Scraplift contest ...

... each month Cocoa Daisy have a scraplift contest and whilst I was over there playing along with the online crop I spotted April's challenge. So here's my take on the sketch.

Hope you all have a good Bank Holiday weekend, even if it is going to be wet!!

Last one ...

... think I'll call it a day with the Cocoa Daisy challenges now. Really pleased with what I've achieved - 8 LOs in 3 days.

The final challenge was to make handmade flowers. So I put the skills I learnt on Create 10 into good use here!

My new Scarlet Lime kit has finally turned up, delayed due to volcanic ash. About time too - desperately need some new stash to play with - yipee!

BFF ...

.. I've not felt well today (sore throat and headache) and DD2 has been off school as well. Work were really kind to let me finish after 2 hours (I work from home) so I had a bit of scrappy time. The challenges on Cocoa Daisy don't close til 2nd May, so here's another one - challenge to scrap your best friend and be creative with your journalling.

I went for some hidden journalling in a Q&A style.

Have just realised I've typed a ? at the end of a good book, will have to get the Tippex out. Note my butterfly obsession is still going strong!

Due to my fabulous productivity I am now in desperate need of albums and page protectors.

One hour challenge ...

... had so so much fun with this one. The challenge was to come up with your own sketch and then post it onto the Cocoa Daisy forum within 20 mins. You then had an hour to make a LO from either on your own sketch or someone else's. Here's my sketch (a bit messy) - I based it on one of my favourite LOs.
And here's the LO!

I had some lovely new fabric delivered today. I made the girls summer dresses last year which they loved, so am planning on making some again for them. I love new fabric - the feel and the smell is so nice!

Sunday challenges ...

... the first LO was for a challenge called Dear You, which firstly was to use one of the posted staionery images as inspiration (I continued with my butterfly obbession here) and to write your journalling as a letter too someone.

This next challenge was called Everything's Gone Green - the topic of the layout had to be green and growing things and the title hand-made and in some way reflect the theme of the layout.

I had only planted these seeds about half an hour before the challenge was posted, so perfect timing! I scraplifted a LO by Doris Sander.

Challenge 6 - Strawberries and Cream ...

.... inspired LO. The challenges continue over at Cocoa Daisy and I did this LO this morning. The colours look a bit dull, where has that glorious sunshine gone???

And speaking of Cocoa Daisy, my friend Lisa is a big fan and I was delighted that she was my handmade swap partner. On Friday this lovely bundle of goodies arrives all wrapped up in pink tissue paper - a Recipe notebook, a needle holder (am always losing them on my desk!) and a gorgeous pin cushion with fabby pins. I'm over the moon with all of them, thank you Lisa xx.

Cocoa Daisy Spring Fling ...

... Cocoa Daisy are having an online crop this weekend and after enjoying Shimelle's last weekend, I thought I'd have a little nosy. You don't have to have a CD kit to take part, it's open to anyone.

Challenge 1 was to use butterflies on a non-spring LO. Since I had some Martha Stewart punches arrive this week I went a bit mad!!

Challenge 2 was to use Ronda's Laundry Lines sketch.

C-ADD ...

... this post on Ronda's blog made me laugh. I have Crafter's Attention Deficit Disorder too!!!

symptoms may include:

• blog hopping from craft site to craft site, bookmarking projects you want to tackle
  
• dreaming of scrapbook pages
• having 3 sewing scissors, 5 crafting scissors, 2 craft knives and various other cutters
• collections of ___________ (fabric, Pattern Paper, Paints, Yarns, Felt, different types of Adhesive)
• calling glue Adhesive
• jumping from sewing to crocheting, from scrapping to card making, back to crocheting, to to to to....
• having 1 or more UFO (UnFinished Objects)
• being distracted by.....ohh look there's some pretty paper ....
  

Create 10 - Journalling the Day...

... I'm always after ways to scrap a LO without a photo and today's project was perfect for this. Leo suggested using scraps of paper that we really like and I decided to go with one of my favourite manufacturers - it was a toss up between October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket and Cosmo Cricket won by a slim margin!

This also fits with one of the challenges Shimelle set yesterday to use your own handwriting on a LO. This wasn't too hard a task for me as I feel it's really important to use my own handwriting - I cherish the few things I have of my mum's with her writing on.

Saturday Challenges ...

... a couple more from yesterday.

2pm - to scraplift one of these LOS.
8pm - to scrap with 2 6X4 photos. I very rarely do this as I'm never sure to handle 2 photos on a page. So I had a quick flick through an old Scapbook Trends mag and found a LO by Lisa Truesdell perfect for these photos.

Bunting...

... back to Shimelle's Party.

Friday 10pm - challenge was to be inspired by bunting. Fortunately this Sketchy Thursday sketch was perfect for the challenge and I've used the Scrapbook Circle kit, such great colours in it.
I can also share with you another bunting project as today my handmade swapee Lisa received this gift I made her - bunting! I really loved how it came out and so shall be making some more for myself - will look great in the apple trees when there's some blossom on them.

Create 10 - Easy Embellishing ...

... don't you just love it when a plan comes together. For ages I've been wanting to scrap a picture of the fabric I bought from the US last year with October Afternoon's Cherry Hill - the patterns on both are spookily similiar! So when I saw Leo's project today I know that this would be the perfect opportunity.

I've used the photo of the skirts I made last weekend. Leo showed us how to make a fabric rosette which I done using the same fabric. Really enjoyed this one!

Shimelle's weekend party ...

... kicked off at 6pm last night. I've managed the 1st two challenges, but have had a slow start this morning (made the most of no kid's activities to go to!!)

Friday 6pm - use cupcakes as inspiration. Luckily I had these waiting to be scrapped from when we went to Primrose Bakery (as in the cupcake book) in Covent Garden. Yum Yum Yum! I've used a PencilLines sketch. Friday 8pm - use Shimelle's LO as inspiration. As you can see I've used it as a sketch and the title. Excuse the goofy pictures of me and DH - it was New Year's Even and we'd had a few!!

I realised when I was scrapping these LOs how little I'd used my recent Scarlet Lime kits, so I'm looking forward to a productive weekend!

Whilst waiting for the party to start I took a fancy to this card on Kristine Werner's blog. Simples!

Right I have an hour before picking DD2 up from a party so I'm going to make a start on my Creat 10 Day 4 project.

Card Challenge ...

... Leo set us a challenge on the Crafty Templates blog to make a card using the techniques we've learnt so far. So here's my attempt with more ribbon roses and a bit of doodling.

Project 2 - Scrap A Doodle Do ...

... today was all about doodling and I finally made use of the March Scrapbook Circle kit. Very different scrapping style for me and although I'm not so sure about the colouring in on my doodling I'm really enjoying doing something different.
Loved making these ribbon hearts.

Create 10 - Flowery Fun ...

... I scrapped! Yeah! In the first project of Create 10 Leo showed us how to make flowers from tissue paper and ribbons. The LO also include spraying glimmer mist through lace. Now I don't know if it's me or the glimmer mist (I only own one bottle) but I haven't been happy with the results each time I've used it. The misting's OK on this LO but you can't see the lace mask too clearly.

Here are the flowers I made. Definitely could have done with a glue gun for the ribbons ones, I stitched them as I rolled the ribbon up.

Great feeling to use up some old stash. Looking forward to tomorrow now.

A little update ...

... I'm still here!!! Hope you all had a great Easter. We had a lovely break in Dorset despite car troubles, the weather and tummy bugs!!!!

I have done a few crafty things recently. My handmade swap for Lisa is ready to post, I've made a few cards and at the weekend I made some skirts for the girls that I've been wanting to for ages.

One thing about having tall girls is that their jeans get too short for them before they grow out of the waist. Ta dah! Recycled into skirts! I had great fun with these and they didn't take long at all.

Had a little stash purchase and had this gorgeous bundle of Bakers Twine arrive yesterday from ebay in very cute packaging with a great card that I shall use in a project at some point.

I am hoping to scrap loads in the next few days (that's maybe a little optimistic!) Create 10 starts tomorrow, I signed up for this a little while ago and almost forgot about it. Leo has put together some fantastic supplies list for each project and really I wish I'd spent some time gathering my stash but in reality I shall probably see what each project looks like and take it from there.

Shimelle has also organised a weekend cybercrop for students past and present, so I think I'll drop into the forum and see what's going on.