My poor neglected blog

It's been more than 3 months since my last post and I have so many Scrapbag pics to upload, but in my defence having FINALLY qualified I have been UBER busy with starting my first teaching post.  I knew being an NQT was going to be full on, but WOW!  It's been all I can do to keep Scrapbags running, let alone blog about it.

I have however, managed to make time for our Autumn retreat (Now there's a thing).  We returned to the Bobsleigh for 3 days of what Beth calls Scrapping Heaven. I only had time to prepare 2 classes, but we did have the usual ready steady scrap, goody bag, recipe and sketch challenges to give us a kick-start and the Scrapbags produced an amazing amount of layouts (and a few cards).  You can see them in the slideshow above right,

Here is our retreat kit layout

and here we all are on Saturday outside the Acacia suite.

As always, the weekend went far too fast and here we are getting ready for our next crop (Sat 16th Nov) Our monthly crops have been rolling on, and have been quite busy as everyone returns from their holidays with lots of new photos to scrap.  Having lost all my photos from my laptop during a minor wine incident last month I don't have the last three class kit photos to share, but I can show you next week's layout.

 

 

 

It uses the lush SEI Windsor papers which are foiled and flocked so offer lots of texture and dimension.  I wish I could take credit for the design, but must confess that the lovely Karen very generously allowed me to scraplift her 'Now that's what I call love' page. 

 

  

Karen has a fab blog which she updates daily with inspirational scrapbooking ideas, so please do pop over to visit her at Dolly's Dreamings.

I hope to see you soon, either on Saturday, or maybe our 12 hour crop in December.

Happy Scrapping!!

June
 

 

 

 

School's out.......

...which can mean just one thing - the annual midweek Scrapbags crop.  It's on 9th August 10am to 5pm at Pinehurst Community Centre, so please drop me a line if you'd like to join us.

We'll be making these very simple but effective flowers

 

And putting them on this layout

 

 

 

It's called Liam (as in Neeson), but you'll have to come to the crop to find out why.

 

I'm not entirely sure I really like the LO, but hey-ho - it's definitely different, and all made from just 2 and a little bit sheets of Bazzill, 10 pearls, 2 ink pads and a whole lot of punching. The sewing machine will be making a return to Scrapbags which should be a laugh going on it's previous appearances. 

 

Places are limited so please do drop me a line if you'd like to come & join in.

 

Happy scrapping

x



 

 

 

 

 

Well there's a surprise...

I have two pages to share tonight, the first of which is of Anna last year at her shared care Family's.  She has such fun with her second family that I'm sure she'd rather live with them full-time and come to us once a month.  Apart from ensuring Anna has a fantastic day each month, each Christmas they also give me a CD of photos they've taken of Anna throughout the year.  What more can we ask? 

This was last month's class kit using my new flower die (from inspirecraft.co.uk) The colours haven't come out very well in the photo, but are aqua and brown. The papers are American Crafts.

For our next crop (our mega 12 hour crop - I really don't think we can call it a SUMMER crop given the weather lately).  We'll be using Bo Bunny's Prairie Chic papers and chipboard buttons.  The LO doesn't have pictures yet. but as I'm guessing it will do eventually, and that they'll be of a certain young lady (hence blog post title)  I've gone ahead and put on the title anyhow.

 

 

 

I really love these papers and hopefully if the sun shines at the stables tomorrow I'll get some pics of Anna on Storm to add to it. 

 

As always, please drop me a line if you'd like to come and scrap on the 15th, and please remember that everyone is welcome to stop by for a coffee and chat of they can't come to crop.

 

 

Happy scrapping,

xx

A fond farewell.....

...... to two of our members, for Desiree and our first, and only, Scrapbaby are about to move far far away across the ocean.

In true Scrapbag tradition we made sure you won't forget us too easily even if you would really rather like to.

 

We will miss you as our crops and retreats will not be the same without you, and we hope you pop in to see us and maybe scrap a while whenever you are back on this side of the pond.

Good luck in your new life, bon voyage, and, of course........

Happy scrapping

xx

Spring has finally sprung

at the Bobsleigh with the Scrapbags Spring retreat.

We've had a wondersful weekend filled with scrapping, friendship, laughter, challenges and a not-inconsiderable amount of food.

I set up the cropping room and waitied for eveyone to arrive

Which they did...

And before long.........

And that was just the sketch challenge- WOW!!!!!! 

We also had three classes, the ready steady scrap challenge, the goodie bag LO and card challenges, and the recipe challenge.  What with the raffle, bingo and draw there were lots of prizes too. 

We have never had so many layouts displayed before and I really did appreciate everyone's participation. I think Chris & Mary's idea of a prize draw rather than competition was a winner and we'll be doing this again. Although next time I will bring THREE packs of blue tack and more prizes.  This does mean that I don't have challenge 'winners' to show, but it really is worth looking through the slide show which is HUGE.

Some scrapping action: 

 

 

 

 

Notice that this a bottle of WATER!

 

 

The sun came out on Sunday and so did the Scrapbags

And so did the stripes:

 

 

All that scrapping, having not eaten much (?!?), meant that we were ready for a good meal and boy do the Bobsleigh do a good meal

 

 

 

Never before have I been relieved  not to have been offered a pudding.

 

 

Here's a last peek of the lovely ladies before it was time to pack up and head for home.

 

 

 

 

And that was another retreat over.

 

 

But.....................

 

 

 

 

We will be back......................



 

 

 

xx

Here come the girls....

Yes it's very nearly time for the Scrapbags to pack up their stash and head for the Bobsleigh for our Spring retreat. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We'll have fun, and eating, and chatting, and drinking, and eating and a little more drinking, and we may even manage a little scrapping too!!!

We have a lovely StampinUp range to play with for our 2 way kit.

 

 

 

Mary has made this gorgeous LO, but there will be lots left over for those who want to enter the ready steady scrap challenge.

 

 

I'll put up pics of everybody's entries next week.

 

 

For those attending friday we have the Friday Freeblie challenge which will involve crochet - I can't wait to see what the Scrapbags make of this, but have some ready made flowers ready just in case.

 

 





And we also have two extra classes this time, both quick and easy.

 

 

I loved these Kaiserkraft papers so much I made a second alternative LO too.

 

 

 

 

This second page was great as it used lots of odd photos that probably wouldn't have been scrapped on their own.

 

That's all for now as I have a couple of surprises to prepare for the weekend.

 

I'll be back next week with more pics.

 

Happy Scrapping

xx

 

Always running to catch up

It seems that I start every post with an apology for my tardiness, and this will be no different.

FIrst of all a look at last month's class kit using Echo Park papers

 

 

 

And here's  peek at next week's LO which is a change of plan.  We will now be having the Graphic 45 in April

 



It won't be long before I'm back to share all the details of our Spring retreat - woo hoo!!!!

Until then, as always,

Happy Scrapping.
x

Scrappy New Year

I know - I just love a pun and simply cannot help myself.

Happy new year to all readers and Scrapbags. I'm sure it's going to be a good one - at least 12 good crops and two fantastic retreats to look forward to, and we are kicking it all off next weekend with our first crop of 2013.

We'll be cutting out Graphic 45 Birdsong paper, and using a Lucky 8 punch to make this elegant layout.

 

 

I have limited spaces so please drop me a line if you'd like to book a space.  Failing that you are, as always, free to drop by for a coffee and a chat and to peruse Inspire Craft Shop.  You will be very welcome.

 

Best wishes for 2013

 

x