24 Weeks - Layout

This week's SLYMI challenge is a very minimal sketch
I wanted to keep to the sketch as much as possible but not make the layout look like something I had thrown together in 2 minutes flat.
Luckily I had this paisley pattern paper from Doodlebug and some paisley brads that just matched Gemma's dress. So ended up with a layout I am pleased with.
The upholstery braid and the brads give it a tactilness (I know, I know, a made up word) and the stitching around the edge gives is a complete look

These boots were made for walking

This layout was done for the Scrap Like You Mean It (SLYMI) challenge this week which was to scrap a song.

Gone Ginger - The Layout

Here is the layout to go with the poem really enjoyed doing this, in fact as much as I enjoy my ginger hair.

Now that I older I have gone ginger

Now that I’m older I have gone ginger
Dying my hair to match my mood
But I still like to wear
The deep pinks and purples
That don’t go with my hair
But I really don’t care

I go out into the lane and lay down on the grass
Taking photos of daisies and other small flowers
Giving the neighbours
Something to stare at
But I really don’t care
It matches my hair

I’ll take photos of building from different angles
Picking out a pattern that gives me a thrill
I get curious glances
From the folk who are passing
No I really don’t care
For it matches my hair

My own version of when I grow Old I will wear purple by Jenny Joseph

Colour My World White

Lovely and sunny today and I thought I had better capture my Snow Ball plant (really must find out what it's really called) before it goes over. OK found the name it is a Virburnum
Then I went out into the lane in the hope of photographing a cabbage white butterfly but they were too quick flitting around and never settling long enough.
My neighbours were out in force with their dogs and all of them white so I took their photos Hamish the westie and Molly the staffie, though Molly is very difficult to photograph because she prefers to come and practically push me over in her attempt to be fussed. Then two more westies arrive and Hamish goes off to meet them.
Daisies and cow parsley from the lane, aquilegia from my neighbour's garden and dandelion clock from mine.
The three items from indoors, my scales, slippers and my kitchen high chair which I thought may help me to scrap sitting down .

Punctuation Marks

Here is one of my silly poems hope it makes you smile

I'm not good at diction
Spellings not my strongest point
But worst of all by far is seems
My punctuation marks

I know where to put the comma
And maybe the full stop
But where oh where do I use
These other funny marks

I use a little curly thing
between the I and m
And when I shorten certain words
That help to make them scan

I've found it's best to never
Use any other sign
Then it's up to you to put them in
When reading through my rhyme

So here's my little ditty
done to make you smile
I hope that you can find the time
To answer in this style

Starbucks

Having done a layout of Borders I thought it was time to do one of Starbucks as the two go together in my book. This one was inspired by one of the pictures on the wall in the coffee shop inside Borders that I frequent, probably more than I should, but I love going up there with a magazine to read, one of life's little luxuries.

Some two or three years ago I wrote this poem

When I’m feeling blue
This is what I do
Take myself to Borders
In Starbucks place my orders
A coffee and a muffin
A mag. with lots of stuff in
Add an easy chair to sit in
What could be more fitting
To while away an hour or two
Till I’m no longer feeling blue

Today I walked into town so that I could be at my son's place to take delivery of a baby carriage, I got to his house at 8.15 am to find a card to say that they had tried to deliver at 7.45 so they had taken it to the local post office. OK I could collect it from there but I have no transport so needed to get a taxi.
What's the betting if I had got there at 7.30 the delivery would have eventually come at 5.00 in the afternoon.
still never mind I decided that as I had prepared to spend the day waiting in for it I would stay there and do a layout.
I have been taking photos in Borders for some time now so when I found a design in a magazine that used lots of photos I thought it was the perfect one for this.
The patterned papers were a free gift at the retreat I went on two weeks back and were the perfect colours to go with the photos.
Being at the top of town meant I could get to a craft shop very easily so just had to go and spend some money and I think for the very first time I have used something I bought on the day I bought it, the star brads

Colour my World - Blue

Today has been a blue day.

Lynne Aka Retired Nana has inspired me with her collages especially the colour ones so I have decided I would do a mini book of colour collage here is the first one Blue.
I took all these photos today and it is surprising how much blue I found when I went looking for it.

In Real Life Layouts

I have set myself a challenge to only do in real life layouts this month no digital ones allowed, so far I have managed to do 9 and all but one of them I am really pleased with. Plenty of texture and height and even incorporating torn and curled edges in one (something I find difficult because of the lack of control)

No they are not in the bath in this last one its the border I have used but it does look rather like bubbles

I so often see things that amuse me, when I am out and about; today it was a man with a baby's dummy in his mouth, for sure he had a baby in the pushchair but he was walking along with the dummy and not giving it back to the baby in fact the baby seemed to be asleep. Perhaps he used to smoke and this was something to do with his mouth to compensate for giving up the weed.

Another layout that I am really pleased with and it is done with paper and glue and bits and bobs including patterned paper that I've torn inked and rolled the edges that is really taking me out of my comfort zone but I have enjoyed it so much and produced a page that I can be proud of. To bring me back into my comfort zone I have added buttons lol

I've been on a scrapbooking retreat and have done lots of in real life layouts (paper and glue and things) really pleased with what I have achieved too.These two I am really pleased with, the first one The Great Outdoors title was cut using the Cricut a lovely machine to have but there must have been several hundred pounds worth of cartridges with it and therefore I cannot justify buying one.

The verse I have put on this one is
My daughter's not a girly girl
with pretty dress and hair a curl
She's far more the outdoors type
Loves to camp and loves to hike
Holidays spent at the lakes
and whatever the weather she takes
it all in her stride.

In the second one I just love the faces that Daniel is pulling when Daddy is trying to take his photograph.

These two reflect my love of the unusual. The first one is of the Central library and is the set of photos that I posted here the other day. The second one I took the photos when I decided to walk into town instead of taking the bus. I was struck with the lines both vertical and horizontal in the constructions

The New Central Library

Today I was priveleged to be allowed to join the friends of Moredon library when they were invited to be shown around the new Central Library in town. The reason I was invited is this poem that I wrote just after the Library was opened, it was put in the magazine.

Pouring rain, and I'm soaking wet
But happy here within

Today's the day
That Swindon need
The dawning of its revival.
Up top of town
Where boards have stood,
Today the grand unveiling
of the new library, long awaited
A building to be proud of.

Gone are the 'temporary' sheds
That served for 50 years,
Gone the dark crowded room
Instead a lighted palace
Inviting all who pass that way
To stop, to enter in
To wander round and pause and think
To read or enjoy a cup of coffee

Pouring rain, and I'm soaking wet
But happy here within

I took several photos today both of the outside of the building and some of the things inside, also of the town hall clock which from the top of the library is so much nearer than I can usually get

Cheeky Monkey

I just love these photo that I took in March, Daniel had been playing with his 'Blue Car Red Car' but hid them behind his back as if to say you can't see them. I found some odd bits of toy construction kit and thought they were perfect for a layout of my little grandson

Pretty Flowers

This layout done on the computer is of some photos that my daughter has just sent to me I can just imagine Daniel say "Pretty flowers" and Helen encouraging him not to pick them.

I saw a lady using the mirror, that was in a shop window, to put on her lipstick, it made me smile and it made me think. I do hope that some of the silly, funny things I do make someone smile and brighten their day.

A mirror in a shop,
Oh that is perfect there
I haven't time to stop,
but my make up needs repair.
I'll just quickly do my lipstick
and hope that no one sees
to do it quick is the trick
There, done, that was a breeze.

Sibling Bonding

This layout is of my two children when they were very little, it is the first time Helen and seen her new brother

Lands End & Land and Sea

Two layouts I did from photos from Cornwall taken while on a Barnes coach tour last year
in the Lands End layout the quote on the photo is from An April Day by Longfellow
in the Land and See layout (done to compliment the Lands End one I wrote the lines of verse myself

Adore Simple Pleasures

This layout is a digital one done for the weekly challenge on UKScrapper it is of my daughter at about the same age as her son is now. I just love these two photos taken the first time I allowed her to really play and get dirty.

Swing

While I was up with my family I took a series of photos of my grandson on the swing today I did a layout using them. This was inspired by one by Jane Dean that I saw in Scrapbook Inspirations

Carrot Tops

Really done it this time and gone ginger. I think this is because when I was younger I didn't have the nerve to be a punk rocker but perhaps underneath my staid exterior I wanted to be one. Trouble is now the only rocking I would do is probably in a chair but at least I can go bright ginger and not care if friends think I am crazy, cos I think I probably am, but it's good to express yourself.

My Three Cats and Me

While looking for a notebook to use I found this poem I wrote some time ago (when Tabatha was still alive), so I thought I would share it here.

We go for a walk most evenings
My three cats and me
Out of the back gate and into the lane
My three cats and me

Today we went before the sun had set
My three cats and me
Where the light caught the trees they were russet red
But the only one to notice was me.

Sam run across the grass in leaps and bounds
So excited to be free
Rudi chased after her loving the fun
Of my three cats and me.

Tabs came behind with unhurried pace
Sniffing and rubbing each tree
And so we progress along the lane
My three cats and me.

A Family Walk on the Moors in Skipton

Andy, my Son-in-law, took the Monday as a holiday and we went for a long walk along the canal and up onto the moors. I was amazed at how well Daniel coped with this his first long walk. At 20 months I expected him to want to be carried a lot more than he did.But in the end he needed to be carried and fell asleep in the sling. We had been out since 10 O'clock and by this time it was 12.30 so he did very well indeed.

Daniel & the Purple Float

Here is the first of many layouts of my little man.
I have to grab the opportunity while I am up here because I don't see them all as often as I would like

Skipton with my Family

I am up in Skipton with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. Daniel is now 20 months old and chattering away like anything. He knows all his colours and is car mad so we get 'red car, blue car yellow car though yellow us usually ellow ellow

So here are just a few of the many photos I have taken today.

The Christmas Fairy

The Scrap Like you Mean it challenge this week was Funny Faces, well I couldn't resist these photo of Neil, taken when he and Gemma were putting up the Christmas Decorations

Street performance

I forgot to upload these photos here they were taken on Saturday. I had just walked down into town for the park and found them juggling in the town centre the light was so good I was able to capture the movement but still have clear photos

Cut a photo challenge

The Scrap like you mean it (SLYMI) challenge this week was to cut a photo and use it like that in a layout I did two the first one took me ages as I was really scrapping out of my comfort zone and I am still not sure that I particularly like. The second one was so much easier to do as I knew that I was only playing make believe so it wasn't important to be real.
This one of Daniel and Helen I wanted the effect of them coming out of the frame which wasn't so hard to do but the things that caused me a lot of time was the stylistic embellishments. All the small flowers were cut from patterned papers I had made using the image offset in PaintShop Pro and then superimposing another one at 90 degrees and making that translucent, which gives a plaid effect. This one was the fun one, I have added my photo of me in my wedding dress to the photo of Winchester Cathedral taking out the background setting that I was really in then giving the whole image a cathedral like appearance by cutting it in an arch. The flowers are cut from the photo of the flowers in my church at my late husbands funeral. These were done specially for me by a friend using the same flowers that I had in my wedding bouquet.

As the crow flies

Here is the new LO I did first thing this morning using one of the photos I took yesterday of this beautiful sunrise. I was so pleased to capture the bird in flight, I thought it was a crow but looking at a close up of the bird I realise it is a magpie by the shape of its tail. Still I liked the title so kept it.

Abbey Meads Scrappers

Today was our crop we have kits from Total Papercrafts and I used one of the kits to produce this layout during the morning Being totalling inspired by this mornings work I then sat down here at home and did this layout from a kit that I had put together myself the patterned paper and die cuts are from Wube Sew Cute which I just love and these photos I found this week. They were taken of me opening some of my 50th birthday presents

Last weekend was UKScrappers Cyber Crop and I did so many layouts I can't put them all here but I will put just a few. I did twelve all in all six digitally and six with paper and things. Here are the four that I am the most pleased with






The first two are the ones with paper and the second two done one the computer.

Two of the same

I did a digital layout today then decided to do it for real. So here are the pair of them for comparison I am not sure which one I prefer but they were both good to do. For the in real life one I had to made the paw print stamp for this I used a old rubber and cut away the waste (just like doing a linoprint)

Clean & Tidy

I thought I would show you my clean and tidy conservatory. All ready now for me to do the 'Whodunnit' cyber crop.
Since I took these photos I have brought in from the garage a bigger table so that I have plenty of room to scrap in. Now I have the room I have been doing some 'in real life' (as opposed to digital) layouts

































Here are the two layouts I did