Making a card from a sketch!

Whiff of Joy! Yes I stumbled onto this blog after purchasing some of their stamps! I love the images and just had to have some! As I am a practising scrapbooker and keen on using up my excess leftover papers from my pages, what better way than to make some cards! Our fantastic scrapbook teacher has been encouraging us for a long time to use up our scrap paper in this way - kind of think of a card as a mini scrapbook page!!

Well guess what - a whole new world has evolved! I have seen friends make beautiful cards using various techniques. I have grown to love stamping and "colouring in" and although I'm not a natural I thoroughly enjoy it - so there we have it - that is a good enough reason to "mess around" with paper, pencils and beautiful stamps and embellishments!!

My first set of stamps that I used were the Sugar Nellies - they are so cute and some of them have a Scottish theme - so how could I resist? I also purchased some Magnolias - wonderfully addictive images all a joy to colour. I then stumbled onto Whiff of Joy stamps and fell in love with the delightful images - I especially love Willow - she has such a cute face!

This morning I was looking at the Whiff of Joy Challenge and from their sketch I decided to make a card using my leftover scraps! I am quite pleased with the result and even though this is a bit of a cheek - the picture does not do it justice - I need to brush up on my photography skills. Anyway I did enjoy messing around making the card and have to say that as much as I adore scrapbooking, I'm kinda liking making cards too!

California, Nevada and Arizona!

Three states in a week! What a brilliant week it was - Santa Cruz, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Los Angeles and fabulous San Francisco. It was super duper and it was brill to spend the weekend with Stephanie (thanks to good old Presidents Day). Las Vegas was just something to behold basically. The hotels were just amazing and had to be seen to be believed. Hoover Dam was something that I had been wanting to see for years and it did not let me down - I was transfixed. It was easy to see where the water level had been and how dramatically it has dropped. We took a stroll into Arizona at this point!

Off to Los Angeles (Hollywood) for a couple of days, spending a whole day at Universal Studios. We saw the famous HOLLYWOOD sign though I thought I would be able to stand right next to it rather than view it from a distance. Even though it was quite exciting!

On to Santa Cruz again to see Stephanie and then on to San Francisco. OMG what a brilliant city. We did the little Duck Tours around the streets and in the water and we joined in on the cheesy actions too! The Golden Gate Bridge was fab and indeed so were all the other bridges!! I had a look for Burt Lancaster and Clint Eastwood over in Alcatraz but didn't see them! The Fisherman's Wharf was so nice - as was the Clam Chowder in the bread bowl! We spent the whole day wandering around and made it up to the Cition Tower which gave fantastic views across the bay and bridges. The sunset was just magic!

Oh and the weather was good too! Great time had by all. Any negatives? Well I'm just getting over the jet lag now!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE!!!!

Happy Diamond Anniversary (60 years) WOW!!

DATE: 22nd December 1949

PLACE: Govan, Glasgow

EVENT: My mum and dad's wedding

Happy Anniversary to my special mater and pater. I love you both and it was great to have the family altogether again. xxxxxxxxx

Whoooosh - where has November gone?

Yep, yet another month almost bites the dust! Has been hectic but good! Had a brilliant weekend away - way back to the 80s style!!! It was fab! However being 20 nearly 30 years older now - time takes its toll! Everyone started out on Friday really buzzing and up for the dancing, drinking, extended hours challenge. Yeah no, problem! In walked the Zombies on Saturday morning, chilled all day, had a two hour power nap on Saturday evening before dressing up (80s style, wigs an' all)to face the repeat challenge of Friday.

Well, did we make it? Yes, we did but definitely at a much slower pace with lots of rests in between the dances!!! Ah still it was great!!

Going Back To My Roots!!!

Just back from a couple of days in Scotland! What a wonderful place it is! Cameron and I had a great time with my mum and dad and it was super to spend some time on the beach (South Beach to be specific). We absorbed the never changing Ayrshire coastline and I swear it is the same as it was 50 years ago! I have the photos to prove it!

I appreciate being static can have a detrimental effect on that environment and all who live there but as a regular visitor now as opposed to a permanent resident I think it is fantastic. I love it and Cameron agrees! We reminisced about all the picnics and days out spent on this particular coastline over the past 50 years and spanning three generations!! Brilliant!

Soul mates!

My dad always tells me that you can have lots of friends but to have real soul mates is a privilege. Our friends, Gaye and Paul are just that - true soul mates. They are always there for you, everything they have, they share, they endeavour to make your (in the plural sense) life easier and happier. Paul has been a great shoulder for me to lean on for years now and am appreciative of that! Gaye - what a girl - my buddy - we have shared many a great moment - I truly love you! I consider Gaye, Paul and Ellis my family, so I guess you are stuck with me (us).

You both (should) know the feelings I have for you and am truly proud and fortunate to be part of your lives. I just wanted to write this down! Looking forward to many years together!