Some Challenge Entries

This is a very quick post to show two challenge entries, before they close! 

The first entry is for June's Scrap the Boys. the challenge was to scrap a 5"x7" photo or larger. I went through some old photos and found a few to choose from. The one I decided on was a 6"x9" photo of my son playing soccer taken over 10 years ago. I had just learnt the sunburst technique and thought it would lend it self perfectly to this layout. So, here it is:

I used all Close to my Heart products on this layout. The Patterned paper is from the Ariana paper collection, as is the green cardstock. I used black cardstock for the base and stitched the stars and border along the edges of the sunburst using the stitch guide ruler.  I used two stamp sets - Love Life (for the stars) and Framework Alphabet for the title.  After stamping the title, I coloured in the letters with watercolour pencils, and then stitched around them. it wasn't a difficult layout to put together, but I think the result was very effective.

Here are a few closeups.

The sunburst

Close up of star stitching and stamping

Close up of border stitching

Largest star - stamping and stitching

Close up of title

The next layout is from a sketch (#271) by Jenny Evans for Creative Scrappers. I loved the simplicity of this sketch and stuck pretty closely to it, other than that I used two photographs, rather than just one. (Apologies for the quality of the photo, but it's late at night and the lighting is bad.)

Once again, I used all Close to My Heart products. The cardstock and patterned papers come from the Timberline pack. I stitched some more using the Stitch guide, and the canvas letters and metal embellishments were from an embellishment pack I was able to purchase on special during June. Here's a close up of the canvas letters and some of the stitching. 

Hope you like my layouts!

Till next time, happy days!

Celebrate! White with 1 May challenge

Here is my latest entry for May's White with 1 challenge - to use white and gold.  I didn't realise how little I have in the way of gold paper until I started searching my stash for this challenge! I found lots of embellishments though, and gold acrylic paint, so that all worked.

I started with a sketch from April 2014 Page Maps. I had been considering entering the layout in their 8th birthday grand prize challenge, but decided against it in the end (and made another layout for that instead!). 

The music paper behind the main photo is from a Kaisercraft 6x6 (Christmas themed) paper pad. The doily I die cut from white cardstock with my Cheery Lynn English Tea Party doily die (one of my favourite dies). Then I painted it with the aforementioned gold acrylic paint.

On the right hand side I cut another piece of white cardstock and put the gold stickers on it. Then I used my Big Shot to emboss it with my Close to my Heart Stripe embossing folder.

Chipboard bookplate, originally pink,
coloured gold with embossing powder

The chipboard bookplate was originally pink. I covered it with versamark ink, then gold embossing powder and heated that up. I wasn't completely happy with the coverage so simply heated it up again and pressed it into the leftover powder I hadn't put back in the container yet. Then I heated that up again to melt the new layer of powder. I haven't tried that before so I was very happy to find that it worked. I put a scrap piece of gold ribbon behind it, added the three plastic flowers and finally topped it with the gold "celebrate" sequin/sprinkle.

White doily die cut painted with gold acrylic paint, topped with organza lollipop flower with button centre and gold butterfly sequins to look like leaves

The lollipop flowers were made using another technique I hadn't tried before. The material, an organza style fabric, was actually a piece of gold wrapping "paper" that we had received a gift in when we were in Singapore. The scrapbooker (or maybe I should say hoarder) that I am, I packed it in my suitcase and said I'll use that one day, and for once I did! I cut circles out of the material and slightly melted the edges with a candle flame, then layered them on top of each other and added a white and gold button in the centre. I love how they turned out! The gold heart paper clip above the right hand flower was attached to the page with liquid glass. It makes for a kind of epoxy embellishment.

For the line of beads, I alternately strung seed beads and bugle beads onto thin gold wire. To attach it I just poked a hole in the paper at each end and pushed the wire through and bent it over on the back of the page. It didn't sit as straight as I would like, so near the centre of each line, I stabbed a small hole in the page and tied the beaded wire down with some gold metallic thread so you really can't see where I did it, especially since the knot is on the backside of the page. To finish off, I added the gold butterfly sequins, gold flower sequins to which I added rhinestone centres, as well as the gold photo corner stickers. Done!

I'm extremely happy with the result and hope you like it too. I love reading your comments, so happy for you to leave me some!

Till next time, happy days!

Just Hanging Out - A layout for Scrap the Boys April Challenge

Layout by Conny S

I managed to finish a layout this week for the current Scrap the Boys challenge to use flowers on a boys layout. I figured if I went with darker colours that it would work quite well. I'd seen a digital layout by ConnyS on Pinterest (see pin here) and loved the layout design, so copied that.

These are old pictures from 2006 that I've never scrapped before. My son was such a cutie back then, not the lanky teenager that he is now, LOL! (Ignore the rainbow colours on the right side of the layout - they're from light shining through the crystal hanging in the window behind me while I was taking the photo.) 

The papers are all Close to My Heart, from a now discontinued Workshop on the Go pack, called Pro Player. While the Workshop on the Go (WOTG)  pack is no longer available, the paper pack still is. The stamps (grid; "Too Cool"; and "Just Hanging Out") are all from the WOTG pack as are the metal and epoxy embellishments in the main cluster. The ink colours I used were slate and ruby.

The only non Close to my Heart products on this layout are the skeleton leaves (which were cream coloured, but I coloured them with Ruby ink), the black brads and the silver sequins.

Dies I used for the embellishments were:

Daisy - Joy!crafts

Leafy Vine - Fancy That

Wildflower Head #3 - Fancy That

Cut & Fold Flower #7 - EZ Cut

Limitless Layers 2.5" Circles - Papertrey Ink

Mini Scallop edge - My Favorite Things Die-namics (I used this "backwards" to make the postage stamp edge on the mat around the photographs; and right way round on the black/blue strip at the top of the main cluster)

I hope you like my final layout - I do. Thanks again to Conny for her inspiration!

Till next time - happy days!

Hello, My Name is Logan

This layout was made for the March Scrap the Boys challenge to use green, blue and yellow. I love bright colours so it seemed like an easy challenge. The hardest thing was finding some photos. So, eventually I settled on these photos from 2007(!) when Logan was still a little cutie, not the tall, 6 foot plus teenager he is now!

I started with a sheet of white Bazzill, then found some old TLC papers, along with cardstock scraps that I stamped on, some die cuts - including a Kaisercraft journalling tag, ribbon, and lots of buttons and brads from my embellishment stash. It was fun digging out things that would work!

I started laying out my papers and photos (not even from a sketch - almost unheard of for me!!) to work out where to use the stencil and ink. I then moved the papers and photos aside and using The Crafter's Workshop Mini Tie Dyed stencil (TCW194s) and some mustard seed Distress Ink, I laid down the yellow ink on the left and bottom right of the page. I then attached the papers and ribbons.

After that I started adding the buttons, brads and stamped items. 

It was the first time that I used some of my Close to my Heart stamps on a layout that wasn’t made of purely Close to my Heart papers, etc. I love these two stamp sets as they are very versatile, and great for adding embellishments to layouts. The stamp sets I used were True to Life (C1575) and All the Details (D1555). I hand cut out most of the items after I stamped them, except the "way cute" circle (used a 1" circle punch) and "an original" which I stamped onto a mini file tab which I die cut with the MFT Die-Namics Mini tabs foursome. The inks I used were Honey exclusive ink (Z2162), and Outdoor Denim from the Enchantment Mini Pigment ink set (Z2502), and Sweet Leaf from the Whimsy Mini Pigment ink set (Z2500). I finished off the layout by stitching the arrows on the bottom right hand corner. I used the CTMH stitch guide (Z1852) and foam mat (Z1859) - one of my favourite tools!

I'm really happy with how this turned out, especially the bright colours. I'd love to know what you think of it too, so feel free to leave me a comment or two. ☺

Till next time, happy days!

So Very Loved

I made this layout for the March Scrap the Girls Challenge to use either hearts and/or doilies. I love my doily dies so that part was easy! The papers and embellishments I used were mostly from the monthly paper and embellishment pack from my local scrapbooking store, Wrapped in Paper, with a few things added from my stash.

The picture is from my daughter's year 12 formal last year. I think she looked gorgeous and I love this picture! I'm glad I finally got to scrap it.

Kaisercraft collectables,
burlap and other die cut flowers,
etc layered together 

doilies, flowers and other die cuts
 layered on top of each other

I love layering papers and embellishments and this layout was no exception. The dies I used to cut the various layers were:

• Cheery Lynn English Tea Party doily
• MFT Die-namics Decorative Doily Duo (the larger doily)
• Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish
• Sizzix Tattered Florals
• MFT Die-Namics Botanical Beauty
• Fancy That Wildflower Head #3

Half die cut, half fussy cut title

I am particularly happy with how the title turned out. "So very loved" and the red flower were part of a 4" x 6" panel on one of the papers. I fit the MFT Die-Namics Clearly Sentimental Label over the words part and then only cut it out to the beginning of the flower. Then I simply fussy cut the rest around the flower and mounted it with foam squares. I think it looks great. 

I'd love to hear what you think, so please feel free to leave me some comments ☺

Till next time, happy days!

My Creative Sketches December Challenge - Getting Ready

I made this layout for the My Creative Sketches December Sketch Challenge. I loved this sketch as soon as I saw it! I decided to use the monthly kit from my LSS since I hadn't done anything with that yet. The papers were very bright so lent themselves well to being cut up into smaller pieces as in the sketch. I'm very pleased with how this turned out, and I love this photo of my daughter getting her makeup done for her year 12 formal. Hopefully soon I'll get to scrapping the photos of her all done up as well. She looked beautiful, but then I am biased!!

The papers in the kit are from the Kaisercraft Hopscotch collection on a kraft cardstock base. I inked around the edges of all the papers with either Cotton Candy or Lagoon exclusive ink from Close to my Heart. I layered the ribbons to make the line under the main photograph. I painted the chipboard swirl (I'm not sure of the maker) with TwinklingH2Os and raised it off the page with some foam tape. There was also a zipper in the kit and I cut that up and used it as a frame around the smaller picture. I added some floss to the button and a small bit of folded ribbon underneath. In my stash I found some old Kaisercraft letter stickers that matched the colour perfectly, added the pearls and I was done!

I hope you like it too and leave me a comment or two.

Till next time, happy days.

More Catching Up

Here's some more catching up!

During National Scrapbooking Day in October my friends at The Crop Room, an online group that I belong to, and I made a number of cards for challenges set by the lovely Sue. I'm not a real card maker, but usually try to participate in these challenges and make a few. I don't ever buy anything special, but mostly use up scraps from my stash and stamps that I have purchased over the years. This year because I have started selling Close to my Heart (CTMH) products, I used some of that for many of my cards too.

Here's a look at what I finished.

Challenge: Use yellow, orange and teal.

Uses scraps from my stash.

Challenge: make a one layer card. For this card I put ink inside the embossing folder before embossing the butterflies. It was a bit plain, so I added the music background (Darkroom Door) and more ink around the embossed butterflies, the swirl and the sentiment. In the end I didn't like it at all and had another go at this challenge!

Challenge: make a one layer card - take 2. Ahh, much better! 

This card uses all Close to my Heart products:

White Daisy cardstock 

Love Life stamp set 

Tommy Workshop stamp set 

Enchantment pigment inks (smokey plum, goldrush, olive and indian corn blue)

Challenge: Make a Thanksgiving card
The card base is Close to my Heart Colonial White cardstock. I used TLC paper scraps and Stampin' Up's French Foliage stamp set with CTMH Goldrush, Olive and Barn Red pigment inks from the Enchantment Pigment ink set. 

Challenge: Quick sketch challenge. Uses all CTMH products-

White Daisy cardstock base

Chantilly papers

Heartfelt Birthday Wish stamp

Exclusive Inks stamp pad - Cotton Candy

Challenge: Make a card with a repeated stamp pattern. 

Made using CTMH Colonial White cardstock base with Whisper cardstock embossed with Stampin' Up's hexagon embossing folder. Indian corn blue pigment ink from the Enchantment Pigment ink set. Star stamps from the Love Life stamp set. Happy Birthday sentiment stamp unknown maker. 

Challenge: sketch

Laughing Lola Workshop on the Go - including papers, stamp set and black hemp twine. 

Exclusive inks stamp pad - Black and Lagoon. 

And finally, here are some things I made for the Close To My Heart open house/launch I had at my house demonstrating some of the products.

Card: i ♥ you 

White Daisy cardstock base

Whisper cardstock 

Exclusive inks stamp pads - Lagoon and Cotton Candy

Lagoon Houndstooth washi tape

ATC: Love lives here
Colonial White cardstock base
Love Life stamp set (words and hearts)
Frame Flair stamp set
Exclusive Inks stamp pad - Lagoon and Desert Sand 
Stitch Guide ruler (I love this tool!)
Corner rounder and DMC floss

Card: Follow your dreams
White Daisy cardstock
Black cardstock
Whisper cardstock
Tommy Workshop stamp set 
Exclusive Inks stamp pad - Black , Pear, Lagoon and Desert Sand
Round sponge

Stitch Sampler

I so love the Stitch Guide ruler - probably has to do with the fact that I was a cross stitcher before I was a scrapbooker, LOL! Anyway, I thought it would be good to show all the stitches available on the ruler so I just started punching holes with the ruler and then stitching them with DMC floss from my stash. I also added a few stamps to show that the two things can go together. 

Colonial White cardstock on top of a Black cardstock base

Stitch Guide ruler

Exclusive Inks stamp pad - Desert Sand and Pear

Love Life stamp set (cherish)

Sarita Workshop stamp set

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my projects - please leave me some comment love if you did ☺. Till next time, happy days!