Future dad: Note to Self Layout

I created the basis for this layout a few weeks ago and felt it was a bit bland. I liked the yellows and pinks and the layering, but it was lacking something and so I left it for a while. Then last week on NSD some of Shimelle's and Studio Calico's challenges gave me some ideas for how to jazz it up.
Firstly on Studio Calico they challenged us to use buttons on a layout and that gave me the idea to embellish the speech bubbles patterned paper. I stuck them on with modge podge and felt that this gave the layout some of the much needed dimension, as you can see....

 Shimelle's scrapbooking challenge to use spray inks caught my eye and helped me to fill some of the white spaces - I also painted little hearts with the wand on my spray ink.

So now I was feeling a lot happier about design - what about the title and journalling. Initially it was going to be a 'holiday' layout about our trip to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall - but then I realised that there is another story to tell.
So inspired by Shimelle's prompt to scrapbook a milestone and to journal in a letter form the idea of the 'future dad' title was born and the journalling round the edge of the page is all about my husband's fears and excitement over becoming a dad in July.

So thanks everyone for the inspiration and for helping me to complete this layout!

NSD with Shimelle and Two Peas and a lot of pink...

I was so excited last Saturday to be woken up with a Facebook status linking Shimelle's first challenge of the day - scrapping with pink. I recently had the gruelling task of clearing out my scrap room to turn it into a nursery and it helped me to rediscover some older supplies and put together some of my own kits. I made up a pack of pink fabric, cardstock and ribbon scraps but then wondered what pictures to use?
I don't really wear pink. I don't have any 'girl's night out' pics to scrap. I don't know if we're having a baby girl. Then I remembered a random snap my mom had sent me from her wear pink to work for Breast Cancer day - she is posing with her favourite postie! She is quite a flirt and always loves 'chatting up' the postmen.

Journalling about her charity fancy dress day and the postman of course!

Embellished with squares of different pink patterned paper and then given some dimension with Studio Calico veneers, bling and buttons.

I have to admit that I'm a little bit in love with this layout and feel that it captures the moment and my mom's fun loving personality perfectly!

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 The composition was inspired by Wilna's video on twopeas

Steaming towards three years: Anniversary Layout

You may recall last July (I'd be impressed if you do!) we celebrated our three year anniversary in Howarth. A blissful day spent on steam trains, painting pottery and enjoying a delicious lunch.
So inspired by Shimelle's prompt to use 4 by 6 photos I have scrapped the pics this morning of the steam train journey and museum. I always tend to use 4 by 6 photos and I like to use them 'Shimelle style' in a line all and all the same way up. I then like to layer papers and washi tape to create interest around them and I like to add little journalling spots and embellishments to finish the layout off.

A close-up of the pictures:

The title and journalling spots - inlcuding the ticket for the train - which I wasn't entirely convinced went with the colour scheme of the layout, but it seems to go with the lined patterned paper which has green pastel tones in it.

So there you go...

One challenge down and another one to come shortly...

Maternity Mondays: The bump at 16 weeks

So, the sister who is abroad, has been nagging for more bump layouts or pics. Even though she has seen my vast girth via skype - I prefer it when it is on a layout!

So here is my 16 weeks layout:

This layout was largely completed using American Crafts Dear Lizzie range. I created a paint frame for the photo mat - a technique I picked up from watching one of Shimelle's many online tutorials. A lot of my recent layouts feature paint effects as once i have a certain supply out I tend to use it more often. I even painted the little Studio Calico wood veneers - cute huh?

Now for some musings, or mumblings, about pregnancy in general from an almost 27 weeks along pregnant lady:

• Why, oh why, is the maternity section always on the top floor of the shop? Don't they know that pregnant ladies and stairs are not a great combo?
• Why, oh why, have so many high street stores confined their maternity wear to online only? Don't they know that we like to try things on and see how stretchy they are?
• Why, oh why, have I got lots of little spots undcer the skin on my face? I have always had a good complexion and suddenly it is blotchy and enflamed. However my hair is doing very well and I am not having to wash it as often as it is shinier and healthier looking in general - win!
• Why do people think its funny to call you chubby or say that you are looking fat? 
• Why do other women think I want to hear their nightmare stories of childbirth?
• Why does everyone want to rain on your parade by telling you all the negative things about having children?
• Why don't men, or husbands more specifically, understand that you after working a full week its normal to fall asleep at 8'o'clock in front of Question of Sport and then sleep in till 10?

On a more positive note though I can now feel the bubbs kicking a lot and I find that quite reassuring and I am  really excited to see the little human being that we created in about 13 weeks or so. Yay!
More recent bump pictures to follow.
Feel free to add some of your own pregnancy gripes...

What to do with paper too pretty to hide?

Are you like me? Do you have some pages you'd just like to stroke and admire and are always reluctant to actually use? I've been hoarding this gorgeous camera paper for ages and so was delighted when Shimelle's most recent sketch to scrapbook page was all about making the most of a really great patterned paper.
I used a picture from our honeymoon and used my travel stamps washi tape. I kinda messed up the page trying to do a line of embossed Amy Tan cameras, that turned out not to be very straight and so I tried to salvage it with a Martha Stewart star punch.
I'm not entirely sold on the pink and the green together, but I think it works.

The second layout I tried with this sketch is also a travel one. It is all about how the desserts in Thailand were often a dissapointment - until we got to MBK centre. It puts English food courts to shame and the desserts were all beautifully presented - as we do eat with our eyes after all.
I am a lot happier with the colour scheme on this one - I've never really paired brown and purple before, but I think it really works. A technique I've picked up watching lots of scrapping videos over at two peas is distressing, tearing and rolling the edges of the photo mat to make it really stand out. I have been watching a lot of scrapping tutorials as I have had a really bad cold and hacking cough - the poor baby!

What techniques have you been loving recently?
I've been getting messy with paints and have lots of brand new layouts to share with you soon!

Messy Mondays: A washi taped up gift of a page!

 Festive greeting blogland! Have had winter sniffles over here and zero motivation to blog despite huge piles of layouts still to be featured. Was motivated by Glitter Girl's latest challenge over at 2peas using 6 by 6 albums to embellish. Those who are my 'regulars' will know that I love a bit of 6 by 6 action on my layouts.

Check out some of my previous pages using 6 by 6 pads here, here and here.

This layout uses lots of Studio Calico and has a funny story behind the title - see below for more details.

Firstly though I used washi tape to separate out the four papers from my SC 6 by 6 pad - I think that it looks a bit like a birthday present.

I have had lots of fun playing with the Studio Calico mistable cameras. I used my Mister Huey mist and then outlined in my black sharpie to make it stand out.

 

Now for the story behind the layout: Do you ever remember very random things? I am one of those people who can still something that my Year 4 teacher said when I was seven and I only have to see a film a couple of times to have memorised a lot of the lines from it. For example 10 Things I hate about you or She's Like That.
So...circa 2009 Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills did a phone in where you had to say "Chi-no!" or "Chi-yes!" Depending upon your opinion of the humble chino as a fashion option.
Now I don't whether its down to five tousle haired tweenie boy banders but suddenly chino's are di-rigour for more than your grandad and so the Belgian jumped on the band wagon and I snapped a blurry pic on my phone.
So the obvious title for my layout was "Chi-yes!" because I think that for him its a good look.

So there you go...what is your verdict? Chi-yes or Chi-no?

Messy Mondays: Jars of fun with American Crafts!

 When first faced with a 12 by 12 sheet with a bold and fussy pattern I used to stroke it admiringly, but not really use it as I found the pattern daunting. However lots of Shimelle stalking has taught me that you fussy cut and use it for embellishments instead.
This layout uses lots of layers and lots of details cut from Studio Calico and American Crafts 6 by 6 pads. I used lots of washi tape to embellish and bakers twine. I stamped the title onto the American Crafts jar.

 How do you handle fussy papers?

10 Things I love about this epic double page...

All the way back in June this sketch by Shimelle caught my eye and I decided that although I sometimes find double layouts a bit intimidating and laborious I had some photos that I have been keen to scrap and so I decided to give it a go.
So the ten things I love about it:
1) The use of strips from this great cupcake 12 by 12 and how easy it was to also cut cute little embellishments with it.

2) The title - it is a favourite quotation of my sister's and I from the film How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. It went so well with these picutres of my husband making his own cupcake in WhoDelicious in Santa Barbara and had to use a 'frostinator' to put the icing on the top.

3) The step-by-step process made by my dymo label maker. It helps to bring the layout together and to tell the story of the visit.

4) That cheesy grin in the first picture. The funniest part is that he usually hates cupcakes and suddenly he turned into a little boy just cos he could decorate it himself.

5) The use of the rule of three with the stamp to guide the eye.
6) The pinkness and girly look of the layout - it matched the vibe of the cupcakerie and the girly topic of cupcakes but then 7) the blue tiny polka dots add a more masculine touch.
8) The border stamp of mini hearts to pull it all together. So cute!

9) The banana frog mini cupcake stamp to create little clusters to guide the eye along the layout.

10) The fact that the lady behind the counter asked him to join her behind the pink curtain - possibly the funniest statement for a cheesy American lady to say to a sarcastic cupcake hating Belgian. My sister and I still laugh about it and it was last summer now!

I also love how different it is to Shimelle's khaki travel layout and that it why I love to use sketches as a starting point and to put my individual stamp on it.

That's entertainment!

Do you ever find yourself getting bored at a wedding? Sometimes it can seem like such a long day and you often have to wait ages to get any food - a big breakfast is definately a must! One thing I decided when plannig my wedding was that I wanted our guests to have fun between pictures, food courses and the speeches so we came up with some ideas to entertain them and this is what this layout is all about.
We entertained guests with:

• nibbles and some very embarrassing home videos of my sisters and I singing Spice Girls ( I did not okay this - it was my dad being a pain)
•  A Mr and Mrs Quiz on each table with questions about both of us
• Little quiz boxes on each table
• A pinata full of sweets and prizes for the kids - although my The Belgian got first pop at it and almost took me out - a great start to marital bliss!

Here are some close-up shots of the layout...

It was a great layout to use up scraps - even the purple heart ribbon that we used for invites and favours. I think I used a Shimelle sketch of the week for inspiration on the composition - but I can't find it now! I also used up cute little scraps cut from 12 by 12 sheets and also plently of washi tape.I swoon over my blue star washi tape - don't you love it?
Purple and turquoise were out wedding colours and so I took a slight departure from this using purple with browns and oranges - not a colour combo I had ever used before but it just seemed to work really well.

Do you ever find that weddings can drag? What ideas for entertainment have you seen at weddings?

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For more of our wedding layouts see here, here and here

Ten things to do when you turn thirty...

1) Play around with your new lens in Shoreditch - I need more practice with it I think!

2) Take pictures of your The Belgian looking excited for the weekend ahead!

3) Stay in the Hilton at Canada Water and take the free boat across the Thames to 

Canary Wharfe

4) Have yummy pizzas at Fire and Ice in Spittlefields

5) Enjoy a yummy maple and pecan cupcake from Spittlefields market

6) Wander round London Bridge in the sunshine

7) Get some useful and funky pressies - liek the Wahaca recipe book

8) Have a bite to eat at the Bukowski grill and spot Gok Wan with his boyfriend and little doggy but didn't get a picture quick enough!

9) Have delicious ice-cream at Oddano's in Selfidges

10) And the highlight and reason for the weekend go and see a West End show - more specifically Matilda. I loved it all - the staging, the cute little kids, the character of the dad, the songs - especially When I Grow Up.

Admire the sunset on the day you get the train back up to Leeds....phew what a great birthday weekend!
How did you all celebrate your thirtieth birthdays? If you are the big 3-0 yet, that is!

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Linking up (a bit late to the party!) to Shimelle's 10 on the 10th