Scrap a Sketch May

It was my turn to choose the sketch for this months Scrap a Sketch Challenge and as usual we had a mixed response to the sketch - some loving it and some finding it very challenging. I love to see what everyone comes up with from the sketch as they are always so different

My LO is using my My Creative Scrapbook kit and as the papers really didnt match the photos totally I ended up colouring all the little hexagons and chevrons on the background paper and the border strip. Time consuming but worth it. The story really is of me dropping all my Granddaughters cupcakes whilst putting them in the fridge after she had spent so long making and decorating them. These are actually the second batch and she asked to put these ones in the fridge herself obviously not trusting me to do it :lol:

Thankyou Kirsty

After not blogging for ages and trying to change the look of my blog and failing miserably I need to say a big thank you to Kirsty Wiseman for changing all this for me. I still have lots to learn but I've got a much better base to go from now

My Creative Sketches

My take on the sketch over at My Creative Sketches. I loved all the layers on the sketch and the opportunity to try and improve my stitching.

The photo is my granddaughter just after having her new fringe cut - it makes her look so grown up

Scrapstars

I had a wonderful weekend in Leeds at the fabulous Scrapstars Retreat. Its got to be the best one around - fabulous teachers, great company, shop (Bellaboo) and lovely hotel. Thank-you Caroline and when is the next one.

These two LO's were from classes taught by the lovely Emma Trout. I loved her classes at the last retreat and these two were just superb again.

This one taught us about using masks and making our own and lots of lovely layering. The photos are my granddaughter having fun on a bouncy slide

This class we used tissue paper as a background, scrunching and sticking along the way. I'll definately use this technique again. Again loads of cutting and layering.  The photos are of my daughter and her fiance and a sneak peek of her wedding dress and this LO will form part of an album of the preparations for their wedding that I'm doing for them. Needless to say the groom wont be getting a look at this LO till after the wedding

Scrap A Sketch

This months sketch was chosen by Suzy - I loved it with so many possibilities and I just knew I would use the set of photos of Abby dismounting Liam. Its so funny watching her get down. She looks so comfortable riding him and handles him really well and its only when she is getting off you realise how small she actually is.

I used papers from an MCS kit - The title reads The trouble with riding a big horse ........ its a long way down.

I managed to do the LO over last weekend whilst away at the fabulous Scrapstars Retreat  and the additional alphas were bought from Bellaboo

My Creative Sketches March

Here is my go at the March sketch challenge over on the My Creative Sketches Blog
Its a lovely sketch and there are some fabulous examples over there.
My LO is my daughter's christening in 1980. I've used the last of one of my MCS kits and added some lace around the doily and the edges of the pattern papers. The title was cut on the Cricut

It was an old photo with some damage and I'm quite pleased with the way it has scanned

My Creative Scrapbook Challenges

This is my LO for the My Creative Scrapbook March challenge - to use different textures on your LO. I embossed and inked, used twine for stitching, chipboard, misting, burlap, lace (inked)...

The photo is my daughter Jen when she was 4 in Beddgelert in Wales at the gravestone of Gelert the faithful hound of Prince Llewelyn.

The story on the tombstone reads

" In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, the Faithful Hound, who was unaccountably absent.

On Llewelyn's return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son, and say the infants cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood.

The frantic father plunged his sword into the hounds side, thinking it had killed his heir. Tho dogs dying yell was answered by a child's cry.

Llewelyn searched and found his boy unharmed, but near by lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain.

The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here"
I was taken here a girl by my parents and cried at the story of Gelert. I think Jen was too young to understand

My Creative Sketches has another fantastic sketch on their blog ( closing date 14th April )

I've been really lucky with previous sketches and have won some lovely prizes as a random winner. I'll be uploading my entry tomorrow

This is my attempt at the weekly challenge on UKS. Its also a challenge on the Creative Craft World Blog I love these photos of my granddaughter and my sons girlfriend and they had such fun while I was practicing my photography.
I used papers and embellies from a My Creative Scrapbook Creative Kit

MCS Sketch challenge

Here is my entry for the MCS sketch challenge over at My Creative Sketches


I've used the beautiful Bo Bunny papers, lace, flowers and inked the chipboard frame and all from the MCS kit


The photo is of my gorgeous daughter and granddaughter taken on New Years Eve

LO's

Here are a few of the LO's I've done over the past few weeks. My blog has sadly been neglected.
I've also been doing an online photography course with Kirsty Wiseman. I have to say its been money really well spent. I have loved every minute of it and from being a total novice having just got my DSLR at Christmas I can now shoot in manual. Thank you Kirsty you have taught me so much
The first LO is of some of the shots I have taken while learning


This one is a family holiday many years ago when the children were young and was for a weekly challenge on UKS set by EK Success crop run by my friend S

This is granddaughter skating outside the Life Centre in Newcastle. We all had a fab day out there. I've used the lovely MCS January kit

and finally my new found love of my camera. I used the MCS Feb kit and this LO was for a challenge on the MCS Forum to use hearts, handmade flowers and to scrap yourself. Hard when you hate having your photo taken but I have hidden a bit behind the camera

Thanks for looking.

I've got a lovely day tomorrow going to see the wedding planner at Beamish Hall with my daughter and her finance

My Creative Sketches #1

This is my submission for this months sketch over at My Creative Sketches
Its well worth entering as I was lucky enough to win twice from the randomly picked entries. My prizes arrived today with my kit and are packed with paper and embellishments.
My LO is one of the few I do of me and is of my role as a support services manager with Northumbria Police. The hidden journaling details how I began my career there as a temp and worked my way up to be a member of the Senior Management Team

I used one of my MCS Limited Edition Kits (Websters Pages)

MCS Big Sketch challenge

Here are my 3 LO's for the My Creative sketches Blog Big Sketch Challenge
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in these every month and cant wait till the next one

Sketch#1
Sketch #2

Sketch #3

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone.
I started the year, well it was last night really, with a phone call from a friend to say that I had been chosen as one of the random winners over on My Creative Sketches
I cant wait to see what the prize is as Pam always seems to send such lovely things.

These are a few of the LO's I have been doing with my Christmas LE and Main Kits from My Creative Scrapbook
This is my son and fiance just before they went to the annual Holly Ball. ( thanks to S for the use of the punch ) and the tip from one of the DT on how to use a corner punch round a circle
These are some photos from Beamish Museum which was all decorated for Christmas. I was lovely to see the old pit houses decorated with newspaper paper chains. I remember making paper chains as a little girl

And finally my sketch and scrap LO for this month. Photo was taken as part of Cheryl Johnson's 12 Days of Christmas photography workshop and is the tree reflected in the TV screen

Blogging from my phone

Just having a practice blogging from my phone

MCS Sketch Challenge 3

Didn't think I would have time to finish this months sketch challenge over on the MCS Sketch blog I've used the October LE kit gorgeous Websters pages. The photo is my granddaughter taken on her 11the birthday at the beginning of December. There's lots of hidden journalling about what she is like at 11 ( a lovely caring young girl)

I love my MCS kits as I buy very little else in the way of stash now as they are so packed with goodies

Have a lovely Christmas everyone and take lots of lovely photos for scrapping

XXX

12 Days of Christmas

I'm currently doing Cheryl's 12 Days of Christmas photography course. Talk about having a lot to learn but I am determined never to use my camera on Auto again.
The first is a collage where we had to try out White balance and wow what a difference it makes. All the shots were taken indoors during daylight hours. I think the best is the cloudy one (2nd down on the left cos I've done the writing too small)

The self portrait below was actually the first assignment, I nearly gave up before I started. I hate being in photographs. Thanks to my daughters friend Dawn on this one who was trying to point me towards taking a low key photograph. It didn't really work but the outcome wasn't as bad as I expected.



Next was to spell it out. For this I have used a Scrapbooking title and Christmas decorations on top of the fire

Finally it was a festive photo walk. As it was my husbands works night out I thought I would have ample opportunity to take some of the lovely lights I thought would be around where we were eating. How wrong I was there were no outside lights so I had to resort to the back garden the following morning

This is one of my chickens who did not take kindly to being disturbed by a mad woman with a camera and holly while she was in the nesting box

Today's assignment was fun party type photo booth shots. Difficult when everyone is out and hubby refuses to play. Will have to think again tomorrow

MCS Sketch Challenge 2

Here is my take on this months sketch challenge over at My Creative Sketches Blog


The photograph is of my two sons in 1990 when the teenage mutant ninja turtles were all the rage. My mother spent hours making them these costumes even down to the green shirt and pants underneath. The boys still have fond memories of them and the hours of fun they had even though they are 29 and 25 now. I used October MCS main and creative kits which work well together

MCS Sketch Challenge

Here is my LO for the MCS Sketch Challenge - a little last minute bu tI have just returned home from a fab weekend away with some scrappy friends

Circle Challenge

Over at My Creative Scrapbook this months challenge was to create a LO using circles.

I've used mainly the September LE kit.

I stitched and looped the pink ribbon circle, misted the doily then sewed on the ribbon and cut out the centre. The photo is matted on a frame cut from the Elegant Edges cartridge. The flowers are all layered and attached with Pinflair to create dimension.

I had started this yesterday but due to a power cut couldnt finish. Its amazing how much we rely on our mobile phones now. I needed my to report the fault, receive updates on the progress of the repair, the flashlight to see, texting my friend ( who kept me updated with the happenings on Strictly Come Dancing), music to lessen the intense quitness through the house and games to play on as I couldnt see to do anything else. Happily normality was restored in 3 hours, although apparently its a temporary repair and there is more work to do

Lesley

X

Scrapstars and Sketch and Scrap

I've had a day finishing off LO's today. This one is for Sketch and Scrap on UKS. I marvel every month when I see every ones take on the sketch. This is me and my daughter and granddaughter after a lovely hack in the Lake District. We only ride together once a year and I think I'm getting too old for it now :lol:

These two LO's are from last weekends Scrapstars retreat in Leeds. It was a fab event, really well organised and with fantastic teachers. I will definitely be going again.

This one is me and my sister and is from a class taught by the very talented Rachael Elliot


This one is from a class taught by Emma Trout another very talented lady. This one was using lots of paint and mists and is of my lovely granddaughter Abby

I've still got lots more to finish as there were a total of 8 classes over the weekend

XX