December Daily Prompt Ideas 2014

I suddenly thought that I hadn’t created a prompt list for mine or my Mom’s December Daily album... so I thought back to the photographs I’ve taken in previous years and what I want to capture and came up with this list. You can download it BY CLICKING HERE

My Mom has ‘problems’ with journaling so I thought I would create some journal prompts too.  I find my journaling gets stuck in a rut – so I’m hoping these will help me too.  These are simple prompts that are all mixed with the photography prompts since they can be mixed and used for both journaling and photographs.

We both ordered a Studio Calico kit, and will be mixing that kit with stash we already have and bits cut from the silhouette.

Currently I am working on some of my day cards.  I am waiting for some new Christmassy washi tape so I can’t do too many.

Are you looking forward to December Daily?

Our Magical Adventure

 Our first stop was Animal Kingdom.

 I love these magic shots! Even met TInk later this day.

Dancing with Olaf!

Random Facts

1) We started planning this holiday in January.
2) I think the pink nail polish I am currently wearing is too girly girly for me.
3) I'm 30 in 3 months.
4) I hope the memory card space for 2,500  photographs is enough for our next holiday.
5) I ordered some stuff from where I work (first time in 3 years of being there) and it wasn't marked as a staff order, so was posted to us (should have arrived today) and it hasn't arrived yet.
6) Looking forward to some warm crafting on cold days.
7) I'm trying to contain my excitement about our holiday so that I can enjoy it fully.
8) My favorite color is pink.
9) I'm going to Disney World (for the fifth time - twice to paris, third to orlando)
10) I'm going to WALT DISNEY WORLD.

days out layout

 (And why can't the photos rotate automatically...)

I decided to use a compass mask that I just re-found so create some layers and depth, and used some mist droplets too for this layout.

 Scrunched some washi tape and Tim Holtz ruler ribbon.  And added simple journalling - where we were, with who, and why....

The photographs are from our day out in Manchester after our trip to the Lake District. 

I love using my Instax camera.

August In Review

 Punk duck in the garden.

 Mom getting ready for her tattoo.

 My tattoo.

 Love this boy.

Exploring and adventuring.

Traditonal Layout - Journey 2014

I printed out this photograph of my Mom at the Lake District a couple weeks ago and then forgot what layout I had planned.  So I decided to use this as my entry for the Scrap365 Sketch Challenge.

I used some circle stamps to create the two semi circles in the sketch. Added my photograph at the edge and then glued on some wood travel themed embellishments.  A few strips of washi tape acts as a base for the title.  I might move the '2014' - it looks a little out of place...

Playing Around

 I was playing around with a camera or two during the week.

 I blipped the non-edited (lightened and cropped) shot of this Trellis photograph.

Just a few minutes wondering around in the garden.

Lake District Layouts

 I've finished these layouts from the Lake District.  I still have a mini album to finish and I have some more layouts I want to create.

 The top photograph in "Waterfalls" is the current winner of the crocked  angle.  But I was planning on using this photograph like this - so it didn't matter to my scrapbooker mind.

 I seem to have grown an affection for sheep photographs. Thin washi tape as my journalling lines, some enamal dots and a light doodled border.

 I LOVE this paper! After climbing a 500 foot mountain, we had lunch and took some photographs and got lost coming back down... (Mom just said it was 550 metres...)

The last day and these two beautiful lake shots. Washi tape, awesome patterned paper and transparent letters.

I so love this creative work.  My favourite place is my craft room.

A Week At The Lake

I spent a week at the Lake District with LPH to learn how to take better photographs and to learn new techniques. I loved this week! Calming and relaxing but still creative and fun. We went out for all five days and had to pick 10 photographs to be looked at each night.  We mixed a family holiday (Mom and Step Dad) in with a creative holiday.

 Some times it seems like it would be difficult to pick just 10 photographs! but it was doable. For the last night we had to pick two of our favourites from these ten. I've picked one from each day to show you.

Monday. At Watendlath Lake (I believe). A low angle.  First time I've used my big DSLR camera since Christmas, so it took a while to get used to the settings again.

Tuesday. A 'free' day to go out by ourselves.  We walked around either Cadger How Wood or Brow's Wood - not really sure.  Spotted a field of sheep when we stopped for lunch.

Wednesday. I think this is at Buttermere.  I've always loved these slow shutter shots of moving water and this is the first time I've been able to get a good shot! (Ususally they are over/under-exposed- I never gave myself enough time to figure out how to do this). Thank you John.

Thursday. Another 'free' day.  We went to Whinlatter National Park and decided to hike up 500m for lunch (Seat How Summit Trail).  Took this photograph on the way down. (I did alter it in Photoshop but I think I need to play with PS more to learn how to do this).

Friday. Our last day to take photographs in the Lake District.  Magically this feather just stopped where it was needed so I could get a photograph of it! This was taken at Loughrigg Tarn.  I'm glad John has blipped some of these and that he knows where we went!

I've also started using BlipFoto. I signed up back in January but only started using it last week. Stop by and leave a comment.

new phone

Since May I haven't been able to use Instagram - not a really big problem but... and since I had to charge my phone every day and had to uninstall lots of annoying things that I couldn't stop being updated, so I decided to upgrade to a new phone.

I've switched from a Samsung X-Cover Rugged (which I do like since its' been dropped loads and has lots of dints in the case) to a Samsung Galaxy S4 (it seems like everyone has this phone!!!! lol)

 Pretty much the first thing I did was play around with the camera!

I think I'm going to like this phone. (Already have a 'camera' case).

hello toes layout

I love playing along with the Scrap365 sketches challenges.

This is what the layout looked like last week. Just some little embellishments and misted circles.

And this is the layout now.Printed out two photographs of my toes, one in colour, one in black white, I cut around my feet one the black and white photograph and used foam tape to put in over the colour photograph.

All the little embellishments and arrows are from Simple Stories Summer kit - love playing with them!

I used a new stamp set too.  On the sun burst stamp I inked the inner of the sun in orange and the rest of the stamp in yellow.  Some neon pink and blue circles finish off the background nicely.

To finish I added a acetate banner from Heidi Swapp and some Chic Tags to hide the adhesive.

A date stamp completes that layout so now I can put it away in an album.

Project Life - In Progress

 Mid way through the year, and my first Project Life post for 2014.  I've enjoyed playing around with some new supplies, and using up old supplies too.

For this week I printed out my photographs smaller than I wanted, so I cropped a couple of them smaller and created an arty card for them.  I've already dated all my "week #" cards so I had to go with a yellow theme. 

My pink bathmat matches with the pink patterned paper.  Loved playing with some new alphabet stamps, and adding some more decorations to the Simple Stories papers instead of just slotting them in.

I do my weeks from Monday to Sunday, but do this on the Saturday, so I just have to add some photographs from the Sunday and I can move onto the next week.

Gone Camping Francais Layout

My Mom found this old photograph of me in France one summer. I know it was taken by my brother Danny but I can't remember the year.

I knew that I wanted to play with some gesso this weekend, so I create a slight patterned background.  Keeping all the elements along one strip of 12 x 4 paper meant that I could add some embellishments and the title stickers while the gesso dried.

I've used some new stamps (from Studio Calico) and some older tags (travel and she said). Some new pink washi tape and older yellow washi tape.  A few heart stamps in grey ink tie in with the red heart on the pink tag sticker.

Journalling was added in a grey pen.  I know I was in France (must have been to that camp site every summer for about ten years) and I know I was with my Dad and Kate, and I know Danny took the photograph. But I'm not sure about the year...

&Books

I always meant to post monthly about this project. I'm on track to reading over 50 books this year. My aim is to read 100 books... but I'm not sure I will reach this big number.

This is the third year I'm doing this.  (Past years can be seen HERE).  I like how this makes me aware of which authors I read... A lot of James Patterson (easy to read) and Jeffrey Deaver.

A quick count:
James Patterson - 4
Andrew Cross - 3
Jeffrey Deaver - 3
Matthew Reilly - 2
Diane Chamberlain - 2
Dean Koontz - 2
Lee Child - 1
John Grissam - 1
Stephen W Fry - 1
Alex Connor - 1
Karen Rose - 1
JAck Higgins - 1
Solomon Northup - 1
Micheal Connelly - 1
Hilary Bonner - 1
Seth Harwood - 1

Together Layout

Last month I went to see my Dad, Layne, Danny (brother) and Mary (sister in law).  After picking me up we went to the Model Yaught Pond to feed the birds and then went for a stroll around.  Layne picks which direction we go in.  We went down the slipway and across these stones to some steps up the bit that leads to the lighthouse. 

I rarely use a full sheet of patterned paper but I didn't want to cut this one up... Most of the 'bits' are contained in one block of dark blue paper.  I cut some vellum into pendant shapes and added some enamel dots to them (hides the adhesive too).

Finsihed with some more enamel dots in yellow, blue and green.  A simple journal card and tag are all that's needed to finish this layout.

I have cut off the barcode strip and put this layout in Laynes album.

My Favourite Space

 This is the layout I created for the Merly Impressions Challenge for June.

I tried to take photographs of the tidiest parts of the craft room.  I'm in the process of organizing and tidying up... it might take a year or so...

 Used some foam tape to add some dimension.  Misted and stamped on the cardstock.  Added some strips of washi tape and some enamal dots.

 You can just about see the white "love" rub on.  Stamped some pink neon stars over it.

Put the date in the bracket label.  I think it will be nice to have something to look back on, once this room is tidy! to see the comparison.

Snapshots of Me... in a way.

 It's starting to get HOT! I wore all these shoes this week at work. The newest Skechers Go Walk 2. My first pair of authentic black Converse. The mostly waterproof black/purple Merrells.  I was going to wear the red/grey Tevas but I kept thinking of what happened last time I wore them.

I planning on wearing these blue Skechers Go Walk next week. I took these on the Caribbean cruise last year and they were lovely and cool, so I am hoping I will be comfortable!

I am a little obsessed over shoes. I'm looking for the perfect pair that are 100% comfortable all the time... they have to exist somewhere!

Next tattoo...

I am getting some more butterflies and a pair of crossed keys in a couple months so I'm thinking about what design of butterflies... I saw a photograph of a Glasswing Butterfly which is just so beautiful! My OLW is LIGHT so I think I have to include this one in somewhere.

Working On...

This layout about Layne from last Sunday.

We went to the park and he spent about 30mins on the swings, so I used the Continuos mode on my camera to get some shots of Nana pushing him.

He wanted to go HIGHER and was flying like a plane!

As soon as I'd printed these photographs out I numbered them with little white number stickers so I didn't have to worry about getting them mixed up. Just working out where to place then and the filler cards.

Scrap365 Challenge

This is my layout for the June sketch challenge over at Scrap365.

 We got a big tub of gesso a couple weeks ago so I thought I would try it out with some stencils and mists.  I used two different shades of mint green and blue to get a watercolour effect on the background.

Used some scraps of paper as a base for my Instax photograph and got creative with my title (upside down 7 for an L and upside down 3's for e's).

To finish the layout off I dropped some mist splats around and added some enamal dots and foam dots (full stops from the Thickers) to add a little more dimension.

I have to keep playing with gesso and mists so I can get a smoother edge.