Photos galore!

Today’s blog prompt: In general, do you prefer to scrapbook with single photos or a group of photos? Share a few of your favourite examples with your blog readers. 

I have tons of photos of my nephews when they were younger so I try to fling loads of photos on each page! I usually manage about 4 photos easily as I tend to scrap 12x12. It also means that I don't have to worry too much about fancy embellishments! The only time I tend to scrap a single photos is if I have some really fab paper which I want to show off!! 

To see examples of what I do take a look at my dddeeebbbzzz does blog.

DIY

Today’s blog prompt: Share a story with your readers about one moment when you felt independent and in control.

Another easy one - the day I bought my own electric drill and used it!

Today’s blog prompt: What do you do when don’t feel very creative or feel like you’ve hit a creative block? Share a few tips that help you get back to yourself.

Fortunately this hasn't happened to me very often. I subscribe to both the Scrapagogo and Cleo Crafts kits and so at least twice a month I have something new to play with! Because I've paid for the stash I make sure that I use it!! It makes me try new things and scrap in new ways. The booklet which comes with the Gogo kit is also a great help.
If in doubt I go to the UKS gallery, hop around a few blogs or take a look at Scrapbook Inspirations and scraplift!

Rocking all over the world!

Today’s blog prompt: Who was your personal favourite teeny-bopper pin-up? Share a story about that dreamboat or another happy teenage memory with your readers.I was a big Status Quo fan in my youth! Francis Rossi was my favourite. I went to see them at Southampton's Gaumont when I was about 16. My friend had booked tickets separately to me. Her bulk booking for several people got her seats in Row U. My single ticket got me into Row C! I had a great time bopping in the aisles and I couldn't hear properly the next day!! Brilliant!! And yes, I had denim jeans and a denim waistcoat!! 

It's murder!

Today’s blog prompt: What’s your favourite reading material? Like the kind of favourite that you would take it to read if you had to cut off the rest of the world for years and years?

Oh, this is an easy one! I love murder mysteries. I have every Agatha Christie novel - I can never decide whether I'm a Poirot or Miss Marple girl. I read Ellis Peter's Cadfael books long before they came out on TV. Elizabeth George, Lindsey Davis, Candace Robb, Michael Jecks, Paul Doherty, Elizabeth Peters - I love them all. I don't mind where or when the stories are set. I like a detective who uses their brain and doesn't resort to to much violence! I always get it wrong and can never work out 'whodunnit'! I just find it amazing how everything fits together in the end. I really admire the way the author's mind works to pull it all together and even the tiniest clue has relevance. If I was cut off from the world I'd have time to re-read them to dissect the evidence!

Crafty heroes!

Today’s blog prompt: Tell your blog readers about someone who has been a creative influence in your life -- a crafty mum, aunt or grandparent, an influential school teacher or a friend who brought out your creative side, perhaps.

Thinking back there have been so many crafty people in my life.

• Mum, who knitted and sewed and went to pottery classes. She now does cross stitch and makes cards using her computer. She also created fab food when I was young!
  
• Dad, who made things in his shed - dolls houses and toy farms, model steam engines, a tall ship model - all sorts of things. He also went to painting classes at night school.
  
• My nan, who knitted us jumpers when we were little. I remember that they were generally itchy!
  
• A great aunt who gave me a tatting bobbin and book. I like trying new crafts.
  
• My best friend at school who was great at art.
  
• The Guiding training sessions I went to and learned about things to make with Brownies and Rainbows. I then became a trainer and used loads of books to get ideas.
  
• Simone, who ran the stained glass class I went to. She was so enthusiastic about her craft.
  
• My friend Charlol, who makes fab cards.
  

My crafty blog buddies and everyone on UKS.

All of these, and man more I'm sure, have influenced my crafting and I thank them all for steering me towards a fab time of crafting!

Art or Craft?

Todays blog prompt: What artistic technique do you love but not use often? What artistic technique intimidates you? Maybe you’ll find an expert in that technique reads your blog and can comment with tips for you!

I've never thought of myself as artistic. I can't draw things which look like the things they are supposed to be and I was useless at art at school. I have however always enjoyed crafts. I've knitted, tatted, made cards, glass painted, tried lace making, used mosaic tiles, made a bit of jewellery and of course scrapped.
Somehow I feel there is a difference between art and craft, although I can't explain it. I create stuff using other stuff, but I don't think of it as being artistic. I suppose that I associate 'art' with brushes, paints, charcoal etc and I don't use these.
So what artistic technique intimidates me? Well, I suppose anything using any of those 'artistic' tools. I look at some of the fantastic distressed,altered and vintage stuff that is out in Blogland and it just seems to be a whole different ball game to my scrapbook pages which involve cutting papers, playing with ribbons, buttons and sparkly things and gluing things on other things. It look so grown up and difficult.
Now maybe I need to go away and think about my 'art' and have more confidence in what I do as being art. But I'm beginning to ramble, so I'm off to take a look in a dictionary to see how 'art' and 'craft' are defined.
Oh my, Shimelle, you've really got me thinking about this one!!