Rustic Birthday book

When I found out a colleague at work was raising money for three charities and is planning on trekking in the Himalayas later in the year, I went to her and offered to help.  I donated some handmade cards for her to sell, and I decided to make something for her to raffle off as a prize. 

I made this birthday book all from a K & Co collection which my lovely friend Moira gave me for my last birthday. 

The colours are very subtle on the cover, and unfortunately don't show up too clearly.  There is a lot of stamping on the cover, which I then covered with Eucalyptus stickles, so it does shine and sparkle quite a lot.  The title is "All Mixed Up" cut using the Cricut.  The letters were cut from Kraft card, which were then glossy accented and outlined with a dark brown pen so you could actually read the title. 

Apart from organising the papers so that the colour flows through nicely from one page to another, it's taken me many many tries to get the binding punching right.  With this book, it all finally came together, but then I quashed the wire badly in a few places, so it is a bit wonky! Oh well - the quirks and charm of a hand made article, I suppose.  

I didn't change the light settings, so unfortunately all the photos are overexposed.  Still, hopefully you will get the picture - ha ha!  I have popped six coordinating cards, made from the scraps, in the first lot of monthly pockets. 

  Here's just one of them to look at.  No doubting that these books are fiddly to make and time consuming, but they make very pretty and practical gifts and help to use up some of the patterned paper stash!  Using mount board for the covers has been the best material I've found thus far - both light weight but sturdy. 

Send me your details if you fancy a go at making one, and I will send you the full instructions.  Let me know how you've gotten on.  :)

Westfield Indoor Elephants

Slightly out of order, but the order will be more manageable this way ....  Here are the indoor Westfield ellies from Sunday, 27th June.  The sunlight is flooding in. 

That elephant at the front is #120, "The Singing Butler Rides Again" by Jack Vettriano.  Artist's Inspiration: "I created a now well known painting called The Singing Butler and I thought it would be fun to feature him once more. The Elephant is also a tribute to the incredible founding patron of The Elephant Family, the late Rajmata of Jaipur".  This elephant was kindly sponsored by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, in memory of the late HH Rajmata of Jaipur, Patron of Elephant Family.

This next eli is so much fun - #113, Monopoly Community Chest, created by Hasbro & Invited Artists.  Artist's Inspiration: "This Monopoly-inspired elephant sports all the colours of the Monopoly board and many of the game’s much-loved icons. To bring the concept Community Chest to life, we invited artists from London’s diverse community to support the parade and make their mark."

Quite a crowd gathered to look at the ellies.  Such lovely designs and colours. 

Here is #114, Zambi, created by Donna Goes. 

And here is # 198, Mammoth Metaphor.  This ellie sold for £70,000 to raise money for the charity. 

This lovely gold ellie is #217, The Spirit of India.  Artist - Sacha Jafri.  Some of those bright designs were made using stickers!

Here's a better view:

Here's #165, Untitled, by Marc Quinn.  Sold for £65,000.  Artist's Inspiration: "The elephant is a much revered and adored animal in India ". 

And much better to see Saffron uncaged ....

And here's Ziggy, #258 - one of my favourites. 

What do you think?  Do you have a favourite?

Green Park elefinale

This post will be very pic heavy, but let's see the rest of the Green Park ellies that were based there for the duration of the parade ....

#225, Mr William.  Artist's Inspiration: "Inspired by the designs of William Morris and the Oak tree, the national tree of England, I wanted my elephant to feel very British and decided to adapt this imagery in a modern and vibrant way, incorporating strong geometric patterns."

This beautiful elephant named Dazzlephant, #202  was created by Pochoir.  Artist's Inspiration: "Disruptive pattern camouflage - dazzle graffiti". 

You can see quite clearly on the gold side that Dazzlephant got a bit worn and weary from staying two months outdoors in a park.  Just as well they were having some TLC before being auctioned off. 

#11, Simply Silver, created by Thammakit Thamboon and sponsored by WhiteOaks.  Something lovely and pure about it's simplicity, I think. 

This beautiful elephant named Eko , #195 was created by Paul Kidby.  Artist's Inspiration: "The design for Eko is influenced by Indian patterns in a palette of blue and golds; a vine grows from the bottom of the trunk up and over the elephants back in a living canopy like an exotic blanket. Swinging amid the branches are orangutans to reflect the sponsor charity The Orangutan Foundation."  This elephant is in aid of the Orangutan Foundation.

This next elephant is #209, Harmony.  was created by Rebecca Campbell.  Her inspiration: "Underneath the leafy canopy of bamboo, elephants and tigers wander through. I painted this on behalf of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, they wanted to show elephants and tigers sharing the same environment." This elephant is in aid of WPSI and fetched £22,000 when auctioned. 

I really like this next one - #210, Harapan.  This beautiful elephant named Harapan (Sumatran for Hope) was created by Rebecca Sutherland and her inspiration:  "I was sadly inspired by the destruction of the Orangutan's natural habitat in Sumatra and Borneo. The species is now fewer than 6,700."  This elephant is in aid of Sumatran Orangutan Society.

I am not sure of this next elephant - #243, Hope of Freedom.  Created by Sculptor Suzie Marsh, with the casting done by Carter Technical.  Artist's Inspiration: "I have long admired the animal welfare work of AnimalsAsia Foundation and am delighted to be able to support the moon bears through my work. This sculpture is a chance to raise awareness for two iconic threatened species."  This elephant is in aid of Animals Asia Foundation.  It is certainly different from the others, at least. 

This beautiful elephant #17, named Gaj Mani was created by Yodsaran Chaidungkaew.  This elephant is in aid of Sanskara Development Trust and Jim Corbett Trust.

This next elephant is lovely - #25, named I Miss The Forest and created by Wongpeera Winyarat. This elephant is in aid of Elephant Nature Foundation.  Isn't she pretty?

Here's Russell, #109.  He was commissioned by Graeme le Saux, the football player. 

This beautiful elephant named Will Only Words Remain, #134 was created by Jon Hicks.  Artist's Inspiration: "This is a collaboration with International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW) the work inspired by their 'Will only words remain' campaign which highlights how elephants are endangered through poaching".  This elephant is in aid of IFAW.

Not far to go now - #86, Polyphant - created by Daniel Chadwick.  Artist's Inspiration:  "I wanted to create a modern, tribal feel". 

Never Forget, #246, is next.  Created by Tom Hallifax, his inspiration: "Mehndi, tattoos, graffiti, targets".  This elephant is in aid of Save the Rhino.

Here's Tara, #112, created and sponsored by Mark Shand.  Artist's Inspiration: "Tara’ is the Asian elephant who enchanted the charismatic travel writer Mark Shand, and inspired him to help set up the charity, Elephant Family - the official charity of Elephant Parade worldwide. Tara, which means star in Hindi, is affectionately credited as the original founder of Elephant Family, so it was only fitting that she had an elephant designed in her name. Tara now lives happily at Kipling Camp, India, enjoying the affection and attention of many delighted guests each year. The excerpt that appears on the sculpture is from Mark’s award winning novel, Travels on my Elephant, which documented Mark’s journey across India with Tara. It describes the moment Mark fell in love with Tara; perhaps mirroring the feelings of many of the people when they see the elephants across London and inspiring them to join us in saving this incredible animal from extinction." 

And here's a great symbol of British culture - #44, Fish and Chips.  So funny!  This humourous elephant was created by Thammakit Thamboon.  This elephant was kindly sponsored by Lewis PR.

I was wending my weary way home, back to the tube station at Green Park, and here was #30 Vorsprung.  This beautiful elephant named Vorsprung was created by Storm Thorgerson and sponsored by Audi. 

Whew!  I am exhausted after all that - and that's just the editing!  Onto the big guns now - Westfield, and all the nelephants together at Royal Chelsea Hospital. 

Lupin

We've changed the channel a bit today viewers - I am pleased to share an actual scrapbook page!  Another in my Chelsea Flower Show 2009 series. 

This page was produced in response to a challenge to use this sketch:

I was really happy with how this layout turned out.  Here's a full supplies list, in case you're interested:

Cardstock:  Bazzill Ruby Slipper

Patterned Paper:  Sassafras Sweet Marmalade "Preserve"

                           ki memories Bloom

                           K & Co Mira

Sassafras Paper Whimsies "Beatnik Buds"
Embellishments:  Junkitz Kitz
                          CherryArte Rub-on Alpha & White
                          Maisy Mo Designs Artsy Doodles rub-ons
                          Purple Doodlebug sequins
                          Purple Stickles
                          Kaisercraft Gems
                          Papermania Adhesive Shimmer Dots
Stamps:              Inkadinkadoo Chandeliers
Cricut:                All Mixed Up

I added in some plain white paper to break up some of that colour and add some contrast.  Everything is outlined in black for some definition.  I bought these Sassafras Paper Whimsies with no idea of how I was going to use them, but I really like them here - a bit wild and funky and certainly eclectic. 

I was a bit stumped as to how to interpret that middle journalling block, but I looked through my stash and found this plaque from Junkitz.  So I added some rub-ons and a gem, and then added Glossy Accents to set everything.  The Doodlebug purple sequins, gems and shimmer dots on top add some light and sparkle. 

Green Park Elephants

Friday evening, 18th June. 

Here is #169, Nanook.  This beautiful elephant named Nanook was created by Martin Aveling.  Artist's Inspiration: "The impact of global warming connects the fate of species from the poles to the tropics. The shape of the sitting elephant was the inspiration for using the iconic image of a polar bear on the melting ice." This elephant is in aid of Fauna & Flora International.

This next elephant named The Vanishing Lotus #73 was created by Bruno Cepollina.  Artist's Inspiration: "Entitled "The Vanishing Lotus" my elephant is rooted in Asiatic influences, in particular, it's inspired by traditional Thai designs. Using oriental patterning as an inspiration, I draw a parallel between the lotus and the current menace the Asian Elephant is facing". This elephant was kindly sponsored by SalesForce.com.

This next elephant named Pik Bingko, #77 was created by Charlotte North and Fred Rigby.  Artists Inspiration: "The form of our elephant is inspired by the texture of Asian elephants. We have exaggerated this in order to play on the haptic senses.  This elephant was kindly sponsored by Jim Steele.

This elephant named Baarsfant no2, #174  was created by Menno Baars.  Artist's Inspiration: "I'm fascinated by the vulnerability of this tough animal, especially by its incapacity to resist against it. For the large elephant everything is uncertain." This elephant was kindly sponsored by SalesForce.com.

#63 elephant named In Your Trunk (Turn The Bass Up) was created by Ashwan.  Artist's Inspiration: "Urban graphics, Asian and European patterns, lyrical (acoustic) patterns".   This elephant was kindly sponsored by Bluewolf.

Looks like a work by Banksy!  Here's #102, Tattoo - Born to be Wild, created by Gary Hodges. 

Artist's Inspiration: "To add an element of surprise to my “celebration of wildlife”, I wanted the two sides of my elephant to have a very different feel to them, one side, bold and a little dark, and the other, lively and theatrical." This elephant is in aid of Born Free Foundation.

And finally for this evening, #112 - Tara, created by Mark Shand.  Artist's Inspiration: "Tara’ is the Asian elephant who enchanted the charismatic travel writer Mark Shand, and inspired him to help set up the charity, Elephant Family - the official charity of Elephant Parade worldwide. Tara, which means star in Hindi, is affectionately credited as the original founder of Elephant Family, so it was only fitting that she had an elephant designed in her name. Tara now lives happily at Kipling Camp, India, enjoying the affection and attention of many delighted guests each year. The excerpt that appears on the sculpture is from Mark’s award winning novel, Travels on my Elephant, which documented Mark’s journey across India with Tara. It describes the moment Mark fell in love with Tara; perhaps mirroring the feelings of many of the people when they see the elephants across London and inspiring them to join us in saving this incredible animal from extinction."

This elephant was kindly sponsored by Mark Shand, which seems very appropriate!  Goodnight, viewers.  More another day.

Freebie Mag Papers and Cardstuff ....

What do you do with the freebie mag papers you pick up?  I wouldn't dream of using them for layouts (because they're shiny, and look like freebie mag papers, :lol:) but I use them all the time for making cards. 

Now that I've mentioned freebie mag papers, the first two cards don't use them at all!  :lol:  But they do use up scraps and old stash, as is my norm.  Dear viewers, you will get heartily sick of me saying that!  It is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, m'lud. 

Using up the aperture cards my friend Tara gave me, and some thick vellum cutesy images my friend Judith gave me about six years ago.  I've got heaps more!  I've actually coloured in the images with promarkers, but the result is very subtle - perhaps because of the thickness of the vellum? 

I actually don't like cute images - or at least, certainly not the Magnolias or Tildas or whatever is all the rage at the moment.  But I will use whatever I have, so here is the result.  And it is cute, at least.  Flowers are American Crafts Greenhouse, which I have been saving - they're perfect here, I think. 

Two scraps of patterned paper - and that's almost it!  Honestly, I don't scavenge - but people give me things they won't use ALL the time.  My friend Moira gave me some Papermania ribbons - the purple and the orange were part of the set.  The purple dotted paper is Basic Grey Fusion and the floral is a scrap of DCWV (I think) that one of my students was going to throw away from a class.  Tut!  So simple, but I love the really bright colours. 

NOW onto the freebie mag papers!  I picked up the Scrapbook Magazine, which I don't do very often, and the papers are by American Crafts - one is a heritage range, and one is a sweet range? 

Again, more Papermania ribbon, some stamping and bling and done! The pink lifts up the blue and adds some fun, I think. 

More of the same background paper - a twist with a curvy message by Craftwork Cards.  I really like the curvy messages now! 

Same ribbon, many of the same elements - but a different result.  The pink adds lots of zing, but also makes it very feminine, I suppose.  They were supposed to be masculine cards at the start! 

This last one is quite formal, but I believe the message makes it quite versatile. 

The gold stickles add real impact IRL - just a dotting around the journalling frame and between the Martha Stewart Loopy punch edge and the gold ribbon.  I really like the message "celebrate in style" - it could equally apply to birthdays, anniversaries, good news in general, or exam results!  A very satisfying feeling to use up what most people throw away without thought. 

Friday ellies Stampeding through the West

Last Friday, 18th June, I was exploring around the West.  I had an appointment early Friday afternoon and managed to capture a couple of ellies before heading back to work.  Here's two ellies who were resting in Sloane Square:

This beautiful elephant named Kingdom, #208 was created by Rebecca Campbell.  Artist's Inspiration: "Strutting peacocks, prowling tigers, dancing cranes and even dung beetles going about their daily business. "Kingdom" is a celebration of some of the birds, plants and animals that share the Asian elephant's domain."

And here's Josephine - #190, created by Patrice Moor.  Artist's Inspiration: "I am passionate about tulips and much of my childhood was spent in Holland (my mother is Dutch)". 

Turn left into King's Road, to encounter more!  No prizes for this one's name - but for documentation purposes, it is #13, Doors.   The artist is Ratchadapol Mueannoo.  This elephant was kindly sponsored by Savills.

The Duke of York Square is right off King's Road and is rather large!  It goes on for a couple of blocks. 

This next elephant is #59, named The Elephant In The Room was created by Anna Masters.  Artist's Inspiration: "My practice is heavily influenced by an investigation into pattern and form. The designs on the fabrics provided by my sponsor, OKA, provided fantastic inspiration for the elephant."  OKA retail furniture and home decor accessories.

Look at the legs - it's like she is wearing four different pyjama bottoms!  :lol:  Love it.  For this one, I am going to give you a 360, because the other orientation looks so completely different.  This is Duke of York Square. 

Sadly, I couldn't continue the hunt at that juncture ... I had to go back to work to fund the hunting!  So after work quite a bit later, I went home via Green Park. 

What a magnificent sight!  More to come ....