pretty paper. true stories. {and scrapbooking classes with cupcakes.}

Okay, I say start the week and it’s Tuesday but I needed a day to recover from the party! (Or rather I just had to get through a big stack of work, but it sounds more fun to say recover, I think.)

I am super lucky to have friends who not only understand scrapbooking but love it and today a few of us are surprising Miss Laura who had to miss most the party and all the nice weather while she worked on her final essays for the shiny new qualification she will have in just weeks! She did complete one layout and we loved it so much that we scraplifted it. Check out Leanne’s blog and SJ’s blog to see two more versions. And feel free to join in the LauraLift, of course!

And a drumroll please – it’s time for the party winners! Be sure to check for your name so you can claim your prize!

The cupcake challenge: Christina Crowson made this project to win a prize pack of cupcake scrapbooking supplies.

Scrapbooking with woodgrain: Karen Williams made this scrapbook page to win a prize pack of woodgrain scrapbooking supplies.

Scrapbooking with bunting: Jacqui Vale made this project to win a prize pack of bunting-themed scrapbooking supplies.

Scrapbooking with American Crafts: Jane made this project to win a prize pack of American Crafts supplies.

Scrapbooking with Photoshop Brushes: ScrapDolly made this project to win a prize pack of Rhonna Farrer brush kits.

Scrapbooking with a free printable kit: Soojay made this project to win her choice of a Starbucks gift card or a gift pack of coffee beans.

Scrapbooking with Cosmo Cricket: Daphne made this project to win a prize pack of Cosmo Cricket stash.

Scrapbooking with a little of everything: CoCo made this project to win a shimelle.com class pass.

Scrapbooking with your handwriting: Kirsteen made this project to win a shimelle.com class pass.

Scrapbooking with two 4×6 photos: Roo made this project to win free photo printing.

Your five favourite scrapbook pages: Lisa Andrews posted this entry to win a Two Peas gift certificate.

Scrapbooking with a sketch: Zahra created this project to win a shimelle.com class pass.

Scrapbooking your neighbourhood: Pamela Elliott created this project to win a prize pack of Studio Calico supplies.

Scrapbooking an adventure: Anso created this project to win a shimelle.com class pass.

Scrapbooking with Banana Frog stamps: Jennifer made this project to win a set of Banana Frog stamps.

Scrapbooking your happiness: Rachel made this project to win a shimelle.com class pass.

Scrapbooking with Little Musings: EllenC made this project to win a prize pack from shimelle.com and Little Musings.

Five pages you feel you should create: Kirsty.A wins a shimelle.com class pass for herself and a friend.

Thank you to all who entered and played along! To claim your prize, please email me at shimelle@gmail.com with PARTY PRIZE in the subject line. If your prize is one that I will need to post to you, please be sure to include a mailing address. Thanks!

xlovesx

Comment [14]

_{Click here for full layout.}

Thank you so much for joining me for this weekend-long celebration of scrapbooking! Shall we do this again some time?

I have just one final challenge for you and again it’s a thinking challenge rather than a making-things challenge.

What five scrapbook pages have you not made but feel you should?

Answer this question either in the comments or on your blog (then leave a link in the comments) any time between now and noon UK time Monday. One randomly selected entry will win a class pass for two people so you can take a class of your choice and invite a friend to join you!

It has been lovely to see all your projects this weekend and I can’t believe how busy some of you have been with the creating! I hope you enjoyed it and found a little something up your street. To support parties like this, it always helps if you take an online class or click here to shop for your scrapbooking supplies as those things make it possible to buy and post prizes and otherwise keep the website online. Thanks for your support, as always!

And one last song to finish, I think!

xlovesx

Comment [76]

~photos by SJ Dowsett.~

How about some seaside inspiration as we head into the evening? Some chilly beaches here and some warmer beaches in Hawaii… all something I knew nothing about growing up right in the middle of the states! So although I am not one for sailing or sunbathing, the seaside is still something special for me!

_{Cornwall, England}

_{Hanauma Bay, Hawaii}

_{Driving to the North Shore on Oahu — but snapped this as it is a spot that has appeared on Lost!}

For you, seaside yes or seaside no?

xlovesx

Comment [18]

SJ of Little Musings is not just a fab scrapper, but she also draws amazing little cartoon family portraits. The day she sent the Little-Shim-Musing above to my inbox I literally shouted ‘eeeep!’ from the cuteness. Now if only I really had the coat that I have in the drawing!

SJ also helps me out a lot behind the scenes these days and there is no way I could have thrown this party without her. Please pop over to her blog and say hello! I owe her the biggest of thank yous for keeping me sane while getting ready to party! And look, she even had the time to make us a special party freebie with tea and cake!

Click here to download a printable file or click here to download a digi-scrapping file.

Your challenge is to create a card, tag or scrapbook page that includes a Little Musing! You can use the party drawing above or you can choose from any of the of the freebies she offers on her blog — she posts a new character every Friday.

To enter, post a link to your Little Musings project in the comments here. Entries close at 6am Monday morning UK time. One randomly selected entry will win a gift pack from shimelle.com and Little Musings, including the new Mad Hatter’s Tea Party drawing and more!

And the perfect party music for SJ? I’m thinking this.

xlovesx

Comment [18]

Please do not make me count how many cameras I own. There’s the good camera, which also answers to ‘proper camera’ and ‘big camera’, but then there are vintage cameras because I have a weakness for any old camera under £2 just to see if I can make it work…and there are toy cameras that aren’t old but sometimes work like they might be. Some with film, some digital and all very much happiness-inducing. So just a few little things to share with you today!

The camera above is the harinezumi, which is… Japanese for hedgehog! How could I not love that? I actually have two versions of this: one that shoots 110 film, just like the cameras that came in cereal boxes circa 1981 and a digital version that takes still shots and digital 8mm movies. It is hilariously unpredictable but teeny so I have taken it to some places where I wouldn’t want to carry the proper camera. As a result I actually have some old-cine-style movies taken while sitting on a ski lift and once I finally find the time to piece them into a little movie they shall be ever so sweet.

Then there’s the Instax Mini which makes me laugh because the demise of Polaroid made these an item that boutiques could sell for the better part of a hundred pounds when a few years ago no one wanted them! Mine sadly does not have Hello Kitty on the front, but as I managed to buy the camera and quite a few packs of film with nothing more than my Boots points, I think I can deal. (Um, translation for those of you outside the UK: I paid with a loyalty card from the pharmacy. Bargain!)

Anyway, think Polaroid but credit card sized and adorable. That’s this camera! In Japan you can buy the film with your choice of any number of animated friends decorating the otherwise plain white frame! But here in the UK I get film (cartoon-free) for this here.

And then there’s the app that turns your iPhone into a film camera – complete with waiting for the flash to power up and waiting in between shots for the picture to develop. I tell you, I wish I had a commission for this app because every time I show it to someone they say ‘is that free? I only do free apps’ and I frown and say no, it’s not free. Five minutes later they’ve downloaded the app and bought all the add on lenses and films. (Though since it is $1.99 I suppose my commission would be about half a penny, now that I think about it!) Seriously: try it and you shall be hooked.

I keep thinking I should try to find a cheap version of my very first camera — a disc camera if you remember those! But I think that is one type of film that is truly obsolete so I shall let it go. Care to share what your first camera was like?

xlovesx

Comment [12]

Another up-for-your-interpretation challenge for you! Finish the sentence: Happiness is… and create your layout from there!

For those of you who like going about things digitally, you can download this page as a free digital page template. It’s a PSD file, so it will work in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and other programs that support PSD layered files.

You do not have to do a digital page for this challenge nor do you have to follow the sketch. As long as your page includes the words ‘Happiness is’ then you’re all set!

Post a link to your project in the comments to enter. Entries close at 6am UK time Monday morning. One entry will be randomly selected to win a shimelle.com class pass good for your choice of class past or future.

And Youtube seems to be on speaking terms with me again so the movie DJ is back!

xlovesx

Comment [39]

Oh goodness, the next thing I was planning to post as an inspiration piece may not make me too popular if you’re currently wishing you were able to travel and instead are stuck either at home or somewhere else. Because giant clouds of ash aside, Iceland is a fabulous place.

We traveled the ring road around the island in the summer of 2006 (including following part of the tour that became this film) and I remember sitting on the plane home thinking I couldn’t wait to go back. We were meant to go back last September but a work obligation meant we had to reschedule for this spring, so we’re currently just waiting to see when it will be possible to get there. Seems that volcano has other ideas.

That trip was the first time I had ever seen a volcano up close and now I am quite obsessed with them. One of the fabulous things about touring outside Reykjavik is provided you aren’t harming the landscape, you are allowed to walk wherever you like. So you can walk right up to the strongest waterfall in all of Europe (I still have the odd nightmare about how we close we were!) and you can walk right up to steam vents and see inside the volcano. No guardrails, no signs to announce tourist attractions — just things as they are.

Jónsi – Go Do from Jónsi on Vimeo.

Plus, I have rather a major obsession with Icelandic music, so I should share at least one song, right?

As we’ve already talked about places we find inspiring, care to share what music you find inspiring in the comments? Or you can discuss the big cloud over Europe if we must but as I live under a flight path I actually think a tiny break has been most amazing! I know that is sadly no solace if you or someone you know is trying to fly right now though. Sorry!

xlovesx

Comment [20]

I remember a time when I said I would never buy stamps. Just too much to get into… And man, was I wrong! Now stamps are one of my favourite supplies and I get so excited for something new or a new way to use an older design.

Your challenge is to create a scrapbook page or card with stamps. Take a picture and upload it to your blog or page gallery. Leave a link in the comments here to enter.

One randomly chosen entry will win a set of Banana Frog stamps.

Entries close at 6am UK time Monday morning.

xlovesx

Comment [28]