Happy Bunny Designs

colour challenge

2011-08-21T19:27:00.000+01:00

red and aqua . . . though in the scan my red looks more pink, in real life it is fire engine red . . . i quite like the colour combo, maybe one to try again :)

bingo cards . . .

2011-08-21T19:24:00.000+01:00

bingo card made with photoshop, then printed small to go on a greetings card
TFL!

I heart .....

2011-08-14T17:33:00.000+01:00

Papers: rainbow connection kit by amanda heimann designs. Fonts: pea lauren france and hiruko

TFL!

Bye Bye Summer . . .

2010-09-26T15:25:00.000+01:00

Brrr . . . it's really turned chilly this week. Autumn really has arrived. Time to dig out the jumpers and coats again. I do like autumn, but I thought I'd hang on to summer just a little bit longer and scrap some bright summery photos from earlier in the year:

And some outside fun from a long time ago (actually about 13yrs ago - wow that makes me feel old!)

and yes, every single one of those tiny letters is hand-cut and no, I won't ever be trying that again!!! I must have been mad! But I do love the finished layout ☺

So now that I'm in the mood for scrapping, I'm off to play with my new stash . . . anyone else totally in love with echo park papers? Time for some sunday afternoon scrapping!

TFL ♥

☺Happy Birthday to Me ☺

2010-09-20T07:00:00.002+01:00

♥ Bunny Love ♥

2010-09-19T17:49:00.000+01:00

Who could resist such a cute little face? *kiss*

Back soon with more crafty goodness ☺

More photo challenges

2010-08-15T18:38:00.001+01:00

Some photos taken on a short walk around the block:

Reflection:

Manmade:

Close-up:

Zooming out:

Nature:

Sky:

Now back to some more scrapping ♥

PS just realised this is my 100th blog post *bounce*

Cybercrop Layouts

2010-08-15T16:23:00.000+01:00

So, a weekend of scrappy challenges almost over . . . I'm all scrapped out and I think it's time to upload some layouts . . . still have loads of ideas for more though, just not enough time to make them all this weekend :)

First, a layout with a little pink (well, quite a lot of pink really!)

Next, a layout with hearts (you might have to look hard to find the single tiny little heart on this one . . . but nobody said how big it had to be!!!)

a layout with circles . . . .

and a layout from sunday's sketch . . . except i sneaked in an extra photo in the top left-hand corner . . . hope that's not cheating ;)

Phew, I think that's enough for now.

Happy Sundays everyone!

self-portrait challenge

2010-08-15T14:20:00.000+01:00

I really wish i was good at setting up self-portraits *sigh*. Most of my shots end up with weird angles or bits missing or something just not right. even with a tripod it's not as easy as it sounds. hmmm . . . more practice needed i think.

Anyway, here's the best shot i could get today . . . just don't ask how many others got deleted!

Happy snapping :)

Photo Challenges

2010-08-15T13:42:00.000+01:00

Some random weekend pics thanks to shimelle's online crop this weekend.

Books (on ibooks . . . gotta love the iphone!)

and feet . . . as usual in stripy socks :)

More coming soon :)

Turning new into old . . .

2010-07-25T10:41:00.000+01:00

Not much time for scrapping this week . . . too much work and not enough play :( Still, just one more week then a few days off work, so saving up my layout ideas for then!

I did manage to find a few minutes yesterday to play with photoshop, following shimelle's tutorial for a vintage-style image.

Here's the before:

And here it is after photoshop

Not sure i like it . . . maybe i should have chosen a landscape shot, what do you think?

Happy Sundays!

♥ Bokeh love ♥

2010-07-18T11:45:00.000+01:00

A little bit of fun with combining textures and photos. I used a free texture downloaded from here, and played around with various settings in photoshop to get the effect i wanted. Then erased the texture from the centre of the photo reveal the butterfly. ☺

Now off to do some scrapping . . .

Happy Sundays :)

And even more scrapping!

2010-07-11T11:50:00.000+01:00

Making use of the idea of adding words to the photo before printing. I had planned something completely different for this photo . . . but i love how it turned out, especially since i actually used some of my swiss dotted bazzill stash! :D

TFL!

Saturday Scrapping

2010-07-10T18:38:00.000+01:00

It's a grey day here in Hereford, perfect for catching up on shimelle's new class prompts. Here are 2 layouts using old photos printed in a small size, with just a little embellishment:

(still haven't worked out the best way to scan layouts with lumpy embellishments - any hints let me know!)

Happy Scrapping ♥

At last a scrapbook page!

2010-07-09T22:34:00.000+01:00

A little scrapping to start off the weekend :) I used a quickpage downloaded from pinkpaislee.com . . . just a warm up before i start on the prompts from shimelle's class:

TFL!

She's back!

2010-07-05T19:18:00.000+01:00

Yes, I am back in the blogsphere at last! And where have i been all this time? Well apart from the obvious day job, I've been taking a photography class and getting out on lots of field trips:

exploring the countryside:

playing with extreme macros:

and soaking up the summer sunsets:

And now it's time i scrapped some of these photos. So I've signed up for another class from shimelle.

Want to join me?

Scrappin the weekend away . . .

2010-04-18T09:25:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post with a digi layout made this weekend thanks to the crop party at www.shimelle.com

I used some free digi kits (from 2peas, scrapity scrap and more, and corina nielsen at www.funkyplaygrounddesigns.com), along with some macro shots taken last weekend when I was practicing with the new camera :)

TFL! Off to enjoy the sunshine and scrap some more!

Weekend scrapping

2010-04-04T13:00:00.001+01:00

I love long weekends. It doesn't even matter that it's been pouring down with rain for the last 2 days . . . cos a rainy day gives me the perfect excuse to stay in and scrap :) So, inspired by Shimelle's 'I left my heart in Iceland' layout using layered page protectors, I thought i would give it a try . . . but I made it soooo complicated for myself by making each layer a different size. So it took me all day to make - thanks a lot shimelle! LOL!

But I do love the layout, and here it is:

I promise it looks much better in real life, still haven't mastered the art of photographing layouts! TFL, have a Happy Easter :D

More stashbusting - hooray!

2010-03-29T21:36:00.000+01:00

Another lovely weekend of food shopping, cooking, eating, cleaning and then scrapping :D Inspired by shimelle's latest class, I've been digging into my stash (and some of it I've had for years) and actually producing some layouts:

but I'll let you into a little secret *whispers* - I caved in and bought just one supply for this class . . . can you guess what it was? . . . the totally amazing loopy edge punch from martha stewart . . . love it ♥ Happy stashbusting everyone!

Stashbusting!

2010-03-21T19:29:00.000Z

The poor blog has been a bit neglected recently, something to do with a big exam I had to revise for . . . but have now passed (woohoo!).

And that meant that the scrapbooking was a bit neglected too, but now things are quieter again and I don't have to work weekend shifts so the scrappiness can resume, just in time for Shimelle's new class :D

So, here's my version one of the weekend challenges . . . to use up some stash that has been sitting around for too long: (basic grey offbeat papers and love elsie woodgrain)

Happy Sundays!

Project 365 - January favourites

2010-01-30T14:03:00.000Z

Suddenly it's the end of january and it's been a pretty hectic month . . . lots of snow days, walking to work on the ice, building a snow bunny, selling a flat, revising for a big exam, booking a holiday, taking photos and reaching the end of 6 months in GP land! wow, looks like I've been busy :D

Anyway, I haven't had much chance to get my 365 photos up on the blog, so here are a few of my january favourites:

Looking forward to a happy snappy february, TFL!

No more snow!

2010-01-16T16:48:00.000Z

Wooohooo! The snow has finally melted away . . . or rather been washed away by the torrential rain. It was pretty for the ifirst few days, but i soon got fed up with walking to work on icy pavements and subzero temperatures. So here's a little digi layout just to remind me that it really was pretty:

used a free template from designer digitals, papers from sweet blossom designs and 'benny blanco' font from dafont.com

Happy {snow free} weekends!

2010: the story so far

2010-01-10T21:01:00.000Z

A New Year, a new camera, and lots of new scrapping goodies thanks to mummy claus :D
Time to get out and take some pics, and there have been plenty of photo opportunities with all this snow . . . i love the idea of project 365, and have succeeded so far . . . not promising i can keep it up tho!

So here's the first week's snapshots:

01/01 - Rolo's 5th Birthday

02/01 - the first of many snow days

03/01 - a hungry robin in the garden

04/01 - my hyacinth finally flowered

05/01 - home visits in the snow

06/01 and 07/01 - winter wonderland

I wonder if i can keep it up this week . . . TFL! :D

The Best of 2009

2010-01-01T13:19:00.000Z

January - amazing, I don't have any pics from january . . . .

February - a snowy week off work

March - a very happy bunny

April - no pics here either, in fact I don't remember what I was doing in april!

May - a 3-hours-old donkey at the small breeds farm

June - walking with llamas

July - a trip to winchester

August - pretty flowers in the garden at work

September - birthday banana and chocolate cupcakes

October - multicoloured sunsets

November - practising taking portraits on a photography fieldtrip

December - out for a walk with my new camera

Have a Happy 2010 :D

Journalling My Christmas . . . part 2

2009-12-18T21:37:00.003Z

8th - sights of the season? lots of loveliness on the world wide web

white choc and cherry fudge

cute gift bag

christmas penguins

9th - traditions? watching 'The Snowman' on Christmas afternoon. wouldn't be christmas without it.

10th - wrapping paper? red, white and silver, to match the tree decorations!

11th - the tree? Artificial. Green. 6ft tall. this year, new multicoloured lights :)

12th - Christmas past? used to get 3 weeks holiday . . .

13th - music? too many songs to choose a favourite . .

14th - opening gifts? stocking first, then tree presents

15th - visiting? last year mum and dad visiting me, this year me and rolo going to them

16th - grateful for? central heating and fluffy boots :)

17th - the perfect gift? sshhh, that would be telling!

18th - christmas dinner? not much of a turkey dinner fan, but will happily live on sandwiches made from leftovers, with the obligatory pringles on the side ;)

HSMSHS - Sparkle

2009-12-16T21:15:00.000Z

HSMSHS - Tree

2009-12-14T19:25:00.000Z

finally the tree is up and has lights :) It almost became a light-less tree when last year's lights wouldn't work and all the shops had sold out!!! Then I went to one last shop before giving up and YAY, I have lights!

Journalling My Christmas . . .

2009-12-13T19:31:00.001Z

Last year I signed up to Shimelle's 'Journal Your Christmas' online class, and as usual took lots of photos, but didn't get very many pages scrapped! So this year, I'm not even going to try!!! This year I am just taking photos (or recycling old ones) and doing a sort of question and answer thing for the journalling, which i hope to combine into just one double layout when it's all done.

So here's the first week's prompts:

1st - Your manifesto? To spend December just looking forward to having a proper Christmas break. And take photos as I go along :)

2nd - Christmas weather? I remember waking up to snow one christmas morning, but by lunchtime it was all gone, usually it's just grey and wet.

3rd - Christmas cards? My own design in photoshop, printed by Asda as photo prints. Posted at the last possible moment cos it takes me ages to get round to writing them!

4th - The perfect Christmas? This one . . . not having to work :D

5th - Counting down? Found a cute reindeer advent calendar on sale for 99p, next year I'll get some choccies to go in the pockets

6th - Worst Christmas? Ummmm . . . can't think of one!

7th - To Do List? the tree, writing cards, wrapping presents, finish making antlers

Back soon with week 2, TFL!

Hello December!

2009-12-01T19:43:00.000Z

I really don't know where November went . . . disappeared in a flash! And now it's December and the weather has suddenly turned colder, which means that I can wear my super toastie ugg-style boots :D

And it also means Christmas shopping and looking forward to a whole week off work for Christmas, I'm so excited! If you've ever worked a series of 12hr shifts over the christmas holiday you'll know exactly what I mean.

Here are a few Christmassy freebies I've spotted around the web (click image to link to site)

I have lots of ideas for these freebies . . . now just need the time to play.

Back soon, Happy December :D

Scrapping with spots . . .

2009-11-28T22:34:00.001Z

I love spots and stripes, i think it has something to do with being able to get more colours in one small space :)

Here's a digital Christmas card I made with a kit from Ziggle Scraps:

And I'm in the mood for a freebie today so you can download the template for the bubble tree HERE

And for some more spottiness, check out Shimelle's post on using polka dots on layouts.

Happy Weekend!

Creative Circle Blog Party!

2009-11-21T09:00:00.021Z

Welcome to the photography stop on the creative circle.

How many photos are sitting on your hard drive right now? a few huindred . . . maybe more? and that's after you've deleted the ones you don't really like? Me too. I have lots of photos that i really love and want to keep. Photos that don't fit a theme. Photos that don't really have a story worthy of a whole scrapbook page.

And how may of you have a blank bit of wall that could really do with some cheering up? Or maybe the side of your fridge or cupboard?

Here's a little photo project that might just fill the gap and is really quick to make. You don't need photos on a particular theme. You don't need photos with a special story. And you don't need photos with matching colours. In fact, the more random the selection the better!

The inspiration for this project came from this project by Elsie Flannigan

which was inspired by this project by Tara Whitney

These versions use larger prints and square frames, here I've simplified a bit to make it do-able with a home printer and laminator :D

Here's how:

Select enough photos to create a grid - maybe 3x3 or 3x4, mines 3x2 because the space i want to fill is long and narrow

Open each photo in a photo-editing program and crop into a square. Do this until all your photos are squares of the same size (mine are 8 inches square, you'll see why later!)

Add a new layer to your first photo and use this layer to create a soft-edged black frame around the edge. There are lots of ways to do this - you could use a large soft-edge brush to draw your frame freehand (it's best if it's a little uneven) or you could cheat and download my ready-made png frame

Copy that layer onto your remaining photos until they all have a lovely soft black edge.

Now you're ready to print (i chose 8 inches square so that i could print using a standard printer)

After printing, I laminated my photos with gloss laminating pockets. This is partly to add some thickness and make the photos more rigid, and also so that the photos can be cleaned without damaging the print. If you don't want to do this or you don't have a laminator, just skip this step!

And finally . . . .drumroll please . . . . stick your photos up on the wall in a grid:

Voila! Your own custom wall art that you can change whenever you fancy ♥

If you love this project, please leave a comment with a link so i can see your version . . . . .

Now go to http://www.fionasflotsam.blogspot.com/ for the next little bit of crafty blog-hopping loveliness or go to http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/ to see all the links for the blog party and to enter a great giveaway!

Happy Weekends
Gem :)

Best Shot Monday

2009-11-16T18:53:00.000Z

Came across Best Shot Monday here, and here's my offering for today. It was taken yesterday in the park, the dog (not mine) was super-friendly and was really showing off for the camera. I love how the light is falling and how the leaves make it all autumnal.

Happy Mondays :)

Fontalicious Friday!

2009-11-13T18:54:00.002Z

I am a self-confessed font-a-holic. I cannot resist downloading new fonts. I have so many i often forget I've got a font and end up downloading it again.

So I thought I would share just a few of my favourite journalling fonts - plain enough to be readable without straining your eyes, but a bit more interesting than plain old arial: (just click on the name of the font to go to the download site - they're all freebies)

So . . . .help me find some more to add to the collection . . . what are your favourite journalling fonts?

Back soon :)

just for fun . . .

2009-11-11T18:40:00.001Z

Sunday morning photoshoot &hearts

2009-11-08T12:28:00.003Z

Happy Sundays :)

It must be November 5th . . .

2009-11-06T18:41:00.005Z

TFL :)

A Blog is . . . .

2009-11-02T19:31:00.005Z

Today is DAY 1 of Blogging for Scrapbookers . . . . and today is about setting gaols and making a plan for the next few weeks, so here's mine:

This little mini-layout is just to remind me to blog. it uses my latest favourite supplies - a free kit from ziggle scraps and fonts from free scrapbook fonts - 'Mr + Mrs Popsicle' and 'Smiley Monster' - all free to download :)

Happy Mondays!

Wake up Blogger!

2009-10-25T19:40:00.003Z

Five months since i last posted on blogger. Five whole months! Don't know where the time has gone, but it must be time to bring the old blog back to life. So I took a deep breath and signed up for shimelle's new class : Blogging for Scrapbookers. You never know, maybe I'll actually complete some of the prompts (unlike Journal Your Christmas where I completed only 3!!!) and hopefully I'll learn something along the way. So Blogger, time to wake up and get back to work, here are some cupcakes to help things along a bit :)

A saturday portrait

2009-05-16T12:43:00.005+01:00

A baby donkey called Rosie at Westons Cider Mill, taken a couple of weeks ago when she was just 3 hours old :) She couldn't quite figure out what to do and just stood there while I took photos of her:

Isn't she cute? TFL!

Temperature

2009-03-30T10:52:00.002+01:00

Here's my take on temperature . . . the temperature control knob on my oven :)

Not very inspired, but i couldn't find any other sort of temperature in my space today, no thermometers here! TFL :)

Somebunny's portrait . . .

2009-03-28T09:52:00.005Z

Not really a great photo today, just a quick snap . . . but one which captures something that (hopefully) will never happen again. Rolo somehow managed to injure his paw this week . . . and when it wouldn't stop bleeding, i bandaged it up . . . this was the resulting photo and layout:

Thankfully, the paw is now on the mend and the bunny is an altogether happier bunny :D

Happy Saturday!

Signs of Spring

2009-03-22T09:25:00.002Z

A few more pics from yesterday's walk for today's SOS:

That cherry blossom tree was just asking to be photographed, and the bee just happened to land on the flower i was snapping as i was about to press the shutter button. I was amazed at how well the bee came out and how you can see even the veins on his wings :) But a word of warning - don't mess with a cherry blossom tree . . . the pollen will make your eyes run and your nose drip like crazy!!! Worth it for the photos tho :D TFL!

Spring SPS

2009-03-21T15:07:00.004Z

Got up this morning to a lovely sunny spring day . . . couldn't resist heading out with the camera, here's my self=portrait for today:

And another one of the furbaby:

Can't stop . . . off to soak up a bit more of the sunshine :D TFL!

portraits!

2009-03-14T11:00:00.004Z

Helllo! Back again with some portrait pics for SPS :) I recently bought a gorillapod - one of those bendy little tripods you can put anywhere, and it's making self-portraits soooo much easier:

One of me:

And one of the boy:

Off to play some more . . . TFL!

a scrappy SOS . . .

2009-02-15T11:53:00.003Z

Hmmm . . . I haven't been very good with the HSMSHS prompts recently . . . I've had the time, but lacking inspiration at the mo. I did manage to get the camera out briefly in all the ice and snow last week - couldn't let an opportunity for pretty snow pictures go - but after a few quick snaps, I was ready to get back under my duvet!!! Here are two of my faves:

And the layout I created with it

Better go and create some more while I'm in the mood :) TFL!

2009-01-19T19:29:00.005Z

Wishing everyone a belated happy 2009! I'm loving having weekends off, though still never seem to have enough time for everything. Trying to get more organised so I can spend more time scrapping. Lots of inspiration around right now . . . I love this TV advert, so many ideas for layouts swimming round in my head since seeing this (watch in high quality mode, sooo much better!)

I just love the colour combo . . . the whole idea of yellow sky and white clouds . . . have stocked up on yellow bazzil ready to create :)

I have actually managed to create a bit in the last few weeks too . . . here are my layouts:

This one's been half-finished for about a year (or maybe more!) . . . just could get it right . . . then inspiration struck for an owl-y background and voila! Now it's one of my faves :)

Didn't think I could leave the Heath hospital out of the scrapbook, seeing as I spent years at medschool there . . . and I really do think the giant daffodil is kinda cool :) Plus I got to play with my brand new offbeat papers.

And finally, a self-portrait from last summer, scrapped with some papers that I've had stashed for over a year and scraps of Bazzill . . . ooh, maybe this is my fave!

Better stop rambling . . . back soon :) TFL!

SOS - sunsets

2008-12-21T10:04:00.002Z

Perfect prompt for me today . . . just went out the other night to get something out of the car and noticed a really good sunset . . . ran indoors to grab the camera and got a few shots before my fingers froze! Here are my faves:

Hope you're all enjoying the last weekend before christmas :)

The Christmas tree effect . . .

2008-12-20T17:06:00.004Z

Anyone else been trying to get that 'blobby' christmas tree lights effect . . . as featured in scrapbook inspirations and Journal your Christmas at shimelle.com. ? Here's my version:

It is really difficult to get a point and shoot to do this . . . i eventually got it on macro mode, but whatever I tried, the camera kept wanting to refocus so the lights were in focus again, not sure I could do it again!!!

And some of my faves from flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davesinclair/249893721/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/firepretty/1664882979/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/donpar/2133866635/

There's a tutorial on how to get the heart shape here

And here's my LO - i really don't know why the green looks so bright when I upload the LO, it should be a sort of olive green - any ideas?

still have lots of scrapping to do . . . so many ideas and not enough hours in the day . . . just have to write everything down for another day.

Happy scrapping!

Happy December Sundays

2008-12-07T14:54:00.001Z

I'm loving December this year . . . even if it's dark when I get up in the morning and dark again by 4pm! Why? Cos I've finally finished my 8 months of A+E and have some hope of getting some sort of life back, taking more photos and doing some scrapping. Looking forward to weekends off and most of all, Christmas weekend, with no work for 4 whole days :D We've had some very cold and frosty weather here, with blue skies and sunshine to top it off. No snow yet though.

So here's my show-off sunday photo:

This photo was taken earlier this week, and I made it into a layout, inspired by Journal Your Christmas, where the challenge was to journal/scrap about the weather:

I love the way this turned out, and I got a chance to use some stash that's been sitting in my scrapbox for ages :)

I also made a wreath for my door using some of that funky fluffy wool that's meant for making scarves (my door is inside so it won't get wet!)

Hopefully more crafty projects coming soon!

Happy Sundays :)

Reflect

2008-10-21T13:33:00.000+01:00

A bit of a cheat really . . . taken a couple of months ago at the cardiff food festival, but i really love this pic :) I'll let you guess what the building is . . . and extra points if you know what it is reflected in!!!

Happy SOS!

2008-10-19T10:54:00.000+01:00

Hello again! Back with an SOS, taken a couple of weeks ago on one of those sunny but chilly autumn mornings. I'm sure the neighbours must have wondered what on earth I was doing taking a million photos of the gates outside the block of flats . . . but it was worth it for this:

And here are a couple of catch-ups . . .

yummy blackberries on the lane where i live:

and my stripy rugs from ikea :)

Really looking forward to this week, only working 3 days (woohoo!) and have lots planned, including lots of random photo-taking inspired by THIS and also by Shimelle's Scrap Your Day project. I'm a bit behind on the scrapping . . . but I have all the pictures stored for a rainy day (or three!) Check out those links!

Happy Sundays :)

Pet Portrait Saturday

2008-10-11T10:06:00.001+01:00

Amongst all the craziness of working A+E shifts and moving house, I haven't really picked up the camera very much over the past couple of months . . . but last week Rolo was looking so cute that I just had to snap it, and this photo is one of my favourites:

I was also amazed to realise that in the 9 months since I bought my new camera, I have taken more than 1000 photos! that's a scary thought . . . I blame HSMS!

Happy Saturday! :)

Long time, no blog . . . but now I'm back!

2008-07-28T19:45:00.001+01:00

Just realised how long it has been since my last post . . . more than 2 months . . . oops! Things have been a bit crazy round here between working random shifts in A+E and househunting and moving and shopping for furniture . . . not much time left for scrapping or blogging!

But now I have the keys to my new home and have just 5 shifts left here in Cardiff . . . really looking forward to settling into the new place and working in a smaller hospital . . . and taking lots and lots of photos of course! here are a few catch-ups from HS:MS

Insect

Slice

SPS

SOS

Weathered
Wave

Photos of my new space coming soon . . . .

TFL!
Gem :)

So much cool stuff, so little time . . .

2008-05-10T09:45:00.000+01:00

This week I've done lots of random web browsing . . . you know when you go to a favourite website, then click on a link, then another link . . . and another and another . . . . until you forget where it was you started? Trouble is, now i have even more ideas for projects than i did before and no time for any of them :(

I blame shimelle. She blogged a response to this entry on Ali Edwards' blog . . . so of course i had to read it to see what she was on about, then i got sucked in by the rest of the words + photos series which starts here. Does help to start at the beginning!

Then I found this:

And so much more . . .

Think I might make a giant paper butterfly collage for my wall in the new flat . . . better start collecting some adverts and junk mail :)

Anyway, enough rambling . . . here's my portrait for today. A portrait of me and the smurf, taken by my mum in Jersey last week:

Have a happy saturday . . . more to share tomorrow :)

Gem x

seeing squares . . .

2008-05-07T10:33:00.000+01:00

here is square:

wonder if anyone else snapped the same thing?

TFL!

A great day for blogging . . .

2008-05-06T09:58:00.002+01:00

Last week I was on my hols in Jersey :) - and took 363 photos in just 4 days, poor camera didn't know what hit it!!! my favourites are from the sand sculpture exhibition by the sandwizard - each sculpture is carved from sand and displayed in a dark room with lighting effects . . . amazing stuff but very tricky to photograph! Here are a couple of my favourites:

And finally, the HSMS prompt for today - spiral :

And I have sooo many more photos to sort through from the holiday, and so many i want to scrap, better make a start :)

TFL! Back soon . . .

Gem x

yellow

2008-04-21T07:59:00.000+01:00

i love yellow. i have lots of yellow in my space . . . here's yellow:

off to bed . . TFL!

SPS!

2008-04-19T08:04:00.000+01:00

here's a portrait!

Taken in Roath Park, Cardiff a couple of weeks ago.
I've just finished a night shift - off to bed now! TFL :)

Help! I can't keep up . . .

2008-04-18T10:55:00.002+01:00

Why is it that everything happens all at once? The last few weeks have been totally crazy, starting a new job in A+E (don't even get me started on the silly hours) where I seem to have lived for the past couple of weeks, and getting job results, and looking for a new house all at the same time!!!

All I wanted to do was sleep on my rare days off, but instead was taking to trips to Hereford to look at houses. I was beginning to think we would never find anything close to the hospital, but then we found an amazing 2 bedroom apartment with huge rooms and a lovely kitchen (that's the most important bit!) just 10mins walk away :) and they accepted our offer, so now I can look forward to ikea shopping! I don't have a photo . . . but trust me, it's very nice :)

So there hasn't been much time for scrapping recently, but I have been out taking photos, just a few random things I spotted around Cardiff:

And a few catchups from HSMS:

That's it for now, will try to keep more up-to-date with the prompts over the next couple of weeks, the camera is feeling unloved :)

TFL!
Gem :)

SOS Easter!

2008-03-22T21:12:00.001Z

So here's my SOS for Easter . . . a little e-card I made from photo of a little felt chick that I made (ok, the chick was a bit of a cheat, cos it was a kids kit that even came with pre-drilled holes for the stitches!) It was fun (and very quick) to make though . . .

The longest blog-post in the world ever . . .

2008-03-16T11:35:00.000Z

Well maybe not . . . but I have had a very busy couple of weeks . . . first with my interview in Birmingham (still waiting for the result *twiddles thumbs*) and then with a whole week off work - yay!

So, here are the week's HSMS prompts . . . you would have thought I'd have got them up each day since I was at home sheltering from the pouring rain but I was just being too lazy!

Unfortunately, the weather was just too wet and horrible to go out anywhere and take photos . . . but it did mean that I got some scrapping done. Here's a quick digi LO (loosely based on this month's sketch challenge in Scrapbook Inspirations mag) . . . which I then turned into a bit of a hybrid project with some real kraft paper and brown card and a few added blue brads :) So this is my SOS:

And a couple of others which a may just get round to scanning one day . . .

Oh and I booked a holiday to Jersey . . . bit of an impulse buy since there were only 3 seats left on the plane and the journey out was FREE :D So if you've been there, let me know what I should see!

Happy Sundays
Gem :)

The fluff monster . . .

2008-03-05T12:24:00.000Z

As soon as I saw today's HSMS prompt, this jumped into my head . . .
He's been at home with my parents whilst I've been on nights and I'm already missing him . . .

Anyway, I have an interview tomorrow, so I'd better go and get my stuff ready . . .

Back soon :)

Bunny love is the best . . .

2008-02-24T09:37:00.000Z

Phew . . . the last few months have been crazy . . . and still haven't had a lot of time to go out and play with that new camera sitting on my desk, but here are some cute bunny pics that I love for this week's SOS. (for those of you who have never had a bunny friend, they go into a kind-of hypnotic state if you lie them on their back and stroke their heads, but this was the first time Rolo ever did it . . . sooooo cute!)

As for the rest of the time, I've been busy with nights and oncalls and applying for next years training posts in general practice . . . and I have an interview on March 6th, so you probably won't see much of til after that . . . and hopefully once that's over, I can get some scrapping done again! So wish me luck everyone, I'll be back in a fortnight :)

Happy Sunday!

Gem + Rolo x

Hooray for the Weekend :)

2008-01-27T12:57:00.000Z

I finally finished nights and started to catch up on some sleep, so I couldn't wait to get out and play with my new camera in the park . . . I was definitely not designed to be nocturnal!

So here's my first self-portrait . . . I'm missing the swivel screen on the old camera, now I just have to point the camera towards myself and hope for the best!!! This was about the best I could manage, and I decided to have some fun with the colours in photoshop :)

And here's my SOS - silly bunny playing lemming, jumping off the back of the sofa - LOL :D

Happy Sundays :)

The mystery revealed . . .

2008-01-21T09:56:00.000Z

Ok, just got home from work . . . grabbed the first ring-shaped thing to hand for todays prompt. actually my first thought was a bagel, but then I realised I'd eaten them all LOL :D So I had to make do with double-sided tape instead!

And for those of you trying to guess what yesterdays photo was . . . it's not a muppet or a fraggle rock character, it is in fact a furgle . . . a strange creature given to me as a Christmas present, who keeps CDs in his tummy!!! There's a little story that goes with him . . . if you're intrigued you can read more at the furgles website :)

Happy Snapping!

SOS!

2008-01-20T10:33:00.000Z

Another quickie post today . . . I'll let you guess what it is :D
Happy Sundays!

Digging out some self-portraits . . .

2008-01-19T11:25:00.000Z

Just a quick blog-post today . . . I start a week of nights tonight, so I really should be snoozing :( I haven't had a chance to try self-portraits with my new camera yet, so here's a couple of old ones, taken just before Christmas . . . just before the old camera died a horrible death!!!

Right, I'm off to find some food . . . have a lovely weekend :)

Back in the land of blog!

2008-01-13T13:39:00.000Z

At long last I am back in the land of blog :) I was not abducted by aliens and I have not hibernated for the winter (though right now it's tempting) but I have been camera-less for the last month (seems like a lifetime) and a blog without out photos just isn't right!

So, since my last blog post I have:

1. left roath house surgery *sob* and started a new job in dermatology at the heath hospital (it's a big scary teaching hospital for those of you who don't know cardiff)

2. had a lovely leaving party with the surgery at a portuguese restaurant, with a card signed by everyone and a father christmas pressie:

3. went to the SW crop 12 hour Christmas crop and made this:

4. went home for Christmas, ate lots of goose and roast potatoes and oranges in caramel, and had lots of cool pressies including lots of yummy new scrapping stash :)

5. submitted my application for GP training which will start in August . . . fingers crossed x

6. and finally played with my new camera *yay* which arrived yesterday! It is a panasonic point and shoot that has lots of features to play with, and a super zoom so I can snap the bunny from a distance without him noticing *hee hee*

So here it is . . . my SOS pic is my very first pic of Rolo with my new camera - he thought he was hiding from me but there's no escape from the camera now!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend . . . HAPPY 2008!

Is it really Sunday already?

2007-11-18T13:25:00.000Z

Well, I know the weekend's nearly over . . . but I thought it would post my self-portrait saturday pic anyway (a photo I took accidentally while I was trying to adjust the camera - LOL!) , along with some catchups from the week.

And for SOS, a little pic of Rolo when he was a baby - not a great photo (it was taken on my very first, low resolution digicam a few years ago) but I love how it shows his cute fluffy little baby face - awwww! I actually thought I'd lost these photos forever when my old laptop broke, but I found them again this weekend . . . *bounce*

Happy Sunday everyone!

Where have all the squirrels gone?

2007-11-11T10:07:00.000Z

Ok, so last weekend, I walked through the park to get to Tesco and would have got a perfect shot of a little squirrel who was posing for me right by the path - if only I'd had my camera . . . . so yesterday out I went, camera in hand, ready to snap a squirrel shot . . . not even one was prepared to pose for me!!! I could hear them everywhere, and spotted lots high up in the trees, but not one close enough to snap - aaargh, who'd be a wildlife photographer!!!

So here are a few random shots from my walk in the park:

And here is my very first SPS shot - is it just me or is it really hard to get a half-decent self-portrait? Just wondering - does anyone know why my eyes come out sooo blue in self-portraits (see the first shot), when in real life they are a boring grey-blue colour? The second one is almost the same shot, but I played around with the contrast and saturation, still trying to decide if I like the effect :)

Hope you're all having a fun weekend

Happy Sundays!

Gem :)

Sparks in the Park!

2007-11-04T08:52:00.000Z

Woohoo! I'm actually gonna get my photos up early today . . . but I can't decide on just one for show-off sunday, so here's a selection from the fireworks in the park last night. Hooray for the fireworks setting on my camera!!!

Happy Bonfire Night!

Rainbows and Bunnies and Rainbow Bunnies . . .

2007-10-26T16:09:00.000+01:00

This week has turned out to be quite a productive week . . . I even gave my bloggie a little makeover with a new header inspired by the rainbow theme on HSMS last week, and also by that cool new Sony Bravia ad with the rainbow-coloured play-doh bunnies . . . love rainbows, love bunnies . . . now I got the two together! Just in case you have no idea what I'm rambling on about, check it out below :)

And, still on a rainbow theme (do you get the idea that I love all thing rainbow?), a quick LO scraplifted from a LO in Simple Scrapbooks (Nov/Dec) with my HSMS pics:

And two more random LOs - the first on uses and old, out of focus photo of me as a baby . . . me sleeping with my legs in the air (just in case you can't figure it out!) I scanned the patterned paper and enlarged some of the shapes to make the title, I think it looks pretty cool :)

And the second is a photo from 1997 taken on holiday in Spain . . . the title is made from a postcard I bought there, mounted on thick card and glazed with 3D gloss. You can't really see the inked edges very well on the scan . . . but I like the contrast of the black chalk ink . . . think I'm gonna start inking more often :)

And finally, todays HSMS prompt - to find a fave spot in the bathroom . . . not really my bathroom (my parents') but I did choose the fabric and create these curtains myself :)

Phew . . . I hope this post looks pretty after all that! Enjoy the rainbow bunnies . . .

Gem :)

Completing the Rainbow . . .

2007-10-24T12:11:00.000+01:00

Here goes with Indigo and Pink . . . well, I cheated a bit cos my indigo was more like violet, so I just called it purple :) I just couldn't find anything indigo . . . gonna check out everyone else's blogs later and see what they managed to dig out!

As for favourite spots in my home . . . hmmm . . . well this photo is my favourite spot at home home (ie my parents' house) . . . it's my ikea bookshelves with crafty stuff on . . . better put my thinking cap on for some more . . .

AND, if this afternoon goes to plan, I'll have some layouts to share too - hooray for annual leave :D see you all later!
Gem x

I can snap a rainbow

2007-10-21T12:09:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited to have a whole week off work . . . have loads of ideas for arty crafty scrappy things to do, I really hope I manage to get some of them done . . . along with catching up with some well-earned sleep of course! Somehow, however early I go to bed, I still end up like a zombie!!!

Anyway, I've been catching up on the Her Space:My Space prompts . . . snapping a rainbow is my kind of thing, I love rainbows, and anything rainbow coloured . . . so here goes:

Purple and Pink coming soon . . . .

And for SOS, a rainbow coloured smiley face made from Smarties:

Have a happy rainbow-coloured Sunday!
Gem :)

Love Autumn

2007-10-08T17:00:00.000+01:00

Here's my Autumn effort - a bit of a cheat, cos the pics are from LAST autumn . . . but I still love this layout so I thought I'd share it today :) I love Autumn when the sun's shining like this, shame today's cloudy and grey and I've caught a stinky cold :(

(font- 28 days later from www.dafont.com, grunge edging brush from www.scrapgirls.com)

TFL!
Gem :)

Hooray for Mango Smoothies

2007-10-07T18:31:00.000+01:00

Yay! More than 5000 visitors to my blog . . . time to celebrate with a new freebie. So here's a little mango smoothie for you to enjoy, a little kit containing 3 papers and 3 cute little buttons - perfect for scrapping halloween as well as mango smoothies :) Here are a couple of e-cards I made with it:

You can download the freebie HERE

If you download it, I'd love to see what you make - please leave a link in the comments box.

In fact, I'm having a creative sort of weekend - first I finished this mini-kit, then I made a cherry traybake (yum yum) , then a birthday card (can't show you yet, but I love it!) and I have 2 whole days off work so there may be more to come - YAY!

And here's my SOS pic - I love it cos it makes my room look so neat and colourful . . . wish it still looked like that :)

Happy Sundays

I am defeated :(

2007-09-30T11:44:00.000+01:00

Well, looks like I'm back to a wired connection . . . I have failed miserably to get the wireless to work properly and refuse to waste any more of my free time on it! So I'm back with a few catch-up photos from this week:

this is the box from a new pair of shoes! no cuddly or real dogs in my space I'm afraid . . .

and a not-very inspiring measuring jug . . .

and some second class stamps!

And for show-off Sunday, this little cutie - this photo always makes me want to give him a kiss xxx

Happy Sundays
Gem :)

munchies and mysteries

2007-09-23T13:13:00.000+01:00

Ok, so the title sounds a bit cryptic . . . but the last couple of weeks have been full of munchies and mysteries . . . read on and it might just make sense!

First came the mystery of how to get my wireless broadband to work . . . I have gremlins in the system and just can't shift 'em several emails to customer support and it remains a mystery!

Then the mysterious parcel . . . which wouldn't fit through the letterbox . . . and which was full of scrapping goodies :) here's what was inside . . . along with some bazzill and stuff!

For the first time ever, I can actually use the hundreds of pretty coloured eyelets I've had in my stash for ages . . . look out for layouts covered in eyelets . . . the scraparatus is cool!

Then came munchies in the form of afternoon tea at St Davids Hotel in Cardiff for a friends birthday party:

yummy sandwiches, plus scones and cakes . . . shame none of us drink tea!!!

then more munchies for my birthday: lemon meringue cupcakes (a total experiment) for work on my birthday (very yummy) and dinner in Chillies - lots of curry, rice and naan (also very yummy!) If I have to choose just one photo for show-off sunday, this will be it, cos those cupcakes were soooo yummy - try them and see for yourself!

LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

cream 7oz butter/margarine and 7oz caster sugar until pale and fluffy
add 3 large eggs and 7oz self-raising flour and blend
add a heaped tsp baking powder, and the juice and rind of 1 small lemon
dicide between 24 cupcake cases and flatten the surface

place a small blob of lemon curd on top of each cupcake
whisk 3 egg whites until stiff, then add 6 tbsp caster sugar, whisking all the time until thick and shiny.
spoon the meringue over the top of the cupcakes

Bake at 180 degrees C (350 F) for 10-12 mins, the meringue should be slightly golden and the sponge cooked through.

Cool and enjoy!

See you all soon (when those gremlins have been eradicated!)
Gem :)

***something odd in cyberspace*

2007-09-12T17:40:00.000+01:00

Ok, so something is going on with my computer . . . since I set up a wireless connection I can't log into Blogger (grrr!) or read my yahoo mails (although I can log into yahoo - weird) but every other website works . . . anyone with any clues as to how to fix it . . . let me know!!!

Anyway, I'm on wired internet at the mo to upload my pics, here's 'kiss' and 'print' (my fingerprint)

TFL!
Gem :)

Eat Cake (part 2)!

2007-09-10T18:23:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to clear up the confusion over my Easter Blondie cake posted earlier, here's the recipe, let me know if you make it . . .

Easter Blondies

Melt 125g butter and stir in 220g soft brown sugar
Allow to cool slightly and stir in 2 eggs and 1tbsp vanilla extract
mix together 125g flour, 1tbsp baking powder and 1tsp salt and stir into liquid mix

pour into a deep 9inch square tin and bake at 180 C (350F) for 30-45 mins (it should be set but still squidgy in the middle, it will firm up more as it cools)

Top with chocolate eggs (glued on with melted chocolate) Cut into squares and enjoy!

Eat Cake!

2007-09-10T10:35:00.000+01:00

I love today's HS:MS prompt - CAKE! I can do cake . . . I couldn't decide which cake to post, but I chose this one, cos it is very sweet and sticky and soft and yummy . . . my first attempt at baking blondies - YUM!

Will post the recipe later if I can find it . . . have a good day! Gem :)

I want to be a tree :)

2007-09-09T14:06:00.000+01:00

Ok, so I'm being silly, being a tree wouldn't be much fun . . . getting blown about in the wind and being rained on and standing in one place for years on end . . . but the subject of my 'Show-off Sunday' photo today is a tree. A tree I just happened to park next to in a car park. A tree that just happened to have a heart carved in it. And on a day when I just happened to have my camera handy . . . you gotta love this tree!

I haven't managed any catch-ups this week....those prompts were pretty tricky - had some ideas, but not enough time :( But I have had time for a bit of baking . . . here's what I concocted:

APPLE AND GINGER TRAYBAKE
cream together 5oz caster sugar and 5oz unsalted butter/margarine until pale and creamy
add 2 large eggs and beat until thickened
stir in 5oz self-raising flour, 1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon baking powder
add 2 eating apples (peeled and chopped finely)
pour into an oblong tin (mine is approx 10x6 inches)
bake at 180 C (350 F) for approx 15 mins, remove from tin to cool.
cut into squares and ENJOY!

And if you want to see my finished Shimelle-style mini-book, scroll down to the previous post .

See ya soon!
Gem :)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words....

2007-09-05T16:11:00.000+01:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words....

....which is a good thing, cos I never really know where to start writing journalling. But this 'worth a thousand words' was an online class from Shimelle, the first online class I've ever taken. The idea was to make a mini-book quickly, with 10 photos on some sort of theme (a person, place, or just 10 fave photos) with just a little journalling to help it along.

So here's my version, documenting my favourite things in different categories (eg fave foods, films, shops etc) I wonder how much those things will have changed in 5 or 10 years time? Just a few pages here, you can check out the rest on MY FLICKR ALBUM

I love this book . . . I keep looking at it again and again . . . but there are another 4 book styles from the class to try out, so I'd better get snapping!

Hope you enjoy this little sneak peek into the inner workings of my mind . . .
TFL!
Gem :)

Return to the Blogsphere

2007-09-02T11:52:00.000+01:00

Have just had a crazy couple of weeks . . . .been out of the blogsphere for a while, and way behind on the HS:MS prompts, not even gonna try to get them all done!!! There were some really tricky ones there too - sun? wet? I would even struggle with 'plant' seeing as my flat is a plant-free zone (they need watering, and my poor little brain can't manage to remember that!)

But, it was nice to have a long weekend last weekend. My parents took me on a trip to Hereford on the Monday, checking the place out before I decide to apply for a job there. Here are a few snaps from the day:

The Cathedral: (thought I'd use this for Show-off Sunday)

And some close-ups from the stonework and door:

I was so pleased with these photos . . . I didn't even bother photoshopping them!

And here's a couple of little catch-ups from HS:MS, photos I took, but just never got round to uploading:

Phew that's it! Off to get the last page of my mini-book done now (it was an online class from Shimelle) Promise to upload pics whn it's done!

Have a great Sunday
Gem + Rolo xxx

Why do the best weekends go so fast?

2007-08-19T12:36:00.000+01:00

It's already Sunday lunchtime, only half a day of weekend left . . . .where did it go? Why do they always go so fast?

Yesterday I had a lovely day, even if it did rain ALL day, cos I was at the South Wales crop, cutting and sticking and munching and chatting . . . always nice to find you're not the only one who thinks the world revolves around patterned paper and bazzill in every colour!!!

So here are to two (yes, I managed TWO) layouts I made:

This one has a hinged photo (hinges picked up from Wilkinson's - love that shop!) with hidden journalling underneath which lists my various attempts at musical instruments . . .from my tootaflute as a toddler, to piano, recorder, flute and clarinet - with varying degrees of success!!!

And this one shows me still in hospital (I was born early and spent a while in special care), having a cuddle with my mum, at a few weeks old (after all the tubes and stuff had been removed) This was a super-quick layout (the stitching is drawn-on) but I think it's cute!

And here's today's HSMS prompt 'can' - this I can do!

So, now I have to catch up on some boring stuff, like cleaning out the bunny and washing some clothes . . . oh and making lunch . . .

See ya!
Gem :)

playing catchup again!

2007-08-16T18:54:00.000+01:00

Today I got home a little earlier than ususal . . . Rolo (bunny) was pleased to see me, especially when he saw the green tree (broccoli) in my hand, but now he's hiding under the sofa. So I've had a bit of time to catch up on the HSMS prompts:

Here's 'drive' (my cute little VW Lupo)

And here's window (had trouble with this one, not many interesting windows here!)

And here's today's prompt, 'chop' , the carrot I chopped for the bunny!

I think I'm just about caught up now, can't believe how many photos I seem to have accumulated on the laptop already . . . and I only started this a couple of weeks ago!!!

Anybody going to the South Wales Crop on Saturday, I'll see you there!

TFL
Gem :)

xxx Gotta love pasta xxx

2007-08-14T16:59:00.000+01:00

Easy peasy! Today's photo prompt is 'pasta' - I have lots of that, I love pasta . . . I think this is the prettiest one I own . . . those little stars are so cute and soooo tiny! I wonder if mine's the smallest pasta that anyone has snapped today???

Hmmm, that gets me thinking about dinner - tuna pasta maybe?!

TFL!
Gem :)

All Pretty Colours!

2007-08-12T15:43:00.000+01:00

Phew! Can't believe it's Sunday already . . . don't know where this week went . . . but it has been a very sunny week for a change! So, after a trip to IKEA yesterday (love that shop!) and setting up my new printer (yay! I can finally print borderless pics!!!), today was a chance to go out and take some photos . . .

so here's todays her space photo: threads (lot's of pretty colours!)

and here's a city pic from a prompt earlier in the week:

And another random photo taken in Cardiff this morning:

On top of all that, I managed to get some shopping done too . . . got some really cool multicoloured alphabet stickers for a bargain price in the Early Learning Centre, and some little folders to make my album for shimelle's class . . . and some fluffy socks (even if it is summer!)

Suppose I'd better go and put all my goodies away . . .

TFL!
Gem :)

* playing catchup *

2007-08-08T20:13:00.000+01:00

Oh dear, I'm already lagging behind on the photoprompts . . . here's my 'eyes' photo from yesterday, will have to catch up with 'city' at the weekend!!! This was a self portrait (taken a little while ago) - I changed all except the eyes to b+w, but didn't adjust the eye color at all, which is weird, cos my eyes don't look that blue in real life!!! But I thought it was cool!

Have been following the prompts for 'A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words' class by Shimelle
The mini-books she makes look really cool, I think I will start on one of them this weekend . . . maybe some of the her space:my space pics will make it into this project.

Right, off to have another look through those class instructions . . .

Bloom

2007-08-06T20:21:00.000+01:00

Todays prompt is 'bloom' . . . I don't have any real flowers, but here's my very own flower that doesn't need watering - yay!

TFL!
Gem :)

Moving house

2007-08-04T14:22:00.000+01:00

Well, Rolo and I have been back in Cardiff for almost a week . . .Rolo's still a bit confused and keeps lolloping round the flat and sniffing everything . . . and trying to eat the houseplant (cheeky boy!) Here he is exploring his new home:

So today I'm sorting out my stuff and generally tidying up a bit . . . and taking photos . . .

Todays her space : my space prompt is 'smile' . . . here's mine:

Time to go . . .see ya all soon . . .
Gem :)

Summer Scrappin Madness

2007-08-01T19:49:00.000+01:00

I don't know where the last few days have gone . . . had a great time at the Swansea Retreat, but I think I was a little overoptimistic planning for 10 layouts - completed 6 (including 2 challenges)!!!

But I also got some cool beach photos at Caswell Bay, which happily double for todays photoprompt on her space:my space - do you think this is a suitably summery shot?

I was so surprised to see those reflections when I uploaded this . . . they didn't show up on my camera screen!!!

Then I had one day to recover from scrapping til three in the morning and to pack for moving to Cardiff . . . I made it, but not quite sure if packed my brain - LOL!

Will upload some layout pics soon, as soon as I have my scanner set up . . .
Hugs
Gem :)

Rainbows and Freebies - Hooray!

2007-06-26T19:44:00.000+01:00

On Sunday, we had some horrible weather . . .but we did get an amazing double rainbow right outside our house and it stayed for ages, so I could take lots of photos of it . . .this is my favourite:

And this reminded me of a paper layout I made a while ago with rainbow colours:

I've made this into 2 little freebies for you - one is a quick page, just like this but with no picture, so you just have to slot in your own picture . . .and the other is a template so you can create your own.

Get the QUICKPAGE HERE and the TEMPLATE HERE

I'd love to see what you make with it . . .post a link in comments!

Bye :)

Whirlwind Weekend!

2007-06-24T17:37:00.000+01:00

This weekend is a looooong weekend, cos I have Monday and Tuesday off - yay! And it's gonna be a busy 4 days . . . . .

First, my MOO cards arrived, causing great excitement. Here are a few of my card designs:

Then, Scrapbook Inspirations magazine plopped through my letterbox . . .hooray for scrapping mags . . .and hooray for the yummy junkitz papers that came free with it!!!

Then I set to work on these cute little bunnies to sell on Etsy - they're so cute it's gonna be hard to part with them . . .but if you want one GET IT HERE!

Phew! So tomorrow, it'll be time to bake a cake, clean out the bunny, and make a start on a LO - oh and upload another FREEBIE . . .

See you all soon x

Who's your little star?

2007-06-18T20:30:00.000+01:00

Rolo's MY little star:

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago, and they were soooo cute, I wanted to put them on my MOO cards, so I turned them into this little filmstrip - Rolo was such a little show-off when I was taking these pics, he was trying to nuzzle the camera . . . . .haven't managed to get one of him washing his face yet though cos he's always to busy trying to see what I'm up to!!!

And, I love it sooo much that I'm giving this little photostrip away as a freebie for you to use on your layouts (or your own MOO cards of course!)

So, grab the freebie HERE and show me YOUR LITTLE STAR . . . .

Bye for now!

Playing catchup!

2007-06-12T20:06:00.000+01:00

Ok, so I didn't manage to do everything I planned for the weekend - why is it that they're never quite long enough? I didn't get round to that 'page in a frame' project and I didn't finish all my MOO cards . . . .but I did finish a little freebie to share . . .and multicoloured as promised. . . .you never know, I might even manage to get a quick LO done sometime this week . . . so here it is . . . enjoy!!!

Get the freebie HERE

MOO day

2007-06-10T20:32:00.001+01:00

This weekend has been HOT - temp hit 27 centigrade today, which doesn't often happen here . . . yesterday was a day out to the coast with yummy lunch and just a little bit of shopping. The shopping was for frames to make a scrapbook page in a frame, inspired by this which you can read more about on Shimelle's blog.

But, I've been busy sorting through paper stash and designing my MOO cards - hence the name of todays post! These are cute little cards with your website/email/blog address on the back . . .just have to order some . . .see examples of other people's MOOs here.

So now, I'm gonna finish off a cute little freebie that will be available soon . . .it's a surprise, but it will be bright and multicoloured . . . .

Gem + Rolo xxx

A Freebie for a Happy Day

2007-06-05T19:04:00.000+01:00

Today is a happy day. It's happy because the sun's shining and summer seems to be back - hooray! And it's happy cos I found some cool info about bunnies on Flickr (you can see my album here).

So, I have a happy little freebie for you today - a little set of metal washers with happy words on them . . .I hope you enjoy them, and I hope the sun's shining where you are too . . .

Get the freebie HERE
(drop shadows not included)

I love my housebunny

2007-06-03T12:13:00.000+01:00

Today was cleaning time at the zoo. But not just any old cleaning time, today was proper spring cleaning time at the zoo . . . .

So time to have amajor clear out of the boxes full of stuff that I seem to have accumulated for the bunny . . .I'd forgotten I even had some of the stuff . . .even found a bunny harness that only got used a couple of times - my little bun is 100% housebunny, the big wide world is a scary place!!!!

Anyway, Rolo is nosy and likes to be helpful, so he thought it was great fun throwing boxes around and trying to steal treats whilst I was sorting out his treat box and generally getting in the way! Took me ages to finish, but I love it when he 'helps'

Here's a little blinkie I made, just cos I love my bunny (it will animate if you click on it)

If you want the blinkie for yourself, please save it and upload it to your own website/online album. DO NOT link directly from my website.

If you do use this blinkie, please leave a comment.

Have a nice weekend
Gem + Rolo ***

A good day for cupcakes

2007-06-02T13:09:00.000+01:00

So, it's another grey day in West Wales - a perfect day for baking cupcakes . . .

Here are my banana cupcakes with dark chocolate frosting, created as a way to use up some overripe bananas . . . yummy!

Here's the recipe:

Cream together 5 oz butter/margarine with 5 oz caster sugar
Stir in 2 small mashed bananas (or 1 large) - overipe ones are best
Add 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a heaped tablespoon of baking powder
Stir in 5 oz of self-raising flour
Whisk the egg whites and fold into the mixture
Spoon into a cupcake tin and bake for 15-20 mins at 180 degrees centigrade
Leave to cool before frosting

For the frosting:
Melt 80g plain chocolate
Allow to cool a little then add icing sugar (approx 3 tbsp) to make a thick paste
Spread onto cupcakes and allow to cool

Enjoy!!!!