Pebbles Cozy & Bright - A Few Cards

Many themed collections will include patterned papers which can be used for non-themed projects and Cozy & Bright is no exception. Many of the B sides would be perfect to use at any time of the year, not just at Christmas, but I decided to challenge myself to make some non-Christmas cards using the A side of the Christmas Magic sheet of paper.

Although the sheet of paper has images of holly leaves and poinsettia flowers on it, by focusing on the pale blue colour in the paper and teaming this with blue cardstock and embelishments I think it's possible to draw the attention away from the Christmassy images.

I matted squares of the patterned paper into blue 'Ocean Breeze' Bazzill cardstock. 

My sentiments were printed onto acetate and then put onto squares of the Merry Little Christmas paper which were also matted on the blue cardstock.

 

 

The cards were embellished with blue ribbon and some hand made flowers using this tutorial . I've made many of these flowers in the past using flowers punched from scraps of paper. Sometimes I've used brads for the flower centres and sometimes artificial flower stamens. For these cards I used some of each.

White Space

This layout of my daughter when she was a baby is a scraplift of a layout by Ginger Williams and includes lots of white space.

I used white Bazzill Cardstock and patterned papers from My Mind's Eye's 'On the Sunny Side' collection. I embelished the page with lettering cut on the CraftRobo, Dewdrops (small flat bead-like embellishments, without the hole), homemade acrylic dots, brads and punched butterflies, flowers and circles. 

We Love Wasgij

At our crafty getaway last month I created this layout to record our love of Wasgij jigsaws. The photos were taken quite a few years ago whilst on holiday.

I used Bazzill cardstock, patterned paper and elements from Simple Stories SN@P collection, Flash (Button badge) from American Crafts and handmade enamel dots.

Such a Crafty Girl layout

My second layout from last weekend is a scraplift of a layout by Maria Featon. The layout was quite unusual for me because I used paint and ink which don't usually feature on many of my layouts.

I used a 12" x 12" sheets of Kraft Cardstock and paper strips cut from a 6" x 6" pack of patterned paper which came free with a magazine. Some very old 'stitches' rub-ons were added to the edges of the paper strips.

Before sticking the patterned paper onto my base card I used a couple of Crafter's Workshop stencils to add some added interest. I used white paint with a Hexagon Stencil ....

.... and black ink with a Chicken Wire stencil.

BasicGrey letter stickers were used for the title and paper journalling strips created on the computer were added.

To embelish the layout I made some accordion folded papers rosettes and finished them off with buttons and baker's twine.

Scrapology - May Layout Challenge

This month on Scrapology the team has taken inspiration from a layout by Tracy Christine Funk from Ontario, Canada. Tracy included corrugated cardboard on her layout so as an extra challenge the team also included some on their layouts.

For my layout I chose an old photograph of my Great Grandfather Charles William Hills, Great Grandmother Alice Maud Hills (nee Burnage) and their daughter Annie Hills taken in about 1915 shortly after my Great Grandfather enlisted. Sadly Charles Hills died in 1919 after the first world war ended when his son (my grandfather) was only 17.

I dug deep into my stash and used lots of old papers, etc. for my layout. The papers were from Hot off the Press and K & Company. To distress the corrugated cardboard I used this tutorial by Gabrielle Pollacco. 

The large paper flowers were handmade using another tutorial from Gabrielle. I used some re-purposed metal buttons as centres.

I also used some antique lace, a gorgeous floral spray cut on the Craft Robo using a cutting file from the Silhouette Studio, some punched paper leaves, some resin flowers and a pearl button.

My journalling was printed onto some co-ordinating paper.

Here is Lynn's sketch ....

.... and Tracy's original layout.

Hop on over to Scrapology to see all the teams layouts and for full details of the challenge and super prize that is up for grabs. The challenge closes at midnight on 5th June 2014.

Teatime with Ted

For several years we holidayed in North Norfolk during the October school holidays and on each occasion we spent a day shopping in Norwich. The children loved to go to the Bear Factory and one year Steven bought a lovely brown bear and union jack shorts and t-shirt for it. I came across some photos from that holiday a few weeks back and decided to use them on a layout.

I used an assortment of papers - Scenic Route (Grid), Papermania (Blue Spot),  My Minds Eye (Red Stripe) and SEI (Grey Embossed). I also used some Bazzill Cardstock for my base, some ribbon, stickers from My Minds Eye and Thickers for my title.

The little teddy embelishments were cut on the Craft Robo using cutting files from the Silhouette Studio. I added a union jack printed from the Internet to one of the bears to replicate the bear in the photos.

Scrapology - May Layout Challenge

This months layout challenge on Scrapology went live this week. We are challenging you to take inspiration from a gorgeous layout by Delaina Burns and include some HAND STITCHING in your layout.

I decided to use a photograph of my daughter taken last year on the beach for my layout and really enjoyed putting the layout together using zingy citrus colours. 

I used Bazzill Cardstock and a mixture of patterned papers from My Minds Eye, Dream Street Papers and Fancy Pants. The word strip was cut from a sheet of Echo Park patterned paper. I also added part of a transparency from Hambly and made some windmills from more patterned paper and brads. For my hand stitching I used embroidery silk. I drew the frames on the cardstock in pencil before making the holes to sew.

Here's Delaina's original layout and Lynn's sketch.

Scrapology - February Layout Challenge

This month on Scrapology the design team have taken inspiration from a layout by Heather Jacob and as an added challenge we are challenging readers of the blog to use Texture Paste in their layout. 

Shhhh ........ don't tell anyone, but I failed and didn't use texture paste on my layout. Shame on me! 

For my layout I used a couple of photos of my daughter and my Dad taken at my niece's wedding in 2011. I love the photos and have meant to put them on a layout for some time.

The papers I used were from Prima's 2011 Madeline Collection. I also used a paper doilie, leaves and title cut on the Craft Robo, a handmade flower, some self adhesive gems and a scrap of pre-printed transparency. 

Pop on over to Scrapology to see everyones layouts. We hope you will enter the challenge by creating a layout using the sketch and some texture paste and Jill at Cardinal Colours has come up with another fabulous prize this month.

Medieval Make Believe

Last month whist at the retreat I put together this layout using photos of my daughter taken a few years ago at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk. Well, I put about 90% of the layout together and have been tinkering with it ever since.

I used papers from My Minds Eye (Wood), Crate Paper (Pink) and October Afternoon (Music). I also used more scraps of My Minds Eye paper to make the bunting and the concertina/rosette  flowers. The flags were made by gluing some of the bunting to wooden cocktail sticks which were topped with a pearl bead. I added some flat back pearls and perfect pearls to add extra detail.

The hardest part about this layout was the title. My crafty friends had many suggestions for titles but in the end I settled for 'Medieval Make Believe' which I cut on the Craft Robo. 


Oops, just realised one of the pearls from the top of the flags is missing. Must have fallen off during photographing the layout. Off to find another. 

Scrapology Layout Challenge - C is for Charms

 Yesterday was new challenge day on Scrapology and this month the challenge is to use Charms in your layout and also take inspiration from a lovely layout by Karola Witczak.

For my layout I decided to rescrap a photo of Lara taken in 2005.

I used papers from Scenic Route and My Little Shoebox and made some handmade flowers inspired by a Pinterest pin.

The flowers were made by layering varying sizes of die cut flowers (cut on the Craft Robo) with 3D foam. Before layering them I sanded the edged slightly and curled them. A button was glued in the centre of each layered flower

My charms were Doodlebug acrylic charms.

Here's Karola's original layout ...........

.............. and Lynn's sketch.

Pop on over to Scrapology to have a look at all the design team layouts and perhaps take part int he challenge yourself.

Scrapology December Layout Challenge - F is for Filter Paper

Over on Scrapology this month we chose a layout by Pamela Young which she created for Miss Fancy Pants on Scrapbook.com.

My layout featured photos of my daughter taken recently when she was a flower girl / bridesmaid at my niece's wedding.

I used very little to create the layout. I just used a sheet of patterned paper from Prima's Madeline collection, a chipboard body form, some tulle, satin fabric, adhesive gems and some handmade flowers.

The Scrapology design team challenges you to use Filter Papers in your layout. Several manufacturers (for example Fancy Pants) have produced filter paper products but I decided to use the type of filter papers used in schools and laboratories to make my handmade flowers.

I took the filter papers and punched lots of scalloped circles.

The circles were then put into groups of 5 and I pierced a whole through the centres.

I then pushed several artificial stamens through the hole in the centre of the circles.

The filter paper circles were then lightly sprayed with water and the layers were gently teased apart. This was the only tricky part of making the flowers because once wet the filter paper is very delicate.

The flowers were then placed some where warm (I put mine in the airing cupboard) until they were dry and could be used on my layout.

Here is Pamela's original layout...............

.......... and Lynn's sketch.

Do pop over to Scrapology to have a look at all the design team's layouts and have a go at creating your own layout based on the sketch and featuring filter papers.

Scrapology - V is for Vine

As promised yesterday, here is my May Design Team layout for Scrapology.



The layout for this month's scraplift challenge was created by Liberty Chance.

I used patterned papers from Bo Bunny's Peacock Lane collection, Bazzill cardstock, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, Letter stickers from Adornit and some lace.



The Vine was handmade using this tutorial from Gabrielle P. It was incredibly easy to make using some paper flowers and some florist tape.

Here is Liberty's original layout and sketch.

Do pop over to Scrapology and see all the Design Team's layouts and perhaps have a go yourself.

Funny Faces

Another layout from the Debden weekend this time using photos of Steven taken nearly 7 years ago. In just over a fortnight this little boy will be a teenager. Yikes!



The layout was based on a layout by Davinie Fiero and I used squares of BasicGrey 'Lucky' paper which were all machine stitched round the edge. More scraps of BasicGrey were used for the title which was cut on the Cricut and to make the concertina flowers

D is for Dimension

This month on Scrapology we have scrap lifted a stunning layout by the very talented scrapbooker Gabrielle Pollacco. I have followed Gabrielle's blog for sometime and am in awe of her layouts and especially her handmade flowers and other embelishments.

Here is my layout.



The young woman in the photo is my paternal grandmother - Fanny Hills (Née Ansell). This was the first time I had scrapped a heritage layout but I felt the style of Gabrielle's original layout lent itself to a heritage layout.

The papers were really, really, REALLY old K&Co papers. The lace was stained with coffee (LOL) and the flowers were handmade using this tutorial by Gabrielle herself. I used a variety of re purposed buttons for the centres of the flowers and I was really pleased how they turned out and I am already planning to make more.

This was Gabrielle's original layout and sketch.





Please visit Scrapology and see the beautiful layouts created by the other members of the design team and to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

You are so Beautiful to Me

Today I went to my monthly crop at Stamp Addicts . It was the fist opportunity I'd had to scrap since the last crop.

I managed to put together 4 layouts including this one which used a sheet of Prima Wink 'Little Miss Paper'. The paper was so pretty that I didn't think it needed too much embelishment so I just added some flowers and leaves, some swirls using Liquid Pearls and a title.



I used an assortment of flowers from Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts and also made some fabric flowers using a tutorial from Gabrielle Pollacco's blog. They were so easy to make using just a few scraps of cotton fabric and some pretty pearl brads. The leaves were punched from left over packaging - it was just the right colour so, waste not want not.