GONDOLA RIDE

I really don't like heights... love flying but me and gondolas ready aren't the best of friends... Jeff & Kylie thought it was fun... I just grimaced as we made out way up the hill side....

I love the sketch over at My scraps & more sketches

 

and used it to document these photos.... Kylie thought it was fun to move from one side of the gondola to the other... I was not impressed... but at least we got photos together....

I have been trying to use up some of my retired Stampin up DSP... slowly working my way through it!

NEW BRIGHTON

Kylie loves to take photos on "self timer".... and here is another one of those photos.

I have used the sketch from Sketch n Scrap (my 3rd use of their sketches today :) )....

 

 

As part of our Sunday drive around Christchurch and the surrounding area... we called into the New Brighton Wharf.... there were lots of people around but we managed to get a "selfie" without a person in sight.... it was a different story out on the wharf itself.

SILO STAY

I love "funky" accommodation.... and this rates right up there.... when driving back from Akaroa to Christchurch..... we came across this Silo accommodation at Little River....

I have used a sketch over at Sketch n scrap to document this info for a later date...

 

Loved the Polar Bear with the shopping trolley at the cafe next door to the accommodation...

 

For this sketch I have fun with texture paste, washi tape & stamping... adding a few embellishments to finish it off.

FEEDING THE GULLS

Gosh time has disappeared again this month.... since I have stopped working and have started up my own business I have been busier than ever and have had very little time for scrapping... but I have managed to get this one done and have now finally taken a photo of it to get it up on my blog...

This is for the "twist back" sketch over at Sketch n scrap....

 

The theme was to use out side photos..... I took these photos back in July 2014 of our daughter feeding the seagulls on the water front in Akaroa....

FORMAL NIGHTS

I just love getting all dressed up... don't you?   And unfortunately people don't do it as often as they should these days...

When on our Alaskan cruise we had two formal nights ..... and yes I had an outfit for each one...

I have used the great "twisted sketch" over at Sketch n scrap to present you with our formal (and informal photos)

 

The larger photo was taken as part of the "formal photos" on formal night two and the smaller photo is a photo a friendly fellow passenger took for us from formal night one.......

I am very pleased with how it all came together.... the back ground is a lot busier and blingy than I would normal do... but it has worked

COOKIE TIME

I enjoyed doing this layout from My scraps & more sketches

 

 

I have had this cookie paper for a very long time.... in fact it was one of the original papers I purchased when I started scrap booking approximately 11 years... it is a Karen Foster Design.... every time I have clean out this one has been saved and kept in a safe place... took me a while to find it tonight...... I am really pleased with the way it has all come together.

FUN TIMES

Needing a bit of a break from travel layouts.... I did a layout based on a sketch from Lets capture our memories

 

 

We recently had a great few days over at Waiheke Island with my cousin, his partner and son Jay.... I had been given a "selfie stick" and we were having fun trying to get it to work.... hence the face pulling and odd angles... we did finally get it working and got some great photos... but I still love these ones....

I had fun with a sewing machine to add detail to this otherwise simple layout.

GLACIER VISIT

I love being able to put lots of photos on a layout.... and doing double layouts... the one over at Scrap much was perfect for this layout...

 

When in Juneau.... Jeff was able to be part of a canoe trip so they got up close and personal with the Glacier..... it is an amazing part of nature.

ALL ABOARD

Exciting.... we have boarded our cruise for Alaska.... and yes we have the "must have" boarding photo...

I used the sketch over at Stuck sketches for this layout

 

 

I am loving these Kaiser craft papers and embellishments for  completing my travel pages.

LOVELY DAY

For a cruise ...... yes we are aboard the Golden Princess, drink in hand and cruising..... this next layout is based on a sketch from My creative sketches

 

 

it was a pleasant start to our Alaskan Cruise.... 

MT RAINIER

When we went for a cruise around Seattle we were treated to the most amazing view of Mt Rainier... apparently it was the clearest they had seen it for some time... it looked like it just floated above the clouds.

To complete this layout I used a great sketch from Sketch n scrap

 

 

Loved this sketch... it was a fun one to do

OH SO YUMMY

During the weekend I worked on more of the travel album... this next layout was based on a sketch from Lets get sketchy

 When in Seattle we went to this place call the Crab Pot... you were give a bid, a wooden board and a mallet.... then out came this amazing bowl of food.  It has crab, mussels, scallops & fish along with some potato and corn... Totally enjoyed

AUTUMN ESCAPE

I have just been away on my wonderful annual weekend away at Autumn Escape... a fabulous luxury weekend with nothing to do but scrap and take class with some very talented teachers...

It is always held at the lovely Wairakei Resort in Taupo... this year there were 130 lovely ladies there... we have so much fun...

 

This year I did a couple of inspiring classes with Robbi Bell &Melissa Kennedy from Kaisercraft 

Then I completed some other layouts for some sketch challenges.... those will be next to be uploaded.

REFLECTIONS

When we were at the Chihuly gardens ... in the outside garden area there was this garden dome placed in the perfect place to see the reflection of the Seattle Space Needle and if you stand in the right place you can see yourself in there as well....

This next layout was based on a sketch from Stuck...

 

SEATTLE

Yes I am on a roll.... another layout done.... this one is for a great sketch over at Stuck Sketches... 

 

After a long time traveling we finally arrived at our hotel in Seattle.... and it was just in time for the end of  Happy Hour"... so we went straight to the bar... we didn't get to our room first... a couple of beers and then it was up to our room for a shower and change of clothers before heading out to find some dinner and walk of some of the flight....

I have used a map of Seattle as part of this layout....

JUST AMAZING....

Another photo taken at the Chihuly garden.... well three photos in one..

And another sketch from Lets get sketchy week-4

 

 

Love this sketch and it worked so very well with this photo....it was a fun layout to do.

Again used Basic grey highline range of papers.

CHIHULY GARDENS

In Seattle we went to this amazing garden and it was all made of glass... the colours were just stunning and some many of the plants looked real.

The first layout from here is from Lets gets sketchy -week-3

 

 

 It was very hard to take photos in this exhibition.... but they had photographers taking photos of you and it was free...

I have used the lovely Basic grey highline range of papers.... they are the perfect match for these photos.

CHEERS...

We caught up with our friends Murray and Sandra at the airport.... all checked in and so it was time for a drink to celebrate ....

This next layout is another sketch from Scrapmuch...

 

.... we traveled together to San Francisco and then went our separate way only to met up again later in the holiday.

ON OUR WAY

Last year we had a wonderful 5 week holiday in USA and finally I have started to scrap book some of the photos.... we took about 4000 photos (unedited) and I have so far printed out 1000 photos..... let the fun begin.

I have chosen some photos to complete layouts of and the rest are being put together in divided pages to ensure a full story is completed of our holiday... I have printed a lot in 3x4 size other wise the album would be very large.

The first page I have completed is based on the sketch from Scrapmuch

 

 

This is us at the Tauranga airport ready for the first part of our journey.... up to Auckland 

I am using mainly the KaiserCraft.... Now boarding collection.... it is perfect for holiday albums... I started to stock pile this range of papers last year when it came out.

I made the title on my silhouette....

BE-YOU-IFUL

Yes I have been missing in action yet again.... very time poor for the pleasure in my life... scrap booking...

But that is all about to change... yeah...

This first layout has been done with the sketch from Lets get sketchy - week 2....

 

In January we had a short but lovely visit from my sister (Lynette), Richard, Lachie and Sarah... it was a great summer day and so the kids had a lovely time in the pool.  I love this photo of Sarah floating around the pool.... I have created the background of this layout with the stunning Painted Petals stamp set from Stampin up.

WEDDING CARDS

We have two weddings to go to in the next 3 weeks... so today has been wedding card day....found a couple of cards on Pinterest (sorry don't have details of originals) which I used as my inspiration .....The first wedding I have no idea of colours etc... so made the very neutral card... but the second one.... I know her colours are black, silver and red.... Really pleased with the results.....

CASTLEPOINT

Still filling the missing slots for 2014.... when I saw the double layout at Scrapmuch I knew it was going to be a great way to get through a few more of my photos...

 

  These photos are of us with Dad on one of the outings we took him on.

I have used a retired Stampin Up DSP....  I also added a pocket page to complete the story.  Yea another event finished.

 Now to get them filed away....

HAPPINESS

Slowly working my way through 2014m photos.... this is the last of the March layouts... just some divided pages to complete....

This layout is of my lovely Aunty Audrey...taken at a family BBQ brunch after her granddaughter, Rachel's engagement party.

She looked stunning in the hot pink.. but it is a colour I struggle to scrap with.... actually I don't do "pink" even tho I do have 2 daughters.

I used the sketch from Lets get sketchy week-1

 

She loved having her photo taken....she is an amazing lady... still going strong at 87 years old.

I have used some retired Stampin Up DSP Gingham Garden... the coloured worked well with Aunty Aud's top.

I also used the new Hearts boarder punch and then used some of the hearts on the page itself.

GRINS & GIGGLES

I am playing catch up with all my photos.... I had an evening of filing to see where I was up to... so now it is time to fill in the gaps and finish 2014..

These photos are from March 2014.. Jeff and I went to the Bruce Springsteen Concert with my sister Rhonda and hubby Greg...."Brucie Babe" is the first ever album Rhonda ever brought so she was extra excited to be going...

I used the lovely sketch from Lets get sketchy... the week 3 sketch

 

We had lots of fun taking "selfies"... I am sure the people around us must have thought we were mad... but we were having fun.

I have used the lovely Best day ever DSP from Stampin up 2015 Sale a bration... all the embellishments are also from Stampin up.