Technique Overload Layout

I went a bit crazy on this layout. My kits are into the last bits now so I've got a mix up of paper scraps and embellishments and wanted to think of ways to use up the paper scraps. Then I also had a few ideas I wanted to have a play with I'd thought of earlier on and then not got around to so this whole layout became a bit of an experiment/mish mash.

It's fun to have a proper play with supplies every now and then without worrying if you're going to 'ruin' anything and kit left overs and bits and pieces you have just before new kit time are perfect for playing around with. I've got one more project to come with the current kits. It's almost time for new kits so subscribers look out for your notification emails. You can look up the new kits in the shop but also look out next Wednesday for the full kits details and photos popping up here on the blog.

x Leo

Paper Layering - With the March/April Lite and Embellishment Kits

I've been having a tidy out just recently and it dug up a few photo treasures from old scrapbooks and folders one of the ones I found was this little cut out picture. It being a bunny picture too I thought rather appropriate for Easter. It was Easter when I started this layout but it did get shelved for a bit then yesterday I went back to finish it off. I started out with the Napa Valley paper from the March/April Lite kit. The pattern already has sections on it that are like distressed wood panels so I went with those and cut out the panel pieces. I picked out the burlap stickers from the embellishment kit to work with the paper and it started to get a whole 'shabby chic' feel so that's what I carried on trying to use as a design theme. I layered the patterned paper cut out pieces on top of scraps of cardstock and some of them on some of the other Lite kit patterned papers and then cut them out to leave little borders around the edges and create little layered paper pieces. 

The paper pieces I then arranged as the background of the layout making one of them a matt for the little photo. The title layer bit is made up from one of the library cards from the embellishment kit cut into two pieces then layered up with more patterned paper pieces and little bits of washi tape from the embellishment kit.I also used the washi tape straight onto the cardstock background around the edges of the paper layers just to help to frame all the floating bits.

You could use the same idea, (cutting out the paper pieces and making mini layers) on any paper craft project sizing them up or down depending on what you're working on, cards, pocket page spreads, tags, journals etc.
x Leo

Happy Scrapbooking Day! Homemade Scrapbook Album Project.

Today is National Scrapbooking Day and we're joining in the scrapping fun all over the world today!
I've got a project sheet for you to download. It's to make something that every scrapper needs and it uses up any supplies you have. It's also kind of essential. Got it yet? Yep your very own homemade scrapbook album!

They are deceptively simple to make and I've made the fastening so you can adjust the pages inside to add and take away as you use it. These are tried and tested albums too as I've used the design for my December Daily albums a couple of times and they're now a few years old and still going strong!
I decided to make a 6x8 inch size pocket page scrapbook in the worksheet sample, although you can use the same instructions and make an album to any size you want. I've got lots of left over photos from processing or past scrapping pages and so I thought rather than leaving them in the wallets I'd add them to a simple little pocket page album so they've got a nice place to live. It's also the kind of scrapping you can do in a weekend too, filling up a whole album as you go! Plus it makes use of your left over bits and pieces which I've also done collecting together left over bits from Quirky Kits!

The link to download the album project is bellow. It's in PDF format so you can download it to your tablet devices too to read through and keep for future reference.
Click here to download the Scrapbook Album Project Worksheet
Have fun whatever you're doing on Scrapbooking Day!
x Leo

Welcome to the Princess

And doesn't every princess deserve a bit of bling? Especially if she is an oriental princess?

and with gold and jade within the kit I knew it would be perfect for telling the story of the day I upstaged everyone because I wasn't given a solo part...

Yes, I used one of the sketches again - kind of. Sketch two has paper strips down the right hand side and two photos on the left with the title in the middle. I stayed true to that but my photos were smaller and I wanted the journalling to be in bits so that changed.

Before I stuck anything down I used some Heidi Swapp gold lame spray, sprinkling it using the thin end of the nozzle and also a dropper for the larger spots. This all needs to be left to dry for as long as possible!

I layered up my large photo with random papers from the kit. I added some glitter to the blue paper and the yellowy gold strip is from another of those tear off strips on the bottom. Another of those paper clips was used to anchor the mat. I thought the word "hope" was appropriate for me and that show!

Once I had added some strips of paper and some washi tapes (the gold is from the last Quirky Kit), I decided to bling up the wooden embellishment. I remembered that I have some glitter copic pens so used those to colour in the flowers. The photo doesn't really do justice to the sparkly loveliness - somehow the close up lost the shine! I also added glossy accents to the flower centres

Then my attention went to the left hand side of the page. I cut one of the Fancy Pants library cards in half and used that and some washi tape as a mat for the small photos.

Finally I used my cameo to cut out the title using a fairly oriental font. White cardstock was sprayed with the Gold Lame mist and then Glossy Accents added on the top. A Maya Road bird was adhered to draw attention to the title and all that was left was to journal the story of one small girls quest to be a star....

(And I really do remember feeling indignant at not having a solo and being on the stage. I don't remember showing myself up by singing along and spoiling it for everyone. Funny that...)

Tarted up

I took the idea of repeated photo mats from Sketch Six of the booklet but then ignored most of the rest of the sketch!
I wanted an opportunity to let that fabulous WRMK vellum paper shine. At first I had backed it with white cardstock but when I tried the yellow I found it both muted what had been quite a bright shade and it let the silver really sparkle. It also seemed like a good opportunity to use a hafty chunk of that Studio Calico Lemon Lush paper which I really, really love

Yes it is another trip down memory lane - this time the story of when I was about to get married. I was finishing a temporary job at Woolworths Accounts Office. They were very generous with gifts and cards but also insisted on dressing me up as a tart and parading me round the whole building. Why a tart? Well because when I got married I was going off to train as a Minister (or Vicar). Being the ONLY person in fancy dress is not that much fun to be honest....

I pulled out from the kit all the pieces that were silver, green and yellow. I also added some washi tapes (the bird one is from a previous kit). The squared paper is also from the last kit. I was going to journal on it at one point, changed my mind but kept it there anyway.

I wasn't going to go round everything with pen but the Jillibean Soup phrase just seemed to get lost on the silver. So I did. To be honest I could start almost every layout account with "I decided not to outline... but then I did" as I don't seem happy with the definition without it.

I had fun with the various clips I used

I like the word ones on the dark part of the photo as they give some interest (and hopefully draw the eye away from my ridiculous get up)
I wanted to add a little silver to the burlap embellishment so rubbed some silver ink onto them. The effect is subtle but it is there

 

I also added silver to the letter stickers from last months kit - but they were kind of grey anyway. The gems are from last months kit. The yellow arrow was a last minute addition so that the larger subtitle points the way to the actual title. It comes from my stash and is by Studio Calico. I don't often do hidden journalling but the story I recounted above is given in a little more detail and stuck in the envelope. I added a little pull out tab to let the really curious know that there is more to see!

More sketch love

Well I think you can see Sketch 4 from Leo's awesome Simple Sketches here, altough photo space and journalling space have been swapped round

This is little me with my Uncle David. I am about 3 or 4 in this photo. I used a fairly small photo which got even smaller when I decided to place it within the Jillibean Soup frame. I thought the curved edges gave a lovely retro feel. I knew there needed to be red on the layout but how chuffed was I when I realised that the gold funky patterned paper was an almost perfect match to the dress I am wearing? I gave the layout a double frame so needed lots of black outlining to break the patterns up. I also used the red Snap card and love the way the pattern underneath peeks through.

The bracket pattern underneath the card comes from one of the tear off strips at the bottom of the papers. I think I have used almost every one of those strips from this month's kit. I love that little extra layering detail they give.

I gave the wooden plaque a little treatment by colouring over the word with a gold pen and a white pen. I was going to leave it in position as per the sketch but it sat so much better on the top right

The wood effect paper triangles were cut from the Studio Calico Lemon Lush paper and I used up my remaining cork hearts and burlap flowers to go round the edge of the layout. As you might be able to spot I didn't really use a sewing machine - just some faux stitching but having the pen work going over the triangles does help fool the eye just a little bit!

Know when to fold 'em

This layout started out with Sketch Three from the Quirky Kit Simple Sketches. I knew the kind of way I wanted it to go and then decided that I would start with some colour on the background. I used a Theresa Collins stencil and translucent embossing paste. When that was dry I covered it with blue gelato and washed it down

I adore the WRMK vellum paper and decided to try colouring a portion with watercolours.
I painted on the back so that the silver was still dominant

The small pieces (the flowers and the stripe strip that came on the bottom of the paper) did roll up but flattened out with glue on the back.

I then decided to make a layered photo mat rather than just a frame as in the sketch so gathered a few of the papers together, inking and outlining the edges. I cut the layers with scissors so that nothing was too straight. This is not just because I am lazy (well maybe a bit) but I do like to sometimes add the softness that non straight edges bring. Having stuck the photo mat together and having gathered a few embellishments to go with it, I went to stick the photo down but it just didn't feel right in the place the sketch suggested. So I moved it even more to the centre and suddenly it all worked so much better

I think it is key with sketches not to let them dominate the process  - it was a great starting point and I think you can see the influence but it is not as directly used as the one in my last blog post. I inked the burlap anchor with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and made the camera parts black rather than the original brown. I tried not to have too much that takes the eye away from the photo, but rather wanted to draw the eye in.
NB I have now straighted up the letter stickers. They needed extra glue as they really didn't like being stuck on vellum