My Dad & Grandmother 1930's

I wanted to scrap these photo's for while now, not really sure how to do it, didn't want anything too fancy as these were taken during the depression years in London, it must have been very hard for people at that time, there was no national health service, no social services, My Grandmother, like many, I expect, was a widow and had to bring up 5 boys all on her own. God knows how she did it, but they all survived, My father was the last to pass away at the age of 78.
I used Mariposa embossed and glitter collection for this, not putting too many embellishments on as the paper is fancy enough, I'm still not sure about the layout.

Eloise

My Beautiful grandaughter.
Eloise. all dressed up to start the day.

Our camping Trip layout for scrapbook

I used Mariposa Patterned Cardstock,SCAL prog. for the grass, smooch spritzer for the 'frosty' look on the grass and trees. Cut out butterflies/moth  from Mariposa cardstock, I was so upset at having to cut up the beautiful page of the Mariposa cardstock, but I could find no other use for it, it was too pretty to stick photo's directly on top, so I cut out each individual element and will use them all someway or another. The journalling tag is another part of that page too.

Our camping Trip

This was the campsite we stayed at for a week. there were the most beautiful forests all around. The dog absolutely loved it. she ran after squirrels, rabbits, birds, and had a whale of a time.  We also visited the Jurassic coastline of Dorset, Lulworth Cove, it was absolutely packed with tourists, but it was a gorgeous day, Jaz rolled in something nasty on the beach, which made her day, and we ate at a nice restaurant outside, that made our day.  I was wondering what was going through a dogs mind while on holiday, did she know, if she did it didn't phase her one bit. she settled down as if this was her new home, a nylon 'cave' lol , she even came with me to the shower block, and the dish washing place, sat there and was good as gold. 

We had visits from two little robins, daily they would come down and pinch little bits of Jaz's food, the squirrels would finish off any biscuits she left that day. It was great to see them.   I'm looking forward to putting some pictures in my album - even caught a squirrel trying to sneak into a tent when the owners were out! caught in the act!! lol or caught red-pawed!

My First LO for Sketchabilities. July sketch.
My Precious grandaughter Eloise. Aged 7m.
July 2010

Photo Wallets

Here are a few I made to try them out. I hadn't got any double sided card stock or paper, so I improvised with single sided for now. but they are so simple to make and a really nice gift.

Scrapbooking Article: Creating a Photo Wallet

Scrapbooking Article: Creating a Photo Wallet

Saw this on Scrapbook.com, it looks awesome. I'm going to make a few for pressies. 

My two gorgeous grandchildren.
Taken when they were about 6months old.

2 very different Layouts.

Eloise's pool time!! July 2010

Warren Towers (2)

Warren Towers

From 1972-1981 we lived in this old mansion on the top of Warren Hill in Newmarket, Suffolk. It was the most amazing place, we had an enormous garden, an orangery, a squash court, old, but usable and what used to be a sauna. The house was divided into 9 flats/apartments, and was a great fun place to live. I was in my 20's and separated from my son's father, so we lived there alone, but never alone because of all the tenants, the were all about the same age as me, some USAF airmen stationed in Lakenheath and Milldenhall. I met my daughter's father there and when we had her we moved from that place to a small house in town, nothing like the old house, but I will always have such fond memories of it and the years my son was growing up there. we had a lot of fun in 'The Old House'. Warren Towers.

This LO was done of a winter photo taken in the back garden by the old christmas tree, the paper I used was Tim Holtz's idea-ology, I used Cosmic shimmer mist in 'Tropical lagoon' blue to stencil the snowflakes, and tattered angles glimmer mist in 'old lace' to colour the doily behine the photo. The flower I made myself by cutting 'ribbon' with Martha Stewart's deep edge punch flower vine, and scrunching it up and spraying with the cosmic shimmer.

This is my gorgeous grandaughter Eloise, She is the most happiest baby I know, always laughing and giggling, she' s so adorable. these photo's were taken by her mum Amy, in July 2010 when Eloise was 7months old
I used my cricut to cut out the backing for the photo's with SCAL prog.  The paper is Papermania's .'Rose Garden'. I used my own flowers from my stash and made the centres of the larger flowers with seed beads.
I misted the whole page with glimmer mist 'pearl' before I stuck the pics on. This was a pleasure to do as I had a huge smile on my face the whole time I worked on it!!.

This is My Mother and her sister during the 30's
on the right is my Mother during the 40's.
I used Mariposa patterned paper and kept it quite
plain, as the paper is very elaborate.

Old Memories - Faded photographs....

This is my Mum & Dad, around 1940. In London,  before the second world war.
have a look at this video, it's lyrics are the ones I used in this Layout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYP9C55pxZ8

Old Memories - Faded photographs....

This is my Mum & Dad, around 1940. In London, before the second world war.

Old Memories - Faded photographs.....

The finished chipboard album

This is the finished album, 

I added ribbons and danglies to the rings, several dangly bits with initials and name on. I didn't do a back page. I think I might do an acrylic back page like the front cover just to protect it. All in all I'm quite pleased with the overall album,for my first try I am satisfied.

3rd page

The next two pages

Here are the next two pages plus a re-work of the acrylic cover for the front page.
I had to redo it as....erm.... I spelt the persons name wrongly.! but I think it may look even better than the original. sort of running out of ideas for something different on each page, but I think if I repeat the odd one or two it won' make an awful lot of difference.

Here are the next two pages. ( I seem to have put these wrong way up. you need to scroll down the the end to see the first pics) .

The next step was to design the front cover. I thought of an acrylic cover with metal pendants spelling the persons name. I laid them out in a flower pattern, distressed the edges and embossed with clear embossing powder. On the reverse side I made a large flower on the cricut to cove the back tape etc.. (2nd pic) I placed a large brad in the centre on front and back. on the small holes in the pendant i stuck tiny flowers. (not on the pic) this was an afterthought as it looked odd. The 3rd and 4th pictures show the first two pages, I just sort of 'winged it' really, thinking of little bits as I went along.

The first steps of my chipboard Mini Album

Here are some of the papers I used for my album. I wanted a flowery feel to it, it's for a birthday gift for someone who loves flowers. I started by cutting out circles on the cricut, then painted around the edges of the chipboard, when they were dry I distressed to edges by inking with a dark chocolate ink.