As it is a Summers Day....

Baker Ross sent me a little pack of lanterns, which are perfect for a summers evening.  I tried creating a little ombre effect on the lanterns using some different tattered angels and cosmic shimmer mist, so adding more colour to the top and very little to the bottom of the lantern.  Once they had dried I then decorated them.  I used either some Baker Ross buttons which I threaded with twine and then stuck around the lantern, and the others I punched out some butterflies in different sizes and then added some stickles glitter just to add a little more sparkle.

I put some battery tea lights in the middle so that at night they have a really nice glow (though obviously I couldn't keep my hand still enough when taking the photo!)

Today

May is here! Hopefully it means more sunshine and warmer weather.  More daylight hours means more time for me to be creative too!

We are beginning a new season of Inspiration Elevator, with some new designers, familiar faces and amazing challenges. Our main purpose here at IE is to challenge ourselves and each other to take our creating to the next level. To inspire growth and change in our scrapbooking beyond the mundane.
You can see all of Inspiration Elevator's previous challenges at our blog and catch us on Facebook and Instagram (soon!) too.

This month we welcome Shelby Dwyer to join us as a Guest Designer. Shelby is a very talented scrapbooker who is famous for her creations at Two Scrapbook Friends where she creates kits and other inspiration for the very busy store. We are so thrilled to have her joining us!

This months challenge is issued by the innovative Joanne Burton. Here is what she has to say in her own words:

"Currently. That is the topic for our next challenge. I want you to pick a day, grab your camera and take a few pictures of your surroundings. I want you to document what you are currently:
Eating
Reading
Loving
Wearing
Listening
Hoping

I would like you to include the date on your design, the complete list and at least one photo. Otherwise, make it your own. Have fun!"

I used a mix of manufacturers for my page - some Websters Our Travels and Bella Boulevard Family Forever - it was mostly some of the new papers that I bought at the ATDML retreat as well as some of the left over pieces from the classes I took - so a really good mix.  I decided to split my page with the 2/3/1/3 rule and all my pictures and embellishments went on one side and then the title on the other.  I love the sky background as it went really well with the thing that I was enjoying...which was a beautiful sunny day with my family.  I think it is a lovely idea to document what is going on right now, and then look back at it in the years to come.

Here's a complete list of all our designers including some new faces! Please welcome Jayne Morgan and Wendi Robinson as regular creators.  We sure are lucky to have them creating and challenging us this year.

Joanne Burton
Jayne Morgan
Jodi Wilton
Wendi Robinson
Lisa Spiegel
Ann Jobes

 

Shelby Dwyer - Guest Designer

We'd also like to say goodbye and a heartfelt thanks to those leaving us this month: Laurel Seabrook, Cathy Harper and Laura Whitaker. We have been inspired by your challenges and your designs.

Next on the hop is Lisa Spiegel

NHM

This is my last of the MME Cut and Paste post - I love the ombre colour on this sheet of paper, and went with it for the background, the other thing I love is the architecture of the Natural History Museum in London - it is just such a beautiful building, never mind the contents that I also enjoy.  So I indulged myself and the main page is just architectural pictures! - I started with some gesso as a base and then layered up papers, distressing the edges and I also added a punched strip and glassine envelope for more journalling.  I used some hexagonal wood veneers and then cut a heart and the glasses out of the papers as well as adding some chipboard and buttons - a completely eclectic mix of embellishments in the corners!

Then I had to put the actual pictures of what we did, and plenty of journalling - I cut out some of the embellishments like the glasses and speech marks and popped them on foam dots to make it a bit more interesting.

Family

Some more MME Cut and Paste and mixed media from me today.   This page started with a gesso base, and then walnut brown glimmer mist, then some stamping in brown distress ink with a grid and chevron, then the papers.  I layered up a few of the more pastel colours from this range, and then added a medical gauze behind the photo, and a circle of twine in different colours.  I used some of the MME chipboard and prima gems to embellish the page, as well as a Martha Stewart butterfly.  I used a chalkboard saying (which I edged in gesso) as it went perfectly with the photo - which is celebrating my Grandmas 90th birthday.  I also used some cosmo cricket word stickers down the side of the page too.  The title is made from American Crafts Thickers.  The final step was a few drips of black ink.

I love this photo of my Grandma sat between her girls - it was a lovely day.

Show Time

Some more MME Cut and Paste and I used a pocket page with this too for the rest of the photos.  I started the page with my roller doodle chevron glitz stamp - I used white paint on it and made almost a diamond shape on the card stock, I then used another chevron stamp I have which is slightly smaller and stamped in brown ink on the back - after that was done, I then went for more chevrons!!  I cut these out to point to my main photo.  Behind the photo are different strips of paper and then some white medical gauze, I added some of the MME chipboard flowers and then stuck some green, orange and yellow sequins in there too.

For the co-ordinating pockets I kept some of the chevron and tearing theme.  It tells the story of some of the French performances we got to see in the local town square - despite the fact that we didn't understand all of it, he was very good and very funny and even the kids who understood even less were laughing!

To the Tower

I am going to have a little run of some older pages (from the end of last year) that I realised I hadn't put on my blog.  I made these using MME papers from ATDML and the Cut and Paste range.

I started my page with a spritz and some drips of the white chalkboard cosmic shimmer mist (I am still looking for a really opaque white mist, this is slightly transparent - but I do like the effect). I then used my glitz chevron roller doodle in brown and black ink behind where the papers were going. Next I added  a mixture of strips - some torn, some punched, then some vellum, and a glassine envelope for the journalling, orange lace, and then some other lace that I had spritzer with an orange cosmic shimmer.  With the MME chipboard you get a little banner, so I threaded twine through them and used some orange buttons to anchor each end.  I then used a mixture of thickets and a glitz scrabble tile alphabet for the title, the final step some drips of black ink at either side.

A big Happy National Scrapbooking Day to everyone and I hope this encourages you to have a play with some paint on your pages too.