First Cake

Another layout using Pink Paislee papers, still got plenty left, I think I bought the whole collection, and then some!!!

This was DGD #1 First Birthday, back in 2007, and of course she had no idea what was going on.

Her second birthday was much better, I must do a layout of that photo. Soon!!

On the home front, our new house is nearly finished, cannot wait to be more organized!! Me, organized?

Beautiful layout of DGD #2 coming next entry.

Thanks for dropping in.

TTFN

Jane xx

Blind Challenge

This is a layout using gorgeous Pink Paislee papers, and hand doodleing (is that how you spell it - looks weird) around the edges!!

It was actually a challenge - as you've probably realised I don't do challenges. Not enough time to commit to them.

Scrapbook Creations N0 61 (Vol 7 No 10) had a Blind Scrapping Challenge. So I thought "why not". It would just be a one off.

You choose your own papers and embellishments and then follow the instructions, as in a regular project, however, the catch is, you don't get to see the finished project.

I was very strict and did not turn the page to sneak a look at the pages the design team had come up with by following the recipe. I just did as I was told - with a few moments of being unsure as to what to do.

Anyhow, I love how it turned out. Quite different to what I would have done - all those patterns so close with no break!!

And as for the hand doodling (that spelling also looks weird!), not knowing in what direction your layout is going (usually when doing your own project you have a vision in your head) working completely blind, metaphorically speaking, I wasn't sure what to do, so I just DID IT !! LOL

I'm actually quite pleased with the doodling, I do not have an artistic bone in my body, I can't draw a straight line, and I HATED art at school - so if I can do it, ANYBODY can.

Hopefully the magazine will do this as a regular feature - I may try it again.

Thanks for calling by TTFN

Jane xx

Australia Day

Happy Australia Day everybody - chill and enjoy.





















I'm having a very quiet day - DH is in Darwin working - so I think I'll play with Cricut for a wee while.

Will be going to the fireworks in the city tonight with DD, DSIL and DGD #1. Should be interesting - DGD has never seen fireworks before!!

Back with some projects soon.

TTFN Jane xx

Another Card

Next card uses a double sided paper, same pattern, opposite colours, so easy to work with and

no worries about matching - takes a lot of the hard work out of it.

Can't remember what company it is - it has been in my stash for quite some time!!!

The flowers are Lulu, absolutely gorgeous, love the dotty flowers especially, and they come in an amazing array of colours - blues, greens, pinks, browns, black, white, purple - wonder why they didn't do them in red?

Does anybody else find the same problem - red flowers are really hard to come by - I mean really red RED flowers - they always seem to be a strange shade of pink.

I'm still trying to find a true red flower...

Thanks again for dropping in.

TTFN

Love Jane x

Card 2

Quick post tonight - another card this time using Rusty Pickle paper - the sentiment is Inkadinkadoo - love their stamps.

Thanks for dropping in - off to bed

TTFN Jane xx

Cards

I've been dabbling in cards again!! LOL

Gives me a chance to catch up with Cricut projects - Club is in three weeks, already!!


















Over the next few days I will post some of the cards I have been doing for Jen's BRAK - quick and easy, great for using up all the scraps of paper from projects, that you just can't bring yourself to throw away.















Flowers, ribbons, buttons, etc from stash. I've also started doing a wee bit of decor on the inside of the card.

Totally stolen this idea from all you wonderful card makers out there. Does make a difference doesn't it - thank you.

Well, that's all for now, thanks for dropping in - take care.

Love Jane xx

Award

The beautiful Carole, over at Paper Arts, has given me an award, which I accept with delight.

Carole creates wonderful cards with her Cricut and is a design team member for Bitten By The Bug, if you haven't been to her site yet pop over now to see some of her work at http://www.crayola58.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Carole xx

However, as always there are rules - I have to list 5 addictions and 5 favourite bloggers to whom I present the award.

Here goes:-

1 Coca Cola - it's the ONLY thing I drink - literally!!

2 Ribbon...ribbon...ribbon...love ribbon...

3 Stamps - Acrylic and wood

4 Paper

5 Shopping

And I am pleased to NOT list an addiction that would have been there six weeks ago ........... smoking.

I am so proud of myself. After smoking for a lifetime (36 years to be precise) I have to admit I started when I was 11 !!!!! It was the 70s - way cool (NOT) then.

I can see you all doing the math as to my age - 47 in two weeks!!

Anyway, I can now call myself a non smoker - I don't smoke!!!! I just pray that's it and I don't relapse. I have heard of so many people stopping for years, and then suddenly starting again.

Wish me luck.

Now to 5 favourite bloggers - this one is hard. There are so many sites I visit on a daily basis - forgot to add that to my addictions - No 6 = blogging.

1 http://www.curtsplayhouse.blogspot.com/ Curt is inspirational. He creates the most beautiful cards and makes it look so effortless. He visits my little blog often and is always full of encouragement and friendly banter.

2 http://www.carolspaperplayce.blogspot.com/ Carole is gorgeous. Her creations are truly wonderful and I visit regularly to see what she has been up to back there in the UK.

3 http://www.scrapalbum.blogspot.com/ Peet makes the most awesome cards in the world. Her colour combinations are always perfect. I remain in awe of her work. I visit regularly, and she never runs out of ideas, amazing.

4 http://www.kathleenglossop.blogspot.com/ Kathleen is on our design team here at Scrapbooks From The Heart and she makes the most beautiful layouts - stitching is always involved. She has the most adorable little boy, and I have been watching the antics of daddy building his first cubby - too cute.

5 http://www.creativejourney.typepad.com/ Christine - what can one say. She has the most artisitc eye and all her creations, cards, layouts and OTP, are stunning. When you visit her site, scroll back to her archives and wallow in the eye candy.

Well, there we have it. I could have put loads more names here, next time.

Off to their sites to let them know. Cards to post tomorrow.

Night night Love Jane xx

Happy New Year

Welcome 2009!
















It's been pretty hectic, hasn't it. Didn't realise it had been that long since I posted. But, we've had a lovely festive season.

This is my New Year card this year. Nothing too fancy, quick to produce and send out, but reasonably effective too.

Have been up to lots of projects during the holidays, and my New Years resolution is to post on a more regular basis - watch this space! Hee hee

So here's to a guid New Year to all my visitors and families - long may your lum reek!!

Take care, thanks for dropping in

Love Jane

Xmas Hat

Hi everybody - nearly Christmas. Hope you are all organized, and able to enjoy the time of year, it all gets a bit hectic doesn't it, and we forget to get into the festive spirit.

















This is a layout from Christmas last year. I started the tradition of the 'Hat' in 2006 when DGD #1 was five months old.

That first year was easy to get the photo, just plonked the hat on her head and voila - beautiful photo (will post it later) she was too little to realise what was happening !!! - last year, not so easy. She did not like it and this layout shows some of the out takes.


I did eventually get a beautiful photograph ( will post it later), but I must have taken nigh on 200 photo's to get it. Thank goodness for digital cameras.


I'm sure you're all familiar with that.

As for this years photo - still working on it - she still does not like anything on her head. Does it ever get any easier with children???!!!

When my two were little, we weren't taking photographs like this and certainly not in the numbers we are taking today. I'm sure you all remember that.

I'm hoping DS in Scotland will take a similar photo of DGD #2. If he does I'll post it after Christmas.

Well, thanks for dropping in.

Love Jane

Purple Xmas

Thought I would try something different - a Christmas layout without any Christmas paper, and none traditional colours as well.
















So, I went with this gorgeous Creative Imaginations paper by Marah Johnson.
















The photos are of DGD #1 from Christmas 2007.

I've used JAC paper for the glitter effects. Cricut cartridge Joys of the Season for the embellishments star, bauble and photograph panel with star. Title is from Stone Script.


And I added feathers, just because they're not an obvious Christmas embellishment. Seems to work quite nicely - certainly different.




Did you notice.....I lost the dot for the 'i' .... again!!! LOL





Thanks for dropping in

Love Jane

Busy Busy

Hi everyone, been a very hectic few days down here in Oz.

I'll start with one of my Cricut Club layouts from last month using Basic Grey Wassail Collection.

Title and holly leaves cut from new Solutions cartridge - 'Christmas'. Bauble cut from 'Joys of the Season' and then through the Cuttlebug and inked.

Cut the bauble top in gold card and used a few!! red brads - again, photo to be added later.

Also lost the dot for the 'i' - as usual. Meant to go back and put a brad or bling or flower or something in its place, but forgot. Will add that at some point in the future. Pesky little things, the dots for the 'i's!!!

This is a photo of me with Lynette Carroll, a very talented lady from America, who is Australian, and one of the original Design Team members for K & Company.

She was in Perth with Michelle Hartjes from Print Blocks, our importer of all stuff American here in Australia (well most of the American stuff anyway) Especially ProvoCraft (Cricut stuff). Who are based over East in Brisbane.

Lynette and Michelle were here in Perth for a couple of days doing workshops. Yesterday (Monday) was Michelle and the magic of Cricut Design Studio and the Expressions and three wonderful projects - needless to say none of which we managed to finish. They manage to cram so much into the day that it's just not possible to manage it all, but boy is the stuff gorgeous. Will post the projects when I get them finished.

Highlight of yesterday was - I won a Cricut Jukebox - trumpets please!!!!!!

Cannot wait to play with this new toy. Report later.

Today (Tuesday) was Lynette's turn, with two projects using K & Company papers.

One was this beautifully presented box filled with the latest Amy Butler range and a journal which we altered dramatically - pictures to follow when project complete.

A sneak peak at what was in the box - it was terribly exciting and what gorgeous products.

A sneak of the other project by Lynette - a 12x12 layout using K & Company papers - 'Life's Journey' and 7 Gypsies papers and products.

Again, photo's when finished.

We also did a third project today with Michelle, a 12x12 layout using Making Memories new Greenhouse Paperie Collection.

You know the next line ha ha LOL.

Two absolutely fantastic days. Thank you very much ladies for your inspiration and taking the time to come to Perth, we kinda feel a bit left out sometimes - everything seems to happen in the Eastern states.

Special thanks to the Boss (Jenae) for sending me to the Cricut Workshop yesterday, much appreciated. I paid for today's myself, and worth every penny it was.

Finally, I attended my first Stampin' Up party (workshop), run by my good friend Lynn Eyre, a Design Team member here at Scrapbooks from the Heart.

She has recently become a Stampin' Up demonstrator, and had a workshop specially for us girls at SFTH.

We made this awesome card and envelope with a couple of the stamp sets - 'Baroque Motifs' and 'Sincere Salutations'.

Brown, blue and white card from Stampin' Up and Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue inkpads. I think the effect is simple, yet elegant, and not a patterned piece of paper in sight. I love it, and needless to say, spent far too much in product to get my collection started.

I am the newest fan of Stampin' Up....

More to come.....

Love Jane xx

Xmas Countdown Canvas

Here we go - Christmas is on its way. This was my off-the-page project for November Cricut Club.



A 12x12 canvas painted with MM paint - Meadow.

Circular paper - Making Memories Fa La La Paper.

Paper for pointer (clock hand) - Basic Grey Wassail (love it, more later).

Santa's head from new Cricut Christmas Solutions Cartridge.

Numbers from Jasmine Cartridge. Where else could you get all those ones and twos - you'd need to buy quite a few packets of alphabets for this one. I do love my Cricut - cut as many as you need!!

Bling from Kaiser. Flowers by Prima (who else!!!) Buttons - Creative Imaginations.




The rub on is Creative Imaginations from a colourful book of rub ons I bought last year, and just plum ran out of time to use them.


We have all these great plans of the projects we are going to do for Christmas, but before you know it the Big Day is here, and then you can't be bothered. So all the stunning product you bought, with the best of intentions, gets boxed until next year.


And what do we do 'next year' - we buy more!!!!!



Anyway, the clock hand, that was my big problem. How to get it to revolve without actually spinning (know what I mean).

Took me quite a while to come up with this engineering breakthrough - a toothpick!!! LOL

A wee bit of grosgrain wrapped round the middle of the 'pick, then thread through the pointer, another piece of ribbon wrapped round 'pick - keeps pointer in place.


Push toothpick through canvas, as far as ribbon will allow, chop off top of toothpick, add daub of red paint to camoflage - voila.

Pointer revolves, without spinning, as it is raised above canvas by ribbon below pointer (clock hand).

Forgot to say that the clock hand is actually one of the crosses from Indie Art. I don't have a clock hand on any of my 23 cartridges, unbelievably, so had to improvise by cutting off the cross arms of both the original cut and the shadow cut.

What do you think - I would appreciate your comments on this one.

Thanks for dropping in - lots more Christmas stuff to come.

Love Jane xx

LOTS & LOTS of Photo's

Faith in my Darling Husband has been restored!! He's fixed it!!!

As you can see, I can now upload as many photo's as I want.

This is DGD #1 in her Hallowe'en costume - the perfect pictures for my Pumpkin Patch layout - isn't she adorable (brag brag haha)

And the little shoes were so cute.

Off we go 'Trick or Treating' - pointing out Granny's car on the way!

This is a photo from back in Scotland, very blustery. It actually wasn't raining at this point - very strange - but it was about to!!!

That's my home town in the background.

These next photo's are of the Carnegie Hero Fund Book. A very important mission for me while I was back home.

My Great Grandfather drowned back in 1916, attempting to save a man's life and lost his own. The other man survived.

Great Grandfather was honoured as a hero by the Carnegie Hero Fund, and his widow and four children received money from the fund until the youngest was 16.

In the first photo that's a bust of Andrew Carnegie behind me. He was at the time of the setting up of the fund, in 1908, the richest man in the world. He was born in Dunfermline Scotland and his family emigrated to America when he was young where he made his fortune in the American Steel Industry.

The Book is kept at his birthplace in the cottage where he was born in Dunfermline. There are 11 such Books of Hero's, throughout the world, in his name - what a legacy.

I was amazed at how elaborate The Book was - it's real gold and amethysts on the cover and all the calligraphy inside is hand painted.

Great Grandfather is in the first Book, there are now four volumes, however, they are not so elaborate now (sign of the times?) and the Fund is still going strong.

It was fascinating listening to the curator of the Museum telling me the story of the Fund and the Books and I felt honoured to be a part of it - my family will always be grateful for the help the Fund gave to my Great Grandmother and her children, my Grandfather was eight at the time when his father drowned - a proud and humbling moment for me.

Love the white gloves too - made it feel really important, as indeed it is.

Thanks for listening - back to normal next post.

Love Jane xx

One More Photo

Here are the two cards I made using the left over paper from the Genuine article layout last posted.

They whipped together in a few minutes, using some more Cricut cuts of course.

I've even used the oft thought 'enemy' of the scrapbooking cardmaker - the PEEL OFF!!!

I think they are a great standby, and when coloured to match your card with permanent markers, who would guess? Well, most of us actually, but I thought they finished off the cards OK. They have their place I suppose.

As you've probably worked out, DH was unable to solve my uploading problem. I'm going to have to pay someone to remove whatever it is that is interfering with my uploading from 'My Pictures' to my Blog.

I reckon it won't come under warranty because I put it in, whatever it is!!

I have lots of Christmas stuff to show you, but need to do more than one photo at a time. There is a computer chappie at the store where I bought my laptop, so I'll have to pay (!!!!!) him a visit in the next few days and get this sorted out before it drives me mad!!

Thanks for dropping by

Jane xx

Just One Photo

Same problem, can only upload one photo at a time, what a pain in the butt!!

This is a Cricut Club layout using Basic Grey papers and cuts from the Graphically Speaking cartridge - photo to be added later.

I also made two cards from the scraps of this layout, including using the positive word 'authentic' on one of them (waste not, want not), that's the negative on the layout.

However, beacuse this stupid thing won't let me upload more than one photo at a time, I will have to add them to my blog later, how irritating!*?**!#

DH is at the golf just now, but as soon as he gets home, he will fix it - I have absolute faith, I do, I do, I think, I hope. Watch this space........

Love Jane

Photo Problems

Have managed to upload one photo, DS, DDIL and DGD #2. Beautiful little family!!!

My problems seem to be arising when I try to upload a second photo.

It would appear to have something to do with the dial up connection I had when I was in Scotland - can't seem to get rid of it off of my laptop.

Will keep trying. Have loads of projects to show you all.

Love Jane xx

Still Here

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of posts over the last month.

We made it back from Scotland safely, and day to day life has taken over again.

I'm having trouble uploading photo's at the moment, so can't post any projects at this time. Will have to look into it when I get time. So, all I can do is apologise, and hopefully get it sorted soon.

Thanks for all your lovely comments, especially about my lovely wee family.

By the way, did I mention that Grandbaby number three is on the way!!!!

Yep, DD is expecting her second baby in May next year - it's all go. Love it.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love Jane

Hallowe'en's Coming

Greetings from Scotland - still here - enjoying the weather - NOT!!!!! Reminds me why I don't live here anymore!


Spending loads of time with family, son goes back to sea on Friday, so seeing a lot of him and new granddaughter, poor DIL still feeling under the weather, getting used to less sleep and full time baby caring.

This latest Hallowe'en layout was from September Cricut Club, just the title on this one from Street Sign Solutions cartridge. I love the colours on this layout.

Love this new photo - my two children, and their two children - life is good.....

See you soon.

Love Jane

Two Granddaughters

My two darling Granddaughters - my heart is gushing.....

















Rebekah took great delight in pointing out baby Erin's bits - baby's nose, baby'e eyes, baby's mouth, baby's ears, etc. Too gorgeous for words...


We are having a great time here in Scotland, catching up with family and friends. Just spending time with my Dad....


Family research is going well. For those that remember my post about GGrandfather - the youth he lost his life for did survive, which meant his life was not in vain. I found the article in the local paper from 1916 - that was a thrilling moment. All the old papers are now on microfiche and there is a great resource here in Ayrshire where all the parish records, old papers, census reports, etc. are held, making looking up ancestral stuff a wee tad easier. Will be spending more time there over the next few weeks.


Now to Cricut stuff...
















This is one of the layouts from September Club - Pumpkin Patch.


DD had already decided that DGD #1 will be dressed as a pumpkin this Hallowe'en, so this layout was made with that in mind. DGD #1's photo will eventually be put on this layout.

Pumpkins are from Happily Ever After, the vines being cut off of the pumpkins to adorn the photo mat. The signpost is from the Camping Out Solutions cartridge. And I'll be a monkey's uncle if I can't remember who makes the papers I've used, not at home to check, oops.

















So, that's about it for now. It's still taking way to long to publish these posts, but at least I can do it.


Back with more photo's and Cricut stuff in a couple of days....

Love Jane