Kit Inspiration - Sketches

Your Jan/Feb kit will be arriving any day now so here we have some inspirational sketches to get you started. You can use the sketch or any of the ideas/techniques listed bellow them as a starting point for your page/s.

Sketch 1

·         Mix different sized squares of patterned paper over the top of a length of trim or long narrow piece of paper.

·         Layer stitching over the top or use doodling.

·         Add a subtitle layered underneath the title.

Sketch 2

·         Try a 8.5x11 size layout.

·         Use layers of patterned papers in blocks and strips.

·         Add some hand cut out hearts. Make your hearts by folding a small square of paper in half then cutting out half the heart shape. Open out to reveal your heart shape. Add them to your layout and stitch down the centre along the fold.

·         Add a layer of machine stitching over your title.

Sketch 3

·         Make a ‘quilt’ pattern on your background using small squares of patterned paper and stitches or doodling over the top in a grid.

·         Layer your photos using angles.

·         Add a subtitle or journalling over the top of thin strips of patterned paper.

If you'd prefer you can download these sketches as a PDF here

Why not have a go at a sketch or any of the ideas and share what you make adding a link to the comments bellow.
xx Leo

Last Sneak Peek!

Here's a last sneak peek at some of the goodies in your January/February Kit.

Some of the little vintage embellishments and trims etc.
This is the last peek because kits will be shipping next week! We're just waiting on the Sassafras to arrive it's mid way between here and the US at the mo so it should be arriving in a few days time customs willing!
Once kits are ready to go you'll get an email notice that your kit is ready to ship. If you need to you can choose to have it held till you're ready too. This is just so your kits don't arrive when you're not ready for them, maybe you're off on holiday or have a work trip etc. Anyway not long to wait now! Now's the time to get photos ready and ordered or printed off. You could also pick out items you have in your supplies already that you want to match in so you use them up. I've done a quick colour board bellow so you can go through your supplies to see what might work.

Have fun!
xx Leo

Introducing Kesi'art

As the Quirky Kits introduction page on the website says:

"Contents is picked from all around the world for it’s quirkiness"

One of the places I love to shop for unusual scrapbook goodies is France. I want to introduce you to a scrapbook range that might be new to you but it's one of my favourites so I'm really happy that it will feature in your Quirky Kits this year! Kesi'art is a company I found in France. I was initially grabbed by their very cool polka dot cardstock. It's unlike any other cardstock I've used, it a good thick weighty cardstock but it's got a lovely light silk feel and a light woven texture too.

 It's great to use as a base for a layout or a structure for a minibook. Here are just a few of the many colours in the range:

One side is plain and the other the polka dot so you can decide to use the pattern or not. Kes'art also bring out some amazing patterned papers and embellishments here is just a very small selection:

I just know you'll be as excited to use these products as I am to stock them! Look out for Kesi'art products featuring in your Quirky Kits this year so far they'll be the only place in the UK you can get them :) Have a look on the Kesi'art blog too for some great ideas by the design team, lots of fresh exciting ideas going on there.
xx Leo

Browsing through the new releases & more kit peeks!

If you get excited about new scrapbooking goodies you'll probably be like me and are keeping a peek out for the new goodies being shown at the end of this month at the CHA trade show in the US. I've been keeping a special eye out for some goodies with potential for Quirky Kits and already seen some things to put on my big list, see what you think........

Pink Paislee are always a manufacturer I look out for and they've released some little glimpses of new goodies, bigger pictures are coming out on the 24th apparently. I keep checking for the new catalogue, dying to see this collection in full but we'll have to make do with this little snippet for now:

It's a collection designed by the House of Three. I was intregued by the design colaberation last time around but the collection then didn't do much for me so I'm looking forward to seeing this much more colourful collection. I love that they've used 'Junque' in the title as it's got a great meaning that works with what I look for to add to Quirky Kits. It's basically the 'cool vintage junk'. I love the Urban dictonary defination:

'Seemingly useless or out-of-date items with a certain je ne sais quoi.'

I've finally got to see this new collection and it's kind of not dissapointing. It's a little more contrived than I was expecting but there are defo some star pieces in there, what do you think?

Websters Pages are another favourite of mine and this year they haven't dissapointed. I've picked out my favourites from what I've seen so far:

They'll be some Websters Pages goodies in the March/April Quirky Kit that I'm keeping a secret! I really love their trims I think they're the best imitation of some of the genuine vintage trims I love:

Prima sometimes come up with something fun in the embellishment stakes. I was drawn to these cute resin embellishments:

I've got lots of vintage resin embellishments I've collected and I'm sure Prima have been inspired by similar ones but they've updated them by using strong bright colours which I think really works.

Studio Calico come up with some interesting things now and again. I loved the wood elements I picked out for the 'Hey Christmas Cupcake' Quirky Kit last year so I'm pleased to see they've revamped them for this year. I particularly like these butterfly shapes and can see them being stamped on or distressed with paint to make them more shabby chic:

There are some papers that have caught my eye too, I picked out these four in particular and some of the embellishments too:

Sassafras always come up with some neat stuff. As soon as I got the email last year about Paper Crush I did get a paper crush! The airmail strip/vintage letter look is a huge trend I was looking out for so why am I not surprised Sassafras picked up on that!

You'll be among the first in the UK to get your new Sassafras fix as these goodies will be in your January/February Quirky Kit!

Elle's Studio picked up on the airmail strip look too for some of their brand new releases. Loved these so much I had to get some for the January/February Quirky Kit! You'll get some of these and the 'This Story Journalling Tags' in your kit too.

What have you seen from the new CHA Peeks that have caught your eye? If you've not seen anything yet check out the links on Scrapbook Update, http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/cha-winter-2011-sneak-peeks/

xx Leo

A Tale of Two Kits - January/February Kit First Peeks

Here we have some first peeks at what will be winging it's way to you in the first Quirky Kit of 2011. 'Cute Things Make Me Smile' is a kit with two sides. While it's full of cutes things that indeed will make anyone smile it's also mightily practical because among many other things it's a kit with many sides.
If you're feeling blue you can pick out some of the blue based items. I love this selection of goodies, it'll be great for boys pages or for outdoor photos.

4Heures37 papers and Kokka Fabric from the 'Cute things make me smile' Quirky Kit Jan/Feb 2011

Then a different side to this kit, perhaps for a page about things you love in February as it's the time of year we think about all the people/places/things we love, I'd maybe pick out these goodies.

Kokka fabric, Pink Paislee diecut doily paper  & alphabet stickers from the 'Cute things make me smile' Quirky Kit Jan/Feb 2011

There are so many different combinations you'll be able to put together it'll be more like having two kits rather than one! I'll share some of the cool vintage goodies in the next sneak peek.

xx Leo

Twelve Months of 2011 Book

Following on from my last post about making up a unique kit mixing up your kit leftovers here's the progress of my year book I set about making.

The base is an American Crafts 6x6 binder album. I've covered it with papers from my stash, (LilyBee designs and Kesi-art) because I didn't have any kit leftover papers large enough. I added some embellies to the front from the Rock 'n' Roll Star Quirky Kit and tape from the Summer Fete kit. The buttons are vintage ones, you can grab similar ones from the store or fish out that long lost button tin.
One of the first things I wanted to do was to make some divider pages for each month. I have lots of these kraft coloured envelopes hanging around so I grabbed a stack of those and glued them down then set about making mini collages using leftovers and adding some stamps and spray ink. I've only done half of them so far, need to crack on with the other half then I'll photo each one.

Page protectors are going to make up the bulk of my book ready to fill with mini pages. I made some extra ones cutting down old page protectors and making them fit my album. You can cover over the edges to hide messy punched holes with fabric just stitching it on the edge then stitching around the edges, (apart from the top edge) to form your page protector. You can make any size page protector this way too, making divided ones if you wanted to. The fabric here is from the 'She's Creative' Quirky Kit.

If you've made a new kit from your Quirky Kit leftovers how are you getting on using it up? I'll post up a sneak peek photo of the January/February kit soon so you can start and plan what you might like to create with your brand new kit. Just need the light here to get better for taking photos, it's soooo dark it's almost like working at night time!
xx Leo

Weekend Mission - make a unique kit!

Since it's Friday I thought I'd begin our Quirky Kit ideas with a weekend mission, something you can do this weekend.
This week I'm starting another year long album and I made my mind up just to use supplies that I had already so last night I set to work looking for things to use. When I use my Quirky Kits I usually keep the kits together and pick out bits and pieces from them to use. What I'm left with is bags and boxes here and there with little bits of leftovers in them so it made sense to pool all these leftovers together to make a new kit! There wasn't much paper in it so I looked in my supplies and picked out two sheets of 12x12 I've kept but not used yet, (you know the ones you keep because they're your faves but never actually use) then picked up some more random stuff that I've had laying around a while leftover from projects. After all that this is what I ended up with:

It's almost like a whole new kit! I was quite amazed at how much I had to use just from supplies I've overlooked for a while. More than enough to get a year long scrapbook started.

So that's the weekend mission I'm passing on to you. If you have leftover Quirky Kits bits and pieces or leftovers from a project or supplies you've over looked time and again, don't leave them sitting around pool them together and make up your own unique kit! You might not have lots, it might be just enough to make a couple of cards or to decorate an album cover that doesn't really matter it's about getting the supplies used up! It's a great starting point to get your crafting off the ground this new year and make room for some exciting new supplies!

xx Leo

Welcome to the Quirky Kits Ideas Blog

This little place in blog land is especially for Quirky Kits subscribers to pick up tips and ideas not only on using your Quirky Kits but on getting creative with your scrapbooking supplies in general. Every couple of months we'll have a guest designer to share tips and techniques too. I also encourage you to share your work, tips and ideas with other Quirky Kits subscribers here, that's one of the main reasons for choosing a blog format for our Quirky Kit ideas.

Have fun!

xx Leo