YOU ARE IN MY HEART ~ HOME AND SCRAPPED CHALLENGE

Hello ! 
Today I wanted to share a layout for a challenge at Home and Scrapped to use strips of Pattern Paper ( which is a great way to use left over Paper). Home and Scrapped is a lovely friendly group that I always want to join in more. It is much more than just a challenge site, they share recipes & tips, have a chat thread, play word games etc,  but I need to find more time in the day or win lotto to give up work!
Here is my take on the challenge

It may be a little OTT, but like Dory keeps swimming, when I am not liking a layout I keep Adding!
I have used bits of left over PP to layer under my photo, plus a couple of PL cards.
This is me with my middle child. When I found this photo the other week when it was my son's 33 birthday, my husband said he always liked this photo and always liked me in that dress ( only taken him 33 years to tell me that ) so I thought I best scrap it.

Pulled some bakers twine out that I haven't used in awhile. Some lovely green thread that was my Mum's ( going to be sad when I have used all the old threads up) The little green squares are mosiac tiles , I saw them at Spotlight and thought they might look cool on layouts. Lots of stamping, Texture paste and a mask for the blossoms and then I painted with watercolours.

More texture paste with circles that I have gone around with a charcoal pencil. The little chippy hearts and arrow are from Craftqueen, I think they are Cosmo Cricket . Lovely red circle chippy is from the Trinket Track . Heart washi tape is from Marally Craft. 

Thank you for calling by. I hope your enjoying some sunshine

Love and Peace
Mary x

TO THE ARTIST EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE ~ PIXELS AND PAPER AUGUST CHALLENGE

Hello , hello

It has been a lovely day here today and I was lucky enough to have the day off work. 
I would like to share my layout for the challenge over at Pixels and Paper at the moment. This is the inspiration

and my take 

To the artist, everything is possible

Now you are probably wondering the connection between my Beautiful Grand daughter and woolly colourful sheep ! But the colours were my inspiration :)

the lovely button is from Craftqueen. The beautiful blue gem is from a friend. I modge podged and stuck mica flakes to the chippy and then added some colour with paints.

I have stamped here and there. Stamp from Craftqueen.

Thank you for calling by. Please let me know you called

Love and Peace
Mary x

YOU AND ME ~ SUGAR CREEK HOLLOW CHALLENGE

Morning !

Today I would like to share a layout for the Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge #93 ~ Let's Celebrate

So this is my wedding day nearly 35 Years ago!

You and Me

Yes the days of the big blue velvet bow ties :)

Gorgeous flair from StudioFourteen40 's New "Always" Range. Love the softness of the flair. You should pop over and check this very special range of flairs out.

Rosettes, Satin Seam Binding and Loopy Pink Braid all from Craftqueen.

The Teal Washi that I just love a win from Scrappy Canary . Pink and black Washi from Craftqueen.

 Little Pearl flowers and Manor House Die Cut are from Craftqueen.

Thank You for calling by
Love and Peace 
Mary x

TOSCANA ~ SCRAP AFRICA TRAVEL CHALLENGE

Morning !

Over at Scrap Africa the new challenge is Travel Adventures. Now I love travel pages. I find when I am scrapping them it takes me right back to that place and time. The memories , the smell , the people. It is like reliving it all over again. 
My page is of Tuscany. My dream to travel began here , as I had always dreamt of going to Tuscany. It was everything I dreamt of and so much more. Tuscany opened my eyes and heart up to the wonders of travel. Now there are so many places I am in love with and wish to return and so many more to see.

As Lizzy would say I went a little OTT with this. It started as quite a simple layout, but I just can't walk away. I was enjoying the process though, so I guess it doesn't matter if it is a little OTT.

I have used the gorgeous Studiofourteen40 flair from the Happy Life Range and a Amy Tangerine heart chippy which I have altered and added the Prima chippy Key. I really like Kaiser's boarding pass range which I have used for my PP

I got playing with texture paste and a mask, gold silks,  pan pastels and stamps.

Prima Bird & key chippy and 2crafty flourish from Craft queen. I embossed the flourish and then also inked it . The heart chippy was a win from Scrappy Canary Cyber Crop.

Thank you for calling by. I hope you get a chance to join in at Scrap Africa, they are a lovely bunch and a very talented DT
Have a wonderful day
Love and Peace 
Mary x

LEARNING LESSONS ~ CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Hello there,

I have to say like the challenges at Challenge Yourself, because they are um challenging ! This challenge I found the journalling particularly challenging , as I guess one doesn't want to sound anything but happy. The challenge is to do a layout and journal about the age you are right now. Yikes!
Well if I was still 18 it would be a breeze as I was having the time of my life. But time has indeed marched on and with it comes responsibilities and life changes.

Learning lessons at 56 

The pattern papers I have chosen reflect me. They may not be on trend at the moment, but it is what I am drawn to. I guess you could say vintage.

I have added beautiful old lace and thread that was my Mum's . The black button was also among Mum's craft tins. I have it used to represent the dark moods & sadness I sometimes experience.

  

I have used PL cards to layer behind my photo 

The lace up the top is from my going away top when I got married and the little ceramic flower is a earring of Mum's, the gold pin was also amongst her things. Butterflies are Prima chippies from Craftqueen.

Lizzy did you notice the little touches of Paris ? I added these as I love to travel and I need to go back to Paris one day.

I have journalled and typed it out to add to the back of my layout. I won't bore you with it, as it is 2 pages long and quite personal . Lets just say I am a work in progress. I am grateful for the wonderful life I have, my family, my friends and health. But the last few years have been emotionally challenging . I have learnt some lessons lately and that is good, even though it was hard. I wont let it happen again. I am working on me now, I am getting there.

Love and Peace

Mary x

2 CUTE ~ ANOTHER FREAKING SCRAPPY CHALLENGE

Hello everyone,

Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is a great challenge site where Anne comes up with fantastic prompts to get those memories scrapped. I really hope you join us the challenges  and share your memories with us.
The new Challenge is a sketch challenge 

My middle child Christopher turns 33 today ( Yes I feel Old ).

So it seems appropriate that my layout is about his second birthday

The Photo was taken having his birthday cake at Playgroup. So I did the layout and then thought I would border it with some cardstock.

I happened to come across the paper with the crowns and the title "There once lived a handsome Prince" So I just had to use that, which meant I then tore the living daylights out of the layout so the title and crowns showed through. 

Sweet flair is from StudioFourteen40. The  Blue triangle brads and little feathers are a gift from Lizzy. I have embossed the feathers.

My star had to get ripped in the process. The little 2 cute circle is also from Lizzy.  Alice card from The Trinket Track.  No idea why the font is  to the left, but I can't seem to change it grrrr.

I have also use the negative from the foam dots , see next to the 2 cute circle. I thought it looked to cool to throw away.

I have to say my boy is pretty cute. Happy Birthday Christopher !

Love and Peace

Mary x

WHEN BUTTERFLIES ARE NEAR ~ LESSOLOGY CHALLENGE #39

Hello ,

Hello there friends! Are you ready for our next challenge? LESSology Challenge #39 Fluttering Butterflies is all about being inspired by pretty butterflies...:) Let one butterfly be the star of the show or have a trail of butterflies on your fabulous projects!

Remember, you can create anything you like as long as you incorporate at least ONE upcycled item on your project. Please indicate what it is in your post as it might not be apparent.

As you can see the new challenge at Lessology is butterflies. Whenever I see a large butterfly hovering near and just sort of hanging around I feel it is my Dad close by, so...... I thought I would like to join in the challenge and dedicate a page to my Dad.

My up cycle items are ~ old cotton, twine and cheesecloth that were my Mum's.

The flair is from StudioFourteen40 new "Always Range". It is a beautiful range . I received my order last week and so impressed with it, as I am with all StudioFourteen40 Product.

I used my new Tim Holtz Shattered glass mask from Craftqueen. First I inked and then misted and because I can't bare to waste anything , I turned the mask over and used the excess ink on the page as well. Then I really liked that effect, so  I moved my photo to the left of the page so that it would not cover the mask negative that I had used. I mounted the photo of Dad onto a 6 x 4 ATC Card from Craftqueen and when I picked an order up Nicole had tied it with the perfect colour Satin Seam Binding to add to my layout.

The Butterflies are cut from a 6 and Half inch pad. 

Thank you for popping by. 

Love and Peace 

Mary x