More Scrapping...

 

Just a quick post to show my latest scrap page about my visit to Scotland.  Again done on Serif's Craft Artist and mat and layered after printing.  I also added gems around each of the frames to give a little 3D oomph.

My page is also for the following challenges...

• ABC Challenge - Around the world

• Paper Crafting Journey - Bling

• If the shoe fits - Going Green

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend.  I'm working most of it, but have got a little free time as well.

Almost forgot to say...
Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

Ann xxx

Bah! Humbug! ... Recycling Week...

Thinking about how much broken jewelry I have used on cards this week it will probably come as no surprise to you all that our new theme at Bah! Humbug! is Recycling!  There are just so many things that can be reclaimed and used on cards or perhaps recycling to you means reclaiming something old and giving it a new lease of life.  As I had already worked on a couple of cards with recycled items on them I decided to go on a hunt for something to revamp.

I was over the moon to find this black material jewelry box in our local Help the Aged shop.  At 99p I think I got an absolute bargain with the thrown in pleasure of helping a charity at the same time.

As it's quite a small container I knew it wouldn't be big enough to store all my selection of brads, but thought it would be perfect to store my Christmas themed ones.  I'm still working on finding a storage place for each and every item in my craft room.  It's marathon, but I guess it will be worth it in the end. 

As the box is covered in a black woven fabric I didn't want to start using any type of glue that might soak into the material and spoil it so I decided to use gold holographic sticky backed plastic with a Cuttlebug die of a Christmas street scene.  I cut the strip of houses three times and linked them together around the base of the box.  Sadly Mickey Mouse on his sleigh (from the same die) wouldn't fit so I had to be content with just the moon in the sky.

This is the inside of the box complete with brads.  

As you can see in the next photo the top section lifts out to reveal more space below.  Just enough space to fit everything in and maybe now they are all in one place I'll use them more instead of always reaching for either a plain gold or silver circular brad each time.

Hope you'll have time to join us at Bah! Humbug! this week.  I can't wait to see what items are given a new lease of life or find their way on to cards.

If you do join us this week you might want to join this challenge at Creative Craft Challenges where they are also thinking about recycling.

My altered jewelry/brad container is also for the challenges at..

• Charismas Cardz Challenge - No cards allowed.
• Divas by Design - Anything Goes
• Craft your Passion - Anything Goes

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Ann xxx

Strathpeffer...

Oh, I am so enjoying using Serif's Craft Artist although I must admit it did some naughty things on me while I was creating these two pages (like crashing and then later printing the same page twice), but it's so good that I can live with little misdemeanors along the way.

First page is one of me sat in the little square drinking coffee (yes coffee Max you heard correctly) accompanied by the biggest cherry muffin you have ever seen, while page number two shows some photos of other buildings in the town.

I've added my own die cut flower and swirl and brads to give a bit more depth to the page.  I'm also tending to mat and layer the printed piece on to card too.

I'm entering my pages into the following challenges:

• Crafts and Me - Swirls (only a small one but it is there with the flower - honest!)

• ABC Challenge - Two or more images hope scrap booking counts)

• Top Tip Tuesday - Open Challenge

At this rate I might even finish a whole album before the next holiday.  Have a good day all.  I'm back at work today so crafting is going to be tricky over the next week, but hopefully I'll sneak some in somehow.

Hugs and smiles.

Ann xxx

Happy Birthday Laura...

Yep today is the day and I've finally finished both cards and wrapping.  I made this gift bag/pocket to hold some little surprises for her.  The idea and instructions came from one of last year's card making magazines and it was very easy to do.  The only problem being that it needs a whole sheet of 12" x 12" double sided paper so it's quite an extravagant little bag really.  Cute though - well I think so!

The stamp is a Penny Black which I've coloured with Promarkers.  I've loved all the cards by Lorraine at Lorraine's Loft recently where she has edged the image with ink and Stardust Stickles so I thought I would have a go too.  I used chalk and the only Stickles I have which is Icicles and I think it worked reasonably well for a first attempt.  Lorraine's are scrumptious though so do check out the link if you have time.

Additional materials:

• Sei 12" x 12" double sided paper
• Nellie Snellen scalloped edge die and nestie
• shredded paper and tissue for wrapping gifts

Challenges:

• Papertake Weekly - Anything goes with the option of something round on your project (my die cut mat and image)
• Penny Black at Alllsorts - Shape up
• Sweet Stampin Challenge - try something new (paper folding a gift container)
• Crafty Ann's Challenge - fancy folds
• Ladybug Crafts Ink - Going Dotty (pattern on paper is formed by dotted line - hope it shows in photo)

Have a great day everyone whether you are celebrating or not.  It's my last day before heading back to work sigh.  It has been so nice to be able to fit some 'playtime' in.

Ann xxx

Would you be tempted?...

Having used two old bits of Laura's jewelry this week I couldn't help but notice this stunner of a necklace  she wore today.  Oh so tempting - check out the clock face - so Tim Holtz and there's a another smaller version hiding in there somewhere too.

I wonder how long it will be before her fiendish Mum gets to use the bits and bobs on cards and scrapping.

Ann xxx

Happy Birthday ...

 

Another card for Laura's birthday tomorrow.  This is the one I've made for Grandma to give her.  Again Sweet Pea Stamps and this image actually has an amazing sentiment included with it which I intended to put on the front of the card, but there just wasn't enough space so it's had to go on the inner.  It reads...

' May the wings of a butterfly kiss the sun.

 And find your shoulders to light on.

 To bring you luck, happiness and riches .

 Today, tomorrow and beyond.'

Note yet more cast off jewelry being used.  When Laura first showed me her butterfly necklace a year or so ago I must admit my eyes lit up at the sight of the 20 or so butterflies dangling down from it.  She knows me so well and said at the time 'You're not having it yet!'  I laughed and said it looked quite fragile and would get tangled in her hair.  Naturally this comment was met with a huge scowl and I fell quite low in the 'yummy mummy' league for a while.  Anyway a year later and it finally bit the dust and was relegated to the craft collection - yeah - how cool are these butterflies? 

I must admit that Laura added the chain from the necklace to a scrapbook page she was working on last week so that makes me feel a little less guilty.

Additional materials:

• Promarkers of course and a touch of chalk
• Marianne circular frame die and nestie circle
• Beautiful shimmery butterfly paper by Sei
• Blue ribbon - oh the joy of ribbon sorted on to cards (see this post)
• Happy Birthday sentiment
• Gems and Spray and Sparkle (silver) to add oomph
• Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder

Challenges:

• In a Sweet Pea Dream - Anything Goes (hope it's okay to enter again)
• Sweet Pea Stampers - Recycling - the butterfly - again second entry hope that is okay.
• Passion for Promarkers - Fit for a princess (think it fits as all granddaughters are Princesses in their Grandma's eyes)
• Try it on Tuesday - Something old (the butterfly) - something new (the stamp)
• Sketch and Stamp - original sketch used was from there, but I must come clean and say I lost a couple of the elements from it.  Sorry!

Well cards done and dusted now on to the gift bags.  Have a great day everyone.

Ann xxx

Laura's Birthday...

Wow, it's not until Wednesday and already I've finished her card!  This has got to be a record as normally I have to get up at the crack of dawn on the day to finish (or even sometimes start) the card.  Not this time and I was even organised enough to buy this oh so cute stamp from Sweet Pea Stamps about a month ago knowing it would fit the bill for her birthday perfectly.

The papers I've used are from a collection I bought at a car boot sale recently so I really don't know the company, but they are scrummy.  The sentiment stamp was part of the same set by Sweet Pea stamps.  I really love their stamps and the range is just growing and growing all the time.

Additional Materials:

• Flower and leaf embossing and cutting punches
• Martha Stewart lace dollie border punch
• Promarkers (naturally)
• pink ribbon (yeah - not white or cream or black - due to new ribbon storage I a can actually find matching colours -yeah)
• Cricut to cut ovals large enough for the stamp 
• glitter, gems and recycled solitary ear ring courtesy of Laura (perhaps Mummy should not be happy when daughters loose ear rings, but sometimes I just can't help feeling a little bit pleased.  Watch out for the broken butterfly necklace coming soon).
• Swiss Dots embossing folder

Challenges:

• Sweet Stop Challenge - provided the fantastic sketch for the card.
• Practical Scrappers - Birthday Cards
• Pollycraft - Anything Goes
• Sir Stampalot - Magical Worlds
• In a Sweet Pea Dream - Anything Goes
• Sweet Pea Stamps Challenge - recycling -  a solitary ear ring see photo below...

and just to prove it's on the card...

I really must invest in some jewelry pliers as my finger is going to be sore all week now after bending the metal flat at the back of the flower.

Two posts in one day.  Aren't holidays just brilliant?

Hope everyone is really enjoying this lovely sunny bank holiday as much as I am.

Ann xxx

Scotland...

All the years that people have raved about how gorgeous Scotland is and I've listened patiently, but inside I've thought 'hmmm, but it's cold and wet!'  What a mistake!  This year I've made two trips north, one to my great friend Max and one on a coach trip and on both occasions I've been absolutely blown away by the fabulous scenery and the friendly people too.  Naturally Max and her family are top of the list when it comes to great people.

Last week I went on a five day coach trip to Strathpeffer.  It was brilliant and I took loads of photos.  Yes Max this time I not only took my camera, but actually remembered to use it too!  Having said that my first page about my trip actually uses one of the postcards I bought while away.  I thought this one with the coach suspended at the top of one of the peaks was really funny.

I created the page in Serif Craft Artist and after measuring my postcard I left a white rectangle on the page so that the post card could be added after printing.  The tartan paper is from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop.  I just love the way you can transport a backing paper into Craft Artist and then using the dropper tool make other items on the page match.  I used the dropper tool to match the textured  lilac backing paper with  the tartan and then teamed the ribbon up with the thistle.  Such a clever programme.

My scrapbook page is also for the following challenges...

• Rainbow Lady - Take a town, country or city break.  (what a great challenge!)
• Pile it on - Time to Travel

Well, 3 more days till I'm back at work.  I might even be able to fit some more challenges in this week.  Need to do some birthday cards and fast too as it's my daughter's birthday on Wednesday.  Eeek better make a start.

Have a fabulous day everyone.

Ann xxx