Tuesday 22 September 2009

3 New Layouts {A Change of Plan thanks to the Rain}




I promised you a peek at my perpetual calendar & you will get it...asap!
Today I had Granny's calendar waiting on the dining-room table next to my camera...then down came the rain. It lasted all day - until nightfall - then stopped! Too late... I hate to take flash photographs of layouts unless absolutely necessary so decided to wait until tomorrow. I do have something to show you though...3 layouts...all photographed with the dreaded flash photography I've just told you I hate to use,
because I created them specifically for an online challenge I read about here. I clicked on the link provided & got here.

I created the layouts weeks ago & since then haven't got around to photographing them because the challenge deadline seemed so far away. I got the fright of my life yesterday when alarm bells suddenly started ringing in my head when I looked at the date on my blog post - at 11.30p.m! I realised that the challenge was due in THAT DAY - yesterday - at midnight!!! Fortunately my time-zone is 5 - 6 hours behind the States so I actually had until 6a.m. to submit my layouts. Not one for rising at sunrise I leapt up & took 105 photographs in my effort to select 3 half-decent ones to upload. The flash kept causing a big silver glare spot on the photographs but {after some time LOL} I kinda succeeded. Not my best shots but better to submit something than nothing.


For those of you who {like me LOL} don't always click on those links...when you're in a rush & all...I've done you a favour & copied & pasted for you ;-D All text in red is from the challenge blog within the Scrapbooks Etc website.

It is time for the July/August 2010 Make it Yours challenge! If you’re new to the challenge, here’s how it works. For each issue, we ask you to make your own versions of our original scrapbook pages. To make it yours, you can:

• Scraplift it.
• Add or subtract photos and accents.
• Expand or condense the layout size.
• Take the theme and run with it.
• Use the project as a basic starting point for your creative take.

For this issue, we have three more great inspiration pieces which are sure to inspire you and spark your creativity. Without further ado, here are the three original inspiration pieces for our July/August 2010 issue:

Game Night by Heidi Sonboul
blog post photo

Heidi recreated the look of a game board on her layout documenting a Family Game Night. By using a combination of die-cuts, rub-ons, patterned paper, and cardstock, she created a unique boardgame inspired swirl through the center of her layout. The large patterned paper rectangles further complete the game board look.

Happy 6th by Shannon Zickel

blog post photo

Two uncropped 4x6 photos are the focal point for Shannon’s birthday themed layout. Since she used a white background, she was able to hand-journal directly onto the background. Simple patterned strips add a pop of color, while repeated circles and polka dots pull it all together perfectly.

On the Edge by Linda Harrison
blog post photo

The large star is on Linda’s summer yard work layout is cut out of a sheet of coordinating patterned paper and embellished with felt flowers and twine. She used large die cut letters to create the ‘EDGE’ part of the title and laid them on the edge of the matte as a play on the title. Journaling strips make the journaling legible against the polka dot background, while still allowing it to peek through.

Please have your originals posted HERE in our gallery by midnight on September 21, 2009. Feel free to submit layouts for one of the inspirations or all of the inspirations. We love to see how you, our readers, are inspired! Simply create a layout based on one of these originals, scan it or photograph it, and upload it into our gallery for a chance to have your layout featured in our magazine. Be sure to write in your description what layout you were inspired by and how you were inspired. Have fun creating!

I decided to to rise to the challenge even though none of the layouts really screamed out "Choose me!" - so I decided to scrap ALL THREE layouts & see where it led me... Being out of my comfort zone is a sure-fire way for me to grow so this is what I came up with:-

The layout above is based on the "Game Night" Layout - I loved re-creating that swirl using ribbon - very easy - adhere thin double-sided tape along ribbon as you go along {don't cut it until you're completely finished} and just fold as you go, to create a pleated effect. I have tape exactly that thickness...not sure what the overseas equivalent is but this is good old "Purple Turtle" - a fantastic local product.

The layout above is based on the "Happy 6th Birthday" Layout & I was inspired here to create my own circular accent, which I made out of cardstock, flowers & bling. I seem to be using so much white cardstock on my layouts these days! Every one of these layouts has a white cardstock backing sheet - makes for a fresh modern look methinks...Some new American Crafts embellies there mixed in with an older MME print.


The layout above is based on the "On the Edge" layout & I liked that the photo started right at the top of the page - with no top border/matt - as I enjoy using larger photos at times but still like space for all my other "bits". I initially regretted buying these American Crafts Umbrella Thickers as I thought they were too garish for me {I got so excited when I found them locally that the adrenalin just started pumping & I was at the til before I could take hold of myself LOL!} but I like them on this layout...so there! I seem to have chopped a bit off the bottom of this layout inadvertantly - the z does not end in line with the bottom of the page!


I made the flower accent on the above layout by cutting around a largish flower on the printed paper I used then adhered it to the next layer with dimensional tape then hand-cut around the bottom layer a bit wider than the top. I did this four times, getting gradually larger each time. I raised the other 3 flowers too but as I said earlier, these photos were taken in the middle of the night last night & specifically for the Scrapbooks Etc Gallery so I didn't take any sideview shots to show you the dimension & layering...I'll take some fresh photos of my handmade details tomorrow if the weather improves. Here's hoping for a sunny day!


11 comments:

topkatnz said...

Well done again - love the stories that each layout tells too!

Vicki said...

Nothing worse than missing deadlines - glad you made it. LOL. Have hit the subscribe to comments box BTW. LOL

Sandra said...

Very original, Helen!

I love all the bright colours.

Diana said...

I like all three. You've done a great job scraplifting the sketches.
I was tickled to click on your link and get back to my own blog!

tania said...

I like yours VERY MUCH!! I might just use it as a scraplift for the weekend,BECAUSE I need to do washing and cleaning today:(

Lynette Jacobs said...

Love all the layouts!

You are making me jealous...my mojo is on holiday.

Desire Fourie said...

Gorgeous layouts Helen and great take on the 3 inspirational layouts. You've done very well with the photography, flash and all.
Hugs
Desire

Monique Liedtke said...

They are GREAT Helen!!! I love all three of them!! And I know what you mean about the green thickers, that's exactly the reason I didn't buy them, but now I see them on your page....maybe I should?
Hugs, Monique

Michelle Ramsay said...

Excellent layouts HElen and I don't think the flash spoilt the pictures.

Andrea said...

I really like your interpretations Helen - must say I have always been a bit of a believer in respectful scraplifting....I mean why reinvent the wheel, if something is STUNNING it is STUNNING :0)
xxx
A

Ella Swan said...

Thanks everyone - I have only just got home & have a tonne of unpacking & washing to do (Mercy is sick!) so will be tied up for a while but hope to get back into blogging later this week ;-D