H.M.S Belfast

I should have posted this page yesterday as it was very appropriate for Remembrance Day, even more so that my great Uncle went down on a destroyer that hit a mine not that far from home - a huge sacrifice for my families freedom - we were reading his last letter home which he wrote on Christmas day as my kids have been studying the Second World War at school - so all rather poignant.

Onto the page this was one of our Occasional Day trips with my Mum to see H.M.S Belfast - it's massive.  I snapped this shot of the boys on the banks of the River Thames looking at the size of the ship.  I made this page as part of the this fortnights challenge over at the Studio which is a tic tac toe style challenge.

I chose Masks, Sequins and Gold, so I started the page with my Tando Sunburst mask and texture paste, I then went over the top of that (once dry) with gesso on a palette knife.  Next I layered up lots of strips of paper from Crates DIY Shop and Maggie Holmes lines, and then again added gesso over the top, then some spritzes of glimmer mist in blue and brown.  Once this was dry I used some stamps - the chevron roller stamp from glitz and I used some gold embossing powder on a feather stamp from Amy Tangerine.  I added one of Crate Papers photo masks to my main picture and then some chipboard and ephemera as well as a few more bits of paper - my journalling is on a yellow tag behind the photo.  The last few additions were the title and then some blue sequins.

If you would like to see all the other inspiration and join us this month then here is the link.  Also I am up on the Created by ATDML blog today with a Teresa Collins page, here is the link for that.

Kites

This fortnights word at the studio challenges is 'Wings' so my page is based on something that flies....and it's kites, my kids never tire of playing with them on the beach or anywhere.

I'd been looking through lots of the CHA brochures choosing papers for my ATDML retreat classes, and saw the beautiful Maggie Holmes fabric frames, so I did something similar out of paper and a new memory box little bunting die, so that is where I started with the page.  The papers are all Maggie Holmes' range by Crate paper and the slide is from the ephemera pack  in that range.  I layered up the frames with squares and distressed and inked all of them.  I  also added some splatters of watered down gelatos and used their little circle printing tool too for the larger circles.  I added some Tando clouds, I applied a thick layer of gesso to these so that they looked a little puffy, the only circle is a Websters pages sticker and I used a Websters alphabet and woodgrain heart. 

There is lots more inspiration on the blog if you would like to join us here is a link and we are also having a DT call if you fancy joining us for the challenges a little more often here.

Tando's Book Week

This weeks focus on the Tando blog has been on the beautiful Book covers designed by Neil Walker.  I chose to work with the geometric patterned one, and I have to say when it arrive I got it out straight away and began my layering.  I started by priming the covers with white gesso, then on the front cover I used some texture paste and the Tangled Yarn mask...I then layered up the flowers and butterfly (didn't really matter what colours as it was all getting a good inking.  I then used some Cosmic Shimmer mists in my favourite colours and did each layer of chipboard a slightly different collection of shades.  SO once the base was done, I then did some stamping and used liquid pearls to decorate the next layer, for the top one I used lots of purple mist which I then flicked water over, then I wrapped it all in twine which I misted and glittered.  I used my big bite to punch the holes....my recommendation for you though is that if you are going to layer up all 3 layers of chipboard then punch them before you stick them together as it will b much easier!  For the central piece on the front I used a Crate Paper copper sticker frame that comes in their Cake Walk collection, to grunge it a little I made an inky background for it to sit on and then rubbed gesso over the top to dull the coper a little.  A few pearls, sequins and beads and the front was done.

A similar but slightly plainer look to the back.

Here are some close ups of the details

and the inside, I used some of the Maggie Holmes papers and as these are not double sided I made pockets with them, stitching around the edge, I've only made 4 pockets so far but with the jump rings I can always add more.

For lots more beautiful book inspiration here is the link to the blog, and also I have a page over on Created by ATDML looking at a chalk ink effect I've recently discovered - here is the link.

A couple of cards for the weekend

Here are a couple of cards that I made using my DT kit for last month from ATDML.  I kept them clean and simple and used some of the techniques I used on my pages, so for the first one stitching and distressing.

I made some chevrons for this page, but only wanted the blue and green coloured parts of the rainbow paper, so I used some of the discarded ones for my card, and drew stitching around the edge of them with a black gel pen.    The stamps are by Simple Stories, I love the big camera and all the little phrases.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Memorable Little Moments

Morning everyone, I am back with a page using Crate Papers DIY Shop and some of the Maggie Holmes line which I made with the goodies from ATDML.  

I started with the white cardstock and cut it down approximately an inch on each side, and then started layering all the bits of paper on top of it until I was happy.  I gave a polaroid style frame to the photo so that I could write a little about the missing tooth underneath it.  I stitched, distressed and inked all my papers and then stuck them onto my cardstock once I was happy.  To add a little more interest to my splatter of sequins I used my Big Bite and punched different size holes on the diagonals either side of the photo and then backed them with some different strips of the blue papers, placing sequins in-between.  I  stuck and stitched my cardstock to the cloud paper in a few places around the edge.  I added in a glitzy golden tag and some of the ephemera in the Maggie Holmes and DIY shop packs, as well as mounting the butterfly on a hat pin and adding a little glitter to it's wings.  For the title I used some of the words on one of the pieces of paper and stapled them on to the page.

So just one of those little tooth loosing moments, but even my son wanted a photo and page made for it.

  Also I have uploaded the start of my Simple Stories Holiday album over on Created by ATDML - here is the link and the new gallery using Fancy Pants  papers here

Boats

Here's another page I did with my kit from ATDML - I had been admiring the beautiful Cameo die cut on Mary Ann Jenkins' blog and despite hunting the store I couldn't find it so sent me the link (thank you Mary Ann).  Once I had the die cut I then spent lots of time backing the die cut with lots of different patterned paper from the Maggie Holmes collection by Crate Paper.  I also used some of the tags and ephemera - love those large butterflies and a little wood veneer boat too.  The alphabet is from a Girls Paperie pack and the Ribbons are Amy Tangerine's American Crafts - the colours went perfectly.

The shots are from a little lake we visited and the kids loved going out in the boat and having a little explore, it was in the base of an old Quarry...you notice it was a lot earlier on in the year as despite the sunshine they are all well wrapped up.

Enjoying the Sun

Whilst we were at the ATDML retreat we were able to choose our papers for this month...well with sooo much choice it was very hard - I went with some of the Studio Calico Snippets as well as some Maggie Holmes Crate Paper ephemera for this page (and there is a big sale going on over at ATDML so the papers are all reduced!).

  I had a go at making some oversized chevrons (inspired by the Studio Calico wood veneers) to focus the eye in on my photo - I only used the blues and greens from the rainbow coloured snippets paper as this went really well with the Maggie Holmes embellishments - I did pop in a bright pink 3 tho!  I love the ephemera packs as there are sooo many cameras in this one and you can't go wrong with a camera on a scrapbook page, but just loads of beautiful die cuts you can layer up too - I even added in a few pearly buttons. The alpha is by Prima and the inky drops are Patina Glimmer mist - I also stitched quite a few of the pieces, but unusually for me I did ink any of the edges and kept it all quite white.

The photo is of one of my son and his cousins sat on a bench in the sunshine on one of the warmer days earlier in the year, I added a glassine pocket and journaled about the day and the kids all hanging out together.

A little Yellow - In the Sunshine

Been on a little holiday and I thought I would have wifi and be able to surf and blog, but I couldn't!!  So it has been over a week with no posts.....here is one I made for my post over at ATDML - it is based on the colour yellow and trying to keep my page fairly monochrome with it.

I started with an inky background - some misting and then water and then scrunched up plastic prints!  I layered up lots of different yellow crate paper pieces, from Toy Box to DIY Shop and Maggie Holmes, as well as Farmhouse chipboard and a few sequins from the poundshop.  I went with yellow as this is one of the first shots of the sun after our long winter...we've had a bit more lately which has been really nice too - so I wanted a nice warm sunny page.

I will be back with more and hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine.

Caught on Camera

This fortnights challenge at the Studio is based on a gorgeous sketch by Val Mangan.  I dug into my Maggie Holmes papers from Crate Paper (the ephemera packs that they sell with them are just gorgeous and packed full of beautiful piece - like the tag, stamp and milk bottle top on the page...but so much more).  Working with a sketch always makes me a little quicker, so I started with a yellow border, and then cut a vellum pennant which I layered with a tag and some of the cloud paper, I then stitched over the top and hung buttons and cameras on the stitching.  I next layered up a few of the papers behind the photo - have a shot of my niece in the pictures in her pink top makes the pink really easy to use.  I then added some of my ephemera pack and an American Crafts flower to the little cluster of embellishments by the photo.  A few drops of black ink, and some Amy Tangerine thickers - stitched on.

So you are still asking about the photo?  We took some shots with the cousins - I think it was Easter weekend.  My kids decided to have a little bit of a mess around, and whilst I was looking through the lense at all of them I saw my eldest with his grandparents silver bowl on his head and his thumbs up...and you know everytime I look at this photo it makes me laugh :)