More on the Cybercrop!

I set my alarm for 6.45am so that I could be up and at 'em for the 7am challenge on Saturday morning. My heart was saying 'Yes!' but my body was saying 'No' at that time in the morning though and it was at least 7.30am by the time I dragged myself out of bed. Luckily the first challenge was a photo one so that was easy to catch up on.

And at 8am, the first class of the day a Bubbly Funk extravaganza. What a way to start the day!! I love Caroline's work and this project was no exception. There were a number of colourways, and for each, a different project so I picked and choose a little bit to come up with my LIFE LO with the photos on each letter.

But the house decor I copied exactly.

The next challenge was also a photo one (which is just as well since I was again running late having spent a while on the first class, and let the tiler in to finish my cloakroom and taken time out to make the guy a cuppa). And then came the 10am class 'The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes' from Craft at Home. This was a simple book binding class, and the result is gorgeous, but it needs decorating and filling ready for my Mum's Birthday in March.

Another quick photo challenge and I decided to catch up on the 12pm class later on as I was getting behind again. That left me with the 2pm class, 'Spiders Web' by Laura Godfrey. She had made a lovely LO but not really my thing. I did however plan to use the technique to link up some flags on a Birthday LO, but I couldn't find my beads anywhere so the LO remains unfinished- you get the idea though! I loved the hidden journalling with the decorated bottom, and will definatley be doing that again in future.

Next up, the 4pm class (still playing catch up!) 'Cat amoung the pigeons' by Taniwha. Wow!! Is this a gorgeous LO or what. I loved the colour scheme she'd gone for and she had suggested using a B&W photo I was able to use any photo for this LO. I went for one of me from 2006 when I was at the weight I feel happiest at. This is the photo that I have been using for inspiration to lose weight this year and it's the photo that I believe is 'The Real Me', hence the title. I used lots of bits that I picked up in the Hobbycraft sale, like the bright pink flowers and butterflies (K&Co). I do love the colours :)

I was, of course, really behind again and I'd been asked to do some last minute babysitting so I hastely packed up my stash again and headed out. I quickly put the kids in front of a video (as instructed by the parents who were just grateful I'd said yes at all) and set up in the study next to the lounge so that I could get on with things. And then disaster!! I had forgotten my patterned paper :( So for the rest of the evening I tried to work with what I had. I did have a pre prepared kit for the 10pm class 'Partners in Crime' by JenniF so was at least able to put this together, although I didn't have a printer with me so could only ready the photo. The top I was wearing in the photo was green, but not lime green so I converted it to B&W and then put the green back into all the plants. It all came together when I got home and was able to print it out, and there are some techniques there that I will definatley use again.

I had started the 3pm challenge at home and so also had everything with me to finish that one off. This was a hard one because you had to make it symmetrical and have four of everything. Well, everyone knows that you should use odd numbers so I don't think I'll ever get used to this LO and may have to re do it sometime. But I got the points for the FBI none-the-less!

Shimelle's 7pm challenge was to use the kit to make as many things as possible. I was a little disappointed because I really love her work and love learning things from her. I also loved the kit and was looking forward to doing something special with it. In the end I made a few cards for the points and decided to do something special with it when I had more time.

By this point I was expecting the parents home anytime so I packed up again and waited. They were home by 1am and I was home by quarter past and back up in my scraproom to catch up on the rest of the challenges and classes with all my stash available.

Then it was back to the classes that I'd missed. 'The Da Vinci Code' by Ifa being the first. I didn't have watercolours so I improvised with it and came up with 'St Lucia'. I loved the LO idea and am pleased with the result. The only thing I didn't like was when I was doodling the edges of the paper I smudged the writing on the label across the white cardstock so I removed the label and put a longer one over the smudge. It looks a little weird out on a limb though so I will revisit it and add some more elements to make it work better (I hope!).

The challenges were;

The 'Mugshot swap' (where we swapped photos and scrapped the other person). My swapee was Mhairi and this is the LO.

The 'Jessica Fletcher' challenge (include type written writing on a LO).

The Saturday night challenge- scrap using Plum and Buttons only.

Somewhere along the way, I heard the birds singing and realised that it was almost time for the next challenges and classes to start! I had been so far behind that it had taken me all night to catch up. Last year I had gone out for dinner on the Saturday night and still managed to catch up on all the classes and challenges. I know where I went wrong. I should have thrown LOs together to satisfy the challenges, but I did that before and then never liked the LO and never used it. That to me is a waste of time and stash. In future CCs I will have to choose which classes and challenges I do and not get so hung up on each LO I think. Having said that, despite the tiredness, I am really really pleased with my LOs on the whole.

Sunday's CC started with an embellishment challenge so I took the oppurtinity to earn 100 points by doing a scavenger hunt. This was followed by an Agatha Christie quiz (that was hard!). I snuck another challenge in in the form of 'Miss Marple' (scrap with lace) and my LO 'Estepona'.

And finally the 'Scrap your day finale' digi LO from Shimelle which I really struggled with, having never done it before and not having instructions to follow. I managed to get two photos uploaded ready to complete for 2009.

Not a bad haul :) In the end I had 1025 points for the FBI, which is 225 more than last CC and I did the MK that time around!