Hubby's Birthday Card

I toiled for days on a handmade card for my husband's birthday and he was very happy with it.  He did not put it out on display and when I asked where "my special card" and all his other cards where he told me he had put them in his drawer!  Men! I just have to laugh! 

To make the card, I used Tim Holtz's Advantus Idea-ology collection, Lost and Found collection, gadget gears and umbrella man alteration dies, filmstrip and ruler ribbons, vintage photo distress inks.  The handwritten letter is from 7 gypsies Borough collection.  I also used a Jenni Bowlin date ticket, a Ranger #10 manila tag, Magenta chipboard filmstrip and a Jillibean Soup corrugated heart.  The umbrella man was embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The stamped hand image is from PaperArtsy.  The stamped happy birthday sentiment and bar code image were borrowed from a friend. 

You Are My Sonshine

What mother doesn't love to sing to their child? Unfortunately for me, my son Oisin did not enjoy my singing at all!  He was almost 4 before he would let me sing to him and his favourite request was "you are my sonshine, my only sonshine, you make me happy when skies are blue, you are my sonshine, my only sonshine, please don't take my sonshine away". 

 

I used Crate Paper's Brook collection for this layout.  I also used the Sizzix Hollywood '61 alphabet to die cut the title words "you are my" and the Basic Grey curio mini mono stickers for the title word "sonshine".  The clouds were punched with large and small cloud punches from Fiskars and embossed using a Docrafts dotted embossing folder.  As usual, my McGill 3" file tab punch came in handy!  Although I distressed everything, unusually for me I inked nothing and only used one button!  Of course, almost everything is stuck down with 3D foam tape. 

Admit One Puppy

We have a new addition to our family and I've been busy on piddle patrol! Saoirse has wanted a dog for so long now and as I did not grow up with animals I was reluctant to get one. I told Saoirse she could have a dog in her own home one day but as she is only 6 that is a long time away and so I finally caved in. Bevan did not put up much opposition once Saoirse and I joined together and so "admit one puppy" to our little family. She is a miniature Yorkshire terrier and came from a lovely home where her parents are family pets.

The patterned paper, chipboard (ticket and buttons) and tag used in the layout are from the Kaisercraft Up, Up and Away collection.  The film strip is Tim Holtz's and I have also used his paper rosette die cut to make the craft paper rosette.  The chipboard film strip is Magenta, inked up with Tim Holtz's walnut stain distress ink.  I also used Tim Holtz's vintage photo distress ink on the layout.  The tape ribbon is East of India.  For the tab I used a McGill 3" file tab punch and Doodlebug Design mini alphas.  For the title I used corrugated green alphas from Jillibean Soup, toned down with vintage photo ink.  The corrugated heart is also Jillibean Soup.   

I'm sure there will be many more layouts to come featuring our little Noodle!

You're Sew Special

Like all mothers I think my daughter is special or in this case "sew" special, even when she wants flowers from my flower arrangements or flower pots!

The patterned paper in this layout is PinkPaislee Butterfly Garden collection.  I used the 6x6 paperpack.  The craft paper is Tim Holtz's Advantus Idea-ology collection.  I also used Tim Holtz's Sizzix Sewing Room and Tattered Florals and Sizzix Flower Layers #9.  The stamps are Material Girl from Clear Art Stamps.  My McGill 3" file tab punch features again, together with Doodlebug bon bon mini alpha run-ons.

I just can't help myself and added a few buttons - LOL, I love buttons!  Added to that a bit of ribbon and a couple of pins. 

I so enjoyed making this layout that I even made a thank you card for a very special Aunt who is a dressmaker.

Explore, Discover, Journey, Dream

As a scrapbooker I love that my second child is a boy and so I get to work on boy themed layouts. In this layout, from a journalling point of view, I had nothing more to add to the stamped sentiments.  The sentiment "something incredibly wonderful is always possible" expresses exactly how I feel when I look at my children.

 

The patterned paper, chipboard buttons, tickets and tag used in the layout are from the Kaisercraft Up, Up and Away collection.  The film strip  is Tim Holtz's and the tape ribbon is East of India.  I used Tim Holtz's vintage photo distress ink.  For the tab I used a McGill  3" file tab punch and Doodlebug Design Mini Alpha Bon Bon rub ons.

Always Meant To Be

My first blog post!  I have often felt since giving up my career to become a SAHM that technology has passed me by, so setting up a blog has been a huge learning curve in this regard.

This layout is one of my favourites.  My daughter is only 5 weeks old and looking at this photo brings me right back to that time.  I always dreamed I would have a daughter with brown eyes (mine are green) and sure enough I did, so we were just meant to be!

The patterned paper in the layout is Crate Paper Restoration and PinkPaislee Hometown Summer, the brown paper is Papermania, the dress form is from a Maya Road chipboard album, the vintage postcard is from Cavallini & Co and the thread spool is Tim Holtz's Sizzix Sewing Room.  The large cream flower is from a hairband from Penney's and the small cream flower is made from ribbon.  I used the We R Memory Keepers Magnetic Ultimate Circle Cutter, which is a great gadget to cut 4" to 12" circles.