photo but think it looks alright!

I discovered ComputerScrapbook.com was giving away some kits today, so downloaded the Baby Boy one and had a little play this evening. The photo shows my first cuddle with dgs3!

I decided to sign up for the Create 10 classes this week to use some old stash and get new ideas!

Here is the lo from the first class, lots of layered shapes, though I stuck to circles, but can see many possibilities with other shapes!

My lo for class 2, lots of pleating of strips of paper, bit time consuming but like the effect but think I need to make sure no white shows at the pleats. Would look very effective with different colours and patterns too! I was using up very OLD stash! Anyone recognise it? Also done this lo as A4.

July week 2 challenge on UKS, to use bright colours, have a film or tv title ( Doris Day film), use flowers and buttons. Photo is dgs2 having an impromptu tea party with Nana and Grandpa.

Naughty me, remiss about uploading again!
Had a crop last weekend so was quite productive, here's just a few of my lo's.

These are the muffins dd1 made for a bake off at work, and not being an overconfident cook, she was so pleased to win, no prize, just the prestige!








Think dgs2 will charm the ladies with this cheeky grin, could get him out of all sorts of trouble!













A double lo from a day out at Portsmouth dockyard with the dgc! For some reason dgs1 has always been reluctant to go on board HMS Warrior, but this day we managed to get him aboard, with the proviso we didn't go below deck!









Imagine our surprise when dgs1 decided he was going to climb up this bridge, so of course dgs2 wanted to go up as well, so Nana had to climb up

too!

Not crafty, but destined to be featured on many scrapbook pages in the future, my newest grandson, Oliver!

My lo for week 3 challenge on UKS shows a photo of dd2, but is mainly to show her "new" kitchen! In her own inimitable style she has transformed maroon wallpaper with white paint, and old pine panelling with left over sample paints she had already! The finishing touch is the cupboard trims and handles are painted pink, one of her favourite colours! It might not be everyone's taste, but it is definitely her, being true to herself!

I have used all the elements of the challenge here!

June week 2 challenge on UKS, using a photo of my bil. Had fun with inking and stamping!













My dgs2, looking so sweet and innocent!













My sister sent me some photos, so here are two more los for her album.

















This one is digi.

I found this week's challenge on UKS a breeze as the title and photos just fell into place! the criteria were - to use bold/bright colours or black/white and grey, use an Elvis song title or lyrics and something silvery or a crown shape. I looked at the title list for songs and as soon as I came to A Boy like me, A girl like you I remembered the photos I took at the weekend, and the lo was born! The photo is dd3 and her dp, with just 4 weeks to go to the birth, we'll soon all know whether it is a boy or a girl!

Another weekly challenge on UKS, this time to use a shape, or not 12x12 for the base of the lo, something large, and bright colours. This lo is digi, with a big letter E and bright colours. The photo is my ds standing with an elephant sculpture in Leicester Square. There are many of these elephant sculptures around London at the moment, raising awareness of the plight of the Indian elephant, eventually the sculptures will be sold to raise money for a charity to help them.

Another weekly challenge on UKS, using a sketch and three photos, ribbon, something floral and something that makes me happy, well, that has to be the company of dgs!

For this week's challenge on UKS we had to have our title in the form of a question, use green, some doodling and metal, I have managed all these things! The metal is the frame surrounding the letter J. The photo shows dgs1, disappointed because the miniature railway which he loves, is not running!

Here are the five lo's I completed at crop yesterday. Apologies for the awful photography and editing!
You may also notice a recurrent use of materials, my stash busting efforts by taking limited supplies.

This is afternoon tea in Fortnum and Masons, my sister playing Mother!







Two of my cousins, caught unawares and not looking too happy!












An encounter with Batman on the South Bank!













A really old photo of my sister and husband!












And finally dd3 is going to kill me for this one as the photo isn't very flattering, but is the only one I have of her so far with her Bump!

Have got behind again uploading my los, but here is this week's challenge from UKS.

Had to use intertwining ribbons, a green/white/pink colour, blossom or apple and follow a sketch! I have managed all of those! The photos were of a horse we came across in a small field near a station!