29th May- Layout Challenge

Time for another Layout Challenge this week the challenge is a sketch, which just so happens that I (Anna) designed! Hope you have fun creating with it, it's quite exciting for me as it's the first time I've designed a sketch!

Anna

I stayed quite close to the sketch with this layout, stars are probably my favourite shape! I masked off a big star shape and misted over it and then stitched around it to make it stand out, then added the rest on top.

Nadia

I really wanted to use these pictures and these papers together, so I substituted the star with a large doily for a more classic effect. 

Lisa
Heather

This was a great challenge for me because I don't normally include large shapes on my layouts.  I considered taking a different route with this and using small stars as embellishments but in the end I decided to tackle it head-on. The layout looks simple enough, which is NOT my style, but I did it that way intentionally, adding techniques to it to bring it back to my style.  I used a Cricut, masking, misting, fussy cutting, stitching and more. None of the alphas were that color originally. More details about the techniques are on my blog.

It amazing the different layouts that you can get from the same sketch, how does the sketch inspire you, we would love to see so please link your creations up!

It's Video Friday

Hello girls!!!
This Friday I am going to show you a fun and easy way to create small works of art out of canvas, your scraps and gel medium!!


And if you are wondering about the end of the video.... I forgot to film it before getting to Mykonos, but I am sure you'll love the pictures!

Wednesday Extra: Home Decor Accents by Tessa

I recently purchased a pretty vintage bowl that I wanted to fill with something.  When I saw these kraft paper mache balls in the craft store, I knew I wanted to alter them for my bowl. 

Here are three techniques for covering these home decor accents with your scrapbooking supplies.  First gather your supplies - a sheet of patterned paper (Pink Paislee), some tissue paper (Pink Paislee), decorative tape (Hambly), Mod Podge, a paint brush, scissors, a circle punch, and your paper mache spheres.

Technique One: Tape

Working with small pieces (about 2-4 inches depending on the size of your sphere), tear tape and adhere directly to the ball.  Don't fret over wrinkles and allow the tape to overlap.  When the entire ball is covered, cover with an even layer of Mod Podge and allow to dry.

Technique Two: Tissue Paper

When choosing tissue paper, go with the nice stuff!  Quality tissue paper won't result in colors bleeding and the paper tearing.  Cut tissue paper into squares.  Working in one small area at a time, brush some Mod Podge onto the sphere and adhere tissue paper.  Quickly add Mod Podge over the top of the tissue paper and repeat the process until the sphere is completely covered.

Technique Three: Patterned Paper

My patterned paper was cardstock weight, which made this a little more difficult.  You might want to take that into consideration when choosing your paper.  Punch circles from your paper.  Using scissors, cut five slits around the circle.  Doing this will allow the paper to form to the ball as closely as possible. 

Brush Mod Podge onto the sphere, then add paper.  Using your finger, work the paper into the glue and then cover the circle with more Mod Podge.  This is messy!  Use your finger to ensure the paper is secure and then repeat until the ball is covered.

Tips:

1. Spheres can be tricky to keep steady on your work surface, so use an empty paper towel roll as a perch.  One tube is all you need - just cut several pieces and you have several stands.

2. Only work on 1/3 or 1/2 of your sphere at a time.  Set the sphere on your stand to dry before trying to add more.  Doing so will keep your tacky hands from sticking to portions you already glued and/or keep your hands more clean.  I'm speaking from experience here :).  Just work on the other spheres and go back when the first is dry.

3.  If paper tears, just layer another piece on top of the imperfection.  If you leave a fingerprint in the Mod Podge, just go back over the section with more glue.  These are pretty forgiving.

4.  Try an assortment of sizes.  After completing this project, I decided that I should have used spheres of different sizes for more visual interest and a better fit in my bowl.  Now I have an excuse to do some crafty shopping, though, right? :)

If you give something like this a try, I'd love to see it! Just link us up in the comments section or post a photo in the forum.  Have a great day! Tessa

Sunday Card Challenge

Hi Everyone - hope you enjoyed that chunky embellishment challenge from last week - and how about Nic's cool altered book? So much eye candy at The Studio over the past week!
This week we've got a card challenge for you - use something shiny on a card. Let's see how our design team interpreted this one - plus we are also joined by the fab Lisa this week, too!

Valerie

To add something shiny to this card for a bridal shower, I machine sewed a silver border on my clouds and used silver metallic embroidery floss to hand-stitch silver French knot raindrops

Fabi

Ive used a metal accent to bring the shining embellishment requested by the challenge. I loved how the metal contrasted with the papers and add an extra edge to the card.

 Natalie
I found these little wings in a craft store when I was on holidays recently...yep, always on the lookout for crafty bits to feed my addiction :). They are iridescent and are just the sweetest way to jazz up a card or LO.

Rossella

I used some rhinestones and bright embossing powder for clothes! 

Lisa
Finally I was able to use this very blingy heart that I've been saving for the right moment : )

Thanks for joining us, Lisa - now we hope you will, too. Link up your shiny creations in our sidebar!

Wednesday Extra: Altered Keepsake Book by Nic Booth

It's been a long term crafty goal of mine to make something in which I can store those precious, irreplaceable keepsakes of my son's early years - the tags he wore when first born, a lock of his baby hair etc... 

I recently came across a book called Altered Book Workshop by Bev Brazelton which details lots of amazing ideas about altering and adapting books.  The book inspired me to have a go at making my own version of an altered book, a keepsake book made for the purpose of storing my treasured items:

 

I had loads of fun altering my book and found it really easy to make - it's very adaptable - you can use whatever techniques you like, and it's a great way to use up all those little scraps of stash left over from other projects. 

The supplies you will need for this project are:
A hardback book - I bought mine from the sale shelf at my local library for 25p
Wet Glue - I used paper mod podge
Acrylic paints
An empty matchbox
Script Stamp - I used a wooden stamp called manuscript background from Hero Arts
Inks
Craft knife, ruler and cutting mat
Papers and embellishments for decoration.  I used a scrap of cream fabric, paper scraps from kaisercraft - duchess line, My Minds eye, Bobunny and Crate Paper, brads from My Minds Eye and a Maya Road chipboard tag from the ScrapaGoGo May kit and a Martha Stewart punch.

My book started out life as this:

I prepared the book by taking the jacket off and covering the outside with several layers of acrylic paint - I then inked up and stamped my script stamp and then dry brushed another thin layer of white paint over the top.

I then prepared the inside of my book - you can make as many or few inside pages as you like - I decided that I wanted very few inside pages, instead designed my book to open directly onto the section storing the matchbox tray which incorporates a pocket to store my tags.  I glued the inside cover page to the front hardback cover and glued the first ten pages of the book together. 

I placed my matchbox on the last page of the book and measured around the outside - do not cut this page as the matchbox will be glued onto this.  I then placed the matchbox in the same position on a page higher up in the book and began to cut around it until the stack of cut papers is the same height as your match box.

I took the tray out of the matchbox and applied glue around the box and slid the box only into the cut out which should be a tight fit.  I then glued a set of 10 pages over the top.

You may need to remove some page sections from the rest of the book at this stage to prevent the book from being too thick when finished.  I removed about 100 pages from the centre.  To make sure everything remained held together I applied glue around the outside edges of my pages and once dry my book was ready to decorate.

I began by applying acrylic paint to all my glued sections and when dry, stamping the script stamp.  The inside pocket was created by cutting the ten pages I'd glued and painted at the front of the book in half horizontally, attaching my patterned paper and gluing the outside edges to the main inside section.

The outside cover was decorated by using scraps of papers covered in a thin layer of dry brushed paint and a chipboard tag which I covered with fabric and embossed using a embossing folder.  For the inside cover, I printed out this poem I found on the net:
From a child so fair, A miracle from above, Placed gently in my care, This child is growing up so fast, Tomorrow's the future, Today is the past.  Walking, Talking, fading riddles and rhymes, This lock of hair and tags remain, A keepsake of past times.

I added a few embellishments and finished by decorating the front of my matchbox, fixing a small tab of ribbon for easy opening with a brad.

Thanks for looking :-)