All boy

I think this is one of my favourite pages with the Simple Stories Awesome papers from ATDML (gosh that was a sentence!).  I still really like the sunburst effect (to the extent that I have a couple more of this style of page lined up for you too).  I work out the size of my rectangle on a piece of scrap paper and then use it as a template for my patterned papers.  For this one I stitched around the edges and then layered up one of the 4 by 6 papers (says Today down the side), a journal tab and bingo card.  I was also very thrifty as I removed some of the paper that wouldn't be seen behind the photo and then used my ek success punch to make a pulled out book page style thing.

We got given a whole sheet of the stickers from this range, I have really enjoyed using them, and it's definitely something I will look out for in the future.  I added a small sticker banner at the top of the page, some stars, a bit of a sticker strip of stars and cogs and a little 'rock' banner.  I also added some Tando chipboard stars which I left their natural grey and then added some silver stickles to.  I punched out some little stars from sticker sheet too and stuck those on, the alpha is are some chocolate thickets and I added a few splashes of brown cosmic shimmer mist. 

The photo is an old one when we went to Kilve beach and tho it was a windy and wet day I really like the photos and the light, as well as all those pebbles/rocks in the background.  If you want to see more Simple Stories pages then the DT gallery is here.

The cake is on fire

I love Simple Stories and this is their really boy Awesome range of papers which were also in my pack from ATDML.....I feel I have to explain the photo and the title 1st.  It is a shot of my son blowing out the candles on his birthday cake - the photo isn't a good one but it did make us smile as the cake looks positively a blaze and it's not like he is a teenager or even near yet!

I die cut the words out using a mix of fonts on my silhouette and then backed it with some brown cardstock.  I mounted the photo on some vellum and slotted behind it one of the bingo cards and added some of the sticker tapes that come on the sticker sheet.  I cut out Live life on the edge from one of the 6 by 4 pieces and made my own journal card - using the sticker sheet as a template to make the slightly more fancy tab.  I ran a couple of lines of stitching down the main die cut piece and just embellished with stickers.  It was a really quick page to put together, which the papers really lend themselves too as all the fancy bits are in the designs.

I've still got some more creations to show....so I'll be back with some more soon and I have a page up on Created by ATDML today too here.

You are my Sunshine in the Rain

Here is another page I did with the Simple Stories Snap papers - I used an instagram photo of my son on our very wet holiday to the Isle of Wight!  I started with a bit of stitching - and made a 10 by 10 square and then stitched randomly across it in lines, then I added some liquid pearls to the strings too - make it look a bit rainy.  I used my large flower punch and smaller one to make some heart shapes for the photo strip and folded them in half and stitched down the centre, I then layered and stitched lots of different pieces from the papers adding a few stickers and a Studio Calico wood veneer camera.  The alphabet is from the Simple Stories summer collection - I like that they give you a mix on the sheet as well as some phrases too.

Hoping that this year is a slightly less wet holiday!  We did still have lots of fun despite the rain like treasure hunts by car and lots of games inside but a little more dryness, doesn't even have to be sun, would be great.  So I am hoping that all of you are having a sun filled day.

Hello

This month I was sent a mix of Simple Stories papers from A Trip Down Memory Lane, I love the colours and all the different journal bits and strips...these are all from the snap collection.

I started the page with a spritz of blue around where I wanted to put my photo (blue patina by tattered angels) and then set about cutting out lots of the speech bubbles to put around my photos.  I added one of the polaroids from the papers and cut out the camera as well as adding a layer of glassine envelope.  I used the washi tape stickers and the word 'hello from their main sticker sheet for the title.  At the top and bottom of the page I added a line of MME washi tape and then a strip of left over paper.  I had a play with making a twine flower by creating loops behind the button - using this principle (but the twine is not as stiff so moves around a bit more).

This is my son, who found a pay phone and then couldn't resist having a conversation down it...he does make us all laugh - and was obviously quite happy to have his photo taken talking too.

There is loads of Simple Story inspiration in the ATDML gallery - I'll be posting my pages over the next few days.

No Fear

Here is this months sketch challenge over at the studio it is based on one of Amanda Jones' papers and the sketch is by Val Mangan

I love the colours in October Afternoons Midway papers and apart from some MME washi tape, Studio Calico wood veneer and journalling card and some cream buttons it is all from that paper pack.  On Amanda's page lots of the rectangles have curves taken out of them, the way that I did that with my papers was to use a large flower punch and just one of the petals to make the curve.  I layered up lots of the different papers - using both sides of them, and made my own polaroid frame with the OA stickers and a wood veneer - I echoed this with my photo too, a little stapling and some flicks of cosmic shimmer interspersed with sequins and there you go.

Yes I am still scrapping Disney photos.....we have lots more to go!  This page is especially for my husband who LOVES roller coasters - I am not so keen, tho have discovered that they are not as scary the 2nd time around on the most part (I didn't do this coaster - I prefer the ones with lower height restrictions...no more than a 10 year old childs height!).  Sea World has some of the bigger rides for us as we mostly stuck to Disney so he had to go on their 2 massive coasters, this one is called Manta where you have the joys of being dangled facing the ground as you soar up the track to then be spun around in all directions - he had no fear and loved these rides.

If you would like to join us and enter this month then here is the link.

Bruce

I was inspired to dig out my portfolio papers when Mel blogged about getting them in her stocking over at ATDML.  It is a beautiful range of papers in blues, yellow and grey and comes with lots of tags and strips that you could use in a project life sort of way.  I decided to use them as a banner.

I started the page with some bubble wrap printing (I did want some mist but my white isn't that white so if anyone can recommend a good dense white mist that would be great).  I added some string and then layered up my tags on it along with my photo.  I cut the this week tab out a little so that it would stand above the photo.  Then I started just layering different bits and pieces - a Lily Bee remember this die cut, some MME doily stickers and an OA chipboard button and Crate Paper Farmhouse chipboard number strip.  I also added some yellow and green washi tape to the Think Big tag.  The title is MME Lush collection and I added some liquid pearl spots around the picture too.

The picture is not the greatest as it is inside, but this is from our trip to Epcot (where we saw Crush the turtle - it was an animation you could interact with in a show...fantastic and very funny if you get a chance to see it).  Back to the photo here are the kids in 'Bruce' the shark from Nemo who is trying to become a vegetarians mouth.

Also I have a page over on the Tando blog today if you fancy a look.

Tando Arches Blog Hop

Welcome to Tando's blog hop and the focus is Arches.  You should have arrived from Carol - (who is also the start of the hop) and end up on the Tando blog.

I started my project by making a cardboard background for the arch and I painted them all in white gesso.  I then spritzed them a little with some walnut glimmer mist and I used some texture paint and a brick mask on the cardboard backing too.  Once that was all dry I used the floral arrangement from my Kaisercraft Christmas stamps to go around the frame in gold ink, I then went around the edge with tea dye distress ink too.  For the base I used my American Crafts chaps grid stamp and some grey ink - using one of the art journalling techniques where you don't mount your acrylic stamp on the block but curve it and make an impression.  I then started with the flowers and metal embellishments.  The lamp is prima, and I added another metal embellishment which I coated in paint and a little glitter.  The sentiment is from some Kaisercraft rub ons, the finishing touches were some glitter and liquid pearl dots.

So next on your hop is Kaz. 

Let it Snow

This weeks theme on the Tando blog is snow and Tando make these gorgeous mini snowflakes - I think I only have 2 left now! They also do a set of 5 snowflakes mask which I used with texture paste - I have seen a tutorial to make it but not tried it here, but I used some Martha Stewart paste (it's not that cheap) and just scraped it through the mask.  You need a tool with a flat edge so an old credit card or some stiff cardboard would work  too.  Once the paste was dry I then used my large photo - it is one of my favourite shots of  eldest all wrapped up and ready to play in the snow. I then added some strips of MME All is Bright (yep still going with that pack) and then a mixture of embellishments in the corner, some from last years Crate Paper and Basic Grey collections.  I then added some stitched lines of snowflakes.  I covered the Tando snowflakes in white memento ink, and then added some glitter glue, I also punched out some vellum snowflakes and added little pearls to the centre.  I glued them on and then ran a row of straight stitch from the top of the page.  I cut the title out on my silhouette which is Ali   Edwards' font and so I didn't have to mess around with too much glue on the photo I added a little glue to the words just to hold them in place and then stitched through the centre.

So for lots more snowy inspiration here is a link to the Tando blog.

When the World is Covered in White

The first theme this year (and my first page of the new year, tho I have done a couple since!!) is for the Studio and the theme for the next fortnight is new beginnings.  I am not a massive resolution at new year type person so I didn't go for the new year thing, I thought about baby photos....but then settled on this one!  There is something about the colour white that stands out to me as a new beginning - lots of colour is washed away from the world when you get a snowy blanket yet it still looks so beautiful and clean and there underneath it all new life and colour can't wait to get going.

Apologies for the photo qualities white and not much sun don't really go together.  This is another page using more of the MME All is Bright range - I picked it because of the under current of white that is in them.  I then layered up lace and a doily, some of the stickers and a veneer snowflake from hobbycraft.  The title is a real mix of thickers and prima type then I added a few beads that came from Christmas crackers and some drips of blue paint.  It was actually a really quick and simple page to put together.

For lots more gorgeous pages here is the link to the studio.

Bembridge Beach

Hello - happy new year everyone (sorry been busy with all the festivities and then decorating and sorting and all sorts so I haven't been around that much! apologies).  Here is a page I did a while back for A Trip Down Memory Lane - there are full instructions over on the blog - here is a link for you.  I used the lovely October Afternoon Cake Walk papers, not just for birthdays and had a go at a folded circle technique to add some extra texture to the page.  Behind the photo are 2 more tabs full of pictures and journalling.

The photo was from our rather wet trip to the Isle of Wight..this was on one of the sunnier days (not entirely sunny) and we actually got to a beach - the kids loved the little rock pools and that was a super tyre swing they all had a go on, as well as a tree hollow up high which you had to try and through pebble in to.  I got a shot of my eldest with the lovely shingle background and then the photos behind are of the kids on the tyre swing.