September Scrapology Card Challenge

Natalie O'Shea (now a Stampin' Up! rep) has set the September Scrapology card challenge - to make a Christmas card with unconventional products or tools not normally associated with Christmas. 

Come and have a look here at our website to see what the team came up with, but I struggled for ages to come up with something. 

 

In the end, I opted to go for scrapbooking supplies not normally associated with Christmas - I used patterned paper which reminded me of Christmas baubles and then the corresponding die-cuts.  The butterfly was very lightly patterned with a swirl design, which I stickled over with Stardust stickles - so that shimmer and shine has been captured in the photo. 

 

I used my trusty Quickutz snowflake die, and cut those shapes and also the tiny Martha Stewart butterflies from die-cut floral shapes.  I distressed the edge of the card using Tim Holtz "Bundled Sage" distress ink which went very well with the paper.  The message and snowflake circles were stamped using Christmas stamps Inkadinkado "Peppermint Twist".  I particularly like the greetings in this set. 

 

Supplies:

Crate Paper Mia "Sparkle" patterned paper

Crate Paper Mia die cuts

Quickutz snowflake

Bundled Sage distress ink

Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Stardust Stickles

Pinflair dimensional glue.

Inkadinkado "Peppermint Twist" christmas stamps (designed by Brenda Walton)

I am sure that there are many brilliantly creative minds out there who can come up with something more inventive, so why don't you join in with the challenge!  Natalie is donating a lovely prize of a new set of SU stamps, so you have to be in it to win it! 

Thanks for stopping by.  x

August Sketchy Scrappers layout

.... is all about Lewis!  Well, for the moment, anyway, until I get to do a companion to this page ...

Here he is, (almost) having his first swing at 13 months, on 1st September 2012.  He was very unsure at first, but soon loved it and was giggling and screaming with delight.  Probably my favourite picture I have taken of Lewis so far, as he normally looks quite serious in photos and here he is just having lots of fun. 



The biggest timewaster for me in this layout was choosing the papers. Once I worked out the configurations, the next biggest thing was trying to find some thing which represented flying through the air.  I didn't find anything suitable, so once I'd found the love elsie paper with the nature bits, I decided to just use those instead of searching further for anything more thematic. 

Supplies:
Bazzill Smoothie cardstock "Lime Zest"
Patterned Papers:
Cosmo Cricket Storytime: "Tweedle Dee" and "Strip Tease"
love, elsie: "Forrest Merit Badge"
Scraps of green Junkitz paper from aeons ago
Chipboard: Fancy Pants
Sticker:  Bella Blvd Plastino "Label Additions"

As I only had one of those chipboard swirls, I just duplicated it in cardstock and it doesn't really make any difference!  Pleased to use up more old stash, too. 

Oops - almost forgot - here's the sketch! So thanks to Jess.  Wasn't too sure about it in the beginning, but I think it's all about making it work for you. 

Thanks for stopping by, and if you're feeling blue, here's a tip - have a swing!  It really does make you feel better.  :) x

 



September Scrapology Layout

Katharine Sutton (aka Sutty) used a Pagemaps sketch to come up with fantastic layout. 



Our challenge was to use hexagons and scraplift this.  I went back to the sketch and when I like them, tend to interpret them very literally. 

Here is her layout:-

 

I love all her arty, splodgy detail!  It is fab, and what great colours - so alive and energetic.  This is my layout below. 

I freehand cut the banners and once I was happy with the shape of one, just replicated it with the other five.  I rolled the top over the crochet thread and then glued it in place. 

I decided to go for broke with the hexagons and cut into five new bits of patterned paper which is really uncharacteristic of me.  But patterned paper is there to use and I put any paper I've cut into in my scraps bags.  I do go there a lot so decided it certainly won't go to waste!

I decided to use the shadow function on the Cricut font as otherwise the title would have been lost in the patterned paper. 

I am not happy with the splattering of the mist and really need to get more practise!  I've covered up most of it with the blue patterned banners in the bottom right hand corner.  I had a bit of a major spillage with the mist, so decided to use some of it to make a border for the page.  Then I wanted to blend it into the page a bit more, so went over the top with a long dotty stamp and some customised light blue paint.  Very minimalist splodging!







Ingredients:
Bazzill cardstock - Jetstream
Patterned Paper   - Sassafras Lass Serendipity "Blue Boutique" Exuberant
                            - Daisy D's Railway Journal
                            - Flair Red Roses
                            - Crate Paper Farmhouse Collection "Apple Pie"
                            - Cosmo Cricket Tea for Two "Tea Towel"
Cricut Cartridge  - Songbird
Bo Bunny "Snowflake" Jewels
Red Firefly Cosmic Shimmer Mist
Cream Crochet cotton
Jo Sonja acrylic paint
American Crafts "Sentiments" clear stamps. 

Thanks for stopping by.  :)