8x8 Florida Album

It has been a while since I did any 8x8 pages - but as my Florida 2010 (yes, I know that I am 2 years behind LOL - but I'm getting there!) is based on 8x8 digital layouts, I decided that I would also do some traditional layouts for the album as well.

Here are the first of the traditional layouts...

a Double layout called 'Candle Light'

A Single Page layout featuring one of DH brilliant photos of the Epcot dome at night - I just love this photo!!

Over the next couple of months I hope to print out the digi pages and create more traditional pages.  I then will have a mix of both worlds in one album :)

My Latest Purchases...

Well following my spending spree at the NEC yesterday here is the picture showing all of my new goodies...

Yes I did buy a lot, but most were only a few pounds...  The most expensive single item was the Crop-a-Dile.  I also brought 2 more Labels' dies from Spellbinders; 4 more Tim Holtz Distress Inks; 3 more packs of Candi & the alphabet stamps that are also produced for the Candi; I also brought 2 Memory Box dies (Arboscello tree & Tender leaves).

While at the show I came across Imagination Crafts, and I was very impressed with the Demos that were being done as well as the quality of their stamps.  After spending some time watching a demo & asking questions which were all answered (without making me feel silly) I did spend some money and I brought 2 of their 'Decoupage Stamp Sets' (Butterfly & Fuchsia).

All in all it was a brilliant day and by the time I got home I was knackered - but it was well worth the time & effort to get to Birmingham.

Shopping, Shopping & More Shopping

Today has been spent walking around the Hobbycraft show at the NEC. Four of us went up in one car and spent the day shopping.

I have just got back home and DH asked what I had brought... so I did show him and laid out my goodies on the floor to take a picture.  However my computer does not want to connect to my camera :( so I will have to upload the picture later.

We had a great day and I was able to get most of the items on my shopping list - and a few bits that weren't anywhere near my shopping list LOL.  I was very good and did not go too silly and even have £10 left in my purse :)

Due to commitments this weekend & next week I won't be able to unpack my new goodies or have a play just yet.  I guess that when I do get chance to unpack my bags I will get a fresh surprise, as I am sure to have forgotten some of what I brought.

What a Mad few Days...

I really do wish that things would not all happen at once... 

DH & I had a great weekend, however I did 'tweek' my back again! It is something that happens from time to time, but since I have found a great Chiropractor it gets sorted when it happens.  The strange thing is that I can't really pin point what I did to cause the problem, but basically my spine jumps out of alignment. 

Monday morning I phone my Chiropractor & now have an appointment for this morning (Wednesday).  The remainder of the day went OK, at lunch I was able to add a quick post to my blog saying that I was back after being AWOL.

Once DH got home the day went down hill, they do say that things happen in threes, so this is what happened on Monday Evening:

1. DH had phoned the Garage repairing his car after our accident on 9th February, he has been told that we won't get the car back until next week at the earliest!  This is bad news as we are due to collect our Caravan on Saturday so that we can go on holiday for 1 week on Sunday!!!  DH has to phone back on Wednesday to find out if there is any way that they can complete the work before the weekend.
2. I went to visit my Blog only to find that it was missing & Blogger said that it had been removed - I then started to panic!!!!  After putting posts on several forums it seemed as if Google/Blogger had removed by blog for some reason (I had received a couple of emails from Google to say that there had been suspicious activity on my emails - I was not sure if this had anything to do with the problem or not)
3. Tuesday morning at 8:30am I had an appointment to have a filling replaced at the dentist, over the years I have got better but I really don't like the dentist - but then who does???

So when you add all of these things together you get a very annoyed (& anxious) Helen!!

Both DH & I were not feeling too happy - especially at the prospect of possibility of loosing our holiday :(

As I could not be bothered to cook, we decided that we needed junk food - so we visited Burger King and each had a big burger & chips.  It was not good for the diet, but it did taste good LOL.

After a very bad nights sleep - my brain just did not want to stop (what with the holiday/car; Missing Blog & dentist appointment).

This morning while getting ready I had a few minutes to spare before I had to leave to go to the dentist, so DH did a quick check the Internet. He then called me through into the Computer Room to look at something he had found on the web... My Blog had returned :)

I can only think that the 'Suspicious' activity on my email account had caused a problem with the Blogger site but it looks to be working again now :)

My appointment at the dentist went well & I now have a new filling :)

All that now has to happen is that the garage tells DH that his car is fixed and can come home (keep your fingers crossed).  I am trying to be positive as we have both been looking forward to going away for a while.

The Winner is...

On Sunday my Blog Candy offer ended and I have selected the winner...

DanniizDesignz

Please drop me an email to owl.helen@gmail.com and I will send you the instructions to download your free copy of My Memories Suite v3.

Congratulations & happy Scrapping.

I've been AWOL - But I'm Back

Hi everyone

You may have noticed that I have not added any new posts for a week or two... I'm not too sure what happened by I was feeling a bit 'Flat' & felt that I was adding posts to Helen's World for the sake of it rather than because I had something to say or show.

I have also not touched my craft desk for a couple of weeks.

Work has also moved up a gear... over the last year we have been involved in big organisational changes to our team & company.  For a while things were very quite and I was wondering if I would even have enough work to keep me busy - I'm not one of these people that is able to look busy when I'm not!!

Now things have changed and got a log busier, I am finding work inspiring (I really do love my job!!) and I really do look forward to going into work each day.  I have recently started a project which is due to end in January 2013!!!  Now that is scary!!!!

Up to now I have had time to spare to write posts for my Blog, now I find that I have to pick my time wisely.

Well I had better quickly eat my lunch & get back to work :)

BTW I will be doing the draw for the Making Memories Creative Suite Software later & posting the winner tomorrow (as I have run out of time today).

TTFN

Blog Candy - My Memories Suite v3

This post will remain at the top of the page until 8.30pm on Sunday 18 March 2012.

As you know I enjoy my Scrapbooking as well as card making, in fact until June 2011 I had hardly made any cards at all.  My first love was Scrapping!

After our holiday in 2009 to Africa I found that traditional scrapping was becomming a chore and not something that I enjoyed - I was creating layouts for the sake of it and not because I wanted to capture a memory.

I had investigated Digital Scrapping before but the software I had looked at did not give me the same amount of flexibility as you get when traditional scrapping.  Now I have found a piece of Software which gives me this flexibility , I am able to create quick layouts & albums based on templates or I can start with a blank piece of paper and get creative.

The best news is that the various digital elements I already have can also be used in the new software.  So what is the software I hear you all asking....

My Memories Suite version 3!!!

I had already started to create a digital 8x8 album using our photos from Florida 2010 (I know I am a bit behind in the scrapping time scale LOL) but this software is so easy to use I created another 3 layouts in about 1.5 hours!!!!



This layout was created using a template &
will be the front page of my Album when printed out



Another layout using a template, all I had to do was add 3 photos and think of what to write (that was the hardest bit LOL!)



This layout was created from a blank screen & I have only
 used elements which were included with the software.

 I have a copy of this software to give away FREE to 1 lucky Winner, all you need to do is to follow the 3 steps below:

1. Follow my Blog
2. Visit the My Memories web site and have a look at the various Products available
3. Leave a comment on this post sharing your favourite product

One winner will be chosen at Random on Monday 19 March 2012

Creating a Scrapbook for a Page-a-Day Calendar

In our office at work we currently have a Page-a-Day Calendar called 'The Secret Daily Teachings'  my colleague brought it and it is now read by most in our office.

As each day contains a thought or quote my colleague said that after the pages were read he wanted to somehow keep them so that he could look back.  I said that I would see what I could come up with.

My solution was to use a 12x12 scrapbook & to show the pages by weeks (this calendar is not dated, but lasts 365 days), I wanted there to be a theme to the album so decided to use papers from a PaperMania Paper Pack (I brought this pack when I stared Scrapping, but have used very few pages from it)

I have then taken 2 pieces of paper and laid out pages from 1 week:

What I plan to do is to place a 'die cut' tree in the space left over (this space moves around the pages to create a bit of variety). I have my eye on the Marianne Designs Creatables Tree (LR0203) which I hope to get at the NEC later this month.  

Once I have the die & have some pages finished I will add a update :)

Trying to Use Shrink Plastic

While at a workshop at LLinda's Card & Craft shop in Laneham, Notts I used Shrink Plastic for the first time. I decided to buy a pack of mixed plastic to have a go with at home.

The pack has been sitting in the box by my desk for several weeks and then I found a stamp that I wanted to try shrinking.  The stamp was free with the latest 'Lets Make Cards' magazine:

Stamped on white paper and coloured

So this post might cause you to smile, this is my learning curve in using Shrink Plastic:

Attempt 1: The ink I used to stamp the image rubbed off (not a good start) I was not over keen on the colours of the flowers either

Attempt 2: Not too sure what happened, but when heated it curled & stuck together!

Attempt 3: Now I'm starting to get somewhere... I used a Brilliance Dew Drop ink pad, and the colour did not rub off.  I used Sakura Glitter Pens to give a couple of flowers colour - overall not a bad result (this was DH's favourite)

Attempt 4: Using a different Shrink Plastic and a different colour of ink, again I was not too happy with the colour of the flowers

Attempts 5,6 &7: More trials with different colours of the ink, I was happy with these, but felt that they were just missing something - just not too sure what

Overall I was quite pleased with my first attempt at using Shrink Plastic.  I did find that the Brilliance Dew Drop Ink did not dry on the plastic, before using the heat gun. I then found it very difficult to colour the flowers as the outline would smudge at the slightest touch.

If anyone has any hints/tips for using Shrink plastic (or has any tutorials on their blog) please let me know.  I did enjoy using the plastic, but I think that these pictures prove I need a bit of help!!!!

WOYWW - 07 March 2012

The beginning of week has been a busy one and the time has flown by.  With DH away in London (he is due back later today) I spent Sunday & Monday evenings having a tidy of my craft desk & corner.

I can't believe how much time tidying actually takes, however, the good news is that I now can find everything I am looking for again LOL.Being Wednesday it is time to join Julia over at the Stamping Ground to have a look at desks around the world :)

So this is the latest picture of my workdesk (& surrounding space):

What is it about an empty desk, it just can't stay empty for long LOL.

So once I took this picture I just HAD to start on another card, based on a sketch I had seen on someones blog who takes part in the 'Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge' Blog (Sorry but I couldn't find the blog Post)...

I started with the inner piece of card along with some ribbon, I then found an A6 card base with a colour that I felt would work well.

I placed the 'topper' onto the card base, but felt that something was missing - Just not sure what!!!!

Attempt No 2. Moving the 'Topper' to the side to place ribbon down the right edge,

but I'm still not happy

In the end I had to walk away from my desk as I needed to get to work LOL - Well, how else I am going to get money to spend on more crafting goodies :)

If anyone has any suggestions on what might 'Look Right' for this card, please let me know.

If you feel like winning a copy of My Memories Suite Software click HERE to enter my blog candy (closing on Sunday 18 March 2012).

6 Cards Using "Design House - Waters Edge"

Quite a while ago I brought 2 packs of Decoupage from Design House (Twisted Pyramid - Waters Edge Looking On & Twisted Pyramid - Waters Edge Meet the Family) they had been sat on the shelf just waiting for me to decided to give them a go.  Well I did give them a go and using the 2 sets I created 6 cards, with the 'Waters Edge' theme. For the Twisted Pyramid toppers I used alternate peices, so that I am able to get 2 toppers from each design - I find that if I use all peices on 1 topper it gets too thick.

So here they all are:

This was the first time that I had tried to use the wider selection of papers that came with the set of decoupage and I was really pleased with the way all of these cards turned out.

If you feel like winning a copy of My Memories Suite Software click HERE to enter my blog candy (closing on Sunday 18 March 2012).

Hedgehog Love

I'm not sure how I managed it, but I have created 1 card that fits 3 challenges.  I don't think I have done that before (I occasionally manage 1 card for 2 challenges!).

Ok, I chose the image of the two hedgehogs for the Sweet Stampin' Challenge ("Something Nature related with some Bugs, Bees or Ladybirds on your creation") as it included a snail - which I hope will count as a 'bug'.

I then realised that it would also fit the Little Claire Design Challenge for this month (Romance) after all what can be more romantic than 2 hedgehogs in love????  To top it of the image is a digital version of a Little Claire Designs stamp :-)

To complete my hat-trick I decided that I could use the Sketch from the I Love ProMarkers challenge to mount the image (coloured in using my trusty ProMarkers, of course).

An A5 card created using Pearlescent Card finished on with a couple bits of Candi

If you feel like winning a copy of My Memories Suite Software click HERE to enter my blog candy (closing on Sunday 18 March 2012).

Less is More - Neutrals

Over at the Less is More Challenge the challenge for this week is:

"we've got a colour challenge which this week is

NEUTRALS
This could be anything from off white to black with any shade of beige, brown or grey in between."

While I was having a tidy of my craft desk this afternoon I found 2 owls that I had created using my Stampin' Up Owl Punch a selection of brown/beige papers.  So I decided that these 2 little critters would feature on the card...

I did not think that they need much more to be added to the card, so I created a wide boarder for them to sit on and the owls were mounted on foam pads just to give a bit of dimension (sorry about the shadows in the photo - this was the best of many attempts!!!).


If you feel like winning a copy of My Memories Suite Software click HERE to enter my blog candy (closing on Sunday 18 March 2012).

Home Alone With My ProMarkers

I know that it is unusual for me to post on a Sunday evening, but I'm home alone.  DH has driven down to London this afternoon/evening as he needs to be there for tomorrow morning, and will be back on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

So I have spent this afternoon/evening after he left organising my ProMarkers... when I started collecting them the 'Letraset Wallets' worked well, however now I have a greater collection it was very frustrating having to constantly open/close the wallets to find a colour pen I was looking for - not to mention the space element of having several wallets open at any one time!

I had to come up with a different way of storing them!  I did a bit of research on the Internet looking at the different types of storage other people use and found that there was many alternatives.  Many were cost or space prohibitive, I did like the idea of using some sort of storage box I just had to find the right one!!!!

Eventually I found a 'Really Useful Box' that I thought would work, however it was one with an opening end (designed for storing shoes in) - but I though I could get around this.  Once I got the box home it sat by the desk for a couple of weeks, as I was having problems in working out how to store the pens in the box.  I wanted a way of keeping them in colour order.

After DH had left for London today I started to have a play with different alternatives: I tried to make 'ledges' in the box to sit the pens on - this did not work; after looking on line I tried to use Toilet Roll Holders to keep the pens together - this did not work either; I attempted to create dividers - again I could not get this to work either.

I then had a brain wave... A5 poly pockets!!!!!!  I had found an answer that worked :-)

First I cut the height of the poly pockets down to 14cm and cut a piece of white card to 14.5cm x 13cm to fit inside the pocket (to give it a bit of 'back bone').  Using the computer I created a Colour Chart & matching insert labels, the insert label was stuck onto one of the inserts and placed in the pocket.  I could then put the named pens (9 in each pocket) into the pocket & as my collection grows I will fill up the space left in the pockets (only 1 pocket is completely full!).

Ok, I have waffled enough, so time for a few pictures of the finished thing:

This is my whole ProMarker Collection - I still need to add coloured dots to my newest pens

One of the pockets, containing 3 pens.

One of the Inserts, with the details of the pens in this insert

My new Colour Chart

Non-Challenge Cards (February 2012)

Ok, once again I have created a number of cards which did not fall into any of the challenges this month.  So here they are...

Beware, this is a picture heavy post - You have been warned!

Created using a Daisy die.  The edge of the 'strip' was created using my new Woodware Trimmer (Victorian Blade).



This card was created using a Little Claire Designs stamp (Butterfly Tree), on a A5 card Blank.  One of my work colleagues is now home following surgery for Cancer.  The whole team wishes him a speedy recovery.



The background was a Spellbinders Impressabilities coloured with distress ink.  The toper was from a decoupage sheet.

The background was a Spellbinders Impressabilities coloured with distress ink. I then added a peel-off coloured black for the sentiment.

Yet another background using the Spellbinders Impressabilities coloured with distress ink. This time I stamped the sentiment using the same shade of distress ink.

Using a Digi Little Claire Designs stamp coloured using my ProMarkers along with a peel-off sentiment (again from Little Claire Designs).  I have also used an embossing folder for the dotty background (coloured with a green distress ink) and a peice of Map from an old map book.

This card was created using a scrap of white card stock coloured wiht Distress ink to create a foreground.  The gems were coloured with my ProMarkers & the bird house was a free stamp with one of the magazines (stamped & clear embossed) also coloured with ProMarkers.

Month in Numbers - February 2012

As it is now the end of the month it is time to look back at February 2012, along with Julie over at the Notes on Paper Blog...

4 Tickets brought for me & 3 friends to go to the NEC next month

1 Snow ball fight with our next door neighbours

2 Snowmen in the garden, this picture is of Mr Frosty the 2nd.  The Original Mr Frosty lived in Canada back in 2009, unfortunately for him he only lived 1 day :)

Mr Frosty the 2nd suffered various health problems but lived for 8 Days.

57 Eddie Stobart vehicle (Identified by name), this takes my standing in the Spotter League Table to 2380 :)

This picture of 'Wanda' was taken at our local Tesco store as it was making a delivery.  When I went to the Club Stobart site to register my spot there was no photo.  So I uploaded this one & it can now be seen on the members site!!

OK, I must confess, 34 were spotted on one day! Well... we were sat outside the Stobart Depot in Newark (it is only 30mins from home) LOL.

1.5 The number of miles we were away from our destination when we slid off the road.  Both DH & I were ok, so were the Kids who were also in the car as we were on our way to talk to a local WI Group.  But our CRV is now in the car hospital.


-14 the lowest temperature I encountered during this month, while driving down to Cambridge.

30 the difference between the lowest temperature this month (-14oC) and the highest (16oC)!  Our poor kids (the owls) are getting confused as they don't know if they should start to molt their feathers ready for Spring/Summer or keep them on just in case Winter returns again LOL!

2 Is also the number of visits to Local Libraries with the birds this month.  During each visit the libraries have seen an increase in numbers, which has been good for them.

This picture is of 'Story Time' with many children all sat around to read a selection of Owl themed stories (including Owl Babies).

31 more ProMarkers - I admit I did have to purchase the pack of Limited Edition Spring 2012 colours (and very nice they are too).  As for the ones pictured... well I did not really buy them... well sort of, in a round about way!!  When I brought the latest edition of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine I found that they would GIVE them to me if I took out a subscription... well as I buy it each month anyway, and they were offering FREE ProMarkers.  Well what could I say!

On the flip side I had already got 3 sets (Summer, Winter & Skin Tones) so I will be hosing another Blog Candy shortly to give them a new home.