It's been a while... and some big news!

Hello there!

I have received many emails and messages asking if I am ok as my posts have dried up since July. Thank you all for your concern and I hasten to reassure you that everything is fine. Sometimes real life just gets in the way and other things claim priority on my time.

I am still a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and still loving crafty goodness but have had to scale things back slightly as lots of exciting changes are taking place in my life, with 2015 set to be a rollercoaster of a year!

The biggest news that I can share with you is that my husband and I are expecting our first child!! Would you like to see a picture? Here he / she is:

It's blurry but you can make out the head quite clearly! Baby is due sometime in June and obviously the whole family is very excited! Unfortunately it hasn't been entirely smooth running and I have suffered a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum - the same as the Duchess of Cambridge (I always knew I was a princess, now I have proof!), follow the link if you would like more information about this condition. It's not a fun condition and I will do my best to try to help raise awareness in future. If you have suffered with HG and want a sympathetic ear please get in touch.

In other news my house is currently being knocked down (well, half of it anyway!) to make space for a new extension - we are going to need the space for the little one - so DH and I are in very small temporary digs until we can move back in to the house in a few months time. Moving house the weekend before Christmas is not something I would generally recommend, especially whilst pregnant!

I am so looking forward to having more space to craft in and raise a family, but ALL my craft materials are currently in boxes so I definitely have crafting withdrawal!

That's it from me today, but please do keep in touch, leave me a message and I wish you a very happy 2015.

Happy Crafting, Becky



Project Life Mini Album - Everyday Adventure!

Good Morning!I am still buzzing from the release of the You Tube film released last week (see it HERE) and have had and overwhelmingly positive and supportive response. 

As promised I have written a post including a little more detail on the mini album featured in the video, and have included all the measurements to make the cover again for convenience!

Here is the mini album, opened up slightly so you can see an overview of how the album looks. To create the cover you need to cut a piece of card (colour coordinated of course!) to measure:

7" x 4 ¼" (for you metric fans that's: 17 ¾ x 10 ¾ cm)

You then need to score 3 ¼" (8 ¼ cm) from each end to create a spine down the middle.

I rounded the corners, and then folded the card along the scores into a cover shape. 

I used a 18" (about 45cm) length of ribbon and adhered it to the front and back cover to create a tie fastening. I then trimmed two pieces of Pear Pizzazz card to the same size as one of the speciality cards in the Project Life pack (the Crushed Curry die-cut one), and glued these to the front and back covers to conceal the adhered ribbon. Finally I mounted the speciality card over the top and added the photo cover with a title.

Once you have created the concertina panels using the 3" x 4" cards (shown in the video, but very simply - stuck together with washi tape!) score the end panel ⅜" (1cm) in from the edge, and adhere to the inside of your front cover (See below where I have joined the 'Hello Weekend' card to the left hand side). And away you go with the decorating and embellishing! I have used stamping, and added a few rhinestones to add a bit of glam!

Here is the second half of the concertina  - I couldn't get it to all appear in the same photo as it was too long. You may notice that the two end panels don't have a strip of washi tape down the middle. For these panels I have use a single card of the 6" x 4" scored down the middle.

I created the pull tab by trimming down one of the stickers in the accessory pack, then folding it in half.

A final little detail that makes a nice touch is adding a label to the spine of the album so you can see at a glance when it's on a shelf. The Word Window punch fits perfectly! Don't forget to decorate the other side of the panels as well.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing this make in a little more detail, and I have listed all the supplies used in the table below. The rotary stamps in particular are the perfect size for the project life cards but can be easily overlooked.

Happy Crafting,

Becky

Stampin᾿ Up! Supplies

Table built by craftingbecky.com

Everyday Adventure Project Life Card Collection	Everyday Adventure Project Life Accessory Pack	Project Life Point & Click Photopolymer Stamp Set	Project Life Remember This Photopolymer Stamp Set
Make Note This And That Rotary Stamp (English)	Word Window Punch	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Bermuda Bay
Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Pear Pizzazz	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad
2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Project Life Journaling Pens	Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents

So sad you're leaving...

As some of you may know, I have a part-time job with a rather quirky national clothing retailer. I really enjoy my time there and there is a lovely team of people who I get to work alongside.One of my colleagues has decided it is time for her to move on as she wants a career working with children, and so I volunteered to create a leaving card for everyone to sign.

My colleague is not a pink and fluffy sort of girl, so I wanted something a bit more fun and light-hearted for her to keep, with positive messages from us all written inside. I knew the perfect stamp set - a hostess set called Life's Adventure, but I was stumped for a layout - come to the rescue Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge!

So I flipped their sketch on it's side and here is the result:

I have paired the stamp with the totally gorgeous Moonlight Designer Series Paper, and based all my colours on those included in the paper designs (Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Whisper White, Sahara Sand and Basic Gray). I love how the triangles in the designer paper echo the shape of the cute little flag on the back of the Bicycle!

I like to base my creations on the BLT formula (No, not Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato - but Background, Layers and Texture!). Initially I had plain white card as the base colour, but it really needed something a little extra, so I used the lovely new Masks from Stampin' Up - applied Versamark ink through the mask and heat embossed using the Iridescent Ice powder. Take a look at that glitter:

Sometimes it's the little details that make a card, here I have used some retired ribbon to create the bow - I would have used the lush new Stitched Satin Ribbon but it didn't arrive in time :(

I have used the oh-so-cute banner punch to create some tiny little flags:

Lastly another close up of that gorgeous bike and positive sentiment - looking forward to an exciting new future. I think this sentiment would be perfect for men, graduations, passing a driving test, or even a wedding card for cycling enthusiasts! A touch of colour using blender pens and water brushes works perfectly with the sketched-style image (Stamped in StazOn to prevent the colour running when I added water).

I hope you have enjoyed this card and blog post - please let me know you have stopped by and leave me a comment!

Happy Crafting,

Becky

Stampin᾿ Up! Supplies

Table built by craftingbecky.com

Life's Adventure Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad	Blackberry Bliss A4 Cardstock
Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad	Hello Honey A4 Cardstock	Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad	Lost Lagoon A4 Cardstock
Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks	Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder	Banner Punch	Versamark Pad
Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Jet Black Stazon Pad	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock
Blender Pens	Aqua Painter	Fuse Fast Adhesive	Stampin' Dimensionals