A Box of Books

While at Paper Maze on Saturday I purchased the crop kit for June. As I mentioned yesterday I decided to use it to make a layout of Emily at 20 months showing how she used to tip all the books out of the box and get it it to read!

This page was designed by Vanessa and uses papers from October Afternoon's Sasparilla Collection (Rustler, Wagon Train, Stagecoach, Tumbleweed and Pony Express)

Bazzill in Berrylicious, Natural and Indigo

Blue buttons ( I added some red and cream ones)

Cherry Red Bakers Twine (I added some Navy)

and some Natural Ribbon.

Some close up photos

I used one of the buttons to centre my windmill rather than a paper rose.

I used my Stampin' Up punch to create my bunting, but followed Vanessa's method of stringing the flags together.

I used Basic Grey's PB&J letter stickers as did Vanessa, with some letters created with spare papers and a Cuttlebug alphabet die set.

Here is Vanessa's original, please see the Papermaze blog - 'Scrap, Paper, Scissors' for more details - There is a link in my sidebar.

Here are the original photos of Emily, taken in 1993 at home. She looks amazed at the news in this Lego catalogue!

Love these pictures, although they are scanned in from the original negatives so the quality is not brilliant, but the memory is preserved.

Thanks for looking.

Lynn x

Through The Aether - Published at last!

After months of sorting submissions, editing, type setting, proof reading, publicising, Emily and her friend Christian were finally able to launch their anthology at Waterstones, Nottingham on 7th June. I wish I could have been there, but along the way she has sent photos and kept us all up to date through the Nottingham Anthology Blog and her own Something Surprising blog.

For it's third year, Christian and Emily ran the Nottingham Student Anthology. It’s purpose is to show off the work of all the School of Eduction students at Nottingham. It includes the work of Creative & Professional Writing, Fine Art and also Humanities students. (Please see Emily's blog for more details.) The Anthology enjoyed overwhelming success the year before, so it was up to Christian and Emily to do it again - no pressure!


A couple of photos of the launch ....

... and various steps along the way.

Emily designed the art work for the cover.

The post cards inviting people to the launch, with art work from the Anthology.

some of the books when they arrived.

That photo (above) reminds me - While looking through some photos at home recently I found this (below) and other pictures of Emily at 20 months of age. I have made a layout with them 'Called a Box of Books' which I will show you tomorrow.

The news in that Lego catalogue must be amazing!

Good luck with the Anthology Emily, worth all the hard work, and we look forward to seeing you home for the summer very soon xxx

We Love Books

A layout I made this weekend using Basic Grey's BP&J collection - Picnic basket, white bread, thermos, fluffier nutter and element stickers .

I used the Cricut for the hearts (George and Basic Shapes) and the swirls (Picturesque).

Bakers twine

Chalk inks

Bazzill Cardstock

American Crafts Thickers letter stickers.

These photos were taken back in 1993 when the children were 20 months old.

They were playing in their room with a selection of picture books.

Here are the cheeky trio

Thanks for looking

Lynn x

Bookworm - Finished at last

This layout was started at Debden back in March last year. It still needed more work and journalling when I found it again the other day, I was not that happy with it and have almost completely redesigned it.  (the original is at the bottom of this post.) The photo of my son Andrew was taken at my parent's house when they lived in Fairlight.

Andrew has always loved a book from a very early age. I don't know exactly when this was taken, but I was able to work out that he was probably in year one at school. I remember the book week that all thee children were given the same book to bring home. It was 'The Tough Princess' the book he is reading in the photo.

He also has Irlen filters on his glasses. Andrew needed glasses from about three years of age, and when he started school he was quick to learn to read at first - when there were big words and not too many to a page. Then as he moved on from reception and the words became smaller and more of them, he started to have problems. If it wasn't for the quick thinking of my friend Chris who was a special needs teacher in a secondary school and was involved in helping children of 11 years and older who had failed to read in primary school. She was able to ask Andrew appropriate questions about what happens when he is reading. She thought he might have Irlen Syndrome. It is a perceptual defect making it difficult for him to see the words without them appearing to move about and for the white background to interfere. I spoke to the teachers at Andrew's school and they weren't keen to get the testing done, so Chris put me in touch with the Irlen Centre in Maidstone. I fear that without this early intervention, we may have struggled for years to find out what the problem was and he may have lost his love of words all together if it had been a chore to read.

So we travelled to Maidstone annually where he took his tests following each normal eye test at the opticians. New glasses were tinted each year according to his need. It was amazing to witness that as he got older, the strength of the tint diminished until by the time he was 16 he no longer needed it tinting at all.

This story is written in hidden journalling included on this scrapbook page.

The papers are Basic Grey - Hello Luscious.

Cardstock - Bazzill

Cardstock letters - American Crafts - sanded and inked.
Various buttons from my stash
DMC embroidery cotton.

Here is the original before I changed it. I was not happy with the letters, they did not stand out enough and the pattern was too busy, yet perfect for the photo.

Thanks for looking.

For more information about Irlen Syndrome, if you think you know someone who may need help see their website HERE

Book Swapping

I recently learnt about Read It Swap It (a site where you can swap the books you don't want, for the books that you do), from my friend Karen She put up a photograph on her 365 photos blog which drew my attention to the site. Like Karen I love reading, and buy a lot of books. My children and parents are also great book worms. Between us we have more books than I would care to count!!

Most books we buy get read by several family members and friends. What do you do with them after everyone you know has finished with them? Usually we keep them, thinking we will read them again, but we rarely do. Recently I have tried to sell books on Amazon, but it often it costs more to post than you actually get for the book! Many books we have finished with I pass on to charity shops. I would never throw a book away. I will always find someone who would enjoy it, or just store it at home!!

I have a book about tracing our ancestors on the way to me, as well as several books both my daughters need for school. All it's coating me is the price of posting to the swapper. The books may be used but perfectly readable. I get one less unwanted book on my shelf and gain one which will be used, by me and my family and friends. It's good fun too!

I only signed up earlier this week, and this weekend get around to uploading details of some books I no longer need. I could not believe the response, and have agreed swaps for seven books, which are all packaged up and ready to post tomorrow morning.





My book case certainly has some space in it now - well until the replacements arrive!!

Learn Something New Everyday

Today or this weekend, I learnt I can swap books once read rather than buy new all the time. I have been able to track down books my children need for their studies, for the price of an old book I no longer wish to keep.