Welcome May

Another month as slipped by and here we all are in May.

I have been creating which is always a good thing! I am playing catch up on my BPS class Dimensional Details - just have to do the current week's assignment to be completely up to date and then I can go back and do extra ideas from the class if I have time. I am using up lots of scraps which is great and trying out new things which is very inspiring. I'm not being so particular with my layouts for this class - I'm grabbing photos, papers and bits and pieces and concentrating on the techniques - it's fun to do something a bit different. In fact, most of the time, I am creating a whole layout without even thinking about the photos and then adding them in at the end! This is one of the best classes I have done over at BPS and Nic Howard is lovely and so talented.

Week 2 was creating backgrounds including glimmer misting a mask onto the background - it IS there, just a bit shade in shade!

Week 3 was multiple layering

Week 4 was focus on the photographs (just can't stand how gorgeous these photos of Isabella are - can't WAIT to see her in two weeks - and the other two of course but Isabella is the one who pays me most attention these days - what's not to love about that???) 

And now I am part of the May LOAD (layout a day) challenge! Being creative every day for a month is a great way to use up stash, get inspired by the gallery, kick-start a lethargic me and generally have fun! I will be following my 10 point strategy again - see here - and we shall see how I get on.

 I am really not sure if I'll manage it this month because I will be in the UK for a week, but with a bit of planning and iPhone uploads to Flickr, I'm going to give it a shot (now, to get on with the planning!)

May 1st's layout was the Isabella one above - and I really think this is one of my favourites from the last few months.

And then May 2nd was a bit of an introspective one - bit dark and gloomy! 

Here is just a sneak of it...

And I am thrilled that Deb has given me a Kreative Blogger Award. How cute is this badge?

I have to list seven creative things I have done - mmmmm.....:

1. I started sewing clothes for my dolls when I was about 5. Once I even sewed over my finger with the electric sewing machine much to my mother's horror! Didn't put me off though!
2. As a teenager, I made my own advent calendars - with pictures of my favourite pop stars etc behind the doors!
3. I used to make Christmas cards with hand sewn beads on slubbed silk like Christmas trees - but they had to be hand delivered as the sorting machines at the post office used to crush the beads.
4. Back at the end of the 80's, I ran a dress designing/making business concentrating on evening dresses and wedding gowns. The dresses were gorgeous (even if I say so myself!) but I was hopeless at the business side of things. I lasted three years before having to give up and get a "real" job. I must have made hundreds of silk handmade roses over the years!
5. One of my first scrapbooks was created in a sugar paper album after my first foreign holiday with my grandparents - I was 11. It even included the plastic cutlery from the plane! Not sure about the archival quality of that...
6. I discovered modern scrapbooking back in 2005 and it took until the beginning of 2006 for me to start. I had no idea what to do really, and dragged Libby along to a shop that had what we thought was LOADS of wonderful products that we both fell in love with. The rest is history.
7. I started taking a Photo A Day at the beginning of 2007 - I still try to take photos most days and have a set of albums to showcase them. I have ALWAYS taken LOTS and LOTS of photos - I have thousands and thousands that need to be scanned, sorted and stored. I am improving slowly.

So, I tag Libby, Sarah and Stacy to be my Kreativ Bloggers! 

On that note, I will love you and leave you and get back to my page planing for later in the month. 

Wish me luck for LOAD!