This blog is closing but ...

Hi everyone

I have decided that maintaining 2 blogs is becoming hard work so I am going to merge them.

From now on all my Smashbook pages will be posted over at www.whatkatiedid2.blogspot.co.uk which is my main blog called Life in a snapshot. As its where I post my layouts and DT work it made more sense to keep one blog active.

Thanks for visiting

My mini layout i made for Make it Monday over at The Memory Nest. You can join our sketch challenge by clicking here www.thememorynest.blogspot.co.uk .

 I had a lot of photos left over from the festive season and i just hadn't had time to add them to an album. These photos were taken at The Frankfurt Xmas Market which comes to Birmingham City Center every November. i love to walk a long all the stalls and look at all the festive gifts and foreign food. I tried to capture the sense of exploring a foreign culture by using this Nordic pattered paper by Papermania. I also repeated the circle shapes in the sketch by adding rows of buttons.

My December daily pages

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Every thing was under control until the last week before Xmas when I found myself running around looking for presents, making cards and getting dragged out every where. well at least I have plenty of picture for some new layouts. I don't know about your part of the world but we've got strong winds and torrential rain not something you want while shopping in the new year sales. found out this month that the craft shop I spend most of my money in is closing down so it looks like 2014 will continue where 2013 left off. things can only get better and hopefully January will remain mild and ice free.

here are my 2 latest belated December daily pages. still have more to create and share over the coming month.

for this page I was playing around with some new Christmas papers and stamps. I was also practicing using the new xcut boarder punches which I find so easy to use  and effective.

 over the Christmas period costa coffee where producing these fun cups, so I collected a few to use as pockets. after going to the Worcester Xmas Fayer I had a lot of photo so I made a tag bool with these Sizzix frame dies. they can be used to make little pockets as well.

December Daily page 3

I am playing alone with The Memory Nest December Daily Blog Hop you can join in by clicking this link http://thememorynest.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/december-daily-week-one.html?showComment=1386538341847#c2738061627626322037

 I created a pocket page to store all of my memorabilia I collect over the holidays. I got the idea from Corenescreations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o9H9MaO3XU

 the vintage carol book is from a memorabilia pack of vintage advertisements and product packaging.  I used magnetic tape to keep the flap closed but Velcro also works well.  I used a cup I had saved from costa and made a pocket with it, I then glue various die cuts and shiny bits above it.

 I made the flower out of wide cotton ribbon and glued a button and gem in the middle.

 the dies I used are the sizzix winter flowers decorative strip die cutter.

9 things you probably didnt know about me

I was playing along with a game on Facebook and decided to make it into a layout. I am not one for talking about myself but I had to think of 9 things about myself that went beyond the usually facts.

 

 

 

 

1) I started scrapbooking at the age of 20.

 

2) I don't like snakes or anything that is snake like. its not the fact that its a snake I dislike its the way it wiggles about that makes my skin crawl.

 

3) I am fascinated by the paranormal

 

4) my name originates from Ireland and means pure

 

5) I was born on a Monday

 

6) I am an Aries which makes me both stubborn and playful

 

7) I like scifi movies, Prometheus and Aliens are a few of my favourites

 

8) I wont walk under ladders not because I am superstitious but because I am worried something will fall on me.

 

9) I believe in angels, no I am not referring to a Robbie Williams song but the belief that a higher being has got your back should something go terribly wrong.

 

if you would like to play along post a comment and I will pick a number at random.

 

 

December Daily pages

things are starting to get busier as the Christmas rush begins and everyone starts rushing about trying to shop for presents.  I have been busy with DT work and making Christmas cards.

 

 

 

 this page was made to commemorate 1 whole month to go before Christmas but to be honest its the build up that's the most fun as family and friends get together. I made this page using Papermania /home for Christmas. I created the boarder using a 2inch xcut circle punch and some very fine double sided tape. the mini photos I created using the collage maker from Kodak but you can use pic collage which is a free app.

 I learned how to make fabric flowers off a tutorial on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNnYMpqo2vw. I love how they have turned out and I am currently experimenting with different materials.

 this was going to be an advent calendar but I will save  that idea  for after Christmas so I can display all my favourite festive photos taken this year. instead I wrote about things I love about winter and most of them involve food or alcohol.

 I used a frame die from crafts too to make the pockets and I used the small tag from the xcut luggage tags die set.

The memory nest sketch challenge: selfie

I am playing along with the memory nest sketch challenge this month and the twist for this challenge is to use a self portrait. here is the link for anyone who wants to join in .http://thememorynest.blogspot.co.uk/p/make-it-monday.html

I've never really liked looking at my own photo, I find we are always too critical of ourselves so it takes time to become more comfortable with our own skin.

 I used the Papermania Spots and Stripe pastels range for my layers and used the creativity Club exclusive digital papers to make the doily using the x-cut die. the title is made up of several different Tim Holtz alphabet dies.

 I used a mask to add the poka dots with Tim Holtz Distress inks peacock and faded rose. the label font was made using the K&co smash label maker.