50th Surprise Birthday

Here's Pilar book, I pretty sure that the pages are not quite in sync since I alternate the colours of the pages. I've used Cosmo Cricket Happily Ever After throught out the book and most of the embellishments are punches or die cuts.
The pages are 8inches square and I used a Bind it all.

Elliott's First Year

My Niece sent me a picture of her new son every month of his first year and it seemed a shame not to use them and I decide it would make a nice gift.
So with the idea of using the months has a guide for his first year I made a 8 by 8 album. I brought an American Crafts D ring album which I'm going to buy from now on cos its so much easier than the post albums and there is plenty of room for my Niece to continue the album for his second year.
Papers are Crate Paper and I've lost the which ones but in the back of my mind I think they maybe Sweet Branch.

Favourite Desinations

My first CJ on UK has finally come home and its not been without drama but it ended on a high note with two of our group expecting new additions to their families in September.

My theme was Favourite Destination and I was amazed at the different places and even the reasons which showed an insight of the person making the entry.

This was mine Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava.

This was from Amy.

From Susy aka Mrs Rudy

Genevieve aka Snowgoose

Don't you love the Panda, this one is from Emma.

Amazing entry from Debbie.

Can you believe this fabulous place is on our doorstep, this entry is from Catherine aka Elysian Angel.

Now I can relate to Maxine having been to Florida on more than one occasion.

I think my husband need lesson from Toni's other half.

Beautiful scene of Mexico from Elizabeth.

I shall treasure this book for always.

My Entries

These are my entries for the above CJ. The one above is for Home Sweet Home, I was really pleased how it turned out, sometimes you have an idea and it just doesn't work out.

This one was for Smile its a beautiful world, I used photos out of my own garden and of the two pubs we go too.

My favourite place, I had already used Tossa de Mar so what would be the next place that I couldn't live with out, that would be my craft room. The pictures were taken when it was tidy a rare thing.

I really struggled with an idea for this Love and Hate CJ and even when I got the idea it still was a problem to get the circles central. The Papers are Crate papers.

This CJ was the one that probably worried me the most All Things Gothic, in the end I decided that it was certain colours that together made you think Gothic, so I used Black (obviously) with the red, purple and a touch of gold. The teardrops are glossy aceents I thought they looked like blood and I found the shaped wings on google and used the shaped for a template. The pics I found online too, DD was impressed with these pages.

I had to show my Gothic angel tag.

I'm not sure you would call all the stash and stamps that I buy and in the case of stamps which I have a lot that I've not used a Collection. I do have a few bits of Nao that I've collected the last few years but even that is now quite expensive. I've used my favourite BG Lily kate.

I mean't to show the front cover of this Chocolate recipe CJ cos its truly amazing, it looks just like a chocolate bar. I don't actually cook much these days, but in the days I did I often made various flavours of small fairy cakes, today we call them cupcakes. I asked my sis to make some using my recipe so I could photo them but she declined, you just can't get the help these days, so I borrowed the cocoa powder out of her larder and photo that instead.

Almost everyone I had chosen their children or family for this Special Moments CJ, these two are my Special Moments and between them have filled my life with numerous special moments and rather than making it too soppy which isn't my style, I've added a touch of humour.

When I received the Nursery Rhymes CJ it was like OMG what on earth can I do in keeping with the absolutely wonderful pages that had been done. I had to show my Sis and Nikki both thought it was wonderful and glad it was me and not them that had to complete it. With the help on Sis and the fact she could recite far too many nursery rhymes. I decide on See Saw because one I could have a moving part and I could use my cute Whiff of Joy stamps, ( didn't use Magnolias cos they have no mouths and could be scary). The patterned paper is BG.

I have throughly enjoyed the challenge each month, so much so I've joined another CJ this time Music and Lyrics is the theme and I've choosen Remember the 70s.>

Jill's Brag Book

I now have saved loads of photos of Jill my SIL and her family, knowing that I love making these books I thought I would make one for Jill. The papers are I think Delight by Yellow Bicycle and various embellishments from my Stash. The book is made from the class on a cyber crop UKS called a Ribbon-N-Roll, hope the link works.

The thing I love about these books is that its made with cardstock with an exception of BG magnet for the clasp but you can use ribbon and bow to close the book if you don't have a magnet.

A-Z of Me

Finally my year long project is finish, photographed and blogged. I've thoroughly enjoy this challenge and I really missed doing this but I don't think I would be able to keep it up without the prompts from Its a Creative World blog.

The pictures should go larger if you click on them.

Underneath the chipboard is some journalling it reads

My Mum was always knitting , we were very poor when I was little and Mum used to buy old woolies from jumble sales and reknit them. My favourite jumper was mad with 3 jumble jumpers.

My sister sews, her own clothes and her childrens.

I knitted from the age of 11 till arthritis stopped me in 1997, my sister convinced my husband that cross-stitch was cheaper than reading books. She lied. Not only do I cross-stitch this crossed over to cardmaking. In 2005 my sister convinced me to make a Scrapbook for Mum, so now I Scrapbook too.

If you unwrap the tombstone you will find some more journalling it reads;

Embarrassing thats what my grown up kids say about me. But really isn't it called payback time. Remember the terrible twos when you're in the middle of the supermarket or a shopping centre and you're gorgeous daughter decides to have a tantrum can you believe someone that beautiful can make such a noise. How about when you're bright son overhears a conversation and promptly lets the cat out of the bag to the very person you wanted it kept from. Bringing up children meant very often wanting the floor to open up and swallow you whole. Embarrassing who me!!!!

And if you pull that tag there's yet more journalling;
When I first started scrapbooking I never knew what a sociable hobby it was. When my sister and I went Scrapcamp we met total strangers who became firm friends and when we decided to go to SC2 my sis found Valelady on UKS forum who was going too and my siter invited her to house for coffee. I told my sis you can't invite a complete stranger to you home, you need to meet in a public place. So it was decided to meet at Bagshot Lea. Little did we know Valeladys's family were really worried for her to meet strangers off the Internet. We didn't have to worry though we recognised Valelady from classes we took at Craft&Co. Poor Nikki had a similar experience and now we're firm scrapbuddies. Which leads to a crop that Valelady, JPDuck and FairyKaren arranges once a month and yet more friends.

Don't panic I've notice that this breed should be bred and I have changed this but obviously didn't photo it again, this post has cause me a bit of headache so I'm not going to change it so imagine the extra e just isn't there!

This is hubby so you know there will be journalling somewhere.

I couldn't do a book of me without including John somewhere. We've been together for 32 years. He is my rock, my other half and maybe when we met I was probably too young to make a huge decision like marriage but it was the right one I've never regretted us being together.

On the tags there's some journalling;

There's nothing like the feeling when they first hand over the tiny miracle of your child and I was lucky enough to experience the joy twice.

Being a Mum is hard and you can only do your best and I hope my children understand that my best wasn't always right but at least I tried.

Underneath the flap is journal ling it reads;

Music has played an important part of my life since I was a little girl growing up with a house full of teenagers in the sixties to a Bay City Rollers fan and adoring David Essex. Music also played a large part of my childrens life music constantly played ,first records, cassettes, the cd to finally i pods.

And its true when my kids were scrabbling, I banned electric and only I could play my music so that would be Celine Dion then.

I can't start the day without a cuppa of tea. Not too much milk and no sugar with nice rosie lee colour.

Since making this journal you add another boy to the group of children, that make 6 Grandkids for my youngest brother.

I thoroughly enjoy making this journal and I'm already missing doing something like this but without the prompt each fortnight from Its a Creative World blog I'm not sure if I would keep it up.

NEXT

The next post hopefully soon will be my A-Z journal