Sunday 29 July 2012

Grade 11 Dance Layout {ScrapThat! July kit - Fabscraps Organics Collection}






Continuing with my ScrapThat! kit for July - here is my
next layout "Grade 11 Dance" that I am showing in full, together
with close up photos & supplies list.  Once again I altered
the printed papers & the cardstock using a varitey of mediums.

I added gesso to white out some areas to be semi-transparent 
then added some paints and mists for more texture & interest.  
I am particularly loving the "drip effect" right now, which is
 more easily achieved if you reduce the absorbency of the
 paper by first painting over it with gel medium.


The cardstock was mid-green & as I prefer working with darker
 shades I painted it (just around the edges as that's all that
 ends up showing) then dry brushed it with gesso & used
 Ranger Liquid Pearls (Peacock) to highlight certain areas, 
using my finger to spread it on.


I recoloured all the yellow flowers from the add-on to match 
the papers then "sugar-coated" them in clear glitter & defined
their centres with Liquid Pearls {Peacock}.  I used the Prima
flower packaging on my layout too, recoloured the alphas as 
they were a pale celery green & outlined them for definition.


I cut up the Prima vine & spread it around the edges of my
 photo, which I defined with my new Martha Stewart
 "Swirling Lace" punch as well as adhering the crochet 
ribbon across the top & bottom. 


I broke up a doily & scrunched bits of it up & pushed them 
under my flower clusters, securing them with glue-dots. 
 The flower you see above started out yellow as you can see below.


I used the canvas flowers below too, after dying them
with emerald green mists (Use a few shades if possible
so that it looks more natural & shaded).


Once everything was dry I dry-brushed over with some
gesso to lift everything a bit & added some stencilling
using modelling paste, around the edges of the photo
and embellishments, to define the areas & help the photo
"pop" off the background.  


And lastly this is the top section of my layout & shows
 the flowers & vines branching across the top & meeting in the 
centre to completely encompass the photograph.  I hope
you enjoyed that little tour around my page :)


Supplies List for "Grade 11 Dance" Layout.

Cardstock - Bazzill
Printed Papers - Fabscraps "Organics" Collection
Prima Packaging
Gesso & Gel Medium - Claudine Helmuth
Paint - Creative Talents Dusty Blue
Modeling Paste - Reeves
Liquid Pearls - Ranger - Peacock
Green Mists - Granny Smith Apple Green {Maya Road}
Meadow Green {Tattered Angels}
Blue Grass - Studio Calico
Flowers - Petaloo & Pink Paislee
Vines - Prima
Alphas - EK Success
Crochet lace, flowers, papers, burlap & alphas - all 
from ScrapThat!  July 2012 kit
Doily, Glitter {Clear & Green}  - stash 
Journaling Pen Artline 200 FINE 0.4 Shachihata
Punch - Martha Stewart Swirling Lace




Saturday 28 July 2012

"Unusual" Layout {ScrapThat! July Kit - Fabscraps Organic Collection - Mixed Media}







All of a sudden {since yesterday} I can no longer e mail my 
photos to my blog - anyone else having the same problem?? 
 I have sent them twice but they have still not arrived 24 hours
 later!  

Maybe it is an e mail problem, although my e mails have sent
 from my side, so if anyone is waiting to hear from me it could
 be that the e mail is still flying through cyber space
 (or rather - crawling through it...)


I promised to share my ScrapThat! July Reveal layouts 
here with their close ups and supplies lists (as all you've 
seen so far is the full layout photo during the reveal) &
  I haven't been able to show the rest until now because of 
my computer issues this month.


My time with ScrapThat! is now over so I want to wrap 
everything up this month.  Everything except the doily,
 the thread, staples, dark cardstock die-cut leaves & the
 mediums comes from the ScrapThat!  July kit.  


I really wanted to use these photos of my son Jack
so I needed to grunge up the papers & even the 
flowers as well.  I sewed a lot on this page, leaving
long threads at the end (deliberately pulling it out of
the sewing machine before cutting it off) to create
these messy thread flourishes which I then stapled down.


I hand-wrote the journaling that matches the title "Unusual".
My son Jack is not your standard teenager -  He is "too"
responsible, etc, very abnormally mature for a 17 year old.


I recoloured both flowers byspraying heavily with navy blue 
mist {wet flowers first to save on mist} then dipped them 
in clear glitter whilst still wet.   To speed up the drying
 process I used my tweezers to hold them so I could use my 
heat-gun - careful not to scorch and burn the nylon petals.


I dabbed the smaller white flowers from the kit with some
blue paint then dipped those into the clear glitter too.


I inked up the leaves with 4 different colours of ink
to make give them some more depth.  I dyed the
crochet lace blue (underneath the photo - see main
pic).  For a soft handle & even effect add some mist
to water in a flat bowl & submerge the lace into the
dye mix rather than spraying directly onto the lace.

Dying will only work on natural/cotton lace not
nylon/acrylic/synthetics as they have no absorbency.


I used the small piece of hessian/burlap that came with
the kit, as fibres by pulling them apart with my fingers &
using them to tie knots through the buttons, then pushed 
bits randomly into the ends of my rustic flower cluster.


I stitched half an inch in from the edge so that I could
rough up the edges of the paper a bit.  I created the 
background work with a stencil & some modelling paste 
mixed in with some blue paint then stamped with some
bubble-wrap spread with black paint.

Personally I am all for flowers on all types of layouts.
I don't think of them as exclusively feminine, providing
the colours and textures used are more manly.
What do you think?? Do you agree?

Supplies List for "Unusual" Layout


Cardstock - Bazzill
Printed Papers - Fabscraps Organic
Modeling Paste - Reeves
Gesso - Claudine Helmuth
Blue Paint - Making Memories - Daiquiri
Black Paint - Making Memories -Asphalt
Thread & bubble-wrap {for stamping} - stash
Doily, staples & clear glitter - stash
Paper, burlap, flowers, crochet lace, wooden buttons
& leaves - ScrapThat! July 2012 kit
Mists - Navy Twinkle {Smooch}
Maya Road - Jazz Blue & Hydrangea
Flowers - Zva Creative {large}
Green Tara {small}
Leaf die-cut - Cheery Lynne Olive Vine




Les Papiers de Pandore July Sketch & Color Palette





Happy Weekend Everyone!  If your week has been anything
 like mine you will be delighted that the weekend is here.  
Unfortunately July has been a month of doom & gloom for me
 on most fronts & so it seems to be continuing....Such is life 
sometimes I guess.  Let's hope next month will be better!!  

I haven't talked much about Pandore this month, but I have
2 layouts up there on the blog right now HERE, which you 
have actually already seen as they were using the June 2012
kit from C'est Magnifique, which just happened to contain
papers from Pandore, so I used them for challenges ending
at the end of last month.  

You can see the sketch post HERE.  As Pandore is a French
brand their blog is in French, but if you use Google Chrome
like most "Blogger" bloggers the text should automatically
translate as soon as you click in.  Mine is simply refusing to
do so this month (told you July wasn't my month!) but this is
most unusual & it should work like clockwork :) 


I'm sure you will agree that Julie is a fine sketch artist -
 honestly if I can create sketches like this one day I will
 be very happy indeed...I know I've left it very late to 
share this with you this month but at least you have it
in time for the weekend if you would like to create with
it & upload it to the Les Papiers de Pandore Facebook
page.  

All you need to do is use any Pandore product on your 
project, upload it to the FB page & you will be in with a 
chance to win some of the latest Pandore products,which 
are posted internationally.  One winner is chosen randomly 
each month so if you have any Pandore product I hope you 
will have a chance to give it a go!

There is also a gorgeous colour combo up on the blog
this month too, from Design Seeds but just happens to be
perfectly suited to "Invitation" - Pandore's new floral 
collection.  You can see the full post HERE & here it is!



There is a prize of some new stamps - see HERE, if you
get your project uploaded to the FB page before month end.
Remember that is French time so those of you in the US
have a few extra hours LOL!  

I was hoping to chop up the new papers this week but we
 had some really unexpected dramas here (people problems...
gosh it was like World War 3 around here this week - 
honestly feel like I've completed an assault course).  My kids
have a saying "Haters gonna Hate" - the Urban Dictionary
( a new favourite of mine) sums it up perfectly....

 1.haters gonna hate

A phrase used to acknowledge individual superiority in the face of negative external accusations. Can be repeated twice for emphasis. Often accompanied by a strutting walk away from offending party.

Just having a little chuckle here at the "strutting walk away" - 
if only we all had that much swag after all the below the
belt blows we sometimes have to tolerate!!  






Thursday 26 July 2012

Free Pass Layout {Scrap Africa Guest Designer - Sketch 8} C'est Magnifique - Inkido - Prima






Hello there!  I'm back again to share a layout I created 
recently for a Guest Designer Invitation at Scrap Africa HERE.
 I started with the wonderful Inkido "Sunshine" papers from 
the latest C'est Magnifique kit that you can see HERE.

I used the "Pink Roses" paper & "grunged it up" a 
little {or perhaps a lot!} with mists & paints.


I created this layout for my American friend Mitra HERE.
She has done so much to help me in so many ways, so I 
asked her to please choose a photo & send it to me so that
I could scrap it for her!  


She loves mixed media work so "I did it for her!"
but as you know I love getting dirty sometimes too!!


The alpas are old Making Memories ones  from my stash 
& the shade of blue was a perfect match for the Inkido papers.


That studded Prima swirl is just too funky & also from my stash -
I wish I had bought a lot more! Flourishes are honestly a must 
have on a shabby page!


Drop-dead gorgeous blooms all from C'est Magnifique
where they have a SPLENDID selection and NEW STOCK of  
the most beautiful Manor House blooms you have ever seen. 

 I have a truck load on the way to me :)
Go shopping HERE if you are looking for a quick shabby fix!!


The felt flowers match the felt alphas  - you see :)
I grunged up the peach one (not a "peach" kinda girl myself
 at all) so I used pink & blue ink on each petal & lime green 
on the stamens, to give the bloom some more "oomph"...


I created the dimension by slathering gesso on thick (using
a small plastic artist's trowel) through a stencil then spraying
 over it with mist.  I painted through the same stencil with blue
paint around the edges to match the alphas & blue printed paper.


The lovely vintage pink card underneath my title is also
 from the kit.  I was sent this sketch to work with - if you 
would like to play along with this sketch challenge you have
 until the 16th August to submit.


Supplies List for "Free Pass" Layout

Printed papers - Inkido - Sunshine Collection
& Teresa Collins "Fabrications" Collection
Transparency - My Mind's Eye "Follow Your Heart"
Gesso - Claudine Helmuth
Paint - Daiquiri by Making Memories
Stencil - Bubbles by Studio Calico
Mists - Granny Smith Apple Green (Maya Road) 
 Meadow Green (Tattered Angels) 
Rose Tea (Maya Road) & 
Pink Bubblegum (Tattered Angels)
Alphas - Making Memories Felt
Pink journaling card - C'est Magnifique Kits
(along with all paper & blooms)
Flowers - Prima Merelle Nectar (Felt) & 
flower with dangly charms - Prima Allegra Adelle
Pink flowers - Prima "Lady Godivas"
Strawberry Ice.
White flower - Prima (Tasha Frost)
Ink -  Prima Old Rose & Pretty Color - Turquoise
Punches - Martha Stewart Cherish & Fiskars Scallop Dot




Tuesday 24 July 2012

Giveaway for July & a Sketch Challenge!






Okay so I have something different for you this month!

Still going along with what I promised this year in
January - I said I would have a giveaway EVERY 
MONTH!  Enjoy them now because they end in
December - my unwanted stash is running out!


I've added in some brand new stuff here too - because sometimes 
I order something then get it in a kit for example - and I don't 
like feeling greedy so I share ! BUT this time there's a little catch!  

I'm promoting my sketches so have created a new one especially
 for my giveaway - Anyone can enter but using the sketch gives
you an extra point!  So why not use it if you want a
 better chance of winning?  Of course you can combine it with 
any other challenges or just use it for yourself but
please show the sketch & credit & link back to me. 

Same goes for all my other sketches shown here so far - I will be
 creating a page for them soon - that you can access from the top
 of the blog - just under the title bar - and anyone is 
welcome to use them providing they credit me & link back!


So all you need to do is :-

1.  Leave a comment on this post letting me know the type
of sketches that you like the most.

2.  If you aren't a follower you need to be one to qualify so
please "join followers" if you want a chance to win.

3.  If you decide to use the sketch please leave ANOTHER
comment letting me know you used it & copy & paste the
link to your post {where you need to please have an image
of the sketch and a mention of my name there with a live
link back to my blog}.

4.  Deadline is two weeks from now -
 Tuesday 7th August 2012
midnight EST - I will show all entries here with your name
 & a link back to your blog before the end of August so it's 
an opportunity for you to showcase your work too & hopefully
pick up some new followers!

I will announce the winner within a week of the deadline 
(ie on or before 14 August 2012) 
Winner will be chosen using RANDOM.ORG

Of course, being an international myself, I know how 
upsetting it is to get all excited about a giveaway then 
see (in the last line) that it is open to Australians or 
Americans only.  NOT HERE!  My giveaways are open to
 EVERYONE & ALWAYS WILL BE.

INTERNATIONALS WELCOME!
I will post to Greenland if necessary, nowhere is off limits :)





For the Love of Math Layout {C'est Magnifique - Prima - Inkido}







At long bleedin' last!  I am beyond frustrated with this machine 
now - all our recent holiday photos have been wiped out & that 
only partly solved the problem {deleting the corrupted photo 
file}seems like I need more RAM & until I get it my computer 
is freezing every 15 minutes & I'm having to shut down, open up 
again & lose everything unsaved in the process.  The RAM is 
on it's way - YAY!

Of course it's coming from Cape Town 2 days drive away - 
seems like Durban doesn't stock any!  So let's hope by
 the weekend things are back to normal around here because 
I am so bored of this!!!  GOOD NEWS THOUGH!!  I've
put together my July RAK & can finally upload it here so
will be scheduling that for later today so stay tuned :-D


Sketch 218 went live at Creative Scrappers on Sunday
so here is my interpretation of it, having turned the sketch.


I used the July kit from C'est Maginifique, which features
Inkido papers from Sweden & lots of Prima loveliness!


I liked this pretty pink background but wanted to save that
wheelbarrow image so cut it out carefully using my craft knife,
before adhering the other printed paper on top of the hole.


I'm almost through with these photos of my daughter's 
graduation dance - good thing too as I am tired of them!


The alphas are not from the kit - they are from Pebbles Inc,
and the painted chipboard is from a local SA manufacturer.


I handwrote my journaling then adhered the transparency
 over the top of it.  I've told quite a unique story here even
 though the photos aren't particularly related to the story -
 it does illustrate how my daughter became very close to 
her now good friend Sophia.


I used my 2 new Martha Stewart punches here, different
designs together for a change this time.

The layered sticker is from My Mind's Eye & I cut the Prima
vine into 2 separate smaller vines intertwined with the pearls.


I love a long title so was happy with this one!  I do my best
to avoid the one word cliches like "Forever" in favour of 
something more meaningful...


There's the wheelbarrow I could have lost underneath my 
paper layers so remember to cut out any images that will
become hidden anyway once all your layers are down!


Supplies List for "For the Love of Math" Layout

Base paper - Inkido {Sunshine Collection}
Green Printed Papers - Teresa Collins Fabrications
Papers, flowers, sticker, butterfly & pearls - all from
July 2012 kit from C'est Magnifique
Layered stickers & transparency - My Mind's Eye 
{Follow Your Heart} 
Prima Vine - Millicent {Doodle-Deux}
Butterfly - Prima
Chipboard - Celebr8
Alphas - Pebbles Inc.
Journaling Pen - Hybrid Gel Grip - Pentel
Ink - Old Rose - Prima
Paints - Turqoise, green, yellow, pink - Heritage
Martha Stewart punches - Cherish & Swirling Lace




Saturday 21 July 2012

Want to Win Tonnes of Shabby Loveliness?






Aha that got your attention didn't it?!

You see I know we are on the same page when it comes to
wanting to win MOUNTAINS OF PRIMA!!  
Considering that we should all have shares in the company 
by now due to our overspending habits there it seems only 
fair that...ummm...well that I should win of course! 

 Aaaaanyway, to do that I HAVE TO share the good news 
with you (totally wouldn't if I could just keep this stash haul
 all to myself!) - okay JUST KIDDING!!!  

You know I give you all the 411 on everything!


So go HERE - NOW!!  And follow the instructions! 
 Someone's gotta win!
Geez doesn't that image get you all flustered?!?
The insanely talented Ingvild Bolme has lost her marbles - 
clearly - she's giving all this away!!  Just joking of course - 
clearly she is of sound mind and knows just what her bloggy
friends are after.  THIS IS IT!!  

Reason for such celebration?  Her new blog makeover of course!
I've already signed up for e mail updates - how convenient :)
It's stunning - go take a look & post about this soon!!




Thursday 19 July 2012

Durban - Manchester United v/s Amazulu - Photographic Tour






We had a great time yesterday!  We went off to our "new" stadium
{built a few years ago for the Football World Cup} to watch our
favourite football team in the world - Manchester United - playing
a friendly match against our Provincial team, Amazulu.  Such FUN!!


You can read about it all HERE and HERE if you are a fan!


We still have our eldest daughter with us until Saturday.  She has
been home from uni & the kids have been on school holidays so it
has been a festive atmosphere in our house for the last 3 weeks!

Hence I have been a bit of a bad blogger {after completing all my June
assignments} I've been missing-in-action in Cape Town - the most
awesomely beautiful province in South Africa {voted one of the
so many great activities! 


 It will all culminate with us girls watching "Magic Mike" 
{insert excited face!} on Friday night!!  Which female on the
face of this earth doesn't want to see Channing Tatum & Alex
Pettyfer shirtless??!!  Good Times!!!  


Amidst all this frivolity my computer picked up 5 viruses thanks
to lending my teenagers my card reader & SD card from my
camera to share our holiday photos!  Grrrrrr!!  NEVER AGAIN!

I thought I had overcome the problem yesterday after spending
the entire day on Tuesday "fiddling" with my computer then 
running an overnight scan and another one yesterday, but
unfortunately not - seems like Microsoft Security Essentials
didn't pick up ONE of those FIVE viruses {insert confused face!}

Well thanks to my laptop {crummy as it is} I have some photos
for you - edited on my laptop which is very average so do excuse
them if they are not up to scratch!  My night photography sucks
& I don't have a wide angled lens & my lens range is insufficient -
excuses aside this is what I have for you straight from the stadium
last night - Nelson Mandela's Birthday Celebration Game!


All allocated seats were sold out so about 60 000 people attended.


It took us 2 hours to get to our parking {far from the stadium}
- walk there {in high heeled boots - I know, what was I thinking?!}
then walk up 6 flights of stairs and down 3 to our seats {don't ask...}


Of course they didn't send all their superstars but we did get
to see Chicharito, Ferdinand, Macheda, Berbatov, Scholls
& 5 minutes play from their new Japanese signing, Kagawa.


As per usual Chicharito prays before the match...


It wasn't the most exciting match but we had the usual face-offs...


And our local team had their moment in the limelight...


A bit of bad behaviour which is always quite amusing...


Then finally a goal scored by Mechada for Manchester United
just before half-time.



After which there was plenty of Vuvuzela playing!


Heading back into the tunnel...


Not much action in the second half and unfortunately
no goal for Amazulu despite some valiant efforts!


All eyes were on Kagawa as he awaited his very first match 
for Manchester United {he came on for the last 5 minutes}.



Here the Amazulu goal-keeper is taking a photo of Rio Ferdinand 
flanked by 2 Amazulu players - they were as awestruck as the rest of us
 to be playing alongside one of the most powerful clubs in the world.


Sir Alex Ferguson, the Man. Utd. manager, being interviewed
after the match.


Berbatov exits.


Even the vendors were on fine form!


My boys got to wear their customized kit :)


All in all we had a cracking good time!!


And soon I am going to have some new work to share
here too - haven't completely forgotten about that!


Here's the proof :)  See you soon!  Missed wishing you all a
Happy Hump Day - hope it was a good one!!  If you have no idea what
 I'm going on about I have linked up to an Urban Dictionary translation!