Pass the page blog hop

Wow....it's been a long time since I've blogged!!!! 
But.....again this year I spent a great Bloggers Weekend away with a wonderful group of fellow crafting bloggers in September.....so when Julie suggested having a blog hop of the 'pass the page' pages we'd all completed prior to the weekend.....it inspired me to join in......and perhaps get back to blogging!! 
Julie sent me this pretty page

and this was my take on it

I took the general design of the page,the butterflies and the jewels....but changed the circles to squares to work better with my photos of DS and little S in our garden last summer.
You should now take a trip over to Alison's blog and see what she was inspired to make after seeing my page.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Is it December?? Is it nearly Christmas??

Is it really December......because on Saturday we were outdoors with no coats....and the washing was drying on the line....and the grass needed mowing....and the geraniums are still in flower.....and it was 60 degrees.
It's just weird.

Is it really nearly Christmas....because we should be wearing coats and scarves and gloves....and we aren't....and the central heating should be on...and it isn't.
It's just weird.
Because this is the northern hemisphere....and it should be cold at this time of year.
I'm not complaining.....because one day soon we'll wake up and it will be freezing....and there'll be 5 inches of snow on the ground.
It's just weird.
So we're going to apparently find out what a warm christmas is like......because they say it'll be the warmest Christmas Day since records began.
It's just weird.
Welcome to the warm southern UK.......Christmas style.

December already?? It must be time for Journal Your Christmas

It's December???? Where did October and November go?? Must have been the unseasonable weather here that made it seem like late summer. 10 days ago I wasn't even wearing socks....I've definately got them on now! 
So it's time for JYC......or my version of it....a sort of mix of JYC and a December Daily....though not even daily.
This is almost the only time that I prepare the basics of pages in advance.....I do find it easier to actually keep up with it if that preparation is done.

So the front and back covers [excuse blurry photos]

I always aim to make the album with stash I already have

I'm not sure if this will be the right number of pages.....but can add more if needed.The size is 8 x 8.....I tend to stick with this size as I find there's enough room for everything I want to put in.....but the page doesn't take too long to complete. Already to start now.

Are you making a December album?

Frosty Festivities Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to my blog....this post is part of Jennifer's month of wonderful 'Frosty Festivities' crafty inspiration.

So I'd like to give you a bit of christmas themed inspiration........and as I usually send out about 50 handmade christmas cards....and haven't really made any yet this year [oh dear].....this blog hop seemed like a good place to get started!!

I like the idea of making little sets of cards using the same papers and theme.....it makes it quicker.....but still fun as they aren't all identical.

These cards all began with 3 things......the large snowflakes......the images.......and the paper pad.

The snowflakes were a bargain die cut pack bought at a craft show for £1.....and I have loads left.I actually bought them for scrapbooking and then really liked the idea of using some of them behind images on cards.

Using the same card and papers on a selection of cards makes it so much quicker and easier to make a few at a time.

And to make this hop even better......Jennifer Grace is giving away a prize pack of a Lawn Fawn stamp set and more - enter to win by commenting on all the blogs in the Frosty Festivities 2015 hop! The giveaway closes on Sunday the 6th of December at 10pm GMT, and is open internationally........a great prize as you can see.

And now it's time to see what great inspiration Julia has for you.......if you get lost......or didn't start at the beginning of the hop.....just pop over to Jennifer's blog.

Enjoy.

At the eleventh hour

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month....we shall remember them

Days in Dorset

Back in August we spent a few days in Dorset......basically relaxing and being tourists.......I blogged about it in this post.......so I just wanted to make one layout about the trip to go in my annual album.

The motor museum at Beaulieu was definately our favourite place......we ended up spending most of a day there......well worth a visit if you're in Dorset or Hampshire.

I chose a few photos that gave a feel for the Dorset visit, printed them small size and mounted onto green card.....the background papers were all chosen to bring out some of the bright colours in the photos.

I definately now need to start on my christmas cards.....I can't actually believe it's November already.....though I know it is because when I went into Costa today they were selling their gingerbread muffins.....one of the best things ever......and sadly they only sell them in the run up to christmas.....though, actually, that's probably a very good thing!!!

London Calling

Another of the 10 pages I completed at the Bloggers Weekend......we spent a weekend in London earlier this year......visiting the V & A museum......taking a Thames boat trip.....being tourists in the Tower of London.

Lots of reds and greys which just seemed to perfectly match the photos which definately have a grey tinge with pops of red.......it was actually 2 pretty damp,grey English days in London.....but fun as well.

I liked being left with the expanse of grey paper......so the journaling is going on the back.

A page completed for my 2015 album.

Bloggers Weekend 2015

I can't believe it's a month since I blogged.....life must have sorta caught up with me.....and it's not even as if I've got nothing made to blog about....I've got plenty.....because last month I went on my 3rd Bloggers Weekend.

Another great weekend at Cirencester Agricultural University with 15 other crafty bloggers....including this year my long time blogging friend KathyK who came for the Saturday as she lives nearby.......as well as Kirsty's gorgeous new born babe.Thanks to everyone for such a fun weekend....and especially to Jemma for organising it.

We all spent the time chatting,laughing,eating,drinking......and making......making loads of pages.....probably over 100 between us.......I had made myself 'page kits' and managed to make all 10 pages.

The first 2 are my 'littlies' birthdays as they'd both been in the couple of weeks before the bloggers weekend.

So I need to get myself in gear to blog the rest of my weekend's pages.

Pass the page blog hop 2015

Welcome to my part of this 'Pass the Page' blog hop.......you should have arrived here from K's blog......do pop back there if you haven't......because 'pass the page' is a bit like chinese whispers for scrapbookers....the original page has been scraplifted and changed as it comes down the line....with everyone only seeing the page before their own.
All the pages were made before last weekend's Bloggers' Craft Retreat.....and it was great fun lining them all up and seeing what everyone had come up with......and what a difference from the first page to the last!!

This is the page I received from K

And this is how I interpreted it......using photos taken on DD1's birthday.......a meal out......18 floors up...... in a revolving restaurant in Hawaii.

There's plenty more pages to come......so do pop over to Jo's blog to see how she interpreted this page......and you can start at Julie's blog to see the very first page....enjoy.

The world's largest maze.

Apparently that is true of the maze at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii.......they even have a little quiz and a series of clues to follow.....I'm hopeless at mazes......luckily it seems that DD1 is quite good at them and we managed to find all the secret stations......I think a little bit of cheating cutting through gaps may have occured.......and eventually we even managed to escape.

We also had a meander round the gardens.....full of exotic plants

before a well earned pineapple ice cream......well it would have been very rude to go to a pineapple plantation and not try the [delicious] pineapple ice cream.