Latest Journal...T stands for AdvenTure Journal!

Hello there.  I', baaaaaaaaaack!  What do you mean you hadn't noticed I was away?  Hubster and I took a little holiday over the large pond to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.   May I just say a huge Thank You to those kind folks who sent us a card to celebrate.  They were very well received and appreciated.  

Those who follow me will know that when I am going on a journey I like to make a journal in order that I can make notes as we go along, and put in photos off my phone, using a Pogo Printer.  Well, this trip was no exception. This time however, not only were we to celebrate a special Anniversary we were also going to meet up and stay with my Blogging Buddy who visited last year.  Gotta love WOYWW and Blogging!

So I thought you might like to see my journal, pre holiday....Before you start reading, I would go and grab a cuppa as this is a photo heavy post.

The spine was pretty devoid of charms as I didn't want to to be clunking around and also, I was hoping to pick some more up whilst we were there.

Here are the inside pages....Doesn't that pen clip well on there?  A design feature (cough) of course!!

This is one I wanted to show Debs. What I am holding is a square of paper, folded in such a way that it has two outside flap pockets and as I have stitched through the centre, I have joined it to add another journalling spot inside.  Tricky to explain this one!

This one on the left was made using a TH trellis die cut, adding embossing paste through it and pulling the trellis away.  It has a really lovely shimmer to it.

This is a giant TH tag turned on it's side, the rest of it forms a pocket.

Lots of tags and pockets!!

This took me quite some time to make but I thoroughly enjoyed making it.  I used a tonne of hints and inspirations from Pinterest, Laura Denison, Ashmita Roy (you tube) as well as ideas of my own.  The papers used are a plethora of papers I have collected including Papermania, Tim Holtz Destinations (been stroking the paper pad for quite some time so time to use it), Stampin Up, K&Co, Cosmo Cricket, as well as others with no name on it.  I also used some printouts and cuts from Silhouette, and the paper clips came from Ikea!

If you enlarge this one you can see where we went during our trip.  The pocket on the left also had the paste treatment but this time with Ferro.  After it had dried I popped another die cut out in there to give the contrast.

There are multitudes of Snippets used and I had a ball making this.   We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and over the next few weeks I will no doubt share some photos through scrapbook layouts and journal.  This journal did weigh a bit but and it was carried in my hand luggage so hey ho!  It measures 5" x 9" x 4".

As it is nearly Tuesday, I am going to share a cuppa with you while you read my post, after all I drunk a fair few during it's construction and link on up to my friend Elizabeth and Bleubeard, who I know likes books!

Thanks for calling by.  Please let me know if it was worth the visit.  I have some blogs to catch up with now so please bear with me.

Hettie

It is time for Rudolph Day!!

Hello there!

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend.  I was off to my Quilting Group today and there was a great buzz as we were preparing for our Exhibition which will take place in June.  If you are in South Wales on 6th or 7th June, please pop in.  I would love to meet you.  And of course you get to see some quilts from talented quilters.....and me!!

Rightio.  Onto today's subject matter.  Rudolph Day!  Yep - the 25th of the month has come round again!!  I swear these months are coming round quicker!  For those who are new to my blog, (where have you been?) on or around 25th of the month I take part in my Buddy's Rudolph Day where we make Christmas cards or similar, which means that when it comes to later on in the year we have got a head start for Christmas cards.  

So here is No. 1.......

No. 2....

No. 3.....

No. 4....

AND......No. 5!!!!

Wahoo!  Now the Rules state 2 cards must be made but I decided to make and show you 5 today.  Ooo I need to alter my tally on the sidebar!

Now if you are thinking you have seen these before, you are having a bit of deja vue, then you are completely right.  These are tags I made for the Funkie Junkie Christmas Tags Challenge in 2012!  I decided it was time they were used, so I mounted them onto cards using strong dsst, with some Christmas papers and some MB Holly die cuts using Snippets.  You know I like a bit of recycling! 

Can you believe that Puggles was sat next to no. 3 until I pressed the button on the camera?  He is sooooo shy!  

Well, I am off to share this with my Buddy Sandra.  I cannot share it with the Snippets Playground as Miss has shut the gates - boo hoo!  It is the weekend and not a school night!  Hurrumph!

Thanks for calling by.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend whatever you are doing.

Hettie

Butterflies, Bows and Buttons - WOYWW3 ATC book

Hello There

You know I mentioned yesterday that I had had a fun day with my Buddy Mandy on Saturday?  Wanna see what I made?  Course you do - silly me!

Ta dah..........!

I dug out some VOS K&Company papers that I liked.  Cut them to 9" square and folded, refolded, flipped, glued, adhered, inked, doodled and turned it into a little book to put my WOYWW 3 ATCs in!!  I had plans to create a picture to include them on but decided actually, a mini book would be better as I am running out of walls!

On the front cover is TH edge die of butterflies.  Some MB butterflies.  Lace. Buttons. Ribbon, Bow and the star is a beautiful flower that was in a box that my friend Mrs A sent to me back last year.  I am hoarding these flowers and only using them on special projects.  A little book of other people's art is special right?

And here are some of the pages and ATCs from inside....

Mary and Karen.

Lisa and Annie.

Belinda and Ann.

I didn't photograph the back cover doh!  It had the (NBUS - yet bought ages ago) TH edge die of scissors and thread to show the stitched ones from Annie and Jo!

On the tags I used the Prima stamp that I used last week for Mandy's Anniversary with Archival and then added more lace and ribbon bows.

As I have the essential ingredients for the Butterfly Challenge, Butterflies, Buttons and Bows, I am joining in nice and early.  There is still over a week left to join in so why don't you?

I have used Snippets so am taking this over to the Snippets Playground.  It may remind a certain someone, you know who you are, that I am still waiting for last year's ATC to finish the WOYWW4 other album I made!  

Thanks for calling by.

Hugs

Hettie

Vietnam Part 7 - Final Post...

Hello There

I haven't been around for a few days since I have had a few visitors - Mr Chestin Fection and Mr Sinus Fection and they brought along their friend Mr Vertigo!  Boy has this been a few rough days.  I am not sure how long I can stay on my puter as I am having trouble focusing (or staying awake) for very long.  It started late Saturday afternoon and I haven't been in my Craft Room since.  Boo Hoo!

I missed my T on Tuesday yesterday too.  The layout I wanted to share is waiting to be photographed having finished it on Friday, but I cannot look down to take the shots, so I thought I would share with you the last few layouts of my Vietnam Album.  It may make us all feel a little warmer for a few moments and we can ignore that thrashing rain and wind that is coming down outside our windows.

Once the ride had finished a little way outside Saigon, we were bussed in to our hotel.  They would not let us cycle in to the main capital due to Mr Elf n Safety!  After I had seen the way they rode in on the outskirts I was quite relieved!

Some of us went to their Blind Institution where some of the blind of Saigon earn money as masseurs.  Let me tell you it was both enjoyable and painful.  After all those miles cycling our legs were pretty muscular and some of us had mild burns on the backs of them, including me.  Then it was Dinner and on to a club where a few got very drunk.  I knew I had to be up early the next morning as I was being taken around Saigon by a friend, Mandy, whom I had arranged to meet up with.  We had 3 hours until we had to be back at the hotel to be taken to the airport.  I did not want a hangover for that time.

The top left picture is of the main market from outside my hotel room.  The card is of the hotel.  The larger picture on the right is of the main Post Office.  It was fabulous.  The Church on the left is their "Notre Dames" and as we were taking photos a newly married couple were having their wedding photos taken and we were asked to be in their photos.  Apparently it is the done thing to have Westerners in your wedding photos, no matter how casual they look!  It had happened earlier on in the trip too.

Top right photo shows you what I mean about the driving in Saigon.  Frenzied and no mercy shown!  Yes we took a ride on rickshaws.  I couldn't believe they could smoke and cycle with us on there.  We also took a ride on mopeds too.  No helmets either!  Scary.

The last page below is a montage of photos.  It seems so long ago now but is still remembered with much fondness.  We did all keep in touch for a little while, but not long after the trip Anne left RNIB and moved, and some got married and moved and it all kinda phizzled out, mores the pity.  I still would do it all again, and the hard work taken to raise £2,601 was well worth it in the end.  As I am nearing another big birthday, I have been asked if I will do something like this again.  Ask me on a day when I am feeling better!

Thanks for popping round.  I will try and get to you all over the next few days but time on laptop is limited to how long I can focus.

Hettie

Vietnam Scrapbook Album - Part 1

Hello There

I hope you are having a good weekend so far.  I am either to be found painting windows or scraping wallpaper - depending on whether the wet stuff is coming out of the sky!  Fingers crossed it is windows as it means I can finish the task.

A blogging friend of mine is going through a bit of an Asian theme with her projects lately and it reminded me of my album I created of my trip to Vietnam, which album started me off into the world of Scrapbooking per se.  So I thought it would be nice to share this album with you (I am quite proud of my trip if truth be told!) as it was made PBD - see Hettiespeak on the sidebar for explanations of acronyms.  So here is part 1......

(Cover - the tassel came from the Temple)

I was coming to a big 0 age (yes 20!) and I had a list of "XX Things to do before I Hit XX" - quite a lot of which I had completed.  Three of the things on my list were;

• Complete a long journey by cycle (I was actually thinking of Lands End to John O'Groats)
• Cycle in another country
• Do something for a worthwhile Charity.  

(Page 1 showing me on a sponsored take Mostyn across the Severn Bridge in the pouring rain, Belly Dancing, Mostyn, Belly Dancing again and on the first morning at 5 am in Hoi An)

Whilst I was pondering as to what exactly I would do for each of these "Things", I received a newsletter from RNIB (I had already undertaken some fundraising for them) with some exciting challenges in which I could take part.  RNIB was very close to my heart as I used to work as an Optical Technician in a previous life.  I talked the options over with the man of my life and I duly sent off the application form for which I was accepted.  OMG what had I let myself in for?

(Little hand made book where I journalled the start of my journey)

After spending six months raising money through various means including Raffles, Belly Dancing, Sponsored take Mostyn across Severn Bridge, Balloon Race, BBQ, Auction I had raised more than the requisite amount and I was off to Vietnam.  What an adventure I was to have.

(I printed maps off the internet and literally cut 'n' paste them.  The brads show overnight stops)

We set off from Heathrow at 10.50 am on 11th November and headed on our way, first stopping off at Quala Lumpa (I always thought this was where Oompa Loompas came from) then a transfer to Saigon, and then a short hop to Hoi An.  27 hours in total and we were all dead beat when we arrived.  A quick shower and change and we were off out for a wander around Hoi An to get our land legs back and our first meal in Vietnam.

(Gorgeous place this.  I am leaving the pages inside the sleeves as they are a pain to get out due to all the embellishments)

The album and matching papers were from QVC and I have no idea what make they were.  The lanterns were K&Co, brads were picked up in What!  A lot of the embellishments were cut on the newly acquired Silhouette and some of the smaller embellishments were made on the Quickutz.  I seemed to have had less stash then but I just love this album.  The "Asian" themed stamps were also bought from QVC and I recently saw them on another channel for an awful lot more than what I paid individually!!  All the business cards are from this area and include the hotel, the coffee shop and where I got my suit tailor made and also my Ao Dai.  I wore this Ao Dai for New Year last year!!

That is all for today folks.  I shall share some more with you next week if you would like to see more.

Hugs

Hettie

Birthday Greetings.....Ladies card

Good Morning Peeps

I am off to visit the Beautiful Bride to give her the garter I have been making (no I have not shown it completed yet as I want the Bride to be the first to see it complete).  Before I hope off down there though I thought I would share a card which I made for one of the girls in the office.....

I love this step fold card, though I am not sure I have done it the right way round, but Jackie is left handed anyway!  I used a Snippet of K&Co card, Martha Stewart and EK Success punches, a Snippet of ribbon and this is the first outing for my Artisitc Outpost Bloom and Grow stamp set using Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink which I embossed with clear embossing..  Some sparklies in the centre of the butterflies and a few staples to hold the ribbon.

I am going to pop this over to Artistic Outpost as it is using the Bloom and Grow set.  I can see this becoming a favourite as it is so detailed.

Off to see the fun and frolics that are occurring in the Playground before I jump in the car.  Why not make something using Snippets and join in the fun?  Lots of fun to be had in the virtual Treehouse when it is wet too!

TTFN and have a great week.

Hugs

Hettie

Favourite Layout...Slimbridge 2009

Hello Friends

I thought I would share another layout from BB (Before Blogging).  This is one of my favourites and I started it when I went to my first Scrapbooking Retreat in Mevagissy with Linda of Just Scrapbooking.  Linda had given us a suggested photo requirement list of 10 - 14 photos in a mixture of sizes from very small to A4, preferably of one theme.  Well in February (14th actually) we went to Slimbridge, somewhere I had not been for some years so decided to use these as my subject.  Here is the left hand page....

Lots of elements spread over two pages.  K&Company patterned paper onto Bazzill cardstock.  Included were velumn, grungeboard, lace, ribbon, fibres, stamping, pearls, cord, machine sewing, die cutting, charms and a host of other bits and pieces and techniques.

Here is the right side....

The little frog is sooo cute and is pewter.  The cotton flowers were made by my Mum.  I started the layout at Mevagissy but could not stay to finish it as it was a long drive home.  When I got home I was able to use elements that I did not have with me including my Silhouette machine.  

I just love all the fun I had in creating this double paged layout and it is still one of my favourite layouts I have ever undertaken.  I hope you like it too.  

Thanks for popping by.  Please sign the Visitors Book and let me know what you think of my layout.

TTFN

Hettie

Soo Excited - Scrapbook Layout

Hello Bloggers

When I was removing photographs from a photo album the other week I came across this photo of my eldest Niece Angharad on her 4th birthday sooo many years ago.  I didn't put it away into the storage boxes, but instead left it out to scrapbook.  Another scraplift from Scrap 365!

I used K&Company, Bazzill, Bo Bunny and Snippets papers.  I also used my new Toy for the first time, my lovely shiny new Cricut!  Love it!

Making Memories little word stamps, Stampin Up, Tim Holtz script stamps as well my Nesties.

And what can I say?  String!  Love string on a layout! Oh and coloured eyelets in pink and brown as well as a pretty brad.

Here I used the Tim Holtz stamp on the Labels die.  I used shadow cutting on my Cricut for the title.  I used some stamps around the edge as well (not used until now!) inked with Vintage Photo DI.  The edge die is a Martha Stewart.  

Thanks for looking and please leave me a comment in the box so I know you have been.  I am away for the next few days at NEC Quilt Exhibition!  Woo Hoo!

Hugs

Hettie