Goodbye Gotta Craft

I have some sad news today. Sandra from Gotta Craft is shutting up shop. I'm going to miss her store very much, and I want to send it a fond and loving farewell From High in the Sky. 

Sandra was the first person to ask me to do any Design Team stuff and I'll always remember that. She has been an absolute pleasure to work for - we've had a lot of fun! - and I'll certainly be keeping an eye on her personal blog to see what she gets up to. I hope that Clare and I will continue to enjoy each other's scrapbooking too.

Of course, saying good bye does mean there has to be one last hurrah -and Sandra has a fantastic Closing Down Sale running right now. Go here to grab a bargain (or two or three or four..)

..and if you are a Gotta Crafter - please don't say good bye, keep on saying hello. I'll be looking out for you!

So long Sandra. And thanks for everything

A favourite page from a Gotta Craft kit

from Autumn last year. 

Totally Tagged

Wasn't that a fantastic Storytelling Sunday? 48 of you with a tale to tell! (..and there's still time to join in if you have one in mind..). Every month it feels like a privilege to be yarning along with you all. Thank you.

But today? Today I'm using up scraps

with a page inspired by a sheet of patterned paper. Have you seen Bazzill's Wayfarer collection? It includes one design with a row of labels and motifs printed  down the right hand side. That looks neat, I thought when I spotted it; and I took the look and "Sliced it".

I cut a selection of tags and labels from the remnants of April's Gotta Craft kit, added a little bit of stamping (I'm making myself learn!) and a mini clothes peg to make a quick page about my flowery peg bag. Everyone here is glad to see the pegbag appear at this time of year - I refuse to have a tumble drier and so we spend the winter with clothes hanging off radiators..

I think this is going to be one of those designs I'll come back to again and again. It even feels like the kind of layout I could make in advance - with a neutral background and lots of colours in the tags it could suit lots of different photos. Oh, yes.

Happy Tuesday! The rain has stopped here and the laundry is going outside. I hope you have sunshine today too.

Run, Sian, Run

if you're a regular round here you'll probably already know that I'm not a runner. I don't mind a good walk. Running? Not so much.

But there was a time, many years ago, when I pulled on a pair of shorts and I persuaded my little sister to join me. We were world class Olympic athletes. We were the best of the best. Of course we were. We had numbers pinned to our vests.

This is the second of my pages this month for Gotta Craft.

Stars, circles, rosettes and banners cut with the Slice and rub-ons added from my stash.

Any Olympic memories going right back in your family?



April at Gotta Craft

Thursday morning. I'm hoping you've all had as nice an Easter time as we have. We visited Granny, we picnicked with friends and we went to the seaside. But now it's back to work..

..wait, did I say work? This isn't work! This is a page about relaxing made with the April kit from Gotta Craft.

Dear Lizzy's Neapolitan? Might just be better than icecream! This collection has been selling out everywhere, so check out Sandra's lovely kit while it's still available. She's mailing them out today...

..and I'm going to see what else I can use from leftover bits on my desk. That "you" was cut with my Slice from a Kraft tag I made. I think you can see where the Kraft coloured "bubbles" came from too

Have a happy Thursday! But do let me know - bath? or shower? Which do you prefer?



Oh Bugsy

Everyone remembers the first couple of times they went to the cinema. Don't they? The very first film I saw was Disney's The Apple Dumpling Gang, with a friend, for her birthday. The next year we queued up for Bugsy Malone.

How much did I love that film? As soon as I saw the big old car sticker on the Times & Seasons sticker sheet from Gotta Craft that's what I thought of.

I wanted to drive one of those cars. I wanted Mary Jane shoes and a cloche hat and a handbag that shut with a snap. I even thought about finding myself a gangster boyfriend. Though I was only ten at the time. Instead I used to lie in bed at night and sing myself to sleep. "I could have been anything that I wanted to be.."

Everything on the page (apart from the October Afternoon buttons) is from Glitz and Echo Park, from Gotta Craft. Sandra will be open again on Monday 9th January. She is busy adding lots of new American Crafts stock and I can't wait to have a look..



That Was Movember

I'm not being festive today. I'm just being plain silly.

When Sandra from Gotta Craft sent me some Echo Park Times & Seasons, the first paper I pulled from the stack had moustaches printed on it. Have to do something with that I thought. And thought. And thought. Until I heard The Tall One talking about Movember. He already sports some ambitious sideburns. Could a moustache be next?

Maybe not. But he had given me an idea for a page. First I had to find a volunteer. Someone who didn't mind looking a bit silly. All the obvious candidates shook their heads, so instead my beady eye fell on... a pair of beady eyes. Gary The Magificent? You're on.

Beard and hat shape cut with Slice Mistletoe card

Tagging..

I'm "tagging" everyone today with a quick reminder that it's Storytelling Sunday tomorrow. Oh, but wait, I do have some tags too

This one:

The full pinboard is posted on the Gotta Craft blog

and this one:

and then this one:

A little glimpse of a quick Christmas banner I made with two different punches and the sewing machine

and then I took that top one and added it to the second page of my Christmas album:

Definitely no snow here yet!

Again, thank you to everyone who has "liked" my new Facebook page. I'm having fun with it so far, adding little snippets of news. I completely understand if you aren't a Facebooker fan - but if you are, you will find me here

November at Gotta Craft

I love making things for Sandra at Gottacraft. I really do. But sometimes I laughingly wonder if I take my brand loyalty a little too far. Lying in wet grass taking photos of pumpkins? Anything you say boss..

Actually the pumpkins were all my own idea. I can't blame Sandra at all. As soon as I saw the November kit I thought of pumpkins. Take note! Because this kit is full of Lily Bee's beautiful Memorandum line; and it won't hang about for long. These papers are perfect. Not only do they have lovely subtle patterns on one side - flip them over and they have ledger patterns on the reverse! I have already been back to the shop to order a Tiny Tablet of 6x6 papers because each ledger design is perfect for adding a journaling spot. And together they have the makings, i think, of my 2011 Christmas album. Look -

they work for Christmas designs too.

And those pumpkins? Shop bought. The harvest wasn't too good round here this year. Next year we'll start early.

Leaf shape cut with Slice, alpha from the kit and phrase sticker from the add-on

Punch Drunk at Halloween

We're at a turning point with Halloween celebrations here. Gone are the days of the school Fireworks display, and the Fancy Dress competitions, and the I'm-scared-of-sparklers-but-let's-have-some-anyway. We will still have the traditional apple tart; and some nuts, and maybe a toffee apple or two. And I hope to catch a glimpse of Little E in his dinsoaur suit. We do have treats ready for callers, though, and we have done a bit of decorating.

But it's more grown-up decorating this year. I made a "chandelier" for the Gotta Craft Blog, with scraps of blue and grey paper and black cardstock; and a LOT of punched shapes. Dozens and dozens of witches, all punched out and hot glue gunned on. More pictures on the shop blog!

And tonight? Stay safe, but have a spookily splendid time!

The Paper Bag album

We've a lot of things on this week here at High In The Sky. Mostly appointments of the medical kind - just check ups all round, nothing to fret over. But, wow, they don't half blow a hole in the day. I'm close to blowing into a brown paper bag instead of creating with one.

Or two. Or three. I'm guessing I'm a bit late to the crafting table with paper bag albums. Years ago I asked Uncle Dave to bring me back some lunch sacks from the States. I have a stack - hold on while I measure - 7 inches high. So it's a good job I enjoyed making one, really. I have enough for a few more.

This one came about becasue I was trying to think of a way to showcase all the patterns on both sides of the MME Lost and Found papers Sandra from Gotta Craft sent me. Lots of the sheets had a special "bit" printed in one corner, so I decided that if I made a 6x6 mini album, I would be able to quarter each sheet and make use of the feature pattern. So, I made the front and back covers from half a sheet of paper.

I've been pulling out a few photos of my Grandparents to go inside and thinking about the journaling and if you would like to see more - check out the Gotta Craft shop blog this week. Or have a look today at the sneak peek for this month's kit which goes on sale tonight. I think you'll like it.

August At Gotta Craft

Today I have two pages I made with the August Gotta Craft kit. It was blissful! No, really. It was Authentique's new Blissful collection and I did enjoy using it very much.

First of all I made this one:

taking the photo of me in my grey shirt as my starting point. I'm looking contemplative, don't you think? The little fold up journaling card in the kit was perfect for tucking away some private thoughts.

And then I made this:

which was inspired by the chipboard banners in the kit. I added some buttons from my stash and a few flashes of pink with papers from one of the new Authentique 6x6 paper pads. 6x6? Perfect! I'm always hoarding my full sheets of patterned paper to use as backgrounds. This way I can use smaller sheets to add accents and make embellishments. And I will. Oh, yes, you can count on it.

July at Gotta Craft

Today I get to show you what I made with the July kit from Gotta Craft. Odds & Ends from Cosmo Cricket? Gorgeous!

First I did a layout about a bit of kitchen accessory shopping:

Red letters and numbers and blue doily cut with Paper Reverie Slice card. Button and cream alphas included in the kit

then I kept on cutting out those paper dolls so that I could make some tags:

Ribbons from my stash

and then I made a card

Twine, papers and cardstock from the kit. "Cherish" cut with Paper Reverie Slice card

or two

Leaves from the kit

I have lots left and I'm hoping to get stuck in again soon. I might even be ordering seconds...

Cards and Cast Your Vote

This card making thing is kind of addictive, isn't it?

Sandra from Gotta Craft sent me some beautiful Girls Paperie bits and so I made this one:

and this one:

I'm going to need to look for a nice box to keep them in. Another few weeks and I'll be starting on Christmas cards!

But before I do, I'd like to ask you a question. That top photo, the close-up one - do you like to see close-up detail shots? Or are you happy with a single picture of a layout? I'm thinking about photos at the minute and I'd love to know what you think, so please cast your vote below...

Twine Pompoms

I've been having a bit of a thing with string lately. Sandra from Gotta Craft sent me some of the new MME twine and I think it's lovely. I made a few little pompoms for the blog and I thought you might like to see them too:

I pulled out a little bow maker I've had since my miniature making days

I wrapped the twine round about eight times

I threaded a needle with embroidery thread so that it was easy to pass it under the twine. Then I tied a tight knot.

I slipped the pompom off the bowmaker and fluffed it up.

Then I used it to dress up a Crate paper journaling card for a quick tag.

The Sampler

I've told you already, I know, about the treasure I collect every time I visit my Mum. last time it was the vintage patterns; the time before it was a blackwork sampler.

Mum had worked on it for as long as her hands would let her; but it wasn't finished and she wondered if I'd like to take it on. It's a lovely thing, striking in its monotone simplicity and its beautiful stitching. I've laundered it and looked at it, and thought about the "join" which will surely show. And then I've realised what a good thing that join will be. The work of two generations in one sampler? That's a story in itself.

Yes, it's teal and black and white again. With more rosettes because I'm still loving them; and the 1 2 3 title worked on the paper in cross stitch

Today's layout is brought to you with the help of Gotta Craft's May kit which is filled with Lily Bee's "This and That". I made two more pages with these beautiful papers; and you will find them on the Gotta Craft Blog right here

March at Gotta Craft

Today I have my March Gotta Craft pages to show you. Sandra has put together a truly lovely kit based around the new For The Record papers by Echo Park and they are gorgeous. Richly printed, double sided and ready for Spring. This is what I made:

For this one I cut the roses from one sheet of paper and put them back together again to embellish a page about a trip I made to a rose garden with my Auntie Rose. I used a sticker from the add-on sticker sheet as my title because it matched the colour and font of the sign in the photo.

This one shows a photo of some back copies of a family magazine I created when I was about nine. As soon as I saw the typewriter sticker and the yellow and black papers, this is the story I wanted to tell

And this one is about a little girl who didn't get to the beach very often, but made the most of it when she did.

And I've still got some bits and pieces left. There may be more to come..

I think Sandra has a couple of kits here and the individual papers are here. I can recommend the sticker sheet -it's packed!

Have a nice Sunday, whatever you are up to! I'm off to a birthday party. With ice cream.

You Need to Know

When you grow up with teachers for parents, you get used to being told things. Lots of things. Useful, educational things you didn't realise you needed to know. Especially when you were only asking if there were any more cornflakes.

So I'm always just a little bit wary of, um, instructional opportunities with my own two. All the same, every so often, the stars align, I'm feeling my parenting groove, and I open my big mouth..

This page records a day when The Small One and I talked about Suffragettes and elections and why I like to use my vote to honour the bravery of those women who dared to ask.

The journaling reads: "The end of term production of Mary Poppins gave The Small One a chnace to march on stage as one of Mrs Banks' Suffragette friends. We had just finished voting in the European election and so we had an interesting opportunity to talk about equality. The background photos are from the BBC History magazine's article on The Cat and Mouse Act.

Before I go today- Gotta Crafters, if you would like a peek at this month's kit, then head over to the shop blog where I have posted some sneaks today.

The Way We Wore

I've been reading through all your seventies stories after Saturday's post and laughing out loud at how many of us suffered the same fate. And thinking we are all still here to tell those tales with a smile, so I guess the damage doesn't run too deep! All the same, special mention has to go to Sarah (whose mum cunningly crafted kaftans from tablecloths) - Sarah, we salute you.

Of course there had to be a layout in there somewhere. And here it is:

That's me on the right hand end, dressed in a top which was first a dress. And, in a happy coincidence after Thursday's photo of The Small One's first glasses, you can see mine here. Blue. Plastic. Don't we all look like we are having fun? Though, to be fair, I think it was a very hot day (it must have been - some of those legs haven't seen a pair of shorts since).

I used some of the Crate Paper Sandra sent me from the Gotta Craft sale stock, and some of her KI Memories Heartfelt Patches, mixed in with a few bits I pulled from my stash. There might not be room on the front; but there is on the back: I'm going to add your seventies style stories right on there with mine.

Until Thursday!