Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge 102

Here is the sketch design for this week from Taylored Expressions... what a talented lady. I have to admit to suddenly feeling rather overcome today by my total inexperience in the face of all these amazing ladies' blogs with such stunningly creative cards.

I had to really play around with this sketch before I made a card that I liked! I also had a really good surf through everyone else's ideas... so thank you very very much!

Baja Breeze ink, teamed with blue papers from Creative Memories' Discover Baby Boy set. The little heart embellishments were an experiment - I've been desperate to try making my own ever since watching this tutorial at Just Add Ink. I don't think the colours are perfect, but it was fun to try them out.

All comments welcome!

Crossing the Centre Line

Well, why not? Cross the centre line I mean.

You may already know how much I love small albums - but especially Creative Memories' Paper Album Kits. They have staples to keep them together, and so may not be as durable and long lasting as a traditional coverset, but they are quick to assemble and can be just as effective. Here you can see I have let some photos stray from one page to the other, which gives me more space for layout options.

How to do it? It's not rocket science; first crop your photo then cut it on the turn of the page! However, there is one little trick to it. You need to make two cuts rather than just one, and remove the strip in the centre. That way you won't change the ratio of the photo.

Pals Paper Arts Challenge

Pals Paper Arts Challege 31 is an inspiration challege - they had pictures of beautiful birds and intricate designs and colours. I have very few colours (hello again Baja Blue!) and only one bird stamp until my next SU order arrives with the sale-a-bration set, so I don't have much choice! However, I still really like the card. I think you can tell by now that I prefer clean simple lines, with little or no fuss.
Recipe: Baja breeze cardstock and ink, Urban garden papers, Basic grey cardstock.

The kingfisher stamp is an old favourite. It's the very first stamp I ever had made, and it was from a drawing I made for my Grandad when I was about 17. I love it for all its memories - I know where I was when I drew it, and I remember the feeling of accomplishment when I was pleased with the result. (PPA31)

However, I'm not happy with the way many of my stamps are inking. The impressions are not as crisp as I would like, and it will be interesting to see how they go on Whisper White when I have a pack in a week or so.

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 127

For Mojo Monday's sketch challenge this week, your choice is round or square. I am looking forward to trying a circular card, but might wait till my next order from Helen arrives so that I can get stuck in to all my new goodies for that. I stayed with square. I know I need to get going with all the gorgeous Delight embellishments from Creative Memories, so I used a few here. I love the way all of their items from a Palette co-ordinate so beautifully. Next month's workshop is all about embellishing, so I need to get creative and use them!

I have used Honeydew cardstock as a base, and on top of that, added all things Delight! Delight papers, Delight paper buttons, Delight paper ribbons and Delight paper flowers. The stamp is an old favourite from Montarga. (Love those local stamps!)

Please leave some comments... and remember that constructive criticism is just as welcome as praise... I'm very new to this!

The Cube

I love this shape in my scrapbooks, it's so effective and it is really easy to do. I had a workshop the other night and showed a demo of how to make it, then the ladies cut a template from mine. It's actually relatively easy to make your own template to your own specific size, but for ease and speed, any diamond from a perfect hexagon will do. If anyone wants me to email them my directions sheet, let me know on jo.farmer@clear.net.nz, and I'll send you a pdf.The first photo is of the wee cube I have in Matthew's Wishes and Dreams Paper Album, which is the first time I had tried the cube. The second is of the diamonds I cut last week during the demo and I felt they were too good to throw out so I stuck them into his Playcentre scrapbook.

Belli Challenge #85

Another challenge site! Great! Creative Belli Blog. This one is very cool, and I love the current theme - drangonflies and butterflies. I love my Montarga drangonflies stamp, so I used that one. I haven't used it for ages, so it's lovely to hunt it out again.

I teamed it with Kiwi Kiss colours and Urban Garden papers. I love the oval! (CBC85)

Pals Paper Arts Challenge 30

PPA30 - KISS (Keep it simple, sweetie)

The team at Pals Paper Arts had a challenge this week which is right up my alley - keep it simple! In other words, don't go over the top with layers or embellishing or patterning or multiple papers and colours. Right up my alley, as I said - I'm all for the quick card, but also, you may be noticing a little bit of repetition when it comes to colours at present. This isn't just because I'm in love with Baja Breeze... it's also because I currently only have a very few Stampin Up supplies and I am enjoying using them so much!

The card took me only 10 minutes to complete, including taking stuff out and pack up time. It has nice clean sharp lines and only three colours. Materials used: Urban Garden papers, Baja Breeze cardstock and ink, and Pocket Silhouettes set.

Diva Coffee Break Challenge 165

I found this challenge site tonight - Diva Coffee Breaks - and it inspired me to create the thank you card pictured. I have a whole stack of thank yous to write to people at the moment, so I know I need to stick to "thank you" as a theme for the next wee while!

The layout is a simple one, and it works very well. The items I used are all Stampin Up this time: Urban Garden papers, Baja Breeze cardstock and ink, Basic grey cardstock, Vintage labels set and Pocket silhouettes set.

Enjoy!

Aren't Mums Wonderful?

When I first felt sick, I asked Mum if she would come down to help out with the kids - we all thought it would be for a few days. Well, she has now been here nearly three weeks. I have no idea how to say thank you for all her time and the invaluable help she has been giving David and me, but I had little inspiration a couple of days ago.

She is always on the look out for a nice Christmas stamp (aren't we all?), but it's always hard to find. It needs to have a religious content, and so many haven't, and also needs to be a very quick create-itself card, since she makes over a hundred.

So I decided to draw her one. I can't claim the actual design as my own, that was from a child's colouring book, but I did redraw it, and am having it made into a stamp for her. I htink she could spend as little or as long on this design as she likes. When it is made up I will try out a few ideas to get her going.

Baby Girl Card

Again, whilst looking for inspiration, I found this layout challenge at the Mojo Monday blog. (MOJO126)

I created this baby card using all Creative Memories products: delight baby girl papers, paper ribbon and paper buttons, plus the cute wee rabbit is a Montarga stamp.

Hope you like it!

Pals Paper Arts Challenge 29

I was surfing around blogs last night looking for inspiration,and viewing lots of amazing creations others have made. I found this site Pals Paper Arts with some layout challenges,and their current one is pictured here.


It's always good to try out new things and see what you come up with, so I got out a few bits and pieces and created this card. I like it because it is quite plain and simple and could be very appropriate for a man. PPA29.



Ingredients: Urban Garden papers, basic grey and baja breeze cardstock, and "vintage Labels" (Sale-a-bration) set.

Mini Albums

I haven't blogged for over ten days... I've been in hospital, because my appendix ruptured! Yuck! Anyway, I'm all well now and catching up on the blog gossip. I'm disappointed to have missed out on the last Just Add Ink challenge (JAI3), but looking forward to making the next one. I can't wait till Helen delivers my Stampin' Up order too! It will be the first time I have worked with their inks and stamps, and they look so lovely. I am so looking forward to creating masterpieces with them.

Anyway, I wanted to write a wee blog about mini albums. They don't have to be flash or anything spectacular, but mini albums are often the most effective. The one I have pictured here was made as a little keepsake after my cousin's wedding last year, and it has charmed anyone I have shown it to. Finally the time has come to part with it and send it on to the couple featured, and I know they will love it as well.

This album was made by using old CDs. Once the papers, photos and lettering was stuck down well, I drilled the hole through using a drill press and passed the metal ring through. Voila! Easy. The papers I used were from Creative Memories' Romance set - no longer available. Unfortunately, as it is so lovely.