Black and white

Goodness time flies - well and truly time to update!  There has been a crop and a weekend away in between my last post and this one, but heaven only knows what else has kept me so busy I haven't posted ....

I know black and white is so popular .. but sometimes I find it hard to use!  The contrast is so harsh, and sometimes I am aiming for a softer look.  I had accumulated a deal of black and white patterned paper scraps after making my mother in law a black and white birthday book for Christmas, so I wanted to use them up ....

Scraps of the black and white patterned paper are from a paper pad by Imaginisce - a lot of geometric patterns in this paper pad.  I felt the card above was desperate for a touch of colour.  The journalling spot is American Crafts - my friend gave me this pack the Christmas before, and I haven't been able to use it in my scrapbooking, so I started to break into it for cards.  Black stickles and a glittery peel off added a touch of bling ....

With this handmade paper, I just glossy-accented the silver stitching on the cut edges of the paper to stop it fraying.  Another American Crafts journalling spot, and a glittery doodlebug button tied the silver in to the black and white. 

I think the card above was less successful, but it demonstrates that you can use scraps relatively effectively by keeping to a colour theme.  This time, I used the leftover frame from one of those journalling spots, a couple of peeloffs, scraps of handmade paper and a wee bit of lace. 

I would find the paper above very hard to use, but in a small area with the pattern broken up, this is one of my favourites!  Just some flowery black and white peel-offs complete it, with a bit of organza ribbon down the side. 

I think the above card looks quite Victorian!  Maybe it's the vertical stripe which reminds me of wallpaper.  I stamped the frame with white stazon and the swirl was cut from the Cricut machine.  Very suitable for a masculine birthday. 

Last card for this evening - same paper, slightly different treatment. 

                                                

A different frame, together with a flower, give a less formal feel.  Well, all those cards went off for charity a while ago - so hopefully by now, they've all sold! 

I am in the process of making more, but my next post will be about scrapbooking, I promise!

Churn

I love the fact that I usually am ok to churn out cards, but here are some of my efforts which are a bit less bog standard ....

A friend went through her enormous RUB box of card blanks and sorted them out.  She donated a lot of the waifs and strays to my charity efforts for breast cancer, so I was really appreciative of that. 

I would never buy aperture cards now, but I use what is to hand.  I do think it stretches your creativity and challenges you to come up with something different. 

For the first blue and brown card, I stitched around the aperture once I had chosen my patterned paper, which is this example is Rhonna Farrer.I used up the scrap of paper mosaic (or whatever you call it) and some various flowers and a bit of stamping.  The copper snaps add a bit of contrast to the flowers. 

The aqua card couldn't have been easier - I found a bit of pp big enough to fill the square (Fancy Pants, in this instance) and added a stamped flourish by Woodware. 

I found a template in a magazine, and thought it was very on trend and good for using up some of those smaller scraps. 

Added some finishing touched with a Hero Arts owl coloured in, and some butterflies.  Those stickers are Mrs Grossman again - still trying to use them up!  I could be here some time ...

Pre Cybercrop Challenge - UKS

For the monopoly cybercrop, the challenge was the following:

This challenge is to scrap your own 'Officer Mallory', that person that has either been a constant in you or your families life, or who has had a profound effect or brought about a huge change (for the better of course).

This challenge is a LAYOUT challenge. You must use TWO techniques and a min of FOUR colours.

Techniques - painting around the border (not really easily seen here) and sewing. Colours - white, pink, green and blue.

Patterned Paper - Heidi Grace Glittery Loving You Glittery Circles (2005) and Karen Russell for Creative Imaginations (green dots). The green frame was in a Heidi Swapp kit which has also been staring me in the face for at least 3 years. I dug the pink epoxy heart icons out of my stash from somewhere and this paper was perfect for this layout - I have often stared at it, and never knew what I would use it for. I raised some of the patterned paper circles on foam dots to give them more prominence.

My journaling says "Mum - you have always been a constant source of love to me. Even half a world away, I feel your support. Yo might not always have the words to say anything to help a situation, but you have always had a listening ear and know you're on my side. When I was particularly ill with pneumonia but more so depression, you and Roslyn flew 12,000 miles to stay with me for those precious 9 days in 2004. I am not sure if Skype has made the homesickness better or worse, but at least I can see your face when we chat. For now, I am still so far away, but you are always there, no matter how we talk. I love you. That's constant."
 
Photo is my Mum, and my niece, whilst we're playing cards - we start 'em young!  :)

Heuchera

I am really enjoying scrapping my Chelsea Flower Show photos from last year - I shall probably end up doing an album in the end. 

This was Beckie Dreyer's class called Oxford Street- using glimmer mists to make a background.  I only have two mists - one green, one cherry red - so used the Cherry Red Memories Mist, together with some Perfect Pearls spritzed in a mister and using some masks.  Those mists really do radiate widely - thank goodness I put down a lot of newspaper, but then a cream carpet is not perfect in a craft room!  :lol:

I thought the Heuchera with their black and golden foliage deserved a grungy layout and I am pleased with how this turned out. 

Products:  Basic Grey patterned paper, Prima Art Collage flowers, Basic Grey rub-ons, and Maya Road black transparent alphabet.  There is a layer of maroon lace underneath the misted background, which you can't pick out here - it adds another layer of colour IRL.  I won a beautiful card kit sometime ago, and that velvet scalloped circle went perfectly here for more texture. 

UKS Cybercrop layout

Here is the second layout I made for the UK Scrappers cybercrop -

The photo is of my sister getting her black belt.  The original class had plain kraft card, but I have wanted to use this cardstock for so long - I think it works relatively well.  I found loads of red bits in my scraps bag to go - the tiny Jenni Bowlin bingo card was from the pack design.  The photo was so dark, I matted it on cream cardstock with a black pen border for more definition. 

Products:  cardstock Jillibean Soup - wild garlic salt

Making Memories tag "Enjoy the Journey"

Patterned paper scraps - Daisy Bucket, Creative Imaginations, Cosmo Cricket,

Fabric Ruler - Teresa Collins for Junkitz

Asian coins

Scrapworks fabric label

Thanks for stopping by, on this wet long weekend.  :)