Weekly Challenge - April Week 3

No patterned paper, no brads, buttons or blooms, one or three photos and not a 12x12 square. Check on all counts! Must try harder to catch us out, Sue! ;)

This is John's half-eaten plate of haggis and mash. I'd never eaten haggis before and found the concept way too disturbing. John, however, managed to convince me to try some and this is how much he'd eaten by the time I gave in and had a forkful. Well, haggis is bloomin' delicious! So I had to take a photo of the first haggis I'd ever had.

Sadly, I had no camera, just my iPhone and the dish doesn't look all that apetising in this state, but the idea is to record these special moments, and I have.

So Cute!

Somehow I managed to plan this layout without having a picture in mind to go with it. I'd cut the frame for my "Beautiful" layout and then just dumped the negative part down on the bit of red cardstock. The next day I saw it lying there and just had to turn it into a layout.

I inked the cardstock using a Maya Road mask, stitched the paper onto the cardstock, made the butterfly, laid out all the crochet, flower, bird and leaf parts... then realised that I hadn't really thought it all through!

Finally went with this picture solely because I'm wearing a green t-shirt and I'm outside, so I sort of match both colour and theme! Even managed a suitable title. Quite happy with the way this turned out.

Beautiful

The vase of daffodills that was on our table when we went to our Retreat in March. There was a box of Milk Tray as well, but we ate that! Jen took the picture, I can't put pictures together like she can.

First attempt at using my Counterfeit Kit to make a layout. I'm fairly happy with it as it's not something I would normally do, the mixing up of so many manufacturers.

Even More from the Quirky Kit!

I've given up trying to get decent photos without PSP, so these are just propped up on my desk, complete with scruffy desk backgrounds.

When this picture was being taken I knew the layout would have to be called "Tosser" ~ sorry Sue!

We were lucky enough that our Retreat fell on Pancake Day, so Susi bought ready mixed pancake batter and we all had a go at making pancakes. Sue was the only one brave enough to actually give pancake tossing a go and it worked!

These are the flowers that John bought for me the day we had a positive pregnancy test. Seems like five minutes ago and now I only have days left!

I used netting on this, thinking that it might tone down the brightness of the cardstock, but it didn't! Still, the photo had come out in very bright green and yellow, so it probably doesn't matter. Inked the CS using a technique I found in the free Craft Stamper ezine, which has worked, but left me with a large pile of inky post-its. Fun though!

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Lolly

The theme this week at Creative Craft World is "All Things Girlie", which I'm not, so I went with a cute picture of me as a child. Lolly is my childhood nickname.


I don't own an awful lot of pink or feminine scrapping stuff, but I do have some American Crafts Dear Lizzy. This is the kind that comes with the album kits that they sell in T K Maxx, the thinner variety that is single sided and tears as soon as you look at it. Have to say, I'm not a fan, but the albums are great and most of the American Crafts embellishments are perfectly fine. Besides, £7 for a 12x12 album, embellies and some paper? I'm not complaining about that! ;)

The circles on the sketch have been transformed into lots of large flowers and I've layered up some Primas and AC flowers on top of them. Jazzed up the flowers with Artemio stamps and, dare I say, the large blue brad is by Laurence Llewellyn Bowen?! In my defence, he was another cheapy from T K Maxx and the brads aren't bad, although the paper sucked!

I did manage to semi-distress some of the AC papers without it tearing and I stitched down one of the corners that refused to stay stuck. Punched some Martha Stewart butterflies out of Sassafrass Lass (woo! I mixed Companies again!!) and made my own journalling spot from some more S. Lass.

This week I used Distress Ink in Tattered Rose.

Well, that's it. March is all but over and my GDT spot at Creative Craft World has ended. I've had a great time this month and look forward to doing future sketches ~ depending on Baby, of course!

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Paris

The theme this week at Creative Craft World is one landscape photo.

Oh, good grief! This happened last week! I need a photo in a size that I haven't got and can't get. Well, I was all ready to chop down a 6x4 picture to make it more landscapey, when I realised that I always panic without thinking things through.

In the 1990s I had a camera that took landscape photos alongside normal photos (and another size that I can't recall). I wanted that camera. I loved that camera. My Dad said it was a silly camera and eventually I'd not be able to get the film for it or the novelty would wear off. He was right, of course! But before I gave up on my expensive toy I did take some landscape shots. I've not scrapped any of them before as I only have one copy of them and no idea what happened to the negatives.

So, here's my first layout using a truly landscape photo:


I pushed the landscapeyness even further by making it a 6x12 layout.

Almost chose a landscape shot of Grand Canyon, but I'm still loving my shiny new Rouge de Garance Gustave papers and as they feature architectural elements of the Eiffel Tower and this photo has the Eiffel Tower in it - small, but it's there - I had to go for this.

Then I went a little Eiffel Tower crazy! Used a Prima mask to add a little Distress Ink (Vintage Photo) tower to the left side, although it doesn't show up well in real life, let alone this photo and also a little piece of the Parisian ephemera that comes with the K&Co Maison paper pad.

It's very unlike me to mix Paper Companies on on layout. I do try, but I have a habit of keeping them together, so mixing K&Co with Rouge de Garance is quite startling!

Bun on the Plate!

Here I am in the Olney Delicatessen and Tea Room eating a delicious tea cake!


Using up some of the Echo Park paper from the Retreat Class, along with an old doily.

Thanks to Jen for the picture and Maria's friend for the title!

Retreat Layouts 4

Finally, the using up of Lily Bee - Vintage Poppy. This is the very last of my final Sarah's Cards kit from last year. I mainly scrapped our Isle of Wight holiday with the kit, so chose some more pictures from that trip to use with these scraps.

John being brave on a high wooden bridge.

Another case of what was in my head not coming together on paper. I was goingfor something a little more like the Edinburgh Castle layout I made in June, but it's failed rather badly. I might have to add something to it later when I'm feeling more inspired.

After these two layouts I had planned on using up some of the gorgeous Up, Up and Away by Kaisercraft, but my mojo and ability to sit failed me. So I prepped some baby pages for Frankie's arrival. I managed six (I think) and will take their pictures in the future when they're finally complete.

Retreat Layouts 1

My plan for the Retreat this year was to only take offcuts of my old papers, do a bit of pre-Retreat planning, add some embellies and create my own mini kits. It worked to a certain extent. I did get bits used up, but between the planning and executing stages I changed my mind about how I wanted things to come together. Unfortunately, by that point, all my stuff was at home and I was in deepest, darkest Olney! Never mind!

Two wedding layouts using MME - Love Me Do.



I prepped the butterfly at home using Faded Jeans ink, Faded Jeans stickles and GA. I then buggered up the layout by using my new Chipped Sapphire ink on the title after I'd stuck it down. I managed to ink the alpha, the paper, the butterfly AND the photo.

Luckily, I've not played with the photos so it doesn't show up too badly! Actually, neither of these came together exactly as I'd hoped.

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Springtime

This week at Creative Craft World the Scrap Map Saturday theme is "spring / seasons".

Thought at first it might be a problem as I didn't seem to have many pictures from Spring (or autumn, or winter...), certainly not eight of them! I don't have photo printing capabilities at home, I always send them out to be printed, so my photos are always sized at whatever options I'm allowed on Photobox.

Then it occurred to me that, obviously, sketches are jumping off points, they're for kick starting your mojo and sending it off to scrap. My mojo came up with this:

{Forde Abbey in Dorset, Easter 2009}

I cut one photo into six pieces, displaced them a little and filled the gaps with daisies and my journalling. Also made my own background with Distress Inks (mustard seed, peeled paint & faded jeans) and a Maya Road butterfly sheer sheet.

Once I'd done that I didn't want to cover up my background any more than I had to, so I added a teeny title.

Then I had to go away and play with the Sheer Sheet as I'd not used it before and it's FUN!

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Fun?

My first layout as a Guest Design Team member for Creative Craft World - and I choose to scrap a picture of me in a bikini!!

The theme this week is 'circles'.


Oh yes, don't I look miserable! I never really grasped why going to beach is a fun thing to do. Sand gets everywhere. Of course, now I go to the beach, turn my back to sea and study the geology of the cliffs. Much more fun than beachballs. Although, I suppose I'll have to take my baby to the beach at some point. Maybe I'll suddenly discover the fun?

This is the very last of my Cosmo Cricket Snorkel paper, had so little that I punched the smaller circles from the larger ones and teamed it up with Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety to make it go further.

I Distress Inked the background with Broken China and Faded Jeans, then Glimmer Misted over the top. Still a bit of a newbie when it comes to Misting, but I'm pretty happy with how this came out. Doodled on the circles (yes, I cheated and used a Template!) and the journalling lines.

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Our View

This week the challenge on the Creative Craft World Blog is to use chipboard on your layout.


I've used chipboard Thickers, a chipboard bracket and tag by Maya Road.

This is my first layout from our recent "second honeymoon" trip to Paris showing the views that we had from our balcony.

I bought the papers in Paris, first time using Rouge de Garance and these are from the gorgeous "Gustav" line featuring the Eiffel Tower and architectural plans of the Tower.

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Our Wedding Day

This week the Scrap Map challenge is on a love theme, so I have chosen to scrap my wedding. As you can see, we had a big guest list... :)



I've used some of the Penny Lane that I used in my wedding album (which still needs to be photographed and uploaded, must get round to that), distressed some coredinations and used a whole piece of lace cardstock (thank you, Sarah!) without cutting it up! *gulp*

The thickers were dull, so I stickled them a couple of times, they look a lot goldier in real life.

Scrap Map Saturday ~ Memories

My latest entry for Scrap Map Saturday at Creative Craft World.


This is Melman back in November when we went to London to meet up with Susi and Maria. We went on the London Eye. I nearly cut into a gorgeous sheet of October Afternoon - Thrift Shop for this, but then I remembered that I had a map of London that I'd saved for scrapping purposes. So I glued the map to some cardstock to stiffen it up, making sure the South Bank was exposed so I could point to the London Eye.

This week we had to add flowers. Not the most floral layout in the world, so I punched some flowers from the road names on the back of the map.

When I was making the layout I forgot what day we'd been to London and meant to go back and fix that before taking the photo, I see now that I forgot!

Scrap Map Saturday

My entry for the latest Scrap Map Saturday on the Creative Craft World Blog.


I'm finally cutting into the beautiful Meadowlark Dawn, which I bought for making monochrome layouts and have only been stroking. Also managed to use the KI Memories lace cardstock that I didn't want to chop up for my wedding album, so have now used in full. The trim is from an old Quirky Kit and after getting so many cheap Thickers I'm making myself use them up, rather than overstuff my alphas folder and never use them.

Lighting continues to be bad, so I've propped it up on John's easel near a door.

Bees and Day Trips

I used a PageMap sketch from the first book for this. Suddenly occurred to me whilst trying to use up older stash that I really should scrap the picture of bees with the Garden Variety papers that feature bees. Yep, obvious.


Also a good way to use up all those left over Zs that I had lying around.

Our Team has just finished a 12 Days of Christmas swap and I wanted to use the goodies that I received (thank you, Sarah!) right away, rather than filing them away in my paper box.

I'd never seen glossy cardstock before and it would have been way too easy to just keep stroking this, but I've been brave and cut into it. Same goes for the paper, the little flowers, butterflies and leaves were just begging to be cut out from one side of it - so I did.

Being a bin-diving paper hoarder, however, I did have to punch out extra scallops, butterflies and flowers from the left overs, so I do have some odds and ends to use up. I also gutted the cardstock as I couldn't bear to leave such a large chunk of it covered up.

Also managed to use a bunch of brads, which I seem to collect and never use, and a Maya Road chipboard strip that I've had for ages and never used. Probably because I got them in a kit in the days before I discovered inking and glimmer misting.

Houghton Mill and Peckover House. Day Trips that I went on with the Parentals last July when John was on a jolly (I mean, working...) in the States.

A couple of layering close-ups:

In which I use Glimmer Mist for the First Time!

I bought myself a set of Glimmer Mists that were on sale and when they arrived I couldn't wait to use them all. As you can see, I've not quite grasped the concept of using them lightly and subtley. The mist came out rather more as a deluge, but I guess that's part of the learning process.


Also used the Blended Ink Tutorial that I found on Studio Calico. I think I had rather more success with that than I did with the misting!

I seem to have gone from someone who doesn't stamp to someone who stamps on everything...



And this is what happened when I tried to Mist through a Crafters Workshop template!


Very runny and blobby! Another thing that requires practice. Must go in search of a tutorial!

Up Up and Away!

Haven't touched anything but the Kaisercraft for days! Here are the latest three - you need to click to enlarge:

The Breitling Wing Walkers do their wing walking at Duxford before the Flying Legends fly past. It all looked like great fun until you realise that they have to climb off the wings and back into the planes in mid-flight!

One of the balloons at Albuquerque. I took this one especially because of its patchwork look and thought it would be a fun one to scrap. It's taken me almost two years to get round to scrapping it! Used my Martha Stewart butterfly for the first time and adapted an idea from the Studio Calico blog. They suggested creating faux washi tape using the material tape you get from the pharmacy, I thought I'd give it a go by stamping onto masking tape. Seems to work!

Another balloon from Albuquerque. For more information on the Zia of New Mexico click here.

Very bizarrely all the photos on the layouts have brightened after I took their pictures! On the layouts the colours in the photos are much more muted as I used the desaturation technique on them. Running them through Picasa to sharpen them up seems to have brightened them up as well...

Tatty 1 and Tatty 2

I'm trying to do more with layering, journalling and putting things together myself rather than following sketches all the time. I made this for the latest weekly challenge at UK Scrappers. I should have added a third colour to the background, it's missing some Shabby Shutters! It's just Mustard Seed and Scattered Straw



Tried to cluster some journalling boxes, first time of trying this.

Chopped up and coloured in one stamp to make a cluster. Never tried this either!

Paris - Montmartre

The using up of Scraps gave quite a boost to my Mojo. I suddenly came across papers that I'd forgotten, or used to love and hadn't realised that I still had bits left, or that I'd been hanging onto for particular projects and had kept putting off. This is one of those.

I saw these papers amongst Jo's stash and thought they'd be great for some of my Paris photos. Just never quite got round to it. Anyway, tidying up gave me the kick to do it and here it is: