Roll up, Roll up - Its Blog Hop Day!!!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to us

Happy Birthday dear Banana Frog

Happy Birthday to youuuuu!

Mornin'
please excuse the quality of the singing - I'm a bit croaky this time in the morning.... croaky:..  frog ?! get it. ... oh nevermind, lets get on with the fun of the blog hop which this month has a BIRTHDAY theme.
So follow the links around and don't forget to leave comments wherever you go 'cos there are prizes/pressies to be received... each of the Froglets (thats us on the design team!) will each be giving  a prize to one frog fan (thats you!) who comments on our blogs... which is very nice don't you think!  lol
So don't forget to comment - you've got to be in it to win it as they say!  Also leave a comment on the Banana Frog blog as there's more prizes to win over there...

So here's what I made:
I was going to make cards but then I thought of something more practical - how about a book to hold all the dates of peoples birthdays so no-one gets forgotton? - because no-one likes to forget someones birthday do they?!  I've also included anniversaries in my little book - 'cos they're quite important too aren't they?! - all dates that should be remembered!

To decorate this book I've used the stamps sets Journaling, Super Dreamy, and Pharmacy - some of my all time favourite BF sets....  These are such great versatile stamp sets.

The book is fairly small - 10x20cm.  I used 3 colours to stamp on the white and Kraft cardstock pages - tumbled glass  & pumice stone distress inks and archival black - I like to keep the colour schemes simple and then embellish on top which I've done here with stickles, gems, and fabric embellishments - again some of my favourite elements.

I stamped circles to add the dates and names into, and when it was an anniversary I added a heart to identify it.  The little lined journaling squares are for notes and other dates. 

Right that's me done - I hope you enjoyed your visit, now 'hop' on over to see what Michelle's bringing to the Banana Frog birthday bash (I love a bit of aliteration!)... don't forget to comment!  You can find Michelle here!

2010 'resolutions' mini book

I've been making this mini book over the last week or so - creating a bit here and there when time allows - it measures approximately 6x4 inches and is created from bits a pieces left over from another project and bound using the Bind-it-All (great tool - I don't use it nearly as much as I should). Quite a simple book - each page features one word and on the reverse is the thinking behind it and what the word means to me for the coming year. I like working on a page with one large single word and then having the journaling somewhere else - keeping the page 'simple' in that way. uncluttered.

During my current 'tidying up' project (and I'm using the term loosely because I just seem to moving things around according to M - but its all part of the process!) I found this photo (on the pc - tidying that up too!) of a book I made from lots of bits of cardboard, all different sizes, bound together with the bind-it-all. Its a book that I keep on my studio desk to try out bits and pieces in rather than on random bits of paper/ card or in my sketchbook (different surface). This page was created using a scroll cuttlebug die I'd just bought (so of course had to use straight away! lol) and Banana Frog alphabet stamps - these ones are great because they are quite large (about an inch-and-a-bit tall)... I like the page because of the metal effect to the scroll (didn't photograph too well) but at the same time am not too keen because it looks a bit 'halloween' - due to the colours - I might go back to it and try and alter it in some way.......

Round up...

I'm sorting out my home studio and so its time to tidy up! and I keep coming across projects that I've completed but don't seem to have posted about - such a lot going on and a lot of it I can't share because its going to be published, used for classes etc etc etc ..... So here are some pictures (apologies if I have shown them before - I did do a quick check back through the blog - which has made me realise I must start tagging things....)
(btw:I'm not supposed to have a 'home' studio because I have studio space that I rent and therefore all my creative bits and bobs should be there but over the past month or so a lot has made its way back home (in my defense the studio can be quite cold)

Firstly here are some of the spreads from a mini-book I made of a day trip M & I took to go and see Seth Lakeman perform at the open air theatre in London's Regents Park - fantastic day and a great concert. Its 6x4in (approx) & I love that the pages show around the front cover - not all the same size.. books like that make me want to look inside! lol (btw - the flowers on the last 2 spreads shown now have buttons or pearls in the centres)

Next is a card I've made for my new nephew. I'm loving using acetate for cards and minibooks but they can be challenge to photograph! Aaaanyway his name is Ethan and he's bundle of cuddly loveliness! - though I may be biased of course! lol