I love learning new skills. I have been making scrapbook and albums for a while with the floating spine paper technique, but wanted to research the traditional bookbinding skills. I used a quality dot grid paper cut and folded into 10 signatures each with 8 pages (in my math thats an 80 page notebook!) The signatures were handswn together with waxed cotton thread using strips of Tim Holtz fabric as strengthener on the binding.  The end pages had fabric wrapped around the edges and then added to the signature block.   Tiny bits of header piping was added to finish off the ends.  The spine was given a generous coat of bookbinding glue and muslin wrapped over. Only then did I layer on the faux leather glued to both back and front and finished with corners. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MyYJCVpt5Ek" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-pi...

 I am putting together a junk journal kit for you to print at home.  Full of gorgeous vintage ephemera and designs.  Grab yourself a freebie tag and let me see what you do with them.  Download them here

 I am currently working my way through significant family photographs to scrapbook layouts which can then be printed into a family history album.  I want all these to have similar vintage feel and look.  I love working with these grungy colours and muted tones. With this one, I even managed to extract a signature from one of the ephemera documents to that there is a lasting record.

I stated this 9x9 scrapbook album. For my sons 21st birthday. It was supposed to show his first 21 years. So I dutifully added in the baby photos and journalled stories for him to read. But then work and life got in the way.  Then comes Covid-19 lockdown and a chance to clean out the cupboards in the bedrooms. Finding loads of photos and scrapbook items I was hooked on scrapbooking again. As he is now grown up with children of his own, I thought it best to finish the album and fill all the empty page slots. This double layout above recalled the time he was an extra in the Billy Elliot movie. His part was only briefly shown at the beginning outside the boxing gym.  just another layout of days spent with grandad growing up to 16. Hidden journalling tels the takes behind the tabs. it was harder photos the older he got. Must have been out more on the lash! and then he finds the love of his life... ...

Can you remember back when we were allowed to go to concerts and events?  I remember when I was a teenager, I saved all my concert ticket stubs up. I had them from Status Quo and David Bowie and was quite proud of all the concerts I had been to.  Of course I wanted to keep these little tickets and I didn't know about scrapbooking then.  In my bedroom, I had an old Lloyd loom bedside cabinet in a muted pink. ( remember them) any way it had a glass top. So I carefully unscrewed the little brackets and arranged my tickets under the glass so they were safe and I could see them.  Unfortunately after yet another argument with my step mother, I left to live with my grandmother again. Only to find my stepmother had got rid of the Lloyd loom cabinet complete with my concert tickets. When my son started going to concerts, he came back from seeing Feeder and meeting Dave Grolsh with a signed copy of his ticket stup, a signed flyer and a signed guitar plectrum. He was made up. T...

 I love making mini books and albums at the moment.  This was an online class with Cal Summers from The Scrap Lab..  This design was originally called the Office Hours Book. its a long time since I made one so big, at 10 x 12 it only has three pages attached to the spine, but loads of layers and places for photos.  I haven't decided what photos to use for this one yet.  Walkthrough video here

 Have you been trying something new while we have been isolated?  I have had a huge change in my creativity.  Teaching art and Powertex workshops is just not happening at the moment, due to all the restrictions and I needed something else to get my creative juices flowing.   I also had a major overhaul of websites, realising I was just keeping them on 'because', and they were serving no purpose at all.  I had to revamp the www.docreative.co.uk website as  this remains our primary source of training bookings and shop sales.  But my Scrapdragon website has now been discontinued as I realised I still had this free blog  with all the history attached.  This will now do for my ramblings and any freebies I want to share with people. So finally to the purpose of this first post in a long time.  While I was updating the websites, I rediscovered digital art and digital scrapbooking. Anyone who has ever read any of my diatribe and ramblings ...

Thank you for dropping by the Scrapdragon Blog. I am not sure which site or search engine linked you here but this site has been upgraded to the website which is now updated regularly. Alternatively you can follow me on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/scrapdragon

One of the nicest things about Summer is the crisp cotton dresses for little girls. My grandaughters love the ‘twirly’ dresses which are made on a traditional design  I used this style for their mothers so often that I must admit I no longer use a pattern. As this style is so simple to create for a child its quicker to draw round them! I am writing this post as a tutorial for those who want to have a go. Fans of the The Great British Sewing Bee #GBSB will have seen sewers creating without patterns.  The simplest way for children is to lay them on the floor and draw around their shoulders and sides on newspaper or brown paper. then add the centle curves of the neck and arms. If you get stuck, cut out the paper pattern and then hold onto the child front to get the neck edge in the right place. dont forget to fold the pattern in half down the cente front to make sure both sides are cut evenly! For full photographs and a step by step tutorial go to www.scrapdragon.co.uk to...

I was asked to make a clutch bag to match an outfit for a wedding.  It had to be small so only a purse and lipstick could be held and to match the highlight colour of cerise to go agaist a cream dress. So using a simple fold clutch style, I used the Urban Threads Blackthorn drape embroidery in cream and then added some little hot fix  pearls and gemstones as an accent. With the bits of fabric left over, My daughter was after small project bags for her crafts  So I quickly made this one and now have requests for more!

I have been so busy in between sewing and my day job that I haven't had time to update the blog with all the lovely photos of the creations. This was my very own dragon bag.  Based on a small messenger with a beautiful Chinese satin brocade lining, it also has an embroidered Dragon on the cover.  One of my favourites.  The next favourite of mine is using the unique Nevermore fabric.  I Love this one and made one for my friend Clare as well. These were baby change bags based on a large tote style but are so squishy and soft that they are safe for baby wearing. This was a commission to fit on the back of a mobility scooter with the granddaughters names as their flower icons. Others are just basic shopping totes but customised for individuals. They make nice gifts.

When you find out you are expecing a baby, all sorts of things are on your mind.  From decorating the nursery and choosing what sort of buggy transport will suit your family.  To deciding if you will breast feed and use washable cloth nappies.   I used cloth nappies for my three children, not because they were as nice as they are now, but as my children are now having their own children, washable cloth nappies were the only affordable choice in back then.  When disposable nappies first came out, I remember being quite upset when I had bought an expensive pack to use for a special day out and baby dirtied the nappy straight away.  I was much happier with my washable cloth nappies. Attachment parenting techniques are being promoted to create a stong bond between mum and baby,  Many mums choose to breast feed and use washable nappies.  Many mums also choose to wear their baby with a baby carrier or sling.  Baby wearing slings are used all over ...

Those that know us are well aware we love all things campervans and motor homes.  So I found this fantastic  design from @TulaPink and used it to create the appliqued design on the tote bag. as we are members of the MCC, I used that for the centre of the design.   I Love it!  I might have to create some more.  

It would seem Babies are just like Buses  We wait for ages as we nurture and watch our own children grow up.  To see them happily married with someone they love and we actually approve of and then we wait and wait.  To be a grandparent is one of the greatest gifts.  the chance to hug and love and spoil a child of your child all over again. Our first grandchild  by our eldest daughter was sent to us in February 2009 and we all love her dearly.  Now we are eagerly awaiting the birth of our youngest daughters first child.  We don't know what 'flavour' it will be but will love it all the same.  A then a few weeks after that, our eldest daughter is due her second child.  So finally, ;like buses you can wait for ages and then a couple come along together. I have created a little baby bunting for the nursery.  It cannot have a pink or blue but must remain neutral as we do not know if the babies are girls or boys.  This is to hang...

My quick patchwork cushion made up using scraps of material.

As you can probably guess, I have not done much paper crafting lately. My attention has been turned back to my older craft loves, sewing and Knitting. I will update on some of my newer creations soon. That's just because I have reset my remote access to the blog! - love technology - its a pity I am not that good at it! Anyway, this is a birthday card for my Dad. I really struggled with my creativity for this one. Eventually I just built this from a few basic elements.

Having just returned from a weekend rally followed by a weeks family holiday on the beautiful Northumberland coast.  I have been inspired to scrap some of the photos. This is my lovely Granddaughter who loved to run around in the rain and splash in the puddles whether she had on her new red wellies or not! This one was our taken on our first Motor Caravanners Club rally which was held at Darlington Railway Museaum.  This one was hosted by the Yorkshire group and we had a great time.  So much that we have joined in weekend rallies with our motor home since then and made some wonderful new friends.

Its only August I hear you shout! what's with the Halloween post? Well while surfing on my favorite stamping site Sugar Nellie, they asked if anyone had made their stamps into Halloween cards.  I had made a few Halloween cards for my friends in previous years so I thought I would make  Nellie one in good time. Here is the altered Coffee Time Manga stamp where I turned the cup into a small pumpkin lantern and added a nice big Witches hat to her head.  I doodles the cobwebs and created the bat but the background matt is one of my new embossed frame dies for my cuttlebug.

Playing in the Sugar Bowl again.  This week's challenge  is Lilians sketch with the theme of pink, black and white.   I used magenta holographic card for the pink with one of the older original Sugar Nellie stamps,  Maggie with stick. The stamped image was coloured with promarkers.  The strips were embossed with words and edges inked before layering up with flowers.  A few gemstones to finish.

I was delighted to see my blog chosen on the Banner promotion  of the Sugar Nellies. Karen has worked hard for years to build up the business and her success is down to hard work and determination.  Well done.  As more fantastic illustrators move into the house of Nellie things are only going to get better!. My sugar treat was the lovely new stamp Sporty one of the manga range. you can find him here I couldn't wait to use him and coloured him in with pro-markers and used Crate Papers in the background.  This card is going for my brother in law. Recently the Little Cotton Rabbits featured on the Sugar Nellie blog here   I had just finished making this card for a colleagues new baby boy and thought you might like to see it.