ABAA & Lots to do - both challenges

Im so sorry Ive been a bad blogger and its taken me so long to get mybutt into gear !
This is my entry for the monthly ABAA challenge which this month was Dragonflies.

This layout is of my Dads sister Jennie in her younger days. She was very pretty I think.








This next layout is my entry for the Lots to do weekly challenge which was stamping.

The picture is of my dads sister Edna with one of her friends. I use my "Girlfriends Matter " stamp as Ednas friends meant alot to her and another stamped quote.

I also added a grungeboard swirl which I originally had ready for last weeks challenge and Im sorry I didnt get around to posting.

Im really sorry its taking so long these days, my after school clubs have broken up now for the summer so that should free up alot of time, but on the other hand I have just got a new job so after the initial training hopefully things will settle down again. Its not like im not crafting, Im actually doing more than before, its just that im not getting the time to blog and blog hop. Apologies to everyone I havent forgotten you all, and i will get around to visiting soon i promise.

Thanks for stopping by my blog I appriciate your support.

ABAA - Shells & Vintage layouts

As everything revloves around my vintage scrapbooking these days this is my entry for ABAA I have so many pictures to do I knew I would be able to find one to fit most themes.

This one is of my Dads 2 sisters on the beach at Whitley Bay. Those bathing costumes look fab, very different from the ones girls wwear now hehehe.

This is Edna and Jennie, and this picture is the start of the new images I have just inherited from the other side of my family. Now I am working with both sides of the family and I have just bought the 4th album for my vintage collection. I am so pleased with how quickly they are coming together, although I cant say the same for the pile of ironing.....









These pictures are of my Mam , Jean when she was younger, I enjoyed this layout , loved colouring all the butterflies with distress inks.





I think my camera must need charging as the colours do look as vibrant as they should.







This is May Gray, she was the daughter of my Grandfathers sister Annie, May used to enjoy performing on stage just like her cousin Amalia (shown in prvious layouts)

I used a stencil and distress inks to make the flowers on the page.





The last page is of my Grandmothers 2 sisters and her brother in law.


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Coming Together Nicely..........

I cant believe how much time has passed since I posted......SORRY......

I thought when I separated my vintage album into 3 separated albums I would have some space to carry on working on my pages, I cant believe that I only have 2 pages to do and one of those albums is full.

I was also very pleased to have found an incredible amount of new vintage photos at my cousins home ( who is the son of my dads sister) , these ones are from the other side of my family opening up a very exciting collection.

Again they are dating back to the 1800's and I cant wait to start working with them.
The family history is really taking shape and it fantastic to be able to put faces to all the names and little stories about them all. It is very interesting and my books have spurred aunts to look for more photos for me to work with which is great.

I am sorry that I havent managed to blog very much lately , I must try and get caught up, but I must admit its hard as this project is consuming alot of my time, but well worth it as its making a brilliant collection of albums for my family and my grandchildren.

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Dire Straits, Why Worry

Dire Straits was Hannahs Dads favourite group.

Recently a friend mentioned she had seen Mark Knopfler and she had been lucky enough to get some great photos of him.

His favourite album was Brothers in Arms and he always loved the song "Why Worry".

It seemed quite fitting as it was his birthday, to make a layout for Hannah for her memory album replicating the cover of the albm and incorporating some small photos of her dad with the photos of Mark Knopfler.
Im sure looking down from heaven....or wherever he is, he would be pleased with the layout as Hannah is unable to send him a card.

She will keep this in her album as a reminder of his birthday and also his favourite band and album.

Happy Birthday Dave wherever you are ........

Church Fete is here again.....

Once again the Church Fete is here again and we are making bits and bobs for sale......
This week I have managed to make some bookmarks and some notepad holders....

Its hard trying to think of different things.

The kids at the after school club have been trying these also and done a fantastic job.

When 1 becomes 3......

This week saw the final 2 pages in my vintage album........but not for long.

I was really pleased with the album , I adore all of the pages although I must admit I do have a couple of favourites.

However it hasnt ended there, due to the fact that I still have hundreds of amazing images I have spent the last hour splitting up the album.
I have separated the pages into families now, One album (the original) now contains Memories of the Wilson Family, the 2nd album, Memories of the Lavery Family, and the 3rd Memories of the Douglas Family .

So now my new task is to work on 3 separate albums until they are full and then I can split them again to other family groups.

It may sound complicated but it is creating some lovely pieces of family history.
I am enjoying finding out all of the information to create the journaling also.

Well off to do another page....Thanks for stopping by my blog.

New Pages, the first album is nearly complete....

With only a few pages left to do my first vintage album is nearly complete.

These pages show my Great Grandfather Edward Cherry, Great Grandma Green who was actually a neighbour that helped to look after the family when my Great Grandmother passed away. Also my Grandparents Thomas Henry Lavery and his wife Isabella ( nee Cherry). Thomas and Isabella were my Dads parents.

This set of pictures were actually made from a set of oil paintings that my cousin has. I used my melting pot to make some embellishments for this page. Also a stencil to make the flourishs for the page.

The very pink page is me when i was very small. This page was inspired by the Vintage Pram card on the bottom left of the page, and also the little wooden rag doll which were a gift from my friend Pauline. Thank you Pauline.

Only a few more pages and thats the first album done, cant wait to start the next and as I complete more pages i intend to separate them into families, so that each book will be a record of each leg of the family. I really enjoy working with these old images and I am very grateful to members of my family who have rallied around to make sure i have lots to work with.
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Vintage Scrapbook

This is the sister of the lady in the other layout below.
Believed to be my Great Aunt Annie.
It looks as though the photo was taken at the same time as the one in the previous layout. It is another image from the glass negatives that we found.
Annie grew up and went on to marry Joe Gray , had 2 children, May and Tom.
Annie owned the local hairdressers in Boldon and her husband Joe owned the local hardware shop.
There is a previous layout of the Gray family earlier on my blog.
I remember being told when i was young that she pierced her own ears with a hot needle straight from the fire.......

Again using some heritage papers and some lovely lace that my friend Denise sent from Africa.

The first album is nearly full, but i still have hundreds of photos so i suppose volume 2 is fast approaching !

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