Proud Parents

Good morning all.
We had slightly cooler day here yesterday which was something of a relief after the scorching heat on Friday. 

A final page from the wedding album to share with you before we head off on holiday. We've to take the dog to the kennels at 10am, pack the truck and it's off over to the Lake District for the night before heading down to Wales tomorrow. So looking forward to the rest.

Created in Craft Artist using Peaches and Cream from My Memories alongwith a mask from Daisytrail "Dates and Photo Masks" CD.

This is my sister and her husband outside the church before the wedding. Diane looked stunning in her black and ivory outfit and coordinated perfectly with the men's suits.

I'm hoping to have internet access most of the time we're away so will probably be popping by occasionally and I have a few scheduled posts ready to go.

Take care and stay well while I'm gone.

Challenges entered:

Our Creative Corner - captured memories

Carol x

You Make a Lovely Couple

Good morning all. 

Isn't this weather glorious, long may it last although we could do with a little cooling rain overnight!
I'm off to the hairdresser's this morning then we have to pop down to see my FIL this afternoon as it's his birthday. I'm also going to take down to my nephew what will hopefully be the final sample for the next set of wedding invites.

Another scrap book page for the wedding album to share today.

Created in Craft Artist using Peaches and Cream from My Memories and Frames and Borders which I won recently from Craft Artist. The photos include a couple of out takes!

Challenges entered:

Little Red Wagon - monochrome

Bearly Mine - summer weddings

Can You Digi It - summer smiles

Our Daily Bread - love, wedding or anniversary

The Cheerful Stamp Pad - you make a lovely couple

Carol x

Oh what a beautiful day

Good morning all. I hope you've enjoyed a very sunny weekend.

We had an absolutely fabulous day on Saturday at Stephen and Gemma's wedding...woke up to gorgeous sunny weather which set the tone for the rest of the day. The bride was late.....the wedding car broke down 5 minutes into their journey and they had to call a taxi to take them the rest of the way, much to her and her father's amusement. I don't think it did anything for the groom's nerves though! The service was beautiful with Gemma emitting an uncontrolled giggle whilst saying her vows. The venue at Alnwick Gardens looked fabulous in the sunshine and we had a superb afternoon and evening.

They had a sweepstake on the speeches, there were four in total - the Bride's father, Groom's father, Groom and Best Man. All four were very eloquent and they ran for just over 50 minutes from beginning to end!! 

Stephen managed to reduce me to tears though...he started by saying he had along list of people to thank - I was top of that list (which set me off straight away!), after thanking me profusely, complimenting me on my obvious patience and work I'd done he stopped and looked down at his notes again (that's it thought I next one's turn and started to compose myself!) when he looked up he proceeded to say how he'd not really known me very well before the wedding plans, with me living so far away but how great it had been spending time with me and getting to know me again...by the time he'd finished I was a gibbering wreck along with Gemma and most of my family! I then had to get up to go and collect a pressie from them, by this time the  tears were streaming uncontrollably and Stephen's mates (all Newcastle supporters) were apparently chanting "There's only one Aunty Carol". My brother came soon after on the list and he was preparing to stand up and say you'd better not make me cry when he did precisely that so he ended up in only a marginally better condition than me which of course had the effect of setting me off again!! Luckily my mascara was fully waterproof!!

Any way enough waffle, last night I just had to start scrapping some of the photos I'd taken and some which were being shared on Facebook.

Created in Craft Artist using a kit called Peaches and Cream which I got from My Memories, perfect for the album as these were the wedding colours.

The large photo is my Mum, me, two of my sister's, my niece and our other halves plus my eldest as we congregated to go to the church. From the left the smaller photos are me, hubby and son; Stephen (groom) and his two brothers; my brother and his wife; and my sister and her hubby (mother of the groom) who looked stunning in her black and ivory outfit.

This is obviously the happy couple taken at Alnwick Gardens by another guest. Gemma's dress was gorgeous and the men all looked so smart in their suits.

The night ended on a rather funny note for the groom's two brother's and their partner's who headed back to Wooler after the do to stay at the family home. My sister had given one of the girls the key to get in as neither of the boys had a key with them.....when they got there it was the wrong key...luckily it opened the garage door though and they managed to get a set of ladders to reach Christopher's bedroom window which had been left open....Graham being the skinnier of the two was elected to climb the ladder and Christopher took this brilliant shot!!

Luckily we've got it all to do again in February when the next one gets married .......which means I've got to try to get a final design done for the invites this week before we head off on holiday...happy days ahead :)

Challenges entered:

Lasting Memories - precious family

CRAFT - here comes the bride

Carol x

One is not Amused

Good morning all, I hope you are all well and recovered from the festivities. My title does refer to the dog but I have to say I wasn't very amused to find the giblets missing from my turkey - Bisto just isn't the same as home made!! We had a fairly quiet time.....eldest woke up with a flu bug on Christmas morning, hoping now that the rest of us don't come down with it! We're off out for a family lunch today which should be nice.

Haven't made it back into the craft room yet but I have managed some digi layouts of Freya from Christmas day.

The first was made in My Memories Suite using Festive Time from Template Dreams and the second uses the same kit but was made in Craft Artist.

Challenges entered:

C.R.A.F.T. challenge - not a card

Simply Create - linky party #15

Divas by Design - anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - anything Christmas

Anything but a Card - anything goes

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #76 Black and White plus one

Another fortnight gone and it's time for a new challenge at  Crafty Ann's and we want to see projects using black and white plus one other colour.

I've chosen to do a layout this time. Using papers from the black and white/red collections and a frame from the Cream Dream kit - these are all available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. All other embellishments came from My Memories Suite. The layout was started in Craft Artist, then  I imported it into My Memories Suit to finish it off.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Divas by Design - anything goes

Crafty Sentiments - anything goes

Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes

Craftymess Challenge - anything goes

Carol x

Happy Scrappers #6 Pets/Animals

Good afternoon all. I can't believe I forgot to schedule this post for this morning....sorry folks!

Who pinched September? Since it's now October it's time for a new challenge here at Happy Scrappers (please remember we accept scrap layouts only and they must contain at least one photo). This month the challenge has been set by Shaz and she chose Animals or Pets.

My layout features out Siberian Husky Freya having hers ears tickled by Mark. Every time he tried to stop she nudges him until he started again......this went on for about an hour! I've used My Memories Suite  and a template to keep the layout clean and simple so the photos did the talking.

 Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. I do hope you will join us this month, we'd love to see your work.

Challenges entered:

Stampin with the Dragon - animals

Simply Create - anything goes

Anything Goes - animals

Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes

Anything but a Card - anything goes

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #72 Christmas in August/Winter Olympics

Another fortnight gone and it's time for a new challenge at  Crafty Ann's and our theme is Christmas in August/ Winter Olympics.

I'm showing another page from my Christmas in Dubai album. Papers are from the Traditional Christmas kit available from  Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. My layout has been done in My Memories Suite.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Lasting Memories - special celebrations

My Time to Craft - Christmas in August

Carol x

Bon Voyage

Good morning all. Well summer has continued here this week, hope it stays a little longer!

Not sure where the lads are at present  - obviously without a phone signal as I haven't had an update since Wednesday. They were last heard of camped out within a few hours of the Russian/Mongolian border. I imagine they got to the border on Thursday at some point and should have arrived in Mongolia on Friday at the latest.

I found out yesterday that Gary's bank account has been used by A.N. Other to the tune of about12/1300 pounds over two days!! Luckily he has a Cash Passport card too so he still has funds. I managed to add credit to his phones from here so he has the means to get in touch when he gets a signal. I'm so annoyed about it as it looks like it's been done by someone in this country! Typical it should happen when I can't contact him too.

Any way today's share is the two digi scrap pages I used to make their good luck card before they left (unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the card itself and it's en route to Mongolia!)

The pages were made in My Memories Suite using a kit called Ticket to Ride from Mye de Leon which I bought a while ago. The sentiment on the second page is a freebie from Dee at Dees Designs,

Challenges entered:

Crafty Catz - anything goes

Pixie Dust Studio - vintage

Sassy Cheryls - all about the boys

Crafty Boots - postcards

Willow Sketchie - warm colours

Sugar Creek Hollow - vintage travel

Creative Belli - vacation/travel

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #71 Circles

In nod to the Olympics the new challenge at  Crafty Ann's is Circles.

This was one of those layouts which just evolved as I went along! The red, white and blue papers are from the polished stone collection from  Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. I put the background together in Craft Artist and added the flags and ribbon. I then exported as a Jpeg and imported into My Memories Suite as a background and added the stitching, title, journalling and the Olympic circles and photos.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Scrappy Frog - red, white and blue

Totally Stampalicious - sporty

True XOXO - of Olympic proportions

Pixie Dust Studio - inspired by Olympics

Carol x

Happy Scrappers #3 Birthday Celebrations

This is my second post today, please scroll down to see my GD project for Bugaboo.

Only one week to go to the Mongol Rally and it's all go here as we gather together everything needed for the six week trip. I'm also busy cleaning and packing as we're off down to Chichester on Thursday to see them off and have a holiday ourselves. I think parental panic is setting in big time now!!

I can't believe we're onto our third challenge at Happy Scrappers but we're into July so it's time for a new theme. I got to choose this time and I'd like to see Birthday Celebrations, so lots of scope there. Remember we're a layout only challenge please.

I've scrapped my younger son's first birthday for this layout. I used My Memories Suite and a kit called Atta Boy.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see what the other girls have produced, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Cupcake Craft - bright as a button
Creative Belli - stars
Paper Play - Happy Birthday

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #68 Memories are made of this

It's time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's and the theme this time is "Memories are made of this".

I've done a layout of my eldest son on his first trip to a warm beach.

I've done this layout in My Memories Suite using various colours of the Mottled Stone papers, one of the Funky papers and the buttons from the Rhapsody in Blue kit all available from  Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. The alpha shells are from Raspberry Road and the other embellishments and frames are from MMS. The layout was inspired by a sketch I found over on the Prima website. Love these photos of Gary, he was so gorgeous at this age!

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Sentimental Sundays - summer fun

Totally Gorjuss - holiday

Celebrate the Occasion - welcome Summer

Sparkle Creations RSC - beach challenge

Deep Ocean Challenge - welcome summer

Crafts and Me - anything goes

My Mums Craft shop - about the boys

Scrapalicious USA - summertime

4 Crafty Chicks - by the sea

Carol x

Happy Scrapper's #2 The Great Outdoors

It's time for our second challenge here at Happy Scrappers (please remember we accept scrap layouts only and they must contain at least one photo). This month the challenge is The Great Outdoors, so plenty of scope.

My double page digi layout has been done in My Memories Suite as two individual pages, I then imported them into Craft Artist to produce the double page view. The photos were taken a couple of years ago on a trip to the Highlands. All the papers and embellishments were from MMS.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see what the other girls have produced, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Stamp n Doodle - get outside

Carol x

Tempting Turquoise

A warm welcome to all my new followers, thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy your visits here.

It's Hubby's birthday today, I finally made it into the craft room about 10pm last night to make his card! Have to say it was a very quick card using a topper from Kraftyhands but hey a labour of love is wasted on him! You'll see the results later.

Today's share is a sneak peak of the new scrap kit winging it's way to Crafty Ann's digi shop today (hopefully).

Called Tempting Turquoise it's choc full of papers and elements......so full Ann had to do an add on kit to take the overspill. I've combined the kit with papers and elements from the Cream Dream and Sweet Sage kits to make this layout in My Memories Suite. All Ann's kits work well together and if you haven't visited the shop lately you ought to pop in and see them for yourself. The kits are ideal for both scrapping and card making and will size up to 12 x 12 no problem. The star of the show this time is my brother - not quite as sullen as last week's layout lol.

Challenges entered:

Creative Scrappers - sketch #209

Carol x

Smile please, errm pretty please

Good morning all. Well my MRI scan went okay yesterday - we got held up in traffic en-route but luckily I arrived at the unit just as they finished with the patient in front of me. The worst bit was trying to get a needle in to inject the dye I have to have for the second half of the scan. I just don't have any visible veins so we had two failed attempts in my arms before they finally managed to get in through the back of my hand! Luckily I'm not squeamish about needles! I had to endure 35 minutes inside the scanner but I've learned to close my eyes and just switch off. Hopefully I'll get good news in about two weeks and that will be me for another year.

Another layout from me today, this time a double page of photos taken the same day as the one of me yesterday.

This is me and my brother, he obviously wasn't in a good mood that day lol. The pictures were taken by a photographer who used to come around the houses once a year or so. I've done the layouts in My Memories Suite using a kit called Victorian Dream from LLL Creations. I then exported the two pages and imported them into Craft Artist to make a double page layout.

Challenges entered:

Willow Sketchie - sketch/ 3 different papers

Bird is the Word - smile

Moving along with the Times - keep it real

Carol x

Smile!

Good morning all. Don't know where this week has gone but I don't seem to have achieved very much! The house is still upside down and my kitchen is now being repaired where some of the plaster was cracking...........one day we'll be finished I'm sure!!

Got to go for an MRI scan this afternoon, not looking forward to it in the least as they have to inject me with dye and no one can ever find a vein! I should have been in Feb/March but somehow got missed and my GP has had to chase the surgeon to have me seen.

I've not made any cards this week but I have done some digital scrapping.

This one was produced in My Memories Suite using a kit called "Atta Girl" and features me as the star (roundabout 50 years ago lol). Hark at the wallpaper!! 

Challenges entered:

Bird is the Word - smile

Moving along with the Times - keep it real

Carol x

Oh Boy

A good morning to you all, hope the weather is being kind to you wherever you are.

Another layout from me today.

Created in My Memories Suite using a discontinued kit called Oh Boy and a Birthday Frame from LLL Creations which was part of my winnings earlier this week. This is my middle son who's almost 20 now - I hope to catch up with my scrapping before Christmas (not sure which Christmas though!).

Challenges entered:

My Memories -  the number five

Celebrate the Occasion - male birthday + circle

Lasting Memories - treasure hunt

Rainbow Lady - memories

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #64 Stitching

It's time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's and this time we'd like to see stitching - real or faux on your projects.

I've opted to show another layout I've made using a photo of my great grandfather. The blue papers and the steampunk elements came from Ann's Rhapsody in Blue Kit and the frames and labels from the Sweet Sage kit, both kits are available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. My LO is 12 x 12 and was made in My Memories Suite. The main BP and newsprint BP are from a kit called Vintage Chic. I've used sketch #38 at Frosted Designs as inspiration for the layout.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:

Scrapfit - good ole boys

The Studio Challenges - layout using a song title (Grandad)

Top Tip Tuesday - anything but a card

Polka Doodle - shabby chic/vintage

Glitter Geeks - stitches

Our Craft Lounge - vintage

Carol x

Template Thursday

This weeks free template from My Memories Suite,  click on the image to be taken to the download page. The templates will work in any programme so you don't need to have MMS to be able to use them.

To receive $10 off the price of My Memories Suite V3 software copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 at checkout. You'll also receive a $10 gift certificate for the online store.

I hope you enjoy your download and would love to see how you use it. Feel free to link in a comment so I can pop over and have a look.

Carol x

Nutella Girl

This is my second post today, scroll down one to see my DT post for CCWS,

I came across this photo of Lora the other night when browsing through the albums and when I saw a Chocolate themed challenge I knew I had to scrap it!

The layout was made in My Memories Suite using a freebie kit from DSE called "Chocolate".

This is the sketch I followed:

Challenges entered:

Frosted Designs - Tuesday sketch #39

Bird is the Word - Look/See

Emma's Crafty Challenge - chocolate

Carol x

Template Thursday

This weeks free template from My Memories Suite,  click on the image to be taken to the download page. The templates will work in any programme so you don't need to have MMS to be able to use them.

To receive $10 off the price of My Memories Suite V3 software copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 at checkout. You'll also receive a $10 gift certificate for the online store.

I hope you enjoy your download and would love to see how you use it. Feel free to link in a comment so I can pop over and have a look.

Carol x