Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - No's.28-30

Hello again,

As usual, I hope this finds you well and, if not enjoying, at least tolerating another Monday after a wonderful weekend. 

I can make no claims to a wonderful weekend, having spent most of it in bed unwell. Oh, the joys of getting older!  

Consequently, no time's been spent in my poor neglected craftroom. All I have to offer is three more pages completed earlier this year. 

No's.28 & 29 - February Week 6

This is a double page spread covering the sixth week of the year. All the way back to February. Seems like a lifetime ago. I remember it was a busy week which included the news that another great-grandchild was on its way and here we are in July and mum Heather is now in the last month of pregnancy. How the weeks fly!

No.30 - Fun With The Girls

This was a lovely page to work on with photos from the first WOYWW Crop I attended in 2017, Llandudno. I can still remember my friend Annie's surprised look on seeing me in the flesh for the first time. I was very much smaller than she had visualised!!! Also in the photos are Jan (LLJ) and Julia (the lady responsible for all this WOYWW fun). The layout is loosely based on M K Gunn's pages dated 5 February 2022. 

Thanks for looking.

As always, take care and bye for now,

Elizabeth 

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - No's.25-27

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are well and having a lovely day wherever you are. I have three more pages to share.

No.25 - Spring Blossom

Nothing lifts my spirits more than to see our cherry trees in blossom. This year has been a better than average year and, lucky for us, there was no storms and high winds to blow it all away. I foresee a bountiful harvest. 

No.26 - Tulip Time

Another welcome sign of Spring, the tulips. I particularly like this one with its striking colour because it's usually the first to make an appearance. I'd love to name the variety but I can't find my book of labels. 

No.27 - Egg Hunt

My husband's great-great niece and nephew, Freya & Josh, enjoy the egg hunt in their garden every Easter. 

All three layouts were based on Lisa Sikorsk's first three sketches in her month long 4 Seasons challenge on her Facebook group, Scrap A Sketch.  The beautiful patterned papers used for No's. 1&2 were from Mind The Scraps March kit and the cutfile on No.3 is from a Shimelle collection, as is the frog and dragon sticker. Flair from another Facebook group, Dotty About Flair, all other embellishments from stash.

Sticking down all the sequins around the cutfile was a labour of love!

Thanks for looking.

As always, take care and bye for now,

Elizabeth 

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - No's. 22-24

Hello Everyone,

I'm back again with another three layouts to share. I hope you are all well and enjoying some crafty time too. 

Here's today's pages.

No.22 - Sunbeam on Book

There was nothing quite so welcome as this first sunbeam lighting up the page of my book, promising winter's end was on its way. The photo frames were die cut using a new set of dies and from scraps of patterned papers.

No.23 - Simply Stunning

The photo is of my youngest granddaughter. Hard to believe she will be nineteen in a few days. For this layout we were challenged for a Scrap Backwards cyber crop challenge to make a layout with no photo in mind. This took me right out of my comfort zone - I find it much easier to have a photo as a starting point. 

No.24 - This Photo

This photo of my husband was taken the day after he came home from hospital following his hip replacement. He was cheerfully learning to get around on crutches as he recovered. Little did we know he'd shortly be back in hospital, with Covid19, and fighting for his life. 

The title is a Peartree cut-file, the layouts are based on sketches from Scrap-a-Sketch, flairs from Dotty About Flair, and I have ScrappyMo to thank for the die cut pennants included in a happy mail received a very long time ago. 

Thanks for visiting. 

As always, take care and bye for now.

Bye for now,

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - No's. 19-21

Hello, 

I'm back to share three more layouts. 

No.19 - January Week 4

Not much to say about this PL style page except that it's interesting to look back and remember how pleased I was to get a new kettle! Sad too, to remember my two lovely aunties - one my dad's sister and the other my mum's - and I loved seeing the photo my cousin posted of Muriel and Cyril on their wedding day. The Prima Madeline rub-ons I used here were old but still worked which is not always the case. 

No.20 - Selfie Fun

This photo is of my daughter and granddaughter fooling around taking selfies during one of the many lockdowns. I'm sure my inspiration for this layout was another scrapper's work but I can't remember whose. The clusters are built on a base of punched circles in various sizes - possibly my favourite base for all sorts of embellishments. In this layout it's butterflies (fussy-cut), flair (DAF) and bees (Bramble Fox). 

No.21 - Little Minnie

A recipe from the cyber crop on the Scrapbackwards FB group together with sketch No.12 from Scrap A Sketch provided the inspiration for this layout. I think I've used the photo, from 2015, of my great-granddaughter on a page before but why not - she looks so cute in her Minnie Mouse outfit! I'll make sure it goes into her grandmother's album this time. The papers are from an old Disney collection, the Minnie Mouse sticker was from a set found in a local shop and I couldn't resist the ladybird flairs from DAF. 

Once again, that's it from me today. I'll be back, hopefully, soon with another layout share.

In the meantime, take care and have a lovely day. 

Bye for now,

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - No's 16-18

Hello Everyone,

I've slipped back, again, with sharing layouts made this year so far. My only excuse is that there are not enough hours in every day when you are a carer. Alan is still struggling to get well. There are days when he seems to be making progress followed by days that are not so good. We're learning to take each day as it comes.

That was something of a long-winded explanation as to why I'm not blogging regularly but I still intend to keep it up whenever possible. So here are the next three layouts made. 

No. 16 - Our Meg

This photo of my lovely sister was taken before she moved into a care home in Aberdeen to be near her daughter and granddaughter. She has MS and I miss her so much now she is so far away. The layout was based on sketch and prompt on the Dotty About Flair FB group and it's made almost entirely with scraps and leftovers 

No. 17 - January Week 3

This page is another week recorded in a style that mimics Project Life using leftovers from various Mind The Scrap kits. The labels and viewfinders were downloaded from NicoleJones911. 

No. 18 - A Sparkling Night

Photo for my grandson's wedding album. The firework display was the perfect end to a perfect day. The layout is based on Scrap A Sketch FB group's sketch No.21. 

That's today's three pages but there's more, so many more, and I really must try to catch up. 

Take care everyone. 

Bye for now. 

Elizabeth

A Few Early Layouts - 1996-2007

Hello Everyone

I began making scrap pages 26 years ago during a year studying at a women's college in Massachusetts, USA. My fellow students were delighted to show me the albums they had brought with them. I was fascinated. And hooked. 

On discovering there was a shop nearby that sold scrapbooking supplies, I just had to visit it. I left the shop armed with a couple of books on the subject, several small scrap kits, a black inkpad and some rubber stamps. The kits contained just enough to make one page, two at most. I used an Anna Griffin kit as the basis of this wedding page. Looking back, I think the design, which required weaving strips of paper together, was a bit ambitious for a beginner. No surprise then that it took about two years to complete ... in my defence I should say it was a busy period in my life what with being in the last year at university and then first year in a new job. 

The materials available to us 20+ years ago were very different from those of today. And they were limited here in the UK. Looking back, 12x12 paper was scarce but it was possible to buy by mail order, and I did. I discovered through the internet Two Peas In A Bucket, a US shop now sadly closed, which became my go-to supplier in those early years. For embellishments we relied quite heavily on sewing haberdashery, e.g. buttons, lace, ribbons and fancy trims. I can see there was a  heavy reliance on paper flowers, hatpins and brads to decorate pages.

Prima flowers were a great standby embellishment. I've since learned that the rosebuds are too bulky for storing in albums ... most are squashed. If I were to make this page today, the top cluster would be placed over to the right rather than the left. This layout looks too one-sided for today. 

This page was made about 15 years ago (2007) and not much has changed from 1996. Prima flowers and ribbon still feature. Use of brads had evolved to be used to fix metal embellishments like the word 'giggle'. Googly eyes made a fun feature on the frog patterned paper ... there's still an almost full box tucked away in my stash to this day! 

All the titles were either computer generated or stamped and hand cut. I don't remember seeing sets of adhesive backed letters/numbers for sale and dies for crafters were possibly in their infancy back then. 

Clearly, scrapping materials have come a long way in the last decade or so. And because of this I've noticed a trend for scrappers to go back to their earlier pages, to criticise them, and plan to either create a new page or, worse still, throw them away altogether. 

What do you think? Would you change you're earliest pages? Me? Considering these pages just part of my scrapping story, even though I can see how old-fashioned they are, I've no intention of changing a thing today. 

Bye for now,

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - Nos. 7-9

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well and having a good day. 

I'm still trying to share all the pages made this year but I'm way behind so with no further preamble here's the next three.

No. 7 - Just Lovely 

These photos of Silver snoozing in her 'cat tree' show her cute little paws. Well, they are cute until she gets her claws out! When she was tiny she had little control of her claws but I'm happy to say she does much better now that she's a lot older. 

No.8 - Woof

This is Frida, my youngest granddaughter Shari's puppy.  Shari is an artist so, of course, the puppy is named after an artist she admires, Frida Kahlo. She's a lovely dog but I'm told she is very stubborn. 

No. 9 - Love Meow

Dated 2014, this is one of the last photos taken of our beloved Bonnie. She was getting old and not too well at the time but still able to get out and enjoy sitting in the sun. You might recognise this pic - it was displayed on the sidebar for a couple of years until I could bear to delete it. 

The papers for all three layouts, including photo mats and stickers, are from two themed collections - DCWV's 'Playful Pets' and Echo Park's 'Meow'; cameras, Bramble Fox; flairs, Dotty About Flair. The dies used were from Docrafts X-Cut Spiro Circles & Homespun Hearts sets.

To date, I've made 44 pages so I've a way to go before I've caught up sharing them here. We are in May already so I need to get a move on and record more before I run out of year! 

Take care everyone and, I'm still saying this because the virus hasn't gone away, stay safe.

NSD (iNSD) - Scrapbook Pages

 

Yesterday was National Scrapbook Day, or International Scrapbook Day depending where you are in the world, and I celebrated by stealing some time out in the craftroom. And lovely it was too.

The scrapping world threw a bonanza of challenges and blog hops to mark the day but I decided not to join in but do my own thing. The result is this page. 

The photos of my daughter and me are from 1972 when she was just a year old. We lived in an Air Force camp near a German village called Geilenkirchen. The summer days there were long and hot, much too nice, and too warm, to go to bed. It became the routine to get the children ready for bed but let them stay out in the garden while the temperature went down with the sun. With a bit of luck it led to a good night's sleep. 

These photos were taken just last summer. Clematis are probably our favourite climbers and we now have quite a collection growing around the garden giving us colour from spring through to autumn. The three in the photos are summer flowering. 

Materials for both pages: 

* Cardstock in white, black, green, grey, & yellow Swiss dot 

* Patterned papers - Echo Park collections - My Favourite Easter 'Easter Bouquet' & A Day in the Life 'Lt Blue/Lt Pink'; from  Simple Stories collections - Happy Hearts 'Happy Heart Day', Simple Vintage Vintage Indigo Garden 'Meadow/Primrose' & Boho Baby

 'Twinkle Twinkle'; 

* Title letters - Simple Stories So Fancy 'Expressions Cardstock Stickers'; Elle's Studio 'Jane Tile Alpha Stickers'; Amy Tangerine Sticker Book

* Embellishments from stash. 

And just for quickness I used the same sketch, from Scrap a Sketch's 4 Seasons in a Month challenge, Summer No.6, for both these pages. 

I'm certain many of my fellow scrappers made loads more pages yesterday but, as the holder of The World's Slowest Scrapper title, I am very happy with just the two. Every page means a few more of my photos, my memories and my little stories are recorded. 

Have a great week everyone.

Elizabeth.

Scrapbook Layout 2022 - No.24

Hello Everyone

I had every intention of joining in with yesterday's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, but it was just one of those days when nothing worked out the way I intended. Which is a shame because i planned to post the partially made page pictured on last week's desk now that it's finished. So, believing it's better late than never, I'm sharing it today instead. 

No.24 This Photo

The photo is of Alan taken the day he was discharged from hospital, 8th April 2020, after he had his hip operation. As you can see, he was doing well, adapting to using the crutches and finding his mouth made a useful third hand! 

Of course, what we didn't know was that he was already infected with Covid and it was only a matter of time before we were both ill and admitted to hospital. 

The layout is based on one of Lisa Sikorski's sketches, one I've used before. This time I flipped it to allow me to fit the cut-file title (from Peartree Cutfiles). Originally white, it was coloured with an Aqua Marker - colour 'Spice'. 

Apart from the flair and flower embellishments, all materials are from older stash. I'm resisting the temptation to break into the new goodies bought recently with my birthday and Christmas money. Their day will come. 

That's it from me today. I can't even begin to guess what tomorrow will bring so no promises that I'll be back with another post. Fingers crossed. 

Stay safe and keep well. 

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts 2022 - Nos. 3&4

Hello Everyone,

Well, that's Monday over again. I know it's not everyone's favourite day of the week but it was a particularly frosty start here. Hope today isn't so cold. 

Clearly, I've fallen behind with recording pages completed so far this year so here's numbers 3 & 4, just for the record. 

3/2022 - Breathe

This layout came from my choice of  'one little word'. Not to make too much of it but I've found the last two years stressful, and there's little sign so far this year of things improving.  So I decided I need to do something to combat the stress. Choosing and concentrating on OLW is said to help and telling myself to slow down and just 'breathe' seems to me a start in the right direction. 

The choice of yellow and green - so cheerful and optimistic - seemed right too. Especially in the dark days of winter. The lemons always remind me of a wonderful week spent on the Amalfi coast, Italy, twenty or more years ago now. 

 

4/2022 - Meow You Doin'?

Loved this 'Playful Pets' paper collection but did wonder how best to use the many cut-aparts that came with it. Lisa Sikorski to the rescue with the perfect sketch (Scrap a Sketch on Facebook) and Silver, of course, with the perfect playful snaps! 

Right, that's it for this morning. We have a pink sky outside - a real bonnie dawn - which probably means more frost. I'm off to enjoy it, and do as I ought, just breathe!

Take care everyone.

Elizabeth

December Scrapbook Layouts - Nos 13,14 & 15

Hello Everyone

I trust this finds you well and raring to go now we're well into 2022. For some of you, I suspect the majority of you, it's back to normal today but for us lucky people in Scotland it's another Bank Holiday. Not that a retiree like me will notice much of a difference. One day can be much like another and it would if it wasn't for the weather. I've just spotted a few tiny snowflakes fluttering by and it comes with the promise of more tomorrow. I love snow. It makes the winter garden look so clean and pristine if only for a few days. 

I'm still trying to catch up and record the last of the scrapbook layouts of 2021 so here's three more. Of course, they were all made for the Facebook group challenges already mentioned in previous posts - Scrap Backwards, Dotty About Flair and Scrap A Sketch. 

Feelin' Frosty

The photo scrapped in this layout is from several years ago - it isn't just my stash that's old, my photographs can be too - when something very extraordinary happened to the surface of the River Ayr. It was an unusual phenomenon - isn't the one of the most difficult words in the English language - that happens when the first thaw comes after a big freeze. The ice broke up into shards  upriver and was carried downstream only to freeze again when the temperatures dropped once more. For this layout,I followed sketch, No.13 more or less as was and really the only thing of note is the title die-cut. It's dated 2001 and I remember it was included in the kind of kit, small and themed, we could buy back then. When I first started scrapbooking I relied on these ready-made kits a lot. I'm not sure they are even available nowadays. 

Movie Night

Just kidding. We don't rely on Silver to choose films for us. However, she does love to climb into the shelves and hide behind the DVDs, peeking out occasionally to see if we have noticed. The eagle-eye Mrs Dunnit might recognise the holly berry patterned paper, Anna Griffin no less, in the background as it was included in a pack she donated to the raffle at the WOYWW crop, 2018 if I remember correctly. I've been hoarding it, and periodically stroking it, ever since. 

Star Light, Star Bright

I think this photograph of my grandson holding up his son to put the finishing touch on the tree is quintessentially Christmas. The first time I saw it I couldn't help going all sentimental and remembering my own children doing much the same many hundreds of years ago ... well, it always feels so very long ago now that they are both in their 50s. Two items of note on this page. The first is the background paper - another hoarded and stroked beauty - 'Gold Dots' from the My Bright Life Collection by Jen Hadfield. The camera doesn't do the gold dots justice but in real life they are stunning. The other is the rub-on that's under the title. It's from a sheet, Kaisercraft Basics Rubons 'Jingle Bells' which is more than several years old. Rub-ons are notorious for aging badly so I was delighted when this one still adhered well. Here, just in case it can't be read on screen' are the words. 

Christmas may be MANY

things, Or it may be a few

For you, the JOY is each NEW toy,

But for ME it's watching YOU

Very apt, I think!

That's it from me today.

Keep well and stay safe,

January Scrap Kit

Hello Everyone

I hope you've enjoyed the bank holiday. We've had a quiet day here in Casa Worthington. The 'boys' amused themselves, Silver was in and out like a yo-yo, and as soon as I had some spare time I nipped up to the craftroom. I was a woman on a mission to put together a kit from my stash for the Scrap Backward challenge this month.

The idea behind the Scrap Backwards is to choose an item from old stash, ideally started but not yet finished, and build a kit around it. This month I've chosen this sticker sheet from Echo Park's 'Meow' collection. Sticker sheets are good items to start with because there's usually a few colours to use as a guide when choosing the rest of the kit. 

However, this time I've made it really easy for myself by combining the few papers and scraps that I had left from from the 'Meow' collection with the leftovers in another pet, dog, themed kit, 'Playful Pets' from Ella Bonella. Both kits are several years old. 

There's even a few cut-aparts, an alphabet, ribbon, ephemera and other embellishments which I've sorted into a tray ready for using. 

I've kept this kit deliberately small because I'm still behind with the December challenges and I'm determined to complete all there are for the month. For that reason, I don't see me making many more layouts beyond the ones set by Kathy each Monday throughout the month. 

I should get off to my bed now. I've reached the age where 10pm is the new 12pm and Silver seems to agree. 

Goodnight all.

December Scrapbook Layouts - No's. 5&6

Hello Everyone,

Back again sharing and recording the two latest pages for December. 

This is just a better pic of the one that was on my desk post yesterday. The background was made with two Brusho powders, Leaf Green & Orange. I had a moment or two of doubt whilst doing it but, once it dried, decided it would do. I kept the embellishments fairly minimal so the simple shot of rosehips in our frosty garden didn't get lost on the page. 

Page No. 6 features Alan in better times - 2018 in fact. Long before Covid. And he's wearing his favourite Christmas jumper. We'd stopped at the supermarket cafe for tea - our reward to ourselves after doing the Christmas shopping. 

As in the previous pages, I used Lisa Sikorski's sketch of the day in her Facebook Sketch-a-Thon for each page. I will continue to use her sketches for the rest of the month.

Similarly, I'm participating in the Scrap Backwards group challenge. This involves creating a kit from stash based on a sheet of stickers that has been broken into but not finished or, failing that, old embellishments like those ancient wooden stars in No.5. Admittedly, my kit for this month is enormous because I just dragged out ALL my Christmas stash. My aim is to use it all up so I can treat myself to a new collection for December 2022. 

And, because it's fun I'm doing my best to include each of the three items in Dotty About Flair's daily prompts. Day No. 5's prompts are, Texture, Rustic & Green, and No. 6's are, Water, 4 patterned papers & Silver. 

No doubt I could make scrap pages without participating in these challenges but it wouldn't be half as much fun. It also helps to see my daughter's inheritance shrinking some! 

Bye for now.

Elizabeth

December Scrapbook Layouts - Nos. 2,3,&4

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well and you had a good day. We've had foul weather today - wet and so cold - and I stayed cosy indoors.

I'm back catching up with the next 3 pages made for my December daily. As before, all challenges and groups mentioned can be found on Facebook. 

No. 2

This page is based on Lisa Sikorski's for Day 2 of her December Sketch-a-Thon, as are page no's. 3&4. This photo of Alan was taken two years ago before he caught Covid. He looks so well. For him, putting up the Christmas tree is all about the lights. Will they still work after 11 months in storage? They did that year and they did this year too.

Everything used on the page is from the kit put together for the Scrap Backwards challenge this month. Once again the flair in the lower cluster is from Dotty About Flair. There's three daily requirements all this month over on this group - on this day they were hearts, snowflakes and the colour teal, all of which I managed to include. 

No. 3

Dotty About Flair's prompts for Day 3 - circles, florals, red - are all included in this page. I chose the spray inks, red and navy blue, for the background spatters after picking out the papers, from my kit of course. For more about the photo scroll down to yesterday's post.

No. 4

This page was completed today. The prompts for this one was Christmas decorations, sequins and Kraft. The beautiful background paper is 'Sweet Winter Season' from StudioLight which is so old I can't find a date for it. The cute Docrafts Papermania snowman and deer are a few years old too. 

The photos are of my youngest great-grandson. I'm not sure I've mentioned this before but Callum is autistic and he's amazing. His main interests are geography, space & the planet's and maths and he's ace at puzzles so this jigsaw of the world map is just perfect for him. He made it up in only two days! He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and I don't doubt for one moment that he will.  

Even though I'm not exactly up-to-date, I'm pleased that I'm not far behind and enjoying scrapping a mix of old and new photos, all taken in December. Having a monthly theme is helping me work my way through a ton of old stash too. 

Now it's late so I'll bid you all a good night. Have a good day tomorrow. 

Bye for now,

Elizabeth

Scrapbook Layouts - 29-31/2021

Hello Everyone

I'm back to share more layouts made around May this year when I was taking Shimelle's Half and Half class. Consequently, all three pages have backgrounds made up of two halved sheets of 12x12 paper. 

29. For Sewing

This page records both of my sewing machines and so the paper and embellishments used are appropriately from a collection that is sewing and craft related - Simple Stories, Hey Crafty Girl, 'Makers Gonna Make' and the multicolooured thickers for the title are American Crafts 'Journey'.

30. Pampered Pooch

Again, for this page I've used patterned papers and embellishments that are related to the photo of Mylo the Chocolate Labrador looking very sorry for himself after a shampoo and rinse. Papers from two collections - Echo Park, Meow and Mind the Scrap's kit for May 2021 and thickers for title are 'Holly'from American Crafts. The dog and paw embellishments were cut with Dovecraft's dies. 

31. Life is Better with a Cat

Celebrating the arrival of the newest member of our family, Silver the kitten, born on 13 March 2021, The photos were taken throughout her first week with us when she was just 8 weeks old. The papers are from Mind the Scraps kit for May 2021, the title is a Peartree Cutfile and the kitten stickers from the Echo Park Meow collection. 

And that's it from me today. Short and sweet but will be back with three more layouts very soon.

Take care everyone and stay safe.

Scrap Page 19/2021

 Hello Everyone,

Many thanks for visiting today and for all the lovely comments received yesterday from Annie, Cathy, Kate, Kathy, Margaret and Sandra. It's so nice to hear from you all.. 

As promised yesterday, I'm sharing just the one photo and it's this one of a scrap page I put together way back on 6 February this year. However, the photos scrapped go back even further to a family wedding in 1998. Alison the bride looked fabulous. 

That's it for today. Hope to be back tomorrow with yet another brief post.

Take care.

Scrap Pages 13,14 & 15/2021

 Hello Everyone,

Welcome again to my blog and thanks for dropping in. I'm back with a few more of my scrap pages for the record.

Popeye Village

Family

Smile

These three pages were inspired by various Facebook challenges ... though I don't remember which ones now that weeks have passed. The photos in the first were taken many, many years ago (1986), in Malta on a visit to the set built especially for the Popeye film. We could only look at it from a distance then but I believe it's now a fun park.

The other two pages were made of photos of my daughter, both taken a long time ago when we were all a lot younger. Those two little boys in the Family page are both grown up, one married and the other engaged. How time flies. 

I'm keeping to my aim to use old stash up. All three pages were made using leftover paper scraps and ancient stash. In fact, the only new supply used, as far as I can see, is the white card stock that make up the background of the second and third pages. 

Hopefully, I'll be back again soon with a few more pages, just for the record.

In the meantime, I hope you are all well and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.