Thursday 28 February 2013

Friend card {Scrapmatts/Flourish with a Bling Product Swap} Studio 75/Prima





HAPPY Thursday!!  Weeeeeee!!!  Hubby gets back from a business
trip tomorrow & I am hoping that this weekend will be a good one.
These days time is so precious, there's just not enough of it to
 go around, so I am looking forward to a mega blog-surfing
 session & time on my laptop.  Yup still no computer for me!!!
  It's with a hard-drive retrieval specialist and so far - NO joy :( 

Anyway, here's my last Scrapmatts share for February.  Geez...
this really has been one tiny month.  March {my birthday month!}
is soon going to be upon us.  At least it will be longer!


I created this card for a dear online friend of mine who lives in Sweden.  I'm sure some of you can guess who it is.  She is one of the nicest people I've ever met online & I have a little love package making it's way to her very soon. 

 As well as the obvious chipboard & bling used (the Elise Silver crystals as well as the glossy vine - all from FWAB) I also used inks, mists & microbeads.  I also included a real crochet doily & some lovely Prima & resin flowers.  All things we know this special friend of ours loves don't we?!?


I used the lovely Studio 75 papers from last year here - Summer & Latte - from Poland.   Want to know about the SOON TO BE ENDING Product swap with all those great prizes I keep banging on about?  Go HERE to check it out!  Almost the weekend people!!



Wednesday 27 February 2013

February Card {Scrapmatts/Flourish with a Bling Product Swap} Glitz Design/Pink Paislee






Hi everyone -   Happy Hump Day!  I'm feeling rather dreadful & on my second course of anti-biotics so far this year :(  I am not enjoying my 2013 routine so far as I don't have the time I would like to spend on the things I most enjoy doing.  Probably the story of many of your lives too?!  Anyway, a lot of thought is going into my time management schedule, so I'm hoping to become better at juggling things soon although I may have to drop some more balls...


My Bestie had a birthday yesterday so it was perfect timing as I got to make this card recently for the Scrapmatts/Flourish with a Bling product swap that is going on RIGHT NOW.  If you want to head over HERE to Scrapmatts & read up on what it is all about there are BEEG PRIZES to be won :)


I used a Glitz Design calendar card from an older collection (which was FULL of  spelling mistakes!  Unbelievable really...) I solved the problem by covering up the misspelt words with the Pink Paislee mistable butterflies (I rubbed a lime green ink pad over them).  I painted & glittered up the Scrapmatts chipboard & used FWAB black rhinestones along the top & bottom of the card & Elize Silver bling for the butterfly trails.   

I inked up the edges in Prima 'Knotted Wood' (have become very fond of that one...) & used a fine liner pen to 'stitch' the edges as my sewing machine is broken :(  I bought a pack of this craft corrugated card recently (unfortunately it only comes in A4 sheets here in South Africa) but I am finding it VERY handy indeed.  I love the texture if provides, and the peek of craft! 





Tuesday 26 February 2013

One Year Layout {Scrapmatts/Flourish with a Bling} Pink Paislee - With Inspiration Links & Thrifty Tips!





Hello!  You can follow the link to the product swap post at 
Scrapmatts using my earlier post (just scroll down) if you are 
interested in winning a big prize-pack full of chipboard from 
Scrapmatts & another big prize pack full of blingy stuff from
 Flourish with a Bling! 

 Meanwhile here's the page I created for the swap...


All product details can be found over at the Scrapmatts blog post
  HERE.  For me, the most difficult part of the design process is
 getting started!   Once I get going there's no stopping me.  I 
work fast & I always complete my projects in one 'standing'
 {as I stand at a counter, I never create sitting down}.  

I find that having a challenge in mind is a good way to get going
as it provides a 'starting point' so I decided to enter this in
 Keren's challenge on Yvonne's blog HERE.  The requirement 
is that you use a text print paper somewhere on your project
 so I chose an older Fancy Pants one for my base paper.  


To create the painterly blending around my chipboard die-cut 
I first inked around the circle (I sprayed a large ink-pad with
 water, swiped over it with a chunk of foam then used this to 
sweep around the circle.  The look was too defined so I rubbed 
gesso on top of it with another piece of foam until I was happy 
with the subtletly of it.


For the chipboard treatment I swiped over the frame with a damp 
sponge dipped in gesso, then I rubbed Distress stickles in
 'Worn Lipstick' over the top once it was dry.  I'm happy with 
the light but shabby look created.


A simple 'collage' layout within a frame like this could have
turned out 'boring' and flat so I decided to make my 'fillings'
interesting and textural.  Thanks to my friend Mitra in the US
for many of the items on this page - the black & white patterned
paper in the grid, the doily, transparency & organza bloomer
 tape.  Also the antique pearl hat pin.

Inspiration Link Up! - Jasmine Shea again - for her brave
background work & Kim Price (again!) for her delicate
pages, beautiful, subtle background treatments & awesome
chippie treatments.

Thrifty Tips!  1.  If gesso is hard to come by (for
 internationals) there are many cases when white acrylic
 will do just fine & using a damp sponge to apply it
keeps the viscosity going for longer.

2.  Save your sponges from your medicine/pill bottles to use
for applying your inks & paints - they work beautifully.  If you
need more either buy cosmetic applicator wedges or a large 
car cleaning sponge that you then cut up into about 10 parts -
both work well for me :)

3.  If you don't have any/enough fancy Tim Holtz ink applicators
just use a wad of cotton wool - works well enough!

4.  Save money on foam tape by using 'box cardboard' as a 3D
lifter on the back of sections you want raised.

5.  Test out glues to find an all-purpose one that works well &
is inexpensive.  Using glue where possible is much faster than
applying double-sided tape & much cheaper than using a tape gun.

6.  Doctor your alphas when necessary.  My R is actually a P with
a piece of a Z added to make the diagonal leg.  Use up your
 lesser used alphas (such as the Zs to create parts of other
 letters & stretch your stash!)

Time to complete - 2 hours



Scrapmatts & Flourish with a Bling Product Swap!





Sounds like a match made in Heaven right?!?  Head on over to 
Scrapmatts HERE, scroll down the home page until you hit the blog
 posts, then take a look at my post (it's the latest one) to see
 how you can win yourself a HUGE product pack full of Scrapmatts 
chipboard.  And of course there's a fabulous prize to be won at FWAB!

I have 3 projects up but you need to go over there to check them
 out!  I'll give you a little tease here to tempt you!

  Have a wonderful Tuesday & I'll be back to share my complete 
blog post & all 3 of my new creations with you here soon. 




 Thanks for the visit!


Saturday 23 February 2013

"Love" Banner for My Creative Scrapbook Kit Club using 7 Gypsies Banner & Basic Grey {True Love} & Lots of Prima!





Hey everyone!  Just copying and pasting my blog post for My Creative Scrapbook Kit Club up here right now.  I have been working on this every spare minute that I've had this week & am happy to say that it is finally complete.  Unfortunately I'm experiencing problems with showcasing XL photos on my blog - my template has mysteriously narrowed - so until I can sort that problem out some of the photos are a bit too teeny but scroll down & the portrait orientation ones are bigger!  Oh & you can also click on them and they'll come up bigger!!  


Helen created this banner using the February 2013 project kit, along with her leftovers from this month’s Limited Edition Kit.


She started off by misting her fabric strip using various blue, green and pink mists then cutting the piece into 7 strips, each about ¾” wide,
fraying each side as she went along.

Next step was painting up the chipboard pennants using white acrylic paint & pink, blue & lime green paint dabbers from Ranger.  She created
The texture ‘stipple’ effect using a thick stencilling paintbrush & applying the white acrylic paint generously.

She then left it to dry thoroughly overnight.


The next evening Helen tackled this project again by creating ‘mini-layouts’ on each pennant. 

She found an old family photograph & used her 2” square punch to punch out the face of each family member.

She created an additional pennant (see above centre) using corrugated cardstock as a base & tracing around one of the chipboard pennants.

She did this so that she could place herself and her 2 daughters on one side of it and her husband and 2 sons on the other side, with her “title pennant” in the centre.


She used up practically everything that came in the Project kit (which is packed full of flowers, charms, dangles & lovely chipboard).

She used her own paints, dymo tape to add everyone’s nicknames to their pennants, Liquid Pearls, doilies & corrugated cardstock in craft.


Creating each person’s personalised pennant was the funnest part!  She began by cutting 6 rectangles from the corrugated cardstock, measuring slightly smaller than the pennants. 

Then she layered up the other elements on top of it, starting with the music sheet paper provided, followed by a doily, in each case, which provided consistency and a uniform look.


Using up her many offcuts from her Limited Edition Kit {all Basic Grey ‘True Love’ papers} she layerd them up, adding swipes of gesso, lime green paint & brown ink as she went along.

She embellished each pennant with flowers, chipboard & charms, using a very strong adhesive for durability.


Time guides :-  Painting = One Hour
                       Dying fabric, cutting and fraying strips = One Hour
                       Creating each personalised pennant as you would a mini-album page = ½ hour x 7 = 3.5 hours
                       Finishing touches on each pennant (Liquid Pearls, etc) = Total ½ hour
                       Threading & knotting pennants to hold banner together = One Hour
                       Drilling up banner & final touches using glue-gun (to make sure everything is really secure) = One Hour

All in all Helen took 8 hours to create & hang this banner in her home but she is really proud of her creation & has it hanging in the bedroom passage of her home, where the whole family can enjoy and appreciate it every day.


She split this project over 3 evenings after work so it was fun & achievable, the perfect way to wind down after a long day at work.

Above is the extra pennant that she created herself, from scratch.  This is not essential to the project, she chose to add this for the sake of symmetry & to provide a place for her to add a title to her creation.


This banner looks really impressive & will have your guests going ‘WOW!” but really it’s simple if you break it down into workable stages & treat each pennant as you would a mini-album page.


Helen doesn’t like to waste so she used up all the packaging that came with the kit too!  Can you spot the Prima packaging on the pennant above?


As a final touch Helen swiped the frayed fabric holding the banner together, with white acrylic paint using a sponge (she saves hers from the inside of pill bottles!) as these make the most perfect paint applicators. 

Adding the white kept everything lovely & modern & bright.

Would you like to have fun playing with this banner project too?  If so it is still for sale in our store HERE.




Thursday 21 February 2013

Patchwork Card Set for My Creative Scrapbook {Basic Grey True Love - Prima}





Hi again!  Thursday already...Hope you are all having a 
productive week so far.  It is sweltering hot here so getting
 anything achieved in this heat is something... but it's been a 
worthwhile week nonetheless & I got these patchwork cards 
made the other evening.  


I made these using the offcut papers from the Limited Edition
Kit, still available here.  All Basic Grey "True Love"papers.


I found that I had a lot of bits and pieces of paper left over 
from the kit & thought it would be fun to make up some
 patchwork paper.  Once I'd done that I decided to make up
 a few cards with my new patchwork papers & I still have 
enough paper to make quite a few more, but these 3 
will give you an idea of my simple method.


I used some pre-made white cardstock cards that I bought,
complete with envelopes.  First time I've seen them available
here & a wonderful idea - Blanks I guess you'd call them & no
doubt they've been available in the Western world for ages!


I chose a good-looking 'patch'of patchwork, measured it up to
 be an inch smaller than the card, then cut a square & inked
 it up with my brown Prima ink pad, ''Knotted Wood". Then
 I cut that square IN HALF & adhered it, leaving a gap in the
 centre, just to make things a little more interesting!



  I used up all 3 strips of organza ribbon supplied with the kit 
& held my bows in place with tiny glue dots, added a sentiment 
to the side & a rose to the top (using a 3D glue dot) & 
that's my recipe! Easy!!


I still have a lot of sticker/sentiments left so I dollied up the
 envelopes a bit just for fun.  I'll probably give these cards
 to my daughter to keep for writing love letters to her sweetie. 

Take a look at the Design Team gallery HERE to see this kit
 put to great use by many members of the My Creative Scrapbook
 Design team.  Thanks for the visit!




Tuesday 19 February 2013

'All You Need is Love' Layout - My Creative Scrapbook Kit - Basic Grey True Love - Prima





Hi again!  Here's my 2nd layout using the gorgeous
 Limited Edition Kit from My Creative Scrapbook,
for February, still available for sale HERE.


See yesterday's post for the full list of kit contents
 and the kit image. The Basic Grey "True Love" papers
are so amazing - they all co-ordinate SO well that it makes
creating a breeze!  I just loved putting these pages together!


In the photo above you can see that I inked the edges
 of the papers using 'Knotted Wood' by Prima, which
was a perfect match. 


 I also used a plastic vintage doily as a stencil, together
with some Golden modelling paste & various different
shades of pink, white & cream mists on my background &
 emphasized the circular shape with brads.


There are so many pretty elements, transparencies and die-cuts
in this kit that you really are spoilt for choice & can mix and
 match to your heart's content as I have done here.  I decided to
 go with black & white photos here as that ensured that there was
 no clashing with the photographs, which I printed out 5 x 7
 inches so they still remained 'centre-stage'.


I'm still without my computer so have no means of printing my
 journaling so used my dymo again - I like the way the glossy
 black matches with my photos.  I inked up the cream flowers
 a bit so they were a little softer.


I used one of my Martha Stewart punches above, some Prima
 inkpads, 'Knotted Wood' & 'Old Rose, plus my dymo & another 
die-cut not from the kit. {QuicKutz Antique Doily Die}.




             I used this sketch from The Scrapbook Store as my starting point for this layout.


Thanks for your visit!  Remember to follow the
 'My Creative Scrapbook 'Kit club blog HERE too for
 fantastic inspiration & ideas!  Kit Contents:-
  • Basic Grey True Love 12x12 double sided papers
    Kssing tree
    Giddy
    little things
    Propsal
    entwined
    secret Admirer
    smitten
    loves garden
    dedicated
    vintage love
    cupids shower
    simple elegance
  • Authentique
    Valentine card paper
  • 12x12 Eelement sticker
    12x12 ABC sticker
  • True Love Die cut and Transparency pkg pieces
    True Love Die cut Chipboard pices pkg
    Basic Grey Buttons and Brad pkg
  • Prima Vintage Trinkets 2 jewelry pieces
    Prima Pkg of Roses red and pink(9)
    Prima Pkg of White roses (6)
  • Sheer ribbons (3)



Monday 18 February 2013

Dude Layout - My Creative Scrapbook Kit {Basic Grey True Love/Prima}






Hello there!  Time to share my creations for 
with you for this month of February.  I was sent the fabulous
 'Limited Edition' kit packed full of new Basic Grey and Prima!  
Swoon!! 


 I created 3 layouts & some other bits & bobs too so will be
 sharing ALL with you here this week :)

This kit sells for $40 per month for a 4 month subscription
and is JAM-PACKED - there is loads and loads in it & you can
 easily create 3 or 4 layouts, a couple of cards or a mini-album/tags.

Just check out the contents list below!
  • Basic Grey True Love 12x12 double sided papers
    Kssing tree
    Giddy
    little things
    Propsal
    entwined
    secret Admirer
    smitten
    loves garden
    dedicated
    vintage love
    cupids shower
    simple elegance

  • Authentique 
    Valentine card paper

  • 12x12 Eelement sticker
    12x12 ABC sticker

  • True Love Die cut and Transparency pkg pieces
    True Love Die cut Chipboard pices pkg
    Basic Grey Buttons and Brad pkg 

  • Prima Vintage Trinkets 2 jewelry pieces
    Prima Pkg of Roses red and pink(9)
    Prima Pkg of White roses (6) 

  • Sheer ribbons (3)


I used my own 6" chevron stencil from The Crafter's Workshop
to create the background detail, using a black inkpad.  I also used
the Prima packaging from the flowers as a mat for my photo at the
top and the bottom (you can see the wavy edge).  


I used my own Martha Stewart punch for the red borders above 
and below the printed paper & a Prima 'Knotted Wood' ink pad
along some of the edges & over the cream flowers.


Above you can see that I've also used my own dymo machine for 
some of my journaling, as well as some Canvas Corp string threaded
through the tags.  The brown edged reverse scallop shapes above are
one of the diecuts that I cut in half & inked.


I also sponged/inked the letters for the title 'Dude' as they 
were initially pink.  I used another Martha Stewart punch
above too. 


 The Basic Grey 'True Love' papers are a cinch
to work with.  Everything matches 100% beautifully, there 
really is no room for error & your pages come together FAST!


If you've fallen in love with this kit, like I did, there are still some
 available so click HERE  to snag one and don't forget to follow the 
My Creative Scrapbook blog HERE too, for a never-ending stream
 of inspiration on how to use the wide range of kits available from 
the fabulous My Creative Scrapbook Online Store.

I used the challenge over at Lessology HERE as the inspiration for
my page - the challenge is "How Charming"so I used a gorgeous new
Prima charm that I was sent with the kit, and of course my recycled item
is the string, which has been lying around in my drawer for a while now!

Thanks for the visit!




Friday 15 February 2013

'The Enlightenment of Bali' Layout - Scrapmatts Chipboard





So I've managed to blog every day this week - wow!  Making up for last 
week I guess...{when I was away settling Chelsea into her university 
apartment}.  I've got a little routine going & now my niece has arrived
 to visit indefinitely so I hope I can keep it up :)  I like routine. 
 I'd hate to think that I was boring but I do like doing the same
 things at the same time so I guess I am! Darn!!  

Anyway, here's my share...My 2nd project for Scrapmatts, which
 you can see on their blog HERE.  I've copied and pasted from there
 too so I have a record of it on my blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Hi Everyone! Helen here with my first post for Scrapmatts - so exciting!!
Just a little about me before I begin.  I'm 45, married with 4 kids - 3 of 
them teenagers - and live in Durban, South Africa with my family, including
3 cats.  Life in Africa has it's challenges but it's also good in many ways.
We have a maid called Mercy, who saves me from the dreadful chore of
laundry, thus providing me with scrappy time - yeah!  This year is all about
new beginnings for me - going back to full-time employment & having to
juggle my all-consuming papercrafting hobby with a very busy life.
With that in mind, I decided to scrap a photo collage I made recently.
It's made up of several significant images of our holiday in Bali in
January.  Bali was our last destination of our month long holiday,
where we travelled around 4 different continents, with only a few
days in each place.  We were SO HAPPY to arrive in Bali to just
'chill' in the pool, walk on the beach, eat delicious food & enjoy the
wonderful tranquillity of the remote resort where we were staying.
For 5 days we rested & became rejuvenated.  During that time I did
a lot of thinking & came up with many ideas & resolutions for 2013.
That's why I called my layout 'The Enlightenment of Bali' - thanks to
the peacefulness of our setting I was able to see everything so clearly
& make some life-changing decisions about my future.  I'm hoping the
changes I make will be really beneficial to  myself & my family.
I used the CB5089 ferns 02 {3 of the 5 pieces so I still have a couple
left), the  CB1036 Dragonflies  (plenty still left in the pack) & CB6043
Card Border 05 (one of the four pieces).  I simply gessoed them all
then painted lightly with a lime green paint dabber.
I used my chipboard embellishments to create the visual triangle on my 
page - this design principle ensures a pleasing balance & leads the
eye of the viewer comfortably around the page.  
The dragonflies I used are significant of the freedom I found in Bali, where
I was able to make some tough decisions that I found very liberating.  
I utilized my trusty dymo for my journaling, which sums up some of what
was going through my mind when I was deciding on my course for 2013.
Luckily I had these narrow Heidi Swapp alphas, as my title was very long
& I trialled several other alphas first, that simply wouldn't fit!  


I added some hand-dyed gauze to the bottom of my page to represent the

sea, which I find very relaxing.  I live by the ocean here too actually but
my day-to-day life here means I have to go away on holiday to get to
enjoy the serenity of the ocean as my nearby beaches are overcrowded!
Well I hope you enjoyed looking at and learning the story behind my layout
& that I've inspired you to scrap the beginning of your year too!!