Ninety - 90

Sketches with a Twist had a layout sketch somewhat out of my comfort zone this month, but the twist to use die cuts certainly wasn't! I use die cuts on practically every layout these days so that part was easy. The sketch itself was a little more difficult and I did flip it. I'm not entirely convinced by my final product, but here it is. I think it looks better in real life than in the picture though.

 

I used photos from my father-in-law's 90th birthday party celebrations recently. He was so happy, with a smile from ear to ear for most of the evening. I tried to portray that happiness in my layout by using star die cuts and silver glitter paper (Stampin' Up!). The die cuts were made with the following dies-

MFT die-namics stacking stars

MFT die-namics clearly sentimental label

MFT die-namics layered label

Cheery Lynnfanciful flourish

Spellbinders Fleur de Lis squares

Other products I used were Stampin' Up! papers, the Crafter's Workshop Numbers Collage (TCW210) template, silver ink, silver gel pen, and Chipboard monogram numbers from my TLC stash. I thought it was great that there was a 9 and a 0 next to each other in the template and I was able to draw around them with gel pen to highlight the resulting 90.

One of the "problems" I encountered when making the layout was that I wanted to copy the framed pictures idea from the sketch but didn’t have a frame the right size. So, I improvised.

I found that the largest square Fleur de Lis die that I had was the right height for my pictures but not the right width. So, I cut one out of scrap paper and folded it either side of the centre until it was the right width.

Then I cut the square out again from the paper I was going to use. Using the scrap paper die cut as a template I cut the centre out of the square and put the two sides together. Voila, a perfect rectangular frame!

All in all, this is not my favourite layout, but ultimately it's another page done for the scrapbook!

Till next time, happy days!

Francine

Bali layouts

Beware! Long post coming up…

Last year I was lucky to get a layout a month completed. So far this year I've completed five, including one double - and all since our return from Bali on January 17th! Boy, am I on a roll. So here are three of the Bali related layouts.

I turned the sketch 90o to the right

The first is my entry for Sketches With A Twist. The challenge this month is to use the sketch provided as well as texture paste. I bought some texture paste late last year wanting to try it so this was the nudge I needed to actually do it.

Texture paste

Washi tape strips

acrylic heart behind the flower with sequins and bead centre

I had some washi tape on my desk that I hadn't yet used either so that was what prompted me to choose the colours for the layout.  First, I used a template from The Crafter's Workshop (Tile Texture TCW237) to put the texture paste through. While I was waiting for it to dry I covered a scrap piece of white paper with lines of washi tape to make the arrow. Once the paste was dry I put it all together. I added some patterned papers from my stash (TLC and Basic Grey), the Bo Bunny flowers, some white sequin leaves and a clear flower bead for the centre, an acetate heart (Breezy/TLC) behind the flower, more washi tape strips, a white brad and a white clip, some white foam letter stickers and Kaisercraft mini letters for the title and it was done! Cool - I love it and it's now the title page for my Bali album. And, surprise, surprise, there's not a single die cut on it - I never once pulled out my Big Shot!!

This is my double page layout. I love the panoramic photos. It helps that the rice fields and terraces in Bali are so photogenic (can you say that about a landscape?). I didn't even use a sketch for this one, and only two die cuts that I had already cut out that were in my stash! Embellishments are all bits and pieces from my stash as well so I have no idea where they're from, but I love how it all came together. I think this is one of my favourite layouts.

Beside the Tirta Empul layout (which you can read about here), my other Bali layout is one I made with the February Wrapped in Paper monthly challenge kit. I certainly wasn't enthusiastic about the papers in the kit and wasn't sure what photos to use them with. As you have to use at least a little bit of each one, in the end I decided to use the words (My Girl) for the title, which meant it had to be about Kyaa. It became My Bali Girl though and I included photos of Kyaa and some of the activities we tried while we were in Bali.

 

Everything on the layout is from the kit, and for once I didn't add anything to it. The papers and matching embellishments are from the Butterfly Kisses collection from Kaisercraft. The butterflies are printed on the paper and partially die cut so you can pinch the wings up. I'm not sure whether all the papers are the same, or I just happened to get a dud version, but the cuts were completely off from where the printing was. I certainly wouldn't have purchased this paper if it hadn't been in the kit. Anyway, I struggled with it a bit as to how to use it, but in the end it just kind of fell into place and I'm pleased with the result. Certainly not colours and papers I would have chosen, but I always find that it's amazing what you can come up with and how you can turn something you don't really like into a layout to be proud of. It's currently on display at Wrapped in Paper, so if you're headed that way this month I'd love it if you voted for me if you like I too.

Till next time, happy days.

Francine

{a wonderful day for a} SMILE

I just love the sketch at Sketches with a Twist this month! The twist for the challenge is that you need to include some stitching on your layout as well. Well, I don't mind doing a bit of stitching (having been a sewer in a previous (very long ago) life and a cross stitcher more recently). So, I went in search of some photos that would fit the layout sketch and came across these ones from six (wow, 6!!!) years ago. Then I found an old Stampin Up! kit called Hoppy Memories and set to work. All the papers and stickers are from that kit.

The kit had lots of frogs and turtles on the stickers, but I've learned to cover those sorts of things up if they're not useful for what I'm making. I bet you didn’t realise that the journalling circle has a frog on it, the spotty oval has a turtle on it, and the green hashed oval is in fact a lily pad! By placing other stickers from the kit over the top, you can cover up pretty much anything.

After sticking everything down I added the stitching. I pierced holes around the edge of the journalling spot to make a running stitch. I pierced holes for the cross stitches on the green oval, on the end of the border under the title, and in the top of the subtitle journalling block. (That last spot was the easiest as I just pierced holes on top of some of the dots so I knew they would be symmetrical!). Lastly I pierced six holes in the star - one in the centre and one in each of the points of the star. I then made a lazy daisy stitch from the star centre to each point and ended up with a flower. I really like how that turned out. 


I then added a few brads and the Smile (Basic Grey) letter sticker title. This is one of the current word challenges at Bird is the Word. Since the letters didn’t stand out that much against the green background paper, I doodled around the edge of the letters with an orange pen. I added some glitter to the heart and around the edge of the {heart} you sticker as well, using my Sakura clear stardust gel pen. 


All done! So, what do you think?

Till next time, happy days.

Francine

Nara Candle Festival

Here's my latest layout for the Sketches with a Twist challenge. This month the twist was to use something green on your layout along with the sketch. Well, since I'm in to green at the moment that wasn't hard, so I used several green patterned papers on a brown cardstock background.

Following the sketch was easy and the layout came together quite quickly. I cut the banner pieces out with the MFT  Die-namics mini pennant die, hand stitched the string for the banner, and sewed on a few  buttons. The medallion and the little green paper "buttons" were cut out with the Nellie Snellen MFD030 die. the scalloped border was cut out (twice) with the MFT Die-namics wonky scallop border die. The papers are from my stash so I'm not sure what brand they are. The candle sticker is from Elizabeth Craft Designs. It was silver so I coloured it with a gold pen. I added a few gold brads, the journalling, some gold sticker letters which have been sitting in my stash for a very long time, and the layout was done!

 

The pictures come from the Nara Candle Festival. This event was in its 18th year in 2011. It celebrates the Sister City relationship between Canberra, and Nara Japan. There were over 2000 candles as well as lots of Japanese crafts, demonstrations and food. Last October was the first time that we actually made it to the Festival despite wanting to go almost each year since we've been in Canberra! It was very interesting and we will probably go again, hopefully this year.

I still have another layout to share with you, but I'm not sure if I'll get to post it today or not, so, till next time, happy days.

Francine