Retreat was Fab!

WOW what a great day we all had! - from finding yummy new products in the shop, to sipping tea from vintage teacups, to getting really messy with ribbons, magazines,and making silk roses. We also enjoy yummy food which is a must when you are being creative. I tied cookies together with simply organza ribbon - don't they look fab! definately an idea I hope you'll steal and do for yourselves.



Here are just a few pictures to give you a feel for the day, but obviously they don't capture the joy of seeing everyone's excited faces when they opened each kit. It dosn't show the happiness in making something out of nothing, and it dosn't show have much fun we all had being in each other's company. This you'll only see if you join us next time!

I will be taking pictures of the pages made inside the album for you to enjoy and be inspired by, and will load as soon as possible.


Enjoy!
Debs
x

Painted Pink Jam Jars!

Yipppeeee, I'm a whole day ahead of myself - all the kits are done and looking gorgeous for the Vintage Album retreat on Sunday. Just a few more yummy food bits to buy fresh tomorrow and then I can simply relax and look forward to actually getting on the with the thing I love most which is teaching my designs. I can't wait to see how everyone's albums turn out.

The picture above is the first kit that everyone will be welcomed with - bet you wonder what's inside!


I also took advantage of the lovely warm sun on my deck yesterday, and played with pink paint - I saw this idea somewhere recently where they had swirled paint inside old glass jars so I decided to try it out, and have made the take home treats in the form of a vintage jam jar - again bet you are wondering what's inside. Simply find some glass jars, and taking a quite water-downed cup of paint, simply pour inside and swirl around. Tip all the excess paint back into you cup and leave to dry - obviously you couldn't put unwrapped food back in to them, but imagine other treats like hairclips, wrapped chocies, piece of jewelery, or even say little notes made with comforting affirmations for the receiver to enjoy each day.

Really sorry but I can only tempt you tonight, as I don't want to give too many of the surprises away, but promise I'll share more after the event next week.

Hope you all have wonderful weekends enjoying the sunshine with your loved ones!
x

The Must Have for Summer!

OK, sorry I've been away from my blog for a few days, wish I could say I'd been to an exotic location being pampered by the best in their field. Actually just been really busy preparing for the Retreat this weekend, and also getting ready for our next adventure at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Oh did I forget to mention that? yes we are riding on the back of our Gold at Chelsea Flower Show and trying our hand at having a Trade Stand selling lots of our gorgeous garden accessories. If you've not checked out the boy's website it's www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk. We sneaked into the garden tonight to test out these fabulous garden lanterns - how amazing are they? Do hope there will be one left over for our garden.

Hope you all managed to enjoy the glorious sun today!
x

BBQ Googles!

As parents, the boy and I hope to give mini scrapper as many life skills as possible and the confidence to use her inititive....well no smoke in this kids eyes, as you can see she's invented BBQ googles - she wanted to cook supper for us, so we light the portable BBQ and bought her some sausages, and when she rushed upstairs we weren't sure what she'd surprise us with, only to find her sat back at her post in your swimming googles. Sausages tasted good too!!!

Had a lovely day as always at The Eternal Maker will full classes this morning and this afternoon. We did the wrapping paper collages and then these following two layouts.

For this one, I stamped rose petals and then painted them with watercolours. I glamour dusted 1 layer, and then script stamped the 3rd and 4th layer, finishing with a Delish brad in the middle.

On this vintage layout, I made a large L monogram, which I then made a stamped label to hang off it, and used a fabric rose with a brad in the middle. I love this photo of my grandmother's wedding.

What will tomorrow bring? how exciting to imagine the possiblities!
x

Wrapping Paper Cards

Continuing to have fun with wrapping paper. I also love the excuse that I have to find lots more lovely ones now I've worked out what to do with them other than wrapping! Not that us paper girls need an excuse, but I do love it when I can enjoy buying something cheap and making something wonderful from it.

I sometimes think that it's handy to have a formula when you want to achieve quick collage, so here, I've stamped a black image first, then I've used 2 to 3 cutouts from wrapping paper, (or indeed cut-outs from beautiful scrapbooking paper), followed by a trio of tiny flowers. This seems to work each time. You'll see I've also added some text...cut out from magazines (another useful reason to keep buying lovely housey mags!).

Off to Eternal Maker in Chichester tomorrow teaching all day at Scrap Club. I'll be showing my ladies this technique, along with 2 layouts in the afternoon which I'll post here when they done them.

Hope everyone's week is going well!
x

Love this Bag!!!

Haven't had nearly enough creative time this week, as have been flat out busy working for the boy! only day I got to myself saw me knee deep in Retreat Kit preparation which was great and brilliant to see it all coming together....starting to get really excited now that it is only a couple of weeks away!

Needed to find just the right present today for a very special friend - don't panic I don't think she reads my blog, so I'm safe till she gets it herself...I hope!

How cool is this bag! OMG I love it - I just want to a) have it for myself and b) want to copy the design and scrap it...either way I have stroked it several times. Lucky she is a really really special friend otherwise I think I'd be nipping into nearest corner shop and buying chocolates and flowers and giving them to her instead.

Just in case you can't resist, I got it from Accessorize.

Well madly packing to head off camping this afternoon - I know I can hear you all gasping as if you've meet me you'd know I'm a makeup and glamour 24/7 kinda a girl...but ladies don't panic I'll still manage to have a shower and glam up don't you worry.

Have perfect weekends - don't forget to just take lots of photos of STUFF!
x

New Post

We have a lovely postie, who always puts handwritten post to the top of our pile. It's a relationship we've built up with him over the past few months, where he knows how excited we are when we get letters like this. Today he was really excited as he walked in and showed me this one. One of my clients Susie always sends me the most amazing post. Today I received her cheque for the Vintage Album retreat along with this amazing fridge magnet all beautifully scrapped. Believe me I squealed when I opened it.

Thanks Susie! I love getting post from you!
Hope you had super Tuesdays!
x

Life is Beautiful!

Yum, life is beautiful. After my weekend and OK Monday, I remember why I called my blog what I did. Gorgeous to have mini scrapper home, the boy brown and sandy after a full weekend of sailing, and me happy with my life a little bit back to normal.

On my trip to Brighton I picked up some amazing wrapping papers. Are you like me and can't resist paper of any size and shape...doesn't have to be 12x12 scrapbook paper, just any kind will do. I cut out the designs which looked scrapped anyhow, mixed up with some petals from vintage rose papers, a bit of glamour dust, black stamping and some paper roses. I also bought these amazing pale pink postcards and envelopes - french you know - just need to be scented! I normally work on white card, just because I love the artwork to not be distracted by the background colour, but am really enjoying playing with pink (well I would wouldn't I!).

Make sure you look at wrapping papers to scrap and create with - even the supermarkets have designs I can't resist.

Off to have a coffee and a bickie
xx

Brighton

Had a wonderful morning "moochin'" with my mate Sam cameras at the ready for capturing Brighton. Just played with our cameras, not really worrying about the subject which was lovely, and a must for you all! It's really fun to see what you capture through the lens. Here are a couple of my favourite shots of the day.


Got home to another card from mini scrapper, OMG we are so missing her, and I am starting to count down the hours now till midday tomorrow when I finally get to pick her up.

Here is her 4th card, lots of fairy houses, a word-search I made for her on-line, and a cutting from a Hello magazine pretending that I'd spotted her and Snowie at Brownie Camp....wonder what she has made of all her cards? will be interesting to see what she thinks.

Upstairs now whilst the house is still quiet to play with some new pale pink French cards and envelopes, along with some papers and old postcards I bought today as well.

Happy days!
x

yeah return post!!!

Yipppee, I got mail!
Mini scrapper has sent us a postcard and a homemade card. Her postcard reads;

Dear Mummy & Daddy, How you had a good day. I had a good day. I love you round the world and back. Love from Hols xxxxoooo

I heard from Grandma and her bff (best friend forever) that they also got postcards, so mini scrapper has obviously been busy.

Here is my day 3 card for her.


I know they will be hitting the beach, so I've stamped some woodware mermaids stamps onto white cardstock and cut them out, one for each brownie to colour in. I also thought Curly (her bear) might need a card today so made one for him too.

Yeah treating myself to a day off tomorrow, and going to Brighton with a friend to take some pictures - no real subjects, just playing with our cameras - can't wait!.

x

Day 2 without mini Scrapper

My wednesday dosn't seem quite as special as normal...its funny but when I wish for more time on my own, the thought seems so blissful, but in reality when I have the whole day with only a couple of phone calls and a small exchange of words with the bank teller, somehow the reality isn't so great. My working from home day on Wednesdays is always a packed day trying to be as creative as possible before the 3pm pick-up, but today whilst its wonderful not having to pack up just yet, I don't seem to have been any more creative! that said I've been busily sewing silk squares ready to make up the front page kits for the Retreat album - the rainbow colours of the silks and ribbons look amazing together.

So,...I wonder what Mini scrapper has been up to. Still no contact at all which I'm finding very hard. When she goes to a friends or family, I still phone or text her to catch up and see she's ok. Nothing since yesterday lunch is simply horrible. Hopefully they've had lots of sunshine fun today...wonder if she's got her 2nd letter yet? Here it is - this time I cut out a cute dog from a scrapbook paper, and highlighted his nose with a diamond. I stamped a flower and popped a 3d butterfly on for him to sniff!. Daddy wrote in this one, and I popped in a tiny card and envelope from me with a secret message saying I loved her...hope we get some post tomorrow!

Have great evenings! enjoy the sun!
x

Brownies Scrapped Post

Boo Hoo, mini scrapper has gone to Brownie Camp...it feels very odd stilling being in the office at 4.30 and not having to rush like a mad woman through traffic to pick her up...even more so as I see other children off at Half Term. Still on my "very proud Mummy" side, I was delighted that she waved me off all confident and ready to start her adventure. We settled her in, putting out her sleeping bag and brownie blanket (which I suddenly remembered whilst in bed last night, needed more badges sewn on, so did them with sleepy eyes and by bedside lamp), and of course Curly, and popped her things under her campbed.

One of the things they asked us to do was to prepare some letters for them for each day...hey now your cookin' just my kind of thing. So on Sunday night I stayed up late and prepared 4 handmade and personal cards for her. Quite tricky to come up with designs that are for children, (especially having the daughter I do)I'm much more used to designs for big people. Anyway 4 cards later I'm very happy and only wished that I got more scrapped post. I'll show you each day's here on the blog.

Today's features this gorgeous little owl. You know when you see a set of stamps that are quite cute, but you don't want them to look tooooo cute. This was the case with these ones. I've stamped him on pretty paper, and then stamped his wings on a contrasting one and stuck over the original wings. Then I've glittered his eyes and couldn't resist sticking a flower on his head. I also stamped the word love on his tummy with my cool typewriter font stamps. Next I stamped a spray of flowers for a branch, and a little bit of script stamp on the bottom. Yeah very happy. Inside there is also a quiz and one of those cool folded thingeys (can never remember there name!), pick a colour, pick a number, pick a number, lift up the flap and do the crazy task....hope they have fun swapping socks with each other !!!

Yucky weather here - hoping for a sunnier Wednesday.
xx