Pretty in Pigtails

Friday 28 February 2014



The Simple Recipes challenge over on UK Scrappers was complicated this month. As well as the colours and sketch, the technique was 'reverse applique' which involved layers of paper and fabric, stitched, with embellishments added.

I started off by cutting 12 pieces of journaling card sized paper and then I started adding small scraps of paper, and small pieces of fabric to each one. I then tore and frayed the fabric and then stitched in place. I added ribbons, stickers, punched shapes and more stitching. After making 12 cards I then had to arrange them on the page so that the prettiest ones weren't covered by the photos that were going on the bottom right corner. I had intended to incorporate my little photo onto one of the cards, i.e. sew it into the card design but I forgot, oops, so it had to sit on top.

After lovingly creating all those cards, the photos looked a bit boring (!) so I stitched those too and then then looked like they belonged on this layout. The large title stickers are flocked so also went well with the whole material thing and the smaller ones are pink glittered which fitted well with the silver glittery scraps I'd used.

When I first saw the Simple Recipes challenge for this month, I nearly cast it to one side, deeming it as too much effort, but I'm really pleased I powered through and made this layout as I absolutely loved creating it and am really happy with how it turned out. I think it is my favourite layout of 2014 so far...

Start with a Sketch...Definitely worth the Effort

Thursday 27 February 2014



Welcome to 'Start with a Sketch' which is a new video series here on my blog. I've been designing sketches just for my own personal use and I figured that I could make something out of them and make them into some sort of a series and thus 'Start with a Sketch' was born. I really love working with sketches and I almost always start with one. If anyone else out there is the same then please feel free to use my sketches as a starting point for your layouts.


This first sketch is typical of my usual style - a patterned paper background, mounted on something for a narrow, darker border. I occasionally use patterned paper for this (very much depends on the paper) but more regularly use card. This particular sketch also features three small portrait photos. I used to almost religiously use 6x4" prints, because that was the size I always had my photos printed in, but I've had a Selphy printer for about a year now which enables me to easily print smaller photos. I really love this feature and it means I can fit more photos on a layout, without the photos taking over.


I'm on a bit of a stash busting mission at the moment and pulled out some older Basic Grey papers to use for this sketch. I also show a few other papers in the video, some of which I ended up not using, plus I effectively added an extra layer of paper which was not present on the sketch (the two 6x4 journaling cards). I like how the photos take centre stage, how there are several of them (at least one of those wouldn't have gotten scrapped if they had been printed in 6x4), and how the design still shows of a lot of that fabulous background paper. If you were to use a less busy paper as your background, the you'd be able to get in a lot more journaling, something I didn't really think about until after I'd already started...!

Please feel free to use the sketch and share your layout below. It's just for fun and anyone can play along and I'd love you to join me.

Happy scrapping and thanks for stopping by


Layouts made with 'Cupid's Arrow' collection from February's 'Love That' kit

Wednesday 26 February 2014

It's official. Foiled is the new glitter and there is more of it in February's 'Love That' kit within the My Mind's Eye 'Cupid's Arrow' collection. These papers are an awesome mix of black, woodgrain, red and aqua and are very pretty whilst most of them could be used for layouts other than love/valentines.


I've used the chevron paper for my background, having first mounted it onto turquoise card. I've used a couple of journaling cards and kept the design quite block-like. The mini envelope contains another journaling card (trimmed slightly) and contains more journaling and an additional small photo.


I've tried to keep the love theme to a minimum here because my photos don't work with that, but they were taken at a wedding so there is a sort-of link there. The red chevrons in the background are foiled and are so pretty in real life when they catch the light. I threaded my Thickers onto bakers twine for the title which I think looks quite effective.


Kirei has made the layout below using these supplies and you can find more information on how she made it on her blog.


February's kit 'Love That' is now on sale...

The kit contains:
4 x Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Flea Market' papers
3 x Teresa Collins 'You are my Happy' papers (two speciality foiled).
4 x Studio Calico 'Thataway' papers
3 x My Minds Eye 'Cupid's Arrow' papers (all speciality foiled).
4 x coordinating cardstock
American Crafts 'Thickers' alphabet stickers
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Flea Market' stitched frames
Jenni Bowlin kraft tags
Studio Calico 'Thataway' Flair Badges
Whisker Graphics Mini paper bag (colours vary)
Red Baker's Twine

Plus...
8 sample layouts ALL of which can be made from this kit
Step-by-step written instructions for four of the sample layouts

February 2014 kit 'Love That' with subscription: £25 with free postage
(minimum 6 month subscription, subject to £30 cancellation fee if subscription terminated within the first 6 months

February 2014 kit 'Love That' 1 month only without subscription £30
Thanks very much and happy scrapping xx


Thanks to Frankie

Monday 24 February 2014

Just four days into our three week Florida holiday in December, Sophie had an accident on a bouncy castle. She had clearly hurt her foot but after a few minutes the crying had subsided and she was walking on it, albeit with a bit of a limp. It was definitely hurting her, was slightly swollen but not bruised so we assumed she had just twisted or maybe even sprained it. Five days, and a trip to Disney World later, she was still limping and walking on the edge of her foot so we decided we needed to get it looked at. It was x-rayed and a fracture in one of the metatarsal bones (the one from her big toe to her ankle) was discovered. I felt horribly guilty. She was given a foot brace rather than a plaster cast which we initially though was great because she could take it off to sleep in, and still have baths and go swimming. But the down side was that she was able to undo velcro, and take it off herself...

That afternoon was she was extremely miserable. She didn't want to wear the brace and didn't understand why we wouldn't let her take it off. She wouldn't walk on it, insisted on being carried everywhere and constantly cried or whined.

My mum has a friend, who lost her husband a couple of years ago. Not long after losing Frank, she got Frankie, the cutest dog I have ever laid eyes on. She is her 'emotional support dog.' We went to see Frankie that afternoon and she worked her emotional support magic on Sophie. Sophie loved Frankie, she squealed with delight, stroked her, cuddled her and started walking around after her. That was it, Sophie was back to her happy self and wasn't bothered by the foot brace for the rest of the holiday and it was all thanks to Frankie.

Last week's UK Scrappers challenge was to scrap about love or friendship. Sophie's loved Frankie to bits so even though this wasn't a traditional 'love' photo, I figured it fitted the criteria. The other parts of the challenge were to follow this sketch and to use red or pink.










 
I wanted the flag banner to be something a bit more than just strips of patterned paper, so I stitched most of them just to add a bit of interest and texture. I got creative with the circles across the middle of the layout by using up a load of my pre-made embelliehments.

Thanks to Frankie once again for saving our holiday and for being the perfect subject for my layout.



Round & Round

Sunday 23 February 2014



I love the colours in this collection pack: it's called Paradise Beach by Echo Park and it is obviously beach themed and I tend to avoid overly themed papers but the colours won me over and I found myself with the collection pack in my stash. So I'll use the B sides of the paper covered in surf boards etc and embrace the gorgeous colours for my beachy layouts.

The UKScrappers challenge this week was to use red, to use a cross which I stitched in the top right corner, to use outdoor photos and to use circles. Easy peasy.

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping x



Another bouncing baby boy!

Saturday 22 February 2014

This baby was was not quite as big as the one a few weeks ago - 7lb ish, so a good weight considering he was a few weeks early. He is a very special baby as he is long awaited so I'm very pleased he is here safe, sound and perfect and he is gorgeous!

I love the point on this week's sketch, well done to Alex for designing it:

I'm on a bit of a mission to use up some older stash that I've had lurking around for ages so these papers and ribbon are by Papertrey Ink. The stars are new - a stamp set by Stampin Up and the image is by this week's challenge sponsor, Oak Pond Creations.



This week's Sketch Saturday sketch is sponsored by Oak Pond Creations.  Head on over and join in with the challenge to win a fab prize.

Happy scrapping and thanks for stopping by xx 





For card making and scrapbooking classes in St Albans, Hertfordshire please contact me.

Layouts made with 'Thataway' collection from February's 'Love That' kit

Wednesday 19 February 2014

This way or Thataway? The Thataway collection by Studio Calico is a travel collection that is not overly themed. The colours are muted and compliment each other really well but there is the odd bright colour sneaking in there too...

Ive used two 4x4 square photos for this layout and arranged them together in the centre. The background reminded me of bricks and even though the words contained in them are strictly-speaking travel themed, I though they still worked well for these pictures of my little girl on a digger - things like: explore, let's go, adventure, flat tire, etc. I used narrow strips at just the bottom of the layout  instead of top and bottom like I often do, and made a journaling card to hold my journaling out of patterned paper. I love the little flair badges - so cute!

I started off with three 6x4 landscape photos and was going to put all three on the vertical down the layout but while one photo was really good, the other two could have been cropped in a bit so I ended up with the arrangement below: one 6x4 and two 3x4" portraits. I love the soft clouds in the background.


Kirei has also made a layout using these supplies and there are more details on her blog about how she made it.


February's kit 'Love That' is now on sale...

The kit contains:
4 x Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Flea Market' papers
3 x Teresa Collins 'You are my Happy' papers (two speciality foiled).
4 x Studio Calico 'Thataway' papers
3 x My Minds Eye 'Cupid's Arrow' papers (all speciality foiled).
4 x coordinating cardstock
American Crafts 'Thickers' alphabet stickers
Crate Paper Maggie Holmes 'Flea Market' stitched frames
Jenni Bowlin kraft tags
Studio Calico 'Thataway' Flair Badges
Whisker Graphics Mini paper bag (colours vary)
Red Baker's Twine

Plus...
8 sample layouts ALL of which can be made from this kit
Step-by-step written instructions for four of the sample layouts

February 2014 kit 'Love That' with subscription: £25 with free postage
(minimum 6 month subscription, subject to £30 cancellation fee if subscription terminated within the first 6 months

February 2014 kit 'Love That' 1 month only without subscription £30
Thanks very much and happy scrapping xx