Sketch Saturday: Love Begins...

Saturday 29 September 2012

Happy Saturday people. I'm off to a wedding today. This one is very special because it's my uni friend Darren and I wasn't sure he would ever get married so I'm delighted it is happening! His surname is Watts and so is the brides - how funny is that!

Anyway, another fab sketch over at Sketch Saturday this week:





and here is the card I've made for today's wedding. It's not exactly a traditional wedding card but I thought I'd go for the whole shabby chic (ish) look with a cutesy image. I gave my sewing machine some love to stitch the background together.




I love this image by Lili of the Valley - its a new one I picked up last weekend at Alexandra Palace and I absolutely love it!

and the perfect sentiment for a wedding card to finish off.



This week's Sketch Saturday challenge is sponsored by The Craft Barn and there is a prize on offer so make sure you pop on over and join in!

52 Layouts Step-by-Step #17 Only You

Friday 28 September 2012

Hi Everyone

I have another installment of 52 Layouts Step-by-Step for you today and this week I'm putting together a wedding layout - not my wedding but a friends'. It was a fab day and the colour scheme was turquoise so that's why my supplies are turquoise and I threw in some lilac for good measure.

Here's what you need this week:
2 x patterned papers
2 x card
2 x 6x4 landscape photos
Alphabet stickers
and a few embellishments - I have butterflies and flowers.

Step 1
Choose a background and ink the edges.

Step 2
Cut a strip of patterned paper to 2.5"x10.25" and punch a border along the bottom edge and ink all the edges. Stick this to the bottom of the layout.

Step 3
Cut card to 4x5", ink the  edges and stick to the layout.

Step 4
Mount two 6x4 photos onto card 6.25x8.25". Ink the edges and stick to layout.

Step 5
Cut a strip of patterned paper to 0.75"x2.5" ink the edges and stick to the right edge of the top photo.

Step 6
Add flowers at three points on the layout.

Step 7
Add butterflies to two of those points.

Step 8
I had a few punched hearts left over from when I punched the border strip so figured I would use those. You could use something similar like pearls or gems - scatter these around the three clusters.
Step 9
Add a title.

Step 10
Write in your journaling.

And then hey presto your layout is finished!

To join in next week you will need:
3 x patterned papers
3 x coloured card
Large & small alphabet stickers
A frame and some other embellishments - I have some little tiles.
Ribbon
and some photos!

Thanks for joining in and link your layouts below!


Kit Release: September Week 4 'Best of Friends'

Wednesday 26 September 2012

This week's kit features some of the hugely popular Lost & Found Two collection by My Mind's Eye. I just love glittery papers, the sparkle just gives the layout that little bit of extra interest/dimension and in general I love anything that shines:

 The kit contains:
3 x Lost & Found Two glittered patterned papers
2 x coordinating Bazzill cardstock
1m lace trim
Glitz Teeny Alphabet (colours may vary)

I went for one of the more subtle backgrounds for my first layout. I wanted the layout to be predominantly kraft with hints of both red and green. Te green glitter and alphabet stickers took care of the green and I added small bits of red from one of the other patterned papers to bring in the red.

I had perfect photos to go with this patterned paper. The paper was quite heavily embellished itself so I didn't have to add much too it to create a lovely page.

Kirei's layout is really gorgeous. I love the way she's cut out the shape on one of the papers and made that into a beautiful feature on her layout. Check out her blog for more info on how she made it.

This kit costs just £6.60 and can be purchased here but make sure you have a read of the subscription details as it's a great deal!

Only Scraps Allowed...Washi Tape

Monday 24 September 2012

Well what a weekend I've had! Exhibiting at Alexandra Palace is a really exhausting experience and today I've got to do a full stock take to figure out what I've got left so the work continues. I've also had my mother in law staying to look after Sophie (Ben had to go out yesterday) so that's been hard work too!

This week's Only Scraps Allowed Challenge is to use washi tape on your layout. I'm in love with Washi tape these days and use it on most of my layouts so figured it would make a good challenge.

I picked out a background sheet and a few scraps that looked as though they would work well together:


and here is my finished layout. I love this picture of Sophie on Skype to Australia at just 2 months old and also love my mum's cuttlebug in the background!

I've used kraft washi tape under my photo and pink dotty washi tape on the top and bottom pretty bits.

If you'd like to join in this week then simply create a layout using up your paper scraps (one whole sheet allowed for the background), use washi tape on your layout and feel free to add any embellishments you like then post your links below.

See you tomorrow (or maybe Wednesday depending on how the stock take goes!)


Sleep Tight

Sunday 23 September 2012

I loved the challenge this week over at UK Scrappers! I struggled a lot with last week's one but this week: no trouble!

The challenge was to:
1. Use the sketch provided
2. Use shades of pink
3. Use mist or bling on the layout
4. to use scraps of paper (I'm great at that!)

This was the sketch:
and here are the pink scraps I pulled out:


and my finished layout. I got on really well with the sketch, I particularly liked the hexagons, the only trouble is that I don't have a hexagon punch but no worries I do have scissors!

I used a lot of Prima flowers around the photo and pulled out as many different ones as I could find that matched the paper I was using.

I managed to get both mist and bling on my layout - these Thickers are sparkly, yum!

and here's that mist I mentioned (love mist so much right now!)

and finally the pretty bit in the top right corner - I love these!
So thanks very much to the challenge setter this week on UKS, just what I needed!

Sketch Saturday - Happy Birthday to Oscar!

Saturday 22 September 2012

Morning Campers! Anyone doing anything exciting this weekend? I am exhibiting at Alexandra Palace today and tomorrow so my weekend is a bit full on but I know I'm going to have a right laugh along the way and fingers and toes crossed for good sales!

We have another amazing sketch for you this week over at Sketch Saturday...

My DT entry this week is yet another first birthday card - OMG there really can't be any more looming can there?! This one is for a very special little boy. Oscar's mum actually died when he was just three months old so his dad (who wasn't particularly hands on at the time!) was left holding the baby and also dealing with the grief of losing his beloved wife. He has done brilliantly and is an inspiration to everyone around him. He juggles a demanding full time job (he works for my hubby!) with solely caring for his little man which can't be easy yet he manages to put loads of effort in at work too. Ben is very proud of him. 

So this card is for Oscar and I thought I'd give my new letter bunting stamps (Little Claire's) an inking for the first time for this special card. I love them!

The bunnies are by Lilly of the Valley and are perfect for a little one's birthday (and not just for Easter as I had first feared!) - they are so cute!

I added some of the teeniest buttons I had in my stash and because I have a pet hate for naked buttons I had to thread them with something. Bakers Twine was too thick so that is sewing cotton threaded through several times, a labour of love.

and orange baker's twine finished off the bunting nicely. Fab.

This week's Sketch Saturday challenge is sponsored by  Bugaboo stamps - their stamps are awesome and you should definitely check them out. My collection is quickly growing! There's a prize on offer too so make sure you check that out!
 
Thanks for looking and we hope you'll join in the challenge!