A little crafting after Tesco

After fighting my way around Tesco this morning for the needed monthly shop I felt a needed some me time at the craft table. While I was at Alison's last week I borrowed her lovely new bigshot Dye and cut out a ton of topnote shapes in light chipboard. this is what I made with them.

Twice a year I host a walk on the beach for all my friends that own cocker spaniels (these friends have cockers from me and other breeders). We take tons of photos at each meeting and normally I'll make one or two LO's with them. I thought however this was a waste of all the lovely shots we take, so I made a minibook :) something, If you read this little corner of blogland you will know I love making.

Trying to be good again I didn't use any full sheets of PP just snips and scraps.

I coated each chipboard shape in herma to get a good coverage of sticky, then trimmed, sanded and inked all the edges of paper.

Adding flowers (primas) and alphas to each page some glossed flowers and a few buttons.

I then had a bash at this LO another photo taken at T&D's wedding this is all the girls I used to work with in the SEN dept at the high school.

I hand drew and cut the scalloped circle and then doodled around the edge and the holes that I had punched. the flowers are Primas (again :) I added a little velvet ribbon (that did not want to stick down!!!) a journal block from October afternoon (papers are also OA) for my title

adding a few pins (that have been snipped and tipped with GA to make then safe) a LB and some rub-on's from Doodlebug and MM.

A to Z completed

I finished Jack's Album last week but haven't got around to posting the last few LO's until now, I had almost forgotten about putting them up until Angie reminded me in a comment on yesterdays post (thank you :)

X is for.............. XMAS EXCITEMENT

I used some of my leftover stash from my JYC album and some cut off of Bazzill. not flash. to be honest this was the last LO I did in the book and I just wanted to complete them. I might go back and add a few bits when I do the introduction page for the book.

W is for............. WOOLY JUMPER

this one was not the W I wanted to do, but I thought Jack really won't love me loads when he's 18 if I stick a photo of him naked in the bath in this baby album, so I played it safe and used this cute photo of him :) using snips of 3bugs PP's loads of inking and some Adornit alphas.

V is for............. VROOM VROOM

Tanya (my sis) sent me a whole pile of photos of Jack driving Grandpa's car, sadly most of them are blurred as he was so excited he was jumping about all over the place :) this one I love!!! I used snips of My little shoebox papers and MM alphas., the white cars on the scalloped edge are some rubon's I have had for ages sorry I have no idea what make they are.

K is for ............. KISS

My lovely sister with her first grandchild. the PP's are the same as above and I have used a felt thicker and some MLSB alphas.

D is for......... DADDY'S LITTLE BOY

I used the last of my 3 bugs papers for this LO. I really liked this range the colour mix was lovely and I had loads of CS in the matching green as it's my fav colour at the moment. the stickers I have used are from the same range and are lovely quality also really easy to take up and move until you press down firmly on them, something I like as I often decide to move something after i have placed it on the LO.

So other than a cover page with some journaling for Jack from his Grt-Auntie Pea and Grt-Uncle Trav, I will also make a contents page and add something to the cover of the book. I'm going to have a rest from this album for a while though and scrap other stuff for a bit. I'm pleased that the album is completed in plenty of time and have decided to give it to Jack as a christening present in September instead of a first birthday pressie.

Yesterdays post was lacking something :)

and that I feel was a little craftiness ;)

After all the De-hairing I did yesterday I thought I would spend the evening trying to complete my SLYMI challenge for week 30 . I had found this prompt quite hard: Independence! Even though my DH is American we do not celebrate the 4th July (or any other US holiday) and I don't have any photos of my first or any other car for that matter. I've always been a quite independent person......... but blar... blar..... blar another LO about me!!!! not something I wanted for this week!!!! so instead I returned to the darling Jack, this time however a LO for my album (as the AtoZ is completed). So as you can see below my table does get a little messy at times. I have two LO's drying (GlossyAccents) on my keyboard and a heap of stuff out to use for my Jack LO. Ok Ok!!!!! it's messy for me ;)

SLYMI week 30
Independent Playtime for Jack

I used a scalloped sheet of PP from My little shoe box. PP and journal tags from October Afternoon, primas and some Pm ribbon, the Alphas are Doodlebugs and MM. The pins are made safe by clipping of the very end with some wire cutters and adding a drop of glossy accents.

While I had all my OA papers out (just love them at the mo), and Trav was lost in the world of his computer. I thought I would start a second LO (and complete it as things turned out) of Jack.
JACK YOU'RE 2 CUTE

This one is all October afternoon papers and dye cuts, some Paperchase ribbon a few primas and a little lace. I have used the same alphas as the LO above, and added a little dotty doodling around the edges.

WOYWW?

Well something totally different for today's WOYWW? Dog grooming!
Anyone who knows me, knows that the main love of my life, other than Trav and Crafting is my cocker spaniels. I Own 6 (although Tulula lives with my parents now) of the little dears and they totally rule my life. Most weekends I turn my hand to clipping or shampooing either my cockers or some of my many grandpups (I also breed the little sweethearts)
Today I had to honour of having two of my grandpups over to see me both for a full clip and shampoodle

This is Rolo, he is from Gracie and Diggory's last ever litter.
It was very hard selling him both Trav and I had a real soft spot for this little man, we very nearly kept him, but his new mummy and daddy love him to bits and he is such a good boy.

and this is Archie, he is one of Maggies and Diggory pups.
This was his first haircut and he was a little unsure to start with but all in all he was a very good boy.

How to make a.............

Ok so please be nice :)

This is the first time I have tried this and although it's picture plenty I thought that was the best way to do it. A few blogland and IRL friends have asked me how to make the minibooks that I have been producing so many of lately, so I thought this was the best way.
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To start take a piece of 12x12 cardstock (CS) I tend to use a plain colour and also CS with a smooth finish as textured CS will often split on the score lines when folded.

Score the CS at 3", 6" & 9" on both sides. Making sure your measurements are perfect! This should give you the grid effect shown below.
then take your scissors and make three cuts. careful!!!
This is where it often all goes wrong! follow the miniguide for cutting!after cutting you can fold your CS, each square should fold onto the next. when you reach a corner, fold into the corner and then just carry on folding. once all the CS is folded you will have this. This is the spine of the book.
All the edges are folds (this is the only side of the book that will look like this).
holding the book by the spine, you will have the opening sides. these are a mix of folds and openings. I normally tape all these shut but you can make pockets for tags and other photos to go in. place tape so the CS opens like a book
(I use DST as it's stronger than a glue/tape runner and you need this to hold firm).Once all taped up you will have the middle of your book.
(if you find your edges aren't really straight just take a blade and trim them up slightly)
Put this to one side.You will now need some heavy CS. 2 pieces cut 8x8 cm
and 2 pieces of PP cut 10x10cm
Take a 1/2 mtr length of ribbon and tape down across the middle of your book covers. You will need to space the covers 1cm apart.You are now ready to attach your covers to the book. Make sure you butt the spine of the book right up to the edge of the cover (if you place the book in the centre of the cover it will not open fully). Again using plenty of DST stick down both covers. You should have a bubble of ribbon if done correctly. This extra ribbon is needed and will tighten as you fill your book. _______________________________
You will now need to cut 16 pieces of CS. I use scraps and off cuts for this part, each piece should measure 2 7/8x 2 7/8in". I like to round the corners and ink all the edges to give a nice finish.

Stick these in your book on every pageThen take your PP and cut 8 pieces that measure 6x6cm,
again I corner round and ink all the edges. I print my photos at home for these books, using wallet sized photos you get 9 prints.
(you only need 8 but 9 works as well) photos are trimmed to 6x6cm. corners rounded and inked again. using up those scrapsYou guessed it! all shapes are inked. I normally raise a few shapes, careful not to raise them all as your book won't shut. stick down your Photos and PP, place your punched shapes and some journalingThese minibooks are my version of one I saw made with a sheet of double sided Patterned CS a few years back. By adding a couple of layers to each page it gives the minibook a really chunky feel, almost like one of those early readers books. Sorry if you already knew how to make these, If you didn't give it a go! they are really quick and easy and make lovely little gifts.