Monday 30 April 2012

A Sister is a Little Bit of Childhood that can never be Lost {3 Scrappy Boys - Glitz Design - Happy Traveller}





Hello Everyone!  Happy Monday!!
Can you believe it is the last day of the month?!

I cant!  I didn't realise it until today - I thought I
had a whole other day to finish off my work for
April but nooooo...my dear daughter pointed out
that April does indeed have only 30 days - uuuugh!!

I just never have enough time to complete the challenges
that I would like!  BUT - not to worry - I can't do everything
and I have achieved something really awesome this weekend,
which I will share with you on Thursday so come back & see!


Here is the 5th layout I created for 3 Scrappy Boys, using the
papers from Glitz Design, Happy Traveller (beautiful papers
and so versatile as my layout has nothing to do with travelling!)


I used the Bella! Bling from the kit, but I cut it up
 into strips to use for the butterflies' bodies.


I added a doily from my stash & a doily-type diecut
 from a Spellbinders die, that I sanded a bit.


Butterflies were punched using my Martha Stewart Crafts 
double butterfly  punch.  I chose a long title to make the
most of those awesome Prima alphas (supplied in the kit).

To do this it's best to chose a photo with some white space
for the title to fit.  I love this photo of my 2 girls :)

Supplies List for "Sisters are a Little Bit of Childhood" Layout


Papers - Glitz Design Happy Traveller
Punch - Martha Stewart Crafts Double Butterfly
& Detailed Butterfly punch
Rhinestones - Bella!  Bling
Die-cut doily - Spellbinders
Doily - stash
Journaling Pen - Creative Memories.
Metal buttefly embellishment - Dear Lizzy Enchanted.
Alphas - Prima




Saturday 28 April 2012

3 Scrappy Boys Mixed Media Tutorial {Keep me in Your Heart Always}





***Edited to add - for some reason the photos are
 not coming out crisply but they are perfect 
IF you click on them!  If you are wanting to
actually use this tutorial to guide you along
with a project I suggest clicking on the first
image (it will come up HUGE and crystal clear -
then moving along the images using the thumbnails
that will appear below - the photos are massive this
way and all the text is really clear :) ***

Hello Everyone!  Happy Saturday!!
I am flying in with a looooong tutorial that I created
for 3 Scrappy Boys today - phew!  I am now off to
the movies with my kids :)  Remember that there is
a crop going on today at 3 Scrappy Boys (in the forum)
to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day (yup that's today)
so sign up & join in the fun!  The grand prize is an April kit
and there is a big sale on in the store too with free USA
shipping & an $11 shipping discount for all internationals!

































And here it is resting on my hall table :)
I hope to catch up with all the blogs I read tomorrow.
I think today was a day well spent coming up with
this pretty little piece.  Soon it will be on it's way to
my daughter at university, to brighten up her bedroom.

Enjoy National Scrapbooking Day!


Most of these supplies come from the April Trio Kit
 at 3 Scrappy Boys HERE but I added a few things.

Vine - Prima
Flower - Prima
Red, Green, Blue alphas - Websters
Die-cut leaves - Cherry Lynn Olive Vine
Scallop border punhes - EK Success (small)
Martha Stewart Crafts (large)
Seam Binding - Etsy
Crochet Braid - Maya Road
Mists - Maya Road, Studio Calico, Smooch
Paint - Tim Holtz
Inks - Color Box


April 2012 Trio kit

$39.50 
Sale: $35.55
Save: 10% off

April 2012 Trio kit includes:


4 sheets double sided Jenni Bowlin magpie paper
3 sheets double sided Glitz Design happy traveler paper
3 sheets double sided Fabscraps classic paper
1 sheet Bella embossed cardstock
1sheet Jenni Bowliin diecut paper
6 sheets cardstock
1 Prima alphabet
1 sheet Jenni Bowlin hodge podge stickers
1 sheet Jenni Bowlin quilted stickers
1 pack Bella bling
assorted 7 gypsies tag inserts
assorted 7 gypsies envelopes
1/2 pack Jenni Bowlin chipboard tabs
1 Maya Road burlap flower
30" Maya Road tape measure trim
1/4 pack Maya Road metal hangers
1/2 pack Maya Road wood butterflies
1/2 pack Pink Paislee chipboard buttons



Friday 27 April 2012

There is Nothing Better for the Body than a nice big Hug! Layout {3 Scrappy Boys - Fabscraps}






Hi Everyone :)
Thanks so much for the chat yesterday!
 I thoroughly enjoyed our little debate & feel much better
 after getting all that off my chest LOL!!
I have a draft post typed up about it but I promised to
share this {yesterday actually, oops!} so here is my
4th layout for 3 Scrappy Boys - only 2 more to go!!
I plan on photographing those today to share with you
over the weekend. 

   There's a CROP on at 3 Scrappy Boys this weekend
 so come on over if you like - it's my last weekend there!
You can read the WELCOME NOTE here in the forum
so get registered - there are prizes to be won and a giant
sale in the store - plus LOTS of new stock too!!  I hope
to see you there & I have some VERY EXCITING news
about who will be replacing me on the DT but can only
do that once she has made the announcement herself{winks}. 

 I enjoyed my 6 month term there & decided to step down
 now because I have been in the process of cutting down 
on my Design Team commitments for the last few
 months, and reshuffling things to make room for others.
Some of those are "behind-the-scenes" things  but I've 
learnt that, while tempting to "be everywhere at once"
 it's also exhausting & unneccessary so I am trying
for that "balance" in my life {my One Little Word} this year!


I created this layout with the remains of the Fabscraps papers.
I started by cutting down the printed paper slightly & stitching
 it onto a backing cardstock.  This is always a good way to 
start a layout if you want to add a bit of zing as you have the
outside/border colour to kick start your theme (in this case RED)
so you can add more of it onto your layout & make it your
accent colour like I have done here!


I reversed the awesome Bella!  Hexagon paper (see it used 
on my previous layout HERE where I used the other side
 & sanded it to reveal the hexies).  I rubbed some inks over
it, sprayed on some mists & unscrewed their lids to shake
on some ink splats too!  Then I stitched it down all round,
a quarter inch in so I had a bit of an edge to lift & distress.


I had these bits & pieces of Fabscraps papers left over,
all with a neutral backing, so I inked them heavily in
Dark Brown Color Box ink then tore and stuck them
down randomly.  I LOVE the effect - especially the
triangles - Geometric shapes are so IN right now!!


So far you can all do all of this right?!
Easy peasy!!  Give it a go okay?!


Then I added the photo/s.  I printed out 2 photos exactly
the same so I could layer them up & reinforce the HUG 
theme with the repeat image of Cami's arms.

I made the dressmaker's dummy embellishment by
embedding the Tim Holtz metal embellishment in
Glossy Accents (just placed it on black cardstock
then DROWNED it with the stuff - waited overnight
for it to harden then cut around the abstract shape!)


I made the Christmas Bauble embellishments by inking
up the chipboard buttons from the kit (make sure to
 leave some white "highlight" areas) then added in
 the strings by hand, using my journaling pen.


I used the Prima Alphas provided, to create my LONG title.
They are GREAT for that - soooo many on one sheet!


Lastly I added some hand-journaling as usual & some
teeny ribbon-cuts tucked under the dressmaker's
 dummy embellishment & called it done! 

Supplies List for "There is Nothing Better" Layout
*** Everything from the April 2012 Trio Kit - view
contents HERE  - additional items used are
Glossy Accents, thread - stash
Inks (Dark Brown,Teal & Yellow - all Color Box)
Mists - Sunflower Yellow, Raspberry Pink & 
Popsicle Blue (all Maya Road)
Journaling Pen - Creative Memories





Thursday 26 April 2012

Some Controversial Thoughts on the latest trends in Scrapbooking {and What type of Scrapbooker are YOU?}






It all started when my BlackBerry broke this morning.
It will no longer accept my password even though I have
checked online & I have the correct one.  Hubby is away
& the cell phone company will not speak to anyone 
except the account holder.  So I am offline to all intents
& purposes, unless I am in my office sitting in front of 
my computer screen - no longer MOBILE.

This depressing change of circumstance caused me to
feel demotivated so I started browsing Facebook (as one
does) - from my cheap laptop that isn't good for much
else.  I came across someone ('via via' - as one does) & I
decided to check out her blog, which I used to frequent
often.  She is a really GREAT & talented scrapbooker
but I started visiting her blog less & less as the 
inspiration waned.

Over the years her style got less and less layered, &
cleaner & cleaner, until the "soul" in it had left almost
 entirely, in my opinion.  She started working for a magazine 
& my guess is that this is what they were requiring of her,
and she was delivering, killing her individuality in the process.

 Today almost all vestiges of journaling are gone.  Hardly a mist,
 no gesso, etc  = no fun (again - just my opinion).  Hardly a
 technique to be found, bar slick cuts and over-processed 
photographs.  It got me wondering...does she enjoy what
she's doing?  Is it still  really scrapbooking?  Is it therapeutic
 for her??  I don't think so.  Perhaps the trade-off is worth
the money.  So why does it worry me so much...???

She will certainly be getting a lot of free product, plus a 
publication fee per layout featured, and surely some
 additional perks for being part of the magazine's regular
 contributing team.  Not to mention all the kudos &
 accolades involved.  Tempting indeed....Sounds great
 hey?!  Used to be my grandest ambition...not any more...

Now I don't even submit my layouts {put a lot of that
 down to just not getting down to it though as it's a
 time-consuming process}but that particular publication
 is no longer on my radar & I don't know of a magazine
{apart from Scrapbooking Memories in Australia}
that should be on my radar to be honest.  They are
not available here so it's difficult to know...and the
disheartening thing for me is that I am never a "national",
always an "international" which either obliterates my
chances altogether or certainly makes them slimmer...
Anyway, I digress...

I then went & had a look at the magazine online.
They have a sneak peek function that is relatively 
new I think.  Funny how they never needed that
before... My e mail is regularly bombarded with giant
"special offer" promotional information from them,
even though I have been a subscriber for years. I
can't help but wonder why the apparent desperation?
Or maybe that is just marketing today??

I paged through the highlights of their latest issue.
I don't want it.  Is it just me?  Have I outgrown them?
Is that a good or a bad sign?  I found everything so
boring and basic.  All the ideas so elementary.  Seems
like their target market is very much newbie & "clean
& simple" scrapbookers with 15 minutes to spare to
create a layout.   Honestly?  My thoughts??  If you 
don't have time to scrapbook then maybe it's just not
for you.  I want to learn French, go canoeing, get into
great shape, but the honest truth is I don't have the time!

Which brings me to the other very popular concept
in scrapbooking right now.  You know the one I mean.
Where you record your memories in a simple format
and keep up with it regularly with a pre-bought kit
with everything you need.  Why does the idea always
make me shudder slightly? 

 It's a good one for sure - and a highly profitable 
one too  I would imagine...BUT I have some
 reservations about it's place within the scrapbooking
 world.  For non scrapbookers - amen!  It's the answer
 for sure!!  For "hardly ever" scrapbookers too, I can also
 see the benefits.  But for scrapbookers, surely there is
 no-one out there with the time to do both?

I don't scrapbook "only for the memories" anymore.
If I did I would simply print out all my photos 4 x 6"
- slide them into an album and journal the details on the
back wouldn't I?!  This new concept I mentioned above 
doesn't appeal to me because I find it restrictive.  There 
must be others out there who feel the same BUT what
 gets me is...

Almost every "high-flying" scrapbooker out there
suddenly LOVES the idea.  Have you noticed that?
They are ALL doing it, and we have all seen a feature
on it on their blogs...It makes me wonder if there was
a fee involved.  Same with the new fangled die-cutting
machine EVERYONE is using now - all the high-flyers
have almost every title cut out of it - sure, it's a trend,
and I LOVE trends.  But it's almost like you just aren't
"up there" unless you  spend hundreds of US$ (which
equates to THOUSANDS of South African rands),
on "one of them", especially for any serious consideration
in this particular magazine (and perhaps similar ones too).

You know how pro-athletes are paid to wear all the 
right gear?  You know what I'm saying?!?  And I'm
not going to say it.  This is my opinion only.  It may
be entirely fictional.  Just the workings of my
 {hopefully intelligent} mind.  If you've got this far &
do leave a comment please don't mention names. 
 I'd hate to have to delete this post.  

I think that "scrapbooking" is now "so much more"
and means (and IS) different things to different people,
so much so that subcategories are now developing.

1)  There's the "buy the kit and have your fun" 
scrapbookers.  (nothing wrong with it if  it appeals!)

2)  There's the "I've got 15 minutes to spare"
variety of scrapbooker, that I presume is obviously
benefitting from the magazine I used to benefit from.

3)  There's the online scrapbookers, the world I
live in and happen to love.  Where people are
 passionate about their art, and have the integrity
 to persue it without compromise.  The artists.
The avant-garde scrapbookers

Definition of Avant-Garde

Web definitions:
any creative group active in the innovation and application of
 new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts).
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Well I feel a lot better now that I've just worked out that
I'm an avante-garde scrapbooker!!  
It's like being part of an "alternative" band, doing what you
really believe in and making very little money as a result!
Then the clever ones sell-out to fame & fortune (via 
watered down versions of your work - that are much
more commercially viable!!!)
Despite (and in spite of!) all that it's an AMAZING
 group to be a part of don't you think?






Wednesday 25 April 2012

Life May not be Perfect Layout {3 Scrappy Boys Kit Club using Glitz Design Happy Traveller}






Here is the 3rd layout I created using the 3 Scrappy
 Boys April Trio Kit that you can view HERE.


How awesome is the honeycomb cardstock by Bella?  
You need to sand it through to the white core to
 expose the hexagon design to full effect.


The doily comes from my own stash & provided the perfect
 journaling block.  I inked the edges with "Creamy Brown" 
Color Box ink so it was less stark & I gessoed behind the 
alpha stickers so the title "popped" off the background.


I cut a deep frame out of the honeycomb paper & stitched 
the green cardstock behind it to fill in the centre square
 {you'll see that in a forthcoming layout I use the centre
 square of the honeycomb paper!}.  I used a rust ink
 on the butterflies but left some of the wood exposed,
 before varnishing with my glitter nail polish.


I inked up the plastic tape provided, with creamy brown Color Box
 ink, to age it a bit.  I used my Martha Stewart deep Daisy punch
 & added some of my own Prima Bling (recut into suitable lengths)
 to act as a flourish for the flower and as trails for the butterflies.
I inked the rust paper with white to help it stand out
 against the dark brown cardstock.


I made the focal point embellishment using all my 
own stash.  I started with hand-dyed gauze, layered a
 doily on top of it, then die-cut a piece of the printed
 paper before topping it all off with a Fabscraps
 bloom that I gessoed with a dry-brush.

For a complete list of supplies see the 3 Scrappy Boys 
Store HERE or the link at the top of this post {for my 
previous post that has the full kit contents included 
within it}. Items used that are NOT from the kit are:-

Paper doily
Creamy Brown, White & Rust ink {Color Box}
Journaling Pen (Creative Memories)
Stitching.  Sandpaper.  Glitter varnish.  Gesso.
Martha Stewart Deep Daisy Punch.
Prima Flourish & Vine.  Feather.
Giant bloom {Fabscraps}