Happy, happy, happy!

That was how I felt when I saw the colours we had to work with this week for the Color Combos Galore blog. They are such lovely, fun, colours. And I am always amazed by the different ways in which each of us on the team work the colours we are given. Janet really does come up trumps with this blog. Each week there is a guest designer, and this week another three new inspiring scrapbookers have been added onto the regular team - Nikala O'Brien, Belinda Venables and Delphine Paslin. They all do such wonderful work (I have added their names with hotlinks to their personal blogs in the sidebar under the Color Combos blinkie and slide show).

This week I took the blues for the focus for my page. The photo is of my dear father in law with my two daughters. He is such a wonderful person.



The background paper is Little Yellow Bicycle. I have used a Hambly transparency to create a pocket, a Fancy Pants die cut label and a teeny tiny scrap of Pink Paislee patterned paper there at the top too.



I'm so pleased that I managed to find a way to use some stamps on this page. I have quite a little collection of stamps and really don't use them enough (actually I used quite a few at crop on Saturday, so perhaps this is a new phase for me!). I embossed the heart using blue ink and layered it over the plain black stamped image just for extra interest and dimension. I also chalked the edges of the journal blocks to make them less stark.



This die cut journal block is by Pink Paislee, the stamp is by Inkadinkado and the clear sticker quote (which is very, very old) is by Cloud 9. I invested in quite a few of those sticker sheets (thankfully). I love the sayings and sentiments on them and have used lots over the years.

The bead trim was an absolute nightmare to stick. Glossy Accents holds it down in a few areas and the stitches do the rest of the work. The sequins and crystal flowers were bought at crop on Saturday and finished with lots of little stick on pearls (thankfully bought on BOGOF!)

The wonders of being watchless ... and organised!

Just a quick post. Managed to drag myself out of bed at a decent hour this morning (only used the snooze button once) and we got to school before it opened. Pretty amazing as we are usually dropping off at nine on the dot. I put it down to the fact that I took my watch off (which I only usually do for a bath or shower) and can't remember where I put it. So I was working on the premise that it was later than it actually was. Plus I was actually fairly organised and did the PE bags, checked name labels, put the school bags out and polished shoes last night.

Have had a lazy day. Well actually I was faffing around finishing off my page for the Color Combo blog this week (which I started last night). And now I have got a really messy desk I need to clear off (that really is THE worst part of scrapbooking, the tidying up after creating).

I've used some more older photos, these are from a holiday to Tenerife in 2002. Crikey I can't remember Chiara ever being so small! There was a small arcade near where we stayed and we tried the girls on this little ride. Oh sure, they were happy enough to sit on it, but once we put the money in and the thing started moving, they really weren't so keen. Needless to say we only ever put money in the machine once!



I like the look of the chipboard scrolls placed that way (I cut apart a larger piece) as it is sort of reminiscent of horse reigns and also gives the feeling of movement. I covered them with Bazzill but thought they looked a bit flat. So I used the Autumn Leaves flourish stamps with Versamark ink and then embossed them with some yellow Blonde Moments embossing powder. Just gives them a bit of interest. The two smaller pieces of chipboard (Woodware Paisley) are backed with some pink Bazzill to tie in with the pink on the Bam Pop frame and then blinged up with some Stickles. I outlined around the chipboard with my brown journaling pen just to add a little definition to the edges.



Products used - patterned paper background by K&Co, brown scalloped rectangle (cut on the Craft Robo) is Scenic Route, frame (cut apart) by Bam Pop, chipboard by Fancy Pants and Woodware, letter stickers by American Crafts and Doodlebug and letter rubons by Scrapworks. Some ribbons, blingy bits, flowers and Stickles provide the finishing touches.

A Splash of Colour

Is just what is needed to brighten up another grey, dreary and rain filled day.

So we have had Summer. Apparently. A couple of dozen good days and many more grey ones. At least it is only rain. Compared to the hurricanes being experienced in other parts of the world, for that I am grateful.

Monday sees the start of the new school year (for us, a bit late compared to a lot of areas I know), Josh doesn't start until Tuesday due to an extra INSET day at the High School. Josh is just about to start Year 9, I really hope he starts to focus better on his work this year, especially given that it is the year he needs to figure out which options he wants to take for the next few years. Not that they get much choice nowadays. They have so many core subjects it is unreal. Including French. Gah! this is a major sticking point for Josh as he detests this subject with intensity.

Chiara starts the top class at Primary school. At our local village school there are only three classes because it is a small school. Chiara will be Year 5 but is really looking forward to moving up and getting closer to some of her older friends. Plus she has had her hair cut. Cut as in properly cut, rather than just a trim and shaping which she has only ever had before. It had taken 9 years to get it down her back and then this last week. Chop. She decided in an instant and it is now a shoulder length bob. I was fairly choking back the tears in the hairdressers.

Mia, bless her, is starting Year 3 and should really be moving up to class 2, but she and another girl are being held back until the January term. I hope that things continue to 'click' for her and that the extra support the school are so great in giving really continues to pay dividends (Mia has some developmental delay relating specifically to language and speech, though to hear her rattle on you wouldn't really know it!).

Anyhow, I haven't really done much scrapbooking over the Summer. Which is why I am so glad to be on the Color Combos DT because it gives me the kick up the bum I need each week to get something done. One of the things that attracted me to scrapbooking initially was the array of colours and patterns available in the products (which was one of the things that attracted me to cross stitch too when I took that up). And which is why I love the concept of this challenge blog so much. Especially as it is so easy to get into the habit of gravitating towards the same colours all the time. Working with the colour swatches that Janet provides can really get me out of those ruts. The other thing is that it has prompted me to play with mixing up the product I work with on a page rather than sticking to everything from one range.

These are my pages from the last three weeks.

This first one uses photos from ten years ago, when Josh was three. Quite a different page for me, but I just had this flash that I wanted to use the sunshine, grass and windmill imagery from the children's tv show Teletubbies to match the theme of the photos.







This page features some snaps taken of Mia with Ben (my friend Roz's son). I used the sweeping wave to echo the action of the swing.





And this third one. Well, it's a photo I have been wanting to scrap for ages. It's a picture of Mia with one of DH's uncles. I love the look on both their faces and the beautiful colours in the photo too. I used these gorgeously bold patterned papers from Tinkering Ink, which were just perfect for the photo and the colour combo too. I added a bit of extra interest by distressing the paper and machine stitching a border.



Off now as I am being nagged to get tea ready!