Scrapbooking Day Sketch Marathon - Sketch Two

Here's the second of todays scrapbooking day sketch marathon. Have you completed a page yet? Don't forget we're playing along on the Facebook Group and you can also catch these sketches on the Crafty Templates Instagram

Feel free to use any of the sketches to help you with starting points for other challenges going on today if you like. 

Here we go...….

Sketch #2

Look out for the next sketch coming up at 10am! If you are on the Facebook group look out for other fun and games popping up as we go through the day! Share what you're making there too or here on the blog in the comments or via Instagram tagging @craftytemplates.

Have fun!

xx Leo

Scrapbook Day - Sketch Marathon - Sketch One

Happy Scrapbooking Day!!!

All day today we'll be having a scrapbooking sketch marathon to celebrate scrapbooking day. The first sketch is here, (posted at 8am) and they'll be a new one posted up every hour on the hour from now until 8pm tonight via the Facebook Group and on the Crafty Templates Instagram.
Feel free to use any of the sketches to help you with starting points for other challenges going on today if you like. Are you ready to get scrapping and kick off the marathon? Will you be able to keep up and finish them all?!

Here we go...….

Sketch #1

Look out for the next sketch coming up at 9am! If you are on the Facebook group look out for other fun and games popping up as we go through the day! Share what you're making there too or here on the blog in the comments or via Instagram tagging @craftytemplates.

Have fun!

xx Leo

Shape Up Challenge Week 3

Here are the details for the next of the Shape Up challenges. If you need to get up to speed with week one the details for week one and the intro to the new challenge is here. Week two is here.

How it works:

I'll post a new challenge up every week over the next four weeks, (this is the third). Each new challenge will be posted here on the blog and also in the Facebook Group for you to follow along with.

Complete all the Shape Up weekly challenges to be eligible for an extra goody in your next kit box! The closing date to complete all four of your Shape Up challenge projects will be 22nd May 2019. All projects must be new projects made specifically for this challenge. You can use any stash you choose but it's a great opportunity to dig into your kit box and not leave it unused! 

Ready to see the third challenge?

For your third Shape Up challenge you'll need to create a page/project based on the shape: Pennant

If you need a template to use there's one to download and print here: http://www.craftytemplates.co.uk/shapeupPennanttemplate.pdf

If you can't print a template you can create a simple pennant template by first cutting out a rectangle of card in a size you'd like your pennant to be then fold it in half and measure and make a mark about 1.5cm from the bottom on the folded edge. Cut from that mark to the corner edge When you open it back out you'll have your pennant shape. 

To get you kick started with an idea of how to use a pennant shape here's a sample I created:

I first made a template at 3x4 inch (7.5x10cm) then used that to cut out my photos, (printed at 3x4 size) into the pennant shapes. I then cut out some patterned papers with the same template and layered the papers with the photos adding embellishments on top. 

Ready to have a play yourself?

Once you've finished your creation upload it to your platform of choice.

For Instagram tag @craftytemplates and mention it's for the Shape Up Quirky Kit challenge so I can find it.

For Facebook add it to the Quirky Kits Group - they'll be a post for each new challenge there to share it to or else mention it's for the Shape Up challenge when you post it so I can find it.

For blog add a link to your project from your blog in the comments below any of the Shape Up challenge posts, (like this one).

Or if you'd prefer to keep your project private you can email them directly to Leonora@craftytemplates.com

Have fun!

xx Leo

Super quick pocket scrap!

Hi Leo here!
I'm not one for keeping up with a regular weekly, (or monthly!) dose of Project Life style scrapping in my albums but I do every now and then like to sprinkle in a pocket page to my albums. I also appreciate the quickness of a pocket page. I still enjoy the artistic process of scrapbooking I get from making more detailed full page layouts but as life moves on and other priorities come up it's also nice to be able to still have time for a bit of scrapping while also not really having much of that time!
I put this page together using the current Quirky Kit Custom Cards Kit in under half an hour, (mega quick for me!). I used a Project Life Design F page protector as my base and filled the pockets with a mix of the pocket cards from the kit embellished with the labels and ephemera from the kit too.

When I do attack a pocket page my favourite tool to use is my trusty mini stapler to add the ephemera. 

What's your record for super quick scrapping? I'm going to use the Scrapbooking day Sketch Marathon challenge to challenge myself to do a few pages within the hour. I can do it!!

x Leo

You can't always be strong | ScrappyNerdUK (Claire) | March/April 2019

I just love the cut files that have recently been included in the kits. Although I have a Cricut at home, it really helps to have pre cut designs that are ready to go!!

So I was really inspired by the "Brave" cut file in this kit. I thought really hard about what photos I could use of someone being brave, like doing a bungee jump (not me!!) or someone doing something that steps them outside of their comfort zone.....and then it struck me that I did something brave during the week.

Now to some, this won't seem like a brave thing to do but for me it certainly was. So I started with a new company back in August last year and they have celebrated 25 years in business this year so they took all employees out for afternoon tea at a lovely stately home. For me, sitting with 100+ people that I can't say I know very well was my worst nightmare. I struggle to socially interact in bigger groups where I don't know people that well.




For me, this was a brave moment where I decided to still go and try and beat those social anxiety demons.

I needed some smaller alphas to create a longer title so I grabbed some from my stash and teamed them up with the gorgeous gold glitter alphas and the cut file to complete my title.

I love mixing alphas to create a longer title and this is a great way to use up alphas where you don't have enough to create a title.

And adding in a cut file as part of the title is another way to create a difference in your title too.

I then used the Apple Blossom paper by Maggie Holmes to fussy cut all of those flowers out (and I cut the whole page of flowers ready to use on other layouts when I need them).

I tucked these into little clusters around the layout, almost in a diagonal fashion to have them appear to be floating down the page.

I even added one of the flowers into the centre of the cut file.

Finally, I added in the circle die cut from the Cocoa Vanilla Studios ephemera as this created a perfect spot to add in my journalling.

And a few stickers from the Joyful Day stickers and my layout was completed.

One final thing to note - I fussy cut the floral piece from the Cocoa Vanilla Studios paper (see my previous blog post) and managed to salvage the outer frame and I used that on this layout to create my border.

And here is the final layout. 

2 for 1

Hello, it's Nicola here.

I'm delighted to have been asked to create some layouts with this kit as part of the design team. So today I'm popping on to share a layout that uses one of the gorgeous butterfly cut files in a slightly unconventional way...

Who else is loving the cut files that we've been receiving in the last couple of kits?! I know I am but I personally don't always have the time or patience to fussy cut backing papers for them. Lately life has gotten in the way of my scrapbooking a bit, it happens doesn't it, so I've been trying to find some simple but effective layout ideas that I can create in a relatively short time. 

So to create this layout I first laid the cut file down on to my white cardstock and taped it down in a couple of places using washi tape to create a stencil.

I then took a couple of Copic markers and my airbrush tool and spritzed over and around the cut file and once I was happy I carefully removed the cut file.

By using this spritz method, the cut file is very much still useable so I'll get 2 layouts out of it for the price of one and who doesn't love making their supplies go that little further?

Now I know this is quite a specific tool I've used but a similar effect could of course be achieved using watered down inks and a brush or for a bolder look you could even use your cut file as a stencil for a heavier mixed media background, although then it might not survive for a second layout.

Then I just matted and layered my photo on to a couple of the gorgeous Maggie Holmes and Pinkfresh papers from the kit and roughed up the edges to add dimension.

To finish it off I fussy cut a couple of the flowers from the Crate Paper All Heart paper and added a few elements and title from the CVS collection.

Simple but effective I think. 

I plan to share some more of these quick layouts with you over the coming weeks to maybe inspire those of you who are also short of time or who are maybe in a bit of a scrapbooking rut as I know I find that sometimes forcing myself to make a quick layout, even if I'm not all that happy with it, is enough to get me motivated again.

Happy Scrapping!

Nicola x

Shape up Challenge Week Two

Here are the details for the next of the Shape Up challenges. If you need to get up to speed with week one the details for week one and the intro to the new challenge is here.

How it works:

I'll post a new challenge up every week over the next four weeks, (this being the first). Each new challenge will be posted here on the blog and also in the Facebook Group for you to follow along with.

Complete all the Shape Up weekly challenges to be eligible for an extra goody in your next kit box! The closing date to complete all four of your Shape Up challenge projects will be 22nd May 2019. All projects must be new projects made specifically for this challenge. You can use any stash you choose but it's a great opportunity to dig into your kit box and not leave it unused! 

Ready to see the second challenge?

For your second Shape Up challenge you'll need to create a page/project based on the shape: Cloud

If you need a template to use there's one to download and print here: http://www.craftytemplates.co.uk/CloudShapesTemplates.pdf

If you can't print a template you can draw a simple cloud shape or use a punch or cutting machine to make some. 

To get you kick started with an idea of how to use a cloud shape here's a sample I created using the templates sheet.
To start out with I cut out some of the cloud templates and sketched around them onto pieces of white cardstock then cut them out.

I then cut out a heart shape from patterned paper and glued it near the centre of my background cardstock, this was also white card. I wanted to create a rainbow effect coming from the clouds so dived into my stash to see what I had in rainbow colours. My most readily available item was sewing thread so I picked out purple, blue, green, yellow and red. I then sketched out some lines with my compass in close together arcs across my page.

Then it was just a case of using my sewing machine to stitch lines along those lines. I left the lower thread the same and just switched out the upper thread when changing the colours.

I added some watercolour paint in similar rainbow colours to my cut out cloud shapes then added them to my page putting them at the bottom and top of the stitched rainbow.

It was then just a case of adding more embellishment. I decided that it was looking a little plain so I added some of the labels cut out from the Pinkfresh Studio Joyful Day Perfect Moment paper, (in the Lite kit) around the edge to fill the page more. I also added some of the Pinkfresh stickers from the main kit and die cuts from the Custom Card kit. The red phrase is from a card in the Jan/Feb Custom Card kit.

Ready to have a play yourself?

Once you've finished your creation upload it to your platform of choice.

For Instagram tag @craftytemplates and mention it's for the Shape Up Quirky Kit challenge so I can find it.

For Facebook add it to the Quirky Kits Group - they'll be a post for each new challenge there to share it to or else mention it's for the Shape Up challenge when you post it so I can find it.

For blog add a link to your project from your blog in the comments below any of the Shape Up challenge posts, (like this one).

Or if you'd prefer to keep your project private you can email them directly to Leonora@craftytemplates.com

Have fun!

xx Leo