Scrapbook Starting Point

Delighted to see another scrapbook starting point on Shimelle's blog this week.

This time I did something I've never done before - I did the basic  layout before deciding which photos to use. I've heard friends do this and had some new papers from Gottacraft that I was keen to use so I just went for it.

I started with the papers from Echo Parks Hello Summer and I added some red spotted washi tape fom our crop washi tape swap ( thanks whoever I got that one from!) and a die cut from the new Amy Tangerine line. Once I had completed the design that Shimelle had set I found my photos. I wasn't planning to use two as Shimelle had done - it could have been one or three - but the coats of Matthew and Martha just seem to match the paper. I then added stickers and alphabets from the Echo Park line, brads from Crate Paper from my Studio Calico kit,  blue spotted washi tape and more Tangerine die cuts, and a date die cut from Elle's Studio.

The photo is from Matthew's birthday party at Godstone Farm. It was a showery day but we all had so much fun and managed to take some cover in the petting area.

I must say Im pleased with the layout and will definately be doing scrapbooking starting points of my own in the future.

Shimelle's Challenges 03- Mixing styles

On Thursday night I enjoyed a pleasurable evening with some of my scrapping friends at Gaye's house. I decided that I would use the time to complete another of Shimelle' challenge. I was intrigued by the challenge to mix styles. I dont know if I have a style. I guess I love colour and clean lines. I like blocks of colour and pattern. I like my matching embellishments and Im not really into fussy - but I dont know if that means I have a style.

Some of my friends have taken classes with Emma Trout. Her scrapbooking is a work of art - its complicated, detailed and very different from what I produce. But I love it. So on Thursday I decided I was going to use the evening to complete just one layout a mix of Emma's style and my own. I usually hope to do 2/3 layouts over 2/3 hours dedicated to scrapbooking. I printed some examples of  Emma's work and decided I was going to add lots of details, hand cutting, and layers.

I found it an interesting challenge as I felt like I wanted to do more than one layout while I had some scrapping time. It was good to do this layout with friends as they kept me going with their positivity. So thanks to Gaye, Debbie, Ali and Leanne for their moral support. Also thanks to Debbie for the lace, Gaye for the bottle top and jewel and to Ali who inrtoduced me to paper pearls during our retreat last year and I now add to so many of my layouts (often as butterfly trails).

I used this lovely photo of our friends Karen and Bella. They are moving home soon and we are going to miss them but we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy Bella's 2nd birthday party with them.  I used some Bo Bunny Gabrielle papers. Lovely colours and very feminine.

I probably need to add a little journalling to just finish it off.

Shimelle's Challenges 04 - Colour adventure

It feels like I blogged a lot over the Easter holidays. I had more time as I was off work and I was trying to get some scrapping and challenges done. This week reality has hit and Ive had less time for scrapping and blogging. It was back to work on Tuesday and with Matthew's birthday tomorrow, his party next weekend and lots of other birthdays and parties etc to keep us busy, blogging has taken a back seat. However I have done two more challenges from Shimelle's weekend that I wanted to upload before the deadline tomorrow night.

The first is a layout I did last weekend. This was a challenge to use yellow/grey and one other colour. Im loving grey at the moment and have a few blue/yellow/grey combos but thought I would do something different. I have a great photo of Matthew wuth my cousin Lizzie where she is in grey and him in red so this was ideal for the challenge.

I used an old pieve of paper which I think maybe Sassafrass Lass, some red and grey cardstock, a jillibean journalling piece, some lily bee papers and stickers, a mix of stickers and buttons and of course some butterflies which I seem to have on every layout at the moment.

Shimelle's Challenges 02 - Mixing Papers

This was a good challenge for me. I dont mix paper ranges that often. I occasionally do and recently Ive been mixing my embellishments a lot more, but I like to scrap quite quickly and using papers from the same range helps me do that. Therefore I purposefully chose to do this challenge as I wanted to do something I know I should do more often.

I love this photo of my friend's son rockin' with his wizard hat on. I wanted to reflect the stars in the hat and the fab checked shirt and the only way to do this was with some quite bold papers.  In the end I used papers from Lily Bee, Bo Bunny, Fancy Pants, October Afternoon, Simple Stories and Studio Calico. I added some washi tape, some yellow brads ( that Ive had forever!), some stickers from October Afternoon and Simple Stories and of course some Thickers. Its a bit of a mixed bag but then that was the whole point.

Shimelle's Challenges 05 - Inspiration Points

This time the challenge was to use the layout from Wilna Furstenberg as the inspiration. It can be seen here.

This time it was the panoramic photo that inspired me and the lovely cluster of embellishment top left of the photo.

I love this photo taken at a recent university reunion. Its not the perfect shot as people are moving or not looking at the camera but thats what I love about it. Its very real!. To me it is the perfect photo.

As my Simple Stories Fabulous was out from the previous challenge I decided to use it for this layout. It was handy that some of the girls were wearing pink as these colours really pop from the photo. Im really pleased with the final layout - thanks Wilna and Shimelle.

Shimelle's Challenge 01 - Inspiration Points

This weekend Shimelle hosted a series of challenges and questions for all the readers of her blog. There were 16 challenges altogether. So far I have completed three of them but would certainly like to get a few more done this week. The first challenge I completed was challenge 01 which can be found here.

The idea was to look at the lovely page by Jaime Warren and use it as an inspiration point for your own layout. I liked the pink background, the central placement of the photo, the blocks of paper or journalling running from top to bottom and the little clusters on the sides. And of course the flowers burds  and butterfies..

I used papers from the Simple Stories Fabulous range - which is just that - FABULOUS! I love the colours and this so cute photo of little Eva pretending to be a sleeping bunny at Sing and Sign.

Back with more challenges soon. x

Lily Bee Challenge and Shimelle's starting point

Happy Easter everyone! I gave up chocolate for Lent (as did many of friends and family) and today was pleased that I could indulge in a treat. To be honest I haven't eaten very much as we have had a lovely buffet tea at my mum's and a neighbour baked us a cake so there really isn't any room, but we did get an egg at the Easter egg hunt we went to today so we have shared that. Lots more in the fridge though!

Time to share two more of my layouts from yesterday's crop.

The first is the current Lily Bee sketch challenge. I totally love all four of the new Lily Bee collections and know I will need to buy all of them but my favourite is probably Buttercup which I bought from Gottacraft. I am really liking yellow and blue right now. You can see the sketch here.

I'm really pleased with how this came out. All the papers and stickers are from the collection and I just added some golden yellow twine, some paper pearls and a couple of flowers. The photos is of three of my university friends Warren, Jeremy and Phil and Phil's wife Nora at a recent reunion. The blue clouds and sunshine fit the collection well.

The second layout is from Shimelle's Special MME Scrapbook Starting Point. The photo is from the same day and I have used MME Miss Caroline collection. I love this combination of colours - pink and aqua and I loved adding all the little brads, butterflies, flowers and tickets. A lovely starting point - thank you Shimelle.  

Inspiration from Shimelle

As you know I like to do challenges. One blog I follow is Shimelle's and she gives lots of sketches and starting points to help me get going. Ive dabbled in a couple of these recently but tonight I finished two off with journalling and a few extra bit,s and completed her latest starting point.

Here they are:

This was a starting point from the week before last. Whereas Shimelle's layout is flowery and girly, mine is very much boyish and grungy. The photos are Matthew at a recent birthday party we went to rocking his stuff with an inflatable balloon. I used some Simple Stories Awesome with  some prima buttons and MME Kraft Funday bits.

The second was a sketch.  I used some Echo Park papers that my lovely friend Sandra gave me in our crop advent swap and used some of the tags and embellishments she also kindly gave me. I didnt know if I was going to get a chance to use them this year as the snow came late but when it finally appeared in February Matthew was straight outside exploring.

The third is this weeks starting point. I used some new Bo bunny papers and embellishments which I have been dying to use. I used a cogs mask in the background. The photos show Matthew on a train track ride on holiday last year and I was pleased to get them scrapbooked.

 Thank you Shimelle!

Scrapbooking Starting Points

I can't believe I'm posting twice in one day. Of course I only have a handful of followers so I cant annoy too many people with loads of posts, but I hope those people who do read will allow me this indulgence.

Im trying to do a bit more scrapping at home and in the evenings. Challenges are very helpful for speed scrapping and of course I have thousands of photos to get through. Tonight I have had a go at Shimelle's Scrapbooking Starting Point. I used some new papers from Simple Stories which is called Awesome - perfect for boys and a photo taken of Matthew at Chessington Zoo in January. He just loves to be behind a steering wheel!

I switched the page around to put my photo on the left and of course made a few other changes but overall pleased with the final layout. Thanks Shimelle!

Shimelle's Scrapbook Starting Points

For one reason or another I wont be able to attend any of my crops this month. So therefore Im really trying to get a little scrapping done at home.

A couple of days ago I had a go at Shimelle's Scrapbook Starting Points. This is where the start of the design is done but what you do next is up to you.

I used this design to scrapbook some photos of Matthew and two of his little play date friends. I used some of my new Cavallini washi tape and some lovely Basic Grey Picadilly papers and embellishments.

Here are my efforts: