Sneaker Peekers

i've got some peeks of my August projects using the Scrap Rat Kit, i've had lots of fun with this one! 

You can see now why i like it so much, yes? Love me some JBS,  and navy is my go to colour. There's lots of other awesome goodies in there too, but you'll just have to wait for the full reveal on the 1st to see! 

i've been off adventuring for the past week but i'll be back to share some picture once i'm done editing. 

July Scrap Rat Kit Layouts

i was first drawn to the baby blues & pinks colour scheme of this kit, but when you dig into it there's lots of green's, oranges, red's and browns so there's a whole mix & lots of possibilities. My favourite embellies in the kit are the Studio Calico tags & those cute little Prima flowers. i just love the Cosmo Cricket Odds & ends papers too, they are sooo pretty! So far i made 3 layouts with the kit but i've got another 2 in mind before i go and split up the kit into my stash.

Photo Credit: Miss

 i really wanted to make use of the tag elements in the Cosmo 'Scraps' paper so i cut them all up and created  a border. This page is about a gig i went to in December with the girls. We went to see our favourite local band, The Dawn Chorus. they put a lot of effort in to make it look christmassy and even had homemade cakes (so sweet). 

The seam binding is really easy to work in to a ruffle with a bit of double sided tape. i really like to use gems or brads to anchor ribbon, to give it a little something extra. 

For this one i cut the bazzill pleated cardstock down to fit my page better. These were a nice way to add some stitched elements  & texture to my page as i am not a sewing machine user!

See what i mean about those cute prima flowers? i loved the phrases on the Cosmo 'Junk Drawer' paper and cut it up to use as journalling.  i cut this paper into 8 1/2" x 11" first so i could use the other side, and i still managed to get all these phrases out of the leftovers! So happy they've decided to include word stickers in this CHA release!

This is all i have to share for now, but as i said, i've got another couple of layouts in the works.  i've also been playing with the August Kit this weekend and it is definitely one you don't want to miss out on! (Sneaks next week). Subscribers get exclusive vintage items each month, so if you like your kits with a side of awesome sauce then you really should subscribe! Some previous kits are also marked down by 20% at the moment, so if you had your eye on one of those then don't hang around. The May kit is one of my all time favourites!

So any Scrap Ratter's got any layouts to share with me using the kits? Please link me up if you do!

Good Reads in June

First i read Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. This is written by the guy who wrote Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, which i have not read but has gotten rave reviews. Basically it tells you the story of Abraham Lincoln's life, using extracts from his journals under the premise that he was secretly a vampire hunter. i LOVED this book. i was completely fascinated by Abe's life and the American history & politics of the time in which this was set. i never got taught all that stuff at school so i found it quite interesting and have found myself wanting to learn more about it. It's a very original.

Although the book has vampires in, it is not teen fiction. And it's quite gruesome in places, sometimes so graphic, i had to skim over paragraphs. It's not a mystery either, it reads like a real biography, written in the voice of Seth who is introduced to the story in the first chapter. The fictional character of Henry, a vampire who i was incredibly intrigued by, is also introduced in the beginning, which serves to remind you that this is a work of fiction.

The transition between fiction and history is seamless, using actual quotes and extracts from Abe's speeches and journal entries. Seth must have done an amazing amount of research on Lincoln. If you have an over active imagination like me and/or are able to suspend your disbelief then you'll start to get caught up in the story and believe that Abe was in fact a vampire hunter. It also has (photo-shopped) pictures in to support that vampires existed in that time. It's fun when characters from real life pop up in the story too. Not having a great knowledge of American history i'm not entirely sure which characters are real and which are fiction but i managed to pick out the more famous names.

If you know anything about Lincoln, then you'll already be aware that his life was peppered with sadness. i found the way Seth approaches the topic of depression somewhat refreshing. And it just makes Abe's accomplishments that much more inspiring knowing the difficulties he faced, both personally and politically.

One small disappointment, the ending is a tad cheesy and i was expecting better. It's not in keeping with what you are led to think Abe's beliefs are. But it does not lower my opinion of the book as a whole. i want to read this again and if it wasn't for my goal to read 25 new books in 2011 i'd do it soon.

Second up, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. i'm still not sure what to make of this book. This is written from the point of view of Bruno who is 9 & it's about his journey. Because of his father's job he is forced to move from a home he loves in Berlin, to a house in a new place, which he is very unhappy about. This happens to be situated right next to Auschwitz, but he is unaware of this and doesn't know who the people in the 'striped pyjamas' over the fence are. i can't figure out if his nievity is a wonderful portrayal of the innocence of youth or  just plain ridiculous. i think most 9 year olds are more intelligent then that and kids living in Germany at that time would have to attend the Hitler youth. There are lots of discrepancies like this and it is quite a light take on the holocaust (besides the ending), which doesn't sit well with me. But overall, i did enjoy it, it's a quick read. It's last line is particularly thought provoking.

An Ode to Adam (and a mini)

So i'm probs gonna be in mega trouble for posting this pics, but i think it's worth it for the comedy value!

This guy is one of my very best friends. He is the one who picks up the pieces when i've had my heart broken by other boys. Who builds me up when i've had disappointments. Who tells me i'm fabulous and gorgeous and truly means it. Who supports me in all my creative endeavours and pushes me to go for things that i believe to be out of my reach. And also puts up with the clickty click of my DSLR and even sometimes takes pictures for me on demand. He is the one i can guarantee will cheer me up when i'm in the darkest of moods. He makes me laugh from my belly and he brings out the funniest side in me too. He is the friend that i can rely on to compare everything that happens in our (separate) romantic lives to a Sex & the City episode (and honestly it's scary how similar they are to SATC). Who gladly goes on adventures with me. Who dances just as crazy as i do and doesn't care what other people think about it. Is the best shopping buddy because he knows my style and will pick out things that are perfect for me (also he's really tall and so can reach the top shelf).

This guy is better then Prosac, and i should know. Not sure what i'd do without him. Today is his birthday and i hope he has the most wonderful of days. Love you, sweet friend.

And because a blog post would be rather bare without pictures, i thought i'd share a mini i made recently with a JBS Dime Store kit, some vintage bits and some extra JBS goodies from my stash. It's of an adventure that Adam and i took in April of last year, as always. it was a fun one!

i need to make mini's more often, i love the satisfaction of finishing a project like this and holding it my hands!

Some magical music

i had the good fortune to see a handful of my favourite bands live last week. i don't tend to go to many major concerts these days as my wallet just isn't that full, but these gigs were going to be too special to pass up. 


First i went to see Arcade Fire in Hyde Park, London. They had an amazing support line-up. Including Owen Pallett, The Vaccines, Beirut & Mumford & Sons. i hadn't really listened to any of Beirut's stuff before but i loved their stuff. The lead singer's voice is a bit whiney but the trumpets and ukulele won me over. Mumford & Sons have always had a special place in my heart and have inspired quite a few of my scrapbook pages. They also performed some new material which is classic Mumford so i'm eagerly anticipating their new album. i'd been wanting to see them live since i first heard Little Lion Man so i was soaking them in. 

i've been a long time fan of Arcade Fire and The Suburbs was hands down my favourite album of 2010 & they exceeded all of my expectations. Early on in the set they performed Wake Up and the whole crowd was singing along, it was one of those goosebump kind of moments. There were lots of other special touches which made the gig one of the best i've ever attended. 

There was a tent with arcade games and a photo booth in. Of course, being a scrapbooker i thought this was amazingtons. She Who Must Not Be Named did not though and isn't even looking at the camera in 2 of the four photos :( i'll manage to get them on a scrapbook page somehow though. 

There was also a cinema playing a 30 minute film directed by Spike Jonze based on The Suburbs Album. Inside there was bunting, balloons and deck chairs + logs for seating. Seriously cute!

Next up i travelled to Milton Keynes. i don't think i'll be venturing there again, it's all concrete and boringness. The concert, however was not. The line-up was Tame Impala, Death Cab for Cutie, Biffy Clyro & Foo Fighters. i was disappointed that no one seemed to know Death Cab for Cutie so the atmosphere wasn't great. Biffy Clyro are one of my favourite bands so i was super excited to see them again (you may recall that I got to meet them last year). i have never been that into the Foos, but i have to say they knocked it our of the park. Dave Ghrol is a true showman and Taylor Hawkins is probably the best drummer i've ever seen perform live. They also had a few special guests including Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) and Alice Cooper. i'm a massive fan of Queen so i was geeking out a little bit when Roger Taylor made an appearance, how amazing would it have been to have seen Queen perform live?! If only. 

i took this picture from the top of the MK Bowl, it probably shows only a third or so of the size of it. The sheer volume of people was incredible.

SO now you can see i've been a little busy lately. i haven't had much time for any scrapping but i hope to remedy that this weekend. Have a great one everybody!

Scrap Rat July Kit!

Just stopping in to let you know that the Scrap Rat July Kit is now available & it is SO pretty! i'm not a designer for this month, we take it in turns so you get double the inspiration! However, i heard the words Studio Calico & Cosmo Cricket and knew i'd need this kit in my hot little hands! So i purchased one. Which means i'll be back later in the month to share what i did with it. But you can check out the DT Gallery to see the other Designer's beautiful work.

The new Scrap Rat Blog also launched today & there's lots of fun stuff planned for it, so make sure you become a follower. If you hop over there now and leave a comment you'll be in with a chance to win an Odds & Ends Collage Kit from Cosmo Cricket (kit subscribers are already automatically entered)!

Happy weekend everyone!