New Playmate...

While sat at a bar on the hillside in Zia waiting to see the famous view of the sunsetting over the coastline Laura made some new friends.  Good job she only had a small bag with her as I think this guy may have ended up being smuggled on to the plane home.  What a cutie?

To create my page I used a sheet of paper from a fabulous new paper pad I've just bought by G.C.D.  It's called Homespun Chic in the Melody Ross Designer Collection and has probably been out ages as I got it at a bargain price as usual.  Can't afford to buy things when they are first released - what a cheap skate!

It's double sided paper but I've only used the one side of this sheet with it's fabulous flowers that have a shiny coating on them almost as if they have been varnished or embossed with extra thick embossing powder.  I mat and layered my photo in matching colours and then slit around the flowers so that I could tuck the photo underneath. The bird was also already part of the designer paper.  Eeeeeeeeeek didn't leave me much to do really did it.

I knew I want to have cat prints on the page so after much cupboard searching I found a punch bought many years ago and started punching the paw prints out in the same paper as my matting and layering.  Then I remembered the Xyron Design Runner disk (that was part of a set and one I thought I would never use) with pet sentiments.  Eureka I spotted the 'Pounce' one and realised that it would be too small printed on my page, but with the power of the Cricut I could cut the letters and a circle for the 'O' and then punch the paw print inside.  Yay I'm so pleased with the result.    One of those moments when things come together with very little hair pulling out!

Sorry for rambling!  My page is perfect for the challenge at Stuck on Sketches where they have started a new challenge for people to encourage the use of die cutting machines.

I'd also like to enter the challenges at...

• Creative Craft Challenges - Anything but a card
• Try it on Tuesday - Anything goes
• Bling it on - challenge to have things beginning with ABC on project ...A = artwork, B = bird and blooms, C = cat.
• Sir Stampalot - Whatever you fancy!

Well I'm off to do the facing page to complete this project.  Have a great day everyone.

Later in the day and here's page two!

I was really lucky to find some WR Memory Keepers ring bound scrap books at TK Max a little while ago.  They had 10 pages in them, but they weren't the normal type of scrap book page.  Each page has a long slot at the top and 4 clear pockets for 6" by 4" photos.  At first I didn't think they would be any use, but actually I love them, because it means I can plan one full normal 12" by 12" scrapbook page and then on the other side use the 'strange' page to show some of the other photos.  The top slot gives a space to be a little more creative. On this page I've used the stripey designer paper and edged it with paw prints using the Xyron Design Runner.  I printed the sentiment 'Can we take one home Mum?' on to acetate and attached it to the top of the paper.

Love and hugs,

Ann xxx