Golden Days Scrapbook Layout

Hi all,

A new layout to share today and it's one of my favourites ever.

The picture was taken a couple weeks ago at our local park. Nathan and I went for a walk as it was a sunny Sunday and it was an excuse for a cheeky Maccies and an opportunity to have a play around with Nathan's new camera which is like mine but with a lot more bells and whistles. It's a lot of fun to use and I got some great shots but this one is my favourite. Nathan had gone for a sit down (he had been at work the night before) and I took this. I love how the trees were reflected in the still water and how the shadows in the leaves on the floor have been captured.

Sometimes, you have to suck it up, put your big girl pants on and USE YOUR SPECIALITY PAPERS. Like seriously if it cost you two quid you need to use it and not sit there stroking it. So I did. The background is some speciality papers I had been hoarding. I'm going to say the one with the trees on is by Carta Bella and it's textured and lovely and I got it in one of those surprise sale boxes last year. The round one with the lovely rings (there is a word for it and I can't remember!) is from one of this year's collections, it's... Warm and Cosy by Pebbles/Jen Hadfield. It cost me £2 but I didn't care.
The embellishments are a mish-mash of collections. Basically I got a 12x12" plastic zip bag and filled it with all of my autumn stash. Like a personalised scrapbook kit. Most are bits from the September/October Quirky Kit, but there's also some Shimelle 'Go Now Go' love hearts which brought a little more gold to the layout. The blue domes are from The Works, they have a crackle effect and they are wonderful.

They don't show up on the picture but I also used some gold rub on leaves. I forget what brand they are but they are from this year. I took a picture from the side so you can see them. It's all in the little details.

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx

Crafty Girl Scrapbook Layout

Hi all,

A new layout to share today.....
I really wanted to use the Simple Stories 'Reset Girl' chipboard stickers on a layout...
And I did like(ish) this picture of me in the outfit Nathan bought me for my birthday....
So I made this with a little mixed media.

I started off with 2 papers from the Heidi Swapp September Skies paper pad, layered them and painted an area with gesso, then copper acrylic paint and finally stamped some stars once the paint was dry. The stamp in the top left is an old one by Kaisercraft and I love it...! Would like to do more stamping now I have bought myself a decent ink pad.

I used Reset Girl washi tape on the background and also along the bottom. Then I layered up some envelopes and doilies before adding my photo, stickers and some Cocoa Vanilla Studio sequins. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

#PinkHairDontCare (Who Needs A Cameo Anyway?)

Hi all,

A new layout and video to share today, trying something a little different!

(I have pink hair now.... eee! :D)

For this I used the We R Memory Keepers Urban Chic paper pad and the July/August embellishment kit from Crafty Templates. The backing paper is by My Mind's Eye Jubilee (and that is where the text comes from too)

You might be wondering about that title.

Well, I didn't fancy using Thickers and I don't have a Silhouette Cameo so I tried something using the scanner and Photoshop (but you can use any image editing software I think). Intrigued? Then watch this!

Think the title worked out quite well! I fussy cut around it, stuck it down and outlined the edge with my silver Sharpie. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xxx

Hello, Handsome! Scrapbook Layout

Hi all,

A layout to share today using the July/August embellishment kit from Quirky Kits
I love the kit this time, there's lots of different elements to choose from. My favourite thing is the pink Nuvo Crystal Drops I ordered from the subscriber extras shop. I used it to outline my title (little messy but I still <3 it) and add dots on the page.

I took the picture of Nathan in York on my birthday, he said he owed me a picture, so I took the opportunity... 

The background, backing to the picture and little houses are all from Pink Paislee 'Take Me Away'.

I feel like this layout is a bit messy for my liking but... bit late to change it! 

Here's a close up of the crystal drops.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

BioParc layout feat. May/June Quirky Kit & packaging technique

Hi all,

A new layout to share today using more of the May/June Quirky Kit embellishment kit. I feel like I've really neglected this kit, I'm not sure why because I love it!

So, I made a new layout I've been meaning to make for a while, using pictures I took at the BioParc in Fuengirola, Spain. I got some great shots are there weren't any cages.

The papers here are Maggie Holmes 'Shine' (I used some bits of the cover behind the frames which are Simple Stories Carpe Diem)

I finally got to use the packaging technique here.
If you don't know what that is, it's where you get some plastic packaging, scribble on it with a gelato, drop ink or watercolour on it, add water and then press the plastic to the paper. Here I used a gelato and some Smooch accent inks mixed with water. The inks, pink and yellow, show up better and I'm glad because I picked them up really cheap from a garden centre years ago and have hardly used them.

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx

Layout Using the May/June Quirky Kit

Hi all,

A new layout to share today, using the May/June Quirky Kit, the sewing machine, and papers from the gorgeous Paradise Crush paper pad by Trimcraft. The picture is one of my last to scrap from our trip to Spain.

With the Quirky Kits I always end up using bits in all my layouts but for this I challenged myself to use the embellishments in the kit and nothing else - I succeeded apart from the blue peg.

I couldn't think of a title so I just did some journalling. I'm trying to do more journalling to tell more of a story, but it's harder than it looks, most of all remembering what we did on what day. I ought to work on my handwriting.... when I was little it was so bad they didn't let me write with a pen so instead I stole someone else's...!

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx

May/June Quirky Embellishment Kit Unboxing

Hi all,

A new video to share today, unboxing the latest Quirky Kit.

You can find out more here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

A New Layout

Hi all,

I was suffering a bit of crafter's block this week... not because I didn't have any ideas, but because I had so many! 

So, what I did was write every idea down and number them. I got to 18, and used a random number generator to choose which project I would start next. 

One of my ideas was to make another layout with the Quirky Kit from Jan/Feb this year. I still had a pack of Heidi Swapp sitckers unopened, along with some other bits so I put together this layout. 

I took the picture in the zoo in Fuengirola, I told Nathan to stand under this huge building that was in the Asian area. One of the many things I loved about Bioparc was how each area had authentic looking landscaping and architecture. 

This layout uses project life cards. I love how they can be used as backgrounds as well as pockets in a pocket book.

Thanks for stopping by!
Emily xx

Together Layout

Hi all,

I lost my mojo a bit last week but luckily it returned and I made a layout using the March/April Quirky Kit.

So it was a lovely sunny Sunday and I was itching to get out of the house so Nathan and I went to Rufford Abbey Country Park for the afternoon. It's a nice park with a lake and woods and a ruined monastery that you can go into. We had a lovely afternoon, it's great to get away and into the countryside especially on a day as sunny as that one. 

Had to take a selfie. We both suit aviators. :)

Think I used a bit of everything in the kit on this layout. The paper was an 'extra' but it was so pretty I had to have it and it works well here. In the kit there was a pack of die cuts by Elle's Studio ad I used quite a few of them on here, I love how the colours co-ordinate and how the sentiments are so modern, perfect for my style. 

In fact the only bits that weren't from the kit is the 'together' title (My Mind's Eye) and the backing papers on my photo which are from the Bohemian collection by Trimcraft. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Emily xx

More Than Words Challenge April 2016

Hi all

A new layout to share today...

It's for this month's More Than Words challenge, which is...

So to use the word 'escape' and be inspired by anything in the mood photo. You can find out more about the challenge here

The day before this challenge was announced I went to Lakeside with my boyfriend. It's the 'nice' part of Doncaster where there's a big lake to walk around and there's a leisure complex with a cinema etc, it's a really nice area and you really don't feel like you're in Doncaster at all. A good place to come if it's a sunny day and you fancy a walk. Anyway, there's a big fountain in the middle and the way the sun was shining, it made a rainbow in the fountain. 

Then I saw this challenge and the picture I had taken worked perfectly - the rainbow and the soft white of the fountain, like in the tree on the mood photo.

To carry on the soft white theme I painted the background of some dark paper and once it was dry coloured it with watercolour pencils, added water, left it to dry and added in some stencilling in the same colours. I also used my March/April Quirky Kit on this layout too - the Pinkfresh Studio sequin stickers work so well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

March/April Quirky Kit!

Hi all

Super excited right now as yesterday my March/April Quirky Kit arrived.

If you don't know about Quirky Kits, you can find out more here
I love subscribing to this as I hate spending hours trawling through various sites picking out products... this way it's all put together for you and co-ordinates so well. Leonora packs it all so well too, it's all in tissue paper with adorable stickers - A pleasure to open.

I subscribe to the embellisment kit and here's a list of what is included.
Fancy Pants Attwell Green alphas
Fancy Pants Attwell yellow chevron washi tape
Simple Stories Carpe Diem chipboard stickers
Pinkfresh Studio Felicity sequin stickers
Pinkfresh Studio Life Noted 3x4 cards
OHTO Japan Smile slide clips
Elle's Studio Little Moments die cuts
Charms - swallow, watering can & flower
Whisper Studio twine, 1m in blue, yellow and pink

And I ordered some 'extras'
 - papers -
Pinkfresh Studio Felicity
Maggie Holmes Bloom

and a set of cute little buttons.

Can't wait to get crafting!
Emily xx

Me & My Mommy layout

Hi all,

I have a nice summery layout to share today.

I took the selfie with my mum last summer. I think we were going for a walk to the shops or the park and we had matching tops on so I took the picture. 

I've some pictures I printed to scrap but never got round to it, and this was one of them. When I got this paper as part of the surprise box I ordered from Hey Little Magpie, it was a perfect match!

I also used the new mini dies by Xcut and they're really good! I like generic things as they can be used on any project. There's also bits from the Jan/Feb Quirky Kit on here - the PL card, the flowers and the white and gold tags.

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Valentine's Day Layout (and January/February Quirky Kit)

Hi all

On Valentines Day, Nathan and I went to York. He took me to dinner at Wagamama and then we spent the afternoon looking round the shops and gardens. It was such a lovely day (bit chilly though!)

Here's a layout I made using a selfie we took in the gardens near the museum. My January/February Quirky Kit arrived last week so I used elements from that in this layout. I love the Project Life cards,  and the acrylic birds are so cute!

Here's a picture of what was included in the Quirky Kit embellishment kit this time, you can find out more here

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Hello 2016 Layout

Hi all,

I spent New Year with Nathan and our dear friend Sam, who had come down for Christmas (he's at uni in Newcastle).
I have made a layout with the many selfies I took using the November/December Embellishment Quirky Kit. The paper is Maggie Holmes 'Shine' and I believe it's called Dazzle. It's an extra with the Quirky Kit - I had been saving it but then I realised the pictures match the paper and it looked fab!

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily xx

Driving Test Layout (Using November/December Quirky Kit)

Hi all (and a very Happy New Year!)

I took a cheeky break from a commission I'm on with (there is such a thing as too much stamping...!) to do something for myself.

In December my first Quirky Kit arrived. I did a blog post about what was in it here. But, with one thing and another I never got around to making a full layout using it.

But now, I thought I'd make something using a picture my driving instructor took of me with her car when I passed my test a couple of weeks ago, along with a little note my dad left for me on the day of my test.

My favourite thing about the kit was the colour scheme so I picked some papers from my stash that matched... plus my last sheet of paper with Minis on...

Right, on with my last commission piece... 

Until next time...!

Emily xx

Quirky Kit Unboxing! (November/December Embellishment Kit)

Hi all,
I wanted some new supplies to get my crafty mojo back and I stumbled upon Quirky Kits. I'm now a very happy subscriber!
Find out more at http://www.craftytemplates.co.uk/

(I might sound a bit funny 'cause my ear is blocked so I can't 'ear myself talk properly...!)


Here's exactly what's included:

Project Life 'High Five' 12x specialty cards
Elle's Studio 'Thankful' cork shapes
Darice Light Green Glitter
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Shine' standouts
Queen & Co Snowflake Rhinestones
Basic Grey 'Typeset' chipboard stickers
(Unsure on the branding of the ribbons and snowflakes)

The extras -

Thickers - Glitter Foam Imprint
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Shine' papers, 'Brilliant' & 'Dazzle'


Now, to get playing... once I've sorted out the rest of my supplies as I seem to have accumulated a ton of c**p that I don't use so... Procrastination...

Thanks for watching!
Emily xx