LSNED '10

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Miriam Rogers

I signed up for Shimelle’s September class Learn Something New Every Day again and spent the last few days finishing last years book! I just couldn’t start the new class with the last one not finished. The book was a water colour book I bought in a sale (as you do). I used an old OS map as the background for most of my pages. I love how it turned out and it’s given me lots of ideas for this years class book.

LSNED cover

LSNED 09 pages

Reflections

The little note book is from Inkythings.

This time I have cut my pages to 6×6. I am using Kraft paper for the base and cut pockets from pp for each page. Some will run along the bottom of the page and some down the side. For the middle pages I have done a couple of diagonal pockets (for a change!).

lsned 2010 front cover

I might use the little notebook I made on the cover this time.

lsned 2010 pages

Just cut, not bound, lesson learnt.

The book will come together because Shimelle’s prompts and downloadables (is that a word?) are just fab. (almost stalking her but still resisting, just)

Strange day

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Miriam Rogers

I had a really strange day today. Strange for me because I generally feel, and am quite calm. I have the occasional rant, Do you rant? but today I had feelings of crossness, (is that a word?) anger, upset, disappointment, that’s it! and chuck it all in, kind of a day. All because my neighbour cut down his own forsythia bush and exposed their kitchen to me! Honestly, I do know that it was totally irrational of me, but that’s how I felt. It was their bush to do what they like with, they cut it down because it was in the way, and it spoilt my view. Off I went to the garden centre and bought a trellis, (yes, I admit, it is quite big). Tomorrow my boys have been instructed to put it up against the wall at such a height that I won’t be able to see into their kitchen from my kitchen. Obviously they won’t be able to see into mine either which will be a bonus.
If you are wondering how I persuaded them to do this for me, I threatened to cook our evening meal in my knickers. (not a pretty sight from where ever you look I assure you!)

Two pictures that make me happy to lift my mood.

twiggy silhouette

This one is a silhouette of my lovely twig. I have had this a while now. I rescued it from the beautiful but sick cherry in the garden. I took two small branches for inside and a large branch for the patio (another post)

I set the twigs firmly in sand and I hang pretty things from the branches. I love it. I have taken lots of photos of it but none have pleased me until this one. No colour and no detail but to me it shows just what it is, a place to hang pretty things. I need pretty things around me, especially today.

Karen’s hen

Karen's hen

This photo was sent to me by my lovely friend Karen. She made this door stop all by herself. Not very remarkable you might say but she tells me that she can’t do anything in the least bit crafty, I don’t believe that to be true.
My friend cooks and bakes, that, to me, is every bit as crafty as cutting up bits of paper. Karen bakes the most wonderful cakes, and, at the drop of a hat, on the spur of the moment, just because she wants too or feels like it or there is a sale on and cakes are needed. I need a fortnights notice to make a cake! yesterday I needed cake and had to go to the supermarket to buy one. Now she is sewing stuff! I think it’s beautiful Karen, much like you.

Playing with fabric & paper

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Miriam Rogers

I came across some great blogs this week and was inspired to play.

Lots of pictures, I have a day off work today hooray!

Angie Davisons beautiful blog inspired this, which brought back lovely memories of making pom poms with my mother, Oh so long ago. They were made with wool in those days!

scrappy pom pom

These elephants used to march across my sons pram, now they hang around in my craft space. Ben was very amused when I asked him if I could re-purpose them, He thought it would be OK since he had no use for them, being 21 years old now!

Elephants brought out of hibernation

I have made lots of these lovely fabric bowls, which I saw on IACW, they have made great birthday gifts this year!

and here’s some bunting I can’t resist making with the bits you cut out!!

bowl bunting

Puffy hearts from here, I love this lady’s blog!

this is mine

fabric heart

I had to eat a whole tub of Pringles to get this! I wrapped some pretty Laura Ashley fabric around, fastened it with glue. I wrapped some elastic around the base to hold the flowers in place and covered it with a band of folded fabric. I filled the tub with glass pebbles and put a couple of huge fabric gerbras in. It looks great on my windowsill.

up-cycled pringle tub

A girl can never have too many flowers.

In My Garden

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Miriam Rogers

A mini book for 2010.

Every month I take some photos of what’s flowering in the garden and incorporate them into a mini book.

I am trying to keep the pages clean and simple (not easy for me!) with the same theme running through the year, just the photos, the month, some journaling, minimal embellishments and one large 5 x 7 photo on the facing page.

The picture at the top of my blog is one I took of the Ribes (flowering currant) in May this year, the beautiful bee was a bonus.

The pages for June & July are below with the rest of the book here.

In my garden June 2010

In my garden July 2010

I am looking forward to seeing what I come up with for my August pages as everything is either soggy, blown to bits and dead thanks to the wind and rain, or if it’s a weed or the lawn, growing as you look at it!

Light Issues

Posted on August 7, 2010 by Miriam Rogers

I can only take photo’s in the evening after work and it’s much too dark in my room to take pictures to post on here. I had a treat and bought some lamps, what with the black back cloth on my worktop, I look, for all the world like a studio! Me who has only just learnt to take my camera setting off auto! I spent some time last weekend taking some pictures of the pages I have done for Shimelle’s class. I am still working through the prompts, it will keep me going for at least another month before I embark on her September class: Learn Something New Every Day. Although I didn’t get last years finished I still have everything ‘ready to go’ Hey Ho, that’s life and some times it gets in the way of play.

1st page

I have some lovely Marimekko images that my son brought me in from Helsinki. I used the paper napkins for the flowers and circle mat on this layout of my favourite things.

Zillions of flowers

This is the rh page. Another first, a double page LO. I am learning so much from this class. To make the flowers I separated the napkin down to one layer and ironed it onto some medium weight iron on interfacing then cut around the flower shape, layered various sizes, added a button…simples!

Zillions of flowers

This was the first time I have been able to use different patterns on a page, OK, two of them are plain, but it’s a start.

Use a small photo an an embellishment

I tried, I really did

but, like Topsy, it just grew

Just a tiny picture defeated me completely.

Then came Keep it Simple. We had a fab day at Bristol Zoo with the camera, the sunshine and all animals awake. Last time we went to the zoo it was after lunch and all animals were asleep! This time we got there early.

I just couldn’t resist this picture for my ‘Keep it Simple’ LO.

Simples!

Miriam's blog

comparison is the thief of joy – theodore roosevelt