Scrapping challenges

May has been the most prolific month ever for scrapping for me, I think NSD started it all off and I have continued to enjoy making pages since then.  I have felt very honoured to have 2 of my pages on a couple of websites.......

This page was made for NSD and has been mentioned on SJ Papercrafts blog today and although I didn't win I was chuffed to bits (and the winning entry has already been added to my scrapbooking board on pinterest as it is fab!)

Meanwhile this is the featured layout on the homepage of UK Scrappers (wow I feel proud!!  Is that wrong??  Still jealous of my chums who were chosen as Favourites of Shimelle on her NSD board though! See them pinned here)

I think challenges are the thing that motivates me most of all and I have managed a few this month. SJ posted a sketch challenge here , based on a page designed by Jennifer Grace.....

This is what I came up with (notice the use of sparkly bits especially for Jennifer, they are actually gold and bronze and not as dark as in the photo)

On SJ Papercraft blog was Lisa Jane's take on the sketch that I have totally scraplifted here.....

Sarah's cards monthly sketch challenge used this sketch

which I adapted to make this page

I have also been challenged by K to make 31 layouts in May an average of one per day, which means I need to make another 3 in just under 24 hours... wonder if I will manage???

UKS challenges

Wow the sun is shining and it is a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK (the two are usually mutually exclusive!!) I am enjoying seeing blue skies and feeling the sun's warmth on my skin. I sat outside in my parents garden yesterday,  playing cards with the children for ages, so long in fact that we nearly missed dinner!! I hope the weather stays good as I am off this week for the Whitsun holidays and hope to be able to get outside a few times at least...... I have a trip planned to the Harry Potter Studios..... very excited!!

On the scrapping front, after making 6 layouts and 5 cards for Jennifers blogging event, I have had a much quieter week!  I made a page for the monthly challenge using this sketch

As you can see I did adapt it but I think you can still see the original in there!  And yes they are more beach photos from Antigua!

I don't think I ever shared this page that I made for the UKS cyber crop last year.  I really enjoyed it and found it totally inspiring and this LO was one that I made trying different techniques including all the misiting and using smaller photos. I actually won a prize for this LO so was really chuffed as it was my first ever Cyber Crop!  I am looking forward to the next one already.

So for this weeks UKS challenge we had to use 'non regular sized' photos, scrap a large event and use 2 from....bows, buttons, badges, beads, brads, bling (I used buttons and brads)

For the weekly challenge I scraplifted the above page. I have scrapped photos taken on my mobile phone when my son was admitted to the paediatric ward almost 2 weeks ago, he has been unwell for sometime now and had to go in for more investigations,  Fortunately we were only there for half the day and didn't need to stay overnight.  I have journalled about how proud I am of his bravery throughout the time and also how hard I have found it and how unsure we are about what the future will bring.  Not an easy topic to scrap but something important to document as it is such a huge part of our lives right now.

onwards and upwards part 3

The final challenge on Jennifer's blog event was 'free as a bird' and although I made a few cards as shown on a previous post, I had to scrap this theme too.

The first page I made is of a pelican just floating serenely on the beautiful waters of Antigua, I journalled about being as free as a bird.

Hummingbird features an amazing bird that was so difficult to take a photograph of but was wonderful to see  in real life.

Finally I scrapped a photo taken on the first real sunny day this year 20th April when I just lay in the garden gazing up at the clear, cloud free sky and wondering what it would be like to soar like a bird.

Thank you Jennifer for a great weekend of inspiration I still have loads of ideas on my list to try and I cannot wait to join you in your new class, Projects that Wow, in June (for more details see here) xxx

Onwards and Upwards part 2

With so many ideas I had to relate some to scrapping, the first page is another for the Antigua album which is almost completed now.  I took inspiration from using lots of yellow (not a colour I am very fond of and therefore rarely seem to scrap with, but loving it on this page) and also went a little bit hybrid and used some Studio Calico from the NSD giveaway that I used on my Olympic pages here.

This is also my UKS weekly challenge which was to use the sketch below, 5 patterned papers and at least 5 lines of journalling.

The next page I tried was something a bit different from me and I took general inspiration from Jennifer just to try something new.  I used black patterned paper as my base, again black is a colour I don't really like, but again it seems to work well. I also used a larger square photo taken on my camera using the retro camera app which is different to my usual photos too. Specifically though I did add all the gems, sequins and buttons as a direct tribute to Jennifer's sparkly style here.  Also did you notice both this photo and the last one feature clouds???

My third LO is completely different for me again as I took Jennifers ideas literally and combined the idea for using a detailed die cut object or paper doily with combining a woodgrain background with something pretty to make this page about the Hibiscus flower growing in Antigua.

Onward and Upward part 1

Wow, I cannot believe 2 weeks have passed since National Scrapbooking Day, I had such fun and was soooo inspired.  Fortunately for me the inspiration continued last weekend when the amazing Jennifer hosting a full on blog event at Jennifer Grace Creates.  There was so much creativity I have a huge list of ideas and here are some things I have made after seeing all the talent showcase on Jennifers blog.

Firstly a few cards

The first card was partly created from a leaflet that came through the door with a balloon on and the words, it was actually advertising a funeral service would you believe (and that is where the word 'fun' came from!) inspired by this post and I added the clouds made from vellum. The 2nd card was made from some scrapbook paper scraps for a friends son and the last 3 cards are tiny pale gold pearlescent cards and I used stickers that my cousin sent me to decorate them, very simple but definitely perfect for a bird theme here and  cards generally are inspired by this post.

NSD the final challenge plus onwards and upwards!

I have had the best time in the last week I have made 17 pages including the divided page protector one!!  I have never made that many before WOWSER!!

My final page is to scrapping a milestone.... I nearly took a photo of myself scrapping as completing all 24 challenges feels like a major milestone to me!  However in the end I just went for a birthday and scrapped 2 photos of a birthday cake made by my daughter with the addition of a huge candle thing!

I have also taken the opportunity to combine this page with a challenge for Jennifer who is hosting a blog event called onwards and upwards over here.  She has posted hourly during the day since Friday afternoon and it has been fantastic.  I am bursting with even more ideas.  Plus there are some amazing giveaways.
This challenge was to  use:-
a square photo ......I used 2 square photos
something sparkly ....I am beginning to embrace sparkly on my LO's using old sparkly chipboard here
encouraging/happy/uplifting words...celebrate and birthday and make a wish are all very happy!
at least one sticker...... puffy heart sticker
3 stars.... 2 chipboard ones and a punched one plus stars on 2 of the papers
yellow.....all the stars and the word wish
1 stamp..... I stamped the date

I want to say a huge thank you to Shimelle and Jennifer who have taken lots of time preparing some amazing posts on their blogs to keep me inspired and get me scrapping and all for free!!.  I do appreciate how much time it must take putting it all together so thanks a million xxx

NSD almost finished Shimelle's 24 challenges.....

I only have 4 challenges left to complete and have had a great time scrapping all week (though no pages were made on Thursday or Friday as I ran out of time!).

The first of these challenges that I tackled was to 'write a letter' something I haven't done before on a scrapbook page.  I really loved Shimelle's idea of writing to a place, so I wrote a short letter to Antigua. 'using repetition' ...

Sticking with the Antigua photographs, I made my first ever divided page using 'divided page protectors'.  I have already made 3 12x12 pages of the day we went snorkelling and swimming from the boat so adding these to the album like this seems like a great alternative to more of the same.  I think I may need to tweak it slightly but overall I am happy with it.  On the reverse side I have all underwater photos that really didn't turn out that well.  Probably not great for a scrapbook page but once I have embellished the pages a bit they will look fine in the divided page and the memories are preserved. (journalling added post photography!)

So 23 out of 24 challenges completed and only one more to go...... I will be back soon.......