Keeping in touch with my youth!

When I was asked to create a birthday card for a 12 year old girl who loves Cher Lloyd I really didn't have a clue where to start! What do I know about 12 year old girls? What do I know about Cher Lloyd?

My first port of call was Cher's website and as it happened that had everything I needed! On the colourful website i found a competition to create an album cover for Cher and to help you was a downloadable "fan pack" of Cher-style images.

And so the idea was born - I wanted to create a record and sleeve an idea that initiated from the "Rock Ressurected" CJ that I'm involved in. One of the participants Flo has asked us to create album covers. We also send CDs of our favourite music round with the CJ and another participant has used CDs that look like vinyl records.

So mash these ideas altogether and I came up with this:

It is the size of a 7inch single - for those of us that remember 7 inch singles!!! The record card slips out of the album sleeve just like a real record. The back of the album cover has the track listing which also doubles as the verse. I've used Cher's current single as inspiration for the verse.

The card has an A side and a B side. I attached the two "records" with some black mirror card.

Let's just hope she likes it :) Personally Im proud of it and thought it looked pretty amazing in the flesh!

Beautiful things...

I've just returned from a trip to Bristol and whilst I was there I decided I wanted to visit Glastonbury - I've always wanted to go and I was too close to pass up the chance. All the shops and streets are so pretty and full of lovely things. I didn't find a craft shop - not that I searched - but I did find a shop where the assistants dress like fairies every day and inside this lovely little shop was a beautiful beautiful book just waiting to be bought by me and used in an altered art/scrapbooking/crafting capacity.

So of course I "had" to buy it:

My plan now is to fill it up! So I will keep you updated as to how that's going - the main problem I have is starting - once I've got going I will be fine but what is the first thing you add to such a beautiful book?

 

Hopefully I will decide soon!

Steven Tyler's dangly bits!!!

I've just completed my entry into a Rock Resurrected CJ "I don't want to miss a thing" about Steven Tyler and Aerosmith. Here's the pics:

The whole double layout pic is followed by a lcoser look at the "dangly bits" on the microphone. The next pic is the front of a mini maze book I made using 8x8 paper. Inside the book are some facts and quotes from Steven Tyler. There's a quote from ST saying the scarves on his microphone would have pockets sewn into them so he could put his quaaludes and tuilins in them so I've sewn a little pocket onto the page and inside it explains what quaaludes and tuilins are. The last two pics are my signing in tour pass. Let's hope the owner likes it

In Pieces

I don't believe in just scrapping happy occasions. I want to leave my scrapbooks to my nephews and I want them to know that life isn't always happy, that it can be heart-wrenchingly sad. But that's ok its all part of the rich experience of life.

Im taking a class called "Pretty Paper Party" by the talented and lovely Shimelle in which she is encouraging us by fantastic prompts to use our pretty papers. So tonight I took the challenge. I used pretty paper, I cut into it and left it in pieces! Which is fitting for my subject.

My husband is often in pieces. He copes with problems many people can't conceive of on a daily basis. Im not sure he was ever given the chance to be whole. But I try to offer him that chance. So I chose to scrap about that.

Here are the papers when they were whole:

 This one is DOUBLE SIDED (see below)

Then I cut them into pieces:

And I came up with this layout:

inspired by Darren Hayes song, "Bloodstained Heart".

All the pieces come together to make a new whole. I think that's what happens when you love someone. You help them pick up the pieces and make themselves a new whole. There's no going back to who you used to be its about finding a way forward with people who won't leave you in pieces.

Pretty Paper Party

For the first icebreaker in Shimelle's class Pretty Paper Party we were asked to upload piccies of our unused pretty paper stash. I have soooo much. Here is my pic

Can there be too much of a good thing?

I teach a ten week scrapbooking for beginners class at the charity I am lucky to work for and as such I always feel the need to keep up my professional development and learn from those who have been doing it a lot longer than I.

So I recently enrolled on a  Create 10 Class called the Collector's Diarywhich involves altering an old journal. Like the author I have many (too many) notebooks that are half filled but I won't throw them out for various reasons and I have one in particular that I bought on holiday in St. Ives and had been feeling bad that I had mis-used it or not used it well enough because its so beautiful - well now I have the chance to alter it and make it beautiful again. I shall keep you posted as to how it turns out...

But one class wasn't enough - I am admittedly obsessed with crafting - thoroughly immersed in the world of altered art and it is all I want to do in my spare time other than spending time with my amazing family. Soooo I joined another class with the ultra talented Shimelle called ""Learn Something New" a class she has been running successfully since (I believe) 2006 and which runs each year.

But... two classes just weren't enough! Her yummy cupcake blog has a whole list of exciting classes so I joined another... this time "Pretty Paper Party" for ideas on how to use all that gorgeous paper we have in our stash that's too nice to use

But... three classes just wasn't enough! So I joined a fourth! Another of Shimelles called "So you think you know me" - is it narcissitic to love to scrap oneself? Well I do. Love to scrap myself that is. I do believe all the personal development work I have done over the last 20 years are a big part of the reason I feel happy now finally in my 30s and learning about yourself is a life long journey. I'd love ot look back on a family member's personal scrapbook and so I hope to leave future generations a personal scrapbook about myself - an ordinary but contented woman. So bearing this in mind this 4th class was of course a necessity!

But... four classes just wasn't enough! Actually Im kidding - its more than enough as Im already doing a years Diploma in Philosophy and a Qualification in Papercraft... that's six

Now my favourite number is SEVEN!

STOP!!!!!

Mini Book Swap

I made ten tags for a mini book swap on UKScrappers some time ago and now I've finally got round to making the covers. I felt a little more relaxed in one way because I get the covers back so I can change them if I don't like them and I don't have to worry about them landing in someone's house that isn't impressed. Here they are anyway - front cover - inside back cover - inside front cover - back cover :