How I Made My January Page

This is the double page I made for the 'T is for Texture' January challenge. I used photos of my family from Christmas 1998. Because the colours were so mixed I changed them all to sepia before printing them out.

This month we are scraplifting a layout by Stacey Hansen, called Life's a highway, from September 2011 Creating Keepsakes Magazine. We are challenging you to use lots of texture (or lumpy bits), make a double layout and lots of photographs.

Left hand page

Right hand page 

I used:

2 sheets Red Bazzill cardstock

1 sheet Leapfrog Bazzill cardstock

1 sheet Salt Dotted Swiss Bazzill Cardstock

QuicKuts dies - Poinsettia, treelights, Lucy Alphabet

Creative Memories Large Circle Template

Technique Tuesday Cardstock Fundamentals

The patterned papers are American Crafts Christmas Dear Lizzy collection, Twinkling Tree, Gracious Gifts, Garland Greetings and Poinsettia and Pine.

Here is what I did:

Use the two pieces of red cardstock as a base for the double layout.

Cut two pieces of diagonal red white and green stripe, 4" x 12", use TT FUNdamental Postage Stamp template to draw pattern along the top of both pieces, just to mark where to cut, then using a small 5/8" circle punch cut notches in place.  Stick these to each piece of red about 2" up from the bottom so the pattern runs right across both pages, leave top unstuck to allow for tucking circle and bracket in place later.

Use a medium sized 'Swanky Frame' TT FUNdamental shape as a template. With Leapfrog cardstock cut half a frame following the outside edge of this shape. Cut a piece from holly paper using the inner frame as a guide. Mount the holly paper on top of the green, and tuck this under the diagonal striped paper on the right side of the layout to the right of this piece, about 3" down from the top. Trim where this overlaps the side of the layout.

Cut about 3/4 of a circle using the outer edge of the CM template and the fine stripe paper. Cut the inner circle from the dotted Swiss cardstock. Mount white over stripe and cut down the centre. Mount half of this shape on each side of the layout so they meet in the middle. See sketch for placement, but this is also about 3" down from the top. This is also tucked under the diagonal striped paper, and all is stuck down. (However I wanted a little spare red cardstock for making flowers, so I gutted some from under where the circle is going to sit before sticking all down for this purpose!).

I ran a wide red grosgrain ribbon with a white stitch effect across the bottom of the diagonal striped paper, then added a 5mm green satin ribbon on top of this, with a green bow to the left side of the left page.

I matted all my photos in white and arranged them across the layout as in the sketch (roughly).

Then I dusted off the QuicKutz, which has been neglected since I acquired my Cricut!  I got busy and cut 16 poinsettia petals and 16 leaves, arranging these in pairs to make 8 flowers. I curved the petals with the scissor blade and attached each pair together with a gold brad, these were added to the layout with a 3D foam pad. The leaves were added later, 2 to each flower. Then I cut lots of small tree bulbs and arranged in a garland along the top of the layout, each of these is raised on a tiny piece of 3D foam too.

Next I cut my title using Leapfrog cardstock and the Lucy Alphabet dies. I arranged these letters inside the white circle.

Thanks for looking.

If you want more details of this layout please see my blog.

For more details of this challenge please go back to the post titled 'T is for Texture' of 01/01/12 on this blog.

Happy Birthday & Scrapology Kits-by-post & Blog Candy

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO US!!!

Did you realise that Scrapology turned one in August?

That first challenge was published on 1st August 2010.

You may have noticed that Lynn & Linda always use the same papers to show how different layouts can look using the same things.

With this in mind we have decided to create a few kits and make them available (including the main papers, cardstock and elements) for you to purchase. 

We have been able to do this for:

 August 2010

2 x Fancy Pants, Rusted Sun double sided papers. 2 x Bazzill cardstock (1 blue, 1 red), 16 coloured brads, template, Doodlebug Design Simply Sweet alphabet stickers, sketch.

September 20102 x Fancy Pants, Rusted Sun double sided patterned papers, 3 x Bazzill cardstock (2 black, 1 lemon lime), 1 x eyelet Bazzill, 1 reel DST, 1 skein black DMC stranded cotton, needle template, sketch.

October 2010

3 x basic Grey, Green at Heart patterned paper, 1 x black Bazzill, 1 x white Bazzill (already die cut into shapes needed), 2 x black A4 paper (1 already die cut). 1 pack clear gems, sketch

shapes cut for you are flourishes, ornate corners, ferns, flowers, stamen and butterflies.

November 2010

3 x Bo Bunny, Peacock Lane double sided papers, 1 x Dotted Swiss Bazzill, 2 x Bazzill (turquoise and white), 4 x 30cm lengths organza ribbon, 1 x 30cm DMC stranded cotton, 2 x flowers, 2 x mini roses, 2 x buttons, 2 x large pearl brads, 4 decorative pins, 2 chipboard shapes, 2 flower stamen, sketch.

February 2011

3 sheets Basic Grey, Sugar Rush double sided papers, 2 x Petunia Bazzill, page elements, 5 buttons, Sharpie permanent marker, sketch.

 

April 2011

3 x The Girls Paperie double sided papers, Vintage Patchwork, Cabbage Rose and Shabby Flowers, 1 x Scalloped Newsprint The Girls Paperie, Technique Tuesday clear stamps ‘Message in a Banner’ set, DMC stranded cotton thread, die cut strip of stamped tickets, sketch.

June 2011

4 x Cosmo Cricket, Pixielicious double sided papers, 1 1/2 x Bazzill (1 cream puff, 1/2 purple), 3 buttons, 3 strips gems, sketch.

July 2011

4 x Bo Bunny, Ad Lib double sided papers, 1 x white Bazzill, leaf mask, sketch.

The kits will be on a first come, first served basis and are very limited in supply.

They will be available after the blog candy is announced on 5th September.

You can put in your requests as soon as you like.

They are £10.00 each including postage and packaging.

Please contact us for further details. EMAIL HERE

Blog Candy

Please comment below and follow this blog for your chance to be put in the draw for the blog candy.

The candy is your choice of a kit from those listed above.

The winner will be announced on 6th September.

Good Luck and happy birthday to us!

How I made my April Challenge Page

Here are a few tips for making the April page, if you want to create something similar to my page.

This is the sketch I drew from the original layout by Sarah Youde.

I purchased the papers and stamps from Paper Maze.

The stamps are Technique Tuesday and called 'message in a banner'.

The papers are by Girl's Paperie.

The background is diecut newsprint and is single sided, the other two are vintage patchwork and shabby flower and they are both double sided, giving me five patterns to play with. In fact many more than five as the patchwork sheet has many designs on it, which was great for the purpose of different patterned flags.

I cut the horizontal bad from the blue side of the patchwork piece making sure I was keeping the patterned bit from the other side that I wanted for the flags. It's worth taking a little time with this to get the most from your sheet of paper. I trimmed the edge of this strip with a Martha Stewart border punch.

I cut the tickets using the Tim Holtz Alterations Ticket Strip Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die and decorated each ticket with 'Just the Ticket' stamps produced by Imagine That.

The flags were made by stamping directly onto my layout. I drew a light pencil line first as a guide as to where to place the stamps. Then I stamped the flags again onto the patterned papers on the patchwork paper. They fit beautifully inside the squares. These were cut out minus the frilly edge and attached over the flags on the layout with 3D foam pads to raise them off the surface of the layout. I then added in stitches by hand using DMC embroidery thread.to link the flags together.

There is a brilliant tutorial for making the cabbage roses from paper swirls created by Gabrielle Pollacco and it can be found HERE.