Nostalgia upcycled

Yes, the boys are back at School tomorrow and life can get back to normal, well as normal as life gets with 3 boys and a busy household.  (I wouldn't have it any other way) And now that I have a little time to myself I can finally sit back and scrap for a couple hours.  I couldn't resist the new monthly kit now available from the  Secret Squirrel Papercraft shop and here is the result: - Layout designed by Steph Milne I loved the Basic Grey - Out-of-print range so I purchased a couple of extra papers so I could made a double paper layout.  And here is the extra page.    I cut the flowers and leaves from the Glidee paper to create the embellishment at the bottom of the layout.  

Transparencies are fantastic for cards or albums but I am never sure what to do with a transparency in a layout, as it usually just blends into the actual base cardstock or patterned paper.  So I tried this.  I took the photo of the layout with it just on the bench top to start with.     In the following photos I have placed the layout on blue and pink card stock.        The layout will be on a layout stand, without a backing colour, for the next few weeks before I place it in an album,  at which I should have decided what colour background I will go for.  The boys don't like the pink,  go figure!!   

Kiwa is our little water boy and even if there wasn't a pool around and just a cup of water which was actually for him to drink he would pour at over himself.    This one of many of those occasions.  I used the new range from kaiser (paper, and rubons ) and Thickers.   

I have been pretty business this week with work and the boys,  so I have not been online or Scrapbooking for several days.  Felt a little withdrawal setting in, so managed to get a couple of hours of SBing in this afternoon, so feel that things are getting back to normal.  My dining table certainly looks that way.   I started a Family trip journal (using a preloved scrapbook) and completed 4 layouts.  Here is one of the layouts.   This is a photo from a few years ago, which, like many of my photos, has been waiting to be scrapped.  Here it is.  I used a range of Kasier Craft papers.   And with many of my layouts I have incorporated a design that is normally used for cards.  The section at the bottom could be used to place another photo or journaling.  You could also  place two smaller photos on the front of section, on either side of the middle fold.       

After Scrap Camp and being inspired by the Circle Journals completed by a group of ladies from Waipukurau,  A group of us have decided to start our own Circle journals.  Over the next couple of weeks each of us will decided on a theme and then make and prepare our journal for circulation around the group. We will each complete our journal cover and introduction page.  We will then scrapbook the first pages of the journal and then pass it on to the next person on the list. The owner of each journal will not see it again for another 10 months. Each member would have contributed to each persons journal, and the journals will be complete and ready to presented back to the owner at the next scrap camp (Jun 2012)  Here is the start of my journal and in a years time I will blog the completed journal.   Yep, my journal is our Bucket lists.  As the others complete their themes and initial preparation I will let you know.  Check out Fiona's blog ...

Here are a couple more layouts from scrap camp,  both using a kaiser range.       With the following layout I used scrap pieces of paper to decoupage the heart and then I used a butterfly template to mask the base cardstock. 

These photos were taken during Hannah's Christmas holiday with us  a couple of years ago.  Kiwa missed her terribly and 2 years on he still asks if she is coming back for Xmas.  On the first layout I scrolled the text section and removed the middle section to reveal the text underneath.  On second layout I cut out the flowers and replaced them on to the circle mat.  The ribbon is pleated around the circle and the Photo has form tape to hold it above the actual  base paper.     Big kisses Hannah from us all.  

Tira,  (twin two - aged 8yrs)  asked if he could design a layout page for me.  Thinking that it would keep him occupied for an half hour or so I said "go for it".  Unfortunately he also wanted me to actually do the page once he had completed the design.  Here is his layout plan:  Tira looked through my pages and picked the colours and the embellishments he thought would look good.  And here is the results,  I think  my little boys has talent.       We used lead glass paint for the flourishes together with a stencil.  

I will upload more of the scrap camp layouts but I through I would blog my first layout for July.  Did this when I got home.  I was inspired by the photo.  This was taken when we were living in Church Street and we had the big window seat that look out into the street.  Tira would sit in the window with his Drink and plate of cookies and call out the colour of the cars as they drove past.   Red car, Black car, White car,  and so on.  So cute....    I use d cream card/stock for the base and on a 9.5 inch black C/S mat I placed cut 3 inch squares of cream c/s.  These have 1.1/4 inch squares placed around the edge.    I journalled the stitches and also the story of the photo.  Very plain,  but worth the memories.