Handmade with Love

So Proud of You

Since my old computer conked out I have been busy trying to transfer all of my papers and photos onto the new one although I'm sure I have done something wrong as somewhere on the computer it says I have 36,000 photos!

I decided to scrapbook my eldest son's last day at junior school. It was nearly three years ago now but I remember it like yesterday....

We fitted so much into the day that I created a huge pocket along the bottom of the page to keep all of the details. It started with a picnic in the school grounds, followed by an afternoon at the local adventure park. Finally we all met up in the evening at our local chinese restuarant.

I love using Picasa for my photo editing, its free and so easy to use. I created a collage of photos of the day to put in the pocket and placed it with the programme for his last Speach Day and Prize Giving.

His certificate for acheivement in Mathematics and a photo of him when he received it.

I then made a little book to keep some very special memories and decorated it with cut outs from the same paper stack. He received such a lovely letter from one of his teachers that I wanted to display it and use it in the best way possible so I made use of all of the folds in the paper.

A good luck note from his music teacher...

A note from me telling how proud and excited I was for him. I can still remember those feelings now, proud that he had done well at junior school, excited that he was entering the next stage at senior school and worried that he would be ok, settle in and make friends etc.

My note was written into the fold of the teachers note so once unfolded, it shows her letter to him.

The papers are from Ellen School Days by Me and My Big Ideas, yes I know it is bright, busy and loud but that did kind of sum up his last day! The small photo in the bottom corner shows him with his leavers shirt, all signed by his friends and teachers and his special leavers tie. So cute!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful week, the weather is great in the my neck of the woods and my youngest is already finished school for Easter so more scrapbooking photo opportunities are on there way!

Tracey x

A Quiet Evening

I had a quiet evening last Friday as my eldest had a friend round for a sleepover and hubby and the youngest slept in the garden in the tree house. I therefore had some time to scrapbook again! I am trying to be quicker at making a page as I spend much to much time sitting there looking at it and not doing anything!

I grabbed some red, blue and black cardstock and layered a couple of photos and added a bit of journalling. I still hate seeing my handwriting on a page and would have prefered to print this out but its not so personal for when my little one reads it in many years to come.

I added some decorative paperclips purchased from Paperchase and Staples and did some stitching marks around the photos.

I added a piece of ribbon and some rub ons to add a little more interest and a card showing the number 2 for the amount of dummies my son had in his mouth!

I was worried when he was little that he would not give up his dummy when the time came as he seemed keen to have two at a time. Thankfully he did not complain at all!

Have a good week!

Tracey x

All things Nice.

My computer died on me during last week so I spent my spare time scrapbooking! I am really getting the bug now and can't wait until we go to Scrapagogo!

Ages ago I bought some lovely paper called Green Stack from DCWV, I then found some chipboard shapes in the same range.

I am getting so much use out of these papers, they are perfect for all of the outdoorsy photos of my boys.

All of the chipboard embelishments including letters are from the same range..

I added some ribbon, the obligatory bling and embossed some Kraft card with a butterfly embossing folder to keep the nature theme going.

This reminds me of the ryhme that little boys are made of frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, but I also think they are made of all things nice, I wouldn't change my little fella!

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing!

Tracey x

You Make me Laugh!

Another layout of my youngest who is always happy to pose for me unlike my teenager!

After a difficult entrance into this world involving being in the special care baby unit for a week after his birth, with the nurses running out of places to take blood samples, this little guy has always managed to make us smile and laugh with his outgoing nature.

This photo was taken when we had arrived on holiday a few years ago and I had bought the customary sticker and colouring in books to keep him occupied. Only to find out when I came down from unpacking that he had stuck all of the stickers to himself!

Laugh has been stitched onto a piece of plain paper and I will journal

this story on the back.

I added some thread to the buttons, a huge paper clip and let this colourful paper speak for itself!

He still makes me chuckle most days and is now the tallest in Year 3. Obviously that tiny little baby in special care grew up!

Tracey xx

Scrapbooking and a Retreat.

I am going away to the March Scrapagogo Retreat with my friend Linzi and can't wait! We had such fun last time we went and hopefully we will be able to keep up a bit better this time!

I decided to get some of my scrapbook pages out and finally put them in an album, it was lovely to look at the photos again and read the bits of journalling too. I think thats why a scrapbook, to tell more of the story than just the photograph and because I love paper!

Here is a page I did about bug boy, my youngest who loves the outdoors..

I used Kraft paper as the background because it seemed kind of earthy..

The butterflies were cut with my x-cut butterfly punch and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch and layered to add a bit of dimension.

I added some thread for some of the butterfly bodies and some bling for others.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Tracey xx

Love 24 Years On....

Happy Valentines Day to you all!

Hubby and I are away in one of the most romantic cities in the world with lots to celebrate this week.

There is valentines day, my 40th birthday and most importantly 24 years together. Since my 16th birthday we have been a couple. I never thought when I said yes, we could go out all those years ago that I would still be with this guy when I am 40.. but I am glad that I am!

And where are we?