Book Club 17/52 - Another T.R.Raglan book

Well I had to retrospectively come back and update my blog with my book club reads as I have had a busy few weeks and let my blog slip (so it is actually May when I am posting this!)

So I did go on to read the sequel to book 16/52 by T.R.Raglan, this one called Deadly Recall. Same characters as before and equally as good, following on from the previous story.

PI Jessie Cole is about to discover that there’s no revenge too wicked as New York Times bestselling author T.R. Ragan’s gripping series continues.

When you search for the missing, there’s no telling what you’ll find. PI Jessie Cole learned that painful truth firsthand when her sister disappeared. Now a new case will test Jessie and Ben once again as Ben is still seeking insight into the man he used to be before a car crash erased his memories. And each discovery is leading Jessie and him down a frightening road. What they find could scar both of them forever.

Definately just as gripping as the first book and I eagerly await book 3 due for release later this year.

ATDML Virtual Crop weekend

Pop over to the ATDML blog for three classes this weekend from the design team,and whilst you are there don't forget to check out last nights Mood Board challenge for April. It's a funky one and I created this layout last weekend at the retreat to illustrate how I was inspired.

Enjoy you day crafting if you manage to grab some time. I am spending most of my day at sporting adventures with the kids, swimming first and then presidents day at our Rugby Club in the afternoon, hoping the weather holds for a pleasant day! Assuming I am not too exhausted after all that I may play with pretty paper this evening and use up some more of my Mind The Scrap April kit.

My Minds Eye Wander class for ATDML Spring Retreat

I loved these travel themed papers from My Minds Eye Wander collection and my last class from last weekend's ATDML retreat featured a half pack of 6x6 papers, two of the 12x12 designs, cardstock, a 6x12 sticker paper and enamel dots in the kit.

We made three layouts in total, one with lots of banner elements hanging from a wavy top of the page and using elements cut from the papers and the sticker sheet. The second page shown here made a background from four of the 6x6 papers and a pocket behind the second photo with pull out tabs for journaling.

The last page used my favourite paper from the collections which gives the illusion of triangles of bold colours placed together to form the background, the edges along which we added faux stitching.

I then made a pocket to sit to the right of the photo with elements tucked in side but stuck down so none moved and then we drew the white tag directly onto the background for the journaling. I made a few pages for the passport making it 3D and added plenty of stickers and elements cut from the smaller designs printed on the 6x6 papers.

I am definitely going to paper piece some other products together to achieve a similar look to the layout above, I am really happy with it!

Book Club 16/52 - Her Last Day

Loved this book, read it in just a few days picking it up at every opportunity. Great intertwining of story threads kept me wanting to know what happened to the missing sister and would the journalist regain his memories? I certainly raced through this book and wasn't disappointed with the ending at all, great story line and I have downloaded the second book as well called "Deadly Recall" (already started it!)

Ten years ago, PI Jessie Cole and reporter Ben Morrison each suffered a tragedy that changed their lives—and now these two strangers are about to share a nightmare.

For Jessie, who makes her living finding missing persons, no case has consumed her more than the disappearance of her younger sister, Sophie. But left alone to raise Sophie’s daughter, she realises that solving the case has become an unhealthy obsession.

For Ben, a horrific car accident resulted in scars both physical and emotional—and amnesia that has made his life a mystery. But curiously, out of his shattered memories, there’s one person he recognises without a doubt: Jessie’s sister. He just doesn’t know why. Yet.

But Sophie isn’t the only phantom drawing Jessie and Ben together. An elusive serial murderer known as the Heartless Killer has reemerged from the shadows. His next move will cut even deeper into Jessie’s worst fears. And for Ben, what happens this time is going to be unforgettable.

This book has the added advantage of being free on Kindle Unlimited and just £4.99 with Amazon on paperback

Simple Stories Travel minibook for ATDML retreat

My second class at last weekend's ATDML retreat was a 4" mini book using Simple Stories new Travel range where I made a star book with plenty of interactive elements. Featuring photos from my trip to New York last year with my daughter for her 21st some delegates had photos ready to fill their albums and others made the book up ready to use to document a forthcoming trip.

I was mildly apprehensive about this class as mini book classes are harder to write instructions for and harder to teach than layout classes in my opinion but it actually went really well with great feedback from the attendees.

Back from a weekend away at the ATDML retreat

Back home again from the 22nd ATDML scrapbooking retreat this weekend with good friends and a tonne of inspiration. As one of the teachers the weekend combines relaxing scrapbooking and chatting with the girls with the work element of preparing and teaching classes and guiding delegates to create pages they are happy with. Some follow along with the class instructions and questions here and there and others are inspired to take elements of the design and alter to suit their photos or simply see the papers in a totally different way and create something completely different. Very often I end up being inspired by the delegates alterations and love them more than my own design!!

My first class used Pink Fresh Studio "Let your heart decide" papers where I made the page above focusing on the lovely epoxy heart stickers to crease a heart of hearts.

The second page saw more cutting out of hearts and layering on the fun background and using the square phrases with printed tape elements as frames for some additional smaller photos.
It was a nice "cut out lots of hearts" and layer class to start off the weekend which saw over a dozen classes and many challenges over three days.

I'll share more creations including my other two classes throughout the week in teh run up to their next virtual crop day this weekend.

Book Club 15/52 - Good Me, Bad me

New book started this week, a little later in the week than usual due to preparing for my weekend away teaching at the ATDML scrapbooking retreat. This book I have a real copy of grabbed on a recent shopping trip and as I usually read on my kindle this was a treat, but made harder to read on my commute with less space and I can't turn the pages one handed on a crammed train.

The Richard & Judy Book Club thriller 2017 I am obviously late to the game reading this one (So last year!) and thus far it has been captivating if not a little unsettling. It tells the story of an almost 16 year old in foster care in the lead up to being the key witness in her mothers serial killer trial. She has internal monologue conversations about how she misses her mum despite everything and how she's learned certain lessons. The foster sister is of similar age and quite horrid, referring to her as "dads latest project" to her friends at the same school. With a new name and a new family can Annie, now called Milly really have a fresh start when blood is thicker than water?

I haven't quite finished the book yet but Cosmopolitan magazine description of the "new Girl on The Train, which was the new Gone Girl...this psycho-thriller by Ali Land is set to be massive" is so accurate.

Date night with hubby

The boys are at their grandads for a couple of days Easter break including tonight which means a rare night out with hubby.

He's wanted to see this film for ages so finally we can go. Think I'm past the back row smooching though!

It's Marvell so I'm sure it'll be fab! 

Embrace the glorious mess that you are

Are you a collector (hoarder!) of washi tape and ready to use some of it up on a quick page?

For this page I wanted to use the lovely 3x4 phrase from the Cocoa Vanilla Bohemian Dreams paper which was super colourful! I picked another 3x4 card from the same paper to back my photo and then picked my washi tapes which went with the colours and added strips from the bottom on the page to just under the photos, and another collection of strips at the top of the page.

I then made a washi banner which I saw as a technique on Mind the Scrap and thought was so simple yet effective!. You simply wrap pieces of wash over the twine sticking them to the back of itself and then cut the bottom into a banner piece. Two butterflies at the end of my banners on twine piece and a few other elements completed my page but I then decided to add a little stamping in some coordinating colours to finish it off.

A very quick and easy page great for using up washi and you can mix in strips of pattern paper too to make a page using up left overs from other kits and projects. This page and many more can be found in the March ATDML gallery where you can see more fun with the Cocoa Vanilla papers.

Book Club 14/52 - The reader on the 6.27

Translated from the international bestseller from French author Jean-Paul Didierlaurent. The Reader on the 6.27 is ready to take you on a journey . . .

Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a book pulping factory in a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life . . . Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of his monstrous pulping machine. But it is when he discovers the diary of a lonely young woman, Julie - a woman who feels as lost in the world as he does - that his journey will truly begin.

I was determined to finish this book and whilst I found it very well written with some very vivid descriptions I must say it didn't really grip me. I wasn't that enamoured with the characters and actually found it quite a slow and boring read. Parts of the book were quite lovely, like when he read to the old folk at the home, but as a commuter I think anyone reading out loud at 6.27am on the train would drive me potty! (not that I think I would ever be up early enough to catch said train!) 

I think it was maybe a good thing that I couldn't make the book club night to discuss this one, I would not have had very much to say for a change! Switching from kindle to hard back for my next two books which I purchased whilst browsing the book section in Tesco! Come back next week for my #bookclub52 review in week 15.

Cocoa Vanilla Hello Summer

I just picked out the blues from this gorgeous collection and focused on making my own background using inks, stains and stamps on this layout (made for the March ATDML gallery)

I fully embraced the colours from the whole collection in my next page adding splats of distress stains for more colour!

And with so many "jumping in the pool" photos from our holiday to Fuertaventura last summer this collection was just perfect!

More layouts from the ATDML design team can be found using these papers plus more from Cocoa Vanilla over on the website.