Summer Fun

Technically I'm a day late in posting this, but I'm sure no-one cares.......hopefully!

It was my turn to host yesterday's Crafty Challenge over on the Two Scrapbook Friends Forum, so here's the spiel I delivered there:

"Today I'd like you to move away from the comfort zone!

Go on.....you can do it........right out of there!

Think of what you usually create......then do the opposite.

Think of the tools or embellies you usually use......then reach for something different.

Think of your style, that comfortable, fabulous niche you've spent years trying to establish and perfect..........then throw it out the window, be brave and try something new!

OK maybe that is all a little OTT - sounds more like a movie trailer than a Crafty Challenge, but you get the general idea I'm sure.

For this challenge, you don't have to do everything completely opposite to what you would normally would.......I don't want to push you over the edge here, but choose at least one element (or maybe more if you're feeling brave enough!) and try another direction.

For example:

If you consider yourself primarily a 'Scrapbooker'........make a card.

If you usually create single layouts..........go for a double.

If you always use a plain cardstock background......get some pattern in there.

If you're generally one for the clean and simple modern look.........go for a layered, vintage feel.

If you hate a particular embellishment/technique and would never consider allowing it near one of your creations..........go wild with it.

I have a girlfriend who hates buttons and would never use them on a card or layout........personally I think anyone of this view is quite possible insane (not the friend in question of course!), however my point is we're not judging today so just try it...........what you hate another will love.  You may have fun and discover a new fave in the process.

So............
I am definitely NOT a double layout kinda gal. I'm lucky if I create one per year, so that's what I did.........think I've satisfied my quota for this year!

Generally, I also rarely use a plain cardstock for backgrounds preferring more subtle patterns/textures.

So there are my opposites, and here's my sample:"

Back to today's 'Live' feed.........

I realised when posting yesterday that I'd forgotten to add the journalling strips, right under the word 'FUN' and yep......still haven't gotten around to doing that!  You'll just have to use your imagination.

I got to work on this layout with the Sew Easy Circles tool from We R Memory Keepers.

If there's anyone out there like myself, who has the Sew Easy tool and heads but didn't really use them all that much, I suggest you go out and buy this thing.  It really does give it a whole new lease of life.

More over here, together with a few pennants.

I found some nicely matching flowers in my stash, and made a couple of flags from toothpicks and paper scraps.

Inspiration for this page was from a sketch by Susan Stringfellow over on Sketch Savvy.......you know there was no way I was attacking a double with no Sketch!

Papers are 'On The Sunny Side' from My Minds Eye.

That's it for today so I'll see you tomorrow for another delve into the Little Red Wagon.

Have a good day,
Jayne.x.

A 'Fussy' kind of challenge.

Happy Monday.

Did ya get snow over the weekend, did ya, did ya, huh?

This is a slight under exaggerated impression of my kiddo's who were pretty thrilled to see a covering of the white stuff over the last couple of days.........me......not so much!

Looks like it will be a long winter....yay!

Anyhow happier thoughts.

Today I have a Crafty Challenge for you, which I'm hosting over on the Two Scrapbook Friends Forum this week.

I thought we'd get a little fussy.......with the scissors that is.  Grab your patterned papers, stamps, digital images or anything you might have a slight grudge against, and cut the heck out of it.

Doesn't matter whether you create a card, scrapbook page or anything else which takes your fancy, just go for it.

I have a scrapbook page for you as an example, another showcasing one of our summer family activities earlier this year.

Awesome Niagara Falls.

So here's the fussy cutting we've mentioned, not in the least time consuming I know, but usually worth the end result.

A collection of flowers, punched butterflies, die cuts etc.

And a few more, together with lace and alpha beads, for a little added texture.

Papers are from My Minds Eye's 'Indie Chic' and the layout was inspired by sketch #51 over at Sketch Savvy.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in a couple of days.
Jayne.x.

A double!.....yes you read that correctly.

Good morning and the start of a Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends out there, I hope.

Today I have a slight variation in my normal programming.........a double layout!

Yep I can hardly believe it myself......this girl does NOT do doubles!  Not that I don't like them, I think they're awesome if they're done well, but I unfortunately don't usually do them very well!

They just don't come very easily to me and I find them a little restricting.......everything has to balance out just so.  This is my way of saying that when I create a single page, I throw it on there!

Anyhow, today's page is another result from my scrappy weekend a little while ago, and for once I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

The Distillery.

I think I might have discovered my remedy to making my doubles look at little better........matt everything!

Only problem there is ........5 sheets of cardstock for this one!  So there we go, my excuse for not creating doubles......far too expensive!

There's quite a bit of fussy cutting going on with the layered flowers, and a few die cut elements.

Also lots of layers here and there.

 And of course more fussy cutting and die cuts together with a Thickers title.

This layout was inspired by a sketch from Sketch Savvy and papers are from the Teresa Collins 'Everyday Moments' collection......love the colour scheme in these papers, very clean don't you think?

That's it from me for today but I may be back tomorrow......I'll see how the mojo moves me!

Have a great day,
Jayne.x.

Smile!

Well if you scroll down you'll see that things are still not looking too good with the photo's on my blog........an understatement I know!

However, the powers that be, the important people are looking into the problem and will hopefully find a solution........this year I hope!

In the meantime it seems I'm able to post new photo's, so lets proceed, move along as though there are no giant, grey 'no entry' signs glaring at me from below.

I have a scrapbook page for you today.  Another layout using the We R Memory Keepers 'Love 2 Craft' collection.

Remember those bold colours and patterns I mentioned this collection has an abundance of?  Well this page certainly has them.

Here's 'Smile...........Because Every Picture Has A Story To Tell'.............

I was so pleased when I dug through my stash and found these photo's to use on here, as the colours work beautifully.

The layout was inspired by Susan Stringfellow's sketch #59 over at Sketch Savvy, and I do love that row of tags on there.

The title is comprised of inexpensive dollar store alpha's, which have a little faux (marker) stitching added.  They're placed on to a tag cut from another sheet of PP.

The sub-title was the perfect find on yet another sheet of PP.

 

The story behind these photo's is that although my girls ask to visit the butterfly conservatory every year, they're terrified of them landing on them.  Hence the 'cringed' stance of my eldest in preparation of any incoming offenders!

Both photographs are 'popped' with foam dots to create a little dimension, and there are a few layers all cut from various papers in the collection.

Chipboard hearts, twine, enamel dots and a stitched border (the real thing this time!) completes the job.

Hopefully I'll be back again this week if Blogger behaves itself and you never know, I may get my photo's back too!

Have a great day,
Jayne.x.

Nanna

There's been a fun little challenge running on the Two Scrapbook Friends Forum for the last couple of weeks.......a Back To School Menu challenge.

You pick 5 or more items for your lunchbox from the list of foods/drinks provided, and a couple of days later a new list of crafty related items are posted, to correspond with those you've chosen.  You then have to use/include these items on your project, clear as mud.....yes?

Anyhow that's the basics but all you really need to know here is that I decided to give it a go, and what my 5 items are.

They are as follows:

Include a pennant/banner
Use at least 2 fonts
One or more circles
A natural fibre (eg. burlap)
Include a die cute

So with these in mind I had a little time to create at the crop last week, and came up with a page........no re-inventing the wheel here, just a nice simple page.

As required, we have pennants and a couple of fonts...........

a die cut (Nestabilitie), burlap flower (and feathers) and a punched circle...........

There's also some 'fussy cutting' just for fun (cause we all know how much fun 'fussy cutting' can be!!).

The layout for this page was inspired by sketch #65 over on Sketch Savvy and papers are from Echo Park.

So that's it for today, I'll be back later in the week with a card.
Till then have a good one,
Jayne.x.