~ Such a perfect day! ~

Well, here we go, first I started with a few mists and gesso but now I've dripped my little toe in to some texture paste and stencils. I wasn't sure about this layout when I created it but I must admit it is growing on me!



 

 

I love my layers and this seems to be a great way of adding more to my layouts. The only problem is I have no patience to wait for the texture paste to dry so I have to have 2 pages on the go at the same time.

 

I cut up the Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Shine collection paper called 'Treasures'. It had lots of black and white frames on it and as soon as I saw it I new I wanted to cut it up. I have an idea of what I'm going to do with the left over piece too.

 

This layout documents the day out to Alexandra Palace during our trip to London. They had the largest beer garden in Britain. There were loads of amazing food stalls, we chose the Greek street food vendor. The weather was amazing and we spent the day lazing on the grass in the sun.

 

I've got a very busy week so thinking it's unlikely that I'll get any crafting done. Might squeeze a quick layout in on halloween depending how many Trick or Treaters we get.

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Terri

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~ Like For Ever Scrappy Sundays ~

Happy Sunday!

 

As you read this I will be half way through a 12 hour shift so I hope you enjoy your day and manage to join in with this weeks Scrappy Sunday Challenge of on the Like For Ever blog.

 

The challenge was to go as large as you can with your title.

 

I actually found it really quite a hard challenge and don't really like the first attempt with last month's kit so I redid the challenge with the new kit and looked at the challenge from a different angle.

 

 

So I decided to go for a large long title as I really wanted to scrap this quote which sums up my feelings about travel. It is one of my favourite things to do and I aim to get in as much as possible whilst I'm reasonably well at the moment. Out next adventure will be to Thailand/Laos in January! I'm on count down already.

 

I'm loving this month's 'Hello, Beautiful' kit. It's filled to bursting with the gorgeous Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Shine collection.

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Terri

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~ An Autumnal break ~

I've had a week 'mostly' away from Facebook and Instagram, apart from 'checking in' and adding a few photos I haven't been actively reading group posts or other people's status updates. I must admit that I have missed some bits such as looking at people's lovely Instagram photos and chatting with the other ladies in the Like For Ever subscribers Facebook group.

We have had a beautiful week in the Lake District, visiting National Trust properties and enjoying the amazing scenery. Here is a snapshot of what we got up to:

A scenic walk from Wray Castle.

A day dedicated to all things 'Beatrix Potter' including Hill Top Farm (Beatrix Potter's Home and inspiration for Her stories), an Art gallery of her work that used to be the offices to her husbands solicitors and finished off with the 'World of Beatrix Potter' attraction. All of which were amazing and made me want to be 5 again!

Allan Bank and a lovely woodland walk with this stunning view.

A tapas meal with sombreros at Pedro's in Kendal.

A very friendly Robin at Townsend.

Finally a walk up to Aira Force waterfall near Ullswater.

As you can see we had a non stop week and have come home for a rest! We have had fantastic weather which is unusual for the Lake District as it is known for its rain. This doesn't document the very large quantities of cake that have been consumed over the week, my favourite was the Apple cake with toffee sauce.

Can't wait to get back in my craft room and get scrapping our adventures (especially as I dropped lucky on some fab supplies in TKMaxx this morning). 

Happy Crafting!

Terri

X

~ The Gourd, the bad and the ugly! ~

As you read this I should be winging my way up to the Lake District for a break with my partner and friends. I've never been before and am hoping for some nice weather. I feel like a big kid, can't wait to go to the Beatrix Potter Museums.

 

Last year we visited Clumber Park which is owned by the National Trust. Not only did they have a kids pumpkin trail they had this art display of Squash and Gourds, aptly named 'The Gourd, the bad and the ugly'.

 

 

I loved the ombre style papers in this month's Like For Ever kit and knew that the green one would work perfectly with this photo.

 

 

I used the die cut frame to highlight me in the photo against the squash. I found it quite hard to match the embellishments witht he green as most of them seemed to be pinks and purples. Although I got ther in the end.

 

I will hopefully have loads of fabulous photos to start scrapping when I'm back.

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Terri

x

~ A little bit of Vintage (and cake!) ~



Hi there, This is one of those layouts that you aren't sure about. It seemed like a great idea in my head but once it was down on the paper I'm not so convinced. I have had these photos a little while and was looking forward to scrapping them.

 

These are the last few pieces of Crate Paper 'Confetti' collection that I had left so I was trying to use it up. I don't dislike that layout I just feel like somethings missing from it. Although I have managed to get my layers in and my new favourite thing 'mists'. You'll see more mists on my layouts as I don't seem to be able to create one without a little spritze or flick on the background.

 

My friend and I went out to a local vintage tearoom for Afternoon Tea. It seems to be becoming increasingly popular here in the UK. I love to bake and eat cake so it's the perfect thing for me really. I'm loving watching the Great British Bake Off at the moment. It's getting close to the final now so the pressure is on. Team Nadiya all the way!

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Terri

x

~ Stick It Down - October sketch ~

It's that time of the month again! Over on Stick It Down there is another sketch challenge posted. Hop on over to see for yourself and show us your interpretation.

I love both my cats but Oscar my male is much more loving than his sister. Oscar's place in an evening is asleep curled up on my knee. I have taken numerous photos of him like this and this month's sketch was just what I needed to showcase them all on one layout.

The papers and embellishments are mostly from the Shimelle Lane 'True Stories' collection and the bright bold colours was just what I wanted to contrast the black and white of Oscar's fur.



Hope to see you over on the Stick It Down blog, linking your own creation.

Happy Crafting!

Terri

x



~ New Home ~

It's over 9 months since we moved in to our new house and I realised that I haven't actually documented the move. It all happened very quickly and just before Christmas. We made the decision to move in to a new build and part exchanged my house. This meant that we moved in 2 weeks later on the 19th December. I found it so stressful as we also went to Berlin for 5 days in that 2 week period.

 

I knew as soon as I saw this patterned paper with the houses on it that I wanted to use it to scrap this photo. I'm really pleased with how it turned out especially the kraft corrugated thickers as I was worried they weren't going to show up against the busy background. The cute little house paperclip is oh so cute!

~ Like For Ever - Acorn Avenue ~

Good evening! I'm sat watching the celebrities shaking their stuff on Strictly Come Dancing. It can only mean one thing - Christmas is on its way!

 

*WARNING LONG POST ALERT*

 

So on Friday I was fortunate enough to have a whole day and evening to myself with no plans (this makes a massive change as usually I am running round doing jobs on my day off!). I decided to have a PJ day and spend my time catching up on trashy TV and scraping.

 

 

I managed 3 layouts using the Like For Ever 'Acorn Avenue' Kit. I'm absolutely loving this kit. It is very much my style and colour palette. The blue glittery thickers are AMAZING!

 

 

I remembered pinning a layout on pinterest which used lots of strips of paper attached to one side of the page. However, when I looked back it turned out nothing like that layout apart from the strips. I'm a massive fan of Pinterest and love searching it for ideas.

 

 

This layout shows me doing one of my other favourite hobbies. I love to read a good book. I always used to read crime & thriller but have recently taken a liking to easy reading chic lit type novels and stories based in India.

 

 

I would never have bought puffy stickers if it wasn't for the kits I have been getting but I now love them. This is another of those Pinterest layouts that don't really turn out like what I originally saw.

 

 

I'm back with my layers and this time I pulled out my distress tool to add texture and then inked them with distress ink 'Pumice Stone'.

 

I struggle to get a decent photo of my partner as he is either pulling a funny face or has a stupid big grin. Despite this I sometimes manage to capture fun photos of him larking about. He might annoy me but always manages to make me laugh and smile.

 

 

The die cut embellishment pack in the kit had quite a few acetate elements which I wasn't sure I particularly liked but they have created lovely subtle layers around my photo.

 

 

I love the blue transparent words and phrases that are part of the Cedar Lane collection. The words are easy to use in lots of different themes. I can't stop raving about this month's kit, I LOVE IT!!!

 

This layout was inspired by a fellow kit subscriber who created a layout with a photo of herself which showed her 'perceived' flaws. She then inspired the owner of the blog Nicola to do the same by blogging a photo where she had originally been critical of herself. I wanted to capture this in a layout by highlighing that 'the key to happiness' is how we feel about ourselves. We should be less critical and just embrace the life we have and the people we choose to spend it with.

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Terri

x

~ Wanderlust ~

Good evening!

 

I've had a lovely scrappy day so far today. I've had the day off and my other half is out at the Rugby tonight so I have had the house to myself. I've made 3 layouts today using the 'Acorn Avenue' Like For Ever kit but it was too dark to take decent photographs tonight. I'll try to post them over the weekend. 

 

So here is another layout with last month's kit. I'm trying to get my India album up to date although I still have loads of photos to get through.

 

 

I was worried the multicoloured/patterned chipboard thickers would be quite hard to use as I wasn't sure they would stand out against the papers but this has changed my opinion.

 

I love layering up patterned paper and die-cuts so again I have done so o try and draw attention to the photo. I have used a smaller photo size as there was alot of 'space' around the elephant but I wanted it to stand out as the main feature.

 

We drove past this beautiful creature, stopped the minibus, jumped out and waited patiently for it to wander round the corner of the road. It was the first time we had seen an elephant on our trip but would be the last.

~ Funny faces ~

Hello there! My job means I have to work night shifts which my body doesn't particularly enjoy but one advantage is getting a few extra days off in the week to get creative. I love looking back through my scrapbook and remembering all the good times I've had.

This is another layout featuring the August Like For Ever kit. I'm so pleased that I managed to get 8 pages done from this kit and it has to be my favourite so far.

I loved the cute little puffy stickers that I got with this kit. I can't remember if they were an add on or not. I Played around with my grunge Stampin Up stamps to add to the misted background. I always used to use a full sheet of patterned paper for my backgrounds but I'm really enjoying the 'white space' type pages at the moment (still with lots of layers though!).

This photo is of my fiancé and his niece at the rugby this summer. I've blurred her face to keep her anonymous. The girls often lose concentration at the matches so I often entertain them by looking at the photos on my phone or taking selfies. It's not the best photo but it really portrays a fun day out.

~ As the leaves turn ... ~

Good evening! It has been a beautiful Autumn day here. Unfortunately I have been unwell over the last few days and have been off work. So to try and cheer myself up I have been playing with the new kit from Like For Ever. This month's kit is called Acorn Avenue and features mostly Pink Paislee Cedar Lane collection.

I saw on Pink Paislee's Instagram feed last week a small wreath decorated with This collection so I decided to create my own version. I'm really pleased with how it turned out as I didn't look at the original photo and just when with my instincts.

I added a few pieces from my stash. The burlap ribbon and card stock are from Stampin' Up. I printed some leaf templates off the web and then hand cut them to create a base.

I fussy cut some flowers and leaves from a piece of Cedar Lane patterned paper to add embellishment along with some pieces from the die cut pack in the kit. I'm really happy with the final piece. I love layers and this certainly shows this!

~ A Good Day ~

For my fiancées birthday we had a weekend in London. We spent part of the time at the Natural History Museum. I snapped quite a few selfies whilst we were away including these two. This again was another sketch and used the last Like For Ever kit with a couple of bits added from my stash.

I love the banner effect. I added extra tags to what the sketch showed as I wanted more layers. I can't ever have too many! I really enjoy using sketches although quite often I look at them as a starting point and then go a bit off piste.

I absolutely loved the little heart puffy stickers that came from the wonder collection. They are so cute! I could have used loads!

~ The Big Hoot ~

Happy Monday! 

(I can say this as I'm not working today)

This layout using last month's Like For Ever Kit. The new one should be winging its way to me as you read this. Can't wait to get it as its full of Pink Paislee Cedar Lane goodies. Back to this page. I used a sketch from page maps which Nicola kindly included with the kit this month. It was perfect as I needed to incorporate quite a few photos. I'm really pleased with the end result.

The layout shows 6 of the 56 owls my friends and I saw when we spent the day walking round Birmingham. The Owls were decorated by artists and sponsored by companies in order to raise money for the city's children's hospital. We had great fun following the trail and walking miles, finished off with a lovely meal at Jamie's Italian.

~ Going Pink ~

TGI Friday! It's been a busy week at work so I'm looking forward to a weekend with my fella. We are off to Southport Airshow on Saturday, which is not really my thing but he'll enjoy it.

This layout is to document the start of my pink hair phase. It's not overly obvious on this photo as it is only subtle highlights but I have since had more put in. 

This layout was inspired by something I saw ages ago on Pinterest. I have used metallic gelatos to creat the colour on the patterned paper. The paper and embellishments are from the Maggie Holmes Confetti range. I made the central bow using the Stampin' Up bow punch. This is a really versatile punch. I'm planning to use it on my Christmas present tags.

Hope you all have a good weekend and I'll be back Monday with more of my Life Forever Kit layouts. 

~ Joking around on out travels ~

I thought I'd share this fun layout on a very busy weekend for me. Tomorrow I'm running a Girl Guide Team Challenge Day. I've spent the last few days putting the activities together. 

I usually scrap one or two photos per page but occasionally I want to document something which takes more photos to tell the story. This layout is from my trip to India in January. We went walking in a tea plantation and whilst a fellow traveller was taking our photo my fiancé started messing around. We managed to get some great real life photos.

This layout uses the Pinkfresh 'Happy Things' collection. I absolutely love the ombré canvas tags. Because the photos take up much of the page I didn't want to add too many layers or big embellishments. I wasn't sure about the coloured alpha stickers in the collection but I do really like how they look on this layout.

My fingers are crossed for good weather tomorrow and I'm hoping everyone has a good time. Scrapbooking is on my agenda for Monday as I think I will need to relax before starting back at work.

Happy Crafting!

Terri

X

~ Lets Eat Cake! ~

Well the last few days of nights have been very tiring! Although I'm now looking forward to the 5 days off. I'm intending on getting plenty of scrapping done. 

 I've had this photo for ages. It shows the lemon and poppy seed courgette cake that I have made a few times. It is a favourite at work although it's outcome varies depending on the water content of the courgettes.

When I saw the Dear Lizzy Fine and Dandy Collection I knew this would be perfect for using with my baking photos. I love the paste colours mixed in with the bright red. I love making little flags to layer up under patterned paper mats. I wasn't sure I would use the self inking stamp from the collection but have now used it a couple of times just to add a little detail.

Happy Crafting!

Terri

X

~ Stick It Down - September Challenge ~

Wow, I don't know where this year is going! 

We are here with another fabulous sketch challenge over on Stick It Down. I'm loving being part of their design team.  

I loved making this layout. It documents both my love of cooking and the region of the UK I live in. In Yorkshire we are well known for our dialect and accent. This layout showcases a photo of steak pie made using Wood St Brewery Stout Beer and Hendersons Relish sauce both made close to my home.

It's rubbish weather here and the nights seem to be drawing in. It seems like Autumn is well on its way. I love the summer months but love the colour of Falling leaves.

Happy Crafting!

~ Oh So Lovely! ~

On my return from London I found the most gorgeous kit from Like For Ever full of Crate Paper Wonder collection. I have found this collection so inspirational. I have managed to creat 3 layouts that I'm really pleased with.

The papers really worked well with a couple of my photos from a trip to Vietnam a few years ago. I'm desperately trying to finish this album.

Whilst in Vietnam we did a cookery class. We made lots of lovely food, including these gorgeous summer spring rolls. The kit had some cute puffy stickers which aren't really my style but look really sweet on the layouts. I love how the kit makes you use things you wouldn't normally buy.

Whilst cruising down the Mekong Delta during our trip we stopped off at a lovely hotel for lunch. It had gorgeous gardens that we were able to walk round. There was also traditional items for us to pose with. I fussy cut all the flowers out from one of the patterned papers.

I'm completely amazed at how a collection can create completely different types of layouts. This is so cute. Oscar spends most of his evenings laid on my knee snoozing. I love the cat related embellishments in this collection. They are cute and not over the top.

Happy Crafting!

Terri

X

~ Best ever orange juice ~

Good morning! This is another page using a photo from last years holiday to Tunisia. I love these travel inspired papers but don't have much left now so I have added layers to a Kraft card stock which has been splattered with white mist.

Every time I have been to Tunisia one of the favourite things I enjoy is the freshly squeezed orange juice. During this trip we were also able to have strawberry juice too which was amazing! 

It's very sad to see what happened in Tunisia earlier in the year. I have always felt very safe and found the majority of Tunisians to be friendly and helpful. My thoughts go to those innocent Tunisians who are going to be affected by the lack of tourism there this summer.

Happy Crafting!

Terri

X

~ Choose Joy ~

Wow, what a beautiful day! It really feels like summer might have arrived. I'm still ploughing my way through the large pile of Photos from our trip to India. This page has been made using the Pinkfresh Studios Happy Things collection. I received these in the July Like For Ever kit.

I used gelatos on a white card stock background to create a colour wash effect. 

The photo is of an offering that Hindu's give to the god being worshipped at their chosen temple. Throughout India you can see these being sold outside temples. Religion is such a massive thing in India and different religions generally manage to live harmoniously together.

I'm trying to get my draft room in check as it's rather messy at the moment. I recently purchased an ikea Raskog trolley which I need to fill. 

Happy Crafting!

Terri

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