It's a Creative World

Don't throw out the wrapping!

Hello and welcome to It's A Creative World on a Wednesday! It's Alexa here, with a very simple idea for using scrapbooking papers. Or, more truthfully, the cover sheets which come with a pack. You know the ones? Often like these, with a printed small version of the papers inside, often arranged beautifully and artistically in a co-ordinated strip - or even two, one of squares and one of rectangles if you're lucky ..

I love these. I have often lamented the fact that the miniature size of the patterns is much nicer than the larger ones inside. Then it occured to me to just trim them as a block, and use them as is. Here's the notebook I made recently for Shimelle's current class:

They're also great for little notebooks and bookmarks. I even use the little squares containing miniature versions of the tag or alphabet sheets, sometimes punching a shape for a simple (I only do simple) and very quick card:

So the next time you eagerly rip off the cellophane bag covering a pack of papers, pause a moment to study that top cover sheet - what can you make?

Thank-you for reading along, and wishing you a very happy and productive midweek!

Getting Messy

Kel here, with a progress report on an online class I'm taking (and yes, of course I asked myself all the questions - before going ahead and doing it anyway!). The class is "Got Paint!" with Emily Falconbridge at Big Picture Classes.

I love paint and I use it often, but I thought it was odd that I don't use it in my scrapbooking. I thought this class might inspire me to start doing that, and if I learned some new techniques that would be a bonus. In the first week we did a bunch of paint techniques on 6x6 pages. I believe there are two main purposes for art journals: 1) more like a personal journal, only using art as well (or instead of) writing or 2) as a record of your journeys in art, a place to experiment safely. Emily encouraged us to use these pages as the latter, to play and explore without the pressure of it being a finished piece.

If you click on the links below the mosaic, you can look at that technique close up and find out what it's called.

1. White Striped, 2. Deep Turquoise, 3. PP and paint, 4. White Rings, 5. Paisley, 6. Brown Stencils, 7. Turquoise 1, 8. Turquoise 2, 9. Turquoise 3, 10. Brown Blotches, 11. Yellow

What I'm loving about this class is that it's so thrifty! You can use your favourite paints if you have such a thing, but you can absolutely use cheapo craft acrylic from the dollar store for most techniques. You can change the colour of that card stock you're never going to use (because you bought it to go with particular paper and you've used that all up). You can rescue patterned paper that you hate, or even cover it completely. And you get to play in paint. That is always good. 

This week we did a layout with a couple of the techniques we learned. So simple, and underneath it all is a shade of cardstock I never would have used otherwise. It's about my love of film photography, otherwise known as analogue photography. There are things I would change if I did it again, as it wasn't really planned out properly, but I was glad to use the technique in a real layout, while it was all still fresh in my mind.

Get out some paint and have a play. You might just love what you discover!

Kel x

Where does a lost mojo go?

Where does a lost mojo go and how the heck do you find it again? Well if I knew the answer I wouldn't be writing this post!

My mojo packed it's little inspiration bag and left about 6 months ago and I've been looking for it ever since.

I heard on the wind the other day that metal embellishments were back in fashion, the new retro scrapping item. Amen I say! I have so much metal I could open a metal shop. It got me wondering if metal could be the key to finding my lost mojo.

I sat down at my desk and emptied my metal jars looking for a little inspiration when I came across a little zebra plaque. It was one of the first embellishments I bought when I started scrapping and I didn't need it. No, it was more a 'I want that' kind of purchase!
My goddaughter loves zebras and I had a photo of her birthday cake that I needed to scrap. Her birthday photos were the last thing I scrapped back in summer 2010 and I didn't finish them.

Once I had found that first piece of the puzzle I decided not to think about the rest too much and just get the layout done. Hey if it turns out I don't like it, it NOT the end of the world. I have albums of layouts from the early days that I don't like.

As I was choosing papers I thought of my long forgotten tool basket and the tools I bought because everyone else was buying them and I did not want to be left out, lol. I think thats why i ended up with so much metal. As soon as the manufacturers got wind of the new craze they made everything in metal and i had to buy it cause everyone else was! I remembered my beloved corner rounder! I loved that thing and rounded the corner of everything for years. Then one day I stopped. How sad is that. Trends come and trends go.

I thought it time to get rounding again. Hey if metal is back, who says rounded corners can't be :)

Well I finished my layout and I'm happy with it. It's not a master piece but it's step 1 to finding my lost mojo!

Go and dig out something old today, you'll enjoy it :)

Caz xxx

Butterflies all around

 

I've had this cut and emboss butterfly set from Cuttlebug now for quite some time. You get one cutting die and four embossing folders. I do love it, but have to admit to not using it as much as I should. This is primarily because I have a couple of (smaller) butterfly dies that sit on my desk, so it's just so easy to grab them and go. However, punches are just not as versatile in the kinds of material they can cut. I have a Big Shot with a multi purpose platform that I use for my cutting and embossing, and I love using the dies that can cut thicker materials and fabrics.

I challenged myself to see how many different 'looks' I could create with this die, plus some other basic materials. I stopped at sixteen, but there are way more things I could have cut (including shrink plastic, cork, vellum and so on).

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And here's a layout I created a while ago on which I layered butterflies cut from both felt and acetate. I fixed them to the page with staples and added some stickles to the outer edge of the acetate butterflies.

 
 

I hope you're feeling inspired to have a play with your own dies and different materials. Bonus for me is that I now have a bunch of butterflies all ready to go onto projects, some are good as they are and others will be jazzed up with Stickles, beads, bling etc.

xxx's

Suzanne

 

Kitting yourself out

I really am one of the World’s worst when it comes to planning and preparation for going to crop; anyone who has seen me arrive at my local crop with my car filled to the brim with my stash will be able to confirm that!

I have, in the past, tried my hand at being organised before going to crop and created a series of project packs. The impact on my productivity was incredible. Even if you don’t often get out to crop, you could practice preparing some project packs so that you can make the most of any scrapbooking time that you have at home.

Preparation is key!

First of all, I determined which of my paper ranges I wanted to take with me to work with. For me, these were a mixture of recently purchased products I was itching to use and a variety of older ranges that I had bought with particular photos in mind but had never got around to using yet.

Once I had decided on these, I went through the photos on my hard drive and selected at least two sets to print for each paper range I had chosen.

Step three was creating some journaling on the computer and choosing one of the patterned papers to print the journaling out on. Now, I very rarely plan my layout design before I start working on a page, so for this stage it was just a case of typing out the story I wanted to tell for each page and formatting each one slightly differently so they would fit together on a piece of the patterned paper when it was cut down to A4 to fit through the printer.

Finally, I put together my embellishment boxes - I go out to crop a lot so my favourite embellishments - a selection of tags, threads, buttons, flowers, ribbons, brads, gems, punches and inks - are all kept together in Really Useful Boxes and put into one of my wheeled totes.

Working like this was a big turn around from how I normally work on a page when I am at home, as the journaling is usually the last thing I squeeze in after the photos and title (and just before the embellishing). I was a bit apprehensive about how I would be able to work with the journaling pre printed but I found it much easier than expected. In fact, more thought went into telling the story behind the photos than sometimes happens when I leave the journaling until last and have to fit the story in around everything else!

Since this blip in my normal unorganised self, I have reverted to type. However, I recently discovered a new blog called the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. The premise of this blog is wonderfully simple. In their own words "If you have ever browsed through those great monthly scrapbook kit clubs and admired their beautiful kits...but knew you needed more supplies, like a "hole in the head"...you know who you are (you're the one with TONS of supplies and embellishments in your ever growing scrapbook stash)...this challenge is for you!" They scour the kit clubs, choose one to copy and offer it up to the rest of us for inspiration. We then shop through our own stash to replicate the inspiration kit, as closely or remotely as we wish, thereby getting a wonderful project pack all ready and waiting for when the creative desire strikes.

There are also links to tutorials for making those fun bits and pieces often included in kits as well as challenges for actually scrapping with the kit.

This first month the inspiration kit was the Jenni Bowlin December kit.

 

The list of all the goodies in the main kit is listed here at the Jenni Bowlin site.

 

The contents of the add on kit are listed here.

I spent a satisfying couple of hours hunting through my stash and put together my own version. The joy of working like this is that you are using what you already have (so it's cost effective) and you get the push to put together products which you wouldn't normally do (so it pushes you creatively), whilst getting a 'designer based' kit customised for your own personal scrapping style and tastes (theoretically, no waste! - or at least no more new stuff purchased to go to waste).

This is my own version

 

Main Kit

My Mind’s Eye glittered cardstock, I Believe range (red)
Making Memories Funky Vintage scallop stripe (yellow tone on tone is the reverse side)
Green Bazzil Cardstock
Creative Imaginations white line scalloped paper
Making Memories Noteworthy paper (blue/green floral)
Sassafras Mix and Mend-Fancy Free
Jenni Bowlin Vintage Red Bookprint
Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice, Allspice
Webster’s Pages Seaside Retreat Hide and Seek
KI Memories Lace Cardstock (pieces)
Mini label sticker book by 7Gypsies
Making Memories Funky Vintage Flocked Alpha stickers
Mini calendar bingo style cards (printed off at 60% original size) from download link on the challenge blog
Doillies stamped onto kraft cardstock, Hero Arts, Stampin’ Up and Grunge Art Gallery stamps
Small selection pins from stash
Flowers made from 7Gypsies tissue paper (very old stash!) following tutorial linked on the blog
Prima Cloisonne Gilded Lily flowers
Normal size book turns included (7Gypsies I think)
Yellow thread

 

Add on kit

1 Sassafras Cardstock Border Sticker Sheet
Selection October Afternoon cards, Prima journaling sheets and Fancy Pants creative cards
Digital bingo cards by Kenner Road at Two Peas in a Bucket
Selection digital images all from Two Peas in a Bucket (Farmer’s Market by Sande Krieger, free mini kit; Be Happy by Hazel Olive; Kitschensinque by Polka Dot Pixels)
Making Memories Funky Vintage flowers
Making Memories Funky Vintage Die cut stickers (lots left over from a prize package)

I have added in extra patterned paper in lieu of the cardstock (as I love working with tone on tone patterns for my background), included lots more embellishments (I had many part used sheets from a particular range) and printed off the digital elements from items in my digital stash.

I now just need to follow steps 2 and 3 from my project pack process (photos and journaling) and I am all set for many happy hours of scrapping when the mood takes.

xxx's

Suzanne

 

A Scrapbooking Series

Hiya Claireliz here

I've got a scrapbook project to share with you today, the idea struck me after something a friend of mine said to me last year, I'd made a layout about my love of knitting & called it Knitting Addict...

 

Jenny just happened to say she would like to see more of "the Addicted Series" and so the light bulb switched on & I started making lists of all the things I'm addicted too, the first on the list being chocolate :D

I started making a layout about my addiction to notebooks, but it just didn't look right so I decided to change the photo of notebooks to a photo of my large collection of vampire books & it came together really easily after that...

 

I made a scroll shaped layout by using a 2 templates that fit inside one another (I made these by drawing around a piece of die cut paper then drawing a smaller version of that shape to fit inside) I've also done two rows of stitching, one around the inside paper & one around the cardstock, I always handstitch if I'm sewing on a layout, mainly because it takes too long to get out the sewing machine & set it up, I prefer to use backstitch & make the holes first with a needle to make it easier.

The photos & strip of paper running across the page are attached with 3d foam pads, 247 of them to be precise lol, as are the journaling strips & bats, the bats were cut using a Sizzix die & have gems for eyes. The little badge says "What' the story?" & the journaling reads: I've loved stories about vampires & witches since I was a kid, I'm really glad I've never grown out of them.

Why don't you have a go at scrapping the things you can't live without or your guilty pleasures?

If you do be sure to let us know as we'd love to see what you've been creating.

Thanks for stopping by & taking the time to leave lovely comments, its always much appreciated.

Hope to see you soon & take care

Cxx

Twelve Tags of Christmas

I know, it seems like this is a little bit on the late side, but bear with me here. What I have done is made a super early head start on my tags for Christmas 2011 ... yes, you read that right!

Before you go any further, rescue those Christmas cards you have put in the bin (or ready for recyling).

I have an aversion to throwing things away. Really I do (if you could see my house you would have more cause to believe me). Christmas cards are no exception. In recent years it hasn't been so bad because I have sent them to recyling (which seems a little less wasteful than putting them in the bag of rubbish for burning). However, I was reading through the posts over at Two Peas when I came across this one about what people do with their Christmas cards after the event. A lot of the responses (those that didn't just say bin them) relate to photo cards (which I don't get any of so bypassed those ideas) but I loved quite a few of the other ones, particularly those about making decorations (love the idea of the wreath especially), but for this post, I thought it would be fun to look at creating some tags.

I gathered ours up in a pile. I set aside those handmade ones and any particularly special ones (my best friend sent me one that you press a pad and the scene lights up with little white twinkling lights, it's so pretty and I love it!). Then I chose a selection which I thought would work well cut down for tags. I'm pretty lazy so I didn't want to have to do much handcutting and my Big Shot and Nestabilities dies were my special friends for this project.

With just some card and ribbon scraps and a selection of gems, I made twelve tags. Some are very small and simple and others larger and more detailed, but none took very long to create at all.

Here's the low down on my creations:

 
This is the most detailed tag. I've used the large Sizzix snowflake die and cut it out of glitter card, created an accordian circle and layered a small punched out snowflake on contrasting cardstock. The card that 
this tiny snowflake was from has a design that will yield at least six other small images, maybe more depending how carefully I punch them out.

The next four tags contain images all cut out from one card - it was such a cute card that, very handily, had well spaced out images so I could make the most of it.

The dies on this are Nestabilities (bracket shaped) and Sizzix (crescent tag) and the embossing folder is from Cuttlebug. I swiped some silver Brilliance ink over the embossed cardstock and around the edges of the other shapes for definition.

 
I used a Tim Holtz/Sizzix snowflake embossing folder on here and a scrap of old Basic Grey patterned paper plus a little gem on the bobble cap.

 
 
Mega simple this one, just a couple of layers cut with the Nestabilities die and some gems for extra sparkle.

This is an opening style tag, again using Nestabilities dies. It's not obvious from the photos, but all the images on these four tags were all pre-glittered (even better!).

 

I thought this image was totally cute (we have rabbits like this) but I wasn't sure I would be able to make a tag from it as it had a huge greeting all around it. However, it was just the perfect size for this Nestabilities ornate label die. I just had to round the corners of the cut out rabbit and add ribbon and it was done.

 

Another cute image that I wasn't sure I would be able to use because it was 'cut off' at the folded edge of the card. I just cut around the shape (including the back layer, handily the printed or written greeting didn't go into the space I needed) then layered that onto some red card to create a little opening style tag. A few strokes of Stickles and it was done.

 

An adorable image, plenty of glitter and straight edges to trim down, the perfect card for a tag! Just layered on a die cut with ribbon tied through. Simple but sweet!

 

Sometimes I wonder just how small Christmas cards can get! This is the whole of the front of card. An adorable image and just shouting out to be recycled as a tag. I made sure to cut around the image from white cardstock too, to layer on the back of the tag for the greeting, before matting onto the red.

 

A traditional tree with a beautiful shaded background (no inking required). A few red gems added to the red printed baubles and layered to create a larger opening style tag. Again, not obvious from the photo, but there are lots of gold embossed details on here too.

 

The star was a layered element on one card and the sentiment was taken from another. I added the gems to fill up the empty space and cut and layered into a simple tag shape.

 

Finally, as a house of cat lovers, it was impossible not to use this totally adorable image of the kitten in the stocking. I swiped a silver brilliance inkpad over and wiped off with some kitchen roll to add some shimmer to the whole of the image.

The offcuts and unwanted cards can now go to recycling without any hesitation!

All best wishes for 2011

xxx's

Suzanne

 

 

 

Christmas Angels

Hi everyone :) Carmen here.

I thought I would share with you the angels that I made for our tree last year. I started off with some cheap wooden angels that I got from Tesco's. £1 a packet but if you look around you are bound to find something similar or that can be adapted where you are.

 
I then went through some of the photos I have stored on my PC and picked some face on shots. I am not that tech savvy so pasted the photo's into word and re-sized them up and down while holding an angel to the screen, much to the amusement of my partner, to try and get the heads small enough to fit my angels.

I then printed these off and cut them out, using Pritt Stick to glue them to the angels.

Next I grabbed my scraps box and picked out some paper to clothe my little Angel family. I found some lovely sheet music scraps in there to be their wings. Simply drawing around the angels onto the back of the paper to get the templates.

I glued them all on, added some bling so they would twinkle on the tree (and hide the joins) and then smothered in layers and layers of Glossy Accents.

My Dad (oh how he loved being turned into an angel and being made to wear a dress! Teehee!) and my sister.

Myself and my partner...

Our girls...

My favourite one - my lovely Mum, this one hangs on my desk all year round. I think she would have loved this.

I bought a couple of packets of the angels at the time and I am going to do some more each year showing the girls growing up and the rest of us changing.

I love them - I hope you do too :)

Christmas Countdown Cubes

Hi Lynne here

 I love to add glitter to my projects and I have a huge collection of glittery papers and cardstock, particularly Christmas ones.

I am trying to use the stash I already have so I can save for some new stamps I have my eye on.

 

 

 

 

I used some off cuts of 4"x4" timber, which I sanded and painted with white acrylic.

While the paint was still wet I sprinkled on white irridescent glitter.

Cut 12 3 and three quarter inch squares of plain cardstock or paper, I used a pearlescent silver.

Cut 12 3 and a half inch squares from patterned paper, they can all be different but one square must be non directional. 

You need to choose a font where the 6 and 9 are interchangable for it to work.

For Cube A you need 0,1,2,3,4 and 5.

For Cube B you need 0,1,2,6(9),7 and 8.

For the top I used a card strengthened with chipboard.

It doesn't actually count down from 56 days , (I hadn't realised until I'd taken the photo) it works from 32 days.

You could adapt it for other celebrations.

This isn't a new idea, but one I wanted to use again. I now have a few more sets to make to send off so they're received before the first of December.

 

Have fun Lynne x 

 

 

 

 

Jar of Nothing

Do you ever get frustrated when you ask someone what they would like for a present?

This year I have the perfect solution for you this Christmas, a jar, tin or box of NOTHING. 

While surfing I came across the idea HERE.  The poem can be adapted to suit your needs.

You can use all your oddments to decorate it, you know those odd letters that are left over, flowers, fibres, beads, bling. You could even stamp or alcohol ink the container. Just have fun but remember to leave room for the poem.

If you're anything like me you will have empty embellishment tins or candle jars, here is the perfect thing to make with them.

Once they've received a jar, tin or box of nothing I'm sure you will get an answer other than nothing when they're asked what they would like.

They would make a great fundraiser at a school fair.

Lynne x