My top ten of 2009

It's that time of year when we review what's gone before. I've amassed a massive collection of LOs this year and had a great time doing so. There are some that stand out for me though and for the most part my top ten of the year was pretty easy. I'd love to see your top tens so if you're blogging about it, please add a link :)
This one is from the November UKS cybercrop and was a scraplift of Ifa's class. I love it!I love this one, although it's not finished yet because I left it to add photos to after the event.

This one was from the CC in February. I like the colours and it made me braver with ink :)

Quite a few of my favourites would have to have been inspired by Shimelle's 'Scrap like you mean it' challenges this year. My favourite of those was this one. I love the blue butterflies against the black and white. It really makes them stand out.
And this one was another SLYMI one. It's also one of Shimelle's sketches and I've used it since too.
One of the projects that I undertook this year was 12 months=12 projects and each month I created a DLO of my favourite shots of the month. This one is up there with my favourite LOs of the year depicting April 2009.

This year I also got my first DT slot and this was one of my first LOs in that role. I love the papers and the photos worked really well I think :)

I was lucky enough to have several of my LOs in Scrapbook Inspirations this year. This was my favourite one. I used my newly acquired BG files on this one and haven't looked back!!When Shimelle had an inspiration weekend she asked me to join in. This was the LO I created using her downloadable elements.
In 2009 I was part of 4 different CJs at different periods during it. My favourite LOs from doing them. I find working on smaller pages a real challenge. This one was using Alicat's photo of her cute little boy.

And this CJ was a recipe CJ and I loved doing this Banoffee Pie DLO.

Ooops, that's 11 and I still have more I could add. I've had a great year with lots of opportinities to take great photos which I really think is the key to scrapbooking. I'm very thankful. I hope that you all have a great New Year's Eve whatever you're doing. And don't forget to take your cameras!!

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

I've been meaning to say...

...what a talented lot of people there are in this scrapbooking arena. Back in November we hunted high and low for the advent houses from Tescos for £5. Leigh managed to secure some after many a phone call and Julie set about altering hers. Mine is still unchanged (but I have a year now to rectify that!). You can see how it turned out here on Julie's blog and it's well worth a look! How's the printer's tray coming along Julie??

RAK alerts!!

There's a minibook kit here. Absolutely gorgeous, but you'll have to be quick!!!

I know, I know...

I'm a bad blogger!!! A whole month! There are lots of reasons for my absence including the end of term, the snow, some scrapping and catching up on sleep, but the biggest reason is the loan of all 7 seasons of 'The West Wing', which I found very addictive and couldn't stop watching until they were all finished :)

I'm back in the real world now though and have been busy collecting photos to scrap in the future over the Christmas period. I've also been working on a Ruby wedding anniversary album with Tony, which I'll share with you over the next few days. But today I posted off two CJs so thought I'd pop them on my blog.

Prom Night

Treat

If you're interested in the digital age of scrapping you might be interested in the Pencil Lines sketch this week. It costs just $1 and proceeds go to MS Society.

Journal Your Christmas

I love Shimelle's classes and I know how popular her 'Journal Your Christmas' class is. This year I decided that it was a good way of doing lots of little pages and trying different things out and therefore perfect for someone new to scrapping so I enrolled Tony on it :) I started the journal off for him with the cover and 1st December and I hope that he enjoys taking over the reins. I have to say though that I really enjoyed doing the one page I did, so how much he'll actually get to do before I take over I can't promise :)
Oh, and the picture is the advent calander I made for Tony out of pizza boxes filled with goodies. It's huge :)

SLYMI: Week 46 Scrap a Thank You

Last Friday was Friday 13th. I'm not superstitious and I'll happily umbrella indoors if it saves me getting even a single drop of water on my straighened hair as I leave the house but as Friday's go the 13th was a pretty bad one. Everything went wrong. Mostly it was little things and things that could be mended pretty quickly but they added up to a whole pile of Friday 13th misery. The final straw was coming in from taking Connor swimming to find that my dishwasher had emptied its stinking dirty waste water via the sink, which had been blocked beyond unblocking with sink unblocker, and this dirty stinking water was now all over the kitchen surfaces and floor and in my under-the-sink-cupboard. So when Tony rang me shortly afterwards he got the brunt of my moaning- bless him. I was gobsmacked when he rang back a little while later to say that he'd been thinking of sending me flowers to cheer me up, but instead he was sending me a plumber and I wasn't to give the plumber. I was totally speechless and if you know me then you'll know that that doesn't happen very often. What a sweetheart! The plumber was there within half an hour and had unblocked the sink and gone (without accepting a penny as it was already taken care of) in another 10 minutes. So that's something I wanted to say thank you for in this LO- 'Sending flowers? That's so yesterday'.

I used a tonne of rub ons and stickers (my 'thing' at the moment) and this gorgeous Prima daisy vine that I bought at the Hobbycraft show at the SEC in Glasgow last month and I love how it came out. Oh, I should also mention that it's a scraplift from Wingus over on UKS. I've joined a scraplift CJ where we scraplift a picture and then email it around, but we get to keep the LO- which is cool and so this is my first entry for that. Winnie's LO is here. Such cute photos. Thanks for letting me lift it Winnie.

Supplies:

Cosmo Cricket papers from Earth love range available from Indigo Mill

KI Memories glitter lace cardstock 'Memories'

Ducks in a row label stickers

heidi Swapp verb stickers

Fontwerks blue labels

October Afternoon Cardstock stickers 'weathervane'

7 gypsies 97% complete stickers 'Retails therapy'

October Afternoon Cherry Hill cardstock stickers

Scenic route rub ons

October Afternoon 'everyday basics' rub ons

daisy ds 'Snapshots' rub ons

7 gypsies Photos rub ons

7 gypsies 'Year' 97% complete

MM shimmer min alpha metro

Prima flowers Petite fleur vive daisy

Heidi Swapp days journalling spots

Lace from Angel Crafts

Thank you Ifa!

You'll have seen this LO before because it's one of the ones I created this weekend. I'm showing it again because Ifa chose it as her favourite and gave it a prize. Thanks Ifa. It's definately one of my favourites of the weekend. And I must give credit to Leigh for sending me the ribbons and dotty paper in our kit swap. Thanks Leigh! I love the story behind it. Still makes me laugh. Very chuffed anyway! You can see more of Ifa's lovely work on her blog.

Cybercrop Sunday Success

I awoke with a bounce in my step after only 4 hours sleep on Sunday ready for breakfast (thanks Graham!) and Annette's 9am Class: Witch Way Home. This one was another Voodoo Vixen masterpiece of a minibook with a frame so that it can be displayed. Absolutely stunning!

Supplies:
Cherry Arte Poolside 'Lounge Lizard'
Scenic Route Adeline Ave. 'Garden Grove'
Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers
Card stock from stash
Brads from stash
Ribbon from stash
Bind it All
Making Memories travel journalling tags
Maya Road Air mail rub ons
October Afternoon 'Weathervane' Cardstock stickers
October Afternoon 'Road Map' Word stickers
October Afternoon 'Farm Fresh' Word Stickers

Making Memories Alpha black shimmer metroThe 11am class, 'The Road to Happiness' by Wombat & Angel Crafts was a gorgeous LO with the most frustrating handmade flowers ever! But it was well worth perservering with this one as the resulting LO is just stunning. I love it. Supplies:
Basic Grey- Mellow 'Dulcet'
Basic Grey- Infuse 'Salt'
Basic Grey- Fruitcake 'Maraschino Cherry'
Prima Self adhesive say it in crystals large swirls
Prima Velvet Herloom Rose Meadow leaves
Safmat
Doodle bug sugar coating
Cardstock
Lace, twill, ric rac and gems from stash

The final layout challenge of the weekend incorporated three of the previous challenges; make a blinging title, make a border, and make a journalling block was called 'Take Me Home'.

Supplies:

MM alpha shimmer Metro

Prima alphabet

Basic Grey Recess

Fancy Pants Kraft Kuts Turquoise grid

Ribbons from stash

Cardstock

Kaisercraft self adhesive gems

And because I thought it was actually very pretty, I then went back to do 'Time to Go Home' from the class yesterday to create this gorgeous countdown to Christmas thingie.

And here's my points total;
Not too shabby!

Cybercrop Mystery Kit

The cybercrop mystery kit for the Scarecrows was from Modscraps and I liked it! I decided to go with the fruity theme of the papers and scrap photos of our visit to Grey's Pick Your Own Farm last month. Doing this LO made me realise how hard I find it to do a LO without lots of layering of rub ons, stickers, stamps etc but then it's supposed to be a challenge isn't it?!

The pre cybercrop challenge was based on 'Home is where the heart it'. I scrapped my home earlier this year as part of Shimelle's 'Here, there and everywhere' challenge so I didn't want to revisit that. Then I had some lovely photos taken and I decided to use one of them to celebrate the fact that I love the autumn. I love walking amongst the pretty trees and kicking up leaves. I feel quite at home out there. I used the gorgeous Prima Wildwood Collection in Rosemary and the rest of the mystery kit from Modscraps including a self adhesive flocked paper.

Cybercrop Saturday update

The Cybercrop continued yesterday with an 8am Challenge: 'Scarecrow'. This one had the brief 'Poor scarecrow is going to lose his stuffing! Help him out by sewing on a layout depicting something you’re proud to have achieved'. I cheated a little with this one and used a photo that I'm proud of. I took it when we were playing with our cameras in Scotland and I was really pleased with the composition and the fact that the cow was looking at the camera since we were there for about half an hour trying to get them to do that. I had planned to rub some images on, but when I peeled them off their backing half the image was left on the paper. So instead I printed the image on to the safmat (available from Indigo Mill) and stuck it directly on to the page. Then I stuck the beads on with glossy accents and hand sewed the buds on. Supplies:
My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow 'Checking out'
Basic Grey Ambrosia paper
American Crafts Thickers 'Glass Slippers'
October Afternoon 'Weathervane' stickers
Prima alphabet
Doodlebug rub on mini alpha
Hobbycraft lace
Safmat
Embroidery thread
Beads
Adorn it Carolee's Creations Tiny etched

There was another 8am photo challenge but I'm not going to share that, because I really do look like a scarecrow in it ;)

The next class/challenge I wanted to try my hand at was the 11am Challenge: Lion a layout challenge. This one said 'use felt or fabric on a layout about an event/person that took/has courage'. So I used a photo I took last week of Connor at his first appointment with the dentist, being such a brave boy and used Sassafras lass felties 'Silly Monsters' from Indigo Mill.

Supplies:

October Afternoon- Hometown 'Norm's News
'Tim Holtz Journaling tickets and Adage tickets
Prima alphabets
Sassafras lass felties 'Silly Monsters'
Sassafras lass brads 'b is for bugs'
Jenni Bowlin Calendar
MM shimmer stickers
MM shimmer alpha
Thickers Cream Soda
Bo Bunny rub on 'Gardenia'

The 1pm class was one that I awaited in anticipation. I love Shimelle's work and I enjoyed 'Take No Notice of the Man behind the Curtain' by Shimelle. This one had loads of layered paper and hidden places. There's an envelope behind the photo and the photo is stuck on a piece of folded cardstock that opens to reveal more photos and journalling. Supplies:
Various pp from Leigh's stash
MM Journaling Tags Passport
Chipboard heart (Bubbly funk)
October Afternoon sticker from 'Road Map'
Maya Road rub ons 'Airmail'
Ticket from Indigo Mill
Ribbons from stash
Brads from stash

The 2pm Challenge was a Tin Man layout challenge that had to include metal and hearts. Here is my LO 'Romance: alive and well'.

Supplies:

Fancy Pants Splendid 'I'm Yours'
Cardstock
MM friends ribbon collection 'cherish'
Doodlebug sugar coating
Bo Bunny rub ons 'Doodle Doll'
October Afternoon 'All about me'
7 gypsies Rub ons 'Photo'
Doodlebug mini alpha rub ons
October Afternoon 'Road Map'
Petals and Possibilities scrap metal black
Ric rac
Ribbon from stash
Prima gems and pearls

The 3pm class was 'The Lollipop Guild by MJM' and there was lots of hand cutting, inking and distressing in this class that I really enjoyed. For this one I chose three photos from my trip to Scotland of me in different positions taking photos hence the title 'Life from many angles'.

Supplies:

Basic Grey Recess 'Demerit'
Sassafras lass Bungle jungle crossword grid
Junkitz 'Salsa dots'
October Afternoon 'Road map', 'School days' stickers
October Afternoon Rub ons 'Everyday Basics', 'All about me'
7 gypsies Rub ons 'Photo'
Doodlebugs alphabet
Prima alphabet
MM felt alphabet
2crafty flower chipboard from Bubblyfunk

The 7pm class was 'Dreaming of Home' by my fellow IM teamie Tracie Oakes. Loved it!! Supplies:

Cardstock
Cosmos Cricket Earth Love Repeat
Cosmo Cricket earth Love remember
Cosmo Cricket Earth Love Relive (all from Indigo Mill)
October Afternoon 'stickers
Papermania self adhesive gems

Cardstock

The 9pm challenge (which I finished at 1.30am this morning :) ) was the Wicked Witch/Good Witch layout challenge, in which we had to scrap our good and bad sides. I liked the black and white contrasting paper and then I pulled the colours from the photo for the accents.

Supplies:

Cherry Arte Poolside 'Floating'
Basic Grey Color Me Silly 'Imagine'
Prima Swirls Black
October Afternoon 'All about me' rub ons
daisyd's Rub ons 'I am frame'
Elle's Studio ' Chic Journalling Tags' and 'Chic Note Tags'
Prima alphabet
Prima Homespun bittles
Prima e line pearl crystal

Cherry Arte Poolside 'Floating'

The final challenge of the day was the 'Popular' layout challenge at 11pm (or 2am if you're running slightly behind!). This one was all about scrapping your favourite things.

Supplies:
Cardstock
CherryArte Poolside 'Sunny Days'
Ribbon from stash
Prima homespun bittles
MM shimmer alpha
Glossy accents
Basic Grey Wholy cow rub ons Black paisley border
Dymo junior
American Crafts Minimarks Kate
daisyds rub ons 'Snapshots'
October Afternoon Rub on transfers 'All about me', 'Everyday basics'
October Afternoon Word Stickers 'Farm Fresh'
October Afternoon Cardstock Stickers 'Weathervane'

Cybercrop Creations

Last night at 7pm the Cybercrop started with a LO challenge- We're Off to See the Wizard. Connor wasn't in bed so I had to play catch up on that one. The challenge was to use a sketch to complete a travel related layout using one of the page maps attached to help you travel the yellow brick road towards Oz. This is a LO from my trip to Scotland.

The journalling reads;

She said 'It always rains in Scotland'/He said 'No it doesn't. You'll see'

Supplies:
Cardstock
Around the block 'Party Time'
My Mind's Eye 'Daily Dose- Weather watch'
Prima Jewel Box Butterflies Amethyst
Prima SIIP Swirls Black
Prima Velvet Heirloom Ross Lvs Meadow
Prima Fleur Danseur Releve
Lace from Hobbycraft
Stayz on black

At 8pm there was the first class of the 'Wicked CC'. Billed as a class using fabric, sewing and paper technique to suit any type of photo, Twister & Shout by Taniwha & PaperArts, this LO class was fab. The only problem was that I forgot to do what I'd told myself to do at the start of the class and reverse Rachel's LO so that Tony was looking away from the rolls- doh! I'll get over it. Eventually.Supplies:
Cardstock
Holey cardstock from CTM
Cosmo Cricket, Snorkel ‘Borders, Carbonation, Umberella
Ribbon from stash
Prima Green vine

The 9pm Challenge 'Dorothy' was another layout challenge. And it was another one I really enjoyed doing. The brief was 'Complete a layout about people that are important to you, what makes a friend, different types of friends, etc, and ensure you include some gingham ribbon somewhere on the page!' Connor has had me laughing out loud this week three times and I was determined to scrap the funny things he says. So here is my challenge piece. It's also my SLYMI week 45- Scrap something that you want to remember, remember.Supplies:

Sassafras lass Felties ‘Silly Monster’
Prima alphabets
My Mind’s Eye Daily Dose
Ticket from Indigo Mill
Sassafras Jungle Bungle Stickers
Sassafras lass flowers
Sassafras lass pp Mostrosity range from Indigo Mill
Making Memories ‘I love you’ ribbon
Bazill basics cardstock
Gingham ribbon from Hobbycraft

The 10pm Class was' Over the Rainbow' by Ifa. This was the class that my fellow UKS friends and I decided to do a kit swap for. Leigh prepared my kit for me and I had great fun with this LO. I recorded another of the conversations I've had with Connor this week and the journalling reads 'We were discussing the fact that you were born into a birthing pool'. I didn't have the photo to go in so that was my job for first thing this morning. Luckily Connor woke up on the right side of the bed :)Supplies:
Dymo junior
Prima Alphabets Black
Fancy Pants Rub ons- Holly Jolly
October Afternoon Rub on- Everyday basics
Kelly Panacci Rub on PKSCBT13
Staz on
Autumn Leaves Journalling stamp
Ribbon from Leigh
K&Co Cuddly Friends Chenille Blue Stripe pp

The 11pm Challenge, 'Ruby Slippers', asked us to make a sparkly title to use later in the weekend. I wasn't sure when I'd use it, so I left it for now and will review later today.

Busy scrapping, not busy blogging!

I've been spending most of the evenings when I've not had Connor at other people's houses looking after their children. What it means is that I get paid to watch X-factor and scrap, so it's all good!

Here are some of the LOs I've been busy working on.
Birthday boy:
Autumn: Our place:

Indigo Mill October Challenge

A bit late with this one! I've had the LO done for a while but keep forgetting to take a picture and upload it- doh! Anyway, for the October challenge on the Indigo Mill blog here I combined with the SLYMI challenge 'Scrap your right now' and wanted to capture my thoughts about Connor on his third birthday. The cogs and things are all stuck to the flap of an envelope, which pulls out to reveal hidden letter to Connor inside, or it will when I've written it :)