i've been making...

Cards! Yep, totally out of my comfort zone.i was actually a card maker before i started scrapbooking. Let me tell you the story of how it evolved...

When i was 19, Lloyd (my mum's partner) was having a bone marrow transplant. If you've ever had to see someone you love suffer then you will understand how utterly helpless you feel. It is so tough. To keep me focused and to help out in my own little way i decided to start making cards to sell at a stall for Macmillan a GREAT charity that have helped many people in my life, i have many reasons to be grateful for them. i enlisted the help of my sister and we raised over £100, not bad going for our amateur card making! At the same craft fair there was a stall for Creative Memories, the consultant invited me to one of her crops & i haven't looked back since! Over the years my card making has fallen by the wayside. i will make them for people for birthdays etc, but i don't enjoy it as much as scrapbooking. i would go as far to say that i struggle with it. Lately though i've been feeling like they are the perfect way to use up my left over scraps of paper. So i've been making them again.

i'd really like to be able to donate them to a charity to help raise money or to send them to troops overseas, for them to write home with. So far my google searches have only come up with American charities. If anyone knows of any UK charities that collect cards for troops or of any charities that sell cards to raise funds, please let me know! Either leave me a comment or e-mail me at alexa_gill@yahoo.co.uk Thank-you!

So here's a few cards i've made recently with My Little Shoe Box papers.

More April SC layouts

As promised, here are the other layouts i've done this month using my Studio Cailco kit.

i think this is my favourite one i did, that paper was just made for this photo! i took it in Brisbane, Australia. i had a lot of fun experimenting with my camera trying to get this shot. i'm a little bit in love with my new Open Scallop Border punch, i've been using it a lot. i misted the Cosmo Chipboard letters on this with my Lemon mist. It's amazing the number of things that you can mist!



i used one of my fuji instax photos for this one, i like the dream like quality you can get with them. i don't scrapbook them very often, but i needed a photo when the inspiration struck & i don't have a printer at home. i usually start with photos first, but sometimes i have a story to tell but no photo to go with it. i started to run out of my letters on this one so i mixed in some more Cosmo chipboard from last month's kit. i think this page needs to sit under some heavy books for a while, the mist has warped it a bit!


i am SO excited about next month's kit!

CIG Blog Hop Giveaway Winner!!

For the Create It Green Earth Day Blog Hop i had a little mini book giveaway.


i used the random generator to pick my winner again and here's who it picked:




Congrats Loretta! Please e-mail me your address to alexa_gill@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment, you guys are such sweeties & i'm so happy you enjoyed my post!

Don't forget that the winners for all the sponsor prizes are being picked today so check Create It Green out to see if you are a winner!

Crafty Bits for Sale

If you're not reading this through a feeder then you might have noticed a new tab under my header called 'Crafty Bits for Sale'. i'm planning on moving in the next few months so i'm having a purge of all my crafty stuff. If you're interested, take a look at the list of item's i've got up for grabs & if you would like to purchase any of them please e-mail me at alexa_gill@yahoo.co.uk All prices include postage within the UK. Thanks for looking!

If you do happen to be UK based and are on the look out for crafty bargains then this group on Facebook is worth checking out.

Scrapbook Shares on Sunday and Blogiversary Giveaway winner!

First to announce the giveaway winner of my Blogiversary.i used the random number generator to decide the winner and it picked:



Congrat's Adrienne. Send your address to alexa_gill@yahoo.co.uk & i'll get the package out to you. Thanks to all those who entered & i'm sorry if you didn't win this time, but i'll have more giveaways in the future & there's still time to enter for the mini book kit below.

Now on to my scrapbook shares. They are all made largely with the April Studio Calico Kit. i will not lie, i was not crazy about this kit (and i am usually in love with their kits). But so far i have made 6 layouts with it, one i already shared earlier in the week. i think i'll get another 1 or 2 out of it and then the left over bits will go into the rest of my stash. i think it's been good to challenge myself to work with products that are out of my comfort zone but sketches have definitely helped me along the way!

This first one is based on a sketch by Rachel for the sketch challenge over at Sarah's Cards Ltd. i flipped it and moved a few of the elements around.


Sorry about the blob on the photo, looks like i need to clean my lens :/
Next up is a layout i took from sketch #11 of Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook class.



And lastly just a layout i did all by self without any help from sketches :) Makes me want to go back to Thailand so badly.


i've got a busy week ahead but i'll still be back to share the rest of those SC layouts and a few other things. Have a great week!

Re-using paper bags

I just did a post over at Create It Green sharing some ideas for re-using your paper bags. Please go looksie!

Green Field Paper Company

For the Create It Green Earth Day Blog Hop the DT were given a sampling of papers from Green Field Paper Company. They are an environmentally friendly company who produce 100% recycled handmade papers. They offset 100% of their electricity and even the water used to produce the papers is recycled back into the next batch! Check out their blog to see what they're up to.

I was given a sampling of Grow a Note, which is recycled paper with a wildflower seed embedded in it! Once you're done with the card, you just need to plant it and keep moist until the seeds germinate. The paper recycles naturally into the soil. How cool is that!?

I also received some Junk Mail which is 100% recycled paper that contains junk mail. You can actually see pieces of the shredded mail in the card, which makes for a nice background paper effect.

Both cardstocks are quite thick and make the perfect base for a card or layout & are great for punching too. Here's a layout I made using some of the card.


I used one sheet of cardstock for the base & punched into the top. I also punched some shapes from an additional sheet & then misted them to add some colour to the layout. I also punched the butterflies from the card & used an additional punched lace piece. The photo is attached using a 6x4 page protector & can be lifted up to reveal the journalling. i also used a few scraps of patterned paper, stickers from Jillibean Soup, Some rhinestones & some tape.


Thanks to Green Field Paper Company for being such great sponsors! If you haven't followed the hop yet please go to Kandi's blog to check out some adorable cards she made & a giveaway!

Happy Earth Day!

I hope you've been enjoying the Create It Green Blog Hop, there's so many inspiring projects! There's a lot of green projects around the blogosphere today in honour of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, so i wanted to list some of the cool stuff i've found here.

You can get free clip art like the one above here.

Craft Critique are having an Earth Day Blog Carnival and are sharing lots of great green projects.

There's some cute planters over at The Lawn Fawn Blog

Paper Trunk are having an Earth Day Giveaway and they also encourage you to be a little more eco-scrappy.

There's lots of projects over at Pebbles inc.

Making Memories are featuring a project that reuses packaging.

Scrapbooks etc are featuring a page that re-uses magazines.

If you've got any other links, please let me know in the comments!

Create It Green Earth Day Blog Hop

Welcome to Create it Green’s Earth Day Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for joining us.
If you just happened by this blog and didn't realize a blog hop was taking place, please go back to Create it Green and start the hop. You won't want to miss all the Earth Day inspiration or the amazing prizes from our generous sponsors! Make sure you leave a comment on each blog on the hop since winners will be drawn from the comments!!

i'm a sucker for designer stamps, there's such a vast choice & so many pretty patterns! But i also love to stamp with found objects, the possibilities are limitless. Have a look around you right now, i bet there are a handful of things you could use to create interesting stamped images with!

Here's a few ideas of things you could use for stamping to get you started: coins, the end of your pencil or pen, chicken wire, bottle tops or lids, toothbrush, bottles, jars.

On this page i used the end of a toilet roll to create my own patterned paper. i just dipped the end in acrylic paint and stamped away. Acrylic paint dries pretty quick so you won't have to wait too long before you can use it on your project.


On this page i used bubble wrap as a stamp to create a grunge effect, i even used the bubble wrap on my page once i was finished stamping!



From the kitchen you could use a fork, a wire whisk or sponge.

Have a look in your craft stash, i bet there's a few things in there that could be used as a stamp! Buttons, plastic flowers, bobbins (these can make great flowers), and corrugated cardboard can all be used. Try dipping thread in paint and swirl it around on card or wrap it around a block of wood to create a cross hatch pattern, line's or x's.

You could also try making your own images by carving patterns into things like mouse mats, cork, potatoes, clay, wood or foam. Here's a pattern i made by cutting a flower shape out of some sponge. i painted the centre with a different colour paint and used a pen to draw around the outlines to finish it off.


Having a spring clean any time soon? Before you throw those unwanted clothes out, check to see what you could re-use. Fabrics are great for stamping too, especially textured ones like corduroy. Lace and doilies can be used to create delicate patterns on your projects. Here i've covered a doily in paint before pressing down on the cardstock.


How about outside? Stamped leaves would look great on autumn pages.

What about you? Thought about using your finger prints or hands as a basis for a layout? Think of all the things you do with your hands, there's a story to tell there! You could even stamp the hand prints of your whole family, if you have kids it will be wonderful to have a record of this when they grow older.


Try using stuff as masks too. On this page i've drawn around my hand and painted the rest of the page leaving the patterned paper to show my hand print.

i hope i've given you some new ideas & you are inspired to try stamping with found objects! If you've got any more suggestions please leave it in the comments, i'd love to hear!

This blog hop will run from today, April 22nd until Sunday, April 26th, midnight PST. We will be drawing for winners on April 27. Keep checking in to see new posts each day.

i am also offering a green mini book kit as a prize here on my blog, just comment on this post to enter.


Thanks for stopping by and please follow along in our blog hop! Your next stop is Kandi.

Shimelle's Blog Party + the Laura Lift

So Shimelle hosted a fabulous blog party this past weekend, but as i mentioned yesterday, i was at my sisters so i couldn't play along. However, i didn't want to miss out on all the fun so since i've been back i've scrapped a few pages inspired by the blog party. The first is based on this sketch by Shimelle.



All the stuff i used was from the April Studio Calico Kit. Those rub-ons are made by SC themselves & they are soooo lovely, i've used the whole pack already! i took this self portrait last August, got to love how a disposable camera will blur out all your flaws!

And it seems Laura couldn't play along this weekend either so a few of the girls surprised Laura by scraplifting her & i decided to as well, because her pages rock!


i used lots of bits and pieces from my stash including some beloved Hambly. The other week in the Paper Mill i picked up some flocking powder to try out because it was super cheap. i know this trend is old but like i say it was cheap! i used some double sided adhesive alphabets from Doodlebug & sprinkled the flocking on and then pressed down with some scrap paper, it turned out pretty well. It looks fuzzy & cute to me anyway! Thanks ladies for your inspiration, especially to Shimelle for all the hard work she put into the blog party. If you haven't checked it out all ready go see her blog, there's so much inspiration over there.


Don't forget the Blogiversary giveaway is open until Sunday & make sure you check back tomorrow for the Create It Green Earth Day Blog hop!

Dear Lizzy Love

When American Crafts launched their new Dear Lizzy line co-designed with Elizabeth Kartchner i think scrappers around the globe were all swooning over the spring colours, the fabric paper, the crochet flowers, that gorgeous ribbon and well everything in the collection really. i know i was, it's one of my favourite winter CHA 2010 releases for sure. Luckily there was some in the March Studio Calico kits so i got my hands on some! So i've got a few layouts to share...


Elizabeth was guesting over at Pencil Lines the other week and this is my take on the sketch. i can't tell you how much i love creating from sketches right now! And Pencil Lines is a fabulous resource for sketches and there's a ton of talent to inspire you each week! This picture is of my sister & i (photo credit Hayley Gisborne). i just spent the weekend with my sister & i'm pretty sure i love her a little bit more every time we get to spend time together, so lucky to have her in my life. Everything on this page is from American Crafts except the bunting stickers which are from Jenni Bowlin.

Last week over at the American Crafts blog they were hosting a Dear Lizzy week with lots of yummy goodness & they set a challenge to create a layout with 2 or more Dear Lizzy products. Not much of a problem for me seeing as i love it! I wanted to document spring as I am delighting in it this year, so far we have had lots of sunshine and everywhere is in bloom!


This one features 3 of the papers, 1 of the fabric papers, rub-ons & crochet flowers from the Dear Lizzy Line, the ribbon is also from American Crafts. The butterfly chipboard if from Maya Road which i painted & sprayed with mist, the blue paper is from Cosmo Cricket, the lace paper at the top is from Sassafrass Lass, and the stick pin is from Jenni Bowlin. Everything i used i got in the March Studio Calico kit.

My Blogiversary (& a give-away!)

You'll have to excuse me for not having any Scrapbook Shares on Sunday post today, but i promise i have a few scrappy posts scheduled for the upcoming week and there's the Create it Green blog hop at the end of the week (with a few more give-aways from me).

So how come no Scrapbook Shares? Well, 4 years ago today i wrote my first blog post! So i hereby name today my blogiversary!!

Some of you have been following me from day one & others have only just found me. But i wanted to say a HUGE thank-you for reading. i know we all have busy lives & i really appreciate all the comments, e-mails & tweets that i get from you guys & i truly value the connections that i've made here in blogland. Those of you who lurk here & don't comment, i appreciate you too!

So as a thank-you i wanted to do a little give-away of some of my favourite things & share the love. One winner will receive 10 postcards & envelopes + stickers in a sushi theme, a pair of i <3 cupcake socks, a nail polish from Barry M in Mint Green (my fav shade of the moment) and a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (because i am a Harry Potter fan).


Just comment on this post if you want to win! i will pick a winner at 6pm (UK time) next Sunday, the 25th. International entries welcome. And feel free to spread the word!

Thanks again for reading my blog, i love you all!

Create It Green April Reveal

There's kind of a funny story to these pictures. As part of an organised trip i did when i was staying in Chiang Mai, Thailand we were offered a ride on an ox cart. A lot of the farmers still use these as their transportation up there. Anyways, we had all got on the back of the cart when the ox decided they weren't going to hang around for the driver. So the poor guy was running behind us for quite some time before he managed to catch up with us & take control of them! We all thought it was hilarious!!

Anyway, onto the details of the layout. This month we didn't have a sketch to use so we were free to do whatever we wanted! The 'green' item i used this month were envelopes, but not in the usual way you might see on layouts. You know the envelopes that you bank statement and junk mail come in? Well some of them have pretty patterns or colours on the inside, so i decided to save some and incorporate them into this layout.

i cut circles into my card stock and then glued pieces of the envelope to the back i would advise you use something like pritt stick to glue them on and then secure with some tape. This is what the back looks like:


Lucky you won't see it once it's in my album, right?!

If you are worried about the envelopes not being acid free then you can always use some thing like archival mist or acid neutralising spray on them first, or make sure they are not touching your envelopes.

The other products i used were card from Co'oredinations, fab-rips & alphabet stickers from Studio Calico & Cosmic shimmer mist.

Please stop by the Create it Green blog to see what the other ladies have made this month!

Also next week on the 22nd it's Earth Day! So we are having a blog hop. We've got lot's of lovely sponsors and a few give-aways along the hop so make sure you check it out!

My weekend in Photo's

A few weeks ago my good friend and partner in hobbit crime text me, did i want to see Pendulum DJ? He knows i love them so the answer was of course 'hells yeah i do!'. He lives about 2 hours from me in Oxfordshire so we planned adventures for the whole weekend.

Pendulum were playing at a Drum and Bass evening. i should explain that
we are both heavily into our music, but Adam likes mainstream pop. The likes of Gaga, Beyonce, Christina etc. And i mostly listen to indie and rock bands with the occasional slice of pop thrown in for good measure. So Drum & Bass was not our scene. We felt so out of place, but we threw ourselves into the situation wholeheartedly and had a fantastic night, pulled some crazy dance moves and met some new people.


Saturday the weather was beautiful, the first day it has actually felt like spring. We took a little jaunt in the countryside and stopped at Stow-on-the-Wold, because we were driving through and it was so cute we couldn't not stop there. We stopped for lunch and i had a cream tea, my first of the year! Yum yum!




Then we found a traditional sweet shop. Shops like these are few and far between these days, so it's always a treat to find one.


Our final destination was Paperarts. i've shopped online here a number of times, but never been in real life. There are no scrapbooking shops near me (besides HobbyCraft, which in my opinion doesn't count!) so i was thrilled to go here. It was nice to see all the papers and things in real life instead of shopping online, for a change.

We also went out for dinner and went to the cinema in the evening.

Sunday we drove to Stratford upon Avon. It's lovely, so many old buildings mixed with new, but lots of tourists!




We saw Shakespeare's birthplace, but didn't bother going in.




We came across a Christmas Shop & i bought a tree decoration! i've got a few from around the world, so i'll add it to my collection.




We also came across a museum of Witchcraft & wizardry! Which i was thrilled to find, it was a bit weird inside though!


And there's lot's of canal boats that have been converted into shops, ice cream stalls & even an art gallery!


It was a lovely weekend, we had so much fun. And it was nice to get away and feel inspired to take photo's again.