Jessica Sprague Brushabilities Day 8

Here is what I made today! I made the coral coloured tag first and then thought I'd see what it would look like if I changed the colours! What a difference it makes - can't decide which I like best!!!

Family News: We had a long day at the stables yesterday! Evie's 11am lesson went well. She takes her first ever Pony Club test next week - she has to go dressed in shirt and tie and best cream jods - MUST get a photo of that! Antoinette rode Molly at lunchtime and she was good as usual, if a bit frisky! Gotta love that horse though! Not many rides left till she goes now :( Unfortunately, events conspired against us and Antoinette didn't get a chance to eat anything much before her lesson - again. She was riding Darren this week - a biiiig boy! She actually rode him really well, but a good 15 minutes of no stirrups and having to trot meant she had aching leg muscles half an hour after riding! It also did nothing to improve her mood, lol! When they did a trot up the 3/4 line, leg yielding to the track and into canter at the corner, he behaved impeccably for her though, despite the teacher saying he's dead to the leg! I'm hoping that despite the discomfort this week (they did a lot of gentle trotting and not much else because of the heat - boy it was hot out at Manston!!!) Antoinette will take on Darren as her next pet project, as she rides him beautifully! We'll see!

Today, we're taking Marion down to Whitstable. We're going to have ice cream while she and mum go and look at dead fish at the fish market there, lol! Every time we go there the girls can't get over all the eyes looking at them!! Then Antoinette is going up to the stables for what will be her last ride on Molly. I'm going to take some photos as well hopefully. Tomorrow we're going to Hever Castle for the day, and despite offering to come back early so she can ride Molly, Antoinette said she didn't want to see Molly tomorrow. Wednesday morning we will go up to the stables early, as Molly's oner will be there at 10am, and we presume Molly will be leaving soon after that! Got a horrible feeling I'll be as bad as Antoinette with the tears!!

Anyway! Forward for today!

Bernie x

Brushes...who'd have thought?!!

This is what I made after taking lesson 5 of the Jessica Sprague Brushabilities class! We used pse custom shapes along with eraser brushes (again, who'd have thought?!!! Such clever stuff!!) to make a mask for our photos! I loved this effect, so decided to use this photo on a LO this afternoon, just for the fun of it!

This is what I came up with! It's taken ages but I think it's worth it! It's exactly what I had in my head! The end result doesn't give any indication of how much brushing, chalking, & erasing has gone on, lol, but I guess that's a good thing! What spurred me on (apart from having a beautiful new creation thanks to JS!) was the Scrap Like You Mean It challenge on UKScrappers - the challenge was to write in white! This wouldn't be a natural choice on a white LO, lol, but I didn't want my title to detract from the overall feel of the LO, so it actually worked really well using white!!

Off to upload at UKS now and then choose my next kit from SIS! It suddenly dawned on me last night, that the QPs I made (which are going to be bundled up with the CT members' QPs and SOLD in the shop - yes, SOLD!!!) are potentially going to be used by someone, somewhere, anywhere in the world!!! I could go to a gallery and see one of my QPs looking at me!!! Wow! What a thought!

Anyway, back to the job in hand...

Bernie x

LOs for SIS using Little Wonderful kit by Secret Garden

Here's the link to the kit... https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_26&products_id=5381 as you're BOUND to want to rush and buy this!! It's absolutely beautiful and stuffed full of gorgeous stash!! I was so inspired I've managed to create 2 Los in about 2 hours!!!!!

I just couldn't believe where the time has gone today, hence the second LO!!! That photo just spoke to me when I was lokoing through my folders! It's one from my OU Photography Course day (which, incidentally, seems like ages ago now, lol!).

Must just rush to get these on the SIS CT Forum so I can go sit with Evie for a while before her bedtime!!

Oh and I've managed to get my QPs through to the CT lead, Deborah, so yay!!! All's well that ends well! My head is fit to burst with all the new 'stuff' I've learned in the last coupla day, lol what with this and the Jessica Sprague class! Just need to pop over to her site tonite and see if anyone has been able to answer a question I left there! Then my knowledge will be complete for another day, lol!!!!

Bernie x

Simple But Sassy - August '09 Collab.at Scrap It Sassy

Each month at SIS there's a contest for the CT. Last month was the first month I heard about it but I chickened out as there was so much I didn't know...how to make a QP, how to use 4shared (still don't know that properly!!!), what size LOs are generally sent through as...but this month the kit was so enticing I decided to take the bull by the horns and have a go!!

These are the two LOs I made with the kit, which can be found here...https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5828&zenid=1fe32797b49be7148d570cdc0ab7a112 . I loved the gentle colours which matched perfectly with some of the flowers at Walmer Castle, lol!! I wanted to make a celebration LO of Antoinette and Molly's relationship before she leaves for Sussex next week, rather than bemoaning the fact she's going, and the kit was perfect for that too!

Now I just need to sort out how to use 4shared (the emails I sent to myself as a test run have never arrived, so goodness only knows how I get that to work on there!!). No idea as to sizes either, but am hoping for some help to come along soon!!

In the meantime I've drunk about 3 litres of coffee, tea and water today trying to soothe my sore throat but it's having none of it!

Lovely kit ladies at SIS! Really enjoyed playing with it!

Bernie x

Here's my LO for the Scrap Like You Mean It challenge this week. The challenge was to scrap something old, new, borrowed and/or blue. I managed old (the castle, and the fact it's an old fave of ours to visit now!), new (this year's crop of beautiful flowers at the castle!) and blue (we were lucky enough to have lovely blue skies and sunshine when we visited!). I'm so pleased to have got one of these challenges done, as have missed a few lately!

I had a lovely day out today! My aunt and scrapping friend, Paulette, and I all went up to Pickleberry Crafts nr Faversham. It's a great shop with loads of lovely stash to rummage through (gorgeous little baskets with treasures in to find!!). I got some fabby pps that I've not seen before (not surprising as I've not paper scrapped much at all since January!!)...suitably grungy of course! Some lovely felt flowers, velvetty flowers, 3x glittery stickles, shaped pps (bracket and circle scallop), chipboard alpha in a LARGE size! Plus various letter stickers/monograms! Kate was lovely and made us coffees as soon as we arrived, making us feel very welcome! Then Jane (Dean) arrived and we had a lovely chat! It was lovely to meet you at last Jane!! (Jane and I have one big thing in common...we both fancy the pants off Martin Shaw, lol!!) Jane showed us her new studio - OMW! It's fabby! All light and airy and peaceful, with everything within arm's reach of the workspace - I'm not at ALL jealous...much!!!!

Came back and had a couple of hours on the pooter catching up with things and doing lesson 2 of my Jessica Sprague BrushAbilities course. Can't say I learned anything new about brushes today, but I did learn little things by-the-by, so it's great to have these tiny light bulb moments as a bonus to the class! Plus loadsa free stash in the form of brushes!! I did have a play with today's lesson though and created my own little quote page just for the fun of it, as I did like Jessica's quote but wanted to do something different! I even managed to use one of the free textures we were given in the photo editing course the other week!

So, that's my day! We finished up with dinner at the Fayreness pub right on the cliff top at Palm Bay, which was nice, although my food didn't come up to my expectations, but everyone else was happy! The wasps made a bit of a pest of themselves though!! It was just nice to see mum up and about again though - she's so much better today!

Now it's time for Holby City before bed!

Bernie x

I've decided to pass on this award to Claire - see her blogs here... http://minty-magic-digi.blogspot.com/ and here http://minty-magic-digi.blogspot.com/ . We kinda got started on our digi journies around the same time, and she produces some lovely work! We've chatted on the Newbie Digi Scrapers Social Group on UKS and shared loadsa stash shopping experiences, lol - far too many temptations to be found!! Claire's been ever so helpful, and kind with comments too, and although there are others that I could have passed this on to, I'd like to choose Claire!

Bernie x

OMW! I woke up this morning to find I've been given an award!! Thank you so much Becky - that's made my day!! I think the idea is that I pass this on to someone else, so I'm going to make someone else's day now!! It's my first ever award - so exciting!!

Antoinette's beach hack went well last night - as usual Molly was as a good as gold on the hour's hack on country and main roads to get there, and then had 3 really good canters (almost broke into gallop on the last one, lol) along the beach. There were more people around this time, who I think appreciated the sight of 8 horses riding along the beach! Even along the roads, people were bringing their little children out of the house to wave to the horses, lol - it's lovely! Honestly, it just doesn't compare to riding at the stables...there's nothing like it! For anyone watching just the sound of the hooves on the hard sand seems to go right to the core of you, and the sight of them enjoying the cantering so much is wonderful!

Today I'm taking Paulette and Aunt Marion (visiting from her Convent in Bormingham) up to Pickleberry Crafts in Faversham, and Jane Dean is going to pop over for coffee with us!!! Am looking forward to seeing what they've got on the shop, as we're so stash starved here in Thanet! They do evening classes there too, so I'm hoping there will be some of what they make on display, as I'm thinking if it's only 40 mins away, Paulette and I could pop up now and then for a class! Hopefully the weather will stay nice for us so Marion gets to see more of round here!
The big question is, do I take my camera, lol, or is that too much like hero-worshipping??!!!!

Maybe just the handbag camera, lol!!!!

Bernie x

My first LOs of the month for Bits N Bobs, using the Summer Spritzer kit available at Exquisite Scraps here... http://exquisitescraps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_write&cPath=8_150&products_id=2247&number_of_uploads=0 .A really bright and cheerful kit, with a real summery feel! Perfect for more of my Walmer Castle photos (I'm still obsessed with the flowers!!), but also for an older photo that I loved but had never found the right stash, paper or digi, to scrap it with!

These flowers were my faves at the Castle, and the sheer number of butterflies on them was amazing! I stood for about 20 mins jut watching and taking photos! It's in quite a quiet part of the Castle gardens, so I wasn't interrupted, and so completely switched off, relaxed and enjoyed the scene and the photography! Simple pleasures for me, and for the butterflies enjoying the nectar!

This is the older photo that I've not been able to scrap for some reason until now! As seems to be usual, I've played about with different elements of the kit and love this LO!!

As always, thanks for the chance to play Julie!

Family News: The girls both did really well in the riding lessons yesterday! Evie has her first Pony Club test coming up in 2 weeks, but is perfectly capable of doing everything she needs to do! Antoinette rode a pony - yes! a pony! - that she's only ridden once before in her 4 years at Nelson Park - and did really well! It must have felt so different to anything she's ridden recently - mainly because he's half the size of anything she's ridden recently, lol!!! They did jumps in her lesson and Antoinette went over them beautifully (after a touch of initial reluctance!!).

The bad news is that mum has swine flu. Well, technically suspected swine flu as she's not been tested, but she has all the symptoms and has been given the Tamiflu. Saw her yesterday evening and she looked really rough, but, as ever with mum, is trying to fight it and pretend she's not really that ill! We've cancelled all footcare appts. for the week, obviously, and will rebook them when we see how long this thing is going to affect her for. Antoinette and I have had sore throats and been a bit off colour, but not ill...just not right IYKWIM...so we're hoping that's not going to develop.

Must get moving...my new Jessica Sprague class starts today and I'd love to have time to do it! It's all about using and making Brushes, so I'm really looking forward to that as brushes are FAB!!!! No doubt the results will appear on here!

Bernie x

My first LOs of the month for Scrap It Sassy! I chose the Featherly Love kit by Foxysdesigns, as I wanted to use some of my photos taken at Walmer Castle yesterday! The kit can be found here... https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3871&zenid=e19aef906eb640153d1234feb280d32e .

It is a truely gorgeous kit, with some wonderful b/gs in. A couple are so beautiful, I really wanted to use them, but found myself too worried about doing them justice, and not wanting to cover up too much of them, lol, so I've saved them for another day when I'm feeling 100%!!

(I started a sore throat last night and this morning had aching shoulders, bit of a funny tummy, glands throbbing a bit - I'd all but convinced myself I'd got swine flu, lol! I've had a quiet day on the pooter though and am feeling almost back to normal, so guess I won't be needing the Tamiflu just yet!!)

This is one of a series of photos that are my faves from the 100s I took yesterday! The colours of the flowers, and the butterflies...just beautiful!

These flowers were tucked in behind a hedge at the very back of a section of garden. have no idea what they are, but the butterflies and hornets seemed to like them!! I had such a relaxing half hour just walking through the gardens taking all my photos - I love it there!

This LO I'm not very confident about, but I tried some new stuff...using a swirly line and tucking the photo in, duplicating the layer with text on, trimming to size and reducing opacity to just make an 'echo' of the words, and using one of my fave fonts...The King & Queen!! It's not always an easy font to use as it has quite a bit of 'fuss' around the edges, esp. on capitals, but I love it and it worked well here!!

All in all a fabby kit to work with, and there's loads left to play with yet!! As always, I appreciate the opportunity to use these wonderful kits!

Family News: Andy took Evie and her friend Emily to Wildwood today - I thought they'd be abck in a couple of hours as it's SO large there for Evie that she tires quickly. But no, they got back about 5.30pm!! They had a great time by all accounts, and Evie went to bed happy - and looking forward to her riding lesson tomorrow! Especially as her Great Auntie Marion is down from her Convent in Birmingham and is coming to watch!!

Antoinette has been at the stables all day today. She's making the most of Molly before she leaves! And with all the rain we're having at night, and Molly being put out in the field, there's a LOT of grooming to be done on her when she's brought in of a morning, lol!! Antoinette's working hard at the stables and is always willing to help out in a lesson with leading younger riders. She's so knowledgable and responsible when she's there, it really makes me happy to see and very proud!

She took her Bronze levels 1,2 & 3 last week ad passed them all of course (there'd have been something seriously wrong if she hadn't, lol!). These tests run alongside the 'felts' - for that Antoinette's in training for taking her C test next year. She has to do 2 camps for that next year in April and August, and will accomplish galloping! Yay! Can't wait to see her go that fast!!!

Now I'm going to finish the uploading and get off the pooter for today - 10-11 hours is enough for one day I think!!

Bernie x

My LOs with the gorgeous Starving Artist kit from Bits N Bobs, available at Exquisite Scraps here... http://exquisitescraps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=196&products_id=2096 . Lovely kit with really varied elements and b/gs so useful for all sorts of LOs!

Photo of DD1 in the thousands of daffs at the Viking Ship at Pegwell Bay. I loved using the rainbow effect ribbons and b/g to give it a slightly 'hippy' feel (what with her laying down in amongst the daffs, lol) and then added the little bit of bling all around to help make it feel (hopefully) as magical and blissful to the viewer as it did to Antoinette that day!


Whilst changing my files around on the pooter I found some old photos I'd intended to s/b but hadn't got around to (what a surprise!). This was taken last year, and I just loved the whole lonely seat thing going on! The dead leaves all around, the peling paint! So I wanted to use the photo. While we were away DH and I both comented on how a lot of the trees were losing their leaves! We did have some rain and high winds, and it was as if the unseasonal weather had confused the trees! So I decided to use this old photo to make a memory of this year's holiday!


I blended together 2 of the b/gs to make a paler backdrop and had a great time playing with the flowers and leaves!!

This was one of DD1's photos taken while on her school residential trip to the Loire Valley. The words 'Leonardo da Vinci' are actually another photo blended in to the b/g, as I only realised when looking through all her photos that he is buried in a chapel that they visited! I loved this b/g for this photo...made me think of old peeling plaster on ancient walls! Plus I always love a bit of grunge!!!

After I'd started playing with this kit I only then realised it's actually only tagger size, and I usually only use Full Size, so I must apologise to Julie for taking the wrong size kit! I believe the full size will be available soon!

Bernie x

Well, we're back from our little break in Hertfordshire, which was great! More details later with (hopefully!) some wonderful photos!!

I've still got to do the last couple of lessons in the photo editing class, and I've started the class on using Picasa 3 for my digi stash - I've even been brave enough to delete almost all my digi stash from the pse5 organiser!!! I've only kept the stash Im using for CT work in there! It's much happier and working much faster now thank goodness!!

I've also signed up for the Jessica Sprague new class on Brushes - Brush Ability. Bargain at $25 I reckon as it sounds so interesting! Hoping it will stretch my digi knowledge even further!!

I've not yet downloaded all our holiday photos...I know there will be several hundred if not over 1000 when I do, so need a good run at it! Till now it's been a bit hectic in a quiet sorta way - weird beginning of the holidays type stuff, while we get used to not having the usual routine!

Unfortunately Antoinette's beach hack was cancelled today due to the heavy rain and even thunderstorm! Hopefully it will take place on Monday 3rd August. Evie is booked in for 2 mini pony afternoons (specially for under-8s) this Sunday and at the end of August; Antoinette has her dressage comp. on Monday evening and what with normal lessons, a whole new summer routine is making itself felt!!!

Now I'm off to watch the end of the Bill (what about the new time, new look then?!! not sure about the creepy music throughout myself, lol!) and then Criminal Minds - I LURVE that stuff! If I could study anything it'd be that, whatever it's called..being able to profile someone...fascinating!

Hopefully back with some photos this w/e sometime! Woburn Safari park was fantastic, and we had a bear, a tiger, a lion and a wolf, (plus a little monkey, lol) all within a few feet of the car. Just hope having to take photos through a raindrop-spattered window didn't spoil them!

Bernie x

Here's my photo for lesson 11 of the photo editing class by Jessica Sprague! It's about spot recolouring, and it was SO simple! I've always wanted to know how this is done, and I can't believe it's so easy, lol!!

I chose this photo as we're in a bit of a rush this morning and time is limited, so feel I was a bit of a cheat as the horse was dark brown anyway, lol, but still, most of the colour was taken out of the photo and then a new adjustment layer used to paint with black over the rosette, hiding the mask, and letting the colour show through - simple! Who'd have thought, eh?!!!

Am all excited as we've bought tickets to go to Woburn Safari Park! Apparently it's like Longleat, except you can do the drive-through bit as many time as you want! I'm so excited about seeing the giraffes close up - I LURVE giraffes, lol!!!!

Anyway, things to do, people to see!

Bernie x

Here's my effort for Day 10's lesson with Jessica Sprague! The only thing new to me here was making a mask - haven't done that before, and it's great to have that knowledge! Am all inspired now to try creating some lovely swirly ones!!

I still can't make the technique from Day 9, edge burning, look particulary dramatic on my photos! A lot of peeps on UKS seem to be saying the same thing!! So on this photo, after I'd done the basic edge burning technique, I went in and upped the greyscale level, quite a lot, lol, and then reduced the opacity a bit so the edges of the lightened area weren't so obvious. This suits my taste a bit better (never one to be subtle, me, lol!!). Maybe with a different photo it would be better, but as I'm short on time this morning this will have to do! Had hoped to get classes 11 and 12 done before I go out, but that's not going to happen now!!

Still, great fun and definitely knowledge I will use in the future!

Last day at school today for both the girls. Antoinette finishes at 1pm and Evie at 2pm, so for a change I can pick up Antoinette first and she can come and say hello to some of her old teachers at St. Gregory's! So mum, dad and I are off to Ramsgate in a little while for a spot of clothes shopping, hayfever pills, lunch and then collect Antoinette!

Bernie x

Think this has to be my absolute fave LO for a while! I was so chuffed when it was finished!! And some of us on UKScrappers were only saying the other day how we never scrap in yellow!!! The masks used on both these LOs were included in the kit - quite an unusual feature, but I really appreciated it, as they're lovely!

Looking at my gals' faces in this photo, the quote up top really spoke to me!

So! You really NEED to go buy this kit, lol - remember it's called Morgan by December Daydreams and can be found in the Scrap It Sassy Store here https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_196&products_id=5140 !!

Have fun!

Bernie x

Here are my LOs for the Scrap It Sassy CT. I used a kit called Morgan by December Daydreams available from Scrap It Sassy here https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_196&products_id=5140 . Wow! What a fantastic kit! I imagined I'd make some bright, bold LOs when I first saw it, but look what came out!! I LOVED the elements and b/gs in this kit!!

The photo was made (see below!) using techniques learned from the Jessica Sprague (free!) photo editing class, and I even managed to get stars that looked like stars and not gnats this time, lol!! LOVE those words too!

Bernie x

OK, had one more play to add a bit more contrast, a quote (which I love!) and some fairy dust and a frame! Not qute sure how I did it...I was trying to erase parts of the frame and it didn't totlly erase it, just made it paler, which I liked...think it makes the frame look more dreamy!

Now I really am going to get on with a CT kit!! After lunch!

Bernie x

Decided to just have a quick play with a B7W photo, and make it a tad more dramatic in terms of contrast. Quite like it!

Bernie x

Lesson 9 - edge burn! Well at least I really felt like I was learning something with this lesson, lol!! DEF new to me! I think this technique probably has a lot of potential...it's just not immediately obvious in my phot's results, lol!! It's a great technique have under my belt though, and when I get time I'll have a play with different photos to see what happens!

Now I'm all caught up!! Thought I had another lesson to go, but no!

Off to play with another SIS kit then!

Bernie x

I'm catching up with the Jessica Sprague Photo editing class this morning! This is lesson 8 - adding text. Obviously I know how to add text, but Jessica provided a link to a font I didn't already have (bit of a fontaholic!), which is a lovely font, apart from the fact it doesn't do capital letters, which I hate! Still, I've gritted my teeth and used it, even for the quote's author as it's actual shape is lovely! This was a view over Ramsgate, out to Cliffsend and the now defunct powerstation towers. To some they may be ugly things, but you get some really amazing weather down there sometimes...fog, clouds rolling in, sunsets, and they do make quite a dramatic statement in amongst all that!

There's also texture added to this photo - it was a folded paper texture, and I was actually quite pleased that you can't see many of the folds!! It really does add to the colour and the grain though!

On to lesson 9!

Bernie x

Someone's been busy today!! I chose my next kit for the Scrap It Sassy CT, had a nosey at it and decided I had to start a LO before going out to a footcare appointment! I made most of the top LO of Antoinette in about half an hour! It was so much fun...I played around stretching some of the elements and found I could make a tree trunk look like sand & sea! I stretched the b/g and it looked more like a sky out over the sea! The photo is one I'd aged and distrressed as part of the Jessica Sprague Photo Editing class I'm taking, so I was really pleased to use it! I love the overall feel of this LO - almost like a painted b/g for the photo!

The LO of Evie came together easily too! I used the grasses element, strectched, as a pile of straw behind the fence, just visible! The peeling paint effect on the fence is fantastic, have to say! Another aged photo here!!

The kit I used is Forgotten Times by Secret Garden Creations, and it's gorgeous! As you can see there's lots you can do with the elements to make them great not only for heritage type Los but for any theme really - who'd have thought a beach theme?!!

Family News: Well, we went to the stables after school this evening, and Molly's leg looks like it is healing, thankfully. It was a lovely sight when we went to the field to get Molly in, and when she saw Antoinette coming in with the head collar, she took her nose out of her food and walked over to Antoinette! Awwwww! Antoinette didn't ride her, just groomed her and gave her a fuss - and a carrot and a polo or 2!!

It's SO muggy here...can't wait for Wednesday when the weather's supposed to break a bit...although with this corner of the UK, the forecast is usually wrong!!

Bernie x

Forgot to mention as well, that Jessica Sprague would have been proud of me today!! The LO with the photo of Evie I desaturated and then painted in the colour on her beads, hairband and earrings! All techniques I learned from her!! The photo of Antoinette is the one I made during the lesson and is also desaturated with Antoinette's eyes made a truer blue!
Thanks Jessica!!
Bernie x

Yet another LO with Evie grinning away, lol!! I shall have to try harder to get a photo of her in a strop!! There were so many lovely bits in this kit that I sat and tried to keep adding them into this LO, but it just wasn't right...it needed to be kept simple, so I caved and left it as is!! The lovely muic b/g was just right for this incident that I wanted to record! DD2 had made her teacher laugh so much last week that she got a merit certificate for it! She managed to sing 'Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer' for a whole afternoon!!! Mad child!

As usual the kit I've had from Scrap It Sassy is wonderful, very generous and versatile. It's actually made me want to get DH to take a photo of me at the organ at Church (where I play for the 9.30am Family Mass) so I can document that part of my life for future generations!

Hopefully my children and their children will carry on the musical tradition of our family. In a couple more generations' time, they may wonder who used to be musical, much as we're wondering now who was the horse lover in past generations, lol, as it's not something my sister and I or my parents ever did, nor my DH's family!

I've had a very weird morning today. Left the house and found a little boy, prob. about 2 years old, naked from the waist down and in a massive pair of trainers (obviously dad's!!) in the road just outside my house! I didn't recognise him, and there was nobody around! Thankfully he was able to walk me up the street to his house. Rang the bell and knocked, but no answer, so went in as the door was open. Shouted really loud to see if there was anyone there. By this stage I'm imagining mum on the floor having a fit or dead or something, lol, but thankfully she called down from upstairs! Came down, and it seems the little one has learned how to open the front door on his own, and mum had been upstairs getting ready for work. So all's well that ends well, but it must have given her a bit of a fright, as it certainly had my heart beating faster!!

Then on the way home from dropping Evie at school, I saw a magpie attacking a sparrow in the middle of the road - very strange and not something I've seen before!

Yesterday Antoinette was grooming Molly as she was covered in mud from having been out in the field all night. She noticed red mud on her lower leg, so realised it must be blood. She went and got help from the office, as Molly really didn't want her leg cleaned up! Poor Molly has a scratch/cut on her knee. It didn't look particularly deep, and the stable owner's DD cleaned it up and treated it. Molly's not actually lame with it thankfully, so had her lesson at 4pm, then Antoinette rode her just for a short time at 5pm - just a gentle walk and trot to practise her dressage. We took her down and I was very brave and took off her head collar, lol. While Antoinette was putting all the tack away, Molly was nuzzling at the cut, and pawing at the ground, as if trying to tell me it was bothering her - so sad when there's nothing you can do! We put her in the field and we're going up after school today to see how she is. Hopefully, she's young and healthy and it will be healing well. Texted Pat, Molly'd owner just to let her know in case the stables hadn't (as they're not always the most organised, lol) and she's going up today to see her.

Antoinette's booked in for the next dressage comp. on 27th July and the next beach hack on 24th July, and Molly leaves our stables definitely on 13th August. I expect we'll have to go up to wave her off, but there will be tears!

Right! Off to find my SIS group in Yahoo now!

Bernie x

My first LO this month for the Scrap It Sassy CT. I chose a kit called Feel The Music by Kimmie's Kreations - get it here... https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_72&products_id=5327&zenid=3e67beee4a5fdb79ef5a6ddaf4ab2616

There are some gorgeous elemts in this kit - some I've used on other LOs but not on these ones, such as torn paper circles (love those!!), and some beautiful flower stems.

These b/gs made me want to do an elegant-feeling LO, so went with that, and left a higher shadow on the border so it appears to be within a box-frame (hopefully, anyway, lol!). This LO would actually go very well with the colours in my living room...maybe I should get it made into a canvas for hanging!!

Antoinette has just had layers put in her very long and thick hair. They look lovely, but she looks older than ever now - scary for me!!

Bernie x

The challenge for lesson 5 was to add this frame! So I started again with the photo of Antoinette and used different textures, and some I used the multiply blend on rather than soft light to get just the right tone for the photo. I love how this has turned out! It's just like an old b&w faded photo IMO! I love how it looks at this size, but when I zoom into it in my PSE5, the textures are actually amazing! It really looks like an old photo that the acid in the paper has started to affect! So I added the frame but reduced the opacity so it would blend in a little more, rather than just look stuck on top and too modern!

If I eat brekkie at the pooter might just have time for the extra challenge before I have to go!!

Bernie x

OK I'm up before anyone else this morning! When I woke up, my head was still buzzing with ideas and wanting to play with those textures again! I took another look at this photo and have faded it a tad more. I love the textures around the horse's feet...makes it look as if there were actually little waves there when there really weren't!

I've got hairdresser's at 10am so really mustn't get carried away on here, LOL!

Bernie x

For this lesson (5) we were told to use a black and white photo. But I wanted to have a go with a colour photo to see what happened! Well, here's the end result, and I love it! To me, it looks like it could be an old photo or even postcard...DD1 has just come in from Guides and loves it too! I had to play with the opacity of one of the textures as it made the horse look too orange! I also created a new adjustment layer of the original colour photo and desaturated it a bit to get the intense colour of the hi-vis jacket down a bit! It made such a difference! Am DEF gonna have to use this

technique on other colour photos!!

This class is fantastic! It's opening up more of the digi world to me,and I'm going to be able to use these techniques on photos for my digi scrapping, and get so many more different effects from the CT kits!

Off to watch Criminal Minds now - we always watch it together once Antionette is back from Guides as we wouldn't want her seeing any of it! I'm sure it wouldn't freak her as she's quite mature, but I just don't want those kind of ideas in her head!!!

Think I need a mug of hot milk or something, I'm absolutely buzzing from creating this photo effect! LOL! Easily pleased!!

Bernie x

Lesson 5 - adding textures. 3 textures were used. Although I love the effect, I'm not sure this combination were the best for this photo...personally I just don't like the 'lines' down the face! So, I need to have a play with all the other textures we were given to find out which I like best!

Lesson 4 - add a clipping mask. No challenges here for me, but fun to play with a freebie new mask!

Bernie x

Well, here is my end photo for lesson 3 of the Jessica Sprague photo editing class! I loved this class! Learnt about adjustment layers and hand-painting - love that technique, and I KNOW I will be using that more in the future!

On this photo, I desaturated it, added sepia tones and then blended the 2 things. Then I painted a bit of colour on her cheeks and lips, and made her eyes a proper blue like they are IRL (the camera had darkened them in the original photo so they didn't look blue at all once it had been desaturated a bit. Am really chuffed with this end result - could play at this sorta thing for hours, lol!!

One little bit of news thrilled me today! The Happiness LO below for the Scrap Like You Mean It challenge was chosen by Shimelle as being one of her half dozen or so favourites this week! Yay! Thanks Shimelle!

Off to do lesson 4 of the photo editing class now!

Bernie x

Well, was so inpired after the JS lessons, lol, that I went and made a LO for the Scrap Like You Mean It Challenge on UKScrappers!! Used border and corner brushes, and cannibalised a bit of wordart that came with the course to suit my needs!! The challenge was to scrap a happy story, so this is about Antoinette's beach hack (have so many photos, lol but Evie took this one!) and how happy it made her!

Credits: B/Gs - Sun-Sweet-Summer by Made by Sunflower available at PickleberryPop

border - Dawn Inskip - Strawberry Crush kit available at PickleberryPop

Frame brush - Border brushes for Photoshop by Pycola-Sama

Corners brush - Ornaments by Buburu

Flowers (Unknown - if anyone recognises them please shout so I can properly credit them!)

Wordart - House of 3 (via Jessica Sprague's Photo Editing Class) - cannibalised a tad though!!!

Font - Pea Haylie

Bernie x

Lesson 2 duly completed!! This time I DID learn something new! I learned that you can use the bracket keys on your keyboard to resize a brush!! In this lesson we used 2 brushes (from House of 3) to add a framed wordart to the photo! Can't wait for lesson 3 now - it's nice just to play for fun!!

Bernie x

Today I started the Jessica Sprague photo editing class - Frame Ups and Special Effects. Lesson 1 was to add a frame and wordart - nothing too complicated there, but I still LOVE the way she teaches via videocast!!! I'd chosen this photo before I knew what the wordart was, so then thought about changing it. But then I got to thinking...Sassy is a bit of an American term, and so not one I'd ever really use IRL, but the meaning it conveys to me is someone a little bit gutsy, stylish and on the ball. Well, this is Antoinette to a T!! Well, the stylish part is a bit tongue in cheek with regard to this photo, as there's a bit of a story! As we had to get Antoinette home and fed and watered before going to the stables to get Molly (the horse!) ready for their first ever beach hack, we arrived there after everyone else. So when Antoinette went to get a hi-vis jacket, there was only one left. It was all tatty, had buttons missing and was way too long for her really! But still, she didn't complain and made the best of it! That's my girl!

BTW, my then-6 yr old DD Evie took the photo!!

On to lesson 2 now!

Bernie x

My next two LOs, using Boys Will Be Boys kit by Aleah's Mummy Designs, available at Digital Pixel Pixies...http://digitalpixelpixies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_22&products_id=13 . I was wondering if this would be harder for me to use having 2 girls, but there is SO much in the kit, and such varied items, that it was really easy to use! There's so much more that I haven't been able to use on these LOs, and they would be suitable for all kinds of LO themes! I love the dramatic b/gs and unusual elements! As well as all the gorgeous blingy stuff!!

Family News: Not much to tell today really! Think Evie's having a growing spurt as she's eaten like a horse this evening (usually her appetite resembles that of a sparrow!!). Andy's getting ready to take his schoolkids to Birmingham tomorrow (yep, Birmingham! Must be mad! Bit of a trek!) - their Choir got through to the Nationals of a comp., so it had to be done! Mums' going with him as they had spare seats on the coach, and is meeting up with her sister, Marion for a couple of hours before the performance!

Antoinette is still faithfully taping banana skin to her cluster of veruccas on her big toe to see if they will get rid where bazooka and freezing solution have so far failed!! I'd heard about this before, but when I saw it in the Healthspan magazine, I thought we'd give it a go. After that it may well be a trip to the Dr. and then the clinic...she won't like that!!! At the moment she's miffed that she'll miss swimming on Wednesday because of them...but doesn't want me to buy a verucca sock, as everyone will know!! Mad girl! mind you, she must be mad wanting to swim in thr school pool anyway, lol! It's not changed much since I attended the school! I'm pleased my dislike of swimming hasn't rubbed off on her though!

Right! got some more uploading to do before I can crash and watch the new Torchwood progs!

Bernie x

Here are my first two LOs for Digital Pixel Pixies. I was given the Designer Aleah's Mummy Designs and these LOs are made using her Angel kit available here http://digitalpixelpixies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_22&products_id=87. It's stuffed full of items which are so beautiful and delicate! I really enjoyed myself playing with them!

Bernie x

Just a quick little LO (although with all the erasing on the frame it wasn't actually that quick, lol) for the July Minikit challenge at Digital Pixel Pixies. You're given a minikit to play with, and can use other stash too, and this is what I came up with! http://digitalpixelpixies.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=22&sort=20a&page=1. I used the minikit with some more elements from the Angel Kit and also Boys will Be Boys (I believe - everything got a bit mixed up towards the end as I chopped and changed stuff about!)

Am drooping a bit in the heat now, so just going to upload to DPP and then watch Casualty!

Bernie x

This is my effort for the July Template Challenge over at Digital Pixel Pixies! I used the absolutely beautiful kit Whimsical Life by Arkansas Outhouse Scraps available here - http://digitalpixelpixies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_10&products_id=566. At the moment, it is on sale at the ridiculous price of $0.50!! There are truly beautiful b/gs in there, as well as loadsa gorgeous elements!

Just off to upload it to DPP now! Thanks for a lovely template!

Bernie x

Well, here are my LOs using another fabby kit from Bits N Bobs! It's called Sailboats and is available at Exquisite Scraps - http://exquisitescraps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_150&products_id=2042. It has gorgeous elements in it, and lovely colours, all of which makes it easy to produce Los on any theme! Funny enough, despite the title of the kit, I didn't use any seaside photos, lol! There's loads more in the kit to use yet as well!

Family News: It has been so hot and humid here today, I think it took its toll on poor Evie! She fell asleep on the sofa at 5pm for an hour and a half this evening, managed to then wake up and eat a little and have a drink, then watched 'Finding Nemo' in a bit of a zombie state, lol, before going to bed at 8.45pm! Mind you Andy & I feel much the same - my eyes are blurring over as I type, and Andy's snoozing on the sofa with the lappy staring at him!!

Evie got her school report today. Everyone is really pleased with her; she's working slightly above the national average in most subjects (which is amazing considering the start her class had to Year 2 - her teacher went off sick, then long-term sick, and finally resigned; there were a string of supply teachers for the first term; the 2nd and 3rd term they had the same supply teacher but it was her first posting so she was a bit wet around the ears and I think found handling some of the more naughty little boys hard work! Finally a new permanent teacher started - who attends out Church as it happens and has connections with the school from a few years back - and she is FANTASTIC! I really can't fault her on anything! (And I can be quite picky!!). She's good with the parents, good with the kids, really cares, and the kids - esp. Evie! - LOVE her!!); and her confidence has improved in leaps and bounds, going from needing to put her hand up more in class and participate in more class discussions last year, to 'Evie can be relied upon to fully particpate in class discussions'!! Only today she got a merit for being the only person to come up with the answer to the question 'what should you do if you make a mistake?'...she said make a new start! Her kindness to others and awareness of the needs of others has been noticed, as has her willingness to help out in any way she can - the class teacher said she often gives her responsibilities because of this, and wanted to take the opportunity to thank Evie for all her help!! So more proud parent moments for Andy and me!!

Antoinette is going to London next week to visit a Sikh temple, which we think is a fantastic opportunity - not many of those in Margate! Not any in fact! However, there are only 4 girls from her class going! Comments from the girls has ranged from 'we don't have any religion' (great reason for not going - NOT!) to 'it's a rough area of London'!! Just hoping there are more takers from the other classes in her year group, as we'd hate the trip to be cancelled for lack of numbers!

Now I'm going to go to bed I think!

Bernie x

I decided not to start any CT Los this evening as I was so tired, and just to do a LO for the Scrap Like You Mean It Challenge at UKScrappers. I'm really pleased I did, as it came out just as I'd hoped!!

Credits: b/g, bird, butterflies = Arkansas Outhouse Scraps Southern breeze kit available at Digital Pixel Pixies - http://digitalpixelpixies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_10&products_id=561 - it's MASSIVELY on sale atm, so grab it quick!!!

Wire, ribbon, flowers, paper circles = Kimmies Kreations Feel The Music kit available at Scrap It Sassy - https://scrapitsassy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_72&products_id=5327&zenid=61975c6604f907f8c2c7b41414e79298 - also on sale so grab ANOTHER bargain!!

Splat = Corinne Designs @Boutique Digiscrap - Matin Calin add on - http://www.boutique-digiscrap.com/boutique.php?preview=ADDMATINCALINCORINNE - beautiful kits!

Mask = Dawn Inskipp - Strawberry Crush - available at Pickleberrypop - http://www.pickleberrypop.com/shop/product.php?productid=4433&cat=0&page=1 - absolutely gorgeous kit...def worth treating yourself!!

Family news: Evie's butterflies started emerging on Sunday night, so they wer eset free yesterday evening. That's the reason I used the butterflies on this LO - they're very like the ones we had - Painted ladies - in colour at least!! - and Evie has loved every minute of having the caterpillas and then the butterfly house. I think she'll remember it forever, esp. when she looks at this LO!

Antoinette has had a slightly wonderful week so far! On Monday evening she took part in her first dressage comp for over a year, riding Molly of course, and came joint 2nd!! She looked so beautiful, and just like the 'professional' riders on the TV! All poshed up and with her hair in a bun and net!! Proud mummy moment or what?!!!!

Then today I treated Antoinette to a new hair cut! Not just a cut but a nice wash and treatment too...she's had layers put in and her hair was then dried and straightened. She loves, I love it, and she looks even more beautiful than before, if that's possible!! It really suits her, and has taken a lot of the weight out of her really thick hair at this hot time of year!

Just a shame she's had a pile of Maths homework this evening, but still, it all got done eventually, even if it did mean another late night!

I've got 4 kits all downloaded and waiting to be worked on for the 3 CTs I'm on, but am way too tired to start tonight! Am so inspired though, having seen (and used!) some bits of them this evening on this LO!!!

Must get to bed now!

Bernie x