Hello Everyone,

I have been participating in the Scrap Backwards challenge on Facebook for some months no, but only just realised that I haven't been sharing what is involved on this blog.

Organised by two lovely scrappers, Kathy Sonnier McElfresh and Adam Westwood (he of Dotty About Flair fame), it's all about using up stash we already have in our craftrooms rather than buying new. Usually, when we make up a kit, we start with the patterned papers, as can be seen on many YouTube videos, and we then choose cardstock, stickers, embellishments, photos, etc., to blend with them. Scrap Backwards is a little different in that we are asked to choose our stickers or embellishments first and use the colours in them to dictate our choice of papers, etc.. 

I joined in with Scrap Backwards because I found that it was easy to use patterned paper but, for me, much more difficult to use up embellishments. In fact, I'd stopped purchasing these because I just couldn't bottom the stash I had. And I'm so glad I did. Over the last few months I've managed to use up quite a few sticker sheets, not to mention many old, but still lovely, embellishments and probably saved myself a fortune in the process. 

So here we are at the beginning of May and time to make up a 'new' kit. This time I've based the cardstock and papers on the colours in the three sticker collections in the above photo - Amy Tangerine, Dear Lizzy and Vicki Boutin, from American Crafts.It's more than the usual sheet but I've had them so long it's time the made it onto my scrap pages.

Together they look very bright and summery so I'll be concentrating as much as possible on scrapping photos from past summers throughout the month. 

This was meant to be a short and sweet post today until I realised that what I'm up to needed some explanation. It wouldn't have done to just show the photos and not give much more information, especially for those of you who don't scrap. Hopefully, you've found it interesting. 

Hope you are having a lovely day.

In a Vase on Monday - Tulips

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you are well and, if in England, enjoying the May bank holiday.

Not just tulips, but there's white honesty, yellow forsythia and the foliage from aquilegia. 

Any flowers I bring into the house now are like a magnet for the kitten. She can't resist examining the vase and nibbles at flowers. And she tries to drink the water which can end in an upturned vase. So, for the time being, my little displays are kept in the kitchen, out of harm's way. 

The eggs in the basket are from a free range source and delivered by our milkman. This very odd looking egg was in this week's delivery.  

To see more lovely floral arrangements pop over to Rambling in the Garden where Cathy hosts In a Vase on Monday every week. 

Have a good week everyone. 

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Cards 9-16/2022 - Clean and Simple

Hello Everyone,

Surprise, surprise! It's been a wee while since the last time. Weeks actually. But today, while Alan is resting, I've found time to make a few cards. Eight cards actually. 

So here they are, in no particular order. 

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

16)

Thank's to Gwen for her theme of 'clean and simple' today. It made it so much easier for me to 'bash' so many out. Many of the toppers are recycled from cards preciously received - only the snowman and the trio of birds are my very own work! 

Recently I treated myself to a light box to help with the photographing of cards. I haven't mastered it completely yet, as can be seen from the quality of the above pics. I think baby steps are what's called for. I will improve with practice. 

That's me for today. I hope you're having a lovely weekend. I hope also that you will pop over to see what my teammates have created this week. You'll find a list of their names and links on my right sidebar - as always they are so much more creative than I will ever be.