I'd just like to thank my fella crafter's for coming to the first Hopeman crop yesterday afternoon.  A good time was had by all and we all got some crafting done too, a bonus, lol.
Thanks also to Sarah for getting the cakes.
The next one for your diary is 27th June, same place, same time, looking forwards to it already.

Thanks too for all the birthday wishes for today, gifts and beautiful cards.  I've had a lovely day so far and hubby is even doing tea!! :)

So this is what I shall be doing on the afternoon of the 5th of June at Elgin.....simple cards with hero arts stamps.

I had to sit on my hands and lock up my craft room to go back to simple cards....I so wanted to get inks out and pens not to mention embellishments but my brief was "beginners stamping cards"

Let's hope I get a few newbies addicted to the world of stamping/papercrafting!

(Should this carry a health warning, lol?!)

As with previous post contact Kate at Papercraft's Boutique for more information.

So guys this is my Kay and Co handbag book that I am doing at Papercraft's Boutique on the 5th of June, using Nestibilities, Martha Stewart & ek punches as well as Tim Holtz distress inks.

If you want more details contact the store, link on previous post.

So I had a lovely surprise parcel this morning, thanks Jan.

Here are the goodies I will be using on the 5th of June at Papercraft's Boutique in Elgin and the 12th of June at Howden's Garden Centre in Inverness.

At Elgin I will be doing a handbag card/mini scrapbook with Kay and Co papers, Nestabilities and Tim Holtz distress inks, followed by beginners stamping in the afternoon with Hero Arts stamps.  Contact Kate for more details.

At Howden's I will be demonstrating Nestabilities, Martha Stewart punches and PI stamps, creating Wedding cards and some ideas for Father's Day. 

Christmas has come early! 

Me thinks I might enjoy this job...how could I not!  :-)

Firstly today I need to say happy 6th birthday to my baby boy....

Wishing you an extra special day Callam.  xxx

Now onto the card this has been made for my neighbours other daughter who's birthday is in a couple of days.  I have used tartan paper to match the skirt on the Sugar Nellie stamp Goth girl.  I'd like to thank Kate at Papercraft Boutique for the idea of using eyelets to add the lace up effect also matching the stamp.  I have again used the small tag punch from SU...me thinks I'm going to be using it a lot!

The cards stock and embellishments were magically found, as always, lurking in my room.  LOL.

I have coloured the stamp with my copic's which seems to be my first choice medium at the mo.  Thanks to Judy for some more top tips!!

Right I'm off to enjoy the weather down on our local beach, picnic here we come!  Loving this sunshine we seem to be getting just now, might even chance putting my bedding plants in later.

Morning!!  Today I'm heading over to Alford to the lovely craft shop Simply Create for a class with Melodee, can't wait, should be a lovely afternoon.  An early birthday treat!

Before I go I wanted to share this card I made for my neighbours child for her birthday tomorrow.  I have used the stamp "Little Miss Attitude" from Funky Kits and the paper is Daydreams by Fancy Pants together with bright pink and green card stock.  The mini tag punch is new to us from Stamping Up and the flowers, ribbon and embellishments are from my crafty stock.

Her birthday is tomorrow the same day as my youngest......he got a couple of presents yesterday with having his party early.  One of the presents was a new boogie box and Justin Bieber CD.  It was lovely to wake up to at full blast at 6 a.m. this morning.....seemed like a good idea at the time!!  LOL.

"JUST PLAY IT LOUD, OK!"

It is my second son's birthday on Sunday but as it was the long weekend and I'm busy Saturday crafting, I decided to do his party tomorrow afternoon.

So today I have been baking like it is going out of fashion.

Judy I had a go at your cake but my kids kept pinching the worms...before I could get them on it.  So I ended up with only a few on the top....but there is a lot inside!  LOL  I'll take a pic tomorrow.

The cake above is my volcano.....we are having a dinosaur themed party and the volcano seemed an easier option than trying to create a T-Rex, yikes!

I have used a chocolate cake, chocolate butter icing, red food colouring icing

 and oreo biscuits smashed!  The mould was my extra large muffin from Lakeland plastic.

I have got sparkler candles for tomorrow so hopefully that will make it look even better...should they work!

Happy Birthday Gayle

Thinking of you today.

Did I mention that it's my pal Gayle's birthday tomorrow?

Oh I did!

Well as a fella crafter I did send a wee bag of new stash for her to play with. 

I also wanted to make a little something to keep so I made this charm bracelet. 

I'm afraid all my charms and beads have been picked up over the web as too the little box, it's so cute and it can be reused and recycled...environmentally friendly!!

Today this is my entry to Quixoticpaperie Challenge I have used the Greeting farm stamp Edward and Rusty Pickle papers from the Chocolate coloured cherry range.  The challenge had to include a handmade flower....mine has been made with 6 sheets of red tissue paper scrunched up and inked then attached with a brad.  The swirls were cut out of the Rusty pickle paper.

I have kept the card simple as I want you to see the lips in the background.....and the reason why?

Well this is my take on Edward from Twilight and the card is for my friend Gayle.....SHUT YOUR EYES GAYLE till Wednesday!!

Gayle together with Karen introduced me to Twilight last year.....and I have since taken back to reading....all Twilight, Vampire Diary's and True Blood.....love them all and looking forwards to the new books out soon, and ordered already, tee hee.

This is my entry to the Sugarbowl challenge that is running just now.  The sketch is by the wonderful Marlene and it has to include reusing stash.

The stamp is a new Manga Goth Girl from Sugar Nellie and the papers I have reused from a Rusty Pickle mini book and are from the Pirate Princess range.

I so love this stamp and can see me using it loads.

The card is for Jacqui over at Simply Create in Alford who is hosting a 1 year old birthday crop for her shop today.  I'm looking forwards to it for there are a lot of fella crafter's going.....should be a giggle!

First thing I wanted to show you today is something my son made with a little guidance from mum.

He had to produce an art project for school about something special to him.  He decided to do a canvas about rugby.  He cut the ball out himself, then he used the cricuit for his title.  I printed the photos of him and his mates and the strip of his shirt was the one cut off him in A & E a couple of weeks ago....thought he would like a lasting reminder.  For the back ground he blended 3 colours of acrylic paint...inspired by showing him Sharon's LO for the Cyber crop, thanks Sharon xxx.

Now my youngest wants a go so watch this space.....

Today I have mostly been making a Wedding card!

This is for friends of the family who are getting married this weekend.  Unfortunately we are not going to make the party which is a shame as it is at there parents home and they've got bumper cars and all sorts of activities planned.....I hope the weather holds up for them.

The stamp I've used is from Stamping bella, I love it for a wedding and use it lots....is that wrong?!

I have also used some bazzill, my Martha Stewart punches and I made the little flowers (thanks Kate for inspiring me to have a go). The other embellishments.....yep you've guessed it....I found them lurking in my craft room..!

Finally did I mention that I'm going to be the local demonstrator for Personal Impressions?

Sorry if you've already caught my news on Facebook or UKS, I don't want to keep mentioning it but I am REALLY excited about the prospect.

There now......I promise not to mention it again, LOL!

Yesterday was spent at Papercraft's Boutique in Elgin demonstrating inks, stamping, acrylic/chipboard books, nestabilities and template cards.  I had a lovely day crafting and met lots of lovely crafty folk.

Kate I loved your flowers, will be sitting down and having a go at them.

Oh and I managed to pick up a couple of the new Manga stamps which have gone on sale this weekend seen here.

Guess which ones I went for?!

My final LO of the CC was PASS GO.  This challenge was worth a whopping £600 in Monopoly money so couldn't not be attempted.  It had to include stitching, something metallic, have a hidden section and a flap. 

The paper is bazzill black and beige plus Bon Appetit from Teresa Collins.  The lettering was doodlebug shin dig and the ribbon/embellishments from my stash.

The large flap reveals two photos of my son eating rice crispies off the floor....when he was a toddler he was so chuffed he managed to get in the food cupboard, get a full packet of rice crispies open and tip them over his head....and all over the floor!  There is also hidden journalling.  My stitching is around the outside from my machine and the metallic is silver brads and spoons.

The front photo is him sat enjoying the fruits of his labour, little monkey, lol!

This LO was another challenge for the UKS CC.  The challenge was "Waterworks" and it was to scrap a holiday and include water.  I have used paper from Imaginisce A Shore thing, a sheet of bazzill, paint, plastic bubbles, fish brads from doodlebug and KI lace card stock.

The photo is of a "staycation" we had a couple of years ago down at our beach.....the kids don't want to go anywhere else when we get the weather!

Before the start of the Cyber crop everyone is split into teams....as this time the theme was Monopoly I was selected for the CARS team, vroom, vroom!

Before the crop starts there are a few challenges set, one of which I will show you later....the other is what is known as "The Mystery Challenge".  For this you purchase a kit designed for your team, not knowing what you are going to get!  It is then up to you what you do with it.  My kit came from The Craft Emporium and I loved it.....

As it was sometime since I had sat and scrapbooked I decided to do a couple of LO's as my challenge.  The papers are from October afternoon and Bazzill and are just yummy plus you got all the embellishments with the kit.....as you are required to stick to the kit.

The first LO is of my boys on the swing in our park....so I wanted to incorporate that.  The second is my youngest having a coffee break (red juice!) and a kitkat whilst out helping in the garden...I love the way he just sits on  the chair the double of his dad chatting away like a little old man.

The other challenge I entered was the Pre-crop challenge and that was to do a LO on someone who was a familiar face in my life who has had a profound effect on it.

I choose my parents, now before I explain further I got my times a bit muddled and ended up with only one hour to complete this challenge and for those of you who know me.....that is some ask.....I like to chill and enjoy the process so this LO is a lot simpler that I had initially wanted.

I wanted to use orange black and silver because my parents...as you know are big biker fans and are especially keen on their Harley D.  I wanted to show them getting together, their Wedding day and then how they are now.  I think it's so "random" (I would say "cool", but my kids inform me cool is no longer the right word!) that my parents as grandparents are out the biking most weekend clad in leather, enjoying life and having fun.  They are always there for me, even now as an adult with advice...when asked.

Now onto the sequins, lol......I know it probably isn't the done thing in some circles..but I like to break the unwritten rules now and again....I liken them to chrome on a motorbike, that was my thinking anyway!

Right before we start I've had to change the file of this photo as occasional my computer has a wobble with my canon photos...apparently it is a known issue and the only way around it is to fool the computer in a different format!  Computer suitably fooled!!  But the clarity of the image isn't as good.

Anyway, moving on, this class was designed by Bexter aka Beckie Dryer and her blog can be found here.

The technique in this class was using glimmer mists...something I confess I don't have much of.  Beckie's was beautiful blues and I have to say they are my sort of colours but I was limited with only gold and purple mists to play with.

This is my effort and I have to say I think it was my favourite class and I am so happy with the outcome.  Unfortunately the photo doesn't do the glimmer mist technique justice and it's only when the light catches you see the beauty of the different colours.

The papers I have used are Crafthouse allsorts aniseed, pontefract cake and cream soda together with cream and black card stock.   The butterflies are from Hobbycrafts, lace and flowers are from my stash and the little tags were made using the new SU punch.  The bubble technique top right was done differently to as Beckie suggested as I didn't have the kit needed I instead used bubble wrap and white StazOn ink.

The photo's are of a family get together last Easter, we all live so far apart now it was great to catch up with everyone.

This class was by Gertie aka Sarah Palmer and you can see more of her work here on her Blog.

This was my first class of the Cyber crop and those of you who know me, know I spend most of my crafty time making cards, so it was great to work on 12" again.....and there are not many places you can say that without getting a comment like "Ooo erh Mrs!" 

The technique to try on this class was painting...creating a different style and texture to your scrapbooking.

I have used bazzill card stock and Basic Grey Archaic, white acrylic paint and embellishments from my stash.

The photo is of my eldest son at around 8 months having his first photo shoot.

The first class I wanted to show you from the CC on UKS is designed by Angie Woolfall's "The Angel, Islington".

You can catch up with Angie on her Blog.

I loved this class and I got to use some stash that I have had for a while, I think, if my memory serves me correctly, that is was a gift from one of the Aberdeen girls when we had a crop.  The papers are Kelly Panacci Two-of-a-kind, Khaki plaid and Green mini dots...the brothers sign was a beer mat I picked up at Scrapaganza and the ribbons were in my stash.  The challenge of the class was to had cut the frames and I loved it, will be using this technique again.

The photo is of my two boys actually being nice to each other and having a good picture taken for our Christmas cards a couple of years ago!

 

The next class is designed by Sarah Youde "The Strand".  You can catch Sarah's work on her blog here.

I also loved this class and used Doodlebug safari papers and brown bazzill together with other bits and pieces I found in my craft room.  The challenge of this class was to hand stitch....oh I love my stitching!

The photo is of my eldest boy when he was little.  He loved to play with animals and sticker books.....and animal stickers even better.....he started to stick them everywhere but the book including himself which at the time he thought was so funny!

That's it for now folks I'll show you some more tomorrow.

Happy crafting!!

So what have I been up to over the weekend?  Well, it was cyber crop time over on UKScrappers and boy did we have fun.  The theme for this time was Monopoly and I was rather chuffed at my £2,260 total... and 9 LO's especially as it was cut short yesterday with a trip to A & E to see my son who had a rugby injury.
It's not nice seeing your child strapped to a trolley with a neck brace on!  Still he is fine, thank goodness if not a bit sore.

I'm will be back later with what I have been scrapping as I just want to check with the class designers before publishing my work.
Happy crafting....back soon...xx