Moments in May

Enjoying: the sight of animals and their young.

Appreciating: every blossom and flower.

Savouring: the vivid blue sky and green spring grass.

Relishing: the challenge of our first long walk in the sunshine this year - and the ice cream at the end of it.

Learning: about honeybees and becoming enchanted by them. (This camellia is in the garden where we keep our hives...it was much too busy to be taking photos while we worked on them today. Don't worry, there will be bee-related posts later).

Feeling: the sand between my toes.

Looking: forward to many more moments like this.

Not so different after all

Don't get carried away, now. Just because my last page was properly 'graphic' doesn't mean I am going to abandon layering altogether. Sometimes it's just what comes naturally.

There is something about this page. The edges of the paper are inked. It's been a habit of mine to use some brown ink to softly colour the edges of every paper...well, forever. I've always done it. It works here with the greens and browns and muted earth tones. Lately, though, I have been working with some brighter colours and cleaner patterns, and inked edges haven't felt right. It still feels like my pages are naked but maybe I will get used to it in time.

Another one for the album of our weekends away...and as it says, in Sherwood Forest, one must always look the part!

Something different for a Monday

It sounds a bit pretentious to say I am working on developing my style. This is only scrapbooking, after all. I've mentioned a few times that I am trying to push what I do design-wise, rather than just go with the same-old-same-old. I think it's a success, because I really like the pages I have completed so far. But gosh it's hard to try and do something consciously different.

This page began as something very different indeed. A twee patterned background and a regular 2-up photo layout. After I'd stuck down the third piece of paper, I realised I hated it and tore the whole thing apart. That doesn't happen very often, I tend to be more of the mindset that if I stick enough things on the page eventually it will look ok. That wasn't working this time, though. So - I tore the photos off, discarded the paper, took a sheet of white cardstock and started again. 

This page uses those little index photos that you get when you print with Photobox (other online printers do similar, I think.) I thought they'd be a great way to do an introductory page for our weekend in Nottingham for Chris' birthday. I haven't decided yet  if these pages will have a separate album of their own, but even if I keep them in my regular 2013 album it will be good to have something that divides them from the other layouts. The diagonal design came from something in the back of my mind inspired by this layout and I went from there. I love, love, love that rainbow chevron washi tape (from Glitz Design) and have to stop myself from sticking it on everything. And heat embossing white on coloured card is a new-to-me technique that I am finding quite addictive. So different from my other pages and I love it.

Have a little faith

 It felt like Spring was never going to arrive. I should have had more faith, really.

Nature is doing its thing. Slowly, but it's coming.

 Every little flower, every little bird...it's all beautiful and makes me quite emotional, actually.

There is still lots of grey and brown. Lots of bare branches. But in between there are green leaves, tiny flowers, and splashes of colour.

 The wind brought with it some beautiful blue skies and clouds that left wispy, frothy trails.

I am SO going to sketch that shed. I took more than 90 photos on this walk and any one of them would make a lovely picture.

I'm thinking maybe a large-scale canvas/ I've been in this house for two years and there still isn't anything on the walls, so these photos might be the prompt I need to change that.

Don't get me wrong, it's still cold. There was a fresh, biting wind that made my eyes water and my nose run. I was very glad to get back into the warmth of the car and eat our picnic.

But Spring is a promise. A promise of sunny days and warmth that reaches your bones. A promise of new growth, renewal and opportunity. 

Life is good.

Pink, pink, pink

I think the lack of Spring-like weather has impacted on my scrapbooking...I am using more flowers and bright colours than normal. Wishful thinking. Although the last few days haven't been too bad, so there is hope. Aren't those little girls adorable? They're from a mixed pack of embellishments I bought ages ago, and I nearly got rid of them because I don't do pages about children, but I remembered them as I was doing this page and they fit perfectly.

I am trying to use more stamping, as well, and small text elements are much easier for me to incorporate in my designs. And Primas....who uses them any more? Talk about mixing my trends! But these pages are for me, and in 20 years' time all I will worry about is that I recorded this story.

The pastel colours and floral pattern also help detract attention from the fact that this is a Christmas photo, being used to tell a story that isn't Christmassy at all. I do like Mindy's jumper, though.

Sunday night scrapbook catchup

My scrapbooking/blogging cycle seems to have got a bit out of synch at the moment. Apart from the ones I haven't blogged yet, I also have a big pile of pages waiting to be photographed, plus a slightly smaller pile that are complete but waiting for journalling. Not sure what's happened there but it's most unlike me.

I did this page a little while ago, but it's been sitting out on the side for ages. Sometimes when I do a page I really like, I don't want to put it away immediately so I leave it somewhere nice and visible for a while. This one combines lots of my favourite things - that gold writing, aqua glitter, enamel dots, wooden birds, my favourite paper range (for now - Crate Paper Fourteen) and a tag. I love tags. 

I've been in a bit of a scrapbooking lull of late. Paper and photos aren't making me as excited as they normally do. Yesterday I went through and tidied all my stuff, re-arranged all my embellishments in cute little bowls on my desk, threw out some bits and pieces that had been sitting around for way too long and just weren't my style any more. It feels better - cleaner, tidier - and it stopped my urge to buy more when I realised just how much I already have. But, I still haven't scrapbooked. I'm not sure what is giving me page-fright but something has definitely thrown me off-course. I have a lot of photos just waiting to be scrapped, and plenty of stories to go with them. All my usual philosophies - any story told is better than none, just get it done, etc, - aren't helping at the moment. 

Being so busy is not helping. My evenings and weekends seem so full that I don't have time to sit and contemplate a page like I normally do. I think I'm going to have to start scrapping faster. Or, I need a holiday.Where's that lottery win when you need it, eh?

No such thing as too much glitter

You know I love glitter, right? Glitter and shine and sparkle...I don't think I make a page without these in some form. When I made this page to celebrate Mindy and Jamie's Christmas engagement, I briefly wondered if two glitter alphabets was too many. Hah! Silly question.

This is actually on white cardstock heavily misted with gold, but that doesn't show up so well in this photo. I considered the thought that gold spray mist with pink and black glitter letters might be too much, but only for a moment. After all, what is life without some sparkle?

Welcome April...where is Spring?

It has been bright, beautiful sunshine for much of today, but still no sign of any warmer temperatures. I am so tired of the cold and so ready for some warmth. Spring is taking its sweet time this year. Chris assures me that the birds are nesting, and all our little seedlings are poking their heads above ground, so I suppose it's just a matter of time. I went shopping today and couldn't bring myself to buy another woolly jumper, even though that's what I am still wearing. 

My scrapbook pages are shifting to brighter colours and floral patterns, even if that isn't what is happening outside. These roses are from some Basic Grey paper that I loved but couldn't figure out how to use. I hardly ever do 'fussy cutting' but for this one it seemed the only option, and I used my coloured pencils to shade a green border that defines them against the background. It's very different from my normal style but I do like it.

I'm also a big fan of pages that are mostly 8.5x11 inches, on a 12x12 inch background. That was the effect I was going for here, but somehow my measurements went wrong and I cut the pink piece too small. To make up the difference, I sliced it again and then stamped in a washi tape-effect. I actually really like it, I think it brings the greens together and balances out the top half of the design. Happy accidents, eh?!

Since Gran got wifi, we have been helping her use Skype to communicate with my aunt overseas, and it is brilliant (if somewhat confusing for her). We'd been using our smartphones, but Gran is now set up with a Samsung tablet all of her own. There's no stopping her now!

Distractions

It feels like forever since I've written a blog post. Sorry about that. Actually, it's only been a couple of weeks but life has been rather full of distractions of late. Three distractions, in fact.

We were on our usual Sunday afternoon outing to the local Pets at Home for cat food. We had been keeping an eye on these degus since before Christmas, and every time we went to the store we'd have to go and check if anyone had taken them home. This time, they were still in the shop and being utterly adorable. Normally, when either Chris or I starts thinking about how we could take them home, the other one of us will have their sensible head on and rein it in. After all, we live in a small house and already have a cat and a chinchilla. How could this possibly work?

Apparently, what happens is that as you wander away someone else will start looking at the degus and I was overcome with the fear that someone else would take them home. And so that was it. I had a serious case of longing, and Chris wasn't in the mood to discourage me. A quick mental re-shuffle of the lounge and where on earth we were going to put them, and we were decided. The degus would be ours!

We picked up a cage, and some toys, and a bag of food, and before I knew it we were heading home with three degus in cardboard boxes. Oh my word. 

Chris has had degus and other rodents before, but I've never experienced anything like them and wasn't really prepared for the level of overwhelming cuteness that comes with having these three guys in my life. They are utterly engaging, charming and adorable. After a few days we started to notice their distinct personalities, and although we are still getting to know them they are already part of the family.

I can't help but smile each time I see them. Their friendly chatter and the fact that they are so interested in you and everything you do makes them the perfect companions. They get braver every day and will come out of the cage to greet us - now we have to work on training them to go back in when we want them to. Indy, pictured here, seems to like sitting on top of the radiator and keeping his feet warm. He's also started to 'groom' me by gently nibbling my fingers. Apparently this means I'm one of the gang and I love it.

Pep the chinchilla is distinctly disinterested in them, even when the most adventurous degu tries to make a bid for freedom by dashing across the lounge. Morpheus, on the other hand, thinks we've bought him his own live TV. Now if only he could work out why they are so interested in him... (and no, we don't let the degus out of the cage while Morpheus is in the house.) 

This time last year, if you had told me what my life was going to look like, I would have called you a fool. It's funny how things work out and I certainly never imagined a home full of furries. Every day, we do something that makes this home even more special and right now I couldn't be happier.

Adventures in scrapbook style

I've talked a few times before about attempting to change my scrapbooking style. I am trying to make it a conscious process - looking critically at other examples to see what I like, what I don't like, and considering how I can reflect that in my own pages. I think this has come about for a couple of reasons - firstly, feeling that my pages were beginning to look 'the same'. And secondly, looking at the wealth of new products that are out there and realising that I find some of them very hard to use because they didn't fit with the 'style' I thought I had. 

More than anything, I have realised this process is a work in progress. The page above took me far longer than one of my usual pages. Not layering and overlapping the papers makes me feel the page is very exposed, and I start to get super-critical about straight edges and neat borders. (It also makes it harder to get a straight photograph, but I promise you this is not wonky in real life). I found it really hard to decide where to put embellishments, and had to leave and come back to this page several times. Eventually, though, it all came together and I have ended up with a page I love and am so pleased to have in my album. I've made a few others in a similar style since this one, and each has come together a bit more easily. I am enjoying being a bit more adventurous.

A scrappy Sunday

Oooh, look at that...March was nearly running away with me. The last few weeks have been ever so busy with birthdays, holidays, and not least Mindy opening her new shop. She's had a corner of Mum's shop for a few years but as her business has grown both she and Mum needed space. I am so proud of Mindy for having the courage to step out and do something like this. Go Mindy!

This is probably the quickest that I have ever scrapbooked an event. Seriously, it's less than a week since I took these photos. I'm using a real mix of supplies at the moment. Some of them are like the white background cardstock...it's been in my stash for a long time. The brads and chipboard letters have been around for a while as well. The patterned paper is new from the Amy Tangerine Yes, Please line. I have updated my paper collection with a few 6x6 pads from different manufacturers, and this is one of them. I love the bright spring colours and watercolour effect. I also love that the 6x6 pad has two cut-apart sheets which have small scale journalling and embellishment cards on - the 'hello adventure' and pink label on the right are both from this. A great way to add little embellishments without breaking the bank.

I have been a follower of Scrappyjedi (Melissa Stinson) for a while and though I love her style I have never managed to incorporate it into my pages. In my bid to expand my own style, I went with smaller photos and mounted them on vellum. Genius! Why didn't I think of this before? I love the subtlety of it and the way it creates another layer without making it too heavy on the page.

I am still practising. At the moment each new page is my *favourite* and I like it that way!

I love my cat and my cat loves...

Morpheus gave me quite the scare this morning when he decided to disappear for a while. He's a mostly indoor cat and we don't have a cat flap, so when I couldn't find him I wondered if he had sneaked out through the front door when we weren't looking. Normally, he will appear in the bedroom in the middle of the night and I will wake up with him snuggled beside me. Today he wasn't there, and he didn't come down for breakfast either - most unlike him.

I called, and searched, and shook the box of cat biscuits. I wandered around outside looking for places he might be hiding. I went out for a while, hoping that he would reappear in the quiet and be waiting on the windowsill when I got back. Nope.

I came back to an empty house and there was still no sign of him. His food bowl was undisturbed. The litter tray untouched. He must be outside somewhere. I decided to phone Mum for moral support...she offered to come round but really, if your cat is as nervous as mine, two people calling his name is just going to make him hide even more.

Standing in the spare room, I searched through all his normal hiding spaces. No sign of him. Then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the long dresses hanging in the corner of my wardrobe were moving slightly. Was it a breeze? Then a little sound like someone waking up from a really long nap....'mmmmmmm'. I moved the dresses out of the way and there he was, snuggled up at the bottom and totally oblivious to my panic. I would like to tell you that he jumped up straight away and came downstairs, but no, once he had woken up to see who was making all that noise, he went right back to sleep. He did emerge a few hours later, only to go straight out of the back door. He returned briefly for some food, and is now outside again. He'll be back. Eventually.

January - a month in review

I tried to do 'month in review' pages last year, and I got as far as April. Let's see if I can do better in 2013, shall we? I am trying to make it as easy for myself as possible, so no fixed page layout or number of photos. Last year I tried to type all my journalling, but it's such a pain to measure it, print it, cut it...much easier just to go with hand writing so that's what I am doing. And instead of using a set of papers that I will get bored with, I am using whatever comes to hand from my ever-growing pile of stash. 

So far so good...the proof will be in December if I have 11 more pages to go with this one.

Pages I love

Cold, wet, winter weekends should be the perfect opportunity to get down to some serious scrapbooking. I am following a chat online where people are challenging themselves to do a layout every day in February. At the start of the month, I was all fired up for it and convinced I could do at least 20 pages in February to use up some of my ever-growing pile of paper and photos. But...not quite yet. It's the tenth as I write this, and I'm on page number six, so I have a little way to go.

I don't really mind, though, because I am thoroughly enjoying the process and loving the pages that are coming from it. Good memories + pretty paper = pages I love.

Onwards, friends!

Keeping it simple

You wouldn't think that something so simple could be such a challenge for me. There are really very few elements on this page and it should have come together very quickly. In truth, it would probably have been quicker if I had spent less time procrastinating on the internet and being distracted by my new pet (more on him to follow later). 

For all its simplicity, there are plenty of little details on this layout which I love. The woodgrain embossing behind the title. The individually stamped letters. The chevron vellum heart and little wooden birds. The washi tape. The gold ink splatters. I know it sounds vain, but the more I look at this, the more I like it.

I can feel my style changing with each layout that I do, and I am thoroughly enjoying trying so many different products and techniques. I am very much in love with this hobby of mine right now.