My Best Friend

Distressing and layering - two of the things I love doing most when creating a layout.  Am I a compulsive distresser I wonder?  My friends at crops would probably agree!  LOL! 

 I love this photo of my daughter Saoirse and her friend Maya taken in our garden at Saoirse's 6th birthday party. 

The papers used are Cosmo Cricket Early Bird.  I also used We R Memory Keepers Magnetic Circle Cutter, Sizzix Flower Layers #9,  Woodware 2.5" Flower Punch, McGill 3" File Tab Punch and, of course, where would I be without my Tim Holtz Distresser!

Happy Days

I love the colours in this layout using My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy Tickled Pink papers and they just happened to go so well with the clothes my children wore in this photo.  I have been known to coordinate what my children wear with scrapbooking in mind (I know, I know, what can I say?), but not in this case.  The journalling reads "brother and sister and best friends too" which sums up just how they are together.

The layout was inspired by a class given by Annemarie at The Scrapbook Store back in February 2011.  Check out Annemarie's shop and blog (the link is on the side) and the photos of her daughter on this layout - just gorgeous.   

I spent ages cutting out the tiny triangles for the banners and call me crazy but I inked every one!  I spent even longer cutting the tiny transparent square pads in half to 3D each triangle to the layout.  Very therapeutic I'm sure!

I had great fun cutting the grass with my Martha Stewart fringe scissors (my children loved using it as much as I did!).  I also used Tim Holtz's Sizzix Paper Rosette and Mini Paper Rosettes dies, rub-ons from Doodlebug, the big "Happy" brad from We R Memory Keepers and my McGill 3" file tab punch.

Perfect In Pink

My daughter Saoirse is a real girlie girl and LOVES pink.  She is so full of joy and wherever we go people always look at her and smile and watching her speeding along on her pink bike, with her pink helmet, pink shoes, pink top and even a pink tutu, I can see why.

I wanted to create a very girlie layout but to also include a few cogwheels as she is on her bike.  I would normally reserve these for layouts of my husband and son and not combine them with a dress form, flowers and butterflies, however I think they work together on this layout.

The papers used are My Mind's Eye Crown.  I used an extra sheet of the same paper to cut out the flowers and butterfly and decoupage them to the layout.  I also used Tim Holtz's Sizzix Sewing Room, Tattered Florals, Gadget Gears and Carnivale Vintage Market alphabet.  The "Inspire" gromlet is from We R Memory Keepers.  One of my favourite punches to use is the X-Cut butterfly punch.

Flower Wreath

I purchased these lovely flowers from Laura Ashley some time ago and have had them displayed in a container on my craft desk. Wreaths are so on trend at the moment and so I decided to make one using these flowers as only a few could be seen at the top of the container, which seemed like a waste.  

I used a 20cm circular styrofoam base and silicone glue.  I added a few green flowers from Prima and a couple of rose heads from artificial flowers picked up at Woodies.  The wreath was supposed to be round, however, as it developed it turned out more heart shaped.  I think it looks lovely in my very girly shabby chic pink and green craft room.

Me and Snowmen!

I don't just love scrapbooking, I also love decorating our home for special occasions.  When it comes to Christmas I definitely have a thing for snowmen!  I think next year I might have to put up two trees as I can't help adding to my "little" collection!  I also love to have lots of poinsettia plants around as they remind me of my Mum.  She gave me a poinsettia plant for my tiny bedsit (it was too small for a tree!) my first Christmas away from home in 1988.  Just a few Christmas images to keep me going until next year ...

I found these hanging crocheted snowflakes in, of all places, a tiny florist shop in Budapest.   

Snowmen found at TK Maxx. 



I added acorns and seed pods from my flower arranging stash to the garland.



Not only is the tree full of snowmen,
even the boxes under it are covered in snowmen!





A sock for Saoirse, Oisin and of course for Noodle
our 4 month old puppy.



I bought this basket with amaryllis bulbs in Lidl and added acorns,

cinnamon sticks and a little Robin, all from my flower arranging stash.

I love this felt mushroom found at TK Maxx, especially the little bird sitting on a twig.



This metal tree is perfect for the kitchen, another TK Maxx find.



The best of all - a Lego reindeer made by my 6 year old daughter.

Christmas Tags and Bags

In the run up to Christmas I really enjoyed painting, crackling, decoupaging, stamping and embossing these Christmas gift bags for Saoirse and Oisin's teachers.  I filled them with chocolate truffles covered with gold or red tissue paper.  I think the little silver bells tied to the ribbons are very cute!

The main products used (in order) are Tim Holtz's Sizzix Winterland, Elegant Flourishes and Reindeer Flight dies, Papertrey Ink's Jar & Lid and Jar Topper dies together with their Friendship Jar stamps, Tim Holtz's Sizzix On The Fence, Tattered Leaves, Pine Tree and Townscape dies. The stamped images are from Inkadinkado. 

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.