This weekend has been a busy creative time. I completed my invites for my 40th birthday party with help from my mum and aunty, well they are all written out and will be winging their way to peeps this week...........ooooh its exciting.

Yesterday I completed another sketch challenge, that makes 5 this week. This time on the sketchabilities sketch blog, love this sketch was very versatile and enjoyed completing this layout, although took me forever. Why does it take me and age to finish a layout..............other people do two or three a night and I struggle to create one a night and spend hours doing so.

Heres the fabby sketch

I used Lily bee "christmas town" loved these papers and they arent very christmassy so great for everyday layouts, butchers twine, and thickers........quite a simple look.

I'm off now to look at what I can get up to this week......................lets hope Feb can be as creative as January. 

On a roll........

I must be on a roll...............yes another layout, thats 4 this week. This time a sketch from Shimelle's blog, using January kit from My Scrapbook Nook. The kit features "hot chocolate" range from Fancy Pants, wasnt sure if I would use these but love the colours and they are very usuable for more than just winter theme layouts. 

heres the sketch

and heres my layout..............featuring Mable once again, 

 thanks Shimelle, fabby sketch, hope to play along again soon and whoops sorry Sandra x

sketchy Thursday

Well had a day off today, spent it mostly on my backside not doing much, except giving Mable tons of cuddles as she visited vet yesterday to get spayed and is feeling very sorry for herself. She's good gets a little burst of energy then sleeps for a bit, actually think she's a bit bored as she loves running about and is normally packed with energy. So as I spent most of the day blog hopping, I came across yet another Sketch challenge blog called "Sketchy Thursday" loved the sketch so got out my stash and got to work. Well after a bit I finished up with this and look.............no stitching so resisted stitching around the main patterned paper after I had distressed it

used Cosmo Cricket circ 1934 papers.............mmm me think some stitching is in order.

bit of pink paislee

My pick from Pink Paislee, loving this collection..............very scrummy, and added to my shopping list

my favourite piece of patterned paper.........................its mouthwatering :) might have to buy several sheets of this when it hits the uk.

new echo park

I have been loving the new releases for CHA....Will share a few of my favourites over next few days. Today loving the new Echo Park, fab colour combo...................and very usable indeed, best get saving as there is lots of yumminess out there.

What do you think????

Studio Calico Sunday Sketch

Well heres my take on the Studio Calico Sunday Sketches and yet again I've use the December kit, love these colours, think its my favourite combo at moment. Mixed it with some Martha Stewart punched butterflies cut from Kraft and guess what............more stitching

so now need to get cracking with the sketch from Creative Scrappers.

pencil lines sketch #222

Last night was spent beavering away at my little personal scrapping challenge, completed one layout and nearly finished another. So almost half where there.............and its only Tuesday.

This layout features the new pencil line sketch #222, loved the shape and layout of sketch.......although I did struggle a bit with it to get it right, I'm reasonably happy with it. I've used mainly used bits and pieces from October and November Studio Calico kits theses kits were very similar and work really well together. As you can see more stitching its seems to appear on most layouts lately maybe why its taking me so long to scrap, also some handmade flowers using papers and jewelled brads. Brads are something I havent used much lately.....they also appear on next layout too, and maybe a bit more stitching. Think my next personal challenge should be not to stitch.

thanks for looking and pop back this evening for the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch.

HAPPY MONDAY..........

Hope your weekend was good, but doesn't it fly over.......and its soon Monday morning.

This weekend we had such good fun catching up with very old friends at Wendy 40th, had a fabby night and Sunday was spent generally chilling after running around all week getting house sorted, still got a few things to do this week so I can have my day off on Thursday to myself and get a bit of creating done. 

I have challenged myself to do three sketches as I love them all this week...........firstly is a sketch from Creative Scrappers, check out their blog. I've only recently found this sketch blog and love it

secondly is the old faithful pencil lines blog, this blog is packed with gorgeous sketches and tons of inspiration by very talented designers................particularly love this weeks sketch.

finally is Sunday Sketches from Studio Calico, so will dig into a Studio Calico kit and get creative

so hopefully will get time to scrap now I have been inspired. Check back and see if I completed all three sketches.

Studio Calico Card

just a quickie one tonight, last night while I was suppose to tidying.........I made this.

Using January Studio Calico kit, also bits and pieces from nov/oct kit.............a cuppa tea is calling me 

I have a plan

This week, I need to keep myself  BUSY, Busy,  BUSY.

So house is so untidy and needs to get sorted and cleaned...........so that will be my mission for the week, not very exciting but needs must sometime. The list is very long, but will plod away ticking things off.

Yesterday was really a total waste of a day, although last night I got a little creating done using January's Studio Calico kit and a few bit from previous kits (butterflies, borders and alpha's ) alpha's as ones in kit seemed too small for what i had plan. As you may see more stitching, tried stitching with a lighter colour as normally use a darker shade............and it didnt take as long as previous attempts. I also used  this week sketch from "Creative Scrappers" ......still on the lookout for Challenge and sketch blogs to get my teeth into, I have started to link them in the side panel. Photograph is of my mum, dont normally get many pics of her, but love this one.............dad maybe next. Have a lovely Monday and hopefully I will have something to share mid week.

sunday sunday

Firstly feeling a little ropey today after a nightout with the girls from work, we were celebrating Christine 40th at local pub then headed into Shields for more drinks.............a good night had by all.

I got nothing done I planned, no housework or scrapping just took Mable for her walk along the coast, that really cleared my head. I got a page to share, I finished this on Thursday night...........took me 4 hours, I'm such a slow scrapper. I used more Mable pics to create my highlight of 2010.............this is a challenge over at Sarah's Cards. I used more of the Studio Calico kit from December

thanks for looking.........can you please leave me some links to more challenges and sketches

more studio calico

Loving the December Metropolitan range from Studio Calico, glad as I a little disappointed with the Oct and Nov kits, although they are lovely I just cant do a thing with them maybe they just not my style, and I think I definitely have a style although wouldn't have a clue how to describe it, any ideas???

Last night was determined to do some creating, keeping up with my "must scrap more resolution", to no avail.........as bedtime approached inspiration struck and i was up til 1.30 finishing layout..........better late than never. So today I'm shattered as after i eventually went to sleep was awake  three times and then up with James for school at 7. Hoping a hour walk along the beach in this damp weather will wake me up as coffee has had little effect. 

well back to layout, as I'm determined to use more inspiration blogs this time I had used good old pencil lines it never lets you down, the blog is stuff with inspiration and very talented designers, hopefully one day my work will be good enough. I used this weeks sketch #220 and of course December's kit from Studio Calico, added some butterflies from a martha stewart punch and a bit of stickles. 

photographs of Mable when she was ten weeks old, she was adorable bundle of fluff. Here a pic of her now she is 5 months old...........they do grow up fast, and shes very quickly found a place in my heart............my bestest friend 

right off to beach, catch you laters maybe with a few cards

studio calico

Tonight saw me home alone as James has gone to a gig. I was looking forward to a night scrapping while watching the ice skating and wild at heart, love sunday night telly. So I challenged myself to use one of my unused kits, I choose December's Studio Calico kit and along with the new sketch on the Studio Calico blog.......after about shuffling papers and searching through galleries, this is what i eventually came up with just using the kit.

The idea came from the fact one of my resolutions for 2011 is to scrap more, complete more challenges and get myself out in to the scrapping world again....was a giggle really as i'm really restruggling with my mojo at moment not sure which direction my crafting is going. Other resolutions are to not let money or lack of it get me down, just enjoy time with friends and family, also to say yes more often instead of making excuses why i cant.

more cards

I've been full of busy crafting this week, making some new cards, also recovering from a bout of cold.........slowly feeling better.

Heres another card using scraps and kraft.................also bit of hand stitching.

Now going to get cracking with the rest of Lucy's sketches.......................catch you laters

friends

In Feb 2010 We first met up with people I went to school with, I was very nervous meeting up after 20 odd years..........but we had a fab time, and arranged to meet up again. Well after several nightouts a few of us girls have bonded into a great friendship and try to meet up quite regularly...........this photo was taken on one such nights. We have a brill time and lots of laughs, looking forward to most of us turning 40 and many more nights out.

This layout was completed using Cosmo Cricket circa 1934, these are gorgeous papers and hoping to play more over the weekend

Not sure if I should try out for a design team........what do you really think??? do I give it a try???

At last

I'm a few days behind on Lucy's sketch challenge hopefully tonight I'll catch up with the rest of the week. I'll leave you with day 4 using Lily bee "vintage poppy papers"

thanks for all the get well wishes, cold still hanging about but feel a lot better.

Day Two

Morning, still feeling a wee bit poorly today............took til now 11.30 to pull myself together, sniffy and achy, so with help from lemsip, feeling bit more perky although not myself. Right enough of the whinging back to the crafting, here my attempt at day two on Lucy's blog, think shes up to day 4 so a bit catching up to do, but defo not in mood to craft right now........so you have to wait

thanks Lucy fab sketch, enjoying playing along...............be back soon

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all, wishing you all much happiness in 2011.......I'm glad to get back to normal today, tree and decorations down for another year.
This year I'm determined to get involved in more crafty challenges, and do lots more crafting.......keeping my mojo on its toes.
Well found a fab card sketch challenge, Lucy is doing a week of sketches, so thought I'd join in, her work is gorgeous find her blog here

so here is example for day one

using scraps and a Heidi Swap stamp....

 loved sketch so much couldnt help another attempt think these are papers from love elsie (out of scrap box) and again same stamp

going to use as many scraps as i can for all the challenges, as i have lots and lots at mo.....what do you do with your scraps??????

back tomorrow with day 2 and hopefully day 3