Support our Soldiers Part 2

I have been making another batch of cards to boost the assortment that I will send to the "Support our Soldiers" activity.  Here are the details should you wish to participate, otherwise click on the link above to read more about the charity.

SUPPORT OUR SOLDIERS
UNIT 2155
SAFE STORE SELF STORAGE
MIDDLE ENGINE LANE RETAIL PARK
WALLSEND
TYNE AND WEAR
NE28 9NT


Apart from thinking that it is a fantastic cause to support, it is also a creative way for me to use up more of my crafting supplies. 

Paper - all A4 by Anna Griffin, which came in the Plaid decoupage kit.  Borders outlined with marker to give them some definition.  Stamped message by Woodware - I love that script!

Added a big yellow flower here - not so sure about that, but sometimes it just has to do!  Greeting by Craftwork Cards. 

May Arts ribbon that I've had also for a number of years and another Craftwork Cards sentiment. 

I had a Kraft frame in my supplies, along with this masculine ribbon and one of these plaques left over from the beautiful Life's Journey paper which came out many years ago.  I felt like making something a little different, so the "bon voyage" theme it became!

I cut out the matt using my Tim Holtz movers and shapers label die and outlined it with cinnamon Stickles.  The sentiment was coloured with a Promarker. 

I find my circle punches are a crafting essential and are probably the most used equipment I own. 

Supplies:Gems, Pearls, Stickles
Papermania Felt Ribbon and floral accents (pearl centre)
Craftwork Cards Birthday sentiments
Plaid Dragonflies and Bees decoupage kit by Anna Griffin - green stripe, writing, check and dragonflies and bees patterned papers
Paper Adventures - Stampendous design Heirloom Interiors Vintage Rose - Yellow
ki memories - lace cardstock
Stampin' Up "Elementary Elegance" (happy birthday)
Basic Grey "Journal Block" set
Personal Impressions "Frames and Greetings"

It gets a bit difficult to try and differentiate one from another after a while, but I suppose that is always the cause when making a concerted effort to use up a particular batch of supplies!   Back with more to share soon. 

Standing Tall

Here is the layout of Lewis standing on Paul at 9 months old.  I had originally produced the background for something else, but then it didn't work and I converted it into another layout. 

I used loads of my scraps of paper to cut flags around the border and then sewed a double border for added texture.  My friend Sherri gave me a boys quote book out of vellum as one of my birthday presents and I thought this particulare quote was very fitting for Lewis in this picture. 

In response to Gemma's challenge on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog for National Scrapbooking Day, I decided to "alter" an alphabet.  I used the negative space from some Artic Frog white alphabet stickers and coloured them in with my black Promarker.  I then painted in the letters with some green paint. 

The quote was a last minute addition as I was looking through my stash and then I had to make everything work together - not completely successfully, in my opinion, but it is another layout completed for Lewis's album. 

Supplies:

Bazzill Just the Edge Strips

Technique Tuesday chipboard border (covered with patterned paper)

Lace

Cardstock

    Bazzill

    DCVW Christmas Stack

Patterned Papers - various scraps

Alphas

    SEI "Granny's Kitchen"
    Arctic Frog Summer White Alpha

It was great to dust off my sewing machine again and use it for a page.  There's something about it which adds great texture.  Thanks for looking!

May Scrapology Card Challenge

Here is my card for the May Scrapology card challenge.  Sweet Pea Stampers were the sponsor for this month, and set a theme of making a card containing an image of a mythical creature. 

I got very busy with my misters for this card.  It didn't turn out as expected, but then they rarely do!  I used a purple patterned paper but really, I shouldn't have bothered as there was so much mist, you can't even detect anything that was on the base.  I used a three dot stamp from to replicate the bubbles as if it were under the sea.  I used my aqua embossing powder from Debbie Moore that hasn't been used in a long, long time.  Unfortunately, I had already stuck the base to the card, as embossing over adhesive caused the paper to buckle.  A good lesson for the future! 

Very serendipitously, I found a ribbon to match the exact colours, and some blue pearlesque rope that I stuck on the card.  I went to add a greeting to this, but wasn't happy with the placement of anything, so decided to leave it blank.  Shame you can't see how much the seahorse sparkles with the stickles I added. 

Why don't you join us with this month's card challenge?  It really is so much fun, even if it is something you don't normally do ...





UK Scrappers Challenge - A First

When I saw the sketch below for the UK Scrappers weekly challenge (April, week 5) set by the Inky Minxes, I knew I wanted to do a layout, as the sketch was so pretty. 

Sketch is by Pagemaps.  The challenge was to scrap about a first, use paper, and use either stamping/bunting. 

At first, I discounted joining in, because no firsts immediately sprang to mind.  I also wondered about the size of the photos, as they are rather small.  Nevertheless, I browsed through the photos on my computer and ran through the possibilities. 

When I saw the photos my husband had taken of my boys and I on Mother's Day, I knew that these were the ones I wanted to use.  None of the photos are brilliant - Lewis was playing up when the photos were taken, and the one of Henry is out of focus.  I therefore thought they were perfect to scrap on a small scale.  Without this particular challenge, I doubt I would have ever scrapped these photos - so I am grateful for that. 

When I particularly love a sketch, I run through my potential supplies, and see what I have.  I do try and stay as faithful as possible to the sketch, because I love it's design in the first place!  Nevertheless, I had to change it around a bit, when I came up with the supplies I wanted to use.  I am also very grateful for the theme, as finally I have cut into this "Red Roses" patterned paper which I have always loved - but am so pleased to have eventually found a use for - after all these years!  It was manufactured in 2006, and though I don't think I've had it that long, it has been in my stash for several years, as have most things, really.  I was also especially happy to use those roses stickers which were on the rather large size - I am so pleased that they look quite fitting here.  And by a happy stroke of fate, they also fit perfectly into Jen's challenge for (Inter)national Scrapbooking Day on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog. 

Supplies:

Bazzill cardstock - red, white and black
Patterned papers - "Red Roses", Flair Designs, 2006
                               Chatterbox Inc Scrapbook Walls "Stitched Ivy"
                               Imaginisce black and white scraps
Die Cut - Black and White Damask by Teresa Collins
Punch - Martha Stewart Butterflies
Die and embossing folder - Cuttlebug Butterfly
Stickers - DCWV Spring Stack - Roses
                Heidi Grace Designs Clear Phrase Stickers 2008 "A Little Bird's Tale"
Alphabets - Quickutz "Skinny Mini Phoebe" (red)
                    Basic Grey White Chocolate Chip "Beckham" micro-chip
Cotton crochet thread

I am pretty pleased with this layout - considering I had to change the orientation of the photos, and some of the elements - and it just goes to show that you shouldn't initially discount scrapping to a particular theme, as you will probably get there with some imagination! 

Thanks for stopping by.  :)

Nine month milestones - April 2012

This month has sped by and has seen so many changes, it is quite astonishing. 

Lewis - you love to study things intently and examine things in minute detail - you love to feel the texture of the car seat and we often hear you scratching away on a drive.  You love to look at the flecks in the carpet and run your hands over various surfaces - you particularly love your elephant's tail and the satiny feel of the playmat.  Daddy and I say that you are examining the atomic particles!

Henry - you are motoring along now and we can't believe your ground speed.  You have developed a circuit whereby you will crawl between Mummy's sofa and the wall.  You especially love the icecream tub on the bottom of the change unit and get that out and smash your green alligator against the tub.  You then proceed to the doorway and have now learnt how the door works by swinging it back and forward and smashing it back against the sideboard.  Rubber stoppers need to be purchased forthwith!  You love to whack your hand on the kitchen floor and feel how hard the texture is.  We think you discovered this when you reached for the wine rack and smashed a bottle of white wine on the floor.  It was very fortunate that Daddy was standing right by so he could rescue you before you went for a swim in it, or worse - cut your hands on the broken glass.  Needless to say, the bottles no longer reside on the lower shelves of the wine rack!

You are both cutting more teeth, and now have four on the top.  This has been a hard time for you Lewis, as you have your hands always in your mouth and seem to be in pain some of the time.

Henry - you have now learned to wave as well as clap. We were notified of a potential modelling assignment for you for a milk formula company - they also wanted to include the parents. That is why we think you were not short-listed! I think you'll have better luck when they want you on your own. 

You both love to play "boo" and Henry, we have lovely games when you open and shut the door and peer around it, waiting for a reaction. You are increasingly interacting with each other now and it is delightful - except when Lewis is used as a climbing frame!

We can't wait to see what happens next ....

May Scrapology Layout challenge - C is for Charms

Hello everyone!  This month, we are scraplifting the work of Karola Witczak  who is a member of the Prima design team.  Our challenge was also to incorporate charms into the layout.  Being a scrapper of some years' standing, this fortunately was easy to accommodate! 

Here is her original layout. 

From that, to this layout of mine below. 

Karola's layout is much more monochrome in nature and the photo blends in to it, being black and white.  I wanted to provide much more contrast, and also tie this layout with a coordinating page in the boys' album.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a second piece of patterned paper to match my other layout, so I took a piece of Bazzill dotted Swiss white cardstock, and inked, sprayed, painted and misted the background through a doily.

I recovered the wooden birds from Hobbycraft with a scrap of paper, as they were both facing the same way, and I wanted them to face each other.  Thanks to Heather Bee for the little feet charms - they were just the ticket on the page!

Some of the layers on the flowers were Nestability cogs, which were borrowed from Lisa. 

It was great to get the paint out and splodge it on - I painted a green border around the edge of the page, and then used some sequin waste as a mask to paint through.  I added a bit of white paint on top, to "temper" and soften the green, so it faded more into the background.

When sorting out my stash drawers, I came across a bottle of pink Appliglue which I also bought many years ago - probably for a project in a magazine.  I was convinced it would have dried out and been useless - but it was perfect here, for picking out the doily border and providing some contrast. 

The "Darling" tag was one of the first items in my stash, so it has been sitting there for approximately 8 years! I covered it with paint, as the silver surface was too brash and dominating.  The Making Memories "believe" charm is also many years old.  I do also remember buying some of those heart beads/charms in 2005 from a Michaels store, when I went on a scrapbooking trip to Florida with the Scrapaholics.  My, how the years fly by!

Supplies:

Bazzill white Dotted Swiss cardstock

Patterned Papers:

    Karen Russell "Narratives" for Creative Imaginations Cream and Blue Polka

    Cloud 9 Design Alyssa's Garden collection "Botanical Notes"

    Walter Knabe Paper Adventures

Ranger Distress Inks

Doily

Various charms

Prima flowers

Prima packaging

Leaf die - Nestabilities

Flower and frond die - My Favourite Things

Wooden birds - Hobbycraft

Pink Appliglue

Why don't you join in with us this month and take the challenge?  It is a great exercise in stash-busting, and you will have another completed layout for your albums ...

May Sketchy Scrappers Challenge

Over on UK Scrappers, Karen gave us this sketch to scrap from as inspiration. 

This was my interpretation of the sketch. 

 

The layout is of Lewis at six months - photos taken on 16 Jan 2012.  Most supplies very kindly donated by Heather Appleby - thanks Heather and are the Daisy D's "Lullaby" range of papers, and adhesive stickers and alphabets. 

I scanned in Lewis' pyjama top for the little clouds and plane - mostly to cover up the adhesive splodges I had left on my layout, because I moved the photos so many times!  I know the papers are from I first started scrapbooking - so either 2004/5, and I also used some blue scraps from my scraps bag, and also cut into a plain piece of blue paper that I used for the matting of the photos and the bunting.  I found this layout difficult to pull together and I just had to decide it was finished.  It won't go down in the annals as one of my favourite layouts, but at least it's done, and another one for his album.