Camp isn’t only for the kids!

So I started my latest class with Big Picture Scrapbooking today – Camp Scrap – who said camp was only for the kids. This class is with May Flaum – you can check out her blog at http://mayflaum.com/ – her style is very different from Nic Howards layouts and this is the second class I’ve done with her. She has a great outlook on life and scrapbooking and this is what I especially like about her. You will find all about this if you come and join me in the class – its not too late just pop over to big picture scrapbooking website and sign-up its only $29 for a five week class, that’s a lot cheaper than my kids camps for certain and I will have something to keep when I’ve finished.

Today’s challenge at Camp Scrap was to spend sometime scrapbooking – which was easy – and I used the inspirational email which arrived in my inbox this morning as the starter for my page.

Don’t often get to make pages about a dog as we don’t own one but these pictures are of Nana and Grandad's Dog “Ellie” from last summers trip to England. The DOG was made using the CTMH white chipboard letters which I colored and then painted with clear gloss paint prior to finally running through the cuttlebug to emboss with polka dots. Notice the heart – Eleanor made that for me. She has learned to crochet this summer (self taught via utube video’s) – ever since she fractured her ankle at school she’s had to find things to keep her fingers busy and this is what she’s been doing so in the end I told I needed her to make something’s I could add to my scrapbooks and this is the first of her creations for scrapbooking. May had lots of buttons on her page so I decided to follow her lead. I don’t tend to use buttons but have a large stock which I need to work on using up so this was a great opportunity for it. Initially I was concerned about the glue mess I may make doing this but then I remembered I had some glue lines (like glue dots but in a line) – this made it really easy to do. I’ve had those glue lines for ages, they seemed like a good idea when I bought them but I had to search to find them which shows me how often I’ve used them. Need to keep them out as it got me thinking about other things I could do using them. How about lines of glitter? I think it would be easy to do with the glue lines. Off to play!

Oh Ronnie, this is just beautiful. Love everything about it.

Imagine how happy I was to receive this comment on my layout I posted on the big picture scrapbooking class gallery for my latest layout I did this weekend. I love it when the teacher comments. I have to admit it I’m a junkie as far as checking the comments I get from other students but yesterday it made my day to check the gallery to see that Nic had taken the time to comment on my last two layouts. Sometimes scrapbooking can be a lonely hobby as you spend time creating the layout, you share it with your family – who say positive things and then you add it the album and its forgotten until you next open the album. I know I’m preserving the memories for the kids and that’s what important but deep down I admit that I’m competitive and like to know that the girl has done well! So getting a comment from Nic is just what I needed after a long hot hot day here in Texas with the two kids driving me a little crazy. Here’s the layout in question.

The funny thing about the layout is that the red heart wasn’t meant to go where it is but I had a glue whoops which forced my hand. When I placed it there though I realized it was meant to be and just drew the eye to the picture perfectly – so it was meant to be. I love the look of concentration on Eleanor’s face here and thank my lucky stars that I have a husband who takes the time to be at the studio to capture such great memories.

Especially for Father’s Day

Using the template challenge on Designer Digitals for this week I created this digital layout about my Dad. The papers I used are from previous color challenges on designer digitals by Katie Pertiet (KPertiet_ColorChallenge61310) and I added a digital brush to give a frame around the edge which is also her’s – although this one I purchased. Can I just say I love this site for digital supplies and ideas.

Just had to share this………

I’m really happy with this layout. Yellow isn’t normally a color I would choose to use but these Basic Grey Papers were left over from a kit I got and so I wanted to use them up rather than find them a home. The layout records my love of Tea – as far as I’m concerned the day doesn’t start until I’ve had my cup of tea! The photo has an overlay on top of it which is pre-printed with glitter. Its also mounted on chipboard to give some extra dimension. The flower I made from organdy fabric – cut flowers shapes out and then heated with my embossing gun. The heat makes the fabric crinkle and creates a great texture to the flower. Five of these layered up with a brad through the middle makes a great addition to any page.

Just remember working  out of our comfort zone in colors can some times create great results!

I Love You Grandad

Another layout. Another Day. This time I used the latest sketch in Creating Keepsakes Magazine as my starting point.

I love sketches but have been using them less since I started the lastest class with Big Picture Scrapbooking as I had yet to work out how to apply what I’d learned to the sketches. I also wanted to make a layout with multiple pictures and a two page layout. So last nights challenge was to do just that. The added challenge was it was a male layout which I always find harder. I think it came out well – the embellishment clusters worked. I used a chipboard mini album I’d got on clearance. I colored it with glimmer mist and clear acrylic paint. Then I added some of those many brad etc I have stocked up on but never seem to use.

Handmade Flowers – Mum & Dad

Week 11 of my 13 class. If I didn’t know I was moving straight onto May Flaum’s summer camp class I’d be sad to think it was coming to an end but I know I’ll be busy the whole of July with the scrapbooking camp May is running.

I’ve made flowers and more flowers and even more flowers this week. At one point my hands were a multitude of colors from the glimmer misting and hand work involved. One important thing I’ve learnt is you can work chipboard really well when its wet to form different shapes. It dries really nicely keeping the form you created so instead of a flat flower you have one with some dimension – just spray it with some water or glimmer mist. Another thing I learnt which I’d never though of doing is running my chipboard through my cuttlebug in one of the embossing folders to give some texture. Really great way of adding interest. Why didn’t I think of that before!!

In the end I didn’t use many of my flowers on the layout assignment for the week because you ask? Well as Nic Howard said less is sometimes more and three just seemed enough and I didn’t need any color. The final layout is very similar to the one in the handout. Nic provides very precise instructions but usually mine ends up very different. Yes the papers and things I used are different but the basic design is very similar.
The frame around the picture is made using grunge board again. Its meant to have beautiful mitered corners but that didn’t work out very well for me and there were gaps so I added extra square blocks on top to hide my mistakes! Next time I think I’d paint it cream rather than the blue. I chose blue to pick out the color on the layout but I think in the end the blue of the frame sort of dominates the picture. Once done its done and I’m not changing it!
On this layout I even broke out the old foam stamps with my paint and stamped the swirls – golly haven’t done that in a while! Had to dust off the box and dig out from under the pile of other stuff – think I’ll do it again soon as it does look cool.
I should really be talking about the flowers – the large one is made of parchment paper. I punched five scalloped circles, inked the edges, put a brad through the center and crumbled each circle up individually. You then open the circles out to form the flower. Quick and simple. I’ve done this with patterned paper as well. The two smaller ones are just 3 circles of patterned paper in 3 graduating sizes, Edges inked and a brad through the center. I then wetted the layers prior to crumbling them up to soften the edges and make them easier to form into shapes. 
Check out a previous blog for some links on making flowers or go to utube and search handmade paper flowers and you will have full night of movies to watch!

Sketches on Blog

 

I love reading blog and have many set-up to my google reader so I don’t miss anything they post. There are lots to choose from out there but I love the ones which share sketches to try. Yesterday the Prima Flowers blog posted a sketch for June so I decided to play along.

Now the layout i ended up with  I don’t think I can enter for the competition part as I didn’t use prima products mainly – the ones I had didn’t work with the pictures I chose but I’m still happy with the layout and that is what matters to me with these sketches. I also got some more practice at embellishment clustering from my dimensional details class and used my new Martha punch (got to get my monies worth). It also features my three favorite colors so I was able to upload to the big picture scrapbooking student gallery for Stacey Julian’s competition for doing a layout using your three favorite colors – do you never know I may still win something yet. If you want to try and win for a layout using your three favorite colors here’s the link for that – big picture scrapbooking blog