January - much rain and wetness!

Yes, its been wet, wet, wet!  But at last I have decided on my monthly photo page design for the year.  This time I'm going for double page spreads.  It will mean my I can use rectangles instead of squares for my photos which I think is better for me as I use an ordinary pocket digital camera not a phone.  Of course the double page is not as good for blogging but as always you can right click on the image and open in another tab if you want a closer look.

So here is January - its not been as bad here inland in North Wales as in other areas, although there was damage on the coast 20 miles away.  The worst effects for me were not being able to clear the mess in the garden as its so soggy, and being ankle deep in mud when I go walking in the fields.  But I count myself lucky that those are my only complaints.

I bought my templates from Jennifer Hignite at These Little Wonders.  She has lots of other great designs if you fancy your own review.  I treat mine like a pictorial diary and really enjoy looking back on my months and years.

Dull November? Certainly not!

Most folks hate November and say its dark and dull - my Mum in particular always seems rather down at this time of year.  However I enjoyed this November.  We had lots of sunshine, it hasn't been very cold, I've managed to get quite a lot of my home made Christmas gifts organised, and I've even got out and about a couple of times.  And I'm also quite pleased with the Christmassy crafting projects I've had on the go this year.  So here's my November remembered page - can you believe there's only one more before I'll be looking for a bargain offer on printing out my creative year book!!!!  You can see last year's book here.

October Silence!

OMG! Must do better in November. :(  However if you look closely you might see my crochet hooks have been doing overtime! 

Remember September

Its taken me a while but I have finished my collage page for September.  Of course it didn't help when blogger went all strange and I couldn't get into my blog for a while - did anyone else experience this?  I think its back to normal again so no more excuses.  I'm sure also that I'm not the only crafty person beavering away for a couple of Christmassy fairs.  It is after all the final chance of the year to make a bit of cash and therefore justify at least a bit of the money I've spent on stamps, yarn, ink, fabric, and everything else I just couldn't do without craftwise. 

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Preserving July!

July gone already!  I really like how my digital photo reviews give a flavour of the month that's just passed by.  It seems in July I created a lot, didn't do enough in the garden and didn't travel far from home! :)  As always, if you'd like a closer look right click on the image and open in a new tab.  Then you can enlarge to see each little photo up close.

The next week or so will be about getting my red and blackcurrants gathered in and turned into something for the freezer or store cupboard (if I had one!).  They are so beautiful on the bush I always take lots of photos. 

I've just one redcurrant bush so they are no problem, but I've about six blackcurrant bushes!  I think I'm going to try cordial this year as well as jam as there is a large crop.  I like Sue's redcurrant cordial recipe at The Quince Tree.  Its nice and straight forward and I like her way of simplifying recipes by adding in her own experiences in the kitchen.  Another new blog to follow!

I'm in the process of redcurrant jelly at the moment but I open froze some of the crop to use later in fruit crumbles - my son's favourite pudding.  When I got them out to bag up this morning they were so gorgeous - just like frosted red beads.  I wanted to thread them into a necklace.... but I don't think they'd last long and my neck would get sticky!!!

A look at June

I do like the thought of signing up to photo-a-day projects like Project 365 and Capture Your 365, however I know I'm not disciplined enough stick with posting a worthwhile pic every day.  I even find it hard to keep up with my aim of posting my month remembered scrapbook pages on the last day of the month or the first day of the next!  But although filling in each of these little squares is time consuming, I am glad I've been able to stick to it for the last 18 months - a look back at the minutia of everyday life is quite enjoyable.  And here we are, half way through the year already - where does the time go!!

Coronation Day

Its a long long time since I've posted a scrapbook page.  Here's one I created for the Queen's jubilee last year.  That darkened room in our house in Rhyl, filled with our parents' friends, is an image imprinted on my brain....... they say it rained on the day, 2nd June 1953, so I expect we didn't want to play outside.  And of course after that we had a television set and could watch Andy Pandy, The Flowerpot Men, Rag Tag and Bobtail and The Woodentops in our own house!

May Remembered

Here we are again at the beginning of another month and the year half over already!!  There don't seem to be many makes on my scrapbook page this month but I have been beavering away with my crochet hook most evenings - there just doesn't seem to be much to show for it! 

Happy May Day

A happy May Day to all who read this!  Its a beautiful sunny day here with only that persistent chilliness in the shade to keep one from casting a clout!  This pretty illustration is by Dorothy Heather and you'll find it in Enid Blyton's Twelfth Holiday Book published in 1957. 

Putting together my month remembered page today its hard to imagine how we started April under a thick blanket of snow.  But here are the photos to prove it!  Hope its spring-like where you are.

Disorganised February and March!

Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my last couple of posts.  The last few weeks have been rather difficult and I've found it hard to keep up with my blog and all my blogland friends, so much so that I have only yesterday managed to create my February and March scrapbook pages.  Believe me, sorting out all my photos and fitting them into those little squares, although not a difficult task, is very time consuming - and time at my laptop has not been easy to find recently.

Something I absolutely hate about Windows is the way it imports my photos in such an apparently disorganised and haphazard way I can never find them again.  Of course its probably the way I've set it up and is therefore entirely my own fault, but as far as I am concerned earlier versions have been much easier to navigate and control.

Anyway, I'm determined to be more organised from now on and have tried to make it easier for myself by spending time searching out photos and putting them into monthly files so that hopefully I can find them quickly when its time to put together my April scrapbook page.  Famous last words!!!

January Snapped!

Well I had decided not to carry on with the monthly review pages this year but as I was so pleased with them printed in book form I changed my mind.  I searched for another 365 template kit at my favourite digital store Oscraps and went for Maya de Grout's nice and simple templates Snap: The Monthly Shots. 

You might notice a fair amount of crocheting has been going on this month.  Its definitely the craft of the moment and Pinterest is peppered with lovely inspiration and patterns.  I've a couple of projects in the pipeline for blogging and hope I can find time to post this weekend.  If you have crafty or any other plans for the weekend, have a great time and as "Brucie" says, keep dancing...... oh, no, I mean crafting of course! 

In Print

I've long used Vistaprint to design promotional products for my little crafty business, and calendars and other photo gifts for family and friends, however the company recently branched out into photobooks.  I'd lots of digital scrapbook pages that had never been put into print (a very expensive business at the local print shop) and as there was a good introductory offer going I went ahead and designed and ordered a book.  When it came I was very pleased with the quality of the printing and the book itself, so much so that when there was another good deal on offer a couple of weeks ago I was tempted again and ordered two more books - one large square and one large landscape.

The scrapbook page book is 8 inches square and although traditionally scrapbook pages are meant to be 12 inches square, this size is perfectly acceptable.  The only potential problem with getting pages printed in book form is possibly losing edges due to "bleed" in the printing process, ie to get images printed right up to the edge of the page a tiny strip will be cut off. 

This doesn't usually matter much but needs thinking about when adding text or journaling notes to pages - I was lucky at the bottom of this double page spread.

I wanted to print my blog monthly review pages from 2012 in a separate book so this was my second square title.  There are 24 pages in a book (extra pages can be added at a small cost) therefore 12 monthly layouts fitted in easily and I added some of my favourite 2012 photos to the other pages.  The monthly review layouts mostly go right to the edge of the page and if I'd thought about it more I would have paid extra to add in the "lay flat" feature.  Must remember that for next year.

My large landscape book was pure indulgence!  In the age of the digital camera, holiday photos are mostly destined to stay in digital form, and once the holiday is over probably never to be looked at again.  I captured some lovely scenes during my visit to Nice last October and thought they deserved to be seen in print.

I must say I'm really impressed with the quality of the printing and the finish of the books.  I opted for photo covers - which is included in the basic cost - and chose the page layouts myself instead of letting Vistaprint fill the book with my photos automatically.  However its an easy process and not at all lengthy if you don't change your mind a dozen times about which pictures to include (like I usually do).

So if you've lots of photos you'd like to see in print - either from your blog, a holiday, or a special occasion, its worth keeping an eye out for special offers from Vistaprint and grab a bargain when you see it.

By the way, this is not an advertisement for the company - I'm sure there are other equally efficient companies out there that do just as good a job - this is just the one I use and have found very efficient.

December - and goodbye 2012

Here it is - December, my last digital collage for 2012.  Its been rather a self indulgent project but looking back through the months it is nice to remember those odd moments when I've pulled out my camera to take a snapshot of something that has caught my eye.  And of course I want to remember things I've made for future reference.  

Happy New Year to you all and if you are celebrating tonight enjoy yourselves - I'll be wending my way to bed with my cats, my hot water bottle and my new Kindle - honest!

Remember November

 November seems to have been a very dark month and my page has turned out quite dark too - but I can see quite a bit of red in there..... just hinting that Christmas is on its way to brighten and cheer us all up.  And as promised I've picked a winner of the little Christmas tree stamp and die from Wplus9 - its number 8 - yes you Carol!  AKA Inkyfingers - a prolific card maker, I know these goodies will be put to good use.  I haven't found your email Carol so I do hope you see this and send me your address.


And I've an update on the little bridge I reported on in my last post too.  I did go back the next day and it was still there.  I couldn't get up close as the field had been closed off by the council so I took the photo from the road.  As you can see the water level had dropped considerably in just 24 hours but I suppose we'll have to wait and see if its still possible to cross the river safely.

Oh, and just one more thing - can anyone tell me how to dissuade my cat from chewing my knitting needles!  Yes, I know I could just move them from the windowsill, but I like to see them there - and so does Jess too!

Remembering Frank

This Remembrance Sunday I'm remembering Frank Beckett Hayes, my Dad's older brother.  I don't know much about him as I never met him.  Mum says he was the 'black sheep' of the family - I don't know why, perhaps because he never settled down nor had much to do with his family - except when he wanted to borrow money - which I'm led to believe was too often!  I wish I had known him.... however I did carry out some research into his experiences in the First World War some years ago as my Dad had told me Frank had been awarded the Military Cross - an award for bravery.  I found he had been attached to the Machine Gun Corps (you can see the crossed gun badge on his uniform) and found the award listed in the London Gazette, the official newspaper of Parliament.  The Gazette published the dispatches of the Commanders-in-Chief, listed officers promotions and appointments, gallantry awards and much else that is useful to the WW1 researcher.  You can search it one line for free.

After Frank died I asked Dad if he knew what had happened to his medal - Dad didn't know but thought Frank had probably sold it!  I wish I could find that medal and bring it back into the family.  

And when I think of what Frank must have lived through in those years as a soldier..... a young man whose life up until then had been spent in a small peaceful country market town in North Wales...... it is not surprising that he found it hard to settle down to normal family life after four years of war.

So today I'm especially remembering Frank, as well as my Dad, my Grandfather, and all the other members of my family that experienced the deprivations and horrors of war. 

Time flies!

Where did September and October go - I didn't see them flash by!  I'm back from my visit to France and realised I hadn't made my October page last night.  Here it is - better late than never I think.  I'll post some more photos of France later on as I have to rush off to work now. :-(  Already it seems an age away.

September Remembered

October is here - everything's the same but nothing is the same!

A (Small) Harvest Home

This week I've been busy gathering in my meagre harvest.  I didn't really get going in the garden this year and missed out on crops I usually enjoy growing - tomatoes, cucumber, beans, sweetcorn, etc.  But never mind - next year will be better.  However I've picked the soft fruit - cherries, plums, blackcurrants, and the first of the blackberries.  The apples are looking ok for September too.  Last year the pear tree did itself proud but this year there is no fruit at all!  Its a very ancient tree and I hope its not coming to the end of its life - we lost the other pear tree in the garden last year.

I managed to stop myself eating all the peas straight out of their pods - something I've been guilty of in the past - and have a bag of them in the freezer ready and waiting for Christmas Dinner.  The potatoes are stored away in their paper sack and the cherries have been stoned and are in the freezer too - I might turn some into jam as I'm on my last jar of 2011 jam.

Unfortunately the brambles have started invading the garden from the hedges as I haven't been cutting them back often enough.  But the bright side of this means there will be lots of blackberries.  I've turned the first berries into crumble puddings - my son's favourite, and there are still flowers on the bushes waiting for any passing insect to pollinate them.

So this is one harvest that is looking good - hmmmm...... apple and blackberry jam has been a favourite preserve in the past so I must look out the recipe - I just wish they weren't so THORNY!!!

Salty Living

I've a passion for anything seaside themed and I loved the recent Salty Living digi-kit from Anna Aspnes Designs.  I created this fairly simple page with a photo my sister took last week on a sunny day in Rhos-on-Sea.  Hopefully we will have many more sunny days before the end of summer.  We are owed quite a few by the Gulf Stream this year!

My Life in Photos

I think we all find it hard to keep our crafty blogs up to date at this time of year - I know I do.  Work, family commitments and the demands of home and garden are all taking away crafty time for me at the moment.  So I decided I would keep things going by posting some of my photos a couple of times a week using this fabulous freebie from three paper peonies.  Jaime is creating her My Life in Photos album by printing these beautifully simple cards for her photograph album as they fit the 4 x 6 pockets but I'm just going to post mine here.  Here is the first.  This huge, and I mean huge (about a foot tall) Shaggy Parasol mushroom definitely deserves a card of its own as it was so spectacular.  For anyone interested Bwlch Pen Barras, where we found the mushroom, seems to have its own entry on Wikipedia!