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Tuesday 20 May 2014

Close to My Heart - Skylark Scrapbooking Layout


Here is the layout I made from my consultant starter kit received from Close To My Heart.  I love the beautiful blue/green tones - just my colours. 

I used a really special photo of my twin boys having a lot of fun on a carousel on a really special day on with friends from the UK on 1st February this year.  My photo is 6 x 8.



Here are the instructions to duplicate this layout should you wish:

Instructions:
  • Choose a 6 x 8 photo
  • Spritz the Lagoon cardstock with a bronze mist
  • Mat the photo with the Kraft cardstock border 2/8 of an inch to give the photo some definition
  • Cut all the branding strips off the Skylark papers
  • Cut the detail off the brown grid patterned paper in the top left hand corner - the chevron detail together with the birds on the wire, and then turn the paper over and cut out the faux detail on the green arrow stripe paper
  • Cut a rectangle from the yellow quatrefoil paper 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches high
  • Cut a rectangle from the green arrow paper 9 x 4 inches
  • Cut out the teal and white banner from the bird paper; then the "beautiful memories" next to it
  • Pop the following dimensional elements from the sheets - picture perfect, today was a wonderful day, cherished, epic story and the three banner elements
  • Cut down the wood banner so it is a bit shorter than the others and round the corner
  • Using Desert Sand, stamp the "cherish this"onto white, stamp the "first class fun" onto the brown grid patterned paper
  • Using Lagoon, stamp the "here" onto white, and the "remember this", and "love".  Stamp one of the label arrows onto the bird paper.  Cut all of these stamped images out. 
  • Adhere the birds on a wire paper at the top left, slightly in from the edge of the border.
  • Adhere epic story on top of that, in about half an inch from the left hand side of the page, just letting the patterned paper show out from the top. 
  • Adhere the yellow quatrefoil paper 2 inches from the left and 2 1/2 inches from the top
  • Stick down the green arrow paper 1 1/4 inches from the left and 5 1/4 quarter inches from the top
  • Stick down the dovetail aqua stripe banner an inch down from the green arrow paper on the left hand side
  • Stick down the photo so that it is surrounded
  • Adhere the three chipboard banners, with the right hand side being 3/4 inch in from the right hand side of the page
  • Cut one green arrow 2 1/2 inches long (ie follow the pattern on the paper - width so there is "feathers" on each side of the spine) and stick down to the right of the banners
  • Stamp the date on the "remember this" label and stick this down on top of the photo, together with "the beautiful memories" piece of paper. 
  • Colour in the side of the biggest bits of chipboard with a brown marker.  This gives added depth and a clean outline to the chipboard. 
  • Adhere the paisley strip half an inch from the bottom of the layout.  
  • Cut half a flight of the green arrow paper and adhere underneath the paisley strip 1/4 inch in from the left hand side of the page. 
  • Stick the design with the green and white label on the right hand side of the page at the bottom, leaving a lagoon border on the bottom and right hand side of the page. 
  • Stick the "picture perfect" chipboard down on the top left hand side of the photo, and "today was a wonderful day" chipboard down on the bottom left of the photo. Once you are happy with their placement, secure them down with wet glue at the very end of the layout.  Not just yet, as you have to put other strips underneath the edges!
  • Cut a 1/4 inch piece from the brown patterned paper 5 1/2 inches long and stick underneath the "today" chipboard
  • Cut the "take note" branding strip into two pieces, following the design
  • Adhere the "take note" on the right hand side of the "today" chipboard, and then the "perfect day" on the top of that.
  • Stick the lagoon label to the right side of the "today" chipboard and cut an arrow from the chevron branding strip 1 1/4 long
  • Tuck in the "first class fun" label on the right hand side of the photo
  • Put 3d foam underneath the "too much fun", "here" and "love" labels.  Stick "too much fun" on top of "today", stick "love" to the left of the green and white label, and stick "here" to the right hand bottom of the photo
  • Dovetail the teal shimmer trim in from 2 3/4 inches and adhere that at the top of the paisley strip 1/2 inch from the left
  • Dovetail a 3/4 inch teal shimmer trim and adhere it underneath the kraft mat on the top left hand side of the photo
  • Using a very small star punch, punch out four stars from the teal shimmer trim
  • Stick as shown on the layout, raising the top one on 3D foam
  • Cut down the negative shimmer trim on two of the stars and adhere to the right hand side of the "here" label
  • Stick down the triangle studs and the Kaiser gems as shown
  • Stick down the resin bird on the left hand side of the "cherish this" label
Supplies:
Close to My Heart:
Skylark Paper Packet, Skylark Complements (Dimensional Elements Sheets), Skylark Assortment - resin bird
Durables Triangle Studs
Teal Shimmer Trim
Lagoon and Desert Sand Exclusive Inks
Stamps:  Balloon Talk, True to Life, Believe in Yourself, Cricut Artbooking Collection - My Life?

Other:
Cosmic Shimmer Mists Bronze
Kaisercraft Aqua Rhinestones
Tombow Cinnamon marker
Very small star punch
3d foam

Stand back and admire your hard work! I hope you are happy with the result.  :)

Saturday 17 May 2014

52 Card Challenge 2014 - UK Scrappers Week 20

This week being Week 20, Nat's challenge was entitled "show and tell", using new stash.  I have just become a Close To My Heart Consultant, and have rather a lot of new CTMH stash.  But I like to multitask, so an acquaintance encouraged me to put entries into the Chinchilla show, and I needed to make a baby card for a friend, so I fulfill a number of purposes here. 
 
This card has taken me quite a few evenings to do, as I don't get time to craft, but I am happy  with the result - even if I never thought I would finish it!
 
 
I started out with the freebie Papercraft Essentials paper, which I cut to size, and edged with Victorian Velvet distress ink. 

 
I misted the doily and cut it in half - I still had to fold it to fit it onto the card, but the flower and leaves on the right hand side mostly hide the fold. 
 
I had adhered the big Prima flower on the right hand side, without really thinking that I needed to balance it, so I duplicated the look with smaller flowers, but handcut some of the elements down so they were in proportion.  Antique pearls form the centre of the smaller flowers - my Mum gave me a bag of pearls - no doubt from broken necklaces - and they have a lovely aged sheen to them. 
 
I used the Kaisercraft leaves template to cut out some vellum leaves, but I wanted to add some interest to the vellum which was otherwise very flat.  I traced round the edges with watercolour pencil but it was too dark - then I wanted to dull down the colour, so added some water.  I found out that vellum curls up if you add water - a happy accident!  Though it made adhering the vellum to the card quite tricky. 
 

 
I stamped the letters with Victorian Velvet ink, and then cut them out and added them onto the Spellbinders diecut.  I ran them through my Zyron 150 to adhere them, and then outlined the letter with Cotton Candy Stickles.  I added Stardust Stickles on top to add some sparkle, as the Cotton Candy adds dimension but doesn't sparkle!


 
 
Another CTMH stamp set "Skylark" contained the small heart, which added some interest to the name.  I coloured the letters in with watercolour pencils and added water and Shimmer mists for some shine. 
 
A few gems and pearls complete the card. 
 
Supplies:
Papercraft Essentials "Sweet Wishes" 6 x 6 paper stack
Tim Holtz distress inks - "Victorian Velvet"
Close To My Heart Hopscotch Alphabet and Skylark stamp sets
Cosmic Shimmer Mists - "Rose Pink" and "Sunlight"
Doily
Kaisercraft 12 x 12 template "Leaves"
Lace
Prima flower and leaves
Martha Stewart Crocosmia punch
Antique Pearls
Cinnamon Promarker
Kaisercraft Squadron "Sergeant" patterned paper
Pink Vellum
Cotton Candy and Stardust Stickles
Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils "Carmine Pink" and "Red Violet"
Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 14
 
I lady I met in town encouraged me to put entries into the forthcoming Chinchilla show - this will be my card entry.  I have no idea what happens or what else I have to do, but at least I've made the card!  If anything interesting happens, I will let you know.  Thanks for stopping by. :)

Sunday 11 May 2014

UK Scrappers 52 Card Challenge 2014 - week 10


Going back to Week 10, Nat set us a challenge to use the following items - wood, plastic, stickers.  I thought "what!" for several weeks. 

The challenge never has to be interpreted that literally, but however and whenever your inspiration strikes. 

Today is Mother's Day here in Australia, and here is a challenge I made for my lovely Mum which uses these ingredients. 

 
 
I don't buy many in the way of crafting magazines these days, but one I liked and bought occasionally was "Get Stamping" from the UK.  This was a lovely set of free stamps that came with edition 8 - sadly, the last edition for this magazine, which is just typical - not the same old tat in the vein of Practical Publishing, which claims editorial staff are crafting experts to save paying design team fees!   
 
I have used my new Close to My Heart inks in Slate and Desert Sand for most of the stamping - I firstly stamped the tree, then the fence, and then the love seat, using a bit of masking as I went along. Quite a bit of colouring with Promarkers, and I even dusted off my Stazon ink to stamp on the acetate for the seat (the "plastic" part of the challenge). 
 
This card was definitely a labour of love - I haven't spent so long on a card for a very long time - but if you can't do if for your Mum, when can you? 
 
Loads of Stardust Stickles and gems to lift this card, as before it, everything looked flat and dull and in desperate need of a sparkle! 
 
Supplies:
Letraset Promarkers
Echo Park Paradise Beach Hang Ten (background paper)
Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock
Inks:  Close to my Heart Desert Sand, Slate, Stazon, Simon Says Stamp! Leaf Green,
Lawn Fawn: Sunny Skies Clean
Kaisercraft and Queen and Co gems
Kasiercraft Mini Alpha Stickers:  Latte
 
Happy Mother's Day Mum - hope you have a wonderful day.  xxxx


Tuesday 6 May 2014

SIPIDI April - Shepherd's Pie

Fiona Cullen, over at her blog Staring at the Sea, runs a monthly challenge to actually make reality what we pin on Pinterest, which she has called "See It, Pin It, Do It!" 

I quite often look up recipes on the internet, but not often on Pinterest - I don't know why. But in honour of Fiona's challenge, I have actively looked up a couple of recipes. I have been looking for things to cook which will appeal to both young children, and also my husband and I. 

This first one turned out quite well -

Shepherd's Pie.  Here was my inspiration photo. 


 
I really can't remember if I've ever cooked Shepherd's Pie before - I am sure I probably have.  Maybe I cooked it intuitively in the distant past, but I am not a natural cook, and I prefer to cook by recipes, to ensure that the end result will be relatively ok.  I nearly forgot to take a photo, but here was the end result (after two adult meals, two children's meals, and a lunch the next day):
 

 
I will cook the recipe again, but I will need to tweak it, to further develop the flavour.  One of the things I discovered in Woolworths was these disposable trays - no need to have to spend time to scrub out the dish afterwards - even better!
 



Monday 5 May 2014

52 card challenge UKS Scrappers - Week 13

This was the challenge for Week 13 - use the following sketch:

 
 
In desperate catch-up mode for all the cards I owe, here is one to one of my most long standing friends, Tony, who has helped us out a lot recently with things for our house and hand-me-downs for the boys. 
 

 
He is a manager for Qantas, so the airship is quite appropriate for him.  I used my new My Favorite Things Insta frame and 3 x 4 dies for the inserts.  I should have put the greeting more like a balloon, but it will do - and I finally used some of the twine I have!
 
Supplies:
Kaiser patterned paper Squadron range "Sergeant"
My Favorite Things Die-namics Dies Insert It - 3" x 4", and "Instaframe"
Star Punch
Stardust Stickles
Red Gems
Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock and "Moving Forward" stamp set
Versafine Crimson Red ink
Craftwork Cards Greeting
1 1/4 " circle punch
 
Card 15 of 30 - halfway there!  I've actually made closer to the 3 mark, but need to blog them, and that is the time consuming part ....


UK Scrappers - Week 16 Gold

Gold!  was the challenge Nat set us this week .... and I have used gold accents on a very simple card. 



Supplies:
DCVW Taj Mahal patterned paper
Bazzill Kraft and scraps for die cutting
Spellbinders Shapeabilities D-Lites Blooms Three
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels Fourteen
Elizabeth Craft Designs die - Curvy Leaves
Gold Stickles
Rhonna Farrer Phrase rub-ons

With such a busy background, not much is needed, but I die cut a craft flower with the Spellbinders Blooms Three and the gold stamen from some paper scraps.  I am gradually getting through those rub-ons, but they are not always suitable for the kind of card I need to make.  This will be an anniversary card - I think the saying "the journey is the reward" is appropriate here. 

Card 14 from 30 - we keep plugging away! Thanks for visiting.  :)