A long time

Hi all,

I'm so so sorry it has been ages since I've visited you all in blogland and posted anything on here. Life has been busy what with January modular exams, and many other things.

I'll give you a little update later in the post, but to start off I'll share with you a digital scrapbook page I have just made. I sat down today after school and decided to make a digi page. I wanted to finally get around to creating a page for Miss Smith's Just One Sketch Class, which started over a month ago. I created my sketch back in the beginning of January, but hadn't, as yet, managed to find time to start the class and use it. So here we go, my first page for the class.

Here is the sketch I have created for the class.

Prompt 1 for the class was to simply use your sketch to create a layout, so I have stuck quite closely to the sketch, and really like the result.

I also created this LO for the current TPV challenge which gives you photo inspiration. Unfortunately I have just realised and remembered that the main criteria for 'The Paper Variety' is the Paper, so digital layouts do not count :( Oh well, it was great inspiration and I like the layout so no loss really.
Here's the photo inspiration I used

I used the colours as inspiration, using only white, grey, black, green, and then a splash of the brown/ginger to match her hair. I also took inspiration from the fact the film is apparently set in Ireland, and scrapped a photo from my trip to Northern Ireland in 2010. I decided to mimic the text and fonts on my LO, so used a big white alphabet for the title, and then have written my journalling in the style of the credits on the poster. Here's a close up of the journalling to show what I have mean.

Hope you like it.

Right, so, where have I been and what have I been up to. 

University, I have a fair bit to update you on for that. I have finally heard back from the University of Bath, I was waiting for ages and beginning to feel quite impatient. They got back to me last week with an offer of A*AA. I am really hoping I can/have achieved that as I really really want to go to Bath, it's a gorgeous uni with a stunning course.

I have been to department open days at both York and Warwick over the last few weeks. I really like York too, not as much as Bath, but it is a lovely university with may opportunities and facilities, so it shall be my insurance choice. I didn't think much to Warwick at all, it felt too much like an industrial park, just lots of grey big buildings as the departments. 

What other news have I got. Oh yes, I am now legally allowed out there on the roads on my own as I passed my driving test last week :) So pleased to have passed first time.

I can't think of anything else, apart from being busy keeping on top of the A level work.

I hope you are all well. Sorry I have not been around to comment or anything recently, hopefully I shall get the chance to visit you in the next few days.

Bye for now. 

Hannah :)

Enjoying free time :)

Hi everyone,
As the title suggests, I have quite enjoyed a bit more free time this past weekend, and as a result I have a few things to show :)

First off, the cake I have been mentioning this past week. It was my Aunt's big birthday last week, so we had a family get together this weekend. She absolutely adores polar bears, so what else was there I could create for the cake!!

I was quite pleased with the polar bears, but it took a lot of squashing them up and screaming before I got them to look like this. I originally wanted them to look more realistic, but that just wasn't going to work, so I thought cute and cuddly had to be the next call, and luckily it worked :) She really loved the cake, and has kept the polar bears :)
I am linking my polar bears up to Passionately Artistic, a linking pool site which is a great source of inspiration and a place to find interesting projects.
Now onto my other crafts of the weekend. I have finally created another digi page. I haven't made one for ages. Here you go.

I have used Sketchy Thursday's sketch 7.21 to create this LO, I loved the block of photos, and it fitted perfectly with these photos of the 5 of us :)

That's it from me, I shall be back in the next few days with this weeks TPV challenge, it's a great one so keep your eyes open.

You still have time to enter this weeks challenge 'Grid pattern or colours of the rainbow'.

I'd love to see you over there, sharing all of your talent, plus who wouldn't want the opportunity to win the gorgeous prize this week.

Look at that mini book kit, just gorgeous. LOVE those sweet little knitted cherries :D

Bye for now,

A colour challenge and prize

Hi everyone,

This week, not only has Emilie posted an interesting colour challenge, but there is also a prize up for grabs. Head over to her blog to see the lovely prize, and take part if you have time, we'd love to see your entries.

This week I have used Emilie's colour combination for a digi page. I am not overly pleased with it for some reason, I don't know why. I have used the sketch and theme over at the Creative Craft World blog as inspiration.

Here's the LO.

I've altered the sketch quite a bit, but the basis of the sketch is still there, the 4 photos (I've changed into 1 photo, a journalling block and 2 rectangle frame elements), the ribbons and the curved title. I loved the colours in the colour challenge, I found it quite challenging but I really love them. Head over to Emilie's blog, look at the challenge and get creating for your chance to win the prize :)

Bye for now,

What's the time Mr Wolf?

Hi everyone,

I have managed to do a digital LO for this weeks Sketchy Thursday's sketch. As it was National Scrapbooking Day over the weekend, many shops had sales and freebies, so I took advantage of it and bought some more digi stash. I then had some inspiration, so set to doing a digi layout using the sketch (although, as typically happens I didn't use much from the new kits!!)

(Click on the LO for a closer look :) )

I am really pleased with it, I loved the sketch but was struggling for ideas at first. I really wanted to use it though, so after a little thinking and looking for inspiration, this is the product. I have shrunk the main body of the sketch down into the bottom right corner so I could use the large photo in the background. Here's the sketch.

Those of you that are familiar with my blog know how much I LOVE dandelions, and I have finally scrapped these photos I took of them last Autumn. I love these photos so I will have to do a paper scrapbook page with them at some time as well :)

I have 3 days left at school until I have study leave !!! Arhhh!!! I'm doing ok though, I have been doing a few practise papers and tasks and feel I'm progressing, so that's great. Thanks very much for the good luck wishes from my last post :) It's very much appreciated :)

Bye for now,

Jumping pillows

I don't know if any of you have ever seen these, but they're amazing. They're basically a huge trampoline/bouncy castle, that are like pillows in the ground, and they're so much fun. We found one when we were on holiday in Norfolk in 2009. It was surrounded by sand so you couldn't injure yourself if you slid off, and they could take lots of people.

This page shows how much fun we all had.

This page uses the sketch from pencil lines and the colour scheme from Emilie's blog (although I've added the yellow to the colour scheme, my page just seemed to need it!)

Here's the sketch

 

(I've broken the single photo into 3)



and here's the colour scheme.

I hope you like my page :)

Hannah

Bright and Colourful

Hi everyone,

Here is a digi page I've created. I've used the Sketchy Thursday's sketch and a few bright and colourful digi elements that I haven't used before. I'm really pleased with it, I kept it quite basic and am pleased I did. I think I may do all of my photos from our Rangers trip to Ireland as digi pages, so far I've only scrapped one of them. Anyway, here is this page.

I hope you like the page.

Thanks for looking,

Hannah :)

Pencil Lines sketch 229

Hi everyone.

Here is my LO for Pencil Lines sketch 229. I did have a page planned for my Prom scrapbook that would use this sketch but I didn't like it so I left that and did a digi page with it instead.

These photos are the sort where they're awful photos in quality but look good together and mean a lot to me so they were worth scrapping. This page was fun to do and I'm really pleased with it. I am pleased with my Digi Scrapping in general, and as you may have noticed I am doing quite a few at the moment. I am trying to develop my digi scrapping as when I go to uni it'll be a great way to keep scrapping and being creative :)

Here is the sketch

I hope you like my page :)

Thanks for looking :)

Bye for now,

Hannah

Crafty goodness and module results

I've a few crafty things to share with you today.

First of all, a birthday card. One of my friends turned 17 this week and this is the card I made for her.

She loves dogs, so, after persuading Mum to buy this cute dog digi stamp from Bee Crafty downloads, I suddenly realised a perfect use for it. I've coloured it using my Pastel pencils (it was great using them again after buying them for my Art GCSE and not using them since), wrapped brown and white bakers twine around the front of the card with a slit cut in the spine, and then stamped the greeting. She liked the card, which is the most important thing :)

Now, some more crafting. I've managed to do pencil lines sketch 228 this week, and used it not once but twice!! During the week I made a digi page using the sketch, here it is,

And today I have sat down and done the 'paper and scissors' scrapbook page I'd been planning in my head all week. I am really pleased with it, here it is

I have used Tim Holtz distress inks to stipple around a hiedi swapp bracket mask, and I now absolutely love the technique. I've seen so many people do this technique and use inks and paints on their pages, but I haven't tried up until now. I'm sure it's something you'll see more of now I've tried it though :)

For this page I've used the colour scheme that Emilie set on her blog last Sunday. I don't use challenge colour schemes very often but am very glad I have with this page as I wouldn't have combined these colours otherwise, but they look great together. Thanks Emilie

All of the flowers on this page have been handmade, both a mixture of crepe paper twisted flowers, layered felt and a new flower made using a fab tutorial I've just found here.

I've interpreted the pencil lines sketch by using one photo and leaving the space that should be for the second photo as blank paper. The twirled line of journalling under the photo lent itself to the trail of a butterfly brilliantly, so that's what I've done. The journalling reads :-

I took this photo to help with my Art exam. She was so well behaved as I took lots of photos.

The small butterfly trail reads :- Thanks Amy, you earn't me an A*

There is a real theme to both of my pages this week, they are both about my Art GCSE. The first is photos I took for a coursework piece and the journalling comments on the fact that I was willing to look stupid lying on the floor of a hairdressers taking photos. The second is a photo I took of a family friends baby, for my final exam piece, and as the journalling says, I got an A* for my Art so I owe a big thank you to the baby for all of the photos I was allowed to take.

On to some non crafty news. I had my AS module results back on Thursday. I'm so happy with them. For Biology I got 85/90, an A, and for my two maths modules I strangely managed to get the same score on both, 94/100, which is an A at the minute. I say at the minute because if I get over 90 in my next three A2 modules I can get one of the new A*, which is what I really really want. So as you can imagine, I'm rather chuffed with those, especially with Biology which I find quite a tough subject.

Anyway, that's it from me for today, I should hopefully be back tomorrow with some portrait photos to share :)

Thanks for looking,
Hannah :)

A sea view

I just have to post this.

I've done a digi scrapbook page this evening and am so pleased with it that it just has to go on here straight away :D

I bought a few new kits this weekend from Sweet Shoppe Designs and whilst downloading and sorting through my new stash I just had the urge to use it. So tonight, seen as I've spent my entire school day hard at work, I thought I'd let myself have the afternoon to scrap. I've used a few bits from my new stash on this page with a mixture of my existing stash collection, and I've used bits from too many people to name them all :D If you want to know any of the details of products I've used pop your question as a comment and I'll answer.

This page was one of the rare ones, it just fell together exactly how I'd imagined and hoped it to, which is always great. I have used the pencil lines sketch 227 with this page, I decided I needed to do a sketch challenge again. I'm just sooo pleased with it. This will definitely be a digi page I attempt to print out, and if that fails, I think I'll have to do a paper version of it.

I think that's all from me tonight, thanks for looking.

Bye :)

Very crafty :)

I've been doing all sorts of crafty things over the past few days. My last mock exam is tomorrow, I've got my Biology practical experiments which should be ok. We need to know very little for the experiment, we just use previous knowledge, so for my past few free days I've been being creative. I've been cake decorating, digi scrapping and making cards, so this shall be quite a big post with something for everyone I hope. Hope you enjoy :)

Digi Scrapping

Dawn Inskip has made a lovely digi template which is available to download on UKscrappers. Here's the page I've made using the template.

I've changed some of the elements on the template and added papers and other items to make it a christmas layout. I really like the page, it's the first time I've really used a template and it was good fun, and a lot quicker with the basic layout displayed for me. I hope you like it too.

Card

It's my Nan's birthday at the weekend and as, for once, I've had time, I've made her a card. Since Mum's had her blog she's been searching many other blogs and I've spotted lots of cards that have been inspiring me. So this card is a mixture of a lot of different cards and inspiration.

I really like this card, I love these colours and I had to use my Stampin Up bird punch again.

Cake decorating

I haven't done any cake decorating since my birthday cake last summer, so as I knew I'd have a bit of time this week, I decided to decorate a birthday cake for Nan. I haven't had time to bake or cover a cake, so we bought a plain ready iced cake from the supermarket that is designed to have a photo transferred onto the top. Nan loves snowdrops and as they're perfect for this time of year I've done some for the cake.

I'm really pleased with how they've turned out, I've never tried snowdrops before and have made these without a specific cutter, adapting a different cutter for one part of the flower and hand cutting the leaves and the rest of the flowers.

I've dusted the flowers to make the inner layers look slightly more realistic.

The cake wasn't iced very well and unfortunately we didn't get any choice in the shop, this was the only one. To cover up the very wobbly and weirdly shaped sides I've created a rope, which I think just finishes it off nicely.

I'm really pleased with it and it's been great to get all of my equipment out again and have a play. Hopefully Nan will love it, it's a surprise, she hasn't a clue I've done a birthday cake. :)

A new Photography Challenge

I've been trying to find a photography blog recently with a weekly challenge, but I haven't found quite the thing I've been looking for.
I've decided to set a challenge up for myself, like I used to do for card making before I moved into scrapbooking. Me and Mum have written a whole long list of one-word prompts, that we've then cut out and are ready to be picked at random.
I'm planning to draw a prompt word ever Friday evening, so I have the weekend to get a good start with the word.
I've designed this challenge predominantly to challenge myself and get myself using the camera more, but if anyone else would like to join in and do the weekly challenge too, you'd be very welcome. It'd be quite nice to see how everyone else interprets the word. If you'd like to join in I shall be posting my first prompt word tomorrow evening, so please come over and see what it is.

Here's the words ready to be selected :)

From me, that's all today, have a good evening and I'll be back tomorrow with my photo prompt


Bye, Hannah :)

A new year, a new look

I decided that, now I have entered the world of Digi scrapping, have a fair bit of digi stash and it's a new year, my blog needed a new look.  
I spent ages last night trying to make the background, it was good fun trying out a few different designs. I knew that the dandelion head by Dawn Inskip had to be featured, what with my love of dandelions and the image being gorgeous.
It's a lot more 'me' this background and header, my favourite colours and my favourite digi scrapping elements combined.

I hope you like it. :D

Bit of scrapping at last!!

I have finally had time to sit down and scrapbook!! I am doing a scrapbooking evening at my Rangers group on Friday evening, so have been preparing bits and have done an example page. On Wednesday it is the last day of the guiding centenary year, so we decided a unit scrapbook to look back over the things we have done during the centenary would be very fitting. Here is the page I have created as an example to the group.

Today I decided to have a break and create a digital scrapbook page. I wanted to scrapbook an autumn photo from last weekend, and here it is.

I have followed a sketch to do this page, and it's the first 8 1/2 x 11" page I've ever done. I'm really pleased with this page. :)

Have a good weekend.

Hannah :)

Meerkat

Hello everyone,

I've had a bit of time to sort out my digi stash and do a quick page over the past few days. It didn't take long and I know it could be much better but it was mainly created so I could try the technique of blending the photo with the background. I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I took this photo on Monday when we went to a Wildlife Park. James loved watching the meerkats eat whilst this chap stood guard. He burst into reciting the 'Compare the Market' advert as soon as we walked in to the Meerkat Manor, much to everyones amusement. :D

For those of you who use Blogger I have made an observation which you may wish to hear about. There is an updated version of blogger that we can chose, it has just not been made obvious. The updated version makes uploading photos when posting so much easier, it puts them where your cursor is!! To find the update, you have to go to the 'Settings' tab, 'Basic', and then scroll down to the 'Global settings' section. Under 'Select post editor' there is a new option to click, 'Updated editor'. Clicking this updates the posting options and many other things, it's great.

We went out for a celebratory meal for my exam results last night. We had a 3 course meal, which I'm not used to, and I walked out feeling like a balloon, so fat and full. It was so yummy, we went to a pub we often go to as it is consistently good, hearty food. Thanks for everyone's congratulations comments, they mean a lot. I have an 'interview' at my school on Tuesday to finalise sixth form choices and then begin back on the Thursday. I'm looking forward to it. I need to shop for suitable clothing to wear, Mum keeps saying she's not looking forward to it, I wonder why?!!!

Bye for now,
Hannah :)

'A' fab day

Hi everyone, this will be quite a big post.

I don't know where the time has gone or why it has been so long since my last post.

I'm sure everyone knows that today was A level results day. I took AS maths early as a GCSE class, and have been to collect my result for it today. I have basically taken an AS level in Statistics and my result ....... an A. I am so pleased with that, I needed a high mark in the 3rd module to receive an A overall and I managed it, getting 91/100. :D I'm a very happy bunny.

Now to some scrapbooking. I have finished my whole Jessica Sprague Up + Running class now, here are the layouts created from lesson 3 and 4.

I have followed this lesson exactly and although the colours wouldn't be my first choice for those photos I quite like the finished piece.

I have changed some elements in this lesson 4 page. I haven't used the title word art provided instead using a Dawn Inskip Alphabet I have purchased. I decided to do my layout about my crafting area.

I learnt so much from the course, it's just a shame I haven't had time since to do any digi scrapping.

Instead I have been doing proper scrapbooking, decorating more pages for my Prom book. I have managed 2 more pages.

(By the way I hope you like my copyright stamp I've created using fabulous brushes I found on this website)

I have done more paper pleating and another flower on this page, I have fallen in love with making my own flowers! The doily on this page is a hand cut paper cut, the technique I learnt in GCSE art. I have drawn my design on the back of my piece of card

and then cut it out with my craft knife to create a sort of doily with my own pattern.

I created my own notes card in Photoshop Elements for this page, and am very pleased with the way it has turned out, it shall be so useful for both digi and hybrid use.

Here is the next page I have managed to complete. I'm very pleased with this page. I wanted to include 3 photos on this page, but didn't want them to be obvious, so I have hidden them in a flap.

I liked the way this ended up, I have used flowers on the page to cover the edges of the photos below to hide them when the flap is closed, they also overlap to hold the flap shut. Once again, more flowers, beads and hand-stitching.

Here's a little close up

That's it for my scrapbooking progress over the last week. Just a little craft shopping to share.I purchased this lovely little set of things from Hobbycraft recently, with the colour scheme of my prom book in mind. I've finally found some crocheted ribbon, so had to buy some!

Also look at this
I have recently discovered this blog 'Life & Times of a 12x12 addict'. Not only does she do some gorgeous layouts but also has a few giveaways. The photo above is of the giveaway that's on offer at the moment, so head over to her blog, if you haven't already, for a chance to win this lovely stash.

I've now just got a few non-scrapping things to share.

Let me introduce you to Mr Giggles...

Mr Giggles is James' new toy monkey. We had a mini holiday to stay at my Uncle and Aunts on Monday and Tuesday, which we enjoyed. We had a good run around in a country park on the Monday, James playing with my Uncle and learning how to kick a rugby ball far. On the Tuesday we went shopping, and James found Mr Giggles. He was in Hawkins Bazaar and after a look around the shop he wouldn't let us exit without Mr Giggles. He loves him so much. You tickle his 'Tickle spot' and he giggles like mad, much to James' amusement. I'm surprised his batteries haven't already run out, our house has been full of giggling since Tuesday.

And finally... My bag is packed and I'm ready to go. Weighing 16kg I'm glad I don't have to wear it for a very long journey!! It is packed out and I am looking forward to camping with the rangers as it shall be a very different experience to our normal camping trips, which are luxurious compared to how this will be!! Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to my first experience on an airplane, slightly anxious, but know that it will be an experience and open up doorways to the rest of the world.

So from me, night night. I'll post next when I'm back next week from my adventure.

Bye, Hannah xx :)