4x6 Photo Love - January

Shimelle is running a class over on 2 Peas called 4x6 Photo Love in which every month we get a new class complete with a PDF.

Are you a 4x6 photo fan? Whether you have drawers of photos piling up or want to select your favourites to print and scrap each month, Shimelle Laine invites you to share a little love for the humble 4x6 photo! Every month she'll focus on one design concept especially for 4x6 prints and show you variations on that technique so you can scrap in your own style. Each month is a new look: 1 4x6 print in January, 2 4x6 prints in February, right up to a full dozen 4x6 photos in December's page! Over the year, we'll look at both single and double page layouts, simple designs and ways to add additional pictures with interactive pages! Paper and digital pages are both highlighted each month. A new lesson on the 30th of every month!


I have only just completed my page for January using just one 4x6 photo - which was easy enough but I have a feeling as the months go on this will get tougher - especially as I am a one photo one page sort of scrapper.

The photo was taken up on Froggatt Edge in the Peak District where we went for a weeks holiday in a log cabin for my 40th birthday back in 2007. The papers are Origins by Basic Grey and I punched assorted blooms and butterflies to decorate the page. the title was made using my trusty Tagalong (which I am sad to learn that Sizzix are discontinuing - so I really must get a set of replacement plates while I can as mine are starting to crack.)

















Sorry about the poor photo quality - left it a bit late in the day to photograph this LO and the light was fading fast.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

This morning I am about three quarters of the way through Blind Fury by Lynda La Plante. It has been quite some time since I read one of her books - and I think the reason is due to the TV dramatizations. All I am seeing while I read this one is Ciaran Hinds as Langton and Kelly Reilly as Anna Travis - I sort of wish I hadn't seen it now as it spoils the book so what.
I am also still reading Arctic by Bruce Parry.



Next on my list (as they are due back from the library are The Junior Officers' Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey which is an account of modern warfare in Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of a young officer. Not the sort of book I would usually pick up but after seeing it reviewed on the TV Book Club I thought I would give it a go.

Patrick Hennessey is a graduate in his 20s. He reads Graham Greene, listens to early-90s house on his iPod and watches Vietnam movies. He has also, as an officer in the Grenadier Guards, fought in some of the most violent combat the British army has seen in a generation. This is the story of how a modern soldier is made, from the testosterone-heavy breeding ground of Sandhurst to the nightmare of Iraq and Afghanistan. Showing war in all its terror, boredom and exhilaration, "The Junior Officers' Reading Club" is already being hailed as a modern classic.

























I also have The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes. I have never read one of hers before but have read some glowing review.

Pop over to The Book Journey to see what everyone else is reading.

Chick Lit Reading Challenge #6

I requested a copy of Coming Home by Melanie Rose from my library after a recommendation over on Goodreads. She is a new author to me and as far as I can tell has written several novels.

Ever experienced deja vu? An enchanting and magical novel from the author of Could It Be Magic? A freak snowstorm leaves a young woman unconscious and stranded. Coming to, she has no recollection of who she is or how she happened to be stuck in the middle of unfamiliar countryside. All she recalls is the warm arms of a passing stranger coming to her rescue and carrying her to safety! She awakes in an idyllic country cottage, a cottage belonging to Vincent, a recently widowed city banker who uses it as his rural getaway. Dashing and polite, the woman can't think of a better knight in shining armour. While the housekeeper isn't best pleased abut her arrival, Vincent's six-year-old daughter Jadie, can hardly contain her excitement, chattering away excitedly. Trouble is, she's been mute for the past two years! As she struggles with flashbacks to her past, memories come back to the woman which aren't her own, bringing with them a stream of questions. What secrets does Vincent hide? Why has Jadie being silent for so long? Will she ever discover her true identity? Or is she, as Jadie believes, an angel come to save them all? An enchanting and magical novel about forgotten lives and second chances for fans of Cecelia Ahern and Sophie Kinsella.





















It did remind me very much of Cecelia Ahern in places - it is quite a quirky storyline. But for me I found it a bit slow and didn't like all of the characters - really wasn't sure about the hypnotherapy/regression part. But it was a pleasant gentle read - nothing too taxing - which is just what you need sometimes. I think I have another of her books in my ever growing library book pile.

52 Weeks In B&W Week #9

An inhabitant of the local pond - up close and personal!!

Skywatch Friday

Season 4, Episode 33

Sunset taken from my backgarden.

See more stunning skies here.

D is for..............

I didn't think I had taken many photos for the letter D - till I looked back at my memory card - and I seem to have loads!!

Dunking:



Homemade Date and walnut cake:



Duck:



Dumping and Diggers: (a lot of earthmoving at the back of our house while they start the landscaping.






Dinosaur: he lives out in the back garden.



Display: part of the Burrell Collection.























Directions: how many roadsigns at one small junction??



Decapitatated: a headstone at Kinloss Abbey.

WOYWW 23rd February

There is a bit of a challenge going on on my desk today. At the last Hopeman crop Erika gave us all a little wee baggie of embellishments and we have until the next crop to come up with something using some (or all) of the stash. The bag included some blooms, chipboard flowers, red spotty ribbon, buttons, decorative pins and some brads.
























All I have done so far is pull out some papers which match the bits and pieces - Tis The Season by Bo Bunny which I just so happen to have the matching stamps for. Now all I need is a cunning plan...........

























Also on my desk are my brand new nesties - while we were down in Glasgow last weekend after much driving around industrial estates (and before we descended on Ikea) we found Craft World. I thought I had died and gone to heaven - and could have quite easily spent my whole months wages in one fell swoop! But I restrained myself and stuck to 2 small sets of Kaisercraft mini sentiment stamps and 2 sets of nesties (2 for £30 which I didn't think was too bad.)




Pop over and see Julia to see what everyone else is up to on their crafts desks today.

James Blunt

Way back in November Andy surprised me with tickets to see James for my birthday - and at that point February seemed so far away.

We had seen him before back in 2006 when he ventured as far north as Aberdeen - this was when he was at the height of his fame as Beautiful had been in the charts forever - and we went with a friend who had served with James in the Army out in Kosovo. The support act that night was Jason Mraz who was equally fantastic.

The Armadillo is a superb venue - clean and tidy - with comfy seats (well I'm no spring chicken anymore!) and a great view. What I didn't realise that this was the first night of his 13 month world tour - and he didn't disappoint.

He played lots of his new songs from Stay The Night - he said he would get us up out of our seats which he did - but he had to pay a few miserable songs first (his own words!) Plenty of my favourites too from Back To Bedlam - Wise Men, So Long Jimmy and Billy. I sang my little heart out.

These are some photos I have found via his website that other people took on the night - and there are plenty of videos on You Tube too. The girl sitting near us spent most of the concert using her rather large phone to video - afraid I would rather enjoy the concert than do that.





























And James posted these 2 photos on Facebook - one of the band just before they went on stage. And the one he took right at the end of the concert - of the audience!!!





Fantastic night - I know it's not cool to say you like James Blunt - but I don't care - I love him!!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading

I finally managed to finish Comin Home by Melanie Rose - but got slightly distracted by a new book I picked up from the library on Thursday. It was Through Thick and Thin by Gok Wan. I will admit that his TV show How To Look Naked is one of my guilty TV pleasures but it was fascinating to read about his early life. I know he hasn't done anything amazing but it was interesting to read about his battle with his weight and anorexia and how he has got to where he is today.



















I am currently reading 2 books - Homecoming by Cathy Kelly and Arctic by Bruce Parry. Not read a Cathy Kelly in quite some time but so far so good The recent Arctic TV series was the best thing that has been shown on the TV in the last couple of months - it was beautifully filmed and Bruce came across as a really genuine chap. Have found the reruns of Tribe on Dave so am now watching those.























But what to read next? I have The Last Letter From Your Mother by Jo Jo Moyes waiting to go back to the library along with both of the Russell Brand books (My Booky Wook 1 and 2) but I have started the first one some time ago and found it quite hard going - although I have to admit I find him strangely gorgeous!!!

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reding this Monday morning.

Chick Lit Reading Challenge # 5

I really should blog my book as soon as I have finished reading it - while it is still fresh in my mind!! But as usual life has a tendency to get in the way - but I recently finished The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble.

My second Elizabeth Noble book of the year - but I have to say it wasn't quite as good as The Way We Were.

A New Year. A New Page. A New Reading Group. Five women meet for their first reading group, little realising this social gathering over books and glasses of wine might see them share more than literary debate ...and will, in fact, take each of them to places they'd never imagined. Harriet and Nicole are the ringleaders, best friends who can't quite admit - to themselves or one other - they might be trapped in loveless marriages. While Polly, a determined single mum, finds herself tipped off course by an unexpected proposal. Susan, usually so carefree and happy, is forced to face a shattering reality and Clare, quiet and mysterious, plainly has more on her mind than next week's book choice. Over the coming year their worlds will intertwine in delightful, unexpected and surprising ways. Stories will be re-written as dreams are made and broken, but through it all they'll have the Reading Group, with friendship, tears and laughter featuring in every chapter of their lives

The idea of the reading group bringing this group of women together is a good one - although the books they actually read aren't really discussed much. It is typical chick lit - plenty of characters whose stories intertwine and deal with many relationship issues. Not sure a real life reading group would be quite the same though.

A perfect read for curling up on the sofa with.



See what everyone else is reading over on the Chick Lit Reading Challenge.

Less Is More # 3

This week over on the Less Is More blog there is a theme challenge of Spring.

I had a good rummage through my stamps to find something that was Spring-like but nothing jumped out at me. I wanted to try and stay away from flowers if possible and eventually came upon this bird stamp. It is called Bird Streamer and is by Inkandinkdo and I picked it up from my local craft shop for the princely sum of £1.99. I have a feeling I have had it for some time but this is the first time I have used it. I stamped the image onto cream card and matted it onto a scrap of black card. I punched out 2 flowers using the smallest of the EK Success retro flower punches and fixed them on with small black brads - in the hope that they look like spring blossom! This was then mounted onto my card blank using foam pads and the sentiment is from Kaisercraft (they have quite a few of these small sentiment stamp sets out at the moment - and I think they are really useful.

Definitely less is more - but I am really pleased with the finished effect.





(I was also delighted to receive a comment on my blog from Chrissie and Mandi to say that my card from the second challenge had been showCASed - and you can see the 5 cards they picked here.

52 Cards Challenge # 7

This weeks prompts were purple. monochromatic and thank you.

I have to admit I struggled with this one for a while - mainly as purple doesn't feature heavily in my stash and making a whole card out of the same colour doesn't sit easily with me. And the whole point of this challenge is for me to use up my scraps - so no cutting into a nice shiny new piece of paper or card stick for me.

The paper is from a 6x6 pad of Basic Grey Kioshi paper and the sentiment is from a Stampin Up set.

52 Weeks In B&W - Week #8

Part of an old winch outside the Ice House in Findhorn.

Skywatch Friday

Season 4,episode 34.

(A day late - but never mind.)

Part of the walkway an steps down to the beach at Findhorn. For some reason I seem to take the same photo every time I go down there.
























See more stunning skies here.

Excited

I am off to see this chap tonight down in Glasgow - Andy surprised me with the tickets! I have seen him before and he was brilliant and I have to say a big thank you to Andy for taking me as he doesn't really like him!!!

Less Is More # 1

I thoroughly enjoyed making my first card for the Less Is More challenge blog so I thought I would belatedly do the first prompt.

This was to make a clean and simple card just using pink, black and white - and this is what I came up with:

I used a textured white card blank and punched out 3 different sized flowers using my EK Success retro flower punches (the largest and smallest are out of plain pink Bazzill and the middle one is from a piece of October Afternoon Cherry Hill paper. The swirl is from an Autumn Afternoon set and the sentiment is from the Big Sentiments set by Personal Impressions. A bit of pink bling just finishes it off.

WOYWW 16th February

Not much of anything going on I'm afraid - and certainly no scrapbooking to speak of.

As I said in my previous post I found the Less Is More blog recently so I decided to play catch up with the first challenge which I had missed. Amazing how much stuff you need to get out to make one simple card isn't it??



My trusty EK Success retro flower punches and a set of swirly Autumn Leaves stamps that haven't seen the light of day for quite some time!



More swirly stamps and a set of sentiment stamps from personal Impressions - my card is almost finished.



Felt the card needed a bit of bling to finish it off - live these little caddys full of teeny tiny stones from my local shop for local people! But not so good when you drop it whilst it is opened - took me ages to pick it all off the carpet!!



Please pop over and see Julia and find out what everyone else has been up to this week.