Last Blog of the Year...

and it's devoted to Alexa's challenge part two. She has uploaded the second part to this creative motivator on IACW here. Using the same advertisement as inspiration, we weren't allowed to use any craft tool that used electricity or batteries. Now, I'm like Alexa and use a hybrid style for my scrapbooks and would be lost without my computer normally, so this was indeed doing something that has almost become alien to me.

I recently took a photo of a tag my Dad handed over to me whilst sorting through Mum's jewellery. I'd never seen it before. I never knew she'd even held onto it all these years. It's so darn small. Hard to believe it once fit around my wrist or ankle. This, I decided, would be the perfect for this project.

I allowed myself to use the computer to print out the photos but after that, I switched it off and trudged off to my craft room. I looked at the photo of my little tag and the dominant blue on it and used this as a starting point for choosing the background paper. It then seemed that a yellow/orange would offer up some contrast, so I dug around and found something amongst the 600 patterned papers I own. I then looked at the big empty space to the right of the photos and looked in my scraps folders to create three more blocks. It was only at this point that I started to think about the words. I didn't want to journal because I couldn't use the computer and no way was I resorting to my handwriting. So I wanted something simple. Which is when the word "tag" popped into my head. I noticed I also had three blank squares to fill. Very handy. Then whilst looking through my chipboard for Tim Holtz's alphabets I saw that some of the designs were square. Perfect! All I had to do was paint them in a harmonious blue. And whilst I was digging around for letters, I found a mini alpha grunge set with numbers. Again creative bells started chiming. I painted them yellow to contrast against the background and voila the LO was done once I added a punched border to balance it out.

None of this was thought out beforehand. I just took it one step at a time and it all fell into place. It's a fantastic way of doing it but I'm not going to chance my luck again. It was brilliant to be reminded how creative scrapbooking can be but I'll stick to my planned LOs for now methinks.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to pop over to my blog this year and read my blatherings or looked at what I've created. I'm humbled that anyone wishes to do so and most of the time, surprised haha. A huge cyber hug to every one of you. Whatever your plans, I hope you enjoy your evening and may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and hopefully prosperous New Year. xxxx

Designing My Life for 2010

I can't think of a better way to ring in the New Year than by taking Cathy Zielske's Design My Life class 2010. Okay so that may say more about me that I get excited by this. But I leave the rest of you to kiss a stranger under the mistletoe and live with the consequences over the next 12 months :D

I've taken this superb class before just a little over a year ago when it first came around and the class is almost exactly the same again. But it doesn't hurt to practice the basic principles. Plus I can look forward to Cathy's wonderful videos each week. And, and, and...I have evolved my creative style since the last time I took it, so it'll be interesting to see the difference in what I produce over the next 12 weeks.

I'm going to be making one major change already. The class has you creating layouts in all different sizes. I've been there, done that and had my mind opened up with it. I don't need to experiment this time. So I've decided to make all my pages A4 size. It's just simpler to buy card, folders and pockets here in the UK.

This layout here is the pre class intro page. The lessons don't start until tomorrow. This is a mere warm up. A taster. The original was a 12x12 LO containing 9 equal squares to create around as you wish. I've not altered the design too drastically, just stretched them into rectangles. I've kept it clean and simple. It's now sitting in my decorated folder which I'll try and photograph at some time too.

An Ickle House Box

Whilst walking around London a couple of weeks back, i noticed an exclusive fashion shop had decorated its window display with ickle house boxes similar to this. The effect was rather elegant. So when I saw a free template from Papertrey, I knew I'd be having a play.

It's so easy to make too. I printed out the template onto some ordinary card. Sprayed with glue and adhered to a sheet of Basic Grey patterned paper. I then used a sharp knife and some scissors to cut around the template shape. I glued it all together & I embossed a piece of dark brown card and added for the roof.

Best of all, I used up nearly a whole 12x12 piece of paper. Only 799 pieces left to go lol.

I challenged myself this time

Last night I took a break from creating something for a challenge and decided to challenge myself instead. I've bought a lot of metal embellishments but hardly used them at all. So I kick started myself to begin including them with this quick little card. I also used one of my new cuttlebug embossing folders, which earns me another plus point in using stash. When I started out, I had it in mind to make a black and white card but as I was putting it together, I thought, you know what, you often use black and white, why not add an accent colour? So I did. A hint of purple. Okay I know it sounds sad but to someone who loves playing with colour combos this was an exciting aha eureka moment. The craft room may have looked a mess after I finished but I was feeling strangely satisfied and content. In my defence, it has been snowing and the roads are icy so I'm not getting out of the house very much haha.

Alexa's Challenge

I am lucky to have some very talented friends, among whom I easily include the very sweet and wonderful Alexa. IACW has recognised her skill in creating spectacular layouts and has asked her to join their creative team. Quite right too. And in way of an introduction, she has set a challenge which is very apt for her style and creative approach. She has chosen an advertisement to inspire us to create both a clean and an arty styled layout.

So to honour Alexa's style, I've completed the first half of the challenge by trying to think like her and how she puts her layouts together. The background is a crisp, clean white which I never do. I always opt for a coloured background. It's also a hybrid of digital work and hands on crafting (The blue swirl is a basic grey stamp). It's certainly clean and simple. Hope you approve Alexa :D

The Simple Box

This is my take on the Colour Q challenge this week. I couldn't resist, the colours chosen are just so enchantingly elegant. Dusty, powdery creams, blues and greys. It's that perfect combo of blue and yellow again, paired with the ultra cool & stylish grey and white.

This time around, I let the craft side take a backseat and went with a more design-led creation. Yes, I made the box myself but it's not my design. It's one I found in a recently purchased book, The Packaging & Design Templates Sourcebook. I just love the curves in this box and I was intrigued as to how to make it. So I printed off the template and given that there were no other instructions, had a couple of attempts before fathoming out which bits were cut around and which were folded. Actually, once I got the hang of it, it was disgracefully simple.

I didn't want to cover up the beautiful white and sleek look of this box, so I went for ultra simple design to add the remaining colours. I think this is as clean and as simple as I've ever gotten. This could be my minimalist apex haha. Karen, I'm guessing you're appalled :D But it made a refreshing change after piecing together the elaborate house-box from the previous post.

If I told you I had just made a box, is this what you would have imagined?

Again I have to thank Papertrey for their house template in the making of this box. My goodness it's fiddly and you spend quite some time cutting out all the intricate shapes but it really is a joy to put together. And the template only makes the bare bones structure. The fringed roof coverings and decorations are all my own ideas etc. Tht's what's so great about these templates. When you add your own touch it becomes a unique creation.

It's my Play Date Cafe entry which this week has three almost neutral earthy tones of blue, gold and yellow. Blue & gold/yellow sit opposite each other on a colour wheel and are therefore complementary which is why they work fantastically together. However, I didn't read what the colours were and went purely from the swatches and mistook the gold for a muddy golden orange. Fortunately, the hint of ribbon and roof button are both gold so I hope to get away with it. Teach me to read the whole darn post next time haha.

And if you're wondering how I made the windows, they're shrink plastic. I cut them out with a nesties die, stamped on the back, punched two holes and then shrank 'em down.

Oh and btw this isn't a ten minute make either lol. Kept me quiet for a fair few hours I have to say. Honestly, when all I need is a box, surely I can make something less elaborate? Ah yes, of course, that takes me to my next post...

Not as simple as it looks but so worth it

I've just discovered templates. I know! How behind the times am I? Well it's all thanks to PaperTrey. They have a heap load of freebies which I'll hopefully have time to play around with but I also treated myself to a couple of their chargeable designs. And this clever little box is one of them.

Now it isn't a craft you can make in minutes. There's a lot of cutting and gluing involved just to make a basic box before you even start to contemplate its decoration. It's a little fiddly but a sharp knife and fast drying glue make it easier. And if I'm honest, I'll confess that on my first attempt, I glued the front and back pieces upside down of each other. A stupid, careless error which nearly ruined it. Thankfully I noticed straight away before my glue had a chance to set, which isn't that long by the way.

However, once the patterned paper went on, it started to take shape and came out pretty satisfactory. A little stamping with the Chatsworth set and digging out my nesties once again for the scalloped oval to finish it off. Makes a nice change from making cards and I still only used paper scraps. Yup, no 12x12 paper was harmed in the making of this box.

These colours will wake you up!

Another week, another Play Date Cafe challenge to feel excited about. Three colours this week and you couldn't find more vibrant, in-your-face, wakes-up-your-eyes hues if you tried. All these colours on their own would immediately grab your attention. They lie opposite each other on a colour wheel, which means they bring out the vibrancy in each other.

Anyhoo, I decided to make a tri-fold card for this challenge. I folded over some patterned Basic Grey paper from their funky range, then trimmed a semi-circle from the top end, before scoring and folding. I punched a couple of border strips to create the paper clip. Then with some stamping and nesties dies, I created the scalloped designs for both outside and inside the card. Hope you like :)

Colour Q Card

What with making xmas decorations, shopping and preparing for both the seasonal holidays and a brief trip to London, I've had little time to actually make any cards or follow any challenges. However, I needed something to relax me last night, lots of stuff whirring around my head and putting together a quick card was just the ticket.

I've known about Colour Q for a few weeks and their colour combos are very tantalising. Yes it's another festive inspiration but with the addition of blue, it makes it a little more quirky and fun.

I've also bought some new stamps, Chatsworth by Papermania which I decided to open up and start playing with. Hence why I've stamped a chair three times. It's offbeat I know but I think I'm allowed a little eccentricity now and again.

London is calling so I won't be back in my craft room until the weekend. Hopefully I'll have plenty of photos to scrapbook of my cultural adventures. Oh yes and Laduree's!

How chuffed am I?

Just a quickie post to let you know how chuffed to pieces I am that I was chosen as a runner up in a scrapbook LO submission competition for Ella Publishing. If you want to have a little read about it, you'll find it on their blog here

And do go and look at their ebooks. I've bought a few and can highly recommend them and no I'm not affiliated to them at all :) I'm merely a happy customer.

I just couldn't ignore these colours

I was on a roll last night. After finishing my Play Date Cafe card, I wanted to make just one more quick and easy card. Chiefly because I couldn't resist having a go at using the colours selected by this weeks Colour Create Challenge.

Now this was more of a make-in-minutes card. Very easy to emboss some black paper for the background. Then I punched out four squares from the blue and lilac card. I chomped off a couple of the corners on each and punched out some tiny circles. A quick stamp onto white card with a Hero Arts stamp, cut out with a circular punch then glued all together. To finish, I added one black bling decoration. Clean, simple and a doddle.

I've Relented

I've given in for one post only and for one challenge only. Normal Bah Humbug will resume in future posts lol. As much as I've tried to avoid making Christmas cards with all the festive red and green colours thrown up by challenge sites recently, I have relented and decided not to resist any longer.

This weeks Play Date Cafe challenge had just three colours, red, green and white. Even if I'd tried, it would still look like a Christmas card, so I didn't haha. But what I did do was technique the card to within an inch of it's creative life.

I saw a UTEE technique on Suze Weinberg this week that I wanted to try out, which gave me the texture red and green strip. The bordered edge was a Martha Stewart punch. The background to the wreath is a cut out from spellbinders nesties and then textured with cuttlebugs embossing plates.

The button wreath I saw on this blog and decided to have a go myself. I stamped the title, chomped off one corner and finally it was finished. Definitely not a make-in-minutes card.

Well if I'm only going to make one, I may as well put some effort into it haha. BTW Thank you once again for voting my card from last week's entry as one of the fab four. I've remembered to pop my entitled award on my blog this time :) I'm extremely flattered.