Happy Thoughts Card - Little Girl

Over on the I Love ProMarkers Challenge the theme for this week is...

Anything Goes

Following on from my last Post (can be seen here or below this one in my Blog) when I created a stepper card from a 5x7 card blank, I decded that when It came to decorating it I would use it with images coloured using my ProMarkers.

This image of a little girl trying on clothes always makes me smile - so here she is as part of a 'Happy Thoughts' card.

The little girl was a free stamp on a magazine (sorry I can't remember which one); the words came from a embossing folder (embossed in white and heighlighted with brown ink) and the sentiment stamp was from Little Claire Designs.

Both the Girl & sentiment were coloured using the ProMarkers.

WOYWW - 31 August 2011

It's Wendnesday again, so time for a look at my Work Desk...

Since I brought My Hougie Board and found how easy it was to create a Stepper Card I wanted to create them in a different size from the instructions, as at the moment a A5 Card is just too big for me to work with.

So, my thinking cap went on and I used the Hougie Board instructions to try and figure out the maths side, now I have been able to do that I can create a Stepper Card any size I want!!!!

On my desk at the moment is:

The Hougie Board Instructions
A card that went wrong (made using plain printer paper)
My workings out (on scrap paper)
A card that went right (also on printer paper)
The finished card (using a 5x7 card blank)

Not bad for 30 minutes work!!! All I need to do now is decide how to decorate it... that is the hard bit for me, and I can tell you now that it will take more than 30 minutes!!

When I get chance I will create a How To... for my 'Any Size' stepper card.

Christmas Easel Card

While hopping around various Blogs yesterday I found another challenge blog.

The 'Craft Us Crazy Challenge' has the challenge 'Anything Goes'

So here is my entry...

Based on a 5x7 Card, I used a selection of scraps & bits to create this Easel Card

LiM - Choose 3...

This weeks Less is More challange is:

We have chosen a Recipe this time

Take 3 Challenges

We want you to choose 3 from any of our previous 29 and combine them in your design.
There is a list of our previous challenges under the tab heading at the top of our blog and you can also see the previous sketches under a separate tab.

Please state which 3 you have chosen.

So after having a look at the list of previous challanges I found that the christmas card I had just created did fit into 3 of the Challanges.

Week 2 - Flower or Tree

Week 12 - Off Centre

Week 29 - Things that Move

The image is a Digi Stamp from Little Claire Design, coloured with ProMarkers.

Envelope Book - 70th Birthday

I did not want to post these pictures until after my Dad's 70th Birthday - Just in case he saw them and knew about this gift.  His birthday has now been and gone, so I can safely upload the pictures. 

I created this Envelope Book at the same time as creating the How To... in an earlier post.  In the pockets I added 3 x Lottery Scratch Cards & WH Smith Gift Card.

Ruby's Rainbow Challange - Stitching

I have only just found the 'Ruby's Rainbow Challange' blog and thought that I would join in too... The current challenge is:

Now onto this fortnights challenge which is STITCHING this can be faux or real

Getting the sewing machine out was not going to happen, so it would be Faux stitching.  I had just completed my first decoupage images using the Me to You bears, so what better topic for a stitching theme.  I had created a second Image which was not used, so I decided to use that on this card.

I don't know what has come over me today, in less that 1 hour I have created 2 cards (for 3 challenges) & had time to upload them to my blog - WOW I am impressed with myself.

Happy Thoughts

For the first time ever I have created a card which fits into 2 challenges - I think I am starting to get the hang of this challenge idea.

Ok I must confess... the fact that it fitted into 2 challenges was not built into the design of the card, it was an accident - but a good one.

This card is for the following challenges...

Less is More - Something that moves
I Love ProMarkers - Paper Piercing

This was my first attempt at Paper Piercing and I think that I might have got the holes slightly too close together, but I am still happy with the way it turned out.

The Boat is a Digi Stamp from Little Claire Designs and the 'Bringing You Happy Thoughts' is a Stamp again from Little Claire Designs.

Card Made With a Gift

A friend was at a car boot sale at the weekend and found a large bag of stamps for sale.  As he knew that I was making more and more cards he decided to buy them. 

Last night I received the bag and had to wait until he had left before diving in to find out what treasures I had been given... there was a wide selection of stamps - most are currently heaped on my desk (WOYWW - Stamps, stamps and a few more stamps!)

I found one stamp featuring a lady that I decided to use straight away... I took a deep breath and stamped straight onto card, after colouring with ProMarkers I was pleased with the result.

Several of the stamps were cast in Rubber and had what looked like EZ Mount fixed to the back. 

It was not EZ Mount - the sticky stuff was not repositionable!!!  I tried to remove it from my stamp block and managed to do so without damaging the stamp. I know have to find the 'Sticky Stuff Remover' that might be in the kitchen to remove the remains of 'stuff' left on the block. I have stuck the stamp to a piece of OHP film until I am able to sort it out.

Quick question time - How can I remove the backing from the stamp so that I can fix 'EZ Mount' to the rubber stamp?????

LiM - Theme, Something that Moves

The Less is More Challenge this week is as follows:

Now onto this week's challenge which is a 'Theme' and we would like to see

Things that Move

This could be interpreted in a variety of ways...an actual moving component on your card, so a pop up, a shaker, a spinner, a charm, a tag... we could go on... 

On the other hand your card could have an image of something capable of movement, so the scope for that is almost infinitesimal!

Ok, My thinking cap did not have to be on for too long... I had quite a number of choices.  So here is what I hope will be the first.

Featuring the lovely Me to You bear

In fact this was a first on several counts:
My first square card
The first time I have used scoring as an effect on a card
My first successful decoupage image
The first time I had use Pinflair Gel to create the decoupage layers

In the past I have attempted decoupage images, but they looked rubbish and ended up in the bin as I could not bring my self to use them.

After watching a couple of Create & Craft shows when Pinflair was used to create the layers (rather than foam pads) I decided to give it a go... I was so impressed with the result that I then did another Me to You  decoupage image, and it too looked good.

In fact I am so proud of my success I even took a picture of the layers.  My main concern was the depth of the finished card as if it was to be sent by post I do not know how well the Pinflair Gel would survive (does anyone have any idea???).

Showing the layers on my card.

To Scrap or Not to Scrap????

That is the question... but what is the answer.  Recently I started to think about the amount of scrapbooking I do.  My thought process goes like this...

• Why do I create scrapbook pages? that answer is easy because I enjoy working with paper & creating things.
• Who will look at my scrapbooks? well, most of the time it will be just me & DH - I do occasionally show others my books, but they are for me.
• How often do I get my Scrapbooks out? Hardly at all, most of my albums live in the top section of my wardrobe and rarely see the light of day.
• Who will look at them after I go? the sad answer is probably Nobody, DH & I don't have kids so the albums won't be passed on to anyone. 

Up to know I have never really got into cards, and I am still a really new card maker.  Part of me is enjoying making cards more than I am Scrapping at the moment.

I do however still plan to keep scrapping, but the amount of pages I create for My own albums will reduce.  I will still create layouts for my nephew's Album (especially as he now has his own 12x12 album).

Pictures from our 2010 Florida Holdiay will be created on the computer and then printed out to fit a 8x8 album.  I will also create odd pages for various holidays... I just won't be creating pages for everything.

Over time maybe my thoughts will change, and I will return to Scrapping with vengence.  At the moment however, I think that Cards are the right way for me to go. 

The other thing I am enjoying at the moment creating cards is that I am able to learn new things with cards, techniques that I would not use for Scrapping.  The challenges I have found also gets me thinking and something to look foward to.

Well that is it for my thought at the moment - especially as my brain is starting to hurt from thinking too much LOL.

How To... Create a Envelope/Box Thing

Ok, I did promise a How To... Create the Envelope/Box Thing I created to hold my Dad's birthday Envelope Book card.

Once again I have taken photos at each stage, you will notice that I have used my new Hougie Board (I have fallen in love with my Hougie) for all of the scoring.

The  most difficult bit was working out what size paper I was going to need to create the envelope/box... so here goes my explanation for working out what size paper you need the information in (and in Blue) will show you how I worked out the size that I needed for this envelope/box:

Card Height
Measure the height of your card & add 0.5cm (My card is 11cm, adding 0.5cm gives me a height of 11.5cm)
Multiply the height by 2 (11.5cm x 2 = 23cm)
Measure the Depth of your card and Multiply by 2 (my card is 1cm deep - 1cm x 2 = 2cm)
Add the Depth to the height of your card (23cm + 2cm = 25cm)
Add the size of your envelope Flap - I have used 3cm (25cm + 3cm = 28cm)

Card Width
Measure the width of your card & add 0.5cm (My card is 11cm, adding 0.5cm gives me a width of 11.5cm)
Measure the Depth of your card and Multiply by 2 (my card is 1cm deep - 1cm x 2 = 2cm)
Add the Depth to the Width of your card (11.5cm + 2cm = 13.5cm)

After working out the size I then cut a peice of white paper measuring 28cm x 13.5cm

I hope that you were all able to follow my working out, this has reminded me of Algebra (I could never work out what X was equal to!!!!)

Creating the Envelope/Box:

Score along the lenght of the card at 3cm (to create the Tab) and at 4cm (to create the depth of the card)

Turn the paper around, then score at 11.5cm (the Height of the card) & 12.5cm (to create the depth of the card)

Score along the short edge at 1cm & 12.5cm (to create the depth of the card)



Using scissors or craft knife cut from the edge of the short edge to the score line of your depth (this will create a tab which will fold into the card).  Also but out the depth of the card from the envelope tab

I have shown in Green pen the area I then added glue to...

My finished box.

I hope you find this How To... useful.

Blog Candy - A Thousand Sheets of Paper

Over on the 'A Thousand Sheets of Paper' Blog they have blog candy available:  This is what a Thousand sheets of paper looks like - AMAZING.



In addition to the Paper there is all the stamps shown in the image below...


I have never taken part in a Blog Candy draw before, so this is something new for me.  However as I am now creating more cards than Scrapbook pages at the moment (more about why this has changed for me later) the idea of 1,000 sheets of paper would be fab :)

Well I can hope, can I LOL.

Marie Curie Walk Ten

Last night DH & I (and some friends) took part in the Marie Curie Walk Ten.  It is a similar idea to the 'Race for Life' only it is over 10km (6miles) and it is a walk and not a race.

Last night we were walking around the grounds of Grimsthorpe Castle, near Bourne, Lincolnshire.  There were 220 people & assorted dogs walking the course. It was a great evening finished with a Hog Roast and Fireworks :)

At the beginning of the evening all 5 of us got a daffodil pained on our faces - just because we could LOL... here is the evidence.

The last 1-2km were hard work (especially as they were up hill!!!!), but we all crossed the finish line in 2 hours & 5 minutes. 

I am so proud of DH for completing the 10km, especially with his current health problems. 

Envelope/Box Thing

Here are a couple of pictures of the Envelope/Box thing I made to hold my Dad's Envelope Book. 

From the Front - The letters are Pre-cut in Foam

Stood on it's side

I will sort out a 'How To...' in the next couple of weeks - but it was so easy to create and would be so easy to create at any size.

More than an envelope

As you had probably gathered most of my posts are done during the week as weekends are just too busy - but saying that I have a busy week comming up!

However, I just needed to add a quick post from me... I'm not sure what they are called but I just made and envelope/box thing.  I needed to create something to put my Dad's birthday Envelope Book into (photos will be posted after his birthday :) ) An Evelope was going to be too skinny and a box too fiddley (it's only about 0.5cm deep).

So I mixed the 2 together.  After I had worked out the paper size I was going to need my new Hougie Board made the rest soooooo easy.  I was amazed how quick & easy it was - and I think it looks Brilliant!!!! - and it was so easy (did I just say that??). I think you get the idea LOL.

I will post a photo & hopefully a 'How To...' later on in the week.

I Love ProMarkers Challenge - #79 - Easel Card

I have just discovered the I Love ProMarkers Challange Blog.

Here is a Easel card I recently created featuring a Little Claire Designs stamp.  I also added 3 flowers, the 'Stop' is a Wooden flower, also coloured by ProMarkers.

How To... Create an Envelope Book

This 'How To' will take you through step by step how to create an Envelope Book.  These are small and can be used as the basis for a Mini-Album, Card or a 'Gift Card' holder.

You will need:
2 x DL Envelopes (must not be the 'self seal' type - you need the old fashoned flap)
Plain/Pattened Paper of your choice
Enbelishments of your choice
Hole Punch
Eyelets, Brads or Ribbon (to create the binding)
Plenty of ideas/imagination

The following Pictures show each step to create the Envelope Book:

Score your envelope at the following measurements from the left edge: 9cm, 11cm (the centre) & 13cm

Fold the envelop in half along the centre line - with the envelope flap inwards

Now fold along the other 2 score lines in the oposite direction

The 2cm center area will be used hold your book together.

Repeat with a 2nd envelope and place one inside the other, this will give you the 'book' with a Front & Back and 6 inner pages (4 with pockets).

Cut plain or pattened paper to 8cm x 10xm to fit onto the Front, Back and inner pages - when you  have a pocket add the paper behind the flap.

Add your embelishments to the Envelope Book.

Once decorated you can then secure the pages together, how you do this is up to you but here are some suggestions...
2 or 3 Eyelets
2 or 3 Brads
Ribbon

I would like to thank Sue Hartop for showing me how to create this Envelope Book.

Bad week - sort of...

Due to a problem with the scales at Weight Watchers the great loss last week of 4lb was not real :(

This week we have a new set of scales and they say that compared to last week I have put on 3.5lb.

This means that I still have 1lb to reach my 2nd stone.

Most of us in the meeting last week all lost - and were all a bit confused at the amount of weight we all lost. This week most of us had put weight on.

Ok, now I have that out of my system I can concentrate on next week. I want to get my 2 Stone back...


Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

My New Toy

I just wanted to say that my Toy arrived today - it was delivered to work and I had to take the package straight out to the car when it arrived. Other wise I could have got carried away - just not with work (LOL).

I am now home and could not wait to unpack it and have a play... What is my new Toy???? well here it is:

I now have a Hougie Board :)

Opps...

Last night was due to be a Crop Evening in Lincoln.  As usual I left home and went to pick up a friend on the way... when I arrived Sue is normally outside waiting (with assorted bags), but there was no sign of her outside.

Soooo I went and rang her door bell, Sue then had to break the news to me... a text was sent at about 3.30pm to say the Crop had been cancelled as the lady who was running it was ill.  After checking my phone I found the text message, I had not heard it arrive (or checked my phone before leaving home).

Opps, in the end I joined Sue for a cuppa and a chat.  Sue mentioned that she had been working on some 'Envelope Books' I asked her what she meant (I had seen a mini-book created with C5 envelopes before).  The examples she showed me were amazing, each book was created out of 2 DL envelopes and has 4 pockets (provided you do not use the self seal envelopes).

The Envelope Books are ideal for general greetings or to be used to hold the new style of 'Gift Card'.  This started by brain working again... on the way back home I decided to have a go a creating a book.

The evening proved to be very productive and the book is nearly finished - I did take a number of photos last night but the light was rubbish.  As soon as I do get a decent set of photos I will add a 'How To...' and a few pictures.

Memory Lane

Originally Posted at the Beginning of August 2011...

I have just been looking at Prompt 2 of the Blogging For Scrapbookers course by Shimelle Laine, so after a bit of thinking here is 'Post 2'.

I remember a picture of me sitting on a boat, taken some where on the Norfolk Broads while on holiday with Mum & Dad.  I'm not sure, but I think that I might have had a book in my hands (that happened a lot back then :) ). I would have been about 19 or 20 as the holidays on the boat were after my anxiety came to the surface.

Edited: I could not find the picutre I remembered, so I asked my Mum to have a look.  It turns out that the picutre I remembered was with my Mum sitting on the boat and not me - but I know that I did the same thing during the holiday (and yes Mum was reading as well :) ). Here is the picture any way, as well of one including me...

This is the original picutre I had in mind - but featured my Mum and not me

I am on the left and my Mum is on the right - Dad would have been behind the camera

Looking back on that picture my thoughts go in 2 different directions:

1. What I was like then - I was shy, timid and would not have said boo to a goose.  I was struggling to live with my anxiety and at times I could not see any light at the end of the tunnel.  My main escape was reading, when I got lost in a storyline my anxiety would just melt away - until I returned back to the real world!!
2. What I am like now - I would not only say boo to the goose, I would probably tell it off too LOL.  Yes, many years later and lots of hard work later, I have finally won the battle with anxiety.  I still have my bad days, but on the whole I have made it!! My life is different in so many ways & I am able to cope with things that would have sent me into a shivering wreck back then.

I really must find the photo I am thinking off and create an electronic copy, if nothing else to find out if I did have my nose in a book.

Looking back to myself then, would I have ever thought that I would be sitting here now writing my feelings & memories in a Blog? - let alone have got married, traveled around the world and done 101 other things that are part of normal life!

NO WAY!!!!! - the me you see now has been shaped by all of my experiences over the years, including the anxiety. 

I can see things changing in the future, after all the world changes and we have to adapt too.  But change does not scare me like it once did, I now embrace change and move on to bigger & better things.

WOYWW - 17 August 2011

It is Wednesday so here is my WOYWW...

This week my work desk looks more produtive... I have finally got around to cutting & mounting a set of stamps I brought ages ago (Messy Rabbit from Joanna Sheen - Stamped with Love), I then had to find my EZ Mount Sheets!

They are now mounted and I am still trying to get the sticky stuff of my fingers LOL! 

I have a small pile of cards which have been made over the last couple of weeks that I plan to stamp the back with the 'Hand Made With Love' stamp.

In addition I also have my embossed Angel ready to be used on another card.

Tonight is Crop Night and I will add pictures of the Layouts completed tomorrow.

Happy Crafting :)

Not Quite What I Wanted...

Once again I had an idea in my head for the Less is More challenge (a 1 Layer Card using Ink), but it did not go quite to plan... I wanted to use an Angel stamp I had and create the impression of 1 main angel, with a couple more in the back ground.

So I got out my Embossing Ink Pad and created a single image, added the Gold Embossing power and heated... so far so good.

I then created a mask of the image and put that over the top of the Embossed Angel.  Inking the stamp again with the Embossing Ink I stamped 2 more Angels (so they would appear in the back ground.

Now for a first attempt it was not bad, but It was not quite what I was looking for!

My 1st Attempt

Attempt number 2... this time I did not use the Embossing Powder, just the ink, this one I did like but the 1st stamped image was not great :(

My 2nd Attempt

For my 3rd attempt I decided to try it on White Paper... The 1st Angel was stamped & embossed in Gold and did look good.  I then tried to use only the Embossing Ink for 2 more 'stood behind' her... the other 2 Angels did not really show up.

My 3rd Attempt

In hind site I should have stoped the 3rd attempt after embossing the Gold Angel... never mind, I guess I can cut her out and use her again on another card.



LiM - One Layer with Ink

The Less is More challange this week is as follows:

Once more we are back to the second week of the month and so our challenge is for a

ONE LAYER CARD

If you are not sure of the principles of this genre, do check out our Guidelines at the top of our blog.

The special feature we would like to see this week is for you to 

USE INK
** This does include ink pads **

...hopefully in a way you haven't tried before.... or using a favourite technique.

The thinking behind this card did not take too long, the only 'Ink' I currently own is either in pens on on Ink Pads - Not too much choice there then LOL.

So ink pads it was to be... Yesterday (Sunday) I was able to grab a few minutes to create this card.

The Stamp is from 'Little Claire Designs' and is coloured using my trusty ProMarkers :)

It's Monday Again...

Where did the weekend go????

DH & I had a busy weekend with a quick trip into town for shopping in the morning, then came the bit I had been putting of time & time again... Clearing out the spare room!!!!!

If I am in a 'Tidy' mood then there is not a problem - but I was not!!!  In 2 weeks time DH sister & family will be staying with us and will need to use the spare room.  On Saturday morning you could not see the beds at all and the floor was a bit hit and miss (sad to say non of this was craft stuff!).

I did get on and by Saturday evening you could see the floor and use the beds (well almost LOL).  The loft now contains more insulation (but I did throw out several bits).  Over the next couple of weeks I just need to finish putting thing away, but that should be OK.

Also during the afternoon I had a 'Spring Clean' in my wardrobe... things that had not been worn for a while were put into bags for the charity shops.  On a positive note a large number of clothes also went into the charity bag because they no longer fit - this is such a good feeling.  To know that I have lost 2 stone in weight and now clothes are too BIG. 

On the down side it does mean that I have to go our shopping for clothes, which is not my favourite type of shopping!! Saturday morning saw me spend £115 on clothes - but they were a size 14 and not 16/18 :0

I did get chance to create 1 card on Sunday which was for the Less is More challenge, but I have not yet taken a picture... hopefully I will do this later and get it added as soon as possible.

LIM - Nations Flags (Part 2)

I have just finished my 2nd card for the Less is More challenge (using the colours of your Nations Flag - Red, White & Blue of the Union Jack)... I had the idea but actually creating what I though of has really got me thinking hard.

The idea was to use Ribbon, I had decided to weave it to create a topper for a card... well that was the idea, in practice it was slightly different.

I created a frame with card stock to stick the vertical ribbons to and then wove the horizontal ones between them.  I was then going to sick the 'frame & Ribbons' onto the front of the card.  However this did not look very good. 

After putting on my thinking hat, I ended up with a white card (even thought the light make it look pink) and cut a 7x7cm hole in the front. The frame sits at the back of the card, creating a sandwich with the ribbon between the main card and frame.

I am quite happy with the outcome and this was the first time I have tried to weave ribbon and I don't think I will be doing so again!  But it was fun trying.

Weight Watchers

Another good evening - I lost 4lb this week.

It has taken forever but I have finally achieved my 4th Silver 7. It has taken me just over 2 months to loose 7lb!!!

Total weight loss - 30.5lb :)

WOYWW 10 August - Part 2

After posting my Craft Corner for WOYWW earlier today I was so ashamed on what it looked like I decided to do something about it.

2 hours, 1 rubbish bag & 1 recycling bag later: I now have a tidy Craft Corner, the next task is to move the bits from the conservatory up to the Corner.




The tidy Craft Corner - How long will it stay like this????

 

LiM - Nations Flag

This Less is More Challenge got me thinking - my colour are Red, White & Blue for the Union Jack... so I put on my thinking cap and came up with this...

The card is about 4x6" and is White, the flowers were white and were coloured with my ProMarkers and I added a brad for the centre.  The butterflies were wooden embellishments again coloured with ProMarkers.

A very simple and I think elegant looking card which did not take too long to make - but plenty of thinking time LOL.

I have even had a couple of other thought and will attempt to create another card before Saturday.

10 Things...

Last month (on the 11th) I found Shimelle Laine's 10 Things post.  At the time I though 'I like that idea' and would try to join in next month - the plan was to try and think of the 10 in advance of the 10th... but it is now the 10th and I have nothing planned.

So here goes... my 1st ever 10 Things is -

1. Lincoln Cathedral - We visited on an open weekend as well as looking around the main Cathedral we also booked places on both the 'Roof Tour' & the 'Tower Tour' - by the end of the visit our legs ached like never before... but the views were worth it :)
2. Thetford Caravan Site - On this site we were situated on the edge of Thetford Forrest, the site was very basic and we were trying out our new caravan for the first time.  We had an enjoyable week and saw plenty of wildlife on the site.
3. West Stow Village - While staying in Thetford we saw signs to a Saxon Village, so we decided to visit.  It was a lovely little museum with a Saxon Village created on the remains of an actual village - in addition the tea room did a great Toasted Sandwich :)
4. Cambridge - I am a Cambridge girl born & bred and every month on the 2nd Saturday we visit Girton (on the outskirts of Cambridge) to present the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Computer Group, more about this another time.
5. Newark Air Museum - Both DH and I love visiting the museum, over the years we have got to know a number of the volunteers and we spent a great day over the Easter weekend just 'wombling' about the museum.
6. RAF Waddington Air Show - held each year at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, as usual we attended but being part of a Charity Stand we don't really get chance to look around.  It is however a very enjoyable weekend.
7. Italian Mountains - While in Italy recently we were staying near a few mountains, I could very easily get used to the views, every day was different.  Both DH & I took sooooo many pictures, more than I will ever scrap.  Being up in the mountains and seeing clouds below us was fantastic!!!!
8. Venice, Italy - We also spent the day in Venice, you just have to.  Due to the school holidays Venice was packed with people but DH & I have decided to return again in either the Spring or Autumn :)
9. Ranworth Church - Part of the Norfolk Broads Ranworth has a lovely little church (called St Helen's) with a tower, the tower is open and visitors can climb to the top to get great views of the Norfolk Broads.  Once you have made it back down, visit the tea room for a fabulous Cream Tea - and only £2.50!!!!
10. The Abbey of St Benets - Also found in the middle of the Norfolk Broads this old Abbey dates back to the Middle Ages. Although you had to dodge the cow pats the remains are a bold landmark in the flat landscape.  DH & I had a break from the boat and looked around the remains :)

Well, that is my 10 Things for this month and I will try to be more organised for next month.

Places I have visited so far during 2011

WOYWW - 10 August 2011

As it is WOYWW I thought I would share with you my crafting space - not just the table in the conservatroy (that I am using at the moment to work on).

In the corner of our 'Computer Room' there is a small desk (just large enough to fit 2 peices of 12x12 paper side by side) which is my usual work area... that is it would be if I got round to cleaning the desk, chair, floor, shelves - do you get the idea!

The desk tends to be a 'dumping ground' for anything and everything, sooooo I have been cheeting and using the table in the conservatory.  The bad news is that even the conservatory floor is now being used!!!

My little corner of the craft room

The conservatory floor - opps :)

Trip to the Library

I really was not sure what title to give his post, so I finally went with the one you see... the reason behind by indecision was this: it was not an ordinary trip to the library, we arrived before the library opened and did not leave until after it had closed! 

I can hear you asking: WHY!

So I will tell you... On Saturday not only did DH & I attend the library but we also took our kids too.  Now this was the challenging bit - the library has nice clean carpets and our kids are not toilet trained (and they don't wear nappies).  So that we don't upset the Library or cleaners we cover the area we are going to use in dust sheets (or any other type of sheet), this will ensure, hopefully LOL that the carpets stay clean - however just in case we do carry a 'Carpet  Cleaning Kit'!

Once we had covered the area, we brought in the Kids and sat them on each of their bocks.  We had been told by the staff that the library would normally have about 60-70 visitors on a Saturday morning (it is open between 10am and 1pm).  At 10am the doors were open and the rush arrived.  We were busy the whole day with a steady stream of people who came to visit the owls.

Towards the end of the morning the number of people visiting started to quieten down, and we got chance to take a few pictures...

This is Ufo our Little Owl on one of the Book Towers, all of the children's books featured owls

Delta our European Eagle Owl reading one of the children's books

The photos were taken as a bit of fun (no owls where harmed in the taking of these photos :) LOL).  The event had been organised by the Library for 2 reasons, as an event to benefit the library and encourage people to visit & secondly to help raise money for the Raptor Foundation (all of the money we raised on the day goes to help pay the vet bills).

It was a very enjoyable day (and extremely busy!!) the Library had new visitors and a total of 265 people visited the library on Saturday and we also raised money to help pay the vets bills.

All in all a very good Saturday morning.

Scrapping & Cards at the Crop

Last night was the 1st Crop at The Craft Room this month.  This month was slightly different in that just before I was about to go out the door DH said

'I have a challenge for you tonight.'

  When I asked what the challenge was I got this reply...

'I need a card that features a Water Park.'

Just something easy to create then!! LOL.  I asked why and was told that DH wanted to give a card to a friend who was going on holiday and wanted to give the kids a bit of spending money.

So once I got to the crop I said that I needed to create a card, for me creating cards can be difficult, I just don't know where to start.  Give me a piece of 12x12 paper and I can happily create a scrapbook page - I know how much space I have and can work out how much (or not) to put onto a layout.  But with cards for some reason I have problems with my spacial awareness - I don't have any!!!!  Cards just seem too small and I struggle with what to put on them.  I think this is why I am finding the Less is More challenges ideal - they help me focus the content.

After some head scratching and help from others at the crop I did create a card & here it is...

Once I had my challenge out of the way I was able to get back into my comfort zone and completed a Double Layout and a Single Layout from our Holiday in Denmark.  When writing the dates on the layout I could not believe that we visited Denmark in March 2010!!!

So here are the 3 pages...

Page 1 of a Double Layout

Page 2 of a Double Layout

All in all it was a very productive and enjoyable evening.