January Scrapbooking: La Vie en Rose layouts created by Lynn Como

We are meeting Friday, January 15th at my studio to create these awesome layouts made by Lynn Como.    The pictures aren't great because of the glare from the page protectors - sorry!  We're using the 4x6 and 3x4 flip flaps with the Beautiful You Picture My Life Cards.  I love our flip flaps - a great way to add more photos and journaling spots to your layouts.

Supply list:  La Vie en Rose paper plus 6 extra card stock, La Vie en Rose Complements, La Vie en Rose Assortment, Gold Foil Tape, Gold Fundamental Assortment, 4x6 flip flaps, 3x4 flip flaps

Contact me if you'd like to join us!

December Scrapbooking: White Pines Christmas Layouts

These layouts were created by JoAnne Walton (with a tiny bit of tweaking from me).   Thank you, JoAnne -- so cute!   December Club will be Friday 12/18 if you'd like to join us.  Contact me if you'd like a kit!

Stamp a Stack Christmas Card Workshop!

Here they are:  the eight Christmas cards you can pick from for Stamp a Stack!   Here's how it works:  pick any or all of the 8 cards.   Each card you pick, you will make 4 of (or multiples of 4).  Each stack of 4 cards costs $5.   Make one set or more -- as many as fits your needs.   All papers, card bases, envelopes and embellishments are included in your fee.  All papers will be cut for you!  This workshop includes soup, bread and dessert too and some festive Christmas music.   The dates are:  

Salem:  Monday 11/16 at 4:00

Gresham Studio:  Tuesday 11/17 4:00 or

Monday 11/30 4:00

(If these classes fill up, I will add another date.)

For the 11/16 and 11/17 workshops I must have you choose your cards and pay by 11/9 (earlier is better!)   For the 11/30 class, please pay by 11/18.

Some of these lovely cards were inspired by:  Lisa Stenz, Kim Singdahlsen, Anna Jarnagin, Jaime Llewellyn, Michelle Jones and Morgan Vogt.

(Card #2 has a subtle sparkle on the snowflakes and around the sentiment that doesn't show in the photo.)

November Scrapbooking: Sangria

Here are the layouts (created by consultant Tina Lovell!) for November.   We are using the Sangria paper collection (my favorite!) and coordinating accessories.   Club will be Friday evening, November 20th.   Contact me if you'd like to join us!

October Scrapbooking: Nevermore Collection

Here are the layouts we're making at October Club on Friday October 16th at my studio.   Two layouts were inspired by Sue Nielsen (first and third), and the other is my non-Halloween version of the workshop layout designed by CTMH.   All three can be made into Halloween, Fall, or non-seasonal layouts, as you can see by my wedding layout.   That's what I love about CTMH papers; they are so versatile!

Contact me for a kit that you can complete at home or on club night!  

September Scrapbook Club

We are meeting September 18th to make these super cute layouts in the Zoe paper collection designed by Tina Lovell!

Contact me if you'd like to get a kit and join us in making these fun pages!

Amsterdam Day 1

We arrived in Amsterdam around 10 a.m., after taking the train, ferry, train from London to Harwich to Hoek and then into Amsterdam (with some lovely help from a gal from Amsterdam returning from London on the same ferry).   All throughout our trip, people helped and really went out of their way to be kind and helpful - it was pretty wonderful!  

Our first day in Amsterdam we found the hotel (what a neat little hotel!), ate lunch, went to  the Amsterdam Museum and learned the history of this amazing city, then went to the Anne Frank House.   The Ann Frank House was very well worth the wait in line.   I read the diary so many years ago, when I was about Anne's age and was so touched by it.   I read it again 3 years ago and enjoyed it as an adult.   What struck me then was that Anne could easily still be alive today, yet she's been gone for 70 years now.       Miep, the employee of Otto Frank who was one of the three who helped the 8 people hidden, just passed away a few years ago.   I believe she was over 100.   All the furniture was taken just right after the families hidden were captured, and all rooms have been left without furniture, but with lots of interesting displays and things to read.   Anne's room still has the pictures from magazines hanging on the walls that she glued there so many years ago...

I really enjoyed Amsterdam; just walking around and seeing all the people, bicycles, cafes and cars.   Delightful!    Our hotel was the A Train Hotel, very near Dam Square and the rail station.   All train themed; my dad would have enjoyed it.   The building was about 400 years old, so neat!   The room was very cozy and clean, and we were central to everything we needed (except the Resistance Museum, but that's another story!).

England Day 5: Sunday in Yorkshire

Another wonderful day and very special to us!  We had a delightful breakfast at the Golden Fleece and caught a taxi to the train station and got a train for York.  As we pulled into the station, I said I wonder how we'll  find her? (A family going to the Sunday morning fellowship meeting nearest Thirsk had volunteered to drive to York to pick us up as the train didn't  go any closer and there were no buses on Sunday mornings.)  The station wasn't  too busy and we spotted Ruth right away.  We thanked her and hopped in her car and off to their home in the village of Ricall, where we met the rest of the family, husband Stuart, daughter Marisa (I think she is 21) and son Keith (17), had a nice cuppa before driving to Cawood, the village where the meeting is, in the home of Joan Liddle.  There were two not there, so they were glad of visitors in their little meeting.   We then went back to Dalgleish's for lunch and a really nice chat.   Then they took us to York for a walking tour - so kind of them.  We hopped on a return train to Thirsk in late afternoon.

Breakfast

Joan, the Dalgleish's and Megan in Joan's garden

After lunch chat in their living room.

Marisa, Megan and Keith in York.

York Minster (cathedral)

A snack while waiting for our train... we really felt obliged to, just in the interest of scientific research mind you, not because we wanted to, have regular samplings of local desserts.  Here we made the discovery that Yorkshire milkshakes are not quite as sweet as American, and a little light on flavorings, but still quite delicious of course!

England Day 4: Yorkshire!

We got up bright and early, took the tube to the train station, got a train for Thirsk and got in about 10:15 after a two and a quarter hour ride.  A man offered to share his taxi into town and we were at the Golden Fleece ten minutes later.  Here's  where the plan I had hatched back home really got crazy.  We quickly dropped our bags, got a taxi back to the train station, caught a train with five minutes to spare, took a 16 minute train ride to Northallerton, got directions from a lady, hoofed it through town, down a lane that turned into a track, jogged the last two minutes (shocking I know) and just -- just caught the steam train excursion run into a corner of the Yorkshire Dales area.  We were on that train for 80 minutes or so and saw some beautiful country.  The reason we needed to catch that train was so we'd  have a couple hours  in Redmire, the town that's  currently at the end of the line for the steam train.  So glad we made it.  We walked into town and had a delicious lunch at the Bolton Arms.

 Some passing scenery.

 One of the stations on the way.

 House by the Bolton Arms.

 Ploughman's lunch.

 

It says 1874 on the building between the two upper windows.

After lunch we asked the way to the footpath to the Castle Bolton view.  For a long time we were pretty sure we were going the wrong way...

Behind properties, through stiles (quite narrow and they got narrower),

Past the trolls,

Narrower... (can't  have those sheep getting out!)

Over the bridge..

Some wonderful stone walls.

The Castle Bolton!

And back to the train station we went.  We left plenty of time because we were warned not to miss that last train!  So thrilled to be in Yorkshire!

The Tour de France came through here last year.  This 

year  it came not too far from Amsterdam, but a week or so before we'll  get there.

 The incredibly nice steam train folks walked us back to the regular rail station on the other side of Northallerton, we got a ticket back to Thirsk, took a taxi into town (I had already adjusted my previous delusional thinking about walking to and from the train station into town) and we arrived at the wonderful Golden Fleece hotel.  The oldest carriage house in England I read somewhere.   It was delightful!

We found a delicious Chinese restaurant on thesquare for dinner.  Just as we were settling down for some much needed rest the annual fireworks show started!  I had read about it, but had forgotten.   Fireworks are great, but I was glad it was a short show!