My Album about us!

The front cover and a spread of all the pages. Peter sitting in the garden trying to fix his old video recorder. Me on the boat over to Denmark. Peter drinking beer in the evening in Copenhagen.

Becci and Roy in Deventer.

TIm & Alicia

This is a lovely layout of my son and his girlfriend that I have framed for them. The dappled light on the photo was gorgeous and the dotty paper directly under the photo reflected this perfectly. I chose the green colours as it was taken in the garden and I just loved the effect they gave the photo. Everyone say 'ah...'!!!!

Suzanne & Clare

This layout is really all about the journaling so the photo itself is only fixed on the left hand side. It lifts up so that you can read all the text. I used the text paper as a background to reflect the fact that Clare and I have been friends all our lives and have therefore talked a lot!!!! It is a different style for me I think, but it just felt right for what I wanted to say in this layout so it happened all by itself!!!!

MY first ever explosion card!!

This is an explosion card!! Which means that it is folded in such a way that the front square pops out towards you when you open it. Clever, eh?!!!! I had added the greeting on the back right hand side of the card and the stamp of hand-made authenticity on the right. It worked well so I think I will make some more!!!

More cards!

A card for a birthday in September. There is a Happy Birthday stamp from Catslife Press hidden behind the flower that is a pull-out one. This is for my friend Anne who I am visiting next month. I wanted to send her a letter with a nice card as she is not very well right now. Hope it cheers her up! This is a card for my cousin and his wife who are arriving here tomorrow. I took these photos of their children on the day they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary so I have made a keepsake card for them. I love these flowers that I had in the august kit from AMM. And the metal rings around the brads were in the Simpel Scrappen card kit; they are used for making jewellry so I guess you can buy them in bead shops too. If you like my cards I'd love to get a comment from you please?!

Two layouts using the JULY SCRAPKIT from SCRAPFEVER

Tim and Oma together; the youngest and oldest members of the Kalkman family at present. Tim is 15 and Oma is 89! She thought it was so great to have this photo taken of them together. Me and my best friend Peter on his 50th birthday in June - you remember we went to England to surprise him?! We have been friends since we were 11 and 10 respectively, so worth celebrating this with one another! We are so alike in many ways that we could be twins!! ( I mean in our ways and habits and thought patterns etc!). Last time we spoke I said something to him and then said " I know what you are thinking!!" and Peter said " how did you know that?" and I said we have been able to read each others thoughts for so many years it was easy!!! Our sense of humour is also very similar but under NO CIRCUMSTANCES could one say our musical taste is the same!!!! His is a very unusual eclectic one that no-one would WANT to imitate it!!!! But I still love him dearly!!! xx

My room is getting there slowly!!

Filling up my IKEA cupboard slowly! It is fantastic to have this wall of scrap!!! Some of my books etc are now on shelves etc and my stereo from downstairs is now in situ so I can enjoy music while I work! Just been hanging a few of my precious things up where I can get them at the moment. I like to surround myself with the gifts my friends give me, as this is my special place in our house. At the moment I am here under the window which is great. I have got a workspace that runs the whole length of the wall so room for friends!!! Loking at my space from another angle!!! I am so happy to be getting it all sorted out finally. I can now access the majority of my stuff but still need to set up the tools etc so I can use the Cricut and my Cuttlebug again. But getting there is half the fun!!!!

Some little treats for me and my friend!

THIS IS THE FLIP CAMERA!!!Peter has ordered me one of these!! I love it to bits already and it is only just been put in the post! I saw it on a blog.. dangerous things these blogs, I see too much! and I decided that it was ideal for someone like me who has NEVER shot a video EVER!!!! And it looks so easy and fits into my handbag etc and is CUTE!!! So that is what is making me happy today - and I think it is wonderful of Peter to get me it. Thanks darling!xx

As another treat I have booked for a pedicure next week as doing anything to my toenails at the moment is impossible! I cannot touch them as I cannot bend that far yet! So I felt it was in order to get a pedicure and solve that problem in a very relaxing manner! And then I have booked for Lindsey and I to have a treatment afternoon together when she is here in September. She is feeling rather stressed at the moment so I thought it would be nice to treat her to a little something during her stay. We are going to a local beauty place so it is only small, hence the need to book well in advance! I think it will do us both good.

3 cards using the simpel scrappen card kit for this month.

For my aunt who has had a knee replacement operation this week! For my colleagues and clients at the day centre where I work. For my friend Karin, who turns 50 this month! These cards are all made with the papers and embellishments in my cardkit which arrived yesterday. I am not a red and black fan at all, so it made a change to be using colours and patterns I would otherwise avoid. It was a challenge! but I enjoyed it just the same. The kit is a monthly one, and has got enough materials for a minimum of 3 cards and certainly more, or tags etc. that you want to make as well. I think it is super! I have not used any stamps this time as they are a bit over-done at the moment - just about any and everyone is bringing out a line of stamps and I have had enough!!! I have my favourites but cards without stamps are just as pretty and wonderful I think. These have got text rub-ons on them and some stickers instead.