Minibook

I created this minibook


you need three sheets of 12 x 12 Double sided patterned paper
each sheet is constructed the same way
cut a 7x12" strip and set aside the remainder 5x12"
cut the 7" strip into a 7" square and a 5"x7"
score 2" in from the bottom of the Square and fold so that the reverse side is showing of the flap


fold this in half to give a 3.5" x 5" card, fold the 5x7" to match.

from the remaining 5x12" paper cut two 2"x5" strips. with narrow double sided tape stick this to the plain sheet on the outside edge fixing it top bottom and edge to form a flap (reverse the pattern as shown)turn the sheet over and fix the other strip in the same way

Place the two pages together and sew down the fold to form a booklet

Construct the other two pattern papers in the same way
With one of the 5x8 strips remaining you make the cover
open up one of the booklets and place on the edge of the 5x8 strip and sew through the original stitching to attach it to the cover. Take the pages you want to be the last ones and do the same with the other edge of the cover then place the third booklet in the centre and stitch through in the same way

At this stage the book seems too spaced out but by the time you have added photos and embellishments it fills out nicely and lays reasonably flat
Use the remaining patterned papers to make tags trims etc.

Here is my completed and filled minibook




I have left some of the pages decorated but no photos as yet, the kittens are always giving me opportunities to take lots of shots so will soon find more to place in the book.

I do hope that you will be able to follow the instructions given, but if you have any difficulty leave me a comment and I'll try and answer it.

Nature's Calendar - Oak Tree

I love the way the branches are twisted

Nature's Calendar - Leycesteria

The fruit of this plant tastes like toffee

Nature's Calendar - bulrush

Nature's Calendar - Berry nice

Counterfeit Kit challenge -October

Over at the Counterfeit Kit blog they are challenging us to scrap using Candy as our inspiration. so here is my candy inspired layout, mind you the zip that forms the liquorice Catherine Wheel wasn't in my kit but I loved the idea that my lovely friend Tracie Doodle used on one of her layouts. I have altered the idea slightly as I stripped the teeth part of the zip away from the material

the leaves were cut on Robo using Hawaiian quilt1 dingbat font.
I LOVE DINGBAT FONTS
The photo on this page is my maternal grandfather and is a companion page to Emeline Blanch (my maternal grandmother)

Nature's Calendar - Hawthorn Berries

The hawthorn berries have turned deep dark plum red

Nature's Calendar - Varigated

Meow

Nature's Calendar - squirrel

this cheeky little chappy sat on that branch staring at me and twitching his tail. Then when a lad came passed on a bicycle he turned towards the receding back and, I do declare, he swore at him.

Nature's Calendar - Minute Fungus

this little fungi is no bigger than my little finger nail I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

God's abundant blessing, a little cutie and a couple of layouts

As I started the walk down the back lane to ASDA today I ask the Lord for something to add to my nature photos, and as usual he showered me with so much I felt overwhelmed by his love and how much he cares for even this little venture I have been doing during this year. It isn't a need but He has blessed in abundance, today I found a variegated leaf, a tiniest clump of fungi each one as small as my little finger nail. Then a squirrel sitting on a low branch flicking his tail at me and swearing at another person as they walked by (I kid you not). Berries of course are so plentiful now but I also found a gorse bush in flower, not noticed that one before. Lots of wild flowers and I managed to get a good shot of a sparrow feeding on berries.
I took loads of photos but of course a lot were either blurred or the thing I was focusing on moved off before the shutter clicked, but I have enough for the next few days

You want to see the photos?..... you will have to come into my blog over the week to see all I have taken.

I do have something to share, though, this little teddy,

Can you see what he is? a ginger root, isn't he cute. I picked him up in ASDA, and I couldn't resist adding the gems for eyes and drawing a mouth on him.

I've also got some layouts to share.
another page for My Little Treasures album


and this one is for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers, we had to do a page about mothers, use 3 different shapes, some bling and journalling


I've also done another page of the Digital CJ a group of us are doing on UKScrappers this one is for Basic Grey Lady and her subject is Places I have been, I just had to do Edinburgh because this is my favourite city

Nature's Calendar - Web

I had fun trying to get the camera to focus on the web and leave the berries blurred so pleased I managed it in the end

Nature's Calendar - Yellow/orange berries

Looking like miniature oranges

10 on the 10th - morning routine

I thought I might play along with 10 on the 10th something Shimelle started a while ago

Nature's Calendar -White Berries

Nature's Calendar - Strawberry plant with pink flower

Well I was so surprised to see these strawberries growing in a neighbours garden flowering in October and I have never see a pink flower on a strawberry plant before either.

Nature's Calendar -Morning Sky

The diggers arrived, they knocked down the old building, they cleared the site and opened up a vista I hadn't seen before. I love that line of trees and of course the morning sky with all it's promise.

The Dance

On Thursday the diggers arrived to knock down the old Rodbourne Arms, to clear the site for the next occupants.
It was fun watching them manoeuvre, two hefty machines breaking up the rubble into scoopable sizes.

Mind the bus shelter

swinging round and round as if they were dancing.

I wish I had taken more photos

Counterfeit Kit challenge -October

I am so pleased to be back into paper and things scrapping again, and to be joining in with the Counterfeit Kit challenge for this month. I so enjoyed putting this kit together and it feels like a new kit when placed all in a box of its own. I have stopped stroking the kit and now using it after all that is the object of the game.
here is my first page

I just used the scraps of papers and was economical with the leafy ribbon. I did add the black paper to the kit as I needed to mat the photos to make them stand out a bit more.
The flowers I cut out of the patterned paper I further cut to raise the inside petals then mounted them on 3D foam pads

The title is cut on Robo using a lovely font, so perfect for Autumn, called RCMP which you can download for free here

The swirls at the side are a dingbat font Ornamental Scrolls and Flourishes printed onto Safmat a self-adhesive printing film by Letraset
I hope that you like my first page from the kit

Nature's Calendar - Autumn in the Lane

Afternoon sunshine elongating the shadows, leaves strewn across the grass trees hanging on to some of the green. What a lovely time of year.

Nature's Calendar - Late Rose

there are still roses around even though the leaves are falling

Counterfeit Kit challenge -October

I haven't played along with the Counterfeit Kit challenge for a while but as I seem to be wanting to do paper and things scrapping (as opposed to digital) again I thought this would be a good idea
So rummaging through my mountains of stash I have put together this:-

Cardstock, Patterned Papers, Ribbons and some butterfly stickers (for starters)


Embellishments


Journalling labels etc


Some scraps of patterned papers that I would like to use up


I made these flowers the lace one I cut the motif from a scrap of lace material stuck them to a little circle of card and added beads using Glossy accents.
the others are made from a strip of fabric folded in half and gathered into a circle adding a button in the centre


Not sure if I will have enough embellishments so may be adding to them

Nature's Calendar - rosemary

A Grrrrrrrrrr day that ended better

I went into town this morning, my bus pass didn't register on the bulleye (new things for senior passes) at the moment they are letting it go but there will come a time when they wont then it will be a case of a temporary pass that will last a week and won't let me out of Swindon area. Hopefully a new pass will be issued. I know I'm not the only one as three others got the same reaction.
I needed a new Yellow ink cartridge for my printer, no one to serve in the shop, honestly I could easily have gone and helped myself and walked out. Bet they were all having a cuppa out the back. Trouble was I felt my anger growing again.
Did manage to get what I went in for (Alcohol Ink) and also the October Scrapbook Magazine was in Smiths and best of all Creating Keepsakes, never seen that in there before.
Went to ASDA for food shopping and they have changed where they have put things AGAIN grrrrrrrrrrr that makes me cross as it wastes time and doesn't make me buy anything else in fact just the opposite.

I have made a page for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers that I am pleased with so the day is definitely ending much better.
challenge criteria is
3 of 3 items = my 3 of 3 items are 3 swirls cut on Robo using a lovely dingbat font called Beautiful Ornaments 3 petals to the flower and 3 butterflies

Blue, no pink = Blue flower(no pink on this one but it is a companion to one that has which is on my blog here)

Every day object = I used the inner seal from a CoffeeMate carton which was just a bit thinner than a beer can and I could easily cut it with scissors.


I also did a page Saturday


I am grateful for a Starbuck Mocha and a cinnamon swirl and of course I had the two scrapbook mags to read while I was there
to a craft that absorbs me and dispels my frustration
two lively kittens and one lovely old cat.
A neighbour who brings me chips

now having found such good thinks in the day I really don't know why I was so angry/worried/upset this morning.

A - Z of Me

A. Age: 70
B. Bed size: Double all to myself, except one of my cats is sharing it at the moment
C. Chore that you hate: Ironing sheets
D. Dogs: No I’m a cat person
E. Essential start to your day: cup of tea
F. Favourite colour: Purple
G. Gold or Silver: both
H. Height: 5’1.5” though I might has started to shrink
I. Instruments you play: none
J. Job title: Retired
K. Kids: A daughter and a son and three grandsons
L. Live: Wiltshire England
M. Mother’s name: Winifred Maud
N. Nicknames: Mary Buttons
O. Overnight hospital stays: 10 night when my daughter was born (nursing home) and 4 nights for my son’s birth. Veins stripped, I went in Thurs, op Friday, up Saturday and home Sunday
P. Pet peeves: People who let their dogs poo in public places and don’t pick it up
Q. Quote from a movie: ‘You’ve got mail’ (though that is not a spoken quote and is the title of the film) I just love the excitement and expectation when she see that on her screen
R. Right or left handed: left handed
S. Siblings: one brother
T. Tattoo: you must be joking
U. Underwear: of course (I don’t possess a red hat) *
V. Vegetable you hate: the much overrated Asparagus and olives (though they are really a fruit)
W. What makes you run late: the computer (once on hard to come off)
X. X-Rays you’ve had: shoulder, heel
Y. Yummy food that you make: Christmas Pudding moist and melting, and very rich
Z. Zoo animal: Ring Tailed Lemur

* old saying Red hat no drawers

Nature's Calendar - Russian Vine

It's quite striking to see the flowers and autumn colour leaves of the Russian vine at the same time

A change from the norm

I have always admired the people who can throw things on a page and make something beautiful and arty. Art Journals have always been something others can do and not me.
Shirley has some really beautiful, as she puts it, 'messy' (as in getting messy making them) works of art I especially love the first one on this post
So taking inspiration from that affirmation post card I thought I would have a go. Part of my inspiration came from a sheet of paper that I had been using to try things out on, a text stamp pressed a few times to remove the excess ink. the distress ink pad tried out to see what it would look like, spraying glimmer mist through a corner of a mask all just to try before committing anything to a page. I was about to screw it up and chuck it in the waste paper basket when I thought the effect rather arty so tearing a section out I stuck it onto a 6x8 piece of grey cardstock then further inking it all over to dull the white down a bit and extending it onto the cardstock.
The photo is of my grandmother taken when she was a stylish young lady in the late 19th century. I then went rummaging through all the odds and ends that I had collected over the years till I found things that looked in keeping with the effect I wanted to create. And voilà


I think I may have caught the bug and you will be seeing more arty bits from me in the future.

Learn Something New Every Day

Oops I forgot to put my final page on my blog.

Not a terribly awe inspiring post but I do love that even the humble manhole cover can have a pattern to it not just a few regular bumps to indicate it is there but a series of different shapes. There doesn't seem to be a reason for it except to make it a bit decorative.

Nature's Calendar - White flowers with fly

Story Telling Sunday

I was born during WW2 and my daddy was away serving in the army, I remember one time when he was home on leave he could perform magic, He showed me a little soldier and then placed it in his right pocket, and then it jumped from the right to the left for he drew it out and showed me again. (years later he told me that there were two soldiers and one of them had an arm missing but I did not notice that at all at the time) He also did lots of card tricks which I found fascinating.
My Dad was such a brilliant person for making homework interesting, showing me much easier ways of learning than any of my teachers ever did. Sums (as we used to call the) were especially fun, he pointed out how numbers reacted together. How to add up quickly, Instead of boring numbers he substituted them for things I liked such as beads or sweets.

He loved collecting stamps and would quite happily show me his collection, how the same stamp could be quite a different shade because of the different batches of dyes used. He also loved photography and had his own dark room.
I know that my love of colour and probably of taking photos has come from his enthusiasm and encouragement.
I know that I was so lucky to have such a loving father who always had time for me and infinite patience

This is part of the Blog hop that Sian from High in the Sky hosts so why not pop over to her place and see who else has posted a story

Nature's Calendar - Spider

So sorry that this post is so late I hadn't realised I had forgotten to post a photo last night.

Arachnophobics don't look

Nature's Calendar - Lavender

I have never notice before how the lavender doesn't just grow at the top of the stalk