Doodle Alley!

I haven't doodled much lately, but today reawkened my doodling soul with a session for layout for a class next week. It was great fun. And isn't doodling calming? Love it! Here's the results...

What It's All About To Me

When looking in magazines, I often feel that scrapbooking has lost its way a little and that it seems to be more about the fancy layout than the photos on the layout and story behind them. I also think that many people are very stuck on scrapbooking the present, while there is so much joy to be found in the past, when scrapbooking.

The Family Century Club I have been running this year, has really redressed the balance of this for me, as its really made each of us think more about each decade we have lived and what was going on in our lives and the lives of our family.

The last couple of months, has moved into unknown territory for me. I was born in 1967, so personally don't have any memories of the 1950s or the 1940s (or many of the 1960s) but this has meant, asking family members for information on old photos and, the best thing is, suddenly I'm finding out the real stories behind the photos! I have uncovered almost forgotten memories of personal achivements, tragedy and humour and am using these as the basis for my story telling. It's has been a wonderful journey and I hope to discover more as we go further back in time.

Here is the layout we did for 1940s. I have based the theme of the layout around the war as although it finished half way through the 1940s, its effects went on for most of the decade. I have included stories of my parents lives as children in the war. My father lived in Balham, South London and gives humorous and detailed accounts of the bombings, that could only be seen through a child's eyes. My mother was evacuated at the age of 5 - taken from her mother to the other end of the country - and I include her adjustment to her new life and adventures in a strange new world.

Dancing Round The Handbag!

After making our art dolls in workshop this week, we were lining them up for a photo, when Anne put her handbag down in the middle of them, so they could have a dance! They looked so funny!

The dolls were great fun to do and everyone turned out great but I had to share one particular one made by the talented Gaye Guerin. Here she is:

Flower Power!

With it raining outside today, I decided to bring the garden indoors and create these adorable little bead flowers.

They have been made specifically for a bead jewellery class that I'm teaching next week, but I also think they would look gorgeous on a scrapbooking layout.

Mini Me!

Call it mid-summer mad-ness, but I've just created this mini version of me from a wooden artist model for a class I am teaching next week.

'She' involved sewing, stamping and papercrafting.

I really enjoyed creating "Mini-Ness" and am now planning to make a few friends for her now, so she doesn't get too lonely!

Another Advance Sneak Peek

Here is a second sneeky peak of the Scrap Mad day, I am teaching on 28th June in Caerphilly.



Full details will be sent to all attendees in the next couple of days, so that you can get sorting your photos out!

Sling On Summer!

Arn't the colours in these necklaces gorgeous... I see blue sky, turquoise sea and golden sand!

I've been working frantically on making some jewellery for a summer house party next week and have produced a whole collection of these easy to wear necklaces.

I call them 'Summer Slings' because you just sling them on - no fiddly catches to worry about! They are quite long, so perfect for dressing up a tee or over a scoop neck.

The best thing is that I get to use some of my stunning larger beads for them including some of the Murano Glass beads I brought back from Venice last year.