Monday 20 February 2012

Guest Designer @ Scrap Africa {Entering Adolescence Layout} American Crafts





There's a new challenge blog in town - have you seen it yet?
It's called Scrap Africa & to my knowledge is the first
challenge blog to be launched in Africa.  

I was their Guest Designer there this month and got 
this sketch to work with, as well as being required to 
use any Fabscraps product (I used a chipboard fence
 that I bought locally online as they are a South African 
company).

I have copied & pasted what I submitted there for you to see.

I met the founder, Evgenia Petzer, online, she found me!
She is a Russian living in Gauteng & a talented 
paper-crafter who I shall be meeting for lunch this week!

Yippee!!  Meeting online friends in real life is
fantastic & she will be only the 2nd that I have
met IRL that also lives here in South Africa.

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Hi Everyone!  I am so happy my friend Evgenia asked 
me to Guest Design here at Scrap Africa this month!

I have been scrapbooking for the last 8 years, thanks
 to my daughter, who was invited by her friend to a scrapbooking
 workshop!!  If it wasn't for that who knows how much longer 
it would have taken me to discover scrapbooking, but boy 
I am so glad I did as I eat, drink and breathe scrapbooking!!!

I am a Durban-based scrapbooker, having lived here for the
 last 6 years, after escaping Zimbabwe, where I was born and
 raised.  I have my own blog at http://helentilbury.blogspot.com 
where I share my love of scrapbooking and photography and have 
been lucky enough to have been published in Creating Keepsakes
 magazine and Scrap Street Ezine as well as in a sketch book,
"Working with Sketches" available online from Creative Scrappers
in both e-book and print format.

I design for several websites, a wonderful Australian based
 international challenge blog, Once Upon a Sketch,  an 
American based word challenge blog, Bird is the Word,
a well-known international sketch blog - "Sketchabilities"
 and I work with products sent to me by Imaginarium Designs
 (a chipboard company in Australia, who sell
their products online through "Seriously Scrapbooking". 

I also work for"Scrapbook Kits with a Difference" – An 
Adelaide-based online scrapbook Page kit club, designing
 layouts and cards for them each month and last but not least 
for a great little kit club in America called 3 Scrappy Boys, 
that sends me the latest and greatest products to design with. 
 If you visit me at my blog you will see links in my sidebar
to all these awesome organisations!



I loved working with Evgenia's sketch and flipped it over, 
added a couple of portrait-orientation photos in place of the
 3 landscape ones & used some gorgeous American Crafts 
"Campy Trails" papers to create this layout about my 2 eldest 
kids.  I also used some Studio Calico mists and a Crafter's
 Workshop  Chicken Wire stencil.  


Most importantly I have used a gorgeous chipboard fence from 
FABSCRAPS, a South African company,  that is sponsoring 
Scrap Africa this month! I love to add "artiness" to my pages
 by playing with paints, mists, masks and stencils also 
strive to include meaningful journaling to everything I do
 as well. 

I hope you play along, wherever you are in the world!! 

Thank you SO much Evgenia and team for having me 
on board this month!


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Here are some close-ups of all the details...


I love those tiny alphas from Making Memories and my 
vowels are almost out now!  I don't see anything similar
available now - I love how you can position them so 
randomly and think that creates interest all on it's own.



I love these night photos of my teens.  I had to 
contrast edit them a lot to clear the shadows but
I like the Pop Art effect that that created.



The printed paper is a gorgeous embossed design from 
American Crafts.  I created my own pale green mist out
of necessity & laziness.  My Calico White was almost
out (insert sobs here!) as was my Clover, so I combined
the two as the one spray bottle had ceased to "spray" 
despite my best flushing efforts.  Mixing mists works fab!!



I embossed the chipboard gate using clear embossing
 powder after inking in 3 different ink colours.



I used my trusty Crafter's Workshop 12" chicken wire
 stencil again, as well as shaking drops onto the layout by
 taking off the lid and tapping on top of the aerosol 
push-button so it drips out of the suction straw.  



Supplies List for "Entering Adulthood" Layout

Printed Paper - American Crafts "Campy Trails" 
Sweetwater Cabin {Floral}
Wood Grain Paper - American Crafts
 "Campy Trails" - Cedar River "Trail"

Mist - Studio Calico White & Clover
Mask - Crafter's Workshop Stencil
(12" chicken wire)
Chipboard Picket Fence - Fabscraps
Brown inks - Color Box
Clear embossing stamp pad - Tsukineko
Clear embossing Powder - Ranger

Thickers - American Crafts "Sunrise"
Yellow alphas - October Afternoon Mini-Market
Tiny alphas + felt embellishments + staples
+ "Call Me" Embellishment 
Thread & Buttons - Stash




16 comments:

Michelle said...

This is a fantastic page. I love the misting and the papers you used. I love your title/journaling. It is so true. Letting go is the hardest!!!

Alison said...

Great page Helen..love the title and journalling!
Alison xx

Denise Price said...

I loved seeing those close-up photos--they really show off how sparkly your misting is.

I'll be playing along again with this challenge, we'll see what I come up with...

Hope you had a great lunch with Evgenia!

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

*sigh* this is GORGEOUS Helen! I loveeeee the masking, the little fence, the title and LOVING that wood grain!!! You are amazing!

Mitralee said...

Dude! Julie just said what I was thinking! Love it all!

Jasmine S said...

This is lovely. Love your journaling and "subjects". It scares me to think my children are going to be teenagers one day....
Loving that background too.

Stefanie said...

Saw it over on Lynette's blog. I think you rocked the sketch. Great use of yellow and love the misting over the chicken wire.

Desire Fourie said...

Just beautiful. That journalling must have taken you ages. Enjoy your get together with your Russian blogger friend.
Hugs
Desire

yyam said...

Well, congrats on the guest designer gig! How exciting!

Your layout is beautiful! I love the shimmer and the photos! :)

Karen Shady said...

congrats from me too Helen :) this is such a stunning LO.. love the photos and the fence

Lynnda said...

This layout is STUNNING!!! Love the photos too... And CONGRATS for GDT Stint... you well-deserved Helen... Hugs...xoxo

Kerryn said...

Such a fabulous page Helen! Great advice for your older children too. Growing up is hard! Congrats on the guest dt gig!

Amelia Khalik said...

Congrats Helen for being features. Wooooo the chix wire stencil looks awesome! Another great page from u!! :)))

Marjie Kemper said...

Beautiful page, Helen! Love that stencil (my fave) and the fence looks great. I like that added 'call me' on top... a mom can hope, right?

Carin McDonough said...

Fantastic layout Helen, I love the title and the high contrast photos! :)

Rachael Funnell said...

CONGRATS on the GDT spot......
This Layout is WONDERFUL!!!
Another Incredible background Helen!!!!